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Whiting CSD Newsletter 606 West Street, Whiting, IA (712) 45 5-246 8 April 2018 Volume 6, Issue 3

Principal’s Perspective Happy spring! We have officially entered into both spring and our fourth and final marking period. I am excited for warmer weather, bright colors and flowers popping out of the ground. As we approach the last nine weeks of school, please remember to keep up with all the activities. The most important activity is always attending school, arriving on time and being prepared to learn. This month we have Julius Caesar’s Ides of March, mathematician’s celebration of Pi Day and Spring Equinox. However, for educators, March is the last turn before the sprint to the finish line. There are only a handful of weeks left before the end of the school year. To this end, we encourage our students to inventory their to-do lists and plan accordingly. If you are a graduating student, pay particular attention to scholarship deadlines and college admission applications. If you are not graduating this year, mark on your calendar significant dates of importance to your grade. The work will quickly accumulate if you neglect to stay on top of it. Parents, I encourage you to utilize JMC to stay on top of your student’s grades. Check your son or daughter’s grades and assignments regularly and visit

with him/her about missing work or low scores on those grades and assignments. If you don’t already have an account or forgot how to use yours, don’t hesitate to call or email Tracy Bell ([email protected]) directly and she will personally walk you through setting it up or reconnecting. Keeping up with grades and assignments is a central role of a parent as well as the school. As we draw near the end of the school year, I want to encourage all parents to have frequent conversations with your student regarding his or her academic progress in school. It is important to keep your student focused on academics for the entire year. Thank you for your tremendous support. Our positive results are due to a collaborative effort among all stakeholders. I cannot thank the school community enough for their continued support and help in making this year a fantastic experience and a solid foundation to build upon. Each student, parent, and staff member is invaluable to our collective success. Let’s bring closure to the school year in a positive manner by working to raise the bar together. Al Laboranti PK-12 Principal

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Dates to Remember MS & HS Spring Concert April 12 7 P.M. Elementary Spring Concert April 19 7 P.M. Prom Grand March May 5 7 P.M. Kindergarten Roundup May 7 8:30-10 A.M. Preschool Roundup May 7 9-11:30 A.M. Graduation May 19 2 P.M.

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Then Feed Just One On February 23rd, kindergarten through 12th grade participated in Then Feed Just One. In three and a half hours, students, staff, and volunteers packed 40,025 meals that will be sent to Honduras.

Preschool Preschoolers have been very busy in the third quarter! We started February learning about shadows and Groundhog Day. We then "brushed" up on what we need to do to take good care of our teeth! A visitor from I-Smile taught us the best way to brush and which foods/drinks are best for healthy teeth. Preschoolers then studied Abraham Lincoln and George Washington to celebrate President's Day. Our Valentine's Day party was also a lot of fun! In March, we read many Dr. Seuss books to celebrate his birthday and Read Across America Day when we dressed up like different characters from Dr. Seuss's many books! Another fun day was our 100th day of

preschool! We celebrated by dressing like we were 100 years old, reading a book about the 100th day, making hats with 100 stickers, bringing in baggies with 100 items, singing a song about counting to 100, and eating a snack of 100 Fruit Loops! Before St. Patrick's Day we worked in teams to make our own leprechaun traps! We didn't catch one, but one did visit leaving our classroom a mess! He apologized by leaving us all some gold chocolates! The rest of March was spent discussing the changing weather and what happens in spring!

