PRCE
900 HARRINGTON STREET SW
HUTCHINSON MN 55350
Director
320-234-5637
PRCE
900 HARRINGTON STREET SW
HUTCHINSON MN 55350
WELCOME!
Click here to view our Current Brochure with the current activities offered
Click here to access the Community Education Online Store to register for an activity
Community Education in Hutchinson provides lifelong learning experiences for people of all ages, abilities and cultures through programs and services. Classes are creatively designed… flexible, because they are built around the real needs of the people in our community!
Looking for rental space? Contact us for areas at High School, Middle School, Park Elementary, Tiger Elementary, and West Elementary.
Lynn Neumann, Director, 320-234-5637, Click Here to Email Lynn
Sharon Armstrong, Program Coordinator, 320-234-5638, Click Here to Email Sharon
Click on this link to view: District Facility Use Calendar (facility reservations)
By Mary Myers-Reinarts, Early Learning Coordinator
Early education is alive and strong at Hutchinson Public Schools! Offering opportunities for families with young children between the ages of birth up to kindergarten enrollment, our early learning programs are designed to recognize parents as their child’s first and foremost teacher. We are here to support you in this role. Working out of West Elementary School, our team offers several early learning programs for children and their parents.
The ECFE (Early Childhood Family Education) program offers classes for parents and children, aged birth to kindergarten enrollment. The classes provide an opportunity for parents to meet other parents with similar aged children, and take part in learning activities supported by early childhood and parent educators. Our class offerings are listed in the Hutchinson Park/Recreation/Community Education brochure, or online at www.hutchinsonprce.com. Limited classes for summer 2024 will be offered, with full offerings available fall 2024. Join us for fun and learning!
Early Childhood Screening also takes place at West Elementary School. It is a free check of how your three- or four-year-old child is growing, developing, and learning. We encourage parents to register their child soon after the child’s third birthday. For more information, call us at 320-234-2624 or visit our website at www.isd423.org to schedule an appointment.
Early intervention makes a difference. Our Early Intervention team works closely with families. While every child is unique, children generally develop in certain predictable ways. If you are concerned about your child’s development, growth or learning, contact your healthcare provider, your school district, or Help Me Grow at HelpMeGrowMN.org or 1-866-693-4769. Early Intervention can have a significant impact on a child’s ability to learn new skills, meet challenges, and can increase success in daily life and later in school.
Play and Learn Preschool is also found in West Elementary School. Designed for children who are three- or four-years-old as of September 1st of each school year, Play and Learn is a structured, supportive preschool setting where children can participate in a variety of activities appropriate to their developmental level. We work to promote children’s communication and language skills, build social skills, develop gross and fine motor skills, increase general knowledge, nurture creativity, teach pre-academics, foster kindergarten readiness, and offer parent involvement opportunities. Play and Learn Preschool is an inclusive program which integrates children with special needs. Tuition assistance and limited school transportation may be available to your family.
Call 320-234-2624 for more information.
Our preschool STAR program is a classroom-based special education program for preschool age children. The STAR program allows teachers to create individualized routines for every student. The program philosophy is to provide a structured, supportive setting where children can participate in a variety of activities appropriate for their developmental level. All children benefit from the services of licensed professionals and educational assistants.
Please contact Mary Myers-Reinarts at 320-234-2624 for more information about any of our programs. Early learning programs make a big difference in the lives of young children, paving the way for future school and life success. We strive to support parents as the voice and most important advocate for their young child. Consider participating in one of our early learning programs. We are so excited to help you and your child learn and grow!
By Erin Knudtson, Board of Education and Michael Scott, Director of Teaching and Learning
Standards based grading (SBG) is a grading system that measures students’ progress towards mastery of specific learning goals. These goals or standards are developed at the state level. Our district has been working hard over the past several years to align our educational goals and instruction with those of the state standards, and to develop consistent and reliable ways to measure achievement of those goals. Change is always hard, and this is a newer concept for our community, so we want to explain why SBG is important and how this is being done in our schools.
Most of us experienced traditional grading while attending school, where items such as assignments, tests, and quizzes were averaged together to compute a letter grade. Factors such as how much an assignment was worth, extra credit, and student behavior were weighed in the academic grade, and all could affect the final grade. More recently, our district has worked as an educational system to analyze how we reach a final course grade and what students need to demonstrate to achieve proficiency on state standards.
In a standards-based grading system, there is focus on learning specific goals with grades more clearly addressing each of the state standards. Grades are based on the most recent evidence of learning. A primary component of standards-based practices is to allow students who may have not performed proficiency the first time to continue learning and reassess to work towards proficiency. SBG is a means of assessing student work based on clearly defined criteria and using specific course rubrics to show that a student has reached proficiency on that standard. It uses processes as a path to critical thinking and understanding, develops meaningful assessments with timely feedback as practice for improvement (not penalty). Students are required to be self-reflective and self-aware, take ownership of their learning, with grades awarded based on level of achievement that students accomplish over the duration of the course.
