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< Middle/High School Academics District Calendar Guidance Office Media Center New Enrollment November 2021 Student of the Month Callie Vannurden Royalton High School is proud to announce that Callie Vannurden was selected as Student of the Month for November. Callie is the daughter of Philip and Jill and sister of James and Max. Callie’s family has helped her grow and learn, “My family has taught me many things over my years in school, but the overall element that they have taught me is the importance of hard work. They have also encouraged me to try my best in all my activities and classes and no matter the outcome they will always be proud of me. My favorite activities to do with my family are watching movies and enjoying family dinners together. At Royalton High School Callie participates in many activities such as: volleyball and basketball and softball and serves as team captain in all 3. She is an officer for FFA and a member of Student Council and the Minnesota Honors Society. Callie believes all of her activities have taught her a lot “I have really learned what it takes to be a leader. Leadership has developed me into a more responsible and encouraging person. I have learned how every action I make (whether seen or not) can make a difference in someone's life.” “It has been a pleasure coaching, teaching and knowing Callie for the past 4 years. She is a fantastic student and teammate. She has a great work ethic in the classroom and when it comes to her athletics she’ll do whatever it takes to help her team and teammates out and doesn’t complain. She works hard and is a great leader and role model. It is not a shock as to why she has been voted a captain by her teammates. She has definitely had a major positive impact her at Royalton,” commented Social Studies teacher and Head Girls Basketball Coach Brad Baumann. Looking at her classes Callie says her favorite class has been Human Body Systems and her favorite teacher has been Ms. Gerads, “My favorite class in high school was Human Body Systems. This class is very memorable to me because I find it very enjoyable learning about the human body with fun labs and diagrams. I would suggest others to take this class if you are interested in the medical field. Ms. Gerads because she has always made my learning experience enjoyable. She inspires me with her organization and effort she puts into all of her classes to ensure that you understand what is going on and is always quick to answer my many questions.” Callie’s favorite high school memory was during this year’s homecoming week, “My favorite High School memory was having the opportunity of being my school's homecoming queen. This was my favorite because it makes me feel like I have been a good classmate over the years. My favorite activity of being homecoming queen was being able to read and visit the younger kids and explain to them how being kind to one another and helping out your classmates can go a long way.” Along with her favorite high school memory Callie also has a couple other memories and experiences that she will cherish. “The events that stand out above the others was the success of my Milk Quality team in the past years and Basketball team last year. One of the highlights of my FFA CDE Milk Quality was participating at the state convention and receiving 3rd place as a team in the state in 2019 and 2nd place in 2020. Another moment from my favorite activities was upsetting the Holdingford Huskers last year in basketball during the first round of playoffs. These events were both products of hard work and teamwork and I will forever remember them both.” As to what she plans to do next year and where she sees herself in 10 years, Callie had this to say, “I plan to attend college for nursing and eventually become a labor and delivery nurse. I am planning on attending Ridgewater in Willmar. I really wanted to go into the nursing field because I am very much a people person and learned how important it is to take care of people. Then in 10 years I see myself working at a hospital or birthing center as a labor and delivery nurse. I plan to live in the area of Royalton because I want to stay close to my family.” Callie’s advice to high school freshmen is this “Do not be afraid to try new activities. Although it may seem awkward or scary at first once you get into the swing of things, that's when you start to make memories and have fun! Also cherish the time that you have in high school because although four years seems like a long time it goes fast.”

