CSD Connections
A Bi-Weekly Clinton Schools Community Newsletter
Volume 1 Issue 14, May 12, 2017
TOP 10 CARDINAL CELEBRATIONS
1. Best of luck to our Clinton Intermediate School and Clinton Middle School archery teams who are in Kentucky competing in the NASP National Archery Tournament.
2. Congrats to Henry Elementary 2nd grade teacher LeaRae Porta who recently was awarded the VFW Post 1894, District 6, AND Missouri Elementary Teacher of the Year (read more in the "In Case You Missed It" section below).
3. The CHS 2016-17 Senior Awards Program was held this week. Our seniors received $81,000+ in local scholarships and $445,000+ in university/college/other awards and scholarships (which includes military enlistments and bonus/tuition assistance amounts).
4. It's Nurse's Week and we are thankful for our district's 4 nurses (Julie Balke, Jana Matthes, Nichole Houk, and Rachel Vencill). These ladies take excellent care of our students everyday!
5. This past weekend, the 8th grade Clinton Middle School band competed in the Worlds of Fun Festival of Music, and received a "1" rating (read more in the "In Case You Missed It" section below).
6. Henry Elementary and Clinton Early Childhood Center hosted 405 moms and volunteers this week for their annual Muffins with Mom event. Thanks to the district's food service provider, Aramark, for providing the muffins and to all of the volunteers from our community who filled in for moms who were unable to attend!
7. Congrats to Sadie Vernon, Macey Mitchell, and Claire Lowe for competing in the DECA International Conference and Competition (read more in the "In Case You Missed It" section below).
8. Congrats to this year's CSD retirees who, after 97 years of service to the district, were honored at this week's retirement reception. We wish Jim Garvin, Aaron Potter, Kelly Goodbrake, and LeaRae Porta the best that retirement has to offer!
9. Clinton FBLA held their awards banquet for members and their families this week. Four-year letter winners were Mitchell Greer, Mason Minihan, Andy Pogue and Tyler Thomason. These FBLA members have been involved in meetings, community service, competitive events, and fundraising (read more in the "In Case You Missed It" section below).
10. Spring sports are having a great season!! Congrats to our CHS baseball team who is the #1 seed in districts and CHS girls soccer is the #4 seed in their tournament. CSD will be hosting the district track meet this Saturday! The golf team had a great season with 2 players making it to sectionals earlier this week. Tennis competed earlier this week in districts as the #3 seed! Make sure you check out our calendar to support our spring sports!
FROM THE DESK OF THE SUPERINTENDENT
As we wind down the school year, I want to thank the parents and community members of Clinton for your support and reception in my first year as your superintendent. This has been, by far, the best year I have had in my professional career. I feel like our district team, which includes our parents and community members, has taken significant steps in improving what we do here in the Clinton School District. There are still great things to accomplish and very important items on our “to-do” list, but I feel if we continue to stick together to try and make the best decisions for our students and staff, the sky is the limit. I honestly believe that.
With that being said, I feel like it is important to share with you where my focus will lie within the next 10-12 months and the financial position of the Clinton School District. I will try to keep as many numbers out of this explanation as possible, because those can sometimes become daunting and confusing. A few concrete expenditure and revenue figures, however, will hopefully help you understand exactly where we are when it comes to the district’s finances.
For our current school year, the revenues we are generating are not meeting the figures that were budgeted and anticipated. There were also expenses that seemed to be unforeseen. Even though total expenditures are down $326,000 from 2015-2016, current projections show the district spending $303,000 more in operations than the revenue we are bringing in. We currently have 20% of our annual expenditures in our reserve fund (similar to what you may consider a savings account). Deficit spending $303,000 will decrease our reserves to 17%. Things like this happen and typically school districts are able to plan accordingly to replenish their reserve fund.
