NHS 2-10 / RV 11-12 / NES 12-17 / SH 18-20

USD 3 0 9

Parent Newsletter Nickerson - South Hutchinson Vol. 33 No. 5 December 2015

Annual Powder Puff & Ironman Games Bring Friendly Competition Page 4 NHS Cafeteria Gets New Look Page 7 NHS Adopts USA High School Clay Target League Page 9 SHE Students Pen Gratitute Graffiti Page 19

Notes from the Nurse 21 / Activities Calendar 22

USD 309 Parent Newsletter December 2015 Page 2

DISTRICT NEWS

Nondiscriminate Clause USD 309 does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin, handicap or age in admission or access to, or treatment, or employment in its programs or activities. Any questions regarding USD 309’s compliance with Title VI, Title IX, or Section 504 including information about the existance and loca-

tion of services, activities, and facilities that are accessible to and useable by disabled persons may be directed to the Business Manager, who can be reached at (620)663-7141, 4501 W. 4th Ave., Hutchinson, KS  67501, or to the Sueprintendent of USD 309.

NICKERSON HIGH SCHOOL Principal: Rick Blosser

305 S. Nickerson, Nickerson, KS 67561

422-3226/866-422-3226 (Toll Free)

422-3229 (Fax)

FCCLA Visits K-State Campus

The NHS Marching band performed at the High Plains Marching Festival on October 27. Mrs. Henke is shown here with FCCLA members from NHS on a visit made to the K-State Campus with her Career and Community Connections class.

Nickerson High students performed their marching show during the High Plains Festival.

KMEA ALL – District Band The KMEA All-District Band auditions were held on November 7. NHS students Meghann Henderson, Briley Harbert, Tanner Sack, Andrew Hiatt, and Chase Liby were all selected to the district band. NHS students are under the direction of Wes Lewis. These students prepared excerpts, sight read, and performed scales in order to make this group. NHS sent seven band students to audition and five students were selected! These students now qualify to audition in January for the All-State band. “I am very proud of the accomplishments of our students,” said Mr. Lewis.

High Plains Marching Festival October 27 The NHS marching band attended the High Plains Marching Festival on October 27. The NHS Marching Band represented our school and community very well! They performed their show "Movin" for a panel of judges and received a superior rating. The show included the songs "Bicycle Race", "Low Rider", and "Come Sail Away". This is the second year in a row for the band to receive a superior rating. The marching band is under the direction of Wes Lewis.

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NICKERSON HIGH SCHOOL

Xeiver Capps helps a student finish a Trick or Treat bag with fabric paint at SHASK in South Hutchinson.

Key Club member Rachel Lane helps the PreK-6th grade students finish decorating their Trick or Treat bags.

Key Club’s Camron Stewart and Katelyn Nevins enjoy their time at the Halloween and Costume Party with DSGP residents.

Key Club Activities

NHS student Austin Edwards reads to a preschool student who attends SHASK in South Hutch.

A SHASK student reads to Camren Stewart during the Key Club trip to the South Hutch after school kids.

Key Club held an activity after school on Oct. 29th. The Students traveled to South Hutchinson to visit the after school held at the South Hutch Methodist Church. At SHASK (South Hutch After School Kids) Key Club students painted Trick-or-Treat bags and read books with the young children. The Key Club group then traveled on to Disability Supports. At Disability Supports in Hutchinson the group held a costumed Halloween dance with LOTS of snacks. This event has been done in the past by Key Club and is a great activity for the residents and is looked forward to every year. There are 36 members of Key Club at Nickerson High this school year. The group has one activity per month that they participate in. The sponsor of the group at NHS is Janice Coon.

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NICKERSON HIGH SCHOOL

Wyatt Henson, Senior; Braden Stewart, Junior; and Cameron Crandell, Junior; compete during the annual Ironman volleyball game at NHS on November 12 at the school. Shelby Jackson, Junior, playing in the annual Powder Puff game at NHS.

Junior Garth Henke goes up high for the ball.

Denis Ortiz, Senior, runs down the field during the Powder Puff game at NHS.

Ironman and Powder Puff 2015 The annual Ironman and Powder Puff games were held November 12 after school. Senior girls beat the junior girls 20-0 in the powder puff game. Senior boys beat the junior boys 25-17 first game and 25-7 the second game in the Ironman competition volleyball. Participating were Senior Boys Chance Shull, Alex Snell, Dionte Tiniakos,

Bailey Daniels, Zach Barton, Wyatt Henson, Orion Lewis, Kaleb McLean, Coleman Jordan and Houston Southards. Junior Boys - Dylan Schrag, Austin O'Toole, Garth Henke, Austin Engelland, Adam Moore, Michael Werner, Cameron Crandall, Marcus Jackson, Braden Stewart, Jerrod Petz , Avyn Scott, and Ryder Cook. Junior Girls - Alyssa Weve, Taylor Britain, Meghan Henderson, Shelby Jackson, Morgan Atkinson , Bailey Riddle,

Kylie Dimmitt, Amy Aparicio, Kenda Raber, Vanessa Mendoza, Katie Graham, Leslie Ortiz, Christi Weizer, and Shelby Daniels. Senior Girls: Anna Carder, Jade Bornholdt, Lacey Britain, Michael Stewart, Syndi Parker, Maxine Flechall, Bryanna Herrman, Kylie Belden, Alyssa Southards, Tarra Eidson, Lacey Nichols, and Denis Ortiz.

