September 29, 2009

Gift Basket Auction at Homecoming to benefit Education Endowment

A gift basket auction to benefit the CKCF-USD 373 Education Endowment will be held during the Newton High School homecoming game vs. Wyandotte this Friday, October 2, at 7:00 p.m. at Fischer Field.

Dozens of gift baskets have been prepared and donated by local businesses, schools and endowment supporters, and will be sold by silent auction during the game. Some of the basket themes include Fall Fun, Money Bouquet, Movie Night at Home, Children’s Books, Under Construction for Kids, KU vs. K-State Football, Ultimate Office 2007, Healthy Start Breakfast, Take a Chance Lottery, New Baby, Tailgating/Picnic, and more. Many of the baskets will be on display in the USD 373 Giant Railer Cookie booth on Thursday evening at Taste of Newton.

Proceeds from the gift basket auction fund grants to teachers for enhancing technology in the classroom. Since the inception of the teacher grant program in 2002, approximately $20,000 has been distributed to Newton teachers.

Photo: Joni Jantz, Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent for USD 373, puts the final touches on a basket for the CKCF-USD 373 Endowment Gift Basket Auction, being held this Friday during the Newton High School Homecoming football game.

September 28, 2009

Railer debaters perform well at tournaments

Newton High School debaters took three of the top ten places at the Hutchinson Tom Kelly Invitational tournament this past weekend. Railer teams placed 2nd, 4th, and 9th at the competition.

The team of Tyler Prochazka and Emily Runge placed 2nd, with an overall 6-2 score. The duo lost on a 2-1 decision in the finals to Shawnee Mission East. Jacob Skala and Hank Unruh broke 7th seed but lost in the quarter finals to the same Shawnee Mission East team that Prochazka and Runge dropped to in finals, to finish the tournament in 4th place. CJ Fischer and John Bergen went 4-1, but did not make the top 8 for elimination rounds, finishing in 9th place.

Meaghan McEachern and Steven Garcia went 3-2, also just missing eliminations. Robin McGonigal, Wendy Gong, Tyler Brotton and Annelyse Whitney also attended in their first varsity division tournament.

Jacob Bartel and Jared Fromm won the Novice division at the Derby Invitational this past weekend with a record of 5-0. Darrien Weeks and Kate Voorhees went 4-1 and placed 3rd. This was the second tournament for both teams. Also attending the tournament were Devonte Brown, Thomas Rackley, Andrez Cervantes, Lizzy Kuhn, Danica Williams, Julie Vo, Nicole Halterman, Jonathan Troyer, Brandon Blackwood and Danielle Hochstetler.

Last week Jacob Skala and Hank Unruh placed 12th at Washburn Rural varsity division tournament. Dylan Moore and Jessica Brockman placed 2nd at Great Bend novice division tournament. Ginnie Loeffler and Clinton Unruh placed 6th at the Wichita Heights novice debate tournament.

Next week NHS debaters will attend Lyons and Sterling invitational tournaments. Emily Runge, Tyler Prochazka, Jacob Skala and Hank Unruh are now qualified for the Debate Coaches Invitational tournament in Kansas City, in January, 2010. Teams must place highly at designated qualifying tournaments to secure a coveted spot in this multi-classification tournament. This is Newton High School's second time to qualify and the first time to qualify multiple teams.

photo: Newton High School Debate team members Emily Runge and Tyler Prochazka are shown with their 2nd place award for their performance at the Hutchinson Tom Kelly Invitational Debate Tournament, September 25 and 26, 2009. The pair are one of two NHS debate teams to qualify for the Debate Coaches Invitational tournament to be held in Kansas City, in January, 2010.

September 28 2009

NHS Homecoming Celebration

Newton High School will celebrate Homecoming, September 28--October 2, 2009. The theme for this year is "Woodstock 40 - Railer 125." NHS students will celebrate with a 60's-themed Spirit Week, and wrap up with the homecoming parade, coronation, football game and dance on Friday evening.

The Railer 125 portion of the theme refers to the 125th anniversary of the first commencement ceremonies for Newton High School, in 1885. The high school is kicking off a year of commemoration and celebration, beginning with homecoming and culminating with special events and activities during graduation week, May 15, 2010.

