March 31, 2009

NHS BPA to Host Several Fundraisers

The Business Professionals of America club is hosting several fundraisers this month to help pay expenses for students attending the National Leadership Conference in Dallas May 6-10. The following is a list of the various fundraising events:

Event	Date & Time	Location	Details
Varsity baseball concessions	April 3 – 4:00 PM	Centennial Park	Featuring Mi Ma Ma's Recipes burritos
Chili Feed	April 8 – 4:30 – 7:30 PM	Breadbasket 219 N Main Street	Cost is $7 and includes drink and fixings; all proceeds benefit BPA
Varsity baseball concessions	April 9 – 4:00 PM	Centennial Park	Featuring Mi Ma Ma's Recipes burritos
Garage Sale	April 10 – 11;8:00 AM – 1:00 PM	4th & High (600 E. 4th)	Featuring Mi Ma Ma's Recipes burritos
Varsity baseball concessions	April 17 – 4:00 PM	Centennial Park	Featuring Mi Ma Ma's Recipes burritos
Varsity baseball concessions	April 24 – 4:00 PM	Centennial Park	Featuring Mi Ma Ma's Recipes burritos
USSSA Kansas Tae Kwon Championships concession	April 25 – 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM	Bethel College Thresher Gym	Featuring Mi Ma Ma's Recipes burritos

March 31, 2009

Teacher sacrifices hair for student performance incentive

Chisholm Middle School teacher John Werner found Friday March 13th to be unlucky for him, but lucky for his students. Werner issued a challenge to allow his hair to be cut by students if they could improve upon their individual scores on the State Reading Assessment over last year. The students were told by Werner that if at least 90% of them scored higher this year than last, they would be allowed to cut his hair. Over 90% did improve their scores - several by impressive amounts – and Werner made good on his promise by allowing them to cut his hair with clippers and spray paint his freshly shorn head blue.

Photos: Chisholm students Taylor Goerend and Zach Wonders practice their barbering skills on teacher John Werner.

March 31, 2009

Mentor program assists new teachers

Newton Public Schools is fortunate to have one of the premier teacher mentoring programs in the state. While some districts arrange a mentor for new teachers for the first year, Newton’s program is one of very few which provides new teachers with a teaching area mentor, along with a policies and procedures mentor, for two years.

The district's mentoring program pairs a protégé (new teacher) with two mentors, one assigned by the district and the other assigned by the Newton Educators Association, to provide support and guidance needed to reduce frustration, anxiety, and concerns during the first years of their careers.

Recently both Year 1 and Year 2 Mentors in the district attended a training session. Throughout the year, the mentors meet to practice planning and reflecting skills important in guiding their protégé in analyzing and reflecting on their teaching. The roles of the mentor involve offering support, creating challenge, and facilitating vision for their protégé.

The presenters were Rochelle Glover, Lisa Moore, Sharon Skidmore, Melissa Wright, and Jill Graber.

Following the training, a graduation ceremony was held for the Year 2 Mentors.

top photo: Stroll and Share is a mentoring activity where partners are given a topic/question to discuss and instructed to stroll around the room while they reflect and discuss. Teacher mentors (left to right) Carmen Dietz, Steve Bacon, Kathi Zohn, Lori Weaver, Connie Rickard and Deb Helberg are shown using the technique.

bottom photo: Teacher mentors (left to right) Lisa Antonowich, Julie Stenzel, and Steve Bacon demonstrate learning and practicing reflecting conversations.

March 17, 2009

Library, Chisholm celebrate Teen Tech Week

March 9-13 was Teen Tech Week in libraries across the nation. In Newton, Young Adult librarian Angie Vogelman from Newton Public Library talked to Chisholm sixth and eighth graders during the week about the many technology offerings at the public library. She brought DVD's, books on CD and cassette, and even the Guitar Hero game to promote gaming at the library for teens every Monday from 3:30 to 5:30. Shown is Vogelman talking to the Chisholm 6th graders.

