march 2014 distict news · 2 mount vernon community school district march 2014 news “promoting...

www.mountvernon.k12.ia.us PROMOTING EXCELLENCE IN ACADEMICS, ARTS, AND ATHLETICS

MOUNT VERNON COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT

MARCH 2014

M V C S D525 Palisades Road SWMount Vernon, IA 52314-1761

Non Profi t Organiza onU.S. Postage

P A I DMount Vernon, IA

Permit No. 3Reminder....Mar. 5: Community ConversationMar. 14: 12:30 - Early DismissalMar. 11 & 13: MS ConferencesMar. 13: HS Conferences

MUSTANG DISTRICT NEWS

Ryan & Cannon Finish 1st & 2nd ................................... 1Aca Deca on to State ..................................................... 1Interna onal Day ........................................................... 1High School Musical ...................................................... 1Great Things Happening ................................................ 2 Kids Club Weather Announcement ............................... 2Kindergarten Round Up ................................................. 2Non Discrimina on Policy ............................................. 2Founda on Board of Trustees ....................................... 2Class of 2014 - Senior Details & Informa on ................ 2Archery Update ............................................................. 3Thrive Distributes Tee Shirts .......................................... 32014-2015 District Calendar .......................................... 3WETAP ........................................................................... 4Post Prom Needs Volunteers ......................................... 4African Art at the Elementary ........................................ 4Wrestling Season Update .............................................. 4WWII Vets Visit the High School .................................... 4Alt Ed Gets New Carpet ................................................. 4State Robo cs Tournament ........................................... 55th Grade Musical ......................................................... 5ES Science Fair ............................................................... 5Robbie Peters Selected for Shrine Bowl ........................ 5Ryan Ackerman a ends Future Medical Leaders Conf. . 5Cancer Dona on Follow Up ........................................... 5March Breakfast & Lunch Menu .................................... 6Upcoming Community Conversa on Info ..................... 6MV Fine Arts Associa on ............................................... 6Baseball Team Looking for Projects ............................... 6P.R.I.D.E. ......................................................................... 7Booster Club .................................................................. 7High School Guidance Info ............................................ 7March Ac vity Calendar ................................................ 8Updated 2013-14 Calendar ........................................... 8Fees & Fines Added to Student Accounts. ..................... 8ACT Informa on ............................................................ 8Elementary Chorus Club to Perform .............................. 8

IN THIS ISSUE

The State Academic Decathlon compe on will be held in Johnston, Iowa on March 7 & 8. The Mount Vernon High School team fi nished 2nd in the state among small schools at Regionals to earn their trip to State. They will compete for the state tle against 23 other teams from across Iowa in March, 11 of them are small schools. Mount Vernon Academic Decathlon students of dis nc on scores from Regionals are:Overall high scores:Laura Player - 2nd in Honors DivisionKaty McCollum - 3rd place in Scholas c DivisionAdam Gage - 4th place in Varsity DivisionInterviewGage Lochner and Jenny Deininger, Honors division, each ed for 2nd place overallSpeechKaty McCollum--2nd place Scholas cLanguage and LitSean Herrmann--3rd place Honors DivisionMathJenny Deininger--Honors, 3 way e for 1st placeAdam Gage--Varsity, 1st placeEconomicsLaura Player--Honors, 3 way e for 3rd placeAdam Gage--Varsity, 3rd placeMusicKaty McCollum--Scholas c, 3rd placeArtLaura Player--Honors, 1st placeKaty McCollum--Scholas c, 2nd placeRaina David--Scholas c, e for 3rd placeSocial ScienceAmanda Grunder--Scholas c, e for 2nd placeScienceLaura Player--Honors, 2nd placeRaina David--Scholas c, 3rd placeAdam Gage--Varsity, e for 2nd placeMacon McInnis--Varsity, 3rd place

ACA DECA ON TO STATE!

ACADEMIC DECATHLON 2014 STATE TEAM

Front Row: Coach Sarah Richardson, Amanda Grunder, Kathleen McCollum, Adam Gage, Sara Lyon. Back Row: Jacob Feldman, Sean Herrmann, Macon McInnis, Mallory Roudabush, and Cory Brannaman.

If you have a student that will be attending 4-year old PreSchool

or Kindergarten in the fall, please contact the Washington Elementary

Of ice at (319) 895-6251.

INTERNATIONAL DAY Interna onal Day is always a highlight of the school year and this year was no diff erent. Kira Blumentri (Germany), Lene Gurvig (Denmark) and Fanelly Bidon-Pel er (France) gave fantas c presenta ons about their home countries. They discussed their culture, famous sites to visit, the cuisine, their schools and their home life. One interes ng fact that Mount Vernon stu-dents could relate to was in regard to a round-a-bout in Paris. Fanelly Bidon-Pel er shared about the Arc de Triomphe monument and told of the huge roundabout that surrounds the monument. The roundabout has 12 pres gious avenues that radiate out from the Arc de Triomphe and as many as 130 cars may be in the roundabout at one me! Kira Blumentri (Germany)is hosted by the Steve & Susan Maurice family, Lene Gurvig (Den-mark) is hosted by the Ryan & Angie Steen family and Fanelly Bidon-Pel er (France) is hosted by the Sco & Sue Gearhart family. Thank you ladies for sharing your countries with our students!

At le : Map of the roundabout at the Arc de Triomphe

Congratula ons to seniors Cory Brannaman and Emma Conroy on their success

of “The 25th Annual Putnum County Spelling Bee” presented February 14 and 15.

“The 25th Annual Putnum County

Spelling Bee”

RYAN & CANNON FINISH 1ST & 2ND

Congratula ons to senior wrestlers Trey Ryan and Josh Cannon. They capped off a fantas c senior season by fi nishing fi rst and second respec vely at the State Tournament in Des Moines. Trey started out the State meet winning by a fall over Dusty Swindler (Clarinda) in his fi rst round of the tournament. He advanced to the quarterfi nal round where he won by decision over Jake Sherman (Saydel.) In the semi-fi nal round Trey

defeated Adam Drain (Mediapolis) and moved on to the State Championship. Saturday night found Ryan up against Tyler Lutes of BCLUW, Conrad. Trey took care of business and defeated Lutes 8-0 to win by major decision and took home the 2A - 170 state tle.

Josh Cannon also had a fantas c state run. He started out his State Tournament run winning by fall over Anthony Clayton (Grinnell.) In the quarterfi nal match Josh won by injury default over Kendrick Suntken (Hampton-Dumont.) The semifi nal match proved to be more challenging as Cannon fi nished off Tyler Christensen of Atlan c in the ul mate e breaker 9-8 to earn a spot in the championship round. A familiar foe took the mat across from Cannon in the championship round as Josh ba led Lance Evans of Solon. He fell 3-0 to Evans fi nishing in second place. Congratula ons to both young men on a GREAT State Tournament meet!*See addi onal wrestling season informa on on page 4.

Trey Ryan stands atop the Championship podium as the 2A-170 State Champion!

