Hello Blue Jay Nation, greetings from the Superintendent's desk. The start of the school year is a very exciting time as we welcome our students back in the building to pursue another year of excellence. Last year our district was recognized for a couple of tremendous accomplishments. Our high school finished in first place in the inaugural 275 Conference Silver Cup competition. This is a competition amongst the 17 school districts in the 275 Conference for both academic and athletic performance throughout the 2016-17 school year. Finishing in first place amongst the other great school districts speaks to the depth and quality of all of our programs.
Our elementary school was recognized as a Gold Star Missouri School this past spring. We were one of only eight schools in the state of Missouri to be recognized for this award. Our elementary separated themselves from other districts with our academic performance on the Missouri Assessment Program in language arts and mathematics in the 2014-15 and 2015-16 school years. We are awaiting word to see if we qualified to be a National Blue Ribbon School. To be a National Blue Ribbon School our elementary needed to reach qualifying benchmarks in language arts and mathematics this past school year. Our fingers are crossed! Our district is excited for a few new additions this school year that we think will enhance our students experience and learning. We implemented a Digital Citizenship training for all teachers and students in grades 3-12. This program will focus on digital communication, law, etiquette, and rights and responsibilities. Digital safety is vital as we ingrain technology throughout our educational programs, empowering students to be a productive part of the global community. In the middle school we will add exploratory STEM classes through Project Lead The Way. The additions are medical detective in the sixth grade and green architecture in the seventh and eighth grade. We will also expose students to coding and programming during middle school computer classes. We are excited to add these hands on experience that require students to use problem solving and critical thinking skills. As always I encourage you to follow our school and student success through our twitter account @RPBlueJays. We look forward to a wonderful 2017-18 school year at Rock Port R-II. “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest” - Benjamin Franklin
0 Comments
March 17, 2017 Hello, Blue Jay Nation! I hope this letter finds you well as we transition from winter to spring. This time of year is both busy and exciting for the school district. Our students are busy in various activities and educational functions - Scholar Bowl, FFA contests, Track, FCCLA Leadership, and preparation for state assessments.
The district has hosted several community outreach events over the past few weeks that I would like to recognize. The elementary staff hosted parents and grandparents on March 14th for a Project Lead The Way Showcase night. We had over 250 adults sign-in and walk through our hallways that evening. Students were able to share projects based on lessons they learned in science class:
On March 13th the booster club hosted our annual winter athletic banquet. Coaches and sponsors recognized students’ successes in wrestling, cheerleading, dance and basketball. This night was filled with great fellowship, food and memories from a season with much to celebrate. I thank our coaches and parents for their dedication to the youth of the Rock Port School District. On March 8th our first grade teachers hosted a Night Sky Viewing Party for students and parents. Students and parents used the Star Chart App on our iPads to identify and learn about constellations in the night sky. Mrs. Waigand and Mrs. Bredensteiner started the night with some background information on the Project Lead the Way module along with hot chocolate and cookies before sending the students and parents out to view the night sky. On Monday, March 20th Mrs. Kemerling and Mrs. Hayes have organized a Health Wellness Expo for students in the North gym. Mental, emotional and physical wellness will be addressed during this expo with the help of many qualified community partners. We look forward to a great turnout and hope to see you there. It’s hard to believe we are in the fourth quarter, and the 50th Annual Blue Jay Relays is right around the corner. It has been a tremendous year to this point, and we look forward to many successes as we finish the 2016-17 school year. As always you can follow student success on our twitter account @RPBlueJays. Go Big Blue! Mr. Walker I have been notified that Rock Port R-II Elementary has been nominated by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to join the esteemed community of Missouri Blue Ribbon Schools. To be nominated as a Blue Ribbon School, the district must be in the top 15 percent of all schools in the state in student performance on administered state assessments in English language arts and mathematics. Rock Port Elementary School has been nominated as an Exemplary High Preforming School. Exemplary High Performing Schools must show consistent excellence over a two year period. When comparing the data on student assessment scores over the past two years, the Rock Port Elementary has shown both growth and exemplary performance. In order to move from a nominee to a Missouri Blue Ribbon School the administration must complete and submit an application by March 31st, and our current students must show continued growth and excellence on this spring's state administered assessments in English language arts and mathematics. If these two requirements are met the Rock Port Elementary School will move onto the National Blue Ribbon Program.
The state department selects eight schools each year to represent Missouri through this process. To be one of eight school nominated out of over 500 school districts is remarkable. Thank you for your passion, expertise and dedication to the students of Rock Port. This nomination says a lot about the quality of educators and education we are giving to our students. I would also like to thank and recognize Mrs. Evans for her leadership and love of our school during her years of service. Keep up the great work. Hello Blue Jay Nation. I hope this article finds you in great spirits and health after the holiday season. The cold temperatures makes this a special time of year as we hunker down and spend quality time with our family and friends.
