National Honor for FCCLA Team Congratulations to the Jefferson West High School FCCLA Chapter Service Project Manual team of Elaine Zirkle, Brooke Kahler and Misty Ed-wards who recently had their event published in the National Teen Times magazine. The Teen Times is the national FC-CLA magazine that is distributed to over 220,000 students and advisers across the nation that are affiliated chapter members.

Tiger TalkNews & Highlights of USD 340 ■ Vol. 11, No. 2 September 2008

Postal Patron

Jefferson West U.S.D. 340P.O. Box 267Meriden, Kansas 66512ECRWSS

NON-PROFITORGANIZATIONU.S. POSTAGE

P A I DPermit No. 2

Meriden, KS 66512

Celebrate the Read, White and Blue—Attend the ’09 Scholastic Book Fair!!

Important Calendar Changes September 9 – No MS VB

October 8 – Homecoming activities (moved from October 15 )

October 10 – Homecoming (moved from October 17 )

October 15 – Senior Parent Financial Aid meeting 7:00 p.m. (moved from Oc-tober 8)

October 24 – No classes this day

Hunter Boyer and Kayla Erickson are published authors! While in second grade, art teacher Mrs. Emery encour-aged students to enter a contest about Kansas birds. Hunter chose to write about the Burrowing Owl. He did research on the computer about the bird and then wrote an entry for the contest. Kayla Erickson also submitted a poem about the Morning Dove which was selected for inclusion in the book as well, making her a published author. Hunter and Kayla were notified in May that their entries had been chosen. The

entries are included in the book “Kansas Critter: Birds, A Wildlife Book Written and Illustrated by Kansas Kids.” Three thousand two hundred entries were re-ceived; only 236 entries from 225 young artists and authors were selected in the book. On August 23, 2008, Hunter and Kayla and their families went to the Great Plains Nature Center in Wichita, Kansas for an awards ceremony. Both students were given 5 copies of the book, and his entry was read to all in atten-dance. Hunter is donating one copy to JWES Library.

Mark your calendars so you will not miss our Scholastic Book Fair. We are celebrating with our “Reading is All American” theme from Sept. 8-12. A special K-5 Family Night event is

planned for Thursday, Sept. 11, from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the elementary school gym, which you will not want to miss! We will have door prizes, con-tests, refreshments, and activities for

the kids to enjoy while you shop. There will be book selections for the whole family—from pre-school to adult! Our Book Fair gives your family the opportunity to buy carefully selected, quality books and products at affordable prices. You’ll enjoy all of the excitement, plus our Book Fair serves as a fund

raiser for our school library, providing books and educational materials, as well as cash with which to make ad-ditional book purchases. We invite everyone in the community to attend our Scholastic Book Fair and look forward to seeing you there

Last year’s Book Fair provided people of all ages with a great selection of reading material, games, and much more.

Clifford, the big red dog, loves book fairs. He is shown here helping the driver to deliver books to Jefferson West.

Two Jefferson West Students Published in Kansas Bird Book

Kayla Erickson Hunter Boyer

Tiger Talk■ Page 2News & Highlights of USD 340

Important Phone Numbers of USD 340

Elementary School .... 785-484-2455 FAX .......................... 785-484-3340 Toll Free ................... 877-854-4409Intermediate School ...785-876-2110 FAX .......................... 785-876-2094 Toll Free ................... 877-854-4524

Middle School ............ 785-484-2900 FAX .......................... 785-484-2904 Toll Free ................... 877-854-4579High School ................ 785-484-3331 FAX .......................... 785-484-2021 Toll Free ................... 877-854-4410

Keep this handy reference guide handy. It lists important numbers you should know. The numbers for USD 340 attendance centers, Central Office, and Kansas School Safety Hotline are listed.

