Through the Classroom Door: September 2011
Scott McKenzie's Blog Page
We can't stop now
Posted 9/29/2011 at 8:46:44 AM by Scott McKenzie [staff member]
When you have a good thing going, you’ll do what it takes to keep moving.
That’s just what our Board of Education is setting in motion by identifying key areas of importance. The members recently adopted a resolution that stipulates how funds generated from a proposed operating levy -- Issue 16 -- would be used in our district upon voter approval.
Groveport Madison Schools were rated “Excellent” for the first time ever this year by the State of Ohio. The Board is committed to accelerating the strides made by staff and students as they have worked together with parents and community members to overcome challenges to make such progress.
Close to 1,000 of the district’s 5,800 students have exceptional learning needs or speak English as a second language. Approximately 60 percent of our children are eligible for free and reduced lunch.
Issue 16 will appear on the Nov. 8 ballot. The request is to renew the existing 9.31-mill levy on the books that is currently being collected. It is coupled with a small increase of 4.73 mills.
In total, Issue 16, will cost an additional $12 per month per $100,000 in property value. For the district, Issue 16 generates an additional $4.1 million a year to maintain existing programs and set in place the structure to continue our significant progress. Of those additional funds, $3 million will be used to make up the gap that the loss of state revenue caused at the end of last school year.
The remaining amount ($1.1 million) was earmarked by a Board of Education Proclamation, to ensure funds will be expended prudently in direct benefit of parents and students. After maintaining current staffing and programming, the pledge allocates the following resources:
- Maintain and Improve Aging Facilities, $260,000: Replace educational equipment such as desks and chairs, as well as, to reach ADA compliance, and to fund safety improvements.
- Increase Technology, $300,000: Replace outdated computers and purchase additional computers to enable the district’s students to tap into the online academic resources within the district, as well as, make educational connections worldwide.
- Purchase Textbooks, $240,000: Provides parents and students with updated textbooks and makes available affordable online and distance alternative learning opportunities as well as supplementing or expanding early learning and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) opportunities.
- Eliminate Yearly Student Academic Fees, $150,000: Supports our families on limited budgets by absorbing the annual fee for direct instructional costs of consumable materials, and supplies.
- Create a Rainy Day Fund, $150,000: Utilize a Reserve Fund only when the Board of Education deems expenditure(s) as an emergency and are incorporated into the annual budget.
The District has been vigilant in evaluating the effectiveness of its programming and services, and our responsible academic and fiscal planning have set the stage for our accomplishments. We can’t stop now.
Nothing can stop us
Posted 9/26/2011 at 8:23:03 AM by Scott McKenzie [staff member]
It's that time of the year when the thrill of the open road puts a little hop in my step.
My son Matt (who lives in Washington, D.C.) and I are training for the Columbus Half Marathon. It will be my first long-distance race in over six years and I can't wait for the Oct. 16 event.
I'm inspired to hit the pavement each day because of our district's collective commitment to wellness. Our Board asked us to make a concerted effort to share -- and embody -- the advantages of healthful living.
The benefits of exercise are profound. Folks who are physically active are better able to control their weight, usually experience less stress and show higher abilities of focus and concentration.
The impact in children is similar and those who are regularly active often show higher levels of academic performance. Research shows overweight children have a tendency to underperform compared to their healthier peers, are absent more often and are more likely to have lower self esteem.
Our schools have worked hard to develop programs for our students that encourage physical activity. Sedalia Elementary, just as an example, was one of the top 20 schools in the state to be acknowledged for its efforts of challenging kids to exercise.
It is safe to say, the energy is contagious and this year our staff have also formed groups to push each other to make healthful choices.
The district is gathering a team of people to participate in the annual Autism Walk on Oct. 9 and I host a “Super Walk” in Cruiser Stadium at 9 a.m. the second Saturday of each month (next up Oct. 8) with the support of staff. Students, parents and community members alike are encouraged to join us for either or both activities.
It’s obvious this bug caught me a long time ago. But, it is not too late for you to catch the spirit, too!
Telling a story one vote at a time
Posted 9/22/2011 at 8:04:36 AM by Scott McKenzie [staff member]
You have a chance to write the story of Groveport Madison Schools during one of the district's most exciting times.
