ROSEMOUNT-APPLE VALLEY-EAGAN

What is it like to grow up with autism?

A mother-son team on a mission to tell people what autism is really like will give a presentation Dec. 6 at Rosemount Middle School, 3135 143rd St. W., Rosemount. Stefan Kavan, a senior at New Prague High School, began speaking publicly about his autism when he was in middle school. He and his mother, Barb, a special education teacher, will talk about how the developmental disability affects their lives and what students, parents and teachers can do to interact with children who have autism.

"Raising Trainman: A Mother-Son Story of Autism" is open to District 196 parents. The event is free and runs from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

SHAKOPEE

Board approves Gay-Straight Alliance

The Shakopee School Board on Monday approved the Gay-Straight Alliance as a school-sponsored student club. The application was approved 4 to 3; it had been previously rejected for technical reasons and tabled at the previous meeting because of board member concerns.

"We talked about the fact that we don't have a precedence of allowing a political group into the high school," said board member Bob Loonan, who voted against the application. "And now we've done that."

According to the group's application, the Gay-Straight Alliance is a "nationally recognized student-run club which provides a safe place for students to meet, support each other, talk about issues related to sexual orientation and work to end discrimination based on sexual orientation."

A "school-sponsored" club is one that can advertise through the school newsletter about meetings, and have a volunteer faculty liaison, according to Superintendent Jon McBroom. The school board is revisiting the title of "district-sponsored" clubs and considering changing it to "school-recognized."

BURNSVILLE-EAGAN-SAVAGE

Blaze School Store holiday open house

The Blaze School Store and More, a Burnsville High School store run by work-experience students, is hosting an annual holiday open house from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Dec. 7 in room F-160 at Burnsville High School, 600 E. Hwy. 13. The store, which will serve treats from 2:30 to 6 p.m., features a selection of Blaze clothing in many different styles. Holiday products this year include beaded lanyards, Blaze jewelry, gift mugs, toffee candy, cappuccino and tea.

To view products, go to www.rschooltoday.com/bhs and click on "school store."

EMILY JOHNS AND Sarah Lemagie