Education

Kee High School hosted the Individual Conference Speech Contest Monday, February 20, hosting Speech students from their fellow Upper Iowa Conference schools. The six students pictured above from Kee took nine events and all received 1 ratings. The students also competed in the District Contest Saturday, February 25 at Decorah High School. These six Kee students (pictured left to right, including front to back) performed in the following 10 events (and received the following ratings, listed in parentheses): Rhianna Jones - After Dinner (2) and Solo Music Theatre (2), Cadan Evanson - Radio News (1) and Prose (1), Neva Peterson - Literary Program (1), Isabelle Hammell - Poetry (1), Riley Troendle - Prose (1) and Poetry (1), and Brendan Jones - Literary Program (1) and Original Oratory (1). All eight performances receiving 1 ratings advanced to the State Contest, which is scheduled for Saturday, March 11 at Starmont High School. Submitted photo.
 

The Waukon Music Department will be hosting its 13th Annual Pops Concert Friday, February 24 at the Waukon Middle School gymnasium. Doors will open at 6 p.m. with the concert performances to begin at 7 p.m.

The Pops Concert is an annual fundraising event sponsored by the Allamakee Music Boosters. The Pops Concert features high energy musical numbers from the 1950s through today.  Groups performing will include the high school and middle school choirs, high school and middle school jazz bands, drumline, featured soloists, song and dance skits, and emcees.   The Pops Concert continues to feature new musical talents each year and has become a must-see event for the Waukon community.

Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) Business and Community Solutions is offering a Moped Rider course Saturday, March 11, 8 a.m.-2 p.m., at the NICC Waukon Center, 1220 3rd Avenue NW.

This class is required by the state of Iowa for students who are 14 years of age or older who do not possess a driver’s license. Students learn the rules of the road, safe driving skills and laws governing moped use. The course is classroom only, so a moped is not needed. Upon successful completion of the class, students receive a DOT (Department of Transportation) certificate which must be presented at the driver’s license office to apply for the moped license. Students must be at least 13 years old to take the class.

To register for Moped Rider (#90421) or for more information, visit www.nicc.edu/waukon, or call 844-642-2338, ext. 6700.

by Laurie Hempen
Iowa Student Loan Liquidity Corporation Board member

If a student in your household applied for college financial aid for the 2023-2024 year, financial aid offers should arrive soon. You may receive a standardized College Financial Plan, which can help your family understand the different types of aid offered.
Use the tips below to make sense of financial aid offers.

1. Understand exactly what makes up the cost of attendance.
You will generally see combined or separated costs listed for tuition, fees, housing, meals and other direct costs charged by the college. You may see estimated costs for materials, transportation, personal and miscellaneous expenses that will not be paid to the institution. To compare financial aid offers from multiple institutions, line up similar costs and calculate what you will need to pay for expenses that are estimated, depending on each program and the institution’s location.

The Kee High School Speech program competed in the State Large Group Speech Contest Saturday, February 4 at Waterloo West High School. Kee was one of approximately 70 schools with performances competing at the State Contest, with three Kee performances receiving “1” ratings and five other performances receiving “2” ratings.

The three teams receiving “1” ratings included the Reader’s Theatre team of Ashlyn Henkes, Isabelle Hammell, Brendan Jones, Cadan Evanson, Jack Schweitzer, Phoenix Crass, Neva Peterson, Brooklyn Bakewell, Zoey Timmerman and Danica Janzen; the DRWN Radio News team of Riley Troendle, Austin St. Mary, Jack Schweitzer, Cadan Evanson and Brooklyn Bakewell; and the Group Mime team of Lilly Kolsrud, Jaylyn Walleser, Alaina Bakewell and Addison Winters. Those three “1” rating teams are pictured in the submitted photos accompanying this write-up.

The Iowa 4-H Foundation has announced applications are now available for its 4-H scholarship program. Over 130 scholarship opportunities valued at over $120,000 will be awarded.

Former and current Iowa 4-H members are eligible to apply for 4-H scholarships if they meet individual scholarship requirements, as determined by the scholarship donors. Applicants must enroll as a full-time student to receive scholarship awards.

The various scholarship awards range in amounts from $500 to $5,000. Some scholarships are open to students pursuing any field of study, while others are open to students pursuing degrees in agriculture, food and nutrition, ag business, animal science, and journalism, as well as veterinary medicine and more.

by Nancy Dunkel
Iowa Student Loan Liquidity Corporation board member

Chances are, you and your student will rely on multiple sources of funding for a college education. Common funding sources are your own savings and earnings, your student’s savings and earnings, scholarships and loans.

Make a resolution to reduce the amount of future student loans with these tips:

Beekeepers can make a beneficial impact on the environment, and a Beginning Beekeeping course at Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) will teach newcomers how to get started. Students in the six-session course will meet every Thursday starting February 23 at the Wilder Business Center on the NICC Calmar campus. Participants will learn about the industry through demonstrations with basic equipment while practicing the methods used in beekeeping.

Honey bees pollinate approximately 30 percent of the nation’s crops that are relied on for food, explained Mary Rose Williams, Ph.D., an avid beekeeper, master gardener and environmental advocate. Bringing new beekeepers into this important industry makes an impact on the well-being of plants and animals.

by Mallory Berns, Chapter Reporter

The 95th National FFA Convention and Expo was held in Indianapolis, IN October 26-29 of this past year. During this convention more than 69,500 FFA members from all over the country descended upon the city to attend the time-honored tradition. A total of 12 students from the Little Switzerland FFA Chapter at Waukon High School traveled to be a part of this annual event.

The Little Switzerland FFA Chapter’s Winter Clothing Drive took place from November 22 to December 21 this past year. The goal of the drive was to collect new or used winter clothing that would be donated to the Waukon elementary schools and middle school for students who are in need of warm clothing throughout the year.

A total of 36 coats, 100 hats, 57 pairs of gloves, 17 pairs of boots, 16 scarves and 10 snow pants were collected throughout the duration of the drive. Community members were also supportive of the drive through their contribution of funds that were used to purchase warm clothing for the drive.