< Middle/High School Academics District Calendar Guidance Office Media Center New Enrollment May 2024 Student of the Month Kylie Waytashek Kylie is the daughter of Nicole. When asked about how family has impacted her, Kylie had this to say, “My family has taught me many things in life. They have taught me to be strong willed, show respect to others, to always be kind, and how to persevere during lifes challenges. I enjoy spending time with my family by going to sporting events, playing cards, spending time outdoors, deer hunting, watching movies, and playing games with my two little cousins. My family has always encouraged me to be the best that I can be. They always have supported me through the ups and downs of life. I am always thankful for my family.” During her time at Royalton, Kylie’s favorite class was Human Biology, “My favorite class in high school was human biology with Ms. Gerads. Human biology was memorable because I was able to learn so many new things about the human body. The reason human biology stood out to me was because of all of the various labs that we did. Some of the labs we did were dissecting baby pigs and analyzing sheep hearts. I would suggest this class to others because you get to learn so many new things about the human body, and how our systems work.” Kylie was asked if she had to pick a teacher that she really enjoyed in class, her response was Mr. Chris Coppicus, “My favorite teacher is Mr. Coppicus, our band teacher. He is my favorite teacher because he always makes class time enjoyable. Throughout my four years in band, Mr. Coppicus took the time to get to know me. Mr. Coppicus would always ask me about my life and how I am doing outside of school, and would often ask about my many basketball ventures. He inspires me to be a leader and to be someone others can look up to, just like he always was for me.” In school Kylie was involved in some different activities, “The activities I am involved in at Royalton include Basketball, Track and Field, and the Royal Ambassador Program. The biggest reason I enjoy each activity is because I get to spend time with all of my friends, while also trying my best to be a role model for the younger kids. Through my involvement in these activities, I have gained many friendships, new core memories, and have learned how to be the leader that I am so that I can have a positive impact on the students younger than me.” When asked about some special memories that she has from high school, there were a couple that came to mind, “My favorite high school memory was attending all of the sporting events. I got to spend time with my friends, while watching my classmates participate in a sport that they enjoy. I also have two specific memorable events that I took place in. The first one was during my freshman year of basketball; we beat #4 seeded Holdingford at their place in playoffs as underdogs being the #13 seed. We won 53-48 in overtime. The second event was this year at BBE when I broke two school records in one game, with one being for the most points in a game with 39, and the second being for the most threes in a game with ten.” Next year Kylie will be attending Valparaiso University on a basketball scholarship. “I am attending Valparaiso University and I am wanting to pursue a degree in biochemistry on the path to become an orthodontist and I will also be playing on the basketball team. I chose Valpo because I love my coach’s beliefs and my teammates’ energy and attitudes, and I fell in love with the campus itself. Once I stepped on campus, I knew that Valpo would be my home for the next four years.” Kylie’s advice to high school freshmen was this, “Advice I would give to the freshmen would be to make all of the little moments count throughout high school. Another big piece of advice would be to get involved in as many high school events and activities as you can, because through these you will meet friends, and you will get to experience new things that you might not have thought were interesting to you at first. I know it might seem cliche, but high school really does go by fast.”

< Middle/High School Academics District Calendar Guidance Office Media Center New Enrollment March 2023 Student of the Month James Vannurden James is the son of Phil and Jill. James says his family has been a huge part of his life, “My family has been really influential in my life, they have pushed me very hard in everything. My parents have always made sure to push me to getting good grades and being active in sports and activities.” Whether it is in school or outside of school, James is involved in a variety of activities, “I am in Youth Group for my church. We do a lot of activities. I do enjoy being involved with my church; it feels very rewarding to do things to help my community. I’m in Football, Track, and YES Club. I have always loved football since I was very little, I would play it every day. Football has help me through life because of all of the memories and friends I’ve gained. I first joined track when I was in 7th grade. I joined track because I thought I was very fast in 7th grade; The first meet was very humbling for me. I moved around a lot in track, until I found out i was good at jumping. Track has been fun over the years because of the friendships I made. Im also in YES Club. I have done a ton of activities in YES club like building a retaining wall for the school, and doing fun activities with our group like snow tubing at Power Ridge. Overall YES Club has been a good experience for me.” When it comes to his classes James says his favorite class was welding and his favorite teacher is Mr. Robert Skwira. “My favorite class I have taken in high school is Welding. What I liked about Welding so much is that I got taught a whole new skill, Welding was one of the only classes that I couldn't wait to go to. It stood out because at first, I was a little bit scared of trying it but once I got comfortable, it was awesome. I would suggest it to other students because it’s a good skill to have with you, and not many know how to do it. My favorite teacher would have to be Mr. Skwira because of all the knowledge about the trades that I have learned. Skwira is a teacher that has always been very nice to me and really expected a lot out of me. I like how he teaches because he let me try to figure it out on my own, and if I was struggling, he would jump in.” James' favorite memory from school took place this fall, “My favorite high school memory is homecoming. Homecoming is such a fun time because of all the activities we did including the Olympics and dress up days. What made it the best memory was at the end of the day I played football with all of my buddies versus the Paynesville bulldogs. It was a brutal game, but it all made it worth it when we pulled ahead and won the game. After that everyone was pumped up and it was a good time.” James then said the best event he was part of was during his junior football season, “The best game I was involved in is my junior year of football, where in the second round of the playoffs. We played against the Paynesville Bulldogs, and we were going back and forth at each other. The nerves were hitting because there was a full crowd and we had to stay in the game, but when the clock struck zero, we managed to pull out the win. At the end it was so rewarding because even though my body felt like garbage, I was so excited we won.” After graduating and where he sees himself in the future James had this to say, “Next year I will be jumping right into working doing construction, I chose construction because I like to work with my hands and I like to moving around all of the time. The best thing that I like about construction is going through building and looking at the progress made on the building. In the next 10 years I plan to work hard and make some money, I hope to buy my own house and start to develop a family. It is important to me because I would like to have something to push me to work hard.” James’ advice to high school freshmen is, “One thing I would advise is to get your required classes done earlier so you can have fun classes that you will like when you’re an upperclassman and make sure to have fun.”

