May 2015 EDITION

Check us out at www.ellsaline.org

THE

ECHO

April 13 Board Meeting Report

All board members were present. Action taken was on a 7-0 vote unless noted otherwise. 6:55 P.M. BUDGET HEARING It was approved to amend the Virtual Fund budget to $42,900 due to the increase in number of virtual students attending through the Smoky Hill Learning Center. These are not addi-tional funds but rather are transferred out of the General Fund. 7:00 P.M. REGULAR MEETING

II. AUDIENCE WITH THE BOARD

None V. REPORTS

BOE – Jamie Bradley reported that the Cardinal Foundation fundraiser was a success and raised more funds this year than in any previous year. Also, that the Cardinal Foundation had re-ceived an Earl Bane grant for $10,000. Jeff Parker reported that SHESC, like school districts, is facing a shrinking budget and is looking at ways to decrease costs and maintain programs. Mrs. Sprinkle – Her report included: state assessment update; professional development activities; kindergarten round up; and potential reading program changes. Mrs. Wildeman – Her report included: four students receiving an Earl Bane Scholarship; BPA receiving an Earl Bane grant of $8,000 to help fund the trip to nationals; and student activities. Mr. Minneman – His report included: reminding the board about the Staff Appreciation Luncheon on May 20; hosting the HOA Forensics meet on April 6; legislative update; read one thank you note; and dates that he will be attending meetings out of the district before the next meeting. VII. BUSINESS

Parents As Teachers Request—Christy Mai updated the board on the number of families being served and activities held. The board approved funding the program next year at the same amount of this year which is $9,000. Parent Fundraiser for Basketball—There was no action on this item as no one was there to present. Insurance Presentation—It was approved to join the Kansas Ed-ucational Risk Management Insurance Pool beginning next year. This is for our property insurance. Approve New Hires—The following were approved: Seth Lamborn, 2nd Grade; and Donna Dykes, elementary lunchroom aide. Mitch Drees excused himself from the room and this passed 6-0. Board Policy – 2nd Reading—These policies were approved as presented. There were two Executive Sessions (Personnel).

ELL SALINE HIGH SCHOOL CHEER AND

DANCE TRYOUTS

APRIL 29th and 30th at

4:00 p.m. in the gym.

Cheers and dances will be taught after school on

the 29th. Tryouts will be held on the 30th of April

at 4:00 p.m.

If you have questions, please contact Nikki

Davenport at 785-223-1164 or by email at

ndavenport@8thjd.com

Relay for Life

Ell-Saline students participated in the Saline County Youth Re-

lay For Life, Saturday, April 11. The team brought in $1049

for the American Cancer Society by doing fundraisers and sell-

ing luminaries. The event had a

1980’s theme with ESH choosing

to decorate with Pac Man. Stu-

dents participated in the shopping

cart competition, Zumba dancing,

cupcake decorating and other ac-

tivities at the Salina Stadium. Mrs.

Theresa White made and has do-

nated an Ell-Saline t-shirt quilt to

continue the fundraising efforts.

The quilt may be viewed in the

MS/HS office and silent bids will

be accepted until 4:00 pm on

Wednesday, May 13, 2015.

T-shirt quilt for silent auction benefiting Relay for Life. Jonah Mattson and Derrell Finch display Mrs. Theresa

White’s creation.

The meeting adjourned at 8:25 p.m. The next regular meeting will be Monday, May 11, at 7:00 p.m. in the District Office in Brookville. If anyone wishes to have an item added to the agenda, please contact President Marty Kramer, Vice-President Mitch Drees or the District Office two weeks prior to the meeting.

