Board Meeting/Members, the building project, and staff

Board Meeting/Members

Monday night, November 20th the school board meets for its monthly meeting.  It starts at 6:30 pm in the high school media center.  Here's a link to the agenda for the meeting.  We post all of our meeting information on a website as well with all supporting documents and information for the meeting.  That website is here.  This month we will be deciding if we should offer early retirement, approving early graduates, snow removal bids, and a new security camera system for the high school.  The board will spend some time learning and also they will get an update on the building project and a few other items.  if you're available, I encourage you to stop out and see what's going on. 

The majority of our board members spent the last two days at the Iowa Association of School Boards Convention.  This is a great resource to help our board members as they work to improve our schools.  They get to see what other schools are doing and also learn what is working to improve student achievement.  In addition, they learn what they should be looking for and what questions they should be asking in their roles.  Our board members are elected, but receive no compensation for the position.  Taking these two days off work to improve their skills shows their dedication to the position. 

Building Project

The building project is coming along with the dirt work nearly complete.  Baker Concrete and Excavating have done a great job with their part of the project and I want to give a shout out to them.  They've really been responsive to our requests and know what they are doing.  They will be complete in the next week or so and then things will get buttoned up for the winter.  Bids for the construction will be opened at 2 pm on Tuesday, November 21st in the high school cafeteria.  We will hold a special board meeting the following week to award final bids.  This gives us time to review all of the bids to make sure they meet all of our expectations and the bidders can do what they say.  Construction will likely start next spring which allows us to avoid any costs related to heating things up during the winter.  This works perfectly, as our expected move in remains the fall of 2019.  Hopefully, we'll have a short winter so they can get started early in the spring.  

Staff

We are at the end of American Education Week and I would be remiss if I didn't take a few minutes to discuss our teaching and support staff.  We are very fortunate to have the staff we do.  Each one cares deeply about the students they work with.  If you do social media, look at all the great things our teachers are sharing or take some time to visit your child's classroom.  A few minutes in a classroom and it becomes clear our staff is working hard to do the best that they can for your child.  If you drive by the buildings on the evenings or weekends, it's a regular occurrence to see staff vehicles there as they are preparing for the coming week.  If you see one of our staff members, please take a moment to tell them thanks for their efforts in providing the best education possible for your child. 

I also want to take a few moments to discuss the two associations that represent our teaching and support staff.  The New Hampton Education Association and the New Hampton Education Support Group are important parts to our district.  The district administration and board have great working relationships with the leaders of these two groups and regularly meets with and discusses issues of importance to both sides.  It has and continues to be a pleasure to work with these groups as they help us provide the best for our kids.  Like all of our staff, these groups care about our students and want to make sure they succeed.  

Thanks for stopping by and reading this.  I hope the sun comes out soon so I can get out and take some pictures of the preconstruction work now that they're nearly done.  Be on the lookout for the updates.  

Spotlight on Mr. Glenn/ Beauty and the Beast a Great Success

Spotlight on Mr. Glenn

Mr. Bill Glenn is the driving force behind the Educational Options Program.  Mr. Glenn spends his days working with students on e20/20 courses and other work to help students earn credits ahead of time, make up credits, or complete a high school program.

During the winter, you can find Mr. Glenn coaching junior high wrestling and his spring is filled with coaching the boys' golf team. He is as much a coach during the day, also, to the students who spend from one period to all day in his classroom.

Beauty and the Beast a Great Success!

Last week, the music and drama department performed to two sold out audiences for Beauty and the Beast. The house was definitely (over)packed both nights, attended by families, community members, and peers.

The large crowd was aided by the directors choosing a musical that is so well-known and family friendly as well as some very focused PR with elementary kids and families with small children.  However, it was the excitement of the students involved that truly drove the large sales of tickets.

Being involved in a musical production, no matter the role, builds confidence and improves learning in many ways.  This is the case whether a students is in front of the curtain or behind it. Often there is a "musical euphoria" which brings the cast and crew together as a team who is never quite ready for the musical to end on the last performance.

As I listened in the hallways on Tuesday morning when students returned to school, there were many talking about how great the musical and how amazed they were by their peers.  I also observed cast and crew moving at a slower pace but also reveling in the attention from their peers for all their hard work. Bravo, cast, crew and staff!

