May/June 2016 - School District of Amery

School District of Amery
JUNE • 2016
“Innovate. Lead. Succeed.” –
this is the three-word tag line adopted
by the School District of Amery in 2015,
and no one has brought life to these
three words more than AHS juniors
Cole Jakupciak and Sam Black. Under
the encouragement and support of
Agriculture instructor Mr. Derrick Meyer,
they have designed a fully functioning
aquaponics and hydroponics system
that will advance the Amery Agriculture
department in a new direction.
The Amery aquaponics project was
originally initiated by former Technical
Education teacher Mr. Chelberg for the
Principles of Engineering class. During the
14-15 school year the tank was delivered
and rough plans were made, but when
progress stopped after Chelberg accepted
a new job, Meyer and the Ag Department
stepped in. They exchanged the 650gallon, cone-shaped tank for an 800gallon flat-bottom tank and moved the
operation to the Ag area. But, this was
not an ‘Ag Department’ project, this was a
‘Student-Driven’ project. Meyer stepped
back and entirely put the project into the
hands of Cole and Sam.
After some initial research and
returning from a visit to a similar project
at another school, Cole recalls sitting in
his truck and thinking, “There is no way
we can do this.” Both Sam and Cole admit
they knew nothing about raising tilapia
or the system necessary to complete
the project. But after hours and hours of
researching, thinking, planning, designing,
trouble-shooting and seeking resources,
the system is complete. And, it is not
the same aquaponics system they saw
at other schools, theirs is a combination
aquaponics and hydroponics system
currently raising tilapia and using the
Student-Driven
Aquaponics & Hydroponics
Project a Success
nutrients from the tilapia’s water to grow
lettuce and basil.
They set up their new 800-gallon
tank and built a deck with steps and a
rail so that students could see inside.
According to Meyer, the deck is an
example of student innovation. Schools
they visited did not have any type of
decking, and it was difficult to see down
into their tanks. On their own, Cole and
Sam designed and built the deck and
solved the problem.
Once the basic structure was in place,
they began work on a two-piece filtration
system to capture solid waste from
the tank and maintain the
bacteria growth that
is essential for the survival of the
tilapia. Equipment was also necessary
to maintain a water temperature of 80
degrees. They engineered a connection
Tilalpia currently fit in the palm of a
hand, but will grow to 12-14 inches.
between the tank and a
previously student-built
hydroponics A-frame so that they
could recycle the tank water and
utilize the nutrients to grow plants.
Finally – the fish. A handful of
goldfish were used to start the bacteria
growth necessary in the tank water. In
mid-March they introduced 250 tiny
tilapia, and all but three still survive.
Lettuce and basil that were started with
seed in the student greenhouse have
been transplanted into perlite in screen
pots to increase nutrient absorption and
then placed in the hydroponics A-frame.
The fish are thriving, lettuce and basil are
growing, and it’s working!
Though the system is complete,
Cole and Sam
are doing plenty
of maintaining,
trouble-shooting
and tweaking. For
example, the deck
was built with greentreated lumber
which is now drying
and shrinking, so they are making some
adjustments to maintain the structure.
Weekly, they test the water and clean
filters. Daily, they clean the sediment
base, maintain the water level and feed
the fish.
What’s the goal? A fish fry of course!
When the fish are done growing, in
about 6 months, Sam and Cole hope
to have some sort of community fish
fry. Ideally, they would like the fish
and the vegetables they grow to
be utilized in the school lunch
program, and they would like
to see a future Aquaculture
class to maintain the system
and continue utilizing it.
Both Cole and Sam
were quick to share
that this project has
forced them to utilize
and improve upon a
variety of important
skills: carpentry,
math, plumbing,
chemistry,
horticulture,
problemsolving,
research,
budgeting,
designing,
design and build their own A-frame, and
to get more students involved that could
have learned along the way with them to
ease the training that will be necessary
next year when it is time to hand off the
project.
According to Mr. Meyer, “The idea
is to get students to take ownership in
the project so they learn how to become
entrepreneurs. Hopefully these students
come back to Amery and start their own
businesses and raise their families in our
community and have their kids go to our
schools.”
