Special Announcements 

Latest News from the High School...

Ohio Christian University to Offer College Courses at ACHS

Amanda-Clearcreek Athletic Hall of Fame to Induct Newest “Class”

Middle and High School Bus Routes

Gallagher is Teacher of the Month at Amanda-Clearcreek

   Previous recipient Jackie Sharp has chosen ACHS Spanish teacher Elena Gallagher as the new Teacher of the Month for Amanda-Clearcreek High School. “Elena is highly respected by her students and also by her fellow teachers,” reports Sharp. “The students all say that she makes her classes fun at the same time they are educational.”

   Gallagher received her undergraduate education at The Ohio State University, graduating in 2001. She has been teaching Spanish at ACHS since 2002, after a ½ year stint at Lancaster City Schools. In addition to her teaching duties, Gallagher is also an accomplished musician. She is part of an acoustic guitar duet that performs regularly at various events in the central and southern Ohio region. Recently, she performed at the ACHS FFA Annual Recognition Banquet, and she also performed for a wedding reception in Lancaster, Ohio, with a guest list of hundreds! Gallagher typifies her song list as “Americana/Folk”.

   Principal Fred Boring adds that Gallagher is a very effective educator. “Elena has a gift for helping her students master the treacherous waters of different grammar ‘rules’ in a foreign language,” says Boring. “At the same time, her students know that she cares about them and that she will always go ‘the extra mile’ to make her lessons fun and understandable.” In addition to normal recitation and vocabulary lessons, Gallagher’s students enjoy the opportunity to cook traditional Spanish dishes during Hispanic holidays and observances. Recently, the Spanish club raffled off piñatas created by the students. The funds raised support special events throughout the year.

   Sharp notes, “Elena loves music and she uses that love to reach out to students beyond the language classroom. She gives up a lot of her spare time to students who want to learn more about playing the guitar, whether they are students in Spanish class or not.” “The bottom line,” says Boring “is that Mrs. Gallagher cares about all our ACHS students and is willing to help them succeed. The students respond to her sincerity and work harder for her than they otherwise might.”

Congratulations to Elena Gallagher, the ACHS Teacher of the Month for January 2010!

Apples for the Students

Giant Eagle offers a wonderful opportunity for school districts to earn free computers, technology equipment, playground equipment, school supplies and software, to name a few items. If you are a Giant Eagle shopper all you have to do is register your Giant Eagle Advantage Card by visiting
	www.gianteagle.com or by calling 1-800-474-4777 and enter our school ID # ___5440____
Each time you shop at Giant Eagle and scan your Giant Eagle Advantage Card, purchases will earn points that provide our school with Free Educational Awards! Please ask your relatives and neighbors to register as well. This is the first time our school district has been registered, so it will be necessary to have the school ID number added to your advantage card. Now is a great time to register before the holiday shopping begins.

Military Academy Appointments

In an unprecedented “first” for ACHS, three 2010 seniors have received appointment nominations to elite Military Academies : Jared Wilson has already committed to the Naval Academy. Abby Meyer and Isaac LaRue have received one appointment thus far but are waiting to see if others are forthcoming before they commit. They have until May 1st to accept the appointment.

Counselor Butch Kobel notes that the process of gaining an appointment to one of the military academies is a long and difficult journey. Often, the interested students begin by attending academy events while they are still in junior high! All three of the new appointees started early. “Every fall there is a “meet and greet” event in Columbus, and I encourage our interested students to start going as early as their freshman year.”

Kobel states that there is more to the process than simply having a great GPA. “These three students all have an outstanding academic record, but the application process has many other important phases. Simply “getting your name known” is part of it,” says Kobel. “Also – during the application there is an extensive interview which weighs heavily in the final decision. Because of their involvement in leadership and various extracurriculars such as FFA, these students “stood out” in the interviews. They have the poise, personality, and demeanor to impress the decision-makers.”

Principal Fred Boring notes, “ It is a principal’s dream to be working at a school where I get to be around this many students of this caliber. They are a credit to their teachers, their parents, and the community. If these are the future leaders of our military, I can sleep a little more relaxed each night!”

Meyer and Wilson are pictured below. LaRue was unavailable for the photo because he was visiting West Point!

