By Pat Devine, Superintendent
It has been quite a memorable year at Waconia Public Schools. I would like to congratulate all of our graduates—from preschool all the way to our high school seniors. The senior class of 326 was the biggest graduating class in Waconia’s history. As principal Mark Fredericksen said, “This class definitely made their mark and they will be missed.”
We started a new, really fun tradition this year called the Wildcat Walk. The idea came from our Explore Wild Ideas employee campaign and involved all of the seniors making the rounds to all the schools in their gowns on the Friday before graduation. It was a huge success and will definitely be a standing tradition for years to come!
The senior class has achieved some impressive numbers when it comes to academic accomplishments. Through Advanced Placement (AP) courses, Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO), and Concurrent Classes (college-level courses offered at the high school), students earned more than 4,500 college credits. This translates to about $2.7 million saved in college credit costs. Nicely done! This is also the time of year when some staff decide that it is time to retire. We had several longtime teachers retire at the end of the school year. All of our retirees had a huge impact on student learning, some of which lasted generations. Thank you to everyone for all of your service and dedication!
Enjoy the summer, everyone, and we will see you in the fall!