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NICKERSON HIGH SCHOOL

Students worked with a clinician while at the jazz fest. NHS students Tanner Sack and Andrew Hiatt received Outstanding Musicianship Awards.

NHS students performed at the McPherson Jazz Festival on Nov. 5.

Jazz Fest The NHS jazz band performed at the McPherson College Jazz Festival on November 5th. The students performed three pieces for a clinician and then had the opportunity to have that clinician work with them on the music. The group played

Cubano Chant, Fever, and Dance Big'un Dance. For their performance, NHS students Tanner Sack and Andrew Hiatt received Outstanding Musicianship Awards. The students sat in the audience and listened to other area schools perform,

after they were finished performing. The group enjoyed seeing what other schools and students were doing, and also got some ideas for our own jazz program. Wes Lewis is the director of bands at Nickerson High School.

NHS Wrestling Sixth-place Class 4A state finisher Cody Curl (195) will headline the Nickerson High wrestling team. Curl finished 35-8 and won two matches at the Class 4A state tournament last year. Curl was a Class 4A regional runner-up. “I love the sport, but hate to lose,” Curl said. “Never give up.” First-year Nickerson wrestling coach Nick Flowers had worked at Wichita Southeast, Winfield and Buhler High School. “I have been involved in wrestling for 21 years,” Flowers said. “I have coached, officiated and competed at kids level to college level.” Assistant coaches are John Close and Tyler Ritter. Other Nickerson wrestlers are Chance Shull (220), Joseph Williams (285), Deonte Tiniakos (170), Darin McQueen (182), Alex Snell (152), Dakota Heim (285), Thayne McAllister (138), Jayden Raigoza (132), Chandler Eaton (182) and Jakeup Wright (190). Regional qualifiers Alex Snell finished 23-22 and Dakota Heim finished 15-22 last year. Raigoza finished 26-11 as a fresh-

man, but missed last year with an injury. Sterling High wrestlers will compete with Nickerson during the regular season. Sterling’s Cody Salazar (120) broke every school wrestling record with a 37-5 record while placing third in Class 3A-1A. Salazar lost to eventual state champion Hunter Ostertag at the state meet. Sterling wrestlers are Zane Nichols (160), Derek Boeken (140), Brady Ravenstein (145), Javier Zimmerman (140) and Dylan Stewart (145). Regional qualifiers Nichols finished 13-20 and Boeken finished 9-19 last year.

SCHEDULE—12-5, at Pratt Tournament; 12-12, at Hesston Tournament; 12-17, Lyons, Hesston, home; 12-19, at Abilene Tournament; 1-9, at Ellsworth Tournament; 1-14, at Stafford; 115-16, at Halstead Tournament; 1-22, Nickerson dual tournament; 1-29, at Garden Plain Tournament; 2-6, at Circle Tournament; 213, CKL Tournament at Hesston; 2-19-20, at Class 4A Regional.

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NICKERSON HIGH SCHOOL

FCCLA members for the 2015-16 school year are pictured here. They are: Arianna Alvarez, Tabby Barr, Taylor Britain, Brakelle Bullock, Taylor Coleman, Ryder Cook, Tara Davis, Haylee Dodson, Austin Engelland, Daniel Evans, Kaylie Gardner, Ally Gitchell, Katie Graham, Remy Green, Garth Henke, Wyatt Henson, Bryanna Herman, Cheree Huckaby, Shelby Jackson, Rachel Lane, Sophie Mader, Kaleb McLearn, Kyla McLean, Adam Moore, Rebecca Nisly, Denis Ortiz, Sidney Parker, Jared Petz, Reanna Reese, Laci Sutton, Alicia Synder, December Taverner, Heidi Thiessen, Joe Tuxhorn, Audrey Ullum, Stormie Ward, Kristi Weiser, and Cashmere Wells. Sponsors of the Nickerson High group are Kay Farney and Judy Henke.

FCCLA Annual Community Service Project FCCLA has officially started their 2015 Food Drive! The food drive will run till Tuesday, December 8th. The food we collect will be delivered to the Food Bank of Reno County. This food will help all families that live in Reno County. We are challenging everyone at NHS to bring three items. Students may bring

more if they choose. There are 327 students in our school and that means we could be “Panther Proud” and get the honor of delivering 981 cans of food! We will come to seminars weekly and collect the food items. If you have any questions, please contact Remyngton Green, Ally Gitchell or Haylee Dodson.

Please bring your food items to your seminar teacher and sign your name on the form below. Every student who brings at least three items, will get a glazed donut from Daylight Donuts on December 14th during seminar. The seminar who has the highest participation rate will also receive a second donut and orange juice!

