Grain Valley High School Among "America's Most Challenging High Schools"

Grain Valley High School has been named to the Washington Post’s “America’s Most Challenging High Schools” list for 2014. This is the third time that GVHS has been named to the list. Fifteen Missouri high schools made the list, including four in the Kansas City metro area. Grain Valley High School was ranked second among Kansas City area schools, behind Park Hill High School.  Rankings are based primarily on course offerings, advanced course participation and test scores.

Earlier this spring, U.S. News and World Report's rating scale placed GVHS at twenty-third out of over 400 Missouri public high schools in preparing students for college and fifth among KC Metro area schools.

Grain Valley School District Goes Mobile

March 12, 2014 - Grain Valley School District today announced the release of a new, district-wide mobile communications application from SchoolWay, a leading developer of mobile applications for K-12 school systems and institutions.  The free mobile and web app is available for Apple and Android mobile devices and online, and keeps the entire school community connected to the district’s information they need in one convenient location.

Understanding the busy schedules of parents, students, and patrons, the district’s official mobile app from SchoolWay enables smartphone and tablet users to keep track of important district information and receive notifications from the district, faculty, and staff, all in real-time via push, text, and email messaging. The mobile app enhances community engagement by providing users with access to information like school activities, grade books, notes from teachers, athletic schedules and scores, lunch menus, and school calendars, when and where they choose to view.

“Grain Valley School District’s official mobile app empowers anyone in the community to stay connected with the information they want and need right on their mobile devices,” said Mr. Nick Gooch, Director of Technology. “The release of this app for the district is an example of our commitment to provide our community members all of the district’s information conveniently and easily, while making it more accessible than ever. We are excited about how our school’s app will lead to a stronger, more connected school community.”

This is the district’s latest step to strengthen communication with the community.  The Grain Valley School District already has a strong following on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, and uses a blog, Grain Valley Schools Today, to make news release-type announcements accessible to anyone.

Features for Grain Valley School District’s official mobile app include:

●      Push, text, and email messaging from both the district and school site levels

●      GPS mapping and navigation

●      School calendars

●      Online grade book access

●      Tap screens for email and phone for district staff and board of education members

●      Multiple language options

●      Lunch menus, athletic information, and much more

The communication service comes at no cost to the district through SchoolWay, who is providing app development and hosting services to the school district for free with no download charges for mobile users. The district app is financially supported by school-friendly and approved sponsors.

The Grain Valley School District, SchoolWay app is now available to download and use for free for Apple and Android users, and online via the web app.

GVHS Senior Katricia Herring Recognized for Aspirations in Computing

Female High School Students Earn Awards for Aspirations in Computing

North Kansas City, Mo.— Feb. 7, 2014– As part of an effort to encourage more young women to choose careers in technology, the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) and Cerner Corporation will recognize 16 high-school women for their accomplishments and aspirations in computing and technology at an award ceremony and reception at the Cerner Vision Center in Kansas City, MO. on February 7. 2014.

The young women are winners of the NCWIT Western Missouri and Kansas Affiliate Award for Aspirations in Computing, which recognizes high-school women for their computing-related achievements and interests.  Each winner will receive a glass trophy, a Nexus-7 Tablet (courtesy of Perceptive Software), and a bag of “goodies” donated by many local companies and universities.

“With technology jobs projected to grow faster than all other job sectors in the next decade, it’s imperative that we nurture the computing aspirations of women, who will make up half the professional workforce,” said Lucy Sanders, CEO and Co-founder of NCWIT.  “This award allows us recognize and encourage talent that might otherwise be overlooked.”

The NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing was created to encourage the computing aspirations of young women, introduce them to leadership opportunities in the field, and generate visibility for women’s participation in technology fields. Winners are acknowledged for their outstanding aptitude and interest in technology and computing, leadership ability, academic history, and plans for post-secondary education.

