Kids Scoop News - July 2016

NIGHT LIGHT MYSTERY

SOLARPOWERED SNACKS

Can you solve this summer mystery before kid detective Rita Rebus does?

Harness the power of the sun to cook up a tasty treat.

SILLY STORIES

A fun way to come up with crazy campfire stories for really big laughs!

LEARN HOW IT ONLY TAKES ONE PERSON TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIFE OF A CHILD

Storms don’t justGRACE happen in winter. Knowing what to do in a summer MEET storm can save your life. & CORRIN PAGE 12

2 DISCOVER THE JOY OF MENTORING “IF A CHILD IS TO KEEP ALIVE HIS INBORN SENSE OF WONDER, HE NEEDS THE COMPANIONSHIP OF AT LEAST ONE ADULT WHO CAN SHARE IT, REDISCOVERING WITH HIM OR HER THE JOY, EXCITEMENT, AND MYSTERY OF THE WORLD WE LIVE IN.” RACHEL CARSON As we celebrate the publishing of our next issue of Kid Scoop News Siouxland, we want to share a little more about our base philosophy of understanding a true sense of place. We believe for you to know who you are, you need to know where you are from. When you know where you are from, and feel part of that place, then you want to take care of it. Once you feel a real connection to a place it is easy to become an individual who understands the importance of “paying it forward” or “giving back” in life.

One of the best ways to “pay it forward” is to become a mentor. In this issue we want our readers to remember who their personal mentors were. We want you to think about those individuals who modeled the characteristics of being a kind, creative, and thoughtful member of the broader community. While mentoring certainly is transferring your knowledge, wisdoms, and insights about a particular age, career, or gift….it can also be one where supportive and healthy relationships develop between both individuals and the friendship becomes lifelong.

One organization that empowers both the adult and child in such a mentor relationship is Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. This program matches children (Littles) with adult (Bigs) role models in communities across the United States with the overall goal of developing positive relationships that have a direct and lasting effect on the lives of both. Since 1978, the Siouxland area has been served by this program and the positive outcomes have been lasting.

Storytime ......................................................... 3 News .............................................................

3 Fourth of July .................................................

4-7 Spotlight: Fireworks ..................................... 4-5 STEM: 8-9 6-7 Solar Fireflies Energy ................................................. ................................................

News: Gifts ...................................................... 10-11 STEM: Fireflies ............................................ 8-9 Spotlight: Big Brothers, Big Sisters ................. 12 Animal: The Greatest Gift .......................... 10-11 Puzzles ........................................................... 13 Puzzles Cool Links........................................................

- Calendar ...................................... 14-15 12 Calendar ......................................................

Health ...............................................................

16-17 13 Health: Immunizations ..............................

14-15 Environment ....................................................

18-19 Environment: Storms ................................

16-17 Culture ............................................................. 20-21 Early Learners: letter W & number 9 ...............

Ag In The Classroom ........................................

22-24 18 Food ................................................

25 BookDetectives & Web Picks ........................................

19 Backyard Games ..............................................

26-28 Cool Links .................................................... 20 Early Learners ..................................................

29 Backyard Games ...........................................

21 Answers ..............................................................

30 Try This At Home .......................................... 22 Spotlight - Oral .................................

31-33 23 Lesson Idea of histories the Month ...............................

Try This At Home............................................. 34 Answers ...................................................... 24 Kid Scoop News NIE Siouxland ........................ 35

Being a mentor is one of the best examples of paying it forward. It requires very little time and produces positive life- long results. Remembering the mentors who challenged you will be the impetus for your participation in such a program…or any program where children benefit. When you positively impact behavior one on one, you decrease the likelihood of bullying, and increase the likelihood of class participation, higher confidence levels and overall life success.

It is our hope that our “Paying it Forward” section will highlight the needs and accomplishments of the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America program and also will share insights from other wonderful student service programs in our area. We applaud the community and schools for their efforts in these programs that give students the opportunity to help and participate where needed and hope our focus will generate an even broader engagement towards this ideal. KUDOS to all of you who support and believe in mentoring and simply giving back to your community.

NICOLE SCHWEITZBERGER

JEANETTE HOPKINS

NIE Director The Sioux City Journal (712)293-4224 nicole.schweitzberger@lee.net

NIE Coordinator The Sioux City Journal (712)293-4328 jhopkins@siouxcityjournal.com

Cover photograph: maoyunping/Shutterstock

Meet Corrin Mikkelson…a Big Sister in Siouxland. Corrin shared in a current newsletter from Big Brothers Big Sisters that her match “has taught me to never forget how to laugh and play!” She believes that Big Brothers Big Sisters has changed their lives due to their time spent together. Rachel Carson would agree that everyone benefits and it is truly the time spent together that will make a difference in the life of a child.

© 2016 by Vicki Whiting To adopt a classroom, please call 712-293-4328

www.NIESiouxland.com

© Vicki Whiting July 2016

3

3 cups or bowls

Looking for some big laughs?

Invite some friends or family members over for an evening of imaginative storytelling. You can tell the stories around a campfire or in the backyard using our zany Silly Summer Story Time kit right here. Give it a try tonight!

To adopt a classroom, please call 712-293-4328

www.NIESiouxland.com

scissors

1. Cut out the CHARACTER, LOCATION and STORY coupons below. Place each set in a cup or bowl.

2. Place all the CHARACTER coupons in one cup, the LOCATION coupons in another and the PLOT coupons in a third cup.

3. Take turns being the story teller by pulling one coupon from each cup, without looking, to invent a story that includes the CHARACTER, LOCATION and PLOT.

© Vicki Whiting July 2016

4

Fireworks get their color from chemicals mixed in the gunpowder. Some of the gunpowderballs contain just one color chemical. Others are rolled, like giant jawbreakers, with layers of different chemicals. As each layer burns off, a new color appears in the sky.

The Fourth of July Notes!

On the 4th of July, do you watch fireworks? I do! When we go to watch fireworks, we usually sit on top of our car. Sometimes we get there early so we tailgate or just talk. After the fireworks are over, we drive around and see if we can catch anymore fireworks. I love the loud booming sound the fireworks make.

Independence Day, also referred to as The Fourth of July or July 4th in the United States, is a federal holiday commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. Independence Day is a national holiday for the United States.

Ireland Uhl Mater Dei Grade 6 The 4th of July On the 4th of July my family and I invite a bunch of people up to our place, like friends, nephews, cousins, uncles, and aunts. My favorite part about inviting people up is that they bring their own fireworks. My family and I live in the country so it doesn’t matter how much noise the fireworks make. During the 4th I get to talk to my friends and my family.

But when it gets dark outside, that’s when the fun begins.

Boom, bam, kapow is what the fireworks say when they explode in the air. It’s pretty cool just to sit back,

and watch them explode into bright lights. My least favorite part is listening to my dog bark, yelp, and whine in the garage. But it’s for her protection because last year she got burned when she ran right up to a burning fireworks.

When it starts to get late everyone says goodbye and thanks for the party.

When that gets done my family and I light the rest of the fireworks and watch the light show.

Noah Zeisler Mater Dei Grade 8 My favorite holiday is the 4th of July because we get to spend time with the family. Every year we go to our close friend Karter’s cabin. We always get the biggest and best fireworks. Last year we got a roll of 16,000 firecrackers. It lasted about 13 minutes. But our favorite firework is artillery shells. I also really like the little tanks; Karter and I have tank wars.

One thing I advise you to do if you get artillery shells, make sure you put them in the tube it comes with. The reason I say that is because if the tube is smaller the shell, doesn’t go as high up and blows up when it’s only about 20 feet in the sky. It is pretty scary because it almost hits you in the head. We always do some little things before its dark like we have daddy snap wars. A daddy snaps is a firecracker that you don’t have to light, you just throw it at the

To adopt a classroom, please call 712-293-4328

ground.

Anthony Courey

Mater Dei

Grade 8

Have you ever felt the excitement of a firework going off in to the sky? Well, for most Americans that’s what they feel on the Fourth of July. It is one of the biggest celebrations of the year. Even though it only happens once a year, people do not take it for granted. The holiday was first celebrated 20 years after July 4, 1776. Last year I went to a pool party for the Fourth of July, which was really fun. You should celebrate as loud as you can this year and buy as many fireworks that you can afford.

But make sure that you’re safe when the fireworks go off. Always be at least 15 feet away from the fireworks while the fuse is going. No matter what, make sure that you have fun while you celebrate.

Connor Bos Mater Dei Grade 8

This year for the 4th of July I will go to Saturday in the Park. I am going to go see the Wailers play. I am doing that on July 2nd, and July 4th I will spend the day with my awesome grandparents.

I will play with my cousins, watch a bunch of movies, and eat lots of food.

But that’s not the end. At Saturday in the Park we go from 12 to the end of the day. I usually go with a family friend.

We bring a bunch of snacks, tell jokes, and listen to the music. www.NIESiouxland.com

This is one of the big things of my summer. But during the month of July, I usually take a small vacation to anywhere close. Like maybe I will go to King’s Point in Storm Lake. I have lots of fun and relax as much as I can.

I love the month of July when it’s really hot outside and you get to see all your friends. And I know you do that all year long, but to me July is the month that is special.

Ryan Summerville Mater Dei Grade 8 Do you like the 4th of July? I know I do.

Every year for the 4th of July, I go to my cousin’s house. On our way there we buy a bunch of fireworks. Then we get in the pool when we get there. I usually bring friends and we play football and basketball. They have a trampoline so we jump on that and do trick shots and stuff.

Then, when it is time for fireworks it’s awesome! My friend and I just chill on the trampoline or we go and actually light the fireworks. We light them on a mini golf course in my cousin’s backyard.

Sometimes, if we get lucky, we light a firework and it might go into a cornfield.

Then at the end, we light a Chinese firework and it’s like a little hot air balloon that just flies in the sky. We even watch fireworks on our way back home.

Kyle Martin Mater Dei Grade 7 © Vicki Whiting July 2016

5

Add and subtract the numbers next to each exploding firework.

Use the answer to find out the name of each special explosion.

How do they shoot fireworks so high in the air? How do they make all of those different kinds of explosion?

The large, explode-in-the-sky fireworks set off by professionals at fireworks shows have two sets of gunpowder.

When the first set of gunpowder is lit with a fuse, it explodes and shoots the firework rocket into the sky.

Once the rocket is high in the sky, another fuse explodes the second set of gunpowder. This explosion bursts the rocket and ignites many small firecrackers inside. These little firecrackers are filled with gunpowder mixed with chemicals that burn different bright colors.

To adopt a classroom, please call 712-293-4328

www.NIESiouxland.com

Š Vicki Whiting July 2016

6

The amount of energy the sun sends to the earth’s surface in less than two weeks is greater than all the energy stored in the earth’s known reserves of coal, oil and natural gas.

foil plastic

Have an adult cut a large square flap in the pizza box lid. Leave about a one inch border.

The 4th of July is my favorite time of year. The week of the 4th of July we go up to Okoboji with my mom’s extended family. When we go up there and we usually camp for a week. This year we’re going to be at Camp Foster. I have heard from many people that it is a very fun place and I am excited to try it. There will be much more to do when we’re up there, too!

When we’re there at Okoboji, our whole family goes to play mini golf at least once. On the 4th of July my family and I always go out on the boat and swim. It’s our tradition that we go to this amazing doughnut shop called Spudnuts and eat there. So those are some of the reasons I love the 4th of July, and I hope many others like the 4th of July, too!

Carter Weiland Mater Dei Grade 8

Tape a plastic wrap window in the opening. Glue the foil to the underside of the flap.

Line the inside of the box with foil. Glue in place.

Tape black construction paper across the bottom of the pizza box oven.

You smell the hot dogs and burgers cooking and see all of your neighbors.

You are eating all of your food sitting by your friends. Later, you set down a blanket and get a sweatshirt because it’s getting cold outside. Soon you see a giant firework stand with people getting ready to light the fireworks off.

You see the fireworks in the sky.

They are different colors but the most common ones are red and blue. You watch the final firework while everyone starts to clap. You get in your car and leave. On your way home you see more fireworks. Fourth of July is definitely my favorite day in summer!

Drew Determan Mater Dei Grade 8

Place the oven in direct sunlight.

Look through the plastic window to see if food is ready. You can heat s’mores, English muffins with cheese, hot dogs and more!

off it. In the corner of your eye, you see your cousin starting to slip. You reach over and try to grab his life jacket and pull him back up, but you both end up wiping out. You come up laughing.

This happens the rest of the day, only stopping to eat lunch. It is just the best…

Rachel Bertrand Mater Dei Grade 8 What do you do on the Fourth of July?

Do you light fireworks or have a picnic?

On July Fourth, it’s a time to celebrate your country’s freedom, independence, and the birth of America. You wear red, white, and blue because those are the colors of the U.S flag. It is like a football game when you wear your team’s colors and show the pride that you have.

On the Fourth of July, I go to my grandparents in Hinton. All of my cousins, aunts, and uncles are there.

We leave in the morning and swim all day and later we grill out. As soon as it gets dark we do our fireworks. We usually get a few packs of the artillery shells, the ones that go up in the sky and then burst open. I love the Fourth of July because it is an awesome holiday to spend with your family and celebrate the country’s independence and freedom.

Makenzie Solma Mater Dei Grade 8

BOOM! You look up at the night sky to see an explosion of red and blue. You’re sitting next to your cousin on the dock, your feet in the cool, lake water. It’s the On the 4th of July all of my family went 4th of July, you are visiting your family to my grandparents’ house. We cooked in Arkansas, and there was no place all types of food and my grandpa and you’d rather be. You think back to a few I grilled the steak and pork chops. My hours earlier when you woke up, joined sisters and my grandma prepared the the family to eat breakfast upstairs and cream potatoes, green bean casserole, talk about the plans for the day. and mac n cheese. We had dinner After breakfast, everyone starts to get as a family and then shot fireworks ready to start the day. You help your after everyone left. The fireworks were mom and your aunt pack sandwiches amazing! for lunch, because today, you were all The next day I went to my other going out on the lake. When everyone grandparents’ house. There we grilled On July 4, 1776, the colonies claimed is ready, you all walk down to the dock and had fun; we even get to shoot their independence from England. and get on the boat. Your uncle helps a gun. I always swim after I ride our This event led to the creation of the your dad pull out a big tube that you horse, JR. He is a boy and he is a white United States. Each year on July drag behind the boat.