NHS Students Named to Honor Choir Congratulations go out to the following students for being selected to the 2015 South Central Kansas Music Educators Association District Honor Choir! Amy Aparicio, Daria Griffis, Nathan LaClair, Michael Shea, Bryce Timken, Dionne Timken, and Lexi Zimmerman. The NHS district is second in size and difficulty only to the NE Kansas district, which includes all the big KC-area schools. There were 19 NHS students auditioning against hundreds of other students from schools including McPherson, Newton, Ark

City, and the entire Wichita district. These seven students will rehearse and perform with the SCKMEA District Honor Choirs on Saturday, December 5 at Wichita East HS, and they are all in the running to advance to the All-State Choir held in February at Century II in Wichita. The AllState list will be released in December! Dara Pelter was selected to the 2015 KMEA State Middle Level Honor Choir. She will perform in February at Century II as part of the KMEA State In-Service Workshop.

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NICKERSON HIGH SCHOOL

NHS Boys Basketball The Nickerson Panther boys return plenty of experience with starters Braden Stewart (11 ppg), Austin O’Toole (10 ppg), Coleman Jordan (9 ppg) and Austin Engelland (3 ppg) returning. O’Toole will miss time with a knee injury. Nickerson was 4-16 last year. Other letterwinners returning are sparkplug Cody Casey, Jordan Lehman, Dalton Beshears and Jared Petz. The best advice Nickerson coach Pete Herrera received came from McPherson College basketball coach Roger Trimmell. “He told me, ‘You are teaching more than basketball. It is your job to make sure you help raise great young men.’ “The reason I like this is because it is true,” Herrera said. “Not all my players are going to be college basketball players. So, it is my job to teach them right-from-wrong and teach them a never-give-up attitude no matter what life puts in front of you.” Herrera anticipates good depth and plans on using multiple lineups. “It is good to know that I feel that I have a bunch of players who could be starting for me,” he said. Herrera emphasizes defense with practice time starting with

30 to 45 minutes on defensive fundamentals. The Panthers will play pressure defense and push a fast pace. “We are going to put constant pressure on teams, and run the ball up-the-court,” he said. “We will do this through a combination of zone presses and old-fashioned fullcourt man-to-man.” Herrera’s ultimate goal is to compete for a Class 4A state championship. “I want to show growth and improvement from last year,” he said. “We will be better this year because there is not a huge learning curve. It is nice to start practice with the understanding of what is expected. You could call us the darkhorse contender in the CKL. We will surprise some people. I look forward to a exciting ride.” SCHEDULE--12-4, at Hillsboro; 12-8, Central Plains at Lincoln; 12-11, 12-12, at Lincoln Tournament; 12-15, at Haven; 12-18, Sterling; 1-5, at Hesston; 1-8, at Kingman; 1-12, Halstead; 1-15, Hoisington; 1-18 to 1-23, at St. John Tournament; 2-2, at Hillsboro; 2-5, at Sterling; 2-9, at Smoky Valley; 2-12, Pratt; 2-16, at Larned; 2-19, at Lyons; 2-23, Haven.

NHS All-League Nickerson High's football team placed four players on the first team of the Central Kansas League West Division -halfback Austin O'Toole, offensive lineman Coleman Jordan, linebacker Cody Curl and defensive tackle Chance Shull. The Panthers qualified for the Class 4A-

Division 2 football playoffs and lost to Andale 60-45. O'Toole rushed for 568 yards and scored three playoff touchdowns wih 133 yards rushing against Andale. Leading receiver Braden Stewart and defensive backs Austin O'Toole and Cody Casey earned honorable mention all-league

honors. Stewart had 367 yards receiving and caught a 75-yard touchdown pass against Andale. Nickerson finished with a 4-6 record and qualified for the football playoffs for the first time since 2007 under head coach Mike Vernon.

Woods Class Remodels NHS Cafeteria

The bench side of the booth gets put in place under Mr. Taverner’s direction.

Nickerson High School features a newly-remodeled cafeteria equipped with comfortable booths, thanks to work by Robert Taverner’s woods and drafting classes. The Nickerson USD 309 school board approved plans to redesign the cafeteria last year. Eighty-nine students were involved from woods and drafting classes. The students invested more than 2,500 hours from August to Nov. 1 “We had a full set of drawings along with a 3D printed model from our 3D printer,” Taverner said. “The students started the first week of school. They worked on their student projects as well as the remodel.” Taverner said the students constructed the booths from online plans adapting them for padded cushions. The students cut out, fabricated and upholstered the booths. SEE NHS CAFETERIA, PAGE 8

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NICKERSON HIGH SCHOOL

NHS Cafeteria CONTINUED from Page 7 “Mrs. Pat Henke came in one day and taught the students, and they took it from there,” Taverner said. “The booth tables were made from scrap wood which we turned into a butcher block design. The blocks were glued together six rows at a time, then glued three sections together, then the two halves were glued together to make the 30-inch by 48-inch tables.” The three tables and the 32-inch long table tops were made from reclaimed gym floor donated to the school by Linda Birney, s staff member in the cafeteria. The stools were ordered online and assembled by the students. The half wall by the booths was made by the construction drafting class. A plaque with the students’ names that worked on the project will be placed on the wall in the cafeteria. “There have been a lot of students involved with the process. Making of the booths, tables, bar, high top tables, building the wall, cabinet and painting. We still have a lot more painting to do but we have made a lot of progress,” said Mr. Blosser.

