Our Focus: Your Student's Success



Lawrence High's Baseball Team won the Class 6A Kansas State Championship. Congratulations, Head Coach Brad Stoll, Assistant Coaches Adam Green, Chris Johnson, Brandon Johnson, Ron Garvin and Brett Hothan; Varsity Team Members Landon Moseley, Andy Urban, Chase McElhaney, Devin Forio, Taylor Gentry, Chris Parker, Clint Pinnick, Mitch Whitson, Albert Minnis, Lance Kilburn, Tanner Kilmer, Tyler Bailey, Aaron Rea, Ben Wyatt, Dorian Green, Jack Bush, Jake Green, Jake Johnson, Alex Laughlin; and Managers Drew Branstrom and Ross Engle.

Free State High's Girls' Swimming and Diving Team are 2009 Kansas State Champions! Congratulations, Head Coach Annette McDonald, Assistant Coach Brittanie Williams and team members Heather Clark, Morgan Flannigan, Reilly Moore, Dianna Torgerson, Chloe Portela, Molly Albrecht, Kara Mishler, Adriane Black, Mariah Finley and Kayla Hedges.

Lawrence High's Amelia Weil (dramatic interpretation), Hannah Lusk (Lincoln–Douglas debate), Alex Hyler (Student Congress) and Carina Fowler (humorous interpretation) qualified to compete at the National Forensics Tournament this summer in Alabama.

Lawrence High seniors Doug Speight and Andres Ramos placed third at the National Forensics League district debate qualifier and will compete this summer at nationals.

The Roger Hill Volunteer Center recognized Sarah Stern, Free State senior, with its Wallace Galluzzi Outstanding Youth Volunteer of the Year Award.

Lawrence High's Robert Knight, senior, placed third and won $250 at the State Constitution Bee.

SchoolTube gave Langston Hughes Elementary national recognition by designating it the Featured School of The Day and an example of a school that excels at using video to enrich~students' learning experiences.

Central Junior High students Katherine Marshall-Kramer and Sally Carttar competed at the National and International Yoga Asana Championships.

Free State High's McKean Parker, Skylar King and Drew Burkart qualified for the Business Professionals of America National Leadership Conference.

Trei Dudley, Central Junior High freshman, is the Lawrence Boys and Girls Club Youth of the Year and the Kansas Boys and Girls Clubs of America Youth of the Year. She will compete this summer in regional competition.

Lawrence High seniors Sara Fevurly and Samantha Summers won national awards in the 2008 Walsworth/Quill and Scroll Yearbook Excellence Contest.

The White House Commission on Presidential Scholars and the United States Department of Education selected two Free State High School seniors, Ruth Byers and Elizabeth Murray, as candidates for the United States Presidential Scholars Program.

Lawrence High's Graffiti Magazine received a superior rating in the NCTE's Program to Recognize Excellence in Student Literary Magazines.

The Siemens Foundation honored Ruth Byers, Free State High senior, with its National Siemens Award for Advanced Placement and a $2,000 college scholarship.

Lawrence High's College Prep Engineering class qualified three teams for the Global Construction Challenge by sweeping the Kansas City regional contest.

The Kansas Scholastic Chess Association awarded All-State Honors to Central Junior High and Cordley and Quail Run Elementary Schools

Lawrence High seniors Sean Simmons and Emmi Murao won first place and the Grand Prize, respectively, in the Artistic Discovery Awards for Kansas' Third Congressional District.

Southwest Junior High earned the K-9 first-place team trophy in the Kansas Scholastic Chess Association's Kansas State Championships.

Alan Shi, Southwest Junior High, and Apramay Mishra, Sunflower Elementary, won individual state chess championships in their divisions.

Free State High's Daniel Armenta, junior, and Brett Reineman, senior, placed first at the Kansas State SkillsUSA 2009 Competition in architectural drafting and automotive technology, respectively.

