Make the Grade 2018

MAKE THE GRADE / 1

YOUR LOCAL GUIDE

FOR A SUCCESSFUL SCHOOL YEAR

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Thursday, August 2

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2 / MAKE THE GRADE

TABLE OF CONTENTS School Updates ����������������������������������������������������������������� Page 3 BR Carpet........................................................................... Page 3 ExtraCurriculars ���������������������������������������������������������������� Page 4 Nativity of Mary ����������������������������������������������������������������� Page 5 State Farm - Kim Downey Noble ���������������������������������������� Page 5 Public School Directory �������������������������������������������������Pages 5-7 Public School - Dates to Know ������������������������������������������� Page 8 Private School - Dates to Know ����������������������������������������� Page 9 Private School Directory ���������������������������������������������������Page 10 Easing the Transition ��������������������������������������������������������Page 11 State Farm - Blake Roberson ���������������������������������������������Page 11 Fort Osage School District �������������������������������������������������Page 11 Spectrum Station ��������������������������������������������������������������Page 11 Studying with Music ���������������������������������������������������������Page 12 Centerpoint Medical Center ����������������������������������������������Page 12 When one child is a better student �����������������������������������Page 13 Missouri Tax-Free Holiday ������������������������������������������������Page 14 Tips to motivate your child to learn ���������������������������������� Page 15 Independence School District �������������������������������������������Page 16

CONTACT US Phone: 816.254.8600 Fax: 816.836.3805 EDITORIAL localnews@examiner.net ADVERTISING displayads@examiner.net Make the Grade is created annually by GateHouse Media LLC, The Examiner’s parent company, and is distributed with various GateHouse papers across the country. Reproduction in whole or in part without prior written permission is strictly prohibited. Opinions expressed in the publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the management of the publication.

Cover illustration: Metro Creative ©2018 GATEHOUSE MEDIA ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

MAKE THE GRADE / 3

UPDATES

By Mike Genet mike.genet@examiner.net

As the new school year begins, area districts have some completed building projects to greet students.

The new early childhood center in the Fort Osage School District is scheduled to open in January. [Michael Smith/The Examiner]

Cassell Park Elementary, on Hardy in western Independence, is scheduled to open in the fall of 2019. [Michael Smith/The Examiner]

I

n Independence, Truman High School students have new main entrance off Noland Road, with more security and a spiffy new sign. Another “Patriots” sign was affixed to the new south-end classrooms, and students will also have additional cafeteria space to enjoy.

William Chrisman High School has some new classrooms and a new weight room on the east side, and Van Horn High School has the largest addition – five commercial kitchens for culinary pathway students, a metals classroom and wood shop, physical therapy and athletic training space, remodeled science classroom and a new main gymnasium.

Also on the west side, where enrollment has risen for several years, ISD’s new Cassell Park Elementary remains on schedule top open in the summer of 2019.

All the projects are courtesy of a

$38 million bond voters approved in April 2017.

In the Fort Osage District, a $11.37 million bond issue passed by voters at the same time allowed for a new district stadium and track constructed at the high school, several small projects around the district and a new Woodland Early Education Center being constructed next to Elm Grove Elementary in northeast Independence.

The EEC is scheduled to be ready for students by January 2019.

In the Grain Valley District, the latest bond issue passage allowed for a 30,000-square foot addition to the high school. Work on that project began over the summer and will continue through the school year and be finished in the summer of 2019.

This is the fourth of several phases in a long-range plan that started in 2012 to double the size of the high school.

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4 / MAKE THE GRADE

Extracurriculars What’s the best approach?

Be passionate

By Melissa Erickson More Content Now

with.

“At the most selective universities, more than two-thirds of the applicants have grades and test scores that are good enough that it is clear that they can do the work. So the college admissions office looks for other factors to distinguish the students,” said Mark Kantrowitz, publisher of PrivateStudentLoans.guru and StudentAidPolicy. com.

“Active engagement with clubs, organizations, sports, etc., are a great way that students can begin to build a variety of character skill sets that shape who they become as individuals,” said Michelle Curtis-Bailey, senior admissions advisor and educational opportunity advisor coordinator at Stony Brook University, Long Island, New York. “When admissions officers view these activities and the roles students have in these extracurriculars, it can help to provide more context to who a student is and the contributions they bring to a group. It’s another perspective outside of academics.”

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rades are not the only thing that matters when it comes to getting into the college of your choice. Schools also look at the extracurricular activities you are involved

The substance of extracurricular activities doesn’t matter.

“There is no magical activity; student passion matters the most,” Pyle said. “For example, debate club will not help students if they hate public speaking, no matter how much they might improve if forced to participate.

concrete, quantitative measures of achievement that can be given, the better the activity for a student’s college application,” Pyle said.

Colleges want depth more than breadth.

“They don’t want yet another piano player. They want a virtuoso who has been playing the piano for a decade or more, who has won major awards for her piano playing, who composes her own music. …

They don’t want good at STEM, they want great. Are you a genius who has published papers in peer-reviewed science journals?” Kantrowitz said.

Tell a good story

“They don’t want yet another piano player. They want a virtuoso who has been playing the piano for a decade or more, who has won major awards for her piano playing, who composes her own music. … They don’t want good at STEM, they want great. Are you a genius who has published papers in peer-reviewed science journals?”

The Common App includes 10 slots for activities, and students should fill as many as possible, said Carly Pyle, community education director at California-based Cardinal Education, which offers services such as tutoring and college admissions counseling.

“Beyond that, admissions officers look for a T-shaped profile: some participation in a number of activities, but deep, long-term participation with leadership and real accomplishment in a chosen few,” Pyle said.

Mark Kantrowitz, publisher of PrivateStudentLoans.guru and StudentAidPolicy.com

Instead, activities should be consistent with a student’s expressed interests and passions, demonstrating experience and achievement.”

