Friday, February 28, 2014

Bancroft Summer Rec Youth Basketball Tournament Schedule

Schedules for tomorrows Bancroft Youth Basketball Tournament




Boys Basketball District Final Tuesday 7:00 at Clarkson

Bancroft-Rosalie and High Plains will play the District Championship game at Clarkson Next Tuesday March 4th at 7:00 pm.
The winner qualifies for the state tournament, the loser is in contention for a wildcard spot at State.

Thursday, February 27, 2014

Data Dashboard Pilot School Project Update

Bancroft-Rosalie School is one of nine Nebraska schools piloting a school Data Dashboard. Mrs. Nolting is administering the program and serves as the school "Data Steward." The district just completed Phase One of the project.

What is a data dashboard?
The Data Dashboard assists Nebraska Schools in using student data to address individual student needs, measure progress, highlight trends, and refine action plans throughout the school year.

There were parts to Phase 1
  1. Define Partnership Structure
  2. Personnel Assignments
  3. Pilot Engagement Meetings
  4. Analyze Local Data Sources
  5. Data Alignment to Ed-Fi Standard (Ed-Fi is the data system the state selected to use)
  6. Identity Management Processes
  7. Determine Dashboard Goals and Metrics
  8. Develop Training and Implementation Plan 
Phase 2 is Dashboard development (Timeline February - June 2014

Phase 3 is Dashboard deployment (Timeline June - December 2014)

So the dashboard should be ready for use by our teachers in the Fall. 

The grant reimburses Bancroft-Rosalie School for the time B-R personnel are involved in grant activities both in and out of school.



Wednesday, February 26, 2014

UNO Goodrich Scholars class to focus on Neihardt

On May 23-25 UNO students will be studying John Neihardt in Bancroft, Nebraska. The summer  workshop will be offered to students in the UNO Goodrich Scholars program and will include a service project at the Neihardt Historic Site.

Bancroft-Rosalie students can participate in the service project and meet the students and UNO instructors in the Goodrich Scholars Program. The Goodrich Program provides full tuition and academic support to students accepted into the program at UNO.

The service project will involve landscaping and maintenance work at the Neihardt Site and possibly at another site in Bancroft. The college students will be staying on the Hammel Farm outside of Bancroft.

This workshop os a collaborative effort between the University of Nebraska-Omaha, the John G. Neihardt Foundation Board of Directors, the Neihardt site staff and Bancroft-Rosalie Community Schools.

Monday, February 24, 2014

"Gene" Day

Friday, February 28th, is Support Rare Disease Day.  www.GlobalGenes.org is asking people to wear jeans in support.
B-R School "Jeans Day" is Friday, February 28th.  B-R staff can wear jeans for making a minimum payment of $5. Any money raised will go into the B-R School "Nurse Fund" to help our students.

Mrs. Zwygart will make a donation to a GlobalGenes Project matching the amount raised in honor of her grandson Silas.

Chuck Muller recognized at Bancroft Fire Department Annual Recognition Dinner

Bancroft Fire and Rescue held their Annual Recognition Dinner Saturday.
Chuck Muller was presented an engraved Ax in recognition of his 30 years on the fire department. Department President Blaine Albus and Rescue Captain Casey Novak presented the award.
Pam Petersen was recognized for her years of service.
Jon Cerny, Rob Smith and Andy Soll were recognized for 10 years of service and Brad Petersen for five years of service.


Friday, February 21, 2014

Girls District Final at Fremont High 7:00 pm Friday February 28 vs. Mead

Girls District Final at Fremont High 7:00 pm Friday February 28 vs. Mead
Winner qualifies for the State Girls Basketball Tournament in Lincoln

Free Movies at the Community Building this Sunday


Thursday, February 20, 2014

Terri Buck is finalist for Paraeducator of the year

Terri Buck was selected as a finalist for the 2014 Nebraska Paraeducator EXCELLENCE Award presented last Monday at the Paraeducator Conference in Kearny.
 This is Mrs. Buck’s 20th year as a paraeducator at Bancroft-Rosalie Community Schools. 

Mrs. Buck is assigned to assist in the kindergarten room in the morning and in elementary computers in the afternoon. Under the direction of our Technology Coordinator, Terri organizes the computer activities for our K-6 computer program. Last year she came across an on-line math program called IXL that is correlated to the Nebraska State Standards. Terri talked with the elementary staff and administration about using IXL during elementary computers to help the students prepare for the Nebraska state math assessment. After getting the okay, Terri set up every student with an IXL account that can be accessed from both school and home. She monitors student use and gives out rewards when students reach usage goals. This year she is trying out a similar program for reading with a few of the classes.

