Pennies for Peace

Our students brought in $514.82 worth of pennies for Pennies for Peace! According to the Central Asia Institute website, a teacher salary in Pakistan is $1 per day, so that would supply a teacher for nearly 515 days of school. Awesome!! Thank you, students and families, for helping other students in our world!

Founder's Day

Today we are celebrating Irving B. Weber. His birthday was on December 19 and we honor his life each year at Weber by participating in service activities. Ask your favorite Weber Dolphin what they know about Irving and his life.

Our students are made blankets for the Homeless Shelter, bookmarks for library, math games for the Neighborhood Center, cards and supplies for soldiers, raised money, made decorations, and collected donations for the Shelter House, and raised money for a school in Cambodia…this is all in addition to Pennies for Peace! It feels so good to model the virtues of giving and compassion through not only our words, but our actions as well.

Check out pictures from today at:
http://picasaweb.google.com/jdickson2027/20101220#slideshow/5552794537154300482

I am sure that Mr. Weber would be proud and honored!

Team 3 and 4 Snow Rules

Due to safety reasons, Weber will supply all sleds for snowy outdoor recess times. Please remember to send your students with snow pants and boots, so they can enjoy the snow! Thank you

NWJH Registration Info for 6th Graders

Dear Parents of 6th Graders

All students in 6th grade will soon begin the registration process for next year. The NWJH counselors and principal will be discussing registration information at all elementary schools soon. The Program of Studies Handbook and other registration materials will be discussed at this meeting. We encourage you to review these materials with your child.

We invite you to join a representative from the NWJH staff on Thursday, January 11 at 1:30 p.m.in the Weber library. However, if you are unable to attend one of these daytime meetings, we encourage you to attend our evening meeting on Wednesday, January 19th at 8:00 PM in the NWJH Little Theater.

Got a Name for the New School?

Send a suggestion for a name for the newest ICCSD elementary school. Please state the suggested name and the reason(s) why you think it would be a good name. schoolname@iccsd.k12.ia.us

Color Day on Friday

The Weber Student Council is sponsoring Color Day on Friday! Feel free to participate!
Team 1-yellow
Team 2-blue
Team 3-green
Team 4-black

Thank you to the Student Council for planning fun spirit days! Go Weber!

Reading the ITBS Results

ITBS results are reported in various types of scores, one of them being a national percentile rank (NPR). This ranking shows your child’s relative position or rank in a group of students who are in the same grade and who were tested at the same time of year, nationally. Iowa Percentile Rank (IPR) shows the same information but only compares scores among students from Iowa. The National Grade Equivalent (NGE) and Iowa Grade Equivalent (IGE) are given in decimal form and those numbers mean that is how an average student in that grade after that month would have scored on this test. For example, a score of 5.2 on a particular subtest means that is how an average fifth grade student at the end of the second month would score. Should school staff determine that your child’s test results suggest a need for further review and discussion, you will be contacted. To qualify for eligibility in the Extended Learning Program in the ICCSD, students must score 97% or above on the Iowa CORE total on the ITBS.

The results from the ITBS are not used to grade or evaluate your child. However, teachers, counselors and administrators will use the results to monitor your child’s learning of many of the important skills taught in school, particularly reading, writing and mathematics. Overall, student achievement is measured by daily class performance, performance on projects, quizzes and tests, performance on standardized tests like the ITBS, as well as other district-wide assessments.

The main purposes of the ITBS are to provide the school with information that can be used to improve instruction and to help teachers make sound educational decisions about each student’s learning. The scores allow teachers to check each student’s year-to-year growth and to identify each student’s strongest and weakest areas of achievement. In addition, ITBS scores are now used to satisfy regulations of the federal legislation known as No Child Left Behind (NCLB). If your child’s national percentile rank is at or below the 40th percentile, his/her score is counted as not proficient when reported as part of the school’s scores.

ITBS results are reported in various types of scores, one of them being a national percentile rank (NPR). This ranking shows your child’s relative position or rank in a group of students who are in the same grade and who were tested at the same time of year, nationally. Iowa Percentile Rank (IPR) shows the same information but only compares scores among students from Iowa. The National Grade Equivalent (NGE) and Iowa Grade Equivalent (IGE) are given in decimal form and those numbers mean that is how an average student in that grade after that month would have scored on this test. For example, a score of 5.2 on a particular subtest means that is how an average fifth grade student at the end of the second month would score. Should school staff determine that your child’s test results suggest a need for further review and discussion, you will be contacted.

The results from the ITBS are not used to grade or evaluate your child. However, teachers, counselors and administrators will use the results to monitor your child’s learning of many of the important skills taught in school, particularly reading, writing and mathematics. Overall, student achievement is measured by daily class performance, performance on projects, quizzes and tests, performance on standardized tests like the ITBS, as well as other district-wide assessments.

The main purposes of the ITBS are to provide the school with information that can be used to improve instruction and to help teachers make sound educational decisions about each student’s learning. The scores allow teachers to check each student’s year-to-year growth and to identify each student’s strongest and weakest areas of achievement. In addition, ITBS scores are now used to satisfy regulations of the federal legislation known as No Child Left Behind (NCLB). If your child’s national percentile rank is at or below the 40th percentile, his/her score is counted as not proficient when reported as part of the school’s scores.

If you have questions or would like further explanation about the ITBS scores, please do not hesitate to call your child's teacher, Mrs. Heffner, or Mrs. Gibson.

Chic"kickin" it up at Weber!

