FROM THE PRINCIPAL

REGISTRATION:

Registration for the 2020-2021 school year begins this month.  This is earlier than in the past, so please pay attention to all the information we've been sending regarding new and returning students. There more information on our website and on the "From the School & Office" page of this newsletter. Please be sure you are aware of procedures and deadlines.

MODIFIED ATTENDANCE DAY FOR TESTING:

As another modified contact day is upon us on Friday, December 6th, I wanted to take a moment to tell you about the purpose of these days. Jefferson County Schools allow for 4 modified contact days each school year giving teachers additional time and attention for assessing individual students. Leawood schedules two of these days in August to assess where students come into their learning at the start of the school year. We choose to do the other days one in December and one in May. On these days, teachers will be assessing reading levels and other assessments that they deem pertinent to guide the instruction for your child. Not all students will be tested this month. If you are new to Leawood and missed our beginning assessment days, you will likely be requested a time. We may also request a parent/teacher conference, either because we were not able to schedule one in October, or because we have further concerns we need to address. You should have already received more information and the signup coming from your child's teacher. If not, reach out directly to your teacher with any questions. Thank you for allowing us this time getting to know more about the learning of your student.

Our Attitude of Gratitude

As we enter the holiday season, I would like to take a moment to say thank you. I am constantly amazed by what our community can do when we work together to support our children. Thank you to our teachers and paraprofessionals for your dedication and honest love of children and this profession. Thank you to our support staff: cafeteria, office, and custodial staff, for the way you care for our kids and all you do to keep our school running smoothly. Thank you to our students for bringing your joy and love of learning with you every day. Thank you to our musicians and artists for their gifts – the band and orchestra with Mr Whaylen, the choir and performances with Mrs Turner, the Art Club with Mrs Wheeler, the team sports and other activities with Mr Gonzales, and all the other special events and creations that adorn our hallways which remind us of the importance of the arts in our world. Thank you for our healthy schools attitude and our staff and families committed to our new Garden and Wellness Initiatives. Thank you to our PTSA and volunteers for your boundless positive energy and “can-do” spirit. Thank you to our parents for instilling the value of a good education and entrusting your children to us. Thank you to our Jeffco community for trusting that our children are our greatest asset, and that we must invest our time, energy and resources for their future!

On behalf of the staff, we wish all of our Leawood Family a very restful, peaceful and joy filled holiday season. Try to find some time to spend with family and friends doing those simple and special activities that make memories. Baking, sledding, crafts, building a snowman, and reading seasonal stories are all moments that we hold dear to our hearts as we grow. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Joyous Kwanzaa to all of our families. 

Be sure to check the bottom of this page for the many upcoming December events. We look forward to seeing you at all of our great events. For lots more information, be sure to check out our website at www.leawoodlions.us  and like us on Facebook HERE

For a full list of school events, click for our 2019-20 School Calendar

We will see you in 2020!!! Stay warm and safe.

Fondly,

Mrs. Martha Shehan

martha.shehan@jeffco.k12.co.us 

Student Based Budgeting in Jeffco Schools 

Beginning in the 2015/2016 school year, our District moved from a ratio-based staffing allocation model to a student based dollar allocation model. The new system is called Student Based Budgeting or SBB. The move to SBB was driven by educational best practices being implemented across the country which aligns with the local desire for more site-based decision making. The benefits of SBB include:

1. Site-based decisions for staffing and spending to best meet the needs of the specific students being served in each school.

2. School level autonomy and flexibility to align resources to the school improvement plan and to deliver the best student achievement results possible.

3. Distribution of the majority of school level resources to the school instead of a small discretionary allocation of operational dollars.

The intent of the SBB model is to ensure a transparent, predictable, consistent, fair, and equitable distribution of funding. School budgeting has not been fundamentally adjusted for many years in a way that addressed changing priorities, needs, goals, and individual school populations. As a school principal, I am now able to make collaborative site-based decisions for staffing and spending. The goal is to give schools more autonomy and flexibility to better align resources for individual school needs. In the next couple of months, our School Accountability Committee (SAC) will be very involved in this process. In January, we work collaboratively with staff and accountability to gather recommendations regarding budget priorities. This is an important step in the budget development process that aligns with district policy “prior to the adoption of the school budget for the upcoming school year, the SAC will provide recommendations to the principal on school priorities for spending school moneys.” If you are interested in this process or have any other questions, feel free to contact me. 

MARK YOUR CALENDARS:

• Tuesday, December 3rd, 6:30-8pm: Preschool Parent Night in the Library.  This is for new and returning preschool parents to find out more about Leawood and the registration process for 2020-21.

• Thursday, December 5th, 6:30-8pm: Incoming Kindergarten Parent Night in the Library.  This is for new, incoming Kindergarten parents to find out more about Leawood's Kindergarten program and the registration process for 2020-21.

• Friday, December 6th: Modified Day for Testing - school by appointment only

• Saturday, December 7th, 10am-2pm: Children's Holiday Workshop. Thanks to our PTSA and the many volunteers who put this together each year. What a wonderful Leawood tradition. We can still use some help with prep and day of volunteers. Look for the signup on the PTSA page of this newsletter. Hope to see you there!

• Thursday, December 12th, 4-8pm, Barnes and Noble Night Fundraiser: This has become a new fun tradition at Leawood. We'll have artwork on display, and teachers and staff reading their favorite holiday stories. Leawood earns a percentage of all purchases that night, so come do some shopping, visit with friends, and have some fun while supporting our Leawood PTSA.

• Wednesday, December 18th, 6:30pm: Choir Concert

• Thursday, December 19th - December Wall of Pride Lunch

• Friday, December 20th - Holiday Classroom Parties: Sign up to help or bring something HERE

• Holiday Break: December 23rd - January 3rd

• Monday, January 6th - Students Return