Knox County Makes an Impact on Truman Students
By: Haleigh Miller The staff at Knox County High School welcomes many new Truman education students each year. Each student teacher has either a bachelor's degree in liberal arts and/or science fields. The individuals that are doing their internships are certified as substitute teachers. They must have a minimum of 100 hours of classroom field experience before starting the internship. Each intern will have experience to help out as a member of the school district. The students are very helpful in the classrooms and offer guidance to the students. Emily Schaeffler is a student teacher in Mrs. Greenley and Mrs. Hustead’s English classes. Schaeffler is getting her bachelors degree in English and will continue working on her master’s degree in Education next year. English was her favorite subject in school when she was growing up. She enjoys reading, writing and interacting with the kids. Her goal is to help students learn how to become passionate about English. Katy Adair’s undergrad major was in Spanish and she is now studying Special Education for her master’s degree. Adair always knew she wanted to be a teacher. When she was in high school, she was an elementary tutor. Her classroom teacher would send her out of the room with a few kids that needed extra help, to work one on one with them. Working in that atmosphere made her realize she wanted to get involved in Special Education. After graduation this spring, Adair sees herself being a Special Education teacher around her hometown, Wright City, Mo. |
Preschool Participates in Vision Screening
By: Daryna Lyzenko Healthy vision is key for a child’s learning and development. On Oct. 2, Kidsight Vision Screening Program came to Knox County preschool. This program is free for every child and every preschooler is able to participate. Vision Screening is fast and fun, just like taking a picture. Even though it is so easy, it can detect diseases such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, amblyopia, anisometropia, anisocoria, misalignment, etc. Every family will be notified of their child’s results. If a kid is referred, the program will contact his or her parents. This test is important, even if a child does not complain about poor vision. He or she just might not know because it is “normal” to them. According to national statistics, one in four children have a vision problem. Nurse Kathy Palmer agreed with this fact for our preschool but comparing to the last year, this year we have 50% less students being referred. A lot of people assume that the TV and phone/tablets usage causes problems with vision. Palmer says that the reason for it at the age of preschool children could be in inheritance or early birth. More changes in vision are noticed in children who are in the first, third and seventh grades. It might happen because of the changes in our bodies or puberty. Even if you are older than seventh grade, you still have to watch your vision’s health because your eyes continue to form until you are 18 years old. |
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Second Grade Welcomes A Butterfly
By: Megan Mayer Mrs. Ritsema’s second grade class recently introduced a butterfly into their classroom. Second grade student, Audrey Erwin, found a chrysalis and really wanted to bring it to school. Her mother emailed Ritsema to see if it was okay for her to bring it in. Ritsema looked through the science standards to see if it would fit into the curriculum. She found that they were going to be talking about pollinators, so a butterfly would fit the unit. By the time they went back to find it, the butterfly had already emerged. Erwin then went searching for another caterpillar and found the one they used for the project. According to Ritsema, the kids really enjoyed the project. They still talk about the project and want to watch the videos of the butterfly forming. Ritsema says she can still reference back to the project and the students remember most of the details, highlighting their understanding and learning of the standards. The kids were worried they would miss the butterfly emerging so Mrs. Orton set up an iPad that had the timelapse camera running on the butterfly at all times. Once the butterfly emerged, they kept the butterfly until they could go outside and set it free into nature. |
Superintendent Andy Turgeon Talks About Professional Development Day
By: Alyssa Murr
Professional Development is a need for everyone to continuously learn, meaning all staff and students. Everything is constantly changing and there is always new material to be learned. Superintendent, Andy Turgeon said there are new materials that all Knox County staff need to be aware of and because of professional development days, it allows staff to do any kind of training needed make sure students get the best information out there. He also said professional development days come with a lot of beneficial perks, “A lot of stuff going on with today’s technology and the many different programs require professional development. This is so teachers are prepared to present the new information to students.”
Professional development in the education field can come in many different forms. Turgeon said, “The school of Knox County has had professional development on active shooter training, how to assess students with different needs, etc. This is because education is a wide range of things that teachers have to prepare to meet the students needs.”
There is a constant need for professional development so teachers know the best way to meet all student needs and how to keep students up to date on the new happenings in the world. Turgeon also mentioned examples on what kind of trainings teachers do on PD days. Teachers focus on learning new concepts about technology as it progresses, curriculum and training on a diagnostic reading and math program, iReady. Curriculum is a working document that teachers use throughout the year to guide their lessons to teach the students. iReady is an in-room assessment used in all grades to help identify what math and reading concepts students need extra help on. The Professional Development Committee was in charge of planning the Monday, Oct. 8 PD Day. The agenda included learning about dyslexia, sharing cooperative learning strategies and curriculum writing time.
