February 18, 2024

Despite the recent cold snap, it's been a good winter (at least for those who like warmer temperatures and no snow!) As spring is right around the corner, there are a number of things to share that are on the horizon for the District.

The renovations at 4 Bulldog Place are nearing completion. Below are images of the new weight room (the old kitchen), the new wrestling room (the old cafeteria), the new Board Office (the old high school office), and the new Board Meeting/Staff Training/Community Meeting Space (the old library). When completed, this building will have the same security systems (badges, keys, cameras, etc.) as the rest of the campus, and there will be a secure connection between this building and the new high school during the school day. The move of the Board office from Bauer Avenue will be completed by the middle of March.

For Bauer Avenue, a demolition contractor was recently selected through a sealed bid process, and work on preparing the building for demolition will begin in late March, with the actual demolition scheduled to begin in late May. In preparation for the final closing of the building, there will be an opportunity to purchase select remaining items at a community sale on February 21st and 22nd. More information on this event can be found by clicking on this link.

At Batavia High School, two upcoming annual events are the Band Boosters Quarter Auction on Saturday, February 24th at the elementary school, and the spring musical, which this year is "The Little Mermaid", on March 1st, 2nd, and 3rd at the high school. More information about the Quarter Auction can be found by CLICKING HERE, and you can purchase your tickets for the Little Mermaid by CLICKING HERE.

Finally, on February 21st, Batavia High School will be hosting a cancer awareness day in support of JoJo Belser, a freshman at BHS. More information on ways to support JoJo can be found on the flyer below.

Thank you as always for your ongoing support of Batavia and our Bulldogs.

All the best,

Keith

P.S. For the longest time I faithfully wrote the BDB every two weeks. In recent years the frequency has slowed, in large part due to the fact that each building now puts out a great weekly family update. Below are the links to each building's family newsletters for your ongoing reference:

Batavia High School

Batavia Middle School

Batavia Elementary

November 19, 2023

Happy Thanksgiving week to everyone!  As I write and speak about frequently, we have much to be thankful for in Batavia as a school district and community.  It’s hard to believe that just a few short months ago we were racing the clock to finish the campus enough to get school started, and now it feels like we’ve been home at Bulldog Place for a long time.  It is truly a beautiful finished product, and I hope you and your student(s) have been enjoying your experiences with these new facilities.

While the major building work is done, there are lots of behind the scenes construction activities still taking place.  At the middle and high schools, work continues on punch list items and the finalization of building systems (such as balancing the HVAC controls, which is no small feat in large spaces).  The middle school gym is also nearing completion, and should be open by the first week in December.  Behind the middle school, next to the bus circle, work is continuing on the installation of the final turf field, which should be completed by the first of the new year.  This field will serve as a practice space for youth, middle school, and high school teams, and is regulation size in order to host both soccer and football contests.  

Work is also continuing on the remaining part of the old high school.  The new front entrance and Board office spaces should be completed by the end of December, and the Board offices will move from Bauer Avenue up to 4 Bulldog Place in early January.  The new weight room (located in the old kitchen space), and new wrestling room (located in the old cafeteria), should be completed in late January/early February 2024.  Retractable batting cages for our baseball and softball teams are also being installed in the Hatfield Court gym, and should be ready for the start of the Spring 2024 season.

For Bauer Avenue, demolition work on the building will begin in February 2024, and should be wrapped up by the end of the school year.  This has been a bit of a process, as at one point there was a buyer for the building and property, but that deal ultimately fell through.  The plan is for the land to be returned to its natural state, with the Board maintaining ownership of the property for the time being.

Switching to important educational information, Batavia High School recently received big academic news, as the school was recognized on the Ohio 2023 AP (Advanced Placement) School Honor Roll list.  Batavia High School was one of only two Clermont County High Schools to make this list, along with Milford High School.  Across the State, less than 25% of eligible high schools earn this distinction, and this award underscores the hard work and dedication of not only our high school teachers, but all of our staff across the District in preparing students for success in high school and beyond.

