November 2025 Academic Newsletter

NOV: Visual Design-This month, the freshmen class is exploring a variety of creative techniques and materials in the art room. Students are using oil pastels and chalk to create vibrant Christmas landscapes, experimenting with blending and texture to capture the magic of the season. In addition, they are beginning their ceramic sculpting projects, learning the fundamentals of form and structure as they bring their ideas to life in clay.

Art Design-Over the next several weeks, students will focus on creating handmade items to prepare for their end-of-year craft booth. Projects will include candle making, crocheting, wood burning, rock and planter painting, and mirror etching. These activities will allow students to develop a range of creative skills while producing unique pieces to showcase and sell.

Ceramics and Sculpture- This month, the ceramics class will begin exploring glaze techniques and learning how to add color and finish to their clay projects. Students will also develop their skills in hand-building as they create clay structures using coils, slabs, and pinch methods. They’ll practice adding texture and detail with various clay tools, gaining confidence and creativity in their work. To wrap up the unit, each student will design and craft their own unique Christmas ornaments, showcasing their growing artistic skills and personal style.

Mass Media: Students are working on creating layouts and designs for the yearbook, organizing pages to capture the school year’s most memorable moments. They are learning how to balance creativity with structure, making decisions about colors, fonts, and photo placement. Guest speaker Kenneth Miller joined the class to share valuable tips on photography, including camera settings and techniques for capturing high-quality, engaging photos.

Coding: Students are learning how to code using Python Turtle to create fun and interactive drawings through simple programming commands. They are gaining an understanding of basic coding concepts such as loops, functions, and coordinates while visually seeing their code come to life. This hands-on experience helps them build problem-solving skills and creativity as they design unique shapes and patterns with code.

Personal Finance: Students are learning about the real dangers of debt and its impact on their financial future. They are exploring common credit myths and gaining a better understanding of how credit truly works. The lesson also teaches them how to read and interpret a credit report, as well as the factors that influence a credit score. Students are discovering why maintaining good credit is important for future goals such as buying a car or renting an apartment. They are also learning practical strategies to pay off existing debt and avoid falling into debt traps. Students will have the knowledge and tools to make smarter, more responsible financial decisions.

Dual Credit Computers and Information Technology: Students are learning the basics of Microsoft Excel, including how to use formulas and functions to organize and analyze data. They are gaining hands-on experience with tools that help them calculate totals, averages, and other useful information efficiently. This foundation in Excel is preparing them for more advanced data management skills. Next, they will begin a new unit on Microsoft Access, where they will learn how databases work and how to store, sort, and retrieve information effectively.

FBLA: FBLA members recently hosted a fun movie night in the multipurpose room and organized a Haunted Hayride for students to enjoy. They are now beginning to prepare for upcoming contests, focusing on developing their leadership and presentation skills. Members will also participate in a Thanksgiving Dinner event, where they will learn and practice proper dining etiquette.

Integrated Science 9 (Physical Science) - Physical Science has two main components: Chemistry and Physics. Throughout November we will continue our study of chemistry, looking at atomic structure. The submicroscopic world is fascinating!

Chemistry - Chemistry is the study of matter and the changes it undergoes. Students will have a refresher on the states of matter and physical and chemical changes matter undergoes. Building on this foundation, we will apply math concepts to demonstrate the law of conservation of mass, percent by mass, and the laws of definite and multiple proportions.

Biology - Biology, or life science, will provide students with the knowledge of the nature of living things. We are concluding our study of cellular life - particularly structure and function. This lays the groundwork for our study of photosynthesis and cellular respiration - the two processes in which living things obtain energy.

Anatomy - Human anatomy is the study of the body, its parts and their locations. The first body system we are going to tackle is the integumentary system, that includes the skin - the largest organ of the human body. There is a special project this unit - students will create a 3-D model of the skin and present their learning on a unique skin condition to one of their teachers!

Earth Science - Earth Science is the name for the group of sciences that deals with Earth and its neighbors in space. Students have reviewed the rock cycle and understand where Earth gets her energy. Our next adventure will be studying Earth's resources and ways we can be good stewards of our planet.

Pre-Algebra - We will still be working on linear equations and how to use linear equations to predict values.

Algebra 1 (Soph.) - We will be working on quadratic equations and how to solve them.

Algebra 2 - We will continue to work with higher degree polynomial equations before we move on to simplifying rational expressions.

Geometry - We will be discussing transformations of graphs and how this relates to designs and making design plans.

Life Skills - We will finish up our drywall unit and move on to a brief electrical unit.

