Iowa: Shift Happens

Graettinger-Terril CSD Update

What an exciting time to be a Graettinger-Terril Knight! If you are new to our community, on behalf of the faculty, staff, and board of education I want to welcome you. As Labor Day creeps up on us, it is once again time to get ready for school! I wanted to take a moment and update you on some happenings at G-T.

One of the biggest changes for the 2011-2012 school year will be the new grade configuration for buildings. All elementary students in grades K-5 will be in the Terril building, while all middle and high school students will be in the Graettinger building. It has been a year and a half of planning and preparation for this positive transition that will improve our instruction.

Construction has been the theme for our summer. The Terril remodeling project has been completed, and the teachers are now in their new classrooms! The community is invited for an Open House on August 30^th from 5:00-7:00pm to see the completed project. Three brand new classrooms were created while three classrooms were completely remodeled. We are very proud of the finished product and we encourage you to come and check it out. The other project underway is the demolition of the old building in Graettinger. The majority of the project has been completed; crews will be working now to complete the finishing work on the exterior of the building.

At the Board of Education meeting on August 15, 2011, the Board took steps to increase the accountability for students in regards to academic eligibility and the good conduct policy. This year if a student is failing a course at mid-term, they will be ineligible for one week. If they fail a course at the end of a quarter, they will be ineligible for two weeks. If they fail a semester course, the standard state consequences will be applied. Changes in the good conduct policy include increasing the first offense to four events (two if the student and parent participate in substance abuse counseling). Offenses will also be accumulated throughout their high school experience, rather than starting over each year. We believe we need to hold our students accountable for choices they make in an effort to portray a positive image of our school district and our communities.

Graettinger-Terril CSD received final confirmation from the Iowa Department of Education stating we did not meet our Annual Yearly Progress (AYP), in the area of Middle School Reading. Subsequently, we have been put on the "watch list" for the 2011-2012 school year. What does this mean? If we do not meet AYP next year (the state trajectory of how many students should be proficient) in the area of Middle School Reading, we would be designated a ”School In Need of Assistance". If we continue the following year without progress, more consequences follow. The school needs your help! We need our parents to support literacy education and encourage their child to read more. We need our community to believe and support our efforts in literacy. Finally, we need to get better and we need to get focused on the priority of literacy.

I’m very proud of the education that we provide for our students. Graettinger-Terril is blessed to have wonderful communities for our students to grow up and live in. Although we are faced with many challenges, my promise to you is we will continue to improve the way we educate the future generation of students. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at the school. Thank you for your support, and I hope this year is the best year for our school yet!

Anatomy Students Tracking EKG

During Anatomy class, students are recording their heart rate onto their laptops using EKG technology. After their heart rates are recorded, the can compare with real life EKG readings!

Think Pink

Pencil Vs. Laptop

Let’s have a little competition at school and get ready for the future. I will use a laptop and you will use paper and pencil. Are you ready…?

I will access up-to-date information - you have a textbook that is 5 years old.
I will immediately know when I misspell a word – you have to wait until it’s graded.
I will learn how to care for technology by using it – you will read about it.
I will see math problems in 3D – you will do the odd problems.
I will create artwork and poetry and share it with the world – you will share yours with the class.
I will have 24/7 access – you have the entire class period.
I will access the most dynamic information – yours will be printed and photocopied.
I will communicate with leaders and experts using email – you will wait for Friday’s speaker.
I will select my learning style – you will use the teacher’s favorite learning style.
I will collaborate with my peers from around the world – you will collaborate with peers in your classroom.
I will take my learning as far as I want – you must wait for the rest of the class.
The cost of a laptop per year? - $400
The cost of teacher and student training? – Expensive
The cost of well educated US citizens and workforce? - Priceless

via http://www.raeniles.com/page10/page10.html

Dickinson County Monthly Article

I have a monthly column in the Dickinson County Newspaper...this month's contribution...

An issue that continues to plague schools across the nation is students who choose to victimize others by bullying and harassing them. It is imperative for schools to be able to protect students against bulling and harassment. There are constant examples of the negative effects of this senseless behavior in the news nearly every day.

Many parents and students have asked me what the difference is between bullying/harassment and the common “joking around” students encounter on a daily basis. We define bullying and harassment as targeting students on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, national origin, marital status, or disability. Bullying also entails conduct of a verbal or physical nature that is designed to embarrass, distress, agitate, disturb, or trouble other students. Student-to-student harassment may include, but is not limited to:

· Verbal, physical, or written harassment or abuse

· Repeated remarks of a demeaning nature

· Implied or explicit threats

· Demeaning jokes, stories, or activities directed at a student

· Hazing activities.

Students who feel they have been harassed should communicate to the harasser that the student expects the behavior to stop, if the student is comfortable doing so. If the student needs assistance communicating with the harasser, the student should ask a teacher or principal to help. If the student has asked the other student to stop, and that student continues the detrimental behavior, the child needs to tell a teacher, counselor, or the principal immediately. The principal will then investigate the matter.

The abbreviated version is this: if your child asks someone to stop a specific behavior, and the other child does not stop, then your child needs to talk to the principal! The other major point that I have been communicating to our students this month is this, the number one way to stop bullying and harassment in our schools is for the bystanders to stop reinforcing the negative behavior and tell their peers to stop! In the middle school we do our best to have teachers in areas to supervise our kids; however, we know there are places that adults cannot always supervise. These areas can include bathrooms, buses, and in the locker rooms. We must rely on students to do the right thing by confronting the negative behavior, or at the minimum tell an adult. We can’t help a situation we don’t know about.

The final way we can help bullying and harassment in our schools is with parent support. Talk to your kids about bullying and harassment. If your child comes home and says they are being bullied and no one is doing anything about it, it may be a situation that we don’t know that it is happening to your child. Please communicate those situations with your school.

In closing this month, my number one priority at Graettinger-Terril is to ensure our students feel safe in our building. Not just physically, but emotionally safe as well. We have great kids, and great staff, but bullying and harassment can show its ugly face in even the finest of school systems. Through communication with students, parents and teachers, we can all do our part to make our schools safe environments for our kids to learn and grow in everyday.

Dear Mother Nature...

Really?!? Are you that bored? Seriously?!? ENOUGH ALREADY!!!

With that said, some of you may wonder how I come to the conclusion that we have a 2 hour late, no school, or to let students our early. I have to tell you that it is the most stressful part of my duties! The #1 factor I take into consideration is student safety. I don't know if you have ever driven a bus (or remember what it was like driving as a teenager)...but it can be somewhat difficult even without snow, ice, or fog. So between getting up early to check roads, constantly playing meteorologist, and trying to see into the crystal ball, you can see why it may be challenging. Fortunately, I'm in constant communication with Superintendents from surrounding communities, and most often, we collaborate on the decision (that's why you see the "domino" effect).

I know someday there will be a time when you say, "why did we have a 2 hour late", but I hope you understand I want to make sure everyone can get to school (and back home) safely.