KNOW YOUR SCHOOLS

Highland CUSD No 5

400 Broadway, Highland, IL 62249

By Mike Sutton Welcome to this edition of Know Your Schools. Know Your Schools is part of our commitment to you and the community to improve our communications, particularly your ability to access the information about our schools and the district which helps you support your child’s learning. We have many great programs for students and a number of successes about which we want to share. We are dedicated to keeping our students challenged, engaged, and reaching greater heights. Please join me in celebrating everything that makes our partnership with students, staff, and community exemplary. Thank you for your support, involvement, and commitment to education and our students. Our first and foremost goal is to provide a safe environment for our staff and students. Fall is a great time to remind drivers as well as school children about seasonal conditions that may impact pedestrian and traffic safety. The Secretary of State, Jesse White, has put out information that emphasizes the community’s collective role in safeguarding children. The sun has dropped low to the southern horizon, making visibility difficult in many driving situations. Motorists need to take into account the sun’s glare and take extra caution when driving when kids are present on the streets. As autumn transitions into winter, driving conditions change and precipitation causes difficulties for motorists. Alter your schedule to allow for extra time

so that you won’t be rushed to accommodate appointments. Daylight Savings Time ended November 5. That means some students may not arrive home from school until the sun is very low. Please keep an eye out for kids coming home or playing as the sunlight disappears. Likewise, our students need to be reminded of what is expected from them to ensure their own safety: As more kids find themselves out after dark, they should be advised to wear at least one article of light-colored or reflective clothing so they can be spotted by motorists. The most dangerous time in a child’s day is likely the trip to and from school. We teach several important school bus safety lessons, but we constantly remind them to look both ways whenever crossing the street. Each year, for example, children are killed when they cross the street to board or after exiting their bus. This is a safety lesson that applies to all kids, whether they ride a school bus or not. As the weather turns cold, kids need to dress in warm clothing. We want our students focused on staying safe in and around their school bus; it’s hard to think about safety if you don’t protect yourself from the elements. The parents, students, staff, and stakeholders in the Highland Community School District No. 5 take tremendous pride in our schools. The community works collaboratively to ensure the success of our curriculum, programs, and activities that provide

Superintendent’s Message

Upcoming Events for Highland CUSD No. 5 November 2017 27 - Annual Lighted Christmas Parade (Santa Parade) - 6:30 p.m. (HHS Band) December 2017 4 - Christmas Program - Highland Primary Grade 1 - 7:00 p.m. - HE Auditorium 5 - Christmas Program - Highland Primary Grade 2 - 7:00 p.m. - HE Auditorium 11 - Christmas Program - Highland Primary Kindergarten - 7:00 p.m. - HE Auditorium 8 & 9 - Madrigal Dinner - Highland High School - 6:30 p.m. - HHS Bulldog Square 10 - Madrigal Dinner - Highland High School - 2:00 p.m. - HHS Bulldog Square 12 - HMS/HHS Winter Band Concert - 7:00 p.m. - HMS Gym 14 - Christmas Program - Alhambra Primary Grades K - 1 6:30 - 7:00 p.m. Grades 2 - 3 7:30 - 8:00 p.m. 18 - HMS/HHS Christmas Choral Concert - 7:00 p.m. - HE Auditorium 19 - Christmas Program - Grantfork Elementary 7:00 p.m. - Grantfork

November 16, 2017

our children with an exceptional Pre-K-12 educational experience. We know that you will support our efforts to continuously improve our programs and demand the rigor that ensures future success of all students. As you review this edition of Know Your Schools, I hope you will find a great deal of helpful information about District 5 programs, activities, and events. Thank you for your support!

Colder Weather Brings Possible School Closings

We are embarking on the cool weather season, which means that snow may not be far off. From time to time, weather conditions can interfere with the school schedule. It is not unusual for the district to close due to inclement weather. We do follow guidelines to determine school cancellations for cold weather. The threshold for cold weather has been a wind chill of -20 degrees Fahrenheit. Other conditions may be considered if the temperature approaches this number. It is more difficult to determine school cancellations due to snow. Sometimes, small amounts of snow can cause extremely dangerous conditions on the roadways. The conditions may vary greatly from our city roads to our rural roads. Once the students are in attendance, we rarely dismiss early because of inclement weather. In the event that weather conditions deteriorate quickly, however, the district may be forced to dismiss early in the best interest of the safety of your child(ren). If this happens, the district will communicate through the parent notification system to contact parents by phone and/or email. We strongly encourage parents to have a current phone number and email address (that is easily accessible) in our school database system. We also recommend having a plan in place for your child if he or she were to arrive home early. Here are the numerous ways parents can expect information regarding the closing of school or an early dismissal: *Parent Notification System (voice message and email) *News Media- FOX 2, KMOV 4, and KSDK 5 *District Website- www.highlandcusd5. org.

