The Wawascene

Nurses' Response to Concerns about Lice

2012-01-27T15:57:00.009-05:00

Recently there have been questions about how head lice are handled within our schools. We regret that this has happened. We wanted to make sure you are educated as far as how we handle lice here at Wawasee, which is consistent with many schools across the state. Wawasee nurses follow the guidelines given by the Indiana Department of Education. The IDOE recommendation to schools is to follow guidelines which are based on science. At Wawasee we follow the Harvard School guidelines. A copy of those guidelines may be found on the corporation web site under Health Services.

As school nurses, we want to reassure you that we have and will continue to go beyond those guidelines and work with lice situations on a case-by-case basis. We address any lice we know about, as we aren't always told by parents. The great majority of parents pick up their children from school and address the situation at home. A few cases are handled by our school nurses. We have and loan out Robi-Combs for use by parents. Lice and live eggs are shocked and killed by the Robi-Combs. If properly used, the Robi-Combs allow students to return to class on the same day. Wawasee nurses also will use the Robi-Combs and treat students in the clinic prior to sending them back to class. Follow-up treatment by parents is expected, but can't be mandated. Our nurses conduct follow-up checks, just like we have always done. Extreme lice cases may be referred to the county board of health for assistance and/or child protective services for further action.

Please know that head lice are not a health issue. Lice do not carry or spread disease. Lice are a very emotional nuisance! Most children have an instance of lice sometime in their early childhood or elementary school years, meaning most of us reading this have some emotional memories about this topic. I'm guessing that most of us are scratching our heads right now just reading about lice!

At WCSC we are looking at and trying some options involving head lice. We are fortunate to have individual student lockers in our elementary schools for most students. The PTO in at least one school purchased household wastebasket liners to hold children's coats in common closets for those children who don't have individual lockers. Separating coats and personal apparel items helps, although most lice transmissions are head-to-head ones. A few individual student lockers at each elementary school are now available for use by children in classes that have only common coat closets. Use of those lockers will be worked out by the school nurse and parents. We are working with public health professionals to look at other options.

If you have questions about lice, please contact your school nurse. Our caring school nurses do a great job handling the many needs of our children. Any follow-up situations get referred to the head school nurse. We'll continue working together to keep an inevitable problem to a minimum.

Myra Alexander, RN
(for the Wawasee Nurses)

2 Hour Delay

2012-01-13T06:03:00.001-05:00

Friday, January 13: Wawasee Community Schools are under a 2-hour delay with alternate kindergarten schedule.

School Calendar Survey

2012-01-07T12:28:00.002-05:00

Because of legislation that has been introduced in the past that would move decisions on the school calendar from the local school board to the Indiana Legislature, an Indiana public school superintendent developed a survey on school calendars and asked us if we would share it with our local community.

The data collection is open now until midnight on Friday, January 20, 2012.

Note: While we will receive the results from the survey, the results will not be broken out for how our local community members responded.

To access the survey, click HERE.

Indiana College Cost Estimator

2012-01-04T09:25:00.002-05:00

The National Center for College Costs is presenting Indiana College Costs Estimator, (www.indianacollegecosts.org). This has been developed to bring comprehensive college selection, admission and financial aid information to Hoosier students and families. On Wednesday, January 11, in the Warsaw Performing Arts Center, you will get an opportunity to see the features of the Indiana College Costs Estimator. This event is open to ALL Kosciusko families. Please visit www.wawasee.k12.in.us for more information.

Snow Make-Up

2011-12-05T13:58:00.002-05:00

Wawasee Community Schools WILL be in session on Friday, January 20, 2012. This is a snow make-up day for the Wednesday, November 30th cancellation.

School Closing

2011-11-30T08:10:00.002-05:00

Wednesday, November 30, 2011: Wawasee Community Schools are closed today. The Wawasee web site is down due to technical difficulties. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

Letter to Parents Regarding Chickenpox

2011-11-28T06:40:00.002-05:00

Dear Parent:

We have been notified by the Indiana State Department of Health that sporadic cases of Varicella (chickenpox) have been reported in the state. At this time, Wawasee does not have any reported cases.

Although school requirements for varicella vaccination vary by grade, the CDC recommends that in outbreak situations, all school students must have either history of disease, or two valid doses of varicella vaccine, regardless of grade, to interrupt disease transmission. Those who do not have adequate proof of immunity (history of disease or 2 valid varicella vaccine doses) will be excluded from classes and extracurricular activities for 21 days after the date of the last known exposure, regardless of objector status.

Many students in grades 2 through 5 have not been vaccinated with the second varicella vaccination. We are encouraging parents to check your students' vaccination record and take them for the second vaccination as soon as possible.

Students presently in 5th grade will be required to have a Tdap, meningitis, and second varicella vaccines prior to entering 6th grade.

Beginning January 1, 2012, immunization clinics in the state of Indiana will no longer be free clinics. We strongly encourage you to have your child vaccinated with the second varicella and if entering 6th grade in 2012 (or 10 years old), the meningitis, and Tdap prior to January 1.

We will NOT be conducting a school based vaccination clinic in the spring for 5th grade students due to the changes in the state's immunization program.

Please provide your child's school nurse with the date (month/year) of chickenpox disease and dates of additional vaccinations received.

December dates and times for the Free Immunization Clinic in Warsaw are as follows:

Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 8:30 am to 12:00 pm and 1:15 pm to 3:00 pm

December 5, 2011: 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm

The clinic will be closed Friday, December 23, Monday, December 26, and Monday January 2, 2012. There will be no clinic at the Syracuse Lakeland Youth Center in December.

The Immunization Clinic is located int he K21 Health Service Building, 1515 Provident Dr., Warsaw, (574) 267-7028.

Thank you for your cooperation in keeping Wawasee students healthy!

Allene Dewart, LPN Milford School

Jane Vendrely, RN Syracuse Elementary

Myra Alexander, RN Wawasee High School

Robin Huffman, RN Wawawasee Middle School

Pam Rensberger, RN North Webster Elementary

Inclement Weather Information

2011-11-22T12:04:00.004-05:00

Since we are entering the winter season with the possibility of delays and/or closings, we wanted to post some reminders.

You can receive notifications regarding information on delays and closings by signing up at weareclosedtoday.com. Click on the Community Members link, the Register Free Account link, and then follow the instructions.
If we would need to delay on a Wednesday, there would be no SMART Start. The two-hour delay would follow the two-hour delay schedule of any other day of the week.

For a schedule of start times, dismissal times, weather delay times, and SMART Start Wednesday times for Wawasee Community Schools, please click HERE.

WMS Pool Update

2011-11-22T09:01:00.003-05:00

UPDATED December 1, 2011: The air quality tests results were received on November 29, 2011. The testing shows that the air in the WMS pool area is well within acceptable ranges for carbon dioxide, chlorine, and other items tested.

There have been breathing problems experienced by competitive swimmers using the WMS swimming pool. We have had an outside firm test the water three times in the past two weeks. Results are OK. An air testing company came on Wednesday, November 16, and ran a five-hour test. Results will be available soon after Thanksgiving. We have planned pool work for the middle school pool, beginning in May. Depending on the air test results, we may have to move up the timeline of that work. We want things safe and will continue to work for that purpose.

