Chase brought his parents, Dr. Shawn Usery and Mrs. Blair Usery, for his student of the week celebration. Dr. Usery and Mrs. Usery are both in the medical field and shared information with the class about being a doctor and a nurse. Chase also presented his Student of the Week poster and answered classmate’s questions.
Students asked Mrs. Usery and Dr. Usery terrific questions about health, hearts, and what nurses and doctors do each day.
Students were introduced to the stethoscope, a medical device used to listen to the sounds inside of a patient's body. Stethoscopes are often used to listen to the heart, the lungs, and to check blood pressure. By placing the resonator against the skin the stethoscope amplifies the internal sounds.
Students were each given a stethoscope and practiced listening to their own hearts and abdomens. The stethoscope was invented by Rene Theopphile Hyacinthe Laennec in 1816 to investigate sounds made by the heart and lungs.
Dr. Usery told the class that the first stethoscopes were cone shaped, and before that doctors often used their ears to hear the heart.
Chase treated his classmates to Krispy Kreme doughnuts.
Thank you chase, Dr. and Mrs. Usery!
Last week the First Grade Class had the opportunity to explore Australian culture with an engaging presentation by International Culture Club members: Anna Schippert, Chrissy Risolvato, Josie Matkowski, Cambelle Walton, and Anya Soni! The presentation consisted of unique landscapes, art, authentic desserts, standard conversational phrases, and a fun game of Kahoot to test their knowledge. The first grade students left with a greater appreciation for the beauty of Australian culture and plenty of smiles!
Musical announcements for this Spring:
Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grades present the musical-
Down By the Water on Wednesday, April 9 at 6:30.
Greenwood High School/Middle School Vocal Music Spring Concert will be held Wednesday, April 9 at 7:30.
Please remember to support the Greenwood Haseltine Library Service Project to Benefit our Local Boys and Girls Club! Now through 2/14
As our secondary collection grows, so too does the fun for our 6th-12th students! During February, students have the opportunity to go on a "Blind Date with a Book." They read the description, check it out (sight unseen!), rate the date, and are entered to win a cozy Stitch blanket and a 7 Brew gift card! Matches are already flying out the library door!
Last week, 6th grade students took a trip to Pummill Hall to join the Chinese New Years Celebration hosted by the Language & Cultures Department of Missouri State University. Students had the opportunity to taste dumplings, write Chinese calligraphy, taste a variety of teas, participate in two dragon dances, and more! Huge thanks to Mrs. Schaefer & Mrs. Nottingham for helping to make this memorable moment happen.
Do Tadpoles Have Bones? This was the essential question when Dr. Slotto visited. First graders discovered that Tadpoles do not have bones at first. They have a cartilaginous skeleton, which is made of cartilage, the same material that makes up your nose and ears. As tadpoles develop into frogs, their cartilage is replaced by bone through a process called ossification. Tadpoles are unique because they start out without bones and then they develop bones during metamorphosis. Who Knew?
Next question: Do Minnows Have Bones?
January 31st is National Hot Chocolate Day! Mrs. Flanders’ second grade and Mrs. Martin’s fifth grade reading buddies celebrated by drinking hot chocolate and reading books. Thanks to Mrs. Usery and Mrs. Montileone for coordinating, organizing, and donating supplies and time for our celebration. Reading is much more fun with a buddy, a good book, and a hot chocolate to warm us up.
Congratulations to the Class of 2025 Valedictorians and Salutatorian!
Hey Greenwood family! Please consider supporting GLS Yearbook by purchasing a Business Ad
🎉 Big News! JFORCE made it to the Finals at the UDA National Dance Championships! 🎉
After an incredible season of dedication and hard work, JFORCE advanced to finals at the UDA Nationals in Orlando, held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex! 🌟
Competing against some of the best teams from across the country, JFORCE proudly placed: ✨ 5th in Pom ✨ 5th in Game Day ✨ 6th in Jazz
This is a huge accomplishment, and it’s a testament to the countless hours of practice, teamwork, and heart they’ve poured into their performances. We couldn't be more proud of their growth and perseverance on this journey! 💪💙
Let’s show some love and support as we welcome them home! 🙌
WAY TO REPRESENT GREENWOOD!
The Math Club students took the MATHCOUNTS Ozark Chapter competition on Saturday, Feb. 1, at Drury University. There were 89 students from 12 schools took the competition, including Central High, Nixa Junior High, Ozark Junior High, Cherokee, Pleasant View, Greenwood, and others. I am pleased to report that our team (with members Dylan, Sarina, Arjun, Jodie) got the second place! Dylan also got the second place in individual competition and the first place in the count down round. Our team members will be advanced to the state level competition and are working hard to prepare. Huge thanks to Mr. Anderson and Ms. Burch for teaching them so well! Proud of our Bluejays!
Greenwood Debate Success in Columbia!
The students competed at their last ‘regular season’ competition of the year at Rockbridge High School in Columbia, MO last weekend. 30 schools competed from across Missouri and the tournament included 824 total entries.
Congratulations to Mary Gabriel and Tristan Khoshyomn for finishing 2nd Place in the Championship Division of Policy Debate! Tristan also won 3rd place in International Extemp. Laila Ozturk finished 4th in International Extemp and 3rd in Informative Speaking! Laila and her partner Mohan Grewal were the 7th place team in open Policy Debate. Ethan Duff was a top 12 semi-finalist in Original Oratory, and with his partner Gyan Grewal also earned 7th place in the champ division of Policy Debate.
