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Supporting the Needs of High Ability Students in the Johnston Community School
District
Friends of Johnston ELP Newsletter Spring 2016
2015-2016 Board
Members
Our board members represent all schools within our district, as indicated below. Feel free to contact us with any questions, suggestions, or to volunteer to help with any of our activities.
Amy Johnson, President Wallace
Beth Frantum, VP & Secretary Lawson
Valerie Thacker, Treasurer JHS, JMS, TR
Jane McDowell, Ass’t Treasurer JHS
Jill Boeschen, Database Coord JHS
Jenny Lashier, Communications BC, SMS
Hena Guo, New Member Liaison Horizon
Jean Sweet, Fundraising Lawson, SMS
Kathy Paul, ELP Coordinator 515-278-0476
Contact us anytime at
Like us on Facebook at Friends of Johnston ELP!
2015-2016 ELP Staff Kathy Paul JCSD ELP Coordinator
MS 8-9 ELP, Assessment, training
515-278-0476 [email protected]
Easiest to contact by e-mail
Sue Cline ELP Teacher at JHS Advanced Placement
515-278-0449 [email protected]
Contact after 3 pm or via e-mail anytime
Mitzi Hetherton
ELP Teacher at Wallace and Lawson 515-278-0478 (Lawson) 515-278-6977 (Wallace)
Contact by e-mail or phone
Nicole Paradise-Williams
ELP teacher at Timber Ridge 515-331-4379 [email protected]
Contact by e-mail or phone
Kristen Hartman
ELP Teacher at Beaver Creek 515-278-6228 [email protected]
Contact by e-mail or phone
Colleen Ites ELP Teacher at Summit 515-986-0318 [email protected]
Contact by e-mail or phone
Kate Florer ELP Teacher at Horizon 515-986-1121 [email protected]
Contact by e-mail or phone
Congratulations to Johnston Mock Trial Coordinator and ELP Coordinator
Kathy Paul for being inducted into the
Mock Trial Educator Coach Hall of Fame!
A special thank you to Jane McDowell for her
many years of dedication and service to the
Friends of Johnston ELP board. Jane has served
as treasurer of the Friends of Johnston ELP board
for most of those years and has decided to step
aside after this school year. Thank you, Jane, for
everything you have done to help make Friends of
Johnston ELP the largest and most active ELP
parent organization in the state of Iowa!
2
News from Johnston Elementary Schools Submitted by Mitzi Hetherton, Nicole Paradise-Williams, Kristen Hartman, Kate Florer
STEM AWARD FOR K-3
Last spring the ELP staff received a STEM Scale-Up
Program award from the Governor’s Science,
Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)
Advisory Council. This program helps bring quality STEM
learning opportunities to our ELP classrooms. This fall
we attended training at Drake University on A World in
Motion curriculum. As a result of that training, students
at various elementary schools have enjoyed or are
enjoying the following units:
Rolling Things – Students study toy cars and car
performance. Launching the cars from ramps, the
students investigate the effects of different ramp
heights and car weights have on distance traveled,
measuring and recording data gathered through
variable testing.
Pinball Designers - Students design a homemade
pinball game and explore the behavior of the difference
components, such as the pinball, ball traps and
bumpers. The students test the launch ramp to explore
how launch position affects the behavior of the pinball
and then learn how to optimize their games to make
them more challenging and interesting.
Straw Rockets - Students explore the early life of
Dr. Robert Goddard while reading the biography,
The Rocket Age Takes Off. After investigating Goddard's
early trials and tribulations in creating the first liquid
fueled rocket engine, students begin to uncover the
work necessary to optimize a design with the goal of
creating a straw rocket that flies the farthest and
highest.
Engineering Inspired by Nature - Students
investigate methods in which seeds are dispersed in
nature through the story Once Upon a Time in the
Woods. The story leads the students to further explore
how seeds are dispersed by the wind. Using the designs
found in nature, the students develop paper helicopters
and parachutes then perform variable testing to improve
their performance.
The ELP staff received a similar program award a few years
ago for STEM curriculum from Engineering is Elementary for
3rd – 5th graders. Some 3rd graders have been working on a
Acoustical Engineering unit in which the students have to
visually represent sound using the terms pitch, duration, and
volume. At Wallace students have been working on a
Biomedical Engineering unit. Students use the engineering
design process to create a knee brace for an injured leg.
Dr. Barron Bremner, an orthopedic surgeon, came in to give
tips and share his expertise.
MATH OLYMPIADS
It’s hard to believe that another contest season has come to a
close. 4th and 5th grade mathletes took their final contest
before spring break or shortly after. Look for contest results in
our next newsletter.
