🎥 Staff Spotlight 🎥
https://youtu.be/ziFG8zDFbQw
In this episode of Staff Spotlight, Raymore-Peculiar School District Superintendent, Dr. Mike Slagle, chats with David Perkins. David is the Lead Custodian at the LEAD Center.
Congratulations to all of our Teacher and Support Staff Employee of the Year nominees!
Our 2024 Teacher of the Year is Monica Crabtree, 5th grade teacher at Peculiar Elementary!
Our 2024 Support Staff Employee of the Year is Colleen Warchola, Kitchen Manager at Timber Creek Elementary!
Ray-Pec Learning Lens is back with another episode! 🎥
https://youtu.be/j_Rt2Z1enps
When we say that our mission is to Prepare EACH student for a successful and meaningful life, we mean EACH student. Check out how the Transition Skills program helps prepare students with disabilities for life after high school. To learn more about the Transition program, visit our website here: raypec.org/page/special-services
Special Olympics Basketball crushed it at State!
We had an amazing weekend of basketball in St. Louis and appreciate all the support. Our Unified Partner 3 on 3 teams ended up playing each other for medals!
Names of athletes/unified partners in pictures left to right:
1️⃣ Team in Yellow - earned Silver 🥈:
Phoebe Benson (Unified Partner), Emery Vaughan (Unified Partner), Kendalynn Torrance, Liam Lambertz, Owen Vanzandt, Owen Vaughan
Team in Black - earned Bronze 🥉:
Mallory Anderson, Sabrina Peek, Carter Nussbeck, Grant Hornbeck (Unified Partner)
2️⃣ Team in Yellow - Earned Gold 🥇:
BreAunna Ruiz, Trey Gethers, Elijah George, Caleb Nelson
Team in Black - Earned Silver 🥈:
Shawn Hunt, Dustin Haning, Ryan Hilliard (Unified Partner), J'Qwan Blackmon, Jag Davis
3️⃣ Mia Benson got the Gold 🥇 in Individual wheelchair skills!
If you’ve driven past Peculiar Elementary School this week, you may have noticed excavation work under way at the corner of Third Street and South Street.
This corner of the school property is being developed as a pickleball court that will be available for use by students, staff, and patrons. The project is a partnership between the school district, the Peculiar Charitable Foundation, and the City of Peculiar.
The Ray-Pec School Board approved donating approximately 0.48 acre of land on the school’s site to the Peculiar Charitable Foundation. The foundation is paying to construct the courts.
The school and school district have the first right of usage for the courts, and signage posted at the courts will indicate when the court is available for public use. Parking for the pickleball court will be allowed on the 12 southern parking stalls, and signage will be posted at those stalls.
Registration for pre-kindergarten programs also begins today, Friday, March 15. Children who will be 4 years old before Aug. 1, 2024, and who reside in the Ray-Pec School District, may register for classes at Shull Early Learning Center.
For information, and to RSVP, go to the Shull website: raypec.org/o/selc/page/program-information
Kindergarten registration for the 2024-2025 school year begins today, Friday, March 15.
If your child will be 5 years old by Aug. 1, 2024, see information about kindergarten registration and screening: raypec.org/page/kindergarten-registration
As you register, you will select a time and date for an in-person screening appointment. Screening dates vary by school.
We are celebrating our School Board all month!
Meet Board Member Paul Coffman.
He was first elected to the Board in April 2017 and is currently serving his third term. He was attracted to Board service because he enjoys putting people in a position to succeed.
"Both of my parents were school teachers, and I saw everything they did to put students in a position to succeed. Serving on the Board is a way for me to help put teachers in a position to succeed.”
"My four children graduated from Ray-Pec and were blessed by the opportunities and encouragement they received at Ray-Pec. I don’t have children currently attending school, so I think I can look at the big picture to help provide opportunities for all students and their activities.”
Thank you, Paul Coffman, for your dedicated service to our District!
Congratulations to Harrisonville 7th grader Mariah Coffey on winning the Cass County Spelling Bee that took place at Ray-Pec on this morning!
Mariah qualifies to compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C., later this spring. Mariah also won the Cass County Spelling Bee in 2023 and represented Cass County at the national event. Runner-up was 7th grader Henry Laffoon from the Belton School District.
Other participants:
🖤💛Helen Van Arkel, 8th grader, Raymore-Peculiar School District
William Henley, 5th grader, Pleasant Hill School District
Zeke Needham, 5th grader, Midway School District
Abigail Forgett, 4th grader, Archie School District
Our School Board celebration continues!
Meet Board Vice President Deanna Olson.
