Education

East Elementary Kids Club has had many great volunteers thus far this year. The Kids Club staff and students appreciate the efforts of Waukon High School Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) Advisor Joan Schwartz and her FBLA students, the Waukon High School Orange Cord Program, Keystone AEA and Kathy Hay, ISU Extension with Becky Rea, Northeast Iowa Food & Fitness Initiative with Andrew Blair, Robey Memorial Library, Ross Geerdes with Allamakee County Conservation, Ann Hart and Al Hanson with RSVP, TASC, Jim and Sue Bieber, Lynn Groe, Joanne Sherman and her Band Buddies,  Allamakee Community School District (ACSD) Tech Team and the STEAM Night for all volunteering time to the Kids Club program. Pictured above are Waukon High School students Michaela Dehli and Megan O’Neill, who started a Videography Club with Kids Club students while volunteering with FBLA.

by Jennyanne Hager

Members of the Allamakee Community School District (ACSD) Board of Education gathered for their regular monthly meeting Monday, February 20. Board Secretary Jaime Curtin noted that work is being done on the budget, and contracts are being prepared for the coming year. Superintendent Dave Herold noted that after a few months of declining funds, the school lunch fund had a gain in January.

Herold continued by reporting that insurance premiums had no increase again, making for at least three years of steady costs. “This is great news again. Our rates are down because we have been keeping our claims down,” Herold remarked.

The Waukon High School Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) chapter is hosting its annual Carnival this Friday, February 24 at the Waukon High school gym and cafeteria from 4-7 p.m. Carnival games along with a small concession stand and cotton candy will be available. All games/activities can be participated in for just a quarter each. Proceeds from the carnival will be returned to the elementary schools in the Allamakee Community School District. Submitted photo.
 

The music departments of Waukon High School and Waukon Middle School will be hosting the seventh annual Pops Concert Saturday, February 25 at the Waukon Middle School gymnasium. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. with concert time at 7:30 p.m. The Pops Concert features high energy musical numbers from the 1950s through today.  Nearly every musical group at the Waukon Middle School and Waukon High School participates in this concert, including jazz bands, bucket bands, select sixth grade vocalists, and all choral groups in grades 7-12. Musical numbers will feature solo performances, percussionists, guitar players and choreographed movements. This year, the Pops Concert will feature special appearances from the choir program’s very own Barbershop Quartet.

Saturday, February 4 the Waukon High School Speech Department participated in the State Large Group Speech Contest at Dubuque Senior High School. Waukon had nine groups involving 36 students that had been selected to participate at State from the District contest held previously in Decorah. Throughout the day, the nine groups either performed or presented their taped presentations.  The groups ranging from a One Act play to taped radio programs were judged by a panel of three certified judges. The judges gave ratings from 1 to 4, with the best being a 1 rating and a 4 is a disqualification. The ratings of the three judges are averaged together for the final rating. Waukon had six groups receive one ratings and three groups receive two ratings. Then each judge is able to nominate groups for the All-State Festival, which is a very distinguished award.

Students comprising four Kee High School Speech teams performed at the State Contest hosted by Dubuque Senior High School Saturday, February 4. All four Kee teams received a perfect "one" rating from all three judges.

In addition to its "one" rating, one of those four Kee teams was selected to perform at the All-State Speech Festival on the campus of Iowa State University in Ames this Saturday, February 18. The mime performance of "Convertible Carelessness Casualties" was selected for that honor. Earning that All-State Speech advancement is the team of Rachel Walleser, Michelle Walleser, Kinley Schobert and Neve Goetzinger.

"Kee had a perfect day," Kee High School Speech instructor Tammy Manning commented. "It is great to have Kee High be represented at the All-State Speech Festival again."
 

Members of the Goodfella’s Riding Club, a non-profit group of like-minded individuals who ride motorcycles for the common goal of brotherhood and helping out in local and surrounding communities, are pictured above presenting Mrs. Jenette Schulte’s second grade classroom at West Elementary School in Waukon with an iPad, cover and Osmo set. Charlie Nierling, a former student of Mrs. Schulte’s, made a contribution and contacted the club to purchase the above items for her classroom. Submitted photo.
 

The Little Switzerland FFA Chapter at Waukon High School traveled to Indianapolis, IN October 19-21 to attend the National FFA Convention. A total of 35 members attended the event. The students first stopped at Fair Oaks Farms in Fair Oaks, IN, where students had the opportunity to visit the farm's dairy and swine ventures. They were able to see all aspects of the operation from birthing to the milking process on their large carousel. The next day the students went to the FFA Convention and Expo and spent most of their day attending workshops, shopping, walking around the expo booths and sessions. During the opening session students were able to listen to Diana Nyad, who talked about her experiences swimming 110 miles from Cuba to Florida. In addition to her experiences swimming, she encouraged FFA members to chase their dreams and never give up. The group finished the day going to the World’s Toughest Rodeo.

Monday, January 9, 22 students from Waukon High School attended the Northeast Iowa Conference Music Festival hosted by Charles City High School. The students rehearsed all day and presented a concert that evening. Former Waukon teacher and Allamakee County native Larry Wolfe, now the assistant principal at Charles City High School, commented that it was nice for the students from all the Northeast Iowa Conference schools to get together to create something beautiful instead of competing on the court, field or course. The students from Waukon High School who attended the festival included members of the Waukon High School Band (pictured in top photo) and the Waukon High School Choir (pictured in lower photo). Participating band members pictured at left include: Left to right - Front row: Maddie Ellingson, Mary Vander Velden, Cassidy Byrnes. Second row: Allison Hagensick, Morgan Van Ruler. Third row: Owen Halverson, Erika Johnson, Miann Barr.

Winneshiek County Development Incorporated has awarded Iowa's Dairy Center and Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) with the annual Sustainability Award. This award is presented to any business or organization that has gone above and beyond in employing good sustainability practices.