WELCOME BACK!!

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What a great start and we don't even have all of our students in school yet! The staggered start was a success as it allowed our students and staff to form relationships in a smaller classroom setting. Next week we welcome our kindergarteners and preschoolers and then we will be complete.

There are still events on the calendar next week. See below. Feel free to visit our Back-to-School tab on our website for any additional information.

Here are some pictures from the first days of school.

At our Staff Opening Day Convocation this week, we recognized our 30 and 35-year employees. Five through twenty-five-year awards were given to staff during their respective building meetings.

We are thankful for such dedicated employees who do what's best for kids every day!

Congratulations to our 30-year employees bottom left from L-R: Sheridan Pagan, Rhonda Allen-Harman, Leanne Bell, Darrel Boreing, Dave DeVore, John Karabinus, and Joe Polen.

And to our 35-year employees bottom right from L-R: Cinda Metzger and Penny Brandenburg.

This week, our staff returned for an all-district convocation. During the convocation, Kings' School Resource Officers, Deputy John Downs, Deputy Trent Barker, Deputy David Sheppard, and Deputy Phil Green presented safety and security tips and information on active shooters and other security measures that the staff can use in case of emergencies.

We are grateful that our students and staff are protected by these fine men.

You can manage your students' pay accounts on PaySchoolsCentral. Here you have the ability to pay your student's school fees and add funds to your student's meal account.

If your family is in need of assistance with meals and school fees, we encourage you to complete a Free and Reduced Meal Application by visiting https://payschoolscentral.com or pick up an application at your student's school building.

If you need assistance, parents will have direct access to a Help Hotline at 1-877-393-6628, where language services will be available for our ESL families. 

Any additional questions can be directed to Jennifer Arlinghaus, Food Service Director 513-398-8050 ext 10027.

The Transportation Department has been working hard to get the bus routes in order. They have had to make several changes. Please be sure to double-check your student's bus route the night before school to be sure that it hasn't changed!

Please be sure that your Finalforms account is up-to-date with the correct address for your student. If you have an address change, please confirm with Transportation to reduce any confusion at the bus stop.

Please read this important information regarding District emergency plans.

The Kings Local School District takes the safety and security of our staff and students very seriously. As a part of an Ohio Revised Code requirement, the District is required to inform students and parents/guardians before the first day of school each year of our emergency parental notification protocols.

In the event of an emergency where an evacuation of the school building is necessary, we have identified off-site locations (reunification sites) to transport students to safety. In emergency situations, we will disseminate information through our All-Call system, as well as use email, text messages, website, and district social media. Additionally, we will continue to provide updates through the above avenues as needed.

The Kings Local School District believes it is as important for parents to know the resources the district will use in the event of an emergency. It should be noted that an evacuation from any given campus may cause your children to be picked up at a secondary location. If this circumstance occurs, we will utilize a parent reunification form to reunite you with your child.

We will ask parents to be sure that their emergency contact information is up to date in our files in order to be contacted in case of an emergency. Feel free to check your account in School Messenger for accuracy, as well.

A Reunification Information Document will be used in the event of an emergency where a reunification process is required. This document will assist us in releasing your child to you at the reunification site. Please take some time to fill out the form and put it in a safe place in your vehicle to be used as necessary.

Congratulations to Kings Assistant Superintendent of Student Services, Dana Martin, for being nominated for the 2023 Gems of Excellence Awards from the Mason Deerfield Chamber.

The award is designed to recognize the contributions our schools make to our community. This honor goes to an individual or to an educational institution who demonstrates outstanding contributions to education and the community.

Winners are determined by votes. Voting is now open here. Your votes would be appreciated!

We would like to introduce Lauren Wise, MSW, LSW. Lauren is the new District Resource Coordinator. Lauren is employed through Warren County Educational Service Center who is assigned to Kings.

She says, "I am thrilled to be stepping into the role of Resource Coordinator for the district of Kings. I am available for students and families in whatever that may look like. A primary role of my position is to meet with families and students to identify needs and then help connect them with available resources. These resources may include clothing, shoes, school supplies, mentoring/tutoring, crisis intervention, psychosocial education, as well as medical and financial assistance.

I will not only serve as a liaison between the school and community but will also help the relationships between the school and families, by assisting with free and reduced lunch applications and any non-academic barrier that can potentially impede a student’s success in school.

I am truly humbled to be at Kings this year and look forward to helping, both students and families, in any way possible. This is a strong community that I am honored to be welcomed into. My office is located at Kings High School and I can be reached at 398-8050, ext. 15011, or lwise@kingslocal.net. Please do not hesitate to reach out."

If you see Lauren, make sure you welcome her with a warm Knight hello!

The Kings Local School District is still seeking members to join our team! The following positions are ready to fill!

• Before and After School Childcare
• Substitute Teachers and Building Subs
• Substitute Nurses
• Bus Drivers & Bus Subs
• Food Service Substitutes

If you are interested or know someone who may be interested, please contact Tim Spinner at tspinner@kingslocal.net.

Board Members

Kings Board of Education (L-R): Janelle Groff, Board Member; John Skerl, Board Member; Deb Cowan, Board Member; Stacie Belfrom, President; and Peggy Phillips, Vice-President.

The Board of Education meets on the 2nd Tuesday of every month for a Work Session at 5:30 p.m. and the 3rd Tuesday of every month for a Regular Meeting at 6:00 p.m.

The Board's Regular Meeting for August has changed to Monday, August 28, 2023.

Visit the Board of Education page on our website for meeting dates, meeting recordings, and agendas.

All meetings are live-streamed on the Kings Youtube channel.

If you are looking to purchase Kings Spiritwear, visit the Kings Online Spiritwear Store provided by our partner ROKKITWEAR. All items will be printed and sent out within 5 business days! You can also personalize any item in the store!

Keep in touch with all things Kings Spiritwear by following our Facebook page!

In an effort to be "green," the District does not send paper flyers home. We use a platform called Peachjar that houses flyers of community programs and resources. 

Parents receive approved flyers via email, and they are posted on our digital flyerboard for easy retrieval. Any organization can distribute information to our community by creating an account!

Purchase your 2023-2024 season passes online for all HOME (non-tournament) Jr High and HS events. You can purchase a family all-sport passes, an adult all-sports pass, a student/senior citizen all-sports pass, and 10 game pass. 

The ECC Conference has increased admission fees for games this year. All High School Games are $10 for football games (adults and students), $8 for all other sports for adults, and $5 for students and seniors. JH admission is $5 for football (adults and students), $5 for all other sports for adults, and $2 for other sports for students and seniors. What a great reason to purchase a season pass! Pricing is below. Season passes can be purchased- https://kingsathletics.com/event-tickets

We also encourage you to visit www.kingsathletics.com to see the latest updates for Knights Athletics and see team schedules.