Education

In early December, members of the Waukon Middle School and High School Bands attended the Northeast Iowa District Honor Band held in Oelwein. The students rehearsed throughout the day and performed in a formal concert that evening. The participating students are pictured here, and in photo above, include Moriah Downing - 8th grade clarinet, under the direction of Waukon Middle School Band Director Tim Lund; and in photo below, left to right, Bailey Sherman - 11th grade flutist, Logan Lubahn - 11th grade tuba and Cody Huinker - 11th grade trombone, all under the direction of Waukon High School Band Director Jo Ann Sherman. Submitted image.

A parent committee was recently started at New Albin Elementary School in the Eastern Allamakee Community School District. The purpose of N.E.S.T. (New Albin Elementary Success Team) is to ensure the success of every student, in the classroom and beyond. The motivation for starting this group was to develop a partnership between the community and the school, working together towards the success of every student.

“By having parents involved, we will be able to show our students that their education isn’t just important to the staff at the school, but it matters to the entire community as well. We want the students to know we care about all aspects of their lives, and their success is our reward!” said New Albin Elementary School Principal and N.E.S.T. organizer Donna Thomas.

A pair of Waukon High School graduates were among the nearly 1,000 University of Iowa students who participated in the 28th annual student-led Dance Marathon February 4-5. The annual event generated more than $1.3 million for the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital this year.

Olivia Opat, a 2020 graduate of Waukon High School, was one of more than 150 current University of Iowa students who served in leadership positions for the 28th annual student-led Dance Marathon. Opat served as a member of the finance committee for Dance Marathon 28 (DM28).

Bailey Shafer of Waukon was one of more than 900 current University of Iowa students who participated in this year’s dance marathon. She is a 2021 graduate of Waukon High School.

The final tally raised by the students was $1,361,184.28, a total which pushed the amount of support generated by Dance Marathon over the course of its history to more than $33 million.

Students from the Waukon High School Speech program were among those who participated in the Large Group State Speech Contest hosted by Decorah High School Saturday, February 5. A total of four performances from Waukon High School (pictured in the surrounding photos) advanced to that State Contest after earning Division I ratings awarded at the District Contest held January 22 at Cascade High School.

The four State performances included a Group Mime entitled “Only 2 to Tango” and performed by Alaina Gebel, Chase Boydston and Ethan Hooten. This performance received a Division I rating and also received an All-State nomination to advance on to the All-State Large Group Speech Festival scheduled for this Saturday, February 19 in Ames.

The Kee High School Large Group Speech program participated in the State Contest held Saturday, February 5 at Decorah High School. Four Kee performances had advanced to the State Contest after receiving Division I ratings at the District Contest held January 22 at Cascade High School, with each of those four performances also receiving Division I ratings at the State Contest.

Kee’s four State Contest performances (all of which are pictured in the surrounding photos) included the following:

The Kee High School Speech program will be hosting a Dinner Theatre Saturday, March 5 at TJ Hunter’s Banquet Hall on Main Street in Lansing. Doors open at 5 p.m. with serving beginning at 5:30 p.m.

Tickets are now on sale and will be sold through February 22 - no tickets will be sold after this date. Tickets may be purchased from a Kee High School speech member (some of which are pictured in the surrounding photos) or from the Kee High School office by calling 563-538-4201. There is limited seating of 200 maximum. No tickets will be sold at the door.

The evening will consist of an elegant dining experience offering a buffet meal of barbeque chicken, smoked pork loin, party potatoes, corn, Oreo fluff and a dinner roll along with a dessert bar. Entertainment for the night will be performances from the Kee High School large group speech teams and a sneak peek from the upcoming musical production of “Little Shop of Horrors”.
 

written by Alaina Gebel
Waukon High School junior and music student

Monday, January 17, six high schools from across the Northeast Iowa Conference (NEIC) participated in the NEIC Honor Music Festival hosted at Waukon High School. Students from Charles City, Waverly-Shell Rock, Crestwood, Decorah, New Hampton and Waukon High Schools spent the day practicing music pieces under the guidance of two skilled directors, and then performed their musical selections in the evening at a concert held in the Dave Schoeberlein Gymnasium.

Among the attendees were 22 Waukon High School music students selected to participate. The students from Waukon High School are under the direction of vocal director Sarah J. Bieber and band director Jo Ann Knipfer Sherman.

Waukon After School Clover Kids beat the snow with a blizzard-themed meeting in January. After discussing the characteristics of a blizzard and reading the book ‘Blizzard’, they made their own snowman measuring sticks (pictured below). Youth learned the correct way to take an accurate measurement: away from buildings, in the open and in a relatively flat spot. They then had fun painting a winter scene with snow paint made out of glue and shaving cream (pictured above). Clover Kids ended the meeting with an emergency kit relay game. They had to choose which items are needed in case of an emergency and which items are for fun. After each group had their kit done, the group discussed why each item was important. Items included were a blanket, weather radio, emergency contact list, food/water, flashlight and a first aid kit.

Mailed letters will replace phone calls again this year

The Allamakee Scholarship Fund (ASF), Inc. phon-a-thon held in February has been the major fundraiser for the organization and is conducted by the student applicants in conjunction with the Allamakee Scholarship Fund, Inc. Board of Directors. In past years students used phone banks at Waukon High School and at Waukon State Bank and FreedomBank in Waukon.

Last year with COVID-19 precautions, no phone calling was done and students addressed and mailed phon-a-thon donation letters. That will hold true again for this 2021-2022 fundraiser also. Dates for those mailings to be completed this year are Thursday, February 10, Tuesday, February 15 and Wednesday, February 16.

The Lansing VFW Auxiliary Post #5981 and the New Albin VFW Auxiliary Post #5603 recently sponsored their annual Patriotic Essay Contest. Third through sixth grade students at New Albin Elementary School shared their ideas in written essays. Pictured above are the top essay entries from New Albin Elementary School. Left to right -  Front row: Caleb Verdon, Iris Reiter-Marsolf, Leon Berg, Evelynn Dibert, Cody Colsch; Middle row: Davina Shako, Henry Martin, Noah Mauss; Back row: Morgan Mohn, Austyn Mohn, Wesley McKee, New Albin Elementary School Principal Donna Thomas. Not pictured: Eli Schobert . Submitted photo.