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following articles were featured in the latest RBCUSD 132 Newsletter. Art
Club News, Art Students, Basket of Books, Book Club,
College Credit Program Grows, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Football, Future Business Leaders of America, Guidance, Junior Class, Musketeer Castle Cafe Opens, Musketeers R Us, National Honor Society, Picture Yourself Reading, Post Prom Activities, Science Club News, Search Smart for Parents @ your Library, SIUE Study, Student Council News, U.S. History Project, Weightlifting and Conditioning, Writing Center Planned Art Club News This year’s Art Club officers are Carly Rekosh, president; Danielle Muertz, vice-president; Katie Koester, secretary; and Sarah Wiegard, treasurer. Art Club members painted and carved pumpkins for the October meeting. Future plans include silk-screening t-shirts for the club, and developing community service activities for future meetings. If anyone has a relative serving in Iraq, the club would like to collect and send items for Christmas. Please contact Mrs. Franklin 282-3826, ext.128 with names and information. Art Students Art III and Art IV students, along with three Art II students, visited the Dale Chihuly "Glass in the Gardens" exhibit at the Missouri Botanical Gardens in October. Although the day was cold and gloomy, it was a perfect day for student to develop and practice their creative photography skills. Students found the Chihuly exhibit exciting and will be using pictures they took for future displays and a contest in the spring. They will also be creating some Chihuly-style vases and paintings inspired by the exhibit. Basket of Books The RBHS Media Center is sponsoring its third annual Basket of Books reading program in conjunction with the Illinois State Library Read for a Lifetime program (RFL) and the Illinois School Library Media Association Abraham Lincoln Illinois High School Book of the Year Award program (Abe). The RFL list features 22 books, both fiction and nonfiction. Those who read at least four from the list receive a certificate from Secretary of State Jesse White and a discount coupon for Waldenbooks. The Abe list also features 22 works of fiction and nonfiction. Those who read at least four books from the Abe list are allowed to vote on the Abe Book of the Year in March. Students can’t just read the books, however. They must also discuss each book with Mrs. McCutcheon, librarian, before she can send their names to the sponsoring agencies. Each time they discuss a book from the either list, their name also goes into a drawing for prizes and food from the RBHS Media Center. Over 30 students signed up for one or both of the programs. Book Club Last year students spent several mornings before school and during lunch hours chatting about all the books they had read and enjoyed. This year a smaller group of readers has decided to try a more traditional and (for them) adventurous approach to books. They will read a book that no one in the group has yet read (the first is Under the Baseball Moon by John. H. Ritter) and will meet weekly to discuss the book as they read it. As more students join, the club will grow, but the groups will remain small. Students will continue to read books as small groups and to choose books that no one in the group has yet read. What if someone doesn’t like a book? Members agreed unanimously that, if someone doesn’t like a book, the discussions will be much more fun. College Credit Program Grows RBHS offered its first college credit class, U.S. Government & Politics, in 2004. This year the program has expanded from one class in the social studies department to four classes in social studies and English, including International Relations/U.S. Foreign Policy taught by Mr. Deist and College Composition A and B taught by Mrs. Mason. Over the past two and a half years, more than 75 students have earned over 225 college credits during the regular school day by taking government with Mr. Deist. With the additional classes, students are now able to earn 12 transferable college credit hours at RBHS before they graduate from high school. Though the credits earned are granted by SLU, they can be transferred to most institutions throughout the nation. Mr. Deist and Mrs. Mason, through an agreement with St. Louis University, are adjunct instructors for SLU. Fellowship of Christian Athletes The Fellowship of Christian Athletes gives students the opportunity to realize and understand the connection between God and athletics. Our mission is to promote Christian values, leadership, and sportsmanship in the school and community. FCA members gain important experience in leadership and volunteerism through service projects, volunteer work, and club meetings (huddles). The FCA hosted a 5K (3.1 mile) Run/Walk in November for students and members of the community. All proceeds were donated to charity. FCA events are planned by our two sponsors, Ms. Gerfen and Mr. Gillingham, and our officers Michelle Zipfel, president; Alex Guebert, vice-president; Emily Hartman, secretary; and Brooke Toenjes, treasurer. We look forward to having more events this year as well as another Run/Walk next year. - Emily Hartman Football The football season has once again come to an end. The Varsity Musketeers finished with a record of 3 and 6 with victories over Dupo, St. Pius X in Festus, Mo., and Sparta. Although the expectations were for a better record this year, the team continued to improve throughout the season, and we played well in every game. We finished with seniors Chris Mehring, Caleb Cowell, Alex Easter, Justin Salger, Cruz Douglas, and transfer student Thomas Wennerstrom. The Junior Varsity finished the season with a 3 and 4 record and victories over Pinckneyville, Wesclin, and St. Pius X of Festus, Missouri. The