You and your horse and also a very gentle one, too. cousin put on your life jackets and climb 4th (Independence Day) Americans This is what I have done on the 4th of celebrate this historic event. We onto the tube. Your grandpa drags you July with my family. celebrate by lighting up fireworks like around on the tube trying to throw you Jaice Williams Mater Dei Grade 8 To adopt a classroom, please call 712-293-4328 www.NIESiouxland.com

shells, roman candles, fountains, or even spinners and wheels or by having a barbecue. We eat burgers, hot dogs, and chips. We also have refreshing drinks like soda. We usually have family members or friends come over to have a 4th of July party.

We all have different traditions for the 4th of July. I just have a barbecue outside with my family and friends and light up some fireworks. We also stay up all night to watch some movies. We watch comedy, action, and adventure movies. My brother, cousins, and I play games outside like soccer, football, basketball or some random game we come up with. No matter what year it is, I always have a great 4th of July.

Ricky Cancino Mater Dei Grade 8 Can you hear the fireworks?

Do you see them in the sky?

The light of fireflies set the mood, For the Fourth of July.

Tonight it’s time for having fun, And enjoy the summer night.

The fireworks light up the sky, The stars are shining bright.

Red, white, and blue is all you see, To celebrate the U.S.A. We have fun with family and friends, To celebrate our country’s birthday.

Lily Graham Mater Dei Grade 7

© Vicki Whiting July 2016

7

Line half of your muffin cups with paper liners and the other half with foil liners.

Put a marshmallow in each cup and top with a square of chocolate.

The sun has produced energy for billions of years. Solar energy is the power in the rays of sun that reach the earth. This energy from the sun is also known as solar radiation.

Solar energy can be changed into heat and electricity. In the 1830s, the British astronomer John Herschel used a solar thermal collector box

(a device that absorbs sunlight to collect heat) to cook food during an expedition to Africa.

Place the pan in direct sunlight and observe (watch).

People have always used the sun’s energy for many things. But today, people are finding even more ways to use solar energy. It can be used to heat homes, heat water and it can even be converted to electricity.

To adopt a classroom, please call 712-293-4328

Record your observations on the Scientist’s Log at right.

Once the chocolate melts, place the marshmallow and chocolate between two graham crackers and enjoy! www.NIESiouxland.com

A. What happens after one minute?

B. What happens after two minutes?

C. Which chocolate squares melt faster, those in the paper cups, or the ones in the foil-lined cups?

paper

foil

© Vicki Whiting July 2016

8

A firefly is an insect, but it is not a fly.

It is a beetle.

Fireflies need four things to glow. Three of those are chemicals it has in its body. Circle every third letter to discover the fourth thing it needs to glow.

Beetles have two pairs of wings. The front pair is stiff and protects the soft back wings, which are used for flying.

An adult firefly can make its light blink on and off. Each species or kind of firefly has its own blinking pattern. Males and females use their flashes to find mates from the same species.

Some species flash short, quick flashes.

Others stay lit longer. Others have longer dark times between flashes.

People use their lungs to get oxygen from the air. A firefly has small holes on its abdomen that let in oxygen.

The male flies around flashing his light. The female stays near the ground and flashes “answers” to the male’s flashing messages as he flies above her.

Fireflies also use their flashing lights to scare off predators and to warn other fireflies of danger.

Use a light stick, often found with sporting goods, to demonstrate how chemicals can mix together to create light without giving off any heat.

To adopt a classroom, please call 712-293-4328

www.NIESiouxland.com

© Vicki Whiting July 2016

9 Firefly, Firefly…

Light my Way!

Uncle Andrew needs Trixie’s help.

Trixie is spending spring break at his Iowa farm, and his sheep are disappearing. Trixie may not know sheep, but she does know thieves.

And she has an idea where to start looking for them—near the mysterious flickering lights in dark, dangerous Walnut Woods!

Unscramble the title of this book. Then, check it out at your local library this summer!

FIREFLIES BEETLES GLOW LIGHTS FLASHES ABDOMEN WINGS SCARE INSECT LOOK HURT MALE FOUR HOLES HEAT

Find the words by looking up, down, backwards, forwards, sideways and diagonally.

F S T H G I L O O K F L E L A M S I E K N S G I F E L O C W E I W O L G F I B S M N S T A F T O G H O S E A S J E N U Y D E L E H N I R I R B C O H E W T G I H A T H T S C A R E F

To adopt a classroom, please call 712-293-4328

Did you know that fireflies are the world’s most efficient light producers? Have you ever touched a light bulb that’s been on for a while? If you did, you probably burned your finger! An average electric light bulb gives off 90% of its energy as heat and only 10% as light. If fireflies produced that much heat when they lit up, they’d probably incinerate themselves.

Fireflies are neither flies nor bugs.

Fireflies are actually beetles. Like all other beetles, they have hardened forewings called elytra which meet in a straight line down the back when at rest. In flight, fireflies hold the elytra out for balance, and rely on their membranous hind wings for movement. Fireflies “talk” to each other using light signals; they don’t just put on those spectacular summer displays just to entertain us.

Ireland Uhl Mater Dei Grade 6 Have you ever gone over to your friend’s house in the summer and played outside until dark? If you did, did you see little lights fly around?

They are fireflies! Now they don’t actually have fire when they light up, but a chemical in their body that makes them light up! Don’t think they just come out at night; they light up in the day, too. You just can’t see them.

You can catch them at night, and then put them in a jar. But make sure you pluck some small holes out in the jars for them to breathe first! When you catch them, you can watch them light up with their yellow majestic beauty as they fly around in the jar. But one of the best parts is when you let them go and watch them fly away…be sure to let them fly away!

Joe Adams Mater Dei Grade 8 Ever see those bugs that have the light on the end of their abdomen?

Those bugs are called fireflies!

Fireflies come out around July!

Where do fireflies come from? In May the female fireflies lay their eggs in the ground. Around June the fireflies hatch and come out of the egg as a larva! Soon after hatching they grow their wings and learn to fly! Then they go around and eat all the yummy plant pollen or nectar from plants! Did you know there are about 2,000 different types of fireflies?

As soon as July comes they all have www.NIESiouxland.com

a purpose to find a mate! The males fly around and blink their lights to attract their mate. When a female sees the male she wants to mate, she will respond to him by blinking and they will fly away together and mate. Then the female digs a hole for her babies and leaves. Then they both die off and the whole process starts over! So next time you are about to catch a firefly think about what you learned because it could save the fireflies from extinction!

Laura Murray Mater Dei Grade 8 They light up the night, Are an amazing sight.

I love the way they shine so bright, When they take flight.

Fireflies are little, They’re the size of a Skittle.

Fireflies are fun to catch, Even though you make a stretch.

It is truly wonderful, The way they are so colorful.

So when you venture out at night, Make sure they’re your first sight.

Jack Van Holland Mater Dei Grade 8 When I was younger, I loved running around with the fireflies.

I also enjoyed catching the little bugs and letting them crawl on my arms and legs. I have a fear of most bugs, like hornets and wasps and even arachnids, but never fireflies.

Did you know that a firefly’s light is used for a Morse code-like form of communication? Some people put fireflies in a jar, but I never have.

One time I put them in a plastic cup.

That is a funny story, actually…

It all started around June 15th of last year, when my family from California came down to see my great- grandfather who had a deadly form of cancer. Even though a very sad thing was happening, we still found ways to smile a little.

One night when we were outside playing, we started to notice the bright bugs. The younger cousins asked what they were so I told them, “They are lightning bugs.”

I told them that they could collect them, and we asked our family for something clear with holes to put them in. It was just a little event, but it made life a little easier.

Morgan Duncan Mater Dei Grade 8 Do you catch fireflies on a hot summer day? Well, I know I do.

Fireflies are a type of bug that lives

for about 2 months. They are about as big as a paper clip in size. Their size goes up to one inch or two and a half cm. in size. They are omnivores; omnivores are a thing that eats food of both plant and animal origin. They are actually beetles and are members of the Lampyridae family. There are about 2,000 different types of fireflies in the world. They live in warm climates, and you can always see them in the evening or at night when you look out your window. Fireflies love moisture in the air and live in humid areas. When they are not in humid areas, they are usually found by a pond or a body of water.

Fireflies got their name from their glowing butts. But a lot of people don’t know how their backend lights up, well here is how. The fireflies have light organs that are located under their abdomens. Fireflies can take in oxygen, and inside their bodies their special cells combine it and mix it with luciferin to make light with no heat. Wow! Fireflies are so cool so maybe tonight try to catch them and look at them; maybe you’ll find them as interesting as I did.

Madilyn Cramer Mater Dei Grade 7 Why does my backyard look like outer space? What’s that ominous blinking? Why is that leaf glowing?

The answer to all these questions is fireflies. The firefly is a special and unique type of bug. They can produce a bright glow out of their bodies. The colors of their lights include green, yellow, and pale red. The way they do this is via bioluminescence, which is a process that takes place in their special lightemitting organs. Certain chemicals combined create the light you see on summer nights.

Fireflies use the light they produce to attract prey. Fireflies also use their lights to call mates to them. After mating, the female lays eggs on the ground. When the larva hatches from the egg, it spends all summer eating.

The larva feeds on other larva, such as snails. It hibernates over winter in holes or under tree bark.

In the spring, they form pupils and eventually emerge as adults. Adults eat both other bugs, pollen, and nectar, but they are not very tasty to eat themselves. Fireflies are definitely a unique type of bug. You can find one flying around in your backyard on a summer night. Go look tonight, and you may just find one.

Ricky Arteaga Mater Dei Grade 7 © Vicki Whiting July 2016

10

One year Beatrice, a young girl in Uganda, received a goat as a gift.

At first she didn’t think it was such a great gift. What she really wanted was money to go to school.

But Beatrice’s family was very poor. There was little money for medicine, clothes, blankets or food. School was simply a dream.

Much to Beatrice’s surprise, the goat changed all that!

Beatrice’s goat was a gift from an organization called Heifer International. Children and adults can both help Heifer International give farm animals and training to needy families around the world.

The gift of a goat is $120. Or you can share the cost with others for a $10 donation.

Drinking the goat milk made Beatrice and her five younger sisters and brothers healthier.

The manure from the goat fertilized the garden and made it more productive.

And, the one little goat gave more milk than her family could drink, so they could sell it and make money.

After a few months of selling the goat’s milk, Beatrice had enough money to go to school!

= = = =

C K L U

Beatrice named her goat Mugisa. Use the code to find out what that means. Do you think that was a good name for her goat?

To adopt a classroom, please call 712-293-4328

To find out how you can give a goat to a family visit www.heifer.org.

www.NIESiouxland.com

© Vicki Whiting July 2016

11

When Heifer International gives a goat or other animal to a family, the family must “pass on the gift.” Recipient families give the animal’s first female offspring to another family in need.

That family, in turn, passes on the gift to another family. So one gift multiplies throughout the community!

To adopt a classroom, please call 712-293-4328

The cost of any animal purchased includes training and medicines to keep the animal healthy.

www.NIESiouxland.com

© Vicki Whiting July 2016

VOLUNTEERING

12 110 Years of Impacting Children’s Lives…Big Brothers Big Sisters of America is Going Strong!

Feature Reporters: Alycen Malenosky and Keelie Iddings Heelan Grade 9

In 1904, a young New York City court clerk named Ernest Coulter was noticing that more and more boys were coming through his courtroom. He knew this was an alarming fact and that something needed to be done. He knew he could contact friends and business people who would help mentor these young boys and this marked the beginning of the Big Brothers movement.

About the same time, the members of a group called Ladies of Charity were finding girls with similar difficulties and they became the Catholic Big Sisters. It wasn’t until 1977 that the Big Brothers Association and Big Sisters International joined and became the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.

The program is international and in our own Siouxland and regional areas there are several outreach sites where individuals can volunteer to become a mentor and children can request a Big Brother or Big Sister. Kids Scoop News feature reporters Alycen Malenosky and Keelie Iddings recently visited with Barb Mickelson, Program Director for the local site and Kristen Langel, Plymouth County Mentor Coordinator.

According to Barb, the overall mission of the mentoring program is to help children facing adversity be matched one on one with a local mentor. At Kid Scoop News we believe that if each child has just one responsible adult who simply cares for him/her and has time to listen and share in a few experiences with him/her …than that child will benefit throughout life.

For only a few hours each month, lasting and impactful friendships can be made.

Through a very careful application and interview process, matches are made based on interests, needs, and location. Each match is unique and time spent together doesn’t require any special occasions or expense. For just a few hours each month, a mentor can organize activities that will change both their lives forever.

Loyanne Jensen, Development Director for the Siouxland site was a Big Sister herself and she has kept in contact with her “Little” for years. As we listened to very special stories about mentoring a couple of them stayed with us. The oldest Big Brother in Siouxland is in his 70s and has had six matches. Lonnie is a testament to the fact that every mentor and mentee benefit. For more than 20 years, Lonnie has taken time to be a friend and advisor for children in Sioux City. Another story was about a match where the “Big” and the “Little” were in each other’s weddings. Their relationship has become one of very good friends and has continued well past the program time.

As a “Big” (adult mentor) you need to build such a relationship with your “Little” (student) that you stay connected throughout your matched time. You can do so

many things together such as going to the park, museum, or even doing something that interests the “Little”. As a “Big” you have to be a friend and a supporter different from a parent. Even though you are being a friend and a supporter you still have to help the “Littles” to know positive behaviors. Equally, as a “Little” it is important to share your interests and likes with your new big friend.

Fundraising is important at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Siouxland and the next fundraiser is in September and it is the annual Chili and Salsa Cook Off. For just a small charge, you can taste test amazing chili and salsa and help our Siouxland “Littles” match with mentors! Just this past month at the “Over the Edge” rappelling event, more than $85,000 was raised for the organization. Adrenaline junkies from the local community came together to help the program by “climbing” down the Howard Johnson Hotel in Sioux City. Thrill seekers each raised $1,000 for the opportunity to sling themselves down… and give back to the community in a big way!

The Big Brothers Big Sisters of America has had two slogans over the years. Their new slogan is “We are Here to Start Something.” These reporters believe that people should become mentors to help the children of America and in turn give the future a huge return.

Side Note: Our feature reporters Alycen Malenosky and Keelie Iddings were in for a little surprise during this interview. A reporter/videographer John from KCAU Channel 9 was there to interview them about their participation as feature reporters for Kid Scoop News Siouxland. Talk about change of roles! Alycen did a spectacular job sharing her insights about being a reporter and possibly finding a career in broadcasting, cinematography, and reporting. Thank you, Jenna and John for giving them yet another opportunity to learn about career possibilities in Siouxland!

