The 8th grade students and their chaperones made the trip to Washington DC last week, continuing a tradition of over 30 years. The schedule is  tight to allow them the opportunity to see as much as possible. Their excitement on the night they leave is rivaled by their exhaustion when they return a few days later.

If you ask a student who has taken this annual trip, you will quickly learn of the preparation and excitement which accompanies the event. Students spend significant time working in small groups to research one of the many sites on the itinerary. Their projects, which are presented in the days just before the trip, are documentary films over the specific site they choose. This year the students presented films on Iwo Jima, Arlington National Cemetery, the Smithsonian Institute, the Vietnam Wall and the World War II Memorial.

Each year students have the opportunity to write an essay for the chance to participate in the wreath ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. This year, Devvin Hartman, Olivia Burton, Emma Boyd and Haley Brown were chosen. This is always a moving tribute to our fallen heroes. You can watch the ceremony here.

The staff and students would like to thank the Brookville VFW, Brookville Rotary, Brookville Optimist, Classic Student Tours and several anonymous individual donors who generously donate scholarships which permit as many students as possible in this experience.

Q:  Where is your hometown?

I am from Vandalia, Ohio.

 

Q:  Where do you live now?

I live in Englewood, Ohio.

 

Q:  How many years of teaching experience do you have?

I am in my 6th year of teaching.

 

Q:  How many years have you taught in Brookville?

This is my 3rd year teaching at Brookville.

 

Q:  What is your position in the school district?

I am an Intervention Specialist at the Intermediate School.

 

Q:  Tell us about your family and your hobbies outside of teaching? 

My husband, Jay, is the PE teacher at the Intermediate School. We have been married 10 years and we have 3 children; Sam (8), Abby (6) and Jake (2). Between work and family, I don't have a lot of down time for any hobbies of my own.

 

Q:  What is your favorite thing about teaching in Brookville?

My favorite thing is getting to work with such a unique and special group of students every day.

 

Q:  How do you spend June and July?

We take a family trip to Florida in June each summer.  I also try to work in some short road trips to keep in touch with my friends who live out of town. Other than that, I keep busy with my family and all of their activities.

 

Brookville Schools are proud of our series, "Where Are They Now?" which features profiles of past Brookville High School graduates. These graduates have responded to brief questions concerning their education or training after high school, their current occupation and their words of wisdom to the students in our buildings.

 

A new profile is posted every two weeks to our website and posters can be found throughout the buildings.  Our 10th profile is of Miss Kate Perry, a 2007 graduate. Miss Perry's profile can be found here on our website.  To view the prior profiles, please click here.

This past October, Mr. Mark Porter, a longtime Brookville resident, became our Food Service Manager. Mark stepped in and started analyzing the menu items to see what the students were buying and what they weren't interested in. Surprisingly, corn dogs were not one of the favorites and it was removed from the menu, along with other items. Favorites like the pasta bake and wing dings were brought back and ala carte items such as meatball subs, Philly cheesesteaks, and waffle and spiral fries were introduced. Click here for the April Lunch menu for the elementary building and click here for the April menu for the intermediate and high school building.

 

While there have been quite a few government mandates regarding school lunch, most of those were already phased in as of the beginning of this school year. Our cafeteria has already added whole grain breads and breading, along with specified amounts of fruits and vegetables and we actually exceed the meat requirements.  The cafeteria is already working on next year's menus. Mr. Porter anticipates and introduction of more chicken, turkey and pork due to the recent spike in beef costs.

 

The kids are very receptive to the menu and the cafeteria receives compliments on such items as the pasta bowl and the popcorn chicken stir fry. Mr. Porter asserts that contrary to all of the hype, you can meet the government requirements and still serve meals that the kids will eat.

The Brookville Chapter of the Future Farmers of America held their 84th Annual Banquet and Awards Ceremony on March 31st. The evening kicked off with the traditional banquet which included a hog roast entree donated by the Dull Homestead. 

After moving to the auditorium, numerous guests who support the FFA program were honored. In particular, current FFA members expressed their appreciation to the Brookville FFA Alumni Association. The Alumni is a group that acts much like the athletic or band boosters in support of the FFA program. The Alumni president, Mr. Randy Osswald, spoke of his groups' desire to continue support of the FFA and help the program grow. Mr. Osswald pointed out that the FFA has the largest membership of young people of any organization in America today, with 600,000 youth members across the nation, equally divided between males and females.

 

Auctioneer Andy Korb, who was the recipient of the Honorary Chapter Degree, conducted the annual Dessert Auction and kept everyone entertained and engaged. Take a look at this video for a glimpse at the auction.  Students were also recognized throughout the program for accomplishments achieved this year. The evening ended with this years' Chapter officers turning over the reins. Most notable was outgoing president Hailee Loughman passing the gavel to next years' president, Erin Tomlin. Congratulations to all who made the 2015 FFA Banquet a special evening.