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Chillicothe RII News Page

C-T Photo/Laura Schuler 12 06 07

Many Chillicothe Middle School students waiting for the buses to take them home Thursday, December 6, enjoyed the falling snow which accumulated to about 2.5 inches, according to the official weather station, located at the municipal power plant. Chillicothe R-2 classes were not dismissed early, but a few events planned for Thursday night were postponed.

Young Students Get Jump-Start on Career Planning

CAPTION: In John DeBey's “Career Decisions” enrichment class, eighth-grade students spend time researching possible careers using an online resource, “Missouri Connection,” sponsored by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. The web site is designed to guide students through the process of exploring and preparing for successful careers.

C-T Photo by Laura Schuler

When eighth-grade student Caleb Coleman sat down at a computer during his "Career Decisions" enrichment class at the middle school, it took only a few clicks of his mouse to discover something new: Students enrolled in Washington University's architecture graduate program in St. Louis must register a score of "30" on their composite English and math tests. Just a few chairs down, Kaitlyn McMullen was scanning information about the health and science field on her computer. "Pediatricians make good money," she mused. However, she said that those interested in the profession must go to school for at least eight years. These are discoveries that are happening every day for an hour or so in John DeBey's eighth grade enrichment class designed to allow students to research possible career choices.

Using an online resource, "Missouri Connections", students are able to take career planning to a higher level. Sponsored by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, the web site is designed to guide students through the process of exploring and preparing for successful careers. According to DeBey, Missouri students in grades six and above, parents, guidance counselors and educators can use the online system at no charge. "This class is great for that middle school kid who is struggling for some direction and asking, "What am I going to do?," DeBey explained. He added that at this point in their educational careers, middle school students are ready to start planning for their high school courses and beyond. "This gives students a chance to spend some time to think about possible career choices with a tool that helps them focus in on what might be good for them, based on their interests," he said.

Because the class is an enrichment class, it lasts for around six weeks and is not graded. DeBey says, the class serves as an opportunity for students who are doing well in school to take a few minutes each week and explore
possible career opportunities. "They are really enjoying this class," DeBey said. He added that the Career Decisions class has created a dialogue among the students and their peers about career possibilities and shows them ways to find careers that they had been previously unaware of. While on the website, students are able to search and save information about careers, schools and educational programs they find interesting, DeBey said.
He added that students are able to build and update a personal plan of study and a portfolio of academic and community achievement, work experiences, assessment scores, resumes, cover letters, work samples and favorite Web links. Students can also track their progress toward a planning timeline for education and career planning events. Students are able to click on various links, watch video clips and explore careers which are broken down into career paths and jobs available. Students, DeBey said, soon discover through their research exactly what a person in any profession does on a daily basis. That has proven to be very beneficial, DeBey says. "Some students have long held onto an idea of what they'd like to pursue as a career, but come to find out they don't really have a good understanding of what exactly the respective profession involves," he said, adding, "This
isn't a class designed to burst anyone's dream, but it is reality."

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Award Winning Teachers and Staff!
Photo by BK Web Works, 05 22 07

On May 22, 2007, CMS staff, administrators, and two members of the Chillicothe Education Foundation were treated to a recognition dinner at Pin Oak Hill honoring Nancy Elliott and John DeBey, two middle school teachers who received national awards during the past year.

Nancy was recognized as one of 20 teachers as the "USA Today Teacher of the Year" and John as one of 43 across the country to receive the National Technology Educator's Association Outstanding Educator award. The majority of the costs of the dinner were paid by Nancy Elliott with the balance covered by the Chillicothe Education Foundation. Bryan Prewitt, Middle School Principal, thanked everyone who attended and presented a special thank you to Assistant Middle School Principal, Steve Haley; Mary Lou Wilhoit, CMS Secretary who coordinated the event; the Education Foundation; John DeBey on his award; and Nancy Elliott for her award and for sharing her winnings with the entire staff.

Pictured left to right are Mary Lou Wilhoit, CMS Secretary; Dale Wallace, Supt. of R-2 Schools; Steve Haley, CMS Asst. Principal; Bryan Prewitt, CMS Principal; Ed Douglas, Chair of the CEF; Nancy Elliott, award winning CMS teacher; and John DeBey, award winning CMS teacher. Photo taken by Brenda Fellhoelter, who also attended as a CEF representative.

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CMS Roof Discussed
By LAURA SCHULER/C-T City Editor Wednesday, January 17, 2007

The east side of the Chillicothe Middle School will be receiving a new roof this spring and R-2 board members discussed the project during last (Tuesday) night's regular January meeting held at district headquarters. According to Dave May, R-2 assistant superintendent, the project is estimated to cost between $80,000 and $90,000 and will coincide with the air conditioning project planned for the school. “We decided that it's better to put a new roof on and do the air conditioning at the same time instead of cutting holes in a new roof (for the air conditioning project) later,” said May.

While the two projects will be going on at the same time, they are being funded differently. The air conditioning project is primarily being funded through the Hedrick Foundation, but the roof project will be budgeted in, according to May. The cost of both projects total $550,000 to $575,000.

CMS to Receive Air Conditioning
By LAURA SCHULER/C-T City Editor, Wednesday, December 6, 2006

The Chillicothe Middle School is the next and final Chillicothe R-2 school building to receive air conditioning, thanks to the generosity of a local foundation which has directed over $1 million to the R-2 School District since 2003. Superintendent Dale Wallace noted that the Hedrick Foundation has pledged the majority of the funds for the project, which is expected to start just before the end of the 2006-07 school year. “By the start of the 2007-08 school year, all of the district's major attendance centers will have air conditioning,” Wallace said.