Fog Delay

2011-11-15T06:08:00.003-05:00

Tuesday, November 15: Wawasee Community Schools are delayed two hours with alternate kindergarten schedule due to dense fog.

District Accreditation Visit

2011-10-15T08:33:00.005-04:00

Wawasee Community School Corporation welcomes the Quality Assurance Review team members who will be with us Sunday, October 16-Wednesday, October 19. The team will be visiting schools and talking with teachers, students, parents, administrators, support staff, and other stakeholders.

On Wednesday, October 19, in the Wawasee High School lecture room at 2 p.m., the team will present an exit report to the board of school trustees noting things we are doing well and also giving us some things on which we need to work.

The following team members will be with us:

Dr. Steve Oborn, lead evaluator, is a former school superintendent.
Mary Mickelson, vice-chair, is an adjunct instructor at Indiana Wesleyan University.
Bruce Jennings is principal at Bremen High School.
Rebecca Vaughan is a sixth grade English teacher at Hebron Middle School.
Gloria Ritchie is a retired educator from Alexandria, Louisiana.

Outstanding Student Achievement

2011-10-15T08:25:00.003-04:00

Wawasee Community Schools would like to congratulate the 2011 FFA Horticulture Team for their 1st place finish in the FFA Division of the National Horticulture Judging Contest hosted by the National Junior Horticulture Association. The contest took place October 7 & 8. The National FFA Horticulture Judging Contest Winners are

Seth Helfers, Junior - 2nd Place Individual
Jessica Wilson, Senior - 3rd Place Individual
Kaeli Long, Sophomore - 4th Place Individual
Zach Bussie, 2011 Graduate - 6th Place Individual

The students are coached by Mariah Roberts, Tammy Helfers, and Randy Warren. Congratulations on a job well done!

Academic Coach Mary Lou Dixon Honored at State

2011-10-12T13:42:00.002-04:00

Academic Coach, Mary Lou Dixon was recently honored by the Indiana Association of School Principals (IASP) as a finalist for the 2011 Academic Coach of the Year. Strong academic coaches are an essential part of providing a positive experience for Indiana's students, and the IASP is excited to recognize the contributions of devoted coaches across the state.

Mary Lou, coach for Wawasee High School, was nominated by Elaine Bokhart, coach for Wawasee Middle School and Doug and Heidi Heinisch, parents.

Mary Lou's many accomplishments include, but is not limited to:

Jr Academic Coach 7 years
Sr Academic Coach 5 years
5 time Academic Super Bowl State Finalist
2011 Academic Super Bowl Social Studies State Champion

Winning is not the primary reason Mary Lou works with students at this level. Since retirement, she has missed teaching and encouraging young people to achieve at their highest level. She also enjoys history and wants to share her love of the subjects with the students. The amount of time her students spend studying is astronomical. They meet after school several times a week, and on Saturdays she opens her home so the team can study, have lunch together, and build a team camaraderie that endures. Mrs. Dixon also uses her time to solicit funds from both the school and community to provide the students with the materials they need to study. Mrs. Dixon feeds the students' minds with history and builds self esteem along the way, just as she did for those of us that were privileged to have her as a middle school teacher many years ago. Academic Super Bowl enriches the lives of students that want to push themselves academically, and Mary Lou Dixon is there to help them accomplish their goals.

Congratulations Mary Lou!

Wawasee Schools in YMCA Corporate Challenge

2011-10-12T13:21:00.004-04:00

The Wawasee School Corporation had 53 staff participate in the Kosciusko Community YMCA Corporate Challenge during the month of September. The Corporate Challenge is about building morale, developing team work, instilling company pride, promoting company recognition in the community, developing networking opportunities, and providing physical and mental conditioning for the staff. We had staff from all of our corporation schools and the Central Office participate in this challenge. Our staff participated in 22 events. Thirty-four Wawasee staff members participated in the 5K walk/run event! Our team got 5th out of the 7 teams for the Corporate Challenge.

We were also awarded the Spirit Award for the challenge. The Spirit Award criteria was:

Demonstrating teamwork at events
Level of representation of company employees at events
Designing a Tiki torch that represents your company and using this in opening ceremonies
Team mascot present at the opening ceremonies
Involvement of Superintendent in at least one event
Having matching t-shirts at all events
All members of a team having face painted for at least one event

"I was fortunate to meet and get to know staff in other buildings and develop a network of internal resources through this event. Thank you for the support for our school corporation to participate in this challenge!"

Nancy Boston, North Webster Elementary Physical Education Teacher

Trick-or-Treat for Teachers

2011-10-03T14:10:00.002-04:00

4R School is once again collecting much needed supplies for the teachers and students of Milford School. On Monday, October 31st from 6:00 p.m.-8:30 p.m., Milford residents will be going door-to-door 'trick-or-treating' for school supplies. Items they would like to collect are: tape, markers, paper, glue, pencils, stickers and more. If you would like to collect items, stop by Milford 1st Brethren Church for a collection bag. For more information and a complete list of school supplies, please visit the 4R School Facebook page.

Parent/Teacher Conferences

2011-10-03T13:44:00.003-04:00

It's that time of year again. Parent/Teacher conferences will be held at all of the Wawasee Schools this week. The schedule is:

Wawasee High School - Monday, October 3, 3:15 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Milford, North Webster, Syracuse - Thursday, October 6, 3:15 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Wawasee Middle School - Thursday, October 6, 3:30 p.m. - 7:15 p.m.

Fog Delay - September 29, 2011

2011-09-29T05:57:00.001-04:00

Wawasee Community Schools will delay the start of school two hours on Thursday, September 29, 2011, due to fog.

United Way

2011-09-26T12:51:00.003-04:00

On Friday, September 30, the varsity football team will be playing the Warsaw Tigers at Warsaw in the first ever United Way Game. The theme for the evening is 'A battle on the field, but living UNITED in the community'. The spectators for Wawasee and Warsaw will be in direct competition with each other. Each school will have donation buckets on their respective side of the field. The money will be collected and counted throughout the game. The winning side will be announced between the 3rd and 4th quarters. The losing school's principal will get to wear the opposing school's shirt all day on Monday following the game. Please support the Warriors on Friday!!

Fog

2011-09-20T05:59:00.001-04:00

Tuesday, September 20: Wawasee Community Schools are under a 2-hour delay with alternate kindergarten schedule due to dense fog.

Update on SMART Start Wednesdays

2011-09-05T14:44:00.003-04:00

Wawasee Community School Corporation's administrators and teachers have been working hard on SMART Start Wednesdays. Teachers have been busy doing the following:

Being introduced to a program Wawasee Academic Monitoring Package that has the capabilities for teachers to be able to see student data and look at in terms of a classroom as a whole or as an individual student in order to better make instructional decisions for students
Collaborating on curriculum in an effort to put curriculum in a format that can be put online where eventually parents and students will have access to the information and so that teachers will be more consistent in what is taught across the district
One of the following (all schools will cover each in the next five months): studying and discussing assessment data specific to their building, collaborating on special education issues specific to their building, learning vocabulary instruction tools to better help limited English proficient students along with studying the assessment data for their limited English proficient students, learning additional math instructional strategies, learning additional reading instructional strategies

The schedule for SMART Start Wednesdays goes through October. Our goal is to have a schedule out prior to the start of each month.