Terri has attended the Paraeducator since 2002. In 2005 she completed the Project Para program to become highly qualified as a Title I paraeducator. She has also been trained in several components of our reading and math programs, such as Language For Learning, Connecting Math Concepts, and Rewards. 
Congratulations Terri for being recognized as an outstanding Paraeducator.
 

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Boys SubDistrict Basketball Bracket

Subdistrict D2-4 at Pender Public Schools 

Game 1: 02/25 at 6:00 PM CT, #1 Bancroft-Rosalie 46.8696 (20-3) vs #4 Winside 35.8889 (0-18)

Game 2: 02/25 at 7:45 PM CT, #3 Walthill 41.7778 (10-8) vs #2 Lyons-Decatur Northeast 42.0500 (11-9)

Game 3: 02/27 at 7:00 PM CT, Winner of Game 1 vs Winner of Game 2

Monday, February 17, 2014

Dissertation

Anybody ever wonder what I wrote my dissertation on when I completed my Doctoral Program at UNL?
My study looked at how Administrators, Teachers and Technology Coordinators effected student use of Internet in schools. The dissertation was 62 pages, not including bibliography or appendix.
The study concluded that-
1. Teacher use of Internet was found to be the only significant predictor of student use of Internet in schools
2. There was a significant correlation between on-site technical assistance and teacher use of Internet. Having at least a part-time technology coordinator will indirectly lead to increased student use of Internet in school.
3. School administrators in Nebraska are comfortable with use of Internet in school.

Remember that this research was conducted in the mid-1990's when Internet use in school was just developing.

My Doctoral Degree was required 124 college hours BEYOND a MASTERS DEGREE. Considerable time and expense. Completing this degree was a very proud moment in my life.  Something most people will never accomplish nor understand.

Procedures used:
- 180 surveys were sent out and 111 were returned.
- Descriptive statistics analyzed all independent and dependent variables.
- Pearson product moment correlations were used to provide insights into the strength of the relationships between each of the three independent variables.
- A matched subjects two-tailed t-test was used to see if there was a significant difference between reported student use values reported by administrators at a school and their designated technology coordinators.
- Multiple regression analysis was used to determine which variables were significant at the 0.05 level for predicting student use of Internet in school.



Friday, February 14, 2014

Four B-R Basketball Players score 1000 career points this year

Nick Sjuts

Preston Peters

Drew Zitek

Allie Vogt receives a 1000 point ball from Jennifer Meyer (1st 1000 point B-R girl) and Jessica Tietz (last 1000 point B-R girl)

Bancroft-Rosalie 2014-15 School Calendar


Results from the Norfolk Lutheran Speech Meet
Bancroft-Rosalie School placed 2nd





JV Entertainment.--1st--Wyatt Hennig
JV Informative.--6th--Kennedy Schuttler
JV Persuasive.--4th--Gabbi Wilson
JV Serious Prose--1st--Kylee Cole
JV Extemporaneous--1st--Aaron Ras
JV Oral Interpretation of Drama--1st - Wyatt Hennig, Kennedy Schuttler, Tess Nottlemann and Justice Johnson

Informative  1st-Suzanne Ras
Oral Interpretation of Drama--3rd Ryan Wellman, Jerrica Tietz, Ian Nottlemann, Chase Bonsall and Austin Bruning
 Humorous Prose--6th--Suzanne Ras, 4th--Tess Nottlemann
Poetry--6th Jerrica Tietz, 5th-- Kylee Cole
Serious Prose--5th--Jaeliesa, 3rd--Brianna Wegner
Persuasive.--4th--Kylita Gomez, 1st--Brianna Wegner

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Girls Basketball Subdistrict Tournament Bracket

At Pender

Tuesday February 18

6:00 #1 Bancroft-Rosalie (12-8) vs. #4 Winside (2-17)

7:45 #2 Lyons-Decatur (6-15) vs. #3 Walthill (5-12)


Thursday February 20

7:00

Spending comparison of B-R vs. similar size schools in Northeast Nebraska

The following information comes from the Nebraska Department of Education office of School Finance and Organizational Services website and is used by the state for determining state aid to schools.
2013-14 information
Schools are listed in order of students (K-12) with adjusted General Fund Operating Expenditures and per pupil cost

