Thursday Notes

The Junior High Basketball Game between Osage City and Council Grove has been cancelled for this evening.

The High School Instrumental Christmas Concert is still on schedule for 7:00 p.m. tonight in the USD 420 Auditorium.

CHICKENPOX ALERT

December 11, 2008
Parents:

USD 420 has experienced a few cases of the chickenpox. We wanted you to be aware of this and if your children have not been immunized, you might want to contact your doctor.

Sincerely,

David Carriger
Superintendent
USD 420 Osage City

December 2008 Update

The first semester of the 2008-09 school year is about to end. December is a very busy month with programs and activities almost every evening during the week. We would like to encourage each student to do their very best keeping up with their studies as well as getting plenty of rest.

The USD 420 Board of Education, Administration, Faculty and Staff would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Arsenic and Old Lace

We would like to thank Ms. Wassemiller, Mrs. Camarena and students who were involved in the OCHS production of Arsenic and Old Lace The crowds enjoyed the performances very much.

OCHS Basketball

The OCHS Basketball Season begins on Friday, December 5 at Mission Valley High School. The OCHS Basketball Teams will participate in the Osawatomie Tournament December 9-13. Please call the high school office or check www.usd420.org for more details.

Holiday Music Schedule

Grades K-5 Sing-A-Long (December 10)-2:00 p.m.
Grades 5-12 Vocal/Grades 5-8 Instrumental Concert (December 15)-6:30 p.m.
Grades 9-12 Instrumental/Jazz Concert (December 18)-7:00 p.m.

All Music Programs will be held in the USD 420 Auditorium

Weather Information

Whenever weather conditions are such that classes or activities may not be held or busses might not run, students and parents should listen to the following media outlets:
WIBW TV Channel 13, WIBW 580 AM Radio, KTKA TV Channel 49, KSNT TV Channel 27, 94 Country Radio and 106.9 FM Radio. We will also use the School Reach system for cancellations. Please make sure the offices have current contact phone numbers on file.

Veteran's Day

Celebrating True American Heroes

Veteran's Day

November 11, 2008

Gail Beal

Historian from Topeka, Kansas

and

The Osage County Veterans

Osage City High School Auditorium

Assemblies at: 9:15 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.

November Update

USD 420 Makes AYP

USD 420 was officially notified three weeks ago that the district, student sub-groups and all individual school buildings made AYP for the 2008-09 school year. It was first reported in August that Students with Disabilities did not make AYP in Reading. This was reviewed by the Kansas Department of Education and corrected to show that USD 420 did meet the Adequate Yearly Progress requirements and criteria for 2008-09. Congratulations to all teachers, staff, students and parents on their hard work.

Conferences Well Attended

We would like to thank those parents who attended conferences and met with teachers about how their students are performing in class. It’s very important to have communication between home and school and working together to accomplish what is best for each student in USD 420.

Weather Information

Whenever weather conditions are such that classes or activities may not be held or busses might not run, students and parents should listen to the following media outlets:
WIBW TV Channel 13, WIBW 580 AM Radio, KTKA TV Channel 49, KSNT TV Channel 27, 94 Country Radio and 106.9 FM Radio. We will also use the School Reach system for cancellations and have information on the district web site at www.usd420.org
Please make sure the school offices have your current contact phone numbers on file.

Lunch Cards

USD 420 has made some changes effective November 1 on lunch cards and paying for meals. Please look at information in the high school and middle school sections of this newsletter.
If parents are interested in having the option of students paying for al a carte items with their lunch cards, we must have a parent permission form on file at the middle school or high school office. No student will be allowed to use their lunch cards for a la carte items if they do not have a permission form on file. Also, if there are no funds in the students lunch account they will not be able to charge for a la carte items.

Thanksgiving Break
November 26-28, 2008

Parent-Teacher Conferences

The 2008 Fall Parent-Teacher Conferences are scheduled for Tuesday, October 28 and Wednesday, October 29. 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.

