Superintendent Newsletter Archives
March 23, 2012
I hope you and your families have enjoyed the great weather this week! I would like to invite you to welcome in our spring sports season with the baseball and track teams next week. Navigate to our athletics calendar to see the upcoming schedules for all of our spring sports teams.
As we look forward to the future of technology in our students’ lives, we concluded that making a change to our current school policy in terms of personal devices (laptops, iPads, etc.) was necessary. Thus, at a recent Keystone Board of Education meeting, our board members adopted new technology policies. It is now permissible for students to use phones, iPads, laptops, etc. for research if it is allowed by the teacher in class. The same rules apply in the past if it is not allowed by the teacher. We ask for your understanding in that we currently have limited wireless capabilities, so that will affect the use of these personal devices in the classroom. Our goal is to be fully wireless at the 6-12 levels by the time the new middle school is complete next year.
In other news, I would like to thank you for your consistent support of our parent and volunteer organizations and ask that you continue to support them in their upcoming fundraisers and events. The KES PTA will host a book fair, talent & art show on Saturday, March 31. The KMS PTA will be holding their annual book fair next week from 8-2:30pm in the middle school lobby, and the KHS After-Prom committee is holding a Dine to Donate event at Wolfey’s Bistro in Elyria on March 27. Ten percent of all sales at Wolfey’s will be donated to the After-Prom committee. Thank you in advance for your support of these important parent and volunteer organizations!
Have a great weekend!
March 16, 2012
I hope all of you have enjoyed this week of warm, spring-like weather! Our spring sports teams are in full gear practicing and preparing for their upcoming seasons. Our KHS boys’ baseball team begins their season on Wednesday, March 28 vs. Elyria Catholic, the girls’ softball team begins on Tuesday, April 3 vs. Edison High School, and the track team’s first meet is on Saturday, March 31. Please plan on attending these athletic events and support our Keystone athletes.
In curriculum news, the high school is wrapping up OGT testing this week. The students and staff did a great job preparing for these assessments in the areas of science, math, reading, writing, and social studies. The Ohio Achievement Assessments (OAA’s) are coming up for the middle school and will take place following Easter break. Practice tests for the middle school are scheduled on Wednesday, March 21 and Thursday, March 22.
In additional middle school news, we are excited for two students who will be traveling to Europe this March. Lauren LaPointe and Koral Kasnyik will travel to Europe with the U.S. Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program. Their success on the soccer field and their upcoming trip was recently highlighted in an article in the Chronicle Telegram. To read the full article, click on the following text C/T KMS Soccer article.
Lastly, I want to remind you that open enrollment for KLSD begins on April 15 and concludes May 31. Open enrollment is free and is considered on a first come - first serve basis. Forms for open enrollment can be acquired in our board office or by clicking on the following link: Open Enrollment Form. If you have any questions concerning open enrollment, contact our board office at 440-355-5131.
Have a great weekend!
March 9, 2012
The winter sports season for the high school concluded last week, and we are very proud of the coaching staffs and teams who all had great seasons. Both KHS basketball teams as well as the KHS wrestling team represented Keystone well, and we would like to commend them on their efforts and hard work throughout the season.
In addition, I would also like to congratulate the 7th grade KMS girls' basketball team as they claimed the conference title with a win over Black River in the PAC Tournament Championship game. The Lady Wildcats finished the season with a perfect 18-0 record! Congratulations!
Family fun day is tomorrow at Keystone Elementary School, and the PTA has been working hard to plan a fun day for all participating families. This year’s theme is “Lost in Space.” The family fun day will feature family-centered games, prizes, laser tag, star lab, moon walk bounce house, glow-in-the dark room, and more! We would like to thank the elementary school’s PTA and all their volunteers who put time and effort into planning this great event for Keystone families.
At the high school, the Ohio Graduation Tests (OGT) begin next week, and we wish the students and teachers the best of luck as they start their tests. Please remember that the high school will follow an adjusted schedule next week. Visit their website for more information.
In additional curriculum news, the Ohio Department of Education has submitted an NCLB AYP waiver to the Federal Government. If it is accepted by the Federal Government, Ohio’s school report cards may look quite different next August. Rather than seeing the designations that we are accustomed to like “Excellent” and “Effective,” each district will receive a grade from A-F. At this time, it is not a certainty, but there is a real possibility that this could happen along with all the other changes that are occurring. I will keep you informed as I learn more about the possible changes and outcomes.
