April, May, June 2012

LAUREL-CONCORD/COLERiDGESCHOOL NEWSLETTER

10 Learning Center Book PicksCHECK THEM OUT TODAY!

HELP YOUR CHILD BE A STELLAR STUDENT

LCC HS BANDBACK FROM TEXAS

GET READY TO GRADUATE: MAY 12, 2012

Laurel-Concord/ Coleridge

Public Schools

Contents1

Central Office 502 Wakefield St. Laurel, NE 68745

402-256-3133

http://www.laurel.esu1.org

• Contents • Quick Announcements

2 • Superintendent’s Letter

3 • HS Principal’s Letter• Stand For The Silent

4 • Admin, Business & Tech Services• Social Studies

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6 • Kindergarten Round Up Form

7-8 • LCC HS BAND Back From Texas

8 • Honors/Scholarship Night

9 • Elementary Resource• Immunization Requirements

10 • Science Department

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LCC HAS GONE DIGITAL

The school calendar is always being changed! So to get the

most up-to-date information be sure to visit the online

calendar that is accessible through the school website!

Stay Updated Lost & Found

• Elementary: Help Your Child Be a Stellar Student

11 • Special Education• 10 Learning Center Picks

12 • HS English • Spanish Department• ACT Test Dates

13-14 •Ag Science & FFA

15-16 • Activity Calendar

17-18 • Meal Calendar

GET READY TO GRADUATE!

May 12, 2012 @ 2pm

It’s that time of year again. Seniors it’s time to graduate and take that next step.

Make sure to check with the

administration to make sure you’re on the right course to graduate!

Before leaving for the summer check the

lost & found! Stop by each

office and take a look!

-When the next newsletter releases we’ll let you know by e-mail and the newspaper! Go to www.laurel.esu1.org to get updates via e-mail.

SIGN UP TODAY FOR E-MAIL NOTIFCATIONS! www.laurel.esu1.org

-Still want it by mail? If you want to receive a physical copy then contact the Laurel High School at 402-256-3731 and let us know.

Don’t miss out! Get your newsletter by e-mail. No more newsletters are being mailed unless by request.

www.laurel.esu1.org or

coleridge.esu1.org

2012 PROMNIGHT OF LIGHTS

April 28, 2012 @ Laurel

Grand March - 6:30pm Dinner - 7:00pm Dance - 8:30pm

19 • Kid’s Connection

Good-Bye – This will be my last Laurel-Concord-Coleridge News-letter and I want to take a moment to say good-bye. I also want to say thank you. Thank you for welcoming me into your very good communities and trusting me with the important task of running your schools. Our students are exceptional and this is a reflection of outstanding parents, patrons and teachers. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here and I will treasure the friends and relationships that I have gained.

Big Projects This Summer – Several major construction projects will be occurring this summer at the Laurel-Concord School. The roofs over the old gym, the new gym and the District Office will be replaced. This school complex has 11 roof areas and these are the last three to be replaced. The old gym roof was installed in 1956 and the new gym in 1978. They are 56 and 34 years old respectively. The school has experienced recurring leaks and these replacements are necessary.

A fire protective sprinkler system will be installed and will service most of the school. This must be done by order of the Fire Marshal and will improve the safety of our school building.

A surveillance system will be installed that will have camera cover-age of the library, gyms, hallways, fitness center, entrances and park-ing lots. This is being done to improve the safety of our building for students and patrons. This system will record all activity and store it for more than 30 days and will be instantly available from remote locations.

An electricity producing wind tower will be installed just west of the west wing that will be used in our science, industrial arts and math classes. This is being paid for by a grant received last year. Students will learn about aerodynamics, electrical production, changing wind conditions, maintenance, costs of alternative energy and students will have hands on experiences with electrical currents and production.

Educational Rankings from the Governor – In January, the Gov-ernor published a document that ranked all of the high schools in the State by NeSA Reading and NeSA math test scores from last year. This document also ranked schools according to dropout rates, ACT scores and what is called “College Going Rates”.

This information was presented by the Governor in several dif-ferent groups: Class A, Class B, Class C-1, Class C-2 and Small

Schools. Most of the data used in this report is from the current senior classes (Class of 2012) based on tests taken during their junior year, last school year (2010-11). Information is not presented for schools with graduating classes less than 10 to protect confidentiality. Laurel-Concord scores are presented in C-2. Coleridge scores are not included because the Graduating Class of 2011 was less than 10.

The upside is Laurel-Concord did very well and is ranked near the top of the 41 C-2 schools in all categories. However, as I have said on many occasions, we must be careful to use data well. The sample sizes are small for C-2 schools. Small sample sizes means results can vary widely from year to year. We will have years in which we are ranked quite well and other years in which we may not. So, we must remember this when making judgments.

Also, caution must be used when looking at ACT scores. They are not comparable because there are no controls on sample groups. The percentage of students taking this test will vary from school to school. Also, some students may take the ACT several times and oth-ers only once. ACT gives students their best score regardless of how many times it is taken. Average ACT test scores will vary depending upon these and other variables that are not controlled because the ACT was not designed for comparative purposes.

I am also concerned about ranking schools, as I fear this will lead to oversimplified, shortsighted and inaccurate judgments. Good use of data means the use of a variety of creditable information observed over a period of time comparing similar sample groups noting the strengths and weaknesses of different measurements.

But, this information is valuable if used with care and discretion. Also, these scores indicate that our students do very well and this is supported by similar data from a variety of grade levels and over the course of several years. So, congratulations to our teachers, parents, community and our students. We did very well.

Although these comparisons only show Laurel-Concord students, it is fair to assume that Coleridge students are very similar and also had similar results. Many data sources from many years tell us that Coleridge students perform very well on tests of academic skills.

Please go to www.governor.nebraska.gov and click on columns for a statement of explanation from Governor Heineman and much more information.

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The Stand For the Silent program, created by Kirk & Laura Smalley after their son Ty committed suicide,

addresses the issues of school bullying and youth suicide with an engaging, factual and emotional

methodology. Through the effort of Kirk & Laura Smalley and student participants for each school,

students are show first hand the life & death consequences of bullying.

