October 2017

Newsletter Date

D i s t r i c t N e w s

As we move toward the end of the first nine weeks of school, I

hope everyone is as pleased as I am with this year so far. With so

many positive things happening throughout the district, I’ll

highlight just a few.

In an effort to offer more pertinent information on each

student’s academic performance, the district provided a new

format at parent/teacher conferences. Students were encouraged to

accompany parents to the conference, which included a discussion

of possible career interests. Feedback received from parents and

staff has been encouraging, and we remain committed to

improving conferences moving forward.

Two new programs we are

implementing this year are I-Ready and

Career Cruising. The elementary

conferences focused on the I-Ready data

that shows where a student is currently

performing, and what strategies we are

using to assist their growth. I have also

been impressed with the parent component

which gives parents the ability to help their

child work on areas where improvement is

needed. See page 2

Superintendent’s Corner: Conference format successful

Farm to plate: Students learn origin of healthy foods

T o recognize the National

School Lunch Program and

the 30 million children it

serves daily, Renwick schools

celebrated National School Lunch

Week October 9-13, 2017, along with

National Farm to School Month.

National School Lunch Week

showcased many new menu items,

along with the district’s talented

school foodservice professionals.

Menu items featured products

produced in Kansas, in honor of

National Farm to School month, with

tributes to dairy, pork, beef, wheat and

corn producers. Photos of the menus

were posted on the USD 267 Nutrition

and Wellness Facebook and Instagram

social media accounts daily. Among

the most popular menu items were

fruited yogurt parfait, homemade

French garlic bread, homemade

focaccia buns, and the buffalo chicken

wrap.

The federally-funded National

See page 2

In recognition of National School Lunch Week and Farm to School Month, students were treated to a

presentation about where milk comes from and the importance of dairy in a well-balanced diet. The

Southwest Dairy Mobile Classroom visited all the district’s elementary schools.

Page 2 Distr ict News

We have also been utilizing

Career Cruising at the middle

and high schools. This program

will help identify student

interests, possible careers and

post-secondary opportunities,

and related scholarships. The

high schools introduced this

program to parents in the fall,

and will be sharing additional

data in the spring. Career

Cruising will assist in

developing and implementing

an Individual Plan of Study for

every student. I hope parents

found these programs and the

information they provided

helpful.

While the year seems to be

flying by, it has also been

extremely enjoyable. As an

administrator it is rewarding to

see teachers and students

implementing the vision

established by the Board of

Education. The Renwick CAN

Strategic Plan has driven

decisions the district is currently

implementing that are truly

making a difference in our

student’s lives.

It must be emphasized that all

the progress would not be

possible without the passion and

support patrons and parents

continue to show for the

education of our students.

Renwick is truly one of a kind.

Superintendent’s message (continued from page 1)

School Bus Safety

Week theme:

Stop on Red Failure to obey the law when a school bus’

flashing STOP arm is engaged continues to be the

most common violation committed by drivers. In

response, the theme for this year’s School Bus

Safety Week is “Stop on Red.” The week will

highlight this important message Oct. 16-20, while

School Bus Driver Appreciation Day will be

recognized Oct. 18.

A study conducted earlier this year in Kansas by

57 school districts found more than 9,900 drivers

committed stop violations during a 30-day period.

The study’s findings are reported in the graph on the

next page.

While Stop on Red will be stressed throughout

School Bus Safety Week, drivers are asked to

respond daily by sharing the road safely with our

district buses, and thanking our drivers.

“We can’t get students to and from school or

activities safely without these important public

servants,” Superintendent Tracy Bourne said.

School districts across the nation continue to face

a shortage of bus drivers, and Renwick is no

exception.

According to Bourne, the shortage directly impacts

students.

“The district must combine routes, which means

students are getting home later than they normally

would,” he said.

Anyone interested in becoming a bus driver to

help USD 267 and its students is asked to contact

the District Office at 444.2165.

School Lunch Program provides nutritionally balanced, healthy meals to

students every day. The program, which has been serving the nation’s

children more than 60 years, requires school meals to meet federal

nutrition standards.