Fall Break will be on Friday, October 31. Classes will not be in session.

October Update

USD 420 DISTRICT UPDATE

We have had a great beginning to the 2008-09 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.

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.

Teacher In-Service

USD 420 will have a Teacher In-Service on Monday, October 13. USD 420 will host a county wide teacher in-service. We have several speakers discussing a variety of school improvement strategies. Students will not have classes on this day.

Parent-Teacher Conferences

The 2008 Fall Parent-Teacher Conferences are scheduled for Tuesday, October 28 and Wednesday, October 29. 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 31. Classes will not be in session.

A La Carte

During the past two years, USD 420 has offered a la carte food items for grades 6-12. In the past this program has been a cash basis only program. One of the options USD 420 would like to implement beginning this month is to begin to allow students the opportunity to use their lunch cards to purchase a la carte items. If parents are interested in having this option, please fill out the form below and return it to the middle school or high school office. No student will be allowed to use their lunch cards for a la carte items if they do not have a permission form on file. Also, if there are no funds in the students lunch account they will not be able to charge for a la carte items.

A La Carte
Lunch Card Permission Form



I give my student ___________________________ permission to use their lunch card to purchase a la carte food items. Students will not be allowed to charge for a la carte items if they have no funds in their lunch account.


______________________________________
Parent

______________________________________
Date


Please return to the Middle School or High School Office

September Update

Welcome to the 2008-09 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: www.usd420.org

The district mission is to commit our financial resources to equip all students with the skills and knowledge necessary to achieve their fullest potential as self-motivated lifetime learners.

The 2008-09 school year will offer many challenges and opportunities. The district continues to expand its curriculum, instruction and technology offerings for our students and staff. We continue to offer many new innovative opportunities throughout the district.

USD 420 has been developing for the past six months a new vocational program that we hope to implement beginning in the fall of 2009. A cooperative effort with Allen County Community College, the Osage County school districts and business partners such as Kan-Build will bring vocational training to our high school students. We are excited about the many possibilities that will develop with this program. We want our students to have every opportunity to leave USD 420 with the best education as possible.

Have a great school year!

Communication Tool for USD 420

In our effort to improve communications between our parents and our school, USD 420 Osage City instituted a telephone broadcast system last year 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 from 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 busy signals 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 (2007-08)

Preliminary data indicates that all three USD 420 buildings made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) under the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) guidelines for the 2007-08 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. Because of this USD 420 will be classified as on improvement for the 2008-09 school year. We will continue to implement new strategies for all students and work to improve on the sub-group scores next spring.

The Kansas State Assessments were given last year in reading, math, social studies and science. 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.

The Percentage of Students at Proficiency is listed below for 2008. The State Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) target is also listed for reading and math.

Reading ES MS HS

USD 420 76.1% 84.1% 89.8%
State Target 75.6% 75.6% 72.0%

Math ES MS HS

USD 420 81.7% 80.4% 87.7%
State Target 73.4% 73.4% 64.6%


Attendance Rates (2007-08)

The USD 420 attendance rate for the past school year was 94.1%. The state target is 90%. USD 420 had a 93% attendance rate during the 2006-07 school year.


Graduation Rate

The graduation rate for Osage City High School was 90.6% this past year. The state goal is 75%. OCHS had a 95% rate during the 2006-07 school year.


Osage City High School ACT Scores (Class of 2008)

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 state average and just above the national average. The OCHS ACT scores have increased almost 2.0 in the past three years.

USD 420 21.4
Kansas 22.0
National 21.1


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 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. This is the 10th Anniversary for the Osage County Crime Stopper Program. A special dinner will be held on October 23 to mark this special anniversary. More information will be coming about this event.


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.

Early Dismissal

School will be dismissed for students at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, August 27 for our Fall Teacher Committee Afternoon. Teachers will be going through the state assessment data analyzing the scores and examining the curricular indicators.