Flu Season

By Jae Kuberski Flu season has arrived and we are beginning to see a few influenza cases at Highland Primary. Symptoms of influenza may include fever, headache, sore throat, dry cough, and generalized body aches. Some children may experience vomiting. Below are some good health habits you may practice to protect your family and prevent the spread of illness to others: • If you get sick, stay home and limit contact with other people to avoid infecting them. If you experience symptoms of flu, contact your physician right away. There are medications that may be administered to lessen the length and severity of the influenza virus. • Keep children who are ill at home. Please do not send them to school. • Wash hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. • Cover coughs and sneezes with tissues or by coughing into the inner arm. • Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs enter our bodies through these routes. • Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food.

Fire Safety Day By Susan Kronk

On October 12, Alhambra Primary had fire safety day with the fire department. The morning began with a fire drill. Students then stayed outside and were able to tour an ambulance, see fire fighters in their full gear, learn to stop, drop, and roll, and some students actually were able to shoot water out of a fire hose. A special thank you goes out to our first responders and Sparky the Fire Dog who came out to make this day fun for the kids.

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# Kindness Matters # Rock the Cape By Anne Hickey Whether you are into hashtags through popular social media such as Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, you might wonder why is it being used at the Highland Primary and what is Rock the Cape all about. As part of the Very Important Principals in the district, students in Pre-K through fifth grade attended an assembly by Amy Logan, author. Amy is the author of several books including A Girl with a Cape and A Boy with a Cape. Mrs. Logan’s mission in both of the books is not only to send a good message to anyone who reads her book, but to start a Movement, to Rock the Cape. CAPE is an acronym that stands for Creating Action with Positive Encouragement to help Create A Positive Environment. The author shared her vision about teaching people to use kindness when they speak, and when we encourage kids by focusing on the positive things they do and say, we raise a generation of confident kids that feel good about themselves, and kids then learn to treat people the exact same

way.  When this happens, it helps eliminate bullies.  Essentially, with encouragement, we are creating action in people to create a positive environment. Highland Primary has joined this movement and incorporated it with our PeaceBuilder program. Students who exhibit acts of kindness are invited to the ‘Kindness’ table on Thursday. In addition to receiving a Kindness certificate, students are given a Kindness coin. Students are encouraged to give their coin away to someone at home, school, or in our community who demonstrate an act of kindness. Our goal – Scatter Kindness like Confetti. We will be emphasizing Kindness Kids and our Rock the CAPE campaign in combination with our PeaceBuilder and Character Education programs. For more information visit http://gotyourcape.com. Also, check out our kindness kids photos on the Highland Primary website http://hp.highlandcusd5. org/.

IMSA Fusion at HMS By Mindy Bernal At Highland Middle School we are excited to start another year of IMSA Fusion. IMSA stands for Illinois Math and Science Academy. This academy is located in Aurora, Illinois. The high school houses students that want to focus on the disciplines of math and science. They live on the campus and learn in a different setting than public school. IMSA also sponsors curriculum and teaching supplies through the IMSA Fusion program. They train teachers to use lessons that high light math and science in a unique way. This challenges students to think in a differently. It is not always easy, but the teachers and students travel together in the learning process. This year students are studying Flight and Mars. Flight has lessons that show not only how planes fly, but how airlines operate and planes are put together. Mars will probably show us how to build biodomes and look at how we could inhabit Mars. If students are still interested in being involved with Fusion, let Kelly Coziar or Mindy Bernal know. We are excited to have some new students on the math and science adventure.

HMS Edison’s Family Night

By Liz Weder “We had so much fun!… It was awesome!… Let’s do it again!” These are just a few comments uttered by students who attended Highland Middle School’s 2nd Annual Edison’s Family Night at Edison’s Entertainment in Edwardsville, on September 20, 2017. The purpose of this event was to bring HMS teachers, parents, and students together in a fun and relaxed atmosphere to give families an opportunity to get to know one another and make new connections. Edison’s was wonderful with providing the venue and offering such a great deal to our kids. Approximately 150 tickets were sold, allowing ticket holders to participate in unlimited laser tag and bowling. Students also received half price arcade credits for the evening. It was thrilling to see families laughing and having a great time! The staff at Edison’s was so accommodating and patient as well. By working together we were able to bring families together, have fun, and raise funds to help support our school. It was an exciting night and we hope to continue this event in the future.

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Fall Harvest Days By Terri Lurkins On Friday, September 8, Mrs. Lurkins’ fourth grade class attended Fall Harvest Days at the Louis Latzer Homestead in Highland. This was a great opportunity for the students to learn about the significance of the farming community to America’s growth. What a great experience that the historical society puts on! Our students were the first to arrive and had time for a photo op! We participated in a bucket brigade with students from St. Paul. We took a tour of the Pet Milk (Greenville plant) diorama. Our students listened attentively at each display in the Living History area. Students have been studying the true meaning of technology in the new Science series. They learned that it isn’t just computers, but anything that has made our work easier. The many belts on the threshing machines gave students an example of how early farming technology allowed us to produce food more effectively. They also noted the differences between the early one bottom and two bottom steel plows pulled by livestock; they were impressed with the wheels that keep the plow in the furrow.

