NEWSLETTER E A S T Our Mission Statement: To challenge students to think critically,communicate effectively, develop values and contribute to society Jan./Feb. 2015 What’s Inside District News............................. 1 Secondary News...................... 2 Counselor’s Corner.................. 3 Health/Wellness........................ 4 Asbestos Notification................ 4 Library News............................ 5 Proud to be BUCS!................... 6 Elementary News..................... 7 Camp Courageous................... 7 EB Buchananopoly................... 7 Calendar of Events................... 8 SUPERINTENDENT’S OFFICE Dan Fox 319-935-3767 414 5th St. North Winthrop, Iowa 50682 FAX: 319-935-3749 B U C H A N A N ELEMENTARY Dan Fox, Principal 319-935-3660 414 5th St. North Winthrop, Iowa 50682 FAX: 319-935-3614 D I S T R I C T Daniel J. Fox, Superintendent/Elementary Principal Junior High Football Coach of the Year Phil Steffen was honored this fall by the IHSAA and the IFCA as the JH Football Coach of the Year. This past season marked 42 years of service as the East Buchanan JH football coach. Congratulations Coach Steffen and “Thank You” for all you do for our students, athletes, and community! East Buchanan Community School Facility Update A community meeting was held on December 10, 2014, in the East Buchanan LMC to discuss the general facts of the possible facility update. The project would be broken down into two phases that would address needs in safety, industrial technology, athletics and fine arts. Phase I would consist of building a new industrial technology classroom and workshop area. Phase I would also have space for a storm shelter area as a safe room during inclement weather. Phase II would consist of a new gymnasium and renovation of the old gymnasium to help meet the needs of our curriculum, athletics and fine arts. Community feedback from the meeting: 1) Have all the facts; 2) Have concrete numbers; 3) Keep the Community informed – Communicate. For this project to happen it will take a Bond Referendum to pass, which in result will affect our taxpayers. For information on this project please visit our home district website www.east-buc.k12.ia.us. On the main page is a link - Facility Project/Bond Information. This link has general project information, Phase I, Phase II, Estimated Budget, General Tax Impact Information, Projects and Tax Rate History, and Bond Information. Starting in January there will be community lead meetings to discuss the project. Weather Conditions Be sure to check with the following television or radio stations for altered school hours due inclement weather. TELEVISION: (If you go on line to KWWL or KCRG you are able to set up where they will send you a text message directly to your cell phone when East Buchanan has any weather delays. The TV stations are the first to be called when school is altered due to weather.) KWWL-TV7 KCRG-TV9 KGAN-TV 2 RADIO: WMT-600 KZIA-102.9 KGYM-1600 KMCH-94.7 KFMW-108 KOEL-92.3/97.7/98.5 KOEL-95 AM KHAK-98.1 KDAT-104.5 KRANA-94.1 KRQN-107.1 Winter Season! The winter weather is upon us and as of this writing we have missed one day of school due to fog. Just as a reminder that all make up days will be added onto the end of the school year. I want to ensure you with severe weather I am always looking out for the safety of our students and staff. Important Dates January 5.................................................................. School Resumes February 4.......................Early Dismissal (Professional Development January 7....................... Early Dismissal (Professional Development) February 9-13............................................... ITBS Testing Grades 3-8 January 12..........................................School Board Meeting 6:30 pm February 9.......................................... School Board Meeting 6:30 pm January 14................................................Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) Meeting for Preschool 5 pm February 7..............................................................PAC Meeting 5 pm January 21..................... Early Dismissal (Professional Development) February 26.................................................. End of the 2nd Trimester January 21................. HS/MS P/T Conferences – 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm Jan-Feb 2015.indd 1 S C H O O L From Dan’s Den BUSINESS MANAGER/ BOARD SECRETARY Beth Weepie 319-935-3768 414 5th St. North Winthrop, Iowa 50682 FAX: 319-935-3749 MIDDLE/HIGH SCHOOL Travis Schueller, Principal 319-935-3367 414 5th St. North Winthrop, Iowa 50682 FAX: 319-935-3615 C O M M U N I T Y February 18....................Early Dismissal (Professional Development) February 27............................No School (Professional Development) 12/18/14 2:17 PM Secondary news Travis