Thank you, Weber families, for attending our Chic-kickin it up on Tuesday at Coral Ridge Mall! The Weber Education Fund earned $379.26 from Chick-fil-A, in addition to $452.00 we raised from raffle/wheel. This makes a grand total of $831.26 for the Weber Education Fund! Thank you very much for your support!

A very special thank you to Dave Ogelsby and the rest of the WEF committee for this great community event!

Weber Night at Chick Fil A

The Weber Education Fund (WEF) is hosting a Weber night at Chick Fil A on this Tuesday, November 30. A portion of sales go to the Weber WEF. Weber band and orchestra students will be playing a few tunes. Our very own, Ms. Ash, will do face painting. There will be prizes AND a visit from Duder the Clown! You won't want to miss this fun event!

Weber Service Project: Pennies for Peace

The Weber students and staff held our first Reading Pod activity for this school year. Students met in mixed-age groups and enjoyed the book Listen to the Wind by Greg Mortenson. Greg is the co-founder and executive director of Central Asia Institute, and co-author of the #1 NY Times Best-seller, Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace…One School At A Time. The students made paper “people” that will be used to create a collage to be displayed at Weber to illustrate the theme “Together we can make a difference!” We hope you will stop by to see it at Weber.

As an extension of this Reading Pod activity, Weber is also participating in a project entitled “Pennies for Peace.” of schools and tens-of-thousands of students around the world. The Pennies for Peace program is designed to help students broaden their cultural horizons and learn about their capacities as philanthropists. It educates students about the world beyond their experience and shows them that they can make a positive impact on a global scale, one penny at a time. Students learn the rewards of sharing and working together to bring hope and education opportunities to the children in Pakistan and Afghanistan. While a penny is virtually worthless, in impoverished countries a penny buys a pencil and opens the door to literacy. Central Asia Institute has been establishing schools and offering children hope for a better future since 1993.

From now until Friday, December 17 the Weber students and staff will be collecting donations—anything from pennies to larger amounts—to benefit this program. Donations can be turned in to the children’s classrooms or in the Weber office. Please consider joining us as we celebrate the opportunities that our own children have for quality education, and help others to have opportunities to learn as well.

Dear Weber families,
It has been a pleasure seeing you all
during our conferences over the last couple
weeks. The students enjoy celebrating their
learning and setting goals for the rest of the
year. Together, we can achieve our goal of
EXCELLENCE FOR ALL. Thank you for
your ongoing support.

A very special THANK YOU to all families who sent food for our staff on conference days. We so appreciate this!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving break
with your families!

Alice Kurtz Receives an Award

Our very own, Alice Kurtz, will receive an award on Sunday for her efforts to bring history to life for our students. Please see below for a press release and come if you are able! Congratulations to Alice!

HISTORIC PRESERVATION AWARDS EVENT SCHEDULED THIS SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 14
The public is invited to attend the 2010 Historic Preservation Awards ceremony, an annual event that recognizes homeowners and property owners who have undertaken preservation projects to retain or enhance the historical or architectural integrity of their property. A special award will also be presented to local elementary school teacher Alice Kurtz for her efforts to engage students and inspire life-long learning by integrating Iowa City history and historic preservation into her elementary classroom curriculum.

The event is scheduled Sunday, November 14 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. in Meeting Room A of the Iowa City Public Library at 123 S. Linn Street. It will be co-hosted by the Iowa City Historic Preservation Commission, Friends of Historic Preservation, and the Johnson County Historic Preservation Commission. There is no charge to attend.

Christina Kuecker, Historic Preservation Planner for the City of Iowa City, said that 26 award-winners, whose projects were nominated by local historic preservationists as well as the general public, will receive certificates from the Iowa City Historic Preservation Commission for projects that include rehabilitation, stewardship, paint and exterior finishes, new additions, new construction, and other projects.

Weber Elementary School fifth-grade teacher Alice Kurtz, who developed an educational segment on local history titled, "Symbols of Change," will be recognized with the Margaret Nowysz Award, named for the first chair of the City's Historic Preservation Commission. Kurtz combines materials from the Historic Preservation Commission and Friends of Historic Preservation with classroom study on the City's buildings and artifacts to create a multi-disciplinary course that not only puts students in touch with local history, but also strengthens their skills in science, math, reading, communication, and research. The final project encourages students to build scale models of local historic buildings or homes, using recycled materials. The projects are then put on display throughout the area.

Don't Forget: No School Days

Don't forget that we do not have school on Friday, November 12 due to conferences. Also, we do not have school on November 24, 25, or 26.

Team 4 Podcasts

Check out this link to some Team 4 biographical podcasts. These creations are summaries of what each student found important or interesting from the biography they read.

The creation process included: writing a script selecting the essence of the person, locating photos which were not copy write protected, learning the program Photo Story, editing the script to fit with the photos, selecting music that would be appropriate to the time period of the subject, and speaking clearly enough and succinctly enough to make an interesting podcast.

Enjoy their productions!

Here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/user/judithdickson?feature=mhum#p/u

Helping Your Child Succeed at School

I read a helpful article tonight and thought it would be great to share!