Fall Harvest Days (continued)

Fall Harvest Days (continued)

Grandparents’ Day

Highland Primary Grandparent’s Day Sing-along By Colleen Baker Music is so important for our children. It is so important for our society! Every life is better with music… The benefits are greater than you think. The first and second grade students at Highland Primary recently invited their grandparents to school to see their classrooms and join with them in a Patriotic sing-a-long. After participating together in classroom activities, students and grandparents had another chance to connect through music as Mrs. Baker, the Highland Primary music teacher, led them in songs honoring our country, our flag, and our military. In the auditorium, grandparents and their grandchildren sang songs such as “You’re a Grand Old Flag”, “Yankee Doodle Dandy”, “America the Beautiful”, and many more. The students also performed “The PeaceBuilder ’s Pledge Song” as a special treat for their grandparents. The program continued

with a wonderful presentation honoring our veterans, including the songs of each branch of the military. Students and their guests

thanked our veterans that were present as they stood when their branch’s song was featured. The day concluded with the song “Thankful for the USA!” One grandparent

commented on the day’s events: “We were fortunate enough to attend the first and second grade Grandparent’s Day. The way the elementary music teacher motivates and teaches them to respect our flag and country is amazing. She teaches at Highland Primary and is a wonderful role model.” Everyone knows that music is beautiful. And beauty helps your peace of mind. Making music offers all kinds of benefits, from improved brainpower and grades to better physical wellness and betteradjusted social behavior. Regardless of the many facts that link music and academic and social success, events like this year’s Patriotic Grandparent’s Day Sing-along at Highland Primary are wonderful ways to connect us with our children and teach them to gain a respect for our country and their Grandparents!

PeaceBuilder Pledge

I am a PeaceBuilder, I pledge... To praise people, To give up put-downs, To seek wise people, To notice and speak up about hurts I have caused, To right wrongs, I will build peace at home, at school, and in my community each day.

Grandparents Days at Highland Primary (continued)

“You’re a Grand Old Flag”

“Yankee Doodle Dandy”

“America the Beautiful”

Alhambra Primary

By Brooke Lewis On September 8, Alhambra Primary students in first, second, and third grades participated in a Grandparent’s Day celebration. Students and their grandparents enjoyed playing several rounds of BINGO. Those individuals that won at BINGO picked a special prize that they thought their grandparent would like. The grandparents had a great time eating popcorn, playing BINGO, and visiting with their beloved grandchildren. After finishing several rounds of BINGO, students lined up around the gym to sing two special songs to their grandparents. The students did a fantastic job and the songs brought tears to their eyes. It was a great success in honoring all the grandparents at Alhambra Primary!

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School Report Card

By Derek Hacke The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) recently released the annual Illinois School Report Cards for all schools/districts in the state. This release contains a variety of data accumulated during the 2016-2017 school year including assessment results, attendance and graduation rates, financials, teacher and student demographic information, etc. The information provided is very useful, but represents only a snapshot of overall school and district health. State-wide, 2017 data shows an increase in the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) scores in English Language Arts (grades 3-8), the four-year high school graduation rate, college enrollment rates, Advanced Placement (AP) participation, and AP test success rate. Locally, HCUSD 5 experienced an increase in both PARCC ELA and math scores. ELA increased by 1.9% and math by 2.8%. Overall, district PARCC scores increased to 45% Meets/Exceeds, or 11% above state average. The high school saw similar positive results with the ACT composite score for the Class of 2017 increasing to 23.1, or 1.9 points above state average. Due to the state’s adoption of the College Board’s Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), the Class of 2018 is the first cohort to experience the new assessment. However, initial results are equally encouraging. The percentage of students Meeting/Exceeding on the ELA portion is more than 9 points above the state average, and math nearly 14 points. Continued success on state examinations is a direct result of dedicated families, who support instruction at home, working in concert with committed teachers, support staff, and administration. Our district recognizes and sincerely appreciates the partnerships that allow Highland students to not only perform well on standardized assessments, but also prepare for future success in college and careers. In addition to the required state measures of school/district effectiveness, there are many others the report card does not assess,

Grandparents Day (continued)

but are equally important to development of young people. The district is very pleased and proud to offer a strong character education program, unique academic experiences such as IMSA and Project Lead the Way, and a variety of academic and athletic-oriented

clubs, intramurals, activities, and teams to meet a wide spectrum of interests. Through these offerings, we hope our young people find opportunities to grown personally, as well as academically.

Highland Area Community Foundation (HACF) Informational Meeting @ HMS

By Erick Baer Highland Middle School had an opportunity to give back to the HACF as they hosted an informational meeting for approximately 35 community members on September 21. The community members in attendance were shown an informational video about how the foundation was founded and the work that the foundation does today to improve our community. Executive Director Terry Riffel also explained how current grants are distributed and what the community can do to get involved through estate planning, endowments, and how scholarships can be started. The Highland Area Community Foundation currently manages over four million dollars and has recently processed grants out to the community at just over three million. The Highland Area Community Foundation is a key component for the school district and it only seems fitting to allow them to host their informational meetings in our media center at Highland Middle School.

