Education

Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) Waukon Center held its “Build Your Own Business” Summer Camp June 21-22 for students entering fourth through sixth grades this fall. This two-day camp was a “Shark Tank”-style experience (based on the “Shark Tank” television series) where students learned basic business concepts and vocabulary in formulating a business idea, created their own business plan, discussed customer service and created their own logo and business cards, printed by The Copy Shoppe. Students listened to presentations from local businesses and also visited Silver Laine Co., Cunningham Hardware, Town Theater, Aztec Parlor and Paws Up Pet Supplies in downtown Waukon to witness what they learned at the camp being utilized in a real business setting. The students concluded camp by presenting their business ideas to area business leaders who represented the “sharks” that provided feedback on those business ideas.

After high school graduation, students will face many new experiences beyond academics and social situations. Iowa Student Loan (ISL) Education Lending knows that preparation for the next step helps students increase their chances of graduation, finding a job and successfully repaying any student loans. ISL offers the following tips for parents on how to help prepare their students, and themselves, for life away at college:

1. Plan for medical emergencies. Parents may not have access to health information or be able to make medical decisions for incapacitated students who are 18 or older, no matter who carries the insurance and pays the bills. Parents may want to have their student properly complete, sign and have notarized official medical power of attorney and medical information release forms that can easily be accessed in case of emergency. In addition, students should understand when to self-treat, visit a clinic or specialist, or go to the emergency room.

A free online college planning tool that helps families estimate the total cost of a college education has been redesigned to make it simpler to use.

The College Funding Forecaster allows students to input estimated costs, expected financial aid, savings and earnings to project total out-of-pocket expenses and potential student loan amounts for four to six years, the time it typically takes to earn an undergraduate degree, at the college or university of their choice.

Iowa Student Loan (ISL) Liquidity Corporation, a nonprofit organization which offers college financing products as Iowa Student Loan Education Lending, provides the mobile friendly College Funding Forecaster free on its website at www.IowaStudentLoan.org/Forecaster.

Waukon High School added an in-house, work-based learning component to its Welding program this year. The new focus on real-world learning complements the Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) Career Pathway Certificate offered in partnership with Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) for college credit.

Twelve students worked with local businesses and industry to complete several projects while operating the class as a welding business model. Student tasks for projects included designing, estimating materials, pricing and fabrication, and the students developed their own company name, “Next Gen Welds.”

Projects completed in collaboration with local businesses included four concrete form racks and 70 pig pen stands for Palmer Repair, a heavy railing to protect a half-million-dollar CNC machine for M’s Machine, five vertical ball carts for Waukon High School and Middle School to organize basketballs, and 100 tee-off markers for Waukon Country Club.

Brenna Berns, a 2022 graduate of Waukon High School, was awarded the $2,000 Hammel-Zoll Scholarship Sunday, May 22 following the Baccalaureate Mass held at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Waukon. Berns is the daughter of Brad and Erin Berns of Waukon, and she plans to attend Iowa State University in Ames this fall to pursue a career in Marketing and Graphic Design.

by Susan Cantine-Maxson

The Eastern Allamakee Community School District (EACSD) Board of Directors met in regular session Monday, June 20. Board members Tony Becker and Kelli Mudderman were absent.

In personnel matters, the board  approved contracts for the following positions: Matthew Steven, Social Worker; Ann Berns, Spanish Teacher; and Kathy Ehlers, Behavior Interventionist/Special Education. In addition, the 2022-2023 Joint Sharing Agreement for a Social Worker between Eastern Allamakee Community School District and MFL/MarMac Community School District was approved.

Lead, model and mentor teachers were approved for the upcoming year. Lead teachers will be Kathleen Block and Susanne Herman. Mentor Teachers will be Lisa Hermeier and Lisa Welsh. Model Teachers will include Shelly Baumgartner, Allison Fitzwater, Tammy Manning and Donna Thomas.

by Brianne Grimstad

The Allamakee Community School District (ACSD) Board of Directors met in a pair of sessions within the past several weeks, including a special meeting Friday, May 27 to discuss a few personnel matters. Board member Brent Beyer was absent at that special meeting. The board approved the following recommendations to hire: Kim Kraus as middle school secretary; Stacie Cooper as Social Emotional Learning PLC leader; increase para hours for Liz Fish; Nancy Snitker, elementary paraprofessional; Katie Martin, elementary paraprofessional; Aubrie Monroe, elementary paraprofessional; Jenna Shogren, elementary paraprofessional; and Stephanie Radloff, high school paraprofessional. The board also accepted the resignation of Bethany Noble from her Title I teaching position.

Friday, May 27, a luncheon was held in the Waukon Middle School Gym for all employees of the Allamakee Community School District (ACSD). In addition to commemorating the end of another school year, the luncheon event was held to honor employees of the district who have achieved milestones of 15, 20, 25 and 30 years of continuous service within the district along with those who are retiring from the district following the end of this school year.

A total of 19 staff members were honored during the luncheon event (some of whom are pictured in the photos below), including the following:

Iowa PBS will present a livestream of the 2022 Iowa High School Musical Theater Awards Showcase on iowapbs.org, Facebook and YouTube Saturday, June 18 at 7 p.m. A 90-minute highlights special will air Monday, July 18 at 8 p.m.

The Waukon High School fall musical “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” has been awarded the “Distinguished Scene Award” from the Iowa High School Musical Theater Awards Program (IHSMTAP) and will be recognized during the June 18 showcase event. All cast, crew and pit band members of the performance were honored with the Distinguished Scene Award for their performance of “Magic Foot” during the production.

In addition to its statewide broadcast, Iowa PBS .1 is available to livestream on iowapbs.org/watch, pbs.org/livestream, the PBS Video App and YouTube TV. Iowa PBS programs.
 

by Susan Cantine-Maxson

The regular meeting of the Eastern Allamakee Community School District (EACSD) Board of Directors was held at Kee High School in Lansing Monday, May 16. The meeting was called to order by Board President Bobbie Goetzinger. Board members present included Tony Becker, Bobbie Goetzinger, Kelli Mudderman and Arla Wagner; board member Melanie Mauss was absent. Also present were EACSD Superintendent of Schools Dr. Dale Crozier, Kee High School and Middle School Principal Dr. Sarah Updegraff and Board Secretary Michele Martin.

After the agenda was adopted, the board held the public hearing on the 2021-2022 budget amendment. With no public comment, the amendment was unanimously approved later in the board meeting. This matter was followed by the usual authorizations, which included the approval of the May consent items, minutes of the April meeting, bills for May, Student Activity and Food Service April Reports.