Proud to be EV... Week of December 15-21, 2013

 Semester tests were completed Wednesday and Thursday. Due to the inclement weather there wasn't school on Friday- started off the Winter Break early!

We are at mid-year. Friday was the end of 2nd quarter and 1st semester. It is hard to believe... time has flown!

The gym floor completion is moving along smoothly...

The west side of the new gym

 The east side of the new gym

 Here is the latest...

I hope that everyone enjoys winter break. We have accomplished so much so far... I am looking forward to what 2014 brings us!

Go EV Bears!

Proud to be EV... Week of December 8-14, 2013

This week was Iowa Department of Education Site Visit. We had zero non-compliance issues. This is excellent news and proves why English Valleys is such a wonderful district to send your children to~

Our staff is does a great job trying to find ways to provide opportunities to take a more active role in activities. Mr. Gordon started a "Runner's Club". Mrs. Baumfalk hosts the "Gamer's Club". Mrs. Burdick has started a "Book Club". They are reading "The Things They Carried". These groups are in addition to what we already have in place at EV. Our students are very lucky to be provided with so many activities that they can take part in. We hope to see participation continue to grow~

On Thursday, the Foods class had a Christmas reception. It was absolutely delicious! Mrs. Roberts and her class created many wonderful treats.

Thursday night was the Junior/Senior High School chorus and band concert. Mr. Dusdieker, Mrs. Wade and the students did a fantastic job. There were many compliments on the performances.

Mr. Caster and Mrs. Bruns brought many of the seniors to the Iowa State University campus on Friday to watch "Romeo and Juliet".

The Friday "Spirit Assembly" was hosted by the FCCLA.

They had flyers up all week advertising their "Ugly Sweater Contest". There were several finalists.

The winner was Mr. McCulley for his "ugly ISU sweatshirt". He and Mrs. Flander had a contest between themselves, with Mrs. Flander wearing an "ugly UI sweatshirt".

The assembly consisted of several games. Blake and April won the reindeer ring toss.

The teachers won the "Wrap a person as a gift" activity...

Mr. Ling and Mrs. Walter won an activity also!

The assembly was once again a great end to another wonderful week at English Valleys. We have "Spirit Assemblies" every Friday throughout the school year in order to increase pride in our district. I look forward to it every week and the students and staff really enjoy it~

Next week brings us the last week of the 2nd quarter/1st semester. This year is really flying by~
Semester tests will be held Wednesday and Thursday next week. Students, remember to get plenty of rest in preparation for these important tests. Winter break begins this upcoming Friday at 2:20 p.m. I am looking forward to the upcoming week...

Go EV Bears!

Proud to be EV... Week of December 1-7, 2013

On Monday night I attended the SIAC meeting. At this meeting Mrs. Andreassan discussed the upcoming site visit. Mr. Jensen talked about the gym construction. At the last SIAC meeting I proposed a change to the Academic Letter requirements. There was discussion on what the GPA should be so the decision was tabled at that meeting. At this meeting, the committee decided to stay with the 3.5 GPA. They approved the change in requirements that will go to the school board at the regular December meeting to be held Wednesday, December 11, 2013. The new requirements for the Academic Letter align to our mission. We want to see an increase in student achievement in our district and this is another way to motivate and recognize students for their academic excellence.
Other ways to increase student achievement will be discussed on a regular basis.

After the SIAC meeting, there was a special School Board meeting held. A decision was made to move to 8 player football.

On Tuesday night, the senior class held a free will donation supper.  The food was absolutely wonderful. Mrs. Bruns said the seniors made around $600~

On Wednesday we started the day with a 2 hour delay. We also had a 1:00 p.m. early dismissal for professional development for teachers. Students and staff were very patient with the schedule and the day ran smoothly.  The dance team planned to leave for state that night so we held a send-off/pep rally for them. The dance team performed the dance that they would be showcasing. They did a wonderful job~

Also, on Wednesday, the Student Council hosted a blood drive in the cafeteria from 2:30-7:00 p.m. They exceeded their goal of donations!

