Quarter 3

Nishnabotna Middle School Newsletter

Track Athletes

Boys – Joey B., Nick P., Adam T., Brady L., Dalton M., Jake S., Jaxon L., Zayne O., Braxton L., John S., Josh L., Tylur P., Bryson D., Cody H., Jacob S., Logan L., Patrick B., RJ H. and Treyton G.

Girls - Dharma B., Logan H., Jordan A., Kennedy W., Ami A., Caitlyn W., Damita F., Mary B., Morgan A., Emma H., Mallory P., Zoe M., Emily W., Blu O., Es G., Ana O., Taylor S., Kristina B., Hannah S., Hailey B. and KC C.

Coaches

Girls - Coach Carr

Boys – Coach Holman

JH Track Schedule April 7 Sidney 4pm April 15 Stanton 330pm April 29 Nishnabotna 345pm May 5 Fremont –Mills 4pm May 9 Southwest Valley 4pm May 13 Essex 4pm

May 16 Conference Meet @ FM 4pm

Contents

Sports News 1

English News 2

Battle of the Books 3

Keyboarding & Reading 4

Math News 5

Information 6

Music 7 & 8

Science Bowl & Spelling Bee 9

7th Grade Social Studies trip 10

National Geographic Bee 11

Social Studies 12

Science 13 & 14

Whole School Trip 15

Principal & Interventionist 16

Homeroom & Assembly 17

Superintendent News 18

March 2014

Upcoming Events

Track Meets

State Geography Bee (Cody H.)

CC Science Fair

JH track practice is scheduled every day.

We transport the

runners to MSE gym at 230pm and shuttle Riverton/Farragut students home at

445pm.

Please watch the calendar and

announcements for any changes in the schedule.

Sports News

Run the first part with your head, the middle part with your personality, and the last part with your heart.

Track pictures - April 16th

English News

Imagine you and your friends following a mysterious treasure

map and finding yourselves traveling on winding paths, into dark

caves, and hustling through passages with bad guys on your tail

and a one eyed monster as your salvation? If you are on this

adventure, that's right, you are a GOONIE!

Sixth and seventh grade classes are watching the classic movie,

The Goonies. What will students be learning? Cliché’s,

prepositions, prepositional phrases and objects, interjections,

and it wouldn't be complete without a little creative writing and

practicing grammar and writing elements!

Morgan

Mallory

Caitlyn

Jake

Adam

Nick

Brady

Joey

Bailey

Kennedy

Mary

Emma

Connor

Brody

Zayne

Dharma

Payton

Jordan

Leslie

Jaxon

Dalton

Logan

Sophie

Haylee

Natalie

Damita

Ami

Hailey

Justis

For the third year in a row, a team of four students from Nishnabotna

Middle School entered the Southwest Iowa Middle School Battle of the Books contest. This year’s team, Nishnabotna Book Devils, consists of Kristina B., Treyton G., Blu O., and Sophie W.

At the beginning of the year the team members are given a list of 20 books from which the Battle of the Books questions are taken. Each of the four team members read as many of the 20 books as possible. As a team we meet once or twice a month to discuss the books and practice matching the titles to the correct author. In the middle of March we competed against 50 other teams for a spot in the Ultimate Battle of the Books that will be held at Tri-Center Middle School on April 30. As a team, the Book Devils completed the first round of the contest by answering 40 multiple choice questions over the twenty books on the list and matching the title of each book with its author. This was scored and the top twenty teams were invited to Tri-Center Middle School where they will compete in the Ultimate Battle of the Books. I’m glad to announce that this year’s team has secured a spot and will join in the Ultimate Battle. Good Luck Book Devils!

Battle of the Books News

Southwest Iowa Middle School Battle of the Books with Mrs. Barrett

Sophie, Kristina, Blu & Treyton

Reading class can be so much fun! All classes were rewarded by spending their AR points in the AR store. Items included college gear, candy, t-shirts, nail polish, picture frames and more. If you would like to contribute to the last AR store let Brandi or Mrs. Lueth know. The next store will be the last week of school. 8th graders have been reading Romeo and Juliet or Anne Frank. Both stories are great and have excellent movies to go with the reading. Currently there are over 2 dozen posters about Romeo and Juliet in my classroom. The story of Anne touched a lot of the students about how terrible her life was during WWII.

