RSU 16 Community Connection

This week, we had the privilege of spending some time in the classroom reading to our students! Seeing their eager faces light up as they gathered around, ready to embark on a literary adventure, filled our hearts with joy.

We were reminded of the incredible power of literature to connect, inspire, and ignite the imagination of our students. Reading with our K-2 learners was a delightful reminder of why we do what we do – to foster a love for learning, encourage curiosity, and create unforgettable moments that shape our children's lives.

We are grateful for the opportunity to share in these precious moments with our students. Let's continue to celebrate the pure fun and wonder that reading brings. Together, we'll build a bright future for our children, one page at a time!

Warm Regards,

Todd and Amy

We will highlight the accomplishments and milestones achieved by our staff and students over the past month. From academic achievements to artistic endeavors and athletic successes, we take immense pride in the diverse talents of our students.

Senator Eric Brakey and Representative David Boyer visited Ms. Karaffa's 8th grade classes to do a simulation of the lawmaking process at the state level. Laws that students suggested and voted on included:

-Lowering the work permit age to 13

-Paying students from 5th grade up based on grades used for college or school expenses

-Having no school on Friday

-Allowing hunting on Sundays until 1pm

-Mandating a 20 min break in school for MS and HS students

Q: How does the school conduct a threat assessment?

A: The Comprehensive School Threat Assessment Guidelines walk team members through a

five-step decision tree as they gather and evaluate information related to the situation and the

person of concern, analyze the information to determine the correct classification for the threat,

document any actions taken in response to receiving the threat, conduct a variety of interviews to

determine the level of support needed and develop a case management plan to support the person

of interest. Not all threats are created equal and they vary in how specific or plausible they are,

and in the motivation, capacity, and intent of the person making the threat. All threats, however,

need to be assessed quickly and dealt with in a timely, appropriate manner.

Transportation Administrative Assistant

I assist the Transportation Director in any way that I can:

Answering phone calls and making phone calls as needed to parents and school employees. I am in communication with the drivers, using our radio system and assist with any needs they have. I keep track of all endorsement’s for drivers and make sure they are up to date and current. I assist with new hires and complete all paperwork that is necessary to complete the process. I collect transportation forms and work with the Director to schedule rides. I submit spreadsheets of fuel used and miles traveled for every transportation vehicle we use through-out the school year. I also keep spreadsheets of all Athletic Trips, Field Trips and trips for the buses and vans. I document all Evacuation Drills through-out the year. I also assist the Director with many other tasks such as filing, typing memo’s, ordering supplies etc.

District Registrar Duties

When a new student registers at the schools, the Administrative Assistants send me the registration form. I finish completing the registration process in Infinite Campus. Through-out the year I update addresses, phone numbers, contacts, and other information that is needed. I keep track of all Superintendent Agreements and Homeschooled Students in our district. I also track students that attend Private and Charter Schools that are living in our district. I complete requisitions for supplies and other needs. I help in the main office in any capacity I can.

Greetings from the IT Department!

The IT Department provides teachers, staff, students, and classrooms with the infrastructure necessary to utilize a variety of technology tools in their teaching and learning. The district technology budget is always developed with this as the goal and we appreciate the community support for this. We support and manage approximately 3000 devices including computers, chromebooks, iPads, printers & copiers, digital projectors, six wireless networks, a lot of software and our over 2000 fabulous users including all students and staff members.

You will find the three of us Linda Chaisson, Dave Haley and Tanya Vanesse in the IT Office behind the library at the high school when we aren't traveling around the district fixing technology issues. We take pride in our quick turnaround time for support issues and recently implemented a new HelpDesk system called IncidentIQ that helps us to streamline our work.

Harvest Time in Minot Consolidated School's Garden

The Restorative Room Teacher, Rosanna Goss, worked really hard in our school garden with a number of our students. In the spring, the students planted pumpkins for us to harvest in the fall. This week, the students and Mrs. Goss harvested all of our pumpkins. We have enough small pumpkins for all of our kindergarten students and many big pumpkins for the rest of our students to enjoy in their classrooms.

Start of the Year!

This year, we’ve begun using our buddy classrooms to build stronger connections between our upper grade level students and our younger students. We announced our buddy classroom partners during our first whole school assembly and the classroom teachers have been finding fun ways to foster these relationships! Grade level buddies have participated in classroom learning celebrations, partner reading, and with classroom rewards through our PBIS system.

Pictured here are our fifth graders participating in reading with our K students and our other 5th grade classroom participating in a PJ/Stuffy/Movie time with a first grade classroom.

In September, we held our Wildcat Kick-Off assembly where we welcomed back our Wildcats, introduced new staff, and reviewed our whole-school assembly expectations. Mrs. Jenkins also shared some important messages about our goal for improved attendance this year! We have set a lofty goal of having a daily average of 95% at the end of this year! We ended our assembly with some fun competition between students. Our ESS Wildcat joined in on the fun too!

Thanks to our partners at Horace Mann, we will be recognizing two students each month who have demonstrated positive attendance habits. We will recognize our students on our morning announcements and they will be presented with a gift card to honor their efforts. Pictured here are September’s winners, Abel and Aubrey!

Adult Education has enrolled 28 students, both new and returning, in the first quarter of the school year - beginning with a 5-week summer session in July and August. These students are working on academic goals, including diploma, HiSET, English language and college prep. Our fall brochure went out to all RSU 16 homes in September and contains several personal enrichment classes that may be of interest to residents in our community.