Iowa School Report Card

The Department of Education released the Iowa School Report Card last week, and here are the results…Both the elementary and the secondary school received commendable ratings! 

JCSD Elementary has moved from acceptable to commendable and the overall score is above the state average.  We have maintained 100% of students in 3rd-5th grade who took the state test.  Areas of improvement include: Average school achievement in English Language Arts, Average school achievement in Mathematics, Growth in Mathematics, Growth in ELA, Proficiency in Math, and Proficiency in ELA. We showed academic growth and proficiency in both math and English Language Arts are above the state average. 

Our secondary grades, which are made up of middle and high school, also increased the overall school performance score and maintained a commendable rating. Areas of improvement include: Assessment participation increased slightly to get to 100%, Average school achievement in ELA, Average school achievement in Math, Growth in ELA, Percent proficient ELA, Percent proficient in Math, and Postsecondary readiness. Academic growth and proficiency in both math and English Language Arts are above the state average. 

You can read more about our school and the report card in general by following the links below.

https://www.iaschoolperformance.gov/ECP/StateDistrictSchool/DistrictSummary?k=8692&y=2023

https://www.iaschoolperformance.gov/ECP/Home/UserGuide

Speech Club Builds Good Communicators

The Iowa High School Speech Association believes "good communicators equal great citizens.” In October, the IHSSA held its 51st Annual Speech Coaches Convention and JCSD speech coaches Katie Johnson and Kimberly Cavalier had the opportunity to attend. Their goal was to gain more skills as speech coaches.

This is Coach Cavalier’s second year as a coach and it is Coach Johnson’s first. JCSD offers Large Group and Individual events. The most popular events that students like to participate in are short film, group improvisation, prose interpretation, and storytelling, just to name a few examples. Altogether, there are 10 Large Group events and 13 Individual events available for students.

The coaches attended a class for novice coaches to help build the program, a keynote address entitled Communication as Connection: How Our Stories Shape Us, and breakout sessions that focused on writing or finding performance pieces for each event.

Coach Cavalier states, “I would say my main takeaway from the event is how valuable speech can be for every kid! For so many kids, speech is a fun, low pressure activity where they can come hang out with friends and express their creativity. I think it is so important for adolescents to have that space, whether they see themselves going into a creative field in the future or not.”

Cross Country Competes as a Team,

For the first time in a long time, JCSD cross country fielded a FULL high school boys team. The team consisted of: Ethan Hjelmeland (senior), Alex Oltmann (senior), Seth Gregorsok (freshman), Aidan Little (freshman), and Jason Westendorf (freshman).

There were also 5 middle school athletes who crushed it this year. They include: Maggie Heidemann (8th), Izzy Foelske (8th), Noah Gansen (8th), Nicolas DeHart (7th), and Kayla Cox (7th).

The season brought many highlights. Coach Molly Ludwig would like to give recognition to a few members…special shoutout to Seth Gregorsok for the team's best time so far this season, which he ran at conference with a 20:55, special shoutout to Aidan Little for starting the year with a 36:00 3.1 mile race, and last week beating his goal of breaking 30:00 and running a 29:03, and special shoutout to the 2 senior leaders for leading the way at every single practice, including a few practices on the trails where they ran 5+ or 6+ miles. At the conference meet, every high schooler had a Season Best time (PR), and 3 of them (the freshman) were all lifetime best runs for a 5k.

The middle school cross country team had several highlights as well. During a middle school meet we had 4 out of the 5 runners PR for their 2 mile race, and all 5 placed in the top 10. At conference, all 3 middle school girls placed in the top 10 and received ribbons.

Coach Ludwig states, “Team highlights are harder to breakdown because even though we're scoring points as a team, we're not exactly winning meets... So a celebration there is just that we've been able to score points as a team at every single meet so far this year!”

An Honor to Serve

As school board elections draw near, there is one name that won’t be on the ballot. After 20 years of service, Barb Reid is stepping down.

JCSD has always been a part of Barb’s life.  Her father served as superintendent and her mother taught at the school while Barb was a child.  She had been involved with the school through the Booster Club and other organizations. Barb’s son had just graduated and her daughter was still in school.  At the time, Barb chose to run because there was talk of merging with another district and she wanted to see if there were other options available for JCSD.

Barb says her greatest accomplishment is the passage of the 2018 General Obligation Bond which funded 12 classrooms (2 preschool, 4 elementary, 3 middle school and 3 high school), a new band room, a new competition gymnasium with locker rooms, new parking lot, new roof for the 1974 addition, and addressed air quality issues throughout the school.  Barb credits the community and the many people who gave their time for this project.

Barb hope new/future board members won’t be afraid to ask questions. She wants them to be open to new ideas and understand they aren’t going to learn all they need to know overnight.