Josh Cannon is awarded a medal for his second place fi nish in the State Tournament.

www.mountvernon.k12.ia.us 2 Mount Vernon Community School District MARCH 2014 NEWS

“Promoting Excellence in Academics, Arts, and Athletics”

Mount Vernon Community School District

-DIRECTORY-

-DISTRICT NEWS-

ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE Superintendent Offi ce ................................. 319-895-8845525 Palisades Road SW, Mount Vernon, IA 52314 Superintendent: Dr. Gary O’Malley [email protected] Superintendent Secretary: Amy Weber Bookkeeper: Carol Woods Business Manager: Ma Burke Communica ons & Alumni: Kathy Staskal Founda on/Grants: Ben BrannamanFOR ALL BUILDINGS ........................................895-8843 Grounds & Buildings: Roger Pitlik Informa on Technology Admin: Sean Flockhart Systems Administrator: Tim Larson Nurses: Melissa Hauser & Linda See School Lunch Program: Marcia Purington Transporta on: Dennis Gross (895-6205) Homeless Educa on Program Liaison: Jason Pershing Equal Opport. & Level I Inves gator: Bldg. Principals

ELEMENTARY SCHOOLMain Offi ce/A endance ......................................895-6251615 5th Ave SW, Mount Vernon, IA 52314 Principal: Kate Jones [email protected] Building Secretary: Denise Havill Building Secretary: Lori Arnold School Counselor: Heidi Hassen ELP: DeAnn Scearce Early Childhood: Erin Whitehead & Jo Nowak- Thompson Media Center: Mary Priske Kids Club: Maura Arnold ..............................560-2958

MIDDLE SCHOOLMain Offi ce/A endance ......................................895-6254525 Palisades Road SW, Mount Vernon, IA 52314 Principal: Bob Haugse [email protected] Building Secretary: Chiara Burke Building Secretary: Pa y Mote Athle c Director: Aaron Trui ELP: DeAnn Scearce Guidance Offi ce: Jennifer Holub Tischer Media Center: Suze e Kragenbrink

HIGH SCHOOLMain Offi ce/A endance ......................................895-8843731 Palisades Road SW, Mount Vernon, IA 52314 Principal: Steve Brand [email protected] Ac vi es Director & Assistant Principal: Joe Wallace [email protected] Ac vi es Secretary: Val Binsfi eld Building Secretary: Stephanie Timm Registrar & Building Secretary: Vicky Wieseler ELP: Guidance Offi ce: Mick Angel Media Center: Suze e Kragenbrink Alterna ve Educa on: Jason Pershing

BOARD OF EDUCATIONDARRIN GAGE, PresidentDR. MARK WELDON, Vice PresidentLORI MERLAK, SHERRY GRUNDER, TARA BROKOVICH, VIRGINIA ROUDABUSH, SHANNON AMUNDSON, MembersMATT BURKE, Secretary Treasurer (895-8845)

This district newsle er is published 10 mes per year for parents and residents of the Mount Vernon Community School District. Addi onal copies may be obtained by calling 319-895-8845. Views are those of the authors. Any ques ons about educa onal programs or school events should be directed to the Superintendent’s offi ce. Ar cles can be submi ed via email or CD. Materials due by the 15th of every month. No permission is necessary to reproduce contents unless otherwise noted. Clearly label the mate-rial with your name and phone number and send it to the Administra ve Offi ce by email or drop if off to the district offi ce to: Amy Weber 319-895-8845 or [email protected]

-ALUMNI QUOTE- GREAT THINGS HAPPENING AT MVCSD! “Like so many Mount Vernon alums and

members of the Mount Vernon community, for the last several years I have without reserva on volunteered my me and talents to a number of worthwhile events. Over the course of the last three plus years, certain events in me and people that I have come into contact with, have without a doubt had a tremendous impact on my life. It is these events, these people, and the impacts that the cumula ve have had on me, that have guided me towards new journeys in life. If you had the power, the capacity to produce an eff ect – to make a diff erence in a person’s life or in a group of people’s lives, would you chose to venture down new pathways?”

KEVIN ROGERS 1981West Liberty, IA

CLASS OF 2014 SENIOR DETAILS & INFORMATION

GET TO KNOW MVCSD FOUNDATION BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Ben Brannaman, Founda on Director

School Closing and Delays and the Kids Club schedule:Any me school is closed, Kids Club will also be closed.If there is a two-hour delay, Kids Club will not open un l 7 am.This is a change so PLEASE TAKE NOTICE OF THIS CHANGE!Childcare will s ll be available during spring break and the summer.

KIDS CLUB WEATHER RELATED SCHEDULE CHANGES

Senior Awards Night - The senior recogni on celebra on is scheduled for Monday, May 12th @ 7:30 p.m. in the Mount Vernon District Auditorium (located in the Middle School.) Seniors should meet inside the Middle School Band Room no later than 7:10 p.m. Recommended dress for this event is business casual. The wearing of shorts and/or jeans is discouraged. Senior scholarships and other student accomplishments will be recognized during this ceremony.Seniors’ Last Day - On Thursday, May 15, seniors will follow a 12:30 p.m. dismissal schedule to accommodate for the annual school picnic in the a ernoon. All students are expected to remain in school un l 3:06 p.m. Seniors’ last day of school is Thursday, May 15 at the conclusion of gradua on rehearsal (see below.)Gradua on Rehearsal - Rehearsal is scheduled for Thursday, May 15 (Seniors’ Last Day) at 1:50 p.m. in the high school gymnasium. Caps and gowns will be distributed by our Herff Jones representa ve at this me. Students will prac ce the commencement processional (in/out) with junior ushers, learn how to enter/leave the stage during the awarding of diplomas and fi ll out fi nal transcript requests. All outstanding school fi nancial obliga ons will need to be se led at this me and all school items returned. Seniors are required to a end this rehearsal.Commencement Exercises - Seniors will graduate on Sunday, May 18 at 2:00 p.m. in the High School Gymnasium. Doors will open at 1:00 p.m. Unlimited sea ng for the families of graduates will be available in the gym bleachers and on the gymnasium fl oor. Easy access sea ng will be available on the main fl oor for those who need special sea ng arrangements. Sea ng for all spectators is based on a fi rst-come, fi rst-served basis.Seniors should arrive at the high school no later than 1:30 p.m. Graduates will gather in Room 124 (Mrs. Lynner’s classroom) to dress in their cap/gown and line up for the commencement processional at 1:45 p.m. Dress for commencement is business casual. Males will wear dress pants, dress shoes and bu oned shirts. Females will wear dresses or dress tops/pants. Flip fl ops should not be worn to commencement. The wearing of shorts and/or jeans would be inappropriate for a formal ceremony AND these students will be asked to change into appropriate a re or will not be allowed to par cipate in the ceremony.Transcripts - Seniors who wish to have their transcript sent to a par cular ins tu on and/or employer should fi ll out a transcript request during gradua on rehearsal. Transcripts will be mailed to post secondary ins tu ons a er all senior grades have been fi nalized.Alcohol Free Gradua on Party Signs - Gradua on signs are available for anyone wishing to support local youth during gradua on season. The signs say, “We Support Alcohol Free Gradua on Par es, Mount Vernon Mustangs.” Help create an environment in Mount Vernon showing young people alcohol free gradua on celebra ons can be a fun way to honor the achievements of all graduates. Stop by the High School offi ce or call (319) 895-8845, ext: 1006 to request a sign.

Kindergarten Round Up April 11

If you have a child who will be a ending Kindergarten next year please call

Washington Elementary to register for Round Up.

Students who a end Washington Elementary preschool are automa cally

registered and do not need to call. Look for a mailing the 2nd week of March

with details about a ending round up. Please call Washington Elementary with

ques ons at (319) 895-6251

There will be NO SCHOOL for KINDERGARTNERS April 11 due to

Kindergarten Round Up.

Members of the Founda on Board of Trustees include:Ann Koppenhaver ’78, PresidentDavid Ryan ’85, Vice-PresidentMa Burke, TreasurerDr. Mark Weldon, School Board Representa veJohn Rife ’60Ann StonerJenna Wiebel Wischmeyer ’91Thomas WieselerMary Young

Interested in suppor ng our students by making a gi or learning more about the Founda on? We encourage you to take a minute to talk to one of these board members who would be happy to share with you their passion for Mount Vernon Schools. You can also contact Founda on Director Ben Brannaman ‘05, at mvfounda [email protected] or at 319-693-9520. Go Mustangs!

