State Changes in K-12 Education

During the February 13th, 2012, Anthony Wayne Board of Education meeting, Superintendent Dr. Jim Fritz presented information on the state changes to K-12 education that will take place in the next couple of years.  The Powerpoint presentation included several slides from presentations given by the Ohio Department of Education (O.D.E).  Items that were discussed included; (1) a change in the focus of education students in the K-12 setting, (2) the introduction of new state curriculum standards for math, language arts, science, and social studies, (3) new expectations for classroom instruction, (4) new state testing program for students, (5) new state accountability system for schools, and (6) how will Anthony Wayne Local Schools adapt to these changes.  The school district will continue to monitor and adapt to these changes from O.D.E.  The district has already started to address these changes in an effort to provide the highest level of academic experiences for the Anthony Wayne students.

 

Click on this LINK to access a PDF of the presentation.

We Want to Know!!!

The Anthony Wayne Locals Schools are in the process of developing a Communication/Community Engagement Plan as outlined in the district goals. In an effort to create this plan, it is important that the school district understand the communication preferences of students, parents, staff members, administration, and the community. The school district will collect this information by providing parents and community members an opportunity to give feedback through a communication survey.  The survey will be available from Thursday, February 9th, through Sunday, February, 26th. The information gathered from the surveys will be utilized to create a district communication/community engagement plan that will be implemented in the 2012-13 school year.

Anthony Wayne parents received an e-mail on Thursday, February 9th, that  provided directions on completing the survey.  If parents do not receive an e-mail and want to complete the survey they can either call (419) 877-5377 or send an e-mail indicating their desire to complete the survey along with the name of their student(s) and the building(s) they attend to superintendent@anthonywayneschools.org.

Anthony Wayne community members are invited to complete the survey by clicking on the link below.

Communication/Community Engagement Survey

Read the Most from Coast to Coast Community Event

On Friday, March 2 in celebration of Dr. Seuss’s birthday, Renaissance Learning is sponsoring a nationwide challenge to shatter the one day record for Accelerated Reader quiz taking.  The one-day record is over 2 million quizzes!  Whitehouse Primary students will be taking part in this celebration by listening to members from our local community reading stories during library time during the week leading up to March 2. On that day students will have the opportunity to take AR quizzes on the books that were read to them as well as any books they have read themselves.

And that’s not all!  Parents and students alike are invited to take part in our first ever Community Reading Night on Friday, March 2 from 3:30-5:30. Feel free to stay the entire time or for just enough time to read or listen to a story and take a quiz.  The Waterville Playshop has graciously agreed to take part in this celebration of Dr. Seuss’s birthday.   Characters from Seussical the Musical will be here to read and meet with boys and girls of all ages and sizes.  It will be a great opportunity for parents to see how the whole AR quiz process works.  Of course, snacks and beverages will be provided, too!

Hoops for Hearts

Monclova Primary School teachers Brian Sabo and Alyssa Hodge were honored at the Anthony Wayne Board of Education meeting Monday evening.  Sarah Lemle from the American Heart Association presented a certificate to Mr. Sabo and Ms. Hodge for their effort in coordinating a very special community service program to raise funds for the American Heart Association. Monclova Primary School was the top fundraising school in the State of Ohio raising over $10,000 this year and over $44,000 over the past four years.  

All Monclova Primary students participated in fun Hoops For Heart programs during their gym classes and top fundraising students and classes also enjoyed special incentives.

Anthony Wayne Band Members Attend Several Honors Bands

This past January, members of the Anthony Wayne Band performed in three different honors bands.  Five students participated in the Ohio State University High School Honors Band. The ensemble was selected through a taped audition process and included students throughout the state of Ohio.  The rehearsals for this honors band were held on January 13 and 14th with Dr. Russell Mikkelson, Ohio State University Director of Bands.  The performance was presented in Weigel Auditorium at OSU to a standing room only crowd on Sunday, January 15th.

