tripoli community schools ·...

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Tripoli Community Schools Striving for excellence...in rural schools October 2014 Superintendent/MS/HS Principal’s Comments By Troy Heller District’s Financial Status and Overall Budget First, let me compliment our Tripoli School Board for some difficult decisions that they had to make this past year and, unfortunately, we are going to have to make similar decisions this coming spring. I would like to invite all of you to our September 29, 2014, budget workshop starting at 5:30 p.m. in the Community Room (seating will be limited). Larry Sigel will be our guest speaker. Larry is known for his expertise in the school financial world. Larry is a straight shooter and will inform the district and those in attendance his recommendation for our future. Larry’s partner, Margaret Buckton, was in attendance this past year and recommended that we reduce $200,000 in 2014 and another $200,000 in 2015. This past year we did reduce the budget about $215,000. My prediction is we may need to go higher than $200,000 this year. In the next few paragraphs, I would like to explain a little bit of the past and present budget. Our district has actually held off with budget reductions about as long as possible; but the future is looking very difficult due to our low numbers that our Elementary is currently encountering. Since 2008, when I took over as the superintendent, we have lost 78 students. Over the last six years, our Elementary numbers have fallen the most, with our class average in 2008 being 36; and now it is 27. Our lower Elementary classes are at numbers below 25. If we were to use the rounded number of $6,000 per student (actual just shy of $6,400), which the state gives to a school district per student, we have lost approximately $468,000 over the past six years due to the loss in enrollment. However, that is only part of the story. If we were to add these losses up over the six years, our total loss would be closer to $2,500,000. Also, during these six years, our governor cut the budget across the board by 10%, adding to this expense would be district raises each year, and we lost the 101% guarantee (will explain at the financial meeting). In addition to the financial predicament in 2011, the AEA dropped hiring specialneeds teachers for districts in the AEA 267, which, in turn, added another $300,000 to our local budget. So, as you can see, we have had several things that we couldn’t predict (AEA and governor), but we have done a pretty good job of predicting our classsize numbers each year. I’m sure that most of you know and understand that a district does not make money unless our student numbers increase. This current year (unofficial) we are going to be down around five. This is the scary part – over the next several years, my prediction is that we will go down from 434 to 367 or another 67 students ($428,000). It does not appear that we are going to gain any students over the next seven years. I would like to bring more positive financial information to the community, but, unfortunately, this is reality. I have been communicating this to the Board, the staff, and the Community Club for three to four years. It is something that has been obvious but somewhat muddled due to some federal monies thrown into the picture in 2010 and 2011 called ARRA funds.

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Page 1: Tripoli Community Schools · Ourintentionsforourbudgetworksessionaretohelpallofthosewholiveinthedistrict !tobetter! understandwherethedistrictisfinancially.WefeelthiswillbeofbenefitwhentheBoardandthe

