2015 Winter - Moberly Public Schools

“Accredited with Distinction”
Spartan Newsletter
J
R
O
T
C
The Moberly High School JROTC Cadets
continue to demonstrate their commitment
to citizenship and the community through
actions and donation of their time and
working to support worthy causes to help
their community. December was a busy
month! The JROTC Booster Club donated
$100.00 to Toys for Tots on top of the
$120.00 donated by the JROTC Push-up
Squad, earned on Veterans Day. Other
activities included: working the concession
stand on December 11th, supporting the
Wreaths Across America project by laying
wreaths on graves at the Missouri Veterans
Cemetery in Jacksonville on December 12,
and recognizing our three top “Voice of
Democracy” VFW Essay contest participants.
INSIDE
Supt.’s Letter
District
MATC / NCRS
MMS/ MHS
GBE
NP / SP
Watch for future issues and view prior issues on our website.
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Visit us online at www.moberly.k12.mo.us
Moberly School District
Issue
#2 of 4
Winter 2015
www.moberly.k12.mo.us
Spartan Newsletter
Letter from the Superintendent
I would like to personally welcome the students and staff back from
their holiday break and am excited to begin the second semester of
the 2015-2016 school year.
As you are probably aware, prior to the holiday break the Moberly
Board of Education announced the selection of Dr. Matthew S. Miller
as the district’s new superintendent, effective July 1, 2016. Please
join us in welcoming Dr. Matthew S. Miller and his family to the
Moberly community and congratulating him on his new position as
superintendent of schools.
Winter is here and with it comes the possibility of weather that could prevent the
safe transportation of students to school. The Moberly School District would like to
address the factors regarding school cancellation. Every effort will be made to provide
cancellation notices as early as possible. As soon as a decision is made, local radio and
television stations are notified and a notice is posted on the school district’s web page
and sent via Text Caster Spartan Alerts. Please do not call radio and television stations.
Telephone lines must be kept open so that news media can receive special information
from schools and businesses regarding schedule changes.
Please listen to radio stations KRES 104.7 FM / KWIX 1230 AM/ KIRK 99.9 FM or KZZT
105.5 FM; KRES Radio website www.centralmoinfo.com or watch Channel 8 KOMU,
Channel 13 KRCG, or Channel 17 KMIZ for the latest weather-related announcements.
Here are a few reminders about inclement weather days.
You are always the best judge of your own situation and what is best for your child. The
district makes our decision on what is best for all students and staff and that decision
may not fit your individual situation.
Closing Due to Snow and Ice: The district reviews the weather conditions utilizing
various outlets. School district personnel drive bus routes to check firsthand on local
conditions. Conversations are then held with the bus transportation company, as well as
with individuals who live in various parts of the district and who must drive the roads
early in the morning. Safety is always our top priority. Whether or not the conditions
will be improving throughout the day is also considered.
Delayed Start: Implementing a delayed start is an option used when we believe the
conditions will change or our situation will change with some additional time. The usual
delay is 2 hours from the normal start time. The buildings will be open for drop off but
buses will run on the delayed start time.
Early Dismissal: Early dismissal is not an option we like to use unless conditions are
expected to get worse throughout the day. This is primarily due to the fact that many
parents work and the children are safer at school. Please try to have a plan in place to
handle late starts and early dismissals. It is helpful if your children are aware of the
plan.
For your convenience, snow route specifics can be found on our district website: www.
moberly.k12.mo.us.
For every person who is happy with a weather-related decision, there is someone who
is unhappy. We appreciate your understanding of the difficulties and the timing of our
decisions. Your support in helping your child get to and from school safely on winter
days is sincerely appreciated.
I appreciate your interest in the District and encourage you to call or stop by my
office any time you have questions. I am honored and privileged to serve as your
Superintendent of Schools. My focus and attention will always be to ensure the success
and safety of the children of the Moberly community.
