Creativity - Johnston Community School District

Newsletter of
Friends of Johnston ELP
Bright Ideas
March 2009
H e l p i n g T h i n k e rs T h i nk
Creativity
20082008 - 2009
B OARD M EMBERS
Our board members represent all schools
within our district, as indicated below.
Feel free to contact us with any questions,
suggestions, or to volunteer to help with
any of our activities. We would love to
hear from you!
Or Why Half of Eight is Sometimes Three
Tuesday, March 31 • 7:15
7:1515-8:30 PM
Johnston Middle School Library, 6207 NW 62nd Avenue, Johnston
“Creativity involves breaking out of established patterns in order to look at things
in a different way.” Edward De Bono
Janet Petersma, President
JHS / 515-270-0561
[email protected]
Jane McDowell, Treasurer
Lawson, JMS, JHS / 515-270-0012
[email protected]
Sue Nagel, Secretary
Wallace, JHS / 515-334-0999
[email protected]
Salim Chandani, Member at Large
Plan now to attend our final program of the 2008-2009 school year as we welcome
Richard Safris, veteran educator and Gifted Education Consultant with the Des
Moines Public School District. Mr. Safris will discuss creativity, its place in education,
and ways to promote it in your high-ability child. Join us at 7 PM for a short
business meeting just prior to our featured speaker. All are invited!
Horizon / 515-334-0647
[email protected]
2008
200 8 - 2009
200 9 ELP S TAFF
Kari Dostalik, Member at Large
Timber Ridge / 515-252-1892
[email protected]
Ellie Holland, Member at Large
Kathy Paul
JCSD ELP Coordinator, assists
with 7th, 8-9 ELP, Lawson,
assessment, training
(515) 278-0476
[email protected]
Easiest to contact
by e-mail
Sue Cline
ELP Teacher at Johnston High
School / Advanced Placement
(515) 278-0449
[email protected]
E-mail or call during school
hrs (except 8:00-8:45 AM
and 2:10-2:55 PM)
Mitzi
Hetherton
ELP Teacher at Horizon
and Timber Ridge
(515) 986-1121 (Horizon)
(515) 331-4379 (Timber Ridge)
[email protected]
Contact by e-mail
or phone
Judie Horka
Part-Time ELP Teacher
at Wallace
(515) 278-0478 (Lawson)
(515) 278-6977 (Wallace)
[email protected]
Contact by e-mail or
phone on Wednesdays,
Thursdays, or Fridays
Nancy McGill
ELP Teacher at Beaver Creek
and Timber Ridge
(515) 278-6228 (Beaver Creek)
(515) 331-4379 (Timber Ridge)
[email protected]
Call between 3 and 4 PM
or e-mail for a
convenient time
Connie Pruitt
ELP Teacher
at Summit
(515) 986-0318
[email protected]
Contact by e-mail
or phone
Jessie Todd
Part-Time ELP Teacher
at Lawson
278-0478 (Lawson)
[email protected]
E-mail or call on Mon/Tues
afternoons, Wed mornings,
or all day Thursday
Summit, JMS / 515-252-6158
[email protected]
Shanyn Kramersmeier, Member at Large
Horizon / 515-986-0388
[email protected]
Cheryl Miller, Member at Large
Beaver Creek, Summit / 515-999-2536
[email protected]
Greti North, Member at Large
Summit, JHS / 515-252-7354
[email protected]
Kate Safris, Member at Large
Horizon / 515-986-1591
[email protected]
Kathy Paul, ELP Coordinator
515-278-0476
[email protected]
WALLACE ELP HAPPENINGS
Submitted by Judie
Judie Horka, Wallace ELP Teacher
Wallace ELP students are busy with a
variety of activities. Here is a snapshot
by grade:
First/second grade Poetry Group is
underway.
Third grade Poetry Group is also hard at work. An
anthology of student poems will be compiled for each
group.
Second grade students are continuing work on a unit
involving algebraic reasoning.
Third graders are learning about a base three number
system as they work to unravel the Mystery of the MoLi
Stone.
Fourth and fifth graders are wrapping up participation in
Math Olympiads with the March meet. They are also
preparing for their Travel Passport presentations and Expo,
at which they will share their work planning a trip to their
chosen destinations.
These students have much to anticipate for the remainder
of the year! Looking ahead:
First grade students will focus on thinking skills to develop
deductive, inductive, creative, and critical thinking abilities.
