Dayton Regional STEM School News and Events: December 2013

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Parent Town Hall Meeting December 17, 2013

Parent Town Hall Meeting
December 17, 2013

The purpose of the established Town Hall Meetings is to address issues and get feedback from parents.   We have 2 future Town Hall meetings scheduled: Wednesday, February 19 and Wednesday, April 16 - both will begin at 5:00 pm unless a time change is announced.

SNOW/PLAN E DAYS
o   We will make every effort to make the decision to call a PLAN E day by 6:00 am.
o   Notice of a PLAN E day will be posted on our web site, Facebook, WDTN (Channel 2), and a Constant Contact email will be sent to parents.
o   WDTN offers "text alerts" and parents can subscribe to DRSS to receive notification by text.
o   DRSS is currently researching and investigating the costs to purchase the "One Call Now" service. In addition to the Plan E day notification, this service could be used for special events, etc.
o   Parents ultimately have the final say as to whether or not to bring your child to school due to inclement weather. A child will be excused as long as the parent contacts the school with that information.

SECURITY
o Monday at 11:30, a 6th grader reported to the administration that there was some writing on the bathroom wall, threatening in nature.
o The Kettering Police were contacted and have been on campus multiple times and will continue to be here this week.
o The administration spoke to the 6th graders separately - then the 7th and 8th graders.
o The investigation is continuing and the matter is taken seriously.
o Teachers have gone through training for evacuations.   The new philosophy is to LEAVE the building when safe (ALICE PROGRAM)- as quickly as you can.
o A drill was conducted in November and the students did a great job in evacuating the building.
o We are not taking this threat, or any future threat lightly.

GREAT THINGS HAPPENING AT DRSS
o   Exhibition Night, Dedication of the new building and Community Partner Awards on November 15.
o   Building was filled with student excitement and pride.

PARTNERSHIPS
o   We are currently talking with Think TV to form a partnership with the school.     More details will follow once the partnership details have been firmed up.
o   Think TV is also working with us on a project with the Newport Aquarium in conjunction with our biology class, art class and our wellness and fitness class. This is sure to be an exciting project.
o   Air Force Research Lab and WSU are looking to create 2 learning facilities on our campus in space that has yet to be developed. These learning facilities will be a one of a kind model, building on the STEM concept. These opportunities are very exciting to showcase our school.

AFTER SCHOOL CARE:
o   In 2009, the board stated that we would provide supervision for students until 5:00 pm. This after school program has grown, and we currently have 3 hired staff people to supervise this care. We are looking at charging parents a minimal cost for this care beginning in the 2014-2015 school year. The board is considering this recommendation.

HONOR ROLL/PERFECT ATTENDANCE:
o   Honor Roll and Perfect Attendance awards will be given out at the end of the first semester and at the end of the school year.

GRADUATION:
o   June 7, 2014 Ceremony at Kettering Fairmont Auditorium

MUSIC PROGRAM:
o   Two former music teachers have approached us with a proposal to offer an after school music program at a minimal cost to parents.   We will be doing a survey of the students in January to            gauge their interests and make a decision to proceed with this program.
o   We have an Acapella music program that was started by the students this year and we currerntly have about 19 students that are participating in this program. The students performed at the              Board Meeting last Wednesday evening and will perform for the student body on Friday.

COMMUNICATIONS POSITION:
o   In the process of interviewing 4 candidates for the Communications/Partnerships position that was vacated by Laurie McFarlin.   We should be able to make an offer by the end of the week.

ROBOTICS:
o   One of our First Lego League teams got 3rd place in a recent competition.

CYBERPATRIOTS:
o   Our CyberPatriots teams continue to do well. One of our teams placed 10th out of 600 teams Nationally. 2 other DRSS teams placed in the top 200.

EXTRA $$$:
o   We have approximately $120,000 left over from the Phase I building project that needs to be used on ONLY Phase I.   We are looking at building some walls around a couple of more classrooms and some other improvements to that portion of the facility.

PSAT TEST RESULTS:
o   PSAT test results went home with students last week.
o   Our students did very well. - Ms. Fisher will have a composite of the results soon. Look for this on our website.
o   We are waiting for the return of the EXPLORE (9th Grade) and PLAN (10th Grade) test results. These will be returned to the students sometime in the new year.

BOARD MEMBERS:
o   A parent asked how board members were selected and if parents have ever been considered for a position.
o   The board is looking at a succession plan for a 2 year or 3 year term.
o   Email Dr. Lewis if you have further questions (jeffrey.lewis@wright.edu)
PARENT GROUP:
o   Parents asked about the formation of a parent group.   As the school has grown, it is good to keep parents informed and involved.
o   A Survey Monkey will be sent out after the first of the year to gage the interest in forming a group.
o   If any one is interested in the start up of such a group, please let Dr. Lewis know.

