November 2011 Tri-Center Newsletter

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

Superintendents News and Comments

Brett Nanninga Upcoming Dates of Note:

Conduct Counts . . . On the Field, On the Stage, On the Floor, On the Mat; and In the Crowd. (A Message from the Unified Iowa High School Activities Federation.) As a parent of an activity participant, I will . . . Remember my daughter/son participates in educational activities for fun. Do my best to understand the purpose of educational activities which always puts education first. Remember it is a privilege, not a right, for my daughter/son to participate in interscholastic activities. Remember that my attendance at an interscholastic activity is a privilege, not a right. Always conduct myself with character, and insist my daughter/son do the same, even when it is not the popular thing to do. Treat all people (coaches/advisors/contestants/official s/spectators) with respect at all times and insist that my daughter/son do the same. Support all students participating, not just my daughter/son. Be gracious in victory and accept defeat with dignity. Honor the spirit and intent of the rules under which my daughter or son participates.

Wednesday, November 2nd School Dismissed at 1:30 for Professional Development Wednesday, November 23rd School Dismissed at 1:30 for Thanksgiving Vacation NO SCHOOL November 24th or 25th due to Thanksgiving Vacation Wednesday, December 7th School Dismissed at 1:30 for Professional Development Wednesday, December 23rd School Dismissed at 1:30 for Christmas Break NO SCHOOL on January 3rd or 4th due to Professional Development **School Resumes on Thursday, January 5th (FULL Day) NO SCHOOL on Monday, January 16th due to Professional Development
Community . . . Community, as defined by the dictionary, is a group of people living together and having interests, work, etc. in common. As a school community, our interests are the kids, the educational process, and growth over time. We have much in common and most of our activity and concern revolves around the youth and families of the school district. Lets continue our efforts in developing this sense of community by promoting respect, trust, service, and unity. The success of a school community hinges on these qualities, the people who make them happenand most importantly, a positive and constructive attitude.
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Never demonstrate threatening or abusive behavior or use foul language. I will try my best to be a fan and not a fanatic.

American Education Week November 13th 19th

Tri-Center Community Schools maintains an open invitation to all members of our community to visit the schools at any time during the year; and we would especially like to extend an invitation to the people of the district to stop by during American Education Week. This is just another opportunity to see how well public education is working and how our tax dollars are being utilized on a daily basis. We hope that by being at school while it is in session you will gain a better understanding of what really takes place and hopefully develop a greater appreciation for the students and staff that makes things happen. The administration, staff, and students will be involved in special activities throughout the week to celebrate American Education and we encourage your involvement, as this would be one way to show ownership in your school. If you choose to visit the campus, we would ask that you stop in one of the office areas, sign in, and obtain a visitors sticker simply as a security precaution.

I am really interested in what you learned in math today; can you tell me about it? Would you teach me to do that? How did you do on your spelling test? What were some of the words on the test? Would you read this to me, please? Do you have any homework for tomorrow? Keep in mind that the goal is to learn more about what took place at school and gather information about your childs progress. These questions are much better than the old stand-by: How was school today? which is usually followed by Okay, or Fine. Remind your child each night of his/her responsibility to do homework. In time, this will become a habit and hopefully the pressure of getting schoolwork done will shift from the parent to the child. Information taught in class must be reviewed at home. In most cases, this is not done until immediately before test day arrives. Impress upon your child the need to continually read and reviewwhether it be textbook, notes, or literature of some kind. This will vary from grade level to grade level, but the sooner the habit is developed, the greater the possibility it will kick in during the teenage years. Encourage your child to utilize his/her student planner. These were issued to each student at the beginning of the school year and should be very helpful in the organization and reminders department. Again, this is a lifetime skill that directly carries over to each level of school and career thereafter. Keeping track of assignments and due dates can only make your child more successful in school. So hold them accountable for using the item that you purchased for them in AugustThe Student Handbook/Planner. Keep encouraging your child to learn. READ to them or insist that they READ sometimes rather than watch television. Ask lots of why questions that forces them to think. PRAISE their progress and remind them that you only expect them to do their best. Correct mistakes with a
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Helping Your Children Achieve and Grow

