Wautoma Area School Board hears A+ After School Program & AP Exam Presentations

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The Wautoma Area School Board members returned to Parkside Middle School on Sept. 13 and heard presentations from A+ After School Program Coordinator Kendra Knutson and Wautoma High School Assistant Principal and Assessment Coordinator Doug Beattie.

During the A+ After School Presentation to the Board, Knutson expressed that the COVID-19 Pandemic played a role in their drop in attendance for the 2020-2021 school year. In 2019-2020 the A+ After School Program saw record attendance with 245 kids enrolled compared to the decrease of 178 students last year.

The average daily attendance each day for the after school program dropped as well, with approximately 164 attending each day during the 2019-20 year, down to 125 in the 2020-21 year. Currently, there are 174 students enrolled, but are still 65 students on the wait list due to a staff shortage. Of the students on the wait list 24 are priority and recommended to the program or had already been involved in the program.

 

The A+ After School Program has a goal to help students reach their goals academically. Teacher are surveyed every spring on students who needed to improve in certain areas. In homework completion 50% improved, 48% improved in classroom participation, and in-classroom behavior 32% improved. Over the course of the 2020-21 school year there were a total of 18 volunteers with a total of 266 hours dedicated to the A+ Program.

The Board also heard from Wautoma High School Assistant Principal Doug Beattie regarding the AP Exam results from the 2020-21 year. Beattie started his presentation commenting on how impressed he was with students sitting through the full four hours taking the test and putting in maximum effort.

Throughout the 2020-21 school year Wautoma High School offered nine AP class offerings, with higher enrollment at the beginning of the year. As the year progressed, more students dropped the courses as the learning environment shifted. There were 49 students enrolled in the classes, which was dropped down to 34 exams given. The Board and Beattie look forward to this upcoming year now there is a sense of normalcy back at school.

During the Student Council report Anna Peterson was introduced as the senior representative and Kylie Kline as the junior representative. Homecoming information was also presented for the week of Sept. 20 - 25, with the theme of “Hornets Got Game”. The dance will take place on Saturday, Sept. 25, starting at 7 p.m. and Court being announced at 9 p.m.

Board President Nicole Lehr ended the meeting by applauding the administration and the Board for all they have done the first weeks of school. She thanked District Administrator Tom Rheinheimer and the staff for all of their hard work and also spoke of how proud she is of the District.

 

The following agenda items were approved by the board: the resignation of Amy Reilly, Parkside School Cook II, Karisa Krueger, Parkside School Secretary, and Amanda Wastart, Parkside School Kitchen Helper; the employment of Roger Zertler, Advisor, High School Future Business Leaders of America, Charles Lang, Bus Driver, Ronald Schloesser, bus driver, David Woyak, Substitute Bus Driver, A+ After School Program Staff, and Alisha Van Den Berg, Riverview Steering Team Grade 2 Representative; a revised Athletics and Extracurricular Code Policy; Open Campus Policy; Riverview Support Staff Hours for Programming Purposes; and an Amendment to Wautoma High School Counseling Contract.

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