Dear Russell Jones Family,

We are very excited to start the 2015-2016 school year and see all our Russell Jones Dragons back having fun and learning together. I would like to welcome you back for the 2015-2016 school year. I hope your summer has gone well and you are excited for the beginning of the new school year. I anticipate an exciting year as we collectively strive to foster a culture of learning. I feel extremely for-tunate to be working with such an exceptional group of students, families, and staff members. Re-search shows that parental involvement in a child’s education benefits the child. These benefits are higher levels of academic achievement, positive attitudes, and greater maturity and responsibility. Be-cause the benefits are so solid, I urge you to take part as much as possible in the life of our school. It does take an entire village to raise a child. Your assistance would be extremely valuable to our stu-dents. Our staff is committed to working with students and their families as a team. The curriculum is directly aligned with the Park Hill School District curriculum, and to help each child achieve to his/her fullest potential, the school provides both enrichment and intervention supports for students. We be-lieve in knowing each child extremely well, and working to help our students reach their goals.

For the 2015-2016 school year, we have added some new Dragons to our Russell Jones Family. Please help me welcome the following staff: Danielle Conklin -Elementary Teacher, Alex Smith-Elementary Teacher Assistant, Justin Leathers-Middle School Teacher Assistant, Sean Hegyi-Middle School Teacher Assistant, Grant Moritz-High School Teacher Assistant, Marina Kay-High School Teaching Assistant and Makenzie Gillaspie-School Psychologist.

We welcome all our families back to another exciting, challenging year. Please know that I am available to meet with you in person or talk to you over the telephone to discuss any concerns you may have. As the Principal of this campus, I am responsible for all decisions made in the best interest of your children. I look forward to a great year and to meeting all our new children and their families.

Sincerely,

Dr. Lance Miller

DRAGON NEWS Russell Jones Education Center - School Newsletter OCTOBER 2015

Russell Jones Education Center

Russell Jones Education Center 7642 Green Hills Road, Kansas City, Missouri 64151 816-359-4510

www.RussellJones.parkhill.k12.mo.us

Attendance: It is the responsibility of the parents/guardians to contact the school and notify us each day a student is absent. For your convenience, a phone answering machine is in operation 24 hours, 7 days a week. Students who are absent from school without consent of their parent/guardians and the administration shall be con-sidered truant.

Thankful Lunch (November 19 – during school): It has become a tradition at the Jones Education Center for the students and staff to enjoy Thanksgiving lunch together. We are thankful for our staff, students, parents and school community! We look forward to sharing a bounty of food!

Learning how to learn is life's most important skill. - Tony Buzan

Important Dates

October 15 – End of 1st Quarter October 15 – PTA Meeting (3:00 pm) October 16 – No School (teacher work day) October 23 – 1st Qtr Grade Card Distribution

October 27 – Fall Family Festival (5:30-7:00 pm) November 9 – Jostens Presentation (high school only – 10:00 am) November 19 – Picture Retakes (during school) November 19 - Thanksgiving Lunch (during school) November 19 – PTA Meeting (3:00 pm) November 20 – Christmas on the River (Parkville) November 23 – 2nd Qtr Progress Report Distribution

November 25-27 – No School (Thanksgiving Break) December 11 – PTA Meeting (5:00 p.m.) December 18 – Appreciation Brunch (9:30 am) December 18 – Early Dismissal at 10:45 am

December 18 – End of 2nd Quarter December 21 – January 4 – No School (Winter Break)

Red Barn Farm Field Trip By Jacob Peek

Have you ever been to the Red Barn Farm? Well, the Red Barn Farm is an apple orchard farm but it also has lots of animals like chickens and geese. In the fall they pick lots of pumpkins for visitors to buy and keep. The first thing we did was visit the donkeys. One of them came up to us and let us pet her. The next thing we saw was the goats closest to the donkeys and they were fun. The next animal we saw were the cows. They actually were not on their best behavior but they were fun. The next animal we saw was the geese they were excited to see us but they kept running away from Farmer Marilyn. Then we saw the chickens and a turkey. They seemed excited for the visitors but they didn’t like Farmer Marylyn that much. Everyone had fun jumping on and off the hay bales. That is what the Red Barn Farm is mainly about.

