Click this link for viewing home indoor sporting events: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbCqH95LW8KCeaAyYxkXeAw/featured

Dear Parent or Guardian:

The adolescent years are marked by a roller-coaster ride of emotions—difficult for students and their parents. It is easy to misread depression as normal adolescent turmoil; however, depression (among the most common of mental illnesses) appears to be occurring at a much earlier age. Depression—which is treatable—is a leading risk factor for suicide. In addition, self-injury has become a growing problem among youth.

To proactively address these issues, Concordia Jr. Sr. High School is offering depression awareness and suicide prevention training as part of the SOS Signs of Suicide® Prevention Program. The program encourages students to seek help if they are concerned about themselves or a friend. The SOS Program is the only youth suicide prevention program that has demonstrated an improvement in students’ knowledge and adaptive attitudes about suicide risk and depression, as well as a reduction in actual suicide attempts. Listed on Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices, the SOS Program has shown a reduction in self-reported suicide attempts by 40-64% in randomized control studies (Aseltine et al., 2007; Schilling et al., 2016).

Our goals in participating in this program are straightforward:

• To help our students understand that depression is a treatable illness
• To explain that suicide is a preventable tragedy that often occurs as a result of untreated depression
• To provide students training in how to identify serious depression and potential suicide risk in themselves or a friend
• To impress upon youth that they can help themselves or a friend by taking the simple step of talking to a trusted adult about their concerns
• To teach students who they can turn to at school for help, if they need it

In order to achieve these goals, we are implementing the Signs of Suicide® evidence-based program for all students grades 7-12. Each student will learn how to identify risk factors in themselves and friends and learn a simple method for addressing concerns. After viewing an instructional video and engaging in discussion questions with trained staff the students will then fill out a survey that screens for various risk factors.

If you do NOT wish your child participating in SOS Program in school, please contact Mrs. Brianne Bredehoeft at 660-463-2246. If we do not hear from you, we will assume your child has permission to participate in this program.

Sincerely,

Brianne Bredehoeft

School Counselor

This semester, our school based therapist will be offering a free Love and Logic parenting class available to any Concordia parent/caregiver or staff member. If you are interested, please click on the link and fill out the form to let us know your availability. This form is just to get info about your availability so we can schedule the class; there will be another form later to sign up.

The class will meet virtually about 6 times, once a week.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSelGxq15sILkrrxol2mnRynWCKzKz9l1plhBH5xLc_v3WPFAg/viewform?usp=sf_link 

Deadline to submit pictures for 2021 Senior Video is March 24. Typically you submit 3-4 pictures (early child, elementary, graduation). Be sure to put these in an envelope or plastic bag with your name on it. 

You may also submit group pictures, if you have any. Not all group pictures are guaranteed to be included in the video.

Click here for the form to be included with the pictures and to order.

On October 22, 2020, Mr. Beissenherz's Physical Science class launched their homemade rockets. Here are some videos of their launch. Be sure to click the square at the bottom of the picture to view all the videos.

Concordia R-II Continue to Learn Guidelines & Protocols

The Concordia R-2 School District is committed to providing a quality education to all students, while also ensuring their safety and well-being. The COVID-19 guidelines developed and presented below follow all applicable local, state, and federal guidelines, to the greatest extent feasible, and incorporate many best practices advocated by school associations and groups. Parents/guardians with questions or concerns are asked to call the Concordia R-2 School District at 660-463-7235 to discuss and address those concerns.

Important district vocabulary to comprehend:

Homeschool – Students’ curriculum and learning is the complete responsibility of the parent.  The local public school is notified of the parent’s intent in writing and is no longer involved in the process of educating the student.  At times, homeschool students may enroll in the public school on a part-time basis.  In this case, the public school is only responsible for the curriculum and instruction for courses in which the student is enrolled.

Virtual Learning - Students learn online with a certified teacher.  Students involved with virtual learning at the Concordia R-2 schools do not attend school in person.  They may participate in curriculum and instruction provided through a third party company.

