Congratulations to our Esports team! Mario Kart against Lincoln HS in our MOSEF league. A big 3-0 win! "Typical Tuesday domination." - Coach Schumann
In these warm winter days, recess is electrifying!
🌎✨ Exploring Green Careers in Science Class! ✨🌎
Our 7th and 8th grade students recently participated in an exciting 2-day livestream event focused on environmental and “green” career pathways! This event, "Green Pathways: Careers that Matter," aims to inspire middle school and high school students throughout the Midwest region to learn about the diverse and growing job opportunities in green careers.
Students heard from an inspiring keynote speaker who shared his personal journey of combining his passions to build a meaningful career. They also learned directly from park rangers, species recovery coordinators, and an environmental lobbyist about the many ways they can make a difference in our world. 🌿
One of the highlights of the day was the interactive workshop, “Blaze Your Own Trail: Find Your Path and Tell Your Story.” During this session, students reflected on their experiences, explored how their passions have developed over time, and identified valuable skills they can continue building for the future. They gained practical tools to grow their confidence, strengthen resumes and personal essays, and clearly communicate the positive impact they hope to make.
We are proud of our students for engaging thoughtfully in this opportunity and beginning to imagine the many paths ahead of them. The future is bright — and green! 💚🌱
The team appreciates their great managers! Next game is bracket play against Wheaton at 2:00.
Chargers win game 2 of the day versus Southwest!
Chargers win their first game of the day v Galena and move forward in pool play
The Lady Chargers are taking over Southwest High School today for a full day of tournament action! Our girls have been training hard, and they’re ready to leave it all on the court. 🏐💪
Come cheer on the Chargers!
Another Tuesday, another win in Mario Kart. A 3-0 win against Brentwood Middle School!
From a February science project!
💎 Love is in the Air! 💎
Our 7th-grade scientists have been digging deep into the world of igneous rocks lately! After studying how cooling rates and mineral compositions create stunning crystal formations in nature, we decided to bring the lab to life with a "sweet" Valentine’s twist.
🧪 The Science of Sparkle
To see crystal growth in action, students used Borax to create supersaturated solutions. By suspending heart-shaped frames into the liquid, they watched as mineral structures "grew" overnight—mirroring the cooling process that creates the crystals we find in Earth's crust!
🎁 From Lab Bench to Gift Wrap
Once the crystals reached peak sparkle, our students:
Carefully harvested their unique formations.
Studied the geometric patterns they created.
Wrapped them up as beautiful, handmade gifts for their loved ones.
It’s been a fantastic week of combining Earth Science with a little bit of heart!
Great way to welcome in Spring!
Bob Brandt who is an Ambassador for USA Pickleball came to talk to the kids to start our pickleball unit.
RTI at Work Institute. Mrs. Riepl and Mrs. Hicks attended a 3 day conference to learn how to better structure systems at school to offer our students the most efficient and effective instruction. RTI is not an intervention process. RTI is a school wide system which focuses on teaching students what is most important and working as a school team to ensure every child learns what is most important at each grade level.
Come support the Chargers band!
Mark the date on your calendar
Make plans to attend!
We are so proud of our school community for the incredible generosity shown during our Love a Pet Fundraiser in partnership with Haven of the Ozarks! ❤️🐾
Because of YOU, we collected hundreds of much-needed items to support dogs waiting for their forever homes. Our students truly showed what compassion, kindness, and service look like in action!
🏆 Fundraiser Highlights
🐾 Top Elementary Class: FIFTH GRADE – 413 items collected!
🐾 Top Middle School Class: SEVENTH GRADE – 124 items collected!
👏 A special shoutout to THIRD GRADE for an amazing effort! They were neck-and-neck with fifth grade throughout the entire competition and finished strong with 254 items collected. We are so proud of your dedication and heart!
🎉 Winning Class Reward
Fifth grade and seventh grade have earned a return field trip to Haven of the Ozarks where they will:
Deliver all donated items from our generous school community
Visit their adopted dogs again 🐶
Serve and help however the shelter needs
What an incredible way to continue learning through service!
💛 A Bigger Purpose
Beyond collecting supplies, one of the most important goals of this project was education. Through “Love a Pet,” students learned about responsible pet ownership — including proper care, commitment, spaying and neutering, and the importance of providing safe, permanent homes.
Our hope is that by growing awareness and compassion in our students and families, we can positively impact our wider community and help reduce the number of dogs who end up without consistent care or safe homes. Every conversation, every lesson, and every act of kindness makes a difference.
Thank you to all of our families, students, and staff who donated items, shared wish lists, and supported this Valentine-themed service project. Your generosity is making a real difference in the lives of animals in need.
We are so thankful to partner with Haven of the Ozarks and can’t wait to see our winning classes back in action serving again
Emilie Davis shot a state qualifying score of 240 at the Clever Archery Tournament last Saturday, Feb 21! #chargerpride
Last call for Love a Pet fundraiser! You can bring items to Title 1 Family night Thursday.
8th grade visited Mercy Phyical Therapy for their career field trip in the helping and health path. Andrea Mauk taught them about what it take a to be a physical therapist, and the students even got some hands-on experience. An interest in science is important. It is also necessary to like people and have good written and verbal communication skills. Becoming a physical therapist takes a doctorate or professional degree. If you are interested in the field, though, but don't want to invest that much in education, you can be a physical therapy assistant with an associates degree.
