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November 2014

ECRWSS

The Bulldog Growl

Douglass Unified School District No. 396, 921 East First Douglass, KS 67039

Douglass School Board Passes Resolution for Mail Ballot Election

At the October Board of Education meeting, the Douglass School Board voted to authorize a Mail Ballot Election for the purpose of gaining the budget authority to increase the Local Option Budget (LOB) from 30 % to 33%. During the 2014 legislative session the legislature passed legislation that gave school districts the ability to increase the LOB by 3%. The LOB is offset by state aid which is based on the assessed valuation of individual school districts. The Douglass School district has a relatively low assessed valuation and subsequently receives 68.43% state aid. That means for every dollar that is generated by local taxes the school district receives 68.43% of that dollar in state aid. The increase of 3% equates to about $167,225. One of the important issues to understand is at the present time the Douglass school district will not have to raise property taxes to increase the LOB. The district has effectively managed the budget during these difficult times; therefore, if voters approve this measure it is anticipated that the mill levy not increase. The district is in effect trying to take advantage of all of the state aid available while maintaining the current mill levy. The additional state aid would help the district maintain the supplies and materials needed to continue to focus on the instructional needs of the Douglass students. The official ballot language is provided for your information.

BALLOT LANGUAGE“Shall the Board of Education of Unified School District No. 396, Butler County, State of Kansas, be authorized to increase its local option budget authority by an additional 3% (from 30% to 33%) of its state financial aid?”To vote in favor, vote “YES”To vote against, vote “NO”

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BOARD OF EDUCATIONSPRING ELECTION FILING

DEADLINE

There are three board positions that will be up for election in April of 2015. These positions are currently held by Chuck Cody, Garland Moore and David Zaldivar. If you are interested in one of these positions, you must file with the Butler County Clerk at the Butler County Courthouse in El Dorado by Noon on January 27, 2015.

BOE BRIEFSThe Douglass Board of Education met in regular session Monday, October 13, 2014 in the District Administrative Office.

*approved donations: Target-ES-$82.73, Target-MS-$113.83, Target-HS-$71.37, Lifetouch-MS-$395.19, PTO-Ice Cream Social-$113.92, First Baptist Church-ES-$327.18, Samantha Price Memorial-$200.00

*approved a grant: Wal-Mart - $1,000.00 for Accelerated Reader/Top Dog Incentives

*approved Resolution #2015-05 South Central Kansas (Region G) Multi-Hazard, Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan

*approved Resolution #2015-06 SCKESC Inter-local Agreement

*approved Resolution #2015-07 to Adopt a Local Option Budget

*offered employment to Jason Wilson-Softball Head Coach

What does a vote in favor mean? It allows the district the flexibility to increase the maximum budget authority from 30% to 33%. The district would receive 68.43% of the funds generated as state aid. The additional authority would allow the district to capture all of the state aid that is available. The funds would be used to help the district continue to focus on the instructional needs of the students. Under the current legislation and the current budget structure, the district would not have to increase the mill levy at the present time.

What does a vote against mean? The district would not be able to take advantage of the state aid on the increased budget authority. That amount is estimated as $167,225. The district would not have the increased flexibility in budget authority to increase expenditures for instructional support for the students of the district.

Again, it’s important to understand that the district is attempting to capture all of the state aid that is available. For every dollar the district receives in the Local Option Budget 68.43% of that dollar is received as state aid.

If you have questions about the ballot election or the Local Option Budget, I encourage you to call the district office and I would be happy to discuss any of your questions.

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ELEMENTARY SCHOOL NEWS

TELEPHONE NUMBERSElementary School 747-3350Middle School 747-3340High School 747-3310Central Office 747-3300Transportation 747-3370Internet: www.usd396.net

Douglass USD 396 does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin, handicap, or age in admission or access to, or treatment of employment in, its programs or activities. For any questions regarding the district’s compliance, please contact: USD 396 Superintendent of Schools, 921 East First, Douglass, KS 67039. (316)747-3300.

