West
AN OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE WEST NOBLE SCHOOL CORP.
SPRING 2016
Reading program helps WNMS students ACHIEVE! West Noble Middle School students are wrapping up the third year of a popular online nonfiction reading program called ACHIEVE3000. The program differentiates lessons at 12 levels in English and seven in Spanish to ensure that all learners engage at their own individual reading level, accelerating reading gains, boosting mastery of state standards and improving performance on high-stakes tests. Research has shown that the more time kids spend reading, the better readers they become. But how do we create more time for reading in an already busy classroom schedule? ACHIEVE3000 delivers high-interest science and social studies-based news stories at each student’s individual reading level. This ensures that all students are able to work with the same content, and meaningfully engage in class discussions and whole-class activities. ➤ Achieve, Page 2
ACHIEVE3000, a nonfiction reading program, is used at West Noble Middle School to help students increase their reading skills. The program tailors science and social-studies based news stories to a student’s reading level.
West Noble Elementary heads toward success Each day students at West Noble Elementary participate in Success Time. Thirty minutes every day are set aside to remediate or enrich students in either math or reading. Students receive small or large group instruction during this time based on their needs. Students who need remediation, or extra help, meet in a small group that focuses on a standard. Students who meet or exceed the standard meet in a large group for skill/standard reinforcement or enrichment. All Title staff, in addition to classroom teachers, help remediate, reinforce and enrich students during this time. Groups are flexible, and students move in and out of groups based on specific needs. Most groups last three to four weeks and then students are regrouped and a new skill becomes the focus.
West Noble Elementary sees Success Time as a way to meet the varying needs of all our students. The proof is in the data that Success Time is successful. Last year West Noble Elementary had 91 percent of all students pass the IREAD 3 test, which was up from the 2013-2014 school year’s score of 84 percent. Both third- and fourth-grade students scored higher on the 2014-2015 math ISTEP test than the state average. During Success Time, students are actively engaged with hands-on learning activities to help them remediate, reinforce or enrich their skills. During Language Arts Success, students work on improving their vocabulary and fluency in addition to the language arts skill. During Math Success, students work on cementing the math skill and gaining a deeper
understanding of the math concept. Students have very positive things to say when asked what they think about Success Time. Keisha Ostrander, a fourth-grader in Mrs. Grotemat’s class said, “I like the part where we got to do the area and perimeter with the 3 posters on the wall. It’s fun to do multiply and dividing. I like when we get to read different versions of stories, and we get to determine character traits.” Jocelyn Pedroza, a third-grader in Mrs. Yoder’s class said, “I like success because it helps me with things I don’t understand.” Sam West, in Miss Bontrager’s secondgrade class, said, “During Math Success, we can make new friends and learn at the same time.” ➤ Success, Page 2
Achieve from Page 1 The five-step routine gives students ample opportunity to practice their reading and comprehension strategies with nonfiction articles that are tailored to each student’s individual lexile level. They read the news story, complete a short quiz comprised of nonfiction skill questions and finish with a written response to what they learned. Each time a student scores 75 percent or more on the quiz, his or her nonfiction reading level increases. ACHIEVE3000 monitors student progress and automatically adjusts lexile levels on a monthly basis,
Success from Page 1
“Tell me, I forget; show me, I remember; involve me, I understand,” said Carl Orff, a composer and music educator who stressed the importance of hands-on experiences in the music classroom. At West Noble Elementary we are giving young students the opportunity to use their creativity through playing drums, xylophones, guitars and other instruments. Our second- through fourth-graders use folk dancing and creative movement to express themselves while learning to keep a steady beat and sing tunefully. This winter, Megan Murphy, WNE music
ensuring that all students continue to receive articles at their reading level. Last year, WNMS students doubled their expected nonfiction reading level growth, sailing right past the projected levels set by ACHIEVE3000! WNMS has also implemented a very popular reward program for students successfully completing ACHIEVE3000 articles at 75 percent or more. Prizes range from snacks and pizza, to free athletic event passes, to after-school movie events and free trips to Dairy Queen! The program is used twice weekly in
science and social studies classes at school, but students may also work on the program at home. In fact, it has become so popular that as of January 2016, 73 percent of WNMS students using ACHIEVE3000 have logged on outside of school hours! This popularity is encouraging and makes ACHIEVE3000 a great program to help prevent summer learning loss. West Noble is currently reviewing the use of ACHIEVE3000, which has also been provided to qualifying high school students, in order to determine if it will be offered again during the 2016-2017 school year.
teacher, got a chance to talk to the West Noble School Board about the importance of a strong arts education. On May 17 you can come and experience a day in the life of a fourth-grade musician and artist at the Music and Art Show at 7 p.m.! Students have been working hard in the art room as well. Fourth grade is learning all about the awesome artwork at the Field Museum in Chicago, Aztecs, Egyptians, and now the Northwest Coast Indians and totem poles! On May 13, the entire fourth grade will be going to the Field Museum to see
the real artwork they have been learning about. The trip was made possible through a grant from the Dekko Foundation. Second-graders have been learning about Monet, Japanese art and Picasso. Third grade has been learning about pop artists Roy Lichenstein and Andy Warhol. They also did some patriotic artwork with Jasper Johns. Now they are learning about optical illusions! Pablo Picasso said, “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.” At WNE, we strive to help our students do just that!