Second grade will follow up on their poetry work with a
look at other forms of literature in the unit “Beyond
Words.”
Third grade will work on solving “The Teddy Bear Mystery.”
Fourth and fifth grade students will soon participate in the
Stock Market Game.
A small group of fifth grade students will study the U. S. Bill
of Rights and some cases that had an impact on the rights
of Iowans. This study of rights will culminate with a trip to
the Iowa State Historical Museum’s History Through the Arts
program “Inalienable Rights.” The performance will tell the
story of three landmark Iowa civil rights court cases.
LAWSON ELP NEWS
Submitted by Jessie Todd, Lawson ELP Teacher
Greetings! Here is a quick overview of the units that we are working on at Lawson!
Kindergarten students have just started building equations and showing off their number sense in math. In reading, they are showing their
creative thinking skills as they work with letters of the alphabet.
First grade readers have been working on “Offbeat Adventures with the Alphabet.” We have been rotating through different learning stations,
each dealing with a different alphabet challenge. Students have been working hard solving patterns and using their creative thinking skills.
First grade math students have been working on some basic algebra as we learn about equations and missing addends. We have also been
learning about “patterning”: predicting what shape/number would come later in a pattern.
Second grade readers have been working on “Beyond Words,” a literature unit designed to engage students in reading, writing, and
interpretation skills. Stop by the ELP room to read some of the poetry we have created! Second grade math students are also working on
algebra. Recently, we discussed negative numbers, and even practiced adding and subtracting using negative numbers.
Third
Third grade readers have been working hard on a literature circle. We are reading the book Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt. Each week, a
different student is assigned a job to complete and share with the group. The students lead the discussions
and enjoy taking their turn as discussion directors! Third grade math students are working on multiplication
and division. We have been talking about how important it is to be accurate and quick when solving basic
math facts, as these basic facts are the building blocks of more difficult mathematics. Ask your students to
share some of their new strategies for quick multiplication!
Fourth grade readers have been working hard on an Envision Project entitled Environmental Declaration. Each
student has selected a local environmental issue to research and to present possible solutions for fixing their
particular issue. We will present our final projects on Wednesday, April 29.
Fifth grade readers are also working hard on an Envision Project. Their project is entitled Travel Passport. Each
student has selected a location to which they will plan an imaginary trip with a fictitious $2,000 budget. We will present our final projects on
Monday, April 27.
Both fourth and fifth grade math students are finishing up their Math Olympiads competitions. With only one test left,
students are working hard to finish strong!
PAGE 2
NEWS FROM BEAVER CREEK & TIMBER RIDGE
Submitted by Nancy McGill, Beaver Creek & Timber Ridge ELP Teacher
Where does the time go? I am amazed that it is already
already March,
March, and we are looking at the home stretch for
the school year. Since our last newsletter update,
update, we
we have been busy, however, as we have challenged
ourselves to learn a variety of material.
The Beaver Creek fifth graders continue to study grammar, classic vocabulary, and the structure of paragraphs. We
also have been exploring the origins of words, phrases, sayings, and proverbs. In addition, we have been listening to
both D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths and The Graveyard by Neil Gaiman. Both are fascinating stories but for very
different reasons.
Several Beaver Creek fourth and fifth graders are anxiously awaiting results from the Letters About Literature contest. We know that Iowa was
well represented by children statewide and continue to hope some of us did well enough to be honored with recognition. It is important to
remember that every fourth or fifth grader who entered this contest can try again next year. Writing a letter to an author is a great way to
respond to a great book!
Beaver Creek third graders have progressed in their language arts study to the all-important sentence, the basis for all writing. We are learning
and practicing the important concepts needed to write good sentences. We are also practicing four-level analysis of grammar and becoming
adept at identifying the parts of speech, parts of a sentence, prepositional phrases, and clauses. What powerful learning!
Timber Ridge third graders are involved in several hands on measuring activities in mathematics. We have had some fun experiences with this
important topic. We recently finished reading and writing about the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. This topic was new to many of us,
and we found it quite interesting.
Beaver Creek second graders are enjoying their investigation of figurative language. We have looked at similes, metaphors, personification,
and analogies as ways in which authors create great writing. We have tried our hand at analogies, poetry, and persuasive paragraphs. We
have enjoyed numerous examples of wonderful picture books and poetry books. One of our favorites was Dogku by Andrew Clements.
