Colfax school board: “Build My Future Career” in Glenwood City a huge success
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BUILDING A CAREER — The Build My Future Career was held in Glenwood City at the St. Croix County Fairgrounds on October 2. Area students were given the opportunity to try their hand at a trade industry application with hands on experience. The event is a collaboration between Northwood Technical College, the St. Croix Valley Home Builders Association, Chippewa Valley Home Builders Association and the Chippewa Valley Technical College. —photo by Shawn DeWitt
By LeAnn R. Ralph
COLFAX — By all accounts, students in Jamie Buchholtz’s technology education classes at Colfax High School thoroughly enjoyed going to “Build My Future Career” held in Glenwood City in October.
The students had the opportunity to learn about the trades industry and have hands-on experiences in a multitude of areas, said John Dachel, high school principal, at the Colfax Board of Education’s November 18 meeting.
Buchholtz can only take 15 students, but every year, there are 35 or 40 students who would like to go, he said.
Colfax students have been attending “Build My Future Career” for a number of years. A variety of businesses set up interactive displays, and students have an opportunity to participate in hands-on activities.
The focus of the event is to highlight the careers available within the construction industry, including skilled trades, such as heating-ventilation-air-conditioning (HVAC), electrical, plumbing, carpentry and roofing.
The event is held at the St. Croix County Fairgrounds in Glenwood City.
There is a morning session and an afternoon session, and there are 200 students from various schools that attend each session, Dachel said.
Representatives for the businesses and for technical colleges at “Build My Future Career” also talk with the students about the curriculum and the certifications needed for each of the jobs represented, he said.
At times, there is a perception in the community that Colfax High School only pushes students to enroll for a post-secondary university education, said William C. Yingst Jr., district administrator.
The participation of students, and the number of students who want to attend “Build My Future Career Day,” is evidence that Colfax High School does not only promote students getting a university education, he said.
Yingst noted that he would like to hold a similar event at Colfax.
Students who go into the trades have opportunities to make very good money, he said.
Other business
In other business, the Colfax Board of Education:
• Learned that the first girls’ basketball game was scheduled for November 19. The first gymnastics meet will be held December 3 at Menomonie. The first boys’ basketball game will be November 26 against McDonnell High School (home). The first wrestling match will be on December 6 in Glenwood City. There are six Colfax High School students participating in wrestling this year.
• Learned that the Colfax High School Christmas concert is scheduled for December 16 in the Colfax High School gymnasium at 7 p.m.
• Learned that the Colfax Middle School Student Council planned to attend the MS JAM leadership conference at UW-Eau Claire on November 20.
• Learned that there are 226 students participating in the Accelerated Reader program at Colfax Elementary in grades kindergarten through sixth. The students have passed 2,980 quizzes so far this year and have earned 3,331.1 points they can use to earn incentives. The average score on quizzes is 85 percent. Students have read a combined total of nearly 17 million words, and one student has read over one million words.
• Learned that students at Colfax Elementary from junior kindergarten through sixth grade who are using the “myON” reading program through Renaissance Learning that allows students to read books on-line and take Accelerated Reader quizzes on those books have read 408 books so far this year. The students have spent 136 hours and 47 minutes on this reading program. This is the third year students have been using the myON program.
• Learned that the “Moon Viewing” on November 7 at Colfax Elementary was a huge hit. Representatives from UW-Eau Claire and the Chippewa Valley Astronomical Society helped students and their parents to see the moon, Saturn, Jupiter, the Milky Way, and several constellations.
• Learned that vision screening took place on November 12 for grades in early childhood, junior kindergarten, kindergarten, second grade, third grade and fifth grade.
• Learned that the junior kindergarten holiday programs will be held at 9 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. on December 16 in the Colfax Elementary gymnasium, while the kindergarten holiday program will be held at 10:30 a.m. The holiday program for grades 1 to 4 will be held at 1:30 p.m. at the Colfax High School gymnasium, while the holiday program for grades 5 to 8 will be held at 7 p.m. in the high school gym.
• Learned that special education directors from Colfax, Menomonie, Boyceville, Glenwood City, Elk Mound and Prairie Farm met on November 8 with Paula Winter, director of Dunn County Human Services, to discuss ways to strengthen collaboration. County and school entities frequently work together to support students in areas of truancy, mental health and coordinated care.
• Learned that the enrollment at Little Vikes Daycare has remained steady at 12 Little Vikes.
• Learned that as of November 18, there were 11 students/families in the Colfax school district using the food pantry.
• Learned that the mentoring program is serving 25 elementary students who are eating lunch with high school buddies twice a month. The kitchen provides dessert, and there are numerous activities for students and mentors to choose from during their time together.
• Learned that the school district’s “Christmas Giving Tree” program has had 48 students sign up and that there are 53 donors. So far, the program has received $1,000 in donations. The surveys (one per child) were due November 17. The school district will be unable to process any late requests.
• Received a reminder that holiday vacation will start on December 23 and will run through January 1. School resumes on January 2.
• Received a reminder about the April 1, 2025, election. School board incumbents Todd Kragness and Andrew De Moe will be up for election. A campaign registration statement and a declaration of candidacy must be filed no later than 5 p.m. on Tuesday, January 7, in the office of the school district clerk. The first day to circulate nomination papers is December 1, and the nomination papers are due at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, January 7, in the office of the school district clerk.
• Approved a donation from WestCAP in the amount of $530 for the student assistance fund.
The Colfax Board of Education meets next on December 16 at 6 p.m. in the school district conference room located at Colfax High School.