Spotlight on Students

All of the hard work Cromwell-Wright students have put in since those first exciting days of kindergarten was publicly recognized at the Senior Awards Banquet for the Class of 2006. This talented group of seniors along with their family, friends, and educators gathered together at the school on May 11 for the occasion.

The evening started with a delicious meal prepared by the kitchen staff. Families gathered together to honor the 23 seniors and reminisce about some of the memorable experiences throughout the seniors’ educational journeys.

After everyone had finished eating, the banquet was moved into the auditorium where Student Council President Sherry Kedrowski welcomed the audience. Numerous scholarships were awarded to the seniors by various organizations.

There was a brief induction of new members of the National Honor Society, then Joyce Brekke handed out honor cords to students for graduation.

Kylee Smith was named Valedictorian. There was a three-way-tie for the distinction of Salutatorian among Selena Smith, Samantha Smith, and Benton Garske.

Kylee Smith, Rich Franko, Taylor Grones, and Selena Smith were also recognized for their outstanding attendance records. Selena Smith received special recognition for missing only one day of school from kindergarten through eleventh grade. The one day she did miss was way back in kindergarten. Her family was also recognized for its help in showing the importance of education and good attendance.

Extra-Curricular Group and Athletic Awards were presented to the students by faculty members...

Academic awards were also presented to the students by teachers...

One special award was given by Ms. Matuszak to senior Laura Olson. She recognized her as a talented artist and presented her with a book titled Spirit of the Horse.

For Laura, the book was an honor and a wonderful surprise. The award was very personalized, considering Laura’s deep appreciation of horses. After she graduates, Laura plans to work as a horse trainer. If she can find time in her hectic schedule to pursue art, Laura sees herself interested in painting...

For the rest of the story, pick up this week's Voyageur Press.

With a 47-year presence at McGregor School, the National Honor Society (NHS) has made a tremendous impact in the community. While students involved in NHS are often recognized for their academic achievements, it is their desire to serve that is so brightly reflected in the McGregor area.

Joining NHS at McGregor High School is no simple task. First, students must be in grades eight through 12 and have at least a 3.0 GPA in order to be eligible to apply. If they meet the GPA requirement, they may then fill out an application and send in letters of recommendation from people in the community and faculty members at the school.

The faculty then goes through all of the applications and letters and carefully evaluates each candidate’s character strengths and leadership abilities. The screening committee is then responsible for electing candidates they feel are qualified to join NHS.

“I look at the students involved in NHS as ambassadors for our school to the community,” said Lon Baumgardt, supervisor of the NHS organization at McGregor School. “NHS members do not just excel in the classroom. They each demonstrate a strong work ethic which is reflected in their service to the community.”

In addition to the requirements to join NHS, students must put in a significant amount of time serving the community. Eighth and ninth graders are required to put in 40 hours of community service during the year and tenth through twelfth graders must complete 60 hours.

With 21 members in NHS this year, this creates a large amount of time that is volunteered in the area. New members were recently elected for next year and there will be roughly the same number of students involved.

“When one puts all of these members’ volunteer service time together, there are literally hundreds of hours the organization is putting back into the community,” said Lon. “They are doing a great deal of work that needs to be done which might not get completed without their participation and help.”

National Honor Society members participate in a large variety of community service activities on both corporate and individual levels. Recent service projects include working at Wild Rice Days, working with Dollars for Scholars, helping with Kids Plus activities, volunteering to coach kids sports teams, teaching Sunday School, visiting nursing homes, and doing yard work for people who need assistance.

The money generated from some of the fundraising activities in which NHS participates goes back into the community to support various causes. One of the projects students raise money for is to buy Christmas stockings for children of disenfranchised families. Parents provide lists of what their children would like and then NHS members help by shopping for those items.

All of the work the students do is done as volunteers and they are not paid for their efforts. “I want to see us strengthen the tie between the school and the community,” said Lon. “The community has been very good to the school over the years and this is a way for us to give back.”

Being able to volunteer...

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