More than 300 third- through eighth-graders are expected to complete in the First Lego League meet on Saturday, November 21, at Monroe High School. Competition starts at 9 a.m.
The event is expected to draw 31 teams with 20 of them representing Monroe County schools. Teams are comprised of up to 10 students in grades three through eight. Seven of the teams will qualify to advance to the state meet on December 12.
Monroe County schools competing are: Eyler, Ritter and Sterling elementaries and Wagar Middle School from Airport Schools; Bedford’s elementary schools; Monroe Catholic Elementary Schools; Waterloo Elementary from Monroe Public Schools; Ida Middle School; Dundee Elementary School; and Meadow Montessori Schools.
“Each year students are given a topic of study, and a robot playing field is developed around that topic which this year is ‘Trash Trek,’” said William Hite of the Monroe County Intermediate School District who is coordinating the event, leading a group of about 100 volunteers. “In the past few months, teams have been researching innovative solutions to problems related to trash and recycling. They also have designed, built and programmed autonomous robots to accomplish several missions on a four-foot by eight-foot playing field.”
The meet is not all about robotics. There are four elements in all, Mr. Hite said.
Teams will give a presentation to a panel of judges about their research and the innovative solution they developed. They will be issued a teamwork challenge and judged on how their team exemplifies First Robotics’ core values. A third category is how they demonstrate their technical skills in building and programming their robots. Lastly, they will be judged on how their robot performs on the playing field.
The event is free and open to the public.
The Monroe Composite Squadron, Civil Air Patrol has awarded Waterloo Elementary School a grant totaling nearly $4,600 to help support the schools’ STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) program, the only program of its kind in a Monroe County elementary school.
“We are extremely pleased to present this Aerospace Education STEM grant to Waterloo Elementary School,” said Major Jeffrey L. Hutchison of the Civil Air Patrol. “Waterloo and its STEAM program are extremely deserving of our support. We at the CAP are confident that Waterloo’s students will realize a tremendous benefit from this support and we are happy to provide it.” The award was announced in ceremony at Saturday’s CAP Aerospace Day at Monroe Custer Airport. “Our cooperative activities with Waterloo and other schools represent the bulk of CAP’s local external outreach,” said Capt. George Low, Squadron Aerospace Education Officer.
Back in the 2013-2014 school year, the Waterloo staff decided – after a very thorough study – that it wanted to offer a STEAM-focused curriculum to its students starting in the 2014-2015 school year.
“We really appreciate the support of the CAP,” said Mrs. Meghan Gibson, principal, Waterloo Elementary School. “This grant will enhance our STEAM experience for our students by providing each grade band of teachers with high quality Engineering is Elementary (EIE) kits which were developed by the Museum of Science in Boston. These kits align well with our state curriculum across each grade level and they will blend well with our program.”
The EIE kits made available with the CAP sub-grant, provide read-aloud texts about a real-life scenario that student engineers work to solve. Information about the real-life type of engineering that would be used to solve the problem is provided in the kits. In addition, the kits include materials that young engineers would need to solve the problem. A variety of resources for teachers also is included. The Monroe Squadron submitted a grant request as a Project Lead the Way/Walmart Foundation initiative.
Mrs. Gibson said initially the staff aims to see an observable increase in persistence in problem solving and that the students will gain knowledge about the different types of engineering disciplines. They also want their students to experience working in collaborative groups, as engineers do, and to understand Aerospace Education and related career opportunities.
“Our hope is that students will become interested in these areas which will lead them into post-secondary education, career opportunities and a chance to land a great job when they become adults.” Mrs. Gibson said.
Among the topics made possible by the grant are designing such products as solar ovens, lighting systems, parachutes and plant packages, and engineering rockets and rovers, earthquake-resistant materials and aid-drop packages.