Each school has made arrangements for students to be supervised whose parents need to drop them off at school at the same time they do the rest of the week. For information specific to your student's school, please call the school's main office.

SMART Start Wednesdays

2011-07-27T19:21:00.001-04:00

Wawasee Community School Corporation is implementing SMART Start Wednesdays for the 2011-2012 school year. SMART stands for Staff Members Acquiring Relevant Training.

Each Wednesday, school will begin thirty minutes later for students in order for teachers to collaborate and participate in staff development. Buses will run thirty minutes later each Wednesday. Some staff members will be available in buildings in case students are dropped off by parents at school at the same time as the other four days of the week.

Online Registration and Textbook Rental and Fees

2011-07-13T07:42:00.008-04:00

Online registration for the 2011-2012 school year will open on July 18, 2011. You can access the online registration by going to http://www.wawasee.k12.in.us/ and clicking on the ONLINE REGISTRATION link on the left hand side. If you do not remember your Harmony WebID, you can click on Request a Harmony WebID, and the information will be emailed to you.
This year, textbook rental and fees along with school lunch payments can be made online. You can begin paying online on August 1, 2011.

2011-2012 textbook rental and fees for kindergarten through grade 5 are as follows:

Kindergarten: $88.95

First Grade: $110.60

Second Grade: $115.10

Third Grade: $124.35

Fourth Grade: $116.40

Fifth Grade: $112.60

Textbook rental and fees for students in grades 6-12 are based upon each student's class schedule.

If you do not have access to a computer to complete online registration, you can go to a school in the corporation to register as schools will have a computer lab open during the following times:

Milford School, North Webster School, & Syracuse School: August 4 & 8: 12 p.m.-7 p.m.

Wawasee High School: August 8 & 9, 12 p.m. - 7 p.m.

Wawasee Middle School: August 9 & 10, 12 p.m. - 7 p.m.

2011 Summer Facility Projects

2011-07-12T11:56:00.004-04:00

There are several summer facility projects going on at Wawasee Middle School and Wawasee High School. Please click HERE for more information regarding the various projects.

Heart of Gold 2011

2011-06-01T08:43:00.004-04:00

The Syracuse Elementary School PTO was awarded a Kosciusko Community Foundation Heart of Gold award on May 31 at the Warsaw Center Lake Park Pavilion.

Backpacks with food on weekends have been distributed to needy Syracuse Elementary School youth since last May. PTO Officer Connie Geer is heading up the Boomerang Backpack program. Assistance comes from fellow PTO members, Wawasee High School business teacher Kerry Murphy and his students, WHS football coach Tom Wogoman, area service clubs, and supportive community businesses and individuals.

Grants are anticipated to allow the Boomerang Backpack program to expand to both Milford and North Webster elementary schools next year.

Congratulations to Connie Geer and the Syracuse Elementary School PTO!

Wawasee Community Schools is now on Facebook.

2011-05-26T16:25:00.002-04:00

Click here and become a Fan today!

Wawasee Community Schools Going Digital

2011-05-26T13:12:00.003-04:00

Wawasee Community Schools Going Digital

Technology changes are heading our way and at a rapid pace. To help our students prosper in tomorrow's job market, technology skills are a necessity. Our corporation vision includes that we ensure our graduates possess:

Life and Career Skills
Critical Thinking Skills
Information, Media, and Technology Skills
Core Subject Skills with 21st Century Themes

To do this, we need to get technology in the hands of all of our students. The school board has given it’s approval to pursue a 1 to 1 computing (1:1) and digital learning environment for our school corporation.

Please click and view this short video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_A-ZVCjfWf8&feature=related

The administrative team and the technology staff understand that buying mobile devices is not going to be the answer to solving all student learning problems. But we do know that students are engaged by using these devices. However, if they are not used or not used properly, they are a waste of valuable resources. A successful 1:1 program requires that we begin to change the way that educators teach and help students invest in their own learning. Individualizing instruction, collaborating, problem solving, and creating products can all be done easier with the use of technology. We do not expect this change to be made overnight. It will be a gradual process over a period of years beginning by changing a few lessons at a time. Every lesson and homework assignment does not need to be digital. There needs to be a blend to better engage all students. Home Internet access will not be required to complete activities like homework. Homework can be downloaded while in school and synced when at school the following day.
We would like parents and students to:

Take an honest and open approach to this change
To give their best effort
Share their opinions in a constructive manner
Help shape this change to make Wawasee Community Schools the best learning environment it can be for all students

Our current progress:
Infrastructure: Wireless survey complete and access points purchased for Wawasee High School. Wireless surveys are in progress for all other school buildings.
Devices: We have been contacting and visiting other school corporations that have already begun this 1:1 process. We are looking at various models of laptops, netbooks, and tablets. We are also examining different operating systems. Major considerations include the ability to create products, security, online testing, and battery life.
Professional Development: We are planning summer training opportunities for digital curriculum resources including Build Your Own Curriculum, Moodle, Google Apps, and Gmail. These trainings will be continued throughout the school year.

Also, there will be training in the care and use of the digital devices.

Timeline: We cannot afford to give every single student a device next year. The school board has granted us permission to pilot this program with the incoming 9th grade students. Our plan would be to continue adding devices at the 9th grade level and in the second year of this plan, add 5th grade students. We are planning on a 4 year life span for these devices. So over a 5 year time period, every student grades 5 - 12 will have a device. Each year we do not adopt new hard copy text books, more text book rental money will be available to help purchase these devices. Also, during this time period, we will be piloting devices with classrooms in the K-4 grades.

Graduation

2011-05-26T10:05:00.001-04:00

Graduation for Wawasee High School will take place on Saturday, June 11, 2011, at 10:00 am in the spectator gym.

Retirements

2011-05-26T09:55:00.003-04:00

Wawasee Community Schools would like to congratulate the retirees for their many years of dedicated service!

Cynthia Bryan - Art Teacher - Wawasee High School

William Guinther - LRC Director - Wawasee High School

Mary Hurley - Athletic Director - Wawasee High School

Anna Christine Kline - Math Teacher - Wawasee High School

John Knisely - Math Teacher - Wawasee Middle School

Pamela Pletcher - English Teacher - Wawasee High School

Betty Jo Smith-Roberts - Guidance Counselor - Wawasee Middle School

We wish you the best.

Parents of Children with Disabilities

2011-05-24T10:30:00.002-04:00

Marti Thompson, a Milford resident, would like to start a group for parents of children with disabilities, particularly for parents who might not have a support group. The group will be a positive atmosphere for parents looking for solutions and positive support. One goal is to connect parents with agencies and services that will help with the issues parents face. The group will help decide what direction it goes and the frequency of the meetings.

If you are interested or just want someone to talk to, call Marti at (574) 658-4475 or email at tgmjthompson@embarqmail.com.

