Altamont CUSD #10

Katie Lurkins, AGS Assistant Principal/Athletic Director (interviewed by Emma Bowman) What would you do if you weren't in education? - “I want to be a realtor because I enjoy looking at houses, I like landscaping, and meeting new people. Then when I retire from being a realtor, I wanna be a sports broadcaster, because I like to talk and I like sports.” What made education a better career choice? - “I was very fortunate that God let me fall into the education world. It's not something that I actually sought out my path as a little more nontraditional than other people, and being in the education sector, I just keep finding roles that are extremely fulfilling and bring me a sense of purpose.” What are three words that describe you in High school? What are three words that you think would describe high schoolers today? - “Socially awkward, athletic, and low-self esteem. Overstimulated, endearing, and enjoyable.” What is one thing that is on your bucket list? - “I would like to tour more European countries.” If you could go back and do high school again what would you do differently? - “I would try to be more self confident and more aware.” Why did you choose Altamont? - “When my husband, James, and I got married, I was teaching in Newton and he was teaching in Ramsey. Effingham was in the middle, but Effingham was too expensive and I said that I'd never live in T-town. Altamont was really the only other choice and it just became home from there.” What's your favorite hobby outside of school? - “I love to play with my flowers and anything outside.” What was the first job you ever had? How did those jobs prepare you for the one you have today? - “My first jobs before I graduated were delivering newspapers, picking strawberries, detasseling corn, mowing lawns, and babysitting. In college, I cleaned houses. My first ever teaching job was being in charge of a technology career program at Robinson. Those jobs taught me understanding, hard work, time management, following through on commitments, and providing a service. Working with the technology grant gave me an opportunity to coach and collaborate. I started to really understand the whole workings of the school, outside of an individual classroom and student teaching.” Who inspired you to work in the education field? - "I have had a lot of strong influences in my life, many through coaching, and they helped shape my drive that led me to education.” What took you the longest to learn when working in education? - "I had to learn that you can't fix it all right away.” What would you say to encourage others to join this career? - “It is something that you will never regret and you can find as much fulfillment in it as you want.”

Don't forget today is the last day to order spirit gear. The store closes at midnight. https://stores.inksoft.com/altamont_indians/shop/home

Kindergarten and 1st grade watched clips from the "Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade" and listened to the book, "Balloons Over Broadway." Here are Mrs. Miller's students with their "Ballons Over AGS."

ACHS Sports 12/2-12/7

Toni Niebrugge, Art Teacher (Interviewed by Katrina Thompson) Who inspired you to work in the education field? - “My highschool art teacher. Her name is Mary Miller and my Aunt Donna Banning, who was an artist.” What three words would have described you in high school and what three words would you use to describe students today? - “Artistic, athletic, and outgoing. For students today, I would say fun, energetic, and the future.” What do you bring to Altamont schools? - “I hope I am a trusted adult that students can confide in. I also hope I bring an Art program that prepares my students for college.” What do you want to accomplish at Altamont schools? - “I feel God placed me in this position to help students. My goal is to find those students that need help everyday. With this outlook in life, work never feels like work!” If you could go back and do school again, what would you do differently? - “If I could go back to school, I would tell myself to not sweat the small stuff and all stuff is small stuff.” What advice would you give to Altamont students? - “Enjoy high school, four years go by so fast! You are at a point in your life where you can do or be anything you want. You get to make the choice but remember that choices have consequences, so make good choices.” What is a setback that you had to overcome and how did it make you a better person? - “My biggest setback recently has been my hip replacement. Physically it was hard, but mentally it was harder. I had to let people help me and it has taught me how I should treat people when they are hurt or having a hard time.” How many siblings do you have and how has growing up with them helped to prepare you for working in a school? - “I have one brother. My brother is 8 years younger than me and he taught me to be patient with younger kids.” What would you say to encourage others to join this career? - “Teaching is a very fun and rewarding job. The students keep you young at heart and the schedule is great if you are raising a family.” What is the training and schooling like for this job? - “I enjoyed my training to become an art teacher because it allowed me time to do my art. I got my Associates degree at Lakeland, my Bachelor's degree at Edwardsville SIUE, and both of my Masters at EIU.” What is one thing you could tell people to help them get to know you better? - “I would tell students to join Art Class if they want to get to know me better! I always tell students that say they can’t draw or do art very well, join art, it's my job to teach you.”

