ENews: Monday, November 20, 2023
Monday, November 20: School in Session
Tuesday, November 21: School in Session
Wednesday, November 22: No School, Thanksgiving Break
Tuesday, November 28: Return to School after break
Wednesday, December 6: 1st Grade Winter Concert
Tuesday, December 12: School Board Candidate Workshop
Monday, December 18: School in Session
Wednesday, December 20: Board of Education Meeting
Thursday, December 21: End of 2nd Quarter
Friday, December 22: No School, Winter Break Begins
Tuesday, January 2: School Resumes, 3rd Quarter Begins
You can view the district calendar online here or subscribe to the calendar here.
You can subscribe to the District and Athletics & Activities events and calendar here.
A reminder that school is in session tomorrow, Tuesday, 11/21. Thanksgiving Break begins on Wednesday, November 22. Students will return from break on Tuesday, November 28. You can view the district calendar here.
The Hallsville School District encourages qualified persons interested in running for a position on the School Board to file to be a candidate in the April 2, 2024, election. Interested persons may file at the superintendent’s office at 411 E. Highway 124, Hallsville, Missouri. For more information, contact Ada Tharp, Board Secretary, at 573-696-5512 ext. 1350.
Filing will begin on Tuesday, December 5 at 8:00 a.m. and will continue during the district’s regular business hours, which are Tuesday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Filing will close on Tuesday, December 26 at 5:00 p.m. Filings will not occur on days the school district is closed due to inclement weather. Filings will also not occur on December 22 through December 25 when the administrative offices are closed.
There are two positions available with three-year terms. Candidates will be listed on the ballot in the order of filing.
School Board Candidate Workshop: The Missouri School Boards' Association will host a candidate workshop for those interested in running for the Hallsville Board of Education on Tuesday, December 12, at 7:00 p.m. in the Hallsville Primary School conference room. For more information, contact Ada Tharp, Board Secretary, at 573-696-5512 ext. 1350.
Qualifications include: A school board member must be a U.S. citizen, a resident taxpayer of the district or voters of the district in urban districts, a resident of Missouri for at least one year and at least 24 years of age. Candidates must also be current on state and local taxes; have not been found guilty of or pled guilty to a felony under Missouri or federal law; are not registered or required to register as a sex offender; and have filed required campaign documents for all previous campaigns, if any.
Missouri School Boards' Association Resources:
What does a school board member do?
These short videos cover school board basics, candidate requirements and school laws.
Candidate’s Legal Guide to Running for the School Board
This in-depth and detailed document will help guide you to running in the next election.
After 29 years of service, Brad Blakemore has announced his retirement from the Hallsville School District, effective June 30, 2024. He joined the district in 1994 as a student teacher, and over the years has held numerous coaching positions.
Serving as the Activities Director for the district for the past twelve years, he has expanded student opportunities through the addition of various programs while also spearheading significant facility improvements. During his tenure, he helped establish the Strength and Conditioning classroom, Wrestling practice facility, the opening of the primary gym, and the most recent construction project of relocating the track and the installation of artificial turf at the athletic complex.
"It has been an incredible journey, and I am immensely thankful for the opportunity to have been a part of the Hallsville community. The passion and dedication of the educators, staff, and students have truly made a lasting impression on me," Blakemore reflects.
The district will soon initiate the process of finding a successor who will build upon the foundation laid by Blakemore and continue the pursuit of educational excellence, athletic achievement, increased student opportunities, and ongoing facility improvements for the Hallsville community.
You can read the full release here.
Congratulations to HHS senior Ethan Bittle, who was selected as the district nominee for the John T. Belcher Scholarship by the Hallsville Board of Education. The Missouri School Board Association (MSBA) and Future Builders established this statewide scholarship program in memory of Mr. Belcher, who was instrumental in developing innovative financing programs for Missouri school districts.
