WIS newsletter January 2008

Washington Intermediate Newletter January 2008

The Washington Intermediate Parent Advisory Committee had our second meeting of the school year on Thursday, December 13. These meetings are open to all Washington Intermediate parents guardians and grandparents and our next meeting will be on Monday, March 3, 2008, in the media center. We hope you can join us!
I. Review Minutes from September 17
II. Highlights, Updates and Useful Information!
a. Technology update
i. New infrastructure approved by school board This much needed update will speed up connections between all buildings and update our phone system. Mr. Deter, Tech Coordinator, has been working on getting this project together for many months. We hope to have much in place by around spring break.
ii. Website – http://wistigers.blogspot.comEncouraged parents to visit the site as we continue to update it regularly. If parents have suggestions for the site, please feel free to contribute them.
iii. Student video projectMr. Barry has had nearly 60 students express interest in this project. Basically, students would work individually, in pairs or in groups to create a script/idea to highlight something at Washington. Students would film these videos before, during or after school and the video would be posted on the school website. This is a work in progress. J
b. After school math updateMr. Barry shared the current data with the parents present. The graphs are included on next two pages. The data given to the parents that evening did have some incorrect 4th grade data. This has been changed on the following pages. We have seen growth on each math probe (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division), but have room for improvement. It was also noted the 5th grade students get 2 less minutes to complete their 100-question probes than the 4th graders do. This is one reason the percentages are lower. There was also discussion about their being less 5th graders than 4th graders attending the after school sessions. Mr. Barry stated that to help increase the number attending he had discussed having students attended 5 of the last 6 sessions in order to be able to participate in the year end celebration/contest. Students really enjoyed the contest last year.
c. Attendance policy
i. Current ‘policy’
ii. Input needed from parents
Current attendance policy was shared with the parents and they also looked at what the middle school and high school do regarding attendance. Washington is looking at beginning sending letters out to parents of students who miss 5 or more days per quarter with a follow-up letter if the child misses 8 days. Doctor’s notes will be required for students who miss more than 5 days. The parents present felt that it would be a good idea to give parents a ‘heads-up’ when students reached a certain # of days & stress the importance of building good attendance habits for later in life.
d. Healthy choices/treats discussionMr. Barry shared an article about some districts moving to not allowing sweets to be brought to school. There is no discussion of doing that at Washington but it was a topic from last year’s parent advisory. Input was neutral.
e. BD pilot program information
Mr. Barry handed out a summary sheet about the Behavior Disorder pilot program that will be at Washington Intermediate. This is included below the math graphs. If parents have more questions, please call Mr. Barry
F. Parent ideas, concerns & questions.
The meeting adjourned at 7:30 PM.


Cars in this issue by Gage



We are excited to continue our annual food drive at Washington Intermediate. Our building goal was set for 300 food items and we hope to surpass that goal again for the 3rd straight year! Please feel free to send food items with your child or drop them off at Washington Intermediate anytime this week. The local food pantries are in dire need of food supplies. Our November and December student advisory students will help organize the food and the 5th grade advisory students delivered the food to the pantry. Mr. Barry & the Washington Intermediate Staff.

Insert to above: Way to go Washington Intermediate students! We had 572 food items donated during our food drive. This will help many families in our community during the holidays. This was a very caring and responsible thing to do for our community. I am proud of you all. Mr. Barry

The November & December student advisees will help load the food on Thursday at 1:30 PM. All student advisees will meet in by the Christmas tree at 1:30 with their coats, gloves and hats on! Once the items are loaded, the 5th grade student advisees will help Mr. Barry and Mr. Maurer take the food items to the food pantry located on the square. We will return before your holiday parties start.

Mrs. Brown is going to have a baby on Tuesday if not before. His name will be Carter Wesley Brown. Mrs. Brown will come back to school in February. Have fun over Christmas with your new little baby!

Written by Gage, Toni, & Ryan

January 2008
Dec. 24—Jan. 2 Winter Break
January 3—Classes Resume
January 8—After School Math
January 9—2 hr early dismissal
Professional Development
January 11 —2nd quarter/1st semester ends
January 30 — 2 hr early dismissal
Professional Development

Artsonia.com
Join a student’s fan club or send them a comment about their artwork through out the rest of the year, contact your relatives have them check out your child’s artwork. Artwork is on-line for students K-5

Washington Intermediate hosted the Youth Experiencing Success Kickoff this Sunday, 2-4 pm. Michele Caswell, coordinator, has organized games and activities to allow the mentors to meet the mentees and their families. We are excited to be able to host this event and look forward to continuing to partner with the Y.E.S. Program as it grows!


Wemhoff.blogspot.com
Read about the
K-4 Music Room

Try theses website over the holiday:
www.epals.com a great safe site for kids of all ages, as well as instructors.
www.e-palworld.co.uk A site located in the United Kingdom. This is where I go to find new epals. It has ads from kids to adults. May take a little supervision though. Some folks out there, do from time to time, mistake it for a dating site. Outside of that I personally have never had any trouble with it.
Hope you enjoy them !
Albert Buehler
R.O. Schools lunch van driver


Visit the website and create a snow globe and feed the hungry. Free website with lots of activities!
http://pw.pepsiworld.com/


The Red Oak Elks Club sponsored a poster contest for drug awareness for our school. Two big winners were Nick from 5-4 and Alyssa from 4-2. Nick was a district winner (including towns of Des Moines and Council Bluffs) and Alyssa was the state winner! They both won Chamber Bucks and Savings Bonds. Thank you to Dave Fields and the Elks Club for sponsoring the contest. Congratulations to the winners and good luck to Alyssa as she will be Iowa's fourth grade representative at national competition! Wow!


