Achieve Magazine: Spring 2022

Editor’s Note

Welcome to the award-winning Achieve magazine! We are excited to share the story of our District’s amazing students, teachers, staff and our generous community with you. We would appreciate any feedback you have on this publication, or suggestions for a future story. Please email us your feedback at communications@cb-schools.org. Thank you!

This publication would not be possible without the generous support of the Council Bluffs Schools Foundation and community donors. We extend our most sincere appreciation for their continued support of our mission.

Council Bluffs Board of Education

Dr. Vickie Murillo presents a Promise to Succeed Certificate to Carter Lake Elementary fifth grader Aaliyah Fay at a ceremony to inspire the Class of 2029.

The Council Bluffs Board of Education meets the second and fourth Tuesdays of September, October, November, January, February, March, April and May. Meetings are held one Tuesday per month in June, July, August and December.

Meetings are held at 6:30 p.m. in the Educational Service Center, 300 W. Broadway, Suite 1600, and they are aired live on Cox Channel 18 and the District’s YouTube channel, youtube.com/c/ CouncilBluffsCommunitySchoolDistrict.

Chris LaFerla Board President

Message from Superintendent Dr. Vickie Murillo We are pleased to present this “Achieve” Magazine for our school district neighbors in Carter Lake, Council Bluffs and Crescent!

Inside this edition of our magazine, I hope you will be inspired by the feature story on our math curriculum and lessons and how we are delivering math instruction to positively impact student achievement. You will find plenty of photos of students in action, read about our students, staff members and alumni who make us proud, and learn about recent events that celebrate history, future graduate success and progress on the Early Learning Center.

In reflecting on this school year, I am proud of the flexibility and hard work of our staff members through the continued uncertainty of the pandemic. They, along with our students and families rose to the challenge and to the expectations for student achievement. We will continue to serve hundreds of students in our Camp Summer Explore program, and will be busy preparing for another fantastic school year.

Thanks to our Council Bluffs Schools Foundation and their support so that we can distribute this magazine to remain connected with you, and provide insight into school district initiatives and successes that are making a positive impact on students and our community’s future.

We appreciate your interest in our schools! Please contact us or visit our website to learn more or to suggest story ideas for future editions of our magazine.

Sincerely,

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Jill Shudak Board Vice President

Troy Arthur Board Member

David Coziahr Board Member

Lauren Myers Board Member

Patrick Peters Board Member

Jared Tripp Board Member

COVER PHOTO: Crescent Elementary School first grader Chevy Rief discusses a solution to his math problem with teacher Mrs. Amy Dahmke. Read more about the district’s new elementary math curriculum starting on page 4.

ABOUT: Achieve Magazine is proudly published by the Council Bluffs Community School District, with generous funding from the Council Bluffs Schools Foundation and advertisers. A digital version of this publication can be accessed online at www.cb-schools.org.

The content of this publication can be accessed through Google translate online.

To request another copy of this publication, submit story suggestions, or place an advertisement, please call 712-328-6514 or email communications@cb-schools.org.

MISSION STATEMENT: The mission of the Council Bluffs Community School District is to guarantee that every student graduates with the knowledge, skills and character to become a responsible citizen and to succeed in a changing world by creating a leading-edge, inclusive educational system, which provides challenging expectations, diverse experiences, engaging curriculum and innovative teaching within a collaborative, caring community.

NON-DISCRIMINATION STATEMENT: It is the policy of the Council Bluffs Community School District not to illegally discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, (for employment), national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, (for programs), socioeconomic status (for programs), physical or mental disability, religion, creed, genetic information, ancestry, geographic location, citizenship, political party preference or belief, familial status or any other protected attribute, in its educational programs, activities or employment practices. There is a grievance procedure for processing complaints of discrimination. If you have questions or a grievance related to this policy, please contact the district’s Equity Coordinator, Tim Hamilton, 712328-6423, thamilton2@cb-schools.org, 300 W. Broadway, Suite 1600, Council Bluffs, IA 51503.

COUNCIL BLUFFS COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT, 300 W. Broadway, Suite 1600, Council Bluffs, IA 51503 Achieve Magazine | Issue 9 | Spring 2022

ACHIEVE: The Magazine of the Council Bluffs Community School District

GROUNDBREAKING MOMENT

Early Learning Center Will Serve as Statewide Model

A major investment will soon serve Council Bluffs children from birth through preschool with the aim of spreading its success to other communities across the state.

The new 38,000-square-foot Council Bluffs Early Learning Center is expected to open in August 2023 to serve nearly 200 students annually. It will have 11 preschool classrooms and three rooms for infants and toddlers.

