Election…Interviews…Appointments... What is Going on with our School Board?

The Vermilion School Board has certainly had an exciting couple months. I wanted to take a minute to tell you about the new school board and to explain what has been going on. First, we had the election on November 3^rd. As I’m sure you all know, we had five candidates running; Shelly Innes, David Rice, Michael Stark, Nancy Oates, and Melanie Williamson.

Shelly Innes won her seat back in the election. Michael Stark and Nancy Oates also won open seats so they will be part of our new school board. They will be sworn in before the January meeting, and their term officially starts in January. They will each serve a four-year term.

We have school board elections every two years, so at this election three of the five board seats were available. At the next election, in two years, the other two seats will be up for election. Doing elections this way provides some consistency, opposed to having all five positions available every four years.

This year was somewhat different because we had a board member resign during the November meeting. As I’m sure you all saw in the Photojournal, Grant Harding stepped down from his position as a board member. When there is a resignation, the seat has to be filled by appointment. There are both school board policies and state codes that have to be followed in this situation.

The position was opened to the public. Any adult in the school district had the option of submitting a letter of interest. Everyone who filed a letter of interest has to be interviewed by the current board. In our case, there were ten people interviewed.

According to state code, the interviews and the decision all had to be conducted within the same meeting. The board had to make an appointment before their next meeting, but it also had to be between 10 and 30 days following the resignation. As you can imagine, this put a serious sense of urgency on the matter, and the current board members had to make this appointment a top priority.

Shelly Innes, David Rice, Dale Dawson, and Chris Habermehl interviewed all the candidates and voted on the one they wanted to appoint. Although the exact reasons behind their decision can’t be discussed, Shelly Innes did explain that they were focused on finding someone that believed in the shared vision of the district, someone that was committed to improving the district, and someone that could be part of communicating openly with the public.

All the candidates were very qualified and dedicated, which made their decision a difficult one. However, after the interviews were over and they had a chance to discuss their options, they voted to appoint Sara Stepp to the open board seat. Sara and her husband, Rudy, own a business in Vermilion. They also have two children in the district.

Sara was sworn in at the December regular board meeting, which was December 8th. She started immediately because she was filling an open seat. So, starting in January, our new Vermilion School Board will be Shelly Innes, Chris Habermehl, Michael Stark, Nancy Oates, and Sara Stepp.

 In January, the school board webpage will be updated with pictures, profiles of each candidate, and contact information. When that is complete, we’ll post an announcement on the district Facebook page. I encourage everyone to take a minute and read the profiles. Feel free to contact board members with any questions, and as always, don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. 

SCHOOL ZONE 12-3-15

CLASSROOM VIDEOS

Technology Coach Jennifer Bengele created some wonderful videos highlighting some of the innovative education going on in our classrooms.  Links to the videos can be found on our Facebook page or Twitter feed.  The latest video can be viewed at https://youtu.be/GSlFuqv-bxQ

BOARD MEMBER VACANCY

We have received letters of interest from 11 residents who are interested in filling the board member seat recently vacated by Grant Harding.  The remaining Board members will interview the candidates this week and hope to make a decision by December 8, in accordance with Ohio Revised Code and Board policy.

NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY

Congratulations to the new members of the National Honor Society who were inducted into the Society on November 23.  New Senior members are:  Brooke Dickey, Ashley Hofstetter, Chad Morrison and Andrew Volzer.  New members from the Junior class are:  Theresa Albrethsen, Christopher Canter, Mikayla Hall, Abbigale Hampton, Kellie Innes, Alexis Koeth, Alexander Lutz, Sierra Lyons, Isabelle McCale, Macie McDaniel, Rebecca Oates, Tara Pena, Samantha Peters, Violet Piskur, Lindsey Schaffer, Nicole Schmauch, Caitlyn Schnur, Kennedy Shreve, Kathryn Stumpp, Robin Terschak, Madison Urig, Jakob Warren, and Sierra Whitman.

EMERGING TRENDS

One of the most well-known and influential educational leaders is William Daggeth.  Recently our administrative team was invited by North Point Educational Service Center to be part of a consortium of schools that will study and participate in high quality professional development that is focused on the emerging trends in education.  Our team has made a commitment to partner with 14 Erie County schools in writing a grant that will result in a five-year study and enable our district to receive in-depth information on Career-Readiness of our students.  Our team chose this topic from a list of five trends that were identified by Mr. Daggeth after he and his team from the International Center of Leadership in Education visited schools across the nation.  Below is a brief summary of the topics that were identified. 

1.     Digital Leadership and Learning – Embracing digital technology in schools isn’t just about buying devices or using flashy tools.  It’s about knowing how to leverage technology to effectively support student learning for real-world readiness.  Real world ready schools are those that focus on learning in a digital age to prepare students for the world of today and of the future.  The culture of these real-world ready schools is based on building a leadership team, establishing a coherent vision for change, developing a systematic action plan, modeling for leaders effective and efficient ways to leverage digital tools to increase effectiveness, and modeling for teachers how to harness tools to support student learning.

2.     Career Ready – The challenge we are faced with today is ensuring that the factors that make students successful in college and careers are the same:  the ability to learn and apply new information, problem solve, communicate and collaborate with peers, and contribute to the greater good of society.  If we can focus on teaching and then measure these more broadly defined characteristics it will be a better indicator of whether a graduate is truly prepared for a successful life after high school.  The focus of K-12 and higher education needs to make a dramatic shift from what classes students have completed to what students are able to do.  College and post-secondary education needs to be seen as a means to the end, not just the end of a student’s learning cycle.

