The Eagle Express: Second Quarter Newsletter

Eagles, I want to thank you all for a fantastic first semester of the school year. Teachers and staff are guiding students with high expectations, and students are pushing themselves into new skills each week. It's part of what makes education so special to be a part of, and public education in particular. Because in public education, we get the opportunity to serve students and families of all backgrounds and abilities. It's a privilege we don't take for granted.

In recognition of that, the Board of Education in November adopted a new set of legislative priorities designed to support the unique needs of public schools and public school students. These priorities strengthen public education by addressing key areas such as early childhood education, teacher recognition, school safety, and community-driven governance. To view these priorities on our website, please click here.

We sincerely hope our parents, staff, and community members play a vital role in advocating for these priorities as we face an onslaught of many different pieces of legislation targeted at public schools. If you are interested in learning more about how to support Joplin Schools and public education in Missouri, I would love to hear from you at KerrySachetta@JoplinSchools.org.

By working together, we can ensure Joplin Schools and our community's voices are heard. Let's continue to champion the success of public education and advocate for the future of our students.

Merry Christmas, Eagles! Rest up and enjoy celebrating with your families. We're looking forward to a great second semester together.

As the Long Range Facility Planning committee continues into its second year, work is transitioning to less information gathering and more strategic planning. With recent presentations from the City of Joplin, Corner-Greer Architects, and district leaders alongside ongoing tours as needed, the committee has begun to identify priorities for short-term and long-term goals that adequately provide for the needs and dreams of our community. Feedback from a recent community survey is also being used to guide the committee's recommendations. We are thankful for the careful, voluntary work being done to plan for the future of Joplin Schools facilities.

Joplin High School senior Christian Cavener has been awarded a FULL-RIDE scholarship to the California Institute of Technology through the QuestBridge National College Match program! More than 25,000 students applied for this prestigious and life-changing opportunity, showcasing the power of hard work and a commitment to excellence.

"When I found out that I was accepted into CalTech early, it was hard to process. I was in shock, just thinking about what it meant for my future. It's still hitting me that I'm going to be able to fulfill my dreams of studying astrophysics with some of the best astrophysical minds in the world. For the rest of my life, I'll be grateful for this opportunity. I know it's going to allow me to make a difference in the world in a way that I don't think I would be able to have anywhere else."

CalTech will be lucky to have this Eagle in their midst! We can't wait to hear more about your journey, Christian. Huge congratulations and Best Wishes to you as you finish your education in Joplin Schools!

Joplin High School senior Annabelle Rutledge has served for the past year as advisor to the Board of Education, relaying school news and student opinions each month. With her term ending at the December Board meeting, we would like to say a special Thank You for her participation, her leadership, and her representation of our student body. Good luck in your future endeavors, Annabelle!

Are you reading this newsletter in your email, but unable to interact fully with the format? Try registering for a ParentSquare account!

Your ParentSquare account can be accessed on any web browser or by downloading the app, and allows you more flexibility with how you receive information from teachers, coaches, and schools. Plus, registering allows you quick access to Direct Message teachers for easier communicating.

Visit www.parentsquare.com/signin to register today!

Our district is in the process of creating a Portrait of a Graduate for Joplin Schools. We've held a couple of fantastic Focus Groups to seek community, staff, student, and parent input on the broad range of skills that are important for our students to possess.

Using their brainstormed lists, we have built a quick survey asking respondents to rank a series of skills, competencies and traits within four categories:

There are no right or wrong answers, only preferences about what you and our community consider to be the MOST valuable competencies for our students to have as they work to build successful futures.

Please use the button below to begin the survey!

It should take 7-10 minutes at most, and will play a huge part in helping us narrow down the final handful of competencies that Joplin wants to see in its Portrait of a Graduate. You can learn more about the Portrait of a Graduate process here, including next steps and how the Portrait will influence curriculum and real-world learning opportunities for our students in PreK all the way through 12th grades in the coming years.

No more flyers lost in backpacks! Please bookmark and visit the new Community Bulletin Board at JoplinSchools.org/flyers for updated links to events and opportunities from local nonprofits and groups serving local families.

We hope this streamlines the information available to our families, and offers an easy, one-stop-shop for regional non-profits to publicize their events to our Eagles. Check back regularly as more flyers are always being added!