A Few Words From Dr. Sellon, Supt.
Welcome to APRIL 2011! The Spring season is underway and we can see the annual transformation from winter to spring taking place right before our very eyes. Everything begins to grow…the trees bud, the grass turns green and the flowers bloom. The landscape across our region changes before our very eyes from what was once cold, brown and dormant to warm, fresh, and colorful countryside…a true transformation!
VOLUME 1, ISSUEIn 2 the Santee Community Schools, we have been undergoing a transfor- mation this year as well….focusing on changing our commitment and our focus to
April 2010 Volume 1, Issue 7 1, Volume April 2010 continuous school improvement and enhanced student achievement. This transfor-
mation includes doing our business of educating students differently than we have
in the past and using student achievement data to determine whether or not we are successful in this endeavor. The transformation of the Santee Community School comes as a result of the district’s inability to increase student success in reading and math scores while increasing graduation rates as required in the Federal Legislation of No Child Left
S INFORMED Behind. Due to these circumstances, the schools were named to the list of persis- tently low achieving schools (PLAS). Last year, PLAS schools were eligible to develop a plan and request funding (School Improvement Grants) to address these needs through a process outlined by the Nebraska Department of Education. Last August, the Santee Community School was notified that we had been granted the funds to implement transformational school improvement in our schools. Since that time, we have been taking steps to address the school improve-
Warrior News Warrior ment models required under the school transformation process. The goal of this school improvement process was to significantly change the way that we were go-
KEEPING OUR FAMILIE
ing about doing our educational business in Santee. The new process included us- ing proven, research-based methods of teaching and professional development to achieve improved student learning results and specifically student success reflected by increased reading, math and graduation rates. The School Improvement Grant (SIG) has identified four major areas of focus for our school improvement efforts. They include the following: Developing and Increasing Teacher and School Leader Effectiveness. Implementing Comprehensive Instructional Reform Strategies. Increasing Learning Time and Creating Community-Oriented Schools. Providing Operational Flexibility and Sustained Support.
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Within these parameters and the requirements of the grant we are working diligently each day to make a significant difference for each student at Santee. Our teachers are the recipients of on-going, high quality job embedded professional development to enhance their teaching skills. Our principals are pro- moting the continuous use of student data to inform and differentiate instruction in order to meet the academic needs of individual students. Our school is implementing a fully comprehensive approach to substantially improving student achievement outcomes and increase high school graduation rates. As we implement these school improvement initiatives, the Santee Community School will be providing increased opportunities and on-going mechanisms for family and community engagement. I want to personally invite you to partner with our school and to participate and become involved in our school improvement process. Only with your help can we truly transform our school into a place of em- betterment; and only through transforming our school and the way we do business can we make the difference necessary for long term student success! I look forward to working with you for transformational school improvement! Have an awesome April! From the Desk of the Elementary Principal
Mrs. Bilbrey
Spring is finally here. I don’t know about you, but I am definitely ready for warmer weather! With Spring comes NeSA and MAPS testing. The NeSA test is administered in grades 3, 8 and 11, and the MAPS test is ad- ministered to grades 3-12. All parents want to see their children perform well in school. Parents play an im- portant role in helping their children give their best performance on a test. The following thoughts will help you in preparing your child to do their best on the test!!!! The night before: Help your child get to bed on time. Research shows that being well rested helps students do better. Help children resolve immediate arguments before going to bed. Keep your routine as normal as possible. Upsetting natural routines may make children feel insecure. Mention the test, show you’re interested, but don’t dwell on it. Plan ahead to avoid conflicts the morning of the test. The morning of the test: Get up early to avoid rushing. Be sure to have your child at school on time. Have your child eat a good breakfast. Research shows that students do better if they have breakfast before they take tests. Have your child dress in something comfortable. Be positive about the test. Acknowledge that tests can be hard. Explain that doing your best is what counts. Remember, these tests are important. By working together as a home/school team we can make test taking a positive experience, one that reflects all of the hard work students have put in throughout the year!!
