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It’s hard to believe how quickly 2024 has passed!
As we approach the end of the year and look forward to 2025, it’s the perfect time to reflect on our accomplishments and express gratitude for our community’s support. This year has been filled with milestones and moments of pride for Cassville R-IV Schools.
Here are just a few highlights:
School Safety Initiatives
We remain steadfast in our commitment to school safety. This year, we continued proactive training for our safety team, equipping them to protect our students and staff.
Additionally, we implemented facility and technology upgrades across all campuses to enhance safety measures.
Responding to Challenges
The May 25 windstorm brought unexpected damage to our district, impacting roofs, buses, vehicles, and the baseball field’s left field wall. Thanks to the prompt response from our maintenance and custodial teams, we were able to restore everything in time for the start of the school year in August.
Portrait of a Graduate (POG)
In collaboration with stakeholders from across Barry County, we developed the Portrait of a Graduate framework.
This initiative identifies essential skills, traits, and mindsets our students need to succeed in college, careers and life. The framework emphasizes critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, communication, adaptability and lifelong learning. By aligning educational goals with the demands of an evolving world, POG ensures Barry County graduates are well-prepared to be resilient, ethical, and productive members of society.
Community Events and Awareness
This year, we hosted two family nights which included the showing of the documentary Childhood 2.0. The film explores the unique challenges of growing up in today’s digital age, where children’s lives are extensively documented through social media and online platforms. It sheds light on critical issues such as digital identity, privacy, and the impact of constant online presence, sparking meaningful conversations about how we navigate these complexities.
Academic and Athletic Achievements
• Our DESE Annual Performance Report (APR) placed us in the top 35% of Missouri districts.
This metric evaluates student growth, college and career readiness, attendance, graduation rates and MAP/EOC scores, all of which contribute to district accreditation.
• Intermediate Instructional Coach Sheila Littlefield was selected as the District Teacher of the Year.
• Congratulations to our outstanding coaches and athletes!
— Coach Jordan Savage (softball), Coach Jake Forste (soccer), and Coach Nathan Fortner (wrestling) earned “Coach of the Year” honors in their respective sports.
— Faith James became the state champion in Class 1 Girls Wrestling.
— Ashton Wheeler broke the school record in the long jump with a leap of 22 feet, 5 inches.
— Monty Hang received an honorable mention at the All-State Band Auditions.
Transportation and Food Service Excellence
• Transportation Director Jake Kloss and Bus Mechanic Lane Truman represented our district at the National School Bus Conference, earning second place in the Mechanics Roadeo.
Their expertise played a key role in our transportation fleet achieving a 100% approval rating during this year’s bus inspections.
• All three school kitchens received the Silver Spoon Award from the Barry County Health Department, recognizing food establishments with no priority or core health violations. Our food service team goes above and beyond to meet rigorous safety standards while preparing delicious and nutritious meals for our students and staff.
Performing Arts Center (PAC) Opens
This fall, we officially opened the doors to our new Performing Arts Center (PAC). Our first event, the annual Veterans Day Assembly, was held on Nov. 11, followed by the KY3 Weather Alert Tour featuring Ron Hearst and Brandon Beck on Nov. 14.
The entire KY3 meteorologist team praised the facility, and we are thrilled to host many more events in the future. Upcoming highlights include the All Choirs Christmas Program on Thursday at 6 p.m. and the High School Speech & Debate Tournament this Friday and Saturday.
Holiday Wishes and Gratitude
As we wrap up the semester, I want to thank our students, staff, families, and community members for making 2024 a successful year.
Your continued support helps our schools and students thrive.
The first semester will conclude with a full day on Thursday, Dec.
19. Students will return from the holiday break on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025.
On behalf of the Cassville R-IV Board of Education and district staff, I wish you a joyful, safe, and relaxing Christmas and New Year!
Thank you for all you do to support our schools.
Merlyn Johnson is the superintendent of the Cassville school district. He may be reached at mjohnson@cassville. k12.mo.us.
