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Alder parents boost to music and sports programs
Parents of Jonathan Alder students do a lot to help the district. At the Oct. 8 school board meeting, representatives of the music and athletic boosters reported on fund-raisers and purchases. Holly Novak said the music boosters use some of their funds to send students to music camp and provide scholarships. In the 2009-10 school year, they spent $7,990 on various items, including a sousaphone. In 2010-11, the group spent $10,345, part of which covered drums and aid with travel expenses for students making the band trip to New York. In 2011-12, the boosters invested $14,471 in the band, in part on more percussion instruments. Most of the money raised comes from the boosters’ participation in selling football concessions, but they also hold a successful Sugar Plum Lane bake sale during the holidays. One of the group’s upcoming expenditures is aid with travel expenses for the band’s trip to Disney World in Florida between Christmas and New Year’s Day. Speaking about the athletic boosters’ recent efforts, Michelle Kuhlwein said the group created the Victory Bell Garden, provided a storage shed for equipment, and purchased a trailer for the football team to haul equipment rather than take an extra bus to the road games. “And bricks are still for sale,” she said of one of the fund-raisers for the Victory Bell Garden at the football field. The group discussed other ways to raise funds and came up with the Booster Bash, an event that has grown every year, and this year will take place on March 15. Novak and Kuhlwein stressed that parents who have children participating in music groups or on athletic teams work hard to support student participation. Board President Christine Blacka, the mother of a wrestler, smiled and nodded in acknowledgement. “I just wanted them to share with the board and me what they are doing,” said Superintendent Gary Chapman who invited Novak and Kuhlwein to the meeting. “And to say think you for what are you doing for our students.” New Website Doug Yoder, technology teacher at Plain City Elementary, and Jason Polston, art and technology teacher at Monroe Elementary, said the revamped site has been several months in the making. “People have told us they want consistency and want to get to things easier,” Yoder said. “The content will be the same.” The new home page shows four tabs: Our Parents, Our Students, Our Staff and Our Community. One of the site’s sections features photos and bios for the school board members. Similar pages are set up for each teacher. “As a senior project, some of the seniors are helping out on the athletic portion, keeping the pages updated with schedules, scores and fund-raisers,” said Cindy Wolfe, the superintendent’s administrative assistant. “And each club will have its own page.” Other Business The board approved the district’s five-year forecast. Chapman said the big costs are increases in insurance and utilities. “We’re trying to keep staffing levels down, but yet have an appropriate balance for classroom instruction,” he added.
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