SCHOOL ZONE 9-25-14

GIFT TO YOUR CHILD

It is an established fact that children who are supported at home do better in school.  A video by Dr. Stephen Sroka of Case Western Reserve University was recently shared with me, and I feel it is an important message for all parents, guardians and grandparents.  Please take a few minutes to watch the video and consider using Dr. Sroka’s method of sharing with your child.  The video link is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qa1exRaxPOo&list=UUWf3K7Hnoc_bKruChXcigQg

HALL OF FAME NOMINATIONS NOW OPEN

Nomination applications for the Vermilion High School Hall of Fame are available on our district website, or by contacting Vermilion High School at 440-204-1701.  The deadline to submit applications is October 15, 2014.  The ceremony to honor this year’s inductees will be held on Friday, December 12, 2014. 

ANTI-BULLYING PROGRAMMING

Our schools continue to provide bullying prevention training programs in an effort to create a more positive school environment.  In October student leaders in grades 6 through 12 will participate in a program called Move 2 Stand. This anti-bullying initiative is sponsored by STARS (Students Taking a Right Stand).  The Move 2 Stand program has been successful in many schools nationwide.  Trainers challenge students to step outside their comfort zone throughout the day by examining attitudes and beliefs about bullying.  It also provides them with awareness, knowledge and information needed to plan and implement school wide projects that will help foster a positive school climate. 

On October 22, 2014 our schools will join others across the nation as we encourage our staff and students to wear orange in support of National Unity Day.  This celebration is organized annually by the National Bullying Prevention Center.   You can learn more about this activity by visiting their webpage at http://www.pacer.org/bullying/nbpm/unity-day.asp

ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES HAVE MOVED

The administrative offices have official vacated the Valley View location and are settled in at Vermilion High School.  Visitors should enter the building through the VHS main entrance.  The door to the administration area is on the right side of the vestibule.  Our new address is Vermilion Local School District, 1250 Sanford Street, Suite A, Vermilion, OH, 44089. 

CALENDAR CHANGE

In September the Board of Education approved my recommendation to move the date of graduation to May 30, 2014.  An updated version of our school calendar is posted on the school district website.

OHIO SCHOOL DISTRICT REPORT CARD

The Ohio Local Report Card was published by the Ohio Department of Education on Friday, September 12, 2014. It provides us with some valuable information; however, it remains a complex system and different pieces of information are added each year. It is not always easy to understand where the grades come from and what they mean.

We had some encouraging results in the 2013-14 school year.

•     83% of our students passed the Reading and Math state tests.

•     The performance index improved at each of our schools.

•     Our 5 year graduation rate score rose from a grade of B to an A

•     Gap closing grade (Answers the question- Is every student succeeding regardless of income, race, ethnicity or disability?) went from a grade of D to a B

•     Value added for students with disabilities rose to a grade of A

•     Value added for the lowest 20% of students in achievement rose to a grade of A

The Report Card data gathering process and results have changed dramatically this year for districts statewide. The results can be misleading. For example, our Gifted Value Added score is reported to be low this year. The value added score looks at how much each student grows in a year in the subjects of Reading and Math compared to previous years. Students identified as gifted in Reading and Math, grades 4-8, as a group, although still scoring high, did not score as high as they have in the past. The fact is that our gifted students are still achieving at high levels. All of our teachers and staff are working hard increase individual and district scores to an “A” in every category.   We realize that the State Report Card is an important component in how the community perceives achievement and we take this very seriously. 
Please keep in mind that these assessments are a snapshot of achievement given on one day of the school year each spring. Some students experience test anxiety and do not perform well on these high stake tests. To more accurately measure student growth through the school year we added the MAP assessment.  These assessments are given three times a year; fall, winter and spring to measure growth. The results also give teachers information on the strengths and weaknesses of each student.

Individual student reports were sent home to parents and/or guardians with the results of tests taken last spring. Please contact the principal or school counselor of the school your child attends if you have any questions regarding those results.  I want to assure you that each and every child attending our schools is receiving a high-quality education. We are committed to the student being the focus of every decision we make. It is our mission to make every student college and career ready through personalized instruction, and it is our over-arching vision to inspire students to be leaders and lifelong learners.  We thank our entire community for your continued support of our students and schools.

SCHOOL ZONE 9-11-14

HOMECOMING THIS FRIDAY

This week Vermilion High School will host the annual football game between Firelands and Vermilion.  This tradition has been going on for many generations and is a fun rivalry for many families.  This year’s game will be highlight by our homecoming celebration.  The VHS football team has made some great strides in improving their game this year, and several records were earned last week.  Please come out and join your community in support of our school, our band and our team.  We are looking forward to a great night.

REMEMBERING SERVICE OF OUR VETERANS

Recently I came across a story about a remarkable teacher that makes us realize the importance of the military in our lives.  

In September of 2005, on the first day of school, Martha Cothren, a History teacher  at Robinson High School in Little Rock, did something not to be forgotten.  On the first day of school, with the permission of the superintendent, the principal and the building supervisor, she removed all of the desks in her classroom. When the first period kids entered the room they discovered that there were no desks.  “Ms. Cothren, where are our desks?”  She replied, “You can't have a desk until you tell me how you earn the right  to sit at a desk.” 

They thought, “Well, maybe it's our grades.”  “No,” she said.  “Maybe it's our behavior.” She told them, “No, it's not even your behavior.”  And so, they came and went, the first period, second period, third period with still no desks in the classroom. Kids called their parents to tell them what was happening and by early afternoon television news crews had started gathering at the school to report about this crazy teacher who had taken all the desks out of her room.  The final period of the day came and as the puzzled students found seats on the floor of the desk-less classroom. Martha Cothren said, “Throughout the day no one has been able to tell me just what he or she has done to earn the right to sit at the desks that are ordinarily found in this classroom. Now I am going to tell you.”

At this point, Martha Cothren went over to the door of her classroom and opened it. Twenty-seven (27) U.S. Veterans, all in uniform, walked into the classroom, each one carrying a school desk. The Vets began placing the school desks in rows, and then they would walk over and stand alongside the wall. By the time the last soldier had set the final desk in place those kids started to understand, perhaps for the first time in their lives, just how the right to sit at those desks had been earned.

Martha said, “You didn't earn the right to sit at these desks. These heroes did it for you. They placed the desks here for you. They went halfway around the world, giving up their education and interrupting their careers and families so you could have the freedom you have. Now, it's up to you to sit in them. It is your responsibility to learn, to be good students, to be good citizens. They paid the price so that you could have the freedom to get an education. Don't ever forget it.”

By the way, this is a true story. And this teacher was awarded the Veterans of Foreign Wars Teacher of the Year for the State of Arkansas in 2006. She is the daughter of a WWII POW.

As we begin another school year our schools will continue our tradition of honoring veterans, and teaching students that it is important to take time out of their busy schedules to recognize and thank them for the freedoms we enjoy every day.  I hope that many of you will do the same.