Eudora School Newsletter - August 2023

Eudora Schools Bond Update

After the Bond passage on May 16th, the Eudora Schools has been busy preparing and marketing the Bonds our community successfully approved this spring. The bond election was a testament to the power of collaboration and teamwork, and Eudora Schools are honored to have been a part of such an incredible effort.

The Bonds were successfully sold on July 11th for a lower interest rate than initially planned. Due to this lower interest rate, the total debt service should decrease by approximately 9 Million Dollars! Eudora Schools has held focus groups with staff stakeholders including teachers, administrators, coaches, and paras, who meet with the architecture team. During these meetings with HTK Architects, all groups were given the opportunity to provide input and ideas for the preliminary designs of each project. The architects will continue to refine the designs alongside the Eudora Schools team and aim to finalize the drawings by winter break.

Eudora Schools Website and App Announcement

In January, Construction Management partner, Newkirk-Novak will solicit competitive bids for a majority of the projects. Some of the construction is anticipated to begin in February, with most of the projects starting in May. Many projects and improvements will need to occur throughout the summer when students and staff are not in the building, such as the Eudora Elementary School playground and Eudora Middle School secure entrance.

Although walls and construction work aren’t visible yet, rest assured Eudora Schools is busy planning and preparing for the projects to take off soon. “We want to continue to extend our deepest gratitude to everyone who supported this initiative. Thank you to our passionate volunteers, dedicated staff members, and every community member who has had an amazing impact on the process so far. Moving forward, we are confident that we will continue to work together to create an even stronger school district for our students, families, and community.” says Superintendent of Schools Stu Mockel.

The Eudora Schools App has been retired! We understand the inconvenience this may cause, and we sincerely apologize for any disruptions in accessing school-related information. No need to worry; our newly improved website will keep you informed! The site is mobile-aware, meaning it is designed to provide a seamless browsing experience regardless of the device’s screen size.

We know change can sometimes be challenging, but we genuinely appreciate your understanding and support as we make this transition. We promise that our new website is userfriendly and intuitive, making it a breeze to stay connected with Eudora Schools.

Please take a moment to visit www.eudoraschools. org and explore its features. We are confident

that you will find it intuitive and beneficial for staying connected with all the latest happenings at Eudora Schools. Together, we can continue to foster a strong and engaged community within Eudora Schools.

If you encounter any difficulties or have any questions while navigating the website, please reach out to Jaylie Postlewait, District Communication and Engagement Specialist, at jayliepostlewait@eudoraschools. org. Your satisfaction and convenience are our top priorities!

STAFF DIRECTORY

STU MOECKEL

• Superintendent of Schools

• stumoeckel@eudoraschools.org

DR. JUSTIN BOGART

• Eudora High School

Head Principal

• justinbogart@eudoraschools.org

CARA KIMBERLIN

• Eudora High School Assistant

Principal and Activities Director

• carakimberlin@eudoraschools.org

SEAN HAYDEN

• Eudora High School

Assistant Principal

• seanhayden@eudoraschools.org

JESSICA JOHNSON

• Director of Alternative and Virtual Learning

• jessicajohnson@eudoraschools.org

JEREMY THOMAS

• Eudora Middle School

Head Principal

• jeremythomas@eudoraschools.org

TY PATTISON

• Eudora Middle School Assistant Principal and Activities Director • typattison@eudoraschools.org

SETH HEIDE

• Eudora Elementary School

Head Principal

• sethheide@eudoraschools.org

MACHAELA BESHEARS

• Transportation Director

• machaelabeshears@ eudoraschools.org

BETSY CRABILL

• Finance Director

• betsycrabill@eudoraschools.org

HEATHER HUNDLEY

• Director of School Improvement Services

• heatherhundley@eudoraschools.org

SHANDA HURLA

• Eudora Schools Foundation Executive Director

• shandahurla@eudoraschools.org

CHUCK JAMES

• Director of Facilities

• chuckjames@eudoraschools.org

RON LONG

• Technology Director

• ronlong@eudoraschools.org

NICOLE PARKS

• Food and Nutrition Director

• nicoleparks@eudoraschools.org

JAYLIE POSTLEWAIT

• Communication and Engagement Specialist

• jayliepostlewait@eudoraschools.org

JESSICA CAGLE

• Eudora Elementary School

Assistant Principal

• jessicacagle@eudoraschools.org

JAMIE GRADO

• Eudora Elementary

Assistant Principal

• jamiegrado@eudoraschools.org

AMY SHANKS

• Human Resources Director

• amyshanks@eudoraschools.org

STEFANIE WHITE

• Executive Administrative/ HR Assistant

• stefaniewhite@eudoraschools.org

Summer Academy

This summer, Eudora students in Kindergarten through 8th grade had the opportunity to participate in another year of Summer Academy offered through the Eudora School District. For the month of June, the academy ran from 8:00 am-3:00 pm every Monday-Thursday. Students enjoyed many on campus and off campus activities throughout the entire month. The academy offered an engaging learning environment for all students that attended. Each week the students expanded their knowledge in many areas, such as reading, writing, math, STEM, socially, and physically. The academy was free of charge and had a total of almost 400 participants. Students were provided with breakfast, lunch, and snacks daily.

New additions to Summer Academy this year included structured gym and outdoor games and inviting interns from Kansas State University to offer weekly cooking classes. The students enjoyed all of the cooking experiences just as much as they loved taste testing what they made and sharing the recipes with family members at home.

tions that Summer Academy offers Eudora are remarkable. There were visits to the fire station, museum, police station, and KCPL company. Students were also bused downtown for an action packed opportunity with Feeding Eudora and Eudora Reads. While at Feeding Eudora, each student was fed lunch, enjoyed bounce houses, a petting zoo, Kona Ice, and more!

