July 18 Tiger Talk

July 18, 2017

In This Issue

2017-18 Back to School Information

STRIPES 360 Enrollment Open

RepMO Ready Update

Grandparents' Night

Random Student Drug Testing to be Implemented

RHS Land Revitalization Project by FFA

Activity Facility Update

Required Text Opt-In

Preschool Openings

Employment Opportunities

Vocational-Technical Enhancement Grant Approval

District & Community Events

Upcoming Dates

Below you will find news and information about the Republic School District. As a reminder, regular issues of Tiger Talk will be distributed on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of each month during the school year. Two summer issues in June and July will be distributed as well.

2017-18 Back to School Information

FIRST DAY: THURSDAY, AUGUST 10

For more Back to School information visit republicschools.org/backtoschool. Also, CLICK HERE to see the 2017-18 school calendar.

Emailed newsletters will be distributed from each building principal on July 24 so watch for that information! Also, letters and emails from the transportation department will be distributed the first week of August.

CLICK HERE for the elementary and RMS supply list. EC needs can be found in the student handbook received during registration and RHS needs will be addressed by teacher the first week of school.

EC:

Monday, August 7, 5:00-6:00 p.m. (come and go): Morning Classes Open House

Monday, August 7, 6:15-7:15 p.m. (come and go): Afternoon Classes Open House

Tuesday, August 8, 5:30-6:30 p.m. (come and go): MPP Full Day Class Open House

Elementary:

Friday, August 4 by 5:00 p.m.: Class assignments posted on front doors of each building and through the Parent Portal.

Monday, August 7, 5:30-7:00 p.m. (come and go): Lyon & McCulloch Open Houses

Tuesday, August 8, 5:30-7:00 p.m. (come and go): Price, Schofield & Sweeny Open Houses

*Tiger STRIPES will be on site to answer questions, no payments being received.

RMS:

6th Grade Tiger Up Event: CLICK HERE FOR MORE

Students have the option of attending one of three available sessions:

August 1st- 8:00-10:00 a.m.

August 1st- 6:00-8:00 p.m.

August 3rd- 6:00-8:00 p.m.

Monday, August 7, 6:30-8:00 p.m.: 6th Grade Orientation (Chromebook pick-up also)

Tuesday, August 8, 5:00-6:30 p.m.: 7th Grade Orientation

Tuesday, August 8, 6:45-8:15 p.m.: 8th Grade Orientation (Chromebook pick-up also)

*See below section for in-person RepMO Ready Parent Orientation dates/times for 6th & 8th grade.

*Incoming 8th graders must get the Tdap and meningococcal vaccines before school begins. You will need to bring proof of immunizations to your school's nurse prior to August 10. For questions contact RMS at 732-3640.

*Tiger TEENS will be on site to answer questions, no payments being received.

RHS:

Student Information Day for grades 10-12: August 3

Seniors: 8:30-10:00 a.m.

Juniors: 10:00-11:30 a.m.

Sophomores: 11:30 a.m. -1:00 p.m.

*School and ID pictures will be taken during this time. School parking permits will also be available, but students must submit the student drug testing consent form before one will be issued.

*Jordan Valley Health Center's mobile unit will be on-site for vaccines from 8:00-10:30 a.m. on August. 3 to assist with meeting the state vaccination requirements listed below.

Tuesday, August 8, 5:00-6:00 p.m.: 9th Grade Orientation

Tuesday, August 8, 6:30-7:30 p.m.(come and go): RHS Open House

*All incoming 9th and 12th grade are required to have their Meningococcal vaccine up to date as well as all other immunizations. Proof of these vaccinations must be provided in order to attend school. Please contact your physician or primary care provider for an appointment to vaccinate your child if not already done so.

For questions contact RHS at 732-3650.

*See below section for in-person RepMO Ready Parent Orientation dates/times for 6th & 8th grade.

EXPO FOR EMPLOYEES:

Each year we kick off the new school year with our nearly 650 employees by hosting a team breakfast and meeting. This year that will take place on Monday, August 7. During the breakfast we invite community organizations and businesses to participate in an EXPO. The cost is $35 for non-profits and $75 for profit businesses. To sign up to participate, CLICK HERE. The deadline is July 28.

STRIPES 360 Enrollment Open

The Republic School District offers quality and affordable student programming during non-school hours through STRIPES 360. Care is offered before and after school daily and during days that school is not in session. The Tiger STRIPES, TEENS and PALS programs will be using online enrollment only for registration.

As a reminder, each year students must re-enroll in this program.

Registration for Tiger STRIPES, TEENS and PALS will require a $30 registration fee along with the first two weeks of tuition. Online or in-person payment is available. A STRIPES 360 staff member will be available at all open houses and orientations to answer questions, but no payments can be accepted at that time. To register for Tiger STRIPES, TEENS and PALS and to learn more about STRIPES 360 programs, visit republicschools.org/STRIPES360.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!

RepMO Ready Update

The district's technology expansion plan, RepMO Ready is making great strides as we plan for the 2017-18 school year. At the start of next school year 3753 devices will be in the hands of students within their classrooms, and 2153 of those devices will be going home with students.

Incoming 6th, 8th and 9-12th grade families, you received communication regarding the required parent orientation. Please be sure to review that information HERE. Keep in mind that most incoming 9th grade families have met this requirement from last school year. The orientation only needs to be completed one time. In addition to completing this training online you can complete it in person on the following dates. Should you have questions, contact [email protected].