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GrapeSEED program a success The GrapeSEED program is based on the oral language acquisition and critical listening principles of natural language learning. Two teachers are piloting this program for students learning English in kindergarten and first grade for 30 minutes a day. English is not their first language, and a high percentage of those students hear no English at home. In addition “school language” and “literacy language” is very different from the English spoken at home for all of our students. GrapeSEED is helping to build bridges to ease the way for these students to develop language and reading skills. One of the biggest benefits of GrapeSEED is the level of student engagement during the GrapeSEED lessons. Students participate in storytelling, listening to books, chanting, vocabulary development and songs. Students are consistently engaged at a high level over time. They make connections between the GrapeSEED materials and themselves, other stories they read, the world around them and activities they do. GrapeSEED encourages not only language and literacy development, but growth in confidence. The students love going to GrapeSEED and come back repeating the poems and songs. Parents and teachers have even commented about how much more their child is talking, reading and understanding. They have gained a great deal of confidence and knowledge. We would like to see this program grow, so that all the students at West Noble Primary cannot only gain in language and literacy development, but also in confidence!
West Noble reading recovery and literacy instructional assistant Martha Hedges has Antony Perez lead the class in reading a poem.
What Gerardo Medina likes best about GrapeSeed: “I like the songs, and I have learned this much about English.”
CONTACT WEST NOBLE 894-3191 or 800-488-3191 Visit us online: westnoble.k12.in.us Go West • Spring 2016 • kpcnews.com • ©KPC Media Group Inc.
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Registration set for June 21-22 We can always do the same old thing or we can try something new and see if it better serves the needs of the parents and our school. Registration at a West Noble school will be June 21-22 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Students who attended West Noble in the 2015-16 school year should receive a letter with a snapcode and log-on information.
The InfoSnap registration portal will open by noon on June 20; you can go online in the comfort of your home and register your student(s). If you have not received a letter by June 20, please call the school to obtain your student’s information. We would like all registrations to be completed by July 11, 2016. If you are a new student at West
Noble for the 2016-17 school year, do not have a computer or need help registering online, you can attend one of our registration days: • Tuesday, June 21, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. — West Noble Elementary and West Noble High School. • Wednesday, June 22, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. — West Noble Primary and West Noble Middle School.
Know what you’re agreeing to when registering your child Your child is in West Noble’s care 35+ hours a week! By registering, YOU give us the information we need to properly care for your child and to reach you if your child needs you. Do you go by a different name at work than you gave us as the custodial parent? Did you give us a reliable phone number to reach you in the event of an emergency? Did you give us any changes in your life circumstances, address, phone or work information? Did you give us all the necessary information for your child’s transportation to and from school? Did you give us current information regarding your child’s medications? The following are the agreements in the online registration:
• Agree that WN may share medical information regarding your child with necessary staff; • Agree that WN may give your child over-the-counter medicine; • Agree that the medical information given is correct; • Agree that health insurance information can be released to Brightpoint (Brightpoint helps communities, families and individuals remove the causes and conditions of poverty); • Agree that you have read the meningitis information; • Agree that your high school child may participate in sports and have downloaded the necessary forms; • Agree that WN may give immunization information to CHIRP (an Indiana registry program designed to permanently store immunization
records in electronic format); • Agree to the physical education class policy (grades 6, 7 and 8); • Agree that you know where student handbooks can be accessed; • Agree to the WN Chromebook policy (grades 9-12); • Agree that you have read the Title 1 information (grades K-8); • Agree you know your residency and educational rights; • Agree that all information within the registration form is correct. The snapcode letters are addressed to the parent of the student; we can assume that the parent is completing the registration. If someone else is typing the registration for you, YOU, the parent, are still responsible for correct information and all the agreements.
Student information available online Parents and guardians can access their student’s information online at: https://191427.stiinformationnow.com/
InformationNow, or select the INOW Home Portal link under Parent Information on any school webpage.
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Your username and password remains the same until the 2016-17 password reset, which happens near the end of August. At that time, you will receive a letter with Home Portal information and your new temporary password. The temporary parent/guardian password for the 2016-17 school year will be: parent2017; and the temporary student password will be: student2017. Please note that as new students enroll, homeroom assignments are subject to change to balance class numbers. If you need help accessing the Home Portal, call 894-3191 and choose your student’s school. Sharon, ext. 5024, can also help. If it is during the summer, leave a message and someone will get back with you.
