Eureka Public Schools` Newsletter

Eureka Public Schools’ Newsletter
Valley Pride
The
CUSTOMER
Volume 1, Winter Edition February 2010
EUREKA STUDENT WINS CONTEST!
Steinway Fundraiser Brings Community On Board
by Shelly Clark
On
PST STD
NON-PROFIT
PERMIT 2000
Eureka, MT 59917
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Mason Davis, Eureka
Elementary third grade
student, entered a
contest with over 100
other people of all
ages, to name the new
robotic surgical procedure assistant at North
Valley Hospital. Seen
left, Mason stands
with some of the staff
at NVH, in front of the
new robot he named
“Stitch”. Way to go
Mason!
December 20, 2009, despite a snowy afternoon, hundreds of community members gathered
at Lincoln County High School, and bonded to
raise money for the future restoration of the school
district’s historic 1912 Steinway piano. In a matter
of four hours, the community raised $5,800 toward
the $20,000 goal to complete the piano’s restoration.
Along the way, participants were treated to homemade soup, bread, and pie. They were able to
Anastasia Gore plays the school’s 1912 Steinway piano.
admire beautiful art and craft work donated for the
silent auction, and many were able to take those
works home (if the price was right). Sunburst
Community Foundation conducted a “Split the Pot” event throughout the afternoon,
and raffle tickets for a Gibson Les Paul guitar were sold. Local and visiting musicians provided an array of beautiful, uplifting, and toe tapping music throughout the
PO Box 186
Eureka, MT 59917
(406) 889-4636 Office
day. The event culminated with an alumni concert featuring a 40-member choir and
This year the town decorators took a lot more pride while hanging the Christmas garland, lights
several talented alumni vocal soloists and ensembles.
and banners on the light poles on Dewey Avenue. We hung 33 new Christmas banners made by
With additional donations that have trickled in, the Steinway Fund has a balance
Sally Steward’s Lincoln County High School art students. Sally’s class took on the project about
of a little over $7,000. Tax-deductible contributions for the restoration of this grand
three years ago, and initially produced about 15 banners, that replaced some of the old banners that
instrument continue to be accepted. Checks may be written to EUREKA PUBLIC
had been used for several years and were showing a lot of wear and tear. We had such awesome
SCHOOLS with STEINWAY FUND listed in the memo space. According to Shelly
comments about those 15, not only from local businesses and community members, but also from
Clark, project coordinator, the piano is tentatively scheduled for restoration June
visitors passing through town, so we asked Sally if we could have the students do a few more. Sally
2010, with completion around Christmas 2010.
and her LCHS art students took on the challenge, and with the help of funding by InterBel, were
able to produce the full 33 needed to hang on every light pole on Dewey Ave. There was a lot of
work involved in designing and painting both sides of these 33 banners, and they are an example of
the community pride the youth, staff, and teachers of LCHS have for our community.
Kudo’s to LCHS art program and a big thanks to Sally and her students for undertaking such a
project and producing a product that will show community pride year after year. Great Job! Keep
up the good work!
The winning logo created by
Ian Cornell and Stephanie
Persson in Mr. Ruble’s Digital
Graphic Design class. This
competitive assignment gave
students real life experience
in graphic design.
Seth Hanson,
Tasha Hazen,
and Michael
Doll (above to
right clockwise)
cautiously
test their stick
bridges with
weights in
science class.
I am also using this venue as an opportunity to remind everyone, Rendezvous Days are coming up
April 23, 24, and 25. The kick-off dinner will be held in the LCHS gym again, with a great line
up of music. Returning is the popular “Taste of Rendezvous” where you can purchase a variety of
foods from any of the many local chamber member restaurants that will
be present. Food service starts between 5:00 and 5:30, the music starts
with Sarah Henderson and the Tin Lizzy (the Henderson Family) at 6:00,
followed by a new local band, G2QL. G2QL stands for Grumpy Grandma
Quilt Ladies, and features Austin Leonard, Hunter Craig, and Stephen
Cooke who are all local boys ages 12 -14. This is just the warm up for a
great night of dancing and fun, with the Loose Caboose, a 5 piece country
rock band featuring Christian Johnson, a co-founder and formerly of Mission Mountain Wood Band. Meals are sold separately, and the tickets to
the concert will once again be $5 for children ages 5-12, $10 for 13 and
over or $25 for the family. All the usual Saturday and Sunday events are
back, so come out and enjoy Rendezvous.
