Council Grove High School Newsletter
129 Hockaday/Council Grove, KS 66846
620/767-5149
www.usd417.net
Kelly McDiffett, Principal
From the Principal’s Desk
The final exams for the winter trimester will
occur on February 13. This will bring a close to the
winter trimester, and we will begin classes for the
spring trimester on Tuesday, February 18. There is
no school on Friday, February 14 nor Monday,
February 17. I encourage each parent to review the
PowerSchool data regarding your CGHS student and
discuss this information with your child.
Be sure to review the newsletter article in this
edition which outlines the change in the dates of the
next parent-teacher conferences at CGHS as well as
the purpose of the conferences. We hope to get
100% participation of parents and students at the
conferences.
We are also getting prepared for the state
assessments to be administered at CGHS beginning
as early as March. There has been a great deal of
change in the format of the state assessments in
Kansas. Those changes will be initiated with the
upcoming assessment window. I encourage you to
come to the February CGHS Site Council meeting to
hear about the upcoming changes in the assessments.
This time of school year is very challenging
for high school students, but it can also be an
extremely rewarding time for personal and academic
growth. Please encourage your student to make wise
use of their non-school time to ensure academic
success as well as good health. Go Braves!
Parent-Teacher Conferences at
CGHS to be Held on March 10-11
Council Grove High School will be hosting
Parent-Teacher Conferences on March 10 and 11.
The purpose of this conferencing is to pre-enroll all
freshmen, sophomores and juniors for the 2014-15
school year. Seniors and their parents will
conference to discuss and ensure all post-high school
preparations are in place.
By moving the CGHS conferences to March,
it will allow for each student’s high school transcript
to be updated with courses credited during the winter
trimester. This information is vital to pre-enrollment
discussions.
February 3, 2014
On February 25, CGHS will host its Elective
Assembly which will allow teachers of elective
courses to share information about elective courses
available at CGHS. This will kickoff the discussions
in seminar classes between each student and his/her
seminar teacher. Once a list of pre-enrollment requests
has been created, this will be sent home for parents to
review prior to finalizing the requests at the March 1011 conferences.
Each seminar teacher will contact parents
during the last week in February to schedule a specific
time for this pre-enrollment conference. We expect
students to attend as well. The conferences will be
held from 4:00-8:00 p.m. each day. Parents are
welcome to visit with other teachers, when/if the
desired teacher is available.
Winter Homecoming
February 14
Council Grove High School Winter
Homecoming will be celebrated in conjunction with
the basketball games on Friday, February 14 with
Northern Heights. Although there is no school on
February 14, the Homecoming Pep Rally will begin at
3:00 p.m. in the Old Gym. The coronation ceremony
will occur after the girls’ varsity contest, prior to the
boys’ varsity pre-game warm up. The Homecoming
Dance will take place in the Cafeteria Commons 20-30
minutes after the conclusion of the boys’ varsity
contest. The dance will conclude at 11:30 p.m. Get
your blue and gold clothing ready to celebrate all that
is great about being a Council Grove Brave.
Visit the Morris County USD 417 Web
Store
Morris County USD 417 would like to remind
you that families can pay for school meals online with
our RevTrak® Web Store. The Web Store empowers
you to save time, reduces trips to the school office,
and eliminates the need to send cash and checks with
your student. Make a quick payment in the evening or
during your lunch hour with just a few clicks! See the
information sheet attached with this newsletter.
2
Go Braves!
Coil Coral Reefs in Art
Things have been getting deep in the art
room! This is according to Ms. Amanda Vroman,
CGHS art instructor. Students just finished exploring
views on the ocean floor and are now busy creating
pieces of coral using the coil building technique.
This is an exciting project to watch the students
create. Each piece is so unique, and they are all
becoming quite beautiful.
We cannot wait to see what they all look like
when they are finished and placed next to each other
to create our own mini-Coral Reef right here at
CGHS. Keep your eye on Trailblazer. Photos will
follow soon!
News From the AD’s Office
The winter activity season is in its final
month and as we prepare to enter the last run to
regional and sub state competition, we want to say
“thank you” to all the volunteers, patrons, staff and
students that have helped make CGHS activities a
rewarding experience for all our participants.
Senior Night recognition for wrestlers will
held prior to double-dual matches with Herington
and Hillsboro on Thursday, February 6. Senior
recognition for basketball, scholars bowl, band,
cheerleading and dance squads will be held on
Tuesday, February 25 in conjunction with the
basketball games with Silver Lake.
Spring sports season is around the corner.
Remember, if your student has not participated in an
athletic activity prior to spring season they must
have a physical on file with the office prior to spring
practice. Forms can be made available by contacting
the high school office.
Free Dental Screening
February is Dental Health Month and Dana
Reddick, USD 417 Nurse, has announced the district
will sponsor free dental screening available to all
USD 417 students again this year. The dental
screening and fluoride application will take place on
February 19. Please review the forms included with
this newsletter for more information on the free
dental screening on February 19.
We Want You on Site Council
The CGHS Site Council encourages more
parents to participate in the discussions. There are
three more site council meetings scheduled for the
current school year. These meetings will be held on
the following Wednesdays: February 5, March 5, and
April 2.
During the fall meetings, the current CGHS
Site Council created the following three goal
statements: 1. Improve student preparation for ACT
and college, 2. Research ways to improve parent
involvement, and 3. Support and encourage teachers to
challenge all students. These goals will provide the
focus for future site council meetings.
We encourage all CGHS parents to consider
attending a site council meeting. The meetings are
held in the CGHS Conference Room located near the
main office beginning at 7:00 p.m. If you have further
questions contact the CGHS Office.
Juniors Planning for Prom
The Prom Committee of the junior class
wishes to remind all juniors and seniors, as well as
their parents, that the CGHS Prom is scheduled for
Saturday, April 26 from 8:00-11:00 p.m. in the Old
Gym. More information will be available in the March
newsletter.