ENSC Family Notes
August 15, 2016
Great First Week!
Each year we have families who are concerned with the short summer and would like us to begin school around Labor Day and finish before Memorial Day. This year, we had nine weeks of summer break. That is one of the longest summer breaks we have had in years, but it is also nine weeks that our students relaxed and became disengaged from their schooling which contributes to the "summer learning loss."
A reoccurring message I often hear is that school is something kids "have to get through" and we need to "get it over with as fast as possible." I believe it is important to recognize and understand that a well educated youth is the foundation for a strong future and country. It is important that we develop our students into life long learners who are curious, creative, and inspired to learn more and develop their skill set. As a community we need to help our students understand how important their K-12 educational foundation is to creating and reaching their dreams as well as developing our community.
Thank you for the support you provide to your child each day and helping them understand the importance of their education.
Buford the Bicentential Bison.
2017-2018 School Calendar
If you have any thoughts, comments, suggestions concerning the calendar, please feel free to share those with Ann Linson at alinson@eastnoble.net or call me at 347-2502. Your feedback is important.
Standards Based Grading Meeting - Save the Date
For a refresher or more information, check out this set of Family Notes: https://www.smore.com/9vezz
ENSC will be holding a parent/community meeting to introduce and review Standards Based Grading. Please mark your calendars for September 13 at 6:30 p.m. We will provide you with a location soon.
New Grade Book
As we begin the 2016-2017 school year, we have deployed a new version of the gradebook called Power Teacher Pro. As teachers across the district are learning the new and amazing features of the this program, we ask for your patience as we make adjustments in what parents and students see as they are checking on student progress. This year, over 100+ teachers in the district will be grading using their standards as well as points. This will allow all to see where students are truly needing more support and the areas that they have mastered. We will be setting a date for a parent meeting to share all of these features with you soon. In the meantime, if you have questions about your child’s progress, please contact your child’s teacher(s).
iPad Take Home is Monday!
Don’t forget that Monday is the day your first through fourth grade students will begin bringing iPads home! On that day, your child will also receive a new cord and new/gently used powerblock to take home so that the iPad can be charged in the evenings. This charging equipment will remain in your home until the student exits fourth grade or withdraws. Should the charging cable become lost or damaged during that time, parents may purchase replacements from wherever they choose; schools will also have replacements for $10.00. Just a reminder that any child whose family has financial obligations from lost or damaged equipment last year will be keeping the device in the classroom and will not be able to take those devices home until the bill has been paid.
Please take a moment to discuss these iPad Care Guidelines with your child to prepare for this big event:
1. I will always have clean hands when using my iPad.
2. I will always use two hands when carrying my iPad.
3. I will make sure I always know where my iPad is.
4. I will put my iPad in my backpack carefully. I will not put it into my bag next to food, liquids, heavy, or sharp objects. I will not place heavy objects on top of it.
5. I will be extra careful when taking my iPad home. I will keep it in my backpack when going to and from school. I will not get it out on the bus. I will hold my backpack on my lap if my iPad is in it.
6. I will make sure that I am the only one using my iPad. Brothers, sisters, parents, and others are not to use my iPad.
7. I will only use apps, programs, and web pages that my teacher has instructed me to use.
8. I will not have liquids or food around the iPad EVER!
9. I will be responsible and make smart learning choices while using my iPad. I will follow the guidelines in the ENSC Student Responsible Use Policy.
10. I will charge my iPad at night and bring it to school fully charged each day.
11. I will keep my iPad in the school issued protective case at all times. I will not put stickers or any other items on the iPad or case. I will leave all ENSC stickers on iPads, cords, and power blocks.
12. I will notify my teacher immediately if my iPad is stolen, lost, or damaged.
13. My parents and I understand that we are responsible for any damages to or theft of the iPad that occur due to negligence when it is in my possession.
14. If I damage my iPad, it will go to the Technology Department for repair and there might be a delay in getting it back. I will not get a loaner iPad, but I will get my own iPad back as soon as it is repaired.
15. I will be very careful when I am inserting and removing the cords to avoid damaging the ports and cables.
16. Even though the iPad will be protected by the District’s Internet filter when away from school, my parents should still monitor my use of the iPad.
17. I will not be given a loaner iPad if I leave my iPad at home. If I do leave my iPad at home, I will be required to complete assignments by alternative means as determined by my teacher.
