Welcome to the Blue Connector, an e-newsletter from Brookville Local Schools.
Please contact us at communications@brookvilleschools.org with any questions.
August 28, 2017
56th 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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Mrs. Crabtree
Secretary to Director of Curriculum, Professional Development and Instructional Technology & Student Activities Director
Mrs. Phillips and Mrs. Sewert
BHS Secretaries
Blue Devils
Athletic Schedules
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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Mrs. Harris
and
Mrs. Boehringer
BIS Secretaries
Non-Sponsored Flyers
Cub Scouts
SiCubCub

Sponsored Flyers
Side Subheading
Kroger Rewards


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

Principal
Mrs. Stephanie Hinds

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Mrs. Staggs
and
Mrs. Caylor
BES Secretaries
School Calendars
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Mrs. Willoughby
Transportation Secretary

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.
Summer Learning Experience Cherished
Emily Weidner Attends Powerful Conference
BHS senior Emily Weidner's eyes light up when asked about her trip this
Emily with  Richard Rossi, Founder and Executive Director of the Congress of Future Medical Leaders
summer to Lowell, Massachusetts, just outside Boston.  Attending the Congress of Future Medical Leaders between June 25-27, she joined over 2,000 other honors-only high school students planning a career in medicine or research.  Held at the Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell, the students gathered for three days to hear powerful speakers, who are leaders in the field of research and medicine.  They shared motivational and inspirational information about their chosen professions.  Emily was quick to point out that this experience encouraged her to "get more into science and do it NOW rather than in the future."

Hoping to land in a career involving science research, Emily pointed to watching a live surgery as her favorite part of the conference.  "We watched a laparoscopic surgery performed on a woman.  Through three small incisions they went in and pulled her displaced stomach down and fixed her diaphragm."  She also referenced hearing speeches by a woman who had "a complete face replacement implant surgery" and "a man who received a bionic eye" as incredibly uplifting speeches about the power of medicine and research.  

When you spend just a short period of time with Emily, it is apparent that the conference had a profound effect on her motivation to reach her dreams.  You can see recordings of the speeches from this conference through this link http://www.futuredocs.com/Congress2017/ .  At the end of the conference she took advantage of attending a session titled College Application Boot Camp .  This session offered tips on how to apply and be accepted into some of the nation's most elite Ivy League schools.  And that is now a future dream for this highly motivated BHS senior!!      
2017-18 School Year Underway
With District Goals in Place, Students Arrive
Last week, school district staff finished preparation and students arrived to begin a new year. Monday, the teachers completed classroom tasks, attended department meetings and checked supplies.  The day started with eight new faces coming together for the New Teacher Orientation. This meeting consists of learning about the school district and our functional operations.  Along with seven new support personnel, the district has 15 new employees.  This represents nearly a 10% staffing turnover.  In the afternoon, teachers met outside to view the solar eclipse together.  

Tuesday, support personnel joined teachers in reporting to work.  In a meeting to kick off the new year, student body president, Katie Shatsby and vice-president, Spencer Shick provided the invocation and welcoming comments. Superintendent, Mr. Tim Hopkins, then gave an overview of the facility work and academic  accomplishments of the previous year. Following this, Mr. Hopkins presented this year's goals and objectives. Brookville Schools traditionally sets goals representing these categories; Student Achievement , Instructional Practices and Staff Wellness Goals . You can view the 2017-18 District Goals  here .   Building and individual teacher goals are then geared toward supporting the accomplishment of district goals.  After morning building level meetings, everyone was treated to a delicious lunch provided by the Elementary PTA and BIS Parent Support Group.  The afternoon concluded with staff in classrooms and workstations to prepare for students.

Wednesday was well worth the wait!  Our students arrived with excitement and smiles as we kicked off the new academic year.  All things considered, the first three days of school have gone extremely well.  Staff preparation was very evident and students seem happy to be back.  You can view videos on our YouTube  channel  and a gallery of pictures taken last week here .   
Upcoming Events At Brookville Local Schools
We invite you to take a moment to watch the video which highlights some of the exciting things that are coming up in the next fe w weeks at Brookville Local Schools.


