NRHS Band Fundraiser

This is a NREVSD approved fundraiser for the New Richmond High School Band which is raising money for new uniforms.

Fifth straight year of Excellence

The New Richmond Exempted Village School District has been rated Excellent for a 5h straight year by the Ohio Department of Education which released its 2012 State Report Card for schools Wednesday.

"I am very pleased that NREVSD is rated Excellent for the 5th year in a row!” said NREVSD Supt. Adam Bird. “It is a testament to the hard work put in by our students, staff, and principals."

All five NREVSD buildings received an Excellent rating for the 2011-12 school year. As a district, New Richmond dropped from Excellent with Distinction from the previous year to Excellent despite increasing its Performance Index, which measures the achievement of every student not just those who score proficient or higher.

"It is also impressive that our district performance index rating rose again, this time from 101 to 101.5," said Bird. "Congratulations are also in order to New Richmond High School, New Richmond Elementary, and Monroe Elementary! All three of these buildings saw their performance index score rise from last year."

New Richmond met all 24 state test indicators. The only indicator not met was the 4-year high school graduation rate which slipped to 87.3%.

New Richmond met but did not exceed the state’s Value Added measure needed for an Excellent with Distinction rating. The Value Added measure reflects how much progress was made since the prior year against the Department of Education’s expected growth.

The release of the 2012 Report Card was delayed from its usual August release while the Ohio Auditor investigated attendance irregularities in some of Ohio’s school district.

Click on the links below to download district and building report cards.

http://www.nrschools.org/Downloads/2012BuildingReportCard.pdf

http://www.nrschools.org/Downloads/2012DistrictReportCard.pdf

Creative Family Art Night

Monroe Elementary hosts Creative Family Art Night for NREVSD elementary students and their families. Monroe visual arts teacher Adrian Vance Hawk captured this year's event in this slideshow video.

Every week is Art Week in NREVSD

The week of September 9, 2012 was Arts in Education Week in Ohio when the Ohio Alliance for Arts Education and Ohio Gov. John Kasich encouraged all Ohioans to promote and showcase the role arts education plays for all students.

In the New Richmond Exempted Village School District, art plays an important role every week and not just in music classes and the visual arts classrooms of teachers Amy Hauserman, Stacy Gibbons, Amy Cholkas, Tim Cook and Adrian Vance Hawk so celebrating Arts in Education Week was eagerly embraced. 



NRE students (from left) Dakotah Reynolds,Maleigha Henderson, Elleah Senters and Jaira Stamper on Patterns Day (composers, designers, scientists and mathematicians use or identify patterns)

“When we think of school, the first thing that comes to mind is reading, writing and math, which are all very important, but the visual and performing arts are important too,” said Locust Corner Elementary principal Julie Renner. “The school setting is typically the first time kids get exposure to the Arts and continually experience the creativity needed in their overall developmental growth.”
 

"Our students and staff enjoyed participating in our Arts in Education Week awareness activities,” said New Richmond Elementary principal Terry Miller. “Students learned that art encompasses more than visual arts but includes performing arts and literature, too. We appreciated Mrs. Cholkas' suggestion that we follow suite with other schools across the state and seize the opportunity to promote arts in education.”



2nd grade NRE art students (from left) Max Lancaster, Zackary Audas, Laurence Mathis and Karlye Gilpin draw lines to the rhythm of Mozart’s 'A Little Night Music.'

“‘Excellence with Distinction’ is a goal for all core subjects in New Richmond, including the arts,” said Cholkas. “District art students are always proud when their best art work is selected for an exhibit, such as Ohio Art Education Association’s Youth Art Month or Young People’s Art Exhibit in Columbus.”

In addition to the Columbus exhibits, New Richmond EVSD students have had their art work displayed at the Evening for Educators at the Cincinnati Art Museum, the University of Cincinnati’s Festival in the Woods, CET’s (PBS) Create-a-Fest or A River Village Christmas in New Richmond on the Ohio.”

“In 2009, first and second grade N.R.E. students were filmed making art for the CD- Vertices: Geometry Meets Art, which is now published on Cincinnati’s PBS (CET) web site,” said Cholkas, who was featured in the video.

(From Left) Students Sydney Maus, Morgan Bronson-Blevins, 2nd grade teacher Misty Cresap and student Tori Miller on NRE's Primary Color Day.

