1. Art and Diseño

M ESKWAKI S ET TLEMENT S CHOOL
V OLUME 10 I SSUE 6
F EBRUARY 2015
FEBRUARY
2
10-13
13
3rd Quarter Mid-term
Iowa Assessments
12:30 Dismissal, Teacher in-service
MARCH
End 3rd Quarter
1:30 Dismissal, School-wide, M/H Conferences
1:30 Dismissal, School-wide, Elementary Conferences
No School, Teacher in-service
Spring Break
APRIL
17
20-May 1
12:30 Dismissal, School-wide, In-service
MISIC Testing
Important Test Information – Please Read!
Dear Parents/Guardians,
(paper mâché by fourth grade students)
12
16 & 18
17 & 19
20
23—27
Beginning Feb. 10th through the 13th your first through eleventh grade child will take the Iowa Assessments
(formerly ITBS and ITEDS).
Parents play an important part in helping their children prepare for the tests. Here are some very important
things you can do to help your child do his or her best:
1. Encourage your child to get a good night’s rest before each test. Your child needs 9 to 11 hours of sleep to do his or
her best.
2. Have your child eat a good breakfast each testing day. A balanced meal will help your child concentrate. School
breakfast is a good source of nutrition and is served every morning from 8:00 to 8:20 AM.
3. Avoid any conflict in the family before the test. Maintaining a regular schedule will help your child focus on the
test. An upset child will not be able to do his or her best.
4. Make sure that your child is in school and on time each day of testing (unless there is an emergency).
Please arrange for appointments to be made when your child is not testing.
Please call us at the school if you have any questions or concerns. Thank you for your cooperation during this important
time in your child’s education.
Ms. Jillian Herink - Superintendent
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F ROM M R . B UTIKOFER ’ S D ESK
A new semester is upon us…a time for new beginnings and a fresh start. As we look towards finishing the year on
a high note, just a few reminders.
Parents:
 Online Parental Attendance and grade tracking.
 Parents, you are reminded and encouraged to track your student’s progress online
 Logging in shows both current grades and up to date attendance for each class period
 Please contact the main office if you need additional details concerning this capability.
 Attendance Policy
 We strongly encourage each child to attend every day unless they are feeling under the weather. Please
remember to call in your child’s absence anytime they are staying home due to illness.
 Your child will serve a detention for every unexcused absence, as well as three unexcused tardies for a given
class period.
 Please communicate with the main office anytime you drop your child off after 8:25 to ensure the attendance is
recorded accurately by the main office.
 Student Planners
 Parents are also encouraged to look at your child’s planner each night to see what has been accomplished for a
given day and what homework might need to be completed at home.
 If your child has misplaced his or her planner, please contact the main office for details on how to obtain a
replacement planner.
 Lunch Study Table
 We are planning to continue our lunch study table for anyone currently getting a D- or an F in any class.
Students will remain in study table until the grade for that class has become a D or higher.
 Voluntary after school study table
 We are continuing our voluntary study table after school for any student wanting a quiet place to complete
work before heading home or to an after school activity.
 Staff will be available until 4:00 to help any student in any subject area with staff supervision until 4:45.
Students:
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Make a fresh start
 Please use this opportunity to make some changes in both work habits and effort.
 Anytime you start over, offers a new chance to become even more successful than before.
 Accept Personal Responsibility and Be a Team Player
 Turn in that one tough homework assignment
 Study an extra 15 minutes for an upcoming test
 Help out a fellow classmate to understand something
Working together each and every day will pay dividends as we conclude the school year in May.
Orders are now being accepted for class rings. Tremendous discounts
are now available at the beginning of the school year, making many rings
relatively inexpensive. Any 9th through 12th grade students may order a
class ring. Order packets may be picked up at the high school main office. Completed orders should be returned to the main office. Each ring
is customizable based on decisions that you are able to make individually.
Contact Mr. Butikofer if you have questions concerning your order.
Meskwaki High School
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F ROM THE D ESK OF M R . H ENELY
Let’s Celebrate!
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The Meskwaki language and culture is being taught at the elementary. Not only do we have culture classes for all
K-12 students and immersion classes in Early Childhood and Pre-Kindergarten students, but we also focus on certain
Meskwaki words every week across the whole elementary. During the week of January 19-23, the Meskwaki
Words of the Week were abaneni – smile wenea – who?, wekonei – what?, taninai – when?, tanai - where, and
dabeteki – why?
Sade Kapayou has learned all her upper and lowercase letters. She is doing a great job with letter sounds and sight
words. Sade is a student in Luann Slingluff and Nikki Erickson’s class. Congratulations to Sade, her parents, and her
teachers for this achievement.
Professional Development at Meskwaki Elementary is making an impact on instructional practices. The teachers
have been getting training on Google Docs and MISIC test reports. As a result, staff has created online portfolios
for students.
PBIS stands for Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports. At Meskwaki Elementary we believe in looking at the
good in students. At a ratio of 5 positives to one correction, student behaviors are improving. You can see by the
chart below that ever since PBIS was started at Meskwaki Elementary, student office referrals dropped more rapidly than before.
BEFORE PBIS
AFTER PBIS
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K INDERGARTEN
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L UANN S LINGLUFF , Y AMALA B ACCAM -L EE
Since coming back from Christmas break we have been working hard on learning our sight words in Kindergarten. We
have been focusing on learning our number and color sight words along with our regular sight words. Please continue to
work on these with your child at home. The kindergarten class has also been sounding our words in our daily writing.
In Math we have been learning about two dimensional and three dimensional shapes. We have also started learning
how to tell time to the hour. As the winter months continue please remember to send snow pants and boots with your
child so they are able to play outside. Also please send shoes to wear in the classroom our boots get very wet.
F IRST G RADE
A NDREA R UTLEDGE , L EIGH S ELL
First graders are working hard at reading their AR (Accelerated Reader) books to make their goals by March! The
children are given lots of opportunities during the day to practice and do their best. Keep practicing skip counting by 2’s,
5’s and 10’s and those addition and subtraction math facts! We are learning lots of fun things about the moon in
Science. This will also be our first time taking the Iowa Assessment test.
