VOLUME 1, ISSUE 5 Where did January & February Go?
March 2011 January in Iron Five tournament hosted global citizens with all of the and Feb‐ by California School for the Deaf travel experience that they are www.mdsmn.org ruary have Fremont. having at such a young age! come and The HS Academic Bowl Team We are almost at mid‐semester gone!! It seems like it was only travelled to Washington, DC to and that means Parent/ yesterday when MDS had its participate in the national aca‐ Teacher conferences are right winter break back in Decem‐ demic bowl competition at Gal‐ around the corner! Parent/ ber! However, snow remains laudet University. Teacher conferences will be to be visible on ground. Spring held Thursday night, April 14th still has not arrived. Many of Two HS students will travel to and Friday, the 15th during the us are still waiting to see green Rochester, New York to partici‐ day. More than 80% of MDS grass! pate in the national science fair families attended parent/ competition hosted by National This is a busy time of the year teacher conferences. Let’s Technical Institute of the Deaf/ for MDS Cheetahs! Many of strive again for at least 80% Rochester Institute of Technol‐ our students are travelling or conference attendance by MDS ogy. have travelled in the past two families! months. Please read the news‐ The International Club (MDS Important Upcoming Dates to letter to get a gist of all of the juniors and seniors) will travel to mark in your calendars! 6th— happenings here at MDS! Paris, France and Madrid, Spain 12th grade academic and ex‐ from March 24th to 31st. The HS basketball teams trav‐ tracurricular activities awards elled to Michigan School for Metro Deaf School’s mission night will be held on Thursday, the Deaf to participate in Cen‐ statement emphasizes that our June 9th. Senior graduation tral States Schools for the Deaf primary purpose is to empower ceremony will be on Tuesday, basketball tournament. our students to develop the June 14th. skills and knowledge to succeed Junior High School basketball MDS continues to be fortunate as global citizens. The students teams also travelled to Fre‐ to have such terrific supporters are well on their way of being mont, California to participate like you!
Kim’s Whereabouts Science Fair
Kim will be travelling abroad In the past, the high school has hosted a school‐ with the juniors and seniors wide science fair on an annual basis. Starting this to France and Spain in the year, we will be having the science fair every coming weeks. She will not other year to coincide with the international trip. be in the office from March 24th—April 1st. Therefore, there will be no science fair this year. Dyan Sherwood will be the primary contact per‐ Our next school‐wide science fair will be held in son in her absence. Just so you know, Kim has a April 2012. videophone set up in her office. Both Hearing We are excited for our two high school students, and Deaf parents/guardians can call her directly Curtis Oldfather & Shaylyn Towers, who will at 651‐964‐1636. She also has a white board on travel to Rochester, New York to present their her office door which posts her weekly schedule. science fair projects at the National Science Fair Please do not hesitate to contact Kim at any for Deaf/Hard of Hearing students hosted by Na‐ time if you have questions or concerns that you tional Technical Institute for the Deaf/Rochester would like to discuss. Institute of Technology. Good luck!!
Upcoming Events—check the website for more events/details Board Meeting Mar. 28 & Apr. 25
Professional Day—No school March 18
Spring Break April 4—April 8
LEARNING TODAY-LEADING TOMORROW Parent Teacher Conferences April 14‐15
PTG Meeting April 12
MDS PTG Annual Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser April 29
Cheetah Notes MDS HS Prom April 30 Academic Bowl Update
Gallaudet University established the Aca‐ zie Fuechtmann was selected to demic Bowl for Deaf and Hard of Hearing the All‐Star Team. Way to go, High School Students in 1997, with the Linzie! Congratulations to the goal of promoting academic competition Academic Bowl Team for repre‐ among school teams. senting MDS so well in the com‐ petition!! Seventy‐eight teams from all over the United States traveled to Washington, Final Results: DC to participate in the national compe‐ 1st—Maryland School for the tition. The competition lasted for 4 days Deaf, Frederick, MD starting Saturday, March 5th through Tuesday, March 8th. 2nd– New Mexico School for the Deaf, Santa Fe, NM Our academic bowl team did very well in the tournament. The team made it into 3rd—Model Secondary School Academic Bowl Team members from Left to the TOP TEN! It was an intense competi‐ for the Deaf, Washington, DC Right: tion and we were disappointed not to 4th—Indiana School for the Travis Lauderbaugh, Jordan Duffy, Trevor Ander‐ make it into the final round. Deaf, Indianapolis, IN son, Linzie Fuechtmann We are so proud of our team! Sixteen 5th– Florida School for the Deaf Assistant Coach, Daniel Gough & Head Coach out of three hundred twelve players and the Blind, St. Augustine, FL were selected to the All‐Star Team. Lin‐ Cheri Piemeisl
International Club Update!
