The Panther Post

Fall is here, and we are well into our school year. This Friday marks the closure to first quarter. One might ask, “Where did the past nine weeks go?” We at MT are asking the same thing. Please check out the many well-rounded learning activities in our building newsletters, website, and social media. We are thankful for the ability to conduct such educational opportunities for our students.

School safety remains at the forefront for all staff and students within the district. Miami Trace joined numerous agencies to conduct a Countywide Safety Exercise during the staff professional development day in September. Recognizing the importance of connectedness with all agencies, it was a valuable experience that allowed both immediate and first responders to practice protocols.

Thank you to the many local agencies who participated:

Fayette County EMA | Fayette County Lifesquad | Fayette County Public Health | Fayette County Sheriff's Office | Jefferson Township Lifesquad | Preparedness Solutions, Inc | Washington Court House Police Department | Washington Court House Fire Department

The Big Panther Little Panther Program is up and running. High school students from various clubs who are interested in serving as “Big Panthers” and have a study hall in their schedules complete an orientation process with our elementary administrative team in order to work with “Little Panthers.” Once all procedures are in place, the “Big Panthers” are linked with elementary staff members who have expressed their desire to participate in the program. Reflecting on the program’s implementation during the second semester of last school year, we witnessed the positive impact of The Big Panther Little Panther Program. It is our goal to maintain its operation because we value the relationship building that occurs on all levels.

Finally, Miami Trace and Great Oaks Vocational School possess a Strong Partnership that benefits our student body. At this time, five programs are provided on the MT Campus: Agricultural Education, Career Based Intervention, Construction Trades & Foundations, Family Consumer Science, MTMS Career Based Intervention & Career Exploration.

The Miami Trace-Great Oaks Vo-Ag department recently hosted Fall Harvest Days for all 3rd through 5th graders. This has been an annual event for the district for more than 15 years! Both students and staff look forward to the outdoor learning activities and we could not be more thankful for the time and energy put into this day. All of these programs provide extraordinary opportunities for our students and serve them well into the future.

The Ohio Department of Education recently released the State Report Cards. State report cards are designed to give parents, communities, and educators information about the district. Due to legislative changes, state report cards no longer assign letter grades but instead use star ratings. There is no overall star rating for the 2021-22 report card, but the fall of 2023 will include this measure.

We are extremely proud of the collaborative efforts at Miami Trace when it comes to sharing our state report card. It is our belief that every employee, whether directly or indirectly, plays a role in this evaluation tool. While we have areas targeted on which we can improve, we also are grateful and wish to celebrate the successes.

Vice President, North American Operations at Constellis

Retired Commanding Officer, United States Navy

Retired Assistant Director, United States Marshals Service

"I am a very proud MT Alum. I’d like to think I have never forgotten where I came from, despite living away for most of the last 35 years."

Brought to you by Fayette County Public Health

Cold and Flu season is beginning -- here are some tips to keep your family healthy.

• Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds before doing activities like eating and after activities such as using the bathroom.
• Use soap and water or hand sanitizer that is at least 60% alcohol.
• Cover your cough or sneeze. If you don’t have a tissue, cough into your arm, then of course wash your hands!
• Throw away used tissues.
• Stay home if you have a fever over 100.0 degrees Fahrenheit WITHOUT the use of fever reducing medications.
• Get plenty of sleep! School aged children are recommended to get 8-12 hours of sleep per night.

We hope that all Panthers are having a healthy start to the year. If you have any health-related

questions or concerns, contact your school clinic to speak with any of our nurses.

The mobile app will allow families, students, and staff to quickly access common resources found on our website such as calendars, bell schedules, handbooks, and quick links to ProgressBook, FinalForms, and Student Registration. There is also a section on the app for Food Services which includes quick links to EZPAY, Free and Reduced Lunch Form, and MealViewer. Parents will receive daily communications and event notices, while also having the ability to quickly submit student absence notifications.

The app is available in the App Store and Google Play. Once downloaded, staff and students will have the single sign-on ability via Google using their school issued email address.

Parents/Guardians will be receiving an email (primary email address we have on file via Final Forms) with an invitation from eSchoolview to set up their accounts. Self-registration will begin on October 24th for those individuals who do not received an email invitation.

If you have any requests for additional resources or links to be added to this mobile app, please reach out to media@mtpanthers.org.

We are excited to announce our first Parent Tech Rally. This event will be held on Tuesday, December 13th at the Miami Trace High School Commons. Parents/Guardians are welcome to stop in anytime between 5:30-8:30 PM.

This rally is for parents to explore our various technology applications used throughout the district. We will showcase our learning management systems, Clever, and Google Classroom, which are used by our students and staff daily. We will also have stations for FinalForms, ProgressBook, Securly Parent, EZPay, and Power of ICU so users can learn more about these applications and make sure their accounts are up-to-date.

We will have additional resources for parents/guardians to take to assist their children in leading healthy digital lives.

Refreshments will be served along with some very exciting door prizes - just in time for the holidays!

Hope to see you there!

Mentoring Many

Pam Thornburg serves as Parent Mentor for both Washington City Schools and the Miami Trace Local School District. For those that know Pam, she is a blessing beyond description. Always looking to help out, Pam provides many services to students, staff members, and families throughout the community. Her impact within the homes of Fayette County is far-reaching. Pam provides opportunities for parenting classes, direct support to families, and acts as a liaison to assist families with accessing the many resources within Fayette County and beyond. MT is so very fortunate to have her serving our school community. Pam can be reached at pthornburg@mtpanthers.org. Thank you Pam!

Arts, Animals, and Action!

Students at Miami Trace Elementary School are making the most of their educational experience through programs outside of the traditional classroom. Already this school year, students in grades K through 5 have had the opportunity to attend a concert with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra at the Quali-Tee Design Performing Arts Center. The concert was an unforgettable experience for everyone. The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium will be coming to MTES once again during January 2023 to present various animals, and provide engagement opportunities for our students. Students will also be going on various field trips to local businesses and parks to enjoy all that Fayette County has to offer. Exciting times at MTES!

Miami Trace Middle School has had a smooth transition with the start of the 2022 - 2023 school year. One of our many student focus areas is Social and Emotional Learning. Our goal is to assist students with developing self-awareness, self-control, and interpersonal skills that are vital to school, work, and success in life. One of the ways we do this is through our Panther Circle program. Students discuss various topics, while participating in fun activities and various learning materials on a bi-weekly basis. Students also have the opportunity to learn from others by listening to guest speakers in assemblies. Recently, students discussed “Responsibility.”

Miami Trace students and staff continue to learn and grow together!

MTHS is offering a new Computer Science Essentials course through the Ohio Code’s Scholars this year. Recently students have used their coding skills to create games they can play on their cell phones.

MTHS counselors have been busy meeting students and reviewing their Individual Career and Graduation Plans. Students meet with their counselors multiple times throughout the year to discuss their goals and ensure they are on track for graduation and obtaining their post-secondary goals.

Miami Trace Staff members have made Writing Across Curriculum a focus for this school year. Before the school year started, Dr. Collins shared his writing program that teachers in grades 4 through 12 are now implementing.

Website: https://www.miamitrace.k12.oh.us/
Location: 3818 State Route 41 Northwest, Washington Court House, OH 43160, USA
Phone: 740-335-3010
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/miamitracelocalschools/