Eagle Quarterly
March 2009* No. 04
A Message From the Principal
Finally, it appears that spring is going to wedge its way in bringing warmer weather to the area. The beginning of 4th quarter represents the “home stretch” for seniors and officially begins March 23, 2009—only 42 remaining days of school. These final days are filled with mixed excitement for students and parents alike. During this time period, seniors often experience a condition specific to their age and exit status—senioritis. As many of our seniors celebrate that magical age during their senior year—age 18, they become chronologically gifted overnight as any parent of a senior can attest to, me included. This giftedness combined with senioritis, a condition that I define as being motivationally deficient, is cause for their parents, counselors, teachers and administrators to act in a manner not known or seen by the child [senior] before this year. All kidding aside, the remaining days can be stressful for seniors as they prepare to make a major life-change. It is especially important for parents to help their student remain on top of grades, attendance, scholarship deadlines, application deadlines to post-secondary schools, and other items necessary for graduation.
Academic clubs and teams are entering their
final months of competition. Clubs that
compete on an academic level include SkillsUSA, BPA, FFA, and FCCLA. All of these vocational clubs apply lessons
learned in the classroom at regional, state, and national competitions. Watch for results in the local papers. The science club is also preparing for their fifth
robotics competition and past lessons have taught them new strategies for
success. BPA is gearing up to take 34 students
to nationals in Dallas, Texas this year.
Academic clubs rely on numerous fundraisers and sponsors to cover these
expenses. We would like to thank our entire school community
for your ongoing and generous support of our many academic and non-academic
activities for students. On a final
note, Career and Technical Education departments will host their annual Spring
Exhibit May 14-15, 2009 in the high school gym.
Again, as we begin the final
quarter of school, I would ask parents to remain aware of grades on a weekly
basis, especially for seniors. If you have computer access, please email
teachers and use the PASS system to check grades. Tutorial assistance is
available every Monday-Thursday from 3:30 to 6:00 p.m. in the ITV classroom for
any student needing extra help with homework.
With “Spring Fever” around the corner, please stay in touch if you have
concerns or questions.
Sincerely
Daniel T. Farr, Principal
SHS Building Projects
At this time last year, I
reported that the District was moving forward with plans to build a new library,
remodel the 200 wing classrooms, guidance and administration, and the 600
wing. The new library portion of the
projects listed is nearing completion and students will be using their new
library in early April. In the remaining
months of this school year, teachers in the 200 wing (foreign language and art
teachers) will be relocated by March 30th to accommodate the second
phase of the project. Phase three of the
project will be remodeling of the guidance and administrative wing and this
work will begin one week after school lets out for the summer. During phase three, guidance and administrative
offices will be temporarily relocated to office/work areas in the new
library.
To access the high school main
offices or guidance this summer, student, parents or other community members
will need to enter the library using the new entry located on the north side of
the library. The high school principal
and assistant principal will establish temporary offices in the new music area
for the summer. With good weather and
some luck, everyone will be back in their traditional locations by the start of
school.
Although all new summer
projects are not finalized, we would ask all to be mindful of barriers and all
construction zone notices for the next several months.
Track Facility: as a side note, we would ask patrons who
utilize the track for walking to use side gates and to observe all posted
rules. Persons that climb over the fence
continue to weaken and damage the fences.
Again, please use open access gates.
SHS will make every attempt to provide access during the summer.
Parent-Teacher
Conferences
Date:
Tuesday & Wednesday,
March 24 & 25th, 2009
Time:
4 to 7:00 PM each day
It is not possible for every teacher to visit with
every parent of every child in their classes.
Consequently, teachers prioritize and extend invitations based on
academic need first. Teachers also
extend invitations to share successes and accomplishments in many cases,
too. If you as a parent received an
invitation to conferences but have a conflict, please contact the school and we
can attempt to reschedule for another time.
If you are not scheduled for conferences, please call and we will have
your student’s teachers make arrangements to meet with you. More importantly, anytime you have concerns
about your student’s performance in school, please call and we will be happy to
schedule a meeting for you to visit with teachers.
