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< Middle/High School Academics District Calendar Guidance Office Media Center New Enrollment < Back December 2017 Artist of the Month Adam Beam Adam Beam is the son of Rick Beam and Amy Klosowski of Royalton. He was chosen as Royalton High School's December Artist of the Month. Beam, a junior, didn't consider himself to be artistic enough to earn this honor. He found out that art classes at Royalton High School welcome students who wish to explore their talents, and that it's not just for those who are gifted in the "drawing or painting" areas. "I took the class with the idea of just trying to get my Fine Arts credits to graduate from high school," said Beam. "Mr. Halverson lets students work with whatever materials that they feel like working with in the Art Tech class that I am in. Since I like working with wood, when he mentioned that we should choose a subject that has some kind of meaning to us, I chose to design a sign for my grandparents. Gene and Cindy Gottwalt raise Whitetail and Red deer which I can see from the front window of my house. Sometimes, I help my grandpa do chores which includes feeding the deer. The sign took a lot of time in class and even more out of class. All the letters and deer images had to be cut out of wood, nailed, glued and painted. My class has a lot of very talented artists and I am honored that I earned Artist of the Month. Students work hard and like art classes because Halverson makes them feel like what they are doing is important." "Adam actually completed this project in the Fall, but I had seniors who had already earned the award the first few months, so he waited patiently," stated Royalton High School's art instructor Carl Halverson. "I really enjoy watching students find a way to connect their work to something that is personal. I've seen so many students forget that they are even in an art class once they are inspired by a thought, memory or idea that comes from the heart. After taking quite a few woodworking classes in high school myself, I can appreciate the hours of hard work, patience and concentration that go in to completing a Design project like this one. I think that one of my favorite parts of teaching is helping a student like Adam, catch a spark with an idea, and then, using his God given strengths and abilities, design his project in his own way. Few students create and produce a piece of work in high school, that may well outlive themselves. I believe that Adam, along with many of his classmates in our RHS art classes, will continue to do just that. Could you say that it's just a piece of a Legacy? Yup, I knew that you could."

< Hall of Fame Mary Jane and Carolyn DeZurik Community Members Inducted May 2012 Mary Jane and Carolyn DeZurik were born and raised on a farm east of Royalton. Joe and Mary DeZurik raised seven children including a son and six daughters who all loved to play and perform. Mary Jane and Carolyn used a mix of trick vocalizations, wildlife sounds, and yodels to create a distinct sound. They began their professional journey by winning various amateur competitions in central Minnesota. The DeZurik sisters were selected to perform on KSTP radio in St. Paul and to perform at the Morrison County Fair where they were noticed by a performer on the National Barn Dance Radio and Stage Show. They were invited to perform and were eventually hired by the performing company. The sisters traveled to Hollywood and appeared in a movie called “Barnyard Follies”. Carolyn and Mary Jane were hired by Purina Mills and appeared in advertising and soon found themselves performing weekly at the Grand Ole Opry and on television shows called Midwestern Hayride and National Barn Dance. Mary Jane died in 1981, sister Lorraine DeZurik (Kosny) who performed with her sisters passed away in May 2009, and Carolyn DeZurik (Gill) passed away at the age of 90 in 2009. ​ Information on the DeZurik Sisters obtained from Hillbilly-music.com.

