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Our SchoolsLee’s Summit R-7 School District’s Community Newspaper

Proudly presented by the

R-7 Board of Education301 N.E. Tudor RoadLee’s Summit, MO 64086816-986-1000

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INSIDEn Highland Park speller gains international attention | 3n Recognizing volunteer Board of Education members | 6n Story Project: Teacher helps student develop love of learning| 7n Twelve named Excellence In Teaching Award winners | 15

Fully accredited school district – Winner of state’s Distinction in Performance Award

LS Educational Foundation hosts Taste of Lee’s Summit, raising $110,000 for R-7 schools and students

Volunteers Kristen Merrell and Julie Kubiak assist with auction items.

The Lee’s Summit Educational Foundation hosted the 15th annual Taste of Lee’s Summit on March 1 to raise money in support of excellence in edu-cation in the Lee’s Summit R-7 commu-nity. Held at The Pavilion at John Knox Village, the event raised an estimated $110,000.

The popular, sold-out event included both live and silent auctions, a Grand Prize Board, a Dine-Around Package and an opportunity to help provide Google Chromebooks for classrooms through the Fund-A-Cause portion of the evening. The Foundation also shared information on how to become a Legacy Donor through estate and/or endowment

FUNDRAISER | page 21

From the superintendent

David McGehee

commen

tary Dr. David

McGehee is Lee’s Summit R-7 School District superinten-dent and a Lee’s Summit resident

Speaking on behalf of students

MCGEHEE | page 23

APRIL 2014

Speaking out on behalf of our stu-dents and our schools is an important component of any superintendent’s job. I frequently discuss education-related issues with state senators and represen-tatives who serve our school district as well as elected officials in federal government.

The time our elected representatives devote to these discussions and shar-ing of ideas is appreciated, especially considering the impact state and federal laws have on our schools’ ability to prepare students for successful futures. Even more important than my efforts to

During January 2013, Lee’s Sum-mit R-7 officials were informed that the district is among several Missouri school districts participating in an audit during 2013 through the State

Auditor’s Office. Lee’s Summit R-7 was selected randomly by the state. The selection is not based on petitions from citizens or concerns about the district as is sometimes the case when

the Auditor’s Office reviews school districts or other government agencies.

“The Lee’s Summit School District

Lee’s Summit R-7 called “best-run school district” by state auditor during comprehensive review

AUDIT | page 22

April 2014

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April 2014 Page 2 April 2014

Reorganized School District. No. 7301 N.E. Tudor Road, Lee’s Summit, MO 64086

An Equal Opportunity EmployerPublished by the R-7 Board of Education ♦ Dr. David McGehee, Superintendent

Editor: Janice Phelan, Communications Executive Director

BOARD OF EDUCATIONRon Baker ........................................................................................................ PresidentJack Wiley ...............................................................................................Vice PresidentPhyllis Balagna .................................................................................................MemberPatti Buie ............................................................................................................MemberTerri Harmon ....................................................................................................MemberChris Storms .....................................................................................................MemberBob White ..........................................................................................................Member

Produced by the Lee’s summit JournaL ♦ www.lsjournal.com

Our SchoolsLee’s Summit R-7 School District’s Community Newspaper

Proudly presented by the

Regular Board of Education meetings are held on the third Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. at the Stansberry Leadership Center, 301 N.E. Tudor Road.

Info line: 816-986-1001. Web address: www.leesummit.k12.mo.us.MISSION STATEMENT

We prepare each student for success in life.

VISION STATEMENTLee’s Summit R-7 is an exemplary school district, graduating students who are college and career ready with the competitive advantage necessary to be successful. Lee’s Summit R-7 reflects a culture of respect and acceptance. Collaboration is an expectation that fosters mutual understanding and a focus on student achievement and staff

development. Lee’s Summit R-7 encourages innovation and creativity, recognizing student learning as our fundamental purpose.

Highland Park Elementary student gains national attention following memorable Jackson County Spelling Bee

Sophia Hoffman, a fifth-grader at Highland Park Elementary School, and Kush Sharma, a seventh-grader at Frontier School of Innovation in Kansas City, gained international attention following an extraordinary Jackson County Spelling Bee competition.

During the annual Jackson County Spelling Bee, Sophia and Kush survived 66 championship rounds with the two finalists go-ing head to head for 47 rounds on Feb. 22. Sophia and Kush com-peted in a rematch on March 8 with Kush winning first place and advanc-ing to the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Sophia is runner-up for the county bee.

The drawn-out Jackson County finish received international attention, with coverage by media outlets such as Na-tional Public Radio, Time magazine, The Huffington Post, The Christian Science

Monitor and the New York Daily News. Sophia appeared on the CNN national morning news show and ABC’s “Good Morning America” on Feb. 25, traveling to New York City to be a guest on each

show. In addition, she made a trip to California during spring break to appear on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.”

Sophia and her family are experienced in both regional and national spelling competitions with Sophia’s sister, Jordan, qualify-ing for the National Spelling Bee

while a student at Highland Park Elemen-tary and at Pleasant Lea Middle School. During Jordan’s third trip to the national competition in 2012, she made it to the final rounds, finishing in eighth place.

