Russell USD 407 -

RHS / RMS: Driver’s Education is being offered again this year at Russell High School. Mrs. Nicole Betts will be the instructor for the course. The classroom portion will begin June 3rd through June 7th from 8am - 3pm with a 1 hour lunch break, and the driving portion will begin on June 10th, and will be completed by July 5th, 2024. There will be a student/parents meeting with Mrs. Betts April 22nd at 6:00 p.m. in the Russell High School Cafeteria. Parent/Guardian and student must be present at the meeting in order to enroll in the Driver Education Program. The school nurse will be there to do vision screening. The Driver Education Application form will be filled out at that time. Any medical information, Social Security number, and contact information will be needed at this meeting. You will complete the Driver education Application form at the meeting. There is a four dollar ($4.00) processing fee for the application along with the $210.00 fee for the course payable to Russell High School, for a total of $214.00 which is due by May 22nd. There are NO REFUNDS once the class has started. Students must be 14 years of age or older by June 1st. If a student misses a scheduled driving day or a classroom day, he or she will be dropped from the class unless prior approval from the instructor. The grading scale will be as follows: 80% mastery must be met in both the classroom and behind the wheel. If 80% mastery is not achieved, students will fail the course. Due to student safety and the amount of material, which needs to be covered, inappropriate student conduct will not be tolerated and will result in student dismissal from the Driver Education Program. Driving time will be set up at the start of the classroom session. A calendar with driving times for each group will be set up by Mrs. Betts. If all goes well, the students will complete this class by July 5th, 2024. Please contact the high school office at 785-483-5631 or email Veronica @ vfuentes@usd407.org or Mrs. Nicole Betts @ nbetts@usd407.org to place your son or daughter on the sign-up sheet.

RHS: It’s that time of year! The annual Blood Drive event is happening on April 18th at Russell High School little gym. Harlee Donovan is running the blood drive again and is asking for Blood Donors and Power Red Blood Donors. She is wanting to reach a goal of 50 Donors!! Give hope this spring and come donate blood April 18 at Russell High School Little Gym.

A representative from Barton Community College will once again be at RHS to assist families in completing the FAFSA. She will be here tomorrow, Tuesday, April 9th from 2 pm to 4:30 pm. This is a come-and-go workshop and will be the last time that a Barton representative will be at RHS to assist with the FAFSA. If you need help or have questions, you can always reach out to Ms. Bunker at dbunker@usd407.org.

JAG-K is looking to hire a Career Specialist for the 24-25 school year for USD407's new middle school program. For more information or to apply use this link: https://recruitingbypaycor.com/career/JobIntroduction.action?clientId=8a7883c68d85a468018d9ed4aa9408cd&id=8a78839e8e824e38018ea0153e9d1c21&source=&lang=en

The BOE will hold their regular monthly meeting on Monday - April 8th in the District Administration office beginning at 5:30 p.m. See the agenda for details. Agenda: https://5il.co/2hr8h | Live Stream: https://tinyurl.com/5ycvxpkv

Attention next years 7-12 grade classes!! Tonight is the rescheduled enrollment information night at Russell High School in the gym starting at 6:00. Please see the attached flyer for more information. Hope to see you tonight!!

Today, USD 407 celebrated students from all four buildings who were recognized for continually displaying the character trait for March- cooperation. Cooperation is working together to reach shared goals. The celebration included a pizza luncheon and cooperative games at Simpson Elementary School. Fun was had by all! The character trait for April is courage.

Come join us April 4 from 4-6pm for Russell High School's CTE open house. We hope to see you there!

If you are joining us for pancakes tomorrow morning, please park in the parking west lot. For handicap accessible parking, please park in front of the school and use the front door.