Tripoli Community Schools Striving for excellence...in rural schools

October 2014

Superintendent/MS/HS  Principal’s  Comments    By  Troy  Heller  

 District’s  Financial  Status  and  Overall  Budget             First,  let  me  compliment  our  Tripoli  School  Board  for  some  difficult  decisions  that  they  had  to  make  this  past  year  and,  unfortunately,  we  are  going  to  have  to  make  similar  decisions  this  coming  spring.  I  would  like  to  invite  all  of  you  to  our  September  29,  2014,  budget  workshop  starting  at  5:30  p.m.  in  the  Community  Room  (seating  will  be  limited).  Larry  Sigel  will  be  our  guest  speaker.  Larry  is  known  for  his  expertise  in  the  school  financial  world.  Larry  is  a  straight  shooter  and  will  inform  the  district  and  those  in  attendance  his  recommendation  for  our  future.  Larry’s  partner,  Margaret  Buckton,  was  in  attendance  this  past  year  and  recommended  that  we  reduce  $200,000  in  2014  and  another  $200,000  in  2015.  This  past  year  we  did  reduce  the  budget  about  $215,000.  My  prediction  is  we  may  need  to  go  higher  than  $200,000  this  year.     In  the  next  few  paragraphs,  I  would  like  to  explain  a  little  bit  of  the  past  and  present  budget.  Our  district  has  actually  held  off  with  budget  reductions  about  as  long  as  possible;  but  the  future  is  looking  very  difficult  due  to  our  low  numbers  that  our  Elementary  is  currently  encountering.  Since  2008,  when  I  took  over  as  the  superintendent,  we  have  lost  78  students.  Over  the  last  six  years,  our  Elementary  numbers  have  fallen  the  most,  with  our  class  average  in  2008  being  36;  and  now  it  is  27.  Our  lower  Elementary  classes  are  at  numbers  below  25.  If  we  were  to  use  the  rounded  number  of  $6,000  per  student  (actual  just  shy  of  $6,400),  which  the  state  gives  to  a  school  district  per  student,  we  have  lost  approximately  $468,000  over  the  past  six  years  due  to  the  loss  in  enrollment.  However,  that  is  only  part  of  the  story.  If  we  were  to  add  these  losses  up  over  the  six  years,  our  total  loss  would  be  closer  to  $2,500,000.  Also,  during  these  six  years,  our  governor  cut  the  budget  across  the  board  by  10%,  adding  to  this  expense  would  be  district  raises  each  year,  and  we  lost  the  101%  guarantee  (will  explain  at  the  financial  meeting).  In  addition  to  the  financial  predicament  in  2011,  the  AEA  dropped  hiring  special-­‐needs  teachers  for  districts  in  the  AEA  267,  which,  in  turn,  added  another  $300,000  to  our  local  budget.  So,  as  you  can  see,  we  have  had  several  things  that  we  couldn’t  predict  (AEA  and  governor),  but  we  have  done  a  pretty  good  job  of  predicting  our  class-­‐size  numbers  each  year.       I’m  sure  that  most  of  you  know  and  understand  that  a  district  does  not  make  money  unless  our  student  numbers  increase.  This  current  year  (unofficial)  we  are  going  to  be  down  around  five.  This  is  the  scary  part  –  over  the  next  several  years,  my  prediction  is  that  we  will  go  down  from  434  to  367  or  another  67  students  ($428,000).  It  does  not  appear  that  we  are  going  to  gain  any  students  over  the  next  seven  years.     I  would  like  to  bring  more  positive  financial  information  to  the  community,  but,  unfortunately,  this  is  reality.  I  have  been  communicating  this  to  the  Board,  the  staff,  and  the  Community  Club  for  three  to  four  years.  It  is  something  that  has  been  obvious  but  somewhat  muddled  due  to  some  federal  monies  thrown  into  the  picture  in  2010  and  2011  called  ARRA  funds.  

