2015-16 NREVSD school calendar released

The New Richmond Exempted Village School District calendar for the 2015-16 school year has been updated and approved by the Board of Education. The calendar is available on line at the following link: http://www.nrschools.org/Downloads/16Calendar2.pdf.

The first day for students in the 2015-16 school year will be Aug 20, 2015. The last day for students will be May 26, 2016. Make up days if needed will be May 27, May 31 and June 1-3, 2016. The calendar includes 180 days of classroom for students for a total of 1160.60 hours of instructions and 185 days for teachers.

NRE is no Grinch when it comes to food drive

New Richmond Elementary ended its 2014 food drive with an assembly featuring Principal Terry Miller reading Letters to Santa written by NRE students as part of the Make A Wish Foundation and an performance by counselor, Angela Gray, who promised the students that if they donated 1,000 cans to the canned food drive she would dress up like the Grinch. The students donated 1559 cans at the time of the assembly and went over the 1600 mark by the end of the school day. The canned food drive benefits New Richmond’s Food Pantry.

Click on the Play button below to watch a video of the NRE program.

Joe Golfman makes 27th visit as Santa

It wouldn’t be the Christmas season at New Richmond’s Monroe Elementary without a visit by Joe Golfman as Santa to Barb Holman’s kindergarten class. Mr. Golfman, 95, a decorated veteran of World War II, has been visiting Mrs. Holman’s Class for the past 27 years as Santa and is a long-time volunteer at the school.

Click on the Play button below to watch Santa's visit.>br />

Retiring LCE secretary gets flash mobbed

New Richmond's Locust Corner Elementary School secretary Debbie Wessel got a surprise retirement sendoff Dec. 12 when teachers and students performed a flash mob performance in her honor during the school's Christmas program to cap its annual canned food drive program.

Click on the Play Button below to watch Mrs. Wessel being honored.

Locust Corner continues its giving tradition

New Richmond's Locust Corner Elementary continued its tradition of performing "Children Go Where I Send Thee' while volunteers from the New Richmond Food Pantry pickup up more than 2500 canned food items and $195 in donations from the students.

Click on the Play button below to watch the performance by Locust Corner's staff and students

The Fortieth Annual NRHS “Christmas Festival of Music”

New Richmond High School Presents
The Fortieth Annual “Christmas Festival of Music”
December 15, 2014 NRHS Gymnasium 7:00 P.M
Click on the Play button below to watch the concert


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Concert Band 
Christmas Bells Medley *** arr. Lloyd Conley 
Kris Kringle Jingle *** Jerry Williams 
Silent Night *** arr. Sean O’Loughlin 
Themes from The Nutcracker Suite *** Tschaikowsky arr. C Johnson 

Mixed Chorus 
The Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth *** Simeone/Onorati/Davis 
Put a Little Love In Your Heart *** Holiday/Myers/De Shannon 
Mary Sat A-Rockin ’ *** Sall Albrecht \_ 
Sleigh Bells *** arr. Earlene Rentz 

A Men’s Chorus 
Santa Claus Is Coming To Town  *** Althouse 
Frozen Heart * * * Anderson—Lopez / Lopez 

Special
 Heat Miser/Snow Miser *** Jules Bass & Maury Laws
Analiese Rohdes & Jenny Roberts
Winter Days *** Cole Thompson 

Women’s Chorus 
Christmas in About Three Minutes *** arr. Weston 
O Holy Night *** Adolphe Adams 

Troubadours 
From the Still of Night / Tear Drops / Star Beams 
From the Cantata “A Journey to Bethlehem” *** Pontius/Heflin 
Let It Go *** Anderson-Lopez / Lopez 
Ding a Ding a Ding *** Greg Gilpin

Troubadours and Guests 
Hallelujah Chorus (from the Messiah) *** G.F. Handel

Lions Hall of Fame accepting nominations

The New Richmond Lions Sports Hall of Fame is accepting nominations for induction into the 2015 Hall of Fame Class. Nominations must be received by the New Richmond High School Athletic Department by December 8, 2014 to be considered for the 2015 Hall of Fame inductions to be held at 6 p.m. January 31, 2015.

Print out this post which contains the nomination form or download the form at http://www.nrschools.org/Downloads/nr-hall-nomination.pdf

New Richmond Lions Sports Hall of Fame

NOMINATIONS AND ELIGIBILITY

FORWARD:        The performances of the past serve as an inspiration for present and future activities. Yet, unless the achievements are recorded, they tend to become hazy memories. It is for this reason that we set forth the following purpose for the Lions Sports Hall of Fame.

PURPOSE:           To recognize outstanding contributions to the athletic program at New Richmond High School by athletes, coaches, athletic directors and administrators and therefore offer incentive to future participants in this program.

A.    Anyone wishing to make one or several nominations may obtain nomination forms in the Athletic Director’s Office.

1.     Nominators must sign nomination forms or they will be invalid.

2.     Nominations must be submitted by December 8th. The committee will meet in December to select inductees.

3.     The induction ceremony will take place during the basketball season on January 31^st at 6:00.

B.    Any past athlete, coach, athletic director, or administrator is eligible for induction into the Lions Sports Hall of Fame with these exceptions:

1.     An athlete must have earned a Varsity letter while attending New Richmond. Athletes cannot be considered within the first five years after his/her graduation date.