Phil Chalmers - Nationally Acclaimed School Safety Speaker sage has resounded with students at HMS and students have become more responsive when they see others being picked on or bullied at school or when they see someone that has been withdrawn or in need of help. Phil’s work has been featured on the television series Crime Watch Daily, Killer Teens and Killer Kids. Phil is an expert on youth culture, regularly participating in large tours like Teen Mania’s Acquire the Fire, summer camp tour for Christ In Youth and the Youth Workers conference by Youth Specialties. He’s been featured in numerous media outlets including Fox News, Newsweek By Erick Baer Mr. Chalmers has been educating teens, parents, school administrators, and law enforcement for 30 years about youth culture and the dangers facing each new generation. He is a national speaker, police trainer, youth-activist, television personality, and author of several powerful books including True Lies and Inside the Mind of a Teen Killer. Mr. Chalmers delivered his insightful message to students on August 31. His message in general terms is to be aware of their surroundings and not to be a bystander when it comes to witnessing bullying. His mes-

magazine, and networks like Spike TV, The Biography Channel, A&E, E! Network and many more.

You can find more about Phil’s work at: www.philchalmers.com

Center Schools Grades 3 - 5 Celebrate First Quarter AAAA Party Terri Lurkins On Monday, October 16, the Center Schools had their First Quarter Quadruple A Club Party. Alhambra had 21 third grade students and Grantfork had 41 fourth and fifth grade students who excelled in attendance, attitude, achievement, and accountability! They worked hard the entire quarter and were rewarded with a picnic lunch at Glik Park, followed by swimming at Korte Rec Center!

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Helping Hurricane Harvey Victims

By Nancy Genteman Recently, the Highland Elementary Library hosted their annual Scholastic book Fair. The usual activities occurred in which the students came to the library with their calls to purchase books. This year, the library offered a contest to the students, which was a fundraiser for Hurricane Harvey victims. The fundraiser entailed a sucker pull in which students could pull a Blow Pop sucker for $1.00. If the sucker’s stick end had a red dot, then they were the recipient of a sucker and a poster of their choice. The challenge was on to find the red dots! Not only was it a win-win situation for the students, but the money collected was earmarked for a school in Texas. Wedgewood Elementary Title I School in Friendswood, Texas, will be receiving $150 in books from Scholastic Book Fair “All for Books” Program and $366 in books from Highland Elementary. While their school was not damaged, it was used as a shelter and many books were lost, stolen, or damaged. Thanks to the Highland Elementary students, we were able to help a fellow school in need.

Second grade students Brayden B. and Parker L. donate to Hurrican Harvey and their chance for a poster.

Harvest Days By Carrie Alexander

Students in fourth grade spent the day at on the grounds of the Latzer Homestead visiting several stations to learn about history.   One station featured soldiers from the Civil War era.  The soldiers showed students what life was like on the battlefield by showing how food was cooked, types of shelter, and examples of clothing.  Students were able to look at the working model of PET milk factory.  One station was set up with farm equipment and horses.  It allowed students to see how difficult farming was long ago.  Rope making, making of hay bales, blacksmithing, and a tour of the Latzer home rounded out the student’s tour.  All in all, a fun day!





Fire Safety at Alhambra Primary By Susan Kronk Your child is safe at school…Do you have a plan for your home? As a parent, there is nothing more you worry about than your child. Most of us think about our child’s safety and whereabouts many times throughout the day. While you cannot protect your child from everything that will happen to them in life, and there is no way to foresee everything that can happen, you should know that at Highland Community Schools, all of our schools take special measures to make sure that your child is safe. In the beginning of the year, and throughout the year, all schools are required to have practice drills. These drills are for fire, tornado, lockdown, and various types of evacuations that may happen in the event of an emergency. Did you know that drills are not just for the kids? Drills also help the teachers and administration to foresee problems that may arise in various situations and make modifications to improve procedures in the event of an emergency.

In the month of October, our nation celebrates Fire Prevention Month. This is an excellent time to do some “drills” in your home as well to keep you and your children

detectors in your home. Also, have you and your children discussed a place to meet outside of your home in the event of a fire or the need for an evacuation like a gas leak?

safe. Have you checked your fire extinguishers, smoke alarms, and carbon monoxide

Its always a great time to practice safety at school and at home. Drills and plans help us to do that.

