USD 420 District Update

Superintendent Named

2009-05-12T11:00:00.000-07:00

As most of you know, last week the Board interviewed candidates for the Superintendent’s position. We interviewed three very qualified candidates. After careful thought, we have selected William Orth II to fill this position. He is currently the Superintendent of Altoona-Midway in south central Kansas. He will be joining our district as Superintendent July 1, 2009. We look forward to his relocation to our district.

Diane Kimball
President, USD 420 Board of Education

Superintendent Finalists

2009-05-06T04:45:00.000-07:00

The Board of Education will be interviewing candidates for superintendent starting today, Thursday, and Friday.

The following were chosen as finalists for the position:

Jim Runge, Superintendent at Solomon USD 393--Wednesday May 6
William Orth, Superintendent at Altoona-Midway USD 387--Thursday May 7
Susan King, Superintendent at Troy USD 429--Friday May 8

There will be a public reception each day at 4:00 pm in the High School Commons area just outside of the library. Faculty, staff as well as community members are invited and encouraged to attend and meet the candidates.

Update on H1 N1

2009-05-06T04:00:00.000-07:00

Updated Interim Guidance on Student Dismissal for 2009 H1N1 Flu

This letter is to replace the guidance we sent out on May 1 regarding dismissal of students due to suspected or confirmed cases of infection with the 2009 Influenza A (H1N1) virus. This updated guidance is consistent with new advice received from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and reflects our current understanding of the severity and spread of the outbreak.

These are our recommendations, effective immediately: ·

School closure is not advised for a suspected or confirmed case. In general, closure is not advised for multiple cases unless there is a magnitude of faculty or student absenteeism that interferes with the school’s ability to function. ·

Students, faculty or staff with influenza-like illness (fever with a cough or sore throat) should stay home and not attend school or go into the community except to seek medical care for at least 7 days, even if symptoms resolve sooner.·

Students, faculty and staff who are still sick 7 days after they become ill should continue to stay home from school until at least 24 hours after symptoms have resolved.·

Students, faculty and staff who appear to have an influenza-like illness at arrival or become ill during the school day should be isolated promptly in a room separate from other students and sent home.·

Parents and guardians should monitor their school-aged children, and faculty and staff should self-monitor every morning for symptoms of influenza-like illness. ·

Ill students should not attend alternative child care or congregate in settings other than school.School administrators should communicate regularly with local public health officials to obtain guidance about reporting of influenza-like illnesses in the school. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment is also ready to consult with school officials on this matter.Schools can help serve as a focus for educational activities aimed at promoting ways to reduce the spread of influenza, including hand hygiene and cough etiquette. Students, faculty and staff should stringently follow sanitary measures to reduce the spread of influenza, including covering their nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing (or coughing or sneezing into their sleeve if a tissue isn’t available), frequently washing hands with soap and water, or using hand sanitizer if hand washing with soap and water is not possible.We appreciate the efforts that Kansas educators have taken to protect students, staff and the wider community from infection with this new virus. We will continue to communicate with you about the role of educational institutions in reducing transmission of this virus as our scientific and medical understanding grows.

Thank you for your support of your public health partners during this event.

Yours sincerely,
Jason Eberhart-Phillips, MD,
MPHState Health Officer and Director of Health, KDHE

What Can You Do to Stay Healthy

2009-05-02T04:15:00.000-07:00

There are everyday actions people can take to stay healthy.

Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.

Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hands cleaners are also effective.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way.

Try to avoid close contact with sick people.

Influenza is thought to spread mainly person-to-person through coughing or sneezing of infected people.

If you get sick, CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.

Swine Flu

2009-04-30T04:00:00.000-07:00

What is swine flu?
Swine Influenza (swine flu) is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza viruses.
Outbreaks of swine flu happen regularly in pigs. People do not normally get swine flu, but
human infections can and do happen. Most commonly, human cases of swine flu happen in
people who are around pigs but it’s possible for swine flu viruses to spread from person to
person also.

Is this swine flu virus contagious?
CDC has determined that this virus is contagious and is spreading from human to human.
However, at this time, it not known how easily the virus spreads between people.

What are the signs and symptoms of swine flu in people?
The symptoms of swine flu in humans are similar to the symptoms of seasonal flu and include:
• Fever greater than 100 degrees
• Body aches
• Coughing
• Sore throat
• Respiratory congestion
• In some cases, diarrhea and vomiting

How serious is swine flu infection?
Like seasonal flu, swine flu in humans can vary in severity from mild to severe. Between 2005
until January 2009, 12 human cases of swine flu were detected in the U.S. with no deaths
occurring. However, swine flu infection can be serious. In September 1988, a previously healthy
32-year-old pregnant woman in Wisconsin was hospitalized for pneumonia after being infected
with swine flu and died 8 days later. A swine flu outbreak in Fort Dix, New Jersey occurred in
1976 that caused more than 200 cases with serious illness in several people and one death.

