School Board Communications

The School Board met on Monday, May 14, 2012 for their regular monthly meeting.

A reception was held prior to the School Board meeting to honor the nominees for "Teaching, Learning & Caring" from each school.  The names listed in red were peer-selected as the school’s representative in each category.

TEACHING:

Madison Primary	Waverly Elementary	Wetsel Middle	Madison County High
Beth Dickey	Rebecca Bader	Lisa Crawford	Mary Davis
Heidi Lohr	Abbie Jewett	Richard Gaylord	Janet Drumheller
Holly Mack	Aimee Morehead	Carrie Sanderson	Tina Weaver
	Jessica Sarver

LEARNING:

Madison Primary	Waverly Elementary	Wetsel Middle	Madison County High
Shanna Kline	Cindy Beeler	Beth Dimond	Janet Drumheller
Judy Reed	Tori Gelbert	Adam Kuchta	Phillip Nobblitt
Fran Roebuck	Clare Lillard	Jen Rehm	Tina Weaver
	Jessica Sarver	Janine Rowson
	Marty Ward

CARING:

Madison Primary	Waverly Elementary	Wetsel Middle	Madison County High
Jeannette Michels	Cindy Beeler	Jeanette Alexander	Alma Frye
Karen Organ-Lohr	Kim Dodson	Carla Alpern	Connie Ryder
Janice Sekely	Marty Ward	Pam Nelson	Gail Temple
		Jim Sanderson
		Mary Sue Seale
		Brenda Tyree

Out of these nominees, Janet Drumheller was selected as the “Teacher of the Year” for Madison County Public Schools.

 L-R: Heidi Lohr, Jeff Early, Janet Drumheller, Abbie Jewett, Carrie Sanderson

The Board signed a resolution and each Board member verbally stated their support of the Madison County Board of Supervisors for public education by its:

• Willingness to shoulder increased costs at the local level while the state fails to provide necessary and legal funding of public education,
• Demonstrated care for all employees by covering increased costs in health care and VRS,
• Initiative to provide a minimal salary increase to all employees,
• Collaborative work with the School Board, and,
• Official and ongoing support for public education.

The following items were presented for information.  Approval will be requested in June.

• Policy Updates: GDB:  Support Staff Employment Status.  Regulations for IKFA:  Locally Awarded Verified Credits, and GCBD:  Staff Leaves and Absences were approved.
• Out-of-District Tuition rate for 2012-2013.
• VRS Resolutions to cover the 5% increase and offsetting salary increase and to select the VRS contribution rate for non-professional employees.

The following items were approved by the Board:

• 2012-2013 Special Education Annual Plan.
• A change in the 2011-2012 school calendar.  The last day of school has been changed to Tuesday, June 5 (1/2 day).  This is due to having zero inclement weather days this school year and a calendar that was set with two built-in days.
• Personnel (appointments, licensed re-appointments, substitute appointments, resignations and the classified re-appointments).

Education Foundation Awards Announced

Rebecca Bader, Reading Teacher, Waverly Yowell Elementary School

Amount of Award - $1,000 for books for “Reading Gone Viral” Summer Reading Program

WYES will set up a tent outside the Madison County Library every Thursday from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. from June 7^th to August 16^th.  Grant money will be used to purchase high-interest books in multiple sets of five. Kids get excited about books, authors, and series when others share their enthusiasm. When their peers are reading the same books they are, students tend to get more excited about the books. Students will be encouraged to write recommendations for books they really enjoyed in order to spread the love of reading. The goal of the Reading Gone Viral program is to foster a culture of reading in the students’ lives over the summer months and celebrate good reading habits.

Tom Butterworth, Julie Smith, Brian Rehm, Physical Education Teachers, William Wetsel Middle School

Amount of Award - $1,000 for Heart Rate/Pulse Bars and Pulse Monitors

The goal of this program is to provide students with a way to understand how their bodies react to exercise. By using the pulse and heart rate measurements students will learn what their target heart rates should be and the importance of working within that heart rate zone.  Each student will be encouraged to improve his/her level of fitness regardless of what level he/she is currently achieving. Students will be shown how over time lowering pulse rates corresponds with increased fitness levels.

Katie Walker, 7^th grade Life Science Teacher, William Wetsel Middle School

Amount of Award - $1,000 for 2 Day Energy Conservation Awareness Program in Conjunction with The Green Adventure Project (Charlottesville)

In the 7^th grade curriculum approximately 1/3 of the course is based on environmental science.  One specific chapter revolves around environmental problems and solutions. This two day hands-on project should provide interest in and knowledge of alternative energy solutions. Students will learn about the science of our natural world and the importance of good stewardship and sustainability. On the first day of the program educators will present the necessary background information needed for a successful field investigation.  On the second day, students will complete the following field activities: Introduction to Sustainability, Harness the Wind, Solar Power, Energy Audit, Reshaping our Carbon Future, Green Spaces, and Planning for Future Growth.

