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National Child Care Provider Day

Friday was Child Care Provider Appreciation Day, which is celebrated on the Friday before Mother’s Day. The day celebrates child care providers, teachers and other educators of young people. Few groups are more deserving of an appreciation day. The Journal has frequently reported on the need for child care providers. The child care shortage in Minnesota and across the country has been at crisis levels for years and those working as providers do not receive enough credit for the work they do. Child care providers are essential for allowing both parents to work, ultimately driving the economy.

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Fishing opener

Minnesota celebrates the fishing opener for walleye, northern pike and sauger this Saturday. In the land of 10,000 lakes, the fishing opener is a big deal. Northern Minnesota is typically the go-to destination for the fish opener, but Southern Minnesota has plenty of fishing opportunities. In this region, Lake Hanska made the Department of National Resources (DNR) list of top walleye fishing spots in 2024 along with Big Swan Lake near Hutchinson and the Minnesota River from Granite Falls to Mankato.

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NUACS annual bottle rocket launch

Every year, on the second Friday in May, New Ulm Area Catholic Schools (NUACS) takes part in an annual bottle rocket launch. NUACS students design and build bottle rockets that are test launched across Washington Park in collaboration with 3M staff, who created the pneumatic launching system for the rockets. 

This is a wonderful tradition that The Journal strongly encourages. On a basic level, it’s a fun activity for the students. Who wouldn’t want to spend a morning test firing bottle rockets, but it actually has an educational benefit.  

The bottle rocket launch is science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education at its best. Students are able to see a tangible result of using science and math. 

The goal is to design the furthest flying rocket. If the rocket doesn’t fly far, what can the kids do to fix it? It’s a great problem solving exercise for students but it’s also a lot of fun to watch.