PANTHER PRESS
August 30, 2019
Welcome to the 2019-2020 School Year!
Dear Panther Patrons~
The 2019-2020 School Year is off to a spectacular start! The Back-to-School Bash, Back-to-School Nights, and the fall Meet the Panthers Night were very successful due to great attendance by our students, families and community members. Our KCSD community does an incredible job of supporting our students and staff! We also hosted Dr. Joe Sanfelippo who inspired us to tell our story. There are some great videos of these events and more on our social media sites!
There are several ways to keep up-to-date on school happenings: check out our website at www.kcsd.k12.ia.us and find links to our Facebook pages, twitter feed, and the new knoxvilleactivities Instagram account! I also encourage you to subscribe to the GovDelivery notification system. You can sign up to receive text messages, voice messages, and emails about all of our important announcements and events.
Over the next few months, we will be working on several new initiatives including the following: updating our School Improvement Plan, College/Career Readiness Programs, Social/Emotional Learning Programs, Facilities Plan, Communications Plan, and Emergency Operations Plan. Many of these tasks continue to involve community input from focus groups and task forces, so if you are interested in participating in any of these, please contact Lisa Willis in the administration building.
We are striving to provide a culture of excellence for every student while being a leader in 21st century learning and being a caring community! My door is always open, and I encourage you to share suggestions, praise, questions and concerns with me. Email is also a great way to communicate with everyone at the school, and the pattern for addresses is always the same: firstname.lastname@kcsd.k12.ia.us. Enjoy this first edition of the 2019-2020 Panther Press!
With Panther Pride~
Cassi Pearson, Superintendent
A Wealth of Information Awaits
Our website (www.knoxville.k12.ia.us) is a great source of endless information for parents, students and community members. If it's happening, it is most likely to be found within the many pages and links on our website. Whether on a calendar entry, listed on a page within our site, or in the announcements section, we want you to be in the know. Our website is home to information such as: nutrition menus, student handbook, high school course offerings, class schedules for each school building, student assignments in Canvas and grades in JMC to city bus stops, they are all linked from our website. We have it all accessible for you 24/7! If you can't find what you are looking for, please call or email for assistance in locating it: Lisa.Willis@KCSD.k12.ia.us or 641-842-6551 option 1.
High School: Website, Facebook and Twitter
Middle School: Website, Facebook and Twitter
Preschool Registration
School Picture Day: Sept 18
School pictures will be taken at each school building for PK-12 students and staff on Wednesday, September 18.
We encourage parents and community members to share their time and knowledge with our students by becoming authorized volunteers. Complete a volunteer application today and return to any school building.
Bus Safety Tips
Vaping-related Illnesses Reported Among Iowa Young Adults
Several states have recently reported cases of severe respiratory illness among teenagers and young adults with a history of vaping. Reported symptoms include cough, fatigue, dizziness, headache, vomiting and diarrhea, chest pain, and worsening difficulty breathing, sometimes requiring intensive care. A variety of vaping products associated with the illnesses have been reported across states.
Four cases of respiratory illness in young adults with a history of vaping have been reported to the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH). The patients are young adults (early to mid-20s) from across Iowa who report vaping prior to becoming ill. These cases are still being investigated, but three patients have reported use of vaping products that contain THC.
“We are asking health care providers to look out for cases of severe respiratory illness among teenagers and young adults, and ask about recent vaping and e-cigarette use,” said IDPH Medical Director Dr. Caitlin Pedati.
Youth should be discouraged from using vaping and e-cigarette products of any kind as the long-term health impacts for youth using these products are unknown. Patients with a history of vaping who are experiencing breathing problems should seek medical care. Health care providers should ask patients with respiratory illness about the use of vaping and e-cigarette products. Health care providers are asked to report severe respiratory illness in patients with a history of vaping or e-cigarette use to the Iowa Department of Public Health (1-800-362-2736).
To learn more, visit https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2019/s0821-cdc-fda-states-e-cigarettes.html.
Special Olympics
Knoxville Community School District is assembling a Special Olympics team to participate in a variety of events throughout the school year.
The Special Olympics mission is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for individuals, ages 8 and over, with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy, and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills, and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community.
