ADAIR COUNTY R-II NEWSLETTER

May 1, 2001 Brashear, Missouri

NEW SUPERINTENDENT

The Adair County R-II Board of Education has named Diane Bradley as the new Superintendent effective July 1. She has served as the guidance counselor for the past 21 years. During her tenure at Brashear she has also:

Mrs. Bradley will be replacing Dr. Montgomery who has served as Superintendent for the past three years. Dr. Montgomery has accepted the position of Assistant Superintendent of the Kirksville R-III School District.

Mrs. Bradley resides on a farm in rural Novelty with her husband Dennis. They have two children Bobbi, a sophomore at University of Missouri-Columbia and Ben, a senior at Adair County R-II High School.

Mrs. Bradley received her B.S. in Education from Northeast Missouri State University in May 1975, her M.A. in Guidance and Counseling from Northeast Missouri State University in May 1980, and her Specialist in Education, Superintendent & Secondary School Principal from Northwest Missouri State University in December 2000.

TIGER PRIDE

Instructor Michael Killen took several projects from his Industrial Technology classes to the district contest in Hannibal. The following students won first place in their division and have qualified for state contest on April 28: Woodworking-Josh Darnel, Meghan Salter, Brooke Salter; Plastics-Brocke Drummond; Metals-Colby Stutsman; Technology Exploration-Mike Colegrove, Damien Patterson, Danny Clarkson; Industrial Crafts-Lisa Coin, Ricky Bunch, Cody Salter.

While at the district competition, Mr. Killen was honored for his work in technology education. He received the "Program of the Year" award from the Northeast Technology Education Association of Missouri. This award is for an outstanding technology education program for middle school. Mr. Killen has been with our district for the past 5 years.

The high school academic bowl team placed fourth at the district tournament. Congratulations to Kelly Moore for being named to the All-District Academic Bowl Team. Each year the Missouri Academic Coaches Association (MACA) provides medals to the eight highest scoring individuals at each district competition.

Our fifth and sixth graders recently participated in the "Reach for the Stars" Savings Bond Poster Contest. We are very pleased to learn that two sixth grade girls received Honorable Mention for their posters. They are Ashley Clarkson and Patricia Woods. Congratulations, girls!

Congratulations to Zac Erwin for being chosen basketball player of the year by the Kirksville Daily Express. First team honors went to Trevor Mills and Nathan Kelsey. Honorable Mention went to Amber Dailing.

Amber Dailing has signed a letter of intent to play basketball next year at John Wood Community College in Quincy, Illinois. Good luck Amber!

TITLE PROGRAMS EVALUATION

I would like to extend a thank you to all those parents, students, board members, and community members who were able to attend the Title Evaluation Night. Your ideas are truly respected.

Ann DeRosear

2001 YEARBOOK SALES

Just a reminder that yearbooks may still be purchased. Orders received through April 30 will be $32. Yearbooks ordered on or after May 1 will be $34.

FUNDING SOURCE REDUCED

This is the last year that the district will be able to apply for Goals 2000 funds. Goals 2000 has supported a portion of our nursing service, tutoring and Time Trackers for students in grades K-12.

Next year we would like to use part of our funds to address "Proven Reading Strategies to Improve Test Scores". In order to stretch our money further we felt that the best place to reduce funding was with the Time Trackers. For next year, we will be asking the students to share a portion of the cost of the Time Tracker. We are anticipating asking students to purchase their Time Tracker for $3.00. We know that this places an added burden on the families, but we also feel that the value of the Time Trackers as an organizational tool and means of communication between the school and home are well worth the money. Please consider purchasing Time Trackers for your children next fall.

JUMP FOR HEART

On March 9, 2001 our annual Jump for Heart was held in the elementary gym. Forty-six elementary students participated in the event and raised $1,293.00 for the American Heart Association. Top fundraisers for the event included Brandon Gordon $130.00, Daniel Smith $89.00, and Michael McKim $79.00.

Thanks to all who helped make our Jump-a-thon a success. Special thanks to Lacey Hale, Lacy Church and Tara Stutsman for helping at the event. Also, a big thank you goes to Mrs. Kurth's home economics classes for preparing the snacks and to Miss Bond for serving them.

AWARDS BANQUET

The annual Awards Banquet will be held on Monday, May 7, 2001. The banquet will begin at 6:00 p.m. in the high school gymnasium with the awards ceremony to follow starting at approximately 7:00 p.m.

Each family attending the banquet is asked to bring two covered dishes and their own table service. Drinks will be furnished by PTS and some meat will be furnished by the Athletics Department. The public is welcome to attend.

HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION

The Adair County R-II High School graduation ceremony will be held in the high school gymnasium on Sunday, May 27, 2001 at 2:00 p.m. The public is cordially invited to attend.

The twenty-three seniors include Samantha Bohm, Ben Bradley, Mike Colegrove, Tiffany Cornelison, Amber Dailing, Rachel Deacon, Josh Dodsworth, Zac Erwin, Brandi Green, Lacey Hale, David Hardwick, Michael Holcomb, Shelly Howard, Laura Humphrey, George Keller, Jackie Knowles, Charlotte Longano, Trevor Mills, Kelly Moore, Jason Moots, Chase Sidenstricker, Colby Stutsman, and Jesse Turner.

The National Honor Society will host a reception for the seniors in the cafeteria after the ceremony. The receiving line for the graduates will also be in the cafeteria.

SIXTH GRADE PROMOTION

The Adair County R-II sixth grade promotion ceremony will be held in the high school gymnasium on Tuesday, May 22, 2001 at 7:00 p.m. The public is cordially invited to attend.

The twenty sixth graders include Tyler Blake, Ashley Clarkson, Bridget Clarkson, Brandon Claybrook, Chelsey Collop, Megan Conn, Josh Edwards, Kimberly Elsea, Matthew Falkingham, Kayla Hettinger, Tyler Killen, Luke Lunsford, Amanda Mills, Kayla Moots, Amanda Powell, Andrea Reeves, Shanea Rusk, Alvin Shepard, Seth Wheeler, and Patricia Woods.

BOARD REORGANIZES

The Adair County R-II Board of Education met in special session on Monday, April 9, 2001, to certify the election results and to reorganize the Board. The officers elected are as follows: President, Brenda Kelsey; Vice President, Doug Clarkson; Secretary and MSBA Delegate, Mary Magruder; Treasurer, Eddy Turner. Members are Kenny Crandall, Brent Hettinger, and Brad Smith.

LUNCH REFUNDS

Lunch refunds will only be given out to Seniors on the last day of school. Karla will be sending home bills for those students with a negative balance in their accounts. Any money remaining in your child(ren)'s account(s) will be carried over to the 2001-2002 school year. Refunds will be given only if requested. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Renee or Karla at 323-5272.

MENU

Breakfast/Lunch

Breakfast each day includes cereal, milk, juice or fruit. New regulations mandate the main entrée for the day must be placed on each tray (designated by * in daily menu).

MAY 1-4

Tuesday: Pancakes/Yogurt or Lasagna*, corn, lettuce, fruit, jello

Wednesday: Biscuit w/ sausage/Yogurt or Cold cuts*, chips, peas, salsa, fruit tart

Thursday: Ham/Yogurt or Juicy burger on bun*, potato rounds, carrots, fruit, rice krispie treat

Friday: Egg & cheese burrito/Yogurt or Ham or salmon salad*, green beans, hominy, fruit, brownies

MAY 7-11

Monday: Biscuits & gravy/Yogurt or BBQ chicken on bun*, potato wedges, corn, fruit

Tuesday: French toast/Yogurt or Fish*, macaroni & cheese, fruit, cake

Wednesday: Breakfast bites/Yogurt or Ham*, potatoes, peas, fruit, brownies

Thursday: Scrambled eggs/Yogurt or Tenderloin on bun*, baked beans, vegetable sticks, almond cluster

Friday: Donut/Beef stew*, corn bread, white beans, slaw, apple crisp

MAY 14-18

Monday: Waffle/Yogurt or Pizza*, corn, beets, fruit, cake

Tuesday: Muffin/Yogurt or Sub sandwich*, green beans, fruit, brownies

Wednesday: Biscuit w/ sausage/Yogurt or Nachos*, lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, fruit, pudding

Thursday: Toast, yogurt/Yogurt or Spaghetti*, meat sauce, slaw, fruit, peanut butter square

Friday: Scrambled eggs/Yogurt or Salmon patty*, macaroni & cheese, peas, fruit, cookie

MAY 21-24

Monday: Biscuits & gravy/Yogurt or Turkey & noodles*, hot rolls, cottage cheese, peas, fruit

Tuesday: Waffle/Yogurt or Cook's choice

Wednesday: Breakfast pizza/Yogurt or Cook's choice

Thursday: French toast/Yogurt or Hot dogs*, chips, carrot sticks, fruit, cookie

MAY

SUN
MON
TUE
WED
THU
FRI
SAT
1*
2*
3*
4*
5*
6
7*
8*
9
10*
11*
12*
13
14*
15*
16*
17*
18*
19*
20
21*
22*
23
24*
25
26
27*
28
29
30
31