Be a leader Colleges are looking for leadership and impact.

“Leadership cannot simply be holding a position; it must be active and result-driven, and the more

“How a student describes their involvement is often more important than the activity itself,” said Crystal Olivarria, a career coach for kids at Career Conversationalist, Clovis, California. “The more active a student is and the better they can describe their involvement, the more impressive the extracurricular activity will be on their college application.”

Extracurricular activities become more attractive when they show how the student was changed by or learned from the experience. Share in a college essay.

“If the extracurriculars are related to your intended major, talk about that. What have you learned? How has it shaped your career decision? If the activities are not, communicate your passion for those interests or causes.

That can be equally compelling,” said Christopher Lee, founder and career consultant at PurposeRedeemed.com.

Word of caution “While extracurriculars are a great addition to an application, it is unlikely to save a marginal application,” Curtis-Bailey said. “Many students choose to pursue a myriad of activities simply for the reason of, ‘It will look good on my college application.’

That motivation alone should never drive students to actively participate. ‘Actively’ being the key word. Active involvement is the most beneficial involvement.”

MAKE THE GRADE / 5 RO OT E D I N FA I T H

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GROWING IN KNOWLEDGE

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• INDEPENDENCE SCHOOLS HIGH SCHOOLS

PUBLIC SCHOOL DIRECTORY • William Chrisman High School 1223 N. Noland Road 816-521-5355 Mike Becker, principal

• Abraham Mallinson Elementary 709 N. Forest Ave. Sugar Creek 816-521-5530 Sarah Brown, principal

MIDDLE SCHOOLS

• Alexander Proctor Elementary 1403 W. Linden 816-521-5440 Amy Hawley, principal

• Clifford H. Nowlin Middle School 2800 S. Hardy 816-521-5380 Cristin Nowak, principal

Van Horn Falcons • Van Horn High School 1109 S. Arlington Ave. 816-521-5360 Randy Maglinger, principal

Truman Patriots

SERVING OTHERS

• Truman High School 3301 S. Noland Road 816-521-5350 Pam Boatright, principal

• George Caleb Bingham Middle School 1716 S. Speck Road 816-521-5490 Brett Playter, principal • James Bridger Middle School 18200 E. Missouri 78 816-521-5375 Jeff Williams, principal • Pioneer Ridge Middle School 1656 S. Speck Road 816-521-5385 Michael Estes, principal

William Chrisman Bears RO OT E D I N FA I T H

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GROWING IN KNOWLEDGE

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ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS

SERVING OTHERS

• Blackburn Elementary 17302 R.D. Mize Road 816-521-5395 Christy Lamb, principal • Bryant Elementary 827 W. College 816-521-5400 Jon Pye, principal • Christian Ott Elementary 1525 N. Noland Road 816-521-5435 Ronnee Laughlin, principal • Fairmount Elementary 120 N. Cedar Ave. 816-521-5405 Jeff Anger, principal

• Glendale Elementary 2611 Lee’s Summit Road 816-521-5510 Todd Siebert, principal • John W. Luff Elementary 3700 S. Delaware Ave. 816-521-5415 Melissa Carver, principal • Korte Elementary 2437 S. Hardy Ave. 816-521-5430 Ron Alburtus, principal • Little Blue Elementary 2020 Quail Drive 816-521-5480 Joe Armin, principal • Mill Creek Elementary 2601 N. Liberty 816-521-5420 Lindsey Miller, principal • Randall Elementary 509 Jennings 816-521-5445 Bobby McCutcheon, principal • Santa Fe Trail Elementary 1301 S. Windsor 816-521-5450

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6 / MAKE THE GRADE

PUBLIC SCHOOL DIRECTORY Gib Rito, principal • Spring Branch Elementary 20404 E. Truman Road 816-521-5455 Aaron Kirchhoff, principal • Sugar Creek Elementary 11424 Gill, Sugar Creek 816-521-5460 Shellie Dumas, principal • Sycamore Hills Elementary 15208 E. 39th St. 816-521-5465 Amber Miller, principal • Thomas Hart Benton Elementary 429 S. Leslie 816-521-5390 Leslie Hochsprung, principal • Three Trails Elementary 11801 E. 32nd St. 816-521-5470 Kevin Lathrom, principal • William Southern Elementary 4300 Phelps Road 816-521-5475 Gwenn Tauveli, principal OTHER • Hanthorn Early Education 1511 S. Kings Highway 816-521-5485 Amy Cox, principal • Sunshine Early Education Center 18400 E. Salisbury Road 816-521-5526 Patti White, principal • Independence Academy 600 W. Mechanic 816-521-5505 Rebecca Bressman, principal FORT OSAGE SCHOOLS

• Osage Trail Middle School 2101 N. Twyman Road Independence 816-650-7151 Robbie Shepherd, principal ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS • Blue Hills Elementary 1911 N. Blue Mills Road Independence 816-650-7440 Monica Shane, principal • Buckner Elementary 013 S. Sibley St., Buckner 816-650-7300 Karen Hile, principal • Cler-Mont Elementary 19009 Susquehanna Ridge Independence 816-650-7350 Julie Stout, principal

• Fort Osage High School 2101 N. Twyman Road Independence 816-650-7063 Scott Moore, principal

Blue Springs Wildcats HIGH SCHOOLS • Blue Springs High School 2000 N.W. Ashton Drive 816-874-3400 Robert Jerome, principal

• Fire Prairie Upper Elementary 24810 East U.S. 24 Circle Independence 816-650-7158 Susanne Boyer-Baker, principal • Indian Trails Elementary 24300 E. Bundschu Independence, 816-650-7645 Emily Cross, principal OTHER • Career and Technology Center 2101 N. Twyman Road Independence 816-650-7180 Mike Pantleo, director • Early Childhood Center 18109 E. 12th St. N. Independence 816-650-7480 Karen Harrach, principal

