Districtwide

Twenty vocal and instrumental music students from four Des Moines high schools were selected to participate in the All-State Music Festival today through Saturday in Ames. Thousands of students statewide auditioned on Oct. 24 and fewer than 1 percent were chosen. The all-state music performance will be broadcast on Iowa Public Television at 7 p.m. Nov. 26.

Des Moines’ all-state musicians by school are:

Hoover: Katie Hawks, trumpet; and alternates Allison Kaiser, clarinet, and Elizabeth Lockin, oboe.

Lincoln: Deborah Chaplin, soprano; Kelsey Edwards, alto; Brandon Louis, vocal bass; Aly Olson, soprano; Caleb Peterson, tenor; Kourtney Richards, alto; and alternate Steven Best, alto sax.

North: Becky Stangl, bass clarinet.

Roosevelt: Greta Dahlberg, percussion; Sam Jones, tenor; Sophia Kaut, violin; Reuben Kebede, violin; Nina Liu, violin; Megan Mansfield, viola; Katie Marcus, viola; and alternates Allison MacKay, French horn, and Michael Terrell, cello.

“The All-State Music Festival is one of the highest honors a high school musician can achieve in the state of Iowa,” said Joanne Tubbs, music curriculum coordinator for Des Moines Public Schools. “We are incredibly proud of both our students and teachers who worked tirelessly to achieve this goal, and look forward to future accomplishments by these fine students.”

Elementary Schools

Students with Individual Education Plans and their classmates are experiencing a new way of receiving small group reading interventions. In kindergarten through second grade. The 16 students who are having the most difficulty reading are receiving 60 minutes of intensive small group instruction. Students are grouped across the entire grade and switch classrooms. Struggling kindergarten students receive four 15-minute instructional groups from title, ELL, special education, and classroom teachers. Instruction includes letter identification, phonics, phonemic awareness, writing and concepts of print. In first and second grade, struggling students receive 30 minutes instruction from a specially designed guided reading kit and 30 minutes of grade-level word study and fluency practice.

Members of the Safety Patrol, sponsored by fifth-grade teacher Sean Lynam, are: Wilonda Hughes, Jasmine Lamont, Cassandra Bragg, Courtney Bragg, Justin Ross, Dakota Mason, Gerald Sama, Princess Moore, Allyson Boals, Hunter Manz, Caleb Burch, Madison Martin, Celeste Henson, Adam Espinal, Austin Mapes, Abbie Youngwirth, Alex Moore, Iyona Johnson, Kavonna Brown, April Phommachack, Taylor Cupp, Alfonso Llano, Kameron Russell, T. D. Stone, Andrew Saltzman, Anthony Arroyo and Brendon Palmer.

Kindergarten classes will be assisting in the planting of a sierra glenn maple on Wednesday afternoon on the school playground. we are hoping it will grow to provide some much-needed shade. The classrooms have been studying trees and how they are an important part of our environment. we will be watching it closely as the seasons change and as it grows. it will be fun to see how large the tree is when we are in fifth grade at Madison.

In the preschool classroom the preschoolers are learning about community helpers. During center time as an art activity the students made a mailbag, since you cannot pretend to be the mailman without your bag. Then during small group time the students made a postcard for a sibling, a parent, or a cousin around the building. Then they put their mail in their bag and went around the building delivering their mail to various places including the office.

Erin Hollister’s fifth-grade class is working on place value with addition and subtraction in math. they are working hard with learning different types of strategies to solve these problems. It’s interesting for them to realize that there is more than one way to solve a problem. they are also excited that Band and Orchestra are in full swing. Students have band lessons on Mondays and orchestra lessons on Thursdays.

Students in Claudette Nelson’s fifth-grade science class are studying mixtures and solutions. they have enjoyed trying to find out how to separate various mixtures. Looking at the salt crystals was a big hit also.

Jean Grimm’s fifth-graders are completing their social studies unit. they have learned about the American Revolution, American Civil War and how our government works. they are using reading strategies such as predicting, locating the main idea and supporting details, determining fact and opinion, and using graphic organizers to better comprehend the material. they have a student- teacher, Amelia Stephens, from Upper Iowa University. She will be with them for seven weeks. She is helping them with their poetry unit and will be helping them publish their original poems in a poetry booklet.

Students who return library books on time each week have their names put into a drawing at the end of the month. Three winners are photographed reading a book. The picture is turned into a poster encouraging other students to read. October winners were Nick Cave, Hannah Mossberg, and Brody Powers.

On Nov. 7, all the students traveled to East High to see the play “Dorothy Meets Alice or The Wizard of Wonderland” put on by the East High Drama club. Students were entertained by the play that combined the two stories of “Alice in Wonderland” and “The Wizard of Oz,” and enjoyed meeting the actors afterward. they returned to school for a sack lunch and an all-school recess.

The hard work of planting our prairie has begun to show results. The students who attended Stowe last year planted prairie plants in our outdoor classroom. Staff members took care of the new seedlings during the summer. we had four plants that bloomed during the summer and fall. The prairie plantings were done under the guidance of Neal Smith Wildlife Refuge staff. Stowe is a partner school with the refuge.

First-grade students recently took a trip to Center Grove Orchard in Cambridge, thanks to the help of the PTO and a grant from Connecting Kids and Culture. Students learned about the ABCs of crops in Iowa, watched how the apples are sorted by size and type, and even picked apples to take home.

The annual very Important Person (V.I.P.) Day was Nov. 11. Students invited their V.I.P. to visit classrooms and to eat a Thanksgiving meal. Our guests listened to first-graders perform poetry, learned new math games to play at home, and assisted students with reading and math activities.

Middle Schools

Our first Literacy Night of the school year is Dec. 10. “Whirligig” is the name of the book. The books have been ordered which will arrive soon. we will have a meeting with the students after school to hand out the books and a summary form for them to complete. At Literacy Night, parents and students will come to discuss the book. Pizza and pop will be provided.