School Begins

First Day of School: Thursday, August 14
Dismiss at: 11:30 a.m.
Back to School Night: 5:00-8:00 p.m.

School Bus Safety Rules

For some 22 million students nationwide, the school day begins and ends with a trip on a school bus. Unfortunately, each year many children are injured and several are killed in school bus incidents.

School bus related crashes killed 164 persons and injured an estimated 18,000 persons nationwide in 1999, according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) and General Estimates System (GES).

Over the past six years, about 70% of the deaths in fatal school bus related crashes were occupants of vehicles other than the school bus and 20% were pedestrians. About 4% were school bus passengers and 2% were school bus drivers. Of the pedestrians killed in school bus related crashes over this period, approximately 77% were struck by the school bus. Of the people injured in school bus related crashes from 1994 through 1999, about 44% were school bus passengers, 9% were school bus drivers, and another 43% were occupants of other vehicles.

Although drivers of all vehicles are required to stop for a school bus when it is stopped to load or unload passengers, children should not rely on them to do so. The National Safety Council encourages parents to teach their children these rules for getting on and off the school bus.

Rules for getting on and off the school bus:

Getting on the school bus

• When waiting for the bus, stay away from traffic and avoid roughhousing or other behavior that can lead to carelessness. Do not stray onto streets, alleys or private property.
• Line up away from the street or road as the school bus approaches.
• Wait until the bus has stopped and the door opens before stepping onto the roadway.
• Use the hand rail when stepping onto the bus.

Behavior on the bus

• When on the bus, find a seat and sit down. Loud talking or other noise can distract the bus driver and is not allowed.
• Never put head, arms or hands out of the window.
• Keep aisles clear -- books or bags are tripping hazards and can block the way in an emergency.
• Before you reach your stop, get ready to leave by getting your books and belongings together.
• At your stop, wait for the bus to stop completely before getting up from your seat. Then, walk to the front door and exit, using the hand rail.

Getting off the school bus

• If you have to cross the street in front of the bus, walk at least ten feet ahead of the bus along the side of the road, until you can turn around and see the driver.
• Make sure that the driver can see you.
• Wait for a signal from the driver before beginning to cross.
• When the driver signals, walk across the road, keeping an eye out for sudden traffic changes.
• Do not cross the center line of the road until the driver has signaled that it is safe for you to begin walking.
• Stay away from the bus' rear wheels at all times.

Correct way to cross the street

• Children should always stop at the curb or the edge of the road and look left, then right, and then left again before crossing.
• They should continue looking in this manner until they are safely across.
• If students' vision is blocked by a parked car or other obstacle, they should move out to where drivers can see them and they can see other vehicles -- then stop, and look left-right-left again.

School Enrollment

The 2008-09 school year is about 4 weeks away.

Building offices open on Monday, August 4, for the 2008-09 school year.
Enrollment will be held August 5-7.

MAY 2008 UPDATE

The 2007-08 school year is about to come to a close. It has been a positive year of academic growth for students all across the district. Preliminary state assessment scores should arrive in June. We hope to have final results in August. It has also been a year of many student accomplishments in the classroom and in activities and athletics. The last day of classes will be held on Tuesday, May 20. We wish the entire community a safe and enjoyable summer.

High School Graduation
Sunday, May 18, at 2:00 p.m. in Homewood Gymnasium.

Kindergarten Promotion
Monday, May 19, at 10:00 a.m. in Homewood Gymnasium.

Eighth Grade Promotion
Monday, May 19, at 7:00 p.m. in Homewood Gymnasium.


USD 420 Board of Education to Examine District Facilities

The USD 420 Board of Education for the past several months has been discussing possible facility improvements for the elementary school as well as improvements in the athletic facilities at the fair grounds. At the April 9 BOE Meeting, the Board engaged Schaefer-Johnson-Cox and Frey Architects from Wichita to begin working with the Board, school, and community on a possible facility project. More information will be distributed during the summer and early fall as we begin the formation of planning committees.