The March newsle er provides several examples of our work with ac vi es, academics, the arts and athle cs. Let’s celebrate the many accomplishments of our students, and thank the volunteers who support our educa onal program. Special thanks to parent group presidents; Jackie Morrical of P.R.I.D.E., Jo Nowak-Thompson of the Mount Vernon Fine Arts Associa on, Angie Cannon of WETAP, and Kent Streicher of Booster Club for their leadership and service to our community. In this edi on of the newsle er, please read about Academic Decathlon, upcoming Kindergarten Round Up, our non-discrimina on policy, senior awards, gradua on rehearsal, and commencement. Please note the updates on ac vi es, post prom, robo cs, science fair and You Ma er tee shirts. Special recogni on goes to students Robbie Peters and Ryan Ackerman. Congratula ons! We are one day closer to spring. Go Mustangs! Gary O’Malley

The Mount Vernon Community School District will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, na onal origin, sex, sexual orienta on, gender iden ty, marital status (for programs), socioeconomic status (for programs), disability, religion, and creed. Students, parents, employees and others doing business with or performing services with the district who feel that they have experienced discrimina on are encouraged to contact Joe Wallace, Equity Coordinator, Mount Vernon Community High School, 731 Palisades Road SW, Mount Vernon, IA 52314, telephone: 319-895-8843 x4005, where our district has a grievance procedure for processing complaints of discrimina on. Inquiries may also be directed in wri ng to the Director of Civil Rights – Region VII, US Department of Educa on,; 310 W. Wisconsin Ave.; Suite 800; Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53203-2292 (phone: 414-291-1111) or to the Iowa Department of Educa on; Grimes State Offi ce Building; Des Moines, Iowa, 50319-0146 (phone: 515-281-5294).

NON DISCRIMINATION POLICY

Dr. Gary O’MalleySuperintendent

Informa on on Hard Surface Routes can be found at

www.mountvernon.k12.ia.us

Mount Vernon Community School District MARCH 2014 NEWS 3www.mountvernon.k12.ia.us

FINAL ARCHERY TOURNAMENT SHOOT IN ANAMOSA The Mount Vernon Archery club closed out the regular season in Anamosa on February 15. All three teams earned tournament honors. The Elementary team scored a total of 2716, fi nishing in third place. The Middle School team took fi rst place with a score of 3247 and the High School team placed 2nd by scoring 3324. In Anamosa, individual awards were given to 6th place. In High School, the scores were highly compe ve. Kayla Hicks placed 6th with a 277 and Nathanial Barnhart placed 4th by scoring 290, which was a personal best for him. For the Middle School, Aubrey Vlasek led the girls by shoo ng 274 and placing 4th in the tournament. Three Middle School boys earned individual awards. Derk Keller took 6th place with a score of 274, Chris an Tanberg scored 275 for 4th and Logan Kelly scored 284 for 1st place. On the elementary school team, the lead scorers were Anna Nydegger and Adam Vig. Twenty-seven archers shot personal bests at Anamosa: Adam Vig, Aden Locke, Anna Nydegger, Brody Ulch, Chase Burkart, Cooper Becthold, Derk Keller, Ellie Crock, Faith Roudabush, Hannah DeWi e, Jake Kadlec, Jeana Konkowski, John Arians, Kayla Wallace, Kaylynn Burgin, Lauren Burkle, Maddie Dickson, Ma Trachta, Nathaniel Barnhart, Noah Exley-Schuman, Noah Guillaume, Olivia Zach, Reese Panos, Savannah Howard, Seth Moore, and Shannon Beck. This season, there were over 200 personal records accumulated by the Mustangs. The NASP State Archery Tournament will be held at the Community Choice Credit Union Conven on Center Grand Ballroom in Des Moines on Saturday, March 1. Based on the team scores for this past season, all three teams have qualifi ed for the State tournament to be held in Des Moines on March 1. At each level, the teams will consist of the top 24 archers from the season. Right now, the Mustang archers are scheduled to shoot in four consecu ve fl ights star ng at noon.Individual ResultsElementary School: Adam Vig, 254; Adam Deeb, 210; Aden Locke, 251; Aden Grudzinski, 194; Anna Nydegger, 242; Brody Ulch, 229; Eli Webster, 163; Elizabeth Meier-Gast, 198; Ellie Crock, 233; Faith Roudabush, 188; Grayce Conley, 154; Hannah Dewi e, 220; Isabelle Krapfl , 203; Jaegen Becthold, 195; Jake Kadlec, 228; Jessica Belding, 135; Kai Yamanishi, 199; Kaiden Shannon, 145; Kayla Wallace, 217; Keean Kamerling, 221; Maddie Dickson, 159; Nathan Woods, 208; Quinlan Denes, 160; Rylan Bu erbaugh, 176Middle School: Adrian Dale, 218; Alex Deeb, 267; Aubree Vlasek, 274; Aus n Koehn, 186; Aus n Webster, 267; Brandon Lochner, 267; Caroline Voss, 250; Chris an Tanberg, 275; Cian Meier-Gast, 239; Clayton Loyd, 266; Cody Connolly, 270; Collin Hallier, 270; Colton Kollasch, 151; Colton Hof, 273; Connor Myers, 272; Cooper Becthold, 261; Derek Jordan, 239; Derk Keller, 274; Elijah Mcinnis, 197; Emily Friedman, 237; Erin Mar , 213; Evan Tvedt, 245; Henry Maddock, 216; Jace Delancey, 181; Jake Stanerson, 215; Jake Kamerling, 169; Jakob Hunter, 225; Jeana Konkowski, 260; John Norton, 227; Josh Haugse, 231; Kaiden Coleman, 201; Kailey Shannon, 236; Karlyn Connolly, 255; Kaylynn Burgin, 210; Kelsey Kosman, 251; Lauren Burkle, 213; Logan Kelly, 284; Madeline Morrical, 255; Mae Owen, 222; Masen Pelley, 166; Mathew Trachta, 256; Ma hew Erlandson, 189; Ma hew Morrical, 242; Max Siders, 205; Mya Reyhons, 267; Nicholas Garrelts, 257; Nick Flynn, 263; Noah Exley-Schuman, 257; Noah Guillaume, 262; Olivia Zach, 250; Paige Beck, 205; Preston Johnson, 269; Rachel Lochner, 255; Reese Panos, 220; Savannah Howard, 253; Seth Moore, 263; Shannon Beck, 220; Sydney Ulch, 264; Tryston Locke, 262; Zach Vig, 241High School: Aaron Barnhart, 263; Chase Burkart, 265; Cheyenne Yerkes, 274; Drew Keller, 274; Evere Thompson, 271; Gage Lochner, 270; Grace Niehaus, 251; Isaiah Exley-Schuman, 258; Joe Godfrey, 277; John Arians, 268; Jojo Jiacinto, 272; Kari Tanberg, 231; Kathleen Bevens, 273; Kayla Hicks, 277; Kayla Burkart, 259; Kyler Shannon, 233; Lexi Kelly, 166; Macon Mcinnis, 287; Maggie Rechkemmer, 260; Nat Klein, 281; Nathaniel Barnhart, 290; Renny Klein, 275; Whitney Woods, 273

You Ma er. We Need You. shirts have been distributed, free of charge, to anyone who wishes to wear them on any occasion. Look for them at school and community events, given as a gi donated by various community groups. Contact Jennifer Holub Tischer, Mollie Mar , John Rhomberg, Amy Weber or Dr. Gary O’Malley if you wish to receive a shirt for your student. Dr. Gary O’Malley discussed Thrive in his holiday le er to staff members.”The Mount Vernon Community School District, Mount Vernon Community School District Founda on, City of Mount Vernon, Community Resiliency Project, and school and community members have joined together in a powerful message of empathy and aff ec on, reminding our children that they are loved and supported not because of what they do, but because of who they are. A caring community provides a healthy balance of support, empowerment, boundaries and expecta ons, construc ve use of me, commitment to learning, posi ve values, social competence and posi ve iden ty. In a healthy school environment, students are engaged, connected, challenged, and enriched. Our classrooms exist for the joy of learning: comple ng tasks worth doing, displaying confi dence and competence, and encouraging others to persist and succeed. The world is a complex and stressful place and each of us needs long-term emo onal support. Dr. Mollie Mar , John Rhomberg and Jennifer Holub Tischer are leaders (among others, of course) who have helped this community travel a long and diffi cult road. Acknowledge these eff orts and work to further understand the mental health issues of children and adults in our community. When children feel comfortable, they THRIVE. When students are engaged, they THRIVE. Please join in emphasizing a PK-12 curriculum where students are given mul ple opportuni es to demonstrate essen al life skills: crea vity, empathy, commitment, cri cal thinking, analysis, and inference; advocacy, problem-solving, responsibility, maturity, tact and generosity. Simply stated, resiliency is a hallmark within any exemplary educa onal program. Interested in suppor ng a resiliency eff ort throughout Mount Vernon? Please visit this website, h p://www.crproject.org or speak with any of our school counselors. Let us treat each other with the dignity, respect and support that will enrich all of our lives”.