Highland Primary shows Flower Garden that just spending a few moments By Danette Daiber Thanks to teachers’ efforts, great community support, and donations over the years, Highland Primary has a fabulous outdoor classroom area between the first grade and kindergarten wings, adjacent to the playground. We have several picnic tables, a couple of beautiful flowering shade trees, and a small classroom vegetable garden plot. It was my desire to continue to improve this space by adding a pollinator garden to the area. Our garden project was the culminating event following a summer course titled Nature and the Young Child, where teachers explored the value of nature as a calming force on both children and adults. Research

in nature helps the brain to refocus and calms the mind and body. As children are spending more time indoors, playing video games, doing schoolwork, and watching TV, they are missing out on essential time spent outdoors, enjoying nature and challenging their skills and senses. It is our hope that the garden will encourage teachers to bring their children outdoors for learning opportunities in nature. Our garden provides essential opportunities for science learning. Students can study the life cycle of plants, pick flowers to identify their parts, and notice how offspring of plants resemble the parent plants. Additionally, students can learn about butterflies and bees as pollinators, and the garden provides an ideal location to release butterflies after first grade students watch their transformation from caterpillar to butterfly. We hope some of our butterflies will remain and make our garden their new home. The garden was made possible through a Highland Rotary Club grant. However, the funds donated have been stretched even further thanks to the support of the Highland Garden Club. Two members, Kathy Frey

and Caroline Giger, were instrumental in donating the native flowers for the garden and planning where to place each plant to ensure the proper amount of sunlight and water, in addition to creating a pleasing mix

of color. Our class did the planting just before school ended last May, and several first grade classes assisted in applying mulch to the garden. We were pleasantly surprised this fall at the amazing growth and blooms already! We want the garden to be a place where children can get close, touch the flowers, enjoy the colors and scents, and find the peace and calm nature can provide. Thanks to the Highland Rotary Club and Highland Garden Club for making this dream a reality.

The Bog Body Escape Room By Christopher Frey On September 13, 2017, Mrs. Taylor’s and Mr. Frey’s sixth grade Social Studies students at the Highland Middle School experienced an “Escape Room.”  Students were immersed in an activity filled with puzzles and codes that took cooperation and collaboration amongst team members to try and accomplish their tasks.  The whole of the activity was centered around the amazingly preserved bodies of the Northern European Bogs.  These Iron Age artifacts can be dated back to 400 B.C.  Teams would travel from station to station and work together to figure out a particular question that relates to skills appropriate for sixth grade students. Sequencing, reading comprehension, logic, and map skills were all used to acquire information that would directly relate to a puzzle.  Once teams figured out a basic question, they would then receive the instructions on how to figure out the code that would release them from that station.  If the team was suc-

cessful in figuring out the code, they would receive a stamp.  If they were unsuccessful in figuring out the needed code, they would have to return to the process of figuring out the station.   Teams needed to acquire a total of six stamps to have successfully “escaped the room.”  Each station varied in difficulty, leading to cheerful successes and frustrating failures.  The students’ perseverance and attitude towards the more difficult decoding of the puzzles truly showed the

effort and demeanor of this grade level.  We had a total of only seven of the forty teams completing all six of the puzzles.  One of which figured out their last code with only thirty seconds remaining.  Their cheers and smiles for that group were contagious throughout the classroom. The amazingness of the energy and engagement towards learning was what every teacher hopes to experience as an educator.   

Public Libraries Impact on Schools By Angela R. Kim, MLS Library Director @ Louis Latzer Memorial Public Library The partnership and cooperation between local schools and their public Library is critical to communities. The Library provides additional resources and opportunities for programs that may not be available at schools. It works to not only foster lifelong readers and reading for enjoyment, but to also bridge the digital divide and provide access to information in multiple formats such as audio books, e-Books, DVDs, CDs, and large print in addition to regular books. In tough economic times where schools are forced to cut programming, libraries strive to fill the gap. Libraries have always been pioneers in technology and information providing internet, WiFi, and computers to patrons early on. While many people currently have access to such resources in their home, there are still those who do not. Researching and writing papers, keeping in touch with family and friends who are not in the area, and applying for scholarships, college, or employment are just a few ways that technology is used at the library. Don’t have a library card at your public Library? There are still many benefits that can be taken advantage of. Such benefits

are especially valuable in preventing academic slide during the summer. A variety of resources, clubs and programs are available and do not typically require a library card to attend. Just a few of the programs available at Louis Latzer Library are: • PAWS Program (children read aloud to a trained therapy dog) • Lego Club • Chess Club • Sign Language Club • Summer Reading Program (complete with prizes, weekly performers, craft days, and pizza parties) • Lap Sit (programs for very young children) • Family Programs (including theatre performances) • Camp Fire Evenings w/ smores and sing-a-longs • Art Programs • Science Programs (do you know that libraries handed out over 2 million pairs of solar eclipse glasses recently?) Meeting room space is also available to non profit groups such as scout groups, clubs, etc. Providing tours to school classes also gets students familiar with what is

available to them and tutor’s are also allowed to work with their students at the library. Just a few more library tips. 1. In Illinois, you can use your library card at any library in the system that it was issued in. You can physically travel to the other libraries, or request your items online and it will be delivered to the library specified. 2. Most public libraries are a member of OCLC (On-Line Computer Library Center) which is a global library cooperative. 3. In Illinois, if you do not live in a city with a municipal or district library, you may purchase a yearly family library card. 4. Look for Little Free Libraries in your community and while traveling. These libraries can be found on their “app” and you may take and leave books as needed. It is FREE! In Highland, all residents living in the city limits are entitled to a card as they pay property taxes to the Library. Any resident outside city limits but in the Highland School District may purchase a card for their household for $85 per year.

