Kickapoo announcements March 8 - 12, 2021

Hello Kickapoo Families,

We are in the home stretch of 3rd quarter as we only have 4 school days remaining! Please help your student stay fully engaged and present through to Spring Break.

Remember for the most up to date information about clubs, athletics, and other announcements follow our social media and check our website. 

Stay connected with Kickapoo in the following ways:

Facebook - Kickapoo High School

Twitter - @KickapooChiefs

Instagram - @KickapooHighSchool

Website - kickapoochiefs.org

You can find our Daily Announcements on our website and linked HERE. Please check these frequently as they are updated daily.

* As a reminder we are offering FREE tutoring for all students, seated and virtual, when we are in session. See below for the details. If you have questions please ask.

* KHS Three-Tiered Tutoring Model

We are offering the opportunity for seated AND full time virtual students to receive additional tutoring and support. Please review the details below.

In order to address the need for academic support with both our Launch and seated students, the following tutoring model will be implemented. ALL 3 options will be offered. 

Option 1:

When: M/T/Th/Fri from 10 am - 1 pm

What: SPS Launch teachers assigned to KHS, Mr. Higgins, and KHS teachers available for tutoring.  

Who: VIRTUAL STUDENTS ONLY.

Where: In room 182 - check in through attendance office.

Option 2:

When: Wednesdays from 9:30 - 11:30 and 1 - 3.

What: A+ tutors, Mr. Higgins, Mrs. Prude, KHS paraprofessionals, & potentially other KHS teachers available for tutoring.

Who: Any Kickapoo student seated or virtual.

Where: Commons

Option 3:

When: M/T/Th/F from 3 - 4 pm.

What: KHS teachers available for tutoring. 

Who: Any Kickapoo student. 

Where: Library

Please let us know if you have questions.

* Remember to please complete a (click -->) daily screening each morning with your student before school each day. When in doubt please call our nurses at 523-8500. Thank you for helping keep our students and staff healthy and safe.

* Free Rapid COVID-19 testing for symptomatic students

Dear Parents/Guardians: Springfield Public Schools will offer free rapid COVID-19 testing for symptomatic K-12 students. The tests will be conducted using a minimally invasive anterior nasal swab, will be administered by an SPS nurse in a centralized location, and will yield results in 15 minutes.

The testing process includes the following steps: 1. Parents/guardians should monitor their children for COVID-19 symptoms daily. Symptoms include fever or chills; cough; shortness of breath or difficulty breathing; fatigue; muscle or body aches; headache; new loss of taste or smell; sore throat; congestion or runny nose; nausea or vomiting; and/or diarrhea. 2. If symptoms develop while students are at home, parents/guardians should keep their child at home and they should not report to school. If symptoms develop while at school, students should go to the school nurse, where they will be isolated while parents/guardians are contacted for pick-up. In both circumstances, parents/guardians may work with their school’s nurse to schedule testing on weekdays. 3. To schedule a rapid antigen test, parents/guardians of symptomatic students should contact their school’s nurse. The school nurse will confirm the testing appointment and let parents/guardians know when and where to report. Testing hours are 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. If symptoms develop over the weekend, parents/guardians should contact their healthcare provider regarding other testing options. 4. All testing will be conducted in an isolated location within a centralized SPS facility. Only one parent/guardian should accompany their symptomatic child and should present student identification upon arrival for processing. A specific time and location, along with other pertinent details, will be provided to parents by their school’s nurse when a testing appointment is confirmed. Testing is limited to students and is not for other family members. 5. If a student tests positive, standard quarantine will begin immediately. If the test is negative, students will be given instructions regarding when to return to school.

The district’s use of Abbott’s BinaxNOW rapid antigen test kits will be instrumental in helping to quickly identify COVID-positive cases within the system, thereby helping to limit spread of the virus. Both the test kits and the personal protective equipment (PPE) used by SPS nurses to conduct the tests are provided by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. 

Below are a few new notes for you and then several reminders.

* Student Parking - ALL students with a decal and hang tag must park in their assigned spots. IF someone is in your assigned spot please take a picture of their car and plates, park your car in a VISITOR spot, and report it to the attendance office. Thank you.

Any student who has not purchased a decal/tag will need to park on Jefferson Avenue. Do NOT park in any of the parking lots of businesses near Kickapoo. 

If you have not purchased one yet, $10 for remainder of the year, you may do so in our Financial Office. Thank you.

* Senior announcements

March Scholarship Bulletin - See the latest scholarship opportunities and deadlines. 

March News You Can Use - Review for important dates, etc. 

Counseling Corner - Check this link for all things from the Counselors. 

* Help our seniors have a fantastic Project Graduation by donating here:

 https://www.supportsps.org/pick-a-project/kickapoo-project-graduation-2021/

Thank you!

* Graduation & Senior Prom information <-- click the link to read more.

* Grades - Go HERE to login to check your students grades in eSchool at anytime. Need your login? Contact our office at 523-8500.

* 3rd quarter ends Thursday, March 11th. 

* Spring Break - Friday, March 12 - Sunday, March 21st. 

* 4th quarter begins Monday, March 22nd.

* D & F phone calls - I will be making D/F phone calls each Tuesday. If you have questions about grades please contact your students teachers. These grades are accurate as of 6 a.m. Tuesday morning. Thank you.

