The Knox Community Elementary School is still collecting box tops and Campbell’s UPC labels and PTO President, Shelly Kemble, says if you have any labels to turn in, you need to get them in this week.
“The collection of Box Tops from the 2010-2011 school year totals a little over $4,000,” said Kemble. “You may drop off any box tops at the Knox Community Elementary School Main Office at door number 1 until June 22nd. We will start back up with the drop off after the 2011 school year begins in August.”
The Spotlight on Success fell on the Knox Middle School students and their video news program at the recent meeting of the Knox Community School Board. The news program that contained school news and the weather forecast aired on Tuesday and Thursday mornings at the beginning of the day. Middle School Guidance Counselor, Chris Ross, helped the students edit and record their program in the school’s “green room”. Danielle Slomka and Tyler Simola-Wallingford answered questions from the Board and explained the news program.
Back Row: Robbie Snowdon, Joey Miller and Knox Mayor Rick Chambers. Front Row: Chastity Griffith, Samantha Piper and Cheyenne Jordon. Not pictured: Destiny Wells
A group consisting of six Knox School students were selected to receive this year’s Unsung Heroes award. The students, Samantha Piper, Joey Miller, Destiny Wells, Chastity Griffith, Robby Snowdon, and Cheyenne Jordon surprised moderately mentally handicapped teacher, Bruce Klimek, with a cash donation for his class. Four students of the team are Knox High School Freshmen, one is an 8th grader and the other is a 5th grader.
Gary Dulin, Jerry Fletcher, Harold Welter, Mary Lynn Ritchie, Kirk Bennett, Nathan Marcum, Mike Yankauskas, Superintendent A.J. Gappa
The Knox Community School Board approved the athletic trainer contract for the next school year:
“The LaPorte Regional Health system supplies the trainer, in this case it’s Heather Skelly, who has been with us for a number of years, and we help support that contract,” said Superintendent, A.J. Gappa. “And with prices going up, we had to sign a new contract and the Board did approve that so we have our trainer for another year at least and that’s a good thing.”
The Knox Community School Corporation, along with IU Health Starke Hospital and Starke United, are teaming up to offer a Kindergarten Countdown program that will begin Monday, June 20th. The two week Kindergarten mini-camp is for those students entering Kindergarten who have had no exposure to Pre-School. Peggy Shidaker, Director of Curriculum and Instruction at Knox schools, says this is a great jump start program for these children.
The Knox High School renovation project is moving along. Superintendent A.J. Gappa said crews are replacing the water pipes in the building now and the water main has been shut off to the building so construction can continue. The School Board approved two bids Monday that pertain to the project.
The Knox Community School Board approved a small increase in cafeteria prices for the 2011-2012 school year:
“This year the State is requiring schools to increase by at least a dime,” said Superintendent, A.J. Gappa. “We’re going to hold our breakfast the same but we’re going to increase our lunch price at the Elementary, Middle and High Schools by $.20. Next year, our breakfasts will still be $1.10 for each student at all of the buildings, but lunch at the Elementary School will be $1.70 and lunch at the Middle School and High School will be $1.95.”
The Starke County Youth Club will be offering summer school for Knox Middle School students and North Judson-San Pierre and Oregon-Davis Elementary students.
Students will be engaged in Math and Language Arts during the summer, but no textbooks will be used. Hands-on computer applications and games and activities will help students learn the skills needed in those subjects. During the afternoon, 20 camps will be offered that range from science and sporting events to dancing and music.
The Starke County Youth Club summer school program will begin June 20th and go until July 22nd. Transportation will be provided.
PTO donates tools to park staff. (L to R) Patrick Jesuit, Assistant Park Superintendent, Shelly Kemble, Park Superintendent George Byer and park employee Clarence Marshall
The Knox Community Elementary School PTO and staff members from IU Health Starke Hospital participated in a community project at the Knox Elementary School. IU Health Starke Hospital donated $3,000 and the PTO bought two semi loads of mulch which was placed around the playground equipment and leftover mulch was placed in flower beds and other places around the Elementary School. Continue reading →
High School Seniors from the three Starke County schools will be graduating tonight.
Graduation for Knox Community High School seniors will be tonight at 7:00 p.m. CT in the Weinberg Gymnasium. Oregon-Davis High School seniors will graduate at 6:30 p.m. in their High School gymnasium.
Graduation at the North Judson-San Pierre High School will be tonight at 7:00 p.m. CT in the Gymnasium. High School Principal, Annette Zupin, announced the Valedictorian and Salutatorian this week. The Valedictorian is Andrew Frasure and the Salutatorians are Henry Thoreson and Samantha Fisher.
The regular school year just ended and now officials at the Knox Community School Corporation are turning their attention to summer school. The Knox Elementary School staff will hold summer school from Monday, June 6th through Thursday, June 23rd from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. each day. The Knox High School staff will hold summer school from Monday, June 6th to Thursday, June 30th for the first session. The second session will be from Tuesday, July 5th to Thursday, July 28th. Classes will be held in the Knox Middle School due to renovations at the High School during the summer months. Students will be in school from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. each day. Summer school will not be in session on Fridays.
