"April Showers bring May flowers..." If this is true, we are in for a banner crop of flowers in May! Even though it has been a soggy start to our spring, our three A's of academics, arts and athletics are moving forward!
We have finished the first round of the state mandated assessments district-wide and next week we will begin the next round. This will entail our high school students to have two late arrival days on April 21 and April 23 to allow the freshman class to complete their testing without having to miss classes.
Our four high school bands will be involved in the State Band Finals on May 1 and May 2 and the finals will be held here at NRHS. Under the direction of David Vitale, Chris Burdick and Michael Nary, North Royalton sent four bands to district competition and all four received the highest (superior) rating. We are the only school in the area to accomplish such a feat. We wish our students much success on May 1 and 2.
Our winter sports season has wrapped up and we are well under way with our spring sports. At this past Board meeting, we honored wrestler Cameron Mayell who made it to the State Wrestling competition in Columbus. Also recognized was the girls' basketball team which played in the elite 8 and senior Alison Smolinski who was named first team All-Ohio. In addition, senior Rachel Flis was named to the Academic All-Ohio Team. Congratulations to Cam, Al, Rachel and the entire girls' basketball team and all the coaches.
Our Community Engagement Task Force is asking all community members to participate in a survey to give your opinions on our schools and our facilities. A postcard will be forthcoming with all the details and we ask that beginning on April 20th, you log onto our website at www.northroyaltonsd.org and complete the survey. This should only take 10 minutes and will provide us critical information to allow our district and community to move forward.
I hope that you find this monthly newsletter informative and a good way to keep you up to date on the happenings of our schools and the Board of Education. I would welcome any thoughts and comments that you have in regards to this or anything dealing with the North Royalton City Schools. Please call me at 440-582-9030 or email me at [email protected].
Greg Gurka
Superintendent
North Royalton City Schools
____________________________________________________
Table 1 compares our monthly operating receipts to the prior year actual for the first nine months of our fiscal year (July 2014 through March 2015). It further estimates our collection through our fiscal year end. You will notice two large collection points in our fiscal year which are July and February. These two months are considerably higher than the others due to real estate collection which represents over 70% of our revenues.
Table 2 compares our monthly operating expenditures to the prior year actual for the first nine months of our fiscal year (July 2014 through March 2015). It further estimates our expenditures through our fiscal year end. You will notice a consistent expenditure pattern throughout our fiscal year due to salaries and wages evenly distributed throughout our fiscal year.
Table 3 illustrates the current actual cumulative monthly operating revenues and expenditures for the first nine months of our fiscal year (July 2014 through March 2015). It further estimates our cumulative revenues and expenditures through our fiscal year end. You will notice a gradual increase in both revenues and expenditures as we approach our fiscal year end where revenues and expenditures eventually meet.
Table 4 illustrates our fiscal year to date operating expenditures by category for the first nine months of our fiscal year (July 2014 through March 2015). Salary and Wages represent approximately 60%, Fringe Benefits 24%, Purchased Services 12%, Materials Supplies & Textbooks 3% and the combination of Capital Outlay and Operational Fees 1%.
LINKS to DISTRICT FINANCIALS:
Interested in reading more? District financial information such as our annual financial reports, forecasts, tax rates, etc. can be found by
clicking here.
Biagio Sidoti,
Treasurer
____________________________________________________________
Highlights of Permanent Improvement Projects to be featured in the April 23
Royalton Recorder
North Royalton City Schools will have a four-page Community Update in the April 23 issue of the Royalton Recorder. Part of the update will include highlights of the improvements that were paid for out of the district's permanent improvement fund. Be sure to watch for the edition in your mailbox.
____________________________________________________
Administrative Positions Appointed at April North Royalton Board of Education Meeting
At the April North Royalton Board of Education meeting, Julie Bogden was appointed the new Director of Pupil Services for North Royalton City Schools. Bogden has been with the district since 2006, first as principal of the Early Childhood Center and most recently as principal of Albion Elementary. "Julie is first and foremost a child advocate. That, coupled with her knowledge of our district and operation of the special needs preschool has provided her with the background and experience necessary to be successful in this role," said Superintendent Greg Gurka. "I know that she will provide the support and guidance needed to meet the individual needs of all our students." The district will be interviewing for the principal position at Albion Elementary in the next several months.