By: Alyssa Murr
Professional Development is a need for everyone to continuously learn, meaning all staff and students. Everything is constantly changing and there is always new material to be learned. Superintendent, Andy Turgeon said there are new materials that all Knox County staff need to be aware of and because of professional development days, it allows staff to do any kind of training needed make sure students get the best information out there. He also said professional development days come with a lot of beneficial perks, “A lot of stuff going on with today’s technology and the many different programs require professional development. This is so teachers are prepared to present the new information to students.”
Professional development in the education field can come in many different forms. Turgeon said, “The school of Knox County has had professional development on active shooter training, how to assess students with different needs, etc. This is because education is a wide range of things that teachers have to prepare to meet the students needs.”
There is a constant need for professional development so teachers know the best way to meet all student needs and how to keep students up to date on the new happenings in the world. Turgeon also mentioned examples on what kind of trainings teachers do on PD days. Teachers focus on learning new concepts about technology as it progresses, curriculum and training on a diagnostic reading and math program, iReady. Curriculum is a working document that teachers use throughout the year to guide their lessons to teach the students. iReady is an in-room assessment used in all grades to help identify what math and reading concepts students need extra help on. The Professional Development Committee was in charge of planning the Monday, Oct. 8 PD Day. The agenda included learning about dyslexia, sharing cooperative learning strategies and curriculum writing time.
Coming to America
By: Daryna Lyzenko Since 2017, our Knox County High School has been hosting foreign exchange students. This school year, we have three girls including myself. My name is Daryna Lyzenko and I am from Ukraine. Here, I live with my host family, Bonnie and Roger Brantner, and a Spanish exchange student, Laura Gallego Marcos. The third exchange student is Giulia Boscolo and she is from Italy. I want to tell you my life story. I became a finalist of Future Leaders Exchange Program (FLEX) in April, but my exchange story started exactly a year ago. I decided to become a participant of FLEX. This is a scholarship for students from post-Soviet countries, sponsored by the United States Department of State, and it gives a student the opportunity to spend one school year in the USA. Obviously, a lot of people try to win this contest, but only a really small amount of people win this possibility. American Councils are looking for leaders who want to help and improve their community, as well as teenagers who are able to solve all their challenges being far away from home. I remember that day, Sept. 30, when I was standing with another participant on the school yard and I could not imagine that in a year, I would be 5,000 miles from my house writing this article for Knox County High School. Exchange students do not choose where will they live. Placement organizations post our applications and volunteer families choose us. My Placement Organization, ASSE/World Heritage, works with teenagers from almost all countries in Europe and Asia. My host parents said, “We chose Daryna because of her smile and interest in cooking”. That’s why on Aug. 17, I was separated from my exchange group and went to the Kirksville Airport. The first thing I found out about the state of Missouri is its climate. I love the heat here and the weather is warmer than it is in Ukraine. Honestly, I like Knox County High School. I love the American system of education and schools’ buildings. The staff are great and the students are always ready to help. For example, on my first day, I got lost. Even those yellow school buses become familiar to me. I was also impressed of the local architecture. Every time I walk through the courtyard, I take a couple of photos, choosing different angles. I have traveled a lot and I can say that these types of buildings are unique and it delights me. As an exchange student, you live in a new country with a host family. You go to a new school, make lots of friends and have fun with them. You have to explore American culture and to share your own with others. You also have a possibility to travel a lot. A lot of people think it’s an ideal part of life, but only a few know how hard it can be sometimes. Not everybody could be an exchange student, but it is worth a try. The exchange student is a person who donates his/her life for teaching about their own country and be open for a new experience. I become the happiest person in the world when somebody says “I want to visit Ukraine”. At this moment, I understand that I do it for my country and I do my job well. I understand that I’m a representative of Ukraine and I’m proud of it. |
Knox County Presents Bullying Assembly On National “See Something? Hear Something? Say Something!” Day