< Middle/High School Academics District Calendar Guidance Office Media Center New Enrollment October 2019 Student of the Month Matthew Kasella Royalton High School announces Matthew Kasella has been named the October Student of the Month. Matthew is the son of Rob and Amy Kasella and the youngest brother of Jake, Megan, Katelyn, Krista and Jason. Matthew is grateful for his parents because “they gave me a strong work ethic.” The understanding of how to work stems from his experiences at Kasella Concrete. However, whether hunting or going to the lake, Matthew’s family also knows how to have fun together. Coming from a large family has greatly affected Matthew’s personality; through their times together his family helped him “be the extroverted, loud speaking, energetic person I am today.” He expends his energies in a variety of activities. Matthew’s extracurriculars include YES/Tech Club, wrestling, and football; “Friday Night Lights” gives him the best memories of his high school career because of “the sweat we put into each football play.” As for school, Matthew states that his favorite teachers are Mr. Thielges and Mr. Halverson. Mr. Thielges first sparked his interest in engineering, and in his class, “I enjoy figuring out difficult problems and finding out why things work the way they do.” He enjoys Mr. Halverson because he genuinely cares about each student, “I like that we can joke around yet really learn from him.” Carl Halverson, Royalton High School art teacher, says, “Matthew is a bright young man with a promising future ahead of him. What separates him from so many sharp students is that he pays attention to others around him. It doesn't matter what grade they are in, nor what group they are associated with. Earning a Student of the Month honor should encompass so much more than just earning good grades. Matthew Kasella definitely has done just that through his efforts to better our school in so many different ways.” Jeff Schoenrock, math teacher, states, “Matthew asks the why questions in order to fully understand how and why the math works. He works very hard in the classroom and is goal driven. Matthew works hard in the classroom, on the field and on the mat. He is a positive role model, not afraid to reach out and do what is right.” This young man’s positivity is also noted by Monica Flakus, high school career counselor, “Matthew is a joyful, caring, and responsible student. What I find so refreshing with Matthew is the fact that he doesn't consider helping others to be a big deal - that is just who he is. But, it is a BIG DEAL! He does all of these things naturally; he enjoys doing it and he takes his responsibilities seriously.” After graduation, Matthew plans to attend North Dakota State University in Fargo, ND, and major in Civil Engineering. He hopes that in ten years he will have a solid job in engineering and have plenty of time for hunting and fishing trips. His advice for high school freshmen is to “spend your time doing the things you enjoy with the people that will be there for you.”