Alhambra Primary’s Kindergarten Visits Relleke Pumpkin Patch

By Tami Duft What better way to learn about fall’s pumpkin harvest...visit a pumpkin patch. Alhambra Primary’s Kindergarten visited Relleke’s Pumpkin Patch in Pontoon Beach. Student’s enjoyed riding a wagon through the pumpkin patch, running through a corn maze, playing in the corn box, climbing on a spider web rope, feeding goats, and an exciting pony ride. The best part was taking home a pumpkin. Kindergartners and parents, enjoyed the day at the farm and concluded the day with a fun picnic lunch at Alhambra Park, Everyone enjoyed a GREAT fall day!

New Faces at Grantfork Since last spring, we have had a major turnover in staff members. While we miss our friends from last year, each new person has added something unique to Grantfork Elementary.

Herschel Austin

Tyler Jewell is our new general music and band instructor. He uses various techniques to keep the kids excited about creating music.

Ashley Palmer

while the adults around her visited. She pursued a Fine Arts Degree at Kansas City Art Institute and later went back to school to earn a K-12 Art Education certification as well as a Master’s Degree in Art Ed. The students are thrilled with the projects they have completed during the first quarter of school.

Luke Vallero

Herschel Austin is Grantfork’s new custodian. He has worked for the Highland School District for almost 14 years, most of it in the utility department where, among other things, he was responsible for the sports fields. He claims the H on the football field really stands for Herschel! His hobbies include fishing, kayaking, camping, volleyball ,and cheering on the St. Louis Blues.

Ashley Palmer is serving as Mrs. Zeller’s full-time maternity leave substitute for first semester. She is also helping Mrs. Lurkins with IMSA on Tuesdays after school.

Kay Renner

Our new Physical Education teacher, Mr. Vallero is doing a great job! He has a marker board in the gym where he posts his lesson plans for the week. The students check it out each morning before announcements to see what’s on the agenda for the day.

Tyler Jewell

Kay Renner is the new art teacher at Grantfork. She remembers sitting at her grandma’s big kitchen table with markers and tissue paper. She would trace the designs and patterns on her placemats for hours

Grantfork Time Capsule Ceremony

By Terri Lurkins On October 13, 2017, Grantfork students and staff attended the Grantfork 100th Anniversary Time Capsule Ceremony. Prior to the event, students each wrote a letter to themselves, which will be opened in 50 years. The letters were vacuum-sealed along with several items contributed by area residents. At the ceremony, students and others in attendance signed the outside of the capsule, listened to the reading of the Time Capsule Proclamation, and witnessed the burial of the capsule. Following the ceremony, each student was presented with a collection of Grantfork 100th Anniversary memorabilia.

Highland High School Track and Field

By Mason G. Track and Field is a sport that brought a lot of competitive runners around the world to compete to see who comes on top for each event. Getting involved in Track and Field brings me and other people together to see which athlete is better in that event, whether it is sprints, distance runs, or field events. Every athlete has their strong events and their weak events; for example, my strengths are sprints and field events while my weakness is distance running. Having multiple events brings a lot of opportunity for other athletes to find what they’re good at and what they are not good at. Overall, track and field brings athletes of all kinds to its sport; it also brings athletes together to enjoy the completeness of running against and winning, along with meeting new people along the way.

The Most Magical Dinner

By Kelsey T. It’s opening night of the Madrigal Dinner. As people step into what used to be the grey and white commons, they step into another time. The air has changed and there are people in character. Big dresses sweep the floor, gypsies are giggling, and no one leaves without some glitter from the fairies. What is the reason these two worlds collide? Love is the reason. Without the love of my choir teacher, Mr. Gibb Clark, and the choir and acting students’ love for the show, it could not be nearly as magical. But what truly makes this love real is the support from our audience. When people walk in the doors, their eyes say things that they aren’t always able to say themselves. Eyes wide and smile bearing, they walk in. All people who are a part of this magical night ask that our friends, our family, and our community join us in love of this magic created by everyone.

The Highland Choirs

By Maddie W. For the past 25 years or so, the choirs within the Highland School District have been led by the lovely Mrs. Lori Ruebhausen, or Rueby. She would start her morning off over at the middle school and then race to the high school to work with the acappella and mixed choirs. After her high school classes were finished, she taught music to the primary and elementary school students in the afternoon. Recently though, since Rueby has retired, we have gotten a new

choir director: Mr. Andrew Gibb-Clark. He has made several changes to the program, but all of them are for the best. One includes adding a treble, or all women choir. Now, there are several different choirs within the district. To start with, there are the middle school’s all-inclusive choir and the middle school’s swing choir. Then, over at the high school, there is the acappella choir, which divides into Madrigals and Chamber choirs. Further, there’s the treble choir, which is all women, and the mixed choir, which is open to both men and women. We have several events in which all choirs get together and put on a concert mostly at the beginning of a new season such as spring or fall. Then there are the more exclusive performances, such as the Madrigal dinner—featuring only the high school acappella—and competitions where we all sing as separate groups.

