New bookmark: Redefining Instruction With Technology: Five Essential Steps Here-- Scott McLeod (@mcleod)
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Sunday, March 4, 2012
March/April K-8 Newsletter
Gladbrook – Reinbeck K-8 Newsletter
March/April 2012
Bill Parker: Gladbrook Campus
Last Thursday night I was outside about 10:30 shoveling the snow that had fallen over the evening hours. It was warm outside and as I moved the snow off the sidewalks and drive I couldn’t help but notice how beautiful it was, so white and fluffy. Isn’t it amazing how when you have seen so little of the snow all winter, a night like that can seem so nice! It was really fun the next day at school to watch the elementary students playing and building walls of snow.
We are quickly approaching the end of the third quarter. It’s that time for Parent-Teacher Conferences again. We will have a one-hour early dismissal on both Tuesday, March 6, and Thursday, March 8. Conferences will run from 4:00 – 8:00 pm both nights. If you find that your time doesn’t work for you, please contact the office and we will help you find a time to visit with the class sponsor or whatever teacher you need to see.
The new Iowa Assessment scores are in and are the forms ever different! We are still in the process of figuring out exactly what the testing information is telling us. In the long run, the scores will allow everyone to determine individual student growth over a period of time which makes far more sense than comparing a fourth grade class against another fourth grade class. The Iowa Assessment Parent Narratives will be sent home on Friday March 2. Information about the new levels of proficiency can be found at: http://itp.education.uiowa.edu/ia/documents/Proficient.pdf
We are looking for the Class of 2026! If you have a child that will be ready for Kindergarten next year, please contact the elementary offices in Gladbrook (473-2875) and Reinbeck (345-2822) to get a Kindergarten Welcome packet sent to you. The Kindergarten Parent Welcome meetings will be held on Monday, April 2 at both sites starting at 6:30 pm. Kindergarten Welcome for the future kindergartners will be on Wednesday and Thursday, April 4 and 5 respectively. In order to be Kindergarten eligible, your child must be five years old by September 15, 2012. We look forward to meeting all the new students at this time. Please help us out and if there are new families to the area, or people that don’t see our newsletter, please pass the word along.
Gladbrook – Reinbeck will be hosting a Strength, Conditioning, and Speed Training Clinic on Friday, March 2 at in the High School Gym and Weight Room from 4:00-7:00 pm. The clinic is free for Boys and Girls in Grades 6-12.
Zach Mathers, a 1997 GR graduate, and current Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for the University of Sioux Falls, South Dakota will be running and teaching the clinic with his athletic staff. Zack was the National Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year and it is a great honor to have him help develop all of our athletic programs.
March is a busy time for the Middle School Band students. On Monday, March 5, is the Parade of Bands concert. All of the bands from 5th Grade through High School will be playing at the High School gym with the music starting at 7:00 pm. It is a great chance to see how band students progress from beginners to advanced musicians.
Then on March 22, the 6th, 7th, and 8th grade band students will travel to South Tama for a Band Jamboree. Each of the three grades will make up a band and perform in concert starting at 7:00 pm in the South Tama High School. Other schools involved in the jamboree are North Tama, East Marshall, Belle Plaine, GMG, HLV, and the host South Tama.
Reminder for present Kindergarten Parents: This year’s Kindergarten students will not have school on April 4 and 5 while we have Kindergarten Welcome.
Mr. Kuehl-Reinbeck Elementary
We’ve got some exciting things coming up as we begin to anticipate spring. Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held at Reinbeck Elementary on March 6th and 8th. You should have received notice of your scheduled time. If you have not received notice please email your child’s teacher, or call the office at 319-345-2822. Conferences are a great time to check in with your student’s teacher as we begin the last few months of the school year.
Students completed the Iowa Tests (ITBS) last November. Our third and fourth graders participate in this assessment. We received the results and your child’s teacher will be sharing those with you at P-T Conferences. Please feel free to ask any questions about this portion of your child’s progress at that time.
