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Sunday, May 23, 2010
1C
Expansions continue at Iowa Western Community College 3C
Technology aids in student athletic recruitment 11C
School dances still swingin’ MIKE BROWNLEE Staff Writer mike.brownlee@nonpareilonline.com (712) 325-5732
I
n high school, school dances feature more, well, dancing. As students get older the days of each sex congregating on opposite sides of a gym floor give way to dances featuring disc jockeys, tuxedos and the Lady Gaga dance ballad “Bad Romance.”
“There’s freedom to how you can dance in high school. You don’t have to dance like this,” said Dylan Wulff, a senior at Lewis Central, before holding her arms extended, elbows locked and shoulder high. “(Guys) don’t have to be afraid of girls anymore.” Freedom of dance, to an extent, said Abraham Lincoln assistant principal and frequent school dance volunteer Fred Maher. “We’re always trying to avoid the dirty dancing, the grit and grind,” Maher said. “Holding hands is fine, but we don’t want them locking up. The ‘ole PDA – don’t want that.” That much hasn’t changed, as avoidance of too much “affection” at dances has been around since schoolmarms were measuring skirt lengths and before. A few things have changed at school dances, however. According to Charlotte Butterbaugh, the activities bookkeeper at L.C. and the prom sponsor, dances have become more popular. L.C. had a record turnout at prom this year, she said, with around 400 attendees. For prom only juniors and seniors and their invited guests may attend and the junior and senior class at L.C. totals than 400 students. “That’s a pretty good showing,” Butterbaugh said. “The kids love to dance.” Even the non-dancers attend, according to L.C. senior Brooke Elliff. Elliff said she’s not a huge fan of the music played at dances – “I don’t listen to that kind of music and I don’t really know how to dance to it” – but she still attends. “They’re a lot of fun,” she said. “And you get to hang out with your friends.” Other changes include the technology and music at dances. At L.C.’s prom the DJ played the music video of each song played on a projection screen. “It’s a lot more rap-oriented these days,” said Lu Peverill, an L.C. counselor and student council sponsor. Student council plans the homecoming and snowball dances at L.C. Added Maher: “Way back used to have a live combo, a small band. That was years ago. Now it’s records, tapes and CDs, in that order.” Peverill also said that group dances, like
“The Electric Slide” and its younger brother, the “Cha Cha Slide” are more popular than ever. “The kids love those,” she said. “The kids don’t seem to like slow dances as much as they used to.” Maher said he’s also seen a decrease in slow dancing and the increased popularity of group dances. He also said the groups of students standing around has shifted. “Seems like there are a lot more standing out in the middle of the floor rather than the outside,” Maher said. Student groups, including student council, DECA, prom and homecoming planning committees and other groups, with faculty advisors there to help, plan school dances. Dances are traditionally funded by an admission fee said both Butterbaugh and Maher. For prom, L.C. juniors Wulff, Kait Madsen, Sarah Gates, Nate Connealy, Luke Norville, Jenna Ladd planned the theme – “The Streets of France” – planned decorations, designed invitations and announcements and handled coronation. “It’s interesting how much work went into it,” Madsen said. “Students were involved in every detail.” Wulff said he loves seeing students put on their glad rags for dances. “You see their personality come out in the way they dress,” he said. “It’s great.”
Submitted photos
Clockwise from top left, Lewis Central freshmen Morgan Malskeit (left), Samantha Moore (middle) and Amber Huttman (right) cut a rug at the Snowball winter dance. Center right, Ashley Jones-Landon and Matt Andersen were named Abraham Lincoln High School 2010 prom king and queen. Bottom, from left, Lewis Central juniors Jenna Ladd, Kait Madsen, Dylan Wulff, Nate Connealy and Sarah Gates pose at this year’s prom. Center left, Derek Sevener and Bridget Hall were Lewis Central’s prom king and queen. Staff photo/Cindy Christensen
Top left, the Lewis Central prom planning committee is in charge of creating, planning and implementing this year's prom. The committee consists of juniors (back row, from left) Luke Norville, Nate Connealy, Dylan Wulff, (front row, from left) Kait Madsen, Sarah Gates, Jenna Ladd and committee sponsor Charolette Butterbaugh.
PERSPECTIVES OF EDUCATION
2C Sunday, May 23, 2010
The Daily Nonpareil
Christian schools include spiritual dimension TIM JOHNSON Staff Writer tjohnson@nonpareilonline.com (712) 325-5750
Religious schools like St. Albert Catholic Schools and Heartland Christian School combine Christian education with education and provide opportunities for students to develop spiritually, leaders say. “It just helps them develop into the person God wants them to be,” said Gary Wilson, director of Heartland Christian School. “I think that’s a huge advantage to a Bibleteaching Christian school.” Bible and other religion classes are offered, along with the usual academic subjects, and prayer and worship opportunities are integrated into the school day. At Heartland Christian, students in each grade have a Bible class daily and a chapel service for their age group weekly, Wilson said. “We believe the Bible is 100 percent true and applies to our lives,” he said. “We’re looking for families that believe that. If the student is getting it at home, getting it at church, getting it in the school environment, hopefully, it’s going to take root.” St. Albert offers a series of religion classes and weekly Mass for elementary and secondary students, said Brenda Moran, campus pastor. Allschool Masses are held four times a year. Seventhand eighthgraders take yearlong courses in sacraments and morals, and high school students have semester courses in Old Testament, New Testament, morality, social justice, prayer and liturgy, church history, church issues and relationships,
Staff photos/Cindy Christensen
Above, the high school leadership team leads morning worship at Heartland Christian School. At left, a group of high school students take down notes during Bible study.
Moran said. “With each semester religion class, students are expected to put in five community service hours,” she said. “A lot of what we do is try to challenge them to live their faith. It’s a lot of helping them become active in their faith life, as well as outreach in the community.” Junior high and high school students also go on a retreat once a year, Moran said.
There is definitely prayer in these schools. St. Albert has prayers to start the school day, classes and activities, Moran said. “Each morning, one or two students lead the prayer; and then the classes switch each month,” she said. “Pretty much we hear every voice in the school by the end of the year. We encourage them and encourage them, but we don’t require them.
“We have a practice of having a prayer before each activity,” whether it’s an athletic event, concert or theater performance, she said. Elementary students have lunchtime and going-home prayers, said Jenny Van Soelen. “One of the neatest things I get to experience is when a student prays for another student,” Wilson said. “I didn’t have that when I was in
school, because I didn’t go to a Christian school.” St. Albert seniors have an opportunity to go on a World Mission Program trip to the Dominican Republic in the summer, Moran said. There, they spend 10 to 14 days working to create the level of sanitation needed for medical mission trips. “The students go down and dig latrines and live with natives and discover, in the
process, how much they have,” she said. Course content sometimes varies from that of public schools, Wilson said. “A textbook presents itself as truth; but if it doesn’t align itself with God’s word, it’s not,” he said. Heartland Christian teaches Creation by Design, he said. St. Albert teaches both evolution and Creation by Design, Moran said. “It’s not something that we design the curriculum to fit our doctrine,” she said. “We challenge them to think about things.” St. Albert High School students, like those at Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson, have access to the vocational-technical classes offered at the Tucker Career Center, Van Soelen said. Schools sometimes collaborate in other areas, too. “Sometimes our teams join with other teams,” she said. “In swimming, we have a team with A.L., T.J. and St. Albert. We’re fortunate to be able to utilize those community resources.” School size means students can participate in more activities, Van Soelen said. “Everybody does everything here, and it allows the students to develop their full potential – and it opens them up to try new things,” she said. The learning environment is pretty positive, Van Soelen added. “I think it is quite a family feeling here,” she said. “A lot of our students have gone here since kindergarten, so they’ve been together for a long time. They feel safe here. You’ve got a lot of people contributing to the success of the students.”
Homeschooling, the alternative form of education DENNIS FRIEND Staff Writer dennis.friend@nonpareilonline.com (712) 325-5746
Submitted photo
Lucy Anders studies with her father in an outdoor setting at their Council Bluffs home. Steve Anders, an advocate of home schooling, home-schooled his 21-year-old daughter and is currently home-schooling 16-year-old Lucy. pick the teacher because you’re the teacher,” Anders said. According to Council Bluffs school district records, 102 students in the district are home schooled while 9,375 students attend Bluffs schools. Another 532 openenroll out of the district. “We estimate there are more than 30,000 private instruction families in Iowa. We have proven success,” Anders said. Home schooling is regulated by the state, Anders said, and parents must meet certain standards, which could include the use of a supervising teacher, a portfolio of grades or a record of standardized testing. The parents themselves need not be certified teachers, but “It
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Barb Heki with the Network of Iowa Christian Home Educators discusses the history of home schooling during a public open house on home schooling at the Council Bluffs Public Library April 27. well. We gave lots of information and testimonials regarding how home schooling is extremely successful in socialization and academics and there are plentiful resources and support for every family to home school if desired. Research shows home schooled teens are successfully integrated into society,
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they demonstrate maturity and they have good relationships with their parents. We are testimony that home schooling works,” Anders said. The one-on-one conversations afterward suggested to Anders “We have lots of folks
who want us to follow up with them on more detailed assistance, and lots of interest, as folks are searching for educational alternatives for their children.” For information, contact choicesforchildren@gmail.com.
