dmps community report - february/march 2014

8/13/2019 DMPS Community Report - February/March 2014

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Des Moines Public Schools

COMMUNITY REPORTDMPS

February/March 2014

DMPS Community Report | FEBRUARY/MARCH 2014

Opportunities continue to expand

for students to have greater access

to college-level Advanced Placementcourses throughout Des Moines, as

the school district will be offering new

courses at Central Academy while

continuing other AP courses available atall ve comprehensive high schools.

Tese changes result from significantenrollment increases the school districthas seen in recent years in AdvancedPlacement courses as both students and

teachers have stepped up to meet thechallenge of this college-level curriculum. DMPS is pleased to announce, for thefirst time ever, four new AP courses to beoffered to Des Moines students through

Central Academy starting with the 20115 school year: AP Art History, AP

Computer Science, AP Microeconomiand AP Spanish Literature. Tese new offerings are unique, specialized coursethat will be available only at CentralAcademy in order to provide access toall DMPS students. (Previously, AP ArHistory and AP Microeconomics wereavailable only to students at RooseveltHigh School.) In order to facilitate the growth of Advanced Placement program at Centr

Academy, DMPS will reduce someduplication of AP courses. Starting in2014-15, AP Environmental Science, AStatistics, and AP US Government will

AP Continues to Grow at DMPS

Four New AP Courses to be Offered at Central Academy

Continued on Page

3

3

4

4

56

7

8

11

13

13

Upcoming IowaAssessments

KCCIs LewisJoins DMPS

Moulton, ISUDay of Action

Celebrating OurAchievements

The Lulu Name

ach year jurists from the Iowa

Court of Appeals and the Iowa

upreme Court take part in a

esson on the judicial process inAP Government classes at high

chools in Des Moines.


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The following chart compares the number of students enrolled in AP courses today to

year prior to the expansion of AP offerings at all ve high schools:

In addition to signicant enrollment increases in AP courses, the number of AP exams

nearly doubled in the past two years. Depending on the result, exams scores transfer t

credit at most colleges and universities. The number of AP exams administered at DMP

over the past three years is as follows:

As a result of this effort, for the rst time ever all ve Des Moines high schools are list

on the Iowa AP Index released by the Belin-Blank Center for Gifted Education at the

University of Iowa among the top 50 AP schools in the state. Roosevelt is ranked 7th

among all Iowa high schools, Hoover 26th, North 28th, Lincoln 30th and East 36th. In

addition, Central Academy received special recognition for having the highest score in

on the AP Index.

longer be offered at CentralAcademy but will continue to beoffered at all five comprehensivehigh schools.

Des Moines Public Schools is aleader in Iowa and the nation whenit comes to offering students accessto high-level academic programs,such as Advanced Placement, andour students are to be commendedfor taking on these world-classeducational opportunities, saidSuperintendent om Ahart. Teschool districts effort to makeAP courses available to more and

more students throughout DesMoines is showing that our studentsand teachers are stepping up tothe challenge. We are providingthousands of students access toclasses that will help prepare themfor college and beyond. Participation in AdvancedPlacement courses, high level classesaccredited by the College Board, hasseen a tremendous increase in recent

years as more classes are offered atEast, Hoover, Lincoln, North andRoosevelt high schools in additionto the nationally-recognizedCentral Academy. Te expansionof AP courses in Des Moines alignswith the College Boards missionto provide equitable access bygiving all willing and academicallyprepared students the opportunityto participate. DMPS has worked

to eliminate barriers that restrictaccess to AP for students who havebeen traditionally underserved; domore to reflect the diversity of ourstudent population; and provide allstudents with access to academicallychallenging coursework before theyenroll in AP classes. A recent report issued by theCollege Board found that while Iowa

AP Continues to Grow at DMPSContinued from Page 1...

overall lags the nation in providingstudents access to AP courses, Iowastudents who complete an APcourse and exam do better than thenational average. DMPS started to expand accessto AP courses at all five Des Moines

high schools starting in the 2011-12 school year. As a result, someschools have seen up to a ninehundred percent increase in APenrollment today compared to fouryears ago, and overall the schooldistrict has seen more than a four-fold increase.

Advanced Placement is aprogram created by the College

Board to offer college-levelcurriculum and examinations tohigh school students. Collegesand universities often grantplacement and course credit tostudents who obtain high scoreson the course examinations. Te

AP curriculum is created for theCollege Board by a panel of expertsand college-level educators. Fora high school course to have theAP designation, teachers mustsuccessfully complete additionaltraining and the course is auditedby the College Board to confirmthat it meets the high standards ofthe AP curriculum.

School

East High School

Hoover High School

Lincoln High School

North High School

Roosevelt High School

TOTAL

83

107

164

37

223

614

832

325

554

353

630

2,694

+902%

+303%

+238%

+854%

+182%

+339%

Difference

2010-11 AP

Enrollment

2013-14 AP

Enrollment

2010-11

2011-12

2012-13

1,024

1,834

2,036

+79.1%

+98.8%

Difference from 2010-AP Exams Taken


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Attendance Area Changes

Considered for Elementary Schools

The year was 1987. Ronald Reaganwas President. Hayden Fry coachedthe Iowa football team. TheSimpsons premiered on TV. Michael

Jackson was at the top of the

music charts. The Berlin Wall wasstill standing. A gallon of gas cost89 cents. And, Des Moines Public

Schools did the last major changeof its school attendance areas.

