December 19, 2008
Volume 17, No. 4
THANKSGIVING
PLAY
The second grade class
performed their Thanksgiving
play
entitled
"Feast
of
Thanksgiving" on November
25th. Many parents and relatives
watched the second grade perform
their play in the elementary
school library. While learning
their parts, the class learned about
the life on the Mayflower and
what the pilgrims went through to
survive the winter. The class
wants to thank all of those who
came to watch their play!
Pictured L to R above:
John
Pfannenstiel, Alysson Foos, Michael
FitzPatrick, Courie Cox, Clayton Beutler,
and Tiana Epperson.
– Mary Ann Mellies, 2nd Grade Teacher
KANSAS ALL BOOKS
CONNECT (ABC)
Last summer, Commissioner
Alexa Posny entered into a
partnership with Renaissance
Learning,
the
maker
of
Accelerated Reader to create a
website specific to Kansas called
Kansas All Books Connect (ABC)
located
at
www.kansas.bookconnect.com.
Kansas is the first state to pilot a
partnership with Renaissance
Learning.
Kansas ABC is a
reading initiative consisting of
tools and services to help
educators and parents match
books to kids to promote
successful reading practice. The
site is meant to be of assistance to
parents.
Under the collections tab,
there is a list of books that have
won awards, that have made the
states lists, and that are librarian’s
picks.
Under the Kansas Book
Connect tab, there is a list of
Kansas State picks, most popular
books in Kansas by different
grade levels, and other Kansas
web links.
This site can be most helpful
to parents, teachers and librarians.
Check it out!!!
Another site which will be
very helpful to students is
www.whatshouldlIreadnext? At
this site, you type in the title
and author of the book that you
just read and it will give you a
list of other titles that you
might enjoy. Just print the list
and bring it to the library to see
if we have the books. If not,
we can nearly always get them
on interlibrary loan.
– Coline Marcus, USD 303 Librarian
MEAL ACCOUNT
PAYMENTS
Payment reminder slips are
being handed to students as their
meal account balance becomes
low on funds. Please send money
to school when you receive the
reminder. Remember, we are not
able to charge meals. Students
must have money in their account
to purchase a meal.
Only
alternate lunches will be provided
to a student whose account falls
into a negative balance.
Parents are able to track meal
account
balances
through
PowerSchool. If you have not
signed up for access to your
child’s account, you may do so by
contacting the high school office.
Merry Christmas
December 19, 2008
The school is still collecting
the "box tops for education" and
“soup can labels for education”.
If you would like to collect box
tops or soup labels, please send
them with your child OR drop
them by either the elementary
office or the high school office.
We appreciate you collecting
these for our school.
IN THE SPIRIT
The Ness City High School is
livening up as Christmas creeps
closer. In the true holiday spirit,
Ms.
Eichenberger,
first-year
language arts teacher, has
challenged
Mrs.
Goodman,
veteran junior high teacher (and
veteran interior decorator), to a
classroom decorating contest.
Ms. Eichenberger says of the
friendly rivalry, “Mrs. Goodman
has been running a staggeringly
festive exhibit every season of the
year, and I plan to put that
nonsense to an end this holiday
season.” Students and teachers
alike are marveling at the
intensifying displays of holiday
goodness in both neighboring
classrooms as the wreaths are
hung, lights are strung, bells are
ringing, stockings are hanging,
snowflakes are twirling, and
garland is dangling. The students
have pitched in their hard work
and
creativity
into
the
decorations, too, and seem to be
enjoying the camaraderie and
competition. Mrs. Goodman says
of the friendly challenge, “It’s just
in my blood to decorate and I did
not ever expect this to be a
contest but Ms. Eichenberger has
sparked the competitive edge.”
Page 2
Both teachers agree that the
competition is great and has really
brought the holiday spirit to life
for both the students and staff at
Ness City High School. Mrs.
Petersilie, language arts, Mrs.
Gillespie,
business
and
computers,
Mrs.
McNinch,
science, Mrs. McIntosh, art, and
possibly others have volunteered
(or been volunteered) to be the
unbiased
judges
of
the
competition in the days before
Christmas break. The winner will
receive, as Ms. Eichenberger puts
it, “a little respect.” The
competition has certainly made
the holidays live and in color in
the hallways and classrooms of
Ness City High School this
season.