Now that the election is over, I want to welcome Mr. Michael Enriquez back for another four year term on the Board of Education.  Michael has been a mainstay of the school board for many years, and the progress the District has made during his tenure can be attributed to his service as a Board Member.  This election also brings a new member to the Board, as Mr. Doug Ginn will begin his four year term in January 2024.  Doug’s support of Batavia through his involvement with our fine arts and athletics programs and his enthusiasm for serving the District will be a welcome addition to the Board.  Finally, Mr. Dennis Wells will be leaving the Board at the end of his current term in December.  Dennis has been an important part of the Batavia Schools community for many years, and his service during his term has been impactful on the positive outcome of the building project and direction of the District.  We are thankful to Dennis for his service to the Board, the District, and our community!

Finally, the District calendar will once again be filled with a number of fine arts performances as we welcome in the Christmas and the Holiday Season.  Please see below for a list of upcoming events. We hope to see you there!

• Friday, December 1st - BHS Band - Christmas in the Village (5:30pm)

• Saturday, December 2nd - Breakfast with Santa - Batavia Elementary (9-11am)

• Monday, December 4 - BHS Band - Batavia High School (7:00pm)

• Thursday, December 7 - 2nd Grade Program (6:30/7:30pm) - Batavia Elementary

• Wednesday, Dec 13 - BHS and BMS Choir - Batavia High School (7:00pm)

• Tuesday, December 19 - BMS Band  - Batavia High School (6th grade 6:30pm/7th and 8th grade 7:30pm)

Thank you as always for your support of our District!

All the best,

Keith

October 3, 2023

It's hard to believe a month has gone by already since the campus opened! The breaking-in of the new buildings is well underway, and with each day more and more of the punch list items are being completed. The grass is also starting to come in, trees are being planted throughout the campus, and the parking lot lighting continues to be installed. Thanks again for everyone's continued flexibility as all of the construction loose ends are taken care of!

Over the next month there are a number of activities that will be taking place on and around campus that are worth noting:

• Thursday, October 5th - Homecoming Parade in Downtown Batavia beginning at 6pm

• Friday, October 6th - Homecoming Game vs. New Richmond - 7PM at Holman Stadium

• Thursday, October 12th - Bulldog Place Open House and Ribbon Cutting - 6PM to 8PM (Ribbon Cutting 7PM at BHS)

• Saturday, October 28th - Batavia Band Boosters Craft Fair - 9AM to 3PM at Batavia Elementary School

• Monday, October 30th - Batavia Baseball Trick or Treat Event - 5:30PM at the Holman Athletic Complex Baseball Field

• Saturday, November 4th - Batavia Rotary Spaghetti Dinner - 4PM to 7PM at Batavia Elementary School

• Saturday, November 11th - Batavia Athletic Boosters Social - 7PM at Norlyn Manor

Finally, we are looking for bus drivers to join an amazing group of people in our transportation department. Paid training and sign on bonuses are available. For more information, use this link.

Looking forward to seeing you at these events over the next month!

All the best,

Keith

September 6, 2023

It's been an exciting week at Bulldog Place! Our first two days at the elementary school have gone extremely well, our middle school and high school open houses were filled with students and families eager to get their first glimpses of their new school spaces, and we get to welcome our middle and high school students back to school tomorrow for their first day of classes.