Sincerely,
Gena McCluskey,
Superintendent
Superintendents Letter
Moberly School District
2
Issue
#2 of 4
Winter 2015
Issue
#2 of 4
Winter 2015
Spartan Newsletter
Calendar
January 18: February 5: February 15: March 9: March 15: March 17: March 18: March 25: April 13: April 22:
May 20: May 22: May 26: May 27: No School - Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday
Mid-Quarter
No School - President’s Day
End of Third Quarter
Parent/Teacher Conferences
Early Out - Parent/Teacher Conferences
No School
Easter Break
Mid-Quarter
No School
NCRS Commencement, 7:00 p.m.
Commencement 2:00 p.m.
Early Out - Last Day of School - End of Fourth Quarter
Extended Contract Day for Staff - Grades distributed by 6/01
Inclement Weather Make-Up Days
Moberly School District
2015-2016
District Calendar At A Glance
3
Day 1: Built In Day 4: Built In
Day 2: Built In Day 5: Built In
Day 3: Built In Day 6: Built In
www.moberly.k12.mo.us
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Spartan Newsletter
Issue
#2 of 4
Winter 2015
MATC Student of the Year
ach year one student is recognized as the Moberly Area Technical
Center Career & Technical Student of the Year. To be eligible for this
award, students must meet the following criteria: personal commitment
to career and technical education program in which enrolled or
completed, success in core requirements, evidence of personal character
and leadership, involvement in school/community activities, involvement
in career and technical student organizations and commitment
to post-secondary career and technical program or 2+2 program.
T
his year Magdalena Myles was chosen as the Moberly Area
Technical Center Career and Technical Student of the Year.
Magdalena is a senior from Moberly High School and is enrolled
in the Marketing program. She intends to continue her education
at Columbia College majoring in Business Administration.
Pictured above is
Magdalena Myles with
Sonda Stuart, Marketing
Instructor at MATC
Envirothon Team new to MATC
T
he first ever Moberly FFA Envirothon team competed
in the Northeast Regional Envirothon competition
on October 15th, 2015. The team earned first-place
in current events and finished in the top three teams
advancing to compete in the state event on April 28th,
2016. The Northeast region contest includes 17 counties.
Pictured above left to right: Anna
Kate Link, Abby Barron, Jackson
Wood, Jackson Schumann and Andrew
Mozingo
Counseling
“Guru”
Retires from
MU
E
nvirothon is a team competition for high school students
testing their knowledge of natural resources. In the field
and classroom, teams of five students are challenged to
use their knowledge and critical thinking skills to conduct
hands- on investigations, solve real-life scenarios and
answer written questions covering five categories: Aquatics,
Forestry, Wildlife, Soils, and Current Environmental Issues.
D
uring the recent Missouri State Counselor’s
Association fall conference in November, the
counseling association honored Dr. Norman Gyspers
with a dinner and gala in his honor. Dr. Gyspers has
just retired as one of the most well-known and longserving professors from the University of Missouri’s
School of Educational Counseling and Psychology.
www.moberly.k12.mo.us
D
r. Gyspers is known as the “father of modern guidance”
and has written over a dozen books and numerous
articles. His work as the comprehensive guidance and
counseling “guru” throughout the state, nation, and
the world. Dr. Norman Gyspers was mentor, professor
for several courses, and academic advisor to Debbie
Young, North Central Regional School Director while
she completed her Master’s in Educational Counseling
Psychology at the University of Missouri from 1996-1999.
Debbie Young,
Director of the
North Central
Regional School
is pictured above
with Dr. Gyspers
D
r. Gyspers is one of those people who never forgets
any of his students. “I have seen him many times
over the years and he always calls me by name and
talks to me about what I am doing to help kids.” Dr.
Gyspers will be missed by everyone in the world of
counseling, but he has certainly earned his retirement
after making such a great mark on his profession.
A new sign for East
Park was placed
this past fall. The
district completed
the new building for
the Early Childhood
Learning Center.
