2-Hour Delay

Wednesday, February 27: 2-Hour Delay with no SMART Start due to weather and road conditions.

School Closed

Friday, February 22: Wawasee Schools are CLOSED due to weather conditions.

The notification website www.weareclosedtoday.com is experiencing technical difficulties this morning causing the delay notifications not to be dispatched. We apologize for any inconveniences this may have caused. 

The Children of Our Community and School Safety

The recent tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut, changed the thinking about student safety forever.  A lone gunman had no real link to the school.  He got into a facility with good security measures in place.  His victims were young and randomly selected.  It causes us to say “What if?”

School people worry about parents locked in custody battles, former employees looking for revenge, or a student trying to right an alleged wrong.  Sandy Hook was truly senseless violence.

Nationally, debates about guns and mental health continue.  Locally, we have to deal with student safety issues on two levels.  One is checking our present safety procedures and making certain that they are as effective as possible.  The other issue is discussing any new measures to implement in such a way that it does not bring greater anxiety to children, their parents, and our community.

Please know that we are keeping our doors locked, both outside and inside the schools, during the school day.  We check out visitors before allowing them to enter.  Our security camera systems at all Wawasee Schools have been totally upgraded in the past year.  We have school safety committees at each building, have up-to-date emergency plans, and meet with local law enforcement officers.  Wawasee, through the Kosciusko County Sheriff Department, has an onsite school resource officer.  I assure you that we are taking school safety seriously.

Our future plans are not finalized yet.  The state and federal governments are considering funding toward more school resource officers.  We are monitoring those discussions.  Wawasee is considering such things placing barriers to keep vehicles away from our exterior doors, expanding our security camera and lighting systems, and holding more training with law enforcement, emergency personnel, and school staff members.

Our security at Wawasee was good before the senseless acts in Connecticut.  It’s better now.

No School

Wawasee Community Schools will not be in session on Monday, February 11, 2013. This was a built in snow make-up day that was not needed.

2-Hour Delay

Wednesday, February 6: Wawasee Schools are delayed TWO Hours with no SMART Start.

Tuesday, February 5: Wawasee Schools are delayed 2 hours. 

All community members are encouraged to attend!

Monday, January 28: Wawasee Schools are under a 2-hour delay.

2-Hour Delay

Tuesday, January 22, 2013: Wawasee Community Schools will be delayed two hours due to extreme cold temperatures and negative wind chills.

Junior Parent Night

There will be an informational meeting for parents of high school college-bound juniors at 7:00 pm, Monday, January 21, 2013 in the high school auditorium. The information will cover such topics as selecting colleges, applying to colleges, when to take the SAT, scholarships, diploma requirements and much more information that will be beneficial to the continued success of your student. A representative from Grace College will be present to discuss the college application process from an admissions standpoint.

Senior FAFSA Meeting

Wawasee High School Guidance Department is sponsoring a college financial aid night for seniors and their parents. The session will provide information about important deadlines, the applications process and financial aid programs. The meeting will be held Monday, January 21 at 6:30 pm in the Wawasee High School Lecture Room. Step-by-step instructions for filling out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) will be given. Parents and their senior students are encouraged to attend together.

Parent/Teacher Conferences

Wawasee High School will be conducting parent/teacher conferences on Monday, January 14, from 3:15 pm to 7:00 pm at the high school.

FREE FLUMIST CLINIC

Parkview is offering a free Flumist Clinic for healthy children ages 2-18 years old who:

- Have Hoosier Healthwise/Medicaid
- Insurance does not pay for vaccines
- No health insurance

The Flumist Clinic will be held in Warsaw at the K21 Health Services Pavilion on Monday, January 14, from 1:00 pm-5:00 pm. 

Comments from Dr. Edington

Dear Wawasee School Parents and Community,


The terrible tragedy which occurred at a school in Connecticut today saddens and scares us all. We hope that you sit down with your child, of whatever age, to talk about this random and senseless event. Then, give them a hug!

Our Wawasee School mental health therapists are developing a plan for primary, intermediate, middle, and high school teachers, administrators, and staff members to use Monday in helping our students (your children) deal with this tragedy. We'll review our school safety plans at Wawasee, talk about the need for locking school doors during the day, and work to reassure and instill trust that has been shaken by today's events.

It is so sad that we have to deal with yet another situation where innocent children and those who work with them are victims.

