School News

• No School Fri, Sep 4 and Mon, Sep 7
• Reminders For Morning Drop Off
• Welcome Back Email from the School Board
• Public School Land Trust
• Last Day to Register for Battle of the Books
• Math Lab Available for MS/US Students
• Busing Questions
• Update to Spirit Wear Delivery Days
• Picture Day is Wed, Sep 9
• 8th Grade DC Trip Informational Meeting on Wed, Sep 9
• Prep Marathon on Fri, Oct 9 – Sponsorships Available
• News from Food Service
• We Are Hiring
• Save the Date for the LS Root Beer Float Party on Fri, Sep 11
• News from the Activities Department
• Get Your Prep Gear

Prep 7th graders Brynnlee Janssen (left) and Isla Kocian (right) had an incredible fastpitch softball season with their 12U club team! The team finished the summer with an impressive 44–9 record, competing in 12 tournaments. They took 1st place in five tournaments and 2nd place in three. To cap off an amazing season, the team placed 1st at the state tournament and finished 2nd at Nationals in the Platinum Bracket, where they competed against teams from six different states.

Congratulations, Brynnlee and Isla, on an outstanding season! Your hard work, dedication, and teamwork truly paid off. Way to go, girls!

No School Friday, September 4 and Monday, September 7

There is no school on Friday, September 4 and Monday, September 7. The main office will be closed. Classes will resume on Tuesday, September 8.

Reminders for Morning Parent Drop Off

• Pull All the Way Forward: drive all the way to the very front of the sidewalk before stopping. This maximizes space and prevents traffic from backing up.
• Drop Off Before 8:25: please drop off your student(s) before 8:25. This does not allow enough time for students to get into school and to their classroom/class, especially because cars are not pulling all the way up to the furthest front curb (see above) so traffic is backed up. Tardies are being assigned starting this week.

Welcome Back Email from the School Board

The School Board recently sent a welcome-back message to families, sharing best wishes for the new school year and highlighting important updates about upcoming Board meetings. Click here to read the full email.

Public School Land Trust and the Upcoming Election

Revenue generated from the MN Public School Land Trust helps support public school districts, including charter schools. This November, voters will be asked to consider a constitutional amendment to update how distributions are calculated, which can directly impact St. Croix Prep. Click here to view a video to learn more.

TODAY is the Last Day to Register for Battle of the Books for Students in Grade 3-5

Battle of the Books (BoB) is largely an independent activity with a team component. Participants will read books individually and then compete as a team on book trivia at a “Battle.” BoB a fun way to expand participants’ reading horizons and to give readers a good challenge!

Students in grades 3-5 are welcome to sign up. Register on Bound by September 3. Click here to learn more.

Math Lab for Middle and Upper School Students on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays

Need a little extra help with math? Math Lab is available for Middle and Upper School students who need homework help or have math questions. Stop by Room 233 after school until 3:55 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

Whether you’re stuck on a homework problem or looking to better understand a concept, we’re here to help!

Busing Questions

If you have any questions regarding busing, please go to the Stillwater Transportation website for answers to common questions and instructions for how to reach out to their team with any concerns.

The Branding Wearhouse Spirit Wear Deliveries

The Branding Wearhouse will be delivering spirit wear orders on Mondays at the end of the day (instead of Fridays), with pickup available by the end of day on Tuesdays. Orders placed by noon on Thursday will be available after the following week.

Picture Day is Wednesday, September 9

Picture Day is Wednesday, September 9. All students must wear their school uniform. Click here for more information.

Pictures are ordered online after proofs are emailed to parents/guardians. The link for your student's photos will be sent to the parent email(s) on file with the school.

Re-Take Day will be Tuesday, October 6.

2027 8th Grade Washington D.C. Trip Informational Meeting on Wednesday, September 9 at 6:00 pm in the PAC

The informational meeting for the upcoming 8th grade Washington, D.C. trip will be held on Wednesday, September 9, at 6:00 pm in the PAC. At the meeting, Mrs. Bukowski will go over the dates of the trip, the tentative itinerary, accommodations, costs, and fundraising opportunities. All 8th grade students interested in this trip are encouraged to attend with their parents/guardians.

If you cannot attend the meeting but still want information, please email Ms. Bukowski.

