Magician Mystifies Elementary Tuesday, March 25th an illusionist
came to entertain the Kindergarten through 6th grades. The
students were amazed and entertained for the morning. Several students were
asked to participate in the show. Mrs. Simonsen’s class was very excited to tell
all about the tricks that he performed.
Christopher Turner said, “It was really cool!” Rusty Ammerman and his Dimension of Illusion have
been performing professionally since the age of 16. Since that time he has entertained in 41
states and 9 countries, including two over-seas tours to entertain our
troops.
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FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT:
I would like to
thank the entire staff and students for their efforts in creating the
newsletter throughout the year.
The weather is
acting like spring may be right around the corner. We know it can change quickly in our area, so continue to watch
the local news stations for any cancellation, early dismissal or late starts.
It is critical
for parents to encourage their children to finish off the school year
strong. Explain to your child how
important it is to have good attendance and improve on their academic
skills. The end of the school year is
not too far away. When students are
absent or late to classes, it affects the education of the other students. Being in school daily and on time allows
everyone the opportunity to receive a quality education and be prepared for
their future endeavors.
You may see some
track students running around the town after school. The track meets start in early April. I am excited to see so many students out for track. Some of our students are currently involved
in music and speech contests.
We have a lot of events in the next two months. The Prom is scheduled for April 12. The Grand March will begin at 6:30 and the public is welcome to attend. The activities banquet will be May 6 at 6:30. Graduation will be on May 10 at 2:00. These events are very important in the lives of our students and we would like everyone to take the time to attend these special events.
May 15 is the
last day of school. This is not very
far away!!
I always want to
remind everyone to take time to visit our website. The school website is http://walthweb.esu1.org/. We have a lot of students represented in
some quality educational and recreational events.
Thanks for supporting the school throughout the school
year. The community involvement in our
school is greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Ed Stansberry
Spring is here! The 2007-2008 academic school year is on the
downhill slide. There are numerous
activities and major events scheduled so please take a close look at the
calendar included in this newsletter.
In addition to the calendar events
the following will be taking place:
·
April 1st the Health classes will be attending
the 2nd Annual Omaha Nation Youth Retreat, which is sponsored by the
Carl T. Curtis Health Education Center and Omaha Nation Community Response
Team.
·
All school assessments will be conducted on April 2nd
and April 8th for the high school and junior high.
·
The student council will be having an exchange with Umonhon
Nation and Lyons-Decatur these dates are to be announced.
·
Spring Concert will be held on April 30th at
2:00.
·
May 6th we will have our Activities Banquet
·
May 14th is Eighth Grade Graduation.
Not yet scheduled but in the
planning is an afternoon celebration for the students who successfully
completed the first semester and third quarter with passing grades. For the month of April we are also planning
incentives for positive attendance, grades, and behavior. This may serve as a pilot for the next
school year to increase attendance and decrease tardies.
The month of April and May are
loaded with activities. I am asking
your assistance in getting your students to school each day. Expectations for the students to continue
working and completing their classroom work is necessary in meeting the
requirements in their current coursework.
I would
like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for your continued
support. With your support we are making a positive
difference.
To:
Parents/Guardians
Your student will be completing
his/her standardized tests the week of
March 31 - April 4.
Our test scores need
improvement.
·
Make sure your child gets a good night’s sleep.
·
Provide a good breakfast or bring the student to school
early to eat breakfast.
·
Have your child dress in layers—kids do better on tests if
they do not have to think about how hot
or cold they are.
·
Do not be too anxious.
Say, “This test is important. I
know you will try hard and do you
best.” Your confidence will be
contagious.
·
Please have your child in school every day on time. It is much easier to take the test with the group instead of
later.
Monday – “We’re Red-y’ -students wear red
Tuesday - “Putting
on our Thinking Caps for Success”
students wear their favorite caps
Wednesday – “Blow
the Top off the Tests” – gum may be chewed
Thursday – “Going
crazy with good answers” – crazy hair or clothes day
Friday – “Positively glad testing is OVER” –?????
Thanks for your assistance.