So does anybody want to know what award Mrs. Revers won? She won the district-wide Star Award because she was nominated by a staff member here. She received a star plaque and a certificate for her hard work. Great job Mrs. Revers, keep up the great work! by Josh Cavin

Congrats!

Derek Kelly made the Russell Jones Education Center proud as he just fully transitioned yesterday (October 6, 2015). He has worked very hard to succeed and we are so proud of him. The high school class made him a presentation of tips to help him with his venture to Lakeview Middle School.

By Hyia Atkisson

Platte Falls Conservation Field Trip By Abby Kennedy

This month we had a field trip to Platte Falls Conservation Area and went fishing. Ranger Aron and

Ranger Yaeger showed the students how to put a worm on a fish hook and fishing tips, like how

not to swing you’re fishing pole and hit other students and staff. Half of the students caught a fish

for the first time. Way to go students!!! The other students who are done fishing found interesting

stuff like a toad, a frog, and a dead snapping turtle. The teachers took pictures of the students who

caught a fish. The teachers were proud at the students’ accomplishments.

What’s Going on in Our Classrooms?

High School Classes

Government: Government is an educationally fun class. So far the students of government have learned about the amendments, the Constitution, and Mrs. Crilley has provided several games (that have to do with the topic we are learning). ELA: Every day at the beginning of the class Mrs. Langhus provides us with a word of the week. We have been reading short stories to learn how to write our own (about the school weed). Mrs. Langhus tries very hard to make learning in this class fun. There’s only one answer for that…. SUCCESS. Chemistry: Mrs. Henry is possibly the best teacher anybody can have. She tries her very best to make chem-istry fun for us. So far we have learned about the Old numbering system of the periodic table, we learned about the Lewis Structure, and we even watched a very detailed video (nova) of the ele-ments. This goes to say that everyday is a new learning experience for the High School students and teachers of Russell Jones Education Center.

Mrs. Bledsoe’ Class

Middle school students in room 102 have welcomed a new school year and new staff to the class-room. Joining us this year are Ms. Jen Revers and Mr. Justin Leathers. While they may be new to this classroom, they are both experienced teaching assistants. Ms. Revers has been working here at the Jones Center and Mr. Leathers has come to us from the NKC school district. We are thrilled to have them in our classroom! During these beginning weeks of the year, students have collaborated to write a class mission statement and develop class guidelines. This will help focus students as they work toward their goal of having a successful year at school. During science class, students have been scientists as they conduct investigations. We’ve just completed our first novel, The Outsiders, which is considered a classic. Students are looking forward to compar-ing and contrasting the novel to the movie.

Mrs. Austin’s Class

This month in Mrs. Austin’s class the students are learning about nature and ecosystems. The students will be going on a nature walk to the outdoor classroom to look for animals in the woods. We are also decorating our room for Halloween. We love decorating for different holi-days!

Mrs. Hickman’s Class

The sixth graders have been busy learners this quarter. We read “Tuck Everlasting” as part of our fiction unit on close reading. Currently we are using our literature book to read stories and learn more about close reading. In Language Arts, our focus has been on common errors such as their/there/ they’re, to/ too/two, and your/you’re. We have also been learning about different kinds of pronouns and proper ways to use them. The students enjoy doing practice exercises in Google Classroom to help them improve their skills. Our Science focus has been on the Scientific Method. We have learned how to tell the difference be-tween qualitative and quantitative observations, how to determine the dependent and independent varia-ble, and how to write a hypothesis. Additionally, we have learned how to construct graphs using the in-formation we gather from conducting an investigation. Social Studies lessons have been primarily focused on geography skills. We have learned about abso-lute and relative location and how to use an atlas and read various kinds of maps to locate information. The students are working hard to use neat handwriting and coloring skills to make maps more readable. One of the highlights of our year has been our school field trip to Red Barn Farm in Weston. The trip was lots of fun, but the best part was the apples! After the field trip, our class enjoyed making apple muf-fins and sharing them.

