MovingForward

MovingForward

A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT OF THE PIQUA DAILY CALL & TROY DAILY NEWS

EDUCATION • ARTS • HEALTH CARE • COMMUNITY

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Progress 2012 • Page 2

FRANK BEESONGroup PublisherDAVID FONG

TROY DAILY NEWS Executive Editor

SUSAN HARTLEY

PIQUA DAILY CALL Executive Editor

LEIANN STEWARTRetail Advertising Manager

CHERYL HALLCirculation Manager

BETTY BROWNLEEBusiness Manager

SCARLETT SMITHGraphics Manager

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Daily NewsTroyTroy

Daily News

ABOUT THISEDITION

Welcome to the fourthof four Progress 2012 edi-tions. In these four specialsections — joint publica-tions of the Troy DailyNews and Piqua Daily Call— we will take a look atwhat local experts predictwill happen in the comingyear.

The four editions willfocus on:

Wednesday —Business, Finance andAgriculture

Thursday — Industry,Utilities, Construction,Arts, Community

Friday — EmergencyServices, Government,Courts

Today — Education,Health Care

PROGRESS 2012: EDITION IV

Education Health Care

BY ERIC HERMANSuperintendent

of Troy City Schools

This has been a verygood year for Troy CitySchools. Troy City Schoolsachieved the state’s topranking, “Excellent withDistinction” for the firstyear since ODE introducedthe rating system.The district earned 26

out of 26 indicators, with a102.3 performance index.Troy is one of only 86 dis-tricts out of more than 600in Ohio to receive this topdesignation. We continuedto work hard and it’s paidoff.Two of our buildings

were also named“Excellent withDistinction” — Concordand Troy Junior HighSchool. It is really fantasticfor our students, teachers,parents, and community.Troy City Schools were

also honored by theCollege Board for expand-ing access to AdvancedPlacement (AP) examswhile maintaining orimproving the rate inwhich students earn col-lege credit for passing rig-orous exams. Troy was oneof 25 Ohio districts to bechosen for the AP honorroll in 2011.Recent results also

show an increase in ACTscores for Troy City Schoolstudents. The results showthat Troy’s graduates lastyear performed better thanthe previous four years.Their overall score was thehighest it has been in thelast five years.

SCHOOLIMPROVEMENTINITIATIVESWe continue to work to

improve and implement

RTI District Wide(Response to Intervention).RTI allows for teachers toprovide a more focusedinstruction for our stu-dents. Students receive amore intense form of inter-vention addressing theirneeds. Our Race to the Topinitiative is in year two.Our focus has been on pro-viding our staff with pro-fessional development onthe new Common CoreStandards that willbecome effective with theroll out of a new testingprogram in the 2014-2015school year. We are alsoworking on revamping ourevaluation system for bothteachers and administra-tors.

TECHNOLOGYThis past year, all of our

buildings were convertedto “wireless.” This technolo-gy upgrade has allowed usto add 80+ iPads, 20+ iPodTouches and 110+Netbooks. The level oftechnology available to stu-dents continues to grow.Right now across the

district we have:• More than 1400

desktop computers• More than 250

LCD projectors• More than 190

Smart Boards• More than 60

document cameras.All of our technology is

used daily by students andstaff. We view technologyas a powerful tool that isused to teach a diversepopulation of students. Itis the future for our chil-dren in the 21st century.

OUTSIDE THECLASSROOMOur students demon-

strate quality work outsidethe classroom as well. Our

high school football teammade the state playoffs forthe second year in a rowand our band competed inthe State Finals for the32nd year, where theyreceived a “superior” rat-ing.We continue to face a

changing demographicthroughout our district.The percentage of TroyCity School students whoqualify for free/reducedlunches has increased toalmost 43 percent. As withother schools in our areaand around the state, westrive to keep up program-ming while receiving lessfunding from state andlocal sources. We are exam-ining all areas of our dis-trict to determine reduc-tions or alternative meth-ods of doing business. Justrecently we contractedwith a company to do anenergy audit of all of ourbuildings.Our goal is to become

more efficient and reduceour costs as it relates toheating and lighting.Other costs saving

measures include a reduc-tion in staffing, a three-year pay freeze for allemployees, and a change inour prescription drug com-pany.An independent commu-

nity survey recentlyshowed that the Troy com-munity supports andbelieves in Troy CitySchools.We say it a thousand

times; we are blessed inTroy because of our com-munity and their supportof our schools.Our students are doing

well and making progress.We are headed in a posi-tive direction.For more information

about Troy City Schools,visit our website atwww.troy.k12.oh.us.

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Progress 2012 • Page 3

An ‘excellent’ year for Troy City Schools

STAFF FILE PHOTO/ANTHONY WEBERThe Troy football team making the Division I state playoffs is one of the Troy CitySchools’ points of pride this school year.

BY JENNIFERRUNYONStaff Writer

PIQUA — Piqua CitySchools made changesduring the 2011-12 schoolyear and even biggerthings are planned for thefuture.The district began

using the NorthwestEvaluation Associationthis school year. Accordingto curriculum directorsNeil Long and DwayneThompson, NWEA is anonline assessment tool ingrades K-12 for reading,language, science andmath. The assessmentsare designed to adapt tothe learner’s level of cor-rect responses. If a stu-dent answers questionsright, the questions getharder. At the end of theassessment, each studentwill have answered about50 percent of the ques-tions correctly. This allowsfor both the teacher andstudent to see what ismastered and where thestudent places on the cur-riculum. Assessments aredone in the fall, winterand spring each yearallowing for measurementof academic progress fromfall to spring.Piqua High School will

see additional concurrentenrollment classes withOhio Northern University.Concurrent enrollment

classes were offered forU.S. history and humanbiology this school year.This was the first timethe partnership withONU was offered.

Through the partnership,Piqua High School teach-ers are trained to teachcollege level coursesallowing for students totake college classes at the

high school and receiveboth college and highschool credit. During the2012-13 year, studentswill be able to choose fromEnglish literature, calcu-

lus and sociology in addi-tion to U.S. history andhuman biology.“This program offers a

great advantage to stu-dents and their parentswho want to earn collegecredit early that willtransfer to major universi-ties at a significantlyreduced cost. This pro-gram is a great additionto the 16 AP coursesalready offered at PiquaHigh School to help stu-dents prepare for theircollege experience,”Thompson said.Piqua City Schools

added a new class to its

STEM offerings this yearas well. STEM stands forscience, technology, engi-neering and math. Duringthe 2011-12 school year,students were able toenroll in a research anddesign course. This classfeatures robotics and engi-neering concepts.“Students in this

course gain a betterunderstanding of STEMconcepts that could leadto careers in STEMfields,” Long said.As part of the district’s

Race to the Top Plan, PCScontinues to transitionfrom the current OhioAcademic ContentStandards to the newCommon Core StateStandards. All Ohio schooldistricts must have theCCSS in place by 2014. Inthe spring of 2011, gradesK-2 teachers were trainedto transition to the newmath and language artsstandards. In the spring ofthis year, those teachinggrades 3-12 will betrained as well.And, the district also

has big plans for thefuture in the form of threenew buildings with theOhio School FacilitiesCommission. Two new70,000 square-foot build-ings will be built forgrades kindergartenthrough third. These willbe where SpringcreekPrimary and WashingtonIntermediate schools arecurrently. Those in gradesfourth through sixth willget a new 105,000 square-foot facility. This will belocated at the formerPiqua Memorial Hospitalsite. Ground is expected tobe broken in the spring of2013 with a completiondate of fall 2015. The dis-trict is still in the processof naming the new build-ings.

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Progress 2012 • Page 4

Big changes in store for Piqua schools

STAFF FILE PHOTO/MIKE ULLERYBig things are in store for Piqua City Schools in the coming year.

BY JOHN P. KRONOUR,PH.D.

Tipp City SchoolsSuperintendent

The mission of Tipp CityExempted Village Schools isto provide an exemplaryeducation so all studentsbecome responsible partici-pants in society.

To achieve that objective,administrators, teachersand staff members strive toprepare students to con-tribute to the competitiveand changing world. Valuesof respect, inclusiveness,community, communication,collaboration, innovation,nurturing, trust andaccountability are inherentthrough our learning andworking places, processesand people.

