Ram Write-Up - Maple Valley Community Schools

Sales and Marketing
class participates in
Briar Cliff Contest
Back row: Lisa Ortner, Lindsey Carothers, Travis Brown, Royd
Reid, and Josh Wimmer. Front row: Jennifer Chwirka, Andrea
Kafton, Erin Vermeersch, Sara Dose, and Mrs. Lisa Haveman.
By Sara Dose
The Sales and Marketing class has been
busy recently putting their heads together to
develop a healthy snack, made with Blue
Bunny products to enter in a Briar Cliff
SnackWise Contest.
Blue Bunny sponsored the contest and
provided each school entering the contest
with money to buy their products to develop
a healthy snack. All of the contestants developed
a snack, and sent in the instructions on
how to make their snack along with the nutritional
facts to Briar Cliff where students in
the Sales and Marketing class made the products
and selected their favorites. There were
six schools who entered the contest and of
the six, the top three were chosen to sell their
product at the Southern Hills Mall.
Maple Valley Anthon-Oto, along with
Gehlen Catholic and North High School were
chosen as the top three schools to sell their
product. Of the three, the school that sold the
most of their product won an ice cream party
at the Blue Bunny Ice Cream Parlor in LeMars
along with a cash prize. Second and third
place won a cash prize and either t-shirts or
hats.
Page 6, The Ram Write-Up, Maple Valley Anthon- Oto Schools
North High School won the contest with
their smoothie product and along with help
from their dancing, Cabana inspired dressed
boy, complete with bright colored ruffles and
a fruit hat. “I think we were at a big disadvantage
when we saw the guy dressed in the
Cabana suit dancing to the tropical music offering
free samples to people walking by,”
stated Jennifer Chwirka.
Gehlen Catholic created a product made
from Pop Rocks and strawberry ice cream.
Maple Valley Anthon-Oto developed a product
that included vanilla or chocolate ice
cream, crushed up graham crackers, and
strawberry or mixed berry yogurt. Gehlen
Catholic received second place, whereas
Maple Valley Anthon-Oto came in a close
third place.
The purpose of the contest was to help students
gain experience in the marketing field
and to give them an idea of what a job in that
field would be like. “It really helped me realize
what it would be like to have a job that
was in this field. It was really fun and challenging!”
commented Erin Vermeersch.
“It really helped me realize what it would be
like to have a job that was in this field...”
-Erin Vermeersch
Fourteen BPA students
qualify for Nationals
By Sara Dose
On February 26th-28th, nineteen students
involved in our Business Professionals of
America chapter traveled to Des Moines to
compete against other schools in the State
Leadership Conference under the supervision
of their advisors, Kayla Lundt and Lisa
Haveman. During the three day conference,
students participated in approximately 65
contests and events.
Students competing spent a great deal of
time preparing for their contests in the months
before. Students were required to participate
in at least three contests and to attend at least
two work nights before attending the State
Leadership Conference.
The first day of the conference there was
an opening ceremony with all schools participating.
The second day was filled with contests.
Later that night, there was a dance, and
for those who weren’t interested in getting
their groove on, there was a pie eating contest,
three legged races and wheelbarrow
races.
On the third and final day, the results from
the contests were announced the top individu-
By Jesse Nielsen
After 2nd semester, Auto Tech Class was
dropped and the size drop between the old
shops and the new single shop, some students
wondered is this the start of fading out the
shop classes.
At this point, at least, this is not a concern.
Enrollment is high in both Mr. Miller’s and
Mr. Benson’s classes. Mr. Benson’s classes
doubled and doubled again with a definite
increase in those that didn’t fully double.
Mr. Miller said, “The classes I teach are always
full. I have never had to recruit kids or
anything, but we would always like to have
more girls in the shop classes. There are plenty
of opportunities for them in the industrial
fields.”
In regards to the cancelation of 2nd semester
Auto Tech he said, “It’s a disappointment
because it limits students’ choices because
they might not have room for it first semester
with required classes.” He also commented
on how more kids have licenses 2nd semester.
Therefore, AutoTech gives students an
opportunity to get their cars ready for spring.
Where for the budgets are concerned, Mr.
Miller wasn’t sure whether his budget had
been changed or not. “I don’t know. We have
pretty much gotten everything we have asked
als or teams in each contest were sent on to
represent Iowa in the National Leadership
Conference, in Orlando, Florida from May
10th-14th.
Maple Valley Anthon-Oto did a great job
at the State Conference with fourteen individuals
receiving medals and the chance to
compete at Nationals.
The students who received either 1st, 2nd,
3rd, 4th or 5th in their contests and qualify
for Nationals in May include: Lisa Ortner,
Laci Huck, Amy Bruning, Jen Chwirka, Emily
Hinrickson, Kristine Kueny, Alex Flanigan,
Kayla Waterman, McKenzie Sauser, Alyssa
Sulsberger, Erin Vermeersch, Sam
Timmerman, Hallie Seuntjens and Jessica
Bruning.
Lindsey Carothers, Kelsey Clark and
Noelle Uhl will also be attending the National
Leadership Conference because they completed
Torch Awards, a special level of BPA
achievement.
The students receiving Honorable Mention
Honors (placed 6th-10th in their contests) at
state were: Bryan Livermore and Courtney
Seuntjens.
Are shop classes disappearing?
for but we don’t ask for much.”
However, Mr. Benson’s budget has been
tighter. He has to check to make sure he can
buy equipment. Whereas before, he didn’t
and he has been turned down more in recent
years. This is not really the school’s fault because
more federal funds are being moved
from shop to computers and special education
development.
As for the new shop, the only major problem
is space. It limits the number and size of
projects (especially cars). This denies students
the opportunities to fix or build cattle
shutes or feed bunks and can lead to safety
considerations. It also has little or no storage
area. The storage rooms in the old shop are
still usable, but there is a huge convenience
factor.
Mr. Benson had his own shop for 25 years
until he had to share for the last two years.
The differences are it is harder to find some
things because people misplace them, but its
easier for him and Mr. Miller to watch each
others classes.
In the end, the smaller shop has advantages
and problems but like Mr. Miller said,
“We’ll make do with what we have.”