A lot of things change in morethan a quarter of a century, botharound the world and here at home. o respond to change in orderto better serve our students andmeet the needs of our schools,Des Moines Public Schools isconsidering new attendance areas

for our elementary schools. Temost significant and positive resultin almost every case, if this change isadopted, is that the attendance areasof our elementary, middle and highschools will now better align, creatinga more consistent feeder systemthroughout the district. What could this mean forelementary education in Des Moines?

Several good things:

More neighborhood studentswill be able to attend theirneighborhood school

Enrollment will be betterbalanced between our schoolbuildings

Our school buildings will bebetter utilized

Elementary schools willbe more aligned with oursecondary schools

If approved by the School Boardlater this spring, the changes wouldgo into effect starting with the 2015-16 school year. However, for manystudents and families, the changes

would have little or no impact as theplan would be grandfathered intoplace so that students would not have tochange the school they currently attend. For more information aboutthe proposal including an interactivemap as well as a formto submit comments or questionsonline please visithttp://attendanceareas.dmschools.org.

For additional information including maps, frequently-asked questions, or to submit a

comment please visit attendanceareas.dmschools.org.

ATTENDANCEAREAS

attendanceareas.dmschools.org

Between March 31 and April 1

DMPS students in grades

3 through 11 will be taking

the Iowa Assessments.

Measuring student academicachievement with the IowaAssessments provides informatioto help our students succeed.Te Iowa Assessments make thispossible by providing detailedinformation about studentachievement in content areasincluding reading, mathematicsand science.

Te Iowa Assessments measustudent growth and progressfrom year to year. In addition,they provide information aboutstudents academic performancerelative to their school, the distriand the nation.

Information gained from thIowa Assessments helps teachersidentify students strengths and

areas that may need additionalemphasis. Te assessment dataenable sound decision-makingand provide a focus for teachersto review and improve theirinstruction. Te results of theassessment will help prepareour students for the next stepson their educational paths. Andyou can help prepare them forthe assessment by supporting

them at home in striking ahealthy, effective balance betweehomework, extra-curricularinterests and activities, nutritionand rest.

For more information aboutthe Iowa Assessments, please visihttps://itp.education.uiowa.edu/

Upcoming Iow

Assessments
http://attendanceareas.dmschools.org/http://attendanceareas.dmschools.org/


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A long-time reporter and anchor with

KCCI-TV, the CBS afliate in Des Moines,

will be joining the school districts Ofce of

Communications and Public Affairs at the

end of February.

I am very pleased and excited to

announce that Amanda Lewis of KCCI-TV will

be joining our communications staff at Des

Moines Public Schools later this month. Shes

a seasoned professional whos going to be a

great addition to our school district, said Phil

Roeder, Director of Communications & Public

Affairs for Des Moines Public Schools.

In her new role, Lewiss responsibilities

will include assisting with media relations,

developing content for the districts

communications channels, and coordinating

new employee communication efforts.

But their vision for the event wasonly realized with a wide swath ofcommunity support. Official sponsors besides theSocial Club were OrchestrateHospitality, Job Corps, GatewayMarket and Raygun. Te idea started to come off thedrawing board when the UL 101students were asked to nominate like-

minded teachers and students fromtheir home high schools. Rolllins andLang followed up with the nomineesand the district-wide critical massof delegates was assembled. Tensponsors got behind it. And now that

its happened questions beg as to nexsteps for this evolving community ofstudent activists. Te weekly writing workshophas already expanded to East (siteof the last and next Share theMic poetry events), Lang said,prompting Rollins to add, Wecan imagine all the high schoolseventually competing versus each

other in poetry slams, as thisirresistible force called variouslyMovement 515, RunDSM, Sharethe Mic, Energetic Reciprocity and,now, een Summit, scales up andspreads. Like wildfire.

TEEN SUMMIT:The re at the rehouse!

Actually, its not a firehouseanymore, its the work-in-progressnew headquarters of the Des MoinesSocial Club, a performing arts hub

in downtown. And the fire therewas the figurative but raging onethat was our citys first annual eenSummit on January 24-25, broughtto you by the students in theUrban Leadership 101 class atCentral Campus and delegationsof their counterparts from eachof the districts five comprehensivehigh schools. Te Social Club is only a block

south of the DMPS administrativeoffices but the een Summit iseven closer to the districts missionthan that. It goes to the essenceof training a new generation ofcommunity-minded citizens,educated and practiced in the waysof change agency. Te two-day event included aseries of panels, town hall-styledmeetings and workshops dealing

with issues and art forms dearto the hearts of young peoplebefore culminating with studentperformance and celebration. Kristopher Rollins and EmilyLang are the UL 101 teachers.

