WGS Weekly Update
2nd grade enjoyed the warm weather and practiced their spelling words with chalk outside today!
Exciting news - our brand-new playground is officially open! A huge thank you to everyone that fundraised, donated, and contributed labor and equipment to make it possible! A special shout-out goes to Mr. Befort for volunteering the first weeks of his retirement constructing the playground!
The fourth graders are learning about energy! They were introduced to what a circuit is, and then were given the opportunity to connect one to light up a light bulb. They all had success! 💡
The fifth graders are learning about the steps of the scientific method. We conducted an experiment about paper airplane designs to practice how to do each step. Our farthest paper airplane went over 21 feet! 🛬
Please come help move mulch at the new playground this morning! We need helpers! 😁
WGS Weekly Update
What a great time to be a Railer! The school year is officially underway… kids are filling up our halls and classrooms, teachers are building relationships and introducing new learning, buses are rolling and kitchens are cooking. And with the fall sports season now officially underway, there’s a lot of excitement ahead.
If you haven’t heard, Ellis has entered the T-Mobile’s Friday Night Lights contest. Special thanks to Brandon Comer for his leadership bringing this opportunity to town and helping students and staff in every school make the most of it — and have fun in the process.
If we come together and work hard, T-Mobile could award Ellis some major upgrades, including money towards a new track, for the school and community. Here’s how you can help:
• Follow and share content from @ellisrailers on Instagram and X and invite others to do the same. Our HS media class has been working hard at sharing “Our Story”.
• Post and share the videos or make your own video why Ellis matters to you on Instagram or X. Be sure to use #FN5GL #Sweepstakes @tmobile @ellisrailers each time you share. Encourage your friends and family to share, too.
• Show up for the home football game on Sept. 12. Cheer on the Railers and enjoy giveaways.
This chance to work together and show our spirit goes beyond sports. It’s about pride, unity and creating a space that shows the real spirit of Ellis on a national stage.
As the school year gets started, I can’t say enough good things about our teachers, staff and families. The elementary school has welcomed Mr. Flinn as the new principal, who is bringing his knowledge and experience back to Ellis where he grew up. It seems everyone is enjoying his calm, friendly energy and clear expectations that are sure to lead to a great year ahead.
Our elementary teachers have also been working hard to learn more about the science of reading and earn the Seal of Literacy. LETRS training, or Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling, is a big commitment. and I’m very proud that all of our staff who have completed or are in the process of completing this training. Many have already earned the Seal of Literacy, and several are working towards it. Across the district, our focus is on literacy, and all staff are engaged in efforts to enhance literacy instruction in every content area. The impact of this work will be evident as our students continue to grow in their literacy skills-a growth that will only accelerate as more teachers implement effective literacy strategies.
I must also recognize our awesome custodial and maintenance staff. Over the summer they completed projects that will instill greater pride in our facilities, including giving the high school locker rooms a much-needed refresh.
As this new school year gets busy and student participation grows — especially at the junior high! — we need your help to give our young people a memorable high school and junior high experience. Please help us spread the word about these paid positions we need to fill as soon as possible:
• Activity bus and route drivers (district will pay for CDL training)
• Football score/clock operator
• Football spotter
• Football chains
• Volleyball score/clock operator
• Volleyball bookkeeper
• Volleyball line judge
Please reach out to dschoenthaler@usd388.com or call 785-726-9422 if you are able to support.
Last, but not least, our school board continues to do important work aligning the district’s budget, resources and decisions to the strategic plan that was finalized last spring. This wouldn’t be possible without the input that came from community members, teachers, staff and others about what matters most evidenced by our strategic plan. This plays a big role in the budget that the board is finalizing, as well as the Revenue Neutral Rate hearing on Sept 8th. We are happy to answer questions and share more about this work.
It would be impossible to share all the good things happening in Ellis School District in one newspaper column. Times like this, it’s wonderful to see people coming together to make good things happen. This is the Ellis I loved growing up here, and it’s a reminder that the best things about this community are still going strong.
Janice Wilson, Superintendent
If you haven’t heard, Ellis has entered the T-Mobile’s Friday Night Lights contest. Special thanks to Brandon Comer for his leadership bringing this opportunity to town and helping students and staff in every school make the most of it — and have fun in the process.
If we come together and work hard, T-Mobile could award Ellis some major upgrades, including money towards a new track, for the school and community. Here’s how you can help:
• Follow and share content from @ellisrailers on Instagram and X and invite others to do the same. Our HS media class has been working hard at sharing “Our Story”.
• Post and share the videos or make your own video why Ellis matters to you on Instagram or X. Be sure to use #FN5GL #Sweepstakes @tmobile @ellisrailers each time you share. Encourage your friends and family to share, too.
• Show up for the home football game on Sept. 12. Cheer on the Railers and enjoy giveaways.
This chance to work together and show our spirit goes beyond sports. It’s about pride, unity and creating a space that shows the real spirit of Ellis on a national stage.
