The elementary staff at Lynnville-Sully School participated in two days of reading professional development June 26-27 in Denise Brillhart's room. The focus of the training was on Path to Reading Excellence in School Site (PRESS).

“It’s pretty amazing to get almost the entire staff here for two days to get a jumpstart on the 2017-18 year,” said Teri Bowlin, L-S PreK-8 Principal. “Talk about a committed group of educators!”

The teachers reviewed their students' data for the students they will be teaching in the 2017-18 school year. Lynnville-Sully’s reading specialist from Heartland AEA, Janelle Thompson, and professional learning and leadership consultant, Kelly Schloss, led the training.

Path to Reading Excellence in School Site (PRESS) is a framework that structures literacy achievement in grades K-5 within a multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) or Response to Intervention (RtI) context. The primary goal of PRESS is to work with teachers and administrators to establish school-based systems and practices for all K-5 students to become capable readers.

Pack the Stands at Lynnville-Sully was more than just a night of free admittance to the JV/varsity softball and baseball games. It was a night to recognize the L-S Athletic Boosters members and those who continually support the Hawk student-athletes. The Boosters play a vital role in L-S athletics by contributing money toward facilities, equipment, uniforms, weight room support, and team camps.

Front to back, Jett Kramer, Jaxson Merten, and Gavin Fisk run through the tunnel of high school players giving them high-fives at Pack the Stands night.

Pack the Stands was also a night of recognizing the area baseball and softball players in L-S Youth Sports’ rookie, minor, and major divisions. Between the varsity and JV games on their respective fields, the youth players were able to soak up their time in the spotlight on the “big fields.” The up-and-coming athletes were all smiles as they were greeted with a tunnel of high-fives from the varsity players.

The evening drew quite a crowd and was the first of its kind hosted by the L-S Athletic Boosters.

After over a year of fundraising efforts, including selling the World’s Finest Chocolate, spreading mulch for the Garden Thyme Club, holding a bake sale, and bussing tables at Pizza Ranch, a group of 20 seventh- and eighth-grade Lynnville-Sully students embarked on a trip of a lifetime to Washington, D.C.

The students, along with teachers Mike Parkinson and Brad Bowlin and seven parents, met at the school very early on Tuesday morning, June 6. They were taken by charter bus to Des Moines, where they flew to Detroit, and then on to the nation’s capital city, arriving around 1 p.m. Eastern time. This was Parkinson’s fourth trip he’s organized and went on with students. Along with the fundraisers, the trip was also made possible by local generous people who made this possible.

Part of the radio tower on the World Trade Center that came down on 9/11, on display at the Newseum.

Students Jaden Brand and Owen Norrish look for names at the Vietnam Memorial.

L-S Middle School students visited with Sen. Charles Grassley on the steps of the Capitol on June 8. This year’s group included from left: First row, Grace Fuchs, Laci Keen, Jaden Brand, Bryar Hill, Caitlin Alberts, Gage Elscott, Jack Conn, Braden Alberts; second row, Brandon Graham, Elana Newell, Ellie Dunsbergen, Dakotah Bokhoven, Luke Kramer, Logan Allbee, Cameron Van Wyk, Matthew Winters; third row, Kynlee James, Owen Norrish, Brady Sassman, Hunter McCoy; fourth row, Sen. Grassley, Mike Parkinson, Brad Bowlin, Patricia Riemenschneider, Brenda Newell, Heather James, John Kramer, Lynn Dunsbergen, Jennifer Kramer, and Jamie Keen.

Eighth-grader Brandon Graham wore his Boy Scout uniform out of respect for those buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

“We hold our trip every two years, and I took my first group back in 2011 when I was teaching at Woodward-Granger. We started here in 2013 and have had trips in 2015 and now in 2017. I plan to continue to offer a trip as long as we have enough interest,” said Parkinson, who will move into the high school social studies position this coming school year.

Parkinson said their tour company, World Strides, is “without a doubt, the leading tour company for this trip.”

“In 2010, I received a phone call from World Strides from a referring teacher,” explained Parkinson. “I researched the company, talked to other teachers, and gave them a shot. We had 11 people go the first year, and at L-S we've had 30, 32, and 29 go in the years following. It's been a great trip! When you go to D.C., you see a lot of students traveling with World Strides. They arrange everything – the flights, bus, tours, tour guide, hotel, accommodations, and so much more. They are great to work with.”

The group of 29 stayed at the Hilton in Gaithersburg, MD, and were blessed with fantastic weather.

“We usually stay a little outside of D.C., since it helps with the cost of the trip, and it gives us a little time to chat and relax after a long, fun day,” Parkinson said. “While in D.C., the weather was gorgeous. It was upper 60s and lower 70s mostly. Friday was the warmest, around 80, but it was the best weather I've ever experienced in D.C.”

Upon their arrival in D.C., the group first visited the Air and Space Smithsonian Museum. Then they headed to the National Archives to see the three major documents in U.S. History: The Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. To end their first night in the nation’s capital, the group visited a few monuments, including the WWII Memorial, which was especially moving as it happened to be D-Day.