The mission and valuescreate both the foundationand the framework that haspromoted a culture of highperformance — academical-ly, emotionally, physicallyand socially. The Tipp CitySchool District servesapproximately 2,650 stu-dents and consistentlyranks among the top in theMiami Valley area in testscores.

The Tipp City SchoolDistrict is blessed with ded-icated, professional teach-ers, supportive parents andgreat students with limit-less potential. Tipp CitySchools does a wonderfuljob preparing students forthe current expectationsand latest state require-ments. Graduates, as awhole, perform well at thenext level — speaking high-ly of the preparation theyreceived in the district. TippCity should celebrate allthat is good in the commu-nity. The schools are a cor-nerstone of a great place tolive and raise a family.

Last year, the Tipp CitySchool District had two

major events:• Governor Kasich’s

biennial budget’s impact onTipp City Exempted VillageSchools’ revenue, which wasdecreased by $1,311,196 inFY2012 from what itreceived in FY 2011, fromthe state. The District hadto make a number of cuts toplug the hole.

• The passage of therenewal levy on Nov. 8,2011 made it easier to planand move forward.

Because of last year’sevents and facing another$600,000 to $700,000 incuts in FY2012, I foreseethe district having threemajor events this year:

• Going to the public formore funds so we can con-tinue the level of educationthe school district hasbecome accustomed to andpassing the levy by the endof FY2012.

• Reconfiguringthe district’s elementarybuildings by grade level.

• Reviving the BuildingFacilities Committee.

The administration andschool board have beenpreparing for the changesin the budget. We wanted toavoid, or at least delay, com-ing back taxpayer’s for addi-tional money. In prepara-tion we are looking at waysto reduce costs so we can

ask Tipp City taxpayers forthe least amount possible.One way to reduce costsand not affect education isto reconfigure the district’selementary buildings bygrade level.

This topic has beenmuch talked about andresearched. Tipp CitySchool administrators andboard members are lookingat reconfiguring Broadwayand Nevin Coppock elemen-tary buildings by gradelevel. The plan is to housekindergarten and firstgrade at Nevin CoppockElementary and secondthrough third grades atBroadway Elementary. Byreconfiguring the elemen-tary schools, the Districtcan reduce the number ofteaching positions — ideallythrough attrition. By recon-

figuring, class sizes willonly increase minimally.

Our district’s class sizeswill still be smaller thanmany other high achievingschool districts. The bottomline is, we can no longerafford to continue to offerthe educational services andprograms we’ve alwaysoffered based simply on theneighborhood school model.This change would save TippCity School taxpayersapproximately $1 millionover the next five years.

Collaboration is anotherimportant reason for thereconfiguration. Buildingswould not have to be remod-eled to accommodate thestudents, so there is littlecost involved in the reor-ganization. Grade bandingthe district’s elementarybuildings is not finalized,

but administrators and theschool board want to makethe transition by the begin-ning of the 2012-2013school year.

Despite our economicstatus, we would be remissif we didn’t continually lookat the school facilities. TheBuilding Facilities Com-mittee has been revived andmore community membershave been added. The com-mittee is moving forwardwith the help of RuetschleArchitects. Opportunitiesfor community engagementwill be available soon andthe committee will continueto seek community input inan effort to reach a consen-sus for a five-year facilitiesplan.

The only way we canmake these changes takeroot — the only way thesechanges become part of ourculture, is if there is buy-infrom teachers, students andparents. We must workthrough the process ofchange and learn from ourown work. It takes a com-munity working with ashared vision — a vision tobe the very best we can beeach and every day.

Our job is to keep theschools a vibrant, safe, edu-cational place for kids. Asalways, Tipp City Schooladministrators and teachersare keeping an eye out forimprovement and to ourfuture.

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Progress 2012 • Page 5

Tipp City schools teaching life lessonsTIPP CITY SCHOOLSACCOMPLISHMENTS

The following is a list of achievments Tipp CitySchools have accomplished over the years:

• We have earned an “EXCELLENT” rating on theState Report card eight years out of 10 and six con-secutive years.

• 100 percent of Tipp City School teachers are cer-tified in their teaching area.

• 88 percent of the 2011 graduates continued theireducation at four-year or two-year colleges, universi-ties or technical schools.

• Tippecanoe High School graduates consistentlyearn more than a $1 million annually in scholarshipsto public and private colleges and universities in Ohioand across the nation. The 2011 graduates earnedmore than $2.8 million in scholarships.

• 2010/2011 Tippecanoe High School athletes took10 out of 21 CBC titles.

• Five TMS and two THS students participated inthe State Science Fair, with four earning superior rat-ings.

• Members of the TMS Power of the Pen teamswent to state.

• The Tippecanoe High School band and choirearned Superior ratings at the state contest.

• L.T. Ball Intermediate school raised $12,288 forRelay for Life

• The Tipp City Schools’ Curriculum Team reviewedand revised curricula in language arts and reading.

• All five district school buildings are now equippedwith Wi-Fi.

• Every teacher is continuing to challenge our stu-dents by being digital teachers.

STAFF FILE PHOTO/ANTHONY WEBERTippecanoe High School presented “How to Succeedin Business Without Really Trying” last March.

BY DR. VIRGINIARAMMEL

Milton-UnionSuperintendent

Milton-Union Schoolshave much to look forwardto in the coming year andalready has accomplished agreat deal this school year:

AcademicallyThe vision, “Every

Student, Every Day,” istaking shape in Milton-Union in a variety of ways.For the first time at M-U,each of the three buildingsand the district earned an“Excellent” rating on the2010-2011 OhioDepartment of Educationreport card.In addition, in a nation-

al study compiled by theU.S. Department ofEducation’s NationalCenter for EducationStatistics and the NewAmerican Foundation’sFederal Education Budget,M-U Schools earned thetop rating across the statefor highest achievementand lowest costs.

AdditionalAccountabilityMeasuresThe percentage of stu-

dents graduating fromhigh school continues toclimb — 95.8 percent —with a higher number ofgraduates pursuing a post-secondary education. ACTcomposite scores areamong the highest in M-U’s history. The ACT istaken by high school stu-dents who are interestedin attending college. Threestudents in theElementary Gifted Classwere among the 130 fifthgraders recognized nation-ally for perfect scores inthis year’s WordMastersChallenge. TheWordMasters Challenge isa national language artscompetition entered byapproximately 220,000 stu-dents annually.

New EmphasisHowever, as in true

Bulldog fashion, M-Ustrives to improve! This

year, the focus is two-fold:a deeper understanding ofthe new common core stan-dards and a new concept,value-added. Value-addedis an additional accounta-bility tool that measures

individual student growthin each of the academicareas. Teachers andadministrators are alsospending time comparingthe differences betweenthe ’01 state standardspresently in use to thenewly adopted commoncore standards in languagearts and math and plan-ning for the implementa-tion of both into theirinstruction.New initiatives this

school year include thefifth/sixth grade loopingventure. This experiencehas allowed students infifth and sixth grades tostay with “their” teacherfor both years, thus reduc-ing transition timebetween the elementaryand middle schools. Thishas resulted in more con-centrated teaching/learn-ing time and the develop-ment of strongerteacher/student relation-ships. Another new pro-gram is Head Start. Head

Start is a preschool pro-gram for children betweenthe ages of 3-5 years of ageand is run and paid for bythe Council on RuralServices. With the imple-mentation of Head Startand all-day, every daykindergarten, youngsterswill have more time todevelop the skills neces-sary for future school suc-cess.

Building itsFutureEnthusiasm is building

as the new Pre K-12 facili-ty is nearing completion.The 217,000-square-footcomplex is being construct-ed along Milton-PotsdamRoad on land bequeathedto the district by NellieLowry.Among the features

included are fully equippedscience classrooms in themiddle and high; teachingwalls in each classroom,each mounted with aSmart Board, a short-throw projector and white-boards; a large music suite;a 5,700 square-foot learn-ing center; two stages andathletic spaces that includea high school regulation-sized gym and another col-lege regulation-sized floor.The Ohio School Facility

Commission requires thatthe new facility be “green”and achieve a minimumLEED Silver status; there-fore, many initiatives thatincorporate renewableenergy resources areincluded in the projectsuch as an ice storage cool-ing system that makes iceduring the night duringlow-peak energy hours andis used during the day tocool the water that circu-lates through the build-ing’s air conditioning sys-tem.