From the Middle: Week of November 20

Career Week Ties To The Ford's Theater:

8th grade students participated in all kinds of activities last week, but the main focus was our Career Week.  NHMS teamed up with local businesses and the economic development office to teach students a little bit about what our local businesses have to offer in terms of careers, as well as a chance to learn from business people what skills our students will need to be successful employees in the future.  There were multiple session topics this week.  One of them was a lesson on soft skills and social media. This centered around the idea that collaboration, organized, and aware of their surroundings as well as having a discussion on appropriate use of social media.  Another session tackled dressing for success at that first interview and the importance of being on time and reliable.  Additionally, the students filled out job applications and even had to go through a mock interview for the job they applied.

On Wednesday and Thursday it was time for NHMS to take to the road to visit some of the fine establishments that New Hampton has to offer.  We had students tour Mercy Medical Center, Zips Towing, Trimark, Mick Gage Plumbing and Heating, New Hampton Light Plant, Croell Redi-Mix, and Atek. We appreciate these businesses for opening their doors to our students so they could see some of the great things that are happening in our own community.  We also want to thank all of the other businesses and agencies that helped us with the week.

In addition to this, Mr. Rude has been working with his students on a project that fit perfectly with Career Week.  As part of his Ford's Theater National Oratory Fellowship, Mr. Rude has been running a project where the students examined careers in the present day against the same careers in the 1870s-1900s.  The students have used primary sources and interviews with experts in the careers they are studying to learn more about their chosen fields. The interviews have probably been the most interest part so far.  We've had students interview a broad array of people, including a local bank employee, military officers, actors from New York and Washington D.C., Fran McCaffery (Iowa basketball coach) and Bill Fennelly (ISU women's basketball coach) via email, and a telephone interview with Iowa Senator Joni Ernst. 

The project culminates with the students giving a speech in which they take on a character from their career and time period.  All interviews were lined up and conducted by the students themselves.  All in all, it's been a great week of career preparation at New Hampton Middle School.

Spotlight of the Week- Mrs. Reetz:

This time, our spotlight falls on Mrs. Reetz. She is the K-7 General Music Instructor and has been very busy.

On the elementary side of her position, she has been preparing for the upcoming concert on December 4th.  This concert features all students in grades TK-4th and will have one song at the end that all students sing. That’s a 250+ person choir! She has also been collaborating with the art teacher to bring student work into this concert!

On the middle school side of things, the first trimester is coming close to an end.  The 6th grade has been working on creating their own song from scratch- creating the lyrics, the rhythms, the music and the video with the students performing along the way.  Her 7th grade class got a taste of what it is like to be a music producer, creating music that has the power to speak when words fail. Each of them created a video and shared it with the class.  

Her intervention students have also been busy. The first section designed and created a mural stating that music is for everyone.  They included every student’s name in grades K-8, giving them a music note of their own.  The second section has also been busy designing and creating a musical instrument from materials found in the home.  We have some creative students!  

Mrs. Reetz is an enigmatic and positive component to our team at New Hampton Middle School. She can be seen every day at the beginning of school by the cafeteria doors, greeting each student by name with a smile on her face. She is a team member that goes above and beyond, also helping with the High School’s recent musical, Beauty and the Beast and serving on various school committees in the elementary and middle school.  Thanks for all you do, Mrs. Reetz!  

Pictures include:

Design Instruments

• Carter S.- drum set and Kendra P.- flute

Music is for Everyone with Students

• Left to Right: Hailey T., Koryn L., Treyce O., Ashley R., Alexus H., Ethan S., and Lane W.

Music Speaks

• 7th Grade First Trimester Students

Elementary

Spotlight on Mr. Frerichs/Musical this Weekend/

Spotlight on Mr. Frerichs

Mr. Frerichs makes up one third of the math department at NHHS.  He teaches geometry and advanced algebra in addition to being the head football coach and boys' track coach. Mr. Frerichs has been in New Hampton for 32 years of his 33 year career and has taught both at the high school and middle school level.

Musical This Weekend

NHHS Drama and Music Department presents Beauty and the Beast Friday and Saturday night at the middle school auditorium.  Students have been working since the beginning of the year for this family-friendly presentation.  Much of the high school has been involved in the production, including the NuHi Choir, Chamber Choir, Band, various Art classes and Building Trades students.

To market the performances, cast members have been busy reading at the elementary level and performing at an early morning pancake breakfast hosted by the Music Boosters.  Tickets are still available, albeit limited, at the High School Activities Office.  For a quick preview, click below.

