NEW PARIS — National Trail Local School District Board of Education members recognized students and discussed administrative concerns at their final monthly meeting of 2019 Monday evening.
School psychologist and Special Education director Cindi Bixler addressed the board about the district’s special ed students, saying that about 14 percent of the school’s student population is in special ed.
Bixler said the district is seeing an increase in the number of needier students: ones who require more classroom interventions, as well as access to specialists, therapists, and specialized equipment.
“These are the ones who need a lot of extra help in the classroom,” Bixler said.
Bixler also stated that a lot of special needs children suffer from trauma and various health issues, many of which are related to Ohio’s, and the nation’s, ongoing drug problem.
“It’s affecting our students and affecting their ability to learn,” Bixler said. Many of the special education department’s current efforts, according to Bixler, are focused on building independence in the classroom, with the hope of enabling students to access educational materials without as much support.
Board member Greg McWhinney asked about plans for a Head Start program at National Trail. Head Start programs, according to the Ohio Department of Education’s website, provide comprehensive developmental services to children up to age five and their families who are economically disadvantaged. The program helps preschoolers develop social, emotional, physical, and educational skills they need to be successful in school.
“That would be a wonderful thing to be able to do,” Superintendent Bob Fischer said. “But unfortunately we don’t have a lot of options in that area right now.”
Fischer said that impediments to creating a Head Start program largely come down to space.
“Every room we have is being used right now, and in fact some teachers are sharing classrooms,” Fischer said.
Middle School principal Jen Couch discussed training she and other administrators had recently attended related to interpreting results from standardized tests. Couch felt the training might help identify specific areas where National Trail students are coming up short on the tests.
“What kind of questions are our students missing?” Couch asked. “Where are the weak points where things just aren’t clicking?”
Fischer agreed that this was an area of concern for the district.
“We felt it was important to dig a little deeper into that,” Fischer said.
High School principal Mike Eyler spoke about upcoming plans for seniors to visit the facilities of local manufacturers such as Cargill.
“We have all seniors go, because regardless of whether they plan on going into the manufacturing business, with the variety of jobs these companies offer they might end up there anyway,” Eyler said.
Students recognized at the National Trail School Board’s December meeting include:
Middle School Students of the Month (Oct. 2019)
5th Grade
Own It: Isabella Marker
Be Relentless: Molli Deaton
Complete the Puzzle: Bradley Pepper-Reid
6th Grade
Own It: Keegan Stevenson
Be Relentless: Haydn Davies
Complete the Puzzle: Tayten Reynolds
7th Grade
Own It: Logan Baker
Be Relentless: Nick Brubaker
Complete the Puzzle: Miranda Ott
8th Grade
Own It: Clifton Doolin
Be Relentless: Chase Ruebush
Complete the Puzzle: Josh Welz
Middle School Students of the Month (Nov. 2019)
5th Grade
Own It: Brooklynn Cheek (Pictured)
Be Relentless: Ayden Stover
Complete the Puzzle: Davyn Penly
6th Grade
Own It: Jemma Filbrun
Be Relentless: Liam Conway
Complete the Puzzle: Kori Snyder
7th Grade
Own It: Grant Deaton (Pictured)
Be Relentless: Josh Osswald
Complete the Puzzle: Dillon Graves
8th Grade
Own It: Blake Osswald
Be Relentless: Draken Utley (Pictured)
Complete the Puzzle: Mahayla Zapfe
High School Students of the Month (Oct. 2019)
9th: Elle Jackson-Daugherty (Pictured)
10th: Marianna Palmer
11th: Nick Wilson (Pictured)
12th: Makenna Jones (Pictured)
High School Students of the Month (Nov. 2019)
9th: Trista Hannah
10th: Katelyn Hines (Pictured)
11th: Ethan Crabtree
12th: Maverick Peck
CCC/Southwest District and OHSAA Athletic Honors
CROSS COUNTRY
Molly Skinner – All CCC (6th Place)
GIRLS SOCCER
ALL CCC
Brooklyn Anderson – 1st Team (Pictured)
ALL DISTRICT
Brooklyn Anderson – 2nd Team (Pictured)
Davlyn Werner – 3rd Team
VOLLEYBALL
ALL CCC
Tristan Bowers – 1st team (Pictured)
ALL DISTRICT
Tristan Bowers – 1st team (Pictured)
Madison Hathaway – Honorable Mention
Angel Bowers – Honorable Mention
FOOTBALL
ALL CCC
Peyton Lane – 1st Team/CCC Offensive POY/1st Team SW District/D-VI ALL Ohio Honorable Mention (Pictured)
Coleton Everman – 1st Team/SW District Honorable Mention (Pictured)