2.     A coach, athletic director, or administrator is eligible immediately after retiring or upon leaving the district.

3.     A present coach, athletic director, or administrator is eligible for his/her performance as an athlete at New Richmond.

4.     Outstanding athletic achievement and contribution to athletics is the primary requirement for nomination.

C.    Number of Inductees – There will be at least one, but not more than 4 inductees in a given year.

D.    Nominations will be kept in consideration for 3 years.

NEW RICHMOND EXEMPTED VILLAGE SCHOOL DISTRICT

LIONS SPORTS HALL OF FAME

NOMINATION FORM

NOTE: BEFORE COMPLETING THIS NOMINATION  PLEASE REFER TO THE NOMINATION AND ELIGIBILITY RULES LISTED ON THE REVERSE SIDE OF THIS SHEET.

NOMINEE: _____________________________________________________________

CURRENT ADDRESS: ___________________________________________________

TELEPHONE NUMBER: _____________________ YEAR GRADUATED: _________

E-MAIL __________________________________

SPORTS PLAYED OR COACHED: _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

OUTSTANDING ACCOMPLISHMENTS:____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

WHY DO YOU FEEL THIS PERSON SHOULD BE INDUCTED?

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

NOMINATOR’S NAME (PRINT)____________________________________________

NOMINATOR’S  E-MAIL: ________________________________________________

TELEPHONE NUMBER: _____________________ DATE SUBMITTED: _________

NREVSD honors our Veterans

Locust Corner Elementary kicked off the New Richmond Exempted Village School District's Veterans Day program with its Veterans Breakfast Friday, Nov. 7.

Ralph Sherpherd introduces Veterans attending Locust Corner Elementary's
Veterans Breakfast Friday, Nov. 7.

The district's Veterans Day program continues at 9 a.m. Monday, Nov. 10 with the dedication of the Veterans Museum on the second floor of the Market Street School; New Richmond Elementary's Veterans Breakfast at 8 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 11; New Richmond Middle School's Veterans Assembly at 9 a.m. Nov. 11; New Richmond High School's Veterans Assembly at 1:30 p.m. Nov. 11; and Monroe Elementary's Veterans Breakfast at 7:45 a.m. Nov. 12.

In addition, the New Richmond High School band will be among the six Clermont County high school bands marching in the Clermont County Veterans Day Parade at 7 p.m. Nov. 11. The parade will start at Light Street and proceed up Front Street past the band stand.

Scenes from Locust Corner's Veterans Breakfast:

Student arrested after Yik Yak threat

A New Richmond High School student was arrested and suspended from school Wednesday afternoon following a threat posted the night before on the anonymous social media app Yik Yak. The student was not identified.

The threat resulted in a search by New Richmond police, school administrators and high school staff of all of all students entering the high school Wednesday.

“The student was arrested by the New Richmond Police Department and removed from the building ,” said Supt. Adam Bird. “It’s an example of great cooperation between our police and high school staff.”

New Richmond police officer Les Smith performs a bag search of a late arriving New Richmond High School student after a threat was posted on the anonymous social media app Yik Yak Tuesday night leading to a search of all students arriving at New Richmond High School Wednesday.

“Last night a community member brought to my attention something that was on the app Yik Yak that said ‘Watch out New Richmond I am about shoot up the school 2morro’ and we immediately contacted police,” said New Richmond High School principal Mark Bailey.

Bailey, assistant principal Phil Heflin, district Supt. Adam Bird and teachers Jim Robinson and Sue Griffin assisted New Richmond police in the search of approximately 700 students. Clermont County Sheriff deputies also assisted before being called away for an emergency.

“It took less than 45 minutes to perform the search and all classes started on time,” said Bird. “The students were calm and cooperative and everything went smoothly.”

New Richmond police remained on the scene and performed bag searches for students arriving late due to junior and senior options and post-secondary college classes.

“We realize that parents’ No. 1 priority is their child’s safety and that has to come before learning,” said Bailey. “Students have to feel safe and have to know that we take all threats seriously.”

Bailey banned cell phone use in the high school last week after vulgar and mean Yik Yak posts by students. The App is banned throughout the district via its WiFi network and Yik Yak has put up a block on cell towers within 1.5 miles of the high school. The threat has been turned over to New Richmond police for investigation.

NREVSD bans Yik Yak gossip app

The New Richmond Exempted Village School District is closely monitoring the anonymous social media app Yik Yak and is banning it from use in the district.

Yik Yak is available for iOS and Android smart phones and allows users to anonymously create and view posts in a virtual message board within a 1.5 mile radius depending on how many other users are nearby.

An example of a Yik Yak
Post by students this week.

YikYak has come under fire nationally as the new home of cyberbullying and incidents of cyberbullying have been detected by New Richmond administrators.

"Cyberbullying has already occurred,” said New Richmond Supt. Adam Bird. “Many disparaging, ugly, vulgar comments are being made about students and staff using Yik Yak."

Technically, the Yik Yak app is limited to people 17 years and older, but it’s still popular with younger high school students.

