The Hawkeye
West Harrison's April Newsletter
Mr. Marty Fonley
I wanted to update you regarding COVID and mitigation strategies at school. All of the school staff that wished to be vaccinated have received both doses of vaccine. However, we will continue to require the wearing of masks at school and at school events.
The reason for continuing to require masks is so we can limit the number of students who need to quarantine when we have a positive case. If you recall last fall, due to exposure rules, we were sending home fifteen students at a time. In October, public health came out and said that quarantining for exposure was not required as long as everyone was wearing a mask.
As a result, we were able to keep more kids in school. In the interest of being able to continue to keep kids in school, we will continue to require masks for the remainder of the spring.
I am pleased to announce that West Harrison families will have the opportunity to access Wrap-Around Child Care at the West Harrison School in the fall of 2021. Mrs. Tara Rife will be operating a before and after school child care option for students in preschool through fifth grade within the school building.
This service will be open from 6 am until school starts and again after school until 6 pm. Students will also be able to attend during early outs and weather closures. Tara is also considering operating the childcare program during the summer. We are fortunate to have such a highly qualified person as Mrs. Rife interested in providing this service and are extremely excited to be able to make this option available to families in our district!
Marty
Mrs. Casey Ring
(Iowa Standardized Assessment of Student Progress)
As a reminder, the ISASP is NOT a test of intelligence and IS NOT graded. The ISASP does indicate how well our school is teaching the state standards and at what level your child is understanding them. The information provided as a result of the ISASP is extensively used by the district and classroom teachers in order to better help your child as they continue to learn.
Students will spend the week prior to ISASPs preparing for the online assessment. This is done in order to teach them how to use the digital tools (the test isn't only multiple choice) and then make sure they understand the expectations and how to answer the questions. We want to do all we can to help our students show us what they know when it comes to ISASP time!
During our ISASP week, we will follow a different schedule. It is linked below. Attendance during our administration times is very important. Students who miss a testing timeframe will have to miss class in order to complete the test, as it is a state requirement. We would love to see any additional class time missed be at a minimum, if at all possible.
Seniors will not have to attend school during the testing times; they need to be present when regular class begins, according to our revised schedule.
The Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress (ISASP) is aligned with the Iowa Core standards, providing a clear and accurate assessment of student learning outcomes.
- The assessments are developed for the state of Iowa and align with the grade-specific Iowa Core standards.
- The assessments were developed in collaboration with Iowa educators.
- The assessments will be administered each Spring in the following subjects and grade levels:
- Math: Grades 3–11
- English Language Arts, including reading and writing: Grades 3–11
- Science: Grades 5, 8, and 10.
The assessments will provide parents with actionable information about their child’s learning.
- The results will provide a detailed analysis of how students performed relevant to the proficiency definitions set on the Iowa Core standards.
- Over time, parents will also be able to access year-over-year analysis of how their child performed from one year to the next.
Email: cring@w-harrison.k12.ia.us
Website: www.westharrison.school
Location: 410 Pine Street, Mondamin, IA, USA
Phone: 712-646-2231
3rd - 5th Grade ISASP Schedule
MS/HS ISASP Schedule
Child Fair for West Harrison Community Schools
West Harrison will hold New Kindergarten and Four Year Old Preschool Roundup and Child Fair on Wednesday, April 14th. The roundup/child fair will run from 9:00 am – 12:00 pm. Please call the school at 712-646-2016 to schedule an appointment. You must have an appointment to attend.
New kindergarten/preschool student requirements are as follows:
- All Immunizations
- Physical
- Dental Screening (Kindergarten)
- Birth Certificate – (to verify birthdate)
- Copy of Social Security Card
- Copy of Insurance Card/Medicaid card
Please bring these items on April 14th. Any questions please call 712-646-2016.
West Harrison Set to Host the Track State Qualifying Meet
West Harrison will be hosting three track meets this year. We have our own high school meet (The Gregg Beam/Hawkeye Invitational) on April 23rd and the junior high meet (The Kandi Baxter JH Invitational) on May 6th.
We have also been chosen to host a 2021 State Qualifying Meet for boys and girls (same day) on May 13th. There are only 10 hosts in Class 1A throughout the entire state.
