POLO R-VII SCHOOL DISTRICT The Panther Pride November Volume 1, Issue 4 January Activities 1 – No School – New Year’s Day 2 – Late Start 10:47 am 3 – 4th Grade Girls YMCA Aubrey’s Team practice 3:15-5 pm in Multi 4 – HS Winter Dance 8-11 pm 7 – V BB vs. Princeton 6 pm - 4th Grade Girls YMCA Aubrey’s Team practice 3:15-4:30 pm in Multi 9 – V/JV BB @ Albany 5 pm 10- Greenhand Motivational Conference @ Trenton 9-12 am - V BB @ SW Ludlow 6 pm - 4th Grade Girls YMCA Aubrey’s Team practice 3:15-5 pm in Multi 11- V WR @ Rock Port Tourney 9 am 13- V BB Tourney @ Lathrop TBA 14- V WR @ Maysville 5:30 pm 15- Early Out 1:01 pm – Professional Development - GRC Honor Band Auditions @ Bethany TBA 16- V WR vs. Tarkio/Cameron/WMA 6 pm 18- V WR @ Plattsburg Tourney 9:30 am 20- No School – MLK Day 21- V BB @ Gallatin 6 pm 22- BOE Mtg. 7 pm - Area State FFA Degree Selection @ Trenton 4:30 pm 23- V WR vs. KC St. Pius/Pembroke-Hill/Van Horn 5 pm (Senior Night) 25- V WR Tourney @ Lathrop 9:30 am - V BB @ LeBlond vs. Tarkio 4 pm - All State Band Concert @ Tan-Tar-a TBA 27- V BB @ Hamilton Tourney TBA 28- V WR @ West Platte 6 pm 30- V WR @ Higginsville 6 pm No Child Left Behind Information Polo R-VII School District is required to inform parents of certain information they have the right to know, according to The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (Public Law 107-11). Upon request, our district is required to provide to parents in a timely manner, the following information: Whether the teacher has met state qualification and licensing criteria for the grade levels and subject areas in which the teacher provides instruction. Whether the teacher is teaching under emergency or other provisional status through which state qualification or licensing criteria have been waived. Whether your child is provided services by paraprofessionals and, if so, their qualifications. What baccalaureate degree major the teacher has and any other graduate certification or degree held by the teacher, and the field of discipline of the certification. In addition to this information, school districts must also provide to each individual parent: Information on the achievement level of the parent’s child in each of the state academic assessments as required under NCLB; and Timely notice that the parent’s child has been assigned or has been taught for four or more consecutive weeks by a teacher who is not highly qualified. If you would like more information about the requirements of NCLB, please contact Monica Palmer at Polo Elementary School. Subscribe Today for the Rural Reporter Polo Edition. Mail in to P.O. Box 233, Polo MO 64671 or call in at (660) 255-4300 to place your subscription today for the Rural Reporter Polo Edition. The cost is $26.75 for a full year. All that is needed is your name, address and billing information. FROM THE DESK OF THE SUPERINTENDENT Dr. Beverly Deis It is hard to believe another calendar year is upon us! Our focus in academics at Polo R-VII will remain steady throughout 2014 as we provide our students with a great education. The focus of our school is academics; however, extracurricular activities, attitudes, and accountability have an integral part in the success of our students, not only within our school walls, but throughout our community. This is shown by the support the school receives from the community. Various churches, organizations, and individuals willingly donate time and money for our school which is greatly appreciated! It will be a busy second semester at our school. Students and staff members will see the second semester go by quickly as we prepare for the end of the school year. To stay updated on all school activities, or if you are just looking for more information on our school, please visit our website at polo.k12.mo.us. ESACC Honors Students for NTHS Excelsior Springs Area Career Center hosted the NTHS Induction Ceremony. Logan Stump was present to receive his award. Two other students were recognized but were unable to attend the ceremony; Tyler Feil (returning NTHS member) and Tabitha Poje (new member). BUY YOUR YEARBOOK NOW!! $45 or $50 with Namestamping Mass Media Staff: Aimee Walker, Danielle Allen, Joely Hicks, Skylar Howe, Mikayla Reavis, Jessica Farmer, Billie Thompson, Kaitlyn Adams, Mattie Curp, Lisa Tackett, Hailey Mattivi, Hannah Beshears, Kayla Eisman, Ms. Westover and Ms. Arth Postal Patron Polo, MO 64671 NONPROFIT U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 