Central Office ............. 785-484-3444 FAX .......................... 785-484-3148Kansas SchoolSafety Hotline .......... 1-877-626-8203

Meet Our New Staff MembersClay Mayer My name is Clay Mayer and I am the new 4th grade teacher at the intermediate school in Ozawkie. I am a native of Wetmore, Kan., and graduated from Emporia State University. Since then, I have spent the last seven years teaching and coaching in the McLouth school district. My wife Olivia and I have a 3-year-old daughter, Kendall, and are expecting another addition to the family in the spring! We have lived in Ozawkie since 2005 and like being close to Lake Perry, To-peka, and Lawrence. I look forward to teaching in the Jeff West school district and am excited to make a positive impact on the children of USD 340.

Kirbie Macary Hello! My name is Kirbie Macary! I’m proudly joining this district from Girard where I was born and raised. I graduated Girard High School in 2004, then moved on to Pittsburg State University where I got a BA in family and consumer science with an emphasis in education in 2008. I come from wonderful parents, have a half-brother Brett, 12, and three stepbrothers, Justin, 26, Kelly, 24, and Mark, 21. I recently moved to Lawrence with my boyfriend, Jordan. I love to sew, cook, shop, sing karaoke, and just be goofy! At Jeff West I will be replacing the wonderful Mrs. Mary Anne Knowles as FACS teacher and FCCLA advi-sor. I’m so excited to be in the very welcoming, USD 340 and can’t wait to have a great year!

Matt TinsleyHello, I am Matt Tinsley and I am the new high school business teacher and high school head boys’ basketball coach. I graduated from Washburn University with a ma-jor in finance and economics. At Washburn I was a 4-year member of the men’s basketball team. Prior to teaching I worked for Westar Energy at Tecumseh and Lawrence Energy Center. I started my teach-ing career at St. Marys (Kan.) Jr./Sr. High School where for 2 years I was the business teacher and head boys’ basketball coach. I am excited to be working in the Jeff West Dis-trict, and look forward to meeting all of you

Amanda Rush Hello my name is Amanda Rush and I am the new middle school counselor. This is my fifth year in education. For the past 4 years I taught math at Washburn Ru-ral High School. I also coached girls’ tennis and softball while at Washburn Rural. This past May I graduated with a masters degree in school counseling from Kansas State University, which is where I also received a bachelors degree in May of 2004. I am a graduate of Lawrence High School and attended Highland Community College for my first two years of college, where I played soft-ball. I now reside in Topeka with my husband, Steve and my dog, Jake. I enjoy playing softball and golf, along with walking my dog.

Debbie Duncan My name is Debbie Duncan and I will be teaching in the resource room at the Jefferson West Elementary. I hold a degree in elementary and special education from Evangel University in Springfield, Mo. I taught 2nd grade in the Olathe school district for seven years, sub-stituted for 12 years in the Jeff West district, then over seven years taught in a resource room and then a 3rd grade classroom in separate private schools in Topeka. I grew up in Overland Park where I met my husband, Kent. He has served as pastor of Jefferson Assembly of God in Meriden for the past 19 years. We have three children. Andrew is a sophomore at Washburn Uni-versity and Jenna and Micah will both be students at Jefferson West High School this year. We have had six foster children, all of whom have been adopted by family and friends. I am excited about joining the Jeff West team and look forward to “seeing the light bulbs come on” as the year progresses.

Yearbook News:

Attention Senior Parents Color senior portraits for the year-book are due Monday, December 8. Photos should be vertical, head-and-shoulders shots, with no props in the picture. Lifetouch composites will be used in the event that color portraits

are not submitted. Senior salutes are

available for purchase in the 2008-09 yearbook . Ad

spaces are sold on a first-come, first-

served basis until advertising pages are

filled. Prices are $125 half page, $75 quarter page, $50 1/8 page. Payment should accompany text and photos in order to reserve ad space. Please send photos and materials to yearbook teacher Lisa Sage at the high school, 619 Condray. Meriden, KS 66512.

