School briefs: District veteran to serve as interim principal at East Ridge High

The South Washington County School District has tapped a veteran school leader to serve as interim principal at East Ridge High School in Woodbury.

Molly Roeske, who for 16 years has filled a variety of roles for the district, most recently as principal at Lake Middle School, will take over at East Ridge through the remainder of the school year, a district news release said.

She steps into the job after Aaron Harper, the school's only principal since it opened in 2009, resigned abruptly on Nov. 6 after a district investigation into a complaint against him. At the time, the district declined to disclose the nature of the complaint because Harper was not disciplined and no payment was made to obtain the resignation.

A week later, however, Woodbury police said that they had received an allegation about Harper from the district, and were investigating him for allegedly misusing school district money and resources.

In a Nov. 21 news release, Superintendent Keith Jacobus said that Roeske's appointment — coupled with a decision to move Karen Toomey, a longtime elementary school principal, into the Lake Middle School principal's position on an interim basis — was a "solution that is best for our district during this difficult transition. We acknowledge the challenges around a midyear change and have confidence in the abilities of both Ms. Roeske and Ms. Toomey."

The district will begin a search early next year for a new permanent leader at East Ridge.

In addition to serving as principal at Lake Middle School, Roeske has worked as an elementary school principal, a special education teacher and as a juvenile and adult probation officer, among other positions.

Tenth-graders at Woodbury High received a lesson on what it's like to drive drunk — without drinking, of course.

As part of a health class, the students used equipment that simulated the problems they would face if driving while impaired, a South Washington County news release said.

They also wore goggles that showed how one's balance would be affected at various blood alcohol concentration levels.

"Overall, the lesson was effective, and conducted in a safe manner, where students were engaged and experienced realistic effects of alcohol," Gary Diamond, a Woodbury High health and physical education teacher, was quoted as saying.

More than 500 students took part in the program.

The grants, ranging from $350 to $5,750 for an antibullying effort, are being funded by the Partnership Plan, a nonprofit organization that supports education enrichment programs in the Stillwater Area Public Schools.

The Partnership Plan has also backed districtwide initiatives that include a five-year Fab Lab project for secondary students, now in its third year, a school district news release said. The labs are seen as essential to STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) programming.