The Hedrick Foundation recently contacted district officials about the upcoming major gift and Wallace made the announcement during the annual teacher awards ceremony Monday afternoon. “The benefit that (the Hedrick Foundation) has provided for our students as far as improving their learning environment is unbelievable,” Wallace said today (Wednesday). He added, “We are extremely grateful for what (the Hedrick Foundation) has done, and we're very appreciative of what they are continuing to do for the Chillicothe R-2 School District.”

The Hedrick Foundation has footed the majority of the cost associated with installing air conditioning in all but Garrison School, the new high school and the middle school. Air conditioning was installed in Central School in 2003 and a year later, Field School received air conditioning. The Dewey School air conditioning project was completed this past year.

Hedrick Foundation board member Jim Staton said that the cost associated with installing air conditioning at the middle school will be somewhat higher than the other projects because of the large cafeteria in the school. According to Wallace, the middle school's east two-story classroom section which is used primarily by sixth- and seventh-grade students, will be air conditioned. The west end of the school, which was built in 1976 is already air conditioned and, according to Dave May, R-2 assistant superintendent, the only part of the middle school which will not be receiving air conditioning is in the three story structure. However, he noted that the classrooms in that section of the building already have or will soon have window air conditioning units installed.

Currently, the district is in the planning and design stage of the project. Wallace stated that the district will likely continue to work with Henderson Engineering Group, of Kansas City. The engineering firm has handled the first three air conditioning projects, he said.

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Chillicothe Middle School Teacher Earns National Award
C-T Article, Thursday, November 2, 2006

One local Chillicothe Middle School teacher can add another award to her list of achievements after being named to the USA TODAY All-USA Teacher Team. Nancy Elliott, alternative school teacher at CMS, received the honor with 20 other teachers from across the United States.

USA TODAY's All-USA Teacher Team honors individuals and instructional teams throughout the country. Team members will receive trophies and share $2,000 with their school with teacher receiving $500. Each teacher was also honored in the USA TODAY newspaper as representatives of outstanding teachers.

“It is quite an honor to be recognized nationally for the things that you are doing and you enjoy doing,” Elliott said, adding that she will probably use her winnings to help support the “Taking Another Path” alternative school program at Chillicothe Middle School.

The All-USA Teacher Team was selected by a panel of judges from nominees across the country. Teachers could be nominated by school administrators, students (past or present), students' parents, colleagues or family members. Teachers were then asked to describe their school and students' needs and how they go about meeting those needs. “We are pleased to honor these remarkable teachers who enhance eduction with initiative, enthusiasm and insight,” said USA TODAY Editor Ken Paulson. “They make a real difference for their students, schools and communities.”

Elliott, who has been teaching for 20 years, was nominated by her colleague, Ellen Gott, who is also an instructor for the CMS alternative school. “She is a great teacher and works very hard,” Gott said, explaining why she nominated her fellow teacher. “She's very dedicated and deserves some recognition.” 

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Eleven CMS Students ‘Taking Another Path' On Road to Success
By LAURA SCHULER/C-T City Editor, Tuesday, October 3, 2006

CAPTION: Ellen Gott (left) and Nancy Elliott (right) look over some reports following the school day yesterday (Monday) in one of the Taking Another Path (TAP) classrooms. There are 11 Chillicothe Middle School students enrolled in the TAP program which is an alternative school for students in grades six through eight who are failing in some aspect of their academic careers.

C-T Photo/Laura Schuler

The middle school's alternative program, now called, “Taking Another Path,” (TAP) is new this year and Principal Bryan Prewitt says the program's new name fits the look of the room which features a mural on the wall depicting a path through the woods.

The students enrolled in the program (10 boys and one girl in grades six through eight), were referred by their instructors last year. The students were placed in the program because they were failing in at least one aspect of their middle school academic career, including poor attendance, failing grades or because of behavioral issues. The program, Prewitt explained, is used as an alternative setting for the students to succeed in the classroom instead of simply failing their grade.

Class is held throughout the day in the west end of the school. The TAP students stay in two classrooms with one connecting room in the middle which serves as the kitchen area. There, students are instructed by Ellen Gott and Nancy Elliott. Both teachers say that there are good days and bad days for the students and teachers. “We feel like we're making progress,” Gott explained, but she added that the road to TAP student achievement is slow, almost like taking a few baby steps each day. “A couple of our students are experiencing success for the first time as leaders, so that's neat to see,” Gott said.

The students involved with the TAP program have also been paired up with local business professionals who serve as mentors. Together, the adults and students work twice a month on special projects like building picnic tables or working on computers. “Our (TAP) students are super when the mentors are here,” Gott said. However, that doesn't mean that it's easy going for the students or their teachers. In fact, Prewitt reports that every day is a struggle for the students, the teachers and the administrators involved in Chillicothe Middle School's alternative program.

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New Chillicothe Middle School Activities Director, Steve Haley, has announced starting dates for preseason practices and other information for the CMS fall sports teams - football and volleyball. Returning football head coach Doug French and new volleyball coach Pam Gabel will conduct their first practices following the first day of classes, Monday, August 21. Football practice will begin at 3:30 p.m. and last until two hours. It will be on the school's practice field. Players who did not pick up their equipment at checkout should contact French at 707-0570.

French notes football players who have new cleats should be wearing them some before the start of practice to break them in and avoid associated problems, such as blisters. Also, since mouthpieces are required, any player requiring a special mouthpiece other than the ones the school supplies will need to supply their own.

The first volleyball session will begin at 3:30 p.m. and should finish around 5:00. Gabel states players should have shorts, a t-shirt, and athletic shoes with them for that very first practice. Kneepads are recommended, but optional. As usual, athletes must have a current (Feb. 1, 2006 or later) physical exam completed and appropriate form confirming their medical clearance to play either on file with the school or with them before they'll be allowed to practice. Also, the district's citizenship contract form must be fully completed and turned in. Those forms are available at the school office.

