CHS NEWSLETTER
News You Can Use --December 2017
Clinton High School
Email: thduszynski@clintonwis.com
Website: http://www.clinton.k12.wi.us
Location: 112 Milwaukee Street, Clinton, WI, United States
Phone: 608-676-2223
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/clintoncommunityschooldistrict/
Twitter: @clintonwischool
Welcome!
Important Dates!
December 22 - January 1: NO SCHOOL-Winter Break
January 15th-25th: Star 360 Testing Window
January 19th: Semester 1 ends
January 26: NO SCHOOL-Teacher Professional Development Day
February 16: Midterm 3 ends
February 19: Parent-Teacher Conferences (4-8 p.m.)
February 21: Parent-Teacher Conferences (4-8 p.m.)
February 23: NO SCHOOL
February 27th-28th: Junior ACT + Writing & WorkKeys Test
Principal's Shoutout!
I wanted to commend the students and staff at CHS for their outstanding achievement in regards to the state-mandated ACT+Writing test that took place last Spring. This fall the data was released and I’m extremely proud of the work our staff and students have put into the curriculum and striving for excellence. Our 2017 ACT scores were excellent; third in the Rock Valley Conference and the highest in Rock County!!! The ACT+Writing is just one of the indicators of our college and career ready focus but one that everyone should be very proud of.
Advisory Time - What is it?
Advisory periods have been put in place for this school year. Advisories are a small group of same age peers where a variety of presentations and/or discussions occur. Information is shared out via a Google Classroom so that students can access the material at any time. For example, all Juniors have a classroom entitled, “Class of 2019 Advisory”. Presentations have been delivered to all students each week on topics ranging from note taking and Gmail clean up and organization to topics of perseverance and character. This time is also utilized for sharing grade level information regarding testing, PBIS and Career Cruising. Ask your student to show you some of the presentations!
Ag
Biotechnology students participated in an in-class debate regarding the topic of if foods produced through biotechnology should be available to consumers. Students conducted research on both sides of the debate and worked in teams to defend their arguments. Our class utilized the library resources and brought in agribusiness professionals to provide feedback.
Students in animal science are wrapping up their swine unit by identifying swine ear notches. Ear notching is a universal identification system. Our animal science students can identify the litter ear and individual ear as well as read the notches in each ear.
Wildlife and Natural Resource students learned more about the current laws and regulations regarding Wisconsin Deer Hunting. We discussed the new bill that was passed eliminating the minimum age to hunt and the pro's and con's of allowing younger hunters to accompany a mentoring hunter.
Landscape Development and Soils students are identifying various tools used in landscaping and how to properly use them. We will be completing a landscaping project for students to put their skills to work.
Art
CHS welcomes the RVC Traveling Art Show featuring artists from conference schools. The show will arrive Friday December 1st and will be displayed through December 20th in the CHS commons. Look for our 2 selected artists : Kayla Michaelson and Peyton Pope.
Band-Friday Night Performances
The Clinton High School Band successfully completed another fall performance season. This year’s marching band show theme was “Selections from Musicals.” We performed Phantom of the Opera, Music from Jersey Boys, and Geronimo. Here are some photo highlights of marching season…
Band Camp
Holiday Band Concert
***Our annual Holiday Band Concert was held Monday, December 11, 2017. The middle school band performed first followed by the high school band. It was an excellent concert that was well attended. GO BAND!***
Business
During the month of September business and marketing students and DECA officers were very busy prepping for the Grand Opening of the Cougar Cave the week of homecoming! Students worked to determine product needs and wants, designed apparel, practiced visual merchandising, learned about pricing strategies and markup and trained on the Point of Sale System. The grand opening of the Cougar Cave was a success and students are now analyzing the data from the opening.
Anna Baker, one of our exceptional Personal Finance students is attending “Understanding Everyday Finances” class at Hendricks CareerTek in Beloit. She is working with mentors to learn how to set up her own accounts at a financial institution of her choice. At the completion of the course, she will receive a monetary stipend to start saving!