Helping Your Child Succeed at School
Ron Mirr, Iowa Parent Resource Information Center, www.iowaparents.org

The Iowa PIRC staff has adapted and prioritized 12 ideas for parents to consider to help their children succeed in school. We have put
them in order based on what we are finding from various research studies. Feel free to reproduce this and share with students’ parents.
You are your child’s best teacher! Research shows that children whose parents are engaged in their education are more likely to achieve
academic success. Use the following checklist to plan how you can best help your child learn. As you organize your efforts, make sure to
start at the top of the list and work your way down. It’s okay if you can’t do all of the things on this list! If you only have time to do one
thing, work on the first item. As you have more time to work with your child, keep heading down the list in order. It is essential to be as
positive as possible as you support your child. Don’t forget, these ideas are effective for children in all grades PreK‐12!
1. Have high expectations for your children. Kids rise to a challenge. Make sure your children understand the clear expectations
you have for them and how well they should do in school. Talk to your children about your expectation that they will continue their education
after they graduate from high school. Encourage your students to talk with their counselor and their teachers about their options
after high school. While it’s OK to reward your children for successes, as your children get older it is important to help them develop an
internal desire to do well in school that doesn’t require rewards.
2. Talk to your child about school. Ask specific questions to draw out your child. Instead of asking “yes” or “no” questions, ask
“How do you think you did on the math test?” or “What is something funny that happened at school today?” or “What did you do during
PE?” It is very important as you talk with your child about school to help him/her believe in him/herself and have the confidence to
know that s/he can succeed. (See Questions to Ask Your Children Besides “How Was Your Day” at http://bit.ly/9N81ND.)
3. Get “connected” with your child’s teachers. Teachers and parents should be equal partners. This doesn’t mean you have the
same role, but you are both equally important players in supporting the success of your child. Ask teachers about their expectations. What
are students expected to master by the end of the year in each class? How will each teacher be gauging your child’s progress toward these
goals? Ask about the best way to get in touch if you have questions. Ask what you can do at home to support what is going on in the
classroom.
4. Make sure your child has a quiet place to study and to learn at home. Find an area in your home that is free of distraction
where your child can concentrate on homework and other learning without being disturbed by other distractions. Listening to music
while doing homework is not the best way for all students to focus on their homework. Be available to offer suggestions if your child has a
question. Make sure your child spends enough time learning at home. A commonly accepted rule is 10 minutes of learning at home per
school night per grade level (e.g., 3rd grade = 30 minutes, 6th grade = 60 minutes, 9th grade = 90 minutes, 12th grade = 120 minutes).
Students should spend time learning at home every night even if they don’t have specific homework.
5. Get your child “connected” to the school. Students who feel “connected” to adults and other students at school do better academically.
Encourage your child to join a club, participate in intramural activities, go out for a sport, or join a music group. If what your
child is interested in isn’t offered as a school club or activity, work with the school to start one.
6. Check your child’s homework, but don’t do it. Offer to check math problems, proofread written papers and look over spelling
words. If you find a mistake, point it out to your child and help him/her figure out the correct answer. Remember to also point out what
your child did well in his/her homework, too. If your child is having trouble encourage him/her to contact his/her peers or look for an
online resource. Also encourage your child to ask for help from the teacher. Remember to help your child practice how to ask for help in a
positive way. (See Homework at http://bit.ly/cdaU5p.)
7. Find out about homework assignments and school tests. Use your district’s online computer system or teacher’s webpage to
monitor homework assignments and get in the habit of checking it regularly. If you can’t find the information you need about upcoming
classroom assignments, contact your child’s teachers and ask them to post when there’s an important project or test coming up. If you feel
like you need more information, contact your child’s teacher(s) and ask them to post more information that can help you know how your
child is doing and how you can support him/her at home.
8. Talk about your own learning. Discuss with your child how you plan, solve problems and think about the future.
9. Post a family calendar in a central place. Write down important school dates, including due dates for projects and tests.
Encourage your child to add to the calendar and to check it daily. Help your child learn to plan and prepare ahead. As your child gets
older, help your child take the lead for regulating and organizing homework and study time with you as their coach.
10. Go to school meetings and events. Attending concerts, plays, assemblies, meetings, and other activities is a good way to
become familiar with your child’s school community and develop relationships with other parents.
11. Volunteer to chaperone school dances and drive kids to school competitions. You’ll meet other parents, school staff, and
your child’s classmates. In this way you can also develop a network of other parents with whom you can share information and discuss
ideas.
12. Find a way to make your voice heard. If you have the time and the desire, ask to be part of school committees. Attend
PTA/PTO meetings. Many schools now have parent and school teams that share ways to further build a family-school partnership for student
learning. Ask to form or join such a team.
Adapted from “10 Tips for Middle School Parents” found at www.schoolfamily.com and including the work of Karen Mapp, Anne Henderson and Kathleen Hoover-Dempsey.

Halloween Parade 2010

Happy Halloween! We will be parading outside again this year at Weber Elementary. The parade will take place in the bus circle. Parents are welcome to line the sidewalks or the front entrance to the school We will begin at 2:05 p.m. See you there!

United Nations Day

A HUGE THANK YOU to United Nations Day Volunteers! The following parents (and some Weber students!) helped make our annual United Nations Day celebration a great success. It was a fun-filled, informational morning, filled with song and
dance, food and crafts. We appreciate you taking the time to prepare such interesting
presentations about your cultures. We couldn’t have the celebration without you.
THANK YOU:
Natasha Laux
Jong Yeon Lee
Yoohee Kim
Miyoung Mo
Gianluca Baroncini
Misoon Kim
Chris Kim
Sharin Shetty
Syamala Thimmifajce
Smitha Khullar
Manjula Burri
Sudma Mani
Kokila Thenuwara
Valerie Buffard
Ari Natarina
Chaeyeon Kim
Inga Hjaltadottir
Abinaya Muruganandham
Shreya Khullar
Nithya Matta
Sajni Saravanan
Seja Saravanan
Samalya Thenuwara
Thank You, 谢谢, 당신을 감사하십시오

October PTA Meeting Agenda

All families are welcome and encouraged to attend our PTA meetings each month. The October meeting is on Monday, October 18th at 7:00 p.m. See you there!