High school sees positive changes There have been several new and exciting changes at the high school this year. The biggest change has been the implementation of 1:1 technology, with all students receiving a Chromebook. The transition has gone well, with all becoming acclimated to having the devices in the classroom. Teachers and staff have undergone continuous professional development training on how to best incorporate technology in the classroom. Mrs. Kimmel, high school agricultural teacher and FFA sponsor, has been busy writing and applying for grants to bring a greenhouse to the school campus. Through her hard work she has obtained nearly $50,000 in grants to make this happen. The new greenhouse is being installed where the old tennis courts were located. Having presided over the greenhouse project at her previous school, Mrs. Kimmel has extensive greenhouse experience. Her goal is to open students’ futures to the professional and vocational opportunities of the agricultural world that do not directly involve farming the land. The hands-on experience and knowledge gained from applying the classroom learning to real-life experience will greatly help students explore the potential careers provided in agriculture. The greenhouse will also be utilized by other departments within the high school to enhance learning with hands-on application of principles learned in the classroom. The science department is excited to have the chance to use the greenhouse as a lab for experiments in biology and environmental science. There are already several cross-curricular activities planned by including the business department to create a business plan for the greenhouse to ensure that it is run in the most fiscally responsible way possible. Family and consumer sciences plan to work with the agricultural department to create a space where they can grow their own herbs and spices to enhance and expand what they create in the cooking classes. We have added another layer of
student involvement with the inclusion of Marc Daniel’s construction classes working alongside the maintenance staff to help erect the structure. Once again, we are trying to have students apply classroom knowledge to real-world activities. We already have classes planned for the fall semester that will utilize the new addition. Students in the West Noble High School Charger Band and Orchestra have been experiencing a lot of positive changes over the past two years. The orchestra program has grown from 14 students to over 25 in the past year, with that number set to grow for the 2016-2017 school year. Orchestra members have been hard at work this school year, focusing on playing challenging and fun music. This hard work and dedication is best exemplified by all orchestra members earning a Gold rating at district solo and ensemble contest. While the orchestra program is
growing, the band program is looking to reinvent itself by looking to the past. This past September marked the first time in 12 years that the band has fielded a marching program. While it is certainly in its infancy, the Charger Band has made huge strides in one year; most notably by participating in the Ligonier Marshmallow Festival Parade and by marching onto the field for the pregame festivities at home football games. This year also saw the rebirth of the Charger Guard. While the group has started out small, seven young ladies learned the basics of color guard routines and performed during halftime with the band at several basketball games. All of the changes in the band program are not only taking place on the field and in the bleachers, but in the classroom and on the stage as well. The concert band is currently preparing to participate in the ISSMA concert band festival on April ➤ Changes, Page 7
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Flex days get positive reception from students, staff West Noble School Corp. would like to thank all those involved for their efforts in implementing eLearning flex days at the middle and high school this year. This was not an easy task, but as we gained experience with each day, were responsive to feedback and kept an open mind, we found that we were able to achieve the goals of this program: • Provide a high-quality learning experience for all students. • Provide a structure that allows professional learning for staff. • Serve WN families by being as accommodating as possible. Based on the feedback we received, 85.5 percent of students and parents, and 93.8 percent of staff recommended to continue the use of flex days in the future. This is an increase of 8.3 percent for students and parents, and 8.5 percent for staff since the first flex day in October. As WN strongly considers this possibility, we wanted to take the opportunity to address some of the questions that were asked in the survey: What does the teacher’s day look like during flex days? Several years ago, the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) decided that schools could no longer schedule early release days for staff development. This was a challenge for schools, as it is difficult to engage a large number of staff during a regular school day. One way IDOE is allowing school districts to address this need is by
implementing eLearning flex days. For three days this school year WN has been able to train 100 percent of our middle and high school teachers in a variety of ways. Supporting our English Learners has been a focus for all staff but teachers have had some choice in their training as well. For example, some teachers have been working on vertical alignment needs within their content area, providing clear learning goals and rubrics, tracking student progress, and integrating digital learning tools such as screencasting, Google Classroom and Google Forms. Why are these days called “flex” days? There is a lot of flexibility with flex days. Staff development can be flexible. Instead of teachers participating in professional development on our campus, they have had the flexibility to visit other school districts to learn from their programs. This has been helpful especially for our related arts teachers as many of them may be the only teacher in their content area at WN. Students reporting to school can be flexible. For example, students participating in CTE classes are still expected to come to school. Some students have gone on field trips. Other students may have come to school for additional practice such as the seventh- and eighth-grade band students as they prepared for their concert. If WN continues to implement flex days, we are excited to explore other
