Tue, 04/20/2021 - 2:45pm
Riley School. (Photo courtesy Stewardship Education Alliance)
Children’s House Montessori School. (Photo courtesy Stewardship Education Alliance)
PeoplePlace. (Photo courtesy Stewardship Education Alliance)
CAMDEN Four area school teachers will be getting their feet wet this summer as a result of educational grants awarded by the Stewardship Education Alliance (S.E.A.), a year-old nonprofit working to increase community awareness of and efforts toward becoming better stewards of the Midcoast’s water resources and fragile watersheds.
Kisha Marsh and Deb McSweyne, both teachers at Camden Rockport Middle School; Germaine Koomen, a teacher at Children’s House Montessori School in Camden; and Sessa Salas, a teacher at Camden’s PeoplePlace school, have been awarded study grants for courses in aquaponics being taught this July at Herring Gut Learning Center in Port Clyde.
Educators and historians want politics kept out of new history and civics initiative
In the months since Noem announced her civics and history proposal, the volatility of proposing a new statewide initiative was made clear as criticism arose on several fronts.
Written By:
Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch | 2:51 pm, Apr. 15, 2021 ×
The burial of Native Americans killed by U.S. troops at Wounded Knee, South Dakota in 1890 is one of the events that some state historians feel must be part of any history curriculum provided to public schools. (Photo courtesy South Dakota State Historical
Society)
Educators, historians and some elected officials are urging South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and the state Department of Education to keep politics and personal bias out of the process to develop a new and enhanced civics and history education initiative for public K-12 schools across the state.
Educators, historians and some elected officials are urging South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and the state Department of Education to keep politics and personal bias out of the process to develop a new and enhanced civics and history education program for public K-12 schools across the state.
In her State of the State speech in January, the governor proposed one-time funding to enhance and expand teaching of civics and history in public schools, and the state Legislature approved her $900,000 request during the spring session.
In response, the state education department has embarked on development of the South Dakota Civics and History Initiative, a two-year, four-pronged plan to create new teaching content, provide new resources and training for teachers, and increase access to civic and historical lessons and experiences for students, especially at the elementary level. When the plan is finalized, use of the program will be optional for school districts.
Feb 26, 2021
NEW ULM The New Ulm Planning Commission selected Upper Cottonwood, Pollinator Park, Maplewood and Lakeside Village as the top locations to develop neighborhood parks.
Over the last few months, New Ulm has been reviewing existing and proposed parks for development. The Park and Recreation Commission took the lead on creating a ranking system to identify the most appropriate location for the next park.
The Planning Commission has also participated in the review process. Last month, the Planning Commission members each identified their top three choices for the next park. Upper Cottonwood, Laekside Village and Maplewood were ranked the highest by the Planning Commissioners, but they deferred any further action until more information was available on the Parks Commission’s evaluation process.
cschuldt@nujournal.com
NEW ULM The Planning Commission joined the conversation about where New Ulm’s next neighborhood park will be located.
The Park and Recreation Commission is currently reviewing existing and proposed park areas within the community and establishing a ranking system for future park acquisition and development efforts.
This process is intended to identify the area in greatest need of a neighborhood park. Park and Recreation Director Tom Schmitz has indicated that a neighborhood park should have three features: a shelter, playground equipment and a field area.
The staff has recommended that the Planning Commission take an active role in this process and identify the top three areas for further development.