Weber PTA Agenda
October 18, 2010
7:00 pm

I. Welcome and call to order

II. Approval of Sept. Minutes

III. Presidents report-Marcia Donovan & Tracie Tolbert

A. Book Fair Wrap Up
B. Solicitation Letter Update

IV. Vice Presidents’ report-Christine Dunn & Lisa Kitchens

A. Home business fair

V. Treasurer’s report-Darla Kraske

A. Approval of funds to be distributed

VI. Weber Staff report-Chris Gibson & Kristy Heffner

VII. SCRIP report

VIII. New business

IV. Ajourn

Pop Tab Collection Contest

The Weber Student Council is excited to announce a very special service project that we will be sponsoring throughout this school year. Our school will be participating in the 2010-2011 Pop Tab Collection Contest to sponsor the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Eastern Iowa. The Ronald McDonald House program provides a “home-away-from-home” for families so they can stay close by their hospitalized child at little or no cost. Each year, the pop tab collection program generates more than $9000 to support this program.

Collecting pop tabs is a great way for all of us to really make a difference in the lives of families and children in need AND to learn more about the importance of recycling. It focuses on separating the pull tab from aluminum beverage cans. The tab is higher grade aluminum than the can, resulting in a higher dollar return per pound. Our job is simply to collect the tabs at our school, and then the Student Council will be responsible for taking the tabs to the local Ronald McDonald House. Our tabs will be weighed, and then sent to a recycling center. The Ronald McDonald House Charities of Eastern Iowa will then be paid approximately $0.40 per pound for the tabs.

Each Weber classroom has a collection box for the tabs. What we need you to do is save those tabs and send them with your child to his or her classroom. Our Student Council members will take care of the rest! We will keep a running total of pounds collected here at Weber so students and families will be able to see just how much we are helping out other children and families in their time of need.

We have until April 4, 2011 to collect the tabs. The winning school with the highest total of pounds collected will be announced in early April in coordination with Earth Day. The winning school will receive a prize at a presentation ceremony.

So start collecting and send them in! Regardless of whether we win the contest, the real winners will be all of the families we will be able to help through our efforts. Thank you in advance for your help with this project!

Club West Elementary Football Night is TONIGHT!

Weber students are wearing green and gold today in honor of the Club West Elementary Football Night tonight. All elementary students will get in for $4.00 and will receive a concession stand coupon. Weber is attempting to get the "Traveling Spirit Trophy" again this year! Go Trojans!

Run for the School

Sign up for the 2010 Run for the Schools at www.iccsdfoundation.org. We hope to have a large Weber group to support Weber and the ICCSD!

The torch run will take place on Friday, October 15 at 1:30 p.m. You can come cheer us on, if you would like!

Multicultural Exchange Newsletter

The October 2010 edition of the "Multicultural Exchange" newsletter is now available on the district website/equity link at:
http://www.iccsd.k12.ia.us/equity/index.html Check it out!

Book Fair and Taco Dinner

Don't forget about our Book Fair on Wednesday and Thursday in the Weber library. Also, be sure to stop at the Taco Dinner on Thursday before or after you visit the Book Fair! Carlos O'Kelly's will be serving up the tacos. See you there!

Fire Prevention Week

The week of October 4-8 is National Fire Prevention Week. The ICFD will come to Weber on Tuesday to present the traditional puppet show to educate students about fire safety. They brought the Fire Safety Trailor to our Team 3 students a couple of weeks ago, as well.

Outstanding Student Citizen Award

On October 11th, three Weber students will be awarded an Outstanding Student Citizen Award from the City of Iowa City at the City Council Meeting.

Congratulation to Weber students, Kevin Hanson, Ali Tauchen, and Kaylee Guymon!

Fall Assessments

During the months of September and October, your child(ren) have and will be participating in a variety of assessments. The assessments assist teachers in identifying strengths and limitations and ultimately the information will result in guiding instruction. In September tests about reading were administered and will continue through early October. During October 11-15, students in grades 3-6 will take ITBS. This test covers reading, language, math, science, social studies and sources of information. And during the final week of October, students in sixth grade will take the Iowa Youth Survey.

Time for SMILES!

Don't forget picture day on Friday! Information should have come home with students. Please plan to send the picture envelope if you would like to purchase pictures.

September PTA Meeting

Don't forget the PTA meeting on Monday night at 7:00 p.m. All parents are invited to attend. See you in the library!

New Weber Library Sign

Be sure to stop by the media center to check out our new sign! It is beautiful and so eye-catching! A special thanks to Weber parent, Laura McCarragher of Green Girl Designs. She created the sign with her talented mother Connie (of Creative Works) and sister Jill (of Paper Prayers). A huge thank you to all three for their creativity and generosity!