The phrase, “Time flies when you are having fun,” would truly sum up the 2011-2012 School Year. I can’t believe we are turning the calen-dar on April and I have seniors asking me when their last day of school is. It seems like only yesterday I was meeting all of the high school parents at our 1 to 1 Computer Rollout Meetings and giving the high school stu-dents a short biography about this crazy new man in charge of their high school.

It has been an honor to have the opportunity to work with and lead such an amazing group of young people; they make it fun to come to work everyday. I didn’t know how the staff and teach-ers were going to react to a 27-year-old principal at the helm, but they have truly embraced me and are willing to consider every crazy idea that has run through my head.

It is hard to believe, but 10 years ago at this time I was in the same seat as those high school se-niors wondering what was the earliest possible day that I could exit stage left and leave high school. Now, not only am I helping to plan the LCC High School graduation, but also I am work-ing hard to plan the Kingsley -Pierson High School Class of 2002 Reunion. It has caused me to reflect on many wonderful memories and moments from my past experience as a student of a shared school district. Although, I have no doubt there were challenges in uniting my own districts, looking back, I have no recollection of those. What does come to mind were the benefits of adding four top notch wrestlers from another district to our team, and making title of team state runner -up a reality in 2001. The reminder of that success is posted on a billboard outside of each town and brings a sense of pride that the communities share. Looking back, the good memories far out way the bad. And as I prepare to send out my invitations for the reunion, I find that classmates have shuffled between the communities and I couldn’t tell you which com-munity they originally hailed from. I do know we will come together to celebrate something we all believed in, had pride in, and worked hard to defend.

I realize change is never easy, but it has always been necessary and it can be very rewarding. Change and a new challenge brought me to Laurel-Concord /Coleridge. In my interviewing process with students and staff, I only saw one group of students and one staff committed to working together to provide the best possible educational experience. I hope that as commu-nities, school districts, teachers, staff members, parents, and students we constantly remind ourselves of what we have accomplished TO-GETHER. We have so many things to be proud of at LCC HS. In my opinion, we are offering kids a world class and broad education, with outstanding and supported activities and clubs.

I look forward to a wild and crazy spring, full of countless activities and events that are huge milestones, and will create life-long memories for our kids.

A few key dates and milestones to put on your calendar would include:

April 28th LCC HS PromMay 7th Seniors Last DayMay 8th Senior Scholarship & High School Awards Night @ 7 PMMay 12th LCC HS Combined Graduation Ceremony @ 2 PM

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STAND FOR THE SILENT PRESENTATION

Monday, March 26th

9am - MS Presentation in Coleridge12pm - HS Presentation in new gym

2pm - Elementary Presentation in new gym

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC www.standforthesilent.org

HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL ADAM ZELLMER

The year is flying by! Fall and winter activities are past us and spring activities have already begun! In class we have covered a wide variety of topics. World History just finished learning about the Italian Renaissance. That unit culmi-nated with a new work of art created by each student that blended a Renaissance piece with their own artistic talents. We are currently studying the European exploration of the Americas.

American History just finished WWI and the dramatic effects on the European continent as well as the United States’ increased role in world affairs from that point forward. We are now learning about the aftermath of the war here at home and how the unresolved problems from the Great War manifest themselves in continued discontent on the Euro-pean continent that will eventually give rise to Hitler and the Second World War. We will also be getting into the Roaring Twenties and rise of consumerism in the United States.

American Government spent a large part of the first semester studying the Constitution of the United States and the rea-sons why it has stood the test of time. We are currently learning about Congress and what it takes to be a House or Sen-ate member. We have interspersed many current events topics along the way dealing with both national and state government issues.

Current Issues class has been very busy with the events around the world this year. From the continued problems and revolutions in the Middle East to domestic issues like high gas prices, privacy issues like airport screening, and the presidential race, the senior class is learning a great deal about the world they are about to enter.

Thanks for all you do for the school and your students and I look forward to the rest of the year!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful 2012. As we look toward the last quarter of school, it is vital that you spend time checking on grades and atten-dance for your child. Looking for drops in grades, poor attendance and lack of interest can be signs of larger issues. Keep the communication lines open between you and your kids.

So far this year, it has been a really good weather. Since we have had no snow days this school year, our final day for school should still be on May 17th. If we do have some late snow, the final day of school could be later. Cross your fingers for nice weather soon!

The University of Nebraska at Lincoln recently visited the Coleridge Credit Recovery Program

DIRECTOR OF ADMINISTRATIVE, BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY SERVICES

Craig Frerichs

because of their involvement and success with their on-line curriculum. They video taped a few seg-ments that will be posted on their website. This is program directed by Mr. Potosnyak that has helped a lot of kids throughout the last few years. The visit went extremely well and we appreciate the representatives from UNL stopping up putting us in the spotlight.

As we enter the fourth quarter of school, this is a wonderful time to get back out and spend time with your children. A half hour walk can do wonders for your physical and mental health. Please encourage your child to finish the year strong performing as well as possible in every class.

SOCIAL STUDIES - T.J. Shiers

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Fill your child’s world with reading. Take turns reading with your older child, or establish a family reading time when everyone reads her own book. Demonstrate how important reading is to you by filling your home with printed materials: novels, newspapers, even posters and placemats with words on them.

Encourage him to express his opinion, talk about his feelings, and make choices. He can pick out a side dish to go with dinner and select his own extracurricular activities. Ask for his input on family decisions, and show that you value it.

Show enthusiasm for your child’s interests and encourage her to explore subjects that fascinate her. If she’s a horse nut, offer her stories about riding or challenge her to find five facts about horses in the encyclopedia.

Provide him with play opportunities that support different kinds of learning styles — from listening and visual learning to sorting and sequencing. Supplies that encourage open-ended play, such as blocks, will develop your child’s creative expres-sion and problem-solving skills as he builds. He’ll need lots of unstructured playtime to explore them.

