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February 13, 2024

Governor DeWine Inquires About LCS Success in Literacy Efforts

Lancaster City Schools welcomed Governor Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Education and Workforce Director Steve Dackin to Medill Elementary School to experience the success the district has had since implementing a rigorous literacy and phonics program in both elementary and middle schools.

 

While literacy has been a prime focus for the district for decades, the implementation of instructional coaches and a school-wide literacy plan for each school began in 2019 and has led to Lancaster City Schools exceeding Ohio School Report Card standards as high as 68 percent for third-grade students and 67 percent for fifth-grade students in 2023. Currently, the district is utilizing instruction designed by EL Education that involves the entire class in its instruction. The adoption of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) approved 95 percent Group Tier 1 and Tier 2 Phonics Program and the Orton Gillingham Level 2 and Supervisor Training took place in 2023.


The Governor’s tour included a visit to a first-grade class taught by Natalie Hetzler featuring 95 percent Phonics instruction, a second-grade class featuring small group discussion led by Christina Hartman, and a third-grade classroom demonstrating the EL Curriculum module with Denise Mauck. School board members then assembled in the library with Governor DeWine, Dackin, Lancaster City Schools Superintendent Nathan Hale, Assistant Superintendent Dr. Jeromey Sheets, the district’s team of instructional coaches, including Donna McCance, Brenda Zeiders; and Medill Elementary School Principal Jennifer Woods.


Steve Dackin was quick to congratulate the district on its initiative. “Kudos to you and your leadership,” he said. “I’m really impressed, Governor. I just think they have figured out how you distribute leadership throughout a school district to do what’s right for every student.”


“And they are doing it with unrelenting focus, too,” agreed Governor DeWine. “We have been touring around to a lot of different schools, determining what works, and this is working. So, thank you.”


Governor DeWine also asked Dr. Sheets and Superintendent Hale what advice they have for school districts that are in the initial stages of rolling out similar literacy programs.

“You have to be willing to buy into the fact of how important literacy is and be willing to pick the best program,” Sheets said. “We had other options for training that would only take 18 hours, but we chose in Lancaster to put our teachers through two years of training because we want our kids to have the best-trained teachers in the state of Ohio.”

The question of funding such a program was raised by the Governor and much credit was given by Superintendent Hale to the LCS School Board.


“Our school board understands the importance of literacy and we are fortunate to have the financial capacity to implement these programs right now,” Hale said. “What Dr. Sheets and his team have achieved is incredible. We have kindergarteners entering schools at a 25th percentile in terms of readiness and we see them climbing up to 60th and 70th percentiles by third grade. It speaks volumes about the programming they have put into place.”


For additional information about the literacy programming taking place in Lancaster City Schools, contact Dr. Jeromey Sheets, Assistant Superintendent/Director of Elementary Education, j_sheets@lcsschools.net.

NO SCHOOL MONDAY, FEBRUARY 19 - President's Day!

What's Happening in Our Schools

Medill Elementary


Everyone at Medill worked very hard to make Governor DeWine's visit a success. Students displayed impressive literacy exercises for him, and the other staff and students were welcoming and astute. Thanks to everyone for a successful day!

Gorsuch West Elementary


Students have been exploring the topic of character traits utilizing beloved heroes and villains from Peter Pan. We see the word mischievous in this picture and wonder to whom this trait applies!

Tarhe Trails Elementary


Friends from Alley Park came to Tarhe Trails to give a presentation about the importance of ecosystems. They even brought some of their friends from the Amazon rainforest to share with the students.

Mt. Pleasant Elementary


Mrs. Martin's first-grade class explored the best tools for finding bugs in mud. The class decided if they were birds, they would want pinching beaks to find food! And yes, those bugs look a lot like gummy worms!

Tallmadge Elementary


Our students really stepped up to the challenge of wearing t-shirts to celebrate 100 days of school! Pictured here are students in front of a banner that read, "You look 100 days brighter!"

General Sherman


Mrs. Capretta's Family and Consumer Science class created Worry Monsters for students at Tarhe Trails, supporting a curriculum based on problem-solving, emotional regulation/control, and common friendship problems. Tarhe Trails students designed their own worry monsters and Mrs. Capretta's students brought those monsters to life by sewing them!

Thomas Ewing


Principal Poston said he was "absolutely amazed" at the creativity used to make the cardboard arcade games in Ms. Millers’s Design and Modeling class.

Bridges


Thank you to our friends at Art & Clay on Main, an operation of Fairfield DD, for visiting our classroom and bringing mugs for our students to paint! We love a colorful lesson and appreciate this opportunity.

Lancaster High School


School spirit was alive and well last week during Winter Spirit Week. One of our favorite days was Dress Like a Soccer Mom/BBQ Dad Day! Our students took the assignment seriously. The week wrapped up with a pep rally and the Coming Home dance.

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Lancaster City Schools

Lancaster High School

Thomas Ewing Jr. High

General Sherman Jr. High

Gorsuch West Elementary School

Medill Elementary

Mt. Pleasant Elementary School

Tallmadge Elementary

Tarhe Trails Elementary

Contact Info:

Nathan Hale

Superintendent

740.687.7305

Jeromey Sheets, Ed.D.Director of Elementary Education
740.687.7306
Director of Student Services
740.687.7360 
Coordinator of Human Resources

Sarah Daugherty

Supervisor of District Technology Services

740.687.7388

Kristin Vandermark

Transportation Supervisor

740.687.7366

Food Service Supervisor
740.687.7350

Casey Rainier

Custodial/

Maintenance 

Supervisor

740.687.7358 




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