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Our  intentions  for  our  budget  work  session  are  to  help  all  of  those  who  live  in  the  district  to  better  understand  where  the  district  is  financially.  We  feel  this  will  be  of  benefit  when  the  Board  and  the  administration  have  to  make  tough  decisions  this  spring.    Community  Weight  Room     Our  Wellness  Committee  met  on  Wednesday,  September  17,  2014,  to  review  our  weight  room  rules,  membership  rules,  and  our  weight  room  needs  in  our  community  facility.    This  past  year  we  had  61  paid  community  members.  We  feel  that  in  our  first  year  of  existence,  we  were  successful  but  would  like  to  reach  the  goal  of  100  paid  members.  To  do  this,  we  again  are  offering  a  promotion  to  entice  community  members  to  join  our  facility  this  year.  If  you  are  currently  a  member,  we  are  going  to  offer  you  a  one-­‐year  membership  for  the  price  of  11  months  in  2015;  and  if  you  are  not  currently  a  member  and  you  sign  up  by  December  1,  we  are  giving  you  13  months  for  the  price  of  12  months.  Our  memberships  are  only  active  from  January  1-­‐December  31  each  year;  but  if  you  sign  up  at  a  different  time  during  the  year,  your  rates  will  be  prorated.  We  also  will  be  open  from  4:00  a.m.-­‐11:00  p.m.  starting  January  1,  2015,  which  allows  more  options  for  our  community  members.  We  are  excited  about  offering  this  facility  to  our  community  and  hope  you  have  a  chance  to  utilize  our  gym  and  weight  room.    Opportunity  Friday/Reading  and  Math  Intervention  (6th-­12th  grades)     We  are  on  the  way  with  our  Opportunity  Friday  philosophy.  We  have  had  a  few  changes  with  our  system,  trying  to  make  things  better  to  provide  the  best  interventions  for  one-­‐on-­‐one  teaching  and  learning.  Naturally,  it  is  seldom  one  on  one,  but  we  are  trying  our  best  to  make  sure  this  time  is  utilized  as  an  academic  intervention  to  help  those  students  in  need.  Across  the  state,  districts  are  being  scrutinized  by  the  Department  of  Education  over  the  test  scores  on  the  Iowa  Assessment  Test  (NCLB).  Each  year  more  schools  are  added  to  the  SINA  school  list.  However,  this  past  year  our  MS/HS  students  (and  teachers)  worked  very  hard  to  improve  our  scores,  and  our  MS  was  dropped  from  the  Math  SINA  list  and  was  put  on  Delayed  SINA  for  our  MS  Reading  students.  What  this  means  is  if  we  continue  to  improve  our  assessment  scores  in  math  and  reading,  our  MS  will  be  taken  off  the  list  entirely.  (Just  a  note  –  our  HS  has  never  been  on  the  SINA  list.)     With  the  above  being  said,  we,  again,  will  be  implementing  our  Opportunity  Friday  and  Impact  Intervention  strategies  this  year.  “OF”  has  already  started  on  Friday,  September  5,  and  the  Impact  List  will  start  on  October  10.  I  think  most  of  you  know  how  the  Opportunity  Friday  List  works;  and  if  not,  you  can  read  about  it  on  our  website.  As  far  as  the  Student  Impact  List  goes,  our  district  (as  many  others  do)  uses  the  ITBS  and  MAP  scores,  as  well  as  teacher  recommendations  to  determine  which  students  have  not  scored  in  the  proficient  range  on  the  test.  These  students  will  then  be  required  to  attend  Opportunity  Friday  from  October  10  through  the  month  of  March.  Again,  school  districts  across  Iowa  are  having  to  set  up  systems  of  interventions  to  help  improve  math  and  reading  scores.  This  is  part  of  our  system,  along  with  after-­‐school  interventions  and  summer  school.  In  the  very  near  future,  each  family  with  a  MS/HS  son/daughter  on  this  list  will  be  receiving  letters  to  help  you  better  understand  our  system.  It  is  our  job  to  continue  to  provide  the  needed  interventions  to  help  all  these  students  with  reading  and  math  strategies  so  they  can  effectively  pass  the  Iowa  Assessment  test  this  spring.     This  may  cause  anguish  or  discomfort  for  your  son/daughter  because  they  may  believe  they  are  being  singled  out,  but  on  the  contrary.  As  stated  above,  it  is  vital  that  we  provide  these  interventions.  Some  parents  may  be  getting  a  letter  that  states  their  son/daughter  will  be  required  to  stay  on  Friday  for  “OF”  because  of  their  test  scores  this  past  spring  and  this  fall.  We  are  hoping  that  this  process/partnership  with  students/parents  will  help  the  overall  outlook  for  each  

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individual  student’s  academic  success  and  provide  the  needed  scores  to  help  the  district  stay  off  of  the  SINA  list.  If  you  have  any  thoughts/concerns,  please  give  me  a  call  at  882-­‐4202.  

