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| Take a stand: It's not OK |
| Posted 10/28/2010 at 9:54:01 AM by Scott McKenzie [staff member] |
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They’re on the news, in our papers and the topic of water cooler conversation from here to there.
Bullies.
A sad rash of incidents across the nation is drawing our attention daily to their egregious behavior.
Unfortunately, bullies have been around longer than the one-room schoolhouse. Yet that does not mean we tolerate their actions.
In the Groveport Madison Schools we take bullying very seriously. Our student handbook, “Guide to Positive Student Behavior,” explicitly states bullying is prohibited on school property or at a school-sponsored event and is not condoned if it happens online or by texting (see page 19).
Students are required to acknowledge our policy and are asked to sign and return at the beginning of each school year a form that includes their parent’s signature.
Bullying is a learned behavior and intentional. It’s a struggle of power and intimidation and by definition involves repetition.
It’s not easy for children to talk about bullying because of fear of retaliation, but I encourage you try. The impact is serious.
Warning signs include:
- Lower self-esteem
- Feelings of fear
- School phobia and absenteeism
- Nightmares and sleeplessness
- Depression and anxiety
- Thoughts of suicide
If your child exhibits these behaviors, talk with us or your child’s doctor. We must work together.
The more we bring the intolerable behavior to the forefront, the better we are able to help protect those who become the targets. |
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| Let the countdown begin |
| Posted 10/26/2010 at 7:47:20 AM by Scott McKenzie [staff member] |
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There’s just about a week to go before Election Day.
Next Tuesday voters will go to the polls to cast their ballots. Issue 7 will appear before them.
Issue 7 is a bond measure that, if passed, will bring eight new buildings to Groveport Madison Schools.
Many of our schools are crowded and inefficient.
The need is great. The time is now. We’re building for our future.
We are serving more than 5,800 children a day in some buildings that were built before 1969, with the exception of our middle schools which opened in 1975. The high school, designed for 900 students, houses more than 1,300 students this year.
These new schools could do more to level the playing field than almost any other single factor. Similar districts such as Hamilton Local, Whitehall, Reynoldsburg and Canal Winchester -- even the larger systems around the county -- have new or newly renovated schools that meet the needs of children now in this technologically advanced era.
I not only deeply believe that your children deserve such facilities; they have an educational right to modern, up-to-date schools. The need is great!
Be sure to get all the facts about Issue 7.
- Click on the “Bond Issue” link on the menu to the left.
- Watch famed NFL and Buckeye football great Eddie George’s endorsement of Issue 7.
- Get questions answered by emailing the Groveport Madison Committee for Better Schools at issue7@gmail.com.
Cast your vote.
- Ask a neighbor for a ride, if transportation is an issue.
- Swap kids with a friend if childcare is a concern.
- Pack a brown bag and head to the ballot box during your lunch break, if time is of the essence.
Polls are open from 6:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m. Check the Franklin County Board of Elections website to ensure you know where to vote.
The need is great. The time is now. We’re building for our future. |
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| In the words of Eddie George |
| Posted 10/21/2010 at 2:46:46 PM by Scott McKenzie [staff member] |
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In less than two short weeks, voters will set the course of the future for Groveport Madison Schools.
On Nov. 2 residents will cast their votes for Issue 7, a bond measure, that if passed, would bring the district eight new schools in accordance with our Master Facilities Plan developed in conjunction with school officials, the Board of Education and community members.
Why Issue 7?
In Groveport Madison, we are serving more than 5,800 children a day in buildings that were built before 1969, with the exception of our middle schools which opened in 1975.
Our existing schools are outdated and overcrowded. The high school, designed for 900 students, houses more than 1,300 students this year.
New schools will provide environments that improve health and safety, reduce maintenance costs and enhance academic performances by providing things like better air exchange, acoustics and lighting.
The Ohio School Facilities Commission, which will fund close to half the cost if Issue 7 passes, has recommended new buildings instead of renovating the old ones. Taxpayers would pay for 57 percent of the construction to help move the district into the future.
In the words of Eddie George, famed NFL and Ohio State football player who paid a visit to the district last week, Issue 7 is a look ahead. He said:
“You have to create these places where kids can dream big. You have to build facilities that kids can be inspired to feel good about, that will enable them to think beyond their wildest dreams.
"When you make this decision on Issue 7, think of it in terms of your return on investment. It is a long-term investment for these kids. That’s in essence what you’re doing. You’re building for the future.” |
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| Take a hike |
| Posted 10/19/2010 at 8:10:49 AM by Scott McKenzie [staff member] |
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Fall has finally settled upon us after a late -- and record hot -- Indian Summer.
The air is crisper, the days are shorter and the leaves are showing their golden oranges and vibrant reds. It’s time to get outside and take a hike.
