Secondary School Monthly Update to Board of Education
April 2014
Raytown High School
Academic Focus
 The Building Leadership Team has been working to write the 2014-2015 School Improvement
Plan. The plan will focus on Rigorous Questioning, which aligns with the work that Dr. Pyle has
been focusing on with the Teacher Leaders. The group is planning to work in collaboration with
the Teacher Leaders to provide professional development to the RHS staff and to also implement
a monitoring system to track the quantity and rigor of our academic questioning. This is the first
step in a long-range plan they have developed in address Academic Conversations and
Argumentation.
 Teacher leaders have worked with Dr. Pyle to develop an evaluative rubric for questioning. They
plan to work with their new teacher mentees to provide continued support as they move into
year two at Raytown High School.
 Missy Payne, activities secretary, was awarded the staff recognition for April. She was nominated
by her peers for outstanding efforts in supporting the efforts of teachers.
Parent/Community/Activity Focus
 RHS Band: At Large Ensemble MSHSAA State competition the Symphonic Band received a 1 rating.
The Concert Band received a 2 rating.
 RHS Orchestra: At Large Ensemble MSHSAA State competition the Symphonic Orchestra received
a 2 rating.
 RHS Choir: At Large Ensemble MSHSAA State competition the Camerata and Concert Choir
received ratings of 2.
 RHS Theatre received 3 nominations for Blue Star Awards in the following categories: Outstanding
male ensemble member- Alex Gicinto, Outstanding Lighting Design- Hannah Wadleigh,
Outstanding technical crew- lights. These nominations were associated with our fall musical,
Godspell. The awards ceremony will be at Starlight at 7:30 pm on May 22, 2014.
 DECA State Competition Paige Keeton (Business Law & Ethics), Lilly Rodriquez (Business Law &
Ethics) and Emma Givens (Marketing Management) qualified at the state competition for the
National DECA competition. The competition will be held May 2-7 in Atlanta, GA.
Upcoming School Events
 MSHSAA State Solo and Ensemble Competition: May 2—Columbia, MO.
 Relay for Life: May 2 at 6:00 pm—RHS Gymnasium.
 RHS Prom: Saturday, May 3 at 8:00 pm—Town Pavilion, Downtown Kansas City
 National Honors Society Induction Ceremony (6:30 pm)
 Senior Honors and Awards Night (7:30 pm), May 6, 2014 RHS Auditorium.
 Choral Pops Concert: May 8 and 9 at 7:00 pm—RHS Auditorium
 Band Concert: May 13 at 7:00 pm—RHS Auditorium
 Trister Celebration: May 14 at 12:15 pm—RHS Cafeteria
 Orchestra Concert: May 15 at 7:00 pm—RHS Auditorium
 Positive Behavior Intervention and Support Assemble: May 16 at 12:45 pm—RHS Gymnasium
Baccalaureate: May 18 at 2:00 pm—RHS Auditorium
 Graduation: May 19 at 7:00 pm—Raytown First Baptist Church
 Retirement Tea: May 21 at 2:30 pm—RHS Library
Raytown South High School
Academic Focus
 On March 22, the Raytown South High School instrumental department participated in the Kansas
City Metro District solos and ensemble festival. Students receiving Superior, or One Ratings, will
participate in the State Music Festival held on the campus of MU in Columbia, Mo., on May 2. The
following solos and ensembles received One or Superior ratings and will continue to the State
Festival for Band:
o Allison Freed, sr. – Flute Solo
o Deja Higgins, jr. – Clarinet Solo
o Juliana Hudspeth, jr. – Bassoon solo
o Brian Lollman, sr. – alto saxophone solo
o Kalayna Lollar, jr. – Tenor Saxophone solo
o Zach Shupe, sr.- Trumpet solo
o Hannah McIntyre, soph.- Trumpet solo
o Allie Hornbostel, jr. – French Horn solo
o Ben White, Sr.-Trombone solo
o Alysa Orchard, sr.- Euphonium solo
o Michael Hudspeth, Soph. – Tuba solo
o Brian Lollman, Michael Keightley, Kalayna Lollar, Schuyler Hodges – Saxophone Quartet
o Zach Shupe, Alysa Orchard, Ian Mahl – Trumpet trio
 Superior Ratings (1) and will continue to State Competition for Orchestra:
o Jacinda Godfirnon (senior)-violin solo
o Atlanta Hubbard (senior) and Rosie Schauffler (sophomore)- duet
o Kacie Brewington (senior)- violin solo
o Emily McIntyre (junior) and Emma Franklin (junior)- viola duet
o Austin Shults (senior)-cello solo
o Jacinda Godfirnon (senior), Daijah Wroten (junior), Jackie Price (junior), Makayla Looney
(junior)- violin quartet
o Makayla Looney (junior)-violin solo
o Kaitlyn Barkley (freshmen), Emely Rodriguez (freshman), Emma Franklin (junior), Henry
Franklin (freshman)- quartet
o Emily McIntyre(junior)- piano solo
 Superior Ratings (1) and will continue to state competition @ MU in Vocal Music:
o Jackie Price (11): Solo
o Vinka Martinez (10): Solo
o Ian Franklin (12): Solo
o Justin Pitts (12): Solo
 Please congratulate Lauren Douglas for qualifying to State in Forensics. Her performance in Prose
Reading took second place at the MSHSAA district tournament!