The Elementary Staff
Kindergarten Round-Up At Walthill Public Schools For
all children planning on attending Walthill
Public School next year. April 16, 2008 Come have lunch with us at 11:00 a.m. Parent/Guardian must attend with child Meet
in the Administration Building Children
are encouraged to participate in the Free Early Childhood Screening If
you choose not to participate in the Free Early Childhood Screening, you
will be free to go after lunch Please bring your child’s immunization Records Questions or concerns?? Please call the school at (402)
846-5432 and ask for Sandy Ostrand (Ext.125) of Jill Anderson (Ext. 154) or
Marsha Rodasky (Ext. 153)
Walthill
Public Schools Is
Sponsoring a EARLY CHILDHOOD SCREENING For
Children ages 0-5 years of age reside in
the Walthill
District. April 16, 2008 from 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. The
screening will take place at Walthill Public School in the Administration
Building. The
screening will include: health, speech/language, motor,
and other areas of development. Parent/Guardian must attend with child No
appointment is necessary Questions
or concerns? Please
call the school at (402)846-5432 and ask for Shannon Burgett (Ext.
120) or Sandy Ostrand (Ext. 125)
Spring Music Program ~ April 30 at 2:00PM
Ms. Spirk and Mrs. Ahlers
The date has been set for the upcoming spring musical, called Celebrate
You and Me. It will be Wednesday, April
30 at 2:00 pm. The show will feature
speakers, costumes, light flashing, steam blowing, and a talking “Esteem
Machine”. The format will be a little
different this year in that each grade level will be a team within the story of
the play. Each team will perform one
number plus the opening and closing.
Each team will have a costuming theme.
You may go as simple or as all out as you want. If you can even add one piece that will go
with the theme, that will be great.
Kindergarten – Pajama and slippers theme
1st and 2nd grades – red and blue theme with
western bandanas
3rd grade – fitness theme, so anything sporty looking, team
uniforms, shorts, sweats, head band, wrist band, spandex, etc.
4th grade – blue or white theme
5th grade – dress up as you are able, like collar shirts for
boys and skirts/dresses or nice pants for girls
6th grade – This is going to take some imagination. The theme is “I’m Gonna Be”. Find something that might make you look like
a certain profession. Accessories like
hats, ties, glasses, suspenders, and tool belt. Professional sports, scrubs and glitz are some ideas. Be creative and have fun.
Thanks for your help!
We, the people of Walthill Public School District, are committed to
generating a caring, respectful, and safe learning environment, which promotes
positive self-realization and
high academic success.
Elementary Field Day Coming in MAY
Elementary
News
4th
Grade Mrs.
Modlin’s
You’ll have to excuse us, but we are exhausted! We’ve been on a two-week trip to the far
reaches of the Universe. Our
travels took us to Mercury, Venus, Earth (of course), Mars, Jupiter,
Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto.
We learned so many things about our Solar System during this time
and have written quite the tales to tell about our adventures. Some of you may read them and think that
they are purely fiction, but we are the only ones who know the truth. We would be glad to share them with you
if at any time you would like to stop by our room. Just be prepared for some fascinating
writing. To end our adventure in
space, each student created a replica of the Solar System. This had to be made at home and then
displayed at school. Wow! What awesome designs we had! Spring is here and so it is time for
spring-cleaning. The fourth grade
class took a good look around and unanimously decided that what we saw was
not pretty. We put on our gloves,
got our bags, and went on a cleaning mission around the school. We were amazed at the amount of trash
that we found just in our own little corner of the world. We also took a little walk to the city
park for some fun, and then did some cleaning on our way
back up to the school. We left the area in much better shape than when we first
arrived. Our hope is that you
too will join in helping to keep Walthill a cleaner place. This is our home and our school. Let’s be proud of it.
5th
and 6th Grade
Mrs. Wood, Mrs. Stark, Mrs.
Ferris and Ms. Phillips
We are in our last 9 weeks of school and trying very hard to pass so we can go onto Junior High. In math we are multiplying and dividing fractions. Yes, we can even reduce fractions to their lowest terms. It’s been work, but we’ve got it. We have a field trip coming up, and at last is 6th grade graduation on May 14th. In 5th grade math we are busy measuring, finding the perimeter and area, and changing of customary weight and measurement to another.