freshmen finished with a 1 and 6 record. The coaches and athletes would like to thank everyone who supported the team throughout the season. Also, a special thank-you goes to the parents who contributed to and helped serve the post-game meals. Future Business Leaders of America The RBHS Chapter of FBLA held a recruitment meeting in September. Pizza was served, and the officers gave a presentation on what the chapter will be involved in this year. Membership forms were handed out, and the final total for members this year is 45. For the chapter's October meeting, members got the ball rolling discussing March of Dimes fundraisers, a possible field trip to a business incubator, American Enterprise Day, running a concession stand at the home basketball games, and planning a Christmas and End-of-Year party. - Danielle Huebner Guidance Both the PSAT and ACT tests were administered at Red Bud High School in October. All sophomores took the PLAN in November. The ASVAB will be administered at Red Bud High School on January 24. The College & Career Night in October was well attended by students from Red Bud, New Athens, Sparta, Valmeyer, Christ Our Savior Lutheran, Waterloo, and Freeburg high schools. In January, Mrs. Jokerst will begin meeting with students individually to register for classes for the 2007-2008 school year. Course descriptions are available online and in the guidance office. Students and parents are encouraged to visit www.redbudhighschool.org/guidance for information regarding graduation requirements, college/career planning, and much more. Junior Class The Junior Class has started out with a great year with Homecoming Week. We beat the freshmen in tug-of-war, but lost to the seniors. Our girls pulled it together to defeat the freshmen again in the Powderpuff football game. But, that meant we had to play the seniors. That game didn’t go so well, and the seniors beat us again. Our float managed second place in the parade, even though we were shooting for first. Our class came out with second place overall for the Homecoming Week activities. We also sold magazines to raise money for prom and next year’s Homecoming dance. We hope the rest of the year will be as good as the beginning. - Mallory Sommer Musketeer Castle Cafe Opens When the RBHS Media Center sold iced tea and hot chocolate during its book sale last spring, several students suggested the library sell drinks all year long. Eighty percent of study hall students surveyed this fall said, “If you brew it, we will come.” And they do. During the warmer months, students bought lemonade, iced tea, and even some hot chocolate. Now that the weather is getting colder, students are buying lots of hot chocolate. Each morning the library opens by 7:30. Coffee is brewing and hot water is ready for chocolate by 7:40. The café is also open on Tuesdays and Thursdays at lunch. Musketeers R Us Students in Introduction to Business will soon be bringing a great service to the students of their school. Musketeers R Us is a small school store selling pens, pencils, notebooks, colored pencils, and more in front of the trophy case before school and during lunch. Students in the class surveyed faculty and students and found overwhelming support for the store. Teachers felt that with the store available all students would be better prepared for class. In addition to being a convenience for students, the store will provide the business students with valuable lessons on running their own business. National Honor Society The National Honor Society sponsored an AMAZING RACE in at the high school. Teams of high school students, faculty, and staff solved clues and accepted challenges to be the first to complete the race. Competitors received prizes for participating and for winning competitions. The proceeds from the teams’ entry fees were donated to the Brian Mehring family. Picture Yourself Reading Students and a even a few teachers pictured themselves reading for the Picture Yourself Reading contest sponsored by the RBHS Media Center. Entries will be on display through much of November. Prizes were given for Most Creative, Most Powerful, Prettiest Picture, Funniest, and People’s Choice. Post Prom Activities The RBHS Parent Support Group continues to work hard to raise funds so they can sponsor a drug and alcohol-free Post Prom night. One of the fundraisers they sponsor is Pizza Hut Night, scheduled the third Wednesday of every month. Thanks to Pizza Hut, we receive 10% of the profit. The parents also sponsor McTeachers/McParents Night at McDonalds. The first was scheduled for November 21st with another date planned for January 23rd. Thank you, McDonalds, for 20% of the profit on those nights! In addition, the group will be selling Nestle chocolate chip cookie dough in 5-lb tubs beginning mid-November, with pick-up or delivery of the dough (yes, they will deliver!) scheduled for December 7. The tubs make about seven dozen cookies and cost only $15. You can place your order with cash or a check made out to Red Bud Parent Support. You can order dough directly from members of the group, from Mrs. Hogendobler, the contact at Red Bud Elementary School (282-3858 ext.323), or from Mrs. McCutcheon, the contact at the high school (282-3826 ext. 200). Call Sue Buch at 282-2521 for more information. All Juniors and Seniors are invited to the post prom activities - even if they don’t attend Prom. The activities are free of charge. Food, games and prizes are provided from donations, the profit from the concession stand at football games, and the above-mentioned fundraisers. The goal of the RBHS Parent Support Group is to provide an evening full of fun and to keep students safe to become productive and valued leaders. Your support is appreciated! Science Club News The Science Club has been busy. So far this year we have worked the