November 2012 Tri-Center Newsletter

High School 485-2257 Middle School 485-2211 www.tri-center.k12.ia.us Elementary 485-2271

Superintendents News and Comments

Brett Nanninga

community by promoting respect, trust, service, and unity. The success of a school community hinges on these qualities, the people who make them happenand most importantly, a positive and constructive attitude. A Parent Talks to His/Her Child Before the First Game . . . This is your first game, my child. I hope you win. I hope you win for your sake, not mine. Because winning is nice. It is a good feeling. Like the whole world is yours. But, it passes, this feeling. And what lasts is what youve learned. And what you learn about is life. Thats what sports is all about. Life. The whole thing is played out in an afternoon or evening. The happiness of life. The miseries. The joys. The heartbreaks. Theres no telling what will turn up. Theres no telling whether they will toss you out in the first five minutes or whether you will stay for the long haul. Theres no telling how youll do. You might be a hero or you might be absolutely nothing. Theres just no telling. Too much depends on chance. On how the ball bounces. Im not talking about the game, my child. Im talking about life. But, its life that the game is all about. Just as I said.

** Have a Happy Thanksgiving ** Upcoming Dates of Note:

Friday, November 2nd School Dismissed at 1:30 for Professional Development Wednesday, November 21st School Dismissed at 1:30 for Thanksgiving Vacation NO SCHOOL November 22nd or 23rd due to Thanksgiving Vacation Friday, December 7th School Dismissed at 1:30 for Professional Development Friday, December 21st School Dismissed at 1:30 for Christmas Break NO SCHOOL on January 3rd or 4th due to Professional Development **School Resumes on Monday, January 7th (FULL Day) NO SCHOOL on Monday, January 21st due to Professional Development
Community . . . Community, as defined by the dictionary, is a group of people living together and having interests, work, etc. in common. As a school community, our interests are the kids, the educational process, and growth over time. We have much in common and most of our activity and concern revolves around the youth and families of the school district. Lets continue our efforts in developing this sense of
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Because every game is life. And life is a game. A serious game. Dead serious. But, thats what you do with serious things. You do your best. You take what comes. You take what comes, And you run with it. Winning is fun. Sure. But winning is not the point. Wanting to win is the point. Not giving up is the point. Never being satisfied with what you have done is the point. Never letting up is the point. Never letting anyone down is the point. Play to win. Sure. But lose like a champion. Because its not winning that counts. What counts is trying. --Unknown
**Excerpt from Wooden: A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections On and Off the Court

Remember that my attendance at an interscholastic activity is a privilege, not a right. Always conduct myself with character, and insist my daughter/son do the same, even when it is not the popular thing to do. Treat all people (coaches/advisors/contestants/official s/spectators) with respect at all times and insist that my daughter/son do the same. Support all students participating, not just my daughter/son. Be gracious in victory and accept defeat with dignity. Honor the spirit and intent of the rules under which my daughter or son participates. Never demonstrate threatening or abusive behavior or use foul language. I will try my best to be a fan and not a fanatic.

American Education Week November 11th 17th

Tri-Center Community Schools maintains an open invitation to all members of our community to visit the schools at any time during the year; and we would especially like to extend an invitation to the people of the district to stop by during American Education Week. This is just another opportunity to see how well public education is working and how our tax dollars are being utilized on a daily basis. We hope that by being at school while it is in session you will gain a better understanding of what really takes place and hopefully develop a greater appreciation for the students and staff that makes things happen. The administration, staff, and students will be involved in special activities throughout the week to celebrate American Education and we encourage your involvement, as this would be one way to show ownership in your school. If you choose to visit the campus, we would ask that you stop in one of the office areas, sign in, and obtain a visitors sticker simply as a security precaution.
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Conduct Counts . . . On the Field, On the Stage, On the Floor, On the Mat; and In the Crowd. (A Message from the Unified Iowa High School Activities Federation.) As a parent of an activity participant, I will . . . Remember my daughter/son participates in educational activities for fun. Do my best to understand the purpose of educational activities which always puts education first. Remember it is a privilege, not a right, for my daughter/son to participate in interscholastic activities.