Common Expectations Building Wide at Weber

As part of a district wide initiative for ICCSD schools to develop procedures that help maximize instructional time and learning for all students, the Weber staff is renewing our commitment to implementing consistent and clear expectations for the common areas in our school this year. A committee of teachers is guiding the staff to revise and tweak our expectations for the hallway, lunchroom, bathroom, and assemblies. We are working to teach and periodically re-teach those expectations so that every student understands and remembers the expected behaviors in these common areas. As part of this process we have also implemented a “voice meter” as a common and consistent way to communicate to students the appropriate volume of voice in a variety of settings. Students have demonstrated a very positive response to the common language being taught through the expectations and voice meter. Don’t be surprised if your children remind you to use a level 1 or 2 voice at home!

Back to School Nights

Back to School Nights are coming up! Team 1 and 2 will be on Tuesday, September 14 and Team 3 and 4 will be on Thursday, September 16.

Sept. 14
Team 1 (students should attend) 5:30-6:15
Team 2 (parents only) 6:15-7:00

Sept. 16
Team 3 (students should attend) 5:30-6:15
Team 4 (parents only) 6:30-7:15
6th grade parents only 7:15-7:45

We are sorry that we do not have childcare available this year. We hope to see you there!

Parking Lot

Thank you for your patience in the parking lot. Our goal is always to move cars and students through in an efficient and safe manner. Thank you for your diligence with following our parking lot protocol. All pick up students should exit the front door and head directly to near the bike racks by Team 1. If you have suggestions to make it even better, please let us know.

Clubs

Chess club, Running club, and Weber World Language all begin next week. Check out this week's Dolphin 411 to get registration information.

Twitter

Hi everyone and happy FRIDAY! I have just started tweeting about Weber Elementary School. You can start following me and get Weber updates at http://twitter.com/WeberDolphins! Have a fabulous weekend!

Get Moving for Healthy Kids 5K Run/Walk

The Get Moving for Healthy Kids 5K Run/Walk Race will be this Sunday, August 29 at 8:00 a.m. The event takes place at the West High School Track. There will be a 5K, youth mile, other races and activities with the Hawkeye Women’s Basketball team. Register on-line after July 9th at: www.communityfoundationofjohnsoncounty.org. Registration forms will also be available in the community.

First Friday Assembly

We had our first Friday all school assembly at the Council Ring on Friday. The purpose of this tradition is to celebrate the first week of school as an entire learning community, introduce new staff members, and a put faces with our entire staff. We celebrated the end of the first assembly by eating popsicles with our teams. Thank you to our PTA for providing and handing out the popsicles!

Our new staff members include:
Kristy Heffner, assistant principal
Amy Poague, paraeducator
Dennis Newell, math teacher
Kara Avis, paraeducator
Nicole Weaver, paraeducator
Jake Mangold, paraeducator

Welcome!

A warm, Weber welcome goes out to all new and returning families! We are so excited about the 2010-2011 school year and can not wait to see you on Tuesday at our 6:00 p.m. Ice Cream Social. Class lists will be posted at approximately 5:00 p.m. on Monday, August 16th. See you soon!

Weber Registration

Weber's registration process will look a bit different this year, due to the huge expense of mailing the registration materials. Instead of mailing all paperwork to you, we will have a packet ready on your child's desk at Ice Cream Social. You can fill out the very important paperwork at home and then send to school with your child on the first or second day of school. You should be recieving a welcome back letter with important dates and information in a few days. Less than a month and we will be back together to continue learning! :) I am excited for a new year! Hope you are too!

Congratulations Mr. Walthart!

Our assistant principal, Mr. Brian Walthart, recently got news that he will be the new principal at Washington Elementary in Muscatine, Iowa. Although we will miss his work at Weber, we are thrilled for this exciting opportunity for him. Congratulations!

See you on Tuesday, August 17 at 6:00 p.m. for our Ice Cream Social! New families will meet at 5:30 in the library right before we have ice cream and meet the staff.

Our first day of school will be on Thursday, August 19 with a 1:55 p.m. dismissal.

Hope you are enjoying summer!

Everyday Mathematics Journals

Your child's math journal from this year will be coming home with them. The journal serves as a source for learning concepts from the daily lessons, as well as for practicing previously taught skills. There are various ways that we used the journals in class. Often students worked together with their peers while a teacher walked around the classroom to help. Sometimes we completed problems as a class and other times students worked independently so that we could check their progress. Therefore some pages are not completed or corrected.
You may use these journals for reviewing skills over the summer. If a page seems confusing or too difficult, skip it and choose one your student understands. The pages with Math Boxes are the best ones for students if they are looking for some extra practice. You could even make up new problems on a separate sheet of paper based on the ones in the journal.

Your child's math journal from this year will be coming home with them. The journal serves as a source for learning concepts from the daily lessons, as well as for practicing previously taught skills. There are various ways that we used the journals in class. Often students worked together with their peers while a teacher walked around the classroom to help. Sometimes we completed problems as a class and other times students worked independently so that we could check their progress. Therefore some pages are not completed or corrected.
You may use these journals for reviewing skills over the summer. If a page seems confusing or too difficult, skip it and choose one your student understands. The pages with Math Boxes are the best ones for students if they are looking for some extra practice. You could even make up new problems on a separate sheet of paper based on the ones in the journal.

More Redistricting Info

Below you will find a web link to our redistricting plan for the ICCSD over the next few years. The board of directors approved steps one and two. The remaining steps will be discussed at their upcoming meeting(s).

RSP & Associates, our consulting firm, is putting together maps that will visually show the details of these decisions. When they are completed, they will be posted on our website. We will send an update letting you know when this is done.

http://www.iccsd.k12.ia.us/district/redistrict/0525/BoardApproveMay25.pdf

Don't forget about the Book Fair and the Weber Education Fund's spaghetti supper tonight!