Saturday School dates until the winter break are Nov. 21 and Dec. 5. Call Hoyt if you wish your student to participate. The number is 242-8446.

PBS awards for the eighth-graders will be Nov. 25. Students on the eighth-grade honor roll will be given certificates at that time.

High Schools

Alexis Ahmed took first place at the ISDTA Large School Color Guard state competition Nov. 7. seven members of the Color Guard competed in the State Solo Contest including Alexis, Ngoc Cao, Kylie Grantham, Kristel Hill, Sammy Jones, and Madi Williams.

Among Steppers that competed at solo competition in Pella last weekend, K.K. Kennedy received a ninth place trophy, Alyssa Denning and Alexes Cummings received Division 1 “superior” rating awards, and Missy Morton also received a Division 2 rating.

Students-of-the-Month in Family and Consumer Sciences for October: Child Development, Kaleigh Nichols; Parenting, Soriya Loeurng, Salat Jones and Layla Schwartztrauber; Foods I, Janie Smith, Wesley Johnson, and Lan Nguyen; Foods II, Sheldon Robinson, Miranda Breheny and Helen Snyder; Sewing Technology, Breezie Saldana; Advanced Sewing, Jerrica Newberry.

Students in parenting class are creating preschool activities with concepts of colors, numbers, shapes, etc. that will be shared with a local day care. Child development students will be starting a toddler story-telling project and hope to have a group of young toddlers in to share the stories.

The East High Speech and Debate tournament was held at East on Nov. 6-7. The team is coached by Jennifer Medina.

Other Des Moines High Schools

Two debate team members placed in the top five for their division of novice Congress. Andrew Woods placed fourth and Samantha Zepeda finished fifth. Alma Zilic also competed.

The National Honor Society induction ceremony and banquet was held Nov. 3. Inductees were juniors Gabby Baccam, Emily Beaver, Robert Best, Samantha Claman, Zach Cooper, William Doan, Jennifer Guy, Megan Ireland, Tyler Leech, Hekmatullah Nehmatullah, Alysa Olson, Regan Parker, Kavya Parsa, Matthew Poetting, Chelsey Selin, Rachel Shebeck, Jessica Taylor, Lizette Vilks, and Caitlin Wilson, and seniors Abraham Burzette, Holly Chilton, Paul Choeun, Gehad Fadl, Cody Gilbert, Edhil Ordonio, Devyn Riggle, Alex Salmon and Katie Wilson.

On Nov. 3 Lincoln hosted its annual Financial Aid Night. The event was led by Debbie Scholtz, a representative from the Iowa College Access Network (ICAN) out of West Des Moines. More than 220 parents and students attended. The goal of the event was to introduce the audience to the financial aid process, everything from filling out the FAFSA to understanding a college award letter. Scholarships, grants, work-study, and loans were all discussed as possibilities in financing the cost of college. The parents and students in attendance got to hear from an expert how to make the process as painless as possible while protecting their money throughout the process. The Iowa College Access Network provides free college planning information, resources, and services to parents, student, and educators. For a booklet or for other information regarding the college planning process, visit the high school counseling center or contact ICAN at (877) 272-4692.

Lincoln’s chapter of DECA, an association of marketing students, has elected new officers: President Alexander Salmon, vice president of membership Rudy Villaseor, vice president of promotion Megan Thoprakane, vice president of community service William Doan, secretary Gabriela Davila, and financial officer Valeria Castillo.

Janet Kinman’s marketing classes have begun the Virtual Business Challenge online. Students operate a computerized business simulation of a retail environment utilizing a competition version of Virtual Business Retailing 3.0. Participants are learning to manage specific marketing concepts such as pricing, purchasing, and promotion within their own convenience store. they are interpreting actions, charts and graphs in order to make strategic marketing decisions for their store to optimize profitability. Competitions score rankings from students across the country. see vbc.knowledgematters.com.

Guest speakers will visit the Introduction to Business classes through Dec. 17. one of the large projects for the students is to arrange a guest from the business world to speak about their business. The speakers will address 21 questions the students have developed along with any information the speaker would like to share. one of the most enjoyable parts of business professionals visiting is the passion they display when talking about their business. The wide range of experience they will share goes far beyond what could be learned without these individuals taking time out of their busy day to give back to our students.

Juniors and seniors in the iJAG program have been playing Robert Kiyosaki’s Award Winning educational board game – CashFlow 101. Kiyosaki is the author of international bestseller “Rich Dad, Poor Dad.” His game CashFlow 101 teaches the basics of financial literacy in a fun and engaging way. Students are learning about balance sheets, income statements, profits, losses, assets, liabilities, income, expenses and personal cash flow. For details, see RichDad.com.

Students in Roger Scott’s Integrated Algebra 2 classes took part in a lesson for Make a difference Day regarding the amount of recycled paper the Des Moines Public Schools have recycled in the last two years. The math lesson looked at the figures linearly and exponentially and projected this school years’ estimated total. Students also learned how long certain items stayed in our public landfills.

On Oct. 29 selected students from the Visual Arts Department participated in the 15th annual Chrysalis Workshop and juried art show at Simpson College in Indianola. Students sweeping the mixed-media category include Jacob Fuller, first place; Maddie Hubbell, second; and Erin Teter, honorable mention. Other participants were Alex Pilon, Ted Lozier, Janelle Ketcher, James Ethington, Jenna Bishop and Emily Alexander.

Assistant football coach Dan McCain has been selected as one of two Iowa High School Class 4-A Assistant Football Coaches of the Year. Dan will be recognized at half time of the Class 4-A State Football Championship on Nov. 20 at the UNI Dome.

Citywide Schools

Upper-level students have started a new science unit this week called Structures of Life. they will de dissecting fruits, collecting seeds, growing seeds, and looking more closely at animals. This FOSS unit will tie in directly to the Montessori’s second great lesson, The Timeline of Life, in which students will be discovering when life first appeared on Earth and the different eras of life.