Helping Your Children Achieve and Grow

For many kids, taking tests is a difficult and gut-wrenching experience. They often feel unprepared and stressed out; and enter the testing situation with feelings of failure rather than confidence. We all know that tests are part of life some on paper and others through demonstration. In either case, the yips (fears) can be overcome, and students can do better on tests, if you help them develop a few simple study skills early (and often) in their educational experience. Check on your childrens progress each day by spending just a few minutes asking questions (and getting answers that are satisfactory). This alerts your child to the fact that you are interested and you are keeping tabs on his/her performance. Ask questions such as: I am really interested in what you learned in math today; can you tell me about it? Would you teach me to do that? How did you do on your spelling test? What were some of the words on the test? Would you read this to me, please? Do you have any homework for tomorrow? Keep in mind that the goal is to learn more about what took place at school and gather information about your childs progress. These questions are much better than the old stand-by: How was school today? which is usually followed by Okay, or Fine. Remind your child each night of his/her responsibility to do homework. In time, this will become a habit and hopefully the pressure of getting schoolwork done will shift from the parent to the child. Information taught in class must be reviewed at home. In most cases, this is not done until immediately before test day arrives. Impress upon your child the need to continually read and reviewwhether it be textbook, notes, or literature of some kind. This will vary from grade level to grade level, but the sooner the habit is developed, the greater the possibility it will kick in during the teenage years.

Encourage your child to utilize his/her student planner. These were issued to each student at the beginning of the school year and should be very helpful in the organization and reminders department. Again, this is a lifetime skill that directly carries over to each level of school and career thereafter. Keeping track of assignments and due dates can only make your child more successful in school. So hold them accountable for using the item that you purchased for them in AugustThe Student Handbook/Planner. Keep encouraging your child to learn. READ to them or insist that they READ sometimes rather than watch television. Ask lots of why questions that forces them to think. PRAISE their progress and remind them that you only expect them to do their best. Correct mistakes with a positive tone. MODEL characteristics that you wish to see in your childrendont rely upon somebody else (such as a professional athlete or Hollywood icon) to do this for you. Play games that involve reading, reasoning, and math (most of the time kids dont realize they are using these skills in a competitive game). Maintain close communication with your childs teacher regarding behavior, progress, attitude, strengths and weaknesses. Provide a good environment to study at home. And finally, especially during school, see that your kids get nourishment, get plenty of rest, and dress appropriately. These are only a few of the necessities of life, but they play a major role in the effectiveness of your childs day-to-day education. Tri-Center Transportation . . . A Daily Task Well Done Transporting kids is a tremendously important aspect of the total school program, and one that we too often take for granted. Each day twice a day and on most evenings and Saturdays, we entrust the well-being of our kids to those who operate our school vehiclesmost often the yellow school bus. Although the school bus is still cited as the safest vehicle on the road, it still demands the attention and skill of a driver on each and every trip. Each year, the month of October contains a week that is designated as National School Bus Safety Week,
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but every week should really be recognized as school bus safety week. Please keep your school bus driver in mind as he/she hauls your child to and from school, contests, or games; and be thankful that we have safe, caring people behind the wheel.

Tutoring Early Childhood Programs Behavioral Classroom Techniques Parental Involvement Classroom Management Skills Time on Task It should be no surprise that research has determined EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAMS and PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT to be two of the key ingredients found to be directly related to the success of children in school.

Thanksgiving is Giving Thanks

Thankfulness is the soil in which joy thrives. SCHOOL DISMISSED AT 1:30 pm on Wednesday, November 21st

Children may close their ears to advice, but their eyes are always open to example.

School Readiness . . . What Does It Mean? We know that quality early education experiences in families, childcare, preschool, and early elementary settings help prepare children to succeed later in school. Different groups of educators and community members see the issue of readiness from different angles and focus on different issues. However, at its core (according to the Educational Research Service), readiness is a combination of the following: A childs experiences at home and the resources of the home The resources and experiences present in child care and preschool settings attended by the child Community resources that support high quality parenting and child care The extent to which the elementary school is well linked to these family and child care resources The degree to which the classroom experiences provided for the child in kindergarten and first grade effectively build on competencies he or she brings to school In addition to the fundamental principles of school readiness, we find that further research conducted by ERS concerning various approaches to improving student achievement yielded the following as the most significant practices:

** Have a Happy Thanksgiving **

From the Principals Desk

Angie Huseman

Good intentions are like checks that men/women try to draw from a bank where they have no account.
New Parent Alert Numbers Last month, I included in my newsletter reminders about the new Alert System we now have through PowerSchool. If you have not already made the changes of what numbers you want called or texted, please get in to your Parent PowerSchool account, go to the Parent Preferences tab, select
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Expand All and get your numbers/emails in before the winter weather hits. As with anything school-related, if you need help getting this done, all you need to do is ask. Five Birds and Good Intentions Five birds are sitting on a telephone wire. Two of them decide to fly South. How many are left? Three, you say? No, its five. You see deciding to fly South is not the same as doing it. If a bird really wants to go somewhere, its got to point itself in the right direction, jump off the wire and flap its wings. Good intentions are not enough. Our character is defined and our lives are determined not by what we want, say or think, but by what we do. Michael Josephson, Character Counts Newsletter, August 2006 Good intentions really are NOT enough. I have lived with high school students long enough to know that a great many of them have a difficult time thinking past the weekend. Many feel there is always enough time to study, read, start on a projectLATER. We are hitting the time of the year when we have been going to school long enough that the new has worn off, and students start to just coast through their days. We try to help them to understand that just coasting is not a good thing, but if students can hear this same message from home, it will help us at school quite a bit. Encourage Persistence in Your Teen for Success in School, Life Its always easier to give up on a tough job than it is to push through and complete it. However, thats not going to get your teen very far in life. Lifes full of tough jobs, so the sooner your teen learns to be persistent, the better. Persistence can also lead to success in school. Large projects will look less daunting to your childand his grades will probably improve as a result. You can encourage persistence in your teen if you: Notice his progress. Say things like, Youre really coming along with that, and That wasnt easy, but you kept at it. Well done. Your teen will love the pat on the back. Teach your teen to cheer himself on. Positive self-talk, such as, I am going to do

this, can keep him going through the most difficult tasks. Be a role model. If your teen is struggling to complete something, a little help will motivate him to stick with it. Treat your teen to something special when he finishes a challenging task. Consider watching a moving together or cooking a fun dinner. Celebrate! *Previous article taken from Parents Still Make the Difference newsletter, 2004. We need to teach our children to do the right thing, even when no one is looking. That is the type of responsible personthe one who does not make excuseswho will always be sought after to be a part of a team, a friend, an employee and a leader. I believe we all want that for our children.

Success lies not in achieving what you

aim at but in aiming at what you ought to achieve.

Counseling Comments
Tami Harman

Seniors: November is here already, time has gone by fast. I am still trying to meet with my seniors and their parents in regards to graduation requirements, scholarship materials and post-secondary planning. Please call 712-485-2257 or email tharman@tricenter.k12.ia.us to set up an appointment. Seniors should be narrowing down college choices and completing applications to schools of their choice. Juniors: It is time to make a plan in regards to ACT testing. There are 4 more test dates offered this school year. I would strongly suggest taking the ACT at least twice your junior year. I will be having a John Baylor Test Prep before the February test date. This will mainly be for juniors. Here are the test dates remaining:
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December 8, 2012 with registration to be completed by Nov. 2 February 9, 2013 with registration to be completed by Jan. 11 April 13, 2013 with registration to be completed by March 8 June 8, 2013 with registration to be completed by May 3 November 12 16 we will be taking ITED tests at the high school. Please encourage your daughter/son to do their best on the Iowa Test of Educational Development assessments. It is a great measurement tool for the student, parents and the school. Second Semester Scheduling: Students have already made their second semester schedules. They will be able to make changes in those schedules before the end of semester one in order to be enrolled and ready for classes when we return in January. Keep in mind that students are required to have 4 years of English, 4 years of Math, 3 years of Science, 3 years of Social Studies, 4 credits in Physical Education, a Parenting course, and Computer Applications I to graduate. They must then select 14 electives to complete the total of 48 credits for graduation. November College Representatives:
November 6 November 15 November 19 November 26 Creighton University 1:00pm American Institute of Business 10:00am Iowa State University 8:30am Iowa Lakes Community College 2:30pm

