Abraham Lincoln Jazz Band Places in Nebraska Jazz Competition
Abraham Lincoln Students Qualify for Destination Imagination State Competition
Award Winning Author Brian Pinkney Visits Rue
Bloomer 5th Grader and Rue 6th Grader named Finalists in Letters About Literature Writing Contest
Bloomer Student Honored by the Belin-Blank Center
District's Elementary School Renovation Plan Moves Forward with Purchase of a Building
Edison Hosts Poetry Slam
Hoover and Roosevelt Students Place at Sixth Grade Math Day
Kirn and Abraham Lincoln Students Qualify for State History Day Competition
Kirn Student Qualifies for State Geography Bee
March Employees of the Month Honored at Board Meeting
Rue and Bloomer Students Place in Woodmen of the World Speech Contest
Rue Students Vote for Winning Book
Seeking Nominations for Teacher and Support Staff Member of the Year
The Iowa West Foundation announces a six-year commitment of $4.4 million for a new college access program for students at Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson Inducts New Members into Hall of Fame
Tucker College and Career Center Students Compete in State HOSA Conference
Rue and Bloomer Students Place in Woodmen of the World Speech Contest
Rue 6th Graders
Congratulations to Rue 6th grade Woodmen of the World speech contest winners, Kaeleen Garcia, Devon Kermoade, and Dana Mefferd. .Eighteen Rue students participated in the contest held Tuesday, March 31st and this year's topic was, "A Person Who Has Touched Many Lives". Kaeleen placed 1st with her speech about Harriett Tubman. Devon wrote about his grandfather Ed Kermoade and placed 2nd, while Dana wrote about Helen Keller and received 3rd place. Kaeleen will represent Rue at the level 2 competition on April 8th at AEA 13.
Bloomer Students
Congratulations also go to Bloomer students Maddie Petry, who received 2nd place for her topic Alfred Nobel. Kaylee Willadsen placing 1st place with her topic Dr. Seuss. and Brendan Anderson who placed 3rd for his topic Sir Robert Baden-Powell: founder of Boy Scouts.
Bloomer Student Honored by the Belin-Blank Center
Tyler Messenger, a Bloomer Challenge Center student, was honored by the Belin-Blank Center last weekend. Tyler was chosen to receive an award as he scored in the top 1% of all students on the BESTS test. Because of this, he was recognized as one of the elite students from all parts of the US. Students from Iowa, Colorado, Florida and Texas were recognized. Truly a wonderful experience, Tyler got the opportunity to work with the College of Medicine, College of Physics and Engineering, and the College of Education.
He is now very interested about the possibilities of pursuing engineering. He really got excited about the physics and math information he saw. The President of Belin-Blank, the University of Iowa President, and the Secretary of Agriculture spoke to the students about the significance of this award. Tyler’s teacher Gail Kenkel was also honored, chosen by Tyler as a "a teacher who has had a significant impact on that student and his/her educational achievements."
Bloomer 5th Grader and Rue 6th Grader named Finalists in Letters About Literature Writing Contest
Brandon Waslaski, a Bloomer 5th grader, and Alexis Hiers, a Rue 6th Grader were a couple of Iowa's finalists for the writing contest “Letters About Literature”. There were only 603 finalists out of 1,716 students. For the contest students had to select a book that changed them or the way they looked at the world. Then they composed a letter telling the author (living or dead) how the book changed them or their outlook. More info can be gleaned at www.lettersaboutliterature.org
Seeking Nominations for Teacher and Support Staff Member of the Year
The Council Bluffs Community School District is proud to continue its program which allows parents, students and community members to celebrate the outstanding dedication and contributions made to students by school faculty and staff members. Nominations are now being accepted for Employee of the Year honorees. Please send nominations for this recognition to Diane Ostrowski, Educational Service Center, 12 Scott Street, Council Bluffs, Iowa 51503. Nomination forms can be accessed following this article or under Quick Links on the right hand side of the homepage. Nominations should be submitted before the April 22, 2009.