5th
and 6th Grade Field Trip
Mrs. Wood, Mrs. Stark, Mrs. Ferris and Ms. Phillips
The Fifth and Sixth graders are anxiously awaiting the April 9th field trip to Wayne State College. While at Wayne State the students will be quite busy. The first stop in their busy schedule will be to attend the 50th Annual Children’s Show entitled The Magical Land of Oz. The next stops there after will be to attend a planetarium show, eat lunch at the student center and end their busy day by touring a one-room schoolhouse as well as the campus. This is going to be a great and exciting day!!
5th
and 6th Grade Attend Aquafest
Mrs. Wood,
Mrs. Stark, Mrs. Ferris and Ms. Phillips
The 5th Graders enjoyed learning about water at Aquafest on
March 4th, 2008. Aquafest
was held at Wayne State College.
Students started the day by listening to keynote speaker Jenna Rehnstrom
from KCAU T.V. Jenna’s presentation
dealt with water in the news.
After the keynote speaker, students divided up to attend four, out of
twelve, small group sessions. Sessions
included information on: water supplies,
demands for water, ground water quality, uses of water, the chemistry and
physics of water, nutrition and water, as well as others. Students took an active role in their
learning by participating in hands on activities during the sessions. Through 
these activities they learned about the many uses of
water, water conservation, and water properties.
Jerry Richling, State of Nebraska Water Supply Specialist, met
Walthill’s fifth graders at the event and attended sessions with them. Mr. Richling visited the school last fall
and worked with 6th graders on the water cycle, water pollution, and
water wells (State Science Standard 8.5.1).
This year’s fifth graders will work with Mr. Richling next year when he
comes in to do similar presentations.
Walthill Elementary is the pilot school for this program.
Lee Cline and Dathan Morris
work on a water presentation, while Mr. Richling watches.
5th
Grade Tipi Projects
Pat Phillips
The 5th graders recently completed tipi projects. The cultural lesson was based on a
book: Storm Makers Tipi, by Paul
Goble. Students talked about the
different homes that the Umonhon lived in. Then the class completed step-by-step
instructions in order to complete the tipi.
They measured, glued, painted, and tied the tipi poles together on top
of a twelve-inch disk. After the tipi
was put together, they painted decorations on their canvas, cut it out, and
then wrapped it around their poles. The
students displayed their finished products at the Art Show.
Alicia Olson paints her tipi.
Tasheena Tyndall finishes her tipi
5th
Grade Study the Umonhon Tribe
Mrs. Wood,
Mrs. Stark, Mrs. Ferris and Ms. Phillips
The fifth graders just finished reading the story, Onmpa
of the Umonhon.
The story is about an Umonhon boy living in the
1800s. While reading the story
students: learned Umonhon words, discussed daily life,
discussed clans and responsibilities, learned about relationships, discovered
what happened on a buffalo hunt, talked about rites and 
ceremonies, learned about uses of the buffalo,
taboos, and many other things. Students
read and discussed the story while seated according to the Huthuga, which
helped them visualize where their tipi would be located during a buffalo
hunt. Students kept a journal of Umonhon
words, bell ringers, and pictures showing what happened during the story. At the end of the book students talked to
their families about their clans and completed a poster using what they learned
from their families and from the book The Omaha Volume I. Pat Phillips, 5th grade’s student
teacher, led one section of students through the book followed by Mrs. Wood
leading the second section. Ms.
Phillips also changed the spelling of some of the words in the book, making
sure they were correct.
Onmpa of the Umonhon Drawing by Shani Parker
Check
Out Our Website http://walthweb.esu1.org/
6th
Grade Learn about Ancient Cultures
Mrs. Wood,
Mrs. Stark, Mrs. Ferris and Ms. Phillips
The 6th grade class has been spending time learning about
Ancient Cultures. After Christmas they
learned about Ancient Rome. At the conclusion
of the unit students chose a topic, wrote a research paper, created posters, and
presented to the 
class.
Ancient Rome Posters are on display in the Village Office.
Currently the class is learning about Ancient China. Students chose 8 topics from Ancient China
and researched them on the Internet.
The 6th graders wrote down important facts about each topic
and found pictures or symbols to go along with them. Popular topics are: food,
religion, dragons, daily life, schools, medicine, inventions, families, games,
economy, Dynasties, clothing, and monuments.
Students are creating posters that include facts and pictures about
their topics. Students will present
their information on Friday, March 28th.