Ben Breeden, Physical Education Teacher, Madison Primary School

Amount of Award - $1358 for “Flip-Flop Climber” Playground Climbing Equipment

Unstructured, child-directed play has been proven to help children develop physically, socially, and cognitively.  Yet, today’s children have less time and fewer opportunities to play than any previous generation. The Madison Primary School Playground Campaign seeks to raise $75,000 for a new playground –incorporating newer better equipment and a new surface which meets Head Start and ADA standards. The playground will be constructed in two phases.  Phase one will start in August 2012.  A priority for phase one is installing equipment that promotes upper body strength. The physical VA SOLs state kindergarteners should be able to “demonstrate the non-locomotor movements of bending, pushing, pulling, stretching, turning, twisting, swinging, rocking, and balancing.” Research has shown that these types of movements help build the strength and dexterity needed for fine-motor skills such as handwriting. The “flip-flip climber” will be part of the Phase One August 2012 installation.

16 Years Straight Madison Wins

Wells Fargo Cup Press Release for Academics Winners Announced

Madison, "a traditonal powerhouse"

Madison County claims 16th straight Group A Wells Fargo Cup; Harrisonburg and Westfield defend Group AA and Group AAA titles

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA —A traditional powerhouse school led the way as three schools reclaimed top honors in the 2011-12 Wells Fargo Cup race for year-long success. In Group A Madison County captured its 16th consecutive title, while in Group AA Harrisonburg and Group AAA Westfield also defended Cup titles.

        Madison County now has 18 Cups earned over a 19-year period, while Harrisonburg claimed its second title and Westfield returned to the top spot for the third straight year winning its fourth Cup in six years.

        First awarded in 1990, the Wells Fargo Cup represents 23 years of excellence.  Six cups are presented, one for academic activities and one for athletics in each of VHSL’s three enrollment classifications.  The winners for athletics will be announced in June, following the completion of spring championships.

        Winners of the Wells Fargo Cup are determined by a point system based on performance in VHSL state competitions.  Schools can earn academic activity points for outstanding participation in scholastic bowl, creative writing, theatre, forensics, debate, newspaper, yearbook and magazine.

        Madison County (110) once again claimed the top spot in Group A finishing five points ahead of second-place Radford (105).  Madison students claimed a first place finish in forensics, to go along with Trophy Class in yearbook, while taking home points in magazine and news magazine.  Radford scored points in scholastic bowl, theatre, creative writing, yearbook, newspaper and magazine.  Rounding out the top five were Central-Wise (72.5), Nelson County (70) and James River-Buchanan and Randolph-Henry with 65 points.

Year        Group A                

1990         Prince Edward       

1991         Prince Edward        

1992         Prince Edward                           

1993         Saint Paul              

1994         Madison County     

1995         Madison County     

1996         Galax                      

1997         Madison County     

1998         Madison County     

1999         Madison County     

2000         Madison County     

2001         Madison County     

2002         Madison County     

2003         Madison County     

2004         Madison County     

2005         Madison County     

2006         Madison County     

2007         Madison County     

2008         Madison County     

2009         Madison County     

2010         Madison County     

2011         Madison County     

2012         Madison County    

Santinga Wins Regional Art Contest

Freshman Sheridan Santinga placed first in the Virginia School Boards Association (VSBA) Art Contest for the Central Virginia region. 

The region includes: Albemarle, Buckingham, Culpeper, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa, Nelson, Orange, and Rappahannock Counties, as well as Charlottesville City.  Top student art work for each school division is judged at the regional School Board meeting that was held at Fluvanna County Middle School on May 3, 2012.  The Madison County School Board attended along with other School Boards in Central Virginia.

"I spoke with the judges after Sheridan's work was given a blue ribbon,"  Superintendent Eberhardt said.  "They were very impressed with the quality of work.  In fact, they said that the work was so realistic that they believed it was a photograph, not a pencil drawing."

Sheridan's work along with top student art work from Virginia's 9 regions will be displayed at the VSBA headquarters in Charlottesville and at the Virginia Board of Education in Richmond for one year.

Pictured below are School Board Chairman Jeffrey Early and VSBA Director Barbara Coyle.

 

Project: U.K. 2012

To follow up on the success of last year’s collaboration, Miss Winters of St. Roberts of Newmister in England and Mr. Morris of Wetsel Middle School have launched a new project: Project: U.K: The Boston Massacre.

