South school briefs

Last update: November 10, 2009 - 5:21 PM

BURNSVILLE-EAGAN-SAVAGE

High school will host annual college fair

Burnsville High School will host its second annual college fair this month, featuring more than 50 colleges from Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin and Michigan.

The fair will run 8-10 a.m. on Nov. 20 in the gym at the school's main campus, located at 600 E. Hwy. 13. The event is designed for juniors and seniors. It's free and open to the public.

FARMINGTON

Riverview removes Kurt Cobain biography

A biography of Kurt Cobain was removed from the library of Riverview Elementary in Farmington last week after a school district committee deemed it inappropriate for students in grades K-8.

A family objected to the district after their child checked out "Kurt Cobain," a book about the rock star that was purchased this year, said Rosalyn Pautzke, a district administrator who served on the committee reviewing the book.

The committee -- composed of school administrators, teachers and residents -- was called in accordance with a district policy that lays out the process for reviewing complaints about books and other school materials. The committee uses a checklist to help guide discussion about the educational value of contested books, keeping in mind the principles of intellectual freedom laid out in the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment.

Committee members read "Kurt Cobain" and decided to remove it because the book contained "a lot of darkness and violence" and "not much about music," Pautzke said. In addition to drug references, the book included photographs of Cobain's body being wheeled out of his house after he shot himself, and said that his body had to be identified through his fingerprints, she said. The book didn't list any resources to help readers struggling with drugs, suicidal impulses or mental illness, "which, we thought for a book of that type, was a pretty big void," she said.

The committee met once last school year to review a complaint about "And Tango Makes Three," a children's picture book based on a true story about two male penguins at a zoo who raise a penguin chick. In that case, the committee voted to keep the book on school shelves.

Parent fair will feature speaker, info sessions

Farmington and Lakeville will host their 6th annual parent fair on Saturday.

The fair will run from 8 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. at Farmington High School, 20655 Flagstaff Av. Admission is free, and parents with kids of all ages are welcome. A free continental breakfast will be served.

The keynote address, given by author Rebecca Radcliffe, will begin at 8:30 a.m. Two breakout sessions will follow, during which parents can choose from 14 topics such as childhood literacy and bullying.

Registration is required, and limited child care is available for kids ages 1-10 for $10 per child. Call 651-460-3200 or go to www.farmingtonCE.com to register.

SARAH LEMAGIE

Recent South Metro stories

South town briefs - November 10, 2009

South town briefs - The public is invited to the holiday lighting ceremony in downtown Lakeville on Nov. 24. More

South business briefs - November 10, 2009

South business briefs - One of Burnsville's newest restaurants, BD's Mongolian Grill, raised $3,418 for the Community Action Council at its opening festivities last month. More