On Wednesday, Kindergarten and 1st grade watched "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving," followed with a feast of their own in the cafeteria. Thank you to our families for sending in items, Mrs. Ruckman for juice, student council for popping us popcorn, and our janitor Jeff for cleaning up the mess! "We should just be thankful to be together. I think that's what they mean by Thanksgiving." -Charlie Brown

Today in Mrs. Schafer's B4 Foods and Nutrition class, students had the opportunity to make chicken and noodles from scratch, just in time for the holiday. 🍗🦃🍁🍂

Congratulations 7th Grade Boys Basketball Ramsey Tournament Champs!

On Saturday Nov 23rd Landon Berg participated in the ILMEA District 5 Music Festival at EIU in Charleston IL. This day was the culmination of limited rehearsals outside of school and a successful vocal audition. He represented AGS with pride as he performed in a choir of about 150 students - some of the top singers from over 20 surrounding counties.

Alex Walden, Ag Teacher and FFA Advisor What would you be doing if you were not in education? - “I would be farming or working in livestock nutrition.” Why was education the best career for you? - “I wanted to be able to share my passion and knowledge of agriculture with students.” What is the most enjoyable aspect of education? - “Seeing students' accomplishments and results of their learning are the most enjoyable things in teaching.” What was the hardest thing to learn when you first started teaching? - “Getting students motivated and getting them to enjoy what they are learning was difficult at first but I figured it out later on.” Why did you choose Altamont and our school out of everywhere you could have gone? - “I was looking at jobs and saw ACHS. I liked how it was small and loved the competitive atmosphere. Also,it wasn't too far from home.” What are three words you would use to describe high schoolers at ACHS? - “Unfazed, easygoing, and enthusiastic.” What three words would you have used to describe yourself as a high schooler? - “Ambitious, driven, and directed.” What advice would you give to Altamont high school students? - “Explore lots of opportunities and take advantage of everything put in front of you.” What accomplishment are you most proud of? - “When I was in college, I was part of a few teams that won national championships in dairy judging and similar contests. It took a lot of hard work and team effort.” Who inspired you to work in education? - “My own high school ag teacher.” What would you say to encourage others to go into the education field? - “It may be tough at times but it is very rewarding and fun.”

Attention Altamont families! Early dismissal is happening on Wednesday, November 27, 2024. ACHS will release students at 11:05 AM and AGS at 11:15 AM. Remember, there will be NO school on Thursday, November 28, and Friday, November 29. We wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving!

https://bit.ly/491zyOu Please read the information found in the link above about this year's Winter Fine Arts Program at Altamont Grade School on Thursday, December 12, 2024.

Morgan Hall, ACHS Spanish Teacher/Scholar Bowl Coach (Interviewed by Charlie Goeckner) What was your first job? - “My first jobs were babysitting and Chick-fil-a. Babysitting is a great job for a future educator because you have to come up with fun activities for children and keep them safe. At first glance one wouldn’t think that Chick-fil-a would come in handy for an educator, but fast food teaches someone how to get a task done while tuning out distractions, smiling, and being polite.” Where did you go to college and who inspired you to become an educator? - “I went to McKendree University, where I studied to be an educator. Training to be in the education field takes around four years of college, you have to observe different age ranges in classrooms, teach lessons, student teach, and lesson plans. I was inspired to pursue a career in the education field because it was a common career in my family and I thought it was what fit best.” What does an average school day look like for you? “My average school day starts by arriving at school the day before when I get my lessons planned out for the day ahead. Since I have everything already planned out I can arrive at school a little later than everyone else at around 7:45. All I have to do is turn on my computer and pull up my tabs and then I like to greet students in the hallway. I really enjoy having a second hour prep period both days because I feel like I am the most productive at that point in time. Once my students leave at three o’clock, I do some grading or any other task left over from the day. I also take a short social media break before preparing my plans for the next day.“ What is your favorite musical genre? - “If I listen to music on a regular day, I enjoy classic rock or 2010s pop; but if I want to focus on work, I listen to classical music.” Why did you choose to work at Altamont? - “I chose Altamont because during the hiring process I interviewed with Mr. Tkachuk. During this interview, I said ‘I just felt more at home at Altamont than I did anywhere else.’ I continue to feel more and more at home at Altamont every passing year.” What do you like the most about Altamont? - “I like Altamont because it's a pretty tight knit community where everyone knows each other and gets along. I also have some family here.” What is your biggest strength that you bring to Altamont? - “One of my greatest strengths is my ability to treat everyone with respect and treat them like they are important to me. I love teaching in a community where everyone is valued and they value others. It is my responsibility to teach kids these values when they are teenagers so they can grow up and value others in their community.” What is the biggest piece of advice you would give students? - “Even if students do not take my class, they need to hear this piece of advice. ‘Work hard in each class, even the ones you don’t love. Going through the process of studying a topic and practicing a skill is something that will benefit you in life, even if you don’t use the actual information.’”