Randy McIntyre
Executive Director, Eureka Area Chamber of Commerce
Volume 1, Winter Edition
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THE VALLEY PRIDE Eureka Elementary School
Title 1—What is it?
by Principal Cari Lucey
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by Principal Cari Lucey
The purpose of the Title 1 program is to ensure that all children have a fair,
equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education and do
well on their academic school work and state assessments. Any student
in need of reading or math support is eligible to receive services from the
Title 1 department. Students are identified as being in need of additional
support through teacher recommendation, parent recommendation, previous grades, and/or Dibels testing, students are identified as being in need
of additional help. This assistance is supplemental to regular classroom
instruction, and student assessment is ongoing and monitored by the
school and communicated to the parents. If you would like further information about the Title 1 program and how it serves our children, please
contact Cari Lucey at 406-297-5500 or email [email protected].
Things are hopping at the elementary
school, and we are enjoying our mobile
computer lab. The teachers sign up for the
lab and are able to wheel 20 lap-tops right
into their classrooms. Students are going
on virtual field trips all around the world,
blogging with students in foreign countries,
and improving their reading skills along the way with
numerous other activities. We are truly lucky to have
such a wonderful resource in our school.
Parents please send an extra change of clothes to school
with your child. The playground is cold and wet. Check
with your child before they leave your house and make
sure they have socks, coat, hat, mittens and possibly
snow pants. We want to make sure our kids are as warm
as possible when playing on the playground.
Did you know that you are welcome to join your child
for breakfast or lunch? We have an amazing school
breakfast and lunch program. Breakfast is served from
7:50am-8:10am and lunch is served from approximately
11:20-11:40 for K-2 and 11:40-12:15 for grades 3-4.
The price for breakfast for adults is $1.50 and lunch is
$2.75. Please make a date with your child and join us
for some great food. I look forward to seeing you in the
cafeteria!
February 2010
Students in Mrs. Gondeiro’s kindergarten
class make Valentines for soldiers in Afghanistan, and for decorating the hallways for Art
Walk held Fri. Feb 12th, 2010.
At Eureka Elementary, Tristin Flaggot-Jones serves student
Jaelyn Bell her hot lunch, while Andrew Mepham, Garrett
Bates, Savannah Ellcey, and Savanah Means follow in line.
“The Dark Star”, a painting by Savannah E, done in the style of works by impressionist Wassilly Kandinsky, a musician and artist. Often called the father of
abstraction in modern painting, Kandinsky felt that shapes and colors had meaning in fluid, organic, geometric, and pictographic forms; without needing realistic
form. Beautiful work Savannah!
ARTISTS and ARCHAEOLOGY for THIRD GRADE
The third grade at Eureka Elementary has learned a lot about art recently. Mrs. McDuffie’s,
Mrs. Newell’s, and Mrs. Price’s classes spent the last two months studying various artists and
learning a little about art history. They learned about the lives and artistic styles of Charlie
Russell, Alma Woodsey Thomas, Camille Pissaro, Mary Cassat, Georgia O’Keefe and Wassily Kandinsky. Local artists Bob Nichols and Wanda Mumm gave art lessons to the third
grade classes and shared a little about their own artwork. On February 12th, the community
was invited into the school for an art show in which students displayed their work and shared
their art knowledge.
Third graders and members of Suzy DeShazer’s
child psychology class teamed up for a math
and baking project. The third graders used their
fraction and measuring skills to make brownies
“from scratch” and they were so good! Wow!
Mrs. Price’s class is enjoying meeting scientists
from all over the nation. In late January, they met
with an archaeologist at the Denver Museum of
Science and Nature, via “distance-learning” for
an interactive lesson on archaeology. Students
look forward to distance-learning lessons with
NASA in March. by Angela Price
Right: A painting of many hands by Ashley G., inspired by the theme
“Peace and Brotherhood” for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Beautiful
work Ashley!
Volume 1, Winter Edition
THE VALLEY PRIDE February 2010
In February, the kindergarten students at Eureka Elementary celebrate “I Love to Read,”
Valentine’s Day, and Presidents’ Day. The students have really taken off in their reading
and have been busy with fun reading activities. Recently, the kids have learned about
President George Washington and President Abraham Lincoln. They also have adopted a
soldier, who will be traveling overseas to Afghanistan. Valentines were made for him, and
for others in his unit.
Using the mobile computer lab is always
a favorite activity. The school subscribes
to RAZ-kids on-line for the students for an
interactive approach to reading that they
can do at school and at home.
Kindergarten is also working on learning
about the community through visits from
Mickey Carvey, the community health
nurse, local law enforcement agencies, and a visit from a dental hygienist for dental health
month.
All students are nearing the celebration of 100 days of school.
