School Supply lists, for Preschool - 8th Grade, for the school year 2018/2019 are attached. Refer to the grade your child will be entering for your supply list.

Our EMS volleyball teams played in the Ross Middle School Summer Tournament. The 7th grade finished 5th out of 9 teams, and the 8th grade won their tournament beating Springboro in 2 sets. Great job ladies!

Mandatory practices for EMS football will begin on MONDAY, JULY 30, 2018 from 8:00-10:15 am. Practice will be held at field behind Edgewood Elementary School. Practices will run MONDAY-FRIDAY, July 30 - August 10. Our after school practices will begin on MONDAY, AUGUST 13 from 2:30-4:15 pm. All student-athletes participating in EMS FOOTBALL must have a valid physical on file before they can begin practice. In addition all parents/guardians of our EMS football players must access FINAL FORMS (link provided below) and complete forms online as soon as possible. A mandatory Fall Parent meeting for any athlete and parent in grades 7-12 will be held on August 6 at 6:30 pm in the Edgewood High School gymnasium. Fall athletic fee and any school fees can be paid after the meeting in the EHS cafeteria. Any questions regarding EMS FOOTBALL should be directed to KEVIN MCDONELL at kevin.mcdonell@edgewoodschools.net

A special event has been planned for Sunday, August 19 to raise money for a scholarship that will be awarded to a local student who has lost a parent or guardian. Details about this Scholarship Scramble are provided in the attached document along with a phone number for more information.

A FREE Mental Health Series, hosted by Fairfield City Schools, is open to all parents and adults who work with youth in our community. This event is scheduled on September 13. It includes dinner along with a presentation on Anxiety and Depression. Please refer to the attached flyer for location and time.

Kelsie Chasteen, Kaya Davis, and Kierstyn Kuhn, spent 6 days in Dallas, Texas to participate and compete at the 41st HOSA International Leadership Conference. Our students traveled with a group of 44 ILC qualifiers from three other Butler Tech/HOSA chapters (Lakota East, Lakota West & the Bioscience Center). This year's conference was attended by over 10,000 student competitors and advisors from across the globe. Our students competed in the Health Care Issues Exam, attended multiple symposiums, participated in a presentation by the US Surgeon General, and visited some of Dallas's historical sites and museums. It was an incredible learning and networking experience. We are proud of how well they represented Edgewood High School and our local HOSA chapter!

The Edgewood Athletic Booster Association presented two generous donations at the June 25 Board of Education meeting. A $10,000 check was presented by Tom Miller, Vice President, and Lisa Whiles, Treasurer, from the Athletic Booster Association, to Gary Gabbard, Board President. This check was the final payment, of a ten year commitment, for the Kumler Turf Field project. In total, the Athletic Boosters contributed $100,000 to this project. “We were pleased to be a part of that purchase and know how much having a state of the art surface to play on makes with our athletes”, said Lisa Whiles. A second donation was presented totaling $37,268 for the benefit of Edgewood student athletes and academic team members. This donation will be divided among the students who participate on a sport or academic team during the school year. The funds are allocated on a per-student amount, and will be deposited to the Team Accounts. The funds will be used towards camps, uniforms, supplies, and other needs. Edgewood Athletic Booster Association also awards college scholarships annually. The grand total of all financial support provided this year by the Edgewood Athletic Boosters was $52,268. Whiles stated, “We are pleased to be able to provide these gifts to our students and hope to continue to do so for many years to come”. Edgewood is truly blessed to have such an amazing Athletic Booster Association. Your dedication, hard work, fundraising efforts, and outstanding commitment makes a huge impact on our student athletes and academic team members experience. Thank You for you all you do for Edgewood!

To our Edgewood staff and families, I spoke to Sheriff Richard Jones, from the Butler County Sheriff Office, this morning, June 28. During our discussion, Sheriff Jones inquired about our plans to arm school personnel. I shared that we are discussing the training involved for certain staff members to carry firearms on school premises. As you may be aware, our Board passed a resolution in July 2013 to allow for trained staff members to carry firearms on school property. This resolution is attached for your reference. We expect more discussion on this topic at future Board meetings. I also informed Sheriff Jones that we are actively investigating the costs of metal detectors.

Our district continues to actively respond to our community’s demand to make our schools safe. Within the last week, our district along with at least six other districts in Butler County, expressed interest in joining a proposed county school financing district (CSFD) that could provide an alternative funding source for school safety and security. As a member of the CSFD, Edgewood City Schools would be permitted to participate in a county-wide tax levy exclusively for school safety, security, and mental health services. Superintendent Russ Fussnecker and Treasurer Randy Stiver will discuss the proposal at the next Board of Education meeting on Monday, June 25. They will ask for approval of a resolution to join the CSFD – a required first step in the process. If the Edgewood board approves, voters can expect to see a 10-year, 1.5-mill county-wide levy on the November 6 ballot. Levy proceeds would benefit only those school districts that vote to participate in the CSFD. Ohio Senate Bill 226 gives educational service centers the authorization to create the CSFD. Butler County would be the second in Ohio to use the new law, which took effect March 30. Stark County ESC has a levy on the August special election ballot. We invite our Edgewood families, staff, and community members to attend Monday’s meeting to learn more about this opportunity. The Board meeting will take place in the Heritage Room at Edgewood High School. The meeting starts at 6:00 p.m.

