BACK TO SCHOOL NEWSLETTER
2023-2024
A MESSAGE FROM SUPERINTENDENT KOBZA
The beginning of a new school year brings excitement and new possibilities for students, parents, and staff. I am also very excited and humbled to have the opportunity to serve the patrons and staff of Lansing USD 469.
Lansing has long been recognized as a top-tier school district in Kansas. It is my desire to help continue and build upon the standards that have already been established.
My priorities this year include:
- Student and staff safety
- Building a system that maximizes individual students' potential
- Having qualified and high-quality staff members in every classroom
- Ensuring that students are educated in a safe and well-maintained environment.
I look forward to working with all of you to help your children reach their full potential.
It's a great day to be a Lion!
MISSION
Our mission at Lansing Public Schools is to provide all students with the scholastic, technical, social, and life-long learning skills essential for academic, occupational, and personal success as productive citizens.
Please note: Late start will not occur during any week that consists of three school days or less.
TEACHING AND LEARNING WITH MILES AZZEH
We’re re-accredited!
We are thrilled to announce that our district has achieved re-accreditation from the state of Kansas! This honor is a significant achievement for our schools, teachers, students, and community, and we would like to thank everyone who contributed to this success.
The accreditation process is a rigorous evaluation of our schools' performance through a five-year KESA cycle. It is a testament to our staff and students' hard work and dedication that we have achieved this honor.
Recreational Reading Continues!
We’re entering our third year of recreational reading at Lansing Intermediate School! D.I.R.T (Daily Independent Reading Time) is a chance for students to continue finding and/or strengthening their love of reading by selecting their own books to get lost within. As you can see below, reading for pleasure just 20 minutes a day will lead to amazing results.
Our goal in Lansing is to get the right book in the right hands of every child and help them acquire the reading skills that will make them a lifelong learner and productive student and citizen.
“No subject of study is more important than reading…all other intellectual powers depend on it.” - Jacques Barzun
Academic Spotlights
For the last year and a half, I have been highlighting the amazing instructional work that our teachers are doing with your students. I call these highlights “Academic Spotlights,” and they showcase the outstanding work our teachers are doing in their classrooms each day.
SPECIAL EDUCATION UPDATE FROM ASCENDRA DONALD
The Lansing school district engages in Child Find for special education, birth through age 21. Child Find is an ongoing process that school staff use to locate and identify students who may need special education services.
Early Childhood ages Birth through age 5: The Lansing School District’s next Early Childhood Developmental Screening is Friday, August 18th for children ages 3 to 5. If interested, click here to book a screening. For remaining dates available this school year, please visit our early childhood developmental screenings webpage.
Kindergarten through 12th grade: Child Find begins with general education interventions, and an individual problem-solving process. If the general education interventions are significant, beyond what could be provided by the general education and requires specially designed instruction, the team would refer the student for an initial evaluation. If you have concerns about your child’s development, contact your school counseling team or school psychologist to discuss. Contact information for staff in all buildings can be found on the district website at www.usd469.net.
18-21 Year Old Program- LINCS (Learning Independence in Natural Community Settings): The LINCS program is for special education students who have met the credit requirements for graduation, but who have not met the goals on their IEP. In order to be eligible, students would not have graduated from high school and would not have yet received their diploma. The purpose of this program is to assist students with reaching their maximum potential for independence, to educate responsible and productive citizenship, to assist with understanding themselves so as to make empowered and informed decisions regarding their future, and to form collaborative relationships in order to maximize community resources for themselves. If you have questions regarding this program, please call Ascendra Donald at 913-727-1199.
For more information regarding special education programming provided at Lansing USD 469, please review the Special Education Services Parent Handbook on our website.
DISTRICT COMMUNICATION
DOWNLOAD THE USD469 MOBILE APP TODAY!
Did you know Lansing USD469 has a free downloadable app available on the App Store (iPhone) or Play Store (Android)? The app is a great way to conveniently stay up to date on what's happening in our district.
Some of the features of the app include:
Notification Alerts on your phone- Under Settings, select the Notification Groups you would like to receive notifications from. It is automatically set to receive district-wide notifications from each school, but you can change that to include one or more specific schools in our district.
