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. 

Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) Assessments

Dear Families,

During the first few weeks of school your son or daughter will be taking the MAP assessments, or Measures of Academic Progress.  These tests will be administered in the areas of English, Math, and Science, and will help your child’s teachers and administrators quickly assess his or her skills in these subjects and develop a personalized learning path for your child. 

It is important to know the MAP assessments are adaptive in nature, meaning the level of difficulty of the test questions will change to adjust to your student’s previous answer.  This way, the test will give us an accurate picture of what your son or daughter still needs to learn and will enable us to tailor instruction to maximize their academic growth throughout the year. 

We will test 3 times throughout the year - fall, winter, and spring.  Please reinforce the following points with your son or daughter:  the test is adaptive, it is important to try your best, and the purpose of the test is to focus on learning that is meaningful to you.  Data from the MAP tests will be shared with your student during one-on-one conferencing with their teachers.  Individual student data will then be used to set goals of growth throughout the year with the students.

We thank you in advance for partnering with us to help your child grow.  You will find a brief overview of the MAP process at http://youtu.be/zVxATp6emT0 or you may visit www.nwea.org for more information. Please be on the look out for specific testing dates provided by your school principal.

Sincerely,

Philip M. Pempin

Superintendent

SCHOOL ZONE 8-28-14

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.