ACHS Principal’s Report to the School Board
January 11, 2009 

1.  OGT Fall Testing Results –  Reports from the October OGT Testing are now final.  This testing was just for those students who did not pass certain sections of the testing on previous attempts.  Including students who attend the Eastland-Fairfield Career Centers, we had 23 juniors and 10 seniors participate.  As a result, we are now above the state indicator of 85% of juniors  passing in all areas except math, which is at 84% with March testing still to go.  In order of performance, our passage rates for juniors this year are Writing (91%), Social Studies (90%), Science (88%), Reading (87%), Math (84%).  26 juniors in all (19% of the class) still have at least one section to pass.  Of these, 17 juniors are identified with disabilities, and 7 have only 1 section left to master.  10 seniors (8% of the class) still need to pass at least one section, and 5 of these are identified with disabilities.  

2.  Special Recognitions – Three of our ACHS seniors have received appointments to elite Military Academies :  Jared Wilson has committed to the Naval Academy.  Abby Meyer and Isaac LaRue have received one appointment thus far but are waiting to see if others are forthcoming before they commit.  This is an outstanding achievement for a school of our size to have three appointees in one graduating class!  In addition, it is worthy of note that Holly Castle won the Attitude Award for ACHS for December, and Eric Ruble won the Attendance Award. 

3.  Winter Sports – Despite uncooperative weather, our ACHS winter teams have been active :  The Boys Basketball team is currently 2-5, the Girls Basketball team is 5-4.  The wrestling team finished 2^nd at the Logan Elm tournament this last Saturday, and the swimmers are competing tonight in Lancaster (4 first-place finishes!). 

4.  Academics – Early reports from Tiffin University (where the majority [19/29] of our PSEO students are enrolled) say that  all but one received credit-bearing grades (C or better).  We do not have reports from the other colleges as yet.  We have recently been approached by Ohio Christian University and they are willing to bring their own instructors to our building for a limited number of Dual Enrollment classes which would bear college credit as well as counting toward the HS diploma, but we must enroll at least 10 students to offer a course.  Tuition and books would be the responsibility of the student and his/her parents ( costs for this would be $182/credit hour plus books).  To qualify, students would need 2 of the following: Top 1/3 of their class in GPA, minimum 3.o GPA or ACT composite score of 22, junior or senior status.  We are also talking to the University of Findlay to see if we can offer any Dual Enrollment courses through their UF-USA program, and Hocking Tech to see if students could be granted college credit for welding classes here at ACHS. 

5.  Scheduling for 2010-2011 –   Guidance counselor Butch Kobel and Curriculum Director David Todd have met with administration and have made modifications to the Program of Studies booklet to bring it into line with the new Ohio Core and the state EMIS system.  We hope to finalize the booklet for printing by early next week and to have it ready for Board approval at the February meeting.  One big change will be that certain courses will be shaded in gray to indicate that those courses may not be offered next year if the operating levy is unsucessful again in May.  In order to provide for this, we will be using special request forms for students to indicate alternative choices for courses that may be cancelled if staff members are cut.  This means that we won’t be able to generate the actual Master Schedule for next fall until very late this school year, after the results of the May ballot are known.

This and That at ACHS
December 2009 

     The  Amanda-Clearcreek HS Science Club members went to COSI for the  Knee Surgery presentation December 9 and to an autopsy on December 17. The members did work on an on-line activity completing a virtual knee surgery and a virtual autopsy on-line before both trips. 

     Genetics classes at ACHS are  working on a Forensic Hair and Fiber Unit for the next two weeks. The first unit went into fingerprinting and the students learned about their fingerprints and how to lift prints.   They are also watching a documentary video from PBS dealing with a crime that happened in 1910. The program is entitled “Executed in Error” (Secrets of the Dead). 

     Honors Organic Chemistry students at ACHS are working on their Functional Group Projects. The students will be presenting this week. 

     ACHS is proud that we will once again have a swim team, although the numbers are very small right now:

Senior - Lydia Adams
Sophomore - Brenna Stout
Freshman - Logan Stout

At the Pickerington Invitational on Saturday December 12, Logan Stout scored 22 points and placed 2^nd in the 100-Meter Backstroke.  He also placed 6^th in the 200-meter Freestyle event.

Lydia Adams scored 12 points and placed 3^rd in the 100-meter Breaststroke and 13^th in the 100-meter Butterfly event.

Brenna Stout scored 11 points and placed 7^th in the 200-meter Freestyle and 9^th in the 100-meter Backstroke. 

     Camfel Productions will present “Balance of Power” to ACHS students on December 21.  This is a high-energy, three-screen presentation about how to take the often negative and stressful things that happen to all of us and find a positive way to respond and grow. 