2 hour delay

2011-05-20T06:18:00.002-04:00

Friday, May 20, 2011: Wawasee Schools are delayed 2 hours with alternate kindergarten schedule due to fog.

Fully-Funded Full Day Kindergarten

2011-05-11T13:17:00.002-04:00

Much fanfare was recently made in Indianapolis about fully-funded full day kindergarten for next school year. It is political rhetoric. We presently receive $1030 per full day student for their additional one-half day of attendance. That amount will increase by $20 per student next year. Twenty bucks is not a deal maker or breaker for full-day kindergarten decisions!

For the state to fully-fund full day kindergarten in the same manner as grades 1-12 would require an additional $2000 per student. We presently ask parents to contribute toward our full-day program, based on a sliding scale. Free lunch students pay $10 per week, reduced are $20, and other students are $30. Even though any of those amounts are lower than day care for 1/2 day, we have had to go to small claims court to attempt collection for some uncollected fees. With current state along with parent payments, Wawasee runs an annual deficit for full-day kindergarten.

Although our extra 1/2-day program is a financial drain, no direct student instructional intervention is more effective than full-day kindergarten. Currently, almost half of Wawasee kindergarten students attend full-day. We are increasing full-day kindergarten classes by one at each elementary school. At that level, 75% of our kindergarten children will attend all day. The educational benefits will be great, though we will have to cover a larger financial drain. This is an investment that will pay large dividends for student learning now and in the future.

There are and will be some kindergarten parents who want a 1/2-day program. One AM kindergarten class at each elementary will remain to accommodate those requests.

No facility changes/projects will be needed to accommodate our additional full-day children.

Please feel free to contact me if you should have questions or comments about our full-day kindergarten program.

Dr. Edington

Student Incidents

2011-04-01T14:03:00.002-04:00

On Thursday, March 31, and Friday, April 1, there were two separate incidents involving students at Wawasee High School and Wawasee Middle School. Please see the letters from Principals Don Harman and Dennis Howland on www.wawasee.k12.in.us for more information.

Chess Team

2011-03-28T07:40:00.002-04:00

This past Saturday was a nail biting time for the Chess Team at the State Competition in Terre Haute. Team A consisting of Josh Matti, Weston Wright, Roj Warstler, and Nick Price won 4.5 rounds to bring home the huge first place trophy. Team B consisting of Coty Mast, Immanuel Patrick, Frank Dush and Nathan Lambert had 3 wins and finished 12th best in the state. Congratulations to the entire Wawasee Chess Team!

Graduation Date

2011-03-04T09:26:00.003-05:00

Wawasee High's graduation date has been changed to June 11, 2011, at 10:00 a.m. Please view THE LETTER from Dr. Edington and Don Harman for more information.

North Webster Elementary School Carnival

2011-02-25T10:08:00.002-05:00

The carnival is on as scheduled for this evening at the North Webster Elementary School, beginning at 5:00 pm. School crews have cleared the parking lots, drives, and sidewalks. A great time of fun and food is waiting for your family!

North Webster School Carnival

2011-02-25T07:53:00.002-05:00

Due to today's snow, a decision will be made by noon concerning the North Webster Elementary School carnival.

Closed

2011-02-25T06:22:00.001-05:00

Friday, February 25: Wawasee Community Schools are closed. The teacher work day has been canceled due to snow and road conditions.

End of Trimester Date Change

2011-02-24T11:06:00.002-05:00

Because of missed days related to weather, Wawasee Community School Corporation will end the second trimester on Tuesday, March 1, 2011. Report cards will be available after March 7, 2011.

Closed

2011-02-24T07:46:00.001-05:00

Thursday, February 24: Wawasee Schools are Closed due to icy road conditions.

2 Hour Delay

2011-02-24T06:15:00.002-05:00

Thursday, February 24: Wawasee Schools are delayed 2 hours with alternate kindergarten schedule due to icy road conditions.

Snow Make-Up Dates

2011-02-22T09:58:00.003-05:00

Wawasee Community Schools will be in session on the following dates for snow make-up days:

Monday, May 16, for the February 1st cancelation
Friday, June 3, for the February 2nd cancelation
Monday, June 6, for the February 22nd cancelation
Tuesday, June 7, for the February 24th cancelation
*Any future cancelations will be made up at the end of the school year

Teacher Work Day

2011-02-22T07:44:00.002-05:00

Friday, February 25, is a Teacher Work Day. Students will not be in attendance.

Closed

2011-02-22T07:34:00.002-05:00

Tuesday, February 22: Wawasee Schools are Closed due to poor road conditions.

2 Hour Delay

2011-02-21T19:30:00.002-05:00

Tuesday, February 22: Wawasee Schools will be delayed 2 hours with alternate kindergarten schedule due to poor road conditions.

2 Hour Delay

2011-02-10T05:17:00.002-05:00

Thursday, February 10: Wawasee Community Schools are delayed 2 hours with alternate kindergarten schedule due to below zero temperatures.

2 hour delay

2011-02-08T19:28:00.001-05:00

Wednesday, February 9: Wawasee Community Schools are under a 2 hour delay with alternate kindergarten schedule due to freezing temperatures.

School Delay - Monday, February 7, 2011

2011-02-07T05:25:00.001-05:00

Wawasee Community Schools will delay 2 hours on Monday due to freezing rain on the roads.

Northridge Boys Basketball Game Postponed

2011-02-05T16:31:00.003-05:00

The Wawasee High School home boys basketball game against Northridge scheduled for Saturday night is postponed due to snow on roads.

2-Hour Delay

2011-02-02T19:13:00.002-05:00

Thursday, February 3: Wawasee Community Schools are delayed for two hours with alternate kindergarten schedule due to poor road conditions.

School Closing - Wednesday, February 2

2011-02-01T19:41:00.002-05:00

Wawasee Community Schools will be closed on Wednesday, February 2, 2011 due to drifting snow.

Snow Make Up Days

2011-02-01T09:23:00.004-05:00

Wawasee Community Schools will be in session on the following dates for snow make-up days:

Friday, February 4 for the cancelation on January 19
Monday, May 16 for the cancelation on February 1
Friday, June 3 for the cancelation on Febrary 2

*Any future days will be added to the end of the school year beginning on June 3, 2011.

Closed

2011-02-01T07:40:00.003-05:00

Tuesday, February 1: Wawasee Community Schools are closed for the day.

2 Hour Delay

2011-02-01T06:04:00.001-05:00

Tuesday, February 1: Wawasee Community Schools are under a 2 hour delay with alternate kindergarten schedule.

Snow Make-Up Days

2011-01-19T08:04:00.004-05:00

Wawasee Community schools will be in session on Friday, January 21, 2011, and Friday, February 4, 2011. These are make-up days due to the cancelations on December 13 and January 19.

School Closing

2011-01-19T07:40:00.003-05:00

Wednesday, January 19: Wawasee Community Schools are closed due to poor road conditions.

School Delay - January 19, 2011

2011-01-19T05:21:00.002-05:00

Wawasee Community Schools will delay the start of classes two hours on Wednesday, January 19, 2011 due to poor road conditions.