Reading News with Mrs. Lueth

7th graders have been reading stories about the Civil War and slavery. Those were slightly depressing stories, so now we are lightening the mood with Tom Sawyer and The Time Machine. Both of those stories have great movies as well. It is satisfying to hear the students say they like the book better than the movie.

6th graders have been studying weather through packets of literature and research. Did you know there is a Beth Belgium? Students found towns that had their names and researched their weather. Duncan, Jamaica has great weather all year! We are now involved in vocabulary packets.

Keyboarding News with Miss Smith

The 3rd quarter has proven

to be a busy one in

keyboarding. Students have

been actively involved in

learning proper posture and

finger placement to be

successful. We started with

lessons that allowed

students to get a feel for

the keyboard and learn basic

typing skills with a focus

on accuracy not speed.

Students have successfully

learned home row, top row,

and bottom row keys. They

take weekly tests to

identify the keys of a

keyboard and this has been

quite successful. With the

approaching 4th quarter

students are getting ready

to start testing finger

placement.

An activity the students

really seem to be getting into

is the covered keyboard. It is

a friendly competition, and

students who succeed to move

on the WPM scale with 70% or

greater earn a reward for

their efforts. Right now our

highest covered keyboard WPM

is 9.

Now that students are feeling

more comfortable with the

keyboard we have started a

program that is web based. The

site is typingweb.com. It

tracks a student’s progress

and identifies keys they still

need to work on. The web

based program allows students

to move a little more at their

own pace, allowing everyone to

be successful.

The best way to learn to

type is to practice,

practice, practice. Here

are some great websites

that allow students and

even parents to do just

that:

http://www.learntyping.org

/beginnertypinglesson2.htm

http://www.alfatyping.com/

freetypinggames/

http://freetypinggame.net/

Keyboarding & Reading News

The Pre-Algebra students are currently graphing equations of lines. They have done this by using three methods – making a t-table of values, using the x and y intercepts, and using the slope intercept method. They will also use graphs to find the solutions to systems of equations by seeing where the lines intersect. In addition, they will be graphing inequalities on the coordinate system. Later in the quarter, they will be introduced to solving systems of equations by substitution and addition, and they will do some simple factoring of polynomials.

Math News from Mrs. Hall

Math News from Mrs. Lenhart

Integrated Math I students have just finished a unit on combining like terms, and writing algebraic expressions in different ways. They are now starting a unit on exponential equations, and will be working with the laws of exponents. In addition, they will be simplifying expressions that contain zero or negative exponents and simplifying square roots. These students will also learn to solve systems of equations three ways – by graphing, substitution, and addition. The focus in this class the last few weeks will be on geometry, studying properties of various triangles and quadrilaterals.

Math News

The third quarter seemed to fly by!! This quarter the content material took a shift in all the classes from basic computation to application. This is a tough transition for many students but a majority of the grades increased from Quarter 2 to Quarter 3. I am very happy with the students’ work and how they took on the challenge! The fourth quarter will end with more application content so please encourage your child to continue to work hard and come in when they need help. The Amazing Race just ended and it was another highly successful year! Throughout the five days I was very pleased to watch the students improve their cooperation skills, problem

solving skills, and their ability to decide what math strategies needed to be applied to each problem! Congratulations to each winning team!! 8A - John, Ana, and Kristina 8B - Patrick and Jerrod and KC, Logan L and Jacob (Tie over the five days which there will be a tiebreaker over the next week.) 7A - Joey and Hailey 7B - Adam and Haylee 6A - Jayden and Hunter 6B - Danica and Nicholas Keep up all the hard work and finish the year strong!!

