APRIL 2017

BRUNING-DAVENPORT U.S.D.

Trudy K. Clark, Superintendent Erik Sokol, Principal

106 North Juniper Ave. 340 Carroll Street

Davenport, NE 68335 Bruning, NE 68322

402-364-2225 402-353-4685

F ROM THE SUPERINTENDENT: April is the month when the state test, known as the Nebraska School Accountability (NeSA) assessment, is taken. This year the test will be taken by all students in grades 3-8. Juniors will take the ACT. Students

in grades 3-8 take a reading and math test. Additionally, students in grades 5 and 8 take the science test. Our student scores are used in the AQuESST (Accountability for a Quality Education System Today and Tomorrow) ranking system. The NeSA scores will be used to rank our school in reading, math, and science against the other schools in Nebraska. The District results will be released to the media and published in the fall of 2017.

The state tests are summative assessments of a student’s progress following a year of instruction. The NeSA-ELA tests vocabulary, comprehension, and writing. The NeSA-M measures four concepts: number sense, geometric/measurement, algebraic, data analysis/probability. The NeSA-S measures student knowledge of physical science, earth science, and life science concepts, and inquiry skills. The NeSA tests require two testing sessions that may be on one day or two days within the same week. A student’s raw score and percent correct will be available to the administration at the end of each day during the testing window. Normally students in grades 4 and 8 would also take a writing test, but this year the language arts test requires students to conduct text-dependent analysis of passages and for students to write as part of the language arts test.

Please help your child to do his or her best on these tests by encouraging him or her to get 8 hours of sleep the night before their test. As we have in the past, the Davenport building is offering a light breakfast on testing days. The tentative dates for testing are as fol-lows:

“When we expect certain behaviors of others, we are likely to act in ways that make the expected behavior more likely to occur.” (Rosenthal and Babad, 1985) The quote is from the authors of a study who wrote about the Pygmalion Effect. They found that positive expectations influence performance positively, and negative expectations in-fluence performance negatively. Communicate high expectations to our youth and they will achieve according to our expectations. Consistently expect and teach for the best outcome and it will be achieved. We all play a role in communicating these high expectations to our youth and not just during testing season. Please communicate with your child(ren) as we enter into the last quarter of the school year your expectations regarding their performance. It will pay dividends to them now and in the future.

New Hire: We have hired Mr. Damen Kugel as our new principal. Presently he teaches middle school science at Tri-County Public Schools. He has plans to reside in Bruning with his wife. We are excited to have Mr. Kugel as part of our educational com-munity!

Test/Grade Date

NeSA-R (5th – 8th) April 12th-13th

NeSA-R (3rd & 4th) April 18th & 20th

NeSA-S (5th & 8th) April 19th & 21st

NeSA-M (5th-8th) April 25th-26th

NeSA-M (3rd-4th) April 27th-28th

F ROM THE PRINCIPAL: Believe it or not, we are already in the 4th quarter of the school year. I would like to recognize and express my gratitude to our students and staff for all of their hard work and effort. This has been a great year and I am incredi-

bly proud of our school district. I would like to take this opportunity to highlight some of the outstanding experiences that have taken place over the past month.

Our boys and girls basketball teams had tremendous seasons. Thank you to our athletes and coaches for your commitment and teamwork. We enjoyed watching you throughout the season. Our girls finished the season with a 16-7 record! Our boys finished the season with a 20-5 rec-ord and after winning the District Title for the 3rd year in a row, they once again were one of 8 teams selected to compete in the State Basketball Tournament .

NEBRASKA’S 150TH BIRTHDAY: Our elementary teachers did an amazing job of creating a fun and educa-tional day to celebrate our state’s 150th Birthday. Students watched a video about the history of our state and then participated in many small group activities. For lunch our students were fed hamburgers from local beef supplied to our schools through the Bruning-Davenport Beef Boosters.

Thank you to our local Fairbury Elk’s Club for helping to bring former Nebraska Husker football player Scott Shanle in to our Brun-ing Building to speak to our High School Students. I would also like to thank Meridian for joining us for this event. Mr. Shanle spoke in conjunction with our celebration of Red Ribbon Week which is a National Program focusing on drug awareness and prevention. As part of Mr. Shanle’s message, students signed pledges vowing to say ‘No’ to Drugs.

C ounselor’s Corner…Seniors… Continue APPLYING for SCHOLARSHIPS! DEADLINES are APPROACHING QUICKLY!