A new dividing wall is in place to separate the student line area from the dining area. Mr. Taverner’s class puts the new booths in place during class at NHS.

Students in woods class assembled the new bar stools to go along with the stand alone tables in the cafeteria.

The new booth tables were hand glued from scrap wood in a butcher block design. They are beautiful!

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NICKERSON HIGH SCHOOL

Hines Starts NHS Journey First-year head basketball coach Brittany Hines is looking to the future for Nickerson High's girls. She will be assisted by Kim Patterson and Sean Beuford. Competing last year were seniors Allie Schweizer, Denis Ortiz, Sidney Parker and Lacey Nichols, junior Leslie Ortiz and sophomores Kaylie Gardner, Tara Davis and Sophie Mader. Other varsity players starting the season will be senior Kylie Belden, junior Shelby Jackson and freshmen Carrie Schweizer, Brooke Engelland, Alex Altum and Brylee Engelland. “Practice is going well, but as a coach it's hard to ever be satisfied,” Hines said. “The girls are responding well, they just need to buy in to the program and the new changes.” Nickerson High graduate and HCC women’s coach John Ontjes gave Hines her best advice. "You won't coach for the money,” he said. “You coach because you love being around the kids. I have found out that is so very true. Being around the players is a highlight of each day.” Hines’ points of emphasis in pre-season have been fundamentals, ballhandling,

passing efficiency, running the floor, and offensive/defensive disciplined execution. “We address our weaknesses every day. We work on shooting, passing, ballhandling, and footwork every day. These girls have to learn to play correct basketball.” Hines wants to perform the fundamentals of the game correctly. “Improvement in small areas add up to be very big areas, and hopefully converting those improvements into wins,” she said. “We have to change our overall mindset. We are trying to change the thinking that losing is acceptable and expected. Instead, we want to play to win every possession, every loose ball and every game. We want the kids to compete with heart!” Hines wants to play a fast pace, but that may take time. “Reaction times have to happen sooner. We have to move the ball faster and pass faster,” she said. “We want to fast break every opportunity we get and take advantage of those moments.” The defensive goal is to keep the basketball out of the middle of the court. “We want to always force to the sideline/baseline and protect the paint,” Hines

said. “We want the players to box out every time a shot goes up, and to rebound with intensity and competitiveness. We want tenacious defense and ball pressure, and for our players to move when the ball is in the air.” Hines played high school basketball for a Class 4A state champion at Buhler in 2005 and competed for a Hutchinson Community College team in 2009 that won the Region 6 title and competed in the NJCAA Tournament. Hines played two years of basketball at Baker University. She has coached at Sterling College, Lawrence Southwest Middle School and served as an assistant under Wes Bartlett in 2013-2014. "We’ve got to improve our mental game, work ethic, and fundamentals," Hines said. "There’s a lot of great talent coming up, and there’s a lot of talent already at the high school. I’ve gathered a lot of knowledge from all the programs I’ve been a part of. I’m excited to take all that and make it my own.” Hines is a staff member at USD 309 she is the vocal music teacher at Nickerson Elementary School.

USD 309 Adopts Shooting Sports The Nickerson-South Hutchinson USD 309 school board has approved a new extracurricular coed activity for NHS students -the USA High School Clay Target League. Travis Oden will be the organizer of the NHS students participating in the newly-named Nickerson Trap Club. Students in grades 7 through 12 are eligible to compete. Oden said 50 students have shown an interest so far. Oden has worked to sign up local sponsors, who will help the Nickerson Trap Club. All students must take and pass the Hunter Safety Class required in Kansas. Oden said Pheasants Forever and Kansas

Wildlife and Parks are big supporters of the Kansas high school shooting sports teams and help with donations for students to take the hunter safety course. Oden said several junior colleges and colleges are offering scholarships for shooting sports and more are expected to be added in the future. The sport is also an official Olympic sport. Although fairly new to Kansas there is projected to be more than a dozen high schools in Kansas competing in the Clay Target League by the spring of 2016. Nationwide more than 20,000 students participate in high school shooting sports.

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NICKERSON HIGH SCHOOL

FCCLA 8th Annual Fundraiser... it’s sweet!!! Do you want to send a special message this Valentine’s Day to people you love and care about in this district? All you have to do is place your order and leave all the work to us! This year we will be selling Valentine’s Day grams as part of National Family Career and Community Leaders of America week. A Valentine’s Day gram is a Hershey’s candy bar wrapped in decorative paper. The cost is $2.00 each and includes free delivery! Valentine’s Day grams will be delivered to students in all schools on Friday, February 12th. Orders are due no later than Friday, January 15th in order to secure a timely delivery to each of the schools. If you would like to purchase a Valentine’s Day gram for your son, daughter or someone special that works in the schools, please complete the following form. Please complete a separate form for each person you are sending one to. If you have questions or concerns, please contact Kay Farney [email protected] or Judy Henke [email protected] at NHS.