Schueller, 6-12 Principal Vol. 1 No. 2 Jan./Feb. 2015 Kelly Griswold, contact 414 5th St. North Winthrop, Iowa 50682 319-935-3767 B ON LL 211 Students! H The winter activities are now in full swing at East Buchanan; unfortunately that also means colder temperatures. However, the cold weather has not kept our students at East Buchanan from having success in the classroom. I am happy to report that with the hard work of both our students and teachers, we had 211 out of 288 students 6-12 achieve the B honor roll or above. E Good Work! o r A B OV OR RO Professional Development at EB Last newsletter I spoke about BUC Time and its purpose for our students. This newsletter I would like to talk about the focus of our professional development for the 2014-2015 school year. We are focusing our time developing learning targets and success criteria and connecting these to the curriculum. What is a learning target or success criteria is probably one of the first things to cross your mind? Learning targets (I understand statements) let students know what we want them to understand. Success criteria (I can statements) let students know what they need to do to show us they have learned it. Serving the communities of Aurora, Quasqueton, and Winthrop It is vital for our students to understand what they are being taught and how they are being assessed. Learning targets and success criteria are addressing both of these items. The delivery of these vary depending on the classroom. Some possible ways your kids may be receiving are as follows: Google document, white board, email, check list, or on their assignment. Published so that the citizens of the district may be informed about the programs and activities of the East Buchanan Community Schools. Please take time to have a conversation with your kids about school and what they are learning. Have them explain what the learning targets and success criteria are for different classes and how they will know if they have accomplished them. This will give you a better understanding of what your child is doing and learning while at East Buchanan. Board of Education Meetings are held on the second Wednesday of each month. District residents are invited to attend. Yearly Asbestos Notification 2014-2015 Board of Education: President Aaron Cook Vice President Brian Crawford Board Members George Aberle Greg Schmitt Matthew Walthart The East Buchanan Community School District provides equal education and employment opportunities and will not illegally discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, gender, age, national origin, marital status or disability. EBCSD shall take affirmative action in recruitment of women and men, minorities and the disables. Inquiries regarding compliance with equal educational or employment opportunities and/or affirmative action shall be directed to DanFox, superintendent, East Buchanan Community Schools, 414 5th Street North, PO Box 40, Winthrop, IA 50682. Inquiries may also be directed, in writing, to the Iowa Civil Rights Commission in Des Moines, the Director of the Region VII office of the United States Equal Employment Opportunities Commission, or the Director of the Region VII Office of Civil Rights, United States Department of Education in Kansas City, MO. 2 Jan-Feb 2015.indd 2 By: Mike Kerkove, Asbestos Program Manager The East Buchanan Community School District is required to provide annual notification concerning asbestos in our school buildings. Our school facilities were initially inspected by a certified asbestos inspector, as required by AHERA (Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act). The inspector located, sampled and determined the condition and hazard potential of all material in our buildings suspected of containing asbestos. The inspection and laboratory analysis records form the basis of the asbestos management plan. A copy of the management plan is available for your inspection. Please make an appointment during office hours (8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.) if you wish to review this plan. Copies of the plan may be made at a cost of .15¢ per page. Periodic surveillance of the areas containing asbestos is conducted once every six months. These surveillance reports then become a part of the management plan. A three- year re-inspection of all our facilities will be completed in 2016. The East Buchanan Community School District will continue its in-place management program and will take whatever steps are necessary to ensure that our students and employees have a healthy and safe environment in which to learn and work. Upcoming Preschool Advisory Committee (Pac) Meetings The Preschool Advisory Committee (PAC) has been a major influence on our preschool program for the past six years. The PAC has helped design our program into what it is today – listening to parent input has been