On Wednesday, day two, the group started the day with breakfast at the Hard Rock Café, followed by a tour of Ford’s Theater, and then a visit to the Vietnam/Korean Memorial.

“My favorite part of the trip was seeing the Vietnam Memorial,” said seventh-grader Jack Conn. “It really made me think about the ultimate sacrifice these soldiers made for our country.”

After seeing this memorial, the group headed to the highly-anticipated Holocaust Museum, where they were privileged to meet two Holocaust survivors.

“The kids really liked going to the Holocaust Museum,” said Parkinson. “Many of them have learned a lot about the Holocaust in middle school, and this was a chance to bring some of that learning to life. It's a very real learning experience and is obviously a serious one. I think our kids handled it really well.”

“The Holocaust Museum was my favorite thing to see,” added seventh-grader Owen Norrish.

“It was really fascinating, and I’m looking forward to learning more about it, as we’ll study it in-depth in eighth grade. This was my first time visiting Washington, D.C., but it won’t be my last!”

On Wednesday night, the group attended the U.S. Army’s “Twilight Tattoo,” a pageantry show covering the history of the country through music and military demonstrations. While there, they met and got acquainted with Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa).

“The ‘Twilight Tattoo’ show was my favorite part of the trip,” shared eighth-grader Caitlin Alberts, who enjoyed her first trip to Washington, D.C.“The modern-day call is known as ‘Tattoo’ and during basic training, the call signals the time to quiet down and hit the bunks. The people were dressed up in uniforms representative of that time.” She was also surprised at how close they were able to get to the White House.

The following day, the group met with two more big names in our government.

“On Thursday, we went to the U.S. Capitol where we met both Congress-man Dave Loebsack, District 2 Represen-tative (D-Iowa), and Senator Charles Grassley (R-Iowa),” said Parkinson. “Both talked with us for about 10 minutes and then returned to working back in the Capitol. We then took a tour and visited the Senate Chambers and the Library of Congress.”

Grassley greeted the students on the steps of the Capitol and answered questions about his work for Iowans. Students were interested in Grassley’s duties as a senator and his role as Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

“I enjoyed meeting with the Lynnville-Sully students,” Grassley said. “I appreciate the opportunity to speak with students and answer their questions.”

Other stops on Thursday included a trip to the Newseum, which portrays a unique take on U.S. history, from the perspective of the media.

“That afternoon we went to Arlington National Cemetery to pay our respects and watch the Changing of the Guard,” said Parkinson.

"I have gained so much more respect for the people that served our country as we visited the memorials and exhibits,” shared seventh-grader Kynlee James. “My favorite place to visit was Arlington National Cemetery because of Changing of the Guard."

Friday was the group’s final day in D.C.

“We started our day on Friday by touring Mount Vernon, the home of George Washington,” Parkinson said. “We spent several hours there, and when we returned to D.C. from Alexandria, we went to the American History and Natural History Smithsonian Museums. We flew home that night, with a stop in St. Louis, getting back pretty late, around 12:30 a.m., but the early mornings and late night were well worth the trip!”

The annual Character Counts Carnival, a celebration of good character shown throughout the school year, was held for kindergarten through fifth-grade students Tuesday afternoon, May 23.

Students roamed from classroom to classroom and into the elementary gym for a time of fun games and prizes. Games hosted by each classroom included Bingo, mini golf, face painting, fishing, Tic Tac Toe race, hoop shoot, bucket toss, Minute-To-Win-It games, cookie walk, rain gutter race, bean bag toss, and new this year, the plunger paddlin’ race. Several games offered small prizes such as beads, Tootsie Rolls, baseball caps, popsicles, and other goodies.

Eighth-grader Dalton Hackert challenges second-grader Trace Carlson in the rain gutter race. Several middle school students helped with the carnival.

During the carnival, teachers and staff members were on the lookout for students displaying the character traits of trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship. Those students were later recognized at the end of the day during the closing assembly and awarded Kids of Character certificates. Mrs. Teri Bowlin, preK-8 principal, spoke to the students about displaying good character all through the summer months. She encouraged the students to email her good character updates throughout the summer.

Teachers and staff members were on the lookout for students displaying good character at the Character Counts Carnival. The above students were “caught” doing good and awarded Kids of Character certificates, which are good for one free kids meal at the Coffee Cup Cafe in Sully: Front row, Keegan Rilatos, Emma Stonehocker, Hayden Lewis, Brooke Harthoorn, Leah Philby; back, Carson Maston, Max Morvant, Corbin Cupples, Nevaeh Dillon, and Summer Hackert.

On the last day of regular classes for middle school students on Thursday, May 25, the annual middle school awards ceremony was held to recognize and honor the students. Various groups were recognized and given certificates by middle school staff members and administration.

