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Shamrock Stories

Shamrock Stories

by New Haven School District

Season 2

The Middle School Experience

In this episode of Shamrock Stories, Mr. Peirick talks with four eighth-grade New Haven Middle School Students of the Month about highlights from the year and what they’ve learned from the middle school experience. They discuss activity days, as well as clubs like Outdoors Club, National Junior Honor Society, student council, and yearbook. The students share favorite spirit days, lock-in activities, and favorite classes, plus reflections on sports seasons. They also describe the ICAP process for high school planning, what they’ll miss about middle school, what they look forward to in high school, advice for younger students, and what it meant to be selected as Student of the Month. 00:00 Meet the Students 00:57 Year Highlights 01:50 Activity Days Explained 03:38 Clubs and Leadership 05:48 Spirit Days and Lock In 08:34 Favorite Classes 09:52 Girls Basketball Season 12:03 Boys Basketball Season 13:35 Volleyball Season 14:33 High School Transition ICAP 16:48 What You'll Miss Advice 19:49 Track Season Preview 22:01 Student of the Month Pride 24:09 Final Thanks and Wrap Up

March 2026 School Board Meeting

In this episode of Shamrock Stories, Superintendent Dr. Hoener and district leaders recap the March 11, 2026, New Haven School Board meeting. Mrs. Otten's updates include kindergarten and early childhood screenings with Lions Club support, Read Across America activities, music programming at Powell Symphony Hall, and preparations for MAP testing. Mr. Peirick highlights events such as cheer camp, homecoming, honor society inductions, library partnerships, and Scholar Bowl success. Mrs. Hoener reviews recent state and national competitors, continued student participation, the softball co-op with Herman, upcoming baseball and track events, booster club mouse races, and academic and postseason awards. Dr. Hoener outlines legislative concerns (HB 2872 reading retention, Hancock Amendment changes, and April Prop T tax freeze impacts), projected budget deficits, facility RFP approvals, a new copier RFP, and the purchase of a new tractor. 00:00 Welcome and Introductions 00:50 Kindergarten Screening Highlights 01:52 Family Events and Reading Week 02:39 Elementary Learning and Testing Prep 04:13 Summer School Registration 04:32 Secondary School Celebrations 06:40 Activities and Athletics Update 10:43 Legislative Bills to Watch 17:32 Budget and Financial Outlook 21:36 Facilities Plan and Summer Projects 23:32 New Business and Equipment Purchases 25:40 Staffing Updates and Closing

February 2026 School Board Meeting

In this episode of Shamrock Stories, New Haven School District administrators recap the February 18th school board meeting and share updates from both buildings. At the elementary, students participated in Olympic-themed library activities, a family reading night with author Maureen Lewellen, a schoolwide “Read With Your Principal” challenge, the Hearts Across America postcard project, and celebrations for the 100th day and Valentine’s Day. The secondary campus highlights include an Air Force Academy acceptance, FBLA advancement, chocolate art, a distracted-driving simulator, and homecoming. Dr. Hoener reviews a financial report, legislative update, facility and flooring bids, a softball cooperative with Hermann, the 2026–27 calendar changes, and current district job openings. Mrs. Anderson discusses special services programming and staffing. 00:00 Welcome and Agenda 00:38 Elementary Highlights 01:27 Reading Challenge and Postcards 02:28 Valentine and Q-U Wedding 03:02 Secondary School Update 04:47 Finance and Legislative Update 08:47 Facility Plan and Bond Limits 12:09 Bids and Flooring Upgrades 13:40 Softball Co-Op with Hermann 15:48 Special Programs Overview 20:35 Next Year Calendar Changes 23:23 Job Openings and Wrap Up

From Plinko Prompts to Postcards: A New Haven Elementary School Experience

Mrs. Otten, principal of New Haven Elementary in the New Haven School District (New Haven, Missouri), hosts an episode of the Shamrock Stories podcast featuring fourth- and third-grade classroom activities. Fourth-grade teachers Mrs. Parmentier and Mrs. Walters discuss preparing students for MAP testing. They describe using a pop-up Plinko prompt system as a randomizer to select weekly writing prompts. Third-grade teachers Miss Bunch and Miss Miner describe starting a Hearts Across America project after Christmas break to collect postcards from all 50 states. The initiative has received 100+ cards and was featured on News Channel 4. 00:00 Welcome and Introductions 00:48 Fourth Grade MAP Writing 02:15 Plinko Prompt Routine 04:46 Building Independence Fast 09:35 Favorite Genres and Examples 13:56 Third Grade Postcard Project 15:01 Exploring Places with Google Earth 18:29 Community Buzz 22:41 Gratitude and Wrap Up

