Honoring the many accomplishments of
our students and staff...

• Bloomer Elementary School teacher Gail Kenkel has received the “Phil and Ruth Sokolof Outstanding Teacher Award” sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Omaha. Mrs. Kenkel received this award in recognition of her outstanding contributions as a teacher and mentor to the education and overall achievements of her students.

• Abraham Lincoln High School teacher Marsha Grandick received April 2007 Crystal Apple Award, sponsored by The Omaha Newspapers.  She was nominated by her students for this honor and was featured in the April issue of The Bluffs newspaper. 

• Twenty-one students from the Council Bluffs Schools are participating in the Invent Iowa competition at Iowa State University. They are Kaylee Willadsen, Bloomer; Erich Hilske and Shane Peters, Carter Lake; Andrew Jensen, Crescent;  Carolina Mora and Sheyanne Cadell, Edison; Katie Silik and Taylora Christensen, Franklin; Allie Moats, Gunn; Libby Burgher and Mackenzie Flenker, Hoover; Megan Frush, Lewis & Clark; Kelsie Gubbels and Shyann Vangerpen, Longfellow; Erin Manifold, Pusey; Tristen Nichols, Roosevelt; Layne Starner, Rue; Jennifer Miedl and Taylor Stanfill, Walnut Grove; and Leigha Stark and Victoria Holcomb, Washington.

• Thomas Jefferson High School inducted three individuals into the school’s Hall of Fame, including accomplished alumni Margaret Sluyter Knott (1944), nurse and community volunteer; Terry Lawless (1972), renowned musician and member of the band U2; and Nancy Thompson Coziahr (1952), educator and community volunteer. 

• Abraham Lincoln High School inducted four new members to its Hall of Fame, including Bruce M. Graybill, Ph.D. (1949), chemist and educator; Daniel S. Longnecker, M.D. (1949), physician, researcher and educator; Jerry Hansen (1950), Emmy Award winning journalist; and Joshua Turek (1999), professional athlete. 

• More than 50 juniors and seniors were inducted into the Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson National Honor Societies this year.

• Wilson Junior High School eighth grader Chase Mortensen was honored with the President’s Volunteer Service Award as part of the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program on behalf of the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation. Chase was recognized for his volunteerism with the Westend Junior Optimist Club on many projects.   

• Council Bluffs is being represented at this year’s State History Day competition.  The following students earned this honor with their documentaries, performances, projects and writing in individual and group categories in the theme Triumph & Tragedy: Jamie Beck, Ashly Johnson, Erin Kinney, Michaela Long, Teresa Klimek, Kaitlin Carlon, Jena Edwards, Grace Wilder, Caroline Seilstad, Elizabeth Steinauer, Cicily Gruber, Leah Campbell, Hannah Zimmerman, Danielle Hogsed, Emily Koontz, Emily Storey, Emily Mintle, Payton Snipes and Lauren Lenihan.

• Gunn and Longfellow Elementary School students and staff raised more than $2,500 and $1,500 respectively in “Pennies for Patients” penny drives for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society. 

• Bloomer Elementary students raised approximately $3,600 in its Jump Rope for Heart campaign, celebrating participation in a healthy activity for a great cause. 

• The following students participanted in the Iowa All-State Festival Concert held on Saturday, November 18, 2006 at the Iowa State University's Hilton Coliseum in Ames :  All-State Band-Allyshia Brown, Brianna Myre and Wyatt Seals all from Abraham Lincoln; All-State Choir-Joseph Alda from Thomas Jefferson and All-State Orchestra-Jessica Branigan, Caitlin Brow, Jessica Kellner and Betty Nguyen all from Abraham Lincoln. Choir member and senior Joseph Alda received special recognition this year for earning an All-State appearance for the fourth straight year.
  
  
• Three Thomas Jefferson dance team members made the All-Iowa Honor Drill Team this year. Alyssia Waugh, Amanda Haynie and Michaela Hotz were selected for this honor from among 500 girls who tried out for the team. They will perform as part of the All-Iowa performance at the Girls State Basketball Tournament in March.
  
  
• Roosevelt Elementary fifth graders Jacob Ebertowski and Anthony Nusser were selected for the 21st Annual State-Wide Opus Honor Choir sponsored by the Iowa Choral Directors Association. They are among 720 students selected from 3,200 who auditioned via tape for four choirs. According to Roosevelt music teacher Dawn Cox, the students will participate in the Opus Honor Choir concert Thursday, November 18th in the CY Stephens Auditorium at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa.
  
