Notes From The SuperintendentFriday, April 23, 2021

In today's issue: cementing your legacy in the Festus R-VI School District, free breakfast & lunch through the2021-2022 school year, summer school registration, and future planning for facility needs in the Festus R-VISchool District. Read on for more, but first...

SCHOOL YEAR/SECOND SEMESTER

Twenty-three (23) attendance days remain in our 2020-21 school year. The final student attendance day of the2020-21 school year is Wednesday, May 26, 2021. Mother Nature again provided notice that inclement weathermight be possible even in late Spring. However, despite the hours of snow flakes, very little impact to roadways. Please note that Wednesday, May 26, 2021 will NOT be a late-start. However, this day WILL BE an earlydismissal.

GRADUATION

Graduation for the Class of 2021 will be held on Tuesday, May 25th at Tiger Stadium. If inclement weatheroccurs on 5/25 the ceremony will be postponed and held on Wednesday, May 26, 2021 at Tiger Stadium. Ifinclement weather occurs on 5/26, the ceremony will be postponed until Thursday, May 27th at Tiger Stadium. Ifinclement weather occurs on May 27th, the ceremony will still be held but the location will be moved to JeffersonCollege. Let’s please keep our fingers crossed that there is NO inclement weather that week.

FESTUS R-VI SCHOOL FOUNDATION BRICK FUNDRAISER FOR ENTRYWAY ATTIGER STADIUM

The Festus R-VI School Foundation is NOW TAKING ORDERS for ‘brick pavers’. There will be approximately800 brick pavers available for purchase which can be inscribed with a custom message. The message canhonor/pay tribute to/memorialize yourself, your parents, a sibling, close relative, classmate, a teacher, a friend, acoach, a team, or simply say – ‘I LOVE Festus R-VI’. Very unique opportunity. The bricks are $100 each. All

funds raised will be used by the R-VI School Foundation to provide R-VI Teachers with grant funds to enhancelearning activities within their classrooms. More information on this initiative can be found here.

Brick Ordering Website

CONTINUED FREE BREAKFAST & LUNCH FOR ALL STUDENTS

The U.S. Department of Agriculture will continue reimbursing schools for free meals to all students regardless oftheir income through the 2021-22 school year. I continue to encourage all families to take advantage. Thisprogram will cover the cost of the regular school lunch. As always, ala-carte items and extra milk would require apayment. More information is here.

More information on free breakfast & lunch

COVID VACCINE CLINIC FOR FAMILIES

A vaccine clinic was held for R-VI families on Monday, April 19th, 2021. 109 does of the vaccine wereadministered.

FUTURE PLANNING

A second round of discussion/feedback with architects occurred on Wednesday, April 14, 2021. Initialdiscussions with school leadership from Festus Intermediate, Festus Middle, and Festus Elementary took placeon Tuesday, March 30, 2021. The goal remains to have the process evolve from discussion to design to bid toselection of contractor to construction to full completion by the onset of our 2022-23 school year. Keep in mindthat there are MANY moving parts and at some point, all staff will be provided opportunity to ‘weigh-in’ before anydecisions are finalized.

VISION FOR R-VI IN '26

Planning for ‘Vision for R-VI in ‘26’ has once again commenced with the aim to have a completed plan ready forimplementation by September 2021. A stakeholder meeting has been set for Tuesday, May 11th, 2021 from 5pm-7pm in the Intermediate School library. Our Vision 2020 Plan was successful because the stated goals, strategies, and action steps provided a road mapto guide decisions.

SUMMER SCHOOL

The R-VI Board of Education has approved a summer school session for June 2nd through June 30th, 2021. Enrollment and registration information will be made available on our website on Wednesday, April 28, 2021. This year, attendance centers will be utilized at Festus Elementary; Festus Middle; and Festus High School.

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ENROLLMENT

NOTEWORTHY

The Golf team is performing well this season, with a number of first place finishes. The conference tournament isWednesday.

The girls soccer team will be hosting a "Pink Out" game versus St. Pius on Friday, May 7th. Proceeds from analready concluded t-shirt sale will be donated to a breast cancer foundation. The girls will wear pink headbandsand pick socks for the game.

The middle school track team set some new school records over the past couple of weeks.At Herky last week, the girls 4x200M relay team broke a record that has been around since 2010. The team ofOlivia Gillam, Jessica Hawkins, CeCe Hawkins, and Makayla DeClue ran the relay in 1.57.97. Last night at Potosi the boys 4x200M relay team broke an 18-year-old school record. Avery Edwards, BradyNolen, Hunter Bates, and Essien Smith ran the relay in 1:39.29. A three-year-old girls 4x800M relay record also fell at Potosi last night. Olivia Cole, Pixie Willis, Alyssa Collins,and Addison Walden ran this race in 11:06.32. Congratulations!!

JOKE OF THE WEEK

Q: Why couldn’t the flower ride a bike?

A: It lost its petals [Get it? …..’bicycle PEDALS’…..ha.]

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In closing...

As always, feel free to reach out to me with any thoughts or questions and do know I appreciate fully all that eachof you do daily for our students. I’m proud to serve R-VI each day and the magnitude of what each of you hasaccomplished during this school year is truly AWESOME!!!

Link Follow Me On TWITTER at FestusR6Supt

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