Swimming Pools and School Lunch

Swimming Pools

If you've driven by the high school recently, you probably noticed our large excavation with quite a bit of water in it.  I've heard from several community members joking about the new swimming pool in our project.  Seriously, as I've mentioned before we knew there was a lot of water in this location and many people referred to it as being a "Swamp" before it was a school.  This week, Baker Excavating has been working on installing a tile system that will be located well below the bottom floor of the building to take care of any water in the area.  In other words, they are "draining the swamp."  This will keep it well below the building floor and minimize moisture in the building.

When the contractors eventually start work on the building, they will be placing additional tile lines immediately under the floor to capture any water that gets close.  This will prevent or minimize any moisture issues in our new building like we have in the current high school.  It's great to see the progress happening.  In the current high school, we run dehumidifiers constantly at certain times of the year to capture the excess moisture in the lower part of the building.  With the preparation and tiling in the new building that shouldn't be necessary. 

School Lunch

As you know there are many rules and regulations in running a school lunch program and I'm pleased to tell you our program is in compliance with all of them.  However, one thing I wanted to take a moment to discuss was the National School Lunch Program.  This program is what helps us provide low cost and sometimes free meals to students whose family meets the income requirements.  I wanted to mention though that the benefit to the district can be much greater.  Often times, there are grants and other programs available to districts based on the number of students who receive free or reduced lunches.  In other words, the more students we have on free/reduced lunch the more access we have to funding and programs to benefit our students.  This is beneficial to the district in so many ways.  

I know that personal feelings and pride can sometimes get in the way of applying for free/reduced lunches, but it really does benefit the district and we work hard to maintain the confidentiality of all of those who qualify.  Each child has the same ticket and gets the same lunch in the same way as their classmates no matter if they are full pay, reduced pay, or free.  Other students don't know and most staff don't know.  You and your child's privacy are important to us.  Below are the income guidelines:  

If you think your family may qualify and you haven't applied yet, please consider applying.  It will greatly benefit the district and we will keep your status and information confidential.  You may access the application here.  The directions can found here.  You may also contact our Food Service Director Jodi Cerwinske at 641-394-2134 and she can answer any questions and assist you in completing the application.  

Spotlight on Mrs. Anderson/Communication in PBL

Spotlight on Mrs. Anderson

(HS staff will be part of a weekly spotlight all year long)

Mrs. Krissy Anderson is one half of the NHHS business department.  During 1st semester, Mrs. Anderson teaches a section of middle school Youth Marketplace, and Marketing, MOC, and Future Prep at the high school.  In addition, she helps staff the Iowa Big North program on Main Street as part of the teaching and project guidance staff.  Mrs. Anderson is the advisor of Letterettes, a senior class sponsor, and a member of the staff PBIS team.

Mrs. Anderson is well-known for imparting words of wisdom on her board every day.  You will almost always see a quote or phrase you can use past her classroom posted on her board.

Communication in PBL

Communication is the 4th C in project based learning.  Communication includes:

• explanation of ideas and information,
• organization,
• eye and body,
• voice,
• presentation aids,
• response to audience questions, and
• participation in team presentations.

Communication requires students to work through the process of creating for an authentic audience, both individually and in groups. One of the most important aspects of communication in project based learning is preparing and practicing for the product end. Communication must also be logical and complete, following a path that makes sense to the intended audience.

In addition, communication goes beyond presentations and product. All work within a team requires the use of communication skills as does any work with our outside stakeholders and in-district staff.

Mrs. Schmitt's Foods 1 class used communication skills in their first lab last week while preparing appetizers to share among the class.

From the Middle October 2

FAST Bridge Testing:

The past two weeks we have been testing our students with the FASTBridge screener to identify students that are below benchmark in 5th and 6th grade.  This year we are using the CBM-R test to screen students that focuses on fluency.  In the past, Iowa developed a TIER system to monitor student progress in reading.  This past summer, the system was discontinued due to contract and performance issues.  We used the aReading screener last year that looked at fluency and also comprehension with the FASTBridge company.  As a district, we have chosen to switch to the CBM-R screener because it is also how we progress monitor students identified as needing extra supports.  Our interventions will now match the test we use as our screener.  The CBM-R test focuses on fluency and is a good predictor for student success.  As a middle school staff, we are focusing our efforts on identifying specific skills our students need to master to show improvement.  We use our intervention time to work on math and literacy skills.  Some of the reading interventions we are using include Lexia Core, PRESS, Read Naturally, and repeated reading.  In math we are focusing on computation.  However, not all students need this extra skill building so we also offer enrichment activities for those students.