Cross Country

By Hanna R. Running is powerful and intimidating. However, many people make it sound miserable and hard by saying that even a mile goal isn’t achievable. Runners need a strong mental state of mind to achieve what they want to accomplish. A runner needs to able to ask themself, “Why do I put my body in this state of exhaustion?” “Why do I do this everyday?” Honestly, most runners do not have answers for these questions. Cross Country is hard, but when a runner is at the starting line with complete silence and they hear that starting gun, the exhilaration is indescribable. Perhaps the best answer to the questions that non-runners and runners alike ask, is the irreplaceable feeling of satisfaction when a runner completes the three-mile race with their teammate.

Varsity Dance Team

By Olivia G. As reigning state champions in IDTA and three time state champions in IHSA, the Highland High School dance team never stops. The season has just begun and practices are endless. We practice five days a week for two hours each day from the beginning of our season until the last day. Tryouts happen in the beginning of April and then practices start at the end of May. Now, during the summer we go two days a week only for an hour to work on technique and skill. This happens all the way up until

August. As school starts, we get a break, but then that first week in October it’s time to roll. Three routines learned, cleaned, and competed in just seven short months. But it is all truly worth it. Hard work comes from dedication and determination and that’s what makes HHS dance unforgettable.

HHS Baseball

By Austin H. HHS offers a fantastic baseball program. From the coaches to the players, everyone has a true passion and drive for the game. The program is developed from a good background of experience. Everyone puts in the necessary work in order to achieve our highest potential. Through the years of playing for Highland, I’ve developed a lot of new qualities and enhanced the ones that I already had. For example, leadership is an important quality that I have developed. It is essential in any sport, and it is a good life skill as well. Due to the friendships that I have built with my teammates, another good quality I’ve adopted is trust. This shows that there is a lot more that goes into a sport than just the drive to play it. Players build bonds with the players and coaches, learn valuable life skills, and while all this is going on, the players are getting better at the game they love one step at a time. Sports are essential to a younger kid’s life. It teaches them things that can’t be taught without experience of the actual game. HHS baseball has helped me become a better person while improving my game.

AP U.S. History

By Eden I. The ability to teach a class that students enjoy attending is an extremely rare talent. Mr. Holt successfully demonstrates this talent every day in his United States History class. Although it is a college level class everything makes sense, due to a very logical teaching method: notes and detailed explanations. Overall, he makes learning the material very simple.

Football Cheer

By Alyssa V. Looking up, I see an ocean of red and black in the stands. The Highland marching band playing the school song in my ear as I hold the banner for the football players. I watch my team do motions and clap in sync. On the other end of the field, the players line up, ready to run through. Cheers erupt from

the crowd as the players burst through the banner. My team and I run to the track and circle up. We start our pump up and I can see the excitement in my team’s eyes. That night, we stand in the confetti and we cheer our hearts out. We are throwing our flyers in the air, cheering when the HHS football team scores, and having fun on the sidelines. I look around at our celebration and smiles and realize that we really have become a family. Knowing we all have each other’s backs in every aspect comes from the love and trust between us that never goes away. We watch as the clock ticks down to zero, and celebration emerges when we officially win! We line up as one, walk as one, and cheer as one. We are one.

Future Farmers of Highland

By Sam R. Highland High School provides many school activities and clubs for students to join. One of these is FFA (Future Farmers of America.) FFA is something students can join if they are interested in agriculture, farming, or animals. We go on field trips and

HMS Reality Store 2017

do things to help our community. We have a plot of land outside of our school that some of the students work on. We build things for our homecoming parade to showcase the FFA float. We do fundraisers to raise money for FFA so we can buy things if need be.

Dual Credit Classes

By Sabrina H. Dual credit courses are ones in which students can earn both school and college credit. Consequently, there’s a lot of money that can be saved through dual credit. Under the same thinking, dual credit classes can give someone credits for college before they enter college. Highland High School provides multiple dual credit classes in a variety of subjects. Personally, I’m taking three dual credit classes this semester: Statistics, Public Speaking, and Photoshop Graphics I. Knowing that I will be paying for my own college, I realize I need to reduce costs as much as possible. Despite the fact that I am paying for it, the point is that someone will be paying for college and college is expensive!

Computer Graphics II

By Logan White My favorite class so far has been Computer Graphics II with Mrs. Perkes. This class is meant to teach students to use computer programs like Adobe Photoshop to create professional graphics and pictures. We did some tutorials to start off the year, and then we started working on independent projects. These projects allowed us to be creative by letting us choose anything to make. When we had a good grasp of making new graphics, we started editing real photographs. These are valuable skills for a photographer and could be useful for many other professions as well. Mrs. Perkes even brought in a photographer from Veogle Studios to tell us about his work, show us how he did his work, and even compared it to what we did in class. Overall, I have learned a lot in Computer Graphics II.