Leigh Community Schools      147 students       $2,286,179      $15,564
Wynot Public Schools             151 students        $1,548,160      $10,227
Clarkson Public Schools         161 students        $2,134,023      $13,288
Wausa Public Schools             214 students        $1,921,010      $  8,969
Winside Public Schools          215 students        $2,192,642      $10,219
Osmond Community Schools 216 students        $2,465,412      $11,413
Allen Consolidated                 217 students        $2,126,169      $  9,784
Howells-Dodge                       218 students       $3,571,995      $16,402
Scribner-Snyder                      226 students       $2,779,437      $12,291
Lyons-Decatur                        227 students       $2,899,348      $12,745

Bancroft-Rosalie                    241 students        $2,244,996      $ 9,319

Emerson-Hubbard                 249 students        $2,946,365      $11,818
Humphrey                             250 students        $2,593,143      $10,380
Pender                                   333 students        $3,531,088      $10,594
Homer                                   392 students        $3,959,850      $10,104
Oakland-Craig                      430 students        $3,852,027      $ 8,962
Wisner-Pilger                       454 students        $4,720,695      $10,398
West Point-Beemer              777 students        $7,323,660      $ 9,424                

As you can see, Bancroft-Rosalie spending in comparable to other schools in Cuming County and less than the spending in similar sized schools in the area.
Please use this information to help educate members of the community. We are not a high spending school.

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

2014 and 2015 Football Schedules

Bancroft-Rosalie 2014 Schedule:
Week 1BYE
Week 2@Osceola
Week 3Randolph
Week 4Osmond
Week 5@Lyons-Decatur Northeast
Week 6@Winside
Week 7Emerson-Hubbard
Week 8@Wynot
Week 9Allen

Bancroft-Rosalie 2015 Schedule:
Week 1BYE
Week 2Osceola
Week 3@Randolph
Week 4@Osmond
Week 5Lyons-Decatur Northeast
Week 6Winside
Week 7@Emerson-Hubbard
Week 8Wynot
Week 9@Allen

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Bancroft-Rosalie State Aid History

State Aid History
Certification Year               State Aid Paid             % Change from Previous Year                       1990/91                                  $139,049.22                              N/A                                                    1991/92                                  $203,034.76                           6.02%                                                1992/93                                  $202,284.46                          (0.37)%                                             1993/94                                  $217,196.44                             7.37%                                            1994/95                                  $380,652.89                           75.26%                                               1995/96                                  $384,545.77                             1.02%                                            1996/97                                  $438,192.91                            13.95%                                           1997/98                                  $679,121.44                            54.98%                                           1998/99                                  $636,363.54                            (6.30)%                                               1999/00                                  $505,675.07                          (20.54)%
 2000/01                                  $487,548.78                        (3.58)%                                                       
2001/02                                  $637,893.77                             30.84%                                              2002/03                                  $653,093.04                               2.38%                                             2003/04                                  $630,347.22                          (3.48)%                                                         2004/05                                  $742,590.75                            17.81%                                                2005/06                                  $679,739.91                          (8.46)%                                                    2006/07                                  $604,304.95                        (11.10)%                                                  2007/08                                  $713,623.29                           18.09%                                                2008/09                                  $681,301.77                          (4.53)%                                                2009/10                                  $986,635.23                           44.82%                                               2010/11                               $1,187,573.89                           20.37%                                             2011/12                                  $527,541.51                        (55.58)%                                                2012/13                                  $711,960.62                           34.96%                                               2013/14                                  $576,287.08                        (19.06)%

School Board news.

Bancroft-Rosalie School news The Bancroft-Rosalie Board of Education met Monday, February 10, 2014 at 7:30 pm in Bancroft. Superintendent Cerny presented the January transportation report, upcoming school board workshops and conferences and information on the affordable care act. The reorganization committee shared information on their meeting with the Lyons-Decatur committee. In new business, the board reviewed curriculum and personnel needs for 2014-15. Head custodian Matt Kai presented buildings and grounds needs. In other new business the board adopted the school calendar for 2014-15 with the first day of school set for August 14. The board went into executive session to discuss administrator evaluation and contracts. Following executive session, the board voted to offer contracts.