By: Alyssa Murr On Tuesday, Sept. 25, Knox County R-1 School District hosted an assembly about bullying. The speaker was Sergeant Eric Brown of the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Brown said, “The world is constantly changing...” The key points of the assembly were a focus on internet safety, protecting personal information and to not cyber bully. Social media plays a huge part in today’s society because of how many different uses there are for the internet. Brown's message included how it is important to be aware of viruses and online predators and we are encouraged to think before we post and send messages. Brown stated, “Things travel fast and when they’re deleted, they aren’t gone forever. There is always a way to trace them back.” There are many different ways that someone can be cyber bullied. This involves games, chatting, texting and posting. There are many different consequences that follow every message sent. The Megan Meier story has had a huge effect on parents and teens worldwide. During the 2014-15 school year at Knox County, Megan’s mother came to speak to students. She explained that we can all help stop cyber bullying by reporting it, saving information and preventing bullying. Today, adults and teens share too much information on the internet. According to statistics shared by Brown, 60 percent of teens profiles are public, which means anyone can have access to the account. Anyone has the ability to alter what you post. That is why it is so important to keep personal information private. Senior, Natalie Clark said, “I had never heard the story of the two girls and I think that it really hit me because it’s so close home and because this is already a subject that I hold close to my heart. Bullying is there and it’s dangerous, but I also thought there was a lot of hope in what Brown was saying and teaching people.” Clark also feels scared that the assemblies we have will not do anything. She hopes that all students were paying attention and understand that this is happening and this is real. |
Students and Staff Enjoy New Food Program
By: John England
The Knox County School District has a new look to their lunches. This year, the school has switched to Oppa! Food Service Inc. for their lunch menu. This, however, was not an overnight decision. Superintendent Andy Turgeon said, “I started looking at it about two years ago and the reason I started looking at it is because of the complaints we were having.” He went on to tell how the students did not have enough food and that they did not like the options. Turgeon explained that after starting to look at Oppa!, he started going to other schools using the food service and found that the students of those schools really enjoyed the lunches. In addition to more enjoyable food options, the school also found out that they would be able to save close to $40,000 in expenditures which can now be put to use in other areas of the school district. Seeing all of the benefits, the school board decided to finally make the change.
Oppa! offers many new food options for the students as well as multiple options every day, giving students a choice in what they want for lunch. Oppa! Director, Kisha Goodwin said “Oppa’s big thing is they only supply food to schools.” In previous years, the school’s food providers have supplied to other facilities such hospitals in addition to schools. Oppa’s goal is to focus solely on schools. Goodwin also mentioned, “There is a whole bunch of different programs that we would like to eventually add in after we get used to how things run.” Many students have agreed that Oppa! is very much an improvement over the lunch system of previous years.
By: John England
The Knox County School District has a new look to their lunches. This year, the school has switched to Oppa! Food Service Inc. for their lunch menu. This, however, was not an overnight decision. Superintendent Andy Turgeon said, “I started looking at it about two years ago and the reason I started looking at it is because of the complaints we were having.” He went on to tell how the students did not have enough food and that they did not like the options. Turgeon explained that after starting to look at Oppa!, he started going to other schools using the food service and found that the students of those schools really enjoyed the lunches. In addition to more enjoyable food options, the school also found out that they would be able to save close to $40,000 in expenditures which can now be put to use in other areas of the school district. Seeing all of the benefits, the school board decided to finally make the change.
Oppa! offers many new food options for the students as well as multiple options every day, giving students a choice in what they want for lunch. Oppa! Director, Kisha Goodwin said “Oppa’s big thing is they only supply food to schools.” In previous years, the school’s food providers have supplied to other facilities such hospitals in addition to schools. Oppa’s goal is to focus solely on schools. Goodwin also mentioned, “There is a whole bunch of different programs that we would like to eventually add in after we get used to how things run.” Many students have agreed that Oppa! is very much an improvement over the lunch system of previous years.
