The student news site of Stillwater Area High School

The Pony Express
The student news site of Stillwater Area High School

The Pony Express
The student news site of Stillwater Area High School

The Pony Express
Sarah Junko

Sarah Junko, Layout Editor

Sarah Junko is a senior. She spends her time volunteering in the special education and kindergarten classrooms at Oak Park Elementary. She works at Nelson’s Ice Cream and Boutwells Landing. Sarah will be attending Winona State University next year with the hopes of becoming a special education teacher.

All content by Sarah Junko

Father and daughter raise money for aqueduct

Sarah Junko, Layout Editor
February 23, 2016
Pure Yoga is one of the few yoga studios in the St. Croix Valley. They offer an array of classes for all experience levels. Senior Elise Hendrickson goes to yoga at Pure Yoga. “I love barre! Even though it's not necessarily a yoga class, the spiritual idea of connecting with your body still plays a huge role throughout the class. I also prefer traditional level two Vinyasa flow classes. I don't like hot yoga because I have trouble breathing in hot environments and I start to feel claustrophobic,” Hendrickson says.

Yoga trend has students bending over backwards

Sarah Junko, Layout Editor
December 24, 2015
Parents of about 94 Lake Elmo future sixth graders listen to a presentation about the possible grade shift. “It actually gives them more options, my daughter is excelling at math right now and she would have more course options," said Katie Yates, mother of a future sixth grader at Lake Elmo.

Sixth graders could move to Oak-land Jr. High one year early

Sarah Junko, Layout Editor
November 23, 2015
Superintendent Denise Pontrelli speaks with concerned Lake Elmo Elementary teachers and answers the questions that they have.

At the Lake Elmo Elementary parent meeting, parents had group discussions about the positive and the negative things that would come from this move. Mother of a future sixth grader Paula Kersten said, “They’re going to have three classes at Lake Elmo next year, so why not move to the Jr. High and have four classes to do the four core subjects and also have a bigger space.”

Stephen Gorde, Lake Elmo Elementary principal is going over classroom plans and the educational model with Lake Elmo parents. There will be five classrooms and a brand new science lab that will only be used by the sixth grade students. The students will also have access to the gymnasium, fitness rooms, the pool and many extracurricular activities.

Oak-land Jr. High principal Andrew Fields presents the positive outcomes of this change while answering the questions of the parents. Fields said, “Looking at opportunities to connect our Lake Elmo and Valley Crossing students, and to help with the middle school transition that will be taking place in 2017-18 also looking at the opportunities for our students to have a Jr. High/Middle school spaces available to them."

Mother Michelle Tague and her daughter Sarah both attended the parent meeting for Valley Crossing parents. Sarah will miss some of the teachers at Valley Crossing and recess, but she is very excited to learn new things. Sarah said, "I'm already doing some sixth grade stuff at Valley Crossing so i think it will be more of a challenge."

At an informational parent meeting, Valley Crossing parents split into groups to discuss their thoughts on this possibly change. Mother of a sixth grader, Michelle Tague said, “I think it gives more opportunity than Valley Crossing, we have two sixth grade classes. They [The sixth graders] don’t get the opportunity to class shift like they do at Lake Elmo. It will give them more of an opportunity to start that process of the class shifting that they do when going into Jr. High”.

Lake Elmo Elementary is currently dealing with a capacity issue. “There is a lot of housing that is going in, or is about to go in over the next year. When we look at the projected enrollment for next year, we will be well over 800. Currently we have about 770 students, which is quite a bit over our capacity,” Lake Elmo Elementary School Principal Stephen Gorde said. Moving the Lake Elmo sixth graders to Oak-land Jr. High would create space at Lake Elmo to possibly have a preschool class.

Pankalo provides specialized learning opportunities for disabled students

Pankalo provides specialized learning opportunities for disabled students

Sarah Junko, Layout Editor
October 19, 2015

Spirit, Heart, Home brings St. Croix Valley together

Sarah Junko, Layout Editor
April 30, 2015

Super Mileage Club prepares for annual competition

Sarah Junko, Team Lead
March 27, 2015

Dan Ralston fulfilling new duties

Sarah Junko, Team Lead Editor
November 18, 2014

New principal brings new changes

Sarah Junko, Team Lead Editor
October 1, 2014
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