“It has been an honor to serve on the Board for the last 20 years and I look forward to seeing JSCD continue long into the future,” remarks Barb Reid.

Collaboration at its Finest

Last week, two grades collaborated on a lesson taught during library class with Mrs. Sandlin. The 4th grade students taught the 1st grade students how to use online encyclopedias and helped them research animals using Encyclopedia Britannica and PebbleGo.  The first graders benefited tremendously from the older students' guidance as they developed their skills in using varied research resources to gather information. 

In the previous weeks, the 1st graders had researched animals with books and cited the information with title, author, and page number.  Now they are recording the article title and the online source where they found the article along with the details they learned.  As the 4th graders teach the 1st graders, they are becoming more ready for an upcoming research unit about extreme weather that will include selecting reliable sources, evaluating the reliability and usefulness of information within their sources, synthesizing information through research with multiple resources, and crediting their sources as they communicate their learning.

Mrs. Sandlin states, “Library activities like this one are a valuable part of the information literacy progression towards more formal research projects in the future years of their academic careers and generally using reliable electronic resources to get information in daily life.” 

JCSD Students Shine at Waterloo Career Center

JCSD high school students have the opportunity to take classes at the Waterloo Career Center. Programs offered range from culinary, trades, health careers, education, IT and more. We currently have several students enrolled in the IT program. They recently shd the opportunity to participate in a service activity in which they helped New Aldaya Lifescapes residents problem solve with technology.  Residents loved the students' visit. In addition, Derek Haurum was selected as the WCC Cyber Student of the Month!

Another outstanding recognition belongs to Jack Lindaman. He was nominated and subsequently selected for the 2023 National Cyber Signing Day event which will be at the NICE K12 Cybersecurity Education Conference in Phoenix, AZ on December 4th.  The event will celebrate students who are “signing on” to cybersecurity careers. The celebratory festivities will include cheerleaders, mascots, an emcee, teachers, and state and national dignitaries to welcome students on stage to "sign on" for a future career in cyber security.

Congratulations to Marshall, Blake, Derek, and Jack for being such awesome representatives for Janesville!

Servo is Here to Serve

Therapy dogs in schools aren’t a new concept, but it is new to JCSD. This year, JCSD added therapy dog, Servo, to its staff.

Mrs. Hamil took a ceramics class once where there was a therapy dog. She felt it was a “cool experience to have something that interacted with us that wasn’t a human.” This is where the idea blossomed. The Hamil family recently bought a golden doodle puppy. His name is Servo Blue Cheese Hamil. His great demeanor lead Mrs. Hamil to believe he would make a great therapy dog. After intensive training at a Board Learn Train program in Decorah, he is now a CGC certified therapy dog that now spends his days at JCSD.

A typical day starts with a walk through the halls where Servo greets students and staff. He then returns to the art room and hangs out there the rest of the day. At the dismissal, he walks the halls again to greet students and staff.

According to owner Natalie Hamil, “Students and staff seem to LOVE having Servo at school. If he is not at school, students are bummed. Some students and staff come to the art room to come see him during their break times. There are even have a few students who are getting to spend more time with him through rewards and sensory breaks. Servo has been a really awesome addition to the room. Students seem to be more calm and quiet. Servo is still a puppy as well- so he really likes to play still! A couple students are earning “vest free” times with him where Servo gets to run and play a little more free outside! “

Recent studies suggest that school therapy dogs can reduce stress and boost academic engagement. Mrs. Hamil states, “Dogs don’t have words, just unconditional judgment free love. It’s pretty great to experience, especially in an art room.”

JCSD Girl Scouts Work Toward Bronze Award

Girl Scout Juniors in fifth and sixth grade comprise troop #2604. They recently completed a project to work towards their Bronze Award. The Bronze Award is one of the highest awards in Girl Scouts. The award is earned by completing a project that benefits the community. The girls installed benches around two trees in the front of the school and it is their hope that these benches will provide seating for those waiting before and after school as well as for classes that wish to work outdoors.

Through the project, the girls learn leadership, work with people in their community, build confidence, and develop skills—all while making the world a better place.

2nd Grade Attends National Cattle Congress

The National Cattle Congress celebrated its 113th fair this year and second graders from JCSD had the opportunity to attend.

The students were able to visit the many agricultural exhibits included in the National Cattle Congress fair. Exhibits include tractor pulls, llama shows, a dairy exhibit, the Hall of Breeds, animal exhibits, a petting zoo and much more.

