The newest Power Panther newsletter for elementary students is now available. Check it our here!

We are moving into the time of the year when we will see more student illness. For this reason, it is important to remind our patrons about the policy concerning illness and school attendance. In the fall of 2009, the school board approved certain policies regarding fever in students.  If a student is determined to have a fever at school, that student will be sent home and needs to remain out of school until the student is free of fever for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication such as Acetaminophen (Tylenol) or Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin).  This also applies if parents discover their child has a fever at home outside of school hours. Fever is only one criteria for determining that a child is ill, but it is a crucial one in determining that a child may have an illness that is contagious and more serious than a common cold. We ask that parents adhere to this policy and not send students back to school too soon. For more information see the "From the School Nurse" page under the district tab.

If your student is absent from school for any reason, a phone call or note from a parent or guardian is required for the absence to be an excused absence.  If your student needs to leave school early and will be driving themselves OR be picked up by someone other than a parent or guardian, you will need to call the school in advance for the student to leave early with that person.

Parents--Please make sure you have an updated, active email address on file in the high school office.  This will ensure that you receive correspondence with staff members.  Thank you!

We know there are lots of photographers out in the community who snap great shots of our kids in action. With Replayit.com you can upload photos and videos that Jostens team will screen for appropriateness and then the Year book team will be able to access them and decide if to include them in the printed publication.

Sign up at Replayit.com or download the App!

The HS JV Boys and HS JV Girls Basketball Tournaments were combined and played on Saturday, February 7, 2015.  There will not be a HS JV Girls Tournament on Saturday, February 28, 2015.

On Thursday, February 19th , the Spanish II classes from South Haven and Douglass had a Spanish II class with a school from Laredo , Texas. The class from Laredo had thirty native speakers and it was an amazing opportunity to have  this collaborative session !!  The day was devoted to talking about people and places of the Hispanic world. South Haven and Douglass began the hour with their presentations  of  travel brochures to Hispanic destinations followed by Laredo’s presentations of famous Hispanic actors.  Mrs. Pacheco , teacher of the Laredo students said that the session was extremely successful and they would like to collaborate again soon!! Congratulations to the South Haven and Douglass  students for their fine speaking of the language in this setting.

But we have one more week.  Can you send some to the school to make it a few hundred more?  Turn your trash into the school's cash!

Thanks!

ryaningram.pdf

At a special board meeting on Monday, February 16, the Board of Education voted 7-0 to hire Lynn Archer as the superintendent of South Haven USD 509 beginning July 1, 2015. Ms. Archer was offered a two-year contract. Ms. Archer is currently the PreK-12 Principal of the school. Congratulations, Ms. Archer!

Congratulations to Maddox, Reese and Will for representing our school in a positive way.  We appreciate you!

We find ourselves in very challenging times in Kansas public education as we experience lower state general fund revenues than projected for the 2014-15 year. Seven months into this fiscal year, state receipts are $65 million less for FY 2015 than for FY 2014. The 2014-15 budget was projected to have receipts that are $116 million more than FY 2014. That puts us $181 million further in the red for FY 2015 than predicted. A legislative response to the present shortfall is SB 71 which will cut LOB state aide by $39 million. SB 71 will cut South Haven’s LOB state aide in the middle of this year by $25,494. To make matters worse, Governor Brownback just came out with a 1.5% allotment plan to cut 2014-15 district general fund budgets by $28 million. That would be a $16,222 cut for USD 509. The result of these two actions is a reduction of our 2014-15 budget by a total of $41,716. Obviously, this cut will create significant challenges for this year and creates real uncertainty for next year.

Once again, Kansas schools are facing mid-year cuts that don’t allow for any planning and put district finances at risk. What should concern patrons most is that budget projections for 2015-16 predict deeper deficits than what we are seeing in 2014-15. With the expectation of these deeper deficits, how can districts expect anything other than further budget cuts for FY 2016? Unfortunately, USD 509 is facing higher costs for 2015-16 as demonstrated by an increase in special education assessments totaling more than $36,000. This increase accounts for a 48% increase in special education assessments from FY14 to FY16. Such an increase is common around the state as state aide for special education has dropped from 92% to 75% of costs. Education funding will always be political and relies on district patrons communicating their support of education with their legislators. Please take the time to send an email or letter to Senator Steve Abrams and Representative Kasha Kelley expressing your support for properly funding public education. Their contact information is on the front page of our website. Thank you.  - John Showman, Superintendent USD 509