Board of Education Approval

Jan. 14, 2008August

Enrollment: 4, 5Staff Development: 13, 14, 15

First Day of School: 18

SeptemberLabor Day: 1

OctoberStaff Development: 6

End of 1st 9 Weeks: 17Work Day/Staff Development - No School

Parent Teacher Conferences: 20, 23 (School in Session)No School: 24

NovemberThanksgiving Break: 26-28

DecemberEnd of 2nd 9 Weeks: 19Christmas Break: 22-31

JanuaryObserve New Years: 1, 2

Staff Development/Work Day: 5School Resumes: 6

Staff Development: 19

FebruaryParent Teacher Conferences: 16

MarchEnd of 3rd 9 Weeks: 13

Spring Break: 16-20Staff Development/Work Day: 23

AprilGood Friday, No School: 10

MayEnd of 4th 9 Weeks: 22 (1/2 day for students)

Memorial Day: 25 Staff Development/Work Day: 26, 27

USD 340 School Calendar August 2008 to May 2009

= END OF 9 WEEKS / = NO SCHOOL __ = OTHER NON-SCHOOL DAY

For as m a n y years as I can re-m e m b e r (and even b e f o r e I was born actually), Reading, Wri t ing, and Arith-metic have

been acknowledged as being the “Three R’s of Education.” The theory held that a student would be successful in life’s endeavors as long as a certain level of proficiency

Tiger Talk ■ Page 3News & Highlights of USD 340

From the Superintendent

The NEW Three R’s of Education

Supt. Scott Myers

was achieved within these three academic disciplines. While this ap-proach to schooling did have a certain logic to it, as far as I am concerned, it was too limiting. Yes, I know that the skills that come along with being well versed in reading, writing, and arithmetic are key components to intellectual growth, but I feel that focusing almost purely on these areas discounts the various skills that come along with all of the rich learning experiences tied to the other curriculum areas of an educational program. Rather than maintaining a narrow focus of skill development, I am much more interested in focusing my attentions

on engaging our students in educa-tional activities, regardless of the curriculum area, that pay homage to the NEW three R’s of education: Rigor, Relevance, and Relationships. By structuring our learning opportuni-ties in a manner that focuses on these key concepts, I know we will be that much more productive in helping our students realize their ultimate life goals, and after all that really IS the main purpose of public education. As the year progresses, you will certainly hear more and more about the new three R’s. In our continued efforts to provide a better and better educational experience for our stu-dents, the teachers will be continuing

to stress academic rigor, striving to make each and every lesson per-sonally relevant to the students, and will be working for a more seamless and even better relation-ship with the students. Along with those efforts, we will certainly be taking strides to keep you better informed of the life within the edu-cational community, being sure to communicate with you about our successes with this movement. As always, please do not hesitate to contact us at any of the buildings if you have any questions about our efforts. We would love to hear from you.

See us on the web at www.usd340.org

Tiger Talk■ Page 4News & Highlights of USD 340

Scott Myers Superintendent Mary Getto, Director of Curriculum & Instruction Amy Adams-Mitchell, Board Clerk/Secretary Marcia Ricklefs, Accounts/Treasurer Dayna Heineken, Central Office Secretary/Student Data

Collections

Tiger Talk

Tiger Talk is brought to you by Uni-fied School District #340. If you have suggestions or questions, please contact the central office staff at 601 Wyandotte, Meriden, KS or call (785) 484-3444. The persons listed to the right will serve you in any way they can.

September 2008

FR FB at Ft. Leavenworth–4 pm

MS FB 8th SWJH–4:30 pm (H)

FR VB at Pleasant Ridge–5:30 pm

JV/V VB at Holton–5:30 pm

7 8 9 10 11 12 13

Girls’ Golf at Sunflower Hills– 7:45 am

FR Parent Meeting–7 pm

HCC Dual Credit Tuition Due

Booster Club Meeting at ES–7 pm

Josten’s Ring Orders

FCCLA Luncheon Meeting–Noon

MS CC JW Shawnee North–4 pm (H)

MS VB vs Sabetha–4 pm (H) 8ABC,7ABC

HS CC at Shawnee North– 4:30 pm

FR FB Holton– 4:30 pm (H)

