Cardinal Connections
NOVEMBER 9, 2023
A BIRD'S EYE VIEW
The latest issue of the district's print newsletter, A Bird's Eye View, should have arrived in all Clinton mailboxes last month!
We hope you enjoyed reading about the great things happening in our schools and what our students are accomplishing inside and outside the classroom.
You can view an online version here.
WE WOULD LOVE TO KNOW WHAT YOU THINK. USE THIS QUICK FORM TO LET US KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS!
CLINTON SCHOOL STAFF RECEIVE GRANTS
Thanks to the generosity of our giving community, and the Truman Lake Community Foundation (TLCF), several Clinton School District staff members have received grants this year to help enhance the educational experience for our students.
At last week's TLCF Donor Appreciation event, the staff pictured here had the opportunity to showcase their project that was made possible through a TLCF grant.
The Truman Lake Community Foundation was founded 25 years ago, and since then has distributed millions of dollars in grants to our community. The foundation offers a way for donors to invest locally and also enhance the quality of life of those in our community. If you are interested in learning how you can make a difference, visit www.thetlcf.com or email trumanlakefoundation@gmail.com
FOAM-TASTIC LEARNING
First graders in Mrs. Doody's class had fun last week writing Halloween sentences in shaving cream. Students focused on using capital letters, good spacing, and punctuation.
To meet the needs of all learners, teachers oftentimes use a multi-sensory approach such as this to teach the foundations of phonics and reading. A multi-sensory approach incorporates the learning styles for visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and tactile learners.
See more pictures here.
DOWN ON THE FARM
Beautiful weather made for a picture perfect Farm Night last month!
This yearly event, sponsored by Parents as Teachers and the Clinton Early Childhood Center, is always a great time. Children enjoyed stick horse races, a petting zoo, a hayride, pumpkin tic-tac-toe, and SO much more.
Thank you to the sponsors who helped make this event possible; Henry County Farm Bureau, Heritage Tractor, Golden Valley Tractor, Henry County Fairgrounds, FFA students, Farmers Elevator, Wizard Lawn and Landscaping, the Billings Family, and the Johnson Family.
See more pictures here.
STACKING UP MEMORIES
What a great way to start the day! Clinton Middle School 8th grade students who love pancakes and fun had their first Baby-Jacks Club meeting last month.
This CMS club meets monthly before school to enjoy delicious pancakes served up by Coach Taylor and Coach Townsend. For just a $20 membership fee, any 8th grade student can participate in this monthly club, where they can eat as many pancakes as they want, along with juice and milk, and hang out with friends before starting their day! Students also receive an exclusive Baby-Jacks t-shirt!
See more pictures here.
PERFECT PUMPKIN PERCHES
Students in Mrs. Gardner's fourth grade class had fun last month participating in their first STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) project of the year.
Students first listened to Jan Brett’s version of Goldilocks and the Three Bears and then read Moldilocks and the Three Scares by Lynne Marie. Using a Venn diagram, students worked on their literature comparison skills by comparing and contrasting both of these stories. Next, they tested their engineering skills by working in groups to build a chair that would hold all of the Scares (aka, pumpkins). Finally, the students tested their creations and reflected on their work.
See more pictures here.
EAR-RESISTIBLE LEARNING
Agriculture Science students recently put their knowledge of animal identification systems to the test.
Students were first tasked with creating cattle ear tags and then were challenged to notch pig ears based on their own birthdays. Students then visited with their classmates to try and determine each other's birthdays based on this animal identification system.
See more pictures here.
THE SKY'S THE LIMIT AT CMS
Clinton Middle School seventh and eighth graders in Mr. Harp's STEM classes had the opportunity to expand their knowledge about drones with a recent guest speaker.
Jeff Toal from the Missouri Highway Patrol visited with students on the use of drones in law enforcement and crash reconstruction.
Guest speakers such as this play a crucial role in expanding upon classroom learning by bringing real-world experiences and expertise into the educational environment.
See more pictures here.
LEADING THE FUN WAY
In October, 145 Clinton Technical School students had the opportunity to learn all about the SkillsUSA organization from chapter officers. All 145 students went on to earn their Statesman Award as part of this Fall Leadership Event.
Thank you to Fun Time Farms for hosting our students!
SkillsUSA is a national organization serving trade, industrial, technical, and health occupations students in high schools, career and technical schools and two-year colleges.
See more pictures here.
A WEEK OF GRATITUDE
Parents, students, school staff and community members are invited to join the Clinton School District as we celebrate American Education Week, November 13-17. This annual week is sponsored in part by the U.S. Department of Education, and provides schools and communities the opportunity to recognize the accomplishments of public schools, and the essential role that educators play in the success of students.
The Clinton School District will be celebrating with A WEEK OF GRATITUDE!
There are several different ways that YOU can show your gratitude for educators in the Clinton School District next week.
