School briefs: Stillwater school board settles contracts with unions

The Stillwater school board has approved new contracts for two of its employee groups: teachers and administrators. Of the district's nine employee groups, seven have contracts up for negotiation this year.

"We've partnered with our employees to put measures in place to control spending both now and into the future," said Corey Lunn, district superintendent.

The contracts, which also have been approved by union membership, will last for the next two school years.

The St. Croix Valley Education Association, which represents the district's teachers, agreed its members will continue to pay a portion of insurance premiums. It also agreed to encourage more of its members to switch to a high-deductible Voluntary Employee Benefit Association insurance plan. And it agreed to a "soft" salary freeze for the next two years, which means teachers will still receive any step raises they are due as well as bonuses for such things as obtaining college credits.

The Central Office Administrators and Principals union agreed for its members to pay a portion of insurance premiums and to accept a salary freeze for the next two years. In lieu of automatic pay raises, administrators and principals are eligible to receive performance pay by meeting or exceeding group and individual performance goals.

High school choirs to perform joint concertNorth and Tartan high schools will hold their 15th "Annual Masterworks Concert" at 7 p.m. Saturday in the Tartan High auditorium.

The choirs will be performing a rock cantata entitled "The Creation," as well as "Regina Coeli" by Mozart and "The Hallelujah Chorus" by Handel. They will be accompanied by members of the Woodbury Community Orchestra on "The Hallelujah Chorus."

Students' essays earn state contest honorsSix Stillwater Area High School students were honored at this year's state BestPrep's Educational Forum for essays they wrote on Fareed Zakaria's book, "The Post-American World 2.0" and his Time magazine cover story, "Restoring the American Dream."

Students Cheyenne Cairns, Steven Goodman, Maria Kalambokidis, Katie Koenning, Hannah Passmore and Halle Pelfrey also were invited to a private reception with Zakaria and to participate in a question-and-answer session with him.

The students' essays reflected on Zakaria's views and research on the political and economic growth of countries such as China and India as well as the recession's effect on American workers. The students were asked to write about their thoughts on how the country can restore the American dream.

School district, 3M to host career daySouth Washington County Schools and 3M will be collaborating to offer area students a career day from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 2.

South Washington County sophomores and juniors age 16 and over are eligible to participate. Career fields to be discussed include engineering, accounting, mechanical and electrical crafts, production, human resources, occupational health and information technology. Students will meet with 3M employees who work in the career fields and tour 3M facilities.