March 17, 2009

Santa Fe Students place at District History Day

Several Santa Fe Middle School students placed at the District 7 History Day in Abilene on March 7. Maura Thieszen and Lauren Regier, Santa Fe sixth graders, took first place with their Junior Group Exhibit dealing with "Ray Krock, The Hero of Fast Food."

Josef Voth, a seventh grader, placed second with his Individual Exhibit: "The Story of Gandhi's amazing life and actions." Alexandra Glann, also in seventh grade, placed third with her Individual Exhibit on "The Turning Pointe, How Suzanne Farrell Changed Dance"

Thieszen, Regier, and Voth will compete at State History Day at Washburn University on April 25.

Photo: Lauren Regier (left), and Maura Thieszen with their winning History Day exhibit: “Ray Krock, The Hero of Fast Food.”

March 11, 2009

Newton Schools Celebrate Read Across America Week

Newton Public Schools observed Read Across America Week last week with lots of fun activities. Individual schools celebrated Dr. Seuss’ birthday on different days this year, due to the state assessment schedule. No matter which day it was celebrated, however, there was lots of reading and fun.

Slate Creek started the day with a readers theater presentation of Green Eggs and Ham in the library. Then all Kindergarten through second grades rotated to special centers for reading, games and other activities. In the afternoon, special guest readers visited the school and everyone enjoyed birthday cake afterward. A highlight of the day was a special visit from The Cat In The Hat.

At Santa Fe, students rotated to three events: Green eggs & ham breakfast, at which reading awards were announced; a Newton High School drama department presentation; and the Santa Fe Motivators pumped up students for state assessments with activities in the gym.

At Chisholm, teachers and students dressed up as characters from Dr Seuss books and started off the day with all of the students and staff reciting the Reading Oath together:

A Reading Oath
I promise to read
Each day and each night.
I know it’s the key
To growing up right.
I’ll read to myself
I’ll read to a crowd.
It makes no difference
If silent or loud.
I’ll read at my desk,
At home or at school,
On my bean bag or bed,
By the fire or the pool.
Each book that I read
Puts smarts in my head.
Cause brains grow more thoughts
The more they are fed.
Come rain or come shine,
Snow, wind or sleet,
Each day of the year,
Reading’s a treat.
So I take this oath
To make reading my way
Of feeding my brain
What it needs every day.

top photo:CMSRead: Chisholm students (left to right) Haley Eng, Madison Goerend, Taylor Goerend, Montana Garrison, and Chisholm Media Specialist Beverley Buller prepare to present the Reading Oath.

CMSThings: Things One, Two and Three: Chisholm staff (left to right) Brigitte Loescher, Ellen Awe and Terri Belgard, tear into the bookshelves in an empty classroom.

SFMSRead1: Santa Fe students Lizzy Kuhn and Julie Vo were winners of the top 8th grade readers awards.

SFMSRead2: Santa Fe eighth graders Ian Boston and Dakota Long enjoy a Green Eggs and Ham breakfast.

SCRead: Slate Creek staff (left to right) Beatty Robb, David Stockton, Naomi Wiebe, and Laura Pyle enact “Green Eggs and Ham” for Slate Creek students.

March 11, 2009

Newton High School BPA Students Qualify for Nationals

Thirty-one Newton High School students competed in the Business Professionals of America State Leadership conference February 19-21 in Wichita, KS. The conference opened at the Airport Hilton Hotel with Bryan Fiese as the keynote speaker. Mr. Fiese is the co-founder of Motivated Performance and has authored books including Power Presenting and The Power of Enthusiasm. Over 450 high school students from across Kansas competed in the state conference.

Computerized events were held at Wichita West High School Thursday night and judged events took place at Central Community Church on Friday. Saturday morning, students attended the closing ceremonies at the Airport Hilton.

