May 2014

Tri-Center Newsletter

High School 485-2257 Middle School 485-2211 Elementary 485-2271
www.tri-center.k12.ia.us
Superintendents News and
Comments
Brett Nanninga


CONGRATULATI ONS TO THE
GRADUATI NG CLASS OF 2014!!
We wish you the very best!!

COMMENCEMENT..A New Beginning

Graduation Day 2014 will mark the
end of an educational chapter for our Tri-
Center Seniors. It will also signal the
beginning of another phase, one that may
include the work force, post-secondary
education, the armed forces, or other career
venues. Nothing has been given to these
young ladies and gentlemen; they have
earned what they will receive. Of all the
standards that we set at Tri-Center
Community Schools whether they be
academic or behavioral---the standards to be
present, be disciplined, and give your best
effort in order to achieve your best may be the
most important. These have stood the test of
time and withstood the educational overhauls;
and we are still turning out young adults that
have and will continue to be great contributors
and assets to our society. The old saying that
there aint no such thing as a free lunch still
applies. It may be old school in theory, but it
is still the right school in practice. Our world
revolves around the concepts of productivity
and service. For our graduates to be
productive citizens they must understand the
essence of what it means to serve and
produceboth require a good attitude and
hard work with no substitutes or excuses.
Congratulations, Thank You, and Best Wishes
T-C Graduates 2014!!

Recognition and Appreciation of Staff and
School Board Members

The months of April/May contain
several days/weeks of recognition and
appreciation for various school employees and
the board of education. Each of these
individuals and collective groups come
together to form a major portion of the Tri-
Center Community Schools staff and school
community. Their dedication and
commitment to the task is tremendousand
consistent for 180+ days every year. Please
take the opportunity to extend a word of
thanks or show some appreciation for the
work they do, and the unselfish efforts they
make to create a safe and productive learning
environment for the youth of our school
district.

ADMINISTRATIVE PROFESSIONALS
DAY . . . April 23
rd


NATIONAL SCHOOL NURSES DAY . . .
May 7
th


TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK . . .
May 12
th
thru 16
th

SCHOOL BOARD RECOGNITION
WEEK . . . May 5
th
thru 9
th

A little thanks goes a long way . . .
Why is it so hard to say thank you to
someone, when those are two of our own
favorite words to hear?
--John Wooden

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Conversations with Your School Board

Our school board members volunteer
many hours, early mornings, and evenings of
their time for the benefit of our communitys
children. They know they represent more than
just the citizens who elected them to their
positions, and they want to hear from those
folks about issues (good, bad, and indifferent)
that are critical to all students in the district.
At the same time, they are very aware that
their primary role is to hire the superintendent,
set policy, and adopt goals. The
superintendent and other district
administrators and supervisors are responsible
for the day-to-day operations of the district.
When you are considering taking a
concern/request/comment to a school board
member, ask yourself if the school board is the
proper place for this concern. Here is a quick
checklist of questions to help you with that
decision:
If I am concerned about something,
have I already talked to those closest to
the problem and tried to resolve it
there? If it wasnt resolved there, have
I followed the chain of command
through the bus driver, teacher/coach,
principal/A.D., and superintendent? Is
it still unresolved?
Is my concern something that affects
all children in the district rather than
one child, one bus, one classroom of
children, or one building?
Is my concern an idea, comment, or
question about the daily operations of
the district? Have I talked with the
appropriate administrator?

If your answer to these questions is
yes but you are still not satisfied that the
problem has been solved, you have probably
followed the proper chain of command and
should think about contacting the school
board. If you want to speak to the board at a
meeting, our school board has established
procedures so it can hear from concerned
members of our community.


