School calendar

Most people have an opinion about school calendars. Many adults recall a school year framed by Labor Day and Memorial Day, but memory is not very reliable. I'm pretty sure I went to school through mid-June, in Michigan in the '70s.

The school year in Lebanon starts pretty early--August 10 this year, August 9 in 2010. Mr. Bob Ross will present potential school calendars for the next few years at the October board meeting. He works with a group of people to accommodate complex calendar demands.

Indiana mandates 180 days of instruction, and schools take federal holidays off. Those are the most basic parameters we have. Here are some other questions to think about:

• When would you like to see school begin?
  
• Lebanon currently schedules a one-week break in the fall and another in the spring. What do you think of these breaks?
• How much time do students/staff/families need off at Christmas? Lebanon usually schedules a full two weeks (10 school days)
• ISTEP+ and ECA (End of Course Assessment) testing takes place in late March and April. Students are tested over their curriculum at this time, e.g., 5th-graders are tested over 5th-grade standards. We want as much instruction as possible before this testing date, so there's sufficient time for teaching and learning the material. (As LHS principal Kevin O'Rourke pointed out to me, if school A has 130 instructional days prior to the testing and school B has 150, it puts school B at a big advantage. Like it or not, the consequences of these tests are significant.)
  
• Is it important for the first semester to end before the Christmas break? We want to keep the number of days in each semester roughly equal (this year the Fall semester is 87 days and Spring is 93 days).

I've enabled comments below, because I'd like feedback on these issues. Play nice, please!

"Skyward" at the September meeting

Last night's monthly meeting included the final budget approval and plenty of other news. Here are some highlights:

• Mrs. Sue Hipple, custodian extraordinaire at Central Elementary, was honored as the corporation's first "Employee of the Month." This award will recognize an outstanding classified employee (those who aren't teachers or administrators). Mrs. Hipple is a cheerful, efficient, hard-working presence at Central, and the recognition is well-deserved.
• Will Pullins reported on LHS SAT results. Seniors from the class of 2009 scored an average of 64 points higher on the SAT than the previous year's group. This is a great gain, in a year when statewide scores were flat. We're seeing fewer LHS students take the SAT, but more are taking the ACT.
  
• I asked Kevin O'Rourke to report soon on LHS student results on the AP (Advanced Placement) exams, which can earn college credit for high school students. Bryan Passwater, the LHS calculus teacher, told me that 26 LHS students took the AP Calculus exam last Spring, and 22 of them scored high enough to qualify for college credit.
• Superintendent Bob Taylor reported that a fence is going to be installed around the playground at Harney Elementary, starting this week. The green space at Harney borders Camp St., which carries plenty of traffic. The fence is a safety precaution, and is being paid for out of capital projects funds.
• The board approved Dr. Taylor's recommendation that we purchase "Skyward," a web-based student data system that will replace the aging STI next year. Skyward was chosen after a two-year review of various options. It will expand on the features of STI, and will also integrate functions for food services and the school alert system. Parents should be able to check student grades, attendance, and discipline, and also look at their students' lunch account, e-mail teachers, and update their own information through this one portal.
• Dr. Taylor recapped the situation with President Obama's speech to American school children last Tuesday. The schools did not get much information about the talk from state or federal sources until the Thursday before, leaving little time for planning going into the three-day weekend. The talk took place at noon, when many students were at lunch. After watching it, Dr. Taylor thought it was excellent, and encouraged teachers to have students view it at their discretion. Central Elementary showed the speech as a school event; several other teachers have shown it to their classes as well. Parents have the choice to opt their student out of viewing the president's talk. Community feedback on the decision to delay showing the speech has been mixed. I heard from people on both sides of the issues as well, but more people indicated they wanted their children to see it. If you'd like to view it, here's a link to the video at the White House web site:
  http://www.whitehouse.gov/video/President-Obamas-Message-for-Americas-Students/
• My colleague Dave Herr asked about class sizes in the elementary schools. Dr. Taylor reported that the 4th-grade classes at Harney are a concern, with 29, 29, and 30 students in them, and that the kindergarten classes at Central are in the high 20s, although each of these classrooms has a full-time aide. After Friday's official state count of students (called the ADM), which has a great deal to do with how much funding we get from the state, the corporation can make some decisions about the need for more aides or possibly more teachers.