New Richmond relaxed its policy on use of cell phones in schools four years ago and may have to reconsider that move because of the Yik Yak app according to New Richmond High School principal Mark Bailey.

“They are allowed to use cell phones at lunch time and in the classroom for academic purposes and apparently that is not happening,” said Bailey. “We now have more than enough iPads and Chromebooks therefore the use of cell phones is no longer needed for research.”

Yik Yak has become a major problem with schools nationwide.

New York Magazine recently highlighted the chaos caused at Staples High School in Westport, Connecticut. The magazine article pointed out that one student wrote, “How long do we think before A. B. kills herself?”  A high school in San Clemente, California was shut down this year after an anonymous bomb threat was posted on Yik Yak.

“I have several issues with Yik Yak,” said Bailey. “No. 1, we have students saying mean, hurting things to each other and about staff members. In my mind it is a form of cyber bullying.

“My second concern is that students seem to be on Yik Yak when they should be attending to instruction and learning. I would rather be working with staff and students to improve academics rather than focusing on issues like this.”

Supt. Bird noted that parents must get involved to stop cyberbullying.

“The use of Yik Yak is now being monitored by New Richmond schools and students should know that nothing on the Internet is completely anonymous,” said Bird. “But we only can control what goes on in our buildings, we need parents to help monitor their students use of Yik Yak.”

Cameras monitor NREVSD school buses

There is no “He said, she said” anymore when it comes to investigating school bus behavior incidents in the New Richmond Exempted Village School District.

“Last year, we heard from parents regarding their concern about bus bullying,” said New Richmond Supt. Adam Bird. “In response, cameras have been installed on every bus so that student behavior can be better monitored."

New Richmond schools chief mechanic Chuck Vogel aligns cameras that have been installed on all NREVSD school buses to monitor student behavior and other safety issues.

Every New Richmond school bus has a minimum of two cameras recording video and audio. One is installed above the driver’s seat window and focus on the driver and the bus door. A second camera is above the windshield and focused down the aisle.

“We have installed a third camera on selected bus serving routes where there have been issues,” added Bird.

Video and audio is stored on a SD card which can be reviewed on a computer and burned onto a DVD for use in disciplinary hearings by district administrators. The pair of bus cameras cost $1000 and were installed by district mechanics.

New Richmond schools chief mechanic Chuck Vogel reviews video from a pair of cameras installed on all New Richmond school buses to monitor student behavior and other safety issues. 

Students have taken notice of the cameras and adjusted their behavior accordingly.

“I have noticed a decrease in the number of bus referrals compared to the past few years,” said NREVSD transportation director Wayne Prescott.

Some bus drivers had privacy concerns at first since they would be on camera (which operate anytime the bus engine is running) even when they weren’t on the road. The tradeoff of having an extra set of eyes on their students quickly overcame any privacy concerns.

“I have spoken with several drivers regarding the new cameras, and have had positive feedback,” said Prescott. “Drivers like having an extra set of eyes on their students and they like being able to have the video checked when students tell them that something happen on the bus that they didn’t see or hear."

Red Ribbon Week at NRE and NRMSOct. 27-31

 What is Red Ribbon Week?

lt is an ideal way for people and communities to unite and take a visible stand against drugs.

Why? The Red Ribbon Campaign was started when drug traffickers in Mexico City murdered DEA agent Kiki Camarena in 1985. This began the continuing tradition of displaying Red Ribbons as a symbol of intolerance towards the use of drugs. The mission of the Red Ribbon Campaign is to present a unified and visible commitment towards the creation of a DRUG-FREE AMERICA!

NRE ACTIVITIES FOR RED RIBBON WEEK: LOVE YOURSELF, BE DRUG FREE!


MONDAY, OCT. 27 - LOVE YOUR SCHOOL: School Spirit Day! All students and staff can show their school pride by wearing school colors. *Red Ribbons will be given to all students! Please encourage students to wear their red ribbon each day this week. There will be a drawing every day and the student with the announced red ribbon number will get a prize! Students will be signing a Red Ribbon “Drug Free" pledge banner during lunch.

TUESDAY, OCT. 28- LOVE YOURSELF: Today is Dress for Success Day! Students and staff are encouraged to dress their best - ready for success! Everyone will look sharp and carry themselves with pride! Students will each get a RRW pencil . *Suggested activity — Students are encouraged to illustrate or make a collage showing their dreams for a super future!

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 29 - LOVE YOUR TEAM: Today's theme is sports! Wear your favorite college, university, military, or sports team shirt. Students will each receive a RRW bracelet * Suggested activity— Students are encouraged to participate in the National Red Ribbon decorating contest, which is a home based activity (see info below). Allow students time to plan their design.

 THURSDAY OCT. 30 - LOVE YOUR COMMUNITY: Dream Career Day! Students are encouraged to answer the question: What is your dream career? Students will be permitted to wear clothing that match their future career dream. For example, if a student wants to be in the army, they could wear a camou?age outfit. If the student wants to be a nurse or a doctor, they could wear scrubs. Students will be getting RRW stickers today. *Suggested activity— Write a thank you note (individually or as a classroom) to our local law enforcement of?cers for risking their lives to protect our communities and schools from illegal drugs. Be sure to put your cards in Mrs. Gray's mailbox by Friday afternoon.

