Presidential Teaching

Kuhlman Named Top Math And Science Teacher In State

Andrew Atwal
andrew.atwal@yankton.net

AVON — An Avon teacher was recently honored of as a recipient of the Presidential Award for Math and Science Teaching.

Paul Kuhlman teaches math and science courses to students in both the middle school and high school grades in the Avon School District.

Kuhlman left for Washington D.C. on Tuesday, with meetings planned with President Barack Obama and his administration, members of the House and Congress, and members on the National Science Foundation.

Winners are selected by a panel of scientists, mathematicians and educators, following the initial selection process, which is done on the state level. This year’s winners receive a $10,000 award from the National Science Foundation, as well as an awards ceremony and several days of educational and celebratory events while in Washington.

He was nominated for the award in the Fall of 2010 by his former colleague Mike Barondeau, of Edmunds Central High School.

“When I first found out I was nominated, I saw that big packet,” he said, jokingly.

The process included a video-tape of class, with written information about that class lesson that was taught and what was done to help further education. The 15-page application was due in May 2011.

One of the things he looks forward to the most is meeting with the other teachers from all around the country that are also being honored.

“We can all learn so much for each other,” he said.

Kuhlman teaches physics, chemistry, physical science, geometry and seventh grade math at Avon. He is currently entering his 24th year of teaching, with 20 of those years at Avon. He spent his first four years of teaching at Waubay High School and Hosmer High School. He had previously been recognized as the 2008 South Dakota Outstanding Physical Science Teacher and the 2009 South Dakota teacher of the year.

Other area teachers that are being honored in Washington include Deborah Snook from Philip, SD; David Hartman from Lincoln, Neb. and John Christen from Beatrice, Neb.

One of the things that he said has changed in his years of teaching is that students now realize they need a background in math and science to further their career goals and education.

“I like to keep it fun,” Kuhlman said. “I tailor the curriculum to everyday things that students can relate to.”

Avon Superintendent Tom Culver said the community has really been receptive to Kuhlman’s teaching style and all that he does for his students and the school.

“A lot of the community is thankful that he is one of our teachers,” he said. “He goes above and beyond the call on everything he does.”

Matt Yost, secondary dean of students at Avon, said Kuhlman is one of the most dedicated individuals around.

“He shows complete dedication to his profession,” Yost said. “He works and will continue to get better each day.”

Culver noted that, of the 70-80 students enrolled in the high school, about 20-30 of them enroll in a physics or chemistry course with Kuhlman. He added that people might consider moving to Avon because of the recognition that Kuhlman is getting.

Culver went on to dispel the myth that smaller schools often mean fewer opportunities.

“There are outstanding teachers that are very capable in small schools,” he said. “Paul winning the award reinforces things we do in our building.”

Despite the high recognition, Kuhlman remains humble.

“This award is really a credit to the students and their parents, other teachers at the school and the Avon administration,” he said. “It’s a reward for their hard work that makes me look good.”

He is able to relate to students by using many demonstrations in class. He added that a lot more students want to do science fair projects because they realize they could take a trip somewhere if their project does well. Kuhlman even does a “turkey timers” lab around  Thanksgiving which focuses on how turkey timers actually work.

“Paul would be the first to say that he is just doing his job,” Culver said. “He truly cares about the kids and what they learn.”

Kuhlman has a unique teaching style, which distinguishes him from other teachers in the region, Yost said.

“No one word describes his teaching style.” Yost said. “It changes depending on the students and class needs.”

Kuhlman has shown a remarkable ability to motivate his students and make learning fun for them. Under his leadership, Avon has become a perennial competitor in national and international science fairs, with some of his students qualifying for events in New York, Texas, Georgia and Florida. He has even started a science night at the school, with the crowd often filling the entire gym.

“The one thing about Paul is that he sincerely wants his students to be successful,” Yost said. “Students know that he will give them any support that he can mentally and physically take on.”

Both Yost and Culver said that many former Avon students have gone into science and math fields, noting Kuhlman probably had a lot to do with their career choices.