• Paul Kinder Middle School 3930 N.W. R.D. Mize Road 816-874-3560 Steve Goddard, principal

• William Yates Elementary 3600 Davidson Road 816-874-3740 Jan Castle, principal

ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS

OTHER

• Chapel Lakes Elementary 3701 N.E. Independence Ave. Lee’s Summit 816-874-3600 Lizabeth White, principal

• Liggett Trail Education Center 3575 S.W. Liggett Road 816-874-3680 Stephanie Owings, principal

• Cordill-Mason Elementary 4001 S.W. Christiansen Road 816-874-3610 Todd Nurnberg, K-2nd principal and Kacey Roush 3rd-5th principal

• James Lewis Elementary 717 N.W. Park Road 816-874-3650 Lori Reynolds, principal

Blue Springs South Jaguars • Blue Springs South High School 1200 S.E. Adams Dairy Pkwy.

816-874-3500 Charles Belt, principal

• James Walker Elementary 201 S.E. Sunnyside School Road 816-874-3660 Kelly Flax, principal

• Lucy Franklin Elementary 111 N.E. Roanoke Drive 816-874-3690 Doug Nielsen, principal

• Valley View High School 5000 N.W. Valley View Road 816-874-3750 Charlie Weber, principal

• Sunny Pointe Elementary 3920 South R.D. Mize Road 816-874-3700 Nick Goos, principal

MIDDLE SCHOOLS

• Thomas Ultican Elementary 1812 N.W. Vesper St. 816-874-3710 Abbie Swisher, principal

• Delta Woods Middle School 4401 N.E. Lakewood Way Lee’s Summit 816-874-3580 Steve Cook, principal • Moreland Ridge Middle School 900 S.W. Bishop Drive 816-874-3540 Kevin Grover, principal

• LEE’S SUMMIT SCHOOLS

Lee’s Summit Tigers

HIGH SCHOOLS • Lee’s Summit High School 400 S.E. Blue Pkwy.

816-986-2000 John Faulkenberry, principal

• John Nowlin Elementary 5020 N.W. Valley View Road 816-874-3670 Seth Shippy, principal

• Freshman Center 2103 N.W. Vesper 816-974-3440 Brandon Martin, principal

• Brittany Hill Middle School 2701 N.W. First St. 816-874-3470 Dallas Truex, principal

• Hall-McCarter Education Center 5000 N.W. Valley View Road 816-874-3762 Rhonda Malone, director

• Daniel Young Elementary 505 S.E. Shamrock Lane 816-874-3630 Ryan Crum, principal • Franklin Smith Elementary 1609 S.W. Clark Road 816-874-3640 Ramona Dunn, principal

• Elm Grove Elementary 18000 E. Kentucky Road Independence 816-650-7400; Pam Fore, principal

• Lewis and Clark Academy 24801 East U.S. 24 Independence 816-650-7708 Kim Hawley, principal

Fort Osage Indians

• BLUE SPRINGS SCHOOLS

• Voy Spears Jr. Elementary 201 N.E. Anderson Lee’s Summit 816-874-3720 Renee Murry, principal • William Bryant Elementary 1101 S.E. Sunnyside School Road 816-874-3730 Jennie Alderman, principal

LS North Broncos • Lee’s Summit North High School 901 N.E. Douglas St. 816-986-3000 Jeff Meisenheimer, principal

LS West Titans

• Lee’s Summit West High School 2600 S.W. Ward Road 816-986-4000 Chad Hertzog, principal

MAKE THE GRADE / 7

PUBLIC SCHOOL DIRECTORY MIDDLE SCHOOLS • Bernard C. Campbell Middle School 1201 N.E. Colbern Road 816-986-3175 Sherri Lewis, principal • Pleasant Lea Middle School 630 S.W. Persels Road 816-986-1175 Janette Miller, principal • Summit Lakes Middle School 3500 S.W. Windemere Drive 816-986-1375 David Mitchell, principal

• Prairie View Elementary 501 S.E. Todd George Pkwy.

816-986-2280 Amy Fennewald, principal

• Norfleet Elementary School 6140 Norfleet Road 816-268-7240 Lori Kang, principal

• Richardson Elementary 800 N.E. Blackwell Road 816-986-2220 Lisa Detig, principal • Summit Pointe Elementary 13100 E. 147th St., Kansas City 816-986-4210 Heather Kenney, principal • Sunset Valley Elementary 1850 S.E. Ranson Road 816-986-4240 Greg Johnson, principal

• Robinson Elementary School 6707 Woodson Road 816-268-7265 Elizabeth Arbisi, principal

Grain Valley Eagles

Raytown Blue Jays

• GRAIN VALLEY SCHOOLS

• RAYTOWN SCHOOLS

SECONDARY SCHOOLS

HIGH SCHOOLS

• Trailridge Elementary 3651 S.W. Windemere Drive 816-986-1290 Jeffrey Scalfaro, principal

• Grain Valley High School, 551 S.W. Eagles Pkwy., 816-847-5000; Jeremy Plowman, principal

• Raytown High School 6019 Blue Ridge Blvd 816-268-7300 Chad Bruton, principal

• Underwood Elementary 1125 N.E. Colbern Road 816-986-3280 Anna McGraw, principal

• North Middle School, 31608 N.E. Pink Hill Drive, 816-994-4800; Theresa Nelson, principal

• Raytown South High School 8211 Sterling Ave. 816-268-7330 Kevin Overfelt, principal

• Hawthorn Hill Elementary, 2801 S.W. Pryor Road, 816-986-3380; Carol Germano, principal