How do you catch swine flu?
Spread of swine flu can occur in two ways:
• Through contact with infected pigs or environments contaminated with swine flu viruses.
• Through contact with a person with swine flu. Human-to-human spread of swine flu has
been documented also and is thought to occur in the same way as seasonal flu. Influenza
is thought to spread mainly person-to-person through coughing or sneezing of infected
people.

Are there medicines to treat swine flu?
Yes. CDC recommends the use of oseltamivir or zanamivir for the treatment and/or prevention
of infection with these swine influenza viruses. Antiviral drugs are prescription medicines (pills,
liquid or an inhaler) that fight against the flu by keeping flu viruses from reproducing in your
body. If you get sick, antiviral drugs can make your illness milder and make you feel better
faster. They may also prevent serious flu complications. For treatment, antiviral drugs work best if started soon after getting sick (within 2 days of symptoms).

How long can an infected person spread swine flu to others?
People with swine influenza virus infection should be considered potentially contagious as long
as they are symptomatic and possible for up to 7 days following illness onset. Children,
especially younger children, might potentially be contagious for longer periods.

What can I do to protect myself from getting sick?
There is no vaccine available right now to protect against swine flu. There are everyday actions
that can help prevent the spread of germs that cause respiratory illnesses like influenza. Take
these everyday steps to protect your health:
• Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water or use an alcohol-based hand
sanitizer to get rid of most germs and avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
• Stay home when you are sick to avoid spreading illness to co-workers and friends.
• Cough or sneeze into your elbow or a tissue and properly dispose of used tissues.
• Stay healthy by eating a balanced diet, drinking plenty of water and getting adequate rest
and exercise.

What should I do if I get sick?
Individuals who experience the above symptoms should contact their physician, who will
determine whether testing or treatment is needed.
If you are sick, you should stay home and avoid contact with other people as much as possible to
keep from spreading your illness to others.

Can I get swine influenza from eating or preparing pork?
No. Swine influenza viruses are not spread by food. You cannot get swine influenza from eating
pork or pork products. Eating properly handled and cooked pork products is safe.

May 2009 Update

2009-04-23T04:00:00.000-07:00

The 2008-09 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 look outstanding. We hope to have final results this summer. 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 Thursday, May 21. We wish the entire community a safe and enjoyable summer.

High School Graduation
Sunday, May 17, at 2:00 p.m. in Homewood Gymnasium.

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

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

IMMUNIZATION INFORMATION

Required immunizations from grade one to grade nine for the 2009-10 school year include the following:
* 1 dose Varicella(chickenpox) or disease date documented by a licensed physician.
* 3 doses Hepatitus B vaccine series
* DIPHTHERIA, TETANUS, PERTUSSIS BOOSTER REQUIRED AT AGE 11.
Please send documentation of immunizations to school by August 14, 2009 (first day of school for students). Also note that in the 2010-2011 school year ALL students will be required to have:
*2 doses varicella(chickenpox)
*3 doses Hepatitis B
*Booster dose of Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis at age 11.

National Teacher Appreciation Week

The week of May 3-9 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!

The Lakes Community Learning Center

We are proud to announce the opening of The Lakes Community Learning Center. This program is a partnership between USD 420 Osage City and the Southeast Kansas Education Service Center – Greenbush. The Lakes is a diploma completion program designed as computer-based instruction for individuals 18 years of age and older to earn a high school diploma.

You can obtain further information about The Lakes and their programs by calling 785-828-4130 or dropping by their location at 616 Topeka Ave., Lyndon.

Thank You

Debbie and I would like to thank the Osage City community for the past 17 years. We have enjoyed living and working in this community. The district has been very good to my family and we wish to say thank you. We have great kids, parents, teachers and staff in USD 420. We wish you continued success in your mission of educating the students of this community.

Superintendent Candidate Receptions

On May 6-8 the USD 420 Board of Education will be interviewing superintendent candidates. On these three days from 4:00-5:00 p.m. there will be a reception for the Osage City community and school community to meet the candidates. Receptions will be held in the OCHS Library. Everyone is invited to attend.

April 2009 Update

2009-03-27T04:15:00.000-07:00

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 July6-31. The junior high and high school program will use the Virtual Prescriptive Online Curriculum and will be held June 1-26 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).

Immunization Changes

Required immunizations grade one through grade 9 for 2009-10 school year include the following: 1 dose Varicella (chickenpox) and 3 doses of Hepatitus B vaccine. Please send documentation of immunizations to school by August 14, 2009 (first day of school for students).

Power School

At the start of the 2008-09 school year Power School required us to do a product upgrade. This upgrade was very significant and in turn made us change our URL (internet address) for Power School. This change has caused a few problems for any parent that created a bookmark or desktop shortcut at any point during the last school year (2007-08). If you are experiencing speed problems please do the following anytime you check Power School:
· Go to our district website (www.usd420.org)
· Click the Power School link
· Click Parent/Student link

USD 420 Superintendent Search

The USD 420 Board of Education has contracted with the Kansas Association of School Boards (KASB) in the search process for a new superintendent of schools. KASB officials have visited the district and has received input from a community-business committee as well as input from faculty, staff and students on characteristics that they would like to see in the next superintendent. This input will be shared with the board and the search process will begin in locating the right individual to lead the USD 420 schools. The board hopes to have a superintendent named by May 14.

