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Appreciating what they have in Algona

-Messenger photo by Chad Thompson Jared Cecil, Algona High School principal, points out some of the people and organizations who made the new Ed and Betty Wilcox Performing Arts Center a reality at the school.

ALGONA — Even before the Algona High School was gifted with a beautiful new performing arts center, students and staff at the school worked hard to keep their existing facilities clean and in good condition, according to Jared Cecil, high school principal.

Since the moment Cecil walked in the door at the high school nine years ago, that has and continues to be the case, he said.

“When I interviewed here and walked around with students, there was a wadded up piece of paper on the floor and one of the students picked it up and threw it away,” Cecil said.

The action of that student was impressive enough, but what Cecil heard after that really caught his attention.

“One of the students said, ‘if we didn’t grab it, the custodian would be by in the next five minutes to pick it up,'” Cecil said.

-Messenger photo by Chad Thompson Austin Petersen, 18, overlooks one of the monitors in a television production class at Algona High School.

Cecil, a native of Armstrong, credited both students and staff for their dedication in keeping the school in good shape.

“That’s just the expectation here,” Cecil said. “As you see, our building and the age of our building, it doesn’t look aged. I am often reminded of that when I get into other schools and gyms and see just the wear and tear over time.”

Cecil said Rick Adams, director of building and grounds, is a large reason why the school has had success in maintaining its facilities.

“Rick takes care of it, so it doesn’t get to that point,” he said. “Rick is first class when it comes to keeping our facilities up.”

The new Ed and Betty Wilcox Performing Arts Center gives students something else to take pride in, Cecil said.

-Messenger photo by Chad Thompson Algona High School students gather in the cafeteria at the school recently.

A special ribbon-cutting was held in January for the estimated $8 million facility.

The state-of-the-art facility was added on to the Algona High School.

“It’s an awesome facility for our fine arts,” Cecil said. “Our fine arts facility had been lacking. A concert in a performing arts center compared to a concert in a gymnasium is amazing.”

The center wouldn’t have been possible without a generous donation of $5 million from Ed and Betty Wilcox.

“Just the attitude of the kids performing is at a whole new level,” Cecil said. “I sat in there for just a band rehearsal, and the music fills the space. It’s amazing.”

The performing arts center has an advanced sound system and 863-seat auditorium, as well as a $140,000 piano.

Algona High School’s approximately 450 students are also treated to large dressing rooms, which feature flat-screen TVs.

The TV’s show what’s happening on stage as they prepare for their act.

“It’s just incredible,” Cecil said.

The performing arts center, although an addition to Algona High School, will be used by others in the community.

“It’s certainly a community facility,” he said. “Hormel used it the other day for a training with their staff. The barbershop quartet will be in there in the next couple of months.”

Bishop Garrigan, a private school in Algona, will also be encouraged to use the facility.

Cecil said Ed Wilcox has also been impressed with how people have taken care of facilities at Algona High School.

“In the conversations I have had with Mr. Wilcox, I believe he has an appreciation for how our facilities are maintained,” Cecil said.

Cecil also praised the Algona School Foundation for its work in improving the lives of students.

“They award so many scholarships,” Cecil said. “Last year the foundation awarded about $600,000 in scholarships to graduates.”

Cecil said anyone who has graduated from Algona High School is eligible to receive help from the foundation.

“If you are an Algona graduate, it doesn’t matter if you go to college this year or 10 years from now, if you are a graduate, you are eligible.”

The foundation also provided robotics to the Algona Middle School, which otherwise would have been a strain on the school budget, Cecil said.

Performance

According to the Iowa Department of Education’s School Report Card, the Algona High School was rated as commendable, while the Algona Middle School was rated as acceptable.

Those ratings are from 2016.

The ratings are formulated based on the following categories: proficiency, college and career ready growth, annual expected growth, closing achievement gap, graduation rate, attendance and staff retention.

Schools can earn a rating of exceptional, high-performing, commendable, acceptable, needs improvement, and priority.

“Our reality is we are trying to meet every kid where they are and get them as far as they can go,” Cecil said. “We do not focus on that state report card unless it points out an area that would cause some concern.”

Cecil said one of the focuses in recent years has been on grading practices.

Sometimes that means giving students a second chance.

“We believe a zero lets the kids off the hook,” Cecil said. “We want it to be a grade for learning, not that the assignment was handed in on time. We want grading practices to reflect the learning.”

Algona High School also offers four Iowa Lakes Community College programs on its own campus: construction, automotive, TV/broadcasting, and nursing.

Both the high school and middle school are also one-to-one. One-to-one means that there is at least one computer for every student in the school.

The atmosphere of the school is one aspect that brought Cecil to Algona in the beginning and continues to be a strong point, he said.

Cecil’s wife, Erica, is a first-grade teacher in Algona. Together they have three children: Jason, 15, Jackson, 13, and Emma, 10.

“Education is our world,” Cecil said. “I came to a school that was very good. Good atmosphere, good culture, good feeling. That’s why I came here. That was a big part of it. My family and I love this school and we are continuing to evolve. We have continued to add to that tradition of excellence.”

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