< Middle/High School Academics District Calendar Guidance Office Media Center New Enrollment December 2017 Student of the Month Amy Zabinski Amy Zabinski is the oldest daughter to Rich and Sharon Zabinski and she was named the December Student of the Month by the faculty of Royalton High School (RHS). Amy has two younger sisters, Kim and Carrie, and they are currently attending Royalton Middle and High School. Her parents are incredibly supportive of her, they always push her to be the best she can be, and they are always there for her supporting her decisions. Her parents have been very supportive of all of the various activities she has taken part in over the years, and they always encourage her to try new things and join different activities and clubs. Amy’s favorite class is SPANISH because Sra. Lindsey Gruber has been the greatest teacher! In her three years of Spanish classes, Sra. has always found a way to teach class in a fun way! Sra. Gruber comes to class each day with a positive attitude and eagerness to teach us another language. Thank you for making Spanish AMAZING! Sra. Lindsey Gruber states “Amy is a ray of sunshine that brightens my classroom every day. She continuously finds the positive in everything and is dedicated to succeeding in all areas. No matter the task, Amy always puts forth her best effort. This also includes helping others to succeed. Her kind and helpful spirit will take her many places, and I wish Amy all the best in her future endeavors! Amy honestly states, “There are too many AMAZING teachers to choose just ONE favorite”. All of the teachers she has interacted with have been incredibly supportive and pushed her to succeed and never settle for any less than her best. Mr. Jeremy Schaa, Amy’s NHS (National Honor Society) teacher states “Amy is a very positive, happy student who is often smiling which helps put others in the school at ease, and brightens their moods”. Amy’s FFA instructor Mr. Robert Skwira states “Amy is a kind hearted and hardworking individual who always has a smile on her face. Amy treats others the way everyone wants to be treated. She gets along with everyone and will help everyone out. She cares very much about her family and faith. Amy strives to do things the right way. Amy has a bright future ahead of herself!” Michael Marschel is her Cross Country coach states “There really isn't any one kinder than Amy Zabiniski. Her hard-working, positive attitude will bring her very far in life. Royalton is lucky to have her.” Amy is involved in quite a few activities; she was inducted into NHS in the beginning of her junior year. She took part in the “One Act” competitions her junior and senior year. She ran for the Royalton Cross Country team for 3 years and track for 2 years. She has been in four high school play productions including, “Persuasion, Pride and Prejudice”, “Give My Regards to Broadway”, and “Two Fronts”. She is a dedicated member of the Royalton FFA. She was in speech for one year and performed a duet for choir contest with her best friend, Emily Prokott. They dedicated almost every spare moment they had to their duet, and it paid off when they received a score of 49/50 at the competition. Amy has also taken part of large group choir and band contests where she received superior ratings for their performance pieces. She is also a dedicated member of her hometowns church choir and youth group. Her favorite High school memory actually consisted of a series of four days spent on a cruise ship. She had the opportunity to take a cruise with members of her school band in March of her junior year. Those four days were amazing! She spent time with her classmates and fellow band members on the cruise ship and had the time of her life. Amy plans to attend Winona State University and enter into the nursing program to receive her Registered Nurse license. In ten years she hopes to be helping people as a Registered Nurse. The advice Amy would give to freshmen is “Don’t let your years get away from you! When everyone says the years are going to fly by, BELIEVE THEM! Senior year catches up to you faster than you could ever imagine, and when it does, you are going to be left wondering where the time went. Cherish every moment you have before it all turns into a memory!”

< Middle/High School Academics District Calendar Guidance Office Media Center New Enrollment < Back November 2019 Artist of the Month Jordan Pesta Jordan Pesta, the daughter of Neil Pesta and Brenda Weiss-Pesta, is Royalton High School's November Artist of the Month. She has explored many different electronic mediums besides the usual, traditional applications that are offered at the high school level. "I’ve always loved doing art, ever since I could pick up a pencil. Mr. Halverson has helped me further my career in art by offering instruction and support in classes like Drawing, Painting, and Graphic Illustration to develop my artistic ability and discover a love of different media. My personal favorite mediums are acrylic and watercolor along with drawing digitally on my phone or computer. Illustrating and painting have helped to take the worlds out of my head and onto paper and canvas. I want to share the pictures I visualize and the stories I create with the world as much as I can. Each subject has its own abstract way of being viewed, like my toucan painting or watercolor. They are both original paintings inspired by either things I see in life or just brought life in my head. Since middle school, I’ve been bringing characters to life and developing stories about their lives in my head. I one day hope to illustrate these stories in a graphic novel. Characters are, in a way, bits and pieces of their creator’s personality projected onto said characters. You create what you are, essentially." Pesta's favorite teacher at Royalton High School is visual arts instructor, Carl Halverson. Halverson thinks that Pesta is the most diversified of all of the talented art students he has ever seen. "Jordan excels to new levels in every medium