Last year, the project linked the two schools together for research of the Underground Railroad. 20 participants from each school created historical documents and newspapers, chatted to each other over video-conferencing and blogged about their experiences online. The work that was produced has gained international prestige and was presented at the American Embassy in London last year.

This year the students will dive into interpretations of the Boston Massacre. To prepare for the research part of this project, the American group visited the Library of Virginia in Richmond for a private presentation of various artifacts and documents from the Special Collections Department.

The director, Tom Camden allowed the students special access to the following:

• October 28, 1781 - original handwritten parole document for Lord Cornwallis following his surrender at Yorktown.
• Drinking cup made of horn found at Cornwallis' campsite the day after the surrender and is thought to be the cup that he drank from the night before his surrender at Yorktown.
• George Mason's original manuscript draft of the Virginia Declaration of Rights - June 12, 1776
• George Mason's original manuscript draft of the Virginia Constitution - June 29, 1776
• Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson’s final dispatch three hours before he suffered his wound from friendly fire.

The five items that were mentioned were only a few of what was presented to the group. It was a one of a kind experience for the project team, which will not be soon forgotten. The seven students were wonderful ambassadors for their school and county. Special Collections Director Tom Camden observed, they were “a wonderful group of students. I'm in complete awe of their knowledge and enthusiasm.”

School Board Communications

The School Board met with the Madison County Board of Supervisors on Monday, April 2, 2012, at 6:00 p.m., to further discuss the Capital Improvement Plan.  Mr. Hal Hart, Director of Operations, Crabtree, Rohrbaugh, and Associates, provided information regarding the possible grouping of projects and timelines for completion.

The School Board hosted the 7th Annual Arts Reception and inducted a new group of artists into the Art Gallery for 2012. 

The School Board met at 7:15 p.m., for their regular monthly meeting. 

The Board formally recognized the following:

• The 2012 student artists and art teachers from all four schools.
• Madison Dyer - in honor of her first place in the 46th Annual National Career Development Association (NCDA) Poetry and Poster Contest for the Commonwealth of Virginia. 

The following items were presented to the Board as information items and will return at the May Board meeting for approval:

• The 2012-2013 Special Education Plan.
• A request to end the 2011-2012 school year on June 5th instead of June 6th.

Dr. Eberhardt provided a budget update.  He reviewed the major areas included in the 2012-2013 School Board approved budget.  They are:

• 9% increase in health insurance. 
• Increased total costs in Virginia Retirement System (VRS)  from 11.33% this year to 16.77% in 2012-13
• An average 2.7% salary increase for all employees. 
• Miscellaneous increases for Dual Enrollment (DE) classes, copier costs, summer school, textbooks, and additional stipends. 

He noted that costs - which may be required by law to offset the 5% employee contribution of VRS with a 5% salary increase - were not included in the original budget and that there may be a small amount of additional state money coming in to offset increased costs.

State funding increased $1.1 million which would have been sufficient to cover the above listed items.  The Board of Supervisors has recommended that the school budget decrease by $1.6 million.  Of the $1.6 million, $700,000 of debt service was removed, creating a $900,000 shortfall.  Without level local funding, personnel and/or program cuts will be necessary in order to cover the increased costs for the employees and to operate the division at current levels.  This equates to the potential loss of approximately 16-20 employees across the division.  Dr. Eberhardt requested a tentative School Board Work Session for Wednesday, April 25, 2012, at 7:00 p.m., to move forward with a reduction in force if additional funding is not realized.

The School Board approved the following items:

• Proposed Course Studies (Basic Statistics, Broadcasting/Media, Lifetime Sports, Latin I)
• The 2012-2013 Perkins Plan for Career and Technical Education
• Policy Updates
• Personnel (one resignation)

The School Board also approved the appointment of Mr. Tim Taylor as the principal for William Wetsel Middle School beginning July 1, 2012.

Madison Forensics - VHSL Group A State Forensics Champions!

On Saturday, March 24, 2012, the MCHS Forensics Team participated in the VHSL Group A State Forensics Championships.  Madison took ten entries, placing 7 in finals.  Placing for Madison were:

Caroline Comyn, State Champion in Extemporaneous Speaking
Lauren Haynes, State Champion in Oratory
Jordan Gray, State Champion in Poetry
Greg Essner and Ian Coppage, State Champions in Serious Duo
Josh Honaker, State Runner-up Champion (second place) in Humorous Interpretation
Tristan James and Tyler Kemp, State Runner-up Champions (second place) in Serious Duo
Devin Andes and Owen Hartwig, 4th place in Humorous Duo

MADISON WON ITS 14TH STATE CHAMPIONSHIP IN FORENSICS with 39 Sweepstakes points over 2nd place, Randolph Henry High School with 10 points. 

Congratulations and thank you for representing our school and community with your grace, humility, and pride.