South school briefs: Rosemount band wins again

For the ninth consecutive year, the Rosemount High School Marching Band was named Grand Champion at the Minnesota Youth In Music Marching Band Championships.

This one was Oct. 11 at Farmington High School. Rosemount students Kari Felland and Tony Hanto won individual scholarship awards.

Another high school marching band in the district, Eastview, took home third place. The two bands performed on Saturday at the Bands of America Super Regional Championships in St. Louis, Missouri.

This week, all students in the upper school — grades 9 through 12 — at St. Thomas will be trained in CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and the use of AEDs (automated external defibrillators).

The goal is for anyone at school to be able to respond if there is a cardiac emergency. The training is tied to the collapse of a St. Thomas student at practice in August. CPR and an AED were used to help him until paramedics arrived.

This is the school's first step in earning the designation of "HeartSafe Community."

The training is being led by Coon Rapids police officer Bryan Platz and provided free of charge by the Minnesota NHL Alumni Association, who will also donate a defibrillator to the school.

For a decade, the district has been committed to sustainability and improving the environment. Through composting and recycling programs and other energy-saving measures, it has saved nearly $2 million in utility costs since 2003 as part of the Livegreen sustainability program.

The program will get a boost this year through the addition of the district's first Minnesota GreenCorps worker, Andrew Hagmann. GreenCorps is a statewide program that places AmeriCorps members with local government, schools and nonprofits to help protect the environment.

Hagmann will help the district work toward its goals of recycling 67 percent of its waste and having all eight schools receive EnergyStar ratings. Currently, the district recycles 62 percent of waste and has six schools with EnergyStar ratings.

Hagmann hopes to increase the district's recycling and conservation efforts through fun activities, like a video contest.

All eight schools will also participate in the third annual National Recycle Bowl competition. Henry Sibley High School was the Minnesota winner in 2012, while Garlough Environmental Magnet School took first place in the state for 2013.

The awards are sponsored by Thrivent Financial and recognize innovative economics teachers. She will receive the award Thursday at the annual EconFest celebration in Minneapolis.