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The Warrior
P.O. Box 206
Weeping Water, NE 68463-0206
Phone: 402-267-2445
http://www.weepingwaterps.org
Fall 2014-2015
From the Desk of Dr. Ken Heinz, Superintendent
We’re off and running. We are close to finishing the first quarter of the year and no major disasters, even with the
construction going on! I have been asked several times by colleagues over the last several weeks about how the school
year is going so far. My answer, very simply, is GREAT! The students and staff appear to be focused, attitude is very good,
and classes and activities seem to be running smoothly. Parents, you should be proud of your children; I certainly am.
Please congratulate them on an outstanding start and encourage them to keep it up.
I am guessing most people are interested in the status of our additions and renovations project. Here is a snapshot of where
we are:
•
As you know, obviously since we moved back in and started the school year on time, the renovations and updates
on the 1938 building (elementary) have essentially been completed. While there is a small punch list of tasks to be
completed, i.e. some painting and filling of holes, base trim to be installed, etc., that building, minus the auditorium,
is done. The auditorium/vocal music classroom will be fully completed by the middle of October with the new
stage flooring being installed and the temporary lights replaced by that time.
•
The eight new elementary classrooms on the northwest side of the building will be completed by the second week
of October with the official moving dates slated for the 9th and 10th. As you should have already been notified
from our Alert Solutions notification system, elementary classes will not be in session on that Thursday and Friday
to allow for the appropriate classroom moves to take place. This will complete the moving of all elementary
classrooms and staff and will allow the gray out buildings on the west side of the building to be used by high
school classes for the remainder of the school year as renovations begin throughout the existing high school
building.
•
The new main entrance and office areas will also be completed by the second week of October with the changeover
taking place early in that week. The tentative plan is to begin using this new main entrance, and the related office
areas, sometime during the week of October 13th.
•
With completion of the front entrance and offices areas and elementary addition, the next phase of the renovation
process will be in the first floor of the high school building. Installation of the new HVAC and sprinkler system will
begin in mid-October in this area along with the current district office space being renovated into the new Spanish
room. As mentioned earlier, these teachers will be relocated into the existing out buildings while these rooms are
being renovated.
•
Sometime around the first of the year, the renovations and updates on the first floor should be completed. Work
will then begin on the second floor of the high school building with rooms and staff moving accordingly.
•
While a good deal of the work has been completed on the new media center, it cannot be completed until current
space is made available. This space will become available during the October move and will allow for the new
media center to be completed hopefully by the first of the year, allowing us to begin using it at that time.
•
Work on the new science classrooms and FCS classroom will begin sometime around the first of the year once the
space from the current media center is made available.
•
The new elementary drop off area is also scheduled to be completed in mid-October. While we will need to fine tune
some things as we go, having this area functional should hopefully prove helpful. More details will be forthcoming
on this when it is ready. The drop off area on the south side of the building is scheduled to be done during the
summer of 2015.
•
Work on the career and technical education wing will not begin until the summer of 2015 to allow for all classes and
extra-curricular activities to continue throughout the 2014-15 school year.
•
Work on the east addition is once again beginning to pick back up and, we are told, is still on schedule as originally
planned.
•
Finally, I would like to give our staff and students a big pat on the back! They have been fantastic in rolling with
the various issues and inconveniences that have arisen during this process and have done a super job of
remaining focused on the education of our students.
Hopefully, this helps a little and gives some insight as to where the project currently is. Please feel free to call or stop by
with any questions.
As your child’s superintendent, I am very excited about the 2014-15 school year. One of the key components of having a
productive and successful school year lies in good communication between home and school. We at Weeping Water
Schools enjoy hearing from you, your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions. As always, we ask for these suggestions and
ideas, and as always, invite and encourage you to visit school and be an integral part of your child’s formal educational
experience.
From the Desk of Mr. Gary Wockenfuss,
HS Principal
RESPECT: -Yourself - Others - Property - Learning
Fall Greetings Weeping Water Families,
On behalf of the faculty, staff, and administration, I hope that you and your family had a wonderful start to the 2014-15
school year. We are on our way to complete the first quarter of the school year, and the campus has had activity around the
clock!
