By Tyler Dahlgren

The Mural

The people of Bertrand, as they so often do, congregated at the cornerstone of their community on a Monday night in late September to honor a proud school’s past, admire the present, and celebrate its future.

More than 150 people packed into the library to kick-off the special evening with the unveiling of “A History of Bertrand Community School,” a mural created by local artist Jeremy Hansen. In breathtaking detail, Hansen’s work beautifully tells the story of a school. The mural pays homage to individuals who have made lasting impacts on the school and community, and it was brought to life by one of Bertrand’s very own.

For years to come, Hansen’s work will serve as a tribute and an inspiration.

“That was actually one of the intentions when we did it,” said media specialist Jennifer Kaps, a Bertrand native who is depicted in the mural. “We thought, ‘Why not have somebody from Bertrand who is a big deal do this so that the kids know, ‘Hey, this is possible.’ Why not give it to an alum and have him do it, because he’s going to treat the subject matter differently than an outsider would. We left it up to his interpretation of school, tradition and pride.”

The reimagined space used to be filled with underutilized projectors and whiteboards. Those were moved early in the summer, leaving Kaps with a big blank space and a host of ideas. Kaps and superintendent Nicole LeClaire started brainstorming. They decided to go big.

“We made a call to Jeremy, and he was here later that day,” Kaps said.

LeClaire was able to find some grant money to help with the project, and Hansen went to work. The end result, Kaps said, was stunning. At the unveiling, prideful Bertrand residents “oohed” and “aahed” in amazement. Stories were shared, tears were shed.

“What I really enjoyed was getting to see some of the family members of the people up on the wall,” said Kaps. “It was really emotional for some of the family members to see.”

“There’s a really positive connection between this school and the community,” said social science teacher Penny Birkel. “There’s great support from the community. To have 150 people show up that night was a reflection of that.”

Birkel is Bertrand’s Student Council and National Honor Society sponsor. While folks admired the mural, her students circulated the room, serving appetizers and answering questions. Birkel didn’t have to twist any arms, either. The high schoolers wanted to be there.

“The Student Council and NHS students, those are our natural leaders in the building, so it just felt natural for them to be a part of this,” she said. “Some of them had to step out of their comfort zones a little bit. Some are introverted and some are extroverted, but the more you do something, the easier it gets. They did a great job.”

That idea, having students serve as their school’s gatekeepers, mirrors a conversation LeClaire and principal Dave Bristol shared a few years ago. Life skills are just as important as textbooks. 

“We’re teaching them how to look people in the eye,” Bristol said. “We had a class on necktying. Our counselor led a class on place settings. All of our high school students participate in mock interviews. When students are working concessions, they’re counting the money without using calculators. We’re trying to give them life lessons they may not otherwise get. It’s not traditionally what you see in a school.”

The Viking Grind

Shelby Forster took a look at a simple concession stand door and saw an opportunity.

It sounds simple, but that’s how The Viking Grind came to be.

“I noticed there wasn’t an FCS program at Bertrand,” said the independent learning teacher. “I work with kids in life skills of Special Education, and I saw this door and this space and I said, ‘Gosh, wouldn’t it be cool to teach employability skills?’”

Forster approached LeClaire with an idea. What if we had a coffee and smoothie shop, completely run by students? Unsurprisingly to any of the teachers who work for the superintendent, she urged Forster to go for it.

“Nicole is an out-of-the-box thinker,” Birkel said. “No idea is too big for her.”

LeClaire secured a reVISION Action Grant for the project, and they went to work. The Viking Grind opened to the public in early October. Guests swung by for smoothies after the mural unveiling, on their way to check out the neighboring and totally revamped shop.

“We actually gained some new customers from that experience, so that was kind of fun,” said Forster, whose FCS students also helped prepare hors d’oeuvres for the evening. “We had some farmers try the smoothies and say, ‘Wow, this is actually pretty good.’”

The night was a long time in the making for Forster and her students. Building an actual store from scratch is no small undertaking, and it was a culmination of a year of hard work.

“It was a test for our kids, and they did amazing,” said Forster. “They were all super willing to be a part of it and excited to see that people really enjoyed our product. It was a good experience for them to get exposure to working with the community.”