Jonathon Olson and Shyvonne
Tyndall work on their Ancient China posters.
May 14th
, 2008
6th
Grade Graduation @ 2:00pm
8th Grade Graduation @ 5:00pm
Greetings from the Art Room!
Brenda Murphy
Lots of news to share -- We had nine pieces of art entered into the
Lewis and Clark Art Conference submitted by six of our students. LeMar Neash
took a third place medal and will be presented with it at the Activities/Awards
Banquet on May 6th at 6:30. Certificates will also be given to David
Merrick, Alexa Tyndall, Carly Harlan, Shaq Moniz, and Henu Harrell.
We also had students enter the Thurston County Weed
& Seed art contest. Three students took honorable mention: Shaq Moniz,
Charity Harlan, and Alexa Tyndall. They will participate in an award ceremony
to be held at Woodland Trails in Winnebago on Saturday March 29th at
1:00. Their art will hang in the Chuck Raymond Memorial Gallery for a month.
They have also been invited to attend a special presentation workshop titled,
“How to present your art,” given by Jesse Clifford. The opening reception and awards ceremony will run from 1:00 –
2:00 this Saturday and is open to the public.
The Blujay’s Eye Gallery Show transformed the art room into a showcase
of all kinds of different art from kindergarten through 12th grade.
The show was open to the public, and notices were placed around town. Over 140
people visited. It’s obvious there are many very talented students attending
Walthill Public School!
Secondary News
7-12 grades
Mrs. Spoeneman
Health 1 - Freshmen just discovered that 1 in 4 teenagers has
an STD and those that are viruses like HIV/AIDS, Herpes, Hepatitis B and HPV
have no known cure. Students have
completed the CPR/First-Aid segment of the class and have practiced CPR (2
breaths and 30 chest compressions) on mannequins until 100% were proficient. Our next unit on human anatomy will take us
to the end of the year.
Health 2 - Last quarter our focus was drug and alcohol
awareness and students were shocked to see what cirrhosis did to a healthy
liver. The third quarter focus is
mental health where we will deal with stress, relationships and abuse. On April 1, all health classes will attend
the Omaha Nation Youth Retreat in South Sioux City at the Marina Inn. Topics covered will be Native American
Traditions, Family Planning and STD’s, Traditional Uses of Tobacco, Career
Choices, and Motivating Others.
Jr. High
Health - This is a rotation class
and 7th graders are learning about healthy foods and how proper nutrition can
affect their well-being. Students are
patiently learning about kitchen safety and equipment, but are anxious for the
opportunity to cook. Recipes include
smoothies, caramel corn, omelets in a bag, peanut butter cookies (with only 3
ingredients), monkey bread, pizza bubble ring, doughnuts, and popcorn balls.
FACS
Survey – Star quilts and knitted
scarves have been created in this class this quarter. The creativity, color and fabric choices, as well as precise
sewing skills have resulted in outstanding creations. We have been fortunate to have Miss Holtgrew share her knitting
expertise by teaching us new stitches.
Parenting – In this class, students observe at the early
childhood center, adopt an elementary class, learn active parenting skills,
discuss developmental stages and needs of infants and children, prepare for
birth of a baby, discuss positive discipline and actually take a computer simulated
infant home for two days. So far
everyone who has taken a simulator home has brought it back early saying that
they are not ready to take care of an infant!
American
Indian Living Skills – This is a new
class that we are piloting at Walthill Public Schools based on teaching skills
that last a lifetime. We discuss how to
build a community within the classroom, develop self-esteem, discuss emotions
and stress, teach effective communication skills, stress positive problem
solving, recognize self-destructive behavior and depression, look at ways to
prevent suicide, and discuss hopes for the future.
Foods – Since this semester the class includes mostly male
students, we are concentrating efforts on meat dishes. The students enjoy cooking at least 3 times
a week, but also have learned to accept classroom work as essential to the
learning process. We study manners,
food preparation, time management, food costs, microwave cooking, baking of
quick and yeast breads, and convenience foods, as well as good nutrition. One
of the biggest hits is inviting guest cooks, like Mila Wolfe, to make Indian
Tacos or Oriental food and “Raid Day” where all the leftovers are eaten and
students use their imagination to put entrees and snacks together with supplies
on hand.
Junior
High Basketball