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ideas that we haven’t imagined yet! How is a flex day different that eLearning make up day for inclement weather? Inclement weather: snow day or makeup snow day; makeup hours can be planned; similar requirements for eLearning lesson design; nine assurances must be met; rigid guidelines. Flex day: allows for innovative scheduling; purposeful learning experiences outside the school walls; flexibility for professional learning with staff; doesn’t have to be all students or grade levels. What are the requirements of a flex day? WN is required to provide access to learning, transportation and meals to all students participating in a flex day. Students that prefer to complete their assignments at school have the option to do so. They make a reservation with the school in order to help the school prepare for meals and supervision. Since transportation runs as normal, this helps middle and high school students get to school and home as needed. Why are flex days only for the middle school and high school? Last school year, WN piloted eLearning for the entire district due to inclement weather-related reasons. While eLearning for inclement weather and flex days are very different, we believed that we could not meet our three flex day goals with our youngest students based on the feedback we received from students, parents and staff during our eLearning pilot. WN is required to apply for flex days to IDOE. Only if the application is approved can we implement the flex days. WN only applied to use flex days with middle and high school students. What are some challenges of the flex days that were shared by students, staff and parents? “The day is very busy and you have to be committed to create good elearning lessons.” — Staff ➤ Flex Days, Page 7
Flex Days from Page 6 “My kids both seemed to be able to get their work done. I did hear them say it was a lot though.� — Parent “It was hard to concentrate while doing homework at home it’s easier at school.� — Student “Some assignments were at times longer than the regular work in class would take to complete.� — Student “Middle of the week break gets my child out of sync.� — Parent “None — but it was very exhausting as a teacher. I would have enjoyed smaller chunks of time to plan/break but more of them. It was a little harder to give feedback to students.� — Staff What were some of the positive comments that were shared by students, staff, and parents? “My assignments went along with all our class work which let me understand even more of what we were doing in class.� — Student “The lessons went really well. All of the assignments were well distributed
Changes from Page 5 23. The band will play three prepared pieces and sight-read a never before seen piece of music in the hopes of earning a Gold rating. You have several more chances to see the band and orchestra perform this year, starting with the contest performance at Snider High School on April 23. The band and orchestra will be performing music from movies at their spring concert on May 11. You can also see the band and orchestra, along with high school choir, at the Arts Fest on May 20. Thank you for entrusting us with your child’s education. We will continue to strive to provide the best educational experience possible.
time to experiment with all the new technology/apps.� — Staff “All of the assignments went along with what we were learning in class, and a few questions challenged us to think more.�— Student “I like that the teachers have time to work on vertical alignment for their subject area. I also liked the demo slam. It was very nice to get some plan/office hour time too. My subject partner and I worked on lessons and future common assessments.� — Staff “We were able to visit other classes similar to ours for a portion of the morning which is always so helpful in gaining new ideas for teaching. We were then able to work ahead on new learning activities.� — Staff “The opportunity to work/learn together covering the following topics. Technology, EL, curriculum and a multitude of other issues that we never have time to discuss as a staff.� — Staff
very nicely.� — Parent “I like how I got to pick when I did my eLearning assignments and I could take my time to where I fully understand the assignment and could complete it correctly.� — Student “My children were able to easily access their assignments and do them with minimal parent help.� — Parent “I got to catch up on a lot of work that I was behind on because the Flex Day assignments get me back into track.� — Student “Accessing the Assignments. Expecting what was on them (because the teachers told us what was gonna be on them). The assignments took time but weren’t to overwhelming. I got the assignments done quicker/ more leisurely with less stress because I could go at my own pace.� — Student “Students (and I) were better at creating and completing the lessons.� — Staff “Opportunity to collaborate,
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West Noble Primary School Kindergarten / Grade 1 Brian Shepherd, Principal Dennis VanDuyne, Superintendent WEST NOBLE PRIMARY SCHOOL KINDERGARTEN ROUND-UP 2016 April 25 – West Noble Primary School:2:00 pm – 8:00 pm Vaccinations Given: April 26 – West Noble Primary School:8:00 am – 4:00 pm Vaccinations Given:
2:00 pm – 8:00 pm 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm
All sessions will take place at West Noble Primary School. If for some reason you cannot attend during the times listed, please call us at 260-894-3191, ext 4000 or 4003 and let us know your child will be attending here next school year. IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT THAT YOU AND YOUR CHILD ATTEND KINDERGARTEN ROUNDUP. The following will take place: 1. Your child may be seen for vision screening by a nurse. 2. Your child will be given a brief assessment by a teacher. 3. Vaccinations will be offered by the Noble County Health Department; see the hours above. These vaccines are free ONLY if you do not have health insurance or if you have Medicaid. You will need to show proof of insurance when you come. You must bring an immunization record with you if you intend to have your child receive vaccines.
REQUIREMENTS FOR ENROLLMENT IN KINDERGARTEN 1. 2. 3.
Children must be five years of age on or before August 1, 2016. A birth certificate for your child is to be presented at the time of enrollment. State Law requires that parents furnish immunization records to the school.
If your child is to attend kindergarten for the 2016 – 2017 school year please complete the following form and return it to West Noble Primary School as soon as possible. Child’s Name: _________________________________________Date of Birth: __________________ Parent’s Name: ________________________________________Telephone #___________________ Address: __________________________________________________________________________ Please list any siblings in West Noble Schools and their grade: _______________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________
TEL EPH ONE ( 26 0) 8 9 4- 31 9 1 5 00 W Un io n Str e et Li go ni er , I N 4 67 6 7 F AX (2 6 0) 8 9 4- 31 8 9 w e stn ob le .k 1 2. in. u s
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West Noble Primary School Kindergarten / Grade 1 Brian Shepherd, Principal Dennis VanDuyne, Superintendent PRE-INSCRIPCIONES DE KINDER DE WEST NOBLE PRIMARY SCHOOL Lunes, Abril 25 – West Noble Primary School: 2:00 pm – 8:00 pm Administracion de vacunas: 2:00 pm – 8:00 pm Martes, Abril 26 – West Noble Primary School: 8:00 am – 4:00 pm Administracion de vacunas: 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm Todas las sesiones se llevaran a cabo en la Escuela West Noble Primary. Si por alguna razón no puede asistir a ninguno de los horarios escritos arriba, favor de llamarnos al 260-894-3191, ext. 4000 o 4003 y déjenos saber si su hijo/a estará asistiendo a nuestra escuela el próximo año escolar.