As the school year gets started, I can’t say enough good things about our teachers, staff and families. The elementary school has welcomed Mr. Flinn as the new principal, who is bringing his knowledge and experience back to Ellis where he grew up. It seems everyone is enjoying his calm, friendly energy and clear expectations that are sure to lead to a great year ahead.
Our elementary teachers have also been working hard to learn more about the science of reading and earn the Seal of Literacy. LETRS training, or Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling, is a big commitment. and I’m very proud that all of our staff who have completed or are in the process of completing this training. Many have already earned the Seal of Literacy, and several are working towards it. Across the district, our focus is on literacy, and all staff are engaged in efforts to enhance literacy instruction in every content area. The impact of this work will be evident as our students continue to grow in their literacy skills-a growth that will only accelerate as more teachers implement effective literacy strategies.
I must also recognize our awesome custodial and maintenance staff. Over the summer they completed projects that will instill greater pride in our facilities, including giving the high school locker rooms a much-needed refresh.
As this new school year gets busy and student participation grows — especially at the junior high! — we need your help to give our young people a memorable high school and junior high experience. Please help us spread the word about these paid positions we need to fill as soon as possible:
• Activity bus and route drivers (district will pay for CDL training)
• Football score/clock operator
• Football spotter
• Football chains
• Volleyball score/clock operator
• Volleyball bookkeeper
• Volleyball line judge
Please reach out to dschoenthaler@usd388.com or call 785-726-9422 if you are able to support.
Last, but not least, our school board continues to do important work aligning the district’s budget, resources and decisions to the strategic plan that was finalized last spring. This wouldn’t be possible without the input that came from community members, teachers, staff and others about what matters most evidenced by our strategic plan. This plays a big role in the budget that the board is finalizing, as well as the Revenue Neutral Rate hearing on Sept 8th. We are happy to answer questions and share more about this work.
It would be impossible to share all the good things happening in Ellis School District in one newspaper column. Times like this, it’s wonderful to see people coming together to make good things happen. This is the Ellis I loved growing up here, and it’s a reminder that the best things about this community are still going strong.
Janice Wilson, Superintendent
WGS Weekly Update
A big thank you to Svaty's Produce for generously donating fresh watermelon for our students to enjoy at lunch at Washington Grade School! 🍉
We also appreciate Aaron and Bristol Honas for delivering the donation—your support helps make our school community even stronger!
#Svaty'sProduce#CommunitySupport #ThankYou #WashingtonGradeSchool #HealthyLunches
WGS Weekly Update
The 6th graders met their kindergarten book buddies today. There were so many smiles and giggles! We are looking forward to a great year building friendships!
Back to School Night at WGS, Monday, August 18th from 6-7pm.
Bring your school supplies, meet your teacher, and enjoy free ice cream provide by the Ellis Alumni Association.
Thanks to PTO and their fundraising efforts, the grade school playground will be ready for the start of the year. A huge thank you to John Befort and volunteers for making a dream become a reality!
Welcome back, Railroaders! We are thrilled for the upcoming 2025-2026 school year! Important information and resources for everything related to BACK TO SCHOOL can be found online at https://www.usd388.com/o/usd388/page/back-to-school. Online enrollment (the link is located on the BACK TO SCHOOL page) should be completed by August 15, 2025. Enrollment fees should be paid in person on the following dates at each building--Monday, August 11 (8:00 AM to 5:00 PM), Tuesday, August 12 (8:00 AM to 6:00 PM), or Wednesday, August 13 (8:00 AM to 5:00 PM). All payments must be made by check or cash only. We are looking forward to a fantastic year and can't wait to see everyone. Maria Mick (785-726-3151 EHS/EJH, mmick@usd388.com) and Theresa Thomas (785-726-3136 WGS, tthomas@usd388.com).
USD388 online enrollment opens Monday, July 28th, at 8am. Visit https://www.usd388.com/o/usd388/page/back-to-school for information on school supply lists, breakfast/lunch prices, and student fees, as well as links to the online enrollment forms, handbooks, and other documents.
We entered the @TMobile Friday Night 5G Lights contest! They're celebrating small-town high school football, giving upgrades to schools + awarding a $1Million game-changing grand prize. It could be us! #FN5GL #Sweepstakes
Video premiere! The July 14th BOE Meeting video premieres today at 5pm on the USD388 YouTube Channel
https://youtube.com/c/USD388
https://youtube.com/c/USD388
JH Volleyball Camp Reminder
Tuesday & Wednesday: Camp will be held from 1:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. at WGS.
Thursday: To avoid conflict with the summer league schedule, camp will be from 9:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. at WGS. I will walk the girls down to WGS from weights.
Bring court shoes, knee pads, water bottles, and a great attitude!
*There will be no JH volleyball skills Tuesday, June 17th.
-Coach H. Davenport
The June 9th BOE Meeting video premieres tonight at 5pm on the USD388 YouTube Channel https://youtube.com/c/USD388
