Education

by Brianne Grimstad

The Allamakee Community School District (ACSD) Board of Directors met for its regular monthly meeting Monday, June 19 in the Waukon High School cafeteria. Board member Brent Beyer was absent.

Under the Consent Agenda, the board approved the following personnel: Tim Bulman, volunteer middle school football coach; Kate-Leigh Wilson, volunteer cheer coach; Edwin Frick, assistant varsity boys basketball coach; Steve Welper, bus driver; Sofia Acosta and Dallas Howe as elementary paraprofessionals; an increase in hours for elementary paraprofessionals Carrie Etten, Amanda Willoughby and Stephanie Iverson; and Katrina Collins, Kindergarten teacher. The board accepted the following resignations: Paul Farley, bus driver; Ed Wikan, bus driver; and Clint Miller, SPED route driver.

Student loans are often in the headlines, but the most important information for families with college students is knowing how student loan options compare to each other, according to an Iowa nonprofit loan provider.

“We always encourage students to use savings and earnings, and other financial aid options like grants, scholarships and work-study, before borrowing,” said Steve McCullough, president and CEO of Iowa Student Loan (ISL) Education Lending. “Once those options are exhausted, families should consider federal loans for students and private loans offered by nonprofits like ISL Education Lending.”

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.

There will always be a need for skilled people to do electrical work, professional and safe wiring for homes, businesses, rental properties and public infrastructure. Two programs at Northeast Iowa Community College - Commercial/Residential Electrician and Industrial Electrician - provide students with the training and knowledge needed to thrive in this critical industry.

As part of their learning, students in the programs cross-train with Carpentry students each year to construct a new house in the community from foundation to roofing and finish work. The experiential learning integrated into the program provides many of the best real-world, hands-on lessons, said Reilly Reader, a May 2019 Industrial Electrician graduate.

by Christine Hensley, Iowa Student Loan Liquidity Corporation Board Chair

After high school graduation, your student will face many new experiences beyond academics and social situations. At Iowa Student Loan (ISL) Education Lending, we know that preparation for the next step helps students increase their chances of graduation, finding a job and successfully repaying any student loans.

1. Plan for medical emergencies. Parents may not have access to health information or be able to make medical decisions for incapacitated students who are 18 or older, no matter who carries the insurance and pays the bills. You may want to have your student properly complete, sign and have notarized official medical power of attorney and medical information release forms that you can easily access in case of emergency. In addition, your child should understand when to self-treat, visit a clinic or specialist, or go to the emergency room.

Robey Memorial Library will be sponsoring Main Street Story Walk in Waukon during the month of June, with this month’s walk featuring the children’s story, “Farmer Duck” by Martin Waddell. During the month, families are encouraged to read this story as they stroll the downtown area. Seven selected businesses have a portion of the story posted in the front window of their establishment for viewing from the sidewalk in numerical order. Each stop along the story walk will direct readers to the next location. Selected businesses for the month of June are located on the north side of West Main Street at the following locations pictured and labeled accordingly above in the submitted image: 1. Blake Electric; 2. Hello Sunshine; 3. Aztec Parlor; 4. Rockweiler’s Appliance; 5. Hartig Drug; 6. Uptown Grill; 7. Cunningham Hardware. Submitted image.
 

by Mallory Berns, Chapter Reporter
    
February 21 of this year, the FFA Northeast Iowa Sub-District contest was held in Elkader at Central Community High School. At this event, Waukon FFA had 13 members compete in seven different contests.

Natalie Byrnes participated in Ag Broadcasting. This event is intended to encourage an understanding and create an interest in the field of broadcast journalism. She received a Gold rating and advanced on to District competition.

Ethan Gibbs and Caleb Helgerson took part in the Chapter Program Contest. This event is designed to emphasize group activity and accomplishments, and to recognize acts of leadership, growing out of an organized program in schools and communities. They earned a Silver rating and advanced to the District contest.

Each year the Waukon Middle School staff votes on and acknowledges a boy and girl from the sixth, seventh and eighth grades for the Middle School Citizenship Award. These students demonstrate positive attitude, academic excellence, exemplary character, school spirit and community involvement.

This year’s award recipients are pictured above. Left to right: Petra Quiroz, Ruin Mathis, Marcus Brynes, Jaelyn Johanningmeier, Dayne Howe. Not pictured is fellow award recipient Alex Wuebker. Submitted photo.
 

by Brianne Grimstad

The Allamakee Community School District Board of Directors met for a brief special meeting Wednesday, May 31. The board approved the following recommendations for hiring personnel: Benjamen Pline, High School Social Studies teacher; Bethany Engen, Elementary General Music teacher; and Ben Rausch, seventh grade girls basketball coach.

The board also accepted a resignation from Cathy Krupa from her positions as a paraprofessional and West Elementary Kids Club coordinator. The board also accepted the resignation of Sally Dougherty from her Kindergarten teaching position at West Elementary School.

Approval was also given by the board to a quote in the amount of $23,621 from Casper Plumbing and Heating for repairs to one of the air handling units located at Waukon High School. The next regular monthly meeting of the Allamakee Community School District Board of Directors is scheduled for Monday, June 19 at Waukon High School.

Emma Palmer (pictured in center of photo at right), a graduated senior of Waukon High School’s Class of 2023, was recognized by Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds (right) and Lieutenant Governor Adam Gregg (left) for outstanding academic achievement at the 21st Annual Governor’s Scholar Recognition Ceremony held April 30 at the Iowa Events Center 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 422 high school seniors from across Iowa at the ceremony.