S ECOND G RADE
L ANA R OBERTS
Second grade is going well!! In reading, we are reading stories about teamwork – helping each other out to get jobs done.
We have been busy learning money in math, and continue to practice skip-counting and double-digit addition and
subtraction. In Science, we will soon be investigating INSECTS.
We would like to thank Mrs. Mullen for taking care of us while
7 Cardinal Rules for Life
Mrs.Roberts was home taking care of her new baby.
Welcome back Ethan, Kiance, and Raelynn!!
1. Make peace with your past
so it won’t disturb your present
C AMARA C OSGROVE , T OM
2. What other people think of you
L ARSEN
T HIRD G RADE
is none of your business
3. Time heals almost
The holidays are over and we are glad to be back at it again. Our
everything.
students are currently learning about safe sources of electricity
Give it time.
and how to construct open and closed circuits in Science. We have 4. No one is in charge
moved from multiplication to division in math, and will soon be
of your happiness. Except you.
working on geometry. Our students had the unique opportunity to
5. Don’t compare your life to
spend time writing a letter to a famous person of their
others
choosing. We are hopeful that we will so be receiving
and don’t judge them, you have no idea what
replies. We continue to learn about communities and their
their journey is all about
celebrations in our Social Studies unit. In reading we are
6. Stop thinking too much
continuing to increase our reading comprehension, fluency, and
It’s alright not to know the answers. They will
vocabulary knowledge, which we will soon be applying to the Iowa
come to you when you least expect it.
Assessment test on February 10th-13th. Please ensure that your
7. Smile.
child gets plenty of rest, and eats breakfast during this time frame. You don’t own all the problems in the world.
Thank you for your interest in your child’s education
-Elementary resource staff
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F OURTH G RADE
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J ENNA A REY , A LEX H AUNSPERGER
Math: We have switched sections again for 3rd quarter. Your student may/may not have myself or Ms.
Haunsperger. This first chapter we are focusing on geometrical shapes and some properties of each. Students still
need to be focusing on the multiplication and division facts. We will be converting from one unit to another the last
week of January and the beginning part of February which requires knowing multiplication and division.
Science: We are studying matter right now and what matter is made up of. Students are doing an excellent job
with their experiments and having a fun time. Soon we will be studying the human body and doing lots of fun activities
to reinforce our learning.
Spelling: The last two weeks 80% of the students in our class achieved an A- or above on their spelling tests!!!
KEEP IT UP
Reading: Students need to remember to bring their book home to re-read their story to a parent. Then on Thursdays
their reading book and their signed reading slip are due back! There are a couple of chronic, forgetful students in the
class. Check with your student and make sure they know where their book is. These books will cost A LOT to replace.
Iowa Assessments: February 10-13 we will take the Iowa Assessments. GOOD LUCK STUDENTS!!! Make sure your
student eats breakfast, gets to bed early, and encourage them to try their best!
In 4 grade spelling we will be working on changing the “y” to an “I” and adding an ending. We will also be
working on words that make the “oo” and “oy” sound.
We will be reading The Life and Times of the Ant, The Power of Oil, Ima and the Great Texas Ostrich Race,
and My Brother’s Flying Machine. We will be learning about pronouns, subject pronouns, and object pronouns in
Grammar. We will have new vocabulary words each week with our story. We will also be writing a Fictional
Narrative.
We are learning about angles in Math. We will also be starting a new chapter about measuring length, area,
temperature, and converting units. Science will be exciting and new as well. We are going to learn about magnetism
first and then learn about the physics of sound.
Grades 4 -6 will be going on a field trip to the Stephens Auditorium at Iowa State University to develop an
appreciation of music. Our students start band in 5 grade and they will be able to watch the Iowa State Symphony. The
students will also get to know each instrument!
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F IFTH G RADE
B ARB M ASON , M ERIDITH T HOMAS
Hard to believe that we are starting the 3rd quarter. The students continue to explore new concepts in all core subjects.
Math: Mason’s class just completed mean, median, mode, line plotting, range, frequency tables, and are now getting
into factions.
Language Arts: students are finishing up their sensory descriptive writing using google docs and will present work to
the class utilizing the podium for public speaking.
Social Studies: each student has gathered information, using the internet, for their specific colony which is being
converted into power point presentations. Again, each student will present their project to the class in the form of public
speaking. The Treasures student anthology is filled with stories that continue to tie into our core subjects.
Our next focus in Science will be weather. Students will be going beyond the textbook to gather information on
various weather concepts. As always, the class is very busy and eagerly awaits their next adventure.
Thanks for taking time to read this…always know you are welcome to stop by…
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S IXTH G RADE
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J ANET L ARSON
The 6th graders are reading a new book called Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick in literature class. In Social
studies we are learning about the ancient cultures and religions of India. We are studying about our human body
systems in science. We are nearly done with a unit in mathematics on adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing
decimals.
The 6th graders are excited about the Spelling Bee that Mrs. Fitzgerald is organizing for February. The majority of
the class has chosen to take part.
We are also looking forward to a field trip to Iowa State University on February 26th. We are going to hear the
Iowa State University symphony in concert, followed by an instrument “petting zoo”. The symphony members will have
their instruments in the lobby and will allow the students to touch and play them. It should be fun!
Many of the 6th graders are reading books and taking AR tests on them so that they can qualify to be on the team
for the Battle of the Books, which will take place on Thursday, April 9th. AEA267 hosts this event every year in Cedar
Falls. The students must read a minimum of six books from a list which was chosen by the AEA267 hosts to qualify for
the team. Many of our students have nearly met the minimum six books. We are getting excited about the event!
-Janet Larson, Roberta Hale, George Corrum, and the 6th grade class
E LEMENTARY P HYSICAL E DUCATION
S ARAH M URPHY
We’ve just begun a basketball unit. The kids are learning more about shooting form and ball handling. We’re
also learning about important rules like traveling, double dribbling, and fouling.
