Education

The Allamakee Community School District (ACSD) recently received its "College Readiness Letter" from the ACT testing organization for those students who graduated this past May. The report indicates that the ACSD students who graduated in 2016 achieved the highest composite score of any graduating class in over 15 years.

Jordan Wolfe, a 2013 graduate of Waukon High School, just finished 10 weeks of intensive research. Wolfe, who will be staring his fourth year at Cornell College in Mount Vernon this fall, was individually selected to take part in the Cornell Summer Research Institute (CSRI) by professors at Cornell College.

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach

This time of year, our focus is on getting kids ready to go back to school. We give a lot of thought to buying just the right school supplies, reestablishing our school day routine, and packing safe school lunches. We should also be teaching or reminding kids of tips for staying safe while traveling to and from school.

The Northeast Iowa Food and Fitness Initiative has worked with communities for the last nine years to encourage active transportation to and from school. You can learn more at www.iowafoodandfitness.org.

Remind your child that if they are walking to school, they should always walk on the sidewalk; choose the sidewalk on the side of the street that allows them to face traffic; always look both ways before crossing; and don’t run out from between parked cars.

Become an Iowa Master Gardener by completing the core training course this fall through the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Allamakee County office. Gardeners will learn best practices for choosing plants, designing gardens and managing pests. Classes in Allamakee start September 27, but pre-registration is required by September 1.

Classes will be held Tuesday evenings from 6:30-9:30 p.m. and will be held at Allamakee County Extension in Waukon, located at 218 Seventh Avenue SE, Suite #102. There will also be a class held October 8 or 22 in Ames on the campus of Iowa State University. Three face-to-face lectures to cover vegetables, herbs, plant propagation, houseplants and herbaceous ornamentals will also be part of the training.

The Allamakee Community School District (ACSD) Board of Education held its regular monthly meeting Monday, August 15. Prior to the business meeting, the Board took a tour of some of the projects completed over the summer in the high school/middle school facility, as well as at West Elementary School. Among the larger of those projects viewed was the LED lighting in West Elementary that has made the school’s hallways considerably brighter and the resurfacing and restriping of the parking lot between the two facilities.

by Susan Cantine-Maxson

The Eastern Allamakee Community School District (EACSD) Board of Education held its regular meeting Monday, August 15. Board President Heather Schulte called the meeting to order. Also present were board members Bobbi Goetzinger, Kelli Mudderman and  Bruce Palmborg; Melanie Mauss was not present. In addition, school personnel attending included

Area adults and teenagers are invited to make Silhouette Jars at the “I Found it on Pinterest” Class being held Thursday, August 11 from 5:30-6:30 p.m. in the Community Room of Robey Memorial Library in Waukon. This bi-monthly class will feature a project or craft found on Pinterest and all materials will be provided by the library.

Pinterest is a visual bookmarking tool that helps people discover and save creative ideas. To register or for more information contact the library at www.waukon.lib.ia.us or 563-568-4424.
 

The Allamakee County Conservation Board (ACCB) will be hosting “Endangered Driftless” as the final installment of its Summer Naturalist Series Thursday, August 25 at 7 p.m. Staff from the ACCB will discuss the flora and fauna endangered and threatened that calls the Driftless Region home. The Summer Naturalist series is held at the ACCB Headquarters located at 427 North First Street in Harpers Ferry.

The Summer Naturalist Series is a monthly series of family education programs hosted on the fourth Thursday of June, July and August. The programs are free to attend.  Cultural and environmental issues within Allamakee County and the Driftless Area will be discussed.

For more information on the Summer Naturalist program or any program offered by the Allamakee County Conservation Board, call 563-586-2996.
 

Robey Memorial Library in Waukon is offering a free program to encourage ninth through 12th grade high schools students to stay in the habit of reading. How the "Read for a Lifetime" program works:

1. Print (from www.waukon.lib.ia.us/teens/rfal) or pick up a reading log. This log lists the titles for the current year.
2. Each student reads four titles between September 2016 and August 2017.
3. Return reading log to the library and pick out a book from our prize collection.
4. Students who complete the program each year of high school will receive a book of their choice upon “graduation” out of the program.

The deadline for this program is August following the student’s 12th grade year. Anyone needing help with book suggestions in encourage to ask the library staff. Stop in often to check out books and attend free programs.

Hunter Seigenthaler of Waukon recently attended Advanced Space Academy at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center located at the Marshall Space Flight Center’s Official Visitor Center in Huntsville, AL. The weeklong educational program promotes science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) while training students and adults with hands-on activities and missions based on teamwork, leadership and problem solving.

Seigenthaler was part of the Advanced Space Academy program, which is specifically designed for trainees who have a particular interest in space exploration. Seigenthaler spent the week training with a team that flew a simulated space mission to the International Space Station (ISS). Once aboard the ISS, the crew participated in experiments and successfully completed an extra-vehicular activity (EVA), or spacewalk. Seigenthaler and crew returned to earth in time to graduate with honors.