Point out the new things you learn with enthusiasm. Discuss the different ways you find new information, whether you’re looking for gardening tips on the Internet or tak-ing a night class in American literature.

Ask about what he’s learning in school, not about his grades or test scores. Have him teach you what he learned in school today — putting the lesson into his own words will help him retain what he learned.

Help your child organize her school papers and assignments so she feels in control of her work. If her task seems too daunting, she’ll spend more time worrying than learning. Check in with her regularly to make sure she’s not feeling overloaded.

Celebrate achievements, no matter how small. Completing a book report calls for a special treat; finishing a book allows your child an hour of video games. You’ll offer positive reinforcement that will inspire him to keep learning and challenging himself.

Focus on strengths, encouraging developing talents. Even if she didn’t ace her math test, she may have written a good poem in English class. In addition to a workbook for math practice, give her a writing journal.

Turn everyday events into learning opportunities. Encourage him to explore the world around him, asking questions and making connections.

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We believe optimum learning takes place when the home and school work together to motivate and inspire children.* Information was taken from “Scholastic Parents on Facebook”.

If you want your child to be a stellar student, don’t limit learning to the walls of his classroom. Although the skills he’s learning there are crucial to his intellectual and social growth, your child needs your help to open up the world of ideas.

His renewed joy in discovery will transfer to his schoolwork, so you’ll boost his academic achievement too.

Mrs. Karla Pippitt and Mrs. Sue Stingley - HELP YOUR CHILD BE A STELLAR STUDENTELEMENTARY

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Laurel-Concord Public Schools and Coleridge Com-munity Schools will be holding Kindergarten Round-Up on Friday, May 11th from 9:00-11:30 a.m. at Laurel. Round-Up is for children who will be entering Kindergarten in the Fall of 2012. All children entering school at this time must be five years old by July 31, 2012.

If you are planning to send your child to Kindergarten in the fall, please return this completed registration form by April 2nd to:

KINDERGARTEN ROUND-UPLaurel-Concord/Coleridge

Child’s Name______________________________________

Date of Birth Month _____________Day______Year_________

Parent’s Name______________________________________

Mailing Address____________________________________

Phone____________________________________

Laurel-Concord Public SchoolsC/O Stephanie Petersen, Elementary Principal

P.O. Box 8 Laurel, NE 68745

-or- Coleridge Community Schools

C/O Stephanie Petersen, Elementary PrincipalP.O. Box 37

Coleridge, NE 68727

*Round-Up schedule will be sent at a later date.

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The Laurel Concord Coleridge High School Marching Band marched in the TicketCity Bowl in Dallas, Texas, on Monday, January 2nd in the Penn State – Houston bowl game. This incredible experience allowed the LCC marching band to perform in both the preshow, playing Old Time Rock n Roll, and the halftime executing their six minute field show ending with two Nebraska fight songs.

While in Dallas band members toured The Dallas World Aquarium, had a blast at Amazing Jakes,experienced the Sixth Floor Museum (JFK), had an adventure at Six Flags Over Texas, and took in all of the TicketCity Bowl attractions at the game. There was a flyby with three jets, three skydivers delivered the game ball to the field, the national anthem was sung by a country western singer, and the Houston and Penn State bands were phenomenal. After the game a flash mob not only entertained us but let our students join in the fun. Thank you to the Laurel and Coleridge communities and everyone who sup-ported the Dollars for Dallas campaign which made this exceptional opportu-nity possible for the band members, chaperones, and myself. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity and a memory we will have forever.

The Quad State Honor Band was held on the University of South Dakota Cam-pus on Monday, January 23, 2012. The following Laurel Concord Coleridge students were chosen to participate: Trevor Hallman, baritone, and Tyler Schin-dler, tuba. Due to weather issues that day neither were able to attend.

The following students have been chosen for participation in the Class C All State Band Festival to be held at Kearney High School on Saturday, March 24, 2012: Concert Band: Griffin York-trumpet and Jazz Band: Erin Gubbels-trombone; Trevor Hallman-trombone; Ryan Lunz-trumpet and Tyler Schindler-trombone.

Sing Around Nebraska, sponsored by the Nebraska Choral Director’s Associa-tion, was held at the Pierce High School on Saturday, February 25, 2012. Ap-proximately seventy area fourth, fifth, and sixth graders participated in the day’s rehearsals working on six previously selected songs. The clinician was Lynn Hall from Henderson. Schools participating were: Bancroft Rosalie; Laurel Concord Coleridge; Pender; Pierce; Plainview; Stanton; Wakefield; and Wynot. At 4:00 p.m. a concert was held for the public in the Pierce Gym celebrating the twentieth year of the Sing Around Nebraska Festival. The Laurel Concord Coleridge students who participated in the festival were: Stephanie Aschoff, Cody Babl, Abbie Bloom, Zach Dietrich, Jasmine Evans, Jayden Garett,

LCC HS BAND Patti Beyeler

HONORS/SCHOLARSHIP NIGHT

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Bethany Kardell, Lorna Maxon, Aurora Urwiler, and Ashley Wolfgram. The organization believes, “that art must be experienced, especially at a young age” which led to the development of the Sing Around Ne-braska Festivals. “The day of musical fun ended with an amazing concert presented to family and friends.” Patti Beyeler

Music Extravaganza, a musical talent show, came to the LCC high school on Tuesday, March 6th. Music Extravaganza featured LCC students and staff through instrumental and vocal music as well as tumbling and dance. The staff included Adam Zellmer and Rich Pat-ton. Also the LCC high school Jazz Band and Show Choir performed. All proceeds went towards paying for the new Show Choir dresses and vests.

The Laurel Concord Coleridge high school Jazz Band members participated in the Coyote Jazz Festival on the University of South Dakota campus on Thursday, March 15th.

The Middle School Music Contest will be held at the LCC Middle School in Coleridge on Monday, April 2nd. The contest is scheduled to begin around 1:00 p.m. and will go to approximately 6:00 p.m. This con-test will feature large group bands and choirs as well as instrumental and vocal solos and small ensembles. The contest is free of charge and open to the public.

