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.

SCHOOL ZONE 11-5-15

HALL OF FAME NOMINATIONS DUE NOVEMBER 16

Anyone wishing to nominate a candidate for the Vermilion High School Hall of Fame should complete the nomination form and submit it to VHS Principal Timothy Lamb no later than Monday, November 16.   The induction ceremony for new members will be held on Saturday, January 23, 2016 prior to the VHS Varsity basketball game.  Nomination forms are available on the school district website, www.vermilionschools.org , or from the Vermilion High School office.  All nominations are welcome.

OHIO YOUTH ENVIRONMENTS SURVEY

This week SMS and VHS students participated in the Ohio Youth Environments Survey (OH-YES) conducted by the Ohio Departments of Education, Health, and Mental Health and Addiction Services and numerous other programs advocating for youth.  This is the fifth year that this important youth survey has been organized in Erie County.  Students are asked to anonymously answer health-related questions about smoking, drinking, sexual behavior, personal safety, drug use, diet, nutrition, exercise, suicide, and violence related behaviors.  The purpose of the survey is to help local agencies identify key health and safety problems to determine the needs of Erie County youth, and use that information to design assistance programs for local families.  The results of all surveys throughout Ohio and Michigan will be combined into a report that will be released in 2016.  Results of previous year surveys are available on the Erie County Health Department website. 

PARENT UNIVERSITY #2 – NOVEMBER 17

The Vermilion High School Counseling Department will host the second Parent University of this school year on November 17 from 6:30-7:30 PM in the VHS Auditorium.  Dr. Lisa Kovach, an Associate Professor at the University of Toledo will be presenting a Program 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.  Everyone in the community is invited to attend.  

FIELD HOUSE DEDICATION

The Vermilion Board of Education will be dedicating the new field house to Vermilion veterans at a ceremony to be held on Tuesday, November 10 at 1:30 PM at the field house.  All veterans and community members are invited to attend.

What Does The Vermilion School Board Do?

With the local election tomorrow, I thought it was a good time to talk about the school board and the role it plays in our district. The school board is an essential link between the district and the community, but I don’t know if everyone is really aware of the board’s functions.

The Vermilion Local Schools School Board 

• Works to incorporate the views of the community when making decisions regarding school programming. 
•  Looks out for the students of the district. Education is the primary focus of the board.
• Is accessible to the public. All board meetings are open to the public, and we encourage students, parents and community members to attend school board meetings. General meetings also include two periods for participation, which is an opportunity for anyone to stand up and address the board with comments, questions, or concerns.
•  Is accountable for the performance of the district. The members of the school board are elected by the public. This makes them accountable for the decisions they make regarding the district.
• Act as the education watchdog for the district with the goal of ensuring every student gets the best possible education and access to educational resources. We aren’t just teaching students. We are preparing students to join the world as productive and engaging adults.

I encourage all parents to be aware of what is going on. You can: 

1.  Attend the board meetings – they are held the second Monday of every month at 7pm. Special meetings are scheduled as needed.
2.  Read the agenda and minutes for the meetings – they can be found HERE 
3.  If you can’t make the board meetings, watch them on Youtube. All of our regular board meetings are recorded and posted on the Vermilion Local Schools Youtube channel.
4. Know who your board members are. These are the people that the community has voted to represent the educational interests of our students. Find our current board members HERE. 
5. Contact me or a board member if you ever have questions regarding the role or actions of the board. I am always happy to sit down with students, parents, and members of the community to answer questions. 

Here are some online resources that provide more on the functions of a school board

National School Boards Association FAQ

State Board of Education

Ohio School Boards Association