Education

The seven Kee High School students pictured at right competed in 10 different events at the State Contest held Saturday, March 13 in Postville. Those 10 events received seven “one” ratings and three “two” ratings, with Owen Henkes and Abby Wood each competing in two categories and both receiving perfect scores in each of their performances. Pictured at right are the participating students, listed below with the categories they competed in. Left to right - Front row: Neva Peterson (Storytelling), Cadan Evanson (Storytelling), Owen Henkes (Improvisation and Literary), Lilly Peterson (Prose); Back row: Riley Troendle (Prose), Abby Wood (Music Theatre and Poetry) and Monica Davis (Prose and Poetry). Submitted photo.
 

by Brianne Eilers

The Allamakee Community School District (ACSD) Board of Directors regular monthly meeting was moved to Wednesday evening, March 17 due to the snowstorm that gripped the area on the board’s usual monthly Monday meeting night of March 15.

Under the consent agenda, the board approved the following personnel: After School Programming staff; Emily Shannon Timm as art teacher; and Alicia Enyart as West Elementary associate/Kids Club coordinator. The board accepted the resignations of Joey Lapel and Mike Shupe from their Teacher Leader Compensation (TLC) positions, as well as Chris Dahlstrom from his seventh grade track coaching position. The board also accepted the resignation of Virginia Kurth from her Middle School After School Programming position, due to retirement.

The nine Waukon High School students pictured at right advanced from their District Individual Speech Contest held March 1 to the State Contest that was scheduled to take place Saturday, March 13 at Postville High School. Pictured at right, left to right, are the following students listed with their advancing performance: Top row - Denzel Decker, Improvisational Acting; Alaina Gebel, Expository Address; Mady Helgerson, Expository Address; Violet Holthaus, Prose; Bottom row - Ethan Hooten, Public Address; Vivian Khan, Original Oratory; Olivia Marti, Original Oratory; Ryan VanderVelden, Musical Theater; Abby Wiemerslage, Reviewing and Storytelling. Submitted file photos.
 

The eight Kee High School students pictured above competed in 11 different events at District Contest Saturday, February 27 in Postville. The group brought home 10 one ratings and one two rating, with those 10 one-rated events advancing to State Contest scheduled for this past Saturday, March 13 in Postville. Pictured above, left to right, are: Left to right - Front row: Lilly Peterson, Cadan Evanson, Riley Troendle; Back row: Monica Davis, Abby Wood, Owen Henkes, Phoenix Crass, Neva Peterson. Submitted photo.
 

Kee High School’s spring production will be a comedy called “Nun of Your Business” by Craig Sodaro and published by Eldridge Publishing Co. The play will be performed Saturday, March 27 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, March 28 at 2 p.m. in the Kee High School gymnasium.

Admission fee will be taken at the door. Social distance seating will be made available throughout the floor of the gym as well as seating in the bleachers. This light-hearted comedy is filled with practice scenes that keep the cast and crew laughing and being involved.

The Sisters of Faith, Hope and Charity at the convent of St. Fermilda are in the midst of all kinds of intrigue and they’re not even sure how they got there. But don’t think because they took vows of reverence and poverty that they’ll let some hard-nosed hoods get the best of them.

The Waukon High School Speech and Drama Department had one Large Group Speech performance achieve an All-State nomination following its State Contest held in Postville February 6. The Choral Reading group that performed a Hallmark Parody was chosen for the honor. Students performing that All-State selection are pictured at right and include, left to right in inset photos, sophomore Alaina Gebel and freshman Isaac Ericson, and, left to right standing in photo, freshman Olivia Marti, senior Violet Holthaus, and juniors Abby Wiemerslage and Mady Helgerson.

Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) Business and Community Solutions is offering “Kids in the Kitchen - Easter Cookies” Wednesday, March 31 from 2:30-4:30 p.m. at the NICC Waukon Center, located at 1220 Third Avenue NW. Kids ages seven to 14 are invited to learn how to decorate Easter cookies by practicing with a pastry bag.

To register online for “Kids in the Kitchen - Easter Cookies” (#80343) or for more information, visit www.nicc.edu/solutions/80343, or call 844-642-2338, ext. 6700. Registration deadline with payment is March 24.
 

Northeast Iowa Community Action Corporation (NEICAC) has announced the availability of NEICAC Scholarships supported solely by employees and friends of Community Action. The application and criteria for eligibility are available through the County Family Service Offices or the Administrative Office in Decorah (563-382-8436), online at https://www.neicac.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/2021-Scholarship-Filla..., or at high school guidance counselors’ offices. Applications must be submitted by 4:30 p.m. Friday, April 23 to be considered.

The Kee High School Speech and Drama Department had one Large Group Speech performance achieve All-State honors following its State Contest held in Postville February 6. The Reader’s Theatre performance entitled “Power Play” was chosen for the honor. Students performing that All-State selection are pictured above and include, left to right, Owen Henkes, Michael Mattson, Daniel Wagner, Jada Mitchell, Alexis Johnson and Macy Manning. The piece they performed was a dramatic selection about stereotyping students in school and how judging others can destroy relationships and each other. The story has a lesson about self worth and who has the power to make a difference.

Even though there were several types of State Contest events held this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, those contests each still had to have three qualified judges who rated the performances that day. Those judges then went online to make their All-State nominations.

submitted by the Allamakee Community Education Association

Allamakee Community School District (ACSD) experienced its highly anticipated first snow day January 15 of this year, followed by three more during February. With all of the technology now available, the school district decided to approach snow days a bit differently this year, utilizing Zoom video conferencing with older students and an online program called Seesaw for younger students.

Teachers began preparing and planning weeks in advance when the district first informed them of online learning plans for weather disrupted days. Elementary schools prepared educational packets to send home and posted digital activities for their students on Seesaw and Google classroom. Students could complete their packets and activities throughout the day and interact with their teacher through email or Seesaw messages. Students then turned their packets in when they returned to in-person learning.