THE LEARNING LINK
Summer 2024 Newsletter
End of Year staff party
The Board Office held their annual End of Year Staff Party at the end of May
The Staff Party is always a special time to celebrate a successful school year and the hard work that went into it! Staff members turned in technology, had some treats, and joined in on the ESC Raffle for the year.
24-25 Opening day
The 24-25 school year kicked off with Opening Day on August 12th at the Springfield State Theater We welcomed the entire ESC Staff back with breakfast sandwiches, fun music, and open arms! The Board Office Staff tried to keep everyone as upbeat as possible at 7:30 in the morning.
Employees heard from Directors about information and paperwork that would be needed by the start of school. The theme for the 2024-2025 School Year is Culture of Kindness, and Superintendent, Dan Bennett, spoke on his research into this workplace mindset.
In a workplace, a culture of kindness has proven to improve trust levels, enhances performance, communication and relationships, promotes collaboration and creativity, and finally – Employees are happier! You may be asking yourself –“How do we create this culture?”, together we can all work to:
Show appreciation for one another
Encourage work-life balance
Lead by example
Be an active listener
Encourage open communication
Be approachable
On Opening Day you received positivity notepads This school year, use these notepads to write words of encouragement and kindness to those around you. A small way to start spreading the culture of kindness at the ESC!
Thank you to everyone who joined us for Opening Day, we hope you all had an amazing summer break and are ready for a great school year ahead!
WITH ENON
Farm Day
Enon Students and Teachers had the opportunity to visit the Greenon FFA Farm Day in May!
Coat of Arms
Enon K-3 Class made Coat of Arm Shields.
The colorful shields promote a positive selfidentity and pride for our school. All of the shields hang in the group room and when a student leaves our school, they take the shield home! Our Mental Health Therapist, Mark Van Noord, collaborated with Project Jericho on this art project.
New Hire Orientation - Welcome to the Team!
We had an amazing time welcoming our newest team members at the August New Hire Orientation! It was a fantastic opportunity to introduce everyone to the ESC family, share our company culture, and kick-start their journey with us.
Here’s What Happened:
Company Overview: We shared our mission and goals, providing insight into what drives our success.
Meet the Team: New hires got to meet key members from various departments and their immediate teams.
Benefits and Perks: A detailed rundown of all the benefits and resources available to help support them in their roles.
Tools & Resources: Our new hires are now equipped with the knowledge and access they need to hit the ground running
Q&A Session: A lively discussion where we answered questions and clarified details about their new roles.
We’re excited to see all the great things this new group of talent will bring to the table.
Welcome aboard!
Treasurer’s Corner
by Debbie Carson
I hope this message finds you well and that you’re feeling refreshed as we kick off the new school year!
As we settle into our routines, I want to take a moment to introduce and explain our new absence management system: ESS (Employee Self-Service) This system is designed to streamline how we handle absences and ensure that our processes are as efficient and user-friendly as possible
What is ESS?
ESS is an online platform that allows you to manage your own absences, including sick leave, personal time, and vacation days It provides a convenient way for you to request time off, check your leave balance, and view your absence history, all from one central location.
Getting Started with ESS:
If you haven’t had a chance to set your account up in the new system, please use this link: https://ck-ess.mveca.org/. It’s also available on clarkesc.org where the old KIOSK link used to be.
You will need to use the “forgot password” feature, you will get a new temporary password to be able to log in. Remember to use your username that you used for KIOSK.
Need Help?
To assist you with getting started, MVECA has created a quick video that covers the basics: https://youtu.be/OvD3Hm1fwII.
If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact the Treasurer’s Office Debbie Carson and Stephanie Hudson are available to help you with any issues or setup questions.
Thank you for your attention to this update, and for your continued dedication to our school community
Let’s make this a fantastic year!
AWARDS & Scholarships
Excellence in Education
The Larry K. Zerkle Excellence in Education Awards were held in May, and it was a wonderful evening dedicated to honoring Clark County and Springfield City’s outstanding educators and distinguished graduates.
