MOUNT PLEASANT, IA (06/24/2011)(readMedia)-- Brittany Kahler of Marengo, IA, graduated from Iowa Wesleyan College. Commencement ceremonies were held May 7 on the Mount Pleasant, Iowa, campus. Kahler earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Studio Art.

Students completing their degrees in May, as well as those who completed their studies at the end of the fall semester in December, were honored in the outdoor ceremony.

Iowa Wesleyan College is a four-year, liberal arts college. For information on programs and enrollment, go to www.iwc.edu.

On the web: http://readabout.me/achievements/Brittany-Kahler-graduates-from-Iowa-Wesleyan-College/2676484.

COLCHESTER, VT (06/23/2011)(readMedia)-- Caitlin Poster of Eldridge, a student at Assumption High School was named the 2011 recipient of the Saint Michael's College Book Award for Academic Achievement with a Social Conscience.

The award recognizes students who demonstrate a commitment to leadership in volunteer service and academic achievement. Saint Michael's, located in Burlington, Vermont, one of America's top 10 college towns, was founded on the belief that serving others is part of its Catholic tradition, and through the award seeks to honor those who demonstrate the true spirit of volunteerism.

Award recipients, named at schools throughout the country, are high school juniors who are inductees of the National Honor Society or an equivalent school-sponsored honors organization. They must demonstrate a commitment to service activities in high school or community organizations, taking leadership roles in these activities.

Tomshot was presented the book First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers (HarperCollins 2000) by Loung Ung, a 1993 Saint Michael's College graduate who has become a widely acclaimed author. In "First They Killed My Father," Ung gives a powerful autobiographical account, from a child's perspective, of surviving captivity during the genocidal Pol Pot regime in Cambodia. She reveals an indomitable spirit in the face of profound suffering, including the loss of both her parents and two of her siblings. Ung has written a riveting memoir about a family's survival, and in turn, about the development of Ung's on-going crusade for a landmine free world.

Learn What Matters at Saint Michael's College, The Edmundite Catholic liberal arts college, www.smcvt.edu. Saint Michael's provides education with a social conscience, producing graduates with the intellectual tools to lead successful, purposeful lives that will contribute to peace and justice in our world. Founded in 1904 by the Society of St. Edmund and headed by President John J. Neuhauser, Saint Michael's College is located three miles from Burlington, Vermont, one of America's top college towns. It is identified by the Princeton Review as one of the nations Best 373 Colleges, and is included in the 2011 Fiske Guide to Colleges. Saint Michael's has 1,900 undergraduate students and 500 graduate students. Saint Michael's students and professors have received Rhodes, Woodrow Wilson, Pickering, Guggenheim, Fulbright, and other grants. The college is one of the nation's top-100, Best Liberal Arts Colleges as listed in the 2011 U.S. News & World Report rankings.

On the web: http://readabout.me/achievements/Saint-Michaels-College-Book-Award-given-to-Assumption-High-School-student-Caitlin-Poster-of-Eldridge/2672900.

MALIBU, CA (06/23/2011)(readMedia)-- Pepperdine University student Mark Travis has been named to the Seaver College Dean's List for the spring 2011 semester.

In order to earn Dean's List honors, students must be in the upper 10% of their class and maintain a 3.5 or better grade point average. Mark, a native of Bettendorf, IA is one of only 263 students to receive the honor.

The purpose of the Dean's List is to provide recognition for the positive academic achievements of students at the Seaver College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences and to serve as an additional incentive for academic excellence to all students.

Seaver College, located in Malibu, California, is the undergraduate school for Pepperdine University, a Christian institution committed to the highest standards of academic excellence and Christian values, where students are strengthened for lives of purpose, service, and leadership.

On the web: http://readabout.me/achievements/Bettendorf-Native-Mark-Travis-Named-to-the-Seaver-College-Deans-List-at-Pepperdine-University/2669227.

SPOKANE, WA (06/23/2011)(readMedia)-- Kassandra Sadlek of Davenport participated in Gonzaga University's graduation exercises during a Commencement Ceremony held on May 8 in Spokane's Veterans' Memorial Arena. Sadlek graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Broadcast and Electronic Media.