Sophia qualified for the Jackson County Spelling Bee by winning her school competition.

Sophia Hoffman

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April 2014

Curt Cook is dedicated to embracing the many cultures within our commu-nity – both in his job as a Lee’s Sum-mit R-7 teacher and school diversity coordinator as well as his role as a commissioner on the Lee’s Summit Hu-man Relations Commission, a volunteer board promoting mutual understanding, respect and inclusion. Mr. Cook has served for four years on the Human Relations Commission, which meets monthly at Lee’s Summit City Hall. He also is in charge of marketing and communications for the City of Lee’s

Summit’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration.

Mr. Cook has worked for the R-7 School District for 15 years, currently as a social studies teacher and diversity coordinator at Lee’s Summit High School and as an international studies teacher at Summit Technology Acad-emy. “The Human Relations Commission’s mission is very similar to my work as the school diversity coordinator,” Mr. Cook said, “which is to instill a sense of belonging to all students of all cultures. And in international studies, we discuss diverse cultures every day. So the commission was a natural outlet for something that I have been passion-ate about for quite some time.”

The annual Martin Luther King Jr.

Celebration is conducted by the Human Relations Commission, and Mr. Cook was asked to coordinate marketing for the January event both as a member of

the commission and based on his own experiences in communica-tions and marketing. “I enjoy working with the MLK Commit-tee in developing interesting and engaging ways in which we can communicate the message,” he added.

Mr. Cook also encourages others to get involved in community service, including opportunities through the City of Lee’s Summit. “Take the city’s free Citizen Leadership Academy or go online and look at the boards and commissions to see where you can get involved,” he said. “We live in a democracy and we are lucky to live in a

city that encourages citizen input.”He added that it has been a remark-

able experience to be part of this ener-getic, passionate and committed group of people. “I feel a sense of accomplish-ment every time I get to be a spokesper-son for that mission,” he said.

Lee’s Summit R-7 Community Connections

Curt Cook

R-7 teacher promotes understanding, respect and inclusion through community service

Lee’s Summit R-7 Community Connections highlights the many contributions to the community made by school district employees. If you would like to recommend an R-7 employee for this feature, please send the employee’s name and a few sentences about how he or she contributes to the community to Janice Phelan at [email protected]. Contributions featured should be made by the employee in an area outside of the staff member’s job.


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April 2014

Students from Cedar Elementary School helped celebrate Mis-souri School Board Recognition Week during a special presentation at the Lee’s Summit R-7 Board of Education’s Jan. 23 meeting. The annual recognition week was Jan. 26 through Feb. 1 this year.

The students thanked the Board of Education with a special presentation focusing on how the Board members positively impact students, schools and the community.

School Board Recognition Week, sponsored by the Missouri School Boards’ Association, recognizes the more than 3,600 school board members across the state. These public servants are elected by local constituents and do not receive compensation for their tire-less efforts.

The goal of this event is to build awareness and understanding of the important function an elected Board of Education plays in com-munities and schools.

R-7 School District Board of Education members are President Ron Baker, Vice President Jack Wiley, Patti Buie, Terri Harmon, Chris Storms, Phyllis Balagna and Bob White.

Cedar Creek Elementary students help celebrate Missouri School Board Recognition Week

Cedar Creek Elementary students thank R-7 Board of Education members during the Board’s January meeting.


When our youngest started kinder-garten at Meadow Lane Elementary this year we had concerns. Not because our child didn’t know the alphabet or basic math skills; we had trepidations about maturity. The first month of school was challenging and was not without notes about keeping hands to self, listening during the lesson and overall silliness in class.

Mrs. Robin Overman became our greatest ally and together we sup-ported our child’s improvement. She worked closely with our child and within the first three months we saw remarkable improvement in maturity, learning comprehension and dedication to school work. One specific action Mrs. Overman has taken is handing

out “otter awards” when she catches her students doing something good.

Whenever our child comes home with an award, you

can physically see the pride due to Mrs. Overman’s recogni-tion. Our child has been

so positively impacted by Mrs. Overman when we ask ‘what

do you want to be when you grow up?’, our child responds “a teacher, like Mrs. Overman.” Teachers like Mrs. Overman make all the difference in creating students with a lifelong love of learning!

(The Story Project features personal stories about our students and their accomplishments in school. If you would like to submit a story about your child, visit www.lsr7.org/static/proj-ects/story/.)

The Story Project: Meadow Lane Elementary teacher helps kindergartener mature, develop lifelong love of learning

Members of the Missouri General Assembly discussed education issues during a Kids First Town Hall Meeting, held Feb. 27. The event was sponsored by the Missouri PTA and the Lee’s Sum-mit Council of PTAs.