Students are learning how to start a report, how to gather and sort information, and how to put the information in report form (margins, indents, and double spacing).

Upper-level students wrote an essay on what they “Geek” and why. In a partnership with the Franklin Library, students will present their essays in an I Geek Presentation night at 6 tonight at Franklin Library.

After reading a book of choice and developing a book report, students will share with one another over a cup of hot cocoa at the local Grounds For Celebration.

In science, students are learning about variables and how they are used to explore science. This began with learning about pendulums and how to change the number of swings in 15 seconds. now they are shifting to lifeboats and how many pennies can be placed into a cup of different sizes.

What is a mammal? Pre-K students are discussing “bats.” so far they have learned that bats are mammals, they are warm-blooded and give birth to live babies. The students are looking at many bat books and classifying the different types of bats.

Pre-K students are tracing and labeling the “continent maps.” If a student is having a difficult time finding a certain country to label, another student is always willing to help out. This partnership in learning is heartwarming to observe.

Voices filled the air waves as Pre-K students sang “Make New Friends” on Cowles radio for parents to hear.

Students have completed their study of plants and are experimenting with seeds. some children completed the seed experiments: parts of a seed, sprouting seeds, how seeds travel, and sequencing from seed to pumpkin by making pumpkin bread.

The nine- and ten-year-olds had some exciting field work opportunities to go along with their project topics. some learning groups are studying Mexico. A parent came to show the students traditional dances and speak about the Aztec culture. Other students are studying habitats. they recently went to Prairie City to learn more about prairie habitats.

On Oct. 26 Marcus McIntosh from KCCI-TV visited Michelle Baker’s third-grade class. Along with discussing football, Halloween and sharing several jokes, he read “Room on the Broom” by Julia Donaldson to the class. The importance of reading fluently was discussed. Baker’s students practice reading fluently each day with both literature and poetry to become better readers and increase their comprehension.

Second-grade students and Lauren Rohweder’s fifth-grade class had the opportunity to attend the East High Drama Department presentation of “When Alice Met Dorothy” on Nov. 5. second grade has been studying fractured fairy tales and mrs. Rohweder’s class is working on a Reader’s Theatre presentation of “The Wizard of Mops.” Both groups benefited in seeing the performance and making connections with what they are studying. we are hoping fifth grade will soon be ready to perform its piece for second grade.

Students in fifth-grade are having fun in science class. they are going through the FOSS kit Variables Module. some of the most important scientific concepts students learn are the result of their ability to see relationships between objects and events. Relationships always involve interactions, dependencies, and cause and effect. The Variables Module has four investigations that help students discover relationships through controlled experimentation. Students will fling, float, fly, and flip objects as they discover relationships in each investigation. The students will start right in with the hands-on activities – that is the best part about learning science.

Smouse has earned the 2008-09 Positive Behavior Supports (PBS) of Exemplary School Bronze Level Award given by the district PBS Leadership Team, by meeting the criteria of the Self-Assessment Survey, Benchmarks of Quality Survey and our reduction in office referrals from the previous year. Smouse has also been awarded $200 to go toward our PBS needs. The Smouse Knights of the Week traveling trophy went to Jennifer Foley’s classroom for demonstrating excellent arrival to school skills for the week of Nov. 2.

Children in the Intensive English Language Centers have been studying air and how air makes things move. first we used different objects to predict if we thought they would move in the air. Then we tested out our predictions, blowing on them through a straw, using an air pump, and using the wind outside. The children learned that the heavier something is, the less likely it is to move with air. they also learned that wind can blow things easier than if we were blowing with a straw. we are going to extend our learning by building parachutes and testing them both inside and outside. These science lessons have been a very exciting for these students, most off whom have had few educational experiences learning about science.

This school year a K-2 section of the Intensive English Language Center was added. The K-2 IELC class has 20 students and is taught by Holly Barcus. The 3-5 IELC class has 16 students and is taught by Joanne Conradi. The children in the IELC classes are new to the country and speak little to no English when they start here. they stay in the IELC for a period of 6-18 weeks to get them off to a good start before they return to their home school. we have children from Iraq, Guatemala, Somalia, Eritrea, Nepal, Myanmar, Thailand, Burundi and Sudan.

Goodrell is sponsoring a food drive to collect food for Combat Hunger. The first hour class with the most donations will win a free breakfast compliments of Burger King. Tonight from 5-8 p.m. Burger King will donate 20 percent of all purchases made by Goodrell supporters to our Combat Hunger drive. The middle school that collects the most pounds of food per student will win a free ticket for each student and staff person to a home game of the Iowa Energy basketball team. Support Goodrell – $1 equals 2 pounds of food.

Students in William Flesch’s science class used their cell phones to answer the following question: “Which is most dense? A pound of feathers, a pound of bricks, they are the same, or not enough information is given. Results were immediately displayed at the front of the room as the students texted their choice. Students learned how to interpret data from a graph and could see how each vote impacted the results. The correct answer is bricks, because it would take up less space for the same amount of weight compared to the feathers.

Pro-Motion Kids are sponsoring the fourth annual Goodrell Game on Night tonight from 6 to 8 p.m. in the gym and cafeteria. This is for all Goodrell students and their families, highlighting fun, physical activity and nutritious snacks.

The seventh-graders participated in Mix it Up at Lunch on Nov. 10. they were assigned different tables to sit at with different people than they normally eat lunch with. they got the opportunity to talk with other students about questions that were on the tables to get to know each other better and to be open-minded and risk takers.

Language arts students wrote complex essays comparing a character from their reading book to a real-life personal acquaintance and proving how each values the truth. Students also wrote reflections of the annual Goodrell Veterans Assembly summarizing the assembly as well as expressing their personal reaction to the amazing testimonies they witnessed.

