Good News

November 2010

A Newsletter from the Mount Ayr Community School District

“. . . caring and working together to create excellence in a dynamic educational process for the global citizen.”

What I like best about our school

Students from all grades in the Mount Ayr Community school district
share what makes school special to them for American Education Week
What I Like
About School
By Skylar Armstrong,
Second Grade
I like to do homework, math
facts, reading, spelling, poems,
science, reading groups, art, and
music. The new science lab is
really cool. My class and I have
journals to write in. We go to the
science lab every Monday.

What I Like
Best About Our
School I like sitting with the kids
By Scott Driskill, on the floor during the
Second Grade
What I like best about our
morning meeting.
Madison Shields
school is reading and writing.
Kindergarten
My whole class likes doing that
I think. I also like to do spell-
ing words. When it is math time,
my whole class has to go up on
the floor and Mrs. Taylor tells us spire yourself and make stuff you when we write poems. Mrs. multiplication, and last but not
stuff to learn. thought you couldn’t. At school Sobotka gives us little rhyming least addition. I just think its fun
After last recess on Monday, you learn new stuff. books to help us with it. I like it and fascinating. But when we
my class goes to the Science Lab when we do math because of the do tests, man is it hard. But then

What I Like
and learns about magnets and math facts. again, its fun to have a challenge
other science stuff. sometimes but not exactly all the
Best About Our What I Like time. That is what I like about
Good Things at School Best About
school.

School By Madison Birkenholz,

Our School What I Like
Third Grade
Best About Our
By Jordan McAlexander, Third
Grade My favorite thing in Mount By Caroline McAlexander,

School
I like school. My favorite Ayr Community Elementary Fourth Grade
subject is art and math. I like School is science because of all My favorite thing in school is
math because if you have a sto- the experiments and the exciting math and science. I like how in By Myles Greene,
ry problem and you think really things. When using computers, science we get to learn what we Fourth Grade
good, you could just imagine it it’s fun looking up extinct ani- can do and what we have done to I am a really good fan of
and see it in your head so that it mals in reading groups. our environment. Mount Ayr Community School.
is much easier to get. I like the activities that Mrs. In math, we learn all sorts of It is the best school ever because
I like art because you can in- Sobotka let’s us do. It is fun stuff like division, subtraction, the teachers are nice and they
Supt. of Transportation Bus K-6 K-6 Elementary 7-12 High School 7-12 Special Ed. Press
Schools Director Garage Principal Nurse Counselor Principal Counselor Nurse Coordinator Box
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teach you a lot. and we have goggles that we
Another thing that I like is
that we got a new addition at our
school. I really think the new
building is awesome. It is a big
catch in our school. I thought
that the workers did a very nice
job on the new building. Good
job, workers. I also like the new
equipment we got. It is so cool!
Well, Mount Ayr Community
School is the best school you
could go to. Thank you Mount
Ayr Community School!
What I Like
Best About Our
School
By Will Young,
Fifth Grade
I have many reasons why I
like school. Here are a couple
of reasons. I like science because
science fascinates me with all
the wonders of the world, like
the Parthenon, the Pyramids, the
Great Wall of China, the Taj Ma-
hal and the Colosseum.
I also like math because Mrs.
Hawkins creates different ways
to do math so it is easier.
I like art because Mrs. Uhlen-
kamp helps inspire us to paint
with expression.
I also like music because Mrs.
Cason wants us to sing out loud
and have fun.
And last but not least is So-
cial Studies. I like it because it
helps us see in the past and show
who was our ancestors.
Our School in
wear. There is a lot of room in
the class and we have fun in the
lab.
I like the new lockers. They
are tall and thin. They are big
enough to hold my coat, gym
bag and my school bag. It is tall
enough that my coat does not
touch my books on the bottom of
the locker. My locker is big!
I like the new gym, it is huge.
The gym has a storage area and
an office area for the gym teach-
er. It has bleachers and a stage in
the gym.
I like the new computers that
we get to use. They are very use-
ful to us. We can look up stuff
that we can’t find in our text-
books.
I like the new locker rooms
because we can change our
clothes and put our clothes in the
lockers. We also have showers to
shower after P.E. They are also
used for tornado shelter which
gives us a lot of room.
I like the new lunchroom be-
cause we don’t have to move the My favorite part of school is learning
tables all the time. P.E. can be in Chloe Hunt
the gym and lunch in the lunch- Kindergarten
room.
My School books to read.
The new addition to the build-
school is that it is very clean and
neat. I think our school is the
By Hope Fletchall,
ing is much nicer because there is best in the district and will be for
Sixth grade
warm running water, the rooms many years.
I am thankful to have our
are nicer and there is a gym and
school. My favorite subjects are
What I Like
cafeteria instead of having both
science because we get to do fun
combined together.
hands-on activities and language
arts because we get to do creative I have enjoyed the years of
school I have gone through and Best About Our
School
assignments.
I think it is a privilege to I will miss the new addition very
be able to use the laptops. The much. By Nathen Allen,

