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.