Our situation in Clinton, however, is unfortunately not typical. As we have been developing the budget for the 2017-18 school year, we are seeing expenses continuing to rise. Because of our declining enrollment, our state funding is projected to come in $300,000 less than the 2016-17 school year. Although we are anticipating local revenue to climb a bit, we still have to be conservative with estimating local revenue, because we don’t know what we will be receiving until assessed valuation figures are released in late July and August of 2017.
As the 2017-18 budget stands right now, we are anticipating spending $1,087,327 more than revenue we will be bringing in. We are expecting reserves to decrease to 8% by the end of our next fiscal year (June 30th, 2018). Imagine using your saving’s account to pay your mortgage, utilities, car payment, etc…In essence that is what we will be doing. In the state of Missouri, a school district is considered financially stressed when reserves dip below 3%. If a school district becomes financially stressed, it then has mandated and legal responsibilities to the Missouri Department of Secondary and Elementary Education of which the Board of Education is held accountable for.
What’s next? First, we will be spending significant time looking at expenses that we can cut for the 2017-18 school year to bring that $1.087 million figure down. Supplies, operating expenses, purchased services and maintenance projects will be the first thing considered. I will collaborate as much as I can, and as I see fit, when eliminating expenses from the budget. We have every intention to keep jobs and people off this list.
Second, there is a very good chance we will spend the summer preparing for a campaign and tax levy ballot issue. This is a bold but also premature statement. We, however, do have to consider all options when dealing with what will most likely be a significant reduction in fund balances. Third, we will patiently wait for August to see our final assessed valuation figures which will determine if our local revenue will increase, decrease, or remain flat, and then finalize a more detail-oriented plan as we move ahead. Local revenue, by the way, is 51% of the school district’s revenue source.
I believe that my family and I are in Clinton, Missouri for a reason. I believe that I am here to meet the current needs of the students, teachers, staff, and parents. One major need as we move forward is to improve our current and future financial condition so we can adequately support the Clinton School District's efforts. I will work as hard as I can on this mission with the hope of providing the best learning environment for our students and working environment for our teachers and staff.
As always, feel free to call, email, or stop by if you have any questions.
Have a great Friday and weekend. The school district and community have many things to offer this weekend that will showcase the Clinton School District students, teachers, coaches, and staff!
Adam
SBG: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
*Don't forget to check out our Standards Based Learning and Grading proficiency scale bank. These can be found on the Clinton School District website (or by clicking the link above)
Teaching and Learning Update
Mr. Jarrod Steffens, CHS Principal
Focus on Learning
This will be the final article regarding SBG for the newsletter this year and as a district we want to thank everyone who has supported us as we have sought out best practices this year. We are certainly not perfect as educators, but there is a district full of teachers that work very hard every day to give your child the best education possible. Sometimes that means changing the way we do things in the best interest of learning.
My final encouragement as we continue to move forward is that we as a community de-emphasize grades, and focus on learning. Instead of a focus on the letter grade that we see on a report card or Powerschool, let’s ask what learning targets have been mastered and what a child can do to learn more. We need to talk to our students about being intrinsically motivated to do the work required of learning, regardless of whether a grade is attached to it or not. Let’s get students so engaged in learning, questioning and exploring, that grades are an afterthought, not the motivation behind the work.
We as a district look forward to year two of our full implementation of standards-based grading. That will require all of us to continue to shift our minds from traditional practices and take on new approaches that emphasize learning. If you have any feedback for us, please feel free to email me at jsteffens@clintioncardinals.org Thanks for a wonderful school year!
-Mr. Steffens
PARENT REMINDERS AND IMPORTANT INFO
Summer School-It's not too late to sign your child up for summer school! Summer school is June 5-30 from 8:00-2:30 for students entering kindergarten-2nd grade. Go here to learn more and to find registration forms.
Graduation-Graduation will be held May 21st at 2:00 at Clinton High School.