Timber Ridge second graders are practicing their convergent and divergent thinking skills. We haven’t decided if it is harder to think about
finding one (and ONLY one!) right answer or to think of many possible solutions. Both can be amazingly challenging!
First graders at Beaver Creek are also learning about various kinds of thinking and have found them to be quite challenging as well. In what
way is a door like friendship? In what way is it different? These are interesting questions to consider.
First graders at Timber Ridge are investigating ants. At this time, we have only thought about the word “ant,” especially as it is found in bigger
words like fant
antasy,
plant
ant,
ant,
ant
ant pleasant
ant and so on. Eventually we hope to observe real ants and research a bit about their structure and habits.
NEWS FROM HORIZON & TIMBER RIDGE
Submitted by Mitzi Hetherton,
Hetherton, Horizon & Timber Ridge ELP Teacher
After reading the book, Growing Money: A Complete Investing Guide for Kids, fifth
grade students are currently in the thick of The Stock Market Game online. The
game, which usually costs $25 per team, is being offered free this year, allowing
each student to invest their own $100,000 of fun money without having to
negotiate a consensus with three other peers. Just two weeks into the game,
Meredith Campidilli of Horizon is leading the region with $105, 242 in total equity.
Horizon’s Alex Monen and Caroline Aldrich, along with Nate Tallman and Aubrey
Soderlund from Timber Ridge, are well on their way to making money on their
investments. The other 24 students are working hard at making sound choices.
Above: Horizon Fourth grade authors are climbing high!
Bottom row: Tyler Gurney, Cole Kramersmeier, Sean Meyer, Luke Safris
Top row: Sara Siebrecht, Jillian Gabby, Afshan Chandani
All students are learning from their decisions and are changing their strategies as
needed. A big thank you to Mr. Tim Hanstad from Edward Jones, who is in his fifth
year of guiding these students in their knowledge of the stock market.
Both fou
fourth and fifth grade students are beginning work on long-term research projects that will take them through the end of the school
year. The fourth graders at Horizon and Timber Ridge have chosen to participate in the Backyard Getaway, which engages students in
continued on next page
PA GE 3
HORIZON & TIMBER RIDGE NEWS, CONTINUED
planning a dream backyard given one acre of land. Students will research and make decisions in order to create and develop five specific areas
within their acre. The fifth graders are exploring where their education can lead them in life. After taking a career interest inventory, students
choose a potential career, research it, and investigate the training needed to achieve this major goal. They will decide on a college and
estimate the expenses needed to get through the college years.
Timber Ridge fourth graders have been honing their grammar and persuasive writing skills for the Scholastic contest, “What is the Best
Invention Ever?” Elizabeth Boeschen thinks time-keeping devices top the chart of best inventions; Brooke Thacker would argue that the
satellite is the most useful; and Evan Kramme stands behind the invention of refrigeration. Mrs. Hetherton would have submitted her vote for
indoor plumbing, but alas, this was a contest for students only!
Horizon fourth graders have just completed their book, T is for Torch, an Olympic Alphabet Book! Mrs. Shanyn Kramersmeier is finalizing the
mock-up copy to send to Scholastic for submission in the Kids Are Authors Competition. A copy of this book will be posted on the Friends of
Johnston ELP website soon! (See a picture of these young authors on page 3.)
In other classes:
• Third graders are studying folk literature from four cultures and completing comparison/contrast analysis on each.
• Second graders are learning the Latin influence on many of the stems words in our language.
• Horizon’s Grace Campidilli, Jens Rasmussen, and Parul Srivastava are leading the pack in “problem solving with money” in second
grade ELP math class.
• One group of first
first graders at Horizon is studying various versions of Cinderella, while another group is exploring the mystery genre.
Left:
Left Timber Ridge fifth grader Sami Schaer leads her group in Story With Holes logic questions. Jacob Newcomb and Adam Dostalik are guessing. Center:
Timber Ridge students Logan Shaver, Devin VanderWerff, Daniel Timmons, Nate Tallman, and Adam Friesth enjoy a Game Day break from Math Olympiads.
Right: Timber Ridge fifth grader Nate Tallman gives the thumbs up on his stock choices; Jacob Smith is not so happy with his results!
