OTSEGO LOCAL SCHOOLS
Superintendent's Weekly Update - August 24, 2018
First official week of the 2018-2019 school year is in the books. We had a great first few days of the school year! Thank you, staff, students, and parents for an amazing start. It takes an entire team to prepare for the year, and I cannot thank our Otsego Team enough. I am honored to be a part of the team and extremely appreciative of the Otsego Community. We all need to take a step back from time to time and be appreciative and grateful for everything we have. We are all very blessed to live and work in this wonderful community and call ourselves #OtsegoKnights
Friday Night Lights are back! Otsego kicks off their season tonight at home against Evergreen. The weather is going to be great tonight. Kick off is at 7 pm.
JH and HS Bus parking - I really need your help with this. There can absolutely be NO vehicles behind the school near the bus lot BEFORE OR AFTER SCHOOL. This is a safety hazard and stated in the law. All student pick up and drop off should be in the FRONT of the JH and HS buildings. From 7 to 7:30 and 2:30 to 3:00 there should be NO parental drop-offs in the back of the buildings. I really appreciate everyone listening. If someone gets hurt, I will be the one who is at fault. This all can be avoided. Where there are buses there are to be NO cars! The diagram is still below in the reminders section. Thanks again for your attention to this matter.
The Board of Education held their regular monthly meeting last night. The highlights are below.
Informational Items:
Food Service Update - Jeanne Jeffers
Summer Feeding Program - We served 1,645 meals between both locations in the 44 days that were programmed. An average of 37 per day.
Garden - The garden is doing really well. We have been harvesting and taking the product to the food pantry in Grand Rapids weekly since the 2nd or 3rd week in June. We had some great lettuces early, which we also used in the summer feeding program. We now are taking cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers weekly. Now that we are back to school we have picked tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers for the school lunch program. I also picked watermelons today to use for the student’s meals. We have green beans that were planted later in the season, which are now in blossom which we should have beans in a few days.
Kitchen Update - We are excited to announce that we will be switching from styrofoam trays and plastic silverware in the cafeterias to washable trays and real silverware. I would like to thank last years 4th-grade students for analyzing our trash usage and negative impact on the environment that our styrofoam trays had. We are excited to be able to reduce our carbon footprint this year. Our trash consumption will decrease significantly as a result of this change. We are excited to announce a partnership with WLI - Work Leads to Independence to help us wash our dishes. wli is made up of several different components, working as one comprehensive coordinated system delivering services to people with disabilities throughout Northwest Ohio. We have been in business since the early 70's and just recently became a fully independent provider of services. wli has always prided ourselves on providing quality services with meaningful results to each and every individual we serve.
Treasurer’s Financial Reports / Recommendations
Please take a look at Steve's August Financial Summary Report - CLICK HERE
A. Approved the Financial Report
B. Approved the 2018-2019 school year Service Agreement with Wood County ESC for Paraprofessional Services
C. Approved the cost settlement for FY19 services with the Wood County ESC
D. Approved the New Fund 200-9380; Knights Have Your Back
E. Approved the salary advancement for Jennifer Wronkovich-Clark from Masters +20 to Masters +30, Emily Eicher from Bachelors to Bachelors +150, Amy Luidhardt from Masters +20 to Masters +30 and Gina Swartz from Masters to Masters +10
F. Approved the FMLA for Crystal Stough, for 12 weeks, effective August 20, 2018
G. Approved all donations to Otsego Local School District
H. Approved a new fund - 451-9019
I. Adjusted appropriations for FY 19
J. Approved the Amended Certificate for FY 19
Superintendent Recommendations
A. Approved Cindy Harter as a long-term substitute at Bachelors step 0 effective August 16, 2018
B. Approved Hank Zeller as a long-term substitute at Bachelors step 0 effective August 16, 2018.
C. Approved the FY19 Agreement with Midwest Regional for Vision Impaired Services and/or Orientation and Mobility
D. Approve the Program Contract with North Central Ohio ESC for FY19 services for the Hearing Impaired
E. Approved the agreement with WLI-Work Leads to Independence
F. Approved the leave of absence for not more than one year for Jim Fouts, Bus Driver
G. Authorized the Superintendent to approve the bus stops for the 2018-2019 school year as submitted to him by the transportation supervisor with authority for the superintendent and/or his designee to adjust the stops as needed.
