NRHEG School Board

By REED WALLER

Staff Writer

What difference has the new technology made to the way learning is done in our schools?

That question was addressed Monday evening as NRHEG seventh and ninth grade students made iPad-assisted presentations to the school board on the progress of their projects.

Food waste composting

Four of Mrs. Feist’s seventh-graders described how their group had organized around the problem of food waste in the New Richland cafeteria. They were developing a plan whereby they could convert thrown-away food to compost.

At school breakfast and lunch they monitored and collected the trash. On one day they had 42 lbs. of waste. The trash was wheeled into the lab and dumped on plastic covered tables where they sorted it. They separated out 27 lbs. of recyclables (breakfast produces more recyclables because of the high amount of plastic serving containers), and the remainder was divided into garbage and organic material for compost. Means of producing and maintaining compost heaps from the waste material were examined.

What could be done with the compost? It could be sold to gardeners. Sequoia Landscaping has expressed an interest in buying. It could also be used for the school garden.

The group is hoping to expand, involving the Soils class and students from other grades, to form a Compost Committee.

Media Center facelift

A group of ninth graders under Mr. Weber demonstrated how they’ve attacked the problem of the new, smaller New Richland Media Center. The students had consolidated from several groups brainstorming the problem. Their goal was to make the Media Center “feel more cozy, and make people want to be there.”

First they created a digital plan of the layout and floor plan, measuring and modeling the area, furniture and bookshelves, to evaluate and experiment on the computer. Brainstorming ensued, with suggestions as far-flung as having an indoor pool (dismissed). Consensus was reached on moving the bookshelves against the walls to open up the space, providing more comfortable seating, and repainting the space blue over the current dark red. The bookshelves and existing tables and furniture have already been rearranged, and board members were able to see the improvement in comfort and spaciousness.

Program Based Learning goes back to the teachings of pioneer educator John Dewey, who promoted the idea of “learning by doing” and students collaborating in a problem-solving context. Today’s new communication technology makes such interdisciplinary collaboration easier and more immediately productive.

School sidewalks

Supt. Goodwin reviewed the progress with the City of New Richland over the sidewalk/curb and gutter/road situation. Goodwin met with Cody Dobberstein to produce a proposal. A scenario “more palatable for all parties” was produced wherein the school removes and replaces the sidewalk on their own, splits the cost of curb and gutter with the City, and has the City handle the road and remainder of curb and gutter.

“This would eliminate the need for much of the engineering costs,” Goodwin said in his report.

Ellendale infrastructure

A bid from BusinessWare Solutions for completing the revamp of the Ellendale school infrastructure was approved. The price tag of $14,273.44 covers new switches and accompanying hardware for 35 access points.

The wiring has already been completed for this job.

Funding for this project is partially in place. $5,000 will be coming from Ellendale Bank, and $1,000 of the Monsanto grant money is earmarked for it, leaving a total of about $10,000 remaining to be applied to it.

“This will mean Ellendale will be completely done,” said Goodwin.

House south of school

The district has closed on the house purchase, and the house has been winterized and supplied with electricity, and insured.

Goodwin told the board he has been discussing the cost of asbestos removal and also of the New Richland Fire Dept. burning down the house.

Board chair Rick Schultz was quick to add that the building and grounds committee will be “exploring other options” to demolition.

This year’s Truth in Taxation hearing will be held Monday, Dec. 16 at 6:00 p.m., immediately preceding the regular board meeting.