Spirit Group Plans Fall Activities

In August, before the first class bell rings or athletic contest is played, a group of high school students meet with Mrs. Sayre-Nickell to talk school spirit. This group, including the student body president and vice president, the junior and senior presidents and their vice presidents, two cheerleaders and the student in charge of the game night devil's den make up the committee.  

Mrs. Sayre-Nickell points to the fact that through this group, students are given a chance to experience leadership. Together, they come up with activities that give every student in the high school a chance to participate. At least twice during the Fall and once in Winter the group then comes up with a way to give back to the community.  But maybe most of all they plan activities that encourage old school, school spirit.  Pep rallies, dress up days, tailgate parties and student contests.  

This past Friday was themed Tropical Paradise and the group brought in a Kona Ice stand for the game.  A pep rally was held with an old fashioned pie eating contest between Fall team representatives. Kona Ice in turn donated a portion of their proceeds back to the Community Scholarship Foundation. The box on nearly every objective was checked in one day.  

So, when you see kids dressed kinda weird for a Friday night game.  There is a reason.  It is typically the spirit group's theme of the week.  They are doing all they can to encourage every student to experience Big Blue Fever!! You can see pictures from last Friday's pep rally here .
Learning the Love of Running Young

Anchored by BHS teacher and former coach Mrs. Ann Stammen, a contingency of Brookville youth have had the opportunity to experience the sport of cross-country.  A youth running program was started to encourage young students to be active and learn about the sport.  They met every Monday and Wednesday in June through August for practice at Golden Gate Park.  This was during the same time that the high school and middle school cross-country teams met at the park for their practice.  In all, 94 kids in grades K-6 were involved at some point.  Mrs. Stammen added that, "about 40-50 kids were at each practice."  The group will have their last practice Wednesday, September 6.

The adult leaders of the program worked hard at teaching the kids to compete only with themselves and to build their endurance throughout the summer.  Both parents and the runners seemed to be thrilled with the program.  Mrs. Stammen went on to say, "we had a community member buy everyone involved a shirt and the kids named themselves the Blue Bandits."  
The highlight of the program was a large number of the kids participating in the Brookville Community 5K or the 1st Annual 1 mile Fun Run as part of the Community Picnic weekend. Mrs. Stammen stated that, "It was a wonderful morning to watch the kids shine.  It was obvious that they were all proud of their accomplishments and that they had come so far from the first day of practice."

When asked if the group will reconvene next summer it was a resounding YES.  What a great activity to introduce to young student athletes!!   
Staff Spotlight
We would like to introduce you to Mrs. Jessica Nawroth, Second Grade Teacher. 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. Nawroth. 

Where is your hometown?
Versailles, Ohio
 
Where do you live now? 
I live in Brookville!  I moved here with my family three years ago.
 
How many years of teaching experience do you have?   This is my 12th year teaching.

How many years have you worked at Brookville?
I taught three years in Georgia when I first started teaching and have been teaching here ever since.  This is my ninth year at Brookville.
 
What is your position in the school district?  
I teach second grade and I love it!

Tell us about your family and hobbies outside of teaching?
I am married to my wonderful, supportive husband Eric and we have two fantastic children, Brooklyn and Chase.  Outside of teaching, I mostly enjoy spending quality time with my family.  Additional hobbies include reading, dancing, working outside and helping on the family farm.
 
What is your favorite thing about working in Brookville?
My favorite thing about teaching in Brookville is the strong community.  I love that it is a small town with strong families, supportive organizations and local agriculture.
 
