The South Washington school board has voted to limit open enrollment to 3 percent of the total enrollment at each grade level next school year.

The board made exceptions for Liberty Ridge Elementary, Cottage Grove and Lake middle schools, and East Ridge High School's 10th grade class, all of which will be closed to additional open enrollment due to anticipated crowding.

Students currently in the district under a nonresident agreement or open enrollment will be allowed to continue attending district schools.

MAPLEWOOD

District honored for community ed The Minnesota Community Education Association has honored District 622's Community Education program for its Newcomer Water Readiness and Safety for Families class.

The class gave English Language Learners from Weaver and Webster elementary schools the opportunity to attend two free water safety lessons.

The class was a collaborative effort funded through the 622 Education Foundation and the Office of Educational Equity.

STILLWATER Author pays visit to Stillwater students Benson Deng, co-author of "They Poured Fire on Us From the Sky," spoke to Stillwater Junior High School students recently. His book details the story of 27,000 boys orphaned during the second Sudanese civil war.

Deng spent two days speaking to ninth-grade geography students who had read his book this fall. The visit was made possible by the Partnership Plan and the district's diversity funds.

Ticket proceeds were donated to H2O For Life and "Water for Sudan." Students at the school raised $6,296 through a "Walk for Water" t-shirt sale.

Honor Society sends gifts to military The Stillwater Junior High School National Junior Honor Society packed and shipped 24 holiday gift boxes to U.S. troops serving overseas this holiday season.

OAKDALE Fourth-grade students collect for Habitat Fourth graders at Oakdale Elementary School organized a service learning project that raised $585 to Habitat for Humanity.

The money was collected over six days when students in the school's Learning Lab class went from class to class to collect loose change from their peers.

Other students held a coffee sale and collected items from their homes to donate toward a fundraising garage sale.

DAAREL BURNETTE II