USD 420 Superintendent Search

2009-03-11T06:05:00.000-07:00

The USD 420 Board of Education has contracted with the Kansas Association of School Boards in the search process for a new superintendent of schools. Input will be gathered from all aspects of the USD 420 community and district. More information will be coming about the search process.

March 2009 District Update

2009-02-28T05:00:00.000-08:00

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. 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.

School Finance Update

I wish I had better news to share on the school finance issue but we are still waiting to hear from the Kansas State Legislature on what type of funding reductions will occur for next school year. The cut for this year could result in an $85,000 decrease in projected budget authority. We will keep the entire community posted on further information and developments.

USD 420 Board of Education Elections

The USD 420 Board of Education will have three positions up for election this spring. Below are the positions and individuals running for USD 420 School Board:

Position #4 Pat Bean (I)
Jennie Long
Position #5 Diane Kimball (I)
Ray Lauber
Brian Poertner
Position #6 Cindy Cook
Diane Scott

The general election will be held on Tuesday, April 7.

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/

SPRING BREAK
MARCH 16-20

No School Monday, February 16

2009-02-13T08:30:00.000-08:00

On Monday, February 16, there will be no school in USD 420. This will be our second semester teacher in-service day.

February 2009 District Update

2009-02-01T04:45:00.000-08:00

Kansas State Assessment Schedule

The Spring 2009 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
Writing Grades 5, 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 16, there will be no school in USD 420. This will be our second semester teacher in-service day.

School Finance

On Tuesday, January 13, Governor Kathleen Sebelius released a budget plan for 2008-09 and 2009-10 that holds state aid for public education at the same level originally approved for the current year and stays the same for next year, despite an unprecedented state budget shortfall.

That plan would still result in a $22 cut in the base budget per pupil in the current year and a further $66 cut next year under the most recent projections. Special education aid would also fall from 92 percent of excess cost under current law to 84.5 percent next year. Those cuts occur because the Governor's budget does not add additional funding this year for higher student enrollment than expected and because the increasing costs of local option budget aid, KPERS retirement contributions and capital outlay aid next year are offset by reductions in base state aid. Although special education aid is not reduced, school district special education costs are projected to rise, which lowers the percent of excess cost covered.

The budget proposal for FY 2010 also eliminates all funding for professional development ($1.75 million this year) and driver's education aid ($1.8 million last year, already cut to $600,000 this year). It does maintain funding for the pre-K pilot program ($5 million), the new early childhood block grant ($11 million) and parent education grants ($7.5 million). Those three programs are funded by the Children's Initiative's Fund (tobacco settlement receipts).

The Governor's proposal is likely to be the highest level of possible funding for K-12 education. Legislative leaders have already criticized the plan for failing to cut state spending enough and many legislators say education should share in further reductions. The Governor's budget projects an ending balance of $58.3 million in the current year based on official revenue estimates from November. However, state general fund receipts are already $44.5 million below those estimates over the past two months. The budget also shows an ending balance of essentially zero in FY 2010, which means any shortfall in revenue over the next 18 months, would result in an unconstitutional deficit in FY 2010.

Please keep in mind that this is only the Governor’s recommendations. There will be additional proposals by the Kansas Legislature that will be much higher.

This is a very serious time in regards to school funding and especially for small and rural schools. USD 420 continues to be hurt financially due to declining enrollment. We will lose another significant amount of students next year which will further impact a reduction in state funds.

The recommendation from KSDE is for districts to cut all unnecessary spending until further decisions are reached in Topeka. We will try our very best to look at all budget areas as we try to reduce expenditures for this current year as well as for the 2009-10 school year. We will keep the community informed of any school finance updates.

Flint Hills League Basketball Tournament

2009-01-18T06:00:00.000-08:00

OCHS will participate in the Flint Hills League Basketball Tournament at White Auditorium in Emporia, January 19-24.

First round games:
Girls play Lyndon (Monday, January 19, at 6:30)
Boys play Chase County (Tuesday, January 20, 6:30)

Second Round (Semi Finals)
Girls (Thursday)
Boys (Friday)

Championship (Saturday)

Osage City High School Debate Team Headed to State

2009-01-17T09:48:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to the OCHS Debate Team as they qualified for the Class 3A State Debate Tournament. Good luck Debate Team!

January 2009 District Update

2009-01-01T01:00:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year

A new semester begins for the students of USD 420 on Tuesday, January 6. 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 2009. 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 please contact us. We wish your student the very best this semester!

Community Facility Task Force

The USD 420 Board of Education for the past year has been discussing the possibility of future facility upgrades at Osage City Elementary School and upgrades to the track at the fairgrounds. A task force has been organized to examine and evaluate the needs of the district in regard to these two areas. Our first meeting will take place on January 14 with the community group, the Board of Education and our school architects. We will keep the patrons of our district advised on information that will be discussed at this meeting and future meetings. Patrons will have the opportunity to give input and suggestions on these possible projects. If you have any questions, please contact me at the district office.