Spotlight of the Week- Ms. Shipp:

Mrs. Shipp is a 7th grade math teacher at New Hampton Middle School.  She is a peer coach that emphasizes grading by standard, use of technology, APL strategies, and PBIS expectations. Mrs. Shipp sets up her classroom to allow for differentiation.  She will have some students that have mastered the standard so she stretches their learning with an IXL project.  This project allows them to go deeper in the topic and learn about topics they will see in 8th grade.  This past year, Mrs. Shipp implemented a Project Based Learning unit on area that was engaging to all students.  Students were asked to create a sculpture based on different shapes and calculate the amount of material needed to do it, surface area, volume, and cost to make.

Elementary- Mrs. Nosbisch teaching the Zones of regulation to classrooms

From the Middle September 25

Kwik Star Rewards:

Last week on Friday, students were able to get Mr. Manson and Mrs. Aegerter wet if they sold cards.  Students this week that sold $1000 in cards got to have pizza with Mr. Manson and a squirt gun fight on Friday afternoon.  Mrs. Sinnwell's homeroom was the top seller this year selling over $14,000 worth of cards.  In addition, the top three sellers in each homeroom, as well as the above, also received a prize of extra activity time outside for a week.  Students have enjoyed the rewards and will continue to enjoy all of the extra opportunity we will be able to provide thanks to this fundraiser.  Thank you to everyone that participated and please let us know if you have not received your cards.

Spotlight of the Week- Ms. Snyder:

What is it like to be in a literacy classroom in 6th grade?  Ms. Snyder does a variety of different activities with students on a daily basis.  Her room is set up showing Chickasaw pride and inspires students to do their best.

Students always begin class with a bellringer activity that review pervious material or get the juices flowing for the day.  Word study and mnemonic devices are used to help students remember class content and later apply to different situations. Students have time to practice independently and also in various group settings.  Ms. Snyder is able to maximize learning time and engagement by using learning stations to meet the needs of students.  Students are taught expectations for each station and provided meaningful feedback to keep them engaged.  Stations also provide an opportunity for differentiation within each activity.

Elementary

Homecoming Fun!

Homecoming Fun!

September 11-15 was Homecoming at NHHS.  The student body celebrated with dress up days, assemblies, community parade and pep rally, a winning football game and a dance on Saturday night.  Homecoming is an opportunity for us to share some excitement with the community about the events of our school district pk-12.

Homcoming queen and king candidates participated fully in activities, including representing the community in the parade and at the community pep rally.  King Areon Day and Queen Sidney Wenzlaff were crowned at the pep rally and game, respectively.

NHHS sees Homecoming as a way to bring together the community to celebrate all the great things that happen at New Hampton Community Schools.

One of the favorite activities of the week is Celebrity Readers where high school students read in elementary classrooms. This year the reader day was also Disney character day which lead to lots of excitement for elementary kids seeing their favorite cartoon characters in their role models.

Board Meetings, Finances and Other Stuff

School Board Meetings

The third Monday of each month is the regular school board meeting.  These meetings are open to the public and I would encourage everyone to attend at some point during the year or more often to stay in touch with what is going on at the school.  The meetings start at 6:30 and take place in the high school media center.  You can see the agenda and attachments for the upcoming meeting at this link.  On the left side is a sidebar with "Upcoming Events"  You can click on that and see what is on the agenda for the next meeting.  As you go through the different pages you can see the attachments for the specific agenda items and also my notes that go with the agenda are available for all to see.  You can also sign up on the same website to receive notifications anytime a meeting is scheduled.

This month we have a full agenda as it's the first meeting after the election so some organizational items will need to be covered.  Here's a direct link to the agenda for your review.  Most things on this month's agenda are pretty routine; however, one item of note is the opportunity to share wrestling with Turkey Valley this school year.  They've been unable to find a coach for their program this year and after talking with Coach Hemann, we feel they would be a great asset to our program.  As you know, we share the superintendent and several other positions with them.  Our partnership with Turkey Valley has been beneficial to both districts.  Both boards are committed to working together in ways that benefit both districts and this is another example of that partnership.  The Turkey Valley board approved it at their meeting last week and our board will address it Monday night at our meeting.  A large benefit of this partnership is the way it helps the financial situation in both districts.

School Finances

September 15th is the day we close the financial books on the last school year.  I am pleased to say that we have improved the district's financial condition this year.  Our solvency ratio has improved and our Unspent Authorized Budget has increased also.  These numbers are important when we borrow the rest of our bonds next spring as these numbers play a role in the interest rate we receive.  They are also important to the stability of the district as we move forward.  The state of Iowa has some financial issues to deal with so state funding is a big question mark right now.  Our current financial condition will help us better deal with the uncertainty that is ahead in state funding.  There will still be tough times ahead of us, but this helps deal with it the best we can.