This year has brought many events to gather as a community and celebrate our student accomplishments and performances. This past December we had several events led by our committed staff and students. Below are a few events that took place this past month: Band & Choir Winter Program led by Mrs. Palmer Elementary K-3 Winter Performance led by Mrs. Hunter PLTW Open House Night led by Mr. Waigand and Mrs. Walker Fall Athletic Banquet sponsored by the Booster Club 275 Conference Junior High Basketball finals night led by Mr. Hastert/Mr. Parsons Thank you to our staff and students for all your hard work and dedication. These nights were filled with laughter, fellowship and are memorable for all who attended. Currently, our district is in the process of converting a piece of property on South Bluff Street into a school farm, garden and outdoor classroom. This process started last spring when our agriculture classes, with help from several community members, planted and harvested a crop of soybeans. Throughout this project, the district has had tremendous assistance and support from several community resources. We would like to give a special thank you to Mo Valley Ag, Dan & Ben Lucas, Pioneer Seed (Ryan Meyerkorth), Jacob Mckenney, Jon Lucas, and Brian Kelly for taking time out of their busy schedule to help with the transformation of this property and the planting and harvesting of our first crop. We are extremely excited about this project and the possibilities this ground will bring to our district and partnerships in our community. Speaking for the district, I wish you all a happy New Year and look forward to working and sharing many success in 2017 - It’s a great day to be a Blue Jay!! Mr. Walker Hello Blue Jay Nation. Today is Election Day and I hope you find the time and fulfill your civic duty and vote. With this year’s election so close to Veteran’s Day it allows me to think of fond memories of my father who service in the United States Army during the Vietnam War. We have so much to be thankful for in this wonderful country because of the brave men and women like my father. Thank you to all who served and are currently serving this great nation!
On Monday, November 7th the newly formed 275 conference held its first annual conference band day. High School musicians from the surrounding school districts spent the day at Northwest Missouri State University learning music and preparing for a performance that evening. The 275 conference band day was comprised of 15 school districts and over 200 musicians. The students put together a memorable performance with a drum line performance to open the show and 4 pieces from the entire ensemble. A special thank you to all of the district band directors for your work and development of these musicians. I look forward to seeing how this evening will grow and develop over the coming years. As always you can follow our student success through the Rock Port twitter account @RPBlueJays. Go Big Blue!! Hello, Blue Jay Nation. It is hard to believe today is the last day of September, and mid-quarter grades are being sent home with students. The 2016-17 school year is off to a tremendous start. The students of Rock Port R-II are being challenged in the classroom and they are excelling on the court/field. Our community had the opportunity to celebrate with our girls varsity volleyball team as they clinched the 275 conference title. We are so proud of the ladies for their hard work and unity as a team. I personally would like to thank Coach Herron & Hastert for their guidance and direction with these ladies. DESE release the MAP results for the 2015-16 school year. These scores represent the students that were in grades 3 - 8 last year: Language Arts - 83.6% scored proficient or advanced Math - 72.6% scored proficient or advanced Science - 71.6% scored proficient or advanced Social Studies - 100% scored proficient or advanced High School EOC results for 2015-16: Language Arts 1 -87% scored proficient or advanced Language Arts 2 - 89% scored proficient or advanced Algebra 1 - 85% scored proficient or advanced Biology - 83% scored proficient or advanced Government - 100% scored proficient or advanced As you can see, our students continue our tradition of excellence in the classroom. I want to thank our community for your continued support. I want to thank our teachers for their dedication to the youth of our community and I want to thank the students or Rock Port for continuing to accept our challenge of bettering our best. You can follow our school success through our twitter account @RPBlueJays. Go Big Blue k here to edit. Hello Blue Jay Nation! We have made it to Friday of homecoming week. I want to commend our staff and students for the amount of school pride that they have demonstrated this week. A special recognition to our Junior and Senior class for your leadership in creating a culture that is positive, prideful and fun. Rock Port is a district that is known for its excellence in the classroom and on the playing field. Our current students have embraced the traditions of this great school, and are bound to surpass the expectations laid before them.
Last year the district of Rock Port went through an extensive school improvement process. We held several meetings with community members, board members, staff, students and administration to discuss the future plan and goals of the district. One of the areas that was determined to be a focus for this coming school year was communication between patrons and members of the district. Below is a short list of ways that the Rock Port School District will try to increase communication this school year:
The school year is off to a great start and we look forward to helping all of our students reach their full potential. Go Big Blue! Hello, Blue Jay Nation! It is hard to believe that we are halfway through our second full week of school. I am so proud to report that the school year is off to a tremendous start, minus the rain and delay on the track project. Our students are working hard and getting back into a daily routine of school and activities. Teachers are working tirelessly to develop and execute lessons that are relevant, informative and impactful.