Students from the SCILL Center recently graduated and one of the students in the class of 2011 is Darren Harrell of Plymouth, who not only graduated with honors from the Automotive Certification Program, but did well in national competition.
“I’ve been trying for some scholarships from Lincoln Tech which is the college I’ll be attending,” said Harrell. “They had an acceptance test there where 1,200 kids took it and I was in the top 20. I got an $8,000 scholarship for that. If it wasn’t for the SCILL Center, I probably wouldn’t have done as well on the test.”
It was 10 years ago on this date that the 1943 addition of the Knox Middle School started to be torn down. It was removed to make room for the new two story building that is now used for Middle School classrooms.
Maria Hasnerl, Chastity Reed and Riley Hart were only three members of the choir who appeared at the School Board meeting to receive certificates
Elementary Principal, Glenn Barnes, brought in members of the fifth grade choir to be recognized during last week’s Knox Community School Board meeting.
“He brought in some of the the fifth grade choir to receive certificates and the Board got to see a video that Miss Guzman and the choir students put together where they sang three of the songs that they have been practicing,” said Superintendent A.J. Gappa. “Keep in mind that the fifth grade choir is not a requirement and it’s not all the fifth graders. It’s a volunteer group that came in early in the morning one day a week for the last semester on their own time to practice and pick out songs. They did a nice job singing on the video they presented to the Board.”
Top Ten (L to R) Darienne Griffith, Hayley Windbigler, Katelyn Peters, Kaitlyn Betz, Tiffany Friedlund, Tabitha Tepes, Elisabeth Caudill, Brittany Shannon, Carole Surfus and Heather Rogers
The Knox Community High School Seniors will graduate on Friday, June 3rd, at 7:00 p.m. CT in the Weinberg Gymnasium. The Valedictorian for this graduating class is Darienne Griffith. The Salutatorian is Hayley Windbigler. The rest of the top ten students in the class include: Katelyn Peters, Kaitlyn Betz, Tiffany Friedlund, Tabitha Tepes, Elisabeth Caudill, Brittany Shannon, Carole Surfus, and Heather Rogers. Continue reading →
This pile of mulch is just one that IU Health Starke Hospital volunteers will be helping the PTO with today
IU Health Starke Hospital employees will be participating in the third annual Day of Community Service event today at the Knox Elementary School. The staff members will work with the Knox Elementary PTO to assist with landscape upgrades to the playground facilities at the school.
The project will begin at 7:00 a.m. today. The Hospital gave the PTO $3,000 to buy mulch and two semi loads of mulch was delivered to the school this week for the project. The PTO purchased an additional $1,000 worth of mulch to fully complete upgrading the playground facilities.
Gary Dulin, Jerry Fletcher, Harold Welter, Mary Lynn Ritchie, Kirk Bennett, Nathan Marcum, Mike Yankauskas, Superintendent A.J. Gappa
The Knox Community School Board members approved a lease agreement with Apple, Inc. to provide a one-to-one computer program for students in grades six through twelve.
“The computers are not going to take the place of teachers as some people fear,” explained Superintendent A.J. Gappa. “They’re just a modern tool that teacher have to use so students can improve their learning throughout Middle School and High School. Under this program, the student will get a computer that will be his computer for the next four years. The plan is that the student can take it home because that just extends their learning day. After four years, we will reevaluate the lease.”
We’re coming to the close of the school year and many graduation activities are scheduled at our local schools. The Knox Community High School Senior Awards Day will be Friday, May 20th at 8:00 a.m. CT in the High School Gymnasium. All parents and students are welcome to attend. Graduation will be Friday, June 3rd at 7:00 p.m. in Weinberg Gym.
The Knox Community School Board members appointed a new Middle School Principal Monday night.
“The Board appointed Dave Miller, the current Middle School Assistant Principal, as Principal,” said Superintendent, A.J. Gappa. “His term will begin on July 1st of this current year. Dave has been with the Corporation for a little over 20 years, I believe, and he’s been in the current post of Assistant Principal at the Middle School for the last 17 years. The Board thought he’s been loyal to the District and they wanted to give him his chance at the Principal-ship. In the past, Mr. Miller has served under two or three different principals and at one point, he didn’t feel that he wanted to accept the Principal-ship because he was happy where he was. But, at this point I think he feels it was time for him and the Board agreed.”
Knox Community High School Junior, Connor Carlson, applied for and was chosen by Kankakee Valley REMC to participate in Indiana’s Electric Cooperative Youth Tour to Washington, D.C.
The purpose of the trip is to provide young adults with the opportunity to travel to our nation’s capital. Connor will be able to experience first-hand how our government functions, learn about the complexities of today’s electric utility industry, discover the unique characteristics of cooperative business enterprise, and to meet and work with hundreds of his peers from throughout the United States.
Connor, along with other students in Indiana, will travel from Indianapolis on Friday, June 10th to Washington, D.C. with a stop in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania to see the battlefield. The students will visit several places in Washington, D.C., and participate in a Town Hall Meeting where they will share their thoughts and opinions on a variety of timely issues. They will then visit with representatives of Indiana’s Congressional delegation. The group will return on Thursday, June 16th.
All of Connor’s travel expenses from Indianapolis, meals, lodging and scheduled event fees will be paid for by Kankakee Valley REMC.
