Graham County USD 281

Update: There will be no practices or activities until March 30 for USD 281. #WeAreRingnecks

Graham County U.S.D. 281 schools in Hill City will be closed Monday, March 16th through Sunday March 29th. This precautionary closing is in response to the recommendation by the Kansas Department of Education and Graham County Health Officials concerning COVID-19. Students will not be allowed into the buildings during this period of time and all activities are suspended. School and activities will resume Monday March 30th.

Please be advised there will be NO practices allowed for the week of March 16-22. Please read the release from KSHSAA below. #WeAreRingneck

Jaque Beckman visited with the eighth graders today about good interview skills. The students are preparing for their Ameritowne interviews and learning skills needed to have a successful interview.

March is National Nutrition Month, an annual observance to celebrate and support children in making informed food choices and encourage them to create responsible habits around nutrition and physical activity. Spring is approaching and as the weather gets warmer, opportunities for gardening, buying fresh produce and playing outside grow larger – a perfect time to try something new and a set new goals. Try this interactive Healthy Eating Toolkit https://www.actionforhealthykids.org/nutrition-toolkit/ for recipes, resources, and ideas on a variety of topics for use at school and at home.

USD 281 staff had a fantastic in-service today. The poverty simulation was an eye-opening experience and provided valuable information. It wouldn’t have been possible without all the volunteers. Thank you for your time! Katia Stein, Susan Deges, Amber Owen, Abi McKeever, Kristen Shewey, Traci Jilka, Jessie Thompson, Sheryl Fabricius, Connie Dombrowski, Nansy Sauser, Dianna Hart, Joe Green, Lois Richmeier, Carl Keith, Zach Thompson, Darcie Barker Schierkolk, Maegan Gosselin, Stephen Sansom, Julie Davis, Randall Weller, Suzie McDowell, Bev Staffford, Kim Nutting, Nancy Law, Chris Smee)

Good luck to these four young men as they get ready for state wrestling tomorrow morning. #WeAreRingnecks

USD 281 students do not have school Friday, February 28 or Monday, March 2. Enjoy your weekend & we'll see you Tuesday!

State Wrestling Information Site: Fort Hays State University-Gross Memorial Coliseum Ticket Prices K-12: $9.00 * Adult: $12.00 * * Due to site policy, a $1.00 surcharge has been added to the Adult ticket prices. * Due to site policy, a $1.00 surcharge has been added to the K-12 ticket prices. Parking Fee: No Charge Gates Open: Friday at 8:00am and Saturday at 7:00am Schedule: http://www.kshsaa.org/public/wrestling/PDF/TimeSchedule.pdf Open Spaces will be streaming all matches. GO RINGNECKS!

Here are the sub-state brackets. Let's go Ringnecks! Girls: http://www.kshsaa.org/public/ScoreCenter/Brackets/Basketball/2ASub-State.cfm?Activity=2&WeekID=4532 Boys: http://www.kshsaa.org/public/ScoreCenter/Brackets/Basketball/2ASub-State.cfm?Activity=2&WeekID=4490

Pre-School Registration - The Board of Education, Graham County USD 281, has approved an expansion of the current pre-school program. The expansion class will be a half-day morning session offered at Hill City Grade School and will be available for 4 and 5 year old children. All applications will be through the current application process by the Graham County Early Childhood Center. Parents wishing to apply for pre-school services please contact the Graham County Early Childhood Center at 785-421-3340.

It's a busy night at HCJSHS. See you there! 4:00 Basketball Here vs Oakley (all games at the high school) Academic Night (between varsity games) 1st & 2nd Grade Basketball Game (halftime of Varsity Boys) UMYF Serving Hamburgers/Chips/Salad/Dessert in Cafeteria Pep Club spirit theme is Jersey Night.

America’s Farmers is now accepting nominations for their Grow Rural Education program $15,000 STEM grant. Districts must be nominated by a farmer. The website to nominate is https://www.americasfarmers.com/grow-rural-education/

School resumes tomorrow. We hope everyone is feeling well and rested. If your child is still feeling ill, with or without fever, it is recommended that he/she stay out of school until his/her symptoms have resolved and he/she has been fever-free for AT LEAST 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications. Reminder of illness guidelines that will be followed at the school and that are also recommended for the general public: • 24 hours since the last vomiting episode • 24 hours since the last diarrhea episode (3 or more watery stools in a 24-hour period) • 24 hours fever-free (<100° F) without the use of fever-reducing medication • If testing positive for influenza, remain home for 5 days after onset of symptoms or until fever-free for 24 hours, whichever is LONGER. • No open blisters on rashes (and fever-free guidelines) We appreciate your following these guidelines and efforts to keep kids well.

Please read this information provided by the Graham County Health Department.

There will be no school for Graham County U.S.D. 281 February 5th,6th, and 7th due to illness. All activities are cancelled starting Wednesday going through Sunday.

We are looking for a few more volunteers for our March 2 teacher in-service from 7:45-10:15 AM We are hosting a poverty simulation for our teachers so that they can better understand the experiences of students and families living in poverty. The simulation is comprised of several stations that represent businesses and places that people in poverty frequent for assistance and survival needs such as a church, grocery store, police station, school, work place, food bank, and bank, to name a few. The volunteers will be provided with 45 minutes of training, a script, details, and props for their assigned station. If you are able to help with this event on March 2, 7:45-10:15 AM, please contact Rebecca Richmeier (785) 421-2135 or rebeccarichmeier@usd281.com.

Due to sickness; our High School Wrestling dual scheduled with Wakeeney for Tuesday, Feb. 4, has been cancelled.

USD 281 is collaborating with the Northwest Educational Service Center on the EVERS Project. The EVERS Project is a 5-year federal grant designed to develop trauma-informed communities, schools and classrooms for the purpose of breaking cycles of violence and trauma in the lives of rural students and their families. Participation in this project will help USD 281 build programs, resources, and student assistance over the next 4-6 years in a way that that can be sustained in the community. Please help us get started by taking this SHORT 3-minute survey. https://forms.gle/RGuaUQnWk6qGZN1j8

Notice: There is a change in dates for the upcoming parent/teacher conferences for both the Jr./Sr. High and Elementary Schools. The dates will be Monday, Feb. 24 and Thursday, Feb. 27, from 4:00 - 7:00.