Jump Rope for Heart will kick off the first week a February with an assembly! Students will be sent home with
informational packets from the American Heart Association about this important fundraiser. Last year, our school raised
$1,199.00 , which saved 24 lives! We hope to match that number or do better this year.
E LEMENTARY A RT
R ACHEL M ATLACK
It looks like winter is here to stay now, and our MSS students have been making some fun snowy projects! Fifth
graders just finished their radial weavings, and are now making winter snowscape paintings after watching Bob Ross
paint some of his famous mountains and trees. The second graders have made snow globes and cold polar bears, and are
now in the process of learning about fractions by making snowflake collages. The other classes have also been busy.
Sixth graders are making graffiti style lettering on big cardboard sheets, third graders are studying Vincent Van Gogh’s
“Starry Night” painting, and the fourth grade students are finishing up their paper mâché sculptures of people in action.
The kindergarteners made clay pendants with their initials on them, and first graders are making clay bowls. Here are
some photos of current student artwork. Have a great month, and don’t forget to keep encouraging our wonderful
artists!
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E LEMENTARY M USIC
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V ALERIE S ONDAG
Lower elementary music classes are ready to learn new things for our second semester. Kindergarten and first
grades are learning about different instruments. They are exploring classroom rhythm instruments and band/orchestral
instruments. Students will use instruments for accompaniment for songs, sound effects, and practicing reading rhythm
and keeping a beat. Second grade is finishing up a unit on American folk music and starting a unit on Latin and Spanish
music. They are also learning about reading rhythm and pitch in written music. Third graders are currently exploring
the American musical: it’s form, composers and popular songs and how it compares to a play or an opera.
G IFTED & T ALENTED
M ARY F ITZGERALD
Mark your calendars! Tuesday, February 5, 2015, is the date for the 4 -6 grade Meskwaki
Elementary Spelling Bee.
61 students in grades four, five, and six have signed up to compete in this fun academic
competition.
Students have been given a packet of 300 words to study for the contest, and they will be
asked to spell words from all three levels.
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The Bee will be held in the commons at 2:00. All parents are welcome.
E LEMENTARY L IBRARY
M ICHELLE P HINNEY
Well it’s hard to believe we are half way through the school. During technology class the students in K-3rd grade
are using a program called Keyboarding Without Tears. This is an effective game-based curriculum for students that
teach pre-keyboarding and keyboarding skills, alongside computer readiness, digital citizenship and literacy. Here are
some of the skills the elementary students will be working on:
Kindergarten: Keys for Me introduces the keyboard and mouse functions while making sure young children use
correct habits from the beginning. Activities support reading and handwriting skills, with a strong focus on letter
recognition, blends, digraphs, and rhymes.
First Grade: My Keying Board uses game-based lessons to develop finger dexterity and finger-key association for typing
letters and words. As familiarity with the keyboard grows, children type word parts, frequently used words, and short
sentences.
Second Grade: Key Power introduces all of the letter and keyboarding skills from earlier grades, but at a faster pace.
Muscle memory of the keyboard is developed with frequently used letter combinations. Students enjoy changing themes
as they learn to type words and sentences.
Third Grade: Keyboarding uses activities to sharpen accuracy and fluency skills. With basic keyboarding well in hand,
children practice with frequently rotating themes: Sing & Play, Famous Faces, Greek & Latin, Bones & Bodies, and
Great Grammar. Themes expose children to new learning while preparing them for computer-based assignments and
assessments.
The upper elementary have been working hard as they are learning about animation, research, mapping skills and
listening to great novels such as The Wizard of Oz, Winter of the Ice Wizard and Sing Down the Moon.
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F ROM THE D ESK OF THE S CHOOL C OUNSELOR
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D INA K EAHNA
Past: Kindergarten, 1 and 2 were given guidance on bullying and harassing behavior due the numerous
inappropriate behaviors among the age group. Which leads to the question, Does bullying begin at preschool? There is
some debate about whether it is accurate to call rough behavior or teasing in preschool, “bullying”.
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“Bullying involves a desire to hurt + hurtful action + a power imbalance + (typically) repetition + an unjust use of
power + evident enjoyment by the aggressor and generally a sense of being oppressed on the part of the victim.”
(p 51), Rigby (2002). The problem with labelling teasing and rough behavior in preschool children as
bullying lies in the nature of child development.
Bullying: Why does it happen? So, in the pre-school years, a child hitting another child, or excluding a peer from
play, or saying hurtful things, is likely to be motivated by things such as:
 Wanting to retain ownership over a toy,
 Not wanting to have their friendship group “crashed” by another child
 Seeing and not understanding difference in other children
 Not wanting to have their play disrupted
 Needing to express anger, frustration, pain
 A need to control their environment, either due to anxiety or leadership qualities
The intent to harm others is not often a significant part of emotional or physical aggression in young children simply
because they are not really thinking about the effect they are having on others. - See more at:
http://childhood101.com/2010/04/does-bullying-begin-at-preschool/#sthash.CjwCHGlB.dpuf
Past 3 gr.-6 gr. Lesson’s were on understanding Conflict and How to resolve them.
 WHAT IS CONFLICT RESOLUTION? Conflict, arguments, and change are natural parts of our lives, as well as
the lives of everyone in a family, community, school and surrounding areas.
 Conflict resolution is a way for two or more parties to find a peaceful solution to a disagreement among them. The
disagreement may be personal or emotional (in our setting).
 When a dispute arises, often the best course of action is negotiation to resolve the disagreement.
 The goals of negotiation are:
 To produce a solution that all parties can agree to
 To work as quickly as possible to find this solution
 To improve, not hurt, the relationship between the groups in conflict
 Conflict resolution through negotiation can be good for all parties involved. Often, each side will get more by
participating in negotiations than they would by walking away, and it can be a way for your group to get
resources that might otherwise be out of reach.
