Welcome to the Blue Connector, an e-newsletter from Brookville Local Schools.
Please contact us at communications@brookvilleschools.org with any questions.
October 31, 2016
42nd Edition

Brookville Local Schools, (937) 833-2181 | http://www.brookvilleschools.org
In This Issue
Side Subheading
Brookville High School
1 Blue Pride Drive
Brookville, OH 45309
937-833-6761
937-833-6302

Principal
Mr. Christopher Bronner
Asst. Principal
Mrs. Lynne Sayre-NIckell


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Blue Devils
Athletic Schedules

Boys Basketball
Girls Basketball
Swimming (Coming Soon)
Wrestling


S
Brookville Intermediate School
2 Blue Pride Drive
Brookville, OH 45309
937-833-6731
937-833-6756

Principal
Mr. Erin Wheat
Asst. Principal
Mrs. Lynne Sayre-Nickell

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Non-Sponsored Flyers
Si
Sponsored Flyers

Brookville Elementary School
3 Blue Pride Drive
Brookville, OH 45309
937-833-6796
937-833-5354

Principal
Mrs. Stephanie Hinds

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School Calendars

(Click Image to View)

School Lunch Menus



District Office
Side SubhBoardeading
Board of Education Offices
75 June Place
Brookville, OH 45309
937-833-2181
937-833-2787 - Fax

Superintendent
Timothy L. Hopkins

Treasurer
Mrs. Tiffany Hiser

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Our Mission
The Mission of Brookville Local Schools is to challenge, prepare, and support all students to realize their full potential.
Links You Might Like
OHSAA
SWBL
YouTube Brookville
Board of Education
Side Subheading
President
Scott Rutherford

Vice President
Judy Hoover

Members
John Gordon
Joe Mellon
Rick Phillips

2 Hour Delay Schedules
High School
9:50 a.m. - 2:35 p.m.

Intermediate School
9:50 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Elementary School
Grades 1-3
11:00 a.m. - 3:20 p.m.

Preschool
AM 11:00 a.m. - 12:40 p.m.
PM 1:40 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Halloween Costumes and Candy
An Interview with BES Students
Our roving reporters were busy last week talking with a few of the students in the elementary building about Halloween. The specific topic was "What are you dressing up as this year?" and "What is your favorite candy to get on Beggar's Night?".  As usual, our students had all the answers. Please take a moment and watch the video to see what they had to say.



You can find photos from the harvest parties and dress up day here and here.
Superintendent's Corner
Answering Questions Regarding the Renewal Levies

Question:  
What exactly is the levy that schools have on the ballot next week?

Answer:  
Issue 56 is a RENEWAL levy of current operating expenses.




Question:  

Is it true that the school district combined two (2) renewals into one for this election?

Answer:
Yes.  A 5 mill levy that was originally passed in 1987 is up for renewal in calendar year 2017.

A 3.99 mill levy that was originally passed in 2008 is up for renewal in calendar year 2018.

In an effort to save on the cost of having a levy on the ballot, the cost of providing campaign information and the time and effort of resources, the district combined these two upcoming renewals into 1 ballot issue this November.




Question:
Would passage of this levy (Issue 56) cause property taxes to go up?

Answer:
NO!  This is strictly a RENEWAL of existing funds and as such passage WILL NOT INCREASE TAXES!



Question:
Is it true that this renewal is for a continuing period of time and why?

Answer:
Yes.  These are renewals that have already been passed multiple times. Renewal levies in the Brookville District have an outstanding passage rate. They have, however, caused ballot fatigue in that the school district seems to have a levy up "all the time". Combining these long standing renewal levies and making them continuing will allow some relief of that ballot fatigue.



Question:
How do our taxes for schools compare to others in Montgomery County?

Answer:
As you can see from the bar graph below, Brookville has the next to lowest school tax rate of all the school districts in Montgomery County. Passage of Issue 56 (a renewal) will NOT raise that rate.


Click on Image to enlarge.


Upcoming Events at Brookville Local Schools
Please take a moment to watch this video highlighting some of the exciting things that are coming up in the next few weeks at Brookville Local Schools.


Reading, Writing, Arithmetic & A Good Dose of Safety
During late September and thru October Brookville Elementary students have been exposed to multiple lessons and practices of keeping oneself safe. These lessons are an example of how school is so much more than just academic content.

