Central Cass COURIER CENTRAL CASS PUBLIC SCHOOL NEWSLETTER FALL EDITION 2016 Walt Disney once said, If you dream it, it can be. As you well know, Central Cass School has undergone an extensive yearlong master planning process. During that time, dozens of meetings were held involving hundreds of people from the school and community. The school’s mission statement “to foster student excellence in cooperation with family and community and to provide educational opportunities in a safe and caring environment,” was discussed as we examined the ultimate goal of offering our “best” for students as we prepare them for 21st Century learning for success in college, career and beyond. What initially started as an assessment of our school facilities as well as academic and extra-curricular programs, transitioned into a “community voice” which identified needs but also incredible opportunities for our community moving forward. We recognized that the community is on the grow, in many exciting ways. With a projected 20% enrollment growth by 2020 it became apparent to the Central Cass School Board that we need to do something proactive to accommodate this unprecedented growth. Thus, it was determined that the best course of action was to responsively put a long range plan in place and propose a solution that involved an $18.0 M referendum that was voted on October 4th. As you know the referendum passed with a resounding 62% YES and 38% NO vote tally. It is Democracy in action and the “people have spoken.” I want to personally thank all of you for your input, ideas, and support as we explored the options for how to best move forward as a school and community. I truly believe the proposed project was a collaborative “community voice” that showed a continued commitment to “excellence!” Also, the investment in community is to be commended! The school building is over capacity and our building project involves the creation of 16 classrooms with a separate stand alone early elementary building. It will be designed with room for growth in the future, if necessary. Secondly, the 1950s portion of the building will be remodeled with a state of the art STEM Center and active learning spaces for project based learning and collaborative problem solving. Lastly, an activity entrance for the school will be established to meet the ever-growing demand of music, fine arts, fitness, theater and auxiliary gym space for all of the school and community programming needs. Security is a key part of the plan with focus monitored access points and the ability to close off the classroom portion of the school from the activity spaces, if necessary, for after school and community activities. This is an exciting time for us all and the community has spoken as to what they envision as a viable option for our growing and dynamic community. It is through active citizen voice and action that dreams can become reality. Superintendent, Morgan Forness You can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make the dream a reality. – Walt Disney IN THIS ISSUE • Superintendent Update • Principal’s Page • Academics & Accreditation • Activities • Get Connected • New Staff SUPERINTENDENT’S PAGE Superintendent, Morgan Forness
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Central CassCOURIER
CENTRAL CASS PUBLIC SCHOOL NEWSLETTER FALL EDITION 2016
Walt Disney once said, If you dream it, it can be. As you well know, Central Cass School has undergone an extensive yearlong master planning process. During that time, dozens of meetings were held involving hundreds of people from the school and community. The school’s mission statement “to foster student excellence in cooperation with family and community and to provide educational opportunities in a safe and
caring environment,” was discussed as we examined the ultimate goal of offering our “best” for students as we prepare them for 21st Century learning for success in college, career and beyond.
What initially started as an assessment of our school facilities as well as academic and extra-curricular programs, transitioned into a “community voice” which identified needs but also incredible opportunities for our community moving forward. We recognized that the community is on the grow, in many exciting ways. With a projected 20% enrollment growth by 2020 it became apparent to the Central Cass School Board that we need to do something proactive to accommodate this unprecedented growth.
Thus, it was determined that the best course of action was to responsively put a long range plan in place and propose a solution that involved an $18.0 M referendum that was voted on October 4th. As you know the referendum passed with a resounding 62% YES and 38% NO vote tally. It is Democracy in action and the “people have spoken.” I want to personally thank all of you
for your input, ideas, and support as we explored the options for how to best move forward as a school and community. I truly believe the proposed project was a collaborative “community voice” that showed a continued commitment to “excellence!” Also, the investment in community is to be commended!
The school building is over capacity and our building project involves the creation of 16 classrooms with a separate stand alone early elementary building. It will be designed with room for growth in the future, if necessary. Secondly, the 1950s portion of the building will be remodeled with a state of the art STEM Center and active learning spaces for project based learning and collaborative problem solving. Lastly, an activity entrance for the school will be established to meet the ever-growing demand of music, fine arts, fitness, theater and auxiliary gym space for all of the school and community programming needs. Security is a key part of the plan with focus monitored access points and the ability to close off the classroom portion of the school from the activity spaces, if necessary, for after school and community activities.
