Just Be Jersey - Jersey CUSD No. 100

 Just saw “The Boyfriend” at JCHS! Wow! Super-Sensational! Congrats to the actors,
stage crew, pit band – and ALL who made the show ROCK!
 Congrats for earning a spot on MVC teams: Macy Thurston, Lia Roundcount, Kyle
Steckel, Jake Varble, Luke Shively & Kyle Obertino! Way to go!
 Check out Metro East gymnasts with bright future (kmov.com/sports/more/metro
featuring our very own JCHS student, Kayla Schuenke!
 Congrats to current members and those students who were inducted into the JCHS’s
National Honor Society. We are very proud of you!
 Couldn’t be more proud of my 8th, 7th and 6th grade cast and crew for Illini Middle
School’s Drama tonight! Great Show! (Mr. Dan Werts – retweet).
 Congrats! JCHS athletes qualified for the State meet in the 1600 relay: Anne Snyders,
Claire Walsh, Hannah Goshorn, and Kiara Chapman! They also ran their personal best –
and placing 10th at state, on Saturday! Way to go, Panthers!
 Congrats! JCHS athletes qualified for the State indoor meet: Ben Flowers – 1600 relay
(10th in state); Sydney Jones – triple jump (4th at State); Mary Claire Davis – high jump
(5th at state). They each scored their personal best on Saturday as well. Nice job,
Panthers!
 Congrats to our own Jake Varble who earned the STL Post Athlete of the Week honor for
JCHS baseball!
*Tweeted Mar 2014 @jerseycusdno100
JUST BEING JERSEY
We have a JCHS student who has been diagnosed with a very rare
liver disease. She will remain on the transplant list, but her situation is not
as urgent as first believed. The masses in her liver are currently benign, but
her father explained that they can become malignant if not treated.
He also shared that she is feeling much better and is comfortable at home
with minimal pain. The plan is to recuperate as much as possible from this week’s surgery and
then begin attacking the remaining tumors. We feel so blessed to hear this news.
THANK YOU, JCHS faculty and staff, for collecting over $800.00 to share! This truly illustrates
the JUST BE JERSEY way. Continued prayers are with our student and her family.
Mrs. Herkert shared a situation illustrating how many of our teachers do great things
that go unnoticed. A story was shared with me recently that featured our own Grafton
Elementary teacher, Mr. Eberlin who made a difficult call but did so taking into consideration
all information. He worked with families and colleagues in an effort to serve in the best
interest of students. Mrs. Herkert wrote: “I feel blessed to work with such a great team at
Grafton!” Thank you, Mr. Eberlin and the Grafton Elementary team for JUST BEING JERSEY!
I would like to extend my thanks to the following individuals who recently participated
in the troubleshooting of the pilot program for our digital state assessment – PARCC
(Partnerships of Assessment for Readiness of College and Career). I know it took a lot of time
and effort, but your work will make the administration of any future PARCC assessment run
more smoothly. Thank you for going above and beyond – and JUST BEING JERSEY!
 Mr. Keith Norman and the Tech
Center Experts (Mr. Matt Derrick, Mr.
Chris Griffin and Mrs. Dee Heitzig)
 Mrs. Michelle Brown
 Mrs. Melanie Fessler
 Mrs. Shelly Robinson
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Mr. Brad Kimble
Mr. Bob Siemer
Mrs. Lisa Schuenke
Mrs. Shelley Fry
Mrs. Jamie Jones
Mrs. Kim Wackerly
WE WILL make a positive difference by coming
together and working together!
PROMOTING JERSEY COMMUNITY UNIT SCHOOL DISTRICT 100
Some SELFIE shots follow in an effort to promote US – JERSEY 100! I am also taking photos of
students I come across in the community to illustrate just how lucky I am – we all are - to get
to be part of the wonderful Jersey 100 world. I’m also collecting photos that are sent to me
from others that demonstrate just how cool it is to get to work with kids! Most importantly,
the pics prove that a GREAT education is IMPORTANT, as we create the most important
product ever – KIND, COMMITTED and PRODUCTIVE UNITED STATES CITIZENS!