From the Middle: Week of November 13

Career Week was a success!

This week our 8th grade students learned a lot from local experts.  Students learned how challenging it can be to fill out an application and the importance of being involved in the community at an early age.  Students also learned about the importance of always making a good impression because you never know who is watching you.  Students also learned about how to select good references for jobs and the interview process.  Dressing professional and soft skills are important to setting students apart from the job pool.  In addition, digital footprints play a large role in the screening and hiring process.

New Hampton has a lot of different types of jobs to offer.  Students learned that each business has specialized people in different roles to help make a business successful. A huge thanks to all the businesses that have taken time to help our 8th grade students begin thinking about their future and the steps needed to get that dream job!  Below are a few pictures from the week:

Spotlight of the Week- Mr. Monteith:

Mr. Monteith is our district ELP teacher.  He works with all students identified as needing enrichment. Students focus on solving problems and inventing in his class.  This year some groups of students are making a Wiffleball Launcher, programing a Dash & Dot robot, building and designing a hovercraft, creating a Future City.  Students use 21st century problem solving and communication skills to work together as a group to solve these problems.  They must research ideas and learn about how to make it work, but also be cost effective.  In addition to the projects, some students have also attended Taking The Road Less Traveled conference to encourage women is science and seen a science show, Doktor Kaboom at UNI.  Students are challenged each day to think like the real-world in ELP.

Elementary

Spotlight on Mr. Connor/Parent-Teacher Conferences/Upcoming J-term

Spotlight on Mr. Connor

Mr. Johnny Connor makes up a third of the English department at New Hampton High School.  Mr. Connor is in his third year of teaching here and is the instructor of 9th grade English, Media Lit, and Novels.  In addition, Mr. Connor has grown the individual speech team dramatically and spends much time before and after school fostering a love of drama and acting with students.

Parent-Teacher Conferences

Parent-Teacher Conferences were held at NHHS last Thursday and this Thursday.  Parent-teacher conferences give students, parents, and teachers a chance to talk about academic progress, work on problem-solving, and set goals for the remainder of the semester.

According to KidsHealth.com, kids and teens do better in school when parents get involved. Attending parent–teacher conferences is one way to be involved and help your child succeed.

A parent–teacher conference is a great opportunity to:

• discuss your child's progress
• share your child's strengths and needs
• work with the teacher to help your child do well in school

Upcoming J-term

Immediately after Winter Break, students at NHHS will be participating in a 10 day Project Based Learning J-Term.  This term includes a longer project based course and two"skinny" periods in which students can explore subjects which may not be available to them during the traditional class offerings.

Students begin signing up for courses next week.  We encourage parents and families to discuss options with students for sign up and also take time to preview the course guide at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1m66bTsXCirCNJR7K9i5xLxFsMDVOjC7Aeku0pK3pWhs/edit?usp=sharing

Student attendance will be required as usual during this time and students are encouraged to take risks with new courses and stretch their own knowledge during J-Term.  A gallery presentation will take place on January 17 from 4-6 pm for parents, families and community members to view and interact with the work accomplished during J-Term.

From the Middle: Week of November 6

Getting students ready for the future with Career Week. 

This week our 8th grade students will be participating in the 4th annual Career Week.  This is partnership with NICC, New Hampton Economic Development, and local businesses.  Our students learn how to fill out a job application, what it takes to be employed, and the skills needed to get the jobs of the future.  Our community has many different business within the community that have national and world ties.  Students will learn from small business owners how to be entrepreneurs.  Students will also get to do tours of the community businesses to see if those fields are areas of interest.  The week concludes with a mock interview.  Students dress up and compete for jobs in their field.   The winners of each group are then recognized as being hired.  Look for pictures next week on Facebook.

Spotlight of the Week- Mrs. Sinnwell:

Mrs. Sinnwell is our 6th grade science and social studies teacher.  She has many new and creative ideas about how to bring science and social studies alive.  This past week, students have been studying about cells.  Students learned about the different organelles of a cell and the function of them.  Students then had to design a model cell as a culminating project.  This then led the students to ask more questions about what cells are and wanting to look at different real cells.  Students then learned how to use a microscope and look at different types of cells.  Students could see the difference between magnification differences and how it changed the way the cells looked.  Students then had to distinguish similarities and differences.   Mrs. Sinnwell does a lot of small group discussion in her classes that challenges students to work together and use 21st century skills.

Elementary- Enjoying the Season