Raymond Central Community School District

District Superintendent Update

Tuesday, June 15, 2021

The Raymond Central School Board would like to announce the hiring of an Interim Superintendent for the 2021-22 school year. Lynn Johnson has officially accepted the offer to serve in this capacity. The board offered her the job after interviewing three finalists on Monday, June 14th in the district.

Board President Dr. Harriet Gould said, “We had a strong pool of candidates and we felt really good about all three finalists that were interviewed. However, it was clear that Lynn had the experience and knowledge to move our district forward next year. She is a proven leader that will keep us moving forward. We really look forward to working with her.”

Lynn has served the Harlan Community School District in Harlan, IA for the past two years. Her previous tenure was all in Nebraska where she served as the Arlington, NE District Superintendent for 10 years. Some of her notable accomplishments include oversight of an $8 million dollar addition/renovation project and a $3 million dollar HVAC project. She also successfully helped pass a bond issue. Instructionally, she implemented Professional Learning Communities (PLC’s) and expanded course offerings for students.

As a Nebraska Superintendent, Lynn served in multiple leadership roles through the Nebraska State Association of Superintendents (NASA). These included serving as the Region II President and earning the Region II Distinguished Service Award. She also was active in the Nebraska State Association of Secondary School Principals (NSASSP) organization where she was President of the Executive Board and served as a mentor to new principals.

Lynn earned her Specialist Degree in Educational Administration from Wayne State College in 2007. Her Masters in Secondary Administration was earned from the University of Nebraska-Omaha. Her Bachelor’s Degree of Science in Math Education was from Fort Hayes State University.

Lynn was excited to accept the position saying, “I am excited to have the opportunity to work in a District that demonstrates a growth mindset and has such a strong commitment to serving students. My husband Steve and I have three grown children and two grandchildren. In our free time, we enjoy spending time with family, golfing, and following local athletic teams.”

Mrs. Johnson will be in the district starting the week of June 21 and officially begin her duties on July 1, 2021. Grundmeyer Leader Services assisted with the Interim Superintendent recruiting and hiring process and will continue to work with the board to hire a long-term superintendent starting in October.

NOTICE OF VACANCY

A vacancy in the membership of the School Board of Raymond Central Public Schools by reason of the resignation of Lori Springer, Ward 4. The vacancy occurred on May 25, 2021. The length of the unexpired term is December 2022.

Raymond Central Community School District

District Superintendent Update

Wednesday, May 26, 2021

The Raymond Central School Board recently heard from four search firms who could help recruit and hire the next district superintendent after the recent resignation of the current Superintendent, Dr. Derrick Joel.  Each firm shared a presentation with the board and the board considered which firm could best deliver a quality candidate pool for what the district needs.  After the presentations, the board chose to move forward with Grundmeyer Leader Services (www.grundmeyerleadersearch.com).  

The GLS search firm presented a clear plan to immediately recruit interim superintendent candidates and offered unique screening tools that would help identify candidates who were truly the best fit for the job.  The lead consultant from GLS that will work with the board is Dr. Trent Grundmeyer, Owner and Lead Consultant, who has a history with the district.  Grundmeyer interviewed board members in 2018 and published a study in the Journal of Education and Human Development titled, “Lessons learned in developing and leveraging a 360 evaluation for a first-year superintendent.”

The search for an Interim Superintendent will begin immediately.  The board will review candidates as they apply. Formal interviews will be set for the week of June 7th.  The board hopes to formally approve a contract with the successful candidate at the June 16th board meeting.  Stakeholders from the district will soon be asked to serve on formal interview teams.  The Raymond Central Interim Superintendent will officially begin their duties on July 1, 2021.

The GLS search team will plan for the permanent superintendent hire in October 2021.  The job will be posted in November and December with the goal of hiring the new superintendent before the holiday break.  The board and search team will provide the district and community with routine updates throughout the hiring process.

The board wishes to publicly thank Dr. Joel for his four years of dedicated service to the district.  Board President, Dr. Harriet Gould said, “Dr. Joel has made a significant impact on our school system and has been a pleasure to work with.  Although we are sad to see him leave, we are grateful for the work he has done and wish him the very best. We want to keep the momentum going in the district with important work that still needs to be done.  We plan to hire an experienced interim superintendent soon.  Many stakeholders will be invited to be involved in the hiring process and provide the board feedback as we make important hiring decisions for the district.”

If patrons from the district have any questions or would like to recommend candidates for the job they may reach out to one of the Raymond Central School Board members or contact the search consultant at tgrundmeyer@gmail.com.

We are trying to expand our live streaming capabilities.  Please subscribe to the YouTube channel “rc activities” so you can cheer on your Mustangs from anywhere. 

