Greenville schools winter update

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On behalf of the entire school district I would like to thank the Greenville community for your support of our operational renewal levy that was on the ballet this past November. Your ongoing support of the school district is greatly appreciated. It is our pleasure to partner the school district with the community to make Greenville a great place to live, work and go to school.

Greenville City Schools has had a great first semester of the 2015-16 school year, both academically and with extra-curricular activities. Thanks to the hard work of our students and staff and the support of our parents and community, the first semester is nearing the end and has been very educational.

The first semester ends on Friday, Jan. 29. Monday, Feb. 1 is a teacher workday and students will not be in session.

We are again this year operating on calamity days, not hours, for our school year requirements. Thus, we have four calamity days available to us before implementing any make-up days. The established make-up days for this school year, if needed, are February 15, June 6, 7, 8 and 9,

February 15 would only be used if six days were missed before that day. As we enter the coldest of the winter season, I encourage everyone to dress for the weather, particularly at bus stops with heavy coats, hats, scarf, and gloves. We try hard to arrive on scheduled times at bus stops, but weather conditions sometimes dictate being a little behind to maintain safety. I encourage all student drivers to take their time driving to and from school and in and around parking lots of the school throughout the winter season.

During the first semester this year the district has successfully implemented the new College Credit Plus Program at the high school. Thank you to our curriculum staff, high school counselors and many of our high school teachers for their hard work and preparation in starting this program. This program will benefit our students receiving college credit while in high school. We have already signed on to continue the College Credit Plus Program next year with Edison State.

At Woodland Primary we have started our one to one IPad technology program for all first grade students with the ESpark curriculum. During the second semester we are advancing to the Kindergarten class, as well. We are beginning to make additional purchases and line item budget items to move the one to one initiative to our second grades, as well. The district has also submitted a Straight A Grant to the Ohio Department of Education in hopes to fund further grade levels with one to one initiative for technology devices in the future.

We are very pleased to have completed our new Advanced Manufacturing lab at the High School Career Tech Center. This lab is equipped with state of the art educational and training equipment. We look forward to using the lab during the day for student training and in the evening for adult training with some of our area manufacturers. All of this is an effort to increase our county workforce and training in job opportunities that we need and are available. We are also looking to establish a Joint Use Agreement with Edison State to collaboratively work together on articulation of course work in our Advanced Manufacturing Lab, as well as other career tech and academic programs.

As the second semester approaches, we will soon be in testing season again. This year we will be taking Ohio Graduation Test (OGT), Ohio State Test (English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies) and End of Course Exams throughout the district. I continue to salute our students, teachers, and curriculum and technology personnel for their ongoing preparation for these online assessments and thank them all for their dedication.

We continue to believe our ongoing experiences with taking online MAP (Measurement of Academic Progress) several times each year will both prepare our students and tell us about their progress toward reaching the benchmark for the Ohio required testing assessments. We continue to strive with both our daily teaching standards and objectives and practice test procedures to prepare our students to be successful in the new state testing accountability model and in their overall pursuit of academic knowledge.

Instructionally we are continuing to establish a five year rotation to upgrade our textbook and supplemental materials. This year our curriculum personnel and principals are looking to purchase new materials in English Language Arts.

Construction work continues to progress at the new K-8 site on North Ohio Street. Remember, the entire community can view updated pictures of the new construction on the Greenville School Website at www.greenville.k12.oh.us. Once on the home page you will see a link on the left side of the page that reads “construction in action.” Pictures are posted of progress that is being made.

A brief narrative of what is happening in the K-8 construction presently is as follows. Bruns Building and Development are doing the site work and presently putting storm drainage in the two courtyards on both sides of the building, including the 5-8 and 1-4 ends. Final utilities to Ohio Street will take place later this winter into the spring of 2016.

Chapel Electric continues to put in wall rough-ins, temporary lighting under deck areas, pull branch conduit and feeder wire, terminate panels, equipment and light poles in parking lots and they have a cabling subcontractor, CRT, on site as well.

Geothermal Solutions have completed drilling wells and horizontal piping and flushing and final pressure test. They have also completed adding topsoil, removing silt fence and done their final grading over the well field.

Slagle Mechanical is handling the plumbing and HVAC. They continue to do wall rough-ins and above ceiling piping and pipe insulation, as well as much equipment installations. On the HVAC side they are completing duct and piping rough-ins and duct insulation, as well as setting mechanical equipment and doing coordination work with the masonry contractor.

