Waverly Offers Positive Educational Opportunities at Waverly-Shell Rock Schools and Wartburg College

posted in Chamber of Commerce on December 6, 2017

With eager spirits, sharpened pencils and blank notebooks, students in the Waverly area are nearly two months in to the 2017-2018 school year.

The education in Waverly is unique in having an award-winning school district: Waverly-Shell Rock and a private, liberal arts college: Wartburg.

In the Waverly-Shell Rock School District, seven schools are utilized: Margaretta Carey Elementary, Shell Rock Elementary, Southeast Elementary, West Cedar Elementary, W-SR Middle School, W-SR High School, Greenview Alternative High School and W-SR Residential/Lied Center.

Within those seven schools, Waverly-Shell Rock has 2,079 students enrolled in their district. This year, approximately 55 new students have enrolled at Waverly-Shell Rock.

“It truly does speak to the growth of the community of Waverly and/or Shell Rock and the surrounding area,” W-SR Superintendent, Ed Klamfoth, said.

One of the unique facets of Waverly-Shell Rock’s educational approach is the use of one-to-one technology.

Klamfoth said the district has been utilizing the one-to-one technology at the Middle School and High School since 2011. There is a one-to-one ratio of students to an electronic device (Chromebooks or iPads) for grades 5-12.

“It levels the playing field for students,” Klamfoth said. “It lessens the likelihood of a disparity between the haves and the have nots, and simply having access to the world is huge. Students having that comfort level and knowing how to use those tools to enhance their work is going to better prepare them for the future.”

Also, Klamfoth believes the recent growth in the number of students attending Waverly-Shell Rock is a direct result of the growing community.

The relationship between the city and Waverly-Shell Rock schools is one Klamfoth believes makes Waverly a great place to live and learn.

“It’s a great place to be,” Klamfoth said. “There are huge benefits to being in a community like Waverly.”

Often times, the future of Waverly-Shell Rock students includes recieving a college education from our local liberal arts institution, Wartburg. Overall, 72 students from Waverly-Shell Rock High School are currently enrolled at Wartburg this year, 12 of which are first-time, first-year students.

Wartburg and Waverly-Shell Rock High School work together in offering a Post-Secondary Educational Opportunity program, which has enabled 27 Waverly-High School students to take college classes at Wartburg while still in high school.

Klamfoth is appreciative of the long-standing relationship that Waverly-Shell Rock and Wartburg has created over the years.

“The relationship we have with Wartburg is outstanding and mutually beneficial,” Klamfoth said.

One of the things Wartburg College President, Darrel Colson, is most proud of is the sense of community that students develop during their time at Wartburg.

Students volunteer for service projects, work in on-campus offices and places throughout Waverly.

“We are trying to instill in students a disposition to lead and serve in the community,” Colson said. “Our goal is to prepare students for opportunities to make a difference in their cities, communities and counties.”

Colson also believes the institution is deeply focused on their mission in “challenging and nurturing students for lives of leadership and service, as a spirited expression of their faith and learning.”

With that mission in mind, Wartburg welcomed 486 new students to campus this fall.

“We need students to pursue our mission,” Colson said. “It’s always exciting to have a new group of students on campus.”

The City of Waverly, Waverly-Shell Rock Schools and Wartburg College have developed a successful relationship that continues to enhance education in our community.

Colson believes that without the support from the Waverly community is invaluable

“We could not be successful without the support of Waverly,” Colson said. “The community itself really is supportive in the fact that our students can make a home here.”