Singing To Remember Our Germans from Russia Heritage (Video)

On Saturday night, the Germans From Russia Heritage Collection visited Wishek with a tour through our community. The evening entertainment included our Wishek Public School choir featuring kids in grades 7-12. Mrs. Janet Wolff is the director and has taught the choir native German from Russia folk songs. Here are a photos and two short videos from the choir's evening of entertainment.

First Lady of North Dakota Betsy Dalrymple visits Wishek (Video)

Photo by Fran Materi

We were honored today to have North Dakota's First Lady Betsy Dalrymple visit with parents, educators and leaders in Wishek today over lunch.

Advantage to raising your kids in Wishek: "Bedbugs" Play Recap

Often people wonder the advantages and disadvantages of raising kids in a small town environment. Is it the right choice for you? There are many that choose small town advantages and choose Wishek for their family. Education is one of the greatest advantages to raising kids in Wishek.

In Wishek, we have a kindergarten through grade 12 school with strong leadership and excellent teachers. There are ample activities for kids to engage in and participate from drama, music and sports. In just a couple weeks, preschool will begin in our school thanks to the volunteering of numerous parents to rally to jump start the new program.

This past Sunday evening we were reminded of another advantage of raising kids in Wishek and that is community involvement and spirit. Through the rallying of parents to create a new preschool in Wishek, parents involved their children in a community play, "Bedbugs" directed by local moms, Tammy Rohweder and Janet Wolff. Mrs. Wolff also serves as the Wishek School music teacher. Kids from ages 4 through grade 12 participated. Community members attended and hugely supported the play which raised over $1300 in profit for the preschool program.

What is important to see in our community is that there are young families willing to volunteer, work and reach out to keep a program like preschool going. Not only did they raise money to keep preschool going but alongside our school's administration and staff, preschool has been improved, creating a state accredited preschool program over the federally funded Headstart program that was previously offered

Wishek is a rural community that it thriving, growing and blossoming on the North Dakota prairie. By offering a wide array of services in our community, we are a stronger community that will attract more young families, potential business owners and employees to Wishek. Thank you to each of you who make our community thrive.

Whether you are local or not to our community, what are advantages or any disadvantages you find in raising kids in a small town? Let us know with a simple comment below.

Take a look at the 17 photos of "Bedbugs" and see the next generation of our community...

Local Play "Bedbugs" To Support New Pre-School

Wishek parents have rallied to support and start a new pre-school program. Registration for students ages 4-5 is due at Wishek Public School July 28th. Mrs. Angel Kuntz will be teaching the two morning a week class. There is a lot of excitement around our community for pre-school and it is because of the parents who have rallied to fund raise and support this program for the next generation of students in Wishek. 

Support needed to continue Wishek Preschool

The Wishek JDA supports continuing the Wishek Preschool program. Strong rural education is vital to sustaining families, employees and businesses in our community. We know our community members support and want preschool education after seeing the community outreach and support as federal funding cuts have threatened the future of preschool in Wishek. Below is a blog post written and submitted by a local mom and volunteer, Sarah Bernhardt, who is helping get out the word on preschool fundraising.  -Katie Pinke, on behalf of Wishek JDA Board of Directors

Preschool in Wishek is in jeopardy, but a group of local moms wants to "just say no" to no preschool. In the past the local program was run and funded by the Bismarck Early Childhood Education Program, and the federal government picked up the tab. Due to federal education funding cuts there's no money for Wishek preschool in 2011-2012.

The local preschool program in 2010-2011 was held at the Wishek Public School and consisted of one half day per week and some home visits. The school wants to hold preschool in 2011-2012 with two half-days a week and no home visits, but needs help to get the budget in the black.

Advice for Our Local Graduates

Tonight our local high school graduates our Wishek High School Class of 2011. 

Our community and their families proudly launches them into the world and on our Wishek, North Dakota Facebook page and Wishek, North Dakota Twitter page we asked our readers and fans to share some advice with our new graduates. 

On Twitter, Tracie Bettenhausen shared:
"Everything will work out."


Also on Twitter, John Shepard said:
"Go boldly into the world, and bring home what you learn."

Empower Young Leaders: International Science & Engineering Fair

Our community and local public school is proudly represented at The International Science and Engineering Fair in Los Angeles, California this week. 

