On Veterans Day, we honor and thank all the brave men and women who have served and continue to serve our nation. Your sacrifice, dedication, and courage inspire us. Thank you for your sacrifices and dedication to preserving our freedom.
This Veterans Day, we celebrate one of our own! This week's Staff Spotlight features Drameka Griggs. Drameka is a Student Support Specialist at East Middle School and an 8 year Army veteran. Thank you for your service 🇺🇸
https://youtu.be/yM80uCj8DUY?si=9qNHGv870xYMQ4w1
Congratulations to the Ray-Pec High School students named to the All-District Band! Auditions took place on Nov. 9 at Warrensburg High School.
All-District Band Members
Flute: Bella Kelch, 3rd chair, Honorable Mention Band
Clarinet: Gerhard Sturm, 7th chair, Honor Band; Sophia Williams, 8th chair, Honor Band; Reagan Thomas, 10th chair, Honor Band; Lana German, 17th chair, Honor Band; Peyton Holts, 22nd chair, Honor Band; Aria Banks, 24th chair, Honor Band; Isabella Weis, 6th chair, Honorable Mention Band; Hezekiah Ramos, 14th chair, Honorable Mention Band; Ivy Moody-Scott, 15th chair, Honorable Mention Band; Zoe Ayers, 20th chair, Honorable Mention Band
Bari Sax: Faith Suddarth, 2nd chair, Honor Band
Trumpet: Ben Lust, 4th chair, Honor Band; Elijah Cox, 5th chair, Honor Band; Isaac Heuwinkel, 6th chair, Honor Band; Jesse Johnson, 7th chair, Honor Band; Coleson Mott, 8th chair, Honor Band; Kris Smither, 8th chair, Honorable Mention Band; Jackson Peek, Honorable Mention Band, first alternate
French Horn: Blake Bond, 2nd chair, Honor Band
Trombone: Evan Thompson, 5th chair, Honorable Mention Band; Gary Deal, 6th chair, Honorable Mention Band; Vincent Blankenship, 8th chair, Honorable Mention Band; Kenneth Gethers, 9th chair, Honorable Mention Band
Baritone: Lexie Panuco, 2nd chair, Honorable Mention Band
Tuba: Cade Lane, 1st chair, Honorable Mention Band; Isaac Wells, 3rd chair Honorable Mention Band
Percussion: Zak Houston, 2nd chair, Honorable Mention Band
All-District Orchestra Members
Trumpet: Isaac Heuwinkel, 2nd chair
French Horn: Blake Bond, 2nd chair
All-District Jazz Members
Tenor Sax: Mack Stewart, first alternate
Drum Set: Jackson Clingan
Final score: Ray-Pec Panthers fall to Lee’s Summit North, 42-7. Tough game, but congratulations to the Panthers on a hard-fought season! Proud of the dedication and heart. 🐾 #RayPecPanthers #PantherPride
Halftime: Ray-Pec Panthers trail Lee’s Summit North, 28-0. Time to regroup and bring the fight in the second half! 🐾 #RayPecPanthers #PantherPride #GameDay
The Boys Cross Country team ran an incredible race and placed 3rd today as a team at the State meet! Gabe Voelker, Carter Younger, and Jackson Peek all earned 1st team All-State as well! Congratulations! 👏👏👏
Boys:
Gabe Voelker: 4th - 15:09.1
Carter Younger: 16th - 15:36.9
Jackson Peek: 24th - 15:47.9
Elijah Smith: 36th - 16:05.3
Chase Davis: 50th - 16:16.2
Cooper Blevins: 147th - 17:39.7
Ethan Hunziker: 148th - 17:42.9
Girls:
Brooke Stephenson: 103rd - 20:15.4
Maryn Clausing: 144th - 21:07.3
The District Semifinals are tonight! Your Panthers visit Lee's Summit North High School tonight with kickoff scheduled for 7:00 pm! 🏈
Admission is $6. Tickets can be purchased here: https://lsnhs.lsr7.org/purchase-tickets-through-hometown/
If you can't make it to the game, it can be streamed here: https://www.mshsaa.tv/. There is a cost associated with any postseason live stream of $10.
It's a State Championship race day! 🏃♀️🏃♂️💨
Boys and Girls Cross Country head to Gans Creek Cross Country Course in Columbia looking to bring home some hardware! The girls will race at 9:00 am followed by the boys at 10:30. Good luck!!
Parents as Teachers is celebrating their 40th Anniversary today!
Parents as Teachers is the district's earliest form of intervention as they serve families with children prenatal-age 5. In 2023-24 our 7 amazing Parent Educators conducted 1,335 personal visits, 331 screenings, and held 12 fun and engaging group connections.
Missouri is the only state where Parents As Teachers is a component of their department of education.
