Onaga USD 322

To those interested, Mrs. Polk will be cleaning out her facebook page, "Mama Polk's Sports Page," on July 1st. There are photos from the last four years of sports, organization activities, graduations, etc. from her time at USD 322. If you are interested in downloading and saving any of those photos, please have that done by July 1st as they will be gone after that. If needed, a link for the page can be found at the bottom of the home page on the district website. Thank you Mrs. Polk for four years of dedication to USD 322! Your commitment to helping capture moments here with thousands of unbelievably high quality photos were an amazing asset to us here! You will be missed!

The school year is over but spring athletics are still in full swing as teams enter the postseason this week. The golf team is in Washington today for their regional meet, which kicked off at 8:30 this morning. This afternoon, the softball team will be heading to Burlingame for its first round game of regionals against the Bearcats. The first game in Burlingame begins at 4:00pm, and Onaga will play approximately 25 minutes after the conclusion of that game. Good luck to our golfers and softball players today on your roads to state! GO BUFFALOES!!!

Events for the week of 5-16-2022 Monday, May 16 - HS Golf Regional @ Washington County 8:30am - HS SFB Regional @ Burlingame Approx. 5:30pm Tuesday, May 17 - HS BSB Regional @ Wabaunsee/Alma vs Burlingame Approx. 4:30pm - HS SFB if win on Monday @ St. Marys vs ??? Approx. 4:30pm Wednesday, May 18 - HS BSB Regional @ Wabaunsee/Alma vs ??? Approx. 4:30pm (with with on Tuesday) Thursday, May 19 - HS TR Regionals @ Washington County 1:00pm (this date moved from Friday, May 20)

It's graduation day at USD 322! At 11:30am the 8th grade promotion will take place at the Rosenfield Sports Complex. Then, at 1:00pm, the senior class of 2022 will finalize their chapter at Onaga High School with their graduation at the football field as well. We ask that everyone that comes either sits in the bleachers, or is on the track. Please stay off the football field itself, as we will have graduates walking through a large part of the open areas. But please feel free to bring a lawn chair and set up on the track or on the hill beside the bleachers. Congratulations to the 8th graders, we look forward to watching you grow in high school! And congratulations to our seniors, thank you for your contributions to USD 322 during your time here, and good luck as you enter the world. We look forward to seeing the great things we know you all will do!

The JV baseball team will play its final game of the season today when it welcomes Blue Valley to town for a double header. The two teams will play a double-header beginning at 2:00pm, with the first game being 7 innings and the second game being 5 innings. Come check out the final high school game in Onaga this season, grab a Lion's Club cheeseburger, and cheer on the Buffaloes!!!

Today, at 12:30pm, the school year will officially come to a close. With it will come the close to the careers here for five staff members who have made countless contributions to and sacrifices for USD 322. Thank you Mrs. Suther, Mrs. Marten, Mrs. Alverson, Mrs. Rempe, and Mrs. Walters for your decades of commitment and for all you have done for Onaga. It's impossible to quantify in how many ways you have positively impacted teachers and staff alike, as well as the district itself. Enjoy your retirements, and never forget that it will always be a GREAT DAY TO BE A BUFFALO!!!

Last Wednesday, Mrs. Suther took the 8th graders on the annual Orienteering trip out at Rocky Top. On a day when weather was affecting the junior high and high school track meets that were to take place the next day, and she was trying to manage numerous other happenings that go with the chaos at the end of the school year, she managed to once again give 8th graders an awesome, unique experience that no other 8th graders in the state of Kansas get to experience outside of USD 322. It's an experience that the kids couldn't stop buzzing about when they returned at the end of the school day. It's an experience that she has been giving kids at Onaga for decades and is so special, it was once featured on KTWU. It is one of the many things that Mrs. Suther has brought to our district that will be greatly missed. Thank you Mrs. Suther for taking our 8th graders out for this unique opportunity, and thank you for 44 years of dedication to USD 322!!!

The track team is on the road today for its final regular season meet of the season. The team is heading to Valley Heights for the varsity and JV TVL meet, with field events beginning at 3:00pm. It will be the final tune up for the team before its regional meet next Friday, May 20th. Good luck to the track team today, GO BUFFALOES!!!

