No School - Spring Break There will be NO SCHOOL for USD 417 on Friday, March 13, due to Teacher Talent Development Day. Spring Break is scheduled from March 16 to March 20, with classes resuming on March 23. #ForwardToget... March 11, 2026
Kindergarten Round-up April 16 Attention future kindergarten families! Kindergarten Round-up will be held at each of our two elementary schools on Thursday, April 16— please plan to attend the event at the school your child will... March 9, 2026
Prairie Heights Book Fair Thank you to Kayla Romme for planning and hosting our book fair. Large book fair companies will not come to our school because we won't generate enough profit, so Mrs. Kayla Romme collects book don... March 9, 2026
USD 417 Regular BOE Meeting Agenda - March 9 USD 417 Board of Education - Regular MeetingMonday, March 9th, 2026, at 6:oo p.m.District Office - 17 Wood St, Council GrovePatrons who wish to address the board during the patron forum are asked t... March 6, 2026
SUN Bucks 2026 SUN Bucks are Back!!!SUN Bucks, also known as Summer EBT, is a program to help families buy food for their school-aged children during the summer. SUN Bucks auto-enrollment was completed on Februar... March 6, 2026
Early Childhood Screenings - April 10 What is Early Childhood Screening?Early childhood screenings are brief check-ups that assess how your child is developing in areas such as speech, movement, vision, hearing, and social-emotional sk... March 6, 2026
MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD TODAY Today is Election Day.Polls are open. Your vote affects students, staff, and our communities for generations to come.If you haven’t voted yet, please do so today. Every voice matters. Every vote co... March 3, 2026
TOMORROW IS ELECTION DAY Tomorrow is Election Day.If you haven’t voted yet, visit usd417.org/bond to get all the information you need. Every vote matters. Your voice makes a difference. March 2, 2026
ELECTION WEEK IS HERE This week, our communities will decide the future of USD 417 schools.This bond proposal represents careful planning and discussion. It is about providing the best possible learning spaces for our s... March 1, 2026
February Terrific Twister - Camille Macy Each month, Prairie Heights Elementary focuses on a character trait during morning announcements. In January, our focus character trait was Honesty. Students who exemplify this character trait were... February 27, 2026
EVERY VOTE COUNTS - MARCH 3 In local elections, a few votes can make a big difference.The March 3 bond election is more than buildings. It’s about creating spaces where students feel safe, supported, and inspired to learn.Vis... February 27, 2026
6th Graders Gather Feedback for Engineering Task Mrs. Pollock’s 6th graders were tasked with building toys that demonstrated both potential and kinetic energy. Today, 3rd graders had the opportunity to test the toys and provide feedback. Tuesday,... February 27, 2026
MILL LEVY INFO - YOUR VOTE MATTERS - MARCH 3 We want to make sure our communities have accurate information about the USD 417 Bond.We know there are numbers circulating in our communities that don't tell the full story — so we want to set the... February 25, 2026
CGHS Robotics Team Visited PHES The Council Grove High School Robotics team visited today. The presented to 5th & 6th grades as part of their competition preparation. They demonstrated the robot, spoke about the competition r... February 25, 2026
Farm Bureau Outreach Teaches about Pollinators at PHES After School Program We had some special guests at our afterschool program today. Thank you to Cris Wilson and Lacey Autrey from Farm Bureau Outreach for coming to teach us about pollinators. February 24, 2026
Late Start Wednesday - Taco Bar Grab and Go Breakfast will be served at all schools February 24, 2026
YOUR VOICE MATTERS FOR OUR SCHOOLS The March 3 USD 417 bond election is an opportunity to shape the future of your children’s education.The proposal focuses on safer facilities, modern learning spaces, and expanded early childhood p... February 24, 2026
2-hour late start - Wednesday, February 25 Attention, USD 417 families! We wanted to let you know that there will be a 2-hour late start on Wednesday, February 25th. - Enjoy a Grab-and-Go breakfast, which will be available for all students!... February 23, 2026
TRAFFIC LANE AT CGES REMINDER Attention Families,We want to share an important safety reminder regarding our morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up procedures at Council Grove Elementary.The traffic lane around CGES is a single... February 23, 2026
EVERY VOTE COUNTS - MARCH 3 On Tuesday, March 3, our community will vote on the proposed USD 417 school bond. As parents and staff, you play an important role in the life of our schools every day. Participating in local elect... February 20, 2026
Future Smiles Dental Care Available March 31st, 2026 Future Smiles, a Bureau of Oral Health (BOH) program, is coming to our USD #417 schools on, March 31, 2026. A registered dental hygienist will provide an oral evaluation, cleaning, oral hygiene ins... February 20, 2026