Seniors…Important FAFSA information for you and your parents: The IRS recently took down its Data Retrieval Tool (DRT) due to security concerns. The DRT allows students and parents to transfer income tax information into the Free Application for Fed-eral Student Aid (FAFSA). If you already filed your 2017-18 FAFSA and used the DRT to input your tax information, this outage should not affect you. If you and your parents have NOT completed your 2017-18 FAFSA, follow these steps: Complete the FAFSA at fafsa.gov. If you get an error message when you try IRS Data Retrieval (“page not found” or “access denied”), manually input your 2015 tax data. Request an official tax return transcript of your 2015 income tax data from the IRS. You will need the transcript if the college(s) you list on the FAFSA request verification of your tax data. Respond to verification requests as soon as possible and send all requested documents to the college. Colleges will not award financial aid until the verification process is complete. For free help with the FAF-SA or verification process, contact EducationQuest to make an appointment. See locations and phone numbers at the bottom of this bulletin. You may also submit questions via Facebook and Twitter. We will quickly respond! College fairs happening across the state: Talk to representatives from colleges across the state, region, and nation during upcom-ing college fairs. Juniors…these events will help you narrow your college choices before taking the ACT this spring and applying for college and financial aid early in the fall. Seniors…attend if you haven’t made your final college decision. Lincoln Area College Fair – Sunday, March 19, 1-3 p.m., Southeast Community College. Grand Island Area College Fair – Sunday, March 26, 1-3 p.m., Pinnacle Bank Expo Center. Omaha Area College Fair – Sunday, April 9, 1-3 p.m., University of Nebraska Omaha Sapp Fieldhouse. Before you attend, register for a barcode at NebraskaCollegeFairs.org. Print the barcode (or download it to your smartphone) and take it to the fair so college reps can scan it. Seniors…It’s decision time! Here’s how to decide on the college that’s the right fit for you. Compare your college acceptance letters, financial aid award notifications, and campus visit notes. List the pros and cons of each school using the following criteria: Location – Is the college too close? If you come home every weekend, you won’t experience true campus life. Is the col-lege too far away? If so, you may not make it home as often as you’d like. Cost – Can your family afford the school? What can you expect for financial aid beyond your freshman year? Did you receive renewable scholarships? How much in student and parent loans will you need to cover expenses? Academic program – Does the college offer the program that interests you? What happens if you change majors? Does the college offer other programs that interest you? Student life – Does the school offer activities you will en-joy? Do you like the living arrangements provided by the school? Will you have an opportunity to work on or near campus? Make your final decision by May 1 – and then notify the colleges you’re rejecting so they can offer your spot, and any financial aid, to another student. April “To Do” List: Seniors - Continue applying for scholarships. Make your final college decision. Start pur-chasing dorm essentials now to avoid sticker shock in August. Start looking for a summer job. Juniors: Attend a college fair in your area. Schedule campus visits while colleges are still in session. Register by April 7 for the May 6 SAT. Register by May 5 for the June 10 ACT. Start looking for scholarships. For free help with college planning, contact EducationQuest Foundation: Omaha: 402-391-4033 or 888-357-6300 Lincoln: 402-475-5222 or 800-303-3745 EducationQuest.org

STUDENT OF THE MONTH: DYLAN DOMEIER

Congratulations to our Speech Program! Our students and coaches have had an awesome season. This past week our team took home the D2 District 1 Title. We will have 13 students competing in 11 events representing Bruning-Davenport at the State Level in Kearney on March 24th.

“Seven million job openings in 2015 were in occupations that required coding skills and programming jobs overall are growing 12% faster than the market average.” according to Burning Glass, a job market analytics firm. I am happy to share with you that we are exposing our students to projects that re-quire them to experiment with coding and/or programing. From our computer software to our 3-D printers, spheros, robotics, and drones, our students are getting hands on experience with 21st Cen-tury Technology.

Lastly, I would like to share with you that I spend a great deal of time reading and researching about the best practices of the best schools. As you can see from all of the pictures above, we already shine! But as someone who is always looking for areas to im-prove, I have two suggestions that, with your help, can help us to reach even higher. The first is simply making the time to read with your child every night. We can read with our children, to our children, or simply by opening our own book when we encourage them to do so is incredibly beneficial to them. Research confirms that one of the best strategies to increase and develop our minds is to engage in reading. Secondly, another simple yet research supported component to aid learning is to be sure to attend school each day. According to the U.S. Department of Education, a student who misses two days a month, or 18 days a year, has missed 10 per-cent of the school year and is considered to be chronically absent. According to research from USDE, students who are chronically absent in preschool, kindergarten and first grade are less likely to read on grade level by the third grade. In turn, they are four times more likely to drop out of high school. While I understand that illnesses and medical appointments are bound to occur, I do ask that you do your best to see that your child attends school as often as possible. I am sure that we can all agree that we want them to con-tinue to be successful in all of the opportunities life has to offer. Mr. Erik Sokol, Principal