Nineteen Newton students qualified to compete in the National Leadership conference in Dallas, May 6-10, 2009. Several students placed in the top three in their categories: Austin Burch, Lindsay Rhoades, Krista Saylor and Danielle Tolle, first place in Administrative Support Team; Alex Harder, first place in PC Servicing & Troubleshooting; Laci McCartney, first place in Entrepreneurship; Krista Saylor, second place in Payroll Accounting; Jeremy Hedrich, second place in VB.Net Programming; Jenna Rangel second place in Entrepreneurship; Levi Blaylock, Jenna Rangel, second place in Small Business Management Team; Jason Palmer, second place in Presentation Management – Individual; Lindsay Rhoades, second place in Prepared Speech; Jacy Gomez, 3rd place in Extemporaneous Speech. Other students placing in the top ten in their categories and also qualifying for nationals were: Francisco Ayala, Shannon Cooper, Sara Bradley and Lauren Dunn.

BPA is the leading career technical student organization for students pursuing careers in business management, office administration, information technology and other related career fields. The organization’s mission is to contribute to the preparation of a world-class workforce through the advancement of leadership, citizenship, academic, and technological skills.

In order to attend the conference the students must raise funds for travel expenses. The cost is $500 per student and the BPA group is looking for sponsorships from the business community. Those who are interested in sponsoring all or a portion of a student’s attendance cost can contact Melinda Rangel, Business instructor at Newton High School, 284-6280, xt 2139.

BPA photo: Back row, left to right: Jason Palmer, Levi Blaylock, Brandon Palmer, Austin Burch, Francisco Ayala, and Jesus Diaz. Middle row: Laci McCartney, Jenna Rangel, Lindsay Rhoades, Lauren Dunn, Danielle Tolle, Lauren Kemph, Krista Saylor, Tana Reynard, Anna Marie Rodriquez, Melinda Rangel, advisor. Front row: Beth Rinehart, Wendy gong, Jamie Miller, Shannon Cooper, Laken Maughan, Kayla Dunahoo, and Adam Chamberlain.

March 10, 2009

Bunting Attends Heartland Hispanic Conference

Newton BOE Member and Kansas Association of School Boards Immediate Past President Barbara Bunting was one of 250 educators from Kansas, Oklahoma, and Colorado who attended the Achieving Hispanic/Latino Student Success on March 1 & 2, 2009.

Keynote speakers included Eugene Garcia, PhD, Educational Partnerships, Arizona State University; Juana Bordas, Mestiza Leadership International; & Patrick Sanchez, Denver Public Schools. Multiculturalism in America was performed by El Teatro (student group) from Greeley, CO.

Bunting attended sessions requested by USD #373 Newton staff and administration. They included:

• Latino Education Achievement Graduation Program (LEAG) - Mike Gallegos
• Governing Diverse Cultures -- panel
• Engaging Your Hispanic Community in Technological Education -- George Welsh
• On-Site Bilingual Parent Support -- Rod Blunk

The annual Heartland Hispanic Conference is jointly sponsored by the Kansas Association of School Boards, the Colorado Association of School Boards and the Oklahoma School Boards Association.

March 4, 2009

Winds Day at Walton

Even though the calendar showed the day as Tuesday, it was definitely “Winds Day” last week at Walton 21st Century Rural Life Center. The students stayed in their multi-age home room groups and rotated through a variety of wind-related centers for the entire day. The students wrote poems, listened to stories and made edible kites for snacks. Outside they flew real kites, and measured the wind-speed using anemometers they had constructed with plastic cups and straws. Back inside, the students used self-generated “wind power” to make straw paintings and participate in relays by blowing cotton balls and balloons to a finish line.

photos by Kathy Murphy
top-photo: Alex Ryan looks on as Cooper Burns keeps their kite under control. The pair were flying kites as part of Walton Rural Life Center’s “Winds Day” activities.

middle-photo: Zachary Ryan tests the anemometer he made to measure the wind speed.

bottom-photo: Jessica Fowler blows into a straw while making straw paintings.

