Third Quarter Newsletter
2023-2024
MISSION
Our mission at Lansing Public Schools is to provide all students with the scholastic, technical, social, and life-long learning skills essential for academic, occupational, and personal success as productive citizens.
A MESSAGE FROM SUPERINTENDENT KOBZA
I am pleased to share several positive changes underway within Lansing USD469, aimed at enhancing the educational experience for our students and supporting our dedicated staff members.
Firstly, I am excited to announce the adoption of a new evaluation system for our certified staff members. The Network for Educator Effectiveness (NEE), affiliated with the University of Missouri, will serve as the framework for this system. Grounded in research, NEE is designed to improve teaching and leadership practices, ensuring that our educators are equipped with the tools and support needed to excel in their roles.
Additionally, I am pleased to announce that starting next school year, we will partner with Morgan Hunter to staff our substitute teachers. Morgan Hunter has a strong track record of working with school districts in the Kansas City Metro area, and we anticipate a higher fill rate for substitute requests. This partnership will help ensure that students have uninterrupted learning, even without their regular classroom teacher.
I am encouraged by our students' positive growth from the fall to winter assessments. This progress is a testament to the dedication of our students, teachers, and support staff, as well as the unwavering support of our parents and community.
As always, thank you for your continued support of Lansing USD469. Your partnership is instrumental in our collective efforts to provide a high-quality education for all students.
TEACHING AND LEARNING WITH MILES AZZEH
State testing is right around the corner! Creating a supportive environment at home can significantly contribute to their success, so we want to share some helpful tips with parents.
Make sure your student(s):
- Get a good night's rest. A good night's sleep helps to improve focus and concentration, making it easier to recall information during the exam.
- Eat a healthy breakfast to fuel the brain and provide the energy needed to perform well.
- Arrive at school on time to allow time to settle in and get comfortable. This can help to reduce stress and anxiety before the exam begins.
- Take your time, don't feel pressured, and do your very best!
Our teachers have been preparing students all year using their Guaranteed & Viable Curriculums (GVCs) that teach the state standards. They have also prepared their students through the use of KITE mini-tests. These tests are quick checks for understanding of state standards and content.
Students in grades 3-11 (excluding freshmen) will take the state tests this year. Click here for more information about Kansas Assessment Program.
We wish all of our students taking the exams the best of luck!
As a reminder, reading twenty minutes a day has been proven to increase a child's fluency, vocabulary, and background knowledge and help them develop a love of reading.
Some other benefits of reading every day are:
- Higher assessment scores
- Improved writing skills
- Increased imagination and creativity
- Increased empathy
- Reduces stress
Our goal is to foster a love of reading in our students, which will positively affect their academic performance and the rest of their lives.
Academic Spotlights
For the last year and a half, I have been highlighting the amazing instructional work that our teachers are doing with your students. I call these highlights “Academic Spotlights,” and they showcase the outstanding work our teachers are doing in their classrooms each day.
Our special education staff are currently serving approximately 596 students. With nearly three-quarters of the year completed, we have witnessed a lot of student progress that students, teachers, administrators, and parents have to be proud of. Here are a few examples:
- In early childhood, I have witnessed a child that I serve build a strong connection and friendship with a peer buddy after providing the peer with coaching and strategies to support their successful interactions during play. The child has tripled their communicative initiations and responses to the peer during play since the fall, and it’s absolutely amazing to see the progress and human connection happening in front of us! The peer is also very proud to be a helper and have a new friend.😊
- We have received a lot of positive parent feedback regarding their children’s progress. Students are really using the skills they have developed through the social/emotional services that we provide. We are hearing that many parents are seeing these skills at home, too!
- Something I’m super proud of this year in regard to progress is having built a strong working relationship with my student’s parents. This new, stronger relationship has enabled us to communicate effectively and work towards meeting the needs of our student, who has seen an amazing amount of his own progress this year as well. I’m beyond proud of the progress all my students have made this year. (We have such an amazing group!) One of my students, in particular, who struggled to make it a full day in the classroom last year, has not missed a single day of school this year due to behaviors. He has worked so hard, and we are all so very proud to see him grow as a student and make strides in learning how to function in a classroom setting. All of this amazing progress would not have been possible if it hadn’t been for the dedicated team we have. I’m so thankful for the team that has put in the work each day to ensure our students have the best opportunity to make progress. It has been such a great year so far! Go Team!!