“This new center will expand opportunities, so we can offer universal access to preschool for our future students, and prepare them for success during their kindergarten years and beyond,” Superintendent Dr. Vickie Murillo said. “This will be a game changer for our children, our families and our community.”

The $18 million center and a more than $2 million endowment is backed by a $7 million grant to establish the Childcare and Early Learning Exploratory Project. An anonymous donor gave a lead gift of $4 million and the Iowa West Foundation has given $1 million. The Council Bluffs Schools is using $5 million of its sales tax and facility funding, and a nearly complete fundraising effort is underway via a partnership with Southwest Iowa Nonprofit for Collective Impact and the Council Bluffs Schools Foundation.

Local foundations, and companies such as Black Hills Energy and Google have also contributed and are eager to see the center open and serve the community.

“The new Early Learning Center will be transformative for the Council Bluffs community while also serving as a model for innovation and expansion of blended child care and early learning opportunities across the state,” said Ann Lebo, director of the Iowa Department of Education. “This model blends child care and instruction, leverages public and private partnerships and will serve as a demonstration site for other Iowa schools. We are proud to be a partner in this work and for the lasting impact the center will have on students, families and communities.”

The district and state will work alongside a consultant with the Juniper Garden Children’s Project at the University of Kansas to demonstrate the impact and scalability of a public school district early learning center serving infants, toddlers and preschoolers.

In a letter, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said that she is impressed with the progress so far and added that “I’m confident that your efforts will further strengthen the foundation of your community for generations to come.”

“The Council Bluffs Early Learning Center will serve as an innovative model blending child care and early learning for children from

Supporters toss the first dirt for the Early Learning Center at a ground-breaking ceremony held May 11, 2022.

Above and below are architectural renderings of the future Council Bluffs Early Learning Center.

Dr. Vickie Murillo and members of the Board of Education participate in the ground-breaking ceremony.

birth to four years of age, preparing them to approach their education with confidence for years to come,” Reynolds said. “The center

ACHIEVE: The Magazine of the Council Bluffs Community School District

will also expand access to quality, affordable child care that working parents need to reach their own potential and support their family.”

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FOCUS ON MATH

Curriculum Bridges Instruction With Self-Discovery

May San sits on the floor of her classroom playing a subtraction game.

The Lewis & Clark first grader is working backwards: “1 plus 6 equals 7, so 7 minus 1 equals 6” she says, writing down the fact family before spinning a dial for another combination.

That one’s a little harder. She spins again, then realizes what she needs to do.

“It’s a challenging number,” she says.

The lesson is going exactly how teacher Kristen Gaffney hopes it would, while she circles the room meeting with students and taking notes as they play a variety of games to deepen their understanding of mathematical skills.

Elementary students across the Council Bluffs Community School District use Work Places to tailor their learning – whether they need reinforcement or something more challenging. It also provides an opportunity for students to reason through problems on their own.

“Not everyone’s brain works the same way,” Gaffney says. “Someone might understand knowing that 10 is 5 plus 5, whereas someone else might say that’s a double or someone else might know that it’s 8 and 2 more — it just gives them that flexibility to use those numbers.”

Students can also help their classmates.

Solving problems together as part of a game “might put it into a way or show them a strategy that really connects with them,” Gaffney adds. “Then it’s not necessarily all on their own.”

The classroom teachers use Work Places as an opportunity to identify when students need additional, one-on-one intervention to make sure they master a given topic.

“You’re not seeing students get frustrated because they’re at their own level of independence,” says math instructional coach Elizabeth Becker.

Work Places is a component of the Council Bluffs Community School’s elementary curriculum, called Bridges in Mathematics, which blends direct instruction, structured investigation and open exploration of concepts.

Students also build their skills through 20-minute workouts called Number Corner and during whole class lessons called Problems & Investigations. Much of the instruction looks like any other subject, mixing individual, small group and large group work and discussions.

The Bridges curriculum is modern, based on decades of research. It’s not just the “New 4

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Math” taught in the ‘60s and ‘70s, but instead infuses the process of discovery and teaching multiple strategies while still focusing on traditional topics like arithmetic, fractions and geometry.

“Kids are still exploring geometric shapes,” says Mariah Schroder, assistant director of teaching and learning supports for math and principal of Crescent Elementary. “Kids are still learning how to count by 5s and 10s, and by 1s and 2s — all those different things that we had as kids are still happening, they’re just happening in a much more engaging way.”

The Bridges approach to math is like using phonics to learn reading. Building up comprehension of basic building blocks will pay dividends when students reach more complicated mathematics.

“One you understand that structure, you can solve this word that might have three or four syllables,” Gaffney said. “Knowing that next step, it just builds on it.”

Later on, when they’re asked to factor a polynomial or prove a geometric theorem, they will already be used to applying several different strategies to arrive at a solution.

