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SHAKOPEE

Coaches suspended for drinking on trip Four coaches on the Shakopee High School girls' hockey team were suspended from several games for drinking during a team trip, according to records released by the School District last week.

Head coach Dereck Grosskurth missed five games last month, while three assistant coaches were suspended for three games each.

The suspensions, which wrapped up with a game against New Prague last week, resulted from behavior on a trip the hockey players took on Nov. 27 and 28 to compete against teams from Silver Bay and International Falls, Minn.

The district began investigating the incident after receiving an anonymous complaint, said Shakopee Superintendent Jon McBroom. When questioned, the coaches admitted that they had gone to a bar and also had drinks in the hotel where the team was staying, McBroom said. At least some of the drinking was witnessed by players, he said.

The district found no evidence that any students had been drinking, and the suspensions were staggered to cause as little disruption as possible to the team, McBroom said.

The players were not left unsupervised at the hotel, and the coaches didn't drink and drive, he said. Still, they were responsible for the team, McBroom said. "We just felt they should have known better than to drink in that particular environment."

District rules don't explicitly ban adult staff members from drinking on school trips, but that could change, he said.

Grosskurth also got a five-day unpaid suspension from his teaching job in Shakopee last year when the district discovered that he had stolen low-value gift cards from Shakopee Middle School, according to district records. Attempts to reach him for comment last week were unsuccessful.

ROSEMOUNT-APPLE VALLEY-EAGAN

Eagan High School wins award Eagan High School was among ten schools statewide to receive an award from a nonprofit group that promotes academic success in Minnesota.

The 2009 Minnesota Academic Excellence Foundation School Spotlight Award highlights the curriculum, instruction, assessment and staff development at recipient schools, according to a news release from the Minnesota Department of Education.

Nominate employee for district award The Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan School District is accepting nominations for the 20th annual Andrew Christopher Randall Memorial Travel Award. The monetary prize is given every year to a district employee who fosters respect between students and staff.

Any employee, resident, student or parent can suggest someone for the award, as long as the nominee has worked in the district for at least five years. For a nomination form, see www.district196.org or call 651-423-7784. They're due by Feb. 25.

SARAH LEMAGIE