School reconfiguration complete in Hibbing

HIBBING—As seventh grade students made their way down the hallway on Wednesday, they had new freedom and responsibilities at Lincoln Elementary.

Principal Derek Gabardi looked on with pride as he told how the seventh graders, accustomed to being led by a classroom teacher, now are learning to pass from class to class much like they would have if they were at the high school.

The Hibbing School District underwent a district wide restructuring of its school buildings effective this school year as a cost saving measure. Washington Elementary is now a preschool through first grade building; Greenhaven Elementary is a second and third grade building; Lincoln Middle School is a fourth through seventh grade building; and a designated eighth grade wing was created at Hibbing High School.

Hibbing School Superintendent Rick Aldrich said approximately 100 staff members/rooms were moved during the transition.

“Although each of our buildings experienced changes, Lincoln Middle School and the Hibbing High School saw the largest number of changes,” Aldrich told the Mesabi Tribune via email before the start of the school year.

Nick Ebb teaches social studies and American History at the Lincoln. Ebb said he began working on moving his classroom this past spring with the help of custodial staff and volunteers and in August completed setting up his classroom.

“It’s really a nice transition point to get them from an elementary setting to a high school setting; allowing them to move from class to class,” Ebb said of the move. The added responsibility and independence, he said, “are a nice little transition to moving onto the high school.”

Ebb said he teaches six classes of U.S. history, along with a homeroom and study hall.

Down the hall Kristi Borland teaches seventh grade math and honors math, six sections and about 160 students.

“I’m just excited to see the seventh graders—it’s always exciting along with the possibilities a new school year holds.”

Borland pointed out that seventh and eighth grade can be tough as students prepare for high school, and “weather the storms of growing up.”

Carrie McDonald, Director of Teaching and Learning for the Hibbing School District said one of the positive outcomes of the realignment will be the collaboration that will take place among staff, especially with grade level teams.

“Collaboration on ways to best support student’s academic and social emotional needs, collaboration on curriculum, and collaboration on instructional practices,” McDonald wrote in an email earlier this week. “Every child deserves collective responsibility from the educators involved in their lives. Collective responsibility means our students benefit from the wisdom and expertise of all teachers in a grade.”