They’ve already learned how to approach

ACHIEVE: The Magazine of the Council Bluffs Community School District

sophisticated mathematics when they first learned arithmetic.

Nina Wilson, another Lewis & Clark first-grade teacher, says the Bridges approach helps hold students accountable for their learning, even at a young age, so they’re more interested in trying as hard as their friends.

“They enjoy the games,” Wilson says. “It’s just more hands-on for them.”

Elsewhere in Lewis & Clark, fifth-grade students are playing games based on ordered pairs and coordinates as well as multiplying by tens and hundreds.

Several different lessons are going on at the same time, meeting students where they are at without asking those who were caught up to spend time reviewing material they already understand.

“They’ve set goals themselves,” says teacher Robert Telgren. “The game that they picked is based on something they feel like they need to solidify or they need to get more comfortable with.”

Their partners can help provide immediate feedback and keep the game engaging.

“This makes it more fun, and I think that’s what helps us get better,” fifth grader Garrett Ashcraft says.

It’s more effective, too.

“When our first graders are teaching each other, they are deepening their own understanding and knowledge at the same time,” Schroder says.

“And often, as a teacher, students listen more intently to each other than they do the adults in the room.”

At Crescent Elementary, a blended learning environment mixes in-person and virtual instruction as the school hosts the district’s Virtual Academy students.

The Bridges curriculum means

all district students — whether they’re in the Virtual Academy, at Crescent or 10 miles away at Longfellow Elementary — receive the same instruction.

Schroder says teachers have a handful of virtual students in each classroom, interacting with them through videoconferencing and pairing them up with students in the room for small group work, even if that’s done using a smartboard, iPad or a projector.

“We’ve figured out ways to make it feel like you’re still part of that school community,” Schroder says. “It’s not just all screen-based learning, and there are some hands-on components even for our virtual students. It’s been pretty incredible.”

In first grade, Amy Dahmke’s students work on a lesson called Pine Cones on the Path.

Students formed groups to draw a path on a piece of paper with a combination of pine cones (representing 5s) and pebbles (representing 10s). The goal was to get a total of 120, showing how the path could be subdivided into smaller segments.

Dahmke reminds the students to think in terms of “decades” for 10s, and at one point she stood in front of a group taking some

small steps to represent “pine cones” and some longer steps to represent “pebbles” — showing how two 5s combine to form a 10.

“Oh, so now I get it,” one student can be heard saying.

When they finished, they came together as a group to show their drawings and discuss other ways they might have combined pine cones and pebbles to reach their target of 120.

The ultimate goal is to teach about place values in decimals, so they see how larger numbers can be composed, allowing their number knowledge to climb into the hundreds and thousands.

“When we talked about the ones place, they all get a little tripped up on that,” Dahmke says after the lesson. “So, for that lesson today, they were working on counting by the 5s and 10s.”

Down the hall in kindergarten, Andrea Koehling shows her students — including those on videoconference — how to use a scale to compare the relative weights of objects. They meet in small groups, while other students cycle through other activity stations.

One student asks Koehling if

the scale is like a teeter-totter.

“You’re right, it is,” she says.

“That’s a great way to describe it.”

Each student has an opportunity to describe how the process works, and they take turns to interpret what the scale says about weight.

“I love hearing what they think in their little brains — they think so creatively,” Koehling says.

“Just one student today was a little confused. He thought that heavier meant it went up.”

The lesson was the first in the students’ measurement unit, and it served as a preassessment, allowing the teacher to know where they are at before they start learning the new material.

By bringing teachers together into a shared curriculum, where they’re all roughly in the same place throughout the school year, the district can leverage scale to more efficiently offer support, whether that’s something as simple as printing activity sheets.

It also lets teachers to not have to spend as much time planning a lesson and more time personalizing the delivery for students.

“It’s given more structure in how I want to present things,” Koehling says. “But then it allows them to have different opinions on things and to experiment.”

Elementary school math used to be all about memorization and worksheets with dozens of problems. Now students use a mix of games and other activities, along with an emphasis on mental math and evaluating different strategies to quickly solve problems, rather than always relying upon pencil and paper calculations.

“I love our curriculum,” Schroder says. “It really thinks about how kids best learn and grow.”

AT YOUR FINGERTIPS: Curriculum Guides on Website

Curriculum is consistent across Council Bluffs Community School District classrooms, and it’s also available for parents interested in knowing what’s coming up next in school.

Parents are able to review curriculum map documents that give an approximate timeline when units will be taught, along with information on the specific topics

and material being covered. There’s some variation, but classes usually are within a few lessons of each other, and students are provided with consistent instruction.

