Education

Nineteen students from the Waukon High School Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) chapter traveled to Anaheim, CA June 28-July 3 for the FBLA National Leadership Conference. These students joined more than 9,600 other high school students as they competed in business-related competitive events. Students also had the opportunity to attend workshops and listen to keynote speaker Rob Schallenberger. While in California, students visited Huntington Beach, Universal Studios, Newport Beach, Downtown Disney and attended an Anaheim Angels baseball game. Pictured above, left to right, are: Front row: Bailey Mathis, Mary VanderVelden, Callie Ferring, Maddie Ahlstrom, Ally Goltz. Second row: Austyn Ede, Caryssa Hermanson, Emma Hatlan, Laurel Keenan, Aubree Cota, Leah Bulman, Brock Hatlan. Back row: Lauryn Behrend, Sydney Ross, Jacob Hosch, Quinton Lewis, Logan Sullivan, Lauren Griffith, Brigid Berns. Submitted photo.
 

Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) Business and Community Solutions is offering the class “Financial Planning for Millenials” Wednesday, August 16 from 9-11 a.m. and “Estate Planning Essentials for Everyone” Thursday, September 7 from 3-5 p.m. at the NICC Waukon Center, located at 1220 Third Avenue NW.

Keystone Area Education Agency (AEA) will be offering the required training course for the Iowa Substitute Authorization. This authorization allows an individual to substitute in a PK-12 classroom. For those who are a Certified Paraeducator, this 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 also required. Local districts have the option of hiring individuals with the Substitute Authorization, but it does not guarantee employment. Interested parties are encouraged to check with their local district.

Anyone who meets the following five criteria is eligible to receive this authorization:

The Allamakee Community School District (ACSD) is participating in the Free Summer Food Service Program again this year. Menus for the final two-week session of the program in August accompany this article (at right). Breakfast and lunch will be provided to all children ages one through graduating seniors for free and are the same for all children regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability, and there will be no discrimination in the course of the meal service.

Meals will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis at the sites and times as follows:

• Waukon Middle School Cafeteria: Mondays-Fridays, August 1-14. Breakfast will be served from 8-9 a.m. and lunch will be served from 11:15 a.m. - 12:45 p.m.
• Waterville Elementary School: Mondays-Fridays, August 1-14. Breakfast will be served from 8-9:30 a.m. and lunch will be served from 11 a.m-12:30 p.m.

The Iowa Department of Education, Bureau of Nutrition and Health Services has announced its policy for free and reduced price meals for children unable to pay the full price of meals served under the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program and the Afterschool Care Snack Program.

State and Local school officials have adopted the family size and income criteria viewable in the chart accompanying this article for determining eligibility.

Households may be eligible for free or reduced price meal benefits one of four ways listed below.

Youth from Lansing (pictured in group photo above) and Waukon (pictured in group photo below) explored the wonderful world of worms in June. They received hands-on learning with roughly 1,000 composting worms. The youth started off with a worm questionnaire to test their knowledge and learned some surprising new facts, such as worms hatch from cocoons, they don’t have eyes or teeth, and they breathe through their skin. They were able to compare composting worms to nightcrawlers and get a better look at each with magnifying glasses. Youth learned more about worms while completing experiments which included testing if worms liked wet or dry surfaces, rough or smooth surfaces, if they preferred the light or dark, and also if worms had a preference for smells. Before leaving, youth made their own composting bins with newspaper, learning how much to add and how wet it should be.

It’s a plane. It’s a helicopter. No, it’s a drone! Youth in third through fifth grades became more familiar with drones as they learned the different parts, terminology and rules and regulations of flying a drone. They first learned of the endless possibilities that law enforcement/fire departments use a drone for, such as locating missing people, reaching remote locations to observe damage, checking buildings for hot spots after a fire, dropping aid and many more. Youth learned about rotary wing and fixed wing aircrafts when experimenting with prop-copters and Styrofoam gliders. Some new terminology for the youth included words like roll, pitch and yaw, which are three dynamics that help create a flight path for planes and drones. Colin Brennan from Lansing brought his drone and explained to the youth some of the rules and regulations that he was to follow in order to use his drone for business, capturing photos and video.

This summer, area teenagers will meet monthly at Robey Memorial Library in Waukon to discuss books as part of the library's Teen Summer Book Club. Snacks will be provided, and any area teenagers are welcome to attend any of the scheduled sessions which are slated for the second Wednesday of each month. Monthly selections to be discussed include the following:

August 9 at 10:30 a.m.: Read "We were liars" by E. Lockhart. Attend either or both of the previous two book club sessions (June or July) to receive a copy of this title free, sponsored by the Robey Memorial Library Foundation. For additional information contact Robey Memorial Library at www.waukon.lib.ia.us or 563-568-4424.
 

by Susan Cantine-Maxson

The regular monthly meeting of the Eastern Allamakee Community School District (EACSD) Board of Directors was held Monday, July 17 at Kee High School. Board Member/Vice President Bobbie Goetzinger called the meeting to order. Bruce Palmborg and Kelli Mudderman were present along with Board Secretary/Business Manager Marian Verdon, Superintendent Dr. Dale Crozier and Principals Mary Hogan and Chad Steckel. Board member Melanie Mauss and board president Heather Schulte were absent.

by Brianne Eilers

The Allamakee Community School District (ACSD) Board of Directors met for its regular monthly meeting Monday, July 17. Board member Scott Melcher was absent.

During the Secretary's Report, Board Secretary Jaime Curtin noted that her office has been busy working on the fiscal year-end reports and state reports. ACSD Superintendent Dave Herold gave the school lunch report, noting that at this time of the year there is money going out but not a lot coming in because of school not being in session. However, he said the balance is "very healthy overall."