SBG can look different across each of our district sites. At our elementary schools, a student who demonstrates proficiency may get a grade of “Meets Standard,” while those still working on standards receive grades of “Partially meets standard” or “Does not meet standard.” At the secondary level, a student’s ability to meet standards translates to a traditional letter grade, and our teachers are working to be clear that assessments measure standards.
Obviously, lower scores can provoke anxiety for students and parents, but the intent of SBG is to identify what or how much of a concept a student understands. Retakes for standards that were not well understood or mastered are allowed. The goal is to improve and work towards mastery. SBG was not meant to keep students from obtaining good grades. It is meant to match the earned grade with what the student has mastered. Colleges still require traditional letter grades and transcripts for acceptance, so our high school is working hard on ensuring that the points earned correspond to a fair grade.
In conclusion, SBG holds students accountable for learning standards developed by the state and more adequately and appropriately correlates what a student has mastered to their grades. Our students report cards and transcripts should reflect what students have learned. Hutchinson School District strives for academic excellence utilizing this system as a means of truly preparing students for life and learning beyond our district.
By Lesli Mueller, Director of Child Nutrition
If you haven’t heard, the Free School Meals program is in progress for the 2023-24 school year. The program entitles all K-12 students to receive breakfast and lunch at no cost regardless of family income. Meals will continue to be the flavorful and nutritious meals that students and families have always expected from our school nutrition services.
Our farm to school program is a prime example of the superb quality of foods students are eating in the cafeterias. Hutchinson Schools is the recognized leader amongst other school districts to take the leap and purchase local foods for improved school menus that fuel kids for learning. The nutrition staff in all our kitchens have done an amazing job chopping, preparing and cooking in brand new ways to get the best taste out of all our local ingredients.
You may be surprised to hear about the wide variety of locally sourced foods we offer to students every school day. An abundance of different kinds of fresh vegetables and fruits, some only available in our area. Honey and the freshest milk comes to our schools from farms close by. We are excited for the first time that all our beef offerings on the menu are 100% locally raised beef. That means for example, our taco meat, spaghetti sauce and tater tot hotdish are all made from real ground beef.
In the last couple of years you may have noticed for the month of September we celebrate all beef burger Fridays. Our students can top their burger with Minnesota cheese and an array of locally raised vegetables of their choosing. All beef brats, homemade meatballs, barbacoa beef added to our “Build a Burrito” menu and beef tips in gravy are selections you’ll see in the upcoming months. Local foods we will be adding to our Farm to School program this year are maple syrup, oats, dry beans, and whole grain flours. And students will be enjoying rotisserie chickens locally raised for their Thanksgiving meal this year.
We realize these whole foods from our area farmers are unfamiliar to some of our students. It can be a challenge to get students to try unfamiliar foods. One way we aim to overcome this challenge is by featuring taste tests to introduce these new local foods to students prior to being on the menu.
The Farm to School program not only offers these incredibly delicious and nutritious local foods, but also allows an opportunity of educating students to know where their food comes from and the health benefits of eating locally raised foods. Learning about where food comes from has happened in the classroom but also from school visits from our farmers to talk with students about growing food for school meals.
October is Farm to School month and the district celebrates it by taking part in the “Great Lakes Apple Crunch” on October 12th. This event includes all schools in the state of Minnesota who want to participate. The fun event entails groups of students in the cafeteria simultaneously taking a bite out of an apple that came from a local orchard. Food should be fun for kids and a way for them to connect to the local foods we serve. Other highlights for the month of October will be showcasing new menus using locally sourced foods like Squash Mac n Cheese and Baked French Toast with Apples in Maple Syrup.
We believe building strong community relationships with our area farmers can connect students to stories about food, increase the chances of more students enjoying eating foods straight from the farm, and supporting farmers by offering an economic opportunity that keeps them closer to home to spend time with family.
By Karen Lerfald, Director of Special Services
I have been fortunate enough to oversee the Special Education Department in the Hutchinson Public Schools for the past four years. As the Director of Special Services, I work with staff who are supporting children with disabilities from birth to age 22. Hutchinson is fortunate to have so many talented special education teachers and paraprofessionals who work with the varying needs of our students with disabilities.
As a parent you may wonder what is special education. Special Education is not a one size fits all approach. The core of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), our nation’s special education law, is to provide a free appropriate public education (FAPE) to students with disabilities in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE). The LRE refers to students with disabilities being educated with their peers in the general education classroom as much as possible.