USD 420 Years of Service

We would like to recognize the following USD 420 employees that have been a part of the district for the following number of years. We appreciate their years of service for the students of Osage City:

10 Years
Vickie Buenger

15 Years
Andrea Oliver

25 Years
Donna Crane
Vickie Gragg

30 Years
Kathy Coen
Marcia Wischropp

National Teacher Appreciation Week

The week of May 4-10 is National Teacher Appreciation Week. It is a week set aside to honor those who work so hard to help our young people in the classroom as well as the activities they are involved in. We appreciate the teaching staff of USD 420 and the Three Lakes Cooperative. You are true professionals!

Alumni Banquet

OCHS Alumni Banquet May 25

The OCHS Alumni Banquet will be held on May 25 at 6:00 p.m. For more information please call 785-528-4616.

April Update

Summer School

USD 420 will conduct a summer school program for students needing extended learning opportunities. The elementary program will continue to be the same type of format from 8:00-noon each day and be held July 7-August 1. The junior high and high school program will use the Virtual Prescriptive Online Curriculum and will be held June 2-27 from 8:00-noon. Students will be scheduled based on credits they have failed. For more information, contact Mrs. Sahlberg at the elementary (528-3171) or Mrs. Camarena at the high school (528-3172).


Internet Safety Parent Night Presentation

Our second Internet Safety Parent Night will be held on Monday, April 14 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 child care will be provided. We invite you to attend this free one-hour workshop.


Web Site

USD 420 continues to examine ways to communicate more effectively with our community on a day-to-day basis. The OCHS Web Class taught by Mrs. Plinsky has been a very valuable information source over the past few years as they update calendar events and other important information on the school web site at http://usd420.org/


Osage County Crime Stoppers

Osage City 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.

Spring Break-Good Friday-Committee Morning-P/T Conferences (No School)

Spring Break and Good Friday

No School

March 17-24

School Resumes on Tuesday, March 25

There will be no school on Wednesday, March 26. The morning will be our spring teacher committee meetings and the afternoon will be our spring parent-teacher conferences.

March Update

Kansas State Assessment

The Kansas State Assessment has already started in USD 420. I appreciate all the hard work students and teachers have done in preparing for these tests. Thanks to our technology specialists in working out the “bugs” to make the assessments online for the students. Please keep encouraging and motivating your students to give it their best on these assessments. If you have any questions about the assessments, please call any of the school offices.

Homework Kansas

With the second semester of the school year in full swing, and state assessments on the horizon, students, teachers, librarians, and parents should take advantage of Homework Kansas.

Introduced to Kansans just over a year ago, the free service offers 4th through 12th grade students interactive guidance in math, science, social studies and English from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week. Math and science assistance in Spanish is available from 4 to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday.

Homework Kansas automatically connects participants with a tutor, who could be any of 1,300 teachers, graduate students and other professionals scattered across North America. All tutors are subjected to background and reference checks.

To access Homework Kansas, students simply need to go to http://www.homeworkkansas.org/ and enter their Kansas library card from their local public library or school library. The service can be accessed from any internet-connected computer. If the student does not already have a Kansas library card, they can acquire one from the State Library of Kansas at the same site immediately.

For further information, please contact Jackie Lakin via email: jlakin@ksde.org or by phone: (785) 296-2144.

SPRING BREAK
MARCH 17-24
SCHOOL RESUMES
TUESDAY, MARCH 25

IMMUNIZATION REQUIREMENTS for 2008-09 SCHOOL YEAR

As parents and children prepare for the upcoming school year, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) is reminding Kansans of the requirements of certain immunizations for school entry and is providing the most up-to-date guidance on vaccination requirements.

REQUIRED for Kindergarten entry…….
· Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis: FIVE doses
· Polio: FOUR doses
· Measles, Mumps, rubella: TWO doses
· Hepatitis B: THREE doses required
· Varicella (Chickenpox) ONE dose

A 10-year Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis will be needed in 10 years.

