Mustangs on the Move!

Menwith Hill Elementary/High School January 18, 2013: Issue No. 16

Dear parents, In about a month, the AdvancED accreditation team will be here at the school and will be asking questions of teachers, students and parents. In a continuing effort to keep our stakeholders informed, I will answer some more frequently asked questions (FAQ) about the schools accreditation visit, continuous improvement plan and general facts that, basically, everyone should know about our school. Q: How is the vision statement communicated to me, a parent? A: The schools vision statement was addressed in the Jan. 11 issue of Mustangs on the Move! The vision statement, A learning experience to last a lifetime, is communicated through a variety of mediums. Firstly, as a visitor to the school, you will see a number of posted signs that contain the vision statement, the vision slogan and our seven belief statements. Additionally, the same information is found in every issue of, Mustangs on the Move!, as well as on the school website. Q: How are school rules, policies and procedures communicated to me, the parent? A: The school has an updated Student/Parent Handbook that covers all of the above mentioned items and is available on the schools website under the tab Handbook at http://www.mhil-ehs.eu.dodea.edu/. Q: What types of resources or programs are available for students with special needs? A: The school has a very involved, highly-trained and extremely motivated Special Education Department. There are many resources and opportunities available for students with disabilities. The Special Education Department conducts Individual Educational Plan (IEP) meetings throughout the year in order to benefit our special needs population. The school also has a wellestablished Child Find program that actively seeks out preschoolers with developmental delays and ensures they are given the opportunity to join our schools prekindergarten class. Additionally, the department consists of teachers, aides and specialists devoted to seeing that every child has the opportunity to maximize their educational experience. This is the second installment of FAQs. I sincerely hope that by reading these questions and pondering the answers we as a community will be better informed and prepared for our schools accreditation visit. Until next time! Eric Werner Assistant Principal, Menwith Hill EHS

On Wednesday, Jan. 16, Menwith Hill School students enjoy the snow deposited Monday when the school experienced a two-hour delayed opening. FROM LEFT TO RIGHT are Spenser Wagner, 7th; Ashley Tagle, 5th; Matt Zephir, 6th; Madeline Nelson, 5th grade; and Ashlee Shepherd, 6th.

DODEA Mission Statement: To educate, engage and empower each student to succeed in a dynamic world. Menwith Hill School Goal One: All students will increase their ability to analyze and evaluate information from a variety of sources across the curriculum. Menwith Hill School Goal Two: All students will improve their ability to communicate in a variety of formats across the curriculum.

Visit by MOD dogs, handlers part nd of 2 grade unit on rescue dogs

By Ashley Tagle and Allison Lewis MHS 5th Graders A Jan. 11 visit by PC Lynne Bennion and two MOD dogs, Sussy and Nevil, with their human handlers was the culmination of a unit on rescue dogs for Ms. Leatha Potters 2nd graders. The officers talked to the class about how they train their dogs, using a rubber ball as a reward. While training the dogs, handlers send a person with a ball far away in a field and then encourage the dog to chase the person. Sometimes after school, police officers hide someone in the school and then ask a dog to sniff out the person. Some dogs working at Menwith Hill come from the British army and some are raised in foster families. Students have been studying the Working Together unit in the Scott Foresman Reading Street series and reading accompanying books from the series like Dogs to the Rescue by Jessica Quilty and Amazing Animals by Lisa Fields After lunch that day, the 2nd graders wrote and illustrated an account of what theyd learned about rescue dogs. Omi DeJardin wrote, Rescue dogs can save people from drowning. Rescue dogs can smell people who are five rooms away. Good rescue dogs are strong and smart. They help people after an earthquake or an avalanche. Some find people underground. These dogs sense people, sometimes by a hat or blanket. Some rescue dogs live with families, wrote Josh Gilmore. The dog learns to listen. Once it has heard an order, the dog must act! They must listen to the people who train and handle them. Julian Nunez wrote, Rescue dogs dont always look for one person. Often they try to find the scent of anyone in a certain spot. This is useful when more than one person is lost. St. Bernards have been working for many years. They help people who get lost in snowstorms, wrote Greydon Rudd. Bloodhounds, Labrador retrievers, and German Sheperds are good at finding trails of lost people. German Shepherds also are good at finding people who are trapped under snow. Newfoundlands do a really great job at water rescues.