Gonzaga University is dedicated to its Jesuit, Catholic and humanistic roots, educating the mind, body, and spirit to create women and men for others. By thinking critically and acting justly students are encouraged to embody the Ignatian ideals of faith, justice, service, ethics and leadership. Gonzaga offers 75 undergraduate programs of study, 25 Master's degrees, a Ph.D. in leadership studies and a juris doctorate in law. More information about Gonzaga University can be found online: www.gonzaga.edu/.

On the web: http://readabout.me/achievements/Kassandra-Sadlek-Graduates-from-Gonzaga-University/2652810.

Many parents wonder if their child is ready for kindergarten at age five. School readiness is complex. It is more than chronological age or the ability to recite numbers, letters, and colors. Here are some questions to think about as you decide if your child is school-ready.

Is your child socially ready?
For instance, does she trust other adults and children? Can she play ina group?

Is your child emotionally ready?
Does she have some degree of independence and self-direction? Does she have self-control; is she able to wait when there is a delay? Is she reasonably confident and willing to try new things?

Does your child have the language skills she'll need?
Can she understand directions? Is she able to express her needs to adults and other children? Can she express her thoughts in sentences?

Is your child physically ready?
Can she dress, eat, and toilet herself? Can she run and jump? Does she have a sense of space and balance? Can she manipulate small objects? Can she copy simple line drawings and hold a pencil properly?

Is your child intellectually ready? Is she able to focus and concentrate on an activity for 10 to15 minutes? Does she understand that letters stand for something; that printed words are spoken language expressed in writing? Can she remember simple routines? Is she able to stick with and solve simple problems?

Children see everything and are influenced by what they see. For example, they notice how parentsspend their time, what they read, what TV programs they watch. One of the best things a parent cando is read to children. It prepares them for school in several ways. Reading to a child for as little as ten minutes a day:
§ Helps develop security and independence (through the close body contact/sitting on mom or dad's lap).
§ Helps the child practice using language and learning concepts.
§ Helps to develop an interest in the world and its people, and most importantly.
§ Helps to develop the belief that learning can be fun.

Contact:Kathleen Olson, Extension Educator, Family Relations, University of Minnesota Extension, phone: 651-380-9339, email: kaolson@umn.edu

June 28
Scott County Extension Council Meeting at the Extension Office
7pm

July 1
Pesticide Applicator Testing
10am-2pm at the Extension Office

July 26
Scott County Extension Council Meeting at the Extension Office
7pm

August 5
Pesticide Applicator Testing
10am-2pm at the Extension Office

August 23
Scott County Extension Council Meeting at the Extension Office
7pm

September 2
Pesticide Applicator Testing
10am-2pm at the Extension Office

September 27
Scott County Extension Council Meeting at the Extension Office
7pm

October 5
Aquatic, Forest and Roadside Pest Management CIC, $35 if registered by 9/28/11, after that $45
At the Scott County Extension Office, 9am-11:30am

October 7
Pesticide Applicator Testing10am-2pm at the Extension Office

October 25
Scott County Extension Council Meeting at the Extension Office
7pm

October 27
Mosquito & Public Health Pest Management CIC, $35 if registered by 10/20/11, after that $45
At the Scott County Extension Office, 9am-11:30am

November 4
Pesticide Applicator Testing
10am-2pm at the Extension Office

November 9
Ornamental & Turf Applicators CIC, $35 if registered by 11/2/11, after that $45
At the Scott County Extension Office, 1:30pm-4pm

November 16
Commercial Ag Weed, Insect, and Plant Disease Management CIC, $35 if registered by 11/9/11, after that
$45, at the Scott County Extension Office, 9am-11:30am

November 29
Fumigation CIC, $35 if registered by 11/22/11, after that $45, at the Scott County Extension Office,
9am-11:30am

December 2
Pesticide Applicator Testing
10am-2pm at the Extension Office

December 7
Pest Control Operators CIC, $35 if registered by 11/30/11, after that $45, at the Scott County Extension
Office, 9am-11:30am

Visit our events calendar at our web site: http://dbs.extension.iastate.edu/calendar/

GRINNELL, Iowa (Grassroots Newswire) June 21, 2011 - Kelsey E.  Roebuck has been named to the Grinnell College Dean's List for the spring semester 2011. Roebuck, who is an undeclared major, is one of approximately 260 students honored for outstanding academic achievement by Grinnell College. To make the Dean's List, students must have a grade point average of 3.75 or above.