NEWS FROM FRIENDS OF JOHNSTON ELP
Visit our website at http://www.johnston.k12.ia.us/schools/elp/
Parenting for High Potential
magazine discount for our members
Kathy Paul Named to National
Mock Trial Advisory Board
With your $35 membership fee, Friends of Johnston ELP members
are also members of the Iowa Talented and Gifted Association.
ITAG members are now able to receive Parenting for High Potential,
a magazine published by the National Association for Gifted
Children (NAGC), for an annual fee of $10. NAGC describes this
quarterly magazine as “designed for parents who want to make a
difference in their children's lives, who want to develop their
children's gifts and talents, and who want to help them develop
their potential to the fullest.” Contact the Iowa Talented and
Gifted Association office for details at (515) 225-2323.
Kathy Paul has been selected to represent the state of Iowa on the
National Mock Trial Advisory Board. She will serve on the
committee to supervise the curriculum for the national mock trial
web site practicum, which is being launched this year. The goals of
the board include improving mock trial skills and the visibility of
the mock trial program. She will be a part of the group that
reviews and revises the curriculum, and her students at Johnston
will have the opportunity to preview the materials.
For information about Mock Trial in JCSD, contact Kathy Paul or Sue Cline
(see page 1 for contact information).
PAGE 4
ELP NEWS & UPDATES
Submitted by Kathy Paul, ELP Teacher & JCSD ELP Coordinator
Parent Survey: Evaluating Gifted Services
New ELP Resources Benefit Students
The Johnston Community School District is evaluating the programming and services
provided for identified Extended Learning students. Would you please take time to
complete this online survey, based on your experiences during this school year? Students
will receive a separate form to complete. We value your feedback! THANK YOU for your
efforts to make our programming for high ability students a success and for your help with
this evaluation. Please complete this survey before April 10.
Thanks to the generosity of donations by our
parents, the ELP staff has the flexibility to
purchase items throughout the year that are
needed to supplement the curriculum. We
continue to increase in numbers, so the extra
funding provides opportunity to meet more needs.
Here are some ways the money has been used.
Access the survey at: http://tp2.aea11.k12.ia.us/017/JohnstonELP_parents2009.tp4
Identification for Extended Learning Programming
We are working on the review process for ELP identification. Each spring, students are
reviewed, and letters are sent to those who are placed on a level of service. Usually sent in
May, the letter will explain options for your child, including special programming available
such as an extension in the classroom, an advanced reading class, or a pull-out class on math
problem-solving. These options depend upon levels of service identified, so the letters are
specific for each child. The ELP staff provides direct service to a few children, while the
classroom teacher works with many children.
As a parent, if you are interested in providing input in characteristics you have observed, you
may request a form from the ELP staff or go directly to the web link at
http://tp2.aea11.k12.ia.us/017/JohnstonELP_Parent_inventory.tp4 . If your child has been
nominated through test scores or teachers, this will automatically occur.
The following explains the levels of service and the identification process. Our identification
is based upon multiple criteria. A committee of ELP and classroom teachers reviews the data.
If you have questions or concerns, please contact your building ELP teacher or Kathy Paul,
ELP Coordinator, at the middle school at 278-0476.
LEVELS OF SERVICE:
GENERAL ENRICHMENT:
ENRICHMENT This level of service provides the classroom teacher with
support, so that enrichment is available to enable learners in the regular classroom.
Teachers look for potential needs.
•
•
•
STRENGTH AREA: This service is for students who excel in one or more academic areas.
Direct service through the ELP teacher is offered on an invitational basis, depending
upon needs and available time. Flexible groups are planned in conjunction with regular
classroom topics and vary in length, content, and frequency. The ELP teacher supports
the regular classroom teacher with extensions, enrichments, or teaching strategies.
EXTENDED STUDIES: Students at this level of service require a differentiated curriculum
to progress academically. A personalized educational plan is developed to monitor
needs. In addition to the services offered at the other levels, direct service includes an
option for specific extended studies classes to meet program goals in research, higher
level thinking skills, emotional and social behaviors, and self-directed learning.
At the elementary level, fifth graders from all
buildings took part in a workshop with author
Eileen Boggess. Improvement and motivation in
writing increased after this session. Subscriptions to
Science World magazine for third through fifth
grades and Super Science for primary grades have
been widely used by classroom teachers across the
district. The Envision Program, which has
curriculum for grade five, is now available across
the district. All primary level classrooms now have
some books to use with programming by the ELP
teacher, and an entire set of books is now
available to use with students. Learning centers
and fun “fish tanks” to hold them are now in place
at Lawson and Timber Ridge. Books for teachers
on differentiation, learning centers, and resources
by noted author Bertie Kingore were purchased
for use at Horizon, Timber Ridge, and Lawson. At
Beaver Creek, a set of books for a small group
study was purchased.
