Pierz Healy High School hosted a Career Expo on March 11, 2026, providing students with a valuable opportunity to explore potential career paths. Across two class periods, more than 80 students engaged with five industry partners of their choice for 10-minute presentations followed by Q&A sessions. This event allowed students and industry representatives to connect, learn about various careers, and plan for the future—creating a meaningful experience for all participants.
We extend our sincere gratitude to the 11 industry partners who made this event possible: AirBorn, Central MN Truck Academy, Knife River, Premium Concrete, Barrett Foods, Complete Grain Systems, Bob's Lumber, RD Floors, Farmers and Merchants State Bank, Pierz Villa, and Unity Bank.
We extend our sincere gratitude to the 11 industry partners who made this event possible: AirBorn, Central MN Truck Academy, Knife River, Premium Concrete, Barrett Foods, Complete Grain Systems, Bob's Lumber, RD Floors, Farmers and Merchants State Bank, Pierz Villa, and Unity Bank.
Here is the link to the livestream of our Large Group Choir Contest in Albany. Our Concert Choir will perform at 10:30 AM tomorrow March 11, 2026.
https://www.youtube.com/live/fTVCRqHTCr0
https://www.youtube.com/live/fTVCRqHTCr0
Congratulations to our 6th grade Math Masters in their recent competition! They competed against 17 teams, 85 individuals.
Order of Operations Fact Drill
5th- Finley Virnig - Pierz tie
5th-Letty Woitalla - Pierz tie
Individual Team Tests
7th- Henry Kessler - Pierz Black
9th- Finley Virnig - Pierz Red
Team Test Results
3rd- Pierz Red - Jet, Letty, Landyn, Jackson, Finley
5th- Pierz Black - Henry, Evan, Gavin, Shayla, Noah
2026 6th Grade Math Masters Teams
6th Pierz Red
Finley Virnig, Jet Toops, Landyn Melby, Letty Woitalla, Jackson Bruse
6th Pierz Black
Henry Kessler, Evan Elstran, Gavin Krippner, Shayla Boser, Noah Bridewell
Alternates: Owen Britz , Oliver Landowski
Order of Operations Fact Drill
5th- Finley Virnig - Pierz tie
5th-Letty Woitalla - Pierz tie
Individual Team Tests
7th- Henry Kessler - Pierz Black
9th- Finley Virnig - Pierz Red
Team Test Results
3rd- Pierz Red - Jet, Letty, Landyn, Jackson, Finley
5th- Pierz Black - Henry, Evan, Gavin, Shayla, Noah
2026 6th Grade Math Masters Teams
6th Pierz Red
Finley Virnig, Jet Toops, Landyn Melby, Letty Woitalla, Jackson Bruse
6th Pierz Black
Henry Kessler, Evan Elstran, Gavin Krippner, Shayla Boser, Noah Bridewell
Alternates: Owen Britz , Oliver Landowski
Enjoy a few pictures from the Career Exploration Day at CLC! The entire 10th grade class attended, and there were lots of activities, candy, and freebies to go around. Students had the opportunity to talk with representatives from a variety of career pathways and get a hands-on look at different fields—from trying out dental tools and exploring anatomy models to learning about welding and even getting a look at what happens at the Crow Wing County Jail. It was a fun and eye-opening experience that helped students start thinking about future career possibilities!
Last week we celebrated National FFA Week at Pierz! 🌾🚜
Our FFA chapter has around 30 members, all of whom are currently enrolled in an agriculture class. Students meet monthly during Pioneer Time and can choose areas that match their interests, including Ag Mechanics, Companion Animal, and Floriculture.
FFA members stay busy throughout the year with competitions, gatherings, and leadership opportunities. They compete at events hosted by Central Lakes College, Staples-Motley, and Itasca, and Pierz recently hosted the Milk Quality and Dairy competition at Happke’s Farm. Members can also apply for scholarships through their FFA involvement.
Each fall, members also have the opportunity to travel to the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana. The week-long trip at the end of October gives students the chance to experience agriculture on a national level while also taking in some memorable activities. This year the group visited an apple orchard, a dairy farm, attended an Elle Langley concert, watched an Indiana Pacers game, and enjoyed several other stops along the way.
Closer to home, our students also give back to younger Pioneers by hosting a Spring Barnyard Day for elementary classes, and one of the most popular traditions is Drive Your Tractor to School Day coming up on May 6. 🚜
FFA members were also proud to take part in honoring those who served during our Veterans Day program, helping recognize the veterans in our community.
To wrap up the celebration, members held a pep fest last week to recognize National FFA Week and the many opportunities agriculture education provides.
