Caledonia Superintendent Craig Ihrke told the school board at its August 17 meeting that teacher workshops started on August 17 so they could introduce and meet new staff members, and a second day of workshops the following day featured a session on “How to AI-Proof Lessons.” Ihrke said the gym floor at the elementary school is still curing, but otherwise the staff is “ready to go”; grades 6-12 begin on August 24.
Elementary School Principal John Wahlstrom clarified that Monday and Tuesday are assessment days for the younger kids with the first classroom day on August 26.
Wahlstrom shared enthusiastically about revisions to the elementary school’s Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS), which he said, “hadn’t been updated for over 10 years.” His team pulled together the Warrior Way Expectations Matrix to promote positive behavior through consistent standards. The three-year framework is built around “Respect, Work and Belong” as headers. Ihrke said, “You can only hit the target if you can see it.”
Wahlstrom and other teachers are making short videos to show students the right and wrong ways for expected behaviors. There will be goals each month that are school-wide. “It’s a fun way for culture building, and the students can earn tickets for rewards for going above and beyond,” he said.
The board members who were present approved of the Minnesota School Boards Association (MSBA)’s revisions to 19 school policies, effective immediately.
Roll call showed absences for Chad Harms, a board member who had a personal issue; Middle/High School Principal Nathan Boler and Community Education & CAPS Care Director Gretchen Juan were attending an open house; and student member Phoebe Lampert who is off for the summer months. All others were present.
Board Chair Updates
After almost a three-year delay, Board Chair Mike Peterson said the Hiawatha Valley Education District (HVED) is set to open and offer centralized special education for participating school districts at the renovated Winona Mall. HVED will host an open house on Wednesday, August 26 from 2-6 p.m.
The Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) is proposing amendments to its bylaws. Each member school will need to review the changes and determine whether to adopt them or not. Ihrke and Leigh King are the district’s representatives with Harms as alternate.
The administration negotiation committee is close to finalizing union contracts, and only the principals’ contract remains to be completed.
Peterson and Wahlstrom also gave updates on the strategic plan’s five goals. Ihrke said, “It’s incremental improvements over time.”
Spanish Immersion Trip to Costa Rica in 2027
Tessa Larson, Spanish teacher at Caledonia High School, gave a presentation on an opportunity for students to travel to Costa Rica in June 2027. A survey of students last spring had the most votes for traveling to Costa Rica. There was also some interest in Argentina or Spain.
Travel would be arranged by Xperitas, a Minnesota nonprofit that has operated for over 50 years. Larson did the trip in 2024 and would accompany the students in 2027 for the nine-day immersion trip. Four days are spent with volunteer host families. There would be sight-seeing in a country about one-fifth the size of Minnesota.
Larson said the main economy used to be based on coffee, but now it’s tourism. She also said there has been no military there since 1949 when they switched to funding education instead. Costa Rica now has a 98% literacy rate.
Part of the trip’s Code of Conduct says that students will use Spanish as much as possible. The trip is open to students who have taken or would be taking a year 2 Spanish class in order to enroll. The cost is $2,569 plus $1,200 for airfare. The trip requires at least 10 students, or the cost is higher. The deadline for enrolling is October 1, 2026. Students need a passport which can take three to six months to obtain. Financial aid and scholarships are available.
Larson plans to host a meeting in September to share details with interested students and their parents. No board vote was needed, but several said it’s a good opportunity.
Other Actions
The agenda was adopted and the consent agenda was approved, both by a 6-0 vote.
The meeting was adjourned at 6:27 p.m.
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