BEA District E-Newsletter

Hearing & vision re-screens will take place on November 5th for students who did not pass initial screening or who were absent during initial screening.

During the month of November, Nurse Crofton will communicate with families of students who did not pass hearing and/or vision screenings. This may be in the form of a letter mailed to your home, an email and/or paperwork shared with you by your student’s teacher.

Reminders about when to keep kids home from school:

• Stay home if a student has a fever at or above 100.4, and for 24 hours after the temperature is back to normal (without the use of fever-reducing medications)

• Stay home for 24 hours after vomiting

• Stay home for diarrhea that results in accidents or frequent bathroom visits

• Stay home if generally unwell

Blue Earth Area Elementary has implemented a new foundational skills curriculum, Functional Phonics and Morphology. This evidence-based program provides explicit, systematic instruction designed to build strong word-reading, spelling, and vocabulary skills.

Students in grades K–2 will focus on Functional Phonics, learning to match speech sounds to letters to decode and spell words accurately. Students in grades 3–5 will transition to Functional Morphology, where they will study meaningful word parts—such as prefixes, suffixes, and Greek and Latin roots—to expand their vocabulary and tackle more complex reading passages.

We are thrilled to bring these research-aligned resources into our classrooms to give our youngest learners the tools they need to become confident, fluent readers!

Walking through classrooms recently, I was reminded of something that can easily be overlooked, real learning is challenging and messy.

When a child tackles long division, picks up a new instrument, or reads aloud, mistakes are not signs of failure. They are proof of effort. In fact, a wrong turn is often where the brain does its best work. When we acknowledge mistakes as part of the learning process rather than failures, we give our children permission to stay curious, take healthy intellectual risks, and build true resilience.

Perseverance—the ability to fall short and try again—is a skill developed through practice. As adults, we have to reinforce that grit is a positive trait. This doesn't mean offering empty praise for every small action, but rather spotlighting the process over the product and recognizing how much growth is worth.

When your student hits a wall on homework or struggles with a challenging concept, a few small shifts in language at home can make an enormous difference:

• Praise the effort, not just the outcome: Instead of "You’re so smart," try "I saw how long you stuck with that problem until it made sense. That took a lot of focus."

• Embrace "The Power of Yet": Replace "I can't do this" with "You haven't figured it out yet, but you're getting closer."

• Share your own missteps: Let your children see you make mistakes, laugh it off, and adjust course. It shows them that learning doesn't stop in adulthood.

Our goal isn't to raise students who never fail; it’s to raise confident, capable young people who know that a stumble is just the first step toward getting it right.

The Scholastic Book Fair is coming to Blue Earth Area Schools, and we can’t wait to help our students discover their next favorite book! Join us on Thursday, November 19th and Monday, November 23rd, from 3:30–7:30 p.m. for a fun opportunity to shop for books and build a love of reading.

Set Up an e-Wallet and Enter to Win!

Make shopping at the Book Fair easy and cash-free by setting up your child’s Scholastic e-Wallet! All e-Wallets that are set up and used during our Book Fair will be entered into a drawing to win a prize! 🎉

An e-Wallet is a convenient way for your child to shop without needing cash or a credit card. Any unused funds remain in your Scholastic account and can be used at future Book Fairs or on the Scholastic website.

How to Get Started:

1. Visit bookfairs.scholastic.com.

2. Select “Find a Fair” and locate Blue Earth Area Schools.

3. Set up your child’s e-Wallet!

There’s no need to notify us once you’ve set it up—we’ll be able to see the e-Wallets created for our Book Fair.

📱 Stay Connected! Follow us on Facebook and Instagram at @BEA Media Centers and on TikTok at @bea.bookaneers for Book Fair updates and more!

We look forward to seeing you at the Scholastic Book Fair! Happy reading! 📖

High school is a time of growth, but that growth rarely follows a straight, easy line. As our students work toward their futures, they will naturally encounter obstacles—whether a disappointing test score, confusion about their next steps, or a project that didn't go as planned. How we respond to these moments at home and at school shapes their confidence and resilience far more than a spotless transcript ever could.

Here are three key ways we can partner together to help our students navigate these challenges:

Reframing Academic Setbacks as Diagnostic Data: When a student brings home a poor grade or struggles in a challenging course, it is easy for panic or disappointment to set in. Encourage your student to view a setback not as a verdict on their intelligence, but as valuable feedback. Remind them to ask productive questions: Where did the misunderstanding begin? Was the study method effective? Is it time to ask for help from the teacher or seek peer tutoring? Approaching academics with curiosity rather than shame teaches young people to adapt and take ownership of their learning.

De-escalating the Pressure Around College and Career Choices: The question "What do you want to do with your life?" can feel paralyzing to a teenager. With college application deadlines, vocational training pathways, and career choices looming, students often feel that one decision will define their entire adult life. Reassure your student that they do not need the next forty years figured out today; they simply need to identify the next curiosity-driven step. Celebrate their evolving interests, whether that means a four-year university, a trade apprenticeship, community college, or another positive option.

Embracing Failure as an Essential Teacher: In a high-stakes environment, the fear of failing often prevents students from taking intellectual and creative risks. When things go wrong, give them the grace to reflect on what happened without immediately stepping in to fix it for them. Learning how to process disappointment, apologize when necessary, and dust themselves off builds true grit. The most successful adults are rarely the ones who never failed; they are the ones who learned how to get back up, adjust their course, and keep moving forward.

