K S D
ONNECT C District News, Notes and Events
December 2013
COMPUTER CLUB
HORSE HEAVEN HILLS MIDDLE SCHOOL COMPUTER CLUB LEARNS TO CODE A small group of dedicated Horse Heaven Hills Middle School students meet every Thursday for computer club. Currently, they are learning to write computer code, HMTL, through the CodeCademy website. Technology Teacher Doug Reppe explained that the end goal is for students to “create an app for the smart phone with their computer programming skills.” Between coding tutorials, Reppe gives insight into how students can code at home and answers questions about building websites and coding. While coding on CodeCademy, students can earn badges. One student stated, “It makes me feel good when I earn badges, like I’m accomplishing something.” Sixth-grader Sam Horn see the bigger picture for Computer Club, “I think I’d like to be a Computer Engineer. I can use these HTML website skills in high school and college. They’ll help advance me and maybe I can learn binary code.” 1
DECEMBER
CONTENTS 1
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Horse Heaven Hills Middle School Computer Club learns to code Hawthorne Elementary Book Fair
Author and illustrator visits Lincoln Elementary to promote writing
Southgate Third Grade to implement mini iPads in the classroom
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Desert Hills makes a hefty donation Firefighters visit Westgate Elementary Holiday Concerts Munch Madness food drive
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Warm hands at Southgate Elementary
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HAWTHORNE ELEMENTARY BOOK FAIR Hawthorne Elementary Scholastic Book Fair was a hit thanks to the Life Skills class for creating a mummy in a sarcophagus. Other staff members also created a desert scene outside the library, pillars by the entrance and a camel.
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AUTHOR AND ILLUSTRATOR VISITS LINCOLN ELEMENTARY T
Author and illustrator Matt McElligot visited Lincoln Elementary to share the process he and Franklenstein books.
The idea for Ben Franklenstein was created by McElligot’s son who often mixed up Franklin t Franklenstein into a Benjamin Franklin Frankenstein character. After the concept was created and researched Benjamin Franklin.
During McElligot’s presentation he quizzed students on their knowledge of Benjamin Frank into the Ben Franklenstein books.
Beyond writing and research, McElligot shared the joys and struggles of editing and publishing
Along with writing, McElligot demonstrated how he illustrates each book and incorporates same size, have the same font and boarders and incorporate similar diagrams as Benjamin F 3
To the surprise of many students, McElligot also created a sample cover for a Ben Franklenste
AUTHOR VISIT
TO PROMOTE WRITING
d co-author Larry Tuxbury use when writing, editing and illustrating their popular Ben
the Turtle and Frankenstein. With this thought in mind, McElligot then transformed Ben d, McElligot and longtime friend Larry Tuxbury decided to co-write the Ben Franklenstein series
klin and explained how much of the research their Benjamin Franklin research was incorporated
g a book. He explained that although the process was tough, the end result was a better product.
publishing practices used by Benjamin Franklin. Each of the Ben Franklenstein books are the Franklin’s Poor Richard’s Almanac.
ein book using an audience volunteer as the villainous model.
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MINI IPAD GRANT
SOUTHGATE THIRD GRADE TO IMPLEMENT MINI IPADS IN THE CLASSROOM Third grade Teacher Sara Riesenweber from Southgate Elementary was awarded a $2,500 grant from the WalMart Foundation to implement mini iPads in the classroom. Sara plans to share the mini iPads with the entire third grade and will use them for reading fluency and math facts. “There are great apps for reading fluency that allow students to record their voice and provides teacher feedback for each student,” she stated. 5
DESERT HILLS MAKES A HEFTY DONATION
FIREFIGHTERS VISIT W Kennewick Fire and Rescue visited Westgate Elementary where they demonstrated their lifesaving equipment and allowed students to tour the fire truck.
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FOOD BANK AND FIREFIGHTERS
Desert Hills Middle School students donated 5,222 non-perishable food items to the Kennewick Food Bank. Congratulations to the students who exceeded their donations from previous years.
WESTGATE
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HOLIDAY CONCERTS
HOLIDAY CONCERTS Tis the season of holiday concerts! Students and staff worked diligently to create festive and bright holiday performances this month. Each performance was unique to the school and students.
Amistad marimba and choir performace
Vista orchestra peformance
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Washington’s Living Tree performance
MUNCH MADNESS AND DECA GLOVE DONATION
MUNCH MADNESS FOOD DRIVE Kennewick High School collected nearly 3,000 pounds of non-perishable food items during their Munch Madness Food Drive. Combined with the 7,000 pounds collected from other schools, students donated nearly 10,000 pounds of food to the Kennewick Food Bank.
WARM HANDS AT SOUTHGATE ELEMENTARY Southgate Elementary students received a warm gift of gloves from the Southridge High School DECA this month. The giving tree glove drive was organized by DECA students who encouraged staff and faculty to donate.
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UPCOMING EVENTS DECEMBER 23 Start Winter Break JANUARY 6 Return from Winter Break 14 Highlands MS Science Fair 16 Grades K-5: Mid Trimester 17 No School: District Professional Day 20 No School: Martin Luther King Jr. Day 21 Kennewick Community Education Classes Start 23 Cascade Reading Night 24 Grades 6-8: End of 1st Semester 29 Vista McTeacher Night 30 High School and Beyond Night @ Tri-Tech Skills Center
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December 2013 Newsletter
Dec 23 - Jan 3
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