At Summit, the ELP bookshelves received
additions for student reading and language arts,
and learning center kits were added. In addition,
poetry resource books are now available for
students.
The middle school added five more books on
differentiation as well as some parent resource
books. Updated supplies and visual aids were
purchased for the Mock Trial teams.
Upcoming high school purchases include resource
books for teachers and students as well as guides
for Advanced Placement tests.
PROCESS FOR IDENTIFICATION:
IDENTIFICATION:
Review of multiple criteria by ELP staff and coordinator. Students serviced depending upon need demonstrated and options available.
1. Classroom teachers Extended Learning Observation Inventory:
Inventory: Teachers mark characteristics of gifted learners and make comments and
nominate students.
2. Teacher recommendation based on products, processes, motivation, and grades:
grades: Multiple examples of high quality products, initiative to complete
extensions, and thought process are used.
3. Parent
Parent Information for ELP:
ELP: Characteristics which show up in the home provide valuable insight. Forms are sent home with nominated students,
however, any parent may request a form for their child.
4. ELP staff recommendations:
recommendations: Observed characteristics, performances, and products.
5. ITBS Iowa norms:
norms: Serves as an indicator of student needs. State guidelines suggest top 5% for Personalized Educational Plan, which is
generally 97-99% on ITBS.
6. MIALT - MidMid-Iowa Achievement Level Tests:
Tests: Scores are specific to Johnston standards and benchmarks. While many students score in the Hi range,
reading and math scores, which are one to two standard deviations above the norm, are generally a strong indicator of high ability in that area.
7. Miscellaneous
Miscellaneous tests/ records from previous schools:
schools: Other available data will be taken into consideration, such as out-of-level tests or data from
previous schools.
PA GE 5
News from Summit & Johnston Middle Schools
Submitted by
by Connie Pruitt, Summit ELP Teacher & Kathy
Kathy Paul, ELP Teacher and Coordinator
MathCounts Team Competition
Nine members of the Summit Math Club competed at Drake University on February 25 in the
MathCounts regional competition, sponsored by The Iowa Engineering Foundation and the
Iowa Engineering Society. Sixth grade students Jack Dolde and Ethan Niu and seventh grade
students Pratysuha Bujimalla, Karen Chen, Abby Dockum, Smith Kraai, Grace Ma, Vaibhav
Srikaran, and Margaret Tian competed against 190 other middle school students from central
Iowa. The Summit team placed seventh out of 23 teams. Qualifying for state was Margaret Tian
who scored 11th in the individual competition. The team was part of more than 30 students in
Summit’s Math Club. The club has been meeting after school on Mondays since November.
Top photo: Members of the Summit MathCounts team, back row: Karen Chen, Pratyusha Bbujimalla, Abby
Dockum, Smith Kraai, and Coach Mrs. Pruitt. Front row: Margaret Tian, Grace Ma, Vaibhav Srikaran, Ethan Niu,
and Jack Dolde. Bottom photo: “CSI” students Callie Coulter, Alex Clark, and Ryan Rubin are Crime Scene
Investigators as they burn fibers to solve a fictitious case in ELP CSI class.
Students Learn about Forensic Science
Fibers are all around us. Crimes are often solved because of fibers left at the scene. Students in
the ELP Forensic Science Class were given samples of various types of fibers. They compared
the fibers through ProScopes, high-resolution handheld digital microscopes, to solve a fictitious
case. Students also learned how fibers burn differently because of what they are made of, such
as cotton, rayon, or polyester. They observed how the fibers burned, what odors were
associated with the burned fiber, and what residue was left after the fiber was removed from the flame. With specific information students
were able to solve several fictitious crimes.
Summit Students Prepare for History Day
History Day 2009 District competition will take place on April 2 at the
State Historical Building in Des Moines. Twenty-nine sixth grade students
and 29 seventh grade students will be competing in the event. This year’s
theme is “The Individual in History: Actions and Legacies”. Sixth grade
students have been meeting every other day in February with Mrs. Pruitt
to learn researching skills such as developing a thesis statement, finding
sources, and writing annotated bibliographies. Seventh grade students
have been working for several weeks in the ELP Research I and II classes.