Large windows, 8-by-8-

feet, aim to maximize nat-ural lighting. Three 25,000gallon tanks collect rain-water. The rainwater willbe treated and then usedto flush urinals and toilets.Solar panels will help toheat the building whilethermal arrays on the roofabove the kitchen aredesigned to heat waterthat will be used in thefood-prep area.

Moving ForwardTogetherM-U in conjunction with

the village of West Miltonwas awarded a $200,000Safe Routes to Schoolgrant for infrastructureand non-infrastructureneeds. Sidewalks alongHasket Road and in-housesafety programs will helpto ensure that studentshave the knowledge andthe infrastructure neededto stay safe on their way toand from school.A partnership with

Wright State Universityworks two ways — a labsetting for prospectiveteachers yet will provideMilton-Union teacherswith professional develop-ment opportunities.Thanks to a strong rela-tionship with serviceorganizations and commu-nity members, students aresupported through specialprograms like the AngelNetwork and the church-affiliated Kids’ Hope pro-gram.Dozens of volunteers

donate time within theschool day to provide extrahelp to students.As we continue to shape

our future, we are confi-dent that with the coopera-tion of all constituents,Milton-Union will continueto be led by its vision of“Every Student, EveryDay.”

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Progress 2012 • Page 6

New school building on the horizon at Milton

STAFF FILE PHOTO/JAMES HOUSERA new gymnasium is in the works at Milton-Union.

BY LAURA WILLISStaff Writer

PIQUA — The 60 newskylights aren’t the onlywindows opening up to thesky at Upper Valley CareerCenter. The school is con-tinuing to be forward-focused in career-technicaleducation by adding newprograms, like AerospaceOccupation and Discovery,passing new milestonesand of course undergoing areconstruction project.The renovation project,

which is being completedin stages, not only showschanges on the facade, saidKathy Voris public rela-tions coordinator forUVCC, but continues itscareer focused education,making improvements onthe inside of the facility,also.“The renovations will

enable Upper Valley

Career Center to provideeven more advanced andstate-of-the art instructionto meet the needs of areastudents and employers,”said Dr. Nancy Luce,superintendent.The UVCC, which

changed its name fromUpper Valley JointVocational School in 2011to better represent the fullpurpose of the institution,celebrated in Decemberwhen students began usingthe south end of the build-ing. The 37-year-old schoolis receiving updated fea-tures in technology andchanges to make the build-ing more energy efficient.On Jan. 27, the school

closed its long-time restau-rant, Upper Valley Inn,which will re-open in thefall as the newCornerstone@8811. Thenew name reflects theschool’s address — 8811

Looney Road, and will con-tinue to be a focus for theCareer Centers culinaryarts program.“The restaurant is for

the benefit of the stu-dents,” Voris said. “It willcover a broad range offoods and the facility’sprogress is looking reallygood.”Other ways the UVCC

is moving forward is byoffering new programs likeAerospace Occupation andDiscovery. The UVCC con-tinues to offer the nearly30 Career and TechnicalEducation Pathways,which not only provideentry level workforcedevelopment training but astep towards immediateemployment upon comple-tion.The UVCC has ongoing

goals to keep the future inmind with career and tech-nical education.

“Career and technicaleducation has always beenforward-focused.”“This combined with a

solid foundation in aca-demics and core curricu-lum helps prepare our stu-dents for success in theirpursuit of continued educa-tion and careers. The rapidadvances we’ve seen intechnology over the pastdecade make it very clearthat continued workplacerelevancy will require acommitment to excellenceand life-long learning,”Voris said.The UVCC offers educa-

tion to high school stu-dents and adults. Morethan 40 percent of stu-dents continue from theUVCC to other areas ofhigher education. The ren-ovation will not only givestudents a new facility tofoster educational steps,but a place to build a great

future, Voris said.“As we’ve been going

through the constructionprocess, the building hasmorphed into what is com-ing forward in the future.It’s career and technicaleducation and presents for-ward-thinking to preparestudents for the future. I’mdelighted to say this isdemonstrated everyday inour Upper Valley Career

Center labs and classroomsas staff continue to advancetheir own technical skillsand delivery methods. Thedrive to “learn more — dobetter” may not be conta-gious, but it is very engag-ing. It’s exciting to work andlearn in the career-technicalenvironment,” Voris said.To learn more about the

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BY DR. TODD RAPPOLDMiami East Schools

Superintendent

On Aug. 23, 2011, thedistrict opened the newhigh school and successful-ly completed a 10-yearfacilities master plan forthe district. For the past10 years, hundreds of par-ents, community membersand staff members hadparticipated in the facili-ties plan with the district.

The opening of the highschool was a result fromyears of research and adetailed study by theboard of education, admin-istration, employees, com-munity members and theOhio School FacilitiesCommission.

Completion of the highschool occurred in the fallof 2011. The communityand district eagerly lookedforward to the completionof the new high schoolwhich included largerclassrooms, the latest intechnology, a larger cafete-ria and a lecture hall.

Understanding theimportance of integratingrenewable energy sourcesinto construction, theMiami East School Districtwas committed to includ-ing these types of designsinto the construction of thenew high school. The dis-trict has designed the newhigh school to be LEEDcertified. What is LEED

certification?In the United States

and in a number of othercountries around theworld, LEED certificationis the recognized standardfor measuring buildingsustainability. AchievingLEED certification is thebest way for you to demon-strate that your buildingproject is truly “green” andjust as important, energyefficient.

LEED criteria are usedin the design to promotedesign and constructionpractices that increaseprofitability while reduc-ing the negative environ-mental impacts of build-ings and improving occu-pant health and well-being. LEED certification,which includes a rigorousthird-party commissioningprocess, offers compellingproof to you and your com-munity that you’veachieved your environmen-tal goals and your buildingis performing as designed.

The LEED rating sys-tem offers four certifica-tion levels for new con-struction — Certified,Silver, Gold and Platinum.These ratings correspondto the number of creditsaccrued in the five greendesign categories: sustain-able sites, water efficiency,energy and atmosphere,materials and resourcesand indoor environmentalquality. Miami East High

School is being designed tobe Silver rated.

Examples of some ofthe LEED items that wereincorporated into the newhigh school included:

• Geothermal heatingand cooling

• Solar hot waterheaters

• Rain storage system• Solar panels above

the science classrooms• An expanded recy-

cling program.The geothermal heating

and cooling field has beeninstalled in front of theexisting board office andnew high school. This fieldwas buried undergroundand will help offset thecosts associated with heat-ing and cooling a facility.Solar hot water heatersalso have been installedthroughout the buildingutilizing solar panels topreheat the water. Thistranslates into less powerbeing needed to bring thewater to the optimal tem-perature needed. A rainstorage system will beused to offset the amountof water needed to flushrestrooms throughout thebuilding.

1 out of only 15The official State

Report Cards werereleased just prior to the

New high school highlights Miami East’s year

STAFF FILE PHOTO/ANTHONY WEBERThe Miami East girls volleyball team captured a state championship last fall.

