Fort principal: 60% of middle school students on honor roll

FORT RECOVERY - Sixty percent of middle school students made the honor roll during the first half of the school year, principal Matt Triplett proudly told board of education members Tuesday night.

"It's just amazing that six out of ... every 10 kids you pull out at random have no Cs, Ds or Fs," Triplett said during the regular board meeting. "They have all As and Bs, and that's just a real tribute to how hard that they work."

Furthermore, 18 percent of the 214 students in sixth, seventh and eighth grades achieved straight As on their report cards during the first 18 weeks of the year, Triplett pointed out.

He spent the calamity day on Tuesday writing letters to the parents of the honor roll students to acknowledge their hard work.

"It's expected at our school district, and I'm very, very glad that we carry the torch that high, but sometimes you still have to say, 'hey, thanks for doing your part in this,'" Triplett said, explaining it's significant that so many students take their grades seriously.

Middle school officials are taking steps to help at-risk students better understand the curriculum and improve their scores, Triplett said. Students needing extra help in math attend lunch-hour tutoring sessions with certified math/science teacher Chad Miller, he said.

Former teachers began coming in last week to prepare at-risk students for the Ohio Achievement Assessments, Triplett said.

Another new program - an after-school tutoring session for students in grades 4-8 - is under way, Triplett said, explaining that teachers sent notes homes to parents of children struggling in various subjects.

The students are getting one-on-one attention from teachers to help them better understand subject matter, he said.

"We have a lot of tutoring, lot of extra things that we're trying to throw at these kids," Triplett said.

Superintendent Shelly Vaughn said any additional calamity days will be made up at the end of the school year. Vaughn said officials may have to uee the three-hour delay option if the district gets more snow or fog days this year.

In other news, board members,

• learned from elementary principal Tracy Hein-Evers the annual Pennies for Patients campaign, a service project sponsored by the student council, garnered $1,758.97 for leukemia and lymphoma research. The district has raised $22,000 for the cause in 11 years.

• Evers also noted kindergarten screening will be March 3 and 4. Signup is required.

• accepted the resignation of Deidra Grieshop as assistant high school track coach for the 2013-14 school year.

• hired Adam Steinbrunner as high school assistant track coach, Christopher Miller as junior high assistant track coach, and Toby Metzger as fifth- and sixth-grade boys basketball coach.

• approved a service agreement with the Mercer County Educational Service Center for the school year.

• approved a one-year contract with Jutte's Landscaping for mowing and trimming.