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takes dedication, commitments and hard work to home school,” Anders said. Anders said he has had to answer one question over and over again when discussing home-schooling. “It’s one of the first questions I get: ‘What about socialization?’ They’re asking about a child getting along with peers. The child will need to assimilate into society, but our goal is to teach them to enter society as an adult,” he said. The Council Bluffs open house in April attracted about 30 people, who listened to presentations by three people who home school children. “The Network of Iowa Christian Home Educators in Des Moines also sent Rich and Barb Heki down to present, as LYRICAL
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Steve Anders of Council Bluffs home-schooled his 21year-old daughter and is currently homeschooling his 16year-old daughter. “You don’t need a Ph.D. or a certificate. The main point is that it takes dedication, commitment and hard work,” he said. He is out to inform the public about “a choice they can make to educate their children,” Anders said. He organized an informational open house on the benefits of home schooling at the Council Bluffs Public Library April 27, and hopes to hold another one this fall. “Home schooling was the only way we taught our children initially. Formal public education did not come about until the late 1800s,” he said. Anders can recite a laundry list of reasons to home school: Home schoolers usually outperform public schoolers by 30 percent in all subjects; Their composite scores are 36 percent higher; Sex, income or spending of the people involved makes little difference in the outcome. “So, where do you get the best bang for your buck? Who cares more about the children than the parent? Parents are the primary teachers and children watch their parents. They will pay more attention to parents,” he said. Anders is a member of a home-schooling group called “Homes Offering Positive Education,” and he and other home-schooling advocates like the Network of Iowa Christian Home Educators see a great many advantages of home schooling a child. “Home schooling saves the state millions of dollars, because state education funding is $5,768 per child. You can teach your morals and values to your child. You can have a Bible-based curriculum. You can tailor the courses for each child. You can choose your own class days and hours. It’s one-on-one and an individual learning pace. It’s a safe environment, and you
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PERSPECTIVES OF EDUCATION
The Daily Nonpareil
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Expansions continue at Iowa Western Community College DENNIS FRIEND Staff Writer dennis.friend@nonpareilonline.com (712) 325-5746
A two-story student center and its cyber-library will be dedicated June 10 at Iowa Western Community College’s Council Bluffs campus. It’ll have a cybercafe with lounge furniture. IWCC President Dan Kinney said he envisions the new library as “a place where students can drink coffee and latte, where they can sit and talk.” There are small-group and large-group rooms where they can collaborate. The library will have everything but books. “It will have research tools through the Internet. The design is such that we can address today how students learn. Today’s students are natives to technology. This new library will address these styles of learning and will move IWCC into the future,” Kinney said. The new library will house 200 computer terminals. Textbooks and information in the cyber library will be computerized. “Students will use a ‘reader,’ something like a large Palm Pilot, that has the capability to download books from a disc. The student will buy the disc, which is cheaper than a book, and it will save the student money,” Kinney said. Plans call for turning the current library into classrooms and administrative offices. The college board of trustees voted unanimously in 2008 to build the 71,000-square-foot student center, which will house the culinary arts department, a cafeteria, a bookstore and the campus library. It’s also the first step in plans to expand the health care career center. The price tag for the new center will come in as estimated at about $13 million, with about $3 million for furnishings and fixtures, including replacement of food preparation equipment that in some cases was 40 years old. “We have a much larger cafeteria, and the culinary arts program will have its own kitchen,” Kinney said. The student center, which faces southwest toward the Reiver Suites and is adjacent to Lewis Hall, was “the first domino, if you will, that had to happen for the expansion of the school’s nursing and health care programs,” Kin-
ney said when the project began. The nursing center expansion will allow IWCC to double its enrollment capacity. Kinney said the campus needed more space for the nursing and health care programs, surgical technology, and for medical assistant and EMT training. The school has had a waiting list for students seeking careers in the health field, and Kinney estimated the school could quadruple the number of health-care professionals it turns out with this expansion. The nursing program’s simulation center will allow students to work with lifelike, programmable mannequins. The students will be able to practice, make mistakes and learn how to work in medical situations without actually affecting people’s lives, Kinney said. The price tag for the fullyequipped IWCC simulation center is expected to be $4.6 million, including renovation and equipment costs, and is scheduled to open next April. It will resemble an actual hospital, with a triage area, birthing rooms and 16 bays. Students will be able to unload patients from the back of a mock ambulance. The center also will include four surgery tech classrooms, 10 simulator classrooms, a resource/media library, three debriefing rooms, an EMT training room and a medical assisting lab. The setup will allow health training programs to move into a centralized location while expanding to meet growing demand, and “In the future, we’re working on the design of spaces for our dental hygiene program,” Kinney said.
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Voters approved a $22 million bond issue to pay for renovations, new classrooms, lecture halls, examination rooms and labs. More living accommodations for IWCC students also have been rising on campus, and 144 additional Reiver Suites units will be ready for occupancy with the start of the fall semester.
Submitted photos
Top, a two-story student center will be dedicated June 10 at Iowa Western Community College’s Council Bluffs campus. Above, more living accommodations for students have been rising on campus.
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PERSPECTIVES OF EDUCATION
4C Sunday, May 23, 2010
The Daily Nonpareil
THE BEGINNING AND THE END OF THE ROAD MIKE BROWNLEE
First graders eager to learn, explore
Staff Writer mike.brownlee@nonpareilonline.com (712) 325-5732
An understatement: First graders are enthusiastic. The youngsters are eager to learn about anything, from George Washington to butterflies to nouns to subtraction. The first grade experience is one that is truly rests in the realm of imagination – anything is possible for these students. It’s mid-afternoon and Hoover Elementary teacher Erin Schoening’s first grade class is bursting with energy. The children are working on describing words, turning ordinary cookies into “crunchy, flavorful Oreos.” “I can eat half of a hot, steamy, giant yummy pizza,” said one student. The walls are covered with instruction on reading, along with the work and accomplishments of the classroom’s inhabitants. When gathered for a retrospective on first grade, the students are ready to share the joy of life in Mrs. Schoening’s class. “I like readers workshop.” “I love science.” “Art, I like art.” “Writers workshop.” “Lunch.” “P.E.” The students’ love of all things first grade and life in general is contagious. Adults spending time in the classroom must be kept aware of their current consciousness to avoid reverting back to childhood and taking a seat with the students, working in a Dora the Explorer coloring book while eagerly awaiting a read-
ing from the “The Very Hungry Caterpillar.” “They love coming to school,” Schoening said of her first graders. “They’re curious. I learn from them, it’s amazing what they come up with and say.” Schoening said the biggest reward and the biggest challenge of teaching first grade is the wide range of ability. She often employs a workshop teaching model, which includes a short lesson, followed by small group work that allows Schoening to move around the room helping individual students where needed. “There’s such a range, we have to be able to differentiate with kids,” Schoening said. “It can be tough. You want to challenge the kids that need challenged, but have to scaffold your lessons to help those kids that need more support.” One student that is always up for the challenge, according to her teacher Ellen Rallis, is St. Albert Elementary first grader Claire Helton. Helton’s an above average student, Rallis said, especially when it comes to reading and math. “She’s able to go to the next level on math, she sees connections,” Rallis said. Helton said she enjoys reading chapter books, like the Junie B. Jones series. “They’re adventures,” Helton said. “They’re really exciting.” Rallis agreed with Schoening’s assessment of first graders. “Their excitement and enthusi-
asm for learning, it’s so neat to see that everyday. They’re excited about everything. And they really learn a lot. They’re sponges,” she said. “To me this is the year of excitement.” Both first grade teachers said reading is a huge part of first grade; as students learn the foundational knowledge needed to continue on in their academic career. Schoening said she loves teaching reading and helping kids “crack the code.” “Reading is a huge part of our day,” Schoening said. Schoening said her class spends three hours a day on reading and writing. “First grade is a fundamental, pivotal year for reading skills,” Rallis said. The endless possibilities of the future are not lost on Hoover first grader Abbey Kinney. And she’s even ready to apply lessons learned in math class to her profession. “I want to be a banker when I grow up,” she said. “I’m good at counting money. My grandpa gives me a pack of money; I’ll save up the packs and count them up. Then I’ll take it to a bank to see if I’m right. I usually am.” As May comes to a close, Rallis and Schoening are preparing for their classes to move on to the fastpaced world of second grade. The group grows before her eyes, Rallis said. “They come in caterpillars. They eat all this knowledge all year and leave beautiful butterflies,” she said. “I see how far they’ve come and it’s a great thing to see.