As the traffic patterns for arrival and dismissal will be new for everyone, it will be important to have a little extra patience as things work themselves out during the first few days. We will have extra support from the Batavia Police Department to help direct traffic in the morning and afternoon for the rest of this week. If you will be dropping your student(s) off at school, make sure to view the drop off maps and videos for the middle and high school here: https://www.bataviaschools.org/article/1226581

Also, please note that the school zone times have changed for this year. Here is the new schedule:

Old State Route 32 Entrance

On 7:00am  Off 9:15am

On 2:00pm  Off 4:00pm

Batavia Road Entrance

On 7:00am  Off 9:15am

On 11:15am  Off 12:45pm

On 2:00pm  Off 4:00pm

For those attending after school events, there is plenty of parking for everyone, but a few of the lots aren't necessarily visible from Bulldog Place. If you find the lots in front of the schools are full, be sure to check out the middle school bus circle lot and the student lot behind the middle school (both highlighted in yellow in the photo below).

Finally, school breakfast/lunch menus and free/reduced price lunch forms for families can be found on the food service page at this link: https://www.bataviaschools.org/page/food-services

For families who completed free/reduced price meals last year, it is important to complete this paperwork again for this year as soon as possible.

As it looks like the heat is going to break in the next few days and fall will start to set in, we couldn't be more excited for the campus to finally be open and to have all of our students together at Bulldog Place. Wishing you a great start to your school year!

All the best,

Keith

On Disappointment and Change

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When I was sophomore in high school I was waiting in eager anticipation of being able to leave campus during my junior year during lunch.  My high school was in the middle of an east coast town with lots of dining options close by, and it was an upperclassmen tradition to walk to lunch with friends.

As that school year was drawing to a close, the administration made an announcement regarding a change in the policy.  Beginning in my junior year, only seniors would be allowed to eat lunch off campus, and only if they earned what was known as a ‘privilege pass’.

I won’t waste words telling you how unpopular this decision was, and how we as students chafed at it.  My 16 year old self at the time felt that it was grave injustice, and I remember being more than a little resentful that something I had been waiting so long for had been suddenly snatched away.

My older self, however, understands completely why this change was made.  Restaurants were complaining about the behavior of the students, various student actions while off campus during the day were less than school appropriate, and student safety, simply given the amount of traffic in our town, was certainly at risk.

Every change has an impact…. The secret to living a contented life is understanding and accepting that there is a reason for every change, and that, given time and space, deeper understandings and meanings regarding the change will reveal themselves.

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Joe Burrow’s comments during his recent contract signing revealed a lot about how to deal with disappointment.  The credit he gave to the three years he sat the bench at Ohio State, and the lessons he learned about dealing with disappointment and using it as a tool to learn and grow, speak to the leader he has become at the young age of 25.

This antidote revealed an axiom about life….. Growth doesn’t happen during the good times, it always happens during moments of trial.

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Recently my son ran a cross country race at a course I have been a spectator at for many years.  This year, to be compliant with OHSAA regulations, the second mile of the course was changed, taking out several features that made this course stand out from other cross country courses on the fall circuit.

When I learned of the changes, I immediately formed a narrative in my head about the negatives of the changes.  I had thoughts such as ‘the course won’t be as good’, ‘they ruined a good thing’, ‘it won’t be as much fun’, etc., etc.

After a day or two of feeling this way, I caught myself and reminded myself that:

A) there were probably some good reasons for the changes, and

B) perhaps I should see the course for myself before jumping to conclusions about it.

On race day I had the chance to run the course as a spectator several times before watching my son run.  After about the third race, I found myself glad they made the changes. 

From a spectators point of view, the changes made the course much more accessible to view runners, and from an athlete's perspective, the course provided a finishing time that could be used to measure progress during the season (where in years past the time from this race usually was disregarded as the course ran slow).

This experience reminded my once again of the wisdom of Herbert Spencer, to whom the following quote is attributed:

There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments, and which cannot fail to keep a person in everlasting ignorance—that principle is contempt prior to investigation.

