Season's Greetings

As we approach a break in regular school activities we would like to take this opportunity to wish each of our students, staff and their families a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year. As you gather with loved ones during this season may the Love of Christmas surround each of you.

There may not be much blog activity over the next couple of weeks. Dr. Edington will be serving as interim superintendent during January and officially begin his duties February 1, 2008. At that time blog activities should return to normal.

School resumes January 7, 2008. Happy Holidays everyone!

Tuesday Evening Activities Update

Tonight's boys' junior varsity and varsity basketball games here at Wawasee High School against Columbia City will be held with the junior varsity game beginning at 6:15 p.m.

The high school boys' and girls' swimming and diving meets against Northridge will take place today at the Wawasee Middle School pool with diving beginning at 4:45 p.m. followed by swimming at 6:30 p.m.

Milford Middle School's Winter Concert has been cancelled.

SCHOOL CLOSED

Due to drifting on many county roads, Wawasee Community Schools will be closed today, Tuesday, December 18, 2007.

SCHOOL DELAY

Due to drifting snow, Wawasee Community Schools will have a two hour delay today Tuesday, December 18, 2007. Please observe the alternate kindergarten schedule.

MILFORD CONCERT RESCHEDULED

Milford Middle School's Winter Concert that was scheduled for Monday, December 17, at 7:00 p.m. has been postponed to Tuesday, December 18th, at 7:00 p.m.

SCHOOL CLOSED

Wawasee Community Schools will be closed today, Monday, December 17, 2007. Many roads are impassable and many are ice covered.

BOARD NOTES

Board Notes

Wawasee Community School Corporation
December 13, 2007

During its regular meeting on December 11, the Wawasee Community Board of School Trustees:

Commended Randy Warren for being named the Indiana Small and Rural Schools educator of the year.

Received the following support personnel resignations:

1. Miss. Tyson Niles as Title I Parent Involvement Paraprofessional at Syracuse School.

Approved the following support personnel for employment:

1. Ms. Jamie Meek as Computer Technician Paraprofessional at Syracuse School.
2. Transfer of Beth Polsean from Wawasee Middle School to Wawasee High School as Resource Paraprofessional

Accepted the following certified personnel items:

1. Mrs. Mickey Speicher, Fifth grade teacher at Milford School—maternity leave February 28 through May, 2008

Agreed to the following certified personnel for employment:

1. Mr. Brian Bowser—temporary teacher at Syracuse to replace Jeanette Wood
2. Ms. Catherine Bowen—temporary science teacher at Wawasee High School beginning 1/24/08 through 5/30/08

Authorized payment, claims for the period 11/1407 through 12/14/07

Accepted the financial report as presented by Mr. Evans

Approved advertising for Tax Anticipation Warrants for 2008

Adopted a Frame Work for Literacy as presented by Mrs. Goshert

Changed the date of the January board meeting to January 15, 2008

Adopted a goal for Expenditure Categories as required by Indiana Statute

Received an overview of Wawasee Community School’s ISTEP scores as presented by Mrs. Goshert and Mr. Cockburn

Warren Receives Top Teacher Award

Wawasee Community Schools is excited to announce that the Indiana Small and Rural Schools Association has named Mr. Randy Warren as its Indiana Teacher of the Year. In addition, Randy is also among the five (5) finalists who will be considered for the National Rural Teacher of the Year.

We are extremely excited that Indiana Small and Rural Schools Association has selected Randy as its recipient for Teacher of the Year. This is a great honor for Randy personally and we are pleased for the recognition his award brings to Wawasee Community Schools. We congratulate Randy along with members of the entire Wawasee Community.


Wawasee Community Schools extends its best wishes to Randy as he is considered for the National Teacher of the Year award.

Board Hires Superintendent

During a special meeting on December 4, 2007, the Wawasee Community Schools Board of Trustees unanimously approved Dr. Thomas Edington as the new Superintendent of Schools.

Dr. and Mrs. Edington

VITA

Dr. Thomas R. Edington


EDUCATION

Ph.D. Educational Administration 1996 Indiana State University
Terre Haute, Indiana

Educational Specialist in Administration 1992 University of S. Mississippi
Hattiesburg, Mississippi

Principal Certification 1985 Ball State University
Muncie, Indiana

M.A. in Elementary Education 1978 Ball State University
Muncie, Indiana

B.E. in Elementary Education 1975 Ball State University
Muncie, Indiana

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Superintendent 2005-Present Richland Bean Blossom
Community Schools
Ellettsville, IN

Superintendent 1996-2005 North Miami Community
Schools, Denver, IN

Principal 1986-1996 Huntington County
Community Schools
Huntington, IN

Teacher 1979-1986 Northern Wells Community
Schools, Ossian, IN

Teacher 1975-1979 Mt. Pleasant Township
Community Schools
Yorktown, IN

COMMUNITY ASSOCIATIONS

United Way of Monroe County—board President
Monroe County Rural Advisory Board—member
Bloomington Rotary Club—member
Bloomington Teacher’s Warehouse—board member
Monroe County Community Corrections—board member
St. John the Apostle Catholic Church—member
Edgewood Dollars for Scholars—board member


PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

Phi Delta Kappa—educational honorary—member
West Central Indiana Education Service Center—board president
Hoosier Hills Special Services Cooperative—board member
South Central Indiana School Study Council—member
Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents—audit chair
Indiana School Executive Leadership Academy—graduate
Ivy Tech Community College Board—Bloomington board member

SOMETHING NEW

While I have found the comments regarding the school delay intriguing and interesting, perhaps it is time to move on to something new that you might find enjoyable.

If you would like to receive an e-newsletter "Education Matters" published by the Indiana Department of Education, featuring the latest K-12 educational news, you may sign up at www.doe.state.in.us/ematters.

Give it a try!

BOARD NOTES

During its regular meeting on Tuesday, November 13, 2007 the Board of School Trustees:

Commended Wawasee High School student Leah Bateman for being selected to the 2008 Indiana All-State Orchestra, where she will play cello

Accepted a $2800 donation from the Milford PTO to do some landscaping at the various entrances to the school

Received the following support personnel resignations:

Mrs. Deb Sweazy as Special Ed Paraprofessional at WHS

Mrs. Alana Adamaitis as Special Ed Paraprofessional at Milford School

Approved the following support personnel for employment:

James Yeager--Special Ed paraprofessional at Milford

Suzanne Sullivan--Special Ed paraprofessional at Milford

Andrew Vester--3rd shift custodian at WHS

Don Bice--Bus Driver for route # 36

Sally McKee--Bus Driver for route # 20

Accepted the following certified personnel items:

Jeanette Wood--3rd grade teacher at Syracuse--retirement 1/1/08

Jeff Reed--5th grade teacher at North Webster--resignation effective 10/31/07

Agreed to the following certified personnel for employment:

Ryan Engelberth--temporary 5th grade teacher at North Webster

Heather Clevenger--temporary 1/2 time social studies teacher at WMS

Authorized for payment, claims for the period 10/3/07 through 11/3/07

Heard a report on Reading and Writing Workshops as presented by Mrs. Deb Gaby and Mrs. Ruth Ayres

Accepted the financial report as presented by Mr. Evans

Authorized Superintendent Kline to obtain bid specifications for the new bus garage

Received the Curriculum and Instruction Report as presented by Mrs. Goshert

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.