Hampton-Dumont High School
Hampton, Iowa
Issue 3, September 25, 2013
YOU’VE GOT A FRIEND IN ME Plagge’s Idea Gives Future Bulldogs a Chance to Cheer on their Favorite Teams :KHQ %URRNO\Q 3ODJJH attended a Hampton-Dumont basketball game last year as a sophomore, she had a crazy idea. She noticed that everyone had their own place to sit. There was a designated DUHD IRU FRPPXQLW\ PHPEHUV D VSHFLDO VSRW IRU KLJK school students, and an area IRU PLGGOH VFKRRO NLGV (YHQ WKH WHDFKHUV KDG DQ XQRIÀFLDO FRUQHU RI WKH VWDQGV :KDW VKH GLGQ¡W VHH ZDV D VSRW IRU elementary kids to sit and watch the games with their IULHQGV ,W JRW KHU JHDUV WXUQLQJ 3ODJJH IHOW OLNH WKRVH kids deserved to sit with their IULHQGV DQG FKHHU RQ WKH KRPH team just like everyone else. She knew however that that scenario would come with LWV RZQ VHW RI FKDOOHQJHV Younger kids need extra guidance and supervision, so having them all sit together
H-D WANTS TO KNOW... :KDW LV \RXU biggest pet peeve?
would be a problem. Her solution: Little Bulldogs. From the very beginning, Brooklyn was all in. She started organizing her ideas, and once ready, she visited with Family and Consumer Science teacher, Jane Hoegh. Together, the two brainstormed DQG ÀQH WXQHG ZKDW LV QRZ the Little Bulldogs program. The planning phase didn’t end there. They had to get permisVLRQ IURP WKH VFKRRO ERDUG to carry out their plan. Once Little Bulldogs’ approval made it to the school board meeting DJHQGD 3ODJJH DWWHQGHG PHHWings to listen to it being discussed. It passed the board’s approval, so she had the green light to proceed with her idea. :KDW VWDUWHG DV D VLPSOH observation at a basketball game, became a 72-kid program and it continues to grow. And why wouldn’t it? Kids SUH . WR ÀIWK JUDGH LQ WKH SURJUDP SD\ D VPDOO IHH DQG LQ exchange get their own shirt to wear to the games, a water and snack each game, a place to sit ZLWK WKHLU IULHQGV VXSHUYLVLRQ by high school volunteers, and D IURQW URZ VHDW WR ZDWFK WKHLU IDYRULWH EXOOGRJ SOD\ 3ODJJH VD\V WKH VXSSRUW
IURP WKH FRPPXQLW\ ZDV LPPHdiate. “I have parents come up to me all the time and thank me IRU D QLJKW RII Âľ VKH H[SODLQV Last year, the program was RQO\ LQ HIIHFW GXULQJ WKH KLJK school basketball season. So IDU WKLV VHDVRQ /LWWOH %XOOGRJV have been given their own set RI EOHDFKHUV LQ WKH HQG ]RQH DW KRPH IRRWEDOO JDPHV DQG WKHLU own section at the September 17th home volleyball game. Little Bulldogs will be at most home basketball games again this year. /LNH DOO JRRG WKLQJV 0UV Hoegh and Brooklyn say they couldn’t do this on their own. Each night they have 4-6 high school volunteers who cheer and VLW ZLWK WKH NLGV DQG RIIHU VXSHUYLVLRQ $W WKH IRRWEDOO JDPHV this year the cheerleaders also OHQGHG WKHLU WLPH $W KDOI WLPH they made the journey to the end ]RQH WR GR D IHZ FKHHUV ZLWK the kids and give some spirited KLJK Ă€YHV :KHQ DVNHG ZKDW WKH EHVW SDUW RI WKH SURJUDP ZDV Hoegh explained, “The kids get to be active participants in the sporting events. It increases sportsmanship and interest in our athletic programs.â€? It only takes one look at the Little Bulldog bleachers during a
Top: %URRNO\Q 3ODJJH JLYHV D VPLOH DV VKH HQWHUWDLQV KHU /LWWOH %XOOGRJV Bottom: 6SLNH FRPHV RYHU IRU KLJK ÀYHV IURP KLV ELJJHVW IDQV
Welcome Back, Mrs. Eilderts A Familiar Face Returns to H-D
Tayler Prochaska- Senior ´:KHQ WKLQJV DUHQ¡W clean.�
Above: 0UV Eilderts helps junior Levi 3DLQH ZLWK D test. Left: 0UV Eilderts smiles IRU D SLFWXUH
Corbon Jobe- Sophomore´:KHQ SHRSOH DVN IRU P\ help and then don’t take my advice.�
game to measure its success. The kids are always laughing, always smiling, and always cheering the ORXGHVW :KHQ RQH /LWWOH %XOOdog was asked why he liked it so much, he replied simply, with FXSFDNH IURVWLQJ RQ KLV ÀQJHUV DQG PRXWK ´,W¡V MXVW IXQ ¾ ,I \RX ZRXOG OLNH WR NQRZ how your child can be a part RI WKH SURJUDP RU LI \RX ZDQW to volunteer your time to Little Bulldogs, send an email to littlebulldogs@hdcsd.org.