August 22, 2023

When you are in the home stretch of a project, you always have to be able to adjust to things that are outside of your control, and we’ve had more than a few of those in the past few weeks! While the buildings are really close to being finished, we are at a point where we need to prioritize campus access for the construction crews to finish their work prior to holding public events in our new spaces. With that being said, the following adjustments are being made to our opening schedule:

1. The elementary school will open as scheduled, with the first day of school on Tuesday, September 5th.

2. The elementary open house schedule remains the same:

• Grades 3 - 5 Tuesday, August 29th from 5 – 7pm

• Grades Pre K - 2 Thursday, August 31st from 5 - 7pm

3. The campus open house and ribbon cutting on August 30th is postponed to a date to be determined later this fall.

4. The first day of school for middle and high school students is being moved to Thursday, September 7th.

5. The middle school open house dates have been moved, and will now be as follows:

• Grade 6 - Tuesday, September 5th from 4 - 6pm

• Grades 7 and 8 - Wednesday, September 6th from 4 - 6pm

6. The high school will be holding an open house for students in grades 9 - 12 on Tuesday, September 5 from 4 - 7pm.

While we have worked extremely hard all summer to maintain our opening schedule, the delays from a summer of rain proved to be just a bit too much to overcome in the end. I appreciate your understanding and flexibility as we work to get to the finish line. It’s all going to be worth it, and we can’t wait for your student(s) to get to experience these awesome new spaces.

Keith

August 12, 2023

If you have been by the campus in the last few weeks, you have seen a flurry of activity as the final push is underway to complete the buildings in time for the opening of school on September 5th.  The good news is that, barring some type of unforeseen circumstance, school will open on time for all three buildings. 

As the weather has continued to be an issue for completing site work (which has also impacted some schedules for non-academic areas of the new buildings), there will still be work continuing after the start of school.  Areas where we can expect work to be continuing after September 5th include the gyms, locker rooms, and stages, along with landscaping, exterior lighting, and final surfacing and striping of some parking areas.  Given the ongoing challenges in the construction industry as a whole, we have been very fortunate to have construction partners who have gone above and beyond to meet the many challenges of the project in our effort to complete the areas of the buildings and campus necessary to open on schedule.

Looking ahead to the next three weeks, the internet is expected to be live by this weekend, all HVAC systems will be operational by next week, the base course of asphalt should be completed by August 21, our temporary occupancy certificates should be issued by August 22,  we welcome back our teachers and staff members on August 23rd, all furniture should be installed by August 28th, and our campus open house is on schedule to be held on August 30th from 5 - 8pm (More details on the open house will be sent out next week).

Next week we will be hosting our home football opener against Williamsburg on Friday, August 18th.  A separate communication will be sent by Wednesday, August 16th with details regarding parking and game day logistics.

For students who take the bus to school, bus stop information is now live in the Ride 360 app for this school year.  If you need information on how to access Ride 360, please use this link: https://www.bataviaschools.org/page/transportation 

Two additional notes on transportation for this year: 

First, due to the changes in the bell schedules, how bus routes will operate, and bus capacity constraints, bus passes will no longer be allowed.  

Second, for those who drive to Bulldog Place regularly, the school zone flashing light times have changed for next year. These zones are regularly patrolled by law enforcement, so please make note of these times:

Old State Route 32 Entrance

On 7:00am  Off 9:15am

On 2:00pm  Off 4:00pm

Batavia Road Entrance

On 7:00am  Off 9:15am

On 11:15am  Off 12:45pm

On 2:00pm  Off 4:00pm

Finally, this summer the District Annual Notices page was completely redesigned.  All of the required annual notices that the District publishes can be found at this site: https://www.bataviaschools.org/page/annual-notices

While we’ve needed every minute of this long summer break to get Bulldog Place ready, I am anxious for our students to return, and can’t wait to see everyone in the coming weeks for what will be a great school year!