Donkey Basketball
LAUGHTER & FUN!!
APRIL 9TH – 7 p.m. – SHS GYM
Richland
County FFA chapters, Agriculture Departments, Alumni and friends are embarking
on a Fund Raising for the MSU-EARC AG Research & Outreach Facility Capital
Campaign. This year’s biennial FFA
“Donkey Basketball” event will dedicate all net proceeds to the capital
campaign that is underway. The four
area FFA chapters & FFA alumni (Fairview, Lambert, Richey & Sidney)
will head the event.
The
Donkey Ball Tournament (3 games) is scheduled at the Sidney High School gym on
Thursday, April 9th. A number
of side events will include food, games and feats of skill to round out a full
evening starting at 5pm and lasting to 10pm.
Mark your calendars now and plan for a night with family and friends for
a belly full of laughter.
The
area chapters & alumni are looking for partners in this event. Businesses or others could match the youth in
cash contributions or efforts dedicated to this FUTURE agriculture
endeavor. “I believe in the future of agriculture born not of words but of deeds”
is a long time voice of agriculturists and FFA members for over 75 years in
this part of the state. Please show us
your generous contribution by joining in on the fun, efforts and
sponsorships. “THE CHALLENGE IS ON”!
Please
contact your closest FFA advisor and visit on how you can contribute to this
long term benefit to the county and region regardless of age. Please contact any of the following advisors:
Sidney FFA: Gary Schaff at 433-2330 Lambert FFA: Trish
Neumann at 774-3333
Richey FFA: Crystal Johnson at 773-5523 Fairview FFA: Cole Germann at
742-5265
DON’T FORGET!!!
APRIL 9TH – 7 p.m. – SHS GYM
Make it “Five” in a Row
-Plus Sweepstakes
Sidney
FFA Varsity Agriculture Mechanics team of Ben Johnson, Lyle Peters, Tyler Goss with
alternates Ethan Schaff and Megan Greenwood rolled to a fifth consecutive first
place finish. Ten Big Muddy schools
participated and over 40 individuals from area schools participated. Sidney was followed by Plentywood and Richey
for the top team placing. As individuals, Ben (1st), Lyle (3rd),
Ethan (7th), Tyler (9th) and Megan (25th)
participated in ten various mechanical activities ranging from electrical
wiring to concrete construction. Ben’s first place individual award is the 7th
year in a row a Sidney member has topped the field as well. Wacey McMillen and Wade McMillen participated
as a shorthanded JV mechanic team. Wacey
placed 7th and Wade 21st in a field of 29 participants.
Richey JV team placed first. Plentywood
FFA hosted the event. The next event is
Leadership Development being held in Richey on March 16th.
This
same group of individuals pictured took first place in the Agriculture
Production Sweepstakes Division against 13 other chapters. This sweepstakes was determined by the chapters
placing in six events: Agronomy (1st), Animal Science (3rd),
Floriculture (3rd), Agr. Sales & Service (2nd), Agr. Business Management (3rd),
and concluding with Mechanics (1st).
Richey placed 2nd followed by Opheim.
Thank You to Volunteers
Friday,
March 13, a group of parents and other adults from the community spent the
afternoon “in school” with our entire student body. SHS Student Council organized a “fun day” of
activities for students to give them a break from their everyday grind of being
in the classroom confined to a desk.
Adult volunteers were enlisted to allow the teaching staff the afternoon
to work in their classrooms. I’d like to
extend our thanks to our volunteers for their time and efforts: Dave
Andersen, Tracy Denowh, Tammy Dynneson, Gail Staffanson, Scott Staffanson,
Maxine Hutchens, Theresa Iverson, Robyn Johnson, Colin Livers, Teresa Livers,
Duane Peters, Karen Steinbeisser, Paula Steinbeisser, Gina Thiel, Nancy Vaira,
and SHS classified staff members Lori Alexander, Lori Christensen, Jami Fink,
Cheryl Hanson, Ashley Harris, Maria Peters, and Tara Skaar. Also, a big “thank you” goes out to The Depot
for donating $180 worth of food coupons to be given as prizes for the
students. The afternoon presented an
opportunity for some of our parents and other adults to interact with the
students and get to know them a little better.
