Hello All,
I hope this writing finds you doing well. I am pleased to report to you that all construction items in regard to the “no tax increase” bond issue approved in April have been completed.
It will soon be the time of year when inclement weather is upon us. If we have to cancel school every effort is made to notify the media by 6:00 a.m. of full-day closings or late openings. In any case, the media will be notified as soon as the decision is made. The decision to close or dismiss school is made in anticipation of unsafe conditions. If it’s not safe for buses to transport students and the forecast predicts more snow, wind, and/or drifts, a decision is made to close school. Please remember that during inclement weather the buses may run late.
Where to find school closings & announcements:
***Text Alert- Be sure to keep a current phone number on file to receive Rocket Alerts
***West Nodaway District website and Our Facebook page
TV Stations:
KQ2---TV Channel 2
Radio Stations:
KNIM- Maryville (97.1 FM & 95.9 FM)
KMA-Shenandoah (960 AM and 99.1 FM)
KKJO-St. Joseph (92.7FM & 105.5)
KVCV/KRNW - Maryville (90.5 FM & 106.7 FM)
KAAN - Bethany & Cameron (95.5 PM & 100.1 FM)
As always if you have any questions or wish to discuss any items please call or stop by the office.
Thanks,
Dr. Barnes
Hello Rocket Family!
We made it through October, which means Parent Teacher Conferences have come and gone as well as our Halloween Parties. I want to thank all of the teachers and parents for making Parent Teacher Conferences a priority at West Nodaway Elementary. Once again we had nearly perfect attendance and this is a testament to the importance of education in your child's life.
November usually brings a change in weather. Not only does the clock fall back in November, but the temperature falls quickly as well. Some days it gets very cold. I may sound like a broken record when I say this, but please make sure to dress your child appropriately for the weather. I know many students like to wear shorts and T-shirts year round, but it gets mighty cold some days and you do not want your child to be caught on a school bus or outside in freezing weather. The winter can be very long and dark so we try to get students outside during recess every chance we get. We will go outside for recess any time the wind-chill is above 25. Please ensure students dress accordingly with jackets/coats, gloves, hats, and especially long pants to cover those legs.
Once again, we will be having Class Breakfast this year. Each month one or two classes will be able to invite special guests to eat breakfast with them. November 12th will be 1st grade breakfast and November 26th will be our 2nd grade day. More information will be coming out a few weeks in advance of each class's breakfast day.
We will also be sponsoring Math Night at West Nodaway Elementary. Students from Northwest Missouri State University will be present and they will be hosting booths for students to come have fun and learn Math. This event will take place on Thursday, November 7th from 5:30pm-7:00pm in the elementary gym. Join us for fun games and snacks!
Please remember we will have school on Monday, November 25th. This is Thanksgiving week and we will be out of school Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and the following Monday. Let me be the first to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving.
If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to the classroom teacher or myself and I will do my best to help you.
Have a great month,
Mr. Conn
Another month under our belts! How is it November already? How is it second quarter already? Thanksgiving break will be here soon!
October was another busy month. Here are some of the highlights:
- The high school volleyball team hosted a Pink Out night to support breast cancer awareness. Over $1000 was raised for the cause!
- Parent teacher conferences were a success. The JH/HS had a 40% participation rate (not including staff), which is better than the last couple years. I hope this number will continue to grow!
- The high school volleyball team finished with the best record in Thunder history and had the most wins for either school since before 2008, which was as far back as I could find.
- The high school football team claimed a share of the 275 Conference title!
- Both volleyball and football had several athletes selected to the All-Conference team and volleyball had a few selected to the All-District teams.
- Mrs. Newton took the Student Council to the district meeting in Excelsior Springs.
- 8 FFA students had the opportunity to attend the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis.
- We had 31 junior high and high school students with first quarter perfect attendance.
- We hired a full-time ELA teacher and she’s adjusting well.
- Mr. Downing sold over 400 flags and will donate around $1,000.00 to our local American Legion Auxiliary Post #315.
Our overall attendance for the month of October was 97.65%. Please continue to hold
your student to a high standard and ensure they are in school on a regular basis.
Please continue to check the school calendar for important dates such as grade checks
and activities.
In addition, it's important you stay current on your students’ grades through the parent portal
in Infinite Campus. Grade checks will occur every two weeks. Below are the tutoring
hours that are available for the JH/HS students.
Tutoring Hours
- Math - Daily 7:15am-7:45am, Wed/Thurs 3:45pm-4:30pm
- Science - Daily 3:45pm-4:30pm
- Social Studies - Tues/Wed/Thurs 7:15am-7:35am; 3:45pm-4:25pm
- Music/Band - Wed/Thurs 3:45pm-4:45pm
- College Apps & Scholarships - Daily 7:00am-7:30am, 3:45pm-4:45pm
Finally, if you have any questions or concerns, please give me a call, email, or stop in
the office.
