USD 373 Quarterly
Fall 2024
As part of the USD 373 Board of Education goal, "form partnerships/connections with stakeholders" we will be sending a quarterly electronic newsletter (but feel free to request a printed copy) of district happenings and updates to keep and sustain relationships with parents, patrons, students and staff.
Thanks for reading!
Hard and soft skills
Preschool students in Renae Rehm's preschool class at Cooper Early Education Center practice tracing the diamond shape before passing off the marker to a classmate.
Elementary Day at Bethel College
For the past few months, members of the Bethel College men's basketball team have visited elementary students at lunchtime. In October, 1st through 4th grade students got to attend a basketball game to cheer on their friends.
1. How long have you been working as a custodian? What brought you to this position?
I was a housekeeper, at Schowalter Villa, for 5 years and have been a custodian with USD 373 for 5 1/2 years. I decided to do custodial work after having worked retail for years. When working retail, you rarely get holidays and weekends off. As a housekeeper or custodian I was able to not only have holidays and weekends off, with pay, but with the district I am able to accrue leave. Vacation and personal time allows for me to spend quality time with my family. Most of which live in the North East.
2. What are the challenges of being a custodian at a school? What are the benefits?
The physical duties most usually are the most challenging . They are safety hazards, slips and falls, the use of chemicals, heavy lifting, and blood borne pathogens. All of which can put us at risk.
Some custodians may feel unappreciated or as if they don't make enough money to do what they do. Some may also feel overworked or burnt out, when they are needed to cover due to not enough staff. To me, the benefit of being a custodian is knowing that what I do makes for a safe and clean environment for the students and staff. We may not always feel like we are noticed, but in the end we know that what we do makes a huge difference. Nothing drove that home more than COVID. That was the most scary thing I have ever had to deal with. To know that you were responsible for so many people, to keep illness bay, was worrisome. I am incredibly proud of all of our custodians and those who lead us in getting through that very trying time.
3. What has been a particularly memorable experience as a custodian?
I would have to say that one of my particularly memorable experiences was working on the transformation of the high school hallways and auditorium. So rewarding to see the fruits of our labors and the reactions, of everyone, when they came back for the school year. There was incredible amount of teamwork those couple of summers.
NHS Senior Taylor Rickard engineers precision, creativity into custom golf putter
Newton High School senior Taylor Rickard has turned his passion for machining and engineering into a striking display of craftsmanship: a custom-engineered golf putter. As a student of Clayton Baughman’s machining class, Taylor’s journey began last year with a basic prototype.
“It was kind of rough, but it worked good enough,” he said, reflecting on his first attempt.
Taylor’s efforts caught the attention of his colleagues at Sand Creek Station Golf Course, where he’s worked for over a year and a half. While telling his colleagues about his project, his boss suggested he create a putter to display in the pro shop.
Determined to refine his design, Taylor tackled the project with creativity and precision. Using both CNC machines and manual mills, he optimized the “feeds and speeds” to perfect the club’s construction, including the textured face milling. One of the biggest challenges was engraving the club’s base, a feat complicated by its curved surface.
“It’s really cool because you can be creative and make whatever you want,” Taylor shared, highlighting the innovative aspects of his work.
The process involved more than just machining—it required engineering know-how, too. Taylor modeled and programmed the putter in his engineering class, testing various revisions to make the design manufacturable. Key adjustments included achieving the correct shaft angle of 70.5 degrees and a clubface angle of 3.5 degrees.
“It took some engineering to figure out what we could actually achieve in the machine shop,” Baughman noted.
Taylor’s polished creation, crafted from stainless steel, is now poised to become a unique feature in Sand Creek Station’s pro shop. This accomplishment underscores his growth as both a machinist and an engineer while at Newton High.
His efforts have even gained attention beyond the classroom and golf course. Taylor regularly shares updates on his Instagram account, Taylorgolf, which has attracted semi-famous golfers as followers.
Kiley Preheim, Chisholm 7th Grade Science Teacher and Science Olympiad coach, is returning soon from a six-week deployment to the Southern Ocean as part of the Polar STEAM program.
She has been studying diatoms as a proxy for determining levels for ancient ocean chemistry aboard an Antarctic Research Vessel. The important work helps to recommend policy and ideas regarding climate change, rising sea levels, and weather patterns - things that impact us all.
You can check out her Polar Preheim blog here for photos, information and more.
Here is a livestream link for December 3, 2024 at 11am CST. Ms. Preheim will be one of the people featured on the livestream and looks forward to sharing her research and experience with people here back home. A recording of the livestream will be posted following the conclusion of the livestream.
