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April 27, 2017
In This Issue
Preparing Each Student for a Successful Future


As a reminder, the Staff Communicator will be distributed each Thursday that we are in session, and two summer issues are also distributed. Archived copies can be found on the "Communications Department" web page.

We are getting close to summer break! May 17 will be the last day of school. It will be a half day for students and a full day for teachers. Secondary students will be dismissed at 12:00 p.m. and elementary students will be dismissed at 1:00 p.m. Please begin sharing this information in classroom and building communications, and remind families to notify the school office if normal after school plans for their child will be different. 
Staff Appreciation Week
Each year it is our pleasure to celebrate National Teacher Appreciation Week by honoring ALL of our district employees. We do apologize, however, as conflicting dates from DESE and Google created some confusion on WHEN we would be hosting this important celebration. 

Due to varying communication that had already been sent out, we will celebrate Staff Appreciation using the following schedule. We apologize for the confusion, but regardless of date look forward to THANKING EACH OF YOU for your service to our students!

Sweeny Elementary: May 8-12
All other buildings: May 1-5
ROAR Run Pre-Registration Deadline TODAY
TODAY is the pre-registration deadline for this year's ROAR Run which will take place on  Saturday, May 6! For those not familiar, this is the district's 4th annual 5K race and 1 mile fun run/walk. It's an effort to provide our elementary and middle school running club students an opportunity to reach their goal of completing an official race! ROAR Run also raises funds for each school building and promotes overall wellness in our community. We usually have about 1000 people in attendance! It's truly a GREAT day to be a Republic Tiger! 


THANK YOU SO MUCH to the individuals who have signed up to volunteer for this fun event! We are truly appreciative!
Summer School Enrollment
summer school
Summer school 2017 is just around the corner! Below are the dates and times. Enrollment will be done online, and the deadline is May 5 CLICK HERE for registration links and more information.  



Elementary:
May 30-June 23
8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
(Kindergarten & sibling pick-up at 2:40 p.m.)

Middle School and High School
May 30-June 22
7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. 

TAKE NOTE: Students attending summer school must be up-to-date on all required vaccinations for the grade they will be in for the 2017-2018 school year. This primarily impacts incoming kindergarten, 8th grade, 9th grade and 12th grade students.  CLICK HERE for a summary of these requirements. May 20 is the deadline to have vaccinations updated in order to attend summer school. 

In partnership with Jordan Valley Community Health Center, a
FREE vaccination clinic will take place on April 28 and May 1 for ALL students needing vaccinations. Details regarding times and locations will be forthcoming. 

Check out this fun video Summer SLAM created! Feel free to share with your families. The YouTube link is:  https://youtu.be/zJVPYTB_HSw

Summer Learning Opportunities
The CIA Department is excited to share the Professional Learning Calendar for this upcoming summer, and to be able to offer a variety of options to meet the different needs of our teachers. Please refer to the Frequently Asked Questions portion to learn more about the SI Flex Day, number of days you can attend, etc. Registration is now open! 

MRTF Grant Applications, Deadline June 30
The Missouri Retired Teachers Foundation (MRTF) invites educators to apply for the 84 $500 grants they will be awarding! The deadline to apply is June 30, and winners will be notified by August 1. 

Retirement Celebrations
Stay tuned for details regarding celebrations at RMS and RHS! However, below is information regarding the elementary retirement celebration. 

BOE Meeting Recap & Random Student Drug Testing Policy Update
The April Board of Education meeting took place on Thursday, April 20. After the Pledge of Allegiance was recited and the agenda adopted, the consent agenda ( see details in BoardDocswas approved. An update from MSBA was viewed as well ( click HERE to watch). 
 
Each month one of our school buildings will be featured. For April, Sweeny Elementary showcased their building goals and initiatives by creating a  video you can watch  HEREIn addition, student artwork was on display.

BOE meeting At this month's meeting several students were recognized. Sophomore Hunter Mayo was honored for achieving the Missouri Hall of Fame Writer Award! In addition, four students currently participating in GoCAPs presented on their experience in the program. 