Distance Learning - Students learn online or through other curriculum materials provided by the Concordia R-2 District.  Students are instructed through Concordia R-2 teachers.  This happens during periods of long illness that is expected to keep a student out of school for greater than three days, quarantine, or should the class, school, or district need to close to students for a period of time.

STUDENT LEARNING OPTIONS FOR THE 2020-2021 SCHOOL YEAR

PREFERRED OPTION - ON-SITE INSTRUCTION

Research shows that the best education for students is received when they are physically present in our school. This option is for all Concordia R-2 students in grades PK-12 to attend school with the guidelines and protocols described in this document and the previous school reopening plan.  A traditional school setting consisting of in-person, on-site learning for students and staff, five days a week.  Teachers will be encouraged to focus on training students to access and utilize online tools that will be used if distance learning takes place.  In other words, teachers and students will be in the classroom as normal, but will incorporate online applications such as Google Classroom, MobyMax, SeeSaw, Learning Blade, Delta Math, etc. into their day to day instruction.  This will help create smoother transitions between in person instruction and distance learning and allow students to keep up on school work throughout the year.

ALTERNATE OPTION – DISTANCE LEARNING

If the school or district must close for a period of time due to positive COVID student/staff cases, significant numbers of students/staff that are quarantined, and/or a shortage of substitute teachers, distance learning will be provided for all of our students. Though our students are offsite, they will continue to receive instruction through online means and/or through the use of physical materials. Students will be held accountable for instruction and assignments pushed out during this time.  Classroom teachers will continue to follow the curriculum scope and sequence aligned to the Missouri Learning Standards, with identified essential/focus standards as a priority. Instruction includes teacher feedback through avenues such as email, phone calls, google classroom, google meet and teleconferencing.

If this alternate method of instruction is implemented based on the number of positive or quarantined staff/students, it will remain in place for a two week period to allow time for the quarantined staff/students to return.  A decision will occur weekly after the original two weeks have concluded to determine which platform of learning will be instituted.  Those decisions will be communicated through textcaster and social media.

According to the Missouri Center for Public Health Excellence, it is recommended that if there are over 5% of the student body in a building or district that test positive any day, 4% that test positive over 2 days in a row, or 3% for 3 days in a row that the building or district close for 10 days.  In addition districts may close for 1-2 days for cleaning and disinfection of a school building or exposed area if unable to clean during the nighttime closing, in the event a person diagnosed with Covid-19 is determined to have been in the building and poses a risk to the staff or students in that building.  The Lafayette County Health Department also supports these recommendations.

OTHER ALTERNATIVE LEARNING OPTIONS

The district is also in communication with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education concerning other possible platforms of instruction (hybrid, blended, etc.) that could possibly be utilized to enable our staff and students to teach and learn on campus as much as possible.  We will not implement a new platform without receiving input from  parents and students in the district through a survey or similar format.  More details and information will be shared regarding this as other options are studied and discussed by our administration, staff, and board.

Instruction during quarantine:

Students who are required to be quarantined due to COVID-19 will be able to complete coursework through distance learning. Distance learning will be provided through online platforms like Google Classroom, SeeSaw, MobyMax, Learning Blade, and other online programs.  Physical materials such as textbooks, paper documents, and supplies may also be sent home during this time.  This option is similar to students who are too ill to come to school (e.g. fever, symptoms of flu, cold, strep throat, or surgery, etc.)  Students who are anticipated to be out of the building for greater than three days may be loaned a district device to ensure they can keep up on their work if needed.  Internet access is available to all students through stationary hotspots that may be accessed while sitting in a vehicle in the parking lot so students can maintain quarantine.  Current locations available – (Heartland Baptist Church, Lutheran Churches in Ernestville and Emma).  We are currently working to add locations in Aullville and north of I-70.  Both school parking lots are also available.

Extracurricular Activities

In-person practices and competitions will be suspended during any school shutdown due to COVID related issues.  Student athletes will participate in virtual practices during the shutdown that will be put together by each sports/activities coach or director. Competitions may be rescheduled if possible.  Missed competitions that are conference events will take precedence over non-conference events.