In October the 2017-18 DECA office team hosted an Ice Cream Social as part of their membership drive. Students came to learn about DECA, win prizes and enjoy some ice cream. DECA is an academic marketing organization that prepares emerging student leaders in multiple areas of business and marketing. The members are now prepping for district competition which will be held at Sun Prairie High School on January 6. Students will have the opportunity to compete against other students by completing an economics test, a cluster test, and a role play in front of a judge within their series of choice. From district competition, we hope to have students qualify to compete at the state career and development conference in Lake Geneva in March.
Counseling-Academic and Career Planning
Academic and Career Planning, or ACP, is a student-driven, adult-supported process in which students create and cultivate their own unique and information-based visions for post-secondary success, obtained through self-exploration, career exploration, and the development of career management and planning skills." We have implemented Academic and Career Planning here at CHS. ACP is a 4 part process of KNOW, EXPLORE, PLAN, AND GO which students develop throughout Middle School and High School. The purpose of ACP is to help students learn about themselves (their skills, strengths and interest areas) and learn how to explore college and career paths that will help them train and prepare for jobs that best suit them. The focus is on learning the PROCESS. ACP does not force students into specific career pathways with no flexibility. Ask your student more about ACP and Career Cruising. Parents can help encourage their student to utilize the vast amount of tools available through Career Cruising. Students often do not fully see the value in this resource, however, as we meet with parents to share this tool with them, we have received positive feedback about the program and all that it offers.
English
With the 1:1 Chromebook initiative beginning at the high school, the English department is hard at work to make sure the technology works for the kids. All four levels are using the Chromebooks to help enhance student learning and give students the 21st-century skills needed to be successful after high school.
The most important tool all teachers are utilizing is Google Classroom. Every teacher has a classroom set up for their students to post assignments, discussions and important announcements. Whenever students are absent, they don’t need to ask the teacher what they’ve missed because pertinent information is already in the classroom. Review sheets, notes, and other necessary documents are ever-present on the classroom, so when a student says they don’t have a vocab list or know what the assignment is, it’s literally just a few clicks away.
For vocabulary, teachers have used a number of different resources that have led to increased scores and better understanding. Kahoot is a popular reviewing option for students. Each student logs into the program and is able to answer multiple choice questions to review the vocabulary words. Quizlet is another commonly used app where students can input their vocab list and play review games or practice with flashcards. Tools like Quizlet allow students to review on their phones all the time and Kahoot allows teachers to see what words students are still struggling with and create a more focused review lesson before the test. In the special ed department, teachers have been using SMARTboard review games and have seen amazing results as many students who were failing previously are now getting 4s and 5s on their tests.
Speaking of tests, a number of teachers are using online quizzes for students, which allows for instant feedback. Rather than waiting through the weekend to see how they did, students get their scores sent directly to their email and know how they did right after the teacher scores it. And don’t forget the big test -- the ACT+Writing for Juniors. Method Test Prep is a tremendous online tool for review and practice before taking the ACT or the ASPIRE. All students have access to the program through their Career Cruising account.
Writing is maybe affected the most by the Chromebooks as all papers are submitted via Google Classroom and Google Docs. Teachers put comments on papers and can quickly communicate issues to students. Nobody can lose a paper any longer because it’s all stored in the cloud! Everything’s in the cloud!
To improve their writing, students have used Grammarly and NoRedInk to make sure their grammar is up to par. The skills those programs help develop are directly linked to the skills required on the ACT and the college readiness standards all students need to be successful after high school.
Finally, students use a number of note-taking programs. Videonotes, which allows students to watch Youtube videos and take time-stamped notes at the same time, helps with remembering the important information and is great for quickly referring back to information for review. Kami allows for online annotations for close readings, a key component in English. The information is all saved directly to their Google drive so students have quick access to it whenever they need it.
The English department is committed to using technology to enhance student learning. We are excited to keep trying new and innovative ways to educate children and produce students with 21st-century skills.
Family and Consumer Science
This semester the only class running in the Family and Consumer Science Department is Foods 1, but that is because there are four sections of it! Students enjoyed the Pumpkin Unit. In this unit, they carved pumpkins, toasted the seeds, and made pumpkin bars.
Staff voted on the carved pumpkins, and the following kitchen groups were winners:
1st Place: Kitchen Kalen 2nd Place: Kitchen Seniors Tied for 3rd Place: Kitchen Spice Girls and Kitchen The Sauce is Boss.
