What is Remind101?

As a parent, you've probably noticed or heard your student refer to signing up for Remind101. Maybe you're wondering what Remind101 is all about, here's some information regarding this free tool used for communicating via text or email messages.

What is Remind101?Remind101 is a free website designed for teachers that provides a safe way for teachers to text message or email students and parents. Even thought it is originally designed for teachers, anyone can use the service.

Will students see the teacher's (or other student's) cell phone number?
No, that’s the beauty of remind101. Each teacher is assigned a phone number, which a student or parent will text to subscribe. Once subscribed, remind101 will ask for the students/parents name so that the teacher can identify them. remind101 never shows the teacher that person's number, which means they never see student numbers and students never see theirs.

How do students or parents sign up?
Students and parents sign up for notifications by sending a text message with a teacher's class code. They may alos sign up by sending an email to the teacher's code.

Who is using it at Chadron High School?
Last year, I used remind101 to notify staff of school notices (ex. school closings, or schedule changes). This year I've expanded it for all student and parents connected with our high school to share these notices (For instance: I used this service last week to notify students and parents that we had no school Thursday or Friday due to the wildfires). In addition, most teachers and coaches are using it with their students involved in their respective classrooms and activities.

How does Remind101 work?

First, a teacher adds his/her class, which generates a unique code. The teacher then shares that code with students or parents. At that point, any student or parent who sends a text message with the code will be "subscribed" to the teacher's class. Any time a teacher sends a message from remind101, all the students or parents subscribed will receive it.

Feel free to sign up for Chadron High School school notices for the this school year by sending a text to the number:  (412)203-8843  with the message "@chsnote"

Thoughts on Week

Well, we've survived the fires ... thanks to the hard work of firefighters! This includes the many federal agencies, our local Volunteer Fire Department, as well as many area ranchers out lending a hand to protect property. It was quite the community and regional effort!  We are blessed to live in the surroundings of so many caring people.

Back to school .... We are continuing to focus on our school goals of reading and writing skills for all students. At Chadron High School, every teacher is a reading and writing teacher. Every class, every semester is required to include a reading activity with selected academic vocabulary terms related to the classroom subject with students completing short written summaries.  These summary papers are graded and placed into the students' portfolio.  When the student graduates, we give them their portfolio showing four years of improved writing skills. In addition, every week we have a school-wide 30 minute time for silent reading.

Our amazing results on the recent state tests lead us to believe that the efforts we've placed on reading and writing is providing the foundation for our students to succeed on standardized tests. Success on tests of math, science, social studies, or any other subject relies on reading and comprehension of the material and questions. Therefore, we'll continue to invest our time on our school goals of reading and writing for all students.

School Closed Today Due To Fires!

(Update 8:45am) School cancelled tomorrow (Friday) also. No practices for MS or HS today or tomorrow. X-Country will not travel to tomorrow's meet they have been reschedule to attend the Jim Thorpe Invitational in Pine Ridge next Tuesday (9/4). Softball will travel to Saturday tournament as planned, Football will travel to Gering tomorrow as planned.

All the Chadron Public Schools are closed today due to the uncertainty of fire behavior. Last night evacuations were ordered for areas within 5 miles South of town, several of our families and staff were evacuated.

All activities (practices and games) will not take place today. The volleyball game to be hosted tonight has been postponed to a date not yet determined.  We have not made a decision on whether school will be closed tomorrow, stay tuned for updates at our facebook page www.facebook.com/ChadronHighSchool and to local media for further announcements.

We thank the firefighters and many community volunteers that are offering assistance in these uncertain conditions.

Stay safe firefighters! Thank you for all you do!!

Dual-Credit Opportunities Expand

For the first time, Chadron High School has partnered with Chadron State College to offer dual-credit classes through a new program called "ACES" - Access to College Engagement and Success. This new dual enrollment program is designed for Nebraska high school juniors and seniors. Here are some quick facts for students and parents:

• Take college courses while still enrolled in high school.
• Access high quality, low cost college classes associated with a variety of majors and general studies at Chadron State College.
• Pay a low flat rate of $50 per credit hour or $150 per three credit course. There is a one-time $15 matriculation fee. State scholarships are available for low-income students.
• Interact with CSC professors online or face-to-face.
• Accelerate degree completion with credits earned while still living at home and enrolled in high school.
• Participate fully your junior and senior year of high school and save up to $7,000 on the cost of a bachelor's degree with the possibility of completing your degree in just three more years.
• All credits are generally transferable to other colleges and universities.

For this first year, Chadron High School is offering six classes as dual-enrollment.