H. Approved the agreement with The Wood County Board of DD
I. Approved the Program Contract with North Central Ohio ESC for FY19 services for the Visually Impaired
J. Approved an employee leave of absence agreement
K. Approved the following changes in personnel:
Resignation:
Cindy O’Dell, cook, effective 8/15/2018
Suzanne Midden, teacher, effective December 31, 2018
Payment to Mollie Layton for 2018 Otsego University
2018-2019 Supplemental Contracts:
Rhonda Doren LPDC
Bob Furlong LPDC
Katie Hildreth Junior High National Honor Society
Steve Mohr Head Teacher - VLA
2018-2019 Non-Certified Substitutes:
Jacquelyn Leady
2018-2019 Extended Care Supervisor:
Karen Herzberg Extended Care Supervisor
2018-2019 Volunteers:
Brian Carrick, Hunter Carrick, Cody Downs, Jacquelyn Leady, Brandon Svanberg
Reminders and Changes
Otsego App:
We have discontinued the use of our app. Our website redesign that we completed a few years ago is mobile and tablet friendly, making the app not as valuable. We also did not have a lot of downloads and financially it was not worth the investment. Please bookmark our website www.otsegoknights.org to your smartphone or tablet and I believe you will find that it has an app feel to it.
Student drop off and pick up location is in the FRONT of the HS and JH. Parents, please do not pick up or drop off your child(ren) in the back of the building. The bus parking area is for BUSES ONLY.
JH AND HS Drop off and pickup video tutorial
There will be administrators in the parking lots the first week of school to help direct traffic as well.
FAMILY FUN NIGHT - September 14th
Job Openings
The Otsego School District has an opening for the 2018-2019 school year for the following position:
SUBSTITUTE BUS DRIVERS, AIDES, CUSTODIAL, FOOD SERVICE EMPLOYEES - NEEDED IMMEDIATELY on an as-needed basis
Anyone interested should apply in writing to the superintendent’s office.
Send to:
Adam Koch, Superintendent
Otsego Local Schools
18505 Tontogany Creek Rd., Suite 1, Tontogany, OH 43565
SUBSTITUTE TEACHING position applications are handled by:
Wood County Educational Service Center
1867 N. Research Road, Bowling Green, OH 43402
Phone: 419-354-9010
*Substitute Bus Drivers A CDL license is required for any school bus driver.
*The school district will provide the actual bus training.
Important Transportation Information
Elementary Bus Passes: We will no longer be able to accept bus passes for grades PK-5 for your child to ride home with a friend on another bus route. We have seen our transportation numbers increase over the past several years and in order to continue to operate the most efficient way possible, we will no longer be able to accept bus passes in the elementary.
If you have any questions, please contact the elementary school office or Eva Vasher.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Sign up to receive text messages from our Transportation Department!
Using the directions below, sign up for one or more of the notification groups.
You may opt-out any time by texting ‘unsubscribe’ to the appropriate group.
High School & JH Buses (Bus Routes for grades 6-12 & Penta)
Text: @otsbus6-12 to 81010
Elementary Buses (Bus Routes for grades PK -5)
Text: @otsbuspk-5 to 81010
If you have any questions about bus routing information, please contact me at evasher@otsegoknights.org or 419-823-4381 ext. 3156
Important Food Service Information
To better assist our parents, we have implemented an online free and reduced meal application. This will eliminate having to get a paper application, filling it out and returning it to your child’s school.
Fill out the online application under www.lunchapplication.com , just as you would the paper application. Once the application is completed we are notified so we can complete the application process. This will reduce your notification time.
Please make sure you have a correct mailing address on the application, so the notification letter gets to you.
- Lunch Menus
- High School - A Lunch Menu | B Lunch Menu
- Junior High - A Lunch Menu | B Lunch Menu
- Elementary - Lunch Menu
- LunchApplication.com
- Free and reduced lunch applications
- K12PaymentCenter.com
- Add money to your lunch accounts online
Pay It Forward Project:
We will be once again helping our students out with our Food Service Pay It Forward Project. This fund will provide meals to students who do not have lunch money in their account and cannot charge anymore. We want all of our students to get a hot meal every day. If you are interested in helping with this project you can send money into the central office or any of the buildings. Just put Food Service Pay It Forward on the envelope. You can make checks payable to the Otsego BOE. Thank you so much!!
If you have any questions please give Jeanne or I a call or send us an email.
NEWS FROM THE SCHOOL NURSE
Attention Parents:
Students taking prescribed medication need to have a form filled out and signed by the prescribing physician. New forms are needed at the start of EVERY school year. Forms do not carry over from the prior year. It is your responsibility to take care of this with your physician. No medication will be given without a signed form. It is not up to the school to take care of this.
Over the counter medication such as Motrin, Tylenol, Benadryl, etc. is available in the office if needed. Forms are available online. We have had several students in the office complaining of a headache already. This is to help cut down on having to call parents to bring medication to the office or sending children home.
Allergies are in full swing. This can impact your child in a major way physically, runny nose, itchy/watery eyes, stomach ache from drainage, headache…, as well as concentration in class. If your child has allergies please medicate them on a regular basis during allergy season.
