Abraham Lincoln Diver Heads to State
Abraham Lincoln Print Journalism Students Honored
A.L. and T.J. Cross Country Runners Selected for Senior All Star Meet
Bloomer Elementary Holds K-3rd Grade Literacy Night
Carter Lake Student Named Winner in Anti-Bullying Poster Contest
Employees of the Month Honored at Board Meeting
Flu Shots Available for Staff Members
Jason Plourde Named Milken Award Winner
Junior High Students Chosen to Attend SWIBA Honor Band Festival
Mary Ann Bragg Honored with Award of Excellence
Rue Elementary Kicks off School Wide Reading Program
Runza Donation and Dollar General Grant Help Buy Books for Rue Students
Sixth Grade to Move to Middle School Next Year
Students Accepted into 2008 All State Music Festival
TeamMates Mentoring Program in its 2nd Year in Council Bluffs School District
Thomas Jefferson Students Place in Public Speaking Competition
Tucker Career & College Center Students Hold Charity Dress Swap
Mary Ann Bragg Honored with Award of Excellence
Mary Ann Bragg received the Award of Excellence for her work on the human resource and finance management system conversion. She is the Technology Supervisor for Business Operations at the Educational Service Center. MaryAnn has worked for the District since 1967. She was hired initially as an elementary teacher but as computer technology needs grew in the District it was recognized that her skills and abilities could be utilized to assist other teachers in the use of technology in the classroom. Three years ago, MaryAnn was assigned to work as the technology facilitator for the conversion to a new integrated human resource and finance management system. The reassignment to the Finance/HR system conversion required MaryAnn to learn about the business operations of the school district, an area in which she had no prior knowledge or experience. MaryAnn has been tireless in her efforts to learn the complexity of the daily business operations. She has worked both long days during the contract year and countless days beyond her contract year to make sure that the system conversion would be successful. MaryAnn has modeled a positive attitude for employees during the difficult transition from one system to another. She has supported employees during this difficult transition by providing support and encouragement but also by getting answers and helping them work through their concerns. MaryAnn's achievements truly reflect the highest level of dedication to our district and merit the District's highest honor of the Award of Excellence.
Junior High Students Chosen to Attend SWIBA Honor Band Festival
Katie Adams, Chelsea Eret, and Zane Rau have been chosen to play at the Southwest Iowa Bandmasters Association (SWIBA) Honor Band Festival on Friday, November 14th at the Lewis Central Middle School. Katie is an eighth grade clarinet player from Wilson and is the only student from her school selected. Zane Rau is an eighth grader from Kirn who plays the tenor saxophone. The eighth grade students will be working with Jeff Mount at the Festival. Kirn seventh grader Chelsea Eret, was also selected for the festival. Chelsea plays the clarinet. Students from all over Southwest Iowa had the opportunity to audition and will be sharing the day together. The Concert starts at 7:30 p.m. Friday night
Employees of the Month Honored at Board Meeting
Stephen Kight receives his Employee of the Month Award at November 25th's Board Meeting.
Nancy Hale gives an acceptance speech for her Employee of the Month Award at November 25th's Board Meeting
Congratulations to Nancy Hale, counselor at Thomas Jefferson High School, who has been selected as Licensed Employee for November. Congratulations, also to Stephen Kight, custodian at Crescent Elementary School, who was selected as Support Staff Employee for November. Both of these employees will be honored at the board meeting Tuesday evening (November 25) at 6:30 p.m. at ESC, 12 Scott Street. Please join us in saluting them and their good work!
Congratualations also to the October and September Honorees. In October Matt Haan was selected as the Licensed Staff Member of the Month and Steve Collins as the Support Staff member of the month. Matt Haan is a Media Specialist and Steve Collins is the Night Head Custodian at Wilson. The September honorees were Frannie Teply as the Licensed Employee and Terry Decker as the Support Staff Employee. Frannie is a Counselor at Rue and Gunn while Terry is a paraeducator at Wilson.
A.L. and T.J. Cross Country Runners Selected for Senior All Star Meet
Kyle Blue of Thomas Jefferson and Sam Heitoff of Abraham Lincoln have been selected to compete in the Iowa Association of Track Coaches (ITAC) Senior All-Star Cross Country meet on Saturday, November 8th. They both will be 4A Southwest Iowa team representatives. This is the third year in the history of the Senior All-Star Cross Country meet. The meet will be run on the Iowa State University National Championship Cross Country Course in Ames. The Senior Boy All-Stars 5K race will start at 1:30 p.m. Before that the Senior Girl All-Stars 5k race will be held at 1 p.m. An Open 5K Race will be held at 12:00 p.m.