“The students here are committed. They will show up for things after school and they want to be involved, which makes my job a lot easier,” he said. “The more a student is engaged, the more the teacher is engaged.”

He added a sincere thank you to his students, both past and present.

Despite the award, Kuhlman said he is far from done perfecting his teaching style and methods.

“It’s a nice reward and a nice honor,” he said. “However, it doesn’t mean I’m done. It’s only more incentive to work harder and keep at it.”

“When you walk around the school you never know what kind of smells or sounds are going to come from his science labs,” Yost said. “He is really a mad scientist at heart.”

He even has license plates that say “science” on his car.

You can follow Andrew Atwal on Twitter at twitter.com/andrewatwal

http://www.yankton.net/articles/2012/06/26/community/doc4fe92e916e75f972591682.txt

YSD Working To Meet State’s Special Education Requirements

By Andrew Atwal
andrew.atwal@yankton.net

Recent special education numbers released for the Yankton School District (YSD) show the district exceeding expectations in some areas, but not quite measuring up to standards in other target areas.

The numbers show that, for the 2010-11 school year, YSD fell below the South Dakota statewide average for graduation rate for students on an individualized education program (IEP), as well as proficiency rates for reading and math for both grades kindergarten to 8th grade and grades 9 through 12.

The proficiency rate in reading for children in grades 9-12 was 6.25 percent, which is below the state average of 22.24 percent. The math proficiency rate for high school students was 18.75 percent, also below the South Dakota average, which was at 19.64 percent.

The numbers for the high school proficiency rates only include data from students in 11th grade since that is the only grade in high school that takes the Dakota Step test. The data comes from test scores on the Dakota Step test, administered to South Dakota students.

Other large school districts in eastern South Dakota that also fell below state target proficiency rates include Brookings, Aberdeen, Vermillion and Sioux Falls.

On the other hand, YSD performed better than the South Dakota average for students dropping out who are on an IEP, participation rates for students on IEP’s and overall suspension or expulsion rate for students with disabilities.

The district also outperformed the state average on students with disabilities being in the regular classroom more than 80 percent of the day, being in the regular class less than 40 percent of the day and being in separate facilities       altogether.

Students could be placed in special education and an IEP program because they are deaf or blind; have a cognitive, emotional, learning or orthopedic disability; autism; traumatic brain injury; or a developmental delay. Students with a speech or language impairment could also be placed in the special education program if they have a speech or language impairment, such as a stutter.

Kathy Wagner, director of student services and head of the special education program for the YSD, said students with a speech or language impairment could bring the scores and numbers up for the program.

“These students are on IEP’s but really have no academic issues,” she said.

Wagner added that she is disappointed the schools did not do better in the four-year graduation rate for students on an IEP, which was at about 73 percent — about 12 percent below the state average of 85 percent. However, she said that some students are served until they are 21, which brings the graduation rate down.

One thing that she was happy about was the 100 percent participation rate that Yankton has for students on IEPs.

“It is excellent,” she said. “It shows that you can’t just exclude kids to bring the numbers up, and schools are not allowed to do that any more.”

She noted the importance of vocational courses being offered at the high school. These classes include skilled labor jobs, including some classes being offered with the Regional Technological Education Center (RTEC).

“We have been working hard to change the mindset that kids must go to a four-year college,” Wagner said. “We need to provide classes for kids that just want to go out into the workforce.”

One of the ways that special education numbers could improve in coming years is through the new school standards that South Dakota will adopt beginning with the coming school year.

Instead of standards being specific to South Dakota, all schools in the state will move to the Common Core set of standards. The standards have been adopted by 45 states, with the main goal being to provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn.

Wagner noted the standards are not dramatically different from the ones that have been in place in the state. However, some topics are expected to be covered and mastered even earlier than they have been      previously.

“One thing we’ll try to do differently is linking the Common Core Standards to the IEP’s for students,” she said. “The 8th grade standards might not be what a particular student needs.”