The Student Council is to be commended, not only for their time and hard
work, but for their organizational skills and creativity for planning and chairing
the “fun day” activities. The afternoon
proved to be a successful venture!
Sue
Andersen
Assistant Principal, STUCCO advisor
News from the Guidance Department
Seniors: February through May are busy months as far
as scholarships are concerned. By the
middle of March, most local scholarships should be available in the guidance
office or on Mr. Barnhart’s web page on the high school web site under “Scholarship
Calendar”. Most scholarships can now
been done on-line and students can use their computer to fill them out as
opposed to a typewriter. Seniors need to check the scholarship calendar for
which scholarships they can apply for and keep track of the deadlines when they
are due.
Scholarship
deadlines are also placed on the announcements each week as a reminder and are
posted on the internet on Mr. Barnhart’s web page and in the main hallway at
SHS. There are a few typewriters
available for student use in the guidance area.
Remind your seniors to keep on top of things.
FAFSA news.
If you applied for financial aid, you should have received a SAR
(Student Aid Report) from FAFSA by the end of March. The SAR will be printed on yellow paper and
should be 3-4 pages if you applied for financial aid by mail. If you applied on
line, your SAR should be available within 3-4 days of inputting your FAFSA
information. Make sure you check your
junk mail for your SAR as it could go there.
Go over the information on the SAR to make sure the information is
correct. If everything is correct, do
nothing. If you need to make
corrections, you must send it in again to the address listed on the SAR or
access your FAFSA on the web and then you will receive another corrected
SAR. (Online FAFSA corrections are
quicker to achieve results.) The colleges that were listed on your FAFSA will
also receive your information.
Parents
of seniors: Remember that graduation is on the line for
all seniors. They tend to get a bit of
“spring fever” and forget their studies when the weather gets nice. If you have questions or concerns for any
particular class, please feel free to call that teacher or Mr. Barnhart for an
updated grade check on your son or
daughter
or access their grades on the high school web page.
Grades
8 though 11 have pre-registered for their classes next year and will receive a
schedule sometime in early May. The
Guidance department held orientation meetings for all four classes before they
selected their 2009-2010 classes. If you
have any questions concerning their class selection, feel free to contact
either Mr. Barnhart or Mrs. Collins 433-2330. Math and English class
recommendations for high school students were provided by teachers in those
departments and science, math, English, and study skills recommendations for
placement for incoming freshmen were provided by the middle school staff. If you have questions regarding your child’s
placement please contact his or her teacher to discuss their reasons for the
recommendation.
Sophomores
will begin working on their career paper in their English classes beginning the
last week of April. Mrs. Collins will be
in the classroom to assist students with the technology and software they will
be using to complete this career exploration assignment.
SAT Material - telephone
scam
The Office of Public Instruction (OPI) recently made all Montana
schools aware of a scam where parents are contacted and told their child, and
they have the child's name, has ordered some SAT materials and they need the
parents' credit card number to pay for them. This is a scam. Below
is the link established to get the word out to all the high schools in the
state. The link contains some useable
information to keep from being scammed.
http://spokane.bbb.org/article/9518
When in doubt about the authenticity of any request
for any school/personal information about your child or requests for school
payments via credit cards, please contact the high office at 433-2330.
*Never give out or confirm personal information over the telephone
unless first initiating the call.
COLLEGE PREP PROGRAM
You
should be aware that completion of the College Preparatory Program is required
for admission to all campuses of the Montana University System. These campuses include Montana State
University Bozeman, University of Montana (Missoula), Montana State University
Billings, Montana State University Northern (Havre), University of MT/Western
Montana College (Dillon), and Montana Tech of the Univ. of MT (Butte).