Levi Evans wins Geo Bee for 2nd year running

The sources of the Snake and Yellowstone Rivers are in what major mountain range? asked Mr. Jake Keup, school librarian and moderator of Menwith Hill Schools Geography Bee Jan. 11. The Rocky Mountains, answered th 7 grade Levi Evans. This correct answer meant Levi was the MHS winner of the first round of the 2013 National Geographic Geography Bee. Levi also took top honors at last years Geography Bee. After school Friday, Levi advanced to the next level of competition by completing a written examination in the schools IC to determine state competitors, the results of which will be returned to the school in February. For the 25th year, the National Geographic Society is holding the National Geographic Bee for students in 4th through 8th grade in thousands of schools across the United States and in the five U.S. territories, as well as in Department of Defense Dependents School around the world. The 2013 Bee is sponsored by Google. All school winners are eligible to win the national championship and its first prize, a $25,000 college scholarship, at the national competition May 20-22 in Washington, D.C. Other students representing their grade level in Menwith Hills National Geographic Geography Bee were as follows: Cole Thomas and Mark Buckman, 4th; Jordan Montgomery and Nick Gunnoe, 5th; Zach Garrigus and Noah Gilmore, 6th; Adrian Joshua, 7th; and Zach Lendzian and Heidi Reichert, 8th.

MHS human anatomy students receive hands-on CPR training

By Jordan Livingston MHS Junior In December, 2012, at Menwith Hill High School, Mr. David LaPlante, who is a firefighter trained and certified in teaching CPR, came to provide hands-on training for Ms. Michelle Harringtons human anatomy class. First of all, CPR stands for cardiopulmonary resuscitation and should be used when a victim is unresponsive and not breathing. CPR is important to know in order to be prepared for emergency situations. Mr. LaPlante taught the class to call 911 and then begin giving chest compressions and breaths to the victim. The victim should receive 30 chest compressions and then two breaths repeated for at least two minutes or until emergency help arrives. The rhythm of the chest compressions should be to the beat of the song Stayin Alive by the Bee Gees.

12 gods, goddesses live on Mt. Olympus

By Caleb Gilmore MHS 4th Grader There are many Greek gods that the ancient Greeks worshiped, but do you know all of them? Well, first theres their home, Mount Olympus. Then theres the big three: Poseidon, Zeus and Hades. Zeus is the king of them all and the lord of the sky while Poseidon is the ruler of the sea. Hades drew the worst lot and became the god of the underworld. The lord of the underworld is very greedy and doesnt want any of his subjects, who are dead, to leave his territory. Now Ill tell you about the 12 regular gods. First Ill tell you that although Hades is one of the big three, he doesnt have a throne. The big three are also all part of the 12 as well as being the big three. There are nine other gods and goddesses. Athena, goddess of wisdom and battle, sprang from the head of Zeus when she was born. Her own children come from her own head. Then theres Hermes, the god of thieves and travelers and the messenger of the gods and goddesses. Dionysus, the god of wine, actually became a god but was a demigod Zeus (half human, half child of a god), so he didnt have a throne! So Hestia, goddess of the hearth, gave up her throne to Dionysus. Ares, the god of war, was also a son of Zeus. I almost forgot the goddess of the family, Hera. She is the wife of Zeus and queen of the gods. There are also the archery siblings, Apollo and Artemis. They both have archery in their domain, but Apollo also took the job of the sun god from Hyperion, the Titan of the sun, while his sister Artemis has the moon, although she didnt replace any Titan. Hephaestus, the god of the forge and the only ugly god, is the husband of Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, but now shes going out with Ares. (Sh! Its a secret.) And thats the 12 Olympian gods. Some of the minor gods have some interesting stories. Thanatos is the god of death. I know what youre thinking. What is he talking about? Hades is the god of death, not Thanatos. Blah, blah, blah. But Thanatos is the god of death too. He makes sure no souls escape the underworld. Hes also Hades lieutenant. Persephone, goddess of flowers, was abducted by Hades and was forced to marry him and live in the underworld. No wonder shes grumpy! :D Her mother Demeter, goddess of the harvest and of grains, was so upset about her missing daughter that she no longer did her job, and all the living plants began to die. Zeus sent his messenger Hermes to the underworld to rescue Persephone, but Persephone had eaten some underworld food and had become addicted to it, so she couldnt leave for good. She has to spend about four months of each year in the underworld, but when shes freed to come back to Earth, winter ends and flowers Hades begin to grow and bloom. You could say that Persephone brings spring when she returns to Earth. Pan is the god of the wild, shepherds and flocks, nature, of mountain wilds, hunting and rustic music and friend of the nymphs He has the hindquarters, legs and horns of a goat. Pan fell in love with Echo, a mountain nymph who loved her own voice. She didnt want the love of any man Poseidon but still fell for Narcissus, a handsome hunter. As Echo was cursed by Hera to only be able to repeat words that had been said by someone else, she could not speak for herself. She followed Narcissus to a pool, where he fell in love with his own reflection and changed into a narcissus flower. Echo wasted away, but her voice can still be heard in caves and other such similar places. Hephaestus, the god of the forge and the only ugly god, is the husband of Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, but now shes going out with Ares. (Sh! Its a secret.)