Thanks for reading! My current question is about the school calendar. What do you think of starting school in mid-August and finishing by late May? Do you like week-long breaks in Fall and Spring, and two weeks at Christmas? Remember, schools are required to have 180 days of instruction, and students are tested on state standards in the Spring (you want as much instruction prior to that testing as possible.) I'll post on some of the factors going into the calendar next time. Drop me an e-mail with your thoughts or questions!

President Obama's address to U.S. schoolchildren

Tomorrow President Obama will address students at a high school in Arlington, Va., and his talk will be broadcast live on the internet. It is being made available to every school corporation in the nation. There has been a bit of a kerfuffle about this, with some claiming the president will try to indoctrinate schoolchildren with his ideas about some political matter.

Today the White House made the text of the talk, which is about personal responsibility and the importance of staying in school, available. Here's the link:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/MediaResources/PreparedSchoolRemarks/

Dr. Bob Taylor, LCSC superintendent, talked with his administrative team and decided not to have the Lebanon schools show the broadcast live tomorrow. Teachers will have the option to show it later if they think it's appropriate. Students will need a parental permission slip to view the president's talk; students who don't watch it will have another educational activity at that time.

Congratulations Mr. Byron Ernest!

Mr. Byron Ernest, who teaches agricultural science at LHS, is one of ten finalists for Indiana's Teacher of the Year Award! Here's a link to today's article in The Reporter: http://www.reporter.net/local/local_story_240020247.html (This is a shorter version of the story than what appears in the print version.)

Here is the announcement of the top ten candidates from the Indiana Dept. of Education web site:

http://www.doe.in.gov/news/2009/08-August/toy_finalists.html

Mr. Ernest is a teacher of tremendous energy, passion, and creativity. We're lucky to have him, and I'm delighted to see him get this sort of recognition. Best wishes to him going forward--it would be fantastic for Lebanon to have its first Teacher of the Year!

(I just edited this post for an egregious misspelling in the title. Gaaack! Sorry!)

The challenge of health insurance premiums

There's an article in today's Indy Star ( http://www.indystar.com/article/20090827/LOCAL0101/908270441/1013/NEWS04/Health+premiums+slam+Carmel+teachers) about the challenges of dramatically rising health premiums in the Carmel schools.

Schools and other public entities are caught in a real squeeze on this issue. Our general fund is completely determined by the state, and of course we want and need to pay our teachers what they're worth. But on the other side are rising premiums. Last year the LCSC received notice that employee health premiums were rising by about 45%. When the board looked at the figures (with our asst. superintendent and CFO Charles Tait) we realized the impact this would have on teachers who are on the LCSC plan. We decided to use about $330,000 from our corporation Rainy Day Fund to defray the additional costs for this year.

Teachers on the insurance still felt it--their premiums increased by about a third. But as my colleague Tom Merritt said in our meeting, "Now they're going to feel like they've been hit by a car instead of a truck."

This year the premiums are certain to go up again. We're not sure what we'll do, but the bind that faced us last year and that Carmel is grappling with right now is not going to go away. It's one of many reasons I'm keeping an eye on the national health care reform debate.

August meeting: H1N1 virus, test results, enrollment information

We got important information last night about the H1N1 virus. Dr. H. "J.R." Servies Jr., the public health officer for Boone County, gave a presentation on what is anticipated and plans for response. Keep an eye on local media as this situation develops. There should be vaccine available by the end of October, but not for everyone. Vaccines will be free, and will be available only at local health departments. Priority groups will include pregnant women and children ages 6 months to 18 years. Here's a web site where you can track this information:
http://boonecounty.in.gov/Default.aspx?tabid=130

Among the "good news," Dr. Taylor reported that Lebanon students passed the state-mandated Algebra I test (called an End of Course Assessment or ECA) at a rate much higher than the state average. The statewide pass rate was 41%; in Lebanon, 84% of LMS Alg. I students and 75% of LHS Alg. I students passed the test! LHS students also exceeded the state average in the pass rate for English 10, but fell short of the state average in Biology.