The senior class is having an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast for the entire school and community in the north gym commons on Wednesday, March 4, with serving starting at 7:30 AM. The breakfast includes unlimited flying pancakes, sausage and orange drink or coffee. Yes, that's right - THE PANCAKES CAN BE FLIPPED TO YOU! If you are 18 or older, be daring and put the plate on your head, and the pancakes will be flipped on the plate. There will be turtle pancakes, pancakes with mouse ears, and more! Cost of the breakfast is $5.00 for students, and $6.00 for adults.

The seniors want all students to be able to take part in the fun, so if necessary they will find a "Cardinal Buddy" to adopt your student(s) and pay the fee. Also, we hope parents, grandparents, and the community will come eat with the kids. The pancakes will be made and flipped at a fast pace to get all through the line quickly. It may take longer if you try to break one of the pancake eating records, which are 72 pancakes for male or 48 for female!

You may pay in advance or pay- at the door. Advance payment would be appreciated, so the seniors know how many to prepare for. Make checks payable to USD 509, and send to the school - Attn: Senior breakfast.. If you wish to adopt some of our students so they may participate in the breakfast, please make that known to any senior sponsor or Mrs. Archer in the school office. Thanks for helping the seniors raise money for their senior trip!

Homecoming Candidates Back Row (L to R): Parker Ray, Deborah Morrison, Lucas Harris, Essence Ratslaff, Lane Morgan, Jennifer Grado-Leon, Garrett Bacon  Front Row: 1st Grade Attendants: Landon Cullens, Kelloy Theurer

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Please send all your collections now!!!

Thanks!

South Haven Schools is participating in The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's School & Youth Programs! Funds raised through programs like School & Youth enable the discovery and delivery of therapies that improve the quality of life for patients. From 2000 through 2013, almost 40 percent of new anti-cancer drugs were FDA-approved for blood cancer patients -- more first-ever approvals than for any other group of cancers -- and many of these were advanced with funding from LLS.

You may make an online tax-deductible donation and credit it to South Haven Schools by following this link. Thank you for helping us reach our goal for Pennies for Patients.

Help us by sending these to the school instead of into the trash:

Used markers (permanent and dry erase) and pens

BoxTops

Campbells

Best Choice (upc codes and receipts from any store that sells Best Choice products)

Tyson

Old cell phones and ink cartridges

Little Bites wrappers

Coke point rewards

This list can change as we find other offers, so please keep checking back and send in frequently so our time doesn't expire on the products

THANKS!!!

(Send them with a student or to Melinda Byers)

To sign up for Parents Online, please call Carla in the High School Office at 620-892-5215 X2.  Parents Online and Students Online is a web tool designed for parents and students to access student information online.  Information included is:  Attendance, Behavior, Calendar, Fees, Grade Card, Immunizations, Personal, Progress Reports, Schedule, Transcript, and Community Service.

PARENTS--You may now access your student(s) meal account online or by using an iPhone.  This is a view only program.  Due to the cost, we are not utilizing the online payment features.  Parents will be able to use this program or app to view your family meal transactions and balance.  The documents below explain the registration process.  If you choose to use this program or app, you will need to call Carla in the high school office to receive the Patron ID of your student(s).  Phone Number:  620-892-5215 X2

EZSchoolPay Registration

EZSchoolPay How To Guide

Click here for a map to the school.

Representative Kasha Kelley
Kansas House Dist. 79
PO Box 1111
Arkansas City, KS 67005
316-772-0513
Kasha@kansasleadership.com
or
Kansas State Capitol
300 SW 10th Ave, 
Room 459-W
Topeka, KS 66612
Phone: 785-296-7671
kasha.kelley@house.ks.gov

Senator Steve Abrams
Kansas Senate District 32
6964 252nd Road
Arkansas City, KS 67005
620-442-8619 or 620-442-8804
sabrams@hit.net 
or
Kansas State Capitol
300 SW 10th Ave
Room 224-E
Topeka, KS 66612
785-296-7381
Steve.Abrams@senate.ks.gov