Tom Edington

Superintendent

School Board News, 12/12/12

School Board News

The Wawasee School Board met on Tuesday, the 11^th.  A work session took place at 5:00 p.m. while the board toured the new culinary arts classroom at WHS.  Teacher Dan Bauer introduced some culinary students, conducted a tour of the room, gave a history of the fairly new program, and had snacks prepared for the guests.

At 5:30, the board met in the WHS Warrior Room in its regular session.  Good news items included a swimming program for special needs students, donated laundering service for the WHS student-led coat and blanket drive, donation of a shed and mower by the Syracuse Youth League to the school and its softball program, and a grant of $10,000 from the Kosciusko County Community Foundation to the coop welding program housed at West Noble High School.

Minutes were approved, people were hired, and bills were paid.

WHS Teacher Dan Bauer gave a report about the culinary program, WHS Assistant Principal Mike Schmidt and students Stephanie Camargo and Shelby Swartz informed the board of the upcoming coat and blanket drive, and WHS teachers Mike Malcolm, Nancy Rehling, Sallie Hoy, and Ryan Edgar reported with Dr. Bob Cockburn on the use of NWEA data to drive instruction.

Jim Evans, director of finance, reported on the levels of various corporation funds.  The board approved a tax anticipation warrant for 2013, renewal of property and casualty insurance, renewal of copier lease agreement, purchase of five school buses, and reappointment of Syracuse Public Library board member Diana Castell.

Superintendent Tom Edington reported on staff absences.  The certified staff attendance rate was 98% during the first trimester of the school year.

The next school board meeting date is January 15, 2013, at 5:30 p.m. in the Warrior Room at Wawasee High School.

P.S.  Any past board agendas and minutes are posted on the Wawasee website.

12.12.12

Weather Make-Up Date

Wawasee Community Schools will be in session on Monday, January 28, 2013, to make up for the November 21st cancellation. 

CLOSED

Wednesday, November 21: Wawasee Schools are CLOSED due to dense fog.

SUICIDE PREVENTION INFORMATION SESSION

*SUICIDE PREVENTION INFORMATION SESSION*

The Wawasee Community School Corporation will be hosting an informational session on suicide prevention on Tuesday, November 20th from 5:30-6:15 PM in the Wawasee High School auditorium. Christina Bolden from the Bowen Center will be presenting. All patrons are welcome to attend.

"Stuff A Bus"

On November 12-17, WHS Key Club is having its annual non-perishable food drive benefiting the three local food pantries by "Stuffing A Bus" full of food and toiletry items. The bus will be in front of WHS on Monday, November 12 to Friday, November 16 during the hours of 7:15 am to 12:00 pm. Key Club members and the bus will also be at the following locations throughout the week:

• Tuesday, November 13 - Dollar General in Milford from 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm
• Thursday, November 15 - New Market in North Webster from 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm
• Saturday, November 17 - New Market in Syracuse from 10:00 am - 3:00 pm

Please help us "Stuff the Bus" for our community!

Wawasee High School Key Club. We don't make keys, we make a difference!

Reply to Release of State School Grades

Wawasee Community Schools congratulate Wawasee High School for receiving an A grade for the 2011-2012 school year!

As a district, Wawasee Community Schools received a C grade from the state this year even though our test scores were very similar to 2010-2011.  Last year, Wawasee was an A school district.  What happened?

•  Wawasee test scores were 1% lower in 2011-2012.
•  Any dip in test scores results in a drop of at least a letter grade from the state.
•  The state grading scale for schools changed to A=4, B=3.5, C=3, D=2, F=1. The grading scale we grew up with was A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1, F=0.
•  The state changed their grading scale and implemented letter grade deductions for dips in scores causing more schools statewide to have lower grades.
•  Wawasee is teaching the common core state standards curricula used by over 40 states. Indiana is still testing over the old state standards curricula.
•  Wawasee appealed state grades at every school except Wawasee High School. We remain uncertain withe the validity of the state's data. Two Kosciusko County schools dropped from A's to C's and had higher scores than a school which declined and remained an A grade. 

Reasons don’t matter to folks, though, when all of Wawasee Schools aren’t solid A’s or B’s.  As teachers, administrators, and staff members, we work hard to meet student needs.  There is a saying of “Work smarter, not harder.”  As Wawasee Community Schools move forward, we will commit ourselves to using student data and available resources to work smarter to reach our goals.

