August 2018 News and Notes

Music Room Makeover: Bakken Elementary Turns Old Art Rooms in New Music Rooms

With a growing enrollment and no relief in sight, Jeremy Mehlhoff, principal at Bakken Elementary, had to get creative in order to accommodate all of his students.

Because of the added number of students, the general music classes had to be relocated from general classrooms to a different, larger space, both to have enough room for the large music classes and to create additional core classroom space. The problem? The only space left was the old art rooms from WHS. They were designed for art -- concrete floors, giant wooden tables, and unfinished walls.

Over the summer, Mehlhoff and his staff set out to create a suitable environment for music. And the Coyote Foundation was able to help with the project thanks to the Chuck Johnson Fund (pictured below).

If you are interested in helping make further improvements to the Bakken music rooms, please email us. We'd be happy to facilitate a tax-deductible donation!

Mary Persson Pursuit of Excellence Scholarship Created

Mary Persson graduated from WHS, Williston State College (with an Associate’s Degree), UND with an Education Degree for K-8 and Early Childhood, and then she went on to earn an Elementary Master’s in Education Degree (Math Concentration)from Minot State.

Mary caught the “love of learning” bug from her family. Her parents read to her and her siblings every day and education was always valued in her family. Her parents taught her that every day presented another opportunity to learn and explore new things.

Over the past 4 decades, Mary has put her passion for learning to use. She taught 5 years at St. Joseph School before joining the staff at Lewis & Clark Elementary, where she remained a constant figure on the staff. During that time, she held numerous titles and served on a variety of committees – Advanced Ed, Advisory, RTI, and Tech to name a few. She also mentored 8 student teachers, had the privilege of working with 5 former students, and taught under 6 different superintendents. She and Mrs. Sandra Schilke created the Lewis and Clark Scholarship Fund, providing scholarships for the last 18 years to Lewis and Clark students graduating from WHS. Through it all, she says her outlook on life and education is “so what if you didn’t get it right today! Mistakes happen; learn from them and don’t give up. Tomorrow is another day, and you can be the best you if you keep on trying”!

Mary and her husband Preston, have two sons, Preston Earl (PJ) and Tyler, including their daughter-in-law, Marie. Their son PJ passed away a few years ago. Tyler graduated from WHS, Minot State, and The Ohio State with a degree in Optometry.Marie is a ND girl that earned her degree from the Illinois College of Optometry located in Chicago. Mary and Preston are both officially retired, although Mary is continuing to sub in the district this fall.

This scholarship was created by Mary’s son Tyler and his wife Marie, in honor of Mary’s passion for education, her dedication to her students, and her outstanding career with WPSD #1.