Update about Redistricting

This is a Thursday, May 13, 2010, redistricting update from Ann Feldmann.

Some have asked, “What is the new information that relates to redistricting?” The information to which board members referred in their May 11 meeting is twofold:
· some corrections on maps on pages 60, 66, and 68 (find these updated maps for the final Enrollment and Redistricting report on the district website at: http://www.iccsd.k12.ia.us/district/redistrict/index.html )

· a clarification of how Free and Reduced Lunch rates were calculated throughout the redistricting process. The clarification around FRL is as follows.

Q: The total FRL rates are different in each high school scenario. Since they represent the same students only distributed differently what accounts for the total percentages of 18.5% and 24.7% in 4D, 22.9% and 24.7% in 4E and 22.2% and 24.7% in 4F?

A: They are different because they are based on different years as noted on the maps. The two HS scenario is done by 2012/13, while the 3 HS is 2014/15. Also, the 3rd secondary bldg is a 9th grade center.

Q: So how DID the consultants at RSP calculate the FRL numbers in their map legends?

A: The number of 2009/10 students with FRL based on address is joined to a planning area. When there is a change in which facility the planning area attends in a future year, the FRL can be compared between 2009/10 and that future date. The reason projections from RSP show a lower overall FRL percentage five years into the future is: in these projections, there isn’t an attempt to project a number of students on FRL….so the number remains constant into the future. The FRL numbers remain the same, only distributed differently according to proposed boundary changes. RSP simply looked at where a FRL student resides in 09/10 and assumes if the boundary changes at some point in the future how that would impact enrollment at each facility with respect to that student being moved to that new attendance area in that given projected enrollment year. RSP makes no assumption on changing FRL – this is a tool to understand where FRL students reside in relation to the attendance area.

Q: The current numbers for FRL do not match our official district numbers. Why might that be?

A: The FRL percentages change on a daily basis (especially in October as families that qualified the previous year are allowed to remain on free and reduced lunch through October.) The district’s official enrollment report (see the district website: http://www.iowa-city.k12.ia.us/district/district_reports/2009-10Enrollment_Report.pdf ) uses the federal reporting date of October 31 for our official FRL percentage. The official rate for 2009-10 at West is 20.06% and at City is 27.50%.

Our consultants at RSP pulled enrollment and free and reduced data on October 19, so it may be assumed that City had a high number of students from the previous school year who qualified and remained on the list until the official reporting date of October 31.

Q: Why doesn’t the district administration make a prediction for FRL?

A: Other than to make a general overall prediction, there isn’t reliable way to accurately project FRL. There are factors that are hard to predict, such as a change in a city rental ordinance or a change in an apartment unit owner’s policy of accepting or discontinuing accepting Section 8 vouchers, for example. Even changes in other large urban centers’ housing policies or availability can noticeable affect our district or school averages. The floods two years ago correlated with a slower than average increase in the FRL rate.

All that being true, we believe it is unlikely that district average FRL rates will decrease over the next five years since historically they have steadily risen.

Bottom Line?

FRL process is only a tool-- not a projection-- to understand where FRL students reside in relation to an attendance area but without adjusting for an enrollment increase.

At their May 11th meeting, the board voted to endorse the vision of a 3rd high school. At the conclusion of the meeting, they went into closed session for the purpose of discussing “bargaining/land acquisition.” Did they buy land for a 3rd high school?

No, there was no decision or discussion regarding the purchase of a third high school site. However, as is prudent, the administration has taken and continues to take steps to prepare for the building of a third high school, including discussions regarding land acquisition.

Redistricting Update

At their regular board meeting on Tuesday, May 11, 2010, the ICCSD board of directors took the following steps in redistricting decision-making:

They agreed on the vision of a third high school when there is adequate enrollment and finances to open a new school. They agreed that they have time to determine what its programming, enrollment, and capacity should be and don’t have to make this decision immediately.

Prior to the opening of a third high school, the board agreed that we will utilize all available capacity at City and West. That will involve accommodating enrollments greater than the stated capacities at City and West.

The board agreed to not build additional permanent capacity at either City or West. Additional enrollment beyond their typical capacities will be accommodated through the use of temporary facilities.

The board asked administration to develop a recommendation for the May 25 board meeting regarding which elementary attendance/planning areas will be moved into City beginning in 2011-12. They also asked that the recommendation include other items such as how students will progress from elementary to junior high to high school and how to adjust some other elementary attendance areas.

The board voted to reject the high school boundary changes in scenario 4F as they are stated in the scenario, but reserved the right to choose boundary concepts from scenario 4F, 4D or any other ideas that would meet their four criteria. To view the four criteria, please see page 45 of the Enrollment & Redistricting Report on the district’s website at: http://www.iccsd.k12.ia.us/district/redistrict/0408/FinalReport2010/ICCSD_ER_BR0910_NoMaps.pdf

THANK YOU FAMILIES!

The Weber staff would like to THANK our Weber families for a wonderful
Staff Appreciation Week! We thoroughly enjoyed our flowers, gift cards, car wash passes, 30 minute breaks, 10 minute massages and all the yummy food!!
We appreciate your thoughtfulness and ongoing support!
Thanks again!

ICCSD Redistricting Forum

Announcing: ICCSD Redistricting Forum

Where: Grant Wood Elementary Gym

When: May 4, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. – 8: 30 p.m.

