Technology Summer Academy
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2008 Venice Film Festival
Celeb sightings at 2008 DNC
Home > Blogs > Mason and Kings Schools News and Issues > Archives > 2008 > May
May 2008
Get ready for a car wash
I thought I’d take this opportunity to put the community on alert. The Kings High School Jazz Band and Symphonic Band will have a car wash 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, June 14 in the CVS Pharmacy parking lot, 8872 Columbia Road in Landen.
The car wash will help defray the costs of the bands’ trip to perform at Walt Disney World next January. The trip is scheduled for January 20-25, with concerts performed by each of the bands. About 50 kids will attend, so they need the community’s support to fund this experience. Students will participate in clinics to learn how things are done behind the scenes.
Future fundraisers are being planned by the Kings Disney group.
Is your school group raising money for a trip? Don’t leave us out of the loop! Email me or leave a comment about your school group’s fundraising activity.
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Has Mason CARE gone too far?
If you attended or heard about the Tuesday, May 27 Mason City Schools Board of Education meeting, you know what I’m about to say.
Mason resident John Meyer and his Mason Citizens for Accountability and Results in Education group is getting under the district’s skin.
In case you weren’t at the meeting, here’s a brief recap:
Meyer blasted Superintendent Kevin Bright during the hearing of the public for allegedly not investigating Meyer’s inquiries about resigned music teacher Adam Brown’s alleged involvement with a female student at Sycamore High School a few years ago.
He went on to accuse administrators of promoting a teacher who admitted to lying about serving alcohol to students before he came to the district instead of punishing the teacher.
To go even further, Meyer said he didn’t trust board President Connie Yingling to protect students against such teachers because her son, Ryan, had been convicted on four counts of sexual battery of two children under the age of 10 when he was 15 in 1997.
The straw that broke the camel’s back: Meyer to Yingling, “You couldn’t even protect your neighbors from your own son.”
Among other administrators, Bright was visibly shaken by Meyer’s comments to Yingling. He sat with an open mouth and wide eyes before Meyer said he didn’t know why Bright was surprised at the comments.
Board member Kevin Wise asked for a brief recess to allow Meyer to leave when Yingling cut short his participation in the hearing of the public.
Meyer and CARE member Sharon Poe participate in the hearing of the public every meeting, usually the second and fourth Tuesday every month. Poe, who spoke Tuesday just prior to Meyer, said Mason administrators were failing at the task of protecting students.
Many audience members, who were teachers, students or random Mason residents, gasped at Meyer’s comments and had side-bar discussions about his tactics.
“I am literally appalled at Mr. Meyer’s comments,” Bright said. “I wonder at what point this community will say, ‘Enough. Enough of this stuff.”
Some community members have said CARE’s mission doesn’t match its name. What’s your opinion?
The group claims to be in existence to hold administrators accountable for their actions and to ensure the schools are producing students who can compete in the real world.
What are some effective ways for citizens to make sure school officials maintain accountability to taxpayers and the students they serve?
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Student ambassador for peace
A number of local students are taking part in this year’s People to People Student Ambassador program. Students from grade school to high school can mix and mingle with students from around the world in the program started by President Dwight Eisenhower to promote peacemaking between everyday citizens.
Mason Middle School student Randy Anderson will go to Ireland, England, France and Belgium with the program this summer. The honor roll student won a $2,000 International Merit Scholarship offered through People to People, but that doesn’t quite cover the $7,000 trip.
Read more about Randy and the ambassador program after the jump!
Randy is counting on the community to help him partake in this opportunity. He’s already received some donations and has sold candy bars and cut grass to pay for the trip. So far, he’s raised or won about $3,500.
To donate to Randy’s People to People account, send a check (made out to People to People) to: People to People Student Ambassador Program, 1956 Ambassador Way, Spokane, WA 99224. The check should also include “Randy Anderson” and account number 913936.
Read this story in the Thursday, May 8 edition of The Pulse-Journal Mason edition or read it online.
If you know other local People to People student ambassadors, let me know! Show the community how local students stand out from the pack. Also, send me any story ideas or blog suggestions. I’m always listening…
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Why Go Stag?
Because that’s what the Kings Knights want you to do! Kings Local Schools is hosting a Kings Knights Sports Stag (for men only) at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 21 at Montgomery Inn, 9440 Montgomery Road.
The event, hosted by Coach Andy Olds, will feature former Cincinnati Bengal Anthony Munoz.
Attendees should expect to hear Coach Olds’ plans for the new weight room facility at the current bus garage.
Tickets cost $50 and may be purchased with cash, Visa/Mastercard or checks made out to Kings Knights Stag. Call (513) 494-0100 with any questions.
Send your name, phone number, email and mailing addresses and number of tickets to: Kings Sports Stag, 5159 Riverstone Dr., South Lebanon, Ohio 45065.
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School nurses and bus drivers deserve more
This week is National Nurses Week, with Wednesday, May 7, being National School Nurse Day.
School nurses do more than just slap on Band-Aids and take temperatures. Just ask Julie Muskal, the school nurse at Kings Mills Elementary. She stores extra clothes for students who have lunchtime spills (or accidents); she keeps snacks for students who don’t feel well because they haven’t had breakfast; she performs sight and hearing tests on students; she takes care of KME staff members who feel under the weather. The woman repairs eyeglasses!
Muskal, a nationally certified school nurse, takes time to educate parents, kids and staff members about preventative medicine through various means. For example, the school recently saw a play that demonstrated good eating habits.
When children come into Muskal’s clinic, she calls parents to notify them their child is sick. She takes that opportunity to let parents in on the resources available to them through the Warren County Health Department.
Bet you didn’t know school nurses did all that. Well, Mrs. Muskal is a busy woman. I know. I visited her office Monday, May 5, and watched her treated about 10 children in an hour.
At least 40 children walk through the doors of her office most days. And when she’s not tending to patients, she’s training KME staff to take care of the students when she’s not there. At the beginning of the school year, she gives teachers and cafeteria staff a list and photos of students with food or other allergies so everyone is on the same page. That’s important so teachers can send letters to room moms who bring treats into the classrooms.
Being a school nurse is definitely not a cake walk.
Show your school nurse some love this week. It just might make her day.
Monday, May 5 was Ohio Bus Driver Appreciation Day. Even though the day has passed, there are some things you and your child can do anytime to appreciate your a school bus driver:
- Think of why your driver is the best and write a poem about him or her.
- Be at the bus stop on time so the driver doesn’t have to wait.
- Pick a flower from the garden and give it to your favorite driver. You may want to ask about allergies.
- Draw a picture for your driver to hang inside the bus.
- Be patient when riding behind school buses.
Give a shout-out to your favorite bus driver or school nurse!
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