Applied Math - We are working on making scale drawings. We are using the school as our model and working to make a scale drawing that will hang on every door with escape routes.

Stats/Research - The students are examining the Standard Normal Curve and standardized testing and measurements. This includes finding the mean and standard deviation of data sets, z-scores of various x values, the probabilities of shaded areas, and reading a table of values. Students will work both ways, meaning finding a percent from a given value and finding a value from a given percent.

Criminal Justice - Students learn about the importance of encryption for cyber security. We then will use a widget tool to encipher and decipher codes to simulate the encryption used to send and receive information over the web. After completing the hacking project, students choose a individual hacker or group and research how and why they are involved with hacking and cyber security.

Creative Writing - Students are finishing the poetry portion of creative writing. They have to create their "hodge podge" poem (taking phrases from other poems and songs to create an original poem) and recite a poem from memory. After completing this exercise, students will create a collection of poems known as the Panther Claw. This collection includes poems with six different themes by each student in the class. The class will then begin the short story and fiction section, where the students will read, analyze, and write short stories.

Psychology - Students are learning the ways in which age and gender affect thinking. Each student will create a survey demonstrating how age influences thoughts on certain topics. In the next unit, students will examine altered states of consciousness. During this units, we will explore the topics of sleep and dreams, sleep disorders, hypnosis and meditation, and mind-altering drugs.

The Freshmen in American History have been quite busy. We attended County Government Day last month. They have been working on essays reflecting on their experience there as well as working on an additional essay for the Voice of Democracy contest. Meanwhile, they are learning about Westward Expansion and Industrialization in the late 19th century. In World History we are learning about absolute monarchies in Europe and will soon begin discussing the Enlightenment and the changes that it inspired. Sophomore leadership continues to learn about numerous qualities of leadership as well as hear from guest speakers discussing their experiences in leadership. The current events class continues to research topics ranging from local to global news.

All FFA Members are participating in Fruit Sales this Month. This will end on October 9, 2025

Ag Science 1- Students will be learning about and exploring SAE's (Supervised Agricultural Experiences). They ill also explore agricultural career possibilities.

Ag Science 2- Sophomore's will be learning the basics of Soil Science this month with an emphasis on soil text and soil profile characteristics.

Greenhouse Management- Students will continue to learn about how to identify multiple horticultural plants that are utilized in the greenhouse industry.

Ag Construction- Students will be entering the shop this month after completing all safety lessons. They will work on multiple shop projects this semester.

Wildlife Management are currently learning about wildlife habitat and how we protect this habitat. We are also exploring carrying capacity of our area.

Plant Science- Students are exploring crop science and the trends of crops that we see in our area. We are also discussing crop management systems.

Foods:

Students will plan a mock up of a “Friendsgiving” feast. They will have to plan everything from where the dinner will take place, everything that will need to be purchased to decorate, and all of the food they would like to be served. In class, I plan to show the students how to make pumpkin pie, pumpkin bars, and sides that could possibly be served at their Thanksgiving dinner.

Child Dev’t:

Students are learning about Intellectual Development in Infants. They’ll learn how baby’s experiences increase brain function, they’ll be able to name ways caregivers can encourage learning, and learn how to choose appropriate toys for babies of different ages.

8th Grade:

We delivered the stuffed monsters to the Kindergarteners that the 8th grade students sewed for them. That was a huge hit for everyone. We will be sewing Christmas stockings next, and eventually the students will design a quilt square to be sewn into a quilt later.

Housing:

My class reluctantly took down the Fall decor and decorated my room with Christmas. We are learning about the building process of homes all the way through the interior construction process. They will learn about the roles of contractors and subcontractors, and be able to describe safety features of electrical systems. They will be designing a 3D room of their choice as a big project.

Health:

We are continuing our Monday mental health journaling.In class, students will design and make a video highlighting the importance of sleep. They will get inspiration from some youtube videos to reference, but will use their imaginations to show how sleep plays a big role in a person’s daily health.

Nutrition and Wellness:

Students will be taking a closer look at a kitchen space. They will learn about major kitchen appliances, ways to save energy in a kitchen, and how to clean and take care of appliances. There is a fun lesson on how to cook with microwaves. This is going to be a great chapter where students will learn how a microwave works, how to prepare food in a microwave oven, and safety tips for using a microwave. Hopefully after this chapter, parents will feel confident allowing their child to use a microwave oven safely.

Interpersonal Relationships:

We will be discussing how to manage time to reach your goals. They will learn how the use of time reflects their values, and how a person’s use of time impacts their ability to reach goals. Students will learn why deadlines are important to consider when creating a time management plan.