Crafters/Vendors/Food Vendors Wanted

Raymond Central FBLA is hosting a Craft Fair on October 21, 2021 and are looking for Crafters, Vendors, and Food Vendors to participate. Find out more information here:

https://sites.google.com/rcentral.org/fall2021craftfair/home

Would you like to visit Peru and hike to Machu Picchu? 

Mrs. Hill is organizing a trip to Peru in June of 2022. 

Any current students enrolled in Spanish or future students are eligible to go. The trip lasts 10 days and covers several cities in Peru. 

Please email Mrs. Hill at lhill@rcentral.org for more information.

Raymond Central Before and After School Program 

The Raymond Central Before and After School Program is hosting a number of clubs this semester for not only students enrolled in the program but also those that are not in the program.  Below are registration links with additional information for LEGO Club, K’nex Club, and a Valentine card making day. Keep an eye out throughout the semester for information concerning upcoming clubs.

LEGO Club  February 4, 11, 18, 25, and March 4, 11

K’nex Club  February 2, 9, 16, 23, and March 2, 9

Valentine Card Craft  February 12

Summer Program Survey:  The Raymond Central Before and After School Program through Civic Nebraska is developing a summer program and needs your input to decide what the program will look like! We cannot operate without the support of community members like you.

Details such as program site, schedule and cost are being evaluated and will depend upon interest and participation. Please send additional feedback or questions to Kara Nelson at kara.nelson@civicnebraska.org. 

New Payment Structure:  Civic Nebraska has created a new payment structure for  Before and After School, programs to better fit family needs.  

Billing will be based on the number of days within the calendar month that your child attends a Civic Nebraska CLC program. It will still be billed as weeks, with a 2-week minimum each month. We encourage you to bring your child every day so that they get the most from our programs. 

At the beginning of each month, you will receive an invoice for the prior month. You will get billed for 2, 3, or 4 weeks depending on how many days your child attends during that month. Payment is due upon receipt. The base pay is $75 per week per child (see scholarship information below). 

Less than 10 days = 2 weeks

11-16 days = 3 weeks

17-22 days = 4 weeks

Scholarships:  Civic Nebraska also has scholarships available for the Before and After School program.  Please contact Kara Nelson for additional information concerning the payment structure and scholarships.

kara.nelson@civicnebraska.org

Raymond Central Before and After School Program

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The UNL Department of Educational Psychology has received a grant from the Swanson Foundation which allows them to offer mental health services to rural schools.

From Dr. Michael Scheel, Chair of the UNL Department of Educational Psychology:

The UNL Department of Educational Psychology would like to offer counseling and psychological services, as well as consultation services to the schools and communities of Southeast Nebraska. We run a mental health counseling and therapy clinic and we are offering counseling and consultation services to teachers, administrators, students, and community members of Southeast Nebraska. Services will be provided through remote and confidential means (i.e., Zoom conferencing). We are hoping that schools, families, and individuals contact us to schedule an appointment for a telehealth counseling or consultation session. 

We have recently learned that a donor will support our work with individuals living in rural Southeast NE by paying all fees for services. Thus, whoever seeks out our services will simply have to indicate they live in Southeast Nebraska, and any services we provide will be paid for through the UNL Foundation. Individual, couple, and family counseling will be provided without financial expense. Additionally, we can provide teachers, school administrators, school counselors, and school social workers consultation services for students of their schools without charge. 

We are very excited to enter a partnership with schools and communities of SE Nebraska to promote mental health and well-being. We are aware of the mental health counseling disparities that exist in Nebraska rural areas, and our department, our College of Education and Human Sciences, and UNL are highly interested in offering our expertise and resources with the goal of enhancing the well-being of SE Nebraska individuals, schools, and communities. We are a group comprised of licensed psychologists and psychology graduate students who regularly provide services through our clinic to the Lincoln community. We are seeking to reach beyond Lincoln to connect more with surrounding rural areas. We also are acutely aware of the importance of addressing mental health concerns right now as we all are experiencing the stress of going through the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The Counseling and School Psychology Clinic is a training clinic in which graduate students in counseling and school psychology work with clients under the supervision of licensed psychologists. Services are available to all on a sliding scale. For clients from SE Nebraska communities, services will be paid for through UNL Foundation funds supplied by a donor who cares deeply about the welfare of schools and communities in SE Nebraska. Counseling services are offered to improve well-being, improve academic and behavioral issues, stabilize mood, manage stress, and improve life-adjustment issues. 

For more information, please visit our clinic website:

https://cehs.unl.edu/edpsych/clinic/

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