Education

Children and families are encouraged to participate in Robey Memorial Library’s program series Summer Explorers to be held Wednesdays, June 7, 14 and 21 from 10-11 a.m. The program schedule is as follows:

June 7: Renewable Energy with Green Iowa Americorps - make wind turbines and solar cars.
June 14: Build a Bug House with Ross Geerdes of Allamakee County Conservation - learn about beneficial insects and make a bug house to take home for the backyard.
June 21: Food Fun with Lynn Sorenson of Kitchen Krafts - make a treat.

Watch for the Summer Explorers series to continue the first two Wednesdays in August as well, August 2 and 9. For more information contact the library at 563-568-4424 or www.waukon.lib.ia.us.
 

Youth Mentoring at Helping Services for Youth & Families is spearheading a campaign entitled “Talk. They Hear You.” This national campaign empowers parents to talk with children, as young as nine years old, about the dangers of underage drinking.

This campaign is relevant and vital because the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) latest report on underage drinking shows that more than a quarter of American youth engage in underage drinking. Although there has been progress in reducing the extent of underage drinking in recent years, the rates of underage drinking are still unacceptably high.

“Talk. They Hear You.” raises parents’ and other caring adults’ awareness about these issues and arms them with information they need to start a conversation about alcohol before children become teenagers.

The Allamakee Community School District hosted its annual Employee Recognition Luncheon Wednesday, May 24 at the Waukon Middle School gymnasium for all employees of the school district. The event featured the honoring of school district employees who have achieved milestones of 15, 20, 25 and 40 years of service to the school district, as well as those retiring. Some of those employees are pictured in the surrounding photos.

Additional photos and information available in the June 7 edition of The Standard, pick up this week's print edition or subscribe to our e-edition by clicking here.
 

Tyler O'Neill (center), Waukon High School graduating senior and son of Joe and Michelle O'Neill of Waukon, was recognized by Iowa Governor Terry Branstad (right) and Lieutenant Governor Kim Reynolds (left) for outstanding academic achievement at the 15th Annual Governor’s Scholar Recognition Ceremony held April 30 at Hy-Vee Hall in Des Moines. The statewide program, sponsored by the Iowa Governor’s Office, Iowa High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) and its title sponsor, the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation (IFBF), honored 429 high school seniors from throughout Iowa at this year's ceremony. “Iowa Farm Bureau members know that by investing in our youth and communities, we’re investing in the future of Iowa,” said IFBF President Craig Hill. “We have been honored to be a title sponsor of the Annual Governor's Scholar Recognition Ceremony for the past 15 years to celebrate Iowa's exceptional high school students.

Dave Schoeberlein, Social Studies teacher at Waukon High School was recently recognized by Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate for organizing Waukon High School's and Waukon Middle School's participation in the statewide Iowa Youth Straw Poll for the 2016 general election. Seventh through 12th grade students voted on their choice of the 2016 general election candidates and the results were then totaled with results from other Iowa schools and reported on Secretary of State Pate's website at https://sos.iowa.gov/youth/poll/results.aspx.

Christa Heffern, a 2017 graduate of Waukon High School, was recently presented the school's highest agricultural honor, the DEKALB Agricultural Accomplishment Award, sponsored by Monsanto Company. The daughter of Jack and Cindy Heffern of Harpers Ferry, she received the award for excellence in academics, leadership and agricultural work experience.

Heffern's significant experiences and accomplishments have included earning her Iowa FFA Degree, being a member of the Waukon High School Little Switzerland FFA Chapter Meats Evaluation Reserve Champion Team, and serving as Chapter Reporter and President. Jessica O'Connor is Heffern's agricultural education instructor at Waukon High School.

This year, the DEKALB Agricultural Accomplishment Award celebrates its 70th anniversary. Over these 70 years more than 168,000 high school seniors from across the country have received the award, which has become a symbol for excellence and the school's highest agricultural honor.

by Susan Cantine-Maxson

The regular meeting of the Board of Directors of the Eastern Allamakee Community School District (EACSD) was held at Kee High School in Lansing Monday, May 15 despite the threat of severe thunderstorms. The meeting was called to order by Heather Schulte, Board President. Board members present included Bobbie Goetzinger, Melanie Mauss, Bruce Palmborg, Kelli Mudderman and Heather Schulte. Also present at the meeting were Dr. Dale Crozier, Superintendent; Mary Hogan, Kee High and Middle School Principal; Chad Steckel, New Albin Elementary Principal and Marian Verdon, Board Secretary.

Third grade students from St. Patrick School in Waukon took a recent field trip to the Northeast Iowa Dairy Center at Calmar. The students are pictured above learning about dairy history and they also learned about dairy nutrition, the milking process, dairy breeds and the parts of a cow's stomach. The highlight of the field trip was making ice cream, pictured below. Submitted photos.
 

Drew Adam, a 2016 graduate of Waukon High School, was recently awarded a $2,000 George White Memorial Scholarship by the Iowa Automobile Dealers (IAD) Foundation for Education. R.W. Pladsen, Inc. in Waukon recommended Adam for the scholarship, as he is currently an automotive technology student at Northeast Iowa Community College. Overall, the Foundation awarded 15 $2,000 scholarships to college-bound students seeking education to begin a career in the automotive industry. Scholarship applications are available each December. In the spring, the Foundation Board of Directors reviews scholarship applications and selects the winners. Pictured above, left to right, are Mark Pladsen of R.W. Pladsen, Inc., scholarship recipient Drew Adam, and Steve Pladsen and Mike Wright of R.W. Pladsen, Inc.

Valedictorians or top graduating seniors were honored by KWWL Television and the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) in a ceremony held Saturday, April 29. The students took part in KWWL’s 33rd annual “Best of the Class” celebration on the University of Northern Iowa campus in Cedar Falls. Regan Wasson from Waukon High School, daughter of Bob and Amy Wasson of Waukon, was honored as a member of the 2017 Best of the Class. Best of the Class students were videotaped on the UNI campus for a series of public service announcements, which are scheduled to air on KWWL's Channel 7 and can be found at www.kwwl.com.