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Greenville City
Schools Update January 2016
Superintendent Doug Fries
On behalf of the entire school district I would like to thank the
Greenville community for your support of our operational renewal levy
that was on the ballet this past November. Your ongoing support
of the school district is greatly appreciated. It is our pleasure
to partner the school district with the community to make Greenville a
great place to live, work and go to school.
Greenville City Schools has had a great first semester of the 2015-16
school year, both academically and with extra-curricular
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.
Students returned from Winter Break on Monday, January 4, 2016.
There will be no school on Martin Luther King Day, January 18, 2016 and
the first semester ends on Friday, January 29, 2016. Monday,
February 1, 2016 is a teacher workday and students will not be in
session.
We have been fortunate so far this school year to only use one calamity
day. We are again this year operating on days, not hours, for our
school year requirements. Thus, we have four calamity days
available to us before implementing any make-up days. The
established make-up days for this school year, if needed, are February
15th, June 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th, February 15th 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, scarf, 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.
During the first semester this year the district has successfully
implemented the new College Credit Plus Program at the high
school. Thank you to our curriculum staff, high school counselors
and many of our high school teachers for their hard work and
preparation in starting this program. This program will benefit
our students receiving college credit while in high school. We
have already signed on to continue the College Credit Plus Program next
year with Edison State.
At Woodland Primary we have started our one to one IPad technology
program for all first grade students with the ESpark curriculum.
During the second semester we are advancing to the Kindergarten class,
as well. We are beginning to make additional purchases and line
item budget items to move the one to one initiative to our second
grades, as well. The district has also submitted a Straight A
Grant to the Ohio Department of Education in hopes to fund further
grade levels with one to one initiative for technology devices in the
future.
We are very pleased to have completed our new Advanced Manufacturing
lab at the High School Career Tech Center. This lab is equipped
with state of the art educational and training equipment. We look
forward to using the lab during the day for student training and in the
evening for adult training with some of our area manufacturers.
All of this is an effort to increase our county workforce and training
in job opportunities that we need and are available. We are also
looking to establish a Joint Use Agreement with Edison State to
collaboratively work together on articulation of course work in our
Advanced Manufacturing Lab, as well as other career tech and academic
programs.
As the second semester approaches, we will soon be in testing season
again. This year we will be taking Ohio Graduation Test (OGT),
Ohio State Test (English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science and Social
Studies) and End of Course Exams throughout the district. I
continue to salute our students, teachers, and curriculum and
technology personnel for their ongoing preparation for these online
assessments and thank them all for their dedication. We continue
to believe our ongoing experiences with taking online MAP (Measurement
of Academic Progress) several times each year will both prepare our
students and tell us about their progress toward reaching the benchmark
for the Ohio required testing assessments. We continue to strive
with both our daily teaching standards and objectives and practice test
procedures to prepare our students to be successful in the new state
testing accountability model and in their overall pursuit of academic
knowledge.
Instructionally we are continuing to establish a five year rotation to
upgrade our textbook and supplemental materials. This year our
curriculum personnel and principals are looking to purchase new
materials in English Language Arts.
Construction work continues to progress at the new K-8 site on North
Ohio Street. Remember, the entire community can view updated
pictures of the new construction on the Greenville School Website at
www.greenville.k12.oh.us. Once on the home page you will see a
link on the left side of the page that reads “construction in
action.” Pictures are posted of progress that is being made.
A brief narrative of what is happening in the K-8 construction
presently is as follows. Bruns Building and Development are doing
the site work and presently putting storm drainage in the two
courtyards on both sides of the building, including the 5-8 and 1-4
ends. Final utilities to Ohio Street will take place later this
winter into the spring of 2016.
Chapel Electric continues to put in wall rough-ins, temporary lighting
under deck areas, pull branch conduit and feeder wire, terminate
panels, equipment and light poles in parking lots and they have a
cabling subcontractor, CRT, on site as well.
Geothermal Solutions have completed drilling wells and horizontal
piping and flushing and final pressure test. They have also
completed adding topsoil, removing silt fence and done their final
grading over the well field.
