Spring & Summer Opportunities for All Ages

We've entered spring with summer just around the corner! New London-Spicer Community Education is excited to once again offer a wide range of opportunities for our entire community from our youngest learners to our senior citizens. Whether you’re looking for engaging youth programs, enriching classes, or recreational activities, there is something for everyone to learn, connect, and stay active.

Registration for Summer PALS and Lil’ PALS opens on March 30, followed by Summer Recreation and Youth Enrichment programs on April 1. Summer Gymnastics will open on May 1. Families participating in PALS can also take advantage of provided transportation to and from summer activities, making it even easier to stay involved throughout the season. To help us plan and ensure transportation needs are met, all registrations must be completed by May 8. Registrations received after this date will require families to arrange their own transportation, and we appreciate your understanding as we are unable to make exceptions.

Be sure to watch your mailbox as the Community Education booklets are currently are expected to arrive by April 3. In the meantime you can sneak a peek at all the available programs in our digital copy.

We look forward to a fantastic summer filled with opportunities to learn, play, and grow together. Thank you for allowing us to serve your family and our community.

Sneak Peek Our CE Catalog

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

Wednesday, April 1 - 3rd Grade Program
Friday, April 3 - No School: Easter Break
Monday, April 6 - No School: Staff Development Day
Tuesday, April 7 - EMT Testing for Seniors
Tuesday, April 7 - ACT Testing for Juniors
Wednesday, April 8 - PW PTO Meeting
Monday, April 13 - School Board Meeting
Saturday, April 18 - CatPAC Series: John Denver Tribute presented by Ted Vigil (Get Tickets)
Friday, April 24 - Grades Check 7-12
Sunday, April 26 - Baccalaureate
Wednesday, April 29 - Honors & Awards
Saturday, May 2 - Prom
Saturday, May 2 - Post Prom
Tuesday, May 5 - Senior Art Show and Fundraiser
Wednesday, May 6 - 4th Grade Showcase
Wednesday, May 6 - Fine Arts Awards Night
Thurs., May 7 - Sat., May 9 - FFA Plant Sale in Greenhouse
Thursday, May 7 - MS/HS Band Concert
Friday, May 8 - MS/HS Choir Concert

High School

Three-Peat for the Toolcats
The New London-Spicer Toolcats Robotics Team (Team 3276) won their third straight championship at the Great Northern Regional in Grand Forks, ND on March 14!

Competing in this year’s FIRST Robotics Competition game REBUILT, the Toolcats finished Ranked 4 (13–4 record) and joined Alliance 1 with Sauk Centre – Semiconductors and Fargo – Red River Rage to win the event. Their double-turret shooter design helped them score quickly even under heavy defense. Next up: Granite City Regional in St. Cloud, April 10–11, where the Toolcats are two-time defending champions.

Donate to the Toolcats: https://secure.myvanco.com/L-ZGCT/home

Upcoming Assessments

Spring assessment season is approaching at the high school. These assessments play an important role in helping us understand how well students are mastering essential skills and where adjustments are needed. The results are used to refine instruction, target supports and interventions, evaluate programming, and ensure students are on track for future success.

Please review the schedule below for important dates and details:

ACT (Grade 11) Tuesday, April 7 | 8 AM – 12 PM | Aux Gym
MCA Reading (Grade 10) April 14–15 | During LA 10 classes
MCA Math (Grade 11) April 21–22 | During PreCalculus/Algebra II classes
MCA Science (Grade 10) April 28–29 | During Biology classes

Additional details regarding student expectations will be shared at school. Families can support students by encouraging consistent attendance, strong effort, and healthy routines during this time.

Wildcat Activities

Congratulations to Wildcat girls basketball on a great season. The team finished 4th at the State tournament. Way to go Cats!

The Wildcat speech team really shined at their last two meets. They were crowned the medium division champions at both the Dassel-Cokato meet and the Melrose meet.

New London-Spicer is proud to celebrate senior Griffin Thompson of the Wildcats football team for earning statewide recognition from the Minnesota Chapter of the National Football Foundation.

Griffin has been named a 2026 Scholar-Athlete Honorable Mention, an award that recognizes Minnesota high school football players who excel not only on the field, but also in the classroom and in their communities. This prestigious honor highlights the well-rounded dedication and commitment demonstrated by student-athletes across the state.

