The C-2 View Newsletter

February 2025

Para traducir este boletín:

En su teléfono, haga clic en el boletín, y a el icono de accesibilidad (parece una persona dentro de un círculo) y seleccione Translate Newsletter. Seleccione Spanish del menú desplegable | En su computadora, haga clic en el boletín, a la derecha, haga clic en Translate Newsletter y del menú desplegable, seleccione Spanish.

🚨 IMPORTANT | 📒 Calendar Updates

*Programming Note: The State of the District Address planned for February 20, 2025 has been canceled. Information from this address will be shared at a later date.*

Other important calendar changes to note.

School in session: March 14, 2025
School in session: March 20, 2025
No early release: April 9, 2025
No early release: April 16, 2025
No early release: April 23, 2025

To view the revised district calendar, visit our website here.

Battle of the Birds 🏀

Battle of the Birds is always an exciting event for RQS. This year, the event was held at Raytown High and included match ups from Boys Junior Varsity Basketball, Boys Varsity Basketball and Girls Varsity Basketball. We loved seeing the energy and excitement as fans cheered on their teams. Dr. Martin-Knox shared this about the day, "The game was like bird watching. Seeing our students soar in their competitiveness and talent made it all worthwhile."

Photo credit for all photos from Battle of the Birds: Anthony Ceron of

R Town Media

February Ray of Hope Award 🌟

Our February Ray of Hope Award recipient is Alex Kolster! Mr. Kolster is being honored for his outstanding dedication to supporting the fine arts across our district. He invests his time and energy into helping students build meaningful connections that lead them into the music programs at RHS. Beyond his impact on students, Mr. Kolster is a passionate advocate for his colleagues, always uplifting and encouraging those around him—truly embodying the spirit of the Ray of Hope Award. Thank you, Mr. Kolster, for being a Ray of Hope within the Raytown Schools Learning Community and for championing our district at every opportunity. To learn more about Mr. Kolster and his inspiring work, watch this video showcasing his story and achievements.

Our Schools

Blue Ridge Elementary Choir Students Perform at Comets Game

Congratulations to Blue Ridge Elementary on their outstanding performance at the Kansas City Comets game! ⚽ The Blue Jay Elementary Chorus had the honor of singing God Bless America on February 16, and they delivered a fantastic performance. A big shoutout to Ms. O’Renick and all the students for their hard work and talent! Their performance earned high praise throughout the evening. Well done!

💘Love is in the Air at RCMS

The Raytown Central Middle School Service Club celebrated Valentine’s Day in a special way—by giving every student a Valentine! This thoughtful gesture reflects their commitment to fostering an inclusive environment and reminding each student how valued they are. You are loved. You matter. Happy Valentine’s Day!

Norfleet Focus Group

At RQS student voices matter! Recently, students at Norfleet Elementary had the opportunity to meet with Dr. Martin-Knox and school administrators to share their thoughts on what’s important to them and their learning experience. Insights from these focus groups will help shape our strategic plans, ensuring student perspectives play a key role in future decisions.

Arts & Activities

Career Education Consortium Event at UMKC Bloch School

Ninth and tenth-grade students recently attended an event at the UMKC Bloch School, where they explored the design process through hands-on learning. A special thank you to Scott Ezzell, Director of Undergraduate Admissions and Recruitment, and Lauren Orozco, Admissions Counselor, for their partnership and for facilitating this opportunity for our Career Education Consortium (CEC) high school students. The event featured a Napkin Activity, which introduced students to the ideation process—a key component of design thinking used to develop products and services. Students worked through the process to create prototypes and pitch their ideas to Bloch School student judges.

United in Song - Tickets now on sale!