The College Preparatory Program required
is:
English
(4 units). Shall include the study of
the English language, literature and writing, with emphasis on and frequent
practice in writing expository prose during all four years.
1.
Mathematics (3
units). Shall include algebra I,
geometry and algebra II or their equivalents.
(One unit is highly recommended in the senior year. Algebra and geometry taken prior to the ninth
grade will be accepted.)
2.
Science (2
units). Shall include year-long
laboratory courses in two fields of college preparatory science such as
biology, chemistry or physics. (Physical
science does not meet the college prep. requirements for laboratory
science.) College bound students must
take a science class their junior or senior year.
3.
Social Studies (3
units). Shall include one year of U.S.
history, one year of global studies (world history, geography, etc.) and one
year of social studies elective (government strongly recommended).
4.
Other College
Preparatory (2 units). May be a foreign
language (highly recommended that you take two years of the same language),
computer science, vocational education, visual and performing arts (with a
theory or history component). Any
language other than English is acceptable.
Vo-ed courses should be clearly related to college courses.
In
addition to the College Preparatory requirements, entering college freshmen
will also be required to:
1. Obtain
a composite score of at least 20 on the enhanced A.C.T. assessment test or a
1440 on the S.A.T. (northern and western only).
2 Obtain
a composite score of at least 22 on the enhanced A.C.T. assessment test or 1540
on the S.A.T. (Scholastic Aptitude Test), or;
3. Obtain a grade point average (GPA) of
at least 2.5, or;
4. Rank in the upper half of your school’s
graduating class.
5. Beginning
with the incoming class of 2007 and
until 2010:
a. Math score
of 18-21 on the A.C.T. or 440-510 on the S.A.T.; or
b. Four years
of math and three years of science, or
c. AP Math
score of a 3 or above on Calculus or Statistics
6. Beginning
in the fall of 2010:
a. Math score
of 22 on the A.C.T. or 520 on the
S.A.T.; or
b. AP Math
score of a 3 or above on the
Calculus
test or 4 or above on the IB
Calculus
test
7. The writing proficiency standard beginning
in the fall of 2009 will include:
a. Score
a 7 on the Writing sub-score or an 18 on the combined English/Writing section
of the optional writing test of the A.C.T.
b. Score
a 7 on the essay or 440 on the writing section of S.A.T.
c. Score
a 3.5 on the Montana University System writing assessment
d. Score
a 3 or above on the AP English Language or English Literature examination.
8. Four-year universities in Montana are
requiring the Writing test on the A.C.T.
Montana University System Admission
Requirements
In
2003, the Montana Board of Regents approved new admission requirements. Beginning Fall, 2004 a high school graduate
must meet at least one of the following requirements in order to be admitted to
a 4-year campus:
Achieve at least the minimum score on a
standardized test (ACT or SAT)
- 20 for UM-Western and
MSU-Northern
- 22 for the other
4-year campuses (UM-Missoula, MT Tech of UM, MSU-Bozeman, MSU-Billings)
Minimum
SAT Total Score
- 1440 UM-Western and
MSU-Northern
- 1540 for the other
4-year campuses (UM-Missoula, MT Tech of UM, MSU-Bozeman, MSU-Billings)
OR have at least a cumulative 2.5 GPA
OR rank in the upper half of graduation
class
SPRING EXHIBIT 2009
The 58th Annual Sidney High School Spring Exhibit will
be held Thursday, May 14 from 6-9 pm and
continues Friday, May 15 from 8 am-8:30 pm in the high school gym.
This year’s exhibit will include displays from Sidney
and possibly other area schools. Student
projects will feature work from the adult education, technology education,
family & consumer sciences, vocational agriculture, fine arts, computers
and business department. There is no admission
charge and you could be the lucky winner of one of the many door prizes. The SkillsUSA drawing will be held at 8:00 pm
Friday evening.