Goodrell held a veterans appreciation assembly to honor those who have fought for our country. The theme this year was “In Honor…” Michael Osman opened the assembly by leading us in the pledge and introducing a soldier from the 132nd. The 132nd brought with them flags from many different eras in our country and shared flag history with the students. they also helped us retire our old flag which was given to Goodrell by the American Legion, when it was built back in 1948. it only had 48 stars on it. Michael Seymour introduced Eric Hanson from KCCI who shared some video with the students about the honor flight he went on with veterans. Ann Scheel introduced three WWII vets. Dick Johansen, Bill Hyett and Pete Wilson came to tell us about the honor flight they went on. we ended the assembly by singing the National Anthem while the students looked at a picture of the flag that they created on the front lawn the week before.

Two photo students of instructor Denise Wicker won awards at the Metro Arts Expo this weekend at Wells Fargo Hy-Vee Hall. In the age 14-19 division Rebecca Keay took third place and DaeNeen Green took fourth. they will receive Art Store gift certificates, and their work and all entries will be displayed at the Metro Arts Expo. seven photo students from Central Campus will have their work displayed. all submitted art will be on display this weekend, along with the decorated boxes at the Metro Arts Expo, Saturday and Sunday at Hy-Vee Hall.

Last month, more than 100 students visited Drake as part of Central Academy Actuarial Science Career Day. The program brings students from The Academy at Central Campus learn about the actuarial science program through meetings with Drake students and faculty. The inaugural program on Oct. 23 featured a presentation over Drake’s actuarial science program and allowed visiting students to meet with Drake actuarial science majors over lunch. Central Academy teachers Brian Reece and Kris Hilton worked with Drake staff to organize the event.

Each year the students in the Advanced Broadcasting and Film program at Central Campus enter their work in a national radio awards contest sponsored by North Central College in Naperville, Ill. The John Drury High School Radio Awards, named in honor of award-winning ABC-Chicago and WGN news anchor John Drury, were created to recognize excellence in high school radio broadcasting. This year, Central Campus Broadcasting and Film Students attended the seventh annual awards, along with radio students nominated from six different states. KDPS, the radio station at Central Campus, was nominated for Best Promo and Best PSA. Each entry in the competition was critiqued by a panel board of judges composed of broadcast industry professionals. Awards were presented in ten categories. R.J. Monroe and Alvin Gaskin received second place for their promo, “KDPS – keep it Locked.” Lydia Fankhauser received first place for her PSA, “Hearing Loss Prevention.” Advanced Broadcasting and Film students also have opportunities to enter their film and video projects in various film festivals and contests. Three student films were accepted into The Wild Rose Independent Film Festival under the high school category. The films were judged by industry professionals and screened at the festival. “The Lullaby” by Jessie Hixenbaugh and Aly Merschman received the award for Best Student Film. If you know a student that likes the broadcasting and film industry, have them contact the counseling office at Central Campus. The studio is open for tours during the school day until 3:10 p.m.

Staff attended the yearly conference of Iowa Residential Educators (IRE) in October. The featured speaker was Dr. Judy Mullet, a professor of education and psychology at East Mennonite University in Virginia, who spoke on the use of restorative justice and restorative discipline principles in the school setting. These practices use classroom incidents as opportunities for learning, growth and community building. Several specific components of this system are class meetings, circle processes, and reintegration procedures for students. Restorative discipline for schools teaches responsibility and creates caring climates.

Students won 2nd place and $100 for our classroom in the annual Paint A Snowplow contest this year. Daniel Michael and Chevest Bennett, among others from Jennifer Peterson’s classroom, came up with the idea to include snowmen cleaning snow off the Court Avenue Bridge during a snowstorm. they cut stencils for the snowflakes, snowmen and the arches for the bridge. they used chalk to outline the stencils onto the plow blade and then got busy painting. Each student is represented with his/her own personalized snowman wearing a scarf with his or her name. This was a very fun and productive community activity for us to participate in.

Bridget Tasler’s homeroom has been “sharpening” their cooking skills in the practice kitchen. they welcomed “Celebrity Chef” Brice Fincham on Nov. 3 to demonstrate his culinary skills and more specifically to show them safety and cutting techniques when using knives in the kitchen. Brice is Sous Chef at Drake University and works closely with the president of Drake to plan and prepare special dinners, luncheons, and events that are held there. Students watched while Brice explained the many knives he uses as a chef and the proper way to handle the knives, cut with them, clean and store them. The students have been practicing using paring knives to cut up vegetables for salsa, and celery and apples for snacks. they have been doing quite well and are following the safety skills they have been taught. Brice demonstrated cutting up vegetables and treated the students to a vegetable pizza at the end of the demonstration.

Nursing students from Grand View University visited some classes on Nov 10. they gave demonstrations to students on hand washing. A special lotion and black light were used to show students areas of their hands that they missed when washing. Students were interested in their techniques and were motivated by having a new person show them how to do the process properly.

Students in an Intro World Literature class were treated to a “story-telling” presentation by Dr. Pearl Jefferson, one of the administrators at Scavo. She asked students as they entered the room, “Who are you?” Her message was that everyone has a “story,” a deeper meaning of who they really are. She shared her story of where she was when Martin Luther King Jr. was shot and the affect that it had on her and her family. Students discussed how their stories shape who they are and where that knowledge can take them.

Saydel Schools

First-grade students used their imaginations to think about jobs and careers they may like after completing high school. What fun conversations, discussing their ideas. Did you know to become a doctor you must compete college and medical school? Police officers and firefighters have their very own schools. Students illustrated a picture of themselves “working” in their profession. The project was completed with the sentence, “I want to be a…”

Cornell continues to Go Green this year with recycling. it is amazing how much paper and cardboard we are saving from going into the landfill. Our ongoing recycling project gives students and staff an opportunity to show good character. Students are learning the pillars of respect, caring, responsibility and citizenship.

Kindergartners through second graders have been learning in Guidance that you can tell how someone is feeling by looking at their face and body. Knowing how people feel helps you get along better with others and in turn helps your friendships.

