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USD308 News
Macy's makes RIF donation to USD 308 Jun 5, 2013A long-time supporter of children's reading has donated funds to buy books for five USD 308 schools and programs.
Since 2004, Macy’s has donated more than $16 million to Reading Is Fundamental programs nationwide. Recently, USD 308 was notified five of its schools and programs will receive $2,673 to provide children with books the students can keep at home.
Receiving the Macy's funds were
- Reno County Head Start at the Hutcherson Center
- Lincoln Elementary School
- Avenue A Elementary School
- Hutchinson Magnet School at Allen, and
- Faris Elementary School.
Nationally, RIF was discontinued at the end of 2012 due to the federal government cutting funding for the program.
RIF delivers free books and literacy resources to children and families in underserved communities in the United States. By giving children the opportunity to own a book, RIF inspires them to become lifelong readers and achieve their full potential.
As the nation's largest children's literacy nonprofit, RIF has placed 410 million books in the hands of more than 39 million children since it was established in 1966. For more information, visit www.rif.org.
Summer hours start June 3 May 29, 2013
The Hutchinson Public Schools Administration Center will begin its summer hours Monday, June 3, 2013.
During the summer, the Administration Center will be open for public business from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday. The center at 1520 North Plum will be closed on Fridays.
District facilities also will be closed on Thursday, July 4, in observance of Independence Day.
Summer hours conclude on Friday, July 19.
HMS at Allen receives major grant May 20, 2013
Hutchinson Magnet School at Allen -- USD 308's STEM magnet -- was one of only eight elementary schools nationwide to receive a cutting-edge grant from LEGO.
Written by longtime USD 308 educator Joyce Smith, the grant will provide the school equipment and training valued at about $3,300. The LEGO Education BuildToExpress program is a groundbreaking teaching method and classroom tool for educators who are serious about developing 21st-century learners.
BuildToExpress encourages educators to facilitate a deep learning experience through a process of reflection and dialog, thereby allowing students to take a more active role in their learning. Grounded in the LEGO System for Learning, the LEGO Education BuildToExpress method can inspire student interest and involvement in the classroom.
Hutchinson Magnet School at Allen is USD 308's Science-Technology-Engineering-Mathematics magnet school.
As part of the grant, HMS at Allen and the other schools will provide feedback on how to best integrate the LEGO Education BuildToExpress teaching process into their instruction. Schools will also serve as best-practice and reference sites for LEGO Education. Feedback may be collected via phone or in-person interviews and e-mail, and site visits to the schools may also be made by LEGO Education personnel.
The grant has been awarded to eight elementary schools across the United States. The grant program funds all training and materials needed with the exception of staff time.
As part of the grant, applicants are asked to commit to implementing the LEGO Education BuildToExpress method for a minimum of three academic school years, meaning they will continue to use the LEGO Education BuildToExpress method during appropriate classroom time in the school during that time. This requires no additional purchases or training, only a commitment to use the LEGO Education BuildToExpress method in the school.
The grant includes
- $1,199.95 for the LEGO Education BuildToExpress Getting Started Pack for 25 students
- $2,000 for one day of on-site professional development for up to 10 teachers or administrators at your school
- $72.66 for shipping
May 22 a professional development day for staff May 16, 2013
While students may be out a day early for summer break, most staff will be preparing for the 2013-14 school year. One of the topics for professional development will be the district’s new student management system.
The district is converting its student management system to Skyward from PowerSchool. The district has used Skyward's financial package for several years, adopted the company's mass notification system this spring and now is making the conversion to the student management system.
Parents will receive new usernames and passwords for Skyward in late July, giving families the option of online enrollment prior to the 2013-14 school year.
The final day for 2013 seniors is today. The final day for pre-kindergarten through juniors is Tuesday, May 21.
Summer meals begin June 3 May 16, 2013
Hutchinson Public Schools continues a program that provides summertime meals to children and youth in 2013.
The meals are free for anyone age 18 and under. No reservations are needed for the meals.
The 2013 summer feeding program will be weekdays June 3 through July 26 at Lincoln Elementary School, 315 East Bigger, at McCandless Elementary School, 700 North Baker and at Boys & Girls Club, 600 West 2nd.
Meals at Lincoln will be from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. each weekday. Meals at Boys and Girls Club and at McCandless will be from 11 a.m. to noon each weekday.
Lincoln also will offer breakfast from 7:30 to 8 a.m. each weekday.
There will be no lunch on July 4, a district holiday.
Additionally, meals will be served at Avenue A Elementary School, 111 South Madison, weekdays from July 8 through July 25. Serving time will be from 7:30 to 8 a.m. for breakfast and 11 a.m. to noon for lunch.
While meals for youth 18 and under are free, adult lunches cost $3.25.
The meals are similar to those provided during the school year, providing an entree as well as plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. Menus will be available on the district's website at http://www.usd308.com/page.php?id=396 as well as tweeted the evening before at twitter.com/usd308.
The program is funded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Cooprider named director of elementary education for 2013-14 May 15, 2013
A longtime USD 308 educator will be the new director of elementary education.
Cindy Cooprider, who joined the district in August 1990, was named by Superintendent Dr. Shelly Kiblinger as director of elementary education for 2013-14. Cooprider has been principal at Wiley since 2003.The promotion is the result of other promotions within and outside the district.
Current Assistant Superintendent Dr. Jeanne Stroh will become the superintendent at Ottawa, Kan., schools on July 1. Dr. Stroh had also served as director of elementary education and had taken the assistant superintendent's post for 2012-13 to get a more varied experience.
Donna Davis, longtime assistant superintendent, stepped back for a year to be director of secondary learning, to give Dr. Stroh experience as an assistant superintendent in a Class 6A district.
