September

2nd: Jostens at West Nodaway for Sophomore and Senior Orders, 1:00 PM
8th: Picture Day [Elementary Individuals, Elementary Groups, JH/HS Make-Ups, Fall Sports]

9th: Meeting for Parents of Private School Children with Disabilities, 8:15 AM

12th: Staff Development Day

14th: West Nodaway Board of Education Meeting
17th: Burlington Junction Farmers' Fall Festival
26th: Staff Development Day
28th: ASVAB Testing for Juniors, 9:00-12:00 PM
30th: Homecoming [Varsity Football vs. DeKalb at West Nodaway, 7:00 PM]

October

12th: West Nodaway Board of Education Meeting

14th: End of First Quarter

18th: Senior Night [JV/V Volleyball vs. St. Joseph Christian at Nodaway-Holt, 5:30 PM]

21st: Picture Day [JH Basketball and Cheer, Make-Ups]

24th: Parent-Teacher Conferences, 12:30-7:00 PM

You can access the athletic calendar and view upcoming contests by clicking here.

• If your child is unable to attend school, please notify the appropriate school office by 9:00 AM. When your child is seen by a physician, please ask for a doctor's note so we can verify attendance. Thank you! (Elementary: 725-4126, High School: 725-3317)
  
  
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Rocket Family,

This month the topic I wish to address is the School Protection Officer Program. Missouri Law allows for districts to designate teachers or administrators as school protection officers. There are many steps in this process to include a public hearing, which the district held in August. At the regularly scheduled August meeting I responded to questions that were asked at the hearing as well as providing additional information. The process for school personnel to become a protection officer involves several steps to include already having a concealed carry permit, making a request to the Board, being a certified staff member, presenting a certificate of completion from a school protection officer program, and being appointed by the Board. In August the West Nodaway R-I board voted 5-2 to participate in the School Protection Officer Program. Individuals have been scheduled for training. If you should have any questions in regard to this program please contact me.

Go Rockets!

Dr. Barnes

I would like to start by welcoming Mrs. Jessica Calfee as a new paraprofessional in the elementary building.

This year in the elementary, we will be putting a focus on character traits and character education. Each month we will have a character trait of the month. Students will learn about this trait during elementary counseling lessons. The August/September trait is "self control." When a teacher catches a student demonstrating self control, the student will be given a special star. This character star will be entered into a drawing and at the end of the month. Mr. Conn will draw a name and take that student out for lunch. If you as a community member see a student demonstrate the character trait, please feel free to reach out to the school. We will make sure the student receives a star.

I would also like to mention a few things as reminders for everyone. All snacks for parties, birthdays, etc. need to be store-bought and packaged. Also, soda or pop is not allowed to be brought in for these parties. If you are unsure of your snack or drink, please check with the teacher or call the office -- we would be glad to help.

On a similar note, students are not allowed to have deliveries at school. Please do not have items sent to the school or personally make special deliveries (flowers, balloons, fast food, etc.). They will not be given to the students.

With the school day longer this year, I want to remind everyone of our dismissal times and procedures. Parent pick-up will be outside the elementary building starting at 3:30 p.m. Please remain in your vehicle and follow directions to the colored cones. We will call your student to your vehicle. Students riding the bus will load on the south side of the high school building and the bus should leave around 3:45 p.m. If you need different dismissal arrangements for your child, please call the office as early as possible.

One last reminder is that elementary picture day is Thursday, September 8th, so dress pretty and bring your best smile!

I am looking forward to another great year at West Nodaway. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out so I may help.

Thank you,

Mr. Conn

Response to Intervention is a tiered monitoring system used to identify and provide support to all students. This year our RTI focus will be in 7th and 8th grade ELA and Math. All students in 7th and 8th grade will be assessed regularly using Renaissance Star testing. During 8th hour, all middle school students will be divided into tiers.

During intervention time, some students will work directly with the ELA and Math teacher to get additional help, while some students will be utilizing our Edgenuity MyPath program. MyPath is an online program that provides individual lessons for students based on their current academic level determined by STAR assessments.

If you have any questions regarding this process, please reach out to Mrs. Grace and Ms. Talmadge, and they can provide you with scores from our STAR testing, as well as what interventions your child is receiving during 8th hour. If you have any questions regarding RTI and the intervention program, please reach out to Mr. Conn.

Thank you,

Mr. Conn

In elementary counseling classes, we started the year off with a focus on safety - particularly cyber or internet safety. Students have asked tons of questions and brainstormed lots of answers to various scenarios of what should happen if you encounter a stranger online. They have figured out it's important to not give personal information and to immediately notify a trusted adult. Over the next few weeks, we will look at the character month word of "self control" and make a shift towards what job we want when older, and how school will help us get there.

On the junior high/high school side, students have tried out their classes and made adjustments to schedules as necessary. Eighth graders start DARE this month, and it will be once a week for the semester. Upward Bound will be visiting with all Freshmen and interested Sophomores on September 20th. This program helps first generation students prepare for college, and I encourage students to explore the benefits it offers. Dual credit students have started their coursework and are learning the importance of communication with their instructors. We met as a group and discussed tips for dual credit success and saw how it centers on motivation and communication. September brings with it scholarships and thinking about college. I will be meeting with seniors at the beginning of September to gather information on their post-secondary goals and going over scholarship application processes. Please encourage your student to apply for as many scholarships possible, because they are guaranteed to not get the ones they don't apply for!

Contact me if there are any questions or concerns with your child(ren).

Lani Clayton - lclayton@wnrockets.com