The CAP is the auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force and has three main missions in serving America – Aerospace Education (AE), Cadet programs for youths aged 12 to 20; and Emergency Services for disaster relief, search and rescue, and homeland security. The AE mission, in which Waterloo now is involved, is to educate, inspire and instill an appreciation for and understanding of aerospace in our world.
Here is another fine newscast from our helpful 5th graders. Good job Roadrunners!!
Okay dear MPS website readers. It is time to take a step back and go to high school again. Wednesday, November 11, is Veterans Day. To ensure that her students knew what Veterans Day is and to underscore its importance, Monroe High School Principal Mrs. Sandra Kreps developed a lesson to be shared during Trojan Family time. Check out the piece below and click on the links to see what the high school kids are seeing this week. And then think about writing a Facebook post to a veteran. Enjoy, and thank you Mrs. Kreps for your great lesson plan. May all ages learn from it.
History of Veterans Day
Excerpt from http://www.va.gov/opa/vetsday/vetdayhistory.asp
World War I – known at the time as “The Great War” - officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, in the Palace of Versailles outside the town of Versailles, France. However, fighting ceased seven months earlier when an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. For that reason, November 11, 1918, is generally regarded as the end of “the war to end all wars.” In November 1919, President Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day with the following words: "To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…"
Veterans Day Tribute to the American Solider by Ryan Kohler
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a77DhwalG6A&index=3&list=RD1lG8GDYdKsc
What Veterans Day means to you
Who in your class has a relative, friend, teacher or neighbor that is a veteran?
Which branch of the military did they serve in? When did they serve?
If you wrote a Facebook post or a note to them on Veterans Day, what would you say?
Please take a few moments today in class or on your own to write your post or note.
This week, please take a few more moments to post or send your note to the Veteran.
That warm, holiday melody you hear wafting through the air throughout this holiday season just might be coming from one of Monroe Public Schools’ musical groups performing throughout the community.
The number of performances averages out to almost one daily from now through the last day of school before the Christmas break. That number also likely will increase because some additional performances are expected to be requested and scheduled between now and Christmas.
Here is a listing of the musical presentations on the schedule now. If a time is listed, the public is cordially invited.
Nov. 12 – 5th/6th grade strings, 7 p.m., Monroe Middle School Auditorium
Nov. 17 – Beginning band concert, 7 p.m., Monroe Middle School
Nov. 21 – Monroe High School Marching Band, 2 p.m., Monroe Holiday Parade, downtown Monroe
Dec. 1 – Custer Elementary School, 7 p.m., vocal concert by two groups of upper elementary grade students, Monroe High School auditorium
Dec. 2 – MHS Expressions, 6 p.m., Lights Before Christmas, Toledo Zoo
Dec. 3 – Custer Elementary School, 7 p.m., vocal concert by two groups of upper elementary grade students, Monroe High School auditorium
Dec. 4 – MHS Generations of Sound, elementary school tour
Dec. 5 – Monroe High School Jazz Band, 12:30 p.m., Matthes Evergreen Farm, Ida
Dec. 5 – 6th grade strings, 3 p.m., Matthes Evergreen Farm, Ida
Dec. 5 – Frenchtown Fiddlers, 3:30 p.m., Matthes Evergreen Farm, Ida
Dec. 5 – MMS Jubilation, 4 p.m., Matthes Evergreen Tree Farm, Ida
Dec. 5 – MHS Chamber Strings, 5 p.m., Christmas in Ida Spaghetti Dinner, St. Joseph Hall, Ida
Dec. 6 – MHS all choirs, 1 p.m., Matthes Evergreen Farm, Ida
Dec. 7 – Middle School Orchestra, 7 p.m., MMS Auditorium
Dec. 9 – MHS Generations of Sound, abbreviated Madrigal concert for MHS Students, MHS Auditorium
Dec. 10 – MHS Orchestra and MHS Chamber Strings, 7 p.m., Candlelight Classics, St. Mary Church, Monroe