Tracks on the Prairie
On December 3rd, the fifth grades made animal footprints using plaster of Paris. Deb Karwal from the Anderson Conservation Area brought in rubber animal feet, fur, skulls, bathroom stuff, and other remains of animals that they leave behind. We pressed animal feet into a ring of plaster and let it harden. Now we can paint it. Thanks, Mrs. Karwal!
Written by Colton, Erin, & Bridgett

Poems and Stories from the 4th and 5th grades:

I Know Santa’s Coming
Santa’s coming but how do we know?
With sleigh bells ringing everyone will go.
Santa’s here, he’s in the sky
But he cant stay long we’ve got to say bye.
So we’ve got to say bye with out a sigh.
But don’t worry he’ll be back soon.
But you can see him leaving in the moon.
By: Cassie


STRIPES
Zebra was walking down his favorite path and he ran into Donkey.
They both said, “hey watch where you’re going.”
“You have stripes and I don’t know why that is,” said Donkey.
“Because I’m a Zebra and you’re not”, said Zebra.
“But, but I’m a zebra too!” said Donkey sadly.
“What should I do, because I want stripes like you?” asked Donkey.
“Okay, we don’t have to paint them, we can buy them.” Said Zebra.
Donkey and Zebra fixed the problem together. They became best
friends forever, and even bought each other best friends forever bracelets!
______________
Be friends with anyone.
By Paydon


LIGHTER AND THE CLOTHES
There once was a Lighter, a Cap, and a Shirt who all liked to make fires. One day Cap caught on fire and jumped in the water. The next day, Shirt caught on fire. Finally, both Shirt and Cap caught on fire again, and burned to ashes. Lighter got very sad.
_________
Don’t play with fire.
By Colby

OX, GOAT, AND RAM
Ox was eating grass in the barn, when along came Goat and Ram. Goat and Ram were holding forks in their hands. Goat and Ram decided that they would try and eat Ox, but they did not succeed. Instead, they shared a steak with each other that a farmer had thrown out.
___________
Be respectful
By Bobby

THE FRIENDS CAT AND DOG
One day Cat and Dog went for a walk.
Then, Dog yelled, “I found something!”
Cat said, “what?”
Dog replied, “I found a mouse, I think.”
“So, I’m a cat and we like mice,” said Cat.
“Well, that doesn’t mean anything to me,” said Dog.
“Yeah it does,” said Cat.
Then, the fight was over. That night Dog went to Cat’s
house to apologize to Dog for their fight.
“I’m sorry Cat,” said Dog.
“I’m sorry too,” said Cat.
“I brought the mouse to share with you,” said Dog “Lets feast!”
“Yum, that was delicious,” said Cat. “Thank you very much Dog.”
“Your welcome,” replied dog. Dog continued, “I better
go home because Mama Dog might be getting worried.”
“Bye,” said Cat.
The next day Cat and Dog went to the park and played.
__________
Share with others.
By Sydnee


THE DOG, FISH, AND MOUSE
One day Dog and Mouse went fishing. Before they went fishing dog said to mouse,
“I bet you can’t catch a fish.”
“I bet you can’t either,” said Mouse.
They both decided that it was going to be a bet, then they went fishing.
Mouse said, “I think I got a fish. Cool!”
“Let’s go home. We have been here for four hours,” said Dog.
“I can’t wait to go home and cook my fish,” said mouse. Mouse felt sorry for Dog so he invited Dog over.
_________
It is good to share.
By Brooke


THE DOG, CAT, AND ELEPHANT
One day Dog and Cat were walking through the park. They were best friends. They never played with anyone else, only one another. While they were walking they spotted a big fat Elephant. Elephant almost stepped on Dog!
“Wow, watch out Dog! You are going to get stepped on by that big fat Elephant,” said Cat.
Then Elephant stopped walking and started to cry.
“What’s wrong?” asked Dog.
“That friend of yours just called me fat!” cried Elephant.
“Well, you are!” said Dog.
“We are not going to be your friends because you are too fat and we are just the right size!” said Cat.
“I’m going to tell on you,” said Elephant.
“We are sorry!” said Cat and Dog.
Elephant forgave them and then they all became friends. Every day they went to the park together.
_____________________
Don’t judge your friend by their shape and size.
By Sydney


THE BIG FIGHT
Chicken and Pig hated each other really bad, and they ended up getting into a fight at school one day. Fish, who was a nerd, tried to break up the fight. Chicken and Pig ended up getting into trouble and they blamed each other for it. Chicken and Fish ended up being friends because Fish broke up the fight, so then Pig didn’t have any friends. Then, fish asked Pig if he wanted to be friends.
Fish replied, “Sure.”
The bad thing about this was that Fish was friends with both Chicken and Pig. Since this happened, Chicken and Pig ended up hating Fish instead of each other. The next day Chicken and Pig went to see Fish.
“Sorry,” they said to Fish. “We are sorry about turning our backs to you and walking away from you.”
Finally, Chicken, Pig, and Fish were all friends.
________
Be nice to others.
By Jesse

THE BIG BANG BOOM AHH
There once was a class who went on a field trip in the woods. When they got there, they saw a Deer and a Moose who were both missing an antler. Then, suddenly a hunter showed up and got out his twelve-gage, and started firing away.
“Boom!” went the gun.
Unfortunately, they both died. Then, two more animals came along, a Squirrel and a Bunny.
Squirrel asked, “what are you doing?”
“Oh, I am just eating a carrot,” replied Bunny.
“I am eating a nut,” said Squirrel.
Then, the hunter saw them and shot his gun.
“What was that bang?” asked Squirrel. “What ever it was, it hit Bunny right in the stomach,” continued Squirrel. Then, squirrel screamed, “Ahhhh!”
“Why was that squirrel screaming,” asked the students who were on the field trip.
Then, the students and the teacher realized why the squirrel was screaming and they all ran back to the school screaming.
________________________________________
Don’t go on a field trip in the woods during hunting season.
By Darian


DOG, CAT, AND MOUSE
One day Dog, Cat, and Mouse went swimming.
Cat said, “I am a better swimmer than both of you.”
Dog and Mouse ignored him. The next day Cat called Dog and Mouse. They went over to play with Cat’s toys. Dog and Mouse brought their own toys along as well.
Cat said, “my toys are better than yours.”
Once again, Dog and Mouse ignored him. The next day Cat called Dog and Mouse to ask them if they wanted to play tennis.
Dog and Mouse replied, “Sure.”
When they were playing tennis Cat said, “I am a
better tennis player than you.”
Dog replied, “Cat, you need to stop being mean to us.”
Cat said, “I’m sorry.”
Then, they all became best friends.
_________________
Be nice to others and they will be nice to you.
By Olivia

