Elsberry R-II School District

We are so blessed to have all our students adopted each year by the Adopt a Classroom project organized by Jessica Boedeker and Megan Lavy. Every student in preschool through fourth grade had a book to unwrap due to their generosity. This project would not be possible without the support of numerous individuals, organizations, and businesses throughout the community. Thanks for putting our students on your Christmas list.

We are excited to announce Mr.s Harman's latest news. Rural Schools Collaborative is excited to announce the 2024-25 Grants in Place Fellow Awardees. The Grants in Place Fellows Program is offered annually to rural classroom teachers who teach in school districts that are located in one of Rural Schools Collaborative's 17 Regional Hubs service areas. Each 2025 Fellow will lead impactful projects that strengthen ties between their classrooms and local communities. The program provides grant funding to support their Place-Based Education initiatives, professional development opportunities for the educators, and spotlights their projects during the 2025 Celebration of Learning. Rural Schools Collaborative is honored to champion these outstanding teachers as they bring meaningful, Place-Based Education initiatives to life in their schools and communities. Carolyn Harman is an English and ELL teacher at Elsberry High School with 21 years of experience in education. She teaches a diverse range of subjects, including dual credit courses through Missouri Baptist University, AP English, and Yearbook. Carolyn will lead students in her project, Global Stories and Local Voices, engaging in an immersive study of universal themes from world literature. Students will analyze how concepts such as identity, belonging, justice, love, and conflict are portrayed in the texts they read and contrast these themes within their own community. Through the lens of global literature, students will identify connections to local issues, history, and cultural traditions. By researching, interviewing community members, and documenting local stories, they will uncover how universal themes intersect with their own lives. The culmination of this exploration will be a documentary film that blends their analysis of world literature with stories from their town. Students will use visual storytelling to highlight shared human experiences, weaving together global literary narratives with local voices. This project will not only deepen their understanding of literature but also amplify community stories, offering a unique intersection of academic insight and creative expression.

Mark your calendars for Parent Summit! Thursday, January 16, 2025

Christmas Break is almost here! Check the image for more details.

All bus routes will return to normal this afternoon, Wednesday, December 4.

Did you NOT get any messages from school this week? We have sent parents a phone call, text message, and email. If you did not receive those communications please contact the office to verify we have the most current information on file. If you did not get a text message make sure you have not opted out. To reactivate text messages you will need to text "Start" to 989-00 This is the same system that will be utilized for snow day cancellations and/or early releases.

The Elsberry R-2 School District will be utilizing snow routes again on Wednesday, December 4. Snow route information is posted on the website and in the attached image. Please contact Paul LaBanca at 636-318-5363 if you have any concerns about your road or have further questions about your bus stop. https://www.elsberryschools.com/page/bus-routes

Snow Routes will be used again for afternoon transportation, today, Tuesday, December 3. Updated Snow Routes are pictured and are available on the website: https://www.elsberryschools.com/page/bus-routes

The Elsberry R-2 School District will be utilizing snow routes on Tuesday, December 3. Snow route information will be emailed to parents. They are also posted on the website. Please contact Paul LaBanca at 636-318-5363 if you have any concerns about your road or have further questions about your bus stop. https://www.elsberryschools.com/page/bus-routes

If children don’t show up for school regularly, they miss out on fundamental reading and math skills and the chance to build a habit of good attendance that will carry them into college and careers. Preliminary data from a California study found that children who were chronically absent in kindergarten and 1st grade were far less likely to read proficiently at the end of 3rd grade.

🚌 We are hiring! If you have questions about becoming a bus driver for the Elsberry R-2 School District please contact our transportation director, Paul LaBanca at plabanca@elsberry.k12.mo.us. If you are ready to apply go to: https://www.elsberryschools.com/page/human-resources

Reminder, school will be in session Monday, November 25 and Tuesday, November 26. No school November 27-29 for Thanksgiving Break. Classes resume Tuesday, December 3.

Calling all alumni! We need players for the alumni game this weekend , Saturday, November 23 at Winfield. We are short for the over 40 category and the ladies team. Recruit your classmates and let Kari Koch-Dowell know you will be there.

Come support operation backpack and cheer for all of our basketball players at Red and White Night! Saturday at 5 p.m. Admission is a donation to our operation backpack program. The most requested items are single serve containers of kid friendly food such as poptarts, mac and cheese cups, ramen, Chef Boyardee and hot or cold cereal packs. Thanks for supporting both great causes.

Elsberry R-2 School District School Board of Education Filing Information FIRST DAY FOR CANDIDATE FILING: DECEMBER 10, 2024 at 8:00 a.m. THE LAST DAY FOR CANDIDATE FILING: DECEMBER 31, 2024, AT 5:00 p.m. Those interested may file with the Elsberry R-II Central Office at 138 Tomahawk Dr. Please follow the link for the public notice and more information. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vOVm3E2hrUApGwccINGjajBZSuG4iH_3Ij76XciLlY4/edit?usp=sharing

Showing up to school every day is important for student’s well-being, and provides them with opportunities to learn, achieve and to reach for their dreams. Make sure to send your children to school if they are generally healthy and well and are participating in usual day to day activities. If you don’t know whether to send your child to school, or have specific concerns regarding your child’s health, please make sure to contact your child’s healthcare provider, a local urgent care or the school nurse.

Battle of 79! EHS vs. Winfield at Winfield Saturday, November 23 Alumni Game starts at 1:00 p.m., Varsity Girls start at 2:30 p.m., Varsity Boys play last EHS Alumni register with Kari Koch Dowell: kkoch-dowell@elsberry.k12.mo.us WHS Alumni register with Trent Crenshaw:trentcrenshaw@winfieldriv.k12.mo.us

If you or a loved one are joining us for our Veterans Day celebration on Friday, November 8 please pass this info along. Thank you Elsberry Student Council for organizing this annual event. -Please arrive after 8:15 a.m. at the elementary doors -Students will be brought from their classrooms to join Veterans -Breakfast will be served in the cafeteria -Assembly in the EHS gym at 9:15 a.m.

Our A.L.P. program organized a school wide mock election today. Students from kindergarten all the way to seniors voted in the mock election. A.L.P. students served as poll workers throughout the day checking in voters, assisting voters, and distributing stickers. If your student makes it home with an “I Voted” sticker please check it out. Fun fact, it was designed by one of our EMS students, Hunter Heitman. His sticker won the sticker contest last year and will be available for adults in Lincoln County on election day as well. Hopefully all of our students learned something about the election process today.

We are hiring! Would you like to work a school schedule and have summers off? Would you like to work with teachers and students? We are looking for a paraprofessional to join our special education team. Follow the link to get to the application. https://www.elsberryschools.com/page/human-resources Email special education director Jill Koch at jkoch@elsberry.k12.mo.us if you have questions about the position or to submit your application.