CCOMMUNICATOROMMUNICATORThe

November 2012A supplement to the

Estherville DailyNews and Spirit

The public is invited to attend the ELC MiddleSchool Scholastic Book Fair which will be heldthe following days and times in the UpperCommons Area in the Middle School:

Wednesday Oct. 31 8:30 AM – 3:30 PM

Thursday Nov. 1 8:30 AM - 7:00 PM(Open through Parent-Teacher Conferences)

Friday Nov. 2 8:30 AM – 3:30 PM

Monday Nov. 5 8:30 AM - 7:00 PM(Open through Parent-Teacher Conferences)

Tuesday Nov. 6 8:30 AM – 3:30 PM

The book fair will offer specially priced books,new releases, award-winning titles, childrenʼsclassics, and current bestsellers for middleschool students from more than 100 publishers.Students will come to the book fair with their

class at some point during the days we areopen. Parents, grandparents, family, and the public

are invited to attend the fair as well any time dur-ing our operating hours. Books make greatChristmas presents!! The proceeds of the book fair go to the Middle

School Library. Book fair customers may pur-chase a book for a middle school teacherʼslibrary through the Classroom Wish List pro-gram. They also may donate their extra changeto the All for Books program to help purchaseadditional books for our school.The elementary book fair will still be held in

February featuring books for the younger chil-dren.For further information contact Mrs. Lili Jensen,

District Teacher-Librarian, 712-362-8403.

ELC sixth grade Challenge students take part in some of the activities at Camp Foster during a recent fieldtrip.

Eleven 6th Grade Challenge stu-dents spent a very rewarding day atCamp Foster.

The activities of the day were gearedto helping the group build trust, team-work, communication and problem-solving skills, while helping individu-als gain self-awareness, confidence,positive risk-taking, and leadershipskills. Study after study shows thatsocial intelligence and emotionalmaturity are important to the successof a person.

That’s what the program at CampFoster gave to the students whoattended on Friday, October 12. Theeducational value of this challengingday taught the students how to worktogether; how to lead, communicate,and think critically; how to take posi-

tive risks; how to rely on themselves;how to be a person of character, andso much more. The best part is that allthese skills play an invaluable role inacademics.

The zip line was the favorite part ofthe students’ day. When asked whatthey gained from their experiences thestudents responded with: team work,communication skills, confidence,friendships, courage, and how to facechallenges.

The students felt the Camp Fosterfield trip taught them skills that willhelp them in the classroom, life, andthe future.

The students should be very proudof the fact they faced their fears andovercame their fear of heights toclimb up 40 feet to the zip line. Then

they took the leap of faith to step offthe platform and fly down the zip line.It was heartwarming to hear how allthe students were encouraging eachother to take the step.

The students felt the Camp Fosterfield trip taught them skills that willhelp them in the classroom, in theirlives, and in their futures.

The students are very proud of thefact that they faced their fears andovercame the anxiety of heights whileclimbing up 40 feet to the zip line.Upon reaching the top, each took aleap of faith to step off the platformand fly down the zip line. It was heart-warming to hear how all of the stu-dents were encouraging and support-ing each other in the challenges theyencountered.

ELC Middle School Library Presents:

SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR!!

Students learn to work together

826 N 8th St.Estherville

712-362-2631

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• Life • Health • Disability • Annuities• Long-Term Care Insurance

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Estherville

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2-Estherville (Ia.), Daily News and Estherville Spirit - 2012

Students at Demoney and RooseveltElementary Schools are excited aboutnew reading software available in theircomputer labs thanks to a gift from theEstherville Lincoln Central SchoolFoundation. Last year computers inboth of these labs were upgraded withmoney from the Microsoft Settlementwhich was wonderful, but left our stu-dents with very few software choicesas most of the current software was sodated it would no longer run on thenew equipment.