NAEP TESTING FOR 4TH AND 8TH GRADERS

Who: 4th and 8th Graders What: NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) When: Friday, Feb. 22, a White Day Where: 4th Grade in Room 14 from 0830-1000 8th Grade in the Information Center from 1000-1130 Why: Test Reading and Math Skills To Determine Academic Progress NAEP is referred to as The Nations Report Card. POC: Ms. Nielsen K-8 Counselor rosanne.nielsen@eu.dodea.edu

VISIONSTATEMENT: ALEARNINGEXPERIENCETOLAST ALIFETIME VISIONSLOGAN; LEARN4LIFE BELIEFSTATEMENTS

WebelievethatatMenwithHillSchooleveryoneiswelcomedintoafamilylike community. Webelieveeveryoneshouldhaveasafelearningenvironment. Webelieveinalearningenvironmentwheretheen recommunitycaresaboutthewell beingofstudentsandispassionateaboutteachingandlearning. WebelieveMenwithHillSchoolisaplacewhereanystudentcanpar cipateinavariety ofextracurricularac vi es. Webelievethathavingaposi vea tudeisimportant. Webelieveeveryonecanthrive,bechallengedandachievehisorherpoten al. WebelievethatatMenwithHillSchoolallteachersmeetstudentswheretheyareand worktoleadstudentstowheretheycanbe.

PTO Family Night

BINGO
Thursday, January 24 School Cafetorium 1700 1900
Bingo Starts Promptly at 1715

Pack of Bingo Cards $3.00 (enough for one person to play all the games for the evening)

Prize awarded to the winner of each game!

Baked Potato Meal $3.00 Includes Baked Potato, Toppings, Cookie, Lemonade Food Available by 1700
If you would like to help with this fun event, please contact Joan Lambert at menwithpto@yahoo.com

Mustang Basketball Schedule

2012-2013
Jan 19 Jan 24-25 Feb 8-9 Feb 12 Feb 14 Feb 16 Feb 20-23
* = Tentative/TBD

Basketball @ Danum w/ Alconbury (Doncaster) (boys team) Basketball @ Alconbury vs Rota & Alconbury Basketball HOME vs AFNORTH Basketball HOME vs Queen Ethelburgas (York) *Basketball HOME vs St Aidans (Harrogate) Basketball @ Lakenheath European Championships @ Wiesbaden, Germany

Friday games: Girls team usually tips off at 1600, Boys team at 1745 Saturday games: Girls team usually tips off at 1000, Boys team at 1145 Check school readerboard for tip times versus non-DoDDS opponents.

Mustang Wrestling Schedule

Jan. 19 at Lakenheath HS Jan. 26 at Brussels HS Feb. 02 at Lakenheath HS Feb. 09 at Alconbury HS (European qualifying tournament) Feb. 15 and 16 DoDDS European Tournament at Wiesbaden

PARTNERSHIP IN LEARNING/ PARTNERSHIP IN EDUCATION

Partnership in Learning, a DoDEA tutoring program, and Partnership in Education, a NSA tutoring program both for students in grades 4-12 will be held every Wednesday after school in the information center starting on Sept. 26 from 1500 to 1600. If you are interested in having your child tutored, please fill out the registration form and return it to Ms. Debbie Whitney, school nurse. If you have any questions, please call Ms. Whitney at 01423-777778.