This is just the beginning. Mr. Meyer
stated, “We would like to eventually not
only raise fish but many other livestock
and crops for our school. This project is
just the beginning of
where we want to go not
only in the Agriculture
department, but also
in the Technology,
Family and Consumer
Education and Business
departments.” n
“We would like to eventually not only raise fish
but many other livestock and crops for our school.
This project is just the beginning...”
construction, time-management, and
agronomy, to name a few.
For Cole, he has learned that he can
do anything he sets his mind to, “We have
made this awesome system that we never
thought we could.”
Sam has always liked to do things
Funding resources: A portion of the $39,000
on his own and has learned that
Wisconsin CTE Incentive Grant (Act 59) awarded
working with a partner really does have
to Amery Schools for the large number of youth
benefits because additional input and
apprentices, a grant from Tractor Supply Company in
working together has led them to the
St Croix Falls, and a donation from AgStar.
best solutions. Sam also learned that
farmers are capable of growing quite a
Photos courtesy of Bob Johnson
bit of food with
little land, and if
more innovative
techniques were
used, land use
and productivity
could be greatly
improved.
Part of the
learning process is
always to evaluate
and assess. If they
were to start over,
what would they
do differently?
They would like to
start from scratch
rather than pick up
where someone
Carl Oman inspects lettuce growing in the
else left off, to
hydroponics A-frame
Students Raise Money
for Latrines in Haiti
Lien Elementary School recently
completed a service learning project in
partnership with CHI, Community Health
Initiative, to promote an international
project called “Drop in the Bucket for
Haiti Coin Drive.” All proceeds collected
will be used to build latrines in rural and
poor communities in Haiti. Dr. Paul Elbing
from the Amery Hospital & Clinic met with
students and shared his experience of
volunteering in rural Haitian communities.
Students learned that only 1 out of 5
Haitians has access to a sanitary toilet.
Building a latrine is not only about personal
hygiene, it is about improving public
health, increasing agricultural productivity,
decreasing environmental damages and
providing low cost sanitation.
Each elementary student was provided
a resealable bag for families to deposit a
coin each time a family member used their
flushable toilet over a period of two weeks.
The Lien Elementary goal was to raise $500,
but instead students and staff collected over
$1,200!
The project ended with a celebration
and an all-school game of ‘Toilet Tag.” n
Praying Mantis
Project – Be
Observant, Attentive
and Inventive
Brown Trout
By Ashleigh Holloman, Addie Amundson
and Miguel Herrera (grade 5)
At the beginning of the school year,
Trout Unlimited (TU) contacted Mr. Fisk
Seventh grade students in Mrs.
to see if we would want to raise trout in
Rochester’s Science classes are working the classroom. Mr. Fisk thought about the
on a project based learning engineering learning possibilities involved and said
unit. The goal is to build a dwelling
yes! TU donated the cooler, chiller, filter,
which will allow a praying mantis to
and the brown trout in eyed egg stage
survive for a 4-month period, as it grows from the DNR and delivered them into our
and develops from a ¼-inch nymph to
classroom in the middle of December. a 4-inch adult, by attending to the six
We put the 150 eggs in a basket in
needs of all living organisms.
the tank that had to be at a constant of
Students must know their subject
48-52 degrees Fahrenheit. Over the next
by researching the niche of the
four months, we released the trout into
praying mantis; designing and drawing
the tank and learned about how fragile
a blueprint of the mantis dwelling;
trout are, PH, ammonia, tank care,
building the structure; and testing,
growth rate, trout life cycle, filter
re-designing, modifying and completing failure, redneck filters, and more.
their structure. They must apply their
We will be releasing the survivors
knowledge of the needs of the praying
in the Willow River on May 20. n
mantis as well as the effect that both
biotic and abiotic factors have on the
survival of the praying mantis. n
Dr. Elbing is pictured above to the left with students in Mrs. Leadholm’s class.
NIcholas Hahn and Owen Dodge, in center photo, build a praying mantis dwelling.
You ARE INVITED!
FREE Summer Meals for ages 18 and younger
Amery Lien Elementary School
ALL SUMMER
Monday-Friday June 13-August 19 (skip July 4)
Breakfast 7:50-8:20 am • Lunch 11:15 am - 12:15 pm
Amery Middle School
DURING JUNE SUMMER SCHOOL
Monday-Friday June 13-July 1
Breakfast 7:50-8:20 am • Lunch 11:25-11:50 am
Scholarship Winners 2016
AgStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Meikah Dado
Amery American Legion Post 169 . . . . . . . . . . . . Nathan Thompson
Amery Archery Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hannah Julson
Amery Education Association . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hunter Marko
.