 “I believe that art is a key component of our collective human experience,” said Monroe visual arts teacher Adrian Vance Hawk. “Art allows us to see our world in ways that we hadn't considered before. Through visual art, music, dance, and theater/performance, we are able to feel things more deeply, appreciate things more often, and understand our world more clearly.”



“Everyday students of the arts develop skills and make connections to our world,” said Locust Corner visual arts teacher Tim Cook. “Through Arts education, problem solving and the creation process, students build a vibrant way to express themselves.”



LCE students Nate Corder, and Katie Gardner



The importance of art education goes beyond the art and music rooms and all NREVSD buildings.

"In sixth grade social studies, our unit on Ancient Egypt is greatly enriched by the artwork and artifacts that the students create under the direction of Mr. Cook,” said Breanda Barnes, 6th grade teacher at Locust Corner.

Barnes uses the Egyptian art work created by Cook’s art students to create four stations within her classroom.

“Our sixth graders teach visiting fourth and fifth grade students from LCE what they have learned about Ancient Egypt,” said Barnes. “The beautiful artwork and artifacts make the centers come alive for all the visiting students."

“Art helps connect ‘what we see’ to ‘what we feel,’” said New Richmond High School and Middle School music director Doug Heflin, who has won national honors for the district with his NRHS Troubadours.

“It helps make sense of our environment by helping us relate to our surroundings. It introduces us to ‘wonder’ and the ability to be lost inside ourselves. Art brings perfect sense to our imperfect journey … and we should never shy away from wonder.”



N.R.E. students (from left) Ainsley Zimmerman, Tori Miller, Ben Hayes and Caleb Saunders use creative thinking skills and collaboration in art class.

“Art is essential to the study of world history and cultures,” said New Richmond Middle School teacher Erin Keith. “When we study Greece, we look at art pieces and primary sources to learn about their strong belief in their gods.

“It would be incomprehensible to learn about the Renaissance without discussing the arts. We listen to Renaissance music, learn a Renaissance dance and study visual art pieces from all the great Renaissance artists like Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci.”

“Art brings a smile to my face every day as I walk the halls of Monroe Elementary,” said Monroe Elementary intervention specialist Megan Allen. “I enjoy reading the quotes the students write and seeing all the different media being used in ways that I would never imagine. I know that the art our students create is valued by teachers, students.”



NRE second grade teacher Julie Winkerman on Favorite Musician Day.



“As a kindergarten teacher, I have yet to find a 5 or 6 year old who doesn't want to make music or paint!,” said New Richmond Elementary kindergarten teacher, Leisa Moore.

Mrs. Moore is a mother of four with two sports minded and two music minded children.

“I would like to say that while I am an avid fan of many different kinds of sports, I also greatly admire and appreciate the arts,” she said. “Having two children who are proficient in sports and two who are talented in music, I always remind the two musicians they will outlast their siblings in their area of expertise.”



Locust Corner sixth grade teacher Brenda Barnes uses artwork created in Tim Cook's art class for her social studies classes on ancient Egypt.

“I found in my liberal arts education during college, that I enjoyed learning more about history through art, music, dance, and literature of a particular time period,” said Monroe Elementary 3rd grade teacher Jennifer Mills. “We need to teach our students that one way they can express themselves is through the arts. The arts makes our world a lively and more enjoyable place. Take away the arts and we would live in a very dull world.”

Jeffrey Folkens, elementary school band director for the NREVSD, points to a 10-year study by MusicEmpowersFoundation.org which tracked more than 25,000 students and concluded that music-making students get higher marks on standardized tests than those who have no music involvement.

“These students also reported watching fewer hours of television, participating more in community service and having less feelings of boredom in school,” said Folkens.

Fancy Dance Shoes Day at NRE

 

Hazel Davis swim lessons reset

Due to mechanical problems at the New Richmond High School Pool, Hazel Davis Swim Lessons have been rescheduled and the format has been changed for the first six lessons.

A blitz style format will be used Mon, Tues, Wed, 10/15, 10/16, 10/17 AND Mon, Tues, Wed, 10/22, 10/23, 10/24 at 5:30-6:15 p.m. or 6:15-7:00 p.m. The $25 fee will will be collected the first night of lessons (open to ages 3 & up)

NRHS PTO selling homemade fleece blankets

The NRHS PTO will be selling homemade fleece blankets at all home football games. Please stop by the Split the Pot booth near the main gate to order yours or contact us at 513-553-3345 ($30 small, $40 large). Great for a chilly football/soccer game, your college student, or as a Christmas gift!

