COUGAR COURIER
December 7th, 2018
From the desk of Principal Ruiz
This is the last week for the Food Drive! Be sure to share your donations before Tuesday, December 11th.
Mrs. Jeanette Schena and Mr. Chad Gish have been named Teachers of the Year at CIA for the 2018-2019 school year. Our scholars are blessed to learn from the finest educators. Take a moment to read the information shared in this newsletter, about these brilliant educators that are a part of your scholar's journey.
This week our CIA scholars said goodbye to the Bethel methods teachers that have been a part of our academic journey this first semester. Our school is dedicated to supporting education for future educators by allowing CIA to be a teaching school; we are blessed to partner with Bethel College. Our next generation educators will be missed and we look forward to the next group in January!
The PTSO meeting previously scheduled for Thursday, December 6th was rescheduled to Thursday, December 13th. The meeting will be held in the Media Center at 5:30 P.M.
Are you interested in raising funds designed to support our Family Resource Center? Are y'all hungry? We are too, and we are working to fill our tummies and our spirits! The Salvation Army has partnered with Five Guys in Mishawaka, Panera Bread in Mishawaka, Portillos, and Blaze Pizza in the Eddy Street Commons for donation drives. Each organization is committed to donating a percentage of meals purchased to support families in need during the holiday season. If your family enjoys a meal at the participating organizations, please present the coordinating form that is included in the newsletter to ensure proceeds are paid forward to support families in need. The CIA family appreciates your family's support for others, during the holiday season.
Is your scholar interested in attending the Clay Pom/Dance clinic? If so, see the detailed flyer included in this week's newsletter. The clinic, for scholars in grades 4th - 8th, will be held on December 27th and 28th from 11:00 - 2:30.
Be sure to check out the Great Day at CIA video performed by our very own Cougar Cast! You will not want to miss this way to "view" CIA. Click the link below...
Have a wonderful weekend!
Serving with scholars in mind,
Ms. Angela Ruiz, Ph.D. Candidate, Ed.S.
TOY - Mrs. Jeanette Schena our Kindergarten Teacher!
TOY - Mr. Chad Gish our DIS!
Born in 1809 in a one room log cabin on the Kentucky frontier, Chad Gish would eventually become our country’s 16th President. His political career began in Springfield, Illinois where…….. Oooops, it's been a long time since I’ve written a paper and old habits die hard, I apologize but I am trying to make this the amount of words Mrs. Ruiz told me I need to and currently I am only at 72.
Anyway, I am the DIS (Digital Integration Specialist), which is the really confusing way of saying geek at Clay International. I started my career in education 16 years ago where I began in the classroom, teaching social studies and science. Feeling caged inside a classroom, my aunt suggested that with all the tinkering I do with junk, movie making, music listening, I should get a library degree where I could use my skills in a different way. She was right and I’ve never regretted it. Thanks, Aunt Mary!
A few days before I graduated with my MS in Library Science I was picked up by South Bend Schools, where I worked under the charge of Mr. Sims, at Marshall. After learning the confusing ways to order and run a library (a pretty tough job) he set me lose making the school announcements and the rest was history. If it wasn’t for him taking a chance on a lout from “Da Region” (he later would tell me, “You didn’t sound anything like a librarian when I interviewed you.”) I wouldn’t be here now. Thanks, Mr. Sims!
I would soon take on the mantle of the tech guy at the school as I always loved taking things apart. My dad was (and still is) a garbage man and would bring home all this half broken stuff; as a kid, I would be in the basement seeing how it was supposed to work. I’ve had my shares of shocks, pinched fingers and burns over the years but never came closer to death than the night when my buddy, Hodges, and I had my dad’s pride and joy, an IBM PS1 computer unable to log into Windows. You learn really quickly how to problem solve (we learned MS-Dos that night) when you are faced with a dad who looks like Tony Soprano, whose arm is bigger than your waste and the first thing he is going to do when he wakes up at 3 in the morning is check his $2,000 dollar computer. Thanks, Dad!
So I am currently the guy at school people call on when something you plug in goes awry. I don’t know all the answers but I enjoy being able to figure things out and that is my favorite part of the job. You get to help the people who are in the trenches and there are no two days that are ever alike. I have the best job in the best school in the district. Thanks, Ms. Ruiz!
In my spare time, I collect music, make scale models, work on my cars (I still have my first car, even though she makes my wife jealous). I taught myself how to do trim work and cabinetry and am pretty proud of the built-ins I have put up in my house. I love old comedy, such as, Laurel and Hardy, Martin and Lewis, the Marx Brothers, Jack Benny. In fact, I think my kids just found out they actually made movies in color a few months back. Every Sunday night I sit back with the kids and watch a Three Stooges short to get ready for another week. I have always found laughter to be the best medicine. Thanks, Moe, Larry, Curly…. and Shemp too!
Well, I finally wrote 600 words right now...I’m done!
