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News and Information for the Colonel Wheeler Family
The Colonel Wheeler Review
Winter 2018-2019
Calendar
Jan 21 Begin 2nd Semester
Feb 6 CPHS 8th Grade Parent
Meeting 6-8 pm
Feb 6 Half Day—No School pm
Teacher In-service
Feb 12 PTA Meeting 6:30 pm
Mar 8 Wheelerpalooza
Mar 12 PTA Meeting 2:00 pm
Mar 22 End of 3rd Grading
Period
Mar 25-
29 Spring Break—No School
Apr 1 School Resumes
Apr 9 PTA Meeting 6:30 pm
Apr 19 Good Friday—No School
May 14 PTA Meeting 2:00 pm
May 27 Memorial Day—
No School
Contact Information Mark Gianfermi, Principal
David C. Vode, Asst. Principal
Andrea Day, Guidance Counselor
Kim Doolin, Home School Facilitator
401 West Joliet Street - Crown Point, IN 46307 - PHONE: 219.663.2173 FAX: 219-662-4378
Our CASS program is dedicated to creating a culture that is emotional-
ly, physically, and socially safe for our students. The school’s CASS pro-
gram trains high school students to mentor our middle school students,
specifically the 6th graders, about what bullying and aggression is. The
mentor program actually matches CPHS students with 6th grade stu-
dents to discuss and work through activities involving bullying.
This program has
been successful
and the high school
students enjoy
their monthly visits
to the school, many
of whom at one
time attended our
school!
CASS—Creating a Safe School
HS Student Mentors Share
insights about Bullying
KIM DOOLIN, CASS COORDINATOR
mailto:[email protected]
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2 Advisory Activities
During an Advisory class, Mrs. Croell and Mrs. Pear-son’s classes have been working on their team build-ing skills. Through a “Survivor” type activity, the students had to transport a ball from one peg to another as quickly as possi-ble. They had to use the ring attached to 5 strings to accomplish their task. The students had to use problem solving skills, communica-tion, and team work to com-plete their task.
An Egg-cellent Activity in Advisory
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3 Drama Performance
Dorothy Finds Her Way Back to KansasDorothy Finds Her Way Back to Kansas
Our Cast and Crew did an outstanding job in the performance of the Wizard of Oz! The partici-
pants had a great time and it was a sold-out performance! Mr. Dean and Mrs. Pineda were very
proud of all involved in this performance.
CHORUS—Thank you for all the work you put in memorizing lines, cues, choreography, and lyr-
ics.
LEADS—Thank you for all of the extra work you put in outside of rehearsal getting ready for large
parts! You were able to make changes on the fly and make it look easy—the mark of true profes-
sionals.
CREW—The show wouldn’t have happened without you. You demonstrated fantastic teamwork,
professionalism, and organization on build days, tech rehearsals, and during the show!
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4 6th Grade Student Activities
The first ever Col. Wheeler Book Club is officially underway! We are excit-ed to meet bi-weekly to read a common novel and have meaningful discus-sions about what we’ve read. Together, we hope to share our excitement about books, step outside our reading comfort zones to explore new titles, authors, and genres, and just enjoy our casual, literary time together.
The first book we have chosen to read is: The Hunger Games by Su-
zanne Collins
Yo u r N o s e i n a B o o k i s welcomed in the Book Club!
Students are still welcome to join Book Club if they are interest-ed! See Mrs. Santos (Room B-103) for more details.
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5 7th Grade Science Activities
In November, students were asked to teach the class something new. The 7
th Grade Science classes
learned everything from the science of fireworks, making ice cream, learned the effects of parasites in food, science of sign lan-guage, and much more.
Science Students take on new role: Teacher
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6 8th Grade Student Activities
Students Try Landmark
Case to Jury of Teachers
Mr. Bunda’s 8th grade Social Studies classes participated in a “Mock Trial” during the month of January. Staff members partici-pated as jurors for a murder trial based on the U.S. Constitution. The Trial was based on the “Betty Broderick Trial from 1991.” The students used com-ponents of the Bill of Rights and Argumentative Law to try the case. This was a great experience for the students and staff members as well!
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7 National Geography Bee (Dennis Bunda)
Our Geography Bee activities were in full swing during these past several weeks. We held
a series of student testing sessions for those students who wished to participate. Each
grade level met during Advisory classes to test to try to make it to the “next round!”
