Category Archives: Academics

After studying states of matter in Science class the first graders created a graphic organizer showing examples of the three states of matter. They were created using Inspiration, a visual mapping and organizing program that has many applications for class use. Here are a couple of examples:

External Team Visit:  Every five years all schools in Nebraska go through a “School Improvement External Team Visit” conducted by the Department of Education.  On November 19-20 a team of three came to Hay Springs and conducted their visit.

The purpose of the External Visitation is to assist the school in selecting or fulfilling school improvement goals and plans by adding an outside, objective view of the school improvement procedures.  The visit also is meant to increase the depth of understanding for moving forward to achieve school improvement goals.  The team directs the school by way of commending them on their accomplishments and recommending tasks that will enhance or improve the school’s improvement process.

The team’s focus was on gathering evidence.  They toured the school, interviewed students, staff, parents, and community, visited classrooms, and examined the schools test results and academic progress.  At the conclusion of their visit they held an exit conference to review their findings.  The school district also received a written document of findings.

The Visiting Team’s Commendations:

1.  Stakeholders Commitment to the School:  All stakeholders are committed to the success of the school.  The school showed very supportive and quality staff, administration, students, parents, and community.  All stakeholders were aware of the academic and monetary situations the school was dealing with. They noted that the commitment for change and school improvement was highly evident.

2.  Commitment to Academics:  The Visiting Team noted that the school’s curriculum is embedded within the school district.  Staff was committed to the school’s academic goals.  All staff attends common trainings to ensure fidelity of instruction.  Many remediation programs and rules were implemented to ensure student learning.  The Visiting team noted the jump from the PLAS list (persistently lowest achieving school’s list) to the 35^th in reading shows great academic success.

The Visiting Team’s Recommendations:

1.  Enhance Technology Integration within Classroom Instruction:  The team noted that Hay Springs had abundant technology that was being used by instructional staff and students.  They encouraged continued training for staff and students.

2.  Complete a Professional Development Plan Tied to School Improvement.  The Visiting Team noted that our professional development opportunities are tied to school improvement.   They suggested we put the plan it writing.  The plan should also incorporate the training of new staff that are added to the district.

3.  Include Writing Goals/Strategies Within the School Improvement Plan:  Writing was our lowest area in the most recent testing.  The Visiting Team suggested we include writing as one our district goals and develop professional development to address this goal. The district has begun working on this area.

The External Visiting Team praised Hay Springs Public Schools for the accomplishments and improvements that were made from the visit five years ago.  If you would like additional information stop by the office and we will share more details of the final report.

Cookies! Everyone loves cookies! The biology 1 class decorated cookie dough to look like cells. Each student was given a ball of cookie dough. They used sprinkles of different colors and shapes, tiny candies, chocolate pieces, etc. to represent the organelles in cells. Then cookies were refrigerated until Mrs. Raymer baked them.

The cookies were a hands-on activity to reinforce the placement and identity of the organelles. The function of the organelles was reviewed the next day, while everyone enjoyed eating his/her cell cookie. Students said they would like to have edible activities every day and that they enjoyed the treat.

On Monday, Nov. 5, 2012 the Hay Springs art class attended the CSC Art Department’s annual “Art Day” for area high school students. High school students from Alliance, Bridgeport, Chadron, Crawford, Gordon/Rushville, Hay Springs, Hemingford, Mitchell, Morrill, and Sioux County, Nebraska as well as Douglas and Oelrichs, South Dakota came to participate in the workshops.

Art department faculty, along with CSC art student assistants, provided hands-on workshops and demonstrations from nine different categories: mixed media, pastel drawing, watercolor, wire sculpture, graphic design, ceramics, printmaking, glassblowing, and photography. They informed students of art scholarships available at CSC also.

Each student has the opportunity to experience and create art with three different mediums or methods unavailable to them here at Hay Springs, while meeting other art students. During the day students viewed two art galleries, the Marie Sandoz museum, and Cabela’s animal display on campus, also. This year we had time to visit the Earth Science museum plus other exhibits in the CSC Science building.

Students agreed they were glad they were able to attend, learned new things, and will enjoy the “Art- It’s Serious Stuff” T-shirts they received.

Here are pictures of the students “in action”.

