Superintendant

News

2

Acelerated Reader 2

FFA News 3

Yearbooks 4

Book Fair 5

Items for Sale 6

Coke Rewards 6

Big G Box Tops 6

Title I Tips 6

Counselor Notes 7

4th Grade News 8

Music Notes 8

FBLA News 9

Corner Market

Receipts

9

Schools in Session

Drive Careful

10

October Calendar 11,

COMMENTS

FROM THE PRINCI-

PAL

As September winds

down and I reflect on

things I want to say

THANK YOU to the

Sargent community for

your support, and that I

am proud to be a gradu-

ate of Sargent Public

Schools and grateful to

have the position of

principal at our school!

Getting the school year

and all of the activities

started on track has

kept things busy around

the school, but I feel we

are off to a good start

and I am proud of the

job our students and

staff are doing!

Our students and ac-

tivity groups are keep-

ing busy. The FFA has

been working hard get-

ting things ready for the

greenhouse and suc-

cessfully competing in

area and district range

judging contests. The

student council did a

good job organizing

and planning home-

coming, and I appreci-

ate the FBLA putting

together a family mov-

ing night during home-

coming. The cross

country, football, and

volleyball teams have

all shown improvement

and are gaining mo-

mentum with the suc-

cesses they have

achieved.

The staff has taken

on new challenges this

year as we’ve switched

the entire school over

to gmail and are en-

couraged to integrate

more “Google Tools”

into our teaching. The

school is working on

ways to improve com-

munications with Face-

book and Twitter posts,

and we are implement-

ing Schoology as our

new learning manage-

ment system. You

will be hearing more

about Schoology over

the next couple of

months, and we will

be setting up parent

accounts so you can

see what your child’s

classes are doing.

Some teachers will be

setting up parent ac-

counts at parent

teacher conferences;

other classes will be

doing parent accounts

second semester. The

school is only requir-

ing teachers to work

on one class this se-

mester as they learn

the system, but we

will look at expanding

next semester and

next year.

In closing I’d like to

say THANK YOU

again for your support

of the school, staff,

students, and our pro-

grams.

A Note from the Principals Desk

October Newsletter

Inside this issue:

Sargent Public School

All students in first grade through twelfth grade at Sargent Public School currently participate in

the Accelerated Reader program which is designed to identify the students’ reading levels, allow

them to take quizzes over books that they have read and record the results of those quizzes. This

information assists the teachers in monitoring each student’s progress by allowing them to make

assessments and guide each student’s reading.

Accelerated Reader’s Renaissance Home Connect is available to bring some of this same informa-

tion to the parent. Home Connect can be viewed from any computer with Internet connection.

By logging into this website, parents can see what quizzes are available, the quizzes their student

has taken, and how well their child scored on those quizzes. Parent can also sign up to receive an

email each time their student takes an Accelerated Reader quiz.

Any parent that is interested in obtaining Home Connect can contact Mrs. Slagle at the school to

receive instructions on how to access this information. She can be reached at 527-4119 or

beth.slagle@sargentpublicschools.org

Accelerated Reader Home Connect

Reminder

School Pictures

Thursday October 1st

From the Superintendent's Desk

I would like to share with you a little about the new security system that has been installed in the school. Through an initiative of the Board of Education, Sargent Public Schools has taken addi-tional steps to help ensure that the students attending Sargent Public Schools can learn in a safe and secure environment. As you know, in the past it has been our practice to lock the doors to the school at 8:00 each morning. This procedure will be continued. In addition, security cameras have now been installed to monitor each entrance. Access to the building after 8:00 am will be obtained through a secured "buzz-in" system at the Southeast door by the main office. This sys-tem requires those wishing to enter to push the buzzer located on the outside of the building and wait for the door to be remotely unlocked. Admittance will be granted after the subject has been recognized by office personnel. We appreciate your patience while everyone adjusts to this new system. In closing, I would like to mention that the Board of Education has adopted a school budget for 2015-2016 school year that asks for less in taxes than in 2014-2015. I feel that in this time of rap-idly rising land values this shows the fiscal responsibility of the Board and acknowledges the bur-den that taxpayers in our district carry to support SPS. We hope that this gesture of tax relief lets you know how much the students, staff and Board of Education appreciates you and your contin-ued support for this school system. Sargent Public Schools-where every student counts!