She added that students on IEP’s have their own plans and goals and these must be linked to the new standards. However, she did note that some families might think that it is more important for their child to learn lifestyle skills and not necessarily what other kids are learning in the classroom.

“IEP’s are not just what schools want, they’re also what parents and guardians want, too,” Wagner said.

“Our goal is to provide the best education that we possibly can for every student that is on an IEP,” she added.

New data, which will include numbers for all students in the district, and not just those students on an IEP, are expected to be released in July.

You can follow Andrew Atwal on Twitter at www.twitter.com/andrewatwal

http://www.yankton.net/articles/2012/06/27/community/doc4fea806dd5629343137369.txt

S.D. Enacts Rule To Prevent Spread Of Asian Carp

This is a photo of an Asian Carp found in South Dakota. Asian Carp are currently found in the East and West Vermillion Rivers, the James River, Missouri River below Gavins Point Dam and the Big Sioux River. (Photo: Cari-Ann Hayer, South Dakota State University)

By Andrew Atwal
andrew.atwal@yankton.net

A recent emergency rule put in place by the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (GF&P) Commission prohibits the taking of bait in the East and West Vermillion Rivers and Firesteel Creek, below Lake Mitchell. The commission hopes the ruling will help stop the spread of Asian Carp in the state.

Commission members say the ruling was enacted because young Asian Carp are similar in appearance to a variety of different types of bait that anglers use. They hope the ruling will help alleviate the Asian Carp from spreading into other areas in South Dakota. The main objective of the ruling is to prevent any inadvertent transfer of Asian Carp by anglers.

Asian Carp were introduced into the United States in the 1970s. Bighead and Silver carp, most common in South Dakota, are currently found in bodies of water all across the country. Locally, they can be found in the James River, Missouri River below Gavins Point Dam, Big Sioux River and the East and West Vermillion rivers.

The Bighead and Silver carp can grow up to 60 pounds and reach four feet in length, and they only have small scales on their bodies. They also have low-set eyes and a large upturned mouth. One of their more distinguishable qualities is that they are known to jump out of the water when startled.

Asian Carp were first found in South Dakota just below Gavins Point Dam on the Missouri River in the late 1990s, spreading into tributaries of the Missouri River, including the James River, by the early 2000s.

John Lott, Chief of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources for the GF&P, talked about how quickly Asian Carp can spread and reproduce.

“Last year was very good for Asian Carp reproduction in South Dakota because of the high water levels from the flooding,” he said.

Lott added that Asian Carp move into spillways, and it becomes hard to differentiate them from common bait species.

“We realize the emergency ruling is affecting anglers,” he said. “However, it is a necessary step to help protect the integrity of resources and the health of fisheries in the area.”

Geno Adams, Fisheries Program Administrator for the GF&P, hopes the ruling will have a significant impact on the Asian Carp.

“I hope the ruling will inhibit the movement of Asian Carp,” he said. “This is a new and upcoming Aquatic Nuisance Species in South Dakota that is spreading incredibly rapidly.”

He noted that Asian Carp are such a big problem because they eat many of the same things that other young species also feed on. Because of this, they have a huge impact on other species’          populations.

The Silver and Big Head Carp are known to feed on Zooplankton in lakes and rivers, something that other fish species rely on for food.

“When the Asian Carp eat enough Zooplankton, it becomes unavailable to other fish species who have poor natural production,” Lott said. “This causes the population of Asian Carp to go up, and other species’ populations to go down.”

Lott added, once Asian Carp are introduced, they become very difficult to get rid of, not only because they can spread so rapidly, but also because they are very prolific reproducers — some female Asian Carp can have up to 4 million eggs, compared to up to 100,000 on a Walleye.

In addition to the ecological problems that Asian Carp present, they also pose an injury risk to citizens out on local bodies of water.

“Asian Carp are known to jump out of the water if they are startled,” Lott said. “This is a safety issue and can cause serious injury to people on boats and in the water.”

However, officials in South Dakota are hoping the steps being taken in the state will help to solve the problem.

