By Scott Carlson
Student writing
Reporting on education and our local schools has been long an important of part of the Bugle’s news coverage.
From time to time, we also have run contributions from students.
This issue, however, marks the start of making student contributions a more intentional part of the Bugle’s news columns and social media outreach.
On page 5, you will find a letter that some students at St. Anthony Park Elementary School sent to the St. Paul School Board and superintendent petitioning to have bona fide snow days when weather becomes too inclement rather than holding e-learning, or virtual classes, as a replacement.
Meanwhile, two Murray Middle School eighth graders write about the benefits of a bike class unit led by one of the school’s physical education teachers, Dewayne Combs. You will find that story on page 6.
This year, we hope to establish a program to recruit students as regular contributors to the newspaper as well as our Bugle website and social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. We plan to contact local educational institutions, including grade schools through colleges, to find recruits.
Our goal is to get a more diverse base of voices into the newspaper, website and social media platforms.
If you are a student who would like to be a contributor to the Bugle, please email me at editor@parkbugle.org or call me at to 651-646-5369.
Mergenthal milestone
The Bugle hit a bit of a milestone with our January issue: After 20 years, Mary Mergenthal stepped down from being a proofreader, noting her eyesight isn’t quite as sharp anymore.
However, Mary will still continue as obits editor for the Bugle. And we mightily thank Mary for that outstanding service.
Mary’s association with the Bugle spans the decades. In the 1980s, she was editor of the Bugle after Mollie Hoben left to start the Women’s Press.
Planting the seeds of tomorrow
As teachers, they never know for sure what impact they have on students.
That is until perhaps many years down the road. Take for example, a recent gathering of alumni from the Twin Cities German Immersion School.
A group of alumni, students, mainly from the two first graduating classes of 2013 and 2014, gathered on Dec. 30 for hot cocoa and cookies at Como Park Pavilion, according to Katharina Schirg, school communications relations director.
She said the young adults shared their experiences during the pandemic and their college and post-college careers, including going down diverse career paths.
“Among this group of alumni, there was a German high school teacher and an assistant teacher at a Montessori school; another is pursuing a research masters in organizational psychology while working as user-experience researcher in Berlin. One alum works at a startup in Berkeley that produces karaoke booths, while another is a tattoo artist who specializes in German sayings.”
As I read Schirg’s report I couldn’t help thinking about an inspirational poster that I recently saw a grocery shopper buying as she went through a checkout lane. It said, “If you are sitting underneath a tree, give thanks for the person who planted the seed.”
Scott Carlson is managing editor of the Bugle.