An Equal Employment/Educational Opportunity Agency

USD 396 BOARD OF EDUCATION

Brent Nispel .........................................PresidentDavid Zaldivar.............................Vice-PresidentLes Braddy ............................................MemberChuck Cody .......................................... MemberGarland Moore.......................................MemberKaLyn Nethercot ...................................MemberTroy Starr...............................................MemberRob Reynolds ............................ Supt. of Schools

5th Grade Rocket Launch

The fifth grade class model rocket project culminated on October 8th with a successful rocket launch. It was a perfect day for launching rockets until the wind picked up a bit. Every student’s rocket blasted off and flew into the sky. Students had been anticipating this day for weeks as they built their model rockets with the help of Mary Woydziak.

Thank you to Mrs. Hopkins for volunteering to help set up and monitor the launch, Mr. Brad Reynolds for announcing students as they prepared for launch, Judy Valentine & Lonnie Carr for helping with the launch poles, and Mrs. McCune for rounding up the PA system. The 5th graders were happy that so many of their families could attend our event.

On a side note, Laurie Winzer, a certified large rocket launcher, visited with our 5th graders about the science behind a rocket launch which included Newton’s 3 Laws of Motion. She also brought some of her large rockets that she has built and launched to show our 5th graders.

***Thank you to our faithful community members who returned lost rockets!

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ELEMENTARY SCHOOL NEWS

Seal Elementary Donuts With Dad

November 6th – 7:30 to 8:00 a.m.Elementary Gym

Elementary Picture Retake Day

November 13thReturn your picture packet or fill out a retake

form.

Elementary Charity Hat Day to Benefit the Ministerial Alliance

November 21st

Seal Elementary Annual Thanksgiving Dinner

Seal Elementary families are invited to enjoy our annual Thanksgiving dinner on November 19th. If you would like to join your child, please fill out the reservation form that was sent home in Monday packets. Reservations must be returned by November 7th. No late reservations will be taken.

Firefighters Lonnie Carr and Troy Martin of the Douglass Fire Department visited the Kindergarten on Thursday, October 16th. During their visit the firefighters explained how they help keep our community safe by fighting fire and responding to emergency situations. Kindergarteners were excited to tour the fire equipment during the presentation!

Firefighters Visit

USD 396 Book Sale!

Seal Elementary, Sisk Middle School and Douglass High school will be holding a Book Sale (plus!) for Christmas Around

Town on November 22nd from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the High School commons.

There will be a great selection at great prices for all ages, including adults. Ho!

Ho! Hope to see you there!

Future Douglass Bulldogs Basketball Kids Camp

• Sunday, November 9th, 2014• 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM• FREE ADMISSION

Coaches and Players welcome you to the DHS Sports Complex. If you have questions please contact Coach Wilson by email at jwilson@usd396.net

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MIDDLE SCHOOL NEWS

Middle School Honor Choir

This year I have nominated eight Sisk Middle School students to participate in this year’s middle school honor choir. This is a wonderful privilege and honor for the students selected. These students demonstrate musicianship and leadership in the classroom. They will represent Sisk Middle School in a concert on Saturday, November 8th at Andover Central High School as they sing under the direction of renowned conductor and composer Cristi Miller. The following students selected were Taylor Frakes, Gretchen Grimmett, Claire Hilyard, Zakk Kalp, Shelby Little, Kaden Pichler, Noah Powell, and Hailey Stiner.

Sarah Davidson

VolleyballAn Amazing Season Comes to an End

What an extraordinary season we had! We are very proud of all the young ladies we had out for Volleyball this year. The assistant coaches, Hallie Munroe and Melinda Woody were the best, always going the extra mile for the team. I couldn’t have coached without them, thank you ladies!

The 7th grade team was probably the most improved team we have ever had from beginning of the season to the end. They had a lot of skills to learn and worked hard to accomplish their goals. They are a great group of young ladies and next year they will be even more successful. They were definitely a team with personality. They tied for third place at our league tournament and did an awesome job!