We got information about enrollment figures for the new school year. The official state count, which is crucial to determining funding, will take place Sept. 15. Dr. Taylor estimates this "ADM" count will come in at about 3320, which is down about 84 students from last year. Analysis shows most of that loss coming in the high school age students, rather than in the elementaries. Of course we're concerned about this trend, although it's not dramatic. I asked Dr. Taylor if we know how many students who had been enrolled at the Academy left the corporation. He said 11 of these students have left, along with a few more siblings of these students. George Piper told me at the end of the meeting that his count for the total with Academy ties who haven't enrolled at LCSC this year is 14.

I asked Dr. Taylor to clarify where we are with numbers of teachers. Last spring 15 teachers were notified that their positions were in jeopardy due to budget constraints. As of yesterday, all 15 of those teachers have been hired back into the LCSC. The net number of teachers is down no more than two or three from where we were last year. (Four teachers were let go for "cause," last year, that is they didn't measure up to expectations and would have been let go regardless of budget concerns.)

The corporation is in the final stages of selling the home built by the LHS building trades program last year. The house is in the Clear Vista addition, is being sold at a modest profit, and the sale should close by the end of August. The building trades students and teachers have begun another house already this school year.

If you'd like to watch the board meetings they're broadcast live on local cable channel 19; they are also rebroadcast several times during the month on channel 19.

A couple new items for the new school year

As we approach the first day of school (Monday, August 10), it's good to remind Lebanon families that there are a couple changes taking effect.

First thing is the dress code. The discussions about "standardized dress" last year resulted in changes to the LCSC dress codes. The dress code was written by teachers and administrators, and approved by the school board. Families are being notified in registration materials, and will be asked to sign either a copy of the dress code itself or the student handbook containing the code, indicating that they understand it. (Like most rules, you don't have to agree with it, but if you don't follow it there are consequences).

Here is the new dress code:


A. LCSC Dress Standards
While fashion trends may change, the reason for being in school does not. A
student’s dress should contribute to good health, cleanliness, safety, and
common decency. It should be non-disruptive and support a positive learning
environment.

Elementary and Middle School
• No open-toed footwear.
• No outdoor coats or jackets to be worn in classes or hallways during school
hours.
• Overall Apparel
o No exposed skin on any part of the midriff or back.
o No articles of clothing can be torn, ripped, or shredded.
o No inappropriately oversized or form fitting clothing. Clothing must be of
appropriate size.
o No attire that may damage school property or cause injury to others
(chains, metal decorations, etc.)
o No clothing that addresses or promotes tobacco, alcohol, drugs,
promiscuous behavior, or derogatory commentary.
o No pajamas and/or sleepwear.
o No headgear is to be worn. All headgear shall be removed at the
entrance of the school and shall not be worn until the building has been
exited.
• Shirts
o No shirts without sleeves. Sleeves must extend past shoulder and not
show underarm.
o No see-through shirts.
o No exposed undergarments.
o No exposed cleavage.
o No plunging necklines.
• Pants
o Pants must sit at or above the hip bone.
o All shorts, pants, and skirts must be knee length or longer.
o No writing on the seat of pants.
o No shorts worn during 2nd and 3rd grading periods.

High School
• No outdoor coats or jackets to be worn in classes or hallways during school
hours.
• Overall Apparel
o No exposed skin on any part of the midriff or back.
o No articles of clothing can be torn, ripped, or shredded.
o No inappropriately oversized or form fitting clothing. Clothing must be of
appropriate size.
o No attire that may damage school property or cause injury to others
(chains, metal decorations, etc.)
o No clothing that addresses or promotes tobacco, alcohol, drugs,
promiscuous behavior, or derogatory commentary.
o No pajamas and/or sleepwear.
o No headgear is to be worn. All headgear shall be removed at the
entrance of the school and shall not be worn until the building has been
exited.
• Shirts
o No shirts without sleeves. Sleeves must extend past shoulder and not
show underarm.
o No see-through shirts.
o No exposed undergarments.
o No exposed cleavage.
o No plunging necklines.
• Pants
o Pants must sit at or above the hip bone.
o All shorts, pants, and skirts must be knee length or longer.
o No writing on the seat of pants.

B. LCSC Dress Standard Consequences
All violations of the dress standards must be referred to the administrative office for documentation and determined consequence.

