ECC utilizes STEM grants

Students from the Early Childhood Center helped ECC Principal Callie Anderson share how recent STEM grants are being utilized Monday night at the Creston School Board meeting.

“Tonight I brought Avery, Hunter, Sam and Jay with me,” Anderson said. “I’ve been talking to you this year a lot about STEM grants that we received for our kindergarten classroom.”

The students shared a variety of projects they had been working on, including growing plants and researching different animals.

“We work very hard to connect cross-curriculum,” Anderson said. “Their science standards are animals, plants and humans and what they need.”

In the students’ research projects, they read books about animals, helping them produce graphic organizers. They also made art projects surrounding animals they witnessed during a field trip to the zoo.

A major part of the STEM work the students have been doing focuses on the beginnings of coding and algorithms.

“They’re learning to elaborately and collaboratively use code to solve problems,” Karlyn McCutchan, a vocal instructor who also helps with technology at the ECC, said. “What they’re learning from this is not only to use a robot to solve a problem, but this translates to when they grow up. Algorithms are step by step, so the idea is that they can make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or follow a recipe step by step because they already have that foundation.”

The ECC students demonstrated the coding activity they do, guiding robotic bees through an obstacle course.

“Just like generating a computer program, they have to generate each step that needs to take place from space to space,” Anderson said.

In addition to the ECC report, Joni Gillam, a member of the Teacher Leadership and Compensation board, shared the results of a recent survey.

“We did ask all of our educators in the district to complete an end-of-the-year survey,” Gillam said. “We asked for a positive and we asked for what their needs were as an educator.”

There was a common theme in the positives of the school year, including strong support, clear communication and positive school culture for the year. The main area that educators noted issues in was regarding to classroom management strategies.

In her Business Manager’s Report, Billie Jo Greene shared the next steps the school would be taking to ensure payment for negative lunch balances.

“The food services director visited with me at the end of last week on our negative lunch balances,” Greene said. “We’re totaling over $15,000. Some are quite large. There’s one that’s over $2,000.”

After conferring with other area school boards, Greene contacted the Credit Bureau Services of Iowa, a local debt collection agency. The school plans on attempting contact one final time with the families with negative balances. After 40 days, if there remains a negative balance, the issue will be turned over the collection agency.

The board also discussed the need for more staff. A number of positions remain open in the district, including two high school math teachers, two special education positions, a chemistry and physics teacher, a kindergarten teacher, a transportation director, a custodial position and a number of bus drivers.

“We’re retaining most of our new staff,” CCSD Superintendent Deron Stender said. “However, The market now is so wide open. A lot of people are asking for $70,000 or more. The old theory that we can replace somebody, that we can hire back cheaper- we can not hire back cheaper. I’m afraid of what’s going to happen because the system is going to collapse.”

The school board approved the May 2023 list of contracts and resignations.

Resignations: Dan Lamgo, food service (end of 22-23 school year); Ethan Faeth, teacher (end of 22-23 school year); Cindy Moss, para (Retire end of 22-23 school year); Larry Peterson, 8th girls basketball coach (end of 22-23 school year); Brenna Baker, assistant 7th/8th girls basketball coach (end of 22-23 school year); Jessie McClellan, MS student council sponsor (.5) (end of 22-23 school year); Jennifer Gaesser, MS vocal (66%) (end of 22-23 school year); Angela Halsten, HS math, (end of 22-23 school year); Patty Fudge, food service (end of 22-23 school year); Kierra Clymer, para (end of 22-23 school year); Jacob Lister, HS teacher/coaching (end of 22-23 school year).

Terminations: Amy Mattheis, food service (as of May 4).

Contracts: Jerry White, interim transportation director (through June 30); Taycey Post, behavior interventionist (23-24 school year); Emma Hanson, 7th softball coach (22-23 school year); Cole Crawford, 9th baseball coach (22-23 school year); Larry Peterson, assistant 7th/8th girls basketball coach (23-24 school year); Brenna Baker, 8th girls basketball coach (23-24 school year); Chad Malmanger, HS industrial technology (23-24 school year); Sheryl Robb, cook (23-24 school year); Breanna Vandevender, cook (23-24 school year); Karlyn McCutchan, MS vocal (23-24 school year); Jamette Vandevender, summer food program (June 5 through July 13); Sara Lane, MS student council sponsor (.5) (23-24 school year); Keri Lemon, summer food program (June 5 through July 13).