www.milfordschools.org                                                                     December 2016
Happy Holidays...
Dear Milford Parents/Guardians:
 
I know December is a hectic month filled with student performances, activities and the scramble to create a special holiday for your family. The winter break is a perfect time to reflect on our blessings and share in the peace and joy of the holiday season. I hope the break will give you and your family time to rest and regroup for 2017.
 
Thank you for your generosity in giving back in so many ways to our school community and making this season special for those less fortunate. I am always in awe of the generous spirit of our Milford School Community.
 
I wish you all the best of the season and a new year filled with peace and happiness. We look forward to welcoming students back on January 3.
 
Sincerely,
 
Nancy House
Superintendent
Master Facilities Plan and Bond Issue Update
Since September, Milford administrators have been working diligently with a dedicated group of parents, community members, the Board of Education, teachers and staff in a visioning and planning process around the future of our district's facilities. This planning step is required in the funding process from the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission (OFCC). 
 
We have received news that the OFCC does not anticipate approval for Milford's state share of funding until July 2017. In subsequent meetings with our bond counsel, we have been advised that the OFCC's 27% share of project funding must be approved before we put a bond issue on the ballot. Given their legal expertise in this area, we will follow the recommendation of bond counsel and place the bond issue on the ballot on November 7, 2017 for the completion of our Master Facilities Plan.
 
The current facilities plan includes replacement of the junior high school, renovation of unfinished areas of Milford High School including athletic facilities, and replacement of the Milford Preschool. As the district works towards completion of the plan, we will continue to seek community partnerships to help fund and enhance the plan. 
New Administrative Office to be Named for Dr. Farrell
Milford's former Superintendent Dr. Robert Farrell's legacy will live on in Milford. At its meeting on December 15, the Board passed a resolution to name the future district administrative office building the "Dr. Robert B. Farrell Milford Exempted Village School's Administrative Office Building."

Dr. Farrell has ended his tenure as Superintendent of the Milford Exempted Village School District. He served the district from 2007 to 2016, and has been in education for more than 42 years.

The Board resolution stated, "Dr. Farrell has made tremendous contributions to the district, leading it to an era of unparalleled academic and fiscal excellence. Dr. Farrell has won the respect of parents, students, staff, business leaders, and community members throughout the Milford School District. The Milford Board of Education wishes to recognize and honor Dr. Farrell for his many contributions to the Milford Exempted Village School District." 

The current Milford/Miami Township Library, located on State Route 131, will be transferred to the Milford Exempted Village School District after the completion of the new library on Buckwheat Road.  The Milford Board of Education is putting its current administrative building at 777 Garfield Avenue up for auction on January 20, 2017. 

"What a surprise it was when the Board announced their intentions to name the administration building after me. There is no greater honor for my years of service to Milford and in education," Dr. Farrell said. "I have been so fortunate to have had the opportunity to serve the Milford School community. I will truly miss everyone."
Milford Preschool Earns Top Rating!
The State of Ohio has awarded Milford Preschool program with its top five-star rating. 
The rating is based on the quality standard established by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services and the Ohio Department of Education. The rating program, Step Up To Quality, is a five-star tiered quality rating and improvement system created to recognize and promote early learning and development programs that meet quality standards over and above the health and safety licensing requirements.
 
Milford's Preschool offers four- and five-day integrated programs for special needs students and typically- developing students who serve as role models.  Milford Preschool currently serves more than 180 three, four and five year olds. It is located at 1039 State Route 28.

"The Milford Preschool is proud to be a five-star program. We know that children have approximately 1,892 days from birth until school starts, and every day matters. It is important to us that children develop their self-confidence, social and emotional skills, and a love of learning," said Milford Preschool Director, Minna Espy.
 
Milford's Director of Special Education, Jennie Berkley, added, "The comprehensive curriculum offered by the Milford Preschool is such an integral part of achieving our district vision and establishing a strong foundation for our entire PK-12 continuum. The district is very proud to be able to recognize the hard work of our staff and students."
Milford Graduate Donates to Autism Unit
Milford graduate Aaron Strait has used his talents to give back to his high school. Aaron, who graduated from Milford High School in 2011, visited the high school on December 7, and donated $850 to the autism unit. Aaron presented the check to his former teacher Trena Panko.

Aaron earned this money through the sales of his artwork. Aaron sells both paintings and cards reproduced from his art. His work is inspired by history, trains, and sports. Aaron also
works for Panera Bread in Milford.