Page 3 Newsletter Title

FFA News On September 10th over 200 students from 11 FFA chapters participated in the 2015 District 8 Range Judging competition held at the Greg and Carol Fenske Ranch. In the junior divi-sion, the team of Carly Kozeal, Corri Slagle, Joe Kruml, and Colten Brown placed 1st. The team of Spencer Keefe, Abby O'Connor, Alex Horky, and Justin Kemp placed 3rd. And the team of Karson Kirwan, Rowdy Oxford, Gus Dunbar, and Ethan Niles placed 5th. Individuals that placed include: Corri Slagle 2nd, Joe Kruml 3rd, Abby O'Connor 6th, Alex Horky 7th, Carly Kozeal 8th, Justin Kemp 12th, Karson Kirwan 14th, Gus Dunbar 16th, Colten Brown 23rd, and Rowdy Oxford 26th. In the senior division the team of Michael Gibbens, Marshall Gibbens, Kylie Hansen, and Jade Osborn placed 3rd. The individuals that placed were, Jade Osborn 8th, Brittany Brown 10th, Kylie Hansen 12th, Gavin Kemp 14th, Michael Gibbens 11th, and Marshall Gibbens 15th. Four members of the Sargent FFA Chapter participated in the 2015 Nebraska State Fair with outstanding results. Corri Slagle received four purple ribbons in horticulture. Corinne Grint received 15 purple ribbons and one blue ribbon in horticulture, champion fresh flower de-sign, champion wreath, reserve champion fresh flower design, and reserve champion floral design. Spencer Keefe received champion Hampshire gilt in FFA and the open show. Lane Bennett received champion Yorkshire breeding gilt in the FFA and open show, reserve over-all breeding gilt, champion Yorkshire barrow in the FFA and open show, 3rd overall barrow, class winner in showmanship, and 3rd overall in showmanship. On Tuesday, September 22, 2015, the Sargent FFA Chapter participated in the Area 4 Range Judging Contest held in Garfield County at the Max Wilson Ranch. There were 19 schools and a total of 338 students. In the senior division, out of 128 students, Marshall Gibbens placed 22nd, Michael Gibbens placed 23rd, and Jade Osborn placed 33rd. The senior team of Marshall Gibbens, Michael Gibbens, Jade Osborn, and Brittany Brown placed 8th out of 39 teams. In the junior division, out of 210 students, the individuals who placed include: Joe Kruml 3rd, Corri Slagle 6th, Alex Horky 7th, Colten Brown 9th, Carly Kozeal 10th, Rowdy Ox-ford 26th, Spencer Keefe 30th, Karson Kirwan 31st, Justin Kemp 32nd, Abby O'Connor 41th, and Gus Dunbar 51st. The junior team #1, including Joe Kruml, Corri Slagle, Alex Horky, and Carly Kozeal, placed 1st in the junior division and had the overall highest team score in the competition. Team #2, including Colten Brown, Karson Kirwan, Abby O'Connor, and Justin Kemp, placed 6th, and team #3, including Rowdy Oxford, Spencer Keefe, Gus Dunbar, and Ethan Niles, placed 10th out of 60 teams. Our FFA Adviser, Mr. Kozeal, placed 1st in the pro-

fessional division, missing a perfect score by only one point.

Congratulations to Mr. Mike Kozeal on being named the NRCS

Natural Resources Educator of the Year! Mr. Kozeal was nomi-

nated by the Lower Loup NRD for his work in the classroom and

with Range Judging.

Page 4 Volume 1, Issue 1

Pre-Order Your

Sargent Public Schools 2015-2016

Annual NOW!

