I am proud to share that Maize USD 266 has been recognized by the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) and the Kansas State Board of Education with a Silver Star for Social-Emotional Growth! This recent honor, awarded as part of the 2024 Kansans Can Star Recognition Program, acknowledges our district’s exceptional work in social-emotional learning—a core value that aligns with the state’s vision for education.

This represents our growth in this area, and our district is one of only 26 districts across Kansas to receive a Silver Star, while just one district achieved the Gold Star distinction statewide. Several key factors contributed to this achievement, supporting our district’s Lead Forward Strategic Plan to Nurture a Cohesive Culture and Elevate Student Learning. By aligning district processes and fostering supportive relationships, we can strengthen resilience and provide individualized support to help each student succeed. This achievement doesn’t happen overnight. We have been hard at work on the following strategies.

• Commitment to counseling and social work: We are dedicated to providing counselors and social workers in every school, ensuring each student has access to vital social-emotional support.
• Pando Initiative partnership: Our partnership with the Wichita-based nonprofit organization Pando Initiative, launched in summer 2023, serves all five of our elementary schools. A full-time Pando employee, known as a student support advocate, works within each elementary school, helping students build connections with friends, family, and the community and stay on a path toward high school graduation. Click here to read more about this program.
• Mental Health Intervention Team (MHIT): At the secondary school level, our MHIT members collaborate with local resources to support student mental health needs, providing access to clinical therapy, group support, and mentoring services.
• Collaboration with the Kansas Technical Assistance Network (TASN): Through our partnership with TASN, our employees receive training on best practices in behavioral and social-emotional learning across multiple tiers, allowing us to develop a comprehensive protocol in this area.
• Aligned districtwide practices: We’ve established consistent definitions and approaches across the district for identifying and responding to student behaviors, ensuring clear and supportive responses from all educators.
• Resiliency coaches: Two resiliency coaches provide ongoing training and support in behavior and social-emotional learning across the district.
• Districtwide implementation of Capturing Kids’ Hearts: This program, which fosters positive, trust-centered relationships between educators and students, plays a crucial role in creating supportive and connected school environments.
• Ongoing data monitoring: We consistently monitor social-emotional data to track and evaluate our progress.

We are grateful to our entire district community for your ongoing commitment to supporting the social-emotional well-being of every student. Together, we’re making strides that will benefit our students now and into the future.

Sincerely,

Dr. Raquel Greer

Maize USD 266 Superintendent

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

November

• Nov. 1: No school, Professional Development
• Nov. 25-29: No school, Fall Break

December

• Dec. 20: End of Term 2
• Dec. 23-31: No school, Winter Break

January

• Jan. 1-3: No school, Winter Break
• Jan. 6: No school, Teacher Work Day
• Jan. 7: No school, Professional Development
• Jan. 8: Start of Term 3
• Jan. 20: No school, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

As part of the Lead Forward strategic plan, the district aims to increase its reading proficiency rate from 73 percent to 80 percent on the Kansas State Assessment by 2028. To achieve this, each school has established a Wildly Important Goal (WIG) related to literacy and another WIG of their choice that helps support a need in their building. Between September and January, each school will present to the Maize Board of Education about their goals. The following are summaries from October school board presentations.

Maize South High School is focused on two key goals to boost student achievement this year. The first goal is to increase reading proficiency on state assessments, from 71.9 percent to 73.1 percent, by enhancing student engagement in reading activities. Teachers across departments are implementing strategies, including incorporating business articles in reading time and reviewing 8th-grade test scores to place freshmen in appropriate reading courses. A major emphasis is on vocabulary strategies, which are being shared and refined across the school to ensure consistent application. The second goal is to boost student participation by increasing “opportunities to respond” in class from 45 percent to 60 percent. Teachers will create more interactive lessons, ensuring students have a chance to respond at least once every 10 minutes during each class. Professional development will support these efforts, and departments will reflect on and share best practices. This helps build culture and positively push employees to continue to grow and improve.

Maize South Elementary School is focused on two major goals to boost student success this year. The first is to raise reading proficiency from 52 percent to 80 percent by the end of the 2024-2025 school year. Teachers will use strategies including daily phonics lessons, fluency practice, and team reviews to tailor instruction. For example, kindergarteners will focus on letter names and sounds, while 1st-grade students will practice nonsense words daily to build decoding skills. Second through 4th-grade students will work on fluency passages and phonics, while specials teachers will teach two to three key vocabulary words each week. The second goal is to reduce behavior issues by 10 percent each quarter, and the school has already had success with this so far this school year. Employees will teach 20 minutes of daily social-emotional learning (SEL) and review expectations regularly. Paras will also be in classrooms, ready to offer extra support, ensuring students stay focused and engaged. Together, these efforts aim to create a positive, structured learning environment for all.

