Northeast Metro Business VHEDC 2018 | Page 56

White Bear Lake Area Schools Leading minds to learning, hearts to compassion, and lives to community service. Serving the communities of Birchwood, Gem Lake, Hugo, Lino Lakes, Little Canada, Maplewood, North Oaks, Vadnais Heights, White Bear Lake, and White Bear Township. International experiences All elementary students have world language experiences in Spanish or Chinese. Middle school students can take three years of Chinese, French, German or Spanish. WBLAHS students can study up to six levels of American Sign Language, Chinese, French, German and Spanish (high school and CoIlege in the Schools courses). The District partners with Hangzhou Foreign Languages School in China and with schools in France and Germany. Our students have the opportunity to take advantage of unique offerings throughout the district. Matoska International offers an IB program. Both of the district’s middle schools are IB world schools. Stewardship College & Career The district has a AA bond rating, which we have received from Standard and Poor’s every year the district has applied since 2010. The total value of credits earned by WBLAHS students was more than $2.4 million at U of M tuition rates last year. The Career Pathways program also equips students for their future. Orchestra District-wide orchestra program for fifth through seventh The district has received excellence in financial awards for 17 consecutive years. Gifted Program The district’s elementary gifted program offers 4 Stars graders, with program expansion in future years. a continuum of services including primary challenge, cluster groupings and a school- within-a-school for the exceptionally gifted. Partnerships Students benefit from the District’s educational collaborations, receiving: • • • • Award-winning watercolor and drawing lessons from White Bear Center for the Arts professional artists Water safety lessons at the White Bear Lake Area Schools YMCA Aquatic Center Piano and string lessons taught by MacPhail Center for Music teachers Experiential learning opportunities in conjunction with Tamarack Nature Center www.isd624.org 651-407-7500 Our four-star rated Early Childhood programs for children birth through age five are offered at six convenient locations: • Normandy Park in WBL • Tamarack Nature Center in WBT • Birch Lake Elem in WBL • Hugo Elem in Hugo • Otter Lake Elem in WBT • Vadnais Heights Elem in VH District The district’s student enrollment numbers are strong, with continued growth projected in coming years. /isd624