Other Stuff

The administrators and I are doing a book study of The Innovator's Mindset by George Couros.  This book takes a look at how traditional schools operate and if they are meeting the needs of our students today.  From the back cover:

  

         The traditional system of education requires students to hold their questions and compliantly stick to the scheduled curriculum.  But our job as educators is to provide new and better opportunities for our students.  It's time to recognize that compliance doesn't foster innovation,           encourage critical thinking, or inspire creativity---and those are the skills our students need to succeed.  

We are just getting started, but it looks very interesting and seems relevant to where we are going with Project Based Learning, Midmester Academy, Iowa BIG North, etc.  Here's a link to the author's website if you want to learn more.  Stay tuned as I will be talking more as we get started with our study and discussion.  

Creativity and Innovation/Leadership Opportunities

Creativity and Innovation in Project-Based Learning

Creativity and Innovation have become a part of the skills we teach, foster, and model with students to help them be successful in high school and as they transition to careers, college, and post secondary training.

Creativity and Innovation are included in all the phases of Project Based Learning through:

• defining the creative challenge,
• identifying sources of information,
• generating and selecting ideas, and
• presenting work to users or a targeted audience.

Most importantly, with creativity and innovation come originality, value of a product, and the demonstration of individual and group style. These skill and what students demonstrate through the final "product" wrap around the 21st century skills which post-secondary institutions and employers are seeing as the keys to success after high school.

Leadership Opportunities

Opportunities for students to work on leadership skills continue to grow.  We had more than 45 students attend the first session of LEAD (Leading Edge Academy Day) led by Ryan Rausch. Students in LEAD self-select to attend and the group is open to any students who wants to learn and/or improve their leadership skills. This year LEAD students will be reading and studying The 6 Keys to Leading with Intention by Ethan Miller, the activities director at Central Springs School. Ethan will also be joining the group through the year to discuss the book. We had some many students las week that we have to move our meeting space to accommodate!

Seniors have also been split into leadership groups that will meet monthly during intervention time.  Adults from the PBIS team will be working with senior on the legacy and impact they want to have at New Hampton High School.

NHS provide an opportunity to grow leaders and are selected based on GPA and an application process. Student are currently completing the applications and, if selected, will begin working on improving and growing their leadership skills in the avenue of serving others.

In addition, the PBIS student team remains active and will begin meeting both on campus and participating in the NEIC student leadership meetings at the CWC three times this year. They help plan PBIS activities, drive the PBIS initiative, and work with other schools in our conference to build relationships among the neighboring schools.

From the Middle September 18

PBIS at the Middle School:

As a staff, we continue to work at making our PBIS program better for students, parents, and staff.  We have high expectations for our students and know that behaviors can get in the way of learning.  Focusing on the positive and rewarding that behavior is key to establishing a positive culture between students and staff at our school.  Students enjoy the activities at the end of each quarter that they qualify for based on meeting expectations.  In addition, each year we do several fun spontaneous events.   This year our Club Seats has been a favorite of students.  Continue to look for our students at all home football games.  

Teachers work together in teams to monitor student behavior and address daily setbacks.  At the end of each day, student report to reteaching to address any minors for the day and come up with a plan to correct the behavior so it doesn't happen in the future.  Many times, this will prevent future behaviors.  Sometimes a few students still struggle so we implement targeted interventions to change these behaviors.  Parent and school communication is vital to the success of all our students and we encourage support at home.  We are off to another great year and are looking forward to every student growing! 

Spotlight of the Week- Mr. Rude:

Mr. Rude is a 7th/8th grade social studies teacher at the middle school.  History becomes more interesting when students are involved in hands-on activities.  This week, students learned about the civil war and how soldiers were dressed.  The also have learned a lot about Lincoln as a president and the struggles he faced.

This past summer, Mr. Rude was accepted as a National Oratory Fellow in Washington DC.  During this experience, Mr. Rude learned more about our national history and opportunities he can bring back for students.  Students will be visiting with Heidi Fortune on October 26th and 31st to learn more about the basics of oratory (the art of writing and giving speeches). In the future, Mr. Rude may also be able to take students to participate in this fellowship.  We look forward to how these experiences will be included in the classroom and during Midmester!

New Hampton Elementary

The Superintendent's View

Upcoming Election

One last reminder to take time to vote in the school board election next Tuesday, September 12th.  You may vote at the auditor's office until 11:00 on the 12th.  