It is time to begin preparing for the next school year as we work toward the end of this one. Kindergarten Welcome will be the week of April 2nd. The parent meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, April 2nd, with next fall’s kindergartners attending on April 4th and 5th. If you know of any prospective kindergartners please pass this information along to them. If they contact the office, 319-345-2822, we’ll get them the Welcome Packet and look forward to meeting them on April 2nd.
The excitement levels will begin to go up over the next couple of months as the temperatures begin to rise outside. Please help your student to keep focused on their academic progress, in addition to enjoying the other activities nicer weather will allow. Our students have done an excellent job so far this year and it’s always a pleasure to see their hard work and progress.
I hope all the families will have a chance to relax and spend some enjoyable time together over the upcoming spring break.
Sincerely,
Mr. Kuehl
Calendar for March and April 2012
Mar. 2 Free Strength and Conditioning Clinic for Grades 6-12
4:00 – 7:00 pm at the High School gym and Weight room
Mar. 5 Parade of Bands @ RB HS 7:00 pm
Mar. 6 One-Hour Early Dismissal:
Parent – Teacher Conferences 4:00 – 8:00 pm
Mar. 8 One-Hour Early Dismissal:
Parent – Teacher Conferences 4:00 – 8:00 pm
Mar. 9 No School
Mar. 12-16 No School – Spring Break
Mar. 19 JH Track Practice Begins
Advisory Committee Mtg. @ GB 7:00 pm
Mar. 20 Elementary Battle of the Books
Mar. 21 Middle School Battle of the Books
Mar. 23 End of Third Quarter for Elementary and Middle School
Mar. 27-28 Site Visit by Department of Education
Mar. 29 7th / 8th Grade Vocal Concert @ GB 7:00 pm
Apr. 2 Kindergarten Welcome Parent Meetings @ 6:30
GB in Elem. Library; RB in Multipurpose room
Apr. 4-5 Kindergarten Welcome Student Days
No school for current Kindergartners
Apr. 6 No School
Apr. 9 No School
Apr. 11 Spring MAP Testing begins for 3rd – 8th
Gates-MacGinitie Testing for K-2
Apr. 27 Middle School 4th Quarter Midterm
Apr. 30 IMPACT/PTO Meeting in RB @ 7:00 p
Thursday, December 29, 2011
G-R Happenings January 2012
G-R Happenings
Happy 2012!
One of the things that is going on this time of year is calendar development for the next school year. Over the past couple of years the four schools associated with the Western Outreach Center, WOC, have worked to have similar calendars. Looking at the 12-13 school year, we believe it’s time to commit to a virtually common calendar for all four districts. This is necessitated through the sharing of instructors at the WOC and between districts; G-R shares an English teacher, Miss Wagner, with Grundy Center. Currently classes at the WOC are held based on the teacher’s schedule. So, students from the other schools might need to attend even when their school doesn’t have classes that day. And, students might not have class, because their teacher is at in-service, or on a break, when their school is in session. A truly common calendar would eliminate these issues.
Another benefit of a common calendar is the ability for our staffs to collaborate during professional development time. This would be especially helpful for high school teachers. Currently our districts have one, or two teachers in any given curricular area, by having common professional development days it creates the opportunity for four to eight teachers of the same subject to collaborate on lessons. It would also give us the ability to pool our resources in bringing in training for our staffs. The North Iowa Cedar League has had a common professional development day for several years and teachers report a great benefit in the time to work with their peers from other districts, but once a year isn’t enough to get the maximum benefit.
Currently the districts are looking at a calendar very similar to our current one for the 12-13 school year. The superintendents will be meeting in the near future to work at finalizing a proposal to take to our boards. One thing we’ll be considering is moving the start date back to after the State Fair. In order to accomplish that we would need to move graduation back to Memorial Day weekend, and/or shorten/eliminate Spring Break.
