Classes have been cancelled for Tuesday, February 9th due to inclement weather.

Branson Elementary West has been named a 2010 Missouri School of Character. The announcement was made February 4. The award is organized through the Characterplus program and the Coordinating School Districts of Greater St. Louis. Mike Dawson, Elementary West principal, will accept the award at a banquet held May 13 in St. Louis. Missouri is among 28 states to conduct the State Schools of Character Award program.

A team of Elementary West teachers completed an application last fall and submitted it to the Missouri Schools of Character Program. Character representatives made a site visit to nine schools named as finalists in January.

The recognition program is designed to identify exemplary Missouri schools and districts to serve as models for others. It also helps schools and districts improve their efforts in effective character education.

The Missouri distinction will allow Elementary West to advance to national competition.

The 2010 Census is coming your way.  Census materials will be mailed to your home in March.  Prompt return of those materials to the Census Bureau is of great importance to your city, your county and your state. 

Additional information about the Census can be obtained here.

We have missed six days, so far this school year, due to inclement weather.

The schedule for make up days is as follows:

Monday, January 18; Martin Luther King Day

Monday, February 15; Presidents’ Day

Monday, May 24; make up day

Tuesday, May 25; make up day

Wednesday, May 26; make up day

Thursday, May 27; make up day

The Branson School District has received the state’s highest honor by earning the Distinction in Performance Award.  The award has been earned for academic progress and achievement for the 2008-2009 school year.  The announcement was made Thursday by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.  Branson School District is among 319 districts to be recognized for achievement.  This is the fifth consecutive year Branson has earned the Distinction Award.   

“This award is reflective of all the dedicated men and women in our district who strive to provide the best educational experiences for the students in the Branson School District,” said Dr. Doug Hayter, superintendent.  “We are grateful to be among those districts recognized for outstanding educational practices.” 

The Distinction in Performance Award is based on the 14 academic performance standards that are the basis for the state’s accreditation program for all school districts.  Branson received a perfect score by earning a 14/14 possible.  The standards are based on scores from the state-mandated MAP tests, graduation rate, attendance rate, ACT scores and other indicators.  To qualify for the award, K-12 districts were required to meet 13 out of 14 standards, including all MAP-based measures.   

Under the state’s accreditation process, known as the Missouri School Improvement Program (MSIP), each school district is evaluated at least once every five years.  The Distinction in Performance Award is based on the same criteria used in the accreditation process, but it provides an annual confirmation and recognition of a district’s consistent performance. 

Representatives from the Branson School District will join other honorees in February for a formal presentation of the Distinction Award. 

Winter is on its way and with it comes the possibility of weather that could prevent the safe transportation of students to school. The Branson School District would like to issue this notice regarding school cancellation.

In the event of inclement weather, parents and students will be notified of school cancellations through radio station KRZK (106.3 FM); the weather information phone (336-5000); PIRATEcast; and the Springfield media. Every effort will be made to provide cancellation notices as early as possible.

Click here for snow route information.

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