NEWS FROM THE KINDERGARTEN
Here are some of the responses given by children in kindergarten when asked, what they like to talk about at school or what they like to do:
I like to play outside. Zane age 6
I like to read 3 Little Pigs. Skyler age 6
I like to play in centers. Trinity age 6
I like to talk to the teachers. Brooklynn Age 5
I like to play tag with my friends. Ashlynn age 6
I like to learn how to do numbers Jacob age 6
I like to read building books. Andrew age 5
I like to play kickball Cohen age 5
I like to play babies outside. Nikyah age 6
I like to read animal books Mason age 5
I like to read art books Kaitlyn age 6
I like to read silly books Lauren age 5
I like to go outside to play with balls Kevin age 6
I like everything about math. Dalton age 6
I like the food, like cereal. Harley age 6
NEWS FROM THE 5th GRADE
News From An American Kid
Hi, my name is Marissa Reynolds and I’m from a little town called Ava, MO. I go to Ava Middle School. I’m a 5th grader. I am having a great year at Ava Middle School. My best friend, Brianna Robertson, goes there too.
Spirit Week – Here on Spirit Week we get to do and wear all kinds of fun stuff. On Wednesday we dressed up like a nerd. That’s when kids from Ava Middle School dress in funky clothes, wear suspenders, wear a tie, and maybe wear weird shoes, too. On Thursday we get partners and it’s Twin Day. This is where we (partners) dress in the same way. Like we wear braids, pig tails, or ponytails in our hair the same. We dress in the same shirts, jeans, shoes, long sleeves, scarves, almost anything we can think of even jewelry. Just use your imagination and then on the last day of Spirit Week, on Friday, we wear anything that we have that is blue and gold for the homecoming game. And that is what Ava Middle School does on Spirit Week.
Preparing For The Map Test – Here kids at Ava Middle School are preparing for their worst nightmare (The MAP test). They are studying so hard to get at least proficient or advanced. If they get basic or below basic, they would be disappointed and so would their teachers. The kids here in Middle School are studying suffixes and prefixes, synonyms and antonyms, main idea, supporting details, comparing, homophones, math, science, spelling, grammer, nouns, and lots of other stuff. The MAP test is so nerve-wracking to the kids, the teachers let us go to Boot Camp. Boot Camp is where kids in school will train for the MAP test. There in Boot Camp we do all sorts of learning games from math to social studies. But the best part of all, after the MAP test is over, at the end of the year, we get to go to the Exstravagana! There are all kinds of stuff to do like games, food, and rides. It’s going to be a blast!
Baskeball Season – Earlier this year intramural basketball season started for the 5th graders at Ava Middle School. This year it’s much harder for the 5th graders because instead of playing 5th graders against 5th graders it’s 5th graders and 6th graders combined. We had only one practice! Yeh, I know right. I thought we were going to get at least two or three practices but instead we got only one practice time. Each team is working hard to shoot, dribble and pass in the game to become the best. It’s going to be awesome!
Next Year – Next Year all the 5th graders will become 6th graders. How cool is that! I will enjoy going to 6th grade because we get new lockers, get harder and more fun projects, and we even get to make new friends. I will enjoy going to 6th grade.
MIDDLE SCHOOL MEETING
An informal meeting was held Thursday, February 17 in the middle school office to discuss some future changes, concerns and community involvement that will affect students in grades 5th through 8th in the coming years. Mr. Hirshi, middle school principal and Brooke Melton, middle school counselor, were both in attendance.
Ava Middle School is in the planning stages and in hopes of implementing the Missouri Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support in conjunction with the No Child Left Behind Law. The mission of the Missouri Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support is to assist schools and districts in establishing and maintaining school environments where the social culture and behavioral supports needed to be an effective learning environment is in place for all students. This technique has been used in our district already and has shown much success. Mr. Hirshi states that this is to ensure that all rules and discipline will be the same throughout the building regardless of class or teacher. Mr. Hirshi is hoping to have each rule and consequence posted in every classroom within the coming year so that students are fully aware of the appropriate action that will be given for wrongdoing. He feels like he deals with a lot of disciplinary actions each day, but does have a special way in handling it. He doesn’t just send a child off to ISS as a form of punishment. He wants each child to know he cares and wants to help assist them in the best way possible. He knows it is more about the teaching. He strives to teach each child with a problem how to handle the situation with hopes of not having it reoccur. After that is discussed he then disciplines the child accordingly.
Ava Middle School has also adopted a before and after school study hall. This is time allotted for children with zeros to be able to get the work done. It is not a mandated study hall as the school does not provide transportation. Mr. Hirshi says a parent will know if their child has a zero in a class as he has staff members call the parent to let them know and then gives them the opportunity to pick which study hall they would like their child to attend.
Mrs. Melton commented on the finding in statistics that show children who constantly have zeros struggle to advance in life. They are hoping to create a more positive attitude in children by helping them succeed academically.
Next year, fifth graders will experience the change of being in a new building and some of the freedoms of middle school, but will not experience the changing of classes. Each student will be assigned a home room class and will remain in that same class all day. This is to not overwhelm students coming from the fourth grade and allowing them a time of adjustment.
Mr. Hirshi is also pushing for the installment of cameras throughout the hallways. He thinks this will help cut out some of the unnecessary fighting and incidents happening between students. If each student knows that they are being held accountable and that video footage can be replayed, they will be less apt to do it.
Some of the major concerns with middle school are the lack of parent involvement as well as the lack of trust. Mr. Hirshi knows that they need to take a more active role in letting the community know what is going on at school and keeping everyone informed cutting out the possibility of rumors. He plans to do that through several different media sources. As far as the trust issue, it will take time as parents and grandparents get to know the staff and start to feel comfortable within the middle school building. Mr. Hirshi wants everyone to feel welcome here at school. He would also like to have greater numbers of parents involved. He knows it takes a community to help support children today.
Bullying is also a major concern for middle faculty. Mr. Hirshi knows that he cannot stop it from happening all together, but hopes to educate children and to show them a more positive way to act. Mrs. Melton commented that in the coming years they plan to implement a positive behavioral vocabulary and lessons to help promote better attitudes, not only within the walls of the school, but also to be displayed in students seen outside in the community and at home.
Mr. Hirshi would also like to form a parent teacher organization. A group like this would help promote a positive behavior and allow teachers and parents to work together for the betterment of each child in middle school. By doing this, students have the chance to interact with other parents developing better social skills.
Not only is the focus on interaction between parents and children, but also with students among other students. Mrs. Melton is in hopes that they can start some type of mentoring program between students. One such group was organized in high school a few years back and has been very successful.
Once all these procedures are in place, Mr. Hirshi hopes this opens doors and allows the community the opportunity to help out and support their local school systems whether it be with some type of mentoring program or just with the higher sense of school pride.
Although these are not all things that can happen overnight and will not solve all problems, it is a step in the right direction and the focus seems to be on the students in general.
We all know in order for respect to be earned, respect has to be given. It is my hopes that some day in the near future, our school and community can come together as one. It takes us all to protect, change, love, and respect our children and to help nourish and transform them to have successful lives academically and socially.
NEWS FROM 9TH GRADE
Due to the hectic schedules of Freshman this time of year, no article was turned in, however, we do look forward to reading their articles in the future.
