Welcome everyone to the 2023-24 school year. I am very excited to begin, as we have some new and exciting things on tap. One of the biggest changes this year will be the shortening of the school day. This year we will end at 3:35. However, we will also host 9th period from 3:35 to 4:05 on an as needed basis. Students who need extra help, need to complete assignments, or need to serve a detention will take care of those things at 9th period. Students who need to ride a bus, will be permitted to serve 9th period the day after to allow them a chance to make transportation arrangements. Parents and students will also want to check out some other important changes in the handbook relating to cell phones, absences and the loss of credit due to excessive absences.
Joining us this year will be 7 new staff members: Ms. Gentry Barner, an alumnus of our neighbors at McPherson County will be teaching Kindergarten, Mrs. Megan Jones, who comes to us from Saint Stephen The Martyrs in Omaha, will be teaching 6th grade in the room next to 4th and 5th grade (formerly the Distance Learning room, which has moved to the old 6th grade room), Mr. Josh Deines, a Ravenna alumnus, will taking over Physical Education after the departure of Mr. Kloke, Mrs. Bobbi Isom, who served as a long-term sub for Mr. Hynes last year, will assume the duties of Elementary Principal and District Curriculum Specialist, Mr. Jeremiah Johnson, a California native, comes to us from Cedar Bluffs Public Schools. Mr. Johnson will serve as 7-12 Principal and Activities Director. Mrs. Cherrie Kramer, a resident of Stapleton, Mrs. Kramer will be serving as a paraeducator and junior high volleyball coach, Mrs. Klara Dailey, also a resident of Stapleton, will be taking over as the Office Manager. I feel very fortunate to have all of these folks on our team, and am really looking forward to working with them. For the teachers this year, I am asking them to make an extra effort on a daily basis to insure that student’s are rightly focused on academics and on task, while requiring that students give their best effort. I am also asking us to take advantage of 9th period if needed.
A couple of changes this year involving technology. First, this year’s Maverick games will be streamed on a new page from Hudl. The page offers fans even more cool features. So, check it out by clicking on the link at the top of our school website. We will not be using the YouTube page this season. Also in grades 10 thru 12 we will be converting from Chromebooks to MacBooks. The Macbooks will be more useful, with some capabilities that Chromebooks do not have. In addition, they are much more durable and easier to support for our IT personnel.
I have posted our Safe Return to School Plan and ESSER Spending Plan to the webpage for public review. If you have input to give, please contact me at your convenience (Brian Redinger - Superintendent, 308-636-2252, brian.redinger@stapletonschools.org). You may also plan to offer feedback at the public comment portion of the Regular Board of Education meeting on August 21st at 7:00pm.