The documentation is accessible at cbschools.org by clicking “Teaching and Learning” under the “Departments” tab along the top. Select “Curriculum” on the

ACHIEVE: The Magazine of the Council Bluffs Community School District

left-hand menu, navigate to a specific subject and select elementary, middle or high school to be taken to a Google Drive folder with material sorted into folders.

Can’t find what you need? Call 712-3286446 or email communications@cb-schools. org to access curriculum guides or related information.

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CENTURY OF LEARNING

Thomas Jefferson Marks 100 Years With Open House

Above, attendees of the centennial celebration were invited to sign the digital memory book.

Students, educators and others who have traversed the halls of Thomas Jefferson High School have left their mark over the years.

After a century, that’s a lot of growth.

“It’s 100 years old, and every year it gets better,” retired TJ Principal Steve Hardiman recently told The Daily Nonpareil newspaper.

TJ held an open house earlier this month to mark its 100th anniversary. The event featured performances by student performers as well as building tours and displays of memorabilia — such as a pen-and-ink sketch of the school drawn by the late Ed Barbeau of the Class of 1965 — and past editions of The Monticello yearbook and The Signal newspaper.

It’s a big milestone for the community. The school has had a major role in the lives of many families, TJ Principal Ruben Cano said.

“There’s a lot of students whose parents went here and grandparents went here … and I think that has established this huge pride that extends to the whole west side,” Canon told The Nonpareil. “I don’t think people (here) would consider going anywhere else but TJ because of those old memories.”

The school has a special place in Hardiman’s heart. As a student, he participated in football, track, wrestling, choir and drama, and he was senior class president. “Those make a lot of memories for students,” he said.

After graduating from TJ, Hardiman was a student-teacher there, then taught science for five years and spent 11 years as assistant principal, while serving as assistant football and assistant and head wrestling coach. He then was the school’s principal from 2002 until his retirement in 2006.

Thomas Jefferson also has a prominent place in his family history. He taught his sister, Katherine, in environmental science class; he watched his three daughters — Brenda, Chrissy and Carrie — go through TJ and participate in sports and other activities; and he met his wife, Rhonda, at the school while she was teaching business.

“TJ always has had good, friendly people, good friendly parents that are very supportive, kids who are supportive of each other,” Hardiman said. “They’ve always been good about accepting different kinds of people. It always was a positive place.”

Retired TJ Principal Warren Weber — who served as a social studies teacher, a talented and gifted coordinator, director of K-12 curriculum and director of secondary education during his 25 years with the district — considered his tenure as principal of TJ the highlight of his career. That was because of the teachers, students and staff, he said.

“It was a chance to do a lot of things I’d never had a chance to do before,” he said.

“The people who worked there at the time were really good at what they did.”

Weber believes the community will keep moving Thomas Jefferson forward.

“There’s a lot of people that have a lot of history with that school,” he said. “They like to see it succeed, so I think that’ll keep the momentum going.”

This story is adapted from a report by Tim Johnson of The Daily Nonpareil and is shared with permission. Find coverage or subscribe to The Daily Nonpareil at nonpareilonline.com.

Above, 107-year-old Regina Johnson is pictured with Buzz, the TJ school mascot, during the TJ centennial celebration on April 30. Johnson is a member of the Class of 1933. At right, former TJ principals Warren Weber, Judy O’Brien, Steve Hardiman, Lisa Dale, Todd Barnett and Jason Plourde pose for a photo at the celebration.

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ACHIEVE: The Magazine of the Council Bluffs Community School District

LASTING LEGACY

Abraham Lincoln Inducts Three Alumni to Hall of Fame Abraham Lincoln High School welcomed the latest inductees to the Lynx Hall of Fame in a ceremony held on March 15.

Phillip L. Nielsen Class of 1958 Phillip L. Nielsen was an exceptional A.L. student-athlete with varsity letters in football, track, baseball and basketball before earning a football scholarship for the University of Northern Iowa, but he suffered a knee injury. He transfered to Iowa Central and later to Wayne State University, earning a Bachelor of Arts in education. He also served in the U.S. Army Reserve and later in the U.S. Marine Corps. He began his teaching career in Greenwood, and returned to the Council Bluffs Community Schools in 1969 to teach physical education and coach multiple sports, first at Edison Junior High for four years and the remainder of his 31 year career at A.L. Coach Nielsen did whatever he could to aid students, both on and off the field.

“Thousands of young lives left the halls of Abraham Lincoln, entering society better citizens because of a relationship developed with this one person,” according to his brother, Robert Nielson.

Mark Eveloff Class of 1966 When Mark Jay Eveloff graduated from Abraham Lincoln in 1966, he knew exactly what he wanted to do: practice law.

He attended the University of Iowa and the Creighton University School of Law, earning his J.D. in 1974 and earning admission to the Iowa bar.