CTA, the local group of the Missouri State Teachers Association (MSTA) provided an update as well. It can be viewed on  BoardDocs
 
Director of Federal Programs, Dr. Amy Cook presented an update from her department. Mr. Jason Persons, Executive Director of Operations, provided an update to the Board regarding current facility projects. Mr. Chance Wistrom, Superintendent of Schools, provided his monthly report which included information on the legislative session, district celebrations, and a financial review. All administrative reports can be found on  BoardDocs
 
The Board discussed the following items:
A member of the public spoke in regards to Board Policy KI. In addition, several BOE policies were discussed.   

Drug Testing Committee Update: Members of this committee provided an update on the investigative process taking place regarding random student drug testing. The investigative committee put together a survey that was distributed to employees and all patrons. That survey closed on 2/21 and the results were shared along with the first draft of the Board policy. Additional information can be found in the below section.

The district Professional Development Plan was discussed along with information regarding research taking place on contracting services for custodial and food service substitutes.

The Board acted on the following items:
Updates to board policies DL, ECA, ECA-AP1, ECA-AP2, IGBCA, IND, GBA, GCBA, GCBA-R1, DN-AP1 and GCPB were approved. Details are on  BoardDocs.

Bids for technology, asphalt and buses were approved as presented, as was the bank depository service bid.

Building automation services provided by Control Service Company was approved. 

The revised FY2017 budget was presented and approved by the Board as well.

The next regular meeting will be May 18,  2017 with open session beginning at 7:00 p.m. 


Random Student Drug Testing Policy Update
All patrons are invited to an information night regarding the implementation of random student drug testing on Tuesday, May 9 at 6:30 p.m. in the Republic High School library. Law enforcement personnel, an attorney and toxicology company representatives will join district personnel to provide information and answer questions. To read more about the process and the preliminary draft regarding this policy,  CLICK HERE

SOAR Survey
SOAR Gifted program would like your feedback. The continued improvement of this program is an important one and we would like to know your thoughts on some key components. Your feedback is important to us and will help guide our plans for next year. If you could squeeze a few minutes into your extremely busy schedule to answer this short survey, it would be appreciated.  

MAP & EOC Testing Window, April 24-May 5
We are almost half-way through MAP & EOCs! As a district, the overall testing window for students in grades 3-8 taking the Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) Grade Level Assessments and secondary students participating in End of Course exams will be April 24-May 5. Each building will provide specific dates per grade level/course through their communication tools. 

Hang in there! Here are a few videos that might make you smile!
  
You're Invited! Republic Writer's Reception
The 2017 Writer's Reception will honor Republic School District's K-12 Award-winning writers from all area contests! Student authors and their teachers will be recognized. Awards will be presented. A sundae bar, coffee and lemonade will be served in celebration! 


Date: Thursday, May 4, 2017 from 4:00-5:00 p.m.
Location: Central Office Board Room (518 N. Hampton--inside Price Elementary)

Mobile Mammography Bus, April 28
Summer Safari
Summer Safari is a summer recreation program offered by the Republic School District through the STRIPES 360 department for students entering kindergarten through 6th  grade for the 2017-18 school year. Registration is open now!  CLICK HERE  for more details and to register.

Kindergarten Orientation: Save the Date
Incoming kindergarten families, save the date for KINDERGARTEN ORIENTATION! This is an evening event that provides an opportunity for students and parents to see the school building, meet teachers and experience a real bus ride! While students are participating in activities throughout the building, parents will gather to meet faculty and learn what kindergarten is all about! 

Tuesday, May 2: Sweeny and Lyon starting at  6:00 p.m.
Thursday, May 4: McCulloch, Price and Schofield starting at  6:00 p.m.

