Monday, December 23, 2019
School Calendar
Dates to Remember
12/20 Early Dismissal at 12:30, Winter Break begins
12/23 - 1/3 Winter Break
1/6   School Resumes, Beginning of 3rd Quarter
1/20  No School, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
1/21 Board of Education Meeting

For more information on events and to view flyers, visit the school website or download the free Hallsville Schools' app available in the Google Play and the iTunes App Store .
Hallsville High School
Students of the Quarter

Congratulations to HHS Students of the Quarter. Each was nominated for their leadership, work ethic, positive attitude, and hard work in the classroom.  
Board of Education 
December Highlights

Below are highlights of items discussed during the open session of the Wednesday, December 18 Board of Education Meeting. The full agenda with document links is available on the district website .  
 
RECOGNITIONS
Coach Keoneke and the Hallsville Baseball Program were presented with a plaque by Representative Cheri Toalson Reish from the Missouri House of Representatives for their recent induction into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame. 

Megan Johnson with OPAA! Food Management was recognized for 100% rating of all three kitchens from the Columbia/Boone County Department of Health and Human Services during the latest round health inspections.  

Members of the Special Education team were recognized for their commitment to the district and their work within the SPED department.  
Paraprofessionals:  Sandy Alexander , 13 years of service; Lisa Thorton , 14 years of service; and Betsey Enriquez , 15 years of service
Special Education Teacher:  Lesa Richards , 35 years of service
Speech Language Pathologist:  Cindy Muckerman , 19 years of service
 
BOND REFUNDING
Lorenzo Boyd of Stifel addressed the Board, answered questions, and requested approval of the bond issuance for refunding of the district's Series 2013A General Obligation bonded debt. By refinancing nearly $2,000,000 in debt, the district will save an estimated $226,000 in future interest payments . As a part of the preparatory process, Standard and Poor's evaluated the district's creditworthiness. The results of this evaluation resulted in an affirmation of the district's AA+ credit rating for the issuance under consideration. The S&P report and bond refunding documents can be found under Item 6 here .  

BUILDING IMPROVEMENT GOALS  
Each year, buildings create building improvement goals that support the district’s Comprehensive School Improvement Plan (CSIP). You can view individual building goals below.  
 
HALLSVILLE STAFFING UPDATE
John Downs provided more information on the district’s efforts to recruit and retain staff, which included calculations on the potential costs associated with increases to the base teacher salary and the associated increases across other staff classifications. His presentation can be viewed here .  

FOUR-DAY SCHOOL WEEK STUDY GROUP UPDATE
Representatives from the study group made their second report to the Board at the December meeting. The report included information Mr. Downs gathered from speaking with superintendents of four-day school districts of similar enrollment size to Hallsville. Information regarding Special Education was gathered from Special Education Director, Angie Maseman, speaking to other Directors of Special Education in various Missouri districts. The presentation can be viewed here .  

PTO PLAYGROUND DONATION
The board approved the Hallsville PTO’s donation of $30,000 to purchase additional playground equipment for the Primary School to meet the needs of the school’s expanding population once second grade completes the transition.

INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL BOILER
The board approved the purchase and installation of a new boiler at the intermediate school. One of the two boilers and an accompanying piece of equipment has failed and should be replaced in advance of the coming winter. The unit will be purchased with money from the capital projects fund.

To read the full highlights of the board meeting, click here . The next regular session meeting is Tuesday, January 21, at 6:00 p.m.
Exploring a Four-Day School Week
Updated Information

In early December, the four-day study group hosted a Community Forum to gather questions and feedback regarding the exploration of the four-day school week. With almost 100 people in attendance, the feedback provided to the group helped guide further research on various topics such as academic achievement, childcare, teacher recruitment, and extracurricular activities. 

Last week, the study group presented to the Board of Education during their monthly meeting addressing many questions received during the forum. The presentation, which can be viewed on the district’s website here , covered the following topics: Calendars, Childcare, Food Insecurity, Athletics & Activities, Academics, and Staff Recruitment & Retention. Information provided in the presentation came from Superintendent John Downs’ “ Discussions with Superintendents ” and Special Education Director Angie Maseman’s “ Discussions with Special Education Directors. ”  

The district has also updated the Exploring a Four Day School Week Information Sheet addressing stakeholders' questions.   
HMS students battle through Spelling Bee
Congratulations Ava Gill! 