CONTINUNED ONPAGE 9

start of the 2011-2012school year. When the staffand students received the“Excellent withDistinction” designationfor the fourth year in arow, the district became 1of only 15 districts acrossthe state (613 total dis-tricts) to receive the desig-nation four years in a row!Congratulations to every-one!This designation is a

credit to our students, ourparents, our educationalpartners, our board of edu-cation, and all of theemployees of the MiamiEast Local School District.The “value-added”

measurement on theschool building and dis-trict report cards concen-trated on grades fourththrough eighth in readingand math. This informa-tion will tell how much“value” a school and itsteachers have added tostudent’s learning in ayear. The value-addedmeasure reports the aver-age of every child’sprogress.Until now, the state

measured the achievementof students at a specificpoint in time on a statetest, like a snapshot of oneday in a child’s life. Withnew value-added data, wenow can tell the story ofstudent’s progress, someasurement becomesmore like a photo album.We can see improvementfrom year to year to seehow much they’ve grown.For example, in the

past, the state has com-pared one fourth-gradeclass to the previous year’sfourth-grade class.Comparing two differentgroups of children doesn’ttell us much about teach-ing and learning over time,but measuring the

progress of the same groupof children from year toyear can help teachers andadministrators, studentsand parents pinpoint prob-lems and gauge successes.The staff and students

were ecstatic this weekabout the state report cardresults.It is always reassuring

to know when a teamworks toward a collectivegoal and puts in the timeand effort that good thingswill occur.At Miami East we

believe the staff, studentsand parents strive towardthe TEAM philosophy of“Together, Everyone,Achieves,More.” We areappreciative of the effortsby everyone in the district

to ensure that studentsare successful. We are for-tunate to have so manystaff members who devotea great deal of time andeffort before and afterschool to help students.This summer alone, wehad several days wheremore than 90 percent ofthe staff came in for pro-fessional development tocontinue working on build-ing and district-wide goals.Additionally, the staffannually identifies aca-demic goals and formulateaction plans to achievethose academic standards.In addition, parents arealways very willing to vol-unteer their time to eitherread to students, volunteerfor math camp, or help out

wherever we need assis-tance to help students.Lastly, we are alwaysappreciative of the resi-dents of the district thatcontinue to support thedistrict even after theirchildren have graduated.Everyone in the district isto be congratulated for anysuccess the districtachieves because at MiamiEast it is always a TEAMeffort.Last fall, the Lady

Vikings volleyball teamdefeated Gilmour Academyin four exciting sets tobecome 2011 Division IIIState Champions.Gilmour Academy was

state runner-up in 2008and 2011 with anotherFinal Four appearance in

2007. Congratulations toCoach Cash, Coach Smith,Coach Kiwacka and thewhole Viking team!

Academic TeamThe Miami East High

School Academic Teamcompeted at theTippecanoe High SchoolAcademic ChallengeTournament on Nov. 5.There they proceeded towin their division champi-onship, competing onbuzzers in a wide varietyof subject areas againstthe following schools:White Cloud (Michigan),Northwestern, BenjaminLogan, Urbana, MVCTC,Tecumseh and KentonRidge.By winning this divi-

sion championship, MiamiEast will, for the firsttime, be granted a berth inthe O.A.C., the OhioAcademic Competition.This April they will com-pete in the O.A.C. regionaltournament hosted atTippecanoe High School.

Congratulations to thesemembers of the varsityteam that competed Nov.5: Jake Pemberton, ZaneSmith, Alex McGillvary,Tanner Church, KaitlynSchellhouse and JoshKline.

OMEA District 11Honor ChoirCongratulations to the

following Miami EastChoir Students: ElizabethLachat, Emily Brown,Katey Matlock, KaitlinSchellhouse, RebekahZellers and Dakota Potts.These talented singerswere selected by CD audi-tion for OMEA District XIFestival Honor Choir. Thestudents requirementswere to sing a solo thenperform “America” acapel-la. The choir consisted of110 students from Miami,Shelby, Darke, Logan andChampaign Counties. Dr.Jeremy Jones of MiamiUniversity was the guestconductor for the choir.

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Miami EastCONTINUED FROMPAGE 8

STAFF FILE PHOTO/ANTHONY WEBERThe Miami East High School marching band performs at a halftime show lastfall.

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BY PAT MCBRIDESuperintedent of Newton

Local School

Newton Local Schoolhas much to proud of in itslong and storied history:

The LivingLegacy ofNewton LocalSchoolThe Newton Local

School District has a won-derful legacy of alumnusbecoming leaders in theircommunities and beyond.Some of the more notableaccomplishments amongthe ranks of Newton grad-uates or staff members isthe invention of Teflon in1949 (Roy J. Plunkett,Ph.D., class of 1927); tworecent music educatorsnamed Teacher of the Year(Don Jenkins 2002 andGeorge Edge 2007); andopen heart surgery per-formed on former vicepresident of the UnitedStates Dick Cheney (Dr.Wesley Hiser, M.D., classof 1957). During the 133years that Newton hasgraduated students, theschool has produced morethan its proportional shareof doctors, lawyers, teach-ers and other distin-guished professionals.More importantly, Newtonhas helped mold just aboutevery one of its graduatesinto hardworking, honest,ethical community mem-bers who are grounded incommon sense and care fortheir friends and neigh-bors as if they are family.It is more than symbolic

when we refer to the“Newton family.” It can betruthfully said that theNewton community, as awhole, does take responsi-bility in helping raiseevery child!

Newton LocalSchools BuildingProjectCompletedThe project started with

bond issue/ financial plan-ning in September 2006.After independent assess-ments were conducted onour old building, the OhioSchool FacilitiesCommission (OSFC) stud-ied those assessments andmade a recommendation tothe district to build a newK-12 building. It wasdetermined that a newbuilding to meet the needsof the district would cost$17.4 million with 63 per-cent of the funds, or nearly$11 million, provided bythe state.A 9.46 mill bond issue

was placed on theNovember 2007 ballot. Thevoters approved that bondissue and project planningbegan early in 2008.Fanning Howey wasselected as the architect,Bovis Lend Lease as theconstruction manager andHumble Construction asthe general contractor. Aground breaking ceremonywas held in March 2009,and a dedication ceremonywas held in August 2010.The Newton K-12 build-

ing contains more than87,000-square-feet of newspace, along with 33,000-

square-feet of remodeledexisting space. The overallfacility has 120,000-square-feet of space serv-ing students in pre-schoolto Grade 12.

The technology infra-structure supports themost recent technologiesavailable with sufficient“stretch” to accommodatefuture technologicaladvances. Every classroomis equipped with an inter-active white board (ENOboard) with mobile slates,document camera, soundenhancement, video projec-tor, and wired for individ-ual classroom or totalschool media distribution.

The building isequipped with a wirelessnetwork for Internet/serv-er use, 40 security cam-eras that can be remotelyaccessed and a climatecontrolled heating and airconditioning system thatutilizes computer technolo-gy for the most efficientoperation. Every classroomspace, with only a fewexceptions, has exteriorwindows with roomsdesigned to harvest day-light to save electricity.The overwhelming con-

sensus has been that peo-ple like the common sensedesign of the building. Thebuilding incorporates someof the architectural arti-facts from the 1923 struc-ture.The building has been

described as very classywithout overindulgencewith respect to grandentrance ways or contain-ing any nonfunctional

Newton has aproud tradition

CONTINUED ONPAGE 11

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space for appearancesake. Both the interiorand the exterior of thefacility are atheisticallypleasing. A history wallhas been included in themain hallway to empha-size that Newton is proudof its past, but has movedforward so that the stu-dents can experience a21st century education.This can be accomplishedmuch more efficiently withthe modern facilities thatNewton can now providefor students.As is usually the case

with large constructionprojects, there have beenminor issues that neededaddressed during the past18 months. Althoughmany would have thoughtthe project was completedbefore moving in to thebuilding in August 2010,finishing details to thebuilding have been ongo-ing and are slowly, butsurely, winding down.There have been

numerous upgrades ornew construction forNewton’s exterior facili-ties. A new bus barn andnew storage barn has beenconstructed within thelast year. Irrigation hasbeen installed on the base-ball and soccer fields. Thesoccer facility nowincludes stadium-stylebleachers and a press boxwith a public address sys-

tem. Athletic event light-ing has been installed onthe softball and soccerfields. Newton’s outdoorfacilities now offer our stu-dent athletes the opportu-nities that other qualityvenues at other schoolsprovide for their students.Our facilities, while stillmodest, can be a source ofpride for our community.It is worthy to note thatnearly all of the additionalsite work was completedby using state co-funds orearnings from investmentproceeds.With only a handful of

open punch list items toaddress, it appears thatthe project will be com-pleted with a balance of$350,000 remaining in theproject construction fund.Sixty-three percent ofthese funds will bereturned to the OhioSchools FacilitiesCommission. The remain-der will be returned local-ly. The remainder may beused for retiring debt serv-ice.