Osage County Learning Center

It has been a goal of five Osage County School Districts for many years to have a high school completion program for adults living in our communities. We have been working on a joint venture with the Southeast Education Service Center to begin a program to help our adult population complete their high school degrees. This new program will begin during the next few months and will be called the Lakes Learning Center. The program will be very individualized and will allow an individual the opportunity to work at their own pace. The program will be housed in Lyndon in one of their downtown buildings. More information will be coming about this program. If you have any questions, please contact the USD 420 District Office.

District Calendar 2009-10

The USD 420 Board of Education approved our District Calendar for the 2009-10 school year. The calendar is available at the District Office home page on our web site at www.usd420.org

New Activity Bus Arrives

Our new activity bus arrived on December 11. The old Indian Bus turned 17 years old this year. The new bus will be used for student activity and athletic trips beginning second semester.

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.

Thursday Notes

2008-12-18T12:15:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-11T09:00:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-01T05:00:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-11T04:00:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-01T04:30:00.001-07:00

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

2008-10-28T15:00:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-30T04:00:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-01T04:00:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-20T04:00:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-14T05:00:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-04T05:00:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-17T06:00:00.000-07:00

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

2008-05-01T15:30:00.000-07:00

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

2008-04-28T05:00:00.000-07:00

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

2008-03-28T22:00:00.000-07:00

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)

2008-03-14T14:00:00.000-07:00

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

2008-03-01T19:00:00.000-08:00

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)

2008-02-27T09:00:00.000-08:00

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)

2008-02-26T09:00:00.000-08:00

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

2008-02-21T13:00:00.000-08:00

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

2008-02-12T05:45:00.000-08:00

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

2008-02-06T04:30:00.000-08:00

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

Basketball Game Postponed

2008-02-05T13:00:00.000-08:00

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)

2008-01-30T07:00:00.000-08:00

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

2008-01-22T21:00:00.000-08:00

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

2008-01-21T08:00:00.000-08:00

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

2008-01-01T06:00:00.000-08:00

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.

Merry Christmas

2007-12-18T08:00:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!

First Semester ends on December 21.

School resumes on Friday, January 4.

Bullying Prevention Policy

2007-12-13T11:30:00.000-08:00

The USD 420 approved the following Bullying Prevention Policy at last nights Board of Education Meeting. The 2007 Kansas Legislature mandated all Kansas School Districts to develop a Bullying Prevention Policy by January 1, 2008:

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.

SCHOOL STARTS AT 9:05 AM THURSDAY

2007-12-12T20:45:00.000-08:00

School will be delayed one hour on Thursday, December 13. School will begin at 9:05 a.m. Buses will run one hour late. A light breakfast will be served in the cafeteria.

NO SCHOOL WEDNESDAY

2007-12-11T19:00:00.000-08:00

School will not be in session, Wednesday, December 12, because of the winter road conditions.

NO SCHOOL TUESDAY

2007-12-10T19:00:00.000-08:00

School will not be in session, Tuesday, December 11, because of the winter weather.

Music Program Cancelled

2007-12-10T14:00:00.000-08:00

The Holiday Music Program for tonight (Monday, December 10) has been cancelled.

Activity Updates

2007-12-10T09:00:00.000-08:00

The last round of the Central Heights Tournament has been rescheduled for January 12. We will have times at a later date.

The Osage City High School Scholar Bowl has been postponed for today.

If weather conditions warrant for school or activity cancellations, we will use the School Reach system and district web site to inform parents.

Central Heights Tournament

2007-12-08T10:00:00.000-08:00

The Basketball Tournament at Central Heights has been cancelled for Saturday.

Games Cancelled for Thursday Night

2007-12-06T13:00:00.000-08:00

The Central Heights Basketball Tournament has been cancelled for tonight (Thursday) because of weather conditions in the Kansas City Metro area.

The Junior High Basketball Game with West Franklin has been cancelled for tonight also.

December Update

2007-11-28T05:00:00.000-08:00

The first semester of the 2007-08 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!

Honk

The community is still a buzz about the school musical “Honk” that was performed in November! Congratulations to Ms. Wassemiller, Mrs. Camarena and Mr. Graversen and students who were involved in the OCHS production. The crowds enjoyed the performances very much.

OCHS Basketball

The OCHS Basketball Season will begin at the Central Heights Tournament the week of December 3. Please call the high school office or check www.usd420.org for more details.

Holiday Music Schedule

Grades 5-12 Vocal Concert (December 10)
Grades 9-12 Instrumental/Jazz Concert (December 11)
Grades K-5 Sing-A-Long (December 12)
Grades 5-8 Instrumental Concert (December 20)

All Music Programs will be held in the USD 420 Auditorium

Bus Safety

This school year we have experienced an increase in the amount of vehicles passing USD 420 school buses with the red flashing lights on while unloading and loading students. Please be very cautious when you see a yellow school bus. Be prepared to stop just in case. The Highway 31 area east of town has had the most problems with vehicles passing buses. Remember it is against Kansas law to pass a school bus that has its red flashers on. Drivers will be ticketed by the local Police. Please help us in protecting our students.

