Trojan Update

Board Members

Board President..................Matthew Steinke

Board Vice President...............Chad McKain

Board Member................................Ryan Hull

Board Member....................Travis Molyneux

Board Member...................Heather Schmidt

Administration

Superintendent...................Chad Straight

Principal...............................Jennifer Berg

Activities Director..........Scott Edmundson

Business Manager................Stacey Kolars

Board Secretary......................Shelly Koehn

Email: june.williams@tri-countyschools.com
Website: www.tri-countyschools.com
Location: 3003 State Hwy 22, Thornburg, IA, USA
Phone: 641-634-2636
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TCTROJANS2018

More than 22 Million tons of salt are used on U.S. roads each winter. That comes out to about 137 pounds of salt per person.

• When did you decide you wanted to become a teacher- I decided in 4th grade. I loved my 4th grade teacher and wanted to be just like her.

• What do you like to do outside of school (hobbies)- Scrapbooking, reading, babysitting my grandkids

• Favorite movie? - hard to choose - Steel Magnolias, Gone with the Wind, Purple Rain

• Hawkeye or Cyclone or UNI - Hawkeye and Cyclone
  

• If you could have 3 wishes what would they be? - health for my family, financial stability for my family, an end to climate change in the world

• Favorite TV show - hard to choose - ER, MASH, Downton Abbey

• What is your favorite color - purple

• Favorite food? - pizza

• One thing you can't live without? ??

• Where did you go to High School? LeRoy Ostrander High School in LeRoy Minnesota

• What’s your favorite book? I don't have a favorite - my favorite to read to 4th grade is ReStart by Gordan Korman

• What is your favorite sport to play or watch? - watching wrestling or football

• How big is your family? - 3 kids, 2 son in laws and a daughter in law, 5 grandkids

*If they coach a sport which one and why did they choose that sport

I coach high school boys/girls track and field as well as strength and conditioning.

*What is your role at TC?

I teach 7th and 8th grade science, math and social studies. In addition to my classroom teaching I am the secondary lead teacher.

*When did you decide you wanted to become a teacher?

I have always had a strong interest in science and social studies which paired well with the teaching field. When I began doing observations in different schools during college I realized I could make a difference in the lives of students.

*What do you like to do outside of school (hobbies)?

My wife and I purchased an older farm house several years ago and a lot of our free time/money gets put into renovating the property. I enjoy building with both wood and metal as well as restoring classic vehicles.

*Favorite movie?

Friday Night Lights

*Hawkeye or Cyclone or UNI?

Hawks all the way

*Were you in FFA or 4-H growing up?

Unfortunately I was not. I stayed very active in high school and I would have struggled to fit it in my schedule. If I could go back and do it again, I would join FFA because of the valuable lessons it teaches students and the support it provides to the community.

*If you could have 3 wishes what would they be?

Students would all reach their full potential.

All people would put the needs of others before themselves.

Every child could experience a happy, supportive and safe childhood.

*Favorite TV show

The Blacklist

*What is your favorite color?

Red

*Favorite food?

Ribeye Medium Rare

*One thing you can't live without?

The support of my family

*Where did you go to High School?

Tri-County

*What’s your favorite book?

Holes

*What is your favorite sport to play or watch?

Football

*How big is your family?

I have one brother and one sister. My wife and I are expecting our first child, due in late February/early March.

• If they coach a sport which one and why did they choose that sport

-I help head up the Youth Sports here at TC and coach a few different youth sports including; Boys K-1 baseball, Girls LL, and Girls basketball.

• What is your role at TC?

-I am the Pre-K associate.

• When did you decide you wanted to become a teacher

-Once I started having children of my own, I started an in home daycare. This is where I found my love for the little ones!

• What do you like to do outside of school (hobbies)

-Anything sports related, including watching my kids in all of their activities, and exercising.

• Favorite movie?

-Anything with Adam Sandler.

• Hawkeye or Cyclone or UNI

-Hawkeye.

• Were you in FFA or 4-H growing up?
  

-Nope.

• If you could have 3 wishes what would they be?

-I would wish for health, happiness, and prosperity for my family, as well as myself.

• Favorite TV show

-Any type of true crime show.

• What is your favorite color

-Purple

• Favorite food?

-Mexican

• One thing you can't live without?

-Google calendar

• Where did you go to High School?
  

-English Valley

• What’s your favorite book?
  

-I don't have one

• What is your favorite sport to play or watch?

-To play; basketball. To watch; baseball and football

• How big is your family?

-6

1. What do you coach? Volunteer Coach for Track & Field: Growing up, I loved running cross country and track. I want to share that passion and help our athletes reach their full potential.

