“It’s funded by our Title 1 funds, which is a federal grant program for schools that have a high percentage of free and reduced lunch students,” explained Gappa. “We’re presently screening students so if parents have children that they think might fit the program they can contact Jana Hazelton at the Knox Elementary School and set up a screening appointment.”
A reporter and photographer from a South Bend television station paid a visit to Knox Elementary School this morning.WSBT-TV’s Kristin Bien shared a story with the more than 900 students, teachers, faculty members and staff gathered in the Knox Elementary School gym. The school won the station’s Thursday “I Love to Read” challenge with 13,000 votes. Bien said this is quite impressive, as Wednesday’s winner got 7,000 votes. She read the book “Animals Should Definitely Not Wear Clothing” to the students and stressed the importance of reading. Bien also granted an interview to two reporters from “The Redskin Riot”before returning to South Bend.
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The Knox Community School Board approved a motion to place a public question on the ballot in May for voters in the school district regarding the proposed elementary school project.
Superintendent A.J. Gappa said no community member spoke out against the project in a public hearing held on Dec. 3 regarding the proposed project, so the issue now goes to the voters.
The familiar words, “Dear Santa,” will soon be written by nearly one thousand elementary students at Knox Elementary School as the Parent-Teacher Organization turns hundreds of letters into donations for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
PTO member Tammy Taulbee said the elementary school students will each write a letter to Santa that will be dropped off at Macy’s as part of their “Believe” holiday campaign. For each letter addressed to Santa that Macy’s receives, they will donate $1 to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Taulbee said the PTO received information about the campaign and thought it would be a great class project with an even better message.
A domestic dispute in Knox led police to lock down the Knox Elementary School as a precaution yesterday.
Knox City Police were called to a Knox residence in response to threats that had been made toward family members. When police arrived on the scene, officers learned that the threats that had been made were related to a domestic incident that had occurred the night before. Unfortunately, the male subject had left the home before officers arrived and authorities believed he was in an unstable state of mind.
In observance of Fire Prevention Week, Knox-Center Township Fire Prevention Officer Shawn Kidder will be educating students on fire dangers and what to do to if a fire occurs.
Kidder will be at the Knox Elementary School today where he will go over the importance of smoke detectors and other important fire prevention tips.
The American Red Cross would like to thank Knox Community Elementary School for their outstanding contribution at their recent blood drive. This blood drive was part of the Pint Size Heroes project designed to teach children the importance of donating blood.
There were a total of 56 donations at Knox Elementary’s blood drive. Each donation has the potential to help up to three people; therefore, their blood drive has the potential to help a total of 168 people.
The need for blood is constant. To find a blood drive near you, call 1-800-RED-CROSS.
Students at many high schools and colleges are giving the gift of life this fall.
Every year, students nationwide join the American Red Cross to give blood and sponsor blood drives. High schools and colleges sponsor about 19 percent of Red Cross blood drives in Indiana, Michigan and Ohio and gather 30 percent of donations in the same areas.
The Knox Community School Board will hold a work session on Wednesday, Aug. 8 at 6 p.m. to discuss the possible elementary facility project.
Residents are encouraged to attend this event and give their opinion on what the board should do with the Palmer Wing of the elementary school. The board has been getting updates from the Elementary Facility Study Committee; Architects Barton, Coe, Villema and financial representatives Umbaugh and Associates, and the groups have been discussing all options available.
The Palmer Wing is deteriorating and can no longer house all of the technology and necessary needs in that section of the elementary school. The board has the options of doing nothing, tearing down the Palmer Wing and building a new structure in its place, or rehabilitating the current structure.
The board will meet in the Knox Community Elementary School All-Purpose Room and will take comments from the public. No action will be taken at this meeting.
Knox Community School Superintendent A.J. Gappa announced that the school registration schedule has been released this week.
“The high school, middle school and the elementary school released registration dates for the upcoming school year,” said Gappa. “I know it seems like the old school year just ended, but that information will be posted on the website and we will get that information out so everyone is aware of the registration times for the upcoming school year.”
The registration days will be Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, July 31 through Aug. 2, at the Knox elementary and middle schools, and Aug. 1 and 2 at the Knox High School. To download a full schedule, click here.
Freshmen registration is Thursday, Aug. 9 from 8 to 11 a.m. Back to School Night is Monday, August 13 from 4 to 6 p.m. at all schools, and the first day of school for Knox students is Tuesday, August 14.