Valentine’s Day Gram Order Form School:

NHS

NES

SHE

RVMS

Grades Pre-K-6: Home Rm. Teacher: _________________ Grade Level: _____ Grades 7 - 8: Student Name ____________________ Grade Level: _____ (Delivered by student name and grade level)

Grades 9-12: Seminar Teacher: ____________________

Please circle the theme: * Love

* Friendship

* Happy Valentine’s Day

To: ________________________________________ From: _____________________________________

USD 309 Parent Newsletter December 2015 Page 11

RENO VALLEY MIDDLE  SCHOOL Principal: Vince Naccarato 1616 N. Wilshire RR 3, Hutchinson, KS 67501

662-4573 / 866-662-4573 (Toll Free) 662-6708 (Fax)

Honor Roll - 2nd Six Weeks 7th Grade Principal’s Honor Roll

Honor Roll Gabriel Barnes Trevor Beaird Caley Blosser

Zayne Dalton Adan Garcia Kaiden Hamby Korie Kaufman Tegan Kohles Katherine Kolb Gage Silas

Ellie Janette Asha Kelley Colten Kinzel McKinzie Starnes Isaac Wiedeman

Honorable Mention Cami Bass Kaelynn Hedges

8th Grade Principal’s Honor Roll Colton Ediger Nichole Moore

Honor Roll Ryan Christian Jacqueline Coonce Kennedy Davis Tre’ Garcia Cyra Kelley Alyssa Land Madison Ontjes Wyatt Pauley Brayden Rogers

Carving Pumpkins

RVMS students enjoyed being outside on a school day working on carving pumpkins.

Right: On October 27, twelve 7th grade students enjoyed time in the courtyard carving pumpkins. They were chosen by the seventh grade team because of their exemplary character trait.

Honorable Mention Aspen Apfel Noah Bruce Breanna Canfield Deonis Coon Tanner Hull Jazzmyn Martinez Rick Sack Sarah Schrag Kayla Shuff Tanner Smith

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RENO VALLEY MIDDLE SCHOOL

Reno Valley Girls Basketball The Reno Valley Middle School eighth-grade girls basketball team has enjoyed a successful season for far. Head coach Lynn Vick is assisted by Melisa Bryant. The manager is Mia Washburn. The RVMS eighth-graders have beaten Larned, Pratt and Lyons and lost to Hesston. “The season starts fast with a couple weeks of practice and then we play Monday and Thursday games,” Vick said. “We have a nice rotation of players for our B and C teams who have a couple of wins.” Eighth-graders competing are Aspen Apfel, Madison Ontjes, Alyssa Land, Carly Smith, Cierra Simmons, Cyra Kelley, Infiniti Davis, Jasmine Garrett, Tryniti Isley, Lizzy Ullum, Taysha Brown, Caydince Finch and Lillie Vanderpool. “Our "A" team is playing well, the nice thing about these girls is the experience playing together,” Vick said. “With that experience we can run different sets on our offense and defense which makes us a stronger team. Our goal for the season is to win the league tournament.” Seventh-graders competing are Cami Bass, Korie Kaufman, McKenzie Faulkner, Alexia Kendall, Caley Blosser, Brooke Wenzel, Jennica Call, Alejandra Quintero, Alyssa Rosenberg, Lanie Vanderpool, Lauren Faulkner, Kellie Edwards and Destiny O'Neal. Home games remaining are Dec. 7, Smoky Valley; Dec. 17, Hesston; and Jan. 11, Haven. Jan. 9 is the seventh-grade tournament at Halstead. The CKL eighth-grade tournament is Jan. 18 and Jan. 21 at Lindsborg.

Reno Valley Panthers head down the court during the game against Hesston.

Reno Valley Boys Basketball The Reno Valley boys basketball team is being led by head coach Dalynn Smith and assistants Jeff Griffith and Luke Bauman. Eighth-graders competing are Deonis Coon, Tre Garcia, Steven Hayse, Bryce Isley, Braden Rogers, Owen Krehbiel, Clayton Scott, Malachi Sims, Tanner Smith, Koltin Gomez, Logan Broomfield, Dylan Shah, Colton Ediger, Matthew Perry, Jarron Kaufmann, Jarin Gomez, Bryson Freed, Dylan Cunningham, Joe Sack, Aaron Ratzlaff and Austin Alexander. Seventh-graders competing are Dallas Carr, Eric Malacki, Brayden Miller, Raef Tatro, Clayton Edwards, Brayton Bateman, Kylan Dickson, Isaac Wiedeman, Cristian Peterson, Kaiden Hamby, Sergio Gallegos, Anthony Carder, Garrett Conde, Matthew Crossman, Colton Fast, Trevor Beaird, Austin Bell, Mark Spencer, Zach Aston, Dominic DiDomenico, Hunter McCubbin, Adan Garcia, Tegan Kohles, Colton Kinzel and Kaden Carson. Home games remaining are Dec. 7, Smoky Valley; Dec. 17, Hesston; andJan. 11, Haven. Jan. 9 is the seventh-grade tournament at Halstead. The CKL eighth-grade tournament is Jan. 18 and Jan. 21 at Lindsborg.