ORGANIZED SPORTS:
o   A parent asked about future organized sports.
o   There are no plans to have athletics at DRSS.
o   Students are allowed to participate in sports at their resident district
o   We are part of the NCAA Clearinghouse if a student is interested in pursuing athletics in a Division I college.

Sunday, December 15, 2013

Enhancing Costa Rican Education Benefit Dinner - January 14th

For STEMersion 2013, a group of DRSS students (Grades 10-12) traveled to Costa Rica for biological research, conservation efforts and service. During the trip, we visited an elementary school where we met children from kindergarten to sixth grade, all of whom were sorely lacking in regular school supplies such as books, backpacks, pencils, etc. This experience has had a lasting impact on us, inspiring the Costa Rica group and Key Club to host a banquet in hopes to raise money and collect school supplies to send these Costa Rican children the tools they need to succeed academically.

Details:

What: A Costa Rican style meal will be served, courtesy of Christopher's Catering at the banquet

Cost: $8 per person or $35 for a family of 6 (must be immediate family members)

When: Tuesday, January 14th, 2014 from 6-7:30pm

Where: Cafeteria at The Dayton Regional STEM School

Tickets will be sold during lunch and at the school store. Please pre-purchase tickets.

If you have any questions, please contact Faith Ezell at ezell.3@wright.edu or Kate (Cook) Whitt at Kate.Cook@wright.edu

This event is sponsored by the DRSS Key Club, with many thanks to Christopher's!

If you are going, please let others know by signing up for the event on our Facebook page (optional).

Friday, December 13, 2013

PSAT/NMSQT Score Reports Announcement

Dear Parents,

The 2013 PSAT/NMSQT Score Reports will be returned to the students during advisory/study hall on Wednesday, December 11. All juniors were given this assessments, along with 8th - 10th graders who elected to take the test this year. We will explain the test results to the students tomorrow and will show them how to access My College QuickStart - a College Board college and career planning tool. A copy of the score report will be sent home with the students. Please see the attached pdf file to learn more about the PSAT/NMSQT assessment - Click here: Parent Flyer

The EXPLORE and PLAN (ACT based assessments) were given to all of the freshmen and sophomore students in late November. I will notify you when the score reports for these assessments are returned.

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Robin Fisher
Assistant Principal/School Counselor
robin.fisher@wright.edu

"Camping Un-Plugged" STEMmersion Informational Meeting on 12/16/13

Dear Parents of 6th and 7th grade students,

We will be having a parent information meeting on Monday, December 16 at 5PM about our STEMmersion course that will be offered this spring. It is called Camping Un-Plugged and will be a wilderness survival course that will provide the students the opportunity for a camping trip. If you think your son or daughter would be interested in this STEMmersion, please plan to attend this meeting. Thank you!

Sincerely,
Nichole Miller
7th Grade Language Arts and World History

Thursday, December 12, 2013

A Note from Dr. Lewis on Plan E & Town Hall Update

Dear DRSS Parents,

We have said our school is a work in progress since its inception, just 5 years ago. We continue to examine and learn about ourselves and to make adjustments as needed. Regarding Tuesday's Plan E day/cancellation, I offer this explanation and a future change in DRSS's process.

Unlike most school districts, our boundary encompasses many Ohio counties (7). In addition, we have a large number of students brought to and taken from school by parents. As a result, delays have never been in our plan. We make decisions based upon what most of the area districts decide. Tuesday was a conundrum, as the forecast was inaccurate, and measurable snowfall greeted us at morning planning and rush hour. When several larger districts decided to cancel and the roads were worsening at 6:15 am, we made the determination to use have the students attend via the internet, "PLan E". Upon reflection, we really will not have a robust educational day with numerous districts on 2 hour delays and with the chance of "late cancellations".

Therefore, we have decided to call "Plan E Day" anytime a significant number of districts are on delay. I have always tried to make the call as early as possible and pledge, unless really untimely nasty weather arrives, to make cancellation calls by 6:00 a.m.

In addition, be aware that all Dayton media, except Channel 7 (WHIO), will show our announcement. You can sign up to have text alerts from WDTN - and the notification will come directly to your phone. Notice of a PLAN E day will also be posted on our school's Web Page, Facebook Page and a constant contact email will be sent to parents. Finally, we are exploring the cost and benefit of a "One Call Now" system to enhance our effort.