Some “individuals in history” being studied include Kate Shelley, Gandhi,
Anita Snook, and John Wilkes Booth.
Eighth Graders Plan for Future
All identified eighth graders had the option of signing up for the sixweek class, Planning for High School and College. Approximately 30
students will be taking the class this April/ May. Information about high
school courses and opportunities will be highlighted. Students will learn
about the college application process as well as the ACT and SAT exam.
The need for a four-year plan will be emphasized.
District History Day Fast Approaching
Students in grades 6-12 are putting the final touches on entries for
District History Day at the State Historical Building of Iowa. Due to the
large number of registrants, District History Day will be held on two days
this year. The Senior Division will be on April 1, with registration at 8:15
AM and judging at 9:00 AM, and the Junior Division will be held on April
2, with registration starting at 7:45 AM and judging at 8:30 AM.
Approximately 70 Johnston students will participate this year. In addition
to on-site judging of performances, exhibits, and documentaries,
students will have papers and websites on display. With over 180 entries
from area schools, the event is always well attended by students and
parents. Johnston residents help with judging, and the Friends of JELP
will run a concession stand on both April 1 and 2.
JMS students prepare for District History Day: Left: Courtney Norelius, Hannah Soyer, and Bailey Eppard;
Center: Jiahui Huang and Zea Zhu; Right: Grant McDonald, Ian Dunshee, and Chase Wallace
PA GE 6
News from Johnston High School
Submitted
Submitted by Sue Cline, ELP Teacher
Annual JETS Competition
The annual JETS competition took place on Thursday, March 6, in the JHS career room. This engineering aptitude exam includes 80
multiple choice questions and four free-response questions, all based around a theme. This year's theme was Amusement Parks.
Students were asked to consider issues involving safety, function, and power sources.
JV JETS player Laura Cross said that the free response part of the exam seemed significantly easier than it was last year. Varsity
player William McDowell said that the multiple choice section was more difficult than the previous year, but agreed the freeresponse portion was more understandable. Since JETS is an aptitude test, students are required to use critical and creative
problem-solving skills to work through the scenarios. It is a very challenging experience and gives students an opportunity to see
what types of work engineers do in the real world. Results will be available next month.
The students involved this year include:
•
Varsity JETS Team
Team:
eam Kevin Shi, Allyson Mayer, Frank Niu, John Hall, William McDowell, Fred Shen, and Ryan Francois
•
Junior Varsity JETS Team
Team:
eam Laura Cross, Tanner Gardiner, Kyle Soyer, Ben Jacobsen, Kevin Han, Kevin Hu, and Matt Knoedel
District Academic Decathlon Competition
The JHS Academic Decathlon teams performed
admirably at District Competition on Monday and
Tuesday, February 1 and 2. These 24 students earned a
total of 49 individual ribbons and third place in the
SuperQuiz group test. An individual student, Kevin Shi,
placed second overall in the contest.
This year's theme was Latin America, so each student
completed exams over Latin American history, music,
art, economics and literature, evolutionary biology and
mathematics, and performed a speech and an
interview.
Top row (left): Team Testosterone:
Testosterone John Hall, Ben Stensrud, Sam Parker,
Joe Payne, Ethan Nutter, Kevin Shi, Petros Vardaxis; Top row (right):
Team AstrobaseAstrobase-Go:
Go Hannah Emmerson, Eric Everett, Adam Helgeson,
Ryan Jones, Zac Stevens, Kevin Hu, Neal Herink, William McDowell;
Bottom row (left): Team WeLoveDylan:
WeLoveDylan Brittany Deal, Katie Bonney, Azra
Beganovic, Dylan Cue, Amra Beganovic, Alex Garland, Jenny Ajluni,
Gabbi Angeloni; Bottom row (right): Group photo of district participants
Individuals earning awards included:
•
Fred Shen: 1st overall among Alternates, including 1st in Superquiz,
Math, Music, and Social Science, 2nd in Economics.
•
•
Varsity Category
Jenny Ajluni: 3rd in Superquiz, 1st in Speech.