Yearbook News and Information

Sarah Elliott

2012-2013 Publications Staff Members: Seniors: Cady Glaser, CyaNet Co-Editor Jensen McElmeel, Yearbook Editor Meredith Raine, and CyaNet Co-Editor Justine Sturtz; Juniors: Yearbook Co-Assistant Editor Elise Christenson, Lia Grover, Dakota Horn, Yearbook Co-Assistant Editor Sam Raine, and CyaNet Assistant Editor Christian Severn; and Sophomores: Zach Denning, Brandon Jensen, Brooke Pigman, and Megan Ryan. 2012 YEARBOOKS! The 2012 Trojan Yearbooks are NOT in yet. All the proofing should be finished and submitted within a few weeks, and they should then get in around early to midDecember. We are so sorry and appreciate your patience with both the Publications staff doing proofs and the publisher (Walsworth Publishing) printing it. We will have a handful of extras which may be purchased for $50 each while supplies last. At the time see or call Adviser Mrs. Sarah Elliott at the high school at 485-2257, ext. 100. 2013 YEARBOOK SALES!!! The 2013 Trojan Yearbook sales will begin once the 2012 Trojan is in, and we will also be doing on-line sales this year. Some specials and discounts will be offered to those purchasing their books at events throughout the year and at conferences in the spring. BUY EARLY AND SAVE! SENIOR PICTURES: Seniors and senior parents, pictures are due to the yearbook by Wednesday, December 19, 2012. These may be in color or black and white, but they should be wallet-sized, and head and shoulder shots work or look best. Dont assume your photographer will send them in to us. If the photo is not received by December 19, it may be difficult to include it. GET PICTURES IN EARLY TO BE SAFE! PARENT AND PERSONAL ADS: Support the yearbook and honor your son/daughter, grandson/daughter, sibling, friend, or others at the
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Tri-Center
Julie Theulen The Special Olympic Team competed in bowling at Thunderbowl in Council Bluffs on Tuesday, October 9th. Alanna Haubrich and Matthew Killpack each placed first and will advance to state competition on November 17 in Des Moines. Shawn Pickett placed 3rd; Harrison Dollen placed 5th; Jordan Cooper and Cole Osbahr each placed 6th. The team represented Tri-Center with pride!

same time. Parent and personal ads are $30 and include the honored persons name, a small photo, and a message limited to 20 words. Senior parents can expect to receive a letter in December or early next semester. Parent and personal ads can be purchased from Publications Adviser Sarah Elliott or Yearbook Editor Meredith Raine at 485-2257, ext. 100. PICTURES ARE ACCEPTED: The Publications staff is in need of and will accept pictures for possible use in the yearbook and/or the CyaNet Site (tri-centerspirit.com). Pictures can be submitted by email (selliott@tri-center,k12.ia.us) or brought in to be scanned and returned ASAP. The staff is currently in need of Homecoming, fall sports, and candid pictures for all grades. AD CAMPAIGN: We will be starting our ad campaign sometime in the next month. If you are or know of a business owner who may want to advertise, contact Adviser Sarah Elliott at 485-2257, ext. 100. Advertisers not only help fund a yearbook of which the district and surrounding communities can be proud, but have the opportunity to support an educational program that teaches students valuable skills in writing, design, photography, computer use, and business.

Winter posters and pocket calendars will be in shortly you can pick those up in any school office. All athletic calendars are available at www.westerniowaconference.org Bullying If its mean, intervene. Bullying needs to be addressed for students and their futures and for a healthy school climate. The end of Bullying Begins with Me. Thats the message for this years observance of National Bullying Prevention Month. There are many misconceptions that characterize bullying, all of which can lead to minimizing the behavior. Misperceptions followed by facts: Bullying is a natural part of childhood. There is nothing natural about being bullied. Physical or emotional aggression toward others should not be tolerated as a normal part of childhood. Telling a teacher about bullying is tattling. Children need to know the difference between tattling and telling. Tattling is done to get someone in trouble, telling is done to protect someone. The secrecy of bullying serves to protect the bully and perpetuate the behavior. Let children know if the behavior hurts or harms them, either emotionally or physically, it is bullying.

Tri-Center Middle School

Brian Wedemeyer

Grandparents & Special Relative Day!

The Iowa Test of Basic Skills will be given the week of November 12-16th. We will only test in the areas of Math, Science and Reading this year. Please encourage your students to do their best on these exams, the results will be included in several documents and will ultimately be used as one of the gauges of how well Tri-Center is doing in educating the youth of our school district. NWEA Fall tests are completed and results will be sent home with your 4th quarter report card after the Spring tests are completed. If you would like to know how your student did on the Fall tests you can contact the MS office. Paula Heck, Pam Schroder, Susie Fah Who: Grandparents or Special Relative Day (Aunt or Uncle/ Family friend) What: A Thanksgiving Brunch When: Wednesday morning, November 21 (The day before Thanksgiving) Where: In our preschool classrooms

From the Elementary Principal

Diane White

November Highlights
Nov. 2 Nov. 2 Nov. 4 1:30 Dismissal Inservice No Preschool Turn back your clock one hour.