The Last Days (of school)
Just as every year has its beginning, it
also has its ending. The anticipation for the
start of the school year usually parallels that of
the finishfor everyonebut especially the
students. Much was attempted during the
course of 2013-2014 and much was gained.
There were numerous moments in time when
seemingly things couldnt have been better,
and conversely, there were those times when
things couldnt have been worse.
Nevertheless, we all have grown. It is with
great excitement that we send our graduates
into life beyond high school and know that as
the rest of the students head home for the
summer, that they will back in the fall bigger,
brighter, and once again enthused about
starting another school year. The dates of
significance for releasing students this
spring are as follows:

LAST DAY OF SCHOOL FOR SENIORS
Tuesday, May 13
th

LAST DAY OF SCHOOL FOR
STUDENTS K-11 . . . Thursday, May 22
nd
(1:30 Dismissal)


Departing Employees/Honorees (10 Years
or More of Service)
Keith Wilson and Sally Nanninga will
be departing from Tri-Center at the end of this
school year after serving the district for 22 and
14 years respectivelyKeith, as a bus/van
driver for special education students, and
Sally, as a paraeducator at the high school
level. We thank them for their service and
commitment to Tri-Center students and wish
them well in their future endeavors.

25-Year Honoree
Liz Lyons will be the lone recipient of
the 25-year plaque this year at Tri-Center
Community Schools. Liz has faithfully served
the district as an art instructor for all those
years and we certainly appreciate her
commitment and diligence in providing a
great educational arts experience to our
students. Thank you, Mrs. Lyons, for your
service to the children, families, and
community here at T-C for the past 25 years.
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RETIREES 2014
This school year marks the end of
several long lasting careers at Tri-Center
Community Schools for Tom Ring, Murlene
Wilson, Sue Kline, and Jeff Harman. Tom
(bus driver and chief engineer) and Murlene
(bus driver) have been loyal and dedicated
employees of Tri-Center for the past 38 and
24 years respectively; and it is with
tremendous gratitude that we are sending them
into retirement and wishing them the very
best. Sue (cook) and Jeff (bus driver) have
been faithful employees of the district for 19
and 12 years respectively, and we wish them
all the best in their retirement. Thank you
Tom, Murlene, Sue, and Jeff!! You have been
the hallmark of stability and excellence at Tri-
Center for many years and we will miss you.


The most important profession in the
world is parenting.
The second is teaching; and were all
teachers to someone.
--John Wooden



Learning and common sense mean
absolutely nothing without character
development. It doesnt take brains to stay
out of trouble; it takes values. To educate a
person in mind and not morals is to educate
a menace to society.
--Theodore Roosevelt




From the Principals
Desk
Angie Huseman

Just a few thoughts to end the year and
plant a few seeds that I hope you and your
student think about during the summer:
1. The 2013-2014 school year is NOT
YET OVER! Too often, students think
it is okay to coast through to the end of
the year. They think they have built up
enough of a grade that not doing an
assignment, or not taking a test
seriously will be okay. I believe many
would be amazed at the number of
times that by taking school too lightly
the last couple of weeks has cost the
student a credit (and maybe earned
them an additional class to take in
summer school). Every year, there are
seniors that rely on a good semester
test to get them to a passing grade and
thus, allow them to walk across the
stage with their class. This is amazing
to me.
2. There are many opportunities a
summer can bring a student. She can
explore a career interest through a
summer job. He can start reading
some of the novels that might be
covered during the next school year.
He can start exploring college entrance
requirements and see what types of
scholarships can be gained. She can
do a community service project that
will enable her application to a
particular college, or for a particular
scholarship to rise to the top.

3. Finally, consider the following verse:
Watch your thoughts; they lead to
attitudes.
Watch your attitudes; they lead to
words.
Watch your words; they lead to
actions.
Watch your actions; they lead to
habits.
Watch your habits; they form your
character.
Watch your character; it determines
your destiny.

Drivers Education Classes:
I have met with the
students who have signed up
for Drivers Education Class
this summer. I have told them that they
need to pay their $275 for the class by
May 1
st
; they will need to have their
4
permit by the first day of class which is
May 29
th
. If you have questions regarding
Drivers Education classes, please call me
at 485-2257 or Mr. Schuler, the instructor,
during the evening. His number will be on
the information packet given to your
student.
The following is a short excerpt from a
Parents newsletter that I think is
especially appropriate if you have a
teenage driver:
Drivers Education Doesnt End When
Teens Get a License
Your teen just got her drivers license.
You want her to enjoy this new privilege.
(And to tell the truth, youd love it if she
would go to the store once in awhile.) But
you want to keep your teen safe, too. Here
are some things you can do:
Keep riding with your teen. Your
teen is still inexperienced. Learning to
drive takes a long time.
Restrict night driving. Most fatal car
crashes happen between 9:00 p.m. and
midnight. Dont let your young driver
stay on the road too late at night.
Think about limiting the number of
other riders who can be in the car, too.
They tend to take the drivers focus off
the road.
Be a good role model. If you speed
and drive aggressively, odds are your
teen will, too.
Make a rule that everyone in the car
wears a safety belt.