< Hall of Fame Jerry Goedderz Distinguished Educator (1975-2008) Inducted May 2013 Jerry Goedderz was an admired educator for the Royalton Elementary School for 32 years. Jerry attended high school at Crosby-Ironton and after graduation he enrolled at Brainerd Junior College and played college baseball for two years. He transferred to St. Cloud State University and graduated with a BS in Elementary Education in 1975. Jerry began his teaching livelihood in Royalton in 1975 where he taught 4th and 6th grades during his career. In 2006, he was named the Wal-Mart Teacher of the Year. Jerry’s calling to serve extended far beyond the classroom as he coached varsity baseball for six years and junior high boys’ and girls’ basketball for a number of years. Jerry has many notable achievements. He spearheaded the establishment of the Nature Center at the Elementary School. Jerry, along with fellow colleague Linda Martin, began the first of many Deep Portage trips for the 6th grade students. Even after his retirement, Jerry continued to support many school activities in countless ways. As a distinguished community member, he has led many initiatives and worked to establish many activities for elementary aged students, especially the “Take a Kid Fishing” program, which takes place in both winter and summer. Jerry has been an active member of the Royalton Lions for 30 years, a Melvin Jones Fellowship recipient, and credited for taking the lead role in the formation of Platte River Day in 1994 after attending a Blandin Leadership Program. Jerry serves as a substitute teacher and bus driver for the Royalton School District and is a member of the Royalton American Legion. He is on the board of directors for the Pine Country Bank and Friends of Crane Meadows National Wildlife Refuge. In his spare time, Jerry has been very active in his outdoor activities such as fishing, hunting, volunteering and umping baseball and softball games. Jerry has been married for 30 years to Audrey, a fellow educator at Royalton Elementary, and has two children, Josh and Andrea, who are graduates of RHS.

< Middle/High School Academics District Calendar Guidance Office Media Center New Enrollment < Back April 2020 Artist of the Month Jenna Anderson Royalton High School's April Artist of the Month is Senior, Jenna Anderson. She is the daughter of Jaime and Jesse Anderson. Never did she think that Art would one day not only be a favorite class of hers, but also be the direction that she would be heading as far as her post secondary plans went. It all started her freshman year in a high school art class called Art Techniques. "In 9th grade, everything changed for me," said Anderson. "After I took an intro to art class and was surrounded by a class full of students, I found out that not only did I love to create art, but that painting and drawing just came easy for me. Throughout high school, I tried to take as many art classes as I could, and in 10th grade, I was in an Art Tech class. In this class, we would try to create many different kinds of art, each unit lasting about one to two weeks. Mr. Halverson would take us through "step by step" drawing or painting units so that everybody got to learn the basics. I always seemed to be the one of the first done with each step and my friends would comment that my work was some of the best in the class. After a weekly Design unit, Halverson moved us to the computer graphics unit. This is where everything really changed for me. Unlike others who struggled with the technology unit of the class, when I got into graphic design using photoshop, every project seemed so easy and was so much fun. We did graphic layouts of business cards, designed and created logos, fake advertisements, and multi-layered photography projects. When we finished this unit, Halverson said, "Do you people realize that what you just completed was very similar to a few of the first six weeks of projects at St. Cloud Technical College's Graphic Design program?" That's when it really hit me. I finally knew what I wanted to do after graduation." "Jenna seemed almost bored with the pace of the class when we had to wait for others to catch up to her," said RHS Visual Arts Instructor Carl Halverson. "It wasn't more than a couple of days later, I was asking her to become a staff aide. I think this happens in every area of learning. You've got the top, and you've got the bottom skill set in a class. You've got the math "Wiz" who finishes all of the next day's assignment in the last five minutes of the class, while those who don't "get it" struggle to finish , the first or second problem on the page. Most of the time, no matter what medium that we may explore in the art room, I can usually borrow those top of the class, "gifted students" abilities to help those who are struggling without them feeling "dumb". That quality is what separates the really good kids in my opinion. Can they help others through a lesson, and make a new friend at the same time?" "My senior year, Mr. Halverson kind of pushed me into being part of the yearbook staff," added Anderson. "This was a very stressful time for me. I was working on about six or seven different projects at the same time with deadlines for each one. Every time that i finished one page design, he would give me another totally different assignment. But I learned so much, and I feel like I am ready and confident as I head to Bemidji State University, where I will major in Graphic Design. I am excited to do something that i love, and I wouldn't have probably ever found it without Halverson forcing me to try something new." "When Jenna mentioned that she might be interested in Graphic Design, I figured that she might as well get a taste of the "rigor" and competition that will be in her college classroom, as well as on the basketball court." said Halverson. "I pretty much used my "Grandpa Ivor's Teaching Method." I taught her to swim by "Trowin' her 'outta 'da Boat!" But I did have a life vest under her desk. I totally expect that Jenna will be able to swim all the way to the top of her class."

