Education News

Students who are accepted into the coveted program earn a salary while incurring an active duty service obligation to work as a military physical therapist post-graduation.

A total of 383 students were named Roadman Scholars and Dimmitt Scholars at Morningside College in recognition of high academic distinction for the 2017-18 academic year. Roadman Scholars must be full-time students who have completed at least 45 credits of college work with a cumulative grade point average of 3.76 or above. The award is named in honor of the late Earl Roadman, who was president of Morningside College from 1936 to 1956...

At Iowa State University’s spring commencement ceremonies, 4,809 graduates received degrees. Iowa State awarded 4,023 undergraduate degrees, 512 master’s degrees, 144 doctor of veterinary medicine degrees and 130 doctor of philosophy degrees.

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Boys and girls youth basketball summer camps June 11-14: Boys and girls in grades K-8, take part in a fun, traditional camp-like environment to learn and improve their basketball skills, including passing, dribbling and shooting. (Grades K-2 from 10-11:15 a.m.; Grades 3-8 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.)...

Kristin Thayer graduated with a Master of Science in Nursing: Clinical Nurse Leadership degree from the University of Iowa College of Nursing in Iowa City. The commencement ceremony was held on Friday, May 11. A 2008 graduate of Storm Lake High School, Kristin received her RN degree from Iowa Central Community College and her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from University of Iowa. She completed her recent degree in the top 15 percent of her class...

Congratulations to digital media professor Dr. Andrea Frantz, Buena Vista University’s 2018 George Wythe Award recipient. The Wythe award is BVU’s highest honor for excellence in teaching. Award recipients are not only highly effective educators, their influence extends beyond the classroom – positively impacting students’ lives in ways that last a lifetime...

The Buena Vista University National Alumni Association presented Kyle Wiebers with “Senior of the Year” honors at the Student Recognition Dinner recently. “I felt numb when learning I had been chosen for the award because all of the finalists were very deserving,” said Wiebers, a psychology major from Holstein. “We’re all very close and each one of us has done a lot at BVU over the past four years. I am deeply honored to be recognized as Senior of the Year.”...

As the school year wraps up, Iowa State University (ISU) Extension and Outreach reminds parents to register their child(ren) for the upcoming summer youth camps and programs. Youth do not need to be 4-H members to participate. There will be 26 youth camps and/or programs offered throughout Cherokee County beginning in June and continuing through early-August. Events will be hosted in Cherokee, Aurelia, Marcus and Washta...

Members and guests of Buena Vista Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, were able to visit with three members of Storm Lake Middle School about their National History Day projects. These TAG (Talented And Gifted) students were guided by Mrs Priscilla Robinson. ...

Several Storm Lake St. Mary’s elementary students walked away as winners of the Buena Vista County Conservation Soil and Water poster contest. Two students were overall county winners- Ximena RosasTrujillo was the overall county sixth grade winner and Miley Meth was the overall fifth grade winner for Buena Vista County...

Luxes Inthamath, local team member of the Pizza Ranch in Storm Lake, was recently awarded the Service From The Heart Scholarship for $2,000 funded by Pizza Ranch and Coca-Cola. Inthamath was nominated by the restaurant’s General Manager, Missy McCormick, and was one of ten team members system-wide to receive the prize grant this year...

Julie Bjork, technology teacher/coordinator at Albert City-Truesdale Elementary School, recently received the Excellence in Education award from ISEA UniServ Unit 10. Julie is an educator who continually demonstrates excellence in the classroom and always puts students first. ...

Alta-Aurelia High School held its graduation ceremony for the class of 2018 on Sunday, marking the annual bitter-sweet moment that most graduates look forward to from the moment they start high school. “Today’s the day you’ve been looking forward to for a number years,” said Tom Ryherd, principal. “It has been an honor to work with you. I wish you success as you embark on the next step of your life...

Alicia Turnquist, a student at Alta-Aurelia, was recognized by Gov. Kim Reynolds and Lt. Governor Adam Gregg for outstanding academic achievement at the 16th Annual Governor’s Scholar Recognition Ceremony April 29 at Hy-Vee Hall in Des Moines. The statewide program, sponsored by the Iowa Governor’s Office, Iowa High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) and its title sponsor the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation (IFBF), honored 430 high school seniors from across Iowa...

Trentin Moeller a Ridgeview High School graduate received a $1,500 scholarship to the university or trade school of their choice through the Discovery Scholarship program sponsored by the Flint Hills Resources Arthur ethanol plant. The Discovery Scholarship recognizes outstanding achievement both inside and outside the classroom. ...

Abby Jones, a student at St. Mary’s, Storm Lake and Alondra Mueggenberg, a student at Storm Lake High School, were recognized by Gov. Kim Reynolds and Lt. Governor Adam Gregg for outstanding academic achievement at the 16th Annual Governor’s Scholar Recognition Ceremony April 29 at Hy-Vee Hall in Des Moines...

