nnn April 11, 2011
How Are We Doing?
Thank you in advance for sharing your opinion with us! Click here to take the online survey.
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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.
Mark Your Calendar!
- 2011 CCS Family Survey: Your feedback is important to us. Please share your views about your child's school and the district with us through a brief online survey.
- The square root of success will certainly be found at the Columbus City Schools seventh annual Advanced Placement (AP) Calculus Tournament, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Wednesday, April 13, 2011, at the CCS Northgate Service Center, 6655 Sharon Woods Blvd.
- Seniors to Sophomores
Want to earn college credit while in high school? The deadline to apply for Seniors to Sophomores 2012 is April 14, 2011. - Students from 18 District high schools will perform their original poetry as they compete in the CCS Preliminary Poetry Slam competition Saturday, April 30, 2011, at Eastmoor Academy HS, 417 S. Weyant Ave.
- Col. Museum of Art CCS Family Day: Join us for the Columbus City Schools Day for Families at the Columbus Museum of Art, Sunday, May 1, 2011, from 1-5 p.m. This FREE event is open to all CCS K-12 students, their families, and CCS staff.
For additional community announcements - click HERE
Moler ES Drama Club: The Ruby Bridges Story
Pictured (l-r): Donald Thorpe, Ladarian Wilson, Adam Boualivanh and Paul Ayers as the federal marshals that escort "Ruby Bridges" (Kiyanna Fields) to school.
The Moler ES drama club students recently reached back into history for its production: The Ruby Bridges Story. The play is based on the true story of Ruby Bridges, an African-American girl who, in 1960, at age 6, helped to integrate the all-white schools of New Orleans.
Local law enforcement refused to protect her from the unruly mobs that surrounded her school, so every day she was escorted by four federal marshals - a scene immortalized by Norman Rockwell's painting (inset).
Sitting in a classroom alone, encouraged by her teacher and her mother, Lucille, and with her own quiet strength, Ruby eventually broke down a century-old barrier forever, a pivotal moment in the civil-rights movement.
|  | Spring Recess: April 18-25, 2011
 All Columbus City Schools will dismiss 30 minutes early Friday, April 15, 2011, for Spring Recess and will resume regular schedules Tuesday, April 26, 2011. Similarly, all CCS offices are closed April 21 - 25, 2011, and will also resume normal schedules Tuesday, April 26, 2011.
National Autism Awareness Month: Parent Support Meeting
 In recognition of April as National Autism Awareness month, the CCS Department of Special Education is hosting a special Autism Support Group meeting Thursday, 11 a.m., April 14, 2011, at the Northgate Service Center, 6655 Sharon Woods Blvd. Ann Russell from the Franklin County Department of Developmental Disabilities, will speak with parents about available waivers, as well as Medicaid benefits. The event is free; however, parents are asked to register by calling 365-8642 - provide their name, and the school their child attends.
School Choice/Lottery Result Letters Arriving Soon!
 Columbus City School parents who filed an elementary or middle school-level Lottery/Choice Application by the March 5, 2011, deadline will begin receiving result letters as early as the week of April 11, 2011. The placements are for the upcoming 2011-2012 school year. Result letters for high school were sent the week of March 1.
Parents are asked to sign and return the letter by April 20, 2011, to the School Choice Office via U.S. Mail or in person to the School Choice Office, 61 S. 6th Street, Columbus, 43215. It may also be faxed to: 365-6794.
Click HERE for more information
Come See Us!
Neighborhood Schools Scoring High Marks from Parents
 Many families are finding that returning to a neighborhood school is an extremely appealing concept, particularly to parents who remember a time when most children walked to schools that were only a few blocks from home. A Kindergarten -12 Neighborhood Academic Pathway, also known as a school feeder pattern, keeps neighborhood children together as they move upward from elementary school, to middle school, and finally to high school.
Many parents report that choosing a neighborhood school has provided them more time with their children, at home and at school.