Staff photo/Cindy Christensen
Reading is St. Albert first grade student Clare Hilton’s favorite part of the day.
Reflection on past and enjoyment of the present makes senior year memorable MIKE BROWNLEE Staff Writer mike.brownlee@nonpareilonline.com (712) 325-5732
It’s the last leg in a scholastic marathon but also a warm-up race for a new stage of life. Senior year is full of stress, memories, fun and change. Some high school seniors are moving on to more school, at a technical school, university, community college or other post-secondary academic endeavor. Others will join the workforce, while still others are somewhere in between, trying to figure out what to do when life doesn’t involve school lunch. Regardless of their next step, seniors in Council Bluffs have to get through that last year of school. “It went by really fast,” said Brooke Elliff, a senior at Lewis Central. “I wish I could’ve kicked back this year… but I had to stay on top of everything. Not letting senioritis get the best of me.” May is when reports of senioritis increase. Its symptoms include lack of motivation, an aversion to textbooks, daydreaming and procrastination. “Senioritis can really start to wear on you,” said Ashley Narmi, also a senior at L.C. “Getting stuff done becomes harder and harder as the end of the (school) year gets closer. It takes a lot of motivation.” Elliff said she’s stayed busy senior year, taking a full load of classes, including two at Iowa Western, in addition to participating in choir, show choir, drama and playing the flute in the band. The stress of preparing for post-secondary education doesn’t always wear Elliff down. She said when she’s with friends outside of school worry about what’s next melts away. “We live in the moment,” Elliff said. “Get away from
Staff photo/sCindy Christensen
Top left, show choir has been a big part of Brooke Elliff’s years at Lewis Central. Top right, senior Kareese Bradford answers the phone as part of her office aid duties at Abraham Lincoln High School. worrying about the future.” L.C. senior Melissa Fuerst said she’s ready to graduate, but will miss a lot of things about high school. “The random acquaintances, people you meet and know in a class but don’t really talk to outside of school,” Fuerst said. “You see them here and there. I’ll miss them.” Elliff will head to the University of Iowa to major in psychology and sociology on a pre-med track, with plans to eventually become a psychiatrist. Both Fuerst and Narmi will attend Iowa State University in the fall. Fuerst will
major in bio-system engineering and bio-renewable energies engineering and hopes to work in the green technology field someday. Narmi will major in nutrition, but said she isn’t sure what she specifically wants as a career yet. “Wow, I can’t believe I made it,” Kareese Bradford, a senior at Abraham Lincoln, said of her final year of high school. “Freshman year I didn’t think I would succeed. I’ve proved to myself that I can do anything I put my mind to.” Bradford said that she’s asserted herself as the years of high school have passed. The timid freshman has blossomed into a well-spoken sen-
ior. “I haven’t been that 14year-old girl that was quiet this year,” Bradford said. “I speak my mind. I’ve been enjoying senior year.” Bradford will attend Iowa Western the next two years before heading to a college in the north-central section of the country, somewhere in North Dakota, South Dakota or Montana, Bradford said. She said she hopes to be a drug and alcohol counselor some day. At St. Albert, senior Kevin Guinan, said he’d miss a lot about high school, especially the close-knit community of the parochial school.
“The small atmosphere – I’ll lose that in college,” said Guinan, who will attend Iowa State to major in engineering. “Senior year has been great, we’ve closed it out very well.” For their eventual replacements, incoming freshmen, the seniors had a common sentiment: work hard in school freshmen year. “Colleges look at your freshman year,” Fuerst said. “When I was a freshman the seniors told me colleges didn’t look, but they definitely do.” Bradford agreed. “Keep your grades up. Don’t let your peers influence what classes you take and what decisions you make. Be
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yourself.” Said Elliff: “Don’t slack off freshman year, I know I did. I thought it’d be easy… But not so much.” Shelbi Carter, a St. Albert senior, urged incoming freshman to get involved. “Do all the things you want to do,” she said. “Don’t have any regrets.” The future is almost here for the seniors. For now, though, they’re still reflecting on that last year of high school, the year they were kings of the building. “It’s been one of the best years of my life,” Narmi said. “It’s been memorable and something I’ll miss.”
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PERSPECTIVES OF EDUCATION
The Daily Nonpareil
Sunday, May 23, 2010
5C
Iowa School for the Deaf has long history in Bluffs Moved to C.B. in 1870 TIM ROHWER Staff Writer timothy.rohwer@nonpareilonline.com (712) 325-5752
For more than 150 years, the Iowa School for the Deaf has been serving students across Iowa and even from Nebraska who are deaf or hard of hearing, including those with multiple disabilities, preschool through age 21, in compliance with state and federal regulations and laws. The school provides comprehensive educational programs and services, delivered by personnel who have undergone in-depth training for understanding the unique needs of these students and prepares them for community participation as successful and productive adults with skills comparable to their hearing peers. “They don’t feel they are disabled,” said Superintendent Dr. Jeanne Prickett of the students. “They just have to use different strategies to communicate and get information.” The school began in Iowa City in 1854, but moved to Council Bluffs in 1870 in part because of donated land and the area’s easy access by rail, according to Prickett. At first, the school was more of a training center for various trades. “By the late 1800s, some students started to go to college,” Prickett said. Even into the 1940s and ’50s, some studied trades like printing, she said, though more and more emphasis was being put on academics. “More and more of our students are going on to community colleges or four-year colleges,” Prickett said. Today, goals are written for every student in an Individual Education Program and involve providing for comprehensive needs of the young adult entering the hearing world. Emphasis is of mastery of the same classes of hearing peers. When necessary, students will “mainstream” with hearing students. “We have a long standing agreement with Lewis Central schools,” Prickett said. This may occur, for example, if a ISD students wants to take an advance science class not offered there, but available at nearby Lewis Central, she said. A trained interpreter will accompany the student. All of the students are exposed to Ameri-
Major: Minor:
can Sign Language, while many are also taught Signed English that help students use sign language and mouth movements that follow the syntax of English. Students graduate from ISD with high school diplomas granted from the Iowa Department of Education. ISD graduates meet the same core requirements as other Iowa high school graduates. “About half of our classes now go to community colleges or four-year colleges,” Prickett said. The school, governed by the Board of Regents, does not charge fee for tuition, board or transportation of Iowa students. Those from other states like Nebraska must pay a charge. “We can’t levy taxes,” Prickett said. Numerous extracurricular sports, including football and basketball are offered. Activities include the Student Council, chess tournaments and community volunteering. There are currently 100 students enrolled at ISD, 17 from Nebraska, according to Prickett. They range from pre-schoolers through age 21. About half come to ISD when entering the ninth grade, she said. None of the students young than the age of 8 live in the dorms. Class sizes range from 10 to 12 students. “We do have small classes to provide the intensity of the training we do,” Prickett said. On weekends or long breaks, the students are encouraged to go home “to maintain the family bond,” she said. ISD students have served on state humanitarian boards, intern in state senators’ offices and have held part-time jobs while attending the school. Students have also participated as Olympic relay torchbearers, won state fair blue ribbons and were the first deaf students nationwide to participate in a Bill of Rights competition. Graduates have pursued various career field, including education and healthcare. ISD alumni have even worked at the Pentagon, on the Skylab mission and taught at universities. Of course, it takes teachers with training beyond regular college educational courses to make this happen, Prickett said, sometimes up to two or more years to meet the students’ needs. These teachers pursue this career for an important reason, according to Prickett. “There’s the interest in helping students who are hard of hearing.”
Staff photo/Cindy Christensen
At left, the Iowa School for the Deaf opened in Council Bluffs in 1870.
Submitted photos
At right, Iowa School for the Deaf students Shayla Dobias, left, Madison Healy and Hannah Kohl receive speech therapy.
At left, Bryce Moore, left, and Jacob Bradley work on an experiment for science fairs.
At right, Iowa School for the Deaf sponsors a post-senior program that enables students like Brock Arndorfer to attend twoyear colleges or train for work after finishing core high school courses.