Monday, February 10, 2014

February School Board agenda

Bancroft-Rosalie Community School Regular Board of Education Meeting Agenda Monday, February 10, 2014 --- 7:30 p.m. in Bancroft 1. Call to Order 2. Roll Call 3. Open Meetings Act is located on the north wall of the library. 4. Read and approve the minutes of the January 13, 2014 Board Meeting. 5. Treasurer's Report A. Approve the Bills B. Financial Review 6. Review Agenda 7. Public Hearing 8. Reports: A. Superintendent’s Report B. Principal’s Report C. Board Committee Reports 1. Negotiations 2. Citizenship/Instruction/ Americanism 3. Personnel. 4. Buildings and Grounds. 5. Transportation. 6. Insurance. 7. Reorganization 9. Old Business: A. Final reading of Board policy #762.41 Bus Safety Program 10. New Business: A. Annual review of curriculum. B. Annual review of personnel needs. C. Annual review of buildings and grounds. D. Adopt school calendar for 2014-15 E. Evaluation, hiring, and negotiations for School Administrators 11. Executive Session- Evaluation, hiring, and negotiations for School Administrators 12. Future Planning- Next scheduled meeting- Monday, March 10, 2014 in Bancroft. 13. Adjournment.

B-R Boys earn first East Husker recognition plate

Now we need to purchase an East Husker Award Board for the commons to hold this and future plates. Go B-R!!!

Friday, February 7, 2014

LB 682- Requiring small schools to form Allied Systems


LB 682 requires that by July 1, 2015, any school district in Nebraska with fewer than 650 students enrolled in grades K-12 shall form an allied system with at least three other school districts with fewer than 650 students enrolled in grades K-12 so that the minimum number of students in such allied system is 1300 students. 
The Allied system schools shall have a common daily schedule and common calendar.

As a School Superintendent with 21 years experience at the same rural school, I can provide a historical perspective to the efforts that small schools in Northeast Nebraska have made to collaborate in order to best meet the needs of our students.

In the 1990’s schools in Northeast Nebraska formed the Eastern Nebraska Distance Learning Consortium for the purpose of working together to share classes via two-way interactive video. This is very similar to what a law requiring Allied Systems would require. Schools in the consortium selected from two daily schedules.

Each consortium school was required to offer one class for the benefit of the others in the consortium. Many schools formed “pods” of 3-4 schools that worked together to decide what courses were needed. A common school calendar was not possible because of issues such as scheduling around county fairs. Over time our pod (B-R, Emerson-Hubbard, Wakefield and Allen) dissolved as teachers and administrators changed and the system has now become statewide.We receive from Broken Bow and Leigh and send to Plainview, Randolph and Giltner.

There was a strong incentive to join the Distance Learning Consortium because distance learning classroom equipment was provided through grant funds to consortium members.  If the intent is to increase the use of distance learning across the state, then increasing financial incentive to offer courses would be of great benefit. The $1000 currently provided for sending or receiving is not enough to compensate distance learning teachers and maintain the equipment.

Thursday, February 6, 2014

Winter MAP test results

The Measures of Academic Progress tests were given in January to grades K-11. We only test  Reading and Math during the Winter test period. All four areas (Science and Language) are tested in the Fall and Spring.

Elementary Reading
67% of the students improved on their best score. The top score was a 231 (235-240 is considered college ready). It becomes difficult for students scoring well above grade level to improve their score on every test.

Elementary Math
89% of the students improved on their best score. The top score was a 241 (255 is consdiered college ready).

Frozen yogurt bars have been ordered from Ru-De's for students that beat their best score or scored above an 80% but didn't beat their previous best.
Those that showed improvement from Fall testing, but had higher scores last year will receive a nutritious snack bar.

Grrreat job students!!!!

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Kindergarten Readiness- Preschool

The Omaha World Herald had an article today concerning a state senator that opposes school operated preschools. He claims that there is not enough research to support the benefits of preschool.

Bancroft-Rosalie School Board is in the ninth year of administering the community preschool. Three year olds attend the morning session and four year olds attend the afternoon session.

We have done our own research on how students in our preschool perform on the DIBELS (Dynamic Indicator of Basic Early Literacy) that we use to measure kindergarten readiness in the Fall of their kindergarten year.

Here are the results-
- 78% of the children who have attended our preschool tested at or above the DIBELS Benchmark.
- 19% of those who did not attend our preschool tested above the DIBELS Benchmark.

This is evidence that students who attend our preschool are ready to learn when they enter kindergarten. We encourage all parents to send their children to preschool.

Sunday, February 2, 2014

ACT test changes for next year

Friday Bancroft-Rosalie signed up to give the ACT test to our students at our school next year. The test can be given twice a year, in September and in March, and will be on Tuesdays (during the school day).

We feel this will give our students the best chance for success. We also give pre-ACT tests to students in grades 8-10, the PLAN and EXPLORE tests. These tests will now be part of a grades 3-10 ASPIRE tests. At the present time we do not plan to give the ASPIRE tests in the elementary.