Wednesday, February 23, 2022 |
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School Calendar
Dates to Remember
Monday, February 28: Kindergarten Registration Opens
Tuesday, March 8: On-Campus Kindergarten Registration event
Friday, March 11: No School, Faculty PLC Day
Friday, March 11: On-Campus Kindergarten Registration event
Wednesday, March 16: Board of Education meeting
Friday, March 25: No School, Faculty PLC Day
Friday, March 25 & Saturday, March 26: HHS Fine Arts: Spring Play
Monday, March 28-Friday, April 1: Spring Break
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Superintendent Update
Recruitment & Retention
As you may have seen in the news, there is increasing concern around the issues of teacher recruitment and retention in Missouri and throughout the nation, and Hallsville has not been exempt from the impacts of a national teacher shortage that was worsened by the worldwide pandemic. Here are a few facts about the teacher shortage in Missouri:
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Attracting and keeping excellent teachers is critical for the success of our children. Research has demonstrated conclusively that teacher quality is the number one factor associated with student learning and success in school. In recent years, Hallsville has seen a decrease in the number of applicants for open positions, and some experienced teachers have left our schools for better-paying positions with nearby districts. As a result, our district is focused on taking action to ensure we recruit and retain strong educators. This includes such measures as:
- Establishing teacher recruitment and retention workgroups to maintain a focus on the development and implementation of our continuing efforts in these areas
- Securing a grant to fund a future teachers activity club for Hallsville students who are interested in a career in education
- Applying for grant funds to support teacher tuition reimbursement and stipends for extended job duties
- Budgeting for full-time substitute teachers to provide increased flexibility for teachers
- Adjusting the school calendar to provide additional time for teacher collaboration and classroom preparation
- Allocating additional funds to improve teacher compensation within the available budget
Our mission is to improve lives through learning by guaranteeing each student will reach his or her potential. Achieving these demanding goals requires us to continue to recruit, develop, and retain the best educators in Missouri.
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Welcome Julie Esquivel
Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum & Instruction
The Hallsville School District is proud to announce that Julie Esquivel was approved by the Board of Education to be the assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction beginning July 1, 2022. The assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction position has been vacant since 2016 when Mr. John Downs transitioned from the role to his current position of Superintendent of Schools.
Mrs. Esquivel has more than 15 years of experience in education within the Kirksville R-III School District, with the past nine years serving in an administrative role. She is currently the principal of William Matthew Middle School, a role she has held since 2019. Prior to accepting the middle school principal position, she served seven years as the district’s Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment and School Improvement Coordinator. She began her educational career as a middle school special education teacher within the Kirksville district.
“I am excited to join the Hallsville School District in their work to improve lives through learning,” said Esquivel, adding “I look forward to discovering the great work happening in the classrooms of the Hallsville schools and finding ways to amplify the expertise of our teachers and staff for the benefit of all students.”
“Hallsville’s assistant superintendent position is vital to ensuring our continuous improvement and increased learning for every student in our schools, and the six-year vacancy has been felt throughout the district,” Downs said. “Mrs. Esquivel’s experience and the know-how she brings in the diverse areas of curriculum development, assessment and data analysis, teacher professional development, and strategic improvement will have a profound positive impact on our students, instructional staff, and administrative team. We are excited to welcome Julie to our school community.”
Mrs. Esquivel holds a Master’s Degree in Special Education from the University of Missouri St Louis and a postgraduate degree in Administration from William Woods University.
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District Calendar
2022-2023
The Board of Education approved the 2022-2023 school calendar at February’s meeting. The board approved Calendar G, a four-day calendar that extended the school day by 15 minutes. The first day of school will be Tuesday, August 23, 2022, and the last day of school will be Friday, June 2, 2023. You can view the district calendar here.
We know that many families may have questions related to the new calendar change. The district has already begun the planning process, and information will be shared with families over the coming months. We are committed to assisting students, families, and the community through this transition.
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HHS Fine Arts Presents Drop Dead!
Save the date!
Save the date for the spring play, Drop Dead! on Friday, March 25 at 6:00 p.m. and Saturday, March 26 at 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. at Hallsville Baptist Church.
Drop Dead! is a comedy where a group of actors work together to produce a murder mystery in a last-ditch effort to save their careers. We can't wait to see this cast of HHS Fine Arts students in action!
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CTA School Board Candidate Forum
March 23
The CTA is hosting a School Board Candidate Forum on Wednesday, March 23 at 6:30 p.m. in the Hallsville Intermediate School commons. Board candidates who have filed for the Tuesday, April 5 election will be in attendance to answer questions and meet the community. There are four candidates running for two open seats.
School Board Candidates
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Shaunna Turner
Bryan Wildenhain
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Lori Wheeler
Benjamin Dawson
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The CTA encourages community members to submit questions for candidates to answer at the forum here. The link will close on Tuesday, March 8.