Fall Food Drive
The Food Drive is almost over! We will be collecting food until Tuesday, Dec. 11th. We have set the new goal as 1,000 lbs of food, which means that CIA only needs to donate 264 lbs of food to win their activity day on Dec. 20th. This may sound like a lot, but in reality a can of vegetables weighs just over a pound (volume weight on a digital scale… yes, we checked this), SO if each student and staff member just brought in 1 more can, then we will actually surpass this new goal. If you think of it in those terms, and that you are helping those in need (demonstrating that IB trait of caring) you will be able to help us meet this goal. Come on Cougars, YOU CAN DO THIS!!
Popcorn is making a comeback!
NWEA Testing
CIA scholars will be taking the second NWEA assessment during the week of December 10th - 14th. We encourage all scholars to get adequate rest during the assessment window. Parents, look for the NWEA data results for your scholar(s) to come home on December 19th. Below you will find information about the NWEA MAP Growth assessment:
Learning Made Visible:
MAP® Growth™ measures what scholars know and informs what they are ready to learn next. By dynamically adjusting to each scholar’s responses, MAP Growth creates a personalized assessment experience that accurately measures performance. Timely, easy-to-use reports help teachers teach, students learn, and administrators lead.Help your students soar:
Putting assessment into action means using MAP Growth data to pinpoint the instructional areas your scholars are ready to tackle—whether they are on, above, or below grade level.
Growth over time:
MAP Growth reveals how much growth has occurred between testing events and, when combined with NWEA norms, shows projected proficiency. Educators can track growth through the school year and over multiple years.
MAP Growth reports transform data into actionable insights:
Teachers use the data to differentiate instruction and pinpoint individual needs of each scholar. Higher-level reports give administrators the context to drive improvement for all scholars at CIA.
STCO Candy Grams
Do you want to spread some holiday cheer to those around you without the hassle of delivery? Well, then the Student Council Candy Grams are your answer! STCO will be selling candy grams for .25¢ from Tuesday, Dec.4th until Monday, Dec. 17th. Each piece of candy will be attached to a slip of paper containing a friendly, holiday message, which will be delivered throughout the building every morning. So, gather up all of your quarters and turn them into a way to show others that you care!
Want to be a STCO Member?
It is not too late! If you are interested in becoming a member of CIA’s Student Council, please see your teacher for a sign-up sheet. If both your Homebase teacher and parent/guardian approve it, you still have the chance to represent your class and CIA to ASPIRE TO INSPIRE!
Barnes & Noble Event, Sunday, December 16
Yes! We are still planning to be at Barnes & Noble at University Park Mall all day on Sunday, December 16th to wrap presents for donations and kick off the Bookfair. Please put this date on your calendars and plan to stop by and visit, even if you cannot commit to a time slot for wrapping gifts. Any purchases made in the store or online that day with the coupon code will help CIA get new books for the library. Included in the newsletter is a link for the necessary coupon with the barcode needed for the purchases to give credit to CIA. Ms. Simpson will also have copies of the barcode available in the store on the 16th, for those who need one. That code will only help us raise money for books if used on December 16th, the day of the event. So if you are planning to buy books in December, we encourage our families to buy them from Barnes & Noble on December 16th!
We invite our CIA families to come and cheer on our scholars that are performing that day. The performance schedule is as follows:
2:00 - 2:30 CIA Orchestra Ensemble
2:30 - 3:00 CIA Cougarettes Dance and Sing-A-Long
3:00 - 4:00 CIA Battle Club Readers in the Children's Area
Making Good Choices:
Here is another way to help your children grow up to be respectful and kind, and to have the self-respect they need to make the right choices, both now and in the future.
No excuses:
Sometimes, parents are unaware that their children are misbehaving in school until they’re notified by a teacher. The problem is that parents too often react with denial. But that doesn’t help anyone, particularly not the child, who learns that he or she can get away with bad behavior at school as long as the parents are fooled. If you get that call or note from the teacher, swallow your pride, talk to your child, and make an appointment to meet with the teacher.
Look for more ways to help your children grow up to make the right choices in past and upcoming issues of the Cougar Courier.
Gather your Box Tops to raise money for CIA
Yes, it is true...if our CIA families collect box tops, we earn money.
Here is how this works: CIA families, every time you use a General Mills product, cut off the BoxTop label and send it to school with your scholar. 400 scholars X 10 BoxTops per scholar = $400 for CIA! This is a fantastic opportunity because there is no need to purchase anything special. Many families end up with General Mills products in their homes after a trip to the store. We encourage each family to ask your friends, relatives and neighbors to do the same. Begin your search for the Box Top label! A collection box will be placed in the main office; please send all labels to school with your scholar.
Principal Ruiz
Email: aruiz@sbcsc.k12.in.us
Website: http://clayintermediate.sb.school/home
Location: 52900 Lily Road, South Bend, IN, USA
Phone: 574-393-4300
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ClayInternationalAcademy/?hc_ref=ARSPi9IBwtzl5EJdceUcqxSSyItIHbU4cIAKX3ZtMeCZAoKpGJMFSGRmc0FRNLyfIJ0&fref=tag
Twitter: @cia_cougars