PANTHER PRESS
October 29, 2020
Thank you for helping us explore a new type of Parent-Teacher Conferences! This was definitely a learning experience for us, and we are working on a survey for parents/guardians to provide us suggestions for our spring conferences. Remember, you are always welcome to email teachers and administrators at any time and don't have to wait for conferences.
We are excited that we have completed the 1st Quarter successfully, and we plan to continue with our current model of learning for the 2nd Quarter. As you can see, our data regarding COVID-19 and illness attendance has remained stable.
Cassi Pearson, KCSD Superintendent
309 W Main Street, Knoxville, IA 50138
o: (641) 842-6551
Seniors completed Kuder Navigator’s career assessments to explore careers, colleges, and training matched with their interests and skills. Seniors were then advised to follow Iowa College Aid’s College Application Campaign steps:
Apply for College Admission or for Training Programs or Apprenticeship Programs
Find applications for schools in Iowa. Remember, when completing online applications, you should receive a confirmation or response that it was received by the college. Don't just assume that it was successfully submitted.
Create your FSA ID
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) serves as the application for federal and several state aid programs and can be filed as soon as October 1. Begin the FAFSA process, now, by creating an FSA ID. The FSA ID is made up of a username and password and is required to access certain U.S. Department of Education websites, including the FAFSA website.
State Financial Aid Eligibility
The state of Iowa offers multiple scholarships and grants to help Iowa families with higher education costs. These programs can be applied for through the Iowa Financial Aid Application as soon as October 1. Use the Eligibility Wizard now to estimate your eligibility for state financial aid programs by answering less than 10 questions!
Private Scholarships
In addition to applying for grants and loans, you should also look for scholarships. There are hundreds of available scholarships and each one will help reduce your overall out-of-pocket cost for college. Also, take time to talk to your counselor about which scholarships you can apply for. [Scholarship Searches]
KHS Students Donate to Helping Hands
STATE BOUND!!!
Congratulations to Norah Pearson and Seth Walraven on qualifying for the State Cross Country Meet!
They will run on Friday, October 30 in Fort Dodge at Lakeside Municipal Golf Course - Norah at 330 PM, Seth at 400 PM
To qualify for the State Meet, you must finish in the top 15 at the State Qualifying Meet - Seth finished 14th in the boys race, Norah 4th in the girls race!
BIG WINS THIS PAST WEEK/UPCOMING POSTSEASON
Congratulations to our volleyball team on an incredible season!
27-8 overall and conference champions for the 4th consecutive year!
The kids on our football team worked very hard this year playing one of the toughest schedules in the state. We also were unlucky with multiple injuries. We exhibited toughness, togetherness, and good sportsmanship on the field.
Congratulations to the following players who earned all-District honors:
1st team all-District: Kieren Nichols, Mike Hudson, Logan Clark, Brady Pearson
Honorable Mention all-District: Jaxon Zuck, Keegan Cox
Academic all-District: Mike Greubel, Mike Hudson, Kieren Nichols, Tyler Kearney, Brady Pearson, Kyler Reidel, Tyler Peterson, Keegan Cox, Hayden Lee, Kyle Davis, Grant Liston, Cael Peterson, Andrew Orr, Isaac Schmidt, Lilliana Mejia
Congratulations to Mike Hudson for setting a new school record! He is now the all-time leader for receptions in a career with 66!
Best of luck to our students performing in these upcoming postseason contests:
Varsity Girls & Boys cross country: State Meet on Fri, Oct. 30 at Fort Dodge
Varsity Girls Swimming: Regional Meet on Sat, Nov. 7 at Southeast Polk High School, 1200 PM
Dance Team: State Championships on Wednesday, November 18 in Des Moines at Wells Fargo Arena, first performance at 824 AM
Middle School winter sports started last week with girls basketball and wrestling (MS boys basketball starts in January). High School winter sports information begins soon. Information regarding MS & HS winter sports can be found here.
THE KNOXVILLE STORE
In partnership with Ramaeker Enterprises Inc., we are excited to offer the Knoxville Store - the online apparel store for Knoxville Panther gear!
- This link can be found on our school website: https://www.knoxville.k12.ia.us/ and then click on the "Knoxville Store."
- This store features apparel/gear with items from our new brand system with logo marks that have never been on the market! These are exclusive Knoxville Panther items you will only find here!
- Some items on this store will stay from month to month - some items will change so that there are constantly new items to choose from for Panther fans!
- Orders will be processed twice a month - on the 15th and at the end of the month and Ramaeker Enterprises will email you when your order is ready.
- Some new items will be unveiled on November 1!
NFHS Network
For events in our high school gym, we will stream on the NFHS Network (https://www.nfhsnetwork.com and then search for Knoxville), a subscription-based service.
When our team is on the road and the host school offers a livestream - we will post that link on Facebook with the host school spectator guidelines that have been sent to us - this will ensure to our viewing public the post/link is authentic. We will also stream all concerts in KPAC on there as well.
SCHEDULES
Get schedules for all extra-curricular middle school and high school activities by going to www.knoxville.k12.ia.us and then clicking on "Activities Calendar". You can even sign-up for email notifications so whenever we make a change to a schedule - you can be notified immediately.
