Final Stop on the SWUU Tour Winds Into Shenandoah

Team ISEA leader and Chair of the ISEA ESP standing committee, Toni Graham, made all the arrangements for my Thursday afternoon, April 24th visit to the Shenandoah Community School District.

Toni Graham (pictured at right) is a support staff person working with technology here in Shenandoah and is past president of the Shenandoah Support Associates (SSA) and current Chief Negotiator for her local.

The entire K-8 staff was treated to a delicious luncheon provided by the PTA for Staff Appreciation Day. Boy did I luck out on the day to visit, what a delicious treat for all!

Following lunch, Toni and I headed to the Life Skills program facility. We were greeted by teacher John Hallman who gave me a guided tour of the facility and described their program. Pictured at left is teacher associate, Marsha Stribling, with some of the students in the program. The group had just finished cleaning up after the lunch they made. John and Marsha make a dynamic team in providing a varied program to prepare students for their years beyond school.

Toni and I were next off to the Administration Building. Here the Pre-School program is housed and we had the chance to observe the children wiggling and jiggling as they danced and sang a familiar tune. I had the chance to read aloud a book selected by teacher Christine. The pre-schoolers are pictured (at right) with their teacher. Toni and I stopped in the Superintendent's office so I could introduce myself too.

We were next off to Shenandoah High School. Here we had the chance to meet many of the high school teachers in the school gym as they were conducting registration for next school year. Teachers were set at tables around the perimeter of the gym by curriculum area. Each teacher had sheets in front of them labeled for each class they would be leading in the fall. Student's (and we observed the incoming 10th grade) names were called out and they sat in order on the bleachers to await their turn to sign up. Those with the best attendance were the first in line! It was the first time they had tried this method of registration. It sure looked like it was working to me!

Our Shenandoah visit returned to the Elementary/Middle School building. In the elementary, I found myself in the 1st grade classroom of 20 year Shenandoah EA leader, Mrs. Marcia Johnson (on the left with her homeroom). I read aloud the book The Relatives Came, by Cynthia Rylant. Mrs. Johnson then had students as a group recite a number of poems from their personal poetry collection books. My favorite was when they sang the "Shenandoah Fight Song"!










At the end of their day of instruction, staff joined us in the lounge for cookies, iced tea and conversation. Here are just a few of the three dozen folks that stopped by to greet us.



















Anne Travis (above-bottom/right) joined us for a few minutes before heading back to her classroom. Anne is SWUU's representative on the ISEA Executive Board and a Talented and Gifted teacher here in Shenandoah.

Thanks Toni Graham for the great afternoon in Shenandoah! Thanks to all Shenadoah leaders on Team ISEA! It was great to see you all again! Thanks for all you do every day for Iowa's students!