THRIVE DISTRIBUTES TEE SHIRTS

DISTRICT CALENDAR 2014-2015

MUSTANGS of MOUNT VERNON, IOWA

mountvernon.k12.ia.us PROMOTING EXCELLENCE IN ACADEMICS, ARTS, AND ATHLETICS

www.mountvernon.k12.ia.us

AUGUST 20146 All Schools Registration 8 New Teacher In-Service 11-12 All Teachers In-Service 13 Classes Begin Early Dismissal 12:30 pm

SEPTEMBER1 Labor Day (No School) 10 Early Dismissal 12:30 pm24 Early Dismissal 12:30 pm

OCTOBER8 Early Dismissal 12:30 pm 10 End of 1st Quarter14&16 ES Parent Teacher Conferences22 Early Dismissal 12:30 pm23&28 MS-HS Parent Teacher Conferences

NOVEMBER13 Early Dismissal 12:30 pm26 No School27-28 Thanksgiving Holiday (No School)

DECEMBER10 Early Dismissal 12:30 pm19 End of 2nd Quarter/1st Semester22 Teacher In-Service (No School)23-31 Winter Break (No School)

JANUARY 20141-2 Winter Break (No School) 5 First day of 2nd semester 19 Early Dismissal 12:30 pm

FEBRUARY11 Early Dismissal 12:30 pm 17 HS Registration Fair25 Early Dismissal 12:30 pm

MARCH3&5 ES Parent Teacher Conferences 6 End of 3rd Quarter10 MS Parent Teacher Conferences12 MS-HS Parent Teacher Conferences16-20 Spring Break (No School)

APRIL 3 No School15 Early Dismissal 12:30 pm29 Early Dismissal 12:30 pm

MAY17 Graduation 2 pm 19 End of 4th Quarter Last Day of School Early Dismissal 12:30 pm20&21 All Teachers In-Service25 Memorial Day

IN-SERVICE DAY VACATION DAY EARLY DISMISSAL POTENTIAL SNOW-MAKE DAY

(This calendar is . )Probable order of Snow Make Up Days: May 20, 21, 22

1 2

1 2

1

1


Do you have any old Legos laying

around collec ng dust? If so would you

consider dona ng them to the Middle School Art room?

Mr. Benesh would like to have an alterna ve

sculpture lesson where students can create a

sculpture out of Legos. If you have any to

spare he would greatly appreciate anything

you have to give. Mr. Benesh

may be reached at (319) 895-6254

ext. 3168 or via email at [email protected].

ia.us.Note: The Legos will

not be returned. Thank you in advance

for suppor ng the Middle School Art

program!

LEGOS NEEDED!

During the fi rst week of February all Washington Elementary students a ended “Discover Africa” presenta ons during their art classes as part of the WOW (Widen Our World) University of Iowa Museum of Art (UIMA) K-12 school program. UIMA staff and docents presented a variety of works by African ar sts including tex les, masks, sculptures and u litarian objects. Students were allowed to touch the art and in some cases actually try on the tex les and masks. The hands on presenta ons were informa ve and well received by all students.

AFRICAN ART AT THE ES

The High School Alterna ve Educa on program received a dona on of carpet for their classroom from Bachmeier Interiors in Coralville. The carpet was laid by a former student Tiegan Oppedal and her father Mike.

ALT ED GETS NEW CARPET

The wrestling season is now over and it has been another successful season on the mats for the Mustangs. The Mustangs fi nished the dual season with a 19-6 dual meet record. The Mustangs also had success in tournaments, winning the Mount Vernon Invita onal and Regina Invita onal as well as fi nishing second in the Belle Plaine and Cascade Tournaments. A balanced line-up that features 8 individuals with 25 or more wins has led to the successful dual and tournament performances. A strong group of seniors has provided good leadership. Seniors include Brandon Wolrab, Charlie Babcock, Nick Goldsmith, Noah Dahlstrom, Daniel Abresch, Trey Ryan, Eric Dunford, Jacob Lewis, Alex Hale and Jacob Steele. Senior night was marked with a special event as senior Jacob Steele took the mat against middle school PE teacher Greg Murphy. Jacob won by fall over Mr. Murphy as the crowd went wild! The Mustangs won individual sec onals and qualifi ed 11 wrestlers for the district meet. From the district meet 3 Mustangs went on to the State Tournament. Ryan Muller, (138) Trey Ryan (170) and Josh Cannon (220) represented Mount Vernon at the State Tournament. In fi rst round ac on, Muller lost in a fi ght to the fi nish match 7-6. He went on to fall to a very tough compe tor in Chris an Fox from Osage in the second consola on round. Full details on Ryan and Cannon state meet fi nishes on front page. Congratula ons to all the athletes and coaches on a fantas c season!

WRESTLING SEASON IS A SUCCESS

Thank you to everyone that

donated photos for the March issue of the newsle er: JoAnn Gage, Jennifer Holub Tischer, Joel Pendergrass, Saraah Fitzgerald, Aaron Trui , Jason Pershing, Richard Scearce, Michele Wilson, Hannah Wieditz, Alaina Risse, Lexi Kelly, Maggie Rechkemmer, Kelsey Shady, Laura Deininger, Gabby Kolker, Maggie Davis, and Mikayla Casey.

Thank you to everyone who helped make the Middle School Solo Fes val a success! Thanks to the kids that came in for extra lessons and accompanist rehearsals, to middle school teachers who allowed students and judges to use their classroom for perfromances, to parents who donated baked goods for the spaghe supper, and to the 7th grade class who hosted a spage supper. There were 5 performance centers with 5 judges, 6 accompanists, 7 high school volunteers, 23 adult volunteers, and 145 student performers. It was a great event for our middle school band students.

THANK YOU!

Washington Elementary Teachers & Parents

WETAP

WETAP has had a successful year pu ng to good use the funds raised from WE WALK in the fall. Included this month are some examples:

The general WETAP mee ng took place on Monday, Feb. 3 with 8 in a endance. Highlights from the mee ng include:- a recap of the Spring Enrichment Days - the University of Iowa Museum of Art- took place the fi rst week of February; the University of Iowa Art Share will take place on the early out on April 14; and the Pan Am Steel Drum Band will happen on May 16 at 2 pm. Volunteers are needed and will be posted in the WETAP Weekly News with links to sign up.- The WE SKI event was to happen on Feb. 27.- WETAP Exec Team Nomina on and Elec on recap of offi cer posi ons to fi ll include President, Treasurer, Secretary (2 years) and Volunteer Coordinator (1 year). Posi ons will be taken over at the end of June. We are also considering third members on the Fundraising and Teacher Apprecia on Teams as to move into a rota on that always has an experienced member on the team. The WETAP Weekly News will post progress on accepted Nomina ons a er the March 3 General Mee ng. Posi ons will be taken over at the end of June. - a discussion centered on ways to increase a endance at WETAP general mee ngs and overall involvement, no ng this will be an ongoing topic at the Execu ve Team mee ngs. The next general mee ng of WETAP will be Monday March 3 in the Washington Elementary Art Room.

Above: ES students enjoy the new listening center donated by WETAP

Above: New Physical Educa on equipment donated by WETAP

Above: WE students enjoy MANY donated books from WETAP to update the library book collec on

At le : Mrs. Wa leworth enjoys a cup of coff ee from the new Keurig coff ee machine donated by WETAP.

Above: Student using a new CD player donated by WETAP

The Second World War was the most widespread and deadliest war in history, involving more than 30 countries and resul ng in more than 50 million military and civilian deaths (with some es mates as high as 85 million dead). Sparked by Adolf Hitler’s invasion of Poland in 1939, the war would drag on for six deadly years un l the fi nal Allied defeat of both Nazi Germany and Japan in 1945. Local World War II veterans joined Mount Vernon High School students for an informa onal discussion on their memories from the war. It is wonderful to have so many veterans willing to share their unique perspec ve and insight to this war. Our students have learned much from them and were enlightened about a me very diff erent than now.

