Glenwood City students present DECA accomplishments to school board

By Laura Giammattei

GLENWOOD CITY — Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) students conducted a presentation to the school board on what the club is about and their accomplishments this school year.

DECA is a high school and college club that prepares students for careers in marketing, merchandising, management and entrepreneurship by promoting leadership development, civic consciousness, social intelligence and vocational understanding.

Events this year included a Fall Leadership Conference in the Wisconsin Dells this past November, a state competition held in Lake Geneva in March, and a final trip to Minneapolis taking place on Wednesday, April 13 where students will visit US Bank Stadium and learn new and vital information from the stadium’s marketing director.

In addition, DECA students participated in a year long project in which they partnered with a local non-profit organization to create a fifteen minute business presentation, a thirty page paper and a scrapbook, which were all presented to judges at the state competition.

While the team did score well, they did not advance. However, they were enthused to report that their project raised $8,000 for their partnered non-profit and they later raised another $200 during a one night event at the school.

The school board moved on all items on the consent agenda, which included donations from Glen Hills Lions Club and the Glenwood City Football Club, chaperones for the fifth grade trip to Beaver Creek, a new high school assistant track coach, and budget transfers for the year’s end.

Middle and high school assistant principal, Nicole Brite reported current summer school attendance numbers which include seven students in 4K, and 47 in kindergarten through eighth grades. For summer sports activities, 29 have signed up for the June session, 39 for the July session and 41 for the August session. Deadline for summer school sign up is April 22nd.

In addition, any student scoring below 50% will have a letter sent home recommending enrollment in summer school.

Elementary school principal, Betsy Haltinner congratulated Angela Hierlmeier and the Elementary Music Program for being awarded the “School’s Rule Award” in April. This award will be used to secure musical instruments for the elementary program.

In addition, Haltinner reported that the school’s technology plan expires in June of this year and efforts to update for the next three year cycle are underway.

Haltinner, collaborating with technology coach, Carrie Hentz will be putting together surveys for students, families and staff to identify needs. This information will be collected and analyzed by the school’s Technology Committee in May. The Technology Committee consists of students, parents, teachers, support staff and administrators. They will be updating the plan with new information and submitting it for approval in June.

Haltinner also reviewed the upcoming schedule of events for the elementary school from now until summer release. The elementary school will be bustling with activity in April and May with various events and field trips.

On Wednesdays in April and May fifth graders will participate in the CounterAct program. Police Chief Robert Darwin will visit the school to teach the students how to deal with peer pressure, drugs and alcohol and violence.

A statewide tornado drill is scheduled to occur at 1:00 a.m. on Thursday, April 14. There will be no school on Friday, April 15.

Grades K-5 will participate in a “Walk the Track” event on Tuesday, April 19.

A field trip to Beaver Creek is scheduled for the fifth graders on Thursday, April 28 and Friday, April 29.

A student council staff breakfast will be held from 7:30-11:30 a.m. in the lower workroom on Wednesday, May 18.

On Thursday, May 19, the 2nd Annual All-School Art Show will be held in the commons area from 2:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. In addition, the Spring Program for K-2 music and fifth grade band will be held at 7:00 p.m. in the elementary school gym.

On Monday, May 23, the second and third grade classes will learn about bike safety.

A track and field day is scheduled for Wednesday, May 25. If weather does not permit, track and field day will be held the following day, May 26.

The student council dance is scheduled from 1:30-3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 31.

On Wednesday, June 1 and Thursday, June 2, the 4K Nursery Rhyme Program is scheduled to begin at 9:00 a.m. in the elementary gym followed by a picnic at Glen Hills.

Kindergarten graduation is scheduled at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 2.

The last day of school for grades 1-11 will be Friday, June 3, with a 12:20 p.m. dismissal for grades 1-5.

Middle and high school principal, Patrick Gretzlock presented the itinerary for the senior class trip scheduled on Wednesday, May 11.

Fifty seniors will depart from the school first thing in the morning, with the first stop in Baldwin for a quick breakfast. From there, they head to Oakdale, Minnesota where Pinz and Sky Zone fun await. The students will re-energize at Buffalo Wild Wings before heading back to Glenwood City.

In addition, Gretzlock reported that the school will be graduating 54 seniors this year but gaining over sixty freshmen in the fall. He mentioned the influx of students will create some adjustments for the class schedule which includes implementing three sections of general science, civics, and English.

Gretzlock also reported a significant increase in enrollment for ninth grade physics and chemistry courses, as well as healthy enrollment numbers for elective courses all around.

There will be two physics sections, each with 27 students enrolled, and two sections of chemistry with 25 students in each section.

In electives, 49 students are signed up for Foods 1, 38 students are signed up for Foods 2 and a significant number of students are also signed up for Ethnic Foods. In addition, elective courses such as Parent-Child Development, Independent Living and Interior Design also hold healthy numbers, with the smallest section having 15 students enrolled.

In other business, Superintendent Tim Johnson’s construction update informed the board of progress in the elementary school, where construction is well underway. The ceiling grid has been completely removed and prefabricated conduit ventilation installation will be the next focus.

In addition, the new high school office construction began this past Monday and Johnson reminds staff, students and guests to be mindful of the construction area at the front of the school.

Johnson also discussed potential financial options to replace all light fixtures inside and outside the school with LED lighting instead of the current fluorescent lights. The cost is expected to be in the ballpark of $120,000 and excess referendum funds may be an option to finance the new lights. The LED lights are calculated to save $36,000 in electricity next year alone, which would save the school a significant amount of money in the long-term.

The next board meeting will be held on Monday, April 25 at 6:30 p.m.