The Bird Call
News and Notes from Clever High School
As I write this, it has been more than 3 weeks since we last had students attending seated courses. I can't help but feel like I might need to review some of our beginning of the year policies and expectations when we return on Tuesday! In all seriousness, the staff here at CHS is eager to welcome students back on campus.
I won't lie, there have been moments in the last 15 months where I have foolishly asked myself "what else could go wrong?!?" only to be answered by a new challenge. Here's a quick review:
- November 2019 - the entire district was brought to a grinding halt when we were attacked by a Ransomware Virus which took weeks/months to recover from.
- March 2020 - the entire world was seemingly brought to a grinding halt in many ways with the rapid spread of the COVID-19 virus which still affects us daily.
- February 16, 2021 - a sprinkler head burst in the ceiling of the CPAC entryway resulting in flooding throughout the high school. Extensive mitigation and restoration efforts have taken place and will likely last through the summer.
At this point, I know better than to ask the question mentioned above. Partly because I don't want to jinx ourselves but mostly because at this point I know that whatever is thrown at us, we will roll up our sleeves and get to work for the sake of our students and the community. I am incredibly proud of the resiliency I have seen from the staff here at CHS. Who could blame them if they reached a breaking point, chose to feel sorry for themselves, or just threw up their hands and said "enough is enough!"? We realize that the last year or so has been far from perfect. I can assure you that the staff are equally frustrated and saddened by the toll the three events above have taken on our students and their experiences. But, not once have I heard a staff member place blame or say "I can't" when a new challenge is presented.
I am also incredibly proud of our students. Even during the small sample size of 4 days of virtual instruction through our Alternative Methods of Instruction plan, the vast majority (easily 80% or more) of students persevered and showed tremendous flexibility and diligence. Students logged in to Zoom meetings, interacted with teachers and peers, and submitted assignments at an extremely high rate. Again, it was not perfect but it showed the type of character that makes our students unique, and this school such a great place.
The majority of the work done at the school revolved around wet walls and insulation. Eleven classrooms, the library, the main office area, the CPAC, the concession stand, the north, south, and west hallways, the commons, and the gym were all impacted by water. Hundreds of square feet of sheetrock were removed to a height of 24.5 inches and temporary foam has been installed as a short-term solution. The gym floor will need significant repair and will likely result in a few hundred square feet of the floor being replaced and the entire surface stripped down and re-finished. New carpeting and tiles will be necessary for several locations. Many small and large items (papers, books, furniture, etc.) have sustained damage as well. Long story short, things will look different for a while and we will likely continue to uncover issues along the way.
Truth be told, I have found myself a little overwhelmed from time to time as I continued to assess the impact of this latest event and navigate more uncharted territory. Seeing the school under such stress and watching the demolition take place was emotional. At the end of it all though, what has kept me in a (mostly) positive mindset is a simple truth: what makes Clever High School somewhere I love to be is not the physical structure, it is the people and the relationships with them. It is the students and the staff, not the brick and mortar. What these hallways and classrooms need to bring back the great energy we are used to is not new sheetrock, insulation, carpet, or paint it is the interaction between individuals - the sound of teaching, students socializing, laughter, conversations, and even the teenage angst we often complain about.
We will be back and stronger than ever. As they say, TOUGH TIMES DON'T LAST, TOUGH TEAMS DO.
Go Jays!
Joe Casey
High School Principal
Email: caseyj@cleverbluejays.org
Remind: Text "@clever9-12" to 81010
Twitter: @CleverPrincipal
Mitigation, Demolition, and Restoration at the High School
Hickman's Happenings
Character Education in the HS
Our character word of the month for February is Honesty. An honest Clever Bluejay does their own work and writes their own papers without copying from another student or source. They accept responsibility by admitting a mistake or an error in judgement/choice. And above all, an honest bluejay does the right thing even when no one is looking.
A+ News:
Seniors going to OTC: There are scholarships available that are stackable with your A+ scholarship. These include the A+ Advantage Scholarship and the OTC Leadership Book Scholarship. The deadline is March 15th. Please see Mrs. Waisner or Mrs. Hickman for details.
Seniors going to Crowder College: There are scholarships which are stackable with your A+ scholarship and will pay for books/labs. Application priority deadline is March 1st. Please see Mrs. Waisner or Mrs. Hickman for details.
All A+ Students: Check your emails for A+ Status Reports. If a student is out of compliance, a report has been mailed home. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Senior Male Students: Just a reminder that one of the requirements for A+ is to sign up for the Selective Service. If you have reached the age of 18 (or 17 years and 3 months), please go to https://www.sss.gov to register.
Seniors: Just a reminder to fill out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). This is one of the requirements to be eligible for the A+ scholarship. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Hickman or Mrs. Waisner.
Students and parents should first set up a FSA ID: https://fsaid.ed.gov
File the FAFSA online at www.fafsa.ed.gov. This is a free website - beware of other sites which may charge a fee!!
Counselor's Corner
End of Course (EOC) testing will be taking place this May. Students will be testing on specific dates and times. Please make sure your student is present that day and ready to test. Students can sign up for breakfast each day.
May 5 - Government May 12 -13 - English 2 May 14 - Biology May 19 - 20 - Algebra I Advanced Placement (AP) testing is also taking place in May. Students will be testing on specific dates and times. AP testing fee is $95 per test and it is due at this time. May 4 - Calculus May 6 - Computer Science May 7 - Chemistry May 17 - Computer Science Principles May 17 - Statistics Seniors attending OTC next year or in the summer are required to attend a STAR advisory session. We will attend this session together on March 31st at 8:45 AM. Seniors need to sign up to attend this session with Mrs. Waisner by March 11th. Multiple College visits are happening at Clever High School this Spring. Juniors and Seniors can sign up through Mrs. Wasiner to attend these sessions. March 3 - Missouri State University March 11 - Missouri S&T March 24 - Mizzou March 30 - Missouri Southern State University Scholarships are in full swing. Please keep on your seniors to fill these out. Scholarships
Virtual Learning
Click below for a link to our expectations for students learning remotely. While originally designed to help our Bluejays@home learners navigate virtual learning, this information applies to any student who finds him/herself learning from home.