Emily Klitgard, Kylee Olson, Mykaela Otto
Amery Farmers Union Cooperative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Peter Elwood
Amery FFA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Meikah Dado, Jillian Jensen, Kellie Kjeseth
Amery Fire Department . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jacob Howell
Amery Free Press Spring Show . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jocelyn Berding
Amery High School Student Council . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jack Ince
Amery Hospital and Clinic Health Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Turner Luke
Amery Hospital and Clinic Volunteer Partners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Katlyn Fouks,
Hannah Fornengo, Peter Place, Hailey Streich
Amery Ladies VFW Auxiliary Post 7929 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alicia Cran,
Kellie Kjeseth, Alicia Monson
Amery Lions Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hannah Julson, Braeden Rimestad,
Andrew Smith, Kassandra Swiontek
Amery Police Department Kops & Kids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . McKenzie Ruud
Amery Technical Products, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brendon Schultz
Amery Telcom, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Meikah Dado, Johannes Bjorge
Amery Woman’s Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carly Stephenson
AnnMarie Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alicia Cran
Appointment to United States Naval Academy-Annapolis . . . . . . . Emily Klitgard
Appointment to United States Military Academy-West Poin . . . Bennett Paulson
Arnold Olson Memorial Golden Age Manor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carly Stephenson
Ashley Severson Memorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nathan Thompson
Bill Baldwin Band Booster’s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Elizabeth Hutchens
Boake Christensen Memorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Timothy Fredrick
Bookworm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alicia Cran, Kassandra Swiontek
Bremer Bank, N.A., Amery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mykaela Otto
Brigadier General Arvid M. and Mona Flanum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Janessa Kelly
Burnett-Dairy Cooperative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kellie Kjeseth
Byron Burman Masonic Memorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Erika Heiden
Byron Burman Memorial Lions Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lilly Soderberg
Carlson Highland & Co., LLP . . . . . . . . . Braeden Rimestad, Nathan Thompson
Carlson Memorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kylee Olson
Countryside Cooperative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Meikah Dado
Daryl K. and Lois Lien Memorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brett Schulte
Deer Park Fire Department . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kellie Kjeseth
Deer Park First Responders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nathan Thompson
Diane A. Fansler Academic Excellence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Andrew Smith
Dick’s Fresh Market . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carly Stephenson
Dr. Valentine Kremser Memorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lilly Soderberg
Dynatronix, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Emily Klitgard
Eddie H. and Donald L. Olson . . . . . . . Brittany Estes, Kellie Kjeseth,
Alicia Monson, Braeden Rimestad, Nathan Thompson
FCCLA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mykaela Otto
Foremost Farms USA, Agricultural Education . . . . . Meikah Dado
Friends of the Library . . . . . . . Meikah Dado, Braeden Rimestad
Friends of the Library/Marlene Grasser Memorial . . . . . . . . . .
