Education

The St. Olaf American Legion Auxiliary has selected Allie Crogan and Laynee Benson - both Jr. Auxiliary members - to represent the unit at the 2017 Iowa Girls State to be held June 18-23 at the Drake University Campus in Des Moines. During the week, the girls will experience this nation's democratic form of government by assuming the roles of city, county and state officials or legislators. They will be using social and academic skills they have already acquired and learn new skills essential for responsible citizenship, as well as making and establishing lifelong friendships.

Laynee Benson is the daughter of Mary and Darrel Miller of Waukon and Donald Benson of Wisconsin. She just completed her junior year at Waukon High School, where she is vice president of the local Food & Fitness Initiative and is currently taking general education classes through the Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) Waukon Center to get a headstart with college.

This past school year, the Construction classes at Waukon High School have been busy with a large variety of projects, allowing the students to get hands-on experience in a “real world” setting. Projects completed this year around the Waukon High School campus included putting a new roof on the concession stand at the high school football field, adding a cold storage area underneath the football field press box, developing a new shot put area for the track and field teams, remodeling and adding an office to the high school wrestling room and constructing a new desk in the Waukon High School office. In addition to projects within the school setting, the students also offered their services to help the Waukon community, including fixing up various buildings for the Waukon Park and Recreation Department and putting a roof on the new concession stand/bathrooms building at the Waukon City Park.

Twenty-four students in fifth through seventh grades from all throughout northeast Iowa participated in STEAM Creations: Makerspace Camp from June 5-7 at Northeast Iowa Community College’s (NICC) Waukon Center. Many of those students are pictured in the top photo with NICC Waukon Center Director Erica Nosbisch (far right) explaining to parents and other community members what students participated in at STEAM Camp during a final public presentation at the end of the Camp. At the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) Camp students learned about 3D printing, video creation using green screen and stop-motion technology, interactive virtual reality, Oculus Rift, coding, robots and engineering. The camp is designed to allow participants to create and share ideas, equipment and knowledge while applying their discoveries to help make their community a better place.

The Allamakee County Conservation Board (ACCB) will be hosting a series of summer day camps for the youth of Allamakee County throughout the months of June and July. The camps will be held at parks throughout Allamakee County.

The series will feature camps for all age levels from three to 15 years of age. All camps will be free of charge, however, participants must be pre-registered.

Youth ages three to six are invited to attend, with an adult, two storytimes from 9:30-11 a.m. June 22 and June 27 at County Home Park just north of Waukon on Highway 9. June 22, “Native Animals” will feature animals that are native to Iowa. The June 27 “Teeth” storytime will feature educational activities about the teeth of animals and how they use them. Both camps will feature educational stories, activities and crafts to make and take home.

Children and families are encouraged to participate in Robey Memorial Library’s program series Summer Explorers to be held Wednesdays, June 7, 14 and 21 from 10-11 a.m. The program schedule is as follows:

June 7: Renewable Energy with Green Iowa Americorps - make wind turbines and solar cars.
June 14: Build a Bug House with Ross Geerdes of Allamakee County Conservation - learn about beneficial insects and make a bug house to take home for the backyard.
June 21: Food Fun with Lynn Sorenson of Kitchen Krafts - make a treat.

Watch for the Summer Explorers series to continue the first two Wednesdays in August as well, August 2 and 9. For more information contact the library at 563-568-4424 or www.waukon.lib.ia.us.
 

Youth Mentoring at Helping Services for Youth & Families is spearheading a campaign entitled “Talk. They Hear You.” This national campaign empowers parents to talk with children, as young as nine years old, about the dangers of underage drinking.

This campaign is relevant and vital because the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) latest report on underage drinking shows that more than a quarter of American youth engage in underage drinking. Although there has been progress in reducing the extent of underage drinking in recent years, the rates of underage drinking are still unacceptably high.

“Talk. They Hear You.” raises parents’ and other caring adults’ awareness about these issues and arms them with information they need to start a conversation about alcohol before children become teenagers.

The Allamakee Community School District hosted its annual Employee Recognition Luncheon Wednesday, May 24 at the Waukon Middle School gymnasium for all employees of the school district. The event featured the honoring of school district employees who have achieved milestones of 15, 20, 25 and 40 years of service to the school district, as well as those retiring. Some of those employees are pictured in the surrounding photos.

Additional photos and information available in the June 7 edition of The Standard, pick up this week's print edition or subscribe to our e-edition by clicking here.
 

Tyler O'Neill (center), Waukon High School graduating senior and son of Joe and Michelle O'Neill of Waukon, was recognized by Iowa Governor Terry Branstad (right) and Lieutenant Governor Kim Reynolds (left) for outstanding academic achievement at the 15th Annual Governor’s Scholar Recognition Ceremony held April 30 at Hy-Vee Hall in Des Moines. The statewide program, sponsored by the Iowa Governor’s Office, Iowa High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) and its title sponsor, the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation (IFBF), honored 429 high school seniors from throughout Iowa at this year's ceremony. “Iowa Farm Bureau members know that by investing in our youth and communities, we’re investing in the future of Iowa,” said IFBF President Craig Hill. “We have been honored to be a title sponsor of the Annual Governor's Scholar Recognition Ceremony for the past 15 years to celebrate Iowa's exceptional high school students.

Dave Schoeberlein, Social Studies teacher at Waukon High School was recently recognized by Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate for organizing Waukon High School's and Waukon Middle School's participation in the statewide Iowa Youth Straw Poll for the 2016 general election. Seventh through 12th grade students voted on their choice of the 2016 general election candidates and the results were then totaled with results from other Iowa schools and reported on Secretary of State Pate's website at https://sos.iowa.gov/youth/poll/results.aspx.

Christa Heffern, a 2017 graduate of Waukon High School, was recently presented the school's highest agricultural honor, the DEKALB Agricultural Accomplishment Award, sponsored by Monsanto Company. The daughter of Jack and Cindy Heffern of Harpers Ferry, she received the award for excellence in academics, leadership and agricultural work experience.

Heffern's significant experiences and accomplishments have included earning her Iowa FFA Degree, being a member of the Waukon High School Little Switzerland FFA Chapter Meats Evaluation Reserve Champion Team, and serving as Chapter Reporter and President. Jessica O'Connor is Heffern's agricultural education instructor at Waukon High School.

This year, the DEKALB Agricultural Accomplishment Award celebrates its 70th anniversary. Over these 70 years more than 168,000 high school seniors from across the country have received the award, which has become a symbol for excellence and the school's highest agricultural honor.