Haley reminds athletes that they must participate in at least 14 practices before they can play in a game. With the Labor Day holiday, that means for football players that virtually every practice must be attended in order to be eligible to compete in the September 12 opening game. Any transfer from another middle or junior high school must meet MSHSAA transfer guidelines and have the appropriate form completed. There is no participation fee again this year.

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Foundation Awards Grants for Education
Saturday, August 12, 2006, C-T

The Livingston County Community Foundation has awarded a $4,000 grant to help further education technology at Chillicothe High School and a $1,000 grant for equipment to help fund a Chillicothe Middle School program. A grant request, titled, “At Risk - What's their Story,” was written by Anne Jeschke, educational technology specialist for CHS. There are eight at-risk students (four each semester) enrolled in an after-school digital video editing program at the high school. Participants are selected by teacher recommendation and expression of interest and they are mentored by teachers. The students are taught photography and basics of video editing. In turn, the students create a movie and train community patrons in video editing. The students are also allowed to contract jobs on their own to create videos for businesses or individuals.

The total cost of the project is $8,475 and the Livingston County Community Foundation is providing approximately half of the funding. The funds for this grant will come from the Noble Dean Smith Trust administered by the foundation. This trust is donor-directed to be granted half for the Chillicothe High School and half for Hedrick Medical Center.

Nancy Elliott, teacher at Chillicothe Middle School, wrote a grant request to the Community Foundation to assist with the project, “A Good Day's Work.” The grant will help purchase equipment to assist at-risk students in mastering life skills. “Academic needs are only a part of what these students need and are being addressed through other grant funded projects and school curriculum,” said Elliott. “Another major concern is the lack of life skills, lack of adequate nutritional knowledge of food and lack of hygiene skills and clean clothes.” Elliott reported that an important element of the “A Good Day's Work” program will be to find mentors for each involved student. The project will address these needs by teaching students to purchase and prepare nutritious meals and snacks and to care about their appearance through cooperation with the Baptist Clothing Closet. With the project, students will fix their own breakfast each morning and then clean up. They will also have an afternoon snack before they leave school for the day. The students will earn some of the funds for the food by working for an allowance that can be used to purchase food. Students will also prepare menus and shop for the groceries.

The Livingston County Community Foundation is a local group authorized to award grants to any 501c3 (non-profit) organization in the county regardless of the area of interest represented by the group. For example, the foundation has granted funds in the fields of education, community health and wellness, art and humanities, youth, economic development and downtown revitalization. The Livingston County Community Foundation is actively seeking additional funds from individuals as well as encouraging Livingston County residents to include the foundation in their wills and estates or to set up their own trusts to be managed by the foundation board, as in the case of Noble Dean Smith Trust. These funds can be directed to the permanent endowment of the foundation or can be donor directed to any non-profit charity in Livingston County which the donor specifies. Please contact Jim Johnson, president at 707-0803 or Ron Wilder, secretary at 646-0502 for more information on the Foundation for any questions.

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CARROLLTON - Chillicothe Middle School's girls handily won the Carrollton Junior High School Invitational track and field meet Monday, while the Hornets finished second. The Lady Hornets earned 101 points, well ahead of runnersup Brookfield and Boonville, each of which had 68. Knob Noster was fourth with 63.

In the boys' division, Boonville rolled up 119 points with second-place Chillicothe far back with 85.

For Chillicothe's girls, there were three event wins and five runnerup finishes leading the winning effort.

The Lady Hornets' 440-yard relay team of Madeline Brick, Tatum Harp, Kaley Hayward, and Ashley Meyers prevailed in 58.23 seconds. Bailey Keith took the 1,600-meter run in 6:11.8 and Samantha Fender captured the 200-meter dash in 28.31 seconds. Finishing second for Chillicothe were Samantha Walsh in the high jump, the 880-yard relay team of Chloe Allen, Rochelle Gillilan, Brick, and Fender, the mile relay team of Meyers, Allen, Hayward, and Catherine Tipton, Harp in the 75-meter hurdles, and Fender in the 100-meter dash.

Chillicothe boys who won were Kellin Ferguson in the discus throw at 111'1” and Brett Stephens in the 100-meter hurdles in 17.19 seconds. Taking seconds were the Hornets' Clayton Allen in the pole vault, Bryce Young in the 200- and 400-meter dashes, and the mile relay team of Stephens, Jared McCauslin, Allen, and Tyler Skipper.

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Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, 2005-2006 Mark Twain nominated author, will visit Chillicothe Middle School and Central School February 23 and 24. She will give presentations to five different grade levels during her visit.

Bradley, who lives in Bristol, Tenn., and is a former research chemist, is the award-winning author of “The President's Daughter,” “One-of-a-Kind Mallie,” “Weaver's Daughter,” “Ruthie's Gift,” “Halfway to the Sky,” and the Mark Twain Award finalist, “For Freedom: The Story of a French Spy.” She has also written and had published several books for younger children. The various awards she has received for her writing include:

Children's Book Award (West Virginia) in 2000, William Allen White Children's Book Award in 2001, Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award in 2002, Bluegrass Award in 2002, Volunteer State Book Award in 2002 and 2004, Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award in 2002 and 2005, Young Hoosier Book Award in 2003, Maud Hart Lovelace Award in 2003, Garden State Children's Book Award in 2003, Beehive Young Adults' Book Award in 2005. 

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"No More Trash" Contest
C-T Article, 02 07 06

Caption: Members of the eighth-grade advisory classes at Chillicothe Middle School decorated trash cans in hopes of winning first place at the school and qualifying for state competition in the Missouri Department of Conservation's “No More Trash” contest. The winning trash can, which was decorated by Steve Haley's advisory class, was decorated complete with a “grouch” and earned first place. If that trash can wins the state competition, the class wins $500, which will be used to fund a class project or field trip.

