Springboro E-News: 082312

Springboro Community Schools August 23, 2012

1

BORO E-NEWS

WELCOME BACK TO SCHOOL!

The familiar scenes of going back to school can be seen throughout Springboro—creating excitement and Panther pride in our community and schools—from the kindergarten through the Class of 2013. KINDERGARTENERS PRACTICE RIDING THE BUS EARLY! On August 15 and 16, Springboro kindergarten students were invited to practice riding the bus. The annual Bus Beginnings program has become a very special tradition for families as our youngest students get ready for kindergarten each year. Mrs. Harover from the transportation department met with students and parents to review bus safety and rules. Students and parents also were given a ride on the bus. After the ride, students were shown how to safely enter, exit and cross in the front of the bus. Kindergarten phase-in days are August 23, 24 and 27, and the students will ride the bus with all of their Kindergarten friends on August 28!

SPRINGBORO INTERMEDIATE STUDENTS MEET THEIR FIRST CHALLENGE

Springboro Intermediate (S.I.) students picked up their schedules, locker numbers and combinations on Thursday, August 16. PTO volunteers distributed schedules and information for the school year to students. Then, the students—often with their parents and siblings—met their first challenge of the new school year: their lockers. Some lucky students opened their lockers on the first try while others practiced it over and over again. For nearly all students, sixth grade is the first year for changing classes every period and keeping everything in a locker. We wish them all success as they transition from elementary school to S.I.!

INSIDE THIS ISSUE: WADE SPORTS COMPLEX.......................................4, 7 SUPERINTENDENT’S COLUMN---------------------5-6 S.I. BRING YOUR OWN TECHNOLOGY..................6


2

Five Points Elementary students had something special waiting for them on the first day of school. New playground equipment was installed this summer. The original equipment constructed with the school in 2006 could hold only 80 to 100 students at a time. Five Points now has more than 1,000 students. The new playground was funded through a partnership with the Five Points PTO. The PTO donated $57,000 to the project, and an additional $10,000 was funded by the principals’ fund, according to Mrs. Nancy Stratton, Five Points’ Principal. Students voted in November on what pieces they would like to see added to their playground. Two of the three top vote-getters were installed this summer. The school’s PTO will continue fundraising in order to add a dome climber in the future. The dome climber is perhaps the most popular piece of new equipment on the Dennis Elementary playground. The Dennis playground project was completed last spring and also funded through that school’s PTO. Parent support organizations like the Five Points and Dennis PTOs have been instrumental in providing one-time investments in Springboro schools for special events and presentations, technology, playgrounds, athletic equipment and more.

DENNIS ADDS PANTHER PRIDE PATH

Dennis Elementary celebrated the installation of its new playground last spring, but there was more work to do. Parents, teachers and community supporters purchased commemorative bricks to create the Panther Pride Path between the playground and outdoor shelter. Kohls Landscaping installed the path earlier this week. Individual bricks cost $50 each, which covered the brick, engraving and installation to help families and school supporters leave their mark on the playground for years to come.

FIVE POINTS INSTALLS NEW PLAYGROUND IN TIME FOR THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL


3

JUNIOR HIGH HOSTS OPEN HOUSE

More than 400 eighth graders and 500 seventh graders converged at Springboro Junior High on August 22 for their Open House. Students received their schedules, homeroom and locker assignments from PTO volunteers, and had the opportunity to meet their teachers the night before the first day of school.

S.I. SPRUCED UP OVER THE SUMMER The landscaping around Springboro Intermediate, one of the district’s oldest buildings, received a facelift over the summer. The district partnered with scout and community volunteers to improve the grounds outside the building in June. Madison Boeh, Megan Keyser and Bryna Grubbs from Girl Scout Troop #46681 chose to work on the school’s landscaping to earn their Bronze Star Award. They had to oversee the project from start to finish, including gathering donations and organizing volunteers. On the day of the event, several volunteers including five from the Austin Pike Kohls’ store as well as fellow Girl Scout troop members helped till the dirt, clean up debris, dig holes, plant the flowers, mulch and water. The girls did a terrific job creating a community-wide project with donations from Debi’s Mulch, Home Depot, K-Mart, Kohl’s, Kroger, Lowe’s, Mulch Man, My Lawn Irrigation & Lighting, The First United Methodist Church Men's Group, and Tractor Supply Company.