Important upcoming dates:

Tuesday, May 6
th
: 10:00 am Awards Day
usually goes until 5
th
hour
Wednesday, May 7
th
: 7:00 pm Baccalaureate
Wednesday, May 14
th
: Senior Trip to
Worlds of Fun
Thursday, May 15
th
: 7:30 am Senior/Faculty
Appreciation Breakfast
sponsored by ASTRA/Student
Council; 8:30 am Practice
Walking for Graduation


Sunday, May 18
th
: 2:00 Graduation
Thursday, May 22
nd
: 1:30 dismissal; Last
Day for Everyone Else




Counseling Comments
Tami Harman

Registration packets will soon be
handed out to the students and it is time for
them to plan and make their schedules for next
school year. They need to be planning their
schedules according to their specific needs for
post-secondary plans. There are many classes
available to take, they need to choose a career
pathway and plan accordingly. All Tri-Center
students have formulated a 4 year plan based
upon their career choice through IHaveAPlan.
This would be a great guide for them as they
plan their schedules.

The last ACT test date for 2013-2014 is June
14, 2014 with registration due May 9th.
The test dates for 2014-2015 are as follows:
Test Date Registration Deadline
September 13 August 8th
October 25 September 19
December 13 November 7
February 7 January 9
April 18 March 13
June 13 May 8

Tri-Center will provide a John Baylor
ACT Test Prep before the October 25th test,
mainly for seniors and another prep before
the February 7th test for juniors. If you have
questions about this prep please call Tami
Harman 712-485-2257.

National Honor Society:
The National Honor Society members
will be selling ads for the 2014-2015 calendar
in the fall when we return to school. We hope
those patrons who have advertised in the past
will continue to support the National Honor
Society and would encourage any others to
purchase an ad for this calendar.
5

The new members will soon take over
duties of the seniors graduating. I want to
wish the senior members good-luck in
whatever endeavor they have chosen. It is
reassuring to know that the leadership,
character, service, and scholarship qualities
will be theirs to guide them in their future.








Yearbook News and
Information
. . . . Sarah Elliott

2013-2014 Publications Staff Members:
Seniors: Elise Christenson, Lia Grover, and
Christian Severn; Juniors: Yearbook Editor
Zach Denning, Brandon Jensen, Stephanie
Nelson, Allyson Ploen, and Megan Ryan;
Sophomores: Whitney Matthews; and
Freshmen: Samantha Brich, Christine Fisher,
and Sydney Murley.

2014 YEARBOOK!!! The 2014 Trojan
Yearbook is for sale now. The FULL
COLOR books, which include the full-color
Year-In-Review insert and a digital yearbook
disc are currently $50. See a Publications
member (listed above) or Adviser Mrs. Elliott
to purchase your book. We will order a
limited number, and prices will increase again
in the fall, so BUY NOW DONT MISS
OUT AND SAVE! We do except a $25
deposit if you wish to make payments.

2013 YEARBOOKS! We still have some
copies of the 2013 Trojan which may be
purchased, while supplies last for $50 each or
$40 each with the purchase of the 2014 book.
To purchase your book see a Publications
member (listed above) or contact Adviser
Mrs. Sarah Elliott at the high school at 485-
2257, ext. 100 or selliott@tctrojans.org.

PAST YEARBOOKS! In addition to extra
2013 copies, we have extras of other past
yearbooks. Purchase any years book at
regular price and get $5 off the second and on
lower priced books. Past books costs are: $25
for the 2011 and 2010, $20 for the 2009 and
2008 and just $15 for the 2003. Sorry, we are
completely out of 2012 books.