Class of 2018 Presidential Awards Silver Presidential Award is given to students who have shown tremendous growth. These students maintained a 3.5 GPA or have demonstrated unusual commitment to learning in academics despite various obstacles. Gold Presidential Award- To be eligible for the award, students must maintain a 3.5 GPA, 24 or above on ACT, 12 credits in upper level Math, Science, Foreign Language, and English...

Buena Vista University’s student organization, Student MOVE (Mobilizing Outreach & Volunteer Efforts) held the annual Volunteer Recognition Dinner on May 7. The event took place in the Dows Event Center in the Harold Walter Siebens School of Business/Siebens Forum on the BVU campus. ...

One year after buying into the “Wonders” reading program from McGraw-Hill Education for kindergarten through grade six - for about a quarter of a million dollars - the Storm Lake Board of Education recently revisited its investment. Several teachers attending the most recent board meeting felt the change in materials, the first in years, is proving productive...

Buena Vista University has named Lawrence P. Johnson as the new Vice President for University Development and Alumni Engagement. Johnson, who currently serves as the senior director of development at Carroll University in Waukesha, Wis., will assume his new role at BVU on June 28...

On May 8, Buena Vista University students gathered to shoot the season finale of “BVTV Tonight!” The show, which includes a cast and crew of approximately 20 BVU students, was developed to be similar in format to popular late night talk shows such as “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon” and “Jimmy Kimmel Live.”...

The Newell-Fonda Band Department was very excited to receive a grant for $2,375 from the Pocahontas County Foundation.  This money allowed the band to buy three trumpets and two trombones for our students to use. Many thanks go to Linda Mercer for writing the grant, Mrs. ...

Seasons Center for Behavioral Health received a $1,125 grant from the MOCHA Kiwanis Club for Camp Autumn, a therapeutic camp for children, located near Sutherland, Iowa in O’Brien County. The grant will provide one scholarship for a camper to attend Camp Autumn for one week, as well as arts and crafts supplies ranging from jewelry making supplies to canvases for art. ...

On May 3, the Ridge View FFA’s soil judging team traveled to Sheldon to the Northwest Iowa Community College for Spring Soils. The team consisted of Russell Brummer, Katlyn Wiese, Paige Padavich and Alex Movall. Billy Frazier competed individually. ...

The following individuals from your area are among 3,400 prospective candidates for degree attending University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee commencement exercises Sunday, May 20, in Milwaukee. UWM is the second largest university in the State of Wisconsin, with approximately 25,000 undergraduate and graduate students...

Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa, presented bachelor’s degrees to undergraduate students during its 120th spring commencement held on May 12. Morningside is a private, coeducational, four-year liberal arts college with a total enrollment of 2,800 students...

Crystal Lopez, a senior at Storm Lake High School has been named the 2018 recipient of the Storm Lake P.E.O Scholarship. Crystal will be honored at the P.E.O Founder’s Day event on June 12. Crystal, the daughter of Gerardo and Josefina Lopez was chosen from an outstanding field of applicants from Storm Lake and St. Mary’s high schools. She plans to attend Buena Vista University majoring in art and digital media...

On Monday, May 14, Hy-noon Kiwanis celebrated the accomplishments of the top academic students in Junior High and High School in both the Storm Lake public school and St. Mary’s School. The honor went to the top boy and the top girl in each class. The speaker was Tanner Hoops from BVU. ...

ALBERT CITY —Makayla Bjork, a senior and member of the National Honor Society (NHS) at Sioux Central, has been named one of 500 national semifinalists in the National Honor Society Scholarship program.  Makayla was chosen from more than 11,000 applicants and will receive a $2,850 scholarship...

Buena Vista University has been ranked among the top five “Best Online Colleges” in Iowa. The rankings are done by the SR Education Group, an education research publisher founded in 2004. “This ranking is based on value. We manually researched every regionally accredited online college in the state, taking into account both tuition and academic strength in order to determine the best value schools for students,” said Kelsey D’Ewart, of the Washington State-based organization...

Ten students attending high schools in Buena Vista County have been selected as recipients of Buena Vista University’s inaugural Education for Service Scholars scholarship program. The students, who were selected in March, had until May 1 to officially accept their scholarships...

The College of Human Sciences at Iowa State University has named 15 outstanding achievers to serve as advocates for their college as Student Sensations. The honorees represent the college at events such as Family Weekend, Human Sciences Week, and alumni gatherings...

The Storm Lake Dollars for Scholars organization awarded a total of $43,400 to graduating seniors from St. Mary’s High School and Storm Lake High School at the awards ceremony held on Sunday, May 6. This amount included 15-$600 and 55-$400 scholarships generated from the Community campaign as well as 28 Sponsored Scholarships from a number of community sponsors...

Buena Vista University has announced that Dr. Ann Monroe-Baillargeon has been named dean of the School of Education. She will assume the role on June 29. Prior to joining BVU, Monroe-Baillargeon worked at the University of Saint Joseph in West Hartford, Conn., where she served as dean of the School of Education for three years before returning to faculty for one year. ...