Among those students recognized were those who had perfect attendance, students who participated in sports, music, or band, and student council members. Another award, the Robert E. Sward Award, was also presented at the year-end recognition assembly. The Robert E. Sward Award is given annually in honor of the late Robert E. Sward, former long-time L-S Elementary principal, to an eighth-grade student who exemplifies the characteristics of leadership, citizenship, integrity, and scholarship. This year, Caitlin Alberts, daughter of Trent and Kari Alberts, was chosen as the recipient of this prestigious award.

On the last day of school, Friday, May 25, eligible middle school students enjoyed a day at Adventureland. Despite the rainy start to the day, the students had a good time at the theme park with friends before the start of summer break.

Elementary teachers and staff members form a tunnel outside the school doors to share high fives and hugs as students leave the building for the last time in the 2016-17 school year on Friday, May 26. The last few days at L-S were a whirlwind as students finished up all assignments, cleaned desks and lockers out, and packed up school supplies to take home for the summer. Several fun activities were held over the last week to celebrate another successful school year. Elementary classrooms enjoyed class picnic lunches and an extended time of play at the Sully park, Accelerated Reader parties were held, and much more. Eligible middle school students spent the last day of school at Adventureland in Des Moines, enjoying a day of the thrilling rides and games.

Going out with a bang, the Lynnville-Sully junior high girls won the SICL Conference meet to conclude the season last Tuesday, May 9. The Hawks performed well at the meet at BGM.

“We talked all year about going out and competing, and the girls did just that, winning the meet by over 40 points,” noted L-S Coach Kevin Johnson. “It was a great team effort, and every member contributed.”

Eighth-grader Korinne Jansen had a stand-out night in her last junior high meet. She won both the 100-m dash and the shot put and placed second in the 200-m dash. Her classmate Cayler Noun-Harder won the long jump.

Second-place individual finishes went to seventh-grader Sydney Jansen with a personal best in the 200-m hurdles, eighth-grader Megan Van Zante in the 1500-m dash, and eighth-grader Meleisha Vos with a personal best in the 800-m run. Vos also placed in the 1500-m run, taking fourth.

Eighth-grader Caitlin Alberts finished third and Noun-Harder was just behind in fourth in a very competitive 400-m run.

In the relays, the 4x100 team of S. Jansen, eighth-graders Briley Riedlinger, Riley Terlouw, and K. Jansen just edged out a fast HLV team to place first.

The 4x200 team of seventh-grader Reagan McFarland, eighth-grader Krystal Van Dyke, Riedlinger, and Terlouw also took home first place.

The 4x400 team of Van Zante, eighth-grader Cally Gibbs, Noun-Harder, and Alberts ended the night with a strong first-place finish.

The junior high boys also wrapped up the season at the SICL meet last Tuesday. They finished with 35 points for 10th place ahead of Colfax-Mingo and Tri-County.

Mason Jansen rounds the track at the SICL meet.

The top performances for L-S came from the 4x100 and 4x800 teams with both placing third. 4x100 teammates were eighth-graders Lane Mathis, Malichi Foster, and Payton Van Wyk and seventh-grader Mason Rodibaugh. 4x800 runners were eighth-graders Aiden LeCompte and seventh-graders Owen Norrish, Brodey Johnson, and Parker Van Wyk. The Hawks also did well in the shot put with Mathis and Payton Van Wyk placing third and sixth respectively.

Other points were earned by Mathis in the 100-m dash (seventh); eighth-grader Mason Jansen in the 800-m run (fifth), 100-m hurdles (sixth), and long jump (seventh); eighth-grader Blake Rea in the 200-m hurdles (eighth); and the shuttle hurdle relay team of eighth-grader Dakota Seastrom, Foster, seventh-grader Ryan Annee, and Rea (seventh).

Celebrating the winning of the SICL title are members of the L-S girls track team with L-S Coach Kevin Johnson in front, from left, kneeling: Lily Zylstra, Megan Van Zante, Dakotah Bokhoven, Haley Mathis, Cayler Noun-Harder, Denali Conover, Cally Gibbs, Reagan McFarland, Sydney Jansen, Brooke Maston, Nevaeh Hellickson; back: Hadley Tice, Briley Riedlinger, Riley Terlouw, Aliya James, Caitlin Alberts, Aysia Vander Linden, Krystal Van Dyke, Jaden Brand, Elizabeth Squires, Korinne Jansen, Bryar Hill, Meleisha Vos, and Laci Keen.

Lynnville-Sully fourth-grader Carter Brand, son of Eric and Faye Brand of Sully, was named the first-place winner in the fourth-grade division of the State of Iowa Fire Prevention Poster Contest. Earlier in the school year, Brand’s poster was judged and chosen by the Lynnville Fire Department in the local contest among third to fifth graders featuring the theme, “Don’t Wait, Check the Date!” Brand and his family were invited to the State Fire Prevention Poster Awards Luncheon on Saturday, May 6, in Osage, where they were treated to a tour of the fire station, a fire truck ride, and lunch. Brand received a limited edition trophy, awards plaque, and cash prize for his winning poster. Lynnville Fire Department also received a trophy and cash prize.