He started as an assistant attorney for the City of Des Moines, and later worked as an assistant attorney for Polk County.

He moved back to Council Bluffs in 1982 and went into private practice at the law firm of Sciortino, Vannier, and Eveloff for 13 years.

Eveloff was named a district court associate judge in 1995, and became a district court judge for the 4th Judicial District in 2010.

After 40 years of service to his community, Judge Eveloff assumed a senior judge status at the end of 2018 and remains so today.

He loves coaching baseball to youth, teaching moot court, being a part of the A.L. booster club, and supporting kids in band, sports, and other extracurricular activities.

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Kevin Wenninghoff Class of 2005 Kevin Wenninghoff dreamed of becoming an engineer since the fifth grade. He worked hard, including earning All-Conference honors for football and numerous academic awards.

He completed the Iowa State Engineering & Beyond Workshop while still in high school, and earned the State of Iowa Scholar award for the class of 2005. The attended UNO and later earned a master’s in architectural engineering at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln at age 23.

He started an internship at The Schemmer Associates in 2008, and became a fulltime engineer there upon graduation. He later became the youngest shareholder in Schemmer at the age of 29. In 2018, he became a licensed structural engineer and became the youngest employee to become a department manager at the age of 31.

Wenninghoff served on the board of Schemmer Youth Professionals, and he is currently the president of the organization.

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BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

Jackets, Lynx Show Their Talents in Athletics, Activities

Featured AL students, from top left: Braden LaSale • Hanna Schimmer • Lily Knau • Luis Rodriguez • Brian Ledesma Rodriguez • Lydia Dix • Kylie Hansen

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ACHIEVE: The Magazine of the Council Bluffs Community School District

Featured TJ students, from top left: Jenna Pane • Brianne Hanson • Chrisha Doss • Logan Larsen • Angel Raquel • Roi Soriano • Caleb Hunt

ACHIEVE: The Magazine of the Council Bluffs Community School District

Spring 2022

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IMPACTFUL EDUCATOR

Goodman Gives Back to Council Bluffs Community

A lifelong resident of Council Bluffs who is deeply involved with the community recently received the Community Impact Award from the Council Bluffs Schools Foundation.

Deb Goodman serves on the Southwest Iowa Education Foundation, as a director for the Iowa West Advisory Board and on the Thomas Jefferson Hall of Fame and Iowa Western Black Tie committees. She helped to raise money for Wickersham Stadium project and Bayliss Park renovations, as well as Iowa Western, CHI Mercy and Lutheran Services.

Goodman previously worked at a savings and loan, and she also worked in buying and selling foreign currency and as an insurance underwriter. She spent 33 years in classroom education, and now works as a consultant.

In the Council Bluffs schools, she spent 14 years teaching journalism, including serving as a yearbook and newspaper adviser and launching a video yearbook. One of her students even won an Emmy.

She also spent 10 years teaching business, including operating a school store. She helped to add a financial pathway to the program and worked with TS Bank to open a chartered branch at Thomas Jefferson.

She was an adviser for the DECA program and took students to compete at the local, state and national level. One of her students was a fourth-place finisher nationally for the

automotive role play event.

Goodman also started an entrepreneurial incubator for her students. Over her teaching career, she coached volleyball and golf and sponsored the pom pom squad and ASTRA. She also sponsored the junior class and advised the National Honor Society The school recognized Goodman as the 1999 TJ Teacher of the Year. She was also named a 2010 Nelson Family Foundation

Excellence in Teaching award winner and the 2021 Iowa Western Community College Chairman’s Volunteer Award recipient.

As a consultant, she currently collaborates with the TradeWork Academies and facilitates financial literacy in the in-school banking programs in conjunction with area banks. She also helps organize the 5th Grade Career Fair and 8th Grade Career Forum.

Goodman received the Community Impact Award was presented during the Council Bluffs Schools Foundation’s Education Is Everyone’s Business Luncheon this spring.

The luncheon also featured a presentation about the expansion of work-based learning opportunities for students in the TradeWorks Academy’s construction class, who will help build a house for Habitat for Humanity.

Corey Vorthmann, the district’s outgoing chief academic officer, shared an update on the Diploma Plus One program, which helps students jump-start their careers or get a head start on finishing college degrees.

He said the amazing career and technical education opportunities available are thanks to the district’s great community partners.

“What we’re doing is changing the trajectory of students’ lives,” Vorthmann said.

Donations can be made to support the work of the Council Bluffs Schools Foundation at www.cbsf.org/donate-today.

to presenting sponsor and other CBSF luncheon table sponsors

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ACHIEVE: The Magazine of the Council Bluffs Community School District

DECISION DAY

Seniors Declare Future Plans For Colleges, Careers

Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson High Schools celebrated the future plans of the members in the Class of 2022 on April 29 on Decision Day. Similar to a more traditional event for student athletes committing to play college sports, this day featured faculty, college and career representatives presenting certificates to the seniors to commemorate the graduates’ choices for the next step beyond high school.

