Changes may be coming to Oregon-Davis students’ fall and Christmas breaks in the coming years. Calendar proposals for the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 school years were presented to the school board last week.
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Oregon-Davis’s woodworking and band teachers got some special recognition during Wednesday’s school board meeting. Superintendent Dr. Don Harman explains, “We recognized Mr. Ron Heningsmith who did create a lamp for a patron Mrs. Jensen with wood that her and her late husband donated in the name of Mr. Jensen. Also, Mr. Heningsmith and his woods courses are making coasters, Bobcat coasters, for all staff members.”
Continue readingThe Oregon-Davis School Board welcomed two new members during its annual reorganization meeting Wednesday. Kyle Hinds and Brandie Ecker were sworn into office, along with returning member Chris Lawrence, according to Superintendent Dr. Don Harman.
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The Eastern Pulaski School Board said goodbye to a longtime member last week. Mike Tetzloff attended his final meeting, after more than 16 years on the board.
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A number of donations were accepted by the Oregon-Davis School Board Monday. Some students will getting new t-shirts, thanks to a pair of donations from Lee Nagai, according to Superintendent Dr. Don Harman. “[He] donated $100 to help with the cost of first [and second] grade t-shirts and then also 35 t-shirts that were purchased for the pep band,” Harman explains. “So we appreciate Lee Nagai’s assistance there.”
The Oregon-Davis School Corporation has updated its policies on bullying, dyslexia screening, and administrative leave, among others. Superintendent Dr. Don Harman says the school board approved a number of policies recommended by policy consultant NEOLA, during Monday’s meeting.
The recently-established Oregon-Davis PTA is coming up with some creative ways to raise money for the school corporation. “During our Christmas programs on December 11 and 12 at the high school, the PTA will be taking pictures with Santa and have hot cocoa and cookies available,” Superintendent Dr. Don Harman explains. “Pictures will be five dollars, to have a student take their picture with Santa, and so, then, the PTA is obviously trying to raise funds to help the school district.”
Local school administrators are looking toward the state’s new Graduation Pathways as a way to help current students struggling to pass the ISTEP. Knox High School Principal Dr. Elizabeth Ratliff told the school board last week that the initiative provides more options to students planning careers in various skilled trades.
Oregon-Davis woodworking students have created a memorial of sorts to a longtime pillar of the local community. Following the death of Richard Jensen, his wife donated a lot of the wood that he’d collected to the high school. Over the past few months, students have taken some of those wood pieces and assembled them into a table lamp, which they plan to present to Mrs. Jensen.
The Oregon-Davis School Corporation is making progress at implementing its new safety strategy. This year, the school corporation has adopted the ALICE procedure for dealing with armed intruders. It stands for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, and Evacuate.
School lunches at Oregon-Davis may soon include fresh vegetables grown in the high school’s greenhouse. Agriculture Teacher and FFA Adviser Andrew Carlin told the school board last week that the greenhouse was started last spring, thanks to a grant the school received.
Now that winter weather’s here, the Oregon-Davis School Board has approved an agreement for snow removal in the schools’ parking lots. “Through taking bids and interest and talking to some of our school board members, Green Grass, which is based out of Mishawaka and also Walkerton, we do have an agreement with them to plow our snow,” Superintendent Dr. Don Harman told board members last week. Continue reading
Oregon-Davis school administrators are planning their response to the latest round of school letter grades. O-D Elementary School got an A for the 2017-2018 school year. The junior/senior high school and the corporation as a whole received C’s.
Oregon-Davis students recently helped collect funds for the families affected by last month’s bus stop accident in Fulton County. “We had a fundraiser, a hat day, November 9,” Superintendent Dr. Don Harman told the school board last week. “Really neat that our students participated, and we raised $600.”
Oregon-Davis High School students will be able to take Aviation or AP Art classes next school year. The school board finalized the 2019-2020 Course Description Guide Monday. The new aviation courses will be based at Plymouth Municipal Airport and will be available to high students throughout the local area through the North Central Area Vocational Cooperative.
Oregon-Davis teachers will see an increase in their retirement benefits and changes to the sick day policy, as part of the 2018-2019 Master Teacher Agreement approved by the school board Monday. The school corporation is increasing its annual contribution to qualifying teachers’ 401a plans from $400 to $500, according to Superintendent Dr. Don Harman.
Teacher contracts will be up for approval when the Oregon-Davis School Board meets tonight. Members will vote on the 2018-2019 Master Teacher Agreement, according to the advance meeting agenda.
Open enrollment is leading students out of some smaller school districts. Ron Gifford with the Starke County Economic Development Foundation told the Hamlet Town Council Wednesday that the state is now giving more detail about where exactly students are attending school.
The Oregon-Davis School Board members met in special session on Friday morning to consider a recommendation for the new Junior/Senior High Assistant Principal and Athletic Director.
Superintendent Dr. Don Harmon said the members unanimously approved the recommendation that was made by the interview committee.
He explained, “Through an extensive interview process, our high school principal Mr. Chris Matthys and a team of staff members interviewed several individuals. Through that process, the recommendation was for Michael Siwy.” Continue reading
High school students throughout the local area will be able to take aviation classes starting next school year, according to Oregon-Davis Superintendent Dr. Don Harman. “For all of the school corporations in our vocational co-op, we are starting an aviation course at the Plymouth Airport, and that will be available to our students,” he says. “So we’re very excited about that.”