Top 25 Finalists Top 10 Finalists
Payton Bailey (Betz) Connor Bouton
Connor Bouton (Bunda) Isaac Foster
Sean Dorsey (Croell) Nori Gubbins
Shane Dorsey (Croell) Ashlyn Jimenez
Isaac Foster (Lemon) Sarah Leitzel
Nori Gubbins (Croell) Liam Owen
Ashley Grindey (Lemon) Harnoor Singh
Nathan Godek (Balind) Elijah Sparks
Andrew Goldthorpe (Bunda) Jackson Vrlik
Alex Hebda (Bunda) Samantha West
Ashlyn Jimenez (Balind)
Jonathan Johnson (Bunda)
Sarah Leitzel (Betz)
Brandon Moore( Croell)
Natalie Morris (Croell)
Liam Owen (Balind)
Logan Payley (Saksa)
Logan Pokropinski (Bunda)
Austin Shackleton (Lemon)
Harnoor Singh (Croell)
Dylan Skura (Bunda)
Elijah Sparks (Betz)
Emma Vandenburgh (Betz)
Jackson Vrlik (Betz)
Samantha West (Croell)
________________________________________________________________________________________
CHAMPION: CONNOR BOUTON
RUNNER-UP: LIAM OWEN
We had 159 contestants in this year’s Geography Bee! Connor Bouton will go on to take the national test next week in order to qualify for state-level competition in
March. Congratulations to all the contestants in this year’s Geography Bee.
Mr. Bunda
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8 Robotics (Michael Early)
Colonel Wheeler Robotics finished their Fall Season with Team Red and Blue getting ‘State Bids’ at Lucas Oil Stadium this upcoming March. We are looking forward to the Winter Season with Col. Wheeler Middle School hosting on Feb-ruary 23
rd. Please
come out to support us at the Crown Point High School Field House.
Robotics has great Start to Year
Qualifies for State in March
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9 CJWMS—Builder’s Club (Jill Vagner/Lisa Kuczwara)
Builders Club collected a variety of items for the Hobart Humane Society. This was their first
service learning project and donation drive. They were very appreciative of all the staff, students,
and community members who helped make this all happen. This group collected and organized over
500 items. Great job everyone!
WHEELER AND TAFT BUILDER’S CLUB
HELP TO CLEAN/ORGANIZE/DECORATE
THE CROWN POINT COURTHOUSE!
Recently, both Builder Clubs (Taft and Wheeler) joined together to clean, organize supplies, deco-
rate, and rake leaves to prepare for the holiday season at the Crown Point Courthouse. Over 60
students and 20 adults helped make a difference in keeping the “Grand Old Lady” in tip top shape.
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10 I-Learn—Parent Information
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11 PTA—Upcoming Events
Upcoming PTA Meetings:
02/12 -6:30 p.m.
03/12-2:00 p.m.
04/09-6:30 p.m.
05/14-2:00 p.m. (Board Elections)
CALLING ALL PARENTS
Do you want to be a positive presence in your student’s life, meet other parents, make con-
nections, or have a creative flair that you want to nourish? Maybe the PTA is right for you!
The CJWMS PTA is looking to fill all board positions for the upcoming 2019/2020 school
year! All positions are available. Elections will be held at our May meeting. Any questions,
please contact our PTA at [email protected].
Valentine “Wooden Rose” Sale
February 13/14—during student lunches
Order forms will be sent home and parents will be able to
order for their students to be delivered on Valentines’ Day!
Students will be able to purchase during their lunches on
the 13th and 14th.
UPCOMING EVENTS!
WHEELERPALOOZA—March 8th
ART SHOWCASE
FUN RUN
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12 Miscellaneous
The Crown Point Community School Corp. posts a newsletter on our website en-titled “Nutrition Nuggets” every month. This newsletter has a great deal of nutri-tional information for students and their families that you may find of benefit. This type of newsletter helps to promote healthy nutrition and physical activities. Please find below a direct link to the newsletter, which can also be found on our website.
February Nutrition Nuggets
January Nutrition Nuggets
December Nutrition Nuggets
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National Junior Honor Society
Our National Junior Honor Society collected canned foods and non-perishable foods for our annual food drive. We were able to distribute the food to a local food bank and homeless shelter. Thank you to all of our students that participat-ed in this community outreach program. Both organizations were extremely ap-preciative of the food that was given and the generosity of so many of our stu-dents and their families.
