UNION CITY – The school officials of the Mississinawa Valley School District have announced the opening of school for the 2018-19 school year to be Aug. 29.
Student day schedule starting and ending times will be:
Instruction begins…….………….. 8 a.m.
Dismissal (K-6)………………….. 2:30 p.m.
Dismissal (7-12)………………….. 2:53 p.m.
The superintendent and principals will meet with all new teachers on Aug. 21. All teachers in the district will meet on Aug. 27 in the school cafetorium to discuss opening procedures. The meeting then will be recessed to each teacher’s respective building for further faculty orientation. The teachers will have a second work day on Aug. 28.
2018-19 school calendar
Students will attend classes beginning on Aug. 29. The important dates during the 2018-19 school year are as follows: Aug. 21, new faculty orientation; Aug. 28 and Aug. 29, teacher meetings and workday; Aug. 29, first student day; Sept. 3, Labor Day, no school; Sept. 28, Waiver Day approved by The Ohio Department of Education, no school; Oct. 4, two-hour early dismissal, teachers’ in-service; Oct. 10 and 11, two-hour early dismissals, parent-teacher conferences each day from 1:30 to 7 p.m.; Oct. 12, WOEA Day, teacher professional day, no school for students; Oct. 26, end of first quarter; Oct. 29, begin second quarter; Nov. 21, 22 and 23, Thanksgiving vacation, no school; Nov. 26, Waiver Day approved by The Ohio Department of Education – no school; Dec. 21, two-hour early dismissal and last day of school before Christmas vacation begins; Jan. 7, school resumes following the Christmas vacation; Jan. 18, end of second quarter/end of semester; Jan. 21, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, teacher work day, no school for students; Jan. 22, begin third quarter; Feb. 14, two-hour early dismissal, parent-teacher conference from 3:30-7 p.m.; Feb. 15-18, mini break, Presidents’ Day, no school; Feb. 21, parent-teacher conferences from 3:30-7 p.m.; March 22, end of third quarter; March 25, begin fourth quarter; April 18 19 and 22, Easter break, no school; May 24, graduation; May 27, Memorial Day observance, no school, holiday for students and employees; June 4, students’ last day and end of the fourth quarter; June 5, teacher work day.
An attempt will be made to give a one-week advanced notice for possible make-up day if make-up days are required. Possible make-up days are Feb. 15 and April 22. Any additional make-up days will be added on to the end of the school year.
New student registration
Students and parents who are new residents to the Mississinawa Valley Local School District are encouraged to register for school prior to opening. Registration for new students will be Aug. 6 through 24 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. For questions about registration call 968-4464 ext. 2012. Birth certificate, proof of residence, health/immunization records and academic records should be presented at registration. Any custody papers, if applicable, are needed at that time, too.
Those who have not previously registered their child for kindergarten should do so immediately. Kindergarten will be in session all day, every day.
Students who walk, drive or are brought to school by parents should arrive not more than 15 minutes before these starting times.
State mandated immunization policy
The Mississinawa Valley Schools, as mandated by law, require that all immunizations be completed from the initial enrollment date in the schools (the first day of school). Required immunization includes poliomyelitis, rubella, diphtheria, rubella, pertussis, tetanus and mumps. Students who are not in compliance with state required immunization may be excluded from school.
Attention parents of seventh graders
All students must have their M.M.R. (measles, mumps and rubella) booster before entering school for the 2018-19 school year. Students may get the booster at the Greenville Health Department, 300 Garst Ave., on Tuesdays from 8 to 10:30 a.m. and from 2 to 5 p.m. Students must bring their immunization records with them so the health department can see the date of the last M.M.R. A parent or guardian must be present to sign for permission. Also, those who have Medicaid need to bring their valid Medicaid card. Those who have received their second shot do not need another one.
Individuals should bring in card of proof of immunization to school so it can be recorded on the health record.
Those who fail to comply with the state law can be excluded from school. This is mandatory.
School delay or closing procedure
In case of emergencies due to weather, all students should listen to radio stations: WTGR (97.5 FM); Z-93 (92.9 FM); WBNN (1030 AM) or WZZY (98FM) for closing information. Also, closing/delay information will be on WHIO/TV-7 and WDTN/TV-2. Through the cooperation of the news media, school-closing announcements will be made at regular intervals beginning no later than 6:45 a.m. Mississinawa Valley Schools has the Instant Connect Voice Dial System in place for all students and staff. Students and parents are encouraged not to call the school because of the need to keep the telephone lines open for emergency messages. Parents who are not home during the day for unscheduled emergencies should make prearranged plans.
School lunches/breakfast and milk information
The school will begin serving lunches on Aug. 29. Lunch prices will be $2.05 per day for students in grades PK-8 and $2.20 per day for students in grades 9-12. Lunches are $2.40 (less drink) per day for adults. Breakfast also will be offered to students in grades PK-12 at $1 or reduced at $0.30. Student’s milk will be $0.50 per carton. There is a closed noon hour for students.
