Tiger Talk
October 2012
A New Home for Mrs. Grueber’s Class By: Emily Brodd
Goodbye old room --Hello new room! This is what Mrs. Grueber’s 4th grade class may have been thinking on October 19th. On that day all the students in Mrs. Grueber’s class moved into their brand new rom. The staff and students had looked forward to this exciting day since the beginning of the school year. I asked the students for their thoughts on what they liked about the OLD room. The most popular answer was that it was a very big and comfortable room with lots of space to put things. Another popular thing was the windows for their view and all of the sunlight that they let in. The maps, plants, treat box, and comfortable chairs are also things that they liked, and hoped Mrs. Grueber would bring to the new room. The biggest change may be for Mrs. Grueber who has taught in that room for many years. She liked the sunlight
Fourth graders in Mrs. Grueber’s class celebrate after moving to their new classroom. They spent a little time each day moving boxes, baskets, desks and chairs until the job was done.
and being close to the copy machine. Once again, I asked the class what they liked best about the new room and what their first thought was when they walked in. Their comments included: “A fresh start,” “I knew I would like it,” and “Awesome!” Others said that the room was very well organized and that Mrs. Muller did a great job putting up the fourth grade Dash to Success! Several students thought the room had more space, and liked the inside backpack
hooks. According to students, the best thing about the new room is the bright tiger orange wall. Mrs. Grueber said the move gave her a chance to clean and reorganize things. By the time you are reading this, Mrs. Grueber’s fourth grade class will be getting used to their new surroundings and ready for three more quarters of fun and learning at NBE! Please stop by and check it out! Page 1
Author Visits NBE
Pre-school: We are making ourselves at home down in the preschool room. We have been busy in the month of October. We went on a field trip to Vala’s Pumpkin Patch, carved jack-o-lanterns, and will get to wear our costumes to school on Halloween. We look forward to more fun activities and learning in the month of November.
By Abby Post On October 23, excitement rose at NBE. Students took time out of class to visit an author in the NBE gym. Ever since, everybody has been talking about Julia Cook. Julia Cook is an author that lives in Fremont, Nebraska. Julia was a guidance counselor, when at their school they needed a book about tattling. She wrote a book with five points about tattling. She then wrote it again with many different corrections. She got it published because the publishers and teachers said it was good. She now writes books that always have a point to teach people. She says, “I always have a point in my books. I don’t want to waste people’s time, and I want to make it entertaining at the same time.” She has 39 published books and 7 more coming.
Zach Stump was one of very few students who get to hold Julia Cook’s dogs. She brings her dogs to schools to remind kids how easy it is to not be careful when they see cute dogs to hold.
took them away from their family. After she read us the book, she told us the five things that spell out scoop. These five things will help keep kids safe from scoopers. The “S” means to be smart. The “C” Julia started the day by teaching stands for always use your call list. us how she became an author and You can always call somebody if told how she wrote the tattling there’s a phone around. The “O” story including telling about how it stands for zero talking to people got published. you don’t know very well. Kids Julia first tries “to find a topic I should only talk to SAFE people. relate to kids’ issues and then try to The other “O” means to keep people Out of your personal space. make sure they are fun and easy.” The “P” stands for pair up when Julia shared many books such you play outside. as Making Friends is an Art; I Am Another thing she helped us A Booger, Treat Me with Respect; to learn about scoopers was if and Cliques Don’t Make Cents. someone has a cute dog, we should One other book she shared with stay away from them unless we us was called “Smarter Than The are with an adult. We shouldn’t pet Scoopers.” them even if they ask if we want to. She told us that scoopers were The fun thing she brought to people who picked up children and help teach us was her dogs: Angus Page 2
and Jake. Angus and Jake have traveled to all the 809 schools she has traveled to. Julia Cook says that “in order to teach a child, you must enter into the view of their world.” That must be why her books are so successful. Julia Cook books in the NBE Library: • Bubble Wrap Queen • Average Joe • Wilma Jean the Worry Machine • Ricky Sticky Fingers • Making Friends is an Art • Smarter than the Scoopers • The Worst Day of My Life Ever • Soda Pop Head • Cliques Don’t Make Cents
Kindergarteners are blending words with the letters a, i, p, t, s, and m. Ask them to read the words sat and sit, pat and pit, mit and mat. Kinder kids can count to 50. That is half way to 100. We are looking for patterns all over the place. We play I spy for patterns!
The First graders had fun at the Fall Festival. They enjoyed a variety of activities including play dough, cloring, and blowing paint to make monsters. They also put together Halloween puzzles and ran in a spider relay. They finished with cookies and juice and received a good bag. Thanks to all the parents who helped. Second graders went to the NB Fire Hall on Tuesday. We have finished a unit on Physical Science. We have learned about matter, motion and energy. Students have enjoyed watching matter change states. They liked using simple machines and magnets. They recognized how the sun gives heat and energy to Earth. They also learned about sound, light, and electricity.