Survey Open January 17-February 9, 2011

2011-01-17T07:22:00.003-05:00

Wawasee's schools are asking for feedback from teachers, support staff, administrators, parents, and community members. The KEYS Survey was developed by the National Education Association (NEA) and is a research-based, field-tested process. Collecting and analyzing this data will become an important part of our school improvement process and will allow us to begin a reflective, problem-solving dialog that will help enrich and deepen our school improvement plans and efforts.

The survey will take 10-15 minutes to complete, and parents and community members should take the survey for a particular school in our district. You are welcome to take the survey again for another school, especially if you have students attending more than one school. Each survey can be completed in English or Spanish. Individual responses are anonymous. Since the survey is online, you can complete the survey anywhere you have Internet access.

Instructions for Completing the Survey

Go to www.keysonline.org and click on Take the Survey.
Type in the school name or zip code of the school for which you are taking the survey: Milford School (46542), North Webster Elementary School (46555), Syracuse Elementary School (46567), Wawasee Middle School (46567), or Wawasee High School (46567).
Choose the school for which you are taking the survey.
Click on Take the Survey.
Choose English or Spanish.
Select Staff Survey, Parent Survey, or Community Survey.
Click Start.

2-hour School Delay - Wednesday, January 12, 2011

2011-01-11T22:00:00.002-05:00

Wawasee Community Schools will delay the start of classes on Wednesday, the 12th, for two hours due to snow on the roadways.

Cancellation of Evening Activities - January 11, 2011

2011-01-11T14:47:00.002-05:00

Evening activities on Tuesday, the 11th, will be cancelled due to snow. Practices and activities at some schools will continue until 5:30 PM, with all buildings closed at 5:30 to activities. Contact your school for details.

Water is On at Wawasee High School

2010-12-27T08:03:00.003-05:00

The water is back on at Wawasee High School. Service was shut off last week due to a construction project. Water is running again after passing tests for purity.

Water Line Installation

2010-12-14T12:59:00.003-05:00

Water service to the Wawasee High School campus will be shut off from December 20-24 for installation of a new water line. There will be no working, drinking, toilet, or shower facilities at the high school, Academy, CTE, or central office facilities. Practices will be scheduled through the athletic director. Any staff member working in the building during those days may use restrooms in the transportation/maintenance facility on Kern Road. It is anticipated that water service will resume, with appropriate water testing conducted, before Monday, December 27. Thank you for your cooperation.

Snow Make-up Day

2010-12-14T12:57:00.003-05:00

Wawasee Community Schools will be in session on Friday, January 21, 2011. That date is a snow make-up day for December 13.

We are Closed Today Issues

2010-12-13T11:21:00.002-05:00

The www.weareclosedtoday.com site didn't work reliably with last week's school delays. It didn't work well today either! The problem isn't with Wawasee. We've asked www.weareclosedtoday.com to fix things at their end so that you receive texts and e-mails in a timely manner.

Syracuse Elementary Music Program Rescheduled

2010-12-13T08:17:00.002-05:00

The Syracuse Elementary School music program set for Monday evening has been rescheduled for Tuesday evening.

Monday, December 13,2010 - School Closing

2010-12-13T08:09:00.002-05:00

Wawasee Community Schools will close on Monday, December 13, due to drifting snow.

School Delay - Monday, December 13, 2010

2010-12-12T19:51:00.002-05:00

Wawasee Community Schools will delay the start of school 2-hours on Monday, December 13, due to drifting snow.

2-hour School Delay - Tuesday, December 7, 2010

2010-12-07T05:28:00.003-05:00

Wawasee Community Schools will delay the start of school 2 hours on Tuesday, December 7, due to snow on roads.

2 Hour Delay

2010-12-07T05:14:00.001-05:00

Tuesday, December 7: Wawasee Community Schools will be delayed two hours with alternate kindergarten schedule due to the weather and road conditions.

Receiving Delay & Cancellation Emails/Texts

2010-12-06T15:21:00.005-05:00

This is a reminder that Wawasee Community School Corporation is using weareclosedtoday.com for reporting school closings and delays. This is a service designed by the Northern Indiana Educational Services Center that "provides a state of the art way to notify local news media and community members" when we need to close, delay, or dismiss early. In addition to local news media being notified, anyone may go to http://www.weareclosedtoday.com/, enter his or her zip code, choose a radius, and see all the delays or closings within that area.

Community members can also sign up to receive emails and/or text messages when WCSC closes, delays, or dismisses early. We have found that those emails and text messages are received within a very short time frame from when WCSC contacts the service. Click on Community Members and then Register Free to sign up.

Once you have created an account, you can click on Account Info and then Notification Methods from the navigation menu. Once this screen has been displayed, you will be allowed to enter up to three different email addresses to which you would like to receive notifications. Your SMS/text messaging email address, if you wish to receive a text message on your cell phone, is your cell phone number (without hyphens or spaces) and your cell phone provider's SMS/text messaging email address. The most common providers' addresses follow:

US Cellular: Your cell phone number @email.uscc.net
AT&T Wireless: Your cell phone number@txt.att.net
Alltel: Your cell phone number @message.alltel.com
Verizon Wireless: Your cell phone number @vtext.com
Centennial Wireless: Your cell phone number @myblue.com
Sprint: Your cell phone number@messaging.sprintpcs.com

After you have selected your notification methods, you can click on Account Info and then Select Organizations from the navigation menu. Then click on School Districts. Once this screen has been displayed, you will be allowed to drag an organization from the left hand box to the right hand box. Any organization listed in this right hand box will be the only ones for which you will receive future notifications.

We will continue to post delays and cancellations on our website and here on The Wawascene.

Cancelations for Monday, December 6

2010-12-06T14:16:00.003-05:00

The Milford/WMS Boy's basketball game for Monday, December 6th, has been canceled due to inclement weather.

North Webster's music program for Monday, December 6th, has been postponed. Due to uncertain weather conditions, we are listing two possible scenarios for rescheduling the program.

If school is in session on Tuesday, December 7, we will have the program at 7:00 p.m. in the gym. If school is not in session on Tuesday, we will not have the program that evening.
The program will be on Wednesday, December 8 at 7:00 p.m. in the case of a Tuesday cancelation.

2 Hour Delay

2010-12-06T09:28:00.004-05:00

All Wawasee Community Schools are under a 2-hour delay today. Following the delay, all schools will be in session.

2-hour School Delay - Monday, December 6, 2010

2010-12-06T06:04:00.002-05:00

Wawasee Community Schools will be delayed for 2 hours on Monday, December 6, due to poor road conditions.

2010-11-29T12:29:00.002-05:00

Wawasee Community School Corporation board member Dallas Winchester passed away on November 25, 2010. The obituary is attached. He was the longest-serving of present board members, with 10 years of experience. Working to keep the Wawasee eduacational program, along with facilities and buses, in great condition for students was a priority for Dallas. He served the school district as board president for several years. Dallas will be greatly missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Libby, and their family.