Tickets are now on sale for United in Song: The Music of Raytown. The combined music programs of Raytown High School and Raytown South High School will perform on Wednesday, April 16, 2025 at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. With the support of many generous sponsors, our band, orchestra, and choir students will have the opportunity to perform in one of the finest concert venues in the world: Helzberg Hall at the Kauffman Center. Buy tickets online now for this once -in-a-lifetime performance. If you are interested in sponsoring this concert, please contact Alex Kolster, RQS Secondary Fine Arts Coordinator, at alex.kolster@raytownschools.org

South High Cardettes compete at Nationals

The South High Cardettes traveled to Orlando, FL to compete at the National Dance Alliance Competition. The National Dance Alliance (NDA) competition is a prestigious event where high school dance teams from across the country showcase their skills in various categories, including jazz, pom, and hip-hop. Teams compete for top honors, and the event celebrates excellence in dance, teamwork, and school spirit. The Cardettes competed in pom and hip-hop categories. They left it all out on the stage and we are very proud of them for their hard work and dedication. Thank you to the Raytown community for supporting their fundraisers so they could have this experience on the national competition stage.

Our Staff

Substitute of the Month | Frank Pierce

The Substitute of the Month award recognizes individuals for their hard work, commitment, and dedication to our students and staff. This month, we are proud to honor Mr. Frank Pierce, whose dedication truly shines. He is a student and staff favorite and is a wonderful addition to our schools. Raytown Quality Schools is grateful to celebrate Mr. Frank Pierce! Do you know someone that would be a great substitute for RQS? Our HR Team would love to know about them. Don't forget we also have a referral program! hrinfo@raytownschools.org for more info.

Speech and Debate Honors given to Taylor Ambrosi

Taylor Ambrosi has earned the 1st Diamond degree of membership in the National Speech & Debate Association's Honor Society, recognizing her exceptional impact through over 15,000 points earned by her students. She will be honored at the 2025 National Speech & Debate Tournament, and a press release will highlight her achievement in local media. Her dedication has profoundly impacted many students.

Taylor shared, "As a speech and debate teacher, I believe fostering strong communication skills is vital for students, both in and out of the classroom. Speech and debate empower students and give them a platform to use their voice, advocating for themselves and others through various mediums of performance and presentation." Congrats again on this recognition!

Happening Throughout the District

FREE Gun Locks

Raytown Quality Schools is passionate about safety. We are offering FREE cable gun locks for our community. If you would like gun locks, please stop by our Facility Operations Building at 5911 Blue Ridge Blvd., Raytown, MO 64133 between 7am-2pm. They will be provided to you for free and no personal information is required. If you have questions about this effort, please email Leslie.keys@raytownschools.org. For more information on the Be SMART program for safe gun storage, visit https://besmartforkids.org/

Stay Connected on Social Media

Follow the Raytown School District on social media to stay updated on the latest news, events, and achievements happening within our schools and community. Get an inside look at the programs, student accomplishments, and initiatives that make Raytown Schools a great place to learn and grow. Join us in celebrating the success of our students and staff! See the photo that shows the social media channels where we maintain an active presence.

Community Education Classes for Adults

The Raytown Quality Schools Community Education Program serves to offer a wide variety of educational, recreational, and personal growth experiences for adults in our community. Community education classes give adults 18+ great choices that are offered at a minimal cost. This semester we are offering a few new classes including, Intro to Spanish and updated courses for Microsoft Office software programs. View Spring 2025 class options here. Class proposals are also being accepted from those interested in teaching a class. For more info on submitting a proposal, click here.

💗Share the Love Breakfast💗

A big thank you to the community, families, and staff who supported the Share the Love Breakfast in support of the Raytown Educational Foundation. Students from the Raytown South High School band performed to welcome guests. Throughout the morning, attendees enjoyed a program that featured the counseling staff from Little Blue, which includes Cue, the therapy dog. We also learned about the updated multicultural center updates from the English Language Development department. Thank you to all of the REF volunteers. It was a wonderful morning of sharing the love with our community!

Important Dates & Observances

February 2025 Observances and Calendar Updates