Fifth-grade students enjoyed a presentation from the Living History Farms about the Ioway Indian tribe. This interactive program has been designed to tell the story of the changes in Midwestern agriculture and rural life, while specifically focusing on the activities of the Ioway Indian tribe going back to the early 1700s. The students got to take part in activities such as learning about the language of the Ioway, looking at artifacts, and sampling a popular food item of the Ioway, buffalo jerky. The highlight of the program for most students was constructing their own clay bowl and decorating it in a similar fashion as the Ioway once did. To learn more information about the Ioway tribe, both past and present, parents and their students can visit ioway.nativeweb.org/student.htm.

Nov. 9 was the beginning of ITBS week. Fourth-grade students were asked what they liked best about taking ITBS tests. Klayton Keller: “Spelling, I am good at spelling, and I like to take it.” Abby Primrose: “I like that some of the questions are easy.” Jackson Jarrell: “That it sometimes has funny answers, and I am pretty good at most things on it.” Haley Long: “Spelling because it easier than all the other ones.” Dillon Parker: “I like that it’s quiet during the tests and I am able to concentrate.”

Noah Pick, eighth grade and Max Kayser, seventh grade, were selected to participate in the Seventh and Eighth Grade Boys Opus Honor Choir sponsored by the Iowa Choral Directors Association. The performance is today at the Iowa State Center in Ames.

Eighth-grade bass clarinetist Collin Kramer represented Woodside at the Nov. 3 SCIBA Middle School Honor Band Festival, which took place at Johnston Middle School.

Can you build a container in which to hold a raw egg and keep it from breaking as you drop the container from increasing heights? This was the challenge facing physics students, who used materials such as tongue depressors, Elmer’s glue, paper clips, packing peanuts, string, a gallon Zip-loc bag, Q-tips, rubber bands and a raw egg. on Nov. 3 they were given their materials and asked to build a container. After four days of constructing their containers, students were able to test them out. Most of the students’ containers did not last the first drop of two meters. one student, Cayla Korte, passed the first drop. The class could not leave without breaking all of the eggs; therefore, the students continued to increase the height while attempting to break the egg in Cayla’s container. Her container made it four meters without the egg breaking. Then they increased the height to five meters. Cayla had asked another physics student, Tyler Carter, to drop her egg. As Tyler let go of the container, a gust of wind took the egg right into the side of the baseball bleachers. The egg broke along with the container. Guess we will never know at what height Cayla’s container really would have protected that egg.

Having a tough time checking off the people on your Christmas list? Visit Dec. 13 at noon to bid on fantastic gift baskets at the silent auction hosted by members of Saydel’s National Honor Society. The event will take place on the afternoon of the high school’s winter band and choir concert. all proceeds will be donated to Saydel’s Dollars for Scholars chapter. Although Saydel’s NHS chapter has participated in other service activities, the silent auction is a first for the chapter, and members are optimistic about its success. The students expect that themed baskets will be successful and that service donations, such as snow removal or lawn care, will also be a hit. To donate a basket, they can be delivered to the Saydel High School front office during school hours Dec. 7 through 11. Include an itemized list of the contents in the baskets. For information, call NHS adviser Kari Fokken at 262-9325, ext. 1205, or e-mail her at fokkenk@saydel.k12.ia.us.

U.S. government classes are working on Supreme Court case research papers. Each student chose a prominent Supreme Court case and will be researching the history of the case, the Supreme Court decision and the long term effects of their case. Students are working on their research and writing through Nov. 23.

Economics students will create a fictitious company and collect data to complete different tasks associated with supply and demand. Each student will create the company from the ground up focusing on the amount of their product that is desired by the public (demand) and the amount of units of their product they should produce to maximize profits (supply).

Private Schools

The Des Moines Christian Lions volleyball team wrapped up a very successful season with a hard-fought loss to second-ranked Twin Cedars on Oct. 30. The Lady Lions finished their season with a 21-4 record. Other season accomplishments include winning their own DMC tournament and placing second in the Martensdale-St. Marys tournament. Seniors Kaitie VanderLinden, Hannah Heilskov and Samantha Smith provided great leadership on the court and as mentors in their huddle groups. Thanks to coach Cindy Kostek and assistants Paige Thiner and Launa Hinrichs and all the team members: Hannah Heilskov, Sam Smith, Kaitie VanderLinden, Amber Fraser, Emily Horstman, Bianca Long, Britt Schoon, Jessa Veenstra, Abby Hinrichs, Samantha Nesbit, Abby Gardiner and Sam Hinrichs.

Congratulations to sophomore Gabi Wilson for placing 43rd out of 116 Class 4-A runners while competing for Urbandale High School and representing Des Moines Christian at the state cross- country meet on Oct. 31. Gabi ran third place for Urbandale, and the UHS team placed sixth out of 12 teams.

Congratulations to the Des Moines Christian cheerleaders, who took first place at the state cheerleading competition on Nov. 7.

Elementary chapel was presented by the fourth-grade classes, and a special dedication of the Operation Christmas Child boxes, filled by DMC students, was on Nov. 18.

On Nov. 18, students met in their small groups during secondary chapel time.

The All-State Music Festival will be held on Nov. 19-21.

Today, the junior varsity and varsity girls’ basketball teams will compete against Pella Christian in Pella.

The pick-up day for holiday greenery ordered from the Music Parent Association’s greenery sale is Friday.

The junior high basketball teams will compete against Earlham on Nov. 23. The girls will travel to Earlham, and the boys will play at home.

On Nov. 24, elementary will celebrate Thanksgiving with Thanksgiving parties.

Mark your calendars for Grandparents Day on Dec. 12. there will also be activities on Dec. 11. For the full schedule, please visit the Web site at dmcs.org. please take note that this event will not take place at our school this year.

Senior Michael Munro recently won the Fareway Student Athlete of the Week on “5th Quarter on Fox.”