Mrs. Livengood
Hello,
We gave 18 flu shots this year during our annual flu shot clinic. Thank you for taking advantage of this here at West Nodaway. Nodaway County Health makes this a very easy process and we appreciate them coming. Ready or not, Influenza season is here.
We hosted the Big Smiles dental team on October 29th. This visit we were able to see 15 students. We did have to move this date back a week due to conflicts. They provide cleanings and simple dental fillings to those needed. They will return in April for a spring visit. This is a great opportunity to have 6 month dental check ups if you aren’t established with a dentist.
A very big THANK YOU to the Christian Church and our WN PTO! They donated the nurse’s office with some much needed supplies. They got us leggings, underclothes, deodorant and chapstick. These items will get us through our winter months. Another THANK YOU to FCS Financial for the donation of winter hats and gloves. We have a good supply so please have your student get these at school if needed!
We are not able to give allergy or cold medicine here at school. We get asked frequently, so this is something that needs to be taken before or after school. We are also not able to give pain medicine routinely here, so if your student has continued pain or is asking for daily Tylenol/Ibuprofen please get them checked out or have them take the medicine before or after school as well.
Thank you!
Kelli Hoyt
Hello,
A big thank you to the 29 parents who stopped by the high school office and picked up their child’s grade card during conferences. This response was a big increase from the past where we averaged 15. Even though grades are posted online, there are many other items to discuss about your child’s high school career and I enjoyed talking to each of you about 4-year plans, A+ hours, and College and Career field trips. For those high school parents who were unable to stop by the office, copies of A+ information were provided to students in the program. Please contact me if there are any questions.
Elementary: To end October and begin November, we had Red Ribbon Week to emphasize the
importance of staying away from drugs/alcohol and making positive choices. Students incorporated their Character Strong word for October of Responsibility and saw that each of us is responsible for making choices and those choices have consequences. Throughout October, elementary students have also focused on a civics type lesson during counseling classes. They are too young to vote for President but they can vote for school lunch! The upper grades were placed into three “candidate parties” and have been working on posters, slogans, and commercials. All elementary students will vote November 5th for their favorite main dish and side. Who will it be: Parker Pizza and Sally Side Salad, Macky Cheese and Gargantuan Garlic Bread, or Silly Sal Sandwich and Cheesy Cheetos??
Junior High: 8th Grade students attended Manufacturing Day and toured four different businesses in Nodaway County. Students were able to learn about job requirements, education, wages, and benefits. We had some great tour guides who were passionate about their job and wanted students to ask questions and learn! 7th Grade students have started working on study skills, critical thinking, and careers once a week during second quarter during counseling. On November 5 we will tour five different businesses in Burlington Jct. to see what types of jobs are in the local area.
High School: October was the month for students to explore careers and colleges. Tarkio Tech and
Missouri Western were at school to speak with interested juniors and seniors. Mizzou, Northwest, and North Central will be here in November. Juniors and Seniors attended “My Success” event in St. Joseph where they had the opportunity to speak with area businesses and colleges as well as have some hands-on experiences in various career fields through virtual reality and other simulations. Interested seniors attended a college fair at Northwest and some of our VoTech students went to a career fair in Bethany, Mo. To end the month, 14 juniors and seniors took the ACT test here at West Nodaway as another step towards planning for opportunities after high school.
College & Career Mondays: So far there have been three career field trips on Mondays. In September, students went on the welding trip and then in October there were two events: healthcare and agriculture. There will not be an event in November but there is one scheduled for December 2 focused on conservation/wildlife. The trips are designed for junior high and high school students to explore career opportunities in the area and learn about educational requirements. Students need lunch money but all other expenses are covered. These trips are great opportunities for students to talk with people working in the career field of interest or to learn about jobs otherwise not considered.
Presentations: Grades 3rd -9th will have a guest speaker on November 1 from Midwest Data to discuss cyber safety. The grades will be split based on age and the material covered will be geared towards that group. The speaker will go over online platforms students use and talk about the potential dangers and need for safety when using those systems.
Grades 6th-12th will have the yearly state mandatory trauma/abuse presentation on November 20. The State of Missouri put into place RSMo Section 170.045 in 2019 which states “each school district shall provide trauma-informed, developmentally appropriate sexual abuse training to students in all grades not lower than sixth grade”. Voices of Courage will be here to cover the required material. They will meet with each grade as an individual group and not a large school wide assembly so the information stays age appropriate. Contact me if there are any questions about this requirement or if you would like to opt out your child from the presentation.
Let me know if you have any questions or concerns about your child.
Mrs. Clayton
District Information
Email: mbarnes@wnrockets.com
Website: wnrockets.com
Location: 17665 US Hwy 136, Burlington Junction, MO 64428, USA
Phone: 660-725-4613
Twitter: @WNrockets
Facebook: @WestNodaway