Lighthouse Team Proposes New Playground Equipment

On Wednesday, May 24, the 3rd grade lighthouse group (Amelia Johnson, Alex Trulson, and Jase Norton) went to present at Fidelity Bank to gain financial support for a playground project.  The students would like to add a spider climber to the current playground to provide additional equipment for the growing student body as well as create an appealing atmosphere. The representatives of the bank plan to take the project proposal to their marketing team and also suggested the group reach out to the Legion and the Lion's Club. The Lighthouse team also plans to ask for donations from the Janesville PTA and Booster Club as well as hosting fundraisers such as bake sales and popcorn sales. The spider climber costs about $18,000 plus an additional $2000 to get the playground ready.

Leader Mrs. Pugh states, “This is one of my favorite parts of serving in this role - providing opportunities for students to lead and watching them make their ideas and dreams for our school become a reality!” She also said the kids did an amazing job on their presentation and got to learn a little more about what happens at the bank. 

To celebrate, the group stopped at Kwik Star on the way back to school for a donut or a piece of fruit.

May Day Baskets Bring Joy

The fourth grade Lighthouse group, led by Mrs. Molly Ludwig, handed out May Day Baskets to the community. This group wanted to do something special for the service groups in our community: Police, Firefighters, First Responders, City Hall, and Lions Club.

Mrs. Ludwig shares, “We put together simple boxes, decorated them, and handed them out to share some spring joy and show our appreciation for their service to our Janesville community!”

“How do we change the world? One random act of kindness at a time.” - Morgan Freeman

Country Potluck

The JCSD Sociology class was tasked with job of choosing a different county and researching to learn about the values, traditions, similarities and differences from the United States. The students chose countries from Asia, Europe, the Middle East and some smaller ones not as commonly thought of.

Teacher Ms. Logsdon states, “They did an amazing job and the last part of the project was to create their own food to represent their country! It was such a fun day.”

Each student prepared food to share with the class. The food was delicious and students left with full bellies. Ms. Logsdon hopes that the students learned to appreciate other cultures.

Rain or Shine

On Saturday, May 6th, the Janesville Honor Society hosted its 4th annual 5k Run/Walk. With the help of local sponsors (North Iowa Counseling, Modern Builder, Tim and Mikes, 319 Nails, Vector Daze, Kwik Star, and Lumber Yard) the event was a success. There was a bit of a setback due to the uncooperative weather, but that didn't stop the runners from waiting patiently.

Stories were exchanged by veteran runners. One gentleman shared that before the pandemic he would participate in 45-50 marathon and 5k races every year. He shared some of the extreme weather conditions he endured while participating…he wasn't afraid of a little rain.

Once the thunder and lighting subsided, and the rain was more subtle, the JHS students were ready to get the ball rolling for the runners. The race finally kicked off at 8:45 am. At 20:08.21 the first runner crossed the finish line. The race was finished within 55 minutes and 27 seconds.

The Honor Society hosted 26 runners, including our former Honor Society advisor, Nolan Hovland. The students hope to have more participants next year. Honor students have already started planning the 2024 5K and will have more details to come at the beginning of the 23'-24' school year. 

Which Dog Are You?

This semester, the sophomores at JCSD have been participating in a leadership training led by school counselor, Chad Angel, and a few seniors. The group met a few times a month to read and discuss The Positive Dog.

The story is about a negative mutt named Matt and a big dog named Bubba who teaches him how to feed himself with positivity each day. In the process, Matt transforms his own life and the shelter they call home.

The moral of the story: we all have two dogs inside of us…one that is positive, happy, optimistic, and hopeful, and one dog that is negative, mad, sad, pessimistic, and fearful. These two dogs often fight inside us, but guess who wins the fight? The one you feed the most!

Author Jon Gordon states, “The Positive Dog is an inspiring, heartwarming story that not only reveals the strategies and benefits of being positive but also an essential truth for humans: Being positive doesn't just make you better. It makes everyone around you better."

Earth Day Celebration

Earth Day is an annual event on April 22 to demonstrate support for the environment. It was first held on April 22, 1970 and each year, people around the world participate in activities such as picking up litter and planting trees to help make our planet a healthier, happier place to live. Janesville CSD ran an early dismissal schedule to allow all students the opportunity to participate in the festivities. Pictured below are students doing their part to protect our planet.

Thank You School Board

The Iowa Association of School Boards (IASB) invites communities to celebrate and thank their local school board members during School Board Recognition Month, which runs May 1-31.

"School board members serve to make a difference for students and ensure they have the building blocks needed for future success. They are committed to student achievement first and foremost-but also tend to the foundational elements, such as the budget, policies, and district culture to make informed decisions impacting the entire community. Please join me throughout the month of May in thanking these board members," said IASB Board President Liz Brennan. 

School Board members volunteer countless hours on board work each month. They don’t receive compensation but they enjoy helping students prepare for the future.

Please extend a sincere “thank you” to the current JCSD school board members for their dedication to the school and community.