The Laurel Concord Coleridge high school instru-mental and vocal music students will be participating in District Music Contest to be held at Wayne State College on Friday, April 20, 2012. This event is free of charge and open to the public.

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Tuesday - May 8, 20127:00 P.M.

HONORS/SCHOLARSHIP NIGHT

ELEMENTARY RESOURCE Sharon BoeckenhauerAs I write this article, the weather is showing signs of spring. Students in the Resource Room are busy working on a variety of tasks designed to increase their skills and knowledge. Whether math, reading, or writing activities, each student works on activi-ties at a level that is appropriate for him or her.

Fourth grade students have completed the Nebraska State Writ-ing Test, and they wrote some interesting stories! Other students work on writing sentences, journal entries, writing their names, numbers, letters, etc. It won’t be long before we begin other state testing – and everyone is working hard to be ready for that!!

Math students are engaged in activities that range from number recognition and one-to-one correspondence to basic facts, count-ing money, and telling time. Some students work in the Acceler-ated Math program while others work totally with manipulatives.

Older students work on Accelerated Reading goals while younger students build sight word recognition and reading skills that are specially designed for them. Each student’s Individualized Edu-cation Plan, or IEP, dictates what services the student will receive and what goals will be worked on.

All students enjoyed the Valentine’s Day parties that were held recently. They are looking forward to spring and the field trips and outdoor activities that come with that season. It is hard to believe that by the time this newsletter article is read, we will probably be started on our Fourth Quarter of the year!

I am writing this article with mixed feelings, as it will be my last one. In December of 1985, I agreed to be a long-term substitute and finish the school year in the Resource Room. I had no idea that my decision then would result in a 26-1/2 year career!! It has been my honor and privilege to serve the students and families of Laurel-Concord Public School these past several years. It is thrilling to watch my former students grow and mature into won-derful young men and women. Over the years, I have seen many changes in educational strategies, equipment, and the legislation that covers special education. I remember when I received my first computer to use in my classroom—an Apple IIc. A IIe mod-el later replaced that computer and the games my students played on it could then be seen in color. What a wonderful, memorable time that was!!

Educating its young people is the most criti-cal thing that a community can do. We have a wonderful school, and the support of our com-munity enables all of us to complete this important task. I will miss the students, their families, and the many wonderful staff members and administrators who have worked with and supported me throughout my years at Laurel-Concord. I want to take this opportunity to say “Thank You” to all of you and wish you well in the future! 9

IMMUNIZATION REQUIREMENTS2012-2013

Laurel-Concord School Nurse Rachel Kneifl, LPN

This is an important immunization notice for parents of all school-aged children regardless of grade entering in the fall of 2012.

The State of Nebraska is now requiring that ALL students entering school in the fall of 2012 have 2 doses of varicella (chickenpox) vaccine given on or after 12 months of age.

Written documentation (including year) of varicella disease from parent, guardian, or healthcare provider will be required for all students and will be accepted as

proof that your child has had the chickenpox. This form is located on

our web page under “Documentation of Varicella.” If your child has had

varicella (chickenpox) disease, they do not need any varicella shots.

Many of the students in our schools have had one dose of the varicella vaccine, and several

will need to get their second vaccine before they will be able to attend school in the fall of 2012. Please look at your child’s immunization records or ask your healthcare provider if your child needs the booster before they begin the next school year. When your child receives his/her second vaccine, please give the proof of the vaccine to our school so that your child will able to breeze through the registration process next fall.

As always, a parent has the right to refuse any or all vaccinations that are required by the State of Nebraska. This refusal form is located on our web page also. If you choose to use this, and you already have not done so, please sign, notarize it, and return it to the school as soon as possible.

If your child is entering the seventh grade next fall, a Dtap booster is required. This can be obtained any time after age 10 or

11, depending on the brand used.

Another important vaccine that is not required, but highly encouraged, is the meningococcal vaccine that helps prevent certain forms of meningitis. This can be obtained any time for those entering junior high or older. Many colleges require that a student have this vaccine before they begin college. If you have any questions, please feel free to call me at 256-3731. I am usually at school on Wednesday’s during the school year. Thank you for taking care of this important matter. For a full listing of all dates/locations of Goldenrod Hills Immunization Clinics visit h t tp ://www.goldenrodh i l l s communi tyact ion .org/immunizations.cfm.

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Scott Biltoft

L-C2 Science Nothing is so dangerous to the progress of the human

mind than to assume that our views of science are

ultimate, that there are no mysteries in nature, that

our triumphs are complete and that there are no new

worlds to conquer.

- Humphrey Davy

In science one tries to tell people, in such a way as to be understood by everyone, something that no one ever knew before. But in poetry,

it's the exact opposite.

- Also Humphrey Davy

What’s going on: Physical Science: Currently, no pun intended, we are about to wrap up our unit on energy,

which includes electricity, magnetism, electromagnetic radiation, and energy sources. The

students just finished their PPT presentations and 1 page paper on an energy source of their

choice. Our next unit will focus on matter including it’s physical and chemical properties.

Biology: We have completed our chapter on the classification system and have now

moved onto the chapters discussing the amazing world of viruses, bacteria, and protists.

We are getting close to dissecting, which is what they’ve been asking for all year so we

should have a fun last quarter.

Chemistry: We started off the year with a new online book for chemistry, which was an

inquiry approach to teaching. This is a superior approach to teaching, however it has been

a slow process being the first year implementing this method and book, so for the last part

of the year we are abandoning the book and using the old textbooks so that we may make

up some ground. The students are happy with the book and we are on a great pace to finish

out the year.

Environmental Science: We’ve had a great deal of fun in learning this year and are

actually going to begin work on the wind turbine that we had planned to work on during

the first part of the year, so you can imagine the excitement of getting to work outdoors.

We have been working the idea of creating an iPod/iPad tree identification app.