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Information obtained from http://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/implement/provide-information-enhance-skills/
conflict-resolution/main
Present/Future: K-2 grade will have follow-up guidance classes on previous need to address bullying and
harassing behaviors in their peer groups. TIPs on What We Know About Bullying? Bullying is an intentional, aggressive
and repeated behavior that involves an imbalance of power or strength. The various forms of Bullying are:
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•Physical •Verbal •Emotional •Sexual •Racist Bullying •Cyberbullying •Hazing
We also know that Bullying is a problem that affects millions of students of all races and classes. 1 out of 4 kids
is bullied and 42% of kids have been bullied while online. Child and teen Bullying and Cyber-bullying are at an all-time
high. Some kids are so tormented that suicide has become an alternative for them. It has everyone worried. Not just the
kids on its receiving end, but the parents, teachers and others who may not understand how extreme bullying can get.
Information obtained from http://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/implement/provide-information-enhance-skills/
conflict-resolution/main
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Present/Future 3 to 6 grade students: Career Education/Development will begin this quarter with the. What
Is Career Education? Career education helps a person develop the knowledge and skills they need to choose and pursue a
career path. The students will participate in taking interest inventory surveys and discuss what the purpose of these
surveys and how they are used to help students develop a plan or introduce them to different areas of the workforce. In
addiction, we will have our first Career Fair on March 10, 2015. Volunteers will be invited to speak with the students
and talk to them about the importance of Being a Productive Citizen in the World of Work. Now! is the time for our
students to think about what they want to do when they grow up. http://learn.org/articles/
What_is_Career_Education.html
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N URSES N EWS
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Health Happenings:
L INDA K APLAN , R.N.
Vision and dental screenings are almost completed. Referrals have/are being sent home.
Kindergarten dental exams are done and certificates and referrals have been filed with
school records.
9 graders will have dental screenings and mandatory certificates signed by the Dentist.
Seniors will have their mandatory CPR training on February13th.
3 and 7 graders, with parent permission, will have dental sealants on March 30 –April 1, 2015.
Reminder for 6 graders to have their tetanus vaccination updated before next August.
The flu seems to be less prevalent after Winter break.
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Winter Local and Traditional Foods Meal
When: 5-8pm Thursday February 5th, 2015
Where: Tribal Center Gym
Meskwaki Food Sovereignty Initiative invites you to join us for some good food, company,
and games/activities. This event is open to everyone and there will be door prizes.
Ciska Ulug- Food System Communication Coordinator
We are so excited for school to be back in session and to be working with our MAP buddies again! This semester we are only working with 5th and 6th graders, twice a week
and will continue our focus on healthy foods and gardening.
If you are an educator or a parent, and you have ideas for ways or us to work in the
classroom, please get in touch. There are so many ways that gardening and healthy
cooking can fit into your curriculum, so if you are interested in spreading the knowledge,
we are here to help facilitate!
Otherwise, we are continuing our school garden programming through applying for
grants and brainstorming new ways we can expand our audience at the school.
Also, if you or anyone you know wants to get involved with the Local Foods program on
the Settlement, we have three open VISTA slots with April start dates. All three of these
positions work at the MSS in some capacity; two of the three do the majority of their work
in the Settlement School. Check out the flyer for details (next page) or contact Jennifer
Vazquez at [email protected] or (641) 484-4678 ext. 2249.
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Check out our online store. Go to the school’s website, www.msswarriors.org, and click on the link.
Cool stuff at a good price!
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Officials Needed
The number of licensed officials in the area is getting lower and lower. An official can make from $45 to $100 a game or
night depending on the sport and the level of competition. Local schools are always looking for Football, Volleyball and
Basketball officials. A solid understanding of the sport and a willingness to learn the RULES is all it takes. It is important
to remember that the rules of the college and professional sports that we watch on television are different from those in
High School Sports.
If you are interested in becoming a certified official, here are the steps to get started.
The process is the same to get registered for any sport you are interested in. There is an upfront cost of $45-$65 to the
Iowa High School Boys Association and $55.00 to the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union (Additional charges with
both agencies to register for multiple activities.)
To Register:
Step 1
1.
Go to www.iahsaa.org (Boys Athletic Association)
A. Go to the Officials Tab (Top of Screen next to last tab)
B. Click the link- ONLINE REGISTRATION FORM FOR NEW AND RE-REGISTERED
C. OFFICIALS
D. On the bottom of the page in the Box “Iowa Officials” Click on CLICK HERE to Register for
the 2014-2015 School Year
2. Go to www.ighsau.org (Girls Athletic Union)
A. Click on Officials Central Hub—Last tab on the top
B. Click on the registration on the top left hand side 3 Tab in.
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Step 2Take the Test for the Activity you want to take. Make sure you register in time so that you receive the rules book
and officials guide before you take the test. The test is open book.
Step 3View the on-line rules meeting when they open up. Rule meeting can be found by going to either the boys
association or the girls union and clicking on the sport you want to officiate.
Step 4Notify local schools that you are a certified official and the levels in which you are certified to officiate. Contact
the AD, have your officials number from the state.
Step 5To be certified to officiate at Varsity competitions you will have to attend an Officiating Camp every 3 years.
Todd Dale
641-484-9000 School
Athletic/Activities Director
641-481-0848 Cell
Meskwaki High School
[email protected]
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SPORTSMANSHIP
Fans can make a difference.
Sportsmanship is the act of cheering for your team, not against your opponent or the officials. It is important that we
remember that our actions affect not only how the community is seen, but how the players are judged on the floor.
Being positive and cheering for your team paints a positive picture of your team. Being negative, complaining about
every call tends to bring on more “bad” calls. Being a good sport can simply be demonstrated by the simple rule “If you
don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.”
W HAT DID YOU TEACH YOUR KIDS TODAY ?
K IDS
LEARN BY WHAT THEY SEE AND HEAR .
SO
WHAT DID YOU TEACH YOUR KID TODAY ?