“1:1  Computer  System”                                                                                                             We  believe  that  our  roll-­‐out  in  August  was  a  success  and  hope  your  son/daughter  is  enjoying  the  use  of  their  computer.  We  are  really  seeing  some  improved  21st  century  learning  in  our  classrooms.  Things  did  not  go  perfectly  but  better  than  expected  and  I  am  pleased  with  the  overall  turnout  (teachers  and  students).  If  you  ever  have  questions  about  the  family’s  responsibilities  in  our  1:1  computer  system,  you  can  find  all  of  the  details  on  our  website.                      Hot  Spots  –  if  you  are  still  in  need  of  the  Internet  in  your  home,  please  call  882-­‐4202  and  ask  for  Kim  or  David.    We  have  a  few  hot  spots  left    Parent/Teacher  Conferences  set  for  November  10  and  11     Parent/Teacher  conferences  will  be  held  November  10  and  11  at  the  Tripoli  Community  Schools.  Conferences  at  the  Elementary  will  be  scheduled  for  each  parent,  while  at  the  middle/high  school,  conferences  are  not  scheduled  unless  a  special  request  is  made  by  a  parent.  All  conferences  will  be  held  in  the  teachers’  individual  classrooms.    Middle/High  School  Conferences       4:00  p.m.  –  8:00  p.  m.  Elementary  Conferences         4:00  p.m.  –  8:00  p.m.    The  MS/HS  report  cards  will  go  home  on  Friday,  October  24.  There  will  be  NO  SCHOOL  on  Friday,  November  14.       An  added  feature  this  year  is  Ms.  Tomkins  will  be  helping  parents  learn  how  to  sign  up  for  rSchool,  Iowa  Alerts,  JMC  Grading  Program,  and  learn  the  parent  part  of  Schoology.    She  will  be  in  the  Community  Room  each  night  of  conferences  from  4:00-­8:00  p.m.    Bullying  and  Harassment     What  is  bullying?    What  is  harassment?    Bullying  and  harassment  occur  when  one  child  or  group  of  children  repeatedly  hurts  another  child  through  actions  or  words.    Bullying  may  involve  physical  aggression,  such  as  fighting,  shoving  or  kicking,  verbal  aggression,  such  as  name  calling,  or  more  subtle  aggression,  such  as  socially  isolating  a  child.    Tripoli  Schools  have  once  again  spent  time  in  our  in-­‐service  and  homerooms  reviewing  with  our  staff  and  students  what  bullying  and  harassment  look  like.    As  parents,  if  you  are  aware  of  any  situations  that  you  feel  your  child  is  being  bullied,  please  contact  the  school.    We  address  every  situation.            

                                                                                                                                                                                                 Driver’s  Education  Classes                                                 This  year  the  instructor  for  Driver’s  Education  is  Tom  Judisch.    Classes  will  be  similar  to  last  year.    A  letter  will  be  sent  home  explaining  many  of  the  details  of  the  program,  but  we  would  also  like  to  have  a  parent/student  meeting  on  November  11  at  6:30-­‐7:30  p.m.  in  the  cafeteria.    The  

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meeting  will  outline  the  expectations  of  the  class,  and  parents  will  be  given  an  updated  schedule.    The  sign-­‐up  sheet  will  be  on  the  bulletin  board  outside  of  the  business  manager’s  office  at  the  MS/HS.    Students  who  are  interested  in  being  in  Driver’s  Education  must  have  their  fee  paid  prior  to  the  first  class.    All  interested  students  will  be  receiving  a  letter  in  October.  

 Community  Service  –  Tripoli’s  Annual  Character  Education  Project                                               This  year  our  MS/HS  students  will  have  another  exciting  year  of  helping  our  communities.    We  are  setting  this  project  up  for  sometime  in  October.    If  you  have  a  project,  please  call  the  MS/HS  at  882-­‐4202.    JMC     If  your  son/daughter  did  not  give  you  their  updates,  you  can  find  their  grades  on  the  Tripoli  School’s  website.    If  you  have  not  signed  up  for  our  JMC  Grade  Program,  please  contact  Kim  at  the  MS/HS  at  882-­‐4202.    This  program  allows  you  to  monitor  your  son’s/daughter’s  grades.    Teachers  are  required  to  put  grades  in  four  times  a  quarter,  however,  most  put  grades  in  weekly.    Iowa  School  Alerts     Just  a  reminder  to  sign  up  for  the  Iowa  School  Alerts  on  our  website.    This  program  allows  you  to  get  an  instant  message  through  your  cell  phone  when  school  has  been  delayed  or  canceled.    If  you  have  questions,  please  call  the  school  at  882-­‐4202.    rSchool     rSchool  is  our  activity  calendar.    You  can  sign  up  on  our  school’s  web-­‐site  at  www.tripoli.k12.ia.us.    This  will  allow  you  to  get  updates  on  your  cell  phone  or  emails  of  canceled  activities,  updated  activities,  or  postponed  activities  as  soon  as  they  are  made  at  the  school  level.    