NICKERSON ELEMENTARY Principal: Terry George

Second Graders Earn a Pajama Day for Good Behavior

400 N. Nickerson, Nickerson 67651

422-3215 / 866-422-3215 (Toll Free)

422-3216 (Fax)

Mrs. Pedersen's second graders at Nickerson Elementary have been receiving so many compliments on their good behavior that they filled their marble jar. They get to put in one marble for every comment about something they have done well. By doing this they earned a comfortable day in their pajamas!

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NICKERSON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Halloween at NES Halloween is always a fun time at Nickerson Elementary! We had an amazing parade where the students got to look at everyone's costumes and then in the afternoon the classes had their Halloween parties. Thank you so much to all the room parents for making our parties a success!!

Nickerson student Aleah Collins dressed up as Elsa!

NES vocal music instructor Brittany Hines dressed up as a veterinarian with her dressed up visitor in a Nickerson Panther uniform!

Josie Williams came to Nickerson Elementary on Halloween as “Poison Ivy”.

Mason Smith was dressed as a soldier for Halloween!

Those super teachers from 1st grade celebrating at NES! Michelle Collins, Donna Basinger, and Catherine Leake. Payten Dodson, Jailyn Miller, Ayla Ontjes are Cruella de Vil and the 101 Dalmatians.

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NICKERSON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Superhero / Glow Day

Mr. George and Mr. Theis are with their pack of superheros on Superhero / Glow Day, Tuesday Nov. 24 at the school.

Delaney Childs wearing her glow clothes on “Glow” Day at Nickerson Elementary.

Hadley Nelson came to school as a superhero on Nov. 24 Superhero Day at NES!

Reading the Stone Soup recipe is 2nd grade student Mason Wilson.

Second graders add vegetables to their stone soup on Tuesday, Nov. 24 at NES.

Stone Soup in 2nd Grade The second grade classes made their annual Stone Soup on Monday, November 23rd. The three classes studied the different versions of the book Stone Soup and do various activities with it leading up to the actual preparation of the soup. The book centers around how if you share you will always have more, just like when the Pilgrims and Indians shared at the first Thanksgiving. The students also made placemats for their dinner and learned about pilgrim manners at the table and what wasn't acceptable at meals in their time period. Second grade teachers Lori Smith, Carrie Wellman, and Megan Peterson helped prepare the feast.

Eating their Stone Soup feast together are 2nd graders Kaiton Haden-Henderson, Emily King, and Piper Heinlein.

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NICKERSON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

5th Grade has a Visit from Eagle Hawk The 5th graders at Nickerson Elementary had a special visitor, Nate Mathews and his Golden Eagle, Isaiah. Nate is a Falconer from Wichita and hunts with Isaiah. Nate also brought a Red Tailed Hawk that he recently acquired. He will train this hawk for three weeks and then will be able to hunt with his hawk.

Left: Nate Matthews talks to NES students about his Golden Eagle Isaiah. Look at the wing span of Isaiah as he stretches his wings!

1st Grade Thanksgiving Day Play

The Thanksgiving Turkey looks a little worried during the 1st grade play at Nickerson Elementary on Tuesday, Nov. 24.

The 1st grade boys and girls did a great job playing the parts of pilgrims during the annual program before Thanksgiving break at NES.

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NICKERSON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

5th & 6th Grade Band

Mr. Lewis directs the Nickerson Elementary 5th grade band.

The 6th grade band performed at the NES band concert on Nov. 19 at the school.

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NICKERSON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

5th & 6th Grade Vocal Concert

Kieryn Ontjes sings during the 5th and 6th grade vocal concert at Nickerson Elementary. Left: NES Vocal Music teacher Brittany Hines plays the guitar for the performing students on the stage during the vocal concert at Nickerson Elementary.

The NES SCKMEA Honor Choir Participants: from L to R - Mari Almanza, Olivia Rome, Chloe Cornelius, Kieryn Ontjes, Brayden Keeler, Makenna Dodson, and Kira Hemphill.

USD 309 Parent Newsletter December 2015 Page 18

SOUTH HUTCHINSON ELEMENTARY Principal: Midge Simmons 405 S. Poplar, South Hutchinson 67505 665-8441/866-665-8441(Toll free) 665-7481 (Fax)

5th Grade Poster Contest Winners

Mrs. Kaegi’s class shown here were ALL winners in the red Ribbon Week poster contest. Students made posters during Red Ribbon Week to see which class could make the best poster about not doing drugs.

Classes at South Hutchinson Elementary competed in a bulletin board or door decorating contest for Red Ribbon Week. The designs were to encourage positive, healthy decisions and the dangers of alcohol and other drug use. The winning class shown here is Mrs. Ray's 2nd grade.

Red Ribbon Week

5th graders Aaden Cossno and Caden Engstrom work on their Red Ribbon Life sized poster for the contest.

Noah Richey and Kohen Starnes work on their poster in Terri Kaegi’s class. South Hutchinson Elementary student Nick Caraway works on his Red Ribbon Week poster in 5th grade.

USD 309 Parent Newsletter December 2015 Page 19

SOUTH HUTCHINSON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

1st Grade Halloween Celebration

Students in Hannah Hummel’s 1st grade class are ready for the Halloween celebration in their classroom!