Homecoming schedule, September 28--October 2, 2009:

• Monday: 7:00-8:30 p.m. in NHS commons, Rock Band/Guitar Hero class competition.
• Tuesday: 4:30-8:30 p.m. at fairgrounds livestock building, float building and tie dye shirt activity.
• Wednesday: 7:00 p.m. at NHS tennis courts, Ultimate Frisbee competition, followed by movie around 8:00 p.m.
• Thursday: 6:00-9:00 p.m., Taste of Newton downtown.
• Friday Oct. 2: 4:45 p.m. parade, 6:15 p.m. pre-game coronation, 7:00 p.m. varsity football vs. Wyandotte, Education Endowment Gift Basket Auction during the game, 10:00 p.m.-12:00 a.m. dance at NHS.

photo: The 2009 Homecoming candidates are front row (left to right):Terra Scott, Logan Duerksen and Katie Honas; back row (left to right): Miguel Johns, Stuart McConnel and Alex Beck.

September 22, 2009

NHS students named AP Scholars

Two students at Newton High School have earned AP Scholar Awards in recognition of their exceptional achievement on AP Exams.

The College Board’s Advanced Placement Program® (AP®) provides motivated and academically prepared students with the opportunity to take rigorous college-level courses while still in high school, and to earn college credit, advanced placement, or both for successful performance on the AP Exams. About 18 percent of the 1.6 million students worldwide who took AP Exams performed at a sufficiently high level to also earn an AP Scholar Award.

The College Board recognizes several levels of achievement based on students’ performance on AP Exams.

At Newton High School two students qualified for the National AP Scholar Award by earning an average grade of 4 or higher on a five-point scale on all AP Exams taken, and grades of 4 or higher on eight or more of these exams. These students are William Newell and Mollie Emerson.

Through 37 different college-level courses and exams, AP provides motivated and academically prepared students with the opportunity to earn college credit or advanced placement and stand out in the college admissions process. Newton High School currently offers AP courses in English, Biology, US History and Calculus. Exams are given the first week in May. Each exam is developed by a committee of college and university faculty and AP teachers, ensuring that our exams are aligned with the same high standards expected by college faculty at some of the nation’s leading liberal arts and research institutions. AP is accepted by more than 3,600 colleges and universities worldwide for college credit, advanced placement, or both on the basis of successful AP Exam grades. Research consistently shows that AP students who score a 3 or higher on AP Exams (based on a scale from 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest) typically experience greater academic success in college and higher graduation rates than students who do not participate in AP.

The College Board is a not-for-profit membership organization whose mission is to connect students to college success and opportunity. Founded in 1900, the association is composed of more than 5,400 schools, colleges, universities, and other educational organizations. Each year, the College Board serves seven million students and their parents, 23,000 high schools, and 3,500 colleges through major programs and services in college admissions, guidance, assessment, financial aid, enrollment, and teaching and learning. Among its best-known programs are the SAT®, the PSAT/NMSQT®, and the Advanced Placement Program® (AP®). The College Board is committed to the principles of excellence and equity, and that commitment is embodied in all of its programs, services, activities, and concerns.

September 22, 2009

Slate Creek Donors Honored

Students and staff at Slate Creek Elementary School honored Drs. Todd and Lynette Hendrickson of Hendrickson Chiropractic, and Chris Wondra of Millenium Machine and Tool, during an assembly last Friday, thanking them for the donation of funds to purchase a set of Socci goals.

The Hendricksons were presented with a Friend of Education certificate and Wondra, who wasn’t able to attend Friday, will also receive a certificate. The donations were made to the school through Donors Choose, an online clearing house that pairs donors wishing to financially support education projects, with teachers who are seeking funding for their classroom needs.

Photo: Slate Creek Physical Education teacher James Brown (left) presents a Friends of Education certificate of appreciation to Drs. Todd and Lynnette Hendrickson.

