Education

by Brianne Eilers

The Allamakee Community School District (ACSD) Board of Directors met Monday evening, December 16 for the board’s regular monthly meeting. Several items were approved under the consent agenda as follows:

In personnel matters, the board approved hiring Julie Stemper as a substitute bus driver, Laural Gulla as a middle school paraprofessional and David Hansmeier as a volunteer wrestling coach. The board also accepted the resignation of Gretchen DeVore from her position as Curriculum Director. In an email to the board, DeVore explained that due to medical issues, she was resigning effective November 1, 2019. ACSD Superintendent Jay Mathis thanked DeVore for her years of service to the Allamakee Community School District and said that they “wish her well.”

Waukon Middle School’s after school program, 10th Hour, chose to spend the day together for the two “no school” Professional Development days held earlier this fall in the Allamakee Community School District. The group’s first all-day trip started with making Thanksgiving decorations for residents of Northgate Care Center in Waukon. Students had a great morning reading stories, playing games and coloring with the senior citizens. They enjoyed giving them a turkey decoration (pictured above) they had made earlier to brighten up their rooms. That afternoon was a splash spent enjoying swimming, pizza and each other’s company.

Substitute teachers are in demand. For anyone who has considered becoming a substitute teacher, a one-weekend substitute authorization course will be offered in Elkader from December 20-22.

The Iowa Substitute Authorization allows an individual to substitute in a PK-12 classroom. For those who are Certified Paraeducators, an assigned special education classroom may be at the elementary, middle school, junior high school or high school level.

The four core components of the course are Classroom Management, Strategies for Learning, Diversity and Ethics. Upon successful completion of the program, the participant may apply to the Board of Educational Examiners for a license. A state and federal background check is required.

Local districts have the option of hiring individuals with the Substitute Authorization. It does not guarantee employment. Those who are interested are reminded to check with their local district.

The Iowa 4-H Foundation has announced applications are now available for its 4-H scholarship program. Over 100 scholarship opportunities valued at over $110,000 will be awarded.

The various scholarship awards range in amounts from $500 to $10,000. Some of the scholarships are open to students pursuing any field of study, while others are open to students pursuing more specific degrees in agriculture, food and nutrition, ag business, animal science and journalism.

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.

by Susan Cantine-Maxson

The Board of Directors of the Eastern Allamakee Community School District (EACSD) met at Kee High School in Lansing for its regular monthly session Monday, November 25. Visitors included  Kee High School FFA Advisor Ray Rankin and the school’s FFA students who attended the recent National FFA Convention.

After adopting the agenda, the board listened to audience comments which included a report from members of the FFA group who had attended the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, IN. Rankin and his students gave a short presentation on the events at the convention and other tours they had an opportunity to take in the area. Students included Benjerman Troendle, Peter Boland, Thomas Troendle, Hunter Peterson and Owen Schobert.

The board authorized the regular meeting minutes from October 21. The regular meeting was then adjourned so that the board’s annual organizational meeting could convene.

Substitute teachers are in demand. For anyone who has considered becoming a substitute teacher, a one-weekend substitute authorization course will be offered in Elkader from December 20-22.

The Iowa Substitute Authorization allows an individual to substitute in a PK-12 classroom. For those who are Certified Paraeducators, an assigned special education classroom may be at the elementary, middle school, junior high school or high school level.

The four core components of the course are Classroom Management, Strategies for Learning, Diversity and Ethics. Upon successful completion of the program, the participant may apply to the Board of Educational Examiners for a license. A state and federal background check is required.

Local districts have the option of hiring individuals with the Substitute Authorization. It does not guarantee employment. Those who are interested are reminded to check with their local district.

The Allamakee Community School District will be hosting STEAM Night 2019 Tuesday, December 10 from 5-7 p.m. at East Elementary School in Waukon. The STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics) event is being held in an open house format where the entire family is invited and may come and go as they please.

Sessions will include video game creation, robotics, break-out rooms, a digital planetarium, augmented reality experiences, circuits and art/design. Treats and a drink will be provided by the Parents Supporting Students and Teachers (PSST) Group.
 

Five Allamakee County 4-H’ers traveled to the FFA Enrichment Center in Ankeny Friday, November 15 for the Grow by FarmHer Conference. Pictured above, left to right, are Claire Opperman, Diana Davison, Shelby Wyninger, Alaina Gebel and Kaylee Gibbs. Grow is a series of events that will inspire and empower young women in agriculture to take an active role in the agriculture industry. A total of 350 young women ages 16-22 with an interest in agriculture had the opportunity to participate in inspirational and informational experiences as a group as well as meaningful one-on-one connections with women ag leaders. At Grow by FarmHer, young women got a real-life look at what they need to do to be successful ag leaders, while gaining the encouragement and making the connections that are pivotal to helping them grow in agriculture. For more information about the Allamakee County 4-H Program, contact the Allamakee County Extension Office at 563-568-6345. Submitted photo.
 

Developing the area’s workforce talent, whether the skills employees need include computer networking, leadership strategies or lean manufacturing, can seem like trying to hit a moving target. Identifying these skilled workforce needs, however, is a process made far simpler through partnerships among decision-makers.

The Allamakee County Business and Community Board formed with this purpose in mind, and its ongoing conversations can impact new employee recruitment and retention initiatives, and provide a forum to share best practices. Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) developed these boards to encourage discussion among educators, economic development officials and local business leaders, and to help members prepare for the future.

Two Upper Iowa University (UIU) students recently attended the Civic Action Academy at University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls to learn new ways to make a difference in society through civic and community engagement. More specifically, senior biology major Julia Szepieniec and graduate student Bethany Stock attended the event to help build stronger volunteering skills to better organize the area’s annual Fayette Appreciation Day.

Undergraduate and graduate students from across the Midwest attended the November 8-9 event in Cedar Falls to learn from professionals across various sectors. The skill-building sessions included philanthropy, leadership, dialogue, advocacy and more. Students also had the opportunity to learn what others are doing on their respective campuses and further network with peers.