South school briefs

Free meals available for kids this summer The Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District will offer free meals for kids this summer at two of its elementary schools.

Breakfast and lunch will be served every weekday from June 16 through Aug. 27 at Hidden Valley and Sky Oaks elementary schools. Breakfast runs from 8:30 to 9 a.m., with lunch available from noon to 12:30 p.m.

The meals are funded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Summer Food Service Program, which aims to feed kids from poor families who may not get enough to eat when school is on summer break. The free meals are available to all kids 18 and under.

Hidden Valley and Sky Oaks qualified to offer meals through the program to all kids for the first time this year because more than half the students in each building's attendance area are eligible for free or reduced-priced lunches, said Roxanne Williams, the district's director of food services.

Hidden Valley is located at 13875 Glendale Road in Savage. Sky Oaks is at 100 East 134th St. in Burnsville.

District honors employees of the year The Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District has named six employees of the year for 2010.

The employees were nominated by co-workers and chosen by a district committee.

Custodian: Pat Marchessault of the Administrative Service Center and Eagle Ridge Junior High.

Clerical: Barb Cenci, a secretary at Sioux Trail Elementary.

Food Service: Deb Jackson of Hidden Valley Elementary.

Secondary educational assistant: Marcia Sexton of the Burnsville High School career center.

Elementary educational assistant: Carol Bartells of Hidden Valley.

Earlier this year, the district honored a teacher of the year, science specialist Patricia Mosey of Hidden Valley Elementary.

Middle-school team wins global challenge A group of Farmington middle-school students took first place in their division at the Destination ImagiNation Global Finals held last month in Knoxville, Tenn.

The students competed in a challenge that gave them seven minutes to prepare a five-minute skit.

The team included Katie Aaron, Kelli Elmer, Jeanna Gaalswyk, Ali Grebner and Maricia Pacheco, and was co-managed by Jan Gaalswyk and Cynthia Kelly.

South student wins speech trophy Lakeville South is celebrating its first national championship in speech with a victory by junior Dylan Slinger, according to the school district.

High school program wins statewide honors A Shakopee High School program that helps bilingual students succeed in high school and beyond has won a statewide award.

The school's LEAP program received the Star of Innovation Award from the Minnesota Association of Secondary School Principals on May 28.

LEAP is designed to help students whose first language is not English, but who no longer qualify for English Language Learner services. It focuses on helping students build academic skills, set goals and apply and find money for college.

Tesseract School files for bankruptcy The Tesseract School of Eagan, a small private school that shut its doors abruptly in April, has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.

School officials said that low enrollment and cash-flow problems led to the decision to close before the end of the school year, which left parents scrambling to make other plans for their children.

The school had 118 students in preschool through sixth grade when it closed on April 16.

SARAH LEMAGIE