School Highlights: Points of Pride:
Welcome back to another great school year!
I want to welcome all of you back to another great school year. Working in the district for a little more than a month, I have had a great experience meeting many people in the district and the community. As I have been out visiting some of the schools and buildings, one of the things that I have noticed is that even though we are a large district, we are a family. We all share a vision of giving our students a great education.
I spent my summers in Wichita as a child visiting my grandparents. I spent time in the Riverside area playing along the riverbank and went fishing at a lake that is now Bradley Fair. Even though the city has changed and grown, it feels like home. I am fortunate to work here, live in this community and have my children attend school here. You have made me feel welcome.
Wichita is a great urban district and we are in a position to do what no other urban district can do. We are seeing great gains in student achievement. Wichita is a community that values education and knows an educated workforce is vital to the success of the future of Wichita.
I know our district is facing some big budget cuts and it doesn’t look like our financial situation will improve soon. But while the budget is a big issue, our focus will be on the way we educate kids. We won’t let dollars define what we do for our students. Our students will learn and will accomplish great things – that’s a guarantee.
No matter what job you have in the district, you can be an instrument of inspiration for our students. I thank you for the hard work you do for our students and I am looking forward to the great things that you will do during the school year.
--John Allison, Superintendent Wichita Public Schools
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Our purpose is 21st century skills
On behalf of the Board of Education, I welcome each of you to the beginning of another school year. To those of you who are new to Wichita Public Schools, we are pleased that you have selected us. Wichita is an urban district with a culturally diverse student population. Many of our students qualify for free/reduced lunches, ESOL, or special education as well as other personal and academic needs. As our students anticipate the beginning of school, it is gratifying to know our staff is prepared to help all of our students.
In November of 2008, our district was successful in the passage of a $370 million bond issue. While the planning process began shortly after the positive vote, during this school year, we will celebrate the start of actual construction.
In February of 2009, the Board agreed to this statement of purpose: “The Work of Wichita Public Schools is to empower all students with 21st century skills and knowledge necessary for success by providing a coherent, rigorous, safe and nurturing, culturally responsive, and inclusive learning community.” Our goal is for everyone working together and focused on student achievement and closing the achievement gap. Thank you for being part of our educational community dedicated to each student who enters our schools. Best wishes for a successful school 2009-10 year!
--Barbara Fuller, Board of Education President
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Education EDGE makes a difference
Employees and community members can show their support of teachers and students by contributing to the Education EDGE. The Education EDGE allows employees to voluntarily give contributions to the Classroom Mini-Grant, Fine Arts and/or Athletics Gift Funds through payroll deduct or one-time gifts. To learn more, go to Education EDGE's website. Employee donation forms are in the process of being delivered to all employees by Education EDGE representatives. Employees who pledged last year will not need to fill out a form to continue their support, unless they wish to change the donation amount. Contribution forms for employees and community members are also available for download on the Education EDGE website.
Since 2004, employees, community members and local businesses have pledged over $1.6 million to the Education EDGE, and since the beginning, the fund has provided $539,165 in gifts back to support our students and teachers! This year the EDGE is already making a difference: the Athletics fund has provided $9,000 for new track and field equipment for district middle school students; the Fine Arts Fund has provided $47,279 for new instruments and electric kilns; the Mini-Grant Fund has provided $52,050 to teachers for innovative projects.
Education EDGE is also now on Facebook! This new feature allows us another avenue to spread the good news about Education EDGE and the Wichita Public Schools! If you are on Facebook, search for Education EDGE and become a fan…and then share your support with all your online friends and neighbors. Online donations are also available through a link on our Facebook Page. Thanks for supporting Education EDGE!
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West squad has reasons to cheer
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| Photo courtesy West High School |
West High School’s cheerleading squad placed first for their original routine at cheer camp sponsored by the Kansas High School Activities Association and the Universal Cheer Association. The team also placed first in the “Camp Champions” competition where the squad performed a cheer of their choice.
At the end of the camp, the squad was given the Leadership Award. West’s squad was selected by all the other squads for being outstanding leaders at the camp and for being a squad they would like to see perform again.
After receiving the Leadership Award, the squad set a goal to be leaders in their school and to be more environmentally conscious. This year, the squad will take time to clean up the school during lunch to be a good example for other students.
