We have had a great beginning to the 2007-08 school year. Students, teachers and staff have had a busy and productive start. Student learning is taking place as well as a large amount of students involved in extracurricular activities. Research indicates students who are involved in some type of school activity do much better academically than those that are not. Please encourage your students to be involved in the fine arts or athletic programs. We have many school activities as well as City recreational activities students can be involved in.
USD 420 is always trying to have a vast variety of communication methods for parent-teacher communication. USD 420 just finished a phone system upgrade that will allow for voice mail capabilities for all teachers and staff. Teachers are on duty from 7:45 a.m.-3:40 p.m. each school day. After school hours you may leave a message at the school. A reminder our district web site allows continuous updates on calendar and other pertinent information. Daily updates and information can be obtained at the USD 420 web site: www.usd420.org.
Parent Internet Safety Night
This school year USD 420 will be presenting several parent workshops on a variety of subjects. Our first workshop will be an Internet Safety Night on Tuesday, October 2 at 7:00 p.m. in the USD 420 Auditorium. This workshop will present information on how to make technology safe for our children. Free childcare will be provided by the Osage City Middle School Builders Club. We invite you to attend this free one-hour workshop.
Teacher In-Service
USD 420 will have a Teacher In-Service on Monday, October 8. USD 420 will host a data analysis training session for teachers on our student assessment Measures of Academic Progress (MAP). Students will not have classes on this day.
Parent-Teacher Conferences
The 2007 Fall Parent-Teacher Conferences are scheduled for Tuesday, October 23 and Wednesday, October 24. Students will have school both days from 8:05 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Conferences will be held from 3:00-8:00 p.m. More information will be sent to parents about Fall Conferences. Fall Break will be on Friday, October 26. Classes will not be in session.
Safety
Please be very careful driving around the school facilities before and after school. Also, please remember that it is against Kansas law to pass a school bus that has its red flashers on. They are loading or unloading students. Please drive safely!
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Friday, September 21, 2007
Health Alert
Several Northeast Kansas school districts have received reports of cases of staph infection, possibly Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Staphylococcus aureus, or staph, is a common germ that many people carry in their nasal passages, under fingernails or on their skin with no ill effects. MRSA is a type of staph that has developed antibiotic resistance (certain antibiotics are unable to kill the bacteria). Since staph is spread primarily by direct (skin-to-skin) human contact or with direct contact to wound drainage of someone who is carrying or infected with the bacteria, anyone with a break in his or her skin is at risk. MRSA may also occur frequently through indirect contact with contaminated surfaces or items. MRSA is not spread through the air.
Staph infections begin abruptly. Symptoms may include a large area of redness on the skin, swelling and pain, followed by a pustule or abscess or boils and carbuncles (red, lumpy sores filled with pus). If left untreated, staph can infect blood and bones, causing severe illness that requires hospitalization.
Students and their family members should take the following precautions to help prevent skin infections:
Staph infections begin abruptly. Symptoms may include a large area of redness on the skin, swelling and pain, followed by a pustule or abscess or boils and carbuncles (red, lumpy sores filled with pus). If left untreated, staph can infect blood and bones, causing severe illness that requires hospitalization.
Students and their family members should take the following precautions to help prevent skin infections:
Encourage frequent hand washing with soap and warm water.
Encourage students to keep their fingernails clean and clipped short.
Avoid contact with other people's wounds or anything contaminated by a wound.
Avoid sharing personal items such as razors, towels, deodorant, or soap that directly touch the body.
Clean and disinfect objects (such as gym and sports equipment) before use.
Wash dirty clothes, linens, and towels with hot water and laundry detergent. Using a hot dryer, rather than air-drying, also helps kill bacteria.
Encourage students who participate in contact sports to shower immediately after each practice, game, or match.
Keep open or draining sores and lesions clean and covered. Anyone assisting with wound care should wear gloves and wash their hands with soap and water after dressing changes.
We encourage you to be vigilant in looking for signs and symptoms of staph infections. If you or any family member exhibit symptoms as described above, you are encouraged to contact your family doctor.
Friday, September 7, 2007
September Newsletter
Welcome to the 2007-08 school year. Faculty and staff are excited about the new school year and the opportunity to work with the students of Osage City. If we can help you in any way this year, please contact us. Daily updates and information can be obtained at the USD 420 web site: http://www.usd420.org/
This school year USD 420 will be presenting several parent workshops on a variety of subjects. Our first workshop will be an Internet Safety Night on Tuesday, October 2 at 7:00 p.m. in the USD 420 Auditorium. This workshop will present information on how to make technology safe for our children. Free childcare will be provided by the Osage City Middle School Builders Club. We invite you to attend this free one-hour workshop.
