Superintendent’s Message by Paula Wright

The first quarter of the

2014-2015 school year

drew to a close on Oc-

tober 17, 2014.

Parent/Teacher Confer-

ences were held on Oc-

tober 22, 2014. We are

working very hard to

build a partnership be-

tween home and

school. P/T confer-

ences are a great way to

open the lines of com-

munication. Thank you

for participating. Please

contact your child’s

teacher at any time if

you have a question or

concern.

The High School Music

Department will be put-

ting on their annual

musical the weekend of

November 7, 8, and 9.

The group has chosen

to prepare and perform

Little Shop of Horrors,

for your enjoyment.

These students put in

countless hours of prac-

tice and always put on

an entertaining show

for their audiences.

Please mark your calen-

dars and plan on attend-

ing. Tickets are on sale

now and are available

from the High School

office, Middle School

office, the Chariton

Chamber Office, or

from any cast member.

All tickets are $7.00.

Congratulations to the

new members of the

National Honor Socie-

ty. It is an accomplish-

ment to be proud of as

it takes hard work and

dedication to have high

scholastic achievement.

We are very proud of

these young people.

The month of Novem-

ber seems to slip by

with all of our activi-

ties, and before you

know it, the Thanksgiv-

ing holiday will be upon

us. There will be no

school for students on

Thursday, November 27

and Friday, November

28. Classes will dismiss

1.5 hours early on

Wednesday, November

26, 2014 to kick off the

fall break. Classes will

resume with a regular

schedule on Monday,

December 1, 2014. En-

joy your time with fami-

ly and friends!

The district is utilizing

an emergency calling

system that will notify

parents in cases of emer-

gencies and/or weather

related cancellations.

Messages will be sent to

phones and email ad-

dresses via Infinite Cam-

pus. More information

is shared on page 8 of

this newsletter. Contact

any office for assistance.

As always, please let us

know how we can help.

Volume 17, Issue 4

November, 2014

CMS & Elemen-tary News

2/3

National Honor Society

4

Dept. of Ed Site Visit

5

Nutrition Tips & Menu

6/7

Open Enrollment/Emergency Calling

8

High School News 9/ 10

Winter Sports Schedule

11

Inside this issue:

Charger Pride Char i ton Community School

During the month of October, school districts across Iowa count their students. This count is held

statewide for funding purposes. A school district’s budget is determined by the number of students

that it serves. The Chariton School District has not certified our count with the state at the time of this

printing, but preliminary numbers indicate we are up enrollment from 1343 last October to 1360 this

October. This is a gain of approximately 17 students.

Certified Enrollment...

Volume 17, Issue 4 Charger Pride

Students from Chariton Middle School attended

the "Taking the Road Less Traveled" conference

at Iowa State University on October 23rd. This

is a conference held each year for females in

grades 6-8. The goal of TRLT is to expose girls

to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering,

and Math) career options available in today's

society. The girls attended four career sessions

at the conference and were also able to tour the

University. This was a fun-filled day of learning

for all involved! See picture below.

November 14th: 2nd Quarter Midterms

November 19th- 2nd Quarter Midterms go home with students

November 20th: Boys Basketball with Clarke- 4:15

November 20th: Girls Basketball @ Clarke- 4:15

November 25th: Band/Choir Concert

November 27th-28th - No School– Fall Break

Middle School News

Upcoming Events….

Check out all of our school

events on the Chariton Com-

munity Schools Web Site:

www.chariton.k12.ia.us

Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports

(PBIS) is a systematic, proactive approach based

on positive actions. PBIS applies evidence-based

programs, practices, and strategies for all students

to increase academic performance, improve safe-

ty, decrease problem behavior, and establish a

positive school culture.

PBIS Informational Meeting for

Middle School Parents

January 12, 2015

6:00—7:00 pm

The eighth grade language arts students are cur-

rently studying journalism. Some of the article

topics they have written include aspects of

Homecoming Week, sports events, observations

in classes at CMS, and even some from outside

of the school. One of the favorite topics is a

skyping experience with Australian students,

which our Technology Coach Mandy Gamble

coordinated. Students are learning to remove

themselves as a participator in an event and be-

come an observer. For the next portion of the

journalism unit, students will learn how to write

news stories with more depth.