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6C Sunday, May 23, 2010
PERSPECTIVES OF EDUCATION
The Daily Nonpareil
Technology can be beneficial in classrooms
DRAWING FIRE Outcome-based learning and salaries controversial topics among teachers DENNIS FRIEND Staff Writer dennis.friend@nonpareilonline.com (712) 325-5746
“Should a teacher who teaches average students earn less money than those who teach highly-gifted classes?” Kirn Middle School teacher Dwaine Pedersen asked. Pedersen said he has a number of objections to the idea of paying teachers based on student performance. He’s not a fan of outcome-based education, either. He said he has been teaching for 48 years, 19 of those in the Council Bluffs school system, and said he is offering his own opinions, not those of the school district or of the teacher’s union. He considers outcome-based education simply an old idea dressed up in new terminology. On the other hand, “How do you measure learning?” Dave Black asked. Black is school improvement specialist for the Lewis Central school district. He has been in education for 30 years, the first 10 as a teacher and the rest as an administrator. Concerns that the education system does not prepare students for life and work in the 21st Century prompted educators across the country to redesign educational approaches. One way is to change the measure of educational effectiveness from an emphasis on course credits and hours spent in class looking at results. “Outcome-based learning was to be a complete change in the way children were taught, graded and graduated, kindergarten through 12th grade. It was an idea that everyone would master all materials in new ways. The outcomes would be taught, re-taught and retaught again until everyone was at the same competency level,” Pedersen said. However, the flaw in the approach is the assumption that one system will work as well for every student. “Outcome-based education raises red flags in my mind,” Black agreed, but that’s because “In the 1980s, it was very values-laden and meant something different from
today.” Supporters of outcomebased education believe all students can learn the required information if given enough time. They say the approach promotes high expectations and greater learning. Students are expected to learn particular subject areas and demonstrate knowledge and skills. “Today, we use a resultsbased evaluation process. We should indeed use the results of teaching to measure effectiveness, but I believe we should use lots of measures,” Black said. Opponents like Pedersen worry that the outcome-based teaching approach not only conflicts with real-life, but also is at odds with most colleges and university approaches. “It is like saying, because we have equal rights in America, everyone will wear only size 12 shoes, and it is only fair and equal if all wear the same shoes regardless of the fit of the shoe,” Pedersen said. Pedersen also said the outcome-based education approach often appears as a way to imply that teachers are not competent. “Sometimes it is linked to a performance pay suggestion. This is an area where education and business don’t mesh. Education is not a business-forprofit situation. Teachers don’t get more money because we sold more stuff and made more profits for the company,” Pedersen said. Pedersen likens outcomebased salaries to the idea of a teacher teaching a student 10 vocabulary words and “getting $10 for 10 words matched correctly. It’s simply not measurable in that context.” He suggested performance pay could mean, “If all students are compared to scores of children with genius IQs, and teacher pay stubs will be based on all children getting the same outcome levels, who could afford the pay cuts? Who would teach the average children?” Black said education has more to do with student growth, whether someone teaches special education or talented and gifted classes. “We should consider where kids start the race. Use a
growth model. The idea we should be evaluating on something other than standing in front of kids is just as problematic as measuring from a single test. You need common rules,” Black said. Outcome-based education is not a clear program, Pedersen said, although it’s often presented as such: “It could be based on anything students do, from having everyone score 100 percent on our state’s standardized test scores to everyone having a perfect art project.” Pedersen also does not believe a teacher should be held accountable for every student’s performance, since some students “simply will not behave or meet expectations. This is not something teachers can control. Students can make bad choices like everyone else.” Black said that’s why “We should involve teachers in the dialogue from the very beginning. They know how the kids are learning. You can’t do this without dialogue with teachers. How do you measure? We have to create a metric to measure growth.” Pedersen said he firmly believes the goal of everyone involved in the educational process, from parents and teachers to school administrators, is “to get the maximum education for our youth. We want everyone to understand the objectives, the methods, the content, which will put America on the cutting edge.” Black pointed out that federal and state education officials are moving toward outcome-based education and “If you don’t have a measurement at the beginning of the year, measuring at the end of the year won’t tell you what students know.” Teachers do not oppose reform, Pedersen said, but “Teachers already have standards to meet. Outcomes are just goals. The goals we need to attain are terribly important. Teachers are laying the foundation for our society and the future.” Local guidelines and state standards “set the stage for the outcomes we expect students to achieve. This is what education does best (and) teachers constantly pursue excellence.”
CHAD NATION
each classroom. The Poll Anywhere software is exactly the same, he said, and free. Students can also use cell phones to help cnation@nonpareilonline.com (712) 325-5738 them in class. Fringer said iPod Touch or iPhones can download applications that The power of technology has overtaken a turn them into graphing calculators. generation of young people. “It’s very useful to a student in Rather than try to fight it, the Council trigonometry or calculus,” he said. “The Bluffs Community School District has application costs $1 to download and a embraced the age of the cell phone. graphing calculator could cost $150.” This school year marked the first year Why cell phones can be used as a tool in high school students were allowed to use the classroom, another reason for adopting cell phones at designated times throughout the policy was to cut down on the policing the school day, said Diane Ostrowski disof cell phones. trict spokeswoman and supervisor of com“When they were banned, teachers were munity services. expected to confiscate them,” Fringer said. “We realized it is a vital form of commu“It became a power struggle and discipline nication for students,” she said. “As long as issue.” it is not interrupting or interOstrowski agreed, stating fering in any way with other ‘When they were it was a constant battle to kids, we’ll let them have police, with teachers and banned, teachers administrators constantly takthem.” Ostrowski said the use of were expected to ing the phones and giving cell phones is limited to speback. confiscate them. them cific areas of the school build“It’s a sign of the times,” It became a ings at specific times of the Ostrowski said. “The students day, and the cell phones in the going to have cell phones, power struggle are building must always be on why not use them producand discipline tively.” silent. But the district has also And using them producissue.’ found that cell phones can be tively is the key. The district used as tools in the education – David Fringer, executive handbook offers an outline of director of information process. how violations of the policy systems for C.B. schools David Fringer, executive are to be handled. director of information sys“If causing a distraction, tems for the district, said stuteachers will handle the situadents with unlimited texting plans can use tion like any other classroom distraction their cell phones in class to answer quesand ask the student to put the device away. tions. “Upon second violation in the same “Most interesting use is free software classroom, the teacher will assign a detenpollanywhere.com, which allows teachers to tion and contact the parent and explain the set up basic poll questions to use as an need to keep the phone off in class.” assessment,” Fringer said. “Any violation after parent notification During a lesson, the teacher can put a will be made known to the building adminquestion and four answers up on a screen istrator. The building administrator may and ask the students to send a text mesrequire the student to leave the cell phone sage to a specific site. The teacher gets in the office for later retrieval; hold the instant feedback from the students and is phone and require the parent to come to able to see how well they understand a con- school to receive it; or apply other sanctions cept. from the Code of Conduct.” “Nobody is asked to raise their hand and Fringer said that this year the number give the wrong answer, and the teacher is of discipline incidents has been way down. able to understand how well the class But what about cheating? understands a concept anonymously,” Ostrowski said teachers ask students to Fringer added. “If they are getting it, the put their cell phones in the upper corner of teacher can move on, if not, the teacher can their desk or in a specific area of the classslow down.” room during tests. Fringer said a “clicker” system has been “It’s just so they are not tempted to use used the same way in schools for more than them,” she said. “Not that any of our stu10 years, but the systems cost $2,000 for dents would do that.” Staff Writer
Submitted photo
Top, Kristina Beckner teaches a reading session at E.A. Kreft Primary School. Schools in Council Bluffs and across the country are grappling with questions arising from outcome-based education. Staff photo/Cindy Christensen
Bottom, Hoover Elementary first grade teacher Erin Schoening teaches her students about describing words by telling them to imagine a food they can eat half of and then write a sentence about it.
Staff photo/Cindy Christensen
Thomas Jefferson junior Jessica Armendarez, left, and sophomore Lacy Kingery send text messages during lunch as cell phones are allowed during the student’s lunch period.
The Daily Nonpareil
Sunday, May 23, 2010
DENNIS FRIEND Staff Writer dennis.friend@nonpareilonline.com (712) 325-5746
The St. Albert Catholic School has offered the first year of what school president Jim Rouse has called a “cradle to college” education. The school completed an $8.5 million renovation and remodeling in time to start the 2009-10 school year, hosting an open house at the 400 Gleason Ave. educational facility. When Bishop Richard Pate of the Des Moines Archdiocese toured the primary school addition and the Sheryl K. Johnson Early Childhood Development Center, he pronounced at “A Cadillac operation. It should be the envy of the Council Bluffs community, and it will be of benefit to the entire community, too.” Workers began the school renovation and consolidation in May 2008, after years of planning and fundraising. A building on 29th Street and Ninth Avenue used to house the St. Albert pre-kindergarten through third-grade school. The facility was a non-air-conditioned building that used to belong to the Council Bluffs school system. Built in 1957, it was the former DeForest Elementary School. The Council Bluffs Community School District sold the building to St. Albert for $205,600 in 1987 when the district downsized because of changes in student population. However, the Council Bluffs school district decided the building at 2912 Ninth Ave. could be used as a temporary school facility while other buildings are renovated, so agreed to buy back the building for $350,000. St. Albert no longer needed the building and the Council Bluffs school system has embarked on a six-year effort to update its aging school facilities and has decided a functional but temporary school building will best meet student
‘It should be the envy of the Council Bluffs community, and it will be of benefit to the entire community, too.’ – Bishop Richard Pate of the Des Moines Archdiocese speaking about the Sheryl K. Johnson Early Childhood Development Center
needs. The new childcare center is 6,000 square feet, and the school addition added another 30,000 square feet and includes 10 classrooms, a gymnasium and multipurpose room. “It’s so bright and it feels good to come into the school,” elementary school principal Anne Jensen said when the school year began. School marketing director Jenny Van Soelen said the school now is able to offer a “cradle to college” education on one campus. Jacqueline Johnson made two major donations to build and furnish the school additions. The Sheryl K. Johnson Early Childhood Development Center is
named after her daughter, who died at the age of 4. Johnson’s $2 million donation last year became the largest single donation in school history. An additional $215,000 contribution paid for furnishings for the Early Childhood Development Center and for new technology in the elementary school wing, including the technologically advanced Smartboards. The Johnson donation also paid for LCD televisions and two mobile laptop labs of 32 laptops each. St. Albert school resident Jim Rouse said her donations “single-handedly made the center possible,” and “will give us the opportunity to expand our mission.”