Thomas Jefferson Students Place in Public Speaking Competition
Andrea Bentzinger, Charity Oswald, and Leah Wright were finalists in the Iowa Western Community College Speech Tournament
On November 19, sixteen dual-credit enrollment students from Thomas Jefferson competed in the Iowa Western Community College speech tournament. In six rounds of preliminary competition, 36 students in total competed against one another for first-place bids and the opportunity to advance to the evening’s final round of competition. Top speakers at the conclusion of all rounds of preliminary competition included the following TJ students:
Center One:
1st- Charity Oswald
2nd- Andrew Kousgaard
3rd-Sarah Hogueison
Center Two:
3rd—Brittany Scott
Center Three:
2nd-Ryan Mickey
Center Four:
3rd –Kayleigh Holton
Center Five:
1st—Andrea Bentzinger
3rd—Stephen Havenridge
Center Six:
1st—Leah Wright
The six speakers who placed first in their respective rounds then advanced to the evening’s finals, and included TJ students: Andrea Bentzinger, Charity Oswald, and Leah Wright. In the final round of competition the six speakers competed before a panel of judges with Charity Oswald placing 3rd, Leah Wright 4th, and Andrea Bentzinger placing 5th. Other dual-credit participants from Thomas Jefferson included: Ethan Arrick, Justina Delong, Luci Mendoza, Caleb Petersen, Cody Stites, Rosa Walkingstick, and Eric Wickwire.
Abraham Lincoln Print Journalism Students Honored
Several Abraham Lincoln Students won awards in the Iowa High School Press Association's fall yearbook contest. All students who worked on the 2007 Crimson & Blue Yearbook are credited for the awards it received including the Whole Book Award, Honorable Mention for the Copy/Articles, and third place in Photography. Individual Awards from the contest are listed below.
1st Place:
Mallory Miller - Sports Copy
2nd Place:
Jennifer Morris - Special Features Copy
Caitlin Evers - Sports Photo
Caitlin Evers - Student Life Photo
3rd Place:
Mallory Miller - Advertising Spread
Caitlin Evers - Organizations Photos
Honorable Mention:
Patrick Peters - Academic Copy
Nicole Paulson - Academics Photo
Caitlin Evers - Academics Spread
Jennifer Morris - Organizations Copy
Peter Hutcheson - Sports Spread
Micaela Auffart - Student Life Spread
Students were also honored on September 18th at J-Day at Midland Lutheran College in Fremont, Nebraska. J-Day is held by the Journalism Department at Midland Lutheran and invites high school students to participate in a variety of events for that day. The following students received awards:
1st Place
Rose Daugherty - News Story
2nd Place
Caitlin Evers - Best Photo
Matt Wettengel - Newspaper Layout
The Echoes - Newspaper Overall
3rd Place
Tracy Jones - Yearbook Layout
Honorable Mention
Michaela Auffart - Best Photo
Tyler Brietzke - Sports Story
Sixth Grade to Move to Middle School Next Year
During the meeting on October 28th, the Board of Education voted in favor of moving sixth grade into the middle schools, beginning in the 2009-10 school year. Dr. Marty Shudak, supervisor of elementary education will lead the steering committee and several sub-committees in the planning and implementation process.
Tucker Career & College Center Students Hold Charity Dress Swap
Students at the Tucker Career & College Center are holding a Dress Swap on Saturday November 15th. It will be held at Lewis Central High School, and admission is $3 per person. Anyone who donates a dress will get in free. Dress drop off will be from 8:00 – 11:00 a.m. on Saturday and the sale is from 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. The profits of the Dress Swap will go to Wings of Hope, a non profit cancer support group. The Dress Swap is an extra credit project for the students’ Health Science class and a way to give back to the community.
Jason Plourde Named Milken Award Winner
At a Veterans' Day celebration Tuesday morning, Washington Principal Jason Plourde was announced as the 2008 Milken Education Award Winner for the State of Iowa. Jason receives $25,000 and the invitation to join a very select group of educators in Los Angeles in April, 2009. The award announcement was under extremely secure wraps until Dr. Jane Foley from the Milken Foundation in California announced it at a school assembly at Washington this morning. We were fortunate to have Judy Jeffery, Director of the Department of Education in Iowa, as well as the mayor, assistant police chief, fire chief, Chamber CEO, and four board members at the announcement, and all the students and faculty from Washington. All were surprised, but none were as surprised as Jason. Jason is very well deserving! We are so proud of him and of his work to meld two communities in a time of tension. We look forward to his continuing good work for the children of Council Bluffs!
Runza Donation and Dollar General Grant Help Buy Books for Rue Students
Rue Elementary received a generous check for $323.54 from Runza™ Restaurant. Rue Elementary was selected as a beneficiary for Runza’s 6th annual “Great Books for Great Kids” fundraiser program. Fifteen percent of Runza™ sales on Tuesday, September 9th, were given to libraries, elementary schools and foundations to purchase books and other educational materials. Runza’s donation helps to support reading and literacy and to understand the importance of the ability to read. Rue also received a $1,100 grant from Dollar General to help buy books for student book clubs, and audio books to aid struggling readers. Rue is one of only 4 schools in Iowa that won a grant.
