|
 |
Greenville City Schools Update January 2019
Superintendent Doug Fries
Greenville City Schools has had a great first semester of the 2018-19
school year, both academically and with extracurricular activities.
Thanks to the hard work of our students and staff and the support of
our parents and community, the first semester is nearing the end and
has been very educational and productive.
Students returned from Winter Break this year on Thursday, January 3,
2019. There will be no school on Martin Luther King Day, January 21,
2019 and the first semester ends on Friday, January 18, 2019. There
will also be a staff workday on Tuesday, January 22, 2019 with no
school for students.
The K-8 complex continues to function with all bus drop off and pickups
from the rear of the building and all parent drop off and pick ups from
the front of the building. We continue to appreciate everyone slowing
down on Ohio Street and Main Street in the school zone to allow for a
safe traffic flow. Thank you to the City of Greenville for adding some
pedestrian crossing lights on our two Ohio Street crossings which does
assist our crossing guards.
We have been fortunate, thus far this school year, to have used few
calamity days. We are again operating on days, not hours, for our
school year requirements. Thus, we have four calamity days available to
use before implementing any make-up days. The established make up days
for this school year, if needed, are February 18th, May 28th, 29th,
30th, and 31st. February 18th would only be used if six days were
missed before that day. As we enter the coldest of the Winter season, I
encourage everyone to dress for the weather, particularly at bus stops,
with heavy coats, hats, scarves and gloves. We try hard to arrive on
scheduled times at bus stops, but weather conditions sometimes dictate
being a little behind to maintain safety. I encourage all student
drivers to take their time driving to and from school and in and around
parking lots of the school throughout the Winter season.
We will try to communicate school delays and cancellations by One call,
Channel 5, on our Facebook page, Dayton television stations, the local
Tiger radio station, as well as, putting on our website.
For the fourth straight year, our district has successfully implemented
the College Credit Plus Program at the High School. This program
continues to benefit our students by allowing them to receive college
credit while in high school. We have more than one hundred students
taking advantage of this program. Also at the High School, we have
implemented for the third year MAP testing in grades nine and ten. This
is testing done three times during the year to measure student progress
and help assist us in where students will perform on their end of
course assessments. The High School is working hard to meet required
curriculum standards to prepare students for these end of course exams.
Graduation alternative pathways for the Class of 2019 have again been
granted by the state legislation. They remain the same as 2018.
At the elementary and middle school level, we have advanced our one to
one iPad technology program through the eighth grade. All students K-8
are working with one to one technology initiative, as well as, the
ESpark curriculum K-6. The district continues to use the Measurement of
Academic Progress (MAP) testing in the K-8. Again, the MAP test is a
close measure on our student performance for end of year required state
assessments.
The School’s report card for the 2017-2018 school year showed a
three-year trend of upward performance in all 3-8 reading tests. Our
graduation rate was 90.8 for the four year rate and 91.2 for the five
year rate.
Special congratulations to our forty-two high school juniors and
seniors who were inducted into National Honor Society at Greenville
High School on November 20, 2018. This was a wonderful Tap Assembly
coordinated by Advisors, Amber Warner and Lisa Beasecker. I salute all
our new inductees for their commitment to scholarship, leadership,
service and character. I also thank their parents and grandparents for
the guidance they provide these students.
Other outstanding highlights from the first semester include the
Greenville High School NJROTC Program and instructors, Captain Scott
Eberwine and Chief Stephen Eldred, conducting successful
Pass-In-Reviews on November 29, 2018. They have also been selected
again this year as a unit to represent our area at the 2019 NJROTC
National Orienteering Championship in California.
Mel Huffman, our high school art teacher, was honored for being the
2018 recipient of the Western Region’s Outstanding Art Teacher Award.
She has demonstrated a long-term commitment to supporting the visual
arts and has impacted arts education in Ohio in a positive way. Mel was
nominated for this distinction from the membership of almost 2000 art
educators statewide. Congratulations, Mel, we are honored to have you
as part of our teaching staff.
Elizabeth Shields was selected the Kiwanis High School Teacher of the
Year. She was recognized at a local Kiwanis Club meeting.
The Girls Tennis Team and Coach Jim Koontz won the GWOC North Division
Championship. We wish to thank the entire team and coaches for this
achievement and their commitment to excellence.
Isabelle Rammel from Greenville’s Cross Country Team was a State
Qualifier. Congratulations to Isabelle, as well.
We again had some wonderful school performances by our band, orchestra,
jazz scene and choirs of many grade levels before leaving for our
Winter break. I commend our students and directors and their assistants
for their dedication to these performances. The programs were each well
done. Thank you also to the community for your outstanding support and
attendance at these events.
At our January 10, 2019 Board of Education Organizational Meeting Brad
Gettinger was again elected Board President for 2019. Mark Libert was
elected Vice President. The board established the regular meeting night
for board meetings as the third Thursday of the month at 6:30 p.m. That
is a time change from the previous 7:00 p.m.
Our Board of Education has spent much time reviewing and updating the
Greenville City School District’s Vision and Mission Statement. We
thank them for their dedication to the process. The updated statement
can be seen on our web site www.greenville.k12.oh.us.
Our high school remains open to the community for walking in the
evening through March 28, 2019. It is open Monday through Thursday from
6:00-8:00 p.m. on days we have school. Adult community members should
sign in and out at the front doors. Also, the outside track facility
will re-open again on March 1, 2019 as well.
Our latchkey program is operating again this year at the K-8 complex
and is open to anyone who would like to register students for before or
after school care. Please contact Brittany Bear at the K-8 building if
you are interested in registration and fee information for the second
semester.
In closing, let me again thank our entire community for your ongoing
support of the Greenville School District. I invite all community
members, parents, grandparents to continue to be an active part of our
school district. Please feel free to attend as many student activities
as your schedule allows. The students, staff and administration
appreciate your support.
Everyone is always welcome to call me at 937-548-3185 or email me at
dfries@gcswave.com if you have any questions about our school district
or school activities. I hope you all had a wonderful Winter break. Best
wishes in the New Year and good luck to our students in the second
semester.
|
|
|
|