We have had some amazing activities from athletics to our myriad of clubs and other extracurricular organizations. Our
Homecoming Week was well planned by our outstanding Student Council, with activities such as the coronation, a kickball
game, a bonfire, a dance, and many daily themes in which students and staff participated. We appreciate all of our students’
talents and hard work. Students had a great time all week, and the campus demonstrated awesome school spirit!
Back to School Tips
School bus lights law: When a school bus is traveling on an undivided road, vehicle motorists driving in either direction are
required to come to a full stop when the bus has its red lights flashing. If you fail to do so, you may be fined and have your
driving privilege suspended. All motorists should scan the area, since kids might not mind rules such as using designated
crosswalks.
Passing classes and graduation-what counts- Semester grades
We want to remind you that it is important that students not only look at quarter grades but also at their semester grades as
that is what counts for moving from one class to another and for graduation. Quarter grades are important for those wanting
to keep a good GPA as well as honor roll.
Top 10 Suggestions from Common Sense Media
(commonsensemedia.org) on How Parents Can Promote Appropriate Online Behavior
Just a few short years ago, there was no such thing as Facebook, cyberbullying, smart phones, YouTube, or texting. But we
now live in a rapidly changing media and tech world where our kids are far more plugged in digitally than we are. In fact,
according to a 2010 study conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation, kids are spending nearly 7.5 hours per day
interacting with media. It can be incredibly tough to keep up with all this technology. But as all parents know, our kids learn
from us – and not just from what we say, but also more importantly from what we do. Even if we’re lacking a little bit with our
own technology skills, we can still help them learn to use technology wisely. Here’s some suggestions for what you can do:
1. Model good behavior. If we’re on our cell phones at dinner, why will our kids listen to us when we tell them to turn theirs
off?
2. Pay attention. We have to know where our kids are going online – and what they’re doing there.
3. Impart our values. Cheating, lying, being cruel – they’re just not OK. Right and wrong extends to online and mobile life.
4. Establish limits. Phone time, video download time, and destinations. There really is a right time and place for everything.
5. Encourage balance. Get kids involved in offline activities, especially activities that don’t require or allow cell service.
6. Make kids accountable. Using digital media is a privilege. Make sure your kids earn it.
7. Explain what’s at stake. Remind your kids that what they do today can be abused by someone tomorrow.
8. Find ways to say “yes.” This means that you have to do some homework and know the sites your children visit, the songs
they download, etc. — and find ways to use technology that lets us say “yes” more often than we say “no.”
9. It’s not rocket science. Learn to text, send mobile photos, set up a Facebook page, and upload a video. Or have your kids
show you how. It’s impossible to guide what you don’t understand. Not only that, but think of all the anxiety you can avoid
by knowing how things work.
10. Lighten up, embrace their world, and enjoy the possibilities together. None of us want digital divides in our relationships with our kids. It’s up to us to learn something new, join the fun, and help our kids make the most of digital technologies
Congratulations to the 7th grade students who won the pizza party for turning in their parent-student handbook forms first.
Good job!
As we now push to finish the first quarter with the second quarter beginning on October 20, we encourage all parents who
may be concerned about their student’s academic progress to contact their respective teachers. Our teachers can be
reached via phone or email. Teacher contact information is listed on their respective web pages, which can be located under
“District,” and then click on “Staff Pages” on the WWPS Home Page (http://www.weepingwaterps.org).
We are immensely proud of our WWPS Indian students, and we hold them to the highest of standards. As we journey
through this 2014-2015 school year, please know that without the support of engaged and dedicated parents, we cannot be
successful. Thank you for your efforts at home to get your children into the routine and swing of this school year. At
WWPS we offer a great opportunity to get a Free education; take advantage of it.
Gary Wockenfuss
Trust, Family, Integrity
From the Desk of Mrs. Dawn DeTurk,
Elementary Principal
Typically, when I write an article for the newsletter I try to share information about curriculum, programs, or projects we have in place here at Weeping Water. This month I am
going to share some personal thoughts about my past year. Some of you may know that
I was diagnosed with colon cancer shortly after accepting the position as elementary
principal. Nothing is worse than finding out you have a serious illness like that, then
turning around and telling your new boss about it. Bless Dr. Heinz’s heart, he was
supportive and offered to help out any way he could.