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From the desk of Principal Mr. Doud Notes from the High School….. The third quarter is in the books and we begin to brace ourselves for the final quarter push. I would like to continue to stress the importance of your child’s attendance. There are less than 40 instructional days remaining in the 4th quarter and each day is so important for your child’s success in the classroom. Please work with the school to make sure your child is on time and in school for the remainder of the year.
NeSA testing for math and reading will begin for our students March 29th. We would like to give a BIG thank you to Roger Trudell and Redwing Thomas for giving inspirational presentations at the Testing Kick-Off Assembly on March 28th. Please help your child be successful during this critical time by encouraging them to do their best, make sure they get plenty of rest each night and to start each morning with a healthy breakfast. Being here every day and on time helps reduce the stress they will have for the day. These tests will help provide a better picture for our schools transformation process.
Students failing classes the first semester will have an opportunity to recover their credits during Saturday School beginning April 2nd from 9:00-12:00 and will conclude May 28th. Students can use odyssey computer software and/or packets developed by their teachers to recover credits needed to graduate. Students that choose not to par- ticipate in Saturday School will have to repeat their failed class in its entirety the following school year. This becomes very difficult for students as they are taking additional “core graduation classes” instead of choosing to take an elec- tive class. Summer School WILL NOT be offered to recover credits this year. . The school encourages you to make sure your child makes up their failed credits during Saturday School if needed. The School Store opened its doors for the first time to all students earning “Warrior Bucks” for attendance the first three quarters of the school year. Students can earn the schools “warrior bucks“” by simply attending school. Students earn a “buck” each day they are in school and it doubles if they have perfect attendance for the week. Warrior Bucks will double during testing time as we need our students here and ready to test! The store will open its doors again at the end of the year. The basketball season has ended and it is important to recognize these student-athletes for their efforts during the season. The teams experienced several positive experiences and represented our school with pride. The Niobrara Valley Conference recognized three student-athletes for their individual contri- butions to their respective teams. Tyral Denney received honorable mention all-conference honors for the boys. Tia Whipple was selected to the 1st team all-conference team and Monique Sheridan received honor- able mention. Monique will also represent Santee as an all-star selection for the spring basketball chal- lenge between the Niobrara Valley Conference All-Stars and the Loup Platte Conference All-Stars on May 26th at 8:00 in Sargent. Come support Monique as she plays her last high school basketball game!
We would like to continue to encourage you to come see the many changes that are taking place in the high school. Together we are making a difference!
Warrior Pride!
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Science News from Ms. Avery The 9-12 Science classes have been spending time in the computer lab using the explorelearning.com website. It allows students to perform experi- ments on the computer. The simulations are called Gizmos. On Friday, April 15th, Winnebago will be hosting a science fair. All 9-12 students with a science class will be competing. Ask them what their project will be! PRIDE groups have been working on transcript reports, test readiness, a pi (3.14) celebration and challenges (athletic and academic). We will be having speakers in to lead discussions on drug abuse (including over the counter and prescription drugs), alcohol abuse, and sexual health education. We are still re- warding students with weekly perfect attendance and good grades. It is now called a FLEX pass and gives students an opportunity to use their time for edu- cational pursuits outside of the building.
English From Mr. Canning
The students are continuing to work hard on their Expressive Writing, Comprehension, and Decoding programs. Progress continues to be made each day for those students who are in class. While I teach only the high school levels, these reading and writing programs at all grade levels are exciting for me. The more pro- gress that is made at the elementary and high school levels, the more prepared students are for their high school coursework and the more I can help prepare them for college level work. Remember, no matter how good reading and writing programs may be, they are only effective for students who are in school, well rested and ready to work hard. Please continue to encourage your students every day and do everything you can to make sure that they come to school, are rested and are ready to work and learn.