Activity Eligibility Policy-Reminder
The purpose of this reminder is to inform parents
and students again about the activity policy prior to the end our current
school year and before starting of the 2009-2010 school year. In
order to participate each quarter in any MHSA activity or recognized ASB
organization/club, a student must be passing in at least four subjects, achieve a quarterly and cumulative GPA of
1.5 or higher, and meet other requirements of the sponsoring
department. Responsibility for knowing
eligibility status each quarter rests with the student and his or her
parents. In accordance with MHSA rules
and interpretations, summer school credits and correspondence credits will not
be used to compute the quarter GPA.
Lastly, incomplete grades will be used in the calculation of the
quarterly GPA in cases of injury, illness, or attendance at authorized school
functions based on the final posting of quarter grades. GPA eligibility determinations will be based
on the quarter preceding each new quarter of desired participation. 2009-2010 eligibility determinations will be
based on GPAs achieved 4th quarter and second semester of the 2008-2009
school year in accordance with MHSA rules and this policy.
As a note to this policy, a one time allowance
allows a student to participate provided the student’s GPA for the semester or
for the previous nine weeks grading period exceeds a 1.5 average even though
the student’s overall cumulative GPA is less than 1.5. Additionally, the student’s nine week grades
must all be passing with no failing grades.
Students requesting an allowance would be placed on a conditional
academic eligibility plan for the quarter of requested participation and the
student would have to satisfy all MHSA eligibility rules.
Parents and students are encouraged to
check grades during this third marking period and to consult with counselors
about the student’s cumulative GPAs to make certain there are no
surprises. As a reminder to students and
parents, academic assistance is available every Monday-Thursday from 3:15 pm to
6:00 pm daily.
Required Immunizations for College
As we approach the end of the school year many seniors
will be preparing to leave for college in the fall. The following is meant to give you some
information regarding immunizations your college student may need for
college.
· All colleges require 2 MMR’s (Measles, Mumps and
Rubella), Hepatitis B (3 doses in series) and a current Tetanus. We strongly recommend the new TDAP because
Montana had the nation’s highest rate of whooping cough cases (pertussis). The
TDaP is a vaccine for both Tetanus and Whooping cough (pertussis). As long as your child has not had a tetanus
shot in the past 2 years they would be eligible to receive this vaccine.
· Clinics offer the Hepatitis A vaccine. Hepatitis A is very contagious and can be
found in eating food or drinking water containing HAV. This is a 2 part vaccine series over 6
months.
· The Meningococcal vaccine is highly recommended and in
some states required by entering freshman college students. Meningococcal disease is a serious illness
caused by bacteria. It is the leading
cause of bacterial meningitis in children 2-18 years old in the United
States. College freshmen who live in
dormitories have an increased risk of getting meningococcal disease.
Students
and parents are strongly encouraged to check with their physician or Richland
County Health Department about your student’s current immunization status
before they attempt to leave for college. Exiting seniors also need to check with their
college or post-secondary school of choice to make certain they have all of the
required immunizations—this will allow for a smooth transition to school next
fall.
Seniors, let’s make these “end of high school days” a fun and safe time
for all. Please discourage any behavior
that could jeopardize graduation. If you
have any questions concerning senior events, please contact the SHS office at
433-2330.
SENIOR
EVENTS—THE CLASS OF 2009
Dear parents of SHS Seniors,
The following will provide
you with a list of important dates for all senior activities:
Senior class motto:
You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself in any
direction you choose.
You’re on your own.
And you know what you know.
You are the guy who’ll decide
where to go.
-Dr. Seuss
Class Flower: Baby Calla Lily
Class Colors: Maroon, Silver and Black
Cap and Gown: Black with Maroon Stoles
Senior Luncheon: Monday, April 20th at the Moose from 12:00 to 1:30 p.m. For
senior students only. Due at this time
is a $5 fee to pay for the picture of the senior receiving his or
her diploma at Graduation.
Senior Girls Social: Wednesday, April 29 at 12:00 – 1:30 p.m.
Assembly of God. Senior invites one
guest. Ms. Rice will coordinate.
SENIOR
EVENTS-cont.
Senior Boys Social: Thursday,
May 14th, 6:00 p.m., Place
to be announced. Senior invites one
guest, Mrs. Pfau is the coordinator.