WWII VETS VISIT HS CLASSESA en on Junior Parents and Guardians: Planning is currently underway for the 2014 Junior/Senior post-prom event and we s ll need your help. Anyone interested in par cipa ng is welcome. If you are interested in ge ng on the email list for updates, please contact Lisa Maddocks at [email protected] or (319) 929-1149. Please consider helping out a good cause!

POST PROM NEEDS VOLUNTEERS!

This year’s Post Prom theme is “Tailga ng”

Trey Ryan, senior, 170

Josh Cannon, senior, 220Ryan Muller, junior, 138

Above: Jacob Steele works to pin Mr. Murphy

At right: Jacob celebrates his win


The FTC-Iowa State Robo cs Tournament was held Saturday, February 22 at the Coralville Hotel and Conven on Center. Forty-two Iowa teams and six teams from neighboring states competed. All were hoping for one of the 15 spots that will be awarded to the FTC North Regional Tournament which will be held in Carver Hawkeye One of Mount Vernon's two teams, Team 458, Ac vate Go Ini a ve! won the Finalist Alliance Award and, therefore, qualifi ed to compete in the upcoming Regional Tournament. Their alliance, which included teams from Williamsburg and Humboldt won the semifi nal match but lost in the fi nals.FTC Team 458 Ac vate Go Ini a ve! - Robert Banwart, Kate Elsbury, Jared Jackson, Josh Lynch, Macon McInnis, Kai Walberg, Alex White, and project manager, Paul Chihak. Banwart, Jackson, McInnis, White, and Chihak are seniors and been members of Mount Vernon's Robo cs Club for four years. Mount Vernon's other team, 3549, Born To Be Wired!, fi nished the qualifi ca on matches with 3 wins and 3 losses and did not make it in the tournament. Team 3549 Born To Be Wired! members include Nathaniel Barnhart, Chris Cripe, Isaiah Exley Schuman, Ma Hermsen White, Adam Gage, Joe Godfrey, Tony Kraus, Gage Lochner, Laura Player, Mackenzie Smith, Evere Thompson and project manager, Drew Keller. Smith and Keller are the only seniors on this team.

FINE ARTS ASSOCContact: Jo Nowak-

Thompsonjnowak@mountvernon.

k12.ia.us(319) 895-8338

Provides support for all fi ne arts programs in

Mount Vernon schools.MV Fine Arts Assoc.

meets on the 1st Tuesday of each month.

Next Mee ng:March 4, 2014

7 pmHigh School Room 217

P.R.I.D.E.Contact: Jackie Morrical

[email protected](319) 895-6135

Promotes the posi ve aspects of Middle School

life. All parents of Middle

School students and staff are members of P.R.I.D.E.P.R.I.D.E meets on the 3rd Monday of each month.

Next Mee ng: March 24, 2014

6 pmMiddle School Library

MUSTANGPARENT GROUPS

W.E.T.A.P Contact: Angie Cannon,

Presidentangiecannon@skog-

man.com(319) 432-3118 All parents, future

parents, and guardians of Washington

Elementary students, as well as teachers and

school staff of the Washington

Elementary School are members of WETAP.

WETAP meets on the 1st Monday of each month.

Next Mee ng: March 3, 2014

7pmWashington

Elementary Art Room

BOOSTER CLUBContact: Kent Streicherstrikeforce921@yahoo.

com (319) 560-7081

Off ers fi nancial and volunteer support for all athle c programs

at Mount Vernon High School and Middle

School. The MV Booster Club

meets on the 1st Wednesday of each

month.Next Mee ng: March 5, 2014

7 pm HS Commons

Pres - Kent StreicherVP - JennyKaye Hampton

Sec - Tom WieselerTreas - Becky Whitman

RYAN ACKERMAN CHOSEN FOR CONGRESS OF FUTURE MEDICAL LEADERS

5TH GRADE MUSICAL “A massive electromagne c a ack from outer space has jammed all technical systems, and there is no electricity, no cell phones, no laptops… NO FUN! The kids are in a panic and don’t know what to do, un l Grandpa and Grandma arrive on the scene and introduce them to a day fi lled with daring and adventure, music and imagina on… all without fancy gadgets!” Please join the 5th grade class in their performance of “A Kid’s Life” by John Jacobson and Mac Huff on Monday March 10, 2014 at 7:00 PM in the District Auditorium.

ES SCIENCE FAIR IS COMING! The Washington Elementary Science Fair is coming! The Science Fair will be held on Friday, March 28 in the elementary lunchroom commons. Second through fourth grade students are encouraged to explore a scien fi c ques on and document their fi ndings with a public display. No fi re, volcanoes, or dogs please! More informa on will be online in the ES News and in your child's classroom newsle er soon.

Mount Vernon senior Robbie Peters (#77) has been selected to play in the 42nd Annual North vs. South Iowa Shrine bowl in July. Robbie will play for the South Squad. The Shrine Bowl will be held on Saturday, July 26 at 4:00 pm at the UNI-dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa. “For many, this will be the game of their life because when they line up each and every one will also be stepping up to help a child who has been less fortunate in life than them and who desperately need their help. The Iowa Shrine Bowl Game is an all-star football game between selected pre-college football athletes on each side of a north-south dividing line in Iowa. The players are selected by a process of nomina on by coaches, ballo ng by state-wide sports media professionals, and offi cial invita on from a representa ve of the Iowa Shrine Bowl. The Iowa Shrine Bowl produces this game each year. The game brings honor and recogni on to the players, their schools and their communi es. It has also been an eff ec ve tool in raising money for The Shriner’s Hospital For Children. To date, the Iowa Shrine Bowl has raised over $2,268,000 for The Shriner’s Hospitals for Children. Funds for The Shriner’s Hospitals For Children are developed by cket sales, adver sing in the Shrine Bowl program, merchandise sales, contribu ons and sponsorships.”* Iowa Shrine Bowl All Star Football Classic website. Congratula ons to Robbie on a fantas c football season and best of luck at the Shrine Bowl!

PETERS SELECTED FOR SHRINE BOWL

Ryan Ackerman, a Junior at Mount Vernon High School was nominated to a end the Congress of Future Medical Leaders in Washington, DC on February 14-16, 2014. The Congress is an honors-only program for high school students who want to become physicians or go into medical research fi elds. The purpose of the event is to honor, inspire, mo vate and direct the top students in the country who aspire to be physicians or medical scien sts, to stay true to their dream and, a er the event, to provide a path, plan and resources to help them reach their goal. Ryan was nominated by Dr. Connie Mariano, the Medical Director of the Na onal Academy of Future Physicians and Medical Scien sts to represent Mount Vernon High School based on his academic achievement, leadership poten al and determina on to serve humanity in the fi eld of medicine. During the three-day Congress, Ryan joined students from across the country and heard Nobel Laureates and Na onal Medal of Science Winners talk about leading medical research; was given advice from Ivy League and top medical school deans on what is to be expected in medical school; witnessed stories told by pa ents who are living medical miracles; was inspired by fellow teen medical science prodigies; and learned about cu ng-edge advances and the future in medicine and medical technology. “This is a crucial me in America when we need more doctors and medical scien sts who are even be er prepared for a future that is changing exponen ally,” said Richard Rossi, Execu ve Director, Na onal Academy of Future Physicians and Medical Scien sts. “Focused, bright and determined students like Ryan Ackerman are our future and he deserves all the mentoring and guidance we can give him.” The Na onal Academy of Future Physicians and Medical Scien sts was founded on the belief that we must iden fy prospec ve medical talent at the earliest possible age and help these students acquire the necessary experience and skills to take them to the doorstep of this vital career. Based in Washington, D.C.,

the Academy was chartered as a nonpar san, taxpaying ins tu on to help address this crisis by working to iden fy, encourage and mentor students who wish to devote their lives to the service of humanity as physicians, medical scien sts, technologists, engineers and mathema cians.

