News Briefs:
Gi-Normous School Bond Issue
Defeated in Katy, Texas: What a Model
Nebraskans who believe that public
schools could be far more cost-effective, avoiding multi-million dollar bond
issues and still providing top-quality education, should take heart from a huge
development out of Katy, Texas, near Houston:
Voters turned down a proposed $261.5
million bond issue earlier this month after a small group of citizens waged a
campaign to educate voters on how the district has been spending the big bucks
already entrusted to it, and how taking on additional debt would actually
decrease funds for instruction, rather than enhancing classroom revenues.
Apparently, voters agreed that better management was the answer, not more
dough, with a margin of victory of more than 10%.
According to education activist www.peytonwolcott.com, it is highly
unusual for a bond issue to fail in Texas. She said the striking defeat was
brought about by the efforts of six local citizens (www.katycitizens.org and www.radiofreekaty.com) and members of
New Media (www.EducationNews.org and www.katytimes.com).
Mrs. Wolcott reports that a bond issue has NEVER failed before in Katy.
Note to Nebraskans: See what a tiny
group of citizens can do against Big Schools and Big Media!
Marian choir first in Texas
It was a whale of a 50th
anniversary present to Marian High School, as its Select Women's Choir took
first place at the Heritage Music Festival in Dallas a few weeks ago. The young
women sang an original song, "I Will Rejoice in the Lord," commissioned by Marian
from world-renowned composer Z. Randall Stroope of the University of Nebraska
at Omaha. The song commemorates the Nebraska high school's 50th
year; Stroope is the father of a Marian graduate. The choir obtained superior
ratings across the board at the Texas festival and returned to rate a rare 1+
at music districts in Nebraska.
Power Drive: North Platte,
Bancroft/Rosalie Win
One of the neatest events in
Nebraska education took place recently as the OPPD/NPPD Power Drive
Championship Rally laid scratch on the pavement. North Platte High School took
first place in the standard division, while Bancroft/Rosalie won the advanced
category.
In Power Drive, high-school students
are assigned to build a car big enough to climb inside and drive around in, powered
with electricity. At competitions, the students have to start them up, fix them
when they stop, maneuver around cones and each other, and do it quickly and
safely. OPPD started the contest in 1999 with 12 cars; this year there were 60.
Check results on: http://ww1.oppd.com/edu/powerdrive/results_finals_2006.cfm
Teeny Tiny Schools Score Big in
History Contest
Last week's report on Nebraska
students who earned the right to compete at Nationals for the History Day
competition focused on the number of private schools vs. public schools in the
competition. But it should be noted that a disproportionate amount of the
winners were from Nebraska's smallest schools as well. Here's the same list,
with the relatively small towns in red. Note, for example, Kewanee Public
School, which is a teeny tiny school on Highway 12, just west of Sparks in Cherry
County east of Valentine.
Junior Group Exhibit: 1. "Woman Taking a Stand on
the American Home Front during World War II," Alexandria Walenz, Bailey
Mangers, Morgan Jacobi, Rachel Lemke and Sarah Wolf, St. Cecilia Middle School,
Hastings; 2. "Standing Firm as a Crusader for the Mentally Ill: Dorothea
Lynde Dix," Emily Simmons and Sarah Simmons, Kewanee Public School, Valentine.
Junior Individual Exhibit: 1. "Gentlemen the Fences Must
Come Down," Travis Johnson, Glen District, Crawford;
2. "Abraham's Moment of Decision," Luke Evans, Wisner-Pilger.
Junior Individual Performance: 1. "Doolittle Takes a Stand
Against Japan," Brandon Rossell, Elkhorn Ridge Middle School, Elkhorn; 2.
"Rosie the Riveter: Taking a Stand for the U.S.," Kate Miller,
Elkhorn Ridge Middle School.
Junior Group Performance: 1. "Workers and Farmers Take a
Stand in Loup City," Angie Wieser, Ben Heusinkvelt, Hannah Spenceri, Kevin
Connelly and Sara Dolezal, St. Isidore Elementary School, Columbus; 2. "No
Really Bad Boys: One Man's Stand," Andrew Heusinkvelt, Emily Neville,
Nicholas Preister, Stephani Jarecke and Thomas Schumacher, St. Isidore
Elementary School.