The Knox Facility Study Committee met with Curt Pletcher from Umbaugh and Associates on June 26 to go over the financial feasibility of renovating or constructing a new Palmer Wing of the Knox Elementary School. Superintendent A.J. Gappa said they are trying to figure out how either project would impact the tax rate of the school district.
“The board wanted to have an idea of what direction to go,” said Gappa. “We will meet again with an architect within the next two weeks with our committee and at that point we will invite people in who came a year ago to start making more firm plans.”
The Knox Community School Board got an update on the progress of the Facility Study Committee on Monday night. Superintendent A.J. Gappa said the committee is gathering figures for the possible project on the Palmer Wing of the elementary school.
“Architect Dana Wanamaker had sent some figures over to the school and to representatives from Umbaugh finance, and we still haven’t talked to the representative from Umbaugh so we are still in that planning stage of how to move forward,” said Gappa. “We will be meeting with our board committee in the near future and getting information back out to the public.”
Forty seventh-grade students from Knox Elementary School visited Ancilla College as part of the middle school’s Career Day experience. After being greeted by Dr. Ron May, president of the college, the students were divided into groups and provided four different fun learning sessions. Dr. John Fogl used cow hearts to teach them about the human heart and biology. In business, John Gough gave each student “Ancilla money” to invest in one of three cookie mines, and to spend on cookie mining equipment. The students who made the most money earned prizes.
Math students were given time to solve problems on computers. Jill Neidlinger conducted this presentation. The fourth group was given a tour of the campus and Nursing Lab.
Each group rotated through each of the presentations.
The day ended with the students competing in an Ancilla Jeopardy game, with the winning team receiving prizes.
The Knox Community Elementary School is experiencing a change in its pickup and drop-off procedure for students.
“We had a structural problem in the doorway that has caused us to have to close that door for the time being and only use it for emergency exits if needed,” explained Superintendent A.J. Gappa. “Because of the problem at door #7, the pattern for drop-offs and walkers is going to change. Different door exits and entryways will have to be used for the parents who drop off kids and for the students that walk to school.”
Knox Community School Superintendent, A.J. Gappa, gave the School Board an update on the Elementary School Facility study:
“I told them that we had taken most of the teachers, the certified staff, from the Elementary on a tour of the building. If we decide to proceed with any facility improvements, the staff will be aware of what’s going on and can answer questions on their own because they’ve seen everything,” stated Gappa.
Knox Community School Superintendent A.J. Gappa gave a facility study update to the School Board Monday night. The Board is gathering opinions from the public and teachers in the Elementary School on the Palmer Wing of the Elementary School.
Knox Community School Superintendent A.J. Gappa gave the School Board a facility study update this week.
“Our Board has been investigating work that needs to be done at the Elementary School. I’ve been meeting with the staff members at the Elementary School by grade level and offering them the same mini tour and showing them the inner workings of the building, similar to what the Board had seen during a mini retreat that they had and also what the public was shown last spring.”
Knox Community School Superintendent A.J. Gappa gave the School Board members a report from the recent Parent/Teacher conferences at the Elementary School.
“We gave an Elementary facility study update to the Board just to keep them updated on what’s going on, especially at the Palmer Wing,” said Superintendent Gappa. “During our recent Parent/Teacher Conference days in mid-October, the administrators from the Elementary School, along with some other staff members, opened up the Palmer Wing to any parents who came through at Parent/Teacher Conferences and wanted to see the state of the building. As we move forward and try to decide what we want to do with that buildling, we think the process is to sell the need and let parents actually see what shape the building is in and the part we’re talking about is almost 60 years old.”
The Knox Community Elementary School recently held parent/teacher conferences and during that time, parents were asked to go through the Palmer Wing.
“The administrators from the Elementary School invited members and parents in to look at Palmer Wing at the Elementary School just to show some of the needs that might be necessary,” said Superintendent A.J. Gappa. “Our maintenance people do a great job of maintaining things, but that building is nearing 60 years old so some things are going to need to be taken care of. Six or seven parents each night did take advantage and looked at the Palmer Wing and pretty much the comments were unanimous. There is going to have to be something done sometime in the near future.”
For the first time in a long time, the Knox Elementary staff will hold parent/teacher conferences. Since the state mandated that all schools have 180 full days of instruction, that dropped the ability to have parent/teacher conferences during the day so they were eliminated. Superintendent A.J. Gappa said that they’re bringing them back next week.