All the best,

Keith

July 22, 2023

I hope this edition of the Bulldog Bulletin finds you enjoying summer and time with your family and friends.  The past few months have been busy at Bulldog Place as we prepare for the start of the school year on September 5th.  While the weather we have had this summer has not been totally kind to the construction schedule (especially the outside work for getting the parking lots installed), we are still on track for the buildings to be substantially completed by the end of the second week of August.  While there will be construction activities that continue after school begins (most notably in both gyms, the remaining portion of the old high school, and outside site work), the major construction activities in the classroom and office areas will be wrapped up in time to welcome our staff back on August 23rd and for our community open house on August 30th.  For updated photos, including the removal of the old high school wing and recent aerial shots of the campus, please use this link.

As we begin to think about back to school season, each building has updated back to school information on their web pages.  For the most up to date information, you can use the links below:

Batavia High School:

• Newly Enrolled Student Scheduling Event

• Freshman Orientation Event

• Student Schedule Pickup

Batavia Middle School:

• Summer newsletter with important dates

Batavia Elementary School:

• Summer Newsletter with important dates

• Summer reading ideas

Over the next few weeks a significant amount of paving will take place, and the campus will begin to have a more finished look to it.  The next bulletin will focus on traffic patterns and how to navigate the new campus, plus additional information on the open house and updated construction details.

Finally, just as a reminder, these are the new school hours for next year:

Batavia High School: 7:25 - 2:15

Batavia Middle School: 7:30 - 2:20

Batavia Elementary School: 9:00 - 3:20

Wishing you a nice end of July!

Keith

May 9, 2023

It’s hard to believe that we are in the home stretch of the school year and that we will be celebrating the Class of 2023 in a little over a week!  Graduation season is always an exciting time, as our seniors have worked hard over many years to reach this special moment in their lives.  The graduation ceremony will be held on Thursday, May 18th at Truist Arena on the campus of Northern Kentucky University beginning at 7pm.  If you have family members or friends from out of town who are unable to attend, the ceremony will be live streamed at this link: Batavia High School Class of 2023 Graduation

With the school year coming to a close next Friday (5/19), we are busy with end of the year activities as well as with packing for our moves over the summer.  On Monday afternoon (5/22), the utilities will be turned off to the old high school wing to prepare for the beginning of demolition, which gets under way on Friday (5/26).  During this transition week, phone and internet service may be temporarily disrupted.  We will communicate if there is an outage that lasts more than a couple of hours (and hopefully there is none at all)!

Once demolition begins on the old high school wing, access to Bulldog Place will be extremely limited, as there is extensive site work that must be completed prior to our opening in the fall.  Parking for any activities at the athletic complex or the elementary school will be limited to the elementary lot only.

As for the buildings themselves, things are moving along, with lots of activity both inside and outside of the buildings, as the focus shifts towards the many finishes and detail work that bring these projects all together.

Click HERE for the latest photos from March, April, and May 2023

Click HERE for the latest walkthrough video, which was filmed in early May.

An additional transition beyond just the buildings will occur with our phone systems as well this summer.  We are moving our phones from an outdated server based model to a cloud based system.  This switch will be occurring during the first two weeks of July, which is normally our quietest time of the summer.  While we do not anticipate issues, the possibility exists for some down time during the switchover.  We will communicate more about this shift as we get closer to the implementation date.

Finally, please mark your calendars for Wednesday, August 30th, which is the date for the campus open house and ribbon cutting ceremonies for the buildings.  Planning is well underway for this important event and we can’t wait to celebrate this very special occasion with the entire community.

All the best,

Keith

March 23, 2023

We are getting into the home stretch with the construction project, and a big thanks goes out to everyone for your patience with the access and parking challenges.  This week the last major HVAC equipment was lifted onto the building roofs (which was cool to watch but caused another road change to adapt to!)

As we move into the spring and our last season dealing with only one main entrance, the elementary afternoon dismissal time, from 3:30 - 4:15, is a time to avoid entering the campus unless you are picking up a student from the elementary school.  For all after school home games and practice pickups, please plan on arriving at 4:15.  Once elementary dismissal has concluded, the elementary parking lot will be open for spectator game parking.

As brick is rapidly going up on the outside of the buildings, there are major changes to how the inside of the buildings look.

