The Roughrider- March 2022

Welcome to the third edition of The Roughrider! This is a new, quarterly newsletter designed to provide regular updates to the going-ons of the Jefferson Local School District. We hope you enjoy it! Thank you for your continued support of the District, its staff, and most importantly its students.

ROUNDING THE CORNER

As we move into spring, we will soon be completing another successful year in Jefferson Local Schools. We have seen many great accomplishments from both staff and students. This edition of the Roughrider is dedicated to highlighting those accomplishments and shining a well-deserved spotlight on our students and staff. We are also highlighting some of the structural improvements that are in the works.

I would like to thank all of our supportive parents for their patience and understanding in helping us through the pandemic and all of the challenges it presented. I think the policies and procedures we implemented proved to be correct in allowing for the most direct instruction for our students. Certainly, our staff deserves plaudits for their efforts as well.

This is an exciting time of the year with events occurring again such as Prom and Graduation. We are also in the midst of a search process for a new 6-12 Building Principal as our current Principal, Mr. Mike Bute, has accepted a Superintendent
position in another school district. We would like to congratulate Mr. Bute and wish him well in his future. Our process to find his replacement is underway and we look forward to bringing forth another quality leader for our secondary students.

I hope everyone has a great finish to the 2021-2022 school year.

Go Riders!

Mr. William Mullett

Superintendent, Jefferson LSD

West Jefferson Middle/High School Happenings

The students and staff at West Jefferson Middle/High School have been busy not only with their studies but also with extracurricular activities. Below are some highlights from the past three months.

Spelling Bee Results

The Madison County middle school spelling bee was held on January 25, 2022. The spelling bee team had a strong showing, including several winners. Congrats to the whole team!

Patrick Murphy (8th Grade) CHAMPION! Khloee Lemon (6th Grade) Grade Level Winner Nick Hall (6th Grade)
Isabel Duffy (6th Grade) Jaylen Poe (7th Grade) Jacob Evans (7th Grade) Nancy Gartner (8th Grade)
Kylah Blanchard (8th Grade)

Martin Rits (6th Grade)- 1st place written test Tucker Phipps (7th Grade)- 1st place written test Carter Murphy (6th Grade)
Ethan Roberts (7th Grade) Olive Wilson (7th Grade) Marissah LeMaster (7th Grade) Caylyn Knox (8th Grade)

Renaissance Why You Matter Project

This project has been ongoing for over a year and is intended to show that we want an environment where the kids feel accepted, they know they are not alone, and that they matter. We want the students of our schools to realize that they have a purpose and that they make a difference in their own or in other’s lives everyday. This project involves every student in the school getting a photo taken of them and showing why they matter.

Mock Trial Team

The mock trial team competed in the Regional Competition on February 18th. They advanced to the

state competition.

Tennessee Jennings Maddi Gaus Autumn Lewis Graham Gardner Olivia Forman

Riley Marshal Annabel Phipps Jessica Fling Grace Kitchen

End of Course Exams

End of course exams for students in grades 6-12 will begin April 6th and end April 14th with a week available for makeup exams.

SPORTS!

The varsity boys basketball team completed their season with a 13-10 record. Senior student MJ Book scored his 1,000th career point in the last regular season game. The varsity girls basketball team finished their season with a 13-9 record. Senior student Taylor Roberts scored 1,000 career points and grabbed her 500th career rebound late in the regular season. Our varsity wrestling program is still competing in the OHSAA district individual wrestling tournament with hopes of sending several students to the state tournament on March 12th. Senior student Bryce Keckley is only a few victories away from eclipsing the career wins mark in West Jefferson history.

OHC Honors
1ST Team
	
Taylor Roberts
	MJ Book
	
Bryce Keckley
		
2nd Team
	
Brooke Mannon
	Asher Wilson
	
Ryder Brown
	AJ Keyt
	
Honorable Mention
	
Emma Crace
	Tyler Buescher
	
Brayden Hundley
	Wyatt Keyt

Jefferson Local Schools Operations Update - March 31, 2022

Much Needed Upgrades to Central Oﬃce

The existing central oﬃce sign was recently upgraded. The original sign, made of wood, began to fade and peel several years ago. Recently, Branham Sign Company replaced the aging sign with a new energy eﬃcient internal LED sign. Additionally, new
exterior safety lighting is going to be installed this spring along with new landscaping.

In the interior of the building, two new Bryant high eﬃciency furnaces and air conditioners have been installed by Applied Mechanical Services, replacing four