Contact Information Big Brothers Big Sisters of Siouxland 3650 Glen Oaks Blvd.

Sioux City, Iowa 51104 712.239.9890

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© Vicki Whiting July 2016

13 To make your way through these water balloons without popping any, you must step only on the even-numbered balloons. And you can only move horizontally or vertically, NOT diagonally. Find a pathway from START to FINISH.

HINTS: 1. A sweet fruit spread.

2. Enjoyable.

3. The opposite of the truth.

4. What you do to a baseball.

5. Belonging to us.

6. Sticky stuff from some trees.

7. Another word for taxi.

8. How you find your way.

9. What you do at lunch.

10. What you do in a chair.

11. Your parents drive this.

12. A knock on a door.

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Š Vicki Whiting July 2016

14

Wildest Weather Lead a mission in space to conquer some of the universe's wildest weather.

Tell Us What You Think Do you have a free online game you like to play? Send your reviews and recommendations to woodword@ kidscoopnews.com

kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/games/interactiveadventures/wildest-weather/

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Š Vicki Whiting July 2016

15

2016

Tick the box on each day when you have completed 15 minutes of reading. Children who develop a love of reading will become better students and build a better future.

Get ready for the 4th celebrations today. Make costumes and decorate bikes with red, white and blue.

Make some paper airplanes today and fly them with a friend.

Measure whose plane goes farthest.

Amelia Earhart Day

Canada Day

Start a Summer Book Club with your friends. Choose a book together then pick a meeting day to discuss it.

Take a walk with a family member. Observe your surroundings and see if you spot birds and flowers along the way.

Find a recipe or buy a mix and make blueberry muffins for breakfast today.

Celebrate cows today. Think about all the things you get from a cow.

Cow Appreciation Day

Make a smoothie with lots of fruits.

Add a quarter cup of chopped fresh spinach or another green vegetable.

Find a shady spot Pack a lunch and Write a movie and have a nice take a long bike ride review for a film family picnic today. with a group of you have seen this friends. Tell a parent Create a comic strip. summer. Tell what your planned route.

Use two characters you liked or to tell riddles or disliked about it. knock-knock jokes.

Mail it to a friend or National Picnic Draw a week’s family member.

Month worth of strips.

Create a secret code. Share the code with a friend and write coded notes to each other.

Reorganize part of your room—a closet, a bookshelf or a toy chest.

Collect toys and books you no longer use and give them to an organization that will distribute them.

Find a creative way to cool off. Make a shower with a garden hose or run through the sprinklers.

Visit a museum or an art gallery today. Find something you really like among the exhibits and explain why you chose it.

Local News Look up events in your local newspaper or newspaper’s website and plan for the entire week.

Grab a friend and Can you eat red, practice throwing white and blue healthy food today? and catching a ball. If you’re right-handed, Draw a postcard try catching with and send it to a your left hand. If friend. Remember you’re left-handed, to write the full try catching with address on one side Independence your right hand. and add a stamp.

Day

Make a macaroni necklace today. You can change their color by soaking in food coloring.

Allow them to dry on a paper towel and then thread them on a string.

Get a paper lunch bag and turn it into a puppet. Draw a face on the bottom using markers or crayons.

Try jumping rope with some friends.

It takes some practice, but it's great exercise.

Make a pitcher of ice-cold lemonade and give it to a Put all your soft toys neighbor out in a circle and as a give them a Teddy sweet Bear’s Picnic. summer Teddy Bear’s surprise!

Picnic Day Make a lemonade stand today and sell your refreshing drinks to passersby.

On this day in 1867, Canada became a self-governing dominion. Draw the maple leaf flag.

Have a parent hide a “treasure” and write down clues for you to follow. Have a fun treasure hunt with your friends.

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Paper Bag Day

Check out what local events are happening in your area this weekend. Look through the local newspaper or the newspaper’s web site.

When is the last time your family visited a museum?

Plan a visit today.

Make ice cream sundaes for your family. Include as many fruits as possible.

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National Blueberry Month

© Vicki Whiting July 2016

16

In order to understand how immunizations help you, you need to know a bit about your blood.

Blood carries tiny cells to all parts of your body. There are fat, disk-shaped red cells.

There are white cells, too. The white cells have a special job.

They fight germs and kill them. White cells keep you well. When germs get in, your white blood cells go to work.

But some germs are too strong for an unprepared body. When a doctor gives you a shot, or immunization, this helps your white cells prepare for certain kinds of germs.

Shots are like a fire drill. A fire drill gets you ready in case of a real fire. A shot gets you ready in case of a real attack by germs.

White blood cells are larger than red blood cells and they eat germs.

Germs can get into your body in many ways. They can enter through your mouth or through your nose or even through a cut in your skin.

are Germs – even here everyw this page! r all ove find the two u Can yo that match? germs

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Š Vicki Whiting July 2016

17 Long ago, whooping cough killed many people.

Now most people never get this disease because they have been immunized with a shot.

When the doctor gives you a shot with a small amount of weak whooping cough germs, certain white cells in your body start making a germ-killing chemical called an “antibody.”

When you take polio vaccine drops, killer white cells in your body find the polio germs and kill them. After that, these cells act like polio police and keep on looking for more polio germs.

Help the “Polio Police” find the polio germs.

Each antibody kills only one kind of germ. When an antibody and a germ match up, the antibody kills the germ.

Storms!!!!

Have you experienced a tornado or a hurricane? I haven’t but I know a lot about them. A tornado is a violently column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and, a cumulonimbus cloud. Some famous tornados were in Joplin, Reno, and Moore in the U.S. The top five most deadly tornados in history throughout the world were Shibchar, Comoro, Magura, Valetta, and Nawabganj.

I’m going to share a little about the Joplin tornado of 2011. This is personally the most interesting tornado that I learned about, though it devastated a whole community and our country. It was an E-5 rainsurrounded tornado. Rain- surrounded tornadoes are hard to warn people about because you typically can’t see them coming. The Joplin tornado struck down on May 22, 2011. There were 158 deaths, and over 1,000 were injured from the tornado. This tornado was over one mile high, and had winds up to 200 miles per hour. It was on the ground for about 38 minutes and traveled about 22 miles. About 7,000 homes were destroyed, and that doesn’t include business or public buildings. We have come to know that we really don’t have control over such a storm… only the ability to try and warn people ahead of time.

This was one of the deadliest storms in our history.

A hurricane is a violent wind storm. They happen in an ocean or tropical area. The top five deadliest hurricanes are Katrina, Sandy, Ike, Wilma, and Andrew. They have caused over 220 billion dollars in damage. They caused death, damage to homes, cars, and public buildings.

Hurricanes form when two storms collide; warm fronts and cold fronts combined. The eye of the hurricane is most dangerous. Winds in a hurricane can get be 75 miles per hour. That is very strong!! Could you imagine standing in the middle of that getting sopping wet from the sideways rain?

Hurricane season starts June 1st and ends November 30th. If you live in an area where hurricanes happen often, be sure to know the evacuation routes. Make sure to listen to the radio and news frequently to see To adopt a classroom, please call 712-293-4328

new evacuation routes. A hurricane watch on your coastline means that you could experience hurricane conditions within the next 36 hours. The watch should have your family on their feet and alert. Always be ready to evacuate.

A hurricane warning issued for your part of the coast means that winds of at least 74 miles per hour are expected within 24 hours. Once this warning has been issued, your family should be in the process of deciding the safest spot to be during the storm. You need to stay indoors, because strong winds will blow things around. Stay in a high land area. Always leave mobile homes and go to a safer shelter. If you are told to evacuate, do it immediately. A tornado watch means that tornadoes are in your area. Just watch the news and be ready!

A tornado warning means that a tornado is either on the ground or has actually been detected by Doppler radar. Seek shelter immediately!! Before a tornado you should have an evacuation plan. Be sure to know what county you live in. Prepare a first aid kit and safety box. During a tornado, go to a basement, right away!! If you don’t have a basement, go to the lowest floor and stay in a room without windows. If you can, get under a sturdy piece of furniture, like a table. If you live in a mobile home, get out!! They offer little protection against tornadoes. Get out of cars. Do not try to outrun a tornado in your car. Get out of your car and go to a low ditch for safety. Stay away from fallen power lines and stay out of damaged areas.

I hope you learned a lot about storms and storm safety! I sure learned a lot writing this. Next time you hear of a warning or a watch you know what it means. Talk to your family about an evacuation plan.

Get to a safe place immediately.

Hannah Fitzpatrick Mater Dei Grade 7 Flash, flash!

The flashing lights illuminate the dark sky.

Crash, crash!

The house shakes as the thunder rumbles in the distance.

The rain pelts against the window, www.NIESiouxland.com

blurring your vision to the outside.

Wind shakes the trees, blowing them in different directions.

A flash of lightning and a crack of thunder nearly make you jump.

The dark clouds move overhead as the storm continues.

But eventually every storm must come to an end.

The dark clouds seem to disappear, taking the lightning and thunder with it.

The rain slows and eventually stops altogether.

The sun peeks out of from behind the clouds, lighting up the day.

Everything seems calm and quiet… until you hear a crash of thunder from the distance.

Here we go again…

Aubrie Harrington Mater Dei Grade 7 You hear a dead silence then a formation of wind starts coming from the clouds and crashes down onto the earth. That is a tornado. Here in Tornado Alley, bad storms are common and can rip through your town as easy as can be. There are lots of different types of storms but the one I’m most interested in is a tornado, a swirling funnel of clouds. Tornados are very dangerous and should not be considered lightly; they can be very big. The world’s largest on record took place in El Reno, Oklahoma; it was humongous with winds up to 295 miles per hour.

We all have to agree, tornados are bad. Just a couple summers ago, a town by Wayne, Nebraska called Pilger was hit with a horrible tornado that devastated the town. About 15 years ago a tornado hit Jackson, Nebraska and almost all the houses and buildings fell except the church. I am so glad I was not born because that’s where I live. I am so glad my parents were out of town that day.

Jacob Salmen Tornados are a very dangerous, windy, fast, destructive and a scary storm. It is dangerous for the people who live in the Midwest and everyone else in © Vicki Whiting July 2016

18 Storms don’t just happen in winter, as the kids are about to discover. Knowing what to do in a storm can save your life!

Standards Link: Health: Understand and practice safe behaviors when outdoors.

Earth Science; weather can be observed and described.

If the time between a flash of lightning and the thunder is less than 5 seconds: • Don’t stand under a tree or out in the open.

• If possible, get inside a house or building.

• If you are in water, get out!

• If your best shelter is a car, get inside and don’t touch anything metal.

If the time between a flash of lightning and the thunder is less than 3 seconds and there is no close shelter: • Immediately find low ground, but not under a tree or trees.

• Squat on the ground with your legs together. Place your hands over your ears and you head between your knees. Make yourself as small as possible. DO NOT lie flat on the ground.

• Do not get up until thunder following a lightning flash is AT LEAST 5 seconds after the flash.

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© Vicki Whiting July 2016

19

Long ago, Native Americans told the tale of a powerful bird whose eyes flashed lightning. When its wings flapped, it made the thunder. It was called the Thunderbird.

Which of these petroglyphs (drawing or carving on a rock) is a Native American drawing of a Thunderbird?

tornado alley. Do you know why they are scary? They are scary because they cause damage to houses, throw cars, up root trees and much more. They can also reach wind speeds up to 300 miles per hour, which is really fast. They can do damage one mile wide and 50 miles long. They are created by hot air from Mexico and cold air from Canada when those two air masses meet and form a tornado.

I had an experience with a tornado in 2013. The sirens went off but I didn’t hear them; then my dad told us to get in the car. So we drove over to my grandma’s house and went into their storm shelter. Then the power went out, and we just waited until the radar said it passed then I went outside and saw the tornado disappear up into the clouds. But I didn’t know that my dad’s barn had been hit by the tornado until the person who lives by the barn called my dad. So whenever you see a tornado or hear the sirens, tell an adult and seek shelter in a safe area.

Bryce Harpenau Mater Dei Grade 8

ANSWER: All of them. The legend of the Thunderbird was told by nearly every Native American group.

Let’s talk storms. Some people find storms scary or frightening, while others don’t mind them.

Well if you are like me, I am so used to storms because in Nebraska and Iowa we have them all the time, but there are people who live where I do and they are absolutely terrified of them! For example, thunderstorms are no big deal to me so I thought no one was afraid of them, but boy was I wrong!

I’m going to tell you a little story about thunderstorms. One summer day my cousins and I were at my house hanging out, and then all of a sudden a huge thunderstorm rolled in. I didn’t think it was a big deal so I continued on, but as soon as the thunder started my cousin, Aiden, lost it! He screamed at the top of his lungs and cried. He was terrified of thunderstorms! The only way we could calm him down was to take him in the basement, put headphones on, blare the music, and turn on the TV. Now I know thunderstorms are scary for some people.

Another storm that is To adopt a classroom, please call 712-293-4328

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occasionally here is called a tornado. I am terrified of tornados. There was another time when my cousins were over and there was a big tornado and really close to my house!

First the sirens went off and I almost had a panic attack! My whole family and pets went in my basement and we started to calm down. Then my grandma, grandpa, great aunt, and my great aunt’s two daughters came over to my house and into the basement because their houses didn’t have basements. They brought their animals, too! It was super crowded! We all took a moment to pray and then thirty minutes later the tornado passed. Then my dad had an idea to go and drive around to see the destruction path. My two brothers, my cousin, Alex, my dad and I went driving around.

The destruction wasn’t bad but I was glad nothing happened to my house or family!

Bailey Logan Mater Dei Grade 7 Storms as black as a starless night Or swirling faster than anything can run Storms come in all shapes and sizes And many are no fun.

A well-known type is a thunderstorm Electric and rainy, they zap mankind The roaring thunder scares children Rain pounds in front and behind.

Another storm is a tornado Spinning winds that lift cars to the sky While its cousin, the hurricane Destroys coasts with a very calm eye Storms come in many forms You can find them all around But at least rainstorms are kind of nice Wet fun and musical sounds Ricky Arteaga Mater Dei 6th grade Do you know about all the types of storms? Your average storm will probably consist of thunder, lighting, and rain. Some storms last for minutes like tornadoes.

Others will last for days like hurricanes.

Tornadoes are a mobile, funnelshaped, vortex of strong winds.

Where do tornadoes usually

form? Tornadoes form usually in “Tornado Alley”. Tornado Alley is in the central part of the U.S. (Midwest). Tornadoes can have wind speeds of up to 300 miles per hour!

