Board Update

Good Evening:

We will never forget 9/11 and the innocent lives that we lost that day. That day change many lives including mine and others who decided to enlist in the military to fight for our country and the Global War on Terrorism. We pray for those who lost their lives but please don't forget all those who are still fighting to keep us free! If you see a soldier, police officer, or firefighter please take the time to thank them for what they do!

LAST WEEK IN YOUR SCHOOL BOARD

On September 7th attended the North Royalton/Broadview Heights Rotary Club Meeting. At the meeting NRHS student Alexa Neville gave a presentation on her experiences in Japan and Brazil as a long term Rotary Youth Exchange Student. In addition members of the Rotary discussed opportunities for youth through the various programs it has such as Youth Exchange, Interact/Rotaract, 4 Way Speech Contest, and Youth Leadership Camp. It was such a great and informative night.

The School Board met on September 8th for a Board Work Session. The Board got an update on the progress of the stadium project. Board got an update on the implementation of INFOSNAP. District is doing more to go paperless to save thousands of dollars and starting this year has created flyer central on our district website at http://www.northroyaltonsd.org/page.php?loc=district/flyercentral/flyersmain.
The board was informed that there is an increase in the number of ESL students in the district. The new electronic sign has been completed and can be viewed outside the board office. Board was given an update on punch list items that need to be finished for the stadium. The track is still in the process of being completed. In addition the cell phone tower by the stadium is in the process of being moved to its permanent place and should be completed sometime in October. Board was given an update on the upcoming wavier day and new state common core standards. Board discussed doing a resolution regarding the negative impact of HB 136 would have on the North Royalton School District. In addition I requested that the board add to the September Regular Meeting agenda a resolution for Board Bylaw 169.4 to require the audio recording of all special board meetings and have them podcasted online. My request was denied by the Board President. At the Regular School Board Meeting on September 12th I will be making a motion from the floor to have it added to the agenda for a vote. The Board reviewed the September Regular Meeting agenda items, and such other matters that came before the Board. A few members from the public Don Langshaw and Barbara Zindroski asked some questions of the board and expressed some concerns they had. I would like to note that all Special Meetings of the Board are open to the public.


INFOSNAP Update
About 75% of our parents have registered online with our exciting transition to INFOSNAP. Feedback has been incredibly positive and appreciative! Being the first year this is the most involved part of the online process for student registration. Whereas in future years the information will just roll over. This is a great way to save thousands of dollars and to be more efficient as a district.

THIS WEEK IN YOUR SCHOOL BOARD

This week there are various meetings and events.

September Regular School Board Meeting on September 12th at 7pm @ NRHS Community Rm, 14713 Ridge Rd., North Royalton, OH 44133.

Waiver Day September 14th/No School
On Wednesday, September 14 teachers will be taking part in a professional development program that centers on improving student achievement. Students will not attend school on this day. The purpose of this professional development is focused on a district-wide commitment to the Ohio Improvement Process. In this process, a group of teachers and administrators from across the district called the District Leadership Team analyzed student data, resource allocations, curriculum, and management. This led to the development of goals, strategies and action steps that address student achievement and are aligned to the Strategic Plan. During this professional development day, teachers will examine the new Common Core Standards and align the curriculum with their instruction, learn about new methods of collecting and analyzing student assessment data, and then collaborating by grade levels or departments to put this information into classroom instruction. Throughout the year, teachers will continue to collaborate in a number of ways. Each building now has a Building Leadership Team which will examine building specific student data and create strategies and action steps that help reach the goals that were determined by the District Leadership Team. These teacher leaders will meet for one half-day a month to continue this process and work towards meeting the strategies and action steps created at the building level. One of the most researched based effective instructional strategies is the use of common assessments. These assessments are given by all teachers at a grade level or department and then analyzed to determine where students’ strengths and weakness are, and how to adjust instruction to address these needs. A core group of teachers will be trained on several days by the SMART Consortium in the development and implementation of these powerful instructional tools. Early release days are another avenue for work on curriculum alignment and making the transition between the present standards and the new Common Core standards. On these days, students are released early from school while the teachers stay in the buildings, working in grade levels or by departments to align the curriculum and develop instructional strategies. Teachers also meet regularly after school in scheduled teacher meetings to work on these same professional development activities. All of these activities are essential reaching the goal of the Ohio Improvement Process, which is to increase achievement for all students at North Royalton City Schools. This process is a model of collaboration between teachers and administrators to provide our student with the very best educational experience possible.

Coffee with School Board Member Dan Langshaw
If you are a constituent living in the North Royalton School District, you are invited to attend my next monthly constituent coffee on September 24th at the French Quarter Café located at 5540 Wallings Road in North Royalton from 9am-11am. I hold these coffees in order to stay in touch with fellow residents and listen to their feedback one on one. There is no appointment necessary. Simply stop by and talk to me.

Weekly E-mail Updates
If you have any friends or neighbors who would like to receive my weekly e-mail updates please let me know and I will be sure to add them to my e-mail list.

Follow me on Twitter or on my Blog
You can follow me on Twitter @Langshaw4board. I also have a blog at http://votelangshaw4board.blogspot.com.

My Contact Info
If you ever have any questions or concerns please feel free to give me at call at 440-596-0078 or e-mail me at dan.langshaw@northroyaltonsd.org.

Have a great week!

Dan Langshaw
North Royalton School Board Member
440-596-0078
www.danlangshaw.com

“Putting Students First”