Oct. 14, 2022 Maize Pulse

I had a special experience meeting for the first time with my new Superintendent Student Advisory Team earlier this month. We talked about “Glows and Grows” in the district. These are the strengths and opportunities our students see in Maize USD 266. The students, who represent Maize High School, Maize South High School, and Complete High School Maize, brought to light the issue of student discipline and what happens when students exhibit disruptive behavior in the classroom. This is something that concerns them, as they want to experience a respectful environment in their classrooms. I want to learn more through conversations with students and teachers about this topic.

Behavior that disrupts the learning environment is an important issue that can sometimes get in the way of meaningful teaching and learning activities. This is something that many schools around the nation are experiencing, and we want to help lead the way in finding a great solution. This school year, student and teacher leaders will conduct a research project to explore perceptions about behavior disruptions. We hope to discover what exactly is happening and why. We will bring peers together for student-to-student and teacher-to-teacher focus groups to gather feedback and explore options to address this challenge. Together, we can discuss findings and consider possible recommendations to better support a productive classroom environment. We want our students and educators alike to feel supported and valued in our classrooms so they can focus on the most important thing: student learning.

We also will want to consider parent input during this important study. I look forward to sharing the results of our research with building and district site councils.

Thank you for your support as I continue to build connections in my first semester as superintendent. I have the best job in an amazing district and am excited to see how we can continue to make Maize even better!

Dr. Raquel Greer

Superintendent of Schools

• On Twitter: @rockigreer
• Email: rgreer@usd266.com
• Online: www.usd266.com/superintendent

October 2022

• Oct. 14: End term one
• Oct. 17: No school, Professional Development
• Oct. 18: Term two begins

November 2022

• Nov. 21-25: No school, Fall Break

December

• Dec. 21: End term two
• Dec. 22-30: No school, Winter Break

January

• Jan. 2-3: No school, Winter Break
• Jan. 4: No school, Teacher Work Day
• Jan. 5: Term three begins
• Jan. 16: No school, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Access the 2022-2023 Maize USD 266 Calendar by clicking here.

The Maize Board of Education will meet at 7 p.m. for its next regular monthly meeting on Nov. 14 in the classrooms at the Maize Performing Arts and Aquatics Center, 1055 Academy Ave. in Maize. Meetings are open to the public. Find a link to meeting agendas and minutes, school board member information, and policies at www.usd266.com/schoolboard. Meetings are broadcast live at bit.ly/Maize266YouTube.

The 1.331 mill levy increase the Maize Board of Education approved in September will equal approximately $3.46 a month for the average $250,000 home in the Maize school district.

During the Sept. 12 regular monthly meeting, school board members approved the hiring of Overland Park, Kansas, firm RSP and Associates to conduct a demographic study for the growing district. With the data from the study, the district plans to review whether potential elementary school boundaries could provide efficiencies and improvements and alleviate traffic, busing, and other challenges in the growing district.

The district is at the very beginning of a process that will take all school year. The district has made no decisions to do anything different at this time and will wait to see what the demographic research shows.

What's next?

• District leaders will review data from the study before discussing options that will benefit students and families and increase efficiencies in the district.
• The district has asked for a review of data that would ensure equity between schools in regard to student demographics.
• The district also has requested a review of data on employee mobility. Maize district leaders are not interested in making teachers relocate to other buildings based on student enrollment numbers, which has occurred in other larger school districts.
• Many families have asked whether a legacy policy will be implemented if the district moves to geographic elementary school boundaries. This is not known at this point, as the district is waiting to review data.
• If the Maize Board of Education decides to pursue further discussion to establish a policy for elementary boundaries, RSP will host community meetings for input.

RSP will conduct an enrollment analysis and boundary analysis, with plans to deliver a final report in February or March.

