In The KNow

Greetings Knob Noster Panthers:

On behalf of the KNPS team, welcome back to school! The 2024-2025 school year is off to a great start, and we have enjoyed seeing you and your students back on our campuses for open house nights and back to school events. We look forward to seeing everyone back for the first day of school tomorrow morning! Our fall sports season is about to kick off, and we also look forward to joining you as we cheer on our students!

We are coming off another solid year of performance across the academic dashboard…and in many cases we are just getting started. Among a few highlights from last year, for the SIXTH YEAR IN A ROW, Knob Noster High School was recognized by U.S. News and World Report as one of the top high schools in Missouri. For the second year in a row, Knob Noster Public Schools was recognized in the Best of the Burg Contest. The school district and KNHS won Star Business Awards in the Best Employer with 100 or more Employees and Grades 7-12 Teacher categories. Our Air Force JROTC CyberPatriot teams once again landed top of state and among the top 0.005% in the nation. Our robotics team had its best season ever, racking up multiple national accolades. FCCLA students racked up national awards, with one high school student group landing at #1 in the nation. The KNHS Trap Shooting Team competed at the National Championship and had two students advance to the final round of the championship. We expanded preschool services. We expanded world languages. We expanded computer science and cybersecurity. And the list goes on. We are so incredibly proud of our students and teachers and all that they are accomplishing together.

Through the excellent achievement of your children and our teachers, Knob Noster Public Schools continues to be on a trajectory of growth in enrollment. We began the 2016 school year with 1,460 total students. This year, we begin with around 1,975 students…a growth rate of 35%!! Our buildings are full to say the least, as families and students continue to choose Knob Noster Public Schools as the destination of choice in the Whiteman AFB region!

To respond to this growth and to prepare for additional growth associated with the B-21 mission and the anticipated passage of open enrollment in Missouri, the Knob Noster Board of Education voted unanimously this month to move forward with construction of the proposed Knob Noster High School Innovation Campus and the integrated FEMA storm shelter / dome gymnasium. Groundbreaking will occur in the weeks ahead, and the building will open to students for back to school 2026. This project is funded primarily though federal sources, including a $5.25 million SEMA grant.

As we head into what is shaping up to be one of the most eventful years in recent history, I want to once again send a special thank you to our parents, students, and community for your ongoing partnership and support. We appreciate you, and our team is honored to serve you! Wishing each of you a safe, healthy and successful school year!

Very Respectfully,

Jerrod Wheeler

In April/May of 2024, the district moved forward with much-needed repairs to Panther Stadium. Following demolition in May, improvements were made to the running track infrastructure and field infrastructure. Demolition and excavating of the grandstand area occurred in May and June. New structural components to support an elevated grandstand occurred in July and are set to be completed this week. The elevated bleacher structure arrived last week and is set for installation with a target usable date on or before September 20. Temporary bleachers and scores/press box will be utilized throughout the fall to accommodate home games. While this construction has/will cause some disruptions, we have taken action to keep our games and events as routine as possible.

Over the summer, the district added two more classroom trailer units, bringing our total mobile classrooms to seven in the district. We are hopeful that this will be the last round of trailers until our new school opens in August 2026.

Groundbreaking for the new Knob Noster High School is set to occur on or before October 5. An early dirt package is being bid this week. The scope of the project has been reduced by $20 million, the amount unsuccessfully requested from voters in April. These reductions come primarily from sports components, youth sports components, roadways, and hard surface parking. However, the academic functions of the project have not been changed or impacted. This project is funded in its entirety from federal and state sources.

The 24-month timeline for construction will be a very busy and very exciting time for our students, parents, faculty, and community. We look forward to bringing this facility online to address our growing and overcrowded school buildings.

As always, should you have any questions, comments, concerns, or feedback, we encourage you to reach out directly so we can meet with you.

Thank you to our community supporters for hosting the annual Back to School Block Party on August 13. Panther students and their families had a great time!

Knob Noster Public Schools uses a student information system called Infinite Campus. Parents and guardians utilize the Infinite Campus parent portal, Campus Parent. The parent portal is a helpful tool to monitor your child's educational process with real-time access to areas such as attendance, grades, schedules, meal account balances, and more. Infinite Campus offers web portals and mobile apps to parents and students via Campus Parent and Campus Student, connecting parent to teacher, teacher to student, and student to parent.