Ag in Mrs. Dennison’s Classroom

Last fall Mrs. Dennison’s third graders learned about the five major crops of Kansas. These crops are milo, wheat, corn, soybeans and sunflowers. Seeds were identified and planted in “glove” gardens. Then, with the help of Carson Fouard’s dad, John Fouard, the class created a wheat plot

in the outdoor learning center. The class observed the growth process during the warm months and watched it sit dormant or inactive during the cold winter months. Now with the warm spring weather upon us, the class has seen a dramatic change to their wheat plot. The wheat is growing very tall! Now, the class is anxious to see

just how tall the wheat will be by the end of the

school year. Mrs. Dennison

The Ell-Saline Greenhouse will be selling plants after school Monday through Friday from 4 p.m.

until 6 p.m. If you are not able to attend, please call the school to set up an appointment. The fol-lowing plants are available for sale:

Petunias Geraniums Coleus Marigolds Asparagus Ferns Rose Moss Aloe Vera Egg Plant Tomatoes Peppers Mother-in-Law Tongue

The money goes to helping the greenhouse buy

supplies, helps the facilities, and helps students

learn about running a business.

April Students and Staff Member of the Month April Staff Member of the Month:

John Johnson John Johnson has been the Industrial Arts/Technology Teacher at Ell-Saline for 18 years.

This year is the first year he has not been coaching a sport but has been trying to improve the

shop and add technologies such as a 3D printer to help benefit the students. Mr. Johnson is a

member of the Brookville United Methodist Church where he helps out with music and

youth group. In school he teaches drafting, woodworking, welding, and small engines. This

allows him to have many class options for students. He says he would be bored if he only got

to teach one class, so he likes the variety. Outside of school Mr. Johnson enjoys playing the

guitar, riding horses, and riding motorcycles. He taught at two different schools before he

came to Ell-Saline and says he jumped at the chance to come back to ESH where he graduat-

ed from; It’s his home. Way to go Mr. Johnson!

April HS Student of the Month: Monica Wolf April’s high school student of the month is senior Monica Wolf. Monica is the daughter of

William and Maria Wolf, and has two siblings, Julisa and Isaac Wolf. In school she participates

in Forensics, FFA, NHS, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, PALS, FOR, and Scholars’ Bowl. Monica

also is involved in Salina Community Ambassadors. In her spare time she enjoys reading and

working at Hickory Hut. In the future Monica plans to attend K-State to major in English Liter-

ature and later apply to law school to study civil law. Great job Monica!

April MS Student of the Month: Patrick Giersch

April’s middle school student of the month is eighth grader Patrick Giersch. Patrick is the son of

Karla Alley and Richard Giersch, and has three siblings Jenn, Tracee, and Amy. In school he is

involved in football, basketball, track, and Scholars’ Bowl. Outside of school Patrick likes hang-

ing out with friends and playing baseball. He also enjoys hunting, fishing, and sleeping. Patrick’s

future plans are to attend Kansas University and study to be a doctor. Good job Patrick!

Children’s Literacy Initiative

Preventing

Summer Slide

What is Summer Slide? Summer Reading loss (also known as sum-mer slide) occurs when the skills students learn during the school year are lost or for-gotten over the summer. Why is it so important to know how to fight Summer Slide? Research shows… • 1 in 6 children who are not reading at

grade level in 3rd grade will not graduate from high school on time.

• When children do not read over the summer, they can fall 2 1/2 years behind where they should be by fifth grade!

How do I prevent Summer Slide? The best way to prevent Summer Slide is to make reading a pri-ority. Find time for your children to read everyday. • Choose a book that’s right for your child’s reading level • Pick out books that interest your child • Reread favorite books • Visit the library for books and events • Do puzzles and games together that involve reading • Sing songs and nursery rhymes with young children • Get outside! Have a reading picnic or bring a book to the

park or beach

FFA Chapter Degree Recipients

Emily Arnold Tifanie Becker Kyle Came Bailey Chermak Cody Clancy Tanier Clifford Morgan Davenport Caitlyn Hammonds Hunter Hayes Konon Hays Matthew Herring Morgan Herring Alivia Jennings Kade Krebaum

Scholarship Recipients:

Collyn Fouard Matt Willis Kamdon Basinger Evan Morrical Cody Walters

Concentrators:

Ashlyn Bird Dakota Came Fernando Garcia Koby Ingalsbe Morgan Kindlesparger Jordan Lindquist Chance Miller Catelyn Richards Luke Sheridan Collyn Fouard