3rd Quarter Birthdays Jakob S. Autumn Caitlyn Danica Damita Seth Blu

Taylor Ashton

NMS GRADE SCALE A+ 100 A 97-99 A- 94-96 B+ 92-93 B 89-91 B- 87-88 C+ 84-86 C 79-83 C- 76-78 D+ 74-75 D 71-73 D- 69-70 F Below 69 I Incomplete W Withdrawal

Teacher Email Addresses Science – Mrs. Wynia mwynia@nishbd.org English – Mrs. Madison kmadison@nishbd.org Advanced Math – Mrs. Hall vhall@nishbd.org Math – Lenhart tlenhart@nishbd.org Social Studies – Ms. Leiding rhesa.leiding@gmail.com Resources – Mrs. Barrett jbarrett@nishbd.org Reading - Mrs. Lueth blueth@nishbd.org Chorus – Mrs. Emberton temberton@nishbd.org Band – Mrs. McCall cmccall@nishbd.org Office/Administration Email Addresses Nurse – Mrs. Haning, RN ehaning@nishbd.org 382-2017 & 382-2703 Interventionist – GHAEA Steve McPhillips smcphillips@nishbd.org Building Principal – Mr. Harris jharris@nishbd.org Building Secretary – Brandi Oakes boakes@nishbd.org District Superintendent – Mr. Lutt jlutt@nishbd.org Business Manager – Mrs. McComb

gmccomb@nishbd.org

JMC (student information system) is available online for parents & students at all our

schools. You can check attendance, grades, and progress reports and also

update your contact information. School meal

payments can also be made through the JMC

system. For more information, see our

website or contact your

building secretary.

Upcoming Events April 4th State Geography Bee (Cody H.) April 5th NHS Prom April 16th CC Science Fair April 16th Nishnabotna track pictures April 18th – April 22nd Spring Break April 21st Republican Caucus @ MSE 6pm April 26th NHS Cheer Tryout @ MSE 2pm May 17th NHS Graduation 2pm May 20th NHS Winter & Spring Sports Banquet May 22nd NMS Awards Day & 8th Grade Promotion May 23rd Last Day of School!

Spring Break is April 18th, 19th,

20th, 21st and 22nd! 4th Quarter

Midterm is April 17th!

Go to the Middle School tab on the

Nish website for all our information www.nishbd.org and click on the

Middle School tab

April 16th Farragut Elementary Spring Concert 7pm April 23rd NHS Spring Concert 7pm May 12th NMS Spring Concert May 14th MSE Spring Concert

Vocal & Band Contest Results – from

Thursday, February 27, 2014

Vocal Results – I+ ratings Emily B., Danica L. & Zoey D. Kristina B. (solo) Emily B. (solo)

Es G. (solo) I ratings 6th grade girls Emily W., Zoe M. & Logan H.

I- ratings 6th grade boys 6th grade boys & girls ensemble Jayden & Kaylee (duet) 7th grade girls 7th & 8th grade boys & girls 8th grade girls Damita F. (solo) Judge Reva Benefiel Chorus Instructor Mrs. Emberton

Band Results – I+ ratings

McKenzie W., Damita F., Treyton G., Emily W., Blu O., Brady L., Jaxon L., Josh L., Cody H., Brett G., Nicholas M., Cale P., Emily B., Jake S. & Kennedy W.

I ratings

Caitlyn W., Payton J., Connor O., Zoe M., Adam T., Bryson D., Maddy D., Hunter S., Jordan M., Andrew P., Ashton D., Kaylee M., Danica L., Kristina B. & Jordan A.

I- ratings

Mason H., Corey M., Justis H., Jacob S., Kayden H., Jed W., Zoey D., Elizabeth H., Jakob S., RJ H., Natalie N., Cameron B.

II – ratings

Andy C., Seth V., Jayden L., Kelvin H., Braxton L. & Sophie W.

Judge Nicole Zavadil Band Instructor Mrs. McCall

Honor Band went to East Mills on March 20th. It was a wonderful day. The kids enjoyed played their favorite song Sweet Caroline. Great bunch of kids, staff & parents to work with! Mrs. McCall~

Dharma

Kennedy

Cody

Ami

Damita

Sophie

Braxton

Treyton

Zoe M.

Bryson

Jaxon

Brady

Blu

Josh

RJ

Mason

Jake S.

Honor Choir:

On March 11, eight Nishnabotna students traveled

to Treynor, Iowa for the annual Southwest Iowa

elementary/middle school honor choir. Students

were selected by Mrs. Emberton for the honor choir.

Selected students were Blu, Es, Kristina, Damita,

Ami, Treyton, Ashton, and Kelvin. The students

rehearsed all afternoon under the direction of guest

directors Jennifer Wagner from Riverside and Luke

Johnson from I.W.C.C. The 6th grade choir

performed five selections including “Build Me Up,

Buttercup.” The 7th/8th grade choir selections

included “Be the Light.” Both of these selections will

be performed at our spring concert in May.