Have a great school year!
New Communication Tool for USD 420
In our effort to improve communications between our parents and our school, USD 420 Osage City is instituting a telephone broadcast system that will enable school personnel to notify all households and parents within minutes of an emergency or unplanned event that causes early dismissal, school cancellation or late start. The service will also be used time-to-time to communicate general announcements or reminders. The service is provided by School/Reach, which specializes in school-to-parent communications. We will continue to report school closings due to snow or weather on WIBW Channel 13, WIBW Radio 580, KSNT Channel 27, and KTKA Channel 49, and will use this system as an overlay to the public announcements.
When used, the service will simultaneously call all listed phone numbers on our parent contact list and will deliver a recorded message from one of the USD 420 Administrators. The service will deliver the message to both live answer and answering machines. No answers and busies will be automatically retried twice in 15 minute intervals after the initial call.
This requires no registration by the parent on the School/Reach website. All information and contact numbers are strictly confidential and are only used for the purpose described herein.
If you have further questions about this new system, please contact David Carriger, Superintendent of Schools at 528-3176.
Kansas State Assessment Scores (2006-07)
Preliminary data indicate that all three USD 420 buildings made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) under the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) guidelines for the 2006-07 school year. USD 420 did not make AYP as a district based on the students with disabilities (special education) sub-group scores on the Kansas State Reading Assessment.
The Kansas State Assessments were given last year in reading, math and writing. Grades 3-8,10 and 11 were involved in the assessment program this past year. Reading and Math scores were the only scores used for AYP and NCLB.
Percentage of Students at Proficient, Advanced and Exemplary levels are listed below. The State Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) target is also listed for reading and math.
Reading ES MS HS
USD 420 72.3 84.6 85.7
State Target 69.5 69.5 65.0
Math ES MS HS
USD 420 70.1 81.4 86.0
State Target 66.8 66.8 55.7
Attendance Rates (2006-07)
The USD 420 attendance rate for the past school year was 93.2%. The state target is 90%.
Graduation Rate
The graduation rate for Osage City High School was 95.1% this past year. The state goal is 75%. OCHS had an 87.5% rate during the 2005-06 school year.
Osage City High School ACT Scores (Class of 2007)
Listed below are the results of student ACT scores that were given this past year in USD 420. The OCHS Senior Class was just below the national and state average.
USD 420 21.1
Kansas 21.9
National 21.2
A record number 42 seniors took the exam last year.
Kansas Health Insurance
Health Wave and Health Connect are low or no-cost health plans for children under the age of 19. There are no exclusions for pre-existing health conditions or deductibles to be met. Coverage includes medical, dental, mental, behavioral health and substance abuse services. It emphasizes preventing health problems through regular checkups or minimizing their costs through early diagnosis.
For further information please contact: 1-800-792-4884 or http://www.kansashealthwave.org/
Osage County Crime Stoppers
Osage County Crime Stoppers is working to make Osage County safe. Osage County Crime Stoppers is supported by local businesses and individuals. If you have information about a crime, locations of drug labs or any information you feel law enforcement needs to know, call toll free: 1-877-OSCRIME. You need not give your name.
No Parking Areas
USD 420 has several no parking areas around the school for student, faculty and staff safety. Please do not park at any time in areas that have no parking signs. Thank you.
USD 420 Osage City Homeless Youth Policy
(1) Each State educational agency shall ensure that each child of a homeless individual and each homeless youth has equal access to the same free, appropriate public education, including a public preschool education, as provided to other children and youths.
(2) In any State that has a compulsory residency requirement as a component of the State’s compulsory school attendance laws or other laws, regulations, practices, or policies that may act as a barrier to the enrollment, attendance, or success in school of homeless children and youths, the State will review and undertake steps to revise such laws, regulations, practices, or policies to ensure that homeless children and youths are afforded the same free, appropriate public education as provided to other children and youths.
(3) Homelessness alone is not sufficient reason to separate students from the mainstream school environment.
(4) Homeless children and youths should have access to the education and other services that such children and youths need to ensure that such children and youths have an opportunity to meet the same challenging State student academic achievement standards to which all students are held.
For further Information, please contact: David Carriger, Superintendent of Schools, 520 Main Street, Osage City, Kansas.
