Items to Note: January 2022
January is School Board Recognition Month
Board President: Elizabeth Kummerer
Vice President: Jeff Hohman
Board Member: Rodney Biggert
Board Member: Angel Bodart
Board Member: Jaclyn Schalk
Calendar
- An official agenda item will be on February’s agenda.
- A question came up regarding the change back to ending the semester in December. With our CCP courses ending in December and starting a new semester in January, it would be beneficial to coincide with BGSU and Findlay.
Mobile Dental Clinic
- The district held a mobile dental clinic for the first week in January. 17 students attended the clinic at no cost to the district or the students. Health Partners of Western Ohio sponsored the clinic.
Health Department
- We received updated quarantine information from the local health department and I have shared it with the community and have placed additional resources on the school’s COVID19 folder on the front page of the website. An additional item was created for a quick guide for parents to use from the Seneca County Health Department
The treasurer search: Update from a nearby district
The following timeline was used:
- Advertised at the end of May (we did not use OSBA, K-12 or any other organization)
- Interviewed in July
- Board issued two contracts in August - one for Assistant Treasurer from September - December 31st, the second for Treasurer beginning January 1st.
- The Assistant Treasurer's position was created so that the incoming Treasurer could train alongside the Treasurer and learn the daily tasks of the position.
- With being a four-month training we were able to go over daily, monthly and quarterly procedures. This helps to fulfill the requirements of the new Certificate of Transition requirements as set forth by the Ohio Revised Code (117.171 and 3313.28). The Assistant Treasurer position will then be eliminated once the transition takes place.
Professional Day – January 14 Elementary
- Teachers will be provided professional development on the topics of Envision Math Series, OST Data Analysis, SAIL (Safe, Achieve, In Charge of Me, Lead) and required annual training on restraint and seclusion. Teachers will be completing quarterly assessments.
Winter NWEA testing will take place from January 10th - January 28th.
- Students in grades K-5 will take the Math and English Language Arts Assessments.
- These assist teachers in making educational decisions in the classroom and monitor progress throughout the school year.
New Riegel 4th graders have been selected by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) on 1/25/22.
- Tests will be given to students for either Math or Reading. The results are released as The Nation’s Report Card, which provides information about student achievement to educators, parents, policymakers, and the public.
- The parents of these students will receive notification of this assessment on January 18th via one call.
- These are required by the federal government, but parents can opt out.
- 4th graders will test either Math or ELA from 8:30-10:00 am. Students’ results will not be shared with the district but will be part of the national statistics for Elementary academic achievement.
1/14/22 PD Day #2 will consist of analysis of Spring OST released items. Teachers will analyze strengths and weaknesses of students’ performance on standards for Math and ELA, then review past questions to determine depth of knowledge and instructional decisions. Teachers will begin to add to a scope and sequence of academic vocabulary for K-5.
The ABC will be sponsoring a mother/son event on Sunday, January 16th from 4-6 pm in the Auditeria. Guests will participate in a minute to win it challenge and enjoy pizza and drinks.
The SAIL Community Group will be inviting community members to share information regarding their careers with Elementary students during a regular SAIL meeting on 3/21 from 830-930 am and will take place in the gym.
Teachers have established S.A.I.L. clubs for students to participate in once a month. Students were surveyed and chose content in which they were interested. The date of the 1st club will be February 28th during 2nd period.
Music Trip to Chicago is now changed to Memphis, Tennessee
- Chicago trip that was planned will be cancelled due to the vaccine mandated by the city of Chicago. All itinerary visits require a vaccination verification for entry.
Course Guidebook
- The course guidebook has been updated in regards to dates and current graduation requirements.
Other changes include:
- Information about the weighting of our CCP courses and the associated 5.0 GPA scale has been included on pages 4-6. These changes will apply to the class of 2025 and beyond.
- New CCP courses from BGSU have been added in the subject of History on page 46. Not all four courses will run, however. The two most popular courses based on student requests (juniors or seniors) will be offered for the 2022-2023 school year.
