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As I write this letter, we are in the midst of our second calamity day of the school year! I take the decision to close schools seriously, and while there is not a scientific method to make that decision, the safety of students and staff is at the forefront of the decision. What does not come into play during the decision-making time is "What activities are happening today?" I do not take into account testing, athletics, concerts or other events that may have to be canceled or re-scheduled. If the conditions are such that we need to close, I will make that call regardless of any events. With that said, we make every effort to reschedule canceled events in a timely fashion. Athletic events may be easier to reschedule as you have an entire season worth of time to work with. Concerts, which involve a great number of students and facilities that are used by many groups, may be more difficult to reschedule in a timely matter, if at all. I know that our teachers and advisors will work to make the best decisions possible for the students and the program.
As we prepare to say goodbye to the calendar year of 2017, it gives all of us an opportunity to look back over the past 12 months and see where we have made progress and where we still need to focus our attention. I am proud of the accomplishments we have made in the past year in engaging our community in a conversation about the future of our schools. The passage of the bond issue in May has allowed us to embark on a process to design and ultimately build and renovate our learning spaces. We are currently in the schematic design phase in which we are working with the educators to discuss what those educational spaces look like. On Wednesday, January 3, 2018, we invite the entire community to the Performing Arts Center at North Royalton High School to hear an update from the architects, ThenDesign Architecture, and to participate in an activity to allow us to gather your thoughts on the design of the outside of the facilities. The meeting will begin at 7 PM.
We have a great deal to be proud of at North Royalton City Schools and I hope that you take a moment to read this newsletter and stay informed of what is happening around our schools and with the Board of Education. As always, my door is open. I welcome your thoughts and comments. Please call me at 440-582-9030 or email me at [email protected].
On behalf of the Board of Education, administration, and staff of the North Royalton City School District, I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and all the best for 2018!
Sincerely,
Greg Gurka
Superintendent
North Royalton City Schools
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Graph 1 compares our monthly operating receipts to the prior year actual for the first four months of our fiscal year (July 2017 through June 2018). It further estimates our collection through our fiscal year end. You will notice two large collection points in our fiscal year which are August and February. These two months are considerably higher than the others due to real estate collection which represents over 70% of our revenues.
Graph 2 compares our monthly operating expenditures to the prior year actual for the first four months of our fiscal year (July 2017 through June 2018). 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 being evenly distributed throughout our fiscal year.
Graph 3 illustrates the current actual cumulative monthly operating revenues and expenditures for the first four months of our fiscal year (July 2017 through June 2018). 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.
Graph 4 illustrates our fiscal year to date operating expenditures by category for the first four months of our fiscal year (July 2017 through June 2018). Salaries & Wages represent approximately 59%, Fringe Benefits 24%, Purchased Services 12%, Materials Supplies & Textbooks 3% and the combination of Capital Outlay and Operational Fees 2%.
LINKS to DISTRICT FINANCIALS:
Click here for the North Royalton City Schools' five-year forecast.
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
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North Royalton City Schools Recognize Students at December
Board of Education Meeting
On December 11, the North Royalton City Schools recognized several students at its regular board meeting.
Albion Elementary
Albion Elementary second graders Chloe Pal, Collin Moroney and Naomi Smelcer were recognized at the North Royalton Board of Education regular meeting on December 11 for putting their idea to help others into motion and creating the "Christmas Club." Chloe, Collin, and Naomi are true ambassadors of the Bear Way exemplifying the Albion core value of mindfulness.
"Albion students pledge to face each day with mindfulness," said Principal Vince Ketterer, Albion Elementary. "Part of being a mindful student is being self-aware of one's emotions, words, and actions and the realization that we each impact our world around us. This is exactly what our three friends did a few weeks ago. Motivated to help others during the holiday season, Chloe, Collin, and Naomi generated a plan at lunch and recess. They decided to call their group, "The Christmas Club" and requested that I meet with them to talk about the plan. They made a well thought out pitch to me. It was an offer that I could not refuse so their project was greenlit. The group decided that they would collect spare change this week and make a special donation to the Salvation Army to help the needy."
All week Chloe, Collin, and Naomi rang a bell at the front entrance of Albion and collected spare change in the bucket that they decorated. They created posters and on December 12 they each spoke in front of the entire student body and staff at Albion's Monday Morning Bear Huddle explaining their service project and asking for support. With very little help or direction from adults and teachers, this group was able to organize and plan out an idea, collaborate together, justify the importance and get approval and advertise and market their vision to garnish support. "Thank you all for being role models to the other students in our building showing them that everyone has within them the power to make a positive impact. You are an inspiration to me and certainly to those in need during the holiday season," said Ketterer.
Royal View Elementary
A long-standing tradition at Royal View Elementary is the Holiday Shop, where the school gymnasium is filled with crafters and vendors, offering inexpensive gifts for all members of the family. The event offers everything from ornaments to pet accessories to handmade items to jewelry and much more. Thanks to the efforts of the PTA, the Holiday Shop is a safe, child-centered environment where children can learn how to budget and spend wisely, all while experiencing the joy of giving.
Elise Werner, a former student at Royal View Elementary who now is a freshman at the high school, was recognized at the North Royalton Board of Education regular meeting on December 11 for developing this idea. This marks the fifth year that Elise has served as one of the vendors at the Holiday Shop. As an elementary student, the Holiday Shop was always her favorite event and now as an experienced vendor, she realized that some students who may wish to participate in the joy of giving might not have the means to afford those gifts on their own.