This year’s High Ability Learner group has five members, Sam Hindman, Jace Langford, Hunter Letcher, Jake Roberts, and Hannah Wohl.  This group’s goal is to extend, challenge, and apply the things they are learning during the school day as well as work on new things at a higher level of thinking.   In October, the group did the “Diet Coke and Mentos” experiment.  They saw the reaction between the coating on the candy and the contents of a pop bottle.  The students further extended the experiment with different sized bottles and amounts.    Currently the group is researching rare animals and will eventually create a dichotomous key.  Overall, the group is high energy and eager to extend and connect the concepts they are learning!

The 8th grade class recently added some holiday decor to the school’s front lawn. This beginning wood project gave students the opportunity to use drills, sawzall, and hand tools. Each reindeer was made by an individual 8th grader. Students in the 8th grade class are: Chris Adams, Tanna Badje, Kobe Encinia, Drew Letcher, Alexis Olson, Kristen Rathe, Brandy Running Hawk, Sydney Tlustos, Nathan Tobiasson, and Garrett Weyers.

The Upper Niobrara White Natural Resources District is pleased to announce the winners of the 2012 NRD Poster Contest.

Focusing on the theme “Soil to Spoon: Where Does Our Food Come From?” the poster contest highlights the educational outreach efforts of the UNWNRD, Nebraska’s Natural Resources Districts (NRDs), as well as the state and national conservation associations and agencies. The contest is part of National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) Stewardship Week, the longest running celebration of conservation in the country.

UNWNRD Winners are as follows:

Grades 2-3:

1^st Place = Jacie Coupens, Chadron Intermediate School

2^nd Place = Wade Sanders, St. Agnes Academy

Grades 4-6:

1^st Place = Kennady Stack, Chadron Intermediate School

2^nd Place = Madeline Pelton, Chadron Intermediate School

Grades 7-9:

1^st Place = Ciara McCance, Hay Springs Middle School

2^nd Pace = Brenna Hawthorn, Chadron Middle School

Grades 10-12:

1^st Place = Destini Fusselman, Alliance High School

2^nd Place = Connor Wright, Alliance High School

Coupens, Stack, McCance and Fusselman’s artwork advanced to the state competition and each took first place which earns the artists a $25 gift card.  First place posters at the state competition are entered into the NACD contest which will be judged at the NACD annual meeting in January.

The contest is co-sponsored by Nebraska’s Natural Resources Districts, National Association of Conservation Districts and the NACD Auxiliary and provides an opportunity for students in Kindergarten through Grade 12 to illustrate their thoughts about soil, water and other natural resources.  The 2013 Stewardship Week will be celebrated in April with a new theme of “Where does your water shed?”

Each year, the poster contest starts at the local Natural Resources District level. UNWNRD first place winners received a check for $20, while second place was awarded $10 and more than 70 students submitted entries to the local level.  Individuals and teachers from within the Upper Niobrara White NRD which includes Box Butte, Dawes, Sheridan and Northern Sioux Counties may direct questions regarding the local contest to Sheri Daniels 308.432.6190 or daniels@unwnrd.org.

The 4th Grade class has been working on WRITING!!! What creative minds we have in our classroom. Each student is working on writing in the Narrative form and being as descriptive with their adjectives as possible. Please ask your children about the stories they are writing. I think you will enjoy reading them or hearing about them. This past two weeks we have been working on a story about a wish that went wrong…and how they had to make it right again. Your children will be doing many more stories and writing is a big focus in the 4th grade classroom this year.

Fourth graders are learning to play recorders. Recorders are a basic beginning into a world of instrumental music. Ways parents can help:  Students should be practicing at least 30 minutes a week, they need to have their parents sign their practice records at the end of the week. I’’ve had a lot of questions regarding practice time and I want to pass along some suggestions that may be helpful!

• 1. Schedule a specific time that is always set aside for practicing! -if a student knows that as soon as they get home after school they are to get their instrument practiced BEFORE the TV/computer/video games come on, then they are much more likely to get it done!
• 2. Spread the practice time throughout the week. -Did you know your mouth has muscles? Just like your body doesn’’t want to have one massive workout a week, your mouth doesn’’t want to be abused once a week either! Break down you practice into smaller moments throughout the week and see how your sound improves!
• 3. Encourage your student to play for you! -Your student is SO proud of their accomplishments, encourage them to put on a performance for the family so you can tell them how proud YOU are of them!
• 4. Use positive feedback! -Yes, I know the recorder isn’’t the most pleasing instrument to listen to; but a sure fire way to get your student to stop playing is for you to make negative comments about their hard work! I promise it will get better and your words of encouragement will only help move along their progress!