     The annual ACHS Staff vs. Seniors Volleyball Game will take place December 22 after lunch.  Parents who can attend are welcome to come and cheer on their senior or their former teachers!    

Jackie Sharp is ACHS Teacher of the Month
December

Intervention Aide Jackie Sharp has been chosen as the Amanda-Clearcreek High School Teacher of the Month.  Ann Kemper, the previous honoree, cites Mrs. Sharp’s extra effort to help students as the primary quality leading to her nomination.  “Jackie helps every student she can, and – despite being a ‘no-nonsense’ teacher – she manages to find a way to motivate all students to do their best work.  The kids love and respect her,” says Kemper.

ACHS Principal Fred Boring also lauds Sharp for the way she supports the school and its students.  “Jackie is at almost every function – whether it’s a volleyball game, an FFA banquet, or a student dance.  She lets the students know that she cares about them and what is going on in their lives.”

As an Intervention Aide, part of Mrs. Sharp’s responsibility is to work with struggling students in several different subject-area classrooms, including math, art, life planning, and American history.  “Jackie has to be a generalist, and she has to know each area well enough to break it down for the students who didn’t ‘get it’ the first time,” says Boring.  “We are fortunate to have someone working in this position who is so well-organized and so good with her students.”

ACHS AG Communications Team Wins 4^th State Title!

The Amanda-Clearcreek FFA Ag. Communications Team wins the state again for the fourth year in a row!  This is absolutely unprecedented!  Our chapter has now won the state six times in this contest area since its inception in 1999, placing in the top five every other year but one, and that was a seventh place finish.  No other team or organization in the history of our school has ever won the state this many times, not to mention four times in a row!

   Congratulations to this year’s team members; Dan Quincel, Sara Russ, Kayla Porter, Caitlyne Robinson and John Miller.  Dan also placed 4^th  and Kayla Placed 10^th individually.  This is an exceptional accomplishment for this year’s team.  It is made all the more impressive when considering the fact that this is the first time that this team has competed in this contest area.  All of the other top teams in the state of Ohio had returning members and have also been competing for at least the last two to three years in this contest area.  

   This is one of the hardest contest areas that an FFA Member can compete in.  The contest consists of an eight page written project proposal with accompanying media materials, a fifteen-minute power point presentation delivered by the group, an editing exercise using the proper AP style editing marks and a written test on journalism knowledge.  In addition each member also has to complete their own individual practicum exercise consisting of the following; news writing, news release, 2-minute radio broadcast, 2-page graphic design and a 3-page web design layout.

   Again, congratulations to this year’s team.  Dan, Sara, Kayla, Caitlyne and John we are all very proud of you!

ACHS Announces Commended Students in the 2010 National Merit Scholarship Program

Principal Fred Boring of Amanda-Clearcreek High School announced today that Isaac H. LaRue and  Thomas M. Leonhardt have both been named Commended Students in the 2010 National Merit Scholarship Program.  A Letter of Commendation from the school and the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC), which conducts the program, will be presented by the principal to these scholastically talented seniors later this year.

About 34,000 Commended Students throughout the nation are being recognized for their exceptional academic promise.  Commended Students placed among the top five percent of more than 1.5 million students who entered the 2010 competition by taking the 2008 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®).

“Recognition of high-achieving students is essential to advancing educational excellence in our nation,” commented a spokesperson for NMSC.  “As demonstrated by their outstanding performance in our highly competitive program, these two young men named Commended Students represent some of the most academically talented students in our country.  We sincerely hope this recognition will enhance their educational opportunities and encourage them in their pursuit of academic success.” 

LaRue                                                                    Leonhardt

Ann Kemper is ACHS Teacher of the Month
November

This month’s Teacher of the Month for Amanda-Clearcreek High School is Ann Kemper, a veteran who returned after retirement to assist the school by supervising Study Hall. Dan Schoenlein, her nominator, lauds Kemper for grading papers for other teachers whenever her help is needed and for helping the office prepare information that needs to be passed out to the student body.

“Ann has served in the past as class advisor when no one else wanted to take the responsibility. She routinely takes other teachers’ students when a sub cannot be found. She is a great resource when a student needs to come to study hall and make up work or a test,” says Schoenlein.

Principal Fred Boring notes, “Anne is just an all-around team player. She helps with the sale of tickets at all home football games and works at the Athletic Boosters booth at the County Fair to help support all athletic teams.”

