Superintendent Search Underway

The search for a new superintendent for Wawasee Community Schools officially began earlier this month. A brochure announcing the vacancy and an application form were mailed to every school corporation in the state of Indiana via the Indiana School Board's Association monthly mailing. Also the position has been posted with the placement offices of Ball State, Indiana State, Indiana, and Purdue Universities, as well as posted on the State Department of Education, Indiana School Board's Association and the Indiana School Superintendent's web sites.

The WCS School Board has chosen to use the University Consulting Team to assist them in the search process. This team consists of a member from each of the four major state universities, and will be chaired by the representative from Ball State University. Applications will be collected by the consulting team and screening will begin in early November.

Prior to the actual screening, the consulting team will meet with the Board to ascertain the needs of the school district and the Board. Once the team has screened the applicant pool to a workable number for the Board to interview, the consultants will review the interview process and protocol with the Board. At this point, the consulting team exits and the Board will interview those candidates best matching the needs of the district and the characteristics set by the Board.

The Board should conclude its interviews and background study and be prepared to announce the selected candidate at the December school board meeting. The new superintendent of WCS should begin his or her duties early in January.

If you would care to share characteristics you believe the new superintendent should possess, please feel free to contact a school board member.

ISTEP season is here!

On Tuesday, September 18th, all students in grades 3 through 10 in the state of Indiana will take the Indiana Statewide Testing for Educational Progress-Plus (ISTEP+). Based on Indiana's Academic Standards, the test includes English/language arts at each grade, as well as science at grades 5 and 7.

To be sure you're ready to do your best on ISTEP+, read these tips and practice some sample questions.

Be prepared. Cramming for any test is never the best way to prepare. Keep up with your homework and ask your teachers for help when you need it.

Get plenty of sleep. Go to bed a little earlier so you get a good night's sleep. Being well rested will give your an extra boost of energy for test day.

Have a good breakfast. Eat protein (eggs, meat, cheese, etc.), which will help you perform better than a sugary donut. Too much food can make you feel sleepy, so don't over do it.

Take a break. Get som exercise during your breaks or after school to keep your energy up.

Ask for help. If you've had trouble with ISTEP+ in the past, ask a teacher, counselor or parent about extra help now.

Double check your work on the test. You'll catch mistakes if you take time to proofread your answers carefully.

the following are some examples of sample test questions that the Indiana Department of Educationm has posted on their website. Give these a try and see how you do.

3rd grade: Read this sentence: Dr. Smith waved to us today.

What does "Dr." mean?

a). Dear

b). Doctor

c). Drive

d). Dollar



6th grade:

Choose the phrase that BEST completes the sentence below:

The sleepy cat was lying in the sun that came in __________________.

a). before the window

b). near the window

c). through the window

d). beside the window



8th grade:

The Caspian Sea is the largest lake in the world, with an area of 1.46 x 105 square miles. Lake Superior has an area of 3.17 x104 square miles. What is the difference, in square miles of the two lakes? Write your answer in the scientific notation. Show all work.



10th grade:

Choose the sentence that is correct and MOST clearly expressed.

a). The banjo can be more difficult to play than the guitar.

b). More difficult than to play the guitar can be playing the banjo.

c). To play the banjo can be more difficult than playing the guitar.

d). Playing the banjo can be more difficult than playing the guitar.


So, how did you do??

Schedule Change Slated for Milford

Wawasee Community Schools has been notified by the Indiana Department of Education that Milford Middle School currently does not have enough instructional time in the day to support releasing those students early for staff development purposes. While the elementary has enough time in the day to provide the released time, the middle school does not.

Wawasee Community Schools desires to keep Milford Middle School's programming consistent with the other schools in the corporation. To do so, necessitates that we add 15 minutes of instructional time daily, for the Milford Middle School students.

This is where we need your help. In order to accomplish more instructional time for the middle school students at Milford, it will be necessary for K-8 students to arrive at Milford, 5-10 minutes earlier than they do currently. Therefore, beginning Tuesday, September 4, 2007 we will be asking bus drivers to begin their routes approximately 10 earlier. the student day will begin at 8:10 a.m., and the dismissal time will remain the same at 3:05 p.m. for those students who ride the bus.

We recognize this is a change and we wish we could have had this information from the Department of Education prior to the start of school. We did not, and now we are faced with making this change with the least amount of disruption. We certainly appreciate your understanding and cooperation and sincerely regret any inconvenience this may cause.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact Milford School at 658-9444

Thank you.

