August 2016 From the Desk of Tom Wood, Superintendent Welcome Back! It is August already, and a new school year is upon us. This is an exciting time of the year as we get ready to greet students, teachers, and parents back into the building once again. As always, you will notice some changes as you come back to school this fall, and everyone here is busy getting things ready for that first day. Please stop in or call if you have any questions about school, upcoming events, or just want to say hello! The maintenance crew, under the direction of Wade Gibson, has the building and grounds looking spectacular. You will notice fresh paint, shiny floors, new lockers, and many more improvements both inside and out of the building. We once again had some high school students on the summer crew, along with our regular staff, and they all did an excellent job. Mr. Moser and Ms. Happe have things ready to go for the secondary and elementary and will be sharing details with you in their newsletters. One major change you will notice this year is the use of the Raptor Security System. We have been communicating to you about this over the last several months, and we are now ready to use it full-time. The Raptor system will allow us to check in visitors just as quickly as the previous sign-in process. All visitors who plan to go into the building will be required to show a state issued driver’s license or identification. This will be swiped and automatically checked against child abuse and criminal registries. It will then print you a sticky visitor pass with your license photo on it. Yes, this may seem like a little bit of a hassle, but please keep in mind that this is for the safety or our children. This is not a deterrent for any parents and relatives to visit classrooms-we want you to continue to come. If you have relatives who plan to visit or go to classrooms, please remind them to bring their license or identification with them when visiting. The following are important upcoming events at school: August 16 th , 6:00 PM: 7 th Grade Orientation August 22 nd , 6:00 PM-7:00 PM: Open House August 23 rd : First Day of School September 2 nd : Early Dismissal, 1:00 September 5 th : No School, Labor Day Thank you for your continued support; the families of MStM make this school a great place to be! From the Desk of Josh Moser, Secondary Principal “All the effort in the world won’t matter if you’re not inspired.” -Chuck Palahniuk Palahniuk’s quote might seem like an odd choice to use to begin a school year. Found in his novel Diary, he points out that effort and inspiration are not the same thing, and in turn, produce different results. Now being inspired at the start of school year might seem odd, but there are a few things that occurred over the summer that inspired me. We saw the effects of inspiration (and perspiration, from hard work and hot weather) among our softball and baseball teams this summer. Through teamwork and a common goal, the softball team made its way to the state tournament for the eighth year in a row, finishing third in the state in class 1A. For the boys of summer, a trip to the tournament wasn’t in the cards but a 1 st place finish in both Conference and District play was. The longevity of the success in these two programs is absolutely no coincidence. It is because of the history behind our teams and the players who helped shape these dynasties that we see future players inspired to succeed.
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August 2016 From the Desk of Tom Wood, August 16 ... · August 2016 From the Desk of Tom Wood, August 16 Superintendent Welcome Back! It is August already, and a new school year is
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Transcript
August 2016
From the Desk of Tom Wood,
Superintendent
Welcome Back!
It is August already, and a new school year is upon us. This is
an exciting time of the year as we get ready to greet students,
teachers, and parents back into the building once again. As
always, you will notice some changes as you come back to
school this fall, and everyone here is busy getting things ready
for that first day. Please stop in or call if you have any
questions about school, upcoming events, or just want to say
hello!
The maintenance crew, under the direction of Wade Gibson,
has the building and grounds looking spectacular. You will
notice fresh paint, shiny floors, new lockers, and many more
improvements both inside and out of the building. We once
again had some high school students on the summer crew,
along with our regular staff, and they all did an excellent job.
Mr. Moser and Ms. Happe have things ready to go for the
secondary and elementary and will be sharing details with you
in their newsletters.
One major change you will notice this year is the use of the
Raptor Security System. We have been communicating to you
about this over the last several months, and we are now ready
to use it full-time. The Raptor system will allow us to check in
visitors just as quickly as the previous sign-in process. All
visitors who plan to go into the building will be required to
show a state issued driver’s license or identification. This will
be swiped and automatically checked against child abuse and
criminal registries. It will then print you a sticky visitor pass
with your license photo on it. Yes, this may seem like a little
bit of a hassle, but please keep in mind that this is for the
safety or our children. This is not a deterrent for any parents
and relatives to visit classrooms-we want you to continue to
come. If you have relatives who plan to visit or go to
classrooms, please remind them to bring their license or
identification with them when visiting.
The following are important upcoming events at school:
August 16th
, 6:00 PM: 7th
Grade Orientation
August 22nd
, 6:00 PM-7:00 PM: Open House
August 23rd
: First Day of School
September 2nd
: Early Dismissal, 1:00
September 5th
: No School, Labor Day
Thank you for your continued support; the families of MStM
make this school a great place to be!
From the Desk of Josh Moser,
Secondary Principal
“All the effort in the world won’t matter if you’re not inspired.”
-Chuck Palahniuk
Palahniuk’s quote might seem like an odd choice to use to
begin a school year. Found in his novel Diary, he points out
that effort and inspiration are not the same thing, and in turn,
produce different results. Now being inspired at the start of
school year might seem odd, but there are a few things that
occurred over the summer that inspired me.
We saw the effects of inspiration (and perspiration, from hard
work and hot weather) among our softball and baseball teams
this summer. Through teamwork and a common goal, the
softball team made its way to the state tournament for the
eighth year in a row, finishing third in the state in class 1A.
