On the Horizon-Middle School Update and Plans

If you have been at STRIDE over the past three years, you know that STRIDE has worked endlessly to find a middle school location and building that meets both our academic and financial needs. This year we are closer than we have ever been. Our goal is to have a middle school up and running by August, 2010. The current plans have been developed and go in front of the city planning within the next couple weeks. Al Keller is our investor and builder. Al developed and built our current location and addition. The middle school site will be in the South Gate area of south St. Cloud (about one mile south of Walmart just past Boulder Ridge Golf Course). This area is the fastest growing section of St. Cloud and the south side schools of St. Cloud are overflowing. The parcel is four acres to begin, the four acres will house the middle school 6th-8th grades and the entire k-8 campus by 2015-2016. The parcel also has potential to expand into a k-12 campus.

The middle school committee has been meeting on a regular basis for the past two years. We meet at 5:30pm before each board meeting. We always welcome the public to join us in these planning meetings. In the meetings, we discuss the building, curriculum, scheduling, course offerings, transportation, activities and everything else that goes into meeting the needs of middle school students.

BUILDING
The plans are almost complete and available for public view in the school office. The building will be 22,500 square feet to include a gymnasium with bleachers and full court basketball. The five homeroom classrooms will be 805 square feet (much larger than our current classrooms). The science lab is over 1,000 square feet and includes sinks, lab stations, gas and windows on three sides to allow natural light for plant growth. There is a music/art room, boys and girls locker room and lockers in the hallway. The building also allows for future growth of both the elementary and high school.

HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL GROWTH
With the new facility, STRIDE will now be able to grow vertically by offering 7th and 8th grades. The new middle school will host 6th-8th grades. Our current facility will host grades k-5th. The current facility will have two schedules:
1. k-2 (Primary)
2. 3-5 (Intermediate)
With 6th grade moving to the new middle school, we will have room to grow horizontally by adding one section per year, starting in kindergarten. YES, STRIDE WILL NOW HAVE THREE SECTIONS STARTING IN 2010-2011, TELL YOUR FRIENDS THERE IS ROOM IN KINDERGARTEN.

CURRICULUM AND COURSE OFFERING
Let's be clear, the new middle school will focus on college prep with the vision of ALL students being college ready. What will be offered beyond the basics:

World Language(s)
Advanced/Honors Math
Advanced/Honors Literature
Advanced/Honors Science
Fitness
Technology
Band
Choir
Media Arts

TRANSPORTATION
Transportation will be offered to Sauk Rapids and St. Cloud. All transportation is expected to remain the same. However, we are working on one addition. STRIDE is researching a shuttle between the two locations so parents can drop students off at one location and students can be transported to the other location.

ACTIVITIES
Research has proven that students involved in extra-curricular activities, perform higher academically. We understand that we need to expand our extra-curricular offerings.
The number of offerings is dependent on the number of participants.
Volleyball
Soccer
Basketball
Baseball
Softball
Knowledge Bowl
Math League
Student Council
and more depending on student numbers and coop with other schools.

WHAT IS NEEDED FROM PARENTS
1. We need to ensure that we fill the third section starting with kindergarten next year. We have always had a waiting list, thus the need for a third section. Tell all your friends with kindergartners for next year that STRIDE is opening another section.
2. We will need dozens of parents to COMMIT to help prepare the new middle school for the grand opening. May, June and July of next year will be busy and we need your help with moving, painting, cleaning, putting furniture together, installing lockers and much more. Please notify Lynn Imholte at 230.5340 if you can help. Without your help we will need to spend money needed for the students.

Jason Ulbrich, Education Director