New SHE Kitchen Manager South Hutchinson Elementary wants to welcome Trina Trussell 'officially' to our staff. Trina has been a cook at NHS for several years and helped us out in times of need in the kitchen this year. We are now blessed to have her full-time as our Kitchen Manager! Please welcome Trina!

5th Grade Music Program Shown above is Mrs. Carleta Deetz’s 2nd Grade Gratitude Graffiti banner.

Gratitude Graffiti To help South Hutchinson Elementary students prepare for the Thanksgiving holiday, each classroom at South Hutchinson Elementary created a Gratitude Graffiti banner. Students were asked to draw and write about what they were most thankful for this year. The banners were hung in the hallways at the school. Students added their own words to the banners. Here is a few of those in the halls of SHE!

The 5th graders at South Hutchinson Elementary presented their concert SING, AMERICA, SING on November 19. The Patriotic program featured several speaking parts by the students and was under the direction of Julie Martens.

USD 309 Parent Newsletter December 2015 Page 20

SOUTH HUTCHINSON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

5th Grade Math Class

Students in Terri Kaegi’s 5th grade classroom who are working on pumpkins on the floor are Sarah Myers, Emily Malecki, and Kayda King.

Students of Terri Kaegi: Chloe Cox and Caitlyn McElhaney work on a math activity in 5th grade.

Colton Morrell, Aspyn King, and Triniti Haney work at their desk on pumpkins in the 5th grade math class at SHE.

Grandparents’ Day

Celebrating Grandparent’s day in Mrs. Hummel’s 1st grade class were: Back row: Kason Bright, Madison Nolind, Corbin Shelton, Corbin Kracman, Bradly King, and Maxx White. Front row is Shalie Powell and Elijah Trass. The class wrote about why we love our Grandparent's and made these turkey headbands for our feast with their 5th grade reading buddies!

Grandparents enjoyed the dinner held at South Hutchinson Elementary School on Tuesday, Nov.24.

Grandparent’s Day was held on Tuesday, November 24th at South Hutchinson Elementary. Kitchen manager, Trina Trussell and her team cooked for the grandparents celebration. They prepared and baked 800 cookies, 750 dinner rolls, 100 pounds of fresh fruit, 90 pounds of turkey and 50 pounds of green beans. The menu included: Chef Carved Roast Turkey Breast, Whole Grain Roll, Mashed Potatoes and Gravy, Green Bean Casserole, Mixed Fruit Salad, cranberry salad, and a cookie. It was served buffet style, complete with black table cloths and decorations. The USD 309 2015-16 food service Aviand’s and Linda Birney helped organize the meal. The popular event is held annually and brings many grandparents and family members to the school for the Thanksgiving lunch with their students. This year the price of an adult lunch was $3.45. Over 234 were served and the PTC at the school paid for the guests lunches! The PTC is lead by Co – presidents Marcia Meadows and Alicia Ochs.

USD 309 Parent Newsletter December 2015 Page 21

Nurse’s Article Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Tips Everything you need to know to keep your kids safe from carbon monoxide. The arrival of colder weather means more homes will be turning up the heat with fuel-burning appliances. Fuel-powered devices can provide wonderful benefits to families when used properly. But they also underscore an important necessity in the home: the need for a carbon monoxide alarm. Carbon monoxide poisoning can result from faulty furnaces or other heating appliances, portable generators, water heaters, clothes dryers, or cars left running in garages. At its worst, carbon monoxide can cause severe side effects or even death. Install Carbon Monoxide Alarms l Make sure your home has a carbon monoxide alarm. If you don’t have one, please go out and get one.

l Carbon monoxide can accumulate in or around your motorboat, so install an alarm on your boat.

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a gas that you cannot see, taste l As with smoke alarms, or smell. Each year, 184 chilmake sure you have a carbon dren in the United States die monoxide alarm on every due to carbon monoxide poilevel of your home, especialsoning and more than 20,000 ly near sleeping areas, and keep them at least 15 feet children visit the emergency away from fuel-burning appliances. room. l You won’t know that you have a carbon monoxide leak without a working alarm. So test alarms regularly and replace them every five to seven years depending on the manufacturer’s label. Leave the House if The Alarm Sounds l If the alarm goes off, immediately move outdoors or l For the best protection, have carbon monoxide alarms to an open window or door for some fresh air. Account that are interconnected throughout the home. When one for every one inside your home. sounds, they all sound. l Call 911 or the fire department. Remain outside or by l Carbon monoxide alarms are not substitutes for an open window until emergency personnel arrive to smoke alarms, and vice versa. Combination smoke and assist you. carbon monoxide alarms are available. Store Gasoline Properly Understand How Carbon Monoxide Can Be l If using gasoline-powered devices, store gasoline in a Harmful locked location where children cannot access it. Keep l Don’t use a grill, generator or camping stove inside only small quantities in an approved container that has your home, garage or near a window. child safety features. l If you need to warm a vehicle, remove it from the l Keep gasoline away from any source of heat, spark or garage, even if the doors are open. flame. Even common household appliances such as water heaters and clothes dryers can start a gasoline fire. l Never use your oven or stovetop to heat your home. Be sure to store your gasoline away from anything that could ignite it. l On the outside of your home, make sure vents for the dryer, furnace, stove and fireplace are clear of snow and SEE CARBON MONOXIDE, PAGE 22 other debris.

