Kearney, Mo., April 22, 2025: Kearney School District is hosting 2025 Kindergarten Orientations from 6 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 8 at Dogwood Elementary, Hawthorne Elementary, Kearney Elementary and Southview Elementary.

This will be an opportunity for students who are eligible for kindergarten this fall to prepare by spending time with their teachers and other school support staff. Parents and guardians will get to meet and interact with school administrators during a Q&A session.

In addition, these orientations will include devices and support for parents and guardians who want to complete the kindergarten enrollment process for their children. Families should go to the orientation at the school their child will be attending when school starts this fall.

Visit www.ksdr1.net/enrollment for details about how to enroll your child in kindergarten for the 2023-2024 academic year.

The post Calling All 2025-2026 Kindergarteners: Get Ready for School! appeared first on Kearney Elementary.

Both of them graduated from Kearney High School with the Class of 2021. Austin is studying at Missouri State University and is currently placed in Beth Pickle’s second-grade class at Kearney Elementary. Aidyn is a Willliam Jewell College student and is supporting Southview Elementary first-grade teacher Jennifer Lavelle.

The post KSD Grows Its Own Public Educators appeared first on Kearney Elementary.

Kearney, Mo., January 15, 2025: Kearney School District’s kindergarten enrollment will launch on Jan. 21 for the 2025-2026 academic year. If you have a child who will be age five on or before July 31, 2025, that will be the time to enroll them in kindergarten.

More details and a link to the enrollment process will be provided when it launches. Parents/guardians will be required to provide a birth certificate, a record of required immunizations, and a proof of residence for their child during kindergarten enrollment. Use our online district boundary map to locate the elementary school your child will attend. Note that those boundaries were recently changed and will take effect starting with the 2025-2026 academic year.

Any request to transfer an incoming kindergarten student to a different elementary school for the 2025-2026 academic year must be submitted by Feb. 11 for consideration. Transfer requests will only be considered for the reasons outlined in the request form. Approval is not guaranteed. A decision will be made as soon as possible and is contingent upon a wide variety of factors including classroom space and available resources. Parents/guardians will be responsible for providing transportation to and from school if the transfer request is approved.

After completing the enrollment process, one of our Parents As Teachers program Parent Educators will contact you to schedule a kindergarten screening. Parent Educators screen to help KSD plan for classes and the needs of each incoming kindergarten class. Parent Educators will also provide at-home activities and information about summer programs, as well as answer any questions parents/guardians may have.

Kindergarten Orientation events will be held from 6 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 8 at each of KSD’s elementary schools. Stay tuned for details. This is an opportunity for families to receive helpful information about KSD, tour their school and meet their child’s teachers and building principal. We’re excited to welcome the Bulldogs Class of 2038!

The post Kindergarten Enrollment to Start on Jan. 21 appeared first on Kearney Elementary.

LINK: In-District Elementary School Transfer Request Form for Current Students

As part of the elementary school attendance boundary adjustments approved by the Board of Education last month, we are changing our practice regarding private daycare providers. Starting next academic year, KSD will provide transportation to the school in the attendance zone where the daycare is located:

Completed transfer request forms are required by the deadline for any students who will use district busing from a private daycare provider that is not in their home residence elementary attendance zone. For instance, if your child’s home elementary school is Southview and they receive before-school care at Little Dawg, you will need complete and submit the transfer request by the deadline in order to attend Kearney Elementary.

Families always have the option to have their children attend the elementary school in the attendance zone of their home residence. If a family lives in the Southview Elementary attendance zone, for example, their child may attend Southview. However, if their child is at Radiant Life in the morning, the family or the daycare will have to provide transportation to Southview if they don’t complete a transfer request to Dogwood by the submission deadline.

Please email RegHelp@ksdr1.net for questions about the transfer process.

The post In-District Transfer Requests are Due Jan. 21 for Current Elementary Students appeared first on Kearney Elementary.

Kearney, Mo., December 17, 2024: On Wednesday, Dec. 11, Kearney School District’s Board of Education approved the changes recommended by the Elementary School Boundary Team.