Upcoming  Events:    MS/HS  Calendar                                                          October  1  &  15     12:45  p.m.  Dismissal  October  8       Picture  Retakes  October  9       Healthy  Walk  Day  (MS/HS)  October  15       12:45/12:50  p.m.  Dismissal  October  17       End  of  1st  Quarter  October  22       1st  Quarter  Grades  Go  Home  October  29-­31     EWALU  November  10-­11     Conferences  4:00-­8:00  p.m.  November  11     Driver’s  Education  Meeting  6:30-­7:30  p.m.  November  14     No  School      

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Elementary  News  by  Sarah  Figanbaum  Panther  Path  (PBIS  –  Positive  Behavior  Interventions  and  Support)                                           Staff  members  at  the  Tripoli  Community  School  District  voted  to  implement  a  PBIS  program  this  year  because  we  wanted  to  create  a  school-­‐wide  atmosphere  of  teaching  and  recognizing  positive  behaviors  within  the  school  setting.  Our  PBIS  team  has  established  a  common  language  and  set  of  expectations  for  students  that  will  reduce  school  and  classroom  behavior  disruptions,  increase  classroom-­‐learning  time,  and  educate  all  students  about  acceptable  school  behaviors.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               All  staff  members  at  Tripoli  Community  Schools  will  establish  regular,  predictable,  and  positive  learning  environments.  Staff  members  will  explicitly  teach  our  behavior  expectations  and  will  recognize  those  positive  behaviors  when  shown  by  students  throughout  the  year.                                 At  the  Elementary  level,  our  PBIS  team  has  selected  four  behavioral  expectations  to  teach  and  model  to  students.  These  expectations  ask  our  students  to  “Be  Positive,”  “Be  Accountable,”  “Be  Teachable,”  and  “Be  Honorable”  (abbreviated  for  the  acronym  PATH).  When  students  display  these  behaviors,  we  refer  to  this  as  students  following  the  Panther  PATH.                                   As  part  of  our  Elementary  program,  all  students  are  explicitly  taught  what  it  looks  like  to  act  positively,  to  be  accountable  for  one’s  own  actions,  to  be  teachable,  and  to  act  honorably  in  all  areas  of  our  school.  These  lessons  are  taught  with  school-­‐wide  lesson  plans  and  through  teacher  and  student  modeling.  Student-­‐made  videos,  bulletin  boards,  and  posters  displayed  throughout  the  school  will  also  help  remind  students  to  stay  on  the  Panther  PATH!                                                       Students  may  be  individually  acknowledged  when  they  display  behavior  that  is  Positive,  when  they  are  being  Accountable  for  their  actions,  or  when  they  are  acting  in  ways  that  are  Teachable,  or  Honorable.  Elementary  staff  members  may  acknowledge  and  compliment  students  who  are  demonstrating  these  Panther  PATH  behaviors  by  giving  them  specific,  positive  feedback,  along  with  a  Panther  PAWS  Ticket.  PAWS  tickets  may  be  redeemed  for  various  fun  activities,  such  as  having  lunch  with  a  special  friend.  

Fundraisers                                         Campbell  Soup  Labels,  Milk  Moola,  Ink-­‐Jet  cartridges,  and  Big  G  Box  Tops  will  be  collected  again  this  year.  Students  may  start  bringing  their  labels  and  box  tops  this  week.  Once  again,  we  will  only  keep  track  of  school-­‐wide  amounts.  We  will  not  keep  track  of  individual  or  classroom  contributions.  

 

Book  Swap!     The  Elementary  building  will  once  again  hold  weekly  book  swaps  this  year.  Every  Friday,    Elementary  students  may  choose  to  bring  in  one  gently  used  picture  or  chapter  book  to  visit  our  Book  Swap  Cart,  where  they  may  swap  their  book  for  a  new  one!  

