FROM THE PRINCIPAL’S DESK
JANUARY INSERVICE: On Monday, January 21st, 2019, the district will have an in-service for all staff members. There will be NO SCHOOL for students on this day. This is an early reminder so childcare arrangements can be made. School will resume on Tuesday, January 22nd, at the regular time.
EARLY DISMISSAL: Norton will be hosting a LEAGUE wrestling tournament on Friday, January 25, 2019. It begins at 1:00 in the afternoon. School will be dismissed for students at 1:00 on that day. Buses will run accordingly. This tournament rotates to different schools each year, and this year it is Norton’s year to host it. Staff will still work in the afternoon.
AVERAGE DAILY ATTENDANCE (ADA): School attendance is a very important part of the student’s school record. There is a high correlation between attendance and personal reliability. Regular and punctual attendance by all students is necessary for the proper functioning of the entire school. One of the major causes of failure in school is absenteeism. The average daily attendance for the first semester is as follows:
FIRST SEMESTER
EC 96.3%
K 95.9%
1 94.2%
2 97.9%
3 97.9%
4 97.1%
5 96.0%
6 94.0%
Total 96.1% Overall average daily attendance for the first semester was 96.1%. Congratulations parents and students! That is a good average daily attendance percentage!
GEOGRAPHY BEE RESULTS: The annual Eisenhower Geography Bee was held Friday, January 11th, 2019. Seven students in grades four, five and six completed the classroom level Geography Bee, and advanced to the school level. The Eisenhower Geography Bee winner was Mareesa Hempler. First runner up was Ayston Kats and second runner up was Bryson Burge. Mareesa will now take a written test for eligibility in the State competition.
HEALTH INFORMATION REQUIREMENTS: All students are required to have Birth Certificates, current Immunizations and Physicals. The Kansas Certificate of Immunizations requires the following: DTaP – Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus, (five doses); Polio-(4 doses); Hepatitis B (3 doses); Varicella (one dose for Preschool, and two doses for Kindergarten thru 6th grade} OR chicken pox disease date. A Tdap booster is required prior to entering 7th grade. Physicals are required for all Kindergarten students and out of State transfer students under the age of nine.
EMERGENCY DRILLS: IN THE PAST, the school was responsible to have a fire drill monthly, a tornado drill four times a year, and lockdown drills whenever the school felt it was necessary. NOW, the State requires only four fire drills a year, tornado drills four times a year, and a lockdown drill monthly. The school has placed an emphasis on lockdown drills in the past and will continue to do so for the safety of the students and staff in the district.
GYM SHOES: Please contact the office if you have any questions on the status of using different shoes for gym. We do have extra shoes that have been donated to the school for students to use during the year.
WINTER WEATHER: Please remember to send gloves, hats, and heavy coats to school in the cold weather. We have extra hats and gloves in the office for students who need them. So far the weather pattern has been cold with snow on the ground. IF this continues, the next couple of months will be long and we need to take precautions against the cold.
DRESS CODE: Please remember that if a student wears something to school that would be considered disruptive or inappropriate, they will either be asked to change, or they will make a call home for more appropriate clothing. This is generally not an issue as parents are very good about monitoring what students wear to school. We appreciate the support for this procedure in school. Sometimes students will make fun of other students when inappropriate clothing is worn to school. This is not what we want for our students and our families.
“Spending time with kids brings a sense of balance to our lives. It reminds us that the best things in life aren’t things.”