Calendar - Continuously updated
News and Announcements
Breakfast and Lunch Menus
Skyward
Commonly Used Forms
To access the app, mobile users can link on the appropriate link below:
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.socs.usd469&hl=en_US
iOS: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/lansing-usd-469/id1453887251
Users can also download the app by visiting our website from a mobile device, and clicking on the banner that will appear at the top of the screen.
Be sure your device is set to receive Notifications from the Lansing USD 469 app as well. If your notifications are turned off, you will not be alerted of important information sent from the district.
The Lion Pride-Cast
We are excited to share the second season of the Lansing USD469 podcast, "The Lion Pride-Cast," with hosts Miles Azzeh and Sharon Burns.
This bi-weekly podcast features all things related to education and recruitment/retention.
We interview one staff member or student each month, so be sure to subscribe and listen to future episodes on one of the following streaming platforms:
Other Methods of Communication
- Social Media: We will share cancellations through our district Facebook and Twitter accounts (@usd469).
- Email: We will also send an email to all parents (through Skyward) and employees.
- Media: We will air our closing announcements on KMBC TV 9, KCTV 5, WDAF TV 4, KSHB TV 41, KMBZ AM 980, KFKF FM 94.1, KCUR FM 89.3.
HEALTH AND WELLNESS AWARD & UPCOMING EVENT
Lansing USD469 is proud to have a Health & Wellness Committee made up of a member of our Board of Education, a representative from food service, our district nurse coordinator, mental health staff, a Special Education representative, a PE teacher, our Director of Communications, students, and community members. The committee sets goals to impact wellness within the Lansing school district, focus on creating a healthier school environment, and incorporate social-emotional wellness into their wellness policies and projects.
Because of the committee's efforts, we are thrilled to announce our district was awarded the KSDE Child Nutrition & Wellness Kansans Can 2022-23 Best Practice Award. Lansing USD469 was selected for this award for outstanding and innovative practices in Child Nutrition & Wellness Programs that support the Kansans CAN vision.
Body Venture Coming to Lansing in January 2024
The Lansing USD469 health and wellness committee is excited to announce a Body Venture experience scheduled for January 2024. This traveling health education exhibit for grades K-5 will highlight the importance of "Eat Smart and Play Hard." Further details will be communicated closer to the event date, so stay tuned to the website for updates.
LANSING USD469 STRATEGIC PLAN UPDATE
Lansing USD469 is thrilled to announce that our 2023-2028 Strategic Plan was passed unanimously during the April 10, 2023 board meeting. Thank you to our volunteers made of community members, staff, and students who served on this important committee and provided feedback to form this plan. Thank you also to our Lansing USD469 board members who served on the committee and voted to make it a reality. The Strategic Plan aims to achieve action steps that ensure our district can meet the needs of its students, staff, and community for years to come.
Our administrators and district leadership staff are excited to start on action items this plan sets forth. We have already started working on several of the action items laid out in the plan and will be providing updates about our progress. We look forward to embarking on this journey together to make Lansing the best district in Kansas.
CALENDARS
FOOD PANTRY
Lansing USD469 houses two food pantries, our Lion's Pantry that serves Lansing Middle School, and an all-district pantry located at Lansing Intermediate School and overseen by members of our District Mental Health Team
If you or your family is in need of assistance, please fill out the Google Form below:
District Food Pantry Request Link
Lion's Pantry (LMS)
The Lion's Pantry serves Lansing Middle School families dealing with food insecurity. If you need assistance, please contact Shirley Painton at 913-727-1197.
Click here for more information about Lansing Middle School Lion's Pantry.
NUTRITION SERVICES
Free and Reduced Lunches
A student qualifying for free or reduced breakfast or lunch will receive a meal that is consists of:
- one entré choice
- fruit and/or vegetable selections
- milk
Students may choose which items they would like to select or decline each day. However, if a student does not make the required selections that constitute a “student breakfast or lunch”, the total meal cost may be more than the student meal price, as each item will be charged at the a la carte prices.
** Please note that the free & reduced meal program includes one student breakfast and/or lunch only. Purchase of a second meal, extra milk, a milk to drink with a home lunch, bottled water or any a la carte items are an additional cost to you.
Why should your household apply for free/reduced price meals.
