Thursday, November 19, 2015

SCHOOL ZONE 11-19-2015



VETERAN’S DAY CELEBRATION
I would like to thank everyone who participated in the events last week for Vermilion veterans.  Teacher Kristy Edmison did an outstanding job planning the luncheon with her students.  This annual event is always well attended, but this year was the largest yet.  Kristy expressed that this is a favorite activity for her.  Many of the luncheon participants also came to the dedication of the field house.  The facility is dedicated to active service members and veterans who have served and continue to be involved in the security of our nation and community.  


BULLYING PREVENTION
This week our district focused on the prevention of bullying and cyber-bullying through various educational programs.  On Tuesday all students in grade 8 through 12.  The discussion for grades 8 and 9 focused on the causes and consequences of bullying, what to do if they witness bullying, the lasting impact of bullying/cyber-bullying, and sharing personal stories.  Students in grade 11 and 12 discussed bullying, cyber-bullying, civil rights issues, resources for bullying on college campuses, and were also able to share stories.  In the evening, parents were invited to hear a presentation by Dr. Lisa Kovach, an Associate Professor at the University of Toledo on Internet Safety and Cyber-bullying. Dr. Kovach is Executive Director of Ohio Bully Police and is a trainer for the United States Department of Justice.  This is an important issue and one that our district continues to make a priority as we educate students about use of technology. 

 
SECOND GRADERS TRAVEL TO COLUMBUS
Last week second grade teacher Lisa Murray and her class were invited to attend the Ohio School Board Association’s Capital Conference in Columbus to demonstrate a very exciting classroom project they are working on this year.  The conference is attended by education leaders from all across Ohio, as well as legislators and representatives from the Ohio Department of Education.  The VES students are using Skype to play an online game called “Mystery Skype” in which students connect with other educational institutions around the world and ask a variety of questions to determine where the school is located.  This innovative geography lesson is an example of instructional methods that our teachers use as they strive to engage a new generation of learners.   

SAILOR NEWS NATION
Students in the broadcast journalism program at Vermilion High School have been producing news reports and videos of school events that are available for public viewing.  The videos can be seen at a variety of online locations.  The news show, titled “Sailor News Nation” can be seen on Live stream at https://livestream.com/SNNvhs.  New programs are linked on the school district Facebook page.  I encourage you to visit these sites frequently to see the many exciting things our students are learning and doing with this new technology.

SAILOR MARCHING BAND DOCUMENTARY
Another excellent video produced by VHS students is the 2015 Sailor Marching Band documentary created by students Aaron Smith and Andrew Volzer.  The link to the video on YouTube is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGlbJ6ncBoM&feature=share




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