Veterans Day 2007

We would like to thank Staff Sergeant Russell Cowan who brought back a flag from Iraq and presented it to Mr. Stoppel at the Veteran’s Day Ceremony on November 12. We appreciate the many veterans and active military personnel of Osage City and the commitment you have made to our country.

Happy Thanksgiving

2007-11-20T05:00:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving Break
November 21-23

American Education Week

2007-11-12T05:30:00.000-08:00

AMERICAN EDUCATION WEEK
November 11-17, 2007

“The future of America is written on school blackboards and in student notebooks. The quality of thought in our classrooms today will determine the quality of our lives a generation hence”

Lyndon B. Johnson

As I look at the classrooms of our community, I see quality. I see students who are eager to better themselves academically and in the activities they are involved in. I see highly qualified teachers and staff who encourage students to work to their fullest potential. They spend numerous hours inside the classroom as well as outside the classroom working with students to give them opportunities that we could of never imagined when we were in school because of the advances in technology and the information highway that is available today.

USD 420 is a district of quality with increasing test scores, academic and extra curricular accomplishments as well as former students achieving great success in college and university settings. Faculty and staff work countless hours to stay abreast of the latest educational methods by continuing professional training and working on advanced college degrees.

The community has also encouraged the district to be one of quality. We appreciate the continued support and working relationships between school, city and business.

As we celebrate American Education Week we want to thank each individual of USD 420. Because of your determination and support we can continue to be a district that focuses on academic quality and helping our students achieve great things.

David Carriger
Superintendent
USD 420 Osage City

School Play

2007-11-08T09:00:00.000-08:00

HONK!

Please make plans to attend the school play on November 9 and 10 at 7:00 P.M. Ms. Wassemiller and Mrs. Camarena are working with students to present the play HONK! Don’t miss this performance, it is sure to be very entertaining.

November Update

2007-11-01T05:30:00.000-07:00

Conferences Well Attended

We would like to thank those parents who attended conferences last week 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.

School Safety

We would like to again thank the Osage County Sheriff’s Office, Osage City Police Department and Kansas Wildlife and Parks, who helped assist USD 420 with searching lockers and screening students before classes on October 19. USD 420 is always concerned about student and staff safety at school and at school activities. We appreciate the support shown by the community over the past two weeks during this situation.

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.

Thanksgiving Break
November 21-23, 2007

Fall Activity Wrap-Up

USD 420 had one of the most successful fall activity seasons in the history of the school. Congratulations to all the programs.

High School
Football
6-3 record

Volleyball
Flint Hills League Champions
25-15 record

Boys Cross Country
Flint Hills League Champions
Regional Runner-Up
Team Advances to Class 3A State Meet
10th Class 3A State Meet

Girls Cross Country
Flint Hills League Champions
3rd Place Regional Meet
Two Girl’s Advance to Class 3A State Meet

Girls Golf
Class 1A-4A Regional Champions
11th Class 1A-4A State Tournament

Marching Band
1 Rating at the Baker University Marching Festival

Middle School
Football
6-1 record

Volleyball “A” Team
3-5 record

Volleyball “B” Team

8-2 record.
Lost in the FHL Championship Game to Mission Valley.

Growing a Kind and Thoughtful Child
Parenting Institute

Today’s children live in a world where they are bombarded with negative messages, many of which devalue respect for others. To help children grow into responsible, caring individuals, adults must be intentional in teaching children how to treat others with compassion, respect and thoughtfulness. We can do this on a daily basis by:

being a good role model in how we treat our spouse and other family members;
practicing courtesy and respect to all with whom you interact, i.e., store clerk, repairman, strangers;
demonstrating respect for authority figures;
involving children in acts of kindness (fixing dinner for a shut-in, decorating a birthday cake for a sibling, making or shopping for a grandparent’s gift) ;
coaching children in social skills;
intervening at signs of physical or verbal abuse among siblings and peers;
teaching children to be gentle with younger children and animals;
reading stories together and talking about the feeling of the characters;
using media and daily situations as springboards for communication and learning
avoiding overindulgence;
setting firm, loving limits;
establishing expectations and consequences for children’s behaviors;
explaining you own values, actions and choices;
providing positive feedback for children’s act of kindness and respect.

Fall Break

2007-10-23T05:00:00.000-07:00

Fall Break will be held on Friday, October 26. School will not be in session. All buildings will be closed.

Good Luck to the Cross Country Team at State on Saturday!

Parent-Teacher Conferences

2007-10-22T06:30:00.000-07:00

The USD 420 Fall Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held on October 23 and 24 from 3:00-8:00 p.m. This is a great time to visit with your students teachers.