In the 13-14 school year we are considering a different format for our calendar. The draft we are working off of at this point starts on August 28, 2013. First trimester would end on November 22nd, with the week of Thanksgiving being a break. Christmas break would be December 23rd-January 3rd. Second Trimester would end on March 7th, with Spring break March 10th-14th. The Third Trimester would then on June 11th, graduation would be June 8th. The thinking behind this calendar is that it would provide some breaks at the end of each trimester for students and staff to recharge prior to the next round of classes, as well as shorten the break over the summer to some extent, when we see significant decline in academic skills for many kids. There would be some professional development time built into the breaks for teachers to work collaboratively between districts throughout the year.
I welcome feedback from patrons on the start and end dates for the 11-12 school year, as well as the possibility of a different calendar in 13-14. Please feel free to email your thoughts to me at: tim.kuehl@gr-rebels.net, or call me at: 319-345-2712.
Sincerely,
Tim Kuehl, Superintendent
Monday, December 19, 2011
January - February K-8 Newsletter
Gladbrook – Reinbeck K-8 Newsletter
January and February 2012
Gladbrook Campus News – Mr. Parker
Happy Holidays! It seemed strange as I typed the date above to put in the year 2012. That we are passing into another New Year gives us reason to look back and ahead to the many things we have to be thankful for.
Thank you to everyone that came out December 5th for the Winter Concert. The students were amazing, the show was outstanding, and the crowd was fantastic. We have very skilled students that took direction well from our talented music department teachers, and are supported at home and school from very involved parents, grandparents, and friends. We also appreciate the support you gave the Book Fair held in conjunction with the concert. While many Christmas gifts were purchased for December 25th, the support you gave also added books to the classrooms and library here in Gladbrook. Thank you all for the support of our school programs.
I was watching a conversation with Derek Jeter the other day and he talked about growing up, and how his parents had his siblings and him sign a contract at the beginning of each school year with the expectations for grades and behaviors at school all laid out. It stated that it helped him later in his life to set guidelines and establish goals. While the contract idea is a little different, the point is that he became the person he is now because of the help he received from his parents and what they saw was important.
We are quickly approaching the end of the second quarter and first semester of school. Report cards will be sent home on January 13th. Most students are in a routine and are working hard to do their best. There are still a few students that could step up and work better. We are very fortunate to have students here at GR that are Great kids. Please continue to work with your child and establish those guidelines and expectations that are needed to help your child be successful.
From all of the staff and students at the Gladbrook campus, may you all have a safe and happy Holiday Season!
Reinbeck Campus News – Mr. Kuehl
It has been a fun and productive first part of the year, although it isn’t quite technically the midpoint, it always seems to be the halfway mark for the school year. It is amazing to look at all the quality learning taking place in our classrooms, whatever building your child happens to attend. Students are using technology in ways that I wouldn’t have dreamed of, even a year or two ago. The staff is demonstrating a strong commitment to helping each child grow in their academic, social, and emotional knowledge. Thank you to our parents and community for all the support they give to our students and staff.
As we move past the excitement of the Holidays and into January, February, and March, we often hit a lull in the excitement each year. Your support in keeping your child motivated and working hard at school is much appreciated. Teachers and staff will also be working to keep the students engaged and challenged by exciting opportunities in class.
Please travel safely over the Holidays and enjoy this special time of year with family and friends. I’m looking forward to a great 2012!