As the District nominee, Bittle has the opportunity to apply for a $1,000 scholarship awarded to a student in each of MSBA’s 17 regions. Following the selection of regional winners, a statewide winner is chosen and will receive an additional $1,500 scholarship. Applicants are judged based on academic performance, extracurricular activities, and the quality of an essay.
Upon graduation, Ethan will attend Basic Training and Advanced Individual Training with the Missouri National Guard and then plans to major in Microbiology at the University of Missouri-Columbia.
Hallsville High School yearbook students are looking for local businesses that would like to purchase a yearbook ad! Business ads are a crucial part of our yearbook program, as they help offset the cost for our students. Each ad helps to ensure that books are kept at a low price for our students.
If your business is interested in purchasing a yearbook ad, please contact our yearbook advisor, Heidi Lenon, at hlenon@hallsville.org, or print off the Yearbook Business Ad Form. Ads can be purchased in sizes ranging from business card size up to a full-page ads!
Below are highlights of items discussed during the open session on Wednesday, November 15, 2023, Board of Education Meeting. The full agenda with document links is available on the district website. You can read the full highlights of the meeting here.
Sarah Bradshaw, Whitney Myers, Leigh Pemberton, Mindy Demsich, Holly East, Desiree Pezely, and Julie Esquivel were recognized for their work in creating Reading Success Plans required by Senate Bill 681 & 682. These individuals have helped to create parent letters, reading goal language, a bank of parent activities, and a reading success plan template for teachers to use.
Mrs. Briedwell, Mrs. Otten, Mrs. Horine, Addison Masters, HHS Chamber Choir, and FFA were recognized for their contributions to the district’s Veterans Day events.
Boone County Farm Bureau presented Mrs. Gunter with a mini-grant from the Missouri Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture. Mrs. Gunter applied for an incubator and supplies for her GATE classroom that will allow students to enhance their awareness and understanding of agriculture.
2022-2023 DISTRICT AUDIT
The auditor presented their annual report findings for the June 30 end of year. The district had the best reading attainable, and no deficiencies were reported.
BOARD CANDIDATE FILING
The Board approved the date for the Board Candidacy Filing. Candidate filing for Board of Education opens December 5, 2023, at 8:00 a.m. and closes December 26, 2023, at 5:00 p.m. The three terms expiring April 2024 are Jessica Hassler and Torrie Vroman. These will be three-year terms.
PROGRAM EVALUATIONS
The Board approved the Health Services Program evaluation and the Curriculum & Assessment Program evaluations. With each evaluation, program goals, evidence of change, concerns, and future recommendations are made.
STATE ASSESSMENTS
State-required assessments are primarily taken in the spring; however, we have several fall assessments: EOCs, MAP-A, and the WIDA Screener. Fall EOCs are administered to students who complete a course in the fall or to obtain a qualifying score on the Algebra I EOC for the A+ designation. Our fall EOCs will be administered in November. The Missouri Assessment Program-Alternate Assessment (MAP-A) is administered to students with the most significant cognitive disabilities who meet grade level and eligibility criteria determined by the student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) team using DESE-established eligibility criteria. These fall assessments will be completed by December 22. The WIDA Screener is used with students who are identified as potential English Learners (EL) by the Language Use Survey (LUS) upon enrollment. Students without a previous WIDA score are required to be screened within the first 30 calendar days after enrollment if enrolling at the beginning of the year or within 10 calendar days if enrolling throughout the school year.
VERTICAL TEAMS
Our 6-12 vertical content teams met on the October 23 PLC day for the second of five vertical meetings, while our K-5 teachers participated in the first of four in-person LETRS professional development sessions. Each of our 6-12 vertical teams has identified goals, including alignment of assessments, review and vertical alignment of curriculum and instruction, alignment of common academic language, and strategies to support our EL students. This ongoing collaboration is essential to our curriculum work.