Road Safety for Our Youth
The leading cause of unintentional injury of Natives between the ages of one year to 44 years is car crashes. In
children 19 and under it is the leading cause of unintentional injury resulting in death. These numbers are significantly
higher in Native populations compared to other groups. Over half of crashes involve alcohol. (Tribal Road Safety: Get the
Facts, www.CDC.gov)
The biggest influence on the seatbelt use of children is parental and peer influence (Increasing Seat Belt Use
Among 8– to 15– Year-Olds, www.NHTSA.gov). We are teaching our kids, nieces and nephews, younger siblings and
cousins whether seat belt use is important through our own actions.
Misconceptions about seat belt use:
It’s a short drive
Most accidents occur within 2 miles of the person’s home.
I will brace myself or my children in a crash
The force your body travels at in a crash is (your weight) x (the speed) the car is traveling. For example an 180 lbs.
person travelling at 30 mph is 5,400 lbs. of force. Even a 40 lbs. child will be propelled by a force of 1,200 lbs. at 30
mph. You will not be able to prevent injury from collision with the interior of the vehicle, or prevent ejection from the
vehicle without use of the seat belt.
What if my car were to catch on fire, or land in water?
Crashes involving water or fire account for less than 1% of all crashes. Wearing a seat belt reduces your risk of injury or
death by half. Statistically you are much safer wearing a seat belt. Airbags used with a seat belt reduces the risk of
injury or death by 40%
I’m a good driver.
You may be the best driver ever, but a lot of factors are out of your control. Weather, how well a road has been
maintained , and other drivers.
Set a good example by wearing your seat belt at all times.
Attention Parents of Seniors:
Needed for the yearbook are a senior portrait, and 2-5
childhood pictures. You may also send in a note, phrase, or short poem to be
included on your senior’s page.
Due February 13th
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7-12 M ESKWAKI L ANGUAGE & C ULTURE
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M EDIKEA , N ATENIKEGA ,
M ATTINIKEA , N EMIOWA
The Language Assignments flourishing from Room 603 have been focusing on the language of Inquiry, that is,
when a question is asked and the student is either going to respond with an affirmative answer or one which concedes
with a negative response. There are seven responses to seven forms of language communication. The prefixes Ni(vowel)
and Ne(vowel) refer to yourself: “I am going to (vowel)” and “I am (vowel)” followed by the action verb which you are
using in that order. We have been focusing on the negative responses which require some memorization. As an example,
to the question: Ne wanike? (did I forget?) the responder would add the suffix “yanin”. The response would be
“Agi, wanike-yanini” (You did not forget). When using Ki(vowel) and Ke(vowel) (referring to “you”), use “yanin” with the
long vowel(a). The long vowel sounds are underlined here. The question being: Ke wanike? (did you forget?), the
response would be “Agi, wanike-yanini” (You did not forget). For the Ni(vowel)bena and Ne(vowel)bena , you would use
“Yegin” (long e) as in “Agi-wanike-yegin”. For Ki(wanike)bena and Ke(wanike)bena, the suffix is “yanini” (all short
vowels). The example would be “Agi-wanike-yanini”(You are not hungry). Wi(wanike)Wa? and (wanike)Wa? (referring
to he or she) will use the response: “Agi wanike-ttin”(He or she did not forget), Wi(wanike) waki? and (wanike)-Waki?
(they/them) Will be answered by “Agi-wanike-yattin” (long a) (They did not forget). And finally,
Ki(wanike)Ba? and Ke(wanike)Ba? (Are you guys going to forget?) and (Did you guys forget?) will be responded by
“Agi-wanike-yakin” (long a) (We did not forget). All in all, the students need to recognize when asked a question and
also to be able to understand the verbs being used, and most importantly how to respond to them. The positive responses
would generally be “Eei” followed by a repeating of the original question without the intonation of the question. That is
entirely another whole new lesson. “Kabote-i-webi-nenotamoki”
Initta nomakei,
Medikea
7/8 R EADING
A NGIE B AIR
We will be reading Code Talker this quarter. This is a great book for the students. The class will have discussions
and vocab on each chapter. I would like to see Wind Talkers after we are finished with the book.
We are starting a writing workshop in my class this term. I am excited to see the students writings progress
through the term.
7-12 M ATH
B RANDI W ESTERCAMP
Consumer Math is talking about the responsibilities of a car such as how to buy one and the insurance you need.
Pre-Algebra is learning about exponents and how that means a number multiplied a bunch of times not just taking the
base times the power. Math 7 is working with Prime and Composite numbers. Ask your student if they can tell you
the difference, a prime number has exactly two factors one and itself and a composite number has a factor other than
one and itself. Geometry has been working on their big projects. They are looking for and creating designs with
transformations; reflections, rotations and translations.
P AGE 14
M/H L IBRARY
A
TTI MO NI
B ILL W ILSON
In this issue I would like to address overdue books. As of Friday, January 16, 2015, the MS/HS library has 42 books
listed as being overdue. If we were to replace every book that is overdue the amount needed would be $660.93. Of
these 42 books listed as being overdue, 16 of them are overdue by at least a month. We do have a few books that have
been due since the first part of this school year. Once a book is overdue by at least a month or more, they will go down
as being “lost” and the student must pay the replacement value of the book.
Middle School & High School students may have two books checked out at any one time. These books are checked out
for two weeks. If a student has not completed a book in that two week time the book may be renewed. Once a book has
been listed on the circulation computer as being overdue then that student will be “restricted” from checking out another
book. Just as soon as the overdue book is returned, renewed, or replacement payment made, the student is placed back
on “active checkout status.” Sometimes a student may be on the “restricted” list for several week but they still would
like to read in the library. The MS/HS library has a large number of magazines available that may be read in the library.
There is also a large collection of paperback books that are on the “No Checkout Needed” shelf.
We want our middle school and high school students to read each and every day not only here at school but at home
as well. Please ask your child if he or she has an overdue book or a book that is missing. If they have a missing book then
please take a look around the house as it could very well be there somewhere.
Thank you for your continued support as we work toward building a premier library for all of our students.