The 8th grade team was full of skilled players, but numerous injuries made it a difficult season. They had to adjust to different positions and changed rotations. They took it all in stride and worked hard to adjust to the many changes. They had their ups and downs, but through it all they kept great attitudes and never let up. They finished 2nd at our league tournament. They played their hearts out, and I have never been so proud of a team. They are an amazing group of young ladies and we wish all of them the best in their future volleyball seasons.

We want to thank all the staff that helped with our home games and came out to support us. We also thank all the parents that came to our games; we really appreciate all the support! A special thank you goes out to Staci Stiner for providing all our meals at away games. The food was awesome and greatly appreciated!

Coach Watkins, Coach Munroe, and Coach Woody

Important dates:Veterans’ Day program

November 11th

Middle School Picture Retakes November 13th

Thanksgiving Break November 26th-28th

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MIDDLE SCHOOL NEWS

Pawsitively Purple

Congratulations Pawsitively Purple Students For the 1st Nine Weeks

Zero Missing Assignments Zero Unexcused Tardies Zero Office Referrals

3 or Less Days Absence 100% of AR Completed

6th Grade Students 7th Grade Students 8th Grade Students Rebecca Alvarez David Arevalo Amelia Barker Pearl Biurquez Kendall Coombes Caden Davis Wylie Downer Savannah Edmonds Alyna Elder Clayton Elliott Holly Engle Harry Goehring Hannah Grimmett Nathan Joseph Jeanette Lehrmann Dylan Lockwood Camden Lovell Michael Mader Cole Martin Myra Megli Brody Mertz Emily Norton Roger Powell Max Ramey Jonathan Shores Ryan Smith Malissa Taylor James Triplett

Nove Brockman Joel Demel Jayden High Claire Hilyard Tre Karagianis Shelby Little Chance Lowe Lainie Metsker Maranda Mitchell Nate Moore Gratya Swigart Dakota Tireman Isaiah Wasson Robyn West

Austin Althouse Gordon Bannon Reece Bourisaw Lillianne Braungardt Kolby Caster Elizabeth Coberley Devon Cokeley Brayden Daly Zach Damron Lukas Dierks Sage Dierks Zach Dressler Kayla Engle Tim Farmer Bailey Fulghum Michael Gash Gretchen Grimmett Kaleb Hurd Kieran Hurd Kyle Hurd Ryan Kiekel Kaylee Koeppen Madison MacKay Cara Martin Darby McGuire Talia McGuire Jaysi Mertz Keenan Millington Katelyn Moore Greely Munroe Cody Niblack Noah Powell Landon Ramey Hannah Reynolds Logan Satkowski Jansyn Schamahorn Amber Scharff Easton Westover Jacob Woody

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We will always remember. We will always be proud.

We will always be prepared, so we will always be free. Ronald Reagan

This year’s Veterans’ Day Program is focused on involving students from our three school buildings, local veterans, and our community members.

Please join us:

Tuesday, November 11, 2014 10:00 A.M.

Douglass Sports Complex.

We invite all past and present military and support group members to meet in the middle school gym by 9:30 A.M. for cookies, coffee, and fellowship, after which they will receive instructions for the opening ceremonies.

It is essential that we recognize the significance of Veterans’ Day. Standing united as a family, a school, a community and a nation is vital.

Douglass High School (316.747.3310) Sisk Middle School (316.747.3340)

MIDDLE SCHOOL NEWS

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HIGH SCHOOL NEWS

District Honor Band and Choir Auditions

District Honor Band and Honor Choir auditions are Saturday November 8th at Andover Central High School. This year we have eight Douglass High School students auditioning for honor choir. They are Lauren Booth, Brody Caster, Ripken Fraley, Kailey Hamilton, Alicia Laffitte Molly McCune, Cassidy Schouten, and Tyeler Sholander. The following band students are auditioning for district honor band; Katie Cox, Aimee Schwintz, Hailey Titus, and Jennifer Wilson. We want to wish these Douglass High School musicians good luck on their auditions. Those students selected for district honor band and choir will participate in the District Honor Choir and Band Concert on Saturday, December 6th.