4th Grade Welcomes Mitchem
By: Nash Miller The Knox County School District has many new teachers this year. Kendall Mitchem is one of these. Mitchem comes from a small family, as she is the only child. She is originally from Fair Grove, Mo. and graduated from Fair Grove High School. This past May, she graduated from Truman State University and began her Master’s degree, which she is currently working on. Mitchem teaches fourth grade ELA, Social Studies and Writing. She had not planned on teaching fourth grade, instead she had planned on teaching somewhere in the range of Kindergarten to second grade. In ten years, Mitchem sees herself teaching a Kindergarten class outside of Missouri. Her favorite thing about Knox County is, “All of the resources that are available, working with the staff and meeting the kids.” Her biggest pet peeve from the students is when they do not put their names on their work or have to turn it in late because they did not complete it on time. Mitchem also said her favorite class project so far is the Totem Pole Project. The Totem Pole Project is where each student makes a segment to a totem pole, which will be put together and displayed next week. To celebrate the completion of the project, they are going to have a potluck and the students will be able to bring food and drinks in. |
Wriedt Takes Over Business
By: Daryna Lyzenko This year, a new business teacher joined our Knox County High School. Her name is Brandi Wriedt and she teaches students Computer Applications, Entrepreneurship, Intro to Business, Accounting, Desktop and Personal Finance. Our new teacher is also the adviser of the Future Business Leaders of America. Wriedt has always wanted to be a teacher. She wants to teach children about stuff that they may use everyday. In Computer Applications, Accounting and Desktop Publishing she teaches how to use different apps for computers and tablets. In Entrepreneurship and Intro to Business you can learn “how this country works” or what business is. In Personal Finance students are taught how to manage their money. Wriedt says she hopes as a teacher that she impacts her students in positive way. Wriedt also shared with us her the most memorable moment which is also her biggest achievement. “I used to work in La Plata in summer school with two kids who can’t attend regular classes. I decided to take and involve them to one of the classes. When we came, one boy noticed that everybody had got a cookie to decorate, but my two students had not. He broke his cookie in two and gave them to my one of my students who did not speak well and was shy, but she took a piece of cookie and said “thank you” to the boy. We were working on her manners and just talking for a whole semester. It was a really big achievement for me”. She says, “I feel like school is a happy place.” That’s why Wriedt decided to be a teacher. She graduated from Brookfield High School. During school life, her favorite subject was math. Wriedt was successful in dance too, so she became a captain and even started to coach Dance Team when she went to college. She graduated from University of Missouri and she got her Master's degree at University of Phoenix. She also has a degree in Hotel & Restaurant Managing. Wriedt does not want people to think that her classes are boring. She tries to make them interesting and useful. “I would say I’m unique in my background, completely in teaching. I’m trying to provide students with knowledges about their next step - college or work. My experience also makes me unique, because I was working outside of education. I would say that I have my unique system of teaching.” The most important thing in life for Wriedt is her family. She is married and has two children. Her son, Logan, is in the second grade and her younger daughter, Libby, goes to preschool. She has been living in Missouri for all of her life. Wriedt also has a lot of hobbies such as camping, running and gardening. The new business teacher is also interested in psychology and she is fond of cooking. She said that her goal is also to be a Family Consumer Sciences teacher. |
Ackman Takes on a New Role
By: John England Jeff Ackman is one of the many new teachers to Knox County. He has worked at the school over past years as a substitute, a paraprofessional, and a coach, but he has recently taken the step to officially become a teacher. Ackman graduated from Rushville High School in Rushville, Ill. and attended Johnson County Community College until he transferred to MidAmerica Nazarene University for about a year. His background was primarily in business until he found teaching, which he thought would be a better option for his life. He is now pursuing a degree in special education from Western Governors University which he will be getting this year. Ackman’s teaching role at Knox County is labeled as Elementary Special Education but he teaches any student from the elementary, middle school or high school that may need it. When asked what he was most excited for while teaching at Knox County, Ackman replied, “Challenging kids to think about education beyond just coming to school every day, such as how it will affect their future and their life.” Ackman also said that his biggest frustration in teaching is when he sees students degrading themselves which he then tries to fix to help give them more confidence in themselves. Ackman said that his most memorable moment of teaching so far was the first time a student exceeded his expectations with their ability to do more than he thought. A central part of Ackman’s life, also his biggest achievement, is being a father as well as being a husband. He enjoys camping and other outdoor activities with his family as well as home improvement as a personal hobby. |
Meeting Ms. Oostendorp
