Bridle Ridge Elementary School

More than 100 Ray-Pec staff members recently completed CPR/AED training! The training was sponsored by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City and was provided free to employees by the Raymore-Peculiar Wellness Team. After completing online training modules, staff gathered on May 5 at the LEAD Center to complete the assessment.

Thanks to everyone who supported the recent Major Saver card fundraiser! Almost $31,000 was raised for the Ray-Pec Public School Foundation and the participating elementary and middle schools. Kelly Osborn, President of Major Saver, attended the Administrative Council meeting on April 8 to announce the fundraiser's results.

Today, our resident LETRS experts Dr. Michelle Hofmann and Kylie Brown, alongside DESE Literacy staff shared with #MoEd24 attendees the importance of teacher knowledge and evidence-based systems to support student reading success! 📚

LEGO Robotics Camp wrapped up today with a showcase event for students to show off their innovative designs to an audience! 🧱

Elementary level RP Camp Innovation wrapped up this morning with their showcase event! What a fun way to stay engaged over the summer! 🎉

Nearly 60 Mini Panthers participated in the Ray-Pec Summer Wrestling Camp on June 7-8! This past Friday and Saturday, elementary-age students from all over the district spent nearly 8 hours getting a hands-on introduction to the sport with fun drills, movements, games, and live wrestling! 15 wrestlers and coaches from East Middle School, the Ninth Grade Center, and the High School volunteered to work with the Mini Panthers, ages 5-10, and helped make this camp a huge success. All camp participants received a t-shirt, prizes, and snacks from camp sponsors: Defense Soap, Smile Doctors, and Ray-Pec East Middle School Wrestling.

✂️ You may have seen the construction, but today the Peculiar Charitable Foundation, in collaboration with the City of Peculiar and the Ray-Pec School District, has opened new pickleball courts to the public! Thank you to everyone who has worked so hard to turn this idea into a reality! 🎉

We love our amazing office team!!

Thank you to everyone who supported the recent Major Saver card sale! More than $27,000 was raised for the Ray-Pec Public School Foundation and the participating elementary and middle schools. Raymore-Peculiar students sold 4,057 Major Saver campaign cards. Of the total, $13,793.63 will benefit the foundation, and the rest will be distributed to the individual schools, based on the number of cards sold. The fundraiser was celebrated at the April 9 Administrative Council meeting. In back, from left: South Middle School Principal Stacy Johnson; Timber Creek Elementary Principal Dr. Lauren Gechter; Raymore Elementary Principal Jennika Miller; and Eagle Glen Elementary Principal Rebecca Kolkmeier. In front, from left: Creekmoor Elementary Principal Ashley Tegenkamp; Peculiar Elementary Principal Keri Collison; and Foundation Executive Director Jodie Huston. (Not pictured: East Middle School Principal Katie Campbell; Bridle Ridge Elementary Principal Dr. Jennifer Chastain; and Stonegate Elementary Principal Kiley Brown.) Elementary and middle school students sold the $15 cards featuring 21 special offers. Cardholders may also download a free app to access other reusable offers. If you missed out on the fundraiser campaign, you can still order a card to benefit the Foundation's work: https://www.majorsaver.com/ (Click on the link to purchase a Major Saver card, and search for Raymore-Peculiar.) All cards purchased online will be mailed directly to the customer.

Here's a sneak peak at the Wax Museum at Bridle Ridge Elementary! 4th graders researched a famous American and spoke to their classmates about the impact they've made! 🥹

We're continuing our month-long celebration of our School Board! Meet Board Member Patty Phillips. Patty Phillips took the oath of office during a special meeting on June 20, 2023. She was selected to fill an unexpired term that became vacant when Ashley Jones resigned from the Board. She was appointed to serve until the next Board election in April 2024. Patty said her reasons for serving on the Board echo the Ray-Pec mission statement: To prepare each student for a successful and meaningful life. “As a pediatric nurse practitioner, I’ve dedicated my entire professional career to children and families. I love being able to serve as a school board member to also help not only children and families but also teachers and staff.” Thank you, Patty Phillips, for your dedicated service to our District!

We are celebrating our School Board all month! Meet Board Member Carol Barnes. Carol worked for the District for 30 years, retiring in 2017, before being elected to the Board in April 2022. “My ‘Why’ is to ensure that our students have the skills they need to successfully transition to the next level of learning and beyond. Beginning at the elementary level, our children need a strong foundation in language, social, motor, and emotional development to ensure positive academic outcomes. Faculty and staff, our ‘Dream Makers.’ need to feel safe, valued, and supported as they educate and guide our children on their journey.” Thank you, Carol Barnes, for your dedicated service to our District!

The Ray-Pec Council of PTAs wants to recognize the amazing volunteers across our district with the Ray-Pec Volunteer of the Year award. Any volunteer may be nominated for the award. Nominees and finalists for the VoTY award will be notified using the contact information you provide. All finalists will be individually recognized, and a winner announced, during the Volunteer of the Year presentation and reception at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 23, in the Board Room at the Ray-Pec Academy. Please complete the nomination form by March 23: https://forms.gle/qiuXrGPjw7gUwT6d8

It's School Board Recognition Month, and you can be sure we are celebrating! 🎉 Each week, we will introduce one or two Board members. First up is Board President Ruth Johnson! Ruth was first elected to the Board in April 2011 and is currently serving her fifth term. She was attracted to Board service because she wanted to help the community be better. “My ‘why’ is to help make sure the next generation has access to what they will need to be successful. What education looks like is constantly evolving, yet stays the same. It’s about having great teachers to make those connections to the students and the proper programming.” Thank you, Ruth Johnson, for your dedicated service to our District!

Next week we will celebrate Read Across America Week. Classrooms and the library will engage in special events that celebrate a love for reading. Check out our spirit days.

A new episode of Ray-Pec Connect dropped this morning! 🎙 In this episode Dr. Mike Slagle sits down with the Director of Shull Early Center, Mary Shatford, to talk about the choices that are offered to the parents of children before they get to kindergarten and how important that time is for their development. Hear how we are Empowering Our Littlest Learners! raypec.org/page/ray-pec-connect-podcast

Join our team! 📢 Ray-Pec is looking for a Director of Special Education, Middle School Principal, and Middle School Assistant Principal. Who do you know that would be a great fit? Follow these links for information about the positions: • Director of Special Education: https://www.applitrack.com/raypec/onlineapp/JobPostings/view.asp?FromAdmin=true&AppliTrackJobId=2932 • Middle School Principal: https://www.applitrack.com/raypec/onlineapp/JobPostings/view.asp?FromAdmin=true&AppliTrackJobId=2933 • Middle School Assistant Principal: https://www.applitrack.com/raypec/onlineapp/JobPostings/view.asp?FromAdmin=true&AppliTrackJobId=2934

Happy National Public Schools Week! 🏫🎉 This week we celebrate the incredible educators and students who make our public schools shine. ✨ Share your favorite school memories and spread the love for accessible education! #PublicSchoolsWeek #psw24

🎥 Staff Spotlight 🎥 In this episode of Staff Spotlight, Raymore-Peculiar School District Superintendent, Dr. Mike Slagle, chats with Tracy Elliott. Tracy is a special education teacher at Shull Early Learning Center. raypec.org/page/staff-spotlight-2023-2024

Today is National School Resource Officer Day! We would like to take a moment and recognize all of our SRO's who help keep our students and community safe! 👮‍♀️👮‍♂️ Cass County Deputies: Cole Briscoe, Summer Jacobs, and Mary Wilson Raymore PD: Stephanie Hornbeck Peculiar PD: Ryan New