Due to the excessive heat, tonight's Kings Knights Varsity Football game vs. Turpin will begin at 8:00 p.m. See you at the Castle!

This week Kings parents received a letter from Superintendent, Greg Sears regarding the state of student growth in enrollment and the challenges of overcrowding in our school buildings.

At this time five out of six of our primary buildings are overcrowded with over a 105% utilization rate. Kings High School and Columbia Intermediate School are currently operating at 134% and 124%, respectively.

A capacity and demographic study has been completed recently along with a building utilization forecast. Matthew Cropper of Cropper GIS Consulting presented his findings to the Kings Board of Education.

Over the coming weeks, we will be engaging the community in ways to address the overcrowding throughout the district. Please visit the Facilities Page on our website to review all of the information.

We welcomed our Kindergarten classes this week. Believe it or not, they are the Kings Class of 2036 and are 352 students strong!

We hope our new Kindergarteners have a great year!

Thank you for your patience and understanding with busing over the last week! There are unanticipated construction delays causing many of our routes to be delayed. The bus garage is located on Columbia Road just south of the high school campus. There is a major road construction project taking place there to add turn lanes for the new Mercy Hospital which is causing quite a traffic jam in the mornings and afternoon.

The Transportation Department has been working diligently to make changes to routes to try to alleviate some of the delays We will continue to ask for some understanding and grace for our drivers who are doing their best to transport our precious Knights to and from school.

Two Kings High School students have earned academic honors from the College Board National Recognition Programs. These programs celebrate students' hard work in high school and showcase their strong academic performance. The academic honors for rural area, Black, Indigenous, and/or Latino students are an opportunity for students to share their strong academic achievements with colleges and scholarship programs that are seeking to recruit diverse talent. 

KHS Senior, Melissa Mwaura and Junior Lucas Webster have received this academic honor because of their strong academic performance in the classroom and on the College Board assessments like the PSAT/NMSQT®, PSAT™ 10, and AP® exams. They are only two of 72,000 students from across the country who have received these honors.

Melissa has received the National African American Recognition Award (NAARA) and Lucas has received the National Hispanic Recognition Award (NHRA). The award gives Melissa and Lucas the opportunity to get recognized by colleges that are actively looking for diverse talent.

Congratulations!

Students in Kings Junior High School Science classes had a little fun learning about their classroom. Mrs. Vonda Fruhwirth and Mrs. Susan Seitz created a Science Escape Room as a start of school activity.

Students investigated the classroom to discover where student supplies were located such as the pencil sharpener, headphones, etc. They had to solve digital logic puzzles to complete 5 rooms and get the lock code for the treat box.

Again this year, Kings is offering Family Peer Support through our partnership with Beech Acres Parenting Center.

Family Peer Support is a free confidential service available to parents and caregivers of Kings students in grades Pre-K through 12. Crystal Penman is the Family Peer Support Specialist serving Kings.

To learn more about the service and what is available click here.

Below, Kings Social and Emotional Health Coordinator, Kim Sellers offers resources for parents regarding mental health disorders in children.

Did you know that mental health disorders in children are generally defined as delays or disruptions in developing age-appropriate thinking, behaviors, social skills, or regulation of emotions? This article from Mayo Clinic offers more information.

The Kings Kloset is a volunteer-led, nonprofit clothing center that provides free garments and supplies to those in need within the Kings Local School District. On average, the Kings Kloset serves 30-50 individuals a month.

The Kloset is open the first Saturday of every month from 9:00 -11:00 a.m. beginning on September 16. Click here for their schedule. Donations can be dropped off during the Kings Kloset hours. The Kings Kloset is located on the second floor of the Kings Education Center in a new location!

They have very limited space and are only able to take donations that meet the needs of the families they serve. Please refrain from dropping donations at the Kings Education Center. If you have donations, please email kingskloset@kingslocal.net. 

We appreciate your understanding and support in helping us serve the families in our community in the most efficient way.

Pictured is volunteer Emily Robinson getting the space organized and ready for the first opening.

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.

Kings High School hosts two Hoxworth Blood Drives per school year. The first one of the 23-24 school year is coming up very soon. The Kings High School/Jorge Gonzalez Memorial Hoxworth Blood Drive is scheduled for Wednesday, September 6 from 10:15 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Donations will take place in the KJH Multi-Purpose Room. New this year, all donors will receive a donor gift of a Hero Mode sweatshirt at the time of donation.

In October 2021, we lost an incredible teacher, colleague, and friend to covid. His name is Jorge Gonzalez. He was a Kings High School Spanish teacher and very passionate about life-saving blood donation. Jorge started coordinating Hoxworth Blood Drives in January 2004 and hosted his last one in September 2021. Under his coordination, the drives collected 1262 units of blood; the potential to save the lives of more than 3786 patients - that’s LEGACY! Let's continue Jorge's legacy by donating blood to save lives.

SIGN UP HERE!

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 and Paraprofessionals
• 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 at 6:00 p.m.

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. 

Kings Basketball Association is now accepting registrations for the upcoming winter season.

Girls and boys in grades 2-6 are invited to participate. Over 450 kids from the District participated last season which was a new record.

Click here for more information.