Your Students, Your Schools: Ankeny and Saydel
Fourth-graders are learning about the inquiry process as they study green energy and the affect it has on our lives. The students had the opportunity to apply their learning by constructing a solar car, testing it, working through the scientific inquiry process, and improving the performance of their car. Students are using reading comprehension strategies to better understand mathematical concepts such as story problems.
In reading, second-grade students are working on summarizing fiction and non-fiction texts. They are also working on fun inquiry projects that center around Science All Around Town. In math we are learning about addition and subtraction strategies and getting quick at our math facts.
In third grade, students built pond ecosystems with plastic bottles, sand, rocks, elodea plants and snails. Students observed interactions between producers and consumers.
Fourth grade’s literacy theme is A Green Future. We have been learning about renewable and nonrenewable resources while practicing vocabulary and comprehension strategies. We are looking forward to a couple of guest speakers to teach us more about wind energy and making a difference in protecting our earth. In math, students are learning to use algebraic strategies to solve for unknown variables. They are enjoying playing the math games that connect to our lessons and power standards. In science, the fourth-graders are learning about energy. This week they have conducted experiments to examine how vibration and pitch are connected to sound.
The Ned Show came to East Sept. 30. Tony Marino, representative from the Ned Show, is an entertainer and a magician. The Ned Show is all about never giving up, encouraging others and doing the right thing. After the show, students were given an opportunity to buy yo-yos.
Northeast celebrated national walk/bike to school day Oct. 9 by having volleyball and football players from Ankeny Centennial encourage our students to stay healthy by walking/biking to school. The volleyball players formed a tunnel for the students to walk through outside the building and the football players gave high-fives to the students as they crossed the cross walk.
Northeast teachers Jen Rozinek and Angela Phillips took their students on a community outing to Wal-Mart to get pumpkins.
Prairie Trail participated in International Dot Day Sept. 16. Classrooms read “The Dot” by Peter Reynolds. The book and the celebration is about creativity, collaboration and confidence. Students extended the story many ways throughout the day and were encouraged to “make their mark.”
First-graders are studying the forms of matter: solids, liquids, and gases. Students participated in an introductory activity in which they used their five senses to observe a balloon. Once observations had been made, first-graders inferred what object the balloon contained. For example, they inferred that one balloon contained a gumball, a rock, or a ball. The object inside the balloon was actually a marble. Students learned that it is important to use the five senses to make observations and inferences, but that inferences are not always correct. First-graders have also been reading non-fiction books about solids, liquids, and gases, identifying objects and their state of matter, and singing a song about the states of matter.
Third-session Expeditions begin Nov. 6. Mind Stimulating Diversions, It’s All Greek To Me, Jewelry Making and Strato-Baseball will be offered. Cost is $20 and sign up sheets are available in the front office.
Our sixth- and seventh-grade social will Oct. 25 from 5-7 p.m. Cost is $10 and includes a piece of pizza and a pop.
Top 10 Plays of the Week: students, Addy Hawkins, Abby Dalton, Peyton Agan, Thomas Geren, Kaden Young, Dustin Kutz, Skylar Wright and Sierra Hembry; staff, Sara Stark and Lynne Bleeker.
Prairie Ridge Middle
On Oct. 9, Prairie Ridge participated in the Healthiest State Walk. The theme for the day was “Brighten Up Your Day With Exercise.” Everyone was encouraged to wear bright colored clothing and tennis shoes. The students went out walking during PE and health class.
Forty students were recognized in our Prairie Ridge Pride ceremony Oct. 14 for demonstrating behavior consistent with PBIS behavior expectations. Parents were invited to a short ceremony recognizing these student leaders. Ankeny Centennial student council co-presidents Maddie Decker and Ben Merrill were our guest speakers.
Oct. 23-31 is Red Ribbon Week. The theme is “A Healthy Me is Drug Free.” The Red Ribbon Week committee from Lead Council decided the themes will be based on the eight refusal skills students learn in health class. Refusal skills are a strategy to avoid doing something you don’t want to do. Refusal skills help students make healthy decisions and stay drug free. Other dress-up days are: Oct. 23: Just Say No! Wear Red. Oct. 24: Walk Away! Western Day. Oct. 25: District-wide Pink Out Day. Oct. 28: Make an Excuse. Team Color Day. Maroon team, wear maroon; platinum, wear white; silver, wear black. Oct. 29: Strength in Numbers. Twin Day. Oct. 30: Be Who You Want To Be. Wacky Wednesday. Oct. 31: Repeat, Repeat! Decade Day.
Joleen Henning’s eighth-grade honors science students got first crack at using Northview’s new classroom set of Google Nexus 7 tablets. This week the tablets will be used in a lab on energy along with Google apps, video and photos. They are capable of HD video and apps.
Eighth-grade honors science students explored potential and kinetic energy by building different designed roller coasters to see how the design affects the amount of energy the marble experiences. These photos show students testing their hypothesis by collecting speed data.
Southview Pink Out Day will be Oct. 25 and we will be having an all-school assembly. Wear pink that day. $10 T-shirts have been on sale during lunch most days.
From 4-8 p.m. Nov. 5 and 9, Saydel High School will host its annual fall parent/teacher conferences.
Saydel students attended the high school’s college fair Oct. 7. Over 50 colleges were represented and students attended break-out sessions. The first of several college planning nights was held Oct. 14.