KCCIs Lewis Joins DMPS

Communications Team

Amanda Lewis will be joining the school

districts Ofce of Communications and Pu

Affairs at the end of February.

Students from all ve DMPS high schools gathered at the Des Moines Social Club

for the 1st annual Teen Summit.


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New Partnership Gives Low-Income Students a Pathway toHigher Education and a Career

On January 16, Drake University

President David Maxwell

announced the university willpartner with Principal Financial

Group, Des Moines Public Schools,

and the Community Foundation of

Greater Des Moines to implement

a pilot program called the STEM

Pathway Initiative.

Te initiative will provide low-income Des Moines high schoolstudents a pipeline to higher

education and employment in high-demand occupations. Te proposalwas featured at a White Housesummit hosted by President BarackObama focusing on increasingcollege opportunity for low-incomeand disadvantaged students. Te initiatives first year will pairas many as 20 high school studentsfrom DMPS with Drake student Continued on Page 6...

mentors and professional mentors atTe Principal to explore a variety of

professional opportunities includingactuarial science, accounting,information technology, finance,and insurance. Participatingstudents will have demonstratedability in math based on eighthgrade assessment scores. Upon completion of highschool, qualified students in theprogram will be admitted to Drakewith necessary financial support.

Te students will be eligible forpaid internships at Te Principalduring their studies at Drake andconsidered for employment uponcompletion of their degree andfulfillment of program requirements. Drake submitted its proposalfor the SEM Pipeline Initiative byinvitation of White House officials,who asked colleges to commit

to plans for increasing collegeopportunity for low-income anddisadvantaged students. Te summiformally launched a plan of actionby the National Economic Council,the Domestic Policy Council, andthe Department of Educationfor improving college access, and

included remarks by PresidentObama, First Lady MichelleObama, and Secretary of EducationArne Duncan. Te Obama administrationscall for partnerships catalyzed plansthat Maxwell has been discussingwith Principal Financial GroupChairman, President, and CEOLarry Zimpleman for some time. Tis summit provided the push

that we needed to stop talking abouthis and take action, Maxwell said.Weve come together to launch apilot project that is fully scalable andreplicable. If it is successfulandwe expect it can beit can serve asa model for additional initiatives inDes Moines and in communitiesaround the country. Various entities at the federal,state, and local levels have identified

a particular shortage of collegegraduates in the United States whoare prepared to work in SEMfields, with the number of SEM-related occupations projected toincrease at 1.7 times the rate of nonSEM occupations. As Iowas largest school district,we have made providing greateraccess to SEM educationalprograms a priority across all

grade levels, said om Ahart,superintendent of Des MoinesPublic Schools. Te new SEMPathway Initiative provides anotherexciting and rewarding opportunityfor students in Des Moines to seefirsthand how the things they learnin school can translate to collegeand careers.

A partnership between Drake University, Principal Financial Group and DMPS is

designed to support students pursuing education and career opportunities related to

science, technology, engineering and math.


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so we have a strong interest inworking to encourage students ofall backgrounds to pursue educationin the SEM disciplines. We look

forward to partnering with DrakeUniversity, Des Moines PublicSchools, and the CommunityFoundation of Greater Des Moinesto help support and encouragethese deserving students. Community Foundation ofGreater Des Moines President

Kristi Knous said the initiativewill improve the quality of life forIowans now and in years to come. By making a commitment

to support the professionalgoals of deserving studentsthrough education, mentorship,and financial assistance, we areinvesting in the future successof our community, Knous said.We are so proud to join thisinitiative.

activism in the face of inequality andinjustice. Moulton students wear blackpolo shirts with the school igeremblazoned on the chest but onthat Friday in January the look was

topped off with hairnets. Tere wasalso more than a splash of Cyclonecardinal and gold in the building.Without a program you couldnttell the Moulton staff from theISU. And in years to come the linesbetween students of the two schoolswill also blur. Tats a promise.

Zimpleman, the current chair ofDrakes Board of rustees, said everyyoung person should have accessto higher education, regardless of

family income. Its important for Te Principalto have access to a well-educatedpipeline of SEM students fromIowa high schools and universities,Zimpleman said. About a thirdof Te Principals current Iowaworkforce is in SEM positions,

On January 16, Iowa State

University President Steven Leath

was in Washington for PresidentObamas summit on increased

educational opportunities for

minorities and disadvantaged youth.