If students are interested in getting involved or learning more, contact FFA President Katelyn Gotvald or Ag Teacher Brenda Gotvald.
Our FFA chapter has around 30 members, all of whom are currently enrolled in an agriculture class. Students meet monthly during Pioneer Time and can choose areas that match their interests, including Ag Mechanics, Companion Animal, and Floriculture.
FFA members stay busy throughout the year with competitions, gatherings, and leadership opportunities. They compete at events hosted by Central Lakes College, Staples-Motley, and Itasca, and Pierz recently hosted the Milk Quality and Dairy competition at Happke’s Farm. Members can also apply for scholarships through their FFA involvement.
Each fall, members also have the opportunity to travel to the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana. The week-long trip at the end of October gives students the chance to experience agriculture on a national level while also taking in some memorable activities. This year the group visited an apple orchard, a dairy farm, attended an Elle Langley concert, watched an Indiana Pacers game, and enjoyed several other stops along the way.
Closer to home, our students also give back to younger Pioneers by hosting a Spring Barnyard Day for elementary classes, and one of the most popular traditions is Drive Your Tractor to School Day coming up on May 6. 🚜
FFA members were also proud to take part in honoring those who served during our Veterans Day program, helping recognize the veterans in our community.
To wrap up the celebration, members held a pep fest last week to recognize National FFA Week and the many opportunities agriculture education provides.
If students are interested in getting involved or learning more, contact FFA President Katelyn Gotvald or Ag Teacher Brenda Gotvald.
On Tuesday, March 3rd, sixth-grade students at Pioneer Elementary and Holy Trinity were treated to a masterclass in local history and craftsmanship. Jeff Doty, a retired Industrial Tech teacher from Little Falls and the craftsman behind IceShantyGear.com, visited the classrooms to share the intricate art of decoy making.
Doty guided students through the evolution of decoys, explaining their dual roles as essential tools for the sport of spearing and as highly collectible works of art. The students were particularly captivated by the history of Native American techniques. Doty described how early hunters used pine branches and animal hides to create "dark houses" on the ice, using hand-carved moose antlers as decoys to lure fish within range of their intuitive, hand-crafted spears.
The visit wasn’t just a history lesson; it was a kickoff for an exciting week of outdoor education. Doty made a generous donation of decoys and fishing gear to support the annual 6th-grade fishing tournament and field trip, which takes place tomorrow, Wednesday, March 4th.
“Having a local expert like Jeff share his passion really brings our outdoor curriculum to life,” school organizers noted. “His generosity ensures our students are well-equipped for their big tournament tomorrow.”
For those interested in seeing more of Jeff’s work and exploring the world of carving, the annual Decoy Show is happening this Saturday, March 7th, at the Falls Ballroom in Little Falls. The event will feature many vendors selling every type of decoy imaginable.
Doty guided students through the evolution of decoys, explaining their dual roles as essential tools for the sport of spearing and as highly collectible works of art. The students were particularly captivated by the history of Native American techniques. Doty described how early hunters used pine branches and animal hides to create "dark houses" on the ice, using hand-carved moose antlers as decoys to lure fish within range of their intuitive, hand-crafted spears.
The visit wasn’t just a history lesson; it was a kickoff for an exciting week of outdoor education. Doty made a generous donation of decoys and fishing gear to support the annual 6th-grade fishing tournament and field trip, which takes place tomorrow, Wednesday, March 4th.
“Having a local expert like Jeff share his passion really brings our outdoor curriculum to life,” school organizers noted. “His generosity ensures our students are well-equipped for their big tournament tomorrow.”
For those interested in seeing more of Jeff’s work and exploring the world of carving, the annual Decoy Show is happening this Saturday, March 7th, at the Falls Ballroom in Little Falls. The event will feature many vendors selling every type of decoy imaginable.
You are invited to honor our wrestlers!
Huge congratulations to the Pioneer Wrestling Team on an extraordinary season and a powerhouse finale. Claiming two critical victories at the State Tournament to bring home the Class AA 3rd Place Trophy is a monumental achievement. We are so proud of the grit, heart, and dedication this team showed on the mat.
Let’s celebrate them! Healy High School will host a recognition event: 📅 Tuesday, March 3rd
🕘 9:05 AM
📍 in the MAC, enter door 22
Huge congratulations to the Pioneer Wrestling Team on an extraordinary season and a powerhouse finale. Claiming two critical victories at the State Tournament to bring home the Class AA 3rd Place Trophy is a monumental achievement. We are so proud of the grit, heart, and dedication this team showed on the mat.