Parents and guardians of new students receive a daily reminder email from noreply@knobnoster.k12.mo.us to set up your parent portal account if you have not done so already.

If you have problems activating your parent portal account, please contact your child's school office so that a technology help ticket can be submitted for assistance.

Positive, effective communication plays a crucial role in nurturing a supportive and collaborative environment between home and school as well as between the community and school district. Effective communication ensures that your child receives the best possible education; effective communication also ensures that the school district and community members engage in meaningful, professional conversation. In an age dominated by social media and instant messaging, it is easy to forget the importance of direct communication and personal connections. While social media platforms offer convenience and quick updates, they are not the channels to address concerns, ask personal or confidential questions, share important information about your child's education, or inquire about the policies and decisions of the school district. Here are a few reminders on maintaining positive, effective communication between home and school and community and school district:

Our Transportation Department finalized bus routes last week after receiving new enrollments. Check your child's bus route to ensure you have the most current stop times before the first day of school: https://bit.ly/knpsbusroutes

Please extend patience and understanding for the first week of school as families, drivers, and school personnel become familiar with routes and make adjustments for the start of the school year. Expect that delays may occur as routines are established and as adjustments may be necessary.

We remind all parents, guardians, and community members to help the school district ensure students arrive safely at school every morning and arrive safely at home every afternoon. Watch for school buses and exercise caution when you see school buses in the community and around our school buildings.

School Bus Safety Tips for Drivers:

Obey Stop Signs: When a school bus stops and extends its stop sign, all traffic in both directions must come to a complete stop. Do not pass the bus until the stop sign is retracted and the bus starts moving again.

Maintain a Safe Following Distance: Keep a safe distance behind a school bus to allow for sudden stops. Remember, buses make frequent stops to pick up or drop off children.

Stay Alert: Pay close attention to your surroundings, especially in school zones and residential areas. Children can be unpredictable and may dart out from behind the bus.

Reduce Speed: Slow down when approaching a school bus stop. Excessive speed can lead to dangerous situations, and it's essential to be prepared for sudden stops.

Be Patient: Understand that school buses make stops for the safety of students. Be patient and wait for the bus to complete its pick-up or drop-off before proceeding.

Watch for Flashing Lights: When a school bus activates its flashing red lights, it's a signal to stop. This indicates that students are entering or exiting the bus. Wait until the lights stop flashing and the bus moves before proceeding.

Avoid Distractions: Avoid any distractions, such as using a phone or adjusting the radio, when driving near a school bus stop. Focus on the road and the safety of students.

Respect Crosswalks: Be vigilant at crosswalks near school bus stops. Children may be crossing the road, so always yield the right of way to pedestrians.

The Knob Noster 2024-2025 School Year Calendar is available on all school websites and the Knob Noster Public Schools mobile app for quick reference.

To view important dates for the upcoming school year, you may find the calendar by clicking here:

2023-2024 Knob Noster School Year Calendar

(Scroll below the current school year calendar for a printable 2024-2025 calendar.)

The MO HealthNet form was included with paper versions of the free and reduced meal application in previous school years. If you did not receive this form for the 2024-2025 school year and are interested in receiving information about healthcare coverage, please either print the form below and return to your child's school OR contact your child's school office to request information.

The online store for Panther spirit apparel is open! There are many options available in youth and adult sizes to show your school pride. At checkout, select free pickup at a school, shipping, or pick up at Spirited Designs store. The store will close at midnight on Friday, August 23. Orders will be ready by September 10.

The online spirit store will reopen two more times this school year, once in the fall and once in the spring.

Knob Noster Public Schools shares a friendly reminder for Knob Noster Panther Fans as the fall activities season gets underway....the district encourages positive participation at all our activities using The Panther Way as a guide.

Here are the main components of The Panther Way:

Be Respectful - Treat participants, coaches, referees/umpires, and other fans with dignity and respect. Watch for posted signs regarding off-limits areas, designated seating for visitor fans, and instructions provided by school administration.

Be Safe – Use the walkways and stairs to access bleachers.

Be a True Fan - Watch the game/event and show your support for the Panthers, including half-time entertainment. Throwing and playing with footballs/baseballs/etc. are not allowed by students and fans behind or near the bleachers.

