Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Columbus City Schools eNewsletter - June 15, 2011

nnn June 15, 2011

How Are We Doing?
Thank you in advance for sharing your opinion with us! Click here to take the online survey.

2011 Columbus Board of Education

Front, l-r: W. Shawna Gibbs; Ramona Reyes, Vice Pres.; Stephanie Groce; and Carol L. Perkins, Pres.
Second Row, l-r: Mike Wiles; Hanifah Kambon; and Gary L. Baker II.

Click here for scheduled meeting dates, podcasts and how to contact CCS Board of Education members.


2010-2011 COTA Bus Passes
Due to a coding error, student 2010-2011 COTA passes will be invalid after June 30, 2011. For an exchange or to have a replacement pass issued, call the CCS Transportation Call Center at 365-5074 to schedule an appointment. Appointments can be scheduled between the hours of 8 a.m. and 3 p.m.


Stay Connected!
Your school's website provides a wealth of information...
Whether you're at home, at work, or halfway around the world, columbus.k12.oh.us and each individual school website allows you to keep up-to-date with your school's activities, access vital school announcements, resources, accomplishments and access to an event calendar. We invite you to visit often as we're constantly posting the many great things happening in your dynamic school!


Mark Your Calendar!

KEY CCS 2011-2012 DATES
  • Year-round Students Report:
    July 28, 2011
  • Students Report:
    August 24, 2011 (Traditional)
  • Labor Day/Schools Closed: September 5, 2011
  • Thanksgiving:
    November 24-25, 2011
  • Winter Recess: December 21-January 3, 2012
  • Spring Recess: April 6-13, 2012
  • Last Day of School for Students: May 31, 2012 (Traditional)
  • Last Day of School for Students: June 12, 2012 (Year-round)
For additional community announcements - click HERE


City of Columbus
City Provides Free Summer Lunches to Area Children
The Columbus Recreation and Parks Department provides FREE nutritionally balanced lunches throughout the summer months at more than 180 community centers and similar community-based agencies. Last summer, more than 400,000 children were served. Meals are served to anyone age 1 - 18 years, times vary per site. Anyone over 18 who has been determined by a state or local public educational agency to be mentally or physically disabled is also eligible.


CCS to Partner with The Childhood League
The Columbus City Schools Board of Education recently approved a ground lease agreement that permits The Childhood League, Inc. to develop a 4.26 acre site on the northwest corner of the Fort Hayes Campus. Upon completion, the facility will house The Childhood League Center that provides a broad range of early childhood educational programs and therapeutic services for children from birth to age six.



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e-News@columbus.k12.oh.us

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    Congratulations to the Class of 2011!
    It was tassel turning time for more than 2,700 members of the Columbus City School Class of 2011! Last week marked the conclusion of commencement ceremonies for the district's 20 high schools, with each celebrating the culmination of a learning process that began years earlier and will continue for a lifetime. 2011 Valedictorians and Salutatorians: CCS is proud to share the names of the students who earned the highest and second highest academic rank in their 2011 graduating class. These valedictorians and salutatorian made the choice to be dedicated to academic excellence every day, and in every class.


    Summer School 2011: Select Seats Available
    Columbus City Schools provides numerous summer course offerings that will strengthen academic competencies and prepare transitioning students with a firm foundation for the upcoming school year. Classes formally began Monday, June 13; but, elementary- and high-school level seats are still available.
    Daily transportation is not provided; however, breakfast and lunch are provided at no additional cost. Elementary courses are free for currently enrolled CCS students. The fees for current high school students is $100 (no fee for additional coursework) and $50 for physical education. Fees for non-CCS students are $300 and $150 for physical education.

    CCS 2011-2012 School Year Registration
    Is your child a new transfer, changing Columbus schools or entering kindergarten this fall? Prepare for the new 2011-2012 school year by registering early! K-12 parents and guardians can register their student(s) at West HS or the CCS Hudson Street Distribution Center from July 11 - August 5, 2011. Registering early ensures you receive timely information regarding the upcoming school year, as well as access to student health screenings and grade transitional information.

