Points of Pride: Whiting Community School District

Suzanne Bartels and a Cookie bouquet

It was a special joy to visit Whiting Community School District in Whiting, Iowa.  Suzanne Bartels, Title I Reading and Math teacher, graciously spent the afternoon sharing Whiting with me.  One of the quotes found on the wall is "Success is a do-it-yourself project," and this "do-it-yourself" attitude is found in Whiting's community support to provide resources to its district.  Their strong community foundation has provided 1-to-1 laptops, a new math series, and field trips for its students.  Another community connection is found with the cooperative provision of preschool services - Whiting offers a 4-year old program three times a week and a local church provides a 3-year old program.  It's partnerships with the community that helps Whiting prepare students to become productive citizens.




District Demographics:
Enrollment: 195
Free and Reduced Lunch:   47%

Whiting is a Special Place to Be:  In 2005, the Whiting High
School received the United States Department of Education's Blue Ribbon School of Excellence Award.  In 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010 the Whiting High School was nationally recognized by the U.S. News and World Report as on of "America's Best High School." This designation is bestowed on the top 10% of schools in the nation. Whiting has a wonderful, caring staff who plan instruction that prepares students to be successful.

The vision statement of Whiting Community School District is:  Our vision, in partnership with our families and community, is to prepare students to become productive citizens in today's world by providing a positive educational and social environment with a challenging, diversified curriculum in a community committed to progress.

Character Counts is a program that supports the vision of creating productive citizens.  One time per month middle school and high school students teach elementary students the qualities of a designated character.  The MS/HS students are taught what the character trait means and they, in turn, prepare activities and lessons that make the character trait come alive for elementary students.

Whiting's education atmosphere  includes working in Professional Learning Communities to analyze data, brainstorm interventions to enhance achievement, develop intervention action plans, and participate in continual analysis of the effectiveness of the plan.  Each week school dismisses early on Wednesday to provide for additional collaboration for teachers to work on such initiatives as FAST assessments, the piloting of the VOWAC program (Vowel Oriented Word Attack Course), organizing the Positive Behavior Interventions and Support system (PBIS), analyzing assessment data, and exploring new curriculum.  The high school has a partnership with Western Iowa Tech in Sioux City, providing additional learning opportunities for its high school students.  Education majors perform practicums at Whiting and also provide after school tutoring on a volunteer basis.

Whiting continues to seek ways to offer additional learning opportunities for its students.  The

Video in "the pit" of the library

commitment and dedication of its staff and community will continue to move this district forward as it seeks to provide challenging and diversified curriculum.  Jesse Owens said:  "We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline, and effort."  The Whiting School District has the determination, dedication, self-discipline, and effort to actualize its vision statement and move its district forward into the 21st Century arena.  It was a joy to be a part of the Whiting School District family for the day!