Leath used the occasion to declarethe schools intention to raise $150million over the next five years tofund scholarships for that expresspurpose. Its no coincidence thatISU Vice President for Public AffairsTomas Hill told an auditorium fullof youngsters at Moulton LearningCenter the very next day that he willhave a boatload of money for themwhen the time comes if they buckledown in school starting right awayand come applying at Iowa State whenthey graduate from high school. Dr. Hills pledge of generositywas the keynote of the assemblythat kicked off Moultons MLKCelebration Day on January 17. Every last one of you in thisauditorium, Hill said loudly andrepeatedly after everyone stood

together for the Pledge of Allegiance,has what it takes to go to college. Following Hills promissory speechthe whole school, Pre-K through8th grade, watched a short trainingvideo provided by Meals From theHeartland before taking a shift, gradeby grade, in the gym where MFHhad set up one of their patentedassembly lines for packaging lifesavingpouches of nourishment to beshipped, in this case, to starving peoplein South Africa and the Philippines.MFH spokesman Joel ODell toldhis troops for the day that togetherthey would assemble some 13,000meals toward MFHs 2014 overallgoal of 10 million. Besides Hills rousing remarks

he brought along a contingent ofISU staff members to pitch in andhelp the kids bag the chow. As hereminded the Moulton students,none of whom were yet born whenDr. Kings birthday was observed as anational day of service by all 50 statesfor the first time in 2000, Dr. Kingslegacy remains community service and

New Partnership Gives Low-Income Students a Pathway

Continued from Page 5...

Moulton, ISU Partner on Dayof Action in Honor of MLK Day

Iowa State and Moulton joined forces in

support of Meals From the Heartland.


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Annual Art Exhibit is a February Oasis

The local weather between

February 6 and 12 was normal or

worse but there was an an oasis all

that week downtown in the atrium

at Capital Square. Its formallyknown as the Des Moines Public

Schools Annual Art Exhibit but its

many patrons usually refer to it as

Ooh or Aah.

Every school in the district wasrepresented, elementary through highschool. Tere were works in 2D and3D and free takeaways in the formof pocket-sized zines (pronouncedzeenz). And on opening night therewas also live music courtesy of StringFusion and the Hoover Jazz Band.Between that and the wide-ranging

gallery of works and the small kidsnibbling at the edges of the atriumreflecting pool and the atriums highsky, visitors could forget for a whilethat the temps outside were goingfrom cold to worse. But February,for all its frigidity, is a great monthfor this event. What better antidotefor the winter blahs than a cavalcadeof exuberant, emergent, promisingstudent art?

Inspiring as the event traditionallyis, it continues to evolve and expand.Tis was its second year at CapitalSquare and it fit naturally intothe public space there where dailyfoot traffic may weave throughoutthe displays. Next year we hope to have big

banners from all of our schools,according to Sara Dougherty, thedistricts Coordinator of VisualArts Curriculum, and there are plansin the works to actually create somepieces on site during the Exhibit.Eventually there may be some DMPSworks that will be incorporated intopermanent display here. In the meantime there was plentyto catch the eye. Upstairs, a crowd

gathered around a case that enclosedthe 3D pieces. One lady was eager topoint out a clay piece that featuredthe pink ribbon symbolic of breastcancer awareness and research. Seethat, isnt that something? sheasked proudly. My grandson madethat. Beaming at her side was theartist, Pleasant Hill Elementary 5thgrader, Jared Oliviera. A ribbon waspinned to his puffing chest. In a

brief chat with another onlooker shementioned once that her name isPamela Seipel. But she clearly preferto be known as Jareds grandmotherShe declared that status half a dozentimes. Jared was very pleased to haveso pleased his grandma.

Oh, to be the apple of the eye of

at least one very special beholder.


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Lillian Nellansbroke the all-time

National Forensic Leagues pointsrecord in speech and debate and has

been selected for the nine-member

team representing the United States in

World Schools Debate. The team will

take part in debate competitions around

the world, concluding in Thailand next

summer. The Riders debate team also

won its third state championship in four

years led by head coach Harry Strong.

Connor Gilletteand Nick

Biancalanawere awarded and have

accepted appointments to military

service academies. Connor will attend

the Unites States Naval Academy at

Annapolis and Nick is headed for the

United States Air Force Academy in

Colorado Springs.

This regular feature of the DMPS Community Reporthighlights awards and achievements of district students and staff. Please letus know if you have a notable achievement to share by e-mailing Mike Wellman at [email protected]. Here aresome achievements from the past few months.

Celebrating Our Achievements

TEACHERS

Josie Burg, who teaches mathat the Downtown School, wasnamed by President Obama as arecipient of the Presidential Awardfor Excellence in Mathematicsand Science eaching. Josie is thetenth DMPS teacher to receive thisprestigious national award since itscreation in 1983.

Larry Beallestablished the IowaEnergy and Sustainability Academyat Central Campus in 2010. Tistwo-year program teaches topicsrelated to environmental science,energy, sustainability, wastemanagement, and related areasthrough hands-on field experiences

and students earn college creditin the process. For his efforts

Beall was chosen as a railblazingeacher for 2013 by the UnitedStates Green Building Council.Beall was instrumental in CentralCampus being the only Iowa schoolincluded among the first cohort ofGreen Ribbon Schools selected bythe United States Department ofEducation and the EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA) in 2012and DMPS being named a Green

Ribbon District in 2013 when thatdesignation was established.

Four educators from Des MoinesPublic Schools -Alex Hammerof Weeks Middle School, AnsonBonte of Callanan Middle

School, Sara Earleywine of HoytMiddle School, and Julie Goering

of South Union ElementarySchool are among 150 teacherschosen to participate in the neweacher Leadership Initiative, aprogram sponsored by the NationalEducation Association and otherorganizations to help develop a newgeneration of leaders in the teachingprofession. Te Des Moines teacherwill join colleagues from six states inthe pilot year of this program.

