I simply have really fond memories of being in her Jazz Band in 7th and 8th grade. It was a lot of fun and she made waking up early and braving morning traffic with my saxophone strapped to the back of my bike worth it. Now that I have kids of my own, I have new appreciation of her ability to motivate and teach music to a bunch of 12 and 13 year olds at 7:30 min the morning. That is straight up magical. Thank you Ms. Dalbesio for being a great teacher!

Jim Lund was the physics teacher and theater director at Chaska High School while I was a student there. We was a great educator who helped students grow and make discoveries, both artistic and scientific. As a person, I admired his intelligence and his wit. I admired his problem-solving skills. I admired how observant he was and how he listened to people. He pushes people to perform to their potential and at the height of their intelligence.

To this day, Mrs. Emily Gates is still one of the best teachers I’ve ever had. During the 7 years I followed her baton in band, choir, or musical theatre, I learned new ways to express myself among a phenomenal community of fellow classmates and parent volunteers. Her classes, concerts, shows, and trips were the backbone of so many happy school memories!