Elected officials attending were Sen. Will Kraus, Rep. Jeff Grisamore, Rep. Gary Cross and Rep. Mike Cierpiot, although all legislators who represent the R-7 School District were invited. Doro-thy Gardner, Missouri PTA president elect and past vice president of legisla-tion and advocacy, moderated the forum,

asking questions related to Missouri PTA’s top priorities. These include local control of schools, funding for early childhood education, increased parental engagement and opposition toward tax credits going to tuition for non-public school children. Also included in the discussion were bills related to the transfer of students from unaccredited to accredited districts as well as texting while driving.

The event was facilitated by Jacque Gragg, Lee’s Summit Council of PTAs president and legislative chair.

PTA hosts Kids First Town Hall meeting focusing on education issues

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Dr. Chris Troester, principal of Hazel Grove Elementary, was recently selected to receive the prestigious 2014 Missouri Asso-ciation of School Librarians (MASL) Service Award for School Administrators.

He was nominated for the award in recognition of his support of the library media program and reading initiatives at Hazel Grove Elementary. Only one school administrator from throughout Missouri is selected for this award each year.

Dr. Troester will be presented with the award April 14 at the MASL Spring Conference Administrators’ Luncheon in St. Louis. He will have the opportu-nity to inspire nearly 1,000 library media specialists from across the state with encouraging words about reading and the positive effect that libraries have on students.

Dr. Troester has been principal at Hazel Grove Elementary School since 1998.

Dr. Chris Troester receives Missouri Association of School Librarians Service Award

Chris Troester

Hazel Grove Elementary principal recognized for positive impact on students

Four Lee’s Summit R-7 seniors were recently selected for the 2014 Missouri Scholars 100, a statewide program that honors 100 of Mis-souri’s top academic students in the graduating class of 2014.

R-7 students selected are Kyle Angle and Andy Jarnevic of Lee’s Summit High School and Sam Dowd and Heidi Simpson of Lee’s Summit North High School.

Missouri Scholars 100 is spon-sored by the Missouri Association of Secondary School Principals. The selection is based primarily on a formula using the student’s grade-point average (GPA) and ACT or

SAT college-preparation score. Each nominated student had to first meet criteria of an “academic decathlon,” which included 10 events designed to assure the academic strength of the student. To meet the decathlon requirements, the student must have a minimum GPA of 3.75, a minimum ACT score of 29 or a minimum SAT score of 1,900, be ranked in the up-per 10 percent of the class and have taken upper-level courses in math-ematics, science, English and foreign language. The student must also have excellent attendance, be an exem-plary school citizen and be involved in school activities.

Four R-7 School District seniors named to Missouri Scholars 100


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April 2014

The Lee’s Summit R-7 Board of Education approved the school district’s 2015-16 school calendar at its Feb. 20 meeting. The complete calendar for this school year as well as the 2014-15 and 2015-16 calen-dars may be viewed at http://www.lsr7.org/district/district-calendar/quick-view/.

To help families in planning, the R-7 Board of Education approves each school year’s calendar approxi-mately 18 months in advance of the first day of school for that year.

Lee’s Summit R-7 School District approves calendar for 2015-16 school year

Four candidates have filed for three positions on the Lee’s Summit R-7 Board of Education. Candidates (listed in filing order) are Chris Storms, Bill Baird, Terri Harmon and Mark Ousnamer. Mr. Storms and Mrs.

Harmon are current Board of Education members and were both elected in April 2011.The Board of Education and municipal election will be held April 8. For more information about the R-7 Board of Educa-

tion, visit http://www.lsr7.org/school-board/board-members/.

Four file for three seats on Lee’s Summit R-7 Board of Education

Thousands of R-7 area students, staff members and citizens participated in the annual Lee’s Summit Reads, sponsored by the Lee’s Summit Reading Council on Feb. 27. Through this event, citizens throughout the community are encouraged to set aside 20 minutes to read.

Lee’s Summit R-7 staff members and students participated in the special event as well as area businesses and individuals.

A poster, titled “Give a Hoot and Read,” designed by Pleasant Lea Elementary sixth-grader Rachel Sides, was circulated to promote the event.

The Lee’s Summit Reading Council is a chapter of the International Reading Association and is one of Missouri’s largest and most active chapters. Most of the chapter’s members are educators within the R-7 School District. For more information, contact Kerri Draper, [email protected], (816) 986-1350.

LS Reading Council sponsors Lee’s Summit Reads Feb. 27

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Lee’s Summit City Council members and R-7 superintendent Dr. David Mc-Gehee joined students from the Summit International Studies Academy (SISA) at Summit Technology Academy Feb. 20 during a live videoconference with students from Ghana, Africa.

City Council members attending were Bob Johnson, Allan Gray, Rob Binney and Kathy Hofmann.

The videoconference centered on systems of government, respect for elders and the international Pisa Test. Council members were on hand to share their experiences and to answer questions about city government. This was the third of five scheduled videoconferences SISA has hosted with the students from Ghana, and topics have ranged from entertain-ment to the perception of Americans

abroad. “This opportunity is just an amazing

experience for my students and for the students from Ghana,” said Curtis Cook, SISA teacher. “We are all very lucky for the support of our school district, the University of Central Missouri Summit Center and our city government. And we are grateful for the flexibility and hospi-tality of our friends in Ghana.”