Fifth Grade Laptops Coming Soon
Each year, East Noble School Corporation orders new laptops for incoming fifth and ninth grade students to keep over a four-year period of time. At the beginning of the summer, East Noble ordered the total amount of laptops needed for these students as we normally do. However, due to a much greater volume of orders received nationally by Lenovo for the rugged Yoga 11e than anticipated, Lenovo and our reseller were unable to deliver the entire order by the beginning of the school year. Fifth grade laptops are currently on back order but are anticipated to ship from China to East Noble on or around August 22. Rest assured that we are doing everything in our power to get these devices as soon as possible. This problem is not just affecting East Noble, as many districts around the United States are dealing with shortage, including other major districts in our area.
Internet Access Restored On Student Laptops
Access to the Internet has been restored for all students having difficulties connecting at the beginning of the school year. This issue was caused by web filtering software installed on student devices in grades 6-8 and 10-12 and has been resolved.
Unsung Hero of the Week
“I think a hero is any person really intent on making this a better place for all people,” says Maya Angelou. The person that makes East Noble High School a better place for all people is Guidance Director Lindy Munson. We cannot thank Lindy enough for working tirelessly to make sure that our staff and students are prepared for the daily routines that are hardly ever routine! Her consistent positive attitude helps make any challenge or change seem like it was meant to be rather than a problem or wall that we can’t get through. Thank you Lindy for not only investing in our staff, students and community, but for also being our unsung SUPER hero!
HAVE A GREAT WEEK!
Building Notes
East Noble High School
ENHS is off to a fast and terrific start to the school year!
On August 1, we got to meet the class of 2020 during our Freshman Orientation exercises! They are a terrific group and they did a great job during their time here. They spent time getting to know the administrative and counseling team and also had a chance to explore the building and familiarize themselves to their school “home” for the next four years! A huge thank you to our Freshman Mentors who did so much to help introduce the 9th graders to our high school! And yet another thank you to our food service personnel for making a terrific meal to feed them on their first day here!
The freshmen aren’t the only new faces we have at ENHS! We have been fortunate to welcome several new staff members in our building, and are excited about how these people will work with our veterans to continue to do what’s best for students!
Kathy Longenbaugh is our new head principal, joined by new assistant principal Josh Schache. Suzanne Weber is the new guidance secretary and registrar. New teachers include Rob Berkley, Special Education; Abigail Christian, Social Studies; Jessica Clark, Math; Kim Desper, Family and Consumer Sciences; Ryan Eakins, Social Studies; Jennifer Edwards, English; Cliff Hannon, Social Studies; Josh Henson, Strength and Performance; Chloe Hines, Theater Arts; Lisa Smith, Special Education; Nathan Spellman, Band; Chad Moore, Art; Shari Tarnow, English; and Chelsey Thangvijit, English. Welcome to all new members of the ENHS family!
Our building and grounds look outstanding; a huge thank you to our custodial and ground crews for their hard work and skill in making our facilities second to none!
It is terrific to have students in our building; we are off to a great start!
East Noble Middle School
The Middle School is off to a fast start. Students and staff have worked extremely hard at meeting everyone and creating a feeling of “home.” The students seem to be excited to be back to school and are doing a great job adjusting to their new routines. The students are busy setting goals for being successful, learning to work in groups. The core classes have all created and completed tests to find a base line of ability for each student. From this baseline instruction will then be aimed at individual student’s needs per the standards for each subject.
The 7th grade math students are working on everyone’s favorite topic, integers. Students will learn how they compare and are used in the real world. Language Arts classes are reviewing plot elements and learning how to complete weekly vocab journals. 7th grade science classes are beginning the year by studying the basics of science by looking closely at the scientific method, and metric measurement. These set the foundation knowledge for all our future units this year.
It is enjoyable getting to know the new 7th grade students and anticipating a great year ahead!
Avilla Elementary
What an outstanding start to the school year! We would like to thank all of OUR families for working with us to make this happen for OUR students! It is so much fun to see so many smiling faces in the halls, classrooms, and cafeteria. All OUR students and staff are working hard as usual and loving every moment of it from the looks of things. Thank you families for your help and support these first few weeks! Let’s keep this up and have a great year.