1-2Kindergarten Registration/Pre-school Screening
3Knox County Varsity Relays TTBA
4Baseball w/ Putnam County H5:00
5Junior/Senior Prom at NEMO Fairgrounds T8:00
Grand March will be at 5:00 p.m. in the
Brashear High School Gymnasium.
7Awards Banquet H6:00
8Baseball w/ Schuyler County T5:00
10Baseball w/ Wyaconda H5:00
11Fourth Grade Trip to Hannibal
11Kindergarten Mother's Tea
12District Track Meet at Harrisburg TTBA
14Busy Bees H9-11:00
14-17 District Baseball at LaPlata TTBA
17Reading Cadre Meeting H5:30
17Climate Cadre Meeting H6:00
18Second Grade Field Trip to 1000 Hills
18-19State Track Meet at Jefferson City TTBA
21Busy Bees-Grandparent's Day H9-11:00
21Elementary Awards Cookout at Brashear City Park 5:30
22Sixth Grade Promotion H7:00
24Elementary Field Day
24LAST DAY OF SCHOOL
27Graduation H2:00



MAP testing will continue

through May 11.

Only 18 days of school left!

FROM THE DESK OF THE SUPERINTENDENT

Over the past three years I have used this column to inform you - the students, parents, and taxpayers of Brashear R-II School District - of our challenges and achievements.

Our school district is facing many decisions about what to do with the elementary school building. The assessed valuation of our school district is $8,575,956, this is ignoring state assessed railroad and utility valuation that lies within the District's boundaries. Our bonding capacity is 15% of our assessed valuation. Based upon this data the District's bonding capacity would be approximately $1,161,011. The District still owes $205,000 on bonds maturing from March 1, 2002 through March 1, 2006. These bonds can be prepaid (called) without any penalty.

We could do a new General Obligation Bond that produces at least $500,000 for a new project. Any general obligation bonds issue would need to be approved by a four-sevenths majority. The filing deadline is January 22, 2002 if it is to be voted on at the April 2, 2002 election. It is important to have some informational meetings to discuss what needs to be done. The boiler in the elementary will not last another winter without major repairs. It is hard to make decisions when we don't have a crystal ball to see the future. We are asking you to complete a survey and return it to the school as soon as possible. This can help guide our decisions.

It is with mixed emotion that I write this May column. May is a month of excitement for our seniors. Soon they will graduate and will be embarking on new paths. It has been said there are really only two good places - where we've been and where we're going.

I would like to think that somehow the years our students have had at our school has provided a striking moment where, in a sense, time stood still, clocks froze, past and future blended and cherished memories will be forever in our minds. If we have touched each other, even slightly, with a little sentiment and a bit of intellect and a lot of wisdom, then just having known each other will forever enrich all our lives.

I have accepted the position of assistant superintendent of the Kirksville R-III School District and will assume my new duties July 1st. My lifelong goal is to make a difference in the lives of others. I thank you for the opportunity to have served this district. I will treasure the experiences we have shared. I have made many friends here and wish you the very best.

Dr. Joyce Montgomery

Groundhog Job Shadowing Day

A huge thank you to all of the parents and local business people who helped make our 2nd Annual Groundhog Job Shadow Day a success. Fifty-nine students from grades 5, 6, and 10 were out on the job on Friday, February 2.

Groundhog Job Shadow Day is sponsored by America's Promise, National School-to-Work Opportunities Office, Junior Achievement and American Society of Association Executives and is a day dedicated to giving young people across America Job Shadowing experiences. Job Shadowing enables students to shadow a workplace mentor as he or she goes through a normal day on the job, providing an up-close look at how the skills learned in school are put into action in the workplace.

Students returned from their Job Shadowing experience enthusiastic and with a better understanding of how the skills learned in the school environment are used in the "real world" work place. We appreciate the effort put forth by the parents, mentors and businesses involved in making this a successful learning experience for these students.

Following is a list of businesses and/or people who donated their time to this project.