This is an exciting time for us all and the community has spoken as to what they envision as a viable option for our growing and dynamic community. It is through active citizen voice and action that dreams can become reality.
Superintendent, Morgan Forness
You can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make the dream a reality.
– Walt Disney
IN THIS ISSUE• Superintendent Update• Principal’s Page• Academics & Accreditation• Activities• Get Connected• New Staff
SUPERINTENDENT’S PAGESuperintendent, Morgan Forness
SUPERINTENDENT’S PAGESuperintendent, Morgan Forness
NEW STAFFNew Teachers of 2016
GET CONNECTED!• CENTRAL CASS WEBSITE: www.central-cass.k12.nd.us
District Calendar, News Articles, Pictures, Announcements, Teacher Websites, Staff
Directory, Athletic and Fine Arts Links, Parent Resources, Lunch Calendars,
and Much More!
Like us on Facebook at “Central Cass School District #17.” Find quick updates to changes in
schedules as well as school highlights!
Find this link on the Central Cass Website to stay connected through voicemails, text messages, and e-mails from the
school. This site will enable you to manage your contact information and give you the option of installing the Blackboard “MyConnect” app for Android and iOS
to receive push notifications for the messages that are
important to you.
• BLACKBOARD CONNECT
• RSCHOOL CALENDAR APP
• EDMODO
• FACEBOOK
This free app can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play. Once
downloaded find District 2, then Central Cass to stay updated with our School
“rSchool Today” calendar. You can select and deselect the events you want to see.
All students grades 6-12 have student Edmodo accounts. Parents can follow
their child’s classes with the Parent code given to each student. See website
announcements for directions. You can also download the Edmodo app to view
student information and class assignments/due dates from any smart device.
Apryl Zetocha – KindergartenThis is my third year of teaching Kindergarten and I am very excited to be at Central Cass. I am originally from Oakes, ND. I attended NDSU where I received a degree in Human Development and Family Science, as well as got my Elementary Education degree from VCSU at the same time. While there, I received my Title I credential and Kindergarten endorsement. My husband An-drew and I currently live in West Fargo. In my free time I like to run, rollerblade,
bake, and play volleyball.
Jay Bachman - MathI am a graduate of the University of Jamestown with a degree in Elementary Education. I previously taught 4th grade in Thompson, ND and 3rd grade at Oak Grove Lutheran. This will be my 1st year teaching at Central Cass and my second year coaching. I teach 6th grade math and Title 1.
Tommy Butler – Physical EducationThis will be my fourth year of teaching physical education but my first year at Central Cass. I am excited to teach Physical Education, Coaching, Officiating and Weightlifting. I graduated from Valley City State University with a bach-elor’s degree in Physical and Health Education. I will be coaching Football, Wrestling and Track and Field. I am married to my wife Andrea who is a teacher
and Head Volleyball Coach at Fargo South High School.
Brad Forness - Facility Manager and Construction TradesI am a Moorhead Tech graduate in carpentry with 15 years of construction ex-perience and ran a successful farrier business for 18 years. I’ve recently worked with a company specializing in custom colored and stamped concrete patios. Currently, I live NW of West Fargo on the family farm. I enjoy snowmobiling, woodworking, horseback riding, and forge work. I’m enjoying my new position and teaching is something that has always interested me, so I’m excited about
having this opportunity at Central Cass.
Heather Gleave – KindergartenI am originally from Grand Forks, ND. I have previously taught at Northern Cass in both Kindergarten and First Grade. My husband, Damon, our daughters Pay-ton and Brooke moved to Casselton two years ago from West Fargo. After tak-ing time to be a stay-at-home mom for the past four years to our daughters, I am back in the classroom.