OFF AND RUNNING

The 2007-08 School year is underway and I want to express my thanks to all of you who drive for keeping a sharp eye out for our kids who are walking, driving or who ride the bus. While we have had some minor "glitches" with the new lunchroom software, overall things seem to be going well. It is my observation the students in all of our schools are adjusting and seem excited to be back in school. Our new teachers also appear eager to get underway and are discovering how much work is involved in preparing for the school year. At this point our enrollment remains rather stable with approximately 3300 students.

The Wawasee Warrior season is also well underway for the year. The lady Warrior soccer team has jumped out to a 2-0 start with high goals to repeat the semi-state level effort of 2006. Men's and women's cross country teams get serious with their dual meets starting September 4.

Women's volleyball is off to a strong start with 2 wins against only one loss so far and the golf team is already entering the second half of their season and are pointing toward the Sectional on September 15.

Men's soccer is struggling a bit with a tough 0-2 over perennial powers Westview and Bethany Christian. In the battle of the W's, the varsity football team and cheerleaders opened with a "W" over Whitko last Friday. Our men's tennis team will face a challenging year with underclassmen leading the way for new head coach Roger Brady.

As you can see, exciting things are happening at school and on the athletic field. Get out support your favorite team. Go Warriors!

Welcome to the 2007-8 School Year

I am excited to welcome you to the 2007-08 School Year. It has been several years since I have been involved in the opening of school and I am excited to be a part of Wawasee Community Schools for the next few months. I especially welcome our students and sincerely hope they will have a year filled with learning, friendships, and memories that will last a lifetime.

We are pleased also, to welcome our new staff members. Approximately 30 new teachers throughout the corporation will be joining us this year. As you can see, our principals have been busy recruiting and interviewing so that we might obtain the best teachers in order to provide quality instruction for our students.

I would like to remind all those who drive to please slow down a bit and be mindful that our students are now back in school, and to also be on the alert for the big yellow buses that will out on the roads early in the morning and afternoon. Our kids are the community's most valuable resource. Let's all do our part to see that they have a safe and successful school year.

Go Warriors!!

CORRECTION OF REGISTRATION DATES

In and earlier post regarding Freshman Orientation, we inadvertently announced the wrong dates for registration:

Registration is set for 12:00-7:00 p.m. Tuesday, August 7 and Wednesday, August 8. We regret this error and apologize for any inconvenience.

Frosh Orientation Set

WHS Freshman Counselor, Mr. Kevin Taylor has announced that Freshman Orientation will be held Thursday, August, 9 from 7-8:30 p.m.. Students will need to have a parent accompany them to the Orientation program which will be held in the high school auditorium. After a brief meeting, students will receive their schedule, locker assignment, and a tour of the high school.

As a reminder, in order to receive a schedule and locker assignment at the Orientation program, it will be necessary for students, along with a parent, to attend Registration on Tuesday,
August 1 or Wednesday, August 2 between 12:00 and 7:00 p.m.

Mr. Taylor looks forward to meeting the the Class of 2011!

Board Hones Skills at ISBA Academy

Members of the Wawasee School Board, George Gilbert, Becky Linnemeier, Dallas Winchester and Mike Wilson, along with Interim Superintendent Kline attended the Summer Board Member Academy at the French Lick Springs Resort in French Lick, Indiana on July 12-13. This seminar sponsored by the Indiana School Boards, introduced new school board members to the many facets of boardmanship along with reinforcing these principals to numerous veteran board members and administrators.

A full schedule was featured during this two-day seminar covering such topics as consequences of bad board member behavior, school board's role and responsibility, productive board meetings, general assembly and public education and a host of others. Guest presenter, Pat Shoulders, Indiana University Board of Trustees Member and Evansville-Vanderburgh County school attorney shared his experiences relating to being an educational leader in today's educational environment.

"The session for new board members was most helpful," said Mrs. Linnemeier. Wilson agreed, saying "we gained a lot from these sessions, and I could have listened to Pat Shoulders for a couple of hours." "There is much we can learn from interacting with other board members from around the state, and it was great we were able to have a majority of our board present" said Board president Dallas Winchester. Those attending all agreed the meetings were timely, interesting and most valuable.

Greetings and Welcome!

Greetings and welcome to the 2007-08 school year! I am pleased and excited to serve as the Interim Superintendent of Wawasee Community Schools during this transition period. I began my duties here July 6, 2007 and will continue through December as the Board conducts its search for a superintendent.

Prior to this assignment, I served as Superintendent for Bremen Public Schools from 1991-2001. Prior to that, I was privileged to serve as Principal of Warsaw Community High School. My experience also includes Principal of Churbusco Jr. Sr. High School, Assistant Principal at Grissom Middle School (PHM), Social Studies teacher at Schmucker Middle School (PHM) and Language Arts teacher at Belvidere (IL) Junior High School. I hold Ed.S and M.S. Degrees from Indiana University and a B.S Degree from Ball State University.

