The popular children’s television show “Blue’s Clues” has come alive in Eau Claire. Produced by the Eau Claire Children’s Theatre, the cast – which includes several Altoona residents – will be performing four shows at the State Theatre beginning Thursday, January 8 and running through Sunday, January 11.

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   “Old-fashioned” and “out-of-style” are two phrases that might come to the minds of some when the art of knitting is mentioned. Members of the newly created Altoona Middle School Knitting Club, however, do not agree. The club, which is made up of fifth-graders, meets after school every week to learn and practice knitting. Fifth-grade teacher and club advisor Mary Stamos works with 12 AMS staff members, three parents, and a handful of older students to teach the young knitters their craft.

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   When the holidays start twinkling, Pedersen Elementary School students have traditionally headed to stores to buy gifts for each other, which they exchange at school. This year, teachers of and students in kindergarten through fourth grade are forging new ways to celebrate the holiday season, many of which emphasize giving to those less fortunate.

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   During the Altoona School District Board of Education meeting on Monday, December 15, board members heard updates from both the planning council and policy committee meetings held earlier in December. Among those updates was the approval of a Personal Finance Course worth 0.5 credit, which is now a graduation requirement for Altoona High School students.

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  At a time when many Altoona parents might be trying even harder than usual to save every penny, Altoona School District Food Service Supervisor Peggy Ehrhard would like to remind residents about the district’s National School Lunch Program.

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   On Tuesday, December 16, Altoona Middle School hosted “Reality Check 21,” a program run by the Consortium for Substance Abuse Prevention in Eau Claire County on the importance of reducing underage alcohol use. Eau Claire City-County Health Department Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist Pamela Radcliffe was on hand to discuss statistics, facts, and solutions on how parents can prevent their children from abusing alcohol.

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   On Monday, December 15, the Altoona High School auditorium will be filled with a variety of holiday melodies presented by the school’s band, jazz band, and concert choir as students play for their annual holiday concert.

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   Eighth-graders at Altoona Middle School had the opportunity, as part of their reading curriculum, to participate in a job-shadowing experience during the first week of December; participants could earn 15 extra-credit points by taking advantage of this unique opportunity.

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   Formed to act as community liaison to encourage environmentally friendly practices and habits within Altoona, Altoona Middle School’s newly formed “Green Team” includes fifth-graders Maria Machgan,  Claudia McSweeney, and Yenchen Xiong; sixth-grader Katie Niesen; fifth-graders Evelyce Romero, KaSandra Springer, and Anika Hanson; eighth-graders Julia Jones, Brittney Hegenbart, and Katie Weltzin; and seventh-graders Crystal Dodge and Jessica Welker. After meeting for the first time on Monday, December 1, the team will begin meeting once a week to discuss how to improve the environment both as a group and individually – and how to get the community involved.

   As Altoona High School students walked into Davies Center at UW-Eau Claire on Wednesday, November 19, they were greeted by swarms of college students eager to welcome them to the 61st annual Chippewa Valley School Press Association (CVSPA) conference.

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