Teacher of the Year Nomination Form
Support Staff Member of the Year Nomination Form
The Iowa West Foundation announces a six-year commitment of $4.4 million for a new college access program for Students at Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson
An exciting new College Access Scholarship program announced today will begin this summer to benefit 25 students entering ninth grade, who might not otherwise go to college.
Program components include:
• After school academic tutoring;
• College placement test preparation;
• Assistance with financial aid/scholarship applications;
• Academic improvement planning;
• Parent involvement activities;
• Summer programs on college campuses;
• Stipends for students who may miss part-time work.
Once fully implemented, there will be 100 students over a four year span from the Council Bluffs Community School District in the program. With the completion of the program at the conclusion of their senior year from high school, the students will receive a $1,000 completion scholarship to attend college.
They will also be given preference in a new competitive scholarship program with other higher needs students in the district, who plan to go to college. This program, called Iowa West Opportunity Scholarships, will include 25 scholarships funded annually by Iowa West at $4,000. For example, if a student would complete four years of college, the student would receive the funding each year resulting in a scholarship of $16,000 or $8,000 for two years.
The foundation’s initiative is based on three sets of findings:
• An independent community needs assessment for Pottawattamie County, which identified increasing educational attainment in Council Bluffs - by completing high school and entering college - as the top priority in Council Bluffs;
• An outside evaluation of Iowa West’s current scholarship programs, which revealed that - while the traditional college scholarship program for southwest Iowa and southeast Nebraska was a positive award for high-achieving students already planning to attend college - it was not changing the trajectory of many at-risk students to get them onto college;
• Recommendations from Education First Consulting that were developed from best practices research and a national benchmarking report of successful college access programs across the country.
Currently, a similar program, which is called the College Bound Club, is operating at Thomas Jefferson High School, and it is coordinated by the AIM Institute. The Iowa West Foundation initiative will help expand the College Bound Club, which currently serves 50 students over a four year period, and add a college access program at Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln High School.
“The Foundation has made educational attainment an over-arching goal,” said Todd Graham, President & CEO of the Iowa West Foundation, “and starting early to help more students get on a track for college will make a big difference.”
“Programs such as these have shown to especially make a positive impact on higher needs youth who aspire to be the first member of their family to go to college,” said Melissa Heaton of Education First Consulting, which is headquartered in Seattle (WA) and has worked with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other private foundations to improve educational outcomes for students.
Funding for Iowa West Foundation grants and initiatives comes from investment earnings and the Iowa West Racing Association (IWRA), which receives contracted fees from casino operators – Ameristar and Harrah’s. The IWRA distributes funds to the Iowa West Foundation, which is an independent private community-based foundation.
Edison Hosts Poetry Slam
Edison Elementary hosted its first library poetry slam Thursday, March 19, 2009. Thirty-seven students from grades first through sixth participated in the slam. Student were taught Beatnik lingo, and there were a wide variety of poetry styles presented. Many participants composed and shared their very own poetry.
District’s Elementary School Renovation Plan Moves Forward with Purchase of a Building
The Council Bluffs Community School District will move forward with a plan to modernize its elementary schools with the acquisition and renovation of the St. Albert primary building at 2912 9th Avenue. The building will be used to temporarily house students from identified elementary schools that will be renovated as part of the district’s plan to provide modern elementary schools for all students in the next several years.
According to Superintendent Martha Bruckner, acquiring this building provides the opportunity for the district to move forward with its ambitious plan to provide optimal learning environments to positively affect student achievement.
“This represents a true win-win for education in our community, Dr. Bruckner said. “This building will provide a safe and comfortable setting for our students as their schools are being updated to meet modern expectations.”
The sale will be final within a few months and renovations will begin this summer. The first school to be temporarily located in the building will be Rue Elementary, which will likely move for the second half of the 2009-10 school year.
The district previously utilized this building as DeForest Elementary until it was sold to St. Albert Catholic Schools in 1987. It was closed as part of a district re-organization of school boundaries prompted by changes in student population.
The building will be needed for the district’s facilities improvement plan for at least five years. District officials will determine the long-term use of the building upon completion of the elementary school improvements identified in a master facilities plan.
Funding for the project was made possible by a $407,000 grant from the Iowa West Foundation in its ongoing initiative to improve educational opportunities for residents of Council Bluffs.
