Tri-Point Upper Elementary/Jr. High

Early July this summer had wonderful weather for catching frogs. Students from Tri-Point and Yorkville Schools found a species that was previously unrecorded in Ford County. Tessa and Lexa Porth (Tri-Point) and Annabelle and Jacob Reeder (Yorkville) found a green frog (Lithobates clamitans) at the Weston Farm located south of Piper City. The Porth girls know that farm oh so well, as they have explored it since they were young. This farm has wild grasses, a pond, stream, and plenty of timber which is great for wildlife like frogs. The girls' grandparents and their aunt, Jan Weston, live there, and the farm has been in the family since the early 1900's. Lexa said, “We knew that we could hear bullfrogs all of the time because they have a deep call that sounds like a cow. A green frog sounds more like a banjo. We could not identify a green frog with just sound though." Her sister Tessa elaborated, “We could tell the difference between a green frog and a bullfrog because of where the ridges on its back start. A green frog's ridges start at their ears and go down towards their tail. The bullfrog's ridges start at the side and curve around behind the eardrum. We were so excited that we identified the green frog's pattern.” Their find is a county record, meaning it's the very first one recorded in Ford County with the Illinois Natural History Survey, and was confirmed by herpetologist Andy Kuhns. Tri-Point Jr.High science teacher Scott Saffer said that this find, along with others from the area will be written up and submitted for publication in a scientific research journal and the kids will be co-authors. Tri-Point and Prairie Central students have previously co-authored a paper with their findings which was published in Herpetological Review. “It's great to get kids outside doing science. Catching frogs is always fun, and there are real discoveries they can make” said Saffer. “Finding the frogs was a great and rewarding experience,” said Annabelle Reeder.

Tri-Point Upper Elementary/Junior High would like to welcome you back for the 2024-2025 school year. We have some helpful reminders as we start the new year: -If your student(s) are not yet registered, please do so by logging into your Teacherease parent account online. If you are unable to do so, please go to the District Office in Kempton to register in person. Pre-School must be registered in person in Kempton as well. -6th grade students must have a physical, shot record and dental exam for this school year. These can be brought to the school office at anytime when we start school. All records must be on file before October 1st at the latest. -All athletes will need new sports physical (sports physicals are current for 13 months) -A list of school supplies for each grade level can be found on the school's media sites. -There will be an Open House on August 13th 4:00-6:00. Parents and Students are encouraged to attend , to bring in school supplies and see their classrooms. -Please review the student handbook before the start of this school year. This is available at the District Website. https://www.tripointschools.org/ -If you have any question about the upcoming school year or need any assistance please call the Piper Office at 815-686-2247 ext 200 from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. You may also call the District/Elementary School Office at 815-253-6299 ext 100 8:00 AM to 2:00PM. We look forward to seeing students back very soon!!!

Tri-Point Junior High Cross Country practice will begin Monday, August 5 from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. All 5th -8th grade students are welcome! Parent meeting will be Tuesday, August 6 at the conclusion of practice at 7:00. Any questions, please reach out to Dan Andrews at andrewsd@tripointschools.org.

Very exciting news! Brooklyn McCauley's (6th grade last school year) poppy poster for American Legion and American Legion Auxiliary was sent to the national level judging in New Orleans. This is the very first time that a poppy poster from Tri-Point was sent to national level!

Congratulations to Zoey Vanhook and Calla Fuoss for their 1st place posters for Grades 4-6 & 7-9 at the state level. The Association of Illinois Soil and Water Conservation Districts (AISWCD) hosted a Summer Conference and invited them and their families to attend the Education Luncheon to be recognized for their artistic talents. It was held on July 15th at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Springfield, Illinois. Their posters were forwarded to Washington DC for judging at the national level for the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD).

Announcement: Online Registration is now open for the 24/25 school year!! -Please go to your Teacherease account to register your student(s) . -If you need help with logins or have questions please call the District Office at 815-253-6299 -Pre School and Kindergarten will need to be registered in person in Kempton. Thanks!!!

Reminder: As summer gets started please remember... * All students entering 6th grade are due for dental exams and shots for their up coming school year. *ALL students wanting to play sports for the upcoming school year, will need new sports physicals.

Poppy Poster state winners! Congratulations to the talented artists who won state awards at their grade level for the 2024 Poppy Poster Contest. The contest was sponsored by the American Legion and American Legion Auxiliary. The awards presentation will be held at the Bank of Springfield Convention Center on July 13th. 4th grade level - 2nd place Carlow Miller 5thgrade level – 2nd place Hadley Meister 6th grade level -1st place Brooklyn McCauley 7th grade level – 3rd Sophie Billerbeck 9th grade level – 3rd Madison Amell 11th grade level – 2nd Lainey Bertrand 12th grade level – 2nd Addison Rock

Upper Elementary/Junior High: Students enjoyed the end of year celebration today with inflatables , Laser Opps and ice cream truck . The Upper Elementary and Junior High Staff would like to wish all our students and families a happy and safe summer break . We look forward to seeing everyone in August !! Staff

The 6th graders had a great day on Monday at Kempton Speedway racing the R/C cars they built in science class. They worked really hard for many weeks - completely re-building the cars with new lower chassis and designing and painting the new bodies, and they finally got to drive them. Third graders came to share in the excitement, too! The students found sponsorship from local businesses and worked to include their logos in the designs. They also learned engineering, physics, problem solving, following detailed instructions, and teamwork. The students will have a race night next Friday, May 31st at 6:30 for parents and sponsors. Thanks to Tony Rogers and the team at Kempton Speedway, and to all our sponsors: Ludlow Co-op, D-Construction, Haren Farms, Pontiac Recycling, Alliance Grain, Cabery Fertilizer, Ashley Smith - Scentsy, Juana Guzman, & Kristina Schroth.