This year’s off-site field trips included the local downtown tour, the movie theater to view the movie: Minions, Topeka Zoo, and the Eudora Recreation Center and Pool. On top of those experiences, students were given the opportunity to visit the community garden and give back by helping do different tasks and learning all about how a community garden works and serves.

The feedback provided by many students and staff once again offered many thanks for the opportunities given to students and the connections made with the community in such positive ways. The impact that Summer Academy has to offer is priceless. Everyone is excited for next year to roll around for the fun to begin again!

The community connec-

Summer Academy offered enrichment learning. Each day the students worked hard in reading and math at their grade level while also challenging themselves to build upon what they knew or could do. The weekly themes of safari, space, neon, and baseball added to each week’s fun with educational lessons and activities.

Early Childhood Connections

The saying “it takes a village” emphasizes the idea that a community’s involvement is crucial for the well-being and growth of children. This partnership starts early in childhood and is vital for setting the foundation for a child’s future success. Eudora Schools is dedicated to strengthening these connections and supporting families by bringing together everyone in our community who plays a significant role in shaping the lives of young learners.

The first Early Childhood Connections event was held on July 29 for all individuals and organizations involved in supporting early childhood education (birth to five). The event focused on building positive connections and collaborations within the Eudora community. They aimed to share resources and find areas where, as a community, they are successfully providing care and learning support to children and their families in this age group.

to understand the current situation, identify any needs, and create a vision for the future. The goal is to ensure that all young children in the community receive the best possible care and education during their early years. Participants answered the following questions to determine our current reality, identify needs, and craft a vision for the future.

• What are the current challenges facing early childhood care, learning, and services in Eudora

• What solutions may help in addressing these challenges?

• What are you hopeful the future of Eudora’s early childhood care, learning, and services will encompass?

Lots

Resources Free

It can be used in libraries all across the state! Unlock the key to academic success!

Participants in the event worked together to answer important questions. They aimed

• What is needed to help create the pathway to drive that hope forward?

• What gaps and/or overlaps currently exist?

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Kansas State Assessments

The Kansas State Assessment and tools are designed to support educators, parents, and policymakers in evaluating student learning and meet the requirements for federal and state accountability. The Eudora School District annually works towards continuous improvement and sets ambitious goals to drive learning forward. We utilize the state assessment as a lag measure in this process while we work to construct systems focused on highly effective habits and practices to help us continuously move learning forward.

These scores help with…

• Identifying your student’s relative strengths and areas of targeted growth.

• Determining your student’s progress toward meeting state curriculum standards.

• Comparing your student’s performance to other students in the school, district, and state.

• This year, students were assessed in the following content areas:

• English language arts: Grades 3-8 and 10.

• Mathematics: Grades 3-8 and 10.

• Science: Grades 5, 8 and 11.

Families can view their student’s Kansas State Assessments results through the Kite Parent Portal. When interpreting KAP results, please take into consideration how the conditions for learning, which may have been disrupted by the pandemic, may influence performance. For additional family resources and information please visit https://ksassessments. org/families.

Performance Level Descriptors (PLDs) are available for each test. PLDs define the knowledge, skills, and processes that students likely demonstrate at different levels of proficiency within the reporting categories (1, 2, 3, 4).

These PLDs appear on Individual Student Reports and describe student performance on the assessments.

Level 1: A student at Level 1 shows a limited ability to understand and use the skills and knowledge needed for postsecondary readiness.

Level 2: A student at Level 2 shows a basic ability to understand and use the skills and knowledge needed for postsecondary readiness.

Level 3: A student at Level 3 shows an effective ability to

understand and use the skills and knowledge needed for postsecondary readiness.

Level 4: A student at Level 4 shows an excellent ability to understand and use the skills and knowledge needed for postsecondary readiness.

How can you help your student improve their assessment score?

Access Kite® Practice Tests for your student to take at home.

Encourage your student to do her or his best on the assessments.

Talk with the classroom teacher(s) about ways to develop your student’s criticalthinking skills.

Ask your student questions that require explanations and cannot be answered with a single word; have them write lists, letters, stories, or podcast scripts; and solve math problems using everyday materials, such as road maps, sporting event results, or recipes.

Establish time for your student to read and provide engaging and appropriately challenging reading materials.

Use the information on the back of the report to identify areas where your student needs additional support and ask the classroom teacher(s) how to practice these skills at home.

Ensure your student has effective systems in place to help them become the learner they wish to be.

Consider what systems are in place to help your child attend school ready and prepared for learning. Questions that may help you and your student design systems for success include the following:

Is my child well rested?

If not, what steps and habits can we work to build at home that will help them reach them to be better rested and ready to learn?

Are they prepared for learning? Is their mindset primed for learning? Do they believe they can excel and achieve high levels of success? Do they have access to supports and pathways designed to help them reach their full potential? If not, how will you work together to build small habits that can be compounded to influence each of these pieces?

Eudora Schools is Seeking SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS

Eudora Schools and Morgan Hunter are partnering in substitute staffing. Substitute teaching in the Eudora School District is an excellent opportunity for parents, retirees, college students, or anyone who loves working with children! Substitute teaching is flexible and is a great way to give back to the community while mak-

ing a nice income. For this school year, the minimum requirement to substitute teach is a high school diploma and a clean criminal background check. Please contact Morgan Hunter Education at 866-923-6433 or visit their website (https:// morganhuntereducation. com/substitute-teacherjobs/requirements/) for additional information.