Most of all, it is obvious to all who know her that Ann cares deeply about all ACHS students and tries to help them work through problems and learn how to be responsible adults. She truly goes out of her way to help everyone in the school system.

Congratulations to Ann for being chosen as the ACHS Teacher of the Month!

Apples for the Students

Giant Eagle offers a wonderful opportunity for school districts to earn free computers, technology equipment, playground equipment, school supplies and software, to name a few items. If you are a Giant Eagle shopper all you have to do is register your Giant Eagle Advantage Card by visiting
	www.gianteagle.com or by calling 1-800-474-4777 and enter our school ID # ___5440____
Each time you shop at Giant Eagle and scan your Giant Eagle Advantage Card, purchases will earn points that provide our school with Free Educational Awards! Please ask your relatives and neighbors to register as well. This is the first time our school district has been registered, so it will be necessary to have the school ID number added to your advantage card. Now is a great time to register before the holiday shopping begins.

Lady Ace Soccer Team Helps Local Food Pantry Effort 

Our athletes often get lots of attention for their feats on the playing field.  But frequently their deeds off the field are just as worthy of praise.  Recently, members of the ACHS Girls Soccer Team “rolled up their sleeves” to help a local church with their food pantry operation.  The girls assisted with serving food and other general chores associated with the operation, including dishwashing, cleanup, and other tasks.

Here’s a copy of the letter we received praising our young ladies’ efforts:

Coach Hines and Lady Aces, 

What a joy to have you partner with us in ministry to our community. We have had many groups and individuals work with us over the years and none have exceeded your level of courtesy, kindness, and cooperation. We want to sincerely thank you for giving your time and lives to something greater than yourselves. Overall, you gave approximately 45-55 hours of service to our people here at The Filling Station - that is significant! To know our communities have young people who are willing to step up and give themselves sacrificially to others is truly an inspiration. Again, from the bottom of our hearts, THANK YOU!!! GO LADY ACES!!! Our hearts are with you Wednesday. 

Your new fans,
The Filling Station 

We couldn’t have said it better ourselves!

FFA Sells Fruit, Competes at National 

    As with most FFA chapters, the Amanda-Clearcreek FFA sells bulk fruit as a fund raiser each year. This annual fruit sale takes place each Fall. The fall fruit sale is the biggest fundraising activity that the FFA Chapter does. The fruit sale has grown substantially over the years, with the chapter members routinely selling over 1,500 boxes and baskets of fruit annually. Also, the sales offerings have grown, with the chapter now offering 24 different fruit products. The fruit sale pays for the large majority of the chapter's activities, such as field trips, bus fuel and awards. As you can see, this is a very important fundraiser for our chapter. Therefore, if the chapter could have everyone sell at least 10 box/baskets of fruit our chapter would be in good shape! The fruit sale began October 9th. Please see any FFA member to order or call the Ag Ed. Dept. at 969-7381 and leave a message- an FFA member will be in contact with you. All orders must be prepaid this year. All FFA members will have a receipt book this year, so please don’t pay for fruit without receiving a receipt.

A strong delegation from Amanda will attend the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis beginning this Wednesday, October 21 – through October 24.  The Ag Communication Team goes to Indy early and will be competing all day this Wednesday.  Other members will tour Heatherbrook Farms north of Cincinnati on Wednesday morning and  check out the Career Show on Wednesday afternoon.  In addition to the formal opening session that night, they will also attend a Toby Keith Concert!

Other activities during the trip include leadership training, tours of a Buffalo Farm, a Dairy Farm, the Indianapolis Zoo, workshops on topics such as public service and public speaking, a look at a landfill operation and a commercial greenhouse, as well as multiple sessions and speakers at the Convention itself.  Congratulations to the FFA Chapter for another successful year and good luck to our competitors on the Ag Communications Team!

A few shots from last year’s event!

Dear A-C Students and Parents,

Rule 3301-13-02 paragraph J of the Ohio Administrative Code (OAC) concerning testing security states: “by the first of October each year, each school district and participating school shall communicate to all employees and students the applicable written procedures and penalties established to paragraph (F) of this rule.  Students and staff shall be reminded of these provisions prior to the beginning of each test administration period.”  This letter is designed to give students and parents the aforementioned “applicable written procedures and penalties” according to this rule.  This rule can be found under the Ohio Administrative Code on Ohio Department of Education’s website.