The moving of the
preschool has given
more opportunities
for advanced learning
within the North
Central Regional
School programs.
MATC / East Park
Moberly School District
E
Spartan Newsletter
Mrs. Vessar’s LA I
students working
collaboratively to
classify and sort
statements into
figurative language
categories.
Moberly Middle School Presents:
“The New Kid”
5
Moberly School District
T
he theatre class at Moberly Middle School,
lead by Miss Counterman, performed
“The New Kid” written by Sandy Turpin. Two
performances were offered in September and
October with multiple classes from the middle
school attending. Each of the 14 students in the
class had a role in the production, either as actors
or crew members. There was positive feedback
about the message that the play conveyed to the
audience: bullying is wrong. The actors had spent
many hours rehearsing for their performances in
order to be “off-book” for the show. Members of
the cast include: Lydia Brandon, Saylor Forsyth,
Lexy Frantzen, Destiny Gehring, Sirah Harris,
Emily Hendren, Joe Nelson, Kylie Roberts,
Grace Roller, and Spencer Wagaman. The crew,
including Cade Pemberton, Nick Gardner, and
Nathan Crutchfield, was fearlessly lead by the
assistant student director Makayla Davis. The
class utilized multiple theatre techniques such
as costuming, lighting, makeup, props, and
various acting strategies. It was voiced once
the performance was over that the class wanted
nothing more than to do another performance.
www.moberly.k12.mo.us
MMS / MHS
Issue
#2 of 4
Winter 2015
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Spartan Newsletter
Issue
#2 of 4
Winter 2015
Gratz Brown Elementary
T
his year our teachers have been working on establishing new family involvement activities.
Third grade had a parent involvement activity with Grandparent’s Lunch Day. They
completed a survey activity with guests. Prior to lunch they discussed proper interviewing
techniques such as reading the questions carefully, clarifying questions, taking notes, and
read the questions out loud. The interview form asked grandparents questions such as:
How much was a gallon of gas when you were little? How much was a cheeseburger from
McDonalds? Where were you born? What did you do for fun when you were a kid? Did you
receive an allowance? The students completed these forms and took them home for a keepsake.
F
F
ourth grade has been working on their writing and preparing their published work to put
in an exhibit for a writing gallery to be displayed December 15, 2015. They will work with
using their writing knowledge to explain their pieces to their guests and show finished products.
ifth grade invited parents in on December 10, 2015 to work with students in the GBE
cafeteria on stations for a math fair. They showed parents their mathematical concepts
that they have been working on this semester. This activity used hands on strategies
that students implement within the classroom and help support various learning styles.
It was well attended and parents had fun learning new games that incorporate math.
www.moberly.k12.mo.us
Gratz Brown Elementary
Spartan Chorale
Gratz Brown Elementary
Moberly School District
Parent Involvement
Issue
#2 of 4
Winter 2015
Spartan Newsletter
7
N
orth Park and South Park Elementary celebrated great behaviors and compliments by
having PBS Celebrations. Students enjoyed crafts, had games in the gym, and thanks
to beautiful weather, enjoyed much needed fresh air! We are so proud of our little Spartans!
Annual Thanksgiving Day Feast
O
Moberly School District
ver 200 guests came and enjoyed a Thanksgiving Feast with their friends
and family at North and South Park Elementary schools.
The faculty, staff,
students and cooks are very thankful to have great parent and community support.
www.moberly.k12.mo.us
North Park / South Park
School wide Pride
Moberly School District
Spartan Newsletter
Issue
#2 of 4
Winter 2015
Find the Moberly School District on Facebook and “Like” us.
Visit us online at www.moberly.k12.mo.us
Early Childhood
Learning Center
South Park
Elementary
North Park
Elementary
Gratz Brown
Elementary
Middle School
High School
MATC
East Park
Moberly School District
926 KWIX Road
Moberly, MO 65270