Roebuck is the child of Mr. Glenwood W. Roebuck and Ms. Diane B. Roebuck of Davenport (52803).

Grinnell College is a nationally recognized, private, four-year, liberal arts college located in Grinnell, Iowa. Founded in 1846, Grinnell enrolls 1,600 students from all 50 states and from as many international countries in more than 26 major fields, interdisciplinary concentrations, and pre-professional programs.

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ROMEOVILLE, Ill. (Grassroots Newswire) June 21, 2011 - 

Andrea Iossi of Davenport was among those honored on the Lewis University Deans' List for spring semester 2011. To be eligible for this honor, students must have completed a minimum of 12 semester hours of credit with a grade point average of 3.25 out of a possible 4.0.

Lewis University is a Catholic university offering distinctive undergraduate and graduate programs to more than 6,000 traditional and adult students. Lewis offers multiple campus locations, online degree programs, and a variety of formats that provide accessibility and convenience to a growing student population. Sponsored by the De La Salle Christian Brothers, Lewis prepares ethically grounded, globally aware, and socially responsible graduates. The ninth largest not-for-profit university in Illinois, Lewis has been nationally recognized by The Princeton Review and U.S. News & World Report. 

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DES MOINES, IA (06/21/2011)(readMedia)-- The following local students have been named to the President's List at Drake University. This academic honor is achieved by earning a grade point average of 4.0 during the Spring 2011 semester at Drake.

Lauren Brandt of Bettendorf, IA

Amanda Cleppe of Bettendorf, IA

Jared Dammann of Bettendorf, IA

Erika Milas of Bettendorf, IA

Caitlin Pryor of Bettendorf, IA

Jordan Porter of Eldridge, IA

Marshall Phares of Princeton, IA

The following local students have been named to the Dean's List at Drake University. This academic honor is achieved by earning a grade-point average of 3.5 or higher during the Spring 2011 semester at Drake.

Kelsey Berneking of Bettendorf, IA

Stuart Bildner of Bettendorf, IA

Leah Christensen of Bettendorf, IA

Nicholas Oestreich of Bettendorf, IA

Steven Soseman of Bettendorf, IA

Stephanie Merrick of Eldridge, IA

Steven Merrick of Eldridge, IA

Eric Hartmann of Davenport, IA

Daniel Pelletier of Davenport, IA

Katherine Foley of Davenport, IA

Alise Farrell of Davenport, IA

Chelsea Rink of Davenport, IA

Ryan Hendricks of Rock Island, IL

Claire Vandercar of East Moline, IL

Kayla Pearson of Milan, IL

Drake is a private, independent university in Des Moines, Iowa, with an enrollment of approximately 3,300 full-time undergraduate students from 50 states and 50 countries. Drake University's mission is to provide an exceptional learning environment that prepares students for meaningful personal lives, professional accomplishments and responsible global citizenship. The Drake experience is distinguished by collaborative learning among students, faculty and staff and by the integration of the liberal arts and sciences with professional preparation.

Mrs. Mary Arnold served the students of Jordan for over 20 years. Her dedication and love for her students was always evident. Mrs. Arnold not only taught her young students to read and do math, but she introduced them to Jesus. Mrs. Arnold has been a blessing to Jordan and she is wished the best in her retirement.

Mrs. Linda Johnson has graced the halls of Jordan Catholic School for 18 years with her loving, compassionate spirit and faith-filled example. Linda sparked a strong curiosity for science in her fifth grade students through hands-on chemistry. We will miss this kind, patient, and loving teacher and wish her blessings in her retirement.

For 18 years, Mrs. Diane Hansen has led Jordan middle school students with humor, story-telling, and hands-on learning. Mrs. Hansen challenged her students to "think" outside the box, and taught that this was the link to exploring one's imagination, opening new worlds of opportunity. She has been an inspiration and will be greatly missed.

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