For the boys of summer, a trip to the tournament wasn’t in the
cards but a 1st place finish in both Conference and District
play was. The longevity of the success in these two programs
is absolutely no coincidence. It is because of the history
behind our teams and the players who helped shape these
dynasties that we see future players inspired to succeed.
Since we’re on the topic of inspirational people, I am very
excited for the new staff that has been hired thus far for the
upcoming school year:
Chaniese Crowe – 9-12 Science
Diane Merhi – K-12 Art
Ashley Sorter – 7-12 Spanish
Ben Zisis – 7-10 Special Education
All of these teachers have already proven to be quality,
student-focused educators in the short time since they have
been offered to join the MStM community. They bring a
diversity of backgrounds and experiences that will add to the
already phenomenal faculty and dedicated support staff with
which MStM is blessed. By adding Ms. Crowe, Ms. Merhi,
Mrs. Sorter, and Mr. Zisis to the teaching staff, we can expect
to see innovation in each of their classrooms and inspiration
for all of their students.
So we now stand face-to-face with the 2016-2017 school year,
waiting to see what it will bring. As I write this the official
start of the school year is less than three weeks away.
Teachers new to MStM will arrive on August 16th
and will be
joined by the rest of the teachers on the 17th
. From the student
side, seventh grade students and their parents/guardians will
attend an orientation to the junior/senior high the evening of
the 16th
, and the evening of the 22nd
is open house for the
whole district. The following day, it’s here: the new school
year. It may require some effort to get back into the routine of
a school year – extra-curricular practices, homework, earlier
bed times, etc. – but effort isn’t all there is. As we begin this
new school year, consider what inspires you about being a
Blue Devil. What is it that pushes you beyond just getting by
or hanging on? From where does your motivation to be better
this year than last come? Perhaps more importantly, how are
you inspiring others around you to exceed expectations? To
help them get the most out of the experiences and
opportunities available to them? Whether you are a student,
teacher, parent, support staff, community member, or even
administrator, these questions are applicable – and important
to think about.
The start of a new school year brings with it a natural
optimism, renewed energy and interest, and hope. As the year
progresses, those inevitably wane to some degree. Sometimes
it takes all of one’s energy and effort to make it through
something. This is a part of life, no matter your age, ability, or
title. Effort is enough to get by, to “manage” things. There are
certainly small situations where “getting by” is good enough,
but not when it comes to achieving a goal. “Getting by” is also
the opposite of what we should aspire to do as Martensdale-St.
Marys Blue Devils. There is so much potential, so much
creativity, and so much genuine inspiration in the people we
have here. My hope is we are all able to find those people,
ideas, and activities that inspire us and push us to be the best
we can. Here’s to a positive and rewarding 2016-2017 school
year!
From the Desk of Beth Happe,
Elementary Principal
Welcome to August, 2016!
The beginning of the new school year brings with it so many
exciting things here at Martensdale-St. Marys! I would like to
take this opportunity to share just a few with you.
Through legislative appropriation, the Iowa
Governor’s STEM Advisory Council is offering
exemplary STEM programs throughout the state.
(STEM is an acronym for Science, Technology,
Engineering and Math education.) MStM was
awarded a grant from the Council for the 2016-2017
school year and will begin a program this fall called
“Making STEM Connections.” Five elementary
teachers are participating in professional
development and training. The STEM Scale-Up
Program has demonstrated success in increasing
student interest and achievement in STEM across all
demographics. We are so excited for this opportunity
and hope to keep growing this program school-wide
in the future. If you would like to learn more, see the
following website: http://www.iowastem.gov/Scale-
Up
Students PK-6 are going to be starting the year off
with new English Language Arts materials and
teachers are excited to dig in and learn right beside
our students. All grades will include additional time
for writer’s workshop as we look to strengthen those
skills for all students.
Get ready to hear about MStM SWAG! Stay Safe,
Work Hard, Act Responsibly, Give Respect! We
will begin implementing Positive Behavioral
Interventions and Supports (PBIS) school-wide and
look forward to sharing more about this in the weeks
and months to come. Our students will be showing
their MStM SWAG in all school settings!
We are also excited for our students to enjoy the new
playground equipment that was installed this
summer! It is looking good and awaiting the arrival
of smiling students on August 23rd
!
Enjoy the final days of summer vacation! I look forward to
8/29 Day 5A 8/30 Day 6B 9/1 Day 1A 9/2 Day 2B 9/3 Day 3A
Cereal or Toast Egg Omelet Pancakes Bagel Breakfast Pizza
Milk & Juice Milk & Juice Milk & Juice Milk & Juice Milk & Juice
Pasta/Red Sauce Breaded Pork Pattie Corn Dog Softshell Tacos BBQ Pork w/g Bun
Lettuce Mashed Potatoes Green Beans Lettuce/Cheese Cups Baked Beans
Mixed Vegetable Carrots Broccoli Corn Carrots
Pineapple/Bread Peaches/Gravy Pears Mixed Fruit Applesauce
Milk Milk Milk Milk Milk
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**** THIS MENU IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE ****
In addition to the breakfast items listed, yogurt, breakfast bars and fresh fruit are offered daily!!
Grades 4-12 have a fruit and vegetable bar available to