What an opportunity!
The fate of our immediate future will be told as Election Day unfolds. You will play a pivotal role as you employ your right to vote, an undeniably powerful privilege.
The time is now! Groveport Madison was just rated by the state of Ohio as “Excellent” -- a FIRST in the district’s proud history.
Every votes counts on Nov. 8... every last one. Will you be heard?
Voting is a privilege. It is also a responsibility.
We have almost 6,000 students and 550 staff members who count on you to exercise this right. Your voice will dictate what lies ahead for all of them.
The Groveport Madison Schools Board of Education and I are asking you -- our community -- make sure you get out and vote.
It's critical you:
- Ensure you are registered.
- Know where to vote.
- Make an Election Day promise to get to the polls.
- Vote absentee if there's a doubt in your mind your schedule will be an obstacle.
- Learn the facts about Issue 16.
The way I look at Issue 16 is that it isn't about more taxes. It isn't about surplus. Issue 16 is all about about maintaining the excellence in our schools.
Issue 16:
- Keeps exemplary programs in tact.
- Eliminates the academic fees that parents pay at the beginning of the school year.
- Maintains current staffing levels.
- Enables our district’s continued academic progress.
- Allows for modest adjustments in expenses such as gasoline, paper supplies, custodial supplies and energy costs.
- Costs a homeowner about $12 additional per month per $100,000 valuation.
My challenge to you is: Be a part of this story. It’s a powerful one to tell!
What would you do?
Posted 9/19/2011 at 7:57:11 AM by Scott McKenzie [staff member]
Some people wonder what they might do if faced with life-altering adversity.
I know I have. Would I crumble under pressure or rise to the occasion?
I’d hope the latter ...
It’s what Groveport Madison High School teacher Kristine Ensign has done.
In February 2010, Kris was diagnosed with cancer. To make matters worse, doctors told her she was sick with a very rare, very aggressive form of cancer called angiosarcoma, which typically attacks the skin.
An accounting teacher, Kris has been with the Groveport Madison family for 12 years. She travels to the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston because angiosarcoma experts are so scarce.
It doesn’t stop her, even when she missed nearly a half a year of school when she was diagnosed. Her chemotherapy treatments are administered through Ohio State’s cancer team.
When Kris couldn’t be at school during this fall’s Open House because of a doctor’s visits, she turned to Skype to talk with the parents. She shares her email address and uses a classroom website to post detailed assignments so expectations aren’t lost in the shuffle when she does miss school.
She’s got a great attitude.
Her treatments have made her hair fall out, knocked her down with nausea and kept her home from school more than she would like.
Still, she rarely skips a beat... even when she found out this summer the cancer spread.
A few days ago a student brought her a T-shirt that says “Cancer Sucks,” the trademarked slogan of Choose Hope, an organization that raises money for cancer research.
“I can’t hide it,” she said. “I think it is good for the kids to see me working everyday, trying to get through it. I don’t know what’s going to happen. I try to show them a positive attitude. A lot of them have bad experiences with cancer.”
Her words are humbling, and Kris is using her craft to teach more than numbers and the principles of accounting. She is showing all of us how to seize opportunity so we know how to forge ahead just like her.
Reply Posts
You are so kind ...
Posted 9/22/2011 at 8:07:50 AM by Scott McKenzie [staff member]
Thank you so much, Kate. We are blessed to have Kris as a part of the Groveport Madison family
Kris Ensign
Posted 9/21/2011 at 8:06:45 AM by [anonymous visitor]
What a beautiful post about Kris. I do not know her, but am good friends with her sister in Toledo and have been following her struggle. I am also a teacher and know what kind of strain her absences could be on your school system. But you chose to look at the positives about the situation and obviously are giving her the support she needs. Thank you!
Kate Hunyor
teacher, Ottawa Hills High School
Library helps open minds and doors
Posted 9/15/2011 at 8:46:44 AM by Scott McKenzie [staff member]
A book in the hands of a child gives way to so many possibilities.... literally and figuratively.
An open book is an open mind, as the saying goes.
In my world, research shows the stronger a student's reading skills, the better he or she will perform in school. The correlations are vast, from language development and comprehension to creative thinking and problem solving. Strong readers are typically even better in math and science precisely because of their ability to clearly understand the words and work before them.
