In the spring of every year, students select the programs and courses they will take in the following school year. In the month of February, Greenville Career Technical Education Center (G-CTEC) will be celebrating Technical Education programs and encouraging our student body to enroll in hands-on learning programs, apprenticeships, and work-based learning experiences to gain real skills for the real world. On February 9 & 10, 2021 G-CTEC programs will host GHS sophomores to introduce them to Career Technical Education opportunities at G-CTEC.  The goal will be engaging students and reaching parents with the message that CTE programs provide invaluable learning opportunities that equip students to launch successful careers. CTE programs bring Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM) to life and teach students valuable life lessons like Teamwork, Leadership, and Dependability. At G-CTEC, we offer Technical Education programs that equip students with transferable life skills that can be used to launch rewarding careers.

The climate of our school building affects all aspects of educating our students.  A positive and healthy climate increases morale for students and staff, creates a better learning atmosphere, and increases community interactions with the school buildings.  Traditionally we can see the characteristics of a good climate from our students in things like participation in pep rallies, clubs, grades, and community involvement with attendance at school events.  In this pandemic year our traditional ways of measuring how our students and community are involved in our schools have taken on a non-traditional look. 

Imagine being trained to learn and teach in front of an audience your entire life and in a matter of a few days all of that changing.  We used to rely on discussion, demonstration, teamwork and practice as the basic principles of teaching and learning.  We now must include things like logging-in, email, Zoom, wearing masks, attaching homework, all while relying on our technology to work. When outside factors like loss of income, product shortages, quarantines and illness are taken into consideration, students, staff members, and parents are struggling to keep up with our traditional expectations.

School certainly looks different this year than in years past. Not only with students wearing masks and socially distancing, but also how teachers and students are using technology to continue learning. Students and teachers are using the learning management system Canvas to create lessons and submit assignments, and take tests digitally all on their iPads. Canvas is being utilized whether students are learning in-person at Greenville schools or if they are learning remotely. This has been especially helpful when students are absent, so that they can keep up on any assignments.

As the school year has progressed, the district has been monitoring the success of students using this platform, and has reached out to several students and staff for their experiences with this digital learning.

    David Westfall is a 3rd grade teacher at Greenville Elementary School, and has been teaching for 41 years. Understandably, teaching using new technologies can be quite challenging. Mr. Westfall has embraced the challenge, incorporating digital lessons from websites, and using Zoom to connect with students who are unable to be in class. He says, “Canvas is easy and keeps me connected to students that are not here. Especially with Zoom meetings. It is also kid friendly and they love it. I was nervous at first, but now it is part of my life in and out of my classroom.”

We’ve happily kicked 2020 to the curb and welcomed in 2021 with open arms. Now it is time to figure out what we want to make of this fresh, new year. If we learned anything in 2020, it is the importance of self-care and connection for a healthy mind and body. We may still be wearing masks, social distancing, and dealing with other COVID-related regulations, however, the time to get motivated, set new goals, and create joy is now. Children of all ages can and should be encouraged to do the same.

When it comes to New Year resolutions, experts say that 60% of people abandon them within the first six months, while another 25% do so after just one week. With that in mind, instead of getting stuck on repeat, let’s focus on meaningful, achievable goals that promote well-being for ourselves and others.

Parents are encouraged to report any positive test, or case of COVID-19, to their school by calling in to the building principal or reporting to the building when they call in their child’s absence.

Known positive COVID-19 tests will be communicated by building, on the district website, if that information is confirmed.  It will be reported by building case number only.  No identifiable information will be shared or discussed.

February 3, 2021 

The Greenville City School District has four additional positive COVID-19 cases.  Our district currently has seven isolated active cases.

The local health department is aware of the additional cases and will do appropriate follow up and contact tracing.

In order to keep our students and staff healthy, we ask you to keep a safe social distance, wash your hands often, and wear masks to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

Thanks for your ongoing cooperation with our guidelines to deal with the COVID-19 virus.

Go Wave!

This is to remind you that lunch and breakfast will remain free for all students for the remainder of this school year.  Again, there will not be any cost to our students for breakfast or lunch this school year.

Kitty Davis 

Greenville Elementary Principal


     Mrs. Sherry Flora has taught for Greenville Elementary for almost three decades.  During this time, she has educated many elementary students in the area of science.  Mrs. Flora is a scientist at heart- from the time of seventh grade when she burned a peanut in a can to determine the amount of calories it possessed.  As she entered college, Mrs. Flora focused on sharing her love for science with others and decided to pursue a degree in education.
     Her thirst for knowledge regarding archeological digs started in the mid 1990s in Ansonia.  Mrs. Flora recalled that a mastadon’s tooth was caught in a farmer’s plow.  Soon the field became a digging site in conjunction with an Ohio university and about a dozen teachers.  The bones were not well preserved as they were located in the surface of the topsoil. Therefore, the fragments were plastered prior to being removed from the dirt with brushes and shovels.   Mrs. Flora explained that it was a “semi-scientific” dig as the findings were not measured in depth or mapped.  She recalled finding teeth and ribs, and to this day, she still has rough chunks of mastadon bone.  

