Groundbreaking Press Release--October 12, 2018
Last spring, the voters in Pierz School District approved a $10 million referendum to support additional classroom space, physical education space, a new band room and expanded kitchen and cafeteria for Pierz Schools.
At Pioneer Elementary:
At Healy High School:
Both:
At Pioneer Elementary:
- A preschool pod of classrooms will consist of four separate rooms, each with their own fully licensed teacher.
- A kindergarten through grade 2 wing will group our primary grade teachers (K-2) together and will host the support staff needed to implement our Success Reading program and build upon the quality foundation for learning--Pierz has emerged as a regional leader in the Minnesota Dept. of Education challenge of Literacy.
- A grades 3 and 4 wing will group teachers and support staff to support this important developmental stage for children as they transition from a primary grade model to broader experiences in technology, math and other disciplines.
- A completely new middle school pod for grades 5 and 6 will house a Science and Technology Lab and more flexible room options for teachers.
At Healy High School:
- A new band room will be added, large enough to adequately serve our growing population of children in elementary through high school who love making music
- An open commons / cafeteria and student meeting area will form the hub of the school that so many modern schools now have.
- A modern kitchen will be designed to handle the multiple serving lines that are the standard for high schools.
Both:
- And last but not least – a safer and more efficient parking lot will be designed to host all of staff, students, parents and community events.
The groundbreaking ceremony was held Tuesday, October 9th with school board members, school staff and the design team present to “pitch in” by throwing a few shovels of dirt to support the large equipment doing the heavy lifting. Despite the rainy weather, they still had a smile on their face!
Pictured left to right: Rich Rodich-Mark Lenz & Associates, Carl Mathwig-Elem. Band Teacher, Joel Pohland-HS Band Teacher, Bob Gross-Custodian, Patty Stangl-Board Member, Tracey Artner-Business Mgr., Colleen Seelen-Board Chair, Karrie Boser-HS Principal, Dan Stifter-Asst. Principal, Steve Boser-Board Clerk, Rick Sczublewski-Board Member, George Weber-Superintendent, Preston Euerle-R A Morton & Associates.
The process for defining the greatest need, and the process for targeting our resources and investments toward what matters most to deliver academic success involved many meetings and input from community members and a comprehensive survey to seek the opinions of all community members.
Pierz has carved out its own niche of excellence in rural Minnesota by providing generational values, generational belief in building a united and supportive community, and attracting families from all over to consider Pierz as the place they want to call home.
Staff, students and community members have expressed gratitude for those who have done “heavy lifting” to make the Pierz community and school system an excellent place to experience a K-12 education and an excellence place to raise a safe and supported family. It’s an exciting time for the schools and community: this construction will support current and future families to continue the strong Pierz Pioneer tradition.
Here is what some of our staff, students and parents have to say about the upcoming project:
“The new space will allow us to teach and produce in a wholly improved way. The space will be meant for bands the size our school is producing. It will be built for the volume and sound our bands produce which will help immensely in student learning and production of that learning. Students will be able to hear themselves and each other so much better. We will not have to try to shout over each other to pass along instructions and will have the practice space for smaller groups and individuals. This will allow students a dedicated space to practice and improve upon their musical abilities. Students have always commented how it’s so much easier to hear in a bigger space and they don’t feel like their hearing is shot after a few minutes. This will be everyday for us once the project is complete.”--Joel Pohland, Healy Band Director
“This addition will provide us with an early childhood wing, or give us the feeling of an early childhood center. This will create a space for the preschool programs to connect and for these littles to integrate with their peers in an easier and more functional way. For me, the addition of a classroom for early childhood special ed. that is conducive to the learning and development of the youngest and students and their unique needs means so much more than just gaining a room with a window! We will have the space to create learning stations for all areas of development as well as the ability to incorporate new technology and interactive learning within our classroom.“--Kristin Andres, Preschool/Head Start Teacher
“As a former teacher and current coach, I see the importance that good schools have on our children and community. Supt. Weber and the School Board have shown over the years that we can trust them to do what is right for our students in a very fiscally responsible way. I can't wait to see this new building project be completed!”--Rey Zimney, retired Athletic Director/teacher and current coach
“The new 5-6th grade science lab will allow students to learn in an environment completely dedicated to hands-on experiments. In our regular classrooms, we don't have the space or facilities to properly and safely conduct some of the learning modules that students would benefit from. This gives us a nice stepping stone for those 5th and 6th graders to prepare them for science and chemistry classes at the high school level.”--Faye Sandy, 6th Grade Teacher
“I setup all the volunteer nights to make phone calls. I had computers and phones to do so and we met every Wednesday for a month and a half. I had to do my part to help it pass because I can't sit idle and watch something fail. I am excited about the new building project because it is for all children to utilize including my own. I believe passing this referendum makes Pierz a place for my family to stay because the community aligns with my beliefs as a teacher and parent. It was great to see it pass.”