Ben Schuler and Tyler Toepke-Floyd, both freshmen at Wishek High School, qualified their projects at the North Dakota Science Fair in Grand Forks. Ben’s exhibit is titled “Light Speed II.” Tyler’s exhibit is titled “Size Does Matter, But Does Shape?” 

Is There Value to Preschool in Rural America?

Due to federal funding cuts, the methods our Wishek preschool was funded in the 2010-2011 school year will not be available. 

Tonight the Wishek Job Development Authority is hosting an informational meeting at the Wishek School at 6:30PM to discuss advantages and disadvantages of preschool, ideal models of how our community can continue preschool, scheduling, transportation, cost structure and funding. 

Is preschool important to our rural life? We think so.

North Dakota is only one of ten states that does not fund pre-kindergarten at a state funding level. 

Our rural location does not offer a traditional private pay preschool environment that urban areas offer.  We have dedicated daycare providers that implement preschool curriculum into their daycare programs for children who attend them. 

Otherwise children go with out preschool. 

 Statistics show that a majority of kids attend at least one year of preschool: According to the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER), more than two-thirds of 4-year-olds and more than 40 percent of 3-year-olds were enrolled in a preschool in 2005. 

"Children who attend high-quality preschool enter kindergarten, with better pre-reading skills, richer vocabularies, and stronger basic math skills than those who do not," says NIEER director W. Steven Barnett, PhD.*

Why does preschool matter to our community? 

  “There's increasing evidence that children gain a lot from going to preschool. At preschool, they become exposed to numbers, letters, and shapes. And, more important, they learn how to socialize -- get along with other children, share, contribute to circle time.” - Kathleen McCartney, PhD, dean of Harvard Graduate School of Education, Cambridge, MA**

If community vitality and empowering the next generation of families in rural America, then something as simple as offering preschool in Wishek, North Dakota should matter to you. As a Wishek Job Development board, we feel it is important as we recruit businesses, employees and families to work to provide the strongest community possible for the future growth of Wishek and for all of rural America.

If you are local, we encourage you to attend tonight's informational meeting at 6:30PM at the Wishek School.

No matter if you are local or not, tell us...what do you think can be done to empower the next generation and build community in rural America?

“A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove...but the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child.”

-Forest E. Witcraft , American Scholar, Teacher and Scout Leader, 1894-1967

*Source: Advantages of Preschool Education an Analysis of Early Childhood, by Eren Mckay

**Source: Why Preschool Matters, Parents magazine 

What Spring brings to a North Dakota small town...

 Spring brings hope to our North Dakota small town of Wishek. The North Dakota economy is booming through energy, agriculture and manufacturing sectors. Our state is financially strong. North Dakota boasts the lowest unemployment rate in the nation. In Wishek, our taxable sales continue to rise, pointing to strong economic growth. We have quality jobs readily available. There are affordable homes for sale in Wishek. New city housing lots with city water and sewer provided and no special assessments are now for sale.

With melting snow and warm temperatures, we are relishing in the arrival of an array of species of birds all around us.

The air is fresh and there is a silence across our prairie with the only sounds often coming from the birds singing, honking, quacking and squawking. 

While we know there is always a chance there could be a little more snow and ice in the month of April, it won't last for long. Farmers are busy planning for an upcoming farming season. Many local Wishek residents are planning their summer vegetable gardens. Track and field and golf season have kicked off for our local junior high and high school kids. The local city park is filled with children sliding and swinging with glee as their parents enjoy the outdoors alongside of them.

No matter the season, there is always time to polka in Wishek. The young and old enjoy our native Germans from Russia heritage. 

 On a Saturday night, you might find Wishek residents taking some yodeling and country music like they did last Saturday night from local talent, Kristi Goldade.  Dakota Air The Radio Show came to Wishek and an old fashioned variety show was held in front of a packed house at the Wishek Civic Center.

 Spring brings continued success from our students. Youth are the future in Wishek. Whether it's the success of the Speech team, the above State Science Fair participants, the State Dual Wrestling Champions or State Music participants, our students excel across numerous academic, musical and athletic activities. 

The future is bright this Spring in Wishek. What is your favorite aspect of Spring?

Let us know by leaving a comment below. It's easy to comment and we love hearing from you.