• 2010-20111 Registration n underway • Scholarshipss available assroom • State-of-the-artt technology y in n each h cla • Quality y Daycaree – open n year r round • summer r campss & academic c enrichmentt programs
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Many considered former school president Brian Osborne instrumental in the success of the school fundraising campaign. Osborne, who ran St. Albert from 2003 until 2008, said in an interview in March of 2008 that a needs study conducted for the school in 2000 “showed our two separate campuses were costing an extra $300,000 a year. They decided it was time to get the kids on one campus. We raised $7 million in about 18 months. We recruited and trained an army of volunteers while seeing as many people as possible. This community cares so much about the kids. I’m proud of that.” A combination of rising costs,
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the credit crisis and the recession meant the school had to continue its fundraising efforts. The project was expected to cost about $7 million, but final costs came in closer to $8.5 million. Tuition will rise slightly for the 2010-11 school year by an average of 3 percent. The increases range from $9 a month at the elementary level to $15 a month for high school seniors. “It would be unrealistic to think that the state of the economy has not impacted St. Albert Catholic Schools in the same way that it has affected many other schools, parishes, businesses and government agencies,” Rouse said when the increases were announced. He also said officials would review “every facet of our operation, including timely collection of revenues, increased fundraising and adjustments to staffing expenses in order to balance the budget.” Tuition this year ranged from $289 a month to $505 a month, depending on student grade level. Tuition generates about 44 percent of the school’s revenue, with the rest of the money coming from fundraising and parish support. Expenses include salaries and benefits as well as paying for the elementary school addition. Rouse said the school’s longrange plan includes improving student performance, keeping a handle on tuition charges, increasing enrollment and focusing on the endowment and fundraising. Financial help may be available through grants and scholarships, and other options could include the Scrip program, a family referral bonus and support from the Catholic Tuition Organization. Parents may call the school’s business office at (712) 329-9000 to discuss tuition assistance.
Staff photo/Cindy Christensen
A cross and plaque that was donated by Saint Albert alumni hangs in the school.
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Staff photos/Cindy Christensen
Clockwise from top left, a baby plays in her crib after waking up from her morning nap. Top right, the teaching kitchen inside the school. Bottom right, the St. Albert Elementary School main entrance. Bottom left, the school’s main office waiting area. Center left, childcare providers Kendra Robinson, left, and Lisa Piskorski play with the babies in the baby room at the childcare center.
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The Daily Nonpareil
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Clockwise from top center, a group of 2 year old children play in the childcare center. Top right, a cross and plaque were donated by Saint Albert school alumni. Bottom right, a Boy Scout meeting is held in the main entryway of the school. Center, the elementary school playground. Bottom left, a fifth grade classroom. Top left, the stained glass window in main entrance.
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10C Sunday, May 23, 2010
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St. Albert summer camps planned St. Albert will hold several camps this summer for its students. The first is the “Body Summer” camp, which will be held July 5-9 from 8 to 11 a.m. in the St. Albert Elementary library and art room. The camp is designed for student entering thirdthrough fifth-grade. The camp will explore “the icky, sticky, gross stuff in your body.” Participants will create a model of intestines to see how they work, explore models of a variety of body parts, navigate a Web quest about the body and more. The second is the Summer Sculpture Art Camp July 12-16 from 8 to 11 a.m. in the elementary school art room. The one-week day camp will provide students with many opportunities to create sculpture using a variety of medias and techniques. A culminating activity will be a trip to The Joslyn Art Museum to explore the sculpture garden and other works. In addition, participants will learn about different sculptors, critically compare and contrast different works, media techniques and artists and refine their motor skills. The school will hold its science and math camp July 12-16 from 8 to 11 a.m. at the school for those students entering fourth- through sixth-grade. The camp will allow students to explore different areas of science and math with hands-on experiments and activities. St. Albert’s KidzKare also has weekly events planned throughout the summer. KidzKare is open to children age 4 who are pre-registered for the 2010-11 prekindergarten program through students who will enter the sixth-grade in the fall. Some of the weekly themes include: Safety, holidays, Hollywood, science and more. For more information about the camps or KidzKare, call the school at (712) 323-3703.
Staff photos/Cindy Christensen
Clockwise from inside of main entrance of the school. Center right, scooters are available for the children in childcare. Bottom center, the elementary school playground. Center left, the school’s new gymnasium.
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PERSPECTIVES OF EDUCATION
Sunday, May 23, 2010
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‘If a school is making a $150,000 investment in you, they want to make sure you have a good academic, attendance and outside of school record, and a high school coach is the best person to contact about that.’ Jeff Novotny, activities director at Abraham Lincoln High School
Technology aids in student athletic recruitment CHAD NATION Staff Writer cnation@nonpareilonline.com (712) 325-5738
In the old days, a high school athlete who wanted to continue his or her career and education would send out a VHS tape to perspective colleges for the coaches to view. Who knew if the coach ever even watched the footage? Going back a little further, before VHS, an athlete would have to be spotted by a coach or recruiter during an athletic event. The times have changed. With technology changing daily, high school athletes are now able to get their statistics, video and names, in front of a perspective coach with just a click of the send button. “Technology has really taken over,” said Jeff Novotny, activities director at Abraham Lincoln High School. “Getting the word out (about an athlete) is a lot easier.” With digital editing equipment at the high school, Novotny said in a matter of hours, an athlete can put together a career’s worth of highlights, complete with background music, and compile his or her statistics. They can then put the video up on a Web site and e-mail the link to perspective coaches. “Our coaches do use YouTube for our digital videos,” Novotny said. “You’re able to send the link by e-mail and if a coach likes what they see, they can contact the student.” While technology has taken over, there are still the tried and true ways that coaches find athletes. Brenda Hampton, athletic director at Iowa Western Com-
Staff photo/Cindy Christensen
Abraham Lincoln senior Jamison Lalk discusses his recruitment options with Lynx football coach Justin Kammrad. munity College, said coaches at the college increasingly are using the Internet. “YouTube is a convenient way to view footage,” she said. “And we have questionnaires athletes can fill out on our Web site or contact the coaches directly by e-mail.” Coaches might not have heard of an athlete before, but e-mails from a student or parent can bring them to their attention. Hampton said a majority of the e-mail responses are from word-of-
mouth, where a student has heard about the program from another coach or student. While the popularity of Internet communication grows in recruiting, Iowa Western coaches still use a variety of different ways to find student athletes. “First of all, coaches still go to high school games and make contacts with area coaches,” Hampton said. “But there are also tournaments and contacts with other organizations, like AAU basketball and volleyball
and soccer club teams.” With more than 500 student athletes on campus, Hampton said coaches have to use a variety of methods to attract and find players. “There is quite a bit of traveling to watch games and to visit with coaches and players,” Hampton said. “Coaches go to a lot of tournaments and make contacts with club teams.” There are also recruiting services that provide databases of prospects for the football and basketball teams, as
well as referrals from other junior colleges and four-year schools that can’t use a prospect. A fairly new event for football recruiting is a metropolitan area public schools recruiting fair, where high school coaches sit at a table and talk about their players with college coaches. “It gives our coaches a chance to sit down and visit with football coaches from the area,” Hampton said. “It’s really a nice event; a lot of the
major cities are starting to do it.” For a high school coach, building relationships with area colleges is important, Novotny said. Two to three college coaches visit the high school daily to discuss students with coaches. “High school coaches, in a lot of sports, their job is to coach and build relationships with the students, as well as to get the students to the next level to get a college education, whether that is a two-year or four-year school,” he said. “Our coaches do a great job trying to get kids out there to find a home and get that degree.” And college coaches will always want to talk to a high school coach. “If a school is making a $150,000 investment in you, they want to make sure you have a good academic, attendance and outside of school record, and a high school coach is the best person to contact about that,” Novotny said. Hampton said finding quality student athletes who can succeed academically and athletically is important. “Hopefully, they will represent us well in the community; coaches keep that in mind and that is why we do in-home visits to get a feel for the athlete,” she said. Hampton advised athletes to be proactive in the recruiting process and make sure to study all of their options. “You have to sell yourself. If (coaches) are not knocking on your door, knock on theirs,” she said. “And don’t turn down something because you think it is not the right fit for you now, it might be right fit for you down the road and open up a lot of opportunities.”