Postseason play begins next week for the high school baseball and softball teams and the regional brackets are finally set. The softball team enters the tournament as the #7 seed and will play Monday in Burlingame against the #2 seeded Bearcats. There will be two games played there that day that will begin at 2:00pm. The Buffaloes will be the second game and will start approximately 25 minutes after the first game is concluded. The semifinals and championship game will all be played on Tuesday in St. Marys beginning at 3:00pm. The baseball team's regional setup is a little bit different. All games in that tournament will be played in Alma with all four first round games being played on Tuesday with the first one starting at 2:00pm. Onaga enters as the #2 seed and will play #7 seeded Burlingame in the second game of the day which, like the girls, will start 25 minutes after the first game has concluded. The semifinals and championship game will be played on Wednesday beginning at 2:00pm. For a complete look at the bracket, and to check out all other things Onaga baseball and softball related, visit each team's home page on usd322.org, links for which can be found below. BASEBALL https://www.usd322.org/page/baseball SOFTBALL https://www.usd322.org/page/softball

Last week, Onaga High School earned high National and metro-area rankings in 2022 Best High Schools, which distinguished news outlet "U.S. News & World Report" recently released. By earning a national ranking in the top 40%, Onaga High School achieved status as a "U.S. News Best High School." The 2022 edition of Best High Schools includes a numerical ranking of nearly all public high schools nationwide – almost 18,000 of them. There are rankings within each state and within each census-designated metropolitan area that has three or more high schools, as well as the Best STEM Schools ranking and comprehensive Best Charter Schools and Best Magnet Schools rankings. Also published are rankings of high schools within each school district that has three or more high schools. These rankings are comprised using three major data points: college-readiness preparation, testing results, and graduation rate. Using that criteria, Onaga High School ranked 32nd out of 360 high schools in Kansas. That was a higher ranking than any other school in the Twin Valley League. In the Manhattan metro area, Onaga ranked 3rd, just behind Rock Creek and Manhattan, and ahead of Wamego, Junction City, Riley County, St. Marys, and Blue Valley. For a closer look at all of Onaga's statistics, the complete rankings, and much more, please follow the link below. https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/kansas/districts/onaga-havensville-wheaton/onaga-senior-high-school-8108

On Saturday, May 7, senior Joey Marten traveled to Salina to participate in the 1A Kansas State Forensics Championship in the category of Extempt. Extempt consists of drawing a question relevant in the news (usually political) and you have 30 minutes to research and write a 7-minute speech defending your point of view on the topic. At the state competition, you have to make it in the top 12 to go to the semi-finals, and then the top 6 to make it to the finals. That is five different topics and speeches that you have to give in a day. Joey did an excellent job in all five, and walked away as the new Kansas 1A State Forensics Champion in this event. A lot of hard work goes into any state event, and his hard work paid off. Joey has been in Forensics all four years. Congratulations on your state championship Joey!!!

Grades 6-11 sports physical packets are due to the office by Thursday, May 12, 2022. Your student also has the option to take the packet with them to their physical appointment on May 17th. The last day to sign up for an appointment time is on Friday, May 13, 2022. If you have not scheduled a physical appointment time through Gayla, you will not have an appointment. Please call 785-889-4251 or email figgeg@usd322.org.

The baseball and softball teams will wrap up their regular seasons this afternoon as they both head to Effingham for double-headers against ACCHS. With regionals set to begin next week, tonight marks the final tune ups for each program before postseason play begins. The address for the fields is below. The baseball team will play at the "far North field," which the softball team will play at the "South field behind the high school." As always, check out schedules, results, stats, standings, rankings, and much more at each team's respective page on the school's website, links for which can be found below. Good luck to both teams today, GO BUFFALOES!!! ADDRESS: 908 Tiger Road Effingham, KS BASEBALL: https://www.usd322.org/page/baseball SOFTBALL: https://www.usd322.org/page/softball

Today marks the last day of school for 16 seniors. In about 20 minutes, they will be taking their final walk down the halls of the grade school where they started, through the junior high, then finally the high school before leaving the building for the final time. Thank you to the Class of 2022 for all of your contributions to USD 322. Congratulations on your graduation, we look forward to seeing what great things your futures will bring!