Eighth Grade News

Volume 17, Issue 4 Page 3

MS Band News! Van Allen Intruder/Evacuation Drill Scheduled...

A intruder/evacuation drill is scheduled for

Van Allen Elementary during the week of

November 3rd. The teachers will be talking

with their students about procedures before

the drill. Through this drill, the students and

staff will learn what it is like to make these

decisions on real time information. Beth

Scott-Thomas, principal, Molly Cusic,

JCLO, along with the Chariton Police De-

partment will inform the teachers of an in-

truder and depending upon where they indi-

cate the intruder is, will dictate how the

teachers will respond. Remember this is

only a drill, just like fire and tornado drills.

If you have any questions regarding this

drill please call the Van Allen office at 641-

774-5047.

Congratulations to Kyle Goben,

percussion and Austin Metzger,

baritone sax for being accepted to the

7th grade South Central Iowa Band-

masters Association (SCIBA) Honor

Band. They will perform at the Honor

Band concert in Knoxville on Tues-

day, November 4th. Way to go CMS

band members!

7th Grade Football

We ended up with a record of 5 - 1. Our B team had

a record of 1 - 2 but played the second half of a cou-

ple of blow out games and performed well. Some

highlights of the season started with our first game

which was a 6 - 0 shutout win over Creston. We al-

so won a 20 - 14 game against Knoxville in which

we did not score an offensive touchdown. In our last

game our offense ran 5 straight plays for touch-

downs. Overall a very successful season where we

saw the skill sets of all the boys improve from the

beginning of the year. We feel that they have put

themselves in a position to continue to improve into

their 8th grade year. We would like to say thank you

to our athletic director Mr. Milledge for his help and

a big thank you to all the parents who sacrificed

their time to support these great young people, and

to our cheerleaders and sponsors for the pep and

spirit they bring to the games, and also to our mid-

dle school staff and administration for being there

when they were needed. Again a great season and

hopefully a foreshadowing of good things to come.

COACH DARRAH and COACH BROWN

Check us out on facebook!

Chariton Community School District

The elementary parent organization, In-

volved, will host a family Trivia Night on

Friday, November 7, 2014 at 6:00 pm at

Carpenter Hall. If you didn't register for a

team, please come as you can still play.

There is no cost to play. The prize for the

winning team is movie passes and conces-

sions to Vision 2 Theater. There will also

be a bake sale for your sweet tooth. This

event will be a fun evening for the whole

family. Get INVOLVED! Join the fun!

Bring the whole family for a fun night.

Trivia Night

Operation Warm New winter coats are available at all school buildings for anyone who needs one. Winter coats are available for K– 12 students, free of charge. Parents who are interested in receiving a new winter coat for their child should contact any school principal and indicate the size needed. School officials will do their best to lo-cate a coat for the students. The number of coats are limited, so please make your request during the month of November.

Members of the Chariton High School Honor Society are: Samuel Adams, Carley Arnold, Maria Blong,

Aaron Cain, Sarah Crabb, Ethan Curnutte, Meredith Davis, Kayla Edwards, Micaela Folkerts, Sarah

Fuhs, Ryley Heffron, T.J. Hockenson, Madison Howe, Halle Jensen, Rachel Johnson, Adam Kaska,

Daric Laing, Megan Masters, Kelsey McFarland, Mercedes Michael, Alexandria Mitchell, Emma Nel-

son, Haley Reece, Bailey Roach, Eduard Rodygin, Dillon Sanders, Ethan Schreck, and Delaney Werts.

CONGRATULATIONS!

There will be NO SCHOOL on Thursday, November 27,

2014 and Friday, November 28, 2014 in observance of the

Thanksgiving Holiday. Enjoy your time with family

and friends!