Class News In Third grade science, the students studied plants and set up an experiment to see what conditions were needed for seeds to germinate. They are now learning about inherited traits and are doing a survey to see which traits their family members share. Third graders are spending a lot of brain power on their new math curriculum. Their focus in social studies is turning from the geographical regions of the United States to the election process. They will be “voting” just like their parents on election day next week. They have also begun the study of cursive writing and are excited to know just enough letters to start writing simple words. In grammar they have been studying all kinds of nouns...common nouns, proper nouns, singular nouns, plural nouns, and even possessive nouns!
Four G has been on the “move”. For a week, fourth graders helped move into their new room by carrying loads of supplies, desks, and chairs into their new classroom. The class had a visitor, Bucky the Beaver (aka Jaxon Wietfeld). Bucky explained how he is adapted to live in his environment. The class then designed beavers that could live in different habitats. You may have seen Four H’s Native American displays during Parent-Teacher conferences.
In math, the Fifth graders have worked on a geometry unit including finding the area and perimeter of simple and complex figures. They learned how to read and write numbers from billions to billionths. They work often on solving multi-step word problems, and learned how to read and construct line and bar graphs. In science they are learning about traits and heredity. They are presently creating their creatures and have found that chance has a lot to do with why we look like we do. English has been working on persuasive writing - using sentences to support their points of view with supportive details. Sixth graders enjoy working factor puzzles. They were a challenge at first but now can be solved quickly. They also spent time working on proportions, area and perimeter, and multistep problems. They just conquered adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing fractions and decimals. In science they are learning about outer space. We’ve talked about revolution, rotation, and the tilting of Earth on its axis and what effect those things have on our daily living. They also just finished up their VFW “What I would tell our Founding Fathers” essay contest. We learned about the founding fathers, the Constitution and how things have changed or stayed the same - such as the inaugural address. Page 3
More on Moving... By: Adrianna Halladay
Book Review:
Another series for Rick Riordan By: Zander Gibney
If you liked the “Percey Jackson and the Olympians” series you’ll love Rick Riordan’s latest series “The Heroes of Olympus!” So far, the series consists of two books: The Lost Hero and The Son of Neptune.. The Mark of Athena is the third book of the series and comes out October 2, 2012. The first book is about three new demigods at Camp Half-blood: Leo, Piper, and Jason. Jason has lost his memory and has no idea where he came from. All this “lost hero” does know is that the greek goddess Hera is missing and he and his friends must rescue her before she is used to reawake the giants...an even more powerful race than the Titans.
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The second book is about Roman demigods at Camp Jupiter: Frank, Hazel and the Greek demigod, Percy Jackson. Percy is suffering from the same memory loss as Jason and doesn’t remember where he came from. He only remembers one person from his past, Annabeth. Knowing she knows where he comes from, Percy wants to get out and find her. But before he can do that, he and his Roman allies must set out to free Thantos, the Greed god of death, from the eldest giant, Alcyoneus. A great book. Highly recommended!
Volleyball
Another quick elementary volleyball season has come and gone to quickly for the 3rd-6th grade girls. There is so much anticipation for the season to start and then it seems that it is over in a flash.We again played in the Wahoo Parks and Recreation League. There are two divisions, 3rd & 4th graders, and 5th & 6th graders together. There were two teams from North Bend in each division, with each team playing a total of 6 games on Saturday mornings in Wahoo. The third and fourth grade girls were coached this year by Andrea Halladay and Jill Lorence. There was a total of 15 girls, with 4 from third and 11 from fourth. In an interview with Coach Halladay she speaks positively of the season and says, “The season went great! Both teams steadily improved every week. The 3rd grade girls learned some basic skills very quickly and the 4th graders improved on those skills from last years.” As a player I thought it was a lot of fun having my mom coach my friends and I. She also seemed to enjoy it. In speaking with fellow teammates, when asked if she thinks she could improve, Kaila Lorence states that “Yes because me and some other girls can work on passing and serving. The harder you work, the better you get.” I think this is the way all athletes should think. The fifth sixth grade girls were coached this year by Jennifer Witt, Kara Hellbusch, and Paige Walla. There was a total of 20 girls with 12 from fifth and 8 from sixth. In an interview with Coach Witt I asked her if her volleyball girls improved throughout the season. She said, “I think that they have improved by coming together as a team and by working on more advanced skills.” It seems that Mrs. Witt’s players also enjoyed the season. In talking with Tosha Ortmeier she states that she ‘had so much fun playing volleyball.’ As another volleyball season ends, we are thankful for the North Bend Optimist Club supporting our teams and look forward to basketball season starting.