Some examples of test security violations by students might be as follows:  Stealing test booklet to study or let others study.  Secure a “crib sheet” or marked answer document from a teacher or another student.  Steal answers from another student during testing.  Take a test during make-up and get help from another student.  Use a “non OGT” calculator on the OGT test or unapproved tool as specified by ODE on any state-wide assessment.  In addition students are not permitted to bring electronic devices into the testing area including cell phones, Personal Digital Assistants (PDA’s), cameras, and MP3, IPOD, or CD-ROM players. 

The consequences of cheating or violating security for any student or staff member on a state-wide assessment can be severe.  Any alleged test security violation is investigated by the local school district and reported to the Ohio Department of Education within 10 days of determining that a test security violation has occurred.  If the investigation determines that a violation occurred, any of several consequences may follow:  one or more students documents may not be scored; students scores may be invalidated; the District Board of Education, after appropriate procedures are followed, may take disciplinary action against the student; may suspend  or terminate an employee found guilty of cheating or helping a student to cheat; the State Board of Education, following appropriate procedure, may suspend a certificate/license; and a law enforcement agency, following an appropriate investigation, may prosecute under the state criminal code.

Obviously the Ohio Legislature, the Ohio Department of Education, and Amanda-Clearcreek School take matters of test security and cheating very seriously.  We want you to know that we will do everything in our power to make sure that all students get equal and fair access and treatment as they participate in the state mandated assessments.

We wish you and your student the best as together we strive towards the goals as stated in our school mission’s statement: Academic Commitment to Excellence and Success, ACES.  Our partnership with you and the community in education our young people propel us toward becoming and maintaining our Excellent status as rated by ODE. 

If you have any questions or concerns relating to this letter, please call me at (740)969-7252 ext. 2205 or email me at Jody_Dupler@amanda.k12.oh.us.  I wish you and your student the best this school year.

Sincerely,
Jody Dupler
A-C District Test Coordinator

Schoenlein is ACHS Teacher of the Month
October

Dan Schoenlein was honored Wednesday as Teacher of the Month for Amanda-Clearcreek High School in September. Although Mr. Schoenlein is in his 30th year of teaching, his colleagues say that no one would know it from his positive attitude and regular participation in student events. Jeff Tilley – TOM for August, gave special praise for Schoenlein’s “enthusiasm for the job, his active coaching style with the Cross Country and Spring Track programs, and his eager help for the Athletic Boosters and their food booth projects.”

“Mr. Schoenlein is always on time for school, for meetings and extra duties. He rarely if ever complains, and quite simply, he gets the job done,” says Tilley.

Schoenlein has been the Industrial Technology teacher for the Amanda-Clearcreek School District for many years, helping students learn a variety of hands-on skills and helping them turn out quality projects from his wood shop.  “He doesn't seek personal recognition for his hard work or loyalty to the school district; he simply does the job and does it right. He sets a high standard for his students in class and the students he works with in extracurricular activities. He is a someone who 'leads by example', whether it be volunteering his time after school to help the athletic program, or by running with his cross country team. Dan Schoenlein is an excellent role model and has been a loyal employee of the Amanda-Clearcreek Local School District for many years,” notes Tilley.

Congratulations to Dan Schoenlein for being named Teacher of the Month for ACHS!

Amanda-Clearcreek High School Celebrates Homecoming for 2009

Amanda-Clearcreek High School observed Homecoming for 2009 on the weekend of September 18-19, 2009.  Activities included an all-school Pep Rally, Spirit Week Competitions, recognition of the Fall Sports Teams, and introductions of the Homecoming Court during the Friday night football game against Logan Elm.  The Court Members (see picture below) were introduced to the fans at 7:00 PM before the kickoff.  The King of Homecoming 2009 for ACHS is Tyler Gierhart and the Queen is Lydia Adams. 

Another special ceremony just before kick-off honored the late Rex Shupe, who taught and coached first at Logan Elm and later at Amanda-Clearcreek.  Both schools were presented with plaques honoring Shupe’s dedication to athletics, to students, and to excellence.  (See picture of plaque.)

In an exciting game, Amanda’s football team defeated Logan Elm’s Braves by a score of 37-6.

