Excited About a Great Start to the School Year!

Dear KCS families,

Greetings KCS families! It has been a great start to the 2025-26 school year! We are so happy to see all the students back in school and the excitement they bring each and every day to their learning, activities, and events.

We started the school year with a total enrollment of 515 students at KCS! While we strive to keep our class sizes small for the benefit of our students and teachers, we are excited to see that our enrollment continues to grow at the middle school and high school level!

The safety and security of our students and staff is our highest priority at KCS. There has also been an ongoing review and discussion of school safety by the KCS school board. At the September 25 meeting, a proposal to hire a School Resource Officer (SRO) for KCS was presented to the School Board by Mr. Nordmann and myself. While recent events and legislative discussions around school safety brings out many emotions and calls for action, many of our neighboring schools in both Wright and Sherburne Counties have had SROs in their schools for over 20+ years.

At KCS, we feel we do a good job of planning and coordinating school safety plans with our partners in Wright County and the surrounding schools. We emphasize the importance of things we can control at school like visitor check in, locked doors throughout the school day, and practicing our school safety drills. As the school board considers this proposal, we will keep our families informed.

We want to thank all of our families for their support of KCS and for a great start to the school year. We hope you enjoy our monthly newsletter filled with important information as well as opportunities to celebrate the great things at KCS!

Brad Sellner

KCS Executive Director

Kaleidoscope Choice - Parent Testimonials

“We chose Kaleidoscope when our oldest started kindergarten because we liked the small classes and the close-knit feel of the school. Now that both of our kids are there, we really appreciate how well the teachers and staff know the students and how included we feel as parents. The staff and leadership have built a strong, supportive environment over the years, and the PTO does a great job creating fun events that bring families together. Kaleidoscope has been a place where our kids and our family feel connected and supported.” - Gretchen Etzler (parent)

“As a parent of four children who have attended Kaleidoscope Charter School for the past 10 years, I am truly grateful for the community experience it offers. The atmosphere here is one where everyone knows and supports each other, creating a close-knit community. The dedication and collaboration the staff provides is outstanding . Kaleidoscope has been a nurturing place where our children’s growth and development is everyone’s priority. I wholeheartedly recommend this school to any parent seeking an exceptional experience for their child.” - Ashley Schweninger (parent)

After-School Activities at KCS
Allison Jepson, Activities Director

After-school activities are up and running at Kaleidoscope Charter School! Many of our 6th–12th grade students have been enjoying Volleyball Club and Soccer Club—building skills and having a blast with friends.

The Secondary Student Council has also begun meeting. They’ve already organized fun School Spirit Week dress-up days (Sept. 22–26) and will host a special Activity Hour for Kindergarten and 1st grade students on Oct. 2 from 2:30–3:30 pm. At the same time, the KPTO will hold a parent meeting—we’d love to see families attend!

Our Intermediate Knowledge Bowl Team kicks off Oct. 7, with more activities launching after MEA Break, including Student Empowerment Club (3–12), Table-Top Gaming Club (6–12), and Badminton (5–6).

All registrations take place through Infinite Campus.

Read further...

New Partnership with Central Minnesota Mental Health Center
Amy Huck, Social Worker

We are excited to announce a partnership with Central Minnesota Mental Health Center (CMMHC) to provide school-linked behavioral health services to our students. Beginning this month, Jazmin Borst, MSW, LICSW, will be on site Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. to meet with students.

How to Access Services

If you would like your child to receive services through CMMHC at school, please request referral information from your child’s counselor, or social worker.

You will be asked to complete the following forms. Return the completed forms to the school which will then be forwarded to CMMHC intake.

A release of information for your student’s school
Insurance/third-party payer information (form provided)

How Services Differ from School Support

It’s important to note that CMMHC providers deliver outpatient clinical services within the school setting—similar to seeing an outside therapist. Unlike school staff who provide academic and social-emotional support, CMMHC’s embedded services offer therapy that addresses mental health concerns while coordinating with the school to reduce barriers such as travel and access to care.

This partnership means students will have more consistent, on-site access to professional mental health care, strengthening both their well-being and their success in school.

Back to School at KCS
Tiffany Sullivan, Library

It feels great to have the halls of KCS once again filled with the sounds of student chatter, band instruments warming up, lockers clanging, and the quick footsteps of students racing to class before the bell. We're already deep into lessons, activities are in full swing, and the energy is contagious. We've seen new friendships form and familiar faces reconnect after the summer break. Most of all, the strong sense of community here at KCS shines through—in every classroom, hallway, and interaction—as our dedicated staff supports students in every corner of the school.

2025-2026 is off to a great start, and we are ready for a year full of new possibilities—let’s do this!

KCS Parent University
KCS is Implimenting FastBridge in 2025-2026

by Lori Karcz

For many years, KCS, just like nearly all schools in Minnesota and around the country, have been using internal assessments throughout the school year, to determine the skill level of students in both reading and mathematics. In years prior to 2025-26, KCS was using NWEA and Dibels assessments in the fall/winter/spring for students in Grades K-12. This year, KCS has switched our assessment vendor to Renaissance Learning and will be utilizing FastBridge assessments.

Teachers use Fast Bridge assessments to get data, allowing them to focus on specific student skills and adjust their teaching accordingly. It provides a data-driven system for educators to make informed decisions about instruction by providing current and targeted information. Teachers use this data to monitor student progress and determine if instruction is effective or if another approach is needed. Read further...