USD 267 also arranged for nutrition and agriculture educational

events during this week. On Monday and Tuesday, the Southwest Dairy

Mobile Classroom taught the Elementary students where milk comes

from, along with the role dairy products play in a well-balanced diet.

Renwick FFA Chapter members assisted the mobile classroom speaker

and on Friday, the Andale High FFA members welcomed Vickie Winter

as a guest speaker. Vickie, and her husband Jeff, farm in the Andale area

with Jeff’s father. They have been active with the Sedgwick County

Farm Bureau, including serving on the Young Farmer’s and Ranchers

state committee. Vickie visited with the FFA students about the many

uses of cattle not only within our food chain, but in other daily products.

“Kansas farmers work hard to produce healthy, wholesome, and

nutritious foods for our school meals, and our talented school

foodservice staff creates some amazing dishes with their products for

our students to enjoy. I couldn’t think of a better way to acknowledge

both groups for all their hard work than by taking a week to celebrate

them,” said Foodservice Director Heidi Wells, RD, LD.

Farm to school week (continued from page 1)

Renwick FFA students assisted with the mobile classroom presentation.

Distr ict News Page 3

Source: Kansas State Department of Education

Page 4

October 2017

Donna Weninger

Andale High School 1989

Current occupation: Actuary at SCOR

Global Life Americas, a reinsurance

company.

What degree(s) have you received

since your graduation from Renwick and

what schools did you attend?

B.S. in Mathematics, Fort Hays

State University, 1993

M.A. in Mathematics, University of

Kansas, 1996

What do you enjoy the most about

your chosen profession?

Being a consulting actuary for nearly

20 years was the perfect blend of project

management, people management, and

technical actuarial work. Early in my

career (pre-kids!) I traveled quite a bit

and that was awesome. Moving over to

the reinsurance world has allowed me to

do the same type of work but with much

less stress and a better work/life

balance. Every day is a challenge (in a

good way).

Was there a teacher who made a

positive impact you or helped direct your

path when you were a Renwick student?

How did they inspire you?

I had so many exceptional teachers

while at Renwick. My grade school

teachers Mrs. Moon, Mr. Kerschen and

Mr. May were the absolute best as they

were passionate about what they were

doing and always challenged me. Of

course, my math teachers at the high

school, Mrs. Mounts and Mr. “Bear”

Schmidt, were great too.

Advice to current Renwick students

preparing for college?

Don’t be afraid to go beyond your

comfort zone and explore different

college and career choices. Look beyond

the traditional choices of KState/FHSU/

WSU and nurse/teacher/accountant.

There is nothing wrong with those

choices, just explore alternatives before

making a

decision.

Also, just

because

you choose

FHSU/

teacher

doesn’t

mean you

can’t end

up KU/

actuary.

What

difference

did Renwick make for you as a student?

Obviously my time at Renwick helped

me develop a love of sports. Seriously, I

think the high expectations — and the

winning tradition of our sports programs

— really brought out the work ethic in all

of us student athletes.

RENWICK made

Talking is Teaching is a joint initiative

between the Clinton Foundation and the

Opportunity Institute to promote the

importance of early brain and language

development to build strong readers.

Diane Simon, USD 267 librarian, said

Talking is Teaching communicates the an

important message to parents.

“It reminds us that the path to reading

with confidence begins with everyday

conversations, stories and songs that

parents and caregivers share with

children,” she said. “Parents need to

engage in language-rich interactions

during everyday routines to promote early

literacy.”

The program provides research-based

resources, which are available to parents

through its website:

talkingisteaching.org/resources/literacy.

Following are a few tips found on the

website:

Start young—Talk naturally about

everyday events during feeding,

bathing and getting dressed.

Read a book every day.

Cuddle with your child when you

read.

Point to the pictures in the book and

ask what they see or describe what

you see.

Sing a song at bedtime — do this

every night.

Sing silly songs about your day

For more examples how to engage

with your child, visit the website.

Talking is Teaching tips maximize reading benefits

Do you know someone who is Renwick

Made? Help us share their story by emailing

anne.maxwell@usd267.com.