Brian Pellequin, White Bear Lake High School activities director, told the School Board of Independent School District 624 that the district’s fall programming prioritized student connection with the theme “do I belong here.” Pellequin said the office aims to “make a big school feel small” through activities fairs, advisor outreach and expanded publicity.

Pellequin said the district held two activities fairs for ninth graders this fall, drew high attendance, and registered about 1,100 students in at least one extracurricular this fall. He said the district’s goal is for 85% of students to identify a sport, activity or club they want to join. “Do I belong here,” Pellequin said, summarizing the focus for the first 60 days.

The presentation listed participation and team highlights: 52 players in volleyball with the varsity team 17–12; about 60 in girls soccer that reached the section final; roughly 75 participants in boys soccer after nearly 100 tryouts; 17 participants in adapted soccer (hosted the state adapted soccer tournament); 31 in girls swim and dive with Charlotte McIntyre qualifying for state; and notable coaches honored as section coaches of the year. Pellequin said the homecoming dance sold more than 1,400 tickets and the homecoming football game drew about 4,200 attendees — the largest crowd during his tenure.

On access and outreach, Pellequin described ticketing and media efforts: the district offers free admission to all high-school students for home events; about 2,230 students downloaded passes this fall, 80 new senior-citizen passes were issued, and roughly 300 adult passes were sold. He said the district streamed 56 games with more than 5,000 views and that an Instagram account and a partnership with Ritchie Media Group have expanded video reach (Pellequin said posts have cumulatively reached about 1,300,000 views).

Board members asked how the 85% participation goal is measured. Pellequin said the target is based on an annual student survey distributed by counseling/activities staff; he acknowledged registration counts undercount some student-run clubs that do not require formal sign-up and that students involved in multiple activities complicate simple tallies. When asked whether activity participation correlates with academic success and retention, Pellequin said research shows a strong correlation nationally and locally and that student-athletes in the district must meet academic and attendance standards to remain eligible. He also said five students recently signed letters of intent to NCAA Division I or II programs with an average GPA of 3.85.

The presentation closed with a pledge to continue promoting student engagement across athletics, fine arts and activities. The board thanked Pellequin and recommended future presentations include clearer documentation of participation, retention and academic outcomes.