J H QUIZ BOWL: On March 8, 2017, the junior high quiz bowl team comprised of the following students: Isaac E., Sam B., Dom Q., Jordan B., Kellie B., Eric S., and newcomer to the team Paige B. traveled to Hebron to participate in the ESU 5 Junior High

Quiz Bowl tournament held at the Thayer Central High School. This team competed against 14 other teams from eight ESU 5 schools in the tournament. These teams were tested over their knowledge of social science, language arts, math, science, fine arts, sports, miscellaneous knowledge, and current events. Teams were pitted against one another in a double elimination tournament for-mat with Bruning Davenport going 3-2 in match play. The team won its first match in tournament play before losing to the eventual 2nd place team of Freeman A. This was an incredibly tough tournament with many schools bringing two teams of their best players. I am very proud of how our students represented the district in another competition. Mr. Rick Ault, Middle School Language Arts

F CCLA PEER ED RETREAT: The Bruning-Davenport Middle School FCCLA Chapter attended the FCCLA State Peer Education Conference held in Kearney, NE on February 27, 2017. The theme of the meeting was “Su-PEER Heroes!”.

There were several speakers and sessions. The keynote speaker was Lloyd Roberts of Mothers Against Drunk Driving. He shared what his family experienced when his daughter died in a drunk driving acci-dent. He also spoke about all the other people who were affected by her decision to drink and drive

There were also 3 breakout sessions; the first was “Empowering Leaders with the Su-PEER Heroes!” In this session, the State Peer Officers educated members about Peer Teams, and how to use FCCLA as a tool for success. Erin Rea, the founder of Love Adelyn, presented a session, entitled “Giving Hope to Little Hearts”. She shared her family's journey, from the birth and death of her daughter with a congenital heart defect to starting a foundation. The purpose of the Love Adelyn Foundation is to help other families who have critically ill children in Nebraska hospitals. Erin also encouraged FCCLA members to use self-accountability to get through tough situations in their lives. She also urged FCCLA members to find a way, even if it seems small, to make a difference in other's lives; they shouldn't wait for something tragic in their lives to feel like they can make a differ-ence. Jill Goedeken, a 4-H extension agent from Columbus, presented a session entitled "Resumes 101". Students were presented with an example of a well-written resume. Students were also given examples of items to include in a resume to make it successful. While presenting, Goedeken provided tips about wording and helpful ways to share information within the resume document. All in all, Peer Conference was a blast and we look forward to attending next year! Ms. Alicia Hoffman, FCCLA Advisor

F FA: In the past month the FFA students have been very busy and hard at work. The students studied very hard in order to be ready for the district CDE contest which took place in Beatrice at SCC on Tues-

day the 7th of March. Almost all of the students that are involved in FFA participated in this event and were quite successful. Qualifying for state and placing first in their contests were the livestock management and food science teams. Members of the livestock management team included Faith S, Colleen W, Samantha L, Skyler K, and Taralee H. On the food science team individually Morgan L placed 1st, Colleen W placed 3rd, and Skyler K placed 5th. Faith S was also a member of this team. The farm management team placed 2nd overall and individually Morgan L placed 2nd, Emilie S 8th, TaraLee H 9th, and Isaac B\12th. Other teams included: Natural resources-Haley P-L, Austin S, Caden N, and Karson D; Agronomy-Caden N, Karson D, Nolan W and Preston S; Agriscience-Nolan W, Dylan D, Alfonso P-L, and Isaac E; Floriculture-Glenn M, Matthew W, and Kameron D; Biotechnology-Austin S, Samantha L, Preston S, and Matthew W. In addition, on Monday, March 13th the members hosted barnyard day. This is a day held every year when the FFA members work with local livestock producers to bring in all kinds of different animals for the prek-4th grade students to come to see the animals. A set of FFA members are with each animal and present a few fun facts about the animal so that the students can learn and have lots of fun. This year was very successful other than the arctic cold that seemed to have set in just for that day. Our members are now cur-rently preparing to go to state and compete in their contest, and to host our annual FFA banquet and labor auction on April 20th. Be watching your calendar for other upcoming events as well.

MEET A SENIOR NOEL GINES is the son of Jesus & Rosa Gines of Ohiowa. He has one brother, Omar. Noel is active in football, bas-ketball, track, drama, NHS, Letter Club, and Quiz Bowl. He enjoys spending time with friends, watching movies and spending time with family. Noel plans to attend UNL or Wayne State and major in Business Administration or Account-ing. Noel’s favorite food is Mac N’ Cheese, his favorite TV show is Friday Night Lights, his favorite song is Peace of Mind by Boston and his favorite place to go to be alone is his room. The most influential people is his life have been his parents.