Football Congratulations to the Sisk Middle School Football Team for a great season. Our football players made a commitment to succeed in the classroom and on the football field. Throughout the season, our players worked hard to improve, never taking a week for granted. Teams throughout the Central Plains League were performing at exceptional levels this year, and the Bulldogs finished the league season with a 4-3 record. I would like to thank Coach Unrau, Coach Dressler, the parents of all our players, and the administration for all you did to make this a winning football season. Thank you for making this season a memorable one. Please encourage your students to stay involved to make their educational experience as full as it can be.

Thank you, Coach Brewer

MIDDLE SCHOOL NEWS

United States Department of Agriculture

MILK

MILK

MILK

Wake up and fuel up to help your day take off!U.S. Department of Agriculture • Food and Nutrition Service • March 2014

FNS-467-A • USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.http://teamnutrition.usda.gov

LAUNCH YOUR STUDENTS DAY OFF WITH A WELL BALANCED, WHOLESOME BREAKFAST EACH MORNING! EACH CAFETERIA SERVES BREAKFAST EVERY MORNING FROM 7:30-7:50 AND EACH MORNING THE STUDENTS HAVE 3-4 OPTIONS TO CHOOSE FROM WHICH INCLUDE FRUIT, GRAINS, PROTEIN AND MILK TO HELP YOUR STUDENT WAKE UP AND FUEL UP TO HELP THEIR DAY TAKE OFF!

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DHS CounselorImportant Dates/Deadlines

November6 Deadline to contact one of the Elementary, Middle School, or High School Counselors if you are in need of assistance for the Christmas season. A food box and gifts for the children are provided by local churches. 6 Academic Spirit Day-Community Service Day7 ACT Registration Deadline for the Dec. 13th ACT11 Veteran’s Day Program12 Sophomore Health Academy Intro Class, 8:00 am. (Leave DHS @ 7:45)

Great Website to search ALL Public Kansas Community Colleges, Universities and Technical Colleges: Click on the interactive map and it will take you directly to the school’s website. Search visit days, scholarships and take a virtual tour:http://www.kansasregents.org/interactive_map_listing

Once again the Lady Bulldogs have found a way to win a Regional Cross Country title paving the way for their pursuit of another state title. Being led by the outstanding performances of Suzie Wright and Klair Gibson, the girls’ cross country team has put together some spectacular finishes in the last few meets to make them valid state contenders again this year. With Starla Goodman running a sub 15 minute 4K last week and Kryssy Henderson running her best race of the year last Saturday and the up and coming performance of Alessia Cokeley, the Lady Bulldogs are poised to make a run at the state title.

The boys cross country team is a young crew looking to follow in the ladies’ footsteps within the next couple of years. They are being led by the performances of Gabe Wasson and Ashten Dodson, with solid runs being put together by Hunter Miller, August Farmer, Ben Basham, Collier Coombes, Vaughn Anderson, and Josh Foster. One junior, three sophomores, and four freshmen are making the future look bright for the boys’ team. With hard work and perseverance, I believe the boys are poised to have a shot at the success enjoyed by the ladies in just a few short years.

CROSS COUNTRY

High School Volleyball

The high school volleyball girls have received the #1 seed in the state tournament by finishing the regular season with a 36-2 record. Good Luck Lady Bulldogs!!