By: Haleigh Miller There are many new teachers at Knox County R-1 Elementary for the 2018-2019 school year. One of the new teachers is Megan Oostendorp and she is teaching third grade. She graduated from France Hill North High School in St. Louis, Mo. Oostendorp then went on to Truman State University where she played soccer and graduated. This is Oostendorp’s first year of teaching. She has experience from doing observations in La Plata, Schuyler and Kirksville. Social Studies is Oostendorp’s favorite subject to teach. “Growing up, history was always my favorite subject, so I love teaching it,” said Oostendorp. Oostendorp also loves how technologically advanced Knox County is. “The kids are almost better at it than me sometimes, so they teach me a lot,” she said. Oostendorp enjoys hiking, watching Netflix, baking and hanging out with friends and family. She would describe herself as energetic, outgoing and independent.She has two sisters, a younger one and an older one. She also has a dog. One of her pet peeves that her students do is talking while she is talking. Oostendorp’s greatest achievement is becoming a teacher because she has always wanted to be a teacher. |
Boyd Brings Her Creativity to Knox
By: Savannah Mauck Another new teacher at Knox County R-1 School District is Danielle Boyd. She is the elementary and middle school art teacher. Boyd graduated from Clark County High School. She then went to Southeastern Community College for two years and transferred to Hannibal-LaGrange University for three years. Boyd has always loved art which has tied into her wanting to be a teacher. She has always wanted to be a teacher and growing up she would make worksheets for her siblings to work on. Boyd is most excited to have a wide range of students to teach. This way she can find out what works best for her and the students since it is her first year teaching. Boyd is certified to teach kindergarten through 12th grade. Boyd is a third child with an older brother and sister. She also has three younger sisters that range 20 years apart. In her free time, she likes film photography, watching Netflix and naps. |
Ritsema Joins Knox Staff
By: Megan Mayer Julia Ritsema is the new second grade teacher at Knox County Elementary. She graduated from Kingsford High School, in Kingsford, Mich., at the top of her class. Ritsema then went to Wellesley College outside of Boston, Mass., which is an all girls college. She did not want to teach in the beginning. Ritsema started out in computer science but then decided that she hated it. Her husband and her decided that she could just substitute teach and he could work. Ritsema ended up in a preschool classroom, which made her realize that she wanted to teach preschool, but she is reconsidering it since she is now working with second grade. Ritsema started off her education career doing graduate work at Knox with Mrs. Van Delft. Ritsema loves second grade because she enjoys how they are moving past the coloring stage and moving onto actual work. Her favorite subject to teach is science, especially with their recent project where they captured a caterpillar and watched it turn into a butterfly. Her favorite part about Knox is the atmosphere and how all the staff interact well together. Ritsema’s biggest pet peeve, in the classroom, is having to repeat herself multiple times. Her family consists of her husband, who is a biology professor at Truman, and their three cats. Ritsema has a mother who is also a teacher and a father who is a police officer. She has two older siblings, one brother and one sister. The most inspiring person is her mother who is a music teacher. They bonded over riding to school together everyday as well as her being the youngest child. Ritsema's hobbies are hiking with her husband, watching television, reading and baking. She describes herself as empathic, fun and quiet. |
Kindergarten Welcomes Strange
By: Alyssa Murr Another new teacher at Knox County R-1 School District is Mariah Strange and she teaches Kindergarten. Strange says she knew she wanted to teach Kindergarten because she has always really enjoyed younger kids; they say what’s on their minds, they won’t lie to you and they are not fake. She describes it as, “a fun new experience.” Strange says that one thing she was not prepared for was on the first day, she forgot to take the kids out to recess so they had to go outside later. Strange also mentioned that her favorite part of teaching at Knox County is the fact that everyone here talks and communicates with each other. She says, “Other teachers are always popping in to see what I need or what they can do to help.” Her biggest pet peeve about the students is when they constantly ask to go to the bathroom right after they had just had a bathroom break. Strange describes her most memorable moment as a teacher is at the end of the day when it’s time to pack up, she’s giving out hugs and high-fives and the kids tell her that they love her. Strange grew up and has spent most of her time in the Edina and Knox City area. She has two siblings, a brother who is 13 years old and a sister that is 20 years old. Her brother goes to the Highland School District and her sister is a senior who attends Blessing Rieman College of Nursing. Strange’s mother works at Highland as a math teacher and father works for the City of Labelle. |
Hustead Takes Over ELA
By: Cadie Violette Tylere Hustead is a new teacher at Knox County R-1, as well as the middle school girls basketball coach. This is Hustead’s first year as a teacher and will be teaching middle school English. She is from small town California, Mo. and attended high school there. She is currently living in Quincy, Ill. Hustead attended college at Westminster in Fulton, Mo. and Hannibal-LaGrange University in Hannibal. She said,” My most memorable moment as a teacher is when I am able to see my students really enjoy what they are doing in class and be able reach their full potential.” Hustead is currently working toward her masters degree and will hopefully go on to her doctorate degree. She hopes to eventually move to Knox County in the future to be closer to her job and family. In her free time, Hustead enjoys reading, writing, watching sports, walking and being with her friends and family. |