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  We  are  always  looking  for  donations  of  gently  used  picture  and  chapter  books  for  help  fill  our  Book  Swap  Cart.  Book  donations  can  be  dropped  off  anytime  in  the  Elementary  office  or  in  Mrs.  Haaland’s  classroom.  Thanks  so  much  for  your  help  with  this  project!    Please  Consider  Joining  PAC  4  Kids  (Tripoli’s  PTA)     PAC  4  Kids  is  Tripoli’s  parent/teacher  organization.  It  is  newly  formed  last  year  and  meets  the  second  Monday  of  each  month  in  the  Elementary  library  at  7:00  p.m.  Please  consider  joining!  You  may  contact  the  Elementary  office  for  additional  information  and  membership  forms.    Looking  for  Volunteers                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           The  Elementary  is  looking  for  adults  who  would  like  to  volunteer  their  time  helping  in  a  classroom.  If  you  are  interested,  please  contact  the  Elementary  office.  

Adequate  Yearly  Progress  (AYP)  and  Annual  Progress  Report  (APR)                         Beginning  in  the  2005-­‐06  school  year,  districts  were  required  to  assess  all  students  in  grades  3-­‐8  and  11  in  reading,  science,  and  mathematics.  The  Tripoli  Community  School  District  uses  the  Iowa  Assessments,  previously  known  as  Iowa  Tests  of  Basic  Skills  (ITBS)  for  grades  3-­‐8,  the  Iowa  Tests  of  Educational  Development  (ITED)  for  grade  11.  The  district  also  uses  the  Measures  of  Academic  Progress  (MAP)  for  grades  3-­‐11  to  measure  progress.  The  tests  results  are  reported  and  reviewed  by  the  Iowa  Department  of  Education.  After  reviewing  district  data,  it  is  determined  whether  the  district  met  achievement  targets  in  math,  science,  and  reading,  participation  rates,  attendance,  and  graduation  rates.  Tripoli  Community  Schools  receives  results  in  mid-­‐July.  For  the  school  year  of  2013-­‐14,  Tripoli  met  all  target  goal  areas.  Additional  information  pertaining  to  the  AYP  is  written  into  the  Annual  Progress  Report.  This  report  can  be  accessed  on  our  district’s  website  beginning  the  month  of  November  or  by  contacting  the  school.  If  you  have  any  questions,  feel  free  to  contact  Sarah  Figanbaum  at  882-­‐4203.  

Web-­site     Please  take  a  moment  and  visit  the  Elementary  website.  You  will  find  updated  information,  a  calendar,  handbooks,  and  much  more.  Visit  us  by  accessing  the  district  page  at    www.tripoli.k12.ia.us  and  clicking  the  Elementary  page  link.    Club  Choice  Fundraiser     Elementary  students  participated  in  the  Club  Choice  Fundraiser  during  the  month  of  September.  Our  preliminary  figures  show  that  it  was  very  successful.  Products  will  be  delivered  on  September  30.  With  your  support  of  the  fundraiser,  we  will  be  able  to  purchase  new  technology  equipment,  send  students  on  field  trips,  and  purchase  student  resources.  Thanks  for  all  your  support!  

                               

   

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 School  Counselor’s  Comments  by  Kara  Marsh              

High  School  News  

Scholarships     Please  encourage  your  senior  student  to  start  searching  and  applying  for  scholarships.    There  is  information  in  the  Counselor’s  office  pertaining  to  a  variety  of  scholarships  and  how  to  conduct  scholarship  searches.  

Financial  Aid  Night                                                                                   Tripoli  High  School  will  be  hosting  a  Financial  Aid  Night  on  Wednesday,  January  14,  2015,  at  6:00  p.m.  in  the  Community  Room.    A  representative  from  Iowa  College  Access  Network  (ICAN)  will  be  here  to  inform  parents  about  the  Free  Application  for  Federal  Student  Aid  (FAFSA).    This  is  an  excellent  resource  to  help  with  any  questions  that  you  may  have  for  helping  your  student  pay  for  college.  

Silver  Cord       The  Silver  Cord  Award  is  a  Service  Award  that  is  awarded  at  graduation.    It  is  available  for  9-­‐12  grade  students.    Students  in  grade  9-­‐11  need  to  start  working  towards  the  Service  Award  this  year  to  receive  a  Silver  Cord  upon  graduation.    Each  year  students  will  complete  50  hours  of  service.    The  school  counseling  office  and  the  ABC  Club  of  Tripoli  sponsor  the  Silver  Cord  Award.    All  service  needs  to  be  pre-­‐approved,  and  forms  can  be  found  in  Mrs.  Marsh’s  office.  