DOG AND CAT
While Dog and Cat were cleaning their house, they found a Mouse.
Cat said, “I’ll eat it for you.”
“No,” said Dog. “We must first find another one for me.”
“Okay,” said Cat.
Cat and Dog went to work and they moved stuff for thirty minutes. Pretty soon the house was destroyed. When they started to clean up dog yelled, “I think I know where a Mouse is!”
“Where,” asked Cat.
“In the freezer,” replied Dog.
So they checked the freezer and grabbed the Mouse. Then, they got plates and ate their mice while they watched their favorite show, “Dump Trucks.”
_________________________
Always be fair.
By Caitlyn

EYE, EAR, AND TOE
One day Eye, Ear, and Toe were at the beach looking for a treasure.
“Oh, I have sand in my eye,” said Ear.
“So what,” said Toe. “It’s just sand. It won’t kill you.” Toe went on to say, “Hey, let’s say whoever finds the chest first, gets the biggest cut.” Toe suggested this knowing where the chest was.
“Stop!” said Eye. “I think I see something.”
“Yes,” said Toe. “How about you each get two pieces and I get the rest.”
The next day Eye, Ear, and Toe entered a contest to try and win twenty trillion dollars. One hour later they announced the winners and Eye and Ear won. They cashed in the check right away, and then invited Toe over to have pepperoni pizza.
________
Always include everyone.
By Miranda


PARROT AND CROW
Once a Parrot was playing with her friends at the pet store, when they saw a Crow. They noticed that the Crow didn’t have colorful feathers. The Parrot went to the Crow and said,
“We have very colorful and pretty feathers and you don’t.”
Crow felt very bad and did not know what to do. Then, she saw a painter and he was painting some walls with colorful paint. This gave Crow an idea, she was going to paint herself. So that night she got out of her cage and went over to the paint. She grabbed a very small brush and started painting herself. The next morning she had colorful feathers.
Parrot saw Crow and said, “You are beautiful.”
Parrot never made fun of her again.
_________
Don’t make fun of others.
By Hannah

THE MOUSE AND THE BIRD
One day there was a tiny Mouse who saw a little bird. The Mouse wanted to go to Bird’s house, but his mom said no. The mouse then asked his dad if he could go outside, and he said that it would be okay. Dad also said, “Don’t go far away.”
The Mouse went outside with his soccer ball. Bird came along and asked, “Can I play with you?”
“No,” said Mouse.
“Why not?” asked Bird
“Because this is my soccer ball. You get your own,” replied Mouse.
Then, Mouse and Bird started to get in a big fight. The next day Mouse and Bird were in the park and Mouse had brought his soccer ball.
Mouse saw Bird sitting on the park bench, and went over to Bird and asked, “Would you like to play soccer with me?”
Bird replied, “Okay.”
___________
Share your stuff and be nice to others.
By Diana


THE CAT, DOG, AND LION
One day Lion, Cat, and Dog went for a walk around the park. When they were walking Lion said to Dog,
We should not be friends anymore.
Dog and Cat left Lion alone, thinking that Lion was mean for saying that to Dog.
Later, Dog and Cat went to Lions house and rang his doorbell. When Lion opened the door Cat and Dog yelled, “Sorry!”
________
Always be nice.
By Abigail


DOG, CAT, AND HORSE
Horse, Dog, and Cat went on a walk to the park. When they arrived, they all ran to the monkey bars. They all had different ways to play on the monkey bars and they were arguing about who had the best way of playing on them.
Horse said, “My way is the best.”
Cat said, “No, my way is the best.”
Dog said, “You guys, both of your ways are good.”
“Thank you,” replied Cat and Horse. Now we realize that.”
Then, Horse and Cat said sorry to each other and once again said thank you to Dog. Finally, they all went home.
_________
Always be nice.
By Lexie


MOOSE AND DEER
One day Moose and Deer were scraping their antlers against a tree. Moose started boasting about his huge antlers. Then, Moose went too far when he said,
“Your antlers are tiny compared to mine.”
Deer got his feeling hurt and he started scraping his antlers harder and harder against the tree until the tree didn’t have any bark left. A hunter then came along and pulled out his shot gun and shot at Moose, but missed, and only blasted off his antlers.
Moose was so sad that he lost his antlers, but then he realized how Deer must have felt.
________
Size doesn’t always matter.
By Dylan


DOG, CAT, AND HAMSTER
One day Dog, Cat, and Hamster were fishing and Cat caught a Fish. Cat would not share his Fish with Dog and Hamster, so they said to Cat,
“We are not going to be friends anymore if you aren’t going to share with us.”
Then, Dog went home to cook some pizza. When Dog was done eating, he went to the park to play in the sandbox.
Dog said, “Oh no, here comes Cat and Hamster.”
Cat and Hamster came over to Dog and said,
“We want to be friends again.”
“Okay,” said Dog. “Lets go play on the slide.”
Dog invited Cat and Hamster over for dinner that night to have pizza. Cat and Hamster ended up spending the night at Dog’s house. While they were at Dog’s house, they watched a movie called “Lion King” and had popcorn and ice cream. In the morning they all took a long walk to the park.
__________
Fighting can cause problems.
By Hailey

MOUSE AND ELEPHANT
One day Mouse went to the zoo, and when he got to there he found Elephant and said, “Boo!”
Elephant jumped, and then looked down and saw a Mouse and said, “hey, you don’t belong here!”
“Why don’t I,” asked Mouse.
“Get out of here!” yelled Elephant
Mouse then ran away. Elephant broke out of his cage and grabbed Mouse.
Mouse asked, “Do you want to be friends now?”
“No,” replied Elephant in an angry voice. “I am going to get my revenge now.”
“I am sorry,” said Mouse. “Can we be friends now?”
“Yes,” replied Elephant.
“Hey Elephant, do you want to come to my house for dinner?” asked Mouse.
“Yes,” replied Elephant.
Mouse and Elephant lived to be friends after all. Elephant gave Mouse a surprise birthday party when Mouse was five years old.
One day Elephant was caught on something and Mouse came and helped Elephant out. Elephant thanked Mouse and told him that he would help him if he ever needed any help.
_________
Pick on someone your own size.
By Dakota

NATURE GOES BAD
One day Squirrel was walking to school and he took a short cut through the woods. He thought that someone was following him, and then a Bear jumped out from behind a tree. Squirrel chucked a rock at Bear and knocked him out cold. Squirrel was scared to death, but he still went to school.
The next day, Squirrel did not take the shortcut through the woods, but Bear was still there on his way to school. Bear started chasing Squirrel so Squirrel tripped Bear and Bear landed right on his face.
Next, Hawk flew down and asked, “Why can’t you two be friends?”