--Rich Teske, Middle School Science Teacher
“It is hard to practice in the small band room and then perform in the gym because the sound is different. When we practice in the new band room, it will be easier to work on the balance of sound and transition to the Performing Art Center for performances.”--Mariah Olesch, Junior at Healy
“During lessons, it's hard to focus on rhythms and what you are playing because you can hear the student practicing in the next room, which is the band room or Mr. Pohland's office. It will be so great to have multiple practice rooms.”--Jazmine Dickmann, Sophomore at Healy
“At Pioneer we are looking forward to the building process as a learning experience for our children that occurs right here in our midst. Beyond that, we continue to meet to select furniture styles and colors, discuss functionality for learning now and in the future, and we’ll soon continue discussions about optimal uses for our new science lab. It is an exciting time, but also a truly awesome responsibility. This is a project we look at as an investment in the communities of our Pierz School District for a very long time, when many of us may no longer be directly using the facility. Because of that, our focus on the new facility will continue to be one of educating our children and our children’s children.” --Tom O., Elementary Principal
“What a thrilling time to be a student, parent, and community member in our district! As a parent, it is encouraging to know that the learning environments for our children will be improved with the new spaces being provided by this referendum’s passing. From preschool classrooms, all the way up to secondary music student’s new space. This addition will not only increase safety within classrooms, but also with traffic flow on the grounds. Strong communities go hand in hand with thriving school districts. With this renovation, Pierz will continue to be just that.”--Erin Schlieman, Parent
Pictured left to right: Rich Rodich-Mark Lenz & Associates, Carl Mathwig-Elem. Band Teacher, Joel Pohland-HS Band Teacher, Bob Gross-Custodian, Patty Stangl-Board Member, Tracey Artner-Business Mgr., Colleen Seelen-Board Chair, Karrie Boser-HS Principal, Dan Stifter-Asst. Principal, Steve Boser-Board Clerk, Rick Sczublewski-Board Member, George Weber-Superintendent, Preston Euerle-R A Morton & Associates.
The process for defining the greatest need, and the process for targeting our resources and investments toward what matters most to deliver academic success involved many meetings and input from community members and a comprehensive survey to seek the opinions of all community members.
Pierz has carved out its own niche of excellence in rural Minnesota by providing generational values, generational belief in building a united and supportive community, and attracting families from all over to consider Pierz as the place they want to call home.
Staff, students and community members have expressed gratitude for those who have done “heavy lifting” to make the Pierz community and school system an excellent place to experience a K-12 education and an excellence place to raise a safe and supported family. It’s an exciting time for the schools and community: this construction will support current and future families to continue the strong Pierz Pioneer tradition.
Here is what some of our staff, students and parents have to say about the upcoming project:
“The new space will allow us to teach and produce in a wholly improved way. The space will be meant for bands the size our school is producing. It will be built for the volume and sound our bands produce which will help immensely in student learning and production of that learning. Students will be able to hear themselves and each other so much better. We will not have to try to shout over each other to pass along instructions and will have the practice space for smaller groups and individuals. This will allow students a dedicated space to practice and improve upon their musical abilities. Students have always commented how it’s so much easier to hear in a bigger space and they don’t feel like their hearing is shot after a few minutes. This will be everyday for us once the project is complete.”--Joel Pohland, Healy Band Director
“This addition will provide us with an early childhood wing, or give us the feeling of an early childhood center. This will create a space for the preschool programs to connect and for these littles to integrate with their peers in an easier and more functional way. For me, the addition of a classroom for early childhood special ed. that is conducive to the learning and development of the youngest and students and their unique needs means so much more than just gaining a room with a window! We will have the space to create learning stations for all areas of development as well as the ability to incorporate new technology and interactive learning within our classroom.“--Kristin Andres, Preschool/Head Start Teacher
“As a former teacher and current coach, I see the importance that good schools have on our children and community. Supt. Weber and the School Board have shown over the years that we can trust them to do what is right for our students in a very fiscally responsible way. I can't wait to see this new building project be completed!”--Rey Zimney, retired Athletic Director/teacher and current coach
“The new 5-6th grade science lab will allow students to learn in an environment completely dedicated to hands-on experiments. In our regular classrooms, we don't have the space or facilities to properly and safely conduct some of the learning modules that students would benefit from. This gives us a nice stepping stone for those 5th and 6th graders to prepare them for science and chemistry classes at the high school level.”--Faye Sandy, 6th Grade Teacher
“I setup all the volunteer nights to make phone calls. I had computers and phones to do so and we met every Wednesday for a month and a half. I had to do my part to help it pass because I can't sit idle and watch something fail. I am excited about the new building project because it is for all children to utilize including my own. I believe passing this referendum makes Pierz a place for my family to stay because the community aligns with my beliefs as a teacher and parent. It was great to see it pass.”
--Rich Teske, Middle School Science Teacher
“It is hard to practice in the small band room and then perform in the gym because the sound is different. When we practice in the new band room, it will be easier to work on the balance of sound and transition to the Performing Art Center for performances.”--Mariah Olesch, Junior at Healy
“During lessons, it's hard to focus on rhythms and what you are playing because you can hear the student practicing in the next room, which is the band room or Mr. Pohland's office. It will be so great to have multiple practice rooms.”--Jazmine Dickmann, Sophomore at Healy
“At Pioneer we are looking forward to the building process as a learning experience for our children that occurs right here in our midst. Beyond that, we continue to meet to select furniture styles and colors, discuss functionality for learning now and in the future, and we’ll soon continue discussions about optimal uses for our new science lab. It is an exciting time, but also a truly awesome responsibility. This is a project we look at as an investment in the communities of our Pierz School District for a very long time, when many of us may no longer be directly using the facility. Because of that, our focus on the new facility will continue to be one of educating our children and our children’s children.” --Tom O., Elementary Principal
“What a thrilling time to be a student, parent, and community member in our district! As a parent, it is encouraging to know that the learning environments for our children will be improved with the new spaces being provided by this referendum’s passing. From preschool classrooms, all the way up to secondary music student’s new space. This addition will not only increase safety within classrooms, but also with traffic flow on the grounds. Strong communities go hand in hand with thriving school districts. With this renovation, Pierz will continue to be just that.”--Erin Schlieman, Parent
