2013 CMS Track Schedule

Middle School Track Schedule:

Date                    Opponent                       Place                        Time                 Bus Departure Time 
4/9            Chadron MS Quad Meet       Chadron               2:30 PM
4/12          Gordon/Rush Invite               Rushville                  2:00 PM             12:30 PM
4/16          B/Scottsbluff - G/Gering       Scottsbluff/Gering    3:30 PM              12:30 PM
4/20          Gering Relays                       Gering                      9:00 AM              6:00 AM
4/27          Bluffs MS Invite                   Scottsbluff                9:00 AM              6:00 AM
5/4            Alliance Invite                      Alliance                    8:30 AM              6:30 AM

*Home Meets in Bold

District Strategic Planning Meeting

There is a strategic planning meeting scheduled for Monday, March 25th at 6pm in the HS Auditorium.   All are welcomed to attend.

Internet Safety Tips

Press Release: Submitted by Officer Aron Chrisman, Chadron Public School SRO

Monday 03/18/13  

Contact Person; Officer Aron Chrisman, School Resource Officer 308.432.0510   

RE: Internet Safety Tips

                   

The Chadron Police Department has received several complaints lately that involve the use of the Internet.  The information super highway can be a great tool and asset for adults and school aged children.  However, please remember it is also used by Internet predators as well.  Please take the time to go over the following “Internet Safety Tips” and talk with your children to make sure they are using the Internet safely.  

• Don’t give out personal information without your parents’ permission. This means you should not share your last name, home address, school name, or telephone number. Remember, just because someone asks for information about you does not mean you have to tell them anything about yourself.
• Don’t agree to meet an online friend unless you have your parents’ permission.
• Remember that people online may not be who they say they are. Someone who says that “she” is a “12-year-old girl” could really be an older man in his 70’s.  
• Parents, know who your children are exchanging e-mail with, and only let them use chat areas or other peer to per programs when you can supervise them.
•  Parents talk to children about not responding to offensive or dangerous e-mail, chat, or other communications. Report any such communication to local law enforcement. Do not delete the offensive or dangerous e-mail; turn off the monitor, and contact local law enforcement.
• Don’t send or respond to mean or insulting messages. Tell your parents if you receive one. If something happens online that makes you feel uncomfortable, talk to your parents or to a teacher at school.  School aged children need to know if anything suspicious, mean, or scary happens, they won’t get in trouble if they tell a trusted adult.
• Parents if you suspect online "stalking" or sexual exploitation of a child, report it to your local law enforcement agency.
• Internet accounts should be in the parent's name with parents having the primary screen-name, controlling passwords, and using blocking and/or filtering devices.
• Children should not complete a profile for a service provider and children's screen-names should be nondescript so as not to identify that the user is a child.
• Don’t share your password with anyone but your parents. When you use a public computer make sure you logout of the accounts you’ve accessed before leaving the terminal.
• Consider using filtering or monitoring software for your computer. You can easily purchase this online.
• Check browser histories to see where your kids have been.
• Don’t post photos or videos online without getting your parents’ permission.
• Talk to your parents before you open an email attachment or download software. Attachments sometimes contain viruses. Never open an attachment from someone you don’t know.
•  Remind your kids that when they post something online, they lose control of it. It can be cut and pasted and sent around the Web.
•  Have children use child-friendly search engines when completing homework.
•  Find sites that promote learning, creativity, and that deepen your kids’ interests. Also check out popular websites before your kids visit them. Despite what your kids might tell you, social networks like MySpace or Facebook are not meant for middle school age or younger kids.
• Keep the computer in the family room or another open area of your home.
• Let children show you what they can do online, and visit their favorite sites.
• Set limits on the amount of time your kids spend online. Don’t let them Instant Message (IM) while doing homework. Restrict time and sites for online gaming.
• Parents are their role models for safe and smart use. Enjoy the good stuff together!