Let’s celebrate them! Healy High School will host a recognition event: 📅 Tuesday, March 3rd
🕘 9:05 AM
📍 in the MAC, enter door 22
Adjust those schedules! Pioneer Elementary releases at 1:05pm and Healy HS releases at 1:15pm this Monday, March 2, 2026. Note: Holy Trinity is sticking to their regular full-day schedule.
Don't miss the chance to donate blood at MHS' spring blood drive! Wednesday, April 8, 2026 from 8am -2pm in the MAC. Call Mrs. Strohmeier to schedule your appointment, 320-468-6458.
2026 Geo Bee Results
Congratulations to the following 5th and 6th graders who worked hard learning countries around the world, and excelling in geography trivia! Each week for several weeks, they had map contests of countries around the world, including our US fifty states as a part of the North America map contest. All map contests were completed without using a word bank. They did a fantastic job!
6th Grade World Map Contest
1st- Jet Toops, 2nd- Katelyn Stamm, 3rd- Oliver Landowski
6th Grade Geography Bee
1st- Jet Toops, 2nd- Henry Kessler, 3rd- Evan Elstran
5th Grade World Map Contest
1st- Avery Seppelt, 2nd- Anna Hyatt, 3rd- Kaden Gunther
5th Grade Geography Bee
1st- Eastin Silgjord, 2nd- Cora Behl, 3rd- Nolah Fyten
Congratulations to the following 5th and 6th graders who worked hard learning countries around the world, and excelling in geography trivia! Each week for several weeks, they had map contests of countries around the world, including our US fifty states as a part of the North America map contest. All map contests were completed without using a word bank. They did a fantastic job!
6th Grade World Map Contest
1st- Jet Toops, 2nd- Katelyn Stamm, 3rd- Oliver Landowski
6th Grade Geography Bee
1st- Jet Toops, 2nd- Henry Kessler, 3rd- Evan Elstran
5th Grade World Map Contest
1st- Avery Seppelt, 2nd- Anna Hyatt, 3rd- Kaden Gunther
5th Grade Geography Bee
1st- Eastin Silgjord, 2nd- Cora Behl, 3rd- Nolah Fyten
This morning, our school family came together for a truly special moment. 💙
During lunchtime, one of our students didn’t hesitate when another student was choking—she stepped in, took action, and helped a classmate in need. Today, Officer Hanneken joined us to recognize her with an Everyday Hero Award in front of our entire school community.
What made this moment even more meaningful was sharing it with families—because our school is more than a building. We are a family. A place where we look out for one another, show kindness, and take care of each other in big and small ways every day.
Being a hero doesn’t always mean wearing a cape. Sometimes it looks like courage, compassion, and stepping up when someone needs help. We are so proud of this student for showing what it means to be an everyday hero.
Thank you to Officer Hanneken, our staff, our students, and our families for helping us celebrate kindness, bravery, and the power of caring for one another. 💙👏
https://youtu.be/gsWR3w8urlk
During lunchtime, one of our students didn’t hesitate when another student was choking—she stepped in, took action, and helped a classmate in need. Today, Officer Hanneken joined us to recognize her with an Everyday Hero Award in front of our entire school community.
What made this moment even more meaningful was sharing it with families—because our school is more than a building. We are a family. A place where we look out for one another, show kindness, and take care of each other in big and small ways every day.
Being a hero doesn’t always mean wearing a cape. Sometimes it looks like courage, compassion, and stepping up when someone needs help. We are so proud of this student for showing what it means to be an everyday hero.
Thank you to Officer Hanneken, our staff, our students, and our families for helping us celebrate kindness, bravery, and the power of caring for one another. 💙👏
https://youtu.be/gsWR3w8urlk
Today we proudly celebrated our incredible bus drivers and bus paras with breakfast and small gifts as a token of appreciation. These amazing individuals are the first smiles our students see each morning and the last waves they receive each afternoon. Their patience, dedication, and commitment to safety never go unnoticed.
A special thank you to Tracy, our transportation coordinator, who truly went the extra mile to make sure our team felt valued and celebrated today. We are so grateful for everything you do for our students and families! 🚌💛
A special thank you to Tracy, our transportation coordinator, who truly went the extra mile to make sure our team felt valued and celebrated today. We are so grateful for everything you do for our students and families! 🚌💛
Geology came to life last week thanks to a special visit from Rick Grammond! 💎 Rick shared his expert lessons on rock collecting and polishing with our 5th and 6th grade science students. By sharing his personal collection and donating a full rock-polishing kit, Rick is helping our students see the "hidden gems" in nature. Every student went home with a new rock and a fresh perspective on the Earth beneath their feet, and we can't wait to see their polished results. Science is officially rocking this year! 🪨✨
Our students have been busy creating, building, and growing this week. It is incredible to see their hard work turn into finished products across our technical departments.
