Maize Intermediate School
Opening for the 2021-22 School Year!

May 2021
Meet the Principal
Welcome to Maize Intermediate School!
Dear Eagles students and families,
 
It is with great excitement that I introduce myself as the Principal of Maize Intermediate School. I am honored to join our Eagle family. Maize Intermediate School will be built upon an innovative and engaging approach to learning and growing to best serve our students, teachers, families, and community. I look forward to personally meeting each of you soon.

I have been dedicated to education for the past 16 years, last serving as an Assistant Principal and Activities Director at McPherson Public Schools. My family and I are thrilled to return to Maize USD 266, as I served as a teacher at Maize Middle School early in my career. We are excited for the opportunities the metro area has to offer both personally and professionally and for our children to have an opportunity to be educated as Maize Eagles with its history of excellence. 

Please explore this newsletter to learn more about your new school, and please stay tuned for additional resources, including a school webpage, coming soon!

Here’s to a great beginning!

Mrs. Esping
Principal
Maize Intermediate School
Maize Intermediate School: The Vision
Rendering: Maize Intermediate School's main entry. The building's design highlights the school's emphasis on collaboration and innovation.
Rendering: Step inside the school's main entry for a stunning view of the STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) lab, which will showcase student projects and works-in-progress.
Rendering: The school's cafeteria and media center will feature windows and natural light.
Site Plan: The school will include collaborative learning spaces, outdoor learning space, and outdoor play areas. A parking lot in front of the school and car drop-off lane behind the school will augment traffic patterns and increase safety.
VIDEO
Watch drone footage of bond issue projects, including
Maize Intermediate School construction.
Thanks to Hutton and SJCF Architecture for the use of these multimedia elements.
About Maize Intermediate School
Here are a few details about our new school:
  • The students: The school will be home to about 650 fifth- and sixth-grade students who reside in the district's north boundary. (Beginning in 2021-22, the district's elementary school students will house kindergarten to fourth grade.)

  • The teachers: Approximately 40 teachers will work at Maize Intermediate School and will move from their current posts as fifth- and sixth-grade teachers in Maize USD 266 elementary and middle schools.

  • The Eagle feeder pattern: After intermediate school, students will attend Maize Middle School for seventh and eighth grade and Maize High School for ninth through twelfth grade, assuming they continue to maintain residence in the district's boundary.

  • The bell schedule: Intermediate schools will align with a tier-one schedule, with the school day beginning at 7:25 a.m. and ending at 2:30 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays and at 1:55 p.m. on Wednesdays, which will observe early release. At this time, there are not plans for after-school activities.


  • What makes the school unique: The new intermediate schools will have a STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) lab, science labs, an art room, collaboration spaces in each hallway, breakout spaces for each hallway and classrooms, outdoor learning areas, two gyms, a stage for performances, specially planned and designed special education rooms, and much more!

  • Transportation: Intermediate school students may share bus routes with their intermediate school peers, as well as middle and high school students.

  • The lunches: Students will have a variety of entree options, including two hot entrees and one cold entree, such as sandwiches, salads, and yogurt parfaits. Students can load up on fruits and vegetables at the choices bar. Milk also is a choice. Intermediate students have the option to purchase a la carte beverages, snack items, and ice cream. All a la carte items meet Smart Snacks guidelines. Click here to see the Maize USD 266 Food Service 2020-21 Price List. The 2021-22 Price List will be posted in the future.

  • The address: The school is located at 12100 W. 45th St. N. in Maize at the northwest corner of 45th and 119th streets.

  • The construction: The school is being built as part of the $108.2 million 2019 Bond Issue, which voters overwhelming approved. The bond issue addresses growth, safety, and opportunity for all students. Additional projects include Maize South Intermediate School near 37th and Tyler in Wichita and the Maize Performing Arts and Aquatics Center (MPAAC) at Academy Avenue and 119th Street in Maize. Learn more and watch additional drone videos of the construction of these projects at www.usd266.com/bond.

  • Recreation: An outdoor area will include a turfed area, basketball goal, hard top, and walking path.

  • Library: The district is ordering new books specifically meant for 5th-and-6th grade students, and chosen by teachers and our media center specialist for this new space.
A day in the life
  • Families: A group of students will be called families. Fifth-grade students will be in a grade-specific classroom family, and sixth-grade students will be in a different grade-specific classroom family. There will be a family of 5th grade and a family of 6th grade in each hallway. They will rotate through their own classes and may have some cross-grade family team-building activities together.

  • Class rotation: The same group of students in a family will change classrooms for different subjects. This includes fifth-grade students, who will rotate to different core teachers for English language arts, math, social studies, and science. Classes of about 25 students will be split primarily by grade level.

  • Fresh air time: Students will have access to fresh air time around lunch. Though there may not be scheduled recess times, there will be opportunities for movement throughout the day.

  • Student-selected enrichment classes:  Looking into the future, the school will work toward offering opportunities for enrichment based on student interests. We envision that students will have many opportunities to choose from as we build this concept including: STEAM, Math Enrichment, Reading Enrichment, physical activities, broadcasting, drama/theater, music enrichment, technology, student leadership, and more.

  • BOB time: Students will have Band/Orchestra/Books each day. The time also will have mini courses during this time to explore various topics.

  • Student storage: Each classroom will have open-faced lockers for student items and supplies.

  • Band and orchestra: There will be opportunities for fifth- and sixth-grade students.

  • Clubs time: There are plans for opportunities to allow students to explore their interests through clubs that will be held during the school day.
Additional Information
  • Classroom placement: Students will be placed into an intermediate teacher's classroom based in part on information collected from their current elementary schools.

  • How to prepare your child for the first day at a new school: Parents/guardians can be positive and excited about the new learning experience and meeting of new friends.
Parent Resources: When can my child be home alone?
With the school day scheduled to end at 2:30 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday and 1:55 p.m. on early release Wednesdays, parents may consider the after-school schedule for their child(ren).

Maize USD 266 is exploring possible after-school options for intermediate school students. In the meantime, leaders also are sharing the following resources with parents who are considering scheduling options for their family:
Parent Survey: Intermediate School Before/After
School Care

In what type of before/after school fee-based program are you interested in for your child during the 2021-22 school year?
M
I
S
Four Foundational Beliefs

Maize Intermediate School and Maize South Intermediate School will jointly work on the following Foundational Beliefs:

  1. Operates as a cohesive community in which 5th and 6th grade have opportunities to share geographic spaces, programming, and scheduling.
  2. Embraces teaming/family to support core content and social-emotional learning of students.
  3. Implements tiered structures to support a variety of student needs.
  4. Functions in a school that will offer opportunities for exploration for students.
Connect with Maize Intermediate School on Social Media
Official Maize Intermediate School
Twitter account
Maize Intermediate School PTO

For those interested in joining the Maize Intermediate School Parent Teacher Organization, please click the link to learn more.
Coming Soon
Please stay tuned for this information and more!

  • School supply list
  • Parent pickup/drop-off details
  • Contact Us staff member list
  • School webpage at www.usd266.com
  • School phone number
  • Volunteer opportunities
  • Potential Meet the Teacher Night event
ONEMA1ZE  #OneMa1ze