Open enrollment at Keystone begins on April 15 and concludes on May 31. Open enrollment is free and is considered on a first come - first serve basis. Forms for open enrollment can be acquired in our board office at 301 Liberty Street.
The weather has been unseasonably warm all winter, and the official beginning of spring is only a couple of days away, which means that daylight savings time begins this weekend. Don’t forget to adjust your clocks! Have a good weekend.
Go Wildcats!
March 2, 2012
We have many upcoming events at Keystone I am excited to share with
you. March celebrates “Music in Our Schools” month, and our
musically-inclined students are celebrating by holding a variety of
concerts and performances. Led by Band Director Ms. Townsend, the KHS
Concert and Jazz band kicked off the performances last night with an
excellent and entertaining concert. The KHS choir will continue the
celebration, performing on Tuesday, March 6 at 7pm in the KHS
Cafetorium. The seventh and eighth graders will hold a choir concert on
Tuesday, March 13 at 7pm in the KHS Cafetorium, and this performance
will be followed by the fifth and sixth grade choirs on Thursday, March
15 also at 7pm in the KHS Cafetorium. Admission to all of the concerts
is free, and I encourage all interested parties to attend!
In athletic news, I would like to congratulate KHS wrestlers William and
Brian Spangler as they qualified to compete at the state wrestling
tournament this weekend. The KHS boys’ and girls’ basketball teams
carry on their stellar seasons as they both continue their playoff
runs. The girls' team won last night in a nail-biter against Holy Name
with a final score of 44 to 42. The boys’ basketball team is in action
tonight, Friday, March 2 at Wooster High School. Please show your
support for our athletes by attending their games and tournaments and be
sure to congratulate them on their success.
Have a great weekend and go Wildcats
February 24, 2012
Congratulations to senior Elizabeth Mitchell for her commendation from the 2012 National Merit Scholarship Program. Students commended in the National Merit Scholarship Program place among the top five percent of more than 1.5 million students who entered the 2012 competition. Congratulations again to KHS student Elizabeth Mitchell on this outstanding achievement!
Congratulations to the Keystone High School wrestling team along with their coach Jim Pycraft for earning Keystone's first sectional title! Keystone continues their tournament this weekend at Garfield Heights. In other sports action, the Girls beat Vermillion 71-31 in their first tournament game and the boys beat Wellington in an overtime thriller that earned them a PAC conference championship. To recap that means that both Boys and Girls Basketball teams won the conference this year, and the wrestlers won the sectional. Great job! It’s a great time to be a Wildcat! We wish all the teams good luck as they continue their runs in the state tournament.
The OAA, and OGT tests are fast approaching, and the staff at each building is doing everything they can to make sure that students are prepared and will do the best they can on their assessments. We wish them all the very best of luck as we get closer and closer to this important time of year.
The girls play Cleveland Catholic Central at 6:00 in Elyria tomorrow. Go Lady Cats!
February 17, 2012
As a way of ensuring we are honoring our commitment to local taxpayers the Board of Education will be moving forward with the refinancing of 2004 bonds for the High School project. In the same manner that people are refinancing home mortgages to take advantage of lower interest rates the Board has decided to do the same with the 2004 bonds for the high school. Current projections estimate a cumulative savings of $900,000 for taxpayers over the life of the bonds. If you have any questions about this process please don’t hesitate to contact me.
The Keystone wrestlers had a great tournament this past weekend! Congratulations are in order for William and Brian Spangler for becoming four time conference champs and also to Jeremy King for earning a championship for the Cats. The girls Basketball team will be starting tournament action next Monday at Elyria vs. Vermillion at 7:00.
Congratulations are also in order for the middle and high school choir students for their outstanding efforts at The Lorain County Solo & Ensemble Contest held at Amherst Steele High School on Saturday, February 11th. Over 50 Keystone Middle and High School choir students competed at the event, earning ratings of Superior and Excellent. Great job to the Music Department, and to all of the students who competed in the event.
