Submitted by 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 fourty-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.
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