Thomas Jefferson had 131 participating students and Abraham Lincoln had 142 participating students. They committed to attend more than 33 different universities and colleges, as well as the military, career and skills training in unions and specialized programs. More than half of the students committed to Iowa Western Community College to continue their education.

Decision Day 2022 also showcased the broad range of choices and opportunities students in the Council Bluffs Schools can take advantage of, such as registered apprenticeships and career certificates, thanks to the school district’s Diploma Plus programs.

Congratulations to all of the 2022 graduates!

ACHIEVE: The Magazine of the Council Bluffs Community School District

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STUDENT STARS

Recognizing Students Who Go Above and Beyond Thanks to the Council Bluffs Schools Foundation, outstanding students receive Student Star Awards & recognition during a Board of Education meeting

DECA National Qualifiers

Iowa High School eSports Association

Iowa Governor’s Scholars

Katelyn Arnold

Tayden Blair

Paige Bracker

Jordan Kreft

HOSA Spring Leadership Conference

The TJ eSports Varsity Team earned 3rd place in the Iowa state eSports tournament, held for the first time this year.

Tasin Tallant Matthew Mace Alex Alvarado Jules Worl (coach) Jessie Devereaux (coach)

The AL eSports Junior Varsity Team earned 5th place in the state JV tournament, held for the first time this year.

Jenna Twohig Chris Smith Andrew Atchley Adam Rief Ryan Sinclair (coach)

Iowa State Bowling Tournament

Kaylee Woolsoncroft 1st Place, Integrated Marketing Campaign

Guadalupe Ramirez 1st Place, Integrated Marketing Campaign

All-State Speech

Large Group Lydia Cooper Aubree Poppino Cole Schroeder Sterling Angeroth Brook Leichtner Emily Newby AL Reader’s Theater

Sterling Angeroth Expository Address

Individual Macy Wilson Poetry

Lydia Cooper Reviewing & Poetry

Emily Newby Original Oratory Camille Anderson Reviewing

State History Day Competition Tana Witt 1st place- Home Health Aide as well as Elected 2022-23 Vice President of Marketing Reaghan McDaniel 2nd place- Human Growth & Development Knowledge Aiden Pitzer 3rd place - Nursing Assistant Mackenzie Shipley 2nd place - Medical Law & Ethics Knowledge

Maggie Stiles 3rd place - Health Career Display Madilyn Pitzer 3rd place - Health Career Display Alexa Tichota 2nd place - Researched Persuasive Writing & Speaking

Lexi Smith

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Marissa Byrd (TJ) Corrinne Johnson (coach) Caitlin Morris (coach)

Iowa State Wrestling Tournament

Sara Long 3rd place - Human Growth & Development Knowledge 3rd place - Medical Photography

Iowa Girls Coaches Association All-State Basketball Academic Team

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individual qualifiers Bennett Olsen (AL) Eric McCoy (AL)

Emily Newby Anna Newby Women’s History Award for group documentary

Meredith Struebig National History Day Contest Qualifier for written paper

Leelah Good Military History Award for individual documentary

Kaia Schleifman National History Day Contest Qualifier for individual documentary

Hannah Davis State Runner-up, 105 lbs.

Jonathan Ryan Class 3A Qualifier, 113 lbs.

Iowa All-State Girls Volleyball Team

Jaymeson VanderVelde Class 3A Qualifier, 106 lbs.

Carlos Andrade Class 3A Qualifier, 182 lbs.

Molly Romano 2nd Team, Class 5A

ACHIEVE: The Magazine of the Council Bluffs Community School District

VEX Robotics World Qualifiers

Wilson Robotics Adrian Romero Will Smith State 3rd Place Teamwork Champion and Judges Award Robotics Genius Nicholas Jones Realm Kenny Mackenzie Sharp Glenn Smith

TJ RoboTurles, runner-up for the national championship

TJ Full Metal Jackets Alysa Arthur Cara Ronk Alondra Cruz U.S. Open - Iowa State Champion TJ RoboTurtles Asa NeVille Athena NeVille Abigail Franks U.S. Open - National Champion Runner-Up Iowa State Champion and Excellence Award TJ The Hive Nick Berg Hunter Kennedy

Hannah Morris U.S. Open Bracket Buster AL Junior ROTC Dara Pich Ashton Saunders Megan Wilson Noah Welsh JROTC VEX Robotics Wilson Killer Vee’s Alan Arthur Tommy Harmon Samuel Nichols Bryce Whitsel Alex Wunderlich VEX IQ Iowa State Robotics Innovate Award