Kindergarten Third quarter has been nothing but another adventure in kindergarten. We have been doing so many things to continue to fill our brains with important information. In science we have been studying the life cycle of a chicken by hatching our own chicks. In social studies we have been focusing on what a leader is and why we have them along with the voting process. We had our own voting booth and did a voting activity on our favorite book. In math we have learned how to write addition and subtraction sentences. We have gotten pretty good at doing problems without using counters. As for reading and writing, our theme was on our families and really practicing sound spelling and our sight words. We will continue to grow with these skills and start a theme of animal families next. 2

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1st Grade We find it hard to believe that we only have one more quarter left! First graders have learned all about how our country was started and it’s symbols. We compared the way others live in other countries to how we live. In math, we started testing our basic fact fluency through Rocket Math. We really enjoy achieving our goals in Rocket Math. We are almost complete with our chapter over Place Value. We have done a lot of skip counting and number sense. We are also working on remembering coins and their worth. This past quarter we celebrated the 100th Day of school, Valentine’s Day, President’s Day and Dr. Seuss’ birthday.

2nd Grade Second graders have been busy this quarter! In Reading, students have been reading fantasy stories and learning story elements of this genre. Students have been working on cause and effect, inferencing, and story plots. In Math, we have been doing three-digit addition and subtraction with regrouping problems. Students also have been continuing to work on Rocket Math facts. In Science, students learned about weather and have been tracking this unpredictable weather daily. In Social Studies, students are recognizing symbols of America and will be learning about different culture and traditions. Some celebrations the Second graders have participated in are 100th Day of School, Read with a Loved One, Jump Rope for Heart, Valentine’s Day, and Dr. Seuss’ birthday. We continue to grow daily in Second grade!

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100th Day of School

Happy Spring! We are quickly approaching our Annual Student Series Campaign. Last year as a school we rose over $1300. We will kick-off this year’s campaign on April 9th and take donations through April 27th . Look for more information through JMC messaging or fliers sent home with your child. Thank you for all of your support to such a great cause!!!

3rd Grade The third grade has added two new students to our class since last quarter! We are excited to have them as a part of our class! We have all been working hard on our multiplication and division facts as well as learning about fractions and the perimeter and area of different shapes. In science, we learned about simple machines, but we will be moving on to learn about sound and light next. In social studies, we are currently learning about different people and inventions and how they have changed our society. In reading and English, we have continued working on fluency and comprehension, but we are starting to learn more about nonfiction text. We are looking forward to doing some research projects in the fourth quarter to show off what we’ve learned!

5th Grade 4th Grade Fourth grade has been busy this quarter preparing for the Iowa assessments, which they finished up the last week of the quarter. We have had more visits from the Monona County conservationist, learning about spring and the changes that occur in Iowa's habitats. We also planted some seeds that we have growing in our classroom. The year has been going fast and we are excited for the warmer weather. Bring on the fourth quarter!

The fifth grade has been busy third quarter. We completed our invertebrate unit by having each student make their own arthropod and then present it to the class. If you have time, stop by the elementary and look at them in the display cabinets. We conquered geometry and have moved on to fractions. All of us went to work finding box tops and ended up winning the pizza party for the class that brought in the most! Thanks, Amy O'Neal, for going and picking it up for us! The last week of the quarter found us doing Iowa Assessments. All of us are happy those are over.

6th Grade Sixth grade has had a busy third quarter. We continue to enjoy using our Chromebooks, doing puzzles, and playing with all types of slime. We especially enjoyed helping package food for the Then Feed Just One program. In reading we have been studying poetry. We've read a lot of famous pieces and then had a poetry reading to share more poetry with our classmates. We are getting ready to write a mystery story in language. Our math lessons have focused on solving and graphing inequalities. In science, we're learning about matter's changes and properties. We are talking about the rise of Christianity in history. This continues to be a great year for us. We are excited to practice leaving our books in our lockers to prepare for junior high next year.

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Family and Consumer Sciences

Health 2--Students have been focusing on nutrition, environmental health, and healthcare basics since the beginning of quarter 3. Students compared healthy vs. unhealthy fast food menu and meal options from various restaurants in the area and made posters to illustrate those choices. The class has also been working in one class period a week with Mr. Lamp’s Physical Ed. class to focus on teamwork, endurance, and healthful habits for being physically fit.