< Middle/High School Academics District Calendar Guidance Office Media Center New Enrollment < Back April 2019 Artist of the Month Gavin Sowada Gavin Sowada was recently named Royalton High School's April Artist of the Month. He is the son of Kimberly Behrens and Craig Sowada. From a very early age, Sowada had interests ranging from "Old Ford Trucks" to the outdoors. ​ "Drawing has been something that I have always done since around kindergarten," stated Sowada. "I would always attempt drawing old ford trucks or deer and fish. This year, I started to actually draw pictures that would hold more value to me because I took more time to draw them. I figured there would be no better truck to start on than my dream truck, a 97’, 7.3 Powerstroke. The class periods that I have worked on this drawing, not a single minute of it went by slowly. It always seemed that right when I started, it was already time to pick up and go to another class." ​ "This photo of Gavin kind of shows you just a piece of what he's all about," stated RHS Art Instructor Carl Halverson. " From the logo on the shirt that he and a friend designed, to the drawing of the truck that he holds in his hands, his interests are on full display. What the shirt and the drawing doesn't show is another reason that he has earned the Artist of the Month honor, and why he has made such a favorable impression on many of us at RHS. He's the kind of student who seems to be able to make a classroom better by just being around as an example. If he notices that someone needs help with something, he doesn't need someone to persuade him to help out, he just steps up to the plate. And in some cases, he knows when to step back and not become a part of a possible negative situation. Many students who have the ability to draw or paint feel like that they are so gifted, that no one can teach them anything. "It's too repetitive, to practice shading or mixing color," one such student said to me a few years back. This student was in basketball, so I replied back, "Ya, just like in basketball practice right? They make you shoot hundreds of free throws over and over, and run full court drills, day after day. It's just too repetitive, so why even go out for the sport?" My point was that you do basics in any endeavor in life, over and over, to reach your full potential. Gavin never complains, he just tries his absolute best and his skills have progressed beyond these of people who just work on their own. He's also 1/2 of the 2020 senior Royal yearbook editor tandem that will lead our staff into success. I could not have picked better candidates from that class based on the work they have done and the deadlines that they have met. Gavin will do his best to include EVERY member of his senior class in next year's book, not just his chosen group of friends. That's a rare quality to possess at any age." ​ Sowada added; "This drawing would have been nearly impossible without Mr. Halverson teaching our class drawing techniques since sixth grade, from perspective to shading and color theory. He doesn't just teach it from a book, he shows it to us in his work. I would be surprised if there was a better art teacher ever to teach these skills that also taught us important life lessons along the way."

< Middle/High School Academics District Calendar Guidance Office Media Center New Enrollment < Back January 2018 Artist of the Month Samantha Post Samantha Post, daughter of Molly and Brian Post was named January artist of the month at Royalton High School. Post’s favorite hobby is painting and drawing. She has spent a large part of high school in the art room taking art classes. "I decided to paint this painting because it’s a movie that I like, and I thought the cover art of it was interesting." stated Post. "I wanted to paint something that I could take my time on and learn new techniques. I can say I definitely learned quite a bit, like how the lighting on neon signs would be painted, for example. I’ve also never spent this much time on a painting before, which tested my patience, but I think the time was well worth it and I am pretty happy with how it turned out. Art is my biggest hobby. I spend a lot of my free time doing something that has to do with art including drawing, painting, embroidery, photoshop, etc. When I graduate, I will definitely miss all the time I’ve spent in the art room the most, working on projects. I plan on maintaining working on my art works because they are something that makes me feel complete." "Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up," said visual arts instructor Carl Halverson. "That's a quote from Picasso that I pretty much live by when dealing with talented students like Samantha Post. It's the process of learning that she refers to as making her feel "complete". And once you stop learning, whether you are eighteen or eighty, you grow old at an accelerated pace. For students like Samantha, art classes are a way to express themselves in their own way. Without these means of expression, some of these students feel that have no voice or opinion worth listening to. Her tile painting is not just technically superior to most work, it's a movie clip of a place that she may feel she needs to be part of, far away from where she lives right now. In the RHS art room, these students learn valuable lessons about everything from discipline to compassion; from accepting people for who they are, while be accepted for just being themselves. And through it all, these differences are all worthy and help the young person become who they want to be, rather than what someone else wants them to be. Be Yourself Sam, 'cause you are the best you that this world will ever see."