31 http://polo.k12.mo.us All-State Academic Honors for Polo Football Polo had 4 football players receive the Missouri Football Coaches Association All-State Academic 2013 honors. Pictured Left to right: senior Dylan Fry – Offensive Line, junior Brandon Latimer – Outside Linebacker, junior Mason Misel – Offensive Line and senior Alex Johnson – Defensive Back. Page 2 Amber Adams wins Polo America’s Got Talent contest The Polo High School Student Council hosted the Polo America’s Got Talent contest last Wednesday just before Thanksgiving break. There were six very talented contestants: Jorgia Cory who sang Rolling in the Deep by Adele, Matt Vaughan with Ashley Adams – they played multiple instruments including the tuba and trumpet while playing Carry on My Wayward Son by Kansas, Loren Wagner who sang Titanium and Leave the Pieces by Wrecker while playing her guitar, Dem White Girls – a dance group made up of Adriana Staus, Brittany Sheppard & Emily Fickess danced to Slow Down by Selena Gomez, Dylan Sales who did a bike stunt, and Amber Adams who sang Only Hope by Mandy Moore in the preliminaries. The judges were: “Amy Farrah Fowler” (Kim Snodgrass), Bruce Dickinson (Josh Lefeber), Kayla Eisman and Dylan Deornellis. The judges selected 3 participants to go through to the finals: Matt Vaughan, Loren Wagner and Amber Adams. Amber Adams sang Only Exception by Paramore to win it all. Amber received a medal (Polo America’s Got Talent - 2013) for her talents. Polo’s Jack Pile scored his 1,000th career basketball point Polo senior Jack Pile racked up his 1,000th point against East Harrison at the Polo High School. Polo boys fell short to South Harrison 33-65. Polo boys traveled to Osborn on Thursday and beat the Osborn Wildcats 55-51. That game was a “nail biter” for the Panther fans. The Polo girls got a big win over the East Harrison Bobcats 64-28 Monday night at home. Team scoring was led by junior Sidney Copeland with 19, junior Danielle Allen added 12, senior Tabby Poje had 11, junior Adriana Segar 8, junior Jessica Farmer 6, freshman Aerial Eggers 4, senior Maria Rains 2 and junior Brooke Jones with 2. The Polo Lady Panthers tromped the Osborn Wildcats 61-21 on Thursday. Sidney Copeland was top scorer with 13, close behind was tabby Poje with 12, Danielle Allen and Maria Rains added 10 each, Jennifer Farmer and Brooke Jones both added 5, Jessica Farmer and Aerial Eggers both had 3 and Adriana Segar 2. Amber Adams, senior at Polo High School. Polo Football Players Honored at KAAN All-Star Banquet KAAN radio covers Northwestern Missouri and Southern Iowa High School football. Polo had 3 players, all juniors, named to the KAAN All-Star team: Jacob Hicks, Wiley Martin, and Mason Misel. Jack Pile #21 scored his 1,000th career point against East Harrison. Jacob Hicks, Wiley Martin, Mason Misel & Coach Ross. http://polo.k12.mo.us Page 3 Polo girls take 2nd in Albany Tournament By: Submitted Article The Polo Varsity basketball teams opened their season by participating in the Albany Invitational Tournament, December 2 – 7. Both Polo teams finished in the top 4 out of 7 teams. The teams participating were: Albany, South Harrison, Princeton, Worth County, King City, Stanberry, and Polo. The Polo girls were ceded 2nd and the boys were ceded 6th. The Polo girls played the #1 cede South Harrison Saturday night for the Championship and took home 2nd place. The Polo boys team took home 4th place after playing the Princeton Tigers who were ceded 5th on Saturday evening. Senior Tabitha Poje broke the Polo High School 3 point record for the “Most 3 Pointers made in a season career” during the second game Polo played against King City. The current record was held by Dana Lowe with 96. Tabby made 3 more on Saturday to bring her record high to 100. Polo girls played #6 cede Worth County on Monday and beat them 66-34. Leading the Panthers in points was Adriana Segar with 15, Danielle Allen 12, Sidney Copeland 12 and 10 rebounds, Tabby Poje 10, Maria Rains 5, Brooke Jones 5, Jenny Farmer 4, Jessica Farmer 2 and Hailee Curp 1. Polo girls played their second game against the number 3 ceded team King City. This was a nail biter for the Polo fans with the Polo girls beating King City by 2 in the final seconds of the game with a score of 41 – 39. Leading the Panthers was Sidney Copeland with 14, Maria Rains 10, Adriana Segar 10 and 8 rebounds, Tabby Poje 5 and Danielle Allen 2. Polo played the #1 cede South Harrison