Drivers Wanted
We are looking for substitute bus drivers for things like field trips, sporting events, activities, and different routes that tend to pop up. We will pay for you to take the necessary classes. Please contact the school and/or Dave Kuhlman if you are interested!
Prom 2021
Prom 2021, "Enchanted Evening", will be held on Saturday, April 10th at the school. Juniors, Seniors, and their dates will begin the night with pictures, in the west gym, by Michelle Garside from Dunlap.
The Grand March will begin at 6:30 p.m., we are working on a plan to make the march a safe and socially distanced event for family & friends. Following the grand march, all prom attendees will go to the school commons for a delicious meal catered by Lidderdale Catering from Lidderdale, Iowa. At 7:00 p.m. attendees will go to the west gym for a fun night of dancing by James Cloyd with Talk About It Entertainment from Omaha, Nebraska. Following the dance, at 11:30 p.m. everyone will board the bus for post-prom fun at The Amazing Pizza Machine in Omaha.
The Junior Class would like to thank everyone for supporting us in raising funds to make prom 2021 a success!
Prom Grand March - Tickets Will be Required
For those who are not attending but would like to watch, the march will be live-streamed on the school's facebook page.
**Masks will be required by everyone attending.
Deb Evans - School Nurse
April Health News - from your school nurse
Spring Safety Tips:
· Continue to take everyday precautions against COVID-19 and the FLU!
· Spring Cleaning: In addition to your regular spring cleaning chores, consider adding some that will make your home a little safer for your kids, such as cleaning out your medicine cabinet, checking product recalls, and looking for broken toys, etc.
· Sun Safety: Remember, the sun’s rays are strongest between the hours of 10:00 am and 4:00 pm. Use SPF 15 or higher, even on cloudy days. It is important to get a healthy dose of sunshine each day.
April is a great time to start planning and thinking about getting appointments made for school physicals, dental and vision screenings, and making sure all vaccinations are up to date for the upcoming school year. Below are the State Requirements for school:
Immunization, Dental, and Vision Schedules: Check with your health care provider to make sure you are properly immunized. The following schedules by grade:
Preschool – Required to provide a current and up to date immunization record prior to starting preschool
Kindergarten –
Immunization: A current and up-to-date immunization record prior to starting kindergarten.
Vision Screening: Each public or accredited nonpublic school shall forward to the Iowa Department of Public Health evidence of each Kindergartner’s valid vision screening performed no earlier than 1 year prior to enrollment and no more than 6 months after the date of the child’s enrollment.
Dental: All children enrolled are required to have a dental screening pursuant to IDPH 641 Chapter 51. The school nurse collaborates with a regional public health designee, I-Smile Coordinators, who audit the admitting school official’s compliance with IAC 641 Chapter 51.
Mandatory Lead Testing: All children enrolling are required to have at least one lead test.
Third Grade: Each public or accredited nonpublic school shall forward to the Iowa Department of Public Health evidence of each Third Grader’s valid vision screening performed no earlier than 1 year prior to enrollment and no more than 6 months after the date of the child’s enrollment.
Seventh Grade: Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis (Tdap) Vaccination Requirement: Beginning the 2013-2014 school year and thereafter, students entering 7th grade and above if born on or after September 15, 2000, shall have a one-time dose of tetanus, diphtheria, acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine.
Meningococcal Secondary School Vaccination Requirement: Beginning the 2017-2018 school year and thereafter, Students entering 7th grade born on or after September 15, 2004, shall have one dose of meningococcal conjugate vaccine (A,C,W,Y). There is no provisional period to implement this requirement. Students are not allowed to attend school until this requirement is met.
Ninth Grade: Dental Screening Requirement: All children enrolled in ninth grade are required to have a dental screening pursuant to IDPH 641 Chapter 51. The school nurse collaborates with regional public health designees, I-Smile Coordinators, who audit the admitting school official’s compliance with IAC 641 Chapter 51.
Twelfth Grade: Meningococcal Secondary School Vaccination Requirement: Beginning the 2017-2018 school year and thereafter, students entering 12th grade born on or after September 15, 1999, shall have two doses of meningococcal conjugate vaccine (A,C,W,Y); or 1 dose if one dose was previously received when the student was sixteen years of age or older. There is no provisional period to implement this requirement if the student has received no meningococcal conjugate vaccine. Students are not allowed to attend school until this requirement is met.