STRATEGIC PLANNING
The district's Continuous School Improvement Plan (CSIP) will undergo review this academic year. Through the completion of this process, we will define our direction and set priorities to guide our decision-making, ensure alignment of efforts, and guide the allocation of resources. MSIP 6 outlines criteria for districts to incorporate into their strategic planning procedures and documents, such as collaboration with internal and external stakeholders, data-based needs assessment, regular board review of plan and progress toward goal attainment, and evidence that CSIP processes are reflected in all required plans. We will begin this work early in the second semester to have our revised CSIP prepared for board approval during the June meeting. The district will share updates and opportunities to be involved throughout the process.
SCHOOL SAFETY
School Resource Officer (SRO) Ryan Hill has successfully completed the Missouri School Boards' Association School Safety Academy. This accomplishment grants him the certification of a School Safety Specialist, aligning with the state's school safety coordinator requirements. Last month, he also completed All Hazards Reunification Training hosted by the Boone County Office of Emergency Management.
PRIMARY SIDEWALK REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
In the spring of 2023, the Board of Education discussed the installation of a sidewalk near the primary school to facilitate safe pedestrian travel to campus from the Townsquare and Douglas Pointe neighborhoods. The Board requested a formal proposal from Klingner and Associates to complete the design for the project and approved Klingner's proposal at the regular June meeting. The district has created an RFP to solicit sealed proposals with a due date of December 8.
The next regular session meeting is Wednesday, December 20, 2023, at 6:00 p.m. in the Hallsville Primary School cafeteria. Any questions or comments can be forwarded to communications@hallsville.org.
BUS DRIVERS NEEDED
The Hallsville School District has immediate support staff openings in our Transportation Department. Please reach out to our Director of Operations Billy Roberts at wroberts@hallsville.org or call 573-696-5512 ext. 7001.
IMMEDIATE NEED: FULL-TIME BUS DRIVER
- Pay begins at $43.75 per route.
- Paid training is available, and the district provides 100% paid medical and life insurance and offers retirement matching. Staff members are also offered paid time off and paid holidays.
IMMEDIATE NEED: FULL-TIME SUBSTITUTE BUS DRIVER
- Pay begins at $43.75 per route.
- Paid training is available, and the district provides 100% paid medical and life insurance and offers retirement matching. Staff members are also offered paid time off and paid holidays
IMMEDIATE NEED: 4-5 SUBSTITUTE BUS DRIVERS
- Pay begins at $43.75 per route.
YOUTH ACTIVITIES
4th-6th Grade Intermediate Quiz Bowl
We are excited to offer Intermediate Quiz Bowl to students in grades 4th-6th. This program feeds into our middle and high school quiz bowl teams.
WHAT IS QUIZ BOWL? Quiz bowl is a buzzer game in which two teams compete head-to-head to answer questions from all areas of knowledge, including history, literature, science, fine arts, current events, popular culture, sports, and more! Hallsville’s 4th-6th grade Quiz Bowl team gathers each week to study facts and play practice matches to prepare our players for Quiz Bowl tournaments.
Students who are unable to attend the info night can still join the team! Please message Mrs. Otten & Mr. Durk for more information. You can also comment below, and they will respond back to you directly!
Free Online Homework Help From the Library
Daniel Boone Regional Library offers many free homework help resources for students, including live one-on-one support and tutoring sessions from 2:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. and the ability for students to submit papers to their Writing Lab.
COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES
City of Hallsville Christmas Donation Drive
The City of Hallsville is hosting their Annual Christmas Donation Drive! The City annually collects donations to purchase clothing and toys for families that have signed up for assistance at Christmas. Come by or call City Hall to donate, or email cityhall@hallsvillemo.org to adopt an angel.
To give the elves enough time to shop and wrap, donations need to be made by December 8th!
To sign up for assistance this Christmas, come into City Hall, call 573-696-3885, or email cityhall@hallsvillemo.org. The deadline is November 30.
The annual food drive at City Hall will be Saturday, December 16. Please call City Hall to be placed on the list to pick up food or to have it delivered.