“The Iowa West Foundation has made significant investments to improve educational attainment in our community,” said Todd Graham, the foundation’s President and CEO, “and this is another example of our efforts.”
The building purchase price is $350,000. The renovations will be funded by $90,000 from one-cent sales tax revenues to the district and $57,000 from the grant.
Rue Students Vote for Winning Book
48 students participate in the Iowa Children's Choice book club at Rue. The club is held twice a week during lunch throughout the year. They read and discuss books purchased through funds from Rue's Papa John's nights. At the voting party, students ate Papa John's and voted for their favorite book. The winning book was, Do You Know the Monkey Man? by Dori Hillestad Butler
Abraham Lincoln Jazz Band Places in Nebraska Jazz Competition
Congratulations to the Abraham Lincoln High School Jazz Bands on their performance at a competition. The band traveled to Norfolk, Nebraska on Tuesday, March 31st to compete in the Northeast Nebraska Jazz Competition. Abraham Lincoln Jazz Band I received 1st place in the competition. Jazz II received a Division I rating from all three judges but did not place in the top four. The outstanding soloist of the competition award was presented to senior Wyatt Seals, trombonist. Sixteen bands were in competition from the South Dakota, Iowa and Nebraska region.
March Employees of the Month Honored at Board Meeting
The Employees of the Month for March were honored at Tuesday’s Board of Education Meeting. Jim Misner was named the Licensed Staff Member of the Month and Barton Kephart was named the Support Staff Member of the Month. They both received gift cards to Breadeaux Pizza.
Jim Misner is the Orchestra Director at Kirn Junior High School and serves students at Bloomer, Crescent, Gunn and Longfellow elementary schools. He has been at Kirn since he began with the District during the 1970-71 school year. His co-workers say “Jim provides challenging musical experiences for elementary and junior high students alike. He is a driving force and grand steward of the orchestra program and has organized and served as director of the annual all-city orchestra concert.”
Barton Kephart has been the Assistant Night Custodian at Abraham Lincoln since he began with the District in 2000. His co-workers say “Barton is an excellent employee. He works hard, stays focused and pays attention to detail. He works diligently and quietly, and always has a smile ready to share. We are pleased to have Barton on our team at Abraham Lincoln.”
Abraham Lincoln Students Qualify for Destination Imagination State Competition
Four Abraham Lincoln High School students participated in the Destination Imagination Western Regional competition in Carroll, Iowa. They ranked 2nd and qualified for the State Competition on Saturday, April 4th at the Ames Middle School in Ames, Iowa. They will perform at 10:00 am, 11:20 am, and 1:20 pm.
The students include Seniors Megan Vallier, Lyndsie Hunter Mullin, Freshman Caroline Seilstad, and Sophomore Keegan Brow. Their group’s title is The Untouchable, and their Team Leader is Keegan’s father Robert Brown.
Hoover and Roosevelt Students Place at Sixth Grade Math Day
Hoover Team
Hoover Elementary earned a 2nd place in the team competition at the AEA 13/Holmquist 6th Grade Math Day. a total of 43 Southwest Iowa teams participated. Roosevelt Elementary placed 4th overall in the competition. Their 2nd and 4th place finishes qualify them to go to the State competition to be held in Fort Dodge on May 1st. Hoover team members are: Joey Helm, Nathan Cheney, Cole Ragland, Payton Scheinost, and Jacob Steenbock. Roosevelt team members, led by teacher Michael Naughton, are Brianna Sayles, Ruthie Eikenberry, Tristen Liddick and Libby Havenridge.
Roosevelt Team
Award Winning Author Brian Pinkney Visits Rue
Award winning author and illustrator, Brian Pinkney, recently visited Rue and talked with students about the writing process and publishing books. He is the author of numerous books including Duke Ellington, and We Are One. Brian Pinkney and award winning illustrator David Diaz, illustrator of Smoky Night, sent self portraits and signed copies of their books for the Rue library. The self portraits will be framed and displayed in the library along with the framed artwork by Chris Raschka, illustrator of The Hello, Goodbye Window, in the Caldecott Award Winners section.
