Eagle Update – Page 25

Kelsey Ruth Magee Memorial Scholarship BBQ

Thank you to everyone who came out to support the chicken and pulled pork dinner on July 19, 2015. It was another successful event. The Liberty-Benton community has helped keep Kelsey’s Memorial Scholarship going strong. This year, we served 774 meals. Through the years, we have been able to award 62 – $500 scholarships in Kelsey’s memory to Liberty-Benton seniors.

This dinner would not be possible without the help of many family and friends and the great donors who offer great gifts for the raffles. Thank you “Bubba’s Southern Pride” and all the ladies who donated cookies to help make the meal possible.

Kelsey passed away from undetected Addison disease on January 22, 2008, during her sophomore year at Liberty-Benton High School.

Thank You from Red & Ruth Magee and Family!

Pat Wagner Memorial 5K Run and Walk

More than 330 people participated in the first-ever Pat Wagner Memorial 5K Race. Before starting the 5K race, an alumni walking lap was held for all girls who had run for Coach Wagner while they were in high school. It was an impressive group of athletes spanning a vast range of years! The funds raised will be put toward a scholarship. Approximately 70 former student-athlete’s of Coach Wagner’s Liberty-Benton High School cross country and track teams participated in the event. It was awesome to see so many alumni and community members participate. The committee appreciates everyone’s support, and they hope to make this a yearly tradition to honor Coach Wagner.

Elementary Guidance – Kids Care Club and So Much More!

bgazette.jpg.JPG Hello! I want to reintroduce myself to the Liberty-Benton Elementary Community and let you know about some of the services I provide to the elementary. I am blessed to have many roles at Liberty-Benton. I do classroom visits, group counseling, individual counseling, consultation with parents, community resource people and teachers, test coordination and Intervention Assistance coordination. I partner up with Mrs. Cramer and Mrs. Cook to facilitate our awesome Kids Care Club with the 5th grade. My job is like all at Liberty-Benton Elementary; it is to help kids succeed. I encourage parents to call me or email me if I can help their child in any way.

A new school year brings so much excitement in our students’ lives. It also brings the stress of learning new routines. My best advice is to expect some bumps along the way and to communicate directly with your child’s teacher if there are problems. Addressing issues early is helpful to avoid bad habits or bad feelings. Students may long for the comfort of their former grade level and teacher. We all need time to adjust.

I am excited for a new year of Kids Care Club. Kids Care is a service club for 5th graders. Applications to join the club will be going home before the fair break. We will post the meetings on the Elementary Calendar and send reminders home before meetings.

We are wondering what projects our new group of students will want to do. In the past we have made blankets for nursing homes, raised money for Teddy’s Rescue, shoeboxes for Samaritan’s Purse, surprises for the staff and many more projects. I am happy to address any questions or concerns. I can be reached at the school or through my district email: [email protected].

Barb Gazette, Liberty-Benton Elementary Guidance Counselor

Aaron Craft Youth Clinic & All-Star Alumni Game

On July 31, over 200 students in grades K-12 attended the first-ever Aaron Craft All-Star Youth Clinic. Approximately 400 other fans were on hand to watch the Alumni All-Star Game. We had 24 former L-B basketball players play in the Alumni Game. The funds raised will go towards the Athletic Department’s yearly budget. The Athletic Department would like to thank everyone that helped make this night so special. It was great to see so many former players coming back to help with the youth clinic and also get together to play together once again! A special thanks to Aaron for taking time out of his busy schedule to share this experience with all of the kids that attended.

Junior and Senior Parents – Be Alert!

Just something to keep an eye out for… Last year, it was brought to our attention that some high school parents had received an order form in the mail from “The National Society of High School Scholars.” This is not something that is done through the school or from the school. We don’t know where they got their information for the mailing.

We just want to let our parents know that this is not the same thing as being inducted into our Hancock County Chapter of the National Honor Society. For those of you who are interested in possible membership of the National Honor Society. You will not receive an order form in the mail. Your junior or senior student who meets the grade point average requirement will be given an application at school. The student will complete the application, which requires meeting four areas of criteria, and there is also a possibility of a personal interview. Mrs. Andrea Hazelton is our National Honor Society advisor, and if you have any questions, you may feel free to contact her. During their senior year, our National Honor Society members are presented with honorary gold cords to wear at graduation.

You do not need to buy anything from “The National Society of High School Scholars.” The mailing from this organization looks very official, but it is not anything recognized here at school. We just wanted to share this information with you so you can be aware of this possibility. Hopefully, it saves you from spending money on things you don’t really need.

Summer Reading Program Success

The theme “Catch a Dragon by the Tale” was this year’s Summer Library Program at Liberty-Benton Elementary. With the help of Alida Hause and Angie Garlock, the program was a huge success for our students. We had 308 kids ranging from age 3 to age 15 attend the program 1,575 times that lasted from June 8 through August 6. Students had the opportunity to check out books and take Accelerated Reader quizzes. Students read 856 books and took 878 quizzes. Wow!!! What an accomplishment for the summer.

Our top 5 students are:

Kindergarten
Audrey Reed, 30.3 points
Emma Hertel, 13.9 points
Jackson Knepper, 13.8 points
Caleb Hochstettler, 10.5 points
Megan Gerken, 5.3 points

First Grade
Jonathan Coldren, 59.6 points
Alena Newhouse, 21.7 points
Calista Hamilton, 16.6 points
Jenna Nelson, 11.2 points
Elise Spears, 9.5 points

Second Grade
Madison Gaerke, 22.6 points
Elise Norman, 13.9 points
Emma McFarland, 12.6 points
Avery Knepper, 10.3 points
Adelynne Arps-Paris, 8.2 points

Third Grade
Emma Schroeder, 35.2 points
Lauren Gerken, 27.5 points
Christopher Beeman, 20.7 points
Owen Wilkins, 17.2 points
Braden Birkemeier, 13.2 points

Fourth Grade
Robert Coldren, 76.8 points
Kaylen Niese, 59.4 points
Laura Reed, 37.7 points
Alana Subramaniam, 28.3 points
Kendra Terry, 13.8 points

Fifth Grade
Brandon Gaerke, 19.5 points
Joseph Gaerke, 11.0 points
Alana Birkemeier, 10.0 points
Kendra Gardine, 5.4 points
Hayley Schlumbohm, 2.7 points

Overall
Robert Coldren, 76.8 points
Jonathan Coldren, 59.6 points
Kaylen Niese, 59.4 points
Laura Reed, 37.7 points
Emma Schroeder, 35.2 points

Thank you to all the parents, grandparents, and students for attending this year’s summer reading program. We appreciate your help and support as we continue to enhance our students to be life-long readers.

Ronda Smith, LB Literacy Coach