Last school year began with me having to take six weeks of radiation and chemo daily,
then surgery to remove the cancer, followed by six months of bi-weekly chemo. I’m
rather pleased that I made it to school most days except during surgery. This summer I
thought I was going to put all of this cancer business behind me when my doctors told me
they found more. Boy was that a kick in the colon.
As was true throughout last school year, the support at Weeping Water was incredible. I
recently had this new cancer surgically removed, and I’m happy to report that the doctors
tell me that I am now cancer free.
I have to be honest; I wouldn’t have gotten through it all if it wasn’t for everyone at
Weeping Water. All of the students and staff were the reason I worked so hard to make it
to work each day. I loved seeing and visiting with everyone and frankly it kept my mind
off of my health issues and focused on all the good things happening at school.
Recently there have been tragedies in the community. Weeping Water rallied to console
those who needed it. This recent loss of two former students is terrible and disheartening, and often has us asking “why?” — the answer to which none of us will ever know.
I can share that my beginning journey here at Weeping Water has taught me that this is a
strong, caring community that truly supports those in need. For this I thank you and wish
everyone the very best in health and in life.
ATTENTION:
Elementary will have no school on Thursday,
October 9 and Friday, October 10 in order
to proceed in the moving process. High school
will remain in session both days.
School Closing & Late Start Info
WWPS will once again use our ALERT SOLUTIONS
phone system this year to notify parents of school closings and late starts due to inclement weather. The
ALERT SOLUTIONS system is able to call your
home, cell, or work phone number, or send a text or
e-mail to get the information out as fast as possible. If
you’ve changed any of these phone numbers or would
like to change your mode of notification, please contact the office so we can update the system. We will
also post school closings on KMTV-channel 3,
WOWT-channel 6, and KFAB radio.
Pre-K
Mrs. Heath
We started our year with 11 eager boys and girls in
our classroom but have recently said goodbye to one
student. Our room is quickly filling with the sights and
sounds of fall, such as apples, pumpkins, and leaves.
recognizing parts of speech (nouns). Our lessons have
covered comparing and contrasting, story elements
(characters, setting, and plot), along with building our
sight word recognition.
In our new Math program, Kindergartners are learning correct number formation, counting, and which
group has more or fewer.
Our days are filled with learning opportunities, and we
show improvement each and every day.
Elementary Resource
Mrs. Hartman
The year is off to a great start. The students have retained many of the skills they worked so hard to acquire last year and are working diligently to add new
skills to their repertoire of knowledge. Not everyone
learns the same way, which makes what we do in resource exciting and rewarding. It may take more time,
more repetition, or a different path to get there, but all
students can and do learn. Those of us in the resource
program are truly blessed with the wonderful students
we teach!
Time is flying by as we have studied the theme Welcome Friends and are currently working through My
Family. November will bring the theme Our CommuSecond Grade
nity, a study of the environment around us.
Mrs. Bickford & Mrs. Meeske
The second graders have been very busy. Our annual
calendars are completed and at the printers as we
speak. We plan to have them back around Halloween/Thanksgiving and will be selling them for $4.00 a
piece. If you wish to purchase one and are not contacted by a second grader, please contact the school
Please come visit us to see all the amazing happenings and we will make sure that you get one.
going on in Pre-K!
We have been very busy in all of our subjects. We are
Kindergarten
especially focused on our school improvement goals
pertaining to math and writing. We are currently working
Mrs. Schafer & Mrs. Wilson
Kindergartners have been very busy this fall. We have on addition and subtraction facts in math—doing daily
been working on social skills such as following direc- ‘timed tests.’ We are also working on types of sentions, being respectful as well as responsible by re- tences and including a subject/predicate in Language
turning our folders, and using good manners when lis- Arts. Additionally, we are talking about our country’s
tening. We’re learning to problem solve by telling others capital — Washington, D.C. — in Social Studies. We
when we don’t like something they’re doing. This helps are really working on our reading strategies when deto build friendships while eliminating tattletales.
coding and comprehending, as well. We need to continue to practice our reading fluency, too! If you see a
The students have been introduced to many skills. second grader, don’t hesitate to ask them to read to
We’ve been counting syllables, identifying sounds, and you! ☺
We continue to learn about letters and numbers on a
daily basis along with writing our names and learning
to get along using school rules. We are excited to see
our new classroom soon and not have to walk up and
down so many steps each day.