Students have learned how to make pizza and are learning how to stir-fry. December labs include Fried Rice, Sweet Rolls, and Gingerbread Houses. If you have a child or know any students in Foods 1, get them in the kitchen cooking! They have access to all the recipes in Google Classroom.
FFA
Sectional Leadership Workshop
FFA-Take Your Tractor to School Day
Take Your Tractor to School Day
Kiwanis Award Information Update
The Clinton Kiwanis Club has recently contacted the Clinton Community School District to notify us that they will no longer be sponsoring the Kiwanis Academic Award Program. Membership in Kiwanis has dwindled over the years and the current membership is scaling back some of their fundraising efforts such as eliminating the Kiwanis Radio Auction. The Kiwanis Club would like to continue to support the educational achievements and community service of students via scholarships which they have sponsored for a number of decades. Unfortunately, conducting both Kiwanis Awards and sponsoring scholarships would dwindle the club’s financial reserves too quickly causing the civic organization to financially be insolvent. Clinton Community School District supports the decision made by the Kiwanis Club and encourages the community to do the same as it was not easy for the membership to make this determination. Kiwanis has done a tremendous amount for our children and community over the years and we as a district would like to thank them for their past and continued support.
Clinton High School recently received our statewide ACT scores from Spring 2017. I’m very proud of the students and staff. Our scores were the highest in Rock County and placed us 3rd in the Rock Valley Conference!! This is a testament to the staff delivery of high-quality curriculum and instruction as well as to our students for their growth and focuses on academics. I’d like to congratulate the Class of 2018 on a job well done and set a goal for the Class of 2019 and beyond to continue the tradition of demonstrating academic excellence!
Math
The Math Department is using a new curriculum this year called Eureka Math. Eureka Math is a program that builds upon itself throughout the year as well as each year thereafter, so there is a learning curve that is occurring for all but the research behind the program and its effectiveness is outstanding. Parents can access resources that can be utilized to help supports students as well at https://greatminds.org/math/parents. The teachers and students are working hard to master all of the math concepts presented by Eureka Math and reframe math to include explanations of the “why” of the answer, not just the answer itself. Recognizing different ways to solve the same problems is a real-world skill for students.
The Math Team is up and running for another successful school year. The Varsity and JV placed within the top 10 in Division 3 schools at the UW-Platteville Math Competition on November 1, 2017. Gracey Rainey earned a spot on the All-Academic Team from scoring Exceptional on her individual math test.
Method Test Prep
NEW Laude System
Recently the board approved a new policy in which Clinton High School will recognize graduates with a Laude system instead of the traditional rank system starting with the class of 2020. The Laude System acknowledges student achievement through a combination of student cumulative grade point average and the number of honor class points completed in their high school career. The cumulative grade point average and honor points mathematically create an overall Laude Score. Possible laude distinctions include Cum Laude (meaning “with honors”), Magna Cum Laude (“with great honor”), or Summa Cum Laude (“with highest honor”).
Right now in the nation, fewer than 50 percent of high schools report class rank. The cum laude system grants students points for taking advanced courses and maintaining a minimum base-level GPA. Students are then grouped into categories including cum laude for the lowest range of points, magna cum laude for a middle range and summa cum laude for the highest range.
Clinton High School wants to recognize students and provide incentives to move towards classes that are more challenging both in academic and elective areas. We have many opportunities for students to complete advanced coursework within career and technical education areas as well as more traditional core academic areas.
CHS Leadership team members reviewed procedures and policies from other schools and had discussions with departments to ensure that the system we utilize is reflective of our students, our staff and our community.
There will definitely be a transition for all of us in going from having a valedictorian and salutatorian to recognizing laude levels because it is different than what we are familiar with, but it is about us recognizing more students who have reached a certain level of challenge successfully, in both core academic and elective areas.
More information will be shared with students and parents/guardians in the upcoming months but feel free to contact the office if you’d like more information.
Nurse's Room Update...
When you have a student that is ill, it is important your student's office staff be notified of any and all specific symptoms and/or diagnosis as there are students and or staff members who are immunocompromised in each of the buildings. These individuals may be particularly vulnerable to cold and flu viruses, as well as other transferable illnesses.