September 17, 2009

Davis joins USD 373 as Elementary SRO

The uniform looks familiar but the face is new! Newton elementary school students and staff have noticed a new addition to their buildings. Newton Police officer Jeff Davis is fast becoming a familiar face at the elementary schools. Davis is the second elementary school SRO in as many years, following Brad Celestin, who returned to community police work at the end of last school year.

Davis has been a Newton resident for 15 years and a Newton police officer for five. He has a head start on developing a rapport with students, possessing experience as a father of four and an active youth sports coach. He says his main goals as a school SRO are to make sure kids are safe, and to make a difference in a child's life. He hopes to do this by interacting with students to develop their trust and confidence so they will be encouraged to seek him out when they need help.

The elementary SRO position was funded through two grants, submitted by district grant-writer Barb Burns in cooperation with the City of Newton through the Federal Department of Justice.

Photo: School resource officer Jeff Davis listens to Slate Creek student Joan Alejo-Salcedo count.

September 8, 2009

Slate Creek second graders pay visit to superintendent

Second graders from Slate Creek Elementary School, paid a visit to Newton Public Schools Superintendent Dr. John Morton recently. Students in Abby Biles's class visited the McKinley Administrative Center and interviewed Morton as part of their study of communities in social studies class. The youngsters had lots of questions for the superintendent, including: How many hours do you work? "Usually 8:00 to 5:00, sometimes later for meetings and other activities." Is your job hard? "Some days." What was your favorite food when you were in school? "Roast beef and mashed potatoes with gravy." Are you Mr. Neuenswander's (Slate Creek principal) boss? "Yes."

Photo (click for larger photo): Slate Creek second graders visit with Dr. John Morton in his office on Thursday, September 3. Salma Chavez (right) raises her hand to ask Dr. Morton a question.

September 8, 2009

WE CAN Club Recycles Ink Cartridges

Students in the Newton High School WE CAN club are earning money for their club, while helping to make the earth a little greener. The students, with the assistance of teacher Sharon Laundrum, have implemented a printer ink cartridge recycling program.

The students collect the used ink cartridges by having staff in their building and at other schools in the district send in their used ink cartridges. The cartridges are then sorted by brand, and refilled to be used again.

The WE KAN club uses the funds from the recycling to sponsor field trips and other club activities. The WE CAN club welcomes all ink cartridge donations and persons who wish to donate their old ink cartridges can contact Sharon Landrum at Newton High School, 284-6280.

Photo: WE CAN club members John Burns (left) and Cody Becker sort ink cartridges for recycling, with the help of para Fran Wagoner.

September 1, 2009

Kelting attends National French Teachers Convention

Nora Kelting, French teacher at Newton High School, Newton, KS, recently attended the 82nd annual convention of the American Association of Teachers of French (AATF), held July 2-5, 2009 in San Jose, California. A teacher for 25 years overall, and for 8 years at her current institution, Kelting was an active participant in this unique gathering of nearly 300 French teachers from around the U.S. and from several other countries. Kelting is the Secretary-Treasurer of the Kansas AATF chapter.

The AATF, founded in 1927, is the largest national association of French teachers in the world with approximately 9000 members. It is organized around 73 local chapters and governed by an Executive Council of 19 members. National Headquarters are located at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. The AATF publishes the French Review and the National Bulletin and holds an annual convention which alternates between sites in Quebec, France and the U.S. Its award-winning Web site (www.frenchteachers.org) contains a multitude of information and materials of interest to French teachers at all levels. The AATF also sponsors the National French Contest and National French Week (Nov. 4-10).

Many attendees took advantage of a pre-convention excursion to Monterey, including a visit of the Monterey Institute of International Studies, and a post-convention excursion to San Francisco and Napa Valley. The convention was filled with sessions, discussions, and animated conversations about techniques for teaching French and promoting the study of French language and the cultures where French is spoken. AATF members were treated to special events such as a dictée, and a reception to celebrate the opening of exhibits.

The 2010 convention will be in Philadelphia, July 4-7. The theme will be "La Diversité francophone: passé, présent, futur." We invite all French teachers to join us.

Photo: Nora Kelting is pictured with Gregg Siewert, AATF West Central Regional Representative.