Distinction in Performance...

Kirbyville School District was recently notified that it was one of 329 schools in the Missouri that was recognized for "Distinction in Performance." This is the ninth year that Kirbyville has earned this honor of the 11 years the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has been awarding it.

This recognition is reserved for K-12 school districts that meet at least 13 out of 14 performance standards and K-8 districts that meet at least six out of seven. Districts also must meet all academic standards tied to 2010-11 Missouri Assessment Program results.

“This level of achievement confirms that the majority of our schools are ready for higher expectations as the state sets its sights on being among the Top 10 of all states in academic performance by the year 2020,” Nicastro said. “It is time to raise the bar.”

The complete list of schools earning this distinction can be accessed here: http://dese.mo.gov/news/2011/documents/distinction-2011-12.pdf.

2011 PTO Fall Carnival

A beautiful day and large crowd made for a successful annual carnival. Enjoy some of the fun:

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Ronald McDonald comes to KES...

KES students enjoyed the Ronald McDonald Show. This year the "edutainment" was about having good character.

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MAP Honor Breakfast and 2011 Blue Ribbon School Announcement...

Last year's third grade students were honored at KES on Friday, September 16 for their high MAP scores from last spring. The students worked hard to achieve on the MAP both during the testing weeks and throughout their school careers. The MAP test can be likened to "eating an elephant," a large task that must be done one bite at a time.

The scores met the federal standard of Annual Yearly Progress (AYP) in both communication arts and math. Making AYP was the final step in KES being designated as a 2011 National Blue Ribbon School. This achievement was officially announced to the faculty and students at the assembly.

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KES achieves national recognition…

Yesterday, U.S. Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan announced that Kirbyville Elementary School was one of 304 schools the U.S. Department of Education named  2011 National Blue Ribbon Schools based on their overall academic excellence or for their success in closing achievement gaps.  The Department will honor the entire 255 public and 49 private schools with their National Blue Ribbon School awards at a conference and awards ceremony Nov. 14-15 in Washington, D.C. 

“America’s long-term economic prosperity and civic engagement depends on our children receiving a world-class education,” Duncan said.  “National Blue Ribbon Schools are committed to accelerating student achievement and preparing students for success in college and careers.  Their success is an example for others to follow.”

KES was recognized as a school with at least 40 percent of their students from disadvantaged backgrounds that improved student performance to high levels as measured by the school’s performance on state assessments or nationally-normed tests.

Before selecting National Blue Ribbon Schools, the Department asks for nominations from the top education official in every state, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, the Department of Defense Education Activity and the Bureau of Indian Education. The Council for American Private Education (CAPE) nominates private schools. A total of 413 schools nationwide are nominated, based on the number of K-12 students and the number of schools in each jurisdiction. The schools are invited by the Secretary of Education to submit an application for possible recognition as a National Blue Ribbon School.

National Blue Ribbon Schools  
Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Coverage by Springfield News-Leader 
Coverage by KY3 
Photo Gallery on KY3 
Branson Tri-Lakes News
Branson Hometown News
Senator Claire McCaskill news release

Surprising secrets to school success...

Enjoy this interesting article from Great Schools.

KES kicks off at-home reading program

KES kicked off the STAR (Super Terrific Amazing Readers) program for kindergarten through third grade students on Friday, September 2. The program is designed to encourage reading at home. 

Kindergarten and first grade students will read 100 books and second and third grade students will read 2000 minutes. Students who meet the reading goal for their grade level will be invited to attend a special field trip in the spring. 

The Springfield Cardinals donated 20 tickets to the school for the Labor Day game against the Arkansas Travelers, which were given away in  sets of four to five children as a part of the reading program kick-off.

Kirbyville baseball coach, Willy Morgan, was the guest speaker for the baseball themed kick-off. He told the students about when he used to be a "Kirbyville kid" just like them and how he loved baseball. He explained how he became better and better at the sport and how it allowed him to attend college with a scholarship. He also shared a brief history of baseball and answered student questions.

Splash Bash!

103 kindergarten through fifth grade students celebrated their summer reading accomplishments at the Splash Bash!  Students spent at least 1000 minutes reading during the summer to earn an invitation to the fun.

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