- Qualifying for free/reduced meals and completing a consent for disclosure also helps with the following:
Scholarship Applications
Instruction Fees Waived College Application Waivers
ACT Fees Waived TRIO / Upward Bound
SAT Fees Waived
SHOUT-OUT TO STUDENTS WHO PARTICIPATED IN 4H THIS SUMMER!
4H stands for Head, Heart, Hands, Health. These are the four values that members work on through the program.
There are many different sides to 4H, from taking care of and showing livestock to fine arts and sewing, woodworking, and geology. There is a program or project for everyone. Leadership is also a base foundation for 4H.
Many kids come together once a year and show off their projects during a county fair. The kids often have to talk about their project and what was involved with it. We have Lansing students that show at both the Leavenworth County Fair and Wyandotte County Fair. Some may also attend state fairs or other shows throughout the year.
We value transparency and accessibility for our community and encourage all stakeholders to attend monthly Board of Education meetings to stay informed and involved in the decision-making processes of the school district. However, if you are unable to attend in person, we provide a video of all meetings via a YouTube live stream. Click here to access our district YouTube account. Additionally, all meetings are recorded, and recaps are provided each month on the USD469 website, allowing for easy access to important information discussed.
To provide students with safe and secure transportation to and from school in a friendly environment that enhances the total learning process.
To accomplish this mission, we will:
- Promote mutual respect and understanding;
- Model courtesy with students, parents, and colleagues;
- Help students to start and end their school day with a smile;
- Greet all who enter our environment with a smile, encouragement, and a happy attitude;
- Develop and improve communications with teachers, staff, parents, and students;
- Ensure that our busses function at the highest possible levels of safety, cleanliness, and comfort for students and drivers;
- Maintain professional conduct and appearance at all times for both students and the public;
- Enhance the publics' perception of the Lansing School District through excellence in transportation;
- Initiate public safety and awareness in and for everyone we serve;
- Promote our team spirit for excellence in all undertakings.
Parents can see their child's bus number and pick-up/drop-off times in Skyward. Check the bussing tab on your Skyward Family Access page to access that information. If you have questions, contact Janine Shields at 913-250-0749.
Lansing USD469 values the contribution our employees make across the district. From our hard-working custodians to our incredible teaching staff, each employee plays a vital role in the success of our students.
We are in the process of looking to expand our USD469 family and have several openings across our district (see list below).
Please visit our Employment Page for a list of all open positions and instructions on how to apply.
SUBSTITUTE TEACHING
To substitute in the Lansing School District, NEW substitute teachers will be completing online applications. If you are already on our substitute teaching list, you do not need to fill out the online application. Please click below for instructions on accessing our FastTrack online application system.
How to apply for substitute teaching in Lansing USD469
Questions regarding Kansas Certification should be directed to the Kansas State Department of Education in Topeka, Kansas (785) 296-2288 or www.ksde.org. If you should have questions regarding the Substitute Teacher Orientation or the requirements for substituting in the Lansing School District, please call or email Jan Zoellner at 913-727-1100 ext. 1101 / jan.zoellner@usd469.net
Notice of Non-Discrimination
Applicants for admission and employment, students, parents of elementary and secondary school students, employees, sources of referral of applicants for admission and employment, and all unions or professional organizations holding collective bargaining or professional agreements with Unified School District 469 are hereby notified that this institution does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin, gender, age, religion, marital status, veteran status, disability or any other basis prohibited by state or federal law in admission or access to, or treatment, or employment in, its programs and activities. Any person having inquiries concerning Unified School District 469 compliance with the regulations implementing Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, Boy Scouts of America Equal Access Act of 2001, the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA)-, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, or reports of specific complaints, or alleged discrimination, is directed to contact Unified School District 469, 200 E. Mary Street, Lansing, Kansas 66043, (913) 727-1100. The Superintendent is designated by the USD 469 Board of Education to coordinate the institution’s efforts to comply with the regulations implementing Title II, Title VI, Title IX, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, the Boy Scouts of America Equal Access Act of 2001, USERRA, Section 504 or other applicable federal, state or local law. The district provides equal access to the Boy Scouts of America and other designated youth groups. Any person may also contact the Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education, One Petticoat Lane, 1010 Walnut Street, Suite 320, Kansas City, MO 64106, (816) 268-0550, TDD (877) 521-2172, regarding the institution’s compliance with regulations implementing Title II, Title VI, Title IX, or Section 504. (2/2020)