End of December/ January/February Calendar of Events
Dec. 22 Teacher In-service, early dismissal 12:35/12:45
Dec. 23 /Jan. 2 Happy Holidays: No School
Jan. 3 School Day: Classes resume
Jan. 5 JH WR @ Denver
Jan. 6 End of 2nd Quarter and 1st Semester for MS and Elementary
JH BB vs DNH : Boys @ GB; Girls @ Dike
Jan. 9 District Advisory Committee Meeting in RB @ 7:00 pm
Jan. 10 JH BB vs West Marshall: Girls @ GB; Boys @ State Center
Jan. 12 JH WR @ Hudson
JH BB vs AGWSR: Girls @ GB; Boys @ Wellsburg
Jan. 13 Elementary and Middle School Report Cards go home
Jan. 16 No School (Possible Snow Make-up)
Jan. 17 JH BB vs. BCLUW: Boys @ GB; Girls @ Union
K-2 Midyear DIBELS Testing this week
Jan. 19 JH BB vs S. Hardin: Boys @ GB; Girls @ Hubbard
Jan. 20 JH Wr @ Dike -NH
Jan. 23 IMPACT/PTO Meeting in RB @ 7:00 pm
Jan. 24 JH BB vs East Marshall: Girls @ GB; Boys @ Gilman
Jan. 26 JH WR @ Wapsie Valley
Jan. 30 JH BB vs A-P: Girls @ GB; Boys @ Aplington
Feb. 1 Teacher In-service: Early Dismissal 12:35/12:45
Feb. 2 JH WR @ RB 4:15
Feb. 10 Midterm for Middle School – 3rd Quarter
Feb. 20 No School (Possible Snow Make-up)
Feb. 27 IMPACT/PTO Meeting in GB @ 7:00 pm
Sunday, November 20, 2011
G-R Happenings, 11-21-11
G-R Happenings
Technology:
G-R has made a commitment to equipping our staff and students with modern technology in order to improve instruction and prepare our students for success after their academic careers here. Take some time and visit with your student about how they are utilizing technology in school. Our students use a variety of technological resources, including desktop computers, laptop computers, iPads, and iPods. I’m not going to attempt to list the software and websites that are utilized by our students, but that would be a good topic to visit with your student about.
We are also working to utilize technology in communicating with parents, alumni, and patrons. Hopefully you are aware of my blog, the link is at the bottom right of the G-R website. Parents of middle and high school students have access to their students academic progress via JMC. Some newer items on our website include a Twitter feed along the right hand side, and a G-R Facebook page. The Facebook page is being maintained by the Student Technology Committee at the high school. We’re hoping this will be an effective way parents, patrons, and alumni to stay in touch with G-R. I invite you to check these items out at www.g-r.k12.ia.us.
Cedar Valley West:
Last spring a group of about 40 people, 10 each from Gladbrook-Reinbeck, Aplington-Parkersburg, Grundy Center, and Dike-New Hartford had their first meeting. Two primary goal areas came forth from that meeting. The first is to establish a productive school-to-work program for students of the districts. The goal is to create the opportunity for seniors to explore careers by working with an area business. The students will work for either a half, or whole day for up to 12 weeks. This program is being piloted currently and a full-scale rollout is planned for the 12-13 school year.
The second goal is to gain regional recognition for our area. The Cedar Valley West, CVW, name came from this work. A sub-committee is working on marketing our four districts and the communities that comprise them. We believe we live in a fantastic area to work, live, and raise a family. We will be working to make sure that people coming to the area hear about us too.
Unspent Balance:
The graph above shows the Unspent Balance history for G-R and the estimated unspent balance at the end of this year, FY 12. As you can see the Board’s diligent work to keep expenses in line with revenues has paid off over the last few years. But, we will need to remain fiscally conservative in order to maintain a reasonable unspent balance. The district will continue to monitor class sizes K-8 and course enrollment 9-12 to ensure efficiency in staffing. Maintaining an unspent balance of approximately $1 million leaves the district in a strong position in the event of another across the board cut from the State level, or in case of an emergency need within the district.
Enrollment:
District revenues in Iowa are driven primarily by student population. The above graph represents the enrollment history at G-R, down 228.4 students, on the certified enrollment, over that time period. The loss of 19 students for the FY 13 budget represents a loss of approximately $114,000. For this reason the district will need to continue to work to control expenditures. I anticipate our enrollment stabilizing at about 580 students. At the current level of funding, about $6,000/student, the
drop of 48 students, 628 to 580, represents an additional $288,000 in lost
revenues over the next two years.
