School Board Receives Governance Team Award

Pictured left to right are MSBA Executive Director
Dr. Carter Ward, Board Secretary Ms. Jan Reding,
Board Member Mr. Michael Hackett, and Board
Vice President Mr. Eddie Saffell. 

The Grain Valley School Board has received the Missouri School Boards’ Association’s 2015 Governance Team Award. Grain Valley is one of twenty-three Missouri school boards who received this prestigious award. Recipient school boards have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to ongoing professional development in areas such as student achievement, school law and finance, board operations and contemporary issues in education. The award also recognizes a commitment to regional and statewide leadership and to active participation in legislative advocacy for public schools and the students they serve.

School boards in the Kansas City metro receiving the award include: Grain Valley R-V, Independence, Park Hill, and Raymore-Peculiar R-II.

The 2015 Governance Team Award winners were recognized at MSBA’s Leadership Summit at the Lake of the Ozarks on June 13.

Grain Valley Makes Washington Post’s List of Most Challenging U.S. High Schools for 2015

For the third time in five years, Grain Valley High School has been named to the Washington Post’s list of “America’s Most Challenging High Schools.”  Grain Valley High School is ranked in the top five percent of public high schools in the United States, fifth in the state of Missouri, and number one among Missouri schools in the Kansas City Metro.

Rankings are based on the total number of Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate tests given at a school each year, divided by the number of seniors who graduate in May.  The list also looks at ACT scores, Advanced Placement scores (the percentage of seniors who score a “3” or higher on at least one exam), and free and reduced lunch numbers. 

Jay Mathews compiles the list for the Washington Post. He states the significance of Advanced Placement courses that is shared by the Grain Valley School District: “AP, IB and AICE are important because they give average students a chance to experience… heavy college reading list and long, analytical college examinations.  Research has found that even low-performing students who got a “2” on an AP test did significantly better in college than similar students who did not take AP.”

This honor is the third national recognition for Grain Valley Schools in the past nine months.  Newsweek and U.S. News and World Report have also recognized Grain Valley High School as a top U.S. high school for preparing students for college.

Please check out  http://apps.washingtonpost.com/local/highschoolchallenge/ for the full list of rankings and additional articles.

New Grain Valley Preschool Program

The Grain Valley School District is offering a preschool program for the first time beginning in August 2015.  The purpose of the preschool program is to provide a partial day school learning experience to children prior to entering Kindergarten. Children who turn four prior to August 1, 2015 will be admitted to the program based on results from a standard screening process. Classes will be taught by a certified early childhood teacher with assistance from a classroom paraprofessional. The curriculum will be geared towards the developmental needs of children this age intended to strengthen the school readiness of each child.

Preschool Screenings - April 20 3:30-7:30 PM

Screening will take place at the Early Childhood Center located at 31604 NE Pink Hill Rd on April 20 from 3:30-7:30PM.

Please call (816) 994-4901 to schedule an appointment.

What are the days and times for the preschool?

This is a half-day program that runs Monday through Thursday. The morning session runs 8:00-11:00 AM and the afternoon session runs 12:15-3:15 PM. The preschool program will follow the school district calendar for holidays.

What is the cost to families?

The cost for the program is $60 per child, per week. Discounted rates are available for families who qualify.  

Is transportation provided?

Transportation will be the responsibility of the parents/guardians.

Location of the Preschool?

The program will be located at Prairie Branch Elementary, in a classroom specifically equipped for 4-year-olds.

Who can attend?

Children showing the greatest need based on a standard screening process will be given first consideration for the program.

Please share this information with anyone who you think might be interested in this program in the Grain Valley area.

GVHS The Scene of Mock Car Crash April 15

This Wednesday, April 15th students at Grain Valley High School in conjunction with the Grain Valley Police Department, Missouri Highway Patrol and the Central Jackson County Fire Department will take part in a program aimed at educating young drivers about the consequences and impact of risky driving behaviors.

The Missouri Highway Patrol will show the video, "Gone Too Soon," showing video testimonials of the effects of inattentive and distracted drivers.  Students will then take part in a mock accident and rescue to visualize the dangers that can befall distracted drivers.

Area residents may notice emergency first-responder vehicles, equipment, and personnel on the high school campus the day of the event supporting the learning experience. This is a staged mock catastrophe for the benefit of students.

Former School Board Member Phil Hutchinson Honored

Phil Hutchinson was recently honored by the Missouri Association of School Administrators (MASA) for his service to public education. Hutchinson was one of eight individuals to receive the association's Friend of Education Award. This special recognition was made during the awards banquet at the MASA Spring Conference on March 25 at The Lodge of the Four Seasons at Lake Ozark, Missouri.

This award is presented annually to recognize non-educators, one from each of the eight MASA Districts, for their contribution to education locally or statewide.

Hutchinson was nominated for the award by school administrators in the Greater Kansas City MASA District. He served on the Grain Valley School District Board of Education from 2001-2014.

District Earns Fleet Excellence Award for Inspection of School Buses

The Grain Valley School District Transportation department has earned the 2015 Fleet Excellence Award from the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

Grain Valley received a 95.7% percent first pass rate by the highway patrol during the February 2015 school bus inspection.  The Fleet of Excellence Award means that the Grain Valley School District bus fleet had a 90 percent or better rate with no “out of service” vehicles. Grain Valley has a fleet of 47 school buses owned and serviced by the District’s Transportation department.

“We are pleased to have the endorsement of the Missouri Highway Patrol that our buses are safe and well-maintained,” said Dr. Roy Moss, superintendent. “The Fleet Excellence Award brings attention to our transportation department for their hard work and attention to detail.”

The district’s bus fleet will soon have a new place to be serviced and stored. Construction continues on a new facility for the transportation department on the northeast corner of Eagles Parkway and Sni-A-Bar Boulevard, three-quarters of a mile west of Grain Valley High School. The district expects to occupy the facility in June 2015. The overall design allows for future expansion as the student population within the district grows.

Prairie Branch Principal Heather Gross Named "New Exemplary Principal" in KC Area

A few students shared something special about Mrs. Gross.

Heather Gross, principal at Prairie Branch Elementary School, has been named the New Exemplary Principal by the Kansas City Suburban Elementary Principals Association (KCSEPA). The organization selected Mrs. Gross from among area administrators who are in their second or third year as principal.  In selecting an honoree, KCSEPA looks for an administrator who meets their rigorous criteria, including exemplary performance as a new principal.

Prairie Branch students waiting for Mrs. Gross to enter the gym.

Mrs. Gross pictured with husband Kirk and oldest child Gavin.

Mrs. Gross was presented with flowers and balloons at a surprise all-school assembly Monday morning including the school's 536 students, plus faculty and other school and district administrators.  Mrs. Gross' husband, Kirk, and the oldest of their four children, Gavin, were also in the audience.

A few students spoke about what having Mrs. Gross as their principal means to them.  A video highlighting Mrs. Gross' qualities as a servant leader, wife, and mother was also shared.

Mrs. Gross had the last word.  "I feel so incredibly blessed to work with such amazing teachers who care so much about you (students).  That makes my job easy.  I love to come to work every day.  This is a group honor because I have such a great staff, leaders, colleagues I get to learn with, and I have really great students who make this school rock!  I also appreciate my supportive family."

Mrs. Gross and 11 other new principals will be recognized at the Missouri Association of Elementary School Principals (MAESP) Spring Leadership Conference in March.