Congratulations to the team of Josh Hettinger, Lacy Church, Drew Moyer and Sarah Wheeler for winning the northeast secondary regional competition and placing 64^th out of 712 statewide teams in the Stock Market Game World Wide competition.

During the month of November two speakers visited the business classroom. Mike Miletich of Edward D. Jones in Kirksville, Missouri spoke with the business students about the stock market. Business students in Ms. Watson's general business and accounting classes participated in a national Stock Market Game World Wide on the Internet. This simulation is designed to help students learn about the financial and economic systems globally, nationally and locally. Student teams use an initial $100,000 to trade issues of stock on the NYSE and AMEX and the NASDAQ Market System. The Missouri Council on Economic Education sponsors this educational simulation. State wide winning teams win an all expense paid trip to New York City including a tour of the NYSE, AMEX, NASDAQ market site and The Federal Reserve Bank of New York Gold Vault. This simulation ended on December 10, 1999. Another competition will begin February 14, 2000 and teams are anxious to compete again.

Alan Clark, Adair-Schuyler Co. Farm Bureau insurance agent, visited with the general business class to discuss insurance coverage and premiums. Students used the information gained from Mr. Clark's visit, class discussions and Internet research to create auto insurance information web pages.

Congratulations to the 2000 high school Academic Bowl Team. Team members include Bobbi Bradley, Jason Taylor, Shaun Crandall, Ben Bradley, Kelly Moore, Jesse Turner, and Chelsie Potter. Amanda Moots and Rachel Turner will be helping as managers. Junior high tryouts will be held when classes resume in January.

Congratulations to the high school basketball teams. The girls finished second and the boys finished first at the Novinger Tournament. The girls are currently 7-2 on the season while the boys are 8-1.

District residents who wish to file for a position on the Adair County R-II School Board may do so in the office of the Superintendent during business hours. Filing began on Tuesday, December 21, at 8:00 a.m. and will continue through Tuesday, January 18, 2000 until 5:00 p.m.

The office will be open on December 28, 29 and 30 until noon each day. Then the office will be closed until January 3 at which time regular hours will be in effect.

There are two positions to be filled. The incumbents are Rex Sykes and Eddy Turner. The positions are for three year terms. A candidate must be a U.S. citizen, a resident of the Adair County R-II School District, have resided in the state of Missouri for at least one year preceding the election, and be at least 24 years of age. For more information contact the Superintendent’s office at 323-5272.

The week of January 24-30, 2000, has been designated School Board Recognition Week. The goal is to build awareness and understanding in communities and schools of the important function an elected board of education plays in a representative democracy. As citizen advocates, individual board members face a complex and often demanding job; yet few people fully understand the scope and far-reaching implications of board members’ responsibilities.

Our staff would like to express their thanks to the following board members who serve our school district: Frank Collop, President; Rex Sykes, Vice President; Mary Magruder, Secretary/MSBA Delegate; Brenda Kelsey, Treasurer; Doug Clarkson, Kenny Crandall, and Eddy Turner.

Not only are we welcoming a brand new year, we are welcoming a new millennium. This is a time for us to celebrate the success of our school, our staff and our students. We have so much to be proud of. We appreciate the support we receive from our community. I am writing this column just before leaving for Christmas vacation. I have been thinking about the wonderful times we will be having with our family and friends. Our school can boast of a family atmosphere. I can’t help but think about how successful this small school district has been in producing some outstanding students.

During the month of January our character word is "self-control". I truly believe learning self-control is the basis of a successful life. Controlling our own thoughts, actions, attitudes, and feelings results in wise choices.

The average person makes hundreds of choices each day. Many of the choices we make have very little affect on our lives, but some choices we make will impact our lives and the lives of those around us in a very significant and consequential way.

Sam Silverstein in his book, The Power of Choice, writes:

"We become what we become because of the way we choose and will ourselves to think. Our choices affect our thoughts and our thoughts affect who we are, what we stand for, and the footprints we leave on this planet.

Throughout our lives, we are faced with a myriad of choices. We may not always recognize their presence, but, like it or not, we are constantly faced with the responsibility of choosing. There is no escaping this responsibility. Not deciding what to do or how to act in a given situation is, in itself, a choice."

While our students are studying and learning about self-control, I would like to challenge our adults to think about the true test of self-control for it is not external, but internal. When under pressure, self-control rejects frustration. What kind of self-control are we modeling to our youth? I don’t know about you, but I know I still need to work on my self-control. If fact, I think it is a lifelong struggle to continue to grow and to mature in our choices. I believe in each instance self-control recognizes there is a better way to handle situations than to rely only on our mind or our emotions. Self-control allows us to reject ineffective ways of dealing with circumstances and to choose a more positive course of action.

I am looking forward to this new millennium because we expect the best for our school.

Dr. Joyce Montgomery

Breakfast each day includes cereal, milk, juice or fruit. New regulations mandate the main entree for the day must be placed on each tray (designated by * in daily menu).

Monday: Biscuit & gravy/Chicken nuggets*, cottage cheese, baked beans, fruit, cake
Tuesday: French toast/Tacos*, lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, fruit, pudding
Wednesday: Breakfast bite/Turkey*, gravy, green beans, fruit, hot rolls
Thursday: Scrambled eggs/Garlic cheese bread*, corn, spinach, fruit, rice krispie treat
Friday: Donut/Chili or vegetable soup*, crackers, cheese, celery & carrot sticks, fruit, cookie

Monday: Pancake/Chicken fingers*, corn, spinach, fruit, cake
Tuesday: Egg & cheese omelet/Ham*, potatoes, peas, fruit, jello
Wednesday: Waffle/Juicy burger on bun*, tater rounds, slaw, fruit, cookie
Thursday: Breakfast pizza/Turkey & noodles*, cottage cheese, carrots, fruit, brownies
Friday: Sausage biscuit/Corn dog*, green beans, beets, fruit, peanut butter square

Monday: Muffin/Tenderloin on bun*, baked beans, carrots, fruit, cookie
Tuesday: Ham/Mr. Ribb*, baked potato, green beans, fruit
Wednesday: Scrambled eggs/Nachos*, lettuce, tomatoes, fruit, brownies
Thursday: Toast w/ jelly/Chicken patty*, green beans, beets, fruit, cake
Friday: French toast/Beef stew*, corn bread, white beans, slaw, apple crisp

Monday: Cook’s choice/Pizza*, corn, beets, fruit, cake
Tuesday: Biscuit & gravy/Chicken strips*, green beans, hominy, fruit
Wednesday: Pancake/Turkey*, gravy, mashed potatoes, peas, fruit, brownies
Thursday: Breakfast bite/Taco casserole*, chips, lettuce, tomatoes, fruit, cookie
Friday: Donut/Fish*, macaroni & cheese, carrots, fruit, jello

Monday: French toast/Spaghetti*, meat sauce