Science Fairs: We had another successful science fair this year in Laurel and had a

somewhat unconventional unity activity at the end, dodge-ball, which has turned out

to be the go to activity of choice for students. We are taking 8 students that qualified at

our fair to go to the Greater Neb. Science & Engineering Fair is Mar. 23-25 so look for

results and pictures on the webpage.

Two brothers bought a cattle ranch and named it "Focus." When their father asked why they chose that

name, they replied: "It's the place where the sons raise meat."

Attributed to Prof. W. B. Pietenpol,

Love in a Nutshell Janet Evanovich

10 Learning Center Book Picks

Locked On Tom Clancy

Catching Fire Suzanne Collins

War Horse Michael Morpurgo

Pete the Cat Rocking in my School Shoes Erica Litwin

The Blood Sugar SolutionMark Hyman, MD

Mocking Jay Suzanne Collins

Showoff Gordon Korman

Private Games James Patterson

Nubs: The True Story of a Mutt, a Marine, & a Mircale

Now Available for Checkout!

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SPECIAL EDUCATIONKELLI SODEN

As we head into the Fourth Quarter, all the students and teachers at the Middle School are gearing up for the upcoming state and district-wide assessments. In the last few years, we have become very famil-iar with the Nebraska State Accountability, other-wise known as the NeSA tests. Students in grades 3 through 8 and 11 are required to take the NeSA Reading, Math, and Science tests. This is the first year that students are tested in Science on the NeSA test. The testing windows for these tests are March 26 through May 4. We also participate in the Mea-sures of Academic Progress, or MAP assessment, which will be given between the dates of April 2 through April 27. Students in grades 3 through 11 are given the MAP tests. In special education, we become aware of all the accommodations and modifications that are avail-able to help our students succeed on a daily basis. When an IEP team meets, we decide together what each student requires specifically to meet their needs. This also includes accommodations on the NeSA and MAP tests. The team decides what is most appropriate for each student. The team may decide that the student will participate in state and district-wide assessments without accommodations, with accommodations, a combination of assessment systems, or the student will participate in the NeSA Alternate Assessment. Testing accommodations are available for students with an IEP or a 504 Plan that are adjustments or adaptations in the assessment or the assessing process that do not change the test ex-pectation, the grade level, or the construct or content being measured.

As we get closer to these testing dates, make sure your child is well rested and eats breakfast. Also, see that your child arrives at school on time and is relaxed.

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High School EnglishNatalie Becker

Currently in English 9, we just wrapped up a poetry unit in which the students were asked to define and identify several poetry devices in classical as well as modern poetry pieces and explain how and why these devices are used. They were also asked to write some of their own poetry, and let me just say that everyone did a wonderful job! You should ask your student to see their work some-time! We also just completed Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Romeo and Juliet can be a difficult text for students to read, especially if they have never been exposed to any of Shakespeare’s plays before, but the kids did a great job on this!

In English 10, we just completed a persuasive research paper in which the students examined different nonfiction texts, namely autobiographies, memoirs and editorials. The students will be presenting these as a speech dur-ing the 4th quarter. Their involvement in paper-writing process was excellent and I was proud of the effort they put into it! We also just completed Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night – a comedy. While this play is lighter in subject matter than Romeo and Juliet it is still a challenging read with some interesting plot twists. The students did a nice job with this play, as well.

In Speech this quarter, we began by working on our competitive pieces. This involved the drafting, revising, memorization and performance of these pieces. and per-formance of a monologue to wrap up our Interpretation chapter. The kids had a lot of fun with this! We have some excellent dramatists at this school! Currently, we have been working on “How-To” speeches. As I understand it, there are several topics ranging from “How to be a Suc-cessful Procrastinator” to “How to be a Superhero.” I am excited to hear what they come up with!

Don’t forget to check out the monthly news broadcasts on the LCC YouTube Channel! These are written, produced and edited by Speech students and are quite entertaining!

COMPETITIVE SPEECH NEWS:Another busy Speech season has begun! The kids have been working hard to prepare themselves for the upcom-ing meets and have done great at their meets thus far! A big thank you to our new assistant coach, Lucas Virgil for all of his help this season!

We are so proud of our Speech participants and their hard work – you should be also!Thank you for your support of the Speech program!

LAS CLASES DE ESPAÑOLMarta Victor

Even if you’ve never had one day of Spanish, you can probably read the title of this article—The Classes of Spanish! This year’s Spanish 1 students have learned to enjoy the many cognates (Spanish words that look similar and have the same meaning in English). We call these “free” words because we can increase our Spanish vo-cabulary with very little effort. All of the Spanish classes are currently building on the speaking, reading, listening, and writing skills that they have acquired this year and in past Spanish classes. Our One-to-One program has allowed the students to use myelearning more efficiently for Spanish practice and resources. The Spanish 4 students are currently creating iMovies to illustrate and narrate in Spanish some of Aesop’s familiar fables. The Spanish 3 students have used QuickTime Player to record conversa-tions for me to evaluate their pronunciation skills. Once again the Spanish Club will be celebrating the learning of foreign languages in March during Na-tional Foreign Language Month. There will be the week of “Amigos Secretos” (Secret Friends), trivia contests, Spanish Club T-shirt Day, etc. to celebrate the importance of learning a foreign language.