 Please congratulate the orchestra students on their Superior “1” rating last night at State Large
Group contest! The students did an excellent job representing South at the competition.
 FCCLA recently attended the state leadership conference and competition. Please congratulate
the students on their results:
o Janelle Dempsey- Fashion Design, Gold rating
o Dara Britton, Marcedes Bell, Mikayla Poole- Interior Design, Silver rating
o Jasmine Pope, Taelor Ingram- Life Event Planning, Bronze rating
Parent/Community/Activity Focus
 Decision Day is a celebration for Seniors who have any set plan after graduation: continuing their
education, military, or even joining the full time work force. Here is what I was able to come up
with during break.
 Brian Lollman, won 1st Place in the Jazz category of the senior division of the Creating Original
Music Project at the University of Missouri. In recognition of his fine musical achievement, he will
be awarded $1,000. His school will also receive $1,000.
Upcoming School Events
 April 26 Spring Arts Festival and Pancake Breakfast
 April 26 Courtyard Cleanup
 April 26 Tree Planting for Candice Brunner and Ann Harrison
 State Solo and Ensemble Friday May 2nd
 May 6 Senior Academic Night Seniors
 May 6 National Honor Society Induction
 May 10 Prom at Kaufmann Stadium
Raytown Success Academy
Academic Focus
 Elementary and Middle students are working hard on the MAP test.
 100 high school students are taking their EOC
Parent/Community/Activities
 Level System field is scheduled for May 8th. Our students are traveling to the Sprint Center for
College Basketball Experience
 We have a Pancake Breakfast schedule for all students are our level 2 or higher on April 11th
 Senior Reception is scheduled for May 9th
 Last day for Seniors is May16th
 PBS Celebration is May 28th
 Elementary Graduation is May 29th
Herndon Career Center
Academic Focus
 The Herndon Law Enforcement program has a new Fire Arms Training Simulator purchased
through the assistance of the Enhancement Grant and district funds. Mr. Ripley participated in
training with local law enforcement officials who are part of the HCC Advisory Committee.
Students will be able to learn how to respond in realistic settings to potential crimes.
 Students in the Foundations of Nursing Program-North all passed the Certified Nurse Assistant
exams (written test and practical) on the first time. The FON-South program is currently testing.
 Students are in the final Industrial Recognized Credential and Technical Skills Attainment testing.
So far, the test results look great. More data will follow.
Parent/Community/Activity Focus
 HCC Awards Night occurred on April 22 with students being recognized for Perfect Attendance,
CTSO advancement to state, and Individual Program Awards. We also inducted students into the
National Technical Honor Society.

On April 29, HCC hosted Dinner with the Teacher for 2014-15 new students. The evening was well
attended with 178 of 321 new students and families joining HCC staff to learn more about the
programs they have enrolled and the HCC facilities.
 The Finding Academic Success in Transitions (FAST) program held a Financial Awareness seminar
with current seniors with a guest speaker from KU.
Upcoming School Events
 Last day for HCC students is May 29
Northwood/Northwood Success Academy
Academic Focus
 This has been a wonderful school year with many positive outcomes. Throughout this year we
have incorporated character traits into our School-Wide Positive Behavior Support (SW-PBS)
program. Every month we have focused on positive behavior as well as a character trait.
Students were then recognized for demonstrating both positive behavior and character traits.
Thank you to all our teachers, instructional assistants, and support staff that has worked diligently
to create a positive school culture.