Elementary Yearbook are $15

Junior High/High School Yearbooks are $25

All yearbooks include free personalization

Now through October 31st

Contact Mrs. Tobias 308-527-4119 or emily.tobias@sargentpublicschools.org

Come explore the large selection of books and find great reads for every person in your fam-

ily!

Special promotions this year include:

a “Vote for a Favorite Monster” contest. This, along with the One For Books program and

a generous donation from the Salvation Army, will help to buy a book for each elementary

student in Sargent Public School

the One For Books program. The Scholastic Book Company will match any funds raised

locally to provide underprivileged children with reading materials.

the Classroom Wish Lists. Elementary teachers will designate books that they desire for

their classroom libraries, allowing students and parents to purchase books for a favorite

class.

Online sales at the Sargent School Book Fair website,

http://bookfairs.scholastic.com/homepage/sargentpublicschools. You may make selections

from October 7 through October 20 and our school will receive credit for you purchases.

For more information, please call Mrs. Slagle at the school.

October 12-October 19

M: 7:30-7:55 am; 3:40-4:15 pm

T: 7:30-7:55 am; during P-T

conferences until 6:30 PM

W: 7:30-7:55 am; 3:40-4:15 pm

TH: 7:30-7:55 am; 3:40-4:15 pm

F: 7:30-7:55 am; 2:30-3:15 pm

M: 7:30-7:55 am

COME TO THE BOOK FAIR!

Title I Tips Helping you to help your child in school!

Vocabulary Development and Reading Comprehension

Reading is a great way for your child to develop his or her vocabulary. The secret to success is making sure

your child is comprehending what he or she is reading. In other words, they are not just reading the words

out loud, but understanding the meaning. Sometimes kids worry so much about how to pronounce a word

that they lose track of the meaning. As you read to your child and your child reads to you, stop and evalu-

ate words. Ask your child what different words mean. The more words they understand the greater the

comprehension.

Have fun reading!

Mrs. Holmes, Title I Coordinator

Please save your Big G Box tops !

Each box top is worth 10¢ when redeemed through the school. Drop off your box

tops in the office or give them to any elementary student. We will make a sub-

mission in October. The last submission netted over $500. Thank you for your

help!

We send a special thanks to a busy volunteer for clipping, sorting

and counting the box tops! Juanita Beran, thank you so much!

The school has several items FOR SALE: IBM electric Typewriters – $10 or best offer Console TV – $10 or best offer Several TV Mounting brackets (not for flat screens) – $10 or best offer Several used student desks (Elementary and High School size) – $5 or best offer Large self propelled Snow Blower (needs some engine work) – make an offer Electric and/or foot powered Pottery Wheel – make an offer

Help the School by submitting COKE REWARDS points

Parents and Patrons can log in to My Coke Rewards and donate points to our school. To do this you can: 1. Log in at mycokerewards.com/schools 2. Find your school's page by typing the zip code of your school or look it up by city/state 3. Click on "Add to Preferred Schools List" You will easily find the school right there on the My Coke Rewards for Schools homepage, and will be just a few clicks away from donating points. THANK YOU!

Juniors and Seniors start planning now!

I have created a timeline, a list of websites and information I want to give to you while you and your parents prepare for the

next stage of your life whether it is college, job, or military.

Juniors’ timeline

Fall

-Keep your activities resume up to date (You have one started on www.nebraskacareerconnections.org).

-Research colleges that interest you.

-Attend the financial aid program in your area. There will be a program on December 2nd at 6:00 in

the school library.

-Take the PSAT. This exam is used for National Merit consideration. Talk to Mrs. Schauda if you are interested

Spring

-Start your college visits.

-Start looking for scholarships to meet early deadlines. Some sites are listed below.

-Start a scholarship file to organize your scholarship applications.

-Update your online Activities Resume.

-Prepare for the ACT and/or SAT.

-Take the ACT and/or SAT.

Seniors’ timeline

Fall

-Retake the ACT and/or SAT

-Narrow your college choices

-Request letters of recommendation

-Complete 3-4 college applications.

-Apply for scholarships.

-Update your activities resume.

Winter

-Attend the financial aid program . There will be a program on December 2nd at 6:00 in

the school library.