2. What is your role at TC? I am an associate in 2nd grade, and I'm thoroughly enjoying it.

3. When did you decide you wanted to be an associate? Last year

4.What do you like to do outside of school? I love singing, running, and hanging out with friends and family.

5. Favorite movie? 10 Things I Hate About You

6. Hawkeye, Cyclone, UNI? Hawkeye

7. Were you in FFA growing up? No. In fact, I had no idea about FFA until I came to Iowa.

8. If you had three wishes what would thye be? Wish 1: Visit France one day, Wish 2: Go back to California to see my family again Wish 3: To pay off all my student loans

9. Favorite TV show? New Girl

10. What is your Favorite Color? Blue

11. What's your favorite food? Mexican Food

12. One thing you can't live without? All my pets. I wouldn't be able to survive a day without them.

13. Where did you go to High School? San Marino High School in California (Titans)

14. Favorite Book? Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

15. Favorite sport to play? Cross Country/Track. Favorite sport to watch? Baseball (Go Dodgers!)

16. How big is your family? Direct family of 3. Mom, Dad, and me. So it's small.

• Where is your favorite restaurant to eat? Tasos in Oskaloosa or texas Roadhouse in Iowa City

• What is your favorite sport to play or watch? Favorite to play is softball

• Favorite subject in school? English/Science

• What is your best feature or talent? I'm a good listener and enjoy helping people in difficult situations

• Favorite School Lunch? Pork Chopette and mashed potatoes

• Favorite Color? Blue
  

• What school activities do you participate in and how long? Volleyball - 4 years, Basketball - 2 years, Track - 4 years, Softball - 5 years, Student Council - 3 years, Band - 3 years, Cheer - 2 years, Speech and Drama - 4 years.

• Favorite movie? The Blind Side/Longest Yard

• Who do you look up to most in life? Why? My mom, she has always put her 100% into everything she does and she has always been my #1 supporter.

• What teacher has had the most impact on your education while being a Trojan? Mrs. Krumm, she has always been in my corner, answered any questions tot he best of her ability, and supported me in things I view as important. She has given me a safe place at school, and she is definitely my school mom.

• Favorite thing to do outside of school? read, be outside, or be with friends and family.

• Do you have any siblings? If so how many? Names? Grades? And if they go to Tri-County? 3 sisters, Mariah is a junior, Marissa is in 7th grade, and Macie is in 5th grade. All TC students.

• If you could be someone else in life, who, and why? Someone who was born in the early - mid 90's. Times were so much more simple back then. No electronic, less world drama, and less political drama.

• If you could have one do-over in life, what would it be? Go back and treat my mom better then I did growing up.

• What was your “best school moment”? Having my track team, and students come support me at State Track!

• Where is your favorite restaurant to eat? McDonalds

• What is your favorite sport to play or watch? Track

• Favorite subject in school? Math

• What is your best feature or talent? I'm Hilarious

• Favorite Color? Blue

• What school activities do you participate in? football 3 years, basketball 4 years, speech and drama 4 years, track 4 years, FFA 4 years, baseball 5 years, and band 3 years

• Favorite movie? Forrest Gump

• Who do you look up to most in life? My grandfather( Mike Williams)

• What teacher has had the most impact on your education while being a Trojan? Mrs. Moore (retired)

• Favorite thing to do outside of school? Sleep

• Do you have any siblings? If so how many? Names? Grades? And if they go to Tri-County? 3 siblings, Warren Williams alumni, Grayce Williams Freshmen, and Ian Williams 8th grade.

• What was your “best school moment”? All-state speech freshmen year.

• hat do you see yourself doing in the future (career)- I am currently working on getting an apprenticeship for the pipefitter union

• Favorite Color - Orange

• Favorite movie- I saw the light, or any of the Iron mans

• Who do you look up to most in life? Why?

I look up to My dad the most, My dad has been there through thick and thin and always has a positive outlook on almost everything

• What teacher has had the most impact on your education while being a Trojan? Mr Hrasky

• Favorite thing to do outside of school? Hangout with friends, get my hands in a motor and play guitar

• If you could be someone else in life, who, and why? I like being me and wouldn’t change it in the world

• Were you named after anyone? No

• What is your favorite song? About any Hank Sr, Hank Jr, Merle Haggard, or Johnny Cash song

• What do you spend your money on? Car parts and gas

• Can you cook? What is the best dish you have prepared? Yes, I can cook a mean Grilled ham and cheese

• Where is the furthest you have traveled from home?- Maryland

Ms. Anderson’s Modern History class recently completed a project entitled Living History. The students in the class interviewed community members 70 years old or older about their life history and experiences. Students shared ice cream and cookies along with many endearing and informational memories from those kind enough to donate their time and wisdom. The participants were asked basic questions ranging from biographical information to jobs, military service, changing values, major life events, best and worst decades, and their advice on life, to name just a few.

