Gorrell Elementary Welcomes "Class of 2022"!

08/28/10




School days are finally here for kindergarten children at Gorrell Elementary School. Parents have participated in an orientation meeting with their child’s teacher, in addition to each student given a KRAWL state screening assessment.
Half of each kindergarten class participated in a Phase-In Day; either Thursday or Friday of last week. The children participated in a tour of Gorrell, getting acquainted with their classroom surroundings, and working their way through a typical school day.
All kindergarteners will meet their entire room of classmates for the first time today. What endless possibilities lie ahead for the class of 2022!








Whittier Elementary

08/23/10

Whittier Elementary held its annual Open House on Thursday, August 19, 2010.  Despite the warm temperatures, an abundant number of parents and students arrived to meet their new teacher and get a look at their classrooms for the upcoming school year.


The staff at Whittier is excited to begin this year.  With the reading series, Treasures, the updates in technology and the new equipment for Social Studies, there has never been a better or more exciting time to be a part of the Massillon City Schools!  Best wishes to everyone for a wonderful school year.

School Supplies

08/10/10

Wellness on Wheels Rolls into Bowers

06/02/10

The WOW program - Wellness on Wheels - recently visited Bowers Elementary and provided a program to the fourth grade students on hygiene, nutrition and the importance of sleep, courtesy of Aultman Hospital.

Aultman nurses Laura Bitonte and Beverly Frase set up stations to discuss proper nutrition and involved students in discussing how to read food labels, nutritional content and how much exercise would be required to burn off the calories consumed from some of the students' favorite foods. In the photo, Mrs. Frase shows students Kayleigh Calandros, Brandon Davidson and Owen Paul different types of healthy foods to choose.

Mrs. Bitonte spoke with the students about proper sleeping habits and the importance of good hygiene. Students were told how long they should wash their hands for good hygiene. Each student was then given a lotion to rub on their hands, sent to the restroom to wash the lotion off and then given the opportunity the place their hands under a black light to see how well they washed their hands. This was a great learning experience for the Bowers students and a big thanks to our school nurse, Mrs. Francine Sheil for setting up this demonstration.

Next year we are hoping to expand this program to all our elementary buildings.

New Reading Series Adopted

06/02/10

In September 2009, a committee of teachers of pre-kindergarten through grade five came together to research our current reading materials and practices to determine if a reading series was needed in the district.


Overwhelmingly, the Need to Read Committee decided that in order to provide the right material for students, teachers needed to have the right tools to provide consistency. Nearly seven months later, countless meetings, hours of study and major dialogue with teachers and consultants, 76% of our those teachers were in agreement that Treasures/McMillan McGraw Hill was the series to recommend to Superintendent Lisa Carmichael and the Board of Education. On April 27, the BOE approved the recommendation.


According to Director of Pupil Services John Graven, that the majority of referrals for special education are in the area of reading. Therefore, Triumphs is a corresponding program of intervention for our students who are struggling in their efforts to learn to read.

 

These two programs will be purchased by economic stimulus dollars from three funding sources: Title, Special Education and State Fiscal Stabilization.


Why do we need new reading books?

The #1 indicator of student success is to have a quality teacher in the classroom, but much like a doctor, the tools with which a teacher works are of critical value. A doctor can always perform surgery with a scalpel, and that may never change, but we all certainly feel better with the use 

of lasers, internal cameras and MRI equipment. 


What does this program offer?

Alternative teaching methods as well as a consistent network of skills through texts, leveled readers, online technology components and in a variety of grade levels to meet students at their instructional level, with the ability to move beyond, will be available. As hard as teachers strive to do what is best for children, there are limits on time and resources that affect the outcome in the classroom. So, major publishing companies hire panels of educational experts to do this work in order to give teachers a “head start” on providing the best educational experience for students. Treasures has been a success in many areas of the country in student assessment and done very well in Ohio schools with similar demographics. Treasures is an excellent tool for improved scores and enhanced learning for all students.

 

Professional development will begin the week after school is out for 94% of our teachers in pre-kindergarten through grade five who will teach reading this fall. The materials will be in their hands for the summer months. The remaining teachers will be trained Aug. 3.


Students to Represent WHS at Boys, Girls State

06/01/10

by Dakota Carpenter

WHS Staff Reporter

Four Washington High students will be attending Buckeye Boys and Girls State. The delegates for Boys State are Heath DeVoll and Tim Dimitroff. The delegates that were nominated for Girls State are Gaby Pape and Becky Seesan.

The students were nominated by the social studies department, and were chosen due to their high interest in politics and local government; they also had to be juniors. 

American Legions Boys and Girls State is a hands-on experience where students will be able to discover ways of progressing into government positions. At Bowling Green State University the candidates will be able to attempt to quickly invent campaign slogans and other ideals to be elected in offices, for example state government, school board, members of Congress, county government, law and court, city government and even state highway patrol. 

The trip to Boys/Girls state is funded by the American Legion organization. The delegates will spend nine days in a democratic form of government. Buckeye State is the largest program of its kind in the United States, having an annual attendance of 1,300 high school seniors. To be qualified, the soon-to-be seniors must display characteristics of leadership, educational achievement and superior citizenship.

Past participants in Buckeye Girls State for WHS have been Maggie Bomze and Jalessa Brown. They were excited to share their memories and reactions to the week they spent there. Maggie said that Buckeye Girls State was an excellent learning opportunity and that it is a great way to make lifelong friends.  

Jaleesa said that the event seemed unappealing at first, but when she got there and experienced the government and laws she had helped to create, she was very excited. The entry process, she added, was simple. To be entered you must be recognized by a teacher, submit an application, and participate in an interview and all of that will take nearly two weeks.  

The girls also noted the long term rewards for participating in State, saying that it helps you make friends, and you can get a $4,000 renewable scholarship per semester for college. At Ashland University, where their event was held, they loved the food, which has been deemed as some of the best in the nation. 

Both Maggie and Jalessa also loved the positions they were elected to, Maggie being the central city committeeman and sheriff deputy, while Jalessa enjoyed being a city treasurer. They both thought that State was a wonderful experience that exceeded both of their expectations and they even were able to work with the Ashland county bomb squad to hunt bombs, wear the squad clothing and watch a water bomb explosion. 

Jalessa said that her most memorable moment while at State was when she was nearly arrested because as treasurer she was meant to give the budgets for the city’s payroll to the higher-ups, yet her city hadn’t done them. She hurried and was able to get the budgets from her city to the state government before 5 p.m. 

Jalessa had only this to say as the interview ended, “Boy or girl, you should try to go to State!”

If these candidates prove themselves, they could be chosen by the American Legion headquarters to participate in Boys/Girls Nation where they will attempt to hold national positions. However, only two boys and two girls are chosen, along with two back-ups in case the primary candidate cannot attend. 

 

Becky Seesan (left) and Gabby Pape speak with their sponsor.

Heath DeVoll (right), Scott Linardini (middle), and Tim Dimitroff speak with their sponsor about the trip.