Kyle Zimmermann Creating Interest @ Lehigh

1st Annual Golf Fundraiser

Champlin Park

Boys Basketball Booster Club’s

1^st Annual Golf Classic

Fundraiser

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Pheasant Acres Golf Course

1:00 Shotgun start

Scramble format – par is your friend

All levels of play welcome.

$75 per participant

Includes green fees, cart, prize opportunities,

post event dinner

Silent auction items – Raffle prizes

R.S.V.P. by September 5, 2008

to Jeff Munneke at

munneke@timberwolves.com

Kyle Zimmermann Creating Interest @ Liberty

Past Varsity Coach & Assistant Principal Ryan Laager Moves On

By ANDREW WALLMEYER
awallmeyer@acnpapers.com
(Last modified: Monday, August 4, 2008 2:55 PM CDT)

It may have taken District 834 Superintendent Keith Ryskoski longer than he would have liked to find a new principal for Stillwater Area High School, but he said he believes the wait was worth it, and he is confident he has found the kind of leader he was looking for in former Champlin Park High School Assistant Principal Ryan Laager. "Ryan's got experience working as an administrator at a very large, suburban high school in the largest district in the state, and I think he's got the intellect, the energy, and the enthusiasm to help lead us, not only this year, but well into the future," Ryskoski said late last week. "I think his experiences working in a large high school and his focus on continuous improvement will help propel us to even greater heights at the high school." If formally hired by the school board, which next meets Aug. 14, Laager will replace former SAHS Principal Chris Lennox, who was promoted to assistant superintendent in May. Laager, 31, has for the past five years been one of six assistant principals at Champlin Park, which enrolls 3,200 students in four grades in the Anoka-Hennepin School District. Apart from having general responsibility for one-fifth of the student population, he worked extensively with the school's staff development and student assessment programs. Before moving into administration, Laager also coached the varsity boys basketball team. Prior to working at Champlin Park, Laager taught fifth-grade and middle school technology in the Spring Lake Park School District. He received his bachelor's degree in education from St. Cloud State University and holds a master's and a Ph.D. in educational leadership from St. Mary's University. Seated Thursday afternoon in what will likely become his new office, Laager said he wasn't looking to leave Champlin Park when a former colleague tipped him off to the Stillwater opening, but he couldn't resist the opportunity to apply. "I had a great job. I enjoyed where I was and what I was doing immensely, but the opportunity to come to Stillwater and work in a school and a school district like this was too good to pass up," he said. "Obviously, the scores here are very good, as are the number of students who go on to college, their performance there, and the overall graduation rates. And I think that's largely a reflection of the community, which I just love," he continued. "I view it, as many others do, as one of the top schools and top places to be in the state." Raising the bar While he said his first year would be focused on getting the lay of the land, Laager said he looks forward to working with staff, students and community members to push for even greater achievement. "I just need to spend time gathering information on where we're at, and then work with the staff to develop a vision and a mission for the future: where do we want to be in three years? In five years? What does that look like?" he said. "The basis for that, in my opinion, is looking at student achievement. We have high levels of achievement already, but I think we can always do better." Though he wasn't prepared to comment on Stillwater specifically, Laager said he sees the greatest challenge facing Minnesota schools as preparing students to succeed in an increasingly competitive global society that will be far different than the world their parents and grandparents knew. "I think we need to open our eyes to the fact that the world is changing very rapidly right in front of us, and with that the kind of education we provide to our kids also has to change and evolve. Of course, the core elements are much the same, but we need to ask ourselves how we can ramp up the rigor, the relevance, and those kind of things that allow us to provide the right kind of education for all of our kids," he said. "I think my passion to learn, to understand those things, is a strength, and I think that if you ask the people I've worked with in the past, they would say I'm a very visionary thinker." Champlin Park High School Principal Rhoda Mhiripiri described Laager as "an analytical thinker, but one who definitely values input from others and recognizes the need for a collaborative process." In the three years she supervised him at Champlin Park, Mhiripiri said Laager typified a new generation of assistant principal by focusing as much on the teaching process as he did on discipline and student management. "He did a very good job in that area. He's very personable, and very focused on instruction," she said. "I think he's more than ready to be principal at a school like Stillwater." For his part, Laager said he is eager to start, and he, his wife Verla and their 3-year-old son plan to jump into the school and the community with both feet. "We love the area out here and would love to move out this way," the Blaine resident said. "I think the St. Croix Valley is so beautiful, and we come out here often. We were just out here two weeks ago for Summer Tuesdays and it was outstanding. Our ultimate goal is to come out here and be a part of the community." Laager said he knows that will involve attending a lot of school events, but he sees that as one of the job's greatest perks. "I've made it a way of life. My entertainment is going to these kinds of school activities, and I really enjoy it," he said. "I always tell people they're missing out if they don't check out what's going on at the high school - all the arts, athletics and activities - it's some of the cheapest entertainment you can get, and the students are often very, very talented." Still, Laager said he knows his performance will largely be evaluated on how well those students do in the classroom, both at Stillwater and beyond, and he can't wait to tackle the challenge of improving what is already one of the best public high schools in the state. "If I'm going to be a part of something, I want to be a part of something great," he said. "When you're starting from a position of strength, it can be even harder to raise achievement. I know I'm coming into a situation where things are already very good, and I'm excited to try and take it to the next level. It's a different kind of challenge than some of the ones I've faced before, but I'm ready for it."

We all wish you well in your new endeavor Ryan!