The state requires a check of vision, hearing and developmental growth of all 3- to 5-year-olds before starting kindergarten.

The Albert Lea School District conducts free screenings each month at Brookside Education Center. If your child has not been screened, call Julie at 379-4843 or e-mail jsager@albertlea.k12.mn.us to schedule your child’s 60- to 75-minute appointment. The next screening will be held on Friday, Feb. 26, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Mock trial team finishes regular season with win

The Albert Lea High School blue mock trial team completed the regular season undefeated with a win over Rochester Century on Feb. 4. The ALHS Blue team will now prepare for the Region 7 tournament with the semi-finals to be held on Feb. 18 at the Rice County Courthouse in Faribault. Team members include seniors Aaron Thomas and Maddy Ruble, juniors, Shelby Lageson and Logan Tufte and sophomores, Addison Peterson, Michelle Hartman, Annabelle Randall, Macy Paul and Matt Attig. The Mock Trial team is coached by teacher-coach Neil Chalmers and lawyer coaches Char Hunter and Jocylyn Poehler.

Fifth-graders undertake major science assignment

Halverson fifth-graders are in the middle of a major science assignment — an experiment using the scientific method including a lab notebook, a research paper, a project display board and an oral presentation.

This project addresses the following Minneosta fifth-grade science standards:

1. The student will understand the use of science as a tool to examine the natural world.

2. The student will understand how science is used to investigate interactions between people and the natural world.

3. The student will understand that communication is essential to science.

4. The student will understand the nature of scientific investigations.

5. The student will participate in a controlled scientific investigation.

6. The student will understand the process of scientific investigations.

Many students will be entering these experiments in the District 241 Science Fair in March.

Students take part in state YMCA swim meet

Some students in District 241 participated in the YMCA state swim meet on Sunday. They had to get first, second or third in the sectional meet to go on to state. The swimmers swim for the Albert Lea YMCA Tigersharks. These are the students who competed: Anna Andersen, Amy Horejsi, Ahnika Jensen, Bailey Sandon, Carter Simon, Derek Wagner, Louis Wagner, Phillip Wagner and Heather Wirkus.

Students study light

Sibley third-graders spent a day studying light. Light sources include the sun, a flashlight, a light bulb and a candle. Students discovered that light travels in a beam.

Light can bounce off some surfaces (reflect). Light can also be bent (refracted) when it passes through some materials. Some objects are transparent and some objects are opaque. Students used prisms to split light into the colors of the rainbow (spectrum). The study included reading books, doing investigations, watching a video and learning from a website called “Brain Pop.”

SWMS paraprofessionals are appreciated

Southwest Middle School students and staff would like to thank all the paraprofessionals who work at Southwest. They are a vital part of programming at the school. Some of the things they do in a typical day at Southwest are:

1. They help students study for tests.

2. They read assignments out loud for struggling readers.

3. They walk and talk with students who are frustrated and overwhelmed.

4. They check students’ binders to make sure they are organized.

5. They help students with homework during learner support.

6. They document information that will help teachers plan for students.

7. They assist others with a smile and a kind word.

If you know someone who works as a paraprofessional in one of our schools give them a big thank you. They are truly some of the most hardworking and devoted people in education.