Hello, and welcome to the November 2021 edition of Cruiser Connections. Our goal is to keep our Cruiser community informed of the happenings, celebrations, and news of the school district, our students, staff, and schools. We’re excited to have you join us on this journey, and we look forward to your feedback. |
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November 2021 Edition at a Glance
- Message from the Superintendent
- District Enrollment Tops 6,200 Students - Overcrowding Becoming Bigger Concern
- Treasurer's Financial Forecast Looks Favorable Through 2023
- Reception to Honor Board Member Nancy Gillespie
- District to Begin Review of Math Instructional Materials for Upcoming School Year
- Lil' Cruiser Pre-K Students Learn About Fire and Personal Safety
- District Presents at Ohio School Boards Association Conference
- GMHS Student Recognized by Madison Township Police and Board of Education
- Leona Beck Joins GMHS/Special Education Staff as a Transition Job Coach
- Westerville Knitting Club Provides 500+ Hats for GM Students
- Students Take Part in the Great Apple Crunch
- ACE After School Program Expands to All Elementary and Middle Schools
- Cruisers in the News
- Calendar Items
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My Gratitude Jar - How Little Slips of Paper Remind Me of What's Important
If our lives weren’t already stressful enough, the past year and a half have proven the adage that “things can get worse.”
I consider myself a very positive person and always look for the bright spot in even the worst of situations. However, I must admit that managing a school district amid a worldwide pandemic has tested even my perpetual optimism. Recognizing that fact, I knew I needed to do something to focus on what was important.
On my desk sits a jar with a label that reads “So Very Thankful.” I call it my “gratitude jar.” Whenever I think of something I’m thankful for, I write it on a slip of paper and drop it into my jar. I’ve just started it, and already I feel like I’m more open to looking for things in which to be thankful. On those especially tough days, I open the jar and pull out some of the slips of paper to remind myself that there are always things for which to be thankful.
While Thanksgiving comes only once a year, we need to be thankful every day. Life is tough, and it’s not always easy to find something for which to be grateful, but inevitably, if we try hard enough, we can find something.
I wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving!
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District Enrollment Tops 6,200 Students - Overcrowding Becoming Bigger Concern
Groveport Madison Schools continues to be an area for growth in central Ohio. At present, four of the District's six elementary schools are over capacity, and all three of the District's middle schools are over capacity. As a result, the District's elementary and middle schools exceed their functional capacity by more than 580 students.
The District is putting together a facilities planning team to begin assessing our existing buildings, updating enrollment projections, and looking into options to address overcrowded conditions in our schools.
The District and Board of Education will be involving the community throughout the process. We will share more information on how you can be involved as the team begins its work over the coming weeks.
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Treasurer's Financial Forecast Looks Favorable Through 2023
Groveport Madison Schools Treasurer Felicia Drummey recently presented her Five-Year Forecast to the Board for their approval.
The forecast, required by state law, is presented to Boards of Education in October and May of each year and provides an overview of the District’s financial outlook based on information from the state, county, investments, and numerous other sources.
Based on state funding projections, local tax levies, residential and business growth, and investment earnings, the District appears to be in a good financial position through 2023. With the 2019 five-year operating levy set to expire in 2024, it will be necessary to renew the levy again so that the District can meet its projected expenses.
“Projecting out five years of our finances is very difficult,” said Drummey, “particularly when you only know how much state funding you’ll receive for the next year or so. “That’s why it’s so important to continually monitor not only our current revenue and expenditure trends but also legislation and other legal requirements that could significantly impact our financial outlook.”
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Reception to Honor Board Member Nancy Gillespie for Her Years of Service
Nancy Gillespie was elected to the Board of Education in November 2009. Since taking office in January 2010, Gillespie has been a tireless worker and advocate for Groveport Madison Schools students and staff. After serving three terms on the Board, Gillespie chose not to run again in 2021.
The District will honor Gillespie at 6:15 p.m. on Wednesday, December 8 (preceding the Board meeting) with a brief reception. All are welcome to attend.
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District to Begin Review of Math Instructional Materials
As part of its systematic review of curricular materials, the District’s Teaching and Learning Department will soon review its mathematics instructional materials at all grade levels. A committee of staff members will begin the process, reviewing existing materials, attending vendor presentations, and evaluating prospective new materials using a structured protocol. Once they’ve made their recommendations, we will invite parents and the community to provide feedback. The goal is to have all materials updated for the start of the 2022-2023 school year.
