Connections

• Annual senior citizen banquet set for Monday, Nov. 25; open to all
• Community invited to CCC Open House tomorrow, 4-7 p.m.
• Foundation presents grants to teachers
• Parents asked to complete survey by Nov. 26
• Mamma Mia! and Veterans Day event successes
• What's Great Today? State Cross Country Champion, All-District Band, HHS November Students of the Month
• Photos, Upcoming Events, Board of Education News & More

Local senior citizens are invited to the annual Senior Citizens’ Thanksgiving Banquet on Monday, November 25 hosted by the Harrisonville High School Student Council.

The banquet will take place in the HHS gymnasium beginning at 6 p.m. After the traditional Thanksgiving dinner, entertainment will be provided by the HHS Jazz band and the show choir, Music Makers.

There is no RSVP needed for this event.

Transportation will be provided for those who need it. Contact Ethan Zirkle at (816) 380-3273, ext. 6872 or ethan.zirkle@harrisonvilleschools.org

Local businesses and community members make this event possible. Donations are being accepted at three levels - $20/turkey, $50/dinner, and $100/event. Donations should be made payable to HHS Student Council, 1504 E. Elm, Harrisonville, MO 64701.

If you have questions, contact Ethan Zirkle at (816) 380-3273, ext. 6872 or ethan.zirkle@harrisonvilleschools.org.

The community is invited to the third annual Open House event at Cass Career Center, 1600 E. Elm, on Thursday, November 21, from 4-7 p.m. This event is a convenient come-and-go style open to all – students, families, school staff, business professionals, and community members.

Cass Career Center provides comprehensive programs spanning diverse career fields such as health services, criminal justice/CSI, EMT, welding, automotive technology, teaching professions, fire science, construction technology, marketing, and agriculture. The school serves students from 12 area high schools. The educational approach ensures that students receive industry-aligned training, setting them apart in their career journeys. Not only do students graduate with valuable skills, but they also can earn industry-recognized certifications, college credits, and internship experience during their time at CCC.

Instructors and current students will be on hand to offer in-depth insights and demonstrations to allow prospective students and guests to engage, ask questions, and experience firsthand the incredible opportunities provided at the school. CCC graduates will also be on hand to tell guests how the education they received at CCC has impacted their careers.

No RSVP is required for the event. It is open to all.

Last night the Board of Education approved the 2025-26 school calendar. The calendar is attached and posted on the district website.

It includes a start date of August 18 with Meet the Teacher Night on August 14.

Parent-Teacher Conferences are on Thursday and Friday, October 30-31.

Next year, there are eight additional days within the school calendar for staff collaboration, development and learning. All these days are on Mondays with one each month except for May.

There are no snow days built into the calendar. The first five snow days will be AMI/virtual learning days and then any additional snow days will be made up at the end of the school year.

Friday, December 19 is the last day of school before winter break and it’s a full day. Students will return to class on Tuesday, January 6. Winter break is two full weeks long.

There is a full week for spring break - March 16-20, 2026.

The last day of school for the 2025-26 school year with no snow days is May 15 which is the only early release day of the year. Graduation for the Class of 2026 is set for May 8.

The full calendar is available on the district website – https://www.harrisonvilleschools.org/calendar.

Teachers and students in the Harrisonville School District recently received more than $8,000 in grants from the Harrisonville Public School Foundation.

Throughout the 20 years of the teacher grant program, nearly $145,000 has been presented to teachers. The goal of the program is to enhance the education of Harrisonville students by encouraging and recognizing new educational approaches and concepts that are not currently funded by the district.

Teacher grants were awarded to the following:

• Daniel Jennings, PE teacher at HMS for a portable sound system for use both in the gym and outside.

• Jamie Garrison and Molly Witherspoon, preschool at ECC for funds to create interactive learning centers with hands-on activities to target key literacy skills, such as phonological awareness, letter recognition, sound-letter correspondence, and vocabulary development. This grant was funded through the Cade Filer Teacher Grant Endowment.

• Becky Sumner, counselor at HES for career play books and learning toys to support students’ exploration and discovery of work in the six career paths. This grant was funded through the Velma Stephens Elementary Teacher Grant Endowment.

• Maggie Knight, 2nd grade at HES to support literacy instruction through the purchase of new phonics word building tools. This grant was funded through the Marjorie Gardner Elementary Teacher Grant Endowment.

