[News] December Waukee School Update

[Wayne Cooper]

For those receiving this for the first time, welcome to my monthly update of
happenings in the Waukee School District.  Please feel free to share with
others who may be interested or let me know if you would like to be taken
off the mailing list.  Others can get on the list by sending me an e-mail.  

                

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December 1, 2006

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www.waukee.k12.ia.us <http://www.waukee.k12.ia.us/> 

 

 

Well, it's been another busy month.  Parent teacher conferences, all the
elementary fine arts nights and the start of winter sports were just a few
of the packed schedule at each of our buildings.

 

 

.....Special Urgent Request.......

 

Waukee High School's Avenue Jazz is participating in the Lite 104.1 Holiday
Idol contest for a chance to sing at the sold out concert with pop acappella
group Tonic Sol-Fa at Hoyt Sherman on Dec. 12.  They need our help this
Thursday, Nov. 30! Winners are selected by those voting on-line at
www.lite1041.com <http://www.lite1041.com/> .  The site will be open from
7:00 am til 11:59 pm Thursday.  Keep checking back each day while voting is
in progress.

 

Please go on-line and vote as often as you can and share this information
with everyone you know.  Lets all join the effort to support this great
group of kids in there quest to be showcased in this special way!  They will
need thousands of votes to make this happen!

 

 

 

Congratulations to the instructors and the record breaking number of Waukee
students who were selected for the Opus honor choir and All-State choirs
this year.  I didn't make the concert in Ames but heard it was another
outstanding opportunity for the students and that they represented the
district with class! Did you know Mr. Peterson was selected to direct the
choir and several of our instructors performed with them?  I heard Mr. Page
was called into action and played a mean sax for one number.

 

Congratulations to Elizabeth Lohstreter for being selected as a first
alternate on Clarinet in the Iowa All-State Band & Alex Gustafson for being
selected as 1st Bassoon in the Iowa All-State Band.

 

CONGRATULATIONS..to the following  8th grade  BAND students for being
selected to the CENTRAL  IOWA  HONOR BAND!  Bailey Robbins, Jacob Pomeroy,
Stephanie DeGraaf, Luke McClurg, Frank  Mueller and Josh Bland.

 

"On Broadway- 2006" was another great night of music from the history of
Broadway musicals.  Thanks to all the students who performed with the poise
and professionalism of real Broadway performers!  Was that a Alec Kersey in
the grass skirt?

 

Did you know that Anna Bergman, a sophomore at WHS is nationally recognized
for her horsemanship skills?  She competes across the country and won a
major event in Kansas City this year.  We may have a future Olympian in our
midst!

 

More honors for our HS football players came when Justin Warner, Joe
Johnson, Jon Hoffman, Zach Davison, Mike Hillenga and Jeff Getting were
named to the all -Dallas County first team.  Jake Knott, Mat Duey, Drake
Blessum and J.T. Sheets made 2nd team honors.

Rounding out the selections were Brandon Burger, Chris Garza, Greg Pingel
and Chris Shackelford with Honorable Mention.  What a year for a great team!

 

Did you happen to see the great story in the Waukee Today featuring Jay Ross
Carlson, a Prairieview 9th grader?  Born with Hydrocephalus (water on the
brain), he has fought through the challenges this has created and is an
active teenager.  He even rode RAGBRAI this year.   Welcome to Waukee, Jay
Ross, and thanks for being another role model we can all look up to!

 

Did you know that Eason students created two works of art to the Mercy
Clinic this month?  It is amazing that each of our buildings find more and
unique ways for our students to understand that giving to others is
important and we don't have to wait until we are adults to help others in
need.

 

Our students and their families again showed their ability to help others as
they collected food for the Waukee Food Drive.  Eason students collected 770
pounds, Walnut Hills, three truck loads, Waukee Elementary fill a hallway
and Brookview collected 4458 items.

The middle school also chipped in over 1000 items and I didn't get a report
of the amounts collected at Prairieview and the High School.

What an effort and opportunity to teach selfless giving to others.

 

Congratulations to Junior Charlie Gehrke who was selected as the first
Waukee student to attend the prestigious World Food Prize Youth Institute.
Charlie and faculty advisor Cindy Pottebaum attended met with students from
around the world, presented a research pape on poverty in Tanzania, met with
Dr. Norman Borlaug and others to discuss ways to solve world hunger, and
attended the Laureate Award Ceremony.  What a great opportunity!