Mishler Funeral Home in Milford is in charge of service arrangements.

http://www.mishlerfuneralhomes.com/index.cfm

Sunday Facility Use

2010-11-24T07:18:00.003-05:00

Wawasee School facilities are unavailable on Sundays. This is an energy savings directive passed by the school board as part of budget reductions and in response to community values and wishes. Exceptions may be granted by the superintendent. Thanks for your assistance as we move forward to save money, be more ''green'', and keep Sunday for families.

WHS Construction

2010-11-08T13:25:00.002-05:00

Picture in your mind the back (south side) of Wawasee High School. Near the kitchen and boiler room entrances is a low dock area beside the school for unloading shipments. When heavy rains fall, the boiler room equipment gets covered with water. It is not a good situation!

We've worked with engineers and the Town of Syracuse on a solution, which begins this week. A large drain will run from the WHS dock area around the corner of the building and between the football field and auxiliary gym. The drain line will cross the parking lot, heading north, and pick up some excess water from the lot with drains. Finally, the line crosses between the soccer and baseball fields before emptying near the softball field retention pond.

Installing the drain line will make a mess for several weeks. Parking and access to Kern Road will be affected at times. Sometimes you have to mess things up to make it better. This drain line is one of those times. Thanks for bearing with our digging as we make our WHS mechanical and electrical equipment safe from future floods.

P.S. Construction of a small addition at the southwest corner of WHS has begun. A construction fence now blocks access to the southwest parking lot (Door 15 where the CTE office & athletic training room is located). Parking for basketball games will be on the north (Door 6/athletic) lot and east (Door 1/front) lot for this season only.

Teacher Workday

2010-10-25T14:34:00.002-04:00

Classes will not be in session for students on Thursday, November 11. It is a Teacher Workday due to the end of the first trimester.

Wawasee Middle School Pool Closed for Repairs

2010-10-25T09:54:00.002-04:00

The Wawasee Middle School pool will be down for approximately three weeks due to unexpected repairs to the pool filter system. School day activities have been rescheduled for later into the school year. Adult Open Swim (in the morning) is postponed until the WMS pool opens.

For the next few weeks, the pool schedule at Wawasee High School is as follows:

Physical Education classes - Will be in the pool daily Periods 2 & 4
Adult Education classes - Tuesday & Thursday evenings (until Nov. 30th) 6:30 p.m. -8:00 p.m.
WHS Girls Swim Team - Mon. thru Fri. 3:30 p.m. -5:30 p.m. & Sat. 8:00 a.m. -Noon.
Age Group Swim - Mon., Wed., & Fri. 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. & Sat. 8:00 a.m. - Noon.

Wawasee Girls Diving Team will travel to NorthWood High School for practice from 3:45 p.m.-5:30 p.m. until the WMS pool reopens. Minibus departure will be at WHS door #7 at 3:15 p.m. daily and will return to door #7 at 6:10 p.m.

Locker rooms for swimming are: Girls-Pool West, Boys-Pool South

If there are questions, please contact Wawasee High School.

Wawasee High School - The Water is Good

2010-10-17T21:20:00.002-04:00

Two positive water tests have been conducted since last Friday's water pipe repair at Wawasee High School. All sinks, drinking fountains, showers, and other water fixtures are ready for school on Monday. Thanks to those who worked during the weekend to get everything set for the students and staff.

WHS Boil Advisory and School Bus Update

2010-10-15T07:46:00.004-04:00

On Thursday, October 14, a pickup truck side swiped one of our school buses on Indiana 13 south of Syracuse. No students were riding on the bus, and the bus driver did not suffer injuries. The pick up driver was extracted from the vehicle and taken by ambulance for emergency medical care. Our driver's quick actions averted a more serious accident. Thanks to those school employees and emergency personnel who responded quickly to the accident.

Wawasee High School is currently under a Boil Order. On Thursday, October 14, the water main serving Wawasee High School developed a leak. Currently, Wawasee High School has water, but you cannot drink it. The water is fine for other uses. Both the career/technical building and the Academy are without water at this time. Portable toilets are set in both locations. It is anticipated that the water for those buildings will be back on early this morning, after repairs have been completed.

WHS and other buildings on campus have 4,000 bottles of water, in addition to larger bottles to be used in the kitchen and cafeteria.

We'll also have bottled water available for tonight's home football game vs. Goshen. The restrooms at the football field are operational.

Two water tests, Friday and Saturday, must be conducted before we're allowed to drink the water at WHS. Until that time, WHS will remain under a Boil Order.

Under the Boil Notice, any water intended for consumption or full body contact will need to be boiled for 5 minutes. The reason for boiling the water is to remove possible contamination due to the loss of water pressure. The water will be fit to consume and use after laboratory analysis proves that the water is safe. Once the water is proven safe, the boil order notice will be rescinded.

Thanks to all of those who have worked to make school possible at WHS today.

Trick-or-Treat for Teachers

2010-10-11T07:07:00.003-04:00

What: Trick-or-Treat for Teachers
When: Saturday, October 30, 6:00 P.M. - 8:30 P.M.
Where: Milford Community
(All collected/donated items need to be taken to the Milford 1st Bretheren Church that evening)

The 4R Teachers program is asking for the Milford Community to help out collecting school supplies for the teachers at Milford School. We are looking for volunteers to trick-or-treat for the supplies or have school supply items at your home for the trick-or-treaters to get. If you are intersted in trick-or-treating, please contact Stephanie Brown, jsbrown05@hotmail.com, and I will provide a bag to use for 'treats'. Area businesses can also make montetary donations to purchase supplies. The items we are collecting are: markers, dry erase markers, glue and glue sticks, colored pencils, and sticky notes. We will, of course, take other items as well.

Stephanie Brown
4R Teachers Coordinator
jsbrown05@hotmail.com

Meet the Candidates

2010-10-11T06:49:00.002-04:00

The Wawasee Community Education Association is hosting a "Meet the Candidates Night" on Monday, October 18th at 6:45 P.M. The public forum to introduce School Board Candidates will be held in the Wawasee Middle School Lecture Room.

The public is encouraged to attend. School Board candidates will be answering a series of questions that were compiled by members of the Wawasee Community Education Association. At the end of this time there will be an opportunity for the public to ask any additional questions.

If you have any questions, please contact:

Terri Johnson, WCEA President
Milford School
(574) 658-9444
tjohnson@wawasee.k12.in.us

Cindy Brady
Syracuse Elementary
(574) 457-4484
cbrady@wawasee.k12.in.us

Boomerang Backpacks

2010-10-05T12:48:00.004-04:00

Syracuse Elementary is once again participating in the Boomerang Backpack program.

Boomerang Backpacks has one mission: To nourish low-income elementary students on weekends by providing backpacks full of food, and to inspire high school students to experience community service through project-based learning and student internships.

The Boomerang Backpack program is a free weekend food distribution program that provides students enrolled in free/reduced lunch programs a backpack filled with healthy foods for the weekend. The Boomerang Backpack program's motto is "Helping to fight childhood hunger one Boomerang Backpack at a time." The Boomerang Backpack program also provides community service opportunites for at risk youth enrolled in alternative learning options and work based learning experiences for special needs children.