FCCLA:

All 54 members attended the Fall Regional FCCLA meeting at Northwest Missouri State University in October. All of the regional schools met in the auditorium for the business meeting and listened to our keynote speaker, Jill Brown. We then had lunch on campus and attended many different breakout sessions in the student union. The members really enjoyed the day. We put on a 5th quarter after a home football game, and also participated in Mound City’s Community Trunk or Treat. Our design was “Candyland”. Lots of members helped make the props, decorated the car, worked the event, brought candy and tore down. It was a successful event for our chapter!

Freshmen (ELA 1):
Students have begun reading Of Mice and Men. This quarter, they will focus on analyzing text structures and practicing writing using a variety of organizational patterns.
Standards:

• R.1.A.9-10 – Develop and apply skills to comprehend, analyze, and evaluate the structure of texts.

• W.2.A.9-10 – Produce clear and coherent writing appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

• W.3.A.9-10 – Write routinely for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.

Sophomores (ELA 2):
Students have started reading A Raisin in the Sun. They will explore text structure in greater depth and apply their understanding by writing an original one-scene play.
Standards:

• R.1.A.9-10 – Analyze how an author’s structural choices contribute to meaning and style.

• W.1.A.10 – Use narrative techniques such as dialogue, pacing, and description to develop experiences and events.

• W.2.A.10 – Produce writing appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

Juniors (ELA 3):
Students are reading The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind. Their focus will be on the rhetorical triangle—understanding how authors use ethos, pathos, and logos to persuade an audience. They will demonstrate their understanding by writing a rhetorical analysis of a speech.
Standards:

• R.3.A.11-12 – Analyze the use of rhetorical appeals and techniques in texts.

• R.2.A.11-12 – Determine an author’s point of view or purpose and evaluate the effectiveness of the rhetoric.

• W.2.A.11-12 – Write informative or explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas clearly and accurately.

Seniors (ELA 4):
Students have begun their military unit with Make Your Bed. Alongside the reading, they are viewing Navy SEAL videos and engaging with guest speakers from various branches of the military. Seniors will also create interview questions for elementary and middle school students to use during the Veterans Day Breakfast, conduct interviews with both current and former military members, and write a report summarizing their findings and reflections.
Standards:

• SL.1.A.11-12 – Initiate and participate effectively in collaborative discussions, building on others’ ideas.

• W.2.A.11-12 – Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas.

• R.3.C.11-12 – Evaluate how information from diverse media and formats contributes to understanding a topic or issue.

• W.3.A.11-12 – Conduct research projects to answer a question or solve a problem.

The Modern American History class is learning about the Gilded Age and the rise of big business in the United States. Vanderbilt, Carnegie, Rockefeller and Morgan will be analyzed. We will also learn about progressive reforms that take place in response to these early Business Tycoons.

1st Hour - Floor Hockey

3rd Hour - Weights

5th & 7th Hour - Strength & Conditioning

This month high schoolers focus on college & career readiness. We have several college, career, and military speakers in our building to meet with our students!

Freshmen:

Elianna Haer and Mayson White

Sophomores:

Danica McDonald and Henry Smith

Juniors:

Lilli Barnes and Scott Manley

Seniors:

Miranda Rieger and Wesley Bryant

Congratulations! And thank you for representing yourself, your families, and our school the right way in the classroom!

Things have finished up very nicely for the HS 1st quarter. We are excited to see what 2nd quarter has in store for us. We will be participating in more activities with our Panther Families along with also providing more opportunities for Panther Time for our students and staff to help build relationships and grow together as a building. You should've received your students grade cards in the mail last week. If you did not please contact the HS office. With 2nd quarter starting, it means cold weather is near. Cold weather brings sickness. I wanted to try and explain excused vs. unexcused abences are. Excused means we have heard from the parent and have received a doctors note for the day in missed. Unexcused means we have not heard from the parent nor received any documentation for the missed day. Both of these absences have to be taken off students attendance rates. This attendance percentage is solely counted by number of days your child is here in class. Excused doesn't mean the day missed will not lower their attendance. I wanted to bring this up as we will start getting questions due to Finals Opt Out policy. It is a very busy time so please utilize the newsletter and information provided on our app to stay up to date. If anyone has questions or concerns please don't hesitate to contact the HS Office or email me at jake.shipman@mndcty.org. I hope everyone has a great month of November!

Email: jake.shipman@mndcty.org

Website: https://www.mndcty.k12.mo.us/