As seating is limited, tickets will be required for entrance into the gymnasium during the commencement ceremony. Tickets will be dispersed at no charge to graduating seniors. Spectators without a ticket are invited to view a live feed of the ceremony in the Performing Arts Center, which is adjacent to the gymnasium. Guests are encouraged to enter the high school through the main entrance on the south side of the building. Doors will open at 1:00 PM. All gymnasium doors will be closed promptly at 2:00 to avoid interruptions to the ceremony. Parking is limited so early arrival and carpooling to the site are recommended.
A live broadcast of the ceremony will be available at www.westcentralmoinfo.com
Last Day of School-Thursday, May 25th (Early Dismissal)
Sports Physicals-Parents of students planning on playing fall sports.....here's some important information for you!
Golden Valley Medical Clinic is a great supporter of our students and schools, and they once again are supporting area schools by providing sports physicals at no charge to students. One change this year, is that they will not be hosting a single “sports physical night”. Instead, the student-athlete will be encouraged to schedule an appointment with their primary care provider for a well-child exam, which would include the completion of the sports physical form, during the month of July.
Watch for more info and reminders!
2017-2018 School Calendar Now Available-The school board has approved the 2017-2018 school calendar. This can be found on the left-hand side of the school's website.
SchoolMessenger-If you haven't already, please sign-up for our SchoolMessenger texting service! Click here for the easy instructions to begin receiving school texts. Please also ensure that your child's school office has your preferred number by calling the school office.
Website-Don't forget to access our school district's website for school calendars, teacher contact information, Powerschool access (check your child's grades, lunch balances, etc.), and other important information, including Standards Based Grading Information
Facebook /Twitter-Please be sure and follow us on both social media outlets.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT!
Supporting CSD for 20 Years
For 20 years, the Education Foundation for Clinton Students Inc., has been funding projects in Clinton School District buildings and classrooms that fall slightly beyond funded activities and budget limitations. This year is no different.
Thanks to the generosity of our community, this year the Foundation was able to fund $11,090 in Classroom Impact Grants as well as providing two $1,000 scholarships and two $500 scholarships for Clinton High School seniors.
The Education Foundation, a tax-exempt organization, was created two decades ago to provide supplemental financial support to the Clinton School District. The Foundation is able to provide such support due to the generosity of our community. This support is offered in a variety of ways. Perhaps you have supported the Education Foundation by purchasing a Major Saver Card from a Henry Elementary or Clinton Intermediate School student, ran in the 2nd annual Education Foundation 5K this year, or made a personal gift. It is because of this, that college scholarships are given, classroom grants are funded, and learning in Clinton Schools is enhanced.
Dan Wallace, currently serving as Foundation board member and secretary, has seen the generosity of the Clinton community for the 20 years the Foundation has existed. “It is only because of the benevolence of this community that the Foundation is able to continue supporting Clinton Schools in this way. We are also excited to announce that the Foundation recently voted to receive 501(c)3 donations for the Clinton Intermediate School’s playground fundraising efforts. Anyone wishing to make a donation larger than $100, specifically for the playground, can contact the Foundation to receive credit for a tax-deductible donation.”
If you are interested in making a tax-exempt donation to the Education Foundation for Clinton Schools Inc., please contact Foundation president, Carla Moberly, at 660-885-5575.
State Music Contest
On Friday April 28th, 10 CHS Choraliers competed in the State Music Festival at Mizzou in Columbia. The students did a wonderful job representing CHS and received great feedback. Students were rated on a scale from 1-5, 1 being the highest. Below are their scores.
"1" Exemplary Rating:
Christy Ortiz - Vocal Solo
Jordan Abernathy - Vocal Solo
Elias Kraft - Vocal Solo
"2" Outstanding Rating
Emily Balke - Vocal Solo
Ben Collins - Vocal Solo
Mixed Double Quartet (Christy Ortiz, Jordan Abernathy, Jalyn Abernathy, Emily Balke, Jakob Yates, Ben Griffey, Elias Kraft, Jack Baker) - Small Ensemble
"3" Satisfactory Rating
Caleb Hull - Vocal Solo
Thank you Rotarians
The 2nd annual Bright Futures Basketball Camp was a huge success for 61 Henry Elementary students.
