Cardinal Connection-Spring 2024

Inside this Issue

2

• On the Cover: Lanidrac Staff Member Wins State Photo of the Month Competition

• From the Desk of the Superintendent

• School Bond Initiative

• Summer School 2024

• Southwest Elementary 2024 Field Day

4

6

8

• Season of Musical Excellence & Adventures: Vocal Music & Instrumental Music

• Health Room Highlights

• MS GATE Class Visits

Children’s Literature Festival

• Students Study & View Partial Eclipse

• Taking Awards to a National Level

• CBC Students Visit Truman Library

• Journalism State Awards

• Summer Camps

• Lawson R-XIV App

from the desk

of the superintendent

As we conclude another school year, I want to pause and reflect on the remarkable journey we’ve shared. The past academic year has been a testament to our collective resilience, marked by significant achievements such as expanding our early childhood programming to include full-day preschool, embarking on an exciting opportunity through the expansion of our career education programming to include agriculture education and FFA, and most recently, the passing of a No Tax increase bond to allow us the opportunity to make many necessary improvements that benefit our students and the community. These triumphs, along with the personal growth and unforgettable moments, have truly enriched the lives of our students, staff, and community.

hurt and grieved. Throughout these times, we found ways to lean on each other and gain strength from the fabric, which makes us Lawson.

As we close out the year and celebrate our students’ achievements, let us also acknowledge the hard work and dedication of our teachers, administrators, and support staff. Their passion for education and tireless efforts have empowered our students to reach new heights and pursue their dreams confidently.

DR. MICHAEL STEPHENSON

Lawson R-XIV Superintendent

While the year has been excellent, we must also recognize that we have had moments when our students, staff, and community have

As we bid farewell to the 2023-24 school year, let us carry forward the lessons learned, the friendships forged, and the memories cherished. Together, we have proven that when we come together as a community, there is no challenge too great and no goal beyond reach. May we continue to recognize our great strides while continuing to press forward to make ourselves even better. #WeAreLawson

ON THE COVER: On March 16, junior Waylon Templeton pitches to the Lexington Minutemen batter in the second game of a varsity baseball double header. “I felt good going into the second game,” Templeton said, “and I trusted my defense.” Templeton led the Cardinals to a win, 15-5. Photo by Aubryanna Allen

Congratulations to sophomore Aubryanna Allen for this cover photo earning 1st place in the March Photo of the Month Competition entry to MIJA, our state student journalism organization. Lanidrac yearbook staff members submit entries each month and then select the best from those to enter as the one allotted entry in the state monthly competition. This is the staff’s first 1st place winner since they started submitting entries in Aug. 2022.

Follow Lawson School District on our social media platforms, so you won’t miss important announcements, updates, and special things going on!

Lawson School District Facebook

Lawson.GoCardinals

Lawson School District X

(Formerly known as Twitter)

@LawsonGoCards

Lawson Cardinals Activities

@LawsonCardinalsActivities

Southwest Elementary Facebook

@swelementaryschool

April 3, 2024

Heartfelt Thanks for Supporting the School Bond Initiative

Dear Lawson Community,

On behalf of the Lawson R-XIV students, staff, and board of education, I express our deepest gratitude to each and every one of you, our valued community members, for your unwavering support in passing the recent school bond initiative. Your commitment to our community’s education system speaks volumes about your dedication to the well-being and future success of our children and our community.

The overwhelming support we received for the bond initiative demonstrates a shared belief in the importance of investing in our schools and providing our students with the resources they need to thrive. Your approval has paved the way for crucial improvements and advancements in our educational infrastructure, ensuring a brighter future for our entire school community.

Your support benefits our current students and enriches the community by fostering an environment where learning and growth are valued and prioritized. Together, we are building a stronger foundation for our community’s future prosperity and success.

Once again, thank you for your incredible support and for recognizing the significance of investing in education. Your generosity and commitment to our schools are not just for today but for the future.