Seniors Kellie Siembieda and Kurt Flood were honored recently at the Des Moines Optimist Club’s annual luncheon to honor high school seniors. Kellie and Kurt were recognized for their optimism and positive attitude toward their school and community.

Congratulations to the following DCHS vocalists on their outstanding success at the National Association of Teachers of Singing Vocal competition held at Augustana College in Rock Island, Ill. : Emily Solo was selected as a finalist, winning third place overall in the High School Women’s division. Mary Craven was selected as a semi-finalist. Adam Tell received honorable mention in the High School Men’s division. Claire Kapustka, Kersten Tipping, Liz Klein, Kayla Siembieda and Tanelle Berard were selected as semi-finalists in the High School Junior division.

The DCHS drumline traveled to Indianapolis recently to attend and compete in the Percussive Arts Society International convention. Senior Michael Mauro competed individually.

Theology faculty member Janet Regier and juniors Jackie Bell and Hannah Wirtz recently participated in the Special Olympics of Iowa annual fundraiser called The Polar Plunge at the freezing Big Creek Lake. The DCHS team raised approximately $1,000 for the cause.

Thank you to Staci Burr in the DCHS development office and all the students helping with this year’s annual phonathon. Prizes are being awarded to the students in three categories: most money raised, most calls made, and most Maroon pride. Winners so far, from band: Daniel Scheetz, Rachel Wenman and Chris Kinkor; and from speech/debate: Alex Blank, Michelle Mueller and Claire Parker.

Congratulations to the Dowling dance team members: Allison Baskerville, Maddie Roberts, Maddie Eggleston and Maria Bosworth received a superior rating at the Iowa State Dance Championship competition recently. Maddie Eggleston placed fifth overall in the competition.

DCHS Christmas basket planning is under way. For more than 40 years, Dowling has been involved in providing needy families in the Des Moines area with a Christmas basket. This basket usually includes food, clothing, household items, toys, etc. This year, DCHS could potentially benefit 115 families through the project. The program is organized by senior moderators Trish Sackett and Pete Ause. it also includes five committees, each with a faculty moderator: families and seminars by Jeff Ferguson, business by Joyce Stasi and Drew Cownie, wrapping by Brenda Kane and Sally Benson, clothing by Teri Breck and Nancy Holsapple and groceries by Sharon Abler and Andy Schreck. The senior class is involved in spearheading the project.

On Nov. 13 Holy Trinity Catholic School was transformed into one of the most highly anticipated holiday shopping venues in the metro for the 32nd annual Beaverdale Holiday Boutique. This annual event put on by the Holy Trinity Guild raises thousands of dollars for school improvements and equipment. With more than 100 vendors, holiday shoppers found all sorts of unique gift ideas for the people on their Christmas shopping list.

Holy Trinity middle-school students have been studying the guitar. Working with a partner, they have learned how to tune the guitars and a explored a few basic chords. In addition, students were able to feel the difference between steel and nylon strings. we discovered that playing the guitar is much different than playing Guitar Hero. Several students who own their own instruments brought them in to augment the 12 guitars the school owns.

The second-graders and their parents attended Reconciliation Family Day the past two Saturdays. This is in preparation for receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation in the near future. they rotated through centers with activities focusing on forgiveness and reconciliation. Thanks to Paulette Chapman, Faith Formation Director, for her help in making this a meaningful day for everyone involved.

The 4-year-olds explored the pumpkins from the preschool pumpkin patch. they weighed and measured the pumpkins. The four-year-olds learned the parts of the pumpkin – stem, shell, flesh, pulp and seeds as they looked at the inside and outside of our pumpkins.

Iowa Christian Academy

Two ICA junior high and senior high students were recognized as Optimistic Students by the Optimist Club. Eighth-graders Matthew Gardner and Stephanie Traynor and seniors Lorin Harvey and Jessica Rude were selected as optimist representatives. The Optimist Club’s mission is “to bring out the best in kids.” These clubs conduct positive service projects in their communities aimed at encouraging and recognizing students who make a positive influence in their school and surroundings with an upbeat attitude. The Optimist Club helps encourage and empower young people to be the best they can be in their communities.

Congratulations to ICA varsity volleyball players who received post-season conference honors: Karlie Schut, West Des Moines, first team all-conference; Kristina Dunker, Clive, second team all-conference; Erica Groen, West Des Moines, honorable mention all-conference.

Iowa Christian Academy is proud to announce its new varsity girls’ basketball coach, Kevin Kline. Kevin has spent the last six seasons as the head coach for the Des Moines Christian girls’ basketball team, compiling a 113-33 record. His team won the conference championship during the 2007-08 season, during which he was named conference coach of the year.

The third- and fourth-graders have enjoyed weekly visits from Junior Achievement. they constructed a town with a number of buildings. In honor of their teacher, they named the town Kruegerville. they completed a census of the homes, apartments and townhouses and came up with a population of 86.

The kindergarten class honored Iowa farmers by dressing up like them and learning a bit about them during their recent harvest day.

The third- through sixth-graders enjoyed a trip to the science center and to the civic center for an inspiring performance titled “Thomas Edison: Inventor, Lecturer and Prankster.” The third- and fourth-graders created a quart-sized light bulb with various thicknesses of filaments, a battery and switch. Light was created, but it was quite dim.

Thanksgiving break begins when school dismisses at 1:15 p.m. on Nov. 25. we are grateful to God for all of the blessings he gives us. School will resume on Nov. 30.

The kindergarten through second-grade Christmas program will be held on Dec. 6 at 4 p.m. The grade 3-8 program will be held on Dec. 13 at 4 p.m.

Congratulations to Kelly Flynn, a fifth-grader from West Des Moines, who successfully completed her first book in band. Kelly holds the school record for the fastest time completing a band book.