4

The Ralph E. Wade Sports Complex was dedicated by Springboro’s Wee Panther Football organization on Saturday, August 18. With new artificial turf on the field and updated facilities, the complex will serve as home field for Springboro’s home Pee Wee football games as well as Springboro High School Boys and Girls Soccer and Springboro Lacrosse. Completion of the field, which is located behind the Springboro Intermediate building on Main Street, is the result of cooperation between the school district, the City of Springboro, Clearcreek Township, the Cook Family Fun Day organization, Springboro Lacrosse and Wee Panther Football. Ralph Wade established peewee football in Springboro in 1959. Fifty-three years later, the organization he started celebrated its premier football weekend by dedicating the sports complex in his name. Several of the day’s speakers noted the tremendous amount of cooperation to complete the project while others noted the bleachers were full of parent and community volunteers.

During the dedication ceremony, Sandy Wray (pictured above on left), Dennis Elementary Principal and Wade’s daughter, spoke on behalf of her family. She said, “This community has come together as it did many years ago when this field was started. We are following a great tradition. When we come together as a community, we do what is right for our kids.”

Board of Education member David Petroni and Superintendent Todd Petrey represented the school

district for the dedication and ribbon cutting at the Ralph E. Wade Sports Complex (right).

More photos are on page 7.

RALPH E. WADE SPORTS COMPLEX DEDICATION

SHS players formed a tunnel and cheered for all peewee players and cheerleaders as they entered the field. The SHS Marching Band performed on the new turf of the Ralph E. Wade Sports Complex for the dedication.


5

BACK TO SCHOOL: SPRINGBORO’S BEST TRADITION Todd Petrey, Superintendent

!"#$%&''()*+,#-./*#0''

1$23%*$-'4#$"'5#-/6#7#8%-'

90)*):#0/77;'5#-/3</*$/=%3'

'>#:#$%3' !" #$%!" &%!"'?/-#0' '%(" #(%$" #)%)"'@A)B0#%*$' )*%'" ''%)" '!%*"'C00%7%A/$%3' DEFG' HE' IJFG''C3</*0%3' IKFL' K' LFG'

!"#$%&''()*+,#-./*#0''

1$23%*$-'4#$"'5#-/6#7#8%-'

90)*):#0/77;'5#-/3</*$/=%3'

'>#:#$%3' #%'" (%#" ##%'"

'?/-#0' '%#" (%#" +%&"

'@A)B0#%*$' !*%#" '!%+" +#%'"

'C00%7%A/$%3' ILFD' IIFJ' IMFK''C3</*0%3' IJFH' HKFK' MFK'

New beginnings are evident in the first signs of spring, when the calendar turns to January first, or on birthdays and anniversaries. For those of us in education, this time of year is our new beginning. And for communities like Springboro—a place that prides itself on great schools and outstanding kids—the back to school season brings excitement and anticipation. As our town plans for football games on cooler evenings and school buses on our streets, our children wonder what this new year will bring. We unite in these days to plan and predict what a new school year could mean for all of us. I know that with many changes in our district, those predictions seem a bit tougher to make this year. But our common ground is unchanged: Springboro is true to the tradition to put kids first. This will be demonstrated in every corner of our district. For example, we have removed the portraits of brick and mortar buildings from the walls of the central office. They will be replaced with student artwork and projects. In our classrooms, our staff will be moving toward a more individualized approach to education. It is no longer enough to look at scores at the course or grade level as a measure of success. We will strive for improvement at the individual student level. A total class score may jump five percent while individual students struggle with dropping scores. At one time, those

struggling students could have been lost in the larger group. This renewed focus on the individual student and his or her success will be critical as our district ramps up to fully adopt the higher standards required by Ohio’s Common Core Curriculum by 2014-15 (www.corestandards.org). Beginning in 2014-2015, all students will need to achieve an “accelerated” or “advanced” score in order to pass the state mandated test. Students identified as “proficient” will no longer be passing.

Reading test results from the 2010-2011 school year from two of our four elementary buildings (the names are removed) illustrate that under the new requirements the passing rate for School One is

63% and the passing rate for School Two is 56%. This is simply not good enough. It demands our attention to our students as individuals and challenges us to look at teaching in new ways. Some changes—like the Common Core Curriculum—are external, and our job is to meet the challenges given to us. Other transitions are driven from within our district. The news of staff who have moved on to other pursuits makes big headlines, but assembling our new staff is the

real story. When I returned to Springboro this summer, I quickly was reminded of the tremendous teaching talent we have. Now we also are bringing that instructional leadership to our administrative team.