Follow the Knoxville Activities Department on Instagram! @knoxvilleactivities
What's Happening at KHS
- A Day or B Day
- Weekly Panther Pride Focal Point
- Meeting information for clubs and organizations
- activities schedule
7th Grade ELA
Recently, in 7th grade English language arts, students finished a month-long unit learning about how characters, setting, the parts of plot, and different types of conflicts influence works of fiction. Seventh graders utilized many engaging technology-based learning platforms to learn about the content from this unit, such as Nearpod and Edpuzzle. As a culminating project for the unit, students were asked to create their own work of fiction that embodied the story elements from the unit and to display their story in comic form via an online tool or through personal drawings. Upon drafting and peer-editing, students shared their stories with classmates in a gallery-walk format that allowed students to reflect on the pieces that their peers had created.
Before School at KMS
Thank you!
Mr. McNeill & Mr. Keefer
What's Happening at KMS
- Panther PBIS Focus
- Meeting information for athletics organizations
- birthday announcements
- activities schedule
5th Grade Social Studies: DBQ
At Northstar we have started something new and fresh for Social Studies in grades 3rd-5th. Instead of the traditional "read the textbook, learn some vocabulary / dates, study for the test"....we are going in a different direction. We are doing something called DBQ or Document Based Questions.
For every unit there is a driving question that the kids are trying to answer based on some historical documents that we examine together. They have to think critically, gather evidence, and then choose what side of the argument they are going to take. They have to have evidence from our documents to back up their decision. We are note-taking, highlighting, and answering critical-thinking questions after each document. Then we are writing a few paragraphs to present our decision to the class.
To give you an example: Right now we are looking at Valley Forge. George Washington has his soldiers hunkered down during the cold months as they wait to resume the Revolutionary War. The conditions get so tough that many soldiers are deserting, quitting after their allotted time, or choosing to stay and fight for freedom. The students get to take a side of this question:
Valley Forge Would You Have Quit?
There are such good discussions going on over these questions. We are excited to see the direction this is headed and how the students are using technology in such a meaningful way.
West Elementary students enjoyed a glow-in-the dark dance party
to celebrate a month of good behavior in October.
- Reminder: Please make sure your student has a clean mask every day! Put a couple extra in their book bags in case a backup is needed. Thanks.
- The I-Smile @ School sealant program is for free for West & Northstar Elementary students. Touchless Consent form: https://is.gd/ismileconsentmcph
2020-21 KCSD Academic Calendar
Sign Up To Receive Alerts
Sign up and/or update your subscription to receive alerts regarding school cancellations/delay and/or activity changes, you will need to subscribe to this service through GovDelivery. You can choose to receive text messages, email messages, or both. Please don’t delay, sign up today: https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/IAEDU3375/subscriber/new
Register now for a remote learning course to obtain your substitute authorization! Learn more at at Heartland.aea.org or register for the class that works for you schedule: http://ow.ly/q7vA50zA9Hi.
Recorded Voter Education Classes Available
Earlier this fall, the Knoxville Public Library teamed up with Melissa Molloy, who put together an amazing series of non-partisan voter education classes. Those are all available on our website as recordings to view at your leisure: https://www.knoxville.lib.ia.us/online-programming/voter-education-series
As we enter the final days before the looming presidential election, you may still have questions about the voting process or about the ballot itself. Melissa does an excellent job addressing just about any question you may have. The four classes are:
- Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Voting and Elections (in 1 hour or less)
- Why Your Vote Matters: The Case for Voting, Even When it Feels Like a Waste of Your Time
- News Literacy & Responsible Voting: Skills for Confident Media Engagement
- Get to Know Your Ballot: A Rundown of Everyone & Everything on Your November Ballot
We hope you find these videos as informative and engaging as we did. Please feel free to share with your friends and family!
Heather Libby, PhD
Adult Services Librarian, Knoxville Public Library
213 E. Montgomery St., Knoxville, IA 50138
641.828.0585
KCSD Admin. Office
The Panther Press is a weekly collective newsletter for parents & community members. If you have an article or flyer to share, please submit to Lisa.Willis@kcsd.k12.ia.us for consideration. We love to hear from you so please send us your submissions and feedback. The regular weekly deadline is Thursday at noon.
Stay connected by frequenting our website or following us on social media!
- KHS: www.facebook.com/KHSPanthers/ & twitter.com/KHS_Panthers
- KMS: www.facebook.com/PanthersKMS/ & twitter.com/Panthers_KMS
- Northstar: www.facebook.com/NorthstarElementary/ & twitter.com/MrKeitges
- West: www.facebook.com/knoxvillewestelementary/ & twitter.com/pantherswest
Rate us on greatschools.org!
Email: lisa.willis@kcsd.k12.ia.us
Website: https://www.knoxville.k12.ia.us/departments/district-office/people/1988396/lisa-willis
Location: 309 W Main St, Knoxville, IA, United States
Phone: 641-842-6551
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KnoxvilleCSD
Twitter: @KCSD_Panthers