The Student Council was in charge of the Friday "Spirit Assembly". They played one of the student favorites, dodgeball. It was fun to watch! The juniors won this week~

Another end to another wonderful week at EV. Next week will be the site visit by the Iowa Department of Education. They conduct a site visit every five years. We are looking forward to having them come to our district. Wrestling meets and basketball games are underway. We really do appreciate fans showing up and giving support to our teams. Please continue to do this~ I am looking forward to another great week at English Valleys and continue to feel fortunate and lucky to be a part of this district. Until next week...

Go EV Bears!

Proud to be EV... Week of November 24-30, 2013

Short week at English Valleys Junior/Senior High School...

On Wednesday, Amelia and Jessica, FCCLA members, spoke to the 7-12 student body about an upcoming event, "Soles for Souls" in which they challenged everyone to collect shoes to be sent to those less fortunate. If anyone is interested in donating please contact Janelle Roberts, FCCLA sponsor~

Dakota addressed the 7-12 student body about the Meals from the Heartland fundraiser kickoff that will take place. If anyone is interested in helping with this event please contact Kristin Flander, FFA sponsor~

 No school on Thursday and Friday to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday...

There are many things that we can be thankful for at EV...
We have a wonderful and supportive community~
We have our wonderful alumni~
We have a supportive school board and administrative staff~We have a wonderful teaching staff~
We have a wonderful support staff- cooks, associates, secretaries, bus drivers, custodians~
We have wonderful and supportive parents/guardians who work with us as a team to provide the best education possible to their children~
We have excellent students- I would not change any of them for the world. Each of them is unique and special- we are fortunate to be blessed with each and every one of them~
We have many things that I am sure I have not mentioned here, but am truly grateful for everything~

Go EV Bears!

Proud to be EV... Week of November 17-23, 2013

I am very proud of our EV students. The Student Council held a food drive and our students raised 1501 items for our local food pantry! On Monday, Mr. Nachtman, the Student Council Advisor, and a couple of his Student Council members delivered the items~

On Tuesday, Iowa Secretary of State, Matt Schultz, came to visit our seniors. He led a Rock Iowa presentation in which he talked about the importance of voting and held interactive activities with students centered around focusing on key issues that may arise when making decisions on how they will vote. A couple of our students took part in a mock debate! At the conclusion of the presentation, each student was given a Rock Iowa t-shirt. We appreciate his visit.

On Tuesday night, several of our English Valleys choir students performed at the SICL Honor  Choir event held at Iowa Valleys Jr/Sr High School in Marengo. The performances were wonderful to listen to~

On Wednesday night I attended the monthly Booster Club meeting. They have been working hard to find ways to raise money to support various groups and activities in our district. They have done an excellent job with finding ways to assist the district in increasing pride in our school~

On Thursday night, we hosted an information meeting on the possibility of transitioning to 8 man football. This meeting was attended by over 60 students and parents. On December 2, 2013 at 7:30 p.m. a special school board meeting will be held to make a final decision on this topic.

On Friday, we held our weekly "Spirit Assembly". Mr. Ling introduced the Junior High Wrestling team. We hosted a Junor High Wrestling meet on Thursday night in which many of our wrestlers had first ever wins!

The Spirit Assembly was hosted by the Student Council. They played our all time favorite- DODGEBALL! It is still wonderful and amazing to see our students showing pride in our school week after week...

We are nearing the middle of our school year and the students and staff will soon be taking a Thanksgiving and Winter break. The construction of the gym is coming along beautifully... can't wait for the end result!

Go EV Bears!

Proud to be EV... Week of November 10-16, 2013

Another great week at English Valleys Junior/Senior High School...

On Tuesday, the football banquet was held. The 5th & 6th grade, Junior High, and High School football players were honored, as well as the cheerleaders. This had an amazing turnout!