ANY STUDENT THAT HAS HAD THE HEPATITIS B AND THE CHICKENPOX IMMUNIZATIONS: PLEASE SEND THE VERIFICATION TO MRS. PRIVAT, SCHOOL NURSE, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE

The Kansas recommendations (not required) for children are:
· Haemophilus influenza Type B: four doses for children less than five years of age
· Pneumococcal conjugate: four doses for children less than 5 years of age
· Hepatitis A: two doses for all ages
· Meningococcal: one dose for 11 to 18 years of age
· Human Papillomavirus: three doses for females 11 years or older
· Influenza: yearly vaccination for all ages

THE COMPLETE RECOMMENDATIONS CAN BE FOUND AT:
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/ACIP-list.htm

All required/recommended vaccines can reduce the disease burden in school-aged children, helping to assure that students will be in school ready to learn. Completely immunized school aged children are vital in protecting other more vulnerable populations from the devastating effects of the diseases that immunizations can prevent. Efforts by schools have been central to the success of public heath efforts in eliminating vaccine preventable diseases.

Sub-State Girls Basketball (Semi-Finals)

Class 3A Sub-State High School Girls Basketball semi-final pairings were released today. Wellsville High School will host all semi-finals and championship games.

Friday, February 29 (Schedule)
Osage City plays Northern Heights at 6:00 p.m.
Jayhawk-Linn plays Central Heights at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, March 1
Championship Girls Game at 6:00 p.m.

Sub-State Boys Basketball (Semi-Finals)

Class 3A Sub-State High School Boys Basketball semi-final pairings were released today. Wellsville High School will host all semi-finals and championship games.

Thursday, February 28 (Schedule)
Osage City plays Erie at 6:00 p.m.
Northern Heights plays Central Heights at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, March 1
Championship Boys Game at 7:30 p.m.

Sub-State Basketball

Class 3A Sub-State High School Basketball pairings were released on Wednesday. Osage City High School will host first round action on Monday and Tuesday evening. All semi-final and championship games will be played at Wellsville, February 28, 29 and March 1.

Monday, February 25
OCHS Boys host Jayhawk-Linn at 7:00 p.m.

Tuesday, February 26
OCHS Girls host Wellsville at 7:00 p.m.

NO SCHOOL MONDAY, FEBRUARY 18

On Monday, February 18, there will be no school in USD 420. This will be our second semester teacher in-service day.

NO SCHOOL FEBRUARY 6

School will not be in session, Wednesday, February 6, because of the winter weather.

Basketball Game Postponed

The Basketball Game between Osage City and Rossville has been postponed for tonight. The game will be played on Thursday, February 7.

District Update (February 2008)

Kansas State Assessment Schedule

The Spring 2008 Kansas State Assessment Schedule has been released by the Kansas State Department of Education. The following are the subject areas and grades that will be tested during the months of February and March:

Math Grades 3-8 and 10 Reading Grades 3-8 and 11
History/Government Grades 6, 8 and 11 Science Grades 4, 7 and 11

Weather Information

Whenever weather conditions are such that classes or activities may not be held or busses might not run, students and parents should listen to the following media outlets:
WIBW TV Channel 13, WIBW 580 AM Radio, KTKA TV Channel 49, KSNT TV Channel 27, 94 Country Radio and 106.9 FM Radio.

Update Contacts

Many times throughout the school year teachers, principals, building secretaries and our school nurse need to make contact with parents during the school day. Please update phone numbers that you can be reached at if you have changed home or work numbers since the beginning of school.

In-Service Day

On Monday, February 18, there will be no school in USD 420. This will be our second semester teacher in-service day.

Osage County Fair Board

The Osage County Fair Board will sponsor a pancake feed on Saturday, February 2nd, from 8:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. at the Osage County Senior Center located at 6th and Market.The pancake feed will feature Chris Cakes (Steve Hamilton) who recently set a Guinness World Record when he manually poured, cooked, and flipped an amazing 555 pancakes in just 60 minutes.This should be a fun morning as we support the efforts to build new facilities at the fair grounds.