Wilson The Hive 2.5 Alex Large Kaeleb Myers Ashleigh Ronk State Design Award Wilson Immortal Hornets Owen Cook Alexis Franks Cayden McGinnis Kaleigh Mericle Charly Sharp State Teamwork Champions and Amaze Award Wilson The Stingers Zander Griffey Myles Lebaugh Casey Moore Kalista Olsen Ellie Wunderlich State 2nd Place Teamwork Champions

Wilson and Roosevelt Buzz Bots Ella Dunlap Aiden Hector Jayden Ongesa Abygail Sharp Brady Whitsel State Excellence Award and Teamwork Champions

Carter Lake Kenley Aldmeyer Findley Savage Eldon Becker Aidan McPeck Elijah Dunlap State Design Award

Kirn Lords of King Gerald Carter Hannam Andrew Johnston Garrett Robertus Tighe West

Roosevelt Mason Aldredge Wriglee Hendrix Braylin Penney State Energy Award

Kirn Jr. Lynx Brooke Haggerty Isaiah Burget Blake Haggerty Rowan Schmidt Kirn The Jedi Mason Shields Zed Wolf Alice Kenny Eli Hanson State 3rd Place Teamwork Champion Kirn Bionic Lynx Addison Cohrs Kowen Dighton Ayden Estell Jasmine Shields State Think Award

State 2nd Place Teamwork Award College View Ayden Dighton Elliot Heckman Mason Jens Luci Wolf State Teamwork Champion and Excellence Award

Andrew Cox Charleigh Moore

Edison Emmalyn Policarpio Kamryn Paniska Charles Hanson Xander Hopper Eddie Hendershot Avianna Earl Lexi Kyle Levi Coffman

Oliver Griner Max Schloesser Anna Westervelt Thad Riggs State Teamwork and Robot Skills Champion & Amaze Award Franklin Brianna Large Shayleah Keleher Alero Gray State 2nd Place Teamwork Award

QuestBridge Scholars Kandice Myers

Mia Richardson

Technology Student Association Nationals Mason McCreedySprinkel

Evan Garton Miguel Soria

SHOW CHOIR: Hitting the Right Note The Kirn (top left), Wilson (top right), TJ’s Jefferson Edition (bottom left) and AL’s Lincoln Volume (bottom right) show choirs all proudly performed throughout the year, including at the recent Community Showcase.

Congratulations to all these student musicians!

ACHIEVE: The Magazine of the Council Bluffs Community School District

Spring 2022

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GOING THE EXTRA MILE

Recognizing Educators, Staff Who Live the Mission

Crescent 1st Grade Teacher Amy Dahmke with Principal Mariah Schroder

Longfellow Office Assistant Jolene Nicholls with Principal Brittany Hettrick

Kirn 8th Grade English Teacher Katie Nootz with Principal Amanda Jens

Carter Lake SAM Jacqueline McCloud with Principal Teresa Hamilton

Longfellow Pre-K Teacher Sam Czaplewski with Prinicipal Brittany Hettrick

Crescent Cook Allison Minnehan with Mariah Schroder and Lisa Stewart

A FOND FAREWELL TO 2022 RETIREES We bid a fond farewell with gratitude to Suzanne Shudak: First Grade Teacher – College View – 35 years • Cynthia Stark: Administrative Assistant – Lewis & Clark – 35 years • Marcia Kelly: TLC Instructional Coach - Literacy – Roosevelt – 34 years • Terry TannerMcNeal: TLC Instructional Coach (Literacy) – College View – 35 years • Karla Hughes: School Counselor – Thomas Jefferson – 32 years • Michele Keefer: Special Education Teacher – District – 32 years • Marty Fetch: Social Studies Teacher – Wilson – 31 years • Anne Brooks: 2nd Grade Teacher – Roosevelt – 27 years • Kimberly Heffelfinger: Special Education Teacher – Kirn – 27 years • Cheryl Kermoade: Library & Media Clerk – Edison – 26 years • Debra Alexander: Administrative Assistant – 14

Spring 2022

Hoover – 25 years • Ronda Thomas: Preschool Teacher Assistant – Hoover – 25 years • Rodney Jay Smith: Science Teacher – Kirn – 24 years • Jann SchnoorStrutzenberg: Special Education Teacher – Kanesville – 24 years • Pamela Flynn: Paraeducator – Edison – 23 years • Thomas Lohrke: Truck Driver – Nutrition Services – 23 years • Robert Clark: Truck Driver – Nutrition Services – 21 years • Lynne Clark: Custodian – Thomas Jefferson – 21 years • Barton Kephart: Custodian – Abraham Lincoln – 21 years • Wendy Leazenby: Single Unit Manager – Abraham Lincoln – 21 years • John Burhenne: Warehouse Manager – Nutition Services – 20 years • Margee Hendrickson: Special Education Teacher – Edison – 20 years • John Marasco: Custodian – FMCS – 19 years • Deborah Whitney: Administrative