concession stand for all of the freshman and sophomore home football games and made a profit of $225. We also do the Adopt-A-Highway west of Red Bud and run the recycling program at school for paper, printer cartridges, and aluminum cans. Future plans include eagle-watching and a trip to the St. Louis Science Center. - Reid McCutcheon Search Smart for Parents @ your library If you would like to feel more confident when you use the Internet, the RBHS Media Center may have the help you need. The RBHS Media Center is surveying district families to see if there is interest in attending informal evening or Saturday classes to learn how to better use the Internet. Potential session topics include learning how to find what you need, how to recognize the “bad” sites, and how to use the subscription databases that your kids have access to through school. If you are interested in such a “class” or would like more information, please contact Mrs. McCutcheon at dmccutcheon@redbud.k12.il.us or 282-3826 ext. 200. SIUE Study In August, students in Mr. Deist's World Geography classes took a Map Skills Questionnaire prepared by the Department of Geography at Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville. The questionnaire is part of a study being conducted by Dr. Gillian Acheson, an associate professor in the department. The questionnaire asked students to perform a series of basic map tasks. These tasks were aligned with the map skills outlined in the geography achievement levels of the National Assessment of Educational Progress and the National Geography Standards. Because a student’s self-confidence has been proven an important component in academic success, students were also asked to evaluate their confidence level in answering several of the questions. As part of the study, Dr. Acheson has begun to interview select students concerning their answers on the questionnaire. Students are being asked to go over their questionnaires, explain their thinking, and discuss their experience with using maps. Dr. Acheson's study is part of an ongoing exploration of high school students' knowledge and use of maps. Mr. Deist, who received his geography degrees from SIUE, is happy to be a part of this university study and hopes that his students will appreciate their opportunity to play a role as well. Student Council News The Student Council has been extremely busy already this year. We held a Freshmen Orientation before school started. Also, after the first football game, we sponsored the annual Freshman Prince/Princess Dance. The next big event was Homecoming Week, which was a huge success. Each day had a dress up theme and competitions between the classes. After Homecoming Week, we got right into planning the annual Flag Football and Car Show Fundraiser for Make-A-Wish Foundation. We ended up raising $750. Red Ribbon Week was October 23-27. Each day had a different theme. Thursday was "Drugs Make No Cents" which was a competition between all first hour classes to collect the most money. All of the money was given to the Brian and Susan Mehring Family. On Halloween night, we went Trick-or-Treating for canned goods for the Human Service Center. It’s been a productive year so far and is only going to get better. U. S. History Project In December and January, Mrs. Hemenway’s U. S. History students will be studying America’s involvement in Vietnam during the 1960’s and 1970’s. They will do some research from books and the Internet, but they are asking for your help in personalizing that era in U. S. history for them. You can choose to talk one-on-one with a student or to address the entire class. Each student’s research will culminate in an oral presentation in which he or she will “become” the person interviewed. If you served in Vietnam during the conflict and would be willing to share some of your experiences with her students, please contact Mrs. Hemenway at ahmenway@redbud.k12.il.us or 618-282-3826 ext. 208. Weightlifting and Conditioning RBHS features a new class that 67 students have taken advantage of this semester: weightlifting and conditioning. Dave Gillingham, new to Red Bud this year, is working with the students, most of whom are involved in athletics at RBHS. The class is built around a program called Bigger, Faster, Stronger in which the kids train three days a week with three sets of "core lifts" (bench press, squats, power cleans and dead lifts) with varying repetitions for five consecutive weeks before they start the cycle over. They also do three to five "auxiliary lifts" (10 reps) which they choose --bicep/leg curls, tricep extensions, rows, lat pull-downs, dumbbell butterflys, calf raises, lunges, leg press etc. Each student records his or her progress on a program sheet. On Tuesdays and Thursdays students do sprints from 10-50 yards as well as backward jogging and carioca (sideways left over right and right over left). They then do a Plyometrics program of box and depth jumps, jump ropes, agility ladders, cone jumps, hurdles, and medicine ball tosses. Each day also includes an inspirational/motivational thought for the day which is sometimes sports-related but always life-related. Writing Center Planned Trail-blazing students in the new dual-credit college composition course are making plans to share their expertise through a writing center. Lindsey Albertson, Britney Biethman, Sara Buch, Danielle Laurent, Emma Schield, and Catie Winder will staff the center, located in Mrs. Mason’s room, after school and during various study hall hours. These students will be available to review essays from all classes and offer constructive advice about any number of writing concerns from grammar to organization to development. Services are free and initially will be offered on an appointment basis. Students plan to have the center operational before Christmas. |