In addition to this recognition, Griffin has also been selected as a 2026 Stacy Robinson Leadership Award Winner, further emphasizing his leadership, character, and positive impact both within the Wildcats program and beyond.

Middle School

The Middle School kicked off Quarter 4 with grade-level meetings, celebrating the year so far and focusing on finishing the year strong by continuing to work hard and follow our R.O.A.R. expectations.

Students wrapped up advisory challenges like Blurt and Rock-Paper-Scissors, and are now competing in a Middle School “March Madness” focused on attendance, behavior, and academics. The winning advisory will be announced in April!

A reminder of our updated beverage guideline: students may have plain water during the school day (7:45am–3:05pm); all other drinks should remain unopened in lockers.

MCA testing begins soon:

Reading (Grades 5–8): April 14–15 (make-ups April 16–17)
Math (Grades 5–8): April 21–22 (make-ups April 23–24)
Science (Grades 5 & 8): April 28–29 (make-ups April 30–May 1)

Please encourage students to get good rest and eat breakfast on testing days.

Before spring break, 8th graders met with the high school counselor to begin planning for 9th grade, and we also celebrated our 5th graders for completing the D.A.R.E. program with SRO James Faulkner.

Mrs. Olson’s 5th grade scientists are putting their creativity and problem-solving skills to the test!

Students recently kicked off their Rube Goldberg projects designing chain-reaction machines that use simple machines, energy, and physics concepts to complete a final task. From watering plants to flipping switches, each group is working toward a unique goal!

We can’t wait to see their incredible creations come to life. Stay tuned!

Prairie Woods

Thank you to our amazing community for supporting our Book Fair and Family Book Bingo Night! Your participation helped support our Title I Reading Program, whose mission is to ensure every child has a fair and equal opportunity to receive a quality education. One of our key goals is to encourage families to read together more often and events like Book Bingo make that possible in a fun and meaningful way!

With 218 attendees, events like these open the door for students and families to grow their reading skills together. From winning books and raffle prizes to sharing smiles and stories, it was a night filled with excitement and a shared love of reading. Congrats to the 238 bingo winners!

Thank you to this year's sponsors whose help made the night a huge success: Spicer Cinema, A & W Country Stop, Willmar Indoor Golf, Lulu Beans, Little Crow Resort & Conference, Zorbaz, Deep Freeze, Lake Affect Coffee, Alley on Ash, Spicer American Legion, Walt's, Happy Sol, Glacial Ridge Curling, Lucky Duck, Sloppy Jo Supper and PW PTO. Fun was had by all and we couldn’t do it without you!

Community Education

We are excited to share that registration for all Community Education summer classes will open on April 1. Please note that Gymnastics will follow a slightly different timeline with registration opening on May 1.

Summer Registrations

Summer PALS/Lil' PALS - March 30 | Registration deadline is: May 8
Summer Recreation/Youth Enrichment - April 1 | Registration deadline is: May 8 for PALS participants and transportation
Summer Gymnastics - May 1 | Registration deadline is: May 8 for PALS participants and transportation
CE Booklets are at the printer and should hit mailboxes no later than April 3

We are looking forward to a fantastic summer of recreation and truly appreciate the opportunity to serve your family. Please feel free to reach out with any questions.

2025–26 CatPAC Series – Tickets On Sale Now!

🎶Saturday, April 18, 2026 - A John Denver Tribute presented by Ted Vigil

Celebrate the timeless music of John Denver with an unforgettable tribute performance by Ted Vigil!

Experience beloved classics like “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” “Rocky Mountain High,” “Annie’s Song,” “Thank God I’m a Country Boy,” and many more, brought to life with heart and authenticity.

Ted Vigil, an accomplished singer, songwriter, and tribute artist, has been performing since the age of ten, honing his craft in concert, symphonic, and jazz bands. His moving performance captures the spirit, warmth, and sound of the legendary John Denver in a night fans won’t forget.

🕖 Showtime 7:00 PM

📍 NLS Performing Arts Center

💛 Sponsored By: Dooley’s, Jennie-O, Rambow, and Willow Creek Counseling

🎟️ Tickets Available Now! www.nls.k12.mn.us/ticketsales

Prairie Meadows

On March 11 we celebrated Donuts with Dudes! The preschoolers were joined by their dads, uncles, grandpas and special friends for a morning of donuts, coffee, crafts, and building! A special THANK YOU to Home Depot for donating building kits for our preschoolers to build with their special guests and Magnuson Construction for the delicious donuts!