By Jeff Bertrang

Congratulations to all our area graduates.

Graduation signifies the end of one journey and the start of another. We know that all students in the New Ulm area have great chances at success because of the opportunities they received while students in our communities.

Graduation ceremony for New Ulm High School is set for Friday, May 27, at 7 p.m. in the high school gymnasium. Doors will open at 6 p.m.

While we focus on graduation and saying farewell to our seniors, the rest of our students will continue to complete projects, participate in recognition events, complete remaining assignments, and celebrate all they have accomplished this past school year.

Our staff have been amazing, taking care of our students in meeting their needs in this very unsettled world. Educating students today is not a matter of giving out textbooks or computers and lecturing to a group of students.

Each student has a story, with life experiences that are very different from the student next to them. To meet the unique needs of our students, our staff are also social workers, nurses, counselors, referees, investigators, innovators, problem solvers and much, much more. What happens in schools today is much different than before, a result of a pandemic with long-term effects.

With the end of the school year around the corner, we shift our work to summer projects. Each building will have work completed to keep it in great shape, cleaned and ready for the fall. We have planned projects to update areas in each building and to replace outdated mechanical equipment.

I’d like to thank all our community partners for their support of our students and programs. It takes a village to raise a child. Our partnerships provide rich programming and opportunities for our students that aren’t found in many schools.

The CTE Center is a great example of everyone coming together to provide opportunities and workforce development of the future workforce in New Ulm and the surrounding areas. We had over 110 local students participate in classes this year at the CTE Center, taking classes in welding, fabrication, machining, advanced cabinetry, carpentry, automotive, small gas engine/ATV repair, marketing, and business operations.

We will add more CTE classes and opportunities as we continue to build capacity with our partners.

GO EAGLES!

— Jeff Bertrang is superintendent at New Ulm Public Schools