As I write this, students in elementary, middle and high school are preparing to take their state reading tests. I hope to have good news for you regarding these tests in next month's newsletter.
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PE with Mr. Jones
HI Parents and Friends We are doing good things in P.E. In the lower elementary we are doing daily P.E. activi- ties. We are not really doing units but just all around stuff. In upper elementary we are doing things for spring. We play a little kick ball, bat and ball. We will be doing thing that will get us in shape for track. In High School P.E. we play four square, kick ball, and we also will be doing things that will get us in shape for track. I know some of you have heard that I will be retiring after this year, it is true. This was a decision that was not made lightly. I thought about this for a long time. In a way I feel like I let some kids down by not staying around until they graduate. But I felt it was time to go. I have taught some good people, and have learned a lot from you as I hope you have done the same from me. For thirty-five years this reservation has been my home. I have met and made some good friends here. We have laughed together and cried to- gether. I will miss you all, but I plan on doing some subbing. It has been a great experi- ence for me to teach your children. I wouldn't have traded this experience for the world. But like all good things it must come to an end. See Ya!! Mr. Jones
Kindergarten with Mrs. Hrbek
It's finally springtime and we are steadily approaching the end of our school year! The kindergarteners are loving the bits of spring weather we have been fortunate to get so far! We are still working dili- gently on counting to 100 and writing our numbers to 30. Each kinder- gartener has created their own set of flashcards to take home and practice with. Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and older siblings all can share tremendously in their learning by showing interest in what they learned/ did in school each day and by asking them to demonstrate what they have learned. Practice makes perfect! So encourage these little ones to pull out their cards or ask them to count something while doing your regular afterschool activities.
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Ms. Sorensen and First Grade
We have been very busy this month with reading and math in First grade! We have been flying right along in reading and doing very well with learning new words and read- ing stories! Keep it up!! In math we have been learning to count money. Money is diffi- cult at this age, but they have been doing very well in counting groups of coins and find- ing their value. You can help us at home by practicing with us! We have learned about pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters. In Social Studies, we have been talking about money also and how money is different in other countries. We have even looked at real money from China, Japan and other countries. In Science, we have been talking about air, water, and land. We have talked about how important it is to take care of our natural resources. We have discussed the importance of recycling and reusing items to help conserve our resources. First grade has only two days this month where everyone has been here on time and stayed the whole day. Our attendance has really been down. Parents, please help us get to school every day so that we aren't missing important learning!
History with Mrs. Plumbtree
What an excellent surprise to see our picture on the front of the Niobrara Tribune newspaper. It was nice to see the Santee School Seniors Civic class make the paper. The article was about letters that one of the elders in the tribe (Walter Cutts) had sent to Washington D.C to our Congressmen and Senators. Mr. Cutts gave those to Mrs. Plumbtree and she used them in her Civics class to help teach the students that every American citizen has a right to, and a duty to, get involved with the government pro- cess and each of us has a voice in what happens there. It was a great article with the picture of the class on the front page. All in all it was a great experience for the Seniors to be part of. Mrs. Plumbtree
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Special Education April 2011 Special Education covers students from Head-Start through graduation and post graduation. When your student enters high school other agencies become available to help in preparing students for college or work after graduation. Santee School works with Vocational Rehab, Transition specialists, and Job Corp, to name a few. With the help of these agencies, parents and the student are preparing a path for employment in the future. Every year a few students travel to Vocational Rehab in Norfolk for testing in many areas including; interests, aptitude, intelligence, dexterity to name a few. These assessments are to help determine where a student best fits at this time. These meetings are also a time to talk about future dreams, maybe a tour, talk about life after high school. In April a few students will be traveling to Norfolk for the purpose of testing and evaluation. We work with these agencies in preparing your student for their future.
April is also a month of testing for all students; we will be preparing for the NeSA and AIMS tests this month. Students do best when they are well rested, comfortable and able to concentrate on the test material. The motto for April “Plan Ahead”.