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Art News
Colonel John Wheeler Middle School’s Art Dis-play, in conjunction with Taft Middle School, is now on display at the Administration building through the end of January. It is open Monday-Friday until 4:00pm.
https://www.cps.k12.in.us/cms/lib/IN01000800/Centricity/Domain/21/feb%20nuggets.pdfhttps://www.cps.k12.in.us/cms/lib/IN01000800/Centricity/Domain/21/january%20nuggets.pdfhttps://www.cps.k12.in.us/cms/lib/IN01000800/Centricity/Domain/21/dec%20nuggets.pdffile://wheelermain/staff accounts/lnewman/My Documents/Lnewman/Colonel Wheeler Review/january nuggets.pdf
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13 Performing Arts
For more information about the
Performing Arts at Colonel Wheeler,
you can visit our website at:
www.WheelerBCO.com
The Music Department recently sent many talented musicians and singers to the ISSMA So-
lo Ensemble Festival at Wilbur Wright Middle School in Munster. The Solo and Ensemble
Festival is a special event in which students get to shine individually and in small groups to
get evaluated by a music professional. The
students practiced many hours and spent time
rehearsing with their groups. Overall, the de-
partment was represented well and once
again showed the high level of musicianship
that Wheeler Middle School is known for.
The Band sent 34 entries this year to the
event. Students received 31 gold medals and
4 silver medals. Several students had near
perfect scores with Mariel Schelfo receiving a
Perfect score on Oboe.
In Choir, The students received 21 gold and 3
silver medals. They had several students per-
form both in small and large ensembles.
The Orchestra had 35 gold and 2 silver med-
als. Several students performed at the highest
level and earned a trip to perform at the
ISSMA State Solo / Ensemble Festival later
this month. Students who qualified for State
include: Tim Ziants, Connor Bouton, Gloria
Radford, Miles Girton, Ethan Flaherty, and An-
drew Goldthorpe.
Congratulations to Col. Wheeler 8th grade orchestra stu-dent Gloria Radford on winning a spot in cello section of the first-ever IN-ASTA All State Junior High Orchestra! Gloria traveled to Ft. Wayne, IN on January 17, 2019 and spent two days re-hearsing and preparing highly challenging music with other mid-dle school students from all over the state. The group was under the direc-tion of Georgia Ekonomou, a string educator/conductor from Georgia with 38 years of experi-ence working with young musi-cians. The premier performance took place on January 19, 2019 at 8am in the Grand Wayne Con-vention Center.
Wheeler Cellist Makes
All-State Orchestra
Music Department Showcases Talents at
ISSMA Solo / Ensemble Festivals
http://www.wheelerbco.com
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14 Performing Arts
Orchestra Students Perform with
All-Region Orchestra
All Region Orchestra - On November 10, 2018, seven students from Col. Wheeler Middle School Orchestra Program traveled to Goshen Middle School to participate in the IN-ASTA Northern All Region Orchestra. IN-ASATA (Indiana-American String Teachers Association) sponsors this event on the second weekend of November every year. Students who apply to be in this honor orchestra must demonstrate lead-ership, dedication, and high ability on their instruments. Applicants are then given a director rating, which is used with their grade level to place them in one of two 75 member orchestras called Allegro and Vivace. Selected students had to prepare fun, yet challenging music, spend a day rehearsing with a guest conductor, and perform a concert that evening. The following students did an awesome job representing Col. Wheeler, CP Schools, and the CP Orchestra Program: from 7th grade Jacob Edwards violin, Dain Ellman bass, Sarah Leitzel violin, Jenna Forster violin, Madelyn Eenigenburg violin, Madysan Luczak cello, and from 8th grade, Anna Suppes viola. Click here to enjoy the highlights of the performance: https://youtu.be/ViKJN6DJsPs
Click here to enjoy the performance in its entirety: https://youtu.be/_nUAjWlUSxg
https://youtu.be/ViKJN6DJsPshttps://youtu.be/_nUAjWlUSxg
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15 Exceptional Learners—LRE
What is a learning disability?
Some students have real difficulty acquiring basic academic skills. These skills include those needed for successful reading, writing, math, listening and/or speaking. These difficulties might be the result of a learning disability (LD).
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), a federal law, defines a learning disability as a condition when a child's achievement is substantially below what one might ex-pect for that child.
LD is a broad term. There are many different kinds of learning disabilities. Most often they fall into three broad categories:
Reading disabilities
Written language disabilities Math disabilities
Other related categories include disabilities that affect memory, social skills, and execu-tive functions such as deciding to begin a task.
Students with learning disabilities benefit from instruction that is explicit and well se-quenced. Effective teachers help students with LD learn how to use strategies for managing their assignments. Teachers often need to provide accommodations to help children learn in class. These are changes in how tasks are presented or responses are received that allow the student to do the same work as their peers. Students might receive the assignment in larger print or be allowed to orally provide answers instead of writing them. They might be given more time to complete an assignment or be tested in a small group. To read more on Learning Disabilities, visit https://ldaamerica.org/types-of-learning-disabilities/
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https://ldaamerica.org/types-of-learning-disabilities/
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16 Exceptional Learners—LRE
Our students in Mrs. Andrew’s and Mrs. Nelson’s classes have been busy
visiting our local establishments! They enjoyed a breakfast at the Crown
Point Café. They had to stay within their budget when ordering. They
practiced using their manners when communicating their wants, and they
paid their bill and left a tip.
