Preschool Students Benefit from Community Generosity
Two organizations have generously donated to help make the holidays brighter for preschool children in our schools.
The Community of Christ Thrift Store has donated snowpants and snowboots to all of the preschoolers who needed them at Edison Rue and Bloomer Elementary Schools.
The Elks Club has once again been very generous to Edison preschool students, providing $660 (nearly $10 per student) for teachers to shop for a gift for each of the kids. They will be sending a "Santa helper " to school on Friday, Dec 17 to hand out the gifts to the individual preschoolers. According to teacher Nick Moore, it is so much fun to see the expressions on the children's faces when they get their first and sometimes only Christmas presents of the season.
Student Musicians Selected for SWI Honor Band
Thirty-eight student musicians from Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson were selected for the SWI Honor Band. They qualified through a rigorous audition on December 15th.
Students Colin Dall, Luke Thallas, Hannah Zimmerman and Samantha Kunkle each have accomplished something spectacular by making the bands every year since 7th grade!
Abraham Lincoln
First Chair:
Trombone 1-1 Luke Thallas
Trombone 1-4 Emily Croson
Baritone 1 Austin Farwell
Tenor Sax 1 Hannah Zimmerman
Flute (Pic) 1-1 Lexie Nadler
Flute 1-4 Mallory Huggins
Alto Sax 1-1 Joi Albertus
Trumpet 1-2 Philip Dickinson
Trumpet 1-3 Jared Thompson
Bass Clarinet 1 Natasha Konfrst
Trombone 1-3 Alex Beck
Mallet 1 Ryan Koontz
Second Chair:
Flute 2-2 Kelsey Tekippe
Flute 2-4 Daniel Hogsed
Flute 2-5 Kari McDermott
Bb Clarinet 2-1 Olivia Petersen
Alto Sax 2-1 Ashley Cross
Tenor Sax 2 Shannon Holmes
French Horn 2-1 Samantha Kunkle
Tuba 2 Colin Dall
Percussion 2 Nathan Stuart
Flute 2-4 Amanda Peters
Bb Clarinet 2-2 Hope Philbrick
Bb Clarinet 2-3 Chelsea Eret
Bb Clarinet 2-5 John Cooper
Alto Sax 2-1 Payton Shively
Tenor Sax 2 Zane Rau
French Horn 2-2 Hannah Goldapp
Percussion 2 Isabella Taylor
Third and Fourth Chair :
Bb Clarinet 3-2 Emily Koontz
Trumpet 3-3 Aurora Owens
Trombone 3-3 Katie Hummel
Percussion 4 Laura Capel
Thomas Jefferson
First Chair:
Bb Clarinet 1-4 Kathryn Adams
Second Chair:
Bb Clarinet 2-2 Sabrina Fox
Third Chair:
Tuba 3 Brandon Brown
Bb Clarinet 3-1 Gabby Higgins
Trumpet 3-2 Patrick O'Brien
Kirn Collects to
"Treat the Troops"
Last week the Kirn faculty and students had a campaign to raise money and collect comfort items and candy for "Treat The Troops". Kirn has many, many students who have close relatives serving overseas. The students were most generous with their donations. The school raised over $500 in cash and the comfort items filled a full-sized car trunk and back seat. Many students wrote very touching notes and letters of support. The items will be included in the packing going to Iraq and Afghanistan by volunteers in the community.
DECA Students Take Second Place in Stock Market Challenge
Abraham Lincoln DECA students Ryan Fee, Alex Olsen, Shanon Smith and Tyler Dolch competed in the Stock Market Challenge sponsored by the Boys and Girls Club ealier this month. They placed second out of 37 teams in the metro area. Congratulations! Students Take Third Place at UNO Computer Science Quiz Bowl
Matt Nohr, Kevin Dickey,
David Shreffler (teacher) and Brice Johnson
Abraham Lincoln students Matt Nohr, Kevin Dickey and Brice Johnson took 3rd place at the UNO Computer Science Quiz Bowl. The three students competed against teams from surrounding metro high schools, rapidly answering questions related to programming and computer science history. Winners were presented trophies and prizes by Chris Russell, general manager of the Google data center in Council Bluffs. This second annual competition was the concluding event of a week-long promotion of computer science education. It was a great opportunity for AL students to meet other area computer science students, as the field is still new at the high school level.
