Eastern Iowa Schools

Middle school students tour Yellowbook for an inside look at careers

Each school year, Workplace Learning Connection makes it possible for some middle school students from our 7-county region (Benton, Cedar, Iowa, Johnson, Jones, Linn and Washington) to go from imagining the world around them, to experiencing some lasting images through tours taken to introduce them to the world-of-work in our communities. This year, the students came back from their worksite tours with images from a range of career fields. They inspected an eye’s macula for signs of toxoplasmosis at U of I Health Care, they got a view of the process for producing methane gas at Amana Farms, they learned about corporate sales coverage at Yellowbook, and witnessed the skill of the powerful nose on a police K-9 at the Marion Police Department, to name a few. To-date, over 900 students from 8 area schools hit the road and experienced an up-close-and-personal view of a day in the life of a variety of careers.

Shelby Bryce, Guidance Counselor at Lone Tree Community Schools, believes that worksite tours can make a difference in a student’s life. “Without these types of tours, many students have tunnel vision as to what their future holds.”

Jerry Hahn, Regional Sales Manager for Yeoman & Company in Monticello, hosts worksite tours. They “…give young adults a heads-up on different jobs available, how much schooling is required, and how important math is in just about everything we do here and in life.” He also takes the opportunity to impart to the teens “…how hard their parents work to provide for their families.”

Mike Reshetar, Counselor at Prairie Point Academy, part of College Community Schools, is a strong advocate for melding education with the world of work. “We are all part of this community as business people, educators, students, parents, etc., and we all benefit from a successful education system that prepares students for life in the workplace. It’s in everybody’s best interests to invest heavily in education and career preparedness programs.”

Monsanto‘s Matt Brenneman believes that worksite tours are not only a benefit to the students, but also to his business, and to all of our future. “We understand that the next generation of contributors to our organizations and society sit in those classrooms every day. It is our responsibility to do what we can within the sphere of our influence.”

Not every school can cover the cost of transportation of leaving the school campus and traveling to a worksite, so WLC has other programs that ensure that those students are being exposed to careers as well. But, with spring around the corner, WLC will be busy working with area businesses to get more students out of the classroom and into your company or organization. It’s all about going from imagining to experiencing!

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Cedar Rapids Washington High School will hold a rescheduled Introductory Session for non-public, open enrollment, and home school students and parents of current eighth grade students on Monday, Feb. 6. This will be a repeat of the January 23 session. Any student who was not able to attend that session is invited to participate on Feb. 6. The meeting will be held from 6:30-7:30 p.m. in room 128 at Washington High School, 2205 Forest Drive SE.

Activities will include a brief overview of the ninth grade curriculum, tour of the building, information on the upcoming orientation and registration sessions, and time for questions. Contact Carrie Tinkham, ninth grade facilitator, at ctinkham@cr.k12.ia.us with questions.

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Cedar Rapids-  For the first time in 15 years, nutrition standards have been raised for school lunches. Yesterday, The U.S. Department of Agriculture poised changes that would be phased in by all schools receiving federal funding, over the next three years beginning July 1st. The new standards mean the daily servings of fruits and vegetables for school kids will double, other lunch items will have less salt and trans fat and fewer calories, and there would be smaller portions.

Some nutrition services directors KCRG talked to on Thursday said they have a lot to look over. The list of new standards is about 280 pages long. But some school districts, like Cedar Rapids, have already started altering recipes in their lunchroom, so implementing these new standards won’t be such a drastic change for students.

“I think it’s a good idea so people can learn how to eat better,” said Alex Herzog, an 8th grader at Franklin Middle School. “I think kids will definitely take this outside of school and into their home life,” said Julie Pohlman, an 8th grader at Franklin.

Suzy Ketelson, manager of  The Cedar Rapids School District’s food and nutrition department, said the district started making changes to their menu, many years ago. Serving more fruits and vegetables, salads, and using whole grains when preparing food. “I’m happy to see it, I love fruits and vegetables,” said Fin Barberry, an 8th grader at Franklin. “I love fruits and vegetables, they are obviously good for me, that are healthy for me, so it’s just a good option and choice that the school made,” said Riley Dempsey, an 8th grader at Franklin.

“We are moving in the right direction, and have all along. But now we all have the same standards and we can move all together down that same path,” said Ketelson. Outside of what they prepare, schools will also have to make sure the food ordered from manufacturers also meet the guidelines. For example, Ketelsen said they have struggled to find food items in the past that meet their sodium requirements. “They recognize that they do need to partner with us and change the chemical makeup of the foods they prepare for our program and we will be demanding that,” said Ketelsen.

But most importantly, districts will have to figure out how to foot the bill. The new standards are expected to cost 3.2 billion dollars nationally over the next 5 years. “We are going to make every effort to reach those goals, but one of the biggest barriers will be the financial barrier,” said Ketelsen. It is planned that schools will receive an increase of 6 cents per improved meal from federal funding. The U.S. Department of Agriculture also plans to set new rules for vending machines at schools.

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A rural eastern Iowa school district will soon embark on a whole new way of learning.

The Iowa Virtual Academy is an alternative learning program that students can choose to enroll in.

It’s an effort to improve every student’s achievement and decrease drop out rates.

Clayton Ridge Schools in Clayton County will be one of only two school districts in Iowa to offer the program. The other is in Anita, Iowa.

Technology is everywhere in the Clayton Ridge Schools. Laptops have replaced notebooks.

3rd Grade Student Cade Meyer said, “I actually like typing better than writing.”

Soon the school district will offer a whole new, high tech way of learning.

Superintendent Allan Nelson said, “the content and the instruction is primarily over the Internet and delivered to students and their parents in their homes. ”

Students enrolled in the Iowa Virtual Academy will never set foot in an actual classroom.

Instead, they’ll work from home with an Iowa certified teacher on their computer screen and a parent or guardian by their side.

All students are required to spend at least five and a half hours learning each day.

Nelson said, “younger kids also have materials sent to their homes that will include print materials but also hands on activities. ”

Any students is eligable to enroll in virtual school.

But administrators expect less than one percent of the students to take part.

Nelson said, “It might be the autistic kid or special needs child who needs to focus and not have all the noise or distractions going on in the classroom.”

Nelson says, the program could also be attractive to parents who have the time and resources to spend at home with their student.

No matter the reason for enrollment, Nelson says for some students this program could be the difference between success and failure.

Any student in the entire state of Iowa is eligible to open enroll in the Clayton Ridge Virtual School program.

That deadline is March 1st.

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