our biggest influence. The mission of the East Buchanan PAC is to ensure the EB Preschool provides our children with a solid educational foundation to prepare them for their future. The dates of the PAC meetings for the rest of the 2014-2015 year are listed below. All meetings are located in the LMC and start at 5:00 pm. Childcare will be provided as well. We welcome all parents with students in the preschool classroom to attend. If you have any questions, please contact Stacy Marcus at [email protected] or 319-935-3767. Other Important Dates PAC Meeting Dates January 14, 2015 February 11, 2015 March 11, 2015 April 8, 2015 May 6, 2015 Preschool Registration March 11 • 6:00-7:00 PM Happy Spring Family Night April 22 • 5:00-6:30 PM New Year! 12/18/14 2:17 PM Counselor’s Corner Paula McGraw, 6-12 Guidance Counselor “This and That” in the LMC Cheryl Beatty, PK-12 Librarian SENIORS Scholastic Book Fair Scholarships and/or Financial Aid: Check the East Buchanan website www.east-buc.k12.ia.us/. Go to the Secondary 6-12 Information tab, then to local scholarships. The website is updated weekly with any new scholarship information. If you are interested in a particular scholarship, let the guidance office know, we can get the specific information to you. FAFSA Forms: If you were unable to attend the financial aid meeting held on December 17, information is available in the guidance office. The Iowa College Access Network went through the financial aid process, providing everyone with a booklet for your reference. It is extremely helpful when filling out the FAFSA form. The FAFSA will need to be completed online, a worksheet is available in the guidance office to help with this process. When filing the FAFSA online you will need to request a PIN number at www.pin.ed.gov, the student and parent will each need a PIN. Please call my office, 319/935-3367 or the Iowa College Access Network (ICAN), 877/272-4692 if you have questions regarding the FAFSA form or financial aid. The Scholastic Book Fair held in the LMC in November was our largest to date. MANY EB families and staff contributed to its success which allowed our school to receive nearly $2500 in promotions, books and other Scholastic items. By earning rewards from Scholastic we are able to continue to stretch our school budget funding even farther and provide even more new materials on our shelves to keep our students interested in reading and learning. …we are able to continue to stretch our school budget funding even farther and provide even more new materials… New materials mean that we are able to replace older, outdated, or well-worn materials. THANK YOU for your support of our EB Library Media Center and its programs! Dollars for Scholars: The Dollars for Scholars Committee will be meeting with all seniors on January 21 at 1:45. We will be explaining Dollars for Scholars and the application process. Seniors need to attend this meeting, contact Mrs. McGraw if you have any questions, 319 935-3367. JUNIORS A few things you should be thinking about and working on this month: If you are planning to take the ACT stop by the Guidance Office for information. We have study guides or go to www.ICANsucceed.org, or www.actstudent.org for helpful links. Begin to research post secondary options; 2-year schools, 4-year schools, military, or the work force. Consider volunteering in your community, this is a rewarding experience and helpful when completing scholarships. Juniors are allowed 2 college visits. This is a great opportunity to see a college campus, check out what programs they have to offer, and see if that college is a fit for you. Stop by the Guidance Office for information on setting up college visits. Not all colleges require the ACT, 2 year colleges will accept ACT scores, but you could also take a COMPASS test. This test can be taken at the Hawkeye Center in Independence by appointment, their number is 319-334-3131. The following website will help you prepare for the COMPASS test www.act.org/compass/sample/index.html FRESHMEN AND SOPHOMORES Begin thinking about classes for the next year, what is required, what are you interested in, and what do you need if you are planning to go on to college. Education after high school doesn’t have to mean a four-year degree. There are cerificate programs, two-year degrees and programs that go beyond four years. We will begin online registration in March. We will explore the I Have A Plan Iowa website in January/February which gives a great deal of information on careers and how to obtain that career. MS/HS Parent/Teacher Conferences: Conferences will be held January 21st from 4:00 until 8:00 P.M. Stop by and see what your child is doing and how they are doing in their classes. MIDDLE SCHOOL Iowa Assessment testing, formerly called ITBS, will be February 10-13, 2015 for grades 3-8. Please keep these dates in