Mykaela Otto
Henry Yetter Wrestling . . . Jonathan Benitez, Andrew Smith
Herb Kohl Excellence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Nathan Thompson
Herb Kohl Initiative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Elijah Newton
Ira & Mary Lindgren Masonic . . . . . . . . Ashley Simonson
Jim and Felice Leadholm . . . . . . . . . . . . Samantha Otis
John Legut Memorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Casey Brune
Class of 2016
Johnathan Thomas Carnine Memorial Civil Engineering . . . Elijah Newton
Kelli Elmer Memorial R.N. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lilly Soderberg
Kevin Prindle Memorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hunter Marko
Kristen Koehler Memorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kaylie Johnson
LeRoy A. Peterson Memorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Andrew Smith
Linda Behling Memorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mykaela Otto
Manufacturing Works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cody Thomsen
Marcia Pyle Memorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kara Standaert
Marcia Pyle Memorial/Amery Community Theater . . . . . Jocelyn Berding,
Meikah Dado, Lilly Soderberg, Kassandra Swiontek
Mary Richey Global Volunteer Award . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mykaela Otto
Matthew’s Fine Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bennett Paulson
Matthew’s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jonathan Benitez
Michael Severson Memorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alicia Cran
Milton F. Simon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . August Swenson
Minglewood, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . August Swenson
Mitchell Nicholas Hodgson, Chyanne Schutts
Mooney . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hannah Roe
National FFA- America’s Farmers Grow Ag Leadership . . . . Meikah Dado
National FFA – Ram Trucks Dealer/Bernard’s Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Kellie Kjeseth
New Richmond Farmers Union Cooperative . . . . . . . . . . . . Jillian Jensen,
Elijah Newton
New Richmond Masonic Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . Christopher Springett
Novitzke, Gust, Sempf, Whitley & Bergmanis . . . . . . . . . . Kolten Espinosa
Palmer H. and Onilea Sondreal Memorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jack Ince
Patrick Hessler Memorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Candace Slater
Paul Roberts Memorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Meng (Angel) Zhao
Polk Burnett Citizen Scholar . . . . . . . . . . . . . Casey Brune, Meikah Dado,
Erika Heiden, Brett Schulte
Polk County Farm Bureau . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Meikah Dado
Polk County Historical Society . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Margaret Armbrust
Ranger Jeremy Bird Memorial . . . . . . . . . Jonathan Benitez, Turner Luke,
Hunter Marko, Elijah Newton, Bennett Paulson, Andrew Smith
Ronald McDonald House Charities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alicia Cran
Ruby’s Pantry of Amery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kolten Espinosa
Sadie and John Burman Memorial Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Elli Meagher
School Store . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . McKenzie Ruud
Sid Bjorkman Memorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jack Ince
Snowmobile Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Katlyn Fouks, Braeden Rimestad
St. Croix Electric Cooperative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kellie Kjeseth
Stone Creek Custom Interiors, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bennett Paulson
Susan Gust Memorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kellie Kjeseth, Andrew Smith
The Oral Surgery Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alicia Monson
Turek Serendipity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Meng (Angel) Zhao
Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7929
Alicia Cran, Nathan Thompson
Volga . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . August Swenson
Warrior Warehouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carly Stephenson
Wears Family and Friends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kylee Olson
WESTconsin Credit Union . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Meikah Dado
Wisconsin Academic Excellence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alicia Cran
Wisconsin FFA Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Meikah Dado
Wisconsin Technical Excellence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kyle Trandum
Woodland Lakes Rotary STRIVE . . . . . . . . . Katlyn Fouks, Janessa Kelly,
Mitchell Spafford
Worn Again . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hannah Roe
On Senior Awards Night
,
142 scholarships were presented to the Class of 2016. The amount of local
money awarded to students was $124.352. Adding money from corporations,
families and individuals outside of the Amery community, the Class of 2016 has
received a total of $824,352 including the Academic Excellence Awards, the
Technical Excellence Award, an appointment to the US Naval Academy, and
an appointment to the US Military Academy in West Point.
Special Honors
Alicia
Cran
Class of 2016
Emily
Klitgard
Alicia
Monson
Braeden
Rimestad
Andrew
Smith
Nathan
Thompson
AWARDS OF DISTINCTION:
Summa Cum Laude – GPA of 4.250 or higher, Gold Ribbon
Alicia Cran
Emily Klitgard
Alicia Monson
Braeden Rimestad
Andrew Smith
Nathan Thompson
Magna Cum Laude – GPA of 4.100 to 4.249, Silver Ribbon
Kolten Espinosa
Britany Estes
Timothy Fredrick
Jillian Jensen
Turner Luke
Hannah Roe
Brett Schulte
Lilly Soderberg
Cum Laude – GPA of 3.950 to 4.099, White Ribbon
Johannes Bjorge
Meikah Dado
Jack Ince
Hannah Julson
Kellie Kjeseth
Elli Meagher
Mykaela Otto
Meng (Angel) Zhao
Senior Honors
CITIZENSHIP AWARD: Upper 10% of class; in at least 5 extra-curricular activities; recognition as a class officer or officer of an
extra-curricular activity, letter winner, or participation in district or regional or sectional or state competition.
