Smithville School District -

20 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS #20: Smithville School District offers numerous ways to keep up-to-date on events and news. Follow us on social media, sign up to receive our newsletters, download the "Smithville R2 School District" app, and read the Warrior Wire magazine that is delivered to your home. For more information about receiving SSD communication, go to https://www.smithvilleschooldistrict.net/page/communications

20 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS #18: Social Emotional Learning is a vital part of educating our students PK-12 through evidence based programs. Our youngest Warriors are taught emotional regulation skills through books and play via What If Puppets. Students in grades K-6 utilize Second Steps and grades 7-12 Character Strong. These curriculums help teach our students skills around relationship building, empathy, problem solving, belonging and being kind humans.

20 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS #17: School Safety is a top priority for the Smithville School District. In April the SSD community passed a bond that ensured $600,000 to be dedicated to safety upgrades. Each building has a secured entry in which all guests have to be buzzed into the office and credentials checked. Each building has internal and external cameras. The District has partnered with local emergency management to collaborate on safety and crisis planning. We have two school resource officers and one safety monitor.

20 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS #16: Smithville High School Athletics and Activities Department has partnered with HomeTown Ticketing for purchasing online tickets to home events. After your purchase is complete you will be able to receive mobile-friendly, digital tickets via email or text to your device. You can print your tickets or display the ticket on your phone to get into Smithville High School Home Events. No cash will be accepted at the gate; a digital ticket is required. A free Golden Pass for 55 years + can be obtained at the District Office or ID can be shown at the entry gate. To purchase tickets or passes, go to smithvilleschooldistrict.net, under Schools select Athletics & Activities, click Tickets at the top of the page. *Passes cannot be used for tournaments, district, sectional, or state competitions (MSHSAA events).

20 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS #15: Bus routes for the 2023-24 school year are now available on the district website under Departments, Transportation Services. Parents of bus riders were emailed letters today to confirm their bus route and times. If you have questions about bus routes, please contact DS Bus Lines at 816-591-5399.

20 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS #14: Handbooks for the 2023-24 school year have been updated and are ready for parent acknowledgement. Please sign into your Parent PowerSchool Portal, click Forms in the left-hand menu, click the Enrollment tab, and complete the form under the Back to School Forms section.

20 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS #13: Parents can use the PowerSchool Parent Portal to keep up to date on grades, assignments, attendance, transportation times, and fee/meal payments. You can also download the PowerSchool app on your mobile device - District code is KHBR.

20 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS #11: In the event of inclement weather, the District may have a two-hour late start, or the cancellation of school. If a decision to delay or cancel school is made, we will send out a notification on the district app, a text alert, and phone call. This will be in addition to television, website, and social media announcements.The alerts will go out prior to 10 p.m. the night before or after 5:00 a.m. the morning of.

20 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS #10: Meal Menus can be found on the website in the bar under the picture gallery or at this website - https://myschoolmenus.com/organizations/1661 Meal Prices for the 2023-2024 school year are: Breakfast - student $2.30; adults $2.80 Lunch - students $2.80; adults $3.80 Extra Milk - $.50 Students who qualify for a reduced lunch, the price is $.40. For students who qualify for a reduced breakfast, the price is $.30. Free breakfast and/or lunch is given to students who qualify. The Free & Reduced Meal Application can be found at https://ps.smithville.k12.mo.us/public/home.html under Forms, Enrollment, Smithville Optional Forms.

20 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS #12: The District is governed by a seven-member Board of Education. The members of the Board are elected by the voters of the District for three-year staggered terms with two or three members being elected each year. All Board members are elected at-large and serve without compensation. The Board is responsible for all policy decisions. School Board Meetings are typically held on the third Wednesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. Board meetings are open to the public. You can access the agendas at https://smithvillepublic.ic-board.com/.

20 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS #9: Innovation Learning, Smithville School District’s before and after school childcare provider, would like to invite you to enroll in our school year programs by going to www.innovationlearning.com. We provide a program designed to inspire kids to be the innovators of tomorrow through science, technology, engineering, arts, math, and physical fitness activities designed to teach them communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity skills. Our program operates from 6:00 am to the start of the school day and after school to 6:00 pm on regular school days. We provide full day programs when school is closed, early release day programs, and inclement weather day programs to care for your kids when school is canceled. For more information, call Jason Gilbertson, Area Director, at (816) 825-6166 or our Customer Service line at (866) 239-3661.

20 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS #8: School Start and End Times High School: M, T, Th, F - 7:40 to 2:41 W - 8:00 to 2:41 Early Release - 12:11 Middle School: M, T, Th, F - 7:35 to 2:38 W - 7:55 to 2:38 Early Release - 12:08 Elementary Schools: M, T, Th, F - 8:45 to 3:45 W - 9:05 to 3:45 Early Release - 1:15

20 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS #7: One-to-one technology allows us to provide rich and engaging learning opportunities for our students. We envision students using the District device to gain real-world skills. Technology is used in some way in every classroom, from Kindergarten through 12th grade. SSD has a take-home one-to-one program for 3rd through 12th graders. Content filtering on the device is in effect both at school and home. Families must enroll in a technology insurance program at https://www.one2onerisk.com/. Student Id=doej24 (beginning of student email address)

20 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS #6: The Warrior Closet is a free program set up through the Smithville School District that allows families to have accessibility to the school supplies, clothing, and hygiene items that they need. It is located behind Smithville Middle School. Warrior Closet will be open August 15th 4pm-6pm and August 18th noon-3pm.

20 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS #5: Every aspect of Smithville School District is guided by our Mission Statement: Building on a TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE in a community filled with Warrior pride, the mission of the Smithville School District is to educate and prepare all students for their future by providing relevant, engaging opportunities for each student to reach their unique and full potential.

20 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS #4: If you have not yet completed returning student registration, please complete it as soon as possible. Log into your PowerSchool Parent Portal at https://ps.smithville.k12.mo.us/public/home.html, click Forms in the menu on the left, and then the Enrollment tab. Proof of Residency (utility bill, lease, or real estate contract within 30 days of the start of school) is required for kindergarten, 4th, 7th, and 9th grade students.

20 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS #3: The SSD Activities Calendar can be found on our website: https://www.gkcsconference.org/public/genie/694/school/5102/ Click View Schedules in the menu on the right side of the page to narrow down the events to a single activity type.

20 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS #2: School supply lists are available on the SSD website: https://www.smithvilleschooldistrict.net/.../school... This weekend is the annual Back to School Sales Tax Holiday. The holiday begins at 12:01am on Friday, Aug. 4, and runs through Sunday, Aug. 6. Back-to-school purchases, such as clothing, school supplies, computers, and other items as defined by the statute, are exempt from sales tax this weekend.

20 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS #1 With 20 days until the first day of school, we will count down with 20 Things to Know Before School Starts. Today's thing to know is the Back to School Dates. Back to School Night: All Elementary Schools - August 17th 4:30-6:30 Middle School - August 16th 6:00-8:00 High School - August 16th 4:30-6:30 The First Day of School is Tuesday, August 22.