Greenhands

Mattie Best Grace Bowers Joshua Brandt Spencer Came Daniel Davila Skylar Clark Brody Ditto Shyanne Dreyer Mason Ferrell Desiree Garman Madelyn Hayes

Extemporaneous

Collyn Fouard

Creed Speaking

Jennifer Nunez Madelyn Hayes Morgan Linenberger

Goat Production

Bailey Chermak

Volunteerism

Catelyn Richards

Home Improvement

Matt Willis

Small Animal Production

Garret Jacobson Placement in Agriculture

Luke Sheridan Chance Miller Kody Came Forestry Management

Cody Walters Kyle Came

Outdoor Recreation

Evan Morrical

Ag Sales

Kiva Phelps

Mikaylee Laas Nathan Macy Caden Nelson Megan Northcutt Brooklyn Plott Kamdon Basinger Levi Holcom Shawn MacPherson Kathryn Relph John Riedel Tyler Weems Devin Bowers

Austin Funk Gayle Gillham Nick Griffin Garrett Jacobson Evan Morrical Kiva Phelps Cody Walter William Wilvers Monica Wolf

Proficiency Award Winners

Public Speaking

Collyn Fouard Cody Walters Evan Morrical Tifanie Becker

Beef Production

Collyn Fouard Jordan Lindquist

Vegetable Production

Ashlyn Bird Morgan Kindlesparger

Diversified Livestock

Collyn Fouard State Degree

Collyn Fouard Cody Walters Matt Willis Evan Morrical

Jessi Hughes Lexi Kockanowski Zaide Korb Bryce Lange Morgan Linenberger Jonah Mattson Makayla Miller Cheyenne Monasmith Malik Meyers Nathan Parks Tel Phelps

Ell-Saline FFA

The Ell-Saline FFA had many awards to present to the members at their annual banquet. These students have worked very hard to accomplish multiple tasks in their area of award. We are proud to present these students with the awards in which they have achieved. Our Greenhands are the first year members that went above and beyond just general agriculture curriculum in the classroom. For example, they showed leadership out-side of the classroom in some way. They were awarded a Bronze Pin. Our Chapter Degree Recipients are second year members who continued to excel in agriculture outside of the class-room. They are awarded a Silver Pin for their efforts. The State Degree Recipients have been awarded the high-

est degree that the state can award. This is relative to earn-

ing All-State Honors in a sport. These members had to

keep record of their SAE experience, and show numerous

hours of volunteerism.

Nathan Schweitzberger Chase Finch Fallyn Morrical Rachel Ridgeway Terra Tanuis

An Equal Employment/Educational Opportunity Agency The Ell-Saline U.S.D. 307 Board of Education does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin, handicap or age in admission or access to, or treatment in, its programs or activities. Any questions regarding in the board’s compliance with Title VI, Title IX, or Section 504 may be directed to the

Title IX coordinator, who can be reached at (785) 225-6813, 412 E. Anderson, P.O. Box 157, Brookville, KS 67425, or to the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education.

District Office 412 E. Anderson P.O. Box 157 Brookville, KS 67425-0157 (785) 225-6813 Return Service Requested

Middle/High School 414 E. Anderson P.O. Box 97 Brookville, KS 67425-0097 (785) 225-6633