Nov. 5-9 Nov. 6 Nov. 8 Nov. 9 & 10 Nov. 12 Nov. 12-16 Nov. 16 Nov. 20 Nov. 21 Nov. 22 Nov. 23

ITBS Testing Election Day Thanksgiving Dinner for Lunch Variety Show at the HS, 7:00 p.m. Veterans Day Observed American Education Week No Preschool Soup n Shop w/Student Council 1:30 Dismissal Happy Thanksgiving No School - Thanksgiving Vacation

person. We are inspired by the work of Giuseppe Archimboldo. Third graders have been cutting papel picado as we looked at the Days of the Dead celebration from Mexico. We will begin our journey with color theory as we learn about mixing the secondary and intermediate colors for the color wheel. Fourth grade students created skeleton characters with model magic in recognition of the Days of the Dead celebration from Mexican culture. We will begin learning the 5 elements of drawing by Mona Brooks before we begin drawing toucans. Fifth graders are using acrylic paint to decorate their pantyhose sculptures. We have also finished our print plates with sticky foam so we can print like Andy Warhol. Please feel free to stop by the art room to visit any time! You are welcome to watch, participate, or volunteer to work! This is a fun learning environment to experience! I (Mrs. Lyons) am at Tri-Center on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Friday afternoons.

School Nurse
***Elementary Christmas Program featuring Grades 2-3 is scheduled for Monday, December 10, at 2:00 and 7:00 p.m. . . . . Jennifer McGee, R.N. A new Immunization requirement is in the making for 7th graders.. The Immunization Program has begun the rule making process for the secondary school Tdap vaccine (Tetanus, Diptheria, Pertussis) requirement and anticipates implementation at the beginning of the 2013-2014 school year. Iowa is among 10 states that currently does not require proof of the Tdap vaccine at the present time. Next Fall, parents will need to submit an updated Immunization Certificate to me within 60 days of the first day of school. The Iowa Department of Public Health will audit the Immunization Certificates as they do the Kindergarten ones. If your child will be in 7th grade next fall and has already received the Tdap vaccine, you are more than welcome to submit an updated Immunization Certificate form to me now. Tdap is available to kids starting at age 11. For more information or questions please contact me at jmcgee@tri-center.k12.ia.us .
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Elementary Art News Liz Lyons

Art to Remember has been sent and orders will be received around the first part of December! Kindergarten kids have been hunting for real textures and drawing imaginary textures! We are also learning about horizontal, diagonal, and vertical lines as we create zebras with pattern stripes. First graders are looking at the work of Hokusai as we print a landscape, cityscape, or seascape with a cardboard edge and black paint. We will add color with watercolor paint! Second grade students are cutting food pictures of different sizes to create a collage food

Elementary Music Information

Jessica Blakesley

Music Department
Kandi Kunzman Mark your Calendars! The 2nd and 3rd grades at Tri-Center Elementary Schools Present: The Christmas Music Program December 10, 2012 T-C High School Gymnasium 2:00 pm matinee 7:00 pm evening performance

TRI-CENTER VOCAL DEPARTMENT PRESENTS: Bright Lights and Big City Friday and Saturday November 9th & 10th 7:00 pm High School Gym $5 Adults, $3 Students
(No Activity Passes)

Christmas is in the air, well ok maybe not Christmas, but leaves at least. As most people are just putting away their Halloween costumes and deciding what they are thankful for the 2nd and 3rd grade classes at Tri-Center Elementary schools are already hard at work preparing for the big Christmas concert on December 10, 2012. The evening performance will be at 7:00pm in the TriCenter High School Gymnasium. Students should be dropped off and picked up in the Cafetorium. Please make sure your students are dropped off between 6:15 pm and 6:30 pm. There will also be a matinee performance in the afternoon at 2:00 pm for those who are not able to attend the evening performance or if you simply want to see it twice. This is Iowa, and as you know, the weather can never be counted on. If the concert has to be cancelled due to weather on December 10th the performance will still go on, on December 17th, instead, at the same times. I will be sending out more information as the performance gets closer. If you have any questions feel free to contact me by email at jblakesley@tri-center.k12.ia.us or by phone at (712) 485-2271. I hope to see you all there.

Elementary Library Mrs. Grap & Mrs. Peters

Greetings from the elementary library! The first quarter is already past and many students are now realizing how quickly their reading skills can improve when they take time to read each day. Accelerated Reader quizzes are a big part of helping to make this happen using books checked out from the library each week. Just a friendly reminder of how important it is to return these library books on time so it doesnt interfere with the progress of their reading skills and taking required AR quizzes. Mrs. Grap and Mrs. Peters have finished handing out bookmarks for their students with their latest AR levels on them. Parents of 4th-5th graders, if your students havent shown you theirs, take a moment and ask to see it with their new level on it and see for yourself how they have improved in such a short time! As a result of shoppers at the Book Fair during Parent/Teacher Conference, the Elementary Student Council was able to purchase approximately 15 new books for the library. Thank you to all who helped to make this possible!
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