January 2026 School Board Meeting

In this episode of Shamrock Stories, school district administrators from New Haven provide a detailed recap of the January 14th Board of Education meeting. Key topics include various surplus items coming up for bid, professional development activities, recent student and faculty achievements, and the purchase of land by the school district. The episode also highlights upcoming infrastructure projects and discusses the district's new electric bus grant. Additionally, the administrators delve into possible cooperative agreements with neighboring schools for extracurricular activities. The next Board of Education meeting has been rescheduled to February 18th. 00:00 Introduction and Meeting Overview 00:35 Surplus Items and Auctions 01:15 Professional Development Day Recap 02:30 December Activities at Elementary School 03:31 Middle and High School Highlights 05:45 Financial Report and Land Purchase 07:56 Old Business: Heating and Bus Grant 17:22 New Business: RFPs and Softball Interest 22:04 Conclusion and Next Meeting

Academic Update 2025

This episode of Shamrock Stories provides an academic update for the year 2025. We share the district's performance on the Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) tests, comparing our results to state and regional averages. Mrs. Westermeyer, Mrs. Nilges, Mrs. Parmentier, and Miss Miner discuss their strategies for preparing students for MAP tests, emphasizing personalized learning, engagement, and consistent high expectations. The episode highlights the importance of strong attendance, parental involvement, and the role of evolving educational resources in fostering student success. 00:00 Introduction and Overview 00:59 Academic Performance Analysis 02:47 APR Scores and Growth 04:09 Attendance and Community Support 05:04 Teacher Introductions 05:51 Classroom Insights and Teaching Strategies 15:39 Engaging Students with Themes 18:40 Technological Evolution in Teaching 23:39 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

December 2025 School Board Meeting

In this episode of Shamrock Stories, Dr. Hoener, Mrs. Otten, and Mr. Peirick review positive developments and activities in the schools. The podcast covers significant financial updates, including discussions on the Governor's State Formula task force and future budget implications. Further updates include ongoing facility improvements funded by the 2024 bond issue and minor policy changes. Lastly, listeners are informed about upcoming community updates, staff resignations, job openings, and a new communication platform set to launch in early 2026. 00:00 Introduction and Overview 00:38 Elementary School Highlights 01:55 Middle and High School Updates 03:08 Financial Updates and State Formula Task Force 05:06 Facility Improvements and Bids 07:11 Policy Updates and New Business 08:20 Math Intervention and New Website 09:53 Resignations and Job Openings 11:19 Conclusion and Next Month's Preview

November 2025 School Board Meeting

This episode of Shamrock Stories focuses on the New Haven School District's board meeting from November 12th, 2025. Key highlights include the recognition of Mrs. Kimberly Monzyk with the Emerson's Teaching Excellence Award, a successful sock and glove drive led by the middle school's student council, and a powerful Veterans' Day event. The board reviewed and approved two important reports—the audit report and the Student Achievement report, indicating strong financial health and good academic performance. Major investment plans were discussed, including bids for infrastructure work and a plan to apply for an Ameren electric bus grant. The board also set the election filing dates for four available seats. 00:00 Introduction to Shamrock Stories 01:52 Celebrating Successes in the District 02:45 Board Meeting Highlights 03:42 Infrastructure and Investments 04:28 Electric Bus Initiative 06:13 Upcoming School Board Elections 07:04 Personnel and Policy Updates 07:59 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Exploring Projects and Experiences with New Haven High School's Skilled Trades, Business, and Teaching Programs

In this episode of Shamrock Stories, host Mr. Peirick interviews Mr. Luecke and his students about their recent project framing the inside of the band trailer. They discuss the process, challenges, and learning experiences gained. Later, students from New Haven High School share their experiences at the Four Rivers Career Center, highlighting different programs like welding, teaching, and global business. They discuss their motivations, favorite projects, and the valuable skills and connections they have developed. The episode underscores the importance of community involvement and practical, hands-on learning in shaping their future careers. 00:00 Introduction to Shamrock Stories 00:32 Meet Mr. Luecke and the Woodchucks 01:03 Community Projects and School Involvement 02:07 The Band Trailer Project 03:25 Student Experiences and Challenges 06:31 Learning and Future Career Plans 12:36 Woodworking Class Projects 13:48 Welding at Four Rivers Career Center 16:57 Introduction to New Students 17:31 Programs at Four Rivers Career Center 18:40 Choosing Career Paths 20:11 Exploring Career Paths: Welding, Teaching, and Business 21:54 Diving into the Welding Program 24:04 Teaching Careers: Classroom to Real-World Experience 26:07 Business Class: Real-World Applications and Projects 28:32 Favorite Experiences and Challenges at Four Rivers 41:33 Advice for Future Students and Final Thoughts

October 2025 School Board Meeting

In this month’s episode, Dr. Hoener, Mrs. Otten, and Mr. Peirick sit down with Ms. Zumsteg to talk about the work happening in our Food Service Department and the impact it has on students each day. They also highlight events from the past month, share updates on the district’s long-range facility plan, and discuss progress on the technology plan. Tune in for an inside look at how New Haven Schools continue to grow and serve our students and community!

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