Education News

Local classic rock cover band The Senders, still going strong after more than half a century, has been tapped to take part in the 2019 Cherokee Jazz & Blues Festival. They will perform Saturday, Jan. 19 at the Western Iowa Tech Conference Center, 6-9 p.m...

Kids got the chance to do some holiday shopping for their family at an affordable price of $1-5. Volunteers Thursday night helped the kids check their list twice and wrap the gifts while their parents waited in the other room. Santa’s Secret Workshop will be open again on Saturday, December 15 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 1515 Lakeshore Drive...

AMES – Amy Powell started working to help 4-H’ers throughout Iowa understand the basics of animal care when she came to Iowa State University in 2014. To find out how those youth acquire information about animal care Powell set up focus groups with extension professionals, volunteers and parents in five Iowa counties. She found that there were no guidelines in place for acquiring and disseminating information about animal care...

DES MOINES - State Treasurer Michael L. Fitzgerald recently awarded nine College Savings Iowa accounts, over $22,000 in total prizes, to finish College Savings Iowa’s 20-Year Celebration. Iowans across the state with children and grandchildren under the age of 18, were encouraged to sign up for the celebration giveaway. ...

5th Grade 4.00 Eli Franken Zach Kolpin 6th Grade 4.00 Brookelynn Cudaback Emma Mentzer Nora Pickhinke Addison Voge 7th Grade 4.00 Abby Else Jayley Endrulat Jesus Mendoza Noah Shepherd Leanna Vincent Jaycie Vohs Kenna Wiese Morgan Wright 8th Grade 4.00...

Fourth graders from Storm Lake Elementary toured the inner workings of United Bank of Iowa. Here, the kids stand in awe of the money counter and dispenser, getting the chance to hold thousands of dollars in a stack.

The St. Mary’s dance team entertained the fans during halftime of the boys basketball game on Monday night.

Storm Lake St. Mary’s Middle School Mock Trial Team earned several outstanding performances in the regional competition this month under the direction of attorney coach John Murray and Ms. Laura Anderson. Bethany Parisea and Avery Fetrow were awarded honorable mention for outstanding attorney and Avery Smith and Melanie Rosales were awarded honorable mention for their portrayals on the stands...

Fifty-one Storm Lake High School students traveled to Fisher Theater on the Iowa State campus to view a student production of It’s a Wonderful Life: a Live Radio Play, on Friday, November 30. Students also attended a pre-show talk about the production and a post-show talk by the student actors in which they explained the benefits of being involved in activities during college and talked about their various majors and how theater and performance contribute to preparation for a wide variety of careers. ...

Buena Vista University art students recently tried their hand at capturing their own campus in charcoal drawings. Here are two of the resulting pieces, which represented everything from realist to surreal styles.

Last month, Buena Vista University students Andrew Bandstra and Tyler Brunner traveled to Louisville, Ky. alongside Dr. Andrea Frantz, professor of digital media, where they attended back-to-back media conferences and took home several top awards on behalf of the BVU digital media department...

The 2019 Buena Vista County Farm Bureau and Iowa Farm Bureau (IFBF) scholarship applications are now available to interested high school seniors of Iowa Farm Bureau members. The application is available on the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation website in a working PDF format. ...

13. Launderville, Jocelyn 9 21. Schumacher, Lorelei 9 25. Valdovinos, Marlene 9 33. Gustafson, Elizabeth 10 64. Damewood, Chandler 12 53. Sherkenbach, Samuel 12...

Creamy mac ‘n’ cheese, pulled pork and French fried onions slathered in tangy Cookies barbecue sauce… in a burrito? You’re darn tootin’, and it will be served for lunch at Storm Lake High School this Thursday! Dubbed the “Cowboy ‘Rito,” this unique creation was conceived by the culinary team at Lunchtime Solutions, a North Sioux City, SD-based K-12 food service management company that serves 48 school districts across the Midwest. ...

Newell-Fonda Community School District celebrated the school’s reading milestone of 18,749 books this year, giving parents a chance to peek in on the progress their kids make every day in class. New shenanigans like “wax museum” and “book tasting” instill in kids the value of reading in novel ways each year...

Helen Bosley was on hand at Hoffman’s Flower & Candle Shop Sunday for her 46th year as part of the downtown Open House, a traditional beginning to the holiday season in the city. This year, she was assisted by her great-granddaughter, Kennedy Miller, Storm Lake. ...