Kindergarten is Mastering Subtraction Ms. Stanielle Stewart incorporated super fun manipulatives. Each student started with three characters and then they choose how many to subtract by springing them away. Students also created subtra... February 19, 2026
4th Grade Science - Engineering What would you do if you won an island? Students in Ms. True’s 4th grade class worked together to design a house they could live in. The house needed to be built to survive a natural disaster. They... February 19, 2026
MARCH 3 - USD 417 MORRIS COUNTY BOND ELECTION On Tuesday, March 3, our community will make an important decision in the USD 417 School Bond Election. This proposal includes improvements at all three district schools. The bond focuses on safer ... February 18, 2026
YOUR VOTE MATTERS - MARCH 3 March 3 USD 417 Morris County Bond Election In a community like ours, every single vote truly counts. Still not convinced? • The 2025 Council Grove Mayoral Election was won by just 𝟭 𝘃𝗼𝘁𝗲. • The 20... February 16, 2026
No School - February 13 USD 417 will not have school on Friday, February 13, due to Teacher Talent Development Day.#ForwardTogether417 February 11, 2026
Voter Registration Deadline is Today 📢𝗩𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗧𝗢𝗗𝗔𝗬! 🗳️Make sure you're registered for the March 3 USD 417 Morris County bond election! 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆 (Feb. 10th).✅ Register or check your stat... February 10, 2026
Voter Registration Deadline is Tuesday, February 10 Make sure you're registered for the March 3 USD 417 Morris County bond election! 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝘀 𝗙𝗲𝗯𝗿𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝟭𝟬𝘁𝗵!✅ Register or check your status now: https://www.kdor.ks.gov/apps/voterreg... February 6, 2026
USD 417 Regular BOE Meeting - February 9 USD 417 Board of Education - Regular MeetingMonday, February 9th, 2026, at 6:oo p.m.District Office - 17 Wood St, Council GrovePatrons who wish to address the board during the patron forum are aske... February 6, 2026
Early Childhood Screenings - April 10 What is Early Childhood Screening?Early childhood screenings are brief check-ups that assess how your child is developing in areas such as speech, movement, vision, hearing, and social-emotional sk... February 5, 2026
Early Childhood Screening on 4/10/26 at Council Grove Elementary School It is free of cost for any child in our community ages 0-4. It is required to attend USD 417 preK next school year. Early childhood screenings are brief check ups that look at how your child is dev... February 5, 2026
USD 417 School Nurse Recognized for Health Leadership Dana Reddick, RN, School Nurse for USD 417 Morris County Schools, has been formally recognized by the University of Kansas Medical Center for her exceptional commitment to improving the health of s... February 3, 2026
USD 417 District Spotlight - January January 2026 USD 417 District Spotlight As we move through the second semester, USD 417 Morris County has several exciting updates to share with our community.Bond Election - March 3rdOn March 3rd,... February 2, 2026
No School - February 2 USD 417 will not have school on Monday, February 2nd, for Teacher Data Day.#ForwardTogether417 January 30, 2026
Wednesday, January 28th - 2-hour late start This is our regularly scheduled late start for Wednesday. School will be in session on Tuesday, January 27th.Attention, USD 417 families! We wanted to let you know that there will be a 2-hour late ... January 26, 2026
USD 417 Bond - Community Meetings Please check out the schedule for the USD 417 Bond Community Meetings! This is a great opportunity to learn about the bond and its impact on USD 417 students. #ForwardTogether417 January 23, 2026
Camille Macy is Prairie Heights Spelling Champ The 2026 Prairie Heights Elementary Spelling Bee took place on January 20, 2026, at 9:15 a.m. in the Prairie Heights Elementary Gymnasium. Students competed in seven rounds to find the winners. Cam... January 22, 2026
No School CGES & PHES - January 23 Attention: CGES and PHES will NOT hold classes on Friday, January 23rd, due to Parent-Teacher Conferences. CGJSHS WILL have school on January 23rd.#ForwardTogether417 January 21, 2026
Important Correction - Bond Tax Impact Information Hello,I need to share an important correction regarding our bond campaign materials distributed at Friday's homecoming game.The ErrorOur printed trifold contained an error in the tax impact section... January 19, 2026
No School - January 19th USD 417 will not have school on Monday, January 19th, in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. #ForwardTogether417 January 16, 2026
Street Design for Kids Part 1 of 5 Kansas DOT’s Safe Routes to School team has been busy making site visits and hosting pop-up events in Alta Vista to gather input for our new Safe Routes to School Plan. The Plan will include recomm... January 8, 2026
School Resumes January 6th We hope you had a wonderful holiday break! School will resume tomorrow, January 6th. Welcome back!#ForwardTogether417 January 5, 2026
