Cavalier County
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Single Copy Volume 133
Republican
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News Coverage
Copyright © Langdon, North Dakota
Turn to Page 3 to read about the recent Langdon City Commission meeting. Carrie Hope shares her first St. Alphonsus School news, turn to Page 7 to read her "A Saint's Shout Out".
Index OPINION AG CHURCH COMMUNITY SPORTS PROF DIR PN CLASSIFIED
PAGE 4 PAGE 5 PAGE 6 PAGE 7 PAGE 8-9 PAGE 10 PAGE 11-12 PAGE 13
The past few decades have seen a substantial increase in the United States public education system focusing more on science, technology, engineering, and mathmatics (STEM) in efforts to keep the United States competitive on the global stage. What started with the No Child Left Behind Act in 2001 was ramped up in the 2015 Every Student Succeeds Act, pushing American schools to increase their efforts to have a STEM-based science curriculum for their students. In the Langdon Area School District (LASD), K-12 Instructional Strategist Kathy Rueger and elementary teacher Alison Podhradsky worked with the school board to update the science curriculum within the Langdon Area Elementary school. The two explained that the science curriculum, at the time, used textbooks from 2010 which follows a step-bystep approach versus the next generation science standards that encourage inquiry and focus more on hands-on learning rather than lecture. The students gained their information strictly from reading about a concept. The new generation of instruction allows for students to use all of their senses to learn. Not only will they
read about it, but they will be able to dig deeper with experiments that were not offered by the past curriculum. “When going through my master’s degree, which focused on STEM, I used our previous curriculum a lot for assignments. When looking at it I understood why science was becoming less desirable,” Podhradsky explained. “The content was dry, and it only offered one experi-
new curriculum to look like and what was currently available to schools. LASD Superintendent Daren Christianson suggested LabLearner as a “fantastic, hands-on, experienced-based science curriculum that reinforces every lesson with handson application of the scientific method”. Christianson shared that with this particular STEM program, students would devel-
ment per chapter.” To begin the search for a new curriculum, a science committee was created. The committee spent their meetings discussing what they wanted the
op skills in the lab to reinforce their knowledge of the science concepts and develop a level of comfort doing labs that other curriculums do not support. “Mr. Christianson brought
Local makes UCA All-American cheer team When she was younger, Breana Wagner loved cheerleading. The incoming freshman thought she would have to wait, but when the opportunity came for her to begin cheering in 7th grade she took it. This summer Wagner attended a cheer camp where she was selected to be on the All-American cheer team and will travel to Philadelphia to perform during the city’s Thanksgiving parade in November. “I’ve cheered for girls basketball, boys basketball and football,” Wagner shared. The All-American camp that Wagner attended was held in Cavalier in early June with nearly 20 cheerleaders from the area looking to make the team that was set at five. At the camp, Wagner was one of the youngest to compete having just finished her 8th grade year. “It was the Cavalier cheer team, Grafton cheer team, and Langdon cheer team. Five girls got picked, four from Grafton and me,” Wagner said. The camps for Universal Cheerleader Association (UCA) range in type and focus. From the Elite to stunt to mascot, the UCA helps cheerleaders as
young as 4th graders to college level learn and develop their skills. At the camp that Wagner attended, the focus was on improving their skills. Wagner was taught different pieces of
cheers and stunts. At the end of the camp, those who attended were given the chance to try out for the All- American team. If selected, the attendee would have had the option of either going to Philadelphia for their Thanksgiving Day parade or traveling to London, England, for the New Year’s Day parade. “The All-American is not like a competition. It’s just a fun event to be able to cheer in front of a
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Monday, September 2, 2019
Number 35
Langdon Area Elementary School implements LabLearner STEM lab By Melissa Anderson Republican Editor
tt Tycen Restad receives a wish come true, read more on Page 3.
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bunch of people like in a parade,” Wagner said. “If they pick you then you get to go to different places like London, Rome, Philadelphia, just places around the world.” At the cheer camp, a dance and cheer are taught which the attendees are required to learn and will then perform both for the try-out. Going into the try-out, Wagner felt confident in her ability to make the list. She had taken practicing seriously and knew the words, was loud, sharp and knew what she was doing. “Once I found out I actually was surprised and excited,” Wagner shared. “It’s going to be really fun. It's nothing I’ve ever done before.” This is not the first time that Wagner has gone to a cheer camp and competed. She has attended three camps with one being a jumpoff with former teammate April Kratcha. The event is focused more on flexibility with the cheerleaders doing different jumps and cheers exhibiting their abilities. “That was different and a good experience,” Wagner said. “We got to try-out for All-Amercont. on page 2
up LabLearner because he has had it in previous schools. After Kathy and I were able to go to another school and observe it, we were sold!” Podhradsky said. Thanks to a donation from the Langdon Area School District Foundation, which covered half the cost for the new lab, the board approved the purchase and implementation. “We are so grateful that the Foundation was able to purchase half the cost of our school’s new lab,” Podhradsky said. Podhradsky was named the lead science instructor for the room. Christianson sited that because Podradhsky is a great, young teacher with a strong background in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) she will do a great job of implementing this new curriculum. One of the benefits of LabLearner is that every grade within the school, from Kindergarten to 6th, can learn from it. “I, myself, love math and science, and I want to instill that love into as many children as possible. I believe this lab will open up the possibility of that.” Podhradsky shared. LabLearner was one of the first programs to teach using a “spiraling curriculum”. Rather than having isolated categories like biology, chemistry, or physics, LabLearner has a spiraling curriculum where cont. on page 2
OCLC welcomes Schill to staff
The Osnabrock Community Living Center has welcomed a Director of Nursing to their staff. Janie Schill, a registered nurse, joined the OCLC family in April of 2019 and has enjoyed her time with the residents immensely. “I loved the relaxed, homelike environment OCLC gives to their residents,” S c h i l l shared. Her career as a nurse was a natural choice. Schill explained that she has always wanted to help people and make a difference in their lives. She attended Lake Region State College where she earned a two year associate degree in nursing through the Dakota Nursing Program. Originally from Devils Lake, Schill moved to Langdon in 2015 when she married Trevor Schill. At the OCLC, Schill cares for up to 17 residents providing them with medical aspects of their care. Some of those du-
ties include medication management, care plans, and family communication. “I also help oversee staff and help them maintain licensure and certifications for their jobs,” Schill explained. ”All of us at OCLC work together to ensure our residents needs are met and their 'home' is taken care of as they wish and need.” The respite and basic care facility offers residents a feeling of being “home” rather than in a home. “I love coming to work and being greeted by my residents. They have all become a part of my family. I love being able to provide them the care they need so they can thrive in their own 'home'. ” At OCLC, Schill shared that all the staff are universal workers as no one has one specific job- we are serving meals, doing laundry, giving baths, housekeeping. ect. The flexcont. on page 2
GOOD LUCK
– To Area Sports Teams – Football, Volleyball, & Cross Country