About three years ago, High School Language Arts Teachers Lindsey Carlson and Erin McBride started a book club for students who wanted to get together during Panther Time to talk about books they were reading. I was able to talk with students Janie Maasdam (l), Josephine Strohbehn (r), and teacher Lindsey Carlson (c) about the book club. Each year they try to read the Iowa High School Book Award nominees.
They tell me that the program has grown to 15-20 students and they work with the Knoxville Public Library to help with its success. A Marion County Community Foundation grant allowed the students to keep their books and grow their personal libraries.
Janie and Josephine love the lively discussions that come with their meetings and enjoy being exposed to different genres of books than they might normally be drawn to. Here is the full interview:
I talked with Christian Wheelock and Middle School Art teacher Kelsey Nichols about the process of making art in general and what I’m going to call a paper sculpture of the head of the game character Freddy Fazbear that Christian made pictured above.
I asked Christian if we are all artists.
Yes, in our own magnificent, magnificent ways.
Christian tells me that he wants to go to MIT and become a robotic and prosthetic engineer and that it’s his “dream job.”
His advice to young people?
Just don’t give up. Don’t give up on anything…
Here is our full interview:
Middle School Principal Brian McNeil came down the stairway in a good mood on Thursday, the first day back to class. He told me that it was a great day at the Knoxville Middle School. I asked him why that was.
I think kids have come back refreshed, and they’re just kind of excited to be back. I see them visiting with each other. I see them visiting with adults, and so I think even adults are just ready to be back, they're talking to kids and that's what we want to see — communicating and everybody doing their thing…
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