You walked on by and gave me a smile, oh how I wish you could’ve stayed for a while.

Your beauty has got me running a mile just to see you and say: “Hi, dang girl, you blow my mind.”

Your personality could blow any guys mind.

You are so pretty, nice, kind, smart and a real sweet heart.

You may be shy but so am I.

You are so fun and easy to talk to whenever I see you.

Your smile just brightens my day.

You are really good with kids and that is no joke.

You like helping people and that is no surprise just another quality of yours that makes you who you are which is a true work of art.

You are so nice and beautiful / you just take my breath away.

You just make me what to say: “Hey girl you wanna hang out sometime?  I really want to show you a fun time.  I may not blow your mind but I like you a lot/hope you will at least give me one shot/one chance to see if you do.  You are one special girl, that everyone needs to meet.  So, hey girl, what do you say?  Yea or nay?”

Jerome Detviler, a popular longtime educator and athletics coach at Park High School, died this week following a long bout with abdominal cancer.

Detviler, 61, graduated from Park in 1968 and then taught and coached at the Cottage Grove high school for more than three decades. Known for his affability and sense of humor in the classroom, he was an accomplished coach, as well, who was on the coaching staff that helped lead the Park girls’ soccer team to a state championship in 1990.

According to an obituary, Detviler died Monday at his Cottage Grove home. He is survived by Irene, his wife of 40 years, two children and two grandchildren.

First diagnosed with leiomyosarcoma in September 2008, a May 2009 benefit held in Detviler’s honor drew more than 800 attendees to the VFW Red Barn in Cottage Grove and raised more than $10,000 for cancer research.

On a Facebook site created in support of Detviler during his illness, former students, colleagues and acquaintances poured out dozens of messages expressing grief as news spread of his death, posting condolences and memories of their teacher, coach, mentor and friend.

“He made an impact on all of us and loved every day of doing it,” one message posted Monday read. “We only all should be so lucky to make an impact on so many people. RIP JD. You were the best.”

In November, Detviler was an inductee in the seventh class of Park’s athletic Hall of Fame.

The Hall of Fame announcement noted his efforts as a long-time soccer, Nordic skiing and track and field coach: “While his teams were very successful, his ability to bring a love for the sport to his athletes made him a great coach.”

A visitation will be held on Friday at St. Luke Lutheran Church in Cottage Grove from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. A service will follow immediately afterward.

Scott Wente contributed to this story.

By: Sandra Vang

By: Taylor Diedrich

What do aliens, spies, and five million dollars have to do with each other? In the Park production, My Son Is Crazy. . .But Promising, all of these subjects come together.

The Ritz-Apache Lodge is filled with crazy guests including Dimitri Jones and Suzan Claypool who are secret spies that live at the Ritz-Apache hotel to spy on a new military base, an old crazy lady, Cora, who believes she was on a spaceship and Gert Witherspoon, the owner, who did not know how to mess with Cora’s cookery. Bud Granger, an aspiring screenwriter, bought the rundown lodge when he found out about the treasure buried near by. Lawrence Lime, Bud’s producer, decided to ‘drop by’.  He thought the lodge was an insane asylum. However throughout the play, Bud runs into a little trouble when Oysters Rockefeller, a ganster, comes to Tumbleweed, Arizona. He and his fiancé Chi-Chi stop by to get a flight bag accidently mixed up with the Whitney’s, newlyweds who thought that the Ritz was from a famous chain hotel in Paris. On one stormy night Cora begins rambling about how aliens are coming back to earth, and she needs to prepare for the landing. Then suddenly there was an explosion! Dmitri and his partner were caught, and Sheriff Bates car was gone. The next day a surprise guest came in. Cora had won five million dollars in the state lottery!

This play was a major success! Congratulations directors, cast, and crew on putting on such a marvelous production!

The list, under the federal rules of No Child Left Behind, is issued annually by the Minnesota Department of Education. Schools are put on the list if students don’t pass Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment tests given in the spring.