In addition, instrumentalists in grades 8-12 did a great job at the competition as well. Instrumental groups received a total of 13 Superior Ratings and 2 Excellent Ratings. Lastly, KLSD would like to offer congratulations to the 24 instrumentalists from Keystone Middle School who earned ratings of Superior, Excellent, and Good.
Lastly, I would like to congratulate KES teacher Jill Hetsler on being chosen as one of 22 teachers nationwide who will make up the 2012 Scholastic Book Clubs Teacher Advisory Board. As a member of this advisory board, she will work with teachers from across the country to help influence every aspect of Scholastic Book Clubs. Congratulations Jill on this outstanding accomplishment!
Have a great weekend!
February 10, 2012
I would like to congratulate the following Keystone High School music students who gave excellent performances at the OMEA Solo & Ensemble Contest. Janell Roeper, Shawn Vislosky, and Brianna Keith all performed at the competition and received either excellent or superior ratings. If you see these students, please congratulate them on their success.
In addition to these students, we also had 19 KMS students who were selected to represent our middle school as members of the 2012 Lorain County Honors Choir. And lastly, we have a great number of both middle and high school students participating in this weekend’s Lorain County Solo & Ensemble Contest. I would like to wish all students competing good luck and recognize Choir Director Mrs. Trakas and Band Director Ms. Townsend on their hard work and dedication to the Keystone Music Department.
In athletic news, I would like to commend all members of our winter athletic teams on their successful seasons. As you may know, the wrestlers have a conference tournament coming up this Saturday. In addition, I would like to recognize that both William and Brian Spangler and Dylan Stiner are ranked in the state. Congratulations again to all of our athletes and their coaches on their successful seasons.
Also, we are excited to announce that the regional food service coordinator from the ODE paid a visit and Jody White, KLSD Food Service Supervisor, passed with flying colors. We are only the second school system to pass without any errors. Way to go Jody White and crew!
Lastly, I would like to thank parents and community members for their continued support of our fundraising endeavors. Coming up, we have the annual KEEP Valentine’s Day Dance, soccer team spaghetti dinner, After-Prom Dine to Donate event, and the ongoing PTA collection of Box Tops & Labels for Education. Thank you in advance for your support of these fundraisers.
Have a great weekend and go Wildcats!
February 3, 2012
As a way of ensuring we are doing our best to honor our commitment to local taxpayers, we are exploring the possibility of refinancing the 2004 bonds for the High School project. Current projections estimate a savings of $900,000 over the life of the bonds. We have been meeting with representatives from different institutions over the past few months and plan on moving forward if we can achieve savings for the taxpayers. I will make sure to keep you informed on the progress of this important undertaking.
Teachers are also staying busy in the classroom as we are approaching the first standardized state assessments at the High School. Other assessments will be later in the spring, and we have been busy collecting data to make sure we are able to implement plans that will help every student achieve at a high level. As you may remember, one of our academic goals this year was to employ the use of learning targets in the classroom to aid in students’ academic success. I am pleased to report that our staff have successfully implemented the target program and are continuing to find ways to increase student achievement.
Athletic success continues at both the middle and high school. The KMS girls’ basketball team is undefeated, and the KMS boys’ basketball team recently won the Conference title. Congratulations are also in order for our KHS varsity girls' basketball team for winning their 6th consecutive conference title, and the wrestlers are having an outstanding season as well.If you haven’t had a chance to cheer on our athletes, it’s not too late! All of the teams have games and tournaments throughout the upcoming week. Please use the athletics calendar on the website to view their upcoming schedules or refer to the weekly bulletins.
Lastly, I would like to encourage you to help our students earn funds for their community service program. Emily Cornish, a KHS sophomore, created a community service program called Proxy Grandparent that gave students the opportunity to "adopt" a grandparent from the local retirement home, Keystone Pointe. Students bond with the Keystone Pointe residents by talking, playing games, doing arts and crafts, and more. Since October, about 30 students became involved in the program.
Emily posted information about this community service project on a website to receive a grant. Help the students involved in this program by navigating to http://www.truehero.org and vote for the "Proxy Grandparent" program.
Thanks for your support and as always, we are here to assist you in any way that we can. Please have a safe and enjoyable Super Bowl weekend!