"Aaron is a very gifted and caring individual and I just love him. We are so proud of his contributions and appreciate his generosity," said Trena Panko. "He has been w orki ng as an artist since 2010, and his talents have been nurtured by his family and his school community."

Aaron has exhibited his artwork throughout the area and plans to have a show in Mi lford in 2017. He and his family established Aaron's Art for Autism, in which Aaron uses proceeds from his artwork to support local causes that work with students with autism.


Milford Names Tom Grippa as New Head Football Coach
On December 15, Milford's Board of Education approved Tom Grippa as the next head coach of the Eagles' football program. In addition to his coaching duties, Grippa will also be a Physical Education teacher in the Milford Junior High School beginning next fall.
 
"We are ecstatic to be able to bring in a coach of Tom Grippa's stature to lead our football program," Milford Director of Athletics Mark Trout stated. "Coach Grippa has a proven track record of success in building winning programs at some of the top schools in the city and we are confident he will continue that success at Milford. He is the right 'next' coach at the right time to lead our football team going forward."
 
Grippa will join the Eagles from the college ranks where he has been serving as the offensive coordinator at Mount St. Joseph University since 2013. Prior to his arrival at The Mount, Grippa has enjoyed stellar results during head coaching stops at Elder, Fairfield and LaSalle High Schools.

"Most guys my age would be ready to sail off into the sunset. I still have a lot of energy and fire. I am here to change the culture and hearts and minds of our kids. I expect the kids to give 100 percent, 100 percent of the time," Grippa said to the Board at the meeting. "I promise we are going to win."

Grippa has been recognized for his success numerous times during his career, earning conference coach of the year six times, district coach of the year twice and Cincinnati Enquirer Coach of the Year in 1996. In all, Grippa has coached three high school All-Americans, four players that were named Ohio's Player of the Year and 39 individuals that have received Division I football scholarships.
MHS Student's Work Selected for National Exhibit
Congratulations to sophomore, Jenna Bellonby, who had her photograph selected as a finalist in the Drexel University High School Photography Contest. Her work was chosen as top 50 from a pool of more than 1,200 photographs submitted nationwide! 

Jenna's photograph will be displayed in a gallery in Philadelphia from February 11-March 5, 2017. As a finalist, Jenna is also eligible for additional cash awards that will be awarded to the top three places and three honorable mentions.

Milford Administrators Take on New Roles
Effective December 16, John Spieser, current Director of Secondary C urriculum, will assume the role of Director of Human Resources, which was held by Nancy House until she became Superintendent on August 1.

Dr. Jill Chin, currently the Director of Elementary Curriculum, has a new title as Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning. Dr. Chin will continue to oversee elementary curriculum and instruction and other curriculum initiatives districtwide.

"I value John and Jill's experience and dedication to our district and know they will excel in their new roles," shared Nancy House. " We will post the position of Director of Secondary Curriculum and Instruction in January and plan to conduct interviews in February."

According to Mrs. House, with this move there will be no changes in salary and no positions added to the central office administrative team.
Lego League Teams Qualify for District Tournament
Congratulations to the Mulberry Eaglebots and McCormick Turtlebots FIRST LEGO League teams for excelling at the regional tournament this past weekend. Both teams qualified for the iSPACE District FIRST LEGO League Tournament to be held on January 21, 2017.

FIRST LEGO League is for teams of students, ages 9 to 14, who compete in a yearly challenge. Teams participate in the challenge by programming an autonomous robot to score points on a themed playing field by developing a solution to a problem they have identified.
Teams then attend an official tournament which is similar to sporting events with judges, referees and awards. Teams compete in regional tournaments to qualify for the iSPACE FIRST LEGO League District Tournament. Qualifying teams then compete in the State Championship.

Winter Weather Updates
Milford School District sent out a test message on December 8, via our parent notification system called SchoolMessenger.  In the event of a weather-related delay or closing, we will send an email, call and/or text to the contact information each school has on file.  If you did not receive an email, call and/or text, or there is an error in your contact information, please call your child's school to make sure we have your most up-to-date contact information.

There is also a new way for parents to control how you want to receive and see your messages. Through, SchoolMessenger parents/guardians are able to access InfoCenter, which allows you to personalize how you receive communications and centralizes those communications in a unified inbox. Click here to learn more about InfoCenter.

All weather-related school delays and closings are also posted immediately on the district's website ( www.milfordschools.org), as well as, Twitter  (Milford_Schools) and Facebook  (Milford_Schools).
Kindergarten Registration
Kindergarten registration for the 2017-18 school year begins in January. To be eligible for Kindergarten, your child has to be 5 years old on or before September 30, 2017. 