West’s cheerleaders are coached by Amanda Stephenson and Sidney Lyles.
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Teens promote healthy relationships nationally
Andrew Eaves, Northwest High School, and Alexis Marie Johnson, North High School, represented Wichita at the national kick-off of the Start Strong: Building Healthy Teen Relationships program in San Francisco in July. The two, along with other teens across the country, also participated in the first Start Strong teen summit that promotes building healthy relationships as the way to prevent teen dating violence and abuse. Eaves and Johnson created a video that included local teens answering questions about relationships. The video was shown to the other teens at the summit.
The teen's profiles can be found on the Start Strong website.
Start Strong Wichita is underwritten by Catholic Charities, which partners with the Wichita Public Schools and its Safe and Drug-Free Schools Department, WSU and the Wichita Area Sexual Assault Center to provide lessons and materials to students at the middle and high school level. The initiative started 4 years ago as Choose Respect. The Start Strong Wichita initiative was kicked off in May and will build on the work of Choose Respect and expand recruitment and participation this year.
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Teachers: Transcript deadline is Sept. 10
Any certified teacher that has acquired college credit to move up for a Track increase in pay needs to turn in his/her transcripts to Human Resources.
Please have your official, original transcripts sent to your home address, open them, make a copy for your records and bring the official, original transcripts into Human Resources on the First Floor at AMAC. Having your transcripts sent to your home will ensure that your transcripts have been sent AND that the credit hours and/or degree you have earned are posted on that transcript.
After the transcript has been received in Human Resources and entered into the PeopleSoft system for a Track increase, a confirmation letter will be forwarded to the employee for verification within approximately one week.
The agreement with the United Teachers of Wichita states "All salary placements are subject to verification of experience and training and shall be adjusted in any direction for each school year to the level for which the teacher proves his/her entitlement on or before September 10 of each year."
If you have any questions, please contact Linda Wagner, Licensure Specialist, by email at lwagner@usd259.net
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Employees asked to keep old directories
Printed Employee Directories for the 2009-10 school year will not be available until late fall. Employees are asked to keep their copies of the 2008-09 directory until that time.
Employees who have home address changes, or who wish to have their phone numbers and/or addresses "unlisted" in the directory, should send a written request to Human Resources. A change of address/do not share form is available from the Human Resources portal site. Requests will not be accepted over the phone.
Employees who need to update their phone numbers should contact their building's Online Directory administrator.
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Communities in Schools names interim director
Judy Frick, founding Executive Director of Communities in Schools, is currently serving as interim director. Former Communities in Schools' CEO Mary Galvin resigned to spend more time with her family. Frick, who retired from her leadership role in 2007, agreed to serve as interim director until a new CEO is hired.
To contact Judy Frick, send an email to jfrick@ciswichita.org or call 973-5111.
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Technology Specialist trained at Discovery National Institute
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| Erin Misegadis, Instructional Technology Specialist, is pictured with Discovery Education Director Lance Rougeux. Photo courtesy Discovery Education |
Erin Misegadis, Instructional Technology Specialist, participated in a professional development opportunity to learn more about using technology in the classroom. Misegadis, along with teachers from across the country, received her training at the Discovery Educator Network National Institute in Sausalito, CA. She learned different ways to integrate technology and digital media into classroom instruction to engage students.
The Discovery Educator Network is a global learning community that helps educators share resources, ideas and classroom straegies. It's a division of Discovery Communications, whose networks include Discovery Channel, Animal Planet and the Science Channel.
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AmeriCorps GRASP receive grants from KSDE
The Wichita Public Schools’ AmeriCorps GRASP program received nearly $300,000 in grants from the The Kansas Department of Education, Kansas Volunteer Commission.
With the grant, 24 AmeriCorps GRASP members will continue to provide direct service to twelve Title 1 schools by tutoring and mentoring students. Members are also required to implement service learning projects at their schools. The program offers an opportunity for members to become highly qualified paraprofessionals and encourages them to continue their education to become teachers.
GRASP also received an additional award of $118,130 from the American Recovery Act. GRASP has partnered with multilingual services to offer adult literacy classes to parents. The funds will help support eight additional members who will tutor parents and students who are in the program. The Family Literacy program will be offered in 6 schools.
To learn more about AmeriCorps GRASP, click here.
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