January Events
18 Full day in-service for staff: NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS; substitute teaching training in IC 09001000 21 Martin Luther King Day federal holiday: NO SCHOOL 22-24 Dead Week with minimized disruptions of classes 22 Semester exams for Period 6; grades 2 and 4 swimming at the Hydro 1100-1230 23 Semester exams for Periods 2 and 4; Partnership in Learning in IC 1500-1600 24 Semester exams makeups; Quarter 2 Arts Showcase in Cafetorium 1400-1500 25 Teacher Work Day: NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS 28 Evacuation/bomb threat drill (Pavilion) 1330-1400 29 Grades 2 and 4 swimming at the Hydro 1100-1230; high school Student Council meeting in IC 14001430; senior class meeting in IC 1430-1500 30 Partnership in Learning in IC 1500-1600 31 PRIDE for grades 5-8 in seminars 1400-1500

February Events
4-6 ISS visits from Dr. Jean Carey, Ms. Nancy Moyer and Ms. Dana Jackson 4 Full day in-service for staff: NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS; faculty meeting in IC 1500 5 Grades 2 and 4 swimming at the Hydro 1100-1230; lockdown drill 1345; NHS/NJHS meeting in Room 234 1400-1430; SRT in Room 234 1500 6 Partnership in Learning in IC 1500-1600 7 MATHCOUNTS Chapter Contest using the VTC in the elementary computer lab; pep assembly for middle and high school students in base gym 1330-1500; PTO meeting in !C 1500-1600; Boosters Club meeting in IC 1600-1700 7-13 Valentines Day Grams sales 11-15 AdvancED External Review 12 Grades 2 and 4 swimming at the Hydro 1100-1230 13 Partnership in Learning in IC 1500-1600 14 CSI Learning Communities meetings 1500; middle school Neon Dance in Cafetorium 1530-1730

Menwith Hill Schools Black and White Winter Formal

Friday, January 18th, 2013 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. At MWHs Officers Club
(Black and White attire strictly desired)

Sponsored by the Junior Class Tickets available before Jan 18 @ $8:00 ($10 on Jan. 18)Contact Tia, Amirah or Mr. Ros

www.MyPaymentsPlus.com

Use MyPaymentsPlus to:

Make payments using a credit card, debit card, or check Check account balances online: www.mealpayplus.com Auto-pay your students account when it reaches a low balance

Never any cost to:

Receive notifications when your students account balance is low

View your students account balance 24/7 Monitor student purchases

Easy one-time registration:

Visit www.MyPaymentsPlus.com and follow the on-screen instructions to sign up

Select Exchange from the state menu for DoD schools overseas

If you have a Horizon account, you can request your students ID number from:

The Exchange customer service counter Your childs school cafeteria manager Or by calling: 1-877-237-0946

If you do not have a Horizon account, visit the Main Store to create one

GradeSpeed Parent/Student Connections

Teachers at Menwith Hill School use a web-based grading program called GradeSpeed for grades 4-12. Students and their parents are able to access the program and view grades in students classes through the Student Connection or the Parent Connection. Approximately 150 parent accounts from MHS are usually active during the school year. Parents who registered last year should use their same login information for this year. Student accounts were generated in September, and their login information was provided for them then. Instructions on how to apply for a parent or student account can be found on the home page of the school website at http:// www.mhil-ehs.eu.dodea.edu/ or by going directly to the GradeSpeed page at http://www.mhil-ehs.eu.dodea.edu/gradespeed.htm.

Child Find looking for special preschoolers

Menwith Hill School conducts ongoing Child Find activities throughout the school year, beginning at age 3 years. The Developmental Preschool Program offers screenings and assessments for children ages 3 to 5 years in the areas of communication, social, cognitive, self-help and motor skills. Following screenings and assessments, if a child qualifies, he/she is eligible for support services based on the identified needs. If you have questions or concerns about your childs speech and language skills or other develop-mental mile stones, a screening may be scheduled at the school by contacting Ms. Annette Backlar (7778 Ext. 242). Early identification and early intervention are keys to future school success.

Check out the school website at www.mhil-ehs.eu.dodea.edu.

GO, MUSTANGS!
Menwith Hill Elementary High School PSC 45, Unit 8435 APO AE 09468
(DSN) 262-7778 (CIV) +44-(0)1423-777778 (Fax) +44-(0)1423-770236 Principal: Mr. Les Bryan Assistant Principal: Mr. Eric Werner High School Guidance Counselor: Dr. Robin Gunderson Elementary/Middle School Guidance Counselor: Ms. Rosanne Nielsen DoDDS Isles District Superintendent: Mr. Frank Roehl

JOURNALISM
Menwith Hill students Brendan Grant, Joseph Laverty, Ashley Lewis, Jordan Livingston and Megan Luhring, produce weekly editions of Mustangs on the Move! under the supervision of Ms. Susan Culbertson, their journalism teacher.