Hagerman is our mason contractor. They have a crew of 35 to 40 daily and sometimes more. The load bearing CMU walls are wrapping up and they are finishing at the North end, which is the Kindergarten section, as well as in front of the gymnasiums, which is the administrative wing. Hagerman will continue with interior non load bearing CMU walls and they have begun the brick veneer, the red brick you begin to see around the courtyards.

K and T Construction is handling much of the general trades work including setting hollow metal frames ahead of the masonry, grouting column bases following steel erection and wood blocking ahead of roof installation. They also set temporary enclosures.

TP Mechanical is completing the sprinkling system. Presently they are piping rough-ins through the building.

American Steel Fabricators have the majority of the structural steel on site with the exception of some for the Kindergarten and Administrative wing. The rest should be delivered in the beginning of January.

Smith Erectors continue structural steel detailing and deck areas on the 5-8 south side of the building and are completing low structural steel and deck on the 1-4 north side to prepare for the second floor concrete pour. Precision Concrete has recently poured some interior concrete steps and soon will pour the second floor on the 1-4 end.

Kerkon Roofing has put the green metal panels on the two gymnasiums in the middle of the buildings, as well as the commons, kitchen and mechanical areas in the back of the building. They will soon begin the dry in with ice and water shield on the 5-8 south end.

Greenville Glass is handling the windows and exterior doors on the project and they have the translucent panels temporarily enclosed above the front gymnasium to allow for winter temporary heating.

McKee Doors have installed two interior stage coiling doors and will make final adjustments at a later date. Valley Interior is completing interior metal stud work and hanging drywall much in the commons and stage area behind the two gymnasiums.

McBride Brothers Painting has presently began block fill and first coat of paint which started in gymnasiums and boiler room areas.

Shook Touchstone, our CMR at Risk, runs weekly progress meetings and coordination meetings with all these contractors to review progress, check quality and lay out sequencing of the construction project. These meetings are attended by Garmann Miller and school district representatives, as well, our Owner Agent, Gilbane.

The district is in the final stages of meetings with Garmann Miller to move forward with the bidding process for the technology, loose furnishings, and playground equipment, as well as the abatement and demolition process of our four present elementary and junior high school buildings. We expect all these bids to be complete by April of 2016.

The district is planning to abate and demo all four of the present elementary and junior high buildings. We have worked with Greenville Township to sell the Woodland Heights property to them after the closing of the building, including abatement and demolition.

We again had some wonderful school performances by our band, orchestra, jazz scene and choirs of many grade levels before leaving for our winter break. I commend our students and directors and assistants for their dedication to these performances. The programs were each well done. Thank you also to the community for your outstanding support and attendance at these events.

Special congratulations to our 36 high school juniors and seniors who were inducted into National Honor Society at Greenville High School on Nov. 24, 2015. This was a wonderful Tap Assembly coordinated by Advisor Amber Warner. I salute all our new inductees for their commitment to scholarship, leadership, service and character. I also thank their parents and grandparents for the guidance they provide these students.

Congratulations to two of our students in Mrs. Buchy’s Supply Chain Management Program for again being selected to the 2015-16 Business Professionals of America State Officers positions. The selected students were Addison Hart, Parliamentarian and Haylee Haynes, Secretary. These young ladies represented our school and community very well in winning these state positions.

Likewise, congratulations to our Greenville High School Fall 2015 Homecoming Queen Serena Stastny and Chief Greenwave Codi Byrd. These two students were selected by the Greenville High School students during Homecoming Week.

In closing, let me again thank our entire community for your ongoing support of the Greenville School District, particularly at the polls this past November. I invite all community members, parents, grandparents to continue to be an active part of our school district. Please feel free to attend as many student activities as your schedule allows. The students, staff and administration appreciate your support.

Everyone is always welcome to call me at 937-548-3185 or email me at [email protected] if you have any questions about our school district or school activities. I hope you all had a wonderful holiday break. Best wishes in the New Year and good luck to our students in the second semester.

As always, Strong Schools Strong Community. Greenville City Schools – a great place for students to learn and teachers to teach.

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By Doug Fries

Greenville City Schools

Doug Fries is the superintendent of Greenville City Schools. He may be reached at [email protected]. Viewpoints expressed are the work of the author. The Daily Advocate does not endorse these viewpoints or the independent activities of the author.

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