Third Grade
Mrs. Weber & Ms. Thomassen
Our math has turned out to be a great learning experience and challenge. We have been taking timed tests
This year we really do see changes at school as con- several times a week to sharpen our basic operation
struction continues. It’s a good thing 3rd graders are facts, which should help to make our new math series
learning map skills! If you pause at the door to our easier to tackle.
room, you will see students pondering words such as
planet, continent, country, and state, as they work to We have also been spending our social studies time
locate their whereabouts on Earth. Maps and globes learning about our great state of Nebraska. It has
have proven to be useful tools for the students in So- been quite interesting learning the many events that
helped to make our state so unique.
cial Studies.
Our mornings are busy as we read and explore new
stories and books and learn new skills to become the
best readers we can be. Reading fluently is just one of
our goals for this year.
Fifth & Sixth Language Arts/Math
Mrs. Menghini
Our first quarter has almost come and gone already!
WOW! That seems very hard to believe! A big thanks
to Mother Nature, who has been quite kind to us so
Remember the first time you learned to subtract across far!
zeros? Working with addition and subtraction with
regrouping has convinced the students of the need for In Reading, we have read quite a variety of stories. A
memorization of the basic addition and subtraction couple of our most recent were Satchel Paige
facts. A nightly five-minute practice or review will en- and Ten Mile Day. Both have been excellent
able everyone to enjoy the challenge of math without reads. We also have started on a short novel by Roald
Dahl called The Twits. This is quite a crazy
frustration.
story about a couple whose main goal in life is to play
Early in September, State Farm gave each 3rd grader mean jokes and tricks on each other. It is funny and
a dictionary and the students are finding them to be a intriguing and has you guessing which Twit will outwit
very useful resource in the classroom. Thank you, the other!! ☺
State Farm!
In Language Arts, we are working on subjects, predicates, common and proper nouns, and putting together
Fourth Grade
interesting and complete sentences. We also have been
Mrs. Mozena & Mr. McGill
October is here and the end of the first quarter is near!! doing some journal writing and finished up a Time
We don’t know where the time goes, but it seems to Capsule story. We are trying hard to choose the most
interesting and appealing words we can to make our
go faster and faster every year.
sentences sound the best they can.
By this time, most of the 4th graders are into their new
school year routine. We are very busy with our reading schedule. We have already completed the first unit
in our book, which dealt with “What experiences bring
diverse people together?” We explored five different
stories, all of different genres, and practiced many different reading strategies. We are really focusing on
fluency to enhance our comprehension. If you have a
4th grader living with you or just simply visiting you,
have them read you a short passage from a book,
magazine, or newspaper so they can show off their
improving talents. ☺
In 5th and 6th grade Math, we are working hard on
adding and subtracting of decimals, place value, and
solving two-step story problems, as well as solving
algebraic equations for the 6th grade! We do know
that our math life will be much easier if we MEMORIZE our basic facts! We did quite well in our first
topic, working with rounding and estimation.
Cooler weather is upon us now. Please make sure
that your child is dressed for the temperatures. Thanks.
Happy Fall! ☺
Technology Tidbits
Mr. Cover
This school year has brought about many new and
exciting changes as far as technology goes. The construction process includes upgrading existing wireless
components. Weeping Water has purchased a new
Windows server to replace an
old Windows 2000 server.
Last year, surveys were sent
out to students, and a group
of teachers visited three different schools to look at 1:1
computing options for our
secondary since the maintenance contract was coming to an end. The result was
a move away from Macintosh for our secondary students to a less expensive solution in a Windows environment. The old Macs are being put on carts to be
used in the junior high and elementary schools to give
more access to computers there.
Other new items for this year include the district now
providing every student with a school issued Gmail
account. That gives students the ability to use the line
of Google education and production tools for free.
Some of the benefits of this are the use of Google
Docs, and Drive, which gives cloud storage for documents, and the ability to modify them from any computer with internet access, not just the machine it was
created on. Google docs also provide easy collaboration where, if working on a group project, students
can be on the same document at the same exact time.
Microsoft 365 is another exciting aspect new for students this year. This upgrade in software gives every
student and staff member a license for the latest version of Microsoft Office for whatever operating system they are using. They can put Office on up to 5
different machines, and it will be an active account
until they graduate, so if a student has both Macs and
Windows or various tablets and systems, they can use
Microsoft Office.
ents by phone, email, and text for announcements.