Julene Kay Misty Nilson
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Second Grade, Mrs. Chavet
We have had a visitor in our room for the past several weeks! Mrs. Avery loaned us an anatomical model from the high school science room while we studied systems of the human body in Science. ―Fred‖ –as affectionately named by a previous second grade class—is a plastic model of the human body which can be opened up to ob- serve his organs. He helped us learn about the brain, the heart, veins and arteries, the lungs, and all the parts of the digestive system.
We also traced our own bodies on paper, and then cut out paper organs to glue on them in the appropriate plac- es. After that we added veins and arteries. Our body cut-outs were then put in the hallway so others could learn from them, too.
Reading and Language classes are going well, and we continue to move forward in Math, too. It is very im- portant for us to practice all of our skills at home. We really need our families to help us do our homework and toCaption be sure describing we come to school every day and on time. picture or graphic.
3rd & 4th Grade, Mrs.Nielsen and Ms. Allvin
The third and fourth graders have been very busy this past month. The stu- dents are working hard in their new Reading Mastery and Language Arts classes. The students were able to spend their Warrior Bucks they had earned first se- mester and third quarter for attendance. Students also received Warrior Bucks for im- proving their MAPS test scores. They were able to use their Warrior Bucks to buy such things as skateboards, back packs, t-shirts, jogging pants, and even a pizza piz- zazz. The months of April and May are very important months for testing at the San- tee School. We will be completing State Assessments, MAPS testing, and AIMS Web testing. It is important that students get a good nights rest and eat properly. A reminder that in April we will be having school on Fridays. The only expception is that school will not be held on April 22 (Good Friday) and April 25 (Easter Monday.)
We hope you have a wonderful Spring and a Happy Easter!
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Power2Transform By Tami Heiser
Power2Transform was the name given to the education summit that I attended in Chicago March 19-22. The summit was sponsored by AdanvED, a parent organization for the North Central Association (NCA). NCA is the organization that Santee School is seeking accredita- tion through in the 2011-2012 school year.
Power2Transform was developed around five strands: 1) AdvanED Accreditation, 2) Lever- aging Change, 3) Improving the Instructional Core, 4) Continuous Improvement through Ac- creditation, 5) Innovative Leadership. Presenters offered leading edge ideas and practices designed for those who are committed to preparing our youth for tomorrow’s opportunities. Different state and national leaders also discussed policy issues central to transformation of our educational systems and our efforts to improve student achievement.
I attended different breakout sessions that dealt with the accreditation process that Santee School will be dealing with next year. I learned about new ways to handle data, how to fill out the self-assessment, and how to prepare for accreditation in a small school.
Mrs. Plumbtree and Prom
Well by the time this paper gets to everyone it will be Prom time at Santee Community Schools. This year the theme is Mardi Gras, and yes we are all ex- cited about the upcoming event. The Juniors have been working very hard to get things ready and everyone has butterflies about getting the gym decorated. Hopefully there will be enough decorations and money to make the whole event one big Success. Everyone has their new attire purchased and will be getting their nails and hair done for the event. Excitement is running rampant here at the school. We are inviting everyone to come over to the school for the Grand March which will be held at 6:00 Sharp on Saturday evening. Please come and see the stu- dents new attire and take some pictures. Mrs. Plumbtree
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Greetings from Mrs. Kalkowski's and her 5th and 6th graders!
Mrs. Kalkowski's 5th and 6th graders say, “Welcome to Spring!” Our final quarter of the year is off to a great start! The 5th and 6th graders attended the Character on the Job Workshop in Norfolk, NE on March 24th. This was an exciting and busy day where the students learned entrepreneurship skills and how to maintain a successful business, while following the six “Pillars of Character.” This was a wonderful educational opportunity for all involved. On March 28, we will begin NESA testing. It is very important that during this two week testing window students are getting the proper sleep needed and also realize the im- portance of these tests. Each student can and will be successful if we put forth the effort!