Students have since been working on compiling powerpoint presentations over the person’s life which include answers from the interviews, pictures, and “added extras.” The students have been challenged to tie two or three “added extra” facts, stats, graphs, or events to the stories they learned. For example, one student had a participant who met their spouse at a car hop. She is now researching the types of burgers available and the prices then, compared to today. Another student is delving into different types of childhood diseases and illnesses like scarlet fever and polio to add to their presentations to help educate the other students on these all but eliminated illnesses today. Yet another student is looking at the length of time it takes to be granted immigration visas, as her participant had met and married their spouse from a different country.

Once completed, students will share their powerpoints with the class as part of their final grade. Ms. Anderson stated about the project, “This is only the second time I have tried this project. I feel it is an invaluable learning experience for my students. I was very pleased with how excited the students were about the project after conducting their interviews. I would like to thank Vince Homan and the What Cheer Methodist Church for hosting our groups so we would have space to spread out during the interviews and for helping me procure the participants. I would also like to thank all those who took time out of their busy day to come and share their memories and wisdom with us!”

When asked their thoughts and feelings about the project Katy Post said, “I felt it was a very educational experience and it was really crazy to hear stories about what they went through compared to what we go through today.” Avery Rooda stated, “I loved it! It was a lot of fun to learn about someone’s past and learn about their history.”

Youth Sports hosted league basketball on Dec. 15 with 3 other schools in attendance; English Valleys, Keota, and Sigourney. This was the grand finale of our 4 week league with each school hosting a different week. We call this our "learning league" which gives the kids real court experience in a non competitive manner. The coaches are required to provide equal playing time and we encourage the volunteer refs to help educate the athletes as they officiate. Our 3/4 girls ended 1-4; the 3/4 boys ended 1-4; and the 5/6 girls ended 2-2. The teams will now have the option of continuing play while participating in tournaments. TC will host our Holiday Hustle tournament on January 4th with all 3 of our teams in attendance. TC Youth Sports will also cover an additional tournament for each team. Said tournament will be up to the coaches discretion.

Submitted by: Andy Thomas

What is the best way to learn about the solar system, the rain forest and ancient Rome? Most educators would say taking a trip to those areas. Is that realistic? Usually not. Well, thanks to a very generous donation by a community member, Tri-County students now have access to a Discovery Expeditions Virtual Reality Kit.

“With VR and AR, teachers are no longer limited by the space of the classroom. VR lets you explore the world virtually while AR brings abstract concepts to life—allowing teachers to guide students through collections of 360° scenes and 3D objects, pointing out interesting sites and artifacts along the way.” -Discovery Expeditions. The kit includes 10 virtual reality headsets, 10 smartphones, a dedicated router and a tablet for the teacher to guide the expedition.

When virtual reality became a reality for Tri-County students, the doors of possibility were opened. “Expeditions explore history, science, the arts, and the natural world. Whether you’re roaming with dinosaurs or taking a look at Renaissance sculptures, there’s something amazing to explore for every subject.” The process is relatively simple. The teacher downloads a tour and instructs the students to connect as a group, wirelessly. Once students have entered the expedition, let the learning and exploring begin.

Tri-County 8th grade social studies students recently visited American Revolution battle sites, the spot where Paul Revere was captured, and took a tour around the Liberty Bell. Tri-County 7th Grade science students were introduced to Virtual Reality by examining species and interactions within a rainforest. “I am very proud to be a part of the educational process and this purchase further demonstrates that education and opportunities are top priorities here at TC.”-Mr. Thomas- A Proud Trojan”

Submitted by: Ms. Berg

ISASP (Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress) scores are coming your way in your child is in 3rd-11th grade. These are the scores from last Spring at the end of March. There is an informational letter attached with your student’s assessment scores. The content of the assessments is directly aligned with the Iowa Core Academic Standards.

Fifth grade, eighth grade, and 10th grade are tested in Science. Every student across the State of Iowa is tested in ELA (English Language Arts) and Mathematics.

We will be taking these assessments in April and all grade levels will be completing the assessments online. We feel this will help our students in many ways especially with the writing portion of the exam. If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Berg or your child’s teacher.

January Happenings

January 8th 2:00 p.m. Early dismissal/PLCs

January 11th Birthday lunches PK-6th

January 20th No School. Full day of professional development.

January 29th 2:00 p.m. Early dismissal/PLCs

January 30th 5th/6th Grade Field Trip to Biz Town

Please put this on your calendars:

February 25th and February 27th 2:00 p.m. Early dismissal/3:45 p.m.-7:45 p.m. Parent Teacher Conferences and the Art and Science Fair (PK-12th)

Lastly, my January challenge to you all is to read, read, and read. My goal is to read at least five books this month.