Officials hope that, in addition to laws and regulations, information and education will help the problem.

“Knowing about the issue and its importance of stopping the spread of Asian Carp to children in schools and anglers is huge,” Lott said.

He added that each year has the potential to have strong production of Asian Carp.

Adams agreed, adding, “Education and outreach is huge to stop the spread.”

He noted the importace of angling in South Dakota.

“Angling is important to local economies,” he said. “Asian Carp can do a number on fish populations, so there are a lot of reasons to care about stopping them from spreading.”

Adams noted that other states have had to result to more desperate, and more costly, measures to deal with the problem. He’s hoping that steps being taken now will be enough to stop the Asian Carp from spreading any further in the state.

“Other states, including Illinois, are spending millions of dollars to stop the spread,” he said. “It is in the best interest of everyone in South Dakota not to have to do that.”

He went on to say the sport fishing industry in Illinois has taken a huge hit because of the Asian Carp, and hopes that does not happen in South Dakota.

“People should take this seriously,” Adams added.

Anglers who observe or capture a Silver or Bighead Carp outside of the James, Vermillion and Big Sioux Rivers, and below Gavins Point Dam, are encouraged to report their findings to the GF&P website or by calling their local GF&P office.

You can follow Andrew Atwal on Twitter at twitter.com/andrewatwal

Preparation For Counselor Under Way

By Andrew Atwal
andrew.atwal@yankton.net

As part of a newly built relationship between the Yankton School District (YSD) and Lewis and Clark Behavioral Health Services (LCBHS), a drug and alcohol counselor will be present in the middle and high school beginning this coming school year.

The goal is to have the counselor hired next month, train the person in August, and have the counselor ready to start work at the beginning of the school year.

The funding for the new position will come from the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Block Grant, which runs year-to-year. However, officials are optimistic that the funding will be available for a number of years. The counselor will also be employed by LCBHS, not the YSD.

If the funding did not become available, the schools wanted to at least get some preventative curriculum and on-going activities started.

Officials hope the new counselor will help curb drug and alcohol use in the school district which increased substantially last year.

“The overall goal of the partnership is to establish an evidence-based prevention program,” said Dr. Tom Stanage, executive director of Yankton’s Lewis and Clark Behavioral Health Services. “This is a prevention program that has demonstrated effectiveness. It is focused both on middle school and high school youth.”

There are several components of Project SUCCESS (Schools Using Coordinated Community Efforts to Strengthen Students) including designing alcohol, drug and tobacco curriculum aimed at helping students resist pressures to use substances and correcting misperceptions about substances; a parent program that includes parental education and informational meetings; individual and group counseling; and school-wide activities and promotional materials to increase the perception of the harm of substance abuse.

According to Stanage, the project was chosen after YSD and LCBHS staff reviewed similar programs that were already in place at other schools in the area. Staff members also consulted with prevention experts on the best program for students.

“Several other programs were also considered during this process,” Stanage said. “This one was chosen because it was one of the more comprehensive programs.”

The counselor will also communicate with school staff and administrators, and present information about the program at faculty and departmental meetings.

The partnership between YSD and LCBHS came as a result of an effort led by Dr. Joseph Gertsema, superintendent of YSD, to involve the community in an effort to address the alcohol and drug use problems in Yankton schools.

The counselor’s main role in the middle school will be to focus on prevention.

“We are excited about the upcoming position of a drug and alcohol counselor for the Yankton School District,” said Todd Dvoracek, principal of Yankton Middle School. “The main role at the middle school will be working on prevention.

“We are working hard at making sure that the right person is hired for the job,” Dvoracek added. “Lewis and Clark Behavioral Health has been outstanding in getting this effort into place.”

Dr. Wayne Kindle, principal of Yankton High School, thinks the new counselor will have a significant impact on drug and alcohol use in the district.

“The impact of a new counselor will be a tremendous addition to our staffing needs, in particular for drug and alcohol prevention, awareness and care,” he said.

