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
---
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
Monday, December 15, 2014
Friday, November 14, 2014
Lions Hall of Fame accepting nominations
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
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 31st
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:
_________
Friday, November 7, 2014
NREVSD honors our Veterans
 |
| Ralph Sherpherd introduces Veterans attending Locust Corner Elementary's Veterans Breakfast Friday, Nov. 7. |
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:
 |
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
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.
|
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.
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
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.”
Monday, October 20, 2014
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."
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.
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."
“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. |
“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. |
“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."
Friday, October 17, 2014
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!
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 Bird
regarding 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
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
Friday, October 3, 2014
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. |
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. |
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. |
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 3rd 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."
Friday, September 26, 2014
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.
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.
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.”
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. |
“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. |
“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.”
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