Elise decided to contact all of the vendors at the Holiday Shop and pitch them on the idea of a Free Holiday Shop Punch Card, a program that would help bring students into this event who may not have been able to come otherwise due to their financial situation.
Working with school counselor Ms. Kleem, Elise helped identify some of Royal View's current students who may be in need of some help with holiday gifts. The punch cards were presented as random prizes where students could redeem for five free items from all of the participating vendors at the stop. For those vendors who chose to participate, a red balloon was taped to their table, signifying the locations the lucky students could go on their shopping spree. "As I scanned the huge crowd at our Holiday Shop on Friday night, I found it heartwarming to see numerous red balloons in the gym," said Principal Kirk Pavelich, Royal View Elementary. As Elise said so eloquently in her letter to all of the vendors, she loved seeing the students shop at their school with their friends in a way that erased the financial pressure. She said, "Honestly for me, this was the best part of the night. I can only imagine how helpful this also was to their parents."
V
alley Vista Elementary
The Valley Vista Elementary Girls on the Run team was recognized at the North Royalton Board of Education regular meeting on December 11. The students include Arianna Bokman, Ema Ciric, Reagan Cox, Samantha Dehrmann, Violet Frantz, Kendall Holter, Enaya Khawaja, Sophia Kraus, Neha Kulkarni, Lily Mullins, Hope Piasecki, Olivia Podlogar, Camryn Sibits, Alexia Stetler, Claire Supelak, Vivian Tindira, and Marissa Vadovski. They have been extremely committed and have devoted many after school hours on Mondays and Thursdays to help get them ready for a 5K in which they participated at Mayfield High School on Sunday, November 12.
Also recognized were staff members Arynn Leety, Dana Kesselem, Marguerite Greenlee, Betsy Boyer, Samantha Lumpkin and Amanda Velbeck for volunteering and devoting endless hours to making not only this fall's program a success but also keeping Valley Vista's Girls on the Run program alive and running effectively over the past three years. Volunteer parents also were thanked.
The Girls on the Run program not only builds upon good health and exercise, but also works to engage students in commitment, citizenship, team building, and most importantly positive self-esteem within the school's third and fourth graders.
"We are so proud of this season's team of girls," said Dana Kesselem. "We had 17 wonderfully bright and strong young ladies sign up and they have done such an awesome job growing as a team and supporting each other! They completely ROCKED their 5K on November 12. Even more importantly, they just finished running their community outreach project to benefit Laura's Home, which is a women and children's crisis center in Cleveland. The girls organized and ran a successful toy donation drive for the children staying at Laura's Home."
"These girls and coaches continue to illustrate determination and commitment to reaching their final goals," said Principal Jeff Hill, Valley Vista Elementary. "It brings great pleasure watching these girls accomplish their goal of finishing their 5K and celebrating as a unified team. Individual success is one small part for the girls in that this team of girls always works as a whole to ensure each and every team member not only crosses that finish line but also feels a sense of positive accomplishment. This program will be something that the girls will always be able to look back on and know it made a difference in their lives both in and out of the classroom."
North Royalton Middle School
Jude Carver, an eighth-grader at North Royalton Middle School, was recognized at the North Royalton Board of Education meeting on December 11 for his participation on the cross-country team the past two years. Coach Foldesy said, "Jude works extremely hard during practice and it reflects on his times he runs at the meets. Each of the last two years he has won the Most Improved Runner for the boys on the middle school team. He has a great sense of humor and is competitive. He has been an outstanding teammate to all and he is a pleasure to coach." School Counselor, Jen Gaydos states, "In the past four years at NRMS, Jude Carver has grown immensely not only athletically, but also socially as an eighth grader. Jude is the type of student that other kids want to be around. They ask to be his partner, they request to work with him, they gather to play with him and go out of their way to say hi to him in the hall. One of Jude's peers said, "Being around Jude makes me just feel good." Jude is the true definition of a friend." Intervention Specialist Steff Cicerchi said, "Jude is a polite and vibrant young man. It has been such a joy to watch him grow and develop over the years. I feel privileged to work with Jude and have the opportunity to share in all his improvements and accomplishments. I am so proud of his successes."
North Royalton High School
North Royalton High School Intervention Specialist Mrs. Kate West, and her students Ryan Rybak, Kristina Blatt, Michael Stefanski, and William Mitchner were recognized at the North Royalton Board of Education meeting on December 11. These students take orders and make weekly deliveries of breakfast goodies from the North Royalton High School Bistro. These students bring NoRo's famous sausage and cheese bagel sandwiches, treats, coffee and wide grins to teachers each week as they make their deliveries. This service benefits not only the teachers receiving the breakfast, but also gives the students experience running a small business. Customer service and money handling skills are practiced and reinforced weekly. "Thank you Mrs. West for your work with the students and thank you students for bringing a smile to us each week," said Principal Sean Osborne, North Royalton High School.
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THANK YOU TO THOSE WHO DONATED TO COATS FOR KIDS THIS YEAR!
NRHS Students Assists Residents with Tehnology Assistance
North Royalton High School Future Business Leaders/Computer Club offered technology assistance to the senior citizens of Royalton Woods Retirement Living this past November. What wonderful collaboration and learning that took place!
Other Useful Links for you . . .
to read the district's Quality Profile.
to view the 2017-18 School Calendar.
Click here
for the NR Board of Education meeting minutes and agendas.
Click here for meeting dates for 2017.
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