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CMS took its Middle School Science Olympiad team to Regionals this past Saturday, January 28, 2006 at Northwest Missouri State University Campus at Maryville and earned the right to participate in the state competition to be held at the University of Missouri campus in Columbia on the 22nd of April. The top four teams of the region qualify to go on and the CMS team placed second this year in what is traditionally known as a very competitive Region 1.

This year there were 22 events for each team of up to 15 students to participate in. Each event scores team points based on the place the students get in each individual event. Students can only make it to state as part of a team and every member of our team placed in the top 5 in at least one event and greatly contributed to the success we had as a team. Those who placed 4th or 5th out of the 12 teams present received ribbons while those who placed in the top 3 received medals. CMS students placed in the top 5 in 17 of the 22 events. The event results are as follows:

• Bottle Rocket 3rd Drew Hinton and Lambert Eller
• Bridge Building 1st Brett Stephens and Tyler Dietzschold
• Can’t Judge a Powder 2nd Tyler Dietzschold and Jacob Peterson
• Don’t Bug Me 1st Jacob Stull and Brett Stephens
• Dynamic Planet 2nd Steven Johnson and Lauren Dietzschold
• Food Science 2nd Drew Hinton and Amber Kieffer
• Heredity 2nd Amber Kieffer and Joseph Graybill
• Meteorology 2nd Joseph Graybill and Lambert Eller
• Mission Possible 2nd Jacob Peterson, Zach Tate, and Meredith Brick
• Road Scholar 2nd Steven Johnson and Lauren Dietzschold
• Rocks and Minerals 4th Steven Johnson and Maggie McCoy
• Science of Fitness 4th Jacob Peterson and Jacob Stull
• Solar System 5th Drew Hinton and Meredith Brick
• Sounds of Music 4th Lauren Dietzschold and Maggie McCoy
• Storm the Castle 2nd Tyler Dietzschold and Kellin Ferguson
• Water Quality 4th Tyler Dietzschold and Meredith Brick
• Wheeled Vehicle 1st Zach Tate and Gage Hayes

This was the fourth year that CMS has sponsored a middle school team and also the fourth straight year we have qualified for state. This year team spots were opened up to students in grades 7 – 9 in the effort to continue to build depth in the program. Our team consisted of 5 ninth grade students (that is the limit we can have), 8 eighth grade students, 1 seventh grade student, and 1 sixth grade student. The enthusiasm level seems to be building each year and as last year we had to have try-outs to select the 15 team members we are limited to.

This year we had event help from several people which also greatly contributed to our success. Special thanks go out to Susan Stull, Melinda Untiedt, Keith Dietzschold, Gary Hinton, Emily Heisterkamp, Scott Stephens, Doug French and John DeBey. Thanks also go out to Linda Dietzschold and Patricia Ferguson for coordinating and providing snacks during the competition. A big thank you also goes out to all parents who allowed their child to participate, provided supplies, time and rides as we have prepared over the last few months.

A great deal was learned before and during the competition and the students came back with a great deal of enthusiasm and ideas to help the team do better as we prepare for state. This group of students worked very hard and their efforts showed this past Saturday. We closed the gap even more with perennial Science Olympiad powerhouse Plattsburg and hope to better our position among the best teams in the state. I am very proud of each end every team member and know that they will continue to work hard and learn and represent CMS well at state competition.

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Caption: Ellen Gott, math teacher at Chillicothe Middle School, is being rewarded for her innovative teaching methods and strategies and has been named one of the five Missouri state finalists for the 2005 Presidential Awards for excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. She now has the chance of being selected as one of the 108 Presidential Awardees which will be announced in March 2006.
C-T Photo/Laura Schuler

Chillicothe Middle School mathematics teacher Ellen Gott is being rewarded for her success in using innovative teaching methods and strategies in her classroom and has been named one of the five Missouri state finalists for the 2005 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST). This award is the nation's highest honor for K-12 teaching in the math and science fields. The PAEMST was established by Congress in 1983 and administered for the White House by the National Science Foundation, the Presidential Awards allow for each state to select up to three mathematics and three science teachers as state finalists.

From this field of state finalists, a maximum of 108 Presidential Awardees are selected representing the 50 states and four U.S. jurisdictions. Recipients of the 2005 Presidential Awards will be announced during a week of celebration events in March 2006 in Washington, D.C. “I was very humbled because I know there are so many great teachers out there,” said Gott after being told she was a finalist. “I just to to work every day and do the best job I can.” Gott is one of the 253 state finalists for the award and her teaching style is key to her success in the classroom. “I keep students involved and active,” said Gott. “I ask questions that are related to the world and require higher levels of thinking. I build and scaffold learning by starting with what students know.”

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OSAGE BEACH, Mo. - A local teacher was honored at the state level for her work in teaching conservation during the 57th annual Soil and Water Conservation Districts Training Conference, which was held Nov. 28 to 30 at the Tan-Tar-A resort in Osage Beach. Chillicothe Middle School science teacher Nancy Elliott was awarded The Teacher of the Year state award during the conference. This award is given to a teacher who has implemented innovative soil and water conservation activities. Last year, Elliott earned the Livingston County Soil and Water Conservation's Teacher of the Year award, qualifying her for a nomination for the state award.

Elliott is the Chillicothe Middle School Stream Team sponsor and conducts a quail habitat project with her students. She explained that that project entails having students evaluate habitat for quail and counting the quail population in an area and determining how better to improve quail habitat. The students also plant food plots for quail in the area. “I'm very proud to represent Livingston County as the state winner of the Soil and Water Conservation Teacher of the Year,” Elliott said. Approximately 711 people from across Missouri attended the event including Livingston Countians Steve Radcliff, chairman; Steve Hopper, vice-chairman; David Morris, treasurer; Brian Eggers, district technician and Debbie Gudgell, district manager.

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Education a Team Effort at Chillicothe Middle School
C-T Article November 17, 2005

“The world has questions...Science has answers.”
- Alex Hager, seventh grader, CMS

As students file into Christine Jones' seventh grade science class, they bring their books, their pens and pencils and their questions.