The Chariton Community School District will take part in a Department of Education site visit on Tuesday,

November 11—13, 2014. The purpose of the school improvement site visit is:

To assess progress with the comprehensive school improvement plan

To make recommendations with regard to the visit finding for the purposes of improving educational

practices above minimal compliance

To determine that a district is in compliance with the accreditation standards

To provide a general assessment of educational practices

Districts go through the site visit process once every 5 years. If you are interested in serving on a commu-

nity committee, please contact our office @ (641) 774-5967.

Department of Education Site Visit…..

Curriculum & Instruction

by Ken Harrison

This month marks a very important time for the Chariton Community School District; on November 11,

12 &13 the school will receive its 5 year site visit from the State Department of Education. While it re-

quires a lot of work to prepare for such a visit, it is a great opportunity for the district. This is because

during a site visit a team of individuals comes to the school, not only to look for areas of compliance, but

to offer recommendations on how we can make the Chariton district even better. This is a very compre-

hensive approach since the team gathers data and information from a variety of sources. The team will

speak with the local school board, members from the School Improvement Advisory Committee (SIAC),

parent groups representing all schools, middle and high school students, both teaching and support staff as

well as administrators. As a member of the administrative team I think I can speak for everyone when I

say we are very excited for our visit and we are anxious to hear what recommendations they might have

for us. I would like to end with a quote from Benjamin Franklin that I believe sums up our purpose as

educators, “Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement and suc-

cess have no meaning.”

Volume 17, Issue 4 Charger Pride

Parents/guardians considering the use of the open

enrollment option to enroll their children in another

public school district in the state of Iowa should be

aware of the following date: March 1, 2015—last

date for regular open enrollment requests for the

2015-2016 school year.

If the student meets the definition of good cause

under 281-Iowa Administrative Code 17.4(1) be-

cause of a change of residence or is an entering kin-

dergarten student for the 2015-2016 school year, the

application can be accepted after March 1 for the

2015-2016 school year.

Open Enrollment Information

Notifications

Should inclement weather or an emergency situation occur which would result in the closing of school, the school district

will utilize a number of methods to notify the public. Please do not rely on any one single medium, check several to be

safe.

Infinite Campus Parent Notification System

The emergency calling system uses the data in Infinite Campus to make the calls. You control your own

calls/texts/emails through your Infinite Campus Parent Portal account. When you log into your portal, on the

left hand tool bar there is a choice of “contact preferences”. After clicking on that, you will see your telephone

option. Choose which number or email, whether you want text or voice, and the types of messages you want.

To get inclement weather delays or cancellations, choose “emergency”. You can click as many as you would

like.

District Web Site & Facebook Page

A message will be posted on the home page of the district web site and also posted on the District’s Facebook

page. This message may include more detailed information that can be included in the Infinite Campus messag-

es. (www.chariton.k12.ia.us)

Television/Radio

Notifications will be made to KCCI, WHO, WOI, and KIIC Radio. Several of these news outlets have websites

in which you can sign up for alerts and notifications. Check on their web sites, typically under the weather tab,

for more information.

Emergency Calling System Update!

A pupil who transfers school districts under open

enrollment in all grades 10-12 shall not be eligi-

ble to participate in interscholastic contests and

competitions during the first 90 school days of

the transfer.

Parents/guardians of open enrolled students

whose income falls below 160% of the federal

poverty guidelines are eligible for transportation

assistance. For further details, contact the super-

intendent’s office at (641) 774-5967.

A parent/guardian may withdraw their open en-

rollment at anytime during the school year and

the students may return to their resident district.

Volume 17, Issue 4 Page 9

The Chariton Vocal Music Department has been busy preparing this year’s fall musical “Little Shop of

Horrors.” “Little Shop of Horrors” will be presented November 7th, 8th, and 9th at Johnson Auditorium.

Show times are 7:00 PM on November 7th & 8th and 2:00 PM on November 9th. Staring in the show

are Mikayla Rich as Audrey and Quinn Storm as Seymour Krelborn.

