Education

“Learning by doing” is the foundation of the two-year 4-H Citizenship Program which connects youth to local, county and state government services in the first year, and national government and history in year two. During this two-year program 4-H’ers are immersed in culture and history throughout the program: from education with their county youth coordinator, to conversations with Iowa legislators in Des Moines at the State Capitol, to traveling together to Washington, D.C. The Allamakee County 4-H Citizenship Club met December 30 at the Extension Office in Waukon, where they learned about levels of power within local, state and national government. The club participated in activities around the process of decision making and levels of power. Pictured here are members of this year's Allamakee County 4-H Citizenship Club. Left to right - front row: Madalyn Ellingson, Diana Davison, Sean Liddiard, Denzel Decker, Nathan Liddiard, Logan Kucera.

Expanding knowledge of local and state citizenship is the focus in the first year of the two-year 4-H Citizenship Program in Allamakee County. Sunday, January 10 the Allamakee County 4-H Citizenship Club visited the new Waukon Fire Station. Waukon Fire Chief Dave Martin took the club on a tour of the new facility. Youth learned that the Waukon Fire Department consists of 35 active volunteer firemen who provide emergency response, fire prevention and safety training, and public education. For more information about the Allamakee County 4-H Program contact Morgan Bjerke, Allamakee County Youth Coordinator, at mlheim@iastate.edu or 563-568-6345. Pictured here during the fire station tour are: Left to right - Front row: Carly Palmer, Diana Davison, Madalyn Ellingson, Soraya Reyes, Ainsley Lydon. Middle row: Nathan Liddiard, Sean Liddiard, Denzel Decker, Logan Kucera.

Sixth grade students at St. Patrick School in Waukon have been playing a brand new game in their Physical Education classes under the direction of Mr. David Miller. Pictured above, the game is called Omnikin Ball, more commonly referred to as "Kinball," and uses a ball approximately four feet in diameter that floats through the air like a balloon. Invented in Quebec in 1987, "Kinball" is played with three teams of four players and can be played either indoors or outdoors. One team "serves" the ball into play while all team members are in contact with the ball, calling on one of the other teams to catch the ball before it hits the ground. The goal of the game is to catch and control the ball before it touches the ground. Points are given when a team commits a fault, such as allowing the ball to touch the ground.

Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) Business and Community Solutions offers courses that meet the state of Iowa requirements for coaching authorization certification. To coach K-12 school-sponsored athletics in Iowa, an individual must be certified.
There are four courses in the 55-hour certificate series that must be taken in order to apply for a coaching authorization: Human Growth and Development for Coaching, Coaching Theory and Ethics, Body Structure and Function, and Basic Prevention and Care of Athletic Injuries.
A series of coaching authorization classes start January 19. The first three classes will be held at the NICC Waukon Center, located at 1220 Third Avenue NW, and the fourth and final class will be held at Team Rehab, located at 516 Montgomery Street in Decorah.

May 30, 1965 was an historic day for 44 young men and women of the St. Patrick High School-Waukon community. That was the day that these young adults graduated from high school.
Fast forward 50 years to September 12, 2015 when 31 of those classmates plus their guests gathered at Waukon Country Club, including any individual who attended one or more years of high school with the Class of ‘65. An evening of joyous laughter, reconnecting and reminiscing got off to a good start as classmates picked up their name tags featuring his/her respective 1965 graduation picture.
Denny Waldron, emcee, introduced the honored guest, Monsignor Joseph Slepicka, who had been associate pastor and religious instructor during the years Class of ‘65 attended high school. Waldron also regaled attendees with trivia questions pertaining to fellow classmates and high school events. The Country Club was decorated in an Irish theme.

Proceeds from the Fourth Annual Kee Hawk Homecoming Tailgate Party co-sponsored by Kerndt Brothers Bank and New Albin Savings Bank were recently distributed to the Kee High School Booster Club. The annual event was held during Kee High School's 2015 Homecoming and raised $1,369.48 in free-will donations this year. Staff members from both Kerndt Brothers Bank and New Albin Savings Bank were involved in organizing and facilitating the event, as well as donating the food served. Volunteers from the Allamakee County Cattlemen's Association grilled the hamburgers and hot dogs, with additional sponsorship support coming from Alliant Energy - Lansing Power Plant, RW Pladsen Inc., Waukon Feed Ranch Inc., Welsh’s Village Farm and Home, Schulte Farms LLC, L&M Gas & Go, Valley Ag Inc., Bodensteiner Implement, Riverland Expressions, Kol Gol Inc., Gruber Ridge Farms LLC, A-OK Well Service LLC and Walleser Excavating & Concrete.

Eitzen Lion's Club President Dick Amundson, right, presents Gail Hilleshiem of the Allamakee Community School District, left, a check for $400 for the District's Back Pack Program. The Program provides food on weekends for elementary students. The presentation was made in appreciation of support received throughout the year from the Waukon area and community for the Eitzen Lion's events. Submitted photo.

by Brianne Eilers

by Susan Cantine-Maxson

Recently, the Waukon Veterinary Service partnered with Zoetis and the National FFA Organization to donate $700 to the Little Switzerland FFA chapter at Waukon High School through the FFA Support Program. Since its start in 2008, the program has provided more than $6.5 million dollars to local FFA chapters across the nation. The donated funds are provided to chapters through the sale of medical products, such as those purchased by local animal owners from Waukon Veterinary Service. The Zoetis Industry Support Program is a company devoted to supporting the development of individual FFA chapters. The donated funds will be used to provide contest materials and other necessities for the local chapter. Waukon Veterinary Service has been donating to the chapter for many years, and that support has allowed the chapter to reach out to more students through their participation in FFA contests.