Staying Focused

As we enter the final quarter of the school year, we want to take a moment to acknowledge the hard work and dedication our students have shown throughout the year. The fourth quarter is always an exciting time, full of new opportunities to finish strong and reach personal and academic goals.

For our middle school students, this last quarter is all about putting in that extra effort, staying focused, and making every day count. It’s not about being perfect — it’s about showing up, doing your best, and learning from every experience along the way. Each day is a chance to improve, set new goals, and push yourself a little further.

Whether students are taking part in their first spring activity or gearing up for their last, experiencing their first fourth quarter as kindergartners or their final one as seniors, this is a time to celebrate the growth and progress they've achieved.

We encourage all our students to stay focused, set meaningful goals, and continue pushing themselves to be their best. This quarter offers an opportunity to reflect on how far they've come and set their sights on what they want to achieve before the year ends. Whether it's tackling a tough project, preparing for final exams, or mastering new skills, the finish line is within reach. Let’s finish strong and carry that Cardinal Pride all the way to the end!

Jen Sabol, AMS Principal

Mark Your Calendars

April 2- April 5 - Granite City Regional Robotics Competition
Friday, April 4 - Early Childhood Screening
Monday, April 7 - AES Parent/Staff Advisory Meeting
Monday, April 7 - AHS/AMS Jazz Concert
Tues., April 15 & Wed., 16 - Grade 6, 7, & 8 MCA -III Reading
Friday, April 18 - No School
Monday, April 21 - No School
Saturday, April 26 - Prom
Monday, April 28 - School Board Meeting
Thursday, May 1 - 2nd & 3rd Grade Concert
Friday, May 2 - 8th grade dance
Monday, May 5 - 5th grade "Moving to the Middle"
Wednesday, May 7 - Scholarship Awards Night
Wednesday, May 7 - AHS Academic Awards Night
Wednesday, May 7 - AES Unity Day - Wear Orange
Monday, May 12 - AMS 6-8 Band Concert

Our Elementary Health Office is in need of clothing donations for the following items;

Girls leggings/athletic pants in sizes: small 4/6, medium 7/8, and large 10/12.
Boys and Girls sweatshirts in sizes: youth large or x-large

Please ensure all donated clothes are freshly laundered and free of holes or stains. Clothing can be dropped off at the AES front office. Thank you!

School Board Update

After headline across Minnesota declared record school funding in 2023, you may be asking yourself, why are so many school districts making budget cuts and going to voters for more funding? Please take a moment to watch this video prepared by Minnesota Association of School Administrators.

Annandale Community Education

Check out our Summer catalog! We are excited for the upcoming offerings we have for you through Community Education. Summer registration opens on Friday, April 4.

View Catalog

Annandale Elementary (AES)

Mark your calendars for this year’s Fun and Fitness! This is a day where each grade will have 45 minutes of physical education with their entire grade. We will have some friendly competitions and games between each class. Fun & Fitness Day will be held on Tuesday, May 27, 2025. In case of rain, the make-up day will be Thursday, May 29. Please remind the kids to wear tennis shoes and comfortable clothes that day and students are encouraged to wear their class color shirt. All events and activities will be held on the track/football field. Please park in the elementary school parking lot (not the high school).

The schedule is as follows:

5th grade: 8:15-9:00

4th grade: 9:15-10:00

3rd grade: 10:15-11:00

Kindergarten: 12:00-12:45

1st grade: 1:00-1:45

2nd grade: 2:00-2:45

AES Music and Art Collaboration

Annandale's first grade students recently completed a collaborative project in Art and Music. During Mrs. Bakke's Music class, students were introduced to the story, Owl Moon, by Jane Yolen and a corresponding song. Then, students created textured clay owls with their Art teacher, Mrs. Pawelski. This fun cross-curricular project highlights how the arts are connected and how our teachers work to keep all forms of literacy at the forefront of their instruction.

Annandale Middle School (AMS)

6th Grade Math Masters competition took place in Sauk Rapids on March 6. There were 19 teams from 7 districts participating, with a total of 90 students. Our Math Masters students compete on one of two teams: Annandale Red- J. Ackley, C. Mielke, B. Lawler, Z. Baker, T. Caird or Annandale Black - B. Fischer, S. Bishop, A. Brose, B. Broich, A. Dingmann. For the Fact Drill category the Top 10 students were awarded. Congratulations to Z. Baker for taking 5th place, B. Fischer for taking 8th place and A. Dingmann for taking 10th place! The Top Ten students were also awarded for the Individual Round. Congratulations to B. Fischer on taking 5th Place! Lastly, we'd like to congratulate our Annandale Red Team for taking 2nd Place! Congratulations to our Cardinals on their successes!

Important AMS 4th Quarter Dates:

April 28 - Parent Advisory Council 5:30-6:30
May 2 - 8th grade dance
May 5 - 5th grade Moving to the Middle @ 5:30
May 12 - AMS 6-8 Band Concert
May 16 - 8th grade Community Service Day
May 16 or 21 - 6th grade field trip
May 21 - 7th grade field trip
May 19 - Parent Advisory Council 5:30-6:30
May 27 - 6-8 Choir concert
May 29 - 8th grade field trip
June 4 - Last Day of School (for students)

AMS & AHS Night of the Arts

On Monday, March 11, approximately 250 students and their family members attended this year's Night of the Arts! The event included a variety of activity stations; weaving, origami, coloring, 3D interactive mural, cookie decorating, photo booth, and a scavenger hunt.

Artwork from classes were displayed for all to enjoy. Students were also given the opportunity to submit up to three personal pieces that they made outside the classroom to highlight our students whose passion lies with the arts.

New this year, the high school joined the event allowing students and families to see a larger variety of projects across different levels. It was an amazing glimpse of our school district's talent.

This event uses about 20-25 volunteers at various times throughout the night to make the event happen. Volunteers transport projects from school to school, set up the event, work different stations, and clean-up after the event.

Thank you to our staff, students and volunteers for a great event!

Click here to watch the KRDS episode about the Night of the Arts!

Annandale High School (AHS)

Over spring break, Emily Grote, Calli Koplitz, and 13 students traveled to Costa Rica. Students were immersed in language and culture through an art class, cooking class, waterfall swimming, hiking, zip lines, and touring numerous cities. This trip opportunity happens every other year and is open to Annandale students in grades 10-12 who have taken a Spanish class.

Annandale Activities

The Annandale Anndroids robotics team recently competed at the Rocket City Regional competition in Huntsville, Alabama. The team had a great showing, winning 7 of their 11 matches, and finished 8th overall at the competition. Next up for the team is the Granite City Regional in St. Cloud on April 2nd - 5th. For more info about the regional event, click here.

Congratulations to the following BPA (Business Professionals of America) students for qualifying for nationals in Florida in May: Michael Lansing, Avery Seagraves, Bailey Sinnett, Kate Neuman, Alison Neuman, Taber Stueven, Kayla Jensen.