January 2024 Parent Newsletter
December 5th, 2023
PARENT NEWSLETTER - JANUARY 2024
Welcome to the first edition of our district-wide parent newsletter!
This will be an additional way to convey important and interesting
information from USD 465 to our Viking families.
Meet the Superintendent:
Tricia Reiser
I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself as the newly appointed school superintendent of USD 465. With a deep passion for education and a commitment to fostering a positive learning environment, I am excited and eager to work alongside our educators and community to ensure the success of our students.
Having served in various leadership roles within the education sector for over three decades, I bring a wealth of experience and expertise to this position. My background includes serving as a classroom teacher for 18 years, seven of them in Winfield Public Schools. After my time in Winfield, I spent 11 years as principal of an elementary school in Great Bend. In 2018, I moved to the USD 428 district office and served as Director of Federal Programs, Director of Teaching & Learning, and Assistant Superintendent, respectively. While in Great Bend, I was also happy to serve on the Board of Trustees for Barton Community College from 2018-2022. I earned a BA in Elementary Education from KSU, a M.A. in School Leadership from Baker University, and an Ed.S. degree in Educational Administration from Fort Hays State University. My husband is a retired educator having served as a school administrator for over two decades. Dillon, Bethany and Kaylee are our three grown children who live in Manhattan.
In line with our district's vision, I am excited to share two key initiatives that we will be focusing on: "Capturing Kids' Hearts" and the importance of students attending school regularly. The "Capturing Kids' Hearts" program aims to create a positive and inclusive school culture by fostering strong relationships between students and staff. By implementing social-emotional learning strategies and emphasizing the importance of empathy and respect, we aim to create an environment where every student feels valued and supported.
Additionally, we recognize the critical role that regular school attendance plays in a student's academic success. We have launched a district-wide campaign to raise awareness about the importance of students coming to school every day. Through partnerships with parents, community organizations, and local businesses, we aim to address barriers to attendance and provide resources to support families in ensuring their children are present and engaged in their education. I am confident that by working together, we can create a community where every student thrives academically, socially, and emotionally.
It's Board of Education Appreciation Month!
School boards address a wide array of issues, from the daily logistics of running a district to broader goals for the education of a community’s youth. On a practical, day-to-day level, school boards:
- Hire and evaluate the superintendent
- Approve budgets / Set spending priorities
- Approve textbooks and other curriculum materials
- Adopt the annual school calendar
- Work closely with school and district leaders on school schedules, supplies, safety, discipline, classroom resources, facilities, and other issues.
Beyond this, they set a vision, helping students achieve an education that prepares them for life beyond high school. Broader tasks include setting high academic standards, supporting teachers and staff, ensuring transparency and accountability, creating a safe and positive school culture, and advancing policies that allow every student to thrive.
Thank you to our Board of Education for their service to our school community!
Parenting Pointers:
Department News and Notes:
From Food Services
Free/Reduced Meal Applications
Families are able to fill out a Free/Reduced Meal Application anytime during the school year as financial situations change. For the online application, click here
Food Services Surveys
Chartwells, our food service provider, is interested in your feedback:
- Parents of elementary students - click here
- Parents of middle school and high school students - click here
From Cowley County Special Services
The offices for Cowley County Special Services have relocated to:
1809 Main Street
Winfield, KS 67156
Also, there is always a need for paraprofessionals to assist students in classrooms.
To view current job listings, visit the Cowley County Special Services webpage here
From the Technology Department
Please avoid leaving Chromebooks in vehicles for any length of time for 2 reasons:
- The Chromebook battery life decreases drastically when left in the cold
- Leaving Chromebooks in vehicles increases the chance of theft
From the Transportation Department
Transportation welcomes a new substitute driver this month: Harlin Mitchell.
Welcome to the team, Harlin!
Community Resources:
We want to hear from you!
What are you more likely to use for school information?
Calendar Reminders:
Important dates
January 15 - No classes for students
February 15 - District wide parent/teacher conferences
February 15-16 - No classes for students
February 19 - No classes for students
In Their Own Words - Board of Education Insights
Chad Mayberry, BOE Vice President
I am beginning my 3rd year on the Board of Education (BOE). I sought election to the BOE for a couple of reasons. Community service has always been important to me, and this is an opportunity to do that. Secondly, when I signed up to run for the office there was a shortage of people running for the open seats. Eventually, we had seven individuals running for four open seats. In the most recent election, we had four individuals running for four open seats.
This brings me to the second thing I would like to share. In the past few years, the BOE, along with district staff and community members, have had a couple of goal setting initiatives. A couple of goals that keep making the final list of goals for the district are improved communication with all stakeholders in the community and increased student and parent engagement/involvement.
Engagement and involvement particularly have been on my mind the last two years. My daughter is a senior and our family has been involved with several parent groups. One observation that I have made during this time is that these groups and many others within our district are in desperate need of additional volunteers to help make these events a success. We have all heard the adage that it takes a village to raise a child and public education is the perfect example of this.
I challenge you to ask yourselves if there are ways that you can help a specific class, club, or team within the district to succeed. We all want the best for our children, and it is up to each of us to do our part to help make that happen.
In closing, I would like to express my gratitude to those who have volunteered in the past or are currently doing so. While we have great staff and students, it is vital that we as parents are active as well in helping the district strive to improve.
Jalaine Richardson, BOE member
I was blessed to have grown up in a family of passionate educators: parents, grandparents, and other relatives. I had a firsthand appreciation for the impact of good teachers, coaches, and administrators. It seemed natural for me to become a teacher and I loved my teaching career of 42 years; it was a blessing.
Upon retirement, I wanted to continue to stay involved in education somehow, and shortly thereafter (a few months later) I found an opportunity to run for school board. It seemed like a perfect fit. I hoped I could bring my life experiences and knowledge to help bring about long term progress in our district.
I care very deeply about the community of Winfield and Unified School District 465. Serving as a school board member has given me an opportunity to share my knowledge to, hopefully, benefit the school district and thus, the community. Recently our district has been challenged in all sorts of ways. As a result, our district seems more fragile than it should be. I would like to see the district I love get back to being calm and collected. I hope our school board can promote that by making long term, sensible financial and policy decisions. I also hope that students, staff, administration, and all community members can feel respected, heard, and supported. I feel like our district is moving in a positive direction and I am looking forward to the future of USD 465. Thank you for letting me serve you.