April 29 2008

Amazing Science

Students in Dennis Flickner’s 8th grade science class at Santa Fe Middle School were recently treated to a demonstration by chemistry students from Bethel College. In addition to turning pennies to silver and gold and creating various colors of brightly hued flames in Petri dishes, the chemistry students also mixed various liquids together with surprising results.

Top photo: SF 8th grader, Chris Licata examines a string of “silly putty” during science class as Katie Riley looks on. The green gooey substance was created during a chemistry demonstration by chemistry students from Bethel College.

Bottom photo: Bethel College chemistry students Dana Daughtry and Monica Schmidt react as their “elephant toothpaste” overflows from a test tube during a recent presentation at Santa Fe Middle School.

April 29 2008

Future Problem Solving International Conference

On Monday, April 14th, at the ESSDACK Center in Hutchinson, Natalie Hagman, Mollie Emerson, Katie Stiffler and Scott Rempel qualified for the 2008 Future Problem Solving Program International Conference to be held in East Lansing, Michigan at the end of May. About three percent of the 50,000 students participating in FPS competitions earn an invitation to the prestigious International Conference. These students will have the opportunity to meet students from Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Korea, New Zealand, Singapore, and 41 states during the conference conducted on the campus of Michigan State University.

April 29 2008

Santa Fe students compete at State History Day

Two 7th grade students from Santa Fe Middle School represented USD 373 at the State History Day competition this past Saturday at Washburn University in Topeka. Jillian Genandt (left) and Emily Epp (right) placed second at the District History Day competition in Hutchinson earlier, to qualify for a spot at the April 26 state event.

Genenadt and Epp were the only Harvey County middle school students to qualify for the state competition. The girls assembled a display and gave a presentation on the Salem Witch Trials in the Conflict and Compromise category in the Junior Group Exhibit division.

While the two did not move on to the finalist level at state, they were pleased to qualify and have the experience of participating at the state level.

April 29 2008

Chisholm students keep school clean and green

The work lab classes at Chisholm Middle School are serious about recycling. To date, the students have collected 53 blue totes full of recyclables at the school. Magazines, plastic, newspapers, glass and junk mail are all recycled, thanks to the hard work and dedication of the students.

After being collected the materials are sorted and the newspapers are given to the Caring Hands Humane Society for use in the animal kennels. The aluminum cans are taken to Auto Castings Recovery where they are weighed and redeemed for cash that the students may keep. Everyone in the class is excited about an upcoming trip to an ice cream shop to spend some of their hard earned recycling money on their favorite treat.

In addition to recycling, the work lab students maintain the school outdoor marquee during the spring. They post and change the messages to promote events at Chisholm, as well as encourage students to do well on state assessments.

Photo: Chisholm student John Burns carries a tote of recyclable materials from the staff lounge to the work area for sorting. The container is the 53rd to be collected and sorted by the work lab students this year.

April 29 2008

Newton Orchestra and Wind Ensemble give outstanding performances at state

The Newton High School Orchestra and Wind Ensemble each earned "Outstanding" (I) ratings at the State Music Festival on April 16, in Wichita. Not only did the groups earn overall ratings of "I", they earned a “I” rating from every judge—a highly distinguished accomplishment. Pictured are the orchestra and wind ensemble members with one of their award plaques. The groups are under the direction of Greg Bergman. The NHS orchestra will perform with the Derby High School Orchestra on May 15, at 6:00 p.m. at Wichita State University.

April 23, 2008

Art Students garner multiple awards at league show

The Newton High School Art Department recently competed in the AVCTL show and workshop held in Winfield, on April 12. There were five schools representing the High School League. The eight Newton students received a total of thirteen ribbons and took first place as a team in the Chalk Sidewalk Mural competition.

Adam Lambert received the Best of Show award for his wheel thrown Ceramic Sgraffito Pot. Other students who won awards and participated in the winning sidewalk mural project included:

Adam Lambert, 1st Colored Pencil, Best of Show Ceramic Pot, and 1st Sidewalk Mural; Matt Hoelscher, 2nd and 3rd in Graphic Design, 2nd Quick Draw Workshop, 1st Sidewalk Mural; Ruth Andrade, 1st Charcoal, 2nd Oil Painting, 3rd Charcoal, 1st Sidewalk Mural; Paloma Olais, 1st Graphic Design, 1st Sidewalk Mural; Sara Ensz 1st Pencil, 1st Sidewalk Mural; WooRam Kim, 2nd Acrylic Painting, 1st Sidewalk Mural; Summer Hasan, 1st Sidewalk Mural; Brandon Carter, 2nd Clay Sculpture;

The students also participated in a Clay Sun Face workshop, Shibori Scarves Dying workshop, and the Quick Draw competition.

The students’ works are on display at the high school in the commons display case. Newton High School Art instructors are Patrice and Ray Olais.

April 23, 2008

Newton students journey to France

Two Newton High School students in teacher Nora Kelting’s French class recently had the chance to practice their French skills on a study trip to France. Senior Kristin Unruh and junior Kylie Miller, recently returned from a six-week excursion to Cholet, a village town located southwest of Paris and about 60 miles from the Atlantic coast.