STUDENTS

Four seniors attending Hooverand Roosevelt high schools in DesMoines have been named by theU.S. Department of Education andthe White House Commission onPresidential Scholars as candidatesfor the 2014 U.S. PresidentialScholars Program.

Te DMPS students, whoalso attend classes at CentralAcademy, are:

Edel Aron Roosevelt HighSchool

Lillian Nellans RooseveltHigh School

Maxwell Pilcher RooseveltHigh School

Ryan Utke Hoover High

School

Inclusion in the U.S. PresidentialScholars Program, now in its 50thyear, is one of the highest honorsbestowed upon graduating highschool seniors. Scholars are selectedon the basis of superior academicand artistic achievements, leadershipqualities, strong character and

Continued on Page 9..


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head-to-head tournament matchesin the style of the NCAA MarchMadness basketball tournament.

Tis marked the initial full

season of the Math Madnesscontest, which was created withthe goal of shining some of thecompetitive spotlight on academics.During this past season, nearly10,000 students representing 500schools across the nation took part.

District meets were held acrossIowa on February 15 to determine

qualifiers for the 2014 Iowa StateHigh School Wrestling ournament.Congratulations to five DMPSwrestlers who will be seeking statetitles: Chance Raleighof East(132 lbs),Josh Davis of East (152lbs), Nate Lunaof Lincoln (152lbs), Damonte Clarkof Hoover/North (160 lbs) and Reggie JonesoRoosevelt (170 lbs).

involvement in community andschool activities. Each year approximately 3,000candidates or about one-tenth of

one percent of senior high schoolstudents are named as candidatesin the 2012 U.S. PresidentialScholars Program. A total of 53 Iowastudents were included.

Eleven Central Academy CreativeWriting students received regionalrecognition in the 2013 ScholasticArt & Writing Awards with the

Alliance for Young Artists & Writers.Te writing contest, sponsored byUniversity of Iowas Belin-BlankCenter, has an impressive legacydating back to 1923. Over the years,the Awards have grown to becomethe longest-running, most prestigiousrecognition program for creative teensin the U.S., and the nations largestsource of scholarships for creativeyoung artists and writers.

GOLD KEY:Te highest level ofachievement on the regional level.Approximately 7 10% of allregional submissions are recognizedwith Gold Key Awards and allare considered for national-levelrecognition.

Lillian Nellans, BeingCalled a Slut Is a Real Bitch

(Nellans is also an AmericanVoices Nominee forhaving one of five worksselected from all of theGold Key award winnersas the Best of Show foreach region.)

Granger Carty, Blue Haze Montgomery Cason, Evoke,

Prophetical, Starry Sky,Surreal

Julianna Hauri, Te City Madison McKibben, Broke

SILVER KEY:Approximately 10

15% of all regional submissions arerecognized with Silver Key Awards.

Sam Bates-Norum, TeBelly Dancers Putsch

Eleanor McKinley,Countdown

Emily Stavneak, Five Quinn Veasman, #3; Belle Quinn Veasman, O; You;

Tis River

HONORABLE MENION: TisAward recognizes students withartistic potential. Approximately15 20% of all regional submissionsreceive Honorable Mention Awards.

Allison Rapp, Tey CallMe Steve

Reid Wade, Corners Reid Wade, Te Disease

of Mental Illness

Te Independent Study CreativeWriting class is facilitatedcollaboratively by Sherry Brooks, AmyFinnegan, Cate Miller, and DianeMorain. Tese students meet weeklyduring lunch and work collaborativelyto explore their passion and submit topublications and competitions.

Mathletes from Central Academybrought home more hardware for theiralready bulging trophy case, winningfirst place in the Math MadnessAMC/Interstellar High SchoolMathematics National Championship,sponsored by the MathematicalAssociation of America. Te tournament featured 64teams from around the country in



Scholars from Central Academy also

nished second in the 2014 AmesLaboratory/Iowa State University

Regional High School Science Bowl

on January 25.

Pictured: (front row l-r) Edel Aron, Max Pilcheand Granger Carty; (back row l-r) Assistantcoach Sarah Davitt, Luis Martinez, VaibhavSrikaran, coach Scott Schoneberg, and AmesLaboratory Assistant Director for Scientic

Planning Cynthia Jenks.



10/140

welve DMPS swimmers qualifiedfor the Boys State Swimming Meeton February 15 in Marshalltown:

Hoover/Norths CorbinFaidleyqualified in the500 yard freestyle and histeammate Matt Schwarzdid likewise in the 100yard breaststroke. Both arejuniors and they joinedseniors Eric MarkhamandAndrew Gambleon the 200yard freestyle and 200 yardmedley relay units.

Lincoln made the field in the400 yard freestyle relay withthe quartet of senior CarterWorth, junior om Chidleyand freshmen ChristianBeldenand Cooper Worth.



