Columbus City Schools: eNewsletter - Week of 08.02.2010

nnnnn 08.01.2010 Follow us on ... CCS: http://twitter.com/ColsCitySchools Superintendent: http://twitter.com/DrGeneTHarris 2010 Columbus Board of Education Front, l-r: W. Shawna Gibbs; Ramona Reyes; Stephanie Groce, Vice Pres.; and Carol L. Perkins, Pres. Second Row, l-r: Micheal Wiles; Hanifah Kambon; and Gary L. Baker II. Click here for scheduled meeting dates, podcasts, and how to contact CCS Board of Education members. Back-to-School Register Early for the 2010-11 School Year Parents and students that are new to the district or have moved during the summer months are encouraged to take advantage of Summer Central Registration July 12 through August 6. 2010-11 School Year Calendars Year-Round Schools Are In Session Wednesday, July 28, 2010, was the first day of the 2010-11 school year for students of the district's year-round schools: Africentric Early College K-12, Weinland Park ES & Woodcrest ES. With a balanced school-year calendar, the traditional nine-month, 180-day academic calendar is restructured so that the instructional and vacation periods are more evenly distributed over 12 months. Traditional calendar schools begin classes August 25, 2010. New Vaccine Requirements The Ohio Department of Health is now requiring prior to the start of kindergarten, all children must receive a second dose of varicella (chicken pox vaccine), and the last dose of polio vaccine must be on or after the child's fourth birthday. In addition, all students entering the 7th grade must now have a booster dose of the Tdap vaccine. Contact your health care provider or health department for assistance. Click here to learn more. Four Innovative Schools for 2010-11 Academic Year As 2009-10 school year begins to wind toward a close, CCS staff members are working to prepare new programs for the 2010-11 school year. Inaugural classes, beginning this fall, are forming now! The innovative schools include the: Columbus International High School Columbus City Prep. School for Boys Columbus City Prep. School for Girls Expansion of Fifth Ave. International to a K-8 program The new schools were a levy promise made after reviewing community input and the result of the hard work of the Innovative Schools Task Force Committee, comprised of community members, parents, and educators. Ohio Senate Bill 311 Credit Flexibility: A New Option for High School Students Columbus City Schools provides students four different methods to earn high school academic credit toward graduation: Traditional, Integrated, Applied, and Career-Technical. Credit Flexibility is an additional opportunity for students to create unique learning experiences. Student proposals could include, but are not limited to: Distance learning (online), educational travel, independent study, internships, community service, performance, and field experiences. Click here to read more! We want to hear from you. Please send your feedback and story ideas to: e-News@columbus.k12.oh.us		Columbus City Schools' Vision 2012 and Beyond A 90 percent graduation rate beginning with the members of the Class of 2012 The Columbus City Schools' Vision 2012 is a shared goal of a 90% graduation rate beginning with the members of the Class of 2012 – today's junior class. Superintendent Gene T. Harris has launched an aggressive Operational Plan to change the way the district supports its schools and serves its students. In a nod of support of the plan and of the work accomplished to date, the Columbus City Schools Board of Education recently approved the extension of Harris' contract for an additional four years. Click here to learn more about Vision 2012 and Beyond! Back to School Resources Click here for a one-stop online source to prepare for the first day of school. Information includes school websites, dress code/uniform polices, suggested school supplies and community resources. Click here for the 2010-11 Back to School Newsletter! Come Visit Our Back-to-School Booth! Are you heading to the 12th Annual Heritage Concert Series each Thursday evening or Festival Latino, the weekend of August 14-15? So are we! Come visit our Back-to-School information booth to learn more about our innovative educational programs, our many new or renovated schools, and how to enroll for the upcoming year. So be sure to stop by. We're looking forward to meeting you! 2010-2011 School Year CCS to Host Orientation for Incoming 6th- and 9th-Grade Students August 18, 2010 The first day of school for the 2010-11 school year is August 25, 2010. Columbus City School (CCS) is again easing the transition for first time as kindergartners, as well as students moving onward as new middle or high school students for the upcoming school year with a special Back-to-School Orientation Day. Click here to learn more. Click here for more information about Summer Central Registration. 2010-11 School and Transportation Assignments Coming In mid-August, parents should watch their home mailboxes for a "snap-pull" envelope (pictured) with each child's transportation information, i.e. bus pick-up and drop-off times and locations. This new method allows the district to send families the most up-to-date information. For more information, click here to visit the CCS Transportation webpage. Click here for the 2010-11 Back to School Newsletter. Change in Columbus High School Bus Stops: Maps and Information One of Columbus City Schools' levy promises to the community was to conduct a comprehensive review of the transportation operation to help improve efficiency and operations and to reduce costs. However, at the forefront of any Columbus City School decision is to maintain the safety of our students in all situations. For the upcoming 2010-2011 school year, the district will consolidate high school bus stops (only) to the nearest open CCS building from the student's home. Click here to learn more. Jumpstart to Kindergarten: August 9-20, 2010 A two-week school-readiness program for children ages 4-5; English as a Second Language Services available. Columbus City Schools has something special planned for 4 and 5 year-old children who have not attended a formal preschool or Head Start program and will enroll with in district Kindergarten class this fall. More than 40 CCS elementary-level buildings will host "Jumpstart to Kindergarten," a two-week school-readiness program. Click here to download an application and to learn more! Parents Now Able to View Middle- and High-School Grades Online - Anytime! Columbus City Schools is pleased to introduce the Parent Assistant Module (PAM), a tool for parents (and students) to access grades via the Internet, seven days a week, 24 hours a day. PAM uses secure web access technology to serve the family and increase home-to-school communication. PAM provides direct access to a student's grades, class attendance, and upcoming assignments. Click here for a list of participating schools. Fostering Community and School Partnerships A new School Partnership Registration Process has been developed to encourage a cooperative and easy working relationship with our valued partners in support of the district's mission. Click here for additional information. 34 New or Renovated State-of-the-art Schools Since 2004, 10 More Underway Learning Continues During Construction and Renovations As the work continues on the Segment 3 (and the final stage of Segment 2 of the 7-segment building initiative, one of the largest construction projects in the state, CCS is maintaining its focus on teaching and learning. This segment, to further bring more schools into full 21st-century learning environments, is a $159 million investment: $112.2 million in district funds from Issue 75, approved by Columbus voters in November 2008, and $46.9 million in state matching funds (approximately 30 percent). Click here to read more about your Segment 3 school. Click here to read more about temporary school moves. Are you receiving a pass-along copy of CCS eNews? To subscribe Click here or here to opt out. CCS: http://twitter.com/ColsCitySchools | Superintendent: http://twitter.com/DrGeneTHarris
Columbus City Schools | 270 East State Street | Columbus, Ohio 43215 | (614) 365-5000