How do you spend June and July?
In June and July I am very busy spending quality time with family, volunteering at bible school and organizing teaching materials for next school year!            
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 Bret Turner, a 2011 graduate. Please take a moment to view this latest profile  here. You can also view our past profiles on our  website.                            
Buildings, Grounds and Facilities
Summertime Work Results Greet Students 
One thing is for sure, when students and staff clear out of school facilities in early June it does not mean all activity stops.  To the contrary, this is the time that custodial, maintenance and technology departments kick into high gear.  Brookville Schools had a very busy summer purchasing necessary equipment and preparing buildings, grounds and facilities for the 2017-18 school year. We are fortunate in Brookville Schools to have individuals that take pride in maintaining our facilities in a manner that we can all be proud of.  Here are some highlights of the work done and products added this summer:

Bus #16:  The purchase of a new school bus.  Students riding bus #16 driven by Jeff Derringer are now in a brand new bus.  Known as a CE300, it is an International body with a Cummins engine.  The bus is a 2018 model, built for 77 passengers and takes diesel fuel.  New busses are purchased with permanent improvement funds.  This bus cost approximately $84,000.

Textbooks:  Second and third graders returned to find new textbooks for Reading which will also provide content for Social Studies.  The textbook series is Reach for Reading and is a 2017 edition produced by National Geographic.  The textbooks replaced books that were a 2000 edition.


Computer Technology Switches and Wi-Fi Hardware:  While it seems hard to believe we are entering our 7th year in the Brookville Elementary building.  The hardware network was ready for an upgrade.  Over the summer, the network switches were replaced and the central Wi-Fi brain and access points were upgraded.  These changes were necessary to meet today's needs.


Floor Scrubber:  The scrubber used for floor wax application and shining had been purchased 13 years ago.  Not only did it have much wear and tear it operated at nowhere near the capabilities of newer machines.  The new scrubber purchased should cut down on man hours, because it can cover so much more floor in less time!



Portable Bleachers:  For years we have moved bleachers from the football stadium to the ball diamonds and back.  This took time, manpower and a toll on the bleachers.  This summer we bought a set of portable bleachers to go on the visiting side of the stadium.  Placed to primarily hold the visiting band, these bleachers meet modern safety code and are built to hold 50.   

Carpet:  Entering year 13 in our intermediate and high school building, we
had several 4th and 5th grade classrooms that needed new carpet.  That was taken care of this summer.  In all, 5 classrooms have new carpet.      


Sideline Turf:  If you are an avid football or soccer fan, you know that typically about halfway through the fall season the "players box" on the sideline of the field is a muddy mess.  This was a result of teams, wearing cleats, standing in the same area sometimes up to five nights a week. This summer we put turf in the players box on both sides of the field to protect this area.   






General Maintenance and Cleaning:  The aforementioned projects were some of the largest taken on this summer. The district continued the practice of deep cleaning, painting and general maintenance of the property so that students and staff return to the best possible learning environment. 
High Five's
Mr. Brown & Mr. Caudill - These two high school Social Studies teachers are recent recipients of special recognition.  At the August 12th Alumni Banquet they were inducted into the BHS Alumni Hall of Honor.  Mr. Brown was recognized as the honored Brookville Schools faculty member and Mr. Caudill was selected as the honored Brookville High Alumnus.  The tremendous work they have done as teachers, coaches and mentors to so many youth certainly makes them deserving of induction to such a prestigious Hall of Honor.  Congratulations Mr. Brown and Mr. Caudill!!
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Elementary PTA & Intermediate Parents Group - For a number of years these two parent support groups have been so gracious as to provide lunch for all our staff during the opening employee work day.  This year was no exception.  The two groups provided and served a hot buffet meal from Hothead Burritos in Richmond, Indiana.  On a busy day of meetings and work for faculty and staff this in house lunch makes everyone's day much more manageable.  Thank you to both parent support groups!!



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The Brookville Community   -  Due to the community's support through the Kroger Community Rewards Program, Brookville Local Schools received $784.21 for the last quarter. For the 2016-17 school year, we have received $2,412.44 from the Brookville Community enrolled members sales.

Enrolling is simple and the benefits to Brookville Schools is fabulous. Thank you to everyone who has signed up.
For additional information, see the flyer on our website and sign up TODAY.