Asthma/Allergy Action Plans: Seasonal Allergy and Asthma Action Plans are important to review and update with your health care provider, and a copy should be on file at school, as well as a rescue inhaler. Learn what your child’s triggers are – pollen, grass, molds, temperature changes, exercise, smoke, perfume, pesticides? Please let us know. Children deserve allergy and asthma-friendly homes and schools.
Tips for Keeping Your Kids Healthy for School: Good hand hygiene is the best way to prevent the spread of disease. Encourage your child and family members to practice good handwashing especially before eating meals. Encourage your child not to touch their face, eyes, and mouth especially prior to washing their hands. The following are among some of the most common childhood illnesses are colds, runny noses, ear infections, fever, strep throat, pink eye, chickenpox, vomiting, diarrhea, rashes, scabies, impetigo, and head lice. If your child is exposed to any of these and is showing signs and symptoms keep them home and isolated from others in the home and contact your healthcare provider. If you, your child, or any other family member are exposed to COVID-19 or any of the variants isolate from the others in the home and contact your healthcare provider for a COVID-19 test.
Happy spring! Deb Evans, RN
Mrs. Marshall - School Counselor
I hope everyone enjoyed the nice 5 day weekend and are rested for the sprint to the end of the year!
ISASP testing is occurring for grades 3-11 the week of April 19th. Here are some great tips for your student to do their best on the testing.
Tips for Parents & Students for the night before
-Eat a well-balanced meal
-Get everything ready for the next day, including tomorrow’s outfit
-Visualize a positive outcome
-Set the alarm
-Get a Good Night’s sleep
The Day Of:
-Eat a good breakfast (healthy)
-Give yourself plenty of time to get to school
-Think Positive
-Take a deep slow breath before you begin
-Try your best
On April 30th, High School will be doing Class Wars put on by H.S. student council. This is a day when we spend the afternoon watching the grades 9-12 compete against each other in different fun games. Some of the fan favorites are musical chairs, dodgeball, and tug of war. Middle School goes outside to play their own games during this time. It is a fun way to end the month of April, following the week of ISASP testing.
.
Mr. Nunez - Activities Director
HOW TO BECOME AN OFFICIAL
• Must be a high school student or older.
• A thorough understanding of the sport you wish to officiate.
• The ability to interpret and apply rules.
POLICIES
• High school students are eligible to obtain a license and officiate junior high school (7th or 8th graders) contests, but may not officiate senior high (grades 9-12) games (with soccer as an exception).
• An official is required to have a valid IHSAA license to officiate grades 7-12 between member schools in the sports of baseball, basketball, football, cross country, soccer, swimming, wrestling and track and field.
• All officials’ licenses expire annually after the state baseball tournament and are renewable for one year, beginning on June 1.
• The required uniform is mandatory for officials working any interscholastic contest between IHSAA member schools. Officials’ uniforms may be purchased at The Graphic Edge (1-800-747-9744 or www.thegraphicedge.com). Refer to the National Federation Rules Book for your sport to determine the specific uniform needs.
EXAMS AND RULES MEETINGS
• All officials must score 75-percent or above on an online open-book exam in the sport(s) for which they intend to officiate. Exams are available online approximately 1 month prior to the starting date of each sport.
• If you fail that exam, you may retake it two more times. If you fail all three, you must wait until the following year to try again. Failing in one sport does not disqualify you from officiating another.
• All officials are required to view an online rules interpretation meeting in their sport(s) before the season begins. Rule meetings are available online approximately 1 month prior to the starting date of each sport.
• New officials are required to attend a clinic within the first 3 years of registration in the sports of football, basketball, baseball and wrestling if they want to be varsity eligible.
HOW TO REGISTER
• From our website (www.iahsaa.org ), click on OFFICIALS. Once that page opens, click on, Online Registration Form for New and Re-Registered Officials.
• Payment can be made online with a Visa, Mastercard or Discover. Fees include rules books, case books, online open book exam, online rules meeting, liability insurance, and other publications.
• Fees- One sport: $50 Full-time college student or High school student (one sport): $20 Each additional sport: $12
ONCE YOU’RE AN OFFICIAL…
• Directly contact the athletic directors at area schools for game contracts.
