IKM-Manning CSD

LEGOs and robots may just sound like toys that area children may have received for Christmas, but at IKM-Manning, they are anything but “kid stuff” and they are an important use of funds which have been raised through the IKM-Manning Gala during the past five years.

            The skills which are learned through the First LEGO League program and the activities carried out in First Tech Challenge are ones the students involved can build on and carry with them far into the future – a fact which has been realized by not only the students, their families and their teachers, but business men and women in the community and others looking to build a quality workforce for the future.

            Bill Howell, general manager of POET Biorefining of Coon Rapids, a four-time Gala supporter, and his wife Katherine have seen the importance of STEM.

Katherine and Bill have been working to further opportunities for student engagement, affordable educational options and career alignment opportunities in the area, state, and nation. They continue to work to strengthen business and education relationships, with the hope of creating a career environment that allows students to live, work, and raise a family within their current communities.

Katherine was appointed to the STEM Advisory Council in 2018, with Bill being appointed to the Governor’s Clearinghouse Work-Base Advisory Board and Region 8 – Workforce Development Board.

Their involvement in programs such as LEGO League, First Tech Challenge, and other STEM activities has gone ‘full circle,” as they have attended STEM festivals and have assisted as judges for competitions but have carried their support into the workplace, as the Coon Rapids plant was asked by POET to design and write a Bio-Technology Apprenticeship Program and have it approved and implemented through the U.S. Department of Labor.

The new program now has Department of Labor approval, with a targeted start date of March 2019.  It will directly align with the objectives of Future Ready Iowa, an initiative signed into law by Governor Kim Reynolds in April 2018.

Future Ready Iowa was created to bridge the skills gap in the Iowa workforce, with a goal of 70% of Iowa workers having education or training beyond high school by 2025. Currently, 58% of Iowa’s work force is students graduating high school who do not have any advanced training after graduation.

The apprenticeship program proposed by the Coon Rapids plant and located at the former Syngenta lab facility in Coon Rapids would be the first one anywhere in the United State aimed at biotechnology, an important piece of the puzzle for people like Howells who are looking for qualified employees to keep the plant operating efficiently.

And, with the importance of the apprenticeship program for students completing high school, Howell stresses that developing that work force begins with programs such as First LEGO League and First Tech Challenge.

Jenny Linde, who received a Gala grant to fund registration fees and the field set-up kit for the First LEGO League program in 5^th grade, explains, “Throughout the fall semester, students on the LEGO League team researched and completed a project centered around this year’s challenge: ‘Identify a human physical or social problem faced during long term space exploration within our Sun’s solar system and propose a solution.’”

Linde, who coaches the team along with Cody Pramley, added, “The Plutonauts (our team name) decided on the problem of generating oxygen in space. They researched and learned about plants in space, the hydrolysis of water, hydroponics, and aquaponics. They based their solution on how could they generate oxygen in space and also grow food using the Martian soil and an aquaponics system. The team’s other goal is to program a Mindstorm robot to complete missions on the playing field. The score is based on how many successful missions a team can complete in a 2 ½-minute time frame.”

Linde said she has seen the program benefit the students and the school. She states, “Students are able to work together as a team to complete the project and robot missions while demonstrating LEGO League’s core values. They problem solved, worked as engineers, practiced soft skills, and presented their information at the LEGO League regional qualifier event held in Glidden November 17. This year the team was able to advance to the Iowa FLL Championship competition, which will be held in January.”

Linde notes that this year’s team members include Oriah Meiners, Laura McCarville, Samantha Doyel, Olivia Greving, Ben Ramsey, Jack Sanford, Camden Morris, and Isaac Blankman. “I have enjoyed watching this group of kids over the past few years. They have grown tremendously in how they can successfully work through a problem and use all the skills each team member provides to help benefit the team.  All their hard work has paid off this year, as they have advanced to the Iowa FLL Championship!”

Linde is grateful for the support from the community which allows the FLL program to continue: “I truly appreciate all the resources that have been provided to us with the help of the Gala and our generous community member and business donations. It really does provide excellent student engagement opportunities that allow our students to excel.”