With heartfelt gratitude, Dr. Michael Stephenson, Superintendent of Schools Lawson R-XIV

Summer SchooL

2024

May 29—June 28 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

Session 1—May 29 - June 12

Session 2—June 13–June 28

Mark your calendars for our 2024 summer school program! Students entering grades K-12 in the fall are invited to enroll! There will be two sessions to provide new and exciting course offerings!

ELEMENTARY STUDENTS K-4

Where? Located at Southwest Elementary

Who? Students entering Kindergarten through 4th for the 2024-25 school year

What? Exciting and innovative courses developed by our classroom teachers. Lunch served and snack time available in the afternoon.

MIDDLE SCHOOL GRADE 5-8

Where? Located at Lawson Middle School

Who? Students entering 5th through 8th grades next fall will have a class schedule similar to a regular day with seven classes.

What? Course offerings will include core subjects as well as special courses including Cooking, Sewing, and Archery, just to name a few.

New class offerings are currently being developed.

A Basics and Beyond class will be offered for those students needing to secure promotion to the next grade. Mr. Zahl, LMS principal, will directly notify those students and parents that qualify. This is a credit recovery course and is by invitation only.

HOW DO I ENROLL MY CHILD?

Enrollment forms will be sent home at various times toward the end of the year with students or they can be picked up at the elementary and middle school offices. New kindergarten students can receive enrollment forms and information at Southwest’s Kindergarten Round Up. If you have questions, contact the Summer School Directors, Kevin Keeton at the MS, (816) 5807279 or Ida Kemper at Southwest, (816) 580-7272.

Did you know that you can turn your purchases at Casey’s into a donation to our school? Download the Casey’s App today and start earning points that you can redeem as a donation to one of our buildings!

Visit https://www. caseys.com/rewards to learn more!

Sea S on o F m u S ica L Excellence & Adventures

VocAL musIc

What a year our vocal music department is having! After a great fall season with numerous district and state honors being awarded, the success has continued into 2024. On March 4, the Lawson Select Choir under the direction of Amanda Covey participated in the MSHSAA State Large Group Festival. They earned straight exemplary ratings from all four judges. This is the first time the choir has earned unanimous scores from all judges and the second year in a row for the ensemble to earn an overall Exemplary “I” rating. The success continued a few weeks later when 17 members of the Lawson Select Choir participated in the MSHSAA District Solo and Small Ensemble Festival. Not only did they break records with the number of entries, but five vocal events qualified for state. This is the largest number of vocal events to qualify in over sixteen years. Ava Briegel (12), Aleah Johnson (10), Josilyn Sandoval (11), and Cade Shafer (12) all qualified with their vocal solos. A quartet made up of Powell Bolinger (11), Ava Briegel (12), Aleah Johnson (10), and Cade Shafer (12) also qualified. These students will travel to the University of Columbia - Missouri on Apr. 26 to participate in the MSHSAA State Solo and Small Ensemble Festival where they will earn Gold, Silver, or Bronze ratings. The following students earned Outstanding ratings for their vocal solos at the District Solo and Small Ensemble Festival: Madelyn Hazlett (9), Haley Lewis (11), Joanna Mayne (10), Cara Siebert (11), Riley Smith (11), Jacklyn Thompson (11), and Lila Tucker (11). The following students earned Satisfactory ratings for their vocal solos at the District Solo and Small Ensemble Festival: Kimberlin Ballard (12), Lola Bolinger (10), Allison

Hochwender (11), Haley Hollon (12), and Lillyn Holman (10).

On Apr. 3, 23 members of the Lawson Select Choir performed in the rotunda of the Missouri State Capitol in Jefferson City as part of the annual Fine Arts Education Day celebration. They performed two songs, “Omnia Sol” and “Verde Mar de Navegar” with Mrs. Amanda Covey serving as accompanist and senior Cade Shafer directing. The students also had the opportunity to tour the building, sit in the House Gallery while the representatives discussed and voted on bills, eat pizza and ice cream on the south steps in frigid, blustery temperatures, meet with Senator Hoskins, sing in the Whispering Gallery, and climb over 200 narrow steps to the top of the dome to view the Missouri River and city landscape from the observation deck.