YEARBOOK SENIOR SPECIEAL! Ten
seniors on a first come, first serve basis, may
get the Senior Special. We are completely
out of the 2012 book, but et this years 2014
book and the 2013 and 2011 books for just
$100. That is just under $34 a book WHAT
A DEAL!!!! Call Adviser Mrs. Sarah Elliott
at the high school at 485-2257, ext. 100.

SENIOR PARENTS * * *SENIOR
PARENTS * * *SENIOR PARENTS * *
*SENIOR PARENTS

PARENT AND PERSONAL ADS: The
final deadline for the parent and personal has
come and gone in April, but some parents
have recently contacted the staff about
missing the deadline and we have some room
on the spread and have extended the deadline
one last time to Friday, May 16th. Support
the yearbook and honor your son/daughter,
grandson/daughter, sibling, friend, or others at
the same time. As stated in the letter sent to
senior parents, parent and personal full-color
ads are $35 and include the honored persons
name, a small photo, and a message limited to
approximately 25 words. Parent and personal
ads can be purchased from Publications
Adviser Sarah Elliott or Yearbook Editor Zach
Denning at 485-2257, ext. 100.

6


PICTURES ARE ACCEPTED: The
Publications staff is in need of and will accept
pictures for possible use in the yearbook.
Pictures can be submitted by email
(selliott@tri-center,k12.ia.us) or brought in to
be scanned and returned ASAP. The staff can
still take pictures for sports, the D.C. Trip and
Prom, and candid pictures for all grades.

SPONSORSHIP/AD CAMPAIGN: We
finished our as campaign a few months ago,
but still have a few spreads without sponsors.
If you are or know of someone and/or a
business owner who may want to sponsor a
spread, contact Adviser Sarah Elliott at 485-
2257, ext. 100.Sponsors/Advertisers not only
help fund a yearbook of which the district and
surrounding communities can be proud, but
have the opportunity to support an educational
program that teaches students valuable skills
in writing, design, photography, computer use,
and business. We sponsorships/ads are $50
and we are still in need of approximately 25.







Tri-Center Middle School
Brian Wedemeyer




Middle School Honors will be Thursday,
May 22
nd
at 12:00 P.M. in the
Middle School Gym

The last day of school is May 22
nd

with a 1:30 PM dismissal. MS students will
have periods 1-3 on the 22
nd
and then go to
lunch followed by the awards ceremony.
NWEA results will be sent home with
report cards at the end of the 4
th
Quarter.
The MS Academic Field trip is
scheduled for May 14
th
. This trip is for
students who were never on the D/F list and
who have had no more than two discipline
referrals.












From the Elementary
Principal
Diane White


May Highlights

1
st
- 2
nd
Grade Trip to Harrison Co. Museum
1
st
PK to Arrowhead
2
nd
-1:30 out for Teacher In Service
4
th
10
th
Teacher Appreciation Week
6
th
Student Council Meeting 3:30-5:00
7
th
School Nurse Day
7
th
3
rd
Grade Trip to Atlantic Dairy
8
th
PK to Childrens Museum
9
th
Kdg trip to the Zoo
11
th
Mothers Day
15
th
Senior and Staff Breakfast
15
th
PK Petting Zoo in Parking lot
18
th
Graduation 2:00
19
st
Track and Field Day
20
th
Last Day of PK
22
st
1:30 Out for Last Day of School
26
th
Memorial Day





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T-C Special Olympians
Julie Thuelen


The TC Special Olympic team went to
IWCC on Tuesday, April 8 to compete in
track and filed events. Results are - Harrison
Dollen - shot 2nd - 400 meter 2nd; Alanna
Haubrich - turbo javalin 1st - 200 meter 2nd;
Cole Osbahr - 200 meter 2nd - softball throw
5th; Elijah Bearley - 50 meter 4th - softball
throw 4th.
Alanna qualifies to compete in turbo
javalin at State on May 23 in Ames.





2014 Trojan Basketball
Camp
..Chad Harder

The 2014 Trojan Basketball Camp will be
held on the following dates: June 23 27 for
boys going into grades 3
rd
8
th
. Grades 3
rd

6
th
will meet from 8am 12:00 pm; and
grades 7
th
8
th
will meet from 1 pm 4pm.

