The Country Manor Foundation proudly hosted its 13th annual Hometown Classic Golf Event at Blackberry Ridge Golf Course on June 15 to raise funds for End of Life patients and their families. Participants enjoyed wine, margarita and craft beer samplers and a variety of local fares. The day wrapped with awards and a casual dinner served by Blackberry Ridge Golf Course complete with a handmade rhubarb dessert prepared by Country Manor’s Culinary Team. With the help of local businesses, organization, families, community members and employees, the 2015 Hometown Classic raised $30,000. All proceeds from the golf event will go toward Country Manor’s End of Life program, also known as “Angel Arms.”
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St. John’s Preparatory School is located within the 2,700 acres of woods and lakes of St. John’s University’s campus in Collegeville.
Pictured is the 2015 graduating class at St. John’s Prep.
St. John’s Prep recently announced the school’s faculty has been ranked as No. 2 on the list of the best private high school teachers in Minnesota. The ranking comes from Niche.com and is a comprehensive assessment of the quality of the teachers at private high schools in Minnesota. The ranking was supported by surveys of students and parents.
St. John’s Prep faculty is a highly educated team, 76 percent of faculty hold a master’s degree or higher. Many Prep families credit the personal attention they receive from faculty members to student success in the classroom. Prep’s average class size is 15 students. Prep’s student-to-faculty ratio is 9.5 students to one faculty member. The Class of 2015 mean score on the ACT was 26.5 versus a 23.0 state-wide score and a 21.0 national average. Justin Terhaar, a member of the class of 2016, scored a perfect 36 on the ACT and at least three of his classmates have scored over a 34.
“Our families already know our teachers are dedicated professionals,” said Headmaster Jonathan Licari, OSB. “We have a very supportive school community. This ranking is a nice tribute to a great faculty team. Our teachers live our mission every day in our classrooms, athletic fields and performance halls. They work tirelessly to prepare our students not only for college, but for success in higher education. Our teacher’s daily dedication to our school community instills a passion for learning and a spirit of compassion for a lifetime of leadership in a global society.”
St. John’s Prep students are part of a collaborative and global community. The majority are day students from communities across Central Minnesota including Sauk Rapids, Sartell, St. Joseph, St. Cloud, Cold Spring, Waite Park, Foley, Avon and Albany. St. John’s Prep serves students in grades 6-12.
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Curt Smallbrock recently joined Pine Country Bank as a commercial lender at the bank’s Rice branch. His first day with the bank was July 13.
Lorna Lange, vice president and branch manager of the Rice location, said she feels Smallbrock is a great addition to Pine Country Bank’s Commercial Lending team.
“Curt and I worked together in previous management roles,” Lange said, “so I know first-hand he is more than capable to step into this role with Pine Country Bank. His experience with community banks and large financial institutions coupled with his local knowledge of our communities were the perfect fit for our bank.
Smallbrock has more than 21 years of financial experience. He has worked at all levels of banking starting as a teller and working his way up to management positions. He has experience in all aspects of banking including customer service, personal banking and mortgage, and was also a licensed financial advisor.
“I’m looking forward to working with the employees and customers of Pine Country Bank,” Smallbrock said. “The bank has a reputation of getting to know their customers and meeting them face-to-face which is hard to do at larger financial institutions.”
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