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North Branch Schools celebrated their AAA Award winners and ExCEL students for this school year. The students were given certificates and pins at the school board meeting last week in the district education center. AAA winners are active in their community and are high achievers in Academics, Athletics and the Arts.

The ExCEL winners must be juniors, who are nominated by high school officials as leaders in the school and volunteer in their community. The school winners advance to the MN State High School League, where all Class AA school nominees vy for class finalist designation and scholarships. Pictured are AAA winners for North Branch High School: wearing a red warm-up jacket, Tyler Ertl and Emily Ziegler, in white jacket. ExCEL winners are Patrick Mork and Megan Zimmerman, also pictured.

The School Board recognized several other students for athletic conference awards. The activities director also informed the School Board that the "Vikettes" Dance Team nabbed the North Suburban Conference Academic Team Championship with a team grade point average of 3.9.

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