Prairie Heights Elementary and Alta Vista Senior Center Partner to Bring Holiday Joy to Students A renewed partnership between Prairie Heights Elementary School's Parent Teacher Organization and the Alta Vista Senior Center brought holiday cheer to 75 students this season through a free holida... December 20, 2025
2025-2026 1st Semester Prairie Heights Elementary School Masonic Award Winners Kansas Masons honor outstanding teachers and outstanding students for their contributions to the community by promoting the liberal arts and sciences, contributing to the betterment of all mankind ... December 19, 2025
Leading by Example: Our Newest Master Teachers! We have some "extra" bright stars in our hallways this month! While our students have been busy hitting the books, four of our very own teachers have been doing the same. We are thrilled to announc... December 19, 2025
USD 417 Winter Break Winter break is here! The schedule is as follows: NO SCHOOL - Friday, December 19, 2025, through Monday, January 5, 2026. Classes resume as normal on Tuesday, January 6, 2026. Have a safe and enjoy... December 17, 2025
2- hour Late Start - December 17th Attention, USD 417 families! We wanted to let you know that there will be a 2-hour late start on Wednesday, December 17th. - Enjoy a Grab-and-Go breakfast, which will be available for all students!... December 15, 2025
PHES Holiday Meal On December 4, we had our yearly holiday meal. Thank you to our food service team and everyone who helped make it a success. It is always a special time when family members are in our building. December 6, 2025
USD 417 District Spotlight - November A Season of Gratitude and Achievement at USD 417We are in the season of giving thanks, and as I write our November spotlight, we at USD 417 have much to be thankful for. First and foremost are our ... December 1, 2025
Prairie Heights Elementary Students Donate to Care & Share and Prairie Paws Animal Shelter Prairie Heights Elementary students earn Twister Tokens from staff members for meeting behavior expectations. Last year, students donated their tokens to raise money for two organizations: Care &am... November 25, 2025
No School - November 26-28 USD 417 will not have school from November 26 to 28. Classes will resume on December 1. We wish you a safe and enjoyable Thanksgiving holiday.#ForwardTogether417 November 24, 2025
Braves Kids Club There is only a one time fee to join and they are members until they enter the 7th grade. Thank you to the CGHS basketball team for coming to see us today! November 20, 2025
2-hour Late Start - November 19th Attention, USD 417 families! We wanted to let you know that there will be a 2-hour late start on Wednesday, November 19th. - Enjoy a Grab-and-Go breakfast, which will be available for all students!... November 17, 2025
REMINDER: PHES Veterans Program - Tonight @ 7:00 pm Just a reminder that our program is tonight. Students in grades K-4 can enter their classrooms at 6:45. 5th & 6th grade students will meet in the music room at 6:45. The program will also be av... November 11, 2025
The Thanksgiving Feast was Awesome! The Thanksgiving Feast was awesome! Thank you to Missy and Becky for the tasty food. Thank you to PTO and staff members for helping serve. November 6, 2025
Veterans Day Program November 11 @ 7:00 pm Students are welcome to arrive in their classroom at 6:45. 5th & 6th grade will go to the band room. The program begins at 7:00. November 6, 2025
No School - November 7 USD 417 will not have school on Friday, November 7th.#ForwardTogether417 November 5, 2025
School Psychology Week National School Psychology Week 2025 will take place from November 3rd to 7th. This week is an opportunity to celebrate the contributions of our school psychologist, Fawn Andrews, and to raise awar... November 3, 2025
USD 417 District Spotlight - October Celebrating Excellence and Looking Ahead in USD 417 October has been a month of recognition and progress in USD 417 Morris County Schools, and I'm excited to share some wonderful news with our comm... October 29, 2025
Halloween Poster Contest Winners PHES Students have been working on Halloween posters in art this month. All posters will be displayed in Alta Vista and Dwight businesses. The poster contest winners are shown in the photograph. W... October 29, 2025
Did You Know Did you know that school budgets are vital to the success of our students in Kansas? By maximizing the impact of our tax dollars, we can significantly enhance educational opportunities and outcomes... October 29, 2025
USD 417 BOE Special Board Meeting Highlights from October 27 USD 417 BOE Special Board Meeting Highlights from October 27#ForwardTogether417 October 28, 2025
2-Hour Late Start - Oct 29th Attention, USD 417 families! We wanted to let you know that there will be a 2-hour late start on Wednesday, October 29th. - Enjoy a Grab-and-Go breakfast, which will be available for all students! ... October 27, 2025
Bullying Prevention Spirit Week October 27-31 Next week is our Bullying Prevention Spirit Week! We'll have fun dress-days to remind us to say BOO to Bullying and show that Kindness is Spook-tacular. October 24, 2025