This program is a partnership between the Clinton Rotary Club, Bright Futures Clinton, and Henry Elementary. This after-school program allows students the opportunity to participate in a basketball skills camp, as well as a chance to hear from local community members about the necessary character traits it takes to be a successful student and adult. Students heard from Rotarian Brenda Ford, Clinton Police Sergeant Chris Modlin, and Fireman Scott Hutcherson about honesty, bravery, kindness, and teamwork. Clinton Rotarians not only sponsored this 4-day camp, but also volunteered to help students learn basketball skills such as dribbling, passing, and shooting.
Students each received a team shirt, and at the end of the week, each student left with a medal.
Henry Elementary appreciates the time, talent, and treasure that went into making this event possible for their students.
Wedding of Q & U
Kindergarten students at Henry Elementary attended a wedding recently....the wedding of Q and U.
Students have been learning about the special spelling pattern of "QU" and the wedding helped to reinforce the spelling rule that every word with a "Q" must be followed by a "U".
The "wedding" was officiated by the honorable Dr. Adam Willard (aka, CSD superintendent). Q's and U's from each kindergarten class took their vows to always stick together through QUicksand, earthQUakes and QUiet times.
At the end of the ceremony it was announced that all students could "lick their ring pops". The ceremony was followed by a reception which included dancing, cake, and juice boxes.
Welcome Ms. Paschall
The Clinton School District is pleased to announce it has hired Jennifer Paschall as its next middle school principal.
Ms. Paschall is currently the assistant principal of Plaza Middle School in the Park Hill School District in Kansas City, MO, where she has served in that role since 2015. Ms. Paschall has spent her entire 20-year career with the Park Hill School District, where she taught Biology and AP Environmental Science at Park Hill High School.
The Park Hill School District is the only district in the state of Missouri to be awarded the Missouri Quality of Excellence award twice, and Ms. Paschall has been an integral part in her building’s and district’s journey towards continuous improvement. As well as key leadership roles in curriculum development, Paschall’s current responsibilities at Plaza Middle School include crisis response, safety committee chairperson, professional development, building climate committee, district-wide bullying prevention, and building leadership team member.
Ms. Paschall will relocate to Clinton this summer and officially begin her duties on August 1st, 2017.
DECA International Competition
Clinton DECA competed at the International Career Development Conference in Anaheim, CA from April 25th-May 1st. Juniors Sadie Vernon and Macey Mitchell and Sophomore Claire Lowe, competed against the top DECA students in the world. Less than 10% of all DECA members get the opportunity to compete at the international level. DECA has more than 215,000 members in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, Canada, China, Germany, Guam, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Spain.
Lowe, Vernon, and Mitchell all earned Awards of Excellence in their respective events from DECA, INC. To earn an Award of Excellence students must earn points on each performance standard and have a total score of 70 or higher.
While in Anaheim, DECA students and their advisor, Leslie Crider, were able to see many of the sights Southern California has to offer, such as Huntington Beach, Disneyland, Universal Studios, Laguna Beach, Walk of Fame, Beverly Hills and Rodeo Drive.
Band Competition
This past weekend, the 8th grade Clinton Middle School band competed in the Worlds of Fun Festival of Music.
Eight states were represented by well over 50 performing ensembles.
The CMS ensemble received one of only twelve "1" ratings that were earned throughout the event. If you don't know, a "1" rating reflects the finest conceivable performance for the event and class of participants being evaluated. Performances receiving a "1" are worthy of the distinction of being recognized as among the very best.
Congrats Cardinals!!
FBLA Awards
Clinton FBLA held their Awards Banquet for members and their families this week.
The officer team celebrated the year by giving a recap of the Year in Review, complete with a slide show.