Katie Bonney: 1st in Social Science, 1st in Economics, 1st in Art,
1st in Music, 2nd in Superquiz
•
Eric Everett: 3rd in Social Science, 2nd in Art
•
John Hall: 2nd in Math, 2nd in Music, 1st in Interview
Honors Category
•
Amra Beganovic: 3rd in Social Science, 3rd in Language/Literature,
3rd in Interview, 3rd in Speech
•
Azra Beganovic: 2nd in Interview, 3rd in Speech
•
Dylan Cue: 2nd in Music
•
William McDowell: 3rd in Math
•
Joe Payne: 1st in Math, 3rd in Interview
•
Kevin Shi: 1st in Art, 2nd in Math, 1st in Music, 2nd in Superquiz
•
•
Scholastic Category
Gabbi Angeloni: 2nd in Social Science, 1st in Music
Brittany Deal: 3rd in Superquiz
Alex Garland: 1st in Art, 1st in Superquiz, 3rd in Interview
Adam Helgeson: 1st in Social Science, 3rd in Superquiz
Neal Herink: 2nd in Math, 2nd in Superquiz
•
•
•
•
•
Ryan Jones: 3rd in Social Science, 1st in Interview
Ethan Nutter: 3rd in Social Science, 2nd in Economics, 2nd in
Superquiz, 2nd in Speech
Also competing were Varsity students Zac Stevens and Sam Parker,
Scholastic student Petros Vardaxis, and Honor students Kevin Hu, Ben
Stensrud, and Hannah Emmerson. An "all-star" team of our three highest
Varsity, Scholastic, and Honors students competed at State Academic
Decathlon on March 6-7 in Mt. Vernon, Iowa.
PA GE 7
News from Johnston High School, C O N T I N U E D
State Academic Decathlon Competition
A team of Johnston High School students competed at the State Academic Decathlon on March 6-7 in Mt. Vernon, Iowa. Results from this
exciting weekend will be shared in our May newsletter. The following piece was written by Ac Dec student, Dylan Cue, for the State Ac Dec
newspaper. Dylan and the other team members had a great deal of fun with this article!
Johnston State Academic Decathlon, By Dylan Cue
They have been called the math-ocalypse. They are known
as the fiery heart of music, the passionate brush of art. They
are the rabbis of reading and the sultans of science. After
training for upwards of three months in basements and
living rooms across suburbia, they have come to the
summit of Mt. Vernon to prove themselves in the ultimate
trial-by-fire, state Academic Decathlon.
In the Honors squad, Kevin Shi brings his unparalleled
ability to actually prepare for the competition, as well as a
mind-bending sense of sarcasm to the testing arena. Amra
Beganovic, the beast from the Eastern-Europe, sends her
apologies for the crushing loss all opposition will face in the
lang and lit exam. The devilishly handsome Dylan Cue
rounds out the Honors team, bringing wit and charm to
offset his companions' brutality. After appearing at State in
the Scholastic category in the past, Dylan now must face
the terror of the Honors competitors.
Team Scholastic is spearheaded by Adam Helgeson, a
natural-born overlord and someday Ruler of the Earth,
who will awe his judges in the interview competition. Gabbi
Angeloni, the silent menace, waits in the shadows for an
unanswered art question to come by. Finally, Alex
"NASCAR" Garland, plans to bust through the literature
and superquiz in record time.
The fine men and women of the Varsity team are the
secret weapon, the hand in the shadows. Katie Bonney,
lurking behind a book, brings swift justice to whatever is
put in front of her, as long as a scantron form is available.
No subject area is safe from her uncanny talent for
standardized testing. Jenny Ajluni, beast #2 from the
Middle-East, relies on a fiery passion for being right, and
will defy other team members to outperform her speech
score. Finally, Eric Everett, who has secretly been honing his
knowledge of math, has come to derive, divide and
integrate for the win.
The cohorts available in case of injury include the #3 beast
from the Eastern-Europe, Azra Beganovic in the Honors
category. Neal Herink, the Scholastic representative, is
competing as an alternate due to an unfortunate
calculator accident. In Varsity, John Hall tested well, but
was distracted by something shiny.
Top photo: State Ac Dec participants: Front row: Adam Helgeson, Amra Begaonvic,
Gabbi Angeloni, and John Hall. Back row; Jenny Ajluni, Azra Beganovic, Alex Garland,
Neal Herink , Dylan Cue, Eric Everett, Katie Bonney, and Kevin Shi. Neal is holding the
head of Elmo – an Elmo piñata was last year's mascot. Center photo: Official team
photo for State Academic Decathlon; Bottom photo: Team members preparing for
competition.
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