KSD eSpotlight
October 7, 2023
Test of Kirkwood's Emergency Notification System
Kirkwood Schools will conduct a test of its emergency notification system on the evening of Thursday, October 12 at 6 p.m.
We want to be sure our families and secondary students are informed of school cancellations due to inclement weather or in case of an emergency in our school community. The annual test of our automatic notification system ensures Kirkwood has accurate contact information for parents and secondary students.
A phone message, text and email will be sent to our Kirkwood families.
Make sure your family contact information is accurate.
- Check your phone numbers and contact information on the parent portal of Infinite Campus
- If you need to update your contact information, please call your school and notify them.
Thank you to our Volunteer Groups!
Thanks to all our volunteer groups who support our schools & students! KSDK News recently featured our KSD NOW committee for their efforts in packing boxes of food for KSD families who suffer from food insecurity. Annually they pack 50,000 snacks for KSD kids:
Thank you to our Coaches
Friday, October 6 was National Coaches Day. A day where we honor our coaches who help our student-athletes achieve their goals on and off the court, pool, field, track, and mat. These individuals are role models for our students. They teach them the fundamental skills in the sport, which parlays into helping young people understand the value of teamwork.
Coach Dana Oppermann
Meet Coach Dana Oppermann. Dana is the head field hockey coach for KHS. She’s coached for 25 years, and 10 as a Pioneer.
As a former field hockey player at Southwest Missouri State, Dana loves teaching the players her love of the game. She is known for her infectious positivity amongst her team and for fostering a fun atmosphere.
Senior Ryan appreciates Coach Dana’s efforts both on and off the field. “She brings a family dynamic to the team,” said Ryan. “She is somehow always positive, no matter what. I love all the team bonding activities she plans for us. It really makes the field hockey team feel like family.”
Coach Matt Beasley
Meet Coach Matt Beasley. This is his 13th year of coaching the KHS swim and dive team. Coach Beasley swam at Missouri State as a student-athlete. He transfers a strong work ethic among his athletes and the efforts transpire into positive results for his swimmers.
His swimmers appreciate his balance of hard work and fun. “All our practices are challenging, but every day, I feel like a better swimmer,” said William. Grady agrees, “he treats us with such respect and it makes our whole team want to work hard.”
KSD NOW Annual Campaign
Donations can be made at https://www.kirkwoodschools.org/KSDNOW
If your family could benefit from nutritional support through KSD NOW and you wish for your child(ren) to participate in the program, please complete the online form. If you have any questions, please contact ksdnow@kirkwoodschools.org. All inquiries will remain confidential.
Panorama Survey Coming Soon
The Kirkwood School District values your feedback! We are preparing to launch our fall survey window. We will be surveying our families (starting October 14), 3-12 grade students (starting October 11), and staff (starting October 10) to gain insight into your perception of our school and district effectiveness.
To administer these surveys, we have partnered with Panorama Education. Panorama safeguards your privacy, keeping your responses confidential. The survey will be a valuable source of information for us as we work to make our schools and district better.
Additionally, we will be asking for your child to reflect on their own mindsets and approaches to learning via an online survey they will be completing at school.
The survey content will ask students in grades 3-12 to self-reflect on school safety, sense of belonging, rigorous expectations, valuing of math, self efficacy about math, positive feelings, and supportive relationships.
Our students' responses will provide invaluable insights into their experiences and how we can improve and adapt our district to their needs. Please notify the school/grade-level office if you would like your child to opt out of taking the surveys by October 10th. Requests to opt out that have been submitted in previous years will continue to be honored.
The feedback we receive through these survey efforts will help us realize our mission to equip students with the skills, knowledge and understanding to be empathetic, successful, and to value all people.
KSD Calendar Committee is Seeking Your Feedback
Upcoming Events
Open House - Today
The community is invited to our Prop R construction completion open house celebration at Westchester Elementary School! Please join us this morning until 11 a.m.
District Cross Country Meet - Oct. 17 and 18
Want to help out? We are looking for volunteers. Visit the volunteer signup page to learn more.
Cross Country Meet
Elementary students will compete in a 1-mile race on Oct. 17 and middle school students will compete in a 1.5 mile race on Oct. 18. This free event is open to all running abilities. To register, visit kirkwoodschools.org/ksdxc
Shoe Drive
Unity Day - October 18
In partnership with the Special School District, please consider supporting Unity Day, and events surrounding its awareness.
Upcoming Events
BOE Updates
To subscribe to email updates from the Board of Education, visit kirkwoodschools.org/boe and fill out the required information on the right hand side of the page.