ACT TEST DATESApril 14, 2012June 9, 2012

September 8, 2012October 27, 2012December 8, 2012February 11, 2013

April 13, 2013June 8, 2013

*Pre-Registration is required.Students may register online at:

http://www.actstudent.org/regist/index.html

Greetings! I hope the month of March and the begin-ning of the fourth quarter find you and your students in good spirits awaiting the arrival of spring. I recently read an article that ranked the five most useless careers as Agriculture, Fashion Design, Landscape, Floral Design, and Drama. As a graduate of UNL’s Agriculture Science Program and a practic-ing Agriculture Science Instructor and FFA Advisor, I was appalled at the author’s conclusion – three of the five are related to my classes. As many individu-als in northeast Nebraska are farmers or have ties to a farmer, I am sure you can concur with my conclusion – the author is wrong. Agriculture has always played an important role in our society. Agriculture will continue to play a major role with the U.S. serving as a leader in the world’s food market and with consumers increasing their dependence on bio-fuels. Although many like to think of the Great Plains as flyover territory, those of us who live in Nebraska and have connections to Agriculture know that our communities and Ag-re-lated careers have a profound impact on the state, the region, the nation, and the world as a whole. The national motto for the FFA Organization this year is “I Believe.” In contrast to the aforementioned author, I believe in Agriculture and the FFA Organi-zation. For me as an Ag Instructor, I see that not only is Agriculture strong at the local, state and national levels, I feel our Agriculture Program and FFA Or-ganization are vibrant and essential to the academic make-up of our schools. In the classroom, we do not simply debate the mer-its of John Deere vs. Case IH or review livestock and crops. We have classes that serve both academic and practical purposes. In all of my classes, I try to incorporate hands-on learning experiences that will enhance the students’ retention of the information. However, as students move onto college or into the

job market, I want them to be able to use what they learned in my classroom. In 2011-2012, I offered a diverse group of classes. For the underclassmen, Intro to Ag helps to raise a student’s awareness on how integral Agriculture is in their lives. In my Animal and Plant Science courses, we do learn about livestock and crops. However, I try to take it a step further – some projects require stu-dents to formulate their own livestock feed or build a plant cell out of food. For my Small Animal/Pre-Vet class, students get a much more in-depth look at many of the topics we covered in Animal Science. In one exercise, I had one student bring in the reparatory system from a deer that he had just shot while hunting. The display gave the whole class a unique opportunity to view a complex system from an animal. In 2011-2012, I began offering a new class – Ag Business. In this course, the students get practical knowledge about managing the financial resources of their farming or ranching operation. Whether it is figuring the depreciating value of equipment or estimating the tax deduction they can take on a recent purchase, the students will be able to apply their knowledge from this class to more places than a farm balance sheet. The FFA Organization is both an inherent piece of my classroom experience as well as its own separate entity as a school activity. The Laurel-Concord FFA Chapter and the opportunities it provides make it an invaluable resource for students in our Ag-centric communities. However, FFA does not stop where Ag-riculture stops – in fact, many of the characteristics and qualities of FFA members can be parleyed into any job or career.

AG SCIENCE & FFA Megan A. Virgil

Continued on Next Page13

Like my classroom curriculum, I strive to make a student’s FFA experience engaging, while at the same time ensuring that it is based in practical and useful knowledge. Further, the FFA has a strong sense of community and so I try to make our Chapter visible in the community through stewardship and volunteer efforts. The L-C FFA Chapter holds monthly meetings and requires that members pay dues annually. But be-yond meetings, the FFA holds regular activities to encourage membership as well as breed camaraderie amongst its active members. The L-C FFA has ex-perienced considerable success in the past few years while competing at the district and state levels. Two teams have qualified to compete at the National FFA Convention over the past three years. At each district competition, multiple students and teams have won their event or qualified to compete at the state level. Although some pundits might feel that a career in Agriculture will result in a dead career. I respectfully disagree and can give examples from our commu-nity and our state that support my belief. Further, the Agriculture Science Program and FFA Organization at Laurel-Concord/ Coleridge Schools serves as an excellent reminder that students who pursue careers in Agriculture can and will have vibrant and success-ful careers. I encourage all parents and students to look at the AgScience Program and the L-C FFA Chapter. In academics, I hold my students to the highest stan-dards, but feel they will be rewarded with practical skills and knowledge. In FFA, we love to have fun, but we have a history of excellence that we seek to maintain. Again, I believe in Agriculture and the FFA Organi-zation. I strongly encourage our parents and commu-nity to believe in both as well.

Family Consumer ScienceGaylene Hallman

Since December 12th the Family Consumer Science classes have learned an additional lesson involving flexibility and patience. They have done a great job. Thank you to Karla Kardel and the others that have been my sub during this dif-ficult time.

The Clothing and Design class had been busy researching designers and replicating one of their designs to fit a Bar-bie dolls. The class is currently working on garments for themselves. Items being made are dresses, pajama pants, and scrubs.

Foods & Nutrition the students have been learning about nutrition and have also spent a lot of time in the kitchen gaining cooking experience. The more time spent in the kitchen the better cooks they will become and hopefully will enjoy cooking in years to come. It’s great when stu-dents ask to cook.

In Life skills classes the students have been learning various skills necessary in every day life. They have also spent time in the kitchen cooking. This semester students will be learning to sew and working on hands on leisure time activities. Its interesting seeing the various types of projects the students are choosing.

Child Development has been busy working with the pre-school students through out the year and doing an awesome job. The students are currently learning about children with disabilities and have recently visited the Level 3 program in Coleridge and have asked to go back and spend more time with the students involved in that program. In near future the students will be receiving their Reality Works babies. These babies are programmed after real life babies. The babies record if they have been fed, changed, rocked, head not supported, and even if they have been mishandled. They are all excited about being a parent for the weekend; it will be interesting to see how they feel at the end of the weekend.

Adult Living students have been busy completing various projects and cooking labs to help them better prepare for the future.