Alert Solutions also can be used to send items, such
as progress reports, report cards, and lunch balances,
out in a variety of ways. The main thing with the system is parents need to log in to PowerSchool, with
their account and set up how they would like to be
contacted and make sure phone numbers and email
addresses are current.
As you can see, we have a lot going on. There are
always bugs with new things, and it takes some time
to get things working perfectly. If there is ever an
issue, please contact me at school.
Close Up
Mr. Barrett
This year’s Close Up students are currently selling Otis
Spunkmeyer cookies. If you would like to order some,
please contact Mr. Barrett or a Close Up student. They
are $16.00 per box. Our trip this year will take place
March 27th-April 3rd, 2015.
Jr. High Volleyball
Mrs. Vodicka & Mrs. Mason
The junior high volleyball team is short on personnel
but high on dedication. The Indians
have nine talented young athletes who
are up before the sun every morning
for practice and often must play several
matches in one night, and they do so
without complaint of fatigue. Many
players have been asked to play multiple positions as
well. These girls have been very flexible and willing to
learn how to be effective anywhere on the court.
The team has two committed and enthusiastic leaders
in eighth graders Alexis Ahrens and Brianna Lawson.
These young ladies work hard every day to set a good
example of hard work and dedication. Completing
the team are seventh graders Peyton Barrett, Courtney
Bockman, Libby Cozad, Bailee Nissen, Chrystal
Meyer, Kaylee Tighe, and Kelsi Vogler.
In the first few weeks of the season the junior high
volleyball players have definitely worked hard to imPowerSchool has made an upgrade this year, and, prove their fundamental volleyball skills, but more imalong with that, the school has incorporated Alert So- portantly, they have progressed from a group of vollutions, which gives the district the ability to alert par leyball players to a team working together as one.
Speech Pathologist
Ms. Veldkamp
School Pshychologist
Ms. Routley
Hello! I am the new speech language pathologist for Gratitude....Brain Changer....Life Changer
Weeping Water Public Schools. I serve birth to threeyear-old children in the Weeping Water school district
as well as preschool-12th graders in the school. Many
people don’t really know what areas speech language
pathologists can help with (AKA speech therapists).
Here are a few areas we can work on:
I’m thankful for (fill in the blank). These are four (or
more words) that can change your brain and life.
Researchers including Robert A. Emmons, Ph.D., Mike
McCullough, and Drs. Blaire and Rita Justice have
found that there are emotional, social, and physical
benefits to gratitude. Emotionally, we will have more
Speech sounds:
positive emotions such as joy, optimism, and happiness.
(i.e. if a student has difficulty with /r/, or /s/, or any We will also have less negative emotions such as envy,
other sound)
resentment, and bitterness.
Resonance:
(i.e. if a student is too nasal or not nasal enough when Socially, we feel more connected to others and have
he/she speaks)
improved relationships. We also are more thoughtful
Voice disorders:
of other people, take action, and are generous.
(i.e. if a student has a hoarse voice, or talks at an atypical
pitch)
Physically, gratitude can lead to a stronger immune
Fluency:
system and lower blood pressure. Gratitude also
(i.e. stuttering, or a rapid, clumsy rate of speech)
increases dopamine, which lights up the pleasure center
Language:
in our brain. The brain likes this, so it wants more. As
- Syntax: sentence structure issues when speaking or a result, the brain repeats this — seeking to be thankful.
writing
So, we can rewire our brains and create an attitude of
- Semantics: difficulties understanding spoken or writ- gratitude.
ten language
- Morphology: difficulties understanding word parts Gratitude is always important and beneficial, especially
like –ly on partly
when life is hard. I have benefited from a gratitude
- Literacy (reading/writing difficulties)
journal for the last year. At least 3-4 times a week, I
Pragmatics:
list at least three things for which I’m grateful. I know
Social use of language, social skills
this is what helped me to look for gratitude in a recent
Cognitive skills:
situation. I had a flood in May (hose burst under my
Memory, sequencing, problem solving, executive func- kitchen sink). A second flood came on June 20 from
tioning
a flash flood hours before I was going overseas.