Kirn Student Qualifies for State Geography Bee
Kirn eighth grader Michaela DeVitte qualified for the state level of the national Geographic Society Geography Bee. It will be held in Des Moines on April 3, 2009.
Michaela won Kirn’s geography bee and then had to take a test to qualify for state.
She will be competing against other students in grades four through eight who also won their school’s competition.
Kirn and Abraham Lincoln Students Qualify for State History Day Competition
Several students from Kirn qualified for the State History Day Competition on May 5 in Des Moines. They will show their projects for an opportunity to go to Washington DC in June for the National Competition. Congratulations go to the following students and their sponsor Deb Masker.
Katie Hummel- Individual Documentary John Lennon True Working Class Hero
Shelby Knauss- Indivdiual Performance Amelia's Bloomers
Chelsea Eret- Individual Performance The Man Behind the Cat
Derek and Philip Gilman- Group Documentary Tuskegee Airman: Colonel Charles Lane
Megan Frush- Individual Exhibit Jessie Field Shambaugh
Charlie Zimmerman- Individual Exhibit Rosa Parks: The Bus the Boycott and Beyond
Natalie Carlon- Individual Web Site Henry Agard Wallace: Agrarian Activist
Kayla Beck- Alternate for State Individual Documentary William Jordan Flake
Congratulations also to the following students from Abraham Lincoln who qualified for the Senior State History Competition on April 17 at the State Historical Society in Des Moines. Deb Masker is also their sponsor.
Hannah Zimmerman, Allison Goldapp, and Jordan Kinney- Glenn Miller: A Boy, A Golden Trombone, and A Dream
Thomas Jefferson Inducts New Members into Hall of Fame
The Thomas Jefferson Hall of Fame now includes three new members formally inducted on March 30th along with 29 new memers of the National Honor Society.
New Hall of Fame members in clude Ted Hoff (1958), Barbara V. (Morris) Koenig (1963), and Thomas H. Majeski (1951).
Ted Hoff (1958)
Dr. Ted Hoff graduated from Thomas Jefferson in 1958. While he was there he was a member of the Latin club, ROTC unit, and the Letterman’s club. He participated in football, basketball, track, and wrestling. After graduation received his bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and then received a medical degree from the University of Nebraska School of Medicine. In 1973 Dr. Ted Hoff began his solo practice of ophthalmology. He eventually merged his practice with the Eye Physicians of Omaha to form Midwest Eye Care. Dr. Hoff retired in 2000 after 27 years in private practice. Dr. Hoff has also been active in the community included being the chairperson for the Bayliss Park Reconstruction Fund, a member of the Dodge House Foundation Endowment Board, and being a Chanticleer Board member. He has received the Chanticleer President’s Award, the Alegent Health 2008 Heritage Health/Medicine Award, and the Chanticleer’s Hall of Fame Award. Dr. Hoff’s hobbies include playing bridge at the Duplicate Clubs in Omaha, bicycling, going to movies, and going to Lancer’s hockey games.
Barbara V. (Morris) Koenig (1963)
A 1963 graduate of Thomas Jefferson High School, Barbara attended Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree, cum laude in Biology. She went on to receive her masters in Microbiology and Molecular Biology from Purdue University and then her medical degree from the University of Iowa.Barbara has been a physician for 31 years. She has also held academic appointments including being a Clinical Instructor at the University of California. She has held memberships with the American Medical Association, the Society of Critical Care Medicine, and has been a Fellow in the American College of Surgeons. Barbara has received the Society of Critical Care Medicine President’s Citation as well as the Mayor’s Award for Outstanding Contribution to Spokane’s Sister City Program for organizing medical relief to Kobe, Japan.
Barbara is also an accomplished watercolor artist, photographer, and saxophone player. An avid fan of outdoor activities, she has been sailing, fishing, canoeing, hiking, and camping throughout the United States and abroad.
