Monthly News and Notes - June 2024

District News and Notes 

June 2024

Open Enrollment 

We have accepted 142 open enrollment students this year.  That makes up 31% of our enrollment.  

Contracts

NOVA - This agreement is for our online courses for credit recovery, electives and courses for the 24-25 school year. 

NOECA - This agreement is for our computer software and licensing fees along with the use of Frontline, INFOhio, aSc, Same Goal and Final Forms.  

NCOESC - This is our annual agreement for preschool services.  We are including a math consultant to review our 6-12 math curriculum and assist in adoption of a new math curriculum. 

Facilities

• Concession Stand - Construction has begun on the concession stand.  

• Concrete Work - sidewalk replacement will start June 10.  The high school office side will be closed.   

• Parking Lot - The parking lot will be closed July 22-24 for sealing and striping.

• JH Gym - Painting has commenced on the exterior of the building and will be completed in the weeks ahead.  

• Carpets will be replaced this summer in the library, athletics office, computer lab, elementary music room, kindergarten classrooms, preschool room.  
  

Personnel

Our staff wrapped up the school year with our service awards breakfast as we honored the following staff members:

10 Year - Ethan Smalley, Allison Gooding, Amy Kramer

15 Year - Alana Stevens, Wendy Weingart, Kim Alley

20 Year - Keith Piper, Shilo Clouse, Denise Snyder

25 Year - Jamie Lininger

Retirement - Julie Reiter, Judy Smith

Red Rover - staff will be utilizing a new leave and substitute teacher program in the fall.  This will consolidate communication from staff to supervisors through a common app and will eventually transition our hourly employees to use the app for timesheets.   We plan on rolling out the timesheet portion in 2025-26.  

PTO

• Treasurer of the PTO Nancy Borer and president April Allison will be stepping aside from the PTO in June.  

• We will be meeting with them to prepare for a transition to new leadership and organizational goals.  We will be having a reorganization meeting at the school in early August to anyone who wants to volunteer.  

• The two principals and myself will be leading the reorganization efforts in August.  We did this long ago after a similar reorganization was needed. 

2023/24 Elementary Goals Recap

#1 Continue positive behavior supports, intervention supports and gifted instruction

• Students enjoyed spending their SAIL tickets to purchase items on the SAIL cart.  This also taught students the concept of saving and spending.

• Intervention staff screened students with IEP’s for dyslexia tendencies, aligned IEP goals and provided high quality intervention instruction.

• Ms. Boehler provided small group instruction to students who qualified as gifted in the area of math.
  

#2 Increase Foundational Reading Skills with instruction and intervention

• Title 1 staff screened students in K-5 for dyslexia tendencies and provided high quality intervention instruction to those who qualified.
  

#3 Implement Phonics Curriculum with Fidelity K-3 (RGR)

• All staff in grades K-3 completed training on the phonics program and used the materials with fidelity.
  

#4 Continue to increase math rigor throughout the school year.

• Teacher teams met to align goals that focused on common vocabulary, in-depth problem solving and communication of process.
  

#5 Initiate SAIL initiatives:

• The new SAIL teams worked hard on specific initiatives for all students including positive culture, family and community outreach, SAIL clubs for students, and cultural diversity.
  

#6 Collaboration with community and families included reading / math night, presentations from the following organizations: cub scouts, 4H, police and fire department, non-profit charities, local libraries and nature preserves.

• Students expanded leadership roles to mentor younger students, host visitors and provide tours of our building, and present projects during SAIL meetings.
  

2023-24 High School Goals Recap

#1. Build relationships with the staff and listen and learn what makes New Riegel a great school district.

• Throughout the school year I met with teachers both formally and informally and listened to their ideas and concerns.
  

#2 Successfully implemented PBIS in middle school with the new junior leadership program.

• Weekly lessons were held with staff rotating to plan them. Next year, a curriculum will be provided and students will be grouped across grade levels based on student feedback.
  

#3 Utilize advisory roles and times in the high school to increase student and staff  engagement. 

• We will start the 2024-2025 school year with all advisory positions filled and have a calendar in place to assist with community service and school events to spread activities throughout the year. 
  

#4 Begin developing career readiness opportunities for high school students to increase their preparedness for the world after high school.

• Our students attend many new opportunities this year, participating in career fairs in Seneca County, virtual reality experiences and business and industry visits 
  

Student Activities

• We ended the year with the inaugural Jacket Jamboree planned by Jacket Leadership.  The highlights were the dunk tank, inflatables and dodgeball tournament which helped the Class of 2024 win the Sailor Cup for the year.  Jacket Leadership also planned activities in the building for the underclassman the last afternoon of the school year.

• The Class of 2024 had their traditional campout in the parking lot on May 15th. They roasted marshmallows, played games and spent the night.  Officer Morris was on campus to assist with the event.  The next morning, they had graduation practice and a picnic in the shelter house before Jacket Jamboree

• The Junior class celebrated becoming Seniors with a parking lot breakfast and music on the last day of school.  They gathered for a class picture and informal planning session to start their senior year.
  

Curriculum and Instruction

• The Science of Reading is research, over time, from multiple fields of study using methods that confirm and disconfirm theories on how children best learn to read.  The research shows that teaching 5 foundational skills to students in a sequential manner is the best way to ensure reading success.  

• The five skills include phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension.  

• Our elementary staff has completed the first training on Science of Reading and are currently working on the second training and will complete before the 25/26 school year.

• We have upgraded our instructional materials for phonemic awareness, phonics and fluency last school year.  

• During the 24/25 school year, we will be piloting several programs to update our vocabulary and comprehension instruction.

• Staff collaborated to create summer learning activities for each grade level.  This is optional for students to complete over the summer with the goal of preventing the summer slide.  

• Activities include real world ideas that incorporate content skills such as reading, writing, math and science.  

• Activities are not worksheets or mundane tasks but instead helping to cook and discussing the importance of accurate measurements, observing wild-life in various habitats, completing science experiments etc.  

• Students who complete learning activities will be recognized in September and rewarded depending on the level of completion with a chalk party, ice cream party and water party.
  

Family / Community Events

• Our staff is working to plan another exciting kick off to the school year for Open House on August 19th from 5-7 pm.  We hope to build off of last year and offer even more fun activities for families.  Activities will include music, photo booth, face painting, Kona ice, games, magic and much more.

June Contract Approvals

1 Year

Toni Clouse - Aide

Coaching Contracts

Brad Zoeller and Josh Osborne - Co Cross Country Coaches  

Shelby Hemminger - 7th Grade Girls Basketball

Other Contracts

Nikkole Kleba - Summer School Grad Point Instructor