< Middle/High School Academics District Calendar Guidance Office Media Center New Enrollment < Back April 2018 Artist of the Month Courtney Lemmerman Courtney Lemmerman, daughter of Leah Walz and Joel Lemmerman, was recently named Royalton High School's April Artist of the Month. "Since I could hold a pencil, my mother told me that I was very gifted. I have taken every art class that I could have, but really enjoyed my Independent Art class this year the most." said Lemmerman. About two years ago, Lemmerman was diagnosed with Lyme disease which pulled her from not only main stream classes, but also her extra curricular hobbies as well. "During this time, I couldn't use my hands very well and was very tired all of the time," stated Lemmerman. "I missed my art classes the most. I remember back in seventh grade, walking into the Art room for the very first time. Mr. Halverson helped to arrange my schedule so that I could take a high school art elective after seeing my work. Since that day, he has been pushing me to become a better artist and kind of took me under his wing. He became almost like of a father figure in the way that he would teach me not just art techniques, but help me to focus on the things that I could control in my life. Every day I went into that class, my attitude got better and better. His class made me excited to get up in the morning because I knew that I had a chance to create something that was amazing. He made me focus on the details of portraits, whether they might be imperfections or not. I took this to heart, because I saw myself as imperfect. He explained that imperfections are sometimes what make a person still perfect, still beautiful, just the way that they are if you look for the good in people. The Quiet Riot ceiling tile that I have worked on is a good example of this. Some people might not understand or like the image, but they can still appreciate the painting techniques that go in to the work if they are looking for something good." "Courtney is one of the top student artists I've ever seen walk into my room," said Royalton High School's art instructor Carl Halverson. "She has passed through plenty of obstacles, but made it through them and improved as an artist and as a person along the way. When she entered the art room, she found a place where she could take her amazing talent to the next level. Her ceiling tile work is technically, one of the strongest that I have ever seen. Her use of subdued color, which moves gently from the shadows to the highlights of her work, is truly amazing. What is even more amazing to me is that she has found herself through her success in my room. You would expect to find this from our RHS 'Artists of the Month' winners. But, I noticed that nearly half of our 2018 RHS 'Students of the Month' winners also chose the Art department as their "favorite" when it came to teachers and departments in our school. Courtney Lemmerman is just like these students who found themselves through their work in their favorite class. In fact, her eyes see the world a little differently, because she has the ability to take life's imperfections, and paint them "perfectly" in her own beautiful way."

