School Zone 12-20-12

VERMILIONSCHOOLS.ORG NOW ON MOBILE

The Vermilion Local Schools web site is now adaptable for viewing on all mobile devices. The good news is you have a choice on your viewing preference.  The next time you view our website on a tablet or Smartphone, the site will automatically detect your mobile device, display the mobile view and will remember it each time you return. If you change your mind, look for the “Full Site/Mobile” button on the footer of the web site to toggle back and forth.  In addition to view choices, our new mobile view offers additional features like:

·         A responsive design that adjusts to any display size

·         Dynamic imagery with color and photos

·         Collapsible navigation

·         Language translation

·         Search function

·         Scrolling banners

·         Calendar Highlights

·         Quick Links

 Please visit http://vermilionschools.org/vnews/display.v/ART/50cf23e0ad88a for more information about this new option. 

TRAGEDY IN CONNECTICUT

The senseless tragedy that occurred in Connecticut last week sent shockwaves through the nation’s schools.  Those of us who work in school buildings can relate to the horrific nature of what must have occurred that day, and we can’t help but focus on the “what if’s”.  We must ask the difficult question of whether we are prepared to handle a similar situation. 

The Vermilion School Crisis Response plan was created in 2000 and it has been reviewed and updated annually.  Key members of the district’s Crisis Response team include the assistant superintendent, building principals, teachers, classified personnel and representatives from the Vermilion Police and Fire Departments.  Every staff member receives a copy of the plan and it is available at each building for review by the parents or guardians of our students.  Recently our security camera and door security systems were updated to take advantage of new technology.  In the past 12 months all of our staff members participated in the “ALiCE program, a crisis response training that provides teachers and support staff with strategies to use when dealing with an intruder. 

The Crisis Response Plan addresses the following emergencies/situations:  injuries, severe weather, utility emergencies, toxic spills, building evacuations, fire, bomb threats, lockdown procedures, intruder, hostage, child abduction, suicide threats, death of a student or staff member and bus accidents.  Below is a summary of our action plan for each of these emergencies:

Safety Inspections:  Inspections are completed every year by the State fire marshal, Erie County Health Inspector (food preparation and building maintenance) and Ohio Highway Patrol (school buses).  The facilities are made available to the county emergency management department on request.  Fire and tornado drills are conducted annually on a schedule mandated by the State. 

Building evacuation:  Each building has an evacuation plan for fire and other situations.  Students are evacuated from the building and are not permitted to re-enter until authorized by the building administrator and/or safety forces.  If the evacuation is expected to last for a prolonged period, students will be moved into the next nearest school building.  If both buildings need to be evacuated, students will be moved to a secondary evacuation site.

Building lockdown procedures:  Each month every building conducts a lockdown drill that provides training for students and staff in case of an intruder or other threat.  During a lockdown drill all doors in the building are locked.  In the middle school gates are pulled down and locked.  Staff and students remain in a “stay-put” mode in their classroom.  Blinds are pulled and staff and students move to an area in the classroom away from the door and windows.  Entry into any area is under the authority of the building principal.  The School Safety Officer, School Resource Officer and Vermilion safety forces are sometimes involved in the lockdown drills. 

Building security:  All exterior doors of our school buildings are kept locked throughout the school day.  All visitors must enter through the main entrance and be granted access by a designated staff member.  All visitors must sign in at the office and wear a visitor name tag while in the building.  All staff members are instructed to report any unauthorized persons to the office immediately.  All staff are required to wear picture identification badges in the buildings at all times.  All buildings are equipped with security systems which include video monitoring both inside and outside the building.  Building floor plans are on file with the police and fire departments.  Room numbers are displayed in windows and all exits are numbered for ease of communication with safety forces. 

Bus safety:  All buses are inspected annually by the Ohio State Highway Patrol, and randomly throughout the year.  Bus drivers are required to take annual physicals and are subject to random monthly drug testing.  Buses practice emergency evacuation drills on a regular basis.  All buses are in constant radio contact with the Transportation Supervisor and Board of Education offices.  Buses going out of town on field trips are issued cellular telephones in case of an emergency.

Nursing staff:  School nurses are hired through the Erie County General Health District.  The nurses are on duty throughout the student day and are on call for all schools in event of an emergency.

Safe Schools Hotline:  The district subscribes to a toll-free SAFE SCHOOLS HOTLINE that can be used by students, staff or residents to anonymously report any safety concern.  Key district personnel are notified when a report is made and will investigate accordingly.  VERMILION SCHOOLS SAFE SCHOOLS HELPLINE:  1-866 Listen2Me (1-866-447-8362).

