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 2025-2026 academic year.

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

Kearney, Mo., February 26, 2025: Kearney School District is pleased to announce that Hawthorne Elementary kindergarten teacher Ashlyn Mansil is one of only 93 educators across Missouri selected to participate in the inaugural class of the Personalized Competency-Based Master Teacher Cadre program.

This professional learning opportunity is hosted by the Success-Ready Students Network (SRSN) in partnership with the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. It is designed to equip educators with the knowledge and skills to master personalized competency-based learning (PCBL) through a dynamic blend of in-person and virtual experiences.

“I know everyone in Team KSD joins me in congratulating Ms. Mansil for being chosen to represent our school system in this cutting-edge program,” Superintendent Emily Miller said. “Her work with the cohort aligns perfectly with our focus on fostering innovative teaching and learning in every classroom.”

Mansil was picked for the program after a rigorous application process that included strong recommendations from KSD administrators. She’s in her second year at Hawthorne and eighth overall as a teacher.

The program will be divided into cohorts across the state led by seasoned educators with vast experience and knowledge in this area. In total, approximately 40 hours of learning will be completed between February and June through a combination of pre-work/self-study, four in-person sessions and a series of virtual sessions.

On a recent Tuesday afternoon, Ms. Mansil quietly and purposefully read a children’s book to her assembled students dutifully arrayed on the carpet at the front of her classroom. She then walked through the basic elements of fiction and had the students disperse to locate and read works that fit those criteria.

“I was really surprised and grateful to be chosen for this program,” Mansil said during a break from providing individual attention for various students. “I’m looking forward to working with a group of outstanding educators to learn how we can create even better classroom experiences for our students.”

Program participants will deepen their understanding of personalized competency-based learning and learn how to enhance classroom practices to design powerful, student-centered learning environments. As they engage with the content, they will build a collaborative network of educators dedicated to refining their craft.

By the end of the program, participants will have developed the expertise and leadership skills of a “master teacher” who not only excels in their own classroom but also serves as a mentor and resource to colleagues, guiding them in the effective implementation of PCBL. These educators will be prepared to take on supportive professional development roles within their districts and across others, expanding the impact of PCBL and benefiting both teachers and students across their schools.

“Ms. Mansil is a great choice for this program,” Hawthorne Elementary Principal Chauncey Rardon said. “Of course, I’m happy for her, but I’m also happy for our team at Hawthorne and the whole district because she’s going to help all of us learn how to implement these techniques in our classrooms.”

Visit www.srsnmo.org to learn more about the Success-Ready Students Network.

The post KSD Teacher Earns Invite to Innovative Classroom Training appeared first on Kearney School District.

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 School District.

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 School District.

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.

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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 School District.

• Dogwood Elementary
• Hawthorne Elementary
• Kearney Early Education Center
• Kearney Middle School
• Kearney Junior High
• Kearney High School
• Southview Elementary

These awards recognize the top 15 percent of food service providers overseen by the county. In addition, Dogwood, the EEC, KHS and Southview earned Gold Standard Awards for earning the Food Safety Excellence Award three years or more in a row.

Southwest Foodservice Excellence (SFE) provides all services in KSD’s school cafeterias. SFE’s KSD staff is led by Director of Food Service Angie Lyman.

“Congratulations to Angie and the entire SFE team for their outstanding diligence and hard work on behalf of our students, staff members and visitors,” Superintendent Emily Miller said. “This is another example of how we go above and beyond to serve our families.”

The Food Safety Excellence Award recognizes food establishments that continue to successfully follow the Clay County Food Code, exhibit outstanding food safety and sanitation practices, and achieve exceptional inspection results during the calendar year, according to a press release from the public health center. To qualify for the award, honorees must meet multiple criteria such as having been open and operating for the full year with no repeated violations, no follow-up inspections needed, and no confirmed cases of foodborne illnesses.

“We are grateful for the hard work these establishments put in last year to not only meet but exceed the health department’s high standards of safety,” said Robert Gilliland, section chief of Environmental Health Protection. “We appreciate their partnership in protecting our community from foodborne illnesses, waterborne illnesses and other hazards.”

In 2023, the Environmental Health Protection section of Clay County Public Health Center conducted 1,530 routine food establishment inspections and 297 temporary food event inspections, and investigated 114 food-related complaints.

The post Several KSD Schools Honored for Food Safety Excellence appeared first on Kearney School District.

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 School District.

Kearney, Mo., April 19, 2023: Kearney School District is pleased to announce that Chauncey Rardon has been selected to become the new principal at Hawthorne Elementary School.

Mr. Rardon’s appointment was confirmed by the KSD Board of Education during a work session on Tuesday, April 18 at the central office. He was selected after an extensive and rigorous vetting and interview process conducted by the district’s hiring committee, according to Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources Zach McMains.

“We had an outstanding pool of candidates for this principal post, but Mr. Rardon really rose to the top,” Dr. McMains said. “I know he’s going to be an excellent addition to our school leadership team. He brings the kind of experience that will be a great match for the talented faculty and staff at Hawthorne Elementary!”

Rardon is currently the principal of Lathrop Elementary School, a position he has held since 2003. Before that, he taught third- and fifth-grade classes from 1998 to 2003 at Brookfield Elementary School. He also started teaching classes in 2013 as an adjunct professor at William Woods University.

After graduating from Brookfield High School in 1994, Rardon earned an associate’s degree from North Central Missouri College and a Bachelor of Arts in Education from Graceland University. He also holds a Specialist in Education degree from William Woods University and a Master of Science in Education from Northwest Missouri State University.

Rardon is looking forward to getting to know the Hawthorne Elementary team and community and applying his two decades’ worth of educational leadership experience to achieving the school’s goals.

“My twenty years of experience as the principal of Lathrop Elementary School has prepared me for a position in mentoring and guiding the process of managing an elementary school,” he said. “I’m excited to develop trusting relationships with all community stakeholders and to lead this highly qualified team of professionals who have a focus on meeting the needs of all students.”

Current Hawthorne Elementary Principal Lauren Malone is leaving KSD at the end of the academic year to take a position as the Director of Curriculum and Instruction for Grandview C-4 School District. Rardon will start his new job in July.

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A charismatic third grader at Hawthorne Elementary School, Gunnar is just one of many students with disabilities who are already benefitting from a specialized adaptive bike purchased with grant funds provided by Variety KC. He spun around the school gym and smiled wide when asked if he was having fun.

“Yes!” Gunnar exclaimed.

The bike cost $5,963, according to Kearney School District Physical Therapist Anne Hayter. Variety KC was able to help a whole group of students with its grant.

“They work with children with disabilities and their families all over the KC metro,” Ms. Hayter said. “I was thrilled that they were willing to award a grant to a school district. This one grant can meet several students’ needs.”

Some students with health conditions or physical disabilities can find PE and recess very challenging, Hayter explained. She and her team work creatively to modify or adapt activities to ensure access for all students, but even with those changes, PE and recess can be a source of frustration. This tricycle can offer these students an energy-efficient means of mobility while still working to improve strength and activity tolerance.

“Plus, it’s fun!” Hayter said. “We used the bike last week in PE for students to be able to participate in relay races with their classmates. It’s wonderful to see these children included with their peers!”

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