Mid-Prairie K-12 Enrichment Learning Program

11/29/2023

Early morning math with 5th graders!

10/20/2023

We are trying out a Math Competition at the high school level. Good luck, Golden Hawk Mathletes, as you compete as a team in Math Madness this fall!

10/11/2023

4th graders stretching their thinking and mathematical mindsets!

09/20/2023

You have to love high schoolers (and being a flexible teacher with a sense of humor helps). This is what happens when chess club morphs into a Brit Lit discussion. ❤️🤣

06/14/2023

Day Five (6/11): Our time in Massachusetts has come to a close! No time for extra sleep as day four ended around midnight after the dance and day five began at 6:50 with breakfast! We said our goodbyes to all our new friends and attended the closing awards ceremony before driving to Hartford for our evening plane. Stormy weather across the south caused delays in our flight from Atlanta to Cedar Rapids. But, no worries! We spent time resting, giggling, and going over the evaluations from their competitions.

What a great experience the past 5 days have been!

06/11/2023

Day Four of the FPS International Competition: We didn’t need to be up quite as early today AND the weather was finally above 64 with zero rain! The girls took an improv class today and had a blast! I forgot to mention on previous days they also attended a scenario writing class and a storytelling session! There is so much to do and see.

It was a jam packed night with a Variety show, Karaoke, and a dance until almost midnight (Mrs. Busch will need a couple of days to recuperate 🤣). More great food and meeting new people!

It won’t allow me to add video to this post so look in the comments for 2 videos of the girls dancing. 😍

06/10/2023

Day Three of FPS International: Maelys and Ava were up bright and early for their scenario writing competition. They were given a future scene to read and base their own story on. They had two hours to read, plan, and write their 1000 word or less story. After the completion, they couldn’t wait to read one another’s stories so we sat outside the building and read them. They both did an amazing job! Congratulations on your hard work, ladies!

The group has not only been meeting new people from around the world, but they’ve spent considerable time bonding with one another in our group. ❤️

06/09/2023

Day Two: Plenty of walking back and forth (and back and forth, and back and forth…get the picture? 🤣). Some sprinkles and rain off and on today. I feel like we were constantly eating too! The food in the cafeteria is top notch and has many options. We are definitely spoiled! Today started with the Opening Ceremonies. This year there were 14 countries represented, Amazing!

Abby performed the futuristic scenario she wrote on the negative effects of blockchain on rural hospitals, through the art of storytelling. She did an amazing job! Way to go, Abby, we are proud of your accomplishment!

Tonight was the state momento exchange. What a fun activity! Each team brings items to exchange with other states/countries at the event. The girls all got some cool swag. Thank you, Maelys, for asking KCTC and Iowa Corn Growers for our team’s momentos from Iowa!

The group spent time this afternoon and evening planning an act for the variety show on Saturday. They even asked a boy from another state to join them and he was game. 🤔 The girls continue to meet new people and make friends.

Tomorrow at 9 AM, Maelys and Ava will be competing in the scenario writing competition. Good luck to both girls! I cannot wait to read your stories!

06/08/2023

Day one: Traveling to Future Problem Solving (FPS) International Competition at UMass in Amherst, Massachusetts! We got checked in, attended a social (I told each of them they had to go meet at least one person), did a Target run, ate dinner (amazing food, I again told them to go meet someone new…he turned out to be a college student 🤣), and set up our rooms in the dorm. Tomorrow is a busy day and Abby will be competing in her scenario performance competition (storytelling)! Good luck, Abby!

05/19/2023

How exciting! Only two weeks until our travels to the University of Massachusetts for the competition! Thank you to both the Kalona and Washington Township Optimists for helping the parents with the cost of airfare!

At daybreak, January 1, 2000, some of us were worried about a thing called Y2K. We had been happily living our lives, getting used to email and the internet and ordering things with a click on …