You can learn more about PAT on our website: raypec.org/o/selc/page/parents-as-teachers
Parent Educators: Vickie Adamson, Ellen Briggs, Mary Katie Hamby, Victoria Nevins-Howe PAT DESE Consultant, Sabrina Ethridge-Krawchuk, Cindy Westergaard, Jessica Wood. Program Supervisor: Dr. Mary Shatford
📢 We're hiring! 📢
The Ray-Pec School District is hiring certified staff for the 2025-26 school year! Come be a part of our Ray-Pec family!
https://a1-3.applitrack.com/raypec/onlineapp/default.aspx?Category=2025-2026+Certified+Positions
Midwest Winds, an ensemble of the U.S. Air Force Band of Mid-America is scheduled to perform at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 12, in the auditorium at Ray-Pec High School. The public is welcome to attend the performance. There is no cost.
You can find more information here: https://www.music.af.mil/Bands/US-Air-Force-Band-of-Mid-America/Ensembles/midwestwinds/
The LEAD Center is excited to offer you an opportunity to partner with the Enterprise & Design team! Through meaningful collaborations, you can play a role in helping the next generation of professionals grow by engaging with students and helping them prepare for the future. Below are several ways you can get involved:
Ways to Partner with Us:
Internship Opportunities
Client-Connected Projects
Mock Interviews
Guest Speakers
Subject Matter Experts
They are currently focused on seeking partners for our Mock Interview Day on Friday, November 15. There are 2 shifts they are trying to fill for the student experience. They are seeking 20 professionals to practice interviews with students. The AM shift is from 8:00 to 10:15. The PM shift runs from 11:45 to 2:00. Please consider partnering or sharing this opportunity with other associates in your organization.
We are also seeking hosts for student interns in the 2nd semester. If you would like to learn more about internship opportunities please let us know. We have 25 qualified seniors looking for placement in real world experiences.
We deeply value the positive impact of working with professionals like you. Your involvement will not only enrich the student's education but also empower them to enter the workforce with greater confidence and practical experience. The professionals who engage with our program find it to be a rewarding experience that also enriches their organization.
Thank you for considering a partnership with us! If you have any questions or would like to discuss how we can work together, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Winter sports tryouts and practices begin Monday, Nov. 4, at Ray-Pec High School. Winter sports include boys and girls basketball, boys and girls wrestling, and girls swimming and diving. Some practices begin Monday, Nov. 11. To see details about each sport's practice times, go here: raypec.org/o/rphs/page/rphs-activities
Please note: There is daily transportation from the Ninth Grade Center to the High School on days school is in session.
The Class 4, District 6 Tournament starts today! The Panthers will visit Rockhurst High School to play the Lee's Summit West Titans today at 11:30 am! ⚽️
Admission is $6.00 for ages 6 and over - cash and/or credit card accepted. The entrance is in the NW corner of the stadium.
Boys and Girls Cross Country are headed to Bolivar! The District 2 Championship will take place this morning at 10 am at Bolivar Municipal GC! Good luck! 🏃♀️🏃♂️💨
Tickets to the event are $6 for those 6 years and older and can be purchased here: mshsaa.org/Tickets.aspx
Final score: Ray-Pec Panthers beat out Lee’s Summit West, 27-26! What a game—proud of the grit and determination. Way to fight, Panthers! 🐾 #RayPecPanthers #PantherPride #GameDay
Halftime: Ray-Pec Panthers lead Lee’s Summit West 14-13. Let’s keep up the energy and finish strong! 🐾 #RayPecPanthers #PantherPride #GameDay
Five students at Ray-Pec East Middle School have entries that are finalists for journalism awards by the National Scholastic Press Association. RPEMS is the only middle school in Missouri to be named finalists.
- Aliyah Maslak and Drew Lyon are finalists in the Design Category for their Yearbook entry, “The Middle.”
- Hendrix Fern and Sierra Lopez are finalists in the Design Category for their Yearbook entry, “Robotics, Scholar Bowl, Forensics and Debate”
- Connor Franklin is a finalist in the Story category for his Broadcast on The Husky Minute. His entry was “The New Weight Room at RPEMS.”
At the middle school and junior high level, there are nine contests in three categories:
- Design: Literary Arts Magazine, Newspaper/Newsmagazine, and Yearbook
- Photojournalism: Feature Photo and Sports Photo
- Story: Broadcast, Multimedia, News, and Feature
The winners will be announced on Nov. 9 at the NSPA Awards Ceremony during the Fall National High School Journalism Convention in Philadelphia.
Boys Swimming travels to Blue Springs South Aquatic Center today for the Conference Championship! They'll hit the water at 4:00 pm today! Good luck boys! 🏊♂️
District play starts today! Your Panthers visit Lee's Summit West High School tonight with kickoff scheduled for 7:00 pm!
Admission is $5 for adults, and $3 for students with I.D. PreK children are admitted free. Fans ages 55 and older may show identification for free admission. Tickets can be purchased here: lswhs.lsr7.org/lees-summit-west-digital-ticketing-information/
If you can't make it to the game, it can be streamed here: https://www.mshsaa.tv/