Storm Lake St. Mary’s High School students participated with Buena Vista University’s Digital Media Department’s hands-on media workshop “Harnessing Your Storytelling Superpowers.” The students worked alongside BVU faculty-student teams to produce in BVU’s new high definition television studio, record radio public service announcements and went live on KBVU 97.5 FM and took photos with DSLR cameras and edited them for web stories. ...

Nature’s Crafts Get into the holiday spirit with crafts made using natural items. “Nature Crafts” provides an enjoyable afternoon for people of all ages. The recipe for fun includes a few nature items, a little creativity, some glue and sparkles to make clever holiday decorations...

On October 23, several members of the Ridge View FFA chapter travelled to Indianapolis, Indiana for the 91st National FFA Convention and Expo. Those who attended include Kael Wiese, Natasha Regennitter, Travis Wiese, Logan Pickhinke, Viv Leonard, Rayann Volkert, Russell Brummer, and, advisor, Clay Drenth. On the way to Indianapolis, they toured the Herbert Hoover Library, Arsenal Island, John Deere Pavilion, and Thyssenkrupp Presta...

Taylor Cavanaugh of Sioux Central received first place for Region 2 in the conservation poster contest. Taylor received $35.00 from Grinnell Mutual for her efforts. Colleen Schwanz, with the Buena Vista County Soil & Water Conservation District presented Taylor with her awards. Taylor is a student at Sioux Central Community School and is the daughter of Bart and Penny Cavanaugh...

On September 17, Buena Vista University students from the Student Chapter of Council for Exceptional Children (SCEC) organization traveled to the University of Iowa to interact and learn about the Iowa Center for Assistive Technology Education and Research (ICATER). ...

St. Mary’s School will host a Scholastic Book Fair beginning Saturday, Nov. 10, and running through Thursday, Nov. 15. The dates encourage early holiday shopping that will in turn result in earned new books for the school library! Families, faculty, and the community are invited to attend this fun reading event that helps inspire children to become lifelong readers...

WAVERLY - The Wartburg Players will offer “The Man from Earth” on Nov. 9 and 10. The show will begin nightly at 7:30 p.m. in McCaskey Lyceum. Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for those 18 and younger and free for Wartburg students with an ID. Tickets are available at the door, and all are general admission...

The following students recently graduated from Buena Vista University: • Jasmine Demers of Storm Lake graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree. • Lori Ohlson-Townsend of Storm Lake graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree through BVU’s online programs...

The following students have been named to the Dean’s List at Buena Vista University for terms five and six: • Joseph Heiberger, of Alta, who attends BVU’s Unknown site. • Andrea McDonald, of Alta, who attends BVU’s Spencer site. • Maria Zaragoza, of Storm Lake, who attends BVU’s Spencer site...

Monday, Nov. 5 Storm Lake Cheeseburger Soup with Dinner Roll, Oven-Roasted Hot Dog, Fajita Salad with Tortilla Chips, Turkey Combo Deli Wrap, Vegetarian Chef Salad with Roasted Flatbread, Green Beans Newell - Fonda Chicken Drummies, Peas, B/B, Mixed Lettuce, Caesar salad, Carrots, Peppers, Cucumbers, Apples...

Northwest Iowa youth in grades 4-8th are invited to sign-up to attend the 3rd annual “STEM and the ARTS Festival” (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, Art) on Saturday, November 10, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Buena Vista University. The event is sponsored in partnership by Buena Vista University, ISU Extension and Outreach – Buena Vista County 4-H, and the Northwest Iowa STEM Council. ...

DES MOINES - Olivya Vondrak of Galva, has been named to the President’s List for the summer semester at Mercy College of Health Sciences in Des Moines. To qualify for this academic recognition, students must attain a grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.75, in their most recent semester, for a minimum of six credit hours...

Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller urged U.S. Department of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and Federal Student Aid Acting Chief Operating Officer Jim Manning to address the severe shortage of applicants to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program who have had their federal student loans forgiven...

Fourteen Newell-Fonda students took part in the NW Heartland Honor Choir hosted by Iowa Lakes Community College Thursday. The event is designed to create a unique musical experience especially for the smaller schools in northwest Iowa. Students spend the day working together, leading to an evening concert. ...

Sioux Central’s school district is seeing relatively flat enrollment this year, while Laurens Marathon’s district saw a 12 percent decrease in enrollment at the count certification date for 2018. Statistics provided by Supt. Scott Williamson show an increase of eight students served in Sioux Central, up to 641 from last year’s 633, an increase of about 1 percent. Laurens Marathon has dropped 19 students, from 150 to 131, a 12 percent loss...