To say Emileigh Eilderts is a new teacher at Hampton-Dumont High School would be a stretch. It’s true, this is her ÀUVW \HDU RI WHDFKLQJ EXW VKH LV D IDPLOLDU IDFH LQ WKH KDOOZD\V RI + ' 0UV (LOGHUWV spent a semester under the GLUHFWLRQ RI +HDWK :DOWRQ LQ the Social Studies Department as a student-teacher just a FRXSOH RI \HDUV DJR 6WDII DQG students were happy to see her UHWXUQ DV D IXOOWLPH WHDFKHU 0UV (LOGHUWV JUHZ XS LQ Ackley and is a 2002 graduate RI $*:65 ,Q KLJK VFKRRO she was a multi-sport athlete but was competitive in other DUHQDV DV ZHOO (LOGHUWV¡ à DJ VTXDG ÀQLVKHG WKLUG LQ VWDWH FRPSHWLWLRQ DQG KHU 5HDGers’ Theater group received All-State recognition. As a
cheerleader, she was named AllAmerican and had the opportunity to cheer during the Citrus Bowl. $IWHU KLJK VFKRRO 0UV Eilderts married her husband, Dusty, and eventually started a IDPLO\ EXW WKH ZRUOG RI HGXFDtion was calling to her. “I love to learn,� she explains. “I wanted to share that with others.� In 2008 she returned to the classroom as a student at Ellsworth Community College, earning an associate’s degree DQG EHFRPLQJ D PHPEHU RI 3KL 7KH +D .DSSD $IWHU (OOVZRUWK LW ZDV RQ WR WKH 8QLYHUVLW\ RI Northern Iowa. At UNI, EiOGHUWV ZDV D VWXGHQW WHDFKHU IRU $*:65 LQ WKH PLGGOH VFKRRO IROORZHG E\ D VWLQW DW WKH + ' High School. She graduated IURP 81, ZLWK D EDFKHORU RI
arts degree in Secondary Social Science Education, with a social studies endorsement. 1RZ LQ KHU ÀUVW \HDU LQ WKH FODVVURRP 0UV (LOGHUWV LV WHDFKLQJ *RYHUQPHQW (FRQRPLFV DQG )ODJV :KHQ QRW at school she spends time at KRPH ZLWK KHU IDPLO\ +HU VRQ Kaden, and her daughter, Kodey, DUH LQ WKLUG DQG ÀUVW JUDGH 6KH has a two-year-old daughter named Kendall. Eilderts stays busy, but when she’s got the time she loves to read, knit, and camp. $V 0UV (LOGHUWV WDNHV RQ WKH FKDOOHQJHV RI ÀUVW \HDU WHDFKing, she is having a great time getting to know her students and LV HQMR\LQJ WKH UHVW RI WKH VWDII Hampton-Dumont would like to welcome her (again) to the halls RI + '
WE LOVE OUR BULLDOGS!
Gabby Brown- Junior ´:KHQ SHRSOH DUH UXGH ¾
Josh KnipfelSophomore ´:KHQ \RX JHW interupted.�
Thanks to a loyal student body and a supportive community, H-D teams have always had a strong following. Left: Students and cheerleaders pose with their “Cadet Ribs� after a Bulldog football victory over Iowa Falls on September 5th.