This week’s University of the Week is Oregon. Mr. McNamara’s 6th graders are working hard learning the fight song! If you have a child in his class ask him or her to sing a little of it for you. A few quick facts about the University of Oregon:
-Twenty current and former Ducks have earned the right to compete at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio
-Fact: freshmen living on campus achieve higher GPAs than those who don’t. So the residence halls are definitely something to consider.
- College is about a lot of things, but most crucially, it’s about discovering who you are and what you’re interested in. Club sports, honor societies, student unions, sorority and fraternity groups, you name it. There’s something for everyone.
We would like to thank OUR custodians: Debbie, Laura, and Dean for their work this summer! The building looks great and we know it is all because of the hard work the three of you put in over the summer!
Mark your calendars!
-September 5-Labor Day- No school
-September 9-Pint Size Hero Blood Drive beginning at 2:30
-September 30-Teacher PD- No students
-October 19-Skate Night at the Auburn Skatin Station from 6-8 pm
North Side Elementary
What a great first full week of school at North Side! Staff and students are busy practicing procedures. Kindergarten through 4th grade have reviewed the care and safety of IPAD’s at home. They are excited to take the IPAD’s home soon. Students are learning our school-wide behavior expectations: ROARS. This acronym stands for: Respect, On Task, Achieve Goals, Responsibility and Safety. Classrooms are working on building stamina in “Read to Self” and implementing the other procedural components of Daily 5. Students are working hard and showing their strengths in writing through our On-Demand writing prompts and are soaking up the knowledge of learning as the teachers start to implement the first unit of our district curriculum bundles. We are so proud of our little Kindergartners, they are excited to learn and are enjoying all of the new school activities. Even more exciting, the 6th graders are loving their lessons in preparation for Biztown. Stop in and ask our 6th graders how to write a check, balance a checkbook and to explain the flow of money within our United States economy. We are proud of our hard-working students! Go Team Wildcats!
Rome City Elementary
This week at Rome City was full of learning! Students in first grade are already building stamina in reading. Students are loving reading by themselves and all around the classroom. Several students are proud they have their own independence in the classroom.
Fifth and sixth graders had their first Breakout EDU experience. Student had to solve various puzzles in order to open boxes with clues in them. At the end, if they solved the clues, the final box gave them a special surprise.
All classes at Rome City had a special guest this week. Mr. Buhro came in to talk to us about bus safety. The students learned rules of the bus and were able to ask questions to Mr. Buhro about riding the school bus.
Friday was Rome City’s first assembly! Romans chanted their college, learned about being a leader, and did several activities that required leadership. Several students were recognized at the assembly for be positive leaders already this school year.
South Side Elementary
We have had a great start to the year at South Side Elementary School. Students have done a magnificent job transitioning from care-free summer days to meeting the expectations and procedures of a safe, orderly, creative, and engaging learning environment. The staff here at South Side have been very impressed with our students and how quickly they have embraced the new school year—they are ready to take on the adventure! Our students have already been engaged in such activities as planting beans to begin to learn about life cycles, building stamina in reading, manipulating mapping tools to measure distance, and becoming smart and responsible digital citizens. The school year is certainly rolling now, and we have big plans for our developing Maker-Space and STEM curriculum, involving students in setting their own academic goals and reading and tracking their data toward success, and taking an interdisciplinary approach to support reading and writing in all content areas. It’s going to be a big year!
Wayne Center Elementary
It was a great first week for the Wayne Center Tigers! Students are excited to be back in school and are working hard already! They are working hard to learn procedures and expectations both in and out of the classroom. We have learned classroom procedures, hallway procedures, lunchroom procedures, recess procedures, etc. Mr. Buhro, our Dean of Students, came to each classroom to teach about bus procedures as well! We have also been focusing on learning our ROAR expectations throughout the week!
Kindergarten students are doing a fantastic job! They are working on learning letters and letter sounds for A – E. They are also learning about sorting and counting objects and explored with manipulatives. They are learning to write their names and use scissors correctly. Mrs. Jarrett, our technology coach, came in to our classes to do a technology lesson about using our new iPad’s safely! They are sure excited to start using them! We look forward to all of the fun things to come this year in kindergarten!
East Noble School Corporation
Email: alinson@eastnoble.net
Website: eastnoble.net
Location: 126 West Rush Street, Kendallville, IN, United States
Phone: 260-347-2502
Facebook: facebook.com/eastnoble
Twitter: @ENobleSchCorp