The students in our three kindergarten classes will be counting
to 100 nearly a hundred different times, through various activiSECOND GRADE
ties and lessons planned. Throughout the year we will also
In our second grade class we are busy with all subjects.
celebrate those students that have learned to count to 100 by
The students are excelling in math and reading. They
ones, fives, and tens! They earn a medal and a ribbon that is
are doing a wonderful job! We are studying a number
displayed in their classroom! by Amy Gondeiro
of things, including dinosaurs, African American
history, matter, weather, and mammals. It’s a very
exciting time of year! We are also busy with reading.
Did You Know? by Mrs. Zauner’s class
We have studied a number of authors, such as Robert
“Astronomers think the Milky Way galaxy contains at least 100 billion stars.” by Grady Seal
Munsch, Eric Carle, Jan Brett, and we are currently
studying Doreen Cronin. We study each author’s
“Saturn is the only planet in the solar system that is less dense than water.” by Cloey Helgert
“writing fingerprints” (their special style of writing).
We are having a great year. Way to go kids!
“Ice caps can be seen at both the North and South poles of Mars.” by Ryan Titus
“Mercury is the closest planet to the sun. Next come Venus, Earth and Mars.”
by Kaden Wiseman
by Lori Coffman
“Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto are far from the Sun. These planets are very cold.”
by Colette Colvard
“On Oct. 15, 1997 the Cassini Orbiter blasted into space. It reached Saturn in 2004.” by Cassie Hammack
“Did you know that Jupiter has a red dot that is a storm?” by Maggie Graves
“Very strong winds push clouds across Neptune blowing 1,490 miles per hour.”
by Travis Schmidt
“Jupiter has a huge red spot on its surface that is two times larger than Earth.”
by Avory Escobar
“Did you know astronomers called Venus and Earth ‘twins’ because the planets were
thought to be so much alike?” by Katie Komac
“Jupiter is the biggest planet in the solar system.” by Nathan Schmidt
“Did you know that all the big planets are made of gas?” by Cory Chaney
“Did you know that Pluto is not a planet now?” by Tyyli Bakkila
“Saturn has 20 or more moons. More than any other planet” by Chance Muller
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Volume1, Winter Edition
THE VALLEY PRIDE February 2010
BEHIND THE SCENES
School Finance 101
by Superintendant Jim Mepham
It is nearly impossible to find anyone who completely
understands how schools in Montana are financed, and
it is difficult to explain a school’s decisions on how
money is spent without a little insight. How is it that
we can add new windows, yet are forced to cut back on
teaching positions? While school boards state-wide are
given jurisdiction to make decisions (called “local control”), money comes
from the state in so many different “earmarked” funds that school boards
don’t get all the local control they actually need to make decisions.
Most of the school district’s operating funds come from the state in our
general fund. This fund pays for most salaries, books, heat, and maintenance of the district. The size of this fund is determined by number
of students in attendance and teachers in the school. This fund is currently decreasing in size in Eureka (and most of Montana) because of the
decrease in number of students. The district is paid approximately $5,000
per student. Eureka’s numbers have decreased by about 40 students since
this time last year. Therefore the school will operate on a general fund
that could be significantly less than last year’s. There are some controls-like averaging attendance over three years to get the exact amount--which
minimize catastrophic losses in one year.
The schools receive money from lots of other funds: transportation, special
education, federal funds (Title programs), and grants to mention a few.
These are the areas in which the state and federal governments are increasing funds at a slightly greater rate than the general fund. All these areas are
very specific as to how the money can be spent, thus decreasing our local
control to make decisions based on the priorities of our school district.
With this information in mind, let us take a review of Eureka’s dilemma.
We have declining enrollment, therefore there will be less money for the
general operations of the school. We have a huge need in both technology
and facilities. We recently built both a new high school and a biomass
plant. We have spent almost a half million dollars in grant money for specifically prescribed energy upgrades. Having fewer students in every class
means we have less money, but still have to heat and teach the class. One
might ask then, what is the logic and how do we cope?
We write grants, make energy upgrades, and take money earmarked for
projects with the hope that, in the future, we will save money in the general fund so that we can keep up with the decrease in funding while still
increasing the quality of education for our students. If everything works
as projected, the energy projects and the biomass plant could save the same
amount that is being lost by declining enrollment. This seems like a lot
of work just to break even, but we do our best to use what we are given to
its fullest potential, with our students’ education and well-being always in
mind. The ominous truth is that declining enrollment is just one way of
many that we are taking financial blows in public education. Now, more
than ever, we need to look ahead and ask – is there a better way?