ES EXTREMADAMENTE IMPORTANTE QUE USTED Y SU HIJO/A ASISTAN A LAS PREINSCRIPCIONES DEL KINDER. En dichas pre-inscripciones se llevará a cabo lo siguiente: 1. Su hijo/a puede ser visto para una evaluación de la vista por una enfermera. 2. Una maestra le administrará una breve evaluación a su hijo/a. 3. El Departamento de Salud del Condado Noble estará ofreciendo y administrando las vacunas sin costo alguno SOLAMENTE si NO tiene ningún tipo de seguro médico o si tiene Medicaid. Sin embargo, si no provee la cartilla de vacunas, su hijo/a no podrá recibirlas si son necesarias. REQUISITOS PARA INSCRIPCIONES EN EL KINDER 1. 2. 3.
Los niños deben tener 5 años de edad para o antes de Agosto 1, 2016. Debe presentar un certificado de nacimiento de su hijo/a al momento de inscribirlo. La Ley del Estado requiere que los padres provean el registro de las inmunizaciones (vacunas) a la escuela.
Si su hijo/a asistirá al Kinder éste próximo año escolar (2016 – 2017), por favor llene o complete la siguiente forma y regrésela a la Escuela West Noble Primary, lo más pronto posible. Nombre del Niño/a:________________________________ Fecha de Nacimiento:__________________________________ Nombre de los Padres:______________________________________ # Teléfonico:___________________________________ Dirección:______________________________________________________________________________________________ Por favor escriba los nombres de hermanos/hermanas del niño/a que van a alguna escuela de West Noble: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________
TELEPHONE (260) 894-3191
500 W Union Street
Ligonier, IN 46767
FAX (260) 894-3189
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Raising the flag Custodian resurrects color guard program at West Noble KPC NEWS SERVICE
LIGONIER — Following a decade’s absence, West Noble custodian Sarah Bollet has resurrected a color guard program at West Noble High School. In color guard, a sport of the arts, a team of individuals works to create and perform complex sequences of dance set to music, and use special equipment such as sabres, rifles and flags to compete. Color guards perform alongside marching bands, interpreting the music. Once marching band season closes, color guards move on to winter guard competition indoors. West Noble is working its way to compete in both. Twenty-eight girls interested expressed interest in a call-out meeting, and the team started with six girls. They performed two shows at the halftime of the West Noble varsity boys basketball games.
“They’ve never done color guard before. They have just completely blown me away. They have great attitudes,” Bollet said. “With so many sports and schedules, hopefully next year I’ll have a lot more.” Bollet attended West Noble and participated in color guard and spent two years working as a choreographer. She also choreographed shows for the theater department. A member of the class of 1997, Bollet is entering her fifth year as a custodian at the high school. As a custodian, her job placed her in close proximity with students in the band and choir programs, where a chance discussion with band director Tony
Pawlicki led to her resurrect the program. While Pawlicki has been working on re-establishing a marching band program at West Noble, Bollet mentioned how great it was to be a part of the West Noble color guard when she was a student. “He encouraged me to start the program,” Bollet said. Directors Showcase International, a wholesale company specializing in marching equipment in Ligonier, helped the program get off its feet, Bollet said. The color guard purchased its uniforms from the local company and ➤ Flags, Page 12
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The 2016 West Noble color guard in front, from left, includes Jazlyn Guerra, coach Sarah Bollet and Autumn Cravens. In back are Kaitlyn VanVorst, Kellie Waring, Megan Pearsall and Emily Morren.
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PHOTO CONTRIBUTED
In Guys Night Out, West Noble Primary School first-graders take part in an evening of fun with educators, who serve as positive role models. Each time the group wears matching “Straight Outta WNP” T-shirts or sweatshirts. In the front row from left are Tom Moore, Braiden Boyer, Parker Fox, Pedro Araiza, Jaden Bahnsen, Diego Rosales and Aiden Malagon. In the back row from left are school resource officer Jason Shearer, Principal Brian Shepherd, and first-grade teachers Robert Martin, Elias Rojas and Tyler Alles.
