WREA Foundation Challenge Award - District 1

Berland Meyer (WREA Foundation Liaison), Vic Bekkum (WREA President), and John Osterloth (BCREA President) attended the Rice Lake School Board meeting on Monday, October 28, 2013.  They were at the meeting to recognize the Rice Lake Middle School as winners of the 2013 Challenge Award for District 1 of WREA.  The project "STEAM: A Collaborative Approach to Engineering and Design" received the award.

A check for $2000 was presented to Steve Hoersten, Technology and Engineering Teacher at the Rice Lake Middle School.  The focus of the project was to challenge students to use the tools of art and design with the principles of engineering and technology to find solutions to problems that have an impact on society.

The project has expanded to the point that students and parents attend "Saturday School" so extra time can be given for lab work.  The last Saturday school had approximately 50 students and 20 parents in attendance.

Rice Lake Middle School is one of five middle schools throughout the state being recognized this year by WREA.  The foundation rotates elementary, middle, and high school awards, with this year being the middle school recognition.

November BCREA Meeting

The Barron County Retired Educator's Association will be meeting on Thursday, November 14, 2013, at the Renegades Bar outside Turtle Lake.  There will be a coffee and cookies hour starting at 9:30 am with the meeting starting at 10:30 am.  The program will be "Energy Conservation", presented by representatives of the Polk/Burnett Electric Company.
Members are reminded that we will be collecting monies for the "School Supplies" program sponsored by the BCREA each year.  At the November meeting we also collect the sheets listing the volunteer hours our members have done throughout 2013.  Members who can not make the meeting should email their hours to John Osterloth, President, at josterloth@charter.net.
Those who did not make the September meeting may pay their yearly dues of $10 for local dues at this meeting.  WREA dues may also be paid at the meeting or on line at the WREA website.