Click HERE for the latest video walkthrough and click HERE for the latest construction photos.

In planning for next fall, August 30th is the date that has been set for the campus wide open house and ribbon cutting ceremonies at the new buildings.

Also new for next fall will be an adjusted bell schedule.  The high school and middle school will operate on a new schedule that is set 5 minutes apart from each other.  This will allow for additional partnership opportunities between both buildings, including staff sharing, course opportunities for students, and student collaboration (ex. Joint HOPE Squad projects, student mentoring, etc.)  A closer relationship between the buildings will also aid in the transition of our middle school students to high school, as a strong start to freshman year is an important foundation for student success throughout high school.  Additionally, with the move away from transportation runs to the old middle school site on Bauer Avenue,  the consolidation of the middle and high schools on a single bus schedule will allow for enough time to cover the District from a transportation timing perspective.

This move also allows the elementary day to shift forward by twenty-five minutes, with the school day starting at 9:00 and ending at 3:20pm (car rider and bus arrival will start at 8:40, car rider dismissal will be 3:20, and bus dismissal will be 3:30).  This will bring our elementary school day into closer alignment with neighboring districts and allow our youngest students to arrive home earlier.

2023-2024 School Times

High School:  7:25 - 2:15

Middle School: 7:30 - 2:20

Elementary School: 9:00 - 3:20

Finally, this weekend the High School is putting on their spring musical production of “The Music Man”.  This production marks the final theater shows that will be held on the elementary stage, with show times Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 7pm, and a special Sunday matinee at 2pm.  Tickets can be purchased at the door or in advance using this link: https://www.showtix4u.com/event-details/72810

All the best,

Keith

January 25, 2023

Just a few thoughts on winter weather and snow day notifications to get this edition of the bulletin started.

The general rule of thumb is to make a decision about whether school will be in session or not by 5:45am on days where the weather is questionable. If there is a doubt about how the forecast will turn out, we normally wait until the morning of the weather event to evaluate roads and make a final determination about the school day.

The exception to this would be a weather event where there is reasonably high confidence the night before regarding inclement weather the following day, and in that case we would communicate in the evening.

The standard expectation should be that in the absence of a communication, the District is open and operating on a normal schedule.

Also, if you have made any recent changes to your contact information (email and/or phone number), please make sure to update your information in Final Forms, in order to ensure you are reached whenever District communications are sent.

https://batavia-oh.finalforms.com/

While we have recently seen a return to more winter-like weather, the overall weather pattern has been great for the construction project. Below is a video filmed within the last few weeks that splices together walkthrough footage from both the high school and middle school projects:.

Both buildings continue to be on track for move in by the last week of July (High School) and first week of August (Middle School).

Finally, as we get closer to the completion of the buildings, we are starting to turn our attention to planning for the ribbon cutting and grand opening of Bulldog Place. We have tentatively identified August 30th from 5 - 8 as the date for our community wide open house and campus celebration, and are looking for volunteers who would be interested in helping to plan the event!

If you would like to be involved in the planning process, please fill out the Google Form using the link below:

https://forms.gle/qZYc62gXoJdwvza7A

All the best,

Keith

December 1, 2022

As we welcome December and the Holiday Season, I hope you and your family had a good Thanksgiving and are entering this time of year on a positive note.

In the cycle of school calendars, we are in a phase where Christmas and New Year’s are both on weekends, which stretches the time between the Thanksgiving and Winter Breaks to include a partial fourth week of school (December 19th to the 21st).  On these three days our elementary and middle school students will operate on a normal school schedule, and our high school students will be taking their first semester exams.  

Another reason for the shorter winter break is the last day of school is May 19th next year, in order to accommodate for all of the finishing construction work that must occur at Bulldog Place as we welcome our new buildings next fall.  If you ever need an extra school calendar to hang on the fridge, electronic copies are always available on our website: https://www.bataviaschools.org/documents/district-calendar/289501

Even though it seems far away, work is already underway on the 2024/2025 school calendar, which should be completed and approved in early 2023.