The school year is coming to a close this week and that means spring sports are in the final stages of their seasons as well. Today, the golf team just got underway in Onaga at the TVL meet, which teed off at 3:00. At the same time, field events began in Onaga at the JV meet the track team is hosting. The softball team is also in action this afternoon as they head to Valley Falls for a makeup double-header in Valley Falls. First pitch for the girls is at 4:30pm. Good luck to all of our teams today, GO BUFFALOES!!!

On Saturday, May 7, 2022, Joey Marten traveled to Salina, KS to participate in 1A Kansas State Forensics Championship in Exempt. Exempt consist of drawing a question relevant in the news (usually political) and you have 30 minutes to research and write a 7-minute speech defending your point of view on the topic. At State Champs, you have to make it in the top 12 to go to the semi-finals, and then the top six to make it to the finals. That is five different topics and speeches that you have to give in a day. Joey is now the new Kansas 1A State Forensics Champ in this event. A lot of hard work goes into any state event, and his hard work paid off. Joey has been in Forensics all four years. Joey, congratulations on this monumental achievement and bringing a title home to Onaga. We are VERY proud of you! Pictures will be shared out soon.

Events for the Week of May 9, 2022 Monday, May 9 - HS Golf TVL @ Onaga 3:00 pm - HS TR JV @ Onaga Inv. 3:00 pm - HS SFB @ Valley Falls Makeup 4:30 pm Tuesday, May 10 - HS BSB & SFB @ ACCHS/Effingham 4:30 pm Wednesday, May 11 - JH Awards Assembly - Auditorium 2:30 pm - K thru Grade 4 Vocal Concert - Auditorium 6:30 pm Thursday, May 12 - HS TR TVL Meet (V & JV) @ Valley Hts. 3:00 pm Friday, May 13 - HS BSB JV vs Blue Valley (Makeup Game) 2:00 pm Saturday, May 14 - Grade 8 Promotion 11:30 @ Rosenfield Sports Complex - Senior Graduation 1:30 @ Rosenfield Sports Complex (In case of rain will be moved to North Gym.) Monday, May 16 - HS SFB Regional @ TBA - HS Golf Regional @ Washington Co. 8:30 am Tuesday, May 17 - HS SFB Regional @ TBD Location, Team and Time Wednesday, May 18 - HS BSB Regional @ Wabaunsee TBD Thursday, May 19 - HS BSB Regional @ Wabaunsee TBD

Friendly reminder, The K-4 Spring Music Concert is on Wednesday May 11th at 6:30 pm in the auditorium. Students will need to arrive in their classroom by 6:15 pm. The dress code for the concert will be NICE jeans and a polo or button-up shirt (church attire). Girls may wear dresses if they choose. Please no t-shirts or holy jeans. Looking forward to a great concert!

This week’s StuCo Staff Spotlight is a bit different. With our school year coming to an end, we would like to take the time to Spotlight all those who have made our school year a success. Thank you to our Board Members, Superintendent, Principal, District Office Ladies, Secretary’s, Teachers, Paras, Special Ed Teachers, Special Ed Paras, Cooks, Counselors, Custodians, Bus Drivers, and Coaches. Good Luck to all those staff members who are retiring or moving on. We thank you for all your dedication to the students. In August we will start back with our Staff Spotlight. We hope you all have a great summer and see you in August! Onaga High School Student Council: Casey Myers-Senior Tyree Figge-Junior Jason Abitz-Senior Tatum Lara-Sophomore Kaid Schwant-Senior Kylie Venneberg-Sophomore Joey Marten-Senior Kailee Dorsey-Sophomore Rilyn Mayginnes-Senior Jaeden Abitz-Freshman Jeramia Dorsey-Junior Annie Force-Freshman Julia Byers-Junior Tina Kolterman-Sponsor

Correction, the TVL golf meet is taking place on Monday in Cool Springs. But today, the meet at Washington County is still taking place. Golf begins in Washington at 3:00pm. Good luck to the golf team, GO BUFFALOES!!!