Phy Ed/Health
Badminton is a lifetime activity that can be played by anyone. The physical education classes have started this unit and their tournament play has just begun. This is a unit that the students love to partake in. They start off with the singles tournament and then transition into the doubles tournament with double elimination. Student expectations are to understand and utilize the rules of badminton during their games. It is amazing to see their transformation and growth of the game as each day of play occurs. This tops the list of one the favorites by everyone. Teachers love to get involved too!
The Chinese invented the first version of badminton in the fifth century A.D. The first international competition was between the English and the Irish in 1903 in Dublin. The sport became popular in the United States in the 1930’s. Badminton was a demonstration sport in the 1972 Olympics. In 1992 it was a full medal sport for the first time at Barcelona, Spain.
Anatomy & Physiology
Biology
Chemistry
Science
With the increasing focus on standards-based grading, the science department has established the following Targets for their science courses.
Target 1. Conduct investigation, gather evidence and interpret data.
Target 2. Modeling
Target 3. Communication
Instruction and learning within the science department will be directed by these 3 science targets. With assessments designed to measure student progress in these areas, each teacher uses their specific discipline, be it Biology, Chemistry, Physics, or Anatomy and Physiology, to teach the skills.
Target 2-Modeling was on full display this November in the science department.
Developing and using models
Analyze usefulness of model and compare effectiveness of different models
Biology students completed 3D models of the organelles within a cell and analyzed the interactions those organelles share.
Chemistry students created 3D models of the atom and then manipulated those models to create ions and demonstrate their knowledge of isotopes.
In Anatomy and Physiology, Mrs. Gander’s students showed their creative side in creating full human skeletons out of everything from paper to vegetables and even rice crispy treats. Who knew learning could be so delicious!
In Physics class, students used a personal hovercraft to model and experience Newton’s Laws of motion.
Social Studies
In Global Studies students discussed Latin America and started a unit on Africa. During the Latin America Unit, we had a simulation of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Students were either an American or Soviet striving to solve the same problem that President Kennedy did – how to get the missiles out of Cuba with the threat of nuclear war destroying the world looming in the background. Several of the classes succeeded in wheeling and dealing with one another and the missiles were removed with a little give and take on both sides – exactly like what happened in 1962!
Mr. Crivello's Sociology class has had the opportunity to examine and discuss a variety of social topics such as bullying, teen suicide, opioid use and teen homelessness in Rock County. Speakers were brought in to supplement the content being explored. Future topics will include race and law in America.
Psychology students had the opportunity to visit the Milwaukee County Zoo this semester. When visiting the zoo, students conducted field research through observation. While observing animal behavior, students gained a better insight on how much of an influence environment has on the overall behavior of an animal.
Special Education Department
Since the implementation of 1:1 devices, all CHS students have been utilizing various technological tools. As a district that uses the Google platform, students are benefitting from the use of various Google Chrome extensions and applications that provide assistance with word prediction, grammar and spell checking, speech to text, text to speech, and more. The Special Education department has been working with individual students and their specific needs to find apps and extensions that work best for them. Ask your child about their favorite ones!!
Tech Ed
We are thankful for Tony Jordan and Chris Esser, HVAC instructors at Blackhawk Technical College, for reaching out to Clinton High School. Due to the shortage of people going into the trades, they will be donating a residential furnace and curriculum. This will allow students to learn hands-on and be able to interact in a controlled environment that with a piece of common, everyday piece of equipment.
Another thank you goes out to LKQ of Janesville. They donated the car fenders that students use in Automotive Basics. On these fenders, students dent and repair the dent with Bondo. Students also cut out and patched in metal to simulate fixing a rust spot. If students chose, they will be able to wrap a section of the fender with vinyl. This is a newer practice in auto body work that allows you to change the color of a vehicle without painting it.
Students in Engineering Basics are more than halfway through designing and building the LED Acrylic signs. In this project, engineering students are paired up with an art student in a different class. The art students created a sketch of what they wanted the finished product to look like. The engineering students then had to create the blueprints, determine the cost, and build the product to the predetermined specifications.