7th FCS--Students finished a sewing unit where they learned all of the basics of sewing using a sewing machine. They made individual pillowcase projects that incorporated their new skills of keeping a straight seam allowance. (Picture was sent previously) They finished out the quarter with a unit on laundry and stain removal and got to do a stain removal lab for common stains. Textiles--Students finished quarter 2 with a crochet individual project. Projects ranged from a women’s sweater, crochet stuffed animals/toys, blankets, hats, and scarves. Quarter 4 we will start an intro to quilting; and students will be visiting Susie’s Quilts in Onawa to see their quilting machine and examples of quilt designs.

Foods 2--Students have focused on cooking methods and preparing savory dishes this quarter. Students have made vegetable dishes, fruit dishes, several types of salads, as well as most recently stir fry dishes and casseroles. Students will be making soups, sauces, and stews as quarter 4 begins.

Whiting Music

Quiz Bowl

In elementary music, students are busy getting ready for their spring concert which will be on Thursday, April 19th at 7:00 P.M. If you have not done so already, please put this date on your calendars. The pre-school through fifth grade will be performing at this concert. The high school students are busy preparing for contest. The date is posted below. Please remind your child to practice and come to lessons so they can be as prepared as possible. All middle and high school students in band and choir are working hard to prepare music for their spring concert. Please get this date on your calendars. It is posted below. Thank you all for everything you do to support the music program and the kids at Whiting School. April 12th – HS and MS Spring Concert @ 7:00 P.M.– Whiting April 14th- High School Solo and Ensemble Contest – Woodbine April 19th – Elementary Music Concert - Whiting May 19th- Graduation @ 2:00 P.M. - Whiting

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Alex Menke, Nick Warren, Landon Christensen, Nick Ethier, Dena Nichols Allison Stokes, Trinity McClure, Jacey Tadlock Raelee Kron

Wrestling

High school wrestlers Marvin and Everett Hildreth Junior high wrestlers Matt Labno, Brayden Tew, Matt Schwery, Clyde Hildreth

Basketball

High School Girls Maya Gigaroa, Coach Hubert, Trinity McClure, Halle Murray, Lauryn Teel, Semia Aldrich, Kirsten Myers, Morgan Chapman, Emma Kotelowski-Carlson, Coach Murray Josey Johnson & Delaney Turner

High School Boys Hunter Pauley, Austin Warren, Nolan Pauley, Jason Shuck, Casey Sprock, Tanner Blatchford, Brady Wiggs, Elisha Aguiar Shane Buoey, Damien Bermgman, Brody Vanden Bosch, Nick Ethier, Nic Miller, Asher Gigaroa

Junior High Boys Gavin Purcell, Landon Blatchford, Matt Schwery, Jonny Gage, Cody Bethune Ben Gallardo, Matt Labno, Braeden Yingst, Lance Nichols

Junior High Girls

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Audrey Kotelowski-Carlson, Marisa Vollmer, Jenna Shuck, Abbi Nelson, Maggie Hildreth, Cadence Morton, Ruby Phipps Cali Rich, Sierra Schmitt, Kinzie Theeler, Emma Gross

Speech Ensemble Acting “A Chocolate Affair” Lauryn Teel, Olivia Brown, Halle Murray

Ensemble Acting “God is a Man” Delaney Turner, Josey Johnson, Chloe Brown

Radio Broadcasting “KS80” Nick Warren, Landon Christensen, Bradyn Neubaum, Nick Ethier, Lydia Woods, Alex Menke

Choral Reading “No Fun Being Smitten” Lauryn Teel, Kirsten Myers, Halle Murray

Radio Broadcasting “FOOD” Maya Gigaroa, Atley Nelson, Semia Aldrich not pictured Alayna Young

Group Mime “Hairdresser Hiatus” Delaney Turner & Chloe Brown

Group Mime “Basketball Blues” Kirsten Myers & Olivia Brown

Individual Speech Lauryn Teel, Olivia Brown, Chloe Brown, Atley Nelson, Delaney Turner, Halle Murray

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