One safety lesson involved being a passenger on a school bus. ALL elementary students go through this training. Typically, every elementary student will ride a school bus; some are regular "bus riders" to and from school. Most will be involved in a field trip or some activity where they ride the big yellow bus. One of the highest causes of accidents is when students cross in front of the bus while loading or departing. There can be a time when small children are hidden from the drivers site because of the bus structure and children also have no line of site of a vehicle approaching or illegally passing a bus. During these trainings the drivers work diligently in making sure the children see and understand hand signals and comprehend the need for safety in and around the school bus.  

Obviously, October is well known as Fire Safety Month. The Brookville Fire Department provides excellent training for the children on tips to keep them and their family safe should there be a home fire. Students are encouraged to develop safe escape routes and techniques in the event of a home fire. Students get to interact with fire and medic personnel to reduce any fear of these first responders. They also get to explore the safety vehicles used by these public servants.

Ident-A-kid is free and is sponsored by the Brookville Police Department. A release form is provided by the parents and every kindergartner and student new to BES is fingerprinted and has their picture taken. This information is electronically stored to enhance the possibility of finding the child should they ever be missing.  Along with local police staff, the Montgomery County Sheriff's' office provides personnel and the technology to capture and log valuable information. Our school staff takes time to explain to children that this is for safety purposes and may be helpful to them someday.


Finally, Brookville Police Chief Doug Jerome spends one day with elementary children teaching the Eddie Eagle Gun Safety curriculum. Chief Jerome does an excellent job of instructing students on what to do if they ever find or otherwise have an encounter that involves a gun. Students watch a video, receive valuable direction and leave the session with a greater understanding of gun safety.  

These lessons, taught at a young age are certainly life lessons. We have no greater charge than doing our very best to help children remain safe at all times. As you can see, our community agencies, in conjunction with  our schools, are doing their best to accomplish that goal.

Blue Devil Athletics
Current Standings and Winter Athletics
There are two Fall athletic teams still competing as we move into early November.

The first is our boy's cross country team . The Blue Devils advanced to the Regional Meet at Troy this past weekend where they put on an excellent showing, finishing 7th as a teacm. Also, this weekend,  freshman Justin Bland and junior Spencer Schick  finished in 8th and 13th places respectively to qualify for the Ohio High School Division II State Cross Country Meet. The State Meet will be held Saturday, November 5th at National Trail Raceway in Hebron, Ohio. The State Championship Race will begin at 11:45 am.  We wish Spencer and Justin the very best.  

The football team qualified for the OHSAA State Football Playoffs. This is the second year in a row this program has finished high enough in the Harbin computer point system to be in the playoffs. The Blue Devils will play a first round game next Saturday night, November 5th against Coldwater High School.  Presale tickets will be available at Brookville High School beginning Wednesday. Blue Devil fans are encouraged to get your presale tickets at Brookville as our athletic department receives 60% of these 
proceeds. For more ticket information you can call the Athletic Department at 833-9611. 


Additionally, we would like to congratulate
junior Bailey Wallen who set a new school record for rushing yards in a single season. In last Friday's game Bailey hit 1,632 yards rushing eclipsing Randy Hubley's old record of 1,613 which was set during the 2000 football season.  Go Big Blue!
Brookville Students Are Visiting College Campuses
On October 26th the freshmen class traveled to Richmond, Indiana to visit two colleges, Indiana University East and Earlham College. Annual college visits for grades 7-10 were initiated several years ago as a way to reach our district goal of having 95% of all graduating students accepted into an accredited post-secondary education program. A key part of deciding which college to attend is finding a good fit. A great way to get more information is to visit the colleges in person.

During their visit, they had the opportunity to speak with current college students and faculty.  Our BHS freshmen heard about private versus public institutions, financial aid and admission requirements. They were given valuable information about different sports and clubs available as well the average class size. Students even had a chance to experience what campus cafeteria food is like when they enjoyed lunch at IU East.

The majority of our freshmen said they would recommend that next year's freshman visit these two campuses. One student commented, "I enjoyed being able to hear opinions about the school from a current student to get a good feel of how the school operated." While at Earlham, another Brookville student said, "I enjoyed the part where we went in the buildings and got to see the technology used. I also liked the fact that only about 1,200 students attend this college."

