FR students show spirit

FORT RECOVERY — From elementary to high school, students are showing their Christmas spirit.
Fort Recovery School Board heard several updates at its meeting Tuesday about Christmas programs and service projects students have completed or are planning.
The board also got an update about the Tri-Star 2.0 project and said goodbye to a pair of outgoing board members.
Fort Recovery Middle School principal Matt Triplett told the board that nearly 4,000 items were collected for Operation Christmas Child. The program, which FRMS has been participating in for more than a decade, is run by Samaritan’s Purse International Relief and collects and delivers shoeboxes of supplies and gifts to those in need.
The items collected at the school filled 120 boxes, surpassing the original goal of 110.
“It’s just really neat to see that pile of boxes at the end of the hallway and the kids talk about that and take ownership of it,” said Matt Triplett. “We were very excited with what we were able to do …”
Principal Jeff Hobbs reported that the high school raised about $2,500 to spend on gifts and necessities for seven local families and other individuals as part of its Adopt a Family program. The school is also continuing a canned food drive this week.
Elementary school principal Tracy Hein-Evers noted that Tuesday will include a variety of Christmas activities. Santa will visit the preschool through second grade classes in the morning, and the afternoon will include making Christmas cards to be distributed at local nursing homes.
Work toward a levy to raise money for a new facility for Tri-Star, a partnership between nine school districts that focuses on career technical education, is continuing, superintendent Justin Firks said. The original goal was to have the levy on the March ballot, but it is now being targeted for August or November.
Plans call for building a $20 million facility near Wright State Lake Campus on the east side of Celina. Tri-Star courses are currently held at six locations — three in Celina, two in St. Marys and one in Coldwater.
The meeting was the last for board members Dave Hull and Amy Bihn, who both decided not to run for reelection. Hull has served eight years on the board, and Bihn served four.
“We’d like to thank you for your dedication to our district,” said Firks.
New board members Mike Grube and Mitch Ervin will join the board in January.
In other business, board members Jose Faller, Ginny Fortkamp, Aaron Guggenbiller, Hull and Bihn:
•Heard from Hein-Evers that American Institutes of Research (AIR) testing went well at the elementary school and was helped by a practice session that was held several weeks in advance.

She noted that Mercer County Educational Service Center curriculum director Karen Rose is spending time this week working with teachers on fine-tuning writing standards and creating checklists for students and teachers.
Hobbs noted that about 15 high school students will retake end of course exams during the first week of January. Retaking the test is not required, but is being recommended for those students who had scores of one or two on a five-point scale.
•Renewed its membership with Ohio School Boards Association at a cost of $3,708.00.
•Approved a contract with Mercer County Health Department for nursing services for 2016 at a cost of $3,713.04.
•Set its organizational meeting for 6 p.m. Jan. 12 and elected Faller as president pro-tem for that meeting. The board’s regular meeting will follow.
•Heard from Hobbs that high school students had an assembly with A Better Life – Brianna’s Hope, a Jay County-based group that battles addiction.
•Approved purchase of property at 415 Freemont St., east of Fort Recovery Elementary/Middle School from Jeannine Kemper.
•Hired Michael Gaerke as the fifth and sixth grade basketball coach and accepted the resignation of Bonnie Kaiser.
•OK’d First Financial Bank, St. Henry Bank and Second National Bank for depositing school funds.
•Set treasurer Lori Koch’s bond at $100,000 with Fort Recovery Insurance Agency.
•Accepted donations of $150 to the choir from St. Mary’s Altar Sodality, $133.69 for books from Carmen Shoemaker and $100 to second grade teacher Julie Winner’s class from Gordon Orthodontics.