Hurricanes are large, swirling storms. Hurricanes produce winds of 74 miles per hour or higher! Hurricanes form overseas. That’s why they are called tropical storms. These storms then move over land.

Hurricanes can travel at 10-20 miles per hour. Hurricanes also last for about a week, so be prepared!

Blizzards are severe snowstorms with high winds and low visibility. Blizzards can last from four hours to three weeks!

During a blizzard you can get up to 15 inches of snow! Take cover!

Ryelle Stanek Mater Dei Grade 7 Over 600 million dollars in damage, roads slick, tree limbs torn off…this damage is caused by many different kinds of storms.

Storms can be catastrophic; they can cause millions of dollars in damage. Some storms can tear the roof off of your house that took much work to build!

The biggest hailstone ever recorded was eight inches in diameter and 18.62 inches in circumference and the hailstone weighed 1.93 lbs. The biggest hurricane on record is Hurricane Patricia. It occurred in October, 2015 near the coast of Mexico when Patricia killed over 6,000 people! The hurricane that killed the most people was Typhoon Nina in 1975. It has a 100,000+ death toll and was only the second largest typhoon.

The largest tornado was the Tri-State Tornado. This tornado went through Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana. It was an F5 and went 219 miles, staying on the ground for 3.5 hours! Nature certainly has a way of letting us know that we need to listen to the weather report!

Liam Cleary Mater Dei Grade 7

© Vicki Whiting July 2016

20

Solar Power (Energy for Today)

by Tea Benduhn There’s lots of up-to-date information and photographs in this book from the Energy for Today Series. It describes solar technology including information on a solar car and a solar tent and explains terms such as renewable energy, greenhouse gases and global warming. The book has four chapters—What is solar power? Sources of Energy, How Solar Power Works and Solar Power in the Future. It is a good place to start learning about the value of the sun as a source of energy now and for the future.

LAMB EWE-NIVERSITY

Energy Kids eia.gov/kids/energy.cfm?page=solar_home-basics This site for both students and teachers explains how the sun’s rays that reach the earth can be converted into heat and electricity. There’s a section on the history of Energy and another on Games & Activities.

Word Search Puzzles makeitsolar.com/puzzle/ A selection of word search puzzles on the theme of solar energy.

Easy Snacks for Kids to Make kidspot.com.au/kitchen/galleries/kid-friendly-recipe-ideas/ 12-fun-and-healthy-snacks-that-kids-can-make-themselves Very Hungry Caterpillar sandwiches, Apple Race Cars, Owl rice cakes, banana smoothie—these recipes will have children excited to help make their own snacks. A video shows how to make a ladybird crumpet.

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Summer Theatre Camp 2016 Attention all you creative kids out there! Do you enjoy being with others who like the same stuff you do? Do you like to sing, dance and laugh while you are learning? Would you like to gain a little confidence while working on an incredible production?

At Lamb Ewe-Niversity find out that American Pop will live on Forever and you can be a part of that history! Join us this July for a three week summer program where your talents will be showcased and friends will be made. Whether you are going into first grade or beginning your last year in high school, you’ll find that Lamb Theatre is one of the best theatre educations in the region and did we mention you get to be creative!

July Session (7/5-21) Monday-Thursday 9:00-Noon Contact Diana Wooley Jessica Wheeler

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The LAMB School 417 Market St. Sioux City, Iowa 51103 Head Teacher Office Coordinator 712.255.9536 © Vicki Whiting July 2016

LAMB ARTS

21

¬What the World Needs Now…. are more Folk Like Diana Wooley, LAMB Arts!

Feature Reporter: Mara Aesoph North Middle Grade 7 I had a great time interviewing my theatre director, Diana Wooley. She is a one of a kind mentor and someone we all love! She was born in Sioux City and has lived here all of her life. Music has been “in her blood” forever as her mother was a music teacher. Music allows for a real creative spirit and that is something Diana has!

When she was younger, her sister and she played the viola and cello. They would continually play “America the Beautiful” since this was really the only song they knew. The youngest sister would become the Statue of Liberty and they would perform in a local parking lot for hours. I wondered if anyone remembered Diana and her sisters…this sounds like a real musical act!

Diana is the Director of Education at LAMB Theatre. LAMB began in 1979 a few months after she married her husband, Russ Wooley who is the Director of LAMB Theatre. She tells her young charges that LAMB is really like her third child!

Her favorite part of the job is whatever she is working on in the moment. She is always in competition with herself to do better than the last performance…and if she is playing a part, to be better each time. Her most memorable show was “Take Me to Your President” which in 9th grade she played the 2nd tourist. The lead male actor in the performance, turned around in rehearsal one day and kissed her. Oh, my!

She loves the variety of the theatre and each day brings a new delight. In the theatre you learn confidence, understanding, group skills, empathy, leadership and thinking on your feet. Learning about your own passion and self is so very important and will take you far in life.

“The theatre is powerful,” she often tells her students and as one, I believe this! You move people to experience emotions that they didn’t know they had and you tell stories that need to be told. People have changed their lives due to viewing a play and they’ve learned stories about real life that they hadn’t heard before.

Diana is excited about the upcoming season. They are planning on performances of “The Jungle Book” and “Peter and the Star Catcher.”

Diana is an amazing role model and someone I will hopefully continue to have as a mentor throughout my life. She is doing what she is passionate about and something she can do the rest of her life. We all should have such careers where each day is a new day and each day brings joy and creativity into our own experiences.

It’s simple!

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© Vicki Whiting July 2016

22 Spotlight on the Woodbury County Fair: Natalie McKenna and her Bucket Calf Nibbles Kate Thelander

Lawton-Bronson

WOODBURY COUNTY FAIR

Spotlight on the Woodbury County Fair: Cat and Small Animal Judge Cathy Washburn

Grade 1

Feature Kid Scoop News reporter Kate Thelander, a first grade student from Lawton- Bronson, recently interviewed Natalie McKenna about her bucket calf. Natalie is entering the bucket calf in the Woodbury County Fair. Natalie’s classmates were able to listen to her interview.

The Woodbury County Fair will be held August 3-7, 2016. The bucket calf show will be held on Thursday evening, August 4th. There is also a bucket calf parade around the fairgrounds on Saturday, August 6th at 4:30.

Any bull, steer, heifer, dairy, beef, crossbred or purebred that is bucket or bottle fed is considered a bucket calf. Students who have completed grades Kindergarten-4th may compete. Students completing TK may compete with parent permission.

Natalie began the interview by showing us the bottle and a sample of milk replacer powder that Nibbles used when he was a young calf. She also brought his bucket and feed so that we could see what Nibbles is eating now.

She told us that she has to keep a binder. It includes such things as her bucket calf’s name, how old he is, how much he weighs and pictures of him.

She is also including pictures of her as she works with Nibbles.

Kate: Natalie, would you please tell us about yourself?

Natalie: I live on a farm with my Mom, Dad, and 2 sisters named Bailey and Addie. I’m seven years old and have just finished first grade. I have some barn cats and love when they have kittens!

Kate: How long have you been showing bucket calves?

Natalie: This will be my second year showing a bucket calf. Last year my calf was named the Grand Champion!

Kate: We know your calf’s name is Nibbles. How did you decide on his name and can you tell us about him?

Natalie: When the calf first came to my farm, he liked to nibble on clothes, hair, fingers and anything so I decided on the second day to name him Nibbles! Natalie said that Nibbles will nibble on many things, but will not eat snacks. Natalie’s mom, Dee, shared that Nibbles is a Holstein jersey crossbred.

Kate: How do you get Nibbles ready for the fair?

Natalie: I began by feeding Nibbles warm milk. I had to feed him twice a day. He is now eating grain. I now feed him three times a day. I have to make sure that he has fresh water every day and I have to wash him when he gets dirty. I’ve had to teach him how to walk with a halter. I have to keep his pen clean, which means I have to scoop poop! I think the most important part of getting ready for the fair is spending time with Nibbles and taking him for walks.

Kate: What’s the hardest part of getting a bucket calf ready for the fair?

Natalie: I think the hardest part is breaking him into a halter.

Kate: What’s the best part of having a bucket calf?

Natalie: I like spending time with my bucket calf at the fair!

Kate: Has your bucket calf taught you anything?

Natalie: I’ve had to learn how to put on the halter the right way and the importance of spending time with Nibbles every night.

Nibbles has taught Natalie responsibility, love and caring for an animal. She knows that she can’t skip a day of taking care of him. He relies on her for all of his needs! Nibbles will go back to his owner after the fair, so she has to be ready to say good-bye to him. What a great experience for a 7 year old!

When attending the fair, please take time to visit the bucket calf barn. Watch these young children care for their animals! You’ll see them cleaning out the pens, taking them for walks, feeding them, giving them fresh water and food, brushing them and spending time with them!

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AUG. 3 - 9

Cathy Washburn, a retired Lawton-Bronson art teacher, visited with Ms. Siepker’s first grade students about her judging responsibilities at the Woodbury County Fair.

Cathy began judging in 1999 or 2000 when her aunt asked her to help her judge a cat show. Cathy stated that she went to a lot of cat shows with her aunt, but her aunt didn’t like to judge the small animals! Cathy has now judged by herself for many years at not only The Woodbury County Fair, but also the Monona and Plymouth County Fairs.

When judging the small animals, children bring in their pets that day and take them home after the judging. You don’t have to be a 4-H member to enter the small animal contest. Cathy said that she has judged gerbils, mice, rats, hamsters, guinea pigs, geckos, lizards, turtles, frogs, toads, snakes, hermit crabs and many other small animals. She will pick up the animal and will then ask the child to tell about his/her animal. She wants to know what the animal eats, how they were given their name, any tricks that they can do and any information that the child knows about the pet.

Since she has been judging for many years, she will also add information about the animal! There is only one pet that Cathy doesn’t like to handle and will judge it from its cage. That pet is a tarantula. She said that she likes them, but just doesn’t want to touch them.

For the cat show, the participants have to be members of 4-H or Clover Kids. Like the small animal show, the cats are judged and then are taken home. Cathy explained that cats are easily stressed by noises, people and the new environment at the fair.

She judges not only the cat, but also the cat’s owner! The owner needs to share information about the cat. They are asked to share the cat’s name, how they got the cat, what shots the cat has had, how they prepared the cat for the fair, how they care for the cat and what they feed the cat. While the person is doing the presentation, Cathy is checking the cat for: cleanliness; no bugs such as fleas or ticks; no ear mites; no runny eyes; the condition of the cat’s teeth; how the cat’s nails look; the cat’s weight and the general health of the cat.

Cathy said that a cat will often shed at the fair. This means that the cat is stressed out and this will not affect the judging.

Cathy asks the owner to share the cat’s breed. She said the most common breeds at the fair include: the Siamese, Persian, Russian blue, tabby, calico and tuxedo. She said that there are many orange cats which are really called red cats! The tabby is a cat with stripes. The calico has three colors, which are orange, white and black and are almost always girls. The tuxedo is black and has white on its chest, legs and tummy. She said the rarest cat is all black and has no white at all.

Cathy brought her cat Tia to school and shared some tips. Tia eats mainly dry food and gets very few table scraps. This keeps her from getting too fat and having tummy troubles. Tia has had all of her shots, which keeps her healthy. She makes sure that Tia’s ears are clean and rubs her eyes with a damp tissue to keep them clean. Cathy uses a fingernail trimmer to keep her nails short. Tia gets brushed daily.

Cathy has five inside cats. Cathy’s husband Norm also enjoys cats. When watching TV, you would find the cats split between Norm and Cathy’s laps!

When asked why she likes judging the cat and small animals Cathy quickly replied, “One day I brought home the neighbor’s dog!” Her mom said, “The minute you were born, you brought every animal home!” When watching Cathy judge, you can sense not only her love of animals, but also her love of children. She easily puts a first time or nervous participant at ease!

When asked what she likes to do at the fair when she’s not judging, Cathy stated that she loves listening to the music in the open stage area. She will stop by the Presbyterian stand to enjoy a milkshake! You may also find her checking out the goats, rabbits, chickens and all of the other animals!

Thanks so much for bringing Tia to share with us. We learned so much about taking care of a cat! We are looking forward to going to the cat and small animal show this summer at the Woodbury County Fair!

Ms. Siepker’s First Grade Class at Lawton-Bronson

www.NIESiouxland.com

© Vicki Whiting July 2016

AG IN THE CLASSROOM

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Dave Owings and Herlee Mary Siepker, Contributing Writer for Kid Scoop News

What does a man do when he becomes an empty nester? A trip to Bomgaars provided the answer for Dave Owings, aka The Gooseman! Bomgaars had goslings, which are baby geese, for sale. After observing them for about an hour, one gosling caught his eye. Being a good husband, he went home and told his wife about the goslings and asked if he could buy one. She said, “No!” Dave then jumped into his truck and returned to Bomgaars and purchased the gosling for $8.

The gosling was covered in yellow fuzz and immediately imprinted with Dave. This means that Dave became the gosling’s Mom and Dad! Dave didn’t know if the gosling was a male or female so he settled on the name Hurley or Herlee. When she laid her first egg, he knew she was a female and Herlee proved to be the perfect name for her.

Dave brought Herlee to the Lawton-Bronson Elementary School to visit all of her fans! This was her third year visiting the school. Dave shared lots of information about Herlee. Because of the knot on her head, Herlee is an African goose. It took about a year and a half for her to get that knot on her head. She is six years old and lays about 50 eggs a year.

Dave cooks and eats the eggs. She can live up to 30 years. She eats only vegetation such as clover, dandelions and grass. Dave has tried feeding her potato chips and fries, but she will only eat her healthy foods! Herlee has good eyesight and hearing. Hawks and eagles are her biggest enemies. Her toenails are very sharp!

Dave said that the friendship between the two of them happened right away! He said that she doesn’t like kids! She only likes Dave. She is very protective of him and will honk and hiss if anyone gets too close to him! She has spent a lot of time at Bacon Creek with her friend Dave. She will take walks with Dave.

She is never far from him. She can fly and loves to swim! The wild geese will chase her away.

Dave has worked with Herlee for an hour or two a day to train her! She gives hugs and kisses to Dave. She has learned that she stays on her sheet when visiting classrooms. Herlee recognizes Dave’s voice. She has her own bed at home and is allowed to walk around the house. She enjoys sitting on the couch and watching football with Dave! Dave thinks that she likes the action and colors.

You can follow Herlee on her Facebook page. Go to Herlee Goose and friend her.

Dave paid $8 for Herlee, but the friendship and trust that has developed between the man and goose is priceless!