Students at St. Anthony’s School celebrated Grandparents Day on Nov. 12 by inviting their grandparents to school to share a delicious turkey supper with them. In honor of Veterans’ Day, many students wrote letters to our U.S. troops to thank them for their service.

The sixth- through eighth-grade students enjoyed an exciting field trip to the Iowa State University Symphony Orchestra on Nov. 16. Kudos to the eighth-grade students for their work on their Thirteen Colonies group projects in social studies. Also, a big congratulations to the middle school students who reached their AR goal, which was a trimester-long independent reading project.

Report cards for all students will be going home on Friday.

The students at St. Augustin enjoyed dressing up for Halloween. The younger grades were part of a costume parade around the school.

Thanksgiving break is coming up and classes are dismissed from Nov. 25-27.

The winners for the Box Tops For Education contest have been determined. The second-grade class overall turned in the most labels and they will be rewarded with an ice cream party. Congratulations to second-grader Brigid Smith and fourth-grader Angelina Noll, who tied for first place in the individual box top competition. they will receive an out-of-uniform pass for their hard work. As a school, we were able to turn in more than $400 in box tops and 2,500 soup labels. The proceeds will go toward some additional items to enhance our children’s education.

In first grade it is all about brain power. In language arts they are working on shared reading. In phonics they are leaning the power of the long vowels, and they are writing about things for which they are thankful. There’s lots to learn in language arts about proper nouns. In reading they are learning about the author’s purpose and studying digraphs including “ch,” “th,” and “tch.” In science they are studying living and non-living things and in religion they are talking about the Trinity. they are getting really powerful in math by using a number line, double facts, and drawing pictures to solve problems.

The fifth-graders have been busy and have just started their second trimester. In religion they are working on Chapter 3, “Baptism Unites us with the Christian Community.” In language arts they are covering the skills of context clues, cause and effect, summarizing, expository fiction, common and proper nouns and contractions. Math is all about exploring expressions and equations as part of our learning of algebra, and in science they are classifying living things. they have begun their preparation for Junior Achievement’s Biz Town, in which they learn about economics, business practices, getting a job, payroll, writing checks and much more.

St. Francis sent five teams to the Central Iowa Regional Mock Trial competition. These five teams prepared for several weeks before competition. Of the teams sent, two were eighth-grade teams, one was a seventh-grade team, and the final two were sixth-grade teams. they did well in the regional competition and four out of the five teams advanced to the play-off round. from there two teams advanced to compete at the state level, which will be held Nov. 19-21. Members of the eighth-grade Green Team are Alex Cook, Matthew Blaser, Michael Caliguiri, Gianna DeMarco, Ethan Frederick, Matt Mahoney, Jonathon Pearson, Morgan Rafferty, Connor Recker, Lindsey Schulte and their coaches, Lisa Davis-Cook, Chris Cook, and Mike Blaser. The eighth-grade Blue Team was comprised of Rachel Hanna, Katherine Wenman, Amanda Ball, Tom Bowman, Alex Havekost, Mitchell Kinkor, Colin Murphy, Allie Stroud, Nick Topping, Luke Vandermillen and their coaches, Eileen Wixted-Havekost, Tom Murphy, Sarah Corey and Randy Schueller. they also coached the seventh-grade team, whose members are Taylor Dworek, Ben Greer, Carter Havekost, Jeffery Laughrun, Madalyn Mauro, Parker Michel, Vishal Perera, Emily Seibel and Ann Marie Westercamp. The sixth-grade Blue Team included Jared Allison, Lindsey Coon, Joseph Drey, Adam Kapsh, Steve LeWarne, Rose McAninch, Ross Otte, John Rafferty, Lucas Reiman, Jay Wegman, James Wenman and their coach Paul Drey. The sixth-grade Green Team was made up of Luke Eubank, Ben Fox, Will Haney, Jack Kramer, Matthew Matternas, Spencer Montgomery, Jack Murphy, Praveen Perera, Jack Turner, Andrew Vandermillen and their coaches Matt Haney and Sandra Montgomery.

In third-grade science the students are growing bean seeds. Each student received three seeds and will be watching them grow.

Fifth-grade students are continuing their study of Iowa counties. Each student was assigned a county to research. they will make reports on the what makes their county special to the class. they have also started writing essays for Code 411, a program about healthy living. – Alex Cook, Katherine Wenman and Rachel Hanna, eighth-grade students.

Congratulations and many thanks to all who helped make the Shoes That Fit mission, sponsored by the St. Pius X School fifth grade, successful again this year. Seventy-four items of boots, snow pants and coats were purchased by St. Pius families and staff and $830.75 was collected on Oct. 30, our mission awareness dress down day. QuikTrip Corporation also provided a generous contribution, so we were able to fill all the needs tickets for Holy Family Catholic School. Many children at Holy Family will be kept warm this winter because of the generosity at St. Pius X School.

Congratulations to the following St. Pius X eighth-grade students selected for the 2009 Opus Honor Choir: Brianna Bellis, Mary Meysenburg, and Rebecca Schmidt, all of Urbandale. Brianna Bellis was also selected as a solo finalist for the Opus concert.

Sixth-graders Mitchell Thilges, Renner Breitbach, Alex Smith, Alanson Tobias and Christopher Laurenzo participated in the Thinking Cap Quiz Bowl. This contest covers all subject areas with 100 questions that student teams must answer in a one-hour time period.

Toys for Tots collection will be sponsored by the St. Pius Teen Leadership Connection. The students will collect new, unwrapped toys from Nov. 30-Dec. 11. Toys donated will benefit children from newborn to 17 years old within our community.

Kindergarten students enjoyed a trip to Picket Fence Creamery in Woodward. The children were able to observe the cows being milked, the differences among different breeds of dairy cows, and given a chance to feed the cows. To end the trip they enjoyed a glass of chocolate milk and a dish of ice cream; both were made at the creamery.

In fifth-grade social studies, the students have been working on the skill of reading a road map and using all of the symbols on the map. they were very excited to receive their own road map and are doing very well with this skill. There’s so much you can learn from a map. next time you are on a road trip, hand them the map and let them show off their skills.