What’s Going on in Our Classrooms?

Mrs. Conklin’s Class

In the area of Academics we have been working hard and trying new things in our classroom this month. In the area of Math for 5th grade we have concentrated on place value and rounding numbers as well as picking out important information for solving word problems. For 4th grade we focused on solving pattern of numbers and built our skills for multiplication and division. During Social Studies we have tak-en the path of exploring our own “Show Me” state of Missouri. We have had the opportunity to research the regions, people, culture and communities of our wonderful state. In Science we explored the Water Cycle and had the opportunity to experiment with a few hands on activities to help us grasp the wonderful concept of the Water Cycle. In Writing we will continue to expand on writing paragraphs with detail, in sequence and using transition words. In the area of Reading we are exploring a deeper level of under-standing through the text by annotating and making inferences.

Ms. Evans’ Class

Miss Evans’ class has been busy having fun and learning a lot! In writing we have been learning about the different parts of speech: noun, adjective, verb, adverb, and conjunctions. In order to take our writing to the next level, we want each sentence to help us build a picture in our minds. We are all work-ing to build our reading stamina and fluency. We want to be attentive to reading for 15 minutes on appro-priate leveled texts. We are continuing to learn a lot about living things and how to classify them in sci-ence. Everyone is learning a ton of new skills in our math workshops. We all had the opportunity to go to Red Barn Farm, and we had a lot of fun! The students got to learn about the different animals, and that lined up with our living things lessons in science. In an earlier week we had learned about Johnny Appleseed, so it was really exciting to see their Johnny Scarecrow. We also got to see real apple trees that were similar to the ones Johnny had planted. It was a great field trip!

A Word From Our Therapists

Group Therapy

Group Therapy is going well. I have tried to individualize each group topic based on the behavioral, social, and emotional needs of the students. Some topics have consisted of: perspective taking, friendship-making, how to deal with anger, reading body language, learning how and when to enter conversations, identifying emotions, empathy and communication, power struggles at school and home, learning to work in groups, etc. I have thoroughly enjoyed getting the chance to work directly with students and I hope to continue to make adjustments that better fit the needs of the students at Russell Jones.

Ms. Gillaspie School Psychologist

Recreational Therapy

We have started the year off by hitting the ground running. We began by filling out our personal goals bulletin board just outside the art room. Next, we all took the oath of “RESPECT, RESPECT, RE-SPECT”, which just so happens to be the classroom expectations in RT.

The Elementary students have reviewed the value of color by mixing paints, as well as the elements of a line, while the secondary has spent time brushing up on using the ruler, positive vs negative space and color value, all while learning about cubism.

Next we are looking forward to our first all school project of the year. We will be decorating for the annual Family Fun Night, which will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 27th.

Hope to see you there,

Ms. Cathy, MA., CTRS. Recreational Therapist

The Best School in the Universe!

Health News from Nurse Kelley in the

Jones Center Health Room:

I’m sure you have heard in the news that Shigella is showing up in several local school districts. Park Hill is not seeing any cases as of now but I thought it would be a good reminder to include information about Shigella in our fall newsletter. Shigella are bacteria that can infect the digestive tract and cause a wide range of symptoms, from diarrhea, cramping, vomiting, and nausea, to more serious complications and illnesses. Infections, called shigellosis, sometimes go away on their own; while other times, antibiotics can shorten the course of the illness. Shigellosis, which is most common during the summer months, usually affects kids 2 to 4 years old and rarely infects infants younger than 6 months old.