K-12 MUSIC, MR. MONSON
It's not quite spring-like yet. Hopefully we will have some sunshine soon. I have been having lots of fun with my Kindergarten music class and they are great singers. The elementary kids like their Dis- ney songs. We will have parties for each class as payment for good attendance and behavior. If all goes well, I will offer another reward after the spring concert for good attendance at the perfor- mance. I am still looking for more songs to add to the concert line up. If anyone has a favorite chil- dren song they would like to hear, please let me know. Some of my best concert ideas come from the community.
Mr. Monson
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Art with Mr. Zimmerman
7th grade and Mrs. Crouse
Seventh graders have occasionally been going to Ms. Avery's room for Science. Why? She has the lab and the instruments for dissecting! Last week the class carefully cut open a clam (mollusk) and drew a diagram. As soon as the earthworms arrive, we will try a more complicated operation. Most of the students really enjoy exploring the inter- nal organs of creatures. One students said, “I don't know why I like it, I just do.” As you may already know, safety comes first. We wear goggles, apron, and gloves for protec- tion. All the instruments we use are also designed with safety in mind. Thanks to Ms. Avery for sharing her time and teaching talents with the seventh grade.
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Mr. Bartels— 5th & 6th Graders
The 5th and 6th grade students attended Character on the Job on March 24,2011 at the Lifelong Learning Center in Norfolk , NE. Character on the Job is an interactive character edu- cation program focusing on entrepreneurship and designed to enable youth to develop knowledge and life skills needed for responsible behavior in the business world and communi- ty. The program is designed to: Reinforce the " six pillars of character ": Trustworthiness , Re- spect , Responsibility, Fairness , caring , and Citizenship. The program was designed to create an avenue for youth to express their view on character in business , buy and sell a product. The students had fun while learning together.
Next week the students will be working on NeSA testing. All students need to get a good night's sleep and come to school on time.
5th and 6th grade teacher
Mr. Bartels
Congratulations to Tyral Denney, Monique Sheridan and Tia Whip- ple for the basketball honors they have received. Tyral and Monique were given honorable mention by the Niobrara Valey Conference (NVC) for the 2010-2011 basketball season. Monique was also se- lected to play in the all-star game along with other selected seniors from the Niobrara Valley Conference. The game will be played in May and more details will be given as they are received. Tia Whip- ple was awarded for her play this season by being voted a NVC First Team All-Conference Selection. Congratulations Tyral, Monique and Tia! News from Ms. Stout's 5/6 Grade The month of March has seemed to pass by quite quickly in our classroom. Stu- dents have managed to continue to work hard in Reading, Language and Math. Although the students have been working hard in class, they will soon put their skills to the test with upcoming tests such as the NeSa, Maps, and AIMS Web. I am confident that our students will make gains. Hard work and good behavior in the classroom allowed some students to take a field trip and have some fun outside of the classroom. On March 24, some 5/6 students were able to go to Norfolk for a field trip called “Character on the Job”, held at the Northeast Community College. The students learned about the steps and processes of owning a business. They were able to gain hands on expe- rience and develop their own business selling pencils. The students did a great job!
Ms. Stout and Courtney
Jr. high Math Mrs. Swalley
~Parent/guardians who have their child/children in school on time and daily is greatly appreciated, and also helps the learning process. Keep up the good work! ~
Whew! January and February flew by so fast, and now March is comping to an end! I am so glad that spring is here. With only a couple of months left of school, it is time for Jr. high to sprint ahead in Math!
Math is continuously a challenge for many of the Jr. high students. We now are familiar with our new routine, and have started a NEW Math program. This program is very similar to the Reading recovery program imple- mented this January. We have only recently introduced it to Jr. High on Feb. 28th. So far, it is going well. The main concern I have for this program is STUDENT ATTENDANCE. When a student is ABSENT, espe- cially for the NEW math, he/she will miss out on a lot of Math facts they need to move on to the next lesson.