• You are strongly encouraged to become a member of a local officials’ association where you can receive training, mentoring and assistance in obtaining game contracts. A list of associations can be found under the Officials tab of the website.
• Member schools set the officiating fees you receive based on the level of competition, distance to and from the contest, number of contests officiated, and number of officials needed to work the game.
QUESTIONS
Your questions are always welcome. Just give us a call at 515-432-2011. Ask for Lewie or Laura.
HOW TO BECOME A COACH
You will find links to the spring and summer sports schedules at the end of this newsletter
Mrs. Shearer - Preschool
With trying to keep class sizes smaller due to COVID, it was decided to have two half-day preschool classes this year. When the year started, we were unsure how the preschool students would adapt to wearing their masks. However, the preschool students have done an excellent job! We have noticed that the masks have seemed to keep our kids healthier. We also took this opportunity to teach the kids about germs and the ways that they are passed from person to person and how to correctly wash their hands. We have had fewer colds and better attendance than in the past.
We have been working hard on recognizing and naming letters and producing the sounds they make. So far, our kids have learned to write 20 letters both capital and lowercase. We are also working to identify numbers 1-20. They have learned to write numbers 1-4. They are becoming masters at writing their own names.
Spring is finally here! We are so excited to get outside and enjoy the warmer weather. We have been learning about different weather and have done a couple of experiments regarding it. The kids did a great job of predicting which items would blow away on a windy day and then tested to see whether or not their predictions were true. They also really enjoyed making their own cloud using a 2-liter bottle and a hand pump. They predicted how big the cloud would be according to how many pumps they used.
As this year’s students prepare to move to kindergarten, we look forward to meeting our new class of preschoolers at the child fair on April 14!
Mrs. Lewis- 3rd Grade
I can’t believe we are in the last quarter of the school year! The time has gone by so quickly! We have been very busy learning so many new things!
In math, we are working on fractions. We have learned about numerators and denominators and made different fractions. We have learned about equivalent fractions and we are working on comparing fractions with the symbols >, <, and =. We are also reviewing our multiplication facts as well. Please keep practicing on the multiplication facts at home.
In literacy, we started our new unit about cultures. We will read several fun stories about different cultures and what happens when two ways of life come together. We will also be learning about adjectives and adverbs and how they can make our writing stronger.
In social studies, we are learning about migration. We will learn about a few different events where migration was a big factor. We are currently learning about the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
We have been working on cursive handwriting this year. The students are very excited to learn how to write each letter and be able to write words. We are halfway through our capital letters. We will also practice writing our names, the days of the week, and the months of the year.
It has been a busy year, but a great year!
Third grade working on comparing fractions using our fraction bars
Third graders partner to read a story
Mr. Stevenson - Title Reading and Math
Hello everyone! Mr. Stevenson here to tell you about what we have been doing in Title 1 this year. What a year it has been I might add. We are finding out new ways to improve our skills to help in the classroom.
In Title reading classes we have worked on everything from letter recognition to letter sounds in the lower grade levels all the way up to working on comprehension and fluency in the older grade levels. We have explored many different ways to accomplish this task and we are getting more confident in what we are doing! The improvement from students has been outstanding and we are looking forward to continuing that improvement all the way up to the end of the year. Reading and practicing skills have been fun for the students and myself this year as we focus on building phonemic awareness, and confidence with sentence reading, sight words, short passages, and fluency. The kids are really engaged in what we do every day and give their best effort. Not much more we can ask for as educators!
In Title math we are have worked on number identification in the lower levels to addition, subtractions, multiplication, division in the upper levels. We are focused on improving our basic understanding of math facts right now and mastering those facts as they will help us with math for the rest of our lives. We have found out ways to use rhyming and shapes to help memorize addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. There is a lot of teamwork in our small class sizes in Title that help us work with each other to improve. Everyone is engaged in what they are doing. Right now we are learning some newer concepts and continuing to practice the old ones so we can retain the things we have learned. I have tried to make math fun for these kids and know they are willing to work hard to keep improving their skills. Just a few more months of hard work this year!
Mr. Nuzum - Social Studies and National Honor Society Sponsor
Currently, students in social studies are studying the following concepts: the Renaissance and reformation in Europe; WWII; the political, cultural, and economic geography of Europe and South America; and general civics.
