PANTHER PRESS

On Sunday, May 22, Knoxville High School held a graduation ceremony in honor of the Knoxville High School Class of 2022.

The Knoxville Community School District would like to give a heartfelt congratulations to all our graduating Panthers. We are proud of our seniors, and as they go on to the next chapters of their lives they can do so knowing they will always have a home at Knoxville High School. We are looking forward to celebrating your achievements and your next steps in life. Go into the world and be great, but remember: Once a Panther, Always a Panther.

To view the livestream of the ceremony, go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0aXJD8kd8k

The KCSD Special Education Delivery Plan is now available for public comment.

The final draft is available for viewing at the KCSD Admin Building, located at 309 W Main St., from May 23 to June 6, 2022. Members of the public can review the plan and leave comments during business hours, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Questions? Contact Lindsay Rains, Director of Special Education, at 641-842-3315 x2306 or lindsay.rains@kcsd.k12.ia.us.

As part of the celebration of National Teacher Appreciation Week, the Iowa Department of Education highlighted outstanding educators from classrooms across the state. Our very own Claire Cole was one of those outstanding featured teachers!

Ms. Cole has six years of experience as an educator and currently teaches English Language Arts for seventh graders at Knoxville Middle School.

Here's a link to the full article!

On Friday, May 13, Knoxville High School held a ribbon cutting ceremony, hosted by the Knoxville Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors, to celebrate the completion of the new turf with a regulation soccer field at the Randy Wilson Track.

This was made possible by the extremely generous donation of the Weiler Foundation, as well as the Ted Williams Estate.

The ribbon cutting was followed by a Panthers home girls soccer game!

Check out this article and video from the ceremony!

On May 11, 2022, the KCSD celebration National School Nurse Day! Please join us in thanking our School Nurses, Angie Mitchell and Haili McKeever, along with our Health Associates, Erin Prevo, Chelsea Swanson and Tina Vande Kamp.

We appreciate all that they do for our students and our district, from administering care to their role in health education. THANK YOU!

On May 6 we recognized School Lunch Hero Day! We celebrated our school lunch workers and their daily commitment to ensuring our students get the healthy nutrition they need to stay alert while they learn.

Learn more about School Lunch Heroes here!

We wanted to let our students and families know that the free school meals made available by the USDA during the pandemic will end at the conclusion of this school year.

As a result, the Knoxville Community School District will need to once again collect payment for meals, starting this fall.

Please note that students may qualify for free or reduced-price meals. The 2022-2023 Iowa Application for Free & Reduced Price School Meals/Milk will be available starting July 1. Once it’s available, we encourage families to fill it out to see if they qualify.

Thank you for your understanding as we make this transition back to our usual meal program.

Did you know May is Iowa School Board Recognition Month? It’s a chance for us to recognize and thank our KCSD School Board Members for volunteering their time, to make our schools the best they can be. You fill us with #KCSDPride!

Please join us in once again thanking:

Cheri Gerdes, president

Larry Scott, vice president

Monica Sullivan

Dave Smith

Larissa Van Donselaar

Learn more about Iowa School Board Recognition Month here!

“A teacher affects eternity: they can never tell where their influence stops.”

During the week of May 2, we celebrated Teacher Appreciation Week. The quote above is a perfect reminder of how influential our educators are and how much their teaching affects the development of our students.

To our school staff: Thank you for your unyielding efforts in the classroom and beyond!

The Knoxville Employee Relations Committee held an exciting employee appreciation night for Knoxville Community School District staff members. “Panther Night at the Races,” on May 14 at the Knoxville Raceway.

As the school year wrapped up, KCSD employees celebrated another terrific year of accomplishments both in and out of the classroom. Our new Knoxville Middle School continues to take shape, and the feeling is going around that there’s never been a more exciting time to be a Panther.

To show our appreciation for everyone’s hard work, the KERC-organized Panther Night at the Races provided an opportunity for staff members to bring their families and enjoy off-the-clock time with colleagues.

May 14 is Hy-Vee Night at the raceway. The program included 410s, 360s and pro sprints, which provided plenty of excitement and entertainment for the whole family. Adults and kids alike loved the thrill of the race, and if young ones discovered a newfound need for speed, they can join the junior raceway fan club onsite.

As we head into summer, we should all take a moment to recognize the dedication and hard work each of our staff members has demonstrated throughout the year. We are so appreciative for all they do!

The Panther Press is a monthly collective newsletter for parents & community members. If you have an article or flyer to share, please submit to knoxville@kcsd.k12.ia.us for consideration. We love to hear from you so please send us your submissions and feedback.

Email: knoxville@knoxville.k12.ia.us
Website: https://www.knoxville.k12.ia.us/
Location: 309 West Main Street, Knoxville, IA, USA
Phone: 641-842-6551

Inquiries or grievances related to this policy may be directed to the District Equity Coordinator Linda Russell, Director of Human Resources at 309 W Main, Knoxville, IA 50138, (641)842-6551 or linda.russell@kcsd.k12.ia.us. Students who feel they have been discriminated against are encouraged to report it to the school district Affirmative Action and Title IX Coordinator. The Affirmative Action and Title IX Coordinator is Linda Russell, Director of Human Resources. The District Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 Coordinator is Lindsay Rains. Any person having inquiries concerning the District’s compliance with this federal non-discrimination law can contact her at (641)842-3315 or lindsay.rains@kcsd.k12.ia.us. These individuals have been designated by the District to coordinate the District’s efforts to comply with federal and/or state non-discrimination laws. Inquiries may also be directed to the Director of the Iowa Civil Rights Commission, 400 East 14th Street, Des Moines, Iowa 50319, (800)457-4416; to the Office for Civil Rights Chicago Office, United States Department of Education, Citigroup Center, 500 West Madison Street, Suite 1475, Chicago, Illinois, 60661, (312)730-1560; or to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Chicago Office, 500 West Madison Street, Suite 2000, Chicago, Illinois, 60661, (800)669-4000. Inquiries may also be directed to the Director, Iowa Department of Education, Grimes State Office Building, 400 East 14th Street, Des Moines, Iowa 50319.