 

Did you know that our district recently received the "Breaking Barriers to
learning and Teaching Award" from Judy Jefrey, Director for the Iowa
Department of Education?  Roxanne Cumings, Director of Student Services,
Stacy Marsau, Waukee Elementary teacher and Jane Shapiro, Eason Elementary
teacher accepted the award at the State Department of Education Board
Meeting on Nov. 15.  Waukee received the award for the outstanding effort
put in by all of our special education teachers to improve the reading
achievement of 4th graders in special education.  If you stop in at any of
our buildings, please take the time to thank our special ed teachers for the
outstanding job they do every day to help these great students.

 

Congratulations to our competition cheerleaders for taking 4th place at
State competition in our first year in 4A competition.  The cheer squad
makes their efforts look so easy, but we usually don't think of the long
hours of practice that they put in behind the scenes.

 

Several of our board members took the time to attend the annual School Board
Association Convention held Nov. 15-17.  At the delegate assembly we spent a
long afternoon talking through 40 pages of resolutions and white papers.
Probably the most significant resolution was one endorsing the "development
of consistent, rigorous content standards that set high expectations for
student learning at the state level".  This action came after feedback from
district meetings gave high approval after learning that research has shown
that just having state standards have increased student achievement in other
states.  I believe most delegates also believe that our local standards are
probably already higher than what most states have designed, so are eager to
take whatever proven steps are needed to ensure we provide the best possible
education for our students.  Keep your eyes out for much more publicity on
the issue as the legislature comes back to session in January.

 

During the convention, we heard several key note speakers:

 

Governor Elect Culver shared one of his first major public policy speeches
sharing his vision for education in Iowa and his commitment to making it a
reality.

 

Phil Boyle, president of Leading and Governing Associates in North Carolina
shared a though provoking presentation on how board members (and all adults)
should understand that just because someone disagrees, doesn't make them bad
or even wrong.  All educated Americans have competing values, and in any
given situation, we move across the continuum based on which value is more
important at a given time.  We honor "liberty" and "equality", "community"
and "prosperity". So, what happens when an issue requires us to make a
decision that takes away some of our personal "liberty" in order to make our
workplace or school more "equitable" for all employees or students?  All of
us want to have the "best" workplace or school for our child, but what if
that means also making sure that other children also have the best education
they can have?  At what point do we give up something if it means doing
right for others?  I found his presentation full of practical current
examples enlightening and a valuable learning experience.

 

Jason Kamras, closed the convention with his "Focus on Equity and Excellence
for All Children".  After receiving his bachelor's degree from Princeton and
master's from Harvard, Kamras decided to choose teaching in one of
Washington D.C.'s most disadvantaged high schools as his career and was
named the National Teacher of the Year.  He shared numerous stories about
the lives of his students, and how making a personal connection to them and
their families began to spark their enthusiasm for learning and in many
situations turned lives around.  His compelling story, showed how high
expectations and a commitment to engaging, relevant teaching makes a
difference for all students.  

 

At our Nov. 28 board meeting, we approved the design development plans for
the expansion to the Middle School.  This addition will expand the building
to hold 1000 students with lunchroom and common areas for 1200 should we
decide to expand to full capacity at a later date.

 

As some of you may be aware, at our Nov. 28th board meeting, we received the
citizen committee's recommendations for the boundary changes that will occur
when Maple Grove Elementary opens next fall.  With the number of e-mails
that the administration and board have received, it's clear that our parents
continue to be deeply committed to the schools that their children attend,
which is an outstanding position to be in.  No one would want it otherwise.
The committee presented the board with several recommendations and options
to achieve the goal of reducing the number of students currently attending
each of our elementary students by moving some to the new Maple Grove
building.  The toughest options included moving either the "triangle" ( West
of 60th, and South of Ashworth) or the Kings Valley neighborhood from
Brookview to Maple Grove. The other tough option was moving the "box" (N of
Hickman, E of Warrior Lane, W of 156th and S of the open area N of Maple)
from Walnut Hills to Maple Grove.  Thanks to the parents from each of these
areas for attending the meeting, sending e-mails and sharing their concerns.

 

I think everyone also understands that our current buildings are more than
full and we must provide some relief.  Also,  no matter what building our
children attend, the students will receive the same great education,
consistent instruction with those attending other buildings, and that they
will quickly make great friends.  For some, change can also be difficult,
probably more so for us adults than for our children.  The board will make a
final decision on the boundary lines at our Dec. 12 meeting.  I'm sure that
the board will continue to explore options to the key controversial options
noted above, but whether we can find better options, we will find out in two
weeks.

 

Most of our board members have gone through a change of schools for our
children from prior changes, so we can appreciate the emotions, but I can
positively say that whatever decision is made, "it will be OK", and we will
have another discussion in two years when the next building opens.  I
encourage everyone to hang in there and make sure your children only hear
positive comments so they are excited about whatever building they may
attend next year.