Congratulations to the upper elementary/ junior high staff on their seventh year in a row victory; in the staff vs 8th grade annual volleyball game !

Several of our students won state, north central division, and national awards in the NSDAR Junior American Citizens Art and Creative Expression Contests, sponsored locally by the Governor Thomas Ford Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. This year’s theme was “Sparkling in the Stars with the 50th Anniversary of the NASA Space Shuttle Program.” These posters and digital arts were judged at local level, state level, North-Central level, and national level. The awards program took place at the United Methodist Church in Gibson City on Sunday, May 19th. Poster contest 4th grade division- Kaliya Melendez 1st in State, 1st in North Central Division, 1st in Nationals 5th grade division- Luella Condon 2nd State 6th grade division- Kazlyn Melendez 1st in State, 2nd in North Central Division 7th grade division- Wesley Eisenach 1st in State, 1st in North Central Division, 5th in Nationals 8th grade division- Kayla Morgan 1st in State, 1st in North Central division, Honorable in Nationals Digital art 8th grade division- Aric Templar 1st in State, 1st in North Central Division, 2nd in Nationals

Congratulations to Max and Zoey!! Some of the 5th to 8th grade students participated on the Stewardship Week Poster Contest sponsored by Livingston County Agriculture in the Classroom. This year’s theme was “May The Forest Be With You Always.” 4-6 grade division 1st place: Zoey Vanhook 7-9 grade division 1st place: Max Fuoss The first-place entry in each division will have their artwork sent to Springfield for judging at the state level.

Announcements : Due to weather conditions today (high winds). Laser Opps and the school , have decided it would be dangerous to have the students in any kind of inflatables. The end of the year fun day and Laser Opps will now both ... be on Wednesday (weather pending) Thank you

Announcement: 8th graders will start the day in Piper City tomorrow. There will be NO math final at the high school. Thank you

Fundraiser Prize Actives for today (this is separate than fun day on Wednesday ) : -900sqft laser tag arena with 22 rooms inside, -60ft Inflatable Ninja obstacle -NEW VR Arena w 4 oculus quest 3 and gaming consoles -Soccer Darts.

Phones: Piper City is having phone issues today. If you cannot reach the school or get disconnected this is why. Thank you !

Upper Elementary/JH 5/19-HS Graduation 5/20-Fund. Prize Day 5/21-Staff vs 8th Graders Volleyball Game 5/22-Student's Last/Report Cards/Fun Day

8th Grade Students and Parents: Good morning, The 8th grade will be taking their field trip to Indiana Beach Amusement Park on Friday, May 17. I wanted to provide you with some information about the trip. Indiana Beach is an amusement park with over 40 attractions and over 20 rides! (The Water Park WILL BE CLOSED tomorrow.) Since our initial information about the trip, we have added pick ups in Kempton and Cabery. Because of this, departure times have been adjusted accordingly. The park opens at 10:00, Indiana time, so we are leaving early enough to arrive before the park opens. Bus Times Here are the pick up times for the 8th grade trip to Indiana Beach Resort. Cullom - 6:15 a.m. - Return - 5:15 p.m. Kempton - 6:25 a.m. - Return - 5:05 p.m. Cabery - 6:35 a.m. - Return - 4:55 p.m. Piper - 7:00 a.m. - Return - 4:30 p.m. The school will provide a sack lunch for each student in attendance. Students can also pack their own lunch from home. Students may bring spending money for snacks and souvenirs. They are responsible for keeping track of their own money and all personal items such as phones, airpods, and other electronics . According to The Weather Channel App, there is a 50% chance of rain Friday afternoon with high temperatures in the mid 70s. Please dress for this possibility. A reminder that the school dress code does apply for the field trip. While at the park, there will be different meeting times established for lunch and end of the day departure. Please make sure students arrive at the meeting points on time. Students will be allowed to create their own groups for Friday. The only stipulation is that every student must be in a group. Students will not be allowed to wander off on their own. If a student is found by themselves, they will be with staff members for the remainder of the time at the park. We are encouraging students to relax and enjoy themselves at the park. Remember, though, that you are representing Tri-Point Junior High School. If there are any disciplinary issues on the trip, please be aware that there could be consequences at school next week. If you have any questions, please feel free to call, 815-686-2247, or email, schmales@tripointschools.org . Thank you, Sam Schmale

The Tri-Point Junior High Scholastic Bowl Team ended their 23-24 season with an awards night, ice cream sundae party and games. Best wishes to the 8th grade as they head into high school. "Live long and buzz in!"