NewtonEducationalProgrammingNewton has offered

preschool education to dis-trict parents for the pastfive years. Parents withchildren ages 3 to 5 yearsold are encouraged toexplore the offerings of

this all-day, every-day pro-gram. Newton is commit-ted to offering a preschoolprogram in an effort topartner with parents toensure that all childrenare ready for kinder-garten. A good preschoolprepares students to beboth academically andsocially mature. There is amountain of evidence thatshows when studentsbegin kindergarten readyto learn, it will benefitthem throughout their ele-mentary and secondaryschooling.The Newton Preschool

can accurately claim tohave the highest preschoolstudent assessment scoresin letter recognition, pic-turing naming, rhyming,and kindergarten readi-ness of any public or pri-vate preschool in theMiami County area.Newton now offers five

courses for college creditthrough a partnershipwith Indiana University.Newton stands ready to bea leader in transitioningto a modern educationalprogramming model forsecondary education.The traditional model

of students earning highschool credits only whilesitting in a classroom com-pleting assignments givenby a teacher are slowlydisappearing.

More common today isa model that allows stu-dents to earn dual credits

(high school and college)during their high schoolexperience, which Newtonoffers. Newton is prepar-ing for the future whencredits may be earnedthrough a variety of oppor-tunities. Those opportuni-ties may include “blended”learning. Blended learningincludes traditional cours-es, on-line courses, com-puter directed courses andflexible credits earnedthrough qualifying lifeexperiences (i.e. extendedforeign trips, etc.).Blended learning opportu-nities may lead to parentsand students tailoringtheir education to meettheir very specific needs.However, such educationalexperience should also beaccompanied by a well-rounded offering of thearts. Newton is positioningitself to be a leader inoffering this type of 21stcentury educational pro-graming to its students asnew models for teachingand learning evolve.

Newton AcademicProgress for AllStudents

Newton distinguisheditself academically as notonly one of the best schoolsthe Miami County, but inthe Miami Valley. There isample data to support thisstatement. During the2010-2011 school year,

Newton students had thehighest passage rate onnine of the 19 grade levelassessments. In compari-son to all Miami Countyschools, Newton studentshad the second highestgrade level scores onassessments given ingrades third through sixth,the highest grade levelscores on assessmentsgiven in grades seven andeight, and the third highestgrade level scores on theOhio Graduation Testgiven in grade 10.

Perhaps the mostimpressive data that indi-cates that students areachieving at the highestlevel is that Newtonranked first in MiamiCounty as a composite ofall test given in gradesthree through 10. In addi-tion, Newton had the sec-ond highest performanceindex score in MiamiCounty of 104.2, anotherindicator that Newton stu-dents achieve at very highlevels. The performanceindex score of 104.2 ranksas eighth among 64 areaschools. Newton ranks inthe top 10 percent of allschools in the state whenperformance index and perpupil expenditures are con-sidered. In addition,Newton students annuallyscore better than thenational average on theACT.

Newton Financial

Position SoundThe Newton School

District’s financial positionis sound. Many districtsfind that they usuallydeficit spend in the monthof December and some-times in January prior toreceiving income and prop-erty tax revenue. Tax rev-enue will begin to flow tothe district in Februaryand March. The districtwill then be operating inthe black for the fiscal year.

Newton personnel cost(salaries) are 3.09 percentless than last year. Totalexpenditures are down10.74 percent as comparedto last year.

Total revenue is up by0.88 percent. The financialdata at this time indicatesthat we will do better thanthe projects stated in theNewton Five Year Forecast,which is required and post-ed by the Ohio Departmentof Education. Newton isvery fortunate to have afinancial picture that ismuch better than the vastmajority of Ohio publicschool districts.

This favorable financialposition is a result of out-standing community sup-port and dedicated teach-ers whose commitment toserving the children is sec-ond to none.

NewtonCONTINUED FROMPAGE 10

BY JENNIFER RUNYONStaff Writer

COVINGTON — The2011-12 school yearmarked a year ofchanges for CovingtonExempted VillageSchools. The districtstarted the year off witha new superintendent, aswell as new high school,middle school and ele-mentary school princi-pals.

“It’s really been agreat year. I think every-body agrees, we’re hav-ing a great year in eachbuilding. I give so muchcredit to those in thepositions last year,myself excluded, but theyallowed us to have areally smooth transition,”Superintendent DavidLarson said. Larson wasthe middle school princi-pal last year.

The transitions mayhave been smooth, butone major problem stillfaces the district — facil-ity needs.

“There isn’t a day thatgoes by that we don’thave a discussion aboutwhat we need to do forour facilities,” Larsonsaid, adding, “We need toaddress the concerns ofoperating three build-ings.”

The district will revis-it the idea of a buildingproject with the OhioSchool FacilitiesCommission. Accordingto Larson, “more commu-nity meetings will beheld and a game planwill be determined in thenext few months.”

Wile the district’sfacilities are uncertain,one new addition is defi-nitely coming toCovington. Each schoolwill be using PublicSchool Works to establisha consistent behaviormanagement system dis-trict wide. The programallows for problems, suchas bullying, to be report-ed online anonymously.It also establishes arecord that stays withthe student throughouthis entire time at thedistrict. This recordshows the consequencethat was given whenthat student broke arule. This way, if thatrule is broken again, thestaff member can dosomething different toprevent the problemfrom happening again.

Principals will beginusing the program in thespring. All teachers willbe trained on it nextschool year.

The program alsorewards for good behav-ior. If a staff membersees a child doing some-thing positive, he canenter this into the sys-

tem and a certificate isprinted. This note of goodbehavior also stays inthe student’s record.

“It’s part of a bigger

character education pro-gram. It’s about bullyingand harassment andintimidation, but alsojust how to treat eachother and take responsi-bility,” Larson said.

Those looking to get ahead start on college willbe interested to hear thedistrict is looking intoconcurrent enrollmentclasses with UrbanaUniversity. Throughthese classes, high schoolstudents could take col-lege classes and receivecredit for them whilemeeting their high schoolcredit needs. These cred-

its could then be trans-ferred and used wherethe student attends col-lege giving a head startto the college career.Larson said it is not yetknown what classeswould be offered for con-current enrollment.

Covington also is look-ing into virtual educationoptions.

These options wouldallow a student to takeonline classes andreceive credit for gradua-tion. Larson said stu-dents with unique situa-tions may benefit fromvirtual options.2255453

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Progress 2012 • Page 12

Many new faces at Covington schools

STAFF FILE PHOTO/MIKE ULLERYSpc Logan Adams, center, presents a flag that was flown over his units’ base in Afghanistan to DianneHartmann, seventh and eighth grade science teacher and principal Josh Long during a ceremony atCovington Middle School.

BY TROY CHRISTIANSCHOOLS

Troy Christian Schoolshas successfully added aninfant care program,updated technology for21st century learning,increased the on-campusEarly College Programand provided new oppor-tunities for leadership —all since the 2011-2012school year began.

Future plans areequally exciting for TroyChristian, as the schoolmoves to provide studentswith digital books,improved nutritional andwellness opportunitiesand an ever-growing DualEnrollment and PostSecondary EnrollmentOptions Program.

Troy Christian, whichprovides quality educa-tional for students agesinfant-12th grade withage-appropriate curricu-lum, currently is enrollingall age groups.

While TC focuses onexcellence in academics,the school places greatemphasis on servant lead-ership and spiritualdevelopment.

“At Troy Christian, ourmission is to uphold God’struth as we assist parentsin the education of theirchildren’s minds and thetransformation of theirhearts,” said Dr. Wilber.“While we provide theacademic excellence stu-dents need to compete intoday’s world, we alsowant to prepare theirhearts to be leaders.

That involves charac-ter, and it we give oppor-tunities for students todevelop the kind of char-acter that comes from theheart.”

In the past year, sever-al new Early CollegeOptions have been added.

At TC, students can earnup to 45 semester credithours on the high schoolcampus.

“Troy Christian teach-ers are qualified to teachcollege courses right onour campus,” statedJeanne Ward, assistantsuperintendent.