Mike McGinnis also was appointed as Director of Instructional Technology and Preschool Coordinator. "As we move the students and staff from the ECC to the elementary buildings, the entire preschool staff and student population will move to Royal View," said Gurka. "Administrative help is needed at Royal View to assist in various preschool needs such as IEP meetings, preschool licensing programs and other federal and state mandated requirements that are unique to public school preschool programs." In addition, McGinnis will serve a needed role in the district as Director of Instructional Technology. "Technology is no longer a luxury in our classrooms, it is a necessity. But more important than the actual technology, there is first the educational discussions concerning instruction and how technology can enhance instructional practices." Mr. McGinnis will work with the staff on planning, selection, preparation and most importantly, the professional development needed to successfully implement that technology. Mike will work closely with our Curriculum Department on initiatives and then work with the Technology Department to implement the initiatives. "I am confident that Mike will be an asset to us all in this role and excited to offer this service to our district."
________________________________________________ Two NRMS Students Receive Inaugural Shepherd Scholarship
 North Royalton Middle School administered an essay scholarship contest to all eighth graders to honor the memory of Sgt. John Shepherd, who lived nearly 118 years, making him most likely the longest-lived veteran of the American Revolution. Shepherd came to North Royalton in 1817 with his daughter, Margaret Engle, and they were one of the first settlers in the area.
The goal was to foster an interest in American History and North Royalton history among this age group. The chosen winners, Matthew Lam and Julia Korpusik, received scholarships at the April 13 Board of Education meeting for the school's annual three-day trip to Washington, D.C. on May 20-22. While in the nation's capital, students enjoy a tour of key monuments and governmental institutions by Educational Discovery Tours. The scholarship program is headed by Charles Phebus, who is the fourth great-grandson of John Shepherd.
"We hope this opportunity will have a positive impact on the students at NRMS while keeping Mr. Shepherd's legacy alive and well," said the school's principal, Jeffrey Cicerchi.
The middle school is a short walking distance from the cemetery where Mr. Shepherd's remains are located. Mr. Phebus discovered his ancestor's grave in North Royalton after many years of genealogical research. Mr. Phebus has conducted two major events in North Royalton to honor John Shepherd and the American Soldier, the first year event saw the first ever trip to Ohio by the Traveling Liberty Bell from Texas. Sgt. Shepherd fought in Washington's army not only during the Revolution, but also was with Washington at Braddock's Defeat of 1755. He was truly "with Washington all the way."
"The majority of these funds were from groups and individuals outside of North Royalton," said Len Reinhard, retired U.S. History teacher who presented the two scholarships at the board meeting. "If this worthwhile scholarship is to continue, then local funding will be necessary."
More than 20 essays were submitted for evaluation. "I would like to commend all those student who participated and those at the Middle School who made this opportunity a reality," said Reinhard. ______________________________________________________
NRMS Student Illustrates Published Book
At the April 13 North Royalton Board of Education, one of the district's own middle school students was recognized for illustrating a new, published book called "I Love You More Than..." North Royalton Middle School sixth grader Noelle Kostyack, 11, partnered with author Maddie Figgie, 7, a
second grader at Gilmour Academy and family friend of the Kostyack family.
Figgie filled the pages with some of her favorite and most creative love statements such as, "I love you more than all the seashells on the beach" and "I love you more than all the pizzas in Italy."
Kostyack and Figgie plan to donate 20% of the proceeds of the book sales to charity. "We are going to play Rock, Paper, Scissors and whoever wins get to choose the charity (to receive the profits first)," said Kostyack. The real winners are the readers and the two charities the young girls have selected as recipients of their profits. Each year the proceeds will go to either Figgie's charity of choice, Rescue Mission, or Kostyack's, Providence House. The girls will alternate between their two charities each year. "I Love You More Than..." is available at www.amazon.com and can be purchased in paperback or downloaded to a Kindle device.
_______________________________________________________
Crystal Starfish Award Nominations Currently Being Accepted
Once again, the district is pleased to present the
Crystal
Starfish
Award. Staff, students, and the community have an opportunity to nominate a teacher and/or staff member that has made a significant difference in their lives. Special thanks to First Federal Bank of Lakewood, one of our business/school partners, for their support of this award along with our other prize sponsors. We encourage you to spread the word in your buildings and in the community about this wonderful opportunity to honor those worthy teachers and staff member. Deadline for the nominations is
April 24th, 2015.
Other Useful Links for you . . .
to read the North Royalton City School District's Quality Profile.
to read the Winter 2014 North Royalton "Bear Way" magazine.
Click here
for the NR Board of Education meeting minutes and agendas.
Click here for meeting dates for 2015.
for a snapshot of our Ohio Department of Education Local Report Card.
|