Work-based Learning
Clinton High School currently has sixteen Youth Apprenticeship students registered in five different program areas including: Agriculture, Health, Hospitality, Architecture and Construction, and Manufacturing. With the expansion of our work-based learning opportunities this year, Internship is another way for students to explore different career options and receive on the job training. Four students are currently enrolled in Internship experiences: one dental and three retail. Students and employers continue to come in and discuss work-based learning options available.
As we look ahead to 2nd semester we anticipate more students enrolling in our Work-Based Learning program. We already know that we will have some students beginning employment at Scot Forge as well as taking Nursing Assistant courses at Blackhawk Technical College.
October was Manufacturing Month. Manufacturing is an annual celebration of modern manufacturing meant to inspire the next generation of manufacturers. There are 12.3 million manufacturing workers in the United States, accounting for 9 percent of the workforce. The average manufacturing worker in the United States earns $82,000 annually. Over the next decade, nearly 3.5 million manufacturing jobs will likely be needed, and 2 million are expected to go unfilled due to the skills gap. Three students are currently receiving credit for working as Youth Apprenticeship students within the Manufacturing Pathway. Ten students also participated in Manufacturing Day sponsored by Blackhawk Technical College. After a tour of the Milton Campus, students visited ANGI Energy Systems and SSI Technologies, Inc. both of Janesville. Students enjoyed seeing what jobs and training opportunities are available in the surrounding area.
Laura Benisch and Janae Gile met with Dr. Tina Salzman, Business and Education Director and Susan Day, Director of Education Services at Hendricks CareerTek. We discussed opportunities available to our students through their program and partnerships they are interested in forming. Career Tek’s main goal is to inspire tomorrow’s workforce to realize their career potential and goals. Together we are currently working on finding sponsors for all the trade up banners that we hope to have printed and hung up around the school.
A new bulletin board has been created in the commons outside the counseling office and by the side gym door for work-based learning opportunities. Information for both employers, students, and parents are posted on the bulletin board. Students and visitors can check out the help wanted ads and volunteer opportunities available to them at this current time.
Clinton High School, partnered with Blackhawk Technical College, hosted an apprenticeship career panel in the high school library to celebrate National Apprenticeship Week.
National Apprenticeship Week is a National Celebration that offers leaders in business, labor, education, and other critical partners a chance to express their support for Apprenticeship. The panel gave apprenticeship sponsors the opportunity to showcase their programs, facilities, and apprentices in our community. The students enjoyed listening to the panelists and learning about local apprenticeship programs.
Co-founders, Mark Becker and Jeff Peterson of Geneva Supply came to Clinton High School to talk to Junior and Senior students about their entrepreneurship adventure. Last year, Geneva Supply was ranked #29 out of 360 companies by Entrepreneur Magazine. Geneva Supply partners with manufacturers, retailers, and designers to increase their online sales through Amazon.com, and to drive overall media presence. Students also heard about Biz Tank--an 8-week extracurricular opportunity for juniors and seniors that put them in connection with some big-time business personalities. Thank you Mark Becker and Jeff Peterson for this great opportunity.
World Languages
CHS German classes have been busy over the course of the past couple weeks. German V students worked on a Grabstein Projekt (Tombstone Project) where they researched a famous German speaker and created a tombstone with information regarding that person in conjunction with the German holidays of Allerheiligentag and Allerseelentag (All Saints Day/All Souls Day). All the German classes have been busy preparing letters auf Deutsch (in German) to take along on the annual Christkindlmarkt Field Trip to Chicago in early December. This is part of a program that will benefit the Make a Wish Foundation. The German Club has also been busy selling Chocolate Advent Calendars as a fundraiser for the club as it prepares to adopt a family through the Clinton Community Outreach Programs Adopt a Family for Christmas initiative. Fröhliche Weihnachten!
End Notes: Emergency Procedure Plan
Clinton Community School District has procedures in place to handle emergency situations that could occur in or around the school while your child is arriving at school, in class, or leaving school. Our priority is to keep all students, staff, and visitors safe at all times.
Parent Support--We depend on you, as parents, to support our emergency response efforts. Your cooperation is vital to helping us protect the safety and welfare of all our students and school employees. Therefore, we ask parents and guardians to assist with the following:
Keep your emergency/enrollment information up to date at all times.
Talk to your children and emphasize the importance of following instructions from their teachers, school officials, and emergency responders during any school emergency.