By Chastity Hyre What did you want to be when you were in eighth grade?  A doctor?  A lawyer?  A teacher?  HMS eighth grade students experienced a day in the life of a 25 year old during the Annual Reality Store.  Local Highland IFBW (Illinois Federation Business Women’s Club) members volunteered their time to show eighth grade students what a day in the life of an ‘adult’ would be like.  Students chose a career, whether or not they would be married and have children, received monthly wages, and visited booths to pay their bills.  Hopefully, if they budgeted correctly, they had money left at the end of the event.  Some of the various booth titles consisted of groceries, insurance, housing, vehicles, childcare, benevolence/charity, and banking/savings.  After students were done paying bills, they spun the Wheel of Fortune.  Just like real life, sometimes you win money, and sometimes you lose money.  After experiencing life as a 25 year old, local businesswoman Kelly Rosen spoke to the eighth grade students about the importance of preparation now for a future career.  Students left with a better understanding of adult life and how their choices now can affect their futures.

IMSA at Grantfork By Terri Lurkins On August 31, Dawn Waller, the Metro East IMSA representative attended and presented at Grantfork IMSA Family Night. There was a great turn out of parents and students. This year there are 13 students participating. Students meet once a week on Tuesdays and they have met for seven weeks so far. Mrs. Lurkins and Mrs. Zeller attended the training and are in charge of organizing this for Grantfork Elementary. Thank you Miss Palmer for agreeing to fill in during Mrs. Zeller’s maternity leave.

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN PRE-K? IT’S ALL ABOUT CREATIVE CURRICULUM

We just launched full implementation of The Creative Curriculum® for Preschool!! The Creative Curriculum® for Preschool is a comprehensive, research-based curriculum that features exploration and discovery as a way of learning, enabling children to develop confidence, creativity, and lifelong critical thinking skills. It is designed to help educators at all levels of experience plan and implement a developmentally appropriate, content-rich program for children with diverse backgrounds and skill levels. A vital strategy is for teachers to become good observers of children. This allows teachers to assess children’s needs, interests, and abilities in relation to specific developmental goals, and to plan meaningful learning experiences that build on children’s interest and knowledge.

THE TEACHER’S ROLE •

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Setting up and maintaining interest areas, establishing schedules and routines, organizing choice time and small and large group times, and creating a classroom community where children learn how to get along with others and solve problems. Using a range of instructional strategies for use in large and small group times and long term studies that include the following content areas: Literacy, Math, Science, Social Studies, The Arts, and Technology which also align with the Illinois Early Learning Development Standards. Using a variety of instructional strategies and interactions with children to guide learning. Creating a system of ongoing, authentic assessment, based on observations made during everyday classroom activities, which allows teachers to plan for each child as well as the group. Creating partnerships with families and communicating ways families can support children’s learning at school and at home.

WHAT YOU WILL SEE IN THE CLASSROOM!!

The Creative Curriculum framework indicates that interest areas are one of the most important pieces of the preschool classroom. These interest areas include: Blocks, Dramatic Play, Toys and Games, Art, Library, Discovery, Sand & Water, Music & Movement, and Outdoors. Students are encouraged to make their choices from the abundance of appropriate materials available in these interest areas. The classroom offers messages of welcome to diverse families. The classroom provides opportunities for children to function independently. The children are active and engaged in the classroom. Content is learned through investigation and play, as well as focused, intentional teaching to build on prior learning experiences.

Safety Activities at Grantfork Elementary By Terri Lurkins Since the start of school, students have participated in many routine safety drills – fire, tornado, Code Red, and earthquake. On Thursday, August 31st, Mrs. Tolbert conducted a “safety assembly” with all of our classes. She went over information about strangers, weather drills, lock downs, and all sorts of emergencies. She talked about the protocols we follow when something happens and why. Since then, she has led a Stranger Danger assembly and both center schools have walked to our designated evacuation meeting points. Thanks to adults concerned about the safety of our students, they have participated in three hands-on activities within two weeks.

Fire Safety Day

On October 13, 2017, Grantfork firefighters shared five learning stations with our students. Students were able to use fire extinguishers to put out a small fire, sit in the back of an ambulance while EMTs explained the procedures that take place in an ambulance, and were shown tools used to extract accident victims from vehicles. Two stations included operating the oldest water pump in Madison County; possibly in the state. Students helped pump the water and control the water hose.

Safety Street

By Terri Lurkins Thanks to the efforts of Kohl’s Department Stores and St. Louis Children’s Hospital, our 4th graders attended Safety Street at the Madison County Fairgrounds Exposition Building. Following research into the top causes of emergency room visits by children, the hospital with funding from Kohl’s developed a model town with functioning stoplights, railroad crossings, barking dogs, and other hazards children encounter on a walk through town. Students learned safety procedures in the home, at playgrounds and swimming pools, how to respond to an attacking dog, what to do in the event you are locked in the trunk of a car, and proper street and railroad crossing procedures.