Thomas H. Majeski (1951)
Thomas Majeski was born in Council Bluffs in 1933. After graduating from Thomas Jefferson in 1951, he attended the University of Nebraska at Omaha and received his bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts in 1960. He went on to receive his master’s in Fine Arts at the University of Iowa in 1963. Thomas was a member of the Art and Art History faculty at the University of Nebraska at Omaha for more than 35 years and is currently a Professor Emeritus with the Department of Art and Art History. He has served as Chairman of the department for nine years. His teaching fields include printmaking, intaglio, lithography, relief, papermaking and drawing. Throughout his career Thomas has been a visiting lecturer, visiting artist, and guest artist at a variety of Universities and Colleges in the United States and abroad. Mr. Majeski’s work has been featured in more than 30 exhibitions throughout the United States and abroad.
Tucker College and Career Center Students Compete in State HOSA Conference
Several students from the Tucker College and Career Center competed in the Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) State Conference in Des Moines on March 15-17. All students who placed first through third qualify for the National competition in Nashville, Tennessee on June 23-28th. Each event the students competed in varied in size, as far as the competition from other chapters, however, the students must have a 70% or greater on the written portion of the competition to place for nationals. Below are the results for Tucker Career and College Center.
Human Growth and Development Exam:
Sara Lipcamon -2nd, Brittney Jarzynka -3rd, Kayla Cameron -5th, Jessica Flom -6th
Medical Terminology Exam:
Brian Fountain -4th, Maddie Whiteaker -5th, Megan Warneke -6th
Medical Mathematics:
Tyler Hoffman -4th
Basic Concepts of Healthcare Exam:
Addie Kovacs -6th
Nutrition Knowledge Exam:
Andrea Jeffrey -2nd, Savannah Pike -3rd, Hanna Madsen -4th, Becca Gradoville -5th, Lacey Wright -6th
Pathophysiology Knowledge Exam:
Tim Nelson -3rd, Bruce Turpen -4th
Allison Palmer -5th, Kimmie Burke -6th
Dental Terminology Exam:
Shreeya Patel -2nd, Alaysia Rehfeldt -3rd, Kyle Birnley -5th, Jamie Pearson -6th
CPR/ First Aid Team Event:
Ashley Jones-Landon & Ashtin Clark -1st, Shreeya Patel & Mariam Sanchez -2nd, Savannah Henry & Lacey Wright -3rd, Tim Nelson & Ana Collins -4th
Amanda Hohneke & Megan Warneke -5th, Trevor Shoemaker & David Kousgaard -6th
Extemporaneous Health Poster:
Ana Collins -2nd, Shelby Miller -5th
Extemporaneous Writing:
Morgan Williams -1st
Medical Photography:
Christina Stout -3rd, Chelsea Colpitts -6th
Job-Seeking Skills:
Ashley Jones-Landon -4th
Researched Persuasive Speech:
Britney Clark -2nd, Trevin Taylor -4th
Medical Reading Team:
Kendra Salter, Jessika Fisher, Kayla Cameron -1st, Allison Palmer, Morgan Williams, Samantha Slobodnik -2nd
Public Service Announcement:
Jessica Kealy, Sara Lipcamon, Michelle Malick, Savannah Pike, Carrie Stom, Jamie Swotek
HOSA Bowl:
Bruce Turpen, Ben Bell, Brian Fountain, Craig Larsen -1st, Alexis DeSantiago, Hanna Madsen, Jaimie Kilday, Brittney Jarzynka -5th, Nick Burke, Tyler Hoffman, Kyle Birnley Natalie Hays -6th
Creative Problem Solving Team:
Addie Kovacs, Shelby Miller, Heidi Kang, Natalie Storey -1st, Haley Johnson, Courtney Cumberledge, Natasha Carter -4th
Career Health Display:
Andrea Jeffrey & alaysia Rehfeldt -2nd, Lauren Slyter & Kelsey Krueger -4th
Kaiser-Permanente National Healthcare Issues Exam:
Allison Palmer -1st, Tim Nelson -2nd, Savannah Pike -3rd
National Service Project – Autism Speaks:
Britney Clark & Chelsea Duncan
Outstanding HOSA Chapter Scrapbook:
Savannah Pike -2nd
Voting Delegates for House of Delegates:
Craig Larsen, Ashley Jones-Landon, Kristin Burhenne, Jessika Fisher, David Kousgaard, Tim Nelson - Alternate |
