This week’s Hotline! includes the following articles:

• President's Column: Kindergarten at the Campus School
• Annual giving offers many ways to support VCSU
• Sign up for VCSU blood Drive Nov. 16
• Milner attends sport medicine conference
• Hunt attends athletic training accreditation conference
• Fenster presents at human services conference
• Viking sports update
• What’s happening at VCSU and around Valley City…

The VCSU Hotline! online newsletter is published every Monday. Deadline to submit articles (photos encouraged) is 3 p.m. the Friday before publication.

President’s Column: Kindergarten at the Campus School

In President McFarland’s report to the Board of Management in November 1892, he mentions the establishment of a self-supporting kindergarten, indicating that the Model School Department of Valley City Normal provided a “graded and classified school” of all grades from kindergarten through high school (according to Dr. Welch, in “Cornerstones”). McFarland writes, “We are very fortunate in securing the services of Miss Amanda E. Harman of the Froebel Institute of Minneapolis to inaugurate this work for us.” Froebel was the German educational theorist who opened the first kindergarten in 1837. The first kindergarten class at Valley City Normal had 20 members. The teacher was paid through the tuition collected from the students. All other programs at the Normal School during this period were free of charge.

According to Smithsonianmag.com, the first English-speaking kindergarten was established by Elizabeth Peabody in 1860, and in the next 20 years the movement spread across the nation, so that there were over 400 kindergartens in 1880. Teacher-training institutions provided special training for kindergarten pre-teachers, an expectation that continues to this day, since you must have a special endorsement on your teaching license to teach kindergarten.

So Valley City Normal’s addition of a kindergarten and kindergarten teacher training during its second year is not surprising; neither is the “self-supporting” part a surprise, because a large number of kindergartens were private endeavors during those years, and people expected to pay tuition.

Opal Wooldridge, kindergarten teacher and faculty member at Valley City State Teacher’s College from 1938-71, surveyed the state in 1947 to compile a true picture of kindergartens in North Dakota. She found there were 27 kindergarten or preschool groups operating in the state, with a total of 753 children attending. There were only 11 public school kindergartens in operation at that time, and three of these were in Valley City Public Schools (Welch, “Cornerstones”). She continued this work, sending out a survey every few years, to document the growth of kindergartens in North Dakota. In December 1963, she published her results in the “North Dakota Teacher,” indicating that there were now 148 kindergartens in North Dakota; of these, 52 were public (tax funded), 9-month kindergarten programs.

Mrs. Wooldridge wrote: “Five-year olds have reached the stage where they need the companionship of other children their age. They need the stimulation and guidance that is available in a good kindergarten program…one that is set up to provide for the maximum growth of every child in all areas of his development.” This teaching philosophy and her work across the state to support the growth of kindergartens has made a difference for many of us who were once five. Mrs. Wooldridge was my kindergarten teacher, and while I have very dim memories of the experience, I continue to remember her by name and by the way she made me feel comfortable and confident in school.

Once more, we see Valley City at the center and cutting edge of an innovation with a huge impact in North Dakota. From Miss Harmon in 1892 through Mrs. Wooldridge, who retired in 1971, Valley City State (Normal, Teacher’s College, and University) has led the way in developing a solid, meaningful educational program.

Annual giving offers many ways to support VCSU

There are many ways to give to the annual giving campaign. As an example, some staff members combine their funds to get a high-dollar item for the April scholarship auction. It only takes a few dollars to make a big difference! Others have a recurring amount come out of each paycheck that goes to scholarships or funds they want to support. Please contact the Foundation Office at 845-7203 or email Maggie Heinle for more information on ways to give.

Stephanie Roelfsema, director for residence life, explains why she and her husband give back to VCSU: “Giving to V-500 is important to my husband and me because we are both graduates of VCSU and had excellent experiences while we were students. We know that college is expensive, and it is a difficult burden for some students and families to bear. We hope that by giving, we can help lessen that burden for students and families so that they may have wonderful experiences at VCSU as well. VCSU has given us so much: each other, great experiences, excellent education, ties to VCSU and Valley City, and a place to call home and raise our family. We feel compelled to give back so that others may also have great experiences like we did.”

Sign up for VCSU blood drive Nov. 16

The Viking Campus Activities Board is sponsoring a blood drive on Friday, Nov. 16, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Student Center Skoal Room.

To make an appointment to give blood, contact Katie Clark at katie.o.clark@vcsu.edu or Sofia Muruato at sofia.muruato@vcsu.edu.

Milner attends sports medicine conference

Sarah Milner, assistant professor of kinesiology and human performance, attended the 2018 annual fall meeting of the Northland Chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine in Brookings, S.D., Oct. 11-12. The clinic featured national, regional and local speakers, and provided scientific information, panel discussions and breakout sessions.

Featured topics included “Stiffening Arteries While Stiffening Muscles: Influence of Resistance Training on Vascular Function” and “Aging of Competitive Athletes” by Hirofumi Tanaka. Tanaka developed the Tanaka equation for heart rate. Steve Keteyian presented “Making Success Out of Failure…Exercise Training in Patients with Heart Failure” and “Clinical Exercise Physiology 2022…The Surge.”

The conference also included two breakout sessions on the South Dakota State University campus, including one on teaching proper movement assessments and supplements and exercise interaction. The conference included a quiz bowl that VCSU Exercise Science students were scheduled to participate in, but due to the snowstorm, they were unable to travel.

Hunt attends athletic training accreditation conference

Rachelle Hunt, athletic training program director, attended the 2018 Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE) Conference in Tampa, Fla., Oct. 12-15. The conference provided critical information regarding the new 2020 CAATE Professional Standards and Curricular Content Standards. The conference offered breakout sessions so Hunt was able to network with representatives of programs of similar size and program offerings compared to the VCSU athletic training program.

