January 31, 2017
Welcome
Welcome to FRONTRUNNER, Groveport Madison Schools' monthly community 
e-Newsletter. Our goal is to provide parents and community members with news, accomplishments and updates associated with our students, schools, staff and school district.
Board of Education Officer Elections Held
At the Jan. 11 Board of Education meeting, Board members voted for the 2017 officers. Bryan Shoemaker was elected BOE president and Chris Snyder was elected vice president. The two will serve in those positions until for the remainder of the calendar year. 



Board of Education President,
Bryan Shoemaker

Board of Education Vice President,
Chris Snyder
  
More Modular Cla ssrooms Needed to Accommodate Overcrowding
Over winter break, 12 additional modular classroom units arrived at Sedalia Elementary School. These units are needed to help the District deal with record enrollment - and the additional students who are expected to enroll over the next few years.

While the new modulars are needed to address the overcrowded conditions across the entire district, the Sedalia Elementary School site was selected because of the amount of acreage available that the District already owns, as well as the relative ease in getting water, sewage and other utilities to the units.

Overcrowding is a reality in the District. Most of the elementary and middle schools are overcrowded already. New modular classrooms were installed at Dunloe Elementary school last year, and most of the elementary school libraries - and any other available spaces - have been converted into classrooms. The construction of the new high school will address the overcrowded conditions at the ninth- through twelfth-grade levels, beginning in the 2018-2019 school year.

High School I-Beam Signing to Take Place Feb. 3
Staff, students and community members are invited to sign a steel I-beam that will be placed in the new high school. On Friday, Feb. 3, a 15-foot-long steel beam will be moved inside the current high school building and placed on tables, near the gymnasium. The beam will be available to our high school students and staff shortly before school dismisses on Feb. 3. It also will be available to Cruiser fans to sign during the Groveport/Canal Winchester basketball game, beginning at 7 p.m. that night.

Once signed, the beam will then be permanently welded into place in the new high school, above the Cruiser Spirit Shop.
School Counselors Committed to Helping Students Achieve
The District will celebrate National School Counseling Week in February in an effort to bring awareness to the important contributions our school counselors make. The Groveport Madison School Counselors are an integral part of your student's school experience. They work diligently to assist students in the areas of academic achievement, college/career development and personal/social development, said counseling coordinator Juanda Jones. "It is our mission to ensure students overcome any obstacles to their success," she said.

GMHS Computer Class Taking it to the Next Level
John Blackstone's high school computer class is about more than building skills. His students are learning to construct computers. During the first semester, students not only learned how to take apart and reassemble computers, they also designed and built a gaming computer.

Understanding how a computer goes together will help the students troubleshoot their own machines during the school years and into their careers, Blackstone said. During a recent workday, his students created several working computers out of parts of broken computers. "As a group, we will be doing that on a consistent basis," Blackstone said.

Golden Cruiser Club Available for Seniors
Senior citizens (age 60 and older) who reside within the Groveport Madison School District are eligible to apply for the Golden Cruiser Club card. Membership is free and will grant access to all home sports events, concerts, and theatre productions at no cost!

New Immunizations Required for Incoming Seventh- and Twelfth-Graders
Attention parents of incoming seventh- and twelfth-graders. Now is a good time to set up an appointment with your doctor to schedule required immunizations that your child will need to have before he/she can start school next year.
 
For incoming seventh-graders:  
The State of Ohio requires a booster dose of the Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis) and the MCV4 (Meningococcal) vaccine. The Meningococcal vaccine is a new requirement for entry into the seventh-grade.
 
For incoming twelfth-graders:
The State of Ohio requires a second dose of the MCV4 (Meningococcal) vaccine for entry into twelfth-grade.
 
Once your child has received the required vaccinations, please provide a copy of the vaccination (shot) record to your school's nurse. Feel free to contact the school nurse with any questions or concerns. A list of all of the nurses and their contact information can be found on the Health and Safety page of District's website.
New High School Nears 25% Completion Mark
"Work on the new high school is moving along on schedule and within budget," said Chris Dumford, Lead Architect with VSWC Architects. To date, more than 167,000 concrete blocks have been installed. If placed end-to-end, they would stretch nearly 42 miles - from here to Logan, OH. In addition, more than 4,000 cubic yards of concrete have been poured, weighing an estimated 8,700 tons.

Steel roof supports have been installed over the athletic areas, including in the main and auxiliary gymnasiums. Roof installation over these areas will begin around Feb. 1. Work is progressing from the northernmost portion of the site (the athletic wing), toward the south (the academic wings).

Check out the first pictures from inside the building, as well as our aerial videos on the District's website. 
Ohio Department of Education Overview of the State Plan Now Available for Public Comment
With the passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in December 2015, each state has the opportunity to evaluate parts of its education system and find ways in which to enhance opportunities and results for all students.

The Ohio Department of Education has received input into their educational plan from over 15,000 Ohioans and incorporated it into their draft overview of our state plan ESSA.

The ODE invites the public to review and make comments on the overview. You are encouraged to provide feedback on the plan online by completing the survey found here. 

The full draft of the plan will be released in early February, with a comment period open through March 6. The Department will continue to incorporate input throughout the development of the final Ohio plan. 

Read more about Ohio's ESSA plan by clicking here. 
District Service Center Construction Update
In December 2015, the District purchased a vacant commercial building with the goal of Just a reminder that the administrative offices have moved to the new District Service Center, located at 4400 Marketing Place, Suite B., in Groveport. Work to consolidate all of the District's operations and support functions began last year with the purchase of a vacant mailing/distribution center off of Williams Road, immediately adjacent to the high school (to the north of the football field).

The renovations were completed in three phases, with the first being creation of space for the transportation fleet, which had to be moved from the high school property to allow for construction of the new high school building. Transportation moved in the summer of 2016. At the same time, work was being completed to renovate space to house Cruiser Academy (Phase 2), which moved into their new space in August 2016. The renovation of the space to house the District's administrative and support staff, including buildings and grounds, maintenance, and food services departments, as well as the enrollment center (Phase 3) was completed in mid-December. The last of the moves were completed on Dec. 20.

"Consolidation of all of the District's administrative and support functions into one location is expected to save the District more than $327,000 a year in leasing expenses, as well as to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the organization," said superintendent Bruce Hoover. "I am very pleased with the investment we've made, and I'm confident this space will help us to more effectively support to our schools, staff, students and the community."

Important Dates to Remember

DATE
EVENT
Feb. 3
High School I-Beam Signing
Feb. 8
Waiver Day - NO SCHOOL
Board of Education Regular Meeting
Feb. 20
Presidents Day - NO SCHOOL
Feb. 21
Teacher Release Day - NO SCHOOL
Newsletters Provide Useful Tips for Parents


This month's issue of Early Years includes tips on improving attention skills, helping children set goals, and encouraging honesty.



Projects are a big part of the middle school years. Find valuable tips on helping your child succeed with their projects in this month's issue of Middle Years. You'll find also articles about honesty, finding new friends, and homework help.


Sometimes parents find it difficult to motivate their child to learn. The current issue of Home & School Connection offers parents tips in dealing with this challenging topic. Find also, tips on starting the conversations around speaking out about bullying and much more.


Share Good News About Groveport Madison Schools!
We know that great news occurs every day. We invite you to share positive news items with us via our social media outlets as well. News and information can be shared via personal messaging on Facebook (Groveport Madison Schools). You can also email us at  [email protected], or call us at (614) 492-2520.

Thank you,
Office of Marketing, Communications & Community Relations
Groveport Madison Schools   |   (614) 492-2520   |    gocruisers.org
Office of Marketing, Communications & Community Relations
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