< Hall of Fame Joseph Cimenski Class of 1964 Inducted May 2018 Joseph Cimenski, a 1964 graduate of Royalton High School, was the oldest child in a family of 13 siblings. Joe was a humble, fun-loving and hardworking young man. At a young age, his curiosity in mechanics and engineering was sparked working in his dad's mechanic shop. While attending high school, Joe was successful in academics and activities. He was involved in band, class play, and was selected as Snow Ball King. He was a four year Letterman and captain of the football and basketball teams. Joe had the honor of representing and playing in the Minnesota State Basketball Tournament. Joe's leadership skills can be traced back to this time as he was Class President and Student Council President. Following graduation from high school,Joe attended the University of Minnesota where he obtained a degree in Aerospace Engineering. While in college, Joe was recognized for his relentless persistence for learning as he often sought out professors until he understood the concepts of the course. Joe enlisted in the Navy in 1969 and was a Battalion Commander. While in flight school, he was on the Captain's List for academic excellence for all three years. He graduated from Training Command School as #1 in his class. Jo received his Naval Aviator "Wings of Gold" in 1971 while he attended Naval War College in Providence, RI. Joe flew for the Navy for 22 years and retired in 2001 as a Captain (06) with over 30 years of continuous service While continuing his service in the Navy, Joe was able to find his passion as he landed a career in aerospace. In 1974, he was hired at General Dynamics (G.D.) in San Diego. He was assigned to the Fluid Systems Design Group for the Centaur Rocket on the Atlas, Titan and later Shuttle Space Launch Vehicles. Joe was given two special assignments, to work on the classified Tomahawk Cruise Missile fuel system design and the NASA X-33 Systems Engineering. Joe's efforts at G.D. supported Mariner spacecraft to all the planets in the solar system and beyond. He had a hand in sending the only man made objects out of the solar system entirely into interstellar space. Joe's signature (literally) is on Mars aboard one of the Viking landers. As a natural leader. Joe was promoted and served as Chairman of the AlAA Liquid Rocket Propulsion Technical Subcommittee for two years. He was also a project manager. In this capacity, Joe was responsible for the performance of several contracts for propulsion and propellant feed components. He oversaw contracts worth over $375 million for Centaur main rocket engines alone. In his career in aerospace, Joe was much decorated as he received three extraordinary achievement awards: Excel Award, Special Recognition Award from General Dynamics and Nominee for the General Managers Award, the GD's highest honor. From 1987-1990, Joe's first four years in the Program management, his overall performance evaluation grade was "exceptional," the highest possible at General Dynamics. Joe retired from the Navy in 2000 and from Lockheed Martin, previously General Dynamics, as Senior Engineering Specialist in 2012 after 38 years of continuous service. Joe and his wife Melanie reside in Lone Tree, Colorado. His children are Jason, Joshua, Jessica, and Jennifer.

< Hall of Fame Jennifer Fussy Class of 1988 Inducted May 2015 Jennifer Fussy was a 1988 graduate of Royalton High School where she excelled in athletics and in the classroom. Jennifer was a driven student athlete and never backed down from a challenge. Jennifer was a very decorated student athlete, she was a two-time letter winner in Cross Country, and a four-time letter winner in basketball. She also was an All Prairie Conference award winner her sophomore, junior and senior year and was All State Honorable Mention in Class A. However, Jennifer’s true passion really came to life on the baseball diamond. Jennifer entered onto the varsity baseball team her freshman year and played stints at first base where she proved to be an excellent fielder. She made her debut on the mound as a relief pitcher during her freshman year against Grey Eagle. In her sophomore year, she started as a pitcher and was able to record her first W. According to the MSHSL, to this date Jennifer is the only female to record a pitching win in a high school baseball game. Jennifer went on to letter in baseball her freshmen, sophomore, and junior year. In her senior year, Royalton fast pitch softball program was in its second year and Jennifer was able to participate with her female peers and she earned All Prairie Conference honors. Her athletic achievements and involvement in student activities did not stop there. She was selected as the female Athlete of the Year her junior and senior years, President of the Letterman’s Club, Student Council Representative, Art Club Member, and earned numerous scholarships. Following graduation from Royalton High School, she attended St. Cloud State University where she majored in Special Education. Jennifer graduated in May of 1994 and accepted a job at Mora Public Schools that fall. While at Mora Public Schools, she has taught Special Education in all levels and facets for their K-12 education. Jennifer directs the Focus program for Mora High School which she developed in 2008 and modeled after other successful programs supporting the at-risk population. In this capacity, she and the Mora ALC staff have worked together to provide interventions and support to the at-risk students improving attendance and graduation rates. On a daily basis, one can witness her effectiveness with this population of students. She is truly interested in each student’s needs and interests, forms lasting relationships, and because of this, her students work hard to pass classes and stay in school. Jennifer recently completed her educational administration certification with hopes of becoming a school leader. Jennifer has numerous positive attributes; many of those she will admit were instilled during her involvement in athletics at Royalton High School. She is described by her coworkers as being exceptionally organized, a strong team player, a motivating leader who effectively communicates and collaborates with teachers, staff, and parents. Jennifer is an avid outdoorsman, and volunteers in the summer recreation youth baseball and softball programs. She and her husband Troy, reside in Mora, with their children, Riley and Rita.