Fortunately, the options in Central Ohio are endless, and a gem, Three Creeks Metro Park, is right here in our neck of the woods at 3860 Bixby Road.
The parks gets its name from the confluence of the Alum, Big Walnut and Blacklick creeks and boasts more than 1,000 acres of green space. For my fellow outdoor enthusiasts, there are about 15 miles of trails that wind through forests, wetlands and prairies.
The entire Metro Park system is a fantastic community and educational resource. Experts are always on hand to come to our schools to talk with our students, and the facilities are a favorite spot for field trip excursions.
Even better, the parks offer an endless amount of programs and are open year-round for families to explore.
A perennial favorite this time of year is Wednesday’s “Howl at the Moon” walk, when folks gather at 6:30 p.m. and take a 3-mile moonlit hike with the naturalist and her dog. The “Not So Spooky Campfire” on Saturday, Oct. 30 might be a better option for those who may be a bit too timid for a Hallow’s Eve visit to a haunted forest.
Go ahead, grab your boots and take a hike. There’s nothing like the crunch of those leaves under your feet. |
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| Making the most out of tomorrow |
| Posted 10/15/2010 at 4:01:18 PM by James Peters [System User] |
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The change of seasons often brings folks an air of nostalgia. For me, it’s the Columbus Marathon.
Thousands of runners will take to the streets this weekend in Columbus. While I have completed about a dozen marathons, I will not be among those striving to cross the finish line after the 26.2-mile “excursion” on Sunday.
I haven’t trained for a marathon since becoming the Superintendent of Groveport Madison Schools four years ago, but I do find time to run every other day at least.
I am a firm believer that a healthy body nourishes a healthy mind, something I hope I have taught my children along the way. A new point of focus for the Groveport Madison Schools Board of Education, it’s also a philosophy we hope to impart to yours.
The research is staggering. Study after study shows the waistlines of our nation’s children are expanding. Today nearly one in every three children is overweight and, for the first time in recorded-history, these children could be the first generation to have a shorter life expectancy than ours, their parents.
To make the correlation to school, the data show in general, the fitter a child the better the performance on tests and exams. Concentration levels and attention span also tend to be better. Children who are overweight children tend to miss school 4 times as much as normal weight kids.
I am not asking everyone to strap on a pair of running shoes and start pounding the pavement. There are plenty of activities, organized or not, that will get folks moving. Talk with your children and pick one of these activities to get started:
- Walk to school
- Visit a metro park
- Take an evening stroll
- Go on a bike ride
- Encourage participation in a sport at school
If we do not make a change with our children today, tomorrow could be much shorter.
For more information, please see:
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| A night to remember |
| Posted 10/13/2010 at 10:56:35 AM by Scott McKenzie [staff member] |
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When it comes to football, the nation’s eyes will be on the Buckeyes this weekend now that the team has claimed the country’s top spot.
And when it comes to Groveport Madison Schools all eyes will be on former Buckeye great, Heisman trophy winner and NFL All-Pro Eddie George as he pays a visit to us this evening.
George is the featured speaker at the Issue 7 kick-off rally at 7 p.m. tonight in the high school’s auditorium. The event is hosted the by Groveport Madison Committee for Better Schools.
Issue 7, if passed by voters on Nov. 2, will bring eight new schools to the district, replacing our outdated buildings in accordance with the Master Facilities Plan that was compiled by school officials, the Board of Education and community members.
We’re fortunate to have such a famed guest join us. Education is dear to Eddie’s heart and he’s likely to deliver a message many are sure to remember. Please join us at 7 p.m. tonight at Groveport Madison High School, 4475 S. Hamilton Road in Groveport.
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| Thanks Eddie George |
| Posted 10/14/2010 at 6:57:55 AM by [anonymous visitor] |
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| All the speakers did a wonderful job. I am particularly impressed that someone of Mr. George's fame was able to take time and share his thoughts with us. He asked that we give our children places to "Dream Big" and the we treat the passage of the bond as a way to get a substantial return on our investment. Thank you to everyone who was able to join us last evening. Go Cruisers! (Aric Thomas, Principal GMHS) |
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| Go ahead, get involved |
| Posted 10/11/2010 at 9:28:55 AM by Scott McKenzie [staff member] |
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| It’s a busy one in the district this week– even with two scheduled days off. Parent-teacher conferences are underway and continue with meetings scheduled at Middle School North. Dunloe, Sedalia and the Junior High will all host PTO meetings this week and Groveport Elementary will hold a gathering tonight for Room Parents. The Groveport Madison Committee for Better Schools is gearing up for its Issue 7 rally on Wednesday. The program featuring football-great Eddie George is set to begin at 7 p.m. in the Groveport High School Auditorium.