These changes will take effect starting with the 2025-2026 academic year:

• Students who reside in Grid 15 on the approved boundary map will switch from attending Dogwood Elementary to Kearney Elementary
• Students who reside in Grids 12A and 12B on the approved boundary map will switch from attending Kearney Elementary to Southview Elementary

As part of these adjustments, we are changing our practice regarding private daycare providers. Starting next year, KSD will provide transportation to the school in the attendance zone where the daycare is located:

Families always have the option to have their children attend the elementary school in the attendance zone of their home residence. If a family lives in the Southview Elementary attendance zone, for instance, their child may attend Southview. However, if their child is at Radiant Life in the morning, the family or the daycare will have to provide transportation to Southview.

As our community continues to grow, so does the need to ensure our schools operate effectively and efficiently. These adjustments are part of our ongoing commitment to providing equitable access to quality education while addressing our district’s growth and evolving needs.

The new boundaries will better align our resources with the needs of our students, maintain class sizes, and optimize the learning environments at each elementary school. These changes are the result of a thoughtful process led by parents/guardians that included analyzing enrollment data, gathering community feedback, and ensuring that our elementary attendance boundaries will help us achieve our long-term district goals.

We will work hard to help everyone have a smooth transition to their new school. All of our elementary schools are truly outstanding. Our principals and their teams will go above and beyond to help ensure that each new student is welcomed and nurtured.

Our principals will be contacting impacted families directly to share more details about this process and the steps we’re taking to make this a positive experience, including:

• Open House & Orientation Events: To help families get to know their new school, we will host open houses and school tours in the coming months. These will be opportunities to meet teachers, administrators, and fellow families.
• Additional Support: Our counselors and administrative team are available to assist with questions or concerns regarding the transition.

We are dedicated to supporting each student and family through this adjustment. Our goal is to provide every child with the tools and environment they need to thrive academically and socially.

Visit www.bit.ly/ksd-boundary-process for additional information about the boundary process. Should you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to contact us. We can be reached at communications@ksdr1.net.

The post KSD School Board Approves Changes to Elementary Attendance Boundaries appeared first on Kearney Elementary.

Kearney, Mo., December 4, 2024: A great education can start by learning that a German dog says, “wau wau.”

A group of foreign language students from Kearney High School visited classrooms at all four Kearney School District elementary schools today. The teens led 20-minute lessons in Spanish and German for the younger students.

Beth Pickle’s second graders at Kearney Elementary learned about how Christmas is celebrated in Spain and then sang the traditional “Feliz Navidad” song in Spanish; that was followed by a lesson on the names of various animals in German and how they sound in that language. Similar scenes played out at Hawthorne, Dogwood and Southview elementary schools.

This “sociocultural project” was conceived of by KHS foreign language teachers Stacey Getz and Brittini Starzl as a creative way to help their students earn a Seal of Biliteracy when they graduate, according to KSD Career Readiness Coordinator Stacy Holtzclaw.

“In the past, our students have completed essays as part of the process of qualifying for the Seal of Biliteracy,” Mrs. Holtzclaw said. “This year, instead, they did cultural research, developed lesson plans and visited the elementary schools to share their knowledge with those students.”

The Seal of Biliteracy is an award given by a school, school district, or state in recognition of students who have studied and attained proficiency in two or more languages by high school graduation, according to the coalition that created the program. The goal is to help students recognize the value of their academic success and see the tangible benefits of being bilingual.

A Seal of Biliteracy is a valuable credential for students as they pursue their college and career goals. It is considered a Market Value Asset (MVA) under Kearney School District’s Real World Learning initiative; all graduates will be required to have an MVA to graduate starting with the Class of 2025.

In addition, a number of colleges, universities and businesses offer incentives for students who have earned the seal. At Missouri State University, for instance, students with the seal can earn foreign language credits without having to take those classes.

Having the high school students teach at the elementary schools also helps nurture interest in studying foreign languages among younger classes, Holtzclaw added, and aligns with KSD’s goal to foster future public educators.

LINK: KHS Seal of Biliteracy Sociocultural Lessons Photos

The post Bulldogs Speak International Language of Learning appeared first on Kearney Elementary.

Kearney, Mo., February 1, 2024: Kearney School District’s kindergarten enrollment for the 2024-2025 academic year is now open. If you have a child who will be age five on or before July 31, 2024, this is the time to enroll them in kindergarten.

Start the kindergarten enrollment process by clicking the link provided below. You will then schedule a kindergarten screening appointment for your child after the kindergarten enrollment process is completed.