Be Proud - Wear orange and black, stand up during the fight song, and cheer with the cheerleaders and fans.

Be Responsible - Please pick up after yourself when attending a school event. Before leaving the game or activity, look around your area, pick up any trash, and deposit it in a trash can. We appreciate your help in keeping our facilities looking great!

Lastly, we encourage families to attend events together and to limit student attendance at school events without parental supervision. We ask that all elementary-age students sit with an adult at games and activities.

We appreciate the support from our fans! Go Panthers!

Knob Noster is committed to effective and meaningful communication with parents and guardians to ensure student success and collaboration with families. We encourage you to stay connected through the communication channels offered by our school district.

SchoolMessenger Broadcasts

Knob Noster utilizes an automated mass communications system via text, email, phone, and mobile app notifications to alert parents and employees of important school information including events, calendar reminders, school closings, and emergency messages. Email messages, texts, and phone calls are broadcast to the contact information recorded in Infinite Campus student records.

Text alerts from the school district are an opt-in basis. If you wish to receive text messages from your child's school and the district, send "Y" or "Yes" to 67587 from your phone. (Opt-in is not required for email messages and phone calls.)

KNPS Mobile App

Our district app is convenient and easy-to-use for parents, guardians, students, and community members. It offers one place where you can access the most-needed information in a mobile format. The app provides easy clicks to calendars, menus, school board information, parent portal log in, teacher contact information, and more. Download the district app through the Google Play or App Store by searching for Knob Noster Public Schools.

If content is added to the app, users will receive a pop up window when you open it. Be sure to click "Yes" when prompted with a question regarding updates.

District and School Websites

Our websites house helpful information about school schedules, student activities, student/parent handbooks, breakfast and lunch menus, bus routes, calendars, and much more. The most visited webpages are connected to our mobile app for quick reference.

School District - www.knobnoster.k12.mo.us

Early Childhood Programs - www.ecp.knobnoster.k12.mo.us

Whiteman Elementary - www.we.knobnoster.k12.mo.us

Knob Noster Elementary - www.ke.knobnoster.k12.mo.us

Knob Noster Middle School - www.ms.knobnoster.k12.mo.us

Knob Noster High School - www.hs.knobnoster.k12.mo.us

Infinite Campus Parent Portal

The Parent Portal provides important information about your student's attendance, grades, schedules, and meal account balances. In addition to logging in to the portal from a computer, you may download the Campus Parent app for quick access to the portal from your phone or tablet.

Social Media

Follow us on Facebook where we celebrate our students and staff daily. The district is also starting an Instagram account, so be sure to watch for that announcement to follow more learning and activities that take place in our schools every day.

Many student organizations and teams have social media accounts where you can follow the great things happening in our schools on Facebook, Twitter (X), and Instagram.

Parents and guardians are reminded of the district's media release published in parent/student handbooks. The media release applies to all students enrolled in Knob Noster Public Schools.

If you do not give Knob Noster Public Schools permission to use your child's name, image, or schoolwork in any public display or presentation, please write to the school principal within five (5) days of a student's first day of attendance to opt out.

Media opt out will remain in effect for the duration of your child's enrollment at Knob Noster Public Schools or until otherwise notified by the parent/guardian.

We are excited to see our Panthers on the first day of school!

We would love to see your first day photos and share with our Panther family. Email your pictures to communications@knr8.net to be included in our #PanthersFirstDayofSchool album on the school Facebook page.

August 21 - Tax Rate Hearing 5:40 p.m. / School Board Meeting 6:00 p.m.

September 2 - No School (Labor Day)

September 18 - School Board Meeting 6:00 p.m.

October 4 - 1:00 Early Dismissal at All Schools (Homecoming)

For a printable version of the school year calendar, visit the Knob Noster Public Schools website and scroll to the middle of the page.

Our e-newsletter is emailed to school employees and parents/guardians of students enrolled in Knob Noster Public Schools. If you are a community member who would like to have future issues of the newsletter emailed directly to you, you can subscribe by clicking the button below.

The Community Flyers section of this newsletter, as well as the Community Events pages on our website and mobile app, include a digital library of flyers about community events and programs of interest to our families. To have a flyer placed on this page, please email as a .pdf file to Tina Brant - communications@knr8.net