Students started their tours by taking part in a group information session and then a campus tour where they viewed dorms, the dining hall, fitness center, library and classrooms. The next Brookville Blue Devil visit to a college campus is next week when our seventh graders drop in on Cedarville University in Cedarville, Ohio!
Staff Spotlight
We would like to introduce you to Mrs. Kimberly Ebbing, one of our paraprofessionals. The Staff Spotlight is a regular feature in the Blue Connector and is designed to assist you in getting to know our teachers and staff. Please take a moment to learn a little bit about Mrs. Ebbing and what she does at BES.

Where is your hometown?
Brookville, Ohio
 
Where do you live now? 
I live in Lewisburg, Ohio.
 
How many years have you worked at Brookville?
This is my second year at Brookville. I started as a substitute teacher before becoming a full time employee.
 
What is your position in the school district?
I am a paraprofessional at Brookville Elementary.

Tell us about your family and hobbies outside of teaching?
My husband Charlie works for the University of Dayton. I have two sons, Karson (12 yrs. old) and Kaden (9 yrs. old) and a daughter, Kinley (5 yrs. old). I love spending as much time with my family as I can, whether at sporting events, outside activities or just relaxing together.
 
What is your favorite thing about working in Brookville?
My favorite thing about Brookville is the wonderful and very helpful staff I work with, the amazing kids I am around every day and the closeness of the community.
 
How do you spend June and July?
I spend my summer enjoying my time off with my husband and kids and just relaxing.
Where Are They Now?
Brookville Schools are proud of our series "Where Are They Now", which features profiles of past Brookville High School graduates. These graduates have responded to brief questions concerning their education or training after high school, their current occupation and their words of wisdom to the students in our buildings.

Our current profile is of Joe Harrison a 2005 graduate. Please take a moment to view this latest profile  here. You can also view our past profiles on our  website.
The 89th Annual FFA National Convention
Brookville FFA Members Recently Traveled to Indianapolis
Over 50,000 students in blue corduroy jackets swarmed the city of Indianapolis for the 89th FFA National Convention. Of those 50,000, 9 of them represented the Brookville/MVCTC Chapter.  In attendance were Seniors Erin Tomlin, Jessica Miller, Sophomores Shelby Rogers, Emma Madlinger, Christine Grow, Sarah Virag, Zach Chambers, Alex Monnig, Freshman Tanner Wiltshire and adviser Mr. Nick Wright. The Brookville chapter loaded a charter bus with three other chapters, MVCTC, Valley View, and Twin Valley South and headed west for 4 days of leadership development and agriculture industry networking.  

On the way out students toured the "Farm World" publication house in Knightstown, IN, and stopped at Connor Prairie for a tour back in time. Here, in an 1800's setting, they learned some Hoosier State history in a historical village. Students had the opportunity to sit in on three general sessions to listen to National officers speak and keynote speakers tell their success stories. The group also toured the Eli Lilly & Company facility and were brought up to speed on topics of consumer relations from industry professionals of Elanco, the animal health subsidiary of Eli Lilly. Recent graduate Hannah Tomlin was recognized on the last day of the trip at the American Degree Ceremony by receiving her American Degree. This is the highest award an FFA member can receive and an award that less 1% of members are able to achieve! The whole chapter is very proud of Hannah's accomplishment. Students are back in class now reminiscing on the fun they had and the knowledge gained while sharing their experiences with classmates.  This will surely help to build excitement for next year's trip!
High Five's
Jared Horvath


Congratulations to BHS junior Jared Horvath who recently was honored by earning Eagle Scout status. Few scouts ascend to this level. A great deal of dedication, commitment and service are prerequisites. We congratulate Jared, Brookville's newest Eagle Scout!




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Brookville Community
Click image to enlarge.
Congratulations to everyone who participated in the WHIOTV Goodwill Drive to Victory during the ninth week of the football season. Those in the Brookville School District provided 18,995 lbs. of donated items to the Goodwill. That easily bested the 16,860 lbs donated by our competitors in the Valley View School District. Your donations drove Brookville to ANOTHER victory! Brookville High School was named the Season 10 Drive to Victory Champion. To see the totals from each school, click here.