On January 21st, four musicians played in the Bowling Green State University High School Honors Band.  Rehearsals for this group took place on Thursday, January 19 and Friday, January 20.  These ensembles were conducted by Don Wilcox, Director of Bands Emeritus from West Virginia University, and John Locke, Director of Bands at the University of North Carolina, Greensburo.  Students also were given the opportunity to hear the Bowling Green State University Wind Symphony and Toledo Symphony perform a combined piece, Circus Maximus by John Corigliano, as part of the weekend.

The Ohio Music Education Association District One High School Honors Band was held on January 29th at the Stranahan Theatre and included six Anthony Wayne Instrumentalists.  The students performed with other students from the Northwest Ohio area and were under the direction of Dr. Chad Nicholson.  Dr. Nicholson is the Director of Instrumental Studies at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne.

Spirit of Giving Spaghetti Fest

Teachers and staff in the Anthony Wayne School District founded an organization in 2008, coined “Anthony Wayne Sprit of Giving (AWSG),” to help struggling families in the Anthony Wayne Community. The main goal of this organization is to raise funds from individual donations to lessen the financial burden these families are facing as a result of extreme medical expenses. As a non-profit 501-c3 organization, we have been able to support these families through fundraisers that have given us the ability to provide supports such as: moving services, housecleaning, lawn mowing, Christmas presents, babysitting services, and food donations. Over the years, because of the communities support, we have been able to provide assistance to over 10 families in the Anthony Wayne district.

Our largest fundraiser will be held on February 24, 2012, which we will be hosting a spaghetti dinner, as well as: AWSG t-shirt sale, 50/50 raffles, silent auctions, and hosting a Girl Scout Cookie booth in the Anthony Wayne High School cafeteria from 4:30-8pm. Tickets are $5 each, dine in, carry out, or drive thru is available just follow the posted signs. In addition to the spaghetti dinner, AWSG partnered with both the Waterville and Whitehouse Chamber of Commerce to provide a business expo with over 60 local businesses as well as five county help agencies that will be located both in and outside the auxiliary gym of the high school. The expo provides an opportunity for our community members to explore what Anthony Wayne local businesses have to offer.

Click HERE for More Information.

2012 State of the Schools

Recently, Superintendent Dr. Jim Fritz had the opportunity to meet with the Anthony Wayne staff and board of education during the annual State of the Schools Meeting.  Dr. Fritz would like to share highlights of this conversation with you and the Anthony Wayne community. While we face many challenges in 2012, we have many reasons to celebrate where we are as a district.  During Dr. Fritz's presentation, he discussed the Anthony Wayne tradition of excellence, the local economy, the district finances, student demographic data, the creation of the district communication and community engagement plan, district academics, the challenges we face as a school district, and the new district employee wellness program.

Click HERE for an audio version or click HERE for the PDF version of this address

Kindergarten Registration for the 2012/13 School Year is Underway

Kindergarten Registration for Anthony Wayne Local Schools begins on February 13, 2012 and continues through April 4, 2012.

Children must be 5 by September 30 to attend Kindergarten this fall. You must be a resident of the Anthony Wayne School District.

Please call 419-877-5377 to make an appointment to register your child by April 4, 2012.(Registration takes less than 15 minutes, and your child does not need to be present.)

You will need to bring:

• a completed kindergarten registration form
• your child’s birth certificate
• your driver’s license or other government-issued photo ID
• proof of residency (2 current utility bills; or a lease + utility bill)
• custody document if applicable

Click HERE for the registration forms.

An informational meeting for parents of incoming Kindergarten students will be held on Thursday, May 3 at 7:00 p.m. at each primary school.

Kindergarten Screening will be held in June:

• Monclova Primary June 4-5
• Waterville Primary June 6
• Whitehouse Primary June 7-8

Students must be registered at the Central Administrative Office prior to Kindergarten Screening.