Abraham Lincoln Football Players Choosen for Toyota of Des Moines Football Team; First Team All-State
 
Lynx running back Austin Ebertowski (on left) and defensive lineman Jamison Lalk (on right) were among 31 Iowa players honored on December 8th as being picked for the 2nd Annual All Toyota of Des Moines football team. Both were also named First Team All Staters for 2010.
Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln Students Selected for Honor Band
Congratulations to 8 of our outstanding band members for their selection to the University of Iowa Honor Band. The ALHS students are Olivia Petersen (clarinet), Natasha Konfrst (bass clarinet), Ashley Cross (1st chair alto saxophone), Shannon Holmes (1st chair tenor saxophone), Samantha Kunkle (french horn), and Luke Thallas (1st chair trombone). The TJHS students are Sabrina Fox (clarinet) and Katie Adams (clarinet),
The will attend a festival on Saturday, February 26 in Iowa City with a concert that evening.
District Shares Results of Non-Traditional Calendar Surveys
On Tuesday, January 25th, the Board of Education will hear a presentation on input received on a possible non-traditional calendar for 2012-13. The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the District's Educational Service Center, 12 Scott Street. Anyone wishing to address the Board at the meeting is encouraged to call ahead to request time during the public participation part of the meeting. Below are links to surveys and results conducted over the past several weeks. Thanks to everyone who participated in the calendar conversation meetings and surveys.
Parent Telephone Survey Results-Spanish
and
Parent Telephone Survey Results-English
Question #1: What is your opinion of Calendar A in which school is scheduled from July 30th through June 11th with breaks every six weeks)? Press 1 for strongly approve, 2 for approve, 3 for neutral, 4 for disapprove and 5 for strongly disapprove.
Question #2: What is your opinion of Calendar B, in which school is scheduled from August 20th through June 12th with breaks every twelve weeks)? Press 1 for strongly approve, 2 for approve, 3 for neutral, 4 for disapprove and 5 for strongly disapprove.
Parent/Community Online SurveyResults
and
Parent/Community Written Comments
Chamber Online Survey Results
and
Chamber Member Written Comments
School District Employee Survey Results
**Two** Draft Calendars
for Discussion
Frequenty Asked Questions
All Council Bluffs Community School District staff, parents, students and community members were invited to give input and participate in conversations about the idea of implementing a non-traditional, balanced calendar no earlier than the 2012-13 school year for all schools in the school district. The possibility of a change to the calendar was discussed by the Board of Education as another way to increase student achievement.
Current drafts of the calendar for discussion, would keep the same number of school days at 180, but balance them over a longer time period, providing a slightly shorter summer, with short breaks throughout the year and opportunities for more timely remediation and enrichment. School could begin on July 30th in one calendar option and end June 11th, resulting in about seven weeks of summer rather than the traditional 11-week summer. A newer option begins on August 20th and ends June 12th with a 9-week summer.
Previous drafts of possible balanced calendars included summers as short as five weeks, but the latest drafts reflect initial feedback that indicated the month of July is an important time for summer sports and family vacations.
Initial perspectives from parents and teachers about a major change to the calendar have been mixed; many shared the same concerns about how the change would affect family schedules. Others indicate that such a calendar shift is long overdue.
Individuals are invited to share your ideas and feedback on the potential for the calendar change by submitting your comments tocalendar@cb-schools.org.
Staff Conversations were held on December 8th, 9th and 15th. Parent and Community Conversations were held on January 6th, 8th, and 13th. There was also an opportunity in January, over the period of a week, to participate in an online survey about the calendar.
A summary of the input will be shared with school board members, along with a possible recommendation for Board consideration on January 25th. The goal will be to determine in early 2011 whether or not to proceed with a non-traditional, balanced calendar for the 2012-13 year so that planning for successful implementation could occur for more than a year.
Summary of questions/comments from Parent Conversations on January 6th, 8th and 13th.
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High School Scheduling Committee Recommends Change to Trimesters for 2011-12; Calendar Approved
The calendar for next school year was approved Tuesday night by the Board of Education. The calendar reflects the recommendation of a high school scheduling committee to help ensure all students and curricular areas have larger blocks of time for learning. The school calendar (to begin on August 17, 2011) would be divided into trimesters, each 58-60 days long. This would replace the four quarter/two semester schedule. Trimesters are designed to allow students to take their classes every day for one or two trimesters and earn credits accordingly. This schedule change evolved out of the need to provide students with opportunities to attend classes at any of the buildlings serving high school students in our district (Tucker Center, Kanesville, Thomas Jeffesron and Abraham Lincoln), thus providing more opportunities to meet students' diverse interests and needs. The change will result in some modifications in the assessment schedule for all grade levels. Planning to confirm specific schedules is beginning. Link to approved 2011-12 Calendar.