Parent/Community/Activity Focus
 On Friday, April 11 we had our Spring “Under the Stars” Dance and had a blast dancing the night
away to our favorite songs. Thank you to Ms. Keen, Ms. Fox, Mrs. Castro and their teams for
planning such an exceptional experience for our students and staff.
Upcoming School Events
 The end-of-the-school year also brings graduation. We congratulate the following Northwood
student Adam, Tyler and Taylor on reaching this milestone. Also, we congratulate the first
Northwood Success Academy graduates Kiarre, Mark, and Joe. Graduation will be on May 16th at
1:00 PM.
 Please be sure to join us the evening of May 20, for our annual Spring Art Show and Ice Cream
Social. We will begin the time with a presentation from our Northwood Parent-Support Group.
You will not want to miss this evening.
 Track and field day will be on May 30 and we are looking forward to a good time.
Raytown Middle School
Academic Focus Preparing for MAP
 Reading/ELA department has been practicing a number of strategies to help prepare students for
the MAP exam. Examples include spiraling different skills in the literature circle work and in the
current unit: author’s purpose, comparing and contrasting, identifying main idea, citing evidence
to support thoughts. In addition, a focus on targeted and differentiated re-teaching is focusing on
key skills, E.g. characterization, story elements and figurative language. By using Marzano’s
vocabulary strategies each day, students have been practicing and learning new academic and
content vocabulary that will translate to vocabulary questions on the MAP.
 English classes have focused on the steps in the writing process and revising/editing to improve
English language and grammar skills. Students assess their knowledge against the “Grammar
Monster” and if they can show 100% accuracy they move on to the next skill.
 Science classes are completing 14 different review lessons to refresh students on science
strategies most frequently covered on the MAP test. A MAP prep booklet is complete with review
lessons and notes, quizzes, and enrichment activities. The lessons cover one topic per day. Along
with the MAP review book, students have been participating in performance events, and writing
activities each Wednesday. During this time, students are provided with ample practice and
feedback regarding their progress. Teachers are reinforcing graphing, identifying variables, and
writing conclusions.
 Math grade-level teams selected appropriate skill-based questions for review with the
students. This was based on both the “do now” timeframe of the lessons and the Wednesday
time periods. Skill based lessons include angle measurement, angle and perimeter, number
order, fractions and three dimensional planes to name a few.
Parent/Community/Activity Focus
 Fine Arts Festival- On April 6, 2014 The Raytown Fine Arts Festival was put on by the Raytown Arts
Council at Raytown High School. There were community and school performances in the
auditorium as well as art work on display from community artists. Student work from the
Raytown Quality Schools was also on display which included many pieces from Raytown Middle
School students. The event was well attended by Raytown students and parents.
 RMS Track team - The 2014 Raytown Middle School Track team is continuing its winning tradition
by recruiting and building a solid foundation through technique and focus. Examples of
techniques are proper running form, anaerobic training for sprinters and hurdlers, prober jumping
form and hand off techniques. Our Boys and Girls have won against a majority of their
opponents; in addition we took second place at the Raytown Relays and third place at the
Grandview Invitational.
Upcoming School Events
 MS MAP testing ~May 8-13
 Student Recognition Night ~May 6
 Career Day ~ 8 am to 11 am ~May 15 *Harlem Globetrotter, Woody Carter will return again this
year.
Raytown South Middle School
Academic Focus
 6th graders are very engaged in the novel, Chew on This, by Eric Schlosser and Charles Wilson.
Students are excited about learning the evolution of the restaurant and fast food industry. They
have been fascinated by other conclusions about the processing and nutrition of food in general
as they find the central ideas of various text, present claims about what they read with cited
evidence and express ideas clearly through collaboration and academic conversation. 6th graders
are looking forward making a claim about nutrition of food industry, collaborating with peers to
find evidence and prepare some type of end product with data and cited evidence for publishing
in front of a specific audience of people.
 Middle School Physical Education Classes- Boys PE finished their Arena unit last week. Boy’s
grades 6-8 competed in Arena Football as well as Arena Soccer. The girl’s classes finished up their
Indoor Hockey and Ultimate Frisbee units. Both boys and girls spent time working on
fundamentals of the games and learned rules before starting tournament play. All class took
advantage of the nice weather last week and completed their second mile run fitness test.
Students work hard to beat their previous finish times. There will be at least one more mile
attempt this semester.