Employee Children Enrollment Information
*For employees enrolling their child(ren) for the first time in our district. Also, for employees wanting to request an elementary building transfer.
Employees who... 
reside outside of the Republic School District (non-resident) boundary that would like to enroll their student(s) in our district 
OR 
live within the Republic School District boundary, but desire their student(s) to attend an elementary site other than their designated school (the building boundary in which you live).

must receive approval notification from the Department of Federal Programs and Student Support Services. If this applies to you, please complete an Employee Student Enrollment Request form found HERE and submit it to the Department of Federal Programs and Student Support Services. Please note the review process could take up to a week, and employees submitting requests will receive notification from the Department of Federal Programs and Student Support Services. 
DirectConnect Visits Just Got Easier
As a reminder, DirectConnect is an online experience to visit with a medical professional offered through CoxHealth. There are a few changes with the system. 


Below are several need-to-knows:
1. You must have your plan code at the time you are requesting a visit. If you do not have your plan code, you will be prompted to pay $49 for your visit instead of the $45 co-pay amount if you have your plan code.
PLAN CODE: Rep45c
All district employees and dependents are eligible to use this resource!

2. Payment will occur online at the time of the visit. Debit, credit, HSA, HRA and Flex Accounts can be used. 

3. After payment, a link will appear for you to click on and join the virtual room. No longer will you have to await a phone call to receive login instructions.

Contact 417.269.8633 or 1.888.805.8965 for assistance. 
  
District & Community Events
TONIGHT, April 27  from  3:45-6:30 p.m., is the last night to take advantage of the District Book Fair! It will be located in the Board Training Room inside Price Elementary (518 N. Hampton)! All proceeds will be shared among ALL elementary and middle school libraries to provide resources for guest authors and illustrators to visit!

Can't make it, no worries! You can shop online at  http://www.scholastic.com/bf/price. This is a great opportunity to pick up some books for summer reading!


Contact ciara.declue@republicschools.org for details!

Text RHS17 to 51660 to support Project Graduation! Get a buy one, get one toasted ravioli in the process!



City Employment Opportunities

The City of Republic asked that we pass these summer employment opportunities on to our district employees. Stop by the Republic Community Center to apply or call 417.732.3500 for additional information. 

Baseball/Softball Supervisor
  • Duties:  Responsible for supervising Youth Baseball/Softball games throughout the season, maintaining control of the entire complex including coaches, players, and fans.  Supervises and evaluates all ballfield employees including umpires, concession workers, and admission workers. 
  • Shifts:   Monday-Friday from 4:15-9:30 p.m. (Occasional Saturdays)
  • Employment Dates:  May 15 - August 4
  • Pay Range:  $15.00-$17.50/Hour
  • Must be 18 years of age or older to apply.
 
Summer Recreation Day Camp Director
  • Duties:  Responsible for daily operations of the Summer Recreation Day Camp.  Supervises Camp Counselors, Head Counselors, and Bus Drivers.  Interacts professionally and courteously with parents/guardians and the general public. 
  • Shifts:  Various shifts between 6:00 a.m.-6:15 p.m. Monday-Friday.
  • Employment Dates:  May 1 - August 9
  • Pay Range:  $10.00/Hour
  • Must be 21 years of age or older to apply.
Upcoming Dates
**Be sure to wear one of the "Helping Our Own" t-shirts you may have purchased in support of Audrey, Grayson and/or Dave every Friday!**

April 28: RHS progress reports distributed
May 1: Staff Appreciation Week Begins! (all buildings besides Sweeny which begins May 8)
May 1: One Fine Night
May 2: Lyon and Sweeny Kindergarten Orientation,  6:00 p.m.
May 4: McCulloch, Price and Schofield Kindergarten Orientation,  6:00 p.m.
May 14: RHS Graduation, JQH Arena  1:30 p.m.
May 16: 8th Grade Promotion, RHS gym  7:00 p.m.
May 17: LAST DAY OF SCHOOL, half day for students--12 p.m. dismissal for RHS and RMS, and 1 p.m. dismissal for elementary. 
(elementary grade cards distributed, RMS and RHS grade cards to be emailed in the coming days)
May 18: Board of Education Meeting, 7:00 p.m. at C.O.
 
For additional dates, please view the website calendar HERE         
For questions or comments please contact josey.mcphail@republicschools.org or call extension 6008.
  
Sincerely,
  
Josey McPhail
Republic School District