Fall Fun
Flag Football
By: Zander Gibney
TOUCHDOWN! The 5th-6th grade flag football team heard that a lot this year as they came out with a winning season of 5-1. The 3rd-4th team was not as lucky with a record of 2-4. With both teams having a new coach after the previous coach, Kale Wietfield, graduated last year, they had no idea what the seasons would turn out like. The 5th-6th team had a great season full of interceptions and surprising touchdown passes. Their new coach, Tracy McConnell, proved successful after the team’s winning season. “I had a lot of fun,” said Kyle Jedlicka. The 3rd-4th grade team did not have as good as a season as the other team, but I’m sure there is still hope for next year in their new coach, Chase Wietfield’s eyes. I’m sure the players on the 3rd-4th team still had just as much fun as the other players. All in all, it was a wonderful season. “Yes, totally. I would definitely do it again!” says Louis Johnson. “I had lots of fun both years!
By: Lauren Emanuel and Abby Post
Wow, where did summer go! All the fun just sped right by! Swimming, softball and baseball, Old Settlers they all just went so fast! I can’t believe that fall is already here. Always remember that summer is not the only season that has some fun activities that come with it. Are you looking for something to do after school? Fall and the start of school provide many activities for students. If sports excite you, you may be interested in participating in volleyball, flag football, or tackle football. All of these sports are offered to students in grades third through sixth. If you’re too young or not interested in sports, the nice weather makes a trip to the park after school very inviting. Or you can make a huge leaf pile in your yard, and then jump into it.
If riding in tractors is your interest, the hot dry weather has crops waiting to be harvested. Jump in with a local farmer and go for a ride. There is something for everyone, so look around and find some fun! Remember you always want to get outside during fall because soon winter will be here and then you can’t go outside because it is too cold. Page 5
Pink Out Comes To North Bend
Halloween... By: Lauren Emanuel HALLOWEEN! Halloween is finally here and people are rushing to get into their costumes so they can go trick-or-treating! When asked what they are going to be for Halloween, Kathryn Gaughen
By: Raychel Raymond
replied “a pink witch,” and Jacob Sousek said “a devil.” Did you know Halloween is the second most commercially successful holiday with Christmas coming in first. Why do people like Halloween so much? Well, Peyton Bruce likes it because “you get candy” and so did many others. If candy makes the holiday so special, then what are some of the favorites? Trent Harris said his favorite candies were Hershey’s Peanut Butter Cups, along with most who listed something chocolate as a favorite. It’s a good thing kids like chocolate because according to the National Confectioners Association, chocolate makes up three-quarters of the trick-or-treater’s loot. People also like Halloween because it is scary! Joslyn Reker said she was most scared of the dark. Others have said they are afraid of the haunted houses or specific movies like Jurasic Park or Scream. Some would say, “What’s scary about a haunted house or a movie?” Lane Ruzicka said the scariest thing in a haunted house is when his dad puts him down, but McKenzie Brady thinks it’s Freddy Cougar chasing her. When it comes to scary movies, Ava Harms said she’s afraid of Jurasic Park because it just continues to get scarier and you don’t know what is coming next.
On Tuesday the 16th it was Pink Out day. That was the day when everyone wore pink to support those who have had breast cancer. The breast cancer survivors from our staff are: Mrs. Dunn, Mrs. Chromy and Mrs. Ring. We support everybody who is fighting or has fought cancer. The NBC Volleyball team supported the Dodge County Relay for Life during their game on October 16. Their coach, Mrs. Sterup, sold pink t-shirts. She also organized fundraising to help support finding a cure. The Howells-Dodge volleyball team also sold shirts and brought over $600 to donate. Mrs. Sterup’s work raised another $1100 So a total of $1700 was raised. Most people say they wore pink to support
Halloween is definitely a favorite and one never knows what’s coming next. This Halloween, have fun, enjoy the candy, be scared, but remember...be SAFE!
What Will You Do? By: Bethany Wiebold “What do you want to be when you grow up? Do you know? Today I am going to Mrs. DOrcey’s and Mrs. Johnson’s Kindergarten classes to find out. Olivia said, “I want to be a Page 6
doctor.” said thatare also. Ava men andAnna women who fighting said, “an artist” while Alexa said breast cancer. she wants to be a teacher. Kylin said “I want to be a princess.” Luke said a fisherman and Austin said a firefighter.
or would they say something different? Miss Bang’s kids are giving me their answers. Makayla said, “I want to be a farmer” and Josiah said, “I want to be in the Army.”