Cooperation with Safety Forces:  The Vermilion Police Department, Vermilion Fire Department and Lorain County SWAT team have used school facilities for training on a regular basis.  This benefits the schools because safety forces become familiar with our schools and other facilities.  Our Safety Plan is on file with the Ohio Attorney General’s office and local law enforcement agencies. 

Handicapped accessibility:  In an effort to safely serve our students, parents and the general public, numerous handicapped accessibility issues have been addressed.  Elevators and ramps were installed to help make our buildings nearly 100% handicapped accessible. 

Following the recent tragedy in Connecticut a number of followers posted suggestions on the Vermilion Schools Facebook page.  The ideas ranged from metal detectors and full time armed security guards to guns for each staff member.   These and other ideas are being considered by communities across the nation.  There is no perfect solution to this problem.  However, in Vermilion we will continue to collaborate with the fire department, health officials and State and local law enforcement agencies to review our Crisis Plan and improve our facilities.  We will continue to do all that we can to provide a safe educational environment for our students. 

SCHOOL ZONE 12-6-12

TED TALKS ON MAKING SCHOOLS GREAT

Recently I have been watching a number of educational videos sponsored by TED, a non-profit devoted to the ideas worth spreading.  TED started in 1984 as a conference in which they brought together individuals from three walks of life:  technology, entertainment and design (hence the word TED).  Since that time its scope has become broader.  Each year the group sponsors two conferences.  TED includes award-winning talks, video sites, open translation projects and TED conversations. 

One of the important topics of conversation around the nation is how to improve public schools.  This was a big part of the recent presidential election and continues to be discussed at all levels of government.  To get you thinking about these topics, I would like to invite you to view “10 Talks for Making School Great and How We Can Reshape our School Environments”.  These can be found at http://blog.ted.com/2012/10/09/10-talks-on-making-schools-great/

One of the talks that I found particularly interesting is by Sir Ken Robinson, “Bring on the Learning Revolution!”.  This was a follow-up to a talk that Ken did 4 years earlier about how schools kill creativity.  Robinson shared how schools should approach the education process with personalized learning.   Students should be encouraged to explore their own interests and talents.  After listening to this and many other of these videos, I realized how grateful I am to work in a progressive school district that is doing more than just talking about issues, but is taking real action toward creating viable pathways for student’s future to success.  We are doing this through our “Pathways to Success” program.  This is still a work in progress, and we are working hard each day to use the technology and the talents of our teachers to produce relevant 21^st century learning opportunities. 

FACILITY PROJECT BLOG

We are excited to offer an opportunity for staff and community members to stay informed about the progress of our facility project.  A blog has been created that will allow you to view drawings and materials we are considering as we continue with the planning phase of the project.  Currently we have posted some preliminary drawings with explanations that I am offering through embedded audio.  I will be making visits to building staff meetings to give an overview of our planning thus far and get more input from our staff.  Some thought-provoking articles about creating classrooms for the future are also available.  These articles will give you some insight into ideas that are being considered for our project.  To view the blog, please click on this link: http://vermilionfacilities.blogspot.com   We welcome your input on this project and invite you to comment on the various postings. 

FACILITY FINANCING

We have been working with Baird Financial on the facility project financing and we are very pleased to announce that we were able to obtain interest rates that are very favorable to the district.  Treasurer Amy Hendricks has worked very hard the various financial groups to secure the best financial options available.  More details are available in the press release located elsewhere in this week’s Photojournal.

SCHOOL ZONE 11-22-12

Please join me in congratulating our employees of the month for November.  To learn more about these special employees, please visit our website at www.vermilionschools.org

 

Vermilion Elementary School honors counselor Buffy Greenawalt.

It takes the combined efforts of all members of the Vermilion Elementary School staff to create the nurturing, caring, learning environment that makes us the Excellent school that we are.  One key player in our quest for Excellence is school counselor, Mrs. Buffy Greenawalt.  She serves all of our students by providing individual and group counseling and delivering programs to classrooms on topics such as bullying, character building, and drug awareness.  She spearheads our many school and community service programs - Operation Christmas Joy, Keep Kids Warm mitten drive, One Bag food drive, Random Acts of Kindness Week, No Name Calling Day, Red Ribbon Week, Big Buddies, Refocus and Rachel’s Challenge.  Mrs. Greenawalt is the standardized test coordinator, the coordinator of the Intervention Assistance Team and the community support coordinator for VES.  Additionally she is involved in Communities that Care, Lorain County Prevention Connection, Vermilion Local Schools Drug Task Force and the Ohio School Counselors Association.