Showing how much they care
Through Guys Night Out, West Noble Primary educators serve as positive role models KPC NEWS SERVICE
LIGONIER — Brian Shepherd is fond of quotes. He often likes to recite them. He even has one taped near his desk at West Noble Primary School that serves as a daily reminder. “One of my favorite quotes is: ‘A kid does not care how much you know until they know how much you care,’” the primary school’s principal said. With their words, through their actions, Shepherd, three primary school teachers and the school’s resource officer are showing how much they care. It’s a reflection of the school’s culture — that the work involved in teaching and influencing kindergartners and first-graders extends beyond the classroom. And it has a goal that one day those students will choose to invest their time serving as positive role models for others. “It just goes hand in hand with making this place, West Noble Primary, the special place that it is,” said first-grade teacher Robert Martin. Martin, Shepherd, first-grade teachers Elias Rojas and Tyler Alles and school resource officer Jason Shearer for the past two years have organized Guys Night Out, a volunteer program that provides groups of five to 10 first-graders with an opportunity to have fun, be active and be exposed to positive role models. “A lot of these guys don’t have that male role model at home,” Rojas said. “We’re just trying to break that cycle,
try to show them the right thing to do,” Shearer said. In its first year, there were two Guys Night Out events. This school year, with the help of a $1,050 Noble County Community Foundation grant, there were four events, the most recent of which was a trip to Fort Wayne to eat at Golden Corral and see the Mad Ants NBA D-League team play at Allen County War Memorial Coliseum. Other Guys Night Out events involved participating in races, including the Main Street Mile in Ligonier, which were followed by games or watching “Kung Fu Panda 3,” and going Christmas shopping with a stop afterward at Culver’s. Everyone dresses the same for Guys Night Out, with the group decked out in matching “Straight Outta WNP” T-shirts or sweatshirts. A different group of students takes part in each event, and there’s no specific lesson the adults are trying to get across to the first-graders. It’s an evening of camaraderie, with the kids seeing the positive example that the adults are setting. “It’s good for the kids to see us outside of a school setting,” Martin said. When Shearer isn’t serving as West Noble Primary’s school resource officer, he’s out in the community as a member of the Ligonier Police Department. A police officer responding to a call at someone’s home is a situation in which tensions can flare. But he’s Go West • Spring 2016 • kpcnews.com • ©KPC Media Group Inc.
seen firsthand how his involvement in Guys Night Out can radically change the mood, when, for example, a student recognizes him and latches on to his leg. “It helps out a lot with the parents,” he said. The West Noble Primary teachers said the reason they want to be involved in Guys Night Out is because at some point in their lives, people took the time to show they cared for them. It’s also why they got into teaching. Alles pointed to Shepherd, in particular, as an inspiration. “He’s the reason we wanted to get into education,” he said. Guys Night Out isn’t the only such program at the school. After spring break, West Noble Primary started up its second season of a volunteer-run co-ed youth soccer league that plays games during school recesses. Last year, 124 students took part. The league culminates in a championship game that the whole school watches. “It’s another way that we get to teach hard work and leadership,” Rojas said. In addition, literacy coordinator Lorri Garner started Girls Night Out, which had two events this school year. At West Noble Primary, the students know how much the adults around them care. “You can just see Guys Night Out is part of a bigger picture,” Shepherd said. Page 11
Flags from Page 10 they have a stockpile of 15 rifles and 15 sabers. Eventually, Bollet would like to have the color guard perform in winter guard competitions, but that will require expensive registration fees. The color guard also would have to purchase an expensive mat to use at competitions. Following their two performances, the color guard will take a break until marching band season. Bollet said she hopes to incorporate the color guard in local parades alongside the West Noble band this summer, such as the
Ligonier Marshmallow Festival. “This is kind of new to the school. It hasn’t been there for awhile,” Bollet said. The inaugural members included captain Autumn Cravens, lieutenant Katie Van Vorst, senior Megan Pearsall, Kellie Waring, Emily Moran and Jazzlyn Guerra. For the first year Bollet said she is proud of what her team accomplished. “They impressed me a lot. For girls to come in and have absolutely no experience,” Bollet said. “They learned a lot.”
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Senior Megan Pearsall performs at halftime of the boys basketball game on Feb. 26.
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Autumn Cravens, captain of the West Noble High School color guard, performs at halftime of the West Noble varsity boys basketball game against Garrett on Feb. 26. The color guard recently completed its winter season and will take a break until marching season begins.
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Voice of the Chargers Steve Weaver, longtime West Noble announcer, retires KPC NEWS SERVICE
LIGONIER — After 20 years of faithfully serving West Noble High School athletics, Steve Weaver has signed off as the voice of the Chargers. A constant presence at West Noble athletic events, Weaver announced hundreds of football, volleyball and basketball games. Dedicated to the job, he rarely missed a game in two decades until a stroke in late 2014 sidelined him. On Feb. 26, Weaver gave his farewell as the public address announcer at the boys basketball game against Garrett. With his last child graduating from West Noble, Weaver said it was time to move on. His youngest, Kristin, who joins him at games and often sings the national anthem, graduates in June. Weaver’s role has always been a family affair. All of four of his children, Lisa, Craig, Michael and Kristin, have helped him behind the scenes. His son Michael is continuing the tradition and studying broadcast communication. Twenty years ago, Weaver, then a West Noble softball coach, was asked to fill in for another announcer. Rick Matthews, the athletic director at the time, knew Weaver had experience in radio and needed his help at a volleyball sectional. “He liked what I did and asked me, ‘Hey, do you like basketball?’” Weaver said. It ballooned from there. A Fort Wayne native, Weaver graduated from Bishop Luers High School and the University of Saint Francis. He moved to Ligonier to work for radio station WNLB as a sales manager. He also worked on the air for 12 hours a week. In the late 1990s, when West Noble High School received the gift of a radio station, WNRL, Weaver also worked as a teacher’s assistant until the program eventually closed. One memorable highlight came when he helped an exchange student from Taipei, Taiwan, broadcast a program so her mother could listen to her live on the radio. Weaver’s service has spanned from cassettes to CDs to the digital
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For 20 years, Steve Weaver of Ligonier served as the public address announcer at football, basketball and volleyball games for West Noble High School. Weaver called his final game Feb. 26, when West Noble’s boys basketball team took on Garrett.