“Not only do we have agreat number of coursesfor our students to choosefrom, but they can stayconnected with their highschool while they areearning college credits.”

TC’s PSEOP and DualEnrollment courses areoffered through UrbanaUniversity. Course selec-tion includes: Wellnessand Health, Biology(Botany), AmericanGovernment, Western

Civilzation II, Basics ofComposition,IntermediateComposition, Physics,Pre-Calculus, Calculus,General Psychology,General Anatomy andPhysiology 1 and Basicsof Literature.

The emphasis on lead-ership at Troy Christianis intentional and rele-vant. Led by Mr. ScottSmith, director of studentleadership, the school’sprogram includes:

• Students who planand lead based on theirpassions: two studentspromoted an awareness inhuman trafficking, a stu-dent planned a 12-hourprayer and worship day; aclean water initiative wasstarted; praise team is

student led.• Student council men-

toring and self-leadership• “Break Through,” a

leadership mentoringcommunity for studentsin grades seventh through12th

• Student-led smallgroup Bible studies on“Flipped Fridays.”

• Mentoring studentathletic leaders throughALI (Athletic LeadershipInitiative)

• sixth grade missiontrip

• Reading Buddies• Students serve the

community through Hike‘n Serve, a day of serviceand prayer

• Students lead com-munity and school pro-grams, such as Veterans

Day Chapel, National Dayof Prayer, Celebration ofLife Chapel, and more.

The spiritual develop-ment at TC is designed toprovide sound Biblicalteachings in Bible classesand chapels that chal-lenge students to grow intheir faith and relation-ship with Christ.

The school’s specialprograms and athleticsallow students a varietyof extracurricular activi-ties in which to partici-pate.

At the elementary, stu-dents find opportunitiesto be involved in studentcouncil, after schoolenrichment classes(including LEGORobotics), athletics, choraland band groups, speech,

chapel presentations, mis-sions, service projects,academic competitionsand leadership training.Athletics include baseball,basketball, cheerleadingand wrestling.

At the junior high andhigh school level, studentscan get involved in stu-dent council, athletics,choral and band groups,speech, musical, chapelpresentations, missions,service projects, academiccompetitions, yearbook,Science/History Fair,National Honor Society,French Club, Art Club,Drama Club andLeadership training.Athletics includebaseball, basketball,

2255365

Progress 2012 • Page 13

Troy Christian adds new programs

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13cheerleading, cross-country, foot-ball, golf, soccer, softball, swim-ming and diving, track, volleyballand wrestling.The technology at both the ele-

mentary and junior high/highschool is constantly evolving in aneffort to keep current technologyin the hands of the students andteachers. Nearly every classroomhas a SMART Board, and netbooks have been added. Juniorsand seniors all have net books,while TC’s fifth and sixth-gradestudents just received 25 net booksfor their use. Fundraisers, grantsand individual donors are helpingkeep up with the rapidly changingneeds of technology.Troy Christian Schools is a col-

lege preparatory, inter-denomina-tional Christian school. We are amember of the Association ofChristian Schools International(ACSI). The school was founded in1980 and became chartered in1982 by the state of Ohio as a K-8elementary school. In the fall of2001, Troy Christian Schools Inc.became chartered by the State ofOhio as an 18-month through 12thgrade school. In 2011, the schoolbecame licensed to care for infantsin their newly renovated, moderninfant-care facility.Troy Christians enrollment is

180 for Early Childhood, 269 forK-6, and 334 for 7-12. We have stu-dents from 31 different school dis-tricts and 170 different churches.For more information, contact

the school office at 339-5692, orvisit our website at www.troychris-tianschools.org.

TroyChristian For Ohio Community Media

SIDNEY — The year justended was not very differentfrom the one that preceded it.The global economic downturn,coupled with additionalunfunded mandates from theGeneral Assembly, provided foran even tighter budget.Nonetheless, Lehman staff con-tinued to provide educationalopportunities for students andthe school remained rankedamong the best in the state.What follows is a quick reviewof highlights from the pastyear.Lehman Catholic was again

ranked by Gerber Analytics,LLC., as one of the region’sbest non-public schools. Each ofOhio’s 1,018 state-charteredhigh schools are ranked basedupon student performance onthe Ohio Graduation Tests.Lehman Catholic has beenranked as one of Ohio’s besthigh schools.Mathematics teacher and

1984 Lehman grad MelissaSafreed was named theHarrison Family Teacher of theYear. Selected by the school’sfaculty, Safreed received a$1,000 cash award. The awardwas provided by the family ofStanley Harrison, founder ofBarclays Clothiers in Piqua.Lehman’s Advanced

Placement Chemistry Classparticipated in the Universityof Waterloo Periodic TableProject. The class designedoriginal artwork and created atile for the element Americiumas part of a worldwide celebra-

tion of the International Year ofChemistry. One of a handful ofhigh schools to participate inan effort that included collegesand universities around theworld, the finished PeriodicTable has been displayed atchemical education conferencesand museums worldwide.Thirty-three students partic-

ipated in the Right to LifeMarch in Washington, D.C.They were accompanied by

their advisers Mike and KellyStaudt, Chaplain Father JasonBedel and math teacherMelissa Safreed. The annualMarch for Life commemoratesthe Roe v. Wade Supreme Courtdecision in 1973.The Lehman Pro-Lifeguards

again erected 3,600 whitecrosses in the school’s yard,each one representing one ofthe abortions that takes placeeach day in the United States.

The annual project helps toraise awareness of the morethan 50,000,000 babies thathave been killed in the UnitedStates since 1973.Lehman Catholic’s Science

Department again received theOhio Academy of ScienceGovernor’s Award forExcellence in Youth ScienceOpportunities. In addition to

Lehman ranked amongst top schools

PROVIDED PHOTO

Lehman English Department Chair Barbara Saluke reviews Shakespeare with MeghanEarhart of Piqua, Sean Looney of Troy and Matt Ulrich of Sidney.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 15

the department’s award,science teachers AlanSchulze, Tracy Hall andSister Ginny Scherer, SC.also received Governor’sAwards. The LehmanCatholic ScienceDepartment has won thisaward every year since1990.Sixty seniors received

diplomas in May. Fifty ofthem chose to continuetheir educations at col-leges and universities. Anunprecedented 10 madethe decision to join themilitary. The class of2011 was offered morethan $2.4 million inscholarships and grants(or about $40,000 perstudent). Nine of thegrads were inducted intothe school’s AcademicHall of Fame. Inductionis open to the valedictori-an, salutatorian, stu-dents who earn a perfect4.0 (no grade below an Aon their final transcript),and students recognizedby the National MeritScholarship Corporation.Lehman was named a

Community Blood CenterHonor School for hostingtwo blood drives duringthe year and reachingthe pre-set collectiongoals. Lehman studentsand staff donated 119units of blood. The secondof the drives was con-ducted in memory ofradio personality and1977 graduate SteveKerrigan, who died aftera long fight against can-cer.Lehman Catholic stu-

dents continued to beinvolved within thegreater community.Students can wear jeanson a day designated eachmonth by paying $3.More than $6,000 wasraised during the yearand the funds are donat-

ed to local and nationalcharitable causes.Receiving donations in2011 were St. Patrick’sSoup Kitchen, theBethany Center, HolyAngels Soup Kitchen,Saint Jude Children’sResearch Hospital, SaintLabre Indian School,Covenant House, theMultiple SclerosisSociety, the MiamiCounty Dental Clinic,Elizabeth New LifeCenter, the MuscularDystrophy Associationand Mount Saint MarySeminary of the West.Students also partici-

pated in the Relay forLife, raising more than$3,000 for that cause, col-lected more than 400coats for the MiamiCounty Sheriff ’sOperation Cover-up anddonated several hundredcans of food for the localsoup kitchens.Community service is

also an important compo-nent of a LehmanCatholic education. Morethan 95 percent of thestudents volunteer timeto benefit a variety oforganizations, includingBig Buddies, DorothyLove, Eagle’s WingsTherapeutic RidingCenter, tutoring inSidney’s public elemen-tary school, Fairhavenand the local soupkitchens.The school’s storied

athletic tradition contin-ued. The volleyball teamwon their 20th consecu-tive district champi-onship, the baseball teamadvanced to the regionalfinals, and GretchenWalter, currently runningtrack for the MiamiRedhawks, won individ-ual state titles in the 100and 400 meter events.Retired teacher Gail