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Experienced Works
By Principal Joel Graves
Eureka Public Schools have been the beneficiary of some very
experienced, valuable help lately. Through the program “Experience Works” formerly known as “Green Thumb,” we have been
able to employ several part-time workers who have served the
district in varied capacities. Experience Works is a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve the lives of older
people through training, community service, and employment. To
qualify as a potential employer, you have to be a governmentfunded entity such as a public school, city or county shop, forest service, or a 501C3
nonprofit organization.
The Experience Works workers are considered volunteers to the school, and they
receive a small stipend from EW as compensation for their time and efforts. Each
worker is allowed up to 18 hours per week of work. The employer (Eureka Public
Schools) is responsible for providing the experienced worker opportunities to learn
new skills and environment to apply those to contribute in a productive way. Currently working at Eureka Public Schools are; Dennis Radish, Duard Johnson, Hal
Scholl, Julia Wilson, Mick Griffin, Patrick McCurry, and Tammy Griffin. This fine group
of employees does many jobs ranging from mowing lawns and general maintenance
to working in the kitchen and elementary library. This has allowed for many extra jobs
to get accomplished without increasing our spending. Having these extra experienced
hands around has been a very big boost for the school system. John Hammond,
Maintenance Director at Eureka Public Schools values these EW workers greatly and
says, “The knowledge and experience that the EW crew brings to our staff is invaluable. They each have real-life work experience that gives us much needed expertise
in a variety of areas.”
CAMPUS CALENDAR REMINDERS
(Please double check schedule with school offices as events approach.)
February
Wednesday Feb. 17th, 2pm: Elementary NED Show Assembly (Anti-bullying)
Friday Feb. 19th: NO CLASS (classroom work day), and Health Fair in High School
Wednesday Feb. 24th: Mid-term; Pajama day @ Elementary School
Friday Feb. 26th: Middle School Honor Choir Youth Sing in Missoula;
5&6 grade 6pm , 7&8 grade 7pm
March
March 1st through 5th: Elementary Wacky Week
(Mon. socks, Tues. hair, Wed. backward, Thurs. mismatched, Fri. hat)
Thursday Mar. 4th: Middle School Concert (6th, 7th, 8th grade only) Band 6pm, Choir 7pm
Tuesday Mar. 9th: High School Concert, 7:30pm; Elementary PAW Assembly, 8:45am
Friday Mar. 12th: NO CLASS (teacher’s work day)
March 16th through 18th: MontCAS student assessment testing
Friday Mar. 26th: End of third quarter
Monday March 29th through Friday April 2nd: NO CLASS (Spring Break)
April
April 15th, 16th and 17th: Districts High Schools Music Festival in Whitefish
Friday Apr. 23rd: NO CLASS (teacher’s work day)
April 30th through May 1st: State High Schools Music Festival in Helena
May
Friday, May 7th: NO CLASS (teacher’s work day)
Tuesday, May 11th: 5th grade musical Sleeping Beauty, 7pm
Thursday, May 20th: Elementary Spring Concert, K,1,2 grades 6pm; 3&4 grades 7pm
Thursday, May 27th: Middle School Spring Concert (6th, 7th, & 8th only)
Expo 5pm, Choir 6pm, Band 7pm
Volume 1, Winter Edition
THE VALLEY PRIDE February 2010
Page 5
School Board Bulletins
Proposing an Alumni Association
YOUR SCHOOLS, YOUR FUTURE
Our school district is continually facing decreases
Are you a member of our community that feels like maybe you
would like more activities in your life? Maybe you’re retired and
have skills that you would like to pass on but feel you are without
opportunity to do so. Perhaps you only have a spare moment, but
could listen to a student read during that moment. Do you have
a spare hour a week, or even a few hours a month? You may
have a career path that you would like to share with students getting ready to explore the world. Your Eureka Public Schools are
always in need of volunteers.
in enrollment--also known as funding. The lack of
cash resources, however, doesn’t have to define the
quality of education we provide for the children of
the district. Our proactive administration team is
doing an excellent job creating the most out of our
available toolset. Integral in this are the resources
that our community and alumni have to offer. We
have many dedicated volunteers in the community
who donate countless hours of time to better our
school district and, ultimately, our kids. As a member of the Board of Trustees,
and member of this community, I fully plan to support our district long after I am
gone from the board, like so many of you before me. We all have something we
can give, even when we can’t spare a dime.
We have a community full of skilled trade professionals, a highly trained labor
force, and countless graduates of Lincoln County High School that have attained
additional education beyond LCHS, locally and worldwide. I am asking now for
us to look to our roots, and give time, education, and opportunity back to the institution that helped define our character. I propose that we create an LCHS Alumni
Association and Honorary Alumni. Through this association we can accomplish
great things; namely opportunities district wide. Sharing your knowledge, experience, and perspective with a student now can be a great benefit to him or her,
and make you feel pretty good in the process.