Attention, Maize USD 266 seniors! The Maize Education Foundation is now accepting applications for its 2023 scholarships. Please visit bit.ly/MEFScholarships to learn more about these opportunities:

• Shelley Woodard Poynter Scholarship
• Kyle Thornburg Soccer Scholarship
• Kyle Thornburg Art and Design Scholarship
• Maize Education Foundation Legacy Scholarship

Applications are due Feb. 9, 2023.

Contact Maize Education Foundation Executive Director Travis Bloom at tbloom@usd266.com with questions or if you would like to support our scholarship funds.

Maize USD 266, working with the Maize Police Department, is fortunate to have an increased presence of school resource officers in the district this school year, as follows:

• Maize High School: Officer Jamey Dover
• Maize South High School: Officer Jeff Albert
• Maize Middle School: Officer Benjamin Gabel
• Maize South Middle School: Officer Alex Agler
• Maize Intermediate School: Officer Wyatt Pulver
• Maize South Intermediate School: Officer Jesolyn Trego

They will be working with Tim Brant, Maize USD 266 Executive Director of Health, Safety, and Prevention, and Maize Chief of Police Jeff Weible on efforts of school safety and prevention. For the remainder of the school year, that means an increase in police presence at schools, which will help with efforts related to safety, as well as other initiatives that support student education and mental health. School resources officers are commissioned law enforcement officers who also are committed to building relationships with students, supporting school culture, and providing guidance.

Please expect to continue to see police officers and police vehicles at schools more often, and please do not assume that this increased presence indicates that an "emergency" is occurring. Please also know that the district will not necessarily communicate with parents when there is an increase in police presence if it is unrelated to student safety and/or security.

Congratulations to Maize Career Academy teacher Spencer O’Daniel, Student Media Adviser of OneMaize Media, recently named the Journalism Education Association's Distinguished Broadcast Adviser of the Year! This honor is given to the first runner-up to the Broadcast Adviser of the Year. He gifted his $500 award as a scholarship to send a student to the Fall National High School Journalism Convention in St. Louis. Under his advisement, his students have achieved countless awards and honors, including top recognition from the Kansas Scholastic Press Association and the National Scholastic Press Association.

Congratulations to Pray-Woodman Elementary School fourth grade teacher Emily Brungardt and Maize Career Academy Web & Digital Instructor Vicki Kennedy-Klaker, Maize USD 266's nominees for the Kansas State Department of Education 2023 Horizon Award! They each were recently surprised with the news in their classrooms. The award recognizes exemplary first-year teachers who perform in a way that distinguishes them as outstanding.

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly visited Maize South High School on Oct. 6 to have a conversation with students and employees about Maize USD 266's mental health intervention team, which consists of social workers, therapists, and a case manager.

The district partners with COMCARE of Sedgwick County to support students in grades 5 through 12. This is the fourth year for this program in Maize USD 266. From October 2019 to present, 137 students have received therapeutic services through this grant-funded program. Countless others have received support from the team members directly.

Of those 137 students enrolled in the mental health intervention team program:

• 100 percent have demonstrated improved internalizing and externalizing behavior
• 98 percent have improved their academic performance
• 94 percent have improved their school attendance.

Maize USD 266 invites those interested in getting into the teaching profession and experienced teachers interested in transferring to Maize to learn all about what Maize has to offer. The teacher recruitment fair is scheduled from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Nov. 10 at Maize South Intermediate School, 9701 W. 37th St. North in Wichita. There will be booths available for attendees to visit to learn more about the district, a speaker who will provide information about alternative pathways to become a teacher, and interviews with principals.

The Maize USD 266 community gathered to cheer for and support the Eagles and Mavericks during the Friday, Sept. 30 football game between Maize High School and Maize South High School. The event provided a special opportunity to celebrate students, employees, schools, and entire district in a variety of capacities, including our athletics, fine arts, facilities, and community culture.

On Sept. 9, Maize USD 266 Superintendent Dr. Raquel Greer sent her first Super Note to all students. The e-newsletter included a message to students, a Surprise and Delight Challenge, information about the Superintendent Student Advisory Council, and more.

Click here to check out the inaugural issue.