Here’s what’s going on in Spanish classes!

Spanish 1 is currently reading a novelette about El Dia de los Reyes or Day of the Kings. This January holiday is celebrated in Spain and gives me an opportunity to show them a different culture. They also learn lots of new vocabulary words.

Spanish 2 just finished our unit over the movie Selena. Since she was a famous Tejano (Tex-Mex) singer, we spent about two weeks learning her songs and watching the movie. The students also did discussion questions about her cultural impact both then and now. This unit is by far one of my favorites to teach!

In Spanish 3, we are just starting a unit on legends like the Chupacabra and La Llorona. The stories are a bit spooky, but they’re brave and can handle it! We’ll also be reading a novelette about El Silbon, another spooky story from Venezuela. The goal is to give the students context and stories to help them understand the grammar of the past tenses in Spanish. It’s quite an engaging topic for the students, too.

In Spanish 4 we are starting a chapter on the future. We not only learn the future tense, but we also include words that might come up in their futures like college, work, and of course, taxes! We also played a game of MASH, which of course determined their very accurate futures.

The one thing every student gets excited about is our fiestas, so mark your calendars for February 13. This is the day we’ll celebrate Carnaval. You might know it better as Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday. Whatever you call it, it’s a day dedicated to eating so that’s what we’ll do!

The high school English department is excited to offer 3 new courses for the 2023-2024 school year. Composition 105 and 106 are face-to-face, dual enrollment courses that allow students to earn college credit through Western Iowa Tech Community College. Open to seniors looking to improve their written and verbal communication skills, the semester-long classes follow introductory college curriculum with the added benefit of having an in-person teacher. Composition 105 focuses on different modes of writing like definition, cause and effect, and narrative and teaches the value of self, peer, group, and teacher conferencing during the drafting process. The majority of students enrolled in the fall offering of Composition 105 elected to continue onto Composition 106 this spring where the focus is research-based writing. Our guiding theme for the class is social issues in society where our discussions and essays research issues ranging from mental health, education, and violence to technology, health care, and media bias. We are off to a great start, and I continue to be impressed with their thoughtful discussions and ideas.

Gothic Literature is our third new offering as an English elective and is open to juniors and seniors who love reading mystery and thriller novels. I think many of the students were a little unsure about the class at first and what it would entail, but after the first few days, most were pretty surprised that much of what they already read and watch is sprinkled with elements, themes, and characters from this popular genre of literature. Our semester-long inquiry focuses on how Gothic literature captures the human condition, and our study includes writers like Poe, Hawthorne, Shelley, King, Lovecraft, and Falkner before moving into pop culture and film connections. Our current undertaking is Mary Shelley’s classic novel Frankenstein, and the students have already been engaged in great discussions about what it means to be human and the importance of relationships while they make solid connections to our novel. Next up, students are constructing their own creatures, considering the responsibilities of a creator to his creation, and ultimately determining who the true “monster” is in Frankenstein. I am looking forward to a great semester in Gothic Literature with this focused and engaged group of students!

Biology: Learning with Mastery Based Learning:

Forget the traditional one-size-fits-all approach! This quarter, we've introduced Mastery Based Learning (MBL) in Biology, and the results are already blooming. Instead of rigidly following a set pace, MBL empowers your student to take control of their learning journey. How does it work?

• Personalized Path: Based on their individual strengths and needs, they can choose how to delve into concepts. Whether it's hands-on activities, interactive simulations, or traditional textbook study, the choice is theirs.

• Mastery Matters: The focus isn't just on covering content; it's about truly understanding it. Students progress through units only after demonstrating mastery.

• Early Success: Despite some snow-induced detours, we're seeing positive signs! Students are actively engaged, asking questions, and showing a deeper understanding of the material. They're currently tackling their second unit, and their progress is encouraging.

Want to learn more? Check out this article: What is MBL?

Anatomy/Physiology: From Textbooks to Cadavers

The human body is a complex masterpiece, and our Anatomy/Physiology class is bringing it to life! Recently, students put their knowledge of muscles to the test.. Now, to truly solidify their understanding, we're embarking on a field trip like no other: Briar Cliff University's Health Sciences Day!

Imagine this:

• Interactive learning: Students will meet and chat with college students/faculty of various health science majors, gaining insights into potential future careers.

• Real-life Anatomy: Students will have the unique opportunity to observe a human cadaver/donor, providing an unparalleled perspective on the body's intricate structures.

• Beyond Muscles: We're diving into the fascinating world of the nervous system. This complex network controls everything from movement to thought, and students will be exploring its intricacies.

This field trip, combined with classroom learning, promises to be an unforgettable experience that will spark curiosity, deepen knowledge, and provide a glimpse into the exciting world of healthcare professions.

This is my 3rd year teaching at Hinton. This year, the special education department has gone through a few changes with some new math and reading interventions. We believe these changes will help our students a TON!! This year the middle school has also gotten a few new paraprofessionals and they have all done a fantastic job!

This year will also be my 3rd year coaching Junior High Track and I am looking forward to another great year of track! Last year we had a great turn out of 36 girls and 32 boys for a total of 68 students! I expect to have somewhat similar numbers this year and I expect our teams to compete well this year! As of now this is what our track schedule looks like…

• 4/16 Kingsley Pierson

• 4/22 Westwood/Sloan

• 4/30 Hinton

• 5/7 Marcus

• 5/10 West Sioux-Conference Meet

• 5/13 West Sioux

Paula Hodgson here -

This is my 11th year working with some of our most unique learners in Hinton. The best thing about my job is the people I work with. I have AMAZING paras in my room. We get to work with students for many years and see their slow but steady progress. We get to know students, parents, grandmas, grandpas, pets, and siblings. We are a family. This can lead to some mixed emotions as they come to graduate and leave our class.

This year, we will feel that in May. Two of our favorites (to be clear, they are ALL our favorites) will be completing their journeys at Hinton and moving on to the next phase of life. This personally leaves me both randomly-crying and completely overjoyed. As they transition out of our school setting and into our community, please remember to (picture above):

Sometimes you notice a person’s disability - sometimes you don’t.

Spread kindness like confetti - you bet!