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PERSPECTIVES OF EDUCATION
The Daily Nonpareil
Students eating better than in years past TIM ROHWER Staff Writer timothy.rohwer@nonpareilonline.com (712) 325-5752
Parents can rest assured. The students in the Council Bluffs area schools are eating better kinds of foods during their class days, a local official said. “We’re seeing more and more guidelines, and the foods are becoming healthier,” said Virginia Bechtold, nutrition services supervisor for the Council Bluffs School District. “The majority of our bread and buns are made with whole wheat that adds fiber, which is one of the things we need to do in this country – add more fiber. We went to 1 percent fat milk about 10 years ago and we don’t serve whole milk or 2 percent fat milk. And, in the last several years, we’ve added more fresh fruits for lunch.” When it comes to meat, the district seeks out those that contain just 35 percent or less fat, Bechtold said. “The vendors are coming up with new things like turkey hot dogs that are lower in fat,” she said. “And, most of our meats that have breading on them are made with whole wheat flower, and that includes our pizza crust. We also provide cooked vegetables.” The district is also participating in a federal program to study the response of elementary students eating pre-packaged fruits and vegetables during regular class hours, according to Bechtold. “They consume it whenever it’s convenient, some in the afternoon and some in the morning,” she said. “The kids are good about it.” The federal government has
provided important guidelines for the nation’s schools, Bechtold said, but the state of Iowa is helping out, as well. She referred to the Healthy Kids Act, signed by Gov. Chet Culver in 2008, that establishes new physical and nutritional guidelines for state schools. “This July is when the food portion will take effect,” Bechtold said. “It sets up nutritional content standards from the first bell in the morning to when they go home.” This act sets nutrition guidelines specific to elementary, middle and high schools. More physical activity is required, along with foods with lower calorie, fat, sodium and sugar content are required for younger ages, while older students guidelines are more lenient. “We’re seeing a lot less sodium,” Bechtold said. “Sodium can lead to heart diseases and increased blood pressure.” As far as beverages, this new act will not allow sodas or carbonated beverages in schools. Sports drinks, flavored water and caffeinated beverages will be allowed in secondary schools, but not in elementary schools. Pure water and 100 percent juice will be allowed, but not with any added non-nutritive sweeteners. Regular milk will contain little or no fat, while no-fat/low-fat flavored milk will not have added non-nutritive sweeteners. New cafeterias in Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson high schools have either been installed or will be soon and both featuring salad and fruit bars with low fat dressings, according to Bechtold. Students are not allowed to leave their schools during the lunch hour, foiling their thoughts of enjoying fatty items at a nearby fast-food restaurants. The vast majority of students in the district are now enjoying the foods being served by the district, Bechtold said. “Approximately 85 percent of the students are eating our lunches at our middle schools,” she said. “We have a lot of kids depending on us.” Staff photos/Cindy Christensen
Top, Along with the main menu choices, students have a healthier option at the salad bar. Center, Abraham Lincoln cook Michelle Lafferty checks on a tray of garlic bread before serving it to the students. Bottom, Robin Colter makes sure there are plenty of French Fries before lunch begins.
Kaplan reaches out to area students DENNIS FRIEND Staff Writer dennis.friend@nonpareilonline.com (712) 325-5746
Kaplan University doesn’t look at all like the stereotypical school of higher learning. The Council Bluffs campus is located in a shopping mall at 1751 Madison Ave., Ste. 750. On the other hand, the education is real. Kaplan University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. “Our curriculum includes programs designed for entrylevel employment and for advancement in areas that are growing fast. We provide the knowledge and practical job skills a student will need,” interim executive director Kate Packard said. The Kaplan University Web site states, “With personal attention, specialized courses and career-focused degree and certificate programs, we could help you build the foundation needed to succeed in today’s competitive markets.” Kaplan has been expanding and reaching out to prospective students in the area since merging with Hamilton College in 2008. Technically, Packard said, “all we did was change the name, both schools were owned by the Washington Post.” The Hamilton campuses in Council Bluffs and Omaha were among eight that became part of the Davenport-based Kaplan University. Hamilton College was one of Iowa’s oldest continuouslyoperating career colleges specializing in business education, while Kaplan offered master’s, bachelor’s and associate’s degrees and certificates. “Now, our curriculum includes allied health, information technology, business administration, criminal justice and general education. The allied health sciences are the largest and include medical assisting, medical transcription and medical office management,” Packard said. That means more options
Submitted photo
Betty Koontz and Nancy Schrage from the University of Nebraska Medical Center talk to Kaplan University students at the April 14 Career Fair. for area residents hoping to get college degrees, and more programs available both in classrooms and online. Students may take a mix of both online and in-class courses, and there are both day and night offering as well as on-line courses. “Our on-line population has grown and includes the Lincoln, Omaha and Council Bluffs campus. We get students from areas like Missouri Valley or Hamburg. Many are adult learners. A lot of them are nontraditional students, people who are juggling work, families and other life responsibilities,” Packard said. They may want to advance or change jobs, and may be facing other changes. “We are an accelerated program and we’re year-round,” Packard said, so a student can finish a program in 18 months, although that may vary depending on the program. Since the economic downturn began, Packard said more potential students want to enroll because “They say ‘I lost my job,’ or ‘I may be losing my job.’” Another large segment has voiced concerns, Packard said: “They say, ‘I never went to school,’ and worry about protecting themselves.” Kaplan also limits the size of its classes to provide more personal attention to each student. “We pride ourselves on our
classroom learning and handson training to give students real-life job skills so they can hit the ground running,” Packard said. The instructors have appropriate credentials “and we’re a market-driven school responding to local employment
needs,” Packard said. In other words, the curriculum will focus on skills currently in demand by employers. The Council Bluffs campus offers a medical assisting program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs. Kaplan programs are recognized by agencies like the Dislocated Workers Center, Iowa Workforce Development Center, Job Training Partnership Act and the Iowa Department of Education. “We also offer a comprehensive support system. We have financial aid counselors, study skills counselors and academic advisors. We have a team to help students get used to the academic routine again,” Packard said. Kaplan also can offer assistance to students on resume preparation and improving interview skills, “so we can help everyone start and complete their education,” Packard said.
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PERSPECTIVES OF EDUCATION
The Daily Nonpareil
Sunday, May 23, 2010
13C
More preschool programs available in the Bluffs DENNIS FRIEND Staff Writer dennis.friend@nonpareilonline.com (712) 325-5746
Staff photos/Cindy Christensen
Tyler Kermoade, a freshman at Abraham Lincoln, adjusts the rearview mirror before heading out for a driving lesson as driver’s education instructor Kurt Ferguson looks on.
Driver’s education courses a ‘rite of passage’ for students TIM ROHWER Staff Writer timothy.rohwer@nonpareilonline.com (712) 325-5752
History, math, science, etc. aren’t the only courses studied by high school students around the country, including Council Bluffs. This is the time in their lives when they learn what will become an almost daily function – being a safe driver. “It is a rite of passage,” said Rodney Van Wyk, president of Drive Tek, a private provider of youth driver education in the state of Iowa. “It is a movement, a sign post on the way to being responsible adults.” Area students, and their parents, should be pleased to know that driver education courses are taught by his trained professionals. “We’ve been in this business 15 years,” Van Wyk said. “Every one of my teachers has to be state certified and have a driver’s education endorsement, which means extra hours. They have to take endorsement classes and that’s nine hours. We’re dealing with a precious commodity here (students) and we have to be careful.” It’s imperative, according to Van Wyk, that young people receive the finest training because traffic accidents is the top killer among those ages 15 to 25. He himself takes it extra personal. Van Wyk was in law enforcement for more than 25 years and knows the pain of informing parents that their young son or daughter was hurt or killed in a traffic accident. The course includes 30 hours in the classroom and six hours behind the wheel, he said. Students must have a learner’s permit before enrolling. “We train 4,000 kids a year,” Van Wyk said. His staff teaches more than just the driving basics, he said. “We talk about road signs, we get into the buying and selling of cars, the maintenance and auto insurance, such as the different kinds that are out there.” And, of course, there’s discussions on the potential dangers and the legal ramifications of talking on a cell phone or texting, he said. There’s also the distraction of changing the CD player or the radio channels. “One of the things that has changed over the years is the boom in communications now. Those are issues we have to address. Driving distraction is probably the biggest issue.” During the six hours on the road, the students start off with simple assignments like start-
Abraham Lincoln sophomore Jordan Soch takes one final test before the end of driver’s education.