Slagle Mechanical is handling the plumbing and HVAC. They
continue to do wall rough-ins and above ceiling piping and pipe
insulation, as well as much equipment installations. On the HVAC
side they are completing duct and piping rough-ins and duct insulation,
as well as setting mechanical equipment and doing coordination work
with the masonry contractor.
Hagerman is our mason contractor. They have a crew of thirty five
to forty daily and sometimes more. The load bearing CMU walls are
wrapping up and they are finishing at the North end, which is the
Kindergarten section, as well as in front of the gymnasiums, which is
the administrative wing. Hagerman will continue with interior non
load bearing CMU walls and they have begun the brick veneer, the red
brick you begin to see around the courtyards.
K and T Construction is handling much of the general trades work
including setting hollow metal frames ahead of the masonry, grouting
column bases following steel erection and wood blocking ahead of roof
installation. They also set temporary enclosures.
TP Mechanical is completing the sprinkling system. Presently they
are piping rough-ins through the building.
American Steel Fabricators have the majority of the structural steel on
site with the exception of some for the Kindergarten and Administrative
wing. The rest should be delivered in the beginning of
January.
Smith Erectors continue structural steel detailing and deck areas on
the 5-8 south side of the building and are completing low structural
steel and deck on the 1-4 north side to prepare for the second floor
concrete pour. Precision Concrete has recently poured some
interior concrete steps and soon will pour the second floor on the 1-4
end.
Kerkon Roofing has put the green metal panels on the two gymnasiums in
the middle of the buildings, as well as the commons, kitchen and
mechanical areas in the back of the building. They will soon
begin the dry in with ice and water shield on the 5-8 south end.
Greenville Glass is handling the windows and exterior doors on the
project and they have the translucent panels temporarily enclosed above
the front gymnasium to allow for winter temporary heating.
McKee Doors have installed two interior stage coiling doors and will
make final adjustments at a later date. Valley Interior is
completing interior metal stud work and hanging drywall much in the
commons and stage area behind the two gymnasiums.
McBride Brothers Painting has presently began block fill and first coat
of paint which started in gymnasiums and boiler room areas.
Shook Touchstone, our CMR at Risk, runs weekly progress meetings and
coordination meetings with all these contractors to review progress,
check quality and lay out sequencing of the construction project.
These meetings are attended by Garmann Miller and school district
representatives, as well, our Owner Agent, Gilbane.
The district is in the final stages of meetings with Garmann Miller to
move forward with the bidding process for the technology, loose
furnishings, and playground equipment, as well as the abatement and
demolition process of our four present elementary and junior high
school buildings. We expect all these bids to be complete by
April of 2016. The district is planning to abate and demo all
four of the present elementary and junior high buildings. We have
worked with Greenville Township to sell the Woodland Heights property
to them after the closing of the building, including abatement and
demolition.
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 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.
Special congratulations to our thirty six high school juniors and
seniors who were inducted into National Honor Society at Greenville
High School on November 24, 2015. This was a wonderful Tap
Assembly coordinated by Advisor Amber Warner. 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.
Congratulations to two of our students in Mrs. Buchy’s Supply Chain
Management Program for again being selected to the 2015-16 Business
Professionals of America State Officers positions. The selected
students were Addison Hart, Parliamentarian and Haylee Haynes,
Secretary. These young ladies represented our school and
community very well in winning these state positions.
Likewise, congratulations to our Greenville High School Fall 2015
Homecoming Queen Serena Stastny and Chief Greenwave Codi Byrd.
These two students were selected by the Greenville High School students
during Homecoming Week.
In closing, let me again thank our entire community for your ongoing
support of the Greenville School District, particularly at the polls
this past November. 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@greenville.k12.oh.us if you have any questions about our school
district or school activities. I hope you all had a wonderful
holiday break. Best wishes in the New Year and good luck to our
students in the second semester.
As always, Strong Schools Strong Community. Greenville City
Schools - a great place for students to learn and teachers to teach.
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