“Because!” replied Bear.
Bear then punched Hawk’s beak in and gave him a concussion.
After this, Bear and Squirrel forgot why they were fighting.
___________
Bears and Squirrels are not good friends.
By Rob

PROBLEMS WITH FRIENDS
Leopard was cooking dinner for his friends Bird and Turtle. When they were all sitting at the dinner table Leopard said,
“Turtle, you are so weak. You should be more like me.”
“Yes, but you can’t fly from your enemies,” said Bird.
One week later Leopard, Bird, and Turtle were not talking to each other. They were all together, but they were all doing different things.
Leopard was cooking pizza for dinner, Turtle was ironing his hat, and Bird was making his favorite soup, worm soup. While Leopard, Bird, and Turtle were doing their own things, they all said, “I miss my friends.”
The next day they all went to the park and met at the park bench.
“I’m sorry,” said Bird.
“Me too,” said Leopard and Turtle.
Bird, Turtle, and Leopard all became friends again.
_____________
Always be nice.
By Maysen


DONKEY AND ZEBRA
There once was a Donkey and a Zebra who were best friends. One day Zebra said,
“Hey Donkey, you don’t have stripes like I do,”
“So,” said Donkey.
“Well, maybe I shouldn’t be friends with you anymore,” said Zebra.
“That’s not fair,” exclaimed Donkey. “Just because I don’t look like you doesn’t mean that you can’t be friends with me.”
“Wait,” said Zebra, “I have an idea.”
“What is it?” asked Donkey.
“I know a farmer who is painting his house. We could get some paint from him and paint you some stripes,” said Zebra.
“How do you know that the paint is black and white?” asked Donkey.
“Well, I have seen him paint his house before,” answered Zebra.
Zebra and Donkey then went to the farmer’s house.
When they got there, they saw a big bucket of paint. Zebra kicked the bucket of paint over and said “Get rollin, Donkey!”
“Are you sure?” asked Donkey.
“Yes, I am sure,” answered Zebra.
Donkey rolled around and around in the paint. Just then Zebra noticed that the paint wasn’t black and white. It was orange and green. Donkey looked at himself and screamed.
Then, Zebra and Donkey started laughing. They ended up being two ordinary friends with the exception of one of them being somewhat of a Donkey.
_____________
Treat your friends the way you want to be treated.
By Alexa


Christmas Eve
It was Christmas Eve and everyone was asleep.
So it was time for Santa to creep.
Down the chimney he goes.
All those presents for who knows.
The next morning we ran down stairs,
On the last three jumping through the air.
All those presents just for us.
No need to fuss.
We opened presents one by one.
Until we were done with everyone.
The kids played with their toys,
making lots of noise.
Outside they found another present.
A German Shepherd named Pheasant.
By Deborah


Christmas
Children playing in the snow,
Snowflakes falling onto piles
Of snow very low, making
Snowmen everyday.
Seeing Santa night or day,
Waiting for Christmas all the time,
While children are praying for
For Santa to come!
By Brendon

Snow
The snow is blowing away.
I’m going outside to play.
I’ll build a snowman.
As fast as I can.
Toni

Snow
There is snow on the ground
Not one makes a sound,
And you will have to scoop
the ground.
If you find a gold flake
You know what you can make.
Go sledding on your rump
and you might hit a bump.
By Kahner


Winter
As my feet touch the white, soft snow,
I don’t know which way to go,
A squirrel scurries across the street,
Looking for delicious acorns to eat,
I see an old man walking,
With his dog talking,
I wonder how snow works,
Then I look at the lake as it lurks,
As I see many cars racing down the tracks,
I look to the East and see wolves in packs,
Each snowflake falling one by one,
The Christmas joy has just begun,
I go inside, gingerbread cookies to eat,
Oh... what a treat! ,
As I go in my soft, cozy bed for night,
I look ahead...
I see a light! ,
It’s coming from outside,
It must be Santa’s flight! ,
As I spring from my bed,
I sneak downstairs,
Not a word said,
As I’m on my way I creep,
I look at the chimney,
Down comes someone with a great leap,
It’s Santa with a sack full of toys,
For lots of girls and boys,
He sees me with a twinkle in his eye,
I’ll never forget the night I spied.
By: Nikki

WINTER
I’m on a hill,
Its quiet,
I’m all alone.
I walk to the
To the top of
The hill.
I have a sled.
I run as fast as I can.
The next thing I know.
I’m zooooming,
Laughing.
I’m at the bottom,
On my back,
Laughing so hard I get a brain
freeze.
I stand up,
walk to my house,
Still,
So peacefully quiet.
BY Gage


Sledding
We were sledding down the hill
Laughing at will.
Today there is a lot of snow
And I might go sledding tomorrow.
By: Tanner


Snowflakes
See the snowflakes falling.
I think I hear mother calling.
Now there’s no sun.
So let’s have some fun.
So let’s make it last.
So let’s have a blast.
Colton

Washington Intermediate Newsletter November 2007

Columbus Day Adventure
By Morgan, Austin , Weston
On Columbus Day, two fifth grade classes, Miss Hughes and Mrs. Timmerman, got the opportunity to perform two poems and a chant at the Senior Solutions. We practiced with Miss Mann and during our spare time. As we practiced, we learned a lot of new and interesting facts about Christopher Columbus. We had a lot of fun practicing with Mrs. Timmerman’s class.
The morning before going to the Senior Solutions, we performed in front of the whole school. We would have to say our performance was a true success!


Christopher Columbus, or better known as Admiral of the Ocean, is one of the most famous explorers of all! He was the first European to reach South America, Central America, and the Caribbean Islands. His determination and eagerness, led him to many discoveries that have changed our world history forever!