They were also out and about visiting our local Strack and Van Til store to
shop for the Thanksgiving Feast that was prepared for all staff and family
members! The students enjoyed shopping as well as preparing all the
‘fixings’ for the Feast.
The students even enjoyed a Christmas shopping trip to Target!
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17 Teacher/Employee of the Year Nominations
Outstanding Teacher of the Year & Employee of the Year
Recognition Program
The Crown Point Community School Corporation is accepting nominations for the “Teacher of the Year” and “Employee of the Year” who will serve during the 2019-2020 school year.
The CPCSC will select a “Teacher of the Year” recipient for each of the following:
Elementary Teacher Grades PK-5
Secondary Teacher Grades 6-12
The CPCSC will also select an “Employee of the Year” recipient for the classified staff.
Students, former students, parents, colleagues, administrators, or members of the gen-eral public may nominate a CPCSC teacher and/or classified employee. There is no limit to the number of teachers or classified employees a person may nominate. Please com-plete a separate nomination form for each teacher and/or classified employee you wish to nominate.
A selection committee made up of CPCSC administration and community members will narrow the nominations. The selection committee will interview and evaluate the final nominees and select a winner for each category. Winners will be announced at a School Board meeting in May.
Complete nomination forms online with the links listed below or print forms and mail to: CPCSC, Teacher and Employee of the Year, 200 E. North Street, Crown Point, IN 46307.
Teacher of the Year
Employee of the Year
Nomination forms must be received no later than Friday, March 1, 2019, to be consid-ered.
Any additional questions, please contact:
Diana Green, Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent
219-663-3371 ext. 10223
http://docs.google.com/forms/d/1Lrt0HPB-V_5yv1Ae-usyFh7iyabxAMxbbYZyhhKWRcA/viewform?usp=send_formhttp://docs.google.com/forms/d/15m4-JkKVjsvrJhwSzTHTNhmZ7IFGI1GNBMURiMpFA5Q/viewform?usp=send_formmailto:[email protected]
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Team Contact Information
Team Contact Information
6th GRADE
Team 6A
Patti Croell—[email protected]
Anna Budner—[email protected]
Anna Holem—[email protected]
James Lemon—[email protected]
Tiffany Kranz—[email protected]
Lisa Kuczwara—[email protected]
Andrea Avila—[email protected]
Team 6B
Joe Balind—[email protected]
Jen Nally—[email protected]
Grace Santos—[email protected]
Sara Pearson—[email protected]
Tiffany Kranz—[email protected]
Lisa [email protected]
Andrea Avila—[email protected]
7th GRADE
Team 7A
Jill [email protected]
Joe Betz—[email protected]
Eric Boswell—[email protected]
Stephanie Olson—[email protected]
Loree Bain—[email protected]
Kate Perschon—[email protected]
Team 7B
Jim Saksa – [email protected]
Clark [email protected]
Michelle [email protected]
Ginger Weilbaker—[email protected]
Michael [email protected]
Kate Perschon—[email protected]
Anne Parent—[email protected]
8th GRADE
Team 8A Team 8B
Dennis Bunda—[email protected] Mark Croell—[email protected]
Brian Popiela—[email protected] John Camery—[email protected]
Michelle Magiera—[email protected] Leslie Curtis—[email protected]
Susan [email protected] Tammy Betz—[email protected]
Darleen Maas—[email protected] Darleen Maas—[email protected]
Megan Kienzle—[email protected] Megan Kienzle—[email protected]
Ryan Jurczak—[email protected] Ryan Jurczak– [email protected]
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Team Contact Information
Team Contact Information
Exceptional Learners
Kate Perschon—[email protected] (Dept. Chair & 7th Grade)
Andrea Avila—[email protected] (6th Grade)
Ryan [email protected] (8th Grade)
Team We Rock
Laura Andrews—[email protected]
Mandy [email protected]
Band/Choir/Orchestra
James Hensley—[email protected] (BAND)
Stephen Dean—[email protected] (CHOIR)
Aaron Zemelko—[email protected] (ORCHESTRA)
Health & PE
Mallory Avalos—[email protected]
Erik Forehand—[email protected]
Brett Keller—[email protected]
Ken Florek—[email protected]
Becky Decker—[email protected]
Encore Rotation
Becky Springer—[email protected]
Jennifer Pineda—[email protected]
Doug Burns—[email protected]
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