Below are some general questions you might wish to ask during the conference setting:

1. What does my child do that surprises you? Very often this question can reveal to parents what expectations the teacher has for the child. Sometimes a child will behave quite differently at school than at home, so the parent may be surprised, as well.

2. What is my child reluctant to do? This question may reveal to the parents more about the child's interests and dislikes than they would ordinarily know. The question may encourage the teacher to talk to the parent about the child's academic and social preferences.

3. What is a goal you would like to see my child achieve? This question can serve as a springboard for parents and teachers to develop a plan to work together to help a child set and reach a specific outcome. Even well- behaved and high-achieving children may benefit from setting goals in areas that need improvement or in which they might excel.

4. What can I do at home to support what is being done at school? This question is always appreciated. Teachers may have suggestions for parents but may be afraid to offer unsolicited advice. The question helps create a team feeling.

Effective parent-teacher conferences take place in an atmosphere of trust, where confidentiality is ensured and parents and teachers treat each other with respect. We hope you have a great experience visiting with the teachers as well as visiting our schools.

Breaking News

2007-10-19T14:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday officials at Osage City High School discovered a note written on a restroom wall that had a threatening statement. The school sent out a message to parents and students advising them of the situation yesterday evening. School administrators, along with the Osage County Sheriff’s Office, Osage City Police Department and Kansas Wildlife and Parks, performed duties of searching lockers and screening students before classes today.

Through investigations, a subject was interviewed and confessed to writing the message.

Charges will be forwarded to the Osage County Attorney’s Office upon completion of the investigation.

USD 420 appreciates the efforts of the Osage County Sheriff’s Department and Osage City Police in investigating the situation.

David Carriger
Superintendent
USD 420 Osage City

Special Announcement

2007-10-18T20:00:00.000-07:00

Osage City High School received an anonymous threat the afternoon of Thursday, October 18. All district buildings will be taking extra security precautions to secure entrances and to make sure all students and staff are safe. The local Police and Osage County Sheriff’s Department have been contacted and will be included in our additional security measures tomorrow. There will be no open lunch at OCHS on Friday. School will be in session starting at 8:05. All regularly scheduled activities will take place.

David Carriger
Superintendent
USD 420 Osage City

Sub-State Volleyball Bracket

2007-10-18T06:43:00.000-07:00

Matches will be played Saturday in Homewood Gymnasium beginning at 1:00 p.m. Good luck Lady Indians!

Match 1
West Franklin-Council Grove

Match 2
Osage City-Mission Valley

Match 3
Wellsville-K.C. Christian

Match 4
Central Heights-Northern Heights

Match 5
Winners of Match 1 and 2

Match 6
Winners of Match 3 and 4

Match 7 (Championship)
Winners of Match 5 and 6

Baker Marching Band Festival Cancelled

2007-10-17T13:00:00.000-07:00

The Baker Marching Band Festival has been cancelled for tonight due to the wet weather. It has been rescheduled for Wednesday, October 24.

OCHS Volleyball Team FHL Champs

2007-10-17T06:30:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the OCHS Lady Indian Volleyball Team winning the Flint Hills League Volleyball Championship last night with two victories over West Franklin.

The Lady Indians will host the Class 3A Sub-State Tournament Saturday. Action begins at 1:00 p.m.

Flint Hills League Cross Country Champions

2007-10-16T10:00:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the OCHS Boys and Girls Cross County Teams as they won the Flint Hills League Meets last Thursday.

They will compete at Regionals on Saturday in Mound City.

Standard of Excellence

2007-10-11T05:00:00.000-07:00

The Kansas State Department of Education on Wednesday officially released the Standard of Excellence Awards for the 2007 Assessments. USD 420 received six Standard of Excellence Awards:

Elementary Building Writing
Grade 7 Reading
Grade 8 Reading
Middle School Building Reading
Grade 8 Math
High School Building Reading

Regional Golf Champions

2007-10-09T06:00:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Coach Plinsky and the OCHS Girl's Golf Team on winning the Class 1A-4A Regional Golf Tournament at Fort Scott Country Club on Monday. They will compete at the State Golf Tournament October 15 in Buhler.

District Newsletter October 2007

2007-09-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

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!

Health Alert

2007-09-21T10:00:00.000-07:00

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:

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.

September Newsletter

2007-09-07T09:15:00.001-07:00

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.

Early Dismissal

2007-08-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

School will be dismissed for students at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, August 29 for our Fall Teacher Committee Afternoon. Teachers will be going through the state assessment data analyzing the scores and examining the curricular indicators.

First Day of School

2007-08-15T09:22:00.000-07:00

The first day of school for USD 420 Osage City will be Friday, August 17. School will begin at 8:05 a.m. and dismiss at 11:30 a.m. No meals will be served. At 5:00 p.m. the annual Back to School Night will be held. Free hotdogs and the opportunity to meet the teachers of OCES and OCMS.

Transportation Safety

2007-08-08T11:00:00.000-07:00

The 2007-08 school year will begin on Friday for USD 420 Osage City. We would like to urge motorists, students and school bus drivers to make back-to-school transportation safety their focus.

