Gasconade County R-II

We would love to have every current 5th grader in the district come and join us on April 13th for more information about the middle school.

Owensville DECA had an outstanding showing at the 2026 Missouri State Career Development Conference, and we are excited to share that six members have advanced to compete at the International Career Development Conference (ICDC) in Atlanta, Georgia.

🏆 Jenna Hoffman — 1st

🥈 Joleen Braun & Kerrigan Griffin — 2nd

🥉 Carly Julius — 3rd

🎖️ Addie Scheer & Lily Barker — 5th

⭐ Payton Myers & Rachel Koepke — Top 10

⭐ Piper Koelling & Abbey Quilacio — Top 10

These students put in countless hours preparing and competed against some of the largest schools in the state—truly representing GCR2 well. Check out the Owensville DECA Facebook page to stay tuned in to see how they do at Internationals in Atlanta, GA at the end of April!

✨ FREE OPPORTUNITY ✨

Taking Care of You is a multi-session program that offers practical strategies and experiences to help people deal with the stress in their lives. Each week, participants explore topics through small-group discussions, self-reflection, and activities. The program’s activities are aimed at increasing mindfulness, positive emotions, optimism, resiliency to stress, coping skills, and self-care of the body, mind, and spirit. The program is designed for adults and welcomes participants from throughout the community.

📅 March 25th, April 8th, 29th & May 5th
⏰ 5:30–7:30 PM
📍 Owensville Middle School
💲 Cost: Supported by the Owensville School District & 21st Century Grant
📞 Register by phone: 573-266-2701

Or online: https://extension.missouri.edu/.../taking-care-of-you...

Contact:
Rachel O’Halloran
rachelohalloran@missouri.edu

#FreeOpportunity #SelfCare #MentalWellness #StressRelief #CommunitySupport #OwensvilleMO #AdultPrograms #HealthyLiving #Mindfulness #TakeCareOfYou

OHS will be hosting the annual Golden Age Dinner again this year on Wednesday, March 25th from 5:30pm-7:00pm for anyone ages 55 and up. Please RSVP and join us for a FREE meal catered by Rustic Garden, entertainment, and door prizes.

For more information or questions, direct them to the emails in the image.

Join our team! For more info, to see other openings, and to apply, visit the link below:

https://gcosdr2.tedk12.com/hire/index.aspx

🚨Attention Community Members 🚨

OHS is teaming up with the American Red Cross for a blood drive in the Owensville High School small gym on Wednesday, April 15th from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. If you are interested in scheduling an appointment to give blood, please call 1-800-733-2767 or visit RedCrossBlood.org and enter OwensvilleHS to schedule an appointment. When you arrive at OHS you will check in at the main office before going to the small gym.

Feel free to share to help us spread the word and save lives!

Last night, GES hosted the Future Dutchmen Fun Night event. This event is organized by the GES kindergarten teachers, & so many other teachers and staff volunteer their time to run a station. It is a family event for students entering kindergarten or the 4 year old pre-school in Fall 2026.

There are activity stations for them to rotate through & a signing table. GES had drawings for free backpacks(filled with school supplies), GES T-Shirts, & several picture books written and donated by local news anchor Paige Hulsey. Food and drinks were provided to families as well.

The goal is for it to be a fun event to help students familiarize themselves with teachers' faces, as well as being in the school building before they do screening in March. Thank you to everyone who attended!

