IPSD News
Around the District: October
Reported by greg_gibson@ipsd.org on 10/29/09
October, 2009 Edition
AFOOFA is the Word at Fischer Middle School
There are many "firsts" happening at the new Fischer Middle School. The first Falcon Spirit assembly featured the school's mascot, a falcon, the school song and the school's motto, “All for One and One for All,” or AFOOFA. Art teacher Anna Fries said there will be four assemblies during the year focusing on each of the school values, based on the Native American concepts of belonging, independence, generosity and mastery. Speaking to the students about the importance of these values was Gregory Fischer, the school's namesake and an educator for 32 years. "I've seen students exhibiting kindness to each other," he said. "These are the kinds of things that make the world a better place to live in." In reflecting on his recent class reunion, he said, "The theme for AFOOFA of belonging couldn't be more appropriate. You'll have friends here you'll still have 30 years from now. Take care of each other and you'll always have someone looking out for you."
| During their first Falcon Spirit assembly, Gregory Fischer, a longtime Indian Prairie educator, spoke to the Fischer Middle School students at his namesake school. |  |
Art Students have a Fruitful Experience
The prickly leaves of an artichoke, the yellow hue of a banana and a bunch of dark green leafy lettuce, among other fruits and vegetables, provided artistic inspiration for Metea Valley High School students in art teacher Karen Popovich’s classes. Computer Graphics students took photographs of the fruits and vegetables, downloaded the images into Adobe Photoshop and manipulated them into artwork via the computer. Students in the Drawing 1 and Drawing 2 classes had a more hands-on approach. After choosing their fruits and vegetables, then artfully arranging them, they sketched their chosen still life with pencil, which will be the basis for a foodscape. In yet another use, students in the 2-D Art and Design class looked for patterns in the produce. After being used for various art projects, the edible models did not go to waste. The food was delivered, along with other nonperishable food donated by the art students, to Hesed House.
| Art students at Metea Valley High School had an opportunity to make the world a more beautiful place not only with their artwork, but also with their good works when the fruit and vegetables they drew were being donated to Hesed House. |  |
Volley for the Cure Paints the Gym Pink
The traditional Neuqua Valley vs. Waubonsie Valley rivalry was no match for the bigger foe both teams were fighting -- breast cancer. The Neuqua Valley gym was a sea of pink both on and off the court as the girls volleyball teams from both schools teamed up for their first Volley for the Cure to "paint the gym pink" and to raise money for the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Lauren Kato, Waubonsie Valley assistant girls varsity volleyball coach, said, "Unfortunately, breast cancer affects many families in our district. Many girls in both programs know someone who has been affected by the disease." She said that the fundraiser was an opportunity to show how two schools can work together successfully with the entire community for a great cause. The event raised more than $6,000, thanks to the players selling 750 pink t-shirts and the donations of local businesses.
| Parent volunteers at the first Volley for the Cure which featured volleyball players from Waubonsie Valley and Neuqua Valley high schools teaming up in the fight against breast cancer. |  |
Sixth-graders Practice Sling Shot Science
Rubber bands became more than just an office supply when Crone Middle School sixth-graders used them to explore science and metric measurements. In Charlie Lantz's science class, students teamed up in four-person lab groups, equipped with goggles, a rubber band, meter sticks, a ruler attached to cardboard and a calculator. Their purpose was to investigate the cause and effect relationship between stretch and distance traveled in rubber bands. Having just studied metric measurements, students carefully stretched a rubber band from 0 to 15 centimeters and propelled it across the room. They recorded the distance it traveled in centimeters during three trials and calculated the averages. "They're following the scientific method that we teach early in sixth grade and that they'll use throughout high school," Lantz said. "They're also practicing math and measuring in a controlled experiment and they have fun doing it, too."
| Crone Middle School sixth-graders had fun and learned important scientific concepts during a lab experiment that involved launching rubber bands and measuring the distance they traveled using metric rulers. |  |
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