November 2007 Calendar
For Volley Ball Info see next page…
November 3 Fall Back Set clock
November 6
Title I Open House 7 PM
November 13
National Young Readers Day
November 12
Veterans Day
November 19
Board Meeting @ H.S.
November 21
1 hr. early dismissal
November 22 & 23
Thanksgiving– No School


Change in Next Week's Schedule
To allow our community to support the girls' volleyball team at next week's state tournament, changes to the schedule have been made. There will be a note coming home with all Red Oak students on Friday, November 2nd, detailing the schedule changes for next week. Here is the quick version:
Wednesday, November 7th
There will be a school-wide/community pep rally at the high school.
It will begin at 2:15 pm and end at 2:45 pm. Washington students
will be bused to and from the high school with regular dismissalfrom Washington Intermediate taking place at 3:10 pm.
Thursday, November 8th
Two hour early dismissal from school. This will allow families and
staff traveling to Cedar Rapids time to get there for the 7:00 PM game.
Friday, November 9th
Due to the lateness of the game and the chances of the girls playing further
in the tournament, we will have no school on Friday. This day will be made
up on Friday, May 23rd.
Congrats Red Oak Volleyball Team!

Harvesting the Pizza Garden. The tomatoes made a bumper crop again this year. The vegetables will be used to make pizzas for the fifth graders. In turn the 5th graders will plant a pizza garden for next year. Our sunflower crop was destroyed this summer and we are not able to harvest the flowers this year.
We are looking for a master gardener volunteer to assist with next year’s garden. If you know someone who would like to volunteer, please call Washington Intermediate.


Check out our blog...http://wistigers.blogspot.com


Volunteer in your school
Contact Mr. Barry for
Ideas of how you can help


Check out student artwork
Artsonia.com
Add your comments and join your friends ‘ fan clubs. Awards given on-line see if you are one!
Parents can add artwork and purchase gifts for Grandma,
Grandpa,
Aunts or Uncle
Or
For the Artist’s
Christmas gift
Artwork from the United States and many other countries
Check it OUT !

Students: You should not be riding your bikes on school property. You need to be walking them.


WIS Parent Advisory Committee meetings are open to any parents.
- Thursday, Dec 6, 2007 (7:00 – 8:00 pm)
- Monday, Mar 3, 2008 (7:00 – 8:00 pm)
- Thursday, May 6, 2008 (7:00 – 8:00 pm)


Interactive Website to practice symmetrical shapes!
www.popularfront.com/snowdays
http://snowflakes.barkleyus.com/




HALLOWEEN TOWN
By Bayley
There’s a town that is called Halloween town. It is a scary world of monsters, witches, ghosts, and vampires that suck your juice. So do you dare to go there? The Halloween bus comes only on Halloween night. There are monsters, ghosts, and vampires on the bus. A lot of them. But don’t worry, they won’t hurt you or eat you, unless you touch them. If you don’t touch them, they will give you candy and costumes. Just don’t touch them and remember Halloween town on Halloween night.


The Haunted House
By Savannah
There once was a little Turnbull girl and her name was Isabella. She was the sweetest little girl on the block. She was only seven years old. Her best friend Marnie asked her to the haunted house. Isabella said she would like to go, so on Saturday night they went together. When she got back, it was about midnight. Her mom was worried about where she had been because Isabella didn’t tell her mom where she was going. Isabella got grounded!
Isabella got so mad at her mom that she went out her bedroom window and ran away. When her mom came up to check on her, she was gone! Mom went downstairs, put her coat on, and went out to look for Isabella. She couldn’t find her anywhere!
Mom went home to call for help, and there was Isabella sitting on the couch eating popcorn and candy. Her mother asked, “What are you doing?”
Isabella asked, “What do you mean? I’ve been sitting here this whole time.”
About a week later, Isabella’s mother ungrounded her. She got to play with her friends, but she couldn’t play with Marnie for another whole week. Isabella was OK about it. She learned a lesson about telling her mom where she was going.

MS. KARWAL STARTS RECYLING KICKOFF
By. Cade, Logan , & Cameron
During the month of October Mrs. Linn and Miss Hughes’s class kicked off recycling at Washington Intermediate School. We gave all the fourth and fifth grade classrooms decorated recycling boxes. Every other week the Glenwood Resource Center comes and picks up the recycled newspaper. We are very excited to start helping the environment, and our surroundings.


Ms. Karwal
When Deb Karwal came to the fifth grade she told us how we could recycle household things like, plastic, cans, paper, and cartons. She talked about the current situation with the Red Oak landfill. Some things our class found to be very fascinating is the amount of time it takes for household things to dissolve in water. For example, a pop can takes 200 years to disintegrate, another example a plastic jug takes 1 million years to disintegrate, another example is that some six pack rings take 450 years to disintegrate in our environment. She told us that we are the next generation, and we should help save our world by recycling.
By: Shelbie, Cameo, Clayton


The Halloween Treat
Once upon a time there was candy in bowls and children going from house to house . A few kids were wearing costumes, but others stayed, handing out candy with there parents.
A few parents went with their kids.
The funniest thing was a kid dressed like candy corn .So everyone called him “The Halloween Treat.” He was really sad but he had a friend whose name was Darien. Jesse liked playing with Darien. They had lots of fun, but the kids kept calling Jesse “The Halloween Treat.”
So Darien stood up for him and told all of the kids to stop calling him “The Halloween Treat.” But the kids wouldn’t stop, so finally, he told his mom to call the principal and tell the kids to stop calling him “The Halloween Treat.”
The principal told them that if they didn’t stop, they would get detention. They stopped.
by Carson
Don’t Be a Halloween Bully


THE MAGIC JACK-O-LANTERN
By Cassie
One beautiful day a girl was humming. Jessica was sitting by the big oak tree in the playground. Then the most stuck-up girl in 3rd grade approached her and said, ”Get out of my way!” In fear she ran away .
Then the teacher called out, “ C’mon in kids! Recess is over!”
That night Jessica carved a jack-o-lantern. “There’s a dance coming up and I don’t have a costume!” she bellowed. Then the jack-o-lantern jiggled and wiggled and weirdly giggled! In shock, Jessica closed her eyes, but the bright yellow light was too much for her to handle. The jack-o-lantern spoke again and said, “Hi! My name is Pumpkin. What’s yours?”
“Mmmmmyy name is Jessica.”
“Well, hello Jessica,” said Pumpkin, “what’s the matter?”
“There’s a Halloween dance tomorrow and I don’t have a costume, ride or date to the dance with,” she cried with disappointment.
“Don’t worry,” said Pumpkin, “I know what to do.”
With a wink and a tap, a beautiful yellow dress appeared! Boom! A carriage appeared, too!
With excitement in her voice, she said, “ Thank you o’ kind Pumpkin!” With a smile, she went away to the dance.
When she got there, a cute boy was there too. There was a flood of girls around him, so she barged right through and said, “Hi.”
He asked, “Would you like to dance?” Jessica said, “OK.”
Later, Pumpkin came back and said, “Times up!”
With a startling fright, Jessica woke up and said with a big sigh, “It’s only a dream.” Later that day, she said, “Happy Halloween” to herself. She never forgot about that Halloween.