Brandewie, 1968 gradu-ate Dr. Kent Caserta and

long-time supporter LeoSteinke were inductedinto the school’s Hall ofFame. The ceremony,sponsored by the school’salumni association, washeld in August.Lehman scheduled our

North Central/OhioCatholic SchoolAccrediting AssociationInternal Review.Following a period ofinternal review and self-study, Lehman Catholicwill host an ExternalReview Team as part ofthe accreditation process.The team will review theSchool ImprovementPlan in which the teach-ers and staff have formu-lated goals for the com-ing five year period andmake recommendations.The school is accreditedby the Ohio Catholic

School AccreditingAssociation and theNorth CentralCommission onAccreditation and SchoolImprovement.The Archdiocese of

Cincinnati continued todefine a unified vision forthe future of Catholicschools in theArchdiocese ofCincinnati. The plan,expected to be completedin 2012, will provide theblueprint for education inthe coming years.Lehman hosted one ofthe visioning sessions.As the economy con-

tinues to slowly improve,we look forward to 2012.The year will provideeach of us to grow in ourlove for neighbor andserve others in Christiancharity.

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Progress 2012 • Page 15

LehmanCONTINUED FROMPAGE 14

STAFF FILE PHOTO/MIKE ULLERYLehman continued its long tradition of volleyballsuccess this season.

For Ohio Community Media

PIQUA — PiquaCatholic School is cele-brating 25 years of out-standing academicexcellence and achieve-ment. In 1987, St.Boniface and St. MarySchools signed an agree-ment to merge and cre-ate what is now PiquaCatholic School. Theschool serves studentsin all-day kindergartenthrough eighth grade.The goal to provide

students with opportu-nities to perform theirpersonal best and devel-op life skills remains thesame. The mission toinstill, maintain andstrengthen Catholic tra-

ditions is at the centerof the school’s heart.“Much of our success

can be attributed to ourteachers,” said schoolprincipal Sister MaryAlice Haithcoat. “It ismore than a professionfor them. It is a dedica-tion to their faith and aservice to God.”First grade teacher

Ellen Grieshop said thebest part about teachingat Piqua Catholic School“is my freedom to sharemy love of Jesus withmy students. That is thegreatest incentive!”Grieshop said she can’timagine teaching in anyother place.It is a passion that

resonates with her col-leagues who average 25years of teaching experi-ence with much of thattime spent at PiquaCatholic. Though theycould be earning highersalaries in publicschools, the teacherschoose to stay.Fifth grade teacher

Lori Williams says out-standing parental sup-port and the never-end-ing dedication of her co-workers makes her deci-sion to teach at PiquaCatholic easy. “Thechance to share my reli-gion with children andsee them grow in theirfaith” can’t be duplicat-ed elsewhere.Piqua Catholic School

is making great strideswith its rich, cherishedtradition of educatingthe spirit. By exposingyoung people to theirfaith daily and a strongvalues system, studentsare growing in theirrelationship with God.Family prayer books,

with grade appropriateprayers, are helpingfamilies work togetherto further strengthenthat connection. Thisfaith formation chal-lenges students toimprove the world. Withthat deepening convic-tion, service to others ison the rise as studentsexperience the benefitsof giving back to thecommunity.“Reaching out is a

way of life for our stu-dents,” said Sister MaryAlice. “Children experi-ence the joy of usingtheir time and talentsfor the good of others.”Last year’s win of a

$50,000 Pepsi RefreshGrant and outstandingcommunity support,paid for a new gym floorand fitness room withyouth-friendly equip-ment. “It helps to fulfillour obligation to ourstudents to educatethem physically,” saidphysical education

teacher Pam Canady.Building the strength

and health of young peo-ple “is extremely impor-tant.” The newly imple-mented before and afterschool fitness programsare “very popular andwell attended,” Canadysaid.“We continue to build

on our successes,” SisterMary Alice said.The new before/after

school program is run-ning smoothly. A com-mittee is conducting apre-school feasibilitystudy. Another group isworking on enhancingtechnology. “We want tokeep pace with parents’expectations.”“We are proud of

what we have to offer atPiqua Catholic,” SisterMary Alice said. “Wewant others to see andexperience PiquaCatholic’s academicexcellence and faith for-mation. We look forwardto another 25 years.”

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Progress 2012 • Page 16

Piqua Catholic celebrating 25 years

STAFF FILE PHOTO/MIKE ULLERYPiqua Catholic is celebrating 25 years of service this year.

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Progress 2012 • Page 17

BY LARRY SMITHBethel Local Superintendent

BRANDT — As 2012dawns, Bethel LocalSchools has a lot ofachievements and factorsto celebrate.

Its 900 students benefitfrom a small, close-knitcommunity that takespride in its school and staffthat focuses on academicexcellence.

Bethel has once againreceived an Excellent rat-ing from the OhioDepartment of Educationfor the 2010–2011 academ-ic school year. On the OhioDepartment of Educationannual report card, BethelLocal Schools has beenclassified as an ExcellentSchool District as a resultof meeting 25 of the 26state indicators for effec-tive schools and meetingthe performance standardsfor annual yearly progressand value-added growth.

The indicators measurereading, mathematics andother subjects for thirdthrough 11th grade stu-dents. The only subjectBethel acheived less thanthe state standard was in

their seventh grade mathe-matics test. Otherwise,their percentage of studentscores were between two to20 percent higher than thestate standard.

Their attendance ratewas 95.7 percent, andgraduate rate was at 96.5percent. Both of these areabove the state standard.

On a scale of one to 120,the performance index was100.2, which is in theabove average range.

Student performancehas shown steady growthover the past three years.

Bethel HighSome of the many

accomplishments of thehigh school this yearinclude the Bethel HighSchool Academic Teams’performance. They made afirst place finish in theCBC League and secondplace finish in the Miami,Darke and Preble Countiesleague competition.

Bethel senior LianaCarsner has been namedas a National MeritScholarship finalist.

Bethel marching bandonce again received a

Superior rating at the OhioState marching band finals— one of almost eightSuperior awards they’veearned over the past 10years.

BethelElementary

Bethel Elementaryfocuses on academic suc-cess for all students,including both specialneeds and gifted programs.Elementary students alsoparticipate in an accelerat-ed reading program thatencourages children toread. Over the past fiveyears since this programbegan, Bethel studentshave recorded readingmore than 50,000 booksabove and beyond thecourse requirements.

The elementary pro-gram also focuses on musicand the visual and per-forming arts. Their effortsto go outside the box canbe seen in the VeteransDay assembly and specialChristmas concert, “APirate’s Christmas.”

Bethel looks forward to 2012

STAFF FILE PHOTO/ANTHONY WEBERThe Bethel marching band received a Superior rating at the Ohio State march-ing band finals.

BY DAVID FONGExecutive Editor

fong@tdnpublishing.com

TROY —When itcomes to replacing a leg-end, Scot Brewer sees farmore positives than pit-falls.“I think it’s definitely a

challenge replacing some-one like Steve Nolan —but at the same time, healso left me in a greatposition,” Brewer said.“We’ve got a lot of talentcoming back and I am tak-ing over a great programthat he built. I really don’tsee any negatives — I onlysee the positive side ofthings.”In December, Troy High

School Principal RonPhillis and Troy AthleticDirector Jeff Sakalannounced they had

selected Brewer to be thenext Troy football coach.Brewer will replace Nolan,who retired last Novemberafter 28 years as Troy’scoach.