• Westview Elementary 200 N.W. Ward Road 816-986-1350 Dave Boulden, principal

• South Middle School, 901 S. Ryan Road, 816-229-3499; Jim Myers, principal

MIDDLE SCHOOLS

• Hazel Grove Elementary, 2001 N.W. Blue Pkwy., 816-986-3310; Kristen Merrell, principal

• Woodland Elementary 12709 Smart Road 816-986-2360 Stacy James, principal

ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS

• Raytown Central Middle School 10601 E. 59th St. 816-268-7400 Jaime Sadich, principal

• Highland Park Elementary 400 S.E. Millstone Ave. 816-986-2250 Jodi Mallette, principal

OTHER

• Matthews Elementary, 144 McQuerry Road, 816-229-4870; James Pinney, principal

• Raytown Middle School 4900 Pittman Road 816-268-7360 Georgetta May, principal

• Prairie Branch Elementary, 2100 Dillingham, 816-847-5070; Heather Gross, principal

• Raytown South Middle School 8401 E. 83rd St. 816-268-7380

ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS • Cedar Creek Elementary 2600 S.W. Third St. 816-986-1260 Jenifer Opie, principal • Greenwood Elementary 805 W. Main St. Greenwood 816-986-1320 Carrie Jackson, principal

• Lee’s Summit Elementary 110 S.E. Green St. 816-986-3340 Tracy Sample, principal • Longview Farm Elementary 1001 S.W. Longview Park Drive 816-986-4180 Kim Hassler, principal • Mason Elementary 27600 E. Colbern Road 816-986-2330 Beth Ratty, principal • Meadow Lane Elementary 1421 N.E. Independence Ave. 816-986-3250 Sheryl Cochran, principal • Pleasant Lea Elementary 700 S.W. Persels 816-986-1230 Aaron Barnett, principal

• Great Beginnings Early Education Center 905 N.E. Bluestem Drive 816-986-2460 Kerry Boehm, principal • Miller Park Center 600 S.E. Miller St. 816-986-1510 Kelly Twenter, director • Summit Ridge Academy 2620 S.W. Ward Road 816-986-4120 Andy Campbell, principal • Summit Technology Academy, 777 N.W. Blue Pkwy., Suite 3090, 816-986-3410; Elaine Metcalf, director

• Sni-A-Bar Elementary, 701 S.W. Eagles Pkwy., 816-847-5020; Carrie Reich, principal • Stony Point Elementary, 1001 Ryan Road, 816-847-7800; Scott Schmitt, principal OTHER • Early Childhood Special Education, 31604 N.E. Pink Hill Road, 816-994-4901 Shannon Jenkins, associate director

ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS • Blue Ridge Elementary School 6410 Blue Ridge Blvd.

816-268-7200 Danielle Miles, principal • Eastwood Hills Elementary School 5290 Sycamore Ave. 816-268-7210 Amanda Coleman, principal • Fleetridge Elementary School 13001 E. 55th St. 816-268-7220 Debbie Kingrey, principal • Laurel Hills Elementary School 5401 Lane Ave. 816-268-7230 Suzanne Brennaman, principal • Little Blue Elementary School 13900 E. 61st St. 816-268-7740 Julie Schmidli, principal

• Southwood Elementary School 8015 Raytown Road 816-268-7280 Cathy Miller, principal • Spring Valley Elementary School 8838 E. 83rd St. 816-268-7270 Judith Campbell, principal • Westridge Elementary School 8500 E. 77th St. 816-268-7290 Matt Jones, principal OTHER • Herndon Career Center 11501 E. 350 Highway 816-268-7140 Cheryl Reichert, director • New Trails Early Learning Center 6325 Hunter St. 816-268-7430 Donna Denney, principal • Northwood School 4400 Sterling Ave. 816-268-7250 Mary Beth Sprecher, principal • Raytown Success Academy 9020 E. 51st Terrace 816-268-7180 Lori Forté, principal • Three Trails Preschool 8812 Gregory Blvd.

816-268-7145 Tara Baker, principal

8 / MAKE THE GRADE

INDEPENDENCE

OOL:

FIRST DAY OF SCH August 16, 2018

WINTER BREAK: through December 24, 2018 January 2, 2019

SPRING BREAK: ugh March 25, 2019 thro March 29, 2019

OOL: LAST DAY OF SCH May 22, 2019

PUBLIC SCHOOL - DATES TO KNOW Compiled by Kara Lewis kara.lewis@examiner.net

FORT OSAGE

FIRST DAY OF SCH OOL: August 15, 2018

WINTER BREAK: December 24, 201 8 through January 2, 2019

SPRING BREAK: March 22, 2019 th rough March 29, 2019

LAST DAY OF SCH OOL: May 17, 2019

LEE’S SUMMIT CHOOL: FIRST DAY OF S August 15, 2018 WINTER BREAK: 8 through December 20, 201 , 2019 January January 3

SPRING BREAK: rough March 18, 2019 th March 22, 2019 HOOL: LAST DAY OF SC May 17, 2019

BLUE SPRINGS HOOL: FIRST DAY OF SC August 15, 2018 WINTER BREAK: 8 through December 20, 201 January 2, 2019 SPRING BREAK: rough March 11, 2019 th March 15, 2019 EASTER BREAK: ugh April 19, 2019 thro April 22, 2019 OOL: LAST DAY OF SCH May 23, 2019

GRAIN VALLEY FIRST DAY OF SC

August 15, 2018

HOOL:

CHRISTMAS BRE

AK:

December 21, 201 8 through January 3, 2019 SPRING BREAK:

March 8, 2019 thro ugh March 11, 2019 EASTER BREAK:

April 19, 2019 thro ugh April 22, 2019 LAST DAY OF SC

May 15, 2019

HOOL:

MAKE THE GRADE / 9

PRIVATE SCHOOL - DATES TO KNOW

FAMILY CHRISTIAN ACADEMY

FIRST DAY OF SC

HOOL:

August 27, 2018

WINTER BREAK December 24, 2018 through Jan 1, 2019

SPRING BREAK: April 22, 2019 throug h April 26, 2019

LAST DAY OF SCH

OOL:

May 24, 2019

ST. JOHN LALAND E

PLAZA HEIGHTS OL: FIRST DAY OF SCHO August 16, 2018 K: CHRISTMAS BREA through December 21, 2018 Jan 2, 2019 SPRING BREAK: ugh March 18, 2019 thro March 22, 2019 EASTER BREAK: h April 19, 2019 throug April 22, 2019 OL: LAST DAY OF SCHO May 17, 2019

BACK TO SCHOOL

: August 14, 2017 FIRST DAY OF SC HOOL: August 17 2017 , BOOK FAIR: Oct.