Congratulations to seventh grader Ava Gill who took home the win during the HMS Spelling Bee on Friday, December 20, correctly spelling 36 words.  
Ava Gill and sixth-grader, Brynnlie Hampton, battled each other for 35 rounds before Ava took home the title. Ava was able to win the bee by correctly spelling the words “palladium” and “coltan.” Both girls dominated the rounds and were the last ones standing at the end of round 18. They went head to head with each other from round 18 all the way through round 35.  
Reception for Coach K & Baseball Program
Enshrinement into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame
 
Please join us in celebrating Coach Barry Koeneke and the Hallsville High School Baseball Program for their recent enshrinement into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame! A reception will be held in the HHS secondary cafeteria on Saturday, December 28 at 1:00 p.m. Baseball alumni in attendance will receive free admission into the HHS basketball game against Sturgeon that begins at 2:00 p.m. in the west gym. Please come out and welcome these alumni and their coach who will be entering his 45th season this spring!
Happy Holidays 
From HMS Digital Media Class

Happy holidays and Merry Christmas to everyone! Ms. Herndon’s digital media class created holiday cards to send out to local businesses. The winning design was created by 8th grader Alexis Wildenhain.    
Bond Construction Updates
#BuildingOurTribe

The December 2019 report presented to the board outlined updates on the construction progress for gymnasium and second-grade classroom wing. Work has been ongoing inside the existing school for the electrical, fire alarm and mechanical systems that feed the new buildings. S.M. Wilson is looking forward to the exterior enclosure of the Gymnasium and Classroom addition in preparation for the interior finish activities.
Board action was requested on the following change orders: (1) conversion of two regular restroom stalls to ambulatory stalls with two added grab bars in each stall. Change orders would be funded from the district's contingency. Details are included in the monthly update document. Additionally, SM Wilson has requested Board approval of pay application #5, also included in the update. 
School Board Filing
Interested in serving on the board? 
 
The Hallsville R-IV School District encourages qualified persons, interested in running for a position on the Board of Education, to file to be a candidate in the April 7, 2020 election. Interested persons may file at the superintendent’s office located at 421 E. Highway 124, Hallsville, Missouri. For more information contact Board secretary, Nan Berkbuegler, at 573-696-5512 ext. 310.  

Filing will begin on December 17, 2019, at 8:00 a.m. and will continue during the district’s regular business hours, Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Filings will not occur on days that the school district is closed due to inclement weather. Filings will also not occur on the following holidays and breaks when the school district’s central offices are closed: December 23, 2019 - January 3, 2020, and January 20, 2020. Filing will end on January 21, 2020, at 5:00 p.m.  

More information on qualifications can be found on the district’s website here .
School & Community Events
Be Involved!
Hallsville Youth Opportunities & Events

Registration for the annual HHS Cheerleading Clinic for future cheerleaders is now open! The clinic is on Saturday, January 11 from 9:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. in the HHS West Gym and is open to boys and girls in grades kindergarten through sixth grade. Students will have the opportunity to learn cheers, tumbling, dancing, and stunting. They will also perform at the Thursday, January 16 HHS Girls Basketball game. Registration is due by Tuesday, January 7, 2020. For more information, email Coach Williams at [email protected] .  


All students in kindergarten through 6th grade are invited to participate in the Annual Block Kids Contest on Saturday, January 18, 2020. Block Kids Building Competition is a national award-winning program that introduces children to the construction industry in an effort to create awareness and promote careers in the industry. This free event is sponsored by the Central Missouri Chapter #341 of the National Association of Women in Construction. For more information on the program and national level of this program, click here .  

Join the Runge Nature Center in December to participate in a wide range of events and activities from wreath making to archery. All events are free, however, registration is required for most events. You can preview the flyer of events on Peachjar (link above) or register for events here . 
BeInvolved.Club
 
All events listed above can be viewed on Peachjar by clicking the purple event title. You can view all Peachjar flyers here or by individual building here.

If you would like your community event or student club posted on Peachjar and on the ENews, please email [email protected] .
Upcoming Events
Community Events & Resources
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The annual Hallsville PTO Trivia Night is Saturday, February 1 at the Bob Lemone building! Gather your team and come out for a great night of food, trivia, and silent auction items. Money raised goes directly back to the school to support technology, student experiences, and scholarships. Last’s year Trivia Night help support the recent $30,000 donation to Hallsville Primary for an additional playground when the new second-grade wing opens next year!  

You can visit the Bookmobile on the 2nd & 4th Tuesday of each month at City Hall from 1:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Dates through February are listed on the district calendar. Over the break, don’t forget, you can also reserve and pick-up books from the Lockers-To-Go located at Prengers.  

The Hallsville Food Pantry will take place on M onday, December 23 from 4:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. at the Hallsville Baptist Church. Food is provided at no cost for families in need. Please see the above link for what to bring. Dates for each month are also posted on the district’s calendar which can be found online here or on the app! 

You can view all Peachjar flyers here or by individual building here.

If you would like your community event or student club posted on Peachjar and on the ENews, please email [email protected] .
Improve lives through learning.
Hallsville School District
421 East Highway 124
Hallsville, MO 65255

Phone: 573-696-5512
Fax: 573-696-3606
Contact Us:
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