I look forward to joining the students, staff, and the patrons of Wawasee Community Schools as we begin another school year. It is my hope that I will get to know many of you over the next few months.

Commencement Addresses

For all those who were unable to attend the Wawasee High School 2007 Commencement, we feature the audioblog replay of our Valedictorian and Salutatorian Addresses.

Just click on Play in the top left corner and you should hear the actual voices of our very own Wawasee students.

Thank you Lindsey and Elizabeth for making a special visit to my office today to make the recordings for the benefit of our community.

NOTE: I will take a break from blogging for a few weeks.

Enjoy your summer!!!!!!!!!!!

The Class of 2007

Here is a "by the numbers" look at the Class of 2007. But...they AREN'T numbers. These are our students!

280 students as incoming freshman
201 students in the commencement class
45 students transferred to other schools
10 transferred to home school
1 student has passed away
1 was expelled and never returned
11 are working on their GED right now ... somewhere else
20 students are still in the Wawasee Academy and could graduate next year
5 have already earned a GED and moved on
3 dropped out with an official exit interview
9 students received a certificate of completion or attendance
16 students had special learning needs – 11 of them earning a diploma
9 foreign exchange students
6 students transferred here from other schools and are graduating
29 students received their diploma by working through the Wawasee Academy
50 students are in the Academic Hall of Fame
6 are graduating with Distinction with a GPA 10.7-10.9
13 are graduating with Highest Distinction with at GPA of 11.0+
65 are graduating with an Academic Honors Diploma with Core 40
80 are graduating with Core 40
33 are graduating with the regular diploma
122 of our current seniors plan on attending a 4-year college this fall
21 plan on attending a 2 year college
15 plan on attending a vocational or technical school or apprenticeship
35 plan on joining the workforce

I point these statistics out because the constant, simplistic, negative, drum beat against public education does not do much to describe the complexities and diversities of life today.

Congratulations students!

We wish you the very best!

Building Trades Open House

Please mark your calendar for May 31, 2007 from 3-6 PM to visit the Wawasee Building Trades Open House. This year's house was built for Ed and Linda Phillipp at 1123 E. Northshore Drive, Syracuse.

The students and instructor have worked long and hard on this 3-story lake front home. Please attend our open house and see what our students have accomplished in less than a year. Attached is a picture from the lake front.

Quotes for Graduating Seniors

If you could leave our graduating seniors a memorable quote to guide them in their future lives what would it be?

Teachers will always be needed...but schools? maybe not!

I recently shared some unusual developments with the entire faculty that down the road could impact education in unusual ways.

My premise was that "teachers will always be needed, but a place called 'school' may not be."

I showed the staff this 5 minute video describing the NMC College Campus in the software platform known as "Second Life." It is surreal enough to leave you wondering what it's all about.

Will Richardson said recently that our current educational system was built on the notion that learning content was scarce. Learning content is now abundant and every day it grows more accessible to the public. Motivated students will no longer need traditional schools because teachers will be everywhere and the best ones will be available without being "present."

Shortly after that, I was introduced to MIT's free course ware. Many of MIT's classes are being offered free to the public. That includes lectures, notes, videos, assignments, and virtually everything except a grade and a credit.

Motivated students will have access to absolutely world class educational materials and teachers. Most will still need the personal touch, but in the text message world they live in, who's to say the personal touch isn't digital instead of analog!

Seniors are almost ready for take off!

World's Greatest Wakeboard Board For Sale :-(((

It's hard to wakeboard on the high plains! I may have to switch to the snowboard!

2001 Supra Launch for sale. Sleek yellow and white - very cool. I bought it new and I have been the sole owner.

It is an absolute monster of a wakeboard boat. It has Wakeboard Pro (cruise control for your board) which is absolutely essential for quality wakeboarding especially with a loaded boat throwing a thigh-high wake. It has a tower, speakers and radio, built-in ballast system and a custom ballast system for additional fat sacks. This is one of the deepest wakeboard boats made so it is also ideal for your family and kids. Rated for 13 people. It will NEVER take water over the nose like many ski/wakeboard boats.

Yellow and white. Have you priced a new wakeboard boat lately?

Price: $27,000.

Call me at 574-594-5956 in the evenings.

Also for sale? are wakeboards, skis, wakesurf board, life jackets and several assorted tubes and double tubes for you tube fanatics.

Get ready - Memorial Day weekend!

Why the Wiki is down

A recent commenter asked why I took the Wawasee Wiki down that contained the information regarding changes in summer registration process. I took it down because I copied all the comments and suggestions in hard copy form and will take them to the principals for consideration after school is out. I took it down because I didn't have the time to monitor it daily.