What about 2nd graders? Would they say the same thing
So now you know what some kids want to be. Do you agree?
Tiger Cub Preschool Joins North Bend Elementary By: Joslyn Reker Are you wondering what those little kids are doing here? This is the first year that NBE has had a Pre-school. Their teacher, Ms. Morgan Root, has help from Ms. Jessica Hull. Twenty-two kids come for just the morning or afternoon four days a week. I recently had the opportunity to interview Ms. Root. I asked her questions about the room, and the kids. She told me this is her sixth year of teaching preschool and she likes her students. “They’re a lot of fun, and they make me laugh.” When I asked Ms. Root about what she likes about some of the preschoolers, she said they use good manners, are good helpers, and shares with their friends. Many also use full sentences when they talk.
The Wheels on the Bus...
By: Charles Madsen
Imagine getting up early in the morning and driving noisy kids to school. Bus drivers do this every school day. There may be a lot of rules to follow, but they keep you safe. I interviewed my evening bus driver, Mr. Nelson and he said that he likes kids’ moods, but does not like it in bad weather, and may get annoyed by one or two kids. A lot of students ride the bus, but I only interviewed eight students in Mrs. Stormberg’s class. Evan Marr said it’s fun and you get to see friends. Cara Obershaw told me it is sometimes loud and people scream. Mason Uhing thought it was fun because you can talk to friends and you can sit in the back sometimes. Jaxson Chapman said it can be annoying when people scream. Jacob Sousek agreed
Bus Rules: ♦ Follow directions. ♦ Stay in your seat. ♦ Use your partner voice. ♦ Clean up after yourself. ♦ Take your belongings with you. ♦ Listen for directions in case of an emergency. people talk loud, but you can talk to friends. Domonic Tank warns that it is very fun, but do not act bad or you will be kicked off the bus. Grace Hunke described it as noisy, boring, and sometimes fun. My opinion: I like to ride the bus because I can sit with my friends.
When I talked to Alex, Hallie, Lauren, and Amy. They said they like preschool and like having their friends here. I think it was just a really fun experience to see them and be with them. I think if you have a kid that’s four or younger you should plan on having them go to NBE Preschool. Ms. Root is really good to the students, and she is really nice.
Preschoolers enjoy painting and eating their pudding paint. Artists are (left to right): Elizabeth Stuenkel, Pyper Daugherty, Hallie Mottl, Ryder Brabec, Trace Krivolavek, and Chasity Mueller.
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Second Grade Goes To Plum Creek Festival By: Kaila Lorence On September 21, thirty-seven North Bend Elementary second graders went to the Plum Creek Literacy Festival in Seward. There were many different authors at the festival. They were able to listen to two of them. One was a poet named Ted Scheu. Another author they saw was Jarrett Krosoczka. There were also activities to do like seeing authors, blowing bubbles, twirling ribbons, and doing art outside. The second graders enjoyed seeing the authors. The enjoyed the rest of their day with fun activities and a sack lunch. Then they headed home to good old North Bend Elementary.
By: Brecken Peters
Fire Safety in Real Life
It was just a normal night in September, mom and dad had sent us off to bed as usual. I was woken up at 4:30 a.m. by my dad. He said “Breckin grab a blanket. There is a fire in the garage.” I got up went downstairs and went out the front door with my sister Emerson. My brother Burkett followed us out with my mom right behind him. My dad started gathering valuables from around the house. My mom told us to go across the street to our neighbor’s house. We ran over to their house and began rapping on their door. Finally, Cade Feurer opened the door and invited us in. We waited for the firefighters to arrive, several Page 8
The second graders take a moment to get a group picture while visiting authors at Concordia University in Seward.
fire trucks from North Bend and Morse Bluff showed up to help. We watched the firefighters go to work from across the street. When it was safe, the firefighters went into the garage and began to investigate what caused the fire. After some time they discovered it was caused by a golf cart charger. Something had fallen on top of it and caused it to overheat. The only thing that was irreplaceable to our family that was lost in the fire was our 14 year old cat, Fred. Both of our cars were totaled, and were taken by a company that will use them for parts. The golf cart still works, but is not drivable.
I later found out it was my dog, Scooter that woke my parents. It is normal for Scooter to bark during the night, but this time was different. The first time he barked, my dad, as usual said “Scooter be quiet” but Scooter barked again and again. My mom then said to my dad “You should go see what he’s barking at. That bark sounds different.” While standing in the living room, my dad could see smoke rolling out of the garage. Later that day, our priest stopped by and my dad told him about Scooter. Father Don said “The second time Scooter barked; that was him telling you to be quiet and get out here.