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490 ORGANIZING COMMUNITY ACTION TEAMS
By Sue Givens, Superintendent of Schools
During the 2007-2008 school year the USD 490 Board of Education committed to a strategic planning process in an effort to build long-range focus around established goals of Student Achievement, Safety and Communication. The Board selected the professional services of the Kansas Association of School Boards (KASB) to facilitate the process.
In June of 2008, KASB presenters outlined a process of collecting community input. Board Members were charged with selecting an initial Long-Range Planning Committee. Members were selected according to two categories established by KASB: staff and patrons. The Board added attendance center representation to the criteria.
At a work session in July of 2008, the Board of Education updated their established short-term goals and on September 6, 2008 the Long-Range Planning Committee members worked with KASB facilitators to establish proposed long-range goals and strategies for additional consideration by the Board.
Following analysis and synthesis of the committee recommendations, the Board approved one key goal, Student Achievement; along with three supporting goals in the areas of communication, safety and facilities. Copies of the goals and primary objectives for each area are available on the district website (www.eldoradoschools.org).
“What was most promising about the planning process was the close alignment of the Board-established needs and those the planning team identified,” said Superintendent Sue Givens. “Many items were in progress through recently developed initiatives or in beginning stages of development. Others were enhancements or modifications to current programming. In fact, the areas that stood out were those the Board had discussed as future needs, which is exactly why they engaged in a long-range planning process.”
As part of the long-range planning, the Board of Education will be forming two new work groups that will involve parents, patrons and staff. An Elementary Reconfiguration Team will solicit community input, develop and implement plans to move back to Preschool through 5th Grade attendance centers. The planning team made a firm recommendation to move back to comprehensive elementary schools following a shift in the early 2000’s to primary (K-2) and intermediate (3-5) buildings at Skelly, Washington, Jefferson and Lincoln.
A Facilities Task Force will also be formed to conduct a study to determine the efficiency, educational impact, and community support for improvements to or replacement of current elementary and middle school buildings.
Givens said, “For each of these work groups, a broad representation of community members is needed. The Board of Education will be naming these teams during the month of December and persons interested in being considered for either should contact Superintendent Sue Givens or Board Clerk Jackie Clark at 322-4800. Retired patrons and those representing the community’s diversity are particularly encouraged to consider serving on these teams, as well as patrons who have a demonstrated support for and interest in USD 490. The Board will begin hearing reports on progress toward the goals, beginning with written initial administrative reports in January of 2009.”
EHS CONSTRUCTION PROJECT UPDATE
By David Wagner, Director of Operations
• The architects estimate that 77% of the high school construction project is complete. The commons block walls are finished and 95% of the roof over that section is complete. The stucco on the exterior upper south side of the auditorium is complete. The east and west sides of the auditorium as well as the upper exterior walls of the commons are ready to be plastered and finished but stucco work is on hold until we get appropriate temperatures.
• Block walls are complete for the administration offices, kitchen and video production classroom. Bar joists and roof decking have been set over all areas included in Phase II construction except the areas over the drama classrooms and the auditorium. The block wall work for the drama classrooms will be complete by early December. The goal is to have the structure enclosed by the end of the year (excluding the auditorium and the music classrooms).
• Work continues on Phase II duct work, lighting and rain drainage piping. In addition, workers are framing the interior of the commons. Glass and glazing in the commons can be installed soon.
• The Board of Education accepted the bid from Sparks Music for the sound and video system for the auditorium and we are creating the shop drawings for the auditorium stage rigging.
• Bids for the gym roof and gym floor replacement will be received on December 2nd and the Board of Education will consider the bids on December 8th. These two projects are not part of the bond construction project.
EMS STUDENTS COLLECT 3,264 ITEMS FOR SALVATION ARMY FOOD PANTRY
The Pioneer League holds an annual food drive each year during the last full week before Thanksgiving. A traveling trophy is awarded to the school with the highest number of donated items per pupil. This year the EMS STUCO challenged middle school students to bring enough food items to “Block the Door” of their classroom.
EMS Counselor Kelly Payé reported that El Dorado Middle School won second place in their division of the Pioneer League collecting 3,264 items for Salvation Army’s food bank. Students donated an average of 7.2 items each, “blocking” 20 out of 24 core teachers’ doors.
“We were amazed by the response from our students,” said Payé. “We needed four trucks to deliver all the items to the Army. We’re very proud of our students. Our teachers were as excited about the contest as our students.”
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NEUSCHAFER AND TOWNER SELECTED 2010 TEACHERS OF THE YEAR
Congratulations to the 2010 USD 490 Teachers of the Year:
• Elementary Teacher of the Year - Michelle Neuschafer (Washington Grade 3) and
• Secondary Teacher of the Year - Kirstie Towner (Middle School Language Arts)
Neuschafer and Towner will compete in the 2010 Kansas Teacher of the Year Awards Program sponsored by Kansas Department of Education. The 2010 state finalists will be announced in the fall of 2009.
COMMUNITY DELIVER 2,800 TOYS
The El Dorado community collected over 2,800 toys this week during the Toys for Tots event held at El Dorado Wal-Mart. The donations will allow the Salvation Army to make Christmas a little better for Butler County children.
WORLD CULTURES CLUB FEATURES SWEDEN
The Spanish and French Clubs at El Dorado High School have joined to create the World Cultures Club. A primary focus of the club is to gain cultural information and greater global awareness. Each month a different country is featured. This month the featured country is Sweden. The group plans to visit "Little Sweden" in Lindsborg, KS.
Other countries the club will "explore" are Vietnam, France, Peru, Mexico and Spain. Club sponsors, Lucy Christian, Bev Buster and Juan Huertas, welcome anyone in the community who could add dialogue or interesting facts about these particular countries. Contact them at EHS, 322-4800.
STUDENTS TO ATTEND THESPIAN FESTIVAL
EHS Drama Club members and Thespians will be attending the Kansas State Thespian Festival January 8-10 in Wichita. The students will participate in workshops relating to all aspects of theatre productions including acting, singing, dance, scene painting, sound, lights, etc. They will also see productions by Kansas high schools and many one-act plays. In addition, there will be theater game competitions, auditions for college scholarships and opportunities to meet Kansas college representatives.
EHS students planning on attending include: Lee Huff, Patrick Wilson, Chyla Pugh, Megan Cronk, Joni Stahl, Bayleigh Stovall, Ty Butler, Emily Ingram, Susan Flug, Austin Kennedy, Katie Bowden and Drake Belisle.
HOLIDAY CONCERTS SCHEDULED
The public is invited to attend the holiday music programs scheduled this month:
• Grandview — Monday, December 8, 7:00 p.m., EMS Auditorium (Grades 3-5).
• Lincoln — Tuesday, December 9, 7:00 p.m., EMS Auditorium.
• Washington — Thursday, December 11, 7:00 p.m., EMS Auditorium.
• Skelly 4-Year-Old and Early Childhood — Thursday, December 4, 6:00 p.m., Skelly Gym.
• El Dorado High School — Monday, December 15 at 8:00 p.m., EMS Auditorium.
• El Dorado Middle School — Tuesday, December 16, 7:00 p.m., EMS Auditorium.
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