“We cannot over emphasize how important it is for motorists to watch out for stopped school buses,” said David Carriger, Superintendent USD 420. “There is always an adjustment period for drivers when classes resume, as they get used to school bus routes and stops that haven’t been there for the past few months. Drivers need to be extremely attentive as they share the road with school buses.”

"Watch for stopped school buses, if lights are flashing, don't pass it.

"Kansas law requires all traffic, both oncoming and following, to stop for a school bus loading or unloading passengers when the bus stop sign is extended and red flashers are on. The only exception is for four-lane divided highways, where oncoming traffic is not required to stop. Modern school buses are also equipped with yellow flashers that serve to warn following or oncoming drivers that a stop is imminent.

If a motorist passes a school bus, the driver is in violation of the law and can be issued a citation.

Please make the 2007-08 school year a safe one for school transportation.

Enrollment 2007-08

2007-07-11T07:00:00.000-07:00

Enrollment dates have been set for the 2007-08 school year:

August 7 (8:00-4:00)
August 8 (8:00-4:00)
August 9 (8:00-Noon and 4:00-8:00)

If you have any questions about enrollment, please call 528-3176.

Summer School

2007-05-25T05:30:00.000-07:00

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 9-August 3.

The junior high and high school program will use the Virtual Prescriptive Online Curriculum and will be held June 4-29 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).

Last Day of School

2007-05-23T05:00:00.000-07:00

The last day of school will be on Thursday, May 24.

Breakfast will not be served on this day.

Graduation/Promotion Exercises

2007-05-14T13:00:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the OCHS Class of 2007!

Baccalaureate will be held at the Osage City Presbyterian Church on Saturday, May 19 at 7:00 p.m.

Graduation will be held in Homewood Gymnasium on Sunday, May 20 at 2:00 p.m.

Kindergarten Promotion will be held in Homewood Gymnasium on Tuesday, May 22 at 10:00 a.m.

Grade 8 Promotion will be held in Homewood Gymnasium on Tuesday, May 22 at 7:00 p.m.

Disaster Relief for Kansas

2007-05-07T14:00:00.000-07:00

Kansas weather in the spring is often unpredictable . . . and we've once again witnessed the disasters that can occur from acts of nature here in Kansas. Our hearts and prayers go out to the students, families and the entire community of Greensburg as they work toward rebuilding their town and to the families around the state who have been displaced by flooding or other related events the past few days.

We have contacted the local Red Cross office in Topeka and were told the best thing anyone can do is to make monetary donations for assistance to those affected by the tornado in Greensburg or the flooding in Northeast Kansas or other related natural disasters. Checks should be made payable to the American Red Cross. Designate the recipient (i.e., Greensburg tornado, Northeast Kansas flood victims, etc.) and mail checks to:
American Red Cross
1221 SW 17th
Topeka, KS 66604
The local red cross will make sure the money gets to the appropriate place.

The following note was taken from the Greensburg School District website (www.usd422.org):
The administration of Greensburg High School would like to send the message of hope and perseverance. In the spirit of not dropping our heads and letting this tragedy get us down, GHS would like to encourage the Ranger student athletes to continue to compete in their respective sports. We would also like to relay to seniors that we will hold a graduation ceremony. Details about graduation will be posted as soon as we get everything arranged.

District Update (May 2007)

2007-04-27T06:15:00.000-07:00

The 2006-07 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 Thursday, May 24. We wish the entire community a safe and enjoyable summer.

High School Graduation

Sunday, May 20, at 2:00 p.m. in Homewood Gymnasium.

Kindergarten Promotion

Tuesday, May 22, at 2:00 p.m. in Homewood Gymnasium.

Eighth Grade Promotion

Tuesday, May 22, at 7:00 p.m. in Homewood Gymnasium.

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
Alane Ecord
Michelle Martin
Dan Wooge

15 Years
Tammy Bond
David Carriger

20 Years
Laurie Fager

25 Years
Renee Gallagher

National Teacher Appreciation Week

The week of May 6-12 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!

Early Dismissal April 25

2007-04-19T06:00:00.000-07:00

The annual Spring Committee Afternoon (Professional Development) for teachers will be held on Wednesday, April 25. Students will be dismissed at 11:30 a.m. No lunch will be served.

No School-Wednesday, April 18

2007-04-17T06:30:00.000-07:00

The Class 3A State Music Festival will be hosted by Osage City on Wednesday, April 18. There will be no school for students on this day. Osage City will host over 1,500 students, sponsors and parents.

The OCHS Chorus will be performing at 11:15 a.m. in the Band Room

The OCHS Band will be performing at 3:20 p.m. in the USD 420 Auditorium.

