In the News

Navigating the Virtual Playground
10/16/19  Cannon Falls Beacon

It will have been 30 years to the day that Jacob Wetterling was abducted on Tuesday, October 22. In an effort to raise awareness about the dangers that our youth face today with the ‘Virtual Playground,’ the Jacob Wetterling Resource Center (JWRC) has teamed up with the Cannon Falls Education Foundation, Dakota County Sheriff’s Department and the Cannon Falls Schools to host a free educational opportunity for parents, grandparents and caregivers on online safety.

As technology grows and adapts, children are growing and adapting right along with it. The online highway can have some steep learning curves, for students and for parents. Youth can find themselves in over their head as technology choices move faster than their developmental abilities. Technology isn’t a bad thing, but young people need help in navigating these tools so that their empathy and sense of self can also grow and develop. This presentation details the risks students are facing and practical, positive ways that adults can respond.

The content that will be presented will be for the benefit of children and teens, but not suitable for their listening ears. If you are interested in attending, you are asked to please make arrangements for your children before attending this event. This is a free event paid for by the Cannon Falls Education Foundation. It will take place at the Cannon Falls High School Auditorium from 6:30-8:30 p. m. on Tuesday, October 22.

CFEF donates to flexible learning
10/9/19 Cannon Falls Beacon
Ariana Larson’s 3rd grade classroom shows the options students have in a flexible learning environment.

When Cannon Falls Elementary opened their doors on the new school year last month, most students and families discovered a major update to many classrooms.

This past spring, the Cannon Falls Education Foundation donated $200,000 to the district toward new classroom furniture. Kindergarten, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th grade classrooms received new tables or desks and chairs. First grade furniture had been updated a couple of years ago, setting the framework for this summer’s updates. The new furniture combined with the flexible seating purchases made with PTO donations over the past couple of years has created a more versatile classroom environment than what many would recall from their school days.

Education research has identified the importance of flexible learning environments and moving away from a one size fits all setting. Movement has been recognized as an important factor in activating the brain for optimal learning.

Elementary teachers now have many options to meet the broad and unique learning needs of students in their desk or in the room. With flexible seating options and mobile desks and tables, students and teachers can create learning opportunities anywhere within the room. Flexible seating gives students a choice to sit on a more traditional seat or on stools of different heights, yoga balls, or on the wobble-style chairs. The desks and tables have wheels; which means a classroom can be set up in a more traditional manner when necessary, or small or large groups can be created in an efficient, structured and timely manner. The desks and tables can also be adjusted to different heights for standing or sitting options.

Cannon Falls Area Schools is grateful for the generosity and support of the Ed Foundation, which made the vision of flexible learning environments a reality. The Cannon Falls PTO started the Elementary on this path with their initial donation for flexible seating. Both schools will benefit for years to come from the attention given by these organizations and their benefactors who support students and teachers in creating high quality learning experiences.

Bomber Spirit Night is Oct. 4
10/2/19 Cannon Falls Beacon

The Cannon Falls Education Foundation will be presenting its annual Bomber Spirit Night on Friday, October 4, from 5-6:30 p. m. at John Burch Park.

All ages are welcome to the event that will be held prior to the Bomber Homecoming football game. Paid admission to the game is required if you are planning on staying for the game.

The Spirit Night is free this year. Activities for the kids include a potato sack race, a DJ, football toss, two bounce houses, bean bag bonanza, tattoos with the cheerleaders, and a “treat booth.” Pizza and beverages will be available for purchase during this event.

New this year are a Girl Scout booth, a Cub Scout booth, and a Cannon Falls Library booth.

The event is sponsored by Merchants Bank and the Mayo Clinic Health System -Cannon Falls. There will be an opportunity to speak with sports medicine providers from Mayo.

New classroom furniture

9/4/19 Cannon Falls Beacon

Students were utilizing some of the new furniture in Morgan Schwarz‘s 10th grade language arts classroom on the first day of school. The Cannon Falls Education Foundation made a $200,000 donation to the Cannon Falls Schools that made it possible to update the furniture in every grade level classroom in the Elementary School and about 14 classrooms in the High School/Middle School with some additional furniture dispersed in the IMC. The updated furniture has given the classrooms a modern and updated look. It will allow teachers and students to be more flexible and change the layout of the classrooms to meet the learning needs of students as they work in large and small groups as well as on individual assignments. Most classrooms also received new big screen display TVs that are computer interactive.

 

The Cannon Falls school district

8/21/19 Cannon Falls Beacon

The Cannon Falls school district has upgraded its classroom furniture in the elementary and high school/middle school buildings with the help of a grant from the Cannon Falls Education Foundation. The furniture is designed to allow teachers to be more flexible with classroom spaces and to use more small groups.
 -Ken Haggerty photo

New furniture to greet CF students with CFEF help
8/21/19 Cannon Falls Beacon

The Cannon Falls Education Foundation’s (CFEF) generosity will be felt by nearly every student when they return to school in a couple of weeks.

A $200,000 donation to the Cannon Falls Schools from the CFEF was put to use this summer. This generous donation made it possible to update the furniture in every grade level classroom in the Elementary School. Also, about 14 classrooms were completely updated in the High School/ Middle School with some additional furniture dispersed in the IMC and in other classrooms as needed.

This project started about a year and a half ago. Budget constraints had pushed furniture updates to the bottom of priorities in the past decade. The custodians have done an outstanding job keeping the furniture in working order for 30 years or more in some cases.

With the support of school administration, Amy Dombeck, Director of Instructional Technology for Cannon Falls Schools, approached the Cannon Falls Education Foundation with the large request on behalf of the students and teachers. They graciously agreed to fund the request.

