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.