Meet the Candidates Night

You are invited to Wawasee Middle School's lecture room on Tuesday, October 30, 2012, at 7 p.m. for a chance to meet the candidates running for the Wawasee Board of School Trustees.  The Wawasee Community Educators' Association (WCEA) is hosting the event.  Candidates will be answering questions put together by the WCEA, and there will be time following those questions for the public to ask additional questions.

Candidates are vying for the two at-large seats.  Candidates are incumbents George Gilbert and Mike Wilson along with challengers Brandy Maney, Brent Robinson, and Heidi Rozow.

Homework Assistance

Does your child need help with math or science homework?
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology offers a free homework hotline for help with math and science homework for students in grades 6-12. They offer help Sunday-Thursday from 7:00 p.m - 10:00 p.m. (EST) at their toll free number 1-877-ASK-ROSE (1-877-275-7673). You may also visit their website at http://www.askrose.org.

School Registration

Online registration for returning students will open July 30, 2012. Parents will need a Harmony web ID and password. If you do not have a Harmony web ID and password, you can obtain one here.  For more information regarding Online Registration, please click here.

Registration for new students and for students without online access will be on the following dates:

Wawasee Middle School & Wawasee High School/Wawasee Academy	Mon., Aug. 6 • Noon – 7 P.M. Tues., Aug. 7 • Noon – 7 P.M.
Milford School, Syracuse Elementary, & North Webster Elementary	Thurs., Aug. 2 • Noon – 7 P.M. Mon., Aug. 6 • Noon – 7 P.M.

Geothermal Update

Geothermal Technology May be Coming to Wawasee Middle School

In an effort to reduce energy costs and continue to save money in the future, the Wawasee Community School Corporation is looking into the possibility of utilizing the geothermal energy in the area. Geothermal energy is the heat contained within the earth and is a clean, reliable and renewable resource. It can be used as an energy efficient heating and cooling alternative. Information provided by the company, Performance Services, suggests that the location of Wawasee Middle School is likely to have significant geothermal potential. Recent upgrades to the heating and cooling system at Wawasee Middle School make that location ideal to best use this natural resource. The first step in the process is to drill a small test well.

Drilling a test well will provide data on both heat transfer and the type of geology at the site. This information will help determine if the site is suitable and aid in projecting the cost of installing a geothermal system. The test well will be approximately 6-8 inches in diameter and roughly 500 feet deep and it will not impact the soccer fields. The drilling of the test well is expected to take just a couple of days and the results reported back in a week or so. During the first two days of the project what will be visible is a truck-mounted drill rig. Once the well is drilled, the site will be fenced off and the area secured until the necessary data is collected. The test well site will either be fully restored or converted into a production well if the project is approved by the School Board. If approved, anywhere from 30 to 50 production wells would be installed in an open area just east of the tennis courts. Once installed, the wells are covered with top soil and are not noticeable. 

Building Trades Open House

WAWASEE BUILDING TRADES OPEN HOUSE

WEDNESDAY, MAY 30, 3:00 PM - 7:00 PM

The 2011-12 Wawasee Building Trades Project house was built for Brian and Kara Warren and is located at 9800 W Northshore Drive Kimmel Indiana 46760. Come view this beautiful 1750 square foot single story home with walk out basement. It boasts a sunroom, open concept living, dining & kitchen, 2 full baths, 3 bedrooms and a large sun deck.

Students involved in this build are:   Charles Bird, Allen Carson, Jacob Chalman, Dylan DeSomer, Kyle Flores, Josh Gohlke, Andrew Hepler, Luke Jackson, Henry Kidd, Cole Love, Jordan Schmitt, Scott Shepherd, Trenton Thornburg, Mario Torres, Kory Workman & Derek Zurcher

Congratulations!

Photo Courtesy of The Mail-Journal

Congratulations to the 2012 Education Program Essay Contest winner, Syracuse Elementary fourth grader Adrianna Clark. Adrianna's essay was selected out of nearly 1,000 entries from fourth graders across the state. She will receive a 500 Festival gift pack which includes four tickets to the IPL Festival Parade and the Indianapolis 500. Her teacher, Kristina Long, will also receive two qualification tickets as well as tickets to the parade. For more information and to read Adrianna's winning essay, please click HERE. 