Dig in and Get Dirty! (The Early Bird Catches the Worm!

George Waitt Summer Y Camp Writers: Ashlyn, Claire, Mackenzie and Adilene

The E-lemonators’ classroom at the Norm Waitt Summer Y Camp traveled to the Voices for Food Community Garden in South Sioux City this past month and each camper was pleasantly surprised at the task at hand. Master Gardener Marion Cain demonstrated the correct way to “pluck” a strawberry from the vine and no one had to be told twice what to do. Filling buckets full of strawberries and eating a third along the way was one fun way to spend the morning on an extremely hot June day!

Marion made the learning hands-on while the students calculated weights, numbers, and averages of peas, beans, and strawberries. Discussions of nutrition and garden tips were shared by Marion and Corrinna Lenore dietitian at a local HyVee store and President of the Dakota County Voices for Food Council.

Through a generous USDA grant, HyVee funding, and Thrivent, the council has been able to generate the sweat equity needed to develop a thriving and bountiful community garden. Beginning the spring of 2015, in land donated by Marion and her husband, large dirt moving machines broke the ground up and the first steps of the garden helped Marion to follow her dream of gardening, locally.

A close connection to the land is therapeutic for adults and children and what better way to experience this then helping with the necessary weeding and harvest of produce. Children learn a great deal about environmental stewardship while connecting this type of project with science, math, nutrition, health, and art. Surprises occur along the way, such as spiders, bugs, and earthworms…giving a whole new take on the experience for each child.

“I have never tasted anything so good…” was heard followed by participant Claire’s “I guess we are technically farmers..” statement. Children learn to identify plants by name and begin to understand the differences in each plants life cycle. Just as people need space to grow, the students learned that plants, too, need the survival basics of humans. A real connection to something is understanding how much we are all alike…this type of activity is one where all learn and all benefit.

According to the Dakota County Voices for Food Facebook site, the project is an open community group, dedicated to promoting the development of a healthy, sustainable, and equitable food system; while addressing the food security for all people living in Dakota County.

The Norm Waitt Summer Y Camp kids are just blocks away from the community garden and will spend a couple of hours a week learning about sustainable living, the art and science of growing plants, nutrition, and gardening.

Volunteers are welcome to come and help out on Wednesday afternoons from 4 to 6. Those with a gardening background can contact Marion for additional time considerations.

Marion Cain - Voices for Food Council Community Garden Coordinator 1030 5th Ave., SSC, NE 712-389-2478 To adopt a classroom, please call 712-293-4328

www.NIESiouxland.com

© Vicki Whiting July 2016

AG IN THE CLASSROOM

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Adventures in Agriculture: PK-2nd Grade Professional Development Workshop Held at the Sioux City Launch PAD Mary Siepker

Lawton-Bronson Teacher and Food Detective Writer

Twenty-five Siouxland educators spent June 15th and June 16th in a professional development workshop that gave them the skills needed to use agriculture and the new Launch PAD Children’s Museum in Sioux City to meet Iowa Core Standards. Participants developed ideas to make the most of a visit to the museum with their students and how to integrate agriculture into science, social studies, language arts and math lessons before and after a field trip to the museum.

The first day of the workshop provided participants time to explore the museum and also time for field trips to various locations.

The field trips provided them time to observe agriculture in action and farm to table real-life experiences.

Day 1: First stop….a tour of the Launch PAD Children’s Museum. The group divided into two groups with Bob Fitch and Valerie Petersen leading the tours. The museum is all about integrating STEM…science, technology, engineering and math. One objective of the museum is having kids learn where their food comes from. Most kids think their food comes from the grocery store. Bob and Valerie are observing the kids harvesting the vegetables and then putting them into the truck. The kids are making the connection that the vegetables are grown on a farm and then are transported to the store! Some other areas that we saw included: the construction site, which includes the six simple machines; the water area; the climbing area, which allows kids time to problem solve while increasing motor skills and the agriculture section. Valerie mentioned that the museum is always looking for donations of costumes; art supplies, such as crayons and markers; and week-end volunteers.

Second stop: We then hopped on the bus and traveled to Cardinal Farms in Dakota City. We divided into two groups to tour the aquaculture and the greenhouse. Three years ago, Cardinal Farms decided to become a fish feedlot! They began shipping in barramundi from Australia. Barramundi is a type of sea bass. They begin with up to 15,000 fish in a tank. As they grow, they are separated into different tanks. There is an automated filtration system for the fish. They are automatically fed. When the fish are two pounds, they are market sized. The fish farm is run year round. We learned that the fish leave the farm by trucks, are then cleaned and packaged and are ready to be purchased at the store.

Tomato growing begins in November at Cardinal Farms. All of their plants are grown from seed. This year they began with 2,860 plants! Each plant can provide up to 45 pounds of tomatoes! Cardinal Farms only grows beefsteak tomatoes and began raising tomatoes in 2004. They harvest their tomatoes twice a week. They harvest the tomatoes by color. Once the tomatoes are harvested, they leave the farm by truck and are ready to be purchased at the store. Cardinal Farms also has a store, on their property, which sells the tomatoes and fish fillet.

Third stop: Jochum Farms by Salix, Iowa was our next stop. Greg and Krista Jochum own their family grain farm. Greg serves as the president of the Siouxland Agriculture in the Classroom Board of Directors. He was instrumental in getting the Agriculture in the Classroom established. Greg and Krista’s goal is for kids to learn where their food comes from. They have hosted field trips for students for the last three years. When students are asked where their corn comes from, many will reply, “Corn comes from a can!” Greg and Krista believe that our Agriculture in the Classroom program will teach our students at a younger age where their food does come from. We also enjoyed a delicious lunch at the Jochum Farms!

Fourth stop: At the Hamilton HyVee, we were introduced to a grocery game. We were divided into groups and then had to listen to the clues about a food item. As soon as we knew what the food item was, one team member found the food and brought it back and put it into a shopping cart. After the game, we listened to dietician Corrina Leonard. Her two main jobs are providing one on one dietician help to people and giving store tours to kids. To get kids to eat healthy, she suggests that they be provided a variety of fruits and vegetables and that they are involved in the food preparation.

We then returned to the Launch PAD and had a farm chat with Chris Ten Napel. He is a hog farmer. Because of health concerns and the smells, a farm chat is the best way to take a field trip to a hog farm! His hogs eat a mix of corn and soybeans. They always stay inside and the temperature remains 70 degrees. Hogs do better if they don’t get too hot or cold.

Day 2: The second day focused on developing lessons that use agriculture to teach science. Participants were provided strategies, lessons and activities that can be implemented into their classrooms. Student engagement and impact was the focus along with hands-on learning.

Dee McKenna: Dee, who works for Nutrients for Life, spoke about the importance of teachers educating our students about our Iowa soil. We have some of the richest soil. Dee suggested that students write to family members and ask them to send soil samples to their classrooms. This simple activity incorporates agriculture, social studies, writing skills and science. Dee provided a very engaging lesson on what a sunflower needs to grow! We then divided into four groups and did four agriculture related activities.

Mary Siepker: Mary, a retired first grade teacher, described how she integrated agriculture into her classroom. She told how Jeanette Hopkins, from the Kid Scoop News, encouraged her to take the school garden project to her classroom so her students could learn where their food comes from. Her students became food detectives and were featured in the Food Detective section of the Kid Scoop News. Every day here students chose a food item from the lunch menu and traced it back to the soil. This simple activity led to a project that continued through the year. Students began sampling foods. Mary applied for grants to provide money for the foods. Literature was then added to the project. This project was such a success that all the second graders will continue being food detectives!

Sam Mathiowetz: Thanks to a Farm Chat, we were able to visit the Mississippi River and listen to Lockmaster Sam. He works at the Guttenberg Lock and Dam. In 1930, the locks were built. Sam explained that the locks are like a stairway for boats to get up and down the river. It takes about 10 minutes to raise and lower the lock. Since $180 billion of agriculture travels down the river, it’s easy to see how agriculture uses and needs the river.

We also had lessons provided by Melissa Nelson, our Agriculture in the Classroom teacher. Cindy Hall, from the Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation, and her intern Jenna also had us engaged in various activities such as examining agriculture related literature and comparing gardeners and farmers.

At the conclusion of the workshop, Melissa Nelson said, “I hope teachers were able to see the connection to agriculture in their everyday lives and how they can relay those connection to students in their classroom!”

To adopt a classroom, please call 712-293-4328

www.NIESiouxland.com

© Vicki Whiting July 2016

FOOD DETECTIVES

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During the 2015-16 school year Kid Scoop News Siouxland readers enjoyed the ongoing journey of Ms. Siepker’s First Grade Food Detectives. This year -round integrated study brought a deep understanding of how we actually get our food and incredible insights on eating healthy. In this last section from the school year, the students actually learned about foraging for survival, from a presentation by Tyler Flammang from the Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center.

KUDOS to Ms. Siepker and her First Grade Food Detectives from Lawton-Bronson!! Check out online Ms. Siepker’s class insights about the garden, the unit, and a study about the Decorah eagles! www.NIESiouxland.com and/or www.siouxcityjournal.com/kidscoop/

Food Detectives: Ms. Siepker’s Fantastic Farm to Table Insights/Lawton-Bronson This month (May) found the detectives wrapping up their food to table discoveries. They listened to the book PB & J Hooray! by Janet Nolan. The book began by showing how to make a peanut butter sandwich. The author asks the question, “But where does the food come from?” The following page tells us that the peanut butter, grape jelly and bread all come from the store. Right away our detectives disagreed! The book shares with the readers the steps of how peanut butter, grape jelly and bread are really made. The book goes in reverse order from store to soil. Near the end of the book, readers discover that grapes are grown on vines, wheat grows in fields and is harvested by a tractor, and peanuts are grown underground. The first grade food detectives already knew all of this!

Here are a few facts that the detectives learned this month: Strawberries were given their name because long ago gardeners would put straw around berries so the berries wouldn’t spoil! Kiwis can be grown in Iowa. It takes five years before the first harvest! Pineapples grow close to the ground.

The detectives had many speakers this month. Rosanne Plante, who is the current Mrs. Iowa, came and visited about healthy eating and the importance of getting outside and exercising. She shared with all the first graders how vegetables and fruits provide us with vitamins and nutrients. They also provide energy and help keep us healthy.

All first graders then took turns and jumped rope for 15 minutes. Rosanne has teamed with the American Heart Association and accepted donations that the students had brought.

Tyler Flammang joined the detectives and shared information about plants that grow in the wild and in backyards that can be eaten. He brought a dandelion and stinging nettle plant for the detectives to examine with magnifying glasses. He shared that all parts of the dandelion can be eaten, but only the leaves of the stinging nettle can be consumed. He said the stinging nettles’ leaves taste like cucumbers.

Tyler said that there are three rules for foraging for food in the wild and the backyard. These three rules are: Make sure it’s a plant that’s safe to eat. Choose a leaf with no holes-the holes mean that an animal has been eating it and no one wants to eat what the animal has left behind! Make sure that the area hasn’t been sprayed.

Tyler brought a special resident from Dorothy Pecaut. He brought Skye. Skye is a kestrel hawk who was rescued after an accident that injured a wing. Skye made the first ever “field trip” to Lawton-Bronson first graders several years ago! What a treat to have Skye make a return visit!

Melissa Nelson concluded her Agriculture in the Classroom lessons by playing Minute to Win It with the detectives! She reviewed all of the topics that she had taught this year through games. As an example, to review corn syrup, a student had to get 10 pieces of corn into a plastic drink container using a straw! To review soybeans, the student had to bounce the soybean off of the stool and into Melissa’s metal bushel basket! She also had activities to review turkeys, pigs, beef cows and dairy cows. The detectives loved Minute to Win It! Melissa made learning about where food comes from so much fun! Thanks so much to Melissa!

As this final food to table article is coming to a close, here is a story written by Kate Thelander titled Garden to Store: I love healthy food. It’s awesome about how food chains make every food on earth! I would plant every healthy food in my garden if I had one. It starts with a seed. Like if I plant a carrot seed, it grows, it’s taken to the factory and sent to the store. Kate T. The detectives hope you’ve enjoyed the farm to table monthly articles! It’s been fun sharing our adventures with you! Enjoy your summer! The next bite you take, give some thought to how that food got to your plate! The detectives sure have!

Good-bye from all the food detectives at Lawton-Bronson!

Kid Scoop News reports that our own Ms. Siepker will be retiring this year from Lawton-Bronson Elementary School. We were worried that we wouldn’t be able to continue the Food Detectives Series…but don’t worry. Ms. Siepker has agreed to continue the project and the articles for our readers. In addition, she will begin a new series on the plight of the Monarch Butterfly hopefully beginning with a city proclamation of protecting the Monarch Butterfly throughout its migration….Updates to follow in the August issue!!!

Riverside School Students Looking Forward to the 2nd Annual Farmers’ Market Students at Riverside Elementary are anxiously counting the days for the 2nd Annual Farmer’s Market that will be held in September. Last year, four vendors were on hand to “sell” produce and items left over from a Wednesday downtown farmers’ market and were surprised at how excited and serious the students were about finding their produce treasures. Plans this year are to add vendors, tents, and experiences to the event.

One of Riverside’s strongest supporter and cheerleader is Laurie Taylor. Laurie is the Iowa State Extension and Outreach Coordinator and she assists community volunteers with the gardening needs in the spring, summer and fall. This summer, cherry trees were added to the site and individual garden sections were enlarged.

At Riverside Elementary, individual classes assist Laurie with the care and planting of specific garden sections. Throughout the summer, community volunteers help with the weekly needs of the garden in exchange for produce and camaraderie.

Principal Mary Motz encourages local families to stop by and learn more about sustainable gardening. Students working collaboratively in the garden learn about science, nutrition, team work, math, and the overall garden process.

Family fun…lessons in gardening from Master Gardeners…and an excellent way To adopt a classroom, please call 712-293-4328

to get a little physical activity await at the Riverside Elementary School Community Garden. Contact Laurie Taylor, Iowa State University Extension and/or Mary Motz, Principal to show support and share a little “elbow grease” in the garden. Kid Scoop News sends KUDOS again, to the members of the team who provide expertise, a strong community presence, and a wonderful support base for the garden.