Review the emergency procedure section of this newsletter with your child/children.
During an emergency, please do not telephone the school. We understand and respect your concern for your child, yet it is essential that the telephone system be available for emergency communications. Additionally, if our school is in an emergency, no staff members will be available to answer the phone as they will be working hard to protect all students, staff, and visitors.
Do not come to the school unless instructed to do so. The building will be secured, and entry will not be allowed. We realize how difficult this is in an emergency situation, but this is crucial in handling emergency situations. Vehicles at or near the school could impede medical aid responders from arriving at or departing from the school. Emergency responders may also be forced to divert their attention from the critical emergency response to address or protect parents. Parents’ presence at the scene could endanger not only themselves but students and staff members as well.
Drills
For our emergency procedures to be effective, we depend on the cooperation and assistance of many people, such as the police and fire departments, district administration, staff, students, families and community members. We feel we must educate all stakeholders, so we will be practicing drills (not only “fire” drills but also “modified lockdowns/code blue drills) periodically throughout the year. Please do not be alarmed by this precautionary action and reassure your student(s) that we need to practice so that everyone is prepared.
Emergency Plan Information:
The purpose of an emergency plan is to have procedures in place to protect students, staff, and visitors to minimize exposure to a potential threat and/or to allow them other survivable options during a potentially lethal threat situation. Emergencies are fluid and are constantly changing during the event and responding proactively to it can be a daunting challenge for any individual. Although this plan will provide an outline of what students and staff should consider doing, it by no means guarantees that injuries or loss of life will not occur. Students and staff should utilize the guidelines presented in this plan as a recommendation to aid in their decision making.
FIRE: This is the only emergency that is alerted with an alarm. When the alarm is sounded, students and staff leave the building to a spot away from the building and not blocking roads. If an alarm goes off, it is imperative to leave the building and not to hide.
TORNADO: The tornado plan will go into place during a tornado warning. The building administrator will give directions and information to staff and students. Students and staff head to their tornado shelter location, sit on the floor cross-legged, head in their lap, and hands are covering their head.
MODIFIED LOCKDOWN (NON-LIFE THREATENING) Inside (Medical Emergency, Building Search, Utility Failure): A modified lockdown are utilized during a non-life threatening emergency such as medical emergency, canine search, and a threat outside of the school district grounds. A modified lockdown incorporates many of the same procedures as a lockdown, but the occupants may continue their day to day operations within a secured classroom. Code Blue is a specific modified lockdown used in a medical emergency.
SYSTEMATIC EVACUATION (Bomb Threat, Chemical, Hazardous Materials, Downed Aircraft, Wildfires, Flooding, Earthquake): Systemic evacuation is a process of moving student from a school building to a secure location either by walking or bussing. This is a very controlled process that is executed with clear direction from the district administration.
SHELTER-IN-PLACE Outside (Bomb Threat, Civil Unrest, Suspicious Person, Chemical, Hazardous Materials, Earthquake): Shelter-in-place is used during an outside threat such as chemical/hazardous material exposure, civil unrest to name a few. Shelter-in-place is similar to a modified lockdown, but students, staff, and/or visitors take refuge for safety purposes with doors locked, windows secured, and window treatments closed. During this situation, ventilation is turned off to reduce exposure.
LOCKDOWN/ EVACUATION (LIFE THREATENING) Life Threatening (Weapon Use, Dangerous Person, Internal Civil Unrest): A lockdown/evacuation is activated once there is an actual or perceived threat of harm to students, staff, and/or visitors. This plan requires the participation of all employees to implement the plan to mitigate the risk of injury or loss of life to those affected by the threat. Students and staff make the decision based on the proximity of the threat. When the threat is close, most often best practice is choosing to lock down, remaining silent, out of the sightline, and assuming a position to run or attack. If the threat is not in your immediate location running is the best choice.
Parent-Child Reunification and Communication:
In a life-threatening situation, the district will communicate information regarding the incident and instructions for parent and child unification through Blackboard Connect Family Notification System. If an emergency occurs on or near a school site, parents (or guardians) must report to the school reunification location and follow the procedure for releasing a student which will be detailed in the Blackboard Connect Family Notification.