Mrs. Greenawalt is a positive presence and influence in our students’ lives.  She displays a cheerful attitude and a caring disposition taking the time to get to know our children and helping them in all aspects of their lives.  She is knowledgeable of social services providing useful information to parents and families.  Mrs. Greenawalt is a most important part of the Vermilion Elementary Family.

Mrs. Greenawalt earned her Bachelor’s degree from Illinois State University and a Master’s degree in Clinical Counseling and School Counseling from Heidelberg College. She taught high school prior to working as a Victim Advocate through the State’s Attorney’s Office becoming involved with the victims of crime and the county domestic violence shelter.  She has experience as a parent educator, chemical dependency counselor and social worker assistant through non-profit agencies.  Mrs. Greenawalt came to Vermilion as the school counselor for South Street Elementary and Vermilion Intermediate School in 2004.  She is the mother of six children and lives with her husband, Tom in Huron

SAILORWAY MIDDLE SCHOOL honors three employees this month.

Mrs. Donna Holbrook- Educational Aide

Donna Holbrook serves as an Educational Aide in Sailorway’s Positive Support Program.  Positive is the best way to describe Mrs. Holbrook.  She continually has a smile on her face and is helping her students to be successful.  Aside from the help she provides the students, she is an asset to the teachers she helps through her efforts.  She is also a tremendous baker and plies the staff with baked goods frequently.  Mrs. Holbrook is married and has two children who attended Vermilion Schools.

Mr. Jason Hayne- Intervention Specialist

Mr. Hayne is an intervention specialist serving students in grades 5 and 7.  He is an extremely motivated and creative individual. Mr. Hayne recently developed a project for all seventh grade students, creating a scavenger hunt to further develop their understanding of The Westing Game book.  Mr. Hayne is always looking for ways to motivate his students to learn.  He has been a wonderful addition to our staff and is also serving as the Head Wrestling Coach for SMS.  

Mrs. Kim Duda- 6th Grade Language Arts and Social Studies.  

When you are in need of stimulating conversation a stop by Mrs. Duda’s room will serve you well.  She is a master at facilitating conversation among her students and allowing them to explore their own beliefs and convictions.  Aside from these skills, Mrs. Duda has taken on a student-centered approach this year that the overwhelming majority of her students are enjoying.  Mrs. Duda is a dedicated and driven professional who challenges her students to be their best, both in and out of school.

This month Vermilion High School recognizes Social Studies teacher Kristy Edmison.

Ms. Edmison grew up in North Royalton, Ohio and attended Baldwin Wallace College where she was a 4 year letter winner in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track.  She earned many State and National honors and recognition in athletics while also achieving academic honors, including being listed in Who's Who Among Students in American Colleges.  

Kristy came to Vermilion in 1999 as a Social Studies teacher and cross country coach.  She continues to coach cross country, track, basketball and intramurals. Coach Edmison was recently named "District 6 Coach of the Year" following a powerful track season, taking 5 girls to the State Finals this past spring. 

Several years ago Kristy was instrumental in organizing a Veteran's Day luncheon sponsored by the VHS Social Studies classes, a tradition that continues to this day.  Each year she and her students organize and provide lunch to honor Vermilion's heros.  This year over 70 veterans attended the luncheon.  Kristy is a family-oriented individual who cares deeply about her students and helping them learn more about the world around them.  VHS is excited to be able to honor her as our teacher of the month for November.  

SCHOOL ZONE 11-8-12

FOCUS ON VERMILION HIGH SCHOOL

Continuing our series on activities in each of our school buildings, this week we are highlighting Vermilion High School. 

In addition to the many athletic, drama and music activities that the public is familiar with, VHS students are able to choose from a variety of academic related clubs and activities.  Our high school offers Student Council, National Honor Society, Academic Challenge, Model UN, Mock Trial, Leo Club, Speech and Debate Team, Science Fair, Book Club and Art Club.  A new club offering for students is a technology club in which students play Minecraft, a challenging game using blocks to create and defend virtual worlds.  