age. The digital streaming movement led West Noble to utilize iHigh, a broadcast and live streaming service for high schools. iHigh is no longer in service, however, when Weaver wasn’t announcing homes games, he traveled to call the play-by-play at away basketball games. Athletic director Tom Schermerhorn said finding a replacement with Weaver’s dedication will be difficult. Schermerhorn can count on his hand how many times Weaver missed
games until his stroke in 2014. “He’s always been reliable and committed to our students,” Schermerhorn said. That dedication to the job is something Weaver doesn’t take lightly. “My job is to make their athletic event better for them and their parents,” Weaver said. “I really liked working with the kids and giving them something special.” ➤ Voice, Page 16
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Page 13
WN educator honored by IU Blosser selected for Armstrong Teacher Educator Award
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LIGONIER — A West Noble Elementary School educator is among a handful of teachers in the state selected for an Indiana University award. Stacy Blosser, a fourth-grade teacher, joins other educators from Fort Wayne, Indianapolis, Bloomington and Gary schools who were honored for their service. The Indiana University School of Education selected eight teachers as Martha Lea and Bill Armstrong Teacher Educators for the 2016-17 academic year. Awardees are outstanding teachers and leaders in their schools who also demonstrate a strong potential to work as mentors for pre-service teachers. The Armstrong Teacher Educator Award brings some of Indiana’s best educators to work with School of Education faculty and students in the classroom on research projects and in field experiences. The award also provides financial support for the teachers to pursue their own professional development, said an announcement from the school. “We strive to connect our undergraduates with the practical realities and exemplary practices employed by excellent teachers in the schools,” said IU Dean Terry Mason. “The Armstrong program is one of the most important and effective ways that we accomplish this. We are very pleased to have another outstanding group of Armstrong teachers joining us this year.” West Noble Elementary Principal Mark Yoder nominated Blosser for the award. “We have a lot of excellent teachers,” he said. “It was time to recognize them for their hard work.”
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Stacy Blosser, second row, far left, and her fourth-grade class show their Indiana University spirit. Blosser was selected for the Armstrong Teacher Educator Award by the Indiana University School of Education. As a recipient, Blossser will share her teaching experiences with future educators at IU.
Blosser, a graduate of Indiana University, has taught at West Noble Elementary for 10 years. Yoder said she brings energy into the classroom and shares that enthusiasm with other teachers. “She’s great leader, a quiet leader,” Yoder said. “I’m excited for her to have an opportunity to share her experiences with college students.” Blosser said her classroom philosophy is to make learning appealing, even if it’s about subjects like long division. “I want to twist it into something that’s fun and exciting,” she said. “We don’t just sit around all day and do worksheets.”
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When she first started teaching, Blosser said, she was on her own. But she and another fourth-grade teacher started planning lessons together. Now, the entire fourth-grade block collaborates and shares techniques that are effective in teachers’ classrooms. Blosser said as an Armstrong teacher she can share those same techniques with future educators. She’s also excited to return to her alma mater, because of her love for the school and the college-bound initiative at West Noble Elementary. Each year, teachers adopt a college for their classrooms and learn about a school. Blosser was lucky enough to select IU and has taught her students about the campus. She will take her fourth-grade class on a field trip to IU this spring, where they will tour the campus and visit its art museum and student union. The students also will have the chance to stay in the dorms and go on a scavenger hunt for the university’s landmarks. Blosser said it’s a good way to get students thinking about college. Being on campus also helps them understand the experience better, Blosser said. “You can explain college to them, but getting there and having that experience firsthand is different,” she said.