Water, Woods, and Wildlife: Students are building custom ice fishing rods from scratch—assembling everything from the handles to the guides. This project gives them a real look at the craftsmanship behind their gear, leading right into lure-making and gear strategy.
Metal Fabrication: Using our CNC plasma table and oxy-acetylene torches, students transformed flat steel into beautiful welded roses. It’s a perfect blend of high-tech programming and traditional hand-tool skills.
Horticulture: Our greenhouse is full of life as students study biome-specific plants. To celebrate Valentine’s Day today, the class also practiced their floral design skills by creating custom arrangements.
We are proud of the practical skills our students are mastering every day. Take a look at their latest work in the photos below!
Water, Woods, and Wildlife: Students are building custom ice fishing rods from scratch—assembling everything from the handles to the guides. This project gives them a real look at the craftsmanship behind their gear, leading right into lure-making and gear strategy.
Metal Fabrication: Using our CNC plasma table and oxy-acetylene torches, students transformed flat steel into beautiful welded roses. It’s a perfect blend of high-tech programming and traditional hand-tool skills.
Horticulture: Our greenhouse is full of life as students study biome-specific plants. To celebrate Valentine’s Day today, the class also practiced their floral design skills by creating custom arrangements.
We are proud of the practical skills our students are mastering every day. Take a look at their latest work in the photos below!
The Pioneer Way is in full swing at our school!
Our students are earning entries into our book vending machine drawing by being caught doing good—showing kindness and respect, and working hard. When a name is drawn, they win a special token to pick out a brand-new book.
It is a true team effort, as our Student Council members are always ready to step in and help our younger learners navigate the machine. We love seeing our Pioneers lead by example and celebrate a love for reading.
Our students are earning entries into our book vending machine drawing by being caught doing good—showing kindness and respect, and working hard. When a name is drawn, they win a special token to pick out a brand-new book.
It is a true team effort, as our Student Council members are always ready to step in and help our younger learners navigate the machine. We love seeing our Pioneers lead by example and celebrate a love for reading.
The classroom met the real world this week for our Computer Support Intern (CSI) students. They had the opportunity to shadow 2023 Pierz graduate Thomas Herold, who is currently interning with our IT Director, Dustin Hoeper.
Our CSI team rolled up their sleeves to work alongside Thomas, gaining hands-on experience repairing and updating PC computers. It is great to see our alumni returning to mentor the next generation of tech experts!
Our CSI team rolled up their sleeves to work alongside Thomas, gaining hands-on experience repairing and updating PC computers. It is great to see our alumni returning to mentor the next generation of tech experts!
Today we welcomed Philip Warwick, national expert in evaluating effective schools
focusing on elements of effective practice from the New Art and Science of Teaching. Instructional rounds give teachers the opportunity to learn from one another through peer observation and professional dialogue. By identifying conditions for learning and instructional strategies in practice, our staff continues to strengthen classroom instruction and support our work as a High Reliability School.
Due to extreme cold, Pierz Schools will implement an E-Learning Day, Friday, January 23. All after-school activities for Thursday, January 22 are cancelled with the exception of optional varsity-only practices. All afterschool activities for Friday and those scheduled on Saturday remain as-scheduled at the time of this posting.
Weather-related announcement:
No after-school events today, January 22.
No JH Practices
Varsity-only are optional practices that need to be done by 4:30pm .
No Harding Gun Safety Class tonight.
Note: All events are on for tomorrow afternoon as scheduled except for GBB will be at 4:00pm start for JV and C Saturday events are all on schedule as of time of posting.
No after-school events today, January 22.
No JH Practices
Varsity-only are optional practices that need to be done by 4:30pm .
No Harding Gun Safety Class tonight.
Note: All events are on for tomorrow afternoon as scheduled except for GBB will be at 4:00pm start for JV and C Saturday events are all on schedule as of time of posting.
Today, through a grant by our amazing Pioneer Elementary PTO-students at Pioneer were treated to science, engineering, and technology presentations courtesy of the Science Museum of Minnesota! Students learned about electricity, engineering, energy, and more through hands-on experiments and demonstrations. They also learned the Engineering Design Process. "Ask, Imagine, Plan, Create" are core steps in the Engineering Design Process, a systematic approach to problem-solving and innovation.