This school year USD 420 will be presenting several parent workshops on a variety of subjects. Our first workshop will be an Internet Safety Night on Tuesday, October 2 at 7:00 p.m. in the USD 420 Auditorium. This workshop will present information on how to make technology safe for our children. Free childcare will be provided by the Osage City Middle School Builders Club. We invite you to attend this free one-hour workshop.
Have a great school year!
New Communication Tool for USD 420
In our effort to improve communications between our parents and our school, USD 420 Osage City is instituting a telephone broadcast system that will enable school personnel to notify all households and parents within minutes of an emergency or unplanned event that causes early dismissal, school cancellation or late start. The service will also be used time-to-time to communicate general announcements or reminders. The service is provided by School/Reach, which specializes in school-to-parent communications. We will continue to report school closings due to snow or weather on WIBW Channel 13, WIBW Radio 580, KSNT Channel 27, and KTKA Channel 49, and will use this system as an overlay to the public announcements.
When used, the service will simultaneously call all listed phone numbers on our parent contact list and will deliver a recorded message from one of the USD 420 Administrators. The service will deliver the message to both live answer and answering machines. No answers and busies will be automatically retried twice in 15 minute intervals after the initial call.
This requires no registration by the parent on the School/Reach website. All information and contact numbers are strictly confidential and are only used for the purpose described herein.
If you have further questions about this new system, please contact David Carriger, Superintendent of Schools at 528-3176.
Kansas State Assessment Scores (2006-07)
Preliminary data indicate that all three USD 420 buildings made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) under the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) guidelines for the 2006-07 school year. USD 420 did not make AYP as a district based on the students with disabilities (special education) sub-group scores on the Kansas State Reading Assessment.
The Kansas State Assessments were given last year in reading, math and writing. Grades 3-8,10 and 11 were involved in the assessment program this past year. Reading and Math scores were the only scores used for AYP and NCLB.
Percentage of Students at Proficient, Advanced and Exemplary levels are listed below. The State Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) target is also listed for reading and math.
Reading ES MS HS
USD 420 72.3 84.6 85.7
State Target 69.5 69.5 65.0
Math ES MS HS
USD 420 70.1 81.4 86.0
State Target 66.8 66.8 55.7
Attendance Rates (2006-07)
The USD 420 attendance rate for the past school year was 93.2%. The state target is 90%.
Graduation Rate
The graduation rate for Osage City High School was 95.1% this past year. The state goal is 75%. OCHS had an 87.5% rate during the 2005-06 school year.
Osage City High School ACT Scores (Class of 2007)
Listed below are the results of student ACT scores that were given this past year in USD 420. The OCHS Senior Class was just below the national and state average.
USD 420 21.1
Kansas 21.9
National 21.2
A record number 42 seniors took the exam last year.
Kansas Health Insurance
Health Wave and Health Connect are low or no-cost health plans for children under the age of 19. There are no exclusions for pre-existing health conditions or deductibles to be met. Coverage includes medical, dental, mental, behavioral health and substance abuse services. It emphasizes preventing health problems through regular checkups or minimizing their costs through early diagnosis.
For further information please contact: 1-800-792-4884 or http://www.kansashealthwave.org/
Osage County Crime Stoppers
Osage County Crime Stoppers is working to make Osage County safe. Osage County Crime Stoppers is supported by local businesses and individuals. If you have information about a crime, locations of drug labs or any information you feel law enforcement needs to know, call toll free: 1-877-OSCRIME. You need not give your name.
No Parking Areas
USD 420 has several no parking areas around the school for student, faculty and staff safety. Please do not park at any time in areas that have no parking signs. Thank you.
USD 420 Osage City Homeless Youth Policy
(1) Each State educational agency shall ensure that each child of a homeless individual and each homeless youth has equal access to the same free, appropriate public education, including a public preschool education, as provided to other children and youths.
(2) In any State that has a compulsory residency requirement as a component of the State’s compulsory school attendance laws or other laws, regulations, practices, or policies that may act as a barrier to the enrollment, attendance, or success in school of homeless children and youths, the State will review and undertake steps to revise such laws, regulations, practices, or policies to ensure that homeless children and youths are afforded the same free, appropriate public education as provided to other children and youths.
(3) Homelessness alone is not sufficient reason to separate students from the mainstream school environment.
(4) Homeless children and youths should have access to the education and other services that such children and youths need to ensure that such children and youths have an opportunity to meet the same challenging State student academic achievement standards to which all students are held.
For further Information, please contact: David Carriger, Superintendent of Schools, 520 Main Street, Osage City, Kansas.
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