I ran into these 7th grade students at the local dry cleaners. Of course
I had to ask them about school. Their reply: They love school and
spoke highly about Mr. Breden and Mr. Brunaugh. They also hold
their teachers in the highest esteem. I truly enjoyed the
conversation we shared!
Rotarians, Mr. Stan Kary and Mr. Rick Borger
stood with JCHS students, Miss Brittney Blackorby
and Mr. Matt Wendle – Junior Rotarians – at a
luncheon recently. This was a unique opportunity
to see how community leaders greet and meet
each other for a common cause.
Standing
next to me is an Illini fifth grade student who was
excited to share his academic progress with me. The
next words he spoke were – “Would you tell Mrs. Eickoff
and Mrs. Goetten about my grades?” Mrs. Eickoff and
Mrs. Goetten were his teachers last year. This statement
shows there is no doubt that teachers create a lasting
impact in the hearts of their students!
I ran into these students and Miss Kates
during FFA contests. So much was
occurring at JCHS during this evening that I
was able to see and talk to many students.
Two students had run out to pick up
McDonald’s for the group- which – once
again – illustrates the kind and caring
students we have in District 100!
Our own JCHS students also work at various businesses
around town. These students were working the Dairy
Queen drive-through on an evening when a Blizzard was
what the doctor ordered! I was so impressed by their
customer service skills-which develop over time with
good modeling and instruction in place. These role
models about whom I’m talking come from both home
and school. Obviously, our fabulous students have
experienced great modeling! 
Special Education Coordinator, Mr. Fabry stands
with students and a parent at the concession
stand. They all work together in an effort to
earn money for the Special Olympics. It really
does take the entire District 100 community to
make a difference. I appreciate all who give of
their time and heart to promote programs and
enhance opportunities for all.
Being out and about, I immediately noticed the
bumper sticker on this vehicle. This is a
message that the owner of this vehicle sends
out to all – the importance of Just Being
Jersey. This is the first time I’ve seen this
bumper sticker on a vehicle other than my
own. Of course, I loved seeing it! I don’t know
to whom I own a BIG THANK YOU, but I hope
word gets back to him/her/them!
THANK YOU for sharing the JUST BE JERSEY
message with all who pull up behind you!
How lucky Mr. Kaminsky and I – among others – are
to be asked to serve as guest readers for Mrs.
Siemer’s kindergarten students. What a wonderful
experience to see little students’ faces light up as
we interpret literature for their enjoyment. Mr.
Kaminsky
entertained
with - you
guessed it- a
story from
Clifford, the
Big Red Dog
series, and I shared a local author, Mrs. Phyllis Bechtold’s
story about tolerance and diversity featuring the Gentle
Giant – Mr. Robert Wadlow. A great time was had by all!

Senior Panther basketball players gathered together with their coach, Mr. Reeder (and his lil’
guy) to celebrate their accomplishments. This
picture illustrates the relationships that have
been developed by working collaboratively as a
team. Being involved in sports builds way more
than just athletic skills: confidence, organization,
time management, pride, spirit, attitude,
sportsmanship, and many other skills are
established and enhanced through participation
in athletics and activities.
This East
student was spotted at a basketball game. Of course I had to
stop her so we could talk. We discussed school, her hobbies,
and what she was going to do with her life after high school.
She really didn’t have a lot to say on the latter topic. I decided
that it was probably a bit early to begin discussing postsecondary college and careers!  On a serious note, we talked
about why she was at the game. She said she loved watching
basketball. She, too, is a basketball player and a great Panther
fan. She smiled throughout our conversation and showed such
respect. Again, she is just another example of our wonderful
District 100 students. We are blessed indeed! 
I recently attended
the National Honor
Society induction
ceremony. What a
wonderful event that pays tribute to those
students who
have worked
extremely
hard,
demonstrating
commitment to
their own
academic success. I was very proud of all students as they
stood so confidently, and all who spoke did so with great
competence. Shown here is Board president, Mr. Ed Test,
who was also in attendance. He is captured expressing
delight in his granddaughter’s accomplishments.