A heartfelt thank you goes out to the graduates, honored educators, superintendents, and board members who contributed to making the event a success. It was truly a night to remember, celebrating the lasting impact educators have had on every step of our lives!
SRO Celebration
In June, the Clark County commissioners recognized and celebrated School Resource Officers (SROs) across the county.
Superintendent Dan Bennett spoke at the ceremony and shared how much our staff appreciates the work Deputy Wheeler does It is great to see our wonderful SRO’s getting the recognition they deserve!
Mervin Britton Scholarship
Each year, the Clark County ESC awards the Mervin Britton scholarship in honor of Mr Mervin Britton, a long time educator of 33 years in Clark County.
The 2024 Mervin Britton Scholarship recipients are Carson Bell, Tyler Pollock, and Avery Beair.
MMR TRaining
This summer, educators from across Ohio gathered at the ESC Board Office for an immersive experience aimed at transforming math education.
Our Math, Modeling, and Reasoning (MMR) Summer Training program focused on:
* Strengthening understanding of mathematical modeling
* Enhancing reasoning skills in the classroom|
* Fostering collaboration among educators and experts
Teachers experienced the first 4 contexts of MMR from a student perspective and enjoyed activities such as building catapults and Barbie bungee jumping.
Please contact the Board Office if you have any questions about future training opportunities!
Pleasant st. s’mores
Pleasant St. Middle School Students used science and cooking to make a creative treat! Using the sun, they heated the marshmallow and melted the chocolate for the perfect summer treat -- a solar s’more!
Tammy Kahle 9/2
Susan Riegle 9/3
Jeff Yontz 9/6
Employee Birthdays
Saundra Gibson 9/19
Terri Burgoyne-Jenks 9/22
Kimberly Griest 9/25
William Powell 9/27
Selena Allen 9/28
Kelly Woodrow Cindric 9/30
Laney Mills 10/1
Stephanie Hudson 10/2
Tina Browning 10/5
Deborah Carson 10/5
Briana O'Neill Posey 10/5
Meghan Montero Rojas 10/6
Sally Henrick 10/9
Aubrey Ludlow 10/9
Shauna Johnson 10/11
Helen Howley 10/12
Margaret Sarensen 10/14
Liza Holliday 10/17
Sandra Winter 10/17
Jewell Hall 10/18
Denise Cupps 10/20
Jeffrey Hawes 10/21
Wislande Hensley 10/22
Sara Neargarder 10/23
Kristen Payton 10/23
Judith Mccreary 10/27
Megan Amburn 10/28
Gracendelle Thony 10/30
Timea Anderson 10/31
Vania Medeiros Horstman 11/1
Chelsea Thome 11/1
Annette Ryder 11/2
Ann Carmen 11/7
Lauren Seitz 11/7
Gyms Jean-Louis 11/9
Junice Onaiwu 11/9
Jennifer Harral 11/10
Public School Works Training:
Cheyenne Mcgough 11/11
Rodolph Paul 11/16
Alexis Hunter 11/17
Jay Fouts 11/18
Gregory Whitt 11/19
Teri Armstrong 11/20
Kelsey Belford 11/20
Rachel Hayes 11/20
Sivan Pardon 11/20
Andrea Tobias 11/20
Shannon Deweese 11/23
Jamie Smalley 11/25
Brenda Cain 11/27
Julie Savage 11/30
If you are having issues with logging into your Public School Works Training, please don’t hesitate to contact me via email at scott.webb@clarkesc.org or by phone at 937-325-7671.
Background Checks:
To schedule a background check, please visit clarkesc.org. If the available appointment times are not convenient, contact our office and I will arrange an alternative time for you.
OH ID Portal:
Please reach out to me if you need assistance with navigating the OH ID Portal. I can provide support over the phone or you are welcome to visit our office for in-person help!