Brainerd Public Schools

I am frequently asked if I get a long summer vacation like students. People are always a little shocked and maybe even a bit sad for me when I tell that I and many others at the school district work even when the sun is shining and the temperatures climb and our lakes look oh so cool. Ensuring that students have the highest-quality educational opportunities is year-round work and while things in the schools certainly slow down, much important work is still happening. 

In Community Ed, summer is full of a multitude of activities for kids of all ages. We hold camps for almost every sport one can play. We have art classes galore. We have enough STEM classes to keep our budding engineers and scientists busy all summer. 

We also have many exciting performing arts opportunities. We’re so excited to bring the Prairie Fire Theatre company to town gather kids 7-18 years old to put on a production of Peter Pan next week. In Mid-July, we will hold the second annual Mark Munson School of Rock for grades 5 through 12 in partnership with the Crossing Arts Alliance. At the end of July, we are working with the Lakes Area Music Festival to host the Explore Music class for grades 1-9 at the end of July. Summer is a great time to get your kids on a stage in our community!

Community Ed isn’t the only busy department this summer. The five schools that are first up for renovation, remodeling and rebuilding during the Blueprint 181 process each have a team of people meeting throughout the summer to design what these new an improved spaces will  be. Brainerd High School, Forestview Middle School, the New Elementary School in Baxter, Harrison Elementary School and Nisswa Elementary School are being prepared for the first wave of renovations as I type. 

Our Food Service department has been busy partnering with Operation Sandwich to make sure every child in our community has food this summer. The Washington Educational Services building on Oak Street in Brainerd hosts free breakfast and lunch most weekdays this summer. Food Services and Operation Sandwich also make bagged lunch deliveries at convenient locations around the community throughout the week. 

New this year is a program that has many of our school libraries open to kids needing summer reading materials. Kids can fight losing all the good learning they did this school year during the summer slide by checking out all the school libraries have to offer. The schedule for summer reading is:

• Baxter Elementary School: Tuesdays, noon-2 p.m.
• Garfield Elementary School: Wednesdays, 10 a.m.-noon
• Lowell Elementary School: Wednesdays, 10 a.m.-noon
• Nisswa Elementary School: Wednesdays, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
• Riverside Elementary School: Tuesdays, 10 a.m.-noon
• Forestview Middle School: Wednesdays, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

So while our neighbours and friends are at the park, on the beach and in the boat this summer, many of us at Brainerd Public Schools will be happily hard at work on behalf of students of all ages.