Forster never imagined the Viking Grind going public, but there was no turning back after LeClaire floated the idea last year. There was plenty of grunt work behind the scenes, and a big sigh of relief, mixed with a side of encouragement, after the event. The Viking Grind is open 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., Monday through Friday.

“The more hands-on opportunities these kids can get, the more they’re going to learn,” said Forster. “I feel like it’s better than me teaching Intro to Entrepreneurship out of a textbook. They’re literally living it and doing it every day.”

There are departments within the business, from finance to marketing to operations, and, eventually, students will have spent time working in each.

“It’s been amazing, just seeing the employability skills that they’ve acquired,” she continued. “Even the small talk while they’re waiting for drinks to be made. They’re asking me questions on how to have those conversations and just how to work. Many of my classroom rules are based on ‘What would you do at work?’”

The Viking Grind sources its espresso beans from a local beanery and grinds them to order. Smoothies are their top-seller, but there’s an assortment of drinks on the menu. Student ingenuity is encouraged there, too.

“It’s not just black coffee,” Forster said. “The kids get to make the drinks and get to be creative. They came up with a cinnamon roll drink this year and they get to try out all kinds of different things. That’s how we make our menu.”

The community, as they always do, has done their part. They’ve shown up, like they always do.

“This community’s like a tide,” said Bristol. “They’re always raising us up and keeping us afloat and supporting us.”

One smoothie or one cup of Joe at a time.

The Shop

Smoothies in hand, the people of Bertrand entered the school’s newly renovated shop, where many of their jaws hit the floor.

When hiring teachers, Bristol said that he and LeClaire look for common sense, drive and a willingness to try different things. Enter Cole Birkel, a former electrical power lineworker with many skills and experiences that could benefit students in an environment like this. The district convinced him to come teach this year, with the brand new shop, his own blank canvas, being a major caveat.

“He connects really easily with the kids,” said Bristol. “He understands the kids. I’m going to say 99.9 percent of the people in this building really connect with a certain group of students.”

Bertrand students did great things over the years in the old shop, but a majority of the equipment had become dilapidated and run its course. Wilkins Architecture Design Planning designed the state-of-the-art shop, and BD Contractors brought it to life. Representatives from both were in Bertrand for the grand reveal.

“We have a bunch of new woodworking equipment, new metal equipment, a new CNC plasma table, five new welding bays, it’s just going to be huge for the kids,” said Birkel, who spoke alongside LeClaire, board president Dr. Jonathan Sand and longtime shop teacher Bill Ford at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. “It looks fantastic, and it was much needed. Rather than just weld, we now can fabricate and build things. It’s going to create more opportunities for the students, which is exciting.”

Birkel hasn’t been to many community colleges, but he heard time and time again that night that Bertrand’s overhauled shop rivals any community college’s.

“I’m not sure everybody was expecting this, so they were just kind of in awe,” he said. “For the community to take time out of their day to be here was pretty cool. It was special having Mr. Ford there and a part of it, too.”

Bertrand, like other schools, has all kinds of kids from all kinds of backgrounds. 

“We have good kids here, and hopefully when they walk in the doors they know we want what is best for them and we want them to succeed after high school,” said Penny Birkel. “All these hands-on activities will hopefully give them skills they can utilize after they go out into the world.”

Bristol echoed that sentiment. The district’s goal, he explained, is to open as many doors for their students as possible. It’s evident that they’re committed to working tirelessly to do so.

“We’ve heard many comments from people who like what we’re doing and the direction the school is heading,” said Bristol. “Not everybody is going to go on to academia, but we’re still offering those students who want that ability that opportunity. We have health career classes, shop classes, and an education track. We have many different avenues for them to travel.”

Bertrand is a small school doing big things. Kaps said that forward thinking mindset starts at the top, with LeClaire, and then becomes infectious.

“She sets the tone and is having the most fun of anybody doing it,” Kaps said. “She’s just awesome.”

Speaking of fun, that’s a big part of what they’re building in Bertrand. Their big night in late September was a blast. The next day, and the day after that, those were fun, too.

“You want to make it fun for the students because then they want to be here learning, right?” Cole Birkel said. “Schools like Bertrand are the heartbeat of the town. When the community sees something positive going on, when they see students achieving and having fun, they love that. It draws them in.”

It always has.