Students at SISA prepare a formal presentation over the same subject as the students from Ghana. After each student group presents, the conference opens up to a less formal question-and-answer session.

For more information about SISA, visit the SISA Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/TeamSISA, or e-mail [email protected].

LS R-7 international studies students participate in live videoconference with Ghana students

Videoconference participants include the students from Ghana, who are pictured on the screen, as well as (front row, from left) Curtis Cook, Bob Johnson, Madison Stites, Malia Sapp, Jaris Fulghem, Payton Berens, Scott Hasek, Allan Gray, (back row, from left) Mason Gillihan, Casey Hopkins, Trevon Wilson and Dr. David McGehee. Not pictured are Kathy Hofmann and Rob Binney.

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April 2014

Six Lee’s Summit R-7 seniors were recently named National Merit Schol-arship Corporation finalists. Students recognized are Kyle Angle and Andy Jarnevic, Lee’s Summit High School; Sam Dowd, Heidi Simpson and Evan Weidner, Lee’s Summit North High School; and Anna Poudel, Lee’s Summit West High School.

The students were named National Merit Scholarship Corporation semifi-nalists last fall. Recognized students have the opportunity to continue in the competition for approximately 8,200 National Merit Scholarship Awards, worth close to $33 million, to be offered this spring. There are approximately 15,000 finalists throughout the United States.

Nearly 1.5 million students throughout the United States entered the 2014 Merit Program as juniors by taking the preliminary SAT/National Merit Schol-arship Qualifying Test, which serves as an initial screen of program entrants.

Six seniors named National Merit Scholarship finalists

Rudy Rhodes and Julie Wright were recently named R-7 Learning for Life Award winners. Mr. Rhodes, the February winner, is a bus driver in the dis-trict’s Transportation Department. Ms. Wright, the March winner, is a speech

therapist at Great Beginnings Early Education Center.

The award is presented to one employee each month who is nominated by co-workers and se-lected by a staff committee.

“Rudy treats children with dignity and re-spect,” said a colleague about Mr. Rhodes. “He is calm and patient and makes you feel special and important.”

“She is always there with fresh ideas and is willing to work outside the box to do what is best for students,” said a colleague about Ms. Wright. “Julie has a big heart for students and is willing to help anyone with anything to ensure student success.”

Rudy Rhodes, Julie Wright named Learning for Life Award winners

Julie WrightRudy Rhodes


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April 2014

R-7 Board of Education members approved several new administrators during the February and March meetings.

Keith Henry, currently director of transportation for the Independence School District, was named R-7 director of transportation. He will begin his new job in July and will replace Linda Thompson, who is retiring in June.

Before joining the Independence School District, Mr. Henry served as executive direc-tor of support services in the Mehlville School District, as a school bus safety consultant for the University of Central Missouri, as director of transportation for the Windsor School District and as an aviation electrician/flight crewman for the United States Coast Guard. In all, Mr. Henry has worked in student transportation for 20 years.

Richard Bechard, currently district athletics and activities director for the Blue Valley School District, was named 2014-15 R-7 athletic/activities director. Mr. Bechard, will replace Darwin Rold, who is retiring in June.

In addition to serving as Blue Valley athletic and activities director for the past eight years, Mr. Bechard has worked as an assistant principal/athletic director, teacher and coach in Holton, Kan., and as athletic director, teacher and coach in Stockton, Kan. In all, he has 34 years of experience in education.

Lisa Detig, currently assistant principal at Prairie View Elementary and Richardson Elementary, was named 2014-15 principal of Richardson Elementary School. She will

begin her new job next summer and is replacing Kelly Seitz, who is retiring in June.

Before coming to Lee’s Summit in 2013, Mrs. Detig served as an elemen-tary assistant principal in Republic, Mo.; as a fourth-grade teacher in Branson; and as a first- and fourth-grade teacher in Pleasant Hope, Mo. She has worked in education since 1998.

Dr. Sheryl Cochran, currently an elementary principal in the Center School District, was named Meadow Lane Elementary principal. She will begin her new job in July.

Dr. Cochran has served as principal of Boone Elementary in the Center School District since 2004. She previously worked in the Fort Osage School District as a site coordina-tor-director, as a summer-school principal and as a special-education teacher/behavior-intervention specialist. In addition, Dr. Cochran has served as an adjunct professor at Avila University since 2009. She has worked in education since 1996.