Kolten Espinosa-Letter
Jillian Jensen-Gold
Emily Klitgard-Gold
Alicia Monson-Gold
Andrew Smith-Silver
Lilly Soderberg-Silver
Nathan Thompson-Gold
NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY:
Johannes Bjorge
Alicia Cran
Peter Elwood
Kolten Espinosa
Timothy Fredrick
Jack Ince
Hannah Julson
Emily Klitgard
Alicia Monson
Samantha Otis
Peter Place
Braeden Rimestad
Andrew Smith
Lilly Soderberg
Meikah Dado
Brittany Estes
Jillian Jensen
Turner Luke
Mykaela Otto
Hannah Roe
Nathan Thompson
MIDDLE BORDER CONFERENCE SCHOLAR ATHLETES: Alicia Monson & Bennett Paulson
WIAA SCHOLAR ATHLETE: Alicia Monson
NATIONAL SCHOOL CHORAL AWARD: Meikah Dado
JOHN PHILIP SOUSA INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC AWARD: Meikah Dado
LOUIS ARMSTRONG JAZZ AWARD: Jillian Jensen
OUTSTANDING ENGLISH STUDENT: Mykaela Otto
WISCONSIN GLOBAL SCHOLAR: Braeden Rimestad
FRENCH AWARDS – Les Meilleurs Eleves: Brittany Estes, Alicia Monson,
Samantha Otis, Braeden Rimestad
SPANISH AWARDS – Alicia Cran, Katlyn Fouks, Jillian Jensen, Kellie Kjeseth, and Ashley Simonson
STUDENT COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVES: Jack Ince, President; Riley Walz, Vice President
WIAA INDIVIDUAL STATE ATHLETIC CHAMPIONS: Hunter Marko, 4x Wrestling;
Alicia Monson, Cross Country & Track & Field; Bennett Paulson, 2x Wrestling.
U.S. MILITARY ACADEMY APPOINTMENTS: Emily Klitgard, US Naval Academy, Annapolis;
Bennett Paulson, West Point, Army, New York
Letter
from the
District
Administrator
School District
Retirees
Greetings!
First, I want to give a shout-out to the amazing Amery community
for the great support for the students in our community! Here are
some statistics regarding the Senior Awards Night held May 18:
• 54 seniors applied for scholarships
• 56% of applicants were girls and 44% were boys
• 92% of the boys and 93% of the girls who applied
received scholarships
• 142 scholarships were awarded
• Local money given out to students totaled $124,352
• The Class of 2016 received a total of $824,352 in scholarship money
(This includes an Academic Excellence Award totaling $9,000 for four
years, a Technical Excellence Award totaling $6,750 for three years,
an appointment to the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland
estimated to be $350,000 and an appointment to the US Military
Academy in West Point, New York estimated to be $350,000).
Secondly, we have made great progress on the School District of
Amery Strategic Plan, a guiding document for our future. This was
drafted with input from school staff, community representatives
and students, and will now be presented to the Amery Board of
Education for approval. The draft of the Strategic Plan is available
on the school website, and everyone is encouraged to read it.
As we approach the end of the school year, many
tremendous activities like concerts, awards night and
graduation are taking place. I continue to meet hundreds
of new community members, parents, students and staff
members. All school year I have taken an ‘Attitude of
Gratitude’ for the great community and schools we
have and that I have the opportunity to be a part
of. I consistently see the sincerity, thoughtfulness
and great job our educators, including all support
staff, do with the children of our community. I
know this much, we are in great hands with the
excellent preparation our students receive.
Again, I have to state what a great opportunity
I have to serve the school district and
community of Amery! The School District
of Amery is on its way to being one of the
premier school districts in the state in all
phases of educational experience.