The students themselves agree. Some, like Karlee Arp and Ben Ramsey note how LEGO League helps prepare them for topics they learn about in science and other classes, while Oriah Meiners notes, “I love FLL because it’s a challenge!”

Some added that they enjoy the challenge FLL represents, while Jack Sanford stated that First LEGO League is about “gracious professionalism and being a team player!”

The First Tech Challenge program, which has been offered at IKM-Manning since 2014, involves nearly 40 students on four different FTC teams at the Middle School level. Jim Blankman, their instructor, who was named the area “Teacher of the Year” by Carroll Broadcasting for 2018, is quick to point out that the Gala donations by area residents make it all possible. “This program is expensive to operate with registration for the season, purchasing the field element, and preparing the robots for meets and securing funding if teams advance in end of year competitions.”

He continues, “It is an honor and privilege to be part of a community that puts the education of our children and the future doers of the community at the forefront. With this continued support, of the education process, through monetary donations above and beyond what the state funds it leaves our children with access to an education that is first class.  With that said, I feel it would be professional malpractice for me to not provide the best educational opportunity for students by providing experiences that develop skills necessary for the next phase in life.”

Unlike First LEGO League, First Tech Challenge involves robots, and students are taught about designing, problem solving, building and programming machines to perform different tasks.

Blankman explains the format of the competitions: “The tournament is set up in rounds throughout the day.  A list is created where each team is given an alliance team to communicate, collaborate, and problem solve with, in order to strategize for winning a match. The goal for each match is to collect as many ranking and qualifying points to win matches. In order to keep team points there is a red and/or blue team. During each match there are two time-limited, competitive matches where team points are calculated. The first part of the match the paired red/blue teams compete autonomously. The robot is preprogrammed to push a large ball off the center vortex as well as getting the robot parked on a vortex. 

“The second part of the match is where each paired team has one or two members drive their robot remotely and score points by hitting and protecting beacons.  In addition to this activity the teams work to cap a big ball off the floor using a wall and/or on a ramp before the time runs out. At the end of the match, points are calculated and the teams are released to go work on their robots and collaborate with others to improve their game.  The last round of the tournament is where the top teams get to choose alliance teams to compete in final matches. The points obtained at the end of the round determine who the tournament winners include and move on to the next level of competition.”

He describes it as “a game of luck sometimes,” as students have to precisely set up the robot to line it up with the intended mission. The robot has to maneuver the playing field flawlessly for the mission to be successful.

 .        . 

Blankman notes that at the upper levels of competition, teams will also interview with judges about their engineering notebook and the process of building, programming, collaborating, financing and promoting the robots.  They discuss team dynamics and that “gracious professionalism,” because FTC is about working together with all teams to provide the best possible outcome.

“The kids may not notice all of the finer things of this competition, but FTC is so much more than the operation of a robot,” he explains. “The perseverance, determination, hard work, dedication, thought process and hours of work that go into a season are unbelievable and the whole time the kids just think they are goofing off by playing with a robot at school!”

He points out that FTC is demanding and is not for everyone. “Colleges, universities and businesses are extremely excited about the students that participate in FIRST programs,” he says. “They say students in these programs enter college or the workforce out of high school better prepared than traditional students because the students have skills that cannot be learned in the classroom.”

Dylan Spies, a senior involved in FTC, stated, “The hardest part of FTC is about trying to figure out the best design to work with to accomplish the goals as fast as possible.  That is by far the most difficult part."

Junior Grant Behrens mentioned the team work involved in FTC, and eighth grader

Austin Wiederin stresses, “The most important thing I learned is teamwork.  FTC is different than other sports I have participated in; with FTC, everyone has an idea that they think will work, but the team needs to determine which one solution is the best to accomplish the task." 

Blankman concludes, “The students, coaches, parents and everyone involved in the FTC programs would like to thank everyone who has contributed in any manner for their generous support in ‘the hardest fun you could ever have!’”

Parent/Guardian,

Illnesses are on the rise throughout the area. Within the school, there have been some diagnosed influenza cases, as well as some other illnesses (stomach illness, strep throat). Attached is a parent guideline form for influenza.