Board of Education names new 2014-15 administrators

Keith Henry Richard Bechard Dr. Sheryl CochranLisa Detig

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Twelve Lee’s Summit R-7 educa-tors were recently named Lee’s Summit Chamber of Commerce Excellence In Teaching award winners. Recognized teachers are Todd C. Arasmith, Bernard Campbell Middle School; Erica Arbuckle, Hawthorn Hill Elementary School; Enjoli Avila, Summit Pointe Elementary School; Jon Courtney, Bernard Campbell Middle School; Beth Files, Summit Lakes Middle School; Andrea N. Foote, Greenwood Ele-mentary School; Jayne Hartwig, Trailridge Elementary School; Tammi S. Krones, Lee’s Summit High School; Scott Kuhl-man, Lee’s Summit North High School; Melinda Moylan, Hazel Grove Elementary School; Hollie Temple, Great Beginnings Early Education Center; and Kim Victor,

Longview Farm Elementary School.All 12 recipients were honored at

an April 3 reception sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce and the R-7 School District. The announcement of the 2014 Teacher of the Year was also made at this reception, which occurred after this publi-cation went to press.

The recognized teachers were selected by a committee composed of R-7 staff and representatives from the Chamber of Commerce and the community. Excellence In Teaching winners were also finalists for the R-7 Teacher of the Year program and participated in an interview with the selec-tion team.

In addition to the Excellence In Teach-ing Award winners, other finalists for 2014

Teacher of the Year included Teachers of Distinction, former Excellence In Teach-ing recipients who were nominated for the award again this year. The Teachers of Distinction interviewing for Teacher of the Year were Aaron Bailey, Lee’s Sum-mit West High School; Nancy Collings, Bernard Campbell Middle School; Kerrie Creemer, Meadow Lane Elementary School; Sarah Graff, Lee’s Summit North High School; Rhonda L. Ireland, Lee’s Summit North High School; Paul Morales, Pleasant Lea Middle School; Paul M. Rutherford, Summit Technology Academy; Deanna Soukup, Bernard Campbell Middle School; Michael Walker, Summit Lakes Middle School; and Paula Zimmerschied, Underwood Elementary School.

Twelve teachers receive Chamber of Commerce Excellence In Teaching Awards

The Lee’s Summit R-7 Trans-portation Department is seeking kind, compassionate individuals to work as school bus drivers. Drivers work the same calendar days as the students and approximately 25 hours each week during the school year. They are eligible to receive full-time employee benefits including retire-ment and health insurance. To apply, visit the school district website at www.lsr7.org.

R-7 Transportation Department seeking bus drivers

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April 2014

Four Lee’s Summit R-7 staff mem-bers were among 12 local citizens re-ceiving Reflections of Character Awards at the Jan. 23 Lee’s Summit Mayor’s Character Breakfast. The awards are presented to community members who are nominated based on character traits.

R-7 employees winning the award are Officer Bobby Conard, a school resource officer (SRO) at Lee’s Sum-mit West High School for responsibil-ity; Tom Merrell, a teacher at Pleasant Lea Middle School for respect; Jackie Robertson, a teacher at Highland Park Elementary for appreciation; and Rudy Rhodes, an R-7 bus driver for kindness.

Officer Conard serves as the LSWHS SRO and is also an assistant varsity girls’softball coach at the school. He was honored for providing assistance at the scene of an accident involving students and then immediately traveling

to a softball game. In spite of witnessing a serious accident involving students, he maintained his professionalism through-out the game. Officer Conard was praised for his passion for working with youth and responsible behavior.

Mr. Merrell teaches social studies at Pleasant Lea Middle School and was honored for his dedication to enlighten-ing his students about the world around them. Over the past three years, he worked with his seventh-grade team to raise money for the Invisible Children non-profit organization, which works to help child soldiers in Africa. Approxi-mately $3,600 was raised for this orga-nization through Mr. Merrell’s annual bike rides. Over the past three years, he rode close to 400 miles to motivate students and help others.

Jackie Robertson teaches kindergar-ten at Highland Park Elementary and

was recognized for the support and kindness she showed a student following surgery on both of the student’s feet. Mrs. Robertson went above and beyond, encour-aging classmates to send get-well cards, contacting the student following surgery and arranging for his fellow students to become “wheelchair driver’s license certified” so they could assist the recov-ering student at school. She provided motivation and support throughout his recovery and worked closely with the student’s parents.

Rudy Rhodes is a bus driver for students at Lee’s Summit High School, Prairie View Elementary and Woodland

Elementary. He was recognized for cooperation. Working closely with staff members at Prairie View Elementary, Mr. Rhodes organized his fellow bus drivers to initiate the Book Buddies program during fall 2012. Through the program, bus drivers donate many hours during the school year to help children improve their reading skills. Mr. Rhodes also volunteers to work at the Lee’s Summit Oktoberfest to promote school bus safety and provides the voice for Buster the Bus.

R-7 staff members receive Reflections of Character Awards

Bobby Conard Tom Merrell Rudy RhodesJackie Robertson

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The following information is pro-vided to the patrons of the R-7 School District as required by the EPA’s Asbestos Emergency Response Act of 1986.

