Homecoming Fun Facts

GOOD LUCK TONIGHT WARRIORS!!

The First Homecoming

The NCAA credits the University of Missouri with the first homecoming event. In 1911 Mizzou's Athletic Director Chester Brewer invited alumni to "come home" for the annual game against the University of Kansas. The event drew over 10,000 alumni and fans for a weekend of speeches, rallies, dances and a parade, with the big game as the weekend's center point.

Football Takes Center Stage

As the popularity of football grew on campuses across the U.S., several schools hit on the idea to hold a large-scale celebration to bolster school spirit and connect current students with alumni. Often times the coronation of a new football field or a big rival game was highlighted to focus homecoming celebrations.

Crowning of the Queen

The homecoming court has its origins in the 1930s. Originally chosen based on a composite of the float she was riding and the person herself, later queens and kings were nominated and ultimately chosen based on their qualities as an individual.

Everyone Loves a Parade

The modern homecoming parade includes the school's marching band, the homecoming court, a variety of floats based upon a chosen theme and a leader of the parade--usually the school's grand marshal. Parades may take place on the school campus or run the length of a town's main street, inviting the majority of the town's citizens and businesses to take part.

Catch the Spirit

Spirit days or dress-up days are most popular during high school homecoming week. Different themes designated throughout the week invite students to dress in costumes or school colors to show their school spirit.

Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) next week

Kinsey Elementary School students in grades second through fourth and the Sioux Center Middle and High School students will be taking the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) next week.  We give students MAP tests to determine your child’s instructional level and to measure academic growth throughout the school year, and from year to year.  MAP tests are unique in that they adapt to be appropriate for your child’s level of learning. As a result, each student has the same opportunity to succeed and maintain a positive attitude toward testing.  And with MAP tests, we can administer shorter tests and use less class time while still receiving detailed, accurate information about your child’s growth.

Please speak with your child/children about the importance of doing their best on the assessment.

2nd Order Change

Our district will focus on creating second order change this year.

First Order change refers to an extension of past practices and typically focuses on doing a better job at what is already being done.

Second Order change is related to complex change that exceeds existing paradigms and requires new knowledge and skills.  (Waters, 2004)

A good teacher is like a candle - it consumes itself to light the way for others. ~Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, translated from Turkish

Chaz Renken Kid Captian for UI-ISU Football game

Congratulations to Chaz Renken for being selected as a Kid Captain for the football game between the Iowa State University Cyclones and the Iowa Hawkeyes at Nile Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City on September 8th.  Way to go Chaz, we are proud of you.

Article

Kudos to Ken Dokter

Article in the Des Moines Register this past weekend regarding school bus inspections and the poor records of schools.  Link

School bus problems detected in large, small Iowa districts

Many districts received good marks from state inspectors. The Register’s review found 188 districts or bus service providers that had no buses flagged as out of service based on their first-semester inspections last year. Those included larger districts such as Bettendorf and Clinton, as well as smaller districts such as Sioux Center, Garner-Hayfield and Moulton-Udell.

Way to go Ken!!

Welcome to the new school year

What an exciting time of year!  Classes are off and running from early childhood to seniors.  Staff at the middle school and high have begun to use Moodle, a learning platform for hybrid classes (on-line and the physical classroom).  Kinsey Elementary teachers are focusing on Math standards and curriculum for the Iowa Common Core.

As a district, enrollment is up.  This is good as our state aid is dependent upon enrollment.  Increased enrollment presents great opportunities for our district that many other districts are not experiencing.  we are truly blessed.  These are exciting times for the Sioux Center CSD

Summer Learning Tips for ParentsThis article has been adapted from a previous column. You are welcome to use the information in a school newsletter, tip sheet or website. Pleasecite the Iowa Parent Information Resource Center and reference the PIRC website, www.iowaparents.org as the information source.

Summer months are often filled with sports clinics, camps, library reading clubs, trips to the swimming pool and family vacations for

many school-age children. But for some children, summer break means extra time in front of the television or computer screen with

little parental supervision. And there are other children whose parents would like to help, but they don’t know how or don’t realize the

importance of staying academically stimulated.

Why does it matter?

Students who do little during the summer months to stimulate their minds experience what is known as “summer slide.” This is when

they lose academic skills, mostly in the areas of math and reading, and then experience setbacks when they return to school in the fall.

