Cass Lake-Bena Public Schools - #CLBSPANTHERS

We will be kicking off Drum and Dance for the 25-26 School year with food, a program overview, and a chance to meet with the Drum and Dance Advisors. Accommodations are for two groups: Grades 2nd-5th, and 6th-12th. We have a lot to cover so please arrive on time so you don’t miss out on anything! We hope to see you there!

WEDNESDAY, NOV 5 — Winter Activities/Athletics Meeting

CLB presents our Winter Activities/Athletics Meeting for all Panthers and families. This is your one-stop kickoff:
• Meet the coaching staffs
• Pick up team schedules
• Hear highlights from the updated handbook
• Get paperwork done on the spot

🕕 6:00–7:00 PM
📍 CLBHS Commons

Show up, get set, and be ready for winter. Go Panthers!
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CLBHS Student Council invites staff, students, and community members to sign up to donate blood on Friday, November 7th!
Go to donors.vitalant.org and use code casslakebena to get signed up!

CLBES Book Fair starts on Monday at 9:45 am! Make sure you go to our Book Fair website at scholastic.com/bf/casslakebenaelementarysch and set up an ewallet so your child does not have to carry money with them to school.
The Book Fair hours are as follows:
Nov 3rd 9:45-3:00
Nov 4th and 5th 7:45-3:00
Nov 6th 7:45-6:00
Nov 7th 7:45-1:30
We hope to see you there!

Here is some info for the end of the season celebration for Volleyball! We hope to see you on Tuesday in the Culture Room!

📢 We’re Hiring Wrestling Coaches! 🤼‍♂️🐾

Cass Lake-Bena Schools is looking for passionate and dedicated coaches to help grow and lead our Panther Wrestling program this season!

📌 Open Positions:

Middle School Wrestling Coach ($2,409 - $2,906 based on years of experiences)

K–6th Youth Wrestling Coach ($1,284 - $1,529 based on years of experiences)

JV Wrestling Coach ($4,271 - $5,136 based on years of experiences)

These roles are vital to continuing to offer opportunities for our student-athletes. If these positions are not filled, programming and offerings may be affected.

If you love the sport and want to make an impact on young athletes, now is the time to get involved.

📩 To apply or learn more: https://www.clbs.k12.mn.us/page/employment

#PantherPride #Wrestling #CoachingOpportunity #YouthSports #GoPanthers #PantherStrong

🏀 Panther Basketball Heads to the 218 Sports Showcase! 🏀

We’re proud to announce that Cass Lake-Bena will be competing in the 2026 218 Sports Showcase, hosted at the Sanford Center in Bemidji one of the premier basketball events in northern Minnesota! 🎉

📅 Dates: February 13th, 2026
📍 Location: Sanford Center – Bemidji, MN
🏆 Presented by: 218 Sports of Bemidji

🔥 Game Schedule for CLB Panthers:
Girls Basketball vs. Fosston — 2:00 PM
Boys Basketball vs. Fosston — 4:00 PM

This incredible showcase features top NCAA and MSHSL teams from across the region, all competing under one roof for an unforgettable weekend of hoops and community pride.

💥 Come show your #PantherPride and support our student-athletes as they represent Cass Lake-Bena on one of the biggest stages in northern Minnesota!

#PantherBasketball #218Showcase #GoPanthers #PantherNation #CLBPride

WEDNESDAY, NOV 5 — Winter Activities/Athletics Meeting

CLB presents our Winter Activities/Athletics Meeting for all Panthers and families. This is your one-stop kickoff:
• Meet the coaching staffs
• Pick up team schedules
• Hear highlights from the updated handbook
• Get paperwork done on the spot

🕕 6:00–7:00 PM
📍 CLBHS Commons

Show up, get set, and be ready for winter. Go Panthers!

Cross Country is running into Sections today in Bagley at 4pm! Good luck to the Cross Country teams!

Cass Lake-Bena High School Student Council invites you to participate in our fall blood drive! Please see the flyer below for more information!

📢 We’re Hiring Wrestling Coaches! 🤼‍♂️🐾

Cass Lake-Bena Schools is looking for passionate and dedicated coaches to help grow and lead our Panther Wrestling program this season!

📌 Open Positions:

Middle School Wrestling Coach

K–6th Youth Wrestling Coach

JV Wrestling Coach

These roles are vital to continuing to offer opportunities for our student-athletes. If these positions are not filled, programming and offerings may be affected.

If you love the sport and want to make an impact on young athletes, now is the time to get involved.

📩 To apply or learn more: https://www.clbs.k12.mn.us/page/employment

#PantherPride #Wrestling #CoachingOpportunity #YouthSports #GoPanthers #PantherStrong

CLBHS students interested in pursuing a career in the health field visited Sanford Health in Bemidji! They toured the facility, practiced sewing sutures, using syringes, and interacted with and learned from medical students. Great day for our future healthcare students!