That's where science begins, according to Jones, who has taught a variety of grade levels over the past 13 years.

“I love teaching seventh graders because they have this energy and a willingness to do new things - they're not skeptical yet about their abilities,” Jones said.

Her students start with a question and use science to answer it. They collect data using scientific tools and analyze the information through graphs.

“They (the students) learn to look at data to answer their questions. There's a lot of exploration and inquiry here,” Jones said.

Inquiry is a very important word in Jones' classroom, which has been the site of several interesting scientific experiments since school started. In fact, just a few weeks ago, her seventh graders were trying to recover lost space probes, using clues from the probes' last transmissions as well as laptop computers, projectors and worksheets. During that unit, the students were put in small groups - each one of them an “expert” in their field. There were geologists, historians, meteorologists and astrologists on each team and the students collaborated together to find their probes, all under an established budget.

Jones said that as well as teaching scientific principals, the unit is designed to teach students teamwork.

“The students discover the importance of group collaboration,” she explained.

That's something that teachers and administrators at the Chillicothe Middle School take very seriously and it doesn't just happen among the students there.

This year, the core teachers in each grade level are teamed-up in effort to make sure that every student at the middle school is performing to his or her highest level. They meet daily for 50 minutes and during that time, talk centers around their students and how they're performing. 

(By LAURA SCHULER, C-T City Editor)

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Kristy Clampitt's sixth grade exploratory class at the Chillicothe Middle School spent part of their morning flipping through copies of the Constitution-Tribune November 3, 2005, while making newspaper books. The students were asked to find different elements of the newspaper and then put them together in a notebook. During Clampitt's newspaper unit, the class is supplied with 19 newspapers a day courtesy of the Constitution-Tribune's Newspaper in Education program.

C-T Photo/Laura Schuler

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CMS REGISTRATION 2005-2006 SCHOOL YEAR

This student was one of hundreds of middle school students who registered for classes August 11, 2005. As well as having their picture taken for their student identification cards, the day allows students an opportunity to tour the building and become familiar with the routines they will follow throughout the school year. Students who were unable to attend the registration day are encouraged to stop by the school anytime before the start of school on Aug. 22.

C-T Photo by Laura Schuler

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CMS WINS $10,000 FITNESS, NUTRITION GRANT
C-T Article July 14, 2005

The Chillicothe Middle School has been awarded a $10,000 grant designed to fund programs that teach children to develop lifelong nutrition and physical fitness habits. The school is one of 50 across the nation to receive the General Mills Champions grant. "We're really excited about it," said Bryan Prewitt, Chillicothe Middle School principal. He said that CMS science teacher Nancy Elliott wrote the grant and will help CMS staff implement it during the next school year.

"Winning the grant was a very competitive process," Prewitt said, adding, "Nancy Elliott has written a great grant that will be a benefit to teachers and students. And (the grant) gives students practice in goal-setting, which carries over to all areas of life," Prewitt said.

Specifically, the "Goals for Life" grant program will include students setting goals for themselves. Those goals may include weight loss, a reduction in body fat percentages, or better nutrition habits like not drinking as much soda and drinking more milk, Prewitt said.

School officials are also taking a hard look at the a la carte and snack items offered at the school to determine if other, more healthier food items may be offered instead. Vending machines featuring candy bars and chips will still be available for student use before and after school, but Prewitt said that discussions have been held about having a fruit vending machine at the school.

The "Goals for Life," program which will also encourage the students to increase their physical activity and eat healthier snacks. With the program, the school's staff will designate extra time before and after school for physical fitness activities. Students will also celebrate National Fitness Week in all classes and will learn skating in physical education class. Participation in the program is rewarded with points for fitness-related field trips such as bowling, golfing and skating.

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Baldwin Named Wal-Mart Teacher of the Year
C-T Article by Megan Neis

Stephanie Baldwin, sixth grade teacher at CMS, was named as Wal-Mart's 2005 Teacher of the Year. As a result of her selection, the middle school will receive $1,000 from Wal-Mart, and Baldwin will receive a $50 shopping card to purchase supplies for her classroom. She will also receive an honorary Wal-Mart greeter's vest. Baldwin also has the opportunity to apply for state and national Teacher of the Year honors. More than 3800 outstanding teachers who are making a positive difference in the lives of young people were recognized with the Teacher of the Year program. One teacher is selected by each neighborhood Wal-Mart store, SAM's Club, Neighborhood market store and Wal-Mart Distribution Center across the US and Puerto Rico.

Middle School Educator Receives Disney Teacher Award
Nancy Elliott among 45 teachers chosen from 50,000 nominees nationwide.
C-T Article

CMS science teacher Nancy Elliott has done it again and has been accepted for a grant from the Walt Disney Company which will net the school $5,000 and Elliott herself will receive $10,000, a trip to California, and a chance to win another $15,000. Elliott is one of three honorees being recognized for middle school science education. She was chosen from more than 50,000 nominees nationwide. The teachers receive the 2005 Disney Teacher Award in celebration of their creativity, innovative teaching methods, and ability to inspire their students. Each honoree receives $10,000 from the Walt Disney Company and a trip to Disneyland in California for a week of fun and celebration in July. In addition, Disney awards $5,000 to each of the honoree's schools.

Five exceptional teachers will be chosen from the 45 honorees. Four Outstanding Teachers and one Disney Teacher of the Year will receive an additional $15,000 from Disney. Honorees come from every subject field and every level of K-12 teaching.

According to Elliott, her most popular project is the Stream Team which she has been leading at the end of each school year for 10 years. "We take a trip to explore rivers in the northern part of Missouri and rivers in the southern part and test their water quality. Missouri has unusual geography because during the last ice age, the glaciers stopped halfway through the state." Students find that rivers in the north are deep, muddy, and have currents, and the rivers in the south are more shallow with clearer water.