Last week, GCR2 students of all ages traveled to Branson for BETA Competitions. In Beta Club, students compete in a wide range of events that highlight academics, creativity, leadership, and technical skills. We are so proud of all the students who participated and competed. Congratulations to the following GCR2 students for placing at State BETA and qualifying for National BETA:

Owensville Elementary School:
Julian Barton - Fourth Place Language Arts - 4th Grade
Trace Nolting - Fourth Place Poetry - 4th Grade
Evelyn Johnson - First Place Speech - 4th Grade
Hunter Ison - Fourth Place Recyclable Arts - 5th Grade

Gerald Elementary School:
Luke Oswalt - Health and PE - 4th Place
Brendan Royle - Science - 3rd Place
Adalee Roehrig - Creative Writing - 5th Place
Ellie Lopeman - Hand Drawn Anime - 1st Place
Braxton Frieberger - Sculpture - 4th Place
Brendan Royle - Woodworking - 3rd Place
Skye Aslinger - Mixed Media - 4th Place
Emilia Scout Carman - Onsite Painting - 1st Place
Nolyn Gehlert, Anaya Erhart, Willow Ramirez - 2D Design - 2nd Place
Adalee Roerig - Accessorized Design - 3rd Place

Owensville Middle School:
Trace Ridder - Poetry - 4th Place
Frank Clancy - Health and Physical Education Academic Test - 4th Place

Owensville High School:
Lorelai McDaniel - Onsite Drawing - 1st Place
Lilyan Miles - Performing Acts Solo Vocalist - 4th Place
Cheyenne Nixon - Drawing - 3rd Place

We are now accepting applications for Assistant Superintendent for the 2026-2027 school year. Send questions to Dr. Staci Johnson, stacijohnson@dutchmen.us. Apply online at https://www.dutchmen.us/page/employment.

Calling all future Dutchmen and Dutchgirls! Call 573-646-4039 to set up an appointment for Preschool or Kindergarten screening from March 16th - 19th from 8:30am - 4:00pm. See the attached image for more information.

Be sure to check out our first 'Dutchmen Insider' magazine. We plan to release these once per semester moving forward. In them, you will find a variety of information and celebrations from around the district.

Five GCR2 students traveled to Albuquerque, New Mexico, for the SWADCA (Southwestern American Choral Director's Association) Conference last week. Eli Shields, Luke Shields, Brahm Winter, Kaitlin Lange, and Eleanor Spurgeon all represented our district. They submitted auditions back in September/October and were selected from students who auditioned from 7 different states (Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico, Colorado).

After the concert, our choir director, Mrs. Bethanie Ward, asked the students to give a little snippet of their favorite takeaway/moment from the trip, and here were a few of their responses:

“Mrs. Nunez was my favorite part of the experience. Her liveliness made the whole show come together!” - Eleanor Spurgeon

“My favorite part of SWACDA was everything I learned from my amazing conductor. It was more than just singing the correct notes, but learning how to engage my body and mind as well.” - Eli Shields

“My favorite part was learning new techniques about expressing music from my conductor and singing in such an amazing choir!” - Luke Shields

Join our team! For more info, to see other openings, and to apply, visit the link below:

https://gcosdr2.tedk12.com/hire/index.aspx

The OHS TV Studio February Newscast is now live on the OHS TV Studio YouTube channel. You can watch it with the following link to see a look at many of the things going on in our district.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_6wjbhon4M

Congratulations to OHS Seniors Zach Barch, Hannah Gehlert, Ella Adkison, Brooke Jahnsen, and Samuel Terrill on being awarded the $8,000 Eleanor Jenkins McCarter Memorial Scholarship!

Happy Social Worker Appreciation Week to Sam and Liz! We are thankful for all that you do for the students in our communities!

SAVE THE DATE. Summer school May 27-June 19. Based on parent feedback, we are changing our student attendance incentive for K-8 students. For every full day of attendance, students will bank $5 toward a gift card received at the end of June! Even if you can't make it every day, plan to join us as many days as you can! Summer school enrollment forms will come out in April.

Today, OHS and OES welcomed directors from DESE and the state board of education. Students and staff alike had the opportunity to share some of the great things happening in our career education and early childhood programs here at GCR2, while Dr. Johnson and Dr. Hardy explained how decisions at the state level are impacting teaching and learning in Missouri public schools.

The Fine Arts Festival is today from 4pm - 7:30pm at OHS and will be a celebration of K-12 creativity, music, and performance!