7 through Oct. 13

CHRISTMAS BR EAK: December 21, 2017 through January 3, 2017

CATHOLIC SCHO January 29, 2018 OLS WEEK: through February 2018 2,

TIMOTHY LUTHERAN FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL: August 21, 2018 WINTER BREAK: December 22, 2018 through January 2, 2019

EASTER/SPRING March 29, 2017 th BREAK: rough April 6, 2017 GRADUATION (8 th Grade): May 18, 2018

EASTER BREAK: April 19, 2019 through April 22, 2019

LAST DAY OF SC HOOL: May 23, 2018

LAST DAY OF SCHOOL: May 17, 2019

ST. MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL HIGH SCHOOL

Compiled by Kara Lewis kara.lewis@examiner.net

EASTER BREAK: ugh April 22, 2019 FIRST DAY OF April 19, 2019 thro SCHOOL: August 16, 2018 HOOL: LAST DAY OF SC WINTER BREAK: through May 22, 2019 December 21, 2018 January 2, 2019 SPRING BREAK: 19 rough March 22, 20 March 18, 2019 th

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL: August 14, 2018

MESSIAH LUTHERAN

CHRISTMAS BREAK: December 21, 2018 through January 4, 2019

HOOL: FIRST DAY OF SC August 16, 2018 WINTER BREAK: through December 24, 2018

SPRING BREAK: March 18, 2019 through March 22, 2019

January 3, 2019 EASTER BREAK: : April K 19 2019 through EA R B G SPRIN April 22, 2019 rough March 11, 2019 th LAST DAY OF SCHOOL: March 15, 2019 May 23, 2019 EASTER BREAK: ugh April 22, 2019 April 19, 2019 thro OOL: NTIST LAST DAY OF SCH SUMMIT VIEW ADVE May 22, 2019 SPRING BREAK: FIRST DAY OF March 11, 2019 SCHOOL: ch 15, SUMMIT CHRISTIAN ACADEMY

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL: August 15, 2018

August 15, 2018

through Mar 2019

WINTER BREAK: F 18 LAST DAY O December 20, 20 1, SCHOOL: through January May 17, 2019 2019

NATIVITY OF MARY FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL: August 13, 2018

CHRISTMAS BREAK: December 21, 2018 through January 2, 2019 SPRING BREAK: March 18, 2019 through March 22, 2019

EASTER BREAK: April 19, 2019 through April 22, 2019 LAST DAY OF SCHOOL: May 22, 2019

10 / MAKE THE GRADE

PRIVATE SCHOOL DIRECTORY

 INDEPENDENCE

Center Place Restoration School Grades: kindergarten through grade 12 Affiliation: Christian, Restoration Administrator:Dan Schoenemann, school administrator Address: 819 W. Waldo Ave. Phone: 816-252-1715

Nova Center School Grades: kindergarten through grade 12 Affiliation: not-for-profit corporation, special education Administrator: Georgette Elder, principal Family Christian Academy Address: 2425 S. Hardy Ave., Grades: kindergarten through Independence grade 12 Affiliation: Christian, nonPhone: 816-924-1703 denominational Administrator: Rita Website: novacenter.org Schowengerdt, administrator Address: 11625 E. 15th St. S. Phone: 816-836-1075

Messiah Lutheran School Grades: kindergarten through grade 8 Affiliation: Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod Administrator: Eric Eckhoss, principal Address: 613 S. Main St. Phone: 816-254-9409

St. John LaLande Catholic School Grades: preschool through grade 8 Affiliation: St. John LaLande Catholic Church Administrator: Ann Wright, principal Address: 801 N.W. R.D. Mize Road Phone: 816-228-5895

Our Lady of the Presentation Catholic School Grades: kindergarten through grade 8 Affiliation: Our Lady of the Presentation Catholic Church Administrator: Jodi Briggs, principal Address: 150 N.W. Murray Road Phone: 816-251-1150

Timothy Lutheran School Plaza Heights Christian Academy Grades: kindergarten through grade 8 Affiliation: Lutheran MinisGrades: preschool through grade tries Administrator: Ed Kuerschner, 12 Affiliation: Plaza Heights Baptist Administer of School Ministries.

Church Administrator: Chuck Address: 301 W. Wyatt Road, Lawson, administrator Address: Phone: 816-228-5300 1500 S.W. Clark Road Phone: 816-228-0670

Summit Christian Academy Grades: preschool through grade 12 Affiliation: Christian, non-denominational Administrator: Linda Harrelson, head of school Address: 1450 S.W. Jefferson St. Phone: 816-525-1480

Marillac Therapeutic Day School Nativity of Mary Grades: kindergarten through Grades: preschool through grade 8 grade 12 Affiliation: Cornerstones Affiliation: Catholic Diocese of of Care, behavioral health AdminisKansas City-St. Joseph trator: Colleen Farley, principal Administrator: Mary Parrish, Address: 5000 N.W. Valley View principal Address: 10021 E. 36th Road Phone: 816-224-9541 Terrace Phone: 816-353-0284