- Over three years of working on it, a student moved from needing an adult within 12 inches to move down the hall safely and one hour of heavily support gen ed time, to following a whole morning routine and spending two independent hours with gen ed class with NO para support and 1.5 hours in gen ed with para support.
- We have several students who have made so much progress that we have been able to dismiss them from services this year!
- One of my kiddos was dismissed from Sped Services all together. Another one of my students who was not recognizing numbers is now adding and subtracting; he is only using fingers on a few problems. I am so very proud of the progress my students are making.
- I have two students who started as nonreaders, and they have made so much progress that they are now blending the sounds in CVC words and beginning to identify those words.
- I have one student who came to me not being able to identify all of her letters and their sounds. She is now able to identify all 26 letters, upper and lower case, and is able to identify almost all of her sounds, including long and short vowel sounds.
- I have a group of 3 students with whom I have been working on adding and subtracting to 20. They have picked up on it so well and can show me how to find the answer using a number line, their fingers, or tally marks that we are now working on adding and subtracting 2 digits—1 or 2 digits without regrouping. We are also working on understanding word problems, and they are picking up on that pretty fast.
- In the gen ed classroom, 4th graders are working on adding, subtracting, and multiplying fractions. I have two students in one class that a para goes in to work with (these two are also in my math group that is just beginning to work on adding and subtracting two digit numbers without regrouping) they are working on learning what a fraction is and identifying different fractions ( 1/4, 1/2, 4/5, 8/10, etc...) and they are picking up on that concept rather quickly.
- I have a student who has very low self-confidence in her reading ability, so I changed what I was doing with her to work on this while also working on her phonics skills. Since starting this, her classroom teacher told me that she has noticed some improvement with her self-confidence in her reading ability and is beginning to participate in reading.
- I have a student who is slowly moving from sounding out every word she reads to automatically recognizing words and reading them without sounding them out first.
As we approach the fourth quarter, we’re planning Extended School Year (ESY), which will occur in June for students eligible to attend. Parents with eligible children will receive more information soon. Additionally, we are planning a Special Education Resource Fair parent engagement activity that will take place on Tuesday, April 9th. The goal of this event is to inform parents about available resources in the area, as well as highlight special education programs to provide parents with information about how they can support their child’s development.
If you have any questions related to your student’s special education services, please reach out to their case manager, building principal, or building special education coordinator. If you need assistance with resources for Foster Care, McKinney-Vento (homeless services), and/or 504 resources, please visit the Student Services Department webpage or contact your student’s building principal, counselor, or social worker.
EARLY CHILDHOOD UPDATE
Greetings from the Early Childhood Center! Our Littlest Lions have had a fun and productive quarter! The staff has been working hard, finishing up our GVC and a tool for behavior support. We have also been introduced to the new version of the Kansas Early Learning Standards. We had a successful family engagement in the month of February—our Flurries of Fun Event. Families moved from classroom to classroom, participating in activities and collecting a part of a craft to complete after visiting each room.
LANSING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL UPDATE
Our largest family engagement event at LES during the third quarter was the Body Venture experience. We had over 630 (K-3) students and 70 volunteers come together for Body Venture, which is a series of stations students complete to learn about healthy choices. We also had an opportunity to share our winter universal screening data with our staff and community. Our students continue to make great gains!
We look forward to seeing our students continue making academic and behavior/social-emotional gains during the 4th quarter!
LANSING INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL UPDATE
Students and staff at Lansing Intermediate were all in on the Chiefs during the third quarter, culminating in our Chiefs Spirit Week before the Super Bowl. Teachers designed football-themed activities that had our students fired up about learning (and the Chiefs!). But the excitement doesn't end there! We still have two PRIDE assemblies this year to recognize students and staff showcasing diligence and excellence. In addition, teachers are making their selections for the coveted Mufasa Leadership Award. In a new twist on the award, LIS will host an assembly near the end of the year that focuses on students who exhibited exemplary leadership throughout the school year. It's been a grrrrr-eat year to be at Lansing Intermediate!
LANSING MIDDLE SCHOOL UPDATE
Lansing Middle School successfully completed Student-Led Conferences (SLCs) for another year in February. There is nothing else we do that is like student-led conferences where everyone is on the same page – students, parents, and teachers. There were approximately 500 families that took part in the SLC process, and we thoroughly enjoyed the parental involvement. LMS teachers and staff show tremendous devotion to SLCs. The amount of work for SLCs can be daunting at times, especially when educators' plates are already full. Our staff continues the hard work with SLCs because they know it’s something that is good for our students. The best thing about it is the product that comes together on Wednesday and Thursday during conferences. Multiple parents and teachers shared very specific praise for the process and our school during the conferences.