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Kindergarten Registration
Opens February 28
Kindergarten registration for the 2022-2023 school year will open on Monday, February 28! Online enrollment and registration will open on Monday, February 28, 2022, at noon for all children who will be 5 years old on or before July 31, 2022, and will be entering kindergarten in August 2022. All registration and verification documents must be completed online and submitted by Thursday, April 7, 2022.
More information on documents needed to complete online registration can be found below and online here.
Hallsville Primary School will also be hosting three in-person registration events. Staff will be available to assist families with setting up a Parent Portal account and uploading required documents.
- Tuesday, March 8: 8:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., Primary Gymnasium
- Friday, March 11: 1:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m., Primary Cafeteria
- Tuesday, April 5: 4:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m., Primary Gymnasium
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Davis H. Hart Career Center
Cosmetology Program
For the past few years, Hallsville High School students have had the opportunity to attend Davis H. Hart Career Center in Mexico, Missouri to take advantage of the career and technical education programs offered. This year, five HHS students are enrolled in the Cosmetology program, and they are excited to announce they are now accepting appointments for services! The Mexico School of Cosmetology is open every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 8:30 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. To make an appointment with one of our students, please call 573-581-2637, and make sure you ask for one of our students by name!
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Board of Education Meeting
February Highlights
Below are highlights of items discussed during the open session of the Wednesday, February 16 Board of Education meeting. The full agenda with document links is available on the district website, or you can view the full highlights here.
The next regular session meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, March 16, at 6:00 p.m. in the Hallsville Primary School cafeteria. When available, an agenda can be found here.
RECOGNITIONS
Billy Roberts, Facility Lead, and the maintenance department were recognized for their efforts in clearing campus during the most recent snowstorm. They worked tirelessly to clear the lots and make the campus safe to return to school.
Sarah Wulff, Codi Campos, Kayla Lewis, Kellie Austene, and Matt Boyer were recognized this month for School Counselors’ Week. School counselors play a vital role in our school buildings, working closely with individual students and student groups to assist them with personal and school issues, as well as assisting them in planning for their futures. In addition, they devote their efforts toward district-level programs designed to provide systematic support for all students in our schools.
Amy Bartlett, fifth-grade teacher, was recognized for pursuing a learning opportunity in conjunction with the Missouri Language and Literacy program, in an effort to learn more about teaching language and literacy. Amy sought out this opportunity on her own and participated outside of school hours. As a result of her participation, Amy was given
$1500 to spend on books and other supplies to support literacy in her classroom from the Dollar General Foundations.
FFA PRESENTATION
The Hallsville FFA Chapter gave a presentation over their chapter’s growth, career and leadership events, American and State degrees, and the FFA Three Circle Model that represents the school-based agricultural education program. The model focuses on students’ Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAE), FFA, and classroom learning. FFA members also discussed FFA Week and the volunteer, team building, and community events planned.
CITIZENS COMMUNICATION
- Whitney Myers, Sam Otten, Doug Wehmeyer, Shaunna Turner, Lori Wheeler, Chelsea Miller, and Vanessa Plummer spoke in regard to a four-day school week.
- McKenzie Lehmann spoke in regard to the school’s bullying policy.
- Andi Heller spoke in regard to the school year calendar.
PROGRAM EVALUATIONS
Programs within the district are evaluated on a yearly basis and provide the administration and board an overview of each program including strengths, concerns, and future recommendations. The board approved the program evaluations listed below during the meeting:
rootED ALLIANCE GRANT
Hallsville High School was selected to participate in the rootEd Alliance grant to hire, train, and utilize a post-secondary advisor, and the board approved the memorandum of understanding at the meeting. The grant will help with funding for the position, ongoing training, and ensuring we are helping our seniors be well prepared for their futures. The post-secondary advisor will support high school students by:
- Developing and implementing individualized plans for postsecondary education and training
- Identifying opportunities to secure financial aid, including completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
- Supporting students as they work to enroll in college, earn a workplace credential, and/or enlist in the armed services
- The grant provides $45,000 during the 2022-2023 school year to support this full-time position. The grant provides $30,000 during the 2023-2024 school year to support the position through the second year. No allocation of funding is expected for the FY25 school year and beyond.
FY22 BUDGET AMENDMENT #1
The board approved the first amendment to the 21-22 budget. The purpose of this amendment is to make this year’s budget as accurate as possible to serve as the foundation for the development of the 22-23 budget. Mr. Down’s district report outlines the revenue and expenditure increases.
NATIONAL RURAL SCHOOLS NETWORK
Mr. Daly was invited to join the National Rural Schools Network which meets monthly via Zoom to share insights, concerns, and solutions for rural school leaders. The representatives are spread across the U.S. and Virgin Islands, and the National Association of Secondary School Principals helps facilitate the group meetings. This is an excellent way to learn from other principals in different parts of the country and how they solve issues in their buildings.