There are many ways that we can make a difference. There are also thousands
of LCHS alumni with whom we could reconnect that could provide a boost to
our school’s networking and cultural diversity. Just think of getting quarterly
updates, via email that alerted you of LCHS students’ activities, class reunions,
and more. Please contact Joel Graves, LCHS Principal, to share ideas on bringing
this idea to fruition.
Thanks,
Tom C Kincheloe (the younger one)
With schools running on ever-tightening budgets, the need for
volunteers is increasing. Our community members can join their
effort with the teachers and staff to further fill the needs of students. Get to know the students
of your community better, while helping educators educate, through volunteering. A community that joins together can go a long way toward making the best of hard times. The African
proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child,” rings true in these times. Help students gain their
voices and values through sharing your knowledge and experience, and help the schools
prepare students for what lies ahead for them.
It has always been our American heritage to work at the grass roots level. It’s time to get
back to that heritage. It is our time to get involved. It’s our responsibility as parents and as a
community to see that our children get the best education possible despite economics, and
volunteering is a great way to help.
Students are the future of our country and we, the communities of Eureka, Fortine, Rexford,
and Trego, have the opportunity to help our schools educate and assist in shaping the next
generation of leaders, farmers, doctors, soldiers and more. If anyone is interested in volunteering a little time at the schools, please refer to the list below of specific areas in which the
administrators could use your donation of time.
Thank you,
Donna Lowery
To volunteer at Eureka Elementary as lunchroom and hallway supervision help, or supervising studentlead reading groups, or being a reading partner, contact Cari Lucey at 297-5500
To volunteer at Eureka Middle School as a noon-tutor or parent resource center monitor, contact the PTO
through Trevor Utter at 297-5600, or Pat Good at [email protected].
To volunteer at Lincoln County High School as a music department aide for Shelly Clark, or to help in
creating and staffing a parent resource center, contact Joel Graves (or Shelly Clark) at 297-5700.
UPDATES from ADMINISTRATION
MAP Assessment Follow-up
by Trevor Utter
The last edition of The Valley Pride included an article
on the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP). MAP
is an assessment that is very effective in determining
the exact levels of our students in the subject areas of
reading, language arts, and math. The students in grades
three through eleven took the assessment in October and
are now using this data to build upon their education.
The data obtained from this assessment is immediate and
very useful. It allows students, parents and teachers to
identify strengths and weaknesses in the different subject areas. Being able to identify specifics in students’
learning habits allows for specific instruction, leading to
maximum growth. For example, a teacher can now take
a reading score, whether it is high or low, and identify
specific needs for that individual student. The scores
obtained through map also identify state standards that
need to be addressed, and give specific reading selections
for the students that will challenge them to improve in
that area. The test functions in the same way for the other
subject areas as well.
Our teachers are now able to work with this data to tailor
instruction directly for each student. We have reading
groups for kids that need extra reading, math groups for
kids that need extra math, and are working on specific
language art topics as kids have a need. This assessment
is one tool we have added to the many tools our school
already uses. The more we know about a student, the
better we can teach to the level they need. We are able to
help the struggling students identify their weaknesses and
improve upon them; and we are able to take the advanced
students, identify their strengths and help them reach a
new level of achievement.
We will be taking this assessment again in the spring
in order to allow our students, teachers, and parents see
the growth made in each subject area. As a school, we
will also be able to look at different programs to see if
they are giving us the maximum learning opportunities
for kids. In a nutshell, the MAP gives us valuable data
to make decisions, with numbers to back them up. If a
program is allowing students to make substantial gains,
the MAP scores will show this. If we are not making the
gains in a specific area, then we need to use this data,
along with all other data, to make an informed decision
to make education better for all kids.
Volume 1, Winter Edition
THE VALLEY PRIDE MIDDLE
EUREKA
SCHOOL
by Principal Trevor Utter
Swimming
Into the warm and cold water
Under until I need more air
Near the end of my time
Beneath the water
Toward shore I swim
With my dog
Above shore I wait for my family
On the dock I jump
Off the dock I go
From down below the fishy water
By the shore I walk out
On shore I dry off and say good-bye
by Breanna Richard
Page 6
Montana
Middle School Mini Courses
Eureka Middle School has had a longstanding tradition of taking students on
“mini courses.” Mini courses are activities
that take our students outdoors and teach
them an active skill that will segue into a
life-long activity. As a student in Eureka, I
was able to take advantage of this program
myself and it was through mini courses in
my youth that I learned to ski. This has carried into my adult life, and I still enjoy the sport today.