Grades 3-8 are tested in reading and math. In high schools, 10th-graders are tested in reading, 11th-graders in math.

The latest list of AYP schools was released to the public Friday.

In addition to Pullman, other District 833 schools that made adequate progress are Park and Woodbury high schools; Cottage Grove, Lake and Woodbury middle schools; and 11 elementary schools.

Last year, Pullman was on the not making AYP list for the second year and students were allowed to transfer to Cottage Grove Elementary School. Seven students opted to move with the district required to bus them.

If it had not made the list this year, Pullman would have had to use its Title I money to pay for individual tutoring.

“Teachers and specialists have worked so hard,” Ross said Thursday. “But even if there were no No Child Left Behind list, improving student achievement is still at the top of our list of priorities.”

District 833, is listed as “needs improvement” because at least one school is not making adequate yearly progress. The district must submit an improvement plan to the state.

Test scores are also separated out for subgroups of students that include special education, those not proficient in English and students receiving free or reduced-price lunches, which is the federal definition of poverty.

Test results are also separated into racial subgroups including Native Americans, Hispanics, blacks, Asians and white students.

If students in just one of the subgroups don’t pass tests, a school is placed on the list of underperforming schools.

Woodbury High School was on the list of schools not making progress last year because special education students didn’t pass tests. They are off the list this year because all of the student subgroups passed.

Newport Elementary didn’t make the list of adequate schools this year because English language learners didn’t pass reading. The school will face sanctions next year if it doesn’t make “adequate progress” again.

But AYP status might be a moot point because the state, along with many others, has applied to the federal Department of Education to be exempted from listing AYP schools after President Obama opened the door.

If AYP goes out, states will not be off the hook, however. They would have to replace it with a new set of standards that are also expected to reward schools for “making progress” toward passing all students.

Under the current rules, schools with test scores that improved 10 percent, for example, over the previous year, but did not pass, were on the underperforming list.

Oltman Middle School is on list of underperforming schools for the second year. Hispanic students didn’t pass math and reading, English language learners, students receiving free or reduced price lunches and special education students did not pass math.

East Ridge High School, for the second year, made the not making AYP list because special education students didn’t pass math.

Grey Cloud Elementary School, for the first year, didn’t make progress because special education students did not pass reading.

Cottage Grove Elementary School, for the first year, is on the list because special education students didn’t pass math.

Middleton Elementary School is on the list for the first time because special education students didn’t pass reading.

None of the above schools will face federal sanctions because they don’t receive Title I funding.

Students in the rest of district schools passed tests.

[By: Judy Spooner, South Washington County Bulletin]

Will served as the head coach for both the boys and girls Nordic teams at Park, Woodbury, and East Ridge High Schools for the past two seasons.

“Will worked hard to build and develop teams at all three high schools. I appreciate all that he has done for our Nordic ski program. Joe comes in with an abundance of energy and enthusiasm, and as a proud alumnus of our Nordic ski program, will do whatever it takes to build the program throughout the district.”

– Phil Kuemmel, Activities Director

Mr. Wacker (pronounced Walker) is a 2007 graduate of Park High School and skied for the Wolfpack. He also skied competitively for the College of St. Scholastica for four years. Joe is currently a substitute teacher in District 833.

U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar met with Agbamu in Washington, D.C. on Friday to congratulate her on being named 2011 Minnesota Secondary Principal of the Year.

Former Park High School Principal Efe Agbamu meets with U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar on Friday in Washington, D.C. Submitted photo

“There is nothing more critical than providing our children with a competitive, world-class education so they can be prepared for the jobs of tomorrow,” Klobuchar said. “Efe’s passion and dedication to her students make her an excellent choice for this award and we are proud to have her represent Minnesota.”

Agbamu received the award in January. She was Park’s principal for four years until this past summer. She left District 833 in July for a job in the St. Paul school district.

[By: Scott Wente, South Washington County Bulletin]