MISF Awards STEM Grant
May 2, 2018
Thirty-five STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) Grant Awards were presented to elementary and high schools throughout the state through MISF’s STEM Program at the 2018 Minnesota Private and Independent Education Awards on April 29 at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul. The awards program recognizes a number of outstanding K-8 and 9-12 teachers and leaders of the year, academic programs, staff, and volunteers contributing to the success of private and independent schools in Minnesota. The STEM grant funding will assist schools in developing hands-on curriculum to prepare students to be workforce leaders in STEM careers. Supporters of the MISF STEM Program are the 3M Foundation, Schott Foundation, and Xcel Energy Foundation.
Minnesota Valley Lutheran High School (MVL) plans to use the $7,455 award for a new Robotics course. The course will be taught by MVL teacher Heath Dobberpuhl and will be offered beginning next school year. For the past two years, MVL has participated in an automated mechatronics unit led by Chris Ingebritson of 3M. This grant will be used to purchase additional equipment to give MVL students experiences in both controlled and programmed robotics using VEX robotics equipment, in addition to the automated mechatronics unit that has been used.
National Merit Finalists
February 7, 2018
MVL seniors Blake Fosburgh and Anna Natrakul, both of Mankato, have advanced to Finalist status in the 2018 National Merit® Scholarship Competition (NMSC). The program honors individual students who show exceptional academic ability and potential for success in rigorous college studies.
Fosburgh and Natrakul are among 15,000 high school seniors nationwide who continue in the competition for National Merit Scholarships. The selection of around 7,500 scholarship winners is in progress. Beginning in March, the NMSC will begin notifying scholarship winners.
More information on NMSC and the National Merit Scholarship Program can be found online at www.nationalmerit.org/nmsp.
Region 2A Triple “A” Award
January 19, 2018
MVL seniors Magdala Diersen of New Ulm and John Niebuhr of Gibbon have been selected to represent Region 2A in the Academics, Arts, and Athletics Award program.
Established in 1988, the Academics, Arts, and Athletics Award (Triple “A” Award) is sponsored by the Minnesota State High School League. The award goes to high school seniors who have a “B” or better grade point average and who participate in League-sponsored athletic and fine arts activities. Both students are active in MVL activites: Diersen in choir and cross country, and Niebuhr in band, soccer, and track.
Triple “A” Award recipients are selected by a multi-level process involving the League’s member schools and administrative regions. Additional information about the Triple “A” Award may be obtained by contacting the Minnesota State High School League at 763-560-2262 or www.mshsl.org.
Voice of Democracy
January 11, 2018
Four students were chosen as winners from Minnesota Valley Lutheran High School in the Voice of Democracy essay contest, sponsored by the VFW. Pictured left to right are junior Lexi Fischer of Courtland, freshman Morgan Glowicki of Jordan, junior Joseph Roemhildt of Mankato, and senior Isaiah Koepsell of New Ulm.
Established in 1947, the Voice of Democracy audio-essay program provides high school students with the unique opportunity to express themselves in regards to a democratic and patriotic-themed recorded essay. Each year, nearly 40,000 9-12 grade students from across the country enter to win their share of $2.1 million in educational scholarships and incentives awarded through the program. The theme for this year’s contest was “American History: Our Hope for the Future.”
Top ACT Score
December 4, 2017
Anna Natrakul, daughter of Montian and Mara Natrakul of Mankato and senior at MVL, has earned the highest possible ACT composite score of 36. On average, only one-tenth of 1 percent of students who take the ACT earn a top score. In the U.S. high school graduating class of 2017, only 2,760 out of more than 2 million graduates who took the ACT earned a composite score of 36.
In a letter to Natrakul recognizing this achievement, ACT Chief Executive Officer Marten Roorda stated, “Your achievement on the ACT is significant and rare. While test scores are just one of multiple criteria that most colleges consider when making admission decisions, your exceptional ACT composite score should prove helpful as you pursue your education and career goals.”
The ACT is a curriculum-based achievement exam that consists of tests in English, mathematics, reading and science, each scored on a scale of 1-36. A student’s composite score is the average of the four test scores. The score for ACT’s optional writing test is reported separately and is not included within the ACT composite score. ACT scores are accepted by all major four-year colleges and universities across the U.S.