***Again, I am asking that all parents please help students to review multiplication facts. This can be done as you’re driving together in a car or just sitting at dinner together. Students should be able to quickly give an- swers to multiplication facts with out a pause, this should be automatic at this grade level. Any extra practice with all students will be very helpful for the next math skills to come. These math facts are still very crucial for this program.
H.S Dakota language
~Parent/guardians who have their child/children in school on time and daily is greatly appreciated, and also helps the learning process. Keep up the good work! ~
High school students are still working on their introductions, questions & responses, building vo- cabulary, and working with simple sentences. We hope to have students build enough confidence to introduce themselves in a whole school assembly, soon. We are working on schedules and hope to have the high school class teach new words to lower elementary. There is still a lot of planning that needs to be coordinated with elementary teachers to avoid interruption to the new Reading program. We look forward to having this worked out soon!!!
** Santee Community school is still offering Dakota language for high school students. Dakota Language is a required course they must have in order to graduate. Unfortunately, specials have been cut back due to the new reading program, which means elementary will not have Dakota language class for this semester. With schedule changes and times, we hope the next school year will allow us to have the time to fit elementary Dakota language back in a our daily schedule. ***
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2011 Track
The track season has started out with some cold weather, but we hope to heat up the track soon! The first track meet was held in Wayne at the Wayne State College facility on March 18. Donna Pike placed 8th with a throw of 28- 10.00. Dakota Denney also participated and threw the shot 33.05.50 Although we may not have a large number of athletes out, we are still looking forward to making strong marks in the upcoming season. We have a great group of hard working athletes and I know their hard work will pay off! We are looking for- ward to a season of personal bests and... WARM weather! :)
8th Grade News:
We are still working diligently in our Comprehension, Decoding and Writing classes. Please remem- ber that these classes are below grade level for your child.
In History we are learning the difference between the North and South prior to the beginning of the Civil War.
In Earth Science class we learning about the water on earth. Fresh water, where it comes from and how does it get to our houses. Salt water in the oceans and its chemistry. We are also keeping an eye on an eagle nest in Iowa via a camera system set up over the internet. The eggs should hatch on April 1st, or we could be “fooled” and they may hatch later!
NeSA testing will be March 31 and April 1 for your 8th graders. Take a moment to tell your child that these tests are important and truly matter a great deal for our school.
Warrior News It was good to see the number of parents involved in the meeting. We had an awesome turn out with 45 parents showing their support and how their involvement is important to their child lives.
All parents of students that attend- ed the SCS parent night received a 20 dollar grocery gift card to the Lewis and Clark grocery store. Roger Trudell, Chairman Nice job encouraging parents to make sure that their children know the importance of education . That education will take them far.
Tamie Heiser Presented colored graphs to show the relationship between low attendance and a drop in grades for the students here in Santee.
Jay Canning Spoke about how his parents stressed the importance of educa- tion in his life. Through education, he has become successful.
Parent Committee Lizzie and Chelsey talk on the importance of parent involve- ment in their students educa- tion and wanted to raise par- ent awareness on attendance for students , state testing and school progress.
“THE TEACHERS AND SCHOOL ARE HERE TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNIT- IS FOR OUR YOUTH. IT IS OUR JOB AS A COMMU- NITY TO SUPPORT THEM AND ENCOURAGE OUR YOUTH TO ATTEND SCHOOL.”
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PARENT VISION EVENT MONDAY APRIL 18TH 5:30—8:00 P.M.
MEAL, REFRESHMENTS, BABYSITTING, AND TRANSPORTATION PROVIDED
We will be developing the community action plan to help parents, grandparents, and community members be more active in the school.
Community members and School Staff enjoying the meal that was catered by Hy-Vee .
Check out the newsletter and other information about Santee Community School on our new website ! www.santeeschools.org
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