-Prepare for the FAFSA

-Complete the FAFSA before your college’s priority date

-Expect acceptance notifications from the colleges you applied to

-Continue to apply for scholarships.

Spring

-Follow up to the FAFSA : expect your SAR, verify financial aid information with your college, expect award notifications

from colleges listed on your FAFSA, compare award notifications from the schools

-Select a college after careful consideration of all your options.

-Make your housing deposit at the college you selected.

Summer

-Apply for student and parent loans if you need them.

-Attend the orientation program at your college.

Counselor Notes

SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATION Applications and information scholarships is available from the guidance office: Student may also search for scholarships on the internet at: www.collegenet.com www.collegereview.com www.fastweb.com

4th Grade News

It has been a very busy beginning of the year in fourth grade. The fourth graders are proud to an-nounce the arrival of their class pet, Tory the Turtle. Tory lives on the shelf in her tank by the pencil sharpener and seems to love her new home. The students rotate feeding her everyday. Also in fourth grade, we are learning to use the new technology of our Chromebooks. We can in-corporate them into any subject. We use them to journal our daily focus questions. The students type their daily focus question into a google doc and click to share with Mrs. Stefka. This week in spelling the fourth grade students were asked to write a short news bulletin about a raft trip. Then they had to record their partner giving the news report. They enjoyed being news re-porters for a day! Also in spelling the students have taken their spelling test using the Chromebooks and Schoology. Mrs. Stefka recorded her voice on the computer so the students can take the test at their own pace using earbuds. They can replay the word and sentence more than once if needed. In math we are beginning a unit of study on measurement. The students can tell you the length, width, and perimeter of our classroom as well as many items inside using the metric system and the U.S. standard system of measure.

Music Notes!

The 7-12 Twin Loup Choir has begun work on music for the 2015 MNAC-East Vocal Clinic. This year’s clinic will be hosted

by the Anselmo-Merna schools and will take place on Monday, October 26th. All 9th through 12th grade choir students will be

required to attend this all day event in Merna. A concert for the public will be held at 6:30 PM in Merna.

The 7-12 Twin Loup Band has increased in size this year and is 27 members strong. We hope to play some pep band music

at a few more games this year, starting with the Homecoming game. If there are any former band students in the community.

who are interested in joining our pep band groups, please contact Kayla White or Laura Kipp and we will see how we can

work you into the fun. There has been some comments about starting a community band, but we do not know how many

people are truly interested in this. Stay tuned for some great music!

Honor Choirs and Bands are events where students have the opportunity to spend a day working with other students who

set a higher priority on their music performances, above that which can be achieved in class. Participation in many of these

groups is won by an audition, usually recorded at schools. I have information for the following groups: Sing Around Ne-

braska, in Bartlett, for 4th, 5th and 6th grades (I am allowed 10 students); Singing Youth of Nebraska for 7th 8th and 9th grades,

in North Platte; UNK Honor Band and Choir for 10th, 11th and 12th grades; Wayne State Band Festival, with bands for both

jr. and sr. high students; Hastings Honor Band and Choir for 10th, 11th and 12th grades; and Class D Allstate Honor Band for

9th through 12th grades. Students interested in any of these need to talk to me soon, as there is usually music to learn for the

auditions.

Elementary Music

On September 14th, we celebrated the the 201st birthday of the Star Spangled Banner. Students have been learning facts about

people, places and times surrounding this event. We have even learned the song Battle of New Orleans, by Johnny Horton,

which talks about the next big battle following the one at Ft. McHenry. We have also started a unit on the History of Rock

and Roll. The 3rd, 4th , 5th, and 6th graders have learned about the two most influential styles, and should be able to tell you

about the great Chuck Berry and Bill Haley. If you have the time, go onto Youtube with your students and share some of the

music these men introduced to the world. I think you will have fun!