For those who may not participate in organized athletics, we offer Intramural activities after school to promote healthy living and an annual Powder Puff charity football game.  Admission to this year’s event is a non-perishable food item that will be donated to the Vermilion food pantry.  Some of the other charity and service activities students actively participate in throughout the school year are the annual Veteran’s luncheon sponsored by the VHS social studies classes, Operation Christmas Joy and Relay for Life.  All of our students are offered points for volunteering with social service agencies or participating in other types of service projects, such as the annual Vermilion spring clean-up. 

Every year administrators and teachers at VHS offer travel opportunities to help teach students about history and culture outside of Vermilion. This year there are several opportunities for students to participate in educational trips with student groups:

• Grade 8 trip to Washington D.C. to visit historic sites and learn more about the United States government;
• Spanish students trip to Puerto Rico to learn more about the culture and language in that region;
• French classes trip to France to study the culture and language of that country;
• VHS marching band trip to Virginia Beach where they will perform in the Parade of Nations, learn more about percussion performance and tour historic Jamestown and Williamsburg;
• Participating Seniors will travel to Chicago for the first annual Senior trip where they will be exposed to various artistic and historic sites and will visit Notre Dame University. 

Students who are interested in participating in any of these trips should speak with their teacher or advisor for more information.

Many of our teachers are using hands-on teaching methods in their classrooms.  For example, students in Physics classes are making and testing rockets using precise calculations; Math students are participating in a egg drop activity using bungee cords; and French students are using vocabulary words to write and create their own short film using iMovie.   Students have also embraced the hands-on philosophy and are creating projects to promote their school.  Last year our district created a promotional video for the City of Vermilion and Vermilion schools that was featured on the City website, Vermilion.net.  This year during Spirit Week students in our Film Making class organized the student body to create a promotional video that was later posted to YouTube.  The video shows students enthusiastically supporting all of the many athletic teams we have in Vermilion. 

Parents or community members who are interested in keeping in touch with what is happening at Vermilion High School can view the VHS announcements at the following link:  http://sailornewsnetwork.wordpress.com/category/announcements/ .  It is a great place to see our Sailor News Network team in action, and keep up-to-date on what is happening in our schools. 

STUDENT SAFETY WHILE TRAVELING TO AND FROM SCHOOL

October 23, 2012

Recently our school district was made aware of the possibility that students are being approached by strangers while in transit to and from school.  The individuals are reported to be asking students to approach or enter a vehicle.  We have been given varying reports of either gray, white or black vehicles involved in these incidents. 

The Vermilion Police Department is investigating all of these reports and have stepped up patrols around all of our schools during the hours that students are traveling to and from school.  Vermilion school bus drivers were given descriptions of the vehicles and were asked to report any suspicious activity as they drive bus routes through the community.  Our entire staff is aware of the concerns and have been asked to report any suspicious activity they may see around our buildings.    

Both Police Chief Chris Hartung and I agree that parents should immediately take time to speak to their children about talking to or approaching strangers.  Make sure that your children understand that they should run away or know how to remove themselves from danger.  Talk with your neighbors and create neighborhood watch groups to assist with security as children walk to and from bus stops.  

Parents should report any incidents to police with as many details as possible.  It is especially important that the officer be given a good description of the vehicle, including a license plate number if possible, the type of clothing being worn by the driver, and any distinctive facial features.  
We continue to work in cooperation with the Vermilion Police Department in this matter, and will do what we can to assist with their investigation.  

IMPORTANT COMMUNITY MEETING

Please join us  for a Community Meeting to discuss the athletic conference affiliation for Vermilion Schools.  Community members are invited to participate in the discussion and ask questions about how this will affect our students. 

The meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 30, 2012 at 7:00 P.M. in the Vermilion High School auditorium.  

This week we are focusing on Vermilion Elementary School.  The leadership team at VES includes Principal Bonnie Meyer and guidance counselor Elizabeth Greenawalt.  You will find a very friendly atmosphere when visiting, as you are greeted by administrative assistants Patty Dryfuse and Carol McCauley. 

Exciting things going on at VES

-        Additional Macbook laptops have been purchased to allow students more opportunity to access on-line learning, using programs like SuccessMaker, Raz Kids, Learning A-Z, and Starfall – for individualized instruction.

-        The Computer “Special” now travels to the classroom with Mr. Hayes who works with each teacher to integrate technology into Reading, Math, Science and Social Studies.

-        Celebrations encourage students to become involved in the “spirit” of Vermilion through events like Purple and Gold Days, Woollybear Day and others. 

-        Changing to Standards Based Grading allows teachers to focus on individual student progress in the standards that make up each subject.  This gives teachers the opportunity to provide interventions, if needed, until a student shows mastery of each specific standard.