In addition to the monetary awards for teachers and schools, Disney will also fly Elliott and CMS principal Bryan Prewitt, along with the other honorees and principals, to Walt Disney Resort in Orlando, Florida in October, 2005. During this 6-day trip, the teachers and principals will attend a professional development institute where they can refine their own innovative teaching approaches by sharing ideas and learn how to engage other teachers to build an effective collaborative teaching culture at their schools. Once they return, they will put the $5,000 to use at the Middle School and will work with experts from the Center for Collaborative Education in Boston to design school wide plans for making teaching more effective.

Established in 1989, the awards do not simply honor teachers, they also make a permanent investment in each teacher's educational community.

To see a complete list of award winners, click here.

For more information, visit these links provided by the Disney Teacher Awards:

Headshots from Day 1:
http://homepage.mac.com/tricom1234/PhotoAlbum6.html

Headshots from the Gala:
http://homepage.mac.com/tricom1234/PhotoAlbum10.html

Photos from the ceremony in front of Snow White’s Castle:
http://homepage.mac.com/tricom1234/PhotoAlbum11.html

Bio of Nancy Elliott:
http://homepage.mac.com/tricom1234/.Pictures/Teachers/ElliottBIO.pdf

Members of the Chillicothe Middle School Stream Team recently accepted the grand marshal trophy of the Holiday Parade from Chillicothe Area Chamber of Commerce President, Brenda Fellhoelter. The group earned first place in the youth/organization category and then was judged as the top entry of the entire parade.

Photo Courtesy of Mary Garr

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Two Chillicothe Middle School teachers have been awarded a two-year $10,000 grant designed to show 8th grade students how concepts of science and math are used in four career areas. Ellen Gott, 8th grade math teacher, is the primary recipient of the grant. She wrote the grant with help from 8th grade science teacher Nancy Elliott. Their hard work in writing the grant has definitely paid off as the team of teachers were awarded a Toyota TIME grant of $10,000 for their program, "Math and Science Career Simulations."

The teacher duo is among 34 other teams of teachers to receive a math grant this year from Toyota. Gott received the award during ceremonies at the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics annual meeting. As part of the grant, project directors are treated to an all-expense-paid four-day trip to the conference, which was held on April 24, 2004, in Philadelphia. This is the second straight year that a CMS teacher has been awarded a TIME grant. Last year, Elliott wrote and was awarded a $10,000 TIME grant to help her science students learn about the environment and wildlife habitat.

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The CHS Young Reporters sit in the old high school gallery during their investigation and report on the Old CHS building.

Built in 1924, the building was home for over 75 graduating classes until the current high school was built and doors opened there in 2000.. While the upper floors are no longer used, the first floor currently houses the main offices of Chillicothe Middle School and a few classrooms. The Young Reporters interviewed nine Chillicothe residents that have fond memories of the building for their report.

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Caption: CMS science teacher Nancy Elliott has been using a bobwhite quail extra-curricular project for the last three years to help students apply classroom science knowledge to a real life scenario. For these efforts Elliott and her project will both receive prestigious Missouri Conservation Federation awards.

C-T photo by Bill Wehrle

Nancy Elliott of Mooresville, a 13-year veteran Chillicothe Middle School science and mathematics instructor, has been selected by the Missouri Conservation Federation as their Conservation Educator of the Year. This prestigious award will be presented to Elliott on March 19 at a Bass Pro Shop-sponsored reception preceding the Federation's annual meeting at the Lodge of Four Seasons on Lake of the Ozarks.

In addition to the honors bestowed on Elliott individually, her "Quail Project" at CMS was selected for the Federation's Youth Conservationists of the Year award. This three year-old project, involving 20 to 25 volunteer seventh and eighth grade students each year, allows students to apply what they've learned in classroom science and math to a "hands on" real life conservation situation. Elliott originally selected bobwhite quail for this project because her interest in conservation and biologist's and conservationist's concerns regarding the bobwhite's population decline in Missouri.

A student holds one of the many quail involved in Elliott's project. C-T Photo/Laura Schuler

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Caption: The CMS library was filled with students browsing through books, posters, and other items during the Scholastic Book Fair, which was held there throughout the weeks of January 26 and February 2. Every class in the middle school visited the book fair at least twice. The fair opened every morning before school (at 7:45 a.m.) and continued after school until 3:45 p.m. Parents were also invited to the book fair.

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Caption: At left, a few CMS students spent the lunch hour at the Livingston County Senior Citizens Center and helped serve meals. The entire middle school student body spent a portion of the day doing community service projects around town as part of the school's annual CMS Cares Day.

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Caption: At left, students go through a role playing exercise in a conference room at Chillicothe Middle School. All four students, and five others, volunteered to be peer mediators this year at the school. Peer mediators help students in conflict resolve the conflict themselves. The mediators do not solve the problem, they help the students solve it themselves. The mediators went through one week of training last month on the peer mediation procedures. Counselors Laurie Hardie and Cindy Baker and teacher Teri Willard are the faculty sponsors of the program.

-- C-T Photo by Dave Kinnamon

The Chillicothe Middle School has a somewhat unique way of handling some disputes between students occasionally. Sometimes, they let specially trained fellow students facilitate the resolution. There are nine peer mediators, all middle school students, at CMS this school year. All nine mediators are volunteers. In order to get the job, they all went through a week of training at the school last month.

The purpose of the program, as the name states, is to help students solve problems between one another. But the program has deeper significance. "It's to protect the kids and the instruction at this building," said Laurie Hardie, middle school counselor and co-sponsor of the peer mediation program. Cindy Baker, high school counselor, and Teri Willard, middle school teacher, are the other co-sponsors.

