LEAD Innovation Studio

Website: https://lead.parkhill.k12.mo.us/
Location: 7201 North Line Creek Parkway, Kansas City, MO, USA
Phone: 816-359-4130
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/parkhillLEAD
Twitter: @ParkHillLEAD

• September 16: Parent Advisory Meeting, 6:00 - 7:00 PM
• September 18: Parent Information Night for Families of 8th Grade Students, 6:00 - 8:00 PM
• September 25 & 26: Parent Teacher Conferences, 5:00 - 8:00

Attendance: 816-359-4131

School Phone: 816-359-4130

School Fax: 816-359-4139

Counseling: 816-359-4132

Health Room: 816-359-4134

LEAD Families:

It's go time... almost!

The ongoing Canvas-to-Schoology saga appears to be drawing to a close, though we're not quite out of the woods yet. There is still work to be done, but it's great to see the light at the end of the tunnel!

This week, we:

1. Finished migrating courses over to Schoology (for the most part-- there is still cleanup to do).

2. Set up our gradebook, which allows for mastery grading and seems to be working correctly. This was a huge relief!

3. Enjoyed some snacks while we worked, thanks to a very kind anonymous donor who sensed that our teachers were desperately in need of goodies. It was so appreciated!

4. Took a crash-course in how to use Schoology, thanks to the support of our district technology team.

5. Enlisted some extra subs to support our teachers as they set up classes and did the necessary work to get Schoology up and running.

By next week, all of our teachers will be using Schoology. One of the first things they will be doing is copying the grades they took manually into the new system, which means parents will have access very soon.

I mentioned above that we enlisted some extra subs so teachers can get Schoology ready, and we plan on doing the same Monday and Tuesday of next week. Teachers will not be gone for the entire day, but will miss a block here and there to work on their course content so we can put this situation behind us. While it's always better for the teacher to be in the classroom, one of the benefits we have at LEAD of utilizing a sub is that kids can self-direct and work on their own materials.

But soon--very soon--the migration will be complete, the headache (for teachers, students, and parents) will hopefully be over, and we'll be using a learning management system that truly supports mastery learning and allows us to do what we want to do: serve you and your students to the best of our abilities.

I've said it before but it's worth repeating: thank you for your support and patience through this unprecedented situation.

Sincerely,

Dr. Early

Our parent advisory group will meet on Monday the 16th at 6:00 PM in the LEAD commons. We will discuss and give updates on the ongoing Schoology situation, and Dr. Early will present the most up-to-date LEAD achievement data. We hope to see you there!

Monday is our first day for clubs and we're so excited that our LEAD students are getting involved.

Please remember that if you plan on picking your student up from clubs, you must be here by 4:30 when we dismiss. If you can't be here by 4:30, your student must ride the bus home from clubs.

Parent Teacher Conferences are the 25th and 26th. Please remember that at LEAD, fall conferences are with mentors only. If you need to speak directly to another teacher, you can always reach out to them at any time.

Please click on the appropriate link below to sign up for a time with your student's mentor.

9th grade https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080A49ACAD2BABF49-51149772-fall

10th grade https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080A49ACAD2BABF49-51149060-fall

11th grade https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080A49ACAD2BABF49-51149711-fall

12th grade https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080A49ACAD2BABF49-51146290-fall

In the next several weeks, LEAD will be implementing the Signs of Suicide (SOS) program.

This program teaches students about this difficult topic and encourages them to seek help. We encourage you to visit www.mindwise.org/parents for information on the warning signs for youth suicide, useful resources, and some of the key messages students will learn during this lesson.

For more information about the SOS program at LEAD, or to opt your student(s) out of this program, please see the information in the LEAD SOS Parent Information and Opt Out Letter.

For more information about the SOS program, please contact Dr. Laura Hartman at hartmanl@parkhill.k12.mo.us

So far this year, we have given over 447 rewards to our students for positive behavior. Our PBIS program has been such success!

This is because of your generosity. With that being said, we are running low on inventory. We will take any snack item you think a teen would like (including drinks).

If you would rather make a monetary donation, you can do so through our positive impact grant. We would love to have some businesses help sponsor this program as well.

LEAD Positive Impact Grant.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

• Click here for all things Homecoming Related and more details!
• New this year – per Park Hill South - Students will be purchasing their $20 tickets using the GoFan app. Cash and check will NOT be accepted.
• There will be help available during lunch next week (9/16 – 9/20) to help with this process.
• Students will need to show their purchased ticket on the app along with an ID to enter the dance.
• Students can also use their app and purchase tickets at the Dance.
• PHS Students who plan on bringing a guest MUST HAVE a guest form completed and turned in to the LEAD office by Tuesday, September 17th.
• Guest Tickets will be purchased AT THE DANCE by the PHS student. However, the guest form must have been turned in!

Click here for our counseling department's September newsletter.

Please make sure your student has a parking pass if they are driving to LEAD. We will begin giving parking tickets in the near future if a car is in the lot without a visible parking sticker.

Click here to purchase a LEAD yearbook or scan the QR code below.

Click here to nominate a LEAD staff member for a Park Hill Star Award.

If your student has an afternoon appointment that is close to our dismissal time, please call your student out by 2:30 pm. If you call by 2:30 pm, we will have enough time to get your student out of their 4th block class before the pickup line becomes too long.