On the construction front, a fresh batch of photos from November are now available here: https://www.bataviaschools.org/page/construction-updates

At the new high school, the roof is almost completely installed on the academic side of the building, and the exterior walls are nearly complete and ready for roof steel on the gym/cafeteria/fine arts side of the building.  At the middle school work on the roof has begun as well, and in both buildings classroom walls are going up and work is continuing on the HVAC, electrical, and plumbing systems.  Within the next few weeks you should notice the exterior brick walls turning blue, which is the color of the air barrier application system.  Once the air barrier is in place work will begin on the installation of the exterior brick.

In the frequently asked questions section, the most asked question lately has been ‘What is that small building that can be seen next to Old 32?”.

Despite looking like a half finished garage or small shed, this building is actually known as the construction mockup structure.  Before installation of things like windows, brick, roof flashing, air barrier, etc. on the main buildings, they are first installed on the mock up.  This gives each building trade the opportunity to work through installation issues and inspectors the chance to review work to ensure that when the real installation occurs it happens according to design specifications.

Finally, the month of December always brings a number of performances from our music department, and we are excited to have our full slate of performances back for the first time since COVID this year.  Below is a listing of events that we hope to see you at!

All the best,

Keith

November 3, 2022

Just a few quick items as we close out the week.

First, on Saturday Bulldog Place will be bustling with activity as the annual Rotary Spaghetti Dinner will be hosted at the elementary school from 4 - 7pm and Donkey Basketball will be returning to Batavia High School beginning at 6pm. Tickets for both events will be available at the door and it will be a great way to spend the evening with you family and friends!

Second, just a reminder that school will not be in session on Tuesday, November 8th for election day, as voting will be taking place at both the elementary and middle school. This day is also a professional learning day for District staff members.

Finally, on the construction front the roof is currently being installed on the academic side of the high school, with the exterior brick scheduled for the north side of the building (see photo below) in the next few weeks. By Thanksgiving the exterior walls should be completed on both buildings and we are sill on target to have both buildings completely enclosed and ready for indoor winter work by Christmas.

November 3, 2022

Just a few quick items as we close out the week.

First, on Saturday Bulldog Place will be bustling with activity as the annual Rotary Spaghetti Dinner will be hosted at the elementary school from 4 - 7pm and Donkey Basketball will be returning to Batavia High School beginning at 6pm. Tickets for both events will be available at the door and it will be a great way to spend the evening with you family and friends!

Second, just a reminder that school will not be in session on Tuesday, November 8th for election day, as voting will be taking place at both the elementary and middle school. This day is also a professional learning day for District staff members.

Finally, on the construction front the roof is currently being installed on the academic side of the high school, with the exterior brick scheduled for the north side of the building (see photo below) in the next few weeks. By Thanksgiving the exterior walls should be completed on both buildings and we are sill on target to have both buildings completely enclosed and ready for indoor winter work by Christmas.

All the best,

Keith

October 25, 2022

One of the most frequent questions I have received recently involves what will become of the current middle school once the move out is complete next fall.  Up until recently, the answer to that question was the building being scheduled for demolition and the land being returned to green space with ownership retained by the Board of Education (similar to the old elementary school site at 315 Broadway).

In the past several months however, there has been interest expressed by multiple groups regarding the purchase of the building and property.  Under Ohio Law, the Board of Education is allowed to sell assets such as buildings and land at a public auction through a sealed bid process.

Given the interest that has been expressed, the Board passed a resolution at the October Board Meeting authorizing a public bid process.  On November 16th at 3:30pm there will be an opportunity for all interested bidders to walk the building and site.  On December 7th at 3:30pm, all received sealed bids will be opened.  After the opening of bids, the Board will have the opportunity to consider the received bids, and will choose to either act on accepting a bid at the December 21st Board Meeting, or reject all bids as unsatisfactory at that point.  Should all bids be rejected (or none received), the original demolition plan will be followed.