So, how is G-R doing? I can honestly say I’m more confident in the long-term future of G-R than I have ever been. While we will need to continue to be frugal, we are in a stronger financial position than we have been in a number of years. Our students are receiving a truly great education. The G-R staff is committed to working with each child to achieve academic and personal success. Our Board has shown a commitment to fiscal responsibility, and to offering our students the resources for an exemplary educational experience. While these are challenging times in education and for G-R, they are truly exciting times!
Educationally yours,
Tim Kuehl, Superintendent
Thursday, November 3, 2011
The Iowa Blue Print
The following response is from Dr. Trace Pickering. While not my writing, it is very informed and thoughtful. I hope it sparks some thought for you and would welcome your comments. In the link click on "Response to Blueprint", it will open a pdf file.
Tim
Dr. Pickering's Response
Tim
Dr. Pickering's Response
November Newsletter
Gladbrook – Reinbeck Community Schools
K-8 Newsletter for November and December 2011
Gladbrook Campus News – Mr. Parker
We begin our newsletter this time with some sad news as we are saying good-bye to Carla Goettsch. Mrs. Goettsch has been the secretary here in Gladbrook for over eleven years. She is leaving us to take a job in the Marshalltown School District. We would all like to wish Carla well in her new position and thank her for the many years of dedicated service to the GR School District.
In the same respect, we would like to welcome Brooke Mahr. Mrs. Mahr will be joining the district as the secretary in the Gladbrook building replacing Mrs. Goettsch. She has been in working this past week with Carla learning the various aspects of her new position. Mrs. Mahr and her family live in Lincoln. Pictured above, Mrs. Goettsch is helping Mrs. Mahr learn the system and how she has done things to keep things running smoothly.
The first quarter has come to an end and we would like to thank all the parents that came to Parent-Teacher Conferences, or are still meeting with teachers about their children because they could not get in during scheduled times. It is through these face-to-face meetings that we can share with you what we see and maybe gain some insight into what really works with your child. Grades are a piece of the puzzle, but there is so much more we need to know to be able to work successfully with the students. Since I mentioned grades, we had 103 middle school students make the A or B Honor Roll this first quarter. Great job students on your hard work!
Technology, Technology, Technology: If you haven’t heard from your child, or seen for yourself, we are very actively involved in the use of technology in our teaching, both at the elementary and middle school levels. In the elementary level, students use computers and IPADS for both reading and math. In the middle school, we have students using presentation software, making pod casts, submitting schoolwork and journaling through their district emails. We are also using the computer labs and laptop labs for working on our math skills and researching materials for projects in class. We are trying to move from so much paper and pens work to be more productive and less repetitive. The best part is going from the teachers using technology to teach, to having the students using the technology to learn.
We just finished MAP testing and right around the corner we are staring the Iowa Assessments, formerly known as the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills. The kids worked really hard during MAP testing I really just us an honest effort. We have been working to improve student skills in the areas of reading and math during homeroom time and hope that what we have done will show when we take the Iowa Assessments in early November.
Last year we challenged the students to do their very best on the ITBS and they really responded. It takes two years of improvement to get off the school in Need of Assistance List and we accomplished meeting the goal last year in reading, our first area of concern. With the target for improvement rising each year, this was an amazing accomplishment. If we can meet the goal again this year, we can accomplish something very few schools have done – reverse the trend and be removed from the SINA list in reading. If we do it, it will be cause for a celebration!
We found out this year that one of our subgroups in math is now listed on SINA, so we will have to also raise the flag and move to improve that area also. It can be done and we have the kids that can do it and aren’t afraid of the challenge. Right now all we can do is continue to ask our students to give us their best and let the scores reflect our progress.