Monday morning gardening tips and exercise 9:00 Riverside Elementary and Community Garden

Contact Mary Motz: motzm@live.siouxcityschools.com Laurie Taylor: ltaylor@iastate.edu

www.NIESiouxland.com

© Vicki Whiting July 2016

26 Hanging Out in the Backyard…

Neighborhood Fun! You know…simply laughing, running, and throwing could be some things you do during backyard game time! Backyard games include football, soccer, kickball, corn toss, or even croquet. Which one do you like to play in your backyard? I like to play football, soccer, and corn toss in my backyard. For the people who don’t know what corn toss is, the point of the game is to get a bean bag on a platform without it touching the ground. With whom do you play your backyard games?

I play my backyard games with my friends and family. The one I play the most in my backyard is football with my friends.

Football is my favorite backyard sport because it gets really competitive in my neighborhood when we play. Everything about backyard games in my opinion are always fun. Go out to your backyard and play a backyard game you love.

Colin Hubbell Mater Dei Grade 8 Do you use your backyard for games?

We play backyard games around the 4th of July or in late June. We’d play games like ring toss, soft ball, and swimming.

Sometimes we stay up late and watch the fireworks. Sometimes my family and I swim at night. When we get out of the pool it’s pitch- black and the only source of light is the sun setting. Definitely the backyard is the summer place to be!

Jacob Lee Mater Dei Grade 6 My favorite time of the year is summer! I love summer because my birthday is in the summer and I think you can have some fun!

In the summer I love to play games with my family. Our favorite game to play is tossacross. Toss-across is when you have two wooden boards with a big hole in it and you had to get the bean bags in the hole. At the end you add up all the points and see who wins.

My second favorite game is Yard Yahtzee.

Yard Yahtzee is a bigger version of table game Yahtzee and one that my dad created. We love to play it and it is good for the whole family. Next is Monopoly, but I usually just play that with my grandma, grandpa, and my sister. Don’t these games sound like a lot of fun! I love to play with my family and have a great time. I hope that you can just sit down with your family and have a fun game night. I know I love this!

Laynee Lehman Mater Dei Grade 7 “Red Rover, Red Rover… send Josie right over!” Red Rover is a fun and exciting game to play outside. First, you need to invite all your friends over because you need eight or more people to play. Then you pick teams.

Your team will need to hold hands and stand in a straight line. Your team will need

to face the other team. Decide which team should begin shouting and you are ready to go!

The team that goes first gets to pick one friend to come over and then all of the team shout, “Red Rover, Red Rover, send Josie, right over!” The person runs at the other team to try to break through the other team’s arms. If she or he breaks through, the person gets to pick a person for their team and if they don’t break through, they join the other team. Each team goes back and forth until there’s one person left on one team.

The team with all of the friends is declared the winner!

Josie Abramo Mater Dei Grade 7 Just think about it, you’re in your room all alone and you’re so bored, in summer!

All your friends are out of town with their families. You get to thinking and decide, “I can have my own fun… family fun!” Get your family together and make sure you don’t forget something to write on. Next, you ask them what they want to do, and take notes on it. Figure out a schedule for the day. Next thing you know you’re off having fun.

But… everyone will start complaining about how hungry they are. You look at the schedule, and you were so caught up in all the fun that you forgot about the food.

Nobody wants to go out because no one wants to spend money. So you ask them if they want to have a BBQ and they say, “Yea!” So you go to the store to get all the things you need then you go back home and cook up some food.

Once you’re all done eating, you decide to have a bonfire and eat smores, and they are good. Next you watch a movie and after all that fun halfway through the movie you guys all fall asleep. Just think….all of this I planned, in my room…while I was simply bored! Imagine what you could do.

Mariah Augustine Mater Dei Grade 7 Do you like summer? I do! And you know what the best thing to do in the summer is… water balloon fights! It’s the best thing to do on a hot sunny day. It’s an easy way to cool down and have a lot of fun. Grab your brother or sister or even a neighbor and ask them if they want to have a water fight. All you have to do is fill up some balloons and grab some water guns and it’s time to start throwing water around!

You can have rules or just start throwing balloons at each other. I would suggest having a lot of balloons or having a small station set up to refill. Once you have that set up maybe you want to have some obstacles set up. Or, maybe you want to have separate territories that the other players can’t come into. Whatever you decide the most important thing to remember is to stay safe, have fun, and get wet!

Lily Graham Mater Dei Grade 7

To adopt a classroom, please call 712-293-4328

Do you like backyard games! I sure do?

You can play football, bags, horseshoes, polish horseshoes, ladder golf, and many more. I like to play with my family in summer because you get to have extended family time that you don’t usually get because many cousins live so far away. In summer backyard games are the best because you get to have fun with your family. Now, if you don’t know what Polish horseshoes is, it is a game not even close to real horseshoes.

You throw a Frisbee at a pole and try to knock off the bottle on top. If the other team drops the Frisbee you get a point, but if you hit the bottle off the pole and it drops to the ground, you get two points, and if they drop the Frisbee with the bottle hitting the ground, you get three points.

Now to explain Bags; you get three bean bags and you have to try to make it on the board or in the hole. In the hole equals 3 points; the more you get on the board, the more you get. Also, you can cancel each other out if you both make it in the hole the same number of times then you cancel each other; same with on the board. If you get the same number of bags on the board no points are given. Also, your opponent and you have to stand on the same side (same with Polish horseshoes). Have a great time with backyard games this summer!

Keegan Flanigan Mater Dei Grade 7 Do you like to go outside and play in your backyard? Well, there are so many different games you can play outside in the sun. On some days when your parents want you to play outside you might use an excuse like it’s too hot. Well, that’s a perfect time to go and swim because the water won’t be hot and it will cool you off. It’s a fun way to get exercise and relax because you’re swimming around. You can go to a local pool and swim, go down slides, and have fun with friends if they’re there.

In your backyard you can play “Bags” which is fun. You can play football or baseball, too. You can play two-hand-touch or tackle. You can even start a lemonade stand. It’s really refreshing when it’s hot outside. You can play basketball, too. You can do a two on two or three on three, depending on how many people there are.

You can do so many things at home and outside. I hope you have fun during summer.

Nathan Lawler Mater Dei Grade 7 Exercise your brain! Summertime Fun by the Norm Waitt Summer Camp Students There are many things you can do in the summer to exercise your brain but many people simply get bored and don’t know what to do! One thing you can do is to make up a game to play in your backyard.

You could build a big bean bag-toss game.

Fun for all ages. Have you thought about starting a business? Consider selling lemonade on the side of the road…share

www.NIESiouxland.com

your profits with others. Ideas can be limitless for summer fun…so have a great time!

Ashlyn D. Sunnyside Brain Games What to do in the summer…why not go to the Y Camp? At the Y Camp we go swimming, we play games, we work in the Courtyard and even make new friends.

While we don’t spend the night, we do have snacks and help clean up. There are several different groups named by colors, but I am partial to the Yellow “E-Lemonaters”… (Get it?)

Claire Why not go camping this summer? You can ride your bike, help set up a tent and campfire, and even go outside and have fun. It takes a lot of skill and thinking to get ready to camp! Camping has everything that you could want for summer fun.

Callie Crescent Park This summer…I’m going to use my brain by writing stories on my laptop. I love writing stories when I am bored. My friend and I are working on two stories, The Stones and The Crossover. I am working on one story by myself, The Hidden Island. I’m also going to read the Walking Dead comic books …so I doubt that I will ever be bored this summer!

Kennedy L. North Middle Hey! Go to the Summer Y Camp to keep your brain active this summer. You could design your own games that are challenging and played outside. What if you created games that were played in the pool…talk about fun and not boring!

Aubrey K. Sunnyside Brain Olympics What can you do in the summer to keep your brain active? You could go to a camp where you swim, publish and play super fun games. You might think about camping.

When you camp, there are many things that you have to handle. You need to set up a tent, create a fire, go swimming, and plan each day.

I think writing a story where you need to research and use your imagination.

You could create a new game or start a business. There are many things you could do to not be bored!

If you like sports, you can exercise while “working” your brain, too. Now you have several ideas for keeping that brain in excellent shape!

Alexis K. East Middle To be honest…I’m going to eat cheese balls, cookies and doughnuts. I plan on riding my bike and playing video games. Keeping it simple!

Adam Crescent Park © Vicki Whiting July 2016

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Sports are not the only way to stay fit. Have some fitness fun in your backyard or neighborhood park.

All of the events on this page work for two or more players. So, invite some friends to join you at the Kid Scoop News Backyard Games!

(Be sure to pick up all the little water balloon pieces after the event!)

Draw four squares on your patio or the sidewalk.

Draw a large numeral 1 in the first box, a large 3 in the second box, a large 5 in the third box and a large 7 in the fourth square.

Crumple one sheet of newspaper into a ball.

Wrap tape around it to hold it together. Facing your partner, hold a sheet of newspaper flat between you.

Try to make the ball bounce up and down on the newspaper. How high can you toss it and still catch it?

How many times in a row can you catch it?

Stuff you need: • newspaper • tape

Stuff you need: • At least 4 players • 1 person to judge • Boom box Choose one person to be the judge. Divide everyone else into teams of two. One person on each team is the stander; the other is the shadow. The judge turns on the music, and each stander moves to the music, while her shadow tries to make the same movements. When the judge stops the music, everyone freezes. If the stander and the shadow are not in identical positions, they’re out.

The game continues until only one identical pair remains.

To adopt a classroom, please call 712-293-4328

Stuff you need: • water balloons • sidewalk chalk

From a good distance away, each player throws four water balloons, trying to score the most points. If your balloon lands in the box marked 1, you get one point, score three points for the box marked 3 and so on.

Before each throw, spin around three times!

Stuff you need: • plastic flying disc or coffee can lid • empty box or laundry basket

Place the box or basket on one side of the yard.

Each player takes a turn trying to throw the disc into it from 10 steps away. After everyone has had a turn, try throwing from 30 steps away. Score 10 points for each successful throw.

Have left-handers throw with their right hands and right-handers throw with their left hands.

www.NIESiouxland.com

© Vicki Whiting July 2016

28 This summer I plan on exercising my brain by developing and playing my own video games. I could even create and do my own puzzles. Video games are a lot more challenging that people think! They require strategies and brain power. It takes a good deal of understanding and programming ability to design a game…so you are certainly building brain power!

Logan R. Dakota Valley Middle I’m going to exercise my brain by playing sports….especially football. You could also play other games and go on trips… but by playing sports you are using brain power. If you think about it…there is math, strategizing, teamwork, and organization… all needed to also exercise your brain!

Landen Mater Dei I’m going to use my brain power by riding my bike and by going swimming. When you exercise your body, you are exercising your brain…it is all connected!

Tyce Sunnyside I love baseball. It’s my favorite sport. I’m good at it because I know where to throw the ball when I catch it…that is using your brain! You also have to use math when you find batting averages.

Lucas M. East Middle I enjoy video games. I’m exercising my brain when I play.

Conner In the summertime I do math facts and I play board games. While I like playing video games, too, I also play baseball and football in the summer. When you are figuring out yards, you are using math skills.

Both sports are team sports and you learn important skills with that. It’s important to keep track of pitches and hits…so there you go…math, again.

Mason H. East Middle I’m going to start my own business. I’ve decided that I’ll do a lemonade stand.

It takes brain power to start your own business.

Jada In the summertime I exercise my brain by playing games outside, playing video games inside and playing outside with my friends. I also help to garden and swim.

I’m definitely using my brain. Also…enjoy your summer!

Tristan In the summer, you need to get outside and play. When you play…you are using your brain!

Ethan This summer I plan on exercising my brain by…going camping with my family. We’ve been renting a cabin for two years now.

The only time we camped before was with my grandparents and my parents didn’t

even go. We are now finally camping as a family and I realized there is a lot of planning that needs to be done…planning is definitely exercising my brain.

You need to: reserve the cabin, pack clothes, pack food, get firewood, have matches, get a flashlight and batteries, have linens and toiletries (as my mom calls them ) and be sure to have games to play inside and out. I can’t wait until we go camping.

Josie Hinton Schools This summer I plan on exercising my brain by swimming and going to the Y Camp. I go swimming every day and I go to the Summer Camp every day. We go camping every weekend as a family and with friends.

I try to think of fun activities to do every day to keep busy and exercise my brain.

Reagan F. Sacred Heart This summer, I will challenge my brain by starting a business. I’m going to own a lemonade stand. This exercises your brain because you have to think of prices to make a profit and you have to figure out change for your customers. You also have to be creative to come up with a name for your business.

Keira M. There are a lot of things to do in the summer that take brain power…but they are so much fun, you don’t even realize that you are working your brain. You could go camping and figure out what you need to take with you…and set up a tent…and especially be safe! You have to make sure that you have your soaps, toothbrush, clothes and pajamas along with you. Do not forget the bug spray…and include your shoes, a brush, and sunscreen!

Adilene Morningside I plan on going to the Y Summer Camp to exercise my brain. At the Y, you exercise your brain by playing games, creating art, and playing sports.

Allie H. Dakota Valley I have a lot to write about in terms of exercising my brain this summer. I will be going to the Summer Y Camp. We swim, play games, and learn a great deal. Every week we do something new. We are doing something called iReady, where we build reading and math skills. I take the summer camp so I don’t go brain dead over the summer!

I could also start a business. I would want to sell sweets and bakery items at my business. I would sell pies, cakes, cupcakes and angel food treats. I’d call my bakery “Mack’s Snacks.”

I love to cook and this would be fun!

Mackenzie C. Sunnyside It’s Hot, Hot, Hot…and we need to cool down!

After playing those backyard games….

To adopt a classroom, please call 712-293-4328

Rainbow Snow is a great place to go have a delicious snack and to cool down in the summer! There are LOTS of flavors to choose from, over 100! You can mix as many flavors as you want. When I go to Rainbow Snow I usually get watermelon and pink lemonade with pucker powder.

Pucker powder is this stuff that they can put on your snow cone to make it sour if you want. Rainbow snow is the place to go!

There is also a flavor with all the flavors mixed together! I don’t think that would taste so good but some people might like it. There is a Rainbow Snow located in Morningside and in Leeds. Once you order you get it within seconds! They have amazing service!

Anna Fenton Mater Dei Grade 6 Peachwave Yogurt!

Do you like cold stuff? What about food?

