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It is hard to believe that the first quarter is rapidly coming to an end with the last day being October 10th. If you have not yet done so, please take time to check with your child/children on their academic progress. If you have concerns please contact their teacher ASAP. You can also check on the school website by going to Infinite Campus to view your child’s academic status. If you are having difficulty in finding their grades online, please call the school office for assistance. It is very important for students to finish the first quarter strong. Academic success early in the year lays the foundation for a great academic year of progress. Hay Springs students are blessed with staff members that truly care about their success and have high expectations for your students. With parents and teachers working together to support student learning great things can happen. Once again we are offering the ASP (After School Program) for elementary students and the Friday School Program for struggling middle level and high school students. This is a tremendous opportunity for students to receive extra help, but it takes parent cooperation and extra effort to get your students to and from these extra learning activities.

Please keep the academic lines of communication open between you, your child and your child/children’s teachers. Know that the staff of Hay Springs school’s number one concern is for the academic progress of our students. Parent-teacher’s conferences are re-scheduled for October 24th from 4:15 to 8:00 pm. Please put this date on your calendars as it will be your opportunity to visit with your child/children’s teachers to discuss academic accomplishments and challenges and plan a strategy to best support your child’s success in school.

In the area of school finance, the board conducted a budget workshop where I reviewed the 2018-19 receipts, expenditures and levies and projections for 2019-20 school year. After meeting with auditor to review 2019-20 budget, tax request and levy projections the Budget Hearing and Tax Request and Levy Hearing were held on September 9th, 2019.
The budget of expenditures, tax request and levy approved by the board are as follows:

• 2019-20 General Fud Budget of Expenditures of $3,648,501.00
• 2019-20 General Fund Tax Request of $1,737,374.00, an amount of $33,947.11 lower than in 2018-19 at a Levy of $ .999717 as compared to $1.020115 in 2018-19

We did however add a Special Building Fund Tax Request of $34,343.00 with w levy of $ .019762

The budget has been submitted to the NDE and tax request information has been forwarded to County officials. Currently along with the day to day financial records the office staff is busy preparing for the audit of 2018-19 financial records.

It has been a very busy first seven weeks of school with numerous school activities. Our sports team are suddenly looking at the downhill side of their sports seasons. It is time to build on our successes and dedicate ourselves to a strong finish to the season. Best of luck to all student athletes and their coaches for a rewarding finish.

The students and staff were very involved in a very successful Homecoming week activities that was enjoyed by all participating. There is nothing like small town spirt and support for our youth. Thank you to everyone who in any way supports our school’s activities. The next generation is our future, and they learn from the manner in which we support each other and conduct our lives. As we move through the year, please remember to keep up to date on school activities by regularly checking the school website.

As I look at the academic efforts of our staff and students I am reminded of the Mission, and Vision of our Hay Springs School, Staff and Board of Education.

Mission Statement
The Mission of Hay Springs Schools in cooperation with families and community, is to empower students within an emotionally supportive and physically safe environment with the academic, social, physical and technological skills to achieve success as responsible, self-disciplined citizens of a global society.

Vision Statement
“Empower Students to Achieve Lifelong Success.”

We are beginning the second year of school improvement, so are near the mid-point for the next five-year cycle. The Hay Springs School Improvement Committee will be meeting on a monthly basis and has collected and analyzed data from a community perceptions survey to identify some areas of improvement over the past year and some areas where we need to continue to strive for improvement. Our School Improvement committee is again lead by Co-chairpersons Mrs. Mintken and Mrs. Young, along with other staff, community members and members of the Board of Education will continue to plan for professional development of our staff and academic progress for our students.

Other activities that the Hay Spring staff have been involved in include:

• Our PBIS (Positive Behavior Intervention Support) team who attended training this past summer with NDE in Lincoln have been sharing their knowledge as we continue to work toward creating a positive environment for our students and staff.
• Our “Beef to Hot Lunch” program had a great start in 2018-19 and I want to thank everyone involved in supporting this great program. We are now accepting donations for beef for the program this year, so if you are interested in supporting this fantastic program contact the school or a member of the board of education.
• We continue to conduct Administrative team meetings weekly to review activities, requisitions, and School Improvement.
• I attended the ESU#13 administrative meeting and concluded the day by attending the NASB Area Membership workshop, which was also attended by Mrs. Marx and Mr. David Russell.
• In an effort to enhance our career education learning opportunities, and provide additional opportunities for students to learn the students at Hay Springs High School I am teaching an Introduction to Agriscience and an Agribusiness Management class. This along with the Vet Science, Welding and Construction classes offered by Mrs. Young and Mr. Badje respective provide us to meet the requirements to establish an FFA Chapter at Hay Springs High School. We have received approval of our Chapter application and so have elected FFA officers and a busy getting basic forms completed so we can be involved in the District #12 and State Agriscience and FFA activities. We continue to offer the opportunity to participate in the Health Professional Club which promotes health career exploration. Ms. Lein and FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) are in their third year at Hay Springs school.
• We continue to improve School Safety & Security with the addition of elementary playground fence and we continue to stress of entering the building through the main door only

In closing I would like to thank the Hay Springs staff, students, and community members for kicking the first two months of school off to a great start. This community is blessed to have an educational system with a very dedicated staff, and the school is blessed to have tremendous community support. Together we can:

“Empower Students to Achieve Lifelong Success.”