Monthly Archives: May 2019

Baraboo students first in the state to become ‘Dementia Friends’

Dementia Friends students

From first recognizing you’re hungry to remembering where the bread is stored, there are more steps involved in making a sandwich than most people realize.

Considering those implicit steps and the difficulty they pose for people living with dementia was one of the lessons of a Baraboo High School health class Friday led by Gina Laack, a dementia care specialist with the Aging and Disability Resource Center of Eagle Country.

“Simple activities like making a sandwich or getting dressed that we think are so simple can become very daunting and difficult for individuals living with dementia,” Laack said.

Through 90-minute sessions, students in Julie Jensen’s six 10th-grade health classes became the first high school students in Wisconsin to be trained as “Dementia Friends” on Thursday and Friday, according to Laack. The program, originally started in the United Kingdom, came to the U.S. as Dementia Friends USAand seeks to inform more people about what it can be like to live with dementia and how to help.

The Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute adopted the program last year and trained 38 Master Trainers, including Laack, last fall. After the local resource center contacted the Baraboo School District, Jensen took up the offer to bring a trainer to her students, noting that the topic fit in well with the health curriculum.

“I think dementia is an issue in our society and is becoming more and more of an issue,” Jensen said. “A lot of these students are actually seeing this and dealing with it in their own homes and their own families, and to give them an education on how to communicate better with their loved ones is really a good skill to have.”

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Special-needs prom, now in its sixth year, transitions into new era

After Saturday’s Post Prom ended in the wee hours of Sunday morning, and nearly 1,100 high school students and their dates returned home, cleanup quickly began inside Festival Hall.

Outside, the red carpet stayed put for the second prom of the weekend.

On Sunday evening, more than 100 other young people, along with 200 volunteers, refilled Festival Hall for A Night to Remember, a prom for people with special needs.

“That’s what’s so special about both of these proms; I think Racine really understands how special both proms are for their communities,” said Sara Luther, one of the event’s organizers.

All high school seniors, including those with special needs, are invited to the traditional promenade on Saturday. But this second event, established by Great Lakes Church in 2014, caters to people with special needs and ages 13-30.

Mike Klug has quickly developed a deep appreciation for what A Night to Remember offers. His son Kevin — who has been diagnosed with epilepsy, a brain injury and autism — went to the traditional prom twice in high school. But A Night to Remember has become a highlight of his year, every year, for the past six years, he said.

“They’re kind of on stage and feel proud of who they are and being part of the community, and that doesn’t always happen,” Klug said. “That specialness lasts longer than one night. It builds confidence and makes them feel like they’re part of the community.”

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Spartan Influence Camp to be held for area students with disabilities

The football program at Luxemburg-Casco High School is holding the Spartan Influence Camp this Saturday, May 18, for students with disabilities, ages 5 to 21 years old. The camp is designed to give participating students the opportunity to be active while learning more about football.

Free of charge, the event is from 12:00-1:30 p.m. at the Luxemburg Sports Complex, 113 North Main Street in Luxemburg. Participants will receive a T-shirt and medal; water and a snack also will be provided. Roughly 20 area youth are expected to take part.

“Our football program is based on servant leadership and service learning, and we believe this is a great way to give back to our school and community,” says Dillon Maney, head football coach at Luxemburg-Casco High School. “The game of football has given many of our athletes great opportunities, and our athletes want to do the same for other people.”

Six members of the Luxemburg-Casco football team are serving as 2019 camp coordinators: Ben Naze, Mason Renard, Reece Worachek, Matt Cravillion, Matt Dorn and Andrew Spengler.

The event will be held rain or shine, and may move into the school’s gymnasium if the weather is inclement. Registration at the door will be accepted, or it can be done in advance at http://bit.ly/LCfbcamp. Participants do not need to be residents of the Luxemburg-Casco School District.

Senior Arabella Adams presented with Herb Kohl Initiative Scholarship

Arabella Adams, a senior at Luxemburg-Casco High School, has been presented with a $10,000 Herb Kohl Educational Foundation 2019 Initiative Scholarship at a recognition luncheon hosted by Herb Kohl, Wisconsin philanthropist and businessman.

The Herb Kohl Initiative Scholarship recognizes state “students who have demonstrated a high level of motivation, have shown strong promise for achieving success in college and beyond, and have overcome significant personal obstacles or adversity.”

In summing up Arabella, Luxemburg-Casco school officials described her as “a twenty-first century Renaissance figure, equally adept in and intrigued by the arts and sciences.” She also was saluted as an advocate for the arts, particularly music, and a student possessing considerable musical talent. Arabella is said to have the ability to pick up practically any instrument and not only play it, but play it skillfully.

Arabella plans to study mechanical engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. She is the daughter of Daniel and Heather Adams of Luxemburg.

In December 2018, Arabella and another student joined with a high-school English teacher to play Christmas carols for students and staff outside the main office on the day before Christmas break. Further demonstrating her passion for music, she wrote a major research paper for her English 12 class that addressed the impact of music education and advocated for expanding access to it for students throughout their academic careers.

The Herb Kohl Educational Foundation has recognized educational excellence for the past 30 years by awarding scholarships annually to 200 graduating high school students throughout Wisconsin. Since its establishment in 1990, the foundation has given $17.8 million to state students, teachers, principals and schools.