Principal Weekly Update to Families

Brief Message From the Principal

Dear Jayhawk Elementary Families,

We want to extend a heartfelt thank you to our families and staff for helping make this year’s Field Day such a success! It was a fantastic day filled with outdoor fun, games, and friendly competition. Our students and staff truly enjoyed the opportunity to spend time together outside the classroom, and we appreciate everyone who helped make the day run so smoothly.

We are also excited to share that our students in grades 3–6 have officially completed their state assessments. We are very proud of the hard work and effort they demonstrated throughout the testing period. Thank you to our families for your support in helping students come prepared and ready to do their best each day.

Looking ahead, next week we will begin our End-of-Year FastBridge Benchmark assessments. These assessments help our teachers measure student growth in reading and math and guide future instruction. This is an important opportunity for us to celebrate the progress our students have made throughout the school year.

Portrait of a Graduate – We Value Your Feedback

Across the state of Kansas, the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) has encouraged school districts to develop what is called a “Portrait of a Graduate.” This is simply a way for schools and communities to define the most important skills and qualities we want our students to have when they graduate—not just academically, but as well-rounded individuals prepared for life.

Here at USD 346, our Leadership Team has created a rough draft of our Portrait of a Graduate and we are excited to begin sharing it with our families and community. In simple terms, our goal is to ensure our students leave our school system as:

Prepared for life, with real-world skills and responsibility
Critical and creative thinkers, able to solve problems and think outside the box
Effective communicators, who can work with others and express their ideas clearly
Character-driven individuals, who contribute positively to their community
Lifelong learners, who are motivated to keep growing and improving

This work is important because it helps guide everything we do—from classroom instruction to activities and opportunities we provide for our students.

We would greatly value your input as we continue to refine this work. If you are willing to share feedback or thoughts on our Portrait of a Graduate draft, please reach out to our school leadership team. Your voice is an important part of this process, and we appreciate your partnership in helping shape the future of our students.

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