🗓️ Maybe just for the overachievers in the group... 🗓️

Hey everyone! We know you’re currently covered in sunscreen, eating your third popsicle of the day, and completely forgetting what day of the week it is.

But since it is a whopping four days into June, we figured we would send out an early friendly reminder! 🏖️➡️🎒

Because nothing says "happy summer vacation" like reminding you exactly when it ends before you've even fully unpacked your swim bag.

We are not fully into "Back to School" mode...yet, but the School Supply lists are available for those who want to be ahead of the game:
https://t2m.io/2026supplies

🚨 The "Way Too Early" Countdown 🚨
August 11th: Roll Call (9-12th grade)
August 12th: Roll Call (7-12th grade)
August 13th: Roll Call (7-8th grade)

August 24th: First Day of Classes (Don't worry, you only have about 70 days of freedom left to obsess over this).

(Pro-Tip: Start looking for your backpack now. It’s currently breeding a whole new ecosystem at the bottom of your closet with that half-eaten sandwich from May.)

Enjoy the sun! Or, you know, spend the next two months stressing about returning to school. The choice is yours! ☀️

🍩Who's hungry? WE BROUGHT DONUTS!🍩

Our Farmington 4th graders took a delicious field trip to the Farmhouse Bakery this morning! And who doesn't love a donut?? Kids got a great lesson from Kristy Vandiver from learning what she makes, how she got started and which items are her best sellers. Our students got a firsthand look at the inside of the business world and the art of baking.

A massive thank you to Kristy and her amazing team at the Farmhouse Bakery just off the courthouse square for welcoming us, answering a million questions, and (of course) providing some incredible treats!

Check out some of our future bakers in action! 👇

☀️ ☀️ ANOTHER BUSY DAY OF FIELD TRIPS! ☀️

Our amazing summer school crew traded the classroom for the ultimate Farmington adventure today! We packed in a full day of learning, teamwork, and a whole lot of splashing.

Here is how our epic day went down:

• 📚 Farmington Public Library: Shhh... 🤫 actually, scratch that. Things are about to get LOUD! Our 5th and 6th graders got a lot more than just a quiet day of reading as the library was transformed into a massive, live-action Escape Room! 🕵️‍♂️📚Our students cracked codes, solved riddles, and used some serious teamwork to try and escape! They also had a crafting session and another group area where they learned all about how the library functions. Huge shoutout to Travis and the incredible team at the Farmington Public Library for creating such an immersive, hands-on learning experience.

• 🚒 Farmington Firehouse: A massive thank you to our local firefighters! The 4th graders got an exclusive, behind-the-scenes tour at the Firehouse today as they checked out the trucks, their gear and learned all about fire safety from our hometown heroes.

• 💦 Farmington Water Park: Our 2nd graders got a chance to beat the early summer heat with a trip to the Farmington Water Park! From the slides to the lazy river, there were smiles and splashes all around.

Check out some of the highlights from our day and stay tuned to see where we go next! 👇📸

Ever wondered what actually goes on behind the scenes to make a school district run smoothly? 🎒✨

The Farmington R-7 School District is pulling back the curtain with Black Knight Insight—an exclusive, months-long tour designed just for our community members!

Whether you're a parent, a local business owner, or just a curious neighbor, this program gives you an all-access pass to see our schools in action.

🔍 What to Expect:
Behind-the-Scenes Access: From the Welcome Back meeting to kick off the year through the early part of spring, you will spend one day a month getting an inside look at our day-to-day operation. Tour our buildings, step into the classrooms, and check out specialized departments including maintenance, operations and IT.

Deep-Dive Discussions: Sit down with school leadership to chat about our mission, current educational operations, and future planning.

Tackle the Big Questions: Learn firsthand about the unique opportunities and challenges shaping our students' futures.

The Goal? To bridge the gap between our schools and the community, fostering real conversations about where we are and where we're headed.

If you are interested in participating in this program for the 2026-27 school year, apply online at:
https://t2m.io/BlackKnightInsight2026

#TheKnightWay

ICYMI:

The Farmington choir was recognized as part of the recent school board meeting. Some of the individual accolades from this past year for the FHS choir include...

Awarded the MSHSAA Distinguished Scholastic Achievement Award. Nine members were named All-District Choir with seven qualifying to audition for All-State Choir:

- Jersey Hagerty
- Remy Williams
- Miley Washington
- Sydnee Ross
- Kyle Mills
- Adrian Tinsley
- Zeke Zickuhr
- Killian Ropers
- Henry Swinarski

Three were selected as All-State choir members:

- Henry Swinarski, All-State Bass
- Miley Washington, All-State Alto (1st Alternate)
- Kyle Mills, All-State (Honorable Mention)

Other highlights from the recently completed 2025-26 season include:

- 30 students participated in District Solo and Small Ensemble Festival in 21 different events.
- 18 students had events that moved on to State where they took home 10 Silver Ratings and 4 Gold Ratings.
- Knightingales and Cantare had stellar performances and clinics at the Missouri Music Education Symposium in April.
- Acappella participated in the Music in the Parks Festival in May and received a Superior Rating.
- Choraliers served the community with 11 performances throughout the year.
- 14 Choir members showed off their skills in the Theatre Guild’s performance run of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella.

