Veterans Day Parade entries from Logan Avenue (left) and Walnut schools (right).
Staff Bulletin | November 13, 2014

District News
Jeans Day for Scholarships
Next week is American Education Week and Wednesday, Nov. 19, has been designated Jeans Day for Scholarships in the district. Employees can wear denim to work for a $2 or more donation to the ENEA Scholarship Fund. Donations will be collected at each building and department.

Community Dialogue
With Board of Education
Friday at Noon
A Community Dialogue with the Board of Education will be held Friday from 12-1 pm at Mary Herbert Education Center. Guests are invited to bring lunch and participate in an informal conversation with board members on topics you want to know more about. The forum is sponsored by the Emporia Area Chamber of Commerce and League of Women Voters.

Electronic W-2 Option

Employees will again have the option to print their own W-2 Wage & Tax Statement or receive a printed statement by mail. 

Learn more here

Emporia Board of Education


Personnel Report

Appointments

Ashley Ingram
AVID tutor, EMS

Sarah Barnett
paraeducator, Neosho Rapids

Celeste Williams
paraducator, Turning Point

Obdulia Ortega
custodian, WA White

Toby Smith
AVID tutor, EMS & EHS

Hailey Taylor
AVID tutor, EMS & EHS

 

Resignations

 

Catherine Ernst

health office asst, Timmerman & Village

 

Roberta Ruehlen

passenger vehicle driver, Transportation

 

Retirements

 

Deborah Thompson

2nd grade teacher, Timmerman

 

Mary Fraas

ESL strategist, Walnut

 

Linda Baumann

visually impaired teacher, FHSEC 

 

Consent Agenda

The board approved:
  • A request to apply for Kansas Department of Health & Environment funding for a Social Emotional Learning & Bullying Prevention Curriculum for grades K-5
  • A request to dispose of surplus property at auction

Find Emporia Public Schools on Facebook
 
Follow Emporia Public Schools on Twitter
 
Emporia Public Schools
1700 W 7th Ave
Emporia, Kansas 66801
 
The Power of One!
Good Things!

 

Traveling to Poland in January

Barbara Fowler, a secondary social studies and language arts teacher at Turning Point Academy, has been selected to participate in an international education program in Poland in January. She is one of 25 teachers chosen by USC Shoah Foundation - The Institute for Visual History and Education and Discovery Education to participate in Auschwitz: The Past is Present, a global communications and education program. The program is in conjunction with the official observance of the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz on Jan. 27, 2015.


EHS CAP Conferences
Emporia High School experienced a dramatic increase in parent attendance at parent-teacher conferences last month. EHS changed the format to a Career & Academic Planning Conference with students, their Intervention & Enrichment teachers and parents. Principal Britton Hart reported that parent participation increased from an average 35-40 percent attendance to more than 81 percent.

Food Service Training Awards
Food Service employees Melodi Bowen, production manager, and Debbie Wilhite, department leader, have completed 250 hours of training provided by Child Nutrition & Wellness at the Kansas State Department of Education. They have earned the Platinum Level Award in the professional recognition program.
Aracelly Simon at EMS food service has completed 90 hours of KSDE-sponsored training and earned the Silver Level Award.
---------------------------
Watch for more good things happening in USD 253 on the Teaching & Learning Facebook page. Regular reports and photos from the classrooms will brighten your day.
New Licensing Requirements

The Kansas State Board of Education has changed licensure requirements for teachers, which will affect new and veteran teachers who have never submitted fingerprints as part of a previous application for Kansas certificate or license from KSDE. 

Effective November 15, any person submitting the following will also be required to submit with the application a complete set of fingerprints and the required $50 fee:
  • application for the first Kansas certificate or license;
  • application for renewal of an expired Kansas certificate or license;
  • OR application for renewal of a valid Kansas certificate or license, if the person has never submitted fingerprints as part of any previous application for a Kansas certificate or license.

This KSDE fact sheet provides information on how you determine if you need to submit fingerprints and the process you should use.

 

Individuals who need to be fingerprinted can go to the Emporia Police Department ($10 fee; call Debbie 341-4308 for appt) or the Lyon County Sheriff's Office (no fee or appt needed).

Emporia Public Schools
Clipboard
Cargill Donation to STREAM

The board accepted a $15,000 donation from Cargill that will be used to help offset reductions in the STREAM Project grant this year. The donation from Cargill Cares Corporate Match Program includes $10,000 generated locally at the Cargill Animal Nutrition Plant in Emporia and a $5,000 corporate match. Emporia Plant Manager Rick Lovelady made the presentation.


Jones Activity Center
The board accepted a bid of $61,024 for flooring for the new Jones Activity Center being constructed on the Emporia High School campus. The project is being funded by the Jones Trust, private donations and the district. The flooring is the final component of the project, which will provide indoor space for team practices and extra-curricular activities.

EHS Course Guide
The board approved changes to the high school course guide for 2015-16. EHS will begin enrollment of current students in the next few weeks.

Other Board Business
Audit Report
The board accepted the FY 2014 Financial Audit Report prepared by the CPA firm, Mize Houser & Co. The audit produced a clean report with no management recommendations for procedural changes.

SEC Initiative Resolution
The board adopted a resolution authorizing the district  to participate in the Municipalities Continuing Disclosure Cooperation Initiative recently enacted by the Securities and Exchange Commission. 

Board Policy Revisions
The board adopted and replaced board policies JA - JBH related to students to align the policies with current law and current district practice. The policy update is part of an ongoing review of all district policies.

Board Reports
FHTC Board of Trustees - Grant Riles reported that FHTC held a career fair last week and more than 150 employers participated. The college will have an open house Saturday and a high school student visit Monday.