• Michael Norman, communication Arts at HMS to provide a classroom set of the book If the World Were 100 People, helping students gain a global perspective, explore the needs of less fortunate communities, and research charitable organizations working to address those needs. This resource will be used during the students’ persuasive speech writing unit.

• Stacy Everhart, Brandi Bottorf, and Jauna Weber, Parents As Teachers educators at ECC for funds to create a welcoming Family Visit room, providing a comfortable home-like setting for parent educators to engage families in activities and important discussions about child development and parenting.

• Tammy Barker, library media specialist at HMS to purchase board games to use during Advisory time at the school. HMS advisory teachers will be using board games as a means to promote bonding, increase communication, and develop other soft skills. This grant was funded through the Cade Filer Teacher Grant Endowment.

• Macy Evans, science at HMS to purchase a life size anatomy dummy and skeleton for hands-on learning about the various organ systems found in the human body.

• Amy Wilson and Katie Britton, Life Skills and Student Council at HMS to set up a student-run school store/cart, where the Life Skills program and Student Council will collaborate to manage daily operations. The store will provide real-world learning experiences for students while raising funds to support school programs and offering fundraising opportunities for other student organizations. This grant was partially funded by a gift from Hawthorn Bank.

• Amy Wilson, Life Skills at HMS for cooking equipment to help students learn how to safely operate appliances and prepare simple recipes. This grant was partially funded by a gift from Hawthorn Bank.

• Lynn Aswegan and Sarah Warren, Practical Nursing instructors at CCC for a Stop the Bleed training kit to increase the number of students and community members who can be trained. Cass Regional Medical Center is partnering with the Foundation and purchasing the kit to fulfill this grant.

The Harrisonville Public School Foundation is a not-for-profit organization established to support the educational activities and programs of the Harrisonville School District. To learn more about the Foundation, contact Executive Director Jill Filer at 380-2727, ext. 1224.

Harrisonville Schools is working to gather feedback on the climate & culture of our buildings, and we would appreciate it if parents would complete our survey.

The survey should only take 10 minutes of your time. Please complete the survey no later than November 26, 2024.

Your response to the survey is anonymous, confidential, and voluntary.

If you have students in multiple buildings, please complete a survey for each building using the links & codes below.

CCC
https://bit.ly/4h0GYVP

Password: ccc741

HHS

https://bit.ly/3Y1kVFP

Password: hhs486

HMS

https://bit.ly/3NiZooH3

Password: hms632

McEowen

https://bit.ly/4eWtCIC

Password: mce122

HES

https://bit.ly/3NlBjMu

Password: hes755

ECC

https://bit.ly/3ZSxd6a

Password: hecc24

Harrisonville High School presented the musical, Mamma Mia! last week. Almost 70 students were involved in the production from onstage to backstage to pre-production work.

Harrisonville Middle School honored veterans with a special assembly which was attended by the entire student body on Friday, November 8. All local veterans were invited to the event.

The keynote address was provided by Harrisonville High School alum Karley Reynolds who joined the Army Reserves at the age of 17 and completed Basic Combat Training before graduating from Harrisonville High School in 2020. She has just completed her sixth year of service in the Army Reserves, where she served as a Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) Specialist. Recently accepted into UMKC Law School, Karley plans to direct commission back into the Army Reserves as a lawyer.

The event also included performances by the school’s choir, the Wildcat Chorale; the National Anthem performed by the HMS 8th grade band; a performance by the HMS jazz band, and poetry readings by two students selected from the school's poetry contest.

During the assembly, veterans were thanked for their service and each stood during the choir’s performance of a military song medley.

The event closed with the playing of “Taps."

The school will be collecting change all week to make a donation to a local veterans association.

• two-time State Champion Kayleigh Norris! She won the Class 4 State Cross Country meet for the second year in a row. Her winning time was nearly a full minute over the second place runner. Kayleigh was also honored as the KMBC 9 Athlete of the Week following her performance.

• nine Harrisonville High School musicians who have been selected to the District Band and District Jazz Band following auditions on Saturday, November 9 at Warrensburg! Those selected to the Honor Band were Jozie Tindle-1st chair Bassoon; Ava Kelly- 3rd chair Trumpet; and Hunter Jones- 4th chair Euphonium. Named to the Honorable Mention Band were Spencer Truman- 2nd chair Trumpet , Rowan Truman- 7th chair Trombone, and Elissa Busby- Alternate Honorable Mention. And those students selected for the Jazz Band were Noah Chapman-1st chair Alto Saxophone, Zane Helt- 1st chair Baritone Saxophone, Rowan Truman- 4th chair Trombone, Jozie Tindle- 1st chair Bass Guitar, and Ben Wooten- 1st chair Guitar. The students will audition for All-State in December and will perform with their respective bands in January.