For more informa on visit www.FutureDocs.com.

Above: Dr. Mario Cappecchi, 2007 Nobel Laureate in Science pictured with Ryan

Below: Ryan pictured with Dr. Connie Mariano

STATE ROBOTICS TOURNAMENT

On Monday, January 20, 2014, Mount Vernon senior girls basketball teammates Miranda Chapman, Gabby Kolker, Laura Deininger, Hannah Whitley and Madison Ebel traveled to the Hall-Perrine Cancer Center at Mercy Hospital in Cedar Rapids to present a check from the proceeds raised at the December 7th Cancer Awareness Game held in Mount Vernon against the visi ng North Cedar Knights. A series of fundraisers were held throughout game day with both the boys and girls teams dona ng baskets that were auc oned to the crowd, a bake sale, good will dona on and buckets were passed through the crowd for dona ons every me a three-point shot was made. Thanks to the incredible support of both school districts, $1,756.61 was raised from the event. The full amount raised has been gi ed to the Hall-Perrine Cancer Hope Fund in memory of Mount Vernon’s late So ball Coach, Gary Stamp. The Hope Fund provides support to cancer pa ents in need, lessening the fi nancial burden associated with a cancer diagnosis so pa ents and their families can focus on their treatment and recovery. Contribu ons made to the Hope Fund provide cancer pa ents with gas gi cards to help with transporta on to and from treatment, nutri onal supplements and personal care assistance when other resources are not available. Following the presenta on of the check, the girls received a tour of the center from Amy Geiger and learned more detail of how the Hall-Perrine Cancer Center assists so many people ba ling cancer, and the numerous career opportuni es that are available in oncology. A special thank-you to all the fans from both the Mount Vernon and North Cedar School Districts for making the event such a tremendous success. Every dollar that the Hope Fund receives makes a diff erence for someone!

CANCER DONATION FOLLOW UP

Above: FTC Team 458 Ac vate Go In a ve!


MARCH BREAKFAST & LUNCH MENUMONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY

3BREAKFAST: Muffin

Cereal & Toast Juice Choice & Fresh Fruit

Milk

LUNCH: Sloppy Joe on WG Bun

Potato Wedges Baked Beans

Mandarin Oranges HS Alt: Mozzarella Cheese

Stickw/marinara sauce

4BREAKFAST: Breakfast Pizza

Cereal-MS/ES, Muffin-HS Juice Choice & Fruit

Milk

LUNCH: Chicken Wrap w/ Ranch

Lettuce-Tomato-Cheese Hummus

Fresh Baby Carrots & Red Pepper Strips

Peaches Snickerdoodle Cookie

HS Alt: Honey BBQ Rib Sandwich

5BREAKFAST: Oatmeal Muffin

Square Toast

Juice Choice & Fresh Fruit Milk

LUNCH: Beef & Bean Dip Corn & Black Bean Salsa

Cheese Sauce WG Chips

Iceberg & Romaine Lettuce Grapes Pears

HS Alt: Tuna Salad Sandwich

6BREAKFAST: Combo Bar

Cereal Yogurt

Juice Choice & Fruit Milk

LUNCH: French Toast Sticks Sausage Links

Potato Triangle-ES/MS Hash Browns-HS

Scrambled Eggs HS only Diced Peppers & Onions-HS only

Orange Juice Banana

No ALT at HS

7BREAKFAST: Waffle Sticks

MuffinJuice Choice & Fresh Fruit

Milk

LUNCH: Chicken Tetrazzini Peas

Steamed Carrots Baked Cinnamon Apples

Mixed Fruit Dinner Roll

HS Alt: Fish Sandwich MS Alt: Fish Sandwich

10 BREAKFAST: Muffin


Milk

LUNCH: Italian Grilled Chicken on WG Bun Savory Rice

Broccoli Mandarin Oranges

HS Alt: Chili Crispito

11 BREAKFAST: Breakfast Pizza


Milk

LUNCH: Corn Dog Baked Beans

Glazed Carrots Melon

Pineapple HS Alt: Turkey Burger

12BREAKFAST: Cinnamon Roll

Yogurt Juice Choice & Fresh Fruit

Milk

LUNCH: BBQ Pork Sandwich on WG Bun

French Fries Cole Slaw

Applesauce HS Alt: Hawaiin Chicken

13 BREAKFAST:

Pancake Wrapped Sausage Cereal

Juice Choice & Fruit Milk

LUNCH: Popcorn Chicken Bowl Mashed Potatoes

Shredded Cheddar Cheese Corn

Chicken Gravy Mixed Fruit

Pumpkin Bars HS Alt: Grilled Cheese

Sandwich

14BREAKFAST: Apple Pastry


Milk

LUNCH: Fish Sticks-ES Fish Sandwich-MS & HS

String Cheese Romaine & Spinach Salad

Cherry Tomatoes Orange Wedges

Pears HS Alt: Chicken Cheese

QuesadillaMS Alt: Chili Crispito

17 SPRING BREAK

NO SCHOOL



Milk

LUNCH: Breaded Chicken on WG Bun

Sliced Tomato Green Beans

Fresh Baby Carrots Pineapple

HS Alt: Mozzarella Cheese Stick w/Marinara Sauce

25 BREAKFAST: Breakfast Pizza


Milk

LUNCH: Lasagna Iceberg & Romaine Lettuce

Sliced Cucumbers Bread Stick

Peaches HS Alt: Meatball Sub

26BREAKFAST: Sausage, Egg,

Cheese on a Bagel Yogurt

Juice Choice & Fresh Fruit Milk

LUNCH: Walking Taco/Taco Lettuce-Tomato-Cheese

Sour Cream-Salsa Refried Beans

Celery w/Sunbutter Fresh Strawberries

PearsHS Alt: Grilled Ham & Cheese

Sandwich

27 BREAKFAST: Cheese Omelet

Cereal & Toast Juice Choice & Fruit

Milk

LUNCH: Hot Turkey Sandwich Mashed Potatoes

Turkey Gravy Broccoli & Cauliflower

Applesauce HS Alt: BBQ Chicken Legs

28BREAKFAST: Breakfast Bagel


Milk

LUNCH: Shrimp Poppers Cheesy Potatoes

PeasFresh Apple

Mandarin Oranges Chocolate Cake

HS Alt: Chicken Caesar Wrap MS Alt: Honey BBQ Rib Sandwich



Milk

LUNCH: Orange Chicken Brown Rice

Broccoli & Carrots Pineapple

Animal Crackers HS Alt: Chili Crispito

Variety of milk offered daily.

Salad/Sandwich Bar offered daily at Middle School and High School as an alternate lunch choice.

MOUNT VERNON FINE ARTS ASSOCIATIONThe monthly mee ng of the Mount Vernon Fine Arts Associa on was held Tuesday, February 4. There were several updates from faculty, there was a review of the successful fruit sales fundraiser, an update on the well-a ended “Magical Night”, and discussion on many other current and upcoming events.

Upcoming events for the Arts in our schools:Fes val of Bands Concert for 6th grade - 12th grade: February 27, 7 pm in the MVHS Gym High School Speech - Individual Districts: March 1 beginning at 8 am at TiptonKennedy Honors Orchestra Fes val Concert: March 1, 5 pm at Cedar Rapids Kennedy High SchoolNext MVFAA Mee ng: March 4, 7 pm in the MVHS Art Room– We hope to see you there!

CAN WE HELP YOU?The Mount Vernon Baseball team

is looking for projects to raise money for the teamPlease Call Jeremy Elliott

(319) 895-0440or email

[email protected] for more information

You are invited toCommunity Conversations

with the Mount Vernon Community School

District Superintendent Regarding

Our Facilities

WHAT SHOULD WE DO?

DATEWednesday, March 5TIME5 - 7 pm

TOPICSharing with Cornell

LOCATIONHigh School Band Room

This session will offer small group and large group discussions which

emphasize positives, negatives, costs and benefits of sharing with Cornell.