Social Studies classes will change next year. The Iowa Department of Education has mandated new standards that focus on inquiry. That is, students will be asked to read more primary and secondary sources and draw conclusions rather than remember facts and terms related to history. To prepare for the change, several classes have begun practicing with small, inquiry-based lessons. We will also see some classes disappear from the catalog. Two new classes will be offered, including Civil Discourse and Iowa History.
We recently had the National Honor Society induction ceremony. This year, 14 new members were inducted into the West Harrison Chapter. Aaron Peterson, Zoe Etter, Kali Peasley, Josephyne Whetstone, Riley Acker, Koleson Evans, Mason King, Walker Rife, Hannah Thomas, Grace Thomas, Gunnar Stolz, Jayden McCormick, Brady Melby, and Kierstyn Bieler.
We have scheduled a service project for the new inductees. On April 30th, you may see us as we travel to each town in the district to clean up litter in and around city parks. After we visit each town, we plan on taking a group trip to Omaha for lunch and an activity. The National Honor Society is always looking for volunteer opportunities and service projects, so if you have any ideas or would like our assistance in a project, please reach out to me at bnuzum@w-harrison.k12.ia.us.
2021 Girls Basketball
Thanks to all who supported the Hawkeye girls basketball program this 20-21 basketball season. Thanks to Scott Rife and Kylee Glennie for assisting this season. All though our record didn't show it each of these girls improved every game played. We had eight girls on the team this season; one girl was unable to play because of Iowa Girls Athletic Union regulations but she came to practice and games every day. We had one girl who had never played basketball and one girl who had not played since the seventh grade. Both decided to play so the rest of the girls could keep basketball at West Harrison. One girl had not played since her sophomore year due to a knee injury her junior year.
We rounded out our year with four seniors; Haley Koch, Emily McIntosh, Haleigh Rife, Beatriz Martin; one junior: Rachael Olson; two sophomores: Hannah Thomas and Grace Wallis; one freshman: Macalyn Houston. These girls played hard in every game they played. I could not have asked for a better team of girls to coach. Their hard work and dedication to this basketball season goes without saying. They never gave up and left everything on the floor at the end of each night. I am proud of each of them for the way they handled themselves and how they represented West Harrison. To the seniors: it has been an honor to know you and to coach you. I wish nothing but the best for all four of you. Nothing but great things will be coming your way.
First Year Letter Winners-- Beatriz Martin; Grace Wallis; Maclayn Houston
Second Year Letter Winners-- Hannah Thomas
Third Year Letter Winner-- Rachael Olson
Fourth Year Letter Winner-- Haleigh Rife; Emily McIntosh; Haley Koch
Captains-- Haleigh Rife; Emily McIntosh; Haley Koch
Rolling Valley All Conference-- Haley Koch Second Team
Rolling Valley All Conference Honorable Mention-- Emily McIntosh and Haleigh Rife
E Wayne Cooley You Can Award-- Rachael Olson and Maclayn Houston
Perfect Attendance-- Beatriz Martin, Haleigh Rife, Rachael Olson
Most Improved-- Beatriz Martin
Offensive Player-- Haley Koch
Defensive Player-- Emily McIntosh
Sharp Shooter-- Haleigh Rife
Deuce Award-- Emily McIntosh
Three Point Queen- Haley Koch
Stick to it Award-- Rachael Olson
Sportsmanship Award-- Rachael Olson
Rookie of the Year-- Grace Wallis
Hustle Award-- Hannah Thomas and Haleigh Rife
Sixth Man Award-- Maclayn Houston
MVP-- Emily McIntosh and Haley Koch
Hawkeye Award-- Emily McIntosh and Haley Koch
Emily McIntosh finished her high school career with 3 school records: 980 career rebounds, 298 rebounds in a season, and 26 rebounds in a game
Haley Koch became the 4th athlete to score 1000 career points in 5 on 5 women’s basketball at West Harrison. Haley finished her career with 1052 points
Presenting the 2020-21 KMAland Conference Girls Basketball Awards KMA Sports Rolling Valley Conference Elite Award
Emily McIntosh, Senior, West Harrison: You just can’t overlook these numbers: 15.3 points, 13.2 rebounds per game.
KMA All-Senior Award: Five were chosen including Haley Koch and Emily McIntosh
KDSN Athlete of the Week Emily McIntosh was also chosen