that she picks up," said Halverson. "From traditional to nontraditional artforms; from creating original characters to applying computer generated animation; she transitions so seamlessly. Her original characters tell stories, that are as unique to the reader, as the characters are themselves. The best post secondary options for a student with Jordan's abilities can't be judged by where they are located, but rather, by what they are producing in the way of successful artists. Several artists with a degree earned from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, (Matthew Meyer, Dan Lund, and Justin Weber) for example, were members of the team of animators who created the Disney film Frozen, which won an Oscar. In Jordan's case, I truly believe that she has all of the ability in the world to pursue character development and illustration and as a career. I also believe that any school with a visual art program, in the area or the state for that matter, would welcome Jordan as a student. After all, they are businesses which profit from students attending and filling their programs. But unless they have a program with recent graduates who are extremely successful in their respective fields, they pretty much sound and resemble a "good, honest car salesman", (if one of these types of salesmen actually does exist.) Royalton High School's Visual Arts program has graduates who have become Art Teachers, Graphic Designers, Freelance Artists, Web Page Designers, and Illustrators to name a few of the many careers in the field. We are about to add a Famous Animator to this list in my opinion. All I can do as a high school art instructor, is try to point her in the direction of her strengths. Jordan Pesta has so many artistic strengths, that I believe she will be one of these students who will join the ranks of like the previously mentioned artists above. Artists, who don't sit around at a local pub talking about their glory days of high school. Instead, Artists who have actually held up an Oscar in their hands or published a book that they wrote as well as illustrated. She will be missed around here, but if I were a betting man, I would bet that she will return one day, extremely successful." After high school, Pesta hopes to attend a college centered around artistic careers or offering pathways to the art field. She has been looking into, and is in the process of applying to, the Academy of Art University, the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, and the Savannah College of Art and Design.

< Middle/High School Academics District Calendar Guidance Office Media Center New Enrollment May 2021 Student of the Month Amanda Waletski Royalton High School is proud to announce that Amanda Waletski was selected as Student of the Month for May. Amanda is the daughter of Dave and Judy and sister of Allyson. Amanda’s family has been her biggest support system and has helped her grow and learn, “My family has taught me to work hard and appreciate the small things. I love spending days on the boat with my mom, dad, sister, and cousins during the summer. My family is always there to encourage me whether it is a sporting event, school work, or even the little things that come up day to day.” Outside of school Amanda works at Jordie’s Trail Side Café in Bowlus, she enjoys water skiing, snowmobiling, walking and playing with her dogs; Maggie and Lucy and also volunteers at her church. At Royalton High School Amanda participated in volleyball, basketball, Student Council, Minnesota Honors Society and keeps stats for the softball team. Looking at all of her activities, Amanda says volleyball and basketball have been the most impactful, “ Basketball and volleyball have allowed me to meet new people that have become close friends. Sports have also taught me skills such as time management, commitment and teamwork.” “I’ve really enjoyed my time teaching and coaching Amanda these past 4 years. She is such a joyful person and helpful person, no matter the situation Amanda was going to lighten the mood or do whatever she could to help. I would also say she’s one of the toughest people I know, during her Freshman year, she missed the second half of the basketball season because of a leg injury, but she still stayed involved and worked her way back to playing again the following year. Then during one of our summer tournaments, she broke her jaw, but that didn’t deter her, she came back and played just as hard. Then this past season in basketball, while Amanda isn’t the biggest person, she wasn’t afraid of taking on girls that were much bigger and she would always go 100%. It was great to have her on our team and as one of our captains. I’m really excited to see what’s instore for her in the years to come!.”- Head Girls Basketball Coach and Social Studies Teacher Brad Baumann. Looking at her academics Amanda believes her English teacher Ms. Menden has played a large role, “My favorite teacher is Ms. Menden. She cares about us as students but also as individuals. Her classes have taught me many valuable lessons I will use in my future. Ms. Menden always has a positive attitude and encourages me to always work hard to do my best.” Amanda’s favorite high school memory came during this past basketball season, “My favorite memory from high school is when our basketball team upset Holdingford in the playoffs this year. My team worked really hard and I was proud to be a part of it.” Next year Amanda plans to attend North Dakota State University while she is not a 100% sure what she wants to major in, one possibility is drafting or construction management. In 10 years, Amanda would like to be living somewhere near the Royalton/Bowlus area so she’s close to family. She’s hoping to have a steady job in her career field, she would like to foster dogs and also do some traveling around the world. Amanda’s advice to high school freshmen is short but sweet “become involved in your school and attend events and sporting games because high school goes faster than you think.!”