The deep connection between literacy and student achievement is exactly why I’m proud the district has partnered with the Columbus Metropolitan Library and its efforts to encourage the development of emerging readers. It’s Ready to Read Corps is a one-of-a-kind force that works in at-risk communities to provide literacy skills and school readiness information.
The library’s program is tailored to parents and caregivers of newborns to children up to 5 years old. Part of the library’s strategic plan to focus on young minds from “cradle to car keys,” the initiative is widely successful. It continues to grow each year and can reach roughly 1,500 parents and 150 daycare centers annually.
Communities are identified for Ready to Read support in several ways. Assistance is based, in part, on an analysis of kindergarten reading assessment data provided by the Ohio Department of Education and need as determined by conversations with area school districts.
Each Ready to Read team has two literacy experts who meet one-on-one with families and daycare providers. The Corps members are loaded with tools and techniques and even hand out free “literacy kits” filled with books, foam letters, crayons, finger puppets and more.
The Ready to Read Corps takes its challenge to transform communities seriously and has created a revolutionary program. The team members will:
- Meet with folks in waiting rooms in medical centers, food pantries and retail establishments
- Demonstrate during special training sessions different ways parents can use books, songs and rhymes to encourage reading
- Train others in schools or agencies so they, in turn, can deliver the early literacy skills to parents affiliated with their district or organization
- Hold “at-home parties” where parents make connections with other parents to build supportive networks, a technique often found successful with non-native English speakers
Frankly, they seem to stop at nothing.
As the Ready to Read Corps open books and the minds of babies, toddlers and preschoolers, we’re privileged to be able to share with those children the exploration of the world before them for years to come.
Interest sparked in dynamic new program
Posted 9/12/2011 at 8:19:04 AM by Scott McKenzie [staff member]
There’s an explosion of interest in a powerful new initiative soon to be offered at Groveport Madison High School.
Staff is working hard to put the finishing touches on LeaderSpark, a program designed to enhance the leadership skills of youth through a special set of workshops. Staff are currently volunteering to facilitate the opportunity that will be available at the beginning of second semester.
LeaderSpark is a multi-cultural service-learning based curriculum that utilizes a proven leadership curriculum, practical topics, youth-driven discussions and hands-on interactive activities. The program began in Columbus in 1987 and has grown from 10 participants to more than 400 students since its inception almost 15 years ago.
At Groveport Madison, LeaderSpark will be offered after school to 25-35 students who will receive a ½ flex credit on their transcripts upon successful completion of more than 24 hours of training. The program comes to the district thanks to the help and guidance of our Family & Civic Engagement Team.
LeaderSpark focuses on the following areas:
- Qualities and styles of leadership
- Working with groups
- Planning projects
- Dealing with conflict
- Presentation of self
- Public speaking and interviewing
The high school’s staff is very excited to unveil LeaderSpark. Program coordinator Christine Boucher believes the service learning component -- which brings a “real world” link -- is the key factor in contributing to the growth of our students.
I’m also eager to watch the evolution LeaderSpark brings as our youth experience an explosion of opportunity as they become young adults.
Hometown bargain
Posted 9/8/2011 at 8:28:41 AM by Scott McKenzie [staff member]
Everybody loves a good deal, so here’s one for you.
For just $12 a month, about the cost of a medium pizza, you could help maintain the excellent education we deliver in our schools. That’s right, just $12.
Issue 16 will appear before voters Nov. 8. It was placed on the ballot by the Board of Education to make up for dollars lost at the state level.
The ballot measure is a renewal of the current levy on the books coupled with an additional 4.3 mills.
Indeed, these are tough times, but the Board is asking for your help to protect the investment in the district and community.
In all, we will face a $3-million deficit.
Groveport Madison’s state funding was cut by about $1.7 million as a result of budget reductions. In addition to that, a significant number of property tax delinquencies at the County Treasurer’s office nets a $1.3 million loss for the district.
So, here are the facts.
Issue 16:
- Generates an additional $4.1 million per year
- Keeps exemplary programs in tact, such as all-day kindergarten, literacy programs in all our buildings and advanced courses at the high school. And there are many other excellent programs in our district.
