Reminder:
📣 Community Input Requested: Superintendent Search 📣
As the USD 440 Board of Education begins the process of selecting the next Superintendent of Schools for Halstead/Bentley, we are seeking community input on the professional and personal qualities you value most in our next superintendent.
You are invited to share your voice by attending an in‑person focus group or by completing a short online survey.
👥 Join a Focus Group
We will host in‑person focus group sessions on Monday, April 20. Please attend the time and location that works best for you:
🕣 8:30 a.m. – District Office
🕤 9:30 a.m. – District Office
🕝 2:30 p.m. – Bentley Primary School
📝 Share Your Voice via Survey
If you are unable to attend a focus group, please take a few minutes to complete our online survey.
⏱️ The survey takes approximately 5 minutes.
👉 Click here to participate:
https://tejoin.com/scroll/193356299
Thank you for your time and for helping us shape the future of our school district.
USD 440 Board of Education
🎉 Congrats to last week's BINGO winners!
More game changer skills staff have learned that are game changers in the classroom:
🎥 Screen recording on iPad
🔗 Using hashtags to create links across apps
👩💻 QR code generator for quick access for students
So many simple tools making a big impact in the classroom for teachers and students!
#440Proud #AppleEducation #440iTeam
Join us at Halstead Middle School for our plant sale!
🗓 May 2 | 9am–2pm
Plants • Decorations • Handmade Items 🌱
All earnings go to funding the green house.
We hope to see you there!
🚀 Learning & Innovation in Action! 🚀
Our Apple BINGO tech challenge is in full swing, and staff across the district are shouting BINGO!
What makes this even better? This is voluntary learning, where staff work at their own pace to build skills that truly make a difference in their day-to-day workflow.
We’re seeing some real game changers in action:
✨ Split screen for multitasking
👀 Quick View for faster file access
📲 Shortcuts to create QR codes
🗂️ Group Tab organizer for staying organized
📄 Merging PDFs
Small skills are leading to big wins for more efficient workflows, better organization, and more time focused on students!
We love seeing our staff jump in, learn, and embrace the opportunity for continuous improvement @ 440!
#440Proud #AppleEducation #440iTeam
Lavonda Shafto, para at BPS, is on a roll with THREE BINGOS and just TWO squares away from a BLACKOUT!
Her favorite find? Using tags to organize notes quickly and keep everything sorted—simple, but powerful!
We love seeing staff discover tools that make their day easier. BLACKOUT watch is ON… 👀
#440proud #AppleLearning #440iTeam
Shoutout to Erika Witten at BPS for earning THREE BINGOS on this month’s Apple BINGO board! 👏
Learning split screen on her iPad is a game changer for her. We love how learning simple tools can make a big impact in the classroom! 🙌
Who’s next to call BINGO? 👀
#440AppleBINGO #440Proud
A big shoutout to Chelsea Sperry, one of our amazing 1st grade teachers, who just earned her favorite candy and Sonic drink with THREE BINGOS on this month's Apple BINGO board! 👏
Chelsea’s classroom is a perfect example of what happens when creativity, curiosity, and Apple technology come together to support student learning.
Who will be the next to call BINGO? 👀
#440AppleBINGO #440Proud #440CanCreate
We’re celebrating with delicious, nutritious morning meals for all Halstead and Bentley students. Start your day strong, stay focused, and fuel up with us in the cafeteria each morning!
☀️💙 #NSBW #USD440
Mrs. Carr & Mrs. Hiebert were treated to fruit cups from the FFA Officers as part of National FFA Week activities.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WK1KaNszt64XxSorlqrI2iLEkZD8ZnSP/view?usp=share_link
Last week, we were thrilled to have Brig Laene, Professional Learning Consultant, on site working alongside our teachers on implementing the 7-Step Learning Cycle.
Our Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) are a key component of our district's school improvement plan, helping both students and teachers grow as we focus on Essential Learning Targets.
Investing in our educators means investing in our students' success! 💡
#ProfessionalDevelopment #TeacherLearning #440PROUD #ContinuousImprovement
Ms. Sebesta earned 1st place in the Beginning Teacher category at the 2026 KAAE, Kansa Association of Agriculture Education, Ideas Unlimited Awards for her innovative unit on Legal Land Descriptions. Her lesson connects history, agriculture, and real-world application to help students understand why land descriptions matter—then and now.
Way to represent agricultural education and inspire students!
#440PROUD
This team is leading the implementation of Professional Learning Communities across USD #440, strengthening collaboration and keeping student learning at the center of our work. Through shared leadership and purposeful planning, we are building systems that support teachers and help every student succeed.
🏫 Bentley Primary School
Big celebration time! The major construction work at Bentley is almost complete 🎉✨ Final inspections are nearly wrapped up, the new addition looks fantastic, and we’re getting very close to fully opening the new part of the building! Fresh paint, new flooring, and a cleaned‑up, ready‑to‑go space make this a huge milestone for our district. 🙌💙
🎭 Halstead High School – Auditorium
The auditorium is transforming in a big way! The massive scaffolding is coming down, opening up the space again 👀✨. New lighting and finished ceiling features are giving us a great preview of what’s to come. It’s looking more and more like a performance space we can all be proud of! 🎶🎤
🏗️ Halstead High School – 7/8 Classroom Addition
We’ve gone VERTICAL! 🚀 The new walls and steel structure are up, and it’s exciting to see a real building taking shape. This addition is going to create incredible learning spaces for our students. 📚💡
💪 Halstead High School – Weight Room
The weight room project is officially underway! Footings are poured and the foundation work is complete. 🏋️♂️🔥 We’re building a space that will support our athletes and PE programs for years to come.