mind when scheduling appointments. Studies indicate that students test better during the regularly scheduled testing time. Students also need a good nights sleep and breakfast to help get their brains going for the day. The data we receive from the Iowa Assessments is important to our school district. We use this information as one indicator of how your child is doing. We also report this information to the Department of Education in accordance with the No Child Left Behind guidelines. If you have any questions regarding testing, please contact East Buchanan Schools for more information. Jan-Feb 2015.indd 3 Grant Update Last March I applied for a grant from the Buchanan County Community Foundation, which is an affiliate of the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa. My goal was to have our grant accepted in order to create and grow a collection of reading materials for our middle and high school students that struggle in reading. After having our grant proposal accepted, we have been building a nice sized collection of such reading materials. It is important for EVERY reader to be able to come to the library and feel confident and comfortable in choosing something to read that they are interested in at their age, as well as at their current reading level. After receiving word in June that our proposal was accepted, we have purchased and processed over 100 books and 13 electronic readers such as GoReaders and Playaways. These have been available for our students since early October and they are being well utilized! We have recently ordered four more GoReaders, three complete book sets and nine individual books that will add an additional 53 books. This is such a terrific opportunity for ALL our readers to be able to enjoy literature and I am extremely appreciative of this grant money and the Community Foundation. “Speed dating” in the LMC? “Speed dating” in the LMC? Sure! But with books! This is a concept new to EB, but one that has taken hold! My BUC Time group was the first to experience this process of choosing something to read. It went well and the students seemed to enjoy the activity. A wide variety of books are placed on different tables and students have a few minutes at each table to go through their options and take notes on books they may be interested in reading. As they proceed from table to table they carry one book with them, being allowed to trade at any table. At the end of the time each student should have one book they are interested in to check out. If they still have not found anything - I provide them with a “blind date” book! I am looking forward to having more classes and groups come in for some speed dating after the winter break - one teacher has already “booked” her dates! Upcoming library events Upcoming library events include our annual PTO Read-A-Thon at the end of February, Read Across America & Dr. Seuss’s birthday in early March, and an Usborne Book Fair in April. Elementary students continue to learn about library topics such as genres, research tools, the Dewey Decimal System, the electronic card catalog, parts of a book, proper book care, good fit books, and the valuable resources available on the Iowa AEA Online site. E A S T B U C H A N A N N E W S 3 12/18/14 2:17 PM 8th Grade Social Studies French and Indian Fort Contest Mr. Machacek, Instructor Congratulations to those awesome students listed below for their creativity ability! E A S T B U C H A N A N N E W S Winning Forts 6th Period: Sydnie Lamparter and Ashley Wessels 7th Period: Hunter and Brennan Podnar Elementary News Daniel Fox, Elementary Principal Preparing for Cold Weather The winter weather is here which means Cold Weather. All students (PK-5) should have a winter coat, snow pants, boots, gloves and a stocking hat at school. Please double check with your child to make sure they have the appropriate clothing. Every other Friday we will be emptying out our lost and found items (gloves, hats, etc) and disperse them back to the classrooms for students that do not have proper winter gear. If you are struggling to bundle up your child please let the office know at 935-3660. We do have some donated apparel on hand. Having the appropriate snow gear is important for many aspects of the school setting. Our students go out for recess everyday when the temps allow us. When temps drop below zero degrees we will keep them inside, but all other days they will be outside to enjoy the snow and fresh air. So it is important that they are properly dressed. It also is important for safety when going to and from school. No one wants to be stranded in the cold weather without warm clothing. Always plan ahead and think safety first. 