Sparta R-III School District
November 2017
HOME OF THE TROJANS
Empower all students to be lifetime learners who are responsible, productive citizens in a changing, global society.
Email: enews@sparta.k12.mo.us
Website: www.sparta.k12.mo.us
Phone: (417)634-4284
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Sparta-R-3-School-District-139853506073532/
Twitter: @SpartaR3Schools
INCLEMENT WEATHER
The Power of “Yet”
You may have recently heard conversations about “growth mindset” around your house. This term comes after many studies on student learning and behavior by Carol Dweck. She discovered in her observations that kids seemed to struggle with minimal amounts of failure. Could this be a result of students' feelings about their learning and intelligence? Dweck and her colleagues believe so. When students encounter difficulties, often times they will shut down because of the effort it will require overcoming the hurdle in their way of understanding.This is referred to as a “fixed mindset” or unchangeable mindset. When you feel like you can’t, aren’t smart enough, will never learn it, etc. your brain is telling you to not try. What Dweck discovered though, is that when there is evidence of a desire to learn or grow students also recognize this will come with hard work, dedication and even sometimes failure along the way.
At Sparta R-III we are working on coaching students in this mindset to believe they have the ability to train their brains to achieve success. We want them to always see ways to grow or improve. We are encouraging some of the language you see below for students to begin shifting their thought processes towards a mindset of perseverance and determination. There are many ways you can incorporate this same mindset at home to encourage and foster problem-solving, critical thinking and independence. As we begin to partner in similar vocabulary, we can see greater achievement in our students because of increased connections and practice.
VETERANS DAY ASSEMBLY
STATE CROSS COUNTRY
ACADEMIC TEAM
December 2nd.
FFA UPDATES
The students of FFA would like to say thank you to the community for the support over the last few years. The labor auction and fruit and meat sales were successful this year. We know fundraising has been a big success due to our supportive community.
The fruit and meat should be in approximately the first week of December.
National convention was a huge success. Our national officers and the guest speaker during the opening ceremony were great. The kids learned a great deal and, more importantly, had fun along the way. The National Day of Service was something new and allowed us to participate in helping give a new look to the Indianapolis City Market. Students had a great time during this event called Living to Serve. We were also able to stop at the lock and dam on the Mississippi River in Alton, Illinions, to see where all of the grain being transported up and down the river must pass.
The FFA officers will be providing a meal for the school board before their meeting on Thursday, November 16.
The Sparta FFA chapter will have a float in the Sparta Christmas Parade on December 2. Come out and show your support. (There may even be some candy involved!)
YEARBOOKS ON SALE NOW!
STUDENTS OF THE MONTH
- Nathan Hyde
- Gabbi Wilson
6th Grade
- Allison Lewis
- Walker Loveland
7th Grade
- William Nichols
- Emma Jemes
8th Grade
- Ryan Bumgarner
- Shelby McMurry
HORSE CLUB
Horse Club was started by students who wanted to learn more about the equestrian world. We have meetings once a month after school in Mrs. Shelton's room, where we talk about different styles and techniques in the horse business. We have guest speakers who will be coming in periodically to talk about their areas of expertise. Students will get hands-on experience through practicing on dummies, and at the end of the year there will be a stick horse rodeo put on where students challenge staff members. We are always adapting and changing what will come next. Come join in on the fun!
REVOLUTION RACKET
Eighth grade students in Ms. Johnson's social studies classes have been conducting research to design board games, augmented reality games and kinesthetic games specifically for SMS's 5th grade students. These games cover topics such as the Boston Tea Party, Bunker Hill, Battles of Lexington & Concord, the Boston Massacre, etc. On Wednesday, November 15th, the 5th grade will be invited to the library media center for an afternoon of games and lunch.
SECOND GRADE UPDATES
During the month of November, the second graders took the Evaluate Assessment. They were excited and ready to improve their scores in both ELA and Math. Each student set a personal goal for each subject and each class set a goal. Most of the goals were met and some students scored above and beyond their goal they had set. The students are ready to review their results and learn from their mistakes so they can improve their scores next time. The picture is of the second graders celebrating their Evaluate improvements with Mrs. Barnes and Mrs. Payne.
If you missed the second-grade musical, On Safari, you really missed out on a spectacular performance. Ms. Ray did a great job preparing students and Mrs. Brown did a wonderful job decorating the gym with student work to make it feel like the audience was on a safari. The students did a wonderful job singing and memorizing their parts.
RECYCLING
Our recycling program is up and running. As a district, we have implemented a co-mingled recycling program through Republic Services. In the elementary each of our classrooms has a separate bin for co-mingled products. We are able to recycle the majority of our trash including paper, cardboard, most plastics, cans, pizza boxes, magazines, aerosol cans, newspapers and much more. This is a tremendous asset and service to our school and environment.
We have several student leaders who have monthly jobs. Currently, three of those leaders are recycling assistants. Their job is to grab small recycling cans and pour them into a larger receptacle. At night our custodians empty those receptacles into the recycling dumpster outside. We are very excited about this program and how we might improve in the future.