Free and reduced-price lunches/breakfasts
Application forms are distributed to all homes in a letter to parents or guardians and available on the school website. To apply for each free or reduced-price benefit, households should fill out the application and return it to school.
Student insurance
All athletes must have either student insurance or their own private insurance program.
Transportation schedule
The Mississinawa Valley Schools will have the following bus stops for the coming year. Town students will be assigned a pick-up point at one of the following locations:
1) Southwest corner of Cherry and Division streets – Knollwood Apartments
2) Current East Side Playground on Sycamore Street
3) Northwest corner of Maple and Elm streets – empty lot by Marsh
4) Southeast corner of Elm and Walnut streets
5) Baptist Church – First Street
6) Northwest corner of Wall and Division streets
7) Southwest corner of Division and Elm streets
8) Southeast corner of Division and Main streets
Students will be picked up between 7:30 and 7:50 a.m. Students who load at stops No. 1, No. 3, No. 4 and No. 7 will not arrive at school in time to receive breakfast. K-6 students will be dropped off at the same location to which they were picked up at 2:45 p.m. with the exception of bus stops No. 6 and No. 8. Those students will be dropped off at 3:05 p.m. Students in grades 7-12 will be dropped off at bus stops No. 2, No. 5, No. 7, No. 8 at 3:05 p.m.
Bus routes and pick up times can be viewed on the doors at the main entrance to the building. Anyone with questions regarding the routes or pick-up times may call the school at 968-4464.
School personnel
School personnel for the 2018-19 school year are: School Board President Amy Hanes, Vice President Sandy Skidmore, Dale Breymier, Lori Cox and Matt Hiestand.
Central office: Superintendent Doug Dunham; Treasurer/Chief Financial Officer Nicholas Hamilton; Technology Coordinator Shawn Peters and Assistant Treasurer/Secretary to the Superintendent Sherry Dirksen.
Mississinawa Valley Elementary School (Grades PK-6):
Principal – Stephanie Kemp
Secretary – Sandy Denniston
Kindergarten – Megan Coatney, Sarah Ranly and Emily Taylor
First grade – Nichole Anguiano Max Kindell and Maria Kinninger
Second grade – Christi Hummel, Sheila Scholl and Janel Thobe
Third grade – Mike Kukasky, Denise Mayo and Amy Roessner
Fourth grade – Teresa Birt, Amber Schellhase and Pam Stump
Fifth grade – Brenda Nagel and Jessica Schlater
Sixth grade – Shauna Hopkins, Billie Hunt and Melanie Neargarder
Intervention specialist –Sierra Hughes, Jan Smith and Sara Smith
M.H. – Jennifer Lause
Physical education/health – Emily Clark
Music – Audrey Hathaway
Reading recovery – Susan Clack
Band – Audrey Hathaway
E.D. – Sonya Spitler
Pre-school – Crystal Schneider and Laura DeMange
Para professionals – Kathy Armstrong, Paula Foreman, Sheldon Griffin, Amanda Grow, Nikki Hiestand Kim Hummel, Cynthia Linder, Annette Livingston, Megan Pequignot, Charlene Philiposian and Doris Schweppe
Attendant – Heather Manning
Mississinawa Valley Junior/Senior High School – Grades (7-12)
Principal – Jeffrey Winchester
Secretary – Betty Teegarden
Guidance – Andrea Howard
Special education – Chene’ Bridges, Jodi Humphries and Kim Knox
Seventh and eighth grade – Zack Evers, math; Brittany Force, science; Kaitlin Edwards, math; Amanda Masters, language arts and Tricia Seubert, language arts, psychology and sociology
Social studies – Ryan McGlothlin and Daniel Popp
Mathematics – Greg Beherns, Gwen Bergman and Andrew King
Science – Dawn Collins and Kim Hershey
IBE-accounting/business foundations – Tammy Drew
Language arts – Renee Bergman
English publications – Amy Bruns
Foreign language – Luke McKeeth
Vocational agriculture – Carmen Hartzell
Instrumental music – Stephen Novak
Art – Ashley Austerman
Health and phys ed. – Terry Niekamp
School curriculum coordinator – Stephanie Klingshirn
School nurse – Jamie Wisner
EMIS coordinator/guidance secretary – Roxanne Stocksdale
Athletics director/transportation/attendance secretary – Debbie Gower
Aide – Jonnie Meyer
Cooks – Katie Walters, cafeteria manager; Kim Beanblossom, Brenda Brinley, Tonya Fennig, Kathy Leeper, Karen Livingston, Emily Manning, Pat Martin, Roberta Wenger and Deanna Westfall
Custodians – Tony Neargarder, Gary Francis, Shirley Thomason, Zach Wisner and Linda Yount
Bus drivers – Steven Beam, Lisa DeVanney, John Hannan, Sarah Hiestand, Todd Murphy, Nick Philiposian, Jeff Slyder, Kevin Smith and Vickie Turner
