Greenwood Laboratory School

Congratulations to Greenwood’s HOSA State Qualifiers: Biomedical Debate Team: Ethan Duff, Gyan Grewal, and Tristan Khoshyomn Epidemiology: Ilyaan Khan Medical Math: Jesse Davies and Anya Soni Medical Spelling: Laila Ozturk Medical Terminology: Madhav Nair and Anisa Pathak Nutrition: Hursh Patel Veterinary Science: Anna McQueary and Harrison Slater They will represent Greenwood at the State Competition on March 24th and 25th in Rolla, MO. Congratulations on a terrific job HOSA Jays!

Greenwood FBLA students competed in the District 18 FBLA Competition last week. We are incredibly proud of our students' success. FBLA is new to Greenwood this year, so not only are we celebrating our students' state qualifications, we are also recognizing the hard work and risk-taking of all of our students who competed and tried something new-to-them. A special thank you to Kai Schaeffer and Tristan Khoshyomn for their leadership as co-presidents of our FBLA chapter. If you see these students around, give them a shout-out and encourage them as they prepare for state competition!

First Grade Students enjoyed listening to author David Shannon read his book No, David! (A First Grade Favorite) on Wednesday February 5, 2025 for World Read Aloud Day. No, David! was a 1998 Caldecott Honor book. The author told us why he writes his books, how he generates ideas, and even why David the main character has a different eyebrow. Do you know why? It is his naughty eyebrow :) Students enjoyed asking the author questions and playing the interactive games while David was reading. At the conclusion Mr. Shannon taught the students how to draw David, the main character of the book. We also got a sneak preview of the newest book coming out soon. First Grade Students had their own comfy, reading day using flashlights and reading books to special stuffed animals. Thank you Scholastic Storyvoice.

Our very own Elif Benzer, junior, got nominated to be Player of the Week by Prep Hoop Girls. Congratulations Elif, we are so proud! Check out more information and place your vote for Elif here: https://prepgirlshoops.com/2025/02/who-is-the-prep-girls-hoops-player-of-the-week-feb-4-feb-10/?fbclid=IwY2xjawIXGF1leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHdjPcfsHXhAnCSM7gkVV25MpswRmIcd4M4Y1INQDmogyxvSbhrzexBJp8g_aem_v7x-Hy3UbYTrK_bQ8qftpA Go Bluejays!

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!