ESSRIII FUNDS
On January 10th, the House Budget Committee heard HB 3014 which is the Governor’s supplemental budget bill. This bill contains several key funding issues that the Legislature must address in the very near future. Among those items is the $1.95 billion in ESSER III funds issued to K-12 public schools by Congress. The legislature must appropriate the full $1.95 billion and the appropriation must be approved (signed) by Governor Parson by March 24, 2022. Missouri is the only state in the country that has not appropriated its ESSER III funds to school districts.
SUPERINTENDENT STUDENT ADVISORY COUNCIL (SSAC)
Mr. Downs met with the middle and high school SSAC at the end of January and early February. Discussions continued in the high school regarding the Boone County Mental Health screening and how best to share our results with students. In middle school, discussions were held on course offerings, the relevance of real-life experiences within the classroom, and thoughts on future class opportunities.
PROP B & CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AT-RISK (CMAR)
During the community forums, the board briefly discussed the methodology to be used for the district’s next construction project, should the community approve the April bond issue. The board requested Mr. Downs prepare a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) prior to the March meeting for soliciting CMAR firms as the approach worked well for the primary school construction project.
SCHOOL SAFETY
Every month our district receives a report from Courage2ReportMO, a Missouri School Safety Initiative started in 2019. The goal of this initiative is to make schools safer by helping school districts and law enforcement learn about school violence as soon as possible. This month C2RMO received 79 reports, and the most reported incident was school shooting threats at 17. If and when our district receives a report about our schools, school administration will be notified and will work in collaboration with our SRO to address the issue.
2022-2023 DISTRICT CALENDAR
Mr. Downs presented survey results gathered from parent, community, and staff feedback collected in February. You can view the results and feedback provided here. The board approved Calendar G, a four-day calendar that extended the school day by 15 minutes. The first day of school will be Tuesday, August 23, 2022, and the last day of school will be Friday, June 2, 2023. You can view the district calendar here.
APPROVE BOUNDARY SURVEY PROPOSAL
At a district facilities work session during the fall semester, the Board of Education requested a quote from Klingner to complete a comprehensive campus boundary survey to be used in future facilities planning, bond issues, and construction. Klingner's proposal was provided to the Board and was approved.
APPROVE ADDITIONAL EMPLOYEE BENEFIT
The school district would like to offer our employees additional retirement benefit options. The district researched and selected 403(b) and 457(b) plans that combine a comprehensive collection of investments and annuity options with complete plan consulting, design, administration, and compliance services for our employees. These plans are employee savings programs, not district-paid benefits. The board approved the retirement benefits as presented.
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AJ Austene
Signs to William Jewel College
Congratulations to HHS Senior AJAustene for signing a letter of intent to play football at William Jewel next season! AJ’s high school career accomplishments include multiple All-District, All-Conference, and All-State selections, and holds several records for the football program including most receiving yards in a game, season, and career and most receiving touchdowns in a game and season. Coach Conyers states, “AJ has been an absolute pleasure to coach over the past 3 years. He is a tremendous competitor and his work ethic is next to none. The minute he stepped between those white lines, I always knew what I was going to get. He was going to outwork his competition and find a way to put himself in a position to be successful. Congratulations AJ, your coaching staff and teammates are very proud of you and we sure are going to miss seeing those bright yellow gloves go to work on Friday nights!"
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School & Community Events |
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Be Involved!
Hallsville Youth Opportunities & Events
Please click the links below for more information on each program. All flyers can be found on Peachjar via the Hallsville App or website.
Join the HAB for a fun-filled day of dodgeball on Saturday, March 19th! The tournament is open to students in 5th-12th grade as well as adults. For more information on the Dodgeball Tournament, or ways to support the HAB, follow them on Facebook or click the above!
Join the Hallsville Twisters Hockey League for their learn-to-play hockey clinics in March! For more information, please click the flyer link above.
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Upcoming Events
Community Events & Resources
University of Missouri’s ParentLink is hosting a free diaper drive-thru event on Saturday, February 26 from 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. in the intermediate school parking lot. Families can pick up free diapers, pull ups, and wipes. ParentLink’s mission is to effectively engage families to promote optimal development by reducing adverse childhood experiences. They connect families to the support and resources you need to succeed and thrive as a family. More information can be found by clicking the link above.
Hallsville FFA Alumni are hosting their annual chicken dinner on Saturday, March 5 from 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. at the Hallsville Fairgrounds. All proceeds go to support the Hallsville FFA Alumni Scholarship Fund. More information can be found by clicking the link above.
The Twisters Hockey League is hosting a lasagna dinner on April 30 from 4-7:00 p.m. at the Bob Lemone building. Please click the flyer link above for more information or to preorder dinner tickets.
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Improve lives through learning. |
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Hallsville School District
421 East Highway 124
Hallsville, MO 65255
Phone: 573-696-5512
Fax: 573-696-3606
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