Who: All district patrons are asked to provide feedback to the board of directors on redistricting options. The evening’s format will mirror earlier redistricting forums: whole group instructions then the collection of ideas/questions/feedback in smaller groups,

Weber Carnival Success!

A very special thank you to Lisa Kitchens and Becky Klutts, our 2010 Carnival Chairs! The carnival was a huge success, as evidenced by the SMILES on the faces of our children! Other special thank yous go out to our food, games, prizes, auction, publicity, raffle, bake walk, book walk, and ticket chairs and to Falbo Bros (Jason and Paula Caylor), Hy-Vee, Fareway, Wal-Mart, Hills Bank, University of Iowa Athletic Club and the Patel family for donating ALL of our food items! Thanks again to everyone!

Screen Free Week

Our student participation in Screen Free Week has been fantastic this week! Students have been excited to stay away from those screens and earn prizes at school, including a free homework pass, books, picnic lunch, etc... A special thank you goes out to our Screen Free Committee for planning this event. Good luck with the rest of the week!

Redistricting Updates

The final redistricting report is now up on the ICCSD website! A big thank you goes to RSP & Associates and to Mike Haverkamp, our district’s webmaster, for their assistance with this feat.

The report is titled, “Enrollment and Redistricting Report”. The main text portion of the report is separate from the many maps that are included in the report. One can pull up each map individually.

http://www.iccsd.k12.ia.us/district/redistrict/index.html

Screen Free Week

Good luck with Screen Free Week this week! See you at Pizza and Puzzle Night on Wednesday!

Redistricting Updates

At a work session on April 8, 2010, the ICCSD board of directors received a final redistricting report from RSP consultants, Rob Schwarz and Mark Porter. The 92-page “ICCSD Enrollment Report & Redistricting Report” provides information regarding the demographic and enrollment data generated by the RSP, the process used by the committee and administration in creating the scenario options, and details on scenario series “4” that the board will take into consideration. The powerpoint presentation provided by RSP consultants at the April 8 meeting is on the district website.

http://www.iccsd.k12.ia.us/district/redistrict/index.html

The presentation of the report was taped and will be rebroadcast on community channels.

Next steps for the board of directors are to:

Allot time for a redistricting work session from their April 27 board meeting
Finalize preparations for a public forum to be held on May 4, 2010
Schedule times for additional deliberation
Reach a final decision regarding future district boundaries
Develop a communication plan for the implementation of the final redistricting decision(s)

Reference copies of the Enrollment Report & Redistricting Report are available for review at the central administrative offices at 509 S. Dubuque St, Iowa City. As this is a large report with numerous colored pages/maps, we will ask patrons who wish to own a copy of the report to work with one of two selected vendors, Staples (Riverside Drive, Iowa City) and Goodfellow Printing (408 Highland Court, Iowa City). The estimated cost per copy is $36.00. When arrangements are completed, more information will be shared as to how to purchase a copy of the report by going to one of these two vendors.

Carnival!

Don't forget the Weber Carnival on Friday! See you there!

Carlos O'Kelly's and Applebees Fundraiser

Weber has been given the incredible opportunity for families to purchase these Carlos O'Kelly's/Applebees "We Believe In Kids" coupons for $10.

They are sold in sheets, with seven coupons for each restaurant. Using only one of these coupons more than pays for the entire sheet! They are a great way to stretch your family dining dollar. Buy a couple for your family and they are great to give as gifts, too!

The best part is, 100% of the sale goes directly to Weber!
We have a limited number to sell, and they will be sold on a first come, first serve basis. Contact the Weber office to purchase the coupons.

Box Tops for Education

Congratulations to our top Box Tops for Education winners!

OVER ALL WINNER with MOST Box tops: TAYLOR STEGALL (602) $40.00 Gift card
Team 1 winner KENDALL ROACH (244)
Team 2 winner ANNA CARMEN (476)
Team 3 winner WILLIAM SURUCU (288)
Team 4 winner ANNIKA KOPF (572)

Service Project: Soles4Souls

Tonya Nicholson was a Weber graduate back in 2004, who loved shoes, children, and the country of Haiti! Tonya passed away in 2007, but her memory lives on and shoes are collected every year by St. Andrew Presbyterian Church. We are expanding our collection this year due to the massive need in this devastated country. A Soles4Souls collection box will be outside of the Weber offices from Monday, March 29th through Friday, April 16th (the Weber Carnival!). Please consider donating your gently worn or new kids' or adults' shoes (tied or rubber banded together). Samantha, Garth, and Kathi Anderson (mainekids@mchsi.com) will make sure they get to Haiti! THANKS SO MUCH in advance to our generous, caring, Weber community!

Spring Carnival

Mark your calendars for our annual Weber Carnival! It will be held on Friday, April 16! More information will be coming soon in the Dolphin 411.

Redistricting Committee Meeting

Redistricting Committee Meeting Agenda, March 24, 2010
5:30 p.m.
West High School Auditorium

Note: the meeting will NOT be broadcasted live

Objective: Provide a comprehensive transition plan for the Board to consider that follows the Board Charge and prioritization of boundary criteria for:

1. elementary facilities (new buildings, additions, and consolidation),
2. junior high facilities (addition), and,
3. which results in at least two scenarios on how to best deal with capacity issues at the high school grades.