Davis will resume her duties as assistant superintendent on July 1.
"Donna Davis will resume her title of assistant superintendent and the accompanying duties, as was the plan when she and Jeanne made the title/duty change a year ago," Dr. Kiblinger said. "Cindy Cooprider will be stepping into the position of director of elementary education. Mrs. Cooprider shared this with her staff this morning, and we will be making announcements soon regarding the process the staff will go through to provide input to me as a new principal for Wiley is selected."
Cooprider received her initial district leadership license in 2012.
Second negotiations session set May 13, 2013
The second negotiations session for the 2013-14 negotiated agreement between Hutchinson Public Schools and the National Education Association-Hutchinson will be at 4 p.m. Thursday, May 16, 2013, in the Professional Learning Center at Hutchinson High School. The HHS Professional Learning Center is in school’s former auditorium space at 1401 North Severance.
Except for caucus periods of the individual groups, the negotiations are open meetings. Normally, the two groups meet several times over the spring for negotiations.
HHS debate/forensics tunes up for nationals May 13, 2013
In a final tune-up for nationals, Hutchinson High School debate and speech students placed at the Kansas City, Kan., Community College Debate and Super Congress Tournament over the weekend.
In student congress, Dayton LaMunyon placed seventh.
In debate, the team of T.J. Blake and LaKiyah Sain went 6-1 and placed third. The team of Reed Crater and Brett Krambeer went 4-3 and placed sixth.
Blake is in the top five nationally for National Forensics League All Americans. Blake was named West Kansas NFL District Student of the Year at the recent district tournament in North Newton, which puts him in the running to be a National Student of the Year finalist.
HHS has one of its largest contingents to national competition ever. The National Catholic Forensics League Grand Nationals Memorial Day weekend at Philadelphia. Then, HHS competes at the National Forensics League national tournament is June 16 to 21 at Birmingham, Ala.
Qualifiers for NCFL are:
- TJ Blake/LaKiyah Sain in debate
- Brett Krambeer/Reed Crater in debate
- Dayton LaMunyon in oratory
- Paige Brott in oratory
- Savannah Winkler in oral interpretation of literature
- Ta'mara Hill in oral interpretation of literature
- Brennan Schartz in extemporaneous speaking
Qualifiers for NFL are:
- TJ Blake/LaKiyah Sain in debate
- Brett Krambeer/Reed Crater in debate
- Sydni Huxman/Brennan Schartz in debate
- Dayton LaMunyon in student senate
- Julia Henry/Austin Heinlein in duo
Additionally, during the 2012-13 competition season, four additional HHS students have received quint rubies known as the "Premier Distinction Award" from the NFL for hitting 1,500 or more points in competition and public service. Those students are:
- Reed Crater
- Brett Krambeer
- Dayton LaMunyon
- LaKiyah Sain
A sophomore, Sain is the youngest speech and debate student in HHS history to receive the Premier Distinction Award. There are only two sophomores in Kansas to receive the quint ruby in 2012-13.
Kelly Thompson is debate and forensics coach at Hutchinson High School.
National Honor Society inducts 36 May 13, 2013
The Hutchinson High School W.D.P. Carey Chapter of the National Honor Society of Secondary Schools inducted 36 members to its ranks during ceremonies May 4.
To become a member of the National Honor Society, a student must have an unweighted grade point average of 3.6 or higher with at least 16 trimesters of honors classes by the end of the second trimester of the junior year or an unweighted grade point average of 3.8. Students also must have at least a minimum of 30 documented community service hours.
Inducted on May 4 were juniors John Allen, Mattie Bieberly, Stephanie Carpenter, Maclain Crawford, Cole Cruz, Hannah Dejmal, Allison Elliott, Ashton Fee, Austin Garcia, Kelsi Goetz, Madison Graber, Megan Hansen, Brandon Heide, Kalen Hilst, Ross Howard, Mackenzie Justice, Anna Kimmel, Adam Konen, Dalton Luce, Maxwell McQueen, Mary Charlotte Meredith, Matthew Nisly, Shea O’Sullivan, Shelby Queal, Laura Ratley, Stacy Rottinghaus, Nia Russell-Spees, Latasha Scales, Laura Sellers, Rima Shaban, Matthew Sunner, Cody Teichmann, Leah Towle, Cecilia Vallanueva, Ethan Williams and Maci Wilson.
Additionally, the 2012-13 seniors were recognized during the event. Those seniors are Brody Ackley, Jack Bever, Tyler Blake, Kaley Bohlen, Jordan Clark, Taylor Clary, Alyssa Danler, Natalie Davis, Patti Degner, Savannah Engel, Abraham Fangman, Devon Friesen, Samuel Galliart, Tanner Higgins, AJ Holland, Dominique Hoover, Emily Lenherr, Haley McMurphy, Katlyn Meggers, Michelle Paine, Allison Reiser, Sarah Rothe, Madison Schrock, Kaiesha Serbin, Garrett Smith, Kayla St Laurent, Alonso Talamantes, Leanna Weesner, Hunter Wiles, Seaver Williams and Cassandra Zook.
Each year, members of NHS at Hutchinson High School accumulate hundreds of hours of community service.
May 21 is final day of classes May 9, 2013For most USD 308 students, the final day of classes for 2013 will be May 21.
The Board voted April 8 to move up the final day of classes for students in pre-kindergarten through 11th grade a day to May 21. The final day remains the same for HHS seniors for whom May 16 is the final day.
May 22 will be used by staff for training for a new student database and gradebook. The system will replace PowerSchool, a system the district has used for more than a decade.
