#KSD Reimagine
Update from Kuna Superintendent Wendy Johnson
5.27.2022
In this update:
🎉Celebrating our graduates' success
🤝 We'll keep working with you on safety
⚠️⚠️ Changes coming in 2022-23 ⚠️⚠️
☀️ Summer activities
👀 Last week of school schedule
- 📅 Looking ahead
🎉 Celebrating our graduates' success
Graduations are among my favorite events as we celebrate our students' years of hard work and wish them well in their next steps.
Between Initial Point, Wednesday, and Kuna High, Thursday, we sent off nearly 500 graduates from the Kuna School District.
Principals Jason Reddy and Brian Graves did a great job recapping the successes of members of the Class of 2022. (Many of our individual successes, we've shared in previous newsletters.)
Here's a glimpse of some of the successes of our Class of 2022 as a whole:
- 78% earned at least three college credits while in high school
- 42% earned a semester's worth of college credits while in high school
- 13 students earned a general education certificate -- the equivalent of the first year of college
Brian shared the value of the 4,168 credits earned was about $1.3 million in college costs families and students would not have to pay.
Kuna High also celebrated the first Career Technical Education or CTE Diplomas. In addition to meeting graduation requirements, students must pass a technical skill and workplace readiness assessment and earn skill or industry certification to earn a CTE diploma. In this first year, 68 students earned this diploma.
Make sure to check our school district's Facebook page to see photos from the graduations. If you missed KHS graduation, watch the recording: Part 1 & Part 2
Kuna High's broadcast program produced this video about this week's grade walk at our elementary schools!
🤝 We'll keep working with you on safety
Both graduation ceremonies paused for a moment of silence for the victims of the school shooting earlier this week at a Texas elementary school. These events are incomprehensible and frightening for students, parents, and staff.
Student safety and well being are as important as their academic preparation. We plan, prepare and practice for emergencies with our law enforcement partners.
Our heart's desire is that as a community we can continue to work together to prevent these tragedies from happening.
Members of the Superintendent's Advisory Council discussed feedback and impressions of our recent mental health night on Monday before the events in Texas occurred. The overwhelming consensus was we need to continue equipping ourselves with support for our children.
I appreciate that through our strategic plan development we've had many discussions about safety, and we've shared information with you in this newsletter. Here are some quick links to that information:
- May 20 - Shared information H.O.P.E. Week
- May 13 - Strategic plan will help us stay focused on youth mental health
- May 6 - Previewed the Youth Mental Health Night for Parents
- April 29 - Communication during a safety, crisis events & Update Safety Info on the website
- April 22 - Learning safety experiences
- April 15 - What happens in a lockdown drill
- Feb. 4 - Study circles discuss safe, inclusive schools
- Dec. 10 - Working together to prevent youth suicide
⚠️⚠️ Changes coming in 2022-23 ⚠️⚠️
Shelly Manuel to lead Kuna Middle
I'm excited to announce that Shelly Manuel will serve as the Kuna Middle School principal. Shelly grew up in Kuna, attending Kuna schools. She has a BA in Criminal Justice, an M.Ed in Special Education, and an M.Ed in Educational Leadership.
Shelly has served students and families as a special education teacher and Dean of Students at Kuna High School as well as a Building Administrator at Fremont Middle School.
☀️ Summer activities
🏴☠️ Kuna Library District Summer Reading Challenge
The sign up for the challenge is June 6-10 during regular library hours. Participants ages 0-17 who register during registration week receive a free book and an entry into the Grand Prize drawing! Learn more here.
📅 Looking ahead
May 30 - No School: Memorial Day holiday
👀 June 2 - Last day of school, 2-hour early release K-12
June 14 - Kuna Board of Trustees meeting & Budget hearing for amended 2021-22 Budget and 2022-23 Budget
July 12 - Kuna Board of Trustees meeting
Aug. 9 - Kuna Board of Trustees meeting
Aug. 9 - School offices reopen to the public
👀 Aug. 25 - Students' first day of school for 2022-23