LINK: START KINDERGARTEN ENROLLMENT

• If you already have a username and password: Enter that information into the windows on the left side of the page to access the Registration Gateway, then click “Add a Student” from the options on the left
• If you are new to this system: Click the “Registration Gateway” link and then click “Start” on the next screen to create a username and password
• For assistance with this process: Email reghelp@ksdr1.net

You will be required to provide a birth certificate, a record of required immunizations, and a proof of residence for your child during kindergarten enrollment. Use our online district boundary map to locate the elementary school your child will attend.

After completing the enrollment process, you will schedule a kindergarten screening.  Please use the kindergarten screening link to set up an appointment at the KSD Early Education Center. If none of the available dates work, please email Brittney King at kingb@ksdr1.net to set up an appointment at the EEC or your home with one of our Parents as Teachers program Educators.

Parent Educators screen to help KSD plan for classes and the needs of each incoming kindergarten class. Parent Educators will also provide at-home activities, and information about summer programs as well as answer any questions parents/guardians may have.

Kindergarten Orientation will be held from 6 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 9 this year at each of KSD’s elementary schools. This is an opportunity for families to receive helpful information about KSD, tour their school and meet their child’s teachers and building principal. We’re excited to welcome the Bulldogs Class of 2037!

The post Kindergarten Enrollment Now Open for the 2024-2025 School Year appeared first on Kearney Elementary.

We’re pleased to share that our new TITAN Family Portal is up and running. TITAN is a secure, online system that allows you to:

• Make an online payment to your children’s cafeteria meal accounts
• Monitor your children’s cafeteria purchases
• Set up automatic recurring payments
• Set up low-balance email message alerts
• Submit an online application for free and/or reduced-price meals

Lunch transactions and online payments will no longer be accessed through PowerSchool/RevTrak.

Getting started with TITAN is easy! Just four easy steps:

1. Register – Visit family.titank12.com and click on the “Sign up today” link.
2. Confirm Email – Confirm your email address by clicking on the email verification link sent to your email address.
3. Sign In – Now you can sign in at family.titank12.com using your email and password.
4. Link Students – Click the “+” button to link all of your students to your login.

You can also download the TITAN Family Connect app from Google Play or the Apple App Store for quick and easy access on your mobile device.

We know it’s taken us some extra time to get this system working and we appreciate your patience. Please see the attached document with additional details about TITAN. Questions and issues can be directed to communications@ksdr1.net.

The post TITAN Family Portal is Active appeared first on Kearney Elementary.

Kearney, Mo., September 14, 2021: The Kearney High School theatre department wants to treat children like royalty.

KHS will be hosting a “Princess Party” from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Sept. 25 at the high school, which is located at 715 E. 19th St. The party is for children ages 5-12.

The cost is $30 per person. Parents/guardians have until Sept. 20 to pre-register their children for this event by completing the online form at bit.ly/khs-princess-party-21.

The KHS Princess Party will feature a wide range of fun activities, including:

• Dress Up Costumes
• Dance studio
• Singing
• Face painting/makeup
• Hair & nail salon
• Photo opportunities
• Royal tea party with treats and goodies

This event is a fundraiser for the high school theatre department, which is currently in rehearsals for its fall musical production of “Cinderella.”

The post Kearney Children Can Have a Ball at the KHS Princess Party appeared first on Kearney Elementary.

We were thrilled to welcome students back for full-capacity, in-person classes today! It was a great start to the school year. Unfortunately, there are some challenges when it comes to our buses.

Due to an unprecedented nationwide bus driver shortage, Durham School Services – our student transportation provider – has experienced some delays in picking up and dropping off students. Buses serving our elementary schools are running about 30 minutes late this afternoon. 

The leadership and office support staff at Durham will be operating buses for the next several weeks in order to ensure that our students get to and from school in a safe and timely manner. This has impacted their ability to answer phone calls and respond to customer service requests. The KSD leadership team is working with Durham to help address those needs.

We appreciate your patience as we find a solution. The Bus Barn can normally be reached from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. at (816) 628-9003. If you are not able to reach anyone at that number, please call our central office at (816) 628-4116.

All bus routes have been posted on our website.

We appreciate your patience and understanding while we work to get through this together. Our Bulldogs are going to accomplish great things this school year and we’re not going to let this slow our roll!

The post Update Regarding KSD Buses appeared first on Kearney Elementary.