The BOE will hold their regular monthly meeting on Monday, March 18th at 5:30 p.m. in the District Administration Office boardroom. See the agenda for details. This meeting will be live streamed. Agenda: https://5il.co/2galk | Live Stream: https://tinyurl.com/3xrsu539

The Board of Education will be holding a special meeting on Monday, March 11th at 5:30 PM in the Central Administration Office. See the agenda for details. Agenda: https://5il.co/2g7de

The Board of Education will be holding a special meeting on Wednesday, March 6th at 5:30 PM in the Central Administration Office. See the agenda for details. Agenda: https://5il.co/2fzhf

The Board of Education will be holding a special meeting on Monday, March 4th at 7:15 AM in the Central Administration Office. This meeting will NOT be live streamed. See the agenda for details. Agenda: https://5il.co/2fwhc

The Board of Education will be holding a special meeting on Thursday, February 29th at 7:15 AM in the Central Administration Office. This meeting will NOT be live streamed. See the agenda for details. Agenda: https://5il.co/2fngt

On Monday, USD 407 celebrated students from all four buildings who were recognized for continually displaying the character trait for February- honesty. Honesty is being truthful in what you say and do. The celebration included a pizza luncheon and chalk drawing in the beautiful sunshine at Simpson Elementary School. Fun was had by all! The character trait for March is cooperation.

RHS: Below are the store links to order State Wrestling apparel. RHS has a total of 8 students going to State this coming weekend. Please help show support by ordering and wearing a shirt for either. THE DEADLINE TO PLACE AN ORDER IS 2:00 PM TODAY, MONDAY JANUARY 19TH. Girls State Wrestling Store: https://ladybroncostate24.itemorder.com/shop/home/ Boys State Wrestling Store: https://russellstate24.itemorder.com/shop/home/

Come join our team. We are HIRING! USD407 is actively looking for cooks. If you are interested apply on our website or click here: https://www.usd407.org/page/employment-opportunities1.

This week at RHS, Mrs. Ptacek and Ms. Bunker planned activities to celebrate National School Counseling Week! On Monday, we had Music Bingo during Advisory over the intercom where students and staff had to listen and mark off songs on their cards to get a bingo and earn a prize. On Tuesday, we played a game called We Are the Champions where students had to try to find little hidden cutouts of Champion the Bronco from staff members to win a prize. On Wednesday, all students and staff received Dream Theatre popcorn from Mrs. Ptacek and Ms. Bunker. On Thursday, there were You Rock cards available for anyone to fill out to give a positive shoutout to someone they thought was doing a good job. Finally, today we had Rock Paper Scissors Battle. During passing periods and lunch, students could challenge each other to rock paper scissors to earn beaded necklaces. Once a student had five beaded necklaces, they were able to challenge a staff member. At the end of the day, we had an assembly to determine and crown the ultimate rock paper scissors champion. The winner, Bo Schoenberger, received bragging rights and a $15 Casey's gift card. It was a fun week and a big thanks go out to all of the students and staff who participated and helped make it a great week!

The BOE will hold their regular monthly meeting on Monday, Feb. 12th at 5:30 PM in the Central Administration Office. Public hearing to close the district office begins at 5:15 PM. See the agenda for details. Agenda: https://5il.co/2ee2i | Live Stream: http://tinyurl.com/ry5nv9uc

Forms are available in the RHS Office. Senior Baby Ad Announcement Hello Parent(s)/Guardian(s) of a Senior, We are continuing the tradition of having “senior ads” in the 2024 Russell High School yearbook! These ads consist of photographs that you select and send in with a note that you write to your senior. The note can congratulate, praise, or send well wishes from you and your family. You can send in pictures of your senior when they were young, or their senior pictures. These ads can make your senior’s yearbook even more special to them! Please submit the pictures, message, and payment to the RHS office by Friday March 15th. With gratitude, Mr. Revell and the RHS Yearbook Staff ___ Purchase a 2024 Yearbook $75 (Baby Ads are purchased at an additional cost.) ___ Option 1: One quarter (1/4) page ad with up to three (3) pictures and a message. $25 ___ Option 2: One half (1/2) page ad with up to five (5) pictures and a message. $50 ___ Total cost *Please make checks payable to RHS and submit payment, pictures, and messages to the office. Digital pictures and messages can be emailed to trevell@usd407.org. Please feel free to contact Mr. Revell via email with any questions you may have. **If you submit a senior picture from a professional photographer, please get their permission.