- Maintains current staffing levels and eliminates the need to cut instructional staff as we saw in the Canal Winchester and Pickerington schools this past year.
- Enables our district’s continued academic progress, helping us maintain the “Excellent” rating the our students earned on the state report card ... for the first time ever!
- Allows for modest adjustments in expenses such as gasoline, paper supplies, custodial supplies and energy costs
- Costs a homeowner about $12 additional per month per $100,000 valuation
Furthermore, Groveport Madison collects the second-lowest millage rate in Franklin County and sits well below the average rate of 44 mills. All of that, and we are a top-performing district with an excellent rating!
Please take time to educate yourself with the facts about Issue 16 -- and understand the impact your vote has on our district and investment in the community.
Go Cruisers!
P.S. Click here for Voter Registration information.
No stitting still here
Posted 9/6/2011 at 8:12:01 AM by Scott McKenzie [staff member]
With last year’s big push on student health and wellness, Groveport Madison staff members have renewed energy to get -- and stay -- in shape.
And there will be no sitting still here.
Spearheaded by a volunteer wellness committee, all buildings have been equipped with a solar-powered scale and body mass index reader. And, every staff member has a pedometer to measure just how many steps they take in a day.
The committee will organize special activities and incentive programs, as well as provide health screenings to participants. I firmly believe healthy teachers make happy teachers.
Exercise in general decreases stress hormones, provides distraction to needless worry, boosts energy, helps a person feel refreshed, improves overall health and even builds a resilience to stress.
Our district and Board of Education made a commitment during the 2010-11 school year to share information with and provide activities for our students and families that can help them live healthier lifestyles. This Saturday’s Walk with the Super is just one example of practicing what we preach. So, join me at 9 a.m. this Saturday, Sept. 10 in Cruiser Stadium to walk a mile with the Superintendent.
Not only does exercise alleviate anxiety, it opens the mind and allows one to think more clearly. It also improves concentration and memory. So, naturally, in this field of mine of preparing students, I see exercise as an opportunity to help increase performance in school for both students and staff.
National research on student achievement underscores the direct relationship between healthy children and performance in school. Exercise also helps combat the growing severity of childhood obesity, which can topple a child’s academic potential due to health-related absenteeism, poor self-esteem and difficulty focusing.
Exercise builds sharp minds all around ... As far as I’m concerned that’s a heavyweight factor when we’re in the business of shaping minds for the future.
A guide in hand
Posted 9/1/2011 at 8:35:40 AM by Scott McKenzie [staff member]
With nearly two weeks of school under the belt, parents can turn to the student handbook to iron out any last wrinkles when it comes to daily expectations.
The handbook outlines in detail the behavior our staff and faculty expect from our students.
The education of a child is a partnership between the family and school system. We are committed to doing our very best and want to provide students and their parents with the tools that will help make school a positive experience.
The 2011-12 year can be wonderfully successful if we work together. The Groveport Madison Guide to Positive Student Behavior is intended to provide a resource for some of the basic information you and your child will need during the school year.
The Guide is designed in harmony with board policy and the Student Code of Conduct. We update the manual annually to be sure it is relevant and reflective of our daily atmosphere.
Pay special attention to the Dress Code (p. 17) and Wireless Communication Devices (p. 23) sections. As a whole, these rules are violated more often than others and the impact can be significant.
Students who are dressed inappropriately or use their phones cause interruptions to the focus of the day and instruction. Teachers have to stop classroom activities and administrators and office personnel are pulled away from their work to reinforce expectations students should clearly understand.
Guidelines are placed intentionally to create the best academic environment for all students. We want to minimize distraction, increase learning opportunities and give our students -- and their parents -- an education they are proud to have! We do not have the rules in place to be sticklers.
Board policy adoption and revision may occur any time throughout the year, though changes (or potential changes) in policy or other practices that affect the provisions in the Guide will be shared in a timely manner with students and parents.
After reading the manual with your child, keep it as a reference or download a copy from our website. If you have questions about any of the enclosed material, please contact your child's principal.
We are proud of the many ways we serve our students and parents. We’re also confident you are appreciative of the expectations we put into play so feathers don’t get ruffled.