Fourth and Fifth graders are building vocabulary in Friday art classes, one word at a time. Art, science and social studies words are being used at this time.
Fifth graders in 4-2 can now define the words assembly and assemble after an art class discussion.


RED RIBBON WEEK
Theme: Rockin’ to a Drug Free Beat!
The week of the 22nd-26th was Red Ribbon week here are some of the fun things we did. We listened to music over the intercom. Our class’s favorite was probably Respect by Aretha Franklin. On Monday students from the high school came to talk about why you shouldn’t do drugs, and how they do horrible things to our bodies. Wednesday was wear Rockin’ Red and Thursday was stop singing the blues, so wear blue. Of course Friday was orange and black day!!!
On Wednesday we had an assembly with Rockin’ Prevention. We sang songs, danced, and most importantly we talked about why not to do drugs!!! At the end of every day there was a special question. We enjoyed all of the activities throughout the week!
By MaKayla and Grace


“The Deer Hunt with my Dad”
By Jessa
Last fall my Dad and I went deer hunting in the blind. We were out in the woods for about a half when a big buck started to come in out of the timber.
A few does started coming in also. My Dad and I had a call in our hand. My Dad whispered to me after he calls that I will call. So he called then I did and the buck came running in. My Dad said he is still too far for me to shoot. He got the binoculars out. We looked at the buck and my Dad said to me “call again,” so I did. The buck put his head down and started to eat. My dad shot and hit him right in the liver and killed him.
Let me tell you, my Dad and I were so excited! We got out of the blind and walked to his buck, sat down and took pictures. Then we dragged it to the truck and put it in the back of the truck and drove home.
When we got home, my Mom and brother came outside and were excited too! My Dad hung the deer in the garage and skinned it. After curing the meat, it was wrapped and put in the freezer. I bet you can’t guess what we had for dinner a few nights later. That’s right! The deer steaks were delicious!
Safe and Happy Hunting !!!!!!

Washington Intermediate Newsletter October 2007

Washington Intermediate Newsletter


Washington Smiles Page 2
GuidancePoetry Page 3
Dictionary for 4th\WIS Tidbits Page 4
Mold in 5-1 Page 5
MoldPoetry Page 6
MoldMy Favorite Subject Page 7
Ms. Karwal –4thLeatha’s Rabbit Page 8
New Teachers and Students Interview ......
Homecoming WeekAt Washington
Smiles in AislesFront page cont...

Front Page
Parent Advisory Committee Meeting Notes
Monday, September 17, 2007 7:00 – 8:00 PM

Present: Doug Barry, Principal; Janet Zenor, Wendi Breedlove, Kathy Walker, Bonnie Orme
I. Review of 2006-07
a. ITBS – Doug Barry reviewed the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills data for WIS students and all district students from the 2006-07 year. Discussion about No Child Left Behind (NCLB) goals that are set for the 2007-08 school year – the goals are higher than the previous year and (if NCLB is left unchanged) will continue to increase until 2014 when 100% of students are expected to be proficient. Our students showed growth when looking at scores from one year to the next (i.e. 3rd grade to 4th grade).
b. ICAMS – was not discussed.
c. After School Math Program – students did see an increase in their math fluency (number of math facts they can correctly answer in a period of time) last year. To be proficient or to master each math probe (+, -, x, ¸), 4th grade students are expected to be able to answer at least 90 of 100 math facts in 5 minutes while 5th grade gets 3 minutes.
II. Highlights, changes and plans for 2007-08
a. Summer Projects – The sidewalk was replaced on south and east side of school. The trees were trimmed up along Broadway. The playground was resurfaced and there was an issue that we feel has been resolved – the bobcat used during trimming tore the surface up in one area and students were getting black ‘goo’ on their clothes. The surfacing company came in and resurfaced the parts that were damaged.
b. WIS & Red Oak CSD plans for professional development – handouts of the Inman, Washington, Middle School and High School goals for the 2007-08 were handed out in the packet.
c. Blog site (http://wistigers.blogspot.com) – until we update and improve our district site, WIS has started our own website to post information, pictures and updates. There is also a search link (www.goodsearch.com) on the site that donates 1 cent per search to the school. We would need to amass $20 by the end of the September to qualify for receiving a check. This year, we may not make it, but it should be easily obtained in future years. Continued on page 11….




WIS Parent Advisory Committee meetings are open to any parents.
- Thursday, Dec 6, 2007 (7:00 – 8:00 pm)
- Monday, Mar 3, 2008 (7:00 – 8:00 pm)
- Thursday, May 6, 2008 (7:00 – 8:00 pm)




Visit Artsonia.com

to see your student’s artwork on line !!!!



Page 2


You Had to Be there ! Congrats, Dylin
What: Washington Intermediate Assembly
5th grader, Dylin , had his name pulled for Hy-Vee's Smile for Education! We will receive a check for $5000 from Hy-Vee! Dylin receives a laptop computer!
Who: All students, staff, any district staff and parents available can attend! Brandon Lampkin, Hy-Vee store director & other Hy-Vee staff.
KMTV-3 & KCSI
When: Tuesday, September 11, 2007 - 10:00 AM




RED OAK COMMUNITY SCHOOLS STUDENTS
SHARE THEIR ARTWORK WITH THE WORLD!