Elementary Playground

If you've been by the elementary playground this week, you probably noticed some new equipment going in.  A huge shout-out to Lyle and Sally Kriener and their work each year with the Chickasaw Open.  They were also instrumental in our district receiving a Community Kickstart Grant.  Using the grant and open funds they purchased an awesome piece of equipment for the elementary school.  I was down there today and the students were lined up to use it.  Thanks to everyone who helps out and participates in the Chickasaw Open each year and thanks to the Krieners for all you do for our school and students.  

Construction Progress

If you've been by the high school this week, you will notice a lot of dirt being moved.  As I mentioned last week, they are taking all the dirt out and will be replacing it with packed dirt to create a strong foundation for the new building.  Next week they will be focused at the front of the building as we have to get all of the fiber optic cable repositioned where it comes into the high school.  We are a hub so we have the internet connection for several large entities in the area.  Because of this, when the final cable move happens it will take place in the middle of the night to minimize disruption to the other organizations that connect through our facilities.  In preparation, they will be moving the generator and its propane tank to its new location.  These are used to keep the connections alive in the event that we have a power failure.

Next week, the board will meet in a special session to review the final plans for the new facilities.  After that, the next step will be to send them to the bidders.  Stay tuned for more to come as our progress continues.

Concerns

I want to take a few moments to talk about what to do when concerns arise with the school.  Everyone in our district works hard to do the best they can for each of our students.  Sometimes concerns come up.  If you have a concern, you should start with the immediate person the concern is with.  For example, if you have a concern with your child's teacher, you should contact the teacher and set up a time to visit about your concerns.  If that's not successful in addressing your concerns, your next step would be to contact the building principal.  If that's not successful, then your next step would be the superintendent.  Of course, if that's not successful in addressing the concerns, then the next step would be to appear before the board of education with the concern.  

By addressing it at the lowest level possible, the concern can often be cleared up as quickly as possible.  Which in the end is what everyone wants.  Finally, if you have a concern, please take the time to let us know.  We want to address any concerns that we can and if we don't know about them it's hard to address them.  If you have any questions on this, please feel free to contact me directly.  Remember, we're all working toward the same goal.  The success of each child in our school.   

What Is Critical Thinking?/Getting Ready for Homecoming!/R5 Makes a Stop

What Is Critical Thinking?

Critical Thinking is the 2nd C NHHS is working on in classrooms.  Critical thinking includes:

• analyzing a driving question and beginning inquiry
• gather and evaluate information
• use evidence and criteria
• justify choices, consider alternatives and implications

Critical thinking requires that students and teachers identify in detail what needs to be known and considering possible points of view regarding the issue. This includes integrating relevant and sufficient information to address the question and evaluate the arguments for possible answers.

Critical thinking goes beyond knowing and/or memorizing the facts and puts students in a position where they are practicing on-the-jobs skills that require them to "build the plane mid-flight" as the learning happens through their inquiry.

Getting Ready for Homecoming!

September 11-16 is Homecoming Week in New Hampton. Students have planned events for each day during end of the day pep rallies and have dress up days throughout the schools and the community.  We encourage everyone in the district to participate.

R5 Makes a Stop

On Wednesday, September 6, Mike Donahue and R5 productions returned to campus with a new Value Up program.  He spent 2 hours speaking to the student body about walking a mile in someone else's shoes, having value for yourself and other, and owning up to who we are. The senior class made a pledge to stand behind each other not only when things are good, but through those tough moment that challenge them every day.  Mike also spent the day working with individual students and made a stop at NH Middle School on Thursday to share his message with grades 5-8.

From the Middle September 11

Homecoming Week:

Students will be getting in the Chickasaw Spirit this week preparing for the big game on Friday night against Hampton- Dumont.  Students will be participating in the Homecoming Parade on Thursday night. On Friday afternoon we will be having a fun assembly to build class spirit.  In addition, Mr. Manson and Mrs. Aegerter will be getting wet in a dunk tank by the students that sold Kwik Star cards.

At the Middle School this week, we will be participating in dress up days along with the high school and elementary. A traveling trophy will be awarded for best costume in 5/6, 7/8, and staff. We ask for no face paint or hair color because it makes a mess during school. Show your Chickasaw Pride!