‘One of the things that has changed over the years is the boom in communications now. Those are issues we have to address. Driving distraction is probably the biggest issue.’ – Rodney Van Wyk, president of Drive Tek
ing and stopping, then gradually drive in more complex and busier situations. “Driving on the interstate is one of the last things we do,” Van Wyk said. Yet, it’s not just driving on surface roads, either. Students may be asked to drive through a fast-food drive through or a car wash. “It’s important to experience as many situations as you can,” The students learn to drive in Chevrolet Impalas that are continually maintained in good and safe working order, he said. For Abraham Lincoln High School student Tyler Kermoade, 15, the classes have been “pretty exciting.” He and about 30 others are learning to drive under the guidance of teacher Kurt Ferguson. “He’s got everything all organized,” Kermoade said. The students gradually drive from city traffic onto rural highways and finally the busy interstate system, he said. One day, for example, students drove on a state highway for about 20 miles or so. “Today, we went on the inter-
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state,” he said after the following class. “We’re not going too fast.” The instructors, however, shouldn’t be the only adults to teach the proper driving techniques to the students, “It’s important that parents are involved,” Van Wyk said. “This business of driving is a team approach.” He regularly tell parents they should take their sons or daughters out driving as soon as they get learner’s permits to gain some experience prior to the courses. “Even if it’s a parking lot,” Van Wyk said. “You can learn a lot in a parking lot,” Ferguson said. “You can learn the basics.” As far as the stereotype of young people driving recklessly, Kermoade doesn’t buy that. “I personally think I’m a good driver,” he said. Many students with a driver’s license drive to school each day, Kermoade said, and he can only recall one minor crash there. “Most students are good drivers,” he said. Reunions. Events. Graduations. Congratulations. Birthdays. And more! ...all the special moments you want to share are in The Daily Nonpareil ’s
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Preschool programs have become increasingly crucial in school districts hoping to boost the percentage of children who enter kindergarten ready for school. Ann Mausbach, executive director of curriculum and instruction in the Council Bluffs school district, has data on the effectiveness of preschool on kindergarten readiness. So does Barb Grell, principal of E.A. Kreft primary school in the Lewis Central school district. “It helps children. When they experience a high-quality preschool setting, they have an easier transition into school. They have a sense of belonging and they know how it works,” Grell said. When students who enter kindergarten are tested on vocabulary and language competence, “the kids absolutely do better when they attend preschool. Preschool matters,” Mausbach said. Sue Rice, an administrator for Council Bluffs school district preschool programs, said there’s no doubt in her mind that “preschool works. It makes a huge difference. The data shows it.” The Council Bluffs district preschool program serves students who are considered at risk because of a number of factors, including povertylevel family incomes and developmental delays. Funding comes from five separate sources, including the Iowa West Foundation. “The criteria we use decides who best will benefit,” Rice said, and some children in some cases will be placed in two years of preschool. “Parents don’t opt into a two-year preschool program, it’s determined by testing,” Rice said. Three-year-olds are screened for placement, and factors that may figure into a two-year preschool placement include the parental level of income, how the child does in developmental testing, family education, parental age and English-language fluency.
Submitted photo
From right, para-educator Amanda Stephens and teacher Rachel Kastler lead Titan Hill preschool students students in performing a song with movement. The same approach holds true at Lewis Central, Grell said. The district will test future students, and screening determines if the 3-yearold needs either one year or two years of preschool. The children placed in preschool show the effectiveness of the program, Grell said, because “Preschool closes a gap. It brings them up to the level of their peers. I think it puts them at an advantage by the time the children start kindergarten.” Rice said children who attend preschool and enter kindergarten on an equal footing with classmates are less likely to drop out, repeat grades or get into trouble. In 2007, the Council Bluffs district asked for more than $825,000 to help fund preschool for local 4-year-olds. The money was part of $15.5 million set aside for preschool grants by the state of Iowa for the 2007-08 school year to offer quality preschool programs, paying particular attention to children at or below poverty level. At that time, more than 200 could not be placed. Today, there are 637 preschoolers enrolled and in preschools at 13 of the district’s 14 elementary schools, including both 3- and 4-yearolds. Crescent Elementary does not have preschool. The numbers from March showed 52 4-year-olds still on a waiting list. Grell said Lewis Central has 104 students in preschool, including 78 4-year-
olds and 26 3-year-olds. Some children, mostly 3 -year-olds, remain on a waiting list. She said a stronger emphasis on preschool education in the last 10 years and financial support by the state has been a big help in the effort to get children ready for school. “Preschool addresses not just reading readiness, but social and emotional aspects. It’s not just learning the ABCs, it goes after the whole child. A big benefit, too, is how it builds the family relationships with the school. We involve our families,” Grell said. At St. Albert Catholic School, an $8.5 million renovation and remodeling allowed the facility at 400 Gleason Ave. to open the Sheryl K. Johnson Early Childhood Development Center along with a new primary school addition last August. Workers began the school renovation and consolidation in May 2008 after years of planning and fundraising. The childcare center is 6,000 square feet, and 48 children had been registered even before the current school year began. School marketing director Jenny Van Soelen said the school now is able to offer a “cradle to college” education on one campus. Jacqueline Johnson contributed more than $2 million to the project, and the Sheryl K. Johnson Early Childhood Development Center is named after her daughter, who died at the age of 4.
Tri-Center Community Schools “Home of the Trojans” “Committed to Maximizing Student Potential” Serving the families of Beebeetown, Minden, Neola, Persia and the Surrounding Area Since 1962
WEBSITE: www.tri-center.k12.ia.us Tri-Center Community Schools has the reputation for being one of the finest schools in Southwest Iowa. Tri-Center offers quality educational programs PK through 12, top-notch facilities, campus-wide state of the art technology, outstanding activities programs and a caring, certified faculty, staff and administration. Tri-Center serves over 800 students each year. Here are just a few of the characteristics/opportunities extended to our students/families: • All buildings/facilities located on one 40-acre campus near I-80 and I-680 interchange • Elementary remodeled in 2007; Middle School constructed in 1996 • Newly renovated High School and New High School addition completed in Aug. 2010 • 15 daily bus routes to accommodate the transportation needs of students/families • All classrooms air conditioned • Entire campus networked electronically • Five 24-station computer labs on campus • Nine wireless mobile PC laptop labs (20 per cart) • Pre-School programs half day and full day • All day every day kindergarten • 3 sections per grade level for grades K-6 (small class sizes) • K-12 drug education, social skills and character education programs • Accelerated Reader/Accelerated Math for grades K-12 • Advanced Placement and college credit courses at the High School level • A greenhouse for Vocational Agriculture and Horticulture • Comprehensive academic, activity and athletic programs – Rigorous academic requirements with traditionally high achievement testing scores • Excellent, comprehensive fine arts programs • Athletic complex – features a football/soccer stadium and practice fields, softball complex, baseball complex and an eight lane all-weather track • 3 gyms, a multi-purpose building for wrestling/baseball/softball/auxiliary groups and a large weight training/fitness facility • 98% average daily attendance and 99% graduation rate
First Day of School for 2010-2011 is Thursday, August 26th Registration will be held on Thursday, August 12th from 1:00pm to 7:00pm Parents/students are welcome to come to any of the building offices prior to or after August 12th. Tours of the buildings/facilities are always available upon request or simply by stopping in at one of the building offices.
High School 712-485-2257, Middle School 712-485-2211, Elementary 712-485-2271
14C Sunday, May 23, 2010
PERSPECTIVES OF EDUCATION
The Daily Nonpareil
MIKE BROWNLEE Staff Writer mike.brownlee@nonpareilonline.com (712) 325-5732
Staff photos/ Cindy Christensen
Top left, Abraham Lincoln senior Kayla Olson, who hopes to become an architect, works on one of her many sketches. Top right, Lewis Central seniors Ashley Narmi, left, and Melissa Fuerst stand next to Narmi’s writing desk she is working on.
Ashley Narmi and Melissa Fuerst are used to being the only girls their industrial technology wood shop class. The Lewis Central seniors are in the fourth level of the woods class and have created a carpenter’s bench and a nightstand, among many projects. “We’re the only ones,” Narmi said. “We kind of feel we have something to prove.” Narmi went on to say that boys often “can do it easy,” especially when it comes to the heavy lifting. But both she and Fuerst said no matter the task, they do it on their own. “Guys want to come help me all the time,” Fuerst said. “I push them aside.” “I got it, I can do it…” Narmi said. Fuerst and Narmi agreed that they love the woods class for the change of pace it offers. “It’s really hands-on and challenging,” Fuerst said. “Something different and fun.” Added Narmi: “It’s not an ability you wake up with. In art, you pretty much either have it or you don’t. With woods you can learn and turn it into a work of art and something you’ll have forever.” The pair said they unfortunately saw one of the reasons why few girls are in woods classes. “Many girls have a mindset that they’ll have boys do it for them,” Narmi said. “The teachers don’t put up with that. We enjoy our class, that’s why we’ve worked our way through the woods classes.” At Abraham Lincoln aspiring architect Kayla Olson said she loves her architectural drafting class. Though she’s one of only five girls in the 20-student class, Olson sees no rivalry or
divide between the sexes. In fact, she said, the girls out-perform the boys. “The girls normally get more stuff done,” she said. “Because the boys are freshman.” Olson’s drafting teacher, Dan Lyons, said Olson’s path isn’t uncommon. “(Girls) seem to have more of an interest in the area of architecture when it comes to industrial tech classes,” Lyons said. Olson falls into that classification. The daughter of a construction business owner wants to be a part of the design process. “I want to become an architect,” Olson said. “These classes provide a lot of what I’ll do in architecture.” Lyons said Olson and her sister, Courtney, who is also in the class, are great students. Olson said she enjoys using the drafting computer programs in her class. A kitchen stands out among the many floor plans she has designed. The basic architecture class has prepared her for the next step, Olson said. She plans to take civil engineering and architecture next school year. Narmi said shop class projects can get tedious at times, but it’s still a rewarding process. “It’s not the process, but the finished product,” she said. “With that finished product, you’re so proud.” Among the items Narmi has created are a miniature grandfather clock and a writing desk. Her cohort Fuerst has designed a table with a backgammon board, bowls and Christmas ornaments, among other things. “When you’re done, it’s worth it,” Fuerst said.