Office Barney's 4-1-1
Hello again from Officer Barney.
Do you know who John Walsh is? He was the host for the show “America’s Most Wanted” and it all started when he lost a child to a predator who abducted him and he was brutalized and murdered. John and a few others started the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). During my career in law enforcement, I had training with NCMEC when I was a task force officer with the U.S. Marshal’s Service to apprehend fugitives. We hunted down and brought to justice many predators. Some shared with us in detail how they stalked their victims and today they use many platforms of social media to stalk their intended victims.
So, how would you rate yourself 1-10, ten being the best, for online/social media and gaming safety? Most think they are pretty safe, but have you ever thought you are just one click or one tap from being a victim of “online enticement” or “sextortion”?
Do you open a text, tweet, instant message, email, or online gaming if you don’t really know who it is? Yes, it’s tempting, but that’s where enticement from a predator starts. I’ve been tempted to see who this unknown person is that I got a “like” on FB, but choices have consequences.
Have you lied about being older to get access to certain platforms or sites?
Have you ever sent explicit photos to anyone (sexting)?
Have you ever communicated with someone you don’t know?
Have you ever offered to send explicit photos in exchange for something?
If you have or even thought about it this is how these predators catch their victims.
Red Flags of tactics used on “online enticement and “sextortion include:
- Engaging in explicit conversation/role-playing as a grooming method, rather than a goal.
- Asking them for explicit images of themselves or mutually sharing images.
- Developing a rapport through compliments, discussing shared interests or “likes” on posts
- Sending or offering explicit images of themselves.
- Pretending to be younger.
- Offering an incentive such as a gift card, alcohol, drugs, lodging, transportation or food.
- Approach on social media after using it to learn about the interests, friends, school, family, etc.
- Intentionally move their communications from one online platform to another (e.g., moving from social media to private video chat or messaging apps)
- Initially offering something, such as money or drugs, in exchange for explicit photos/videos
- Pretending to work for a modeling agency to obtain explicit images
- Developing a bond by establishing a friendship/romantic relationship
- Secretly recording explicit videos during video chats
- Physically threatening to hurt them or family members
- Using multiple online identities to make contact
- Pretending to be younger and/or a member of the opposite sex
- Accessing the online account without authorization and stealing explicit images or videos
- Saving explicit conversations/photos/videos and threatening to post them online
Let me bring it home. Recently a man in Christian County was arrested and is facing federal charges. So, don’t put anything out on the “net” you don’t want everyone to see or know, because you can’t get it back. Just one “click” can change your life for the worse.
Remember Think Before You Click.
Be Safe Online,
Officer Barney
District Long-Range Planning
Clubs and Activities
Future Teachers of America - Mrs. Neely
Fellowship of Christian Athletes - Coach Jones
Science History Club - Mr. Burry
Clever Student Alliance - Mrs. Money
Art Club - Mr. Schmidt
Future Business Leaders of America - Mrs. Lumpkin
National Honor Society - Ms. Lathem
Future Farmers of America - Ms. Hultz
Student Council - Mrs. Grant and Mrs. Waisner
Yearbook - Mr. Boyles
Speech and Debate - Mr. Rea
Academic Team - Mr. Walker and Mr. McGarry
Spirit Squad - Mrs. Neely
Theatre - Mrs. Scheibe
Math Club - Mr. McGarry
Alumni Spotlight
CHS Alumni, please consider submitting a form to be featured in an upcoming edition of The Bird Call!
Name: Kathy (Kraemer) Emerson
Class of 1992
Hobbies and interests: Still love my volleyball and basketball (playing and coaching), hanging watching movies with my family, and going back to my hometown to visit my family.
Family: My parents and sister still live in Clever. I moved to Kansas City in 1996. With stents of time in Denver, Colorado, and Brandon, Mississippi. I reside currently in Parkville, Missouri. (a suburb of Kansas City)
Current Job: Administrative Assistant to the Assistant Principal, Park Hill School District
College or Career Training after CHS: I attended William Woods University
Extracurricular activities you participated in at CHS: Played Varsity Volleyball and Varsity Basketball all 4 years with All-District and All-State honors. I was also part of the Springfield Juniors Club Volleyball team for 2 years. I also played in the All-Star City vs Area Basketball game my senior year. I also participated in Science/History Club - 4 years, Science Olympiad team - 4 years, Math Club - 4 years, Student Council - 3 years, FHA – 4 years, Miss Merry Christmas Candidate, Miss Jay Candidate, Homecoming Queen Senior Year.
Favorite Class – Art!
Advice to current CHS Students: My advice to current students is to not forget that there is an entire BIG world out there. After you graduate high school that will be your time to find yourself, explore and see this big beautiful world. Always remember to keep an excellent work ethic. Whether you continue your education, start your career right away, or even just in your exploration to find yourself. Remember sky’s the limit! Keep reaching and there is ALWAYS success no matter what! It is your destiny and you can do it!
Clever High School
Email: caseyj@cleverbluejays.org
Website: www.cleverbluejays.org
Location: 6800 W Veterans Blvd, Clever, MO, USA
Phone: (417) 743-4830
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Clever-High-School-107961380555502/
Twitter: @CleverJays