For many kids, taking tests is a difficult and gut-wrenching experience. They often feel unprepared and stressed out; and enter the testing situation with feelings of failure rather than confidence. We all know that tests are part of life some on paper and others through demonstration. In either case, the yips (fears) can be overcome, and students can do better on tests, if you help them develop a few simple study skills early (and often) in their educational experience. Check on your childrens progress each day by spending just a few minutes asking questions (and getting answers that are satisfactory). This alerts your child to the fact that you are interested and you are keeping tabs on his/her performance. Ask questions such as:

positive tone. MODEL characteristics that you wish to see in your childrendont rely upon somebody else (such as a professional athlete or Hollywood icon) to do this for you. Play games that involve reading, reasoning, and math (most of the time kids dont realize they are using these skills in a competitive game). Maintain close communication with your childs teacher regarding behavior, progress, attitude, strengths and weaknesses. Provide a good environment to study at home. And finally, especially during school, see that your kids get nourishment, get plenty of rest, and dress appropriately. These are only a few of the necessities of life, but they play a major role in the effectiveness of your childs day-to-day education. Tri-Center Transportation . . . A Daily Task Well Done Transporting kids is a tremendously important aspect of the total school program, and one that we too often take for granted. Each day twice a day and on most evenings and Saturdays, we entrust the well-being of our kids to those who operate our school vehiclesmost often the yellow school bus. Although the school bus is still cited as the safest vehicle on the road, it still demands the attention and skill of a driver on each and every trip. Each year, the month of October contains a week that is designated as National School Bus Safety Week, but every week should really be recognized as school bus safety week. Please keep your school bus driver in mind as he/she hauls your child to and from school, contests, or games; and be thankful that we have safe, caring people behind the wheel.

School Readiness . . . What Does It Mean? We know that quality early education experiences in families, childcare, preschool, and early elementary settings help prepare children to succeed later in school. Different groups of educators and community members see the issue of readiness from different angles and focus on different issues. However, at its core (according to the Educational Research Service), readiness is a combination of the following: A childs experiences at home and the resources of the home The resources and experiences present in child care and preschool settings attended by the child Community resources that support high quality parenting and child care The extent to which the elementary school is well linked to these family and child care resources The degree to which the classroom experiences provided for the child in kindergarten and first grade effectively build on competencies he or she brings to school In addition to the fundamental principles of school readiness, we find that further research conducted by ERS concerning various approaches to improving student achievement yielded the following as the most significant practices: Tutoring Early Childhood Programs Behavioral Classroom Techniques Parental Involvement Classroom Management Skills Time on Task It should be no surprise that research has determined EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAMS and PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT to be two of the key ingredients found to be directly related to the success of children in school.

Thanksgiving is Giving Thanks

Thankfulness is the soil in which joy thrives. SCHOOL DISMISSED AT 1:30 pm on Wednesday, November 23rd

Children may close their ears to advice, but their eyes are always open to example.
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** Have a Happy Thanksgiving **

From the Principals Desk

Angie Huseman

Good intentions are like checks that men/women try to draw from a bank where they have no account.
Five Birds and Good Intentions Five birds are sitting on a telephone wire. Two of them decide to fly South. How many are left? Three, you say? No, its five. You see deciding to fly South is not the same as doing it. If a bird really wants to go somewhere, its got to point itself in the right direction, jump off the wire and flap its wings. Good intentions are not enough. Our character is defined and our lives are determined not by what we want, say or think, but by what we do. Michael Josephson, Character Counts Newsletter, August 2006 Good intentions really are NOT enough. I have lived with high school students long enough to know that a great many of them have a difficult time thinking past the weekend. Many feel there is always enough time to study, read, start on a projectLATER. We are hitting the time of the year when we have been going to school long enough that the new has worn off, and students start to just coast through their days. We try to help them to understand that just coasting is not a good thing, but if students can hear this same message from home, it will help us at school quite a bit.