Continued from Previous Page

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Laurel-Concord Public Schools/Coleridge

Community Schools

April 2012

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1

FCCLA State

Leadership

Conference

2

FCCLA State

Leadership

Conference

FFA Meeting

Middle School Music

Contest Day

3

4th & 6th grade -

WSC - South

America

Map/Planetarium

FCCLA State

Leadership

Conference

3:00 pm ***MS

Track Randolph

Dual *** This is a

date change ***

4

WSC Play K & 2nd

5

10:00 am HS Track

Ivan Krumwiedie

Invite @ Homer

11:00 am Golf

West Point Invite

@ Beemer CC

6

No School: Easter

Break

7

8 Easter Sunday 9

No School: Easter

Break

4:00 pm Golf

Creighton/Randolph

Meet @ Laurel

7:30 pm Laurel-

Concord Board of

Education Meeting

10

NENAC Art Show

@ Laurel

1:00 pm HS Track

WSC Invite @

Wayne

11

NENAC Art Show

@ Laurel

12

FFA Officer

Interviews

NENAC Art Show

@ Laurel

10:00 am Golf

L-C-C Invite @

Laurel

4:00 pm HS Track

Homer Invite

13 14

ACT test date

9:00 am Golf

Plainview Invite

15 16 17

2:00 pm HS Track

L-C-C Invite @

Laurel

18

1st Grade Circus

Field Trip

WSC Business

Competition

10:00 am MS

Track L-C-C Invite

@ Laurel

19 20

4th Grade Lincoln

Field Trip

District Music

Contest @ Wayne

State College

10:45 am - 11:25

am Preschool

Reading Program

in Learning Center

21

22 Earth Day

5:00 pm FFA

Banquet

23

12:00 pm MS Track

Pierce Invite

24

9:00 am Golf

Hartington Invite

1:30 pm HS Track

Creighton Invite

3:00 pm HS Track

9-10 Piece Meet

25

7th Grade "Real

World Money" @

Northeast

26

4:00 pm Golf

Ponca Dual @

Laurel

5:00 pm HS Track

Norfolk Classic

27

3:30 pm MS Track

NENAC @ Crofton

28

LC&C PROM

9:00 am Golf

Pierce Invite

29 30

2:30 pm HS Track

Randolph Invite

4:00 pm Golf

Crofton/Wayne

Meet @ Crofton

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Laurel-Concord Public

Schools/Coleridge Community Schools

May 2012

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1

1:00 pm MS Track

Wayne Invite

7:00 pm

Highschool Band &

Vocal Concert

2

9:45 am - 1:30

pm Best of

Class - Sioux

City Channel 9

3

9:00 am Golf

Wayne Invite

2:30 pm HS

Track NENAC @

West Holt

4

ACT June 9th

Registration

Deadline

9:00 am Golf

Wakefield Invite

5

6

4:00 pm

Coleridge

Baccalaureate

at Immanuel

Lutheran

Church

7

5th grade Aqua

Fest

1:00 pm Golf

Randolph Invite

7:00 pm

Elementary

Concert

7:30 pm Laurel-

Concord Board

of Education

Meeting

8

4:00 pm Golf

Wayne Dual @

Wayne

6:30 pm

Honors/Scholarship

Night

9 10

Golf NENAC @

Crofton

HS Track

Districts

11

9:00 am

Kindergarten

Roundup

12

2:00 pm Laurel-

Concord-

Coleridge

Graduation

13 Mother's Day 14

7:00 pm Middle

School Concert

7:00 pm

Science, Art, &

Book Fair @

Coleridge

15

5:00 pm HS Track

Future Stars @

Laurel

16 17

End of Fourth

Quarter

1:00 pm

Dismissal

18

HS Track State

@

Omaha-Burke

Teacher

In-Service

19

HS Track State

@

Omaha-Burke

20 21

Grades Due

22 23 24 25 26

27 28 Memorial Day 29 30 31

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Laurel-Concord Public Schools/Coleridge Community Schools

April 2012

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1 2

LC BREAKFAST: Egg &

Cheese Biscuit

LC LUNCH (3rd -

Koester): Chicken

nuggets, broccoli with

cheese, watermelon,

sundaes

MS BREAKFAST: Waffle

sticks

MS LUNCH: Cheese

burger, fries, vegetable,

fruit, dessert

3

LC BREAKFAST: Waffle

sticks

LC LUNCH: mostaccioli

dinner, fruit, vegetable,

cinnamon bread

MS BREAKFAST: Muffins

MS LUNCH: Stromboli,

chips, vegetable, fruit,

dessert

4

LC BREAKFAST:

scrambled eggs,

sausage

LC LUNCH:Sub

sandwich, chips, fruit,

vegetable

MS BREAKFAST:

Breakfast burrito

MS LUNCH: Corn dogs,

mac n' cheese,

vegetable, fruit, dessert

5

LC BREAKFAST: cereal

LC LUNCH: Easter meal

- ham scalloped

potatoes, grean bean

casserole, mandarin

orange, poke cake

MS BREAKFAST:

Doughnuts/yogurt

MS LUNCH: Pizza,

vegetable, fruit, dessert

6 7

8 Easter Sunday 9 10

LC BREAKFAST: Burrito

LC LUNCH: Baked

potato bar, fruit,

vegetable, brownie

MS BREAKFAST: Muffins

MS LUNCH: Chicken

patty, fries, vegetable,

fruit

11

LC BREAKFAST:

Pancakes

LC LUNCH: Meatball

Sub, fruit, vegetable

MS BREAKFAST:

Ham/cheese Combo

MS LUNCH: Super

nacho's, vegetable,

fruit, cinnamon bread

12

LC BREAKFAST:

Doughnuts

LC LUNCH: Grilled

Chicken Sandwich,

chips, fruit, vegetable

MS BREAKFAST:

Pancake on a stick

MS LUNCH: Spaghetti,

vegetable, fruit, garlic

bread, brownie

13

LC BREAKFAST: Biscuits

& gravy

LC LUNCH: Tavern, Jo

Jos, fruit, vegetable,

cake

MS BREAKFAST:

Breakfast bagel

MS LUNCH: Sub

sandwich, chips,

vegetable, fruit, dessert

14

15

* Menus are subject to

change. Orange Juice

and Milk are served

daily.

16

LC BREAKFAST: French

toast sticks

LC LUNCH: Breaked

pork patties, mashed

potatoes, gravy, fruit,

vegetabe, pudding

MS BBREAKFAST:

Sausage cheese biscuit

MS LUNCH: Tavern on a

bun, tri-taters,

vegetable, fruit, dessert

17

LC BREAKFAST:

Breakfast pizza

LC LUNCH: Turkey

sandwich, curly fries,

fruit, vegetable

MS BREAKFAST: Muffins

MS LUNCH: BBQ Mr.