7-12 C OMPUTERS & S OCIAL S TUDIES
C LAUDE S AMPSON
The film class began the semester learning about filmmaking techniques and terminology by examining the films of
the Master of Suspense, Alfred Hitchcock. We began with Hitchcock’s second American film, Foreign Correspondent
which will be followed by Saboteur, Shadow of a Doubt, Rear Window, North By Northwest and ending with Psycho.
After our study of Hitchcock has concluded we will begin examining the genre Film Noir with the film credited as being
the first noir film, The Maltese Falcon starring Humphrey Bogart. We will follow with Double Indemnity. The Postman
Always Rings Twice, Sunset Boulevard plus others.
World issues class has examined several Native American issues plus current topics such as the State of the Union
address and more recently the increase in terrorist activity. The next topic we will examine is health care.
Computer Applications Class is back into the school schedule this semester. The class is an elective for senior high
school students. The class will learn various Windows based applications and programs such as Windows 7, Work
2010, Power Point 2010 and others using a video format system entitled Atomic Learning. It is a visual, computer
based system where students work independently at their own pace.
7-12 M ATH
T ERRY E YGABROAD
I would like to mention what curriculum that the math classes are covering.
 Algebra 2: Polynomials – Sums, Products and Quotients.
 Algebra 1: Factoring Polynomials
 Pre-Calculus: Exponential and Logarithmic Function
 Statistics: Discrete Probability Distribution

Integrated Math 3: Sequences and Series
The students are doing a great job understanding the curriculum.
When the students come into the classroom they pick up their folders with their notes and homework, pick up a
calculator and their book. We want to start as soon as we can to utilize the class period. There is study table from
3:30 – 4:30 on Monday through Thursday. Teachers are available for the students. Any student can come in for extra
help. The theme is to be safe, be responsible and be respectful.
P AGE 15
7-12 A RT
A
TTI MO NI
J ULIE B OUSUM
The new year brings with it a change in art classes. The Art Department is excited to present its newest class:
Design! This class will give students an opportunity to communicate with shapes, colors, and text by drawing on the Mac
computers. This class features the opportunity to work with the Adobe Illustrator Program, often required in college art
programs. Design provides a foundation for students who want to go into art- or design-related occupations.
The pottery program is growing. The numbers have tripled from last semester. Students start with pinch pots,
progress to large coil pots, and are assigned to throw pots on the wheel at least three times. This semester the students
will visit the ceramic collection at Marshalltown’s Fisher Center. The pottery there has been rated as one of the top 100
national collections!
A new group of middle school students is using the new printing press for the first time as each designs a linoleum
block print that demonstrates a Meskwaki value. The printing press has many applications and drawing class will have a
chance to experiment with it.
Painting students are moving from basic color mixing to their first project, where they will study Fritz Scholder, an
artist who taught at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe when some of our community members were
attending.
7-12 PE/H EALTH
C HUCK L YON
Both high school and middle school physical education classes have been working on a basketball unit. Most of
the students seem to really enjoy this unit as they go through the skills, strategies, and rules of the game. We will
continue with this unit for about another week as the students will be competing in a tournament to end the unit. The
next unit students will be covering is wiffle ball. This game is similar to baseball and softball, with exception to that it is
normally played indoors and with a wiffle ball.
The High School Health classes are finishing their unit over alcohol. In this unit students learned a lot about how
alcohol affects the body and mind, how it affects social and family life, the risk factors of alcoholism, and ways to get
help. The next topic high school health will be working on is a unit over tobacco. A lot like the previous unit, students will
be learning about the effects of tobacco on the body, social and family life, and the different risk factors. Middle School
Health classes are finishing up their tobacco unit. I decided to flip flop the units with high school, so the next unit Middle
School Health will be covering is alcohol. They will be looking at the effects of alcohol on the body and mind, the risk
factors of alcoholism, how it affects social and family life, and the ways to get help. As always these are important
topics to discuss with your children, so you are encouraged to talk further on these subjects with the students.
P AGE 16
A
TTI MO NI
On January 24th, seven students traveled to Montezuma to compete in Large Group Speech District Contest. Out of
the four teams that performed, three qualified for the State Speech competition (the 2nd of 3
contests). Qualifying teams include the Girls' Improv team (Marci, Kailee, Sara, & Kredence), Radio Broadcast (Shi'Ann,
Brunell, & Orlando), and Readers Theater (Marci, Kailee, Sara, Kredence, Terrell, & Kade). Last year two teams qualified and this year we advanced three. Congratulations and keep up the good work! Large Group State Speech Contest
will be held at Cedar Rapids Washington High School on Saturday, February 7th.
7-12 S OCIAL S TUDIES
L EAH S LICK -D RISCOLL
11th and 12th grade American Indian/Native Studies students have started reading the book Kill the Indian, Save the
Man: The Genocidal Effects of Boarding Schools by Ward Churchill. The students came up with a list of social issues
that Native Nations across America are working on. We are attempting to trace the source of some of the common
social issues that Indigenous communities around the world face in common as a result of colonization, dispossession,
removal and cultural genocide. This course will also focus on modern solutions that Native nations have implemented to
strengthen their communities and help eradicate these issues. You student will have a current event article due each
Friday from a Native American New source such as Indiancountrytoday.com. Your student will likely have homework 23 times a week in this course.
9th and 10th grade Modern American History students are starting the new semester with our unit on World War
I. We will be discussion the advances in technology that the War facilitated, the worldwide effects of the war, and
how Natives contributed to the war. Our second unit will be the 1920’s. Students will also be reading two current
events magazines each week, and have a journal due each Friday in which they analyze a main article of their choice
and offer their perspectives, opinions, and questions about the article. Your student will have homework 1-2 times a
week for this course.
7th and 8th grade Early American History students are studying the Revolutionary War. We will explore how in
American Mythology, the war is often presented as being fought solely to gain independence from Britain and to protect the natural rights of colonists. Students will hone their critical thinking muscles as we critique our book against historical documents that show the war was also heavily fought for the right to expand westward and gain more Indian
land. Our next unit will be about Tecumseh and the War of 1812 and its role as a stepping stone to the Native American
Removal Act of 1830. Your student will likely have homework 1-2 times a week and they should bring their planner home
to show you whether or not they have homework. If your student consistently does not get homework done, I will call to
ask you to sign their planner each night so that I can help them be successful. Thanks for your support!