RANDI ARIEL YANEY is the daughter of Randy Yaney and Michelle Domeier. She has one sister, Traci Clevenger. Ariel plans to join the workforce after graduation. She has already started her own business, “Wildfire Home Designs”. She enjoys making projects by hand. Ariel’s favorite TV shows is Game of Thornes and The Walking Dead, her favorite song in Monsoon and her favorite place to go to be alone is out to the pasture with her horses. The most influential per-son in her life has been her grandma Betty.

FAITH STENGEL is the daughter of Rick and Janell Stengel of Carleton. She is involved in band, Drama, Speech, FCCLA, FFA, Letter Club and NHS at B-D USD. Faith is involved in High School Youth Group, 4-H, Nebraska and the Horse Club Association. Faith enjoys barrel racing. Her future plans are to attend Fort Hays and major in Psycholo-gy. Her favorite food is pasta, her favorite TV show is Spongebob Square Pants, her favorite song is Warrior by Demi Lovato and her favorite place to go to be alone is to go for a drive on a dirt road. The most influential person in her life was her Grandpa Schardt.

E LEMENTARY READING: The Kindergarten and 1st grad-ers practiced their reading skills by reading to the Bruning Women's Club. After the ladies listened to the students a

cookie was enjoyed by all, furnished by Betty's Cafe!

Grade Name Date 6 Mallory Dickson 1 Wendy Friesen 1 6 Colten Houser 1 6 Paige Oltmans 1 Marv Holtzen 3 6 Samantha Enghauser 4

Grade Name Date 10 Matthew Wachtel 11 8 Shakira Sunday 17 7 Liberty Campbell 18 Jackie Swartzendruber 20 12 Austin Smith 26

APRIL BIRTHDAYS

S PI Carnival: Get ready for a fun night! The Storm Parent Involvement (SPI) Carnival will be held Friday, April 21 from 6:00-8:00 in the Davenport gyms. Pre-school students through

5th grade are welcome to attend. Inflatables, face painting, cake walk, balloon artists, and other games will keep students entertained. A light meal will be provided in the cafeteria. Our library is also holding a Spring Book Fair! We could use more parent volunteers to help make this carni-val a success. Please contact Jamie Koch, Daina Philippi or Deb Pope if you are willing to help.

E LEMENTARY READING: The second and third grad-ers had fun buddy reading for Dr. Seuss Day!! Students enjoyed reading at the Davenport Senior Center.

A CTIONS DAY: On Wednesday, March 15 students had an opportunity to participate in ACTIONS Day in Hastings, at Central Community College. At ACTIONS Day students take three exams in content areas of their choice. They

compete against over 1,000 students from over 15 schools in the surrounding area. We are proud to an-nounce Bruning-Davenport USD student, Brett Holtzen, took first place in two separate events: US Government and Trigonometry. Congratulations to all of those who participated this year.

CHARACTER COUNTS FAIRNESS TRUSTWORTHINESS CITIZENSHIP CARING RESPONSIBILITY

“Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are. Your reputation is merely what others think of you.” John Wooden

Caitlynn Beddoe- Nominated by Mrs. Kowalski - Students spent time in elemen-tary PE helping Mr. Stolzenburg while

building positive relationships with our early elementary students.

Blake Cox -Nominated by Ms. Hoffman because he is always willing to

help put supplies away at the end of their guidance lessons.

Michael Bauer- Nomi-nated by Ms. Hoffman because he is always willing to help put sup-plies away at the end of

their guidance lesson.

Y EARBOOKS: Capture the memories of school days: Buy a B-D yearbook today! Yearbook orders need to be

placed by April 14th. Please contact the school offices or Mrs. Friesen (wfriesen@bdstorm.org). Payment of $29

per yearbook is due at the time of order. Grades PreK-12 are featured in our yearbook.

Skyler Knigge- Nominated by Mrs. Kowalski - Stu-dents spent time in elemen-tary PE helping Mr. Stolzenburg while building positive relationships with

our elementary students.

Kim Ardissono- Nominated by Mrs. Kowalski - Students spent time in elemen-tary PE helping

Mr. Stolzenburg while building positive relation-ships with our early ele-mentary students.

Garrett Schardt—Nominated by Mrs. Kowalski—students spent time in elemen-tary PE helping Mr.

Stolzenburg while building positive relationships with our elementary students.

Collin Schoenholz—He is always polite and will do things without having to be told.

Kaden Dickson—He has been doing a won-derful job reading his AR

Caden Norder—Nominated by Mrs. Wolfteich—He is al-

ways polite, helpful and positive anytime during the day.

E LEMENTARY FIELD DAY: K-6th grades will participate in the Annual Field Day on May 5th at the Bruning football field. Events will begin at 12:15 and end approximately 2:15. Each student will participate in seven differ-

ent events. Please come on May 5th and enjoy a great afternoon!