Education

Kee High School’s Large Group Speech team participated in a smaller District Contest this past Saturday, January 23 at MFL/MarMac High School due to COVID-19 and new gathering guidelines that include the wearing of facemasks or shields. Competing against teams from the host school, three Kee speech teams earned advancement to the State level of competition scheduled to be held Saturday, February 6. Those three teams include the following:

Reader’s Theatre - “Power Play”: Macy Manning, Alexis Johnson, Jada Mitchell, Owen Henkes, Michael Mattson and Daniel Wagner
Solo Mime - “Magic Mania”: Lydia Strong
Improvisational Acting: Owen Henkes, Will Mooney, Michael Mattson, Luke Eiden and Ethan Rasque.

by Susan Cantine-Maxson

The monthly meeting of the Board of Directors of the Eastern Allamakee Community School District (EACSD) was held at Kee High School in Lansing Monday, January 18. The meeting was called to order by Board President Heather Schulte, with all board members present.

The board  authorized the district’s administration to submit a request to the State School Budget Review Committee in the amount of $93,048 for Modified Supplemental Amount (MSA) for the purpose of the 2021-2022 Dropout Prevention/At Risk Program.

by Brianne Eilers

The Allamakee Community School District (ACSD) Board of Directors met Monday evening, January 18 for its regular monthly board meeting. Board member Erik Helgerson was absent from the meeting.

Under the Consent Agenda, the board approved after-school programming staff, pending the completion of a satisfactory background check. Adam Hooten and Sarah Hagen were approved as volunteers for this year’s musical production and Kasie Criswell was approved for hiring as an elementary paraprofessional.

John O’Neill was approved as an assistant varsity boys track coach. The board also accepted the retirement resignation of Cindy Wuebker from her position as a first grade teacher, effective at the end of the 2020-2021 school year. The board approved one open enrollment as well.

At a surprise presentation during the Waukon High School Band’s Christmas Concert held in December, the Northeast Iowa Bandmasters Association (NEIBA) honored Jo Ann Knipfer Sherman, Band Director at Waukon High School, as the recipient of the 2020 Philip Sehmann Excellence in Teaching Award. The award was presented to Director Sherman at the concert by Dustin Bliven, Decorah High School Band Director and Past-President for the Northeast Iowa Bandmasters Association District for the 2020-2021 school year.

The Philip Sehmann Excellence in Teaching Award is given in memory of Philip Sehmann, who had a highly distinguished career as Director of Bands at Crestwood Community Schools. This award is presented to those individuals who meet the criteria of excellence, dedication and commitment to the value of instrumental music education in NEIBA member schools.

Local residents should expect to receive letters in mid to late February

The 2020-2021 Allamakee Scholarship Fund, Inc. phone-a-thon typically held in February each year is the major fundraiser for the organization and is conducted by the student applicants in conjunction with the Allamakee Scholarship Fund, Inc. Board of Directors. In past years, students used phone banks at Waukon High School and at Waukon State Bank and FreedomBank in Waukon to secure donation pledges.

With COVID-19 restrictions in place this year, no phone calling will be done at all, and students will, instead, address and mail phone-a-thon donation letters. These phone-a-thon mailings will be prepared Thursday, February 11, Tuesday, February 16 and Monday, February 22.

St. Patrick School’s annual Mardi Gras event will have a little different look this year due to current COVID-19 mitigation regulations, but event organizers and the school’s students and staff invite anyone and everyone to participate as much as they can in their annual fundraiser.

The event is scheduled for Saturday, January 30 and involves many of the same aspects of previous Mardi Gras celebrations, but in a bit different format.

A carry-out meal catered by BE Catered of Waukon will be available from 4-7 p.m., with both an adult meal and a smaller kids meal being available for carry-out only from the St. Patrick Church basement. Meals are only available through ticket purchases in advance of the event so that plans for the meal can be handled accordingly.

For the past two years, educators in northeast Iowa have been invited to bring their students to the Regional Urban Stormwater Demonstration (RUSD) Site on the Northeast Iowa Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) campus in Postville. Visits to the RUSD Site include a tour of the urban stormwater best management practices and multiple hands-on learning activities that teach students about urban stormwater conservation and how communities affect water quality and flooding.

Over 30 northeast Iowa educational groups have visited the RUSD Site and taken part in the hands-on learning activities available thus far. Teachers who bring their students to the RUSD site are eligible for Watershed Guardian Grants to implement urban stormwater best management practices at their school or in their community.

Allamakee Scholarship Fund (ASF), Inc. and Waukon High School local scholarship applications are due January 31, 2021 to the Waukon High School Guidance Office. Several awards applications are part of the ASF, Inc. forms that were submitted in November.

Other awards through ASF, Inc. and local organizations have additional forms to complete by the January 31 deadline. Information is available on the Allamakee Scholarship Fund, Inc. website and from the Waukon High School Guidance Office. Contact Waukon High School Guidance Counselor Amy Wasson for additional information.

Two new scholarships have been added through ASF, Inc. They include the Thomas E. Luther Family Scholarship and the Virginia Roe Scholarship.

Virginia Roe spent her career passionately caring for her patients. She enjoyed several nursing roles in the local community. A scholarship in her name has been newly established this year and will be awarded in the spring of 2021.

This is the 16th year for the Alumni Scholarship instituted by the Allamakee Scholarship Fund (ASF), Inc. Board of Directors. The award is made to a Waukon High School graduate who participated in ASF, Inc. while in high school and received an award as a graduating senior.

The scholarship is available to college sophomores through graduate level students. The ASF, Inc. Board feels it is important to continue the encouragement to Allamakee Community School District graduates as they continue their education, not just as they start their post-high school program. The board wishes to encourage participation in community service and college activities that are part of their educational growth and preparation for career and community life.

by Susan Cantine-Maxson

The regular meeting of the Board of Directors of the Eastern Allamakee Community School District (EACSD) was held at  Kee High School in Lansing, Iowa Monday, December 21.  

The meeting was called to order by Heather Schulte, Board President. Additional board members present included Tony Becker, Melanie Mauss and Heather Schulte. Board members Bobbie Goetzinger and Kelli Mudderman were absent. EACSD Superintendent Dr. Dale Crozier, Kee High School and Lansing Middle School Principal Dr. Sarah Updegraff, Acting New Albin Elementary School Principal Donna Thomas, Board Secretary Janet Heiderscheit and EACSD Technology Coordinator Dave Ellefson were also present at the meeting.