Other characthers include: Dr. Orin Scrivello played by David Kopytko. Mr. Mushnik played by Austin

Cline, The Do-Wop Girls are played by Megan Masters, Kaylie Jones, and Abigail Ballard, Customer

played by Mikayla Keith, Mrs. Bernstein played by Vicky Giesken, Mrs. Luce, played by Alexis Mul-

lins, Skip Snip played by Gabi Watkins, and Patricia Martin played by Tiana Richard. The Audrey II is

voiced by Jacob Cohen. Ali Mitchell is the puppeteer of the Audrey II.

The Skid Row Chorus includes the following students: Vicky Giesken, Luci Swarthout, Gizzy Keeler,

Tasha Geisinger, Alina Sharpelyuk, Will Exline, Mikayla Keith, Alexis Mullins, Aerial Giesken, Tiana

Richard, Gabi Watkins, Faith Hickerson, and Megan Schultz

Tickets are on sale now and are available from the High School office by calling (641) 774-5066. Tickets

are also available from the Middle School office (641) 774-5114, from the Chariton Chamber Office, or

from any cast member. Ticket prices are $7 in advance or $9 at the door.

Chariton High School to Present

“Little Shop of Horrors”

On Thursday, October 10, 2013, the Chariton

High School Concert Choir traveled to Ed-

dyville to participate in the SCC Conference

Vocal Festival.

The Vocal Festival is now in its second year

back after a five-year hiatus. The mass ensem-

ble was under the direction of Mark Babcock

from Central College in Pella, IA. Each high

school in the conference performed a solo piece

in the concert.

The 93 members of the Chariton Concert Choir

sang “My Good Lord’s Done Been Here” and

CHS Concert Choir Performs at SCC Conference Vocal Festival

received a vast applause from the crowd. The

choirs from the schools in the South Central

Conference sang five pieces varying in style,

including Battle Hymn of the Republic, The Star

–Spangled Banner, O Sifuni Mungu, Inscription

of Hope, and It Don’t Mean a Thing If It Ain’t

Got That Swing. It was a fun event and Chari-

ton Schools were well represented!

High School News!

The winter activities schedule is availa-

ble on-line at www.chariton.k12.ia.us

Please check out the winter sports sea-

son activities!

Sign up for High School an-nouncements/newsletters with

the HS office. Stay in touch with what is going on at the High

School.

Financial Aid Night will be November 18th

at 6:30 pm

This presentation is for anyone (juniors, sen-iors, & parents) inter-ested in the learning more about the FASFA form which must be completed for anyone going to a 2 year or 4 year college.

Congratulations to the CHS Band for their 2nd place finish in the 3A division at

the Ottumwa Oktoberfest Parade and their 4th

place finish in the drum line competition! Way

to go! (photo below)

The HS band is under the direction of Leah Schmidt.

Photo: The senior girls show their excitement after a Powder Puff victory over the Junior girls.

Photo: The CHS Marching Charger Color Guard stands at attention during preparation for the Ottumwa Octoberfest Parade!

It is the policy of the Chariton Community School District not to illegally discriminate on the basis of race,

color, national origin, gender, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socioeconomic status, religion,

creed, age or marital status in its educational programs or employment practices. If you have questions or

grievances related to this policy please contact the Equity Coordinator, 140 East Albia Road, PO Box 738,

Chariton, Iowa 50049.

140 East Albia Road

PO Box 738

Chariton, IA 50049

Chariton Community School

District Mission Statement

The mission of the Chariton Community School District is to prepare pro-ductive life-long learners by providing a challenging relevant curriculum in

a safe learning environment.

The Chariton School District does not discriminate in our educational programs, activities, or em-

ployment practices based on race, color, age (except students), religion, national origin, sex, sexu-

al orientation, gender identity, disability, or any other legally protected classification.

Contact the district’s Affirmative Action coordinator, Paula Wright, superintendent or the dis-

trict’s 504 coordinator, Ken Harrison, with any questions.

Regular meetings of the Board of Education are held on the second Monday of every month except in September if it is School Board Election Day. If the meeting day is a holiday, the meeting will be held on the following business day. The meeting time is set for 6:30 pm. The meetings are held in the Board of Education Meeting Room, 140 East Albia Road, Chariton, Iowa.