- Information about the Clay Target Team and Esports has been added to the Student Activities section on page 49.
Wrapping Up the First Semester
- Final exams will take place on Wednesday and Thursday the week of January 10.
- Student grades will be finalized Tuesday, January 18, and grade cards will be sent out later that week.
Senior Class Trip
- The cost is approximately $920 per student, not including food or travel to and from the airport. This is based on at least 35 seniors going on the trip.
- Insurance for the trip – Travel insurance that would protect against losses in the event the trip would need to be canceled for any reason including Covid would cost approximately $95 per student and $140 per adult chaperone.
Athletics
SBC
- The bimonthly Executive Council meeting is Wednesday, January 19.
Public Participation
- Topics brought to the board’s attention should be listened to, but should not necessarily be addressed by administration or the board during the evening’s session.
- A follow up should be provided by administration or the board depending on the topic.
- We should encourage the public to reach out to the school administration on concerns they might have and if they are unsatisfied with the response of the school, then should be brought to the board meeting.
WHAT ARE THE DUTIES OF THE BOARD?
The Board of Education is the policy-making body of the school district. The policies which it establishes are executed by the administration and faculty/staff of the district.
WHEN CAN THE BOARD HOLD AN EXECUTIVE SESSION?
All regular meetings of the Board are open to the public. Closed, executive sessions may be held to consider the following topics: personnel matters, the purchase or sale of property, imminent court action, negotiations, security arrangements, legal matters and items which are confidential under federal law (Section 121.22 Ohio Revised Code).
HOW CAN MATTERS OF CONCERN BE BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION?
Residents of the community may bring an issue to the attention of the Board of Education by email. Questions of inquiry or statements of concern may also be addressed to any district and/or building administrator.
HEARING OF PUBLIC REQUESTS GUIDELINES
Board meetings are held for the purpose of conducting the business of the schools and therefore are not public meetings, but meetings held in public. There are three types of Board meetings: regular, special and emergency.
All regular meetings of the Board shall be open to the public. The Board desires to hear the viewpoints of citizens, students, and employees and shall schedule time at the opening of all regular meetings for them to be heard. Because of the nature of special and emergency meetings, these meetings normally will not be open to public participation unless a majority of the board votes to include public participation.
The Board maintains a Sign-In Sheet for all visitors to sign as they enter the Board Meeting Room. Speakers must sign the register.
For the Board of Education to fulfill its obligation to complete the planned agenda in an effective and efficient manner, a maximum of thirty (30) minutes of public comment may be permitted. All presentations must be done in an orderly fashion and must not impede the meeting either before, during or after presentations.
1. Any individual desiring to speak shall give his/her name, address, and group, if any, that is represented.
2. The presentation should be as brief as possible. Unless an extension of time is granted, each speaker shall be limited to three (3) minutes until the total time of thirty (30) minutes is used.
3. If there are numerous requests to address the same topic, the president may select representatives to speak to each side of the issue. The Board has the right to overrule the president by a majority vote.
4. The Board will not hear personal complaints about school personnel nor against any person associated with the school system. Other means are provided for Board consideration and disposition of legitimate complaints involving individuals.
5. Recognition of individuals who are not citizens of the district is to be determined by a majority vote of the Board.
6. Members of the Board and the superintendent may have the privilege of asking questions of any person who addresses the Board.
7. The Board grants its president authority to terminate remarks of any individual when they do not adhere to the rules above.
Members of the public will not be recognized by the president as the Board conducts its official business, except when the Board schedules, in advance, an interim public discussion period on a particular agenda item.
THE SCHOOL IS YOURS
The New Riegel Local School District is governed by the laws of the United States, the State of Ohio, and by policies established by the local Board of Education. Many of the policies and procedures that directly concern you and your children are adopted locally by the Board of Education. We encourage you to follow the proper chain of command when addressing issues that you have with the school district.