Well, there is some great cold food at Peachwave in Sioux City. My colleague and I went to Peachwave to taste test the amazing frozen yogurt there and we have the results! Their current flavors displayed are orange, pineapple, strawberry lemonade, mango, fudge brownie, cheesecake, cookies ‘n cream, cupcake, white chocolate, banana nut, vanilla, and chocolate They also have two types of gelato displayed: peaches & cream and coconut. They also have other flavors that they do not have displayed, and those are peach, strawberry, root beer float, red velvet, blueberry muffin, pomegranate, pistachio, green apple, peanut butter, pumpkin pie, and crème de menthe. Here are our reviews: Sarah’s Favorite Fudge Brownie: smooth, tastes like cake batter, rich White Chocolate: creamy, not much flavor Orange: tastes like orange push-up, icy, Strawberry Lemonade: tangy, hard to taste the strawberry, lemonade is very strong, sour Cheesecake: sweet, tastes like cream cheese Isaac’s Favorite (gelato) Peaches & Cream: sweet, soothing, yummy (gelato) Coconut: tasteful/flavorful, tastes like coconut milk Cookies ‘n Cream: chocolate chip cookie, smooth Cupcake: vanilla cupcake, you can taste the icing Banana Nut: banana bread, homemade flavor Vanilla: bland Chocolate: rich, flavorful, Hershey’s Pineapple: tart, slushy, thick Overall Favorite Mango: tangy, smooth, accurate, strong, flavor.

www.NIESiouxland.com

Sarah Engle and Isaac Roerig Mater Dei Nativity It’s a hot summer day and you’re playing outside in the HOT sun. When you go inside to take a break, here is one snack that is easy to make. You can make multi colored popsicles! You will need little paper cups, plastic spoons or Popsicle sticks, Kool-Aid water bottle packs, and of course your imagination! First, you will need to put one cup of water in a bowl and decide what flavor of Kool-Aid to put in it then you pour the Kool-Aid packet in the bowl and mix it. Do the same with three other colors.

After that you put half a tablespoon of one of the three colors inside of a paper cup (you might want to add another cup to the one with the juice in it so it doesn’t get soft).

Then you freeze it for about 15 minutes.

When the 15 minutes is over, take the cup out of the freezer and softly stick the spoon or Popsicle stick in the cup then choose another flavor of Kool-Aid that you would like to add to the first layer and slowly pour half a tablespoon on top. Then of course you will have to freeze it for about 5 hours.

It is a long wait but it will be yummy!

When the five hours have passed, you will take the cups out of the freezer and check to make sure that the popsicles are solid.

If they are not rock hard keep them in the freezer for 2 more hours. If they are hard, slowly rip the paper cups all the way down.

Then slowly peel the rest of the cup off.

There is your popsicle! Enjoy it outside in the hot sun!

Taylor Jochum Mater Dei Grade 7

© Vicki Whiting July 2016

29 W is for Water w is for water

Circle the pictures of things that are wet. Underline the pictures of things that are dry.

Learning Buddies: Read the two phrases aloud. Have your child read with you. Trace the uppercase and lowercase letter W. Say the letter as you trace it.

How many words or pictures can you find on this page that start with the W sound like the word water?

How many

? walnuts

Wash, wash, wash your hands, Wash those germs away.

Soap and water does the trick, To keep them clean all day.

Letter Identification

Math Play

Classifying

Big W, Little w

With your child, look through the newspaper to find pictures of things that start with the same sound as the letter W in the word water.

Point to the number 9 in the newspaper.

Have your child say the number and, if it’s large enough, have your child trace the number.

Select a picture of an animal from the newspaper. Have your child look for other animal pictures and make a group called Animals. Repeat with other pictures to make groups of cars, houses, people, etc.

With your child, find every uppercase letter W on one page of the newspaper. Draw a small circle around each one.

Then try to find a lowercase letter w for each uppercase letter W. Draw a line to connect the letters.

To adopt a classroom, please call 712-293-4328

www.NIESiouxland.com

Who, What, When, Where With your child, look at a picture in the newspaper.

Ask your child, “Who is in the picture?” “What is happening in the picture?”

“When do you think it happened?” (daytime or nighttime?) “Where did it happen?”

How many

?

watermelon wedges

Learning Buddies: Trace and say the number. Read the questions. Touch and count to find the answers.

Where do they live?

One Minute Fun

Look through the newspaper for pictures of animals. Point to each animal and ask your child in what type of house the animal lives. Does it live in a tree? Under the water?

In a barn? On a web?

Roll up a newspaper and have your child lie down with his/her feet up in the air. Ask, “Can you balance the newspaper on your feet for one minute?”

Extra challenge: How many wrists can you find in the newspaper in one minute?

© Vicki Whiting July 2016

30 Page 4

Page 10

Exploding Names 7+7+3+4=21 Jumping Stars 8+8-2+6=20 Two Soaring Palms 4+6+7-3=14 Blossom After Thunder 7-2+8+6=19 Chyrsanthemum 2+9+9+3=23 White Wave

Beatrice named her goat Mugisa. Use the code to find out what that means.

Luck

Which two rockets are exactly the same?

Page 6

Unscramble these words to find out the other kinds of gift animals Heifer International can provide.

Chicks Ducks Geese Rabbits Sheep

Page 12 13

16 Page 14 Can you find the two germs that match?

17 Page 15

Help the antibodies kill the germs.

Help the Polio Police find the polio germs.

What do you call a killer whale’s band?

An Orca-stra

Page 8 How does a firefly glow?

Oxygen

Page 9 Unscramble the title of this book.

The Happy Valley Mystery F S T H G I L O O K F L E L A M S I E K N S G I F E L O C W

Page 26 21

E I W O L G F I B S

Draw the disc that comes next in each row.

M N S T A F T O G H O S E A S J E N U Y D E L E H N I R I R B C O H E W T G I H A T H T S C A R E F To adopt a classroom, please call 712-293-4328

www.NIESiouxland.com

Š Vicki Whiting July 2016

ORAL HISTORY

31

Oral Histories Provide a Treasure Trove of Personal and Historical Information

This month Kid Scoop News highlights stories written by our feature student reporters who interviewed people who had knowledge of past events both personal and historical. Our philosophy maintains that students know better who they are when they know where they are from. Knowing where one is from includes knowing the people, their stories, the history and the topography of your place. Our reporters are preserving very small pieces of history by interviewing individuals who have wonderful stories to share and provide a very significant insight to our past.

Oral histories are spoken histories. They are first- hand accounts of people who actually experienced life during another time.

Oral histories like these give us a glimpse into our own heritage and help us to develop a respect and understanding for the past and how it affected our own lives.

Watch out Iowa….We are Coming

by Train to Iowa!

Feature Writer Alexis Bell North Middle Grade 7

My great-grandpa was born January 10, 1922 in Whitesburg, Tennessee. His given name was Mack Harlow Kenney Jr. His dad’s name was Mack Harlan Kenney.

Their names should have been the same but the doctor who delivered him wrote the name incorrectly on the birth certificate. My great-great-grandma, his mother, discovered the mistake after the doc left the home where he had been delivered. Back then, she knew it was too much of a bother to the doctor if they rode after him, so she left it alone. I have to wrap my brain around that and think about the fact he was born at home, let alone that she considered riding after him. Times have really changed!

His dad set off for Iowa in 1927 to find better farming land. He had to leave his wife and four children at home in Tennessee during this time. It was not uncommon for men to leave and find a better life during that time.

While he was gone, my great-grandpa Mack helped his older brothers Red and Willard in the fields and his sister, Maxine helped their mother, Mae, in the house.

Mack was six years old when they took a train from Tennessee to Iowa. It was Mack’s responsibility to ride in the stock car with the four work horses.

When the train made stops, Mack and his brother Willard had to walk the horses, feed them, and get them water before loading them back into the train.

They lived in Whiting, Iowa for a year before they moved to a farm northwest of Sloan. He constantly played games and he would play tricks on his friends and family. (This sounds like my grandpa, his son!) He began his school years in a country school that was only a mile away from his house. The classroom had several grades learning at the same time…

Grandpa would ride one of the work horses to school, hop off, point the horse towards home and give it a “swat on the rump!” The horse would trot right back to the barn, get fed, and do a day’s work in the fields.

Grandpa had to walk home after school.

He graduated from the Sloan High School, where he met my greatgrandma Gertrude or “Gert” Rose Clark. Well, he asked her out on a date to go see a very famous movie “Gone With the Wind.” It was the most watched movie of its time and even the most watched to that point in history. Great Grandma wasn’t sure if she liked him at first, but she really wanted to see the movie, so she accepted his invitation.

They were married December 28, 1943 in a church in Sioux City. They were 21 years old. They adopted two children, had six grandchildren, and two great grandchildren.

He was a farmer and farmed hogs, corn, and soybeans up to a year before he died. He was 84 years old.

To adopt a classroom, please call 712-293-4328

My Mother’s Story Isabella Taylor

West Middle

Grade 7

The Vietnam War began on November 1st, 1955 and lasted for twenty years. November 1, 1955 was the official date determined by Congress to honor the deaths of Americans in Vietnam due to the establishment of the Military Assistance Advisory Group. The war ended on April 30th, 1975 with a strategic goal victory to North Vietnam led by Ho Chi Minh, whose goal had been make Vietnam a communist country. This war divided the country and drove many of its inhabitants into poverty.

My mother, Kim Phuong, was born in Quy Nhon City, September 10th, 1973, two years before the end of the war. The country she was born into was very poor. With open fighting and recovery after the war, life was difficult for many. She had two brothers and a sister. Her neighborhood was very open, meaning doors were open to neighbors but secrets had to be hidden well.

One of my mother’s family secrets was a radio her grandfather kept when it was illegal to know of news from outside Vietnam. The family would all gather around it in the very late hours when neighbors were asleep and listen to news about America and Ronald Regan.

No one in the family was allowed to share news, because the neighbors would alert the authorities and the consequences were worse than simply taking away the radio. Children still entertained themselves by listening to my mother’s older brother Thahn play the guitar or, under the direction of my mother, participated in small musicals.

In the morning, school children caught fish early to sell later in market, and after taking a bath in the ocean, ran off to school. They all had one pair of clothes, which they cleaned well and sometimes swapped with their siblings. My mother’s older brother, Thahn, used one pair of pants for morning classes and my mother then used them for evening classes.

My mother’s family would occasionally go to market if the fish and rice supply was not enough. They would sell the bigger fish and keep the smaller ones to share as meals. One of my mother’s fondest memories is coming to America and seeing what we had to eat. She says what one person eats in America as one meal could be a full meal for a medium sized family in Vietnam.

My mother kept a treasure from Vietnam: a worn tin box her father made her in prison and the only surviving photograph of him. When she came to America, she left hundreds of photos of her father Tam with family, who threw all of the photos into a fire. My grandfather, Tam was in the Navy and was a fisherman. He was taken to re-education camp, across the stream many miles away from my mother’s home. She would sometimes travel with her uncle to visit him about twice a year. He died from sickness in a prison cell on October 10th, 1986 and is buried yards away from the camp.

My mother had to live with her aunt and uncle because her own mother worked very hard for many hours. Thahn died in his twenties after many difficulties.

My mother came to America with my father, Jeremy, as a sponsor in 2002 and they got married on February 14, 2003. I was the first born with four more siblings following after me. My grandmother came to live with us before my youngest brother was born in 2010.

My mother misses Vietnam but is grateful for the life America has brought to her.

Interview of Kim Phuong Taylor www.NIESiouxland.com

© Vicki Whiting July 2016

ORAL HISTORY

32

A Man of Courage and Honor, My Grandfather Feature Reporter: Christian Nelson

Clark

Grade 4

My Grandpa Albert lives in San Antonio, Texas. I interviewed him over Facetime on my Ipad as there was no time to meet with him face to face. His life is interesting and full of surprises!

He was born in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico, on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 1961. He lived in a rural residential area. His neighborhood was very quiet and there was not much crime. As a child, he had many chores such as cleaning the restroom, taking the trash out, and doing the yardwork. They didn’t have a mower so he used a swinging blade called a machete. There was no technology. So he spent time relaxing or hanging out with his family. For entertainment, he would go to the beach, play basketball, baseball, and do Boy Scouts. Today, he is a Boy Scout leader in San Antonio. I wish he lived here so we could do Boys Scouts together.

As a family, their fun activities were playing dominos, talking around the table, and listening to the radio. The school he went to had no air conditioning, no indoor restroom, and no playground equipment.

My school has indoor restrooms but like Grandpa’s it doesn’t have air conditioning. I can’t imagine going to school all year in the warm weather.

The people who influenced him the most were his grandfather, father, John F Kennedy, and Martin Luther King. One significant event in his life was watching the moon landing. His family did not have a television so he went to his neighbor’s house to watch it along with 19 people. They crowded around a little black and white television. I share this interest in space with him.

Other important events from his life were graduating high school, and at age 17 with his parents’ permission, joining the army. He was involved in several wars such as Panama Operation Just Cause and Desert Storm (Kuwait and Saudi Arabia). He was injured in Panama and received a Bronze Star and Purple Heart. He attended a formal award ceremony where he met Senator Bob Dole and Ross Perot both who later ran for president.

He did not live in one place his whole life. He traveled to many places for work in the military. He went to Georgia for basic training. His first army station was in Fort Hood, Texas. He worked in Germany guarding the border between West and East Germany. He went to Alaska for weather training. He lived in the Republic of Panama as part of the 187 Airborne and later as jungle training instructor. He went to Honduras and El Salvador for training for the United Nations Forces. He traveled and lived in Fort Bragg, North Carolina and last in Fort San, Houston.

The news was shared by radio and newspapers. The only time they read the newspaper was when they found it in the trash. His family could not afford to buy a newspaper for 4 cents. His family would talk about the news after dinner. Back then, people took care of their neighbors more. It was very fun to interview my grandpa. I had no idea of all the things that he had done during his life and I hope someday to learn even more.

Grandpa James Nelson Feature Reporter: Christian Nelson Grade 4

Clark

I had fun interviewing my grandpa; his name is James Nelson. He was born in a hospital in Emmetsburg, Iowa.

This was different for his family in that his great grandmother helped with the birth of his father, uncles, and aunts and as in many cases back then, they were born at home. When he was born his hospital bill was $35; mine was $11,000!

His family lived on a nearby farm in Cylinder, Iowa in Palo Alto County. When he was young, he helped raised corn, soy beans, oats, pigs, chickens, cattle, and sheep. He helped with house work, too. There were no televisions or electronics so for entertainment they would listen to the radio. When he was a kid people played cards, read books and talked more with each other. I can’t imagine it what is like without any electronics.

The neighborhood was very small; there was a farm every half mile. At his school, young and old students learned together, kids had jobs at school, and there was only one room. This was called a country school. Some of his significant events in his life were his baseball team getting 4th in the country, marrying my grandma, having three kids, and when my sister and I were born. He has a lot photos of his family; they are his treasures. His father, mother, uncles, aunts, and school teachers influenced him by working hard, being honest, and giving strict discipline.