Thomas Jefferson High School’s Future Educators of America Collect 700
Toys for Tots
On November 23, 2010 the U.S. Marine Corp helped the TJHS F.E.A. members kick off the Toys for Tots Program. The F.E.A. members helped collect about 700 new toys for children by sponsoring a contest between the T.J. Reads classes. They also invited fans to bring toys to a basketball game.
Abraham Lincoln Girls Volleyball Team Competes at State Tournament
Congratulations to the AL Girls Volleyball team on making it to the Varsity State Tournament. Thomas Jefferson Runners to Appear for First Time in Senior All-Star Cross Country Meet
For the first time Thomas Jefferson will be represented by two runners in the 2010 Senior All-Star Cross Country meet in Ankeny, Ia., this Saturday, Nov. 6. Derek Pruett and Matt Smith will be running on the DMACC Cross Country Course. Their 5K race is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Pruett and Smith will be running for the Southwest Region team. Good luck to our students!
Division 1 Ranking for Abraham Lincoln
Dance Team
The Abraham Lincoln Dance Team receivedDivision 1 ratings in pom, hip hop and jazz, and 4th place overall in pom at the State Dance Competition. Congratulations!
Community Generosity
Benefits Students
The holidays were brighter for dozens of students and their families, thanks to the generosity of members of St. Peter's Church in Council Bluffs. For three years, they have delivered wrapped gifts, ready for distribution to the families. This year, students from seven elementary schools received the gifts.
Abraham Lincoln Students Serve the Community
Abraham Lincoln students and wrestling team participated in their biannual trash clean up on Highway 6 this November. Students cleaned up a 2 mile stretch from the Highway Patrol Station to West Fair.
US Bank Partners to Open Bloomer Bears Branch for Students
High School StudentsAdvance to State Competition
Abraham Lincoln
ALL-STATE SPEECH 2010 Large Group
Abraham Lincoln Qualifiers
RADIO BROADCASTING
Non-Performing
Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln "K-Zoo"
Kelsey Tekippe
Shannon Holmes
Elle Cooper
Hannah Goldapp
Danielle Rice
GROUP IMPROVISATION
Performing
Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln "Owens"
Derek Gilman
Seamus St. Clair
Aurora Owens
MUSICAL THEATRE
Performing
Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln "Thoroughly Modern Millie"
Brian Williams
Jesse St. Clair
These groups have reached the highest level that a large group can achieve in the Iowa High School Speech Association. They have been named outstanding by their state judges and advance to the all-state festival in Ames, Iowa on February 19th.
These students are coached by Connie Jo Podendorf, Jordan Meyer and Dirk Waller
Thomas Jefferson
On Saturday, Thomas Jefferson's Speech Team traveled to Glenwood to compete in the District Speech Competition.
There were 5 groups participating in this large group competition and 3 of the groups will advance to the State Finals on Saturday, February 5, 2011 at West Des Moines Valley. The following students advanced:
Musical Theater: Ashley Johnson and Kyle McGlade, Group Improve: Joel Menke, Tim Mantil, Trevor Alwan, and Kaylinn Taggert, Radio Broadcast: Ashley Ross, Alex Korner, Jackie Carlson, Shyla Heistand, and Mackennzie Boner. The other two groups turned in a great performance and should be recognized. Musical Theater: Kara Bussing and Kindra Zuelsdorf, Radio Broadcasting: Abi Torres, Faith Oswald, Kyle McGlade, Nolan Dix, Wyatt Fallet, and Kindra Zuelsdorf.
Congratulations to all of you.
Bloomer Student Receives DAR Award for the 5th Grade
Brennan Plummer won the 5th grade DAR essay contest. Congratulations!
Thomas Jefferson ASTRA Club Brings Valentine's Day Cheer
Pictured from left are: Jesy Starmer, Autumn Reed, Brittany Myre and
Melissa Adrian
The Thomas Jefferson ASTRA Club brought cheer to 90 residents at the Midlands Living Center in Council Bluffs. They recently delivered valentines and wished the residents a Happy Valentine's Day. |