* Explore (aka Summer School) Registration is now open for all students! 

• Session 1: June 7^th  – June 30^th
• Session 2: July 7^th – July 30^th
• The majority of high school summer school courses will be offered online through Launch
• Some seated options will be at Central: Special Services, ELL, etc. – students must qualify for this option
• If students want to make more room in their schedule for the regular year, taking summer school courses is a great option
• If you have a student who has failed a required course/credit, we encourage them to recoup the credit in summer school
• Online registration must be done at https://explorereg.sps.org/
• If any students have questions regarding summer school, please have them contact any of the following:
• Counseling Center
• 417-523-8560
• Individual Counselors
• KHS Explore Liaison, Kim Harris 
• 417-523-8525 or kharris@spsmail.org

* Kickapoo Chiefs masks for sale at lunch for $5

*  2021-2022 School Calendar: The calendar was approved by the SPS Board of Education with the first day of school to be Aug. 23, 2021 and the last day to be May 27, 2022.

* Junior's Free ACT - ALL juniors will be signed up for the FREE district ACT given on Wednesday, April 21st at KHS.  All students will need to arrive with a charged Chromebook and appropriate calculator no later than 8 a.m. Room assignments TBD.  If you do not want to take this FREE exam, you will need to notify Dr. Coffey at lcoffey@spsmail.org  prior to April 1^st. 

We will have an ACT Bootcamp on Tuesday, April 13th to provide our juniors taking the ACT tricks, tips, and support for taking the ACT exam.

* Leadership Springfield Academy Class 32 applications are now open - The applications for the Leadership Academy Class 32 have officially launched! We would love for your current sophomores to apply to be in this program during their junior year.

 The applications are to be completed online no later than 5 pm on March 29, 2021. You may find a link to the applications here: https://leadershipspringfield.org/forms/leadership-academy-class-32-application/. Feel free to reach out with any questions.

Please let me know if you have any questions about the program, application process or the informational sessions.

Thank you and have a wonderful day!

Ashley Clair, Communications Director

Leadership Springfield, Inc.

O: 417-986-2884

www.leadershipspringfield.org

LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook

* Chromebook repair process - We have created a form for students to request a Chromebook so they can get theirs repaired.  It is located in the Tribe Talk course in Canvas. Please direct students to the link and have them complete the form. We will contact the students to come to the library to pick up or exchange their Chromebook. If they are unable to complete the form, please have a classmate or teacher complete the form for the student. Let us know if you have any questions. * Chromebooks - Students should bring a charged Chromebook to school each day. We are limited on the number of loaners we have and first priority goes to students needing repairs. Thank you. * Yearbooks are on sale now for $55 and can be purchased HERE. Friday, March 12 is the last day to preorder a 2021 Legend Yearbook and GUARANTEE your copy of the 50th anniversary edition. We will have a limited number of extras for sale on a first come, first serve basis, but once they are gone, they are gone.

* Wednesday Virtual Day - Each teacher has scheduled a 15 minute time during each students scheduled class time in which they will be live via Zoom. This time will be to present new material and/or review previous material. If you have any questions please contact your teacher via email or Canvas as they are working from home on Wednesday's as well.

* CANVAS HELP - Need help accessing and checking online learning with your student??? Click here for a list of resources from SPS. You can also click here for a guide for “how-to” items for parents. Please be sure to reach out with questions as we navigate online learning.

* Join Kickapoo PTSA - Click here for form.

In order to be eligible for the PTSA senior scholarship you must be a member. You can also donate to PTSA or the scholarship fund via the above link. Thank you!

* Reminders:

• Any students needing WiFi can request a Kajeet through our library.
• Kickapoo will open our doors at 7:30 a.m. and first block begins at 7:50 a.m. every day Monday - Friday. All students must report directly to first block. 
• Classes end at 2:50 p.m. every day except Wednesday's end at 2:20 p.m.
• 2020 - 2021 Bell Schedule - M/T/TR/Fr schedule is the same. Wednesday we follow a slightly different schedule and classes end at 2:20. Please review the link above for the specific class times.
• Face masks must be worn at all times and may not contain inappropriate images, messages, etc.
• Students should take home Chromebooks every day.
• All students should leave school/campus by 3:05 p.m. unless directly supervised by a teacher, coach, or sponsor.
• Attendance to athletic contests and school sponsored clubs will be limited to ensure capacity guidelines.
• Deliveries to school - Parents/guardians may deliver food and other items to school. We ask that you label and leave them on the table. Due to limited travel students may not be able to come immediately to pick them up. Please communicate with your student to let them know items have been dropped off for them. 
• NO food deliveries from outside vendors. Thank you for helping to limit the exposures our secretaries and staff encounter.
• Visitors and Volunteers are limited to only those providing educational supports.
• Back to SPS Return to Learning plan
• ID badges, hats, and dress code - ALL students must have an ID every day. NO hats inside the building. Follow all dress code expectations.

Again, the items I have listed above are NOT all inclusive.

If you have any questions please don't hesitate to reach out to me. I will respond as soon as possible.

Thank you again for your patience, grace, and flexibility during this time. 

Take care and #GoChiefs!

Dr. Powers

Principal - Kickapoo High School