Today, students in Mrs. Schafer's A2 Foods and Nutrition class had the opportunity to make flatbread from scratch. We toasted them in a skillet and topped with both sweet and savory toppings showing just how delicious and versatile they are.

Neil Winter, ACHS Math Teacher (Interviewed by Cooper Pals) What three words would have described you when you were in high school and what three words would you use to describe high school students today? - “I would say shy, smart, and determined. High school students are Technology addicts, but also very intelligent, maybe even intelligent ahead of their times with all of the knowledge and content they’re getting on a daily basis as well as at Altamont they are respectful.” What was your first job and how did that prepare you for the future? - “I worked in Altamont at the Effingham County Fair Grounds where I started after my freshman year and worked for four years. I did a lot of weed eating. Mowing and digging anything by hand. I did electrical work when needed and getting ready for the fair was obviously the biggest one.” As I worked, they figured out I was a leader and that I learned more about leadership.” If you were not in the education field, what career would you have gone into? - “I had thoughts of maybe going into law or being a financial advisor. I also thought about going into agriculture because I had already worked with farming.” Why did you choose Altamont to work in the education field? - I didn’t choose Altamont, Altamont chose me. For the obvious reasons, I was born here, raised here, and graduated from here. I currently live here, and my kids will go to Altamont. You know we talk about that Altamont pride and it is running through my veins.” What do you personally bring to Altamont schools? - “I bring the keys because the doors are always locked and I always bring my water. I never leave the house without them. Besides that, I bring fifteen plus years of experience as well as leadership skills and qualities. I bring the fun sometimes but I work hard.” (Interviewer comment: I would say that humor is something that he brings everyday. Having taken his class, humor is something that makes his classroom more welcoming and more fun. It is something that can make you feel more willing to learn.) What do you want to accomplish at Altamont schools? - “The teachers and the administration want to provide a good education. We want to take education beyond high school into the real world where we can have good driven employees of companies and citizens of communities, hopefully Altamont.” What are your hobbies outside of school? - “I don’t have a lot of time with raising a family but when I am not at a sporting event for one of my kids, I try to be active with either golf or exercising. I obviously enjoy working out. I coach the seventh and eighth grade boys basketball team at ALIS as well as whatever teams my kids play on that need coaching. Normally, I’m in a gym somewhere or in a field. I also farm when I have spare time.” What would you say to encourage others to join this career? - “It’s very rewarding, I do have fun doing it so if it's something that you’re leaning towards it can be fun. The first few years of it, I’m sure will be a little stressful, but once you get more experience, it will come more naturally and you can be a little more relaxed. It is rewarding, fun, exciting but it is also challenging. Some days are challenging but I meet those challenges head on.” Is there anyone specific that inspired you to work in the education field? - “I am not really sure if it was anyone specifically but looking back I had some teachers that I always enjoyed. Mr. Casper was one specifically that I liked because I was kind of like him. He liked to be funny, joke around, but also he was strict and that's what I liked about him. I was an Ag major, doing well, and then all of a sudden I switched going into my sophomore year and went into math. You know I honestly don’t know what happened, I think that it was God’s plan.” What advice would you give to Altamont students? - “The advice I give every first day of every year that I have been teaching to freshmen especially, ‘Get involved, because I always tell them, I don't think you’re gonna regret being involved in something, but you might regret it if you didn't do something.’ The two signs in my room are effort and respect. Put forth maximum effort and show some respect when you're doing those things.”