March 4, 2009

Superintendent from Uruguay visits Newton schools

Newton Public Schools recently had the opportunity to host a visiting administrator from Uruguay, through the Fulbright Educator Exchange program. Wilson Fernandez Novo, Superintendent of six elementary schools in Melo, Cerro Largo, Uruguay, visited Newton February 7-20.

While here Fernandez Novo visited all of the schools in the district, paying special attention to how English as a Second Language is taught in the district. As part of the scholarship, Fernanzez Novo was required to outline a project that he would be researching while here. His project was to compile information on best practices in teaching a second language, so that he could take them back and apply them to teaching English in his elementary schools.

Some challenges faced by his district in Cerro Largo, include the length of the school day—only four hours, with different students attending in the mornings than the afternoons. The district is also only able to offer English instruction for one hour twice a week, due to government constraints and budgeting issues. This makes it very difficult to present the lesson and practice speaking English.

An advantage that the district has, is that all students this year received laptop computers. Unfortunately, some students who live in the country do not have electricity and cannot use the laptops at home.

In addition to visiting Newton Schools, Fernandez Novo visited several neighboring districts and attended a Board of Education meeting and a Chamber Breakfast. Hernandez Novo was hosted by Santa Fe Middle School Principal Vicki Adamé and her family in their home.

Photo: Newton Board of Education member Deb Palacioz visits with Wilson Fernandez Novo during a reception on his behalf at a school board meeting.

March 4, 2009

Newton Auto Tech students sweep Pratt contest

Newton students captured the top four places in the Pratt Community College Auto Contest, held February 23, at Pratt.  During the contest, the students completed a 113-question, timed automotive test. First and second place winners each received a full books-and-tuition scholarship to Pratt. The third and fourth place winners each received a $500 scholarship to Pratt. All four students also received Pratt Automotive hats and shirts. Cory Unruh is the Newton Automotive Technology instructor.

Shown left to right are, James Goerzen, first place; Dan Stewart, second place; Brad Slayden, third place; and Kyle Redger, fourth place.

March 4, 2009

South Breeze students build character and pizzas

Students in Lori Weaver’s Kindergarten class at South Breeze Elementary have been working on character building all year. Last week their efforts paid off, with a pizza making party to celebrate the class’ good behavior.

Weaver’s class participates in a school-wide “Character Bound” program that teaches positive character traits by emphasizing a new trait each week. According to school counselor Jeanne Houser, “One of the goals of the program is to have students treat each other better.”

Some of the traits are taught by having the students perform skits or role play different situations. Students also receive bracelet charms with the name of a specific trait when they are observed demonstrating that trait.

Each time the class receives a compliment from a visitor or another teacher, they are able to move a cardboard school bus up a notch on their classroom wall. When the school bus reaches its destination at the top, the class has a celebration. This time it was a pizza making party.

Weaver and Houser both feel the program has been a very positive experience for the students. The kids get very excited when the whole class receives a compliment. However, the learning doesn't end with character building: following the pizza party, the children were busy using their writing skills to describe their pizza making experience.

Photo: South Breeze Kindergartener Kenzi Dietrich helps teacher Lori Weaver make mini pizzas during a classroom “Character Bound” celebration.

March 4, 2009

Santa Fe receives Turning Technologies Grant

James Wiens, Math teacher at Santa Fe Middle School, has received a grant from Turning Technologies, the makers of Turning Point audience response systems. Wiens worked with district grant writer Barb Burns, and partnered with Santa Fe Special Ed teacher Terry Scates on the grant application. Santa Fe was one of 15 grant recipients nation-wide, most of which were larger metropolitan schools.

The Turning Technologies 2008 K-12 grant award included TurningPoint 2008 Interactive PowerPoint® software; 32 Wireless RF ResponseCards®; ResponseWare™ Web, a new web-based polling application; a USB-based response RF Receiver; a ResponseCard® AnyWhere™ Handheld RF Receiver with LCD display; TurningPoint® AnyWhere™ Polling application; QuestionPoint™ with 30,000 state-aligned questions; and a One-year building license to VantagePoint™ web-based analytics application.