Feeding and swallowing:
Towards the end of my trip overseas, I was not excited
Difficulties getting food into the mouth and down to at all to return to my home with many things out of
the esophagus (chewing, control of food in mouth, place. My home looks packed up with tubs stacked
swallowing)
and contents of the room moved to half of the room....as
Aural rehabilitation: hearing therapy
if I’ve just moved in or soon to move out. During the
This could be for someone who just got hearing aids first 24 hours home, my brain, which is programmed
or a cochlear implant and is having difficulty under- to be grateful now, called for thanks. Having just been
standing speech.
to Ghana, Africa, I recognized that cement floors are
a luxury. Living May through October with cement
As parents, if you have a concern about your child’s floors has not been fun, but it’s temporary and still a
speech or language skills, please do not hesitate to luxury as compared with much of our world.
contact me at the school!
Phone: (402) 267- 2435
I also remember a few years back when I was in a
Email: [email protected]
very bad mood and upset on my drive home from
work. The thought came to mind to be thankful. My
brain challenged me, wanting gratitude. I was not happy
about the challenge, but took it on. I looked around
and saw the trees along the highway. I said, “Thank
you for the trees.” Feeling like I was just reaching to
think of something, I was challenged to be more
specific. So, I pondered and then added, “and thankful
for the oxygen that trees give me to breathe.” When I
saw how hard I was trying and what a funny thanks I
had thought up, I laughed out loud. This moment of
gratitude changed my sorrow to joy....my darkness to
brightness....my
discouragement
to
encouragement...my listlessness to laughter. :)
leading, and controlling an organization. They will
also acquire essential skills in the areas of time
management, stress management, and communication and relationship skills. Second semester
students at WWHS will have the opportunity to take
Entrepreneurship. While taking this class, students
will evaluate the business skills and commitment
necessary to successfully operate an entrepreneurial
venture and review the challenges and rewards of
entrepreneurship. This class is being taught completely digitally through a program developed by the
University of Nebraska – Lincoln. These are both
one-semester classes offered to all students in
grades 9-12. If you have any questions, or would
Life is hard, but we can be thankful. Let gratitude be wiling to speak to either class, please contact
change your brain. And your life.
Mrs. Sue Heinz at the school.
Library News
Mrs. Barrett
Applied Science
Mr. Strong
“Many people, myself among them, feel better at the The students in the applied science class have been
busy with hands-on projects first quarter. They
mere sight of a book.”
successfully
completed designing and building jigsaw
—Jane Smiley (Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist)
puzzles. They did a great job for the very first go
I couldn’t agree more. around and were quite successful at getting the
We are gearing up for the pieces to interlock. Mr. Wockenfuss can attest to
Fall Scholastic Book Fair the fun and complexity of these puzzles. We would
in the library again so as like to thank Mr. Philippi and Mrs. Cejka for their
to coordinate with Parent expertise in helping us with this project. We also
Teacher Conferences. completed building and testing our HTPA activity
We’ll have oodles of titles (high tech paper airplanes). The object was to build
(not to mention, genres) a paper airplane that was designed to replicate an
available for readers of all actual airplane. This was a challenging exercise, and
ages. Given Jane Smiley’s quote, plan to feel expo- the classroom was filled with all sorts of prototypes
nentially better for having attended! In case you’re that did not make it. The latest project the applied
nostalgic, another reason to stop by is to take one last science students are tackling
look at the current library location. We’ll be moving— involves a chemistry lab
lock, stock, and barrel—to the newly constructed li- utilizing polymers. Their
brary media center later this fall. No doubt, moving task is to research and
over 18,000 books will be challenging, but our new develop the bounciest ball
out of the material resources
digs will be well worth it!
provided. They have to do
this with a budget in mind,
Business
and they have to follow the
Mrs. Heinz
rules of the scientific method. This lab activity
Two new classes have been added in Weeping
incorporates the ideas of some of the technological
Water High School’s business department for the
concepts we have been learning about including
2014-15 school year. During first semester, 13
systems, resources, criteria, and constraints. Who is
students are taking Management and Leadership.
the best r/d team in applied science this year? Well,
The purpose of this class is for students to learn
you will have to ask.