Kindle added that drug and alcohol use is not just a concern locally, as it is also a state and national issue.

He thinks that it is easier for students to obtain both drugs and alcohol, which is a great concern. He also added that he believes there seem to be places available for students to have house parties. However, students do not necessarily need a house to use drugs or alcohol, which is a concern knowing that students would be operating vehicles under the influence.

“We chose the counselor to provide students and parents with a person who could address the areas of drug and alcohol prevention, awareness and care,” Kindle said. “We really believe that if our parents and students have a resource person available to them, we can all work as a team and have a positive impact on this area.”

Stanage added, “While no one knows why there may have been an increase in problems last year, part of the solution is in the kind of community partnerships represented by this initiative,”

You can follow Andrew Atwal on Twitter at www.twitter.com/andrewatwal

http://yankton.net/articles/2012/06/23/community/doc4fe5397fe80ac126284782.txt

http://www.yankton.net/articles/2012/06/20/community/doc4fe14b7c9888e398805796.txt

7th Annual Ag Gala Sows Seeds For Future

By Andrew Atwal
andrew.atwal@yankton.net

http://yankton.net/articles/2012/06/19/community/doc4fdfefef7b9f6563698500.txt

Mount Marty Officials Happy With Accreditation

By Andrew Atwal
andrew.atwal@yankton.net

Officials at Mount Marty College are pleased that the nursing program recently received a new 10-year accreditation from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). The last time the program was accredited, it was only given a five-year accreditation in 2007.

Dr. Joseph Benoit, president of Mount Marty, was happy when he heard the news about the new accreditation.

“A 10-year accreditation is incredible for us,” he said. “It is nice when accreditors come to town and affirm the program.”

He added that the faculty in the nursing department have been unusually busy this past year— not only did they gain accreditation, they also began the licensed practical nurse program and the masters program.

The Commission reviewed the nursing bachelors program over a three-day period in November 2011.

However, college officials began preparing for the CCNE’s arrival in fall 2010. Faculty in the nursing program conducted a year-long self-study of the program and made sure all the documents were in place for when they arrived.

As part of the three-day process, the commission interviewed all department administrators and Dr. Benoit, toured facilities available to students, looked at the library, spent time with the MMC advisory committee, talked to faculty members and also toured the clinical facilities.

Accreditation is based on the standards set by the CCNE, which include faculty development, facility review, and the technology available for students and faculty, among others.

It took the commission six months before finally passing down the 10-year accreditation, which will run through June 2022.

Dr. Jacqueline Kelley, director of graduate nursing and the MMC nursing division chair for the review process, said, “The 10-year accreditation is a reward for our hard work.”

Even though she led the committee for the review process, she said she had a strong faculty behind her.

“Because we’re a good program, the accreditation commission gave us a 10-year renewal,” she said. “However, reviewing our program is an ongoing process, and not just because the commission is coming.”

Vice President and Dean of Academic Affairs Robert Tereshinski echoed similar beliefs.

“What we’ve done in the past year really affirms that we have the credibility in the region for nursing,” he said.

“It was quite a surprise to me that they achieved everything goal-wise they set out to do this year,” Tereshinski said.

She noted that the program has consistently been accredited, even in its early days when accreditation was done through the National League of Nursing.

In regards to the new 10-year accreditation renewal, Dr. Benoit said, “This was the best seal of approval we could get on our program from an outside agency.”

However, while some things remain the same with the nursing program, others are changing.

Effective Aug. 1, Kelley will be the director of the graduate nursing program. Shelly Luger will fill Kelley’s current position of the nursing chair and director of undergraduate nursing programs.

The reason for the change, Kelley said, was because of the increased numbers of students enrolled in the program. In 2005, there were 78 students in the program, compared with more than 200 this year.

In the new position Kelley hopes to achieve accreditation for the school’s masters of science in nursing (MSN) program.

The first MSN class graduates in December 2013, with the commission coming to review the program shortly after that.