JV/V VB at Perry–5:30 pm

V FB at Abilene–7 pm

MS Dance–7 pm

JV VB at Atchison– 9 am

VAR VB Jeff West Tourna-ment–

9 am (H)

Band to Kansas State

Fair–3:30 pm

1 2 3 4 5 6 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

NO SCHOOL

NO KATS

K-5 Book Fair Family Night– 3:30 pm at ES

MS VB St. Marys–4 pm (H) 8A,7A,7/8b,

JV FB Abilene–6 pm (H)

BOE Meeting 7 pm

PDC Meeting–3:30

KMEA NE District Meeting– 6 pm

FCCLA MS/HS Leadership Training Academy–9 am

V FB Sabetha–7 pm (H)Booster Club Night

FCA 5th Quarter–9:30-11:30 pm(MS–Meriden Methodist

Church, HS–JAG

FR VB Jeff West Tourn.–8 am (H)

MS CC at Wamego–

8:30 am

HS CC at Wamego–

9 am

JV VB at Highland Park Tourn.–9 am

Mr. Jeff West Contest–7 pm

Girls’ Golf at Alvamar Lawrence–8 am

Oct. SAT Registration Day

K-5 Book Fair at Elementary School

ES/IS Grandparents’ Day

JV Girls’ Golf at Village Greens–1 pm

JV FB Royal Valley–4:30 pm (H)

FR VB at Hoyt–5:30 pm

STUCO Regional Conference– 8 am (H)

Girls’ Golf at North Topeka Golf Center–3 pm

HS CC at Tonganoxie–4 pm

MS VB at ACCMS–4 pm 7ABC,8ABC

Skills USA at Kansas Speedway 8 am

NE Fall Leadership Conference at Free State HS–9 am

V FB ACCHS–7 pm (H)Jr. Weststepper Night

FCA 5th Quarter–9:30 pm(MS-Methodist Church, HS-JAG)

MS VB 7B Tourn. at Hiawatha– 8:30 am

FR VB Big 7 League Tourn. at Nemaha Valley–9:00 am

V VB at Wamego Tourn.–9 am

CC at Rim Rock

MS VB 8B Tourn. at Sabetha

Girls’ Golf at Village Greens– 1 pm

JV FB at Effingham–4:30 pm

District Family Fun Fitness Night–6:30 pm

Nov. SAT Registration Due

MS VB Royal Valley, MH/MA– 4 pm (H) 8ABC,7ABC

8th Grade Parent Night

JV/V VB at Maur Hill/Mount Academy–6:15 pm

14 15 16 17 18 19 20

21 22 23 24 25 26 27FFA Fall Super Day at Holton–

11 am

Girls’ Golf at Paola Country Club–3 pm

KU Honors Program–7 pm

28 29 30

Skills USA District Leadership Conference–8 am

MS CC at Hoyt–4 pm

MS VB Holton–4 pm (H) 8ABC,7ABC

MS 7 FB at Hiawatha–4:30 pmMS 8 FB at Hiawatha–6:00 pm

FR FB at Burlington–5 pm

JV VB Immaculata/Tonganox-ie/Pleasant Ridge–5 pm (H)

V VB at Immaculata–5 pm

FR VB at Holton–5 pm

Midquarter Progress Reports Sent Home This Week

JV FB at Sabetha–4:30 pm

FR VB at McLouth–5 pm

FFA Greenhand Conference at St. Marys–9 am

MS VB at Hiawatha–4 pm 8ABC,7ABC

JV/V VB at Effingham–6:15 pm

ES Country Store Girls’ Golf at Osage City–3 pm

CC at McLouth–4 pm

FR FB at Hoyt–4:30 pm

MS 7 FB Sabetha–4:30 pm (H)MS 8 FB Sabetha–6:00 pm (H)

JV/V VB at Sabetha–5:30 pm

Oct. ACT Registration Due

V FB at Hoyt–7 pm

Forensics to Renaissance Festival–7 am

MS VB at Silver Lake Tourn.–

8 am

KU Band Day 11:30 am

MS CC at Wy-andotte Co. Park–1 pm