Elizabeth Duncan Koontz Elementary School

09/04/2026

🐾 PANTHER PRIDE ALERT! WE’RE GROWING! 🩵🖤

Today, we celebrate the EDKES team who made these gains possible! Our 2025–2026 data tells a story of hard work, persistence, and a team that kept showing up for students.

📈 +10 points in School Performance
📈 +8.5 points in Achievement
📈 +15.6 percentage points in students meeting or exceeding growth
📈 +3.77 points in our Growth Index
🎉 AND WE MET GROWTH!

To the teachers, instructional assistants, support staff, coaches, leaders, and every member of the Panther family who poured into our students last year—THANK YOU. These numbers represent your planning, interventions, encouragement, high expectations, extra conversations, and belief in what our students could accomplish.

We celebrate this progress while knowing we’re just getting started. The momentum is real, Panther Nation. Now it’s our turn to build on it. 🐾

EDKES IS GROWING—and we’re going even higher! 🚀🩵🖤

08/30/2026

EDKES Family Update 8.30.26

Dear Panther Families,

Please click the link below to read this week’s Panther Family Update:
https://app.smore.com/n/cax63

Smore can automatically translate the newsletter into several languages. Open the newsletter, select “Translate” at the top of the page, and choose your preferred language from the menu.

Thank you for staying connected with us!

Principal Kinard
Elizabeth Duncan Koontz Elementary School

08/23/2026

EDKES Family Update 8.23.26

Good Evening Panther Families,

Please click the link below to read this week’s Panther Family Update: https://app.smore.com/n/n20g1 : https://app.smore.com/n/n20g1

Smore can automatically translate the newsletter into several languages.
Open the newsletter, select “Translate” at the top of the page, and choose your preferred language from the menu.

Thank you for staying connected with us!

Principal Kinard
Elizabeth Duncan Koontz Elementary School

08/16/2026

Panther Family Update 8.16.26

Panther Families,
Happy Sunday! 💙 Our latest Panther Family Update is ready! Please take a few minutes to review this week’s newsletter for important school updates, reminders, and information to help us have a great first full week of school.

👉 Read the Panther Family Update here: https://app.smore.com/n/jhm8d
Thank you for your continued partnership and support!

Make Today Matter. Be the Difference. 🐾

Mrs. Kinard
Principal | E.D. Koontz Elementary School

08/07/2026

🎳 Striking Up Teamwork at Koontz Elementary! 💙🐾
Our Koontz staff recently traded in classrooms for bowling lanes as we spent time together building relationships, strengthening teamwork, and having lots of fun! 😊
A strong school starts with a strong team, and opportunities like these help us connect, laugh, encourage one another, and continue building the positive culture that makes Koontz such a special place for our students and families.
We may not all have bowled strikes, but we definitely scored when it came to teamwork and making memories! 💙🖤
Here's to another amazing year of learning, growing, and working together! 🐾

08/04/2026

Panther Family Update 8.4.26

Parent and Family Update

07/16/2026

📚✏️🎒School Supply Lists Are Here!🎒✏️📚
It's almost time to head back to school, Panthers!🐾💙 Make sure you're ready for an amazing year by checking out your child's school supply list and gathering everything they need for a successful start.
📌School supply lists are attached below.
💙If you're able, please consider donating an extra school supply item or two. Donations of items from our wish lists or extra supplies help ensure that every Koontz Panther has the tools they need to learn, grow, and succeed. Your kindness and generosity can make a meaningful difference for a family in our school community.
We can't wait to welcome all of our Panthers back for another incredible school year!🐾💙

07/13/2026

📣We're Hiring!📣
Apply Online: https://rssk12.schoolspring.com/

07/08/2026

📚✨TITLE I ANNUAL MEETING & OPEN HOUSE✨📚
📅 Monday, August 10th
🧸 Pre-K: Time to Be Announced
🎒 Kindergarten–5th Grade: 5:30–7:00 PM

Join us for an exciting evening where you can:

🍎Meet your child’s teacher
📖Learn about our Title I Program
💻💰Pay your child’s iPad Usage Fee
🏫Explore the school and get ready for a fantastic school year!

🩵We can’t wait to welcome our Koontz families!🐾

05/08/2026

🩺💙 Thank you, Nurse Salena Poston!
👩‍⚕️❤️ Caring for our Panthers every day!
🩺🤍💙 Nurse Appreciation Week
❤️‍🩹 Thank you for keeping our students healthy & safe!
🩹🏥 Our school is better because of you!