You can follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/chadronpolice or on Twitter @chadronpolice

MAPS Testing Progress

The first week of MAPS testing is in the books at CMS and nearly all of the 5th and 6h graders have completed the Language Usage and Reading tests.  All of the 7th and 8th graders have completed the Reading test and will pick up again on Monday, March 25th with the Language Usage test.  So far, I have been encouraged by the growth that our students have shown on their scores from this fall!  I want to thank all of our students for taking their time on these assessments and giving their best effort.

MAPS testing will resume next week and conclude when we get back from Easter break on April 2nd.  Due to the tight schedule, we will roll right into NeSA testing, which is the State assessment that covers Reading, Math, and Science (science is for 5th and 8th grade only).  The NeSA assessments are very important, and although we do not receive the NeSA data until October, it is crucial that students do their best on these tests because the data is used to determine Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP).  I know that our students will do great!

Please take some time to talk to your students about the assessments that they have been taking and ask them how they did.  Most of the students are very aware of their score and whether or not they improved from the fall.  Also, testing can cause anxiety in some students.  You can help them overcome  this by encouraging them to take their time and do their best, we can't and won't ask for anything more.

Thank you all for your support and if you have any questions regarding testing, or anything else regarding your child's education, please contact Mr. Dressel at 432-0708 or nichlas.dressel@chadronschools.net.

Please click on the link to see the complete testing schedule:CMS Testing Schedule

Morning Marathon Club

                                                                                

Students, staff, parents and friends are invited to join the fun as we begin the 3^rd Annual Morning Marathon Club!  We will meet before school, Mondays through Fridays on the high school track to walk/jog/run supervised ¼ mile laps.  Our first day will be March 18, 2013.  We will NOT meet March 20, March 29, and April 1, due to no school on those days.  Mark your calendars for our celebration day on the morning of May 18, 2013!

Miles will be collected individually for every participant.  The first day each student participates, s/he will receive a MMC wristband.  After 10 days of participation, each student will receive a roll up water bottle!  Each student reaching the 26.2 mile Marathon level (105 laps) will receive an additional award at our celebration on May 18!  Also, each participating student will get FREE entry into the 5k/Fun Run on May 18!

The main goal of this program is to give each participant a positive start to the day and establish a routine of exercise and a healthy breakfast.  This will help them build confidence and self esteem that comes from setting goals and crossing the finish line.  Lace up those running shoes and let’s get moving!

Some specifics about the Morning Marathon Club:

• Each student who participates must have a signed permission form.  Form must be turned in to Mrs. Rischling before participating – just bring it to track!
• Students in first grade and older may run unaccompanied.  Kindergarten students need a parent with them for the first week.
• Students must check in at the base of the “home bleachers” on the High School Track before they can count laps!
• Primary and Middle School students may begin any time between 7:15 and 7:40.  No runners may begin after 7:45.  Parents and Staff are welcome (and encouraged!) to join in!
•  The track will be supervised daily by Parent Volunteers.
• Students will be given a card at the completion of each lap, then turn in their cards when they are done each day.  This will allow tracking of laps/miles.
• Comfortable school clothes and sport shoes are appropriate for running.
• Students may bring a snack for “refueling.”  Water and a breakfast type bar are appropriate.  Please be sure to finish the snack before school starts and dispose of trash properly.
• In case of bad weather, the day’s run will be automatically cancelled.  Listen on KCSR (610 AM and/or KQSK (97.5 FM).  I will also try to send an email by 6:45a.m.  General guidelines for cancellation will be wind chill below 25 degrees, rain, snow, or wind gusts over 35 mph.
• This program relies on a large number of parent volunteers.  We need you!  It’s a great way to start the day with your kids!  If you have questions or would like to volunteer please contact Linda Rischling @ 430-4122.
• Permission Slips can be picked up in the MS office.

  

     Submitted by Mrs. Rischling 3/19/13

CMS SPRING TESTING SCHEDULE

Below you will find the link to the CMS SPRING TESTING SCHEDULE.  We will begin the Measures of Academic Progress (MAPS) test on Monday, March 18th.  MAPS testing will be followed by the Nebraska State Accountability (NeSA) test.  Please take a moment to review the schedule and note which days your student(s) will be testing.

