The
avage Express Sigourney Community School District
Fun start to the year for Kindergartners
August, September 2016
The kindergarten kids have had a very busy beginning to the school year. See story and more photos on page 3.
IN THIS ISSUE: SCSD Superintendent • page 2 Indian Hills News • page 3 Elementary News • pages 3, 8 7-12 Principal • page 4-5 Elementary Principal • page 6-7
Words to Live By
Sigourney School District Mission Statement
The Sigourney Community School District, in partnership with family, business and community, will provide quality instruction and a progressive curriculum in a secure and challenging environment. All students will have the opportunity to acquire the knowledge, skills, and character to become productive citizens in a global society.
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CONTACT INFORMATION Central Office 300 W. Kelly St. 622-2025 Dave Harper Superintendent
Susan Huls
Business Manager / Board Secretary
Kathie Hammes
Administrative Assistant
Preschool/ Elementary
509 S. Jefferson St. 622-2350 Deanna Hutchings Principal
Linda Northup School Nurse
Lora Helm
Administrative Assistant
Junior/Senior High School 907 E. Pleasant Valley 622-2010
Shannon Webb Principal
Keri Van Den Heuvel
Guidance Counselor
Lee Crawford
Activities Director
Paula Raslicka
Administrative Assistant
Keokuk County Career Academy 907 E. Pleasant Valley 622-3108 Mel Hammes
Administrative Assistant
Chris Carter
Alternative School
We’re Off to a great start! By DAVE HARPER SCSD Superintendent
I would say our year is off to a great start and we continue to strive for the best educational experience for our kids. Even though we had a couple of hot days, we were fortunate to have several days that were cooler. As I walked through the classrooms over the last few weeks, our staff and students were hard at it and I saw a lot of smiles.
School Improvements Summer Projects – We have completed all of our projects from this summer ranging from a new playground, new tile and carpet in both buildings to new ceiling and LED lighting in the commons at the high school. This was our first phase of our plan to update our facilities and we are planning on completing phase II next summer. Science Room and All-Weather Track are part of our phase II of our facilities update. We will start discussing more about fundraising for our new High School Science Room and All-Weather Track. We will have a donor wall at the entrance of the track and a plaque mounted in the high school to recognize donors for their efforts to support the projects. We have set up a link on our webpage to make it easier for alumni and community members to donate to either of the projects. The more we are able to raise through donations will
allow us to stretch the VPPEL funding to complete other projects. You will be hearing more about the upcoming opportunities to help support the projects in the coming months. The draft timeline is to finalize the designs in December and advertise for bids. We are planning on awarding bids in January of 2017 and start construction in May of 2017. Both projects are estimated to be done by start of the 2017-2018 school year.
DO YOU HAVE A CONCERN? I have had several questions from community members on what are the procedures on how to address a concern within the district. We are all committed to providing our students the best academic experience and Preparing Today’s Students for Tomorrow’s World. Step # 1 – Take your concern to the person closest to the problem. No matter what the problem is, take your concern there first. Whether in the classroom, on the bus or on the practice field, the quickest and easiest solution is usually found with the staff member most directly involved. Step # 2 - Present your concern to the next level. The principal at each building is responsible for supervision of the staff within that particular build. The Transportation Director supervises the bus drivers and the Athletic Director is the supervisor for coaches. Each one is an example of the next level of school personnel you should contact if the staff member closest to the problem hasn’t been able to satisfactory resolve the difficulty. Step # 3 – Talk with the Superintendent of Schools Sometimes all the best intentions can’t solve a problem. When you believe you’ve taken the problem to the
next level but still haven’t achieved a satisfactory outcome, the superintendent of schools is the next place to go. Step # 4 – Contact your school board member after other means have been tried. School board members are elected to represent the interest of all parent and district residents; therefore, you should always feel free to tell them your point of view. School board members do not, however, have direct authority in the day-to day operations. All authority is the result of official action by a majority of the board at meetings open to the public.
Severe Weather We are going to do our best to let parents know as early as possible when we are having a late start or cancellation. In the event of severe weather we plan on checking roads between 5:00 and 6:00 each morning to determine if we need to delay or cancel. We will call the local radio and television stations and we will post any announcements on our website and Facebook/twitter accounts. We will also initiate a call through our messenger system in Infinite Campus, so please make sure we have an accurate number for you.
School website: www.sigourneyschools.com Twitter account: @SigourneyCSD Facebook page: Sigourney Community School District What also makes our district great is the support and dedication of our community from our parents, students and staff. As always, my door is opened to discuss our advantages, needs of our district or how we can communicate to our community about our school. I wish each and every one of you happy holidays. Dave Harper Learning, Belonging and Leading Savage Strong
Meet Mr. Tremmel
By JENNY BELL
Zach Tremmel will be teaching K-12 special education this year in Sigourney. He will be spending his time at the elementary in the mornings and at the high school in the afternoons. In addition to his teaching duties, he will be coaching high school girls basketball and junior high volleyball. We know he will be a positive addition to our school. Zach is entering his 13th year as an educator. He worked in the Oskaloosa Schools and HLV Schools prior to being hired by Sigourney. He believes that every child
Zach Tremmel
should be valued and treated with respect and that an education will empower a child and help make a positive impact on our society. Zach and his wife, Tiffany, have two children ages 7 & 8. They are expecting a third child in December. He loves spending time with his family, playing golf, and watching sports. He is a huge Iowa Hawkeye fan and also cheers for the Denver Broncos. If you see Zach around town, give him a warm Sigourney welcome. We’re lucky to have him as an addition to our school.
