Minnesota school closures effective March 18 through March 27
Isabel Kjaer and Talia Lissauer
March 15, 2020
This story is accurate as of 10:00 a.m. March 15. In response to COVID-19, Governor Walz directed the Commissioner of Education to close schools starting March 18 and ending March 27 through Executive Order 20-02. “School closures put burdens on children and families and create disproportion...
Park health officials, administration develop plan for handling COVID-19
Marta Hill, Isabel Kjaer, and Kaia Myers
March 12, 2020
As COVID-19 spreads, Director of Communications and Community Relations Sara Thompson said the district is outlining a plan to respond to COVID-19, should it spread to Park schools. “The district has coronavirus response plans in draft form. It's not available to the public for public release, bu...
PSEO information sessions
March 11, 2020
PSEO information meetings will take place in the Media Center Classroom, according to counselor Heidi Cosgrove. Informational meetings will go over what PSEO is, as well as how to sign up for courses. ...
Principal of five years resigns
Isabel Kjaer, Marta Hill, and Kaia Myers
February 17, 2020
Though the decision to resign was hard to make, Principal Scott Meyers said it was ultimately made easier because of the potential positive effects on his life. “I'm going to miss being a part of almost 1,500 students' lives. It is a really important thing and I take it very seriously. I'll miss...
NTA changes mentality
January 22, 2020
According to Non-Traditional Academy advisor Joe Weber, NTA is designed to be a student-centered class. “We go into things with great depth and we run with a very dialogic space. There's not a lot of lecturing,” Weber said. “Students in NTA need to put in all the work and teachers don't give...
Collaboration leads to success
January 22, 2020
According to advisor Taylor Williams, the Special Education Department has been studying for finals. “In history, we are doing a World War 1 unit, in chemistry, we are doing an atoms unit,” Williams said. “In both classes, we are just preparing for our finals.” Senior Ryan Erickson said ...
Strong community within a classroom driven by success
Tennam Gyaldatsang and Neb Bekele
December 20, 2019
According to the leader of Non-Traditional Academy Chris Weaver, students who wouldn’t have exceeded to their full potential in a normal classroom setting seem to be doing well and are on track to graduate. “It's good to know that a small percentage of kids who probably would not have graduated ca...
Mindfulness activities ineffective
November 17, 2019
The use of mindfulness activities during school is a waste of precious class time which could be utilized for implied actual classwork. My own experience with mindfulness activities is that 10-15 minutes of the class is spent by students either not listening or dozing off. The amount of wasted...
Math Team sets goals for season
Gabriel Kaplan and Noah Orloff
October 23, 2019
Senior Math Team captain Zachary Weiser said he hopes more students will consider joining the activity, noting the club’s welcoming atmosphere. “Math Team is super fun. It’s definitely a good challenge but also you don’t have to worry about not being the greatest at math,” Weiser said. ...
Students struggle adjusting to school and sports
September 30, 2019
According to junior volleyball player Kristi Thompson, it is extremely difficult to manage both school and sports due to the large time commitment each requires. “It's really hard to balance your homework and practice time. If there's a game you have to stay there all night and find time to do your ...
Park Spanish Immersion changes locations
June 7, 2019
Park Spanish Immersion School principal Corey Maslowski reflects and looks ahead to the school Cedar Manor. “The school has had many great memories and (I’m) looking forward to what the new building has to offer,” Maslowski said. According to Maslowski, the school changing locations will b...
Time changes recommended for district
March 22, 2019
Looking over the two proposals for school start and end times next year, freshman John Lawrence said he feels both choices present favorable options for the high school. “It would be nice to make (start times) a little bit later. I do know that if that happens, school would get out later and some ki...
In an attempt to slow the spread of COVID-19, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is advising the use of cloth face coverings and continuing to practice social distancing, according to a recommendation...
Gabriel Kaplan and Talia Lissauer
This story is updated as of 3:30 p.m. March 26. Earlier this month, Echo asked its Instagram followers to submit questions and we did our best to answer your concerns then, and we have reached out again...
Marta Hill, Gabriel Kaplan, Isabel Kjaer, and Talia Lissauer
During a conference call March 25, Gov. Tim Walz ordered all Minnesotans to limit their movement outside of their homes to protect those most at risk from the pandemic — this request includes an extension...
Park is having virtual dress codes over time away from school March 23- 27 because of the COVID-19 outbreak. The dress codes are being used to unite the community because distance learning has made it...