The EPA’s Asbestos Hazard Emer-gency Response Act of 1986 (referred to as AHERA) was enacted to limit the exposure of students to airborne asbestos fibers in public schools. The EPA required that all K-12 grade facilities be inspected by an EPA certified inspector and that asbestos-containing materials (ACM) be as-sessed and quantified. The EPA then directed each school district to develop an asbestos management plan using EPA established protocols to limit asbestos exposure. The management plans include employee training, work procedures, inspections and abatement

documentation. The district’s original management plan was submitted to the Missouri State Department of Health. In addition, the asbestos management plan includes the triennial reinspec-tions and six-month periodic inspec-tions. The latest triennial inspection was completed in September 2013 by a certified EPA asbestos inspector. The district uses AutoCAD drawings to update and disseminate records in a timely manner. Current asbestos man-agement plans are available for review during normal working hours in the Facilities Services office. Kyle Gorrell, director of Facilities Services and the district’s asbestos program manager, may be reached at (816) 986-2420. Of-fice hours are 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, except on days closed per the district calendar.

Annual asbestos notice Prairie View El-ementary students, staff and families recently partici-pated in Literacy Night, held during January. One popular activity was a life-sized game board with students compet-ing to win books. While playing the game, the students answered questions based on strate-gies and skills they have been studying during the school year. Each child attending Literacy Night received a book to keep, en-couraging reading at home.

Prairie View Elementary hosts Literacy Night

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April 2014

Five distinguished alumni will be inducted into the Lee’s Summit High School Hall of Fame April 12 at Lee’s Summit High School. Alumni being honored for the 2013-2014 school year are Marvin D. Ensworth, Class of 1952; Mark Bradford, Class of 1977; Dr. Jeffrey Carter, Class of 1979; Shan-non Lawrence, Class of 1977; and Dr. James M. Williams, Class of 1963.

The distinguished alumni will be recognized at the annual LSHS Hall of Fame banquet to be held at 6 p.m. April 12 at LSHS. Cost per person is $25, and reservations are required. For more information, contact LSHS at (816) 986-2107 or e-mail to [email protected].

Lee’s Summit High School has in-ducted distinguished graduates into the school’s Hall of Fame for 18 years. Ap-proximately five alumni are inducted each year during a dinner ceremony. Plaques featuring the honorees are also displayed on a “wall of fame” at Lee’s Summit High School.

The LSHS Hall of Fame inductees

are selected by a committee of gradu-ates and staff. Alumni are eligible for this honor 10 years after graduation. Nomination forms for next year are available by calling Lee’s Summit High School, (816) 986-2000. They should be returned to the high school at 400 SE Blue Parkway, Lee’s Summit, 64063.

Honorees to be inducted intoLee’s Summit High School Hall of Fame

Dr. Jeffrey Carter Marvin D. Ensworth

Mark BradfordDr. James M. Williams

Shannon Lawrence

Three Lee’s Summit R-7 schools were recently recognized through the school district’s energy conservation efforts. Westview Elementary won first place, Meadow Lane Elementary won second place and Trailridge Elementary won third.

At Westview Elementary, students and staff members reduced their overall energy usage by nearly 20 percent when compared to the previous school year.

As the Energy Olympics winner, Westview receives a $750 award, which will be used to purchase instructional materials for students. The school is also displaying the Energy Olympics travel-ing trophy.

In addition, Westview was honored earlier this school year as the R-7 School District’s top recycling school through the One Earth, One Chance program, sponsored by Deffenbaugh In-dustries. This is the second year in a row that Westview has captured this award.

Schools recognized for energy conservation

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Megan Chambers and Amy Tay-lor, library media specialists at Lee’s Summit West High School, were among 10 individuals featured as “spotlight educators” at the 2014 Mid-west Education Technology Confer-ence, held during February.

The spotlight recognition honors leaders from the region in education technology, whose practices are mak-ing a difference for students as well as teachers. Ms. Chambers and Ms. Tay-lor have worked together at LSWHS for the last nine years where their mission has been to create a teen-friendly atmosphere that fosters a love of reading while developing students who are literate in 21st century skills and use information responsibly.

LSWHS library media specialists are ‘spotlight educators’ at conference

Both educators are active members of the Greater Kansas City Association of School Librarians and the Missouri As-sociation of School Librarians. They have presented numerous times at national and state conferences.

Megan Chambers and Amy Taylor

Maryn White, a seventh-grade student at Summit Lakes Middle School, was named a distin-guished finalist and top runner-up in the 2014 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards in Missouri.

Maryn has raised nearly $10,000 to support the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation by coordinating the team “Maryn’s Magnificent Marchers” to walk in the foundation’s charity event. The seventh-grader, diagnosed with ulcerative colitis at age 10, was named an “Honored Hero” for the Kansas City Takes Steps Walk in 2013. She is currently working with the foundation to advocate for awareness, funding and affordable healthcare cover-age.

The SLMS student also re-ceived the President’s Volunteer Service Award. This award recognizes Americans of all ages who have volunteered significant amounts of their time to serve their communities and their country.

SLMS student receives Spirit of Community Award

Dr. David Carlson presents the Prudential Spirit of Community Award to Maryn White.

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April 2014

Summit Pointe Elementary hosted a ribbon cutting March 7 for the school’s new Little Free Library. The event included students and staff members from the school as well as R-7 superintendent Dr. David McGehee and Dave Eames, the local artist who created the owl-designed library.

