On Wednesday, August 17, all school buildings will be holding open houses to allow students and families to meet the teachers, see the classrooms and reunite with their friends ahead of the first day of school!

• Chillicothe Primary School (grades 1-2) will host an open house from 5-6 p.m.
• Chillicothe Intermediate School (grades 3-6) will host an open house from 5-6 p.m., including tables set up for families with our community partners: Parent-Teacher Connection, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts and the Atomic Credit Union.
• Chillicothe Middle and High School (grades 7-12) will host an open house from 6-7 p.m., including food trucks at 5 p.m. and a musical celebration with the marching band at 5:45 p.m. in front of the middle school.

In addition, preschool family orientations will be scheduled directly between the teacher and the student’s family, allowing families to see the classroom, interact with the teacher and complete early learning goal setting. Orientations will take place the week ahead of the first day of preschool on Wednesday, August 24.

Kindergarten meet-and-greets will take place on August 18, with staggered starts for last names A-J on August 19, last names K-Z on August 22 and the first day of school for all kindergarteners together on August 23. Families can schedule their individual meetings via email link – reach out to CPS Principal Kim Hurst if you have not already signed up. 

Stacie Stark began her career at Chillicothe City Schools 16 years ago as a bus driver for the district. In June, she transitioned to the transportation supervisor role, where she looks forward to promoting collaboration and involvement within the department. Congrats, Stacie! Read more on our blog. 

At CCSD, we place a high value on students’ mental health and wellbeing to ensure that they are receiving the support they need to thrive. CCSD Social Worker Leslie Hamman is a large part of those efforts, offering counseling groups and programs to students, families and staff. Is your student struggling with back-to-school anxieties? Leslie suggests referring to this article from the Child Mind Institute for tips. If your child needs additional support as they start this school year, please reach out to Leslie Hamman, MSW, LSW at 740.775.4250 Ext. 16172 or by emailing Leslie.Hamman@ccsd.us.

This summer, the Mt. Logan Community Garden was created at the learning center to bring community resources together while emphasizing our STEM programs. The garden was partially funded by the Ross County Health District and is supported by our partners: Integrated Services of Appalachian Ohio, the Chillicothe and Ross County Public Library, Adena Regional Medical Center, The Ohio State University Extension Office and many more. Chillicothe Digital Academy Principal Sarah Hawthorne led this effort over the summer and says that the garden encompasses our STEM focus, driving home the positive impact our learning can have on the local community, which is the ultimate goal of the program. Head over to the Mt. Logan Learning Center to see the garden in person! 

Over the summer, our preschool program received a grant from the Ohio Arts Council to fund an Artist-in-Residence for the year, who helps facilitate creative learning outlets and events for our Little Cavaliers. The artist for the year is Mary Jo Flamm-Miller, who currently serves the community through Ohio University Chillicothe’s educational programming and the Ross County Community Action involvement. In addition to her outstanding community efforts, she is passionate about out-of-the-box learning that will foster creativity within our preschoolers. We are so excited to welcome Mary Jo for the year! 

On August 12, we hosted all our new staff members for a day of training and collaboration. Welcome our new hires to CCSD! 

• August 18: First Day of Academic Year
• August 19: Kindergarten Staggered Start Last Names A-J
• August 22: Kindergarten Staggered Start Last Names K-Z
• August 23: First Day of Kindergarten
• August 24: First Day of Preschool
• September 5: Labor Day - NO SCHOOL