< Middle/High School Academics District Calendar Guidance Office Media Center New Enrollment March 2022 Student of the Month Ella Sliter Royalton High School is proud to announce that Ella Sliter was selected as Student of the Month for March. Ella is the daughter of Greg and Sara. Ella believes her family has been vital in teaching her and helping her learn many things, “My family has taught me to have a hard work ethic, leadership, a positive attitude, and overall enjoy what is going on. While these past few years have been hectic, my family enjoys going on walks, watching movies, being outside, shopping, and whatever we feel like doing.” Outside of school Ella spends her time working and getting involved in her local church. She works at Pacific Wok in Sartell and Gliks Boutique in St. Cloud. She also leads a small group in church during Vacation Bible School. In school Ella says she doesn’t have just one favorite teacher she has 3 and they are Mr. Silbernick, Ms. Gerads, and Mrs. Noerenberg. She also has a couple favorite classes in Human Body Systems and Physics. Ella says, “In HBS I loved being able to dive deeper into what a human body actually does. My favorite part about the class would have been dissecting a cow eyeball. I would recommend to anyone who has interest in the medical field to take HBS. Physics is also another one of my top classes, which is weird because I dread the work done in the class. I think it is one of my favorite classes just because of the people and the teacher.” Ella has also been involved in a number of activities during her time at Royalton High School. She has been involved in Minnesota Honor Society, Y.E.S/Tech Club, Student Council, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Basketball, and Softball. Ella believes each activity has given her a learning experience, “Each activity has taught me teamwork, leadership, and time efficiency.” When looking back her memories in high school this is what Ella had to say “My favorite high school memory honestly would have to be all the countless memories made throughout the past few years. A couple that sticks out the most would be the memories made from basketball. One would be watching all the bloopers on film aka Alise getting hit on the head with a ball, and Autumn tripping over air.” Next year Ella plans to head out west and attend Montana State University. Ella isn’t quite sure what she wants to major in yet, but she’s ok with that at this time, “My plans next year are to attend Montana State University. As of right now, I am going in as undecided. I chose Montana State because I love the mountains, and I am ready to spread my wings (cliche I know).” Ella’s advice for freshmen was this, “have fun while you can. Also, PSEO classes will save you in the long run.”

< Middle/High School Academics District Calendar Guidance Office Media Center New Enrollment November 2018 Student of the Month Gavin Suska Gavin Suska, son of Mark and Jessica Suska, has been named the November Student of the Month at Royalton High School (RHS). Gavin has a younger brother Grayson, who is a sophomore at Royalton. Suska’s favorite teacher was former social studies teacher Kelley Newell. “She involved students in class well, and related topics to real life examples. She also created very interactive projects that kept students intrigued in the subject,” Suska said of Newell. English teacher Sherri Menden said, “Gavin's work ethic stands as one of his strongest traits. He is never one to give up, and he asks questions when he needs clarification or help. Gavin is respectful of all students and willing to help out anyone who needs it, the struggling as well as the talented. He knows how to help in ways that make students understand what needs to be done. Above all, Gavin is kind.” Science teacher and head boys basketball coach Randy Thielges added, “Gavin has been an outstanding student/athlete. He is a leader both in the classroom and on the athletic fields. Gavin makes the people around him better.” Suska is involved in many activities in school including, football, basketball, baseball, Business Professionals of America, and Student Council. Gavin’s favorite memory from high school is winning the Morrison County “milk jug” this past year in football. Future plans for Suska are to attend Concordia college to pursue a career in accounting. Gavin’s advice to freshmen is, “Take high school one year at a time and be involved in as many activities as you can.”