3.     Application-Based Learning – Application based learning allows students the learning experiences in a much more “real world” context.  Allowing students to draw on their own problem-solving, creativity/innovation, and critical-thinking skills will providea much more rich and valuable learning opportunity.  The Rigor/Relevance Framework is a tool all teachers can use to create application-based learning opportunities for students to think and work.  Knowing how to move a typical Quadrant A task toward Quadrant D by using research-based strategies that increase rigor and relevance is the key ingredient for application-based learning.

4.     Rigor – Achieving rigorous learning for all students requires instructing each student in a way that is relevant to him or her.  Pinpointing exactly what rigorous learning is and what it looks like in the classroom can be a challenging process.  It includes nurturing, caring relationships with ALL students and teaching interpersonal skills.  It includes instilling in ALL students the skills they will need for the careers that will allow self-sufficiency as adults.

5.     Data Analytics to Implement Growth Mindsets – As we develop more sophisticated assessments and use technology in more robust ways, we will see an explosion in the use of data for both formative and summative purposes.  More sophisticated use of data will enable us to accelerate the movement toward implementing growth and continuous improvement models.  With an increasing amount of data on individual students, we will find our one-size-fits-all instructional delivery system ineffective.  The need to individualize the organization and delivery of instruction will require focused and sustained professional development.

Our team chose Career Readiness because we believe that it is the most inclusive of all the trends. Our talented and passionate teaching and counseling team is working diligently to help our students discover the passion that will ultimately turn into a career and vocation for each of our students.

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, 

Cyber-bullying and Internet Safety Workshop

The counseling department at VHS has organized a free workshop open to the whole community for parents on the topics of internet safety and cyber-bullying. This workshop is being offered as part of their Parent University Program.

I’m excited they’ve chosen to cover this topic because it is such an important one, and one that we’ve heard from parents is a significant concern for them. The internet offers a valuable tool for student learning, and we utilize it as much as possible. However, we are also aware of the dangers.

We’ve all heard the news stories…predators targeting children online, young people being stalked through social media, cyber-bullying, and sexting. Within our own community, we’ve seen the realty of these threats. As parents and educators, we all want our children and our students to be safe and protected while still enjoying the benefits of online communities, learning, and social media.

The workshop will be led by Dr. Lisa Kovach. She is an associate professor at the University of Toledo, co-chair of the university’s Anti-Bullying Task Force, Director of the Ohio Bully Police USA, and a trainer with the US Department of Defense on campus violence prevention and protection. She has also authored the book, School Shootings and Suicides: Why We Must Stop the Bullies. You can learn more about her HERE.

During this parent workshop, Dr. Kovach will discuss:

• The mental development of teenagers and how that plays into bullying and sexting
• How schools and communities need to respond to bullying
•  Parenting styles linked to bullying behavior
•  Campus safety resources for students going away to college

The parent workshop will be on Tuesday, November 17^th from 6:30pm to 7:30pm in the Vermilion High School Auditorium. We welcome all parents and community members who are interested to join us. Students are also welcome to attend, but Dr. Kovach will be discussing sensitive topics.

For our Vermilion families, Dr. Kovach will also be doing presentations during the day for our 8^th – 12^th graders. Our 8^th and 9^th graders will be learning more about the causes and consequences of bullying, what to do if they witness bullying, the lasting impact of bullying/cyber-bullying, and share stories. The 11^th and 12^th graders will be discussing bullying/cyber-bullying, civil rights issues, resources for bullying on college campuses, and share stories.

While the student workshops are currently only being offered at the high school, the counseling departments are working on possibly offering one at the middle school as well. In the meantime, we want to welcome all parents to attend our parent workshop. It is never too early to start learning how you can help keep your children safe online.

If you have any questions about this workshop, you can contact Mrs. Erin Smith in our High School Counseling Department.

Great to be Back!

It has been eye-opening to have an illness/injury that required me to miss work for an extended period.  This experience allowed me to spend a great deal of time reflecting on the truly important aspects of my life, how important good health is, how it impacts the decisions we make and how we look at life.  

At times, we all get caught up in our daily hustle and bustle of work, chores and responsibilities, but when unexpected health concerns surface, we are forced to slow down and evaluate the frantic pace of our lives.

During my recovery, I was able to gain a renewed appreciation for the people I am surrounded by, including my family, friends, colleagues, and students.  I have been blessed to be in a job that brings so many wonderful people into a great work environment with an amazing sense of purpose.  

Teaching and working with students is, for me, a fantastic occupation.  No day is ever the same.  It is exciting to be a part of a group of teachers, administrators and students who frequently come together with new and amazing ideas, and are always willing to take on new challenges.

I have always been a fan of John Wooden, and one of his favorite poems by Ogden Nash sums up what I have come to discover.

      Sometime when you’re feeling important, sometime when your ego’s in bloom

      Sometime when you take it for granted, you’re the best qualified in the room.

      Sometime when you feel that your going would leave an unfillable hole,

      Just follow this simple instruction, and see how it humbles your soul.

      Take a bucket and fill it with water; put your hand in it up to the wrist.

      Pull it out, and the hole that’s remaining, is the measure of how you’ll be missed.

      You may splash all you please when you enter; you can stir up the water galore;

       But stop, and you’ll find in a minute, that it looks quite the same as before.

       The moral in this quaint example, is to do just the best that you can.

       Be proud of yourself, but remember, there is no indispensable man!

I would like to express my appreciation to everyone that reached out to me during this time, provided words of encouragement and expressed their concern for my recovery.   One thing I have learned is to never take these people, or my family, for granted.  

It is important to always make it a priority to spend time with those who care about you, and appreciate the opportunities we have to make a difference in others lives.  I am very grateful to be back to work, and look forward to working with all of you this year.