• the Harrisonville High School Students of the Month for November - Aron Leach and Cooper Appleman!
  
  

  Leach is the daughter of Steven and Anne Jones. She is involved in Wildcat Environmental Organization, yearbook, Music Makers, Drama Club, soccer, and Educators Rising. She has had roles in HHS productions including Schwartzy in the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Rapunzel in Into the Woods, and Sophie Sheridan in this year’s production of Mamma Mia!. She is the Editor- in-Chief of yearbook and section leader in Music Makers. She also serves as a paraprofessional intern at Harrisonville Early Childhood Center. She has earned letters in academics and choir and is on the academic honor roll. She earned All-District Choir honors this year and Gold ratings at State Music Contest for two years. She was also the CCC Young Professional of the Month for August. Outside of school, Leach works at Walgreens. Her hobbies include singing, reading, keeping active, teaching, and spending time with her family. After high school, Leach plans to attend Northwest Missouri State University to dual major in elementary education and special education. She hopes to come back to Harrisonville to pursue her career in education.
  
  

  Appleman is the son of Nathan and Christi Appleman. He is involved in Drama Club, Key Club, Wildcat Environmental Organization and National Honor Society. Appleman has had the following roles in HHS and other productions: Benvolio in Romeo & Juliet, Nikos/Ensemble in Legally Blonde, Prentiss in Peter & the Starcatcher, Lysander in A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Harry in Mamma Mia! Appleman is the Drama Club president, Key Club treasurer, WEO social media manager, and NHS secretary. Appleman also served as a student representative on the district’s strategic planning team. He was the winner of Shakespeare 2024 competition and received the Outstanding Thespian Award and Best Cameo Actor in a Male Role in 2024. Last year, he also earned a superior rating for set design which qualified him for national competition. He’s been on the honor roll all three years. Outside of school, he is an actor in Upon Luna Theater company. He enjoys theater, geology, and roblox. Appleman is undecided on his college, but plans to major in geology/theater.

  
  

The school district is once again partnering with the Sonic Locker Room Radio Program to spotlight our amazing students, coaches/sponsors, and activities. Each week a new activity will be featured on the show. This week's show features the Royal Regiment. The show will air on Thursdays at 5:05 p.m. on 1160AM/99.3FM/100.5 FM KCTO. It will also be available online for the school year at https://slr.news/schools/harrisonville.

Our Art in Our Community program provides the opportunity for the district to feature our students' artwork in participating businesses around the community. Here are the participating locations: Cass County Public Library, Community Bank of Harrisonville, Commerce Bank, Schroeder Chiropractic, the Chamber of Commerce, Harrisonville Community Center, the District’s Administrative Office Lobby, the Board of Education Room, The Wellness Counseling Center and Culver’s. Pictures are also posted on the district website at this link - https://www.harrisonvilleschools.org/community/art-in-our-community

The Board met on Tuesday, November 19 for their monthly meeting. Agenda items included:

• Approval of the 2025-26 school year calendar
• Approval of two additional preschool positions for the 2025-26 school year
• Recognized students involved in the HES Space Restaurant with Mrs. Doherty and Cross County Champion Kayleigh Norris

The agenda for monthly meetings is posted the Friday before and full minutes from each meeting are available here.

The Board also videos all meetings & posts on the district YouTube channel - www.youtube.com/HarrisonvilleSchools.

Videos of past meetings are available at this link - https://www.harrisonvilleschools.org/Page/940 and on Board Docs.

This fall, as part of Board Walkthrough events, Board of Education members are spending time in each school building. The visits begin with overviews by the building principal and then are followed by classroom visits.

School board candidates filing will begin Tuesday, December 10, 2024 at 8:00 a.m. and will close December 31, 2024 at 5:00 p.m. In between, candidates may file by appointment by contacting Board Secretary Susan Brooker. Offices to be filled are two (2) three-year positions. Board members whose terms expire are Emily Stone and Jenny Wagoner. The Board election is April 8.

November 20 - PAT Messy Play, 6-7 p.m.