It’s Financial Aid Season!

The FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is officially open! Seniors and their families are encouraged to complete the application as soon as possible to explore available federal financial aid for college or career training. Don’t forget to search for scholarships, too! Helpful hint: AI tools like ChatGPT or Gemini can help you discover scholarship opportunities and brainstorm search terms. Just remember to verify eligibility requirements, deadlines, and application details through official sources.

Prioritizing Student Wellbeing

With busy schedules, upcoming deadlines, and big decisions ahead, taking care of your mental health is more important than ever. Feeling stressed or overwhelmed is completely normal, but you don’t have to navigate it alone. Whether you need help managing your workload, talking through a concern, or simply finding a quiet place to gather your thoughts, the counseling office is here to support you! Your wellbeing matters, and asking for help is always okay!

One of the most rewarding parts of serving as superintendent is seeing the hard work of our students and staff translate into progress. Behind every assessment score are teachers refining their instruction, staff supporting student needs, students giving their best effort, and families partnering with us along the way.

The recently released 2026 Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCA) results give us several reasons to celebrate at Blue Earth Area Schools. While test scores are only one measure of student learning, they help us recognize our successes and identify opportunities for continued growth.

Celebrating Progress in Reading, Math, and Science

BEA Elementary students achieved 49.2% proficiency in reading, exceeding the statewide average of 48.6%. Because Minnesota introduced a new reading assessment, we do not have directly comparable results from previous years. However, this is an encouraging milestone for our students and staff.

Our third graders achieved 72.1% proficiency in math, compared with the state average of 57.9%. In science, our tenth graders reached 55.4% proficiency, well above Minnesota’s 36.6%. Districtwide, math proficiency increased by 3.6 percentage points and science proficiency by 8.7 percentage points.

These results are worth celebrating, and our elementary reading achievement provides a particularly meaningful opportunity to recognize the work happening in our classrooms.

The Work Behind the Reading Results: Minnesota’s READ Act

In 2023, Minnesota passed the Reading to Ensure Academic Development (READ) Act, bringing significant changes to how schools approach literacy instruction. The law emphasizes evidence-based practices, including structured literacy, which explicitly and systematically teaches the essential skills students need to become successful readers.

This includes phonics, decoding, reading fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. The READ Act also emphasizes identifying students who need additional support and using evidence-based interventions to help them progress.

Over the past two years, our BEA educators have dedicated substantial time and energy to READ Act training, strengthening their understanding of structured literacy and applying what they learn to classroom instruction. This work requires ongoing professional development, collaboration, and a willingness to refine established practices. Our teachers have embraced this important responsibility because they understand that strong reading skills are foundational to success in every subject area.

While many factors contribute to student achievement, the progress we are seeing is encouraging as our staff continues this important work.

Progress Is a Team Effort

Improving student achievement is ongoing work. We celebrate our successes while continuing to examine assessment data, identify learning gaps, strengthen instruction, and provide the support students need to grow. Our commitment extends beyond one grade level or subject area. We want every student at BEA to experience growth, develop confidence in their abilities, and have the skills and opportunities necessary to reach their full potential.

I am incredibly proud of the hard work happening throughout our district. Thank you to our teachers for their dedication to their craft, our support staff for the many ways they contribute to student learning, our students for their effort and perseverance, and our families for their continued partnership.

These results are worth celebrating, but even more important is the work behind them and the commitment to keep moving forward. At BEA, we will continue learning, growing, and working together to help every Buccaneer succeed.

Go Bucs!

November 1st-Daylight Saving Time

November 2nd-Teacher Workday/No School

November 2nd-Parent Advisory Meeting 5:30pm District Conference Room

November 3rd-Mayo Clinic Healthcare Career Festival-MSU

November 5th-Hearing/Vision Rescreen

November 7th-Bethany Honor Band Festival-Bethany Lutheran College

November 9th-Big South Choral Festival at Luverne

November 9th-School Board Meeting 6pm

November 10th-Winter Sports Parent Meeting 7pm PAC

November 11th-Veterans Day Program 10:30am HS

November 11th-Veterans Day Program K7 School 1:30pm Pemberton Auditorium

November 13th-Fall Play 7pm PAC

November 14th-Fall Play 2pm PAC

November 14th-Roller Skating 1pm-4pm Pemberton Gym

November 15th-Roller Skating 1pm-4pm Pemberton Gym

November 16th-Winter Sports Practice Begins

November 17th-Minnesota Department of Transportation Presentation Preschool/Kindergarten

November 18th-Construct Tomorrow-Mankato

November 19th-Better Than B’s Breakfast 7:30am Pemberton Auditorium

November 19th-K-5 Parent-Teacher Conferences 4-8pm

November 20th-Entrepreneurs of the Future-MSU

November 20th-3rd Grade Terrific Kids - Multi Purpose Rm 8:20am

November 21st-BUC$ FOR BUCS 7pm-10pm at 10 Talents

November 23rd-K-5 Parent-Teacher Conferences 4-8pm

November 25th-27th-Thanksgiving Break

November 30th-HS Orchestra Concert 7:30pm PAC