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Lil' Cruiser Pre-K Students Learn About Fire and Personal Safety
You could hear the excited squeals of preschoolers as Madison Township fire trucks and Groveport Police units pulled into the driveway of Lil' Cruiser Campus. The firefighters and police officers talked to the preschoolers about fire and personal safety tips. While the firefighters and officers are accustomed to quickly responding to life-threatening situations, they were likewise kept on their toes as numerous little hands feverishly popped up to ask questions of the community heroes.
The children could hardly contain their excitement when firefighters and police officers turned on their vehicle's flashing lights and let the little ones go outside to see the fire trucks and police cars up close.
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District Presents at Ohio School Boards Association Conference
Deputy Superintendent Jamie Grube and Food Services Director Dan Magee recently presented at the Ohio School Boards Association (OSBA) conference. They talked about how the District worked with the Children’s Hunger Alliance to offer free breakfasts to all students in 2020. They also shared how the District provided remote meal distribution sites throughout the community at the onset of the pandemic and how they partnered with Groveport Madison Human Needs to provide free meals to youth 18 and younger this past summer.
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GMHS Student Recognized by Madison Township Police and Board of Education
School Resource Officer Keith Mallory and the GM Schools Board of Education recognized GMHS student Monty Thompson for his quick actions to protect Officer Mallory when Mallory had fallen and hit his head during an incident at the school. Thompson stepped in to shield Mallory so that the officer didn’t sustain any other injuries. Thompson is an example of the many fine, upstanding students at GMHS.
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Leona Beck Joins GMHS/Special Education Staff as a Transition Job Coach
We are excited Leona Beck has joined the GMHS staff to provide job coaching support to the high school’s special needs students. Beck will be supporting students as they develop employability skills, work on vocational tasks, and find employment within our community. Beck had previously worked at Sedalia ES. She said she is very excited about this opportunity and is eager to support our students with special needs.
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Westerville Knitting Club Provides 500+ Hats for GM Students
It was a chance meeting that Chris Cook, Executive Secretary to the Superintendent, ran into Rose Blanchard in a Westerville Park. Rose and some of her friends were knitting hats with tags that read, “Hat Not Hate,” part of a nationwide anti-bullying campaign. Cook struck up a conversation with the group that resulted in the Sit & Stitch group providing more than 500 hats for students at Glendening and Sedalia Elementary Schools.
Blanchard worked with the District’s Student Services Supervisor Melissa Niemie-Nathan to get the hats distributed to students. Niemie-Nathan said, “the kids were so excited to get a new hat. They were dancing around and showing them off to anyone who would pay attention.”
It’s people like Blanchard and the other ladies from the Westerville Sit & Stitch group that illustrate how a kind gesture (and a little bit of yarn) can make such a positive impact on our world.
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Students Take Part in the Great Apple Crunch
Groveport Madison Schools joined schools, child care centers, colleges, hospitals, and other organizations across the Great Lakes Region states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio in the seventh annual Great Lakes Great Apple Crunch. Participants celebrated National Farm to School Month and local farmers by crunching into local Ohio-grown apples in several schools.
Students tried samples of varieties of apples and picked their favorite. The program's goal is to encourage healthy eating and support farm-to-school and local food initiatives throughout the Great Lakes Region.
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ACE After School Program Expands to All Elementary and Middle Schools
After piloting at Dunloe Elementary and Middle School North last year, the ACE After School Program has expanded to all Groveport Madison elementary and middle schools. Approximately 180 students participate in the program, which promotes healthy living, alcohol and drug prevention, and academic, athletic, and social opportunities for students in grades 2-8. The cost of the program is covered primarily through Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds.
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Groveport Madison Schools in the News
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Important Dates to Remember |
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DATE
Tue., Nov. 23
Nov. 24 - 26
Wed., Dec 8
Fri., Dec 17
Dec. 18 - 31
Mon., Jan. 3
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EVENT
Two-hour Early Dismissal
NO SCHOOL - Thanksgiving Break
Board of Education Mtg., 7:30 PM, District Service Center
Two-hour Early Dismissal
NO SCHOOL - Winter Break
Students Return from Winter Break
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Share Good News About Groveport Madison Schools!
We know that great news occurs every day. We invite you to share positive news items with us via our social media outlets as well. News and information can be shared via personal messaging on Facebook (GroveportMadisonSchools). You may also email us at gm.communications@gocruisers.org, or call us at (614) 492-2520.
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Stay Informed - Follow us on Social Media
We are committed to keeping you informed, as we use a variety of communications tools to make it as easy as possible for you to know what is going on in the Groveport Madison Schools District. In addition, many of our schools use social media as well. Look for them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
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Groveport Madison Schools | (614) 492-2520 | gocruisers.org
Office of Communications & Community Relations
gm.communications@gocruisers.org
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