Our various activities are off and running and students are very busy. Evening activities are filling up the calendar and we are hopeful that you will find time to come out and support our young men and women in their competitions and performances. Your first opportunity to watch the amazing Rock Port Marching Band will be this Friday night at half time of the football game between our Rock Port Blue Jays and the Stewartsville Cardinals. The Rock Port FFA chapter will host their annual fish fry on September 10th at 5pm in the Vocational Building. Everyone is invited; please bring your appetite and a love for fried fish! The kids do a wonderful job of putting on this event to thank our community for their support and guidance. On September 29th, before the start of the varsity volleyball match with East Atchison, representatives of the Monsanto America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education Fund will be onsite to formally present a $10,000 grant. This grant money is designated for the purchase of equipment and teacher training for STEM education in the Rock Port Elementary. We hope to honor our community farmers who nominated the school and former elementary principal Jamie Evans the creator of the grant application. What an extremely exciting time to be a student at Rock Port R-II. We look forward to the impact of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) on student learning as we continue to develop and nurture creative thinkers and problem solving skills in our students. Thank you to Monsanto for helping us implement this curriculum into our school district! GO BIG BLUE! Hello, Blue Jay Nation! The first day of school has come and gone, and I am excited to say that our student population has increased from the conclusion of the 2015-16 school year. We have several new students walking the hallways of Blue Jay Country. We look forward to the contributions and additions that our new students will bring to our family here at Rock Port R-II.
Fall activities are set to begin with our first home football game Friday, August 19th, at 7 P.M. versus the Dekalb Tigers with our marching band performing at halftime. Rock Port’s first home volleyball game will be Thursday, September 1st verses the Nodaway-Holt Trojans at 5:30 P.M. I hope that you will find the time to come out to watch and support our students in their many activities. The Rock Port R-II school district offers season passes for those who attend several activities throughout the school year. We have student passes for $25, adult passes for $40, family passes for $100, and a Blue Jay Classic pass free of charge for anyone over the age of 61. These passes can be purchased in the high school office or at the admissions gate of any activity. Work on our all-weather track down at Blue Jay Stadium will begin Monday, August 22nd. Weather permitting, we expect work on the foundation, including asphalt, to take roughly two weeks. Once the asphalt is completed, we must wait one month before the rubberized surface can be laid over top. It is our hope that the track will be completed by the middle of October. The staff at Rock Port R-II is very excited for the start of the 2016-17 school year and looks forward to our continued partnerships with local businesses and the patrons of our district. We are blessed to have outstanding community support and look forward to continued collaboration as we make Rock Port R-II an even better place for kids. GO BIG BLUE!! Hello Blue Jay Nation. It is hard to believe the speed in which our summer is passing. My family and I were able to take some time and visit the city of Chicago. The time and experiences we shared with our extended family will be memories we will cherish forever. Work is progressing on the Rock Port campus in preparation for the 2016-17 school year. The custodial staff, along with our summer help, have put in tremendous efforts in making our facilities look great. A great deal of painting has been completed in the elementary hallway along with several classrooms. The swing set has a new coat of paint on it along with the trim and window inset on the dome. The new Chrome books have arrived along with 5 new teacher stations and two Promethean boards that will all be installed within the next few weeks. We are expecting a large load of playground mulch to be delivered in the next two weeks and work by Herzog on our track to be completed. The custodians are beginning work on finishing the floors in the hallways which will allow us to have the building open for fall practice and teachers to work in their rooms beginning August 1st. The elementary staff has begun training through Northwest RPDC in conjunction with PLTW to prepare to bring exciting science, technology, engineering and math activities to our students. The hands on, problem based student led learning that this curriculum will help facilitate is very exciting. Sparking the excitement in our students reminded me of a TED talk video that I watched recently and wanted to share with you. https://www.ted.com/playlists/182/talks_from_inspiring_teachers We have many tremendous teachers here are Rock Port whom are lifelong learners and want to inspire the next generation. I am thankful to be part of this team as this transformation of learning begins in our building. I hope the rest of your summer is filled with family, friends and fun!! See you all on meet the teacher night on August 17th in the new gymnasium at 5 pm. As always, you can follow our student and school celebration on our twitter page @RPBlueJays Go Big Blue! "Through leadership, dedication, innovation, and community partnership, we will provide opportunities for all students to maximize their potential, and become caring, moral, productive, and self-reliant citizens" |