In the novice division of Policy Debate, Ilyaan Khan and Taaha Khan were the undefeated top seed after preliminary rounds and finished in 2nd place overall. Connor Manzardo and Josie Matkowski were the 3rd place team in novice policy debate.
The team will compete in MSHSAA and NSDA District competitions in March. Good Luck Jays!
Arav’s parents, Mona and Vinit, came today to celebrate Arav’s student of the week.
Arav’s parents own hotels and rental properties. A hobby of Arav’s father is flying airplanes. He is a trained pilot and has been flying planes since he was in school. Arav’s dad shared about all the different types of airplanes and their functions.
Students learned how the wing shape helps the airplane fly.
The class loved the Beluga Cargo Plane and Seaplane. Students asked a lot of great questions. Arav’s mom treated the class to a variety of different cupcakes and juice.
Thank you Arav!
Click here to get your yearbook for $65 before the price goes up February 15: https://yearbookforever.com/
Greenwood K-5 students recently read Marvelous Mabel during library. It is a beautiful true story about a homeless eight-year-old girl living in a segregated NYC during 1913 who finds her passion for ice skating through the help of strangers in her community. Inspired by the book, we are going to help neighbors in our community. From now through Friday, February 14, we will collect new and gently used items for our friends at the Boys & Girls Club of Springfield. Maybe an outgrown pair of ballet shoes, soccer cleats that are too small, or a pair of baseball pants that will no longer be worn can provide that spark for another child to find their passion. They are also accepting items for their vast after school program which helps so many children in our area. What a great opportunity of our students to give of themselves and from their hearts. Drop-off bins outside of library doors. Contact Mrs. Oliver with any questions. Thanks for your generosity!
Items Needed:
*Baseball: cleats, pants, gloves, socks, tees, catcher’s equipment
*Soccer: cleats, shin guards, socks, soccer balls,
*Volleyball: Knee pads, shorts, volley balls, nets
*Flag Football: cleats, flags
*Dance/cheer: shoes, tights, undershorts/tops, bags, hair supplies, ribbon
*Basketball: cones, youth-sized basketballs
*Tennis rackets
*Ice skates/Hockey skates/equipment
*Other: Water bottles, flip chart scoreboards, ball bags, crayons, markers, colored pencils, construction paper, dry erase boards, markers, gym bags, new whistles, office supplies
*They are also ALWAYS looking for coaches!
The First Grade Helpful Hedgehogs celebrated Chinese New Year today with Dr. Peng Zhang, Elis dad, and Mrs. Lu Medina, Graces mom. The Lunar New Year (農曆新年) is an important Chinese traditional holiday and celebration. Lunar New Year is also known as the Spring Festival (春節), or Chinese New Year. Chinese New Year marks the beginning of the year according to the traditional lunar calendar.
This year festivities begin on Wednesday, January 29, 2025, marking the arrival of the Year of the Snake.
Students listened to a presentation, practiced making Chinese symbols used in writing, made a snake, opened special Red Envelopes containing Chinese coins, and had a traditional snack. The color red, of the Red Envelopes ( Hongbao), symbolizes energy, good luck, and happiness, in Chinese cultures and are decorated with calligraphy and symbols.
Thank you Dr. Zhang and Mrs. Medina!
Congratulations to the Zaner-Bloser Handwriting Contestants for Kindergarten through Fifth Grade!
The contest is celebrating its 34th year and focuses on legibility, shape, size, spacing, and slant of each letter. Students competed in their classrooms and School Grade-Level Winners were selected to represent Greenwood Laboratory School. The Grade Level Winners move on to compete at the regional and national levels. Grand Level National champions are awarded cash prizes and trophies. This year we have sisters as Grade-Level Winners, Saanchi and Prachi. Congratulations Greenwood Grade-Level winners: Victoria Barreda, Jason Kamel, Isabel Thomas, Saanchi Jagarapu, Beverley Yu, Prachi Jagarapu
Girls on the Run registration opens up tomorrow! Both Girls on the Run for 3rd-5th grade, and Heart & Soul for girls in 6th-8th grade open tomorrow. Check out the attached fliers for more information. There are limited spots so sign up soon!
Congratulations to Mary Gabriel and Tristan Khoshyomn for winning 1st Place in Policy Debate at the Jack Tuckness Winter Classic Speech and Debate Tournament held at Springfield Central last weekend!! 26 schools from across Missouri participated in the tournament.
Mary and Tristan were the undefeated, top seed after preliminary rounds and scored big wins against Lee’s Summit West, Truman, Willard, and Kickapoo on their way to the championship. Their weekend record was 7-0! Mary was also awarded 2nd place in United States Extemporaneous Speaking (out of 70 competitors) and 3rd place in Informative speaking (out of 50 competitors). Tristan also placed 6th in International Extemp and was a Top 12 semi-finalist in Original Oratory.
Laila Ozturk continued to demonstrate that she is one of the best sophomore competitors in the state as she won 3rd in International Extemp, 5th in Informative Speaking, and with her partner Mohan Grewal was the 10th place team in Policy Debate. Mohan was also a top 12 semi-finalist in International Extemp.
The freshman team of Ilyaan Khan and Taaha Khan was also in the top 10 of Policy Debate.
The team will compete in their final regular season tournament of the year this weekend in Columbia, MO at Rockbridge High School, before beginning district competition in March.
So proud of these Blue Jays!!