Our parents are at the core of each and every one of these events – and this is key. Scores of studies point to the positive correlation between parental involvement and student achievement. The results show time and time again, the more a parent is involved in his or her child’s education, the more the child is likely to: - Perform better in class
- Attend school regularly
- Score higher on assessments, tests and other diagnostics
- Adapt to and excel in their school environment
- Complete homework and other assignments at home
- Graduate
As the saying goes: We reap what we sow. So, go ahead, get involved. Your child will see the benefit. We sure do. |
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| Eddie George to come knocking on our doors |
| Posted 10/8/2010 at 6:46:30 AM by Scott McKenzie [staff member] |
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Join me this Wednesday, Oct. 13 and help me host one of the most talented and popular figures in all of Central Ohio.
Heisman trophy winner, Ohio State University football standout and former NFL All-Pro Eddie George will be with us to will help the Groveport Madison Committee for Better Schools kick-off the Issue 7 campaign rally at 7 p.m. in the high school’s auditorium.
Eddie, who played for the Tennessee Titans until 2003 after leaving our famed Buckeyes, will be joined by the Groveport Madison High School band and a choir from one of our elementary schools. He will autograph six footballs and raffle them at the event.
Such support from a local celebrity like Eddie George speaks volumes for Groveport Madison Schools and, on a grander scale, education, which he takes quite seriously. Many people may not know Eddie recently earned his MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in Chicago.
An advocate of developing environments that promote healthy lifestyles, Eddie understands the needs facing our district. He shares our beliefs that up-to-date facilities play a vital role in student achievement. He wants to be a part of the Issue 7 rally so he can give his voice to a cause that would allow our children to learn and excel in settings built for today’s academic expectations.
Issue 7 will appear before voters on the Nov. 2 ballot. If approved, it would bring eight new buildings to the district in accordance with our Master Facilities Plan which was developed in conjunction with school officials, the Board of Education and community members.
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| Healthy bodies beget healthy minds |
| Posted 10/6/2010 at 10:25:19 AM by Scott McKenzie [staff member] |
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As I pledge to share information with you about educational trends and children and families, I also will share stories that hit the gut.
This one, as told by a colleague, is in the vein of health and wellness. It’s a topic of personal interest to me, a long-time avid runner, and one the Groveport Madison Board of Education has requested we bring to the forefront in our community.
So, here it is, a story that speaks to our nation’s crisis of ballooning rates of obesity and children who need to know how to make healthy choices:
I was prepping dinner for the family while my 9-year-old daughter, Bella, and her neighborhood friend, also 9, watched. They were belly-up to the counter eating a snack. I was dicing raw chicken for a stir-fry recipe my children devour. Between bites, the friend asked, "What's that?"
"What's what," I said, scanning the countertop to find something that might be unrecognizable to a fourth-grader.
"That ... ," she said, nodding toward my hands.
I looked at the cutting board, to the chopped broccoli to my right and then to the cookbook next to me. I didn't know what the girl was pointing to, so I asked again, confused.
“What's what?,” I repeated.
"That ... ," she said again more adamantly, still looking at the cutting board.
I was slicing a chicken breast.
“This?,” I asked, perplexed, touching the chicken.
"Ye-ess," she said, relieved.
"This?," I said again in disbelief.
"Uh-huh," she said.
"It's chicken. It's a raw chicken breast."
"Oh... I have never seen that before. I don't eat chicken like that. I don't like chicken."
"You don't like chicken?," my daughter asked.
"Nope."
"Yes, you do. You like chicken nuggets, don't you?"
"Well, yeah ...," said the friend.
"That's chicken ... well, sort of," my daughter said.
Food for thought. What do you think? |
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| Tomorrow is a big day |
| Posted 10/4/2010 at 4:02:06 PM by James Peters [System User] |
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Several hundred Groveport Madison third-graders will take the reading portion of the Ohio Achievement Assessment, also know as the OAA.
The OAAs are given to students in a variety of subjects in third through eighth grades; the statewide testing ends in high school with the Ohio Graduation Test. The resulting
scores are one of the yardsticks by which our district is measured. We fared well on the state’s Local Report Card this past year, earning an “effective” rating, what many liken to
a “B.”
None of this will matter tomorrow to the minds of our third-graders, mostly 8 and 9 years old. Nor should it. They will go to school just as they normally do. The “test” will seem to
them just as any other quiet classroom activity.
It is, however, a big day for the teachers who have worked with these youngsters for weeks. It’s a big day for our curriculum and professional development staff who have
identified and helped implement best practices in the classrooms to enhance learning.