- Businesses, organizations, and churches around town are encouraged to show support for our Cardinal educators with a positive message on their marquee or storefront (more info below).
- Digital postcards will be available next week for you to send a short and sweet message to an educator in the Clinton School District. Please watch our social media pages, website, and your email for more info.
We are incredibly proud to be part of such a supportive network who put children first and we can't wait to celebrate next week! GREAT SCHOOLS HAVE GREAT COMMUNITY SUPPORT AND GREAT COMMUNITIES HAVE GREAT PUBLIC SCHOOLS!
PAINT THE TOWN RED AND BLUE
Next week, November 13-17, you can help us PAINT THE TOWN RED AND BLUE and show appreciation for our amazing Cardinal educators who play an essential role in the success of our students and community.
We are asking businesses, churches, organizations, etc., to put encouraging messages to our Cardinal staff on their marquees or storefronts. If you choose to participate, please email a picture to alawson@clintoncardinals.org so that we can share these uplifting messages with our staff!
FOOD DRIVE
Next week, November 13-17, will be the district's annual food drive.
This community service project supports The Samaritan Center and Project Christmas Cheer. The Samaritan Center has asked that we collect the following items.
- CECC, Henry, and CIS-Jiffy Mixes
- CMS, CHS, and CTS-Cake Mixes
Please help us meet the needs of our community by participating in this yearly event.
FALL PLAY
You won't want to miss our Talented Cardinals in this year's fall play, "'Til Death Do Us Part".
Catch this production THIS WEEK at one of the two showings listed below:
*Friday, November 10 @ 7:00
*Saturday, November 11 @ 7:00
Tickets prices:
Adults-$5
Senior Citizens-$2
Students and Staff-Free
VETERANS DAY ASSEMBLY
Clinton Schools will be celebrating and honoring veterans this Friday, November 10th.
Veterans and their families are invited and encouraged to attend a ceremony at 10:30am at Clinton High School. There will also be a reception with refreshments prior to the assembly at 10:00. Please RSVP to jcollison@clintoncardinals.org by Thursday, November 9th at 3:00pm.
NO SCHOOL-THANKSGIVING BREAK
Clinton Schools will not be in session November 20-24 for Thanksgiving Break.
FREE BOOKS
Thanks to a partnership between DESE (Department of Elementary and Secondary Education) and The Dollywood Foundation, children under the age of five can now receive free books each month delivered right to their mailbox.
Please be aware that due to unprecedented interest in this program, the website to register might be experiencing technical difficulties.
You can sign up for this free program by visiting the link below.
EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION PROGRAM
The Cardinal Compliment program is a way for you to salute any Clinton School District employee who goes above and beyond what is expected. Whether you're a parent impressed with that special touch your child's teacher added to a moment, a coworker who thinks their colleague doesn't hear often enough about the great job they are doing, or a community member who witnesses a staff member’s commitment to kids - you can send a Cardinal Compliment!
Supervisors, including the superintendent, will see your submission. The employee will receive a certificate of gratitude and a token of appreciation that lets everyone know he or she was given a Cardinal Compliment.
Every month, Cardinal Compliment recipients will be listed on the district website and posted on the district Facebook page to let others know the names of the district's difference makers!
COATS FOR KIDS
If your child will be in need of a coat this winter, please call 660-885-8229 (between the hours of 9am-4pm Monday-Friday) to schedule an appointment to receive a coat.
FRIENDLY MEAL REMINDER
Please be aware that even if your child qualifies for free/reduced meals, there are still circumstances where they will be charged full-price for food/drink items.
- A la carte items (CMS/CHS)
- Choosing extra entrees as they go through the lunch line (CHS)
- Getting a second chance breakfast after having a regular breakfast earlier in the morning (CHS)
- Extra milk with lunch/breakfast (all schools)
- Snack milk (Henry Elementary)
If you have not already completed a Free and Reduced Meal application for the 2023-2024 school year, we encourage you to do so. This application can be found here on our website, or you may request one from your child’s school office.
BUS COMMUNICATION
If you would like to receive text messages regarding transportation-related issues (ie, buses running late, buses being combined, etc.) please complete this form.
Please be aware this is for transportation-related communication ONLY.
**AFTER PROVIDING YOUR NUMBER YOU MUST TEXT Y TO 67587. IF YOU FAIL TO DO THIS, YOU WILL NOT RECEIVE TEXT MESSAGES.**
23-24 SCHOOL YEAR CALENDAR
Have you seen the 23-24 school year calendar?
You can find a printable version of the 23-24 school year calendar here.
You can also find a dedicated website calendar for the district and each building at the links below. You can subscribe to each calendar to have events uploaded to your personal online calendar.
Clinton Early Childhood Center calendar
Henry Elementary School calendar
Clinton Intermediate School calendar
Clinton Middle School calendar
Clinton High School calendar
Clinton Technical School calendar