Elementary School 1757 N. Halstead Rd. Salina, KS 67401 (785) 827-8891

Ell-Saline USD 307

CALENDAR OF EVENTS Check for changes at www.ellsaline.org

May 1 NO ESE After School May 1 10:00 HS TR @ Beloit (Relays) May 1 4:00 HS SB @ Trinity Catholic May 1 3:00 HS BSB @ Little River May 1 Technology Ed. Fair @ Hays May 2 State Speech & Drama Championships May 3 State FFA Competition @ KSU May 4 State FFA Competition @ KSU May 4 6:30 CPTA Mtg. @ EL May 5 AR Party in the Park May 5 9:00 MS TR @ Beloit May 5 3:00 HS TR @ Tescott May 5 3:00 HS SB/BSB Inman @ ES May 6 9:00 HS HOA Industrial Arts/Ag Fair @ Bennington May 6 6:00 Senior Trip Parents Mtg. May 6 6:30 Booster Club Mtg. May 6 BPA National Leadership Conference @ Anaheim, CA May 7 NO ESE After School May 7 6:30-8:00 CPTA Talent Show May 7 BPA National Leadership Conference @ Anaheim, CA May 8 NO ESE After School May 8 ACT Test Registration Deadline May 8 3:00 HS TR @ Lincoln (Relays) May 8 3:00 HS BSB Ellsworth @ ES May 8 BPA National Leadership Conference @ Anaheim, CA May 9 Senior Trip May 9 BPA National Leadership Conference @ Anaheim, CA May 10 Senior Trip May 10 BPA National Leadership Conference @ Anaheim, CA May 10 Mother’s Day May 11 Senior Trip May 11 4:00 HS TR HOA FR/SO Meet @ Moundridge May 11 7:00 BOE Mtg. @ DO May 12 Senior Trip

May 12 11:00 MS TR HOA League @ Bennington May 12 1:00 HS HOA League Golf @ Hesston May 13 Last day of ESE After School May 13 Senior Trip May 13 6th Gr. Shadow Day May 14 7:00 HS Awards Night May 15 8:30 Graduation Rehearsal May 15 3:00 HS TR HOA League Meet @ Marion May 15 MS/HS Semester Finals May 16 1:30 High School Graduation May 18 11:45 All School Picnic @ EL May 18 12:30 Play Day @ EL May 18 MS/HS Semester Finals May 18 9:00 HS Boys Golf Regionals @ Herington May 18 TBA HS SB Regionals @ Lincoln/BSB Regionals @ Salina May 18 7:00 MS Awards Night May 19 9:00 EL Pep Rally May 19 Kdg Recognition May 19 Last Day of School 11:00 Dismissal

May 19 TBA HS SB Regionals @ Lincoln May 19 End of Quarter/Semester May 20 Teacher In-Service Day May 20 TBA HS BSB Regionals @ Salina May 21 Teacher Work Day May 22 Last Teacher Work Day (Set) May 22 3:00 HS TR Regionals @ Smith Center May 26 8:30 HS Boys State Golf @ Emporia May 27 State FFA Convention @ KSU May 28 HS SB @ Pratt/BSB @ Great Bend May 28 State FFA Convention @ KSU May 29 HS TR State @ WSU May 29 HS SB State @ Pratt/BSB State @ Great Bend May 29 State FFA Convention @ KSU May 30 HS TR State @ WSU

FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT’S DESK We are now very close to “teeing off on the final hole” for this school year. By the time you receive this we will have less than 4 weeks left until we have “sank the winning putt” and school will be over for the 2014-2015 school year. It seems like such a short time ago that we were just dusting off our clubs. This has truly been an enjoyable, positive, successful, fast year for students, staff and patrons alike. In the next couple of weeks we have the opportunity to look back over the students’ accomplishments of this year with the various awards and performance nights. For our seniors we will get to take part not only in recognizing their accomplishments of this year at the Awards Night on May 14, but also to share in their celebration of the past thirteen years with their graduation exercises on May 16. For our 8th graders we will get to hear of their accomplishments of this year and to challenge them to not only continue that, but also to build on it throughout their next four years in high school, during their Awards Night on May 18. I encourage each of you to attend as many of these events as you can to support our students. Along with looking back over the past years, we are also looking forward to next year as kindergarten round-up and enrollment are taking place. Our preliminary count of kindergartners for next year is 34. We have been interviewing candidates, hiring new staff members and beginning to order necessary supplies. We are balancing next year’s needs between this, and next year’s, budgets. As we do those things this year, it is with more uncertainty than usual about next year’s, and future years’, budgets. Yes, the legislature passed and the Governor signed the Block Grant bill which sets the funding of schools for the next two years. The legislators publicize that more money is being allocated for K-12 education and that claim is correct. The catch here is that the funding for classroom expenses for each of those years will be basically the same as it is for this year. The additional money is for the State’s contribution to KPERS which is only passed through our budget and right back to Topeka. It can’t be used for classroom expenses. It doesn’t matter if we gain 20 more students that would result in additional expenses for supplies, materials, busing, etc., or even one student that requires additional para professional support. Those expenses would just need to be covered somehow with the same amount of budget dollars as we have without those additional expenses. Under the previous funding formula, there were provisions that provided additional dollars based on the number of, and needs of, the students each year. Even if our student population stays exactly as it is, with the cost of everything going up our budget will be stretched even tighter. You have probably heard on the news or read in the newspaper that some area schools, as well as others across the state, are eliminating some student days from their school year because of their financial condition. Other districts are cutting programs or non-renewing teachers. Our financial position is much better than that. We have been able to conserve our Contingency Reserve Fund and maintain some carry over dollars in those funds where they are allowed. This has been possible only through our Board of Education setting budgets and expectations that not every dollar be spent each year and the staff understanding the goals of the board and being conscientious in their requests of materials and supplies. The staff has also applied for grants that have provided substantial dollars to help in the purchase of resources that our budget was not able to provide. Along with all of that, we continue to look for ways to reduce expenses and use our available resources more efficiently. While our financial condition is still on pretty solid ground the question is “For how long?” If tax receipts continue to come in below projections, there might well be another cut to K-12 education yet this year. This month the state’s Consensus Revenue Estimating group met and revised this year’s estimate. Not unexpectedly the revision was a decrease rather than an increase. The part that was unexpected was the amount of the decrease--$276 million! This leaves the State with $400 million to come up with through a combination of tax increases and cuts. With the numbers of legislators that have signed off on the “no tax pledge” it will take a major effort by everybody to work out a solution to this crisis. There aren’t enough places left in the budget to cut that amount from so it will take some tax increases. Several have been floated by key legislators but there are groups that have already taken out full page ads in newspapers to state their case on how bad some of those ideas are. Increasing taxes on cigarettes and alcohol isn’t going to be enough. It’s going to take some major changes maybe along the lines of rolling back the income tax reductions or the elimination of income taxes on small businesses to have any long-lasting, sustainable source of revenue to restore Kansas’ financial condition to where once again it can provide the necessary funding for the services that Kansans deserve. Until such time the question of “For how long?” will continue to be a restraint on what we can provide for our students. Regardless of the challenges that are put in front of us by action of the legislature and Governor, you can be assured that your Board of Education will continue to work with their budget to provide your children a quality education. Thank you for your continued trust and confidence in the Ell-Saline USD 307 school district. Please call or stop in so we can visit about the many good things going on in your district.

PARENT/PATRON TECHNOLOGY SURVEY

One of the requirements for continuing to receive E-RATE funding, as well as to make more informed decisions in the future, is that we have a current Technology Plan on file. A component of the plan is that we survey the various district stakeholders (students, staff, parents/patrons) for their satisfaction/needs/wants/direction. We will survey all of our students in grades 4-12 and all of our staff by way of electronic means again this year. In the past the survey for parents/patrons has been administered using paper and pencil but starting this year we will also survey parents/patrons electronically. The survey is located on our district website (www.ellsaline.org) in a tab at the top of the screen. We appreciate it if you would take a few minutes to complete the survey by May 15. Thank you in advance to everyone that will be helping us this year as we continue to improve the educational opportunities of our students at USD 307 Ell-Saline.

COMMIT TO BE FIT Ell-Saline Community & Families. Commit to Be Fit with Family Fun and Fitness. Bring your family or just yourself and Run, Walk, Dodge a Ball, Play a Nutrition Game and create a healthy My Plate Snack. Fun for all! May 7, 5:30 to 6:30. (Just prior to the CPTA Talent show at 7:00) Details and sign ups to come soon.

Ell-Saline Wellness Committee