Rainbow Center Grades: ages 3 through 21 The Schoolhouse Affiliation: day school, communiGrades: pre-kindergarten through cation disorders grade 6 Affiliation: independent Administration: Marilu W. Herrick, Administrator: Mary Childers, prin- executive director cipal Address: 14709 E. 35th St. Address: 900 N.W. Woods Chapel Phone: 816-373-5938 Road, Blue Springs Phone: 816-229-3869 Website: rainbow-center.org

 BLUE SPRINGS

 LEE’S SUMMIT

St. Michael the Archangel Grades: High School 2901 NW Lee’s Summit Road Lee’s Summit, MO 64064 Affiliation: Christian, Catholic Administrator: Jodie Maddox, Principal Phone: 816-763-4800

Summit View Adventist School Grades: kindergarten through grade 8 Affiliation: Seventh-day Adventist Church Administrator: Marilyn Suarez, pre-k/kindergarten principal, Heather Daarud, 1st-4th principal and Matt Daarud, 5th-9th principal Address: 12503 S. Missouri 7 Phone: 816-697-3443

MAKE THE GRADE / 11

Easing the transition Long days for little ones

By Melissa Erickson More Content Now

T

he unknown is stressful for students entering a new school or a new school year. It’s never easy transitioning from one environment to another, but parents can help with the adjustment.

The best way is to offer plenty of patience, understanding and support, said J. Spencer Clark, assistant professor of curriculum studies in Kansas State University’s College of Education.

Allowing your child to make her own choices in areas that may be important to her will help her feel more powerful and confident, said Lori Levin, assistant professor of elementary literacy in Kansas State University’s College of Education. A student will feel a sense of ownership in the process of preparing for school if he is allowed to choose what to bring for lunch or eat in the school cafeteria, for example.

“Any time kids have a choice, it’s freeing.

Choice is a huge motivator forRoberson, childrenAgent and Blake teens alike,” Levin said. 16726 E 40 Highway

Creating a household routine can ease the transition for students going into full-day kindergarten or first grade. They may come home from school tired, irritable, fussy and hungry for the first few weeks of full school days, whether they go to day care afterward or come straight home, Levin said. It may take some time to get adjusted to the high level of activity that the school day brings.

To help prepare them for long days, Levin recommends having children go to bed 15 minutes earlier each night until they reach the ideal bedtime, using blackout window shades if necessary. Elementary-age children need 10 to 11 hours of sleep per night to function at their best, Levin said.

Mornings are important as well. The professors advise offering healthy breakfast foods or having high-protein granola bars on hand that children can eat on the way to school.

“It doesn’t have to be elaborate, but they do need to have something in their tummies before they head off to school for hours of learning, ” Levin said.teamwork.

Now that’s

“Studies show that the No. 1 thing that helps kids be resilient through middle school is knowing they have one adult in their life, whether it’s a parent, teacher, coach or clergy member, who they can rely on.” - Lori Levin

Older kids, different challenges

Teens look to future

For middle-school students, the transition also includes changing bodies and moving into adulthood.

“Studies show that the No. 1 thing that helps kids be resilient through middle school is knowing they have one adult in their life, whether it’s a parent, teacher, coach or clergy member, who they can rely on,” Levin said.

Levin advises parents to share honestly with their children about their school experiences, including the fun times, the challenging times and how they overcame difficulties. Also, it is key for parents to ask about and acknowledge their children’s feelings about school.

“Listening attentively and without judgment is so important,” Levin said.

Students entering high school have to cope with the pressure of how their decisions at school will affect their futures, as well as balancing activities and homework, Clark said.

Parents can help by discussing the teen’s schedule, helping teens decide when they should work on homework, and assisting them in selecting extracurricular activities that relate to their strengths and goals, Levin said.

“Studies of feedback from high schoolers show they are under tremendous pressure, which they put on themselves and feel from parents to get good grades, be in a sport and get into a great college,” Levin said. “Having reasonable expectations is important. So many teens try to do it all and get overwhelmed. Having some downtime without technology is really important.”

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12 / MAKE THE GRADE

music

FREEPIK.COM

Studying with

Is it helpful? Depends on the student

“Certain music would certainly distract from learning. Music the student is familiar with may cause the student to sing along versus concentrating on work. Some individuals may be distracted by any noise on the headphone and prefer silence.

Some students may react claustrophobically to headphones.”

Nancy Gretzinger

By Melissa Erickson More Content Now

W

hether they’re studying for a world history final or concentrating on programming homework for coding class, students are often plugged in and listening to music on headphones. Enter a library or homework space and it seems studying with music is the norm rather than the exception.

But should your child study with music? It depends.

The effect of background sound on task performance has been studied in depth for the past 40 years “in a phenomenon known as the irrelevant sound effect,” said Dr. Nick Perham, a lecturer in the School of Health Sciences at the University of Wales Institute in Cardiff, U.K. “The Mozart effect” theory is often dumbed down to “listening to music will make you smarter,” but studies do show that music can improve memory and attention, pump you up or slow you down, among other things. One study from the Stanford School of Medicine showed that music engages the areas of the brain involved with

paying attention, making predictions and updating the event in memory.

Helpful types of music Sound affects performance in a variety of ways, Perham said.

If a task requires some mental arithmetic, such as recalling a list of items in order, background sound that contains acoustical variation will impair this.

“Most sounds do this. Someone speaking is an example of acoustically varying sound,” Perham said.

On the other hand, a task that requires information to be processed semantically, such as reading comprehension, is impaired by music with lyrics.

“Nonspeech sounds don’t impair reading comprehension compared to quiet, but speech does. Same for lyrical and nonlyrical music,” Perham said.