FRIDAY, OCT. 31- LOVE BEING DRUG FREE: Red Day! Wear as much red as possible today!!! Each student will get a RRW lollipop. We will have a Red Ribbon Speaker, Mr. Scott Wyatt I The schedule is as follows: Pre-K-3rd Grade 2:35— 2:50 and Grades 4-6 3:00- 3:25

New Richmond Middle School has a similar program with Clermont County Sheriff Tim Rhodenberg speaking to students during 6th period on Tuesday


 WIN AN IPAD & $1000 FOR NRE and NRMS,
1.  Work together as a FAMILY to decorate your HOME door, mailbox, or fence with a Red Ribbon and this year’s theme “Love Yourself‘. Be Drug Free.”
2.      Take a picture of your family in Front of your Red Ribbon decoration and upload to www.redribbon.org. You must be 18 years old to enter, so parents must submit the photos. *November 4th deadline.
3.   Ask your friends, Family, colleagues and school contacts to vote For your photo on the Red Ribbon Website!

Message from Supt. Adam Birdregarding public health issues

The U.S. Department of Education has asked us to share information regarding the nationwide outbreak of enterovirus (EV-D68), concerns about the Ebola virus, and the upcoming flu season with staff, students and parents of the New Richmond Exempted Village School District.

To address these public health concerns, the U.S. Department of Education and federal health agencies have a number of informational resources to share with you. (Links to those resources are listed below.)

Almost all of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-confirmed cases this year of EV-D68 infection have been among children.  Many of the children had asthma or a history of wheezing.  Many parents continue to be worried about the outbreak and want information about what they can do to prevent illness and protect themselves and their families.

The CDC has developed information and resources for parents about EV-D68:

• Web Feature, “What Parents Need to Know About Enterovirus D68”
• Drop-in newsletter article , “Parents: Learn the Facts about Enterovirus D68”
• Fact sheet for parents, “What Parents Need to Know about Enterovirus D68”
• General questions and answers for the public
• Keep Your Child from Getting and Spreading Enterovirus D68

The CDC issued a press release on Oct. 14 sharing news about a new lab test developed by CDC for EV-D68 which will allow more rapid testing of specimens.  Because of this new test, confirmed cases of EV-D68 will appear to rise rapidly over the next 7-10 days as specimen testing accelerates.  However, changes in case counts won’t represent a real-time influx of new cases.

As entrovirus season is expected to taper off, flu activity usually begins to increase in October.

While there is not a vaccine to prevent illness from enterovirus, the single best way to protect against the flu is to get vaccinated each year.  Many resources for parents and others can be found on the CDC flu web site.  CDC recommends that ALL children 6 months old or older get a flu vaccine.
The CDC is continually updating its information on Ebola, information that can be found here: http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/index.html.

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Safe and Healthy Students has a number of materials available regarding Readiness and Emergency Management of Schools in crisis situations, and those materials can be found here: http://rems.ed.gov/.  

Sincerely,

Adam Bird

Superintendent

New Richmond Exempted Village School District

NREVSD meets reading guarantee

All New Richmond Exempted Village School District third grade students from last year met Ohio’s Third Grade Reading Guarantee and advanced to the fourth grade without the need for additional reading instruction each school day.

"We are very pleased with the efforts of our students, staff, and administrative team,” said NREVSD Supt. Adam Bird “We made growing student literacy a priority and are thankful that no students were retained due to the Third Grade Reading Guarantee."  

Author Jinny Powers Berten discusses her Littsie book series
with Monroe Elementary 3rd graders. She was selected
as a guest speaker as part of the new curriculum
 designed by the district's 3rd grade teachers.

Except for students with individualized education plans, Ohio third grade students were required to meet a minimum score of 392 in 2013-2014 on the state reading test to move on to the fourth grade.  The minimum score increases to 394 for 2014-2015 and eventually to 400. This score must be attained either in the Fall or Spring state reading tests.

Of the non-exempt returning students, only three failed to score 392 on the OAA reading last spring but passed the alternative Terra Nova test at the start of the district’s summer reading camp for K-3 students and qualified for advancement.

"It was also made possible through the support of the Board of Education for our reading initiatives,” noted Bird. “The school board supported the hiring of elementary reading tutors and supported the summer reading camp for the past two summers."

The 8-week summer reading camps were directed by Monroe Elementary teacher Greg Chandler and were attended by 137 students in 2013 and 97 students in 2014. The 2014 summer reading camp included a visit by author Tim Callahan, author of the Kentucky Summers adventure series, which is based loosely on his childhood. The school board purchased copies of his books for the camp students as an encouragement for students to continue reading during the summer break.

New Richmond summer reading camp director Greg Chandler introduces author Tim Callahan.

Part-time reading tutors were added at the start of the current school year and work for three hours each day at the district’s three elementary schools. They assist teachers with reading improvement plans for students who appear to be falling behind in reading.

Students in grades K-3 are evaluated to determine if they are reading at grade level and a reading improvement plan is developed to address each student's unique reading problems.

Another factor in meeting state reading standards is the K-12 English Language Arts course of study approved by the New Richmond Board of Education last year. Designed to meet the new Common Core state standards as well as the Third Grade Reading Guarantee, the language arts initiative was the result of more than a year of planning by a district steering committee and grade level teams from New Richmond, Monroe and Locust Corner elementary schools.