Junior Group Documentary: 1. "A Country Torn: Women in
the Islamic Revolution," Carey McGehee and Sara Babcock, Hastings Middle
School; 2. "Standing Tall: The Story of Boys Town," Chloe Kucera,
Alex Bolte, Kelsey Newman, Michael Esch and Trey Stuthman, St. Isidore
Elementary School.
Junior Individual Documentary: 1. "Suzette LaFlesche: The
Voice of Native Americans," Jenna Moore, St. Isidore Elementary School; 2.
"Oscar and Emilie Schindler: Standing Up for Victims of the
Holocaust," Kellie Sholes, Ainsworth Middle
School.
Junior Individual Paper: 1. "The Heroic Life of Oscar
Schindler," Karen Koch, St. Rose of Lima Elementary School, Crofton; 2. "Native Americans in the French and
Indian War," Dustin Aherin, Syracuse.
Junior Web Site: 1. "Candy Lightner: Taking a
Stand Against Drunk Driving," Morgan Rezaei, Elkhorn Ridge Middle School;
2. "Enola Gay - Taking a Right in History," Anna
Haneline, St. John the Baptist Elementary, Plattsmouth.
Senior Group Exhibit: 1. "Rosa Parks: Sitting Down
to Take a Stand," Laura Herbolsheimer, Meagan Zautke and Nathan Bilau, Pierce; 2. "Changing Lives through
Photographs," Amanda Ball, Jessica Harris and Joan Yule, Science Focus
Program (Zoo School), Lincoln.
Senior Individual Exhibit: 1. "The Vietnam War: Taking a
Stand for Peace," Adrienne Hoffmann, Pierce;
2. "John Walsh: Taking a Stand Against Crime," Elizabeth Jones-Owens,
Omaha Mercy.
Senior Individual Performance: 1. "Taking a Stand Against a
Social Evil," Erika Goergen, Omaha Burke; 2. "William Jennings
Bryan," Adam Brown, Science Focus Program (Zoo School).
Senior Group Performance: 1. "Carry Nation: Taking a
Stand Against Taking a Drink," Chelsea Liska, Emilee Seier and Morgan
Otto-Berglund, Pierce; 2. "Standing Up to
Hitler: Andrew Jackson Higgins," Chelsea Rieckman, David Foote and Derek
Edwards, Columbus.
Senior Group Documentary: 1. "Theodore Roosevelt:
Conserving America's Future," Evan Wilson, Mitch Paine and Richard
Carlson, Science Focus Program (Zoo School); 2. "Stetson Kennedy: One Man
Against the Klan," Roger Carlson and Thomas Zimmer, Science Focus Program
(Zoo School).
Senior Individual Documentary: 1. "Harry Truman and the
Integration of the U.S. Military," Taryn Overton, Science Focus Program
(Zoo School); 2. "W.E.B. Du Bois: Standing for Civil Rights and Serving
His Race," Derek Hutchins, Science Focus Program (Zoo School).
Senior Paper: 1. "Barbed Wire: Taking a
Stand to Transform the Events, People and Ideas of the Wild West," Kylie
Kinley, Blue Hill; 2. "John Thomas Scopes
vs. the State of Tennessee: Defending Fundamental Freedoms," Lauren
Pohren, Omaha Duchesne.
Senior Web Site: 1. "Einstein: Taking a Stand
for the Preservation of Life," Sam Davis, Elkhorn.
Millard West Principal
Honored for Science Expansion
Millard
West High School Principal Richard Kolowski has been singled out for excellence
in science education for fostering good relationships between the school's
science program and the community, and plans to add another 55,000 square feet
to the school that would include eight new science classrooms.
He
was awarded the national "CIBA Specialty Chemicals High School Principal Award"
by a group including the Busch Entertainment Corporation, DCAT, Delta
Education, the Discovery Channel, Dow Chemical, Ohaus Corporation, Shell Oil
Company, Vernier Software & Technology, and VSP.