Dec. 10 – Manor Elementary School 4th, 5th and 6th grade singers, 7 p.m., “Twelve Days of Christmas,” Monroe High School Auditorium
Dec. 11 – MHS Generations of Sound, 6:30 p.m., 33rd annual Madrigal Dinner, St. Paul’s United Methodist Church
Dec. 11 – MMS Jubilation, 7 p.m. caroling at the Toledo Walleye game, Huntington Center, Toledo
Dec. 12 – MHS Generations of Sound, 6:30 p.m., 33rd annual Madrigal Dinner, St. Paul’s United Methodist Church
Dec. 13 – MHS Orchestra and MHS Chamber Strings, 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., Monroe Senior Citizen Center
Dec. 13 – MHS Wind Ensemble, Concert Band and Jazz Band, 3 p.m., annual Christmas Concert, MHS Auditorium
Dec. 15 – MMS Choir Concert, 7 p.m., MMS Auditorium
Dec. 16 – MMS Jubilation, performing at the Monroe Kiwanis luncheon
Dec. 17 – 7th and 8th grade band concert, 7 p.m., Monroe Middle School
Dec. 20 – MHS Choirs, including the MHS Orchestra, 3 p.m., annual Christmas concert, MHS Auditorium
Dec. 22 – MMS Music Concert for the MMS student body, MMS Auditorium
Dec. 22 – Generations of Sound, 6 p.m., Village Holiday Nights at Greenfield Village
The 33rd annual Madrigal Dinner of the Monroe High School Vocal Music Department will be held at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, 201 S. Monroe St., on Friday, Dec. 11, and Saturday, Dec. 12. The event begins at 6:30 p.m. each night.
The event, one of the popular annual highlights of the holiday season in Monroe, features the talents of the Monroe High School Generations of Sound performing familiar carols and songs of the Christmas season. The Royal Court has been summoned for the amusement of the guests and the Court Jester will have his bag of tricks with him, too. The Royal Court Chefs also will prepare a meal fit for a king, and his queen.
The dinner includes salad, rolls, pork roast, stuffing, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, green beans, pumpkin pie and a wassail toast. The public is invited to come and share the festive meal in the spirit of the Yuletide season in Merrie Olde England.
Tickets are $25 each and are limited to only 150 guests per night. Early registration is suggested because these programs typically are sold out early.
To order tickets, see the order form which is attached to this posting.
Another great contribution by our 5th grade WRAZ students. Great work Roadrunners! You rock!
Throughout the months of November and December, students at Monroe Public School’s five elementary schools will get a spelling lesson every day, just by going to their schools’ salad bars at lunch time.
Called the A-Z Salad Bar, Sodexo, food service provider for Monroe Public Schools, will feature a different fruit or vegetable available for students every day. It started with asparagus on November 2, broccolini on November 3, cantaloupe on November 4 and so on.
“We are excited about this program,” said Mark Havericak, Sodexo’s food service manager for Monroe Public Schools. “This is a fun and educational program designed to explain the many benefits of eating fruits and vegetables, while introducing children to some new varieties of produce, too.”
Among the different types of fruits and vegetables to be featured each day are: fennel, jicama, edamame, and papaya. Of course they can enjoy other more traditional fare, such as olives, lima beans, honeydew melon and iceberg lettuce.
“Focusing on our students’ health is something we do throughout the school year. In fact, this program will be beneficial for both our students and their parents or guardians. During A-Z Salad Bar, we at Sodexo also will distribute interesting educational materials on fruits and vegetables for the adults to use and enjoy, while the students will receive special activity sheets with fun games and information created specifically for them,” Mr. Havericak said.
The five elementary schools of Monroe Public Schools – Arborwood, Custer, Manor, Raisinville and Waterloo – are the only Monroe County Schools participating in a healthy eating activity like this in the remaining two months of the calendar year. Having healthy food choices in each school cafeteria is another reason why Monroe Public Schools is where your child succeeds.