Monday Sept. 11- "Welcome to the Jungle"- Safari/Animals
Tuesday Sept. 12- "Rock & Roll All Night"- Rockstar dress
Wednesday Sept. 13 "Paradise City"- Beach wear (NO SWIMSUITS)
Thursday Sept. 14 "Mickey"-Disney characters
Friday Sept. 15- "Back in Black" & Red- Chickasaw gear

R-5 visits the Middle School:

Thanks to Mike Donahue for bringing such a positive message to our students about tolerance and walking in other peoples shoes.  Don't judge without knowing the true story. Every student has a story and it matters.  Sometimes we try to mask things to cover up how we feel.  This can be dangerous and many teens resort to other activities that can be harmful to them now and in the future.  He encouraged every student to be a friend to another on their worst day and not just their best day.  Students were encouraged to change the world by accepting the world and standing up for what is right.  It can be tough to go against the crowd, but take that risk.  He concluded by encouraging students to not stop reaching for the top shelf.... Reach for your dreams and don't lose focus.

                       

Spotlight of the Week- Mrs. Laures:

Mrs. Laures is a 5th grade ELA teacher that works hard to make reading fun for students.  She works hard to help hook students on reading best fit books.  She uses novels in class to model how to be a successful reader.  When passing by Mrs. Laures's classroom one will find students reading to each other, practicing to be Celebrity Readers, choral reading, or just listening to a story. One new activity Mrs. Laures is doing in her classroom is a word wall.  Students are able to pick words from novels or articles being read in class and add to her words wall.  In addition, students are introduced to common grade-level words to increase vocabulary.  

Elementary

Reminder to Vote and Construction Update

Reminder to Vote

September 12th is the date of the school board elections.  Please remember to take time to vote that day.  You can also vote via absentee ballot by contacting the county auditor's office. 

Construction Update

You've probably noticed a lot of digging going  on around the high school.  They are currently working on moving/installing the water mains around the perimeter of the new building.  When they are done, there will be four new fire hydrants on the school grounds.  In addition, they will be starting some excavation near the North West corner of the high school which is where the front of the new middle school will be.  They will be working to expose the fiber optic and telephone cables that come to the building for our internet and ICN services.  Once they are exposed, we will begin the process of moving them to their new location, which will take them away from the new building construction.  

The final building plan is coming along nicely and it looks like we will be releasing the bid documents around September 25th.  That means final bids will be received around the end of October.  Depending on the contractor, construction could start shortly after that.  Now that we are looking at a concrete panel building, working through the winter will be easier to do in most cases.  

When they start moving dirt, they have to take the dirt out of where the building goes down to a level determined by the engineers.  They then will have to replace the dirt and pack it in layers to make sure a solid foundation is available for the new construction.  Because of this, they will be hauling dirt back to the land we purchased behind the wellness center.  While they are hauling they will be going across the Trail at the south side of the football field.  In the interest of safety, we ask that everyone please stay off the trail while this is taking place.  When they are done with the site work, they will repair any damage they may do to the trail.  Thanks for your patience as we work to improve our facilities.  

4Cs- Collaboration

Digging Into What Collaboration Means

As we continue on our PBL journey, we are expanding our focus on the 4 Cs- collaboration, critical thinking, creativity, and communication. For the next four weeks, this blog will be devoted to defining each of the 4 Cs.

Project work often requires students to work together through a process, problem, or product design and creation, making collaboration commonplace in project-based classrooms. Effective collaboration is one of the highly-prized skills of deeper learning like PBL, leading to better communication and enhanced critical thinking and creativity.

When a student  and team demonstrate that they are collaborating with peers they do the following:

1. Take responsibility for oneself
2. Help the team
3. Respect others
4. Make and follow agreements
5. Organize work
6. Work as a  team

Taking responsibility for oneself includes:

• being prepared and ready to work
• consistently using technology tools
• self-directed on tasks
• completing task on time
• using feedback to improve

Helping the team means:

• solving and managing conflict
• having effective discussion
• giving useful feedback
• offering help to others

Respecting others is defined as:

• being polite and kind to teammates
• acknowledging and respecting other perspectives

A team must make and follow agreements which includes:

• making detailed agreements about how the team will work together
• following rules for interactions
• honestly and accurately discussing how well agreements are being followed
• taking appropriate action when norms are not being followed

A team organizes work by:

• creating a detailed task list
• setting a schedule and tracking progress
• assigning roles as needed
• using time and running meetings efficiently

And the team works as a whole by:

• recognizing and using special talents of each team member
• developing ideas and create a product with the involvement of the whole team

Collaboration goes beyond group work and projects by adding in the 21st century skills to work together toward a common purpose.  By teaching collaboration skills, we come closer to creating the ideal graduate who become a productive contributor to the businesses and industries in our communities as well as in an post-high school education.

NHHS staff is working on their own collaboration as they prepare for J-term courses.  As they meet 5 times this semester, they are practicing and modeling the standards of collaboration.