USD 417 Teacher of the Year Celebrating Excellence in USD 417! We honored two outstanding educators at special assemblies:Mr. Jarrod Hibler - 2027 USD 417 Secondary Teacher of the Year (HS Math, CGJSHS)Mrs. Brier Blythe - 202... October 23, 2025
Coffee with the Sup Thank you to everyone who attended the first Coffee with the Superintendent for the 2025-2026 school year. We appreciate your questions and your interest in learning about what is happening at USD ... October 22, 2025
USD 417 BOE Special Meeting - Oct 27 USD 417 Board of Education - Special MeetingMonday, October 27, 2025, at 6:00 P.M.District Office - 17 Wood St, Council Grove There will be no open forum, and no action will be taken at this meeting. October 22, 2025
Champions for Education Invite Be a champion for public education. Join parents across Kansas and learn how to champion your school to your community and legislators.#ForwardTogether417 October 22, 2025
Recruiting Building Site Council Members - First Meeting November 20 Prairie Heights is revamping our site council meetings. We are looking for 6-12 members who are willing to: provide advice and counsel to the school in developing, implementing, and evaluating scho... October 21, 2025
Welcome, Charlie Holub Welcome, Charlie, to USD 417! We’re so glad to have you join our team! #ForwardTogether417 October 21, 2025
National School Bus Safety Week - Oct 20-24 Stop on Red, Kids Ahead is a campaign launched by the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) to bring awareness to the Kansas school bus stop arm law. National School Bus Safety Week is Octobe... October 21, 2025
National School Bus Safety Week - Oct 20-24 Safe Stops. Stronger Communities.#ForwardTogether417 October 20, 2025
Coffee with the Superintendent Coffee with the Superintendent resumes on October 22nd. Please come join us.#ForwardTogether417 October 20, 2025
Mr. Matt Fox In celebration of National Principals Month, we’re really excited to highlight our amazing administration team! We’d love for you to join us in giving a big shoutout to Mr. Matt Fox for his incredi... October 16, 2025
No School - October 17th USD 417 will not have school on Friday, October 17th.#ForwardTogether417 October 15, 2025
Mrs. Tasha Green As we celebrate National Principals Month, let us take a moment to honor our dedicated administrators. A special shout-out to the incredible Mrs. Tasha Green for her unwavering commitment and inspi... October 15, 2025
Community Meeting - October 15th You are invited to our upcoming community meeting to learn more about the options being discussed for a potential bond election. We value your input and would like to hear your thoughts on these op... October 14, 2025
Angela Harris - KGTC Advocacy Award Winner Angela Harris, the principal of PHES, received the 2025 Kansas Association for Gifted, Talented, and Creativity Advocacy award from Dr. Connie Phelps during the Board of Education meeting last nigh... October 14, 2025
October BOE Meeting at PHES We had a fantastic night at PHES for our monthly Board of Education meeting. Board members toured the facilities and listened to students present their Einstein projects, as well as share what they... October 14, 2025
Hiring Coaching Staff USD 417 is seeking individuals to join our team by filling various coaching positions at CGJSHS.Apply here: https://www.applitrack.com/usd417/onlineapp/#ForwardTogether417 October 14, 2025
October USD 417 News at Noon #ForwardTogetherhttps://www.loom.com/share/a998ddbef8604d0fb692b127293ff206?sid=1f0ef696-0276-4726-b6fd-4ff619bf6fb6 October 13, 2025
National School Lunch Thank you for your hard work, warm smiles, and dedication to each and every student. Your efforts make our school lunches special and enjoyable! We appreciate all that you do!National School Lunch ... October 13, 2025
USD 417 BOE Regular Meeting - October 13th USD 417 Board of Education - Regular MeetingMonday, October 13th, 2025, at 6:oo p.m.Prairie Heights Elementary School - 801 Center, Alta VistaPatrons who wish to address the board during the patron... October 11, 2025
Day #2 of Emergency Response Education Today, 3rd and 4th graders got to explore and learn about firetrucks as part of Fire Safety Week. A series of six lessons has been planned by Brett Samuels, Morris County Emergency Manager. October 11, 2025
Community Meeting - October 15th You are invited to our upcoming community meeting to learn more about the options being discussed for a potential bond election. We value your input and would like to hear your thoughts on these op... October 10, 2025
October - Every Day Difference Maker Winners Congratulations to our October Every Day Difference Maker award winners: Elementary - Lindsey Hickman Secondary - Michelle Ford Classified - Marsha Filkin. We are so proud of you, and you truly des... October 10, 2025
Coffee with the Superintendent Coffee with the Superintendent resumes on October 22nd. Please come join us.#ForwardTogether417 October 10, 2025
Mrs. Angela Harris October is National Principals Month, a time to celebrate the incredible leaders shaping our schools. Join us in expressing heartfelt gratitude to Mrs. Angela Harris for her unwavering dedication a... October 9, 2025