Mark Roe –Social StudiesI was raised in West Fargo and graduated from West Fargo High School in 2008. I continued my education at North Dakota State University and gradu-ated in the fall of 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in social science education with a minor in family science and human development. In April of 2013, I accepted my first teaching position with the Kidder County School District located in Steele, ND and taught there through the spring of 2016. While in Steele I
coached football and baseball during the school year and the Kidder County Legion base-ball team in the summer. In the spring of 2016, I accepted my current position of high school social studies teacher at Central Cass. Ironically, before I had graduated from NDSU I had told my parents my goal was to teach in a smaller community close to Fargo and “it would be awesome to teach and eventually live in Casselton.” I recently became engaged and my fiancé Bri, teaches Title One reading and math in the West Fargo School District.
Brent Nelson – Physical EducationI am a Casselton native and graduated from Central Cass in 2004. I attended Valley City State University and North Dakota State University and graduated in 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in Physical Education. This will be my first year at Central Cass as a Middle School Physical Education/Health teacher. I spent my first two years teaching in Montpelier Public School, teaching K-12 Physical Education along with one year experience as the Athletic Director. I am
engaged to Megan Conroy who is a fourth grade teacher at Central Cass.
It is almost a guarantee that your child will have
homework throughout the school year. In general, there is not a great quantity of assigned homework in the primary grades. There will be more homework assigned in the intermediate grades than in the primary.
As a rule of thumb, teachers normally hold to the “Ten Minute Rule”. The Ten Minute Rule indicates that homework is rationed according to age and grade level (e.g. K= 10 min, 1st grade=10 min, 2nd grade= 20 min, 3rd grade= 30 min, 4th grade= 40 min and 5th grade= 50 min). Homework times vary depending on how the student utilizes their time in the classroom and/or if a special project needs more attention.
Homework is your child’s job, but you can play an important role in making it not so painful.
Show interest… Before your child starts their homework, ask them to tell you about their assignments. What did they study and learn about in class? Have your child reteach the lesson to you. This shows them that homework is important to you.
Create a schedule… Parents should help develop good study habits at home. See that your child has a set time and a place to study. Encourage your child to list the subjects they have for homework and help them estimate how long each will take. Some children like to do easier homework first and others like to do harder. Ask your child which they prefer.
Offer support… There are a number of ways to support your child while they work on their homework. Encour-age your child to bounce ideas off of you or listen as they read aloud. If they get stuck, ask questions to guide them rather than giving them the an-swers. You can also suggest strategies like looking at a passage in their text-book, consulting their notes, or calling a friend. They will see that they can rely on themselves to find solutions.
Another support tool is the use of Tu-tor ND, a new service being provided by the North Dakota State Library. It provides free tutoring services to North Dakotans of all ages. Users are able to interact with professional tutors via the Internet in a “one-on-one” format. Expert tutors are available to offer as-
sistance in subjects ranging from Eng-lish to math, science to social studies, and more. All tutors are professionally tested in their respective subject ar-eas and screened with full background checks, so parents can feel safe about their child’s interaction with tutors. The service is available statewide Sunday through Thursday, from 3:00-10:00 pm. All you need is a free library card! http://www.tutornd.com
Attendance is key… It is extremely important for your child to be in at-tendance on a regular basis. It is much easier for your child to do their home-work if they have listened to the lecture or participated in classroom activities first hand. But… If your child will not be in attendance or needs to leave early, please give the teacher prior notice so they can prepare homework assign-ments and try to explain key concepts before they leave.
Please be sure to contact your child’s classroom teacher if you have any ques-tions or concerns about the “amount of” or “lack of” homework your child is taking home. There could be other factors that need attention!
PRINCIPAL’S PAGEElementary Principal, Chris Bastian
| HOMEWORK
It is hard to believe we are over three months into the school year. The hallways are bustling with students and the teachers have been busy preparing for a new year of learning ahead.
High School teachers spent time this summer preparing for the use of student laptops within the classroom. They were given the challenge of enhancing lesson plans and classroom communication through the use of technology. I appreciate our teachers and the time they have put into learning new skills to better instruct our students. Everyone at Central Cass is excited to provide this tool to students in order to better prepare them for the world they will live and work in. Middle school teachers will embark on year two of using chromebooks in the classroom, and we are excited to see our middle school teachers take technology to the next level.
In the elementary hallways, teachers are busy focusing on English and Language Arts in the classroom. Workshops, self-training, and team planning has set the stage for all classrooms to implement the Daily Five and guided reading approach into the classroom. This instructional method, along with a new approach to teaching writing is proof of how invested Central Cass teachers are in the goal of making sure our students go from good to great!
