Thank you, USD 379 parents!
January is National Mentoring Month. USD 379 participates in the Teammates mentoring program, which is funded by the Clay Counts Coalition.
According to TeamMates data, 84% of mentors report that they return to their workplace/home more engaged after mentoring. What are you waiting for? Join the team! Contact lisalast@usd379.org for more information or to sign up.
What goes into a USD 379 snow day? This video is a behind-the-scenes look at the January 2025 snowstorm that dropped a record 16+ inches in parts of Clay County. It shows the district's preparation before the storm and highlights what went into getting our buildings ready to open again.
https://youtu.be/KBN4iTejiek
USD 379 will be on a two-hour delay on Wednesday, January 8th, 2025. There will be no AM preschool. CCCHS, CCCMS and Wakefield will start at 10:10am. LES and GES will start at 10:25am.
Lisa Last is once again hosting a FREE parenting course through USD 379 and funded by the Clay Counts Coalition.
USD 379 will be closed on Tuesday, January 7th, 2025. No school or activities.
All USD 379 sites, including the Stuart Administrative Center, will be closed on Monday, January 6th, 2025.
USD 379 will be closed on Monday, January 6th, 2025. No school or activities.
USD 379 Intervention teachers have gone through extensive reading intervention training from The Phillips Fundamental Learning Center. This includes Mrs. Coupal, Mrs. Fox, Mr. Liby, and Mrs. Swihart at Lincoln and Mrs. Galindo at Garfield. This group has excelled so much with the new curriculum that the Fundamental Learning Center decided to come to Clay Center and film a documentary about everything they are doing to help our kids succeed! It is a powerful video, and we hope you take a few minutes to watch!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxVvAg8ydo8
Once a week, all 4th and 5th graders meet in the library as part of their Encore rotations. They split time with Mrs. Galindo and the principal Mrs. Lane. Mrs. Galindo teaches cursive writing and keyboarding. Mrs. Lane reads a book. 4th graders hear "How To Beat a Bully", and 5th graders hear "The Call of the Bully". It's a good way to gauge comprehension and just enjoy reading!
Students across the district use a program called Xello to help them learn about future career endeavors. Today, Mrs. Pfizenmaeir's students were selecting individual skills in which they excelled at doing with the help of Family and Community Connections Counselor Lisa Last. This is a personalized process for each student that will engage them in building self-knowledge, exploring career options, setting goals, and developing critical thinking skills.
The CCCHS Singing Christmas Tree performance is in its 69th year of existence. One of the best traditions involved with the performance is having the Lincoln, Garfield, and CCCMS students come to watch them perform on Friday morning. Besides giving the CCCHS choirs a chance to practice before the actual event (Sunday, Dec. 15 2 pm), it also shows the younger generation of students what they could be a part of if they want to sing in high school. As always, it is a wonderful show!
This morning, a vehicle transporting USD 379 students on a college visit was in an accident. Thankfully, no serious injuries were reported. Parents have been contacted, and plans are in place to bring everyone home safely.
The USD 379 December meeting Board Brief can be found here:
https://core-docs.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/969/USD_379/5094827/December_9__2024_Board_Brief.pdf
Garfield December BOE Report
This 5th grade leader took time from her day to help a classmate work through a worksheet they were stuck on. She has such a giving and considerate heart, and we are so proud of her! Thanks for being such a great 5th grade leader!
This fifth grade leader was nominated for a Pic with the Principal because of his hard work, determination and grit. We're so thankful for his leadership and good attitude!
It's recorder season in Mrs. Rourke's 4th grade classroom! Students learned a set of notes and then practiced the finger placements before actually playing the song associated with those notes. It's the baseline for band class that will come in the years ahead!
As part of their social studies unit on the Age of Exploration, Mrs. Chestnut's students took part in a simulation activity. Each student received an identity card as an explorer, and "fate cards" then determined what would happen next as they were at sea. Before this, students researched new technology like compasses and how they impacted travel.
Mrs. Robinson is a new 5th grade teacher who has been a great addition at GES. Today she was teaching her students how to add and subtract mixed numbers. To help them stay engaged (and warm), students got to have some hot chocolate on this cold morning!
