by Mollie Rushmeyer
news@thenewsleaders.com
The first Minnesota Counties Fair at All Saints Academy’s St. Joseph campus created a sense of Minnesota pride and encouraged the sixth-graders to delve into the history and culture of 17 Minnesota counties on May 17 and 18.
Students from Susan Huls’ sixth-grade class chose a county to represent last spring. They then researched the county’s history, culture, what makes it unique, things to do in that county and what foods it may be known for – including a Minnesota favorite, wild rice soup, potatoes for the Irish heritage of Pine County, and yes, even Spam. After gathering information, they created booths and presentations for their chosen county much like one might see at a county fair.
The purpose of this event “. . . is to fulfill the Minnesota Language Arts requirements for speaking and researching, but also to get kids excited about Minnesota,” said Huls, a teacher with All Saints Academy since 1990, “and to make more connections with the things they are reading about. It’s about making it personal.”
Throughout the year, the sixth-graders gathered their information, with much help from the historical societies within each county.
“We must have the best historical society in the country,” Huls said about how the societies were helpful and welcoming to her and the students, often going above and beyond to send weblinks and information to the students to assist them.
Huls said she encouraged students to visit their chosen county to experience it firsthand whenever possible and to take their own pictures. As the class prepared for the fair, they also learned about the counties of Minnesota as a whole, learning everything from their placement on a map, the geology, government, to Native American cultures and land rights.
To showcase all they learned, each booth displayed a board full of historical information, unique facts and pictures. Some students dressed up for the occasion and others brought food representing the people and culture of their county. All students were required to use their school-use Chromebooks to give a digital presentation as well as make a welcome basket for a potential new resident that would include items representing their county.
As the many family members and visitors meandered through the stations enjoying food samples and Minnesota-themed music, at each stand students spoke about their counties and what they had discovered. Participants could then answer a question regarding the booth’s information and have a map stamped. Whoever filled their map was entered into a prize drawing.
All Saints Academy of St. Cloud collaborated with the St. Joseph campus for the Minnesota Counties Fair and held theirs on May 25. Though this is a first-year for the event, evolving originally from a mini-Festival of Nations, Huls said she feels certain, due to the fun and success, it will be back again next year.
Wearing a horned helmet in honor of the Scandinavian heritage of Douglas County, Jaedyn Nydeen, 12, of St. Joseph, shares information about the 202-pound Runestone found in Solem during the Minnesota Counties Fair, held May 18 at the St. Joseph campus of All Saints Academy.
Sam Harren, 12, of St. Joseph, serves Spam with a smile as he informs fair-goers about Mower County’s six man-made lakes and the Spam Museum containing 3,000 cans of Spam.
Dressed as Princess Wenonah or Winona, in honor of the tragic-legend-turned-bronze statue of the same name in Winona County, Mary Morris (left), 11, gives her presentation to Josh Corrigan, 7, Maya Beumer, 6, and Buemer’s mother, Cherie, all of St. Joseph.
Each student made a “welcome basket” to introduce newcomers to their county. Reese Moneypenny, 12, of St. Joseph, talks about his basket for Goodhue County containing the following: Swedish fish candy because of the Swedish immigrants in Goodhue County, flour due to the 16 out of 23 cities in the county having flour mills, poker chips for the Treasure Island Grand Casino and clay for the famous pottery in Red Wing. The basket itself is a flat-woven basket like the Swedish used to create.