To wrap up this successful school year, we hope to have numerous students in 5-10 selected for the annual Missouri Choral Directors Association State Summer Honor Choirs to be held in Springfield in July. Auditions took place in April with selections being made in early May. There were several performances before the conclusion of school, beginning Apr.11 with the 5th Grade presentation of “The Adventures of Lewis and Clark.” Cardinal Chorale joined Southwest Singers for their annual concert on Apr. 23 and the 7-12 Vocal students performed their final concert of the year on May 7. This concert featured student-choreographed popular songs for the audience to enjoy. Finally, Select Choir will be performing as part of the graduation ceremony on May 19.

The vocal music department thanks our community for their continued support of our arts and looks forward to seeing you at future performances. Photos courtesy of Amanda Covey

InstrumentAL musIc

State Large Ensemble Festival

The Lawson High School Band received a “1” Rating again this year. That makes it two years in a row that they have received this high honor.

District Solo & Ensemble Festival

The following students participated and received honors at the MSHSAA District Solo & Ensemble Festival this year:

GOLD

Hunter Thompson - Alto

Saxophone Solo

SILVER

Dylan Spor - Euphonium

Solo

Elena Mason - Trumpet

Solo

Gabrielle KnochClarinet Solo

Haley Lewis - Trumpet

Solo

Makynzee HubbardClarinet Solo

Paxton Warren - Clarinet

Solo

Will Mason - Snare

Drum Solo

BRONZE

Jadon Hussey - Trumpet

Solo

Cassadi Osborn - Bass

Clarinet Solo

KCI Conference Band

The following students represented Lawson at this years

KCI Conference Band:

High School:

Elena Mason

Cadence Sullard

Gabby Barnhill

Gabrielle Knoch

Paxton Warren

Jadon Hussey

Xander Veverka

Gideon Dressler

Joanna Mayne

Shawn Holthouse

Alyse Gilmore

Haley Lewis

Hunter Thompson

Georgia Keighley

David Doolittle

Cassadi Osborn

Dylan Spor

Will Mason

Emma Watson

Middle School:

Remi Graham

Bailey Campbell

Quinton Payne

Alexa Jones

Leah Holcomb

Raymond Graham

Brennan McDowell

Jackson McClure

Mackenzie Montone

Kenza Stone

Lukas O’Sullivan

Emily Whitworth

Destiny Dreesen

Ben Mayne

Drake Edwards

Seth Lambert

Karleigh Moffett

Grayden Crawford

The high school Jazz Band had a very eventful season. They toured the Blue Room and American Jazz Museum, getting the

opportunity to meet with professional musicians. They also participated in the Northwest Missouri State University and the University of Missouri jazz festivals, earning the highest ratings. The Jazz Band members include:

Jonathan Binney

Kenzie Campbell

Addie Covey

David Doolittle

Alyse Gilmore

Kirstyn Gilmore

Mason Henson

Shawn Holthouse

Mak Hubbard

Jadon Hussey

Aleah Johnson

Georgia Keighley

Gabrielle Knoch

Haley Lewis

Elena Mason

Will Mason

Joanna Mayne

Nathan Nix

Cassadi Osborn

Dylan Spor

Hunter Thompson

Paxton Warren

hIGhLIGhts Health Room

It seems like this school year has flown by! Even though the end of this school year is in sight, we don’t want to let our guard down when it comes to student and staff health. Allergy season and spring colds can definitely make us feel really ill at times. Fevers are generally associated with colds while sneezing, itchy eyes and runny/stuffy nose are more commonly associated with allergies. If your student is experiencing a fever of 100 degrees or greater and/or has a cough that is not controlled with drinks of water or cough medicine then he/she should not come to school until 24 hours fever-free without the aid of medication and any other symptoms improving.