-        Citizen of the Month program continues to allow students to become Ambassadors of VES.

Examples of authentic learning so far this year at each grade level are:

Kindergarten: 

-        Students learned about Johnny Appleseed and then made applesauce

-        They also participated in fire and traffic safety programs and built edible traffic lights

Grade 1: 

-        Students completed a unit on “All that Corn” combining reading, language arts and social studies with the use of technology to deepen knowledge of the process of corn going from farm to table.

-        Ranger Brian from Lorain County Metroparks came to VES and brought a variety of animal species to teach students about animal classifications.  Each student then brought in a stuffed animal and completed a classification activity. 

Grade 2: 

-        In coordination with the unit on plants, Science students had hands-on learning with some “weird” plant species and used technology to discover interesting facts about many plant species. 

-        Math class students made posters showing interesting ways to build number model arrays using household items

Grade 3:

-        Students were able to see real time data in their Science Inquiry lesson about erosion by integrating with technology.

-        Using Rocket Math students were taught to master their facts through goal setting and competition. 

-        Students have set up a one-to-one pen pal activity with a school in Uganda

-        All Grade 3 students went to Mill Hollow to participate in the Pioneer Craftsman Experience that helps children participate in and understand the pioneer way of life. 

Connecting with Parents and the Community

Our first Parent Partnership Program was held October 2.  While VES PTO held a Fun Fair for students in the gym, more than 75 parents learned about Standards Based Instruction, Ohio’s New Learning Standards, and using our new Power School tool in a presentation given by Mrs. Meyer.  Three additional learning opportunities on a variety of topics are planned throughout this school year.  Stay tuned to the VES page of the Vermilion Schools website for more information. 

Community Partnership Program - Beginning Monday, October 15, VES will be open to the community from 6:45-8:15 PM every Monday that school is in session.  Anyone in the community is welcome to come in to use the school’s computers or bring their own devices and use the wireless service within the school.  Free tutoring will be available for students in grades K-3 on these Monday evenings, led by teachers and former teachers.  The VES library will be open for students to use materials and to check out books.

We welcome all parents into our schools to see for themselves how we are doing.  If you are interested in visiting a classroom during school hours, please contact the main office for an appointment.  Student performances and PTO events are a good opportunity for community members and parents to show support for our students and school support groups.  More information is available through the Principal’s Blog, which can be accessed from the VES website, or by following VES on Twitter @VermilionES. 

SCALED BACK SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT INCLUDES LONGTERM SAVINGS FOR TAXPAYERS

On September 29, 2012 the Vermilion Board of Education directed the Superintendent of Schools to conduct a public meeting on Wednesday October 10, 2012 at 7 pm at the Vermilion Local Schools Board of Education office, 1230 Beechview Drive, Vermilion Ohio 44089.  The purpose of the meeting is to present to the residents a school improvement project with the cost of the project coming from existing funds and energy savings. The Board of Education is considering voting on a resolution to begin the project later this month.

After several months of extensive planning by the citizen-run District Facility Commission and Financial Task Force, the Board, at a special meeting was presented a recommendation from both groups to begin the project. Resident Richard Zanglin representing both the Facility Commission and the Financial Task Force presented the recommendation.

“The consolidation of schools, anticipated energy savings coupled with anticipated reduced operational expenditures make this opportunity one that makes sense for both our students and community,” stated Mr. Zanglin. “Spending millions to maintain the current buildings that need constant attention is not a wise use of tax dollars, and this plan will save taxpayers millions of dollars over time and provide students with an optimal learning environment.”

The project will provide Vermilion’s K-3 students with a new facility and students in grades 4-12 with upgraded and renovated schools.  In addition, the district will pursue the sale of existing facilities not needed for school purposes. 

“The Reinvention Plan has allowed the district to achieve a financial position and stability worthy of a favorable Bond rating allowing us to pursue this creative plan without the need for new taxpayer facility dollars” Sid Jordan, President of the Board, said. “The fact that the cost of the project can be justified from savings generated by the consolidation of current school facilities and energy savings is the reason we can move forward with the next phase of the Reinvention Plan. Dialogue with the city and township regarding the use of Safe Routes to School grant money to help solve any traffic flow safety issues has already begun.”

Members from the District Facility Commission and Financial Task Force will now work with school district leaders, teachers, and staff and the City of Vermilion to provide information to all residents as to advantages of this project for students, taxpayers and the community.