When he was a child the news was shared by newspapers, movie reels, and radio. In the 1940s a newspapers cost about 2-5 cents and today it costs $1.50. Today some people, like my mom, read the news on their computer or phone. I can’t imagine not having a phone for entertainment!

One thing my grandpa and I have in common is that we both love are family no matter the times.

My Papa, who speaks of sweet pine needles and red-coated squirrels…

Chloe McClure

North Middle

Grade 7

My Papa, Bruce Hopkins grew up in upstate New York in the Catskills Mountains. He was born during WWII and his family experienced many of the hardships of that time. He was born into a home that had no running water and very little electricity, but during his childhood, his own father, who was very creative and artistic, was able to get both for the family. Though the family times were hard, they “made do” and he enjoyed the life of a rural mountain boy.

Imagine a young Huckleberry Finn, barefoot and in overalls, running the paths of the mountains with little care or worry about what might be in the woods. A nearby reservoir held fish of all kinds and it wasn’t unusual for my papa to carry a rod along with him as he explored the pine woods and rural streams.

The mountains were a perfect place for young boys, and papa learned to hunt and fish with his grandfather. They were very careful back then to use everything they caught and nothing much was wasted. He enjoyed the time he spent with his grandparents and believes that his grandparents influenced him a great deal.

Papa grew up near Woodstock, NY, but wasn’t involved with the Woodstock Music Festival. He said that things were pretty simple back then. He went to a one room country school until middle school and all of the students from all of the grades were in one room. He knew all of the students and they were a very close set of families. Music and card playing were forms of entertainment as was the radio, which families sat around to listen to the news and baseball games.

My papa loved the Dodgers and never forgave them for leaving New York. It was a sad day in 1957 when the Giants and the Dodgers moved to San Francisco. Papa said as a young boy he knew all of the stats and wanted very much to play baseball.

My papa is a teacher, a writer , a historian, and an environmentalist. My cousin said there isn’t a person who Papa doesn’t know and won’t speak to. He gets many of his writing ideas from his conversations with others. He loves to talk politics and sports. He has two books that he has published and his next one will be published this fall. When I was younger, I got to travel with him quite a bit to presentations and readings. We even traveled to New York City and to his upstate New York.

I spend a lot of time with him and I learn about the days that have gone by. He is a born storyteller and someday, we might be able to write stories about him. I would title a book: “My Papa Grew up in the Catskill Mountains…”

To adopt a classroom, please call 712-293-4328 www.NIESiouxland.com © Vicki Whiting July 2016

ORAL HISTORY

33

“My father didn’t see me until I was three years old.” WWII Impacted Many Lives Mary Webber shares her life story with granddaughter, Sophia Dreeszen I was born in Kansas City, Missouri March 22, 1943. An interesting story from my childhood was that I was born in the midst of WWII, and my mother was the oldest out of five sisters. Three of her sisters’ husbands were in the war as well as my father, and my father didn’t see me until I was three years old because he was in Europe.

He was stationed in England, he was part of the D Day Invasion, and he was never in battle. He was something called a telegrapher clerk and was on ship relaying the messages to how the battle was going.

My cousin, who was 18 months older than me, spent a lot of time at grandmother’s house. My grandmother took care of me and her as well as the rest of the family while our mothers were out helping with the war. We all lived in one house until my mother saved enough money and just said to her father, who was a realtor and a postman, “Go buy the house for sale up the street. I’m not even going to look at it.” She just felt like people were living on top of each other, so that’s what we did.

Life was much different than what it’s expected of children today. I think we grew up a lot faster because of the times that we lived in.

I also had the benefit of living on acreage. We moved from Kansas City and lived on a little farm that had twenty acres on it and my father always had another job as well, but we pretty much survived on our food we grew and the animals. We had our cows that provided our milk. I learned a lot of things and we had to work pretty hard. I had my first job when I was thirteen detasseling corn. I made thirty cents an hour and we walked in muddy irrigation ditches up to my mid calves.

I never lived in just one place my whole life. I lived in a big city, Kansas City; I lived in a little college town, Tarkio, Missouri; then moved to a railroad town, Missouri Valley, Iowa, where I graduated high school. I went to college in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and Omaha, Nebraska, then lived in a little town called Dow City, Iowa. I’ve lived in Sioux City longer than I’ve lived anywhere in my life.

When I lived on the farm, I learned to take care of big animals like cows and pigs, and small animals like chickens. I picked green beans and apples and cherries, and learned a lot of things from 4H. Everything on our farm was done by hand by our family.

People trusted each other more when I was growing up than they do now. We used to leave on vacation and leave our house unlocked. We left our keys in our cars.

There’s a phrase, “It takes a village to raise a child” and that was true in our town. Stories about what you had been up to often made it home before you did.

We shopped in Missouri Valley for basics, but if our family had any specialty needs, we shopped in Omaha. Now, most people go to Omaha to do their shopping, so the stores are closing in little towns like Missouri Valley.

We kept ourselves entertained with our imaginations. We built igloos in the winter, and our imaginations took us wherever we wanted to be. Whole neighborhoods would get together and play.

Family activities were all about togetherness. We’d have our church friends, our neighbors, our families all together. The special dinner wasn’t out at a restaurant; it was in your home cooking for those around you.

Teachers were held in high regard. If you got in trouble at school, you got in trouble at home. Church was a big part of your life. People would notice if you weren’t in church.

I remember the Cuban Missile Crisis, when the US gave the ultimatum to Cuba to disarm, or we would go to war. That was very frightening. It was during John F. Kennedy’s administration, and I remember where I was when I heard he had been assassinated. I was in nursing school in Omaha, and there was silence on the city bus.

Of course, 9/11, the events of the Vietnam War, the events of the Korean War, the first Astronaut on the Moon... there are so many things. It doesn’t feel like that long, but I look back, and so many significant things have happened in my lifetime. So many things that have made this country the way it is now.

My dad never talked about being in WWII. My mother talked about what it was like in the states while the War was going on, and the rationing that had to happen for the war effort. Storytelling is a tradition for sharing news. One problem with sharing news in this way is that people don’t talk to each other as much as they used to.

News from storytelling, however, the can change depending on who is telling it! When I was growing up, we had television, newspapers, and radio for our official news sources.”

It was enjoyable hearing about my grandmother’s life and her experiences growing up. I thanked her for her time.

“Life Goes On…” Sarah –Marie Jabre My grandfather was named Farid Jabre. He was born in Beit Chebab, Lebanon. He changed his birth date to March 19 to show his devotion to Saint Joseph. My dad doesn’t remember my grandfather’s real birth date, except that he was born in the year 1921.

Grandfather died before I was born. He died from a stroke and heart attack because of heavy cigarettes smoking. So, please, don’t smoke!!

My dad talks about grandpa often. He describes him as kind, yet very strict man. He made sure that my dad was raised to be respectful of people, especially his elders. Grandpa also had a very creative side. He would teach my dad little tricks and shortcuts to make life better and easier. Like the majority of my Lebanese side of the family, grandpa was a little crazed, but not in a mental way …just very demonstrative. Every time he accomplished something big, he’d grab his hunting rifle and shoot 30 shots into the air.

Dad says that celebrating by shooting gunfire is common in Lebanon but he disagrees with this tradition because it’s very dangerous and people can be killed. We often see fireworks in the U.S. as a sign of celebration or a 21 gun salute for a funeral. Traditions in families and cultures are often similar. I know that dad looks up to grandpa a lot because he always tells me what grandpa would

have done if he was still alive.

I thought that grandpa was an electrician, but he was actually a mathematician and an electrical engineer. He graduated from Ecole Normale Superieure, in Paris, France. That’s the same school that Louis Pasteur the famous scientist, attended. Grandpa would not allow anyone to use calculators in his house. He used to toss them out of the window whenever he saw them. My dad tries to carry on the tradition by making me do mental math. It’s usually more fun practicing mental math by playing Lebanese card games, like Basra!

Life wasn’t always easy in Lebanon. There were often snipers along the roads during the Lebanese Civil War in the 1980s. Dad was training at a hospital near a large army base during the war. One day on his way home from work, he lost all of his car windows due to the bombs. When he got home, grandpa looked at the car and said, “It’s fine. Life goes on.” I think this is a good piece of advice to remember when things get tough.

To adopt a classroom, please call 712-293-4328

www.NIESiouxland.com

© Vicki Whiting July 2016

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The Power of Observation

__________________________________________

1. Look at the picture to the right.

__________________________________________ __________________________________________

2. Make a list of ten facts about the picture.

__________________________________________

3. Can you come up with 25 more facts about the picture?

__________________________________________

__________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________

4. Find a picture in the newspaper and repeat this activity.

__________________________________________ __________________________________________

Encourage reading at home with Kid Scoop News and this family involvement activity!

Parts of Speech Practice Can Be Fun! Ask your parents to give you the parts of speech indicated below each line in the story. Write in the word then read the new and most likely, silly story aloud.

Campfire Story Remember, a campfire, S’mores and a good story add up to a great summer night.

It was a ________________ and _______________ night. The sky was full of _______________________ and you couldn’t see the ___________ . I was _______________ through the woods. Suddenly, a ___________________ _________________ out of the ____________________ . I stopped and closed my _____________________ and started to _______________________ . I heard the most ______________ _________________ I had ever heard. I didn’t wait any longer. I ____________________ like a ________________ and quickly ________________ back to my __________________________ as fast as I could.

To adopt a classroom, please call 712-293-4328

www.NIESiouxland.com

© Vicki Whiting July 2016

NIE SIOUXLAND KID SCOOP NEWS is a monthly tabloid newspaper for students. Each month it is packed with pencil-grabbing games, puzzles, brain teaser, and it showcases student writing, artwork, and projects. Designed to coordinate with the classroom curriculum, we present high interest informational text with colorful illustrations, charts, diagrams and activities that are reviewed by our biggest critics….the kids!

Parents and teachers may go online to find a variety of matching materials to use at home and in the classroom.

Each month, book reviews, cool online links, STEM, and newsworthy materials are presented in an interesting and engaging form. Money management, health and fitness as well as balanced living are key topics covered and sponsored by the regional businesses.

During these summer months we are taking a moment to simply “sit back and enjoy” this past year and the success that Kid Scoop News Siouxland and NIE Siouxland have found. In just over a year we have grown from the distribution of 400 magazine newspapers in 14 classrooms to more than 4000 classroom readers in 175 classrooms. We are currently found in 45 elementary and middle school buildings in Siouxland and many of our surrounding regions. We want to extend our deepest appreciation to those individual, organizational, and business sponsors who have made this possible.

Without major contributions from The Sioux City Journal, Northwest AEA, Bishop Heelan School District, HyVee, Fareway, CF Industries, Convergys, Sioux City Ford, and Wells Fargo and many others this would not be possible.

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I LOVE IT BECAUSE YOU CAN SEE TOPICS FROM KIDS PERSPECTIVES AND STORIES ARE COOL AND I WOULDN’T KNOW ABOUT THESE THINGS WITHOUT KID SCOOP NEWS ~ MARA, AGE 11 I LIKE KID SCOOP NEWS BECAUSE YOU GET TO MEET NEW PEOPLE AND GET TO HEAR NEW STORIES, ABOUT THEM AND THEY ALL LOVE WHAT THEY ARE DOING. ~ ALEXIS, AGE 11 . I HAVE TO THANK YOU LADIES FOR DOING ALL OF THIS. I HAVE A STUDENT WHO REALLY STRUGGLES WITH WRITING, BUT FOR SOME REASON THE TOPIC THIS WEEK GRABBED HIS ATTENTION. HE WROTE THE MOST AMAZING ARTICLE ABOUT THE MILITARY, IT BROUGHT TEARS TO MY EYES! I AM SO PROUD OF HIM! ~ 3RD GRADE TEACHER AT HINTON

PARTNERSHIP IN EDUCATION

SPONSORSHIP AGREEMENT If you wish to become a sponsor TODAY please complete this form.

Keep one copy for your records and RETURN the original to:

Kid Scoop News - NIE Siouxland

one community. one goal. one child at a time.

attn: Nicole Schweitzberger PO Box 118, Sioux City, IA 51102

make checks payable to Kid Scoop News - NIE Siouxland

Business Name: _______________________________________________________________ Contact Person: _______________________________________________________________ Address: _____________________________________________________________________ City, State, Zip: ________________________________________________________________ Phone: ______________________________________________________________________ Email: ______________________________________________________________________

SELECTED PARTNERSHIP LEVEL Classroom

FIRST DAY AT Y CAMP WITH OUR BUDDING WRITERS FOR KID SCOOP NEWS!

To adopt a classroom, please call 712-293-4328

$125

Silver Corporate

$1,000

Partner In Education $250

Gold Corporate

$2,500

Bronze Corporate

Benefactor

$5,000

$500

Thank You for your support. Your contribution toward promoting literacy in our community is an investment in the future of the Siouxland area. one community. one goal. one child at a time.

www.NIESiouxland.com

© Vicki Whiting July 2016

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THANKS

You!!

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Dental Depot Dr. Richard Hettinger

Your Company Here

Partners In Education AFSCME Local 212 Anonymous Sponsor Charlies Irwin Painting Lilly Family Dentistry Chesterman’s Summit Dental Larry & Jeanene Book First Premier Bank Bishop Heelan Catholic Schools Missouri Valley PTO Prince Manufacturing

Classroom Sponsors Bruce & Jeanette Hopkins United Bank of Iowa, Moville Book People Triview/Quality Telecommunications KVLZ Custom Bailing, Climbing Hill Akron Gold & Silver Bluebird Springs Orchard - Akron Deck Law Paul & Tamme Saul Yellow Rose Catering - Moville

Gretchen Gondek Dr. Stee Maxwell Helen Maxwell Dr. Earl Maxwell Sterk Financial - Dakota Dunes Granny Stitches Friendship & Service Club, Akron, IA Judie Uhlir El Forastero MC Inc. Bill & Becky McKenny

To adopt a classroom, please call 712-293-4328

Doug Harrold Allan Wall In Memory of Gene Windeshausen, Principal at Crescent Park & Bryant In Memory of Amzia & Iva VanLaningham Rebo’s Bob & Sharon Kirschbaum McClure Engineering Lester A. Juon New Horizons United Church of Christ

www.NIESiouxland.com

Craft Auto Body Quality Backhoe Service CD Norvell PC, Tax & Accounting Services Cardinal Public Relations Northwestern Mutual LaunchPAD Children’s Musuem Dental 4 Kids

© Vicki Whiting July 2016