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Maize Schools is on Facebook!
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Last week, Maize USD 266 launched our first official district Facebook account.
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Emergency alerts and notifications
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In the event of an emergency in your child's school, Maize USD 266 will use the Blackboard Connect parent notification system to notify you of the situation and will alert you about steps you need to take in order to reunite with your child. Voice messages will be sent to all phone numbers and emails listed in Skyward Family Access "Family 1."
To view the contact information the district has on file, please log on to Skyward Family Access and click on "Student Information." If you are unsure how to log on to Skyward Family Access, please contact your child's school for assistance. |
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State announces that it will not release 2014 test scores
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The Kansas State Department of Education announced in July that it will not be releasing 2014 standardized state math and reading test scores. You may recall that the computerized testing process last year experienced significant disruptions and was plagued by glitches and cyber attacks, raising the issue of the validity of the results.
The state is, however, planning to release data showing broad trends about students' strengths and weaknesses. The federal government generally requires the release of testing data, but Kansas will be asking for an exception to the policy this year.
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 Current job openings
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Positions often feature family-friendly hours, including breaks that coincide with the school calendar and no night or weekend shifts. |
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 Thank you for your donations!
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On Aug. 8, Maize USD 266 participated in the second annual Fill the Bus event Chick-fil-A at 21st and Maize.
Maize Schools collected more than 450 items, including crayons, paint, pencils, markers, glue, erasers, pens, highlighters, rulers and more! Thanks to donors, volunteers and Chick-fil-A for making this happen! |
Bullying Prevention and Parenting Hotline
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The Kansas State Department of Education, in partnership with Kansas Children's Service League, is proud to offer the Bullying Prevention Hotline. This free, anonymous service is available to provide counsel and resources to those who have questions or concerns about bullying situations.
The 24-hour hotline can be reached at 1-800-332-6378 or 1-800-CHILDREN. You can also text or email the hotline at 1800children@kcsl.org.
Provided through a Safe and Supportive Schools grant, the hotline is staffed by trained professionals and volunteers who listen to each caller's concerns and seek to provide the caller with resources to assist him or her.
The hotline also can assist parents with parenting questions and available resources.
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Superintendent's Message
Welcome back to school!
BY DOUG POWERS
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Greetings! 
Greetings!
Before we welcomed this year's promising students back to the classroom, we gathered our staff members from across the USD 266 school district and honored 36 employees who have been serving Maize Schools for milestones of 20, 25 and 30 years. We recognized bus drivers, teachers, coaches and even Transportation Director Becky Andrews (for 20 years of service).
 There was a very special honoree in the group: Kathy Hoveskeland, Maize South Elementary School physical education teacher, who has served an impressive 40 years with Maize Schools. She is only the second employee to be recognized for this milestone. A special congratulations to her and a thank you to all of our honorees for their dedication. They are what make Maize the fantastic place it is and who help our students prepare for careers and life after graduation.
One of our students who recently received accolades is 2009 Maize High School graduate Niklas Hinson. He was among Kansas State University engineering researchers whose lithium-based neutron detector has been named one of the year's Top 100 newly developed technologies. Kudos to him on this recognition!
 We also would like to thank Maize Board of Education member Kent Voth for his service to Maize Schools. He has served on the board since 2011 and represents Board Member District 1, which is the southwest portion of the Maize School District. Last week, Mr. Voth announced his resignation, effective Aug. 28. He anticipates that he will sell his home and move outside of the Maize School District boundaries later this month. Please click here to read about the process board members will follow to select his replacement. We are excited for great things to come in the 2014-15 school year and look forward to helping your student achieve success while making learning fun and exciting here at Maize.
Sincerely, Doug Powers, Superintendent of Schools |
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Support Maize USD 266 athletics by purchasing discounted Under Armour merchandise
 Maize USD 266 is pleased to work with Under Armour as our exclusive uniform provider, a relationship we envision will provide quality uniforms for our teams at a discounted price.
Our uniform agreement also allows Maize Schools to benefit when community members purchase Under Armour merchandise through our online store.
Please click here for our Maize USD 266 Under Armour apparel site, where you can purchase Under Armour products for up to 40 percent off retail price. The deadline for the first round of orders is Sept. 1.
You will find items with the Maize South High School and the Maize High School logos, as well as those with no logos. Please visit the site for additional information, including details about shipment, shipping fees, required minimum orders and custom orders.
You also can click here to read recent coverage about the site in The Wichita Eagle.
Thank you for your support of Maize athletics!
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Maize Education Foundation's Sixth Annual Golf Tournament
 Please join us for a great day of golf on Sunday, Sept. 21. The event begins with a Shotgun Scramble Start at the award-winning Sand Creek Station Golf Course in Newton. Participants will enjoy snacks, dinner, fun and a chance to win some great prizes.
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Deadline approaching for Maize students interested in taking online courses for credit
Maize students interested in taking online courses this fall can sign up by Sept. 1 to do so. The district offers credit acquisition and credit recovery through a new online curriculum launched last year through our Educational Outreach Center. It is expanded and more affordable to participants.
A student interested in earning credits otherwise unattainable because of scheduling conflicts may benefit from this program, as might students who need to retake a course they failed. Courses offered include English, algebra, chemistry, history and more. Please click here to see a complete list of courses and to register.
Maize USD 266 teachers teach the courses, and all teachers are certified in the course that they are teaching. The online courses also allow students to free up coursework time in their school schedule to allow them to take electives of interest to them. It could help a student graduate early or may assist the student in earning college credit or accessing skills for career readiness.
Course orientation for fall will be 3:15 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 2 at the Educational Outreach Center, 201 S. Park in Maize. Courses begin Sept. 2. Half-credit courses will be $150, and full-credit courses will be $300. Payment is due at orientation.
Please click here to find answers to additional questions you may have about the Educational Outreach Center online courses.
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Annual notice of student rights
School districts are required by law to provide an annual notification to parents regarding policies related to the protection of student rights. Below are links to the policies in place to protect your rights to your student's records, right to privacy and access to district programs for students with disabilities.
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 Use of student information in media, district publications and district social media
Information that may be shared with the news media or used in district publications or on district social media platforms, including Facebook and Twitter, is limited to participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of members of athletic teams, school activities, honors and awards received, grade level and photographs.
Parents/guardians have the right to refuse or permit the designation of any or all of the above information for use in the media or in district publications (via both print and digital platforms), including official district social media accounts. Parents/guardians who do not want this information published must file written notification with Lori O'Toole Buselt, Director of Communications, Maize USD 266, 905 W. Academy Ave, Maize, KS 67101 by Sept. 19, 2014.
If you do not file a refusal, Maize USD 266 assumes you have no objection to the release of the above information for media or district publicity purposes. |
 Student address and phone directory
Parents and guardians may opt to include your address, primary phone number, email addresses, student's school and student's grade level in the Skyward Family Access Student Directory so that other families with login rights to Family Access can view your contact information. You may choose what, if any, information you display and can change these options at anytime by logging into Family Access.
Once in Family Access, click on School Directory, then on the Display Options tab at the top of the page to complete the process. If you are unsure how to log on to Skyward Family Access, please contact your child's school for assistance. |
Online Bulletin Board
Maize Schools uses its Online Bulletin Board to distribute information about student-related activities and events, which could include those sponsored by a Maize school or partner agency and that are related to academics, athletics or fine arts. You also can click "Subscribe" at the bottom of the page to be notified when a new opportunity is posted.
 
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I am thrilled to share that 
New this year, golfers and sponsors can sign up online.