Starside News

USD 232 recently installed weather stations at the Mill Valley High School, De Soto High School, and Mill Creek Middle School campuses. One of the features of the weather stations is the ability to detect lightning and alert our staff via audile alerts and through a mobile app.

The school district follows lightning guidelines published by the Kansas State High School Activities Association that places a priority on the safety of students, staff, and spectators. This is not just for sports, but also includes outdoor PE classes, recess, etc. If lightning is detected at one of our weather stations within ten miles, any student activities taking place outdoors shall be moved inside.

The weather stations are programmed to issue audible alerts between the hours of 7am and 10pm.

We are pleased to have this opportunity to enhance our severe weather preparedness to support our students and staff.

At the USD 232 Board of Education Meeting on Monday, April 7, we were able to spotlight four district staff members who received the USD 232 TORCH Award presented during the month of March. This award recognizes district staff for their exceptional commitment to students and our district.

During the month of March, we first stopped at Starside Elementary where Proud Superintendent Cory Gibson and Principal Jan Hicks celebrated school math aide, Amelia Hedge. With the help of students, Principal Hicks applauded Amelia as a valuable member of the math team at Starside. Amelia is so appreciated! Her reliability, friendliness and dedication make a significant impact to all Starside Comets.

Next, we located Starside second grade teacher, Clare VanDusen, to present her with the TORCH award for the month of March. Principal Jan Hicks shared that Ms. VanDusen is a positive force for everyone at Starside. In addition to her teaching duties, she is also the wellness coordinator for their building. Clare plans, coordinates and promotes various activities for staff and students to encourage wellness throughout their school. She is also a mentor for new teachers which provides much needed support for staff who are new to the profession. We are so happy to have her as part of the team at Starside. 

From Starside we then ventured over to The Bridge, where Superintendent, Cory Gibson and SPED Coordinator Toni Bradley were able to surprise paraeducator, James Bock, with the TORCH award. Ms. Bradley shared that James is everything we could ask for in a paraprofessional. He is kind, generous, considerate, and a team player. He builds strong relationships with students while also making their learning fun! James is truly an asset to The Bridge Program and our district for which we are so grateful!

The final staff member we surprised with the TORCH award for the month of March was Julie Maurer, Technology Operations Specialist. Brandon Riffel, Director of Technology, nominated Julie for this award based on the feedback from staff members across our district who receive her help on a daily basis. Julie consistently goes above and beyond while putting students and staff needs first. She does all of this, and MORE, with a smile and a “can-do” attitude. We are so thankful for the positive support and assistance that she provides every day. 

Congratulations to all staff members recognized for the month of March with the 232 TORCH Award!

May 6, 2024

The Board of Education honored Kasey Seaba and Lauren Newstrom as the USD 232 nominees for the 2025 Kansas Horizon Award.

The Kansas Horizon Award Program, sponsored by the Kansas State Department of Education, identifies and recognizes first year educators who display excellence in teaching in the elementary and secondary classrooms of the state.

Lauren Newstrom is a choral music teacher at Monticello Trails Middle School and Kasey Seaba is a 2^nd grade teacher at Starside Elementary.

Kasey and Lauren stand out as exemplary educators worthy of the award. As district nominees, they will submit award applications in October, which will be during their second year of teaching. They will find out in January 2025 if they will be among the few teachers in Kansas honored with the KSDE Horizon Award.

The Kansas Horizon Award Program is a regional competition. The regions correspond to the state’s four U.S. congressional districts. The Kansas State Department of Education will appoint regional selection committees responsible for reviewing the nomination forms and selecting up to four elementary classroom teachers and four secondary classroom teachers per region for a possible total of 32 teachers.
 

The possible 32 teachers, four elementary classroom teachers and four secondary classroom teachers from each region, will be individually recognized during a luncheon at the Kansas Exemplary Educators Network (KEEN) conference in February. Also, they will be invited to participate as special guests in the two-day KEEN conference.