Board of Education Briefs - May 1, 2017

Board of Education Briefs - May 1, 2017

Members of the DGS Stage Crew shared their experiences with the Board on May 1, 2017

The District 99 Board of Education met on May 1, 2017. Please see the video here.

South High students described their experiences as being members of the Stage Crew. Senior Anna Kennedy has served as “chief of props,” and worked on a variety of projects, including creating the carriage and horses for the musical Cinderella. Through the club, she discovered that technical theater is her passion and will pursue it as a career. Students Michelle Kravec, Grace Zieman, Vanessa Copeland, and Stephanie Stewart also shared their perspectives. “Being in the program and growing because of it has allowed me to get out of my shell and brighten up my entire everything,” said senior Jeremy Frewen, who specializes in lighting. See photos of their work throughout the school year here.

It was the final Board meeting for members Julia K. Beckman, who has served the Board for 24 years, and Deb Boyle, who has served the Board for 8 years. The superintendent and other Board members thanked them for their long service to the district. Many former D99 board members as well as former District 99 Superintendent Dr. Dave Eblen  attended the meeting to congratulate the outgoing members. Sherell Fuller and Daniel Nicholas were sworn into office as new members. See photos here.

The Board selected Dr. Nancy Kupka to continue to serve as president and Terry Pavesich to continue to serve as vice president, and approved the 2017-18 meeting calendar.

Teachers and students provided highlights of “Project Lead the Way” (PLTW) engineering courses. The district offers four courses in the PLTW engineering series, including: Introduction to Engineering Design, Principles of Engineering, Civil Engineering & Architecture and Engineering Development & Design. Teachers attend summer training to become qualified to teach the PLTW courses.

  • Teacher Tony Ciezadlo from North High described some of the benefits of PLTW, including the possibility to earn college credit and scholarships. Brandy Palmerin, who teaches at both North and South High, showcased some of the machine and robot projects her students have created. South High Teacher Mark Molinari reviewed different architectural challenges his students study.
  • South High senior Ethan Witt said that the course gave him a fundamental understanding of how the world works. He will study aeronautical engineering at Iowa State next year. Veronica Lee, a senior at North High, spoke of how the class fostered an interest in engineering. She plans to study mechanical engineering at the University of Illinois next year.

Assistant Superintendent for Special Services Scott Wuggazer invited all District 99 parents to participate in the annual Parent/Teacher Advisory Committee meeting on Wednesday, May 10. The meeting will be held from 6-8 p.m. at the South High library. The agenda will focus on discipline procedures and practices, including Mustang Way and Positively North programs.