Testing can be a stressful time for students.  Parents can do a lot to help relieve some of this stress by talking to your student(s) about testing and encouraging them to take their time and do their best.  You can also help prepare them by ensuring that they get enough rest the night before the test and that they eat a healthy breakfast on the morning of the test.

If you any questions about the schedule, please contact Mr. Dressel at 432-0708 or by email at nichlas.dressel@chadronschools.net.

Thank you.

Schedule Link: CMS SPRING TESTING SCHEDULE

Holocaust Survivors Share Their Story with Nebraska Students

7th graders listen to a Holocaust survivor via distance learning

“Only those who actually lived the Shoah (Holocaust) can bring history to life and give lie to the deniers.  As the number of survivors fast dwindles here and around the world, the need to preserve every untold story becomes more urgent” (Institute for Holocaust Education).  The last week marked the “Week of Understanding”, a week where Holocaust survivors share the stories about their experiences during the reign of Hitler.  The 7^th graders at Chadron Middle School were privileged to join in on a Distance Learning experience out of Wahoo.  The 7^th graders, starting at the end of February, have been actively engaging in a unit on the Holocaust.  This unit is taught in the last months of school and coincides with several different memorials; along with the “Week of Understanding”, the students will also be participating in the “Days of Remembrance”.  The “Days of Remembrance” involves a special ceremony from the Capital Building in Washington, D.C. and is a live broadcast over the internet.  In this unit, the students gain knowledge and insight as to what the Holocaust truly was, why they learn it, and ways for them to prevent something like this from happening in the future.  They look at all different types of media from books to plays to movies and now to live presentations. 

                  Wednesday, March 6, was a special day in the “Week of Understanding”.  Thanks to a forwarded e-mail from Janet Pickering, we were able to connect with the Wahoo Public Schools and join them via Distance Learning for two presenations from Holocaust Survivors.  One thing that really made this such an incredible presentation is, that this generation will be the last generation to ever hear the stories of the Holocaust directly from the mouths of the Survivors.   My hope was that through this presentation the students would gain understanding of what it was really like emotionally to be in this situation.  I feel that I can deliver all of the information to the students, but without the emotion of how the people felt at this time and how they coped with being under these horrendous circumstances. 

                  The first presenter was Inge Auerbacher, who survived the concentration camp known as Terezin (Theresienstadt) in Czechoslovakia.  Terezin was actually a small town in Czechoslovakia that had been transformed into a ghetto to house Jewish families and then into a concentration camp.  It was considered an “autonomous ghetto” meaning that it was run by Jews for Jews; however, this was only masking the true authority.  Igne was sent to Terezin at the age of seven and spent three years  there.  Out of the 15,000 children in Terezin only about one percent survived.  At this time Terezin was considered a transit camp and held “inmates” before deporting them to Auschwitz.  Auschwitz was considered, “The Kingdom of Death” and Terezin (Theresienstadt) “ The Kingdom of Deceit”.  It was a “Model Camp” and when the Red Cross came to inspect it on June 23, 1944, it was presented like a country resort.  This was part of the propaganda spread by Josef Goebbels.  Inge recalled this moment in her presentation, stating that they made money and had areas set up, such as a playground, that didn’t really exist.  Due to the fact that it was only meant to house 8,000 and had 60,000 inmates within its walls; several were transported or hidden to make it more presentable.  Liberation came from the Soviet Army on Mary 8, 1945.  Inge and her parents survived; they were three of thirteen survivors.  Inge and her parents immigrated to America in May of 1946.  She has written three books: “I am a Star-Child of the Holocaust”, “Beyond the Yellow Star to America”, and “Finding Dr. Schatz-The Discovery of Streptomycin and A Life It Saved”.