Did you know there are 206 bones that make up the human skeleton? Our fourth-grade students have been learning about the many functions their bones provide – protection, support, and shape. The students created their own skeletons and counted the individual bones that made up each major body part. Students learned about the connections between muscles and bones and made a leg model to show this relationship.

The seventh-grade students are enjoying working on a combined music and technology project. The students are putting together musical videos about a rock/popular group of their choice. The students are combining the content they have researched about their groups with music of their group to create a video that informs about the history of the group in 1 to 2 minutes.

First-graders meet with seventh-grade buddies. Each first-grader is paired with one or two seventh-graders. The buddies meet once a month to read or do special activities together. it is a great opportunity for the younger students to have an older mentor, role model and friend.

The fourth-graders enjoyed their trip to the Capitol building. they were able to see where senators and representatives work and the governor’s office. The best part of the day was the 130 steps to the dome.

We have started a unit on Eric Carle. The students are very excited that they know the author and illustrator of the books around our classroom. we are working hard on making our own pictures the same way Eric Carle makes his. it is quite a process. first we have to paint paper (he uses tissue paper). Then he cuts out the shapes he needs from different colors and glues them together to make the pictures. Lastly, we will be adding a story about our picture.

Independent Learner students Matthew Bishop, George Long and Danny Lasky from fourth grade have finished an abundance of challenging math puzzles in preparing for their first Continental Math League competition. The boys finished their first round of competition with an almost perfect score.

The second-graders have been focusing on poetry during literacy. we have been learning about the vocabulary and characteristics of poems and have been reading and writing poems. we have also listened to a CD of Shel Silverstein reciting, singing and “shouting” his poetry. we plan to have a poetry reading in our classroom to celebrate our work with poetry.

Fourth-graders are busy working on their personal timelines. they are adding pictures and scrapbook memorabilia to share important moments in their lives. Fifth-graders are writing their own autobiographies complete with illustrations and keepsakes. they will be publishing their work in the computer lab.

Christy Sullivan’s fifth-graders have been learning about the Rosary. they have been praying together and discussing the special meaning of the mysteries that are used for meditation. For all Saints Day on Nov. 1, students researched and wrote an acrostic poem about a given canonized saint.

Seventh-graders have been studying Earth’s rock and fossil record, and have just made their own mold fossils by mixing plaster of Paris and then pushing shells coated with petroleum jelly into them. Once the plaster has dried, they will pop out the shells and have a perfect mold of their shells. their next adventure will be to date rock layers using index fossils.

The seventh-grade students in Cheri Walsh’s language arts class have been reading different types of nonfiction stories. we just completed reading two biographies: “Winslow Homer, Greatest American Painter” and “Nolan Ryan, A Texas Treasure.” The students chose a person to research on the Internet. they demonstrated their creativity and grammar skills by writing a biography of this person. The seventh-graders all had the opportunity to read the biography in class.

Colleen Ites’ sixth- and eighth-grade language arts classes are using a new approach to reading this year with student-chosen non-fiction articles and Latin and Greek root word vocabulary builders. every other week students choose an article from a matrix of online sources, print it off, and then complete a worksheet in groups based on content. Students work in their groups to share pre-reading skills, then individually complete questions about the content covered in their article. on Friday each group shares the information in the articles and answers teacher-directed questions. The questions are based on the SQ3R content-area reading approach, and will help guide student comprehension in non-language arts content area.

The vocabulary covered this year covers root word meanings, modern word derivatives, synonyms and antonyms. Students complete worksheets with modified student choice over the words covered, and have monthly reviews of root words and their meanings. some students are finding that these root words (especially those from Latin) are similar to vocabulary covered in Spanish. These skills will help enhance student vocabulary in content areas as well as language arts.

Eighth-grade students are completing their unit on great authors of the 19th and 20th centuries by completing a Venn quadgram over the authors in the mini-horror unit. Students enjoyed an online interactive version of Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven” as well as picture book versions of “The Cask of Amontillado” and “The Pit and the Pendulum.” The entire class read the creepy and fascinating “Tell-Tale Heart,” where students discussed the legal ramifications of committing a crime with intent if the suspect was insane. Students read the non-fiction short story, “Head Down” by Stephen King, chronicling his son, Owen’s, attempt at the Little League World Series and listened to the short story “The Breathing Method” to fully experience King’s style of writing. Drake graduate student Precious Carter instructed students in Shirley Jackson’s ironic and humorous story “Charles” and students later encountered her darker, ironic side with the short story “The Lottery.” Students also enjoyed the 1944 BBC broadcast of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic Sherlock Holmes mystery “The Adventure of the Speckled Band.” Students will learn how to create digital stories by choosing to write short stories/essays in the same style as two of the great authors covered, then incorporate this writing into digital stories.

In the music room, all students are working diligently learning their concerts. The primary students’ theme is Walkin’ in a Winter Wonderland. they are singing songs about an imaginary place called Wonderland. The students take their journey seeing different winter objects and scenes from Santa Claus to the birth of Jesus. The intermediate students are putting on the musical “Night of Nights.” This is the story of the birth of Jesus. The fourth-graders will be featured as the actors with the rest of the students helping with the music. The middle school is putting on “The Grinch Show.” This features a talk show with the Grinch as a host. Each grade is putting on a musical skit which ties in with the mini play the exploratory students wrote.

“Thank you for saving the USA” was a popular quote written by some first-graders in Nichole Castellano’s classroom. The project was to show support of veterans on Veterans Day. The first-graders created classroom books to tell a few classmates’ fathers how heroic they are, and to show them their love and support. Kayla Groene wrote, “You are one of the best persons I know.” we are thankful for all of our American soldiers and keep all of them in our special intentions daily. we have written many cards and created classroom books to WWII veterans when they visited the World War II Memorial.