Following are the 2014 winners of the NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing – Western Missouri and Kansas Affiliate:

 *   Armaja LaRue-Hill, senior, Raytown South High School, Raytown, Mo.
 *   Elizabeth Billings, senior, Blue Springs High School, Blue Springs, Mo.
 *   Heather Graham, sophomore, Home School, Harrisburg, Mo.
 *   Isabelle Matthys, junior, Liberty High School, Liberty, Mo.
 *   Joy Hauser, senior, Olathe South Sr. High School, Olathe, Kan.
 *   Katricia Herring, senior, Grain Valley High School, Grain Valley, Mo.
 *   Kayla, Purvis, junior, Platte County High School, Platte City, Mo.
 *   Kendall Overton, senior, Hallsville High School, Hallsville, Mo.
 *   Kristen Buster, senior, Rock Bridge Sr. High School, Columbia, Mo.
 *   Logan Brown, senior, Lawrence Free State High School, Lawrence, Kan.
 *   Natasha Bailey, senior, Skyline High School, Urbana, Mo.
 *   Rachael Putman, junior, Belton High School, Belton, Mo.
 *   Samantha Botros, junior, The Doctors' Schoolhouse, Wichita, Kan.
 *   Sarah Hartley, junior, Liberty High School, Liberty, Mo.
 *   Sydney Scholes, freshman, Liberty High School, Liberty, Mo.
 *   Yuting Yue, senior, Barstow School, Kansas City, Mo.


About NCWIT
NCWIT is the National Center for Women & Information Technology, a non-profit coalition of over 450 prominent corporations, academic institutions, government agencies, and nonprofits working to improve U.S. innovation, competitiveness, and workforce sustainability by increasing women's participation in IT. NCWIT's work spans K-12 and higher education through industry and academic careers. Find out more at www.ncwit.org<http://www.ncwit.org>.

The Western Missouri and Kansas Affiliate Award is brought to you by the following committee members and sponsoring organizations:

Judy Mullins, University of Missouri-Kansas City
Angela Klein, Liberty High School
John Dean, Park University
Rebecca Dohrman, Maryville University
Dr.Yugyung Lee, University of Missouri-Kansas City
Dr. Cindy Yu, University of Missouri-Kansas City
Dave Roller, Commerce Bank
Dr. Carol Spradling, Northwest Missouri State Univ.
Sarah Peters, American Century Investments
Abbey Trotta, Silpada Designs

Cerner Corporation
Perceptive Software
Net App
Garmin International
VML
Commerce Bank
American Century Investments
KCP&L

A Message of Appreciation from our Superintendent

Grain Valley Parents, Community, and District Employees,

As our students celebrate their second snow day in a row, I write to thank you for your support with the passage of yesterday’s school bond issue.  The bond issue passed with 78.62% “yes” vote.  Although voter turnout was lower than usual due to the snow, those who did make it to the polls gave us the approval we need to move forward.  We also wish to thank those who worked to keep the polling places open and accessible yesterday. We appreciate the hard work of these workers and volunteers.

Although school is not in session today, I have given construction planners the go-ahead to begin the next phase of work to ensure the new secure entryways at seven buildings and the four new classrooms at the high school are in place for fall.

We have important work to do in the years ahead to enlarge and update our high school and it will take persistence to pass multiple bond issues to make this happen.  We may not need to bring a bond issue to voters every year, but we will most years.

We recognize the responsibility that comes with the ongoing support from our community and are committed to working with you to continue to improve the education experience for our young people.  Thank you!

Stay safe and warm, and blessings to you and your family.

Roy Moss

Superintendent of Schools

Solar Energy Comes to Grain Valley Schools

The first set of solar panels were installed

atop Prairie Branch elementary today.

Construction is underway on a solar-energy system for the rooftops of all elementary schools, middle schools and high school within the Grain Valley School District.  The solar power system rated at 175 kilowatts comes with no up-front cost to the school district, and is expected to save $8500.00 in energy costs first year alone.

The district's partner in this green initiative is Kansas City-based clean-energy company, Brightergy. In total, Brightergy is installing 175 kilowatts of solar power onto the rooftops of seven Grain Valley school buildings, estimated to produce approximately 235,000 kilowatt hours of solar electricity on an annual basis.

Generating that amount of solar electricity annually means offsetting more than 180 tons of carbon dioxide annually. This is the environmental equivalent of the offset of emissions created from burning 18,588 gallons of gasoline, or of recycling 62 tons of waste versus sending it to landfill - annually.