John Niebruegge, DVM, K'ville Small Animal Clinic Jack Schrader, Truman State University
Vickie Pruett, Northeast Regional Medical Center Chris Bohon, DDS
Beth Schrage, NEMO Health ClinicBrent Hettinger, Cable One
David Coin, Wire Rope Corporation of America Scott Thrasher, Kirksville Police Dept.
John Slavin, Attorney at LawPhillip Stitzer, D.O.
Bob Hardwick, Cable OneTerry Findling, Pro Tech
Deborah Holte, DPM, NEMO Foot ClinicKatrina Hadley, Wal-Mart
Jeff McDivitt, HyVeeRenee Reeves, Adair County R-II School
Alan Rimer, Hudson-Rimer Funeral HomeJodi Moots, Reflections 2000
Jay Schilling, Northeast Regional Medical Center Billy Sutton, Sutton's Auto
Donna Bond, Adair County R-II SchoolKen Clarkson, Ken C., Inc.
David Moore, DVM, Adair Co. Veterinary Clinic Matt Reeves, Truman State University
Kelli Powell, Moberly Area Community College Amy Grgurich, Dollar General
Brenda Killen, Truman State University Peggy Woods, Kirksville Senior High
Becky Conn, Radio ParkRuth Ann Moots, Moots Daycare
Raymond Rhoades, Edina Farm & Home CoeAnn Hardwick, Chiropractor
Kevin White, Truman State UniversityBetty Hettinger, Hettinger Kennels
Shirley Phillips, Hair SouthDarla Collop, Adair County Court House
Sandra Williams, Adair County Health Dept. Randall Barnes, D.O.
Karen Billington, Home Care Medical Equipment Traci Hill, Truman State University
Robert Mills, Adair County R-II School J. L. Montgomery, MFA
Susie Poland, Early's Medical Practice Elizabeth Hill, Homecare Management
Joyce Woods, Day CareJoel Shipman, Schuyler R-I
Connie Johnson, Twin PinesBill Kuntz, Truman State University Farm
Larry O'Brien, O'Brien FarmsDarrin Mihalovich, Mark Twain Rural Telco
Karen Schneiderheinze, Alberty & Deveny Law Kent Watson, Scholfield Veterinary
Sharron Bowen, PyramidMark Anderson, Anderson Construction
Roxanne Gearhart, McRental's, Inc.Brian's Welding, Edina, MO

Elementary Building Concerns Survey

The district has some important decisions to make about the future building needs for the Brashear Elementary School. Please complete the following survey and return it to the school by mail or in person. The mailing address is: Adair County R-II School, Route 1 Box 6CB, Brashear, Missouri 63533.

In the elementary building, the heating system is in extreme need of attention. It will require a large amount of money to repair the old system, perhaps as much as $30,000. This will not, however, address the issue of leaking pipes under the building and in some of the existing classroom walls. Some of the walls are deteriorating from the moisture and other walls collect mold.

Presently there is a leak in the kindergarten classroom and this is thought to be caused by a damaged roof. It is also noted that water is pooling in places on the roof.

The district is considering a number of options and we are asking your input in the decision making process. We currently have money available for Options 1, 2 or 3. Note that the last building construction project in 1992 cost $390,000. This included four classrooms, a library, and two bathrooms. Please refer to the letter "From the Desk of the Superintendent" included in this newsletter for more information.

IMMEDIATE CONCERNS

Ÿ Option A: Repair the old boiler during the summer of 2001. (This will not address leaks in the walls and under the building due to inaccessibility of pipes).

Cost: Approximately $ 30,000

Ÿ Option B: Install heating and duct work within the existing structure during the summer of 2001 and abandon present heating system (no air conditioning).

Cost: Approximately $ 50,000

Ÿ Option C: Install rooftop heating and air conditioning units and repair roof at the same time during the summer of 2001. This has the potential to reduce heating costs due to added roof insulation.

Air Conditioning/Heating Installation Cost: Approximately $ 55,000

Re-roof with 2" foam insulation and added slope Cost: Approximately $ 55,000

Total Cost: Approximately $110,000

BUILDING OPTIONS

Ÿ Option 1: Pass a Bond Issue (not requiring a tax levy increase) and build a new building and repair the existing heating source on an as needed basis so the existing building could be used until a new building was built. (It is questionable whether the heating system will last another year.) The projection is that the most funds available for this project would be approximately $500,000.

Ÿ Option 2: Pass a Bond Issue (not requiring a tax levy increase) and build a new building in two phases ten to fifteen years apart and replace the existing heating system with Option B.

Ÿ Option 3: Pass a Bond Issue (not requiring a tax levy increase) and build a new building in two phases ten to fifteen years apart and replace the existing heating system with Option C.

Ÿ Option 4: Pass a Bond Issue (not requiring a tax levy increase) and build an addition to the existing elementary building and replace the existing heating system with Option B. See floor plan on the reverse side of "From the Desk of the Superintendent".

Ÿ Option 5: Pass a Bond Issue (not requiring a tax levy increase) and build an addition to the existing elementary building and replace the existing heating system with Option C. See floor plan on the reverse side of "From the Desk of the Superintendent".

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