These infections are very contagious and can be prevented with good hand washing practices.

Signs and Symptoms Shigella bacteria produce toxins that can attack the lining of the large intestine, causing swell-ing, ulcers on the intestinal wall, and bloody diarrhea. The severity of the diarrhea sets shigello-sis apart from regular diarrhea. In kids with shigellosis, the first bowel movement is often large and watery. Later bowel movements may be smaller, but the diarrhea may have blood and mu-cus in it.

Other symptoms of shigellosis include: · abdominal cramps · high fever · loss of appetite · nausea and vomiting · painful bowel movements

In severe cases of shigellosis, a person may have convulsions (seizures), a stiff neck, a head-ache, extreme tiredness, and confusion. Shigellosis can also lead to dehydration and in rare cases, other complications, like arthritis, skin rashes, and kidney failure.

Some children with severe cases of shigellosis may need to be hospitalized.

Upon the subject of education ... I can only say that I view it as the most important subject which we

as a people may be engaged in.

- Abraham Lincoln

New Faces

Mr. Sean is the teaching assistant in Mrs. Hickman’s elementary class-room. Here are some facts about him. Mr. Sean feels like the school year is going excellent. He really enjoys working with the different staff members and students. Mr. Sean particularly enjoys helping students overcome any struggles they may have. English and reading are his two favorite subjects in school. He likes to teach reading because the conversations with the stu-dents about the stories are fantastic. Mr. Sean likes to eat Chipotle Sofritas Burrito. His favorite animals are dogs – specifically Golden Retrievers. If or-

dering a pizza, the toppings he likes are sausage, pepperoni, onion, green peppers, and jala-peños. He is scared of clowns with a squeaky nose and too much face paint. By Weston Pickering

It has been going very well for Mr. Moritz as TA in Mrs. Crilley’s high school class. Mr. Moritz loves that we are a small school with a very supportive community. Mr. Moritz is used to teaching in a class filled with 30 students, so the small class sizes have been wonderful. It has allowed Mr. Moritz to allocate the proper time and instruction so that every student has an excel-lent education. Mr. Moritz loves the opportunities for students to refocus their brain by taking a walk on the nature trail or shooting some hoops in the gym. Mr. Moritz said, ‘’Of course it is history, World History is my favorite

subject to teach because of the variety of topics that are covered.” Mr. Moritz's favorite food is a tie between BBQ and Thai food. Mr. Moritz's favorite animal is the orca and his favorite color is blue. On a personal note, Mr. Moritz has 3 pets, a dog and two cats. He and his wife have their first child on the way! By Weston Pickering

Mr. Leathers is a new T.A (teacher’s assistant) at the Russell Jones Center, he was a NKC (North Kansas City) school district. He likes the way the kids are striving to improve their behavior. His classroom is going fine, he’s meeting new challenges everyday. One of his favorite subject is social studies. He ex-pects the students to have an open mind to learn new things. A quality student is someone that is cooperative and is a worker. He feels very safe at Russell Jones Education Center. Mr. Leathers is a quality teacher because he does

whatever needs to be done for a kid to succeed. For his free time he likes to workout and play video games (he’s still a little kid playing with video games). He studied at the University of Tex-as-Pan American. His favorite N.B.A team is the Los Angeles Lakers. He was raised in Mem-phis TN and he came to Kansas City, MO when he got older. He has no pets. By Teron Spagner

This is going to be a big info blast about Ms. Gillaspie. She is a new face in our school. She likes the staff and she feels like our school is like a big family. She says that group therapy is going pretty well and that she enjoys getting to work with the students. Ms. Gillaspie’s classroom expectations are for everyone to be respectful to others, follow directions, listen, and work together. Her favorite thing to help students with is specific skills and becoming successful in life. In her time away from school,

she said she likes running and hanging out with friends and family. She also likes playing with her dog and playing sports. Ms. Gillaspie is from Omaha, Nebraska and she went to the University of Wisconsin –Milwaukee and the University of Nebraska at Omaha. At this time, she is not married and has no children. She does have one dog named Teddie! Her favorite sports teams are the Packers and whatever team her brother plays on at the moment (Major League Baseball). I hope you learned a lot about our new school psychologist, MS. GILLASPIE!