Given the lifestyle of kids today, mini courses are more
important than ever. As a parent and educator I am constantly challenged with keeping the kids active. It is so easy
for all of us to sit in front of a TV or play a video game
instead of doing an outdoor activity. This is one of the greatest values of our mini courses: they teach and encourage
an active lifestyle. The options we have available for our
kids through mini courses are skiing, snowboarding, bowling, skating, rock climbing, and swimming. In all of these
activities our students are required to take a lesson at their
level and ability, then they are given time to enjoy the skills
they have learned.
With the high pressure of achievement scores in education
today, I have been forced to take a very hard look at the mini
course program. I have to evaluate all of the educational
time to ensure we are doing everything possible to make our
students ready for the life that lies ahead. After reviewing
all of the positive features this program offers, I feel strongly
that it is a vital component of education as a whole, in promoting an active and healthy lifestyle for our students. Mini
courses are a great way to teach and encourage students to
develop the healthy lifestyle we all need.
February 2010
Robert Street as Nathan Hale, Jan. 20, 2010.
On Wednesday, January 20th, the Eureka fifth graders guided
their guests on a time-travel tour of the Revolutionary War
period. As our guests shuffled through the double doors of
the Eureka Middle School gym, they were met by the faces of
famous characters that once walked the cobblestone streets of
New England’s cities. Fifth graders were dressed in costumes
of the colonial garb of the time (photo left). Each student in
character was accompanied by a poster that portrayed the character and the time they lived in, and presented a speech that
told about who they were and the part they played in this historic event. Each speech was initiated by the push of a button,
the smoke of a cannon, the lighting of the Old North Church,
the picking up of a feather pen, the roll of a marble, or any one
of numerous other creative avenues. by Linda Roberts
A new enrichment class is being offered to 6th grade students that have their work
completed and want to learn another language. During 5th period, ten students are
learning Signing Exact English two days a week. Students learn specific signs for
words, in addition to learning letters and numbers, and will be able to communicate
with either a deaf or hard-of-hearing individual who knows SEE. Mrs. Kincheloe
is teaching the class to those interested in acquiring new skills in this area. The
curriculum that was used for adult classes through Flathead Valley Community
College in past years, is now being taught to our students. The 6th grade students
are already ahead of where most of the adult students are after the same amount of
class time. “They soak up the information like sponges” according to their teacher.
After the first three weeks, many of the students are able to communicate with
basic sentences and carry on short conversations. Class is held every Monday and
Tuesday after lunch. Wednesday and Thursday classes are optional, with many of
the students attending anyway. The class will continue through the rest of the year
if interest holds and plans are to sign a song during the spring concert and showcase
the student’s skills. by Patty Kincheloe
Eureka Middle School Parent Teacher Organization
by Karyn Leonard
Our mission is to inspire all students to be respectful, responsible, and ready to learn. With this in mind,
the Eureka Middle School PTO is focused on increasing volunteerism within our middle school and
function as a catalyst to advance the needs of the middle school through improvement projects.
Currently, the PTO is working on the following goals: schedule parents to support fifth through eighth
grade students with tutoring during lunch recess, improve the quality of our middle school playground,
and aid in the establishment of a parent resource center.
Our first fund-raiser, “Box Seats” (at the homecoming game), was a huge success earning about $370.00.
Two lucky couples enjoyed a gourmet dinner hosted by the PTO members. Students are also benefiting
daily from the volunteerism during noon tutoring. We also hosted an information table during parent
teacher conferences.
We are beginning work on plans to improve our middle school playground and launch a parent resource
center. In January, students sold Lion Cards, which kicked off our second fund-raiser of the year.
Thanks to all the businesses who graciously signed up to make this happen, by offering discounts on the
cards. The PTO gives and extra special thank you to Rachel Durham for her volunteer work of creating
our cards this year, and their new look! If you would like a card, please contact the middle school.
If you have any questions about the Eureka Middle School PTO, or volunteering, please contact Pat
Good at [email protected], or Jennifer Bell at [email protected] , or call the Eureka Middle School
at 297- 5600.
Volume 1, Winter Edition
THE VALLEY PRIDE February 2010
Lincoln County High School
World’s Fastest Hypnotist Returns to Eureka
by Wade VanNess
The
Lincoln County High School Technology Club
brought back Hypnotist Don Spencer to the Eureka auditorium on January 15. Spencer’s cutting-edge show kept
the audience laughing hysterically with his “co-stars”-volunteer participants willing to be hypnotized, including
students, teachers, and administrators from the school.