7-12 S CIENCE
F RED G RIFFEN
With the start of the second semester some changes are in order in some classes. As always in science we
have a few reminders. Students should bring to class every day, Textbook, Homework, Writing Utensil, Vocabulary
Notebook, and planner. Biology will continue looking at animals and the different body systems and structures that they
have. Life Science will be changing to Physical Science. They will be learning about what matter is and how it behaves.
Chemistry will continue to examine the periodic table, how it works, and how atoms of different elements bond together
to make substances we are familiar with. Remember if you have any questions or need any assistance please feel free
to call. My extension is 710, or email at [email protected]
P AGE 17
A
7-12 L ANGUAGE A RTS
TTI MO NI
B RIAN M URPHY
In January, Juniors & Seniors began one of the more unique English classes we offer: Creative Writing. This
class will push them to explore different writing styles and purposes beyond typical essays and papers. In January, we
wrote a “companion piece” for a song where students responded to a song of their choice in a relatively unstructured
piece. After the companion piece, students spent 2 weeks work on Creative Nonfiction where they use personal
experience(s) to creative a vivid story that may or may not embellish some details. In February, students will begin
creating fictitious characters that they will then place into published pieces (movies, novels, etc.) and famous historical
events.
Second semester is a relatively minor transition for Freshmen & Sophomores as they move from
Communications to Composition. In Composition, students will apply what they learned about communication to realworld situations. For example, students spent most of January developing a persuasive letter/email on a topic of their
choosing. Some of the topics chosen this year were reducing drinking & driving; solving homelessness; and eliminating
the use of money in the world. Once students had topics chosen, they were responsible for identifying an audience that
had the power to potentially bring about some change. The final step was to craft a message for that audience by using
an appropriate form of communication (email, letter, social media post, etc.) In February, students will use their
knowledge of persuasion to analyze mass media communication, specifically social media, entertainment, and the
Internet.
In Middle School English, students have begun the novel Codetalkers, which is a fictional story about Navajo
codetalkers based on interviews conducted with codetalker veterans. As we continue to read the novel in February, we
will look at the purpose of censorship (ex: why the government “censored” Native languages at this time) and explore the
impact of language on a culture’s identity.
7-12 B USINESS
D ELONDA P USHETONEQUA
We are well on our way into the spring semester, the year sure is flying by. This semester in the business
department we have Personal Finance and General Business, I am also co-teaching the yearbook class. This spring will
be pretty busy learning about money management and business basics. It will also be crunch time for creating the
yearbook.
Money Tip If you would like to save money with fresh produce this year, start a garden. If you
already
garden, try new veggies that you can eat and store all summer and into the winter. Growing food at
home will save you from having to buy from the store. Not to mention fresh from your own garden tastes much better! You can even start plants early before planting, Red Earth Gardens is a great resource in helping you choose which
plants to start soon.
Visit http://www.iowastarconference.org
for updates on games, cancellations,
locations and start times.
P AGE 18
A
7-12 I NDUSTRIAL T ECH
TTI MO NI
T ODD R OBBINS
Attached are two pictures of the Building trades class standing up walls. 1 pick has the East wall In place and in the
second the students are snapping a chaulk line for alignment of the west wall.. Once the wall is in place the base of the
wall will be secured off the chaulk line then braced with 2x4 supports. The students have shown great determination to
work through the elements mother nature has thrown at us . We should be further along at this point but loss of time
loading up equipment and unloading each day along with weather has slowed us down. We have had some very nice
days this winter compared to last year so we hope to get caught up so we can be finished before school is out for the
summer.
st
7-12 F AMILY & C ONSUMER S CIENCE
J EAN D ALESKE
At Meskwaki MS/HS all of our Family & Consumer Science classes are one semester classes. The classes being
offered 2 semester are: 7 & 8 Cooking, Foods I, and Singles Living. Our Jr. High students are finding out about
Healthy Eating. Here are just a few of the things they are discovering: You can have an appetite without being
hungry. Eating a diet low in fat & cholesterol can lower your risk for obesity & heart disease. Proteins are needed to
build, maintain & repair your body. Carbohydrates provide energy. Fats provide energy, keep skin smooth, & help your
nervous system work Vitamins, minerals, & water help regulate your body functions. All of this contributes to our good
health. Foods I students started the semester spending a day at their laptops researching the “Entertainment Factor” of
food. Each student reported back on a Food Festival somewhere in the world they found of interest. We had
everything from……..”World Food & Music Festival, which is right here in Des Moines, Iowa every September, to an
“International Mango Festival” in India, where they have mango eating competitions, mango carving, mango quizzes &
lots of mango eating. My personal favorites were a “Bug Festival”, in North Carolina where local chefs prepare dishes
using insects, and the “Road Kill Cook-Off in West Virginia, where local cooks prepare dishes using animals you’d find
as, yes you guessed it…Road Kill. Our Singles Living students have begun the year looking at what they value and then
writing short term & long term goals that reflect their values.
nd
th
7-12 C OUNSELOR
th
M AGARET M ESSENGER
Parents play a vital role in the success of a student. From day one a child looks to its parents as the example of what is
right and wrong, what they can and cannot do and who they should strive to be. College planning and career success fall into the
same standards.
A parent has a huge impact on how successful a student can be by simply being involved in the conversation. From an
early age it's important to talk to your student about their goals and dreams. Help you student create a realistic plan to achieve
them, discussing the work and effort it will take to achieve the goal they have set.
When it comes to planning for the future there are many things parents can do to help their children succeed.