Encourage Persistence in Your Teen for Success in School, Life Its always easier to give up on a tough job than it is to push through and complete it. However, thats not going to get your teen very far in life. Lifes full of tough jobs, so the sooner your teen learns to be persistent, the better. Persistence can also lead to success in school. Large projects will look less daunting to your childand his grades will probably improve as a result. You can encourage persistence in your teen if you: Notice his progress. Say things like, Youre really coming along with that, and That wasnt easy, but you kept at it. Well done. Your teen will love the pat on the back. Teach your teen to cheer himself on. Positive self-talk, such as, I am going to do this, can keep him going through the most difficult tasks. Be a role model. If your teen is struggling to complete something, a little help will motivate him to stick with it. Treat your teen to something special when he finishes a challenging task. Consider watching a moving together or cooking a fun dinner. Celebrate! *Previous article taken from Parents Still Make the Difference newsletter, 2004. We need to teach our children to do the right thing, even when no one is looking. That is the type of responsible personthe one who does not make excuseswho will always be sought after to be a part of a team, a friend, an employee and a leader. I believe we all want that for our children. Shopping-Cart Virtue According to a story in the book Hugs for Dad by John William Smith, a father asked his son after grocery shopping to return their cart to the retrieval area. Although it would have taken only a minute, the son protested. Cmon, Dad, he said, there are carts all over the lot. None of those people returned theirs. No one expects them to. Then Mom chimed in. For heavens sake, they pay people to collect the carts. Returning one more wont change the history of the world. Lets just go.
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Dad was about to surrender when he saw an elderly couple walking together to return their cart. After a moment, he said to his son, Were not responsible for what other people do, but we are responsible for what we do. There are two kinds of people: those who put their carts away and those who dont. We put our carts away because thats the kind of people we are. This story obviously isnt just about grocery carts, Its about doing the right thing in a world that seems to promote rationalizations and excuses that demean or trivialize simple acts of virtue. There are two kinds of people: those who find the strength to do what they ought to and those who find excuses not to. People of character do the right thing even if no one else does, not because they think it will change the world, but because they refuse to be changed by the world. Im not saying people who dont return their shopping carts are moral felons, but there is a lot to admire in people who have such a strong sense of decency and responsibility that they put principles above convenience. Michael Josephson, Character Counts Newsletter, August 2006

There will be an ACT Prep course offered at Tri-Center before the February or April test. That exact time will be in the December newsletter. Juniors need to be planning when they will be taking the ACT. The goal is to help each student get into the best 2 or 4 year college at the least cost. Students will view 12, 45 minute sessions of the ACT Prep course in school over a three week period. The course is demanding, the students must complete the homework assignments on their own in order to get the most benefits from the program. If you have questions about the ACT Prep course feel free to call the high school and ask for Tami Harman (712) 485-2257. Tri-Center and Underwood Guidance Counselors will be hosting a Financial Aid Presentation on November 16th at 7:00 p.m. in the Cafetorium at Tri-Center High School. Topics to be included are completing the FAFSA, important deadlines for financial aid, overview of the financial aid process, types of financial assistance available, scholarships and scams, helpful tips, and where to go for additional help. Please mark your calendar and we hope to see you there.

Success lies not in achieving what you

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

Counseling Comments
Tami Harman

ACT Test Dates Remaining: * December 10, 2011 - Registration Deadline November 4, 2011 Late Fee Required-Nov. 5-18, 2011 * February 11, 2012 - Registration Deadline January 13, 2012 Late Fee Required-Jan. 14-20, 2012 * April 14, 2012 - Registration Deadline - March 9, 2012 Late Fee Required- March 10-23, 2012 * June 9, 2012 - Registration Deadline -May 4, 2012 Late Fee Required - May 5-18, 2012

ITED Testing Grades 9-12 will be taking the Iowa Test of Educational Development the week of November 7th. We will only take one test a day, please encourage your daughter/son to do their best on these tests. This assessment gives us good data on student progress and curricular decisions. Make sure they have a good breakfast each morning that week to give them the energy they need to perform well on these tests.

