January 2023

This newsletter is to provide an insight to what is happening in our High School classes each month. To introduce staff and to provide their background as well in hopes to become more familiar with everyone in our Panther Family!

*Any/All Athletic Information can be found at https://www.mndcty.k12.mo.us/documents/athletics/257158

or on our APP under Athletic Newsletter

Family time is my favorite time! I love to read, spend time outside on the farm, and attend sporting events. During the summer, I spent a lot of time with my son, Colt, and visiting family. We ended our summer with a week at Rosemary beach in Florida! We traveled 30A trying out restaurants, shopping, and relaxing on the beach. I have been in education for 7 years total and 3 at Mound City. I attended Auburn High School in Auburn, NE. I attended University of Nebraska - Lincoln BS in Elementary Education and Northwest Missouri State University - MS in School Counseling K-12. This month the Counseling department is promoting coping skills and strategies for test anxiety. These will be great tools for our students as the end-of-year spring testing begins. I also plan to promote digital citizenship with all of our students during this month. As technology is an important part of our students' personal and educational lives, it is important to teach them about the responsibility that comes with using technology and social media appropriately. Their digital footprint and the choices they make online is something that will follow them into adulthood. Seniors will be receiving their scholarship information for several local scholarships this month. We are blessed to have such wonderful support for our seniors as they make plans for their next steps after high school! I am looking forward to assisting them during this exciting semester!

Business Skills Course: This is a semester course where the students will be learning valuable business skills for workplace success. We will begin the course learning different features in Microsoft Office such as Word, Powerpoint, Excel, and Publisher.

Dual Credit Computers and Information Systems: The students will be learning different types of operating systems and file management systems. We will be discussing security and internet safety, technology addiction, risks to social health, and common types of cybersecurity attacks.

Personal Finance: A new group of students will be joining Personal Finance this semester. The first few weeks will be an introduction to personal finance. Students will explore the evolution of credit and consumerism in America, and learn the importance of both knowledge and behavior when it comes to managing money.

Freshmen :

Reinforcing previous standards

Letter: business/block format

Figurative Language: Review of the seven figures of speech

Theme/motif/archetypes

Anchor Text: The Best of O. Henry

Rhetorical Triangle

Persuasive Paper

Major Project synthesizing the Rhetorical Triangle and our anchor text

Poem: Haiku

Active reading strategies in both fiction and non-fiction

Sophomores:

Reinforcing previous standards

Letter: business/block format

Figurative Language - Review of the seven figures of speech

Theme/motif/archetypes

Anchor Text - To Kill a Mockingbird

Rhetorical Triangle

Persuasive Paper and Argumentative Paper

Major Project synthesizing the Rhetorical Triangle and the Anchor text

Poem - Haiku

Active reading strategies in both fiction and non-fiction

EOC Practice Tests/analysis

Strunk and White Grammar Rules

Juniors:

Reinforcing previous standards

Letter: business/block format

Figurative Language - Review of the seven figures of speech

Theme/motif/archetypes

Anchor Text - A Raisin in the Sun

Rhetorical Triangle

Persuasive Paper

Major Project synthesizing the Rhetorical Triangle and the anchor text

Poem - Haiku

Active reading strategies in both fiction and non-fiction

Seniors:

Letter: business/block format

Figurative Language - Review of the seven figures of speech

Theme/motif/archetypes

Thematic Unit - Conformity vs Individuality

Rhetorical Triangle

Persuasive

Major Project - Your own business from start to launch

Poem - Haiku

Independent Study - Creative Writing

Establishing Daily Writing Goals

Writing from different perspectives

Thinking outside the box

Writing Project from start to publishing

As always, this is a plan of action. Actual lessons will be determined by how quickly students master standards and/or what needs revisiting or rethinking.

Biology- students will be learning about metabolic cycles (photosynthesis and cellular respiration) and how the outputs of one cycle are the inputs needed for the next part of the cycle to continue.

Integrated Science- students will be learning about forces within fluids and how atmospheric pressure can affect those forces.

Chemistry- students will begin learning how to name ionic compounds and create balanced chemical equations using correct chemical formulas.

Human Anatomy- students will be finishing up the skeletal system by working on a project where they will create a magazine to sell joints within the human body.

