Eck named Student Council Advisor of the Year

By Holly Neumann

During the regularly scheduled meeting of the Manawa School Board, held on March 14, the board recognized a staff member and students for their accomplishments.

“The School District of Manawa is proud to announce that Ms. Mary Eck was selected as the Region III Student Council Advisor of the Year for 2015-16,” said District Administrator Melanie Oppor. “Ms. Eck is a gifted educator who leads by example. There is no finer way to teach than by serving as an exemplary role model, as she does on a daily basis.”

High School Principal Dan Wolfgram agreed.

“It is easy to see how hard she works and what she contributes to the school district on a daily basis,” he said. “Her heart is as big as it gets and it shows in everything she does. We celebrate this award and the students’ lives that she influences every day in our school.”

Oppor noted that Eck is generous in the use of her time and talents with school activities like the Student Council and Friends of Rachel Club, whose mission it is to make schools safer, more connected places where bullying and violence are replaced with kindness and respect; and where learning and teaching are awakened to their fullest.

Sebastan Mikkelson’s intaglio print is of Main Street Waupaca. Intaglio art is the family of printing and printmaking techniques in which the image is incised into a surface, and the incised line or sunken area holds the ink. It is the direct opposite of a relief print. Holly Neumann Photo

Also recognized by the board was high school art teacher Nancy Zabler, along with students Lauren Mikkelson, Sebastain Mikkelson and Megan Littleton.

“Congratulations to Nancy and to all of the students for representing our school, their community and showcasing another one of the wonderful things staff do to inspire and cultivate the talent here at Little Wolf,” said Wolfgram. “Their pieces were chosen to move from Regional to State and have been displayed in the Madison Rotunda at the State Youth Art Month display.”

According to Wolfgram, while there Sebastain Mikkelson’s piece, which is an intaglio print of Main Street Waupaca, was chosen by unanimous vote of the board members of the Wisconsin Art Education Association, for an award.

Mikkelson won a trip to New York City with passes to the art museums there for him, one parent and his art teacher, compliments of Sargent Art Supply Company.

“At first it didn’t seem real because I have always wanted to go to New York for as long as I remember,” said Mikkelson. “All I can say is thank you to Mrs. Zabler for choosing my art for youth art month, and to Sargent Art.”

In other business, the board approved an exemption to policy 832 (weapons policy) for the purpose of hosting laser tag for the Post Prom event at the high school on April 16 and 17.

According to Wolfgram, students will be searched upon entry to ensure that no other unauthorized look-a-like weapons are brought onto the school premises.

Spring coaching contracts were approved for: Golf – Head Coach Tim Schuelke, volunteer Gerald Hackbarth; track – Corrie Ziemer, varsity assistant coach; and baseball – Patrick O’Brien.

Football coaches also approved included Jeff Bortle, varsity assistant coach, along with Randy Radloff and Zak Benhamadi.