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Dear Staff, Parents, Students and Community Members,
I want to open by summarizing that the school district is involved with a very important and very serious practice exercise this week that we are calling the Practice Evacuation Drill. You should already be aware of this drill, particularly if you are a parent, since we are making every attempt to inform you and the greater community as well. This PRACTICE EVACUATION DRILL is our effort to prepare each building for an emergency situation that prompts students and staff to leave their building. This is only a practice drill. Each day this week, each building's students and staff members will be transported by bus to the high school during the 9 a.m. hour, in accordance with the district's emergency plans. There, they will organize with their staff members. Once the drill is completed, students and staff will return to their buildings for a routine day. The High School will evacuate to the Saint Peter and Paul campus, across Garfield Heights Blvd. So far, Maple Leaf and Elmwood performed the practice evacuation drills, and everything went smoothly... the full schedule for which building is practicing on which days, is available online. If you have any questions about the drills, our buildings are prepared to answer questions, or you can go online to get the information.
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Maple Leaf Students enter the Center for the Performing Arts |
Music Booster's Donate Funds towards the Purchase of Band Uniforms.
Band Director, Mr. Devlin Pope had two students model the old band uniform and the new band uniform. The Music Boosters donated over $11,000 towards the new purchase and asked the Board of Education to allocate additional funds to complete the purchase.
 
K-5 Transition Update
Switching gears, the latest step in our ongoing process to transition three of our schools to full-time Kindergarten thru Grade Five academic institutions has been taken. In the past few months, I have reported to you the scope of this transition. Resources have been deliberately made available online, in our newsletter, on GHTV and in the local media. Additionally, each building is equipped with additional information to help answer questions. All of these communication channels have been updated to reflect the most recent step in our process: which is that our teachers have formally been informed what their respective teaching assignments will be for next year. In other words, teachers were told where they will be teaching next school year, to accommodate the transition. Teachers have been aware that the re-assignments were forthcoming since as early as last September 2012, but the final decisions have recently been issued.
The decision for re-assigning teachers is the culmination of an extensive process that was led in part, by assistant superintendent Joan Chamberlin, Curriculum Director Dr. Randy Continenza and the principals. Considered in the process was certification, experience and qualifications. Mrs. Chamberlin met with each teacher that was changing buildings. Teachers received a letter informing them of the grade and starting time for the next school year. The next step in this process is to inform the students where they will be attending next year. We plan to do so by written letter that will be mailed home and our plan is for that to be completed as soon as possible.
Parents, you can rest assured that the school district is doing everything possible to make the appropriate accommodations for your students. This very undertaking is being done because of the demonstrated academic value it carries. We understand that change can be difficult, but the district is attempting to communicate as much as possible about what is being done, and why it is being done. As always my door is open to you for updates, for questions or for concerns. Thank you, and as always, GO BULLDOGS! |