The K-2 students went up to Reinbeck and heard renowned author “Buck Wilder.” Buck kept the students enthralled with the stories he wrote and told about nature. Several of the students took the opportunity they had to purchase his books and are preparing to read them now. It was an awesome presentation and we would like to thank the Hardy Reading Council, IMPACT, and the PTO for giving our students the chance to hear him speak.
While throwing out Thank Yous, we would like to thank the many members of the Lincoln and Gladbrook Fire Departments that came to the Gladbrook building during Fire Safety Week and worked with the students. Our volunteer fire departments are very dedicated and give a lot to our communities, so please thank them for sharing their time with your child/children.
Reinbeck Elementary News: Mr. Kuehl
I would also like to thank the Reinbeck Fire Department for coming and presenting to our students during fire safety week. Along with the presentation to all K-4 students, the fire truck ride for the kindergarteners is a big hit each year. The service of our fire fighters throughout the district is much appreciated and the presentation to our students is much appreciated.
Buck Wilder’s presentation to the kids was entertaining and informative. The students had the opportunity to purchase books and have Buck sign them. It was an exciting time. I encourage parents to take some time to read a book or two with their children. The Buck Wilder series is available in the school library for check out by all students.
I would like to thank the family of Julie Knaack for the generous donation they are making to the G-R music department. The money will be used to purchase instruments for the elementary music students use in music class.
Our students and staff continue to work and have fun learning each day. The classes are utilizing technology in the rooms in more and more ways. Students are using iPads, iPods, laptop computers, as well as the computer lab to help with their learning. Please take some time to visit with your child about how they are using technology in their learning. We have some really exciting things going on in our classrooms!
The Reinbeck Elementary music program will be held on December 12, in the high school gymnasium. The concerts are a great time for our kids to showcase their talents and hard work. The large crowd that comes for these events is much appreciated and a great show of support for our students.
Parent-Teacher Conferences wrap up on October 27. If you were unable to attend, your child’s teacher will be contacting you to reschedule, or conference over the phone if another time can’t be established.
Students recently completed the MAP testing and will have the Iowa Assessments coming up the week of November 7. While these tests are a snap-shot of our students’ performance, they are a critical component of how our school is judged by the State. We will be working to ensure that the tests give the most accurate picture of our students’ achievement. Your support and encouragement of your students is appreciated, as always.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding your child’s education/school experience, please contact your child’s teacher, or me. By working together we can ensure a positive experience and success for each of our students.
Sincerely,
Mr. Kuehl
Events for November and December 2011
Nov. 7 ITBS testing begins
Advisory Committee Meeting @ GB 7:00 pm
Nov. 14 JH Wrestling and Basketball practice begins
School Board Meeting @ RB 6:30 pm
Nov. 23 NO SCHOOL - Thanksgiving Break
Nov. 28 Middle School 2nd qtr. Midterm
JHWR @ Hudson
Dec. 1 JHBB: Boys @ S. Hardin (Hubbard); Girls @ GB
Dec. 2 JHWR @ N. Tama (Traer)
Dec. 5 Gladbrook Campus Winter Concert
K-2 & 5-6 @ 6:30: JH @ 7:30 pm
Dec. 7 12:35/12:45 Early Dismissal; for Teacher In-service
Dec. 8 JHBB: Girls @ East Marshall (Gilman); Boys @ GB
Dec. 9 JHWR @DNH (New Hartford)
Dec. 12 RB Elementary Winter Concert 7:00 pm
Dec. 13 JHBB: Boys @ BCLUW (Union); Girls @ GB
Dec. 15 JHWR @ SH/BCLUW (Eldora)
JHBB: Girls @ Grundy Center; Boys @ GB
School Board Meeting @ GB
Dec. 19 JHBB: Girls @ GMG (Garwin); Boys @ GB
Dec. 20 High School Winter Concert 7:30 pm
Dec. 22 12:35/12:45 Early Dismissal; for Teacher In-service
Students begin Christmas Vacation
Jan. 3 Classes Resume – Welcome back and Happy New Year!
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