Birth through Elementary School
Middle School
High School
V OLUME 10 I SSUE 6
P AGE 19
BIRTH THROUGH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Start a College Savings Plan. The sooner you start saving the less likely your student will be saddled with student loan debt
later in life. Even a few dollars helps. Studies show that if a family has not started saving by the time the child is seven years old,
they will not save anything for college. Start today!
Talk to your child about the importance of education and the benefits it serves. Children are more apt to take school
seriously if it is established by their parents that it is important.
Encourage your child to explore new ideas and try new things.
Set expectations and make sure your child understands why those expectations exist.
Talk about the future and encourage your child to think about different careers. Find fun ways to explore those careers
together.
Read. Reading as a family helps develop vocabulary and increase cognitive thinking.
Teach your child the importance of Savings. Take your child to your bank or credit union and let them open a savings
account. Teach them to save 10-20% of all their money. Learning this habit early will build savings into a lifelong habit.
MIDDLE SCHOOL
Talk to your child's counselor about taking the ACT EXPLORE test to help plan out your student's coursework and
identify areas of success and areas that may need extra attention.
Continue exploring possible career paths. Help your student take Interest Assessments and explore the career areas the
assessment indicates are suited for your student.
Continue to set academic expectations for your student.
Encourage your student to get involved in community and extracurricular activities. Keep a record of this involvement as it
may help with scholarships.
Continue to check in our your College Savings Plan. The more you can save the less your student may have to take in
student loans.
In 8th grade work with your student and the school counselor to develop a four-year plan for high school that reflects
optimum course preparation for college AND helps your student prepare for careers that interest them.
Expand on savings lessons by teaching a budgeting and paying bills. Try to engage your child in some of the family's
financial conversations so they begin learning about the importance of paying bills on time, savings and credit.
HIGH SCHOOL
Continue to review the four-year plan each year, making adjustments as necessary.
Plan for college credit and AP courses when available. College credit earned in high school is free in most cases and if
your student is ready, it is a great way to get a jump start on a college degree.
Sophomore year look into taking the ACT Plan Test.
Begin linking career interests to the education and training required. Begin researching colleges that offer the education
and skill training required for those careers.
Have your student develop a budget for themselves, including spending plans and goals for the future. Reinforce savings
before spending and start talking about the student's responsibility for college costs.
Junior year take the ACT test as part of the admission process for college.
Talk about college financing and create a plan to pay for college, identifying how much each family member will be
contributing. Develop a budget to help determine how much your family can afford for college tuition.
Who's paying the bills?
Where will spending money come from?
Are there spending limits?
Are credit cards part of the plan?
Layout family expectations for college early so there are no surprises.
What are your grade expectations and what are the consequences if those expectations are not met?
Is a car going to campus? Whose car and when can it be used?
F EBRUARY 2015
Mon Mon
Tue
Mini Waffles with Star spangled
syrup, fresh pineapple pancakes, sausage
Breakfast is served with a choice of milk or
fruit juice. Lunch is served with a milk
choice. Milk choice includes
non-fat
(flavored or unflavored) or 1% (unflavored)
milk.
Wed
Thu
Fri
Whole wheat
with toppings,
strawberries
bagel Breakfast pita with Whole grain cinnamon
fresh tomato salsa, sliced roll, mandarin oranges
pears
patty, tropical fruit
Country style beef
Beef & bean burrito,
patties, whole wheat
Stromboli
squares,
tortilla chips, tomato
BBQ beef, fresh snow Turkey and cheese sub, roll & jelly, mashed
garlic
breadsticks,
salsa, romaine &
peas, baked beans,
dark green leaf lettuce, potatoes and gravy,
tomato, Mexican corn, salad, baby carrots, summer fruit salad, tomato slice, sweet steamed broccoli, fresh
diced peaches
fresh banana
brownie
potato fries, fresh kiwi pineapple
Whole grain cereal, Biscuit and Gravy, pine- Scrumptious coffee
Western omelet
French toast sticks
yogurt cup, fresh apple apple chunks
cake, fresh citrus, fruit quesadilla with tomato with syrup, fruit
cup
salsa, fresh grapes
cocktail
Taco Burger, tortilla
chips, tomato salsa,
Hot ham & cheese, Pepperoni pizza, salad, dark green leaf lettuce,
potato wedges, brocco- cherry tomatoes, fresh tomato slice, refried
li, fruit cocktail
orange
beans, fresh banana
Lasagna, garlic bread
stick, marinara sauce,
salad, apple, chocolate
chip cookie
French toast sticks
with syrup, fresh
grapes
Oatmeal breakfast
round, yogurt cup,
strawberries and
Bananas
Whole wheat bagel
with toppings, fresh
apple
Quick blueberry bubble Breakfast pizza, peach
bread, mandarin
slices
oranges
Chicken tetrazzini,
garlic bread, salad,
seasoned peas, apricot
halves
Hamburger, green leaf
lettuce, tomato slice,
oven fries, red bell pepper, fresh clementine
Beef & noodles, mashed
potatoes, green beans,
fresh grapes, blueberry
oat muffin
Baked chicken drumstick, rice, oatmeal roll Sloppy joe, roasted red
& jelly, broccoli, cherry potatoes, edamame,
tomatoes, fresh mango fresh apple
Whole grain cereal,
string cheese, fresh
orange
Pancake on a stick, fruit Biscuit and gravy, fresh Sausage breakfast
cocktail
banana
sandwich, pineapple
chunks
Sweet & sour chicken
nuggets, brown rice,
Super nachos, refried
Asian fresh veggies,
beans, southwestern
cheery tomatoes, celery lentils, fruit cup
sticks, fruit cup
Cheese breadsticks,
marinara sauce,
seasoned corn, salad,
fresh kiwi
Chicken patty, whole
wheat roll & honey,
mashed potatoes &
gravy, steamed
asparagus, sliced pears
Whole grain muffin,
tropical fruit
Rock and roll beef
Pulled pork, creamy
wrap, steamed carrots,
cole slaw, baked beans, fresh pineapple, cherry
fresh strawberries,
crisp
V ISIT THE SCHOOL WEBSITE AT WWW . MSSWARRIORS . ORG