The results of this program are expected to increase attendance on Fridays, as this is when the backpacks are handed out, and improved achievement on Mondays from a weekend filled of nourishment. And of course, nourishing the students.

You can partner with Boomerang Backpacks by volunteering your time, individual donation, or corporate partnerships. Find out what you can do today by visiting http://www.boomerangbackpacks.org/.

Individual donations may be sent to:

Syracuse PTO
c/o Syracuse Elementary
502 W. Brooklyn St.
Syracuse, IN 46567

Thank you!

Parent/Teacher Conferences

2010-10-04T09:55:00.002-04:00

Parent/Teacher Conferences:

WHS: Monday, October 4 - 3:15 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
WMS: Thursday, October 7 - 3:30 p.m. - 7:15 p.m.
NW/SES/Milford: Thursday, October 7 - 3:15 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Thank You!

2010-09-22T13:57:00.002-04:00

Wawasee hosted a vaccination clinic September 21st and almost 500 students attended from Wawasee School Corporation and surrounding schools. We want to thank parents that brought students and waited in line for vaccinations. We appreciate your help in our efforts to meet 2010-11 Indiana requirements for school attendance.

Wawasee Health Service Department Staff
Allene Dewart, LPN
Jane Venderly, RN
Myra Alexander, RN
Robin Huffman, RN
Pam Rensberger, RN

Immunization Clinic

2010-09-17T14:32:00.002-04:00

An immunization clinic will be held at the following locations:

September 21: Wawasee High School from 4:00 pm - 7:00 pm
September 28: Tippy Valley High School from 4:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Please see the Press Release from the Kosciusko County Health Department for more information.

Boomerang Backpack

2010-09-17T06:27:00.002-04:00

The Boomerang Backpack Program is again taking place at Syracuse Elementary.

Boomerang Backpacks is a free weekend food distribution program that provides students who are eligible for the Free and Reduced Lunch Program with a backpack filled with healthy food for the weekend. It also provides leadership, business skills, and community service opportunities to high school students who assist with the program.

For more information please contact:
Connie Geer - WCS Boomerang Backpack Coordinator
cbgeer@mchsi.com
(574) 457-5593

If you would like to make a donation, please send checks to:
Boomerang Backpacks
4616 E Dupont Rd
Fort Wayne, IN 46825
(Please indicate that your donation is for Wawasee Community Schools)

If you have a child at Syracuse Elementary who is eligible, please contact:
Jim Garner - Principal
jgarner@wawasee.k12.in.us
(574) 457-4484

Immunization Clinic

2010-08-27T09:58:00.004-04:00

Wawasee Schools will have an immunization clinic at Wawasee High School on September 21, 2010, from 4:00 pm - 7:00 pm. Please see the press release from the Kosciusko County Health Department.

2009-2010 Academy Accomplishments

2010-08-03T08:31:00.005-04:00

The Wawasee Academy accomplished many great things during the 2009-2010 school year. Among the most notable were:

232 credits earned by 106 students
9 students earned GEDs
9 students earned diplomas
Assisted at least 17 students in earning diplomas by awarding their final credit(s)

We are proud and looking forward to another year of success stories.

Registration and Online Registration

2010-07-21T09:30:00.003-04:00

Online registration will work much like the process did when you went to the school for registration. There will be forms to fill out, forms to pick up with information, and fees to pay. When our process is finalized, you will be able to complete the entire process online, including the payment. At this time, we are still negotiating our online payment contract. We want to make sure that the online payment company and procedures we use are correct the first time. We hope to have it finished soon, but it may not be available when online registration first opens on July 26.

The online process will work in the following way:

First you will go to our corporation website (http://www.wawasee.k12.in.us/). On the page you will find a link to the Online Registration site. On that site are documents for each school building in folders. You should go to each folder and view or download all of the relevant documents for your student(s). Some of these documents may require you to print a copy and fill it out to turn into the office of the school your student attends. In addition, the forms and information for bus assignments, bus rules, free and reduced lunches, school insurance, and online payments will be available in the Central Office folder.

Once, you have collected the forms and information you need, you will log in to your Harmony Web Portal account to finish the registration process. From there you will be able to make demographic changes and complete the information we need in our student management database for your student.

Finally, when the online payment option is available, it will appear as a link in the Harmony Web Portal. You will then be able to make fee payments and lunch deposits online. Currently, you will need to bring in completed forms and make payments at your student's school.

There will be regular registration days at each school again this year when parents can come in and register, or drop off forms, text book rental fees (K-8), and lunch deposits. High school parents will be notified when they can pay text book rental fees.

Registration Dates are:

Syracuse, North Webster, & Milford Schools: Thursday, August 5, and Monday, August 9, from noon to 7:00 P.M.

Wawasee Middle and Wawasee High School: Monday, August 9, and Tuesday, August 10, from noon to 7:00 P.M.

Elementary Textbook Rental Fees are as follows:

Kindergarten - $88.95
First Grade - $114.40
Second Grade - $119.50
Third Grade - $127.75
Fourth Grade - $102.25
Fifth Grade - $99.30

ISTEP+ Results for Spring 2010

2010-06-22T12:00:00.001-04:00

On Wednesday, June 16, 2010, the Indiana Department of Education released the Spring 2010 ISTEP+ results. Superintendent of Public Instruction Dr. Tony Bennett said that "81 percent percent of public schools increased the percentage of students passing both the English/language arts and Mathematics portions of the ISTEP+." Wawasee Community School Corporation and its schools are a part of that 81 percent.

As a corporation, we are generally pleased with the results, yet we understand we need to continue to improve in all areas. Our teachers, students, and administrators have worked hard, and the instructional coaches have been an asset to our teachers to improve instruction.

WCSC students in grades 3-8 went from 70.88% of its students passing English/Language Arts in spring 2009 to 75.76% of its students passing in spring 2010. In math, the corporation students increased from 76.82% passing to 81.63% passing. The percent of students passing both English/Language Arts and math improved from 65.2% passing to 70.9% passing.

To look at results by grade level and by school, you can go to the ISTEP+ results on the Indiana Department of Education website.

A little over 2 percent of the WCSC student pupulation in grades 3-8 took the new Indiana Modified Achievement Standards Test (IMAST), but we will not receive the results of that assessment until late August or early September.