6

Back to School Continued For example, Lee Vincent and Jeffrey Madden bring a wealth of instructional experience to manage responsibilities in curriculum as well as operations and human resources in our central office. Streamlining our staff in this way results in significant cost savings. Our Board of Education is scrutinizing the financial status of our district, asking the tough questions, and striving to find the appropriate balance to offer the best opportunities to our students in the most financially responsible manner. Innovative staffing, careful budgeting and complete transparency will be central to our work this year. Transparency is critical. the same passion for our kids and our schools can allow rumors or misunderstandings to grow. Due to legal constraints, there is little that I –or any school official—can say at this time, but it is important for our community to know that there are ongoing external investigations related to athletics in the district. Investigations from the Internal Revenue Service, the Warren County Prosecutor’s Office and the State of Ohio Auditor’s Office have shocked and disappointed many. But they already are yielding positive outcomes for us in new attention to old procedures, improved policies and oversight and a community-wide desire to understand how we can do better. And—true to the tradition of putting kids first—we are doing better. It has been exciting to see Band and Athletic Booster

volunteers come together under new regulations ensuring that all sporting and band events are ready for fall. Their support of Springboro kids has truly been a highlight in my short time here in Springboro as superintendent. I would like to thank our booster organizations and parent volunteers for the great experiences they make possible for all students. Our district is ready and willing to comply with all ongoing investigations. And we are taking steps to institute an audit of all financial practices in our district. This is an opportunity to put an end to doubts, find and correct problems, and improve our district’s overall financial health. Clearly, there are challenges facing our district, but I know that our central goal is unchanged throughout Springboro’s history. Springboro puts kids first. Everything we do as a district—even things that seem far removed from the lessons in their classrooms—is directed toward their success. Above the complaints and questions, debates and disagreements, we need to hear the kids’ voices. I could hardly wait to hear them when we welcomed more than 5000 students back into our schools. This is a new year---a year full of opportunities for each of us to improve. Thanks for your interest in our schools. Please feel free to bring your comments, concerns or questions to me in the central office.

S.I. STARTS “BRING YOUR OWN

TECHNOLOGY” IN PILOT PROGRAM

As our district works toward wireless access in every building, Springboro Intermediate (S.I.) is initiating a pilot program to help address the benefits and challenges of giving technology a larger role in our classrooms. The Bring Your Own Technology (BYOT) program at S.I. is being implemented in the social studies classrooms. The social studies curriculum dramatically opens up when teachers can tap into interactive programs and the global resources that are available online. Sixth grade students in those courses are encouraged to bring wireless capable devices (laptops, I-pads, netbooks, tablet style computers) to the social studies classrooms. However, no student is required to bring a device. S.I. will provide wireless technology devices for students who do not bring their own. According to S.I. principal Bruce Lewis, “Whether or not our students bring laptops, netbooks, I-pads, or tablet computers to school is strictly up to the parents. We know that many of our students are accomplished digital-age learners. Our aim is to support their school achievement through this pilot project.”


7

The Kroger Card benefit for Springboro Schools has changed. Shoppers do not have to load and reload the Kroger gift cards anymore. Instead, shoppers can easily support our schools just by registering their Kroger Plus card.

Please visit www.krogercommunityrewards.com

to register your Kroger Plus Card. The Springboro Schools code is 80183.

If you have any questions please contact Kroger at 1-800-294-4438. You can also contact Panther Paw Scrip at [email protected]. It takes less than five minutes to link your Kroger card to support Springboro Schools!

BORO E-NEWS The online newsletter for

Springboro Community CITY Schools

Upcoming E-News (tentative): August 30

SEPTEMBER 13 and 27 OCTOBER 11 and 25

NOVEMBER 8 and 29 DECEMBER 13

If your SCHOOL-AFFILIATED ACTIVITY would like to include information in the next E-News, send your story and photos to [email protected].

SCENES FROM WADE FIELD DEDICATION August 18, 2012

DATES TO KNOW

TUESDAY, AUGUST 28, 7 p.m. BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 3 LABOR DAY - NO SCHOOL

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 7 p.m. BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12

DELAYED START

Springboro E-News: 082312

Documents

Transcript of Springboro E-News: 082312