Students in the ACGC School District will be heading back to school on September 3rd – the day after Labor Day. The Tuesday through Friday week is normal for ACGC as it has utilized a 4-day week for several years.
Supt. Kip Lynk says there will be a couple of 3-day weeks – Monday through Wednesday – during the Education Minnesota break in mid-October, and then during the Thanksgiving week in November, but there are a couple of 5-day weeks built into their school calendar – in October and December – to help ensure that they can be done prior to Memorial Day weekend. He says there are a handful of new staff members at ACGC this year, due mainly to some retirements.
Lynk says the football and volleyball rosters are pretty steady this fall; they’ve added cross-country back into their mix of activities; and the number of students in the fall musical have doubled because they are going to perform “Little House on the Prairie.” He says AGCG has a new app which will help teachers and coaches communicate better with students and parents.
Lynk says the no sight, no sound cell phone policy will expand this year to include K-through-8th graders, and the 9th through 12th graders will only be able to have their cell phones during non-instructional times. He says there is a list of back-to-school items that students will need on the school district website and they are also listed at stores such as Walmart and Target.
The Shepherd of Souls Area Faith Community has several events coming up in September. The St. Philip’s Catholic Church Bazaar in Litchfield will be on September 8th from 9-to-1, with mass at the church at 8 a.m.
Monica Schreiber says the Bazaar will include a car show, cash raffle, kid’s games, bingo, country store, food stands and more. She says Glen Everhart will be performing.
Schreiber says the St. Philip’s Bazaar is being held a little earlier this year so that people can also attend the Fall Festival at the Church of St. Anthony in Watkins that day if they wish to do so. Brenda Grates says the St. Philip’s Bazaar will also include a bean bag tournament at 10:30 a.m.
Grates says there are tickets at the church office for the cash raffle and church members are also selling them. She says the top prize is $2,000 and the drawing will be held at 12:45. You need not be present to win.
Other events in September include the Church of St. Anthony Fall Festival in Watkins on September 8th from 10-to-5; the St. John’s Catholic Church Fall Festival on September 15th from 11-to-3 at the Education Center between Dassel and Cokato; and the Grilled Smoked Pork Chop Dinner at the Church of Our Lady in Manannah on September 22nd from 4-to-7 p.m.
The Litchfield Area Community Foundation is in the midst of another grant cycle and the deadline for non-profit organizations to apply for the latest round of grants is fast-approaching. The deadline is September 1st.
Missy Brock says the Foundation has two grant cycles each year and any 501c3 groups that have questions may contact any Foundation board member or email litchareaCFinfo@gmail.com. She says they have certain stipulations for organizations to qualify for the grants that they award, and the grant amounts usually range between $500 and $2,000. She says if anyone is willing to donate to the Foundation, they may go to LACFoundation.org for more details.
Tom Smith says when they are looking through the applications, they look at how each organization’s proposed project will affect the community. He says some past projects that received grants include a lead paint removal project at the Little Red Schoolhouse, the ProWorks thrift store project, the Rotary Club’s Splash Pad campaign, and a photo restoration project at the Meeker County Museum. He says if anyone has questions about the Litchfield Area Community Foundation, they may call the Chamber office at 693-8184.