< Hall of Fame Jerry Popp Class of 1970 Inducted May 2011 Jerry Popp is a 1970 graduate of Royalton High School. He was involved in Basketball, Track, and Football during his time at RHS. Jerry went on to Moorhead State University and then into the teaching profession in North Dakota and Minnesota, where he has become a legend in the coaching ranks. Jerry started the cross country program in Bowman, ND in 1975 and went on to win 24 of the 26 state championships in girls cross country and has won 15 state championships with the boys program, including eight runner-up finishes. He has earned National Coach of the Year Honors 27 times and in 2005 was inducted into the National High School Sports Hall of Fame. He is also an inductee of the North Dakota Coaches Hall of Fame. Jerry also started the Speech program at Bowman, and has guided its speech team to 20 state titles. He has been married to his wife Barb for 35 years and have three grown children who have all followed their father's footsteps into the high school and college coaching ranks.

< Middle/High School Academics District Calendar Guidance Office Media Center New Enrollment < Back October 2019 Artist of the Month Kelsie Norberg Kelsie Norberg is Royalton High School's October Artist of the Month. Kelsie Norberg is the daughter of Wayne and Cindy Norberg. She was chosen as Royalton High School's October Artist of the Month for her excellent work in many different mediums of art. Her interest in the Visual Arts as well as her "love" for animals has inspired classmates and very well, could lead her to pursue a career in veterinary medicine. ​ RHS Visual Arts instructor Carl Halverson has been "Amazed" by Norberg's variety of artworks and witnessed the first fabric, three dimensional pet ever created in his classroom. "Taking Art classes as an elective brings out the creative side in many students that never realized that they had a gift, so it remains an unopened gift," said Halverson. "Kelsie started out in Design class this year working on projects that mirror St. Cloud State's graphic art and design classes in many ways. First, they apply the elements and principles of design to an imaginary business logo. Next, it is taken to 3 different pieces which include the application of photography and graphics. And finally, it includes drawing, painting and a 3-dimensional piece of their choice. Kelsie's dog Daisy was created with small fibers of multi-colored felt, carefully bound and intertwined with a needle. I've never seen a design student use needle felting to sculpt the trademark of their business card. Through this transfer of problem-solving skills, students learn life skills along the way as well. Making informed decisions about the best design solutions sharpens interpersonal skills while working with others strengthens the area of communication. Kelsie is one of the most polite and modest young people in her class. It doesn't surprise me that she intends to pursue a career in veterinary medicine. Her success in the academic area has only been surpassed by her artistic skills and admiration of her pet Daisy." ​ "I like to experiment in different mediums of art," added Norberg."Mr. Halverson is an amazing art teacher who has taught me Photography, Design, Painting, Drawing, Ceramics, and in this case, Graphic Illustration. I have always had a profound love of animals and often find myself creating artwork with my dog, Daisy, as the main subject. In the future, I hope to continue my education in the vet program with a degree earned from the University of Minnesota."

< Middle/High School Academics District Calendar Guidance Office Media Center New Enrollment < Back May 2018 Artist of the Month MVP This year's MVP's, senior Brooklyn Pekarek and junior Brooke Richards, hold this year's copy of the Royal '18. The idea of the theme, It's Our Brand, was designed into the cover of the book by having the negative shapes around the letter "R" cut out of the cover. The theme was then carried out throughout the book in photos, articles, logos, and by sections. Royalton Yearbook Advisor Carl Halverson stated,"This year we had three leaders in Ad Sales who hit the $1000 mark. Juniors Brooke Richards and Ashley Seurer, and Senior Editor Marshall Meehl should get most of the credit for raising enough funds to afford a book like this one. Without Marshall's efforts the past three years, none of this would have been possible. Here's a letter from our Josten's representative Paul Sorenson that pretty much says it all. By far, our Best Book in our school's history, and by far, the Best Royal Yearbook classroom staff that I've ever seen in over 30 years of advising student publications. Sorenson mentions sending this book in to Jostens for the "Best of" Lookbook which features the top schools in the country. I can see it now.... L.A., Hollywood high school, Houston, Dallas, and what the heck is this Royaltons deal?"