Many people listen to music to help them concentrate, but it really depends on the kind of music that’s playing and what effect you want that music to have, said Benjamin Hardy, a writer at Medium.com and doctoral candidate at Clemson University. For many, listening to music while doing another task

— including academics — has a positive effect on performance, creativity, motivation and concentration, said Hardy, author of “Willpower Doesn’t Work: Discover the Hidden Keys to Success.”

To banish the distraction of music while studying, choose songs that are highly repetitive, ambient sounds or classical music, said Hardy, who often writes while listening to one song on repeat.

“It allows you to dissolve into the noise, stops your brain from wandering and allows you to focus on the task at hand,” he said.

Keep it positive All students are different and have different study skills and strategies. Whether music works is up to the individual, said Dr. Joseph Cardillo, author of “Body Intelligence: Harness Your Body’s Energies for Your Best Life.”

Music permeates every part of the brain and can exert its influence over the brain’s control systems, said Cardillo, an expert in attention training and creative thinking.

“This means that music can influence your memory, speed of recall, perceptions, emotions, organization, neurochemistry and behavior — all of which can extend positive influence over studies,” he said.

Paired with study correctly, music can “block out extraneous noise and allow the student to focus on the task at hand,” said Nancy Gretzinger, a retired educator in Ohio and Arizona with 40-plus years of experience.

It all depends, though.

“Certain music would certainly distract from learning. Music the student is familiar with may cause the student to sing along versus concentrating on work. Some individuals may be distracted by any noise on the headphone and prefer silence. Some students may react claustrophobically to headphones,” Gretzinger said.

FREEPIK.COM

MAKE THE GRADE / 13

w Pick and praise

When one child is a

BETTER STUDENT

By Melissa Erickson More Content Now

H

ow families react to children’s performance in school can have lasting consequences on a child’s development and selfesteem, according to experts. What should a parent do when one child is a better student?

“In some ways it’s complicated, and parents’ perceptions are not always accurate,” said Alexander Jensen, assistant professor at Brigham Young University’s School of Family Life.

In a 2015 study, Jensen asked parents which of their children was better at schoolwork. Turns out, parents believed their firstborn was smarter — unless the firstborn was a son and the second was a daughter. In that case, the daughter was deemed smarter.

Between two siblings of the same sex, parents believed the firstborn was smarter.

Between female and male siblings, parents on average believed girls were smarter in school regardless of birth order.

While the study didn’t ask why, “it may have been that parents conflate age with natural ability. Then, there’s the gender issue,” Jensen said. “Parents tend to view older siblings as more capable, but on average older siblings are not doing better in school than their younger siblings.”

Regardless of who’s smarter, the social comparison of grades between siblings has negative implications for kids.

“It’s linked to depression, increased fighting,” Jensen said. Parents should minimize comparisons as much as possible, he said.

“Children are vigilant in comparisons, and it can backfire and be a negative. Parents need to be aware of that,” said Susan McHale, distinguished professor of human development and family studies, professor of demography and director of the Social Science Research Institute at Pennsylvania State University.

A child can be smart, but if a brother or sister is seen as smarter, “that can have implications as far as future goals and plans, their sense of self, and it can affect their everyday performance,” she said.

When a child is seen to be second-best (or third- or fourth-) academically, she may withdraw rather than compete, McHale said. Instead she focuses her efforts toward a different way to compete: If one child is “the smart one,” another may be “the sporty one” or “the musical one” or “the one on the debate team.”

“It minimizes opportunities, and you really want to avoid this,” McHale said.

Parents need to help kids see beyond who’s getting better grades.

“Focus on what the ‘less better’-performing child is doing right versus wrong, so to speak,” said licensed marriage and family therapist Lisa Bahar. “They are excelling at something — figure that out and nurture it.

Focus on their character development versus performance. Build them up on their attributes from small to big things. Remember their actions in the past that had a positive effect on the family and you.”

All kids have different strengths, and they need to hear their parents recognize them for it, Jensen said.

w Praise effort, not achievement “Parents should praise a child’s effort rather than the outcome,” such as grades, Jensen said. That will make the grade comparison conversation come up less often, he said.

Work effort is something that all children can change, while top grades are not always achievable for all students.

“Reinforce kids for what they’re doing. If their work ethic is terrific, tell them,” McHale said.

w Motivate positively Parents may think comparing grades will spur kids to do better, but it’s not effective.

“It may generate motivation, but the longterm effects are mostly negative,” Bahar said.

Remember that you’re the parent of more than one child, McHale said. Both kids hear what you say to them and their siblings, and that gives them a sense of who they are.

“It’s hard for parents to not notice or think about differences between their children; it’s only natural,” Jensen said. “But to help all children succeed, parents should focus on recognizing the strengths of each of their children and be careful about vocally making comparisons in front of them.”

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14 / MAKE THE GRADE

MISSOURI TAX-FREE HOLIDAY

Save on school supplies this weekend Missouri is again offering the first weekend in August as a tax-free holiday for families doing their back-to-school shopping.

It starts at 12:01 a.m., Friday, Aug. 3, and runs through Sunday, Aug. 5.

The Missouri Department of Revenue decides what qualifies for exemption from state and local sales taxes over the tax-free weekend: • Clothing – any article having a taxable value of $100 or less • School supplies – not to exceed $50 per purchase • Computer software – taxable value of $350 or less • Personal computers – not to exceed $1,500 • Computer peripheral devices – not to exceed $1,500 • Graphing calculators – not to exceed $150 How much will you save?

The state sales tax is 4.225 percent. Add on to that your local city and Jackson County sales taxes.

For instance: • Independence has a total combined city, county and state sales tax of 7.85%, minus two special districts that opted out.

• Blue Springs has a total rate of 8.6%.

• Lee’s Summit in Jackson County has a total rate of 7.85%.

• Grain Valley has a total rate of 8.1%.

• Buckner’s total rate is 7.6%.

• Raytown’s total rate is 8.35%.