Please keep children home when they are ill to help prevent spreading illness. Students should be fever free (without fever reducing medication), and/or vomiting, for 24 hours before returning to school.

Remind your children to wash their hands frequently, as well as covering their cough if they have one.

Thank you.

Anna Schwarte, B.S.N., R.N.

Anissa Irlmeier, R.N.

What's a Mattress Fundraiser? Click to find out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=5&v=dtWPNME9W2w

IKM-Manning GALA Committee recently disbursed $45,000 in GALA Grants

$94,000 of GALA Grants awarded in 2018.

Disbursement of Grants: 2x a year GALA and Foundation: Nov. 1 and April 1.

2019 GALA: Manilla Memorial Hall, March 23^rd, 2019

2019 FUNDS RAISED designated for 21^st Century Learning in the classrooms.

2019 GALA Committee: Rob Beth Williams, Sherri Lingle, Jeff & Laurie Petersen, Rod & Lori Hinners, Kirk & Sherry Huehn, Jeff & Amy Keller. New members: Darrek & Jill Osborne and Jeremy & Gina Carroll.

GALA Committee 2019 Chairman Picture Id: Front Row- Laurie Petersen, Lori Hinners, Beth Williams, Gina Carroll, Jill Osborne, Sherri Huehn. Back Row- Sherri Lingle, Jeff Petersen, Rod Hinners, Rob Williams, Todd Stadtlander, Jeremy Carroll, Darrek Osborne, Zach Meiners, Kirk Huehn, and Rose Miller. Missing from Picture: Jeff & Amy Keller

GATOR Raffle new for 2019 GALA:

RAFFLE Chrmn: Jeremy Carroll, Rod Hinners, and Rob Williams

Raffle Ad Pic id: LtoR: GALA Raffle Committee members Rod Williams, Rob Williams, Jeremy Carroll and Horizion Salesman, Larry Hagedorn are pictured with the GATOR to be raffled for the 2019 GALA. Horizion is a 4x supporter of the GALA. Gator purchased from Horizon Equipment.

1 ticket $100- 3 Tickets $250- 7 tickets $500

Need not be present to win.

GATOR RAFFLE DETAILS:

• 835M Full-Size UTV with the bench seat 
• Available in Green/Yellow or Olive and Black (Camouflage would be an additional cost) 
• 4-cycle gas, electronic fuel injection, liquid cooled, 812CC, 54 hp motor
• On-demand true four-wheel drive system
• Power Steering 
• Digital Display (system diagnostic light, speed, rpm, 4WD indicator, fuel level, coolant temperature, hour meter, miles, park brake light) 
• MSRP - $15960

GALA RAFFLE Chrmn. Rob Williams: Info and quotes

The Gala Committee wanted to do something a little different this year to expand our already fantastic fundraising efforts. So we thought this Gator UTV was the way to go as it seems more and more people have and use these and in some areas are even road legal. This is a great chance to win a really useful machine and to help support our Kids and our School! We will still be doing our Silent and Live Auction Items at the Event and always look forward to many unique and fun items there also! 

I was a part of this effort because of my background in equipment and sales. The other committee members are no strangers to equipment as well, Rod Hinners own a very busy farming and livestock operation and Jeremy Carroll is the Utility Director at the City of Manning, with a long history in the Construction Industry.

This will be my 4^th Gala as a Chairperson and look forward to the future and to also inviting and working with some new members to keep our ideas and the event fresh and fun! If you are looking for a way to help out but don’t know how, please talk with one of our Chairpersons to learn more about this rewarding and worthwhile group!

We have allotted 400 tickets for this raffle. The money raised will be used in Our School helping Our Kids! Id say that it is a Win, Win for everyone in the Community and would urge everyone to get a ticket as once they are gone we aren’t printing any more!

The Gator can be seen anytime at the Horizon Equipment store in Manning during their normal business hours. I also would like to Thank Horizon Equipment for continuing to be a strong supporter of our Event and our Communities!

