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.