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Board meeting highlights student music performances and West High journalism awards
Summary
Students from East and West High showcased music coursework and songwriting, and West High journalism and yearbook students reported winning multiple Iowa High School Press Association awards and securing a JEA/JAA partner workshop. Board members praised students and discussed technology and equipment needs.
Students from East and West High visited the Nov. 11 board meeting to present music compositions and discuss coursework. Aaron G. Williams and Joel Smith described year-long nontraditional music electives (songwriting, piano lab) with intentionally small class sizes; student Eric Hill played an original composition, and board members commended the performance and urged more public showcases.
Nei Krauss, the district fine arts coach, introduced music teachers and noted the curriculum adoption that supports songwriting labs at both high schools. Teachers said course sizes are limited by instrument and workstation availability (for example, piano lab capacity of about 10), and that digital recording projects occasionally stress existing computer hardware.
Later in the meeting, Nicole Goodman and West High journalism and yearbook students described attending the Iowa High School Press Association conference, bringing home multiple awards (22 this year) and earning program recognition. Students described fundraising and sponsorship efforts to support cameras and printing, and announced a free JAA partner workshop to be hosted at West High for statewide participants.
Board members repeatedly praised students—or their work, encouraged further public showcases, and recommended administrators consider equipment and scheduling to expand student opportunities.
