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Minnetonka Mini-School Archives

We the unwilling, led by the unqualified, have been doing the unbelievable for so long, with so little, we now attempt the impossible with nothing. - Mini-School Credo

View from Veterans

December 1, 1999 by Mini Archives

By Kelsey Hanson and Kristina Petron

1) How long have you been in Mini-School?
Shawna
– One and a half years
Chris – About a year and a half
Kari – About a year
Dustin – Two years

2) Do you feel like Mini-School has changed a lot from the first year that you were here?
Shawna
– No
Chris – Yes
Kari – Yes, a lot of seniors graduated last year. Also, Doug, Randy and Joanne all left and they were a huge part of Mini.
Dustin – Yes, the new teachers and the new set-up has changed the whole set-up.

3) Why do you believe that it has/has not changed?
Shawna
– Still the same friendly people, maybe a few new teachers but they’ll get used to the program.
Chris – Many new people and staff and now the students have very little respect this year.
Kari – People have left Mini, and people have joined Mini which makes this year different from last.
Dustin – The new teachers have a new style of teaching which really messes up the original set-up.

4) What do you think of Merlin and Paul?
Shawna
– They’re great teachers and very nice.
Chris – They’re pretty chill, they’ll get the hang of it.
Kari – I really like them, but one of them seems to be kind of scared of nervous.
Dustin – I think they’re weird, and I think they are really nervous about the program.

5) What do you think of Doug, Randy and Joanne not being here anymore?
Shawna
– I miss them, but they will visit.
Chris – I think they were the best teachers here. They had a lot of knowledge and expierence.
Kari – They’ve always been really nice to me.
Dustin – They were the aces of the place.

6) Do you think Mini-School will still be successful?
Shawna
– Absolutely.
Chris – Yes, it all depends on the kids and if they want to respect and learn.
Kari – I think so.
Dustin – No, I give it about 5 more years.

7) What do you hope for Mini-School’s future?
Shawna
– I hope it will continue to help students succeed in the future.
Chris – To be promising and helpful to students who would otherwise not be in school.
Kari – That the stereotypes of Mini will go away.
Dustin – I hope it lasts, but I can’t see it happening with this set-up.

8) What do you think the trip program will be like without Doug?
Shawna
– Not the same
Chris -?
Kari – It will be okay, but it won’t be the same. At least they are not diminishing the trip program.
Dustin – It’ll be okay, but it won’t be the same without the knowledge of Doug.

9) How do you see Mini-School in ten years from now?
Shawna
– Unpredictable
Chris – I don’t know, I’ll be very far away.
Kari – I don’t know.
Dustin – Shut down.

10) What do you think Mini-School should change to be more successful?
Shawna
– Nothing comes to mind.
Chris -?
Kari – I don’t know.
Dustin – Better, older teachers.

Posted in: Articles Tagged: Kelsey Hanson, Kristina Petron

Latest Updates:
10/28/24 - Found some negatives for a sledding trip to the Orono Golf Course in 1980 so added a new slideshow for that.
9/25/2024 - Uploaded an additional 53 PDF files of Com-Mini-Cations, started to convert the articles into individual posts.
5/28/2024 - Created slideshows for miscellaneous trips and classroom photos plus a slideshow for unidentified trips, lots of updates to existing slideshows, slide scanning complete
5/27/2024 - Slideshows for Big Fork Canoe 1996, Women's Bike Trip 1994, North Shore Women's Trip 1994, Southwest Utah Trip 1992, Winter Camping 1998 & 1999, St Louis 1998, Insights 1993
5/23/2024 - Slideshows for Classroom 1992, new photos to Classroom 1996, and the Mini 25th Reunion.

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