District Newsletter
August, 2010
SEWARD PUBLIC SCHOOLS
WELCOME BACK
DISTRICT NEWSLETTER
Welcome from the Superintendent
Summer break is once again coming to an end as another school year is upon us. We look forward to the 2010-11 school year which is scheduled to begin for students on Tuesday, August 17.
It is hard to believe I am beginning my fourth year as superintendent of the School District of Seward. Much has happened in those four years—I guess that’s why time flies by so quickly. We all look forward to summer, but it is always nice to get the teachers, staff, and students back to school.
We are very fortunate to have such a good group of teachers, staff members, and students to work with. I look forward to another wonderful year!
New Teachers and Staff Members
This year we welcome six new teachers.
April Roth will be teaching special education at Seward Elementary. Ms. Roth has been substitute teaching in various schools in the area this past school year.
T.J. Towle will teach in the Alternative School. Mr. Towle has been a para educator for our school district for a number of years—this will be his first teaching assignment.
Julie Christensen will be our new media specialist. Mrs. Christensen has been substitute teaching in the Nebraska City area for the past year, and prior to that served as the technology director for Arlington Public Schools for five years.
Angela Schroetlin will be teaching math courses at Seward High School this year. Mrs. Schroetlin is a recent graduate of York College and spent the last school year substitute teaching for York and Fillmore Central.
Drew Rodine will be teaching 5th grade this coming year. Mr. Rodine is a recent graduate from Concordia University—this will be his first teaching assignment.
Mr. Wade Miller will be teaching business classes at the high school. Mr. Miller taught business classes at Fairbury Public Schools the past four years.
Ms. Jennifer Messersmith will be our new food service manager. Ms. Messersmith has management and food preparation experience in retirement homes and restaurants. She has a degree in Food Service and is a Certified Chef.
We will also have a number of new classified staff members, but are presently trying to fill vacancies. Please help all of our new teachers and staff members feel welcome.
Student Handbooks Available Online
Communicating with the public is an important part of what we do at Seward Public Schools. One of the main mediums we use for that purpose is our school website http://www.sewardpublicschools.org. In an effort to save paper, we have decided to put our student handbooks online this year. High School and Middle School students will be given signature pages to take home for students and their parents to sign stating that they have gone on line and read the handbook. Those forms will then need to be returned to the school. There will also be a place on the form for parents to check indicating that they do not have access to the internet or would prefer a hard copy of the handbook. We will send home a printed copy for any parents requesting one.
The Elementary School handbook will be available online, but we will be sending home hard copies with all elementary students as well.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask.
Bluejay Alerts
We had nothing but problems with our old alert system, so this year we are switching to a new company to provide our alerts. We are still negotiating a deal, so please watch the school newsletters and website for further information on the new system.
Hot Lunch and Breakfast Program
All Elementary, Middle School and High School hot lunches will be served beginning Tuesday, August 17. Breakfast at the Elementary and Middle School will start on Wednesday, August 18. The cost of breakfast and lunches:
Daily
K-4 Lunch $1.80
5-12 Lunch $1.95
K-8 Breakfast $1.20
Free and Reduced price meal application forms will be sent home with students the first day of school on August 17. If you wish to apply for free or reduced priced meals, please fill out the application and return it to the school. Please follow the directions and fill out the application as accurately as possible. Accurate and complete applications will speed up the determination process.
Busing
Seward Public Schools has numerous bus routes traveling many miles each day. We do what we can to ensure that students do not ride an excessive amount of time, yet we know some students are going to spend a good deal of time on the bus each day. We try to do the best we can with the limited resources that we have available, and we appreciate the cooperativeness of the parents and students.
COMMUNICATION is an important aspect of our transportation program. It is important for us to be notified of any changes. If your child or children regularly ride the bus and for some reason do not plan to on any given day, please call ahead and let us know of the change. In the morning you may call the bus garage after 6:30 AM at 643-6069. For changes in the afternoon route you may either call the bus garage, the district office at 643-2941, or your child’s school office. The phone numbers are: Elementary School 643-2968, Middle School 643-2986, and High School 643-2988. If we do not answer the phone, keep trying—other people may be calling in too and we might be on the other line. Parents may also send a written note in advance to the bus driver or the school office describing the bus route changes.
Bus routes for the 2010-2011 school year will soon be scheduled and bus drivers will be contacting parents to let them know times for the morning and afternoon routes. If you plan to ride the bus and do not receive a phone call from a bus driver by August 13, please call us and make sure we have you placed on a route. Also, if you are new to the district or if you have changed addresses, please call and let us know where you live and phone numbers where you can be reached so we can get you on a route.
Bus evacuation drills will be conducted once per semester for all students with the first drills being conducted during the last week in August.
SHUTTLE BUSING will be provided for students to shuttle back and forth between school buildings before and after school. Please see the enclosed schedule, remove it from the newsletter, and save it for future reference.
Elementary Open House
Seward Elementary “Open House” will take place from 6:00-7:00 p.m. on August 16th. This will be a great opportunity for parents and students to meet teachers and other staff members. Parents may also bring in meal money, immunization records, vision evaluations, and physicals if you have not already done so. Marty Telecky, busing supervisor, will also be present to answer any busing questions parents might have.
Ninth Grade/New Student Orientation
Ninth grade/new student orientation, for students and their parents, will be Thursday, August 12th at 6:00 PM at the Seward High School Theater.
New Pre-School Playground
Those of you who have driven by Seward Elementary School have most likely noticed the new playground located along the south side of the building. We were able to use federal stimulus dollars to fund this project and it will be a wonderful addition to our school. Much of the equipment and play area is designed to help young children with developmental and/or motor skill needs. This equipment will aid in their development. Thank you to the teachers, maintenance department, and administrators who helped with the project development and construction!
Pre-Registration Information
Kindergarten: Children must have reached the age of five years on or before October 15 to be eligible to enter school. Birth Certificates and Immunization Records are Required for Registration for all new students. Students enrolling in Kindergarten or transferring from out of state must have a visual evaluation. Students will not be allowed to begin school without these records.
K-12 students who did not attend Seward Schools last year should register in the principal’s office starting August 2, 2010. Each Kindergarten student, 7th grade student, and students moving into Seward School District from out of state, must have a physical before the start of school. Starting on August 2nd, all school offices will be open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. to answer any questions.
The School District of Seward does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, marital status, disability, or age or in admission or access to, or treatment of employment or educational programs and activities. Any person having inquiries concerning The School District of Seward’s compliance with the regulations implementing Title VI, Title IX, or Section 504 is directed to contact Superintendent Greg Barnes, in writing at 410 South Street, Seward Nebraska or by telephone at (402) 643-2941. Any person may also contact the Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education, in writing at 8930 Ward Parkway, Suite 2037, Kansas City, Missouri 64114-3302 or by telephone at (816) 268-0550, regarding compliance with the regulations implementing Title VI, Title IX, or Section 504.
2010-2011 School Calendar
You may access by clicking on the following link.
Cross-Town Bus Schedule
You may access by clicking on the following link
2010-11 Cross Town Bus Schedule
