Education

East and West Elementary School students in the Allamakee Community School District joined students from across the country by participating in Jumpstart’s 19th Annual Read for the Record Day, the world’s largest shared reading experience, celebrating early literacy and supporting children’s early language and social-emotional development. Each year a different book is chosen to share with students. This year, “Piper Chen Sings,” a story about managing internal butterflies when getting nervous, was shared with classes by Mrs. Traci Byrnes, a Teacher Leadership and Compensation instructor in the Allamakee Community School District. Following the reading of the story, a grade level appropriate literacy lesson relating to the story was completed in each of the classrooms. Submitted photo.
 

In celebration of Computer Science Education Week, observed December 9-15 this year, third and fifth grade students at East Elementary School in Waukon participated in a paired programming activity using a program called Scratch, the world’s largest coding community for children that is free to use and offers a coding language with a simple visual interface that allows young people to create digital stories, games, and animations. Designed, developed, and moderated by the Scratch Foundation, a nonprofit organization, Scratch promotes computational thinking and problem solving skills, creative teaching and learning, self-expression and collaboration, and equity in computing. Computer Science Education Week serves as an annual call to action to provide youth with resources to learn more about computer science, explore its potential and encourage participation in computer science education. Submitted photo.
 

by Brianne Grimstad

The Allamakee Community School District (ACSD) Board of Directors met for its regular monthly meeting Monday, December 16. Board member Scott Melcher was absent from the meeting.

Under the Consent Agenda, the board approved the following hires, pending a satisfactory background check: Kids Club Staff; Tim Bulman (.5) and Kyle Gordon (.5), Boys Assistant Varsity Wrestling Coach; John Lawrence, Elementary Night Custodian; Daryl Roe, Assistant Varsity Softball Coach; and Agnes Garin, Substitute Bus Driver. The board also voted to increase the pay for the bus barn mechanic to $32 per hour in an effort to keep compensation for that position competitive and in line with current trends.

The deadline for the Allamakee Scholarship Fund (ASF), Inc. Alumni Scholarship has been set for February 28, 2025. This is the 20th year for the alumni scholarship instituted by the Allamakee Scholarship Fund, Inc. Board of Directors.

The award is made to a Waukon High School graduate who participated in ASF, Inc. while in high school and received an award as a graduating senior. The ASF, Inc. Board feels it is important to continue the encouragement to Allamakee Community School District graduates as they continue their education, not just as they start their post-high school program.

The group wishes to encourage participation in community service and college activities that are part of their educational growth and preparation for career and community life. Scholarship criteria include academic achievement, student participation in college activities, especially in their field of study, and community service.

The Keep Iowa Beautiful organization awards three scholarships in the amount of $1,000 each to Iowa high school seniors who plan to enroll in a college or university located in the state of Iowa. These annual scholarships honor important figures in Keep Iowa Beautiful history who have made significant contributions to Iowa communities. Each of the scholarships are described as follows:
• The Byers Scholarship - High school seniors who plan to enroll and study environmental science, community development, landscape architecture or architecture (historical emphasis) or community planning and sustainability are eligible to apply. In memory of Bob Byers’ dedication to young people and environmental concerns, Keep Iowa Beautiful and the Byers family established the Byers Environmental Scholarship Fund in 2009.

A drive-through event to visit with Santa on the Farm will be held at Iowa’s Dairy Center this Friday evening, December 13 from 5-7 p.m. Iowa’s Dairy Center is located at 1527 Highway 150, south of Calmar.

Visitors will be able to meet Santa from their vehicles. The drive-through event will take visitors right through the farm’s freestall barn to see a close-up view of the milking cows. Pre-packaged cookies, honey, and milk will be served directly to each vehicle and visitors will also receive a fun holiday goody bag which includes dairy educational activities. This family-friendly event is free to the public and donations are appreciated. The event will be weather permitting. For up-to-date information or questions, visit the Northeast Iowa Dairy & Agriculture Foundation’s Facebook page or email info@iowadairycenter.com. Submitted photo.
 

A convention to fill a vacancy in Director District 3 on the Board of Directors of the Keystone Area Education Agency (AEA) was held Monday, December 2. The director district includes the Allamakee, Clayton Ridge, Eastern Allamakee, Edgewood-Colesburg, and MFL/MarMac Community School Districts, and that seat had been represented for nearly five decades by Dr. Bill Withers of Waukon until his passing earlier this year.

Dr. Dale Crozier, from McGregor, was unanimously elected to fill that seat by the school boards of those District 3 school districts and will serve the balance of Withers’ four-year term expiring in December 2025. Dr. Crozier recently retired after serving as the shared Superintendent of Schools for both the Eastern Allamakee and MFL/MarMac Community School Districts.
 

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach joined the St. Patrick School Kindergarten class recently to offer hands-on learning through a “Fizz, Bubble, Goo!” Day. The kindergarteners learned what makes Alka Seltzer fizz and what gas blew up their balloon when they mixed baking soda and vinegar (top photo). Another experiment was making elephant toothpaste and watching the reaction between hydrogen peroxide, yeast, and soap. One of the favorite activities was making different slime recipes (bottom photo) and seeing which one held together the best and which one was the gooiest. The students made bubbles and bubble blowers, and made their own cola with ingredients right out of the cupboard. The final experiment was watching the volcano of Mentos and Diet Coke (photo at center).

Lena Rausch, a seventh grade student at Waukon Middle School and the daughter of Ben and Kris Rausch of Waukon, was recently selected for participation in the 38th annual Opus Honor Choir Festival. Over 2400 students were nominated by their directors for 720 positions in the four Opus Honor Choirs. Selections were made by means of a recorded audition. Rausch is under the direction of Sarah J. Bieber at Waukon Middle/High School.

Guest conductors of the choirs include Jennifer Ghelf, 5th and 6th Grade Honor Choir; John Hayden, 7th and 8th Grade Bass Clef Honor Choir; Rachael Wragge, 7th and 8th Grade Treble Clef Honor Choir; and Meg Byrne, 9th Grade Mixed Honor Choir. The 2024 Opus Honor Choirs performed Thursday, November 21 in C.Y. Stephens Auditorium in the Iowa State Center on the campus of Iowa State University in Ames. The Opus Honor Choir Festival is made possible by the Iowa Choral Directors Association, Inc.
 

by Brianne Grimstad

In early November, the Iowa Department of Education released the results of the new state school performance ratings and federal designations, now called the Iowa School Performance Profiles. Using data from the 2023-2024 school year, this year’s Profiles marked the first time new state school performance ratings and federal designations have been determined using an updated state plan for school accountability and support.