By Doug Berg
Year 28 of Mini-School is underway! Randy and I started this program in 1970. Along the with other Mini-School founders Pete Hegrenes and Leo Razidlo, we set a clear, definite mission- to provide a meaningful education for high school kids who weren’t getting that education in mainstream high school. Fulfilling that mission for 27+ years has taken Randy and I down and around hundreds of rivers, lakes, hiking trails, canyons, forests, bike routes, campfires, job sites, basketball games, and classrooms. We’ve never lost sight of our reason for being and are happy to be back in Mini-School for the 28th time, doin’ what we do best.
Since I’m writing about the staff, I’ll add a few things. Pauline is finishing up her master’s program at Mankato State University. Her thesis is on waste management and involves a study of what Minnetonka Public Schools do with the garbage. It’s very interesting! In one of her blocks Pauline has shared much of her findings with Mini-School students. Mini-School continues to recycle all of the pop cans in the high school, a big thankless job. Pauline and the recycling kids deserve to be commended.
Ramona started the year with Mini-School but left in mid-September to give birth to her second child, Zorina, a new baby sister to her 2 yr. old son Zachie. Ramona gave birth while I was paddling the Missouri River in Montana with 12 Mini-Schoolers. I had suggested that she come along and have the baby on the trip (precedent had been set-Sacajawea did it on the Lewis and Clark expedition), but she didn’t go for that idea. Another missed opportunity. Gabe Peterson could have been the mid-wife.
After Ramona left for her maternity leave, her place on the staff was taken by Ben Schultenover, retired MHS math teacher. Ben, Randy and I go back a long way. In 1970 Randy and I started Mini-School. Also in 1970 Ben, with 3 other teachers, started the School Within a School (SWAS) program, another alternative program at MHS. Both programs featured a wilderness adventure, or trips program, and in preparation for this, Ben, Randy, and I took a month long training course with the Minnesota (now Voyager) Outward Bound Program and got to know each other really well. Also, Ben and I together took a combined Mini-School/SWAS group on a trip to The Grand Canyon in 1974. We’re grateful to Ben for taking time out from his retirement to pinch hit for Ramona.
Randy has been busy as usual in the fall, juggling the job of teaching in Mini-School and coaching soccer, 2 full time jobs in and of themselves. His soccer team had another fine season, finishing second in the classic lake conference with a 12 win, 4 loss, 1 tie record and losing in the playoffs 1-0 to the eventual state champion, Apple Valley. Randy’s also experiencing a little of the empty nest syndrome as his oldest daughter, Edie, is attending the Minneapolis Business College and is living away from home. His youngest daughter, Ashely, is another soccer junkie, playing for Orono High School.
JoAnn and husband Brad spent a month of their summer on a rafting trip down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. With all the new kids coming into Mini-School this fall, JoAnn has been extra busy with forms and orientations.
I spent the summer canoe racing, hangin’ out at my cabin, and working on my house. I managed to keep several Mini-School Alumni employed as I hired Josh Day and Justin Streeter to do some construction, Russel Schmid to do some driveway and landscaping, and Rhett Rasmusssen to do some painting.
Since school started it seems like I’ve been on trips almost constantly with Montana, Mark Warren, Rum River, and now Grantsburg. I’m looking forward to a good cross country-ski season. Also, my son Charlie will be getting married this spring. Mother Berg and I are excited.
In February or March Mini-School will be moving to the area currently occupied by Mr. Engstrom’s art classes and the Work Experience programs. The area promises to give us more overall space, a better office area, more versatility in classroom use, and better facilities to prepare for trips. It will be different though. Mini-School has been in its current area for 27+ years. After the move, Pauline and Ramona will probably have to send kids up to room E213 to fetch Randy and me-old habits die hard.
It is with great sadness that I report the death of Eleanor McCarthy, a student new to Mini-School this year. Eleanor succumbed to cancer on Nov. 4th. Mini-School extends its sympathy to the McCarthy family. The kids in the program raised $180.00 over the weekend which will be sent to 2 charities as a memorial to Eleanor.
