Atchison Public Schools

Congratulations to our November Para of the Months, Caitlin Rowland, Teanna Scribner, and Joni Dunn!! We are so excited to have such wonderful staff members working in our district!!! #WeAre409

AES Phoenix Instrumental students played the National Anthem last week for the Kansas State vs Ole Miss women's team and won by one point. Let's go, AES Phoenix! So fun to watch them perform!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lo5CrIIrn0 #WeAre409

Congratulations to Hagen and Troy Phillips and to Barb Lott for being celebrated at this months board of education meeting!! Mrs. Lott was recognized for all she does to support and help students at Central and Troy and Hagen were recognized for being all around great students! #WeAre409

We are bringing back #ThrowbackThursdays! It's time to go back in time and see how things were through the last 50 or so years from USD 409!! This week see if you can find yourselves in this pic of a sophomore class pep assembly from 2007!! There's a lot of you!! ##WeAre409

If you would like to be included in USD 409 text alerts about weather updates, school cancellations, or activities, please take a minute to fill out the following form. Anyone is welcome to fill it out.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeitPhYgmkgj4VHjt2NJB5nxydMOInhpCF9NoceUJCi1KqAkA/viewform
#WeAre409

Central students have been applying their Learner Dispositions by competing in the Google Doodle Competition. Their task was to create a doodle that described their superpower. Here are the kids answers to that prompt!! #WeAre409 #learnerdispositions

We are bringing back the "Where Are They Now" Series, which will begin in Semester 2! This means we need to hear from our alumni and find out what you are all doing these days! Take a few minutes to fill out the following Google form! We want to highlight you weekly. This is also an excellent way for our students to learn about different pathways after high school! Share this link with anyone interested! #WeAre409
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfMDziJIneA6W1kV6-CBlQbS84vVld2ZjQj37GEC1N1Ms-lJQ/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=113854142545559348268

Due to expected low temperatures and possible slick roads from refreezing this evening and early tomorrow morning, USD 409 will operate on a 2-hour late start tomorrow, Tuesday, December 2, 2025. There will be no AM or PM PreK.

Here’s what that means:

• Bus Routes
All bus routes will run two hours later than normal. If your child will not be riding the bus, please contact Transportation at 913-367-6382.
Example: If your child is usually picked up at 6:55 AM, tomorrow they will be picked up at 8:55 AM.

• School Start Times
All schools will begin two hours later.
Example: If school doors normally open at 7:15 AM, tomorrow the doors will open at 9:15 AM.

• Staff Reporting Times
Custodial staff will report one hour later than their usual arrival time.
Example: If you normally arrive at 6:00 AM, please report at 7:00 AM tomorrow.
All other staff—certified, classified, and administration—will report two hours later than their usual arrival time.
Example: If you normally arrive at 7:00 AM, please report at 9:00 AM.

Thank you for your flexibility and understanding as we prioritize the safety of our students and staff. Stay warm and stay safe!

USD 409 Superintendent
Laura Batson

Put this on your calendar! Come enjoy some beautiful music! #WeAre409

We are so excited to celebrate two AHS seniors, Harlee Forgey and Harley Elias, who have officially been accepted into culinary school! 👩‍🍳👨‍🍳 As members of our Event Management & Culinary Pathway, these students have spent years sharpening their skills—planning events, mastering recipes, leading in the kitchen, and showing what passion + hard work can accomplish. Their dedication has been inspiring, and we couldn’t be more proud! This next step is going to open so many doors, and we know they’ll continue to shine just like they have at AHS. 🌟 Help us celebrate their success! #WeAre409 #CTEWorks #CulinaryPathway #AHSproud #PhoenixProud

Thank you to the Central staff and Guidance Center Staff for providing such a yummy Central Family Thanksgiving Lunch on Tuesday! We always love having our families attend! Thank you to the families that came to celebrate with us! #WeAre409

Third grade students made Thanksgiving Spoons of Thanks. They decorated them, added ribbon, and finished with an instruction sheet. The spoon is supposed to be put on the Thanksgiving table and passed from person to person who shares what the are thankful for! #WeAre409

As we head into the holiday break, we want to pause and share just how thankful we are for this incredible community. Our families, students, staff, and supporters fill our schools with heart, pride, and purpose every single day. We are grateful for the trust you place in us, the laughter and learning that fill our halls, and the strong partnerships that make USD 409 such a special place to grow. May your Thanksgivings be filled with rest, joy, and meaningful time with the people you love most. Enjoy the break! #WeAre409

Over the past two weeks, 372 “Thankful For You” notes have been delivered to staff across the district! Your gratitude has truly filled buckets and lifted spirits everywhere! To keep that momentum going, AHS set up a gratitude microphone in the cafeteria, inviting students and staff to share a moment of thankfulness. Their responses were heartfelt, fun, and a perfect reminder of what makes USD 409 such a special place. 🎤 Check out their gratitude moments here: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTrFrF9Tx/ #WeAre409

It was Fun Friday this past Friday at AHS. We had our first Attendance Bingo and any student who has 90% attendance and above received a Bingo Card. There were 2-3 numbers called each hour and we had several winners including teachers;) Thanks for having awesome Attendance at school! Thank you to our Atchison High School Booster Club for supplying the Casey's Gift Cards! Next week we will have mystery days. Any day could be a bingo day! #WeAre409

Happy National Substitute Educators Day!

Today we celebrate the incredible substitute teachers who step in with flexibility, patience, and heart—often at a moment’s notice. Our subs keep learning moving forward, support our students with positivity, and bring calm to the unexpected.

To every substitute who has walked through our doors, covered a class, built relationships, kept routines steady, and shown up with a smile: thank you. You make an enormous difference in our schools and in the lives of our students.

We appreciate your teamwork, your dedication, and your willingness to jump in wherever you’re needed. USD 409 is stronger because of you!

💛 #WeAre409 #PhoenixProud #ThankYouSubs

Third graders have spent the past nine weeks diving into multiplication, and to boost fact fluency and engagement, they kicked off “Turkey Races!” Multiple 3rd grade classrooms participated in this engaging activity that had kids up moving and applying their skills!! #WeAre409

Central is proud to celebrate two recipients of an Honorary Diploma — Bill Patterson, English Teacher, and Kerry Judd from the Guidance Center. Thank you both for the impact you’ve made on our students’ lives. Your support, encouragement, and belief in our kids truly make a difference every single day. #WeAre409 #PhoenixProud

Congratulations to our AMS SOAR winners for the week! #WeAre409