As of March 14th, only March 31st. Wendy Harris and Ronda Jo ceive Tour Diary updates. Tour Diary is a TEN more days before Miller, MDS teachers, are the club advi‐ personalized online diary with daily de‐ the International Club sors. The International Club meets on a scriptions of our activities and pictures of embarks on its trip to monthly basis to prepare for the trip. students, staff, and parents in action. It Paris, France and Ma‐ We will be bringing along our own inter‐ is a perfect way for you to follow along drid, Spain! This year, preter, too, who accompanied us on our with our group throughout the trip. If our 12 juniors and seniors along with previous trip. You will receive an invite you are interested in receiving updates, some parents and staff including Kim from me via Explorica (tour company please accept Kim’s invitation to the Tour Kause, will travel from March 24th to that the school contracted with) to re‐ Diary.
Iron Five Basketball Tournament
MDS Middle School Girls and Boys ment concluded, the teams had the op‐ basketball team travelled to Fremont, portunity to spend a day sightseeing San California to participate in Iron Five bas‐ Francisco! Kudos to both boys and girls ketball tournament. Six Deaf schools basketball teams!! Cheetah Pride!!. participated in the tournament during the weekend of March 4th—6th. The girls basketball team received 3rd place!! The boys basketball team also received sportsmanship award!! After the tourna‐
Page 2 CHEETAH NOTES JHS Addresses Behavior
As we venture in the 2nd semester of them supervise during lunch. For the to check in with their teachers regarding the school year, there are some of remainder of the school year, supervi‐ homework assignments, and projects. changes that are happening this semes‐ sion will be provided on a rotating basis Accelerated Reader: Some students ter at the JHS level. After several discus‐ by: Melissa Sweetmilk (School Social expressed the desire to read books at sion s with the JHS student council offi‐ Worker), Kristi Townshend (School Psy‐ their own pace without the stress of cers/students and feedback from Jr. HS chologist), Alex Ferguson (Speech and taking AR quizzes or time limits. For the students and staff, the following changes Language), Lynn Bloom (Social Worker), second semester, JHS students have the have been made: Dyan Sherwood (Director of Planning & option of setting up their own goals for Development), and Kim Kause (Director Recess: Students have requested and AR, or participating in Sustained Silent of Instruction). expressed a desire to have recess added Reading (SSR), in which they choose a to the lunch period to burn off/boost Morning Announcements: Traditionally book and read it quietly during that time. their energy level, particularly when they students in grades K‐8th have morning begin to feel sluggish in the afternoons. announcements for the first 10‐15 min‐ Recess has now been added to the last utes of the school day. However, most 15 minutes of the Lunch period. of the announcements/news has been geared towards K‐5 grade level students, Lunch Supervision: It was brought to which has left JHS students struggling to my attention that students felt restricted remain focused during announcements. during lunch, and wanted to have Li‐ Instead students will be using this time censed Staff who were familiar with
MDS in the News!