Because this technology is new, people (including me) are still not sure how to best use it.

For example, people would replace the main information on the page explaining the purpose and leave a statement that says "This isn't a good idea, people can change the page and say bad things." Of course this is true, but the solution is for the community to police the pages themselves. In time the goal is for the community to monitor a Wiki themselves.

In other words it takes a whole community to monitor a wiki. In the blog format I have been using here, I moderate or monitor and the public input is just commentary.

People have gotten used to the limited forum this provides. A wiki is a wide open (Web 2.0) environment that requires broad community policing.

As far as the main task of improving registration, I have copied all the ideas and will take them to the administrators for discussion.

Bittersweet

Last night at the public board meeting at 5:00 PM I announced my resignation as Superintendent of Schools. I have posted the statement I read to the board.


I have enjoyed serving the Wawasee Community School Corporation as Superintendent of Schools for the past 11 years.

I am announcing my resignation as Superintendent of Schools effective August 14, 2007. I have been offered a position at the University of Wyoming as a professor in the Educational Leadership Department. My primary responsibility will be working with potential superintendents and principals teaching courses that prepare them for public school administration. It is something I have always wanted to do. This will allow me time to pursue writing, publishing and research which is always something I have wanted to try.

I will leave Wawasee with nothing but fond memories. This has been a great place to live and raise our families and the community has much to be proud of.

I wish to formally thank the Board of School Trustees for their support over the years. They took a chance on a 38 year old with no previous superintendent experience and allowed me the chance to grow as a person and as a professional for which I will always be grateful.

And last of all I wish to thank the professionalism of so many administrators, staff members and support staff who toil away in our classrooms, schools and buses to make our corporation what it is.

Technology is the devil...and other thoughts from Will R. and friends

Here is an interesting blog post from Will Richardson who has left the classroom to speak to educators and share the content from his new book. Will was a pioneer in the use of technology and web tools in the classroom. The blog comments are also very thoughtful.

Will Richardson was in Fort Wayne last week and I got a chance to sit and visit with him some. He is finishing a 3 week tour of the U.S. and he seems genuinely discouraged at the response he is getting across the nation.

Why? He is frustrated at the pace of change and how educators seem reluctant to embrace technological innovations, especially the use of internet and web 2.0 applications in the classroom.

Surveys and teacher feedback repeatedly reveal that students are not engaging or investing in their school "work." Yet the multimedia, hyper speed world of our young people continually leaps ahead of us adults in the implementation of technology in the classroom.

Will's post and additional comments are found here.

A Tribute to Mothers

I post this each year in honor of upcoming Mother's Day.

My mother passed away several years ago, leaving behind a wonderful tribute and family legacy. On Mothers' Day it seems appropriate to remember her.

When I was 8 years old, my father passed away after losing a battle with a brain tumor, leaving my mother a widow at age 32 with three children under the age of 8. Mother had been a stay-at-home mom and dad was an airline mechanic for Delta Airlines. Mom did not have marketable job training that would provide a living wage.Unsure of what to do, she moved our family from Michigan to Ohio to be closer to her parents. She bought a small home and enrolled in college at Wright State University in Fairborn, Ohio. Her goal was to become a classroom teacher.My brother, sister and I can still hear her late into the night, studying by reading outloud to herself. I can hardly imagine the stress and workload of a single, widowed mother of three young children taking a full load of classes at the university.Mother graduated with academic honors in four years and got her first full-time employment as a third grade teacher at the age of 38. I can still remember how excited us children were that mom could finally afford to buy soda-pop for a family treat.

From my earliest memory, I knew that I was going to go to college because mom did, yet the greatest gift my mother left us was her spiritual example. She overcame all obstacles placed before her, and although her life could never have been described as easy, she was satisfied in what life had brought. She never complained, but set a solid example of honesty, integrity and work ethic that has remained a legacy, not only to her children but all who knew her. She never remarried, but chose to dedicate her life to God, her family and her elementary school students.

From her example of going to college and working hard, her three children continued their education as well. In her last few years while fighting cancer, she helped me finish my doctoral dissertation by entering all my data into spreadsheets. My sister completed her college degree and passed her CPA exams and my brother went back to school to finish an MBA.

The research says that one of the highest correlations for educational achievement for any individual is found by tracking the educational degree of the mother. It certainly seems true for our family.Here in America, the greatest land of opportunity the world has ever known, let us be thankful for caring and dedicated mothers who model the values and work ethic that made America great. Especially those single mothers who must play many roles for their children.Mothers, take courage, your children will not forget the legacy you leave them. May it be a positive one.