ADVANCED LANGUAGE ARTS HAPPENINGS
Various grade levels are using Vocabu-Lit to enrich
students’ vocabulary. Students learn new vocabulary
within the context of a story, biography, or nonfiction text.
Literature Circles/Book Clubs
Research/Self-Selected projects
Fourth and fifth graders are continuing their study of Latin
and Greek stems and classic vocabulary.
Right: 2nd graders Zoe Z. and Luca F. during the Pinball Designers unit
Left: Audrey D., Chloe L., and Nathan J. during the Pinball Designers unit
Lawson 2nd graders studying a STEM unit on Straw Rockets
3
Happenings at our Elementary Schools Submitted by Mitzi Hetherton, Nicole Paradise-Williams, Kristen Hartman, Kate Florer
Christian Renaud sharing his travel experiences in Rome and the history surrounding the area to tie in to our study of Latin words in Caesar's English. (Wallace—5th)
Wallace 5th grader Audrey is holding authentic roman coins
Fourth Grade Fun—Wallace Elementary
Dr. Barron Bremner visited Wallace 4th graders and shared his experiences as an orthopedic surgeon. The students designed their own knee braces to stabilize an injured knee.
Lawson 5th graders Olivia F, Emma L, Sophie E, and Regan V performing skits they wrote after studying the Civil Rights movement in an anthology of short stories, poems and nonfiction called Free at Last.
4
Happenings at our Elementary Schools Submitted by Mitzi Hetherton, Nicole Paradise-Williams, Kristen Hartman, Kate Florer
Wallace first graders working on a STEM unit called Rolling Things. They are doing various experiments with vehicles of different sizes and ramps of varying heights.
Timber Ridge 2nd graders Jacob & Andrew building a Sierpinski Triangle
Timber Ridge 2nd graders Luke, Tristan, Lilly, Jacob, Matthew, and Andrew with the finished Sierpinski Triangle
Timber Ridge 4th graders presenting their Environmental Declaration projects
Timber Ridge 5th grader Kayla solving an algebra problem
5
Happenings at our Elementary Schools Submitted by Mitzi Hetherton, Nicole Paradise-Williams, Kristen Hartman, Kate Florer
Timber Ridge 5th graders participating in STEM challenges
Third Grade Fun at Timber Ridge
Timber Ridge 2nd graders sharing their finalized animal research projects
Timber Ridge 5th graders Aidan, Kayla, Aldin, and Meredith work on programing a Sphero to drive through a "city" they're building.
Below: Timber Ridge First Graders playing Bananagrams
Right: Timber Ridge 1st grader Elizabeth brainstorming a list of "magnificent" things she can make from Legos after reading The Most Magnificent Thing
6
History Day Results Submitted by Kathy Paul, Colleen Ites, and Sue Cline, ELP Teachers
Nearly 60 students in grades 6-12 in Johnston participated in AEA 11 District History Day on April 2 at Grand View
University in Des Moines. Johnston also had 6 students in grades 6-12 participate in the AEA 11 East District
History Day on March 30 at Central College in Pella. Students created projects centered on the theme
“Exploration, Encounter, and Exchange in History” which they researched and developed over the past four to six
months. These students learned to utilize extensive primary sources, including interviews, newspapers, and
documents. Grades 9-12 competed in the senior division and grades 6-8 in the junior division.
6TH & 7TH GRADE COMPETITORS
Exhibit: Teja Jetty and Tarun Sirkaran, Marandah
Mangra-Dutcher, Ava O'Brien, Julia Chen and Vivian
Chen, Gordon Hu, Joshua Schumacher, James
Grimm, Jamison Cunningham, Mikayla Dobson and
Maryam Mohammed, and Morgan Lee and
Karshana Kalyanaraman
Paper: Zoey Kloewer
Documentary: Sam McDaniel, Dylan McLaren,
Chase McLaren
Group Performance-*Megan O'Brien, Jillian James,
Camille Furer, and Megan Jones
*Advancing to State Competition
Special awards in the 6-7th grade category were
presented to Marandah Mangra-Dutcher for Creative
Entry, and to Julia Chen and Vivan Chen, Teja Jetty
and Tarun Srikaran, Gordon Hu, and James Grimm,
Jamison Cunningham, Mikayla Dobson and
Maryam Mohammed for Unusual Topics. Morgan
Lee and Karshana Kalyanaraman were presented
with the Best Use of Props Award.