Overall, Benoit said that despite the high remarks from the CCNE, there is still room for improvement within the nursing program.

“We can take an excellent program and move it to an even higher level,” he said.

One of those major steps is implementation of a doctorate nursing program, which is slated to began in 2014 in Sioux Falls and either 2014 or 2015 in Yankton.

Another improvement includes the science renovations on the Yankton campus. Benoit said he hopes the construction renovations can begin in the fall, and expects it to be about a year-long project. After the renovations are complete, the second phase is to relocate the nursing school into another Yankton campus building, and have better space for a patient simulation area. Costs of the improvements are about $2 million for the science renovations and about $1 million for the nursing improvements.

You can follow Andrew Atwal on Twitter at www.twitter.com/andrewatwal

http://yankton.net/articles/2012/06/19/community/doc4fdfef7dc44e1167939761.txt

Norman Brings Faith Message To Town

By Andrew Atwal
andrew.atwal@yankton.net

Growing up, Les Norman did not have a normal childhood— not even close.

He grew up in a home that had poverty and a father who was abusive, angry and alcoholic.

“I struggled with anger growing up because I didn’t have a father,” Norman said.

His way of escaping the realities back home was by playing baseball. After he graduated from high school in Braidwood, Ill., he earned a gold medal with the Junior Olympic North baseball team and received a scholarship to play football and baseball at the University of St. Francis.

He was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in 1991, and earned the Royals’ minor league player of the year honor in 1993. He made his major league debut with the Royals in 1995.

Norman will speak at Mount Marty College tonight  at 7 p.m.(Tuesday) in the Marian Auditorium in Yankton.

In an event called “Putting Faith In Your Family,” Norman will speak about how you can use your faith in God to create a better relationship with your family.

One of the topics that he will address at the event will be the misconception that all professional athletes care about is money, fame and success.

“People think that the grass is always greener with money and fame,” Norman said. “However, the foundation of family cannot be money and fame, it must be faith.”

His speech will be geared towards parents and focus on how they can have better relationships with their spouses and their children.

“One of my biggest passions in life is spending tons of time with my kids and the incredible relationship I have with my wife Kristin,” he said.

“One thing I would want people to take out of my speech is to take a look in the mirror after they leave the event in order to become a better spouse and parent,” Norman added.

He will also speak about how you can experience more joy in your family by having faith in God and family.

Norman gives several reasons for why people should come to see him speak.

He said that he is an open book and has had many successes and failures in his life that people could relate to and learn from to better their own lives. He added that people will also get the chance to ask him questions after his presentation.

“I’m an open book,” Norman said. “I’m real and I’ll speak to the audience on a personal level. I’m just as much of a listener than a speaker when I speak about topics like marriage and family.”

Norman and his wife reside in the Kansas City, Mo. area and have two sons, Mack, 10, and Tayt, 7. He currently gives speeches to groups around the country and hosts a radio show in Kansas City.

Tonight’s event is free and open to the public.

You can follow Andrew Atwal on Twitter at www.twitter.com/andrewatwal

http://yankton.net/articles/2012/06/06/community/doc4fced22523b8d167927732.txt

GOP Voters Decide Local Primary Races

Stotz, Stevens Advance In D18 House Field; Johnson, Van Osdel Top County Contest

By Andrew Atwal and Emily Niebrugge
news@yankton.net

http://yankton.net/articles/2012/06/08/community/doc4fd177733c37c731235030.txt

Furan Details Battle With Depression

By Andrew Atwal
andrew.atwal@yankton.net

http://yankton.net/articles/2012/06/12/community/doc4fd6b84bcbc88006299319.txt

YSD To ‘Build A Bridge’

Yankton High School Principal Dr. Wayne Kindle addresses the audience during Monday night’s Yankton School Board meeting. The board announced it was hiring a drug/alcohol counselor due to the recent rise in the use of those substances among students. (Shauna MArlette/P&D)

School District To Hire Drug/Alcohol Counselor Through LCBHS

By Andrew Atwal
andrew.atwal@yankton.net