President - Barb Reid (21 years)

Vice-President - Tracy Meyer (14 years)

Teresa Gergen (10 years)

Jodi Durnil (8 years)

Scott Kipp (2 years)

JCSD Students Thrive at WCC

The past few years, students at Janesville CSD have had the opportunity to participate in classes at the Waterloo Career Center. The belief of WCC is to provide students the opportunity to explore careers with hands-on experiences helping them develop a competitive advantage to live the lifestyle they want. Janesville students have participated in the following classes at the WCC:

Construction:  Keegan Eastman, Joe Kiene, Tyler Hoodjer, Cameron Wetzel

Culinary:  Alex Oltmann, Ethan Hjelmeland, Gabe Meaney, Devin Weekly, Elijah Walters Cameron Wetzel, Trevor Dirks

Sports Marketing:  Gabe Meaney & Dawson Graham

Emergency Medical Technician:  Gayle Robinson

Early Childhood Education:  Laney Eibey

CNC Machining:  Cameron Wetzel

Marketing;  Cameron Wetzel

Graphic Design:  Mya Seegers

Drawing & Composition:  Mya Seegers

Cyber Security:  Anna Gregorsok, Elijah Walters, Jack Lindaman

Web Development;  Trevor Dirks, Elijah Walters

Senior Laney Eibey has taken multiple classes through WCC. She states, “I chose to take a variety of classes because I was trying to decide between a career in nursing or teaching. Taking these classes has helped me get field experience without having to pay for anything and it helped me make up my mind about what I want to do after high school.” Other students say the classes are fun because they are hands on. Students learn skills that can be transferred to real life application. Another students states, “The teachers make class fun and allow us to learn everything on our own with trial and error.”

The WCC has received national recognition. Recently, Representative Ashley Hinson visited the career center to recognize students who participated in the “Congressional App Challenge.” This was part of the web programming and cybersecurity classes. Hinson watched as the students demonstrated what they have been working on and talked to them about future plans.

The Waterloo Career Center holds events to recognize students’ efforts. In April, the Career Center held a Class of ‘23 Decision Day to celebrate students as they prepare for post graduation. The WCC also holds a Career EXPO and Job Fair where employers and organizations are invited to connect with high school students for summer employment, internships, pre-apprenticeships, apprenticeships, and part or full time positions.

Students, teachers, counselors, and parents are all raving about the opportunities offered through the WCC. Be sure to check it out!

Have You Heard the Buzz?

The 4th grade Lighthouse team of Jon Schellhorn, Aleigha McEnany, McKinzy Kerker and Carli Blake planned and facilitated the 2nd annual elementary spelling bee. The competition was open to all 3rd-5th graders that wanted to participate.  The word lists were developed by the 4th grade lighthouse team as part of the planning process. Students were eliminated if they spelled a word incorrectly.  With each round, the words got increasingly more difficult.

The winners are:

3rd grade: 1st place - Juliana DeHart, 2nd place - Mia Fender, 3rd place - Jake Christopher

4th grade: 1st place - Rowan Reed, 2nd place - Nora Sanderson, 3rd place - Lauren Lawson

5th grade: 1st place - Ellyn Trulson, 2nd place - Elliott Schmidtke, 3rd place - Izzy Santee

Congratulations to all students!!

Mock Car Accident Raises Awareness

On Friday, April 14th, JCSD, along with Janesville First Responders, Fire Department, Police Department, and Bremer County hosted a mock crash.  All middle school and high school students were expected to attend this demonstration. Once students were called outside, they were notified that this was a mock accident.

The 90 minute event began with a two vehicle crash in the student parking lot, followed by Mr. Meaney calling it in.  Following the call, the various organizations began to showing up as they would for a real event. Student actors were treated for injuries, ranging from minor bumps and bruises to life-threatening. One student was loaded into the ambulance while another was taken away by Air Care.

The simulation is designed to be interactive, so following the accident, students were directed to go inside to the gym for a debriefing with the First Responders, Police Department, and Fire Department.

The intention was to raise awareness for what can happen in a blink of an eye behind the wheel of a car.  Mr. Meaney said, “It took place the day before prom for a reason. This is an important learning event for our kids.”

Yearbook Team Sells Ads

On Wednesday, March 8, the senior yearbook team went on a field trip to Cedar Falls and Waterloo. The purpose of the trip was to obtain not only local sponsorships but to seek out larger businesses as well. The yearbook team hopes to expand their advertising network by reaching out to multiple businesses in the Cedar Valley. Sponsorships are necessary help cover the printing costs and additional funding for books and equipment. They were able to stop at almost 30 businesses and are hoping for some support. This field trip was an amazing experience. Students were even able to perfect their sales pitch.