Kearney School District
Back to School Newsletter
WHERE'S THE BUS? THE NEW BUS TRACKER APP
Bus Routes
Medicine and Illness
School Breakfast and Lunch
-View Pics & Descriptions
-View Nutrition Info
-Filter Menus for Allergens
Lunch prices and more can be found here.
Snow Days, Special Events and School Messenger
Planning for Emergency Response
Back to School Resource Fair August 8 & 9
Donations are Welcome!
Supplies and Clothing Donations: This year’s event will once again have a “clothes closet.” We need new and gently used clothes for kids in kindergarten through 12th grade. Donations can be dropped off at the District Office (150 West State Route 92, Kearney, MO) To see the list of requested supplies donations, please click here.
Help with the Fair! Volunteers Need!
We're Here to Help: District Resources Available
The District Resource Checklist is available online and with your school's office for any families in need of assistance. Resources include our back snack program, the school food pantry for secondary students, Operation School Bell, ACT assistance, holiday assistance, dental assistance and more.
Homeless
Students meeting the McKinney Vento Act qualifications are eligible for additional resources. Homeless includes:
- Parents living with other family members or friends
- Families living in a temporary housing arrangement due to economic hardship
- Families living in hotel, motel, car, campsite or mobile home
- Students living at a friend or family member's house without their parents or guardians
- Families living in a shelter
If you need more information or are experiencing any of the above, please contact Meeghan Masters at mastersm@ksdr1.net.
Health Resources
Karen Hatfield, District RN, has provided useful links for parents on wellness, mental health, drug prevention and more health specific info on our Health & Wellness page.
New Smart Snack Guidelines
The KSD Wellness Committee convened in March 2019 and proposed changes for student celebrations to the Board of Education. These changes will take place at the beginning of the 2019-2020 school year. The board approved this proposal which includes the following:
Elimination of all food items for birthday celebrations - “non-food celebration” ideas will be provided to families by each building, so students still have something special to recognize their birthday
All food included in class parties, celebrations, school stores, class snacks, fundraisers, etc. will have to meet Smart Snacks standards
To find out if a food or beverage not on the list meets the standards, visit The Smart Snack calculator here.
PEACHJAR: Don't Miss Out On School & Community Flyers
KSD delivers school information and approved flyers from community organizations like youth sports and activity clubs or community events electronically. Instead of searching high and low for paper flyers, all you have to do is check your email. Additionally, you can view eflyers by clicking the Peachjar button on your school's website.
This “green” initiative saves our schools tons of paper and reduces copy costs and removes a significant administrative burden from teachers, office staff, and volunteers.
If we have your email address on file, then no action is required on your part. If your child has moved to a new school in the district, you will receive eflyers from the new school. If you have not provided your email address, please do so by calling your school to avoid missing important information.
This system is used exclusively for distribution of school-approved flyers. Your email address will not be shared or used for any other purpose. Find out more here.
Message from the Superintendent: Preparing Students Today for Success Tomorrow
The ever changing demands of the job market require schools to rethink how they teach. You may have heard the saying, “We are educating students today for the jobs of the future, many of which don’t exist yet.” So how can we better prepare students for these jobs? The first step is to recognize the importance of students graduating high school with a set of skills that are beneficial across many different workforce sectors. KC Rising (https://kcrising.com/) is a regional organization focused on developing talent for tomorrow’s workforce right here in the Kansas City region. This organization and its partners developed “Common Sector Competencies” which are desirable skills required for most quality jobs in our region. Some examples of these skills are the ability to effectively communicate, collaborate, think critically, be curious and the ability to manage complexity. Do the students you know possess these skills? You may have noticed, all of these skills are cross categorical. They are not specific to any subject, so we can be teaching them throughout our schools.
One way students can acquire these skills is through what we call “authentic learning.” This kind of learning is similar to how many adults work today. It involves working over a period of time on projects that require problem solving and collaboration with other students. It also covers a variety of subject areas, can be very hands on and even involve partnering with business, industry or community organizations. Can you see why authentic learning is also sometimes called "real world learning"? The Kearney Board of Education has prioritized this kind of learning because they know that students who engage regularly in authentic learning are more likely to be successful in their next level of education after high school. Whether a student graduates and goes straight to a university, college, technical school or enters into the workforce, they are more likely to be successful if they already possess many of the Common Sector Competencies.
So, what are we doing in our schools to address the board goal of increasing authentic learning opportunities for students? First, we are taking stock of this kind of learning that is already occurring in our classrooms. Second, we are piloting a new school for 3rd and 4th grade students call the LENS School (Learning and Exploring through Nature and Science) where much of the learning is project based. If successful, the LENS School will grow each year adding additional grades. Third, we are partnering with other like-minded school districts, businesses and community organizations like KC Rising and the Kauffman Foundation to advance authentic learning/real world learning across our region. In doing so, we are increasing each student’s likelihood for success after graduation while supplying talented employees needed to fill the high-need, high-wage jobs of tomorrow; even if we don’t know what they are yet!
As we come upon a new school year, we look forward to seeing how these new opportunities and experiences will help our students prepare for their future success!
Dr. Bill Nicely - Superintendent
KSD has an App! One Stop Shop
Connect with KSD
Email: communications@ksdr1.net
Website: www.ksdr1.net
Location: Kearney School District, 150 West State Route 92, Kearney, MO 64060
Phone: (816) 628-4116
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KSDBulldogs/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel
Twitter: @KearneyMOEdu