Staff Bulletin |February 27, 2020
                                                                                 
Nineteen teachers from Emporia Public Schools were recognized Tuesday when their project submissions received funding from the 2020 Hopkins Project Award.                                                                                                                  -------------------------------------------------
Follow our #EmporiaProud posts on 
Facebook: Emporia Public Schools and on Twitter: @Emporia253

District News:
Technology Department Informaton:
Due to network upgrades there will not be any district internet services on March 9th and 10th during spring break. This includes our district website.

Payroll:
Your new 2020 W-4 and K-4 forms were recently distributed to your school mailbox. If you have not already done so, please return them to the Payroll Department by today, Thursday, February 27th, 2020. It is strongly recommended by our auditors that all current employees complete them.

Extended School Year Application:
Extended School Year (ESY) will take place this summer for selected students in the district.  To apply you must have a special education endorsement or working toward one. If you are interested in working this summer, please complete this form and submit it by March 1. If you have questions please contact Angela Harris angela.harris@usd253.net
Getting Ready to Retire:
Are you within five years of retirement? Not sure when and how to take that first step? You're invited to attend one of the KPERS spring pre-retirement seminars. A seminar will be held in Emporia on April 28th, in the FHTC conference room.
Paraguay Teacher Exchange Program:
Did you know that ESU partners with the country of Paraguay to provide teaching and cultural exchanges each year? To continue this tradition, we offer two opportunities for staff to get involved. We are looking for people to serve as "Host Families" for our visiting teachers from Paraguay. The responsibilities include:
  • hosting one person for about 4 weeks this spring
  • providing meals
  • providing a bedroom/closet space for the visiting teacher
  • coordinating transportation to their school
  • ESU will take care of their transportation to and from the airport.
  • ESU will provide some evening events
  • ESU will provide each host family about $300 to reimburse them for food and entertainment costs
If you are able to help with housing, please contact Kelly Bolin in Human Resources at 341-2330.

Earn $250 by referring a new bus driver:
Emporia Public Schools needs bus drivers. This is a perfect opportunity for someone who may be retired, want flexibility in their schedule, or who has school days off. USD 253 employees can earn a $250 referral bonus when new bus drivers include the district employee's name on their employment application. The $250 referral bonus will arrive after the driver has been on the job for six months. Currently, seven district employees have received a referral bonus! Additionally, new drivers will receive a $250 bonus on their first paycheck and another $250 bonus once training and CDL endorsement are complete. For more information contact Amy Larson at 620-341- 2330. Click here to apply!

Glass Blown Open:
The GBO is looking for USD 253 volunteers to assist with the 2020 Glass Blown Open. If you are interested in helping out, please contact their Volunteer Coordinator, Jackie Morris via email at events@dynamicdiscs.com or via telephone at 620-208-3472. She can discuss the specifics of their volunteer opportunities.

Ignite Emporia:
Ignite Emporia and the Emporia Area Chamber of Commerce invite district employees in and around Emporia and Lyon County to participate in an online survey focused on community housing. Click here to participate in the survey

Appointments:
Lauren Kitchell
English Language Arts, Emporia Middle School, August 2020

Riley Hill
English Language Arts, Emporia Middle School, August 2020

Jennifer Sandoval
special education, Logan Avenue, August 2020

Vanessa Aranda
paraeducator, Riverside

Elizabeth Renteria
teacher aide, Riverside, 

Kristy Ciero
paraeducator, Riverside

Jennifer Griffith
paraeducator, USD 386 Madison High School

Hannah Johnson
paraeducator, Emporia High School

Anthony Higgins
bus paraeducator, Transportation

Resignations:
Gloria Juardo
teacher aide, Village Elementary

Emma Skinner
grade 2, Riverside, May 2020

Retirements from January 23rd board meeting:
Mary Beth Gumfory
teacher aide, Emporia Middle School, May 2020

Bernard Bueno
head custodian, Walnut Elementary, July 2020

Billie Reynolds
food service, Emporia High School

Bernita Conley
office aide, Riverside Elementary, May 2020

Stephanie Moore
office aide, Village Elementary, May 2020

Find Emporia Public Schools on Facebook
 
Follow Emporia Public Schools on Twitter


Teachers from Walnut Elementary share their plan for redesign with the board.

Board Approvals:
  • minutes from February 12, 2020
  • treasurer's report for January 2020
  • donation of $1,610.00 from Emporia Psychological Services Inc. to EHS music productions to help offset the cost of the Chorale trip to New York
  • to support Walnut Elementary as a redesign school beginning in the fall of 2020 
  • amended bid from Evergreen Design-Build for the Safe and Secure Entries #2 grant to secure outside doors of all instructional facilities 
  • changes to policy DFE - Investment of Funds
  • adoption of teacher termination Resolution 2020-13
     
Board Information:
Walnut Redesign:
Jami Dakin, Walnut Elementary principal, and Walnut teachers presented their desire to move forward as a Redesign school by applying for the Apollo II cohort. Walnut has been piloting several redesign concepts during the current school year and will continue to develop and refine redesign concepts as they prepare for the 2020-2021 academic year and beyond. Teachers shared their excitement in moving forward with redesign initiatives and will be engaging parents for their input and support.

Board Training:
The board participated in a professional development training session designed to help both new and experienced members prepare for key events that occur during the calendar year. Brian Jordan, Deputy Executive Director Leadership Services for Kansas Association of School Boards, facilitated the training that included:
  • board and superintendent relations
  • discussions on board roles and leadership
  • responsibilities that help to keep the board's focus on district and board priorities
  • following lines of communication
  • keeping an open perspective based on experiences that each board member brings to the table
  • the working relationship and trust with the district leadership
  • understanding the difference between the governance team and the district staff
The training session allowed board members and Superintendent Case the opportunity to discuss each of the topics and clarify questions and communication opportunities. The topics discussed will help prepare the board to function at a high level while working together in serving Emporia Schools. Although each board member brings a different voice, everyone agreed that they are here to work as a team and support what is best for the students of Emporia Public Schools.

High School Facilities:
On Wednesday, February 19th, district administrators, staff and architects from HTK visited three different high school facilities. The tours focused on visiting science rooms, art, special education, and common community spaces.  The schools visited included Ottawa, Bonner Springs, and the Missouri Innovation Campus in Lee's Summit. During the Board of Education meeting, Pavlik, Durrand, and McCormack shared characteristics of the facilities they toured that they would like to see incorporated into the construction projects at EHS.

HTK Building For The Future:
Zach Snethen of HTK Architects provided a general update to the board on the current district construction projects. Those projects include Emporia High School, Walnut Elementary and the Early Childhood Center. Snethen reported that all construction meetings are going well and projects are moving forward at an appropriate pace. Current projects are all on schedule and meeting the proposed calendar.
Click here to view the full presentation

Future Board Calendar Dates:
  • Wednesday, March 11, 2020, 7:00 p.m., Board Meeting, Mary Herbert Education Center
  • Wednesday, March 25, 2020, 7:00 p.m., Board Meeting, Mary Herbert Education Center
  • Wednesday, April 8, 2020, 7:00 p.m., Board Meeting, Mary Herbert Education Center



Members of The Emporia Board of Education

  Emporia Public Schools
1700 W 7th Ave
Emporia, Kansas 66801