Last spring Mrs. Lili Jensen, DistrictTeacher Librarian along with Mrs.Kris Schlievert, Elementary Principalat the time, went to the ELC School

Foundation with a request for assis-tance. The Foundation generouslyresponded and helped with the pur-chase of reading software for theseupdated labs. Mrs. Jensen added somefunds the library had raised from pastbook fairs and that provided theresources to purchase new readingprograms for both buildings.Roosevelt received Reading Blaster asdid Demoney.

Additionally Demoney receivedJump Start World Learning andAlphabet Interactive. ELC Schools isfortunate to have the Foundation pro-vide many types of support throughoutthe school year. The Foundation is a

group of ELC citizens, professionals,and business owners who work to raisefunds for investing in the future of ourschools.

They receive bequeaths throughwills, donations, and pay-roll deduc-tions, and conduct an annualChampions in Education Banquet eachfall which was held Tuesday, Oct. 16where they will honored Mrs. KrisSchlievert as this year’s champion.The ELC School Foundation stewardsthe funds with which they are entrust-ed to grow investments to benefit ourstudents. Without the ELC SchoolFoundation, our students would havefar fewer advantages.

ELC School Foundation donation funds new computer software

LISA HANSEN, RN-BSNESTHERVILLE LINCOLN CENTRAL SCHOOL NURSE

Grain dust is always a health concernfor Iowa farmers and those working inthe grain industry. Drought conditionsthis year may elevate human and animalhealth concerns because of increaseddust and mold exposure. The droughthas also created conditions favorable tothe production aspergillus mold andassociated aflatoxins.

Exposure to low levels of grain dustduring normal working conditions oftencauses reactions that are nuisance, suchas cough, sore throat, nose and eye irri-tation, or feeling stuffed up or congest-ed. People with chronic breathing prob-lems or asthma may experience more

symptoms or asthma attacks whenexposed to high dust and mold levels.

Many farmers are reporting “blackmold” in their crops. This is usuallysaprophytic fungi- microorganisms thatfeed on dead plant material. Individualswith allergies or respiratory problemsare encouraged to wear respiratory pro-tection to reduce breathing in masses ofspores. While tractors and combineswith cabs may offer some protection, itmay not be enough to prevent respirato-ry problems.

Exposures to moldy and dusty grain,especially large exposures, may alsocause two specific medical conditionswith similar symptoms.

■ Farmer’s Lung or Hypersensitivity

Pneumonitis (FHP) – a fairly uncom-mon condition (one in 20 famers)caused by delayed allergic reaction tothe dust. Repeated exposures can lead topermanent lung damage or limitationsto work. A medical provider should beconsulted.

■ Organic Dust Toxic Syndrome(ODTS) – a more common toxicresponse to dust, molds, bacteria, or tox-ins in the grain dust. Recovery is usuallyin a few days, but a medical providershould be consulted

For more information IowaDepartment of Public Health has creat-ed a Question and Answer sheet avail-able at www.idph.state.ia.us/eh/com-mon/pdf/2012_harvest_fact_sheet.pdf.

HARVEST HEALTH CONCERNS FROM EXPOSURE TO MOLD AND DUST IN GRAIN

ELC fourth graders take part in ʻWalk Iowaʼ eventOn Oct. 3, ELC fourth graders of

Roosevelt Elementary School gatheredat Library Square to “Walk Iowa” forbetter health. Last year the 4th gradeparticipated in this great opportunitywith the rest of Emmet County. Wedecided to continue the tradition thisyear and join Iowa on their “WalkIowa” day at noon. The studentswalked the square for about 25 minutesand their parents or relatives were invit-ed to join them. Once the walk wascomplete students and teachers enjoyeda healthy school lunch on the grass with

friends and family. The walk was a suc-cess and 4th grade looks forward tocontinuing the tradition. Along withthis great opportunity and the initiativefor healthier kids our students are man-dated to have a certain amount of exer-cise opportunities provided to themduring the school day. Each day afourth grader has 20 minutes of recessfollowing their lunch and a 15 minuterecess in the afternoon. Two out ofevery six days in the cycle each fourthgrader has 35 minutes of PE. Alongwith this push to provide students with