ALLERGY SEASON

People with asthma/respiratory conditions are often triggered by pollen and other things blowing around in the air this time of year. Allergies can really affect how you feel and function, so if your student has known triggers it is best to anticipate and avoid them. You might consider things like:

• Prescription/non-prescription allergy medication as prescribed by doctor in anticipation of or to treat symptoms

• If your student is prescribed a rescue inhaler for respiratory symptoms, make sure that there is one available in the health room as well as a signed medication authorization form to use it

• Stay inside with windows/ doors closed as much as possible during times of high pollen count

• Plenty of rest and hydration

IMMUNIZATIONS

This is also the time to look forward to the next school year. It is a good time to check with your doctor or the health department to ensure that your student has the required immunizations as well as the appropriate documentation of immunizations/ exemptions for the upcoming school year. The school must have documentation of required

vaccinations/exemptions/inprogress cards on file before the first day of school in August. Proof of immunization can be turned in to either school nurse office at any time—see website for complete list. This is especially important for:

Students entering kindergarten in the fall.

Students Entering 8th Gr.

Required to receive one dose of the Tdap vaccine and one dose of the meningococcal (MCV) vaccine

Students Entering 12th Gr.

Required to have two doses of the meningococcal (MCV) vaccine prior to first day of school unless first dose administered after age 16.

Summer School Reminders

A reminder for those with students who will be attending summer school. Children spend a lot of time outdoors, especially at summer school. It’s important to protect your skin from the harmful UV rays from the sun that can damage skin and eyes and potentially cause skin cancer. Teach your student how to apply sunscreen and take the time to apply it before attending each day and maybe send a hat and sunglasses, too.

Ray County Health Dept.

The Ray County Health Department (RCHD) is a good resource for vaccines and vaccine-related questions. The RCHD is located in Richmond and can be reached at 816-7765413. RCHD will hold clinic at the Lawson Community Center this summer at the following times:

May 31, 2024 1-3 p.m.

June 28, 2024 1-3 p.m.

July 26, 2024 1-3 p.m.

Aug. 23, 2024 1-3 p.m.

**You might want to call ahead to make sure the vaccine you need will be available.

CONTACT INFO

Please feel free to contact Tina Murdock, BSN, RN (SW School Nurse) at 816-580-7272 or Brittany Sousley, RN (MS/ HS School Nurse) at 816-5807279/7270 with any questions or concerns.

ms GAte cLAss Visits Children's Literature Festival

Lawson Middle School’s GATE class visited the Children’s Literature Festival in Warrensburg on March 4. The three sixth graders attended presentations by Rob Buyea (Because of Mr. Terept), Gary Schmidt (Orbiting Jupiter), Padma Venkatraman (Born Behind Bars), Dusti Bowling (Canyon’s Edge), and Ronald Smith (Hoodoo).

Carver Bennett identified most with the first speaker of the day.

“My favorite one was Rob [Buyea],” Bennett said. “He had a bunch of the same interests as me.”

The students started planning this trip in Nov. 2023 when the list of festival presenters was posted online. They discussed which authors they wanted to see and began reading books written by those authors to prepare.

“I liked them all, but my favorite speaker was Padma because her stories were all based on what had happened to her or her family or in her culture,” Halle Briegel said. “She was inspiring. She told us that nothing ever stopped her.”

Venkatraman was the only author who handed out information cards to the Lawson students and resource pamphlets to teachers. Other speakers captivated the young audience with the inside scoop about their popular books.

“My favorite part of the festival was listening to Gary Schmidt talk because he told the story of Orbiting Jupiter and where he had actually met both Jack and Joseph at the detention center,” Addison McConnell said. “He also told several different stories that were very interesting.”