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Congratulations to the following students for making 1st nine weeks Leader Of The Pack:

Zero-Missing Assignments Zero-Unexcused Tardies/Absences Zero-Office Referrals for Discipline

Less than 3 days absent

2014 – 1st Quarter Leader of the Pack

Anderson, Alicia Anderson, Devon Bader, Naomi Bannon, Logan Banos, Katie Bergley, Shayna Bergley, Shelby Bergosh, Logan Bible, Dylan Biggs, Mariah Boyd, Kayleigh Braddy, Hailey Bradford, Ananda Britt, Karee Bryan, Nicole Carter, Donnat Cochran, Michael Cochran, Riley Cokeley, Alessia Collins, Stormi Coombes, Collier Cox, Katie Curless, Alex Demel, Megan Draper, Chelsea Draper, Cylie Dressler, Sara Dunagan, Alicia Dunagan, Jennifer Eck, Caleb

Engle, Hailey Engle, Kourtnee Estes, Kaitlyn Farmer, August Foltz, Hannah Fraley, Rip Fronning, Jesse Gibson, Klair Goodman, Starla Green, Nellie Hajdukovich, Sarah Hamilton, Kailey Hardiman, Tyresse Hawkins, Kayla Headrick, Luvyna Heitkotter, Michael Henderson, Kryslyn Henley, Sarah Kurt, Mikayla Laffitte, Alicia Landis, William Mabie, Madison Mabie, Tyler Maddy, Ethan Mahlandt, Dallas Martin, Kenlee McCune, Molly McDaniel, Jared McDonald, Kylee McNelly, Faith

McVey, Elizabeth Miller, Taylor Monteith, Mackenzie Munroe, Cashlyn Nuzum, Hannah Nuzum, Joseph ONeill, Cassidy Payton, Heather Powell, Abigail Rollings, Faith Scharff, Andrea Schouten, Cassidy Schwintz, Aimee Short, Hannah Sigwing, Aaron Smith, Taylor Starr, Laekin Swigart, John Taylor, Mariah Tireman, Sierra Titus, Donald Veesart, Miranda Veesart, Sarah Wasson, Gabe Weese, Dakotah Wilson, Jennifer Woody, Madison Wright, Jake Wright, Suzie Zalusky, Allison

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Circle your package.

Must purchase Personalization to put your name on the cover.

Must purchase Personalization to add icons.

P

Contact

Contact

Icon(s) ea. $3.00 x QTY

Donate a Yearbook $22.00

N/A N/A

$3.00

Don't miss your chance to own all the memories from this year - order your yearbook! Make checks payable to USD 396.

YEARBOOK $22.00

Includes Yearbook and 1 Line of PersonalizationPERSONALIZE IT PACKAGE $27.00

Includes Yearbook, 1 Line of Personalization, Color Autograph Section and 8 Multicolor Signing MarkersSIGNATURE PACKAGE $35.00

N/A

Seal Elementary and Sisk Middle School

November 2014 Page 14

Late Night in the Douglass Sports ComplexMonday, December 1, 2014

5:00 PM – 8:45 PM

Walking Taco’s will begin being served from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PMo Sponsored by the Douglass Booster Club o $3.00 Includes a walking Taco and Beverage

Schedule for the Late Night in the DHS Sports Complex 6:05 - Welcome to the Event – Mr. Menard 6:15 - Introductions of Middle School Girls’ Basketball – Coach Braddyo Scrimmage – (10 minutes) 6:30 - Introductions of Middle School Boys’ Basketball – Coach Gardnero Scrimmage – (10 minutes) 6:45 - Introductions of High School Wrestling Team – Coach Rhodes 6:50 - Introduction of Cheerleading – Coach Starr and Coach Flippoo 6:55 - Cheerleading Performance 7:00 - Scrimmages – Pep Band – Drum Line during Scrimmages– Mr. Kempo Girls’ – JV versus Freshman (10-15 minutes)o Girls’ – Varsity versus JV (10 minutes)o Boys’ – JV versus Freshman (10-15 minutes)o Boys’ – Varsity versus JV (10-15 minutes) 8:00 - Closing Comments – Mr. Menard

Parents Meeting Following the event.o Girls’ Basketball in the Middle School Gymo Boys’ Basketball in the High School Gym

The Booster Club has stadium seats for sale. If you are interested in purchasing one, please contact Carrie Shores at 747-3300. The cost is $40.00.

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