Lions Reach Out cares for NRHS

Small charity provides for needy students 

 It comes as no great surprise to anyone that with the downfall in the economy comes a much greater need for charitable organizations to step in and help needy families. The New Richmond community is no exception to this sad economic trend.

 Lions Reach Out is a non-profit organization, registered with the state of Ohio, and a 501c3 charity that provides Christmas gifts for needy students at New Richmond High School, as well as providing help for those students for Prom, Homecoming, Graduation and other events.

 Lions Reach Out is a small charity and does not provide huge or extravagant gifts for the students it serves. Rather, the organization tries to fill some small needs of high school students by helping them enjoy special events or activities at school or providing clothing when it’s needed.

 Lions Reach Out is supported by donations from NRHS faculty, the New Richmond community and the NRHS PTO. The organization’s bank account is at the River Hills Bank and donations can be made there at any time.

The NRHS Student Council Walkathon, held every November, is a fundraiser for the organization and will take place this year on the Friday before Thanksgiving. Student Council members are asked to collect pledge donations in and around the community. The daytime high school talent show is also a fundraiser for Lions Reach Out. We are also planning a fundraiser pep rally that will be held the day before Thanksgiving break.

This year, we will be helping NRHS students in the holiday season, giving them clothing, personal items and other Christmas gifts. The organization has also provided help for a few of our athletes already this season.

 It is anticipated that the number of students needing help for the holiday season, as well as for other events during the school year, will increase and to make sure that these students are taken care of, Lions Reach Out is asking for some help from the community.

 Cash donations can be made at any time at River Hills Bank, or can be mailed directly to the organization. Lions Reach Out would also appreciate donations of new NR spirit wear and new make-up and bath and body products. Donations can be taken at any time during the school day at New Richmond High School. 

For more information about Lions Reach Out, contact Sue Griffin at 553-3191, x10204 or email at griffin_s@nrschools.org.

Homecoming Pep Rally Surprise

Former New Richmond High School principal Diana Spinnati, who is on medical leave while she battles cancer, surprised students at the Sept. 21 Homecoming Pep Rally when she showed up as the Lion mascot.

2012 New Richmond Homecoming Parade

You can read The Messenger online

The New Richmond High School newspaper The Messenger is now available online on the New Richmond High School web site: 

http://nrschools.org/newrichmondhighschool_home.aspx

The September 2012 edition is available at http://www.nrschools.org/Downloads/September%20issue.pdf

BOE approves urgent HVAC work

The New Richmond Board of Education approved an Urgent Necessity Resolution at a special board meeting Sept. 6 authorizing Supt. Adam Bird to obtain bids and award a contract for the replacement of 12 rooftop HVAC units at New Richmond Elementary School.

“In addition to the 11 units we were going to replace we had a fire in a 12th unit over the Labor Day weekend,” noted Bird, who awarded the contract to DeBra-Kuempel Friday after reviewing two competing bids.

The normal bid process would have pushed the project well into the heating season.

New Richmond Elementary (right) is heated and cooled by
38 aging HVAC rooftop units.

DeBra-Kuempel originally bid $146,000 to replace 11 units but agreed to replace the 12th unit for $4000 more. DeBra-Kuempel’s bid was $21,000 under the second bid according to Bird.

 “New Richmond taxpayers are not losing at all on this job,” said Bird. “If we went through the regular bid procedure, NREVSD would not have gotten a better price.”

New Richmond Elementary is heated and cooled by 38 rooftop units which have reached their estimated 15-year lifespan. The units being replaced have been deemed either un-repairable or too costly to repair by the district’s maintenance staff and contractors. The new units will be approximately 50 percent more efficient.

The Board had studied replacing the 38 rooftop units with new to the U.S. market VRF (variable refrigerant flow) or VRV (variable refrigerant volume) systems as well as a chiller system which heat the district’s other buildings. VRF and VRV are ductless systems which allow one condensing unit to be connected to multiple evaporators. 

 “VRF and VRV systems would have cost $1.2 to $1.3 million,” noted Bird. “And a chiller system would have cost about the same and required extensive duct work. Your options are limited when you have a sprawling one-floor building like NRE.”

DeBra-Kuempel will perform the replacement work on weekends to prevent any disruption to classes at NRE.