Outdoor Classroom and Previous Marathon Funding Update

The Prep Outdoor Classroom has been a work in progress over the past few years beginning with a marathon donation request in 2022 to start our funding. The idea is inspired by the garden of Catalina Island CELP program, carried out at Kinard Core Knowledge Middle School in Fort Collins, Colorado and hoped for at St Croix Prep. See the Kinard model link here.

In 2022, we asked for those interested in supporting the Outdoor Classroom (OC) through marathon donations and reached a total of $5,378. This money is being held until we raise enough (or need matching funds on a grant) to continue our vision. We currently have 5 raised garden beds behind the Auxiliary gym and plans to expand.

When we started asking for donations, we had a landscape architect design our OC space after the model at Kinard in Fort Collins which has an existing outdoor classroom. The full rendering is linked here and combines the outdoor learning space with a garden so we have combined those efforts here at Prep. The total cost is estimated at just under $250,000.

Our school Wellness committee has been working on multiple grants over the past few years to chip away at this endeavor. We are excited to share that we received the Urban Agriculture Grant through the MN Dept of Education toward our school Garden. The total amount of the grant is $8,025 and will work to support our continued growth of our space. The grant will cover 5 new raised beds, posts and panel fencing with a basic irrigation system. We are excited to get these items into place by the end of the current school year.

We continue to look for applicable grants to fund our growing dream. If you know of anyone who can contribute their expertise or connections, please reach out to Rita Thorson, Dean of Students and Chair of the Wellness Committee.

Save the Date for the 2026 Prep Marathon on Friday, October 9

We’re excited to announce that our annual Marathon Fundraiser will take place on Friday, October 9! This event is one of our biggest and most important fundraisers of the year, helping to ensure the best educational experience for our students. We will be launching the marathon next week so watch for more information to come!

Sponsorship opportunities still available – we would love to partner with your business or organization. Email Susan Peterson to learn more!

2026 Sponsors

Support the Businesses Supporting Our Fundraiser!

Platinum Sponsor

Gold Sponsor

Bib Sponsor

New Menu App

As of September 1, we have a new menu site through Taher, our new food service provider. Taher uses the app Food4Life for menus and allergen information. Download Food4Life from the app store and create an account to find school menu information.

We are hiring! Interested in joining our team? Click here for more information.

Save the Date for the Lower School Root Beer Float Party on Friday, September 11 from 5:00-7:00 pm

Save the date for the Lower School Root Beer Float Party on Friday, September 11 from 5:00-7:00 pm outside the Aux building. This is a great opportunity to meet other families!

We need parent volunteers to help organize this event. Click here to sign up.

Support the Boys Soccer Paper Shredding Fundraising Event on Saturday, September 12 from 10:00-12:00 pm

Support the Boys Soccer Shred Right For Good Fundraising Event on Saturday, September 12 from 10:00-12:00 pm. Drop off your shredding in the Fiesta Cancun parking lot in Oak Park Heights.

Sponsored by American Mortgage Brokers – 100% of all donations will go directly to the team. Fiesta Cancun is giving a $10 gift card for anyone who donates!

Upcoming Home Varsity Games

• Girls Soccer vs. Tartan on Thursday, September 3 at 7:00 pm in Prep Stadium.
• Boys Soccer vs. Winona Cotter on Saturday, September 5 at 1:00 pm in Prep Stadium.
• Boys Soccer vs. Bloomington Kennedy on Tuesday, September 8 at 7:00 pm in Prep Stadium.
• Boys Soccer vs. Maranatha Christian on Thursday, September 10 at 7:00 pm in Prep Stadium.

Boys Traveling Basketball Tryouts on Saturday, September 26 for Grades 4-7

Boys traveling basketball tryouts will be held on Saturday, September 26. The schedule for tryouts is the following:

• 4th Grade – 12:00-1:00pm
• 5th Grade – 1:00-2:00pm
• 6th Grade – 2:00-3:00pm
• 7th Grade – 3:00-4:00pm

Don't Forget to Get Your Prep Gear

Check out The Branding Wearhouse website – your source for all Prep spirit wear! Click here to shop.

Click here to shop for a specific activity or click here to shop for athletic team apparel.

All items are delivered to school at no charge on Fridays and will be distributed the following week (orders must be received the previous Thursday by noon for orders to be delivered the following Friday).