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The Wildcat North Union School District’s Mission is to promote excellence and to prepare each student for success in the 21st Century. Welcome Back North Union It’s Time to……. “ACT LIKE A CHAMPION” The District enters the 2012-2013 school year with our best Report Card in history. North Union is projected to be rated “Excellent” by the Ohio Department of Education for the fifth year in a row. This year our theme is “Act Like A Champion”. We are no longer the little district hoping to achieve, but are building a tradition of championship performance in all that we do. It takes a greater dedication and work ethic to maintain and grow, than the journey to get here. When the final report comes out in August, we might have a chance at “Excellent with Distinction”. All buildings will be rated Excellent and have a Performance Index Score above 100. The district earned its sixth straight year of improvement on the Performance Index Score at 101.4. This data shows more North Union students are passing state tests in the accelerated and advanced ranges. The district has shown consistent growth in our Board Goals of passing all indicators at 85%, passing Adequate Yearly Progress and increasing our rate of accelerated and advanced scores. To review more data, please visit the NU website at www.n-union. k12.oh.us and click on “Annual Report”. Our big change this year will be the conversion to single route bussing. By August 10th, more details and a video for the drop -off loop at the elementary and middle schools will be posted on our website. If you ride a bus, please review the information regard- ing single route bussing. Let me thank you in advance, as we will need patience and cooperation with bussing and traffic flow as we work through this transition. As a Race to the Top district, we will be focusing on the new common core curriculum and the new teacher and principal evaluation tools. Our goal this year is to begin the transition to next generation assessment and successfully practice network lessons in an effort to get our students prepared for the major testing changes coming to Ohio schools in 2013-2014. At this point, the Ohio De- partment of Education projects that only 50% of students will pass these new standards. The North Union staff has already been work- ing on the new standards and revising curriculum maps. This year the middle school has a one-to-one ratio of computers to students to assist the district in achieving “Excellence in the 21 st Century”. We encourage everyone to be a part of their building open house nights and to get out and support our fall sports. Excitement abounds as we get ready for the 2012-2013 school year. GO WILDCATS! Dr. Rick Smith, Superintendent Single Route Bussing To Begin The 20122012----20132013 School Year We will begin single route bussing in August. To move smoothly into single bus routing, bus routes needed to be changed and added. Your student’s bus driver will notify you via telephone of your child’s approximate pick-up and drop-off time before August 15, 2012. If you have not received a phone call by August 15th, please call the Director of Transportation, Brian Nauman, at (740)943-2893. Listed below are the new school hours for each building. All buildings will open at 7:25 AM for student drop-off. Thank you for your cooperation in helping make this as smooth as possible. NEW BUILDING HOURS Elementary School 8:00 AMAM————3:003:00 PM Middle School 7:50 AMAM————2:502:50 PM High School 7:40 AMAM————2:402:40 PM Please remember to visit the NU website at www.nwww.n----union.k12.oh.usunion.k12.oh.us to review your student’s building bell schedule. Bell schedules will be updated by August 2, 2012. The Wildcat School Bus Policies and Safety All parents are reminded to provide the homeroom teacher with a written note when an elementary student will not be riding on the school bus at dismissal time. Our bus capacities are limited, so we cannot accommodate requests to ride on a bus not regularly assigned to a student. Students will not be permitted to leave the bus at any other time than in front of the home or assigned drop-off unless a signed note from the parent is presented to the teacher. All bus students have assigned seats. No food or beverages are to be consumed on the buses. No glass containers are allowed on buses. Cell phones are not permitted to be used on busses without bus driver’s permission. A school bus’s yellow flashing lights mean the bus is preparing to stop. The red flashing light indicates that the bus has stopped. Per Ohio law, motorists following or approaching a bus on a 2-lane highway are required to stop at least 10 feet from the bus. Busses are equipped with video cameras to enhance safety. 20122012----20132013 Fees and Lunch Prices The 2012-2013 school fees have CAFETERIA POLICIES been approved by the North Union As per law, no food or beverages FREE AND REDUCED Board of Education and are are to be sold to students during LUNCH APPLICATIONS payable at the beginning of the school time including lunch periods school year. Our district attempts except in the school cafeteria. (This Federal law requires that every student and parent to keep fee amounts at a minimum includes bake sales, candy sales, receives the letter and application form for free and so that families of our students do etc.) Students in grades K-12 may reduced lunches. This form should be completed not incur undue financial select either white milk or immediately if you feel your child (children) can hardship. chocolate milk. Students in grades qualify for participation in this program. Parents will be notified of approval or denial by letter. Parents K-12 may refuse up to two items must reapply every year. Applications from the (as per federal law on the Type A 2011-2012 school year will only be valid the first plate lunch). There is no reduction thirty days of the 2012-2013 school year. in price. No lunch charges are permitted at the High School or It is extremely important to the school and your fam- Middle School. ily to apply for free or reduced lunch benefits if you are eligible. A higher number of free and reduced lunches means extra reimbursement rate and commodity offerings to the district, therefore holding our costs down somewhat. At times, we may even be ELEMENTARY FEES: able to obtain additional savings on equipment purchases for our cafeteria with larger numbers of Kindergarten -5th Grade: $37.00 free and reduced lunch participants. We need you if you qualify! Our lunches are nutritious for your stu- dent(s)! MIDDLE SCHOOL FEES: BREAKFAST PROGRAM OFFERED AT Art $ 10.00 SCHOOL LUNCH PRICES ALL BUILDINGS 6th Gr. Math Journal $ 20.25 Those students wishing to participate in the breakfast Technology Fee $ 10.00 The lunch prices for the 2012-2013 program can do so for $1.25 per student, or 25 cents Agenda Fee $ 2.80 school year are as follows: for reduced lunch students. Please remember, if your child qualifies for free lunches, they also 7/8 Gateway to Tech. $ 5.00 qualify for free breakfast. Those students wishing 6th Gateway to Tech. $ 3.00 Elementary Students breakfast may be discharged from their busses upon $2.50 arrival. All other students shall remain on the busses Grades 9-12 fees are dependent HS/MS Students until the appropriate time for school to begin. on student’s schedule of courses. $2.75 You will receive information from Adults Anyone with questions can contact the cafeteria su- the high school regarding these $3.50 pervisor , Bev Wasserbeck, at (740) 943-3113 ext. 1754. fees. Parking permit fee is $7.00. Student Breakfast $1.25 Extra-curricular Fee $30. The Wildcat North Union Local School District Services Please feel free to contact your school Website Delays/Cancellations about services available.Services include: North Union offers a web site on the internet for the It is the policy of North Union Preschool Plus convenience of our students and their parents. The log- Schools to delay classes or close This program provides two full days of in address for this website is: school at any time when it is instruction and/or itinerant services to 3- www.n-union.k12.oh.us determined that the safety/health of Board policies are accessible to the public under the and 4-year old youngsters with special students is in question. This includes link for the Board of Education. In addition, the Stu- needs. Contact Mrs. Heather Hawkins, dent/Parent Handbook may be accessed under the stu- severe fog, unsafe roads due to ice/ Program Teacher, at (740) 943-3113 for dent or parent links. Links are included to web pages snow, tornadoes,contagious illnesses- more information. created by teachers to include homework and other epidemic, or a major utility problem ProgressBook useful information. at the school. Announcements are Teachers in the district will utilize the EZpay System made as early as possible, however, ProgressBook program to post assign- NULS has the EZpay online payment system available. unpredictable situations could occur ments, homework, and student progress With this system, school payments for lunches or fees which could cause a late (grades) to a secure website so that par- can be processed with any Visa or Master card.