Education

by Julie Berg-Raymond

Olivia Marti, who completed her freshman year at Waukon High School this past May, has been selected for the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Program (CBYX). The program will send Marti, age 15, to live and study in Germany this fall for her sophomore year, with an August 21 departure date currently planned.

A highly competitive program (in recent years, the admission rate has been less than two percent), CBYX is a “unique, fully-funded scholarship program giving young people ages 15-18 a first-hand experience of the importance of international friendship and cooperation, which rests on shared political and cultural values” (www.germany.info/us-en/welcome/language-study-research/cbyx/1306006).

by Brianne Eilers

The Allamakee Community School District (ACSD) Board of Directors met Wednesday, June 30 for a brief special meeting. The following personnel were approved: Kaia Piggott as Payroll Secretary, Andy Reichard as Technology Director, George Farning as Custodian, Carley Sweeney as volleyball volunteer coach and Lori Jacobs as West Elementary Secretary. The board also approved an amendment to the Foodservice Administrative Assistant contract and accepted the resignation of Bailey Roth from her paraprofessional position.

Under new business, the board members approved an increase from $105/day to $115/day for certified substitute teacher pay. The meeting was then adjourned.

The ACSD Board met for its regular monthly meeting Monday, July 19. Board member Scott Melcher was absent.

SYNC is a free summer audiobook program for teens age 13 and older. Running through August 4 of this year, SYNC gives participants two thematically paired audiobooks each week. To participate in the SYNC program, register with an email at audiobooksync.com. Follow the instructions to download and set up the Sora app by Overdrive. Titles, once loaded into the app, are available indefinitely. Each title pair is available Thursday through the following Wednesday.

Titles include the following:

Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) Business and Community Solutions is offering High School Drivers Education August 26-September 30. The course will be held from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays during that time frame at the NICC Waukon Center, located at 1220 Third Avenue NW in Waukon.

To satisfy the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) requirements, students must attend 30 hours of classroom instruction and six hours of Behind the Wheel (BTW) driving experience. Attendance is required at all sessions. Students must have an Iowa driver’s permit before the first class.

The deadline for paid registration is August 19 (free and reduced lunch students should contact the school office). To register, call NICC Waukon center at 844-642-2338, ext. 6700.

Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) Business and Community Solutions is offering “Healthcare Faces of the Future” summer camp (#81181) Thursday, August 5 for students entering third through fifth grades in the fall.

The deadline for paid registration is July 26. To register online or for more information, visit www.nicc.edu/solutions/81181 or call NICC Waukon Center at 844-642-2338, ext. 6700.

Middle School Site Coordinator Virginia Kurth with the 21st Century Grant program in the Allamakee Community School District ended the month of June with the theme: “Back to the Future”. The students enjoyed American Bandstand dances from the 1950s, tie-dye from the ‘60s, Pac Man from the ‘70s and fashion trends from the ‘80s, just to name a few. Students experienced first-hand trends from the past, with some trends returning over time.

Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) Business and Community Solutions and Allamakee County Economic Development & Tourism is offering a “Build Your Own Business” summer camp (#81182) July 28-29 for students entering fourth through sixth grades in the fall.

This two-day camp gives students a chance at a “Shark Tank-style” experience where they can learn basic business concepts and vocabulary, create a business plan and pitch their ideas in a presentation to young entrepreneurs from the area. The entrepreneurs will share their business stories and help students learn everything from a proper greeting handshake to good customer service skills to building a professional business card.

The deadline for paid registration is July 19. To register online for “Build Your Own Business” or for more information, visit www.nicc.edu/solutions/81182 or call NICC Waukon Center at 844-642-2338, ext. 6700.

Over the past year, many essential workers in the northeast Iowa region have made sacrifices to serve and care for their communities. Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) has created a new “Moving Forward” Speaker Series, supported by federal CARES Act dollars, that provides local professionals with an opportunity to learn from nationally recognized experts from five presentations.

Remaining speakers include Glennon Doyle and Abby Wambach. Their presentations provide insights in how to rise above the long-term effects of the pandemic, overcome stress and thrive. Learn more and register for the series at https://www.nicc.edu/business-community/.

The final “Moving Forward” Speaker Series presentation is scheduled for July 21 from 6-7:30 p.m. Glennon Doyle and Abby Wambach, Bestselling Authors will present “Finding the Strength to Persevere”.

by Brianne Eilers

The Allamakee Community School District Board of Directors held a pair of meetings thus far in the month of June, a special meeting Friday, June 4 and the board’s regular monthly meeting Monday, June 21. Coverage of both meetings appears below.

FRIDAY, JUNE 4
The Allamakee Community School District (ACSD) Board of Directors met Friday morning, June 4 for a special meeting. The following personnel were approved for hire: Jessica Keenan as Food Service Director; Kirby Jones as School Nurse; Sarah Hagen as Assistant Musical Director; Caitlyn Owens as Elementary Vocal Music Teacher; Jason LaPage as Middle School Play Director; and Heath Kelley as Technology Director.

Each year the Waukon Middle School staff acknowledges a boy and girl from the sixth, seventh and eighth grades for the Middle School Citizenship Award. These students demonstrate positive attitude, academic excellence, exemplary character, school spirit and community involvement. This year’s recipients are pictured above according to grade level. From front to back, left to right, are sixth graders Reegan Benzing and Vaughn Stegen, seventh graders Avalea Burns and Connor Stilwelll, and eighth graders Mari Delaney and Graine Curtin. Submitted photo.