Jeff Tilley Honored as ACHS Teacher of the Month

New Principal Fred Boring has announced a program to recognize excellence in teaching at Amanda Clearcreek High School. Each month, one staff member will be chosen as Teacher of the Month and he/she will be recognized briefly at the regular staff meetings. In addition to this speech emphasizing the qualities leading to the honor, each recipient will be awarded a $25 gift certificate (provided by donors) and a classroom poster suitable for framing. Principal Boring chose Ag teacher Mr. Jeff Tilley as the inaugural honoree, in part because of his dedication to students which extends far outside the classroom and into the community.

“Although I have been here only a short time, I have already been impressed with the depth of Jeff’s involvement with students. Our ACHS FFA Chapter is a regular competitor at the national events and has been for years. In addition, Mr. Tilley does an outstanding job of organizing the FFA students to perform community service projects throughout the year.” A 1989 alumnus of ACHS, Tilley says, “I appreciate the things that my teachers did for me years ago, and I try to encourage my students give back to this community whenever they can.”

“From this point forward,” Boring explains, “this program of recognition will be completely teacher-driven.” Next month Tilley will have the responsibility to choose the next honoree and he (Tilley) will have to deliver a brief speech explaining the reasons behind his decision. This process will repeat each month, with previous honorees choosing the new recipients. “I don’t want this to be about currying favor with the boss,” says Boring. “I want this to be about setting aside some time each month to talk about the qualities and skills we teachers most admire in our colleagues.” Check in next month to see who Mr. Tilley recognizes!

AMANDA-CLEARCREEK PROGRAM HONORED

Washington, August 18, 2009 – Reading is Fundamental (RIF), the nation’s oldest and largest children and families’ literacy nonprofit organization, has named its three Programs of the Month award recipients for August 2009. These three RIF programs are based out of Golden Gate Elementary in Naples, Florida, Amanda-Clearcreek Local Schools in Amanda, Ohio and Escuela de la Communidad Celso Gonzalez in Loiza, Puerto Rico.

Amanda-Clearcreek Local School District serves 104 young parents and children through RIF’s Shared Beginnings program. Kathryn Rausch has been the RIF coordinator at Amanda-Clearcreek since the program began in 2003. Rausch is described by colleagues as a phenomenal coordinator, truly exemplifying what it means to rise above circumstances to further the mission of RIF. With assistance from RIF, Kathryn provides age-appropriate reading material to young parents and helps them learn the importance of reading to their pre-school children. In so doing, she helps young parents discover the tie between reading and success in school or life. Positive interactions between RIF volunteers, the young parents, and their children are resulting in healthier families and communities.

About RIF
Reading is Fundamental, Inc. (RIF), founded in 1966, motivates children to read by working with them, their parents, and community volunteers to make reading a fun and beneficial part of everyday life. RIF’s highest priority is reaching underserved children from birth to age 8. Through community volunteers in every state and U.S. territory, RIF provides 4.5 million children with 16 million new, free books and literacy resources each year. For more information, and to access reading resources, visit RIF’s website at www.RIF.org.

CONTACT:
Layla Wright-Contreras, RIF 202-536-3528, lwright@rif.org

Approximately 530 students attend Amanda-Clearcreek High School in southwestern Fairfield County - 10 miles west of Lancaster, Ohio. Amanda-Clearcreek High School is a member of the Mid-State League and the OHSAA's Central District.  In August of 2003, the High School moved into a beautiful modern 3-12 facility on the southern edge of the village.  This environment has helped the students of A.C. H.S. to continue its tradition of excellence in many areas.

A.C.H.S. is home to many outstanding students. The Ohio Department of Education's annual report card indicates great improvement in student achievement. Historically, in 1999, Amanda-Clearcreek High School received an award from Governor Bob Taft for its improvement on the Ninth Grade Proficiency Test. By 2002, Amanda-Clearcreek High School was rated as "effective," meeting 11 out of 12 high school report card indicators. The graduation rate for the district rose from 80% in 1998 to an all-time high of 96.6% in 2002!  By 2005, the building achieved a state Performance Index of 97.1, which improved to 100.2 by 2006.This trend has continued. Results for the March 2009 testing are now in, and the High School continues its recent “string” of Excellent Ratings, meeting 12 of 12 indicators. 

A.C.H.S. students are also well-prepared to compete academically on the national level.  In 2003 Alan DeLong was named as a National Merit Scholar - the third finalist in six years. DeLong joins Michael Bond and Jeffrey Bigham in this elite group. Pictures of all three are proudly displayed at the west entrance of our building, as a reminder of our proud academic tradition.  Our ACT results are another indicator of excellence.  The number of students taking the ACT each year has increased from 35 in 2004 to approximately 70 in 2008-2009 (the 2009 report was not yet available at this writing).   Even though more students are attempting the ACT test, A.C.H.S. students have scored at or above national averages in all sections of the ACT in the last three years.