The annual district job fair was held on

January 11 at the Community ChoiceCredit Union Convention Center. Mo

than 700 applicants attended and appli

for over 200 certied teaching position

for the 2014-15 school year.

Roosevelt senior OliverShimpcompeted in the 50yard freestyle and was joinedon the Riders 200 yard

freestyle relay by seniors SamAuand Connor Gilletteandjunior Davis Ward.

Te West Iowa National ForensicLeague Speech and Debate Qualifierwas hosted by Lincoln High Schoolthe weekend of February 15-16,and nine students representing DesMoines qualified for the national

tournament. Tose students,and their schools and events,are: Brett DuboisandAdrianMitchell (Lincoln - Public ForumDebate) Phylicia BrownandGiovonni Bahena(Lincoln - DuoInterpretation), Murphy Burke(Roosevelt - Dramatic Interpretation),Max Pilcher (Roosevelt - DomesticExtemporaneous Speaking), DannyDrane (Roosevelt - Domestic

Extemporaneous Speaking),JacobTompson(Roosevelt - InternationalExtemporaneous Speaking) and LilyNellans(Roosevelt - InternationalExtemporaneous Speaking)

ADMINISTRATORS

Students First, the school buildingrenovation and improvement planfor Des Moines Public Schools,

has been recognized for excellenceby a top building publication.Building Operating Management,a magazine for building owners andmanagers, selected DMPS as oneof six recipients in the nation for itsannual FMXcellence Recognitionaward. Te award recognizesfacilities management teams thatadd significant value to theirorganizations broader goals.

Students First was honored for itsproven track record of improvingschool buildings to create betterlearning environments while

simultaneously improving safety andsecurity, implementing technologyupgrades, replacing obsoleteequipment with efficient systems,and realizing operationalcost savings.

Te Government Finance OfficersAssociation of the United States andCanada (GFOA) has presented DesMoines Public Schoolswith theirDistinguished Budget PresentationAward, in recognition of the districtsbudget book for FY 2014. Accordingto the GFOA, Te award representsa significant achievementIt reflects the commitment ofthe governing body and staff tomeeting the highest principles ofgovernmental budgeting.

Crunching the Numbers:

As of the most recent monthlyenergy report card compiled

by the districts Operations

Department, overall energy

consumption is down 5.5%

for the months of July through

January. If that rate holds for

the rest of the scal year it

would equate to a savings of

more than $200,000 compared

to FY 2013.

Things we cant wait to

report on:

March Madness, soccer,

tennis, Drake Relays, school

gardens, state track, A.P. Exams,

commencement and baseball!


11/14

Record Numbers Take PartIn District Science Fair

First it was the artists on parade

at Capital Square from February

6-12. Then it was the scientiststurn at, where else, the Science

Center of Iowa on February 13.

Education after all, is both art andscience.

In this its sixth year, the sciencefair is not just for middle schoolsanymore. In 2009 the event launchedwith 50 entrants. Tis year therewere 205 projects, 65 of them in thenewly added high school division.What accounts for the dramaticgrowth? Hmm maybe thats atopic for someones project in 2015. Te event program made

plain in black and white how kidscuriosities mature between gradessix and 12 right along with therest of their developing selves.For instance, one of the 6th gradetopics, a very personally practicalone, was What Beverage BestCools Your Mouth After EatingHot Salsa? Once that problemsbeen solved maybe that budding

scientist can move on to weightierconundrums such as SingleNucleotide Polymorphisms Foundin Lung Cancer. You know how theband concerts change over the years?Same thing with science Roaming the exhibits one ofthe patterns that emerged was the

ingenuity displayed in mergingdaily interest and activities with thetemporary disciplines imposed by afocused science project. Tere was lotsof research done on sports; basketball,volleyball, softball, you name it. Andfoods; soda pop and chewing gum, forinstance, besides salsa. Ever wonderabout the variables that impact thespeed of rollercoasters? You shouldabeen there.

Ice in my Pipes was a timelytopic, given the record-breakingnumber of local water mains thathave burst so far this winter. You know youre at a sciencefair when you see a man sportingan Albert Einstein/E=mc2 necktie.Te young contestants dressed forthe occasion, too. Once the judgeshad finished parading through

and penciling their notes therewere beanpoles in blazers walkingabout while munching bags ofchips and young Madame Curies inscholarly black dresses and bracescarrying their flats to relieve thesore feet theyd been fidgeting onwhile getting peppered with judges

inquiries. Speaking of judges, they werean assortment of practitionersin scientific disciplines from thecommunity. In other words, theyknew what to look for and howto rate what they saw on therubric they were provided thatincluded components like creativeability (science and art are one!),thoroughness, dramatic value,

clarity (mumbo jumbo didnt fly)and technical skill. Te space program from Callananwas represented. Now that this is outof the way those Science Bound cadetcan get back to work on the launchlater this semester of Weather BalloonII. Teyre going places.



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Te Iowa Energy andSustainability Academy was, too.And if that sounds like a sourcefor judges, guess again. IESA is an

already award-winning two-yearcurriculum at Central Campus thatskicking out the kind of kids whoare gonna restore the planet theirancestors fouled up.

