Local school districts take positive steps in 2010

MOUNT VERNON — As the calendar year winds down, it is a time of contemplation for many. People review the year’s events and happenings, and reflect upon the year’s challenges and successes. Students and schools in the area have accomplished many things, and some of the county schools’ academic achievements and highlights of 2010 are listed below.

Centerburg

•Robotics team won Buckeye Regional competition and qualified for the international match. Due to the costs involved, team members decided not to go to the international meet so next year’s team would have the funds to compete.

•The Red Plague Robotics team was selected by the Ohio School Board Association as one of the top 100 innovative programs in the state of Ohio and chosen to present at the 12th Annual Student Achievement fair at the Ohio Capital Conference on Nov. 9.  

•Jacqueline McCalla Cordle Learning Center at the high school/middle school was dedicated.

•Knowledge Bowl team won the state match for the third consecutive year.

•Bringing Up Grades Club at elementary was a sweet success in encouraging pupils to bring up their grades.

•Frisbee golf course construction under way with donations from area businesses, individuals and Centerburg alumni.

•New band uniforms were purchased.

•Centerburg Middle School received an Excellent with Distinction designation on state report card.

•Haunted School Bus drew a huge Halloween crowd.

•Elementary book fair was a rousing success and generated over $2,200 in profit for the purchase of library and classroom books.

•Four new SmartBoards have been recently purchased and installed in the elementary.

•Second-Step bully prevention curriculum has been implemented in all grades kindergarten through five. Students receive an “empathy” and/or “bully prevention” lesson each week.

•Diagnostic Math Assessment training was provided for a select core of teachers to help determine instructional needs for grades kindergarten through grade three.

•Third-grade “Community Visits” involved all third-grade students and 50 local businesses. Students visited and interviewed businesses in the community.

•Pupils in kindergarten through grade three participated in a Halloween Party and Costume parade through the community on Oct. 29.

•Elementary students participated in a variety of Veterans Day activities on Nov 11. Art classes made a “red, white and blue” art display tribute to veterans past and present.

•Elementary student council organized a Purple and White Day to support the East Knox family who experienced a tragic loss.

•Elementary PTO fundraiser Walk-a-thon in October was a success. The PTO will continue to support many different programs throughout the year including the Bug Club ice cream party; the Student of the Month breakfasts; purchase of technology; purchase of student books, both fiction and non-fiction; Accelerated Reading Quizzes; and classroom teacher spending reimbursement of $100 per teacher.

Danville

•Danville earned an excellent district rating on state report card.

•Two Mock Trial teams went to state competition.

•Danville dominated the 2010 Knox County Speech Contest and the 2010 Knox County Debate contest.

•Children’s Garden dedicated in honor of former teachers Linda Rowley and Karen Robison.

•The Ohio Scholastic Media Association named the Danville Beacon the second-place overall newspaper in a statewide competition. Receiving awards in layout, design or reporting were Craig Colopy, Evan Dustheimer and Janelle Mickley.

•Tara Stringfellow-Bond was employed as the new elementary principal.

•Ed Honabarger was named new high school principal.

•Junior high science teacher Matt Proper was chosen for AEP’s e3 SMART program.

•Mock Trial competition is open to students in grades six through eight.

•Seventh-grade students attended a Columbus Ballet Met performance at Mount Vernon Memorial Theater.

•Eighth-grade students traveled to Centerburg to see “The Diary of Anne Frank.”

•Anti-bullying assembly was held for seventh- and eighth-graders.

•The Danville community won the Devil-Dog Blood Drive for the third year in a row. A record 67 pints were collected.

East Knox

•Matt Caputo took the reins as superintendent.

•Genelle Eggerton was hired as the new elementary principal.

•Lisa Brown was employed as the middle school principal.

•Budget cuts made total more than $650,000.

•East Knox Elementary earned an excellent rating on the state report card.

•Flex credit and geocaching were new initiatives at the high school.

•An outdoor learning center was built near Chet Looney Stadium.

•Scott Martin advanced to finalist standing in the 2010 National Merit Scholarship Program.

•FCCLA members Jessica Turner, Jessica Futral, Kaila Preston, Alyssa Gunder and Elena Gaertner earned gold awards in regional competition.

•The East Knox FCCLA hosted the Knox County district meeting about bullying prevention.

•Band members Eric Frazee, Jessica Bartkiewicz and Breanna Bibby won superior ratings in the Ohio Music Education Association Solo and Ensemble contest.

Fredericktown

•Fourth-graders built bat and owl houses for the Fredericktown park with the assistance of the high school vo ag class.

•District received an excellent rating on report card, as did the elementary school and the high school.

•November levy issue pulled from ballot due to federal stimulus funding.

•Elementary declared a national Blue Ribbon School.

•New Second Step guidance curriculum provided by a grant written by Jamie Smith from New Directions.

•Smart Boards in elementary classrooms provided by PTO.

•A successful food drive was held for Interchurch and The Salvation Army.

•High school band qualified for State Marching Band Finals and received an excellent rating.

St. Vincent de Paul

•St. Vincent de Paul School remains proud of its 154 years of educating Knox County youth. The tradition of a Christ-centered quality education remains important for all involved. To ensure that this tradition continues, the classes and various organizations involved with the schools have become involved with a program to adopt different areas of the school building to restore its original glory.

•Over the summer the front entrance way was redone by the current eighth-grade class. The students and their parents stripped woodwork, and cleaned and painted. The school emblem and new light fixtures were also added.

•The school athletic department received a grant that allowed them to paint the gym, redo the scoreboard and the playground basketball court.

•The middle hallway and stairwells on the north side of the building are currently under way.

•St. Vincent students and faculty spent the fall semester on service learning projects focused on hunger. The students in grades seven and eight are working directly in support of Interchurch Social Services.

•Eighth-grade students placed second in the 2010 Ohio regional Future City Competition.

•Students from St. Vincent won the 2010 diocese Battle of the Books.

•2010 ended with a quirky musical take on the book by Barbara Robinson, “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.” The finale, featuring the whole school singing “Silent Night” around a live manger scene, put everyone into the true Christmas spirit.

pschehl@mountvernonnews.com