A huge shout-out to our Lansing Middle School Science Club. Last year (’22-’23), they were awarded the distinction of being a “state finalist” in the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Competition. This year, during the 2023-2024 school year, they submitted more entries in the same competition. They were awarded as a “state finalist” earlier this fall. This past week though, they were notified that they were awarded as a “state winner”. Only 50 schools in the state of Kansas receive this award. Mrs. Jessica Graves is the Science Club sponsor for Lansing Middle School. She took over the science club at the start of last school year after it had been defunct for the two years prior. Mrs. Graves is a second-year teacher and has done a fantastic job! According to Mrs. Graves, the science club is “working on creating a small aquaponics system using reclaimed and new materials. Our purpose it to look at sustainability in agriculture in to reduce food scarcity.” Students that are working consistently on the project include – Jacob Finnigin (7th Grade), Amelia Gould (8th Grade), Madilyn Jones (6th grade), Kamel Nieto (6th Grade), Javian Ramirez (6th Grade), and Chelsea Zishka (6th Grade). As a state winner, the science club will receive a prize package of $12,000 worth of Samsung technology. Additionally, they are now eligible to become one of the ten National Finalists.
Lansing Middle School will present a musical on April 19th and April 20th. The cast will perform, Shrek, Jr. Jonnie Brice is the director and Josiah Ketterman is the assistant director. Auditions were held on January 29th and January 31st and the cast has begun practicing.
LANSING HIGH SCHOOL UPDATE
The class of 2028 (this year's 8th graders) will have new graduation requirements in Kansas. Our Building Leadership Team, content departments, and counselors are working to develop plans and communicate changes to students. The most significant changes students and parents will see are:
- Addition of a required Financial Literacy Course. Students will take this as a Junior or Senior for one semester.
- Tracking of Post Secondary Assets (which can include)
- Youth Apprenticeships
- 40 or more Community Service hours
- Client-centered Projects
- Workplace learning experience directly related to a student IPS
- Industry-Recognized Certifications
- Seal of Biliteracy
- ACT Composite (Score of 21 or higher)
- WorkKeys Level (Silver or higher)
- 9+ College hours
- State Assessment scores of 3 or 4 for Math, ELA, and Science (demonstrating College Readiness)
- ASVAB per requirements of the military branch selected
- SAT score (1200 or higher)
- Completing the Board of Regents Curriculum
- International Baccalaureate Exam (4+)
- Advanced Placement Exam (3+)
- CTE Scholar
- Eagle Scout or Gold Scout
- 4-H Kansas Key Award
- Two or more high school athletics/activities
- JROTC • 90% attendance in high school
- Senior Exit Interview/Senior Projects
- Adding an advanced STEM course as a requirement (eligible courses are marked in the course handbook)
The Act was administered on February 28.
- All Juniors took the ACT on February 28, 2024. During this statewide test day, all students in the 11th grade can take the college entrance exam at no cost.
We're excited to share a new tradition at Lansing High School! Students and teams who qualify for state championships are celebrated in a parade through the halls as they leave for their events. So far this year, we've celebrated:
- Girl's Volleyball
- Unified Bowling
- Cross Country
- Girl's Tennis
- Boy's and Girl's Wrestling
- Boy's and Girl's Bowling
- Debate
- State Band
- State Choir
- Powerlifting
- I look forward to more!
Thank you, and please contact me if you have any questions or concerns. We are looking forward to finishing with a solid fourth semester!
DISTRICT COMMUNICATION
One of our Strategic Plan action items was to streamline communication, and we are excited to announce that we are switching our website and communication system to Apptegy within the next month to achieve this goal. Be on the lookout for more information as we make that transition!
Lansing USD469 has started a new initiative that invites parents, grandparents, and community members to experience a day in the life of our dedicated staff members. This unique volunteering opportunity allows individuals to experience the daily routines of one of our schools, engaging in various activities alongside our students and staff. We sent out an invitation for volunteers to sign up in January and had a tremendous response.
Thank you to our inaugural Community Connect volunteer, Mr. Josh Gatewood, for spending the day helping at Lansing Elementary School on Friday, February 23rd. We will continue to share our volunteers on the website and social media.
