MFL MarMac high school students enjoyed engaging, hands-on learning experiences about potential hobbies and careers during an Interim Day on Sept. 23.
Language arts teacher Brandi Olson said this is the first time in a decade the school has organized such an event.
Following the success of a guest speaker day last year, fellow teacher Angie Killian suggested Interim Day.
“We wanted something engaging and hands-on,” Olson said. “We wanted our students to be able to do something—something beyond a traditional ‘sit-and-get’ presentation.”
Interim Day included three sessions spanning both on- and off-campus learning opportunities.
Off-campus options included the Fayette County Courthouse and Fayette County Sheriff’s Office as well as the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office; Monona Fire Department; Young Eagles Aviation and a flight simulator at the Prairie du Chien Airport; a tour, flower picking and floral design at Triple S Treasures flower farm, with support from Summer Schutte of Outdoor Creations; Tork Automotive; Allamakee Conservation; Euphoria Coffee; Shihata’s Orchard; smoking ribs; Seed Savers Exchange; the Earthmoving Legacy Center; trapshooting; and boating on the Mississippi River.
At the school, students participated in sessions such as crocheting, macro photography, floral design, mini charcuterie trays, rugby, EMS, self defense, painting, pastry decorating and doing hair.
Olson said staff worked together to select topics and presenters.
“It started at a staff meeting at the end of last school year. We just talked about people in the community we knew, the special talents they had and how that could be an experience for students. We continued to brainstorm and reach out to people throughout the summer and at the beginning of the school year,” she said. “When all was said and done, we were able to offer 26 different sessions for students to choose from. It was a collective effort to offer a variety of experiences.”
Junior Hadyn Meyer visited Euphoria Coffee in West Union and took a floral design session with Outdoor Creations. She most enjoyed flower decorating “because I felt like I got more freedom to do what we wanted. The coffee shop was interesting, but I wasn’t as interested in the business side of that,” she said.
Meyer’s favorite part of Interim Day was how “we got to choose what we wanted to do based on what we liked to do.”
Senior Ashton Phillips felt similarly after taking sessions with Rivertop BBQ and Northeast Iowa Rugby.
“It wasn’t an actual school day, but we still got to learn something new. It was much more relaxed,” Phillips said. “Like rugby was something no one really knew about, but we were able to learn quite a bit while having fun.”
According to Olson, a survey after Interim Day revealed most students were thankful for the experience.
“I know the underclassmen were sad at the lack of options left available when it came time for them to sign up, but the hope is, in the future, they’ll be choosing first,” she said.
Olson hopes Interim Day can happen again, at some point.
“There were a lot of logistics to figure out, which could be stressful at times, but it was worth it to see the students enjoy the experience. I would love students to be able to try new things again,” she said. “If anyone in the community has any ideas, they can sure reach out. The goal was for students to connect to the community, explore something knew and learn in a way that was out of the traditional classroom.”
