Secondary Building Reports
January 10, 2011
Raytown High School
Raytown High School Orchestra was invited to play for the Rotary Club for their December
meeting. We enjoy having the opportunity to show our community the talented students we have
at RHS. Our staff gathered on the last day of school for a Christmas lunch together. We had a
wonderful time just enjoying a relaxing time. One of our English teachers, Whitney Mikkelsen,
organized about 10 other staff members to take and serve the leftover food at City Union
Mission.
Raytown South High School
The Band, Choir, and Orchestra students recently had their annual Holiday concerts. The choir
also performed at area nursing homes. Our Special Education Department is very proud to have
graduated 7 students at semester. The SPED department is also currently preparing for Cycle 5
MSIP review for compliance. Eighteen student athletes and four coaches competed in the SIU
basketball tournament in Illinois. They received 3rd place out of 16 schools that included teams
from Chicago and Memphis. The girls team also competed in a tournament held at Penn Valley.
Wrestlers competed in the RaySouth tournament and the girls swim team continues to work hard
as well.
Raytown Middle School
Gingerbread House Contest
During the month of December, the FACS Club under the direction of Linda Burgess, sponsors
their annual Gingerbread House contest held during the lunch periods. This is the 11th year for
this event. Gingerbread Houses are on display outside the cafeteria with money donation boxes
assigned to each entry. Students and staff are encouraged to vote for their favorite house with
monetary donations. All money collected is donated to Hope House. Hope House is a non-profit
organization which helps battered women and their children by providing a place for them to live
and any training to get them back up on their feet to live on their own. This year a total of $300
was collected for this charity.
Operation Christmas Box
The Community Outreach Team planned the first annual Operation Christmas Box at RMS in
December 2010. Boxes were delivered to each Advisory class on December 10. Teachers are
asked to read the directions to students outlined on the box. The goal is to collect as many coats
and warm clothing items to fill the each box. Mrs. Jensen’s advisory class collected the highest
number of items and was awarded a prize on December 20. The goal is to help make Christmas
special by providing needed garments for the winter to area families. Students collected over
111 items and 19 coats for Operation Christmas Box.
Raytown Central Middle School
On December 17, students at Raytown Central Middle had the opportunity to visit with Mr.
Gregory Jones, Engineer from Manhattan, Kansas. Science teacher, Karri Nubine, arranged the
presentation based on the results of the interest inventory from the Explore test students took in
the fall. Many CMS students indicated an interest in the field of engineering, so those students
were invited to attend one of three presentations by Mr. Jones. Mr. Jones spoke of his
experiences in a variety of engineering fields including mechanical, thermal and aerospace with
concentrations in safety, alternative energy sources and aerospace devices.
Raytown South Middle School
Staff members at RSMS have enjoyed a restful and rejuvenating Holiday break. We are eagerly
awaiting the arrival our students. We are looking forward to a great second semester of learning
and growing at RSMS!!! We have many activities planned for second semester staring in
January (Academic Assemblies, Spirit Assembly, and Student Recognition Breakfast). Days
before our break we recognized students who had significantly improved their SRI scores!
Herndon Career Center
The Herndon Career Center reports that the following things have occurred since the previous
report.
1. The Herndon Career Center announced to Counselor’s at the December’s Career Education
Consortium Counselor’s Breakfast that Law Enforcement/Police Science would be an
additional offering for the 2011-2012 school year (in place of the Network Administration
that was consolidated with Summit Technology Academy’s IT programs). Counselors are
very excited about the choice and the opportunity that is being afforded students who are not
currently utilizing the Career Center due to programming desires outside of the programs
available.
2. The Director was asked by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary
Education’s Federal Programs staff to serve as the Missouri representative for a Southern
Regional Education Board meeting with the Washington’s Office of Vocational and Adult
Education’s (OVAE’s) Margret Romer related to Perkins V and Career and Technical
Education’s future. The meeting will be in conjunction with the Technology Center’s That
Work National Forum in January 2011.
3. The Career Center staff began a book study of Doug Lemouv’s book, “Teach Like A
Champion” during the December 2010 professional development event. This study will
review effective teacher instructional practices that raise student participation and success in
the classroom.
4. Auto Collision and Repair Technology was featured in an industry-based magazine and the
article appeared in the recent publication.
5. Several of our programs offered industry-based certification exams as part of the end of the
semester assessment. Results are coming back to the instructors. So far, we are seeing good
success by our students, with greater than 80% pass rates in several programs.
6. Buildings and Grounds has been working with our facility to help ensure that all students
have access to the Guidance and Advisement Center and a ramp was installed over break. In
addition, a gate is being installed in the main office to help secure our entrance from direct
access. Finally, a new countertop was placed on the existing storage space and has tied the
room together nicely. Just a ‘few’ more touch-ups on paint and the main office will be
completely cleaned up and organized for customer service.
7. All tornado and fire drills for the fall semester were completed and records were filed with
the Central Office.
8. Challenges to Career and Technical Education continue within the state. Instead of
community colleges and secondary programs drawing together, December saw some distance
be placed between these two groups as the Missouri Department of Elementary and
Secondary Education continues to determine what to do when the ‘rolling-in’ of Tech Prep
services [to the Perkins Basic State Grant] occurs in the spring of 2011. Staff and the
Director continue to lobby for transitioning from secondary to postsecondary through
unification of our academic requirements and technical skill training.
9. The Guidance and Advisement Office began work on development and implementation of a
‘exit interview’ procedure to be piloted this spring and in place for the fall 2011 semester.
10. Discussions are continuing related to expanding opportunities for adult students through our
acceptance into the Title IV funding program with the federal government. This program
allows us to open opportunities for adults to participate in the programs with federal financial
aid also making the path to enrollment easier.
Raytown Success Academy
We had a small, but connective turn out for our parent breakfast. We had 11 families show who
received not only something to eat, but a taste of their student’s work as well as make
connections with faculty and staff.
The social workers here continue to do a great job of working with our students and connecting
families to resources which is such a necessary component at RSA. They, along with all staff,
tirelessly work to help students de-escalate, provide life strategies and social development skills
as well as develop strong relationships with our students. Plus, the social workers have provided
essential PD to all classified staff in helping them understand mental health issues that are
affecting students in the school as well as identify how staff can best work with these students
who struggle. They are an essential component to the success of this school.