Saturday night for the Championship and came up short at the final buzzer losing 73-45. Sidney Copeland led her team with 14, Adriana Segar 11, Tabby Poje 9 (3 – 3 pointers), Maria Rains with 6 and Brooke Jones with 5. Greg Keith had this to say after the tournament, “Our girls played a great tournament, just ran out of gas at the end. Hats off to South Harrison on a much deserved championship. We have a very good idea now on what we need to work on as a team to get better, and we will do just that. I was extremely proud of the girls and their efforts all week long!” The Polo boys have a new head Coach, Larry Rains. Rains and the Polo boys were ceded 6th, but finished with 4th place while having two key players out with injuries, senior Drew Williams and junior Mason Misel. Polo played number 3 cede South Harrison on Monday night and beat them 6761. Leading his team in points was Jack Pile with 28, Parker Smith 23 and Dylan Fry 8. Leading rebounders were Parker Smith with 11 and Jack Pile with 8. Coach Rains stated, “This was a nice team effort win by all!” The Polo boys played #2 cede Albany on Wednesday night and fell short after key players getting into foul trouble. Albany beat Polo 56-37. Seniors jack Pile had 13 points and Justin Thompson added 8. Leading rebounders for the game were Justin Thompson with 8 Parker Smith and Jack Pile with 7 each. Coach Rains was pleased with the progress in his team’s defense throughout the game. Front Row: Hailee Curp, Brooke Jones, Anna Way, Tabby Poje, Maria Rains, Autumn Burton Back Row: Head Coach Greg Keith, Adriana Segar, Aerial Eggers, Danielle Allen, Jessica Farmer, Jennifer Farmer, Sidney Copeland and Assistant Coach Aaron Fritz. Guess the Panther Answers: Elementary: Middle School: Polo wrestlers win 2 at Season Opener By: Submitted Article Polo Wrestling Club hosted their season opener last Thursday evening against Savannah, South Harrison and Southwest Ludlow. Polo beat South Harrison 48-30. Winning for Polo was: 113 - Mattie Curp, 120 - Wesley Crawford, 132 - Eric Johnson, 138 - Jake Leonard, 160 - Brandon Richardson, 170 - Jacob Hicks, 182 - Gunnar Martin, 220 - Wiley Martin and 285 - Alex Myers. Polo beat Southwest 48-6. Winning for Polo was: Alex Myers, Gunnar Martin, Jacob Hicks, Brandon Richardson, Israel Alsbury, Eric Johnson, Wesley Crawford and Mattie Curp. Polo lost their dual against Savannah 45-30. Winning for the Polo team was: Wiley Martin, Gunnar Martin, Israel Alsbury, Eric Johnson, Wesley Crawford and Mattie Curp. Polo Dominates Their Own Dual Tourney Submitted Article The Polo Wrestling team won the Polo 9th Annual Dual Wrestling Tournament hosted at Polo High School last Saturday. It is Polo’s first time winning the Polo Duals Tournament since 2006. There were six high schools that participated this year and Polo beat every team with the following scores: Polo 48 – Rock Port 28, Polo 54 - West Platte 15, Polo 60 – Southwest Ludlow 12, Polo 60 – Stanberry 12 and Polo 48 – South Harrison 23. Individual records for the day: 113 Mattie Curp: 4-0, 120 Wes Crawford: 4-1, 132 Eric Johnson: 5-0, 138 Jake Leonard: 4-1, 152 Israel Alsbury: 3-2, 160 Brandon Richardson: 4-1, 170 Jacob Hicks: 5-0, 170 Brandon Latimer: 3-0, 182 Justice Burton: 41, 195 Gunnar Martin: 3-2, 220 Wiley Martin: 5-0, 285 Gavin Walker: 4-1, 170, 285 Alex Myers: 1-0, 220 Eli Brown: 1-0 and 220 ZACH FEIL: 0-1. The Panthers will travel to the Battle of Lexington Tournament next Saturday, December 21, at the Wentworth Military Academy. The Academic Team By: Hailey Mattivi The academic team’s first practice was December 10th. Only four students can play at a time. Substitutions can be made at half time or time outs. There is no limit on the number of students that can be on the team, but for district tournaments through the state there is a roster limit of ten. There is a middle school team and two high school teams. The middle school team is for 7th and 8th grade. Then there are the varsity and JV teams for 9th-12th grades. The middle school team is coached by Mr. Davis and Mrs. Snodgrass coaches the JV and varsity teams. In the last three years we’ve had the following wins and losses: Wonlost2011- 4 10 2012- 10 11 2013- 14 6 All together the academic team had 28 wins and 27 losses during 2010-2013. It’s going to be a good year for every one of the players. High School: http://polo.k12.mo.us Page 4 ASK ALLI Welcome to Polo’s Got Talent Q: Is a Hippo just a hippo, or is