I was passing by this group of students and decided to
stop and take a picture. There was something about
them – the way they communicated with one another.
They were laughing and seemingly enjoying each
other’s company. It was just nice to see kids having fun
while attending an event. When I asked for a picture,
they responded as the picture indicates: a great group
of kind students who truly seem to love one another.
Just a great way to show – once again – we have
wonderful students!
I had the pleasure of visiting with this
young lady at Wal-Mart. At first I had
mistaken her for a Wal-Mart greeter. This
was in part due to her blue vest and big
smile. Of course, I learned after talking
with her that she is a member of the Girl
Scouts and an awesome West Elementary
student. She and I talked about school and
family. I found out after talking with her
mother that many relatives reside in
Calhoun County. In fact, this adorable
student’s Uncle Wally and I were a couple
in the fifth grade!  Small world, huh?
Both of these students were found in the hallway of
Illini. We discussed all kinds of interesting topics: rap
music and shopping around town, what it means to
Just Be Jersey, and school. I laughed a lot! It’s
amazing what one can learn by talking with students.
Simply taking an interest in their interests creates
thought-provoking dialogue. While I find myself at
the district office often, getting out into the schools
and community is invaluable. On a side note, one
student asked me – “Mrs. Hopkins, you like rap
music, right?” But before I could answer (because we
had this same conversation many times before) he
answered his own question: “I know, you like it when
it doesn’t have bad words.” Shaking his head up and
down, he exclaimed, “And I take all the bad words
out!” “That makes me proud,” I replied. He knows Mrs. Hopkins has very high expectations!
Where else can you drive in town and
capture a glimpse of little piglets in the
back of a truck! How cool is this! This is
what makes the Jersey community very
unique. Farmers are a very special part of
who we are. I feel pretty blessed to get to
be part of a world where many traditions
remain so deeply intertwined into what
we do and who we are!
High school students under the
direction of Mr. Schroeder and Mr.
Witt participated in the Trebuchet
contest recently. Mr. Witt had a team
win the distance competition.
Mr. Schroeder had a team finish
second place in the battle competition.
It was a heartbreaker, as the Panthers
did not lose a single match until the
championship round. Although they
lost twice in the final round, which has
occurred two years in a row, we are all
still very proud of them!
This precious note was given to Mr. Baumberger
by a student after he attended the Harlem
Wizards basketball game. This opportunity was
made possible after Mr. Baumberger gave the
student two tickets for the game. The content of
this letter truly exemplifies the nature of our
students’ character. What a kind letter coming
from a very young student. As one can assume,
this student hears a very important word often:
LOVE!  And what a wonderful word to hear
often!
I have found this JCHS student at the mall on two
occasions! Both times she was searching for a clothing
item to wear at a JCHS dance. We discussed shopping and
why it’s important to look your best when attending these
events. She commented that dressing up made her feel
good about herself. I concur! I introduced myself to her
mom. She was very kind. She asked if mine was the voice
she heard when the “no school” calls went out. I
explained that the voice was indeed mine. We then
discussed this winter’s crazy weather and we both agreed
on being hopeful that next
year’s weather will be
better! 
I ran into this West student at our local Mexican restaurant
where he sat so patiently waiting for his food. As you can tell
from the pic, he’s wearing his Just Be Jersey shirt. His mother
tells me that he reminds her often of what it means to Just Be
Jersey. Helping others and being kind are what it’s all about. Of
course, I had to ask to take his picture. He proudly accepted the
invitation and enjoyed posing for the pic. I told him that many
people would see this. His response: ONE BIG SMILE!
I ran into this JCHS student at
the 8th grade volleyball
regionals held at Southwestern Middle School. She sat right
behind me. I didn’t know she was a JCHS student until her
mother gave her a warning: “You better behave yourself
because Mrs. Hopkins is sitting right in front of you.” I turned
around and introduced myself to this very nice young lady.
What a pleasant and sweet student! We talked about school
and her interests. I found that she enjoys school but most
particularly is interested in music. She sings. I said I would
volunteer her to sing our National Anthem at an upcoming
event. She wasn’t quite ready for that, but such will be a goal
for which she is planning in the future. 