Our parents are our biggest allies on days like tomorrow. Be sure to send your children well-rested and well-fed (or ready for breakfast at school). Here are some resources from the Ohio Department of Education that will answer your questions about the OAA and help you help your children with the
“tests.” I have also been saving this Frequently Asked Questions document for some time to share with folks. It's from another Central Ohio school district and is one of the best I have seen in explaining the ins and out of the Third Grade Ohio Achievement Assessments.
What are your thoughts about the state’s tests? What other questions do you have I can address? |
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| Dear My Third Grader Succeeded! |
| Posted 2/23/2011 at 10:05:39 AM by Scott McKenzie [staff member] |
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| Thank you for sharing such wonderful news! Thank you, too, for being an involved and concerned parent. You are teaching important life lessons to be sure. Again, thank you for reporting in. This is great news! -- Scott |
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| My Third Grader Succeeded! |
| Posted 2/17/2011 at 7:40:20 AM by [anonymous visitor] |
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| I was the first to reply to your first blog and now I am here to report.
My third grader at Asbury Elementary School succeeded in ALL areas of the OAA test! I knew she would do well but she did even better than I expected. A big THANK YOU goes to the staff at Asbury Elementary for all of their hard work, dedication, reassurance, and positive influence! Although the test is a stressful thing for students, teachers and parents, I think that we all pulled through it and survived. We have a little more time before we do it again with the spring testing...
This time, I won't be so worried. |
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| To: Aaron England |
| Posted 10/8/2010 at 8:43:03 AM by [anonymous visitor] |
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| The Groveport Madison Alumni Association paid for and donated the flags to the high school. Our custodian, Kenny Devour, spent many hours putting them up in every classroom. We are proud to have them up! (Aric Thomas-Principal) |
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| Great Job! |
| Posted 10/6/2010 at 7:48:04 AM by [anonymous visitor] |
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| I am a third grade teacher in Groveport. Our students did a FANTASTIC job yesterday staying focused and working hard on the O.A.A. As a teacher I always encourage my students to simply do their personal best. I told them that if they did their personal best then I would do my personal best to prepare them for the test again in May. We made a classroom agreement and I told them that even though it is a "test" it is not something I will grade but whatever they can do on the test will help our school and learning goals. I am very proud of our students across the district! It is a hard thing to do at this age but they can do it with our support! |
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| Nerves |
| Posted 10/5/2010 at 7:58:17 AM by Scott McKenzie [staff member] |
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| Thanks for the reply, and for being the first to share in this new forum. It is not uncommon for some students to feel some anxiety about taking tests; this is normal and can even provide a source of focus for some. I am confident our third-graders will do well today, and I am pleased to hear your daughter is talking with you about it at home. I trust she has even shared some of her thoughts with her teacher. I encourage you to also talk with the teacher, as she may be able to share some tips and techniques that will help her assuage some of the concerns. You can help your daughter to think of the test as just one opportunity to show whats she knows and remind her that it is one measurement of her learning. Also, if it's not too late and she hasn't headed off to school this morning, teach her how to close her eyes and take a few deep breathes before she begins. Thanks again for your reply. -- Scott McKenzie |
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| True Pride |
| Posted 10/5/2010 at 7:47:57 AM by [anonymous visitor] |
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| After all of the work that was put in to ensure the Pledge of Allegiance was said at the Groveport-Madison High School, there were still NUMEROUS classrooms without American flags at the end of the 2009-10' school year. This past week I visited and while there, I noticed that now every room at GMHS has a flag hanging proud. I would like to thank whoever is responsible for this, It truly means a lot to me.
I would also like to encourage students to take on a larger role in the district wherever possible. It was Groveport Madison school board member Nancy Gillespie who said "We need our students to tell us what they need to succeed, and where our schools are weak."
And to the Groveport-Madison Local School District Staff/Students/Faculty,
Have an outstanding 2010-2011 school year!
GO CRUISERS!!
-Aaron J. England (Former School Board Candidate, 2010 Graduate) |
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| My 3rd grader is nervous! |
| Posted 10/4/2010 at 7:53:24 AM by [anonymous visitor] |
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| I read your blog with interest because I have a 3rd grader at Asbury Elementary. I find it interesting that you claim that it will be another normal day for them. My daughter has been coming home for the past 2 weeks talking about the OAA and how important it is. She feels the pressure to do well on it or it will reflect poorly on her. She is above average and cares about doing the best work she can in the classroom.
I don't think the teacher meant to push the class so hard to do well, she probably was trying to encourage them to do their best. In any case, my 8 year old knows that tomorrow is NOT just another routine day. She KNOWS that the OAA is important.
I feel confident in her ability to do well but I worry about others who may lack self esteem, poor testing skills, or those who are behind in reading levels. I hope they don't break under the pressure! |
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