Grain Valley’s students will also be getting access to the performance data of the solar system and bringing solar energy into the conversation of students and community members. Through access to each school’s online monitoring of their solar systems, teachers can turn their solar-powered school buildings into learning labs. Students can gain knowledge and insight about energy and the environment through actual data produced at their school.

Each solar-powered building also receives a kiosk that provides visitors to the school a visualization of how their solar-energy system works, how much energy they are producing, and the impact on their energy savings and the environment.

Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Support Services Marc Snow says the time has come to incorporate solar energy as a part of the student experience while saving the district money, "Improvements in solar technology make it possible to add solar energy to help power our schools and provide hands-on experiences in green energy for our students.  Having a partner like Brightergy makes it possible to put solar panels on our rooftops with no up-front costs to the school district and to save money on energy costs."

“Grain Valley is making an excellent investment in their facilities, and in their students' futures, and we couldn't be more thrilled to help them go solar,” said Brightergy VP of Public Affairs Susan Brown. “They are hedging against rising electricity costs, bettering the environment for the future of their students and community, and providing them with a uniquely interactive educational tool.”

The first panels were installed atop Prairie Branch elementary today.  The new solar-powered system is expected to be fully functional in the next few weeks.

Superintendent Promotes February 4th Bond Issue

Grain Valley School Community,

Our district continues to grow. As projected, we have just under 4000 students in pre-Kindergarten through 12^th grades, including 1025 students in our high school this year.  This is twice as many students in our district as we had just 11 years ago.  By our projections, we will need room for 1275 students at the high school by the fall of 2017, and for 1600 students at our high school within about another six years. 

I ask for your support with the passage of a $3.8 Million bond issue on the ballot for February 4, 2014 to allow us to continue the next phase of work to our high school as outlined in our district’s long-range plan to meet the demands of a growing student population. Passage of this bond issue does not require raising the district tax levy rate.

We have also identified the need to improve the safety and security of our school buildings and are including work to six of our schools and to our administrative offices to improve our ability to screen school visitors.  Once completed, visitors to any of our sites will only be able to access the rest of the school after first entering the office.

This year’s bond issue for $3.8 Million will allow us to:

1. Construct four classrooms to the south side of the high school, just west of the science rooms added with last year’s bond issue. These will be larger classroom spaces for engineering and industrial technology. The current industrial technology room will be converted to a loading dock, kitchen and building storage, and will include a corridor allowing access to the new classrooms.

2.  Relocate and upgrade utilities at the high school to support the long-range plan at this site.

3. Security upgrades to school entrances at six schools and administrative office building.

4. The completion of a greenhouse on the south face of the high school is included as an alternative bid with this bond issue.

Future additions at the high school will require the relocation of our transportation center and bus lot, which we have also outgrown, to make room for a larger high school school building, more activity practice facilities, and more parking for school and activity use. 

We intend to begin construction on a new transportation center in the summer of 2014, on the northeast corner of SW Eagles Parkway and Sni-A-Bar Boulevard (Barr Road).  The passage of the February 4, 2014 bond issue is not needed to fund the construction of the transportation center, but bidding this work with the next phase of high school construction will save the district money, and moving the transportation operation now makes room for the next phases of construction at the high school.

The work to transform our high school campus to meet our students’ needs into the future is going to take many phases over multiple years.  We want to continue the work of our long-range plan to have the classrooms and other facilities needed to meet the demand of a growing school district.

I ask for your support of this next phase of construction with your vote on Tuesday, February 4, 2014.  The passage of this bond issue will allow us to take this essential next step forward.

Thank you!

Blessings,

Dr. Roy Moss

CJCFD Extinguishes Truck Fire on School Property

The contents of a paper recycling service truck caught on fire while on school property this morning.  Central Jackson County Fire Department responded to a fire in the storage area of a truck that was picking up recycling materials in the northwest parking lot of South Middle School this morning.  The contents of the truck were emptied onsite and extinguished, before being placed back into the truck and hauled off.

There were no injuries and no reported property damage to district property.  The fire did not interfere with school operation.  Students and parents entering neighboring Stony Point Elementary School may have observed the fire and cleanup as they arrived to school to begin their day.

Fire personnel remained on the scene for about an hour.