Thirty-five members were recognized for earning their FBLA Letter with four young men earning their 4-Year Letter. Four-year letter winners were Mitchell Greer, Mason Minihan, Andy Pogue and Tyler Thomason (pictured below). These FBLA members have been involved in meetings, community service, competitive events, and fundraising.
There were 16 members that received an award with the Business Achievement Awards program and five that received Community Service Awards.
Porta Receives VFW Awards
For 23 years Henry Elementary 2nd grade teacher LeaRae Porta has made it her mission to help CSD students remember the important role our veterans have played in our nation's history. Thousands of students have been impacted by the many events arranged by LeaRae to honor our veterans.
Mrs. Porta has recently been recognized by the VFW for her amazing contributions to our students. LeaRae received the local VFW Post 1894 Elementary Teacher of the Year, VFW District 6 Elementary Teacher of the Year, and next month will be recognized in Springfield as the VFW Missouri Elementary Teacher of the Year.
Congratulations Mrs. Porta, and thank you for the amazing legacy you leave as you retire this year!
Left to Right: District 6 President Cathline Vest, Cdr Aydi Girgin, LeaRae Porta, Post 1894 Cdr Jerry Day, and Post 1894 Auxiliary President Rai Remer
District Calendar, May 12th-May 25th
Only events that appear on the district calendar are listed here. As always, a calendar for each individual building can be found on the district website.
ALWAYS REFER TO THE DISTRICT WEBSITE CALENDAR, FOR THE MOST UP-TO-DATE LIST OF EVENTS. ALSO STAY UP TO DATE WITH CANCELLATIONS BY FOLLOWING US ON TWITTER @CLINTONMOCARDS
*5/12-5/13 Spring Play (You Can't Take it with You) @ CHS PAC, 7:00
*5/12 FFA Banquet @ CMS, 6:00
*5/13 District Track @ Clinton, 9:00
*5/14 Spring Play (You Can't Take it with You) @ CHS PAC, 2:00
*5/15 Baseball Districts @ Bolivar, 4:00 (if win, play again on Tuesday at 5:00)
*5/15 CMS Band and Choir Concert @ CHS PAC, 7:00
*5/16 Soccer Districts @ Pleasant Hill, 5:30 (if win, play again on Thursday at 6:30)
*5/16 CHS Band and Choir Concert @ CHS PAC, 7:00
*5/18 Seniors Last Day
*5/18 CECC Preschool Graduation @ CHS PAC, 6:00
*5/20 Track Sectional Meet @ Clinton, 9:00
*5/21 CHS Graduation @ CHS Gymnasium, 2:00 (see important info above)
*5/22 Board of Education Meeting @ CHS Media Center, 5:00 (make note of time/location change)
*5/22 Kindergarten Graduation @ CHS PAC, 6:00
*5/25 CMS 8th Grade Promotion @ CMS, 9:00
*5/25 Last Day of School, Early Dismissal
IT'S A GREAT DAY TO BE A CARDINAL ARTICLES
It's a Great Day to be a Cardinal (Part 1)
Articles submitted by building administrators/teachers focusing on specific events/programs in their respective building.
You Can't Take it With You
Submitted by: Erin Carmody, CHS Theatre Teacher
What do you get when you combine a tax evader, an obsessive playwright, a pyrotechnician, a candy maker, and a potential communist? You get Clinton High School Theatre’s spring play You Can’t Take it With You!
Alice Sycamore, played by Olivia Dawson, is the most normal person in her family. When she gets engaged to her boss’s son, Tony, played by Connor McCandless, she’s terrified to introduce him to her family. She’s especially terrified when she has to introduce her family to Tony’s straight-laced family.
Join CHS theatre May 12-13 at 7 pm and May 14 at 2 pm in the Performing Arts Center at CHS. Tickets will be $3 for students, $6 for adults, and free for senior citizens.