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PERSPECTIVES OF EDUCATION
The Daily Nonpareil
Sunday, May 23, 2010
15C
Detention hasn’t changed much as a disciplinary measure
St. Albert Catholic School students sit quietly in detention under the watchful eye of teacher Barb Schmidt. Students from seventh-grade through high school can wind up in detention based on a variety of infractions. Submitted photo
DENNIS FRIEND Staff Writer dennis.friend@nonpareilonline.com (712) 325-5746
Ever had to stay after school? That particular form of punishment for an infraction of school rules is alive and well, although each area school has its own approach to in-school detentions. At St. Albert Catholic Schools, “Our detentions are served in the mornings, from 7:10 to 7:45 a.m. Tuesdays through Fridays. We have a standard of behavior and we have a disciplinary program based on a demerit system,” school marketing director Jenny Van Soelen said. Students from the seventh grade through high school can wind up in detention based on a variety of infractions, according to Jonna Andersen, the junior-senior high school principal. What happens in detention? “They do nothing. They sit quietly with their hands on their desks and they look straight ahead. They hate it. We don’t want to make it fun,” Andersen said. St. Albert students can accrue one, two or
three demerits depending on the rules they violate. The most minor infractions are worth one demerit, and could include being out of uniform, being in the school hallways without a pass, having food or drink outside the cafeteria “or wasting class time,” Andersen explained. Offenses worth two demerits include “horseplay or misbehavior, misuse of school property and littering,” Andersen said. If a student gets three demerits, “It means you have crossed a line,” Van Soelen said. Three-demerit behaviors include defiance of authority, disrespectful behavior toward staff or students, inappropriate language, unauthorized absence from class or something that results in an office referral. Although as many as 15 or 20 students may find themselves in an the early-morning detention on occasion, repeat offenses are few, Van Soelen and Andersen agreed. “Students will always try to find ways around the rules, but our detention system works well for us,” Andersen added. Jim Dermody, assistant principal at Thomas Jefferson High School, said errant TJHS students who wind up in detention usually spend 30 minutes in the office at the
end of the school day. Students who have to stay after school are most often there because of misconduct, disruptive behavior or creating distractions, and Dermody said today’s approaches is different from those used regularly years ago. “They don’t just sit and stare at the wall. We try for one-on-one sessions or for small groups. Often, we don’t have any students in detention,” he said. Instead, they may work with the assistant principal on issues involving conflict resolution or peer presure. According to Abraham Lincoln High School assistant principal Cyle Forney, detention is a consequence for misconduct in the classroom or when students are tardy to class. He said time in after-school detention is most effectively spent when the student meets with the teacher to discuss how the disruptive behavior is working against them and the purpose for which they are in school. Detention is one of the less-severe punishments meted out in schools. For more severe behavior, harsher punishments such as suspension or expulsion may be used. “It’s one tool available to us,” Lewis Central High School associate principal Paul Massman said, but not the only one. Chuck
Story, Lewis Central principal, said students who decide to skip detention might find themselves facing suspension instead. At Lewis Central, the sessions can take place before or after school or during lunch. The afterschool sessions are three hours long on Tuesdays and Thursdays, one hour the rest of the week. They take place in the Alternative Learning Center classrooms and both Massman and Story said the students are encouraged to do classwork or homework while they’re there. “If they have homework, they can do homework. They can get help if they need it. If they don’t bring homework, they can sit and be bored,” Massman said. “It’s all about getting them to do the work. The idea is to get these kids through school,” Story said, pointing out that students who fall behind may also wind up in the Alternative Learning Center. As is the case with the other schools, the type of infractions resulting in extra time at school can include anything that disrupts the educational process and could include skipping classes, being disruptive, misbehaving “or saying you’re going to the restroom and you get pop instead,” Massman said.
‘We’re allowed to retake tests until we pass them. Deadlines are too flexible. I don’t think kids are putting in as much effort, and it’s not preparing us for college.’
‘The teachers are too laid back, and I agree the grading system is weak. They should teach in high school the way they teach in college.’
‘I know it’s easier to pass (college credit classes) with the new grading system. In college, it would be harder, and the Tucker Center classes are harder.’
Abraham Lincoln High School senior Maddie Whiteaker
Thomas Jefferson High School senior Melissa Jansa
Abraham Lincoln High School senior Parker Seilstad
What’s good, what’s bad about high school DENNIS FRIEND Staff Writer dennis.friend@nonpareilonline.com (712) 325-5746
Much like an exit interview, local high school students who are preparing to graduate and move on to college offered opinions and suggestions after their four years of education. Lewis Central High School senior David Meschler, 18, said, “I would have liked more help with college preparation. They could warn you about deadlines and the like.” Meschler plans to go to Iowa State University for the school’s veterinary medicine program, and said the most helpful aspects of high school were dual credit courses because, “You can get almost one year of college out of the way by the time you graduate from high school.” Abraham Lincoln High School senior Maddie Whiteaker, 17, plans to become a nurse practitioner and will attend South Dakota State University after graduation. In her opinion, her class at Tucker Center “is the only class that prepared me for college. We learn good study techniques and good background knowledge for me in my nursing career.” Whiteaker offered a particularly scathing indictment of the grading system used in Council Bluffs high schools, calling it “a stupid grading scale of zero to four. (And) We’re allowed to retake tests until we pass them. Deadlines are too flexible. I don’t think kids are putting in as much effort, and it’s not preparing us for college.” Thomas Jefferson High
Staff photo/Cindy Christensen
From left, seniors David Meschler, Maddie Whiteaker, center, and Melissa Jansa share a laugh as they look back on their high school years and their experiences at The Tucker Center. School senior Melissa Jansa, 18, shared Whiteaker’s opinions of both Tucker Center and the Council Bluffs district grading system. Jansa plans to attend Iowa Western Community College to become an intensive care nurse, and said Tucker Center teachers “really push us to get good grades. They’re strict in a good way. The teachers also have work experience and know how the
real world works.” On the other hand, Jansa said, “Thomas Jefferson is more like a middle or elementary school than a high school. They should prepare us for college. The teachers are too laid back, and I agree the grading system is weak. They should teach in high school the way they teach in college.” Both Whiteaker and Jansa agreed the dual credit and
Advanced Placement courses are good. So did Abraham Lincoln High School senior Parker Seilstad, 17, who plans to go to York College to study mass communications and computer hardware. He takes a Cisco computer course at Tucker Center and said, “Personally, I think that course gave me an idea what I want to do with my life. It’s also
helpful to get one-on-one time with the teacher.” Seilstad admitted to mixed feeling about his college credit classes. “We do have them, but I feel like I’ve been cheated. I know it’s easier to pass them with the new grading system. In college, it would be harder, and the Tucker Center classes are harder.” All three Council Bluffs
seniors felt the grading system should change, assessing it as a way to allow more students to graduate with less effort. Whiteaker panned it as a way “to help the ones who slack off,” and Seilstad added, “You can see it in the teachers’ faces. It’s like a useless effort to help us.” The grading system came under fire even before the district switched from the standard system prior in time for the 2008-09 school year. A committee formed while Jack Keegan was acting superintendent reviewed research on effective grading practices and took suggestions from district teachers before setting up a grading system that they said would hold students accountable without driving them out of the school system. A key point of the report was that measuring grades on a 100-point scale was unacceptable and “distorts the final grade as a true indicator of mastery.” Instead, the district decided to use a system that uses equal intervals and a range from a top grade of 4 for an A, to the lowest grade of 0 for an F. Supporters of the change said a crucial flaw in the 100point system is that there are 30 to 40 points available for passing and 60 to 70 points available for failing. In short, it offers more chances to fail than to succeed. Critics claimed the change in the grading system amounted to “dumbing down” the educational approach in order to allow more students to pass and to graduate. Students still have to pass the state’s standardized tests to prove their proficiency.
16C Sunday, May 23, 2010
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