A few HS/MS classrooms and the first grade had been updated in recent years with some new concept furnishings, but nothing in a coordinated fashion.

“The updated furniture has given the classrooms a modern and updated look,” Dombeck said. “It will allow teachers and students to be more flexible and change the layout of the classrooms to meet the learning needs of students as they work in large and small groups as well as on individual assignments.”

The high school and middle school will welcome grades 6-12 students and parents to open house on Wednesday, August 28, from 4 to 6 p. m. to see the updated rooms. The K-5 students will be able to see the updates the first week of school at Bomber days and conferences.

A future school board meeting will also showcase the partnership in learning the District has with the Cannon Falls Education Foundation.

Cannon Falls Education Foundation fundraiser
John and Donna Wegmann (right) try their luck at one of the many games of chance offered Saturday night at the Cannon Falls Education Foundation fundraiser. Roth Munson (left) is overseeing the game
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4/9/19 Cannon Falls Beacon
SUCCESSFUL FUNDRAISER—A nice crowd showed up Saturday night at the annual Cannon Falls Education Foundation benefit auction at Mill Street Tavern. It was reported that nearly $33,000 was raised.—Mike Dalton photo
Ed Foundation auction is April 6
4/3/19 Cannon Falls Beacon

The fourth quarter of the school year has just begun, and some students are counting down the days until their summer vacation begins. But before the students and teachers get a much needed break, the Cannon Falls Education Foundation (CFEF) would like to invite everyone to their annual fundraising auction on Saturday, April 6, from 5:30-10 p. m. This year the auction returns to the Mill Street Tavern in downtown Cannon Falls.

Admission is $10 at the door, and the auction will be using both sides of Mill Street Tavern. There will be games with lots of gifts and cash prizes. Back by popular demand is the Platinum Pass which costs $100. The Platinum Pass is exclusive and limited to just 52 people. With the Platinum Pass, people are eligible to use a live auction spoiler, which means if their card is drawn they can choose an item from the live auction block and take it home for free! New this year from Merchant’s Bank is a Break the Bank game which will give all Platinum Pass holders a secret code. The person whose code opens the safe wins $500!

The auction will include live games, a wine and spirit pull, silent auction, and live auction. Some prizes include: pizza once a month from Dudley’s, $520 worth of gift certificates from Ferndale Market, milk for a year from Hernke’s Dairy, Clay View Dairy LLP and Family Fare, and dinner and drinks for two once a month at Mill Street Tavern.

Prizes for sports fans include ticket packages from the Minnesota Twins, batting practice, hats, signed balls from the Cannon Falls Bears Experience, and a chance to visit KFAN studios in St. Louis Park to watch their weekly Initials Game and meet Paul “Meatsauce” Lambert.

The CFEF began in 1993, and for more than 15 years this auction has been their biggest fundraising event. The Cannon Falls Education Foundation is a local non-profit organization that supports and promotes excellence in education in Cannon Falls by providing funding for all types of creative and innovative educational programs and activities. This school year the CFEF has donated more than $83,000 to the entire school district.

To date, the CFEF has donated funds to more than 618 projects in the Cannon Falls school district, totaling more than $1,065,000! That wouldn’t be possible without support from local businesses and the generous people who attend events like the annual auction at Mill Street Tavern.

The CFEF Auction is Saturday, April 6, at Mill Street Tavern. Doors open at 5:30 p. m.

Ed Foundation auction is April 6
3/27/19 Cannon Falls Beacon

The fourth quarter of the school year has just begun, and some students are counting down the days until their summer vacation begins. But before the students and teachers get a much needed break, the Cannon Falls Education Foundation (CFEF) would like to invite everyone to their annual fundraising auction on Saturday, April 6, from 5:30-10 p. m. This year the auction returns to the Mill Street Tavern in downtown Cannon Falls.

Admission is $10 at the door, and the auction will be using both sides of Mill Street Tavern. There will be games with lots of gifts and cash prizes. Back by popular demand is the Platinum Pass which costs $100. The Platinum Pass is exclusive and limited to just 52 people. With the Platinum Pass, people are eligible to use a live auction spoiler, which means if their card is drawn they can choose an item from the live auction block and take it home for free! New this year from Merchant’s Bank is a Break the Bank game which will give all Platinum Pass holders a secret code. The person whose code opens the safe wins $500!

The auction will include live games, a wine and spirit pull, silent auction, and live auction. Some prizes include: pizza once a month from Dudley’s, $520 worth of gift certificates from Ferndale Market, milk for a year from Hernke’s Dairy, Clay View Dairy LLP and Family Fare, and dinner and drinks for two once a month at Mill Street Tavern.

Prizes for sports fans include ticket packages from the Minnesota Twins, batting practice, hats, signed balls from the Cannon Falls Bears Experience, and a chance to visit KFAN studios in St. Louis Park to watch their weekly Initials Game and meet Paul “Meatsauce” Lambert.

The CFEF began in 1993, and for more than 15 years this auction has been their biggest fundraising event. The Cannon Falls Education Foundation is a local non-profit organization that supports and promotes excellence in education in Cannon Falls by providing funding for all types of creative and innovative educational programs and activities. This school year the CFEF has donated more than $83,000 to the entire school district.

To date, the CFEF has donated funds to more than 618 projects in the Cannon Falls school district, totaling more than $1,065,000! That wouldn’t be possible without support from local businesses and the generous people who attend events like the annual auction at Mill Street Tavern.

The CFEF Auction is Saturday, April 6, at Mill Street Tavern. Doors open at 5:30 p. m.