Teacher Sue Kelly and some of her summer reading camp
students made a thank you card to the school board for
their support of the summer reading initiative.

“It’s important that we have alignment at the elementary level and agreement on common reading materials so students coming into middle school from our three elementary schools all have the same background, all have the same experiences having read the same books,” said John Frye, director of Staff and Pupil Services for the New Richmond Exempted Village School District.

NREVSD’s third grade teachers not only aligned their reading materials, they went an additional step and aligned their guest speakers. Jinny Powers Berten, author of the Littsie series about an immigrant girl in the 1800s who comes in contact with real characters that lived in Cincinnati such as Nicholas Longworth, Dr. Drake, Salmon Chase, Harriet Beecher Stowe, James Birney and John Rankin, spoke at all three district 3^rd grade classrooms and reviewed book reports from students who read her books as part of the new curriculum designed by the district's 3rd grade teachers.

“The exhibit of their reports was fun for me to see,” said Berten. “As an author, it is very rewarding to see the children interested and learning. Their teachers have done a great job."

Chromebooks meet testing demands

It was a busy summer and early school year for the New Richmond Exempted Village School District’s technology department which has brought 600 Chromebook laptops online just in time to meet the demands of Ohio Department of Education’s mandated online assessments beginning with the 2014-2015 school year.

During the week of Sept. 22, NREVSD students began the first round of what will be an estimated 16,000 online assessments during the 2014-2015 school year beginning with the Pro Core assessments for students in grades 4 through 9 and the Chromebooks running Google’s browser based operating system in proving to be the tool to meet the demand.

Locust Corner students using Chromebooks,
and traditional study methods in the school's
media center.

The New Richmond Board of Education was able to add four 30-unit Chromebook carts per building for the cost of upgrading one computer lab on the district’s scheduled 5-7-year  upgrade cycle.

“We are able to purchased four Chromebooks ($199 base price plus $40 for a 3-year extended warranty) for one standalone PC,” said NREVSD technology director Matt Prichard. “These devices can be utilized directly in the classroom in order to maximize valuable instructional time Students have with teachers compared to students relocating to a computer lab during classroom time.”

The Chromebook is a fully functioning laptop including a keyboard which is a necessity for essay questions. The lightweight Acer C720 11-inch Chromebook selected by the district offers up to 8.5 hour battery life versus 2-4 hours with traditional laptop computers.  The Chromebook starts within 7 seconds and updates automatically and has virus protection built into the operating system.

NREVSD technology director Matt Prichard trains Monroe Elementary
teachers on the use of Chromebooks which have been added for use in
online assessments and classroom applications.

The Chromebooks compliment the district’s previous purchase of Apple IPads (one 24-unit cart per grade level).

“IPads are a great tool for running educational apps but students need a keyboard for testing,” said Prichard. “Our staff and students will continue to utilize iPads in the classrooms for daily instruction.”

Chromebooks are a hit in the classrooms especially the high school where they will replace short-battery laptops in blended learning classes like Math XL and in essay driven classes.

“My English classes are currently typing essays on the Chromebooks using Google Docs,” said high school English teacher Michelle Senter. “My students can easily access their written work anywhere wireless is available while typing in Google Docs, and the Chromebooks are fantastic for this.”

The Chromebooks will be used for approximately 4000 online Pro Core assessments in September and again in January to help teachers prepare their students for the state mandated online proficiency tests in the Spring and at the end of school year.

Approximately 4050 Performance Based assessments administered in February and March in the following areas to be followed by the same number End of Year (PARCC) assessments administered in April and May:

Grade 3 – Reading and Math
Grade 4 – Reading, Math, Social Studies
Grade 5 – Reading, Math, Science
Grade 6 – Reading, Math, Social Studies
Grade 7 – Reading, Math
Grade 8 – Reading, Math, Science
Grade 9 – ELA and Integrated Math

“This does not take into account Alternate Assessment of Students with Disabilities or other required assessments (NAEP, grade 8),” noted John Frye, district director of pupil and staff services.

Chromebooks, which have a life expectancy of 3-5 years, have been approved by the state for conducting the online PARCC assessments (Partnership for Assessment of Readiness of College and Careers) which kicked in this school year.

The computer-based K–12 PARCC assessments are aligned with the new Common Core State Standards designed to give teachers, schools, students and their parents better information to determine if their students are on track in their learning cycle and for success after high school.

Besides assessments in mathematics, reading, science and social studies learning standards and domains in grades 2 through 11, high school students beginning with this year’s freshman class face specific end-of-course assessments for Integrated Math I, II, and III, Algebra I and II, Geometry, Physical Science, Biology, Chemistry, Modern World History, American History, and
American Government.

“Chromebooks give our staff and students more flexibility and reliability with the upcoming online-based Assessments at a fraction of the cost of a traditional desktop computer,” added Prichard. “You do not want to be tied to one device.”

Cool Tools for School to be held Aug. 9

Cool Tools for School (formerly Ready Fest) will be held Saturday, August 9 from 9 a.m.-noon  at the Boys and Girls Club on 213 Union St. in New Richmond. 