More information about the bid process can be found on the District website at the following link: https://www.bataviaschools.org/article/884588

Also, just a few upcoming event dates that are of interest to the entire community:

Wednesday, October 26th - 6pm - BHS Financial Aid Information Night

Thursday, October 27th - 5:30pm - Title I Parent Meeting, 6:00PM - Title I AR Reading Event

Saturday, October 29th - 9am to 3pm - Band Boosters Craft Fair at BES

Saturday, November 5th - 4pm to 7pm - Rotary Spaghetti Dinner at BES

Saturday, November 5th - 6pm - Donkey Basketball at BHS

All the best,

Keith

October 6, 2022

It’s hard to believe that we are almost done with the first quarter of the school year. I hope the start of fall and the school year to date has been good for you and your family.  Inside the District there are lots of exciting things happening as we head into the second quarter and anticipate the holiday season.

We have been very fortunate with the outstanding fall weather we have had as the buildings continue to take shape.  Recently, an 8 part in-depth video walkthrough of the high school was released on Facebook and Twitter (@bataviaschools).  All videos in this series, including two brand new videos that focus on the middle school, can be found on the District YouTube Channel.

The next major milestone for the buildings will be the completion of the roofs in order to reach ‘dry-in’ status.  This is the point where the buildings use temporary heat during the winter months in order for work to continue on interior sections of the buildings.  The current dry-in target for both buildings is the second week of December.  Looking down the road a little further, the high school is expected to be completed by July 27, 2023 with the middle school following on August 4, 2023.  Assuming no unforeseen delays, this will give about a month to move in and prepare for the opening of school on September 5, 2023.

Attendance: As everyone is now in the back to school routine, one of the things we have been looking at are attendance rates at each building, and how current rates compare to the 2018-2019 school year (which was the last full pre-covid school year).  The chart below shows the September 2018 attendance percentage by building along with the September 2022 percentage.

As we continue to work towards a full recovery from several years of the pandemic, getting back into the regular routine of school attendance is an important focus.  For this school year, each building has a goal of achieving a daily attendance rate that approaches 94 percent.  While the pandemic certainly introduced a number of tools that made learning online easier, there is still no way to truly replace the in-person instruction that is missed during an absence.  While we continue to want students to stay home when legitimately ill, being at school at all other times is a critical component to student success.

District Wide Safety Exercise: As part of our safety plan, each fall a district wide safety exercise is held.  This year we will be conducting this exercise across all three buildings on October 10th.  This exercise will test multiple parts of our safety plan, including communications.  On the day of the exercise, test communications will be sent using our email and social media channels.  Communications sent on the day of the drill will include the word ‘TEST’ at the beginning and end of each message.  Once the drill has been completed a message will be sent to the entire district indicating the end of the safety exercise. 

Seeking Substitute Bus Drivers: Everyone in the know appreciates how awesome our bus drivers are and the great job they do getting our students to and from school safely each day.  As we head into the winter, we are still in need of substitutes who can step in and cover routes during the inevitable sickness season.  Not only do we offer paid training and a bonus structure, but it is also a great way to serve both the District and the community.  For more information, you can contact Shawn Young at the transportation office (young_s@bataviaschools.org or 513-732-0935).

Important Dates: Looking ahead, there are several important calendar dates to keep in mind as we round out October and head into November:

End of Quarter 1 - Thursday, October 13th

Fall Break - Friday, October 14th to Monday, October 17th

Begin Quarter 2 - Tuesday, October 18th

Batavia Band Arts and Crafts Show - Saturday, October 29th @ BES

Batavia Rotary Spaghetti Dinner - Saturday, November 5th @ BES

Election Day/No School - Tuesday, November 8, 2022

All the best,

Keith