Below is a summary of what to expect for next school year in regards to RepMO Ready! You can also ready more about the entire plan at republicschools.org/repmoready or by clicking on the infographic at the top left in this section.

Grandparents' Night

We are excited to continue the tradition of welcoming grandparents and grand-friends into our EC and elementary buildings this fall! Below are the dates and times for these come and go events. All in attendance will have the opportunity to pick-up a free game pass for the RHS home football game against Webb City on Friday, September 1 beginning at 7:00 p.m.

Tuesday, August 29: Lyon and McCulloch 5:00-6:30 p.m.

Tuesday, August 29: EC AM classes 5:00-6:00 p.m.

EC PM classes 6:15-715 p.m.

Thursday, August 31: Price, Schofield and Sweeny 5:00-6:30 p.m.

Thursday, August 31: All Day Preschool Class 5:00-6:00 p.m.

Random Student Drug Testing to be Implemented

After months of research and gathering community feedback, in June the Board of Education approved the implementation of a random student drug testing policy for the 2017-18 school year. As previously communicated, this will impact students in grades 7-12 who participate in the covered activities, athletics and privileges listed in the policy (JFCI) FOUND HERE.

As a reminder, the purpose of this policy is not to levy discipline, but rather to help prevent substance abuse among students, to encourage treatment for students with substance abuse problems, and to ensure that students have the opportunity to attend school and participate in activities in a fair, safe and healthy environment. To read more about the process in which the district followed to implementing this policy CLICK HERE.

Per the policy, each student wishing to participate in covered activities and/or to receive district parking privileges will be required to complete and submit a consent form within the first 10 days of the school year and/or prior to the first day of practice (see the policy for specifics as a second enrollment period is available for RMS students). Information on the policy, including a copy of the consent form, was mailed to 7-12 grade families July 17. A copy of the consent form can also be found HERE and on the district website.

RHS Land Revitalization Project by FFA

The RHS FFA students are taking on an exciting project! Over the next 18 months the students will be implementing a land revitalization project at RHS. To enhance the usage and visual appeal of the acreage in front of RHS, these students have developed a crop planting and harvesting program. The project will not only increase the aesthetics of the high school campus, but these students will get a great deal of hands on experience from crop to consumer.

The first step of the project is to spray and kill the current plants. Pardon our progress and thanks for your patience as the students work to create an even more beautiful and productive campus!

Activity Facility Update

In April of this year voters approved a no tax levy increase bond issue by nearly 72% to build an activity facility on the RHS campus. Currently, the project is in the "bidding and permitting phase." The final drawings and specifications have been vetted and reviewed by an internal committee. The project has been advertised and bidding opened today, July 18. The turf design has been selected and the district is working with the vendor on contract and scheduling for the project. The committee is collecting additional information concerning specifications for the scoreboard. The construction of the project is on schedule to begin in the fall of 2017. To follow the progress visit https://www.republicschools.org/constructionupdates.

Required Text Opt-In...If you haven't already!

PARENTS/GUARDIANS: To receive texts from us be sure you have opted in to do so! If you haven't opted in yet, the below directions might help!

*This is especially for incoming kindergarten families and families new to Republic!

If you are pretty confident your cell number is in our system first try manually texting "Y" to code 67587. If that goes through, you will receive a confirmation text letting you know you are signed up to receive future texts. If that works, you are good to go.

However, if that does not work please contact the building your child attends to double-check that your number is in our system correctly. If it's not, they will manually put it in the system and then you should receive the opt-in message the next day.

If your number is already in our system, the issue is most likely with your wireless carrier. In that case you will need to contact your wireless provider and let them know you are unable to receive SMS messages. They should be able to turn them on. Thank you!

Preschool Openings

Republic Early Childhood Center is currently enrolling students for the 2017-18 school year. We have openings in our Monday through Thursday afternoon class and our Monday through Friday half-day classes. All other classes are on a waiting list. For more information please visit http://www.republicschools.org/ec or call 735-3736.

Employment Opportunities

We have several employment opportunities available for the 2017-18 school year! Please share with anyone that would be a good addition to our district team. A full list of opportunities can be found at https://www.applitrack.com/republic/onlineapp/.

Vocational-Technical Enhancement Grant Approval

We are very excited to be approved for the Vocational-Technical Enhancement Grant which provides additional funds for STEAM experiences and increased rigor in our classrooms to best prepare students for their future! This grant is funded by the Office of College and Career Readiness at the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).

District & Community Events

On Tuesday, August 8th, 2017, the citizens of Republic will be given the opportunity to vote on the NO TAX INCREASE continuance of a One-Quarter Cent Capital Improvements Sales Tax. The original tax, dedicated specifically for stormwater needs, was approved by voters in 1995 and has subsequently been renewed in 1998, 2002, 2007 and 2012. This proposed renewal would allow for the funds to be used for capital improvements needed throughout the City and not solely for stormwater purposes. If approved, this tax will sunset in ten (10) years. For more information, visit the Capital Improvements Sales Tax page on the city's website or contact the City at (417) 732-3110.

Upcoming Dates

August 10: First Day of School

For other Back to School dates see above or visit republicschools.org/backtoschool.

For additional events and dates, visit the district calendar HERE.

For questions or comments please contact me via email or by calling 417-732-3605.

Sincerely,

Josey McPhail

Director of Communications
Republic School District