 English is finding new and innovative ways to reach all students. We are using online resources to
communicate with students and for students to communicate with each other. We are also using
sources like Padlet, Prezi, and other visual aid resources to showcase student work. It helps with
the 21st Century skills and differentiation!

Communications
The speech students are currently learning about the physical process of creating, producing and
articulating sound. Vocabulary words that they will learn are words like diaphragm, trachea,
encode, decode, reception. In the coming weeks, they will begin on their persuasive speeches, in
which they will select a charity to persuade the class to donate to.
The theatre classes are currently deep into the humorous duo unit. The humorous duo unit is an
idea that came from the literacy direction that the district took within the past year. As a theatre
teacher, I was challenged to create a unit in which the students have to read and create a script
from a book all on their own. Within a few weeks, they will be memorized and they will perform
these pieces for the Reading and English departments.
The debate classes are currently participating in an in-class Public Forum Debate tournament. The
topic is “Resolved: The United States should make the death penalty illegal”. The students spent
two weeks researching the subject and coming up with debate cases for both sides.
Parent/Community/Activity Focus
 Activity/Athletic Teams
o The Track & Field Team is gearing up for their end of the season meet at the Raytown
South Invitational at RSHS on Monday, May 5th.
Upcoming School Events
 Concerts
o The Cardinal Cast is currently working hard on the end of year talent show. This year, the
talent show will be familiar with those that have seen Late Night with Jimmy Fallon or
Saturday Night Live in which the Jazz Band sits behind the performers. We’re extremely
excited to bring such a unique and laid back setting to the South Middle talent show this
year!
o As the Raytown South Middle School band department prepares for their final concert on
May 6, we would like to thank the parents, students, and administration for their
continued support of the band program. Many students are doing an amazing job as they
prepare for their daily class work of playing and being respectful, responsible, and safe in
the halls and in the classroom.
The outstanding work of our students was seen through the Jazz band performance on
April 17, at the 18th & Vine Jazz Festival. The band received a One Rating and many
outstanding musicianship awards. Angel Gray, 8th grade baritone saxophone player,
received the top soloist award. Those receiving outstanding soloist awards included Levi
Barkley – vibes, Larzell Ausler – congas, Liddy Wells –trombone, and Ronnie White – drum
set.
o Dr. Rodney Watson, a trombone player and RSMS student from 1984-1986, received
recognition at the annual UMKC Alumni Hall of Fame Luncheon. Dr. Watson was
recognized as the 2014 Outstanding Alumni from the School of Education in regards to
the work he is doing in the field of urban education. He currently is chief of human
resources in Houston Independent School District, which is the 7th largest school district
in country. We are proud of the former students of the Raytown School district that have
a positive impact on the world today.
o The following orchestra students performed with the KC Metro District #3 Middle School
All-District Orchestra: Omni Foster, Victoria Kenworthy, Elijah DeLuna, Holly Sullivan, Tori
Hicks, and Modesta Christman. This ensemble was a group composed of MS students
from all over the KC metro area that showed a high level of musical talent and great
leadership amongst their peers.
7th and 8th Grade Orchestra members will compete at the Middle School Solo and
Ensemble Competition on May 10th at Lincoln Prep Middle School.
Raytown Central Middle School
Academic Focus
 Wow! It is hard to believe that we are in the last trister of the 2013-2014 school year. April has
snuck up on us at RCMS. This month we have focused our literacy efforts on building student
capacity with a Vocabulary strategy out of the Core Six book that we have been utilizing as a
resource with our staff. Mrs. Williams and Mrs. Moore presented this strategy to the staff at our
April Faculty Meeting. We believe this strategy will provide students with a greater foundation as
we prepare to enter into the MAP testing season along with other MAP preparatory activities that
teachers are utilizing to ensure our students are confident and ready to demonstrate their
knowledge on the MAP assessments!
Parent/Community/Activity Focus
 May 1st we are holding our first annual SW-PBS Family celebration night in our Gymnasium. We
will have food and bingo for our families to celebrate our year in PBS fashion.
 PTSA sponsored our Spring Book fair in April hosting a Buy One Get One (BOGO) Free book fair.
We raised over $250.00 for our Library to purchase additional books and resources.
Upcoming School Events
o May 8th will be our Spring Band Concert at 7pm in the RCMS Gym.
o May 22nd will be our 8th grade Celebration sponsored by PTSA and our 8th grade
Recognition at 6:30pm in the RCMS Gym to honor our 8th grade students.