Strafford Community,

The Board of Education and Strafford Administration Team held a Special Board Work Session last month to discuss Strategic Planning/Thinking for the district. Dr. Pam Hedgpeth, Executive Director of the GOCSD (Greater Ozarks Cooperative School Districts) facilitated the very valuable discussion.

Through this discussion, the Strafford Portrait of a Graduate was developed. This is a synopsis of what Strafford Schools believes are the non-negotiable skills and qualities our students should have when they graduate. This will serve as a guide as we continue to develop and revise our CSIP (Comprehensive School Improvement Plan).

This strategic thinking and planning will be extremely important as the district continues to provide a "Culture of Learning!”

Striving to Serve,

Dr. Mark D. Hedger, Superintendent of Schools

We currently have enough hours built into our calendar that we are not planning to make up any of the snow days we have had so far. We are allowed to use 36 of these hours for AMI, which we have already done. Please understand that this is subject to change if circumstances require.

It is hard to believe Spring Break is already almost here. School will not be in session March 14-18. We hope our students and staff have a safe, fun, and restful break!

Kindergarten Screenings for the 2022-2023 school year are scheduled for Monday, March 28-Friday, April 1. If you are a Strafford resident and your child will be five years old before August 1, 2022, please use the link found HERE to schedule a screening time. These screenings will take place at the early childhood center. If you are not a current student, you will need to have proof of residency, the child’s birth certificate, and an updated immunization record on the day of screening. All current students please bring updated immunization records.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact Lesa Collins, Early Childhood Director, at 417-736-7000 ext. 1102.

The board approved calendar for the 2022-23 school year can be viewed below.

2022-23 Strafford R-VI School District Calendar

Please know, Strafford School District's number one priority is the safety of our students and staff. The safety plan can be found below. Please understand this is subject to change based on revised guidance and data.

(Please click the picture below for some resources to help encourage your child's writing success!)

Don’t forget to purchase your yearbook! Deadline to order is March 11th.

Please click the picture link below to view the Early Childhood Newsletter:

The Strafford R-VI School District is excited to join Greater Ozarks Cooperating School Districts and other school districts across the region in celebrating teachers on the 2nd Tuesday of each month. Last month we honored Danni Best, early childhood center teacher. Mrs. Best began teaching in our preschool and now teaches in our PACE classroom!

Mrs. Best was nominated because she educates the “whole” child. She not only teaches the curriculum, she teaches the students how to deal with everyday problems. She helps them learn and strive to be their best socially, mentally and physically!

We are proud to have Danni Best on our team!

Dr. Hedger is pleased to announce a staffing change for the 2022-23 school year!

The Board of Education approved promoting Crystal Tebbenkamp as the new assistant principal for Strafford Elementary. Mrs. Tebbenkamp brings 12 years of classroom experience in the Strafford School District. She has taught preschool, 3rd grade, 4th grade and last year served as the Elementary Virtual Coordinator. Mrs. Tebbenkamp currently serves as the Elementary Title Math Interventionist.

We are looking forward to the leadership contributions Mrs. Tebbenkamp will make to the district!

THANK YOU to the Springfield-Greene County Office of Emergency Management and Deputy Director Darren White for another BIG donation of wipes and sanitizing spray! Our staff will benefit greatly from the items! We appreciate your partnership and support!

Congratulations to SMS student Lily Morrow! Wonderworks in Branson held an art contest with the theme, "Imagination". 22 pieces of art were chosen from grades 2nd- 5th. Lily's was chosen as a TOP winner and will be on display for one year at the Branson Wonderworks. Lily received 4 free tickets and each student entered received one ticket to attend the museum. Way to go, Lily!

Congrats to five Strafford students who were selected by audition to be part of the second annual Missouri All State Children’s Choir: Malachi Erisman (5th), Kate Ferguson (4th), Ellie Flowers (4th), June Ferguson (4th), and Silas Blum (5th). *pictured below left to right*

The event was held during the yearly Music Educator’s Conference at Lake of the Ozarks. The choir of 120 students from all over the state spent a day working with nationally known conductor and educator, Dr. Georgia Newlin. At the end of the day the choir performed a concert which included the world premiere of one of the pieces! THANK YOU to Mrs. Jenny Stone for all you do for our choir program!

Strafford FBLA competed at district competition on Monday, February 7 and placed 1st out of 23 schools! These students had events such as business tests, rehearsed speaking events and case studies that were presented to judges. 43 members competed, 61 medals were awarded and 28 members qualified for state competition in April! Way to go, SHS FBLA!

Congratulations to the SHS Robotics team on winning the “Think Award”, which is the top engineering notebook award AND being one of the top 36 teams out of 195 teams in Missouri and Kansas. In addition to the team awards, Cade Walker and Michael Martin advanced to the Dean's List Scholarship and are both eligible for $25,000 in scholarships. Good luck at the Missouri/Kansas State Tournament which will be on Saturday, March 5th at Missouri S&T!

March is "Theatre In Our Schools" month! Strafford High School Theatre had a big day competing in the MSHSAA One Act Play Competition at Willard this week. Mrs. Gibson and her students were proud of their student director, Dylan Bradley, and the results from the day!

The department is busy rehearsing for their spring play, The 39 Steps, which will be running April 28-30. Mark your calendars so you don't miss the show!

Victories AGAIN for our boys & girls HS basketball teams!!! They both advance to Quarterfinals on Saturday, March 5th at SBU/Bolivar. This is the first time our boys and girls programs have ever advanced to the state quarterfinals together in the same year. LET'S GO STRAFFORD!!!

Girls at 6:00pm vs Licking
Boys at 7:45pm vs Thayer

Congratulations to Logan Fraker on signing to run cross country for College of the Ozarks next year! Good luck, Logan, the Bobcats are gettng a good one!

Congratulations to Mason Denning on signing to play football for Evangel University next year! Good luck, Mason, the Valor are gettng a good one!

If you are interested in any of the following positions, please click on the picture above to apply through our new online employment system.

8th grade Math

Full Time Bus Drivers

Substitute Teachers, custodians, and bus drivers

Project Graduation is hosting a youth basketball tournament for grades 3-8 at Strafford High School on Saturday, April 2. This is open to all area schools and it's a great opportunity to get your team some extra games! The deadline to register is March 27. To register or for questions, call 417-988-2637 or 417-838-2138!

Date: Saturday, April 9th 2022

Time: 8:00AM

Location: 218 W McCabe St

The race will kick off with the Honor Choir singing the National Anthem. You can also expect to see the Cheerleaders, Color Guard and Band cheering you on throughout the course. We have partnered with Heartland Racing to keep track of each participant's race time. Awards will also be given to the top male and female finishers.

Visit the link found HERE to register today!

* Hosted by Strafford Booster Club

Any questions please call Courtney Wilson (417) 844-1893 or email Straffordbooster@gmail.com

More details coming soon!

Superintendent of Schools

Strafford Schools

Email: markh@straffordschools.net
Website: straffordschools.net
Location: 201 West McCabe Street, Strafford, MO, USA
Phone: 417.736.7000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/straffordpublicschools/
Twitter: @SuptMarkDHedger