Flu Shots Available for Staff Members
Council Bluffs School District Staff Members may get their annual flu shot on Wednesday, November 19th. Nurses from Alegent Health will be administering the shots from 3:00 - 5:00 p.m. at the Kirn Library and the hallway outside of the Wilson Lecture Hall. If a staff member cannot make it during this time they can print off this voucher and take it into Alegent Health any day after November 3rd from 8:30 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. For more information about the Flu Vaccine, including why to and who should get vaccinated click here.
Rue Elementary Kicks off School Wide Reading Program
On Friday November 7 Rue Elementary kicked off a new reading program called “Feast on a Delicious Book.” The event included a presentation to the entire school from Nutrition Manager Judy Dittmar about the benefits of healthy eating and reading. Principal Trudy Evans also spoke at the kick off, and books were donated to the school’s library. Students also received a visit from the Power Panther, a mascot who promotes healthy living and nutrition. The “Feast on a Delicious Book” program is designed to encourage students of all ages to read more often.
Bloomer Elementary Holds K-3rd Grade Literacy Night
On November 6th Bloomer Elementary students from kindergarten to third grade held a pajama literacy night. Around 100 students and family members came to read together. A presentation on the value of parents reading with their child was also given along with handouts on tips for reading aloud, comprehension tips, and games for successful readers. During the event, drawings were held where students received 4 $15 Barnes and Noble gift cards and 4 movie passes. All students received bookmarks, snacks, and a book to take home at the end of the evening. They are allowed to exchange that book for another once they are finished reading it.
Abraham Lincoln Diver Heads to State
Abraham Lincoln Senior Meredith Bargenquast will compete in the State Diving Championships Friday November 7. The competition starts at 5:00 pm at the Marshalltown, Iowa YMCA. Meredith is going to state for the 3rd time this year. She placed 16th last year and 24th her sophomore season. She placed 32nd out of 36 state qualifiers, and is adding dives with higher difficulty for Friday’s Championships.
TeamMates Mentoring Program in its 2nd Year in Council Bluffs School District
More than 45 mentors have been matched with students at Wilson Junior High and Thomas Jefferson High Schools as part of the second year of the TeamMates Mentoring Program. Students and their mentors celebrated their matches at an event in October.
Students Accepted into 2008 All State Music Festival
Several students from Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson had successful auditions and accepted to the 2008 All State Music Festival. Being accepted to All State is the highest honor a high school musician can receive. The audition process is difficult, taking months of dedicated rehearsal time beyond the school day. The competition includes hundreds of students from southwest Iowa-Waukee who audition with only few making it. Members of Abraham Lincoln’s band, orchestra, and choir made All State.
Wyatt Seals who is a senior Abraham Lincoln band member and plays the trombone was selected for the 2nd time, while Luke Thallas, a 10th grade trombone player was selected as the 1st alternate to the Iowa All State Band. Other students who made it into the final round of competition were Taylor Matuzeski, an 11th grade trumpet player and Krystin Albertus, an 11th grade alto saxophonist. Members of the Orchestra who made All State include Lexi Raygor who plays the viola, and Connor Giles who is a 1st alternate playing the cello.
Abraham Lincoln's Choir is proud to have 8 members accepted into the All State Choir with 2 more making it into the final rounds of competition. The All State choir students include Bobbie Lippert (soprano), Heather Williamson (soprano), Michelle Boyd (alto), Kendra Salter (alto), Connor Snyder (tenor), Dallen Romriell (tenor), and Jordan Zimmerman (baritone). Jesse St. Clair (alto) was chosen as a 3rd alternate. Two other singers who made it into the final rounds include Emily Waugh (alto) and Bekah Osborne (soprano).
Thomas Jefferson Senior Andrea Bentzinger made All State as a Soprano in the choir, and senior Rose Walkingstick, an alto choir member made it to the final round of competition. Orchestra Member Nick Taylor, who is a freshman at Thomas Jefferson, was selected as a string bass player into the All State Band.
The All State Band will meet on November 22nd and will be presenting a concert at the Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa on the Iowa State University Campus.
Carter Lake Student Named Winner in Anti-Bullying Poster Contest
Shiane Keller has been named the 1st Place Winner in the "Power of Bystanders" poster contest. The contest was held by Parents United Against Bullying organization. As the first place winner Shiane will receive a certificate of recognition, a $100 Wal-Mart gift card, and a final copy of the poster she created. She will also have the poster shown to her class along with cookies and juice provided to the entire class. Shiane’s poster will also be printed and distributed to area Council Bluffs and Omaha schools in an effort to stop bullying. For more information on the contest and anti-bullying efforts click here.