Opera Iowa:

Members of the Des Moines Metro Opera visited the

Nishnabotna Middle School on February 6th to

present “The Three Little Pigs” to K-8 students. Due

to the late start that morning, the opera troupe was

unable to do workshops with the students.

However, prior to the performance they did a “crash-

course” workshop explaining details of opera singing

and performances for all the students. The opera

was very entertaining and the singing was excellent!

We enjoyed seeing all the costumes, set and props.

We’d like to thank the Fremont County Community

Foundation for funding this activity. It was a great

opportunity for our students to see an opera

performance!

RJ H., Blu O., Bryson D., Bailey P. and Jake S. competed at the Iowa State Science Bowl competition in Ames on February 22nd. The group placed 6th out of the 24 teams entered into the competition. The students were tested on their knowledge of Life Science, Physical Science, Earth & Space Science, General Science, and Mathematics. Prior to the trip to State, these students put their skills to the test by competing against some of the Middle School staff – Mr. Harris, Mrs. Lenhart, Mrs. Hall, Ms. Leiding, and Mrs. Madison. The teachers put up a good fight, but the students came out on top.

The Fremont County Spelling Bee was held at Nishnabotna Middle School in February. Nish students were awesome! In the middle school division 6th grader Danica received 3rd place. Out of all the 7th graders, Bailey received 1st place and among all the 8th grade spellers, Treyton received 2nd place. Logan H. and Cameron were alternates. Super job, spellers!

Nicholas, Danica, Emily, Justis, Bailey, Logan, Damita, Jacob, Blu & Treyton

Science Bowl & Spelling Bee

7th Grade Social Studies Field Trip On January 16, all 7th graders participated in a wonderful educational experience at the Strategic Air and Space Museum. The day started off with a guided tour and lesson on some of the aircraft on display throughout the museum. We learned which types of aircraft were used at various times throughout our history, as well as other interesting facts about military aviation. Following that tour, we participated in a special program called “Searching for Humanity: Veterans, Victims, and Survivors of World War II.” This program told a powerful story about the Holocaust and those who rescued survivors from concentration camps via photographs, memorabilia, and testimony of Nebraska Holocaust survivors and servicemen. The highlight of the day was hearing the guest speaker, Lou Leviticus. He was a survivor who managed to escape capture by the Nazis – not once, but twice. Unfortunately, his entire family was wiped out – with the exception of Lou and one distant cousin. His story was moving and powerful, but told with a sense of humor. He made a huge impression on the students and many of them still talk about him. Last week we made cards for Lou, wishing him well and thanking him again for sharing his story with us.

Social Studies Field Trip

NMS National Geographic Bee Held Prior to winter break, all social studies students took tests as part of the preliminary round of the National Geographic Bee. The ten students with the highest scores advanced to the final round. Those students were (in no particular order): Cody H., Emily W., RJ H., Bryson D., Patrick B., Blu O., Treyton G., Logan L., Jaxon L., and Braydon. Congratulations to all the finalists! The final round was held on January 10. This is an oral competition in which students are asked questions on an individual basis or as a group. Once two questions have been answered incorrectly they are eliminated from the contest. Cody Heming won this local competition. Emily Welch finished 2nd and Bryson Duncan came in 3rd. Congratulations to our top 3 finishers!

CODY HEMING ADVANCES TO STATE GEOGRAPHIC BEE! Cody Heming, 8th grader here at NMS, has been notified by the National Geographic Society that he is one of the semifinalists eligible to compete in the 2014 Iowa National Geographic Bee, sponsored by Google and Plum Creek. Bees were held in schools throughout the state to determine each school’s winner. School-level winners then took a qualifying test which they submitted to the National Geographic Society. Students with the top 100 scores were invited to compete at the state level. Cody will be competing in the 2014 Iowa National Geographic Bee held at the Maucker Union Ballroom on the University of Northern Iowa campus in Cedar Falls on Friday, April 4. Congratulations to Cody! We all wish him the very best of luck on Friday!

In 6th grade social studies we have been studying the United States and Canada. Because of technology issues we had to delay project work but have just gotten those underway. Each student is planning a “road trip” through a state. They are researching significant places to see and activities to do in that state. This information will be put into a presentation that will be shared with classmates. This project helps them learn more about a state of interest to them while working on research, writing, and technology skills.

