The Wawascene was created by Dr. Mark Stock, former Superintendent of the Wawasee Community School Corporation. Due to its local popularity, Dr. Stock has left the blog site to future Wawasee administrators.

Blog Rules

Comments should be respectful and pertain to the topic posted. Comments about personnel matters should be made directly to the administrators responsible. Blog moderators reserve the right to remove any comment determined not in keeping with these guidelines.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Middle School Shot and Discus Areas

The shot put and discus areas at both Milford School and Wawasee Middle School will be relocated next year to provide greater safety for participants and observers. A net will be erected to partially enclose the discus ring. Our track coaches, athletic directors, and maintenance personnel are working together to make this necessary change.

Wawasee Full Day Kindergarten

The Wawasee Community Schools are continuing a full day kindergarten program initiated last school year. Approximately 40% of our kindergarten children are placed into the all day program after assessments by teachers and para-professionals. Generally, those children most in need of additional school assistance will attend the all day program.
The state funds a portion of the program, while the parents pay an amount based upon their household income level.
The all day kindergarten program showed impressive gains during the 2008-09 school year.
Milford has one section of all day students, while Syracuse and North Webster each have two sections.
Please fell free to contact the school principal with questions.

Wawasee High School Weight Room Repairs

Prior to the beginning of the school year, repairs will be made in the WHS wrestling/weight room area. Metal supports will be welded and fastened to better secure the floor to the surrounding walls. These repairs are cautionary in nature to address slight shifting which has taken place over time. We want to make certain that the shifting stops. We are able to use the weight, wrestling, and locker areas in the meantime.
Please feel free to address any questions to me. My office phone is 457-3188, Ext. 371.

Wawasee Middle School Pool Renovation

The Wawasee Middle School swimming pool will be closed for renovations during August and September. A portion of the ceiling will be removed and relocated to allow placement of new duct work for heating/cooling the air. A new dehumidifier will be installed, along with a new room heating/cooling unit and a new pool heater. Other modifications will be made to allow for greater energy savings.
If the renovations are accomplished prior to the end of September, patrons will be notified.
The Wawasee High School pool will be in operation during the August/September time period.
Please call the Wawasee Middle School office at 457-8839 or the Wawasee High School office at 457-3147 after August 3 with any questions.

Back to School Spending

The average American family spent $443.77 on back-to-school spending in 2005. That amount rose to $563.49 in 2007, the last year for which figures are available.
Also, 93% of teachers spend their own money on school supplies annually, averaging $552.
Everything adds up, especially in today's economy.

Tobacco Free Wawasee in 2009-2010

The Wawasee Community School Corporation campuses, buildings, vehicles, and events will become tobacco free on August 1 of this year. Previously, our smoke free policy covered only buildings and buses. Thanks to everyone for their cooperation as we strive to comply with all applicable laws and regulations and make Wawasee as safe and healthy as possible.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Letter to the Editor: Thank Goodness?

John Ellis, executive director of Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents, sent the following letter as a letter to the editor/guest column of seven papers state wide. The letter is in response to the governor's recent comments regarding the new state budget and public education.

Educators who work daily to teach and develop 94% of Indiana’s school age population are concerned about the future of providing school services in tight economic times. Many who care about the delivery of quality educational programming were disappointed to see the Indiana General Assembly give tuition tax credits, sending public funds to private entities.

At least one person saw both of these concerns as positive. The Post-Tribune, a northwest Indiana newspaper, quoted Governor Daniels one day after the end of the special session: "If this is an end to public education as we know it, I say thank goodness.”

As the Governor writes off 94% of our children and 52% of our state’s expenditures, it is worth a look into his major educational initiatives as Governor. He really liked but was not able to deliver on the promise of expanding and fully supporting full-day kindergarten. Let’s find his second initiative to improve education for Indiana’s youth. No, really, let’s try and find even one.

We should all voice concern over Indiana’s graduation and dropout rates. We all should settle for nothing less than our best attempts to serve all students. Let’s all work toward improved achievement for all students. How do we get there in the Governor’s plan? Eliminate all funding for teacher training. Take from them opportunities to learn and share the best practices nationally and internationally to improve in all three of these areas and then criticize and berate all public school educators by stating in The Madison Courier newspaper, “We do not have a good school system in the state.”

“Thank goodness” for the end of public education? Opinion has been ruling over research and facts for too long. Public schools, the only state and national institution charged with developing good citizenship, are under attack and public schools have been responding. A good read for anyone who wants to track the opinions of those wanting to destroy public schools regardless of the facts has recently been published by the Educational Research Service—Dr. Gerald Bracey’s Educational Hell: Rhetoric vs. Reality.

Dr. Bracey states “…the humble public school is one of the greatest democratic inventions in the world.” He calls on educators to “mount a vigorous campaign to defend a great American institution” against “blatant propaganda pushed by the economic elite to discredit public investment that helps ordinary citizens.” Thank goodness.


John Ellis, Executive Director,
Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents

Elementary Textbook Rental & Fees for 2009-2010

The elementary textbook rental & fees total costs for 2009-2010 are as follows:

Kindergarten: $ 88.75
Grade One: $116.25
Grade Two: $121.35
Grade Three: $128.15
Grade Four: $107.75
Grade Five: $104.05

*Grades 6-12 textbook rental and fees will be based upon each student's class schedule.