Te suspense got thicker thanthe atmosphere some of the projectshad examined by the time DMPSScience Curriculum Coordinator

Kim ODonnell finally strodeto the podium to announce themedalists who now advance to thestate competition on March 28 atHilton Coliseum on the campus of

Iowa State University. But first shetold the SRO crowd that there aremultimillions of unfilled SEM jobsjust waiting for qualified graduates t

step up and do them. Judging by all that we see heretonight, ODonnell said, Id saywere well on our way to gettingthose positions filled.

Record Numbers Take Part in District Science Fair

HIGH SCHOOL WINNERS BY CATEGORY 8TH GRADE WINNERS BY CATEGORY

7TH GRADE WINNERS BY CATEGORY 6TH GRADE WINNERS BY CATEGORY


Physical Science Place Place

PlacePlace

PlacePlace

Place

Place

Place

Place

PlacePlace

Physical Science

Physical SciencePhysical Science

Life ScienceLife Science

Life Science

Life Science

Earth Science

Earth Science

Earth ScienceEarth Science

Nosa Ali & Shivani Kumeresan, Central Academy

Camille Juarez, Central Academy

Abby Espinosa-Gonzalez Bellolio, North High School

Erin Hammond, Jasmine Luangdetmalay, Ben Mueller,

Central Academy

1

2

2

3

1

2

3

1

2

3

3

1

2

3

3

1

2

3

1

2

3

1

2

1

2

1

2

3

3

12

3

3

1

2

3

1

2

3

Frankie Schulte, Central Academy

Ankita Chatterjee, Central Academy

Andrea Squires, Central Academy

Annie Johnson, Central Academy

Keely Stagner, Brooke Oliveira, Central Academy

Cha White, Central Academy

Allison Lumadue, Riley Dunlap, Central Academy

John Goode, Brody Middle School

Faiza Naseer, Merrill Middle School

Natalie Worthington, Brody Middle School

Bridget Easler, Maddie Johnston, Cowles Montessori

Nadine Veasley, Callanan Middle School

Xavier Robles, Brody Middle School

Miguel Vazquez, McCombs Middle School

Ava Mason, Merrill Middle School

Risa Vandergrift, Cowles Montessori

Rezin Tempero, Merrill Middle School

Gary McCall, Cowles Montessori

Chloe OConnor, Cowles MontessoriNatalie Chartier, Merrill Middle School

Evelyn Nelson, Merrill Middle School

Louise Bequeaith, Cowles Montessori

Max Sanders, Merrill Middle School

Maria Cruz, McCombs Middle School

Sophia Gustafson, Merrill Middle School

Maddie Moody, Cowles Montessori

Harrison Eckard-Garrett, Merrill Middle School

Luke Beeman, Merrill Middle School

Ashlyn Marie Miller, Brody Middle School

Helena Anderson, Merrill Middle School

Sam Berg, Brody Middle School

Leon Urias, Brody Middle School

Jonothan Prateusack, Harding Middle School

Aleck OBrien, Merrill Middle School

Anastasia Billington, Kayden Watts, Harding Middle School


13/14

The LuluNamed Lolo

Go, Connie, Go!Talk about walking the walk!

Connie Sievers is the districts Health

Curriculum Coordinator for the Career

and Tech Ed Institute at Central Campus.

Shes also a member of Sassy Six, a

CNN select team that will compete at the

Nautica Malibu Triathlon in Malibu, CA on

September 14. But thats really just the

latest chapter of a compelling personalstory that goes back a ways. Lets rewind.

Eighteen years ago Connie lost her

ve year-old daughter to leukemia. Among

the emotional consequences of that

tragedy was a gradual weight gain of some

70 pounds which, try as she might, she

couldnt undo. Then last year one of her

two sons married a triathlete who became

an inspiration thats rippled throughout the

Sievers family.

Last September Connie rose to her

daughter-in-laws encouragement and

challenge, and began a regular workout

routine that included pre-dawn swims,

weights, biking and running. Shortly after that

her sister tipped her off to CNN health guru

Dr. Sanjay Guptas initiative called Fit Nation.

The program was calling for applicants to

send in videos making their cases to be

chosen for this years triathlon team. Right away Connie sat down and

taped her story, before she lost her nerve.

Around Thanksgiving she got a call from a

CNN producer asking follow-up questions

and talking like she was in the running, so

to speak. Then on December 12 she got a

call informing her that shed been chosen

as one of 15 nalists out of hundreds of

applications for the six spots. Later that

same day Dr. Gupta himself personally

congratulated Connie on being ofciall

named to the team.

For more about Connies continuiand inspiring story, and to learn how yo

can follow her progress between now a

September, click the CNN links below:

http://www.cnn.com/video/data

video/health/2014/01/26/exp-

nation-kickoff-2014.cnn.html

http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/2

health/t-nation-team-announc

index.html?hpt=he_t2

There were no stopwatches

involved but Lolo Jones may have

turned in one of her personal

best events at Findley Elementary

School on December 17 when theworld-class hurdler partnered with

Samaritans Feet, a global nonprotorganization, and provided each

and every Findley student with a

new pair of shoes.

