School briefs: Burnsville school board candidates' forum scheduled next week

Candidates' forum scheduled next weekAll 10 candidates for the Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District school board are expected to participate in a forum next week.

The gathering is likely to the be only time all of the candidates are together to debate issues facing the district.

The forum will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Senior Campus (upper level) of Diamondhead Education Center, 200 W. Burnsville Parkway, according to the school district.

The event is sponsored by the Shippers Resource Center (SRC), a Burnsville business. Tom Taylor, president of SRC, will serve as moderator. Candidates will introduce themselves and then respond to questions.

The seven candidates for the three open four-year terms on the board are: DeeDee Currier, Steve Dove, Ron Hill, Mark Korman, Seema Pothini, Sandra Sweep and Mark Traikoff. The three candidates for the one open two-year term are: Joshua Mathews, Tom McCasey and Robert VandenBoom.

The discussion will be broadcast live on the district's educational Channel 18 and on the district's website at www.isd191.org. It will be replayed on the district website and on cable channels in Burnsville, Eagan and Savage. It also will be available on DVD from the school district by calling 952-707-2000.

The election is Nov. 6. The winners will begin their terms in January.

The event will be Monday from 7-8:30 p.m. at Lakeville South High School, 21135 Jacquard Av.

Walsh will touch on such subjects as why attachment is so important for child development, the importance of play and what foods are brain foods. He will also talk about technology and what brain science can tell us about academic success.

Walsh, who has a new book entitled "Smart Parenting, Smarter Kids," will discuss practical strategies that parents, teachers and others can use immediately.

8 Lakeville students earn National Merit recognitionEight Lakeville students were named National Merit semi-finalists earlier this month -- three from Lakeville South and five from Lakeville North.

The students are Meredith Brand, Blake Black and Robert Trone from Lakeville South and David Degrood, Christina Kyllo, Tekriwal Priya, Joshua You and Clarissa Binder from Lakeville North.

Teacher to participate in discussion of IranMetcalf Junior High teacher Sharon Shelerud has been selected to participate in a foreign policy forum on Iran in Pittsburgh next month.

"Understanding Iran and the Geopolitics of the Middle East" will be sponsored by the Foreign Policy Research Institute, the Heinz History Center and the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh. It will be held the last weekend in October.

Shelerud teaches 9th grade Human Geography and Advanced Placement Human Geography. She also teaches Human Geography to education majors at Augsburg College.

Shelerud is the 2012 Teacher of the Year in the Burnsville School District.

Third-graders get free dictionariesEvery third-grader in Burnsville was given a dictionary earlier this month by the Burnsville Lions Club.

This was the 11th year the club has given out dictionaries.