COVID-19 Fact Sheet
K-12 School Quarantine Guidelines

Governor Mike DeWine, recognizing that in-person classroom learning is critical for supporting the educational and social
development of children and adolescents,* has set a goal of reopening K-12 schools to in-person learning by March 1,
2021. With sustained COVID-19 transmission continuing across our state, schools, and public health systems must adapt to
ensure that the continued development of students is accompanied by protections for the overall health and well-being of
students, teachers, and staff in our communities.
The below guidance can be used to address COVID-19 exposures in K-12 in-person learning environments. This guidance
is supported by recent studies and pilot evaluations, including the Ohio Schools COVID-19 Evaluation, which indicate that
the risk of COVID-19 transmission in schools may be limited with strict adherence to prevention measures in a monitored
environment.

COVID-19 continues to present new challenges, burdens, and consequences in our daily lives and that of young people. A sneeze or cough in a public setting may have once elicited a “bless you,” but nowadays it’s more likely to prompt heads turning with looks of disapproval. For people who have, or have had COVID, they may feel as if they contracted the plague, based on the way others treat them. They may experience feelings of isolation, depression, and abandonment. The stigma that surrounds this disease must end, not only for the physical health and mental wellbeing of those who have COVID, but in order to help bring an end to this pandemic in communities throughout our nation and world.

Psilocybin, the active ingredient in psychedelic mushrooms, is in the spotlight in America. Studies are currently evaluating its potential for medical benefits—a measure that may provide a false sense of safety around its use, especially among teens. In the previous tip, “Know! What’s Up With Psilocybin,” we discussed the shift in attitude toward psychedelic drugs in the U.S., as voters in Oregon legalized psilocybin and voters in Colorado decriminalized its use. In turn, this can reduce young people’s perception of psilocybin’s harm.

Regardless of law or potential medical uses however, psilocybin is a powerful, dangerous hallucinogenic drug. Youth must be made clearly aware of these dangers and empowered to steer clear of this drug.

By Clayton Westerbeck
Assistant Principal
Greenville High School

A school is somewhere a child can attend and learn Math, History, Science, English, Athletics, specialized programming such as Music, Art and other academic based entities. We can even add career based education the list such as vocational learning. We have to ask, Is there something missing? Based on scores and graduation rates..numbers that drive the funding of schools.  Students struggle based on a variety of reasons, one of the biggest is socioeconomics. Poverty levels directly impact the standard K-12 educational end result for many students nationwide. There must be a way to engage students and get them to believe in themselves. I give you the “Hidden Curriculum”.

In 2018, the Ohio Department of Education began a new system for our state called the Positive Behavior Intervention System (PBIS). Although this is now almost 3 years old, many people are still unaware of what it is.  This article is written with the intent of educating our district families about the background of PBIS, the implementation of the system at Greenville and how it is continuing to be used within our district.

According to the State of Ohio Department of Education (ODE), their purpose for trying to institute a PBIS system was to create a “schoolwide systematic approach to embed evidence-based practices and data-driven decision- making to improve school climate and culture to achieve improved academic and social outcomes and increase learning for all students”. This was adopted in November of 2018, by then Gov. Kasich, in House Bill 318. In this bill, schools were required to provide professional developments and/or state trainings to help train teachers. PBIS was required to be implemented by every school in the 2019-2020 school year.

While you may not be familiar with psilocybin, chances are you have heard of psychedelic mushrooms, or shrooms. Psilocybin is the active ingredient in psychedelic mushrooms. Though many of us associate psychedelics with the 60’s, there has been a resurgence of interest in their use. In November, Oregon became the first state to legalize psilocybin, and it has America talking. The question is, are you talking to your teens about this substance? If not, let us help you get the conversation started.

Here’s Some Info to Know! on Psilocybin
Psilocybin and other psychedelic drugs were broadly banned under the 1970 Controlled Substances Act.
It is classified as a Schedule I drug, meaning, it has no legally accepted medical use and has a high potential for abuse.
In May 2019, Denver, Colorado became the first city to decriminalize psilocybin, with Ann Arbor, Michigan; Oakland and Santa Cruz, California joining shortly after.
Washington D.C. passed a ballot initiative to decriminalize this substance earlier this month.  

According to the Ohio Department of Education, remote learning occurs when the learner and educator, or source of information, are separated by time and/or distance, and therefore, cannot meet in a traditional classroom setting.  School Districts faced a situation last spring that had never been experienced as schools were ordered to close across the state, suddenly in March, due to the pandemic.  Districts moved from traditional to remote learning.  Greenville City Schools had initiated tools for remote learning that helped make this transition.