  
• The Abraham Lincoln High School newspaper staff won the Golden Pen Award for Best Overall Newspaper for Division I schools from eastern Nebraska and western Iowa at the 41st annual Journalism Day at Midland Lutheran College, Fremont, NE. Besides the top honor, Abraham Lincoln High journalists earned 3 Gold Pen Awards, 3 Silver Pen Awards, 1 Bronze Pen Award and 2 Honorable Mentions for their newspaper work. Journalism students who earned honors included: Niki Hively, Jennifer Kalstrup, Andrea Wright, Kim Son Tran and Emily Stanford.
  
  
• Once again this past summer, students from the Tucker Center Health Occupations Students of America chapter earned several honors at the National Leadership Conference. National recognition was earned in medical reading, basic concepts in health care and the anatomy bowl by Council Bluffs students Matt Coziahr, Amanda Schroder, Emily Hummel, Lauren Hardick, Amber Benzinger, Jessica Ziegler, Brittany Turpen and Trent Harvey. I might also add that Trent Harvey received special recognition as the Outstanding State Officer for Iowa.
  
  
• Thomas Jefferson senior Joseph Galda has been named a semi-finalist in the 2007 National Merit Scholarship Program. He is among 16,000 students nationwide who are currently working through the application process to become finalists. In addition, Abraham Lincoln High School students Caitlin Brow and Allison Prideaux have been named Commended Students in the same Scholarship Program. To receive this commendation, these talented seniors are among the top five percent of those who participated in the 2007 competition by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.
  
  
• The 30-member cheerleading squad at Thomas Jefferson collected more than 1,000 books during a weeklong book drive held to raise awareness for literacy. They will distribute the books to students throughout the school district.
  
  
• Seven students from Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson High Schools participated in a Bemis Art Center project that has culminated in the display of their artwork at the Council Bluffs Public Library. As part of the project, these students conducted comprehensive research and gathered input from the public and then created art pieces uniquely depicting an aspect of the community. The students are Matt Herrick, Cambria Branna, Traci Bouvier, Kelly Monahan, Caitlin Brow, Ally Prideaux and Emily Stanford. 
  
  
• The cadets of the Abraham Lincoln High School Air Force Junior ROTC Drill Teams, Rifle Teams and Color Guardshave once again proudly represented their school and community by successfully defending the title of National Champion during the V-F-W National Championship Drill Competition in Reno, Nevada this summer.  The National Championship was earned after the teams took first and third nationally in both the exhibition rifle and exhibition color guard events, second nationally in the drill team event and two second-place finishes, as well as placement in other events. The teams are led and coached by Master Sergeant Von Cook.
  
  
• On February 11th , 44 students from across the district showed their skills by representing their schools at the district-wide spelling bee.  Wilson Junior High 8th Grader Sebastian Baxter was the overall winner and will represent the district in the Midwest Spelling Bee to be held in Omaha on March 18th. Others grade-level winners include:  4th grader Allie Moats from Gunn, 5th grader Logan Sanders from Hoover, 6th grader Kaitlin Carlon from Gunn and 7th grader Adam Fisher from Kirn.
  
  
• Thomas Jefferson senior Tony Halverson has been named the Youth of the Year by the Boys and Girls Club of Carter Lake.
  
  
• Tucker Center students and HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America) members Nicole Drumheller, Trent Harvey, Stephanie Petsche and Chelsea Shook will being honored during a March 16th recognition luncheon jointly sponsored by the Iowa Association for Career and Technical Education, Iowa Department of Education, and the Iowa Department of Economic Development.  They are being recognized for their leadership activities including participating in a Leadership Academy at the HOSA National Conference and  participating in service learning projects in our community that helped to fundraise more than $1,500 for the Alzheimer's Association.
    
• A.L. student Dallas Beck will be honored during a March 16th recognition luncheon jointly sponsored by the Iowa Association  for Career and Technical Education, Iowa Department of Education, and the Iowa Department of Economic Development.  He is being recognized for his leadership as the DECA District Vice President and his role in planning the a DECA conference  attracting more than 3,000 DECA students.
  
  
•  A total of eight teams and dozens of staff members throughout the district are taking their health to heart by participating in  Lighten Up Iowa!
  

Thank You!
Thank you to the following businesses/organizations
for your generous contributions and volunteer efforts in our schools!

• Iowa State University Extension
• Frito-Lay
• Wal-Mart
• Ameristar Casino
• Rotary Club
• Bluffs Art Council
• Edwards-Archer Auto Plaza
• Gordman's
• Eagles 104 Club
• Omaha Paper Company
• Woodmen of the World Life Insurance Society
• Harrah's Hotel Casino
• Old Navy
• Dairy Queen
• Aladdin's Castle
• Zonta Club
• Optimist Club
• Broadway United Methodist Church
• YMCA
• Joslyn Art Museum Association of Southwest Iowa
• American Red Cross
• Jennie Edmundson
• Kanesville Kiwanis Club
• Alegent Health Mercy Hospital