Education

Peoples State Bank presented a donation to the Little Switzerland FFA Chapter at Waukon High School in mid-August, prior to a recent livestock judging event for the chapter. The donation was made to show the bank’s appreciation for all the local chapter does to promote and encourage ag education in the classroom and within the community. The donated funds came from the Peoples State Bank employee promotion fund which is a result of various internal activities including wearing jeans to work on certain Fridays during the year.

by Susan Cantine-Maxson

The Board of Directors of the Eastern Allamakee Community School District (EACSD) met at Kee High School in Lansing Tuesday, August 22. All members of the board were present, including Tony Becker, Bobbie Goetzinger, Melanie Mauss, Kelli Mudderman and Arla Wagner. New Albin Elementary Principal Donna Thomas, EACSD Superintendent and Kee High School/Middle School Principal Dr. Sarah Murray and Board Secretary Michele Martin were also present, along with new EACSD staff members Megan Schwartzhoff, Tim Johnson, Misty Lemon-Rogers, Kaylee Klaes and Hailey Harms.

The meeting agenda was adopted and the following authorizations were approved: minutes of the July meeting, bills for August, Secretary’s Financial Statement, Student Activity and Food Service Reports for July. New staff members introduced themselves to the board, sharing their backgrounds and positions they will occupy for the school district this year.

by Brianne Grimstad

The Allamakee Community School District (ACSD) Board of Directors met Monday, August 21 for its regular monthly meeting. Board President Al Rissman noted that the representatives of the Keystone Area Education Agency (AEA) would not be present to give their update at the meeting that night.

Under the Consent Agenda, the board approved the following personnel: Kids Club staff; 2023-24 mentors; bus driver Daryl Roe; substitute bus drivers Justin Sommer and Jon Snitker; middle school paraprofessional Jennifer Davis; volunteer middle School volleyball coach Randy Nordheim; and elementary paraprofessional Taylor Day.

For families that will have a new college freshman next year, there is never a bad time to look for scholarships that will help offset the cost of furthering a family member’s education. Scholarships are considered “gift aid,” meaning that they do not need to be repaid at a later date. Some are one-time awards that can be used while a family’s college savings continues to grow; others are renewable as long as the student remains eligible within the qualification guidelines of the particular scholarship.

While a great deal is often heard about athletic scholarships or financial awards for students with high academic achievement, no student should overlook the possibility of earning some type of scholarship funding for their continued education. Many different types of organizations offer scholarships, so casting a wide net will help students locate the opportunities they are most eligible for when it comes to scholarship funding their education.

Robey Memorial Library in Waukon and The Oneota Valley Literary Foundation have now partnered to host Main Street Story Walk in Waukon during August featuring the children’s story, “Don’t eat bees: life lessons from Chip the dog” by Dev Petty. During the month of August, families are encouraged to read this story on the windows of various business storefronts as they stroll the downtown area.

This is the first Main Street Story Walk through Robey Memorial Library that is being hosted in collaboration with The Oneota Valley Literary Society (OVLS). For this and upcoming Story Walks in Waukon, the OVLS will be providing a free, hardcover copy of the featured book to every family that stops by Robey Memorial Library with a photo of them completing the Story Walk.

by Christine Hensley, Iowa Student Loan Liquidity Corporation Board member

As a new school year begins, you and your middle or high school student might be thinking about what happens after high school. Before embarking on one of the most expensive journeys of a lifetime, your student should understand the complete cost to obtain the education needed for a specific career.

Northeast Iowa Community Action Corporation (NEICAC) is accepting applications for the Head Start program for the 2023-2024 school year and the year-round Early Head Start program. Head Start is an all-day free three- and four-year-old preschool program that meets five days per week and serves breakfast, lunch and snacks daily at no cost to families.

Qualified teachers use the Creative Curriculum to help children learn and provide the academic and social skills to be successful when they reach kindergarten. Free before and after school care may be available for working parents and full-time students. All families with children three to four years old by September 15 are encouraged to apply for Head Start.

Iowa Legal Aid will host an educational event for older Iowans and caregivers to learn about free assistance with critical legal issues Tuesday, August 29 at 11 a.m. at the Meehan Memorial Lansing Public Library, located at 515 Main Street in Lansing. The event is free and open to the public. No registration is required to attend.

Case Manager Michaela Dohleman from Iowa Legal Aid’s Dubuque office will provide a brief history of Iowa Legal Aid and will discuss services available to older Iowans and caregivers through its Hotline for Older Iowans, the Rural Justice Project for Older Iowans, and the Disaster Project. With 10 regional offices, Iowa Legal Aid is the only statewide provider of free civil legal services to low income and other vulnerable Iowans. Learn more about Iowa Legal Aid at www.iowalegalaid.org.

The Allamakee County 4-H Council sponsored a School Supplies Drive to benefit the Allamakee County Relief Office during the 2023 Allamakee County Fair. Supplies such as notebooks, crayons, glue sticks, book bags and more were collected through the duration of the fair. Through the efforts and generosity of this year’s donors to the drive, over 250 items were donated to the Allamakee County Relief Office this year.

The Allamakee County 4-H Council would like to extend a special thank you to all who donated to the drive this year. For further information about the School Supplies Drive and Allamakee County 4-H Program, contact Marissa Foels, Allamakee County Youth Coordinator at the Allamakee County Extension and Outreach Office in Waukon at 563-568-6345.
 

The Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) Waukon Center will offer High School Drivers Education for Allamakee Community School District (ACSD) students.

Students may register for one of these sessions:
• Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, August 21-September 25, from 5-7 p.m. (#91763)
• Monday and Wednesday, October 2-November 2, from 5-7 p.m. (#91764)

To satisfy the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) requirements, students must attend 30 hours of classroom instruction and six hours of Behind the Wheel (BTW) driving experience. Attendance is required at all sessions. Students must have an Iowa driver’s permit before the first class.

The deadline for paid registration is one week before each class start date (for free and reduced lunch, students should contact the school office). To register, call the NICC Waukon Center at 844-642-2338, ext. 6700.