Proud of both its academic and athletic traditions, the Aces won the state championship in Division V football in 1999. In 2000 the football team repeated as state champions after a 7-3 regular season. The Aces are a perennial football power in Ohio High School football, and were regional champions in 2002 and state runner-up in 2003 (Division V).  The Aces were the AP Poll State Champions again in 2004 and Regional Champs in 2006.

The activities and other extra-curricular programs at our school demonstrate help teach our students important lessons outside the classroom.  Teamwork, effort, persistence, and good sportsmanship are all emphasized.  Our FFA chapter's Ag Communications Team was rated as 3rd best in the United States at the National FFA Convention in Louisville, Kentucky in October of 2001. The FFA's Ag Communications Team is respected for its excellence around the state and nationally as well. A delegation will be attending the National Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana once again this fall.  Students at Amanda-Clearcreek also participate in other excellent groups such as: FCCLA, Academic Challenge, National Honor Society, National Art Honor Society, Drama Club, Student Council, and Band. 

Students are challenged to do their best by members of an excellent and experienced staff at A.C.H.S. The majority of the staff at Amanda-Clearcreek High School have Master's Degrees and are part of a 98% daily attendance rate. GRADs teachers provide at-risk students with extra help. Class sizes average 17.6 students and after-school intervention programs are available to students in need of help. The school uses the PassKey online learning system to assist struggling students with credit recovery.  This has helped A.C.H.S. maintain a high graduation rate in the 94-96% range.

In 1999 a program was initiated to recognize positive student achievement and improvement. The program, known as F.A.C.E.S. (Family-Academics-Community-Extra-Curriculars-Self) was created by members of a steering committee made up of students, faculty, and community members. F.A.C.E.S. seeks to reward students for Academic improvement, regular attendance, good behavior, and a positive attitude. Tradition doesn't graduate!  The school boasts an active Alumni Association that awards approximately 42 local scholarships to graduates each year.

Attached is the updated version of bus ridership form for the 2009-2010 school year. The intent is to promote student safety by adhering to our transportation procedures and to eliminate the need to save a seat for the same child on 2 or 3 different busses.

Parents need to identify one consistent pick up and one consistent drop off spot, therein reinforcing that last minute phone calls changing how kids go home will not be accepted as it does not promote student safety, as our transportation procedure dictates.

It also should eliminate the need to daily identify the 25-30 kids that are going home some alternate way . . . a change in how a child goes home by bus will require advance notice, again, what is already in transportation procedures.

We will continue to accommodate emergency situations, but those should be infrequent. We will also accommodate sleepovers, parties, etc. but 5 day advance notice is required to ensure that there are sufficient seats on the requested bus.

Mr. Michael Johnsen,
Superintendent

Parking Permits
Student Parking Permits are available in the high school office from 8:00pm to 3:00pm. The cost of the permit is $5.00 and a parent signature is required. All students must have a sticker in order to park on school grounds.
Attendance Policy Update

ATTENDANCE PROCEDURES:
To protect our academic standards, the Amanda-Clearcreek attendance policy stresses the importance of being at school daily for the student to receive the maximum benefit from the classroom and the instructional participation. For this purpose the following guidelines will be used.

Procedure for Student Absence
1. Student absences must be verified in one of the following ways:

A. Calling the child’s school of attendance to report the absence. Questionable calls will be examined in more detail or not accepted as verification.

B. Bringing a note upon the student’s return to school with the
student’s name, date of absence, reason for an absence, and a phone number where the parent/guardian can be reached. Students with doctor/dentist appointments must bring an official medical slip from the medical professional. Students who do not have phone contact or a parent note will be given a one-day grace period after their return to school or the absence will be unexcused.

2. Upon the student’s return to school, the high school and middle school student must report to the office for a blue admit slip. This slip will be used for notification as to whether the student has had parent contact or not.

VIOLATION OF ATTENDANCE POLICY:
1. Students will receive a 2% grade reduction of their nine-weeks grade averages for each
unexcused absence during the nine weeks.

2. It is necessary that students and parents/guardians understand that any student who accumulates 10 days of absence (excluding school excused and out-of-school suspensions) will be required to provide medical statements or have administrative approval to have the absences excused. Absences not meeting these criteria will be unexcused and subject to the 2% grade reduction.