Post - High School Planning for Juniors and Sophomores As part of the guidance department's career/educa onal planning curriculum for all students, juniors and sophomores at Mount Vernon High School will be receiving post - high school planning informa on via materials distributed to classrooms, in-school assemblies or class mee ngs, evening mee ng/s for students and parents, student bulle ns, emails to parents and online pos ngs on the guidance web page. Near the beginning of the year, all juniors received informa on on post-secondary schools, career planning, ap tude tes ng, etc. Specifi c topics included ACT tes ng, applying to colleges, selec ng a college that 'fi ts' for you, fi nancial aid for an educa on beyond high school, and a me-line / calendar for college planning during the junior year. The importance of connec ng career interests with educa onal planning was emphasized. Parents of juniors can stay up-to-date on Junior expecta ons by checking out the online guidance web page under the headings of Junior Presenta on and Junior Calendar. Individual planning conferences with the school counselor are available by appointment for juniors during the second semester. Conferences are scheduled to provide an opportunity for each student to get to know the counselor and to review high school credits and plan accordingly for the senior year. We will also look at future educa onal and career plans for beyond the high school years.

HIGH SCHOOL GUIDANCE OFFICE

BOOSTER CLUBOFFERING FINANCIAL AND VOLUNTEER SUPPORT FOR ALL MOUNT VERNON ATHLETIC PROGRAMS

TREASURER’S REPORT: Submi ed for record with fi nal balance of $25,088.91

OLD ITEMS:1. Middle School Uniforms-Mr. Trui has wrestling confl icts but will meet with Pride in March. Tabled.2. High School Warm Ups - In AD requests at end of agenda.3. Mustang Driveway Decal - President Kent Streicher will contact teacher Shawn Voigt to see if his class can make a template.4. Mustang Fathead Decals - Generic and specifi c pictures were discussed with price. No ac on yet5. Water heater for Football Concessions - The water heater will be installed when the weather is be er. Will be donated by Jeff Wentzel family. Secretary Tom Wieseler will send a thank you card on behalf of the Booster Club.

NEW ITEMS:1. Wrestling Sec onals Feb. 8 - All concessions covered but the 1-4 shi . Coaches room food covered by Mrs. Cannon. 2. Regional Basketball Games - Needed volunteers for Feb. 15, 19, and 25. Sign up sheet went around.3. State of the Union for Athle cs - Was presented at Feb. 10 school board mee ng.4. Concession Sign Up/Changes in the System - Problems this season with ge ng girls basketball games covered. Much discussion of what method to use - just sign people up, do all at opening mee ng of each sport, etc. Best method was to be present at opening mee ng of each sport, get on agenda early, get schedule fi lled before people leave, if people don’t know their schedule-sign up for a spot and trade later. 5. Presenta on by Ray Reasland - Strength & Condi oning Program - Ray Reasland talked of being in this for 2 years, 3 or 4 strength tes ngs a year and 4 handouts distributed. Much discussion. Thanks for the info.6. Merchandise Trailer Items - If anyone has ideas for new items, let Amy Weber know. 7. AD requests $2,999 for Hudl $2,800 for track warm-ups. Moved and passed to pay $1,500 for Hudl and $2,000 for warm ups.8. Upcoming dates - WAMAC indoor track at Cornell on March 22 with outdoor meet at Cornell on March 29.

NEXT MEETING: March 5, 2014, 7 pm in the High School Commons.

Mount Vernon Middle School Teachers & Parents

P.R.I.D.E.

The regular monthly mee ng of P.R.I.D.E. was held via email due to inclement weather. Treasurer’s Report: The most recent fi nancial report was distributed. There was concessions income of $1,145.97.Expenses since the last report included $1,500 for the annual contribu on to the sophomore class. There is approximately $4,600 available for spending this year. Teachers, staff , and parents are welcomed to make sugges ons!Business: Conference meals are lined up for mid-March. On Tuesday, March 11, parent volunteers are bringing in soups and sides. On Thursday, March 13, The Skillet Café will be providing a pasta bar. Thanks to Kris ne Bu erbaugh for lining up the meals.The following funding requests were approved:• $496.97 requested by Art Teacher Mark Benesh to construct an art history and music history meline for the hallway outside of his room. The project work would be completed mainly by 5th and 6th grade students. Mr. Trui ’s funding request for P.R.I.D.E. par cipa on in the purchase of uniforms was tabled un l the March P.R.I.D.E. mee ng.Volunteer Opportuni es:Keep an eye out for the Middle School 5K in April for the next opportunity to volunteer.The next P.R.I.D.E. mee ng will be on Monday, March 24 at 6:00 pm in the Middle School Media Center. Please note the date and me change.

College Planning Night / Career Fair: Both will be held on Thursday, March 6, 2014 Watch for informa on about the spring, 2014 College Planning Night specifi cally for juniors, sophomores and their parents. The College Planning Night will be held in conjunc on with an area Career Fair to be hosted by Marion High School. Both the College Planning Night and the Career Fair will take place on Thursday, March 6. Students (both sophomores and juniors) and parents are invited to a end the College Planning Night to be held in the Mount Vernon High School commons area, beginning at 5:00 p.m. Immediately following that, students and parents are encouraged to travel to Marion High School where the Career Fair will be held from 6:30-8:00 p.m. If enough sign up, free bus transporta on to Marion High School will be available for Mount Vernon students. The 5:00 p.m. College Planning presenta on will be led by a representa ve from the Iowa College Access Network (ICAN). Check out all that the ICAN agency has to off er by going to: www.icansucceed.org. The 1-hour presenta on will cover such topics as: preparing for college, searching for the right college, types of post-secondary schools and training programs, exploring all op ons, making a campus visit, applying to schools, paying for an educa on beyond high school, following a me line in your planning and much more. There will be a ques on and answer

period at the conclusion of the mee ng. The Career Fair will off er students and parents a chance to visit informally and ask ques ons to workers from a wide variety of careers. Professionals from career areas in agri-science, arts and communica on, business, engineering, family/human services and health sciences will have booths set up in the Marion High School gymnasium. In addi on, representa ves from nearly 20 diff erent post-secondary schools in eastern Iowa and beyond will be present. Even military recruiters from diff erent branches of the armed forces as well as counselors from the Iowa College Access Network, the Workplace Learning Connec on and the Iowa Works offi ce of employment will be available. The Career Fair will be a marvelous opportunity for MVHS students and their parents to gather all kinds of informa on about a wide array of post-secondary career and educa onal op ons. Parents are encouraged to a end both the College Planning Night and the Career Fair. Parents may also call the guidance offi ce at (319) 895-8843 with any ques ons.

Plan ahead for Mount Vernon Honor Society 2014! The Mount Vernon Honor Society holds a special recogni on ceremony every year in the spring to recognize Mount Vernon High School students who excel in academics, good conduct and leadership / community service. MVHS students who have completed at least 3 semesters of high school course work are eligible. Cumula ve grade point average, a er fi rst semester grades are fi nalized in January, will be used as the fi rst criteria of Honor Society selec on. In prepara on, past Honor Society recipients, sophomores and new honorees should understand the criteria and prepare to submit informa on about their leadership / community service involvement by the end of February. Selec on for the Mount Vernon High School Honor Society will include four main criteria: scholarship, good conduct, leadership and community service.Scholarship: Students demonstra ng outstanding achievement in academics. Seniors need a cumula ve GPA of 3.3 or be er, Juniors should have a cumula ve GPA of 3.5 or be er and Sophomores must have a cumula ve GPA of 3.7 or be er.Good Conduct: Students demonstra ng a ributes and behaviors that are conducive to a posi ve school community. Criteria to determine good conduct may include regular daily classroom a endance and having no major disciplinary referrals, out-of school suspensions or in-school suspensions. Good Conduct viola ons are determined by the school’s Good Conduct policy. Selec on of Honor Society members who have had a Good Conduct viola on in the past may be reviewed with the school administra on upon student or parent request.Leadership & Community Involvement: Students should demonstrate posi ve leadership roles in school or out-of-school ac vi es and/or par cipate in community service ac vi es. A Teacher-Community Advisory Board will review and fi nalize selec ons based on the criteria above. All eligible students will receive a le er of invita on in early February and be asked to prepare one power point slide with their photo and accomplishments in academics, ac vi es and leadership / community service. There will also be brief training sessions in February for students working to prepare their slide. All Honor Society members will be recognized during a ceremony held in the district auditorium on Thursday, March 27, 2014 at 7 pm. More informa on will be directed to eligible students or by request. Ques ons about Honor Society should be directed to Steve Brand, high school principal or Mick Angel, high school counselor.