The funds for Eleanor were raised as part of our own annual fund raiser, the great Mini-School Weatherguide Calendar Drive. As I write this over 250 calendars have been sold, netting the program about $1200.00. Lacey Landt started the drive off with a bang selling 34 calendars. Kortnie Hanson has also sold 34. As yet we’ve found no one to match graduate Phil Lynott, who sold 75 calendars each of the last 2 years.
Speaking of Lynott, he is now located at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, undergoing army basic training. He calls us 2-3 times per week and has even written 2 letters. Must be homesick.
Other Alumni News
Terry Smith ’77?- stopped by to visit me this summer. He’s employed by the post office and has been bicycling a lot, riding through Oregon and California this summer. He got started bicycling back in Mini-School in the 70’s and has helped Randy with a trip or two.
Meredith Clawson ’87?– I ran into “Maud” in Minneapolis in October. She’s attending River Falls University in Wisconsin, majoring in health/PE with an emphasis on environmental education. She recently visited her old employers, the Hansens at Sawbill Canoe Outfitters and Mary Alice Hansen wrote and told me of Maud. Just can’t break that old Mini-School connection, eh Maud (no one but me calls her Maud anymore.) Meredith may help out with a trip sometime.
Josh Stinson ’93- As you will learn from other articles in this publication, Josh has assisted with 2 Mini-School trips this fall, Montana and Mark Warren. His assistance has been most valuable and welcome. Josh has been house painting and will return to the University this year. He lives with his girlfriend, Sarah, and his dog, Seven.
Rhett Rasmussen ’90- The Rhettster is painting houses, working at Lakewinds, traveling the country with his mom and dad, and trying to get his girlfriend, Lacey Landt, to school so she can earn a unit once in awhile.
Marcelle Dorenkamp ’97- Marcelle is kind of an understudy to Josh Stinson. She’s assisted on Montana and Mark Warren trips, kind of an assistant to the assistant. She works at Caribou Coffee and tries to sell calendars for Mini.
David Zytoskee ’94- David stopped by recently to inform us of his radio program out of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin (located north of Green Bay). He is known for his staunch Support of the Vikings in the midst of Packerland…..He is on the radio over forty hours a week and uses the moniker, Dave Lee (his middle name).
More Student Meanderings
Congratulations to Nick Alatzas, Jenny Taylor, Sven Nelson, and Austin Manship. They completed the requirements for High School graduation at the end of the first quarter.
Tony Cruikshank has a role in the current Minnetonka High School drama production, Voices of the Holocaust.
We have a lot of new kids in Mini this fall- too many to mention- and several, new and old, went on their first mini trip this fall- Titus Woodstrom, Jamaal Major, Collin Davis, Charle Urbia, Mark Thole, Dan Sauer, Rachell Larson, Jeff McGinn, Kristina Petron, Josh Shoberg, Matt Thompson, Christi Welch, Audrey Lopez, Laura Huberty, Jamie O’Day, and Matt Evans, Aaron Sapp, Leah Shoberg, and Kyle Kimrey.
14 kids have signed up for the Grantsburg Hike (it’ll be over by the time this goes to the press). We’ll beat the Wisconsin hunting season this year and we won’t have to wear orange.
Steve Kopischke’s mother says he’s matured 5 yrs. in the last year. We agree. That brings him up to the level of a 13-year-old!
Mike Phelps writes terrific journals on all the trips he goes on.
Lenny Weissner sold 5 calendars.
Eryn Stoltz calls me “Duggums.”
Joe Juranitch, new para-helper in Mini, says he never really realized how much fun working at MHS could be until he worked with Mini. Joe helps the staff with odds and ends and reaches out to some of the kids in Mini. Most of the kids in Mini are accepting of Joe’s new role except Kopischke, who does not feel right unless he can maintain an adversarial relationship with him.
Tony Kohman is transitioning his way back in Mini from Options South. Welcome back, Tony. Keep on doin’ good.
Laura Huberty has taken over leadership in the Mini-School weather girl department. The Montana trip weather was superb, and Laura put Annie Kohman, last years numero uno weather girl, to shame on the Mark Warren trip.
Geoff Boller carries more stuff on his person on a daily basis than most people do in a pack on a ten day trip. He even carries a flashlight, something half the Mini-Schoolers forget on a trip.
Happy Meandering, good readers. Hope you enjoy Com-mini-cations,