Panthers headed to Cross Country Championship

This Friday the Cass Lake Bena Cross Country Team will be competing in the Section Championship. Over 125 of the area’s top runners from 27 teams will be competing with both individual and team trips to the state championship on the line. The Panther team has made its mark on the season and will be well represented at the Section Championship by four runners

Freshman Markis Washington will make his return to the Section Championship after running as an 8th grader last year. The All Conference runner has been a medalist at multiple meets and his 18:24 race time puts him in State contention.

Zane Halse has been rising through the rankings throughout the season. The Freshman ran a personal record of 20:40 at the Section Championship and recently placed 8th overall and second in his age group at the Bemidji Blue Ox 10K.

After dominating the Junior High race season, Fabian Wittner earned his spot as a Varsity runner at the Section Championship. The 8th grader has been a medalist in every race he has run this season including multiple top 3 finishes.

Brayden Dahl returns to the Cross Country team after finishing the football season. As an 8th grader last year, he was a multiple medalist, competed in the Section Championship, and holds the school 2 mile record.

The Section Championship will take place on October 24th at the Twin Pines Golf Course in Bagley. Please consider supporting our amazing runners.

Dear Parents/Guardians,
This is a friendly reminder that Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held tomorrow night from 3:45 to 7:45 PM at Cass Lake-Bena High School.
We encourage you to attend and take this opportunity to:
* Celebrate your child’s progress and achievements
* Connect with their teachers
* Learn more about how we can work together for their continued success

Thanks to the 21st Century Grant, a walking taco dinner will be provided for all attending families—so come enjoy a meal while supporting your student’s success!
We look forward to seeing you there!

🎯 Pumpkin Launch Challenge in the Makerspace! 🎃

Our 8th grade students put their creativity and engineering skills to the test in the middle school Makerspace Lab last week! Working in teams of two or three, students constructed simple catapults using popsicle sticks and rubber bands. Their goal? To launch candy pumpkins at paper castle targets with precision and power! 🏰💥

Using meter sticks, students measured their launches in centimeters to see how far they could go while still hitting the target. A few groups even launched their candy pumpkins over 200 cm and still struck the castle with impressive accuracy! 👏

Hands-on learning, teamwork, and a touch of friendly competition made for an exciting day in the Makerspace! 🚀✨

CLB Elementary Book Fair is coming November 3rd through the 7th. Family Night is November 6th until 6:00 pm. More information to come, if needed.

Against the Wind: Panthers Earn Every Step

The course was brutal: rolling hills, gusts of 17 mph, and stretches of wind that felt like running through water. But the Panthers showed up ready to battle. This meet was their toughest yet, with a multitude of AA teams competing.

This meet flipped the usual schedule, with the Varsity boys running first instead of last.

Freshman Markis Washington, ranked 30th going in, ran with grit and purpose, moving up to finish 27th in 19:22 (6:14 per mile). He’s been managing some IT band pain, but you wouldn’t have guessed it by the way he powered through the last mile. With a crowded, narrow course, getting around other runners was tough — but the Panthers know the real racing starts after the first mile. Following pre-race instructions to run smart and tuck in behind others to block the wind, Markis stayed relaxed. Even when he found himself around 50th early on, he didn’t panic, instead, he picked off runners one by one.

Freshman Zane Halse proved that patience pays off. Ranked 96th, he ran a smart, steady race, drafting when possible and conserving energy for the second half. By the finish line, he’d climbed an ASTONISHING 50 places to finish 46th in 21:08 (6:48 per mile). He wasn’t ecstatic with his placement, but the strength to maintain that pace through hills and wind is undeniable.

With the promise of chocolate milk at the finish line, freshman Kenny Litzau found another gear, moving past two runners at the end of the race. With each race, his confidence grows, and every small gain adds up over the season. He powered across the line in 26:23 (8:29 per mile).

For a change, the boys’ JH 3200m race ran second.

First across the line for the Panthers was eighth grader Fabian Wittner — better known as Fabian FITtner. Ranked 9th on paper, Fabian ran like a man on a mission, storming to 6th place in 12:32.10 (6:16 per mile), ahead of runners from big schools like Bemidji, Moorhead, and Nevis. After three weeks off to focus on school, one would expect a little rust — but Fabian is fitter than ever. He hovered around 15th through the first half-mile before making his charge, passing runner after runner until he crossed the line amongst the elite of the AA field, earning a blue Bemidji medal. It’s not Cass Lake-Bena maroon, but it will do.

Eighth grader Dashawn Oquist, better known as Dashawn O-QUICK, kept that fighting spirit alive as well, clocking a solid 15:48 (7:55 per mile) despite wind, hills, and every excuse the weather tried to hand him.

After the races, a few Panthers were frustrated. Competitive by nature, they glanced at their times and shook their heads: all part of the process. There’s a difference between excuses and factors. The wind was real. The hills were real. The effort? Even more real. The beauty of cross country is that every course is different: some flat, some hilly, some winding. That’s where inner strength comes in.

Days like this build something deeper than fast times. They build resilience. And today, the Panthers showed plenty of it.