Little Free Libraries are being created throughout the world. They are “take-a-book-return-a-book” gathering places where neighbors share their favorite literature and stories. For more information about Little Free Library, visit http://littlefreelibrary.org/.

Summit Pointe Elementary hosts ribbon cutting for Little Free Library

Savannah Meyer, a sixth-grader in the gifted program at Hazel Grove Elemen-tary, won first place in an art contest sponsored by the Gifted Association of Missouri. She was honored in the Rotunda of the Capitol Building in Jef-ferson City on Feb. 26.

Theme for the contest was Faces of Gifted. Savannah’s artwork focused on the gifts and talents of her peers, such as art, physics, math, science and writing. In the background of her artwork, she included images of the great intellectual minds of Vincent Van Gogh, Albert

Einstein, Isaac Newton and William Shakespeare.

In Savannah’s words, “My inspiration for the piece came from my love of art and all the talents gifted can represent, not just being ‘smart.’ You can be gifted in anything -- music, art, math, science, sports, writing and many more. It shows the many talents a gifted student can possess and the great people in history that they can live up to.”

The art contest honored the talents of gifted students during the Week of the Gifted Child, Feb. 24-28.

Hazel Grove Elementary student wins first place in state art contest

Savannah Meyer, sixth-grader at Hazel Grove Elementary, receives the first place award from David Welch, direc-tor of gifted education for the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

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gifts. More than 580 guests also had the

opportunity to sample cuisine from the following businesses: Bleu Burger, Costa Vida, Edible Arrangements, Habanero’s, Longhorn Steakhouse, McAlister’s, Monetti’s, On the Border, Outback Steakhouse, Summit Grill and Bar, Summit Hickory Pit, Fig Tree Café and Bakery, Waldo Pizza, Yogurtini, John Knox Village, Missouri Wine & Grape Association, Hy-Vee, Central States and Lagunitas.

Volunteer event co-chairs were Bill Baird and Chip Moxley. A number of area organizations also generously helped sponsor Taste of Lee’s Summit, including annual Friends of the Foundation Spon-sors at five different participation levels.

Superintendent’s Circle Sponsors include CCR Roofing, JE Dunn, Major Saver, Meyer Music, Paradise Park,

tingle flooring, H.B. Oppenheimer Foundation, Bob and Marlese Gourley, Jane and Bob Rutherford, and Chris and Audra Storms.

Benefactor sponsors include CEAH Realtors, Control Service Company Inc., GEHA and Metcraft Industries. Leader sponsors include Kent and Wendie Kirby, CBIZ Benefits and Insurance Services, George K. Baum and Co., Hy-Vee, Saint Luke’s East Hospital, Summit Bank of Kansas City and UMB Financial Corpo-ration.

Patron sponsors include ACI/Boland Inc., Arvest Bank, Atcheson Lawn and Landscape, BAIRD Group Real Estate, Bank of Lee’s Summit, Capital Con-struction, Chinnery Evans and Nail P.C., Commerce Bank, DVA Enterprises, Hollis + Miller Architects, J.P. Morgan, Lakewood Dental Center, Metcalf Bank, Thomas E. Moore DDS P.C., PBI In-dustries, Piper Jaffray and Co., Steppin’ Out – The Studio, Carl and Jean Chin-

nery, David and Andrea McGehee, Jim S. Noel, Charles and Beth Rosemergey Orth, Jim and Mary Stilley, Greg and Anna Vahrenberg, and Bob and Candy White.

Event sponsors include Lead Bank, Commerce Bank, RED Development, University of Central Missouri and

Wilshire at Lakewood. The Lee’s Summit Educational Foun-

dation is a non-profit, 501c3 organization established to raise and manage resources in order to expand and initiate education-al opportunities for Lee’s Summit R-7 students and staff. For more information, visit www.lsedfoundation.com.

Taste of Lee’s Summit a great success for districtFUNDRAISER Continued from 1

Chip Moxley, Taste of Lee’s Summit co-chair, on the stage at the community event.

April 2014

is the best-run district of all the school districts I have audited,” said Thomas A. Schweich, Missouri state auditor, during a brief Feb. 3 presentation for the R-7 community.

“Everyone should be very, very pleased in the way this school district is operated,” he said during the public presentation, adding that the audit was “good not only in the high quality of controls but also the level of cooperation by district staff.”

The state audits include four ratings – excellent, good, fair and poor. The Lee’s Summit R-7 School District’s results were considered “good” by the state auditor, and Mr. Schweich added that it was “good at the high end” with Lee’s Summit R-7 “the best audit I’ve con-ducted in a school district.”

A rating of good is defined as follows

by the state auditor: “The audit results indicate this entity is well managed. The report contains few findings, and the entity has indicated most or all of the recommendations have already been, or will be, implemented. In addition, if ap-plicable, many of the prior recommenda-tions have been implemented.”