The camp fee is $60 and includes a free camp
t-shirt. Camp brochures will be distributed at
school and are also available in the middle and
elementary school offices. For more
information contact Coach Harder (school
485-2211).

New this year will be a camp for boys grades
K-2, being held July 21-23. It will be from
6:00 7:00 pm. The cost will be $30 and the
boys will get a free ball. Brochures will be
out soon.









Media Center
Karene Christenson





Southwest Iowa Middle School Battle
of the Books
Wednesday, April 30, 2014 we had
150 students converge on Tri-Center Middle
School. Twenty teams participated in the
Ultimate Battle from 15 different schools.
What a great time it was to celebrate the joy of
reading! The Ultimate Battle Champions
were the DEER team from Red Oak, and a tie
for second place was Furious Four from IKM
Manning and Riverside Readers from
Riverside with Angry Books from St. Albert
in third place. Our judges were Michael the
director of Harlan Public Library, John a
reading teacher and author of the book Red
Cell which is on the booklist for next year.
Diane and Anna from the Council Bluffs
Public Library rounded out our judging panel.
Thank you to all the volunteers for helping
make this a great day! We are ready to start
reading for next years battle. If you have any
questions please contact Mrs. Christenson or
Mrs. Sondag.

The Summer Bookmobile will once again
be making the rounds this summer.

June 4, 11, 18, 25
July 2, 9, 16, 23, 30
Stops will be:
Persia at the Firehouse Corner
5:15 pm- 5:45 pm
Beebeetown across from the Twisted Tail
6:00pm -6:30pm
Minden at the Park 6:45 pm - 7:15 pm
Neola at the NACC from 7:30pm -8:00pm

Books for all ages!


8




Iowa Western Conference
Art Fair Susan Wedemeyer
The Iowa Western Conference Art Fair was Friday April 24
th
through Monday April
28
th
at the IKM-Manning High School gym. Ten schools in the conference competed in 25
categories for the top five outstanding works per category, with many honorable mentions.
The Tri-Center High School art students came away with 60 awards! Way to go art students!
Tri-Centers art students earned twenty-two outstanding works and thirty-eight honorable mentions.
The following is the results for each category, the award, and the student that won the award.
Congratulations to all!!!!! What an AWESOME job!

OW is outstanding work and HM is honorable mention.
Handbuilt Ceramics
OW Haley Fischer
HM Kelli Manhart
HM Kristin Davis
HM Jill Manhart
HM Hailee Hansen
Wheel Thrown Ceramics
OW Kelli Manhart
OW Sydney Pithan
OW Mariah Guerrero
HM Sydney Pithan
HM Shelbie Weihs
HM Kelli Manhart
HM Haley Fischer
HM Savanna Huseman (2)
Tempera
OW Sammy Andersen
OW Kate Jarrett
HM Zach Sindt
Fiber Arts
OW Meghan Marsh
OW Anita Kline
OW Kate Jarrett
HM Anita Kline
HM Olivia Russo
HM Kate Jarrett
HM Sammy Andersen
Printmaking
OW Dakota Horn
Scratchboard
OW Allyson Ploen
OW Sammy Andersen
HM Carly Thody
Advanced Pencil Drawing
OW Sammy Andersen
OW Olivia Russo
OW Kylie Lang
Sculputre
OW Meghan Marsh
OW Zach Denning
HM Sammy Andersen & Meghan Marsh
Paper Arts
OW Mariah Guerrero
HM Dakota Horn
2-D design
HM Zach Denning
HM Colton Eberl
HM Emma Dahir
HM Jackie Saathoff
HM Dustin Goble
Colored Pencil
HM Dakota Horn
Charcoal
OW Olivia Russo
OW Kate Jarrett
HM Mariah Guerrero
Ink Drawing
OW Dakota Horn
HM Carly Thody
Beginning Pencil
HM Sammy Andersen
HM Allison Eikenberry (2)
HM Alicia Gunderson (2)
HM Hannah Pettit (2)
HM Faith Bruck
HM Abi Peters
Mixed Media
HM Kate Jarrett
Watercolor
HM Olivia Russo
Altered Digital
HM Jackie Saathoff
Oil/Acrylic Non Representational
HM Joey Sitzman
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