Due to the high response rate, we have filled all spots for the 2023-2024 school year. We are excited to continue this initiative next year, so be on the lookout for the sign-up in early September 2024!
Lansing USD469 is incredibly proud to announce that Lansing Middle School has been selected by the Kansas Supreme as the location for their special evening session on April 23rd! We are encouraging our community to attend and will be sharing more information as the date approaches. Click below for more information.
Your feedback and concerns are essential to maintaining a positive workplace for everyone. If you have come across any rumors or information that you feel may be causing confusion or discomfort, we encourage you to share them with us. This will help us address any misconceptions and ensure that accurate information is disseminated among the team.
Please take a moment to complete the following form if you have heard any rumors that you would like us to clarify.
The Lion Pride-Cast
We are excited to share the second season of the Lansing USD469 podcast, "The Lion Pride-Cast," with hosts Miles Azzeh and Sharon Burns.
This bi-weekly podcast features all things related to education and recruitment/retention.
We interview one staff member or student each month, so be sure to subscribe and listen to future episodes on one of the following streaming platforms:
HEALTH AND WELLNESS
Check Out Our LMS Peer Leadership Student Baylee Baragary's Health & Wellness Tips!
As part of health and wellness awareness in Lansing USD469, Peer Leadership student Baylee Baragary has taken the initiative to share valuable tips and insights throughout the school year. As part of this initiative, Baylee will be providing our community with practical tips for maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Click below to see her tips from the second quarter:
TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT
National School Bus Driver Appreciation Day will be on April 23rd this year. Who drives our students to school at Lansing USD469? We have several groups of people that fit that bill. We have a good portion of our retired drivers who enjoy giving back to the community. We have a group of drivers that are stay-at-home moms or dads. With the cost of daycare so high, this is the perfect job if they have students going to school in our district. We allow these drivers to take their kids to work with them, ride the bus with them, drop them off at school, and pick them up from school in the afternoons. We have drivers that work more than one job, including several that work for the school district as paras, substitute teachers, and even part-time nurses.
What does it take to be a bus driver? Firstly, all our drivers love kids, or they could not do this job. The drivers build relationships with their students and look forward to seeing them every day. They spend around 2 to 3 hours a day with their students. They must also obtain or possess a CDL Class B with school bus and passenger endorsement.
How do we find bus drivers? Word of mouth has worked best for us over the last 12 years. We have a great work environment in the transportation department, and our people truly enjoy coming to work each day.
How do I become a bus driver? Just give the Bus Barn a call at 913-250-0749 or stop on by. We have 2 awesome trainers that help all potential drivers every step of the way to earn their CDL. A full-time bus driver works 20 to 30 hours a week. We offer great starting pay and benefits.
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS UPDATE
In the fourth quarter I will be working with grant writers to apply for the COPS SVPP grant for $500,000 to assist with funding for upgrades to our security systems. I will also work with the superintendent to establish the district Safety Committee, focusing on building safety/ security, emergency response / recovery and planning. As the summer break nears, I will be working with the IT department to transition the elementary and intermediate schools to the new camera management system. Finally, I am coordinating with the City of Lansing to host the annual Independence Day celebration at Lansing High School on the 29th of June..
Spring is a time for growth and improvement. Similarly, it is the time where we look to make improvements as our tech department plans for the next school year. One area of technology that we see impacting our lives is artificial intelligence. This may be using one of the many new websites to solve a problem or unknowingly using AI in a website you have been using for years.
This past week, our tech director had the opportunity to spend a few days at an instructional technology conference in Manhattan to look at the sessions and the topics presented. Surprisingly, with artificial intelligence only being available to us for about a year and a half, almost half of the presentations discussed how artificial intelligence can help administrators, teachers, or with students in the classroom.
While we are still in the infant stages of this technology, we are already seeing it being used in educational settings. This leads to a greater discussion on how this technology can be used appropriately for staff and students to improve instruction. This is a conversation that we have begun to have and believe we will continue to have until we truly understand the impact of this new technology.
LANSING EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION
In December, the Lansing Educational Foundation kicked off our Annual Campaign in hopes of raising money for the Lansing School District. The foundation has served Lansing students and teachers of USD 469 since 2004. Since then, we have funded over $475,000 in grants to our district.
This year, our goal is to raise $60,000. So far, we have raised over $42,000 for the students and teachers this year.