– Mrs. Goodman & Ms. Eichenberger,
The Competitors
ACCELERATED
READER UPDATE
The reading never stops for
our elementary students! During
the month of November the
students earned an impressive
1763.6 points on Accelerated
Reader tests. We would like to
congratulate
the
following
students for earning the highest
number of points and the highest
percentage for their class. Second
Right : Mrs.
Goodman’s
blow-up tree.
Bottom: Ms.
Eichenberger’s
fireplace.
Grade - Tiana Epperson 14.7
points, Savannah Moore 100.0%;
Third Grade - Kyla Stephen 24.7
points, Blake Hornung 96.7% and
Christian Scheopner
96.7%;
Fourth Grade - Payton Rice 29.5
points, Payton Rice 96.7%; Fifth
Grade - Addison Beutler 27.8
points, Nashon Copeland 96.0%;
Sixth Grade - Ashley Grandstaff
132.1 points, Tara Walker
100.0%.
– Mrs. Jo Pfannenstiel, Library Aide
Pictured below: Christian Scheopner, Payton
Rice, Addison Beutler, Tiana Epperson,
Ashley Grandstaff, Blake Hornung, Tara
Walker, Kyla Stephen, and Nashon Copeland.
Not present: Savannah Moore
December 19, 2008
Page 3
ADVENTURES OF
GINGERBREAD
MAN
On
Tuesday,
December
9,
a
Gingerbread Man arrived
in
the
Ness
City
Elementary School Library
mail. He had traveled in a
small cramped envelope
from the first graders at
Marshall
Elementary
School Library in Eureka,
Kansas. The Eureka students are
keeping track of his travels to
various Kansas
libraries and
the adventures
that he has in
each library.
In Ness City,
the first and
second
graders met
the
gingerbread
man
and
listened to his
tale
during
their
story
time in the
library.
The
Gingerbread Man was thrilled to
see the Ness City Elementary
School Library and its Snoopy
Christmas tree. The students
looked on the map to locate
Eureka, Kansas. They enjoyed a
chocolate chip cookie after the
story so that they would not be
tempted to eat the Gingerbread
Man like the fox in the story did.
It was an interesting and
educational experience for all.
Following his adventures in
Ness City, the Gingerbread Man
once again crawled into his
envelope to begin the long trek
back home.
– Mrs. Coline Marcus, Librarian
Pictured L to R above: Makenzee
Cupp, Haylee Winter, Sophie Hahn,
Austin Snodgrass, Summer
Pfannenstiel, Ryan Gabel, Ashley Foos,
and Kassidy McGranahan
first grade students to hang on the
tree. Who could forget the short,
spindly tree that Charlie Brown
brings back - using pipe cleaners,
the second grade class made their
own renditions of this Christmas
tradition. We all remember that
block-head, Charlie Brown, who
couldn’t do anything right, the
third grade used this well loved
character for their tree ornaments.
The fourth grade made colorful
ornaments using the different
characters from the Peanuts Gang.
Fifth grade students decorated a
deck of cards with the Peanuts
characters printed on them to
make ornaments for our tree. The
sixth grade students each made
bookmarks decorated with their
favorite Peanuts character and
lots of glitter.
Christmastime
is
here,
happiness and cheer.
And
Peanuts fans everywhere would
enjoy
our
Peanuts
Gang
Christmas tree. Please feel free to
stop by the elementary library to
see what we have done. Merry
Christmas to all!
– Mrs. Jo Pfannenstiel, Library Aide
NCES LIBRARY
CHRISTMAS TREE
Christmas lights are twinkling
red and green, with Snoopy,
Woodstock and the rest of the
Peanuts Gang adorning our
elementary library Christmas tree.
The Pre-School class made
ornaments using a classic Peanuts
scene, Snoopy sleeping on top of
his red, doghouse.
The
Kindergarten made ornaments
portraying Snoopy as the Red
Baron, using toilet paper rolls and
red felt.
Styrofoam balls
decorated with google eyes and
black pompoms to look like
Snoopy’s face were made by the
Picture below: Ness City Elementary
Library Peanuts Gang Christmas Tree