South Dakota Ag In The Classroom

For Immediate Release

Contact: Lisa Dorschner 605.945.2306

 

(Pierre, SD) -- Lisa Dorschner, Executive Director of South Dakota Ag In The Classroom (AITC), announces that Vikki Hasche of Lake Preston, SD has been selected as the organization’s “2006 Teacher of the Year”. 

 

Vikki was chosen from a field of graduates of Ag In The Classroom’s Summer Ag Institutes. Upon learning of this honor, Hasche commented, “I love using the AITC activities because they help me meet many of my state standards in a way that is very motivating to my students. I want my kids to understand how South Dakota’s #1 industry affects each of them, even those who don’t live on farms.”

 

Vikki Hasche has been teaching for 15 years and currently teaches 4^th grade at Arlington Elementary School in Arlington, SD. As a fourth grade teacher, Vikki is able to incorporate many AITC activities in the study of South Dakota, which is emphasizes in fourth grade curriculum. Although the activities are used throughout the year; Hasche has chosen to do many of the activities during what has become her annual “South Dakota Ag Week.” “I use Ag as the focus for almost all my lessons and classes throughout the week. We study agricultural statistics and graphing in math; we do geography and economics during social studies. In science, we study plants, make soy crayons and corn plastic. In writing class we write about how agriculture affects our lives each day and how it influences life in the state of South Dakota. We also coordinate with the kitchen staff to have a South Dakota Lunch in the lunchroom one day.”

 

For her accomplishments, Hasche will represent South Dakota at the National Ag In The Classroom Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana, June 6-9, 2007. She will also be recognized and share her experiences and successes with Ag In The Classroom board of directors and sponsors at the SDAITC Annual Recognition Luncheon on October 6^th in Brookings, SD.

 

Ag In The Classroom is a nationwide effort to incorporate information about agriculture into elementary and secondary schools. South Dakota Ag In The Classroom focuses on teacher training, providing teachers with materials and workshops to enable them to integrate South Dakota’s #1 industry – Agriculture - into their classrooms.