The setbacks force teachers to spend about four to six weeks at the beginning of the school year refreshing students and bringing them

back to where they were at the end of the previous academic year. For example, students in the Grand Rapids (Michigan) school district

were found to have lost about 40 percent of what they learned from the previous school year, according to a study done between 2003

and 2004.

And the U.S. Department of Education has reported that students’ reading skills fall behind about 25 percent each summer. The average

student also loses about 2.6 months of grade-level equivalency in math computation skills during the summer.

In addition to brain activity, children also need to participate in physical and social activities during the summer to keep their bodies

strong. Much of a child’s social stimulation can be received through interaction and activities with family members.

Also, parents need to help their children prepare for the next grade level during the summer months. This is increasingly important for

those children who will enter kindergarten or the next academic stage such as middle or high school.

What can parents do?

Arne Duncan, secretary of the U.S. Department of Education, said families need to use the summer months to spend time with their children.

They need to turn off the television and instead visit museums, parks and libraries. Each child should have a library card, and families

should “find ways to continue to learn and to learn as a family all summer,” he said.

Research has shown that summer reading offers one of the greatest benefits because it improves comprehension and vocabulary regardless

of the subject. Reading is most effective when a parent is involved, according to a Harvard University study.

There are numerous activities parents and other adults can do with children regardless of financial status. These ideas include:

•

Read: Parents should read to their child every day. Children improve more quickly when an adult asks questions about the material and

makes the child re-read difficult passages. Books are too difficult for a child if he or she does not understand five or more words in a 100-

word section. Also, set an example and make sure the child sees you reading.

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On the road: Play “I Spy” with road signs for numbers, colors and shapes. Ask older children to estimate and calculate the travel time to

a destination.

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Get outdoors: Take children to parks and trails for walks or to ride bicycles, or plant a garden or flowers together. Spend time before the

outing to gather information and ask children about the plants and wildlife they encounter.

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In your city: Take trips to the museum or other cultural amenities during free admission days. Find free or inexpensive camps through

your city’s parks and recreation department, school or other groups.

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At the ballpark: Teach young fans how to calculate statistics such as RBIs or ERA. Suggest that they read a book about baseball before

the game to teach kids more about the sport and to brush up on reading skills.

•

Volunteer: Ask a friend or relative to host a child at his or her workplace for a day, or take your child to pick up litter or volunteer at a

soup kitchen or senior center.

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In the kitchen: Allow a child to help out by measuring ingredients and reading recipes. Ask more challenging questions such as how

many pints are in a quart and how to divide ingredients.

•

Online: Numerous universities and community colleges offer free online courses, some of which can be downloaded to portable devices.

Websites such as readingrocket.org can give parents reading tips to help their child at various ages.

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Move it: Attend summer music festivals with your children and dance together. Sign up your child for summer swimming lessons or

other athletic events.

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Get prepared: Establish a school-night routine a couple of weeks before school starts that includes earlier bedtimes.

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Be involved: Attend back-to-school and orientation nights to meet teachers, and learn about school and classroom expectations.

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As a family: Plan and cook meals together, share family traditions/customs, or tell stories and reflect upon fun times.

•

Play games: Tell jokes and riddles and share trivia; also, play board games or other games together. Another way to get the brain working

is to play thinking games such as categorizing items such as animals or foods, and doing word clusters.

•

Pen pals: Work as a family to write a letter to another family member or a friend. Everyone should contribute ideas.

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Turn it off: Have at least one full week with no television or video games.

Ideas by grade level to prepare your child for school:

Kindergarten –

1. Help children develop their language skills by teaching them to use adjectives and follow simple directions.

2. Read to your child every day.

3. Sing songs and listen to music.

4. Practice matching letters, rhyming words and organizing things by size, color, shape, etc.

5. Teach your children to do things by themselves such as get dressed, eat, clean up and use the restroom.

Middle school –

1. Show your child how to become organized such as using a different folder for each subject and teach them how to record assignments.

2. Help your child keep track of their activities by having a calendar at home on which events and homework assignments can be written.

3. Create a homework schedule and set aside time each night for reading and writing.

High school –

1. Encourage your child to get a job in order to make him or her more responsible and help understand what it’s like to have a job.

2. Help children prepare for their future by taking challenging classes and creating a plan for after high school.