Hypnosis is one of the most unique forms of entertainment because of audience participation. The funds
raised through ticket sales to the show will be used to
help the technology club pay for its career awareness
field trip to Seattle, Washington in April. This year the
club sold over 250 tickets to the event, making it more
successful than last year. People left the show feeling
fantastic and wanting to come back again. Responses
from those attending the event were very positive. One
student commented, “This show was the most hilarious
thing I have ever seen!”
Spencer headlined the longest running weekly comedy
hypnosis show ever produced. He performed for an
amazing 320 straight weeks before circling the planet
and hypnotizing over 1,000,000 people worldwide and
on international TV programs. Spencer continues to
travel to locations such as Thailand and Dubai performing various hypnotic techniques, but makes his home
here in Montana.
Less Is More
by Principal Joel Graves
If you haven’t seen Rick Bean in a while, you’re going to notice something
Page 7
A Book to Show for It
by Toni Henneman
As a new teacher, I am sometimes overrun with the
more mundane tasks of teaching, such as copying,
making quizzes and tests, deciding what to quiz or test,
writing notes, and then, of course, grading. Sometimes these “tasks” can make the job seem endless and
thankless, but then a project comes along which stirs
my interest and makes me see that what goes on during
school hours really does make a difference in the lives of many students.
For me that project has been my freshman class poetry collections. This last quarter, we have been
trying our hand at various types of poetry. I have found that many of the “kids” who wander into
my room double pretty well as poets! We have been working at publishing a collection of each
class period’s poetry so that each student can have a remembrance of the time when they, and their
fellow students, tried their hand at writing poetry. Each student also had to design a cover page
for their respective class period and we voted as a class for our favorite. Each class had a hard
time deciding on just one cover because of the many very creative titles and designs that came
through.
I would like to be able to produce enough of these
books for parents and community members who are
interested. These books were finished during the first
week of February, so if you are a parent of one of my
students in 2nd, 5th, or 7th periods, you may find a
poetry book stuffed somewhere in your child’s book
bag. Even if you are not a parent of one of my students, you can contact me if you would like to have a
copy. I hope those who do get their hands on one of
these books enjoy it and let students know what good
Mikayla Grove, Caitie Larson, Jordyn Stenslie, and
work they produced. Please contact me if you would
Buddy Tullis with their poetry book cover designs.
like a copy at [email protected].
is missing when you do. This past March Mr. Bean made a commitment
to live. Weighing in at 394 pounds, pre-diabetic, and in pain, Mr. Bean
decided it was time to make some changes. “I didn’t want to die,” said Mr.
Bean when asked what inspired him to lose the weight. Mr. Bean is now
inspiring the rest of us who work with him.
In March, Mr. Bean started walking on the track. I don’t think there was a
day this spring, summer, and fall that I didn’t see him out on the track. This winter has
not been a time for slack either. Mr. Bean has taken
his program indoors and walks on the treadmill. So
far Mr. Bean has lost 85 lbs. His goal is to reach a
total weight of 250 lbs., which leaves 59 lbs. more
to loose. Diet changes for Mr. Bean have included
cutting out soda-pop and most sweets. A two sodapop a day habit has been eliminated and, fat intake
has been reduced to 55 grams a day. Mr. Bean says
that so far the holiday season has been the hardest
with all of the goodies that are so readily available.
He does allow himself a little treat now and then
but does not over indulge.
Mr. Bean credits family for providing him reason to
improve his health. Staff and students alike credit
Mr. Bean with providing inspiration and motivation to be healthy and fit ourselves. With the start
of a new year, we have seen a rise in the number of
staff exercising before and after school. Mr. Bean
has provided a great example for all of us to stick to
our program, because sometimes, less is more.
The Emergency Medical Services Explorers (high school
students that are trained as First Responders and carry
current First Aid and CPR cards) have a fund-raiser going
on that will benefit the community and the individuals supporting the sales. This year they plan to use funds from
the sale of Diner’s Club Books to go toward purchasing an
AED (Automated External Defibrillator) for the commons
area in the high school. An AED is used to electrically
correct the heart beat of a person who has collapsed and
has no apparent pulse. This way, should a need arise in
the gym, auditorium or other surrounding school area, an
AED will be on hand.
The Diner’s Club Books became available during the
second week of February, and can be purchased from
any of the EMS Explorers members during school hours,
or by contacting the group sponsors, Bill Myra, Rich Montoya, Jessica Miller, or Patty
Kincheloe. The discount punch-card included with the book is valid until December 31,
2010 and includes “buy one / get one free” deals at over 65 restaurants in the Flathead
Valley, including ten or more in Eureka, Rexford, Fortine and Trego. The books cost only
$33.95 each.