The trip originated from Kelting’s correspondence with her friend and English teaching counterpart in Cholet, Véronique Maltaverne, who teaches English at a boarding school there. Maltaverne indicated that her school was interested in hosting students from the U.S. and when Kelting proposed the idea to her students, Unruh and Miller both decided to go.

The two formalized their plans over the course of a year and departed for France on February 25, 2008, returning six weeks later on April 5.

During their stay, they were able to relax and take in the sights the first week while they adjusted to the country and culture and became acquainted with their host families. After the first week, they spent the last five weeks attending classes at the boarding school, Lycée Champ-Blanc (White Field High School).

Both say they would like to return for another visit some day and are excited about the opportunity to host students from Maltavern’s school when they come here next year on a reciprocal exchange trip.

Photo: Newton High School students Kristin Unruh (left) and Kylie Miller reminisce about their recent trip to France as they peruse several French travel brochures and magazines brought back with them.

April 23, 2008

English School Administrator visits Newton

The Newton Public School district was pleased to host Julie Jane, a school administrator from England for the past five weeks. Jane is the Head Teacher, which is equivalent to a school principal in the U.S., of a primary school in England.

Jane visited Newton as part of a two-way school administrator exchange program sponsored by the Fulbright Foundation. She and her family hosted Janet Neufeld, USD 373 Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Professional Development, at her home and schools in England, in November, 2007.

Neufled then hosted Jane on her recent visit. While in the United States, Jane visited Newton schools, attended Kansas Department of Education meetings, and attended a conference on Curriculum and Instruction in New Orleans, accompanied by Neufeld.

The final week of her stay, Jane’s husband, Kevin, and teenage son, Tris, joined her. Kevin Jane is Her Majesty's Inspector of Schools for the Office of Standards and Education. This would be equivalent to a federal department director under the U.S. Secretary of Education here.

Jane and Neufeld both found the exchange trips to be very educational and beneficial in comparing and evaluating operating procedures and instructional systems of the two countries.

Photo: Julie Jane (center), a visiting school administrator from England, describes the differences between standardized assessments in England compared to those in the U.S. during a meeting of the Kansas Assessment Advisory Council in Newton. Seated next to Jane are Judy Welter, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum for the Payola School District; and Dave Bowman with the Kansas Department of Education.

April 23, 2008

Early Ed Center celebrates Week of the Young Child

Students and staff at the Cooper Early Education Center commemorated the Week of the Young Child, April 13 – 19 with several fun activities. In addition to bringing in several guest readers, students were entertained on Thursday, April 17, with a special participatory music program presented by Harry Littleton. Littleton brought his guitar and played several songs for the children while his wife Kathy, who is a teacher at the Early Ed Center, led the children in singing and acting out the songs.

April 23, 2008

Bradshaw wins Rotary Exchange Scholarship to Panama

Newton High School student Phillip Bradshaw was surprised last week to learn that he has been named the recipient of the Rotary Youth Exchange English/Spanish (YEES) scholarship to study in Panama this summer.

Bradshaws’ was recommended for the scholarship by his Spanish teacher, Evelyn Gregg, who was informed a few weeks ago that Bradshaw had won the highly competitive scholarship and that members of the Rotary International District 5690, which covers the southern half of Kansas northern portion of Oklahoma, would be paying a surprise visit to Bradhshaw’s classroom to inform him of the award.

Bradshaw’s Spanish language classmates prepared a poster congratulating him and joined the Rotary members in surprising him in his English class.

Bradshaw will spend four weeks in Panama in July of 2008. While there he will live with a different Spanish speaking host family each week and will attend daily classes at a local high school.

Photo: Dana Schirer (right), President of the Sunrise Rotary Club of Wichita, presents a surprised and thrilled Phillip Bradshaw with a Rotary YEES scholarship to study in Panama for four weeks this summer. Bradshaw was selected from numerous applicants throughout Southern Kansas and Northern Oklahoma.

April 23, 2008

Newton 7th graders recognized by Duke TIP

Several Newton 7th graders were recently recognize in the Duke University Talent Identification Program. The program, in its 28th year, allows qualifying 7th graders to take the ACT or SAT tests alongside college-bound high school students. The highest performing students are then recognized for their academic achievement.

Top photo: Students recognized from Chisholm Middle School include (front row, left to right) Alec Potluri, national recognition; Austin Regier, state recognition; Austin Aumiller, state recognition; (back row) Jacob Karst, state recognition; Cody Mussman, state recognition; and Jacob Bartel, national recognition.

Middle photo: Students recognized from Santa Fe Middle School include (front row, left to right) David Jantz, national recognition; Dylan Moore, state recognition; Andrew Thiesen, state recognition; (back row) Jenny Royston, state recognition; Lizzy Kuhn, state recognition; and Erin Bergen, state recognition.

Bottom photo: Mariah Smith from St. Mary’s Catholic School achieved state recognition.