Education

For two weeks in July, South Bear School in rural Decorah will be re-opening its doors for students to join an intensive pottery workshop. South Bear School adheres to a ceramics tradition passed down from the European Guild System to the Bauhaus, to Pond Farm Pottery in California, to South Bear School.

Work and learning are based primarily on demonstrations, observation, and practice on the kickwheel. Quality one-on-one and group instruction will be provided by various alumni from the first iteration of South Bear School (1970-1987). Camp on the property at no extra cost for the full retreat experience, or commute from the nearby area.

Bill Withers, M.D. from Waukon, Keystone Area Education Agency (AEA) Board Member in Director District 3, was recently named the recipient of the 2024 Distinguished Service Award by the Iowa Council of Administrators of Special Education (iCASE). The Distinguished Service Award is presented by iCASE to individuals making significant contributions to programs and service for students with disabilities. Annette Hyde, Director of Special Education at Keystone AEA nominated Dr. Withers for the honor.

Dr. Withers was one of the original board members for Keystone AEA when Iowa’s AEAs were established in 1974. Sue Updegraff, President of the Keystone AEA Board of Directors, noted that Dr. Withers has been on the board for 45 years; in the mid 1990s his medical practice took him out of state for five years. When he returned to northeast Iowa he was fortunate to be able to serve education again by returning to the Keystone AEA Board.

Cameron Johnson from Waukon High School in the Allamakee Community School District was honored as a member of the 2024 Best of the Class. Television station KWWL in Waterloo and the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) recognized valedictorians or top graduating seniors from across eastern Iowa at a celebration Saturday, April 27 at the McLeod Center on the UNI campus in Cedar Falls.

Allamakee County Economic Development and Tourism Executive Director Valerie Reinke graduated from the University of Oklahoma Economic Development Institute (OU EDI) May 2 at the OU Spring session. OU EDI is an intensive 117-hour certificate program which provides a broad spectrum of advanced education for the economic development professional. Pictured, left to right, in the photo above are Oklahoma University Development Institute Dean Barry Matherly, Allamakee County Economic Development and Tourism Executive Director Val Reinke, and International Economic Development Council President and CEO Nathan Ohle.

Barry Matherly, CEcD and Dean for OU EDI, said, “OU Economic Development Institute is the premier organization dedicated to training economic development professionals. These graduates have invested in improving their professional capabilities to support their local communities. Congratulations to all.”

The VFW Auxiliary #4117 recently presented awards for the “I Love America Because” VFW Auxiliary Elementary School Essay Contest for students at St. Patrick School and East Elementary School in Waukon. Principal at East Elementary is Mrs. Samantha Thornton and principal at St. Patrick School is Mrs. Katie Fahey.

Awards for the winners were presented after the St. Patrick School Mass April 26 and at an East Elementary assembly May 3. The local winners were selected from 174 entries and went on to the district level of competition. Receiving awards at that district level were Ryder Benzing, Second Place for third grade; Stella Iverson, Second Place for fourth grade; and Miranda Wuebker, First Place for fifth grade. The local winners at East Elementary and St. Patrick Schools included the following:

The Waukon Lions Club hosted the annual Waukon High School Honors Banquet at the First Presbyterian Church in Waukon Wednesday, May 1. Students in the top 15% academically of the graduating class of 2024 were honored. The evening included a meal served by the Presbyterian Women and the inspirational talk was delivered by guest speaker Jessica Everman, Physician Assistant at Gundersen Health System Waukon Clinic. The graduates told the audience of their future plans and then were presented certificates and medallions by Waukon High School Principal Jennifer Garin and Waukon High School Guidance Counselor Amy Wasson. Pictured above are the honor students and speaker Jessica Everman. Left to right - Front row: Ashlin O’Neill, Kyrie Snitker, Brooklyn Ottaway, Madison Torson, Kaitlyn Krambeer, Lynsey Houg; Back row: Paisley Vine, Cameron Johnson, Ryan Kolsrud, Speaker Jessica Everman, Dylan Hogan, Gabriel Weighner, Kloe Hemmersbach, Olivia Bossom. Not pictured: Olivia Marti.

by Brianne Grimstad

The Allamakee Community School District (ACSD) School Board met for a special board meeting Tuesday, April 30 to act on a handful of personnel items. The following recommendations were approved, pending a satisfactory background check: Dani Bucknell, Assistant Varsity Volleyball Coach; Kelli Olson, High School Computer Science Teacher/TLC Leader/Education and Curriculum Specialist; and Scotti Hagensick, Student Success Coordinator/At-Risk Interventionist.

The board also approved a pay increase for the Food Service Director which was a total package increase of 4.65%. The increase gives ACSD a more competitive salary and will also include two personal days and two temporary days, to be more in line with other 11-month directors and administrators. The board accepted a resignation from Taylor Seibert, Paraprofessional and also approved a transfer for Caleb Ferring from assistant to head varsity boys wrestling coach.

Officials with the Allamakee Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD) announce that Olivia Marti of Waukon has been selected as the 2024 Second-Place State Scholarship winner by the nine Regional Directors of the Conservation Districts of Iowa (CDI). She will receive $2,000 to assist with her future academic expenses.

Marti, a senior at Waukon High School, is among the special group of young Iowa high school graduates who earn a well-deserved “thank you” for making natural resources and/or agriculture their higher education goal. CDI and local Iowa SWCDs award scholarships to seniors in each of the nine Iowa conservation district regions who demonstrate leadership and scholastic achievement, and who aim for careers in conservation-related fields.

In response to the nation’s mental health crisis, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach in Allamakee County will bring Mental Health First Aid training to Waukon Tuesday, June 4. This groundbreaking skills-based course gives people the tools to identify, understand and respond to someone who might be struggling with a mental health or substance use challenge - and connect them with appropriate support and resources when necessary.

One in five Americans has a mental illness, and the pandemic has dramatically increased depression and anxiety, but many are reluctant to seek help or don’t know where to turn for care. Unlike physical conditions, symptoms of mental health and substance use problems can be difficult to detect.

Friends and family members may find it hard to know when and how to step in. As a result, those in need of mental health services often do not receive care until it is too late.

In Iowa, mushroom hunting is quite common. However, knowing the peak time to hunt for a particular mushroom can be challenging.

Chelsea Harbach, a plant disease diagnostician in the Plant and Insect Diagnostic Clinic with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, shares helpful guidelines when hunting for common mushrooms.

Three common types of mushrooms are regularly sought out. While using the mushroom foraging calendar key, Iowans can find peak times to hunt for common, white, black or half-free morels in the Spring; Chicken of the Woods in late summer; and oysters May through September.

When hunting for mushrooms, hunters can determine whether the mushroom is edible or inedible by asking:

Does the mushroom have a stem or cap?

Does the mushroom have gills or pores?

Where is the mushroom growing?

How is the mushroom growing? Out of the soil or out of a tree?

What is the time of year?