Tere wasnt always the Lolo JonesFoundation. Tere werent alwaysOlympic track sprints and bobsleds.

She hasnt always been a celebrity. Back in the days when sheattended the now defunct BrooksElementary, Weeks and CallananMiddle Schools and Roosevelt HighSchool, there were times when Loloneeded shoes and lacked the meansto get them for herself. Somebodywas always there to help her out andshe remembers how they felt, the

needs and the deeds. So at Findleyshe paid back and forward thekindness that others showed her. Teres nothing like a new pair ofshoes to put extra spring in a kids step.Tey typically walk into shoe storesand skip out. Multiply that dynamictimes several hundred and youve gotthe picture of the Findley gym thatmorning. A volunteer force some70 strong, many of them employeesof Findleys corporate partner, John

Deere, turned out to fit the kids. Some weeks after the event Lolowas named to the US Olympicbobsled team, making her one ofonly ten athletes in American historyto compete in both the summer andwinter games. If she hears footstepsin the start house at Sochi thisweek and feels an extra push behindher sled, Lolo can just chalk thesensations up to the cheering sectionshe enlisted back home in December

Olympian Lolo Jones signs autographs for young fans at Findley Elementary School.


14/14

More DMPS News and InformationAvailable Online and On Air

Des Moines Public Schools is the largest provider of public education in Iowa, which

means one newsletter alone cannot provide all of the information or share all of

the stories about everything taking place in your school district. More news and

information is always available online and on air.

ONLINEYou can nd information on our schools, news stories, data, contacts, and more onthe DMPS web site at www.dmschools.org. In addition, follow DMPS on the followingsocial media sites:

Facebook: facebook.com/dmschools Twitter: twitter.com/dmschools

Pinterest: pinterest.com/dmschools

ON THE AIRTune in to DMPS-TV on Mediacom Cable channels 85 and 97-3at

any time to see stories about programs and events from throughout the school

district. If you do not subscribe to cable television, you can still view stories online atwww.dmschools. org. And if youre in the mood for interesting talk and music, tune

into Des Moines Public Schools own radio station - KDPS 88.1- where your hosts

are students from Central Campus and GrandView University.

The Des Moines Independent Community School District does not discriminate on the basis of

race, color, national origin, gender, disability, religion, creed, age (for employment), marital status

(for programs), sexual orientation, gender identity and socioeconomic status (for programs)

in its educational programs and its employment practices. There is a grievance procedure for

processing complaints of discrimination. If you have questions or a grievance related to this

policy, please contact the districts Ofce of Human Resources, 901 Walnut Street, Des Moines,

IA 50309; phone: 515-242-7911.

The DMPS Community Report

EBRUARY/MARCH 2014 | Vol. 6 No. 4

he DMPS Community Reportis

ublished every other month by the

fce of Communications and Public Affairs.

ditor/Writer: Phil Roeder, Mike Wellman

Designer: Adam Rohwer

hotographer: Kyle Knicley, Jon Lemons

Des Moines Public Schools

Ofce of Communications and Public Affairs

01 Walnut Street

Des Moines, IA 50309

515) 242-8162

www.dmschools.org

013-2014 Board of Directors

indy Elsbernd, Chair

ill Howard, Vice Chair

ob X. Barron

onnie Boesen

eree Caldwell-Johnson

oussaint Cheatom

at Sweeney

Reminders

MARCH

4-21Spring Recess no classes

APRIL

23 No school for 9th, 10th and 12th

grade students. 11th graders

attend a.m. for ACT testing

24 No school for 11th grade

students. 9th, 10th and 12th

graders attend a.m. only.

MAY

26Memorial Day - no classes

UNE

2Last day of elementary/middle school

3Last day of high school

Coming Home

Celebrating Des MoinesSchools

This inaugural event is sponsored by the DMPS Foundation and proceeds will support

Fine Arts education in the district. Accordingly, it will feature live music provided by DMPS

alumni and staff including Max Wellman, Megan Bobo, Peter Sloterdyk, Scott Davis, Scott

Sutherland and the all-educator band, Faculty Lounge.

Honorary Co-Chairs for the event include Governor Bob and Billie Ray, Des Moines Mayor

Frank Cownie and DMPS Superintendent Tom Ahart.

The event will also include silent and live auctions with a variety of upscale items like use of

condos in San Francisco, Florida and Colorado, as well as artwork and other special items.

For more information or to purchase tickets in advance, click here:

http://foundation.dmschools.org

Saturday, March 8, 2014

6 10 p.m.

Iowa Historical Building in Des Moines

Tickets: $40
http://www.facebook.com/dmschoolshttp://htp//www.twitter.com/dmschoolshttp://www.pinterest.com/dmschoolshttp://www.pinterest.com/dmschoolshttp://htp//www.twitter.com/dmschoolshttp://www.facebook.com/dmschools

dmps community report - february/march 2014

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