 It is sponsored the New Richmond Initiative for Neighborhood Excellence, Linda White, Executive Director (linda@bgcclermont.org, 553-1948). School supplies will be available for those in need as well as timely information for parents.  They serve over half of our school population with many families relying on this help year after year.  

NREVSD welcomes 19 new teachers

New Richmond Exempted Village School District students will be greeted by a lot of new faces when classes begin August 14.

“Due to 11 retirements and teachers leaving for jobs in other districts we have 19 new teachers this year,” said Supt. Adam Bird, who, along with district pupil and staff services director John Frye, held orientation for the new teachers the week of Aug. 4.

NREVSD Supt. Adam Bird talks to new teachers during orientation Aug. 5

New staff  members include:

Byron Trapp (counselor) and Will Shoemaker at New Richmond High School;

Joshua Durbin, Amy Cholkas (transfer from NRE) and Andrea Belmont at New Richmond Middle School:

Angela Gray (counselor), Margie Massie, Frances Rich, Kate McQuire, Alan Lindner and  Kelly Langdon at New Richmond Elementary;

Jill Kennedy, Leah Hosler, Gina Tierney and Alicia Dodson at Monroe Elementary;

Carolyn Cone, Brittney Croswell, Adam Sayer, Lindsey Gillespi and Shannon Helton at Locust Corner Elementary.

Joshua Durbin, new physical education teachers at New Richmond MiddleSchool and Will Shoemaker, new math hire at New Richmond High School, are two of the 19 new teachers who will greet district students Aug. 14.

Tim DuFau joins NREVSD school board

Timothy G. DuFau, a 36-year resident of the New Richmond Exempted Village School District who has held management and training positions for Duke Energy, was sworn in Aug. 4 to fill the unexpired term of the late Dave Hawkins on the NREVSD Board of Education.

DuFau, who currently manages all maintenance activities and resources for Duke’s three Cincinnati area generation facilities, will serve the 17 months remaining on the term of Mr. Hawkins, who died July 10 after serving 22 years on the board. He was selected by board members Kim Hayden, Kevin Walriven, Anthony Farmer and Kristin Bennett from 14 people who applied for the vacancy.

NREVSD treasurer administers the oath of office to Tim DuFau.

“I’ve lived in New Richmond School district for the past 36 years and have participated in many volunteer organizations throughout my life,” said DuFau. “My appointment to the Board provides me another opportunity to serve the community that I live in and I’m grateful for it.”

DaFau ran for the school board in 1997 and narrowly missed being elected. He did not run again due to positions with Duke Energy that required extensive travel.

“Now that my job no longer requires me to travel, I've been considering running again for a position on the board,” said DuFau. “My wife (Teresa) and I have raised two sons in the New Richmond school system and now have grandchildren entering into it.  I will work hard to insure all our children receive the best education they can while being financially responsible.”

A 1978 graduate of Bethel-Tate High School and a member of the first graduating class at the U.S. Grant Joint Vocational School, DuFau began his work career as a maintenance repairman for then Cincinnati Gas & Electric and advanced into training and management positions with Cinergy and now Duke Energy. 

His volunteer efforts include:

•           Volunteer New Richmond firefighter - 1976 - 1995 of which several years at officer levels up to Assistant Fire Chief.

•           Knothole coach for 14 years

•           Free Store Food Bank volunteer - 2010 - 2014

•           Lead the effort to obtain several grants from Duke Energy for many improvement around the New Richmond Elementary School building including landscaping and outdoor patio tables & umbrellas outside of the office area.

•           Volunteered for Literacy night at New Richmond Elementary for past 3 yrs.

•           Participated in and coordinated numerous Ohio River Sweep projects.

•           Participated in two different River Sweeps on the Little Miami River from a canoe from Loveland to Milford.

•           Participated in numerous Adopt a Highway projects along SR 749, US 52 & US 756.

•           Served as one of the founding members of the Monroe Township Zoning Appeals Board for 2 years.

•           Taught Junior Achievement classes at New Richmond Middle School for 5 years.

•           Volunteered as Buddy Walk participant in 2013.

•           Participated in races to raise money for childhood disorders.

NRHS gets high marks in AP and OGT

New Richmond High School students continued in 2014 to score above the national and state averages for scoring a 3 or higher on the College Board’s Advanced Placement tests and qualify for college credit.

The College Board released 2014 results showing New Richmond High School students scored 3 or higher on 73 of 115 tests taken for a 63.4% passing grade and making them eligible for more than 200 semester hours credit in college for a savings of more than $125,000  in tuition charges based on average semester hour fees at local universities.

The AP test results followed impressive preliminary 2014 Ohio Graduation Tests (OGT) results for New Richmond High School.

Eight out of nine of AP biology teacher Joe Moorehead's students scored a 3 

or higher on the 2014 AP test to earn college credit.

“Our staff's continued dedication and hard work in preparing our students for college and/or career has shown significant gains over the past two years on the College Board Advanced Placement testing results,” said NRHS principal Mark Bailey. “Our students scored higher than the state and national average in 6 of the 7 AP courses taught at New Richmond High School.”