management issues involved in planning, organizing,
Counselor’s Corner
Mrs. Dawn Bickford
Art
Mrs. Cejka
The school year is off and running, and it seems like it
goes faster and faster each year. This summer I applied for a grant through EducationQuest to help with
our school’s college-going rate. I am happy to announce that Weeping Water Public Schools received
$2500. We will use this grant money to take our students on college visits. The 9th and 10th grade students will attend one college visit each, and the 11th
and 12th grade students will attend two college visits
each. It is our hope that students will get excited about
going to college after they see what it is like. We will
be visiting state colleges, universities, private colleges,
and community colleges. It is our hope to expose our
students to a variety of options. The grant funds will
also be used to help assist juniors and seniors in paying for the ACT. Part of the grant application was to
get a minimum of 10% matching funds from a local
business, and we want to send a huge Thank You to
PCS for their donation of $500.
What better way to start the new school year than to
have students travel to the past to explore how people
in earlier times used art as a way
to record stories and communicate ideas. Our 1st graders
completed a project about cave
art. The students really loved
learning about the cave artists
and the animals they drew on a
big mural. We did some fun
activities such as exploring cave
images and crawling under
tables with the lights turned off to resemble caves. Students discussed why the cave people drew so many
animals. We decided it was because the cave artists
depended on the animals for many things, including
meat to eat and hides to keep warm. Check out all
the elementary beautiful work in the hallway.
The elementary students are once again having
Guidance every other week. We have spent the first
few sessions on listening and are now getting into study
skills with the older grades and
cooperation with the younger
grades. The PAL program is
underway and in full swing. This
is a Big Brother/Sister program
that matches up high school
students with elementary
students. If you feel that your
child would benefit from this
program, please let his/her classroom teacher or myself
know, and we will see what we can do. This is a great
program, and I truly believe that both the high school
and elementary student learn a lot and grow from this
program.
A schedule of some upcoming events:
October 2nd – John Baylor Test Prep starts
October 13th – Freshman college visit to Peru
October 15th – PSAT (for select students)
October 22nd – 7-12 Career Day
November 3rd – Seniors to UNO
December 4th – Financial Aide Night 6:00
Our high school art classes are small but mighty, as
your children impress me every day with their talent.
Many changes will take place in the next few months
as construction continues on our new additions. The
art room will be moved for a short time to one of the
out-buildings, but I’ll work hard to make sure the transition goes smoothly and to make sure your child’s
education continues to stay the same.
Remember, your junk is our treasure. We need egg
cartons, magazines, and meat trays.
Vocal Music
Mrs. Hammer
The students (and teacher) are still getting used to
the new vocal music room area. The classroom was
moved to the stage, where it will remain after all construction is completed. The new classroom will provide new opportunities for creativity when it is completed. So for now, we are working around the construction to prepare for our fall concert, honor choir
auditions, and the first Vivace choir rehearsals.
The Fall Concert will be held on Tuesday, October
21 at 7:00 in the auditorium. This concert will feature
the High School and Junior High Choirs as well as
some small ensembles and solos. Many students are
busy working on preparing auditions for the all-state havioral modification techniques.
choir as well as the National ACDA Choir, ECNC
choir, and area college’s honor choirs.
In order to qualify for special education a child must
be diagnosed as having a disability and the disability
The elementary students have been using the Music must be found to “adversely affect educational perExpress Magazine to increase their music knowledge formance” so as to require special services. Referral
and have been enjoying listening to some old classics and evaluation for special education varies widely. For
such as “William Tell Overture” and “Thus Spake children with severe disabilities, a physician and the
Zarathustra op 30.” The Music Express Curriculum parents usually identify and refer the child to special
this year is also focusing on some of the great songs in education. Other disabilities or deficits in the child’s
the Disney Movies from the original “Steamboat Willie” developing physical and cognitive abilities may be idento today’s “Frozen.” The students are enjoying singing tified by teacher and parent observation or revealed
many styles of music, but I believe most of them would by academic or developmental tests. Most school dischoose “Let it Go” as one of their all time favorites.
tricts have standardized programs to screen large numbers of children between kindergarten and third grade.