MDS was hon‐ Sherwood made a brief speech thanking outreach to the deaf community. Officer ored at the Capi‐ the Commission for their training and Chad uses ASL and is a regular visitor at tol Rotunda dur‐ leadership through this process as well MDS, working with our students, and we ing a ceremony as recognizing all the legislators, past and are very on March 3rd present, community members, students, proud he hosted by the staff and families who made its passage received Dyan Sherwood accept- MN Commission possible. Our award is framed and dis‐ this well‐ ing MCDHH’s Grass Roots Award. of Deaf, DeafBlind and played in the Media Center. deserved Hard of Hearing Min‐ award! St. Paul Police Officer Chad Koch was nesotans. We received the “Grass Roots recognized for his service to the Deaf Advocacy Award” for advocating to community. Officer Chad received the Officer Chad Koch accepting the Commu- change legislation. The passage of our Community Justice Award for the work nity Justice Award from MCDHH for his bill, HF 3329, saved our school! Dyan work with the Deaf community. he does to educate officers and provide
Marketing Update: Learning Today—Leading Tomorrow
Our new logo is com‐ our marketing materials and posted have those in place by our spring Open pleted and in use. It throughout the school. House on May 5th. represents the old and Our new brochure is in the editing phase the new: MDS’s “PAH” Our cheetah design will continue to be and will be done prior to the Open symbol was kept as was a star from used on clothing items (which we will be House. Next steps will be doing some MNSA. The new design emphasizes who offering), school news‐ revisions to the website's Home Page we are—DEAF. This will be used on let‐ letters, all athletic‐ and setting up a Facebook page for the terhead stationary and official forms, related materials, etc. school so we, too, can be part of the business cards, memorandums, website, Large banners, signs social media hype! etc.—it has a more “formal” feel to it. and decals of the logo, cheetah and the tag line have been or‐ It’s all pretty exciting stuff! Stay tuned... Our new tag line, Learning Today ‐ dered and will be used/displayed Leading Tomorrow, will be used on all throughout the building. We hope to
VOLUME 1, ISSUE 5 Page 3 1st Semester Honor Rolls!!
This is an opportunity to give recognition Heng Vang‐8th grade GOLD HONOR ROLL: to JHS and HS students who have made Kaylah Vogt‐8th grade 1st semester honor roll. Amanda Jo Temple‐9th grade Raelyn Fuecthmann‐8th grade Jordan Duffy‐10th grade Danny Rothbauer‐8th grade Gold Honor Roll: GPA 3.75‐4.0 Laken McAlpine‐10th grade Mustafa Farah‐8th grade Silver Honor Roll: GPA .3.5‐3.74 Shaylyn Towers‐10th grade Trevor Anderson‐10th grade Rachel Docken‐11th grade Linzie Fuecthmann‐11th grade SILVER HONOR ROLL: Karielle Larson‐11th grade Congratulations John Fechther—6th grade Jacob Brainard‐12th grade to our students Tiffany Anderson –7th grade Staci Hollen‐12th grade who made the Erin Barrett—7th grade Travis Lauderbaugh‐12th grade honor roll!! Emelia Beldon– 7th grade Jesse Seelye‐12th grade Cheetah Pride!! Brenton Hayes—8th grade Jordan Voeltz‐12th grade Seth Madsen– 8th grade Mary Rose Weber‐12th grade Devonte Mix—8th grade Alexandra Werness‐12th grade Kelsey Prickett‐8th grade Testing Season
Spring means annual testing in the schools. Both MCAII and NWEA‐MAP are scheduled for … March 28th & 29th Science MCAs & K-5th Grade Community Service Project MTAS Science April 11th—April 29th MTAS Reading The K‐5 elementary team decided to The shoe’s fabric upper is used in crea‐ & Math launch a school‐wide community ser‐ tion of cushioning pads for facilities vice project. Their project was to ask like indoor synthetic courts and wood April 12th & 13th 10th Grade Reading MDS community to donate shoes to courts. This community service pro‐ & 11th Grade Math Nike REUSE Shoe Project. Donated ject collected 80 pairs of shoes (160 April 13th & 14th Science MCAS shoes are recycled into different mate‐ shoes total). Thank you for your dona‐ rials such as rubber from the shoe’s tions!! April 19th 9th Grade Writing Compo‐ outsoles to be used in track surfaces, sition interlocking gym floor tiles, play‐ April 19th & 21st 3rd – 8th Grade ground surfacing, and even new Nike Math MCAs products. The shoe’s midsoles are recycled to be used as a cushion for April 26th & 27th 3rd—8th Grade outdoor basketball and tennis courts. Reading MCAs Modified and 12th Grade Science MCAs Students of the Month! May 10th—27th NWEA MAP testing for Grades 2– 12 Each Month the K‐5 program recognizes a student for their good September: Aubrey Gillespie citizenship and the efforts they display in the class‐ October: Yahir Sanchez School Administration room and toward others. November: Estrella Rayner Kim Kause: Director of Instruction/Principal Congratulations to the Dyan Sherwood: Director of Planning and January: Dalton Starr following students who Development have been recognized by February: Esmeralda Rayner This newsletter is written & published by their teachers: school administration. Feel free to contact us at any time
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