PLAN Testing The Sophomores will be taking the PLAN test on November 22, 2011 here at Tri-Center. It is a preACT test. The students will get a taste of what the ACT test procedure is like and a predicted ACT score. This will allow them to look at areas of strengths and weaknesses. They will also know where they need to spend some extra time preparing for the ACT test.
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National Honor Society News: The National Honor Society calendars should have been delivered by now. If you purchased an ad and did not get a copy of the calendar, please call the high school and we will be sure that one is delivered to your business promptly. Thank you for contributing to the National Honor Society.

staff doing proofs and the publisher (Walsworth Publishing) printing it. We will have a handful of extras which may be purchased for $50 each while supplies last. At the time see or call Adviser Mrs. Sarah Elliott at the high school at 485-2257, ext. 100. 2012 YEARBOOK SALES!!! The 2012 Trojan Yearbook sales will begin in late November/ December, and we will again be doing on-line sales this year. Some specials and discounts will be offered to those purchasing in the first month (November/December). BUY EARLY AND SAVE! SENIOR PICTURES: Seniors and senior parents, pictures are due to the yearbook by Wednesday, December 21, 2011. These may be in color or black and white, but they should be wallet-sized and head and shoulder shots work or look best. Dont assume your photographer will send them in to us. If the photo is not received by December 21, it will probably be too late to include it. GET PICTURES IN EARLY TO BE SAFE! PARENT AND PERSONAL ADS: Support the yearbook and honor your son/daughter, grandson/daughter, sibling, friend, or others at the same time. Parent and personal ads are $30 and include the honored persons name, a small photo, and a message limited to 20 words. Senior parents can expect to receive a letter in December or early next semester. Parent and personal ads can be purchased from Publications Adviser Sarah Elliott or Yearbook Editor Liz Kottich at 485-2257, ext. 100. PICTURES ARE ACCEPTED: The publications staff is in need of and will accept pictures for possible use in the yearbook and/or the CyaNet Site (tri-centerspirit.com). Pictures can be submitted by email (selliott@tri-center,k12.ia.us) or brought in to be scanned and returned ASAP. The staff is currently in need of summer and candid pictures for all grades. We could also use pictures of summer and fall sports and Homecoming activities at this time. Also, we are hoping to get Community Upload working this year, so look for more information on that.

Tri-Center
Julie Thuelen

On Wednesday, October 12, the Tri-Center Special Olympics Team traveled to Thunder Bowl in Council Bluffs to compete in district bowling. The team represented TC with pride. Cole Osbahr 1st place Scott Jenkins 1st place Jordan Cooper 2nd place Nate Dollen 3rd place Matthew Killpack 3rd place Alanna Haubrich 4th place Harrison Dollen 6th place. Cole and Scott will advance to state competition in Des Moines on November 19th. CONGRATULATIONS to all the athletes! They demonstrated excellent sportsmanship and had a great time.

Yearbook News and Information

Sarah Elliott 2011-2012 Publications Staff Members: Seniors: Austin Heinen, Trojan Yearbook Editor Liz Kottich, and Laura Thomas. Juniors: Jensen McElmeel, Trojan Yearbook Assistant Editor Merideth Raine, and Justine Sturtz .Sophomores: Lia Grover, Sam Raine and Christian Severn. 2011 YEARBOOKS! All the proofing was submitted in mid October and the 2010 Trojan Yearbooks will come in about mid November. We appreciate your patience with both the Publications

AD CAMPAIGN: We will be starting our ad campaign this month. If you are or know of a business owner who may want to advertise, contact Adviser Sarah Elliott at 485-2257, ext. 100. Advertisers not only help fund a yearbook of which the district and surrounding communities can be proud, but have the opportunity to support an educational program that teaches students valuable skills in writing, design, photography, computer use, and business.

From the Elementary Principal

Diane White

November Highlights
Nov. 9-18 Nov. 2 Nov. 3 & 4 Nov. 4 & 5 Nov. 5 ITBS Testing 1:30 Dismissal Inservice No Preschool Variety Show at the HS, 7:00 p.m. Turn back your clock one hour.

Tri-Center Middle School

Brian Wedemeyer The Iowa Test of Basic Skills will be given the week of November 7-14th. We will only test in the areas of Math, Science and Reading this year. Please encourage your students to do their best on these exams, the results will be included in several documents and will ultimately be used as one of the gauges of how well Tri-Center is doing in educating the youth of our school district. NWEA Fall tests are completed and results will be sent home with your 4th quarter report card after the Spring tests are completed. If you would like to know how your student did on the Fall tests you can contact the MS office. JH boys basketball has started and the 7th grade will be coached by Chris Hamilton and the 8th grade will be coached by Mike Larsen. Winter posters and pocket calendars will be in shortly you can pick those up in any school office. All athletic calendars are available at www.westerniowaconference.org Developing a reading habit, tips from a school librarian: 1. Leave lots of reading material, books, magazines, newspapers, even comic books all around the house. If theyre lying there, hell pick them up. 2. Stop at the library when you are out and about. Once inside, steer him towards sections he might like. 3. Discuss the books Im reading. That will give him a chance to talk about what he has read that day and give us a reading habit to share.