She was elected to the Board in April 2021. "I wanted to be a part of the district and have a voice in guiding the vision of the place that both my husband and I graduated from and where our kids are going to graduate from. Our district and board was doing great things and I wanted to add to it.”
What is Deanna's "why" for serving on the Board?
“I serve on the board because I am vested in our district and want to see us continue to expand and offer more choices to our kids to prepare them the best we can for life. I am so proud of all the ways we have expanded our options for every student to take advantage of!”
Thank you, Deanna, for your dedicated service to our District!
🎵 March is Music in Our Schools Month! 🏫🎉
It's time to celebrate the incredible impact of music education and give a standing ovation to the teachers who make it all possible! 🎶📚
As a part of their Collaboration Day activities, K-12 PE Teachers participated in a hands-on training from the United States Tennis Association (USTA) at Eagle Glen Elementary this morning. They worked together to practice engaging new strategies for incorporating the manipulative skills and movement patterns within tennis into their classrooms and beyond as a demonstration of lifelong wellness. Following their participation in the training, each building will also receive equipment from USTA to use to incorporate their new learning. 🎾
🎥 Staff Spotlight! 🎥
In this episode of Staff Spotlight, Raymore-Peculiar School District Superintendent, Dr. Mike Slagle, chats with Rachel McClain. Rachel is an art teacher at South Middle School.
Art is not only her teaching field, it is one of Rachel's passions in life. Listen to her describe the importance of bringing the art experience to middle schoolers, and how this role helps build dreams for her students.
https://youtu.be/dF_RWFVVXWk?si=SxJ5Rx5j28Vc_mhZ
Construction Update! 👷
The Performing Arts Center is getting closer and closer every day! Take a look at some of our most recent pictures! 🤩
We're continuing our month-long celebration of our School Board!
Meet Board Member Patty Phillips.
Patty Phillips took the oath of office during a special meeting on June 20, 2023. She was selected to fill an unexpired term that became vacant when Ashley Jones resigned from the Board. She was appointed to serve until the next Board election in April 2024.
Patty said her reasons for serving on the Board echo the Ray-Pec mission statement: To prepare each student for a successful and meaningful life.
“As a pediatric nurse practitioner, I’ve dedicated my entire professional career to children and families. I love being able to serve as a school board member to also help not only children and families but also teachers and staff.”
Thank you, Patty Phillips, for your dedicated service to our District!
We are celebrating our School Board all month!
Meet Board Member Carol Barnes.
Carol worked for the District for 30 years, retiring in 2017, before being elected to the Board in April 2022.
“My ‘Why’ is to ensure that our students have the skills they need to successfully transition to the next level of learning and beyond. Beginning at the elementary level, our children need a strong foundation in language, social, motor, and emotional development to ensure positive academic outcomes. Faculty and staff, our ‘Dream Makers.’ need to feel safe, valued, and supported as they educate and guide our children on their journey.”
Thank you, Carol Barnes, for your dedicated service to our District!
The Ray-Pec Council of PTAs wants to recognize the amazing volunteers across our district with the Ray-Pec Volunteer of the Year award.
Any volunteer may be nominated for the award. Nominees and finalists for the VoTY award will be notified using the contact information you provide. All finalists will be individually recognized, and a winner announced, during the Volunteer of the Year presentation and reception at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 23, in the Board Room at the Ray-Pec Academy. Please complete the nomination form by March 23: https://forms.gle/qiuXrGPjw7gUwT6d8
Congratulations to the February Students of the Month at Ray-Pec South Middle School!
Front (left to right): Austin Wimsatt, Morgan Burks, Katelin Powell, Brantly Davies, Rose Siegenthaler
2nd row: Reece Rives, Shane Roe, Taylor Godsy, Hailey Morrow, Parker Zaner, Camryn Wills
Back: Sean Taylor, Noah Varnal, Anna Eggers, Adyson Croswhite, Haley Myers, Brody Alford
Not pictured: Alissa Thompson
It's School Board Recognition Month, and you can be sure we are celebrating! 🎉
Each week, we will introduce one or two Board members. First up is Board President Ruth Johnson!
Ruth was first elected to the Board in April 2011 and is currently serving her fifth term. She was attracted to Board service because she wanted to help the community be better.
“My ‘why’ is to help make sure the next generation has access to what they will need to be successful. What education looks like is constantly evolving, yet stays the same. It’s about having great teachers to make those connections to the students and the proper programming.”
Thank you, Ruth Johnson, for your dedicated service to our District!
Through the Eyes of a 6th Grader 👀
https://youtu.be/bWGC7bzwVMs
The transition from elementary to middle school is a big deal! Hear what some of our sixth graders have to say about life in middle school. 🏫