it an extremely amazing hippo. A: A hippo is just a hippo By: Lisa Tackett Q: What is the max age difference of being in a relationship? A: I think while you’re in high school you should date people who are around your grade. Some people go a little beyond that, but not too much older. For people who are out of school past their 20’s it starts to not matter that much. Just as long as you are happy and can work things out. Q: Why do girls paint their nails? A: I think that girl’s paint their nails because it’s something fun for them to do for themselves. Even though guys don’t really care or pay attention to nails, It still gives the girl something to be happy about and it’s fun to look at. Q: Why do people like to pick their nose? A: Nose-picking is one disgusting habit and is certainly not socially acceptable. People do it because it is bugging them and it simply need to come out and they cannot wait to get a tissue. Christmas in Polo By: Joely Hicks Christmas is a big time of year for Polo R-VII, and a few of the students and staff members from have came to me and told me what they would like for Christmas. Some of the kindergarteners through eighth graders told me what they would like for Christmas. Meredith Segar would like toys. Jaxson Rothove really wants some new video games. Kenley Moore would really like a laptop. For Christmas Brady Hall wants a RC helicopter. James Fleener wants a gun. In addition, Jared Robison would love a new basketball. The selected few from the high school (freshman through seniors), told me what they wanted. Parker Smith wants green Dr. Dre Beats. Justin Thompson would like a Ford F-350 power stroke, 6-speed truck. For Christmas Dylan Fry would like an iPhone 5s and a stack of Asian movies. Billie Thompson would absolutely love a life proof case for her iPhone 5. Brandon Hubbard wants a new basketball. Cati Boruch would love some pink glow in the dark Sperry’s. Skylar Howe would like the new Kindle Fire HDX 7 inch 32 GB. In addition, Jacob Hicks would love a 5-stroke car. The few staff members in Polo would also like to share what they would like for Christmas. Jonathan Pickrell, the middle school math teacher, said that for Christmas he would like the Kansas Jayhawks to win a National Championship, and new basketball shoes. Josh Lefeber, high school social studies, would like a new sweater vest, hand knitted socks, and a thick wooden ruler. Ashley Arth, business teacher, would love new boots, new teaching clothes, and a vacation. Happy Holidays!! Be Safe and Have a Great New Year!! You may ask what Polo’s Got Talent is? To be honest, it is the same as “America’s Got Talent” which is a NBC TV series that is on during the summer. Our version involved only Polo High School. “Polo’s Got Talent” occurred on November 27th, 2013, in the high school gym. It consisted of four judges and six acts. This event was open to not only the high school, but also to the general public. The judges for “Polo’s Got Talent” were Mr. Lefeber, Mrs. Snodgrass, Dylan DeOrnellis, and Kayla Eisman. The two ladies that helped get this set up and made all it possible, were Mrs. Arway and Mrs. Ross. Mrs. Arway is one of the counselors here at Polo High School. I had a chance to sit down and ask her a couple questions. I asked her what she was expecting out of the kids that entered. She responded, “They got to pick out what they did and had to try out in front of us. They performed in front of four judges, the judges then narrowed it down to three students. The rest of the student body will then choose who will be named winner of “Polo’s Got Talent”.” I also asked her how you think this will come out. She replied, “I hope it turns out good. Hopefully, in the future, more will do it.” Mrs. Ross is the middle school and high school American Government teacher here at Polo R-VII. I went in and talked with her and asked her a few questions. I asked her how the judges were picked for “Polo’s Got Talent”. She responded by saying, “The Student Council picked them.’’ I asked her how she thought “Polo’s Got Talent” is going to turn out. She replied, “I don’t know, but the acts are ready to go.’’ I also asked her if she planned on doing “Polo’s Got Talent” again next year. She replied, “It depends on how well this year goes.’’ The group of three that were in the final round was senior Ashley Adams, 8th grader Matt Vaughn, Senior Amber Adams, and Senior Loren Wagner. The winner of the 2013 Polo’s Got Talent was Senior Amber Adams. If this event is held again next year, we encourage everyone to get involved or come to watch the talent of Polo America! GUESS THE PANTHER!! Elementary This female student at Polo is in 2nd grade. Her favorite color is purple, her favorite TV show is “Good Luck Charlie”, her favorite food is steak, her favorite subject is art, and her favorite song is anything Kid’s Bop. One thing she likes to do in her free time is to read. Her biggest fear is going to any kind of haunted house. When she grows up she wants to be a nurse. Middle School This male student at Polo is in 8th grade. His favorite color is blue, his favorite TV show is “Family Guy”, his favorite food is pizza, his favorite subject is science, and his favorite song is “Redneck Crazy” by Tyler Farr. One thing he does in his free time is play video games. His biggest fear is spiders. When he grows up he wants to be a NFL player. High School From Your Yearbook/Newspaper Staff This female student is a senior at Polo High School. Her favorite color is yellow, her favorite movie is The Notebook, her favorite TV show is “The Walking Dead”, her favorite food is tacos, her favorite subject is science, and her favorite song is “Anything” by Chris Ledoux. Her biggest fear is being in the dark. When she grows up she wants to be Cosmetologist. http://polo.k12.mo.us Why We Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day Page 5 FBLA: Ready for the Holidays! By: Aimee Walker By: Hannah Beshears As many of you know, Martin Luther King Jr. made a huge impact on American History. His real name was Michael but changed it to Martin in 1934. Martin Luther King went to school and by the time he turned 15 years old he had already graduated high school. King became a pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1954. King was also was a member of the Executive Committee of the National Association for the Advancement for Colored People (NAACP). At the age of 35 he was the youngest person ever to win the Nobel Peace Prize. Martin Luther King also led a bus boycott and it eventually ended racial segregation on busses because it was considered unconstitutional. After that, whites and colored people were finally treated equally whenever they were riding the bus. In 1957 he was elected president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968 while standing on his hotel room balcony in Memphis, Tennessee. So many of you may be thinking, why do we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. day? Well Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15, 1929. On the third Monday of every January, we celebrate MLK day. King was one of the main reasons why whites, blacks, people of different cultures and religions are treated equally. Kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Hogan told me that she has her students read books about him, and then discuss the books. She also has her students talk about MLK’s “I have a dream” speech, and has her students write about what their dream would be. Martin Luther King Jr. affected America in so many different ways. He helped try to rid America of discrimination. He helped America to come together and see each other for what we really are; individuals. How to Stay Safe on Icy/Snowy Roads By: Mattie Curp So after looking at several websites on tips to stay safe on the roads during inclement weather, I have found several reoccurring tips. 1. If you don’t HAVE to drive, then don’t. 2. Decrease speed much sooner than you would if the roads were dry. Give yourself about three times more space than normal to stop. 3. Use lower gears on hills to keep traction. 4. Keep your lights on to keep yourself visible to other drivers. 5. Give snow plows plenty of room and do not pass them. The road in front of them is likely worse than behind them. 6. Keep your gas tank at the very least half full so the gas lines don’t freeze. 7. Leave home early. Give yourself extra time to get where you are going so you don’t put yourself and others in danger. 8. Don’t use cruise control or overdrive on icy roads. 9. Brake gently. If you slam on your brakes it is a good way to get you into a bad situation. 10. Make sure your defroster works. If your heat doesn’t work, get it fixed. 