News
Substate:
• Memorial Day flags
Flags at the Maple Hill Cemetery will go up 8:30 a.m. Saturday, May 24, and will be taken down 5 p.m. Tuesday, May 27. All volunteer help is appreciated.
Clarke boys advance to substate semifinals page 6 www.osceolaiowa.com
154 YEARS • NO. 21
OSCEOLA, IOWA 50213
THURSDAY, MAY 22, 2014
SINGLE COPY PRICE: 75¢
Graduation days
OST photo by AMY HANSEN
Congressman Dave Loebsack, D-Iowa, right, holds a roundtable discussion with Clarke school officials Friday, May 16, in the elementary school’s library.
Here to learn Loebsack discusses education concerns with Clarke officials OST photo by AMY HANSEN
By AMY HANSEN
OST news editor • ahansen@osceolaiowa.com
If you want to stay on top of educational issues, go straight to the main source. On Friday, May 16, Loebsack brought his “Our Schools, Our Future” tour to Clarke Community Elementary School. He held a roundtable with top school district officials in the elementary school’s library. Loebsack was recently chosen to serve as ranking member, the senior most Democrat, of the House Education and Workforce Committee’s Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education. The purpose of the roundtable and tour throughout Loebsack’s Iowa district is to use the information and ideas gathered and bring what is working in Iowa back to Washington, D.C. No Child Left Behind One of Loebsack’s first main concerns is No Child Left Behind education legislation is still operable and in effect in Iowa. “The question of No Child Left Behind is, one, is it unrealistic? And, I think, yes it is, that by a certain date, 100 percent are going to proficient,” Loebsack
said. “ … Well, you’re not going to have everybody be above average. You’d love to have everybody do well, but statistically, it’s not possible.” One of Loebsack’s goals is to change from an educational model that is dependant on a single test score to one that measures growth so that all students are served. Loebsack said he wanted to move away from the punitive, or punishing, nature of No Child Left Behind. Tom Roff, Clarke’s curriculum director, also discussed the “sticks and carrots” motivational effect of No Child Left Behind. “It doesn’t make sense if a school is really hurting, struggling, is going to get a stick and getting beaten down and the punishments that come with it,” Roff said. ELL funding Roff also addressed a local educational concern with Loebsack. He said the English language learners (ELL) population in Iowa quintupled in the past 20 years. Roff said Osceola was one of the 23 largest ELL populations in the state, Please see LOEBSACK, Page 4
Hats off:
Top photo, Clarke graduates throw their caps in the air at the end of Clarke’s graduation ceremony Sunday, May 18, in the high school gym. For more graduation photos, see pages 5, 11.
Photo by CHRIS’ PHOTOGRAPHY
Thanks, Mom: Right photo, Sam Rockhold hugs his mother Stacy Gibbs during Murray’s graduation ceremony Saturday, May 17.
Antisdel discusses implementing SpringBoard/AP program By AMY HANSEN
OST news editor ahansen@osceolaiowa.com
If you’re the parent of a highly-intellectual student, Clarke Community School District has news for you. During a May 12 Clarke School Board meeting, Clarke Community High School Principal Kim Antisdel discussed implementing the SpringBoard program at the middle and high schools. “We are having a really kind of a great problem at the high school and middle school about accelerating students from the elementary and accelerating from the middle school,” An-
tisdel said. SpringBoard/AP According to SpringBoard’s website, SpringBoard offers a proven preAP (advanced placement) program that increases participation and prepares students in sixth through 12th grade for success in AP, college and beyond. Antisdel said the intent is to provide for upper elementary, middle and high school students who need to have more challenges in their curriculum. Antisdel said another intention of SpringBoard/AP is to have more middle ground for students who are advanced, such as an upper elementary
student taking a high school class. “We thought, is there something we could do that could work them in age appropriateness and rigor for their classes?” Antisdel said. Discussions have been held with other school districts that use the SpringBoard program. “I think we can have at least eight to 10 kids in AP classes in the high school,” Antisdel said. “And, what I mean by that, is it’s not just TAG kids, but kids who maybe don’t qualify for TAG, but would still be able to meet the expectation of what those AP Please see SPRINGBOARD, Page 4
Quiz bowl
Work of art OST photo by AMY HANSEN
Stained-glass Mustang: Stack Samuelson, a stained-glass artist, second from left,
is pictured with Murray School Board members after he donated a stained-glass Mustang to the district during Murray’s board meeting Thursday night. The artwork will most likely be displayed in the district office. SINGLE COPY PRICE: 75¢
Copyright 2014 2013
Index Obituary........................3 Editorial.........................4 Church Directory........11 Classifieds..................13
Neighbors.....................5 Public Notices.......... 8-9 Record..........................2 Sports........................ 6-7
OST photo by AMY HANSEN
U.S. history: Eric Zoske, Clarke eighth grade social studies teacher, standing, asks students
questions for Clarke’s second-annual eighth grade U.S. History Quiz Bowl Friday, May 16, in the high school auditorium. Pictured, from left are Andy Hurtado, Carter Wilken, Jared Vaill and Zach Smith. The champion was Wilken and runner-up was Vaill.
Don’t Forget
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Osceola Community Blood Drive is planned 1 to 6 p.m. Friday, June 6, at Lifepoint Assembly of God, 801 N. Fillmore St.
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