Congratulations, 2008 Kansas Standard of Excellence Schools!
Broken Arrow: Reading Schoolwide & Grades 3-6; Math Schoolwide & Grades 3, 5 & 6.
Cordley: Reading Schoolwide & Grades 3-6; Math schoolwide & Grades 3, 4 & 6.
Deerfield: Reading Schoolwide & Grades 4 & 6; Math Grades 5 & 6.
Hillcrest: Reading & Math Grade 6.
Langston Hughes: Reading Schoolwide & Grades 5-6; Math Grades 5 & 6; & Science Grade 4.
New York: Reading Schoolwide & Grades 3, 4 & 6; Math Schoolwide & Grades 3 & 4; & Science Grade 4.
Pinckney: Reading Schoolwide & Grades 3, 5 & 6; Math Schoolwide & Grades 3 & 5.
Prairie Park: Reading Schoolwide & Grades 3 & 4.
Quail Run: Reading Schoolwide & Grades 4-6; Math Schoolwide & Grades 4-6; and Science Grade 4.
Schwegler: Reading Schoolwide & Grade 4; Math Grades 3 & 4.
Sunflower: Reading Schoolwide & Grades 3-6; Math Schoolwide & Grades 3 & 6.
Sunset Hill: Reading Schoolwide & Grades 3-6; Math Schoolwide & Grades 3, 5 & 6.
Wakarusa Valley: Reading & Math Schoolwide & Grades 4-6.
Woodlawn: Reading Schoolwide & Grades 3, 5 & 6; Math Schoolwide & Grades 3 & 4.
Central: Reading Schoolwide.
South: Reading Schoolwide & Grades 7 & 8; Math Schoolwide and Grade 7.
Southwest: Reading & Math Schoolwide & Grades 7 & 8; Science Grade 7; & History/Government Grade 8.
West: Reading Schoolwide & Grades 7 & 8.
Free State High: Reading Schoolwide.
Lawrence High: Math Schoolwide.
Lawrence Virtual School: Reading Schoolwide & Grades 7 & 8.

Expansion Management magazine's 2007 Education Quotient ranks Lawrence Public Schools among the Top Ten of the "Best Metro School Districts" in the United States and a "Five-Star Public Schools Metro."

Lawrence high school students shine on national tests: ACT composite scores and SAT scores.

Lawrence Public Schools celebrate achievement growth and focus on continuous improvement with the district's 2008 Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) report.

 What's New?

Back-to-School Reminders
Elementary enrollment is July 29. Junior and senior high schools enroll new students by appointment beginning August 3 (Southwest, West & Free State High), August 4 (Central and South) and August 5 (Lawrence High). The first day of school for Grades 1–6 (AM & PM), 7 and 10 (AM only) is August 12. Grades 1–12 will follow the regular school schedule on August 13–14, while Kindergartners alternate schedules as announced by their schools.

Suggestion Box Open for Public Input
In response to the Kansas Legislature's reductions in state aid for public schools, the Lawrence school board has cut nearly $2.2 million from the district's budget. With a goal of protecting the district's core mission of teaching and learning, the school board continues to prepare the 2009-10 budget. Patrons may email budget suggestions to the board, along with your name, address and phone number, to SuggestionBox@usd497.org.

Get the Facts
Educate yourself about swine flu and prevention measures to help stop the spread of germs. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has established a Web site (www.swinefluks.org), a toll-free number (1-877-427-7317) and e-mail addresses for federal information about Swine flu (swinefluinfo@kdhsks.gov) and lab/clinician questions (epihotline@kdheks.gov).

Preschool Accepts Applications
East Heights Early Childhood Family Center is accepting applications for its full-day and half-day preschool programs. Call 832-5680 or visit East Heights, 15th and Haskell Ave., for information.

USD 497 Announces Job Opportunities
Lawrence Public Schools are hiring now for the 2008-09 school year. We're scheduling interviews for teaching, paraeducator, custodial, clerical and food services positions. Full and part-time openings. Excellent benefits. Vacancies include Special Education Autism Resource Teacher. For job listings and to apply, click the "Employment" tab at the top of this page. (EOE)
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