The Explorers Post #2911 is the only Montana school affiliated with the Boy Scouts of
America. This year the post added a junior high component in which students attend
meetings and will also earn their American Red Cross Cards.
by Patty Kincheloe
Volume1, Winter Edition
THE VALLEY PRIDE February 2010
STUDENT LIFE
Student Showcase Wows School Board
by Rob Reynolds
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the regularly scheduled January school board meeting,
students from the elementary, middle school and high school
presented a showcase of what they have been up to with technology tools this year. Administrators and board members alike
were impressed with the 21st century skills our students have
been mastering this year. Students in grades K-4 have been
busily using the school’s new portable lap-top computer lab
this year. These students have been improving their reading
skills with the on-line based reading program RAZ-Kids, which
provides students with leveled reading resources that include Samantha and Sophie (above), and Casey (below),
use RAZ-Kids to improve their reading skills.
the ability to listen to stories, obtain word definitions with a
click, record themselves reading for their teacher’s review, and
take comprehension assessments. In addition, several classes
have expanded their classroom walls by connecting to students
abroad using their web-based, teacher monitored, ePals emails,
that allow them to even translate between languages. Fourth
grade students have been creating their own books, using cell
phone cameras to download pictures of their work.
At the middle school, students have been using a variety of
new multi-media tools to turn their science and social studies
projects into video presentations, complete with narration and
background music. Students and teachers alike have become more familiar with the collaborative
tools available through the district’s new TeamEureka.net Google Apps account. No more lost
homework, or work saved at school but not available to finish at home. School work, including documents, spreadsheets and slide presentations, can now be stored in “the cloud” and can be accessed
from anywhere, and then “shared” with the teacher, who can provide active comments directly to
the student’s work for further editing. These same students will soon be creating their own on-line
personal portfolios of their best works.
A select group of high school students have been participating in a new trial project called Tech TA’s,
(Technical Teacher’s Assistants). These students provide technical support to teachers during one
class period a day. Their technical expertise is put to work in a variety of projects, from assisting
teachers with classroom web page design and hands-on support during computer labs, to creating
flashy presentations for teachers to use with their classroom interactive white boards (Smartboards).
These students have proven to be a great asset by learning new technology skills and putting them
into action. All in all, school board members walked away that night knowing that Eureka Public
Schools is poised and ready as we start shifting our schools toward using 21st century technology
tools in education.
Students from Eureka Middle School
participated in a spelling bee Tuesday
morning, Feb. 9th, 2010 in the high
school auditorium. During the final
round, the students were separated into
fifth/sixth grade and seventh/eighth
grade divisions.
Pictured left (from left to right) are
runner-up Alika Gillard, 8th grade;
winner Ruxandra Ionescu, 8th grade;
runner-up Lucas Blankers, 6th grade;
and winner Miles Plemmons, 5th grade.
Congratulations students! Thank you to
all students that participated.
Page 8
Riding
Riding on my horse
Into the sunset my hair blowing
In the wind like a wild horses mane
In the wind we are racing
With the wind we get faster and faster
Soon we look behind and there is nothing
Except the blue sky
The wide open range full of grass
Up ahead there’s a cliff
I pull on the reins and we stop
I look at the sunset and rest
It’s time to go home
When the sunset is gone
by Rainy White
Congratulations Brooke and Saribeth!
Two Lincoln County High School students were recently
selected to participate in an online health-related careers
course through Flathead Valley Community College. FVCC
representative Barbie Kearns visited our high school in early
December, presenting information about this course to the
sophomores in Mr. Benson’s biology classes. After reviewing applications, Barbie Kearns stated, “When choosing the
students, we looked at academic achievement, desire to
learn more about health-care careers, as well as a humanitarian component put forth in the applications.” Students in
five area schools were given the opportunity to apply, and 17
deserving students were chosen. Brooke Muller and Saribeth Lavely will soon begin this online course, giving them
a rare, early look into the health-care field. This class is
offered free of charge through the SHOW-M (Strengthening Health Occupations Workforce for Montana) Carl Perkins Grant, and each student will earn .5 credit toward high
school graduation.
For more information about all course offerings at FVCC,
please visit the Eureka Area Chamber of Commerce at the
Eureka Historical Village. The chamber has a kiosk of FREE
brochures and information about all of FVCC course and
degree offerings.
by Charlotte Engelson
Photo from left to right: Barbie Kearns, Program Specialist,
Kelly Swenson, Course Instructor, Saribeth Lavely and Brooke Muller