By ELIJAH DECIOUS Pilot Tribune Staff Sioux Central’s school district is seeing relatively flat enrollment this year, while Laurens Marathon’s district saw a 12 percent decrease in enrollment at the count certification date for 2018. Statistics provided by Supt. Scott Williamson show an increase of eight students served in Sioux Central, up to 641 from last year’s 633, an increase of about 1 percent. Laurens Marathon has dropped 19 students, from 150 to 131, a 12 percent loss...

The Iowa World Language Association (IWLA) is pleased to announce that two separate $500 grants have been awarded to John Sifert, a Spanish language teacher at Belmond-Klemme CSD in Iowa, and Jennifer Tovar, a Spanish language teacher at Newell-Fonda in Iowa...

The Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council released the 2017-2018 Iowa STEM Evaluation Report Tuesday. The independent evaluation measures the STEM Council’s progress toward increasing student interest and achievement in STEM education and workforce development in Iowa...

East preschool will be having the Scholastic Enchanted Forest  Book Fair at East Early Childhood School, starting on October 25 - November 1. Hours will be 7:30 - 5 with extended hours on Tuesday, Oct. 30 and Thursday, November 1 from 7:30 - 7.  Many early childhood titles will be available for purchase...

On the afternoon of Sunday, October 21, at approximately 3:52 p.m. the Storm Lake Police Department responded to 204 Grand Avenue in reference to locating a wanted person. Upon arrival of police they located and arrested Edward Malakai, age 32 of Storm Lake who was wanted in connection with a charge of OWI 2nd Offense...

Regina Appleby, a sophomore at Buena Vista University, was selected as a 2018 Campus Election Engagement Project Fellow through Iowa Campus Compact. Appleby has received a $1,000 stipend for her efforts this semester, as well as a generous amount of leadership development and experience...

Storm Lake High School seniors Kayfrin Pelep and Mickey Phompong were scholarship winners at the Storm Lake School Foundation’s First Annual Scholarship Football Throw. Kayfrin, as the contest’s winner will receive a $1000 scholarship to the college of his choice and Mickey, as runner-up will receive a $500 scholarship. ...

Albert City students learned how to crawl low to the ground, exit a window, and climb down a window ladder in a simulated set up recently. The students were also shown a majority of the tools and gear firemen use during a fire. Next they took the students outside and simulated a grease fire in the home. It was discussed, and shown, not only what to use to properly extinguish a grease fire, but also what NOT to use - such as water...

Newell-Fonda FFA fruit sales will be starting October 12th and running through November 1st. The FFA decided to sell fruit through Four Seasons Fundraising this year because they have a few more options that the officer team thinks will benefit the chapter. ...

(DES MOINES) – Gov. Kim Reynolds announced Thursday that Iowa has received federal funding to help schools prevent and respond to acts of violence. The effort also will focus on helping students who face mental health challenges. “I’m pleased this grant will help Iowa continue to improve safety and mental health outreach in our schools,” Gov. ...

Storm Lake St. Mary’s School participated in the Healthy Walk Iowa event Wednesday with a little help from their friends. Genesis Development walked with the student body and donated water bottles for all of the students. Buena Vista University President Josh and Carrie Merchant of Buena Vista University, Head Football Coach Grant Mollring, football players, and staff members from BVU all walked with the student body as part of their homecoming activities. ...

The Iowa Department of Education has commissioned a team of education professionals to review and recommend statewide standards for physical education and health. Teachers and administrators with Spencer Schools welcomed the effort, and shared the school’s current approach to these subject areas...

BVU faculty are passionate enough about their fields, that they spend much of their free time pursuing research and professional development opportunities around the world. For the 2018-2019 school year, several faculty members are bringing new knowledge and personal experiences to their classrooms...

Cheeleaders drum up team spirit during a Friday pep rally to kick off Homecoming Week. / Pilot Photo By Elijah Decious

A new staple of the fall season is the opening of the financial aid season with the launch of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on October 1. High school seniors and current college students planning to attend classes in the Fall 2019 can begin applying for financial aid with the FAFSA form, which enables students access to grants, scholarships, work-study, and federal student loans...

AMES - The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Iowa State University has awarded nearly $3.5 million in scholarships to students for the 2018-19 academic year.

 Since 2005, scholarship totals for incoming freshmen and current students have tripled, thanks to gifts from donors. 

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