7th graders have been working on a unit on Europe. We learned a little bit about the early history, but have focused more on recent history and modern times. We spent the first couple of weeks after winter break studying WWII and the Holocaust. The culminating event for this unit was a field trip to the Air and Space Museum on January 16. (See the article and pictures for more information about this trip.) More recently we have been learning about the countries of Europe. As part of this unit we completed a variety of assignments and watched videos that give us a good insight into different aspects of the countries – government, religion, food, dress, currency, and much more. We recently started a project in which the students are planning a trip to Europe. They have a budget to follow and have to research costs for transportation, hotels, and other expenses. In addition, they are required to research significant places of interest to see while there. They are completing journals in which they describe their daily activities and include pictures of the sites they are visiting. This will help them work on research, writing, and technology skills. It will also provide them with a real-life experience that will hopefully give them skills they can use in the future. (Note: As we have been studying Eastern Europe we have discussed the current situation that has developed with Russia and Crimea. I encourage you to discuss these and other current events with your children on a regular basis!)

In 8th grade social studies we have been working on a unit on racism, prejudice, stereotyping, and discrimination. As part of this unit we studied Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Civil Rights movement. We completed a project in which each student got to pick four people from history or present time that they feel deserves to be on their own Mount Rushmore. They had to find background information on these people and discuss what contributions they have made that would make them worthy of such an honor. They were allowed to include a family member if they so chose. This information was shared via www.linoit.com . I have to admit, I learned a lot from this project. Some students picked people I knew very little or nothing about, including some of their family members. I love when I learn new things from my students!

Social Studies News

6th Grade: We have been learning about the solar system and what causes the changes of the seasons. The students have been researching facts about a planet and learned how to create a presentation.

7th Grade: We have been learning about the classification of living things and how scientific names help with the classification of organisms into seven different levels. In the next unit we covered the stages and factors that all populations have in common and how the response of human populations are different from the response of other populations. We just started the unit about single-celled organisms and we are doing research about bacteria which includes the ways bacteria are harmful and helpful, the different shapes of bacteria and the environmental conditions that are necessary to grow. 8th Grade:

We have been learning about the Continental Drift Theory, seafloor spreading, and the different types of plate boundaries and what causes the movement of plate boundaries to happen. We have also been learning about the different planets in the solar system. The students have learned when and who discovered the planet, what elements make up the planet’s atmosphere, how many moons and rings each planet has and the planet’s position in the solar system.

Advance Science I: We have been learning about difference between active and passive transport, the different phases of mitosis, how the cell cycles are controlled by key elements, and that cancer can be caused by genetic and environmental factors. We have also learned what types of diet will increase the risk of getting and preventing cancer, and the importance of making healthy choices with diet and daily exercise. The final project completed was on a genetic disorder of their choosing. They learned if the disorder was sex-linked, dominant or recessive, the signs and symptoms, ways to treat or cure the disorder, and helpful websites that will assist patients and their family members cope and deal with the diagnosis.

Advance Science II: We finished studying about the different characteristics of mollusks, the adaptations of gastropods, bi-valves, and cephalopods needed to live in their specific biomes. We also have covered the structural and behavioral adaptations of arthropods and their ability to live in their different environments. We have also covered the differences and similarities that are present in echinoderms and chordates through dissections of sea cucumbers, sea stars, and sea urchins.

Science News

Science Pictures

On February 7th, Nishnabotna Middle School students and staff traveled to Wesleyan College in Lincoln, Nebraska to watch their production of Little Shop of Horrors. This was a special performance that was arranged by the director, Jack Parkhurst, and Mrs. Lueth. After the show the cast members talked to the students and answered their questions. They seemed to be especially interested in learning how the big plant worked. Afterward, everyone walked to the cafeteria to enjoy college cuisine. This was a wonderful experience for our students and we hope to do it again next year!

Whole School Field Trip

“Spring Is In the Air”

April stimulates people to think springtime, fresh air, bright sunshine, warmer weather,

etc. It also causes me to think about how we (school) can maximize the remainder of the

school year for student achievement and success.