WMS Natatorium Roof Supports Repair

Repairs to the Wawasee Middle School Natatorium roof supports are currently under way. On Tuesday, May 1, the Wawasee School Board members met at a special board meeting to discuss the options for repairing the roof supports. Please click HERE for to read the memo from Dr. Edington to staff, parents, and community members. Thank you!

Snow Make-Up Day

Wawasee Community Schools will be in session on Monday, May 14. This is to make up for the weather cancellation on February 23.

ISTEP+ Online Practice Experience

The Indiana Department of Education has asked schools to test online the top two grade levels in each building for the ISTEP+ Spring Multiple Choice Assessment.

At Wawasee Community Schools the following grade levels at each school will take the test online:

• North Webster School: Grades 4 & 5
• Syracuse School: Grades 4 & 5
• Milford School: Grades 7 & 8
• Wawasee Middle School: Grades 7 & 8

The state has provided an online practice experience which anyone can access. The online practice is very short and is really to get students use to what the system looks like along with practice using the tools within the system.

Each student involved in the online assessment will also be taking another online practice test during school hours the week of April 23-27. Wawasee students will be taking the actual test the weeks of April 30-May 11, 2012.

You can access the ISTEP+ Online Practice Experience by going to http://learnoas.ctb.com/ISTEP/. At the login screen, just click the Login button. You do not need an ID, Password, or Access Code.

Frogtrotter Basketball

Froggy 102.7 Charity Basketball Event

Join us for a fun-filled evening featuring the crazy antics of the Frogtrotters!

Monday, March 26, 2012

7:00 p.m.

Syracuse Elementary School

Syracuse, Indiana

FREE– Admission is by donation

FUN—PRIZES AND SPECIAL GUESTS!

All proceeds benefit Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

Please click HERE for more information!

Community Meth Workshop

On Tuesday, March 13, 2012, from 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m., a Community Meth Workshop will be held at the Syracuse Community Center and is open to the public. This flyer has all of the information.

Position Statement - Head Lice

Head Lice Position Statement

Head lice rarely (if ever) cause direct harm, and they are not known to transmit disease from person-to-person. Thus, they should not be considered a medical or a public health problem. They are mainly acquired by direct head-to-head contact with an infested person's hair but may infrequently be transferred with shared combs, hats and other hair accessories. They do not jump or fly.

Our goal is to educate parents, staff and students regarding the scientific facts of head lice and to support and work closely with parents and their students who are found to have head lice. Parents are requested to focus on the education and proper treatment of their child should an incident of head lice occur. Parents are requested to notify the school nurse when head lice are found on their child.

It is our position that head lice should not disrupt a student's education or their school attendance. When the school nurse is made aware of live lice, she will address the situation with a parent contact and the use of an electronic lice comb. Our school nurses are a valuable resource to families, offering up-to-date head lice information.

Wawasee Community Schools Nurses

Theatre Production

Wawasee High School Theatre Department presents

Beauty and the Beast

Friday, March 23 at 7:00 p.m.

Saturday, March 24 at 7:00 p.m.

Sunday, March 25 at 2:00 p.m.

Grade 12 and younger - $6

Senior Citizens (60 and above) - $6

Adults - $8

All seats are reserved. Contact WHS for more information and advance ticket sales.

Calendar Update

Please be advised to the following changes due to the February 23rd cancellation:

Friday, February 24 - No School

Monday, February 27 - Teacher Work Day, No Students

Tuesday, February 28 - End of 2nd Trimester

Wednesday, February 29 - Beginning of 3rd Trimester

Monday, May 14 - Snow Make-Up Day, School in Session

CLOSED

Thursday, February 23: Wawasee Community Schools are CLOSED due to dense fog and icy conditions.

2 Hour Delay

Tuesday, February 14: Wawasee Community Schools are under a 2-hour delay with alternate Kindergarten schedule.

Nurses' Response to Concerns about Lice

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

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

School Calendar Survey

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

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

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

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

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

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

1. 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.
   
2. 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

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

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

District Accreditation Visit

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

United Way

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

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

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

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

• 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

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

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.

Click here and become a Fan today!

Wawasee Community Schools Going Digital

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

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

Retirements

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

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

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

Fully-Funded Full Day Kindergarten

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

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

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

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.