We are excited to introduce two powerful new tools for the 2024-25 school year: Read&Write and OrbitNote. These tools are designed to support students' productivity and enhance learning both in the classroom and at home.

• Read&Write offers a versatile toolbar that promotes literacy and learning for a diverse range of learners. With features like text-to-speech, speech-to-text, word prediction, and translation, this tool helps students engage more confidently with their classwork.
• OrbitNote allows students to interact with PDF documents more easily. With tools like annotation, voice notes, and Google Classroom integration, OrbitNote ensures that assignments are accessible and easy to manage. It also provides optical character recognition (OCR) scanning technology, which converts different types of documents, such as PDFs or images, into editable and searchable data.

These tools will help students succeed by making content more accessible and engaging. Be sure to explore these new resources as we continue to empower learning across our district!

Our new www.usd266.com is launching soon, bringing a range of exciting updates to make finding the information you need easier than ever. With enhanced functionality, a sleek and mobile-friendly design, and improved searchability and accessibility, the site will offer a smooth, user-friendly experience. Look forward to intuitive navigation, refreshed branding, and storytelling elements that spotlight our district’s unique stories. We’re excited to share it with you—stay tuned for the official launch date!

We recently celebrated National School Lunch Week with some of our very own Celebrity Servers, including principals, school board members, and district leaders, who jumped in to serve students lunch! It was a fun pirate-themed week dedicated to highlighting the importance of nutritious meals for our students.

Did you know?

• Our 12 district kitchens serve more than 50,000 lunches each month!
• With a team of 80 Food Service employees, students enjoy three to five entree options daily—meaning they could go 35 school days without the same entree twice.
• Our menus feature sustainable beef from Maize’s own Woodard Cattle Company, fresh greens from hydroponic gardens at each school, organic produce from RISE Farms, and, new this year, local eggs from Chicken Tracks Eggs, LLC.

On Oct. 28, the Maize Board of Education met at the Maize Performing Arts and Aquatics Center for a workshop focused on establishing a timeline for the development of a Long-Range Facility Plan. The workshop marked the start of a strategic, data-driven effort to align the district’s infrastructure with the evolving needs of students and staff, both now and in the years to come.

During the meeting, board members and district leaders reviewed key data from a recent demographic study, current facility usage, historical and current mill levy rates, and an assessment of the age and condition of buildings across the district. This information will soon be shared with the Facility Steering Committee—a diverse group of community members, district employees, and students—who will provide valuable perspectives throughout the planning process.

The Facility Steering Committee will meet regularly in the coming months to analyze data and assess how the district’s buildings and spaces can best support its educational goals. The goal is for committee members to present a comprehensive facility plan, including recommendations for immediate and long-term needs, to the school board in August 2025. This plan will help shape the board’s discussions on long-range facility priorities.

The Maize Board of Education's next regular monthly meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 11 at the Maize Performing Arts and Aquatics Center, 1155 W. Academy 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. Regular monthly meetings are broadcast live at bit.ly/Maize266YouTube.

Congratulations to Maize High School senior Kinslea Jones on her incredible fourth consecutive state golf championship! She is one of only three athletes in Kansas history—among both boys and girls—to claim the title four times. Kinslea’s wins span both Class 5A and Class 6A, showcasing her skill and dedication. Here are some of her remarkable stats:

• She improved her scoring average every year, finishing her senior season with a 66.5 average.
• She won 28 out of her 29 18-hole tournaments as a Maize High Eagle.
• She achieved a senior year career scoring average of 68.7.
• She won a total of 33 tournaments.
• She set a state record at Hesston this year by shooting a 58, 13 under par!

Next year, she plans to golf for the Jayhawks at the University of Kansas.

Congratulations to Assistive Technology Facilitator/Occupational Therapist Christina Kerr, recognized recently by the Wichita Business Journal among its Young Professionals at Major Employers!

When asked what she hopes to accomplish over the next year, she said, "I am excited to help implement a district license for Read&Write and Orbitnote, two literacy extensions that support a wide variety of learners’ needs. I am also looking forward to supporting teachers in providing access to literacy instruction for students with complex communication needs."