If you have concerns about how your child is achieving in school, there are many options to try before jumping into a special education evaluation. Hutchinson has a number of academic and behavior interventions, which can be tried before a special education evaluation. If you have a concern, and your child is in grades K-12, reach out to your child’s teacher, counselor, or principal. If you have a child or have observed a child ages birth-5, who you feel is struggling, you can make a referral to Help Me Grow, https://helpmegrowmn.org/HMG/Refer/index.html. Help Me Grow will immediately send a referral to the child’s resident district.
Once school staff is aware of a concern, they will set up a meeting with the school intervention team to discuss pre-referral interventions. Pre-referral interventions happen prior to the start of a special education evaluation. If the child is able to demonstrate appropriate growth with these pre-referral interventions, the school assessment team does not need to move forward with a referral to a special education evaluation. Otherwise the team, including the parent(s)/ guardian(s), come together to discuss an Evaluation Plan. The Evaluation plan will list the assessments that will be conducted to determine if your child is eligible for special education services. It is important to note that the assessment team cannot move forward with an initial assessment without parental consent.
Once the parent signs the Evaluation Plan, the assessment team can meet with the student and test. Paperwork will also be sent to the family to complete. The input of parents and guardians is essential to obtain well-rounded information on the child. The birth to 3 team needs to complete the evaluation in 45 calendar days, and the K-12 team has 30 school days to complete the assessment.
If your child is found eligible for special education services, parents will be asked to participate in an Individualized Education Program meeting (IEP). The team will consist of the student (when appropriate), parents, a special education and regular education teacher, a district or building administrator, and related service providers. The team will create an IEP that will be in effect for one calendar year. The IEP includes the child’s present levels, goals and objectives, the least restrictive environment statement, as well as other important information for the IEP team. The team meets annually to review progress and update the IEP. The evaluation needs to be completed every 3 years.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have concerns regarding your child. Staff are interested in helping your child be successful at school, home, and in the community.
Hutchinson, Minnesota – The community of Hutchinson, MN will dedicate Rostberg Stadium at S.R. Knutson Field on Friday, September 23, 2022 prior to the Hutchinson Tigers taking on the Becker Bulldogs.
“Grady Rostberg provided the blueprint for the success and Andy has carried on the tradition with a focus on doing things the right way and helping players become better young men” said Jennifer Telecky, Hutchinson High School Principal. “Along with their families, assistant coaches and players, they have made Hutchinson Football what it is today.”
“Generations of young men have played a part in writing their own chapter to the Hutchinson Tigers football legacy” said Bill Tschida, Hutchinson High School Athletics Director. “For the past five decades the Rostbergs have left a unique and indelible mark on the community and the dedication of Rostberg Stadium is a fitting way to recognize the family’s contributions.”
Grady Rostberg took over the Hutchinson High School football program in 1970 and over the course 29 seasons compiled a record of 250 – 63 -1. Along the way his teams garnered 17 conference and 7 section championships while also securing state titles in 1983, 1984, and 1998. He was named Class A “Coach of the Year” in 1984.
Andy Rostberg assumed the head coaching mantle in 1999 and, to date, has guided the football team to a record of 205 – 53. He quarterbacked the Tigers to the 1983 and 1984 state championships and was the offensive coordinator for the 1998 state championship squad. His teams have secured 12 conference/district titles and 12 section titles while winning titles in 2012, 2013, and 2021. In addition, he guided the Tigers to a state runner-up finish in 2003.
The father/son coaching duo have combined for an overall record of 455 – 116 – 1, a 79.6 winning percentage.
Sever Raymond “S.R”. Knutson, for whom the football field is named, served as superintendent of Hutchinson schools from 1940 – 1966. He was an educational leader who understood the importance of working with the community and being engaged as an active civic leader.
A full slate of events is scheduled. From 5:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. there will be a pre-game gathering with the Rostberg Family for football and coaching alumni. The dedication ceremony for the stadium will commence at 6:45 p.m. and will include recognition of the six state championship teams. A social for players, coaches, and spouses will be held at Crow River Golf Club following the game.
Football player and coaching alumni can register for the pregame and postgame events at https://bit.ly/3Jc0aiW.
By: Robert Danneker, Principal, Hutchinson High School
Recently, the Hutchinson High School staff has embarked on a series of conversations with me regarding what we, as a learning community, have observed during our current “pandemic education” environment. The purpose of this exercise is to identify what we have learned that we will be able to carry with us as we move towards the end of the pandemic and, as soon as possible, back to a more recognizable educational setting. How has the pandemic forever changed us as individual educators and in our professional approach to educating the young adults of Hutchinson, Minnesota?