USD 309 Parent Newsletter December 2015 Page 22

Parent Newsletter is published irregularly during the school year by USD 309 4501 West Fourth Hutchinson, KS 67501 SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS

U S D 309

4501 West 4th Hutchinson, KS 67501

Nonprofit Organization U.S. POSTAGE PAID Permit No. 219 Hutchinson, KS 67501

(620) 663-7141 (877) 663-7141 (Toll Free) Fax (620) 663-7148

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

Dr. William Hagerman BOARD OF EDUCATION

Dan Schweizer, president Tammy Davis, vice president Duane Phillips Linda Owen Mike Apfel Jason Ontjes Jessica Engelland

Sat., Dec. 12, 2015 nNHS ACT Testing Off Campus / Registration 11/6/15 nNHS W V Tourn. @ Hesston 9:00 a.m. Thurs., Dec. 3, 2015 nRV BB @ Haven 4:30 p.m. Fri., Dec. 4, 2015 nNHS BB All vs Hillsboro 4:30 p.m. (H) Sat., Dec. 5, 2015 nNHS KMEA District Choir & Band Performance @ Wichita East HS All Day nNHS W V Tourn. @ Pratt 10:00 a.m. Mon., Dec. 7, 2015 nNHS Panther Pride Mtg. - Cafeteria 6:30 p.m. nNHS BB V Amos Morris - George Stephens Tourn. @ Russell TBD

nRV BB vs Smoky Valley 4:30 p.m. (H) nSH Parent Teacher Council Mtg. 6:00 p.m. Wed., Dec. 9, 2015 Schools Dismiss 2 1/2 Hrs. Early Thurs., Dec. 10, 2015 nRV BB @ Larned 4:30 p.m. nNE 1st & 2nd Gr. Vocal Music Concert 7:00 p.m. Fri., Dec. 11, 2015 nRV Yearbook Organization Pictures 1:30 p.m. nRV Winter Sports Pictures

Mon., Dec. 14, 2015 nNHS Winter Band & Vocal Concert 7:00 p.m. nRV BB @ Pratt 4:30 p.m. nDistrict Board Mtg. @ Complex 7:00 p.m. Tues., Dec. 15, 2015 nNHS BB All @ Haven 4:30 p.m. nRV Band/Vocal Concert 7:00 p.m. Wed., Dec. 16, 2015 nRV PAWS Mtg. 5:30 p.m. Thurs., Dec. 17, 2015 nNHS W V/JV DD @ Nickerson (Lyons & Hesston) 5:30 p.m. (H) nRV BB vs Hesston

Carbon Monoxide CONTINUED from Page 21 l Store gasoline in a well-ventilated area outside your vehicle and living space. The safest place to store the container is in a detached garage or shed. l Never mix gasoline with fire. There is no safe way to start a fire with gasoline. According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, children younger than five years old have the highest estimated rate of CO-related visits to the emergency room each year among all age groups in the United States. Nationally, more than 25 children die from CO poisoning every year. In Kansas, over 500 people have been hospitalized and four people have died from CO poisoning over the past 10 years.

4:30 p.m. (H) Fri., Dec. 18, 2015 nNHS Regional Debate TBA nNHS BB All vs Sterling 4:30 p.m. (H) Sat., Dec. 19, 2015 nNHS Regional Debate TBA nNHS W V Dual Tourn. @ Abilene 9:00 a.m. Mon., Dec. 21, 2015 Winter Begins nNHS Semester Finals Tues., Dec. 22, 2015 nNHS, NE & SH End of 2nd Qtr. nNHS Semester Finals nRV 3rd Six Week Grading Period Wed., Dec. 23, 2015 Christmas Break

Fri., Dec. 25, 2015 Christmas Day Mon., Dec. 28, 2015 Christmas Break Tues., Dec. 29, 2015 Christmas Break Wed., Dec. 30, 2015 Christmas Break Thurs., Dec. 31, 2015 Christmas Break Fri., Jan. 1, 2015 New Year’s Day Mon., Jan. 4, 2015 School Resumes nNHS Panther Pride Mtg. - Cafeteria @ 6:30 p.m. nRV BB @ Lyons 4:30 p.m. nSH Parent Teacher Council Mtg. 6:00 p.m.

Thurs., Dec. 24, 2015 Christmas Break

“Carbon monoxide is colorless and odorless,” said Cherie Sage, Safe Kids Kansas. “The symptoms of CO poisoning are similar to those of common winter ailments, like the flu. Without a CO detector in your home, your family can be poisoned without even realizing it’s happening.” Carbon Monoxide detectors cost approximately $20 and can be purchased at most hardware and retail stores. “Carbon monoxide can cause sudden illness or even death,” says Dr. Farah Ahmed, Environmental Health Officer with KDHE. “Having a carbon monoxide detector with a battery backup near where people sleep saves lives.” For more information visit safekids.org Wishing you a SAFE, HEALTHY, & MERRY HOLIDAY SEASON! D’ana Heinlein, RN USD #309 District Nurse