Bailey singled out the following courses for their improved results:

• AP Biology - Joe Moorehead, instructor (passage rate of 88% vs. 64% in 2013)
• AP Music Theory - Doug Heflin, instructor (passage rate of 75% vs. 0% in 2012)
• AP US Government & Politics - Brian McMonigle, Instructor (passage rate of 71% vs. 67% in 2013)
• AP Calculus - Rylan Shebesta, instructor (passage rate of 58% vs. 33% in 2013)

“It is evident that teachers, students, and parents are vested in preparing for the future and the very competitive workforce of the 21st century,” said Bailey. “I am extremely proud of our staff, students, and the New Richmond community.”

New Richmond High School social studies teacher Bill Harris, who has served as an AP reader for human geography tests, sees the results as proof that New Richmond students can compete with any school.

NRHS social studies teacher Bill Harris says AP test results prove

New Richmond students can compete with any school.

“Our AP scores continue to beat the national average (55-59%) because teachers and students at NRHS are very serious about AP success,” said Harris. “For example, AP Human Geography is taught at 5 area schools: Indian Hill, Mount Notre Dame, Princeton, Walnut Hills, and New Richmond.  Of those, New Richmond is the only one to beat the national average the last eight years in a row.”

Overall, eight New Richmond students scored a 1 on the AP tests, 15 scored a 2 and 50 scored a 3 in 2014. Eight of 9 biology students passed; 12 of 19 literature & composition students passed; 13 of 19 human geography students passed; 7 of 12 Calculus AB students passed; 12 of 17 U.S. government and politics students passed; 5 of 15 chemistry students passed; and 6 of 8 music theory students passed.

U.S. Government AP teacher Brian McMonigle credits his students

for impressive AP test results for 2014.

Students deserve the most credit according to New Richmond’s AP teachers.

“In my 16 years of teaching, you only see a group of hard working and dedicated students like this year’s class once in a while,” said Moorehead about his AP biology students. “All I did was lead a little bit. It was all on them and I’m very proud of their effort and I hope their families are too.”

“I had a great group of students that really worked hard all school year,” said social studies teacher Brian McMonigle. “They deserve a lot for all the studying they did this past school year.  This group will accomplish great things in the years to come.” 

"Not only did we have an amazing performance year (including Straight Golds at Orlando), but these kids really showed that the New Richmond music department. is a solid, fundamentally structured program," said AP music theory teacher Doug Heflin. "Averaging a three on a National AP test is solid and I couldn't be any more proud of our music kids."

Preliminary Ohio Graduation Tests (OGT) results for 2014 saw New Richmond High School improve over 2013. Students must pass reading, writing, mathematics, social studies and science parts of the OGT in order to receive high school diplomas.

New Richmond High School principal Mark Bailey (pictured talking with AP Literature & Composition teacher Nicole Parker, credits high expectations at New Richmond for growth in AP and OGT test results.

“We had a huge jump in scores in the 2012-2013 school year in all five testing areas and improved upon our results in 4 of the 5 OGT tests this year,” said Bailey. 

Students begin taking the OGT (which is being phased out after this school year in favor of end of course exams) as sophomores. According to preliminary data, 94.7 % of 2014 sophomores passed reading, 93% passed writing, 89.5% passed mathematics, 91.3% passed social studies and 84.3% passed science. Compared to 2012 test results, NRHS has improved 8.6% in reading,3.4% in writing, 2.2% in mathematics, 9.8% in social studies and 2.8% in science.

"The type of growth witnessed in both the OGT and in our Advanced Placement classes over the past two years is indicative of a strong academic focus at a high level of rigor at New Richmond High School.  “We will continue to have high expectations for all students as we prepare them for college and the very competitive 21st century workforce."

School board position available

The New Richmond Exempted Village School Board is seeking candidates to apply for the recently vacated seat of school board member David Hawkins.

As outlined in School Board Policy #0145, letters of application will be accepted from any adult resident in the New Richmond School District who is interested in appointment.

The letter of application should include all activities and volunteerism they have been involved in and include a statement of qualifications the candidate brings to the Board.

Prospective Board members should provide a short resume outlining their qualifications.

Letters of application are due Friday, July 25, 2014 by 4:00 p.m.

Letters of application should be sent to Teresa Napier, Treasurer, PD. Box 372, New Richmond, OH 45157 or delivered by hand to 212 Market Street, 2nd Floor, New Richmond, OH 45157 or email to Napier_T@nrschools.org  prior to July 25, 2014 at 4:00 pm.

Interested candidates will be interviewed on the evening of Monday, July 28 or Tuesday, July 29.

NREVSD mourns loss of Dave Hawkins

Dave Hawkins is being remembered today for his many years of dedicated service to the New Richmond Exempted Village School District which included 22 years as a member of the Board of Education and nearly 30 years of volunteer work.

"His positive impact on NREVSD as a Board of Education member will be felt for many years," said Supt. Adam Bird. "Dave has always looked at what is best for our students when casting a vote as a Board member."

Mr. Hawkins, 62, died Thursday, July 10, after a long battle with cancer.

In addition to his tenure on the New Richmond Board of Education, Mr. Hawkins spent 14 years as New Richmond’s representative on the U.S. Grant Vocational School board.