Red Oak, IA -- Move Over Famous Artists! Red Oak Community Schools
artists are taking over the spotlight! Susan Noonan, the school's Art Teacher, has teamed up with Artsonia, www.artsonia.com -- the world's largest online kid's art museum -- to display the students' artwork.
Anyone can view the school gallery online at: www.artsonia.com/schools/red1. Visitors can browse the artwork in the school gallery by grade level, or by specific exhibits. Red Oak Community Schools students join thousands of students from over 100 countries whose artwork is showcased on Artsonia. "This program is a wonderful way to get parents and family members more involved in Art Education," said Susan Noonan.
All of Artsonia’s one million pieces of artwork are viewable online, and any teacher or parent can create an online art gallery for their child or school. Artsonia provides several online features such as fan clubs and personal guestbooks, as a way for families to encourage the creativity and imaginations of their young artists. In addition, family members can purchase keepsakes imprinted with the child’s artwork, with Artsonia donating 15 percent of their annual product revenue back to school art programs.
Headquartered in Chicago, Ill., Artsonia was established in 2000 as an online kid’s art museum providing free, educational resources for kids, families and schools to create art projects. Since its inception, Artsonia continues to integrate technology in the classroom, develop multi-cultural understanding through art and increase family involvement in children’s education. To find out more, visit http://www.artsonia.com/.



Page 3
Poetry from Mrs. Guinn’s Class


Island
Sitting, waiting
Smelling real stinky
Mad to come to this bad island
Prison
Shayla Duplain




Waiting
Cannot leave here
Smells bad, really bad
I hate it. Have to go home now
Waiting
Cara Hale

Waiting
Days are passing
Listening to questions
Nervously waiting to be asked
Waiting
Ethan Hewett

It stinks.
I try to breathe.
It smells very bad.
Dreaming of good smells and freedom
It stinks.
Hannah Shalters

Waiting
Waiting for a sign
It smells horrible.
Thinking about my family
Waiting
Maria Pendleton


It smells
It stinks like cows
Stinking like horses
Smelling like flowers that just rose
Stinky
Jasmine Forward

Held here
I count the days
Looking through the fence
Dreaming of running free again
Waiting
Hayley Benedict

Held here
I count the weeks
Looking through the glass
Dreaming of people free again
Waiting
Parker Wagaman


Waiting
The day is long.
I see a good book.
I wanted to read the good book.
Waiting
Leatha Bennett

Page 4

Washington Tidbits

Check out student artwork
Artsonia.com
Add your comments and join your friends ‘ fan clubs. Awards given on-line see if you are one!
Parents can add artwork and purchase gifts for Grandma,
Grandpa,
Aunts or Uncle
Or
For the Artist’s
Christmas gift
Artwork from the United States and many other countries
Check it OUT !

Wanted: Master Gardener Volunteers

Volunteer in your school
Contact Mr. Barry for
Ideas of how you can help

Check out our blog...http://wistigers.blogspot.com


Chad Johnson, Fareway manager
and Rotary Club members
and came in and gave each 4th grader
a dictionary to use in school.
on September 26.

Principal’s Student
Advisory Group
for September 2007

Page 5
5th Grade Science


Mold Experiment
By Savanna Abraham 5-1
My Hypothesis: My bread is going to grow fuzzy mold.
Day 1: Got bread wet
Day 2: After exposing bread to the air in 5-1 class room for 24 hours, put bread in air tight bag in a dark warm place.
Day 5: It’s fuzzy and it is black, blue, orange, yellow, and green. The mold is growing on the back.
Day 6: nothing happen.
Day 7: It is black, blue and a little orange and yellow. The size has grown to that of a half dollar. It is fuzzy.
Day 8: Fuzz is growing.
Conclusion: I proved my hypothesis: I think it will grow fuzzy mold. It DID grow fuzzy mold.
Comparisons of the molds
The ones in 5-1 are the ones that have the most mold. The ones in the art room had weird mold. The one in Mr. Barry’s office does not have that much mold.
Mold Experiment
5-1
My Hypothesis: My bread is going to grow fuzzy mold.
Day 1: Got bread wet
Day 2: After exposing bread to the air in 5-1 class room for 24 hours, put bread in air tight bag in a dark warm place.
Day 5: It’s fuzzy and it is black, blue, orange, yellow, and green. The mold is growing on the back.
Day 6: nothing happen.
Day 7: It is black, blue and a little orange and yellow. The size has grown to that of a half dollar. It is fuzzy.
Day 8: Fuzz is growing.
Conclusion: I proved my hypothesis: I think it will grow fuzzy mold. I DID grow fuzzy mold.
Comparisons of the molds
The ones in 5-1 are the ones that have the most mold. The ones in the art room had weird mold. The one in Mr. Barry’s office does not have that much mold.

Page 6

Mold Experiment
By Vincent Breedlove
My mold will start in the music room. My hypothesis is, that I think it will be very moldy.
The process is: you get a piece of bread wet. Expose it to the air in the music room for twenty-four hours. Put bread in a air tight bag, in a dark and warm place. Then we observe.
9-9-07 It’s still wet and really squishy.
9-10-07 it’s almost covered in mold, the colors are red, green, black, and it cracked
9-11-07 it has blue and white mold, the crust is starting to peel, and the mold is starting to grow on the back, it is still all soggy
9-12-07 the colors are red, blue, green, black, yellow, and white. The size is covering the whole top and a little of the back. it’s texture it’s all soggy.
9-13-07 its mold is hard. There is a lot of white mold circles everywhere.
9-17-07 there’s a lot of black mold on the top and a lot of white mold. There’s orange mold. One whole corner is covered in a type of slime. It looks like it’s growing by the second. It’s smelly.
Classroom mold had fuzzy. Some were really bad.
Art room mold has blue or black.
Mrs. Bates room mold is fuzzy.
P.E. supply room mold it’s all blue.
Mr. Barry’s office mold. Is fuzzy.
Media center has no mold at all.
Music room mold is nasty.
Mr. M mold. Is all fuzzy.
Conclusion
1. I proved my hypothesis that it would be really moldy.
the worst was the music room mold

More Poetry:

It stinks.
Smells really bad
Some fresh air will help
It will smell good if we had air
It stinks.
Chelsea Green


Anger
They’re mad at them.
Mad people are here.
They are all very, very poor.
They’re sick.
Brooke Samms

Alone.
Separated
Seeing sad faces
Hoping to see my Mother and Dad
Alone.
Brittney Schwartz

It stinks.
Smells really bad
Food smelled really good.
You feel free when you’re with family.
Alexis Wall

Questions
Coaching papers
Hearing it just right
Scared to give
the wrong answers
Questions
Joseph Shipley

Page 7

Mold Experiment
5-1 Mold Experiment by Karen Miller
First, we put the bread on a paper plate and got it wet. We left it out for 24 hours. Then we put the bread in an airtight bag.
Monday, Sept. 10, 2007 - I got mold on mine. It was yellow, green, and red.
Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2007 - I got different colors: pink appeared.
Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2007 - I have the same colors. The mold is now the size of a golfball.
Thursday, Sept. 13, 2007 - It got bigger but it is the same color.
Monday, Sept. 17, 2007 - It got bigger, but the colors are the same. I have a whole lot of fuzzy stuff on it.
I had fun!