Our focus on academics at Central Cass is alive and well; it is a great time to be called a Squirrel!
Since John O’Sullivan came to speak to us I have done a lot of soul searching to see if I was a part of the problem or a part of the solution. While doing that and reading stories and blogs on his website www.changingthegameproject.com I have found that I have room to grow and ideas of mine that need to be changed. There are definitely some things that I have done this year during FM Football that I corrected because of John and some changes that will be made with the
Crusher Wrestling program due to the lessons I have learned. Will these changes help us? Will they make us state champions down the road? Probably not, but I don’t think what we are doing now is bringing home state championships so why not try the other path. The following is a blog written by John that has changed the way I look at a lot of things in youth sports and hopefully will make you think about it and reevaluate what you are doing with your kids. Now we can debate this to death, and I would say that I have with many people, but in the long run you can only do what is best for your son or daughter and the only one that truly knows that is you. So good luck with your decision, but make it your decision not someone else’s.
3 Myths that are Destroying the Youth Sports Experience for our KidsBy John O’Sullivan
Every year, I travel throughout the US, Canada, Asia and Europe, and give well over 100 presentations to parents and coaches. I speak to tens of thousands of people about youth sports, coaching, and athlete development. Every time I do a live event, I get asked the following question: “If you are presenting all this science based evidence about how to raise happy, healthy and high-performing athletes, why don’t most coaches, clubs, schools and parents follow these protocols? Why do I see the exact opposite happening?”
What a great question!So many parents I meet are extremely frustrated these days, because youth sports has changed so much since their childhood. There are no longer seasons, just yearlong commitments for kids. The costs and travel distances have gone through the roof. And the pressure on parents to keep up with the Jones’s has become astronomical. Many parents are simply trying to sort out the myths and facts of athlete development. They are told what to do by other parents and coaches if they want their children to have success in sports. Yet the path that so many children are following, and in many cases are forced to follow is not the best path to develop as an athlete or as a human being. In fact, their chosen path does just the opposite. It leads to high rates of injuries and burnout (70% of kids quit youth sports by the age of 13). It leads to a variety of psychological issues by attaching ones identity to sport success. It robs children of their childhood. It turns youth sports into big business that ties advancement to financial means (the haves vs. the have not’s) instead of ability (the can do’s vs. the can’t do’s). It professionalizes and adultifies youth sports by taking the emphasis off of enjoyment, development and play. Sadly, there is a lot of misinformation out there. There is a lot of ignorance of the facts. In my opinion, this is driven by three pervasive youth sports myths.
Myth #1, “The Tiger Woods/10,000 Hour Myth:” Your child must specialize as early as possible if he or she wants to play college or pro sports. We have all heard misinformation from a coach or parent telling your child he/she needs 10,000 hours of deliberate practice as soon as possible. I have written about specialization many times on this blog, and in this book, and yet every time I present these statistics people are skeptical, because this myth is so pervasive and convincing. The problem with this myth is that it ignores many components of athletic development beyond practice that determine athletic performance, namely genetics, coaching, enjoyment, and intrinsic motivation. Outside of female gymnastics, figure skating, and diving, there are no definitive studies that directly tie early specialization to greater chance of long-term, high-level success. The number of pro athletes, Olympians and top coaches that tie high-level success to an early, multi-sport background, however, is very high. This does not mean top players did not play a lot of hockey, or soccer, or basketball, just that they did other things as well, and started putting in their dedicated training hours in their middle teenage years. There are a lot of studies tying early specialization to higher injury rates, higher burnout and drop out rates as well as psychological and identity issues. High-level sport performance experts such as Tony Strudwick from Manchester United FC, football coaches such as Urban Meyer, and others stress the importance of multi-sport backgrounds to develop overall athleticism, decrease injury rates, and increase internal motivation. Talent development programs in professional and college sports are no longer looking at simply what level an athlete plays at, but what got him or her there. They don’t want a finished product, and oftentimes-early specialists are at their peak of development, while multi-sport athletes have a bigger upside. Given the choice, they want upside over current performance.
If you would like to read about Myth #2 and #3 please visit our website at www.central-cass.k12.nd.us or our Facebook page at