Peer mediators for the 2003-2004 school year are middle school students. "At first, I wasn't sure what exactly it (peer mediation) was, so I thought I would try it," one student said. "I like to help people. Normally, I try to help people by telling them what to do different. It's been really fun to be a facilitator and to guide them, rather then tell them."

The peer mediation program developed in the early 1990s at the suggestion of Associate Circuit Court Judge Barbara Lame and RSVP Director Ruth Sieberling. Lame wrote and implemented the mediation curriculum and for the first years the trainer of all peer mediators. VISTA and RSVP volunteers along with middle school counselor Barbara French assisted Lame in the training.
"Originally the program was developed for the 5th and 6th grades because I had a daughter in 6th grade at the time. We found that 5th graders were too young to be peer mediators so eventually the peer mediation shifted over to being a middle school program," Lame said.

Hardie, who has been at the Chillicothe school district since 1995, has been involved in the program every year she's been at Chillicothe. "It's about students helping other students solve conflict," Hardie said. The peer mediators don't actually solve the problem between the students in conflict. The mediators sit them down in a room and guide them through a discussion process. The students in conflict ultimately recommend their own solution, which is written down and sealed in an envelope. The envelope is totally confidential and kept by Hardie and later destroyed.

The peer mediation process is initiated by a simple request by the students. Students in conflict can ask a teacher or administrator to have peer mediation, and one of the counselors then assigns peer mediators to lead the dispute resolution process. Sometimes, a teacher or staff member or friend of the disputants may recommend the use of peer mediation. "The whole peer mediation process involves talking the students through the conflict and guiding them toward a solution," Hardie said.

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Mural Work
Chillicothe Constitution Tribune, June 18, 2003
Photo and Caption by Laura Schuler

Chillicothe Middle School's summer school art camp members were busy yesterday (Monday) morning working on a mural which will be placed in the school's commons area. When completed, the large mural will feature a CMS crest with symbols of both athletics and academics. The students are under the direction of CMS art instructor Susan Elson.

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Young Reporters - Youth Study History of Local Homes
Chillicothe Constitution Tribune, June 18, 2003
Photo and Story by Young Reporters

Caption: Billie Fair gives a tour of the home to the Young Reporters.

Chillicothe has many older homes that retain the original splendor of their past. Many of these grand homes were built in the late 1800s and early 1900s and are rich with history. With a little imagination and research, one can imagine what an entire neighborhood was like 60, 70, or even 100 years ago. 

The Young Reporters Club, a group of summer school students from Chillicothe Middle School, recently did some research on the Calhoun street neighborhood just west of the middle school. They visited three houses that where built in 1890,1905 and 1932. All three of these houses have withstood the test of time. 

Back in 1890, Calhoun Street didn't go as far west as it does now. The old high school (now the middle school building) hadn't been built and hardly any other structures were in the area. In "Missouri Musings Over Eighty-Five Years" by Mabel Jones Bryan, and copyrighted Oct. 11, 1951, by her son, there is a good description of the early history of the address of 1615 Calhoun Street. Mrs. Bryan is talking about the time they left Chillicothe to live at Ludlow (1889) and the year when they returned (1900). 

"At the west end of Calhoun Street one of the finest homes in town had been built during our absence, and it had the most beautiful setting of any in the community. An old French wine merchant named Ruger had set that piece of ground aside for a future home and had planted many rare trees on the site. He never was able to realize his ambition, and his widow sold the ground to Oscar L. Smith, an attorney who built the house and lived there until 1915." 

The Young Reporters learned that O.L. Smith had the house built in 1890. He was an attorney who had his office uptown. The house is a looming two-story home, which is set back more than 100 feet from Calhoun Street. At the time of its construction, this 113-year-old structure was one of the very few in the area. It had a huge yard that was always kept up. 

Further research shows that O.L. Smith had an interesting history of his own. More than one person has recently shared the story that he was the type of person who insisted that his meal be ready for him when he sat down to the table. The story goes that a single dormer was built on the east side of the huge attic to serve this requirement.

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Caption: Chillicothe Middle School science teacher Nancy Elliott works with her eighth-grade students on a digestion lab. Elliott recently earned national certification in middle science by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). Elliott was one of only three middle school science teachers in Missouri to earn the certification in 2002.

The few, the proud, the ... nationally certified school teachers. Chalk another one up for Chillicothe. A Chillicothe Middle School teacher received a national distinction recently that only two other teachers in her category achieved in Missouri in 2002.

Nancy Elliott, a science teacher, was selected at the end of this past November for certification by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS), based in Arlington, Va. (Central Accelerated School teacher Cinthia Barnes earned the honor in her category last year.)

Elliott has been a teacher for 17 years. She holds a bachelor of science degree in elementary education, a master of science degree in middle school math and a certification in middle school math and science. "We are extremely proud of Mrs. Elliott," said Bryan Prewitt, middle school principal. "Not only is national board certification a tremendous personal accomplishment, it is a true sign of teaching excellence in our school district." "Achieving national board certification demonstrates accomplished teaching and represents Elliott's strong commitment to improving her skills and knowledge of the subjects that she teaches." Prewitt said the NBTPS certification accented facts about Elliott that he already knew.

"Her receiving the national board certification tells me what I already knew -- she has distinguished herself as being among the elite of her profession. I already knew she was an outstanding teacher and very dedicated to her profession," Prewitt said. The NBPTS is a 15-year-old independent, non-profit, non-partisan and non-governmental organization dedicated to advancing the quality of teaching and learning. National board certification through the NBPTS is a voluntary process established by the NBPTS, which is achieved only after a rigorous, performance-based assessment. Through the process, teachers document their deep knowledge of the subject matter they teach, provide evidence that they know how to teach their subjects to students effectively and demonstrate their ability to manage and measure student learning.

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Lab partners at CMS work on their eighth-grade science lab behind the Chillicothe Middle School. The three students and their fellow classmates were studying ash fall as part of a unit on volcanos. According to instructor Steve Haley, the students were determining how the size of particles affects the distance traveled.