My Favorite Subject is…..
Reading – because it makes me feel good when I read. Some books are very good. – Dallin
-- because I can read instead of doing homework. Also, I can read all of my favorite
books. Also, I can read about George W. Bush, and I can read in my science
book. – Devin
Math – because I am really good at it and it is fun. Unknown 5-1
P.E. – because you can learn and have fun at the same time. It is active.
The teacher is nice. – Dylin
Science - because there are a lot of things to do. You learn a lot. You can unlock a whole
new world. You can learn a bunch more words. There are a lot of experiments
and other fun things to do. – Vincent
Social Studies - because you get to learn about immigrants and the Native Americans
and your ancestors. We learn about directions. Unknown 5-1


Ms. Karwal Visits With Fourth Graders
By Jamie Storesund & Megan Roberts
Deb Karwal recently came to talk to the fourth grade class. She came to talk about weather, and she did many experiments. She put fire in a jar to see the smoke fall. She made the temperature go up and down. She made a cloud on a sheet of glass. She put a red ice cube in warm water to show that colder air sinks. She made the fire by a match and put it on a plate and put a jar over it. She made the temperature by putting warm water and some ice cubes around it. She made the clouds form on the glass by putting warm water in the pan and put a glass over the top and ice cubes on top. She made the red ice cube dissolve in warm water. The warm water made it dissolve fast!

Leatha’s Rabbit Visits Mrs. Guinn’s Class

The Afterschool Math Program
By Ms. Linn
It is going great! We had a wonderful turnout our first night, on September 11. We would like to thank TierOne for providing treats for us that night. On September 25, we had even more students than before. Houghton State Bank was generous enough to provide a snack for the students this time. We have really been working on the basic math skills in all of our sections. The students are working hard and having fun doing it. Several of the 5th grade students have passed all 4 levels of basic skills testing (+, -, *, /). Congratulations! We would like to encourage parents to get their children involved in the after school math program. It can only help!


New
Teachers
Ms. Linn
and
Mrs. Hughes

Don’t Forget to Use GoodSearch.com and earn pennies for Washington School !

More Poems:

Waiting
It is painful.
It is always stinky.
I am dreaming of freedom, yes.
Can’t sleep well.
Corrina Budka

Nervous
I can’t sleep well.
Feeling very sick
I can’t wait to see my brother.
Nervous
Bailey Bruce

Trapped here
It is a bad place.
Waiting a long time
Waiting to be free of prison
Trapped here.
Eric Roberts

Alone
None of my friend
Dream to see my mom
Praying to God they ask me soon
Alone.
Shane Cox

During Western day of Homecoming week Mrs. Sampers dressed in style. She visited Mrs. Guinn’s room and shared information about her outfit, noting the importance of each item she wore or carried. Mrs. Sampers knew what she was talking about because she lived on a ranch in Wyoming for 20 years.


Our custodian, Kevin Schwartz, and his daughter Brittney shared details about the Statue of Liberty when Mrs. Guinn’s class studied Ellis Island.

Football
By Colin Bruce & Murphy Porter
This article is about the new tackle football program. It includes 4th, 5th and 6th grades. The program is called JVAA. It stands for Jordan Vannausdle Athletic Association. It is very fun. Our head coaches name is Doug Mertz. We are going to be on a float in the parade because of the JVAA. Practice is every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. Colin’s positions are defense safety and offense guard. Murphy’s positions are defense middle line backer and offense guard. Colin’s number is 62 and Murphy’s number is 77. We’re both on different teams. Colin is on the black team and Murphy is on the orange team. If we win all the football games, we get to play at Graceland University Stadium. We have to win 5 games. Both of our teams are very good and fast, and we have to wear pads so we don’t get hurt.

Smiles in Every Aisle cont….
Mr. Lampkin introduces his management staff. Mr. Barry ask the important question, “How many items will $5000.00 buy?


Parent Meeting continued from page 1
d. Online Surveys – Doug Barry shared with the parents an online survey (also linked on our website) that parents could use to give feedback on the $5,000 from Hy-Vee. The results (so far) were shared with the parents. WIS will use the survey site to poll parents, staff and community members on various concerns, issues, ideas in the future.
e. Savings account program – Doug Barry had sent each bank a letter in August expressing his interest in starting a savings program for students at Washington. An article, Financial Literacy Curriculum Pays Off, was handed out to the parents. Discussion about how we could set it up here and the consensus is listed below. Barry will pursue what the parents suggested. Article found at: http://www.naesp.org/ContentLoad.do?contentId=2194
i. The need and importance is evident;
ii. Have one bank do it each year instead of multiple banks as that may be confusing;
iii. Rotate banks each year if there are more than one bank interested;
iv. Students/parents would participate if they wanted
f. After School Math Program – WIS is in the 3rd year. We had 76 students present at our first session and there will be 11 more sessions this year and a party/contest at the end of the year. Parents suggested that students who participate in more than ½ the sessions should be allowed to participate in the contest at the end as it was a lot of fun last year.
g. Hy-Vee Smiles for Education ($5,000 ) – A sheet with ideas from the students on how to spend the $5,000 was in the packet. Discussion resulted in the idea of spending a portion of it on the playground area and a portion of it on technology. Playground ideas the parents liked were: a mural of some sort that could be inserted into the chain link fence to block the view of street and jail; another slide; a basketball hoop; something the kids would like. Technology ideas were a Smart/Interactive Whiteboard system; laptops
III. Other Input, Ideas, and Suggestions – Kathy Walker was going to look in to replacing the bush/tree out front that had been donated to the school when Jennie Paulus passed away in 1993. It was suggested that staff either not park on north side of Washington street as cars picking up students after school sometimes do not have room. Mr. Barry would talk to staff.