94% of our Parents Attend Conferences I would like to “thank” all the parents for their support at parent/ teacher conferences that were held in November. Again this year we had over 94% of our parents attend conferences. This shows great support towards your child’s education. Fabulous Performances 4 Jan-Feb 2015.indd 4 Iowa Assessments Iowa Assessments will be held the week of Feb 9 – 13 for all students in grades 3-8. Iowa Assessments provide: • research that improves the practice of educational measurement • design and development of assessments that provide information for a variety of purposes and audiences, for example * educators to inform instruction * federal, state, and local government to support accountability * academic institutions to aid decision-making NAEP Assessment – 4th Grade testing on Thursday, February 19, 2015 National Assessment of Educational Progress East Buchanan has been selected to represent schools across the nation by participating in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). First administered in 1969, NAEP is the largest nationally representative and continuing assessment of what students know and can do in various subject areas. It is administered by the National Center for Education Statistics, within the U.S. Department of Education. NAEP is different from state assessments because it provides a common measure of student achievement across the country. The results of NAEP are released as The Nation's Report Card, which provides information about student achievement to educators, parents, policymakers, and the public. We had fabulous performances at our K-5 and 6-12 Winter Musicals. All the kids did a wonderful job, and the support from our community was overwhelming. Great Job to Mr. Brown, Mr. Landis and Mr. Chesher. 12/18/14 2:17 PM HEALTH AND WELLNESS Claudia Gillette, R.N. School Nurse Wellness: In November the elementary student were offered a healthier snack for the afternoon milk/snack, two days a week. The students are enjoying a bigger variety of snacks. So far we have had baby carrots, apples, bananas, string cheese and gogurt. In January will be trying broccoli, cauliflower and celery along with the other choices we have had. The Advanced Food class will be helping to prepare the vegetables for us as they do not come in individual serving packages. Dental Screenings: Kindergarten and 9th grade students please get your dental screening in to the school. Illness: Students must start home if they have had a temperature greater than 100 degrees, vomiting and or diarrhea for 24 hours after the last episode. This will help to prevent the spread of contagious diseases. 10 0 Elementary Special Education Students Visit Camp Courageous of Iowa On December 3rd, Mrs. Aldrich and Mrs. Wilgenbusch's special education classrooms took a field trip to Camp Courageous of Iowa. Camp Courageous is always very generous in inviting the school for their annual Christmas party. While there the students get to participate in many different activities. When the students first arrive they are able to have hot cocoa, juice and cookies.They have art activities, wall climbing, miniature golf, parachute games, train ride and the nature center. Students were able to miniature golf in one of the cabin basements. The train ride took the students around the grounds at Camp Courageous. After our activities, the students go back to the main lodge, eat lunch and perform Christmas carols or tell jokes to everyone if they choose. Mr. and Mrs. Claus are also there, so the students get a chance to let Santa know what they want for Christmas. After the students have seen Santa, they get a present to bring home. Various people have donated the gifts to Camp Courageous that the students receive. We were very fortunate to be able to attend this special day. As we prepared to go, we worked on our BUCS: Being responsible Understanding Caring & Safe E A S T B U C H A N A N N E W S 5 Jan-Feb 2015.indd 5 12/18/14 2:17 PM E A S T B U C H A N A N N E W S 6 Jan-Feb 2015.indd 6 12/18/14 2:17 PM E A S T B U C H A N A N N E W S 7 Jan-Feb 2015.indd 7 12/18/14 2:17 PM C A L E N D A R O F E V E N T S January 2015 February 2015 Thursday, January 1, 2015.................................................. No School - Winter Break Friday, January 2, 2015....................................................... No School - Winter Break Monday, January 5, 2015.......................................... Robotics @ Dubuque - 3:00 pm Tuesday, January 6, 2015..........................JV/V B/G BB (H) Alburnett - 4:45/6:15 pm Wednesday, January 7, 2015......................................Early Dismissal - PD - 1:45 pm Thursday, January 8, 2015 ..................FFA Meeting - Ms. Zumbach's room -7:00 am Robotics @ Dubuque - 3:00 pm JV B & V B/G (H) Postville - 5:00 pm Saturday, January 10, 2015.................................................. NEIBA Jazz Honor Band Dorian Honor Choir V/JV WR @ Hampton-Dumont Tournament - 10:00 am Sunday, January 11, 