AP Test Informa on for Spring, 2014 The spring, 2014 Advanced Placement Exams are scheduled to be taken na on-wide on May 5-16. AP exams can be taken at Mount Vernon High School. The exams cover many diff erent content areas: Language Arts, Science, Math, Music, Art, Social Studies, and World Languages. For more details and schedules for the AP exams, visit h p://www.collegeboard.com/student/tes ng/ap/cal/cal2.html . In the past, MVHS students have taken English Language, English Literature, US Government, Calculus, Physics, German, Spanish, Chemistry, Psychology, Macro and Microeconomics Exams. Students may prepare for the exams in many diff erent ways. Those who have taken AP Courses online this year will automa cally take the exams, but students who have taken honors or higher level courses at Mount Vernon are also eligible to take the AP exams. Addi onal prepara on is available via online study guides that can help students review. Teachers will inform students about AP Exams during their honors classes. Students are encouraged to register for AP tests by Friday, March 7. Students may register in the high school guidance offi ce. Registra on must include a list of exams that are to be taken and a $50 fee for each exam. (The actual cost of each exam is $89, but the school district pays the diff erence in an eff ort to encourage students to take advantage of the test opportunity). Checks may be made payable to Mount Vernon High School and turned in to Mr. Angel in the guidance offi ce. AP Exams results are received in July with a score ranging from 1 to 5. A score of 5 is the highest score. A score of 3 or higher is usually recognized by most colleges as an acceptable level to receive college credit. The awarding of college credit is specifi c to each college, thus parents and students should always check, in advance of tes ng, with each ins tu on regarding the details for receiving AP credit. Late exams will not be scheduled. Contact: Mick Angel, High School Counselor ORPhone: 895-8843, ext 4119Email: [email protected]

Steve Brand, High School PrincipalPhone: 895-8843, ext. 4001Email: [email protected]


1

2 3 4 5 6 7 8

9 10 11 12 13 14 15

16 17 18 19 20 21 22

23 24 25 26 27 28 29

30 31

• HS Choir Winter Concert, District Auditorium, 7 pm• HS College Planning Night & Career Fair, HS Commons, 5 pm -see pg. 7 for full details

• MS Parent Teacher Conferences, 4 - 8 pm• HS Band Open House, HS Band & Orchestra Rooms, 4 - 8 pm

• RC RAIL Mee ng, Microtel Hotel, Marion, 6:30 pm• Honor Society Induc on Ceremony, District Auditorium, 7 pm

• State NASP Championship Archery Tournament, Veterans Aud., Des Moines• Kennedy High School Honors Orchestra Concert - select students, 5 pm• HS District Individual Speech Contest, Tipton• HSBB, Substate @ CR Jeff erson, 7 pm

• Academic Decathlon State Compe on, Johnston High School• Archery Banquet, HS Commons, 4 pm

• HS State Individual Speech Contest, North Sco High School

• HGTr - Varsity, WAMAC Indoor Meet, Cornell College, 9 am• HBTr - Varsity, WAMAC Indoor Meet, Cornell College, 9 am

• HS State Solo / Ensemble Choir Contest @ Epworth• HSBTr & HSGTR - Varsity, MV Invite @ Cornell College, 11 am• Aca Deca Awards Banquet, HS Commons, 5 pm

Mustang MARCH 2014 ACTIVITY Calendar SUN MON TUES WED THURS FRI SAT

• 7th & 8th Grade Large Group Band Contest• Community Conversa on, see pg. 6 for full details, HS Band Room, 5 - 7 pm• Booster Club Mee ng, HS Commons, 7 pm

• WETAP Mee ng, ES Art Room, 7 pm• ES Chorus Club Concert, District Auditorium, 7 pm• HS Girls Basketball Banquet, HS Commons, 6 pm

• HGTr - Varsity @ UNI Indoor, 3 pm• School Board Mee ng, HS Media Center/Library, 6:30 pm• 5th Grade Musical, “A Kids Life”, District Auditorium, 7 pm

• HS Choir Solo/Ensemble Open House Night - HS Band & Choir Rooms, 6 - 9 pm• P.R.I.D.E. Mee ng, MS Media Center, 6 pm• School Board Mee ng, HS Media Center/Library, 6:30 pm

• All-State Individual Speech @ UNI• HBTr, Western Dubuque @ Epworth, 5pm

• HGTr - Varsity, Washington @ Univ. of Iowa Rec Center, 5 pm• MVFAA Mee ng, HS Band Room, 7 pm

• MS Parent Teacher Conferences, 4 - 8 pm

• HGTr - Varsity @ Wartburg

• End of 3rd Quarter for ES & HS• Academic Decathlon State Compe on, Johnston High School

• End of 3rd Quarter for MS

Early Out 12:30 pm

• Washington Elementary Science Fair• Mr. MVHS, HS Gym, 7 pm

• HSBB - High School Boys Basketball• HGTr - High School Girls Track• HBTr - High School Boys Track• HGSc - High School Girls Soccer• HBSc - High School Boys Soccer• GTe - High School Girls Tennis• ES - Washington Elementary• MS - Middle School• HS - High School

Watch the HS Guidance webpage for college visit updates.

State Girls Basketball Tournament - Wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines

The Washington Elementary Chorus Club is in its twel h year. It has grown from a small group of 6 who sang for WETAP, to 45 students on the stage of the auditorium. What a wonderful journey! It is now me for those 3rd and 4th grade elementary students who are interested to sign up for this year. This year’s concert is set for Monday, March 3 at 7 pm in the District Auditorium. Chorus Club will rehearse on Mondays a er school and fi nish at 4 pm. Check the elementary news link from Mrs. Arnold for the details and a form to email back or print and send. While rehearsals have started, all are welcome to join us!

ELEMENTARY CHORUS CLUB

March 1: Open Enrollment

Deadline for the 2014-2015

School Year

State Boys Basketball Tournament - Wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines

• HS Boys Basketball Banquet, HS Commons, 6 pm

• HS Wrestling Banquet, HS Commons, 6 pm

SPRING BREAK - NO SCHOOL - School Of ices Will be CLOSED

MIDDLE SCHOOL SCHEDULE UPDATE:Because several school days have been missed due to inclement weather, the MIDDLE SCHOOL ONLY will be extending the 3rd quarter. Middle School 3rd quarter will now end on March 14 instead of March 7. 4th quarter at the middle school will begin when we return from spring break on March 24th. Middle School conferences are scheduled for March 11 and March 13 from 4 - 8 pm. More informa on about conference sign up will be sent out soon.

FEES & FINES ADDED TO STUDENT ACCOUNTS Fines and fees have been added to student accounts for those students who accumulated fi nes over the course of the school year and for those students that failed to pay registra on fees from last fall. Please log on to your InTouch student account(s) and pay any past due fi nes or fees.

Test Date: April 12, 2014Registra on Deadline: March 7, 2014Late Fee Required: Mar. 8 – Mar. 21

ACT INFORMATION

Registra on materials are available in the High School Guidance Offi ce.

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2013-2014 DISTRICT CALENDAR CHANGESAs a result of missed days from snow storms, the District has added 5 make-up days (as of press time 2-24-2014) to the end of our school year. As a re-sult there are several changes to the district calendar.

First, with the addition of make-up days, the last day of classes for grades K-11 is now May 28.

Second, the Middle School only has changed the end of their 3rd quarter from March 7 to March 14.

march 2014 distict news · 2 mount vernon community school district march 2014 news “promoting...

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