Assistant – ESC – 18 years • Deborah McDermott: Preschool Teacher Assistant – Edison – 16 years • Martha Rose: 4th Grade Teacher – Franklin – 16 years • Jenny McKenzie: Special Education Teacher – Wilson – 15 years • Kimberly Castellano: School Administrative Manager – Roosevelt – 13 years • Thomas Hall: System Wide Maintenance – FMCS – 13 years • Thomas Wilson: Truck Driver – Nutrition Services – 13 years • Patricia Sinnott: Asst Manager – Nutrition Services – 12 years • Deena Bishop: Cook/Server – Wilson – 11 years • Jeffrey Lane: AFROTC Instructor – Abraham Lincoln – 8 years • Ruth O’Donnell: School Nurse – Thomas Jefferson – 8 years • Barbara Robertson: Paraeducator – College View – 6 years • Cynthia Fast: Paraeducator – Franklin – 5 years • Karol Swank: Cook/Server – Hoover – 4 years

ACHIEVE: The Magazine of the Council Bluffs Community School District

TEACHING EXCELLENCE: Awards Honor Educators

The Nelson Family Foundation recently honored three Council Bluffs Community School District educators during its 14th annual Excellence in Teaching Awards.

The foundation was established by H.H. “Red” and Ruth H. Nelson in 1997 and has given more than $250,000 to teachers and counsels in Council Bluffs and Lewis Central.

This year’s recipients include Denise Hoag, who teaches computer science at Thomas Jefferson High School; Becky Liston, who teaches kindergarten at College View Elementary; and Traci Stoop, who teaches science at Abraham Lincoln High School.

Hoag coaches high school robotics and is the sponsor of the Iowa Technology Student Association. Her passion for computer science is obvious in and out of the classroom.

Her work consistently engages students and provides them with professional skills.

“Everyone has ‘that one’ teacher that made an everlasting impact on their life,” a former student wrote in a nomination. “For me, the teacher was Mrs. Hoag. ... I know, without a doubt, that Mrs. Hoag’s support is what made me a successful student and set me up for success into adulthood. I am forever grateful and fortunate to have been a student in Mrs. Hoag’s classes.”

Liston’s nominators paint a picture of a dedicated, creative and extremely generous educator. She can create engaging learning opportunities within any conditions, provide

Pictured from left are Thomas Jefferson teacher Denise Hoag, College View teacher Becky Liston, Superintendent Dr. Vickie Murillo and Abraham Lincoln teacher Traci Stoop. mentorship to her fellow educators and connect lessons to service in the community all make her an inspiring educator.

Multiple nominations described a lesson called “Push and Pull – Motion” that was taught through a sledding day, which was one of the highlights of kindergarten year.

“With all of the other pressure on teachers last year, the fact that this was a priority, and all the extra work that went into this — it was so impressive,” one parent wrote.

Stoop brings creativity, dedication and a lot of energy to the classroom and coaching

students in cross country and girls track.

“If you find yourself roaming the hallways of Abraham Lincoln High School on any given day, there is a strong chance that you will hear students buzzing about their ‘favorite teacher,’ Mrs. Stoop,” a colleague noted.

As one former student put it: “Mrs. Stoop is one of the most selfless teachers I have ever met. She always goes above and beyond to make relationships with each student so they feel welcomed at school and in class. She is dedicated, hardworking and all-around a great teacher.”

FUN FACTS Council Bluffs students and staff were proud to be part of the annual Celebrate CB Parade, earning awards for creativity related to the theme “Go for the Gold.”

1st Place: Wilson Middle School iLead.

2nd Place: Amelia & Dexter Bloomer Elementary School.

3rd Place: College View Elementary School.

Hoover Elementary Perfect Attendance held the Parade Banner to start the parade.

School Special Recognition Awards: Bloomer Gentleman Society, Kirn Middle School Marching Band and Air Force Junior ROTC Color Guard.

ACHIEVE: The Magazine of the Council Bluffs Community School District

The Amelia Bloomer Historical Marker and the new Amelia and Dexter Bloomer Garden ere dedicated on May 27, which commemorated Amelia’s 204th birthday.

Spring 2022

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COUNCIL BLUFFS COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT 300 W. Broadway, Suite 1600 Council Bluffs, IA 51503

NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 262 OMAHA, NE

Council Bluffs Community School District challenges learners at every level to achieve more by delivering more choices, more opportunities and more ways to succeed.

www.cb-schools.org Download the district’s free mobile app available for Apple and Android devices

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