opportunities to move the fourth gradeprovides a health unit each year. Thehealth unit consists of learning variousbody systems including: nervous, circu-latory, and digestive systems. There arealso lessons designed to teach studentsabout eating healthy along with under-standing the new food guide pyramid. Itis the hope of the fourth grade team thatour joint efforts with the communityand parents will provide students withthe proper education and opportunitiesthey need to make successful healthchoices in the future.

The ELC High School ArtDepartment we are alwayslooking for things that wecould use to create or dis-play our artwork. Below is a“Wish List” of the items thatcould be used in the artdepartment.

n Big Picture frames w/glass – we have artwork thatwe want to share with theschool and the community,but we need a way to protectit while it is on display. Anysize that can frame a small9x12 drawing… up to a 6foot painting would be wel-comed…. I can refinish orrepaint anything that youmight find.

n Used Electric Skillets –something that has a littledepth to it (2 inches or so),we use these to heat upbees wax for batik “prints”.They need to be electric sothat we can control the tem-perature of the wax to avoidsmoking the entire buildingout.

■ Ceramic Casting molds –you know the ones… theymake the little figurines oreven useable dishware…pour the clay in… let it set…. Pour the clay out…. Presto!

■ Old Painting Canvases■ Paint Brushes■ Opaque Projector■ Still Life objects for

Drawing and Painting – Potand pans, old taxidermyitems, plastic plants, cleanedand sanitized animal bones,old leather bound books,etc….

■ Along with many otheritems. If you think it could beused, contact Mr. Hewitt tosee if it might have a use.

Any of these items can beolder, used items that some-one may have sitting aroundin a box in their garage,basement or attic. It doesnʼtneed to be pretty, it justneeds to work. If you have,or you know anyone whomight have one or some ofthese things, please let thatperson know where their olditem may find a new life.

Contact Dan Hewitt via e-mail atdaniel.hewitt@estherville.k12.ia.us to arrange a pick-upor just to see if somethingcan be used.

We would like to thank youin advance for your supportof the Fine Arts at EsthervilleLincoln Central.

High school art wish list

Financial aid night for seniorsOn Tuesday, Nov. 27 there will be a financial aid informa-

tional meeting for all seniors and their parents. The meetingwill be held in the high school little theater at 5:30 pm. Thiswill be presented by a member of the ICAN (Iowa CollegeAccess Network). Child care will be provided to families ifneeded. The goal of the Financial Aid Program is to help highschool seniors and their parent/guardian understand theprocess of applying for financial aid and scholarships, offereffective tools for college cost comparisons, and learn howthey can access additional help. The following topics are cov-ered during the presentation.

■ Financial Aid Process ■ FAFSA Application Review ■ Understanding the Results ■ Understanding Costs - College Comparisons ■ Aid Options ■ Scholarship Process ■ Where to Go for HelpIf you have any questions please call Mindy Brechwald,

School Counselor at 712-362-8422.

NorthStarBank & Agency

2202 Central Ave. Estherville 712-362-3322403 4th Ave., Armstrong 712-868-3500

Estherville (Ia.), Daily News and Estherville Spirit - 2012 -3

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

November 2012

12:30pm One hour early dismissal@ District Wide2:30pm Parent/TeacherConferences @ District Wide

27:00pm Fall Play/Musical @Roosevelt Auditorium

39:00am Quiz Bowl @ Algona7:00pm Fall Play/Musical @Roosevelt Auditorium

52:30pm One hour early dismissal@ District Wide2:30pm Parent/TeacherConferences @ District Wide5:30pm Patrons of the Fine ArtsMeeting @ ELC High SchoolMedia Center

4 64:00pm Basketball-B/7th GradeAway vs. North Union4:15pm Basketball-B/8th GradeNorth Union

7K-4 Report Cards sent home @DeMoney ElementaryILCC Jazz Band Festival @ IowaLakes Community College7:45am Middle School StudentCouncil5:15pm Elementary Site Council

84:15pm Basketball-B/8th GradeAway vs. Spirit Lake Middle4:15pm Basketball-B/7th GradeSpirit Lake Middle

9Augustana College Honor Band@ Sioux Falls, SDNo School @ District Wide

10NCIBA Honor BandNCIBA MS Honor Band @ ForestCity

123:30pm Wrestling-B/Varsity/J.V.practice begins

11 137:00am HS Site Council @ HSICN Room4:00pm Basketball-B/8th GradeAway vs. North Union4:15pm Basketball-B/7th GradeEmmetsburg

14Early Dismissal-Pro. Dev. @District Wide7:45am Middle School BuildersClub1:30pm 2 hour early dismissal @District Wide

15All-State Band/Choir Festival @Ames4:15pm Basketball-B/7th GradeNorth Union5:00pm Middle School SiteCouncil

16Midterm 2nd Quarter @ DistrictWide4:15pm Basketball-B/8th GradeAway vs. Emmetsburg

17

194:00pm Basketball-B/7th GradeAway vs. Okoboji Middle4:15pm Basketball-B/8th GradeOkoboji Middle5:15pm School Board Meeting @ELC High School Media Center

18 206:00pm Basketball-G/JV MansonN W Webster7:30pm Basketball-G/VarsityManson N W Webster

211:00pm National Honor SocietyInductions @ District Wide

264:15pm Basketball-B/7th GradeAway vs. Spencer Middle School4:15pm Basketball-B/8th GradeSpencer Middle School4:30pm Wrestling-B/Varsity/J.V.Away vs. Sheldon CommunitySchool District

25 274:15pm Basketball-B/7th GradeAway vs. Emmetsburg4:15pm Basketball-B/8th GradeEmmetsburg6:00pm Basketball-B/JV HarrisLake Park7:15pm Basketball-B/VarsityHarris Lake Park

295:00pm Basketball-B/FreshmanAway vs. Spencer High School6:30pm Wrestling-B/Varsity/J.V.Humboldt

304:45pm Basketball-B/JV ForestCity4:45pm Basketball-G/JV ForestCity6:15pm Basketball-G/VarsityForest City7:45pm Basketball-B/VarsityForest City

28

22No School @ District Wide

23No School @ District WideTBD Basketball-B/VarsityEstherville/Lincoln Central vs.Multiple Schools6:30pm Basketball-G/VarsityMOC-Floyd Valley

242:00pm Basketball-G/VarsitySioux City North

Information on this calendar from

www.lakesconference.org

10 N. 7th Street, Estherville, IA

362-2622 The Insurance Center

www.blumandleonard.com418 Central Avenue

Estherville, Iowa 51334-2237712-362-7272

1736 Central Ave., Estherville, Iowa712-362-7415

1202 Central Ave.Estherville

712-362-5000

4-Estherville (Ia.), Daily News and Estherville Spirit - 2012

Reading is1st Rate in1st GradeThe start of first grade

means the start of readingfor most students!

First grade has manyopportunities for studentsto learn to read. The firstprogram that every studentis involved in is GuidedReading. In GuidedReading the students workin small groups at theirreading level.

During the classroom’sGuided Reading time aschool-wide Title I readingteacher comes and helpsinstruct students in readinggroups to give some stu-dents more practice.

Along with GuidedReading time, the class-room teacher incorporateswhole group reading,DEAR time (drop every-thing and read), reader ofthe day, read aloud, readingpartners and many otherreading activities.

In addition, I.R.I.S.(Intensive ReadingIntervention Strategies) isanother program that isoffered through a grant tofirst grade students.I.R.I.S. is one-on-onereading support with aparaprofessional that sup-ports the student’s readinglearning for 30 minuteseach day.

The key to early readingsuccess is the involvementand collaboration of par-ents, paraprofessionals,and teachers.

These reading programsat school, and your supportat home work together togive every child readingsuccess!

Second graders begin Daily5 and CAFÉ adventure

We have just begun our Daily 5 and CAFÉ adventure!This is the reading program implemented in our class-rooms.

Daily 5 is the structure we will use to plan our readingday. Children will be busy completing meaningful literacytasks. Their choices are be:

■ Read to self ■ Work on writing ■ Word Work ■ Listen to reading ■ Read to Someone Daily 5 is how we schedule our reading block. CAFÉ is

what we study during this time. CAFÉ is an acronym forthe four major components of reading. They are:

■ C for Comprehension ■ A for Accuracy ■ F for Fluency ■ E for Expanding Vocabulary The children will learn reading strategies within each cat-

egory. These strategies will become tools for the childrento use to help themselves become better readers and writ-ers. It is going to be exciting to watch 2nd grades readingskills blossom throughout the year.

If you found yourself aloneand stranded in deep water,would you know what to doto improve your chance ofsurvival? The sixth gradestudents had the opportunityto learn water safety andsurvival tips following thereading of the novel Bridgeto Terabithia in which oneof the main charactersdrowns in a river.

Thanks to Abbi Nitchalsand the RWC staff, sixthgrade students learned star-

tling statistics regarding theamount of drowning inci-dents this past summer,boating rules and regula-tions for kids, and survivalmethods in the water.

One of the survival meth-ods students tried out firsthand was the making of aflotation device using theirown clothes.

The students gained valu-able real life skills whileconnecting with the charac-ters and the novel.

SIXTH GRADERS LEARN WATER SAFETY, SURVIVAL TECHNIQUES

Third graders write to pen palsDear Readers,

Greetings from Estherville 3rd graders. We have started aunit on letter writing skills integrated with our social studiesunit on states. We are busy writing letters to a pen pal inanother state to compare Iowa to their state. We have alreadyreceived some letters from our pen pals. Examples of thingssent are postcards, brochures, decals, bumper stickers, evena coconut and many other unique items from their state. Welook forward to sending and receiving mail all year.

Sincerely,ELC Third Grade Students

P.S. We hope to see everyone at our pen pal states openhouse in April.

The fifth grade students are creating aColonial Pop-Up Book for Social Studies.They will be learning about the 13 OriginalColonies.

A fun way to remember the names of thecolonies is through the use of a silly littlestory.

There was a Jersey (New Jersey) cownamed Georgette (Georgia). She was wear-ing a pair of yellow polka-dot underwear(Delaware). She climbed to the top of theEmpire State Building (New York). She

begins singing Christmas Carols (Northand South Carolina). Under her left “arm”,Georgette is holding a Virginia (Virginia)Ham (New Hampshire). In her right“hand”, she has a pen (Pennsylvania).With the pen, Georgette is connecting(Connecticut) dots. These dots form a pic-ture of a road (Rhode Island). On the road,is Marilyn Monroe (Maryland) on her wayto Mass (Massachusetts).

Did this silly little story help you remem-ber the 13 Original Colonies?

Staying in tuneFROM THE 8TH GRADE TEAM

Did you know that cock-roaches may be used in thefuture for search and rescuemissions? Do you knowwhich states are the “swingstates” in the Presidential elec-tion? If you talk to an eighthgrader have them fill you inon the details. As part of ourcurrent events class, the stu-

dents have been watchingCNN Student News and read-ing articles on various topicsthat are making headlines.Students are also encouragedto access an article from anews source, like the DailyNews, and are asked to reporton this article. We feel this isimportant in staying currenton the events of the world.

LEARNING ABOUT THE 13 ORIGINAL COLONIES