It doesn’t take an expert to see that as a whole, we are beyond STRESSED; our children are beyond stressed. What mental health professionals are telling us is that the COVID-19 pandemic has created circumstances unlike anything they have ever seen before.

Dear Hornet Families:

 

We had initially planned to reopen school on Monday, February 1^st.  I was hopeful that the students would be back in the classrooms. Unfortunately, things have changed, due to sickness and quarantined staff.   

 

We will plan to reopen Monday, February 8^th.  

 

As always, we want to thank everyone for your patience, understanding, and prayers during this time.   

 

Be Safe! 

Steve Easterling 

Superintendent

We’ve happily kicked 2020 to the curb and welcomed in 2021 with open arms. Now it is time to figure out what we want to make of this fresh, new year. If we learned anything in 2020, it is the importance of self-care and connection for a healthy mind and body. We may still be wearing masks, social distancing, and dealing with other COVID-related regulations, however, the time to get motivated, set new goals, and create joy is now. Students of all ages can and should be encouraged to do the same.

COVID-19 continues to present new challenges, burdens, and consequences in our daily lives and that of young people. A sneeze or cough in a public setting may have once elicited a “bless you,” but nowadays it’s more likely to prompt heads turning with looks of disapproval. For people who have, or have had COVID, they may feel as if they contracted the plague, based on the way others treat them. They may experience feelings of isolation, depression, and abandonment. The stigma that surrounds this disease must end, not only for the physical health and mental wellbeing of those who have COVID, but in order to help bring an end to this pandemic in communities throughout our nation and world.

The Ohio Department of Education (ODE) would like to invite you to participate in a short, 25 question survey about your involvement in your student's education.  Research suggests that parental involvement is a key predictor of positive educational outcomes.  Please send the attached letter from Ohio Department of Education and The Ohio State University Center on Education and Training for Employment.  

Debbie Drummond, a board member at Dawson-Bryant Local School District, will receive the Ohio School Boards Associaton's Veteran Board Member Award at the Association 65th annual Capital Conference and Trade Show on Sunday, November 8th.  The event is being held virtually this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.  

The Veteran Board Member Award is given to school board members in recognition of 25 years of service.  Of the nearly, 3,500 board members in Ohio, only 33 will receive the honor in 2020. 

In its 65th year, the Ohio School Boards Association leads the way to educational excellence by serving Ohio's public school board members and the diverse districts they represent through superior service, unwavering advocacy and creative solutions. 

The Little Hornets Program completed the third year of a five-year 21st CCLC grant cycle.  The attached executive summary gives an overview of the program as well as follows up with some recommendations for the 2020-2021 program.  Please take some time and read the attached summary.