Katherine Emholtz
Sheryl Flatten
Karen Foust
MS Language Arts Teacher-23
School Nutrition-16
Para-Educator-6
Susan Karpenske
Gail Kuhl
Melissa Lee
School Nutrition-39
K-12 Media Specialist/
HS Phy. Ed. Teacher-26
HS Secretary-19
Eugene Meyer
Kori Nelson
Lindell Olson
Elizabeth Pedersen
Beverly Peirson
Patricia Slater
MS Math Teacher-20
ES Teacher-31
Special Ed. Teacher-24
James Kuchta
District Administrator n
Zoe Thouin-Rochester
MS Science Teacher-26
District Admin. Asst.-26
IS & MS Teacher-24
Bus Driver-12
Alumni Spotlights
Megan
CLAREY
Nick
PEET
• AHS Class of 1997 •
• AHS Class of 2007 •
Academic background
Academic background
BS in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology from University of
Wisconsin at Eau Claire (UWEC)
Academic background: Bachelor of Arts in Film Production
from Bard College
PhD in Molecular & Cell Biology from the University of
California at Berkeley (UCB)
Professional background and current employment:
Registered Patent Agent with the United States Patent &
Trademark Office (USPTO)
Professional background and current employment:
While interning at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
during the summers of my undergraduate studies I fell in love
with California and decided to pursue my PhD at UC-Berkeley.
At Berkeley I studied the mechanism of DNA replication and
discovered details as to how this process is regulated. After
graduation, I passed the patent bar and worked for Morrison &
Foerster LLP in San Francisco prosecuting and litigating patents.
While I enjoyed working with the inventors, I wanted to work
more closely with applied technology, so I transitioned into a
global product development role with Bio-Rad Laboratories.
This opportunity allowed me to work with scientists all over
the world as well as gain experience in international business.
After five years with Bio-Rad, my husband convinced me to
move back to his native Australia where I accepted a position
with Illumina, a company pioneering DNA sequencing.
Most recently, I was recruited to be Head of Marketing
& Commercialization for Merck where I look forward to
integrating Sigma-Aldrich as part of a recent acquisition.
How did your experiences at Amery Schools contribute to
your professional career?
My experiences contributed to my professional development
in several ways. First, the opportunity to perform experiments
(even as early as 8th grade in Mr. Byerly’s class) helped spark
my interest in biology and chemistry. This continued into
high school thanks to Mr. Schieffer and Mr. Yetter. Linking the
lecture topics to hands-on experiments such as transforming
bacteria to glow fluorescent green helped solidify the concepts
of molecular biology that are still relevant to my day-to-day
work. Second, the importance of focus in order to learn was
driven home to me by Mrs. Gjerde. Third, the necessity of
reading was instilled most memorably by Mr. Butcher and Mr.
Sauvé. Amery prepared me for success by teaching me how to
continually experiment and learn. n
Days after graduating from college, I moved from New York to Los
Angeles to pursue my dream of filmmaking. I found a job in the writer’s
room of the television show Grimm. After a few years of hard work
there I was given the opportunity to write and direct a standalone
Grimm web series with some of the actors on the show. My work on
that project qualified me to become inducted into the Writers Guild of
America in January of 2014. Last year I directed my first pilot for NBC
and also sold my first hour-long dramatic pilot script. As well as my
freelance writing, directing and producing I am currently the Executive
Manager of Development for the production company (Hazy Mills)
that created Grimm, as well as Hot in Cleveland, Hollywood Game
Night, and a number of other shows.
How did your experiences at Amery Schools contribute to your
professional career?
Every student, in their own way, is forced to balance their
workload with their social life. It’s unavoidable. Turns out,
it’s also something that extends itself into adult life. I
wouldn’t go so far as to say you never really leave high
school, but you never really leave high school. I was
by no means ever in danger of failing academically,
but I wasn’t exactly the valediction either, if you
get my drift. What I learned most from my time at
Amery High was simple. It’s so important to just
pay attention to the people around you, always.
And always challenge yourself to be involved, to
interact and to collaborate as much as humanly
possible. Because far beyond anything it was
the people, but also the values and especially
the community of teachers, classmates, and
coaches that proved to be the bedrock for
the skills that got me where I am today.