The attached press release was issued from the Bulter County Educational Service Center on June 18. This release explains how a new Ohio tax law permits educational service centers to create "county school financing districts (CSFD)" allowing them to levy a countywide tax exclusively for school safety, security, and mental health services. Edgewood, along with many other districts in Butler County have expressed an interest in participating in the CSFD.

Please be aware, repair work has been scheduled to take place over the next couple of weeks in our Edgewood High School gym and in our newer Edgewood Middle School gym. While this work is underway, these gyms will not be available for use on the following dates: EHS gym- Closed Thursday, June 21 through Monday, July 9 EMS gym (adjacent to Cougar Lobby) - Closed from Thursday, June 28- Monday, August 13 (these dates were updated on 6/19) We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. If you have any questions, please contact John Thomas at: john.thomas@edgewoodschools.net. Thank you for your patience while this work is being completed.

Nick Hobson, Rance Hickman, and Allen Burton recently earned their Eagle Scout rank. Nick earned this rank by designing and building a rolling gear rack for the Seven Mile Volunteer Fire Department. The rack will house the fire fighters' protective gear so they can easily access their equipment when responding to an emergency call. Rance earned his rank by building a storage supply unit for the Art Central Foundation. This unit will provide the Foundation with a place to store supplies as well as a place for students to dry their pottery. Allen's project consisted of building easels for the Butler County Fair. Only 4% of Scouts earn the rank of Eagle. Eagles must earn 21 badges that range from camping to cooking to lifesaving or emergency preparedness. Congratulations to these 3 young men on their outstanding accomplishment!

Earlier this spring, Mr. Ben Johnson's AP Biology class visited several sites in Chicago, including: the collections at the Field Museum, the Shedd Aquarium, and the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry.

Did you know this date has been designated as our Flag's birthday? Although the Fourth of July celebrates America's birthday, the idea of an annual day specifically intended to celebrate our Flag, originated in 1885, by a Wisconsin schoolteacher, BJ Cigrand. The effort of this schoolteacher, along with other over the decades, led to June 14 being designated as the anniversary of the Flag Resolution of 1777- the date when the "Stars and Stripes" were officially adopted as the flag of the USA!

This year's commencement ceremony was held on Saturday, May 26 at Millett Hall, in Oxford. 298 seniors received their diploma that day. We wish each of our graduates great success and happiness in whatever you pursue. Always remember, #OnceACoug.... always a Coug! Check out all the photos from graduation.

On May 25, the last day of school, the Trenton Police Department recognized the 2018 "Character Spotlight Award" winners from the 1st Grade Class at Babeck Early Childhood Center. Congratulations to Jocelyn Baker and Benny Tyler for winning the Trenton PD’s 2018 “Character Spotlight Award.” We would also like to congratulate Josie Witt, Tanner Oaks, Emma Joseph, Victoria Anglin, Gigi Jennings, and Emma Kellett for being nominated for the award by their teachers. This is the third year that Trenton PD has partnered with Babeck Elementary for the "Character Spotlight Award" for a first grader. This award is presented to a student who best demonstrated the characteristics of the Trenton Police Department's Mission Statement throughout the 2017-2018 school year. Each first grade teacher was asked to choose a student in their class that they felt met these criteria and to submit a letter of recommendation, and TPD staff votes on the winners. Newport Aquarium donated tickets for each child as prizes for the third year in a row – thank you Newport Aquarium! Here is the Trenton Police Department Mission Statement: We, the Trenton Police Department, are committed to the highest standards of honesty, integrity, and dedication to our community.

What a wonderful day it was for our 58 Kindergarten students and their families! Take a moment to watch our graduates sing and sign "It's a Wonderful World". It's the best thing you'll watch today! Thank you to Mrs. Harrison, Mrs. Turner, Ms. Loomis, Ms. Shackelford and Ms. Beckett for creating such a delightful ceremony. It will be remembered by all who attended.

Congratulations to all of our third-year Resident Educators for successfully passing the 2017-18 RESA (Resident Educator Summative Assessment.) The RESA is a performance assessment that requires Resident Educators to demonstrate their knowledge and skills, as revealed in their day-to-day teaching. Performance assessments provide direct evidence of what teachers do in the classroom, supported by required written commentary that accurately reflects the daily work that teachers do. This high level of success is the result of the hard work of our Resident Educators coupled with the support that has been given to them by all their colleagues throughout their teaching career. Here are the eleven educators who successfully completed the assessment:

The final Drag Race competition for the 8th grade Automation and Robotics class took place on May 22. Students designed, built, wired, and programmed a car to go as fast as possible for 20 feet using only the available VEX parts. Each period had a double elimination competition and the winners competed in the gym. The representative from each period were: period 1: Luke Smith and Zack Cornett period 2: Josh Geisz and Matt Laimo period 3: Alexis Ledford and Aniston Hunter period 4: Nate Martin and Jaden Andino Period 3's Alexis and Aniston won and represented semester 2 in the Championship. They raced the winner of Semester 1, a car designed and built by Mackenzie McIntosh and Auna Fenstermacher. The 2017-2018 champions are Mackenzie and Auna. Their car, named Pheobe, crossed the line before their Semester 2 competition. Congratulations to all the competitors and the champions!

Typically, a Job Fair is where individuals interested in working for a company can speak to a recruiter about employment opportunities. As part of a career exploration project, our EMS students were challenged to conduct a Reverse Job Fair.