Ankeny Press Citizen du lieu suivant : Ankeny, Iowa • R8

Continued from Page 6 8 FRIDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2023 ANKENY REGISTER PRESS CITIZEN Make Your Home Stand Out With A Beautiful New Roof PROPERLY LICENSED ADEQUATELY INSURED KNOWN FOR QUALITY COMMITTED TO THE LATEST METHODS restrictions apply. Call for details. OFF LABOR $100 VISA GIFT CARD FREE ROOF INSPECTION SENIOR MILITARY DISCOUNTS WHY CHOOSE US Clear Choice Exteriors, Your Local Window Depot, is a GAF Certified Residential Roofing Contractor What Makes GAF Factory-Certified Contractors the Best? Call Today to BOOK YOUR ESTIMATE! 515-513-5936 Rake In These Great Deals! Latino success in Iowa and is created by and for youth. Al is the umbrella organiza- tion works under. Accord- ing to its website, Al is focused on educational achievement and transformative leadership capacity of Latinx youth.

extremely honored to be in the hall of said Dawn Martinez Oropeza, executive director of Al to. no greater group of stu- dents who should receive this award. worked really Getting its start in 2017, Latino youth had the desire to do more for their community, so was established and now helps Latino youth across the state with three goals in mind: 1 Build the capacity of Latino youth. 2 Promote and demonstrate the giving spirit of the Latino communi- ty, especially businesses. 3 Financially sustain Al pro- gram.

This group works on entrepre- neurial and philanthropic creating business models and prod- ucts to give youth the real life experi- ence of giving back to their commu- nities. The news release from Iowa Com- mission of Latino said Al is Latino leaders engaged in their communities and partnering with Latino owned busi- nesses to provide essential skills and opportunities for a greater diverse Ralph Jesse Hernandez, Prole contributions in- clude family counseling, mentoring young men, coaching bas- ketball for multiple schools, preserv- ing Latino history, traditions, and customs utilizing music and song as tools to educate and empower thou- sands of young students throughout the release said. Estrada, Cedar Falls Working as the director of stu- dent success and retention at the University of Northern Iowa, Estrada has worked to educational access and attainment by creating new pro- grams to serve students in transi- tion, translating several aid sessions, admission presenta- tions and other important docu- ments into Spanish at accord- ing to the release. have increased the attendance of the fall Latino Family Visit Day by He also is credited with implementing the all-Spanish Spring Latino fam- ily visit day at Iowa State Univer- sity. Elizabeth Mendez-Shannon, Iowa City An alum of the University of Iowa social work Ph.D program, Mendez- Shannon returned in 2022 as the full-time director of di- versity, equity and inclusion with the College of Liberal Arts and Sci- ences.

In her tenure as director, she has for immigrant rights highlighting the resilience and strengths among ac- cording to the news release. Mendez-Shannon also designed the Spanish for Social Workers, Immigration History, and Culture classes at the Uni- versity of Iowa. Sister Irene Ottumwa Sister known as served for the past 23 years at the St. Mary of the Visitation Par- ish in Ottumwa with the Congrega- tion of the Humility of Mary as the multicultural minister. She retired in July of 2022, but her work pro- ceeds her retirement.

Irene established mobile dental and health clinics in Muscatine, opened a Muscatine Mi- grant Clinic, and campaigned for Latinos to exercise the right to the news release said. She also has been recognized by the League of United Latin Ameri- can Citizens as an Iowa civil rights icon for her and advocacy for immigrants. Kyle Werner is an intern for the Register. Reach him at kwer- mean you have to step away from the schools because there are many kids out there that still need guidance in one way or another. I feel the knowledge gained working in higher education, in the Saydel district and the business world can be in helping navigate educational needs.

What is the most pressing issue facing the school district and how would you address it? Gary Christensen: A challenge faced by Saydel Community Schools is teacher recruitment and retention. Education is a demanding profession that requires passion, patience, and support. We have worked on moderniz- ing our classrooms to enhance the learning environment. We have also been looking at our culture, climate, and compensation for teachers. As a board, we facilitated changes to assem- ble a tremendous team to empower our marvelous teachers to perform to their full potential.

This past year we saw a dramatic increase in standardized test- ing scores that exceed the state average score. I look forward to sustaining this momentum and continuing our posi- tive growth. Samantha McNeeley: I believe growth and educational progress are major issues for our district. Saydel has a wide range of socio-economic back- grounds. Keeping balance between learning challenges, mental health and behavioral issues, and learning pro- gression is We need to imple- ment sustainable ways to increase funding for additional resources to students who need them and allow classroom teachers to focus more on educational development.

We have the potential for future growth, but we need to cultivate a positive nar- rative for our district and ensure it is a desirable place for new and returning families. Jimmy Van Der Kamp: Retaining high caliber To produce produc- tive students it takes great teachers and administrators. I look forward to having the conversations with the members about what is and work- ing and make sure their concerns are heard. I want to make sure the teachers are feeling supported. Jennifer Van Houten: There are many topics facing the school district and it is hard to narrow it down to the most important, but the district is al- ways trying to improve the quality of education.

I serve on committees not only as a board member, but as a parent and community member to provide feedback to help Saydel administrators make decisions on how best to serve our students. Tricia Zeis: As a new School Board member it is wise to step into my role with an open mind, listen and help work on projects that are currently on the agenda. Changes take time, but my hope would be to do some of the follow- ing as I know these are a few issues we need to look into: teacher retention, teaching students better study habits and test taking skills, and keeping those living in the district going to school in the district. Saydel Continued from Page 5 Detectives also found Becker-Abey- ta is a non-licensed caretaker. They al- legedly also found evidence that Beck- er-Abeyta had been using money for things other than his care.

In June, Becker-Abeyta was arrested and charged with exploitation of an older individual and neglect of a dependent person, according to the news release. Later, results from an investigation into death, as well as au- topsy results from the State of Medical found he had gotten pneumonia due to Klebsiella pneumoniae Infection. The manner of his death was a homicide, according to the news release. The put out an arrest warrant for Becker-Abeyta on Oct. 18 and she was booked in the Polk County Jail on Wednesday, the news release said.

Virginia Barreda is the Des Moines city government reporter for the Regis- ter. She can be reached at vbarre- Follow her on Twitter at Charges Continued from Page 7 Inducted.