ICYMI:

The Farmington band was recognized as part of the recent school board meeting. Among the highlights...

The Black Knight Marching Band this season was composed of 130 students, the largest since 2019. The BKMB made finals at all of their competitions this year and received 3rd or higher in all preliminary competition and 5th or better in every finals competition. Notable finishes include:
Fountain City Classic: 2nd Class 5A
Potosi Bi-State Invitational: 2nd Class 5A, 5th Finals
Rebel Invitational: 3rd Place Class 5A
Ste. Genevieve Marching Festival: 2nd Place Class 5A

The Farmington Jazz Ensemble has also had a very successful year receiving 2nd place in the 5A division at their competition at Missouri State University. 

At the MSHSAA Large Ensemble Festival, there were a number of top accolades:
Farmington Symphonic Band: Exemplary (1)
Farmington Concert Band: Exemplary (1)
Farmington Woodwind Choir: Exemplary (1)
Farmington Brass Choir: Outstanding (2)

18 students in MAAA Conference Honor Band, 17 students in All-District Band and two students were named All-State:
All State Jazz Band: Silas Evans, Alto 1
All State Orchestra: Brayden Hartel, Trumpet 4

Eight groups received gold ratings at district, while three received gold at state solo and small ensemble.

ICYMI:

Farmington School District Special Olympic athletes and coaches were recognized at the recent school board meeting. Special Olympics is a powerful global movement that provides sports training and athletic competition in various Olympic-type sports for individuals with qualifying disabilities under IDEA. In our district, these dedicated competitors compete in bowling, basketball, and track and field.

Through their participation in Special Olympics, they build physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy, and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills, and friendship with their families, other athletes, and the community. They get to connect with peers from other schools, building new friendships and expanding their social circles. The camaraderie, teamwork, and triumphs they experience are vital for their social and emotional skill development. They are learning sportsmanship, perseverance, and how to achieve their goals - essential life skills that will serve them long after their athletic careers.

Our athletes would not be able to achieve all they have without the unwavering support and guidance of our exceptional coaching staff: Mary Barbee (3rd year as head coach for Farmington Special Olympics), Debbie Moore (12th year) and Kristie Widdows (7th year). Their passion, commitment, and tireless efforts have a lasting positive impact on our students' lives.

The athletes honored include:

Makena Schmuck and Enslie Morton (2nd grade)
Oliver Wright (3rd grade)
John Long and Willow Dawson (5th grade)
Nolan Otte (6th grade)
Quinncy Watson and Kenzie Stanley (7th grade) 
Eli Russell, Jonathan Thomure, and Angel Brown (9th grade)
Quincy Govero (10th grade)
Dominic Coleman, Taylor Hutchinson and Ella Potter (11th grade)
Angelina Klucas, Gabe Kletti, Kyle Gray, Cole Gillam, TJ Richardson and Neveah Delay (12th grade)

The Community Teachers Association (CTA) is proud to announce a wave of recent community support, featuring significant contributions from local churches, individuals, businesses, and community organizations. They also awarded their final Teacher Mini-Grants of the 2025-26 academic year to Kristi Scott and Abbey Michaelis. Scott is a library media specialist at the High School while Michaelis is a teacher at the Dayse Baker Learning Center. They will each receive a $100 check from CTA to use for classroom supplies.

The Genevieve Baptist Church provided a generous dual contribution of both food items and monetary funding. Additionally, individual donors Paul and Heather Lodge, alongside the Crossroads First Church of God Women's Group, stepped forward with vital financial donations to help sustain the program's operations. Merch Machines continued their involvement with the project and announced they would donate a percentage of all sales from the Knights merchandise vending machines directly back into the CTA Backpack initiative. These donations and grants secure critical funding and resources to kickstart the Backpack Program for the upcoming 2026–2027 academic year.

Sheri Whitener is the Farmington CTA President and a 5th Grade Teacher at Lincoln Intermediate. She says the relationship with their donors is key to the stability of the Backpack Program, "CTA could not continue to facilitate this program without the generosity of our donors and those that give of their time each week to help deliver food to buildings, pack bags, and get the food to students who need it. We really are so appreciative of each and every one of you going the extra mile to do what's best for kids!"

Securing the launch of the upcoming school year, the St. Francois County Community Partnership has awarded the CTA Backpack Program a generous grant. This foundational funding will be used to purchase inventory and establish the logistics required to distribute food to students at the start of the 2026–2027 school year.

The CTA Backpack Program extends its deepest gratitude to all of these partners. Their collective generosity directly combats childhood food insecurity, ensuring local students can focus on their education rather than where their next meal will come from.

Lincoln Intermediate librarian Tiffany Moore was recently highlighted by the Missouri Association of School Librarians (MASL). In their recent release, Moore was selected for the Missouri School Librarian Spotlight.

See the full post from MASL here.