Mount Ayr
Smart Boards are very useful in Sixth Grade

By Baylee Love,
all the classes. They help you
understand things easier.
Our School
My favorite activities are P.E. By Mike James,
Fifth Grade
Sixth grade
I like the new science lab be- and art. I like guided reading
Mount Ayr Community is the
cause we get to do experiments because we always have good
best school because all of the
teachers are awesome at their job
and are very nice. The equipment
in the school and the science lab
are high tech and very fast.
The new gym is nice and so
are the classrooms, office and the
hallways. The bigger lockers are
nice to have and they keep us a
lot more organized.
The Sites For Learning pro-
grams and sports are very good
because some other schools do
not offer them to fifth and sixth
grade.
This school is very nice be-
cause there is very little bullying
and if it does happen, it gets tak-
en care of right away. All of the
staff are always happy and nice.
Another reason I like our
What I like best about our
school is the different activities
we do in P.E.
I also like the plays the high
school students perform for us. I
like lunch because you can visit
with your friends. I like the fact
that we have our own computers
so that if we have to type a report
we can do it at home.
I have never been to a school
that is more fun and exciting than
Mount Ayr Community School.
What I Like
Best About Our
School
By Samantha Crawford,
Seventh Grade
What I like best, wow, that is
a hard question because I like ba-
sically everything about school.
My favorite subjects are Math,
English, Band, Choir and Sci-
ence. What I really like is that
By Miranda Ward,
Freshman Best About Our By Alex Sobotka,
Junior
there are kind and caring teach- Our school at Mount Ayr Com-
ers here that can help you with munity High School is an en-
School The Mount Ayr Community
School is a wonderful environ-
By Logan Wimer,
anything you need. joyable school to attend. The Sophomore ment to be in. I feel like I know
teachers here make a difference My favorite thing about most, if not all, the teachers out-
Mount Ayr helping students learn and un-
derstand ideas and materials
Mount Ayr Community is that side their classrooms. With these
kinds of relationships it is easy to
School
the teachers get to know you per-
easier. The students are easy sonally. The staff here strives to find help when needed.
By Trina Restauro, to get along with and make you fulfill our opportunities in school The teachers also demon-
Sixth Grade smile each and every day. and in life. Each staff member strate knowledge in classes other
Mount Ayr Community Sports are fun to attend and we personally tries to get to know than their own. The teachers set
School has a lot of things to like work very hard to do our best each individual. They do the you up for success; all you have
and love. One of the things that and try to win. best to make us happy in a laid to do is accept the responsibility
I like most in our school are the Our school board is great with back style. I like how our school to be the best you can be.
teachers. They are approach- making decisions that will help The janitors will do anything
is small enough to do that.
able and very kind to students. make our school a better place. for the faculty and students to
Whenever we need help with I definitely would award Mount make school life easier. They
demonstrate real self-sacrifice
something they are there to help Ayr Community School as the
us. best school because it really is a What I Like putting everyone else before
Another thing that I like about great place to help students plan
our school is the technology that goals for the future.
Best About Our themselves.
The athletic coaches strive
they offer like the laptops and School to teach more than sports. They
teach lessons of life.
the Smart Boards. They are re-
ally handy to use when we need What I Like By Cassidy McAtee,
Sophomore
The best part about our school
to research about our homework
and projects. I also like the good
Best About Our What I like best about our
is the community in which it ex-
ists. We have amazing support
School
school are the teachers. They are from our community, often going
education that they provide so friendly, work with us, help us
that we can have a better future great lengths to show this to us.
By Jacob Beamgard, when we need it and are always
when we grow up. Whenever we are down they are
Freshman there. They put up with our crap
Mount Ayr Community The things that I like about still there for us, cheering their
and believe in us when nobody hearts outs.
School is one of the best schools Mount Ayr Community Schools else will.
that I’ve ever been to. The things are that you can really get a good All these things make me
They have big goals for us proud of where I’m at, and make
that I like in our school include amount of individual help in a and know we can achieve them.
the value the school gives for the high quality environment. Also, me know I wouldn’t want to be
They have faith that we will suc- anywhere else.
students to read books so that we the technology that this school ceed and do well with our lives.
become better readers and have a has to offer is very good. Without teachers we would
What I Like
better vocabulary. We have good teachers and be uneducated and not succeed.
The other thing that I like in they go out of their way to make They teach us things we have
our school is the time they give us better individuals. Those are
us in study hall for our homework just the good non-physical things
never known before. That is
why I think teachers are what I Best About Our
to be finished early. The thing I about our school.
like best are the activities they I like that we have P.E. ev-
like best about our school. School
By Megan Doubleday,
What I Like
give us because it really helps us ery day to make us mentally and Junior
to have a better education. physically strong. There are many things I like
Best About Our about Mount Ayr Community
What I Like What I Like School
School. First, the teachers are
great and take the time to make
Best About Our sure everyone understands. If