C-T Photo by Laura Schuler

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Nancy Elliott, Chillicothe Middle School science teacher was awarded a $10,000 Toyota TAPESTRY Science Grant after submitting an environmental education proposal to study the Northern Bobwhite Quail and to restore quail habitats in Livingston County. In the photo, students look at two newly-hatched quail under the direction of Elliott (third from left).

C-T Photo by Laura Schuler

Nancy Elliott, science teacher at Chillicothe Middle School, was awarded a $10,000 Toyota TAPESTRY Science Grant at the National Science Teachers Association national convention held recently in Philadelphia, Pa. Elliott was presented a $10,000 check from Toyota representatives at a special ceremony at the convention.

Elliott was one of 50 science teachers across the country to receive a $10,000 grant this year. An additional 20 teachers received $2,500 mini-grants. Elliott's winning environmental education proposal is to study the Northern Bobwhite Quail and to restore quail habitats in Livingston County. She named her proposal the "Show Me the Quail Project."

Elliott's and her students' project will include investigating similarities and difference in the DNA of wild and domestic quail, fertility of confined quail, feed variations and food preferences, the effects of antibiotics on mortality and egg size, and distracters to reduce cannibalism and colors to reduce stress and predators. "Quails are very cannibalistic," she said. Elliott and her students have tested different colors of light on the quails to see if it will influence their cannibalistic tendencies.

The Toyota TAPESTRY grant program refers to itself as the largest K-12 science teacher grant program in the United States. "Toyota TAPESTRY provides teachers with funds to make science come alive," a Toyota news release states. "Award-winning projects demonstrate creativity, involve risk-taking, possess a visionary quality and model a novel way of presenting science." Elliott selected quail as the subject of her project because there is a lot of science information in circulation about them. "Northern Bobwhite Quail are the most researched bird in North America and their population is on the decline," Elliott said.

Ellen Gott, a middle school English and math teacher, is the co-sponsor of the science project, which Elliott has planned to last from June 2003 to May, 2004. The project will officially begin in June when Elliott, Gott and their students plant feed plots at the Litton Agri-Science Learning Center and at another site in Mooresville. The group will also train in habitat inventories with volunteer Doreen Mengel, a wildlife management biologist, using aerial photographs of both sites. Students will also study genetic background information. "Eighth-graders are just naturally interested in genetics," Elliott said.

Twenty Chillicothe Middle School students have signed on to the project so far. The environmental project will involve many hours of outside-the-classroom work. All students will also be required to complete a project summarizing the results of their quail study. Many of the quail students are also members of the middle school's Stream Team, a student conservation group that Elliott founded and sponsors. Elliott's Toyota grant write-up stated that 60 students will be involved in the Show Me the Quail Project. Elliott and Gott want to sign up 40 more students, who can come from any Livingston County school, including
Southwest, Chula or Bishop Hogan.

"Middle school students with an interest in conservation might be interested in signing up for the quail project," Elliott said. (Interested students can call the middle school and leave Elliott a message, she said.)

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Mark McCarthy, Department of Conservation employee, poses as a Lewis and Clark Expedition hunter this morning (Friday) at Fountain Grove Conservation Area. McCarthy told students about the crucial impact dugout canoes had on the expedition. McCarthy and two other re-enactors from the Department of Conservation offices in Jefferson City gave demonstrations to seventh-grade science students from Chillicothe Middle School. The bicentennial of the famous Lewis and Clark Expedition will officially be next year.

C-T Photo by Dave Kinnamon

FOUNTAIN GROVE CONSERVATION AREA -- Seventh-grade science students from Chillicothe Middle School were transported back in time to the age of Lewis and Clark this spring (2003) at the Fountain Grove Conservation Area. Three professionals from the Missouri Department of Conservation main office in Jefferson City re-enacted the roles of hunters from the Lewis and Clark expedition of 1804 as part of a science field trip for the school.

Meriwether Lewis and William Clark -- Army soldiers, outdoorsmen, explorers and botanists -- were commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson to find an all-water route from St. Louis to the Pacific Ocean and to map and record what they saw along the way. Much of the territory they covered had just been purchased from France the year prior. (Missouri was part of the Louisiana Purchase of 1803.) "We use Lewis and Clark as the hook to get people to talk about natural resources," said re-enactor Lee West, an administrative coordinator for the Missouri Department of Conservation.

The three re-enactors set up three different stations, which groups of students rotated to every 30 minutes or so. One station demonstrated a layout of gear (which Lewis and Clark referred to as "accouterments" in their journals) which included such things as a tinder box, a haversack and an early 19th century version of a speed loader. Another station was a 30-foot dugout canoe. Another re-enactor station was the "captain's table," that included navigation equipment, logs and journals. The Chillicothe teachers also set up stations that the children rotated to. Industrial technology teacher John DeBey showed the children how to fillet fish. He then cornmeal-battered them and deep fried them in canola oil. Students were allowed to eat the fish if they wished.

Science teacher Nancy Elliott demonstrated a car battery-powered stream, which showed the physical dynamics of a meandering river. Conservation education consultant Greg Collier gave the students a class on orienteering and use of a compass. There were also classes on fishing management and water testing. The first station was the 30-feet long dug out canoe, which the three re-enactors made themselves with tools that Lewis and Clark adventurers would have used.

"The people of the Lewis and Clark expedition could make a dugout canoe in about 1.5 days," said re-enactor Mark McCarthy, regional information coordinator for the department. "We made this one in about 6.5 days. This boat has been in the Missouri River. I would rather ride in this boat than in a plastic canoe."

Greg Collier, an education consultant with the Missouri Department of Conservation, showed seventh-grade students from Chillicothe Middle School how to navigate with a compass and map at Fountain Grove Conservation Area.

C-T Photo by Dave Kinnamon

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