On Tuesday night, the SIAC committee met. Mrs. Andreassen spoke about the upcoming Iowa Department of Education State Site Visit. Mr. Fritz updated the group on how construction is going.  I spoke about Perkins. I also addressed changing the requirements for the Academic letter, after researching what other districts require. This will be decided upon at the December 2 meeting.

On Thursday, our foreign exchange student, Bo, presented to the students and staff about his country. He is a wonderful student and we are pleased to have him join us for the year~

New gymnasium update...

The inside of the new gym:

The new front parking lot:

Progress on the new fitness room:

We are very excited for the completion of our new gymnasium!

This week's "Spirit Assembly" was hosted by Jane Brun's advisory group. Due to attending professional development at GWAEA, I was not able to take pictures. From what I heard, Mr. B won the staff karaoke!

There are just a few of the highlights from the week. There is never a dull moment at English Valleys Junior/Senior High School!

Go EV Bears!

Proud to be EV... Week of November 4-10, 2013

 As always, another great week has concluded at EV...

The basketball and wrestling seasons are ready to begin... ready for winter sports!

On Thursday night, the High School Vocal Music Concert took place. Our high school choir is taught by Denise Wade.

The Girls Glee performed several nice songs with some lovely solos...

Our foreign exchange student, Bo, gave a wonderful solo of "Hey Soul Sister"...

Anne and Audrey performed a duet from "Wicked" that was wonderful to listen to...

The Mixed Chorus also entertained the audience with a nice selection of music and solos...

I would like to thank everyone who was available to attend this event~

On Friday, Mrs. Colbert and I took a group of young ladies to the Kirkwood Community College High Tech Girls Day.

This was an excellent opportunity for our students to explore opportunities in the technology field.  Upon arrival, each student was given a free t-shirt and a 2GB flashdrive bracelet! One of the sessions focused on web design. This session was amazing, the students create their own web page within 40 minutes or less and saved this onto their flashdrive to build upon on their own.

Another session focused on Global Information Systems (GIS). Students learned to create digital maps.

The Interior Design Instructor asked that students stop by after they were finished eating their lunch. She described her program to the students and presented a portfolio created by one of her students. This is another exciting field that a student could potentially enter.

This was an exciting opportunity and we are looking forward to many more...

The "Spirit Assembly" this week was hosted by Mrs. Nachtman's Advisory Group. They had a competition that involved trying to get a certain amount of balls out of the middle of the gym floor and move them to the designated corners of the gym floor- this was no easy task! However, the students had a great time trying!

There was also a dance-off competition. The seniors won the first set, and the 7th grade won the second set.

Looking forward to next week...

Go EV Bears!

Proud to be EV... Week of 10/27/2013-11/2/2013

On Monday and Wednesday night, Parent/Teacher conferences were held. Both nights had very nice attendance. I want to remind parents/guardians that they are welcome to email, call, or schedule a visit at any time if they have questions/concerns for their child(ren). I welcome these visits and feel that as a team we can work together to provide the best educational opportunity for our students.

On Tuesday, our junior/senior high school building was honored to have the current Miss Iowa, Nicole Kelly, visit. She spoke about how she decided to try out for Miss Iowa. She discussed her disability, missing her left forearm from the time she was born. This did not deter her from doing the things that she wanted to do in life. She took answered questions from our crowd of students after her speech.

After she spoke she spent time taking pictures with students and answering any further questions that had that were not addressed in the assembly.

I encourage any other schools, clubs, and organizations to have Nicole come and speak. She is truly an inspiring individual and I wish her the best~

School was dismissed early on Wednesday due to a water main leak at our building.  Mr. Ling had Sergeant Blankenship in our gym classes using "human hamster balls". The students enjoyed this immensely and for those who missed out, he is planning to try to schedule this in again.