I would also add that with the Holiday season upon us that these raffle tickets would also make great gift ideas for that hard to buy for person on your list or the person that just has everything! On behalf of the Gala Committee, I would like to Thank everyone for all the support we have received in the past and look forward to another year of doing great things for our Kids and Communities! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Rob Williams, Owner

Williams Contracting, LLC
3091 370th Street
Manning, Iowa 51455
p.  712.830.7676
e. Rob@WilliamsContractingLLC.com

Horizon Salesman, Larry Hagedorn

As a donor to the IKM-Manning Gala, Horizon Equipment is excited to be a part of the John Deere Gator Raffle and the entire Gala program!The advantages the Gala provides to the students and staff are far-reaching.  Providing our educators the resources to equip their classrooms with the tools needed to teach, embraces the success of our school district. The benefits the STEM program has received from the Gala has touched and made a difference to many students. The Gala provides the opportunity to enhance the creativity and experience the students receive in the classroom. It is humbling to see the community support the Gala has received.  It is evident by the attendance increase through the years and the personal involvement in the Gala.

New GALA Committee Quotes and Info: Jeremy & Gina Carroll and Darrek and Jill Osborne.

New GALA Chairman:

Darrek and Jill Osborne

Family Background: Osborne's have 2 children, Callie is 18 years old and a graduate of Hoover High school in Des Moines, Ethan is 5 years old and is currently in transitional kindergarten.

Work/Career Background: Darrek moved to Jill's hometown from Des Moines when the couple married 7 years ago.  He is currently employed at R & S Waste in Defiance  Jill is a 1995 graduate of IKM High school and 1997 graduate of IWCC, she is currently employed at Dr. Jay's Family Eye Care in Harlan.  The couple moved back to Manilla to be closer to family and for their children to be able to attend the same small town school district as Jill did.

Why are you a part of the Gala Committee? 

The couple decided to be the committee because they have been to the Gala for the last two years and have seen the great support of the community for the school and want to be a part of that for their son, Ethan 

Jeremy & Gina Carroll:                                                                                                                            

Family Background: Jeremy attended Ballard Community School District.  After high school, he served in the National Guard for six years.  He then acquired an Associate’s Degree in General Studies from Des Moines Area Community College.  Gina attended the Carroll Community School District.  She then obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from Graceland University.  They have two daughters – Grace (10) and Piper (7).                                                                                        

Work/Career Background: Jeremy and Gina recently moved back to the area.  Both have accepted new employment within the community where they are excited to enhance their career pathways. Jeremy works as the Director of Utilities for Manning Municipal Utilities. Gina is employed by Horizon Equipment as the Payroll/HR Administrator.                          

Why are you a part of the Gala Committee? As mentioned above, both of us attended rural school districts.  We began raising our children in a large city with a HUGE school district (Ankeny).  We soon realized something wasn’t quite right.  This is when we decided to make the move to give our children similar opportunities to what we had growing up.  There are obvious pros and cons to both large and small school districts, but we want to strive to do our best to keep the smaller schools alive.  To get involved on a committee like this – where the end result is to give back to our children’s education and our community is a perfect fit. 

Sponsorship History 2015-2018

2015 -118 Sponsorship levels - $50,000 raised – 125 attended.

2016 -126 Sponsorship levels - $60,000 raised – 225 attended. 

2017- 258 Sponsorship levels - $91,000 raised – 250 attended.

2018- 375 Sponsorship levels - $90,000 raised – 275 attended. (Auction items totals go towards sponsorship levels)

             GALA has raised over to $290,000 since it started in 2015

             GALA has dispersed over $210,000 in GALA Grants to date.    

2015-2018 over 46 Sponsors have been 3-time supporters.

Eight Sponsorship Levels:

Alpha Wolves: $2,500 or more

Wolves: $1, 500-$2, 499

Green Supporter: $1,000-$1,499

Black Supporter: $500-$999

Grey Supporter: $300-$499

White Supporter: $150-$299

Pup Supporter: $50-$149

Cub Supporter: $1-$49

Any donations one week prior to Gala will be printed in Gala program. All donations will be accepted until May 31^st  of each year and recognized on a GALA Roster to be displayed in school building.