Elementary
• 1st & 2nd Violation
o Letter sent to parent
o Parent contacted via phone
o Child removed from classroom until appropriate attire is provided
• 3rd Violation
o Parent contacted
o Child suspended from school for one day. Return not authorized until parent participates in on-site conference
with administration.
• Future Violations
o Parent contacted
o Child suspended from school according to Table of Consequences. Return not authorized until parent participates in on-site conference with administration.

Middle School
• 1st Violation
o Verbal warning
o Letter sent to parent
o Child removed from classroom until appropriate attire is provided
• 2nd Violation
o Friday school
o Letter sent to parent. Includes warning that next offense will result in loss of
extracurricular activity privilege.
o Parent contacted via phone
• 3rd Violation
o Saturday School
o Parent contacted by phone
o Letter sent to parent
o Suspension from participation in all extracurricular activities for remainder
of semester
• Future Violations
o Removal from school (Out-of School Suspension) assigned to the
alternative school

High School
• 1st Violation
o All School Detention assigned
o Letter sent to parent
o Child removed from classroom until appropriate attire is provided
• 2nd Violation
o Friday school
o Letter sent to parent. Includes warning that next offense will result in loss of
extracurricular activity privilege.
o Parent contacted via phone
• 3rd Violation
o Saturday School
o Parent contacted by phone
o Letter sent to parent
o Suspension from participation in all extracurricular activities for remainder
of semester
• Future Violations
o Removal from school (Out-of School Suspension) assigned to the
alternative school

Second, there is a new law in Indiana regarding anyone who uses a cell phone or other electronic device to send, or even possess, sexually explicit material (words, photographs, and videos are included). It's a very serious situation, because so many students have cell phones and a small lapse in judgement can result in a felony charge. The following is copied from page 56 of the 2009-10 LHS Student Handbook (the whole handbook is available online here: http://www.leb.k12.in.us/pdf/LHS/academics/handbook.pdf). It also appears in the elementary and LMS handbooks. You should read and understand this, and explain it very clearly to your students. What may seem to them like a harmless prank could have grave consequences, and because it's state law, school officials have little latitude when enforcing it.


Important Notice to Students and Parents Regarding Cell Phone
Content and Display

1. The Child Abuse/Neglect Law requires school personnel to report to law enforcement or child
protective services whenever there is reason to believe that any person/student is involved with
“child exploitation” or “child pornography” as defined by Indiana Criminal Statutes.

2. It is “child exploitation,” a Class C felony under I.C. 35-42-4-4(b), for any person/student (1) to exhibit,
photograph or create a digitalized image of any incident that includes “sexual conduct” by a child
under the age of 18; or (2) to disseminate, exhibit to another person, or offer to so disseminate or
exhibit, matter that depicts or describes “sexual conduct” by a child under the age of 18.

3. It is “child pornography,” a Class D felony under I.C. 35-42-4-4(c), for any person/student to possess a
photograph, motion picture, digitalized image, or any pictorial representation that depicts or describes
“sexual conduct” by a child who the person knows is less than 16 years of age or who appears less
than age 16.

4. “Sexual conduct” is defined by I.C. 35-42-4-4(a) to include sexual intercourse, exhibition of the
uncovered genitals intended to satisfy or arouse the sexual desires of any person, or any fondling
or touching of a child by another person or of another person by a child intended to arouse or satisfy
the sexual desires of the child or other person.

5. The Indiana Sex Offender Registration Statute at I.C. 11-8-8-7 and the Sex Offender Registry
Offense Statute at I.C. 35-42-4-11, as of May 2009, require persons convicted of or adjudicated as
a juvenile delinquent for violating the Child Exploitation Statute at I.C. 35-42-4-4(b) to register as a
sex offender.

6. Because student cell phones have been found in a number of Indiana school districts to have
contained evidence of “sexual conduct” as defined above, it is important for parents and students
to be aware of the legal consequences should this occur in our school system.


I know this is a lot of detailed information (and I'm sorry some of the formatting is such a mess!), but it impacts many LCSC families, so I thought I'd post the chapter and verse here. Thank you for reading! I hope the start of the school year is a time of excitement and anticipation for all.