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.

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.

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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!

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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.

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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

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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., July 14, 2022: Kearney School District is partnering with Fulfillment House to provide an option for families with children entering grades K-5 to purchase their school supplies in a kit to be delivered to classrooms shortly before the beginning of the academic year.

The KSD School Supply Kits initiative expands an effort already started by Parent-Teacher Organization members in the district to make it very convenient for families to get nearly everything their children will need to start school in the fall.

“Families always have a lot to juggle and we want to make the back-to-school process as easy as possible,” Assistant Superintendent for Academic Services Jennifer Kopp said. “We see this as a great opportunity to work with the people at Fulfillment House to help serve our entire community in a really positive way.”

Visit www.ksdr1.net/supplykits today to order KSD School Supply Kits for your children. Click on the drop-down and choose your child’s grade level, school attending, and enter the last and first name of the student. Click “Add to Cart.” Follow this process for each student you choose to purchase supplies for and then proceed to the cart for payment.

The KSD School Supply Kits will include the items listed under each grade level – minus the backpack, earbuds/headphones and optional supplies – included on the 2022-2023 Elementary School Supply Lists.

The number of available kits is limited so that there are adequate supplies for everyone who orders. KSD School Supply Kits will be available for pick-up at your student’s school during the annual back-to-school open house. Elementary school open houses will be held from 5 to 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 18.

The 2022-2023 academic year starts on Tuesday, Aug. 23. Visit www.ksdr1.net/back-to-school for important information and valuable resources to prepare for classes to begin.

The mission of Fulfillment House is to provide meaningful and enriching employment opportunities for adults with special needs. Fulfillment House staff inspire confidence and a greater level of independence for their associates by providing high-quality fulfillment, shipping, warehousing and inventory services to their clients. Learn more at thefulfillmenthouse.org.

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Kearney, Mo., March 28, 2022:  Kearney School District is ready to celebrate the very best of Team Bulldogs.

The following KSD staff members have been selected to receive 2022 Teacher of the Year Awards or Support Staff of the Year Awards for their schools:

2022 Teacher of the Year Awards

• Dogwood Elementary School – Cami Aebersold (Counselor)
• Hawthorne Elementary School – Amanda Timmer (Dynamic Learning Center Teacher)
• Kearney Elementary School – Beth Pickle (Second Grade)
• Southview Elementary School/LENS – Danica Ballard (Kindergarten at Southview)
• Kearney Middle School – Brad Wollard (Math)
• Kearney Junior High School – Tanner Wendel (Special Education)
• Kearney High School – Dustin McKinney (Vocal Music)
• Kearney Early Education Center – Sara Woods (Early Childhood Special Education)

2022 Support Staff of the Year Awards

• Dogwood Elementary School – John “Rocky” Holsten (Custodian)
• Hawthorne Elementary School – Syndee Johnson (Paraprofessional)
• Kearney Elementary School – Lori Walker (Nurse)
• Southview Elementary School/LENS – Kim Watkins (Nurse)
• Kearney Middle School – Candice Walker (Nurse)
• Kearney Junior High School – Kim Evans (Administrative Assistant)
• Kearney High School – Melissa Stokes (Nurse)
• Central Office – Doug Sublett (Facilities Manager)

This year’s award recipients were selected by their co-workers and school leaders from a list of nominees submitted by students, parents/guardians and community members. The award selections were based on the nominee’s excellence in service to students, parents/guardians, co-workers and the community.

All of KSD’s school-level award recipients will be recognized during the Northland Regional Chamber of Commerce Excellence in Education Banquet on Tuesday, April 26 at the KCI Expo Center.

“Our school staff members are world-class across the board, so these award recipients truly represent the best of the best,” Interim Superintendent Todd White said. “We are grateful for their extraordinary service on behalf of our students and families, and we ask the entire community to join us in celebrating these public educators.”

The 2022 school-level award recipients are now in consideration for the district-level Teacher of the Year and Support Staff of the Year awards. KSD will announce those honorees on Friday, April 1, along with the Volunteer of the Year and Business Partner of the Year award winners.

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Kearney, Mo., March 7, 2022: Kearney School District early education and elementary families are invited to celebrate spring and plant the seeds of success for our students during our “Spring into Reading” event from 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 24 at Southview Elementary and Kearney Junior High School!

This special event will feature reading games, a performance by Mr. Stinky Feet, a magician, prizes, food for purchase and more.

Support for “Spring into Reading” is being provided by the Pamela Bier Memorial Fund, which is administered by the KSD Education Foundation.

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