This sudden change caused Greenville City Schools to use a digital mode to provide remote learning.  Digital mode is defined as remote learning, delivered via computer or internet-based means.  As a district, the Greenville City Schools Board of Education had already approved one to one learning using iPads, so we were able to make the change with regular interaction between students and teachers via iPads and the internet.  The District also had purchased Kajeets, mobile hot spots and provided those for students without internet access. During spring and summer months, parents and staff voiced that they greatly appreciated the smooth transition and communication and also their desire for a unified platform to deliver instruction, track and report educational courses.  A group of educators studied the available platforms, Learning Management Systems, and recommended that the Board of Education purchase Canvas.  Canvas was every teacher’s first choice and came with strong recommendations from Hilliard and Delaware City Schools, as well as The Ohio State University, Miami University, Bowling Green State University, and the University of Cincinnati.  Canvas was determined to be a useful tool either to continue remote learning or for traditional learning in the classroom.

November is here to kick off the holiday season. Just like most things in 2020, Thanksgiving is bound to look different this year due to COVID-19. At a time when we might normally be gearing up to travel to grandma’s house or preparing to host extended family members for dinner, this time around we may be forced to break yet another tradition. But instead of dwelling on the negative, it is more important than ever that we count our blessings and focus on gratitude—for the health of it.

Experts say there is actual science behind being grateful, and that it is central to our physical and mental health. “Grateful people are healthier, happier, and more satisfied with their lives,” says Dr. Christine Carter, a Berkeley researcher whose work is focused on the science of happiness. “They are more resilient and have a higher sense of self-worth. Grateful teens are less likely to abuse alcohol and drugs and less likely to have behavior problems at school. The list goes on and on.”

What makes a leader?  Leadership is a developed skill.  At Greenville Middle School, opportunities for students to develop leadership are fostered.  Research supports the need for youth not only to learn leadership skills, but to have authentic opportunities to apply those skills.  Youth who are leaders are healthier in their relationships, learn responsibility, learn teamwork, and are more productive members of society.  https://www.pcycnsw.org.au/why-youth-leadership-is-so-important/

Monday November 1, 2020- Greenville Ohio-  Did you know, innovations enabled by Manufacturing in the USA results in products that assist workers, make buildings safer, consume less energy, and save lives? According to the National Association of Manufacturers, “Manufacturers in Ohio account for 16.60% of the total output in the state, employing 12.56% of the workforce.”  At Greenville High School Career Technical Education Center (G-CTEC) we offer programs that equip students with the technical and transferable life skills they need to launch rewarding careers. October is Manufacturing Month and we celebrated this industry and it’s positive impact on Darke County.  This Manufacturing Day, we connected students and employers to help raise awareness of the awesome training programs and careers available in the high-tech world of advanced manufacturing.

Greenville Middle School’s remote learning option welcomed approximately one hundred and fifty students to back to school this year!  The online program provides learners with the opportunity to work through all areas of the curriculum with certified Greenville teachers. Access to assignments, resources, and instruction is provided through Canvas, and students receive additional support and extended practice through Microsoft Teams, Zoom, ConnectEd and a variety of other technology applications.

The Covid-19 era has introduced a new set of educational challenges, but the remote teachers at Greenville Middle School are proud of how students have taken the initiative to meet those challenges head on. Students are gaining confidence and competence in using 21st century technology, and they are demonstrating an increased ability to problem solve and think outside of the box when approaching learning tasks. Participating in online platforms such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams allows students to improve their communication and presentation skills as well.

When it comes to talking to our children about the dangers of drugs, we tend to focus the conversation on illegal or “street” drugs. While those drugs are extremely dangerous and absolutely should be part of the conversation, we cannot forget to include the high risks involved with the misuse or abuse of prescription drugs. In fact, according to Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), prescription drug abuse is the fastest-growing drug problem in the U.S. and is profoundly impacting the lives of teens.

Parents can make a huge difference. In addition to following the three simple steps shared in the previous Know! Tip, KNOW!, SECURE, DISPOSE To Prevent Teen Prescription Drug Abuse, parents are encouraged to talk, and then talk some more with their children on this subject. Experts say children whose parents talk early and often about the dangers of drugs are up to 50 percent less likely to use drugs in the first place. Unfortunately, only 22 percent of teens report having specific conversations on the topic of prescription drug abuse with their parents. With that in mind, many parents can take a simple, but monumental step toward prevention by starting these important conversations.

October 19, 2020, Greenville, Ohio- Greenville High School is proud to announce the newest addition to the opportunities offered to students.  Greenville High School is offering Project LIFE.  Project LIFE is a comprehensive, multi-year transition-to-adulthood program in which individuals (ages 16+) with disabilities can develop practice and strengthen skills that are high predictors for increased adult independence and successful, integrated community employment.  Project LIFE is a combined education and work experience program that give high school students and young adult “interns” with developmental disabilities the opportunity to learn and build skills leading to future employment and a more independent adulthood.