Scholarship Awards Assembly: Sunday, May 17, 6:00 p.m. Middle School Auditorium
Baccalaureate: Sunday, May 17, 7:30 p.m. Middle
School following Scholarship Awards
Cap and Gown Day: Tuesday, May 19.
This
is a half day for seniors. They will
attend school in the morning, dressed in their cap and gown, taking care of all
least minute obligations and fines. The
afternoon will be spent walking through the graduation ceremony in the gym.
Senior Semester Tests – May 20-21
Graduation:
Sunday, May 24, 2:00 p.m. Sidney High School Gymnasium
Meet all senior obligations by Friday,
May 22. Let’s make these “end of high school days” a fun and
safe time for all. Please discourage any
behavior that could jeopardize graduation for your senior. If you have any questions, please feel free
to call the SHS office at 433-2330.
Sincerely,
Senior Advisors: Staci Rice, Mary Pfau, Bill Clark, Virginia
Dschaak and the 2009 Senior Class Student Representatives.
Sagebrush Reading Council Update
The Sagebrush Reading Council, which includes teachers from Rau, Westside, Sidney Middle School and Sidney High School, is taking part in Montana State Reading Council’s International Project. This year’s theme is “Pennies for Peace” sponsored through the Central Asia Institute (CAI). For those of you unfamiliar with CAI, it is a charity started by Greg Mortenson of Bozeman, Montana who helps build schools for needy children in Pakistan and Afghanistan. He chronicles this experience in his book Three Cups of Tea.
Sidney Elementary teachers have been collecting pennies since February’s “I Love to Read” month. At the high school level, Rita Braun and Cindy Osland have been collecting pennies and change since February. Mrs. Braun’s classes have raised over $40, and Ms. Osland’s classes have raised over $70. We will be collecting change until the end of April. Your change goes a long way: $20 buys one student’s school supplies for one year, $300 provides one advanced student with an annual scholarship, and $5,000 supports an existing school for one year. Since 2003, the Montana Library Association raised enough money to build a school in Batangi, Pakistan. It’s been completed for a year, and they are continuing to support this school. More money will be raised during April 12-18, National Library Week. This year’s theme “Worlds Connect at your Library” reminds us of how we can help educate the world.
CLASS OF 2009
SIDNEY
EAGLES SPRING ACTIVITIES SCHEDULE
HIGH
SCHOOL MUSIC EVENTS
April 2-4 – HS District Music Festival – DCHS
April 26 – Solo & Ens. Recital – MS Aud. TBA
May 1-2 – HS State Music Festival – Billings
May 12 – HS Spring Band Concert – 7:30 pm – HS Gym
May 18 – HS Spring Choir Concert – 7:30 pm – HS Gym
May 19 – MS Spr.Band & Choir Concert –7:30pm –
MS Gym
May 25 – Memorial Day Parade
Girls Softball (JV and Varsity)
March 27-@ Billings-Playing
Belgrade/Livingston-11:00 a.m.
April 9 - Billings Central Jamboree - Away
April
14 – Colstrip – Home
April 17 – Blgs. Central/Laurel @ Laurel
April
25 – Glendive – Home
April 30 – Hardin – Away
May
5 – Hardin – Home
May 7 – Colstrip – Away
May 14 – Glendive – Away
May 16 – Laurel/Blgs. Central @ Glendive
May 22/23 – Laurel Tournament
May
28/29/30 State @ Polson
EAGLE TRACK
April 4 - @ Hardin/Glasgow
April 9 - @ Colstrip
April 18 - @ Billings
April 25 – @
Home – Sidney
April 28 – Top Ten @ Glasgow
May 1/2 - @ Glendive Elks
May 9 - @ Miles City
May 15 - @ Glendive – Night Meet
May 23 –
Track Divisional @ Glendive
May 29/30 –
Track State Meet @ Butte
Note: With all spring sports, weather is often a determining factor and may result in meets being canceled or rescheduled.