ACHS Sports Monday 11/25- Saturday 11/30

🎉 At Altamont Unit #10, we want to take a moment to thank our amazing substitute teachers for their contributions to education! 📚 Are you or someone you know interested in becoming a substitute teacher? We are always looking to expand our team! Reach out to the school office for more info!

On Tuesday, November 19th, AGS Project HELP held their Fall Party which show cased some wonderful singing by our preschool classes. They all did fantastic and wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving!

Holly Vansaghi (Paraprofessional/Student Council Advisor) Interviewed by Madison Durbin What is her example of a goal you set and achieved? - “When I graduated high school, I really wanted to work for Disney. It took a while to get there but I worked with Disney for three years. After that, I came back to the area and I really wanted to work in education. I am so proud that I have been able to achieve those goals.” What would you be doing if you were not working in education? What made education a better career? - “I would be working daycare or something with little kids. I like working with older kids and it definitely made it better because you can see their improvements throughout the school year. Also, seeing your own progress throughout the years can be so rewarding.” What took you the longest to learn while working in schools? - “Well everyone learns differently and we just have to find that way that works best. If it takes longer to find that then, that's okay, we will make it work. “ If you could go back to school and do it differently, what would you do? - “I would get a bachelor's degree and see what I could do that.” What do you bring to Altamont schools? - “I bring a friendly face and Altamont pride because this is where I went to school.” What accomplishments does she hope to achieve this year? - “Make it through the school year first and foremost. I took over the student council this year so that is a big responsibility. I hope that I can make the student council amazing.” Who inspired you to work in this education field? - “Probably all the teachers I have ever had. I always wanted to be a teacher so the fact that I made it here was very cool.” What was the training and schooling like for this job? - I went to Lake Land for two years where I took classes in the human services field. A paraprofessional falls underneath that program.” What is advice that you would give to Altamont students? - “It's okay to not know what you wanna do after you graduate. You will figure it out but you will make the most of it while you are here. Just have fun.” What would she encourage others about joining this career? - “It's definitely rewarding to see the kids do so well and improve.”

Sara Berg, AGS/ACHS Band Director - “Well, Altamont appealed to me because we don’t have football, so I knew I would not have to teach field shows, which is so much work and so much extra time outside of school. Also, after I actually interviewed here, I could tell it was a really good fit for me. It felt really similar to the high school that I grew up in.” What do you find most enjoyable about working in education and what took you the longest to learn when working in education? - “Well, I think every teacher can say when that lightbulb goes off and a student gets it. That’s probably the best. But also academic freedom and my schedule changes every day, so I’m never bored and I don’t have to sit at a desk job. That would be the end of me, I think. The most important thing to learn was to know what things to really fight for when it comes to your music program and when to let some issues go.” What three words she would have used to describe herself in high school and how would you describe high school students today? - “Smart, talented, and dedicated and I think they’re fun to be around, funny and smart.” What accomplishment are you most proud of when it comes to teaching? Why are you proud of these accomplishments? - “Winning the Oblong Spooktacular Parade and managing to keep the band program alive and growing throughout COVID. I heard so many sad stories about other band programs dissolving, or disappearing. In Oblong, there are so many bands in our class, but we also ended up being in the bigger classes that are most definitely not the size of our school. Some of these bands are in 2A or 3A, which were classes we should not be against, so it was pretty cool to get first place. It feels so good when I am doing something right, or maybe a lot of things right, because we managed to keep our band alive and thriving.” What three words she thinks her students would use to describe her? - “This is a hard question to answer, but I would go with dedicated, dependable and happy. I try to be in a good mood each day that I spend with her classes.” What advice she would give to Altamont students? - “Give 100% every day with whatever it is. Whether it be classes or extracurriculars. Find an occupation that you love because you’re going to be at it for a very long time, and if it comes to a job that you don’t love anymore, try to find a new one because they’re out there, you just have to look for it. I had to leave a job that I no longer loved in order to find one I am happy to spend the rest of my career in.“ What is one thing on your bucket list? - “I’ve been been to Sedona, Arizona, and I hopes to go back more often because of the love I have for that place. I hope that I can one day have a winter home there.” If you could go back to high school, what would you do differently.? - “I wouldn’t do much because I was in several activities including softball and volleyball. I gave it 100% for the most part, so I don’t think there would be many changes to make.“