    Three Columbus City Schools Seniors Named 2011 Gates Millennium Scholars
    The 2011 recipients of the 12th annual Gates Millennium Scholarships have been announced, and three of the four central Ohio recipients are seniors in Columbus City Schools. These three students will have all their college expenses covered — everything from books and pencils to tuition, as well as room and board. The honored students are: The scholarship is renewable through completion of graduate and doctoral degrees in computer science, education, engineering, library science, mathematics, public health or science.


    CCS Student Art Display at Port Columbus
    The creative art work of 25 Columbus City School K-12 students is on display at the Port Columbus USO, near Concourse C and Concourse B. Now in its third year, the exhibit is an annual collaboration between the Columbus Regional Airport Authority and the CCS Unified Art Department.


    Construction/Renovation Work Underway at Clinton and Liberty Elementary Schools
    As the 2010-11 school year winds down, renovation of the historic Clinton ES building is now underway with the placement of perimeter safety fencing that will remain until the project is completed.
    Construction activity will be limited to between the hours of 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., on weekdays. The Clinton ES project calls for renovating the historic building to house up to 400 students in grades PreK-5 with a budget of $11.3 million budget. For the 2011-2012 school year, students will take classes at the former Hubbard ES building, at 104 W. Hubbard Ave.The project is scheduled for completion by August 2012.
    Similarly, construction for the new Liberty ES building will begin the week of May 30, just north of the current site. The Liberty ES project calls for a new building to house 550 students in grades PK-5 to be built on the existing site with a budget of $13.9 million budget. For the upcoming 2011-2012 school year, students will continue to take classes at the current 2949 Whitlow Road building. The project is scheduled for completion in the fall of 2012. To ensure safety, the construction site is to be completely fenced-off and secured.
    Click HERE to download the Spring 2011 Building Foundations Report about all of the current Facilities Segment 3 projects!

      CAHS Junior Named National 2011 Bezos Scholar
      The Bezos Scholars Program @the Aspen Institute has announced that Sarah Sinclair, a junior at Columbus Alternative HS, has been designated as a 2011 Bezos Scholar.
      This prestigious all-expense-paid scholarship brings together 24 of the nation's top public high school juniors and seniors and exceptional educators for a week of exploration, dialogue and debate at the acclaimed Aspen Ideas Festival, June 27 – July 3, 2011. CAHS Instructor David Dodrill has also been selected to participate and accompany Sinclair. Both will connect with visionaries from around the globe. Past scholars shared meals and intimate roundtable discussions with retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, oceanographer Sylvia Earle, Twitter co-founders Biz Stone and Evan Williams, and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nicholas Kristof.


    A Brighter Day for Dominion's Drama Students
    Dominion MS drama students will begin the new school year on a brighter note, thanks to brand new theatrical lighting equipment complements of a Performing Arts Grant awarded by Electronic Theatre Controls to the Dreaming Zebra Foundation. Valued at more than $3,000, the gift will allow students to more fully participate in and enjoy the benefits of performing arts education

    Centennial Recognized Nationally as Outstanding Thespian Troupe
    The Centennial High School's Thespian Troupe will be awarded the 2011 Outstanding School Award by the International Thespian Society at the upcoming International Thespian Festival June 20-25, 2011, in Lincoln Nebraska. This award is given to high schools annually whose theatre programs exemplify and promote high standards in educational theatre.Centennial was one of four troupes in the country selected for this honor. Award criteria is based on the curriculum, enrollment, co-curricular and extra-curricular theatre activities. In addition Centennial received award points for its community service and advocacy work done within the troupe.

    Musical Surprise for Monroe Students at Spring Concert
    Unbeknownst to them at the time, the students of Monroe Alternative MS had a big surprise waiting for them at their annual spring concert complements of Fidelity Investments® and the Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation. The spring concert was held 7 p.m., Monday, May 16, at the historic Lincoln Theatre, 768 E. Long St. A group from Fidelity® surprised the music students with an unveiling of brand new band instruments valued at more than $21,000 and included: 3 trombones, 2 alto saxophones, 1 baritone saxophone, 2 flutes, 1 bass clarinet and 1 tuba.

Columbus City Schools | 270 East State Street | Columbus, Ohio 43215 | (614) 365-5000