Fueling a love of reading and inspiring young writers, this field trip was a beneficial, educational experience.

Author Padma Venkatraman and sixth graders Halle Briegel, Addison McConnell and Carver Bennett take time for autographs and a photo following a presentation at the Children’s Literature Festival on March 4 at UCM. Photo by Kristi Dreesen

Students Study & View

pArtIAL ecLIpse

CBC Students Visit tRuMAn LIBRARY

Please congratulate these Lanidrac staff members on their 13 awards earned at the MIJA Scholastic Journalism Day (state competition) on Wednesday, March 27 at the University of Missouri-Columbia.

The staff earned two AllMissouri awards, three Superiors, four Excellents and four Honorable Mentions.

Jackson Vail uses Oreos to create each moon phase and place them in the proper location during Mrs. Chrissy Nutter's science class. Staring up at the sky, Kynlee Schwab, Esamae Bernard and Emmett Corns and also Landon Pitts and Kellan Stanton, equipped with solar glasses, observe the partial

tAkinG AWArds to a National Level

Lanidrac staff members attended the spring NSPA/ JEA National High School Journalism Convention Apr. 4-6 in Kansas City along with almost 3,000 other high school journalists from across the nation.

The Cardinal Book Committee toured the Truman Presidential Library. Led by Mrs. Katie Berger and museum docents, they explored interactive exhibits on President Truman’s life and legacy. They had lively chats about Truman’s impact and even paid respects at his gravesite. The tour taught the students about the unique experience of visiting a presidential library. After the tour, the group enjoyed a pizza buffet for lunch and relaxed at the Independence branch of the Mid-Continent Public Library.

Congratulations to the 2023 Lanidrac yearbook staff on earning NSPA Best of Show 6th place in the 108-223 page High School Yearbook category at nationals.

Students also competed in the JEA National Student Media Competition for the first time, earning two individual awards. Sophomore Brooks Blair earned an Excellent rating for his photo and caption entered in the First-Year Photo Category, and sophomore Aleah Johnson earned an Honorable Mention rating for her series of three photos and captions entered in the Sports Feature Photography category.

Fifth grade students Preslee Sullard, Reid Gardner, Wyatt Moffett, Anna Svendgard, Hadley Teegarden, Weston Covey, Oxley Vaughan, Bentley Brightman, Atticus Sapp, Jac Cummins, Ryder Kisner, Aiden McCombs and Mrs. Chrissy Nutter learn about and watch the solar eclipse. Photos by Chrissy Nutter

eclipse on Apr. 8. They learned that even though 90% of the sun obscured by the moon, ample sunlight still bathed the earth.

Photos by Aleah Johnson

Photos by Brooks Blair

Summer camPS

Band Summer camPS

High School Band Camp

TIME: Noon-5 p.m.

DATE: July 29-Aug. 2

PLACE: High School Band room

COST: $0

Camp show TBA.

Indoor Drumline Camp

TIME: 6-9 p.m.

DATE: Aug. 12-16

PLACE: High School Band Room

COST: $0

BaSeBaLL Summer camP

Lawson High School Youth Baseball Camp

TIME: 9-11 a.m.

DATE: June 3-4

PLACE: High School Baseball Field

COST: $30 (Includes a camp T-Shirt)

Be sure the student athletes have water and all equipment for baseball.

BoYS BaSKeTBaLL Summer camPS

Elementary Boys Basketball Camp (Current 2nd-4th Grade Boys)

TIME: 3:30-5:30 p.m.

DATE: May 7-9

PLACE: Southwest Elementary Gym

COST: $25 (Includes a camp T-Shirt)

Registration forms and payments must be received by Weds., May 1

Middle School Boys Basketball Camp (2024-25 6th8th Grade Boys)

TIME: 4-6 p.m.

DATE: May 28-30

PLACE: High School Gym, Barker Center & Middle School Gym

COST: $25 (Includes a camp T-Shirt)

Camp registration forms and payments are due Weds., May 15

High School Boys Basketball Camp (2024-25 9th12th Grade Boys)

TIME: 6-8:30 p.m.

