by rsullivan | Jul 16, 2018 | Stand Up for Public Education Blog
WXOW.com: For the past five years, the La Crosse Adapted Sports League (ASL) provides student athletes with disabilities the chance to represent their schools through sports. Now they have an opportunity to work on their athleticism throughout the summer for the very first time.
On Thursday, students from four area high schools practiced their field hockey skills at the league’s first Summer Developmental Skills Program.
The league is comprised of High School Students at Logan, Central, Onalaska, and Holmen that otherwise would not be able to participate.
Athletes travel to other schools, earn varsity letters and compete just like other high school teams.
For 15-year-old Central High School athlete Jackson Larson, ASL’s skills camp helps prepare him for a full year of competition.
“It’s pretty exciting learning all the skills and stuff,” Larson says.
Though Larson says he loves a lot about competing one aspect is his favorite, “Goals, goals, getting goals man,” Larson describes.
Although, with athletes playing against other schools they can’t score every game. When they lose it only motivates them to prepare for their next match-up, “Using better strategy to actually win, our coaches really help us with the strategy,” Larson explains.
With coaches like Matt Meyers helping athletes see past the losses.
“They understand that there’s a bigger life picture, ASL Coach Matt Meyers elaborates, “sometimes in life you’re going to win and sometimes in life you’re going to lose, but always keeping perspective and having a good head on your shoulder in that regard,” Meyers finishes.
Read more about the La Crosse’s Adapted Sports League.
by rsullivan | Jun 25, 2018 | Stand Up for Public Education Blog
La Crosse Tribune: America is experiencing an empathy deficit. At a time when teens are 40 percent less empathetic than they were 30 years ago, cultivating empathy should be a high priority for parents and teachers, says Michele Borba, an educational psychologist and author.
At UW-La Crosse’s Fall for Education Conference Nov. 3-4, Borba will share how to teach students the nine essential habits of empathy — lessons from her latest book, “UnSelfie: Why Empathetic Kids Succeed in Our All-About-Me World.”
Borba, an expert in childhood development, has been featured on “Today,” “Dateline,” “The View,” “Dr. Phil,” “Dr. Oz” and “The Early Show.”
UW-L’s Fall for Education conference is a professional development opportunity for area pre-kindergarten-grade 12 teachers and administrators, as well as UW-L’s Master of Education-Professional Development graduate program students.
It is sponsored by the university’s Institute for Professional Studies in Education program.
“Education is changing so much,” says Patricia Markos, director of UW-L’s IPSE program. “We are finding out so much more. If we [educators] can be the ones to make a difference in a child’s life while in school, we should be the ones making that difference.
“A teacher might be the only person in child’s life who ever gives them a compliment or smiles at them,” Markos said.
Read the complete article.
by rsullivan | May 10, 2018 | Stand Up for Public Education Blog
News8000.com: A new home is built in the city of La Crosse by area high school students.
Students in the School District of La Crosse’s Architecture Construction Engineering Academy finished their first complete home construction project.
They showcased their work at an open house Wednesday.
Last year’s senior class framed the building, while this year’s group of seniors built the garage, put on the exterior siding and finished the interior work.
For city leaders, partnerships like this are big for the community.
“It’s incredible. I mean, we’re so proud of them and the workmanship and the skills that they’ll take through their whole life now, whether it be for actual careers or for their own homes,” said Jason Gilman, City of La Crosse’s Director of Planning and Development.
The home is part of the district’s partnership with the City of La Crosse’s Replacement Housing Program.
View the complete coverage on New8000.com.
by rsullivan | Sep 15, 2017 | Stand Up for Public Education Blog
WXOW.com: A La Crosse school is one of the first in the area to have a specialized dog to assist students.
As you know, service dogs are used in everything from search and rescue to pushing the button of an elevator for someone with a disability.
At Northwoods Elementary students are quick to pay attention to the man at the front of the room and his dog. Scott Dewey is from Retrieving Freedom, a service dog training program. Many of his canines, like Max, work with veterans with PTSD.
“These dogs do nightmare interruption. They help get you into public. They actually sit in front of you, behind you and not guard you but they work to give you a buffer zone,” said Dewey.
Dewey also trained Sammie.
“She can help kids that are having bad days and help mitigate melt downs and assist with transition zones,” said Dewey.
Read the complete article.
by rsullivan | Sep 11, 2017 | Stand Up for Public Education Blog
News8000.com: Hundreds of La Crosse students were out before school Friday morning… making a positive impact on their community.
The entire student body of the Lincoln, SOTA II, Coulee Montessori Middle School were picking up trash in La Crosse’s Washburn neighborhood.
Students were separated into groups with designated blocks to walk through, picking up debris and loose trash along the way.
The project is a part of the school’s Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports program which aims to teach and reinforce respect, responsibility, and relationship building.
“It was something we developed as a PBIS team and thought, ‘This is a great way to get the kids out there and let them see that what they do can make a difference.’ And we decided that it would also be a great way to kick off the school year,” said PBIS Tier 1 Coach Mandi Hundt.
The students were out until nine Friday morning.
Afterwards, students attended an assembly to further expand on those PBIS values.
Read the complete article.