Nov. 7 Nov. 10 Nov. 11 Nov. 14-18 Nov. 14 Nov. 18 Nov. 21 Nov. 23 Nov. 24 Nov. 25

Student Council Mtg. 3:30-5:00 Thanksgiving Dinner for Lunch Veterans Day American Education Week No Preschool Technology Showcase on Campus Student Council Mtg. 3:30-5:00 1:30 Dismissal Happy Thanksgiving No School - Thanksgiving Vacation

***Elementary Christmas Program featuring Grades K-2 is scheduled for Monday, December 19, at 2:00 and 7:00 p.m.

Grandparents & Special Relative Day!

Paula Heck, Pam Schroder, Susie Fah Who: Grandparents or Special Relative Day (Aunt or Uncle/ Family friend) What: A Thanksgiving Brunch When: Wednesday morning, November 23 (The day before Thanksgiving) Where: In our preschool classrooms
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Elementary Art News

Liz Lyons

Elementary Music Information

Art to Remember orders and returns were due October 21 and will be sent in November 2nd. Late orders will be sent in about 2 weeks later. Many thanks to all the teachers for helping to collect them! Kindergarten finished jack-o-lanterns so will be moving on to learn about real and imaginary textures with the texture turtle, then we will focus on horizontal, vertical, and diagonal lines. First graders are using styrofoam to print pumpkins for a fall theme printmaking experience. We are also learning to use brayers to roll ink. Second grade students are painting their Klimdt quilts with glitter liquid watercolor, then we will cut out our self portraits to add to the final composition. Third grade learned about the Mexican holiday called "Days of the Dead" which is similar to our memorial day. We are cutting papel picado to hang up for display. We will also be finishing our movement paintings with waterbased pastels. Fourth graders also reviewed examples of folk art from "Days of the Dead" as we create skeleton characters out of model magic on a piece of mat board. We paint the extra details of the characters with watercolor. We will soon move on to review the color wheel and begin expressive painting. Fifth grade students are currently painting their pantyhose sculptures from our public art unit. Soon they will be on display for everyone to see!! Soon we will look at the work of Kandinsky to inspire an abstract composition using oil pastel. Katie Branzuela Music Program: Monday, December 19, 2011, T-C HS Gymnasium, 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm Kindergarten, First Grade, and Second Grade Parents: Kindergarten, First grade and Second grade students will be showcasing their musical talent in a program on December 19th, 2011. Please mark the date on your calendars and plan on attending our program full of Winter Classics! Students will be asked to dress nicely, with dresses, skirts and dress pants. Jeans are acceptable only if necessary, and if they are presentable (no holes please!). For the evening performance on Monday, December 19th, 2011, students will be DROPPED OFF and PICKED UP in the CAFETORIUM. Each class will be located around a table, with their classroom teachers name in the middle. Please drop your off your performer(s) between 6:15PM and 6:30PM for the evening performance. If your child will not be at a performance, please let me know at kbranzuela@tricenter.k12.ia.us or by phone at (712)485-2271. I will be sending more information as the performance date gets closer. You can always check my website at https://sites.google.com/site/mrsbranzuelasmusiccla ss/ for updates and program practice tips. THANK YOU for all your support and help!

Music Department Kandi Kunzman

TRI-CENTER VOCAL DEPARTMENT PRESENTS: The 21st CENTURY Friday and Saturday November 4th & 5th 7:00 pm High School Gym $5 Adults, $4 Students

In appreciation for the Tri-Center/Treynor Pink Out Volleyball Game: I want to thank both school districts, communities, students, and staff. Special thanks to the Tri-Center volleyball players and coaches for honoring me in this way. To everyone who planned, worked, donated, or participated in this incredible event, I will be forever grateful. Your love, support, friendship and generosity mean more than words can express. It is my prayer that God will richly bless you for sharing from your hearts. You have definitely touched mine. Sincerely, Nancy Krohn