The observations that follow have been gleaned from these “future forward” conversations. While the examples shared herein represent only fragments of the conversations completed thus far, there will certainly be much more to consider and reflect upon as we progress.
First and, perhaps, most obvious is the observation that the process of learning is a communal exercise. In fact, there is an entire area of educational psychology based upon this premise: social constructivist theory. Within this framework is the general belief that it is impossible to separate learning from its social context. Russian psychologist Lev Vygotsky wrote, “Every function in the child’s cultural development appears twice: first, on the social level and, later on, on the individual level.” Distance learning — and, to a lesser extent, hybrid instruction — suffers from an obvious and significant lack of this critical social aspect. While, yes, students are functionally able to connect with one another by technology, the interactions that result are certainly not as personal, meaningful, or impactful as they might be in-person.
Student achievement suffers in distance learning environments, as well. Academic performance as measured by standardized assessments and course grades are generally lower for students learning via distance. In addition, student absences and overall engagement decrease. Each of these factors individually and collectively diminishes a student’s ability to stay on-track for graduation. Educators will often ask, “What is best for students?” Distance learning certainly is not.
The glass is not always half-empty, however, and the pandemic has certainly provided opportunities for positive professional educational outcomes. First among these is the critical eye with which many HHS teachers have been reviewing and contemplating both their curriculum and their instructional methodologies. Employing multiple modes of instruction (distance; hybrid; in-person) all within the same school year forces reflective practitioners to sincerely contemplate how students might best understand, apply, analyze, and create based on new concepts and information. In short, our HHS curriculum models and practices will be stronger following this pandemic.
Similarly, teacher expertise regarding digital and online tools has grown exponentially during the pandemic. During the 2018-19 school year, HHS teachers piloted “e-Learning Days” for use in the place of snow days. Collective knowledge regarding synchronous versus asynchronous instruction, Jamboard, and Google Meet breakout rooms was at a novice level, at best. Fast forward a mere two school years, and the HHS staff can quickly and effectively employ highly effective lesson plans approachable by all learners within distance, hybrid, and/or in-person instruction.
Teacher understanding of locus of control has increased during the pandemic, as well. The ability to accurately recognize those things that are within a person’s own control while also acknowledging and cognitively releasing those items that are beyond personal control is both reinforcing and freeing.
Finally, the ability of members of the high school general student body to easily adapt and to achieve an appropriate level of intrapersonal resilience has been remarkable. While individual results have varied, the vast majority of HHS students have displayed a remarkable ability to quickly adapt to change in the face of adversity. Our students have, once again, provided a model for all of us to acknowledge, commend, and learn from.
With the distribution of COVID-19 vaccinations now underway, the light at the end of this pandemic tunnel each day appears increasingly within reach and the challenges of pandemic education are becoming more evident as growth opportunities. Adversity makes us stronger, and growth mindsets make us wiser.
By Dolf Moon, Director, PRCE
During this unprecedented time, we are working hard to put together a program that can meet community needs when the stay at home order is lifted. We are preparing to promote our summer offerings online in early May. Our plan is to allow registration for summer programs without initially requiring a fee. When a camp, program or activity will occur your payment will be accepted.
We encourage you to check out our parks and trail information at www.ci.hutchinson.mn.us. With over 25 miles of public trails running, walking, and biking are great ways to get out and enjoy the community. You may want to check out the Oak Savanna located in Miller Woods, the Rollie Johnson Ecology Site or try geocaching. Please keep in mind trail etiquette and social distancing while enjoying school grounds, parks and trails.
The PRCE Department offers a wide variety of educational and recreational opportunities to district residents. If you have an interest and do not see a program that meets your needs, let us know. We will try to arrange a program. If you have a skill you would like to share with others, give us a call. We are currently putting together the fall/winter brochure.
PRCE reaches out to the entire community whether you are a parent with a preschool child (Early Childhood Family Education), a student taking a program after school, participating in Middle School athletics, an adult in a class or league, a senior citizen dropping by our center there’s something for all ages. PRCE also provides Adult Basic Education opportunities. Whether you dropped out of high school, are looking for a new job or trying to receive your GED, we can help. If you are looking to use a facility, a park shelter or a ball field, we can help.
Parks, Recreation and Community Education understand that “community” extends from neighborhoods to the world. We are flexible enough to meet the needs of a fast-changing society. We can extend the reach of education and bring people together for a common purpose. We like getting people involved in our schools. We can become partners in addressing community needs. We do this by offering a scope of activities and services that evolve with new generations of people and technologies, making the community a learning center open for people of all ages.
Parks, Recreation and Community Education reaches out to be inclusive. Every day it proves that the community and our schools, working together, can be greater than the sum of their individual parts. Stay well.