2015.............................................................Dorian Honor Choir Monday, January 12, 2015............................................................Dorian Honor Choir Herff Jones Senior Meeting - 11:25 am Herff Jones Sophomore Ring Meeting - 11:40 am Tuesday, January 13, 2015.....................................JV/V B/G BB @ Lisbon - 4:00 pm HS WR @ Wapsie Valley w/N Fayette - 6:00 pm Thursday, January 15, 2015......HS WR @ Alburnett w/Central City-Spring - 6:30 pm Friday, January 16, 2015..........................JV/V B/G BB @ Springville - 4:45 /6:15 pm Saturday, January 17, 2015..............JV WR @ Independence Tournament - 9:00 am V WR @ MFL Tournament - 10:00 am JV/B V B/G BB @ Dunkerton - 2:00/4:30 pm Monday, January 19, 2015.............................JV/V B/G BB (H) Ed-Co - 4:45/6:15 pm Tuesday, January 20, 2015..............................Senior Herff Jones Orders - 12:16 pm Sophomore Herff Jones Ring Orders - 3:00 pm JV/V B/G BB (H) Central City - 4:45/6:15 pm HS WR @ Don Bosco - 6:30 pm Wednesday, January 21, 2015...................................Early Dismissal – PD - 1:45 pm HS/MS P/T Conferences - 4:00 - 8:00 pm Thursday, January 22, 2015.................................... MS B BB (H) Starmont - 4:00 pm HS WR @ Lisbon w/ Maquoketa Valley - 6:30 pm Friday, January 23, 2015........................................ My Side of the Mountain-Fontana EB JV WR Tournament - 5:30 pm Saturday, January 24, 2015................ Robotics League Championship @ Davenport District Large Group Speech @ Cascade HS WR (H) Steinkamp Duals – 10:00 am Monday, January 26, 2015..........................MS B BB @ Maquoketa Valley - 4:00 pm 9th/JV B BB @ Starmont - 6:00 pm Tuesday, January 27, 2015........................................ MS Solo Contest (H) - 4:00 pm JV/V B/G BB @ North Linn - 4:45/6:15 pm HS WR (H) North Linn & Starmont - 6:30 pm Thursday, January 29, 2015................................. MS B BB (H) Central City - 4:00pm Friday, January 30, 2015....................... My Side of the Mountain - Contingency Date JV/V B/G BB (H) Maquoketa Valley - 4:45 pm Saturday, January 31, 2015........Conference WR Tournament @ Midland - 12:00 pm Monday, February 2, 2015.........................................MS B BB @ Alburnett - 4:00 pm Tuesday, February 3, 2015..................................JV/V B/G BB @ Alburnett - 4:00 pm Wednesday, February 4, 2015.............................. Dist FFA Review Night @ Midland Early Dismissal – PD - 1:45 pm Thursday, February 5, 2015............... FFA Meeting - Ms. Zumbach's room - 7:00 am MS B BB (H) Cedar Valley Christian - 4:00 pm Friday, February 6, 2015.............................JV/V B/G BB (H) Midland - 4:45/6:15 pm Saturday, February 7, 2015........................... State Large Group Speech @ Decorah HS WR Sectionals @ North Linn - 12:00 pm Monday, February 9, 2015.............................................MS B BB @ Ed-Co - 4:00 pm JV WR Tourn @ Decorah - 5:00 pm Tuesday, February 10, 2015......................................... Gr 3rd-8th Iowa Assessments JV/V B BB @ Bellevue Marquette - 6:15 pm Wednesday, February 11, 2015.................................... Gr 3rd-8th Iowa Assessments Thursday, February 12, 2015 ...................................... Gr 3rd-8th Iowa Assessments MS B BB (H) Springville - 4:00 pm JV/V B BB (H) Central Elkader - 6:15 pm Friday, February 13, 2015............................................ Gr 3rd-8th Iowa Assessments Saturday, February 14, 2015............................ HS WR Districts @ Jesup - 12:00 pm Monday, February 16, 2015.................................... MS B BB @ North Linn - 4:00 pm Wednesday, February 18, 2015.................................Early Dismissal – PD - 1:45 pm Thursday, February 19, 2015....................................... 4th Grade NAEP Assessment MS B BB (H) Lisbon - 4:00 pm State WR Tournament Friday, February 20, 2015........................................................ State WR Tournament Saturday, February 21, 2015.........................All-State Speech Large Group @ Ames State WR Tournament Monday, February 23, 2015...................................... MS B BB @ Starmont - 4:00 pm Tuesday, February 24, 2015....................All Band Concert 5th-12th Grade - 5:00 pm Thursday, February 26, 2015.............................................................End Trimester 2 FFA Sub-District @ Cascade Friday, February 27, 2015........................................................No School - PK-12 PD Saturday, February 28, 2015.............................. Individual Speech @ Independence POSTAL PATRON East Buchanan Community School District 414 5th Street North Winthrop, Iowa 50682 http://www.east-buc.k12.ia.us EAST BUCHANAN NEWSLETTER NON-PROFIT PRE-SORT STANDARD PERMIT #12 WINTHROP IA 50682 Jan-Feb 2015.indd 8 12/18/14 2:17 PM
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