Keeping students engaged is a daily goal (and challenge) all educators face. This task

becomes more challenging this time of the year. Kids of all ages have multiple activities

that “pull” and expect a piece of their time and energy.

My experiences over the many years as an educator have taught me the best way to

maximize student engagement and success is to keep the “Educational Triangle” intact.

Keeping the school and parents/home connected at the base will provide the foundation.

This foundation then links to the top of the triangle, the students - for peak performance

and success!

The next seven weeks are the “home stretch” to the school year. I invite and encourage

each and every member of the Nishnabotna school community to unite and combine our

efforts so all students can experience a strong and successful conclusion to the 2013-14

school year.

Jan Harris, Principal/A.D.

I would like to commend the students, parents, and community on their efforts regarding attendance. After three quarters of school this year, everyone's hard work is evident. The percentage of students attending class each day has risen significantly compared to last year. Your hard work and support is greatly appreciated! Thank You.

Kudos from Mr. McPhillips

Principal News

Iowa Assessments!

Homeroom News & Assembly

Third Quarter in

Homeroom was structured to

help prepare students for the

Iowa Assessment Tests. We spent

time working with Skills Tutor on

the Chromebooks in addition to

some sample tests on paper. The

students worked very hard and

showed lots of improvement.

Hopefully it will pay off when the

test results come back!!!

In between preparing for

the Iowa Assessments, students

worked on homework and read

their AR books. Mrs. Sanders was

also here every other Thursday

Homeroom News with Mrs. SWard

for sessions with the students in

the library, learning about the

resources available to them

through the school. Mr. McPhillips

and Mrs. Linke also had periodic

meetings with the boys and girls,

discussing a variety of issues

facing our teens, from gossip to

drama to bullying.

We have had a very busy third quarter in Homeroom. We are looking forward to a fast paced and productive end to the

school year.

Mr. Patrick Gress shared the story of his mission trip to Ghana, Africa in 2012. He gave a presentation about the people he met, work he did, and some of the interesting things he got to do – such as meeting a crocodile up close. Mr. Gress brought numerous items from Ghana for the students to see such as clothing, beadwork, and a clock.

Ghana Assembly - Mr. Patrick Gress

Mrs. Lueth took a few of the cast members (The Fairies) to NE Weselyn College’s prop room.

Finally, spring is here, now if we

could just get the weather to

cooperate! Basketball is officially

over and golf, track and tennis have

started. Before you know it prom will

be here! It will not be long until we

are complaining about the heat!

I would like to thank everyone for

their contributions to the Clarity

survey. Parents of Nishnabotna

students did a great job in

responding to this. Thank You

Parents! It is time for the annual

needs assessment as we prepare for

the 5 year State Site-Visit. This

survey is a little longer than the last

one and very important. The

Administration, Board and School

Improvement Advisory Committee

(SIAC) all use data from this to see

how the districts have progressed.

Your participation is crucial to

influence the direction of the school.

An invitation will be both emailed and

mailed out to all families. Thank you

in advance for filling out this survey!

So, what are the results of the Clarity

survey? Actually there is tons of

information that we will be learning

from. A few members of the

technology team and I will be

attending a workshop in April to learn

Nishnabotna Superintendent News from Mr. Lutt

Preparation for the NMS School Play – Sleeping Beauty

Nishnabotna Middle School

105 E Street Hamburg, IA 51640

Phone: (712) 382-2703

Fax: (712) 382-1211

E-mail: boakes@nishbd.org

We’re on the Web! www.nishbd.org

all about it. But, in the mean time, I

would like to give you some “overall”

information on our Clarity results.

CASE stands for Classroom, Access,

Skills and Environment. Our total

score for CASE is 1045 which is right

in the middle of proficient. The score

levels can be assessed as beginning,

emerging, proficient, advanced and

exemplary.

Upcoming Meetings:

Hamburg Board Workshop

Thursday, March 27 6:30

NMS Library

Farragut Budget & Calendar Hearing,

Special Meeting and Community

Workshop

Monday, March 31 6:30

NHS Concourse

Hamburg Board Workshop

Thursday, April 3 6:30

NMS Library

Hamburg Budget & Calendar

Hearing, Special Meeting and

Community Workshop

Monday, April 7 6:30

NMS Auditorium

NMS School Play pictures and

article will be included in NMS

4th Quarter’s Newsletter