< Middle/High School Academics District Calendar Guidance Office Media Center New Enrollment January 2021 Student of the Month Rylee Johnson Royalton High School announced that Rylee Johnson was selected as student of the Month for January, 2021. She is the daughter of Kevin and Natalie Johnson. Family has been a huge impact in Rylee’s life. She states,”My parents are the strongest people I know and they have taught me that regardless of the obstacle there is always a way to persevere. My sisters have also had a huge impact on me and my success in high school.” Throughout high school, Johnson has been involved in Cross Country, Track, FFA, BPA, We Club, Student Council, and National Honor Society. The activities that she is most involved in are Cross Country and Student Council. “Rylee has been a vocal leader on our Cross Country and Track and Field teams. There is no doubt that Rylee will make an impact in her future workplace and community. Thanks for all your hard work over the years. I wish you all the best,” said Michael Marschel, Cross Country and Track coach. “I have the opportunity to work with Rylee in Student Council. Rylee is a hardworking, driven young lady. She has gone above and beyond the call of duty for Survivor Week and throughout the school year. I look forward to seeing her grow as a student in the future,” stated Jeanne Omvig, science teacher and Student Council advisor. Johnson’s favorite class is human body systems. Her interest in the medical field made her take it. She ended up enjoying that class very much. Rylee says, “Ms. Gerads is a very dedicated teacher and puts a lot of work into the class to make it both knowledgeable and enjoyable.” If Johnson had to pick a favorite teacher, she would pick Ms. Ploof. Ms. Ploof was her homeroom teacher and her choir teacher. “Ms. Ploof has helped me become a better singer and person throughout high school, and I can honestly say I would not be the same without her,” Johnson said. “Besides being an excellent student, Rylee has also become a great singer. As with everything she does, she has worked very hard at developing her singing voice. She is a great role model for other singers in choir!” says Cheri Ploof. After high school Johnson plans to complete her associate’s degree at St. Cloud State University and her bachelor’s degree in biology hopefully at the University of Washington-Seattle. She then hopes to enroll in medical school to pursue a career in family medicine. “In ten years time, I see myself finishing my medical residency and finally becoming a physician.” Rylee had some advice to freshmen out there, “My advice to freshmen is to make the most of the next four years. High school has a lot to offer and your experience is based on the opportunities you choose to chase. This is the time to try new things, make mistakes, and live a little because pretty soon you’ll be graduating too.” Listen to her advice and maybe you will be student of the month in high school.

< Middle/High School Academics District Calendar Guidance Office Media Center New Enrollment January 2020 Student of the Month Erin Zapzalka Royalton High School faculty selected Erin Zapzalka as their January Student of the Month. Erin, the daughter of Danelle and Tim Zapzalka, learned about hard work and caring for others from her parents: her dad works on the family farm and her mom is a nurse. Erin is involved in numerous activities at RHS. She enjoys band because of her love of music and learning different instruments. She also volunteers with Minnesota Honor Society, helps the environment in Y.E.S. Club, plans events with student council, as well as participating in softball, volleyball and serving as a wrestling manager. Randy Thielges, science teacher and basketball coach says, “Erin is one of the students you can ask anything of her and she will complete the task well and on time.” Director of Bands, Chris Coppicus states, “Erin is a gifted musician. She directs our summer marching band, our concert band and jazz band with her French horn in hand. She is one of our strongest seniors throughout academics, athletics, and the arts.” Her musical talents follow her outside of school where Erin plays trumpet at her church for Christmas and Easter masses. She also volunteers at the Little Falls Humane Society and works at Scheels in St. Cloud. She explains that at Scheels she is able to bridge her love of helping people and her knowledge about outdoor activity equipment together. She hopes that the skills acquired in her job will help as a nurse in her future. When asked about influential teachers, Erin notes that Mr. Thielges, Mr. Schoenrock and Mr. Makela stand at the top of her list. These teachers “have their own way of teaching, and they each have a sense of humor to accompany their teaching styles.” One highlight of Erin’s high school career was the morning the power went out right before school. She and her classmates sat in the Lion’s Den while singing songs and talking which, strangely, created a strong bond between them all. A playoff softball game from her sophomore year stands as one of her greatest sporting memories. “We were down by two in the top of the ninth inning. There were two outs and I was up to bat while two of my teammates were on second and third base. Although I only had 1 strike left before the game was over, I felt no pressure. The next pitch, I hit the ball into the outfield which drove my two teammates home making the score tied. We ended up working as a team and won the game; moving onto the next round of playoffs. Seeing how a team can work together and overcome the challenge of the game has always stayed in my mind. “ After high school, Erin plans to attend the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, with hopes to pursue a career in Registered Nursing. In ten years, Erin hopes to have all of her schooling completed and be working at a job that is “perfect” for her. She also hopes for marriage and a family. When passing on advice for underclassmen,, Erin states, “Yes, homework is important, but so is time with friends and having fun. If you use time management and have a good balance between the two, then you will be successful in school and be able to have fun, too.”

< 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."