Dress Code
The following statements are those developed following a significant response from teachers, parents, and students. Parents have felt that the school and home share responsibilities on many aspects of grooming and dress. While the Amanda-Clearcreek Junior/High School recognizes students’ individuality and right to freely express themselves, certain provisions must be made to establish regulations for proper dress at school. A dress code has been established to define what appropriate attire for school is and what is not. Guidelines have been established to provide for safety, respect for others, and to help create a suitable environment for teaching and learning.

Hair
Hair should be clean and worn in such a way as not to interfere with the educational process.

Jewelry/Piercing
There shall be no visible facial or body piercing except for the ears. Students shall wear jewelry that is deemed appropriate and safe for schools. Students shall not be permitted to wear studded collars or bracelets, dog collars, or wallet chains. Nose, eyebrow, and tongue piercing shall also be prohibited.

Fit of Clothing
Pants-Pants will be worn about the waist so that the pant material does not drag the ground, and so that the top of the shoes will be visible. Pants are not to be rolled down at the waist. No undergarments will be visible due to the “sagging”, or poor fit of the pants.

Tops/Shirts-Shirts shall have sleeves. Shirts should not be excessively low cut in front or under the arms, nor should they be excessively tight fitting. All tops must be long enough to be tucked into the pants, skirt, or shorts.

Skirts/Shorts-All skirts should be of a reasonable length above the knee. Shorts, skirts and pants are not to be rolled down at the waist. All dresses, skirts and shorts must be properly fitted and be fingertip length.

Hats/Caps/Scarves/Bandanas
Hats, caps, scarves and bandanas are not to be worn at school during the school day. These items MAY be worn at dances and extracurricular activities. Certain headwear may be deemed appropriate and worn on special spirit days. No gang paraphernalia shall be permitted to be worn at any school function.

Examples of Appropriate/Inappropriate

• No cut-off shirts, shorts, or bare midriffs. This means that tops should be able to be tucked into the top of the pants when standing still.

• Clothing shall be neat and in good repair. Clothing items that have excessive rips or holes are not permitted. There are to be no holes in pants in crotch or seat area.

• No clothing with inappropriate designs, suggestive or improper wording, and/or suggestive or inappropriate graphic images and artwork.

• Confederate flags or other racially derogatory images or slogans are not to be worn or displayed at school in accordance with legal precedent.

• Articles of clothing advertising drugs, tobacco, or alcohol products are prohibited at school and all school functions

• P.J. Bottoms/Tops are not permitted.

Shoes
Students are expected to wear shoes at all times at school. Students shall wear safe, appropriate footwear for the educational environment.

Daily, during 1st period, teachers will determine whether students are adhering to the dress code. If a teacher feels that a student is not dressed according to the code, the student will be sent to the office for disciplinary action. Students will immediately address all violations or will be assigned to In-School Restriction.

Appropriate Dress for Extracurricular Events
Extracurricular events are an extension of the school day. Students are still bound by the Student Code of Conduct at school functions such as ballgames, dances, banquets and other school functions outside the school day both on or off of school grounds. Students MAY wear hats at games and are encouraged to wear attire that shows their school spirit.

Semi-formal and formal dances (Homecoming and Prom)
No hats, bandanas or scarves are to be worn. Jeans or t-shirts may not be worn. Exceptions may be made to the dress code provided clothing is not exceptionally revealing or inappropriate. Students may want to seek the advice of the activity advisor or principal before purchasing expensive clothing if they think it may not be suitable for the dance.

Casual dances (after game dances, Holly Dance, and the MORP Dance) field trips, and other school sponsored events
Hats or scarves may be worn however students are not to wear clothing that is excessively revealing or immodest at these school functions. All other aspects of the dress code shall be enforced at dances. Halter or tube tops are not allowable.

* * *
The authority for the decisions concerning the appropriate dress and appearance of faculty and students should be under the jurisdiction of the superintendent and principals. The decision of these administrators shall receive the support of the Board of Education.

"Parents Who Host/Lost the Most"
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For practice and help preparing for 
the OGT please visit:

Students and parents wishing to practice and prepare for the March 13 administration of the OGT are encouraged 
to check out these websites:
Ohio Department of Education: Graduation Test
Ohio Department of Education: OGT Success for Students

Additional School Links  

School District Information
Superintendent's Message
Directions to Amanda-Clearcreek High School
Sports Information
Chalkboard