                  The second presenter was unexpected, as the one who was on schedule to come had a delay at the Chicago airport.  Kitty Williams came in her place.  Kitty is from Council Bluffs, IA, but grew up in Sarand an Eastern Hungarian town.  This small town only had two Jewish families inhabiting it, Kitty’s family and the Leitners, of whom Kitty had no contact with until they were forced into living together.  Out of Kitty’s family, three sisters and two brothers survived.  Her fathered perished at Auschwitz; her mother and another sister died of typhus, when she was seven, and never experienced the Holocaust.  On March 19, 1944, the German Army occupied Hungary.  Kitty was 20 years old.  She was hidden a couple times with neighboring Christian families, but did not escape the final round up of Jews in the area.  Her family home became a temporary ghetto until they were moved to a ghetto in another town and then a factory in Nagyvarad,  where 2,000 prisoners camped together.  In August, her family was put onto cattle cars with the other 2,000 prisoners and taken to Auschwitz.  Kitty talked about two major events during this time that when she recalls them become living nightmares.  One of them was sseing Josef Mengele, “In the distance I saw this beautiful, tall German officer all in white with several dogs and soldiers around.  He was sitting and looking at us, pointing—right, left.”  At this point, she lost her father by one simple waving of a hand.  She talked about how everything was so methodical:  lines and names and counts.  Later on, Kitty was taken to work forced labor at a factory where she was to chisel powder out of dud (undetonated) bombs, shells, and grenades.  They worked without any sort of protection and several of them died from poisoning.  March of 1945, the commandant of the camp came to announce that the Americans were on their way and the war was over; he stated that they were free to go and good luck.  Kitty fell in love with an American flyer, while working on a former German air base, and was ready for a fresh start in America.   Kitty’s husband asked her to keep her Jewish heritage a secret and this along with other things caused a rift in their marriage, which eventually led to divorce.  Today Kitty has been happily married for 23 years to her husband Bill.  She has made several visits back to her homeland and to Auschwitz, taking her children, grandchildren, and other members of the family.

                  The overall message from the two ladies was to not be a bystander, but someone who stands up for others.  Be your brother’s keeper!  This is so relevant in the world that the 7^th graders are growing up in today, and addresses the bully issue that has become prevelant in schools across America.  

Submitted by Miss Dobry, 7th Grade English Teacher

A Celebration of Reading

On March 1st, students across the Chadron Public School District celebrated the birthday of Dr. Seuss. 8th grade students in Mrs. Waugh's English classes celebrated the day with students at the Chadron Primary School, Chadron Intermediate School, and the Child Development Center by reading some of their favorite Dr. Seuss books to the children.

The experience was an excellent service opportunity for our 8th graders and they had a great time connecting with some of the younger students in our community.  We would like to thank the Intermediate School, Primary School, and the CDC for allowing our students to read to their students.

WE’RE HAVING A QUIZ BOWL TOURNAMENT!

llustration by Robert Neubecker

Chadron Middle School will host a Quiz Bowl Tournament on March 20th.  This is a great opportunity for students from other schools to visit our school and community  as well as compete in a fun, scholastic competition.

Format of the competition will be as follows:
·     Every team will play three games.
·     The top two scoring teams will then play a championship game.
·     NO calculators will be used
·     Winning teams will be decided on points; if there is a tie, the number of 15 point questions answered will determine outcome; if still a tie, the win/loss record will be looked at.
·     The top three scoring teams will each receive one trophy.
If your student is a member of the CMS Scholastic Team, or if you just want to drop by to watch the kids compete, please know that all are welcome.

The game schedule will be as follows:
o     9:30: All participants and coaches meet in the gym.
o     9:40-10:20: Game 1
o     10:25-11:50: Game 2
o     11:10-11:50: Game 3
o     11:50-12:30: Lunch on your own; bring a sack lunch
o     12:30: Winners announced on or before 12:30
o     12:40-1:30: Championship games for the top two scoring 7th grade teams and the top two scoring 8th grade teams.  These games will be held in the high school auditorium.