Morningside College recently inducted 72 students into Alpha Lambda Delta and Phi Eta Sigma, two national honor societies that recognize students’ academic success in their first year at the college Inductees into Alpha Lambda Delta, a women’s honor society, included:...

Landus Cooperative has announced five recipients of its $2,000 Excellence in Agriculture scholarship for high school seniors pursuing post-secondary education in an ag-related field. “Landus Cooperative is proud to support scholarships and learning experiences to help prepare students for the future challenges the agriculture industry will present,” said chief executive officer, Milan Kucerak as he expressed his encouragement for these students. ...

The weather was perfect for the annual Progressive Agriculture Safety Day held for all second graders on Tuesday, May 1st at the Sac County Fairgrounds. The morning began with the Schaller Elementary School and the Odebolt Elementary School arriving at the fairgrounds with a welcome from Steph Erpelding, Sac County Extension and Outreach Youth Coordinator, and then they rotated between four safety stations...

Buena Vista University’s fourteenth annual Scholars Day was held Saturday, April 28. The event provided students from all disciplines an opportunity to present their best original research, academic posters, artistic creations, and performances to their peers, professors, and the public...

Seventy students from across the state took top honors at the National History Day in Iowa contest on Monday, earning a trip to the National History Day national contest at the University of Maryland in June to compete for scholarships and prizes. National History Day is a year-long academic enrichment program that challenges students to research, develop and present papers, exhibits, documentaries, websites and performances about historical issues, ideas, people and events related to an annual theme. ...

Three Alta High School students did not quite make it to the moon, but they did get a trip to Texas recently to participate in the Regional Space Settlement Design Competition in Houston. The three students, Grace Meiers, a senior, Michael Ryherd, a sophomore, and and Michael Weiland, a junior, were chosen for the unique opportunity based on their essays and teacher references for class performance...

Storm Lake St. Mary’s School received $5,000 towards their bleacher replacement project from the Buena Vista County Community Foundation Saturday night. Other funds for the bleacher replacement will come from the St. Mary’s Athletic Boosters, St. Mary’s Foundation and estate funds...

A babysitter’s training course will be held at The Meeting Place in Galva on Thursday, June 21 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. If you are 11-15 years old and want to become a babysitter, this one-day American Red Cross class will provide youth who are planning to babysit with the knowledge and skills necessary to safely and responsibly give care for children, toddlers and infants. Note: A mature 10-year old can attend...

Buena Vista University (BVU) has officially reinstated Omega Pi Chapter of Kappa Delta Pi (KDP), an international honor society in education. To mark the occasion, a formal initiation ceremony took place on April 5 on the BVU campus, where 28 education students -- including students from the area -- were inducted into KDP membership...

Buena Vista University (BVU) has been selected to host the only Tech Trek camp in Iowa this summer on June 24-30. This year, more than 30 seventh grade girls will take part in Tech Trek – an engaging one-week summer camp featuring hands-on science and technology classes, a fun and educational field trip, opportunities to meet inspiring women role models, and a unique college campus experience at BVU. ...

Buena Vista University hosted the 130th Iowa Academy of Science (IAS) Annual Meeting and the 86th Iowa Junior Academy of Science Symposium on April 20-21.  “I feel particularly honored that BVU was selected to host the 130th Annual Meeting of the Iowa Academy of Science, the oldest existing science association in Iowa,” said Dr. Melinda Coogan, professor of biology at BVU and past president of IAS. ...

The U.S. Senate has affirmed its support for efforts to end international parental child abduction. In a resolution authored and cosponsored by Senators Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), the Senate sought to raise public awareness of this tragedy and designated April as ”International Parental Child Abduction Month.” The resolution was adopted unanimously...

Students at Albert City – Truesdale Elementary have been busy with many activities this spring. Two groups of sixth graders presented projects at District History Day held on the BVU campus March 15. Opera Iowa conducted workshops for grades 3-6 and performed “Jack and the Beanstalk” for all students April 13. Sioux Central Elementary students were in attendance also...

On Tuesday, April 17, several vocal students from Storm Lake Middle School attended the Northwest Iowa Choral Director’s Association 6th and 7th grade honor choir.  This year’s event was hosted by MOC-Floyd Valley in Orange City and featured guest directors Mrs. Lisa Ott from Nevada Elementary School and Mr. David Baxter from Pleasant Valley High School. ...

April 16, the BVU Human Behavior and the Social Environment social work class visited Upper Des Moines Opportunity as a way of learning how this organization contributes to the well-being of the community.  Ms. Maggie Reyes informed the class of various programs that UDMO provides to assist community members. ...

Buena Vista University has announced that Iowa Secretary of Agriculture, Mike Naig, will be the 2018 Commencement speaker on May 26. Naig, who is a 2000 graduate of BVU with degrees in biology and political science, was appointed to his new role last month by Governor Kim Reynolds. Prior to that, Naig had successfully served as the state’s deputy secretary of agriculture since 2013...