Registration for incoming kindergarten students begins on January 3, 2017.  Kindergarten registration is done by appointment only.  Both half-day and full-day incoming kindergarten parents, must contact Jay Batterson, Central Registration Coordinator, at (513) 576-4178 to set up an appointment. Office hours are 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday-Friday. The office will be closed over the winter break, December 22-January 2, and January 16 for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

The district plans to hold at least one full-day, tuition-based kindergarten class in each of the elementary buildings. Based on the anticipated demand and limited space, a lottery will be held if needed.  Parents, who are residents of Milford, can register for the lottery  Monday, January 3 through  Friday, February 10.

If you have any questions, contact Mr. Batterson at (513) 576-4178 or email at batterson_j@milfordschools.org. Additional details and registration forms are on the district website at www.milfordschools.org.

Donation Helps Train all MHS Students on CPR
Thanks to the generosity of American Heart Association volunteers, Dr. Frank and JoAnne Noyes, and corporate supporter, Mercy Health, the American Heart Association's "CPR in Schools" kits will be provided to train Milford High School students.

On December 2, Mrs. Noyes, Mercy Health representatives and volunteers from the American Heart Association launched this program and trained several Milford students to perform CPR in order to help train their peers. Milford High School will teach all its high school students hands-only CPR using the training kits, which allow people to learn CPR in about 22 minutes. Those who learn this way can then use the kit to train others.

"Thank you to Dr. and Mrs. Noyes and Mercy Health who have graciously funded the purchase of the CPR kits," said MHS Principal, Josh Kauffman. "We greatly appreciate this contribution to our school as these kits will help train our students in this life-saving skill."

House Bill 113, recently passed in June, requires CPR training for high school students, making Ohio the 33rd state to pass such a law.
Volleyball Team Support's Cancer Cause in Honor of Grad
Inspired by a Milford graduate's battle with cancer, the 2015 Eagles' volleyball team raised more than $2,300 through the Volley for a Cause event, and donated it to 
Walk Ahead for a Cure, supporting research and education at the University of Cincinnati Brain Tumor Center. 
 
Former Milford volleyball coaches, Ernie House and Liz Emmons, recently presented the check to Kelli Woodstock. Kelli, a graduate of Milford High School, was diagnosed with a Stage 4 Glioblastoma in July 2014, and has been undergoing treatment for the past two years. 
 
"I am deeply honored and humbled by the generosity of the 2015 Girls Volleyball team in picking Walk Ahead for a Cure as their Volley for a Cause. These efforts will help provide further research into brain tumors and will contribute in finding a cure. To just say thank you, isn't enough," Kelli Woodstock said,
MHS Tech Squad...Students Helping Students
This school year, Milford High School is offering an exciting new opportunity for students called Tech Squad. The Eagle Tech Squad course is a semester-long, hands-on study of technology
integration in an educational context. Melissa Chandler, MHS Media Specialist and Steve Lain, MHS technician work with members of the MHS Tech Squad daily to teach them technical and educational concepts related to technology.

The Tech Squad has also been using their skills to help other Mil ford students. Members of the Tech Squad assisted Adam Samuels' 3rd grade class at Mulberry Elementary (pictured) to show them how to create Google Slides. Tech Squad members also completed a training session for English/Language Arts classes at MHS. Tech Squad members shared digital projects with students to showcase ways students can use technology to demonstrate learning.
Substitute Teachers Needed
Are you or anyone you know looking for a flexible day job? Consider being a substitute teacher for Milford Schools.   A bachelor's degree is required, but it does not  have to be in education.   
 
Please visit www.SubSolutions.org to submit your substitute application. There you will find information about substituting  and resources to assist with the hiring process. Comprehensive Substitute Solutions serves as our substitute management provider, responsible for the hiring and employment of substitute teachers. Although Milford is part of the substitute consortium, you can select to sub just in Milford Schools and choose specific schools within the district.

If you have any questions, please contact Diane Hill, administrative assistant, human resources at (513) 831-1314.
Calendar Check
December
21 End of 2nd Quarter
22 NO SCHOOL for students (In-Service Day)
23 Winter Break Begins for Staff and Students
January
3 Classes Resume
       
To view a complete calendar with district, building and athletic events, click here.
Thank you for subscribing to the Eagle eNews, Milford School District's electronic newsletter. The Eagle eNews is also emailed to all parents and guardians. We welcome your feedback and encourage you to submit news items to  news@milfordschools.org.  
Milford Exempted Village School District | (513) 831-1314 | www.milfordschools.org
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