11. Clean your windows and headlights before you leave. Visibility is key. Make sure you keep an eye on the weather this winter and stay in the know. You don’t want to be stuck in a dangerous situation. Keep safe this winter! Brought to you by: http://www.modot.org/road_conditions/winterdrivingtips. htm http://www.weather.com/activities/driving/drivingsafety/ drivingsafetytips/snow.html http://www.progressive.com/vehicle-resources/winterdriving/ http://www.insweb.com/auto-insurance/10-winter-drivingtips-auto-insurance.html The future business leaders were extremely busy this holiday season! The Polo FBLA chapter planned a trip to Crown Center, Adopt a Family, Secret Santa, a Christmas movie celebration and District leadership contest preparations. On November 30th the FBLA members traveled to Kansas City to Crown Center for the holiday season. This year they included two extra groups, FFA and SADD. There were several activities to do and sights to see at Crown Center, especially during this time of year. Students had the chance to do some Christmas shopping at the several shops within Crown Center, and a choice of several different restaurants to dine at. Outdoors, there was a display of lights and music, along with a massive 100 foot Christmas tree. Crown Center was definitely the highlight of the semester for FBLA members. Each year, the FBLA officers decide on a family to “adopt” for the holidays by providing them with small gifts and every day essential hygiene items. The officers chose to provide for one family in need within the Polo community, and kept the family anonymous to the public and other FBLA members. They also chose to give out stockings and small gifts to a few other children. With some time and effort, the officers picked out small gifts for the children, and hygienically approved items for the older members of the family, such as shampoo, soap, and deodorant. During the ending weeks of December, the FBLA group hosted a Secret Santa activity for the school. Each member wrote out 10 small things that they enjoy, such as candy or a favorite color, and each person picked a random slip of paper. Whoever’s name they chose, that member had to provide, or try to provide, them with a gift for each day of the week. At the end of the week, that person had to reveal his or her identity to their person. Also on the agenda for December, FBLA had decided to host a Christmas movie night on December 20th, the day school is released for Christmas break. The group had several snacks and drinks, Christmas themed of course, and watched a Christmas movie together in Ms. Arth’s room. Some students also began prepping for the District leadership conference coming up in February. They started making plans for study groups and meetings to schedule when to take their tests, too. Polo FBLA was full of holiday spirit this year, and the school district wishes to see all students in the spirit during the holidays. We hope everyone had a fun and safe holiday season with their friends and families! Rolling Around With the Wrestlers By: Jessica Farmer Fall sports have once again come and gone bringing in new activities. Basketball and wrestling are now in session and getting busy. The wrestlers have already had a couple tournaments and it’s time to get down to business. Polo held their first duals December 5th with Savannah, South Harrison, and South West Ludlow. Almost everyone came out of this dual quite successful and others more determined to work harder. They all have many goals set for themselves and are working harder than ever to achieve them. I talked to junior Mattie Curp about her thoughts on this year so far. She believes that the boys are going to do great. “They have to go out with the ‘I am going to win’ mentality and never worry about losing. You can’t fear loss!” she says. Mattie feels that wrestling is a sport not like any other. She believes that they are a huge family and are always looking out for each other. Having this kind of bond with each other is very beneficial towards success. Polo also has a youth wrestling program which is coached by Max Hicks and has many helpers. These little boys and girls are learning and growing and will soon be the future of our high school. Jacob Hicks is a Varsity wrestler here at Polo and is the older brother of two of the younger wrestlers. Jake says Jaeger and Jaxon really enjoy this sport almost as much as he does and they have really learned a lot. It’s very helpful for their dad to be a coach and teach them everything they know. Jacob sees a bright future in Polo wrestling. He says many of these kids will continue to grow, learn, and make Polo proud.