November 21 - CCC Open House, 4-7 p.m. (see info above)

November 25 - PAT Playgroup, 9:30 a.m., ECC

November 25 - Senior Citizens Thanksgiving Banquet, 6 p.m., HHS gym

November 26 - Bright Futures #My42 Day

November 27-29 - No School, Thanksgiving Break

Dec. 2 - No School, Staff Learning & Collaboration

Dec. 3 - Fourth Grade Choir Concert, 6:30 p.m., HHS PAC

Dec. 9 - PAT Playgroup, 9:30 a.m., ECC

Dec. 10 - HMS Band Concert, 7 p.m., HHS PAC

Dec. 12 - HHS Band Concert, 7 p.m., HHS PAC

Dec. 17 - CCC Donuts with the Director, 8 a.m., CCC

Dec. 17 - Board of Education Meeting, 7 p.m., Admin Office

Dec. 17 - HMS Choir Concert, 7 p.m., HHS PAC

Dec. 19 - HHS Choir Concert, 7 p.m., HHS PAC

Dec. 23-Jan. 3 - Winter Break

Jan. 6 - Classes Resume

Full Calendar - https://www.harrisonvilleschools.org/calendar

A huge thank you to the Truman Heartland Community Foundation for selecting Bright Futures Harrisonville as a Community Grant awardee. Advisory Board members Lacey Domnick, Vanessa Hargrave, and Kelly Melzer attended a luncheon on Nov. 14 to accept the funds. The Truman Heartland Community Foundation granted $8,000 to support our food programs - Food4Thought (weekend food program) and Just4Me (summer food program). We are so appreciative of their generosity!

For those who "adopted" families and are providing gifts...

Drop off gifts on Sunday, December 15 from 2-5 p.m. at the Harrisonville Nazarene Church, 2305 E. South Street

For families picking up gifts...

Pick up gifts on Tuesday, December 17 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. or 4-7 p.m. at the Harrisonville Nazarene Church, 2305 E. South Street

Have you seen or experienced the impact of Bright Futures? We want to hear everyone, whether you're a family member who has been helped, a teacher who has seen the impact, or a community member who has helped us grow, we want to hear it all! Share your story at the link here - https://forms.gle/QyoDuKxRPm8hscgF9

Kudos to Cats Nomination form - https://forms.gle/76zLSBxo2fTT54tj6

School Meal Menus - https://myschoolmenus.com/organizations/1818

Campus Parent - https://harrisonvillerixmo.infinitecampus.org/campus/portal/parents/harrisonviller9.jsp

Show your Wildcat spirit by purchasing a Yard Sign sporting your favorite activity. Maybe it's soccer, baseball, choir, tennis...whatever! Or, maybe you'd like it to say alumni, #WildcatFamily, your last name, or Class of 19?? (up to 15 characters).

The yard signs (sign/stake/hardware) are $60 each, and each individual personalized plaque is $12.

Orders will be placed on the 15th of each month. Payment is required before we will finalize your order. Buyers will be notified via email that their sign and/or plaque is ready to pick up at the district administrative office, 503 S. Lexington.

Place an order here - https://forms.gle/s8hCrRPLdP15xkZFA

You can pay online - https://www.zeffy.com/donation-form/82ff5a24-43dc-4ffb-acde-adb4120e8925 or if you would rather not pay the small transaction fee, you may mail or drop off your check made payable to the Harrisonville Public School Foundation to:

Harrisonville Public School Foundation

503 S. Lexington

Harrisonville, MO 64701

All proceeds benefit the Foundation's programming including teacher grants, district grants & student scholarships.

The Community Flyers section of this newsletter and the Community Flyers portion of our website include a library of flyers about community events and programs of interest to our families. To have a flyer placed on this page, please email the flyer as a .pdf file to Jill Filer - jill.filer@harrisonvilleschools.org

• Kids Connect (before & after school care at Community Center)

This guide explains how to file a complaint about any of the programs that are administered by the

Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (the Department) under the Every

Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESSA). A complaint is a written allegation that a local education agency (LEA) or the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (the Department) has violated a federal statute or regulation that applies to a program under ESSA. Please see attached for further information.

Email: jill.filer@harrisonvilleschools.org
Website: www.harrisonvilleschools.org
Location: 503 South Lexington Street, Harrisonville, MO, USA
Phone: 8163802727
Facebook: facebook.com/HarrisonvilleSchools
Instagram: @HarrisonvilleSchools