8TH & 9TH GRADE COMPETITORS
Exhibit: Sarah Andreasen, Erin Anderson
Web site: Shreya Shrestha and Joanne Wu, Paxsen
Picken, *Mark Liu, Zach Abbey and Joe Arthur and
*Andrew Yu
Paper: *Mathew Ding
Documentary: *Akshaya Kumar, Joe Hoffman and
Karson Lee, Jackie Liang and Makenna Gregurek,
*Brooklyn Dilley, Anna Janni, Taylor Siebert, Madison
Dunn and Kayley Gehrels, *Will Morlock and Austin
Ledesma *Advancing to State Competition
Special awards in 8th grade were presented to Andrew Yu
for an Unusual Topic , to Akshaya Kumar for Outstanding
Bibliography and to Jackie Liang and Makenna Gregurek
for Superior Knowledge of Topic.
9TH GRADE COMPETITORS
Exhibit: *Kennedy Ortmeier and Dana Thacker
*Marianne Aldrich, Paige Berry
Web site: *Katie Michalski, Nicole Gilbert and Maille
Sheeley, *Lauren Fergus, Parul Srivastava and Obsee
Abbajabal
Paper: *Hannah Jensen
Performance: * Allie Tubbs *Advancing to State Competition
A special awards in the 9th grade category was given to
Katie Michalski for Outstanding Use of Resources and
Paige Berry for Unusual Topic.
10TH GRADE COMPETITORS Exhibit: *Olivia Hrubetz and Hannah Hoffman, Isla
Chowanec, Gwynna Miner, Meredith McDonald and
Natalie Voss, *Maddie Gregurek, *Caroline Aldrich * Advancing to State Competition
Special awards were granted to Maddie Gregurek
for Superior Knowledge of Topic and to
Isla Chowanec, Gwynna Miner, Meredith McDonald
and Natalie Voss for an Outstanding Bibliography.
7
State Mock Trial Submitted by Kathy Paul, ELP Coordinator
Four Johnston High School mock trial teams competed at the state level on March 28-30
with great success, with one team taking home the semi-finalist trophy.
The JHS sophomore team, Big Mock Candy Mountain, earned 10th place after facing tough
opponents through the first three rounds of the competition on March 28-29. A junior team,
Oro Judicium, received the prestigious Critelli Sportsmanship Award, also at the awards
ceremony. Overall, three Johnston students were awarded outstanding performance
medals:
Mark Nagel (sophomore, Outstanding Witness)
Prakhyath Bujimalla (sophomore, Outstanding Attorney)
Lauren McDowell (senior, Outstanding Witness)
The senior team, Incendio, continued on to the semi finals on March 30, missing the final
round by half a point to the eventual state champions from Marion Homeschool and taking
home the semi-finalist trophy.
Team Oro Judicium
Lauren McDowell, Outstanding Witness
Team Big Mock Candy Mountain
Mark Nagel, Outstanding Witness Prakhyath Bujimalla, Outstanding Attorney
Team Squandra
Team Incendio
8
Belin-Blank Summer Institute Submitted by Kathy Paul and Colleen Ites
Students underwent a rigorous nomination process from the school district and were submitted along with
students across the state for the opportunity to be selected for a one-week summer residential institute held in
Iowa City. Each student will receive a partial program scholarship, as well as a scholarship towards future
admission at the University of Iowa. The students work with specialists in the chosen area and have an
opportunity to take advantage of many opportunities on campus. Every JMS student who was nominated was
accepted for the program. This is a high honor to have so many chosen to represent Johnston Schools.
JOHNSTON MIDDLE SCHOOL PARTICIPANTS
Matthew Ding—Advanced Science
Erin Anderson—Global and Cultural Studies
Owen Smith—Social Sciences
Mark Liu—Math Problem Solving
Akshaya Kumar—Creative Writing
Marshawn Gunn—Invention and Innovation
Stella Zeng—Visual Arts
Madison Dunn—Performing Arts
SUMMIT MIDDLE SCHOOL PARTICIPANTS
Gordon Hu—Advanced Science
Abbie McLaren—Math Problem Solving
Maryam Mohammed—Social Sciences
Morgan Lee—Global and Cultural Studies
Karshana Kalyanaraman—Invention and Innovation
Bri Cox—Visual Arts
Morgan Dunn—Alternate, Creative Writing
Back row: Gordon H., (Advanced Science), Maryam M., (Social Sciences), Bria C., (Visual Arts), Abbie M., (Math Problem Solving), Front row: Karshana K., (Invention and Innovation), Morgan D., (Creative Writing-alternate), Morgan L., (Global and Cultural Studies)
Back row: Erin A., (Global & Cultural), Akshaya K., (Creative Writing), Madison D., (Performing Arts), Stella Z., (Visual Arts) Front row: Mark L., (Math Problem Solving), Matthew D.,(Advanced Science), Owen S., (Social Sciences)