With a donation of $500.00, either monetary or a raffle/auction item, donor will receive two tickets to attend the gala (4 tickets for a donation of $1,000-$1,499, 6 tickets for a $1,500-$2,499 donation, and 8 tickets for a donation of $2,500 or more)

GALA FACTS & INFO

• Purpose of GALA: Fundraising committee to raise funds for education under the auspices of the IKM-Manning School Foundation- fiscal agent
• Goal: Host a once a year GALA event. Includes: sponsorship, auction, and raffle
• First year in 2015
• Fifth Year
• Chairman – 3 yrs. Term- find replacement
• Event moves location, but not limited
• Stakeholders: School – shares need; Committee – organizes event; and Sponsors- businesses, ind., families, businesses, and organizations
• 4 Committees- Sponsorships, Publicity, Events, Raffle/Auction                                                        Note: One person Chair that was previously a Chairman

• First 4 years Proceeds from the event will benefit the areas of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). Needs directed by Adm. and School board
• 2019 Proceeds will be geared for education initiatives that enhance 21^st Learning skills in the classroom.

A big Thank you to School Staff, Students, Adm., Schoolboard, Foundation, GALA Committee, School organizations, sponsors, businesses, alumni, families, individuals, and so much more that support, lead, and create opportunities for our district. Partnerships, Relationships, and collaboration of Stakeholders is the vitality and future of our school and communities! Hats off to this great Wolf Pack Team!

Join our mission into the 30^th season of FIRST^®! Prepare for blast off, break out of your earthly constraints and go INTO ORBIT^SM. The 2018/2019 FIRST^® LEGO^® League season will transport your team into space, where you’ll explore, challenge, and innovate in the vast expanse of space.

FIRST LEGO League challenges kids to think like scientists and engineers. During the INTO ORBIT season, teams will choose and solve a real-world problem in the Project. They will also build, test, and program an autonomous robot using LEGO^® MINDSTORMS^® technology to solve a set of missions in the Robot Game. Throughout their experience, teams will operate under the FIRST signature set of Core Values, celebrating discovery, teamwork, and Gracious Professionalism^®.
 

FIRST LEGO League is known around the globe not only for what we do (the Robot Game and Project), but also how we do it, with Core Values at the heart. The rubrics used for judging reflect these three equally important aspects of FIRST LEGO League.

Official tournaments must follow the judging and awards structure determined by FIRST LEGO League. Although the audience mostly sees teams playing the Robot Game at tournaments, teams are also being judged on:

• Core Values
• Project
• Robot Design

The Core Values Poster and the Robot Design Executive Summary are additional tools that may be used to help facilitate discussion in the Core Values and Robot Design Judging sessions at official events.  Your Partner will distribute the instructions to teams outlining the information to be included if your Region plans to require the Core Values Poster and/or the Robot Design Executive Summary at its events. Please contact your Partner for further information. The Core Values Poster and the Robot Design Executive Summary will be used as part of the judging at World Festival.

IKM-Manning faculty and students send 250 dozen cookies to our troops for the Cookie Crumb Project! ⁦@IKMMHS⁩ #IKMMPride#SmallSchoolsWork

Bullying is unwanted, repeated, aggressive behavior among school aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. Bullying can occur during or after school hours. While most reported bullying happens in the school building, a significant percentage also happens in places like on the playground or the bus. It can also happen travelling to or from school, in the youth’s neighborhood, or on the Internet.

There are three types of bullying:

• Verbal bullying is saying or writing mean things. Verbal bullying includes:
  • Teasing
  • Name-calling
  • Inappropriate sexual comments
  • Taunting
  • Threatening to cause harm
• Social bullying, sometimes referred to as relational bullying, involves hurting someone’s reputation or relationships. Social bullying includes:
  • Leaving someone out on purpose
  • Telling other children not to be friends with someone
  • Spreading rumors about someone
  • Embarrassing someone in public
• Physical bullying involves hurting a person’s body or possessions. Physical bullying includes:
  • Hitting/kicking/pinching
  • Spitting
  • Tripping/pushing
  • Taking or breaking someone’s things
  • Making mean or rude hand gestures

Click on this link: https://www.stopbullying.gov/ for more information