The rest of the cast includes Paige Howard as Penny, Ben Griffey as Paul, Elias Kraft as Grandpa, Madison Anderson as Essie, Patrick Griffey as Ed, Reese Potter as Reba, Nat Hill as Gay, Kali Lindsay as Mrs. Kirby, Julio Villarreal as Mr. Kirby, Kaitlyn Russell as Duchess Olga, Jay Reed as Mr. De Pinna, Aidin Hinkle as Donald, Korbin Ladd as Henderson, John Keller as Kolenkhov, and Cameron Goth, Abigail Noble, Breanna Smith, and Veronica White as police officers.
Don’t miss this chance to see Clinton’s students showcase their talents!
It's a Great Day to be a Cardinal (Part 2)
Articles submitted by building administrators/teachers focusing on specific events/programs in their respective building.
Clinton Technical School Awards 2017
Submitted by: Lisa Kaiser, Counselor
Clinton Technical School Awards Night was held on Wednesday, May 3. Students from nine sending schools, including Clinton, were recognized for meeting the requirements for CTS Honor Society and portfolios. Scholarship recipients were also recognized.
Approximately 100 students met the requirements for CTS Honor Society. Maintaining an overall GPA of 2.5 or higher and a CTS GPA of 3.5 or higher are just two of several requirements for honor society. Seventy students were awarded portfolios. Along with attendance and GPA requirements, students must be two-year program completers, Health Occupation one-year completer or a concentrator in our one-hour programs at CHS. To be a concentrator, students must have completed at least three hours of credit in Agriculture, Business or Marketing. Portfolios are awarded to seniors in these three areas.
In addition to the large number of honor society students, a big highlight of the evening was recognition of scholarship winners. Melissa Sawyers, a Health Occupations student from Lakeland, received a $750 VFW Auxiliary Scholarship. Megan Eastridge, CHS student in Health Occupations, received the CTC Scholarship from SFCC in the amount of $500. Roger McKinley presented the Jim McKinley Memorial Scholarship to Megan Eastridge. This is a new scholarship for CTS students, in the amount of $500, that Roger started in honor of his father who passed away last year. Two CHS students, Chase Cooper in Welding and Megan Walrath, Marketing student, received the Lester B. Swaney Scholarship. This award is $500. Montrose Welding student, Jethro Cunningham, received a $3000 scholarship from Midwest Technical Institute. A very surprised Abby Drinkert, Welding student from Sherwood, received a $10,000 scholarship from Midwest Technical Institute.
BRIGHT FUTURES NEWS
Classroom Partners-Bright Futures Clinton is looking for businesses, organizations, Sunday School classes, etc. to partner with classes at the Early Childhood Center, Henry Elementary, and Clinton Intermediate School for the 2017-2018 school year. This requires NO financial commitment....only a commitment of time to a class of students and their teacher. This has been a very successful and rewarding program for 2 years. If you are curious to learn more, please reach out to Angie Lawson (alawson@clintoncardinals.org) or Teresa Howard (thoward@clintoncardinals.org).
Lending Libraries-Don't forget about the Lending Libraries located at all 3 of our community's housing complexes. The Lending Libraries are small wooden structures that contain donated books that we are encouraging our students to read. Any of our community's children can access this resource at any time! Books do not have to be returned.
Back to School Fair-The 3rd annual Bright Futures Back to School Fair will be held on July 27th from 3:00-6:00 at the Community Center. This event is sponsored by Bright Futures Clinton and other organizations in our community as a way to prepare our students for a great school year.
If your family is in financial need, and would benefit from assistance with shoes, socks, underwear, etc. for next school year, please contact your child's school social worker for more information.
If you are interested in volunteering to help with this event, please contact Angie Lawson (alawson@clintoncardinals.org) or Teresa Howard (thoward@clintoncardinals.org).
About Us
Email: alawson@clintoncardinals.org
Website: http://clintoncardinals.org
Location: 701 South 8th Street, Clinton, MO, United States
Phone: 660-885-5585
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Clinton-Schools-257810614245734/?fref=ts
Twitter: @ClintonMoCards