• CHS AP Literature counts as CSC ENG 160 for 3 credits.
• CHS Personal Finance counts as CSC FIN 239 for 3 credits.
• CHS AP US History (year-long course) counts as CSC HIST 231 and HIST 232 for 6 credits.
• CHS Pre-Calculus counts as CSC MATH 142 for 4 credits.
• CHS AP Calculus counts as CSC MATH 138 for 3 credits.
• CHS AP Statistics counts as CSC MATH 232 for 3 credits.

In addition to this new ACES program with Chadron State College, we continue to offer dual enrollment opportunities with WNCC with our Medical Terminology and Basic Nursing classes. We also allow students to pay full price to take CSC classes on their campus. 35 of our students are currently enrolled in at least one of these college credit opportunities.

CHS State Test Scores Arrive!

(The following is submitted by Maribeth Moore, the CPS Curriculum Director)

2011-12 NeSA State Reading, Math and Science Score Release

The recent release of Chadron Public School’s 2012 Nebraska State Assessment (NeSA) Reading, Math, and Science report on student results proved very exciting!  Statewide tests were administered earlier last spring in grades 3 through 8 and at the 11^th grade. The tests measure Nebraska state standards. These scores are part of state and federal calculations used in determining Annual Yearly Progress (AYP).   Parents will receive a report on their child’s scores after August 21.

As a district, Chadron Public Schools performed exceptionally well and numerous grade levels performed greater than the state average.  Our students and staff should be celebrated!  Positive outcomes can only be attained when everyone is working together. Every CPS staff member is a reading teacher, allowing all other content areas to be enhanced.  Our student performance data speaks for itself as we continue to progress.  Students, staff, and all other stakeholders should be very proud of what we are accomplishing at Chadron Public Schools; celebrations are being scheduled to acknowledge their efforts.

We still, however, have challenges.  Our goal is to turn these challenges into successes.  Test results provide another effective tool to improve instruction for every child, but no single test score can tell the full story about the performance of an individual student or a school building or district.  The CPS focus will remain on growth and gain for all students.  The staff will continue to align grade level and content area curriculum, analyze data, reflect, and determine a course of action continuing to narrow our achievement gaps.  Chadron Schools are extremely proud of our accomplishments (given changes to Rural, Elementary and Middle Schools consolidating and reconfiguring by grade level, staff and student reassignments prior to the 2011-12 school  year) as should students, parents, grandparents, and community members.  In closing, we can’t thank our students enough.   Huge accolades go to our student body. Students stepped up and applied the learning. They demonstrated what Chadron Public Schools does best- preparing for the future.

WELL DONE! CONGRATULATIONS!

Respectfully,

Maribeth Moore

Curriculum Director

(Results and thoughts from Mr. Mack, CHS Principal)

Here are the results our our high school juniors that tested last spring.

Reading:

  Below the Standards: CHS 11%, State 36%

  Meets the Standards:  CHS 36%, State 39%

  Exceeds Standards:   CHS 54%, State 25%  ...wow!!!  we had 6 perfect scores!

Mathematics:

  Below the Standards: CHS 21%, State 45%   ...note how high the state avg is here!  :(

  Meets the Standards:  CHS 41%, State 35%

  Exceeds Standards:   CHS 38%, State 21%   ...we had 5 perfect scores!

Science:

  Below the Standards: CHS 13%, State 33%

  Meets the Standards:  CHS 66%, State 54%   ...the first year this was tested ... very pleased!

  Exceeds Standards:   CHS 21%, State 13%   ...1 perfect score!

Overall, you can see why we are so excited at the academic successes we are maintaing at Chadron High School. I have looked at the data from other schools in the State to compare our scores, and I can report that I am very pleased to see Chadron High School lead the charge in educating students. Our successes did not happen overnight. We have spent many years in meeting and mapping curriculum as a K-12 system. Our school goals are reading and writing, we emphasize that every teacher in our school teaches reading and writing, with this foundation we build comprehension in other subject areas.

Thank you to our students and staff for all the work every day that is required to maintain this excellence!

Welding Projects

New CSC grill built by the CHS Welding class.

Check out the near-finished project that the CHS Welding students worked on last spring!

CHS teacher, Jon Cogdill, took on a project for building a large grill for tail-gates and barbecues for Chadron State College. Our students designed a built this grill during class last semester. The grill was then hauled to Pine Ridge Job Corps for painting this summer. It just returned so finishing touches can be made and .... grilling can begin!

Original Cardinal grill built by the CHS Welding class.

The new CSC grill has several improvements from the original Cardinal Grill built two years ago. The new grill has folding work tables on three sides and a seven-rack smoker built on the back.

These projects allow students to not only take pride in designing and building community projects but better simulate the business of manufacturing and working with customers.  The success of these projects has already lead to more orders ... including grills.