The LEAD building DEIB council will be in its second year this year. One of our goals this year is to grow. We are looking for students, parents, guardians, staff members, and community members who are passionate about the work of inclusion and belonging. If you are interested in joining this council, please reach out to Dr. Laura Hartman at hartmanl@parkhill.k12.mo.us.

For more information on the Park Hill School District's work with Accession and Inclusion, please visit this site.

Clubs are an exciting way for students to get involved at LEAD.

On club days, students must be picked up by 4:30 or they will need to ride the bus home.

If your student participates in clubs, please mark your calendar for the following club dates:

Sept. 16

Oct. 7

Oct. 21

Nov. 4

Nov. 18

Dec. 9

Jan. 13

Jan. 27

Feb. 24

March 10

April 7

April 21

LEAD does not have a PTA; instead, we have a parent advisory committee that helps shape our school community. We appreciate support on special occasions for both students and staff, such as providing meals for parent teacher conferences and pancake breakfasts for students. We will be looking to partner with our advisory committee to plan other events and activities to allow families an opportunity to be involved in the LEAD community.

Our advisory committee will meet on the following nights from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm in the LEAD commons or virtually, as indicated below:

9/16: LEAD

10/21: Virtual

11/18: LEAD

1/27: LEAD

2/25: Virtual

4/21: LEAD

5/19: Virtual

We had our students sign up for clubs they are interested in. Unfortunately, due to low interest, some clubs did not make.

The following clubs are what will be offered this school year. If your student is interested in one of these clubs, have them reach out to the sponsor to see when they will be meeting. Most clubs will meet on our designated dates. However, we may have a few that meet at other times.

Here are the designated dates for our clubs: Sept. 16, Oct. 7, Oct. 21, Nov. 4, Nov. 18, Dec. 9, Jan. 13, Jan. 27, Feb. 24, March 10, April 7, April 21 (ALL MONDAYS THIS YEAR).

Clubs and sponsors for the 2024-2025 school year:

BSU, Ms. Smith

Gaming Club and Chess Club combined, Mr. Motta

HALO, Ms. Pacheco

Creative Writing Club, Ms. Jenkins

Gardening, Ms. Stolle

Dungeons and Dragons, Mr. Miscavish

Coloring and Drawing, Ms. Todd

NFL Club, Mr. Lee

Crepe Club, Mr. Fisk

Broadcast Club, Ms. LeGrand

The A+ Scholarship Program was created as a part of the Outstanding Schools Act of 1993 as an incentive for improving Missouri’s high schools. The primary goal of the A+ Scholarship Program is to ensure that all students who graduate from Missouri high schools are well prepared to pursue advanced education and/or employment.

The A+ Scholarship Program is designed to accomplish that imperative. “The A+ Scholarship Program will mobilize an intensive partnership among high schools, community colleges, students, teachers, parents, labor, businesses, and communities to give these students the motivation, skills, and knowledge to graduate from high school. It will create an innovative and well-designed path from high school to high skill, high wage jobs.”

Students that complete A+ are eligible for 2-years tuition* at any MO vocational/technical school or community college. Many MO 4-year universities offer scholarships based on A+ criteria as well.

LEAD works closely with both home high schools to support students wishing to participate in the A+ program. You can learn more about the A+ program at your home high school: Park Hill High School and Park Hill South High School.

If you have questions about A+, please contact Dr. Hartman (816-359-5875,

hartmanl@parkhill.k12.mo.us).

If any of the following courses are on your student's schedule for the upcoming school year, your student has the opportunity to earn dual credit. Dual Credit courses allow students to earn high school credit and college credit at the same time. We partner with Metropolitan Community College for our dual credit offerings. Students must meet certain requirements to qualify for the college credit and complete the Intent to Enroll form each semester if they wish to receive dual credit. MCC visited classrooms this week to help students enroll and explain dual credit requirements. See below for more information.

What courses this year at LEAD are dual credit?

College Algebra

Comp & Read

AP Psychology

Spanish III and Spanish IV

Child Growth and Development

AP Biology

AP Environmental Science (Tentative)

What are the requirements for dual credit qualification?

This varies by your student's grade level. Sophomores need a cumulative, unweighted GPA of 3.0+ and a qualifying Accuplacer or ACT score. Juniors and Seniors can use their unweighted GPA of 2.5+ to qualify. Other GPA requirements listed in the chart below.

To take the Accuplacer exam, please follow the steps below:

• Students must have an MCC ID to test.
• Go to http://www.mcckc.edu/apply and APPLY in order to get an MCC ID
• Must have a valid photo ID. Testing is offered on a walk in basis on Monday, Thursday, and Friday until 4:30 and Tuesday and Wednesday until 7pm. No appointment is needed. The entire test takes 2-3 hours to complete.
• The MATH section takes about 90 minutes to complete. Please allow the appropriate amount of time for the test.

The testing center is located at:

Learning Resources Building (room 174)

2601 NE Barry Road

Kansas City, MO 64156

Please visit the attendance page on LEAD's website for information on student absences.

If you have questions about our attendance policies or procedures, please contact Adelaide Wills (816-359-4131, willsa@parkhill.k12.mo.us).

Free and Reduced applications will be available after August 1, 2023. We encourage families to complete and submit an application for free and reduced price meals to see if you might qualify. See information about meal charges on the menus and nutrition homepage. A new application must be completed each school year. Online applications are available through the SchoolCafe portal and is the most efficient way to submit an application.

For more information, please click here.

We will frequently use social media to send out reminders about important events and to share information about the great things going on in our school. If you haven’t already done so, please like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter for updates.