Special Education
Other disabilities may be subtle or compensated for,
Mrs. Hammons
such as dyslexia, and may not be discovered until deWeeping Water Public Schools offers special edu- mands on the student increase in college. After refercation services within the district whenever possible. ral, a meeting is held to determine whether the child
Occasionally people still wonder what is meant by should be assessed or evaluated to determine the type
the term special education, so I included this excel- of disability he or she may have. Tests attempt to idenlent descriptor and the website source. If you think tify the cognitive (academic), social, or physical tasks
your student may fit any of these criteria, please con- that the child has difficulty performing and why the
tact WWPS for further information
difficulty exists, i.e., what disability or disabilities are
present. Tests may include: reading, writing, spelling,
Special education refers to a range of educational
and math tests; psychological or intelligence tests;
and social services provided by the public school
speech and language; vision and hearing tests; or an
system and other educational institutions to individuexamination by a physician. Parents must consent to
als with disabilities who are between three and 21
all testing, evaluation, and placement and can appeal
years of age.
most decisions if they disagree with the conclusions.
Special education is designed to ensure that students
with disabilities are provided with an environment that
allows them to be educated effectively. Disabilities
that qualify for special education include physical disabilities, such as deafness or blindness; mental disabilities, such as Down’s syndrome and autism ;
medical conditions, such as oxygen dependence or
traumatic brain injury; learning deficits, such as dyslexia ; and behavioral disorders, such as attention
deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and conduct
disorders.
Special education can include a range of support services, depending on the special needs of the student.
Support services may involve physical assistance and
therapy, counseling and psychotherapy, modified
learning environments and assistive learning devices,
educational and psychological assessments, and be
Read more: http://www.healthofchildren.com/S/
Special-Education.html#ixzz3EAUB4CtR
American History
Mr. Barrett
The students are currently discussing America
Becoming a World Leader. This time period shaped
our society’s way of life and determined American
Foreign policy well into the new century. George
Washington warned Americans to stay out of foreign
affairs when he left office because he felt it would be
a danger to our American way of life. The students
will be discovering whether he was correct or not.
Students will be researching whether it is better to
be internationalist or isolationist.
Notice of Nondiscrimination
Yearbook Information
Mrs. Lofing
Once again, you will be able to upload your own photos to
be considered for the yearbook! Visit the WWPS webpage,
www.weepingwaterps.org. Simply click on the “Want to see
your photos in the yearbook?” banner, located throughout
the website.One of these banners can be found in the “News”
section of our site
You may also order your 2014-2015 yearbook right from the
comfort of your own computer! Simply click on the banner
entitled “Yearbooks are great now, priceless later. Buy your
yearbook today.”
If you ordered a 2013-2014 yearbook, you may pick it up in
Mrs. Lofing’s room, or you may talk to Shirley in the front
office. We still have extras for purchase, if you are interested, for $48 each.
If you are looking for a yearbook from a previous year, we
still have several extras dating as far back as 1985. If you
would like to purchase any of these older issues, they are
$35 each.
For more yearbook information, please
e-mail Emily Lofing: [email protected]
Any parent may request, and the Weeping Water School District
will provide to the parents in a timely manner, information
regarding the professional qualifications of the student’s
teacher.
The Weeping Water Public School District does not
discriminate on the basis of race, color, national
origin, sex, disability, religion, age or other protected
status in its programs and activities and provides
equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated
youth groups.
The following persons have been designated to
handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination
policies:
High school students: Gary Wockenfuss, 7-12
Principal, 204 West O St., Weeping Water, NE 68463
(402) 267-4265 ([email protected]).
Elementary students: Dawn DeTurk, Elementary
Principal, 204 West O St., Weeping Water, NE 68463
(402) 267-2445 ([email protected]).
Employees and Others: Ken Heinz, Superintendent,
204 West O St., Weeping Water, NE 68463 (402) 2672445 ([email protected]).
Complaints or concerns involving discrimination or
needs for accommodation or access should be
addressed to the appropriate Coordinator. For further
information about anti-discrimination laws and
regulations, or to file a complaint of discrimination
with the Office for Civil Rights in the U.S. Department
of Education (OCR), please contact the OCR at 8930
Ward Parkway, Suite 2037, Kansas City, Missouri
64114, (816) 268-0550 (voice), or (877) 521-2172
(telecommunications device for the deaf), or
[email protected].
Weeping Water Public Schools
P.O. Box 206
Weeping Water, NE 68463
Nonprofit
Organization
U.S Postage Paid
Permit #12
Weeping Water, Ne
68463
ECRWS
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Weeping Water, NE 68463