School someone doesn’t understand

they privately take the time to re-
By Billi Stark, explain it.
Eighth Grade Our teachers also provide us
What I like about our school with a fun and educational learn-
is the athletic and education pro- ing environment. They allow us
grams. to not only learn in the class-
I like our athletics because room with books but do many
they are sports that we can enjoy hands on projects to expand our
all our lives. brains.
I like our education system Teachers at Mount Ayr Com-
because we have some of the munity School are also great
nicest and hardworking teachers. about teaching to all levels of
They are trying their best to teach students, whether they be slow
us new things everyday and I ap- learners or highly intelligent.
preciate that. They challenge everyone at their
level of learning.
What I Like Our school also has many
programs to offer students such
Best About Our First grade as clubs, organizations and

School
sports. This allows everyone to
Continued on back page
 These are a few
of our favorite
things

Science room, Physical Educa-

tion, guided reading, technol-
ogy and more.

What I Like As a school we are also very

About School
Continued from page 3
be involved in our school and en- one, the other choices and salad
joy their time here.
blessed to have so many choic-
es at lunch and a salad bar that
is usually full. Although some
lunches do not appeal to every-
bar allow the students to still get
a decent healthy meal.
During this time of National
Education Week we need to take
the time to thank everyone that
makes Mount Ayr Community a
great school. That includes the
people behind the scenes such as
janitors, cooks, bus drivers and
many more that rarely get recog-
nized. Without them our school
would not be what it is today.
Thank you to everyone for
making Mount Ayr Community
School a great place!

Notes From the Elementary Principal’s Desk

We have been lucky with our
weather but the time for warm
coats is here.
Please make sure that your
child comes to school each day
with a warm coat, hats, mittens/
gloves, and later on snow pants
and boots. It is important for
students to get fresh air each day
and burn off some excess energy.
We do go outside every day un-
less the wind chill is below zero.
****
I loved reading about what the
students like about our school. It
was very, very difficult to select
only a few to put in the Good
News because all of them were
great. There is no question that
the fifth and sixth graders are en-
joying the new addition and the
new technology.
Technology is now used
daily, a big change from when the
teachers plugged in two things
in the classroom and the circuit
blew in the 36 building. Stu-
dents are excited that they have
running water, toilets and show-
ers that work and don’t smell,
and not having to eat lunch while
PE was in session.
Fifth and sixth grade use
our new science lab on a daily
basis and second grade uses it
weekly. We are now able to do
hands-on experiments because
we have the equipment, access to
water in the room, and the space
to safely conduct experiments.
We hope to use our science lab
even more in the future.
Thank you members of the
community for providing our
students with the new addition to
the elementary. They are very ap-
preciative of it, especially those
students who remember what it
was like to not have heat or water
fountains in the 36 building.
If you have not seen our
new addition yet, please stop by
and I will be happy to give you a
tour!
Lynne Wallace
Mount Ayr Community
Elementary Principal