Innovative Special Education Services :: Supporting Minnesota Charter Schools
ISES Staff Summer Page
Click the names below to see how they spent their summer!
Karen Kennedy
I can best describe this summer as “low-key”. It has been one of reading, family get-togethers, watching grandkids and working. My husband had total hip replacement in early July, so we’ve been forced to relax and take it easy which has been very good for us. We’ve stayed close to home for the most part. My family is in Southern Mn so I’ve taken several day trips to visit them. My grandchildren, ages 5 and 2 are delightful and I took a few days off work this summer to spend with them. We spent several evenings watching the 5 year play soccer followed by a stop at DQ.
As much as I enjoyed the summer, my favorite time of year is fall. I hope you all had a great summer and are relaxed and refreshed – ready for a busy school year.
Sandy Strand
Erin Wanat
Kyle Kehrberg
What do 40,000 tires, ham balls and salve with very welcomed numbing action have in common? RAGBRAI, of course. For those of you who may not be bicycling aficionados, RAGBRAI stands for the Registers Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa. I only rode the first 3 days and put a little more than 200 miles on my bicycle. During those three days it was a singular focus, and I thoroughly enjoyed the people and stop-over locations. Good entertainment and great food. In fact, the food my have been too good, as I did not lose a pound as a result of riding bicycle that many miles. I would encourage anyone with a sense of adventure and a very padded pair of biking shorts to consider the ride.
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Click here for the recipe and cooking instruction of Ham Balls. |
Dave Haveman
Monica Lonergan
Since I had a severe case of writer’s block, I asked my daughter if she could compose a synopsis of my summer activities. Here’s what she wrote for me!
“In summers past, I have snorkeled in the Great Barrier Reef, climbed the Eiffel Tower, watched U2 perform in Dublin, and hitched a ride with a dolphin. At first glance, this particular summer might seem uneventful by comparison. I spent a large part of it in San Diego, both celebrating my wonderful, intelligent, beautiful, kind, unique, generous, and brilliant daughter Colleen’s graduation from UC San Diego, as well as helping her move into her new apartment. I also helped my son Rory to move into his own new apartment in the western suburbs of Minneapolis. Although moving is hardly a glamorous event, this summer has been one of the most memorable for me. I can still remember 20 years ago when they had a play house with a little plastic refrigerator; and this past summer, I helped the two of them put food into a real one. Even though there were no exotic kinds of excitement for me this summer, I couldn’t be more proud of my two children. Especially Colleen.”
I should add that I am equally proud of my son Rory as well!
Lisa Jaroslawski
Looking back, this summer seemed pretty relaxed and laid back. But after talking about it with my three year old daughter, Maya, I guess it was jam packed with fun! A highlight was attending the National Charter School Conference in Chicago the end of June. It was a great experience and I was able to watch 2 of my co-workers, Erin and Sandy present on special education finance. On the home front we attended the Memorial Day parade in small town Mahtomedi where we live. This was my daughter’s first experience – she could not believe all you have to do is flash a cute smile and wave and people will throw candy at you! We spent most of the summer following the parade circuit in the tri-county area while Maya honed her parade waving skills. I think we have a lifetime supply of suckers, tootsie rolls and smarties. Even though we “staycationed” this summer I had a blast with my husband and daughter going to parks, swimming, riding bike and taking in parades. We do have a vacation planned in October to visit Florida so maybe check back!
April Schmitz
This summer was very busy for my family and me. First we purchased a new home in late July so we spent the first few months of our summer packing, cleaning, cleaning again and unpacking. It has all been worth it because I love our new home! My 5 year-old daughter also loves the house because we finally live somewhere that can fit pets. We now have 3 kittens and two fish! Secondly, this summer I spent a lot of time preparing my daughter for kindergarten. We practiced writing her name, reading and even a little math. She began school on September 2nd. Below is a picture of her waiting for the bus on the first day of school. Overall, this summer was very exciting for my entire family!