Special Announcement

Osage City High School received a very vague written comment on January 22. Because of the comment the Osage City Police will be patrolling the area in and around the schools more frequently the next few days. We will be on regular class schedule as well all regularly scheduled activities will continue.

Osage County Fair Board Pancake Feed

The Osage County Fair Board will sponsor a pancake feed on Saturday, February 2nd, from 8:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. at the Osage County Senior Center located at 6th and Market.

The pancake feed will feature Chris Cakes (Steve Hamilton) who recently set a Guinness World Record when he manually poured, cooked, and flipped an amazing 555 pancakes in just 60 minutes.

Should be a fun morning as we support the efforts to build new facilities at the fair grounds.

January Update

HAPPY NEW YEAR

A new semester begins for the students of USD 420 on Friday, January 4. This past semester went very quickly as students and teachers accomplished a great deal in the classroom as well as in school activities. Encourage your student to get off to a positive and productive start in 2008. This semester many local, state and our national assessment will be given. Teachers will begin preparation for these tests this month.

If we can be of any assistance during this semester of school, please contact us. We wish your student the very best this semester!

New Legislation

The Kansas Highway Patrol and the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) remind teens and parents of changes made to the state’s seat belt law during the 2007 Legislative Session and further changes scheduled to take effect January 1, 2008.

Effective July 1, 2007, Kansas’ safety belt use law (K.S.A. 8-2503) was changed to require all drivers and passengers ages 14 through 17 to buckle up at all times regardless of where seated in a vehicle in motion. From July 1 thru December 31, 2007 law enforcement officers only issued warnings for violations.

Effective January 1, 2008, officers may write citations for these violations. The law also provides for primary enforcement, which means a driver may be pulled over and each violator cited solely for the seatbelt violation. The fine is $60, including court costs.

New Bullying Prevention Policy

During the 2007 Kansas Legislative Session, the Legislature mandated Bullying Policies for all Kansas school districts by January 1, 2008. USD 420 has been working this fall with a variety of organizations and groups to develop a new policy and plan for bullying prevention. The USD 420 Board of Education adopted this new policy at the December 12, 2007 meeting:

The USD 420 Board of Education prohibits bullying in any form on school property, in a school vehicle (school bus, school van, other school vehicle and private vehicle used to transport students or staff members to and from school or any school-sponsored activity or event) or at a school-sponsored activity or event.

Bullying is any intentional gesture or any intentional written, verbal, or physical act or threat that is sufficiently severe, persistent or pervasive that it creates an intimidating, threatening or abusive educational environment for a student or staff member that a reasonable person, under the circumstances, knows or should know will have the effect of:

Harming a student or staff member, whether physically or mentally;
Damaging a student’s or staff member’s property;
Placing a student or staff member in reasonable fear of harm to the student or staff member; or
Placing a student or staff member in reasonable fear of damage to the student’s or staff member’s property;
Or any other form of intimidation or harassment prohibited by any policy of USD 420 Osage City.

Any individual (s) who have bullied others in violation of this policy may be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including suspension and expulsion. If appropriate, students who violate the bullying prohibition shall be reported to local law enforcement.

State Assessment

The 2008 Kansas State Assessments will begin shortly in USD 420. The following tests will be administered during the next few months:

Math Grades 3-8 and 10
Reading Grades 3-8 and 11
Science Grades 4, 7 and 11
History/Government Grades 6, 8 and 11

Calendar Change

The Semester 2 Calendar has a couple of changes that parents and students need to be aware of. On March 26 there will be no school for students. The morning schedule has teacher committee meetings and the afternoon will be our annual spring parent-teacher conference time. We will have school all day on April 23. Next year’s 2008-09 District Calendar has been placed on our web page at the district site location.