 

I just noticed an article in USA Today on page 8D about a grassroots effort
to put defibrillators in every school in America.  The push has been by
mothers of athletes.  Several states are pushing to have a legislative
mandate requiring all schools to have an AED.  If you will remember the WCSF
(Waukee Community School Foundation) gifts committee granted a request for
all Waukee Schools and the Admin Bldg to have AEDs last spring.  We are
ahead of our time and should be proud.  I imagine we will be getting another
request for the new elementary school when it opens.  

Jamie Conlon

 

Congratulations to 4 Waukee students recently honored by the metro area
Optimist Clubs at a special luncheon held Nov. 9.

Honored were:  Alec Packer and Megan Weider from Prairieview and Kathleen
Dutcher and Ben Dallman from the HS.  Thanks to the Optimists for this
annual recognition of deserving students!  

 

 

 

 

Coming Events:

 

Feaste & Frolic.. A Madrigal Dinner.  Tickets are going fast for the WHS
vocal music department's evening of singing, dancing, feasting, and  acting.
For those of you who haven't attended in the past, this is our  8th annual
presentation and it has become a hugely successful community event. 

  

.           Location-Prairieview - more space for the frolicking!

.           We've added -More tables!   More students!  More feasting!   

.           Court Seating!  Special pricing for the very best  tables in the
house!

.           Two performances - Saturday December 10th at 6:30  and Sunday,
December 11th at 4:30 .  

.           E-mail ticket verification! No paper tickets!  Cost is $25 * 

.           and much, much more in fun and entertaining surprises!

 

 * There are a limited number of  WHS student , staff and faculty tickets
for Sunday only, priced at $15. 

 

 Seating will be reserved in the order your payment is received. . Entire
tables may be reserved, for parties of eight .

Call  Janice at 993-5677 or  Karen at  987-1245 for more information on how
to order your tickets today! 

Karen Lauterbach

 

 

The Waukee Area Arts Council will present Students on Stage featuring the
Prairieview Y-Teens Drama Club, on Thursday, December 7, 2006, at the
Chit-n-Chat Coffeehouse. The evening is free and everyone is welcome to
attend. The students will perform a readers' theatre version of "They Said
It Wouldn't Hurt (but it really did) and I'm Still Fighting" by Abby Nelson.
It is based on her book of the same title. Abby is an 8th grader at Waukee
and it is a story about overcoming the obstacles of life, especially
illness. It offers hope. As Abby has battled congenital heart defects,
asthma, and pulmonary hypertension, she has been a pillar of strength. Abby
sets a shining example of courage and strength.   
Doors will open at 6:30 PM with the performance starting at 7:00 PM. Please
join us.

The arts council will be offering family art workshops in December and
January, including Fused Glass Projects, Garden Stepping-Stones and Paper
Marbling/Calligraphy Projects. Workshops will be held at the beautiful Caspe
Terrace facility just off the Waukee exit on I-80. Children through adults
will enjoy these classes. E-mail waac at hickorytech.net for more information.

Attic Door Theatre Co., in cooperation with the Waukee Area Arts Council,
will be onstage Friday, December 15, at 7:00 PM at Immanuel Lutheran Church
in Waukee. Join this group of young actors as they perform original
monologues and scenes from published plays. You'll be surprised at the level
of talent these middle-school-aged actors display. Join us and enjoy the
show!

Thanks
Jane Olson

 

Did you know the annual Waukee Educational Foundation dinner and silent
auction has been moved to Feb 3 at the 7 Flags Evens Center?

Why not volunteer and help make "Western Waukee" another great evening of
having great fun while raising money for our district foundation.  Call the
district office at 987-5161 if you can help out in some way this year.

 

 

Have some news I can share?  Just send me a note and I'll be glad to share
it next month.

 

Wishing you and your families a great Christmas, happy holidays and Happy
New Year!

 

 

Wayne Cooper

Waukee School Board

WayneC941 at mchsi.com 

 

 

Our significant purpose:

*	Create a caring culture where students feel safe and nurtured. 
*	Provide students the skills to be literate and productive citizens
in a democratic society. 
*	Build a foundation for the pursuit of continuous life-ling learning.


 

Values we are committed to:

*	Integrity, Responsibility, Perseverance, Respect, Trust, Honesty,
Tolerance, Optimism, Loyalty 

 

We want to be:

*	A caring school community where adults model the district's values
and build a solid partnership with  teachers, students and parents. 

 

 

 

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