West Noble Middle School students charged up for ISTEP+ Video, games make testing week fun KPC NEWS SERVICE
LIGONIER — Read it. Mark it. Check it. Pass it. West Noble Middle School launched its ISTEP+ testing at the beginning of March with a pep rally, unveiling a parody music video featuring rhymes about tests and No. 2 pencils. Written to the tune of the popular “Going Down for Real” by Flo Rida, the video features West Noble Middle School teachers and staff, with a special guest appearance by West Noble High School band director Tony Pawlicki. Pawlicki raps and sings his way through the video, encouraging students to double-check answers and make sure their pencils are extra sharpened. The video tradition started five years ago to motivate students and get them excited about ISTEP+ testing. West Noble Middle School Principal Melanie Tijerina said the video illustrates bigger changes at West Noble. “We changed our schedule, curriculum and student programming. Our staff has worked hard and has seen the benefits for our students — both in overall school experience and in academic progress,” Tijerina said. During that time, the school has increased its Indiana Department of Education letter grade from F to C. Because of the video’s popularity, the school also started an ISTEP+ video committee, led by eighth-grade social studies teacher Michael Weimer. Weimer filmed and edited the video, and the West Noble music department lent its skills, too. Middle school band director Justin Goelz mixed the sound, and West Noble choir director Karena Wilkinson wrote the lyrics with assistance from the committee. West Noble Middle School Assistant Principal Wade Jagger said Weimer and the team of teachers deserve all the credit for the video. Other schools have taken note; Central Noble gave West Noble a courtesy call this year because it wanted to be careful to not parody the same video, Jagger said. Keeping with tradition, the video is
SCREEN CAPTURE
A screenshot from the 2016 West Noble ISTEP+ video features the staff of West Noble Middle School.
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West Noble Middle School teachers demonstrate the human version of the tabletop game “Hungry Hungry Hippos” at the ISTEP+ pep rally on Tuesday. ISTEP+ testing begins today, and following testing, students can sign up for activities such as “Hungry Hungry Hippos,” soccer or extreme coloring.
top secret and teachers don’t give out information, not even to former students, Jagger said. At the pep rally, Tijerina encouraged students to work hard and then play hard. Follow a morning block of ISTEP+ testing, students can participate in special sessions such as playing the human version of the game “Hungry Hippos,” playing soccer or participating in extreme coloring. Go West • Spring 2016 • kpcnews.com • ©KPC Media Group Inc.
Since implementing the changes during ISTEP+ week, Tijerina said students have responded. In a recent survey, West Noble Middle School students selected ISTEP+ week as one of their favorite things about middle school, Tijerina said. The highest mark, though, still belongs to the teachers. “Their No. 1 choice was their teachers,” Tijerina said. Page 15
West Noble wins $75K state technology grant KPC NEWS SERVICE
INDIANAPOLIS — West Noble School Corp. is among 21 districts in Indiana to receive a $75,000 2016 Digital Learning Grant from the state Department of Education. In a news release issued in March, the department said more than $1.5 million was awarded to school districts to implement or expand a 1-to-1 technology program. “I am excited to announce the recipients of the 2016 Digital Learning Grant,”
Glenda Ritz, superintendent of public instruction, said in the news release. “In today’s fast-paced, technology-driven society, grants like this are more important than ever. Importantly, this grant provides schools with the resources they need to expand student access to technology in the classroom.” The Digital Learning Grants support schools or school districts that are ready to implement or expand a 1-to-1 technology plan. Funding can be used for providing professional development,
developing content and expectations, creating avenues for parent and student communication, and purchasing devices, the Department of Education said. Each school or corporation will receive a $75,000 grant funded by the David C. Ford Technology Fund. The West Noble Board of Education learned of the grant at its meeting March 14. “Lots of people contributed to make that happen,” said Superintendent Dennis VanDuyne at the meeting.
been on dialysis for a year because of complications from diabetes. He still is undergoing dialysis treatment three times a week in Kendallville. Though the dialysis wore down his body, he still made it to games. “That was becoming harder to do,” Weaver said. Following the stroke, Weaver was in a Fort Wayne hospital for more than a month before moving to Avalon Village in Ligonier for
rehabilitation. During that time he worked hard to get back. A friend, Joan Cripe, was able to get him a bus ride to a boys basketball home game against Churubusco. Before the starting lineup was announced, Schermerhorn took him out to center court and Weaver got a standing ovation from the home fans and the visitors. The players shook his hand and gave him a signed canvas poster of the team. “That went above my bed,” Weaver said. “The boys basketball team, they were really strong for me. I really wanted to get back. I just made up my mind, I wasn’t going to let it stop me,” he said. Weaver returned to announcing games in the 2015 season, and was able to do the entire football and volleyball season, and only missed a few basketball games. Now, that he’s no longer announcing, Weaver said he is focusing on getting physically ready for a kidney transplant. Doctors told him he needs to lose nearly 50 pounds to give him the best shot at a successful procedure. If he was added to the transplant list now, Weaver said he’d be at the bottom 3 percent. “I could wait 15 years for a kidney,” he said. “I’ve been watching my diet and I’ve been working on losing weight.” Schermerhorn said Weaver means a lot to the entire West Noble community. “Everybody has that one person in their community; they are priceless,” Schermerhorn said.
Voice from Page 13 Weaver and his wife were out for dinner in Goshen in late 2014 when he couldn’t move his hand. His wife recognized the signs and immediately called paramedics: Weaver was having a stroke. Weaver said his wife’s quick action and the paramedics helped prevent further debilitating damage. His speech is fine, but he can’t lift his left arm and uses a wheelchair. Before the stroke, Weaver had
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