On Thursday we held a brief "Spirit Assembly" honoring our senior athletes. We also used this time as a "send-off" for Allison Hewitt who represented our school in the State Cross Country Meet held in Fort Dodge, IA. Allison shared some words with our student body~

On Thursday, Halloween, my husband Jason and I dressed up in Star Wars costumes and decorated our trunk in a Star Wars theme. It was a pleasure to be a part of this community event- we are already looking forward to and planning for future trunk and treats~

On Friday, the Boosters planned a "send off" for Allison that included she and her coach, Jeff Gordon, being led out of town by firetrucks. It was a pleasure to be there to witness this and to see the community support our athletes~ Allison represented us well at the meet.

After two nights of conferences this week, the staff and students had Friday off~ I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend~ looking forward to another great week at EV~

Go EV Bears!

Proud to be EV... Week of October 20-26, 2013

This was a great 1st week to the start of the 2nd quarter!

On Wednesday, the Iowa Hall of Pride came to our building. They held three separate 1 1/2 hour presentations/activities for students. The 9th & 10th grades went first, then the 6-8th grades, and finally the 11th and 12 grades. I sat in each session and was very pleased and proud of the way that our students listened and participated. Chad and Shelly, the speakers, introduced themselves. They set the expectations for the day.

The focus was on developing leadership. As students arrived in the gym they were each given a playing card. This card determined the group that they would be in. The first activity that they were asked to do was a nonverbal activity. They were given a rope and had to get in order of their birthday month and year without talking. This was very interesting to watch! Our students are so creative with the ways they come up with to find out the information they needed in order to complete this activity. One of the points of the activity was that a leader had to emerge to direct how they would find the information they needed.

After this activity, students were asked to sit down where they were and write down two qualities that make a great leader. Each group had to designate a recorder to write down the qualities that each person wrote on their sheet.

The next activity involved dancing. Each member of the group had to lead a dance move. Chad and Shelley would play different clips of songs. This was very entertaining to watch.

The students watched a short video clip of Bernie Saggau speaking about leadership. They also watched another video of a Cedar Rapids Kennedy graduate, Salvatore Giunta, the first living Medal of Honor recipient.

To conclude the assembly, Chad and Shelly had each student write how they would be a leader on a card. The students gave their cards to Chad and Shelly who would read these and then send them to me. Students signed a poster designating us an "Iowa Hall of Pride High School 2013".

This poster is displayed outside of our gym doors. Chad and Shelly did a wonderful job and we are thankful to them for coming to our building.

Congratulations to Allison Hewitt! She qualified for the State Cross Country meet! We are very proud of her~

We are very proud of our junior high and high school athletic teams as the fall sports season comes to a close~

On Friday we held our Achievement Assembly in place of our Spirit Assembly. We honored members of clubs/organizations in the school and those who were on the A & B Honor Roll list. Each student was given a certificate. Those in 9-12th grades were given honor roll pins. One of my goals this year is seeing that each student makes the honor roll at least one time. The honor roll lists were sent to the area newspapers. I have many pictures available from this event. We did not have time to give the "Golden Grizzly" medals. These will be announced before Miss Iowa speaks this upcoming Tuesday. For this award, a student had to be chosen based on the content area. For junior high these areas are: Math, Science, Social Studies, and English. For high school these areas are: Math, Science, Social Studies, English, Art, Music, Spanish, CTE- Agriculture, CTE- Industrial Arts, CTE- Business, CTE- Family and Consumer Science. Students were chosen based on exceptional hard work and diligence within the classroom. These medals will be given on a quarterly basis.  I am so very proud of all of our students...

As we rushed to end the assembly, it is tradition that students do not leave until we sing the school song. It was unbeknownst to me that the Student Council had the entire student body and staff sign a banner that said "Thank you Mrs. Lightfoot". I was overcome with emotion at this. There are no words to describe how I felt receiving this... it is the students and staff that I have to thank for making this a wonderful place to be a principal...

I believe that we are going to accomplish great things at English Valleys Junior/Senior High School. I am working with the staff on ways to increase student involvement and achievement. Everything that we do must center on these things. I will continue to inform you of how we plan to do this. I ask for your continued support as we continue on our journey to instill pride in each and every one of our students. Thank you so much for all of your support...

Go EV Bears!