Parent Summit: Building Your Options for a Better Future
 The Twin Rivers Chapter of Links Inc., will host a "Building Your Options for a Better Future" Parent Summit, Saturday, April 9, 2011, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Columbus Downtown High School, 364 S. 4th St. Keith Bell, CCS Deputy Superintendent and Chief Academic Officer, will deliver the keynote address. The Summit will encourage parents to select from varied workshops that will provide information and strategies to assist their children in achieving academic success. Workshop topics include: Understanding special education, bullying, financial aid/scholarships, and obesity/nutrition.
2011 Columbus City School Kindergarten Registration
 Registration for Columbus City Schools, full-day kindergarten program is underway and continues through May. Priority is given to families who live in the attendance area of the school. After September 1, 2011, pre-K teachers will begin contacting "wait list" parents for possible placement. Click here for a list of preschool sites and requested registration documents.
For more information, contact the CCS Office of Communications.
Promises Made, Promises Kept
CCS Continues to Show Improvement on State Audit
For the second consecutive year, an audit of Columbus City Schools, conducted by the Ohio Auditor of State states "no material weaknesses or significant deficiencies in the district's financial statements." The Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 audit shows the district is in compliance with the many laws, regulations, contracts and grants as required under generally accepted accounting standards, as well as state and federal laws. Click HERE to download a copy of the auditor's report.
Columbus City Schools Seniors to Sophomores
Earn FREE College Credit While in High School!
 Compute this...students who take college level courses while in high school rarely drop out of school; require fewer remedial and entry level college courses; have a greater chance of graduating; and could earn more than $1 million more in their lifetime! And did you know that in addition to college course fees, Columbus City Schools pays for all 10th and 11th grade students to take the PSAT/NMSQT® and for all AP® tests in preparation for college? The deadline to enroll in this unique program for the upcoming school year is April 14, 2011.
Click here to learn about your choices and options!
 Hungry? Visit the Downtown Café in the Columbus Downtown HS
The Columbus Downtown High School Cafe' (364 S. 4th Street) is now open on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. through May 12, 2011. (Excluding Spring Recess.) Carryout is available. Call 614-365-2283. Click here for a menu!
 Current CCS Segment 3 Construction & Renovation Projects
Since 2002, thirty-four district schools, serving more than 17,000 students, within Segments 1 and 2 of the 15-year Facilities Master Plan, have been renovated or reconstructed into 21st-century learning environments. Segment 3 is currently underway with 10 additional schools. Click here to learn more about current project statuses, as well as view architectural renderings!
Col. Alternative HS Theatre Presents: "Alice in Wonderland"
 The Columbus Alternative HS theatre group will present Alice Wonderland at 7 p.m., April 9, 2011, in the school's auditorium, 2632 McGuffey Rd. The story, written by Lewis Carroll, tells of a girl named Alice who falls down a rabbit hole into a fantasy world (the Wonderland of the title) populated by peculiar, yet human-like creatures.
Whetstone HS Theatre Presents: "Once on This Island"
 The Whetstone HS theatre group will present Once on This Island, April 9, at 7 p.m. in the school's auditorium, 4405 Scenic Dr. Once on This Island is a story that speaks to the perceived differences between the upper and lower classes and/or between the races. It includes elements of the Romeo and Juliet story. One stormy night, thunder booms make a small girl cry in fear. To comfort her, four storytellers tell her the story of Ti Moune, a peasant girl who falls in love with a grand homme (a great man).
Columbus Middle School Mock Trials Competition
 More than 150 Columbus middle school students will converge at the Ohio Supreme Court's Judicial Center, 65 S. Front St., for the annual Middle School Mock Trial competition, April 14-15, 2011. The competition, for students in grades 6-8, is a two-day event, which teams of students arguing both sides of a legal case; traditionally crafted from literature within the curriculum. This year's case is: Rhode Island v. C. Doyle, based on the book The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi. Through participation in the mock trial program, students will increase basic skills such as listening, speaking,writing, reading and problem analysis. The event is sponsored by the Ohio Center for Law Related Education.
Take Your Child to Work Day 2011
The national observation of "Take Your Child to Work Day", is Thursday, April 28, 2011; which coincides with the administration of the Ohio Achievement Tests. Accordingly, Columbus City Schools will observe "Take Your Child to Work Day" on Thursday, May 19, 2011. NOTE: All participating students must provide an absence excuse note with their parent's signature upon returning to school. |