Fenster presents at human services conference

Emily Fenster, assistant professor of sociology, presented at the 2018 National Organization for Human Services (NOHS) annual conference held Oct. 24-27 in Philadelphia, Pa. The annual NOHS conference creates opportunities for academics, students, and practitioners to explore current issues in the field.

Fenster’s presentation, “Meeting Students Where They Are: Creating Engaging & Realistic Research Projects,” provided an overview of research-focused projects students complete in various sociology and psychology courses. This included initial qualitative data from the yearlong research project facilitated by Fenster and Kathryn Woehl.

Fenster also attended sessions on a wide range of topics, including: minimizing risk in field experiences, creating service learning opportunities in non-internship courses, an overview of the Green Card Youth Voices project, and various approaches on teaching ethical standards.

In addition, Fenster serves as the secretary for MWOHS, the Midwest regional group for NOHS. She helped facilitate a regional meeting at the conference and connected with others in the region, which includes 12 states.

Viking sports update

Football
Saturday: VCSU 49, Presentation College 21
The Viking Football team closed the season with a dominating road win at Presentation College. VCSU racked up 486 yards of offense and forced five turnovers by the Saints. The Vikings finish the season 6-4 overall and 5-2 in the North Star Athletic Association.

Volleyball
Tuesday: Mayville State 3, VCSU 2
Saturday: Presentation College 3, VCSU 1
The Valley City State volleyball team ends the regular season with a 14-14 overall record and a 7-7 record in conference play. The Vikings are the No. 4 seed for the NSAA Tournament and face No. 5 Mayville State in the opening round Friday at 12 p.m. The NSAA Tournament will be played Friday and Saturday at Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wis.

Cross Country
Three Valley City State University cross country runners have advanced to the NAIA National Championships after strong showings at the NSAA Conference Championships on Saturday. Grace Miller and Allyssa Weitkum will represent VCSU’s women at nationals, while Riley Roy-Lagasse will represent the Viking men. VCSU’s women placed second as a team at the NSAA Championships. The Viking men took third.

Women’s Results: http://www.vcsuvikings.com/article/3178

Men’s Results: http://www.vcsuvikings.com/article/3179

Women’s Basketball
Tuesday: Dakota Wesleyan 60, VCSU 55
Friday: Dordt College 71, VCSU 59
Saturday: Northwestern College 96, VCSU 82
The Viking women’s basketball team is now 1-3 overall. VCSU will wrap up a busy stretch of games by traveling to rival Jamestown for a 6 p.m. game on Monday, Nov. 5.

Men’s Basketball
Friday: Dordt College 90, VCSU 70
Saturday: Northwestern College 103, VCSU 56
Valley City State’s men’s basketball team is now 1-3 overall. The Vikings play at Peru State on Friday, Nov. 9.

Upcoming Events
Nov. 5: Women’s Basketball @ University of Jamestown, 6 p.m.
Nov. 9: Volleyball @ NSAA Tournament vs. Mayville, 12 p.m. (La Crosse, Wis.)
Nov. 9: Men’s Basketball @ Peru State (Neb.), 7 p.m.
Nov. 10: Women’s Basketball @ St. Cloud State, 2 p.m.

What's happening at VCSU and around Valley City...

Monday, November 5
6 p.m. Viking women’s basketball @ University of Jamestown
7:30 p.m. VCSU faculty recital, Froemke Auditorium

Tuesday, November 6
Election Day
Spring Semester registration begins for currently enrolled students
11 a.m. VCSU Music Department General Student Recital 2, Froemke Auditorium
12:05 p.m. Rotary, VFW

Wednesday, November 7
noon Kiwanis, Valley City Town & Country Club

Thursday, November 8
7 a.m. Optimists, Vicky’s Viking Room
noon Toastmasters, Student Center Norway Room
8:30–10:30 p.m. Vikings for Christ, Student Center Skoal Room

Friday, November 9
noon Volleyball @ NSAA Tournament vs. Mayville, La Crosse, Wis.
7 p.m. Viking men’s basketball @ Peru State College, Peru, Neb.

Saturday, November 10
Viking women’s basketball @ St. Cloud State, St. Cloud, Minn.
Local Ladies' Day–Shop, Dine, DIY, Valley City, N.D.
VCSU Music Department Solo Song Symposium, Vangstad Auditorium

Sunday, November 11
Veterans Day

Monday, November 12
Veterans Day observed
No VCSU classes and offices are closed

Tuesday, November 13
2018 Barnes County Music Festival
12:05 p.m. Rotary, VFW
4:30–6:30 p.m. Business After Hours: Valley City Young Professionals Network, Valley City Town and Country Club
6 p.m. Viking women’s basketball @ University of Minnesota-Crookston, Crookston, Minn.

Wednesday, November 14
noon Kiwanis, Valley City Town & Country Club
7 p.m. Viking men’s basketball vs. University of Jamestown, W.E. Osmon Fieldhouse

Thursday, November 15
Payday
7 a.m. Optimists, Vicky’s Viking Room
noon Toastmasters, Student Center Norway Room
8:30–10:30 p.m. Vikings for Christ, Student Center Skoal Room
7 p.m. Viking women’s basketball @ Concordia College-Moorhead, Moorhead, Minn.

Friday, November 16
NAIA Cross Country National Championships, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Saturday, November 17
6 p.m. Viking men’s basketball @ University of Minnesota-Crookston, Crookston, Minn.

Sunday, November 18
2 p.m. Viking men’s basketball vs. Oak Hills Christian College, Crookston, Minn.