By Hyia Atkisson

Have you ever met Ms. Smith? This year Ms. Smith is new to our school. She feels this year is going great! The students in her room are working very hard and they have made lots of progress. Ms. Smith likes our school because she feels that everyone knows each other. She likes reading with the students and then creating art projects from the stories they’ve read. Her favorite food is ham and pineapple pizza. Her favor-ite animals are dogs and her favorite color is orange. Ms. Smith often gets nervous

when she trying new things, but usually it is worth it once she tries it. Welcome to the Jones Center, Ms. Smith!!

By Jacob Peek

Mrs.Conklin is a new teacher here at Russell Jones Education Center. She likes that RJEC feels like family. For the first quarter her classroom is doing well. They have lots of strength as a class. She looks forward to 2nd quarter and what her students can achieve.The expectations for the students in her class is to work hard, try and try again. To be a quality student in her class you have to try and have the right mindset not to give up when it gets hard. Students with good behavior she would reward them with positive

praise, give them free time, and snacks. Students can learn, grow, and achieve their goals with sup-port and encouragement from the teacher, this is what makes Mrs.Conklin a quality teacher. Her fa-vorite subject to teach is reading and writing. Mrs.Conklin attended University of Central Missouri. When she’s not working she likes to spend time with her family. Their favorite thing to do as a family is going to the lake, camping, and traveling. She is married with three children, all girls. Her favorite sports teams are the Cardinals and the Royals. By Teron Spagner

Mrs. Marina Kay is a new teacher’s assistant at Russell Jones Education Center. Mrs. Kay likes everything at our school: the teamwork, the students, the teachers, the genu-ine caring atmosphere! Her favorite subjects to teach are personal finance, writing, and computer science. She likes it when the students try their best and are respectful to everyone. As a reward she wouldn’t let good behavior go by without being noticed. What makes Mrs. Kay a quality teacher is she cares about the success of each and

every student, she will do anything to see kids succeed in school and life. For her free time, she likes to take pictures of her kids, play with animals, landscape, and antique shop. Mrs. Kay attended Park University in Parkville. She is married to Dan, and they have two children together and a dog named Bella. Mrs. Kay was born and raised here in Kansas City, MO. Her favorite sports teams are the Roy-als and the Chiefs. By Teron Spagner

Enjoy Some Family Fun !

Q. What is the radius of a pumpkin?

A. Pi.

Q. What do you call a nervous witch?

A. A twitch.

Q. Why did the skeleton go to the store?

A. To get some spare ribs.

Q. What kind of TV do you find inside a haunted house?

A. A wide scream TV.

BONE BOO DARK DEAD GHOST PUMPKIN SKELETON

RECIPE! Spider Web Candies

ingredients:

⅓ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

6 ounces white baking chocolate chopped

1 teaspoon shortening

⅓ cup flaked coconut chopped

how to make it!

•In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt chips; stir until smooth. Cool slightly. Transfer to a heavy-duty resealable plastic bag; cut a small hole in corner of bag and set aside.

•In another small microwave-safe bowl, melt white chocolate and shortening; stir until smooth. Stir in coconut. Spoon 2 tablespoons onto waxed paper-lined baking sheets; spread into a 4-in. circle. Re-peat four times. Using reserved melted semisweet chocolate, pipe thin concentric circles an 1/8 in. apart on top of each candy. Beginning with the center circle, gently pull a toothpick through circles toward outer edges. Wipe toothpick clean. Repeat to complete web pattern. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until set.

Store in an airtight container. Yield: 5 candies

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