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Linn Grove students make some noise at R.O.A.R.

Recently fifteen members of the Linn-Mar High School drum line served as volunteers and entertainment at Linn Grove Elementary School's summer reading program, R.O.A.R. (Readers on a Roll). Drum line members made some noise as they entertained the young students with a show. The talented percussionists also helped out at R.O.A.R. by being guest readers, shelving books in the library and reading with students. Then the lucky K-5 students attending got to try out their percussion instruments! R.O.A.R. is open to all K-5 students at Linn Grove, and between 121-130 students have attended each session so far this summer.

Echo Hill's New Outdoor Learning Center

Just before school let out for summer break, Echo Hill students got to get their hands dirty as they helped with planting for a new outdoor learning area at their school. The garden will be used as an outdoor classroom where students and teachers can meet and learn in a beautiful environment. Filled with a variety of plants, this outdoor center will provide a natural setting for hands-on study of multiple curriculums including science, math and measurement, biology and study of nature, horticulture, environmental conservation and inspiration for the arts. The students are also excited to see the garden area grow and change. It’s anticipated that the area will provide a habitat for a variety of plants and animals – attracting and providing shelter for many species of animals including butterflies and birds. Thanks to the Linn-Mar School Foundation, Culver's Landscaping, a Rockwell Green Community Grant, and the Echo Hill PTO for contributions towards this motivational space for our Echo Hill students! To see more photos of the Echo Hill students planting and the finished product, visit our District Facebook page!

Linn-Mar's 8th grade students learn life lessons at Fair

Earlier in May, Linn-Mar’s eighth grade students attended a Financial Literacy Fair at the Marion KTOS Center. The event was sponsored by Workplace Learning Connection. Our eighth grade students all took one quarter of High School Prep. In this course, students prepared their 4-year high school plan and visited the Iowa’s I have A Plan website. They used this site to research career choices that suit their abilities and interests. The site provides information on specific duties, educational requirements and the salary one would expect to earn. At the Financial Literacy Fair, the students used this information to determine what their monthly paycheck would be for their “chosen” career. They developed budget sheets at the event. Students then made decisions about how to spend their money in areas like transportation, housing, insurance, and food. Just like in real life, students also experienced unexpected bills or windfalls at the Wheel of Reality booth. At the end of the fair the students met with a credit union financial counselor to see how they put their financial knowledge to work at the fair. Linn-Mar's 8th graders certainly learned some valuable lessons about life during the experience!

Wilkins volunteer named May winner for KCRG’s A+ for Education

The students and staff at Wilkins Elementary have always known that Wayne Larsen is the ultimate volunteer – even before he won an award for his efforts! So they were thrilled to find out that Mr. Larsen was named KCRG’s A+ for Education award winner for May, 2013. Every day, Mr. Larsen arrives at Wilkins promptly at 7:30AM to help serve breakfast to over 75 students. At 8:15, he makes his way to a 4th grade classroom to help students with their math. The 4th graders love working with Mr. Larsen as he always encourages and supports them in many ways. He often has a little joke or a riddle to start their day in a positive way. The students even nicknamed him, “Math Man!” Mr. Larsen’s commitment to education doesn’t stop there. He helps in other classrooms with math and other subjects too. He often helps students appreciate the joy of reading. He even volunteers at the summer reading program. Mr. Larsen helps each student he works with achieve their highest potential. Wayne Larsen is a dedicated volunteer, a wonderful role model and an amazing educator. At Linn-Mar Community Schools, we’re not surprised that he’s received the honor of this award. To us, Mr. Larsen always gets an A+ for Education! To read more about how the staff and students at Wilkins Elementary feel about Wayne Larsen, here’s a link to KCRG’s A+ for Education.