Mission, motto updated

Fort Recovery Local School District has a new mission and motto.

School board members agreed on propositions made by superintendent Larry Brown to revise the mission and motto statements at a meeting Monday.

Brown began the discussion at the board’s September meeting when he noted it had been several years since either statement had been changed. He added language from the “Indian Way” values used at the schools.

He presented two similar versions of a new mission statement, with the choice coming down to clarity.

“Having gone through this process, the more concise you can be, the more likely it is to be understood and shared,” Brown said. He explained he could shorten bits of the statements for school banners and other signs.

The new mission reads: “The mission of Fort Recovery Local School District is to create a culture in which students, staff, and community work, learn, and achieve together to maximize student opportunities.”

The new motto statement, which is a phrase Fort Recovery Local Schools has used in branding and material before, reads: “Better today than you were yesterday, better tomorrow than you were today.”

Before the board approved both statements, board member Greg LeFevre asked Brown if the district leadership team had any involvement in creating them. Brown said it did not have direct involvement, although he was planning to get their input in other related discussions.

During his report at the meeting, Brown also mentioned he’s heard community members voice concerns about the Mercer County COVID-19 dashboard not matching the number of cases as they occur in Fort Recovery.

He explained the dashboard is updated once a week, and Fort Recovery Local Schools notify students’ families as well as post an announcement to the top of its website.

Middle school principal Ryan Steinbrunner told school board members that students learning through the Fort Recovery Local Schools Virtual Academy are doing well. Of 34 students enrolled, he noted, only three students are more than 2% behind in their classwork.

High school principal Tony Stahl shared that the annual choir trip to New York has been cancelled. The high school will not be doing a breakfast for veterans this year, but it will give recognition to those who served and send out gifts.

Board members also approved the district gifted education plan for the 2020-21 school year. Changes to the plan make it more viable for students to qualify, elementary school principal Kelli Thobe explained, giving those who meet the criteria scores in math or reading a chance even if their overall IQ doesn’t quite match the requirement.

“We’re just trying to expand it to provide services and a well-rounded education for all of our kids,” Thobe said.

In other business, board members Nick Wehrkamp, Anne Guggenbiller, Jake Knapke, Don Wendel and LeFevre:

•Hired Tony Homan as a substitute bus driver, Cody Brown as a substitute teacher and Maria Barhorst as a long-term substitute teacher for the 2020-21 school year.

•Accepted donations from the following: $250 from Psi Iota Xi Sorority for the middle school homework room; $385.53 from the Purple Post for athletics; $100 for the band and $1,000 for softball.

•Approved additions and replacements to school policies as discussed in the September meeting relating to various topics, including evaluations of principals and other administrators, protective facial coverings during pandemic events and waiver of school fees for instructional materials.

•Approved monthly financial reports for September 2020 and bill payments.