School Board Election Results (Updated)

2007-04-09T10:00:00.000-07:00

Position 1
Patricia Swindale (609 votes)

Position 2
Todd Peterson (144 votes)
Brian Poertner (37 votes)

Position 3
Will Kerns (207 votes)

At-Large
Brian Davies (547 votes)

April Update

2007-04-01T11:00:00.000-07:00

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 9-August 3. The junior high and high school program will use the Virtual Prescriptive Online Curriculum and will be held June 4-29 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).

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/

League Forensics

Osage City USD 420 will host the Flint Hills League High School Forensics Tournament on Monday, April 2. School will be dismissed early at 1:00 p.m. for all grade levels because of the need to use classrooms for the tournament.

Good Friday

There will be no school on Friday, April 6.

Class 3A State Music Festival

The Class 3A State Music Festival will be hosted by Osage City on Wednesday, April 18. There will be no school for students on this day. Osage City will host over 1,500 students, sponsors and parents on the 18th.

Spring Committee Afternoon

The annual Spring Committee Afternoon (Professional Development) for teachers will be held on Wednesday, April 25. Students will be dismissed at 11:30 a.m. No lunch will be served.

Use of Tobacco Products

The USD 420 Board of Education approved the following tobacco use policy at the March 14 Board of Education Meeting. We appreciate the Middle School Student Council for their leadership in guiding the adoption of the following policy. This policy is effective immediately:

No student, staff member, or school visitor is permitted to smoke, inhale, dip or chew tobacco at any time during the school day,

In any building, facility, or vehicle owned by USD 420; or
On school grounds or parking lot;
Adults can use tobacco products in their personal vehicles.

The provisions of existing policies that address the use and possession of drugs shall apply to all tobacco products for students.

The district will endeavor to provide educational materials on quitting tobacco use for those individuals interested in cessation.

Those adults who wish to smoke or use any kind of tobacco product at after school activities must be 150 feet from school entrances. Smoking is no longer permitted outside the doors of school buildings.

Individuals violating this policy may be reminded of the policy and asked to comply. Persons who will not comply may be asked to leave school grounds or face trespass charges.

Early Dismissal

2007-03-27T05:30:00.000-07:00

Parent-Teacher Conferences

School will be dismissed at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, March 28, for Parent-Teacher Conferences.

League Forensics

Osage City USD 420 will host the Flint Hills League High School Forensics Tournament on Monday, April 2. School will be dismissed early at 1:00 p.m. for all grade levels.

Good Friday

There will be no school on Friday, April 6.

Spring Break

2007-03-17T05:30:00.000-07:00

Spring Break

March 19-23.

Building Report Cards

2007-03-16T06:15:00.000-07:00

The official 2005-06 USD 420 Building Report Cards can be found at the following location:

http://online.ksde.org/rcard/district.aspx?org_no=D0420

Employment Opportunities

2007-03-15T05:26:00.000-07:00

March 15, 2007

U.S.D. 420 has the following vacancies. If interested in any of these positions, submit a letter of application to the Superintendent of Schools on or before April 6, 2007.

2007 Summer School Positions

Virtual Prescriptive Learning (MS/HS)
Lower Elementary Math
Lower Elementary Language Arts
Upper Elementary Math
Upper Elementary Language Arts

Summer School programs will be offered if numbers warrant and at-risk funding is available. The jobs will consist of four hours a day of instruction
(8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon) for 20 days.

Contracts will be offered during the month of April.

Summer School will be held on the following dates:

Grades 7-12 June 4-29
Grades K-6 July 9-August 3

If interested in these positions, send your letter of application to:

David Carriger, Superintendent of Schools
USD #420 Osage City
520 Main Street
Osage City, Kansas
66523

or

supt@usd420.org

March Newsletter

2007-03-01T08:00:00.000-08:00

USD 420 Board of Education Elections

The USD 420 Board of Education will have three changes in its membership beginning July 1, 2007. Jim Seeman, Joe Gardner and James Richard have decided not to run for re-election. We appreciate all the time and hard work they gave as outstanding board members to the students, parents, faculty and staff of Osage City. They performed many duties and accomplished a great deal for the district. Below are the positions and individuals running for USD 420 school board:

Position 1 Patricia Swindale
Position 2 Open
Position 3 Open
Position 7 Brian Davies

Currently position 3 has an immediate opening due to the resignation of Jim Richard effective February 1. If interested in this position, please submit a letter to the Clerk of the Board, USD 420, 520 Main Street, Osage City.

The general election will be held on Tuesday, April 3.

Concealed Weapons are Prohibited in Schools

Weapons are prohibited in schools. Schools are the exception to the new Kansas concealed carry law. This year marks the first time persons with concealed weapon permits may find themselves wanting to enter a school while carrying a weapon. It shall be illegal for any person, other than a law enforcement officer, to possess a firearm in or on any school property, school grounds, or any district building or structure used for student instruction, or attendance or extracurricular activities of pupils, or at any regularly scheduled school sponsored activity or event. This prohibition includes concealed weapons even if the person has a legal permit.

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 on line for the students. Keep encouraging and motivating your students to give it their best on these assessments the next two weeks. If you have any questions about the assessments, please call any of the school offices

Spring Break: March 19-23