Don’t get me wrong, talent and hard
work will always be the most important
tools you can possess, but nine times
out of ten, having the added bonus
of social skills will get you the
opportunity to have your voice not
only heard but valued. n
www.amerysd.k12.wi.us
Non-Profit
Organization
U.S. Postage Paid
Amery, WI 54001
Permit #20
Amery School District
543 Minneapolis Avenue
Amery, WI 54001
POSTAL PATRON
Summer Youth Recreation
For complete information, registration forms, website links and contact information, go
to the School District of Amery website (www.amerysd.k12.wi.us), ‘Community’ tab and
click on ‘Youth Booster Sports & Rec’ OR access information on the school APP
Amery Community
Education
Warrior Basketball Camp
For Boys & Girls entering grades 4-9 in fall 2016
Date: July 18-21
Girls: 8:30 am - 11:30 am Boys: 1:30 - 4:30 pm
$75 includes camp t-shirt
Junior Golf
Tennis CLINIC for Girls
For Girls entering grades 6-12 in fall 2016
June 6-10 from 10-11:30 am
Bring athletic shoes and a racket
$35 (deduct $5 if participating in League & the Clinic)
Tennis LEAGUE for Girls
One mini-lesson per week followed by supervised
play. For Girls entering grades 5-9 in fall 2016
Mondays, June 13, 20 & 27; July 4, 11 & 18
3:30-5 pm
Bring athletic shoes and a racket
$30 (deduct $5 if in the League and the Clinic)
For Boys & Girls entering grades 1-10 in fall 2016
Mondays—June 6, 13, 20, 27 Jr Tourney July 11
**Grades 1-3, lesson 1-2:30 & on course 2:30-4 pm
**Grades 4-6, lesson 2:30-4 & on course 1-2:30 pm
**Grades 7-10 lesson 4-5:30 & on course 2:30-4 pm
$40: lessons, on-course time, Jr Tourney & t-shirt
Register with the Amery Golf Club
Call 715-268-7213 or visit www.amerygolfclub.com
for a registration form
Summer Tennis Camp for Boys
WrestLing: Marko’s ‘Nothing but Feet’ MiniCamp for Wrestlers entering grades 4-12 in fall 2016
June 6-9 5:30-7:00 pm $45
For Girls and Boys with match play experience from a
high school team or tournament play.
Tuesdays, June 7, 14, 21, 28 & July 12, 19, 26
6-8 pm $15
Softball Skills & Drills Camp
For Girls entering grades 5-9 in fall 2016
June 13-16 from 9 am - 12 pm
$50 includes camp t-shirt if registered by May 30
Volleyball Camp
For Girls enrolled in Amery Schools and entering
grades 5-8 in fall 2016. A 2-day skills camp coached
by former Div I VB players.
July 11-12 from 4-6 pm $60
For Boys entering grades 5-9 in fall of 2016
Focus will be on the basic strokes and strategies
June 6-10 from 4-5:30 pm $20
Bring athletic shoes and a racket. If you don’t have
a racket, let Coach Olson know in advance that you
will need to borrow one.
Youth Tackle Football
Amery & surrounding area youth entering grades 3-6
Registration open May 16—June 4
New players $125 Returning players $75
Equipment provided
Practices Tues & Thurs beginning August 9
Scrimmages Saturdays and one Friday evening
in September/early October
Register by June 4 through Amery Community Ed
Email: [email protected] Call: 715.410.0834
Maximum Velocity Track & Field Club
Boys & Girls in grades 2—12
A fun opportunity to practice track & field events and
compete throughout the summer if you choose
1st practice: June 1, 5:30-7 pm
Download full details under ‘Community’ tab of the
Amery School District website
CONNECT WITH
YOUR SCHOOL
High School Coed Tennis League
Strength & Conditioning Camp
www.amerysd.k12.wi.us
QR code to website
APP – free from the App Store or Google
Play. Includes the school calendar,
athletic events, social media links, menus,
staff directory, Comm. Ed link
Facebook –
School District of Amery
Twitter - @AmerySchools
For Boys & Girls ages 12-15
During the 4-week camp, we will focus on
2016 DANIELSON STAGE CONCERT SERIES
Instagram – ameryschools
developing each young athlete’s strength, flexibility,
power, speed, coordination, agility and balance.
Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Thursdays
June 7-30
2:30-3:30 pm
$125.00
YouTube – Amery Schools
Registration at the Fitness Center 715-268-0117
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Amery Community Club
Presents
FRI, JUNE 17 @ 6:30 PM
FRI, JULY 15 @ 7:00 PM
FRI, AUGUST 19 @ 7:00 PM
THE WHITESIDEWALLS
~~~
CHRIS HAWKEY
~~~
THE JIMMIES
~~~
5:00-6:30 STUDEBAKERS
5:00-7:00 CATTAIL MOON
5:00-7:00 CHARLIE & CHRIS