Getting your student registered to participate in Special Olympics is a very easy process. Simply email Megan Hoehns at megan.hoehns@kcsd.k12.ia.us for an Application for Athlete Participation and then arrange for your family doctor or frequently seen physician to review and complete your athlete’s medical history. A doctor’s signature, physician’s assistant, or nurse practitioner signature is required by the professional conducting the examination. Completed forms may be turned in to any building’s office, and they will be forwarded back to Megan Hoehns, sponsor.
We look forward to having your athletes join our Special Olympics team. If you have any questions or need any assistance with the registration process, please do not hesitate to contact me via email or by calling the high school at (641) 842-2173 and requesting to be transferred to Room 166.
DMACC Career Discovery Days
DMACC Career Discovery Days are open to 9th–12th grade students, educators and parents. Explore career pathways through hands-on activity sessions, learn about educational opportunities by hearing from DMACC instructors, and connect to future careers and professionals by touring related businesses. Click here for more information.
Knoxville Activities Minute
Upcoming home events -
* Fri, Aug. 30: home football! 9/10 at 445 PM, Varsity at 730 PM. Marching Band performance, Dance Team at halftime.
* Tue, Sep. 3: home volleyball! JV1/JV2 at 530 PM, Varsity at 715 PM!
All home events in the Knoxville High School gym and all school concerts in KPAC will be streamed LIVE on the NFHS Network! Go to www.nfhsnetwork.com for more details!
Get schedules for all extra-curricular middle school and high school activities by going to www.knoxville.k12.ia.us and then clicking on "Activity 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
Driver Education
Driver Education will be offered at Knoxville High School through Triple ‘R’ Driving School again this fall. Classes for the fall session will begin Monday, October 28th and conclude on Friday, November 8th. For more information, click here or see registration form below.
6th Grade News
We have had a great first week of school here at KMS! We had a mini field trip to see Joe Sanfellipo speak to us about starting off the year right! We also have had a PBIS tour of the building and class meetings this week. The 6th graders are still mastering their lockers and figuring out their schedules and getting better everyday! Make sure to follow us on Twitter for updates on activities that we do throughout the year!
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CANVAS INFORMATION
6th Grade Parents:
We have had some parents interested in accessing their student's information on Canvas, including lesson plans, assignments, calendar, and class information. Here are the instructions for creating an account:
Parent Account Instructions for Canvas:
1. Go to the Knoxville Community School District Website
2. At the bottom of the website, under quick links, click on Canvas
3. If you do not have a parent account created, click on, “Click Here For an Account” in the gray box. If you already have the account created, put in your username and password.
3A) Child’s username is: first.last
3B) Child’s password is: first initial, last initial, 4 numbers they use to log onto their computer
4. You will need to go to your personal email to verify the account and put in a password for you to be able to log in and observe the Canvas account.
5. Now that you are logged in, set up your notification preferences as to when you would like to receive notifications.
6. Look through calendar and classes to follow along with what your student is doing in his or her classes.
- Choose your preferred format (week, month or agenda).
Sports Injury Clinic: Every Saturday
Freedom for Youth has a Back to School/Program Bash this coming Wednesday, September 4th from 5-7pm. It will be on the East Side of the Square and is an open house style event for the whole community. The street will be shut down and we will have inflatables, games, crafts, music, and free food. Parents can sign kids up for program and tour the building. Everything is FREE.
Our regular programming starts September 9th and is Mondays: K-5 3:30pm-5:30pm (Bus # 3 from Northstar and #5 from West, Middle and High School) snack and supper included and 6th-12th 5:00pm-7:00pm supper and snack included; Wednesdays: K-5 3:30pm-5:00pm (same buses) snack only; High School Students can volunteer at the K-5 programs to earn Silver Cord hours.
Angie Lee Gentry
Community Development Coordinator-Knoxville Site
Freedom for Youth Ministries
Cell: 515-238-5844
111 S. Third Street
Knoxville, IA 50138
Neighbor Helping Neighbor
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.
Stay connected by frequenting our website or following us on social media!
- High School: www.facebook.com/KHSPanthers/ & twitter.com/KHS_Panthers
- Middle School: 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: www.knoxville.k12.ia.us
Location: 309 W Main St, Knoxville, IA, United States
Phone: 641-842-6551