In February, we opened the application for our Educate the Pride Classroom grants. These grants are for innovative K-12 programs in the Lansing School District. Grant applications are due Friday, May 10, 2024.
We have several upcoming events:
● Lansing District Art Showcase & Pancake Breakfast - LHS Commons Saturday, April 6, 2024
● 19th Annual Honors Awards Breakfast - LHS Gymnasium Friday, May 3, 2024
● The Bootleggers Ball - Riverfront Community Center Saturday, October 12, 2024
● The Mane Event: Rugged 5K - LHS Property Saturday, November 9, 2024
For more information, on how to donate to LEF, participate in one of our upcoming events, or to apply for classroom grants please reach out to Kara Thompson at kara.thompson@usd369.net or visit our website at www.LansingEdFoundation.org.
LANSING USD469 STRATEGIC PLAN
Our 2023-2028 Lansing USD469 Strategic Plan was passed unanimously during the April 10, 2023 board meeting. Thank you to our community members, staff, and students who served on this vital committee to provide the feedback we used to form this plan. The Strategic Plan aims to achieve action steps that ensure our district can meet the needs of its students, staff, and community for years to come.
We gave an update on the progress of our Strategic Plan during the January 2024 board meeting and discussed it during our latest Lion Pride-Cast podcast.
CALENDARS
FOOD PANTRY
Lansing USD469 houses two food pantries, our Lion's Pantry that serves Lansing Middle School, and an all-district pantry located at Lansing Intermediate School and overseen by members of our District Mental Health Team
If you or your family is in need of assistance, please fill out the Google Form below:
District Food Pantry Request Link
Lion's Pantry (LMS)
The Lion's Pantry serves Lansing Middle School families dealing with food insecurity. If you need assistance, please contact Shirley Painton at 913-727-1197.
Click here for more information about Lansing Middle School Lion's Pantry.
NUTRITION SERVICES
We value transparency and accessibility for our community and encourage all stakeholders to attend monthly Board of Education meetings to stay informed and involved in the decision-making processes of the school district. However, if you are unable to attend in person, we provide a video of all meetings via a YouTube live stream. Click here to access our district YouTube account. Additionally, all meetings are recorded, and recaps are provided each month on the USD469 website, allowing for easy access to important information discussed.
BOARD OF EDUCATION STUDENT & STAFF NOMINATIONS
Nominate an Outstanding Staff and/or Student for Board Meeting Recognition
Lansing USD469 recognizes one stand-out staff member and student at the beginning of each regularly scheduled board meeting.
If you know a staff member or student that has done something exceptional, please consider taking the time to fill out the form below. Our Board Recognition Committee will make their decision and contact the recipients prior to the next board meeting.
JOIN OUR LANSING USD469 FAMILY!
Lansing USD469 values the contribution our employees make across the district. From our hard-working custodians to our incredible teaching staff, each employee plays a vital role in the success of our students.
We are in the process of looking to expand our USD469 family and have several openings across our district (see list below).
Please visit our Employment Page for a list of all open positions and instructions on how to apply.
Notice of Non-Discrimination
Applicants for admission and employment, students, parents of elementary and secondary school students, employees, sources of referral of applicants for admission and employment, and all unions or professional organizations holding collective bargaining or professional agreements with Unified School District 469 are hereby notified that this institution does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin, gender, age, religion, marital status, veteran status, disability or any other basis prohibited by state or federal law in admission or access to, or treatment, or employment in, its programs and activities. Any person having inquiries concerning Unified School District 469 compliance with the regulations implementing Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, Boy Scouts of America Equal Access Act of 2001, the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA)-, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, or reports of specific complaints, or alleged discrimination, is directed to contact Unified School District 469, 200 E. Mary Street, Lansing, Kansas 66043, (913) 727-1100. The Superintendent is designated by the USD 469 Board of Education to coordinate the institution’s efforts to comply with the regulations implementing Title II, Title VI, Title IX, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, the Boy Scouts of America Equal Access Act of 2001, USERRA, Section 504 or other applicable federal, state or local law. The district provides equal access to the Boy Scouts of America and other designated youth groups. Any person may also contact the Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education, One Petticoat Lane, 1010 Walnut Street, Suite 320, Kansas City, MO 64106, (816) 268-0550, TDD (877) 521-2172, regarding the institution’s compliance with regulations implementing Title II, Title VI, Title IX, or Section 504. (2/2020)