Ribb, chips, vegetable,

fruit

18

LC BREAKFAST: Muffins

LC LUNCH: Crispito with

chili, fruit, vegetable,

rice krispie bar

MS BREAKFAST:

Breakfast bites

MS LUNCH: Chicken

fajita, spanish rice,

vegetable, fruit

19

LC BREAKFAST: Omelet

LC LUNCH: Chicken

nuggets, smile fries,

fruit, vegetable

MS BREAKFAST:

Cinnamon rolls

MS LUNCH: Lasagna,

vegetable, fruit, garlic

bread, chocolate cake

20

LC BREAKFAST: Coffee

cake

LC LUNCH: Hamburger

deluxe, chips, fruit,

vegetable, cake

MS BREAKFAST:

Tornado's

MS LUNCH: Meatball

sub, oven brown's,

vegetable, fruit, dessert

21

22 Earth Day 23

LC BREAKFAST:

Breakfast bagel

LC LUNCH: Hot dogs

with chilli & cheese,

tri-tators, fruit,

vegetable

MS BREAKFAST: French

toast sticks

MS LUNCH: Crispy

chicken on a bun, fries,

vegetable, fruit

24

LC BREAKFAST:

Sausage wrap

LC LUNCH: Super

nachos, fruit, vegetable,

sticky rolls

MS BREAKFAST: Muffins

MS LUNCH: Chili dogs,

mac n' cheese,

vegetable, fruit

25

LC BREAKFAST:

Blueberry pancakes

LC LUNCH: Chicken

strips, tator tots, fruit,

vegetable

MS BREAKFAST:

Egg/Cheese wrap

MS LUNCH: Turkey

alfredo, vegetable, fruit,

garlic cheese biscuit

26

LC BREAKFAST: Egg

wrap

LC LUNCH: Pizza, fruit,

vegetable

MS BREAKFAST:

Oatmeal/cold

cereal/toast

MS LUNCH: Walking

taco, vegetable, fruit,

cinnamon bread

27

LC BREAKFAST: Cereal

LC LUNCH: Sub

sandwich, chips, fruit,

vegetable, whoopie pie

MS BREAKFST:

Breakfast pizza

MS LUNCH: Hot ham &

cheese, hashbrown

casserole, vegetable,

fruit

28

29 30

MS BREAKFAST: Biscuits

n gravy

MS LUNCH: Cheese

burger, fries, vegetable,

fruit, rice krispi bar

6:00 am - 11:00 am LC

BREAKFAST: Doughnuts

LC LUNCH: Chicken

noodle soup, fruit,

vegetable, ice cream

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Laurel-Concord Public Schools/Coleridge

Community Schools

May 2012

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1

LC BREAKFAST:

Scrambled eggs

LC LUNCH: Walking

tacos, fruit,

vegetable, cinnamon

bread

MS BREAKFAST:

Muffin

MS LUNCH: Turkey

sub, chips,

vegetable, fruit,

dessert

2

LC BREAKFAST:

French toast sticks

LC LUNCH: Chicken

alfredo, garlic

biscuits, fruit,

vegetable

MS BREAKFAST:

Ham/cheese combo

MS LUNCH: Grilled

chicken, tri-taters,

vegetable, fruit,

dessert

3

LC BREAKFAST:

Breakfast burrito

LC LUNCH: Hot

hame & cheese,

fries, fruit,

vegetable

MS BREAKFAST:

Breakfast bites

MS LUNCH: Grilled

chicken, tri-taters,

vegetable, fruit,

dessert

4

LC BREAKFAST:

Muffines

LC LUNCH: Beef

quesadilla, fruit,

veggie, cookie

MS BREAKFAST:

Doughnuts/yogurt

MS LUNCH: Pizza,

vegetable, fruit,

dessert

5

6

* Menus are subject

to change. Orange

Juice and Milk are

served daily.

7

LC BREAKFAST:

Pancakes

LC LUNCH:

Spaghettie, garlic

sticks, fruit, dessert,

vegetable

MS BREAKFAST:

Breakfast burrito

MS LUNCH: Hot

dogs, mac 'n'

cheese, vegetable,

fruit, cookie

8

LC BREAKFAST:

Biscuits & gravy

LC LUNCH: Mini corn

dogs, mac & cheese,

fruit, vegetable

MS BREAKFAST:

Muffin

MS LUNCH: Crispito

w/ chili & cheese,

vegetable, fruit,

cinnamon bread

9

LC BREAKFAST:

Waffle sticks

LC LUNCH: Grilled

chicken sandwich,

chips, fruit,

vegetable

6:00 am - 11:00 am

MS BREAKFAST:

Pancake on a stick

MS LUNCH: chicken

nuggets, mashed

potatoes & gravy,

vegatable, fruit,

dinner roll

10

LC BREAKFAST:

Coffeecake

LC LUNCH: Taco

salad, fruit,

vegetable, dessert

MS BREAKFAST:

Carmel roll

MS LUNCH:

Spaghetti,

vegetable, fruit,

garlic bread, dessert

11

LC BREAKFAST:

Bagel & sausage

LC LUNCH: Teryaki

blasters, rice, fruit,

vegetable, dessert

MS BREAKFAST:

Breakfast bagel,

stromboli, chips,

vegetable, fruit,

dessert

12

13 Mother's Day 14

LC BREAKFAST:

Cook's choice

LC LUNCH: Cook's

choice

MS BREAKFAST:

Cook's choice

MS LUNCH: Cook's

choice

15

LC BREAKFAST:

Cook's choice

LC LUNCH: Cook's

choice

MS BREAKFAST:

Cook's choice

MS LUNCH: Cook's

choice

16

LC BREAKFAST:

Cook's choice

LC LUNCH: Cook's

choice

MS BREAKFAST:

Cook's choice

MS LUNCH: Cook's

choice

17

LC BREAKFAST:

Cook's choice

LC LUNCH: Cook's

choice

MS BREAKFAST:

Cook's choice

MS LUNCH: Cook's

choice

18 19

20 21 22 23 24 25 26

27 28 Memorial Day 29 30 31

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