Thank you,
Jane Gray, School Nurse
Music Boosters
ATHLETICS
High School and Junior High Athletic Events
Friday, August 24
7:00 - V FB (H) Evergreen
Saturday, August 25
9:00 - JV/V XC @ Norm Bray Inv. (Walsh Park)
10:00 - JV FB @ Evergreen
5:30 - JV/V VB (H) Liberty Center
Monday, August 27
4:15 - 7th/8th VB (H) Woodmore
Tuesday, August 28
4:15 - 7th/8th VB @ Swanton
4:30 - V GG/BG @ Defiance (Eagle Rock)
4:45 - 7th/8th/JV/V XC @ NBC Jamboree (Elmwood HS)
5:00 - V BS @ Pettisville
5:30 - JV/V VB @ Elmwood
Wednesday, August 29
4:00 - V BG @ NBC Shootout (Sugar Creek)
4:15 - 7th/8th VB @ Lake
Thursday, August 30
4:30 - 7th/8th FB @ Delta
5:00 - V GS (H) Rossford
5:30 - JV/V VB (H) Woodmore
7:00 - V BS @ Rossford
Friday, August 31
7:00 - V FB @ North Baltimore
Pictures from the 1st week of School
COMMUNITY EVENTS SECTION
SONLIGHT CHURCH TEAM KID PROGRAM
CORNER OF SAND RIDGE AND ST. RT. 235
BEGINS SEPTEMBER 12
ALL CHILDLREN PRE-SCHOOL TO 6TH GRADE ARE WELCOME!
6:30 TO 8:00 PM EVERY WEDNESDAY
SONGS, SNACKS, ACTIVITY, CRAFT, BIBLE STORY
FUN FOR ALL!!!!!
2018
Rhythm on the River
Sponsored by the Grand Rapids Historical Society
Programs at M.J. Wright Pavilion on Towpath
[In case of rain, concerts moved to Old Fire Station]
DC Taylor
Acoustic Guitar Duo – 50’s Through Today’s Hits
Dudley Yetter and Chris Watson
4:00 p.m., Sunday, June 17
Toraigh
Traditional Irish Folk Music
4:00 p.m., Sunday, June 24
Bliss
Acoustic Rock/Folk
4:00 p.m., Sunday, July 1
Quartet Bernadette
Unique Blend of Jazz, Pop and
Gems from the Great American Songbook
Quartet of Four String Instrument Players
4:00 p.m., Sunday, July 15
Buddy Love and the Coconuts
Fun, Energetic, 50’s and 60’s Rock Band
4:00 p.m., Sunday, July 29
North Coast Big Band
Jazz~Swing Music~Big Band Sound
Director: Gary Keller
4:00 p.m., Sunday, August 26
Ol’ Creek Road
Folk Band Playing Bluegrass, Gospel, Americana, 1970’s Tunes
4:00 p.m., Sunday, September 9
Otsego Swing Choir and Otsego Marching Band
4:00 p.m., Sunday, October 7
Local High School Organizations
Directors: Brien Sewell and Rich Dubler
4:00 p.m., Sunday, October 7
Questions, Concerns, Comments, or Rumors
Sponsors
Otsego Board of Education
President: Elizabeth Gorski jegorski@frontier.com
Vice President: Judy Snyder jasnyder715@gmail.com
Board Member: James Harter jameslharter@gmail.com
Board Member: Mark Tolles mdt814@cs.com
Board Member: Brad Anderson banderson.otsego@gmail.com
Adam Koch, Superintendent
Email: akoch@otsegoknights.org
Website: www.otsegoknights.org
Location: 18505 Tontogany Creek Road, Bowling Green, OH, United States
Phone: 419-823-4381
Twitter: @AdamKoch_Otsego
Lisa Austin, Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent/EMIS Coordinator
Email: laustin@otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381
Lauri Dunham, Special Education Director
Email: ldunham@otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381
Stephen Bihary, School Psychologist
Email: sbihary@otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381
Luke Swartz, Technology Director
Email: lswartz@otsegoknights.org
Website: www.otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381
Katrina Baughman, Elementary Principal
Email: kbaughman@otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381
Twitter: @KBaughman723
Mike Wiley, Assistant Elementary Principal
Email: mwiley@otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381
Twitter: @PrincpalWiley
Kevin O'Shea, High School Principal
Email: koshea@otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381
Twitter: @KosheaOHS
Jon Rife, Junior High Principal
Email: jrife@otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381
Twitter: @OJHS_Principal
Tom Ferdig, High School Athletic Director and Assistant Principal Grades 6-12
Email: tferdig@otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381
Eva Vasher, Director of Transportation and Custodial
Email: evasher@otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381
Jeanne Jeffers, Director of Food Service
Email: jjeffers@otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381
Twitter: @Otsego_Cafe
Rick Haskins, Director of Maintenance
Email: rhaskins@otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381