Daily Archives: July 24, 2017

Webster High School at the Forefront of Trade Skills

Stand Up for Public Ed,

Webster

Burnett County Sentinel: While the rest of Webster was buckling in for the weekend on Friday, Webster Technical Education Teacher Roy Ward was anxiously awaiting the newest addition to the Webster High School shop, a Haas CNC Mini Mill. 

Ward, the expert, describes the machine’s capabilities like this: “Using a piece of raw material or a casting, students will program the mill to perform one or several operations. There are 10 tool holders that can automatically change. One part might have an area that needs to be surface milled, a hole to drill, and a thread to tap. Another example might be a pocketing operation to remove material from an inside contour. To put it simply, it makes chips.”

The uncanny professionalism of Webster’s shop is due not only to an array of sophisticated machinery, it has also gained respect through Ward’s ambition to partner with the community and provide students with what they need to prepare for life after high school.

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‘Land Lab’ Gives Deforest Students Real Life Agri-Business Experience

Stand Up for Public Ed,

DeForest

DeForest Times Tribune: The DeForest Area School District’s Land Lab is an integral part of both the high school’s agricultural science and Future Farmers of America (FFA) programs. On July 10, two students who participated in last year’s growing season presented to the Board of Education about their agri-business experience.

The Land Lab is a 68-acre plot east of Windsor Elementary School and lying between Gray and Windsor Roads. Each summer, students plan and then implement the planting, scouting, marketing and harvesting on the district’s test plot. Land Lab is designed to provide students with hands-on learning in agronomy, soil science and agriculture sustainability. According to Gwen Boettcher, agriculture teacher and FFA advisor, about 16 students were involved in the project during the 2016 growing season.

Participants Zach Mickelson and Reagan Schwoerer reported to the board that 15 acres of corn and 35 acres of soybeans were planted last May. They described how students met weekly throughout the summer to discuss marketing strategies. They also visited the fields to evaluate crop health and growth.

Mickelson and Schwoerer reported the soybean harvest brought an average yield of about 60 bushels an acre. The poor corn yield of about 993 bushels per acre was attributed to a mix-up when a nitrogen application was ordered, but not applied.

On the plus side, the 2016 crop generated a net income of $20,284. They presented a check to Board President Jan Berg for the district’s portion of the profits.

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