MUSCATINE, Iowa — Good news was the theme for Monday night’s regular Muscatine School Board meeting.

Homework Help program

The Board heard a presentation on the District’s Homework Help program,  by Becky Wichers, principal of Grant Elementary School and Mary Jane Maher, assistant principal at Central Middle School.

The program offers elementary students in grades 3-5 and middle school students assistance with their homework after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

The students and their parents were surveyed in March, said Wichers, and close to 100 percent said the program, which meets from 3:30-4:30 p.m., helps students improve their

achievement.

Wichers and Maher said there are 22 teachers conducting the program, now in its third year, for 350 elementary students. Five teachers assist 43 middle-school students this year.

The program costs between $40,000 and $45,000 to run, said Wichers and $10,000 of that money comes from Muscatine Charities. The rest is paid for through the District’s At Risk funds. The funding pays for healthy snacks for the students and teachers’ wages.

Jan Collinson, District director of special programs, said one student said the program makes it possible to spend more time enjoying his family.

“That is a powerful statement,” said Collinson.

Good news

The Board began the evening with a recognition   of Vicki Connelly, Garfield-Franklin Elementary School principal, who was selected as Elementary Principal of the Year.

The Board also heard from teachers Sue Johan-nsen, who teaches at West Middle School, and Robin Griggs, Colorado Elemen-tary, who were selected for the Stanley Foundation Catherine Miller Explorer Awards in 2008. 

Johannsen traveled to Iceland and Griggs went to Australia, with expenses paid by the Stanley Foundation. 

Both teachers said the countries they traveled to make extensive use of

geothermal energy to heat and cool their homes and buildings.

Johannsen said fishing is the main industry in Iceland, a country that has been especially hard hit by the global economic crisis.

The people of Australia appear generally physically fit and health conscious, said Griggs.

“They told me I had to hike and follow them, or they’d leave me behind,” she said. “And they would.”

Griggs and Johannsen said they are available to give presentations to community and school groups  on their adventures and can be contacted through the Musca-tine Community School District at 563-263-7223.

In other business

- The Board also voted to hire Debi Welk as principal of Madison Elementary School.  Two of the seven Board members, Robin Krueger and Clyde Evans, were absent for the vote. Of the five remaining, Board President Tom Welk abstained because Debi Welk is a member of his family. The vote was left to the four remaining Board members.

Three — Jerry Lange, Paul Brooks and Tammi Drawbaugh — voted yes. Board member Joyce Haller voted no because Welk was a teacher at Madison and Haller said she doesn’t believe it’s good practice to hire former teachers into a supervisory position at the same school because she is concerned there is a possibility it could lead to favoritism.

- Muscatine High School senior Johnnie Jindrich told the Board that the annual MHS Student Council elections take place this week, with candidates giving speeches Thursday, April 16, and voting on Friday, April 17.