Our next Town Hall meeting is set for Tuesday, December 17 at 5:30 pm. Feel free to join us.

Dr. Jeff Lewis, Principal
Jeffrey K. Lewis, Ed.D.
Chief Academic Officer/Principal
Dayton Regional STEM School
1724 Woodman Drive
Kettering, OH 45420
phone - (937) 256-3777 facsimile - (937) 256-7655

Application Process Questions

Just a heads up, Safari is the browser that works best with the online application, and current students do not need to reapply to attend DRSS next school year! We have seen these questions a lot and wanted to let everyone know.

If you would like to apply, please do so here!

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Plan E Day Today, December 10, 2013!

Today, December 10, 2013 is an Elluminate Day due to the inclement weather. At DRSS, when on-site classes are cancelled, middle school students use PILOT to attend classes and high school students use Elluminate and Pilot, depending on teacher preference. MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS - Must complete the assignments posted on PILOT by the deadline given by your teacher!

Elluminate sessions will be conducted according to the following schedule:

Period 1: 9:00 am

Period 2: 9:30 am

Period 3: 10:00 am

Period 4: 10:30 am

Period 5: 11:00 am

Period 6: 11:30 am

-If you are unable to get into your Elluminate Session, most teachers will have their assignments posted on their Pilot pages, so be sure to check these and complete the assignment they have posted.

-If you forget how to access Pilot, here are some instructions:

Log into: http://wings.wright.edu/cp/home/displaylogin - (Use WINGS to access Pilot, where you will find your assignments from your teachers as well as Elluminate sessions)

Instructions for accessing Pilot through WINGS

Once in WINGS: enter your User Name (w###abc) and your Password
When WINGS opens up, click on the Academics tab
In the Academics area, click on the Pilot link (under My Courses)
Select the course you are looking for in Pilot

Friday, December 6, 2013

Applications, School Tours, and Infosessions Now Online!

The Dayton Regional STEM School is pleased to announce that you can now sign up for a school tour, register to attend an Infosession, and apply for the 2014-2015 school year on our website! Please check out our website, Facebook page, and Youtube video to learn more about us, and please take advantage of the following opportunities if you are interested in attending DRSS next year!

Schedule a Student Visit - One of the unique things about our school is the ability to try it out before attending. We have a limited number of spaces available for students (sorry, no parents) to tour the school for half a day. Students will travel to class with other students and see what a day at DRSS is like, going to the same classes as their student chaperone. Click on the "Schedule a Student Visit" link above to go to our website and sign up!

Attend an Infosession - Throughout the year we hold a series of Infosessions about the school. If you are interested in sending your son or daughter to STEM, please attend one of the following Infosessions to learn about the school and how to register. You can still sign up for Infosessions on January 25th at 1:00pm and March 1st at 1:00pm.

Apply Now! - The application for the 2014-2015 school year is now available on our website. Completed applications are due in the DRSS office by Thursday, March 27th, 2014 at 5:00pm. PART 1 must be completed online. After submission, you will need to download and print PART 2, complete the relevant sections, and submit by mail, in person, by fax, or by email before your child will be considered for admission for the 2014-2015 school year. Only completed applications will be considered for acceptance. First consideration begins after March 27th, 2014.

Crayons to Classrooms Competition

Picture by Kurt Baty (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0] via Wikimedia Commons

Students from Mr. Anticoli’s and Mr. Lydy/Adkison’s advisories have been planning a collection of school supplies to help the local charity “Crayons to Classrooms.”

Crayons to Classrooms allow for local teachers of students-in-need to “shop” for school supplies they cannot otherwise afford.

While you are shopping over the next two weeks, please consider picking up any standard school supplies, such as pens, pencils, markers, 24 ct. crayons, filler paper, construction paper, folders, notebooks, scissors, or glue sticks, and bringing/sending them into school with your son or daughter.

For students, the collection area is outside of Ms. Shores’ room and boxes will be separated by grade level to facilitate a friendly competition between grades. The collection will start Monday and go through the school day on December 20th 2013.

Please see the attached link to find out more information about Crayons to Classrooms.

Thanks so much for your generosity!

Crayons to Classrooms competition information-[click here]

Plan E Day - 12/6/13

Today, December 6, 2013 is an Elluminate Day due to the inclement weather. At DRSS, when on-site classes are cancelled, middle school students use PILOT to attend classes and high school students use Elluminate and Pilot, depending on teacher preference. MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS - Must complete the assignments posted on PILOT by the deadline given by your teacher!