His legacy as a volunteer includes 27 years of operating the football scoreboard for freshman, JV and Varsity games; 26 years as the official scorer for New Richmond freshman, JV and Varsity basketball games; and many years as scoreboard operator and timer for league, district and NR track meets. He also started the New Richmond Middle School wrestling program and served as tournament director for 12 years and scorer for 16 years.

“Dave accomplished more in his short lifetime than anyone else I can think of,” said his friend and fellow school board member Kevin Walriven. “It's not every day you find people of his dedication and I know for a fact his presence will be greatly missed. I as well as many others have lost a true friend and confidant but I carry the knowledge and experience he gave me for many years to come.”

His years of dedication earned Mr. Hawkins the Ohio High School Athletic Association’s the “Friends of Athletics Award” from the SW District Athletic Board in February. The award is given to someone who has volunteered over 25 years at a school.

“Dave’s loyalty and dedication to New Richmond Schools is second to none,” said New Richmond High School athletic director and SW Board member Doug Foote. “Not one time did I ever ask Dave for help and he turned me down. I lost a very dear friend and so did New Richmond.”

Dave Hawkins (right) interviews New Richmond High School athletic director Doug Foote during a newrichmond.localsportsradio.com broadcast. Mr. Hawkins, a member of the New Richmond Board of Education for 22 years died July 10. Mr Hawkins helped broadcast more than 65 New Richmond athletic events during the school year.

Mr. Hawkins will be inducted into the New Richmond Lions Sports Hall of Fame next January.

“It was our pleasure to tell Dave before he passed that the Hall of Fame Committee selected him for induction into the New Richmond Hall of Fame as the Pride of the Lion Award,” said Foote.

New Richmond High School varsity basketball coach Brian McMonigle considered Mr. Hawkins a special person from the time he met him as a freshman player in 1994.

“Dave was one of those kind of guys who would push you to be better, and you knew deep down that he truly cared about each one of us as players,” said McMonigle who developed a close personal relationship with Mr. Hawkins when he became New Richmond’s head coach.

“When I was hired as head coach in 2009, the first thing I did was speak to Dave and we spoke for almost three hours on just about everything,” recalled McMonigle. “You knew he truly wanted the best for New Richmond. I was able to coach with Dave as my scorekeeper for 4 seasons.  He was someone I could vent to as a coach and he was a great listener.”

Lions baseball coach Brian Benzinger also developed a personal relationship with Mr. Hawkins that began when he was a student athlete and extended to his coaching career which saw Mr. Hawkins broadcast New Richmond baseball games for six years on www.newrichmond.localsportsradio.com.

“No one person in my years at New Richmond has demonstrated more loyalty, commitment, and support for our school district,” said Benzinger. “For close to thirty years, Dave Hawkins has been the number one representative of our school district.”

Mr. Hawkins graduated from New Richmond High School in 1970 and played football, baseball and wrestled for the Lions. An arm injury stopped a promising baseball career but his love for the game took him to the Major League Umpire School and a short career as an umpire in the Florida State League.

Dave Hawkins at his familiar spot in the football press box

 running the scoreboard clock

But his heart was in his hometown so he returned to New Richmond where he married Brenda Hamilton in 1973 and started a career with Cincinnati Bell and began his years of dedication to New Richmond schools.

Besides his wife, Mr. Hawkins is survived by his children David Hawkins and Amy Garrett (Frank), grandchildren Brody, Riley and Emme Hawkins, and Jacob and Kodi Garrett, great-grandson Hunter Garrett, brothers Dan Morgan, Don Hawkins, and Dean Hawkins and sister Mary Binder.

Visitation for Mr. Hawkins will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Sunday, July 13, at the E.C. Nurre Funeral Home, 177 W. Main St. (St. Rt. 125) Amelia with funeral services at 10 a.m. Monday at Cranston Presbyterian Church at the corner of Union and Washington Sts. in New Richmond. Burial will be in Watkins Hill Cemetery in New Richmond.

Ashlee Lewis honored for attendance

When it came to school closings or two-hour delays, 2014 New Richmond High School graduate Ashlee Lewis never trusted the information that scrolled across the bottom of her television screen.

New Richmond High School graduate Ashlee Lewis
 never missed a day of school in 13 years.

“I remember checking two or three times just to make sure it was true,” said Lewis, who was honored at New Richmond’s 2014 commencement for perfect attendance for 13 years.

“It’s very difficult to go through four years of high school without missing a day of school and it’s even harder to go through two years of middle school without missing a day,” noted New Richmond principal Mark Bailey. “However, this amazing and driven young lady has shown how dedicated she is to her education. Ashlee Lewis has not missed a day of school since she started kindergarten in August of 2001.”

“There were really only a few days that were really hard,” said Lewis, who will attend Northern Kentucky University where she plans to major in electronic media and broadcasting. “During swimming, there were times when we wouldn't get back to the school until midnight and waking up the next morning and staying awake through the day was incredibly hard to do.”

On normal school days Ashlee, who is the daughter of Dean and Rebecca Lewis, would wake up at 5 a.m. to get to school at 6:30 just to be sure that she would be on time.

“One thing I know for sure, though, is that no one in this school appreciated snow days more than I did,” said Lewis.