Cotter Co-Ramblers of the Month:
           Sam French                    and             Miriam Ellis

Cotter Senior Sam French is the Cotter Schools Co-Rambler of the Month. Sam is the son of Bob and Amy French and has 4 siblings; David, Jacob, Noah and Alison.
 

At Cotter Sam is involved in band, jazz band and combos, National Honor Society, speech team, football, baseball and peer helpers. His favorite classes at Cotter are political science and economics. What he likes most about attending Cotter that it is a "fun school where there is always something to do."  He especially likes the student center and playing ping pong after school with friends.

Outside of school he is involved in Boy Scouts, is a member of the MCA jazz group, and he coaches baseball. He is a Eucharistic Minister and likes helping out around his church. After graduation this spring, Sam will attend college and study political science. 
 

Teachers describe Sam as being a great leader in and out of the classroom. He is kind-hearted and is always willing to help a teacher or student both voluntarily and when asked to do so.  Sam has a very open personality and is incusive (such as the "6th man megacorp!") He has matured into a great young man who displays great school spirit that is contagious among his peers.

Freshman Miriam Ellis is the daughter of Jim and Jenny Ellis and lives in Independence, WI. She has 3 older siblings. Her favorite subject is English and her favorite teachers are Mrs. Hansel-Parlin and Ms. Shriver. Miriam enjoys reading for pleasure and her role model is her mother, because she always thinks about others first.

Outside of school Miriam loves to snowboard and go horseback riding. Her horse's name is "Awesome!" Miriam has done quite a bit of travelling so far in her young life. Her travels include visiting Japan, Germany, Austria, and Poland.  She will be going to Costa Rica with her classmates during spring break for a science class trip.  She also has attended Concordia Language Village and a public speaking camp at Stanford University.
 

Miriam is described as having a very positive attitude in class and has a tremendous work ethic. You can count on her to always do the right thing during class and is ready to help others when needed.  She provides a source of caring for her peers. Miriam has a love of learning and is not afraid to try new things. She is a soft-spoken young lady who displays a quiet confidence and will extend an invitation for you to join her anytime. 

Finals Week Snacks:  To help our students do their best during finals in December, the Student Council handed out cookies and juice to students.  Tyler Sluman and ML pass out cookies to (from left) Bryant Gernes, James Galke, Ben Herber, and Cade Espy.

Cotter Students Learn about Election Process

Before the winter break, students in Ms. Meggie O'Keefe's Cotter High School's social studies classes learned in depth about the election processes in America. 
 

Students explored campaigns and elections including political parties, issue positions, advertising, and campaign finance. They had to conduct their own research rather than relying on a textbook for information. Students figured out how to do the tasks they had been assigned on their own and in a group. This was not easy, but this is precisely why Ms. O'Keefe believes it was a valuable experience. It was also exciting and fun as it brought out the competitive side of many students. It allowed others to display skills they do not always get to share.

The purpose of this project, according to their teacher, was to provide students with an opportunity to learn by actually doing. Ms. O'Keefe wanted students to experience the challenges of working with a group to complete specific tasks and activities. By having a broader audience than just their class, she hoped to increase student accountability for their work and a greater sense of purposefulness and achievement. The election debates were viewed by nearly 300 people in Cotter High School's theatre. O'Keefe states, "many assignments students complete in High School and even in college are only seen by themselves and by the teacher. It can be a real shock when students leave High School or college and have to complete work that is seen by a broader audience."

Pictured during a debate session: L to R: Sung-Woo Jang, Sam French and teacher/moderator Ms. Meggie O'Keefe.