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Work or Play Kindergarten is on Their Way! By MRS. CRISTA HARPER
The kindergarten kids have had a very busy beginning of the school year. The kiddos have had the chance to experience many new and exciting things already. Starting with the first day, having the chance to climb, crawl and explore on the new playground equipment. The excitement didn’t end there! The kids got to open their new Chrome Books for the first time. Learning how to login onto a computer wasn’t an easy task for
kindergarten kids to accomplish, but they were all successful after a few attempts. Of course in kindergarten we can’t forget about the fun messy stuff. The kids loved finger-painting “Pete the Cat,” after they listened all about his cool school shoes. We have had a great start to the beginning of the year!
ChromeBooks for the Elementary By KIRK MAGILL
Last spring the school board approved the purchase of 200 Chromebooks to replace the 7 and 9 year old MacBooks that were being used in the clasrooms and off the carts at the elementary. A chromebook is a different form of computer than a Windows or Apple based computer as it runs on Google’s web-based Chrome OS. These devices require an active internet connection while most of Chromebook’s documents and applications exist in the cloud. Since Sigourney schools already use Google’s Apps for Education we get unlimited space in the Google cloud, and have some incredible management features that come with the licensing. Chromebooks come in many different brands and sizes, including Acer, Dell, Samsung and more. We purchased the Hewlett Packard 11” Chromebooks because of their hardy reputation with other districts in the state, and the very affordable price. In addition to the computers, we also replaced the old computer carts with highly portable chromebook
carts. The great price on the Chromebooks has afforded us the ability to provide a 1 to 1 environment for all the kids from Kindergarten up to 4th grade. Since we already had the MacBook Airs for grades 5-12 this completes the package and now every student in Sigourney’s Schools have a computer assigned to them. We believe having the extra technology in the classrooms will afford all students opportunities to increase their technology proficiency, become better digital citizens and at the same time have access to more tools to help aid them in their education.
Indian Hills News! By DONNA BAKER
The Fall Term is in full swing at the Indian Hills Keokuk County Service Center located in the Indian Hills Career Academy. Did you know that you can take classes in Sigourney for your associate degree? Are you interested in eliminating winter driving? Earn your degree and take classes close to home. A variety of classes are offered during the day and also in the evening. We have computers available if you would choose to take on-line classes. A variety of tests can be taken and proctored at the Center. Registration for winter term classes begins October 20 with classes beginning November 17. It’s never too late. Feel free to stop in for a tour or more information. You can also call us at 641-6223385. For a complete listing of classes, go to www.indianhills.edu.
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Camp Dodge
By SHANNON WEBB 7-12 Principal
On Tuesday, September 6 the Sigourney Jr./ Sr. High School staff had the opportunity to take a trip to Camp Dodge in Johnston.
Our day was planned by our local National Guard representative, Sgt. Gomez. The staff was divided into 4 teams of 6 and sent out to tackle the Leadership Reaction Course (LRC). This course is designed to build leadership, teamwork, communication, problem solving, and conflict resolution skills. During our day at the LRC, each team completed 12 scenarios. After each scenario, the team captain lead their group through a discussion about what
went well, what didn’t go so well, what they can improve upon for their next obstacle, and how they can apply what they learned to their every-day life. The greatest challenge to the staff was is his or her ability to problem solve in a team setting. Each activity was 75 percent mental (problem solving and planning) and 25 percent physical. This was an amazing opportunity, that allowed each of us to learn a little more about each other and to build on our leadership skills.
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Elementary News and Updates By DEANNA HUTCHINGS Preschool / Elementary Principal
Sigourney Elementary and Preschool are officially in full swing with the new school year! I would like to take this opportunity to share with you some of the latest updates with the staff and students.
New Staff Sigourney Elementary has 3 new staff in the building this year. Running and managing the office is Brooke Garringer. Zach Tremmel is our new K-12 Special Education teacher, and Angela Snakenberg is our new elementary associate. These three have been a wonderful addition to our staff!
Color Run We will once again be hosting our Annual Color Run/Walk as our school fundraiser. Our run/ walk will take place for students on Oct. 7. All money raised goes towards our elementary field trips (Blank Park Zoo, DSM Science Center, Iowa Hall of Pride, Living History Farms, Sigourney Community Tour, Iowa Children’s Museum, Iowa Wild Game, JA Biztown, etc.) It also goes towards all of our PBIS incentives and prizes like bowling, root beer floats, skating, etc. It also helps fund
some of our technology programs like IXL Math and Language Arts, as well as additional student resources and pizza parties throughout the year. Thank you all for supporting our students in raising money to take part in these extra activities.
New Playground and Flooring All students at the elementary are LOVING the new playground and walking trail! Both sides
of the playground have been updated with new equipment and rubber matting. A walking trail was added to the perimeter of the playground and field to give students a place to walk laps if they would rather do that than play. Two hallways in the elementary have also been updated with new tiling and paint. Next summer, the plans are to update the remaining two hallways to match the rest of the building. If you get a chance, stop by and take a peek at the new updates!
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PBIS Incentive Parties By ALYSSA WEBER
The last two PBIS incentive parties from the 2015-2016 school year were outdoor games and skating or movie. In April of 2016, the elementary students who did not receive a major referral and had their homework turned in participated in four outdoor game stations. These stations included: soccer, kickball, bag toss, and tic tac toe relay. For the final incentive party of the year, students were able to choose between roller-skating at the Wellman skating rink or to watch a movie at Memorial Hall. Thank you to all of those to help make these incentive parties successful! Looking ahead to the 2016-2017 school year, our first PBIS incentive party will be on Friday, October 14th. For the first party the students will enjoy rootbeer floats! The elementary has an incentive party at the end of every hex. Other incentive parties we have discussed for possibilities for this year include: indoor stations, movie, bowling, outdoor games, and swimming.