7th Hour Forensic Science: The second semester my class will be learning about Forensic Science and its application to the world. This month we will be learning about the History of Forensic Science and Crime Scene Investigation (CSI).

Algebra 1 - We will finish talking about exponential functions and how this relates to interest rates. Along with positives and negatives of credit cards. Then we will move onto quadratic functions and how to solve them.

Algebra 2 - We will review exponential functions and their relationship with depreciation. Then we will learn how to solve logarithmic equations.

Pre-calc - We will finish talking about Trig functions and then we will move on to solving logarithmic equations.

In Kindergarten-4th Grade, we're transitioning back into some normalcy after prepping for the concert last quarter! We'll be working on several things at once - keeping a steady beat, matching pitch, echoing, rhythm, writing music, reading music, analyzing music, etc. Class will consist of fun music games, activities, and learning new songs. For 5th and 6th grade band/choir, we will be following along in our method books to learn new notes, symbols, and improve the students' knowledge on their instrument/voice. 7th Grade Music will be reviewing some important concepts and terms that they will need to know for the rest of the semester. Lastly, the Panther Band will begin preparing our pieces for contest!

We are excited to get back to work here in the Social Studies department. The freshmen will begin their transition from Geography, which we studied during the first semester, to Government, which we will be working through the rest of the year. We will get back to it in World History by learning about the 19th Century events that set the political stage for the start of World War I. Economics will begin to learn about banking and money, and we will continue to use the Capitalism Lab Simulator to apply concepts learned in class to a realistic situation and make economic decisions. Finally, Current Events will have a fresh group of students, so we will begin learning about reliable sources and how to use them in the coming days.

Food Science- Learning how to make cheap, easy, microwave meals that they would be able to make in college.

7th Grade- We will be getting to know each other since this is the first time having them in class. We will be learning about kitchen safety and sanitation along with kitchen equipment, tools, and terms.

Child Development- They will be learning about school aged kids and we will observe a couple classes to see the growth in cognitive and physical development across the grade levels.

Health- We will start by learning about the Healthcare system and overall health and wellness.

FCS1- We will be learning and making different types of salads

Housing- We will be talking about the basic shelters and the needs for housing.

FCCLA- We will be having a FCCLA Holiday the first week of January and will have 5 groups presenting STAR Events in the middle of January.

World war 1, women’s suffrage and roaring 20s

Composition - students will be working on an essay & an Analytical Research paper

Research - students will be learning basic issues with testing procedures and the scientific research process

English Presentation - public speaking unit & District news feed

This month students are learning about Abstract and Non-objective art in upper level junior high, middle school, and high school classes. 3rd grade will be doing a large classroom group project!

Mound City Ag students will be moving into the busy season when it comes to FFA. Ag Science 1 students will be learning about animal science and livestock judging this month. Sophomores are getting into shop safety units and will have the opportunity to to join the soils and dairy foods teams. Greenhouse will be learning plant identification along with having the opportunity to join the floriculture team. Ag construction class will continue in the shop this semester while utilizing the PlasmaCam and then Wildlife managements will start the semester learning about wildlife habitats along with Natural Resources. Students are currently filling out State Degrees, Proficiency Awards, FFA Scholarships (seniors) along with starting our contest season training in the month of January.

We are excited to have everyone back in the building after a much needed break. I hope everyone had a great Christmas and New Years'! January is a very busy month for us. Seniors are working on scholarships/college applications. FBLA/FCCLA/FFA are preparing for contests coming up soon. We are just finalizing all 2nd quarter and 1st semester grades and will be placing them in the mail this Friday January 6th. We will begin our eligiblity grade checks starting on January 19th at 3:15 pm. This was a great tool for our students helped them take resposibility for their education. I look forward to another solid semester. Please do not hesitate to call, email, or stop by if you have any questions or concerns!

Opening Minds, Educating Lifelong Learners!

Email: jake.shipman@mndcty.org
Website: https://www.mndcty.k12.mo.us/
Location: 708 Nebraska Street, Mound City, MO, USA
Phone: (660)442-5429
Facebook: facebook.com/MoundCityR-2
Twitter: @MC_Panthers