NCAA                           Juniors  and  seniors  who  are  thinking  they  will  play  at  the  Division  I  or  Division  II  level  should  be  registered  on  the  NCAA  Clearinghouse.  Here  is  the  site  address:  www.eligibilitycenter.org.  Please  let  me  know  if  you  have  any  questions  as  to  the  registration  or  eligibility.  There  are  many  factors  that  make  a  student  eligible  to  play  college  sports,  and  high  school  academics  are  a  huge  factor.  

Positive  Behavior  Supports  Intervention  (PBIS)             We  are  off  to  a  great  start  with  our  new  behavior  initiative.  Our  motto  is  “We  Lead,  We  are  Accountable,  We  Earn  Ours,  This  Belongs  to  Us.”  Our  goal,  as  a  school,  is  that  teachers  will  be  using  a  common  language,  and  expectations  are  clear  to  all  students.  

 

Elementary  News     This  month’s  lesson  is  on  Self-­‐Confidence  and  Self-­‐Acceptance.    Please  contact  me  with  any  questions  or  concerns.  

                                                             

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School  News  

 

           Are  you  Detailed,  Organized,  Enthusiastic  and  Like  to  Socialize?     We  would  love  to  hear  from  you!  Tripoli  Community  Schools  Fine  Arts  Boosters  are  responsible  for  running  many  of  the  concession  stands  at  events  at  the  school.  Adult  volunteer  help  is  needed  in  all  areas  including,  but  not  limited  to,  working  the  concession  stand  during  the  ballgames,  stocking  shelves,  picking  up  items  from  stores,  grilling  meat,  making  phone  calls,  and  many  other  duties.  Volunteer  once  or  many  times,  you  decide!  Come  have  some  fun!  Call  Karen  Stumme,  319-­‐939-­‐3361  or  email  [email protected].  We  would  love  to  hear  from  you!  

 

Health  Information  from  Mary  Jean  Murch  -­  School  Nurse  

                       Kindergarten  and  9th  Grade  Dental  Screening                                             Students  in  ninth  grade  and  those  entering  kindergarten  are  required  to  have  a  dental  screening.    In  2008  the  Iowa  Legislature  passed  a  law  requiring  dental  screening  to  be  completed  for  these  students.    Dental  forms  are  available  in  the  school  office.    Please  have  your  dentist  complete  the  form  at  the  time  of  the  visit  and  return  it  to  school  as  soon  as  possible.  

Flu  Shots     Flu  shots  are  now  available  from  the  Bremer  County  Visiting  Nurse  Association  and  from  your  private  health  care  provider.    Please  consider  getting  a  flu  shot  for  yourself  and  other  family  members  in  your  family.    Influenza  is  caused  by  a  virus,  which  can  be  spread  by  coughing,  sneezing,  or  nasal  secretions.    Droplets  can  also  be  deposited  on  environmental  surfaces.    Protect  yourself  and  your  family  members  by  being  vaccinated  for  the  flu.  

 

Middle  School/High  School  News  

     Yearbook  Reminder  –  Tami  Tomkins                                                                                                                           To  order  your  2015  Yearbooks,  you  will  need  to  complete  an  order  form  and  submit  it  to  Ms.  Tomkins  to  enter  your  Yearbook.  Forms  are  available  in  the  High  School  office  and  can  be  paid  for  by  cash,  check,  or  through  Payschool.  If  you  elect  to  pay  through  Payschool,  you  will  still  need  to  turn  in  an  order  form  for  your  book  to  be  ordered.  Personalization  can  be  entered  on  the  form  for  an  additional  cost.  Cost  of  the  Yearbook  for  2015  is  $40  until  October  10,  when  the  price  will  go  up  to  $45.  BONUS:  Any  orders  received  before  October  10  can  get  up  to  four  FREE  icons  with  the  purchase  of  one  line  of  personalization.  You  can  still  pick  up  a  2014  Yearbook  at  the  cost  of  $50,  on  a  first-­‐come,  first-­‐served  basis.  Thank  you  for  your  continued  support  of  the  Tripoli  Panther  Yearbook.