Agenda:
1. Welcome – (Mark) (5 minutes)
2. Agenda overview – (Mark) (5 minutes)
3. Meeting objectives (Mark) (15 minutes)
a. Ground Rules
b. Parking Board
c. Previous meeting overview
d. Meeting expectations and outcomes
e. Board criteria
f. Board charge

4. Four Scenarios Overview(4b, 4c, 4d, and 4e) (Rob) (15 minutes)
5. Small group discussion each scenario (60 minutes)
a. Discuss advantages/disadvantages of each scenario
b. Report out
c. Grouping of small group answers
6. Large group discussion (30 minutes)
a. List advantages/disadvantages of a three high school scenario
b. List advantages/disadvantages of a two high school scenario
7. Next Steps and Close (15 minutes)

Redistricting Meeting Scheduled

The redistricting committee will meet on Wednesday, March 24 at 5:30 p.m. in the back of the board room at the central administrative offices of the ICCSD (509 S. Dubuque Street, Iowa City).

Jump Rope for Heart

It’s Not Too Late to be a Heart Hero.
Donate to Jump Rope For Heart
and receive great benefits!
If you still have a collection envelope, please return it to your
PE Teacher. If you would still like to donate there is still time!

Visit americanheart.org/jump or americanheart.org/hoops and click Register to get started. Select your state, find your school, and click Join Team!You can customize your own web page, adding a picture of yourself and share why Jump Rope For Heart is important to YOU! You can send emails to family and friends everywhere to
share the heart-healthy messages of Jump Rope For Heart.Check your HeartQuarters often to track your progress!

Parents: Matching your gift is simple. Ask your human resources department if your company has a matching gift program. Most companies have a short form you complete and send in with your donation. That’s all there is to it! The American Heart Association does the rest. Your child’s school will receive full credit for both contributions.

Thousands of companies around the country offer matching gift programs. For a list of companies from whom we have recently received matching gifts, please visit www.matchinggifts.com/aha. All matching gift forms should include your child’s name and the school name for proper accreditation. Please ask your company to match your donation, and be sure to remind them that it’s tax deductible!

Redistricting Meeting

The redistricting meeting scheduled for tonight has been postponed. The new date will be announced at a later date.

Redistricting Committee

The redistricting committee will meet this Thursday, March 4th at 6:00 p.m. in the back of the board room at the central administrative offices of the ICCSD at 509 S. Dubuque St, Iowa City.

This is an open meeting that community members may attend. Please note that the meeting agenda does not provide a time for feedback/input form persons outside the committee.

This meeting will be televised live and rebroadcast over the Iowa City public access channel.

Weber Parents ROCK!!

A very special THANK YOU goes out to the Weber PTA/Weber parents for providing conference meals for our staff. We appreciate the planning and the great food you brought for us! THANK YOU!!

Weber Chess

The 2010 Team Elementary Chess Championship was held Saturday in Des Moines. Eighty players from across Iowa played 5 rounds, battling for individual and team trophies. In a stunning display of power and depth, Weber’s teams won both the K-6 and K-3 Championships. K-6 Team trophies went to Ziwen Zhou (finishing undefeated with 5-0), Ashwin Kalyanakumar, Arshaq Saleem, Soren Schmidt, and Stefan Schmidt (all finishing 4-1). Also winning 4 rounds were Chris Low and Seung-Ok Oh. The Team was so strong that, had our top 3 finishers not even played, our students would still have won the event. Several of our players won individual trophies, including Ziwen who snagged
1st place after playing consistently excellent chess all day.

There were also top trophies for players on Weber’s K-3 Team: Jason Lee (who, like those above, finished 4-1), Vladimir Tivansky, Pranav Krishnamurthy, and Nathan Huang. There’s a bright future for Weber’s teams since, of the 11 players who competed this year, only 2 will graduate from Weber after this school year.

Congrats to our Weber chess players!

Redistricting Committee Information

Please note that the feedback from the Redistricting Public Forums that were held on February 4 and 5th is posted on the ICCSD website. http://www.iccsd.k12.ia.us/district/redistrict/index.html

School Spririt Day

Logo Day is on February 26 at Weber. Wear your favorite logo from Weber, a sports team, or a logo of your choice!

Spring Conferences

Don't forget to sign up for your spring parent/teacher/student conference. Our goal for spring conferences is to celebrate our learning and growth this year and to set goals for the remainder of the year. See you on either February 25 or March 2! We thank you for your partnership!

RHWK (Roosevelt, Horn, Weber, Kirkwood) Committee

The ICCSD has formed a committee to assist with details surrounding the closing of Roosevelt Elementary and the opening of a new elementary in The Crossings development in 2011-2012. This new school is intended to alleviate overcrowding at Weber, and as such, will result in boundary changes to the Weber attendance area. Weber representatives on the committee are Mrs. Gibson, Mr. Elmer (team 3 teacher) and Lynnette Ammar (parent). If you have questions or comments you would like the committee to address, please contact Lynnette at LRA316@hotmail.com.

Weber Cares!

We would like to thank everyone for their generosity this past month. Together we collected 1,694 pounds of food, which we delivered to the Crisis Center in Iowa City.

From our coin drive to help the people of Haiti we have collected $677.00. We will continue the coin drive through the end of February.

Last weekend the 3 on 3 basketball tournament and bake sale raised $3,000 to be donated to the Red Cross to help the earthquake relief efforts in Haiti.

A SPECIAL THANK YOU to Luke Barta, Bo Nock
and the Swarm basketball team for organizing the event.

Thank you so much for your support.

Irving B. Weber Elementary Day at the UI Swim Meet