Auditors from Jefferson City were on-site in the local school district for more than two months from mid February through late April 2013. The state audit includes interviews, surveys and field work and traditionally takes approxi-mately a full year including the on-site work, analysis and completion of the final report. It was conducted at no cost to the R-7 School District.

The state auditor’s office randomly audits governmental organizations such as school districts, municipalities, county governments and other state agencies and departments. In past audits during

recent years, it is very unusual for an organization to obtain the “excellent” or highest rating.

The state audit findings for Lee’s Summit R-7 included recommendations in five areas of district operation. Lee’s Summit R-7 staff members have been working with the state officials for sever-al months and have already implemented or are in the process of making changes to address these. R-7 officials stressed that the district worked closely with the auditors throughout the process and wel-comed the review and the opportunity to receive feedback from the state.

In addition to this random audit by the state officials, the R-7 School District works with an outside firm, Marr and Company, which conducts a comprehen-sive annual audit of the district’s business

practices. A citizens’ group also reviews this annual audit. Results from the an-nual audit from this outside organization have been very favorable for many years with district staff members working to continuously improve processes and procedures based on this audit feedback. The independent auditor reports to the Board of Education and to the Missouri Department of Elementary and Second-ary Education.

During January, Standard and Poor’s released the R-7 School District’s bond rating, which is AA+. The highest rating is AAA, according to the independent credit rating organization. AA+ is con-sidered an outstanding rating for a public school district and is reflective of excel-lent financial management and business practices.

AUDIT Continued from 1

Lee’s Summit R-7 school district receives high marks

Lee’s Summit R-7 community members and other interested individuals are invited to subscribe to the school district’s electronic newsletter, known as “R-7 Advocacy.” The newsletter provides subscribers with relevant and timely information about legislative activities and proposals as well as opportunities to speak out on behalf of the district’s schools and students.

The majority of newsletter issues are sent to subscribers several times each month dur-ing the Missouri General Assembly session, scheduled from January through May each

year. Less frequent issues are sent out during the remainder of the school year, depending on state and national legislative activity.

To sign up for “R-7 Advocacy,” visit http://eepurl.com/KnDQL or send your request to [email protected].

The R-7 Legislative Platform is available at http://www.lsr7.org/district/2012-legisla-tive-platform/. This website also includes a list of area elected officials and a Toolkit for Advocacy, developed with the assistance of the Missouri School Boards Association.

R-7 supporters invited to subscribe to newsletter focusing on legislative advocacy

Mustard Seed Learning Center......bring learning home

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share our district’s views when it comes to existing and potential laws is the differ-ence you can make by communicating with your elected officials about matters impacting our community’s students.

Each one of us has numerous opportu-nities to reach out to elected officials and speak on behalf of children and schools. An easy way to stay informed is to sub-scribe to our district’s electronic newslet-ter, known as “R-7 Advocacy,” focusing on information about legislative activities. To sign up for this newsletter, visit http://eepurl.com/KnDQL or send your request to [email protected].

If you sign up for the newsletter, you will receive approximately weekly e-mails during the spring that include informa-tion about legislation under consideration as well as occasional requests for you to contact elected officials. “R-7 Advocacy” has only been in existence for a little over a year and already has more than 500 subscribers.

Our Lee’s Summit Council of PTAs does an excellent job of helping its mem-bers stay informed about legislative issues while also advocating for students. During late February, the local PTA Council hosted a well-attended legislative forum, called the Kids First Town Hall, offering state legislators the opportunity to answer education-related questions from PTA

members. In addition, our district’s Citizens’ Advi-

sory Committee and Business Roundtable joined forces on April 3 to host a legisla-tive forum that also focused on legislative issues, such as the student-transfer law, tax reform and education funding. This meet-ing was held after this publication went to press, but the event has been an outstand-ing opportunity in past years for elected officials to hear directly from parents, business leaders and involved community members.

There are numerous important issues under consideration during this spring’s General Assembly session, and I encour-age you to stay informed and share your opinions with the lawmakers who will be casting votes on legislation in areas such as the transfer of students from unac-credited to accredited districts and state funding of public schools.

Strong public schools are the corner-stone of successful communities, positive-ly impacting families, the local economy and the overall business climate. In addition, a quality school system increases real-estate values and attracts business and industry as well as new residents.

We appreciate the many school support-ers in our community, including members of our PTA Council, Citizens’ Advisory Committee and Business Roundtable. Your voice does make a difference! Thank you for all you do for the children.

Reach out to elected officials for studentsMCGEHEE Continued from 1

The Lee’s Summit R-7 School District Elementary Nutrition Council recently donated 22 barrels of food to Lee’s Summit Social Services thanks to a holiday food drive.

During the December food drive, students and staff members at R-7 elementary schools were encouraged to bring non-perishable items to their school cafeterias.

The R-7 Elementary Nutrition Council includes students from all elementary schools who are selected by their principals and PTA presidents. The group meets monthly to discuss school breakfasts and lunches, offering suggestions and sampling new items.

Lee’s Summit R-7 Elementary Nutrition Council collects 22 barrels of food for LS Social Services

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