Two deserving educators have recently received the KAKE Golden Apple Award, given as a surprise to outstanding local teachers. Thank you to KAKE, Davis-Moore Auto Group, and Project Teacher for honoring them! Check out the links below to learn more about Vermillion Elementary School's Brooke Jakubov and Maize South High School's Robbye Herrington, who teaches Honors Chemistry and AP Biology, is the school's Science Department Head, and leads Student Council and Pep Club.

Congratulations to the Maize USD 266 Communications Department for their recent state awards of excellence from the Kansas School Public Relations Association (KanSPRA) in these categories:

• Electronic Publication
• Newsletter
• Photo/Photo Series
• Project, Special Event, or Program

Led by Executive Director of Communications Lori O'Toole Buselt, the team also includes Director of Community Relations and Maize Education Foundation Emi Simmons and Multimedia Communications Specialist Monica Springer.

Thanks to our amazing Eagles and Mavericks fans for an unforgettable night! Your enthusiasm and support made the Oct. 11 Maize South High School-Maize High School football game a truly memorable event. From the cheers in the stands to the spirit on the field, our school community came together to celebrate our teams and our students with unmatched pride. We’re grateful for everyone who joined us, and we look forward to many more exciting moments in the future.

Thank you to everyone who voted in our school supply giveaway earlier this month! As our winner, Pray-Woodman Elementary School received school supplies for each one of its classrooms. Thank you to Assistant Principal Callie Harris for joining us at the Maize South High School vs. Maize High School football game on Oct. 11 to be recognized.

We also presented Pray-Woodman Elementary 3rd-grade teacher Taylor Gonzalez with a classroom stipend of $500 in recognition of her dedication to her students. Congratulations to the students and staff of Pray-Woodman Elementary School!

Make plans to attend the second annual Birds and Bulls Gala, presented by Credit Union of America! Our inaugural event raised more than $35,000 to support programs that help educate and inspire students of Maize USD 266, and we’re working to make this year’s gala even more extraordinary.

Get dressed up, grab your date, and join us Feb. 13, 2025 at Prairie Hill Vineyard for an unforgettable evening in support of Maize USD 266!

Reserve a Birds and Bulls Gala ticket during the month of November for a shot at the ultimate VIP experience! You and up to seven guests could win a luxury limo ride to and from the gala, courtesy of Anchor Rentals.

Help support students’ learning and growth by becoming a substitute teacher. This position is essential in providing instructional continuity when regular classroom teachers are away. You’ll have the flexibility to select the assignments you prefer—whether that’s choosing specific days, schools, grade levels, or subjects. Our automated system notifies you of opportunities, allowing you to accept assignments that fit your schedule. On the day of your assignment, simply arrive 20 minutes early, follow the teacher’s lesson plan, connect with students, and leave helpful notes for the teacher. Our substitute teachers enjoy flexibility and the opportunity to work with a dedicated team.

We're hiring an experienced HVAC technician for a full-time, 12-month position. The role involves maintaining heating, air conditioning, and ventilation systems across district facilities. Candidates should have a high school diploma and previous HVAC experience, with an apprentice license or journeyman status preferred. We offer holidays off, paid leave, health benefits, and KPERS retirement.

We're seeking a data-driven team player to join our Human Resources/Payroll department as a Payroll Specialist at the Educational Support Center. This full-time, 12-month position is crucial for ensuring employees are paid accurately and on time while managing benefits, taxes, and payroll reporting. The ideal candidate will have a bachelor’s degree, at least three years of payroll processing experience, and strong knowledge of Kansas payroll regulations. Enjoy holidays off, paid leave, and a comprehensive benefits package.

Maize USD 266 partners with the Boys & Girls Clubs of South Central Kansas for before- and after-school care. Please consider joining their team to help support this important program, which many Maize USD 266 families utilize. Click the buttons below to learn more about and apply for their open positions. Thank you!

With the help of Library Media Specialist Kim Lehner, Maize Intermediate School students coded their way to creativity with custom 3D-printed keychains.

The City of Maize is growing, with new leadership, housing, and businesses bringing fresh opportunities. To align our priorities with community needs, we’re seeking feedback on what’s going well and the direction you’d like to see for our city. Your input will guide future initiatives, especially on whether you would support them financially.

A survey has been mailed to selected voters; if you received it, please complete it by mail or online. If not, you can still share your thoughts via the City of Maize Community Survey link. Visit cityofmaize.org or call 316-722-7561 for more information.