Exceptions Cities can choose not to participate in the tax-free weekend. In Eastern Jackson County, only Sugar Creek has opted out.

In addition, certain taxing districts can opt out.

Locally, the Independence Events Center Community Improvement District (0.75%) and the Crackerneck Creek Transportation Development District (1%) opted out, meaning you will pay those sales taxes. The Independence Events Center Community Improvement District includes such areas

as Bolger Square (Target, J.C. Penney), Independence Commons (Kohl’s, Best Buy, Marshall’s), The Crossroads (Wal-Mart) and Eastland Center (Costco, Lowe’s). The Crackerneck Creek Transportation Development District includes Bass Pro Shops, Hobby Lobby and Mardel.

Independence Center will be participating in the tax-free holiday.

More details Section 144.049, RSMo, defines items exempt during the sales tax holiday as: “Clothing” – any article of wearing apparel, including footwear, intended to be worn on or about the human body. The term shall include but not be limited to cloth and other material used to make school uniforms or other school clothing. Items normally sold in pairs shall not be separated to qualify for the exemption. Diapers will be included in this year. The term shall not include watches, watchbands, jewelry, handbags,

handkerchiefs, umbrellas, scarves, ties, headbands, or belt buckles.

“School supplies” – any item normally used by students in a standard classroom for educational purposes, including but not limited to, textbooks, notebooks, paper, writing instruments, crayons, art supplies, rulers, book bags, backpacks, handheld calculators, graphing calculators, chalk, maps, and globes. The term shall not include watches, radios, CD players, headphones, sporting equipment, portable or desktop telephones, copiers or other office equipment, furniture, or fixtures. School supplies shall also include computer software having a taxable value of $350 or less.

“Personal computers” – a laptop, desktop, or tower computer system which consists of a central processing unit, random access memory, a storage drive, a display monitor, and a keyboard and devices designed for use in conjunction with a personal computer, such as a disk drive, memory module, compact disk drive, daughterboard, digitizer, microphone, modem, motherboard, mouse, multimedia speaker, printer, scanner, single-user hardware, single-user operating system, soundcard, or video card.

Other things to note: • If you are a teacher buying supplies for your classroom, that qualifies for the tax exemption.

• If you buy school supplies over the internet, the purchase occurs and the transaction is completed during the sales tax holiday, it qualifies. As long as it’s paid in full during the weekend, the item can be delivered after the holiday.

• You don’t have to live in Missouri to take advantage of the holiday.

ONLINE: For more details about the sales tax holiday, go to the Missouri Department of Revenue’s website at http://dor.mo.gov/business/sales/taxholiday/school/

LEARN

MAKE THE GRADE / 15

Tips to motivate your child to

“We need to help our kids understand that failure is a stepping stone on a journey and not an end result.

Everybody fails, and not just once. What is great about failure (although it does not seem so at the time) is that we learn from it and we try again.”

Metro Creative Connection

Joan M. Rooney

By Melissa Erickson More Content Now

T

alking to a child about why it’s important to get good grades in school can be met with nods of agreement or rolled eyes. It doesn’t matter if kids know you want them to succeed, they have to have the motivation to do it for themselves.

“Motivation is one of the biggest challenges in education. Many factors combine to encourage us to work hard, pursue goals or aim for success, or to do the opposite,” said Joan M. Rooney, vice president for instructor management at The Princeton Review and Tutor.com.

External factors like income level, subjects being taught, the ability of the teacher and other social influences play a role but don’t make a big difference.

“The one factor that is most influential in helping us to succeed is confidence,” said Rooney, a former classroom teacher and parent of an adult

son.

She’s not referring to an unrealistic sense of self-worth but rather a belief that if students work hard and do their best, they are capable of succeeding. A student needs to have the knowledge that he will not succeed at everything, but if he doesn’t try, how will he know what he is capable of, she said.

“I would advise parents to do whatever they can to foster in their children this perspective: that what is important is that I work hard and that I try,” Rooney said. “Foster this attitude toward their studies, school and life in general. In current terms, this is what is known as promoting a growth mindset and sense of self-efficacy.”

Fail until you succeed “We need to help our kids understand that failure is a stepping stone on a journey and not an end result. Everybody fails, and not just once. What is great about failure (although it does not seem so at the time) is that we learn from it and we try again,”

Rooney said.

Sharing past stories of failures in and out of school and failure stories of famous people helps children understand that failure can be a helpful part of life, Rooney said.

Avoid bad attitudes What is not helpful for kids is if a parent says, “I was never good at math, either” or “I am terrible at foreign languages.” These types of statements create “a fixed mindset, which sets us up for failure rather than success,” Rooney said.

Make it relevant “Relevance is a critical part of successful learning. We achieve deeper learning when what we are learning has some meaning for us,” Rooney said.

Stay abreast of what your child is studying in class and find ways to incorporate what you can into everyday activities.

• In the car: How many miles to school? What is that in terms of kilometers? Are we getting good gas mileage?

• The grocery store provides lots of opportunities to discuss science, nutrition and math. Which of these soups has less salt, and why doesn’t it say “salt”? How much will this cost if it is 15 percent off? Should we buy the liter bottles or the ounces?

• Home-improvement projects offer opportunities to calculate perimeter and area for new rugs or paint; discuss chemicals in lawn or garden products.

• Vocabulary words can be a challenge for the whole family to use during dinner.

• Events in the news are sources of discussion on topics like voting rights or crime and punishment.

“Activities such as these help kids see that there is in fact a real-world connection to what they are learning, and they also make learning fun and often inspire a desire to learn more,” Rooney said.

16 / MAKE THE GRADE

Student academic achievement is at an all time high in the

Independence School District

95%

APR score of 95 percent is the highest score in Independence School District history

21.8 OVER 4 YEARS This growth shows the focus on rigor and relevance in our classrooms.