“I am extremely pleasedto recommend CoachBrewer to become our nextfootball coach,” Sakal said.“Scot has a great passionand love for the game andfor coaching. He is a highlyrespected member of theTroy community and ourfootball family. CoachBrewer is a terrific coachand will be a great ambas-sador and leader for ourfootball program.”For Brewer, coaching at

Troy is the culmination ofa dream two decades inthe making. Brewer was athree-year starter at run-ning back for the Trojans,rushing for more than

1,000 yards as a senior in1993. He served as a vol-unteer running backscoach for Troy in 1996 andwas the offensive coordi-nator for the Troy fresh-man team in 1997. From1998-2004, he made twocoaching stops atColumbus high schools,while earning degrees inhistory and psychologyfrom The Ohio StateUniversity. He was thestrength and conditioningcoach at ThomasWorthington High Schooland the defensive backscoach and defensive coor-dinator at Saint CharlesHigh School.

In 2005, he returned toTroy to coach outside line-backers. In 2007, he became

the defensive coordinator.Brewer — who resides inTroy with his wife, Amanda,and three daughters,Madison, Izzy and Payton— teaches social studies atTroy High School.“This is a dream come

true for me,” Brewer said.“Going back to 1996 whenI first started helpingSteve, I’ve known this iswhat I wanted to do.Being at other places andseeing how other pro-grams work around thestate gave me some per-spective. I’ve alwaysknown this is it — this isthe place I wanted to be.”Nolan — who won more

than 200 games, eightleague championships andmade 11 playoff appear-

ances as head coach of theTrojans — said he expectsbig things from his formerassistant.“There’s no doubt in my

mind Scot will do an out-standing job,” Nolan said.“He’s a hard worker whocares about the kids.Those are the two mostimportant things you lookfor in a football coach.”Brewer has hit the

ground running. His staffis in place and he’salready met with his play-ers to discuss off-seasonworkouts and programexpectations.“Obviously we’ll take a

lot of what Steve did anduse it here, because it wassuccessful,” Brewer said.“But don’t expect it to be

exactly the way it was. It’smy program now and I’vegot to put my print on it.I’ve got to be Scot Brewer,because I can’t be anyoneelse. Some people may seethat as difficult — I justsee it as being myself.”There is one thing

Brewer said he doesn’texpect to change in thetransition from Nolan tohimself.“It will still be the

same philosophy aroundhere that it was underSteve — success doesn’tcome in wins and losses,even though he had 200wins — success comesfrom building kids intogood people. That’s some-thing that will neverchange.”

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Progress 2012 • Page 18

After three decades, Troy gets new football coach

STAFF FILE PHOTO/ANTHONY WEBERScot Brewer (center) is the newTroy football coach, replacing Steve Nolan, who retired after 28 years leading theTrojans.

Staff Report

TROY — Physicalchanges at the UpperValley Medical Centerincluding a Cancer CareCenter expansion andlobby renovations high-light progress being madein facilities during 2012.

UVMC also is movingforward with its communi-ty partnership efforts withadded commitment to theHealth Partners FreeClinic and has introducedtwo internal projectsfocused on enhancedpatient safety and quality.

The largest projectunder way at UVMC isthe expansion of theCancer Care Center.Construction of the cen-ter’s second phase isscheduled for completionthis spring with a publicopen house being plannedfor late April.

The expansion’s firstphase involved remodelingthe center’s lower levelhome to accommodate asecond linear acceleratorfor cancer radiation thera-py treatments. That areawas unveiled last spring.

The second phaseincludes a new main levelentry dedicated to theCancer Care Center alongwith individual infusionrooms with floor to ceilingwindows overlooking ahealing garden.

“We’ve tried to think ofthe full aspect of treat-ment and planning, withthe patient in mind. I amvery, very excited aboutthe individual rooms forpatients,” said JeanHeath, Cancer CareCenter director.

The new entry will takepatients and families to awaiting room, hospitalityarea and library. Therealso will be a multi-pur-pose therapy room and

consultation room. A kioskplanned for the librarywill allow patients andfamilies to look up dis-ease-specific information,if desired.

The new Cancer CareCenter has been created toreflect a natural environ-ment theme with looks ofwood and bamboo. “Whenthey walk in the door, wewant them to feel warm,invited and take care ofall needs — physical, spir-itual and emotional,”Heath said.

Those visiting UVMCalso will find work underway on a new look in thehospital lobby.Construction has begun ona new UVMC gift shop.The former shop wasclosed in January with aplanned grand opening ofthe new gift shop in thesame location, this spring.A temporary gift shop isopen at the back of thelobby 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.weekdays. Also coming tothe lobby is a coffee shop

to be operated by WinansChocolates and Coffee.

Outside of its facilities,UVMC continues toexpand upon its partner-

ship with the HealthPartners Free Clinic ofMiami County.

UVMC recently con-tributed $50,000 to Health

Partners’ efforts in addi-tion to the $20,000 donat-ed over the previous twoyears. UVMC encouragesemployee volunteers for

the clinic that last yearworked with 1,200 individ-uals and provided morethan 18,000 medicationsto county residents.

“The assistance HealthPartners offers makes areal difference in people’slives and is an importantcomplement to our healthcare system. We verymuch value our collabora-tive relationship withthem, especially in thisera of health care reformand growing challenges,”said Tom Parker, UVMCpresident and CEO.

Internally, UVMC isrolling out two initiativesfocused on enhancedpatient safety and quality.

These include dailycheck-in meetings andweekly rounding by hospi-tal leadership to helpimprove two-way commu-nication among caregiversand care-giving teams.

For more informationon UVMC, visitwww.UVMC.com.

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Progress 2012 • Page 19

Physical changes in store at UVMC

PROVIDED IMAGE

This render-ing shows theplans for indi-vidual patientinfusionrooms in theUVMC CancerCare CenterExpansionPhase II proj-ect. The newCancer CareCenter willopen thisyear.

Progress 2012 • Page 20

BY JIM DAVISStaff Writer

davis@tdnpublishing.com

The name has changed,but officials at the newly-dubbed Miami CountyPublic Health ensure coun-ty residents that thedepartment’s dedication topromoting a healthy com-munity won’t waver.

Formerly known as theMiami County HealthDistrict, the departmentadopted a new, stylized logoFeb. 1, in addition to imple-

menting new phone and faxnumbers.

“It really is kind of a wayto identify us,” MiamiCounty HealthCommissioner Chris Cooksaid of the new logo,explaining how the namechange was timed to coin-cide with a nationwidemovement to raise aware-ness about local healthdepartments.

“The national push byNACCHO (NationalAssociation of County andCity Health Officials) was

to create a national identityto help people — no matterwhere they’re at.”

The new logo helps epit-omize the health depart-ment’s commitment to “pro-mote a healthier communi-ty by enhancing health poli-cies, improving the environ-ment and lifestyle choices,and being the source ofinformation for betterhealth.”

Emblazoned with a styl-ized plus on a three-sidedshield, the new logo pro-motes the three majortenets of public health —prevent, promote and pro-tect.

Outlined in blue, theplus is centered on khaki-colored shield — reminis-cent of the khaki and blueworn by United StatesPublic Health Service uni-formed officers.

“One of the things we’redoing with the logo is wehave a couple of companycars with magnetic logos onthem, and we received asmall grant to provide someshirts and fleece’s with thelogo on them, too, so we’restarting slow.”

So far, Cook said thephone number change does-n’t appear to have causedany problems.

“We haven’t had anycomplaints at all,” he said.“The phones have beenringing just as they normal-ly would, and we have a lotof people who have our faxnumber already pro-grammed.”

Cook said he doesn’tthink it will take long forthe general public toembrace the new name.

“Everyone has a job todo, and we go about ourday-in and day-out withhumble dedication to serveall of the citizens of MiamiCounty,” he said.

“I hope that over time,the public will come to rec-

ognize public health in thesame way that it recognizespolice, fire, EMS and otherservices that protect andrespond to meet the com-munity’s health and safetyneeds.”

Located at 510W.WaterSt. in Troy, the MiamiCounty Public Health Officecan be contacted by phone at573-3500; by fax at 573-3501;or by email at info@miami-countyhealth.net.

For more informationabout Miami County PublicHealth or any of its servic-es, visit online atwww.miamicountyhealth.net.

New name, same commitment to serviceHealth district renamedMiami County Public Health

STAFF FILEPHOTO/ANTHONY

WEBERChris Cookembraces hisdaughter Kennediwhile getting a flushot last year withher twin sister,Preslee, at theMiami CountyPublic Healthdepartment.