Interesting Article

2010-06-21T08:03:00.004-04:00

Charter schools are being pushed as a salvation for regular public schools, yet they do not perform well. Please read the attached article from Newsweek. http://www.newsweek.com/2010/06/13/understanding-charter-schools.html

Retirements

2010-06-09T12:35:00.003-04:00

Wawasee Community School Corporation honored the corporation's retirees at the June 8, 2010, school board meeting. The retirees are:

Carolyn Baker, Milford School PE Teacher, 32 1/2 yrs WCSC experience, 34 1/2 yrs total experience
J. Francis Denton, WMS Science Teacher, 21 yrs WCSC experience, 44 yrs total experience
Tamara Hess, WMS Language Arts Teacher, 19 yrs WCSC experience, 22 yrs total experience
Karen Hoffert, 2nd grade NWES Teacher, 22 yrs WCSC experience, 22 yrs total experience
Mary Elizabeth Hoffman, NWES PE Teacher, 31 yrs WCSC experience, 33 yrs total experience
Stephen Hunsberger, WHS Guidance Counselor, 22 yrs WCSC experience, 43 yrs total experience
Cheryll Martin, WHS Math Teacher, 18 yrs WCSC experience, 22 yrs total experience
Patricia Mikel, Corporation High Ability, 21 1/2 yrs WCSC experience, 26 1/2 yrs total experience
Elaine Miller, SES Guidance Counselor, 19 yrs WCSC experience, 33 yrs total experience
Edward Parks, WMS Assistant Principal, 9 yrs WCSC experience, 36 yrs total experience
Cynthia Pierce, NWES Guidance Counselor, 15 yrs WCSC experience, 29 yrs total experience
Judy Setlak*, WMS PE Teacher, 18 1/2 yrs WCSC experience, 22 1/12 yrs total experience
*Also worked as a paraprofessional for 1 1/2 years.
Ellen Steven, WHS Principal, 6 yrs WCSC experience, 31 yrs total experience
M. Kristine Ummel, NWES 4th Grade Teacher, 33 yrs WCSC experience, 37 yrs total experience

Wawasee Community Schools wish to thank each of the retirees for their many years of dedicated service and wish them the best with their future endeavors.

Wawasee High School Welcomes New Principal

2010-06-02T07:15:00.004-04:00

Wawasee Community School Corporation is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Donald E. Harman as principal of Wawasee High School. He has been the principal of Delta Middle School for the past eight years as well as having held other administrative positions at the middle school, junior/senior high school, and the high school level.

Mr. Harman has bachelor's and master's degrees in science from Purdue University. He qualified for his secondary administration license through Ball State University.

Wawasee Community School Corporation is very excited about the prospects of working with someone of Mr. Harman's caliber. His extensive background and training will be an outstanding complement to our current administrative staff.

A native of the Warsaw area, Mr. Harman hails from a background of educators. Wawasee Community Schools is pleased to welcome the Harman family back to this area.

Highlights of Master Teacher Contract

2010-05-26T10:44:00.003-04:00

A new contract between the Wawasee Community Educators Association and the Wawasee Community School Corporation was approved in April.

Highlights of the agreement include:

The contract is in effect from July 1, 2010 to June 30, 2011.
The agreement is for a 0% salary increase for 2010-11.
Salary and up to two language items will be negotiated annually.
Parent-Teacher conference language was included for 2010-11.

In addition, a retirement incentive plan for teachers was adopted by the school board.

In these trying economic times, both the teachers and school board worked well together to find common ground for a new contract.

Update on Budget Reductions

2010-05-25T11:46:00.000-04:00

On Tuesday, May 18, 2010, the Wawasee Board of School Trustees voted on budget reductions for the 2010-2011 school year. This budget reduction PowerPoint shows the reductions that have been put in place.

Budget Reductions Update

2010-04-23T11:29:00.003-04:00

The following PowerPoint contains information that is currently under consideration for budget reductions for the 2010-2011 school year. This PowerPoint is updated from ones previously posted. Your comments are appreciated.

Budget Reductions PowerPoint April 2010

No School on Monday, April 26, 2010

2010-04-23T11:26:00.004-04:00

There is no school on Monday, April 26, 2010, for Wawasee Community Schools. This was a scheduled snow make up day that was not needed.

ISTEP+ multiple-choice testing for grades 3-8 begins on Tuesday, April 27, 2010.

Budget Reduction Measures 2010 PowerPoint

2010-03-17T09:15:00.003-04:00

The following PowerPoint was shared with the Wawasee Board of School Trustees at their March 9, 2010, board meeting.

PowerPoint of Budget Reduction Measures 2010

More Information About Budget Reductions

2010-03-07T13:21:00.002-05:00

Thanks for the suggestion in the budget reduction posting about answering rumors and questions.
Someone asked about a breakdown of employees by building. I don't have that information this weekend. We will work to make that information available.
Comments were made about transferring money from other tax funds to general fund. The short answer is that we can't. We are not able to transfer funds from capital projects, transportation, bus replacement, or debt payment funds, which you pay as property tax, into general fund. The state pays general fund to us from sales and income tax. (We can move a small percentage of capital project funding into general fund to help with utilities and property insurance.) These rules are set by the state, and we obey them.
Several new laws were proposed this legislative session allowing schools more flexibility in transferring between various funds. Those proposals are being held up by politics in Indianapolis. In any event, we didn't make this years' budget for Wawasee with extra money to transfer around if given the opportunity.
Wawasee established a Rainy Day fund long ago. I grew when certain facility projects didn't cost as much as estimated. The extra money went into Rainy Day fund. By the end of this summer, we will have spent over $800,000 from Rainy Day during the past three years. If we have no budget cuts and spend 1.3 million from the fund each of the next two years, the Rainy Day fund would be gone. Future needs for a cushion would remain, with nothing available for 5, or 25, years down the road.
Our budget reduction proposals have no plans for children to walk to school, to cut extra-curricular opportunities or sports, or to put 30 children in an elementary classroom. We'll continue to study options to save money with minimal disruption to programs and opportunities for the children of the Wawasee community.
I am asking the school board to approve a study of our district to look at good efficiencies we may be missing.
Blog questions were asked about why Milford seemed to take the hardest hit with reductions. The answer is that Milford has the lowest seniority elementary teachers in the school district. They are reduced first. WCSC is a large district with three elementary schools. If teachers are needed from elsewhere, they may be transferred from other buildings. Elementary teachers are being discussed because we didn't have secondary teachers on the reduction list. We already knew about some secondary teacher retirements, so some reductions could already be made, if needed. The reduction list is subject to change as we move through the process, with retirements known and decisions made, over the next several months.
Why would WCSC consider facility work when economic times are tough? That is a good question. The big answer is that the high school is 42 years old and needs a new roof, good and energy efficient heating units in 1/2 of the building, safety items addressed, and other items on our future building list. We can take advantage of zero/low interest through the federal stimulus program, without changing our tax rate. We'll be providing construction jobs, which turn around and help pay for our schools. Also, construction costs have gone backwards the past couple of years. The energy savings will pay off now and in the future, safer schools are better for all of us, and a new shop area has been needed for a long time.
Overall, WCSC is looking at our economic situation with the goals of minimizing reduction of services to the students and layoffs to employees. All employee groups share in cuts. Classified employee hour reductions will equal 5% of total classified hours, teacher reductions equal 2% of total teachers, and administrator reductions equal 14% of total administrators.

Thanks, again, for taking the opportunity to forward budget reduction ideas on the blog. This is a difficult process for everyone. I appreciate the way you are saying things in a nice way, even though you may not like what is happening. That says something good about Wawasee.

Waiver for Loss of Instructional Time at WHS

2010-03-05T10:25:00.002-05:00

The Indiana Department of Education has granted Wawasee Community School Corporation a waiver regarding the loss of instructional time for Wawasee High School's canceled day on February 26, 2010, due to the loss of power.

That day will not have to be made up.