Lawson R-XIV School District (816) 580-7277 Dr.

DATE: May 27-30

PLACE: High School Gym, Barker Center & Middle School

Gym

COST: $25 (Includes a camp T-Shirt)

Camp registration forms and payments are due Weds., May 15

GIrLS BaSKeTBaLL Summer camPS

Cardinal Camp, Grades 3-4

TIME: 3:30-4:30 p.m.

DATE: May 13-15

PLACE: Southwest Gymnasium

COST: $25 (includes T-Shirt)

LINK to sign up: https://bit.ly/GBballCamp

Cardinal Camp, Grades 5-8

TIME: 12:30-2:30 p.m.

DATE: May 20-23

PLACE: Lawson High School Gym & Barker Center Gym

COST: $25 (includes T-Shirt)

Link to sign up: https://bit.ly/ GBballCamp

Cardinal Camp: HS, Grades 9-12

TIME: 10 a.m.-Noon

DATE: May 28-30

PLACE: Lawson High School

COST: $20

Link to sign up: https://bit.ly/GBballCamp

GoLF camP

Lawson High School & Lawson Youth Sports Association Youth Golf Camp

TIME/AGE: Ages 5-8, 9-10:15 a.m.; Ages 9-13, 10:1511:30 a.m.

DATE: July 29-31 (Aug. 1 & 2, potential rain out day)

PLACE: Hidden Valley Golf Course

COST: $35

If interested, registration will open July 1 on www. lawsonyouthsports.com.

LhS/LmS croSS counTrY Summer camP

Cross Country Camp

TIME: 8-9:30 a.m.

DATE: May 28-June 1

PLACE: LHS Track

COST: No cost, unless registering for the Hospital Hill 5K - $50

FooTBaLL Summer camPS

LHS Football Varsity Individual & Team Camp for all players-Grades 9-12

TIME: 6-8 p.m.

DATE: July 22-Aug. 1

PLACE: LHS-Multipurpose Building

COST: $50 (Includes both Camps, Wilderness Camp Fee, and a T-Shirt)

Individual Camp is 7/22-7/24 Team Camp is 7/29-8/1

LHS Football Middle School Skills Camp 7th -8th Grade

TIME: 4:30-6 p.m.

DATE: July 30-Aug. 1

PLACE: LHS-Multipurpose Building

COST: $25 (Includes a T-Shirt)

SoFTBaLL Summer camPS

Softball Youth Camp (2nd - 5th Grade)

TIME: 3:45-5:15 p.m.

DATE: June 5-6

PLACE: Softball Field

COST: $25 (includes T-Shirt, if registration received by May 10)

Softball Youth Camp (6th-8th Grade)

TIME: 1-3 p.m.

DATE: June 5-6

PLACE: Softball Field

COST: $25 (includes T-Shirt, if registration received by May 10)

VoLLeYBaLL Summer camPS

Volleyball LHS Cardinal Camp

DATE: May 20-23

TIME: 8-11 a.m.

PLACE: Barker Center

COST: $20 (Includes T-Shirt)

Volleyball 7th Grade Cardinal Volleyball Camp

TIME: 3:30-5 p.m.

DATE: May 6-9

PLACE: Barker Center

COST: $20 (Includes T-Shirt)

WreSTLInG Summer camPS

Boys and Girls 5th-8th grade

DATE: July 15-17

TIME: 5-6:30 p.m.

PLACE: LHS (Barker Center)

COST: $25 (Includes T-Shirt)

Forms available at LMS Office

LHS HS Wrestling Camp

DATE: July 15-17

TIME: 6:30-8:30 p.m.

PLACE: LHS (Barker Center)

COST: $25 (Includes T-Shirt)

Sign up deadline to guarantee T-shirt is May 17.