NEW TEACHER
ORIENTATION
We would like to thank the members of
the Vermilion Chamber of Commerce for hosting the annual new teacher luncheon
on August 19. This is an important way for
our new teachers to learn about and feel more connected to the community. It was very gratifying to see the large
number of Chamber members who came out to support our new teachers. These 15 new teachers were selected because
they represent the best of the best.
They are bringing wonderful new ideas and a great deal of enthusiasm to
our classrooms. I hope that many of your will have an opportunity to meet them
throughout the school year.
WELCOME SUZANNE
WILSON
Our new treasurer, Suzanne Wilson, officially took over the role of
treasurer on August 25. Suzanne comes to
us with many years of experience working in districts of our size. She is a hard worker and we are happy to
welcome her to our team. We believe that
she is a great fit for our organization.
VERMILION HIGH
SCHOOL BOOK SALE
Please join us for the VHS Library Book Sale being held August 28 and 29
from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM and Saturday, August 30 from 8:00 AM to 12:00
noon. These are books and supplementary materials
that are no longer needed for classroom or student use, but may be of interest
to community members.
SCHOOL YEAR
SCHEDULE
Beginning in the 2014-2015 school year,
traditional school districts, joint vocational school districts and chartered
nonpublic schools must comply with minimum hours of instruction instead of
a minimum number of school days each year.
School districts must be open for instruction for a minimum of:
- 910
hours for students in full-day kindergarten through Grade 6
- 1,001
hours for students in Grades 7-12
The change to an hour-based schedule means that school
districts will no longer have calamity days. Instead, schools may schedule
“excess” hours above the minimum number. Hours missed above the minimum do not
have to be made up. However, if a school closes enough that it will fall below
the minimum number of hours, the school must extend its scheduled year, or use
the blizzard bag option. The official
school calendar adopted by the Board of Education includes enough additional
hours that we were able to adjust our start date and still maintain a schedule
that is significantly above the minimum number of hours. Should weather conditions be such that we are
close to reaching the minimum, we will consider all of the options and choose a
solution that is in the best interest of our students and families.
2014-2015 SCHOOL
BUS SCHEDULES
The new elementary school is scheduled to open for students on January
5, following the holiday break. We know
that change can be challenging for our younger students, and we want to make this
transition as smooth as possible. To
avoid any possibility of confusion, our school bus schedules will remain intact
for the 2014-2015 school year. All
students who ride to the current elementary building will be eligible to ride
the bus to the new school through May 29, 2015.
The one mile transportation limit to the new building will be effective
at the start of the 2015-2016 school year.
We encourage parents to begin talking with their children early about
the change from riding the bus to walking, or for current riders to become
walkers. Our staff is ready to help and
will do everything possible to prepare your children for these changes.
FACILITY PROGRESS
Bidding on the elementary school project was completed in two
phases. The first phase included all
areas of construction. The second phase
is the technology package, which was recently completed. Bids on the technology package came in
$239,000 less than originally anticipated.
The bid for Phase 3 renovations to Vermilion High School and Sailorway
Middle School will be opened in a few days.
Phase 3 includes the upgrades to the music rooms and construction of the
field house. Money for music area
renovations was already set aside, but decisions about the field house are
pending the pricing we receive from the bidders. If the bids come in below what was
anticipated, we may move forward with additional lighting upgrades or
improvements at our bus garage.
SCHOOL BEGINS
SEPTEMBER 2
By now all of our schools have hosted various open house and back-to-school
events and are welcoming students and their parents back to the buildings. I hope that you are pleased with the changes
that have taken place. Best wishes to
everyone as we start another exciting school year.
