The Rocket Review
Monthly Newsletter Update - February 2023
In a few weeks Spring will be upon us. As the new season approaches, I am reminded of my grandmother. I am reminded of her for many reasons, but in the spring I always think of the blooming of the lilac bush. This was her favorite. She lived to be 99 years and 10 months old. She was, and still is, a very important part of my life. Though she has been gone for several years now, I lived with her as a child until the day I left for basic training with the United States Air Force. As Spring approaches, I want to encourage you to slow down just a little, enjoy the sunshine, the greening of the grass, the budding of the trees, and the blooming of the flowers.
On March 10th, the 3rd quarter ends. That means we are in the home stretch, state testing will soon be taking place, FFA contests will begin, and track and baseball are already underway. If you get the chance, please take the time to come out to a school event and encourage our students as they strive for excellence both athletically and academically.
On March 20th, we will hold parent teacher conferences. The turnout for these conferences on the high school side has been historically low. I want to encourage you to take the time to come out and meet with your students teachers and ask questions in regard to their academic success.
Lastly, please take time to review the list of events above. Snow make-up days are listed, as well as the multiple activities that will be taking place in the next month. School is a very busy place, and we welcome your participation.
Dr. Barnes
Hello Rockets!
March has arrived, and we will be wrapping up our 3rd quarter on March 10th. Starting in March, our 3rd-6th grades will begin preparation for MAP testing. Teachers will begin implementing MAP preparation and test-taking strategies during our launch time as we prepare for these annual end-of-year assessments.
PreK's breakfast will be March 8th.
March 13th will be a make-up snow day, and school will be in session.
March 14th will be our 5th grade's day at lunch. We look forward to their special quests.
March 16th will be a fun night, as we will have our Title I Literacy Night. Come join us, and meet our special guest, author Vladimir Sainte. He will be reading from his book, as well as visiting with students. We will also have other literacy activities, similar to previous years' Literacy Nights. Please come join us for this event!
Saturday, March 18th is the Nodaway Country D.A.R.E auction and benefit dinner.
Parent Teacher Conferences are March 20th from 12:30pm-7:00pm. These conferences will be scheduled by the classroom teacher. The teacher will contact you and schedule a time for a conference, if one is needed. If you would like to request a conference with the teacher, please reach out and he or she can schedule a time.
March 21st and 23rd from 9:00am to 3:00pm will be PreK screening in the elementary building.
March 29th at 4:00pm in the media center will be our Spring Title I meeting.
March is very busy in the elementary building. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to the classroom teacher or myself.
Mr. Conn
It's time to start thinking about West Nodaway's annual dinner theatre that will be held on Saturday, April 15th. Dinner theatre tickets will be $15.00 each, and on the menu will be pork loin with gravy, cheesy potatoes, green beans, rolls, salad, and a mini bundt cake! General admission tickets will be $5.00 at the door, and no dinner will be included. Doors will open at 5:00 PM, dinner will begin at 5:30 PM, and the play will start at 6:30 PM. Call (660) 725-3317 to reserve your spot for Haphazardly Ever After today!
Attached is the current immunization schedule. This spring we will be working on getting all of these completed for the next school year. Reminder that Nodaway County Health will be here April 12th to administer the needed ones to incoming 7th, 8th, and 12th graders. PreK and Kindergarten students will also need updated immunizations.
Spring is approaching, which means graduation is just around the corner! With graduation comes the decision of where to go on the next phase of this journey. From apprenticeships, to vocational schooling, to college, to military, there is something for each graduate to connect. To help with this endeavor, over 200 scholarship applications/weblinks to applications have been provided to seniors. The abundance of scholarship opportunities is great, but it takes work to research and find options which fit each student. Hopefully with the variety of scholarships provided there are plenty of opportunities for students to secure funding for their next step along this educational adventure.
Exploring Vo-Tech occurs this month. Several high school students will be visiting Northwest Technical School in Maryville on March 1st to determine if they truly want to pursue a vocational route during their last year or two of school. There will also be an opportunity to visit Tarkio Tech on March 22nd and learn about the programs offered at that facility. Although we are on a four-day school week and VoTech operates on a five-day week, students attending this year have had a positive experience going on Mondays.
Elementary students have been learning about similarities and differences, especially in relation to people. The focus has been to have acceptance and tolerance of those differences and embrace the similarities. PreK though 2nd grade students have spent the last couple weeks on a story about Ruby Bridges and her educational journey at six-years of age. They were surprised to learn the girl was not allowed to go to school! Third through sixth grade students have been researching a famous African American and have created a 60 second "speech," which they will be presenting to their peers in the next few weeks during lunch. It has been fun watching these students find out information about their person and get excited about the accomplishments made and how the person still impacts society today.
Mrs. Clayton
District Information
Email: mbarnes@wnrockets.com
Website: wnrockets.com
Location: 17665 US Hwy 136, Burlington Junction, MO 64428, USA
Phone: 660-725-4613
Facebook: facebook.com/WestNodaway
Twitter: @WNrockets