FR is prepping for first day

FORT RECOVERY — The final preparations for the beginning of school are being made.
Administrators and Fort Recovery School Board talked Thursday about the upcoming school year, including some changes to state testing, with staff administration day scheduled for Monday and the first day for students to follow Wednesday.
The board also heard an update from athletics director Kurt Rammel.
In addition to staff orientation, there will also be an open house at the elementary/middle school from 5 to 8 p.m. Monday. Parent meetings for each grade are scheduled for: 5 p.m. – fifth grade; 5:30 p.m. – fourth grade; 6 p.m. – third grade; 6:30 p.m. – second grade; 7 p.m. – first grade; 7:30 p.m. – kindergarten.
Elementary school principal Tracy Hein-Evers discussed changes to the state’s third grade reading test, which will now be administered in late November or early December as opposed to the previous October schedule. She pointed out that the schedule isn’t ideal as it limits time for remediation if necessary.
To mitigate that problem, Hein-Evers told board members Jose Faller, Aaron Guggenbiller, Ginny Fortkamp, Dave Hull and Amy Bihn that Mercer County schools have decided to also give the TerraNova reading test in early October in order to get results back more quickly. Students will still be required to take the state test, but if they pass TerraNova they will have already fulfilled the “third grade reading guarantee” requirement for moving on to the fourth grade.
Middle school principal Matt Triplett will have an information board about testing at the open house and be available to answer questions. He also plans to make the same information available on the school’s web site at www.fortrecoveryschools.org.
Rammel gave the board an update about his department, highlighting some of his goals for the athletic facilities. Those include resurfacing and leveling the football field, a press box, concession area and restrooms at the baseball field, art on the student section wall at Fort Site Fieldhouse, visitors coaches and press box on the east side of the football field, an electronic records kiosk, a special case for state trophies and a ticket booth and additional storage at the football field.
Rammel emphasized that no major projects will be undertaken at least until payments are complete for The Jerome and Maurice Grieshop Athletic Training Facility, which opened last year.
Fort Recovery superintendent Justin Firks plans to have reports to the board from the technology, transportation and guidance departments through the course of the school year.
In other business, the board:
•Gave permission for Firks to employ substitute teachers as needed at a salary of $80 per day.
•Hired teachers Patricia Lefeld and Dustin Woods and accepted the resignations of teacher Ashley Lavy, building aide Joyce McClurg, junior varsity girls basketball coach Lori Pottkotter and drama club advisor Julie Billenstein. Also approved contracts for Rachel Glass (RTI Core Team), Brenda Kaup (middle school writing club advisor), Lefeld (drama and scholastic bowl advisor) and Billenstein (SADD advisor).
•Approved overnight field trips for the FFA to the Eastern Region FFA Agronomy Contest from Sept. 17 to 20 to Springfield, Massachusetts, and marching band Oct. 2 and 3 to a competition in Columbus, Ohio.
•Accepted donations totaling more than $2,500, including $2,300 from Fort Recovery Community Foundation for the elementary/middle school library.
•Returned advances of $10,000 to the general fund from a preschool grant, $10,000 to public school preschool, $10,000 form Title I Disadvantaged Children and $7,000 from Improving Teacher Quality from the general fund.
•Approved payment of $700 to B&F Rental. Board approval was needed because the invoice came from the fiscal year that ended June 30.
•Named Guggenbiller as its delegate to Ohio School Board Association’s Capital Conference and Trade Show, which will be held Nov. 8 through 11, with Faller as the alternate.