Page 9 Newsletter Title

The Sargent Elementary students would like to encourage you to put your receipts in the Sargent

Schools box at the Grocery store. Proceeds from the Corner Market receipt program will go to

purchasing classroom supplies, technology, etc. If you are not familiar with the program there is

a box at the end of the checkout lane where you can leave your grocery receipts or you can send

them to school with any elementary student. Thank you for your help.

A big thank you to Corner Market for your generous support of our students and our school!

Corner Market Receipt Program

The FBLA chapter has hit the ground running this year with a very busy past month. Sixteen new members have

been added so far to our FBLA chapter this year. A fantastic team of officers was installed on Monday, August

31st, including: Bailey Coons-President, Makilah Ironshell-Vice President, Damion Lewis-Treasurer, Shelby

Schneider-Secretary, Delaney Gibbens-Parliamentarian, and Corri Slagle-Reporter.

The officers will be attending the Fall Leadership Conference in Kearney held on September 29th. They will able

to attend breakout sessions to learn more about their office, fundraising ideas, and how to get involved in na-

tional projects. The main speaker of the day will be Kevin Wanzer with the message to find the joy in everyday

situations.

Family movie night was held on Tuesday, September 22nd, to help kick off Homecoming Week. The movie we

watched was “Big Hero Six”. We made $110.00 in concessions. We had an abundance of people attend this year

so the gym was full! We had close to 100 people enjoying the movie!! The movie was a fun one with a lot of

laughs and a few tears. Once again, the FBLA Chapter would like to thank you for coming and we hope you en-

joyed it. We consider this project a community service event and hope to do it again next year!

The Wolf Den is open again this year and we are working on ordering some new items based on requests from

our customers. One new item we have this year are maroon cross-country shirts. You will also notice new foot-

ball t-shirts. The Wolf Den is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12:30 to 1:00, at home games, and can be

opened by request. If you are interested in new Twin Loup apparel, be sure to stop in!

On September 11th, the FBLA put on a Tailgate party before the football game. There was tons of barbeque, fun

salads, and a lot of dessert. Thank you supporters, grillers, and members who brought food.

The FBLA Chapter is having “The Flamingo Frenzy” fundraiser again this year. Our flamingos have arrived and may

be on the loose near you. Be on the lookout for pink flamingos in yards around town. If the flamingos “land” in

your yard, you will want to get them out and in order to do that, you donate money and let us know where you

want them to “land” next. If you would like to buy insurance so they do not land in your yard, we have an insur-

ance form to fill out at the school or you can talk to a FBLA member.

In addition to the flamingos, the FBLA is also selling “Puffins”. Puffins are a flaky pastry with a wide variety of

fillings. You just take them out of the freezer, pop them in the oven, and watch them puff up! Voilà! You have a

yummy treat to eat and share! There is also a pizza option that is available. The deadline for sales was September

28th, so if you didn’t get any this year, be sure and ask a FBLA member to sell you some next year!

As a whole, the FBLA has had a productive and exciting start to the year, and we thank you for your continued support. It would not be possible without the supportive community that we have. Thank You!

FBLA News

Page 10 Newsletter Title

School is in Session So Please Drive Carefully

Every fall, over 55 million U.S. children

head back to school. In Sargent we have

over 25% of our students that typically

walk or bike to school. It's important for

drivers to be extra vigilant for pedestrians

before and after school hours. Afternoons are particularly danger-

ous; over the last decade, more than one-fourth of child pedes-

trian fatalities occurred between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Here's what you can do to help to keep kids safe:

Slow down. Speed limits in school zones are reduced for a

reason. A pedestrian struck by a vehicle traveling at 25 mph is

nearly two-thirds less likely to be killed compared to a pedestrian

struck by a vehicle traveling just 10 mph faster. Come to a complete stop. Research shows that more than

one-third of drivers roll through stop signs in school zones or

neighborhoods. Always come to a complete stop, checking care-

fully for children on sidewalks and in crosswalks before proceed-

ing. Eliminate distractions. Children can be quick, crossing the

road unexpectedly or emerging suddenly between two parked

cars. Taking your eyes off the road for just two seconds doubles

your chances of crashing. Reduce this risk by not using your cell

phone or eating while driving. Watch for bicycles. Children on bikes are often inexperienced,

unsteady and unpredictable. Slow down and allow at least three

feet of passing distance between your vehicle and a bicyclist.

Remember – a little extra time and attention can save lives.

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8 9 10 11

12 13 14 15 16 17 18

19 20 21 22 23 24 25

26 27 28 29 30 31

VB Tri @ Sargent 5:00-

7:00

Pearson Physical Therapy

will be conducting Scolio-

sis Checks on 5th & 6th

Grades

FB vs Central Valley

@ Taylor 7:00

Cross Country @

Atkinson 4:00

4 Corner VB Tour-

ney @ Mullen 12:00

ct.

JH FB @ Burwell

4:0 0

JV VB Tourney @

Thedford 4:00

ASVAB Testing 9:00

VB Tri @ Cedar

Rapids 5:30-6:30

FB vs Amherst @

Sargent 7:00

JV VB Tourney @

Merna 9:00

JH VB Tourney @

Callaway

JV FB vs San-

dhill/Thedford @ Dun-ning

4:15

JH VB @ Dunning 2:00

JH FB @ Dunning 3:00

Elem. Smiles Check 9:00

VB MNAC Tourney

@ Loup County

District Cross Coun-

try @ Atkinson

FB vs Burwell @

Burwell 7:00

VB MNAC Cons.

& Finals @ Broken

Bow

JH VB @ Merna

2:00

JH FB @ Merna

4:00

VB Tri @ Sargent

5:00-7:00

VB vs South Loup @

Sargent 4:00-5:00-

6:00

FB vs South Loup @

Sargent 7:30

State Cross Country

@ Kearney

JV VB Tourney @

Sargent1:00

JV VB Tourney

@ Sargent1:00

VB vs GW/NLS @

Taylor 5:00-6:00

1st Round FB

Playoffs

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3

4 5 6 7 8 9 10

11 12 13 14 15 16 17

18 19 20 21 22 23 24

25 26 27 28 29 30 31

OOctober 2015

End of 1st Qtr.

Book Fair Ends

JH VB vs A-M @

Sargent 2:00

JH FB vs A-M @

2:00 Dismissal

Teachers Inservice

Good News Club

VB Dual @ Arnold

4/5/6

FB vs South Loup @

Arnold 7:30

No School Fall Break

School Pictures

VB Tri @ Sargent

5/6/7 Parents

Night 7:00

UNK Rep 11:30

MNAC Music Clinic

@ Merna

4 Corners VB

Tourney @ Tryon

1:00 ct.

JV VB Tourney @

Dunning 4:00

ASVAB Testing for

Juniors

Midwest Grads will be

here for Fresh. And

Sr. to view rings and

gowns

VB Tri @ Burwell

5:30/6:30

NE Wesleyan Rep

12:00

CCC Rep 2:00

JV VB Tourney @

Merna 9:00

JH VB Tourney @

Callaway TBD

VB Dual w/JV @ Taylor 4:15

JV FB vs Sandhills Thedford

@ Taylor 4:15

JH VB vs Sand/Thedford @

Taylor 1:00

JH FB vs Sand/Thed. @

Taylor 3:00

Book Fair Begins

MNAC VB Tourney

1st rd @ Brady

CC Districts @

Ainsworth 4:00

Wayne State Rep

10:30

MNAC VB Cons.

And Finals @ North

Platte

VB Tri @ Arc./L.City

5/6/7

State CC Meet @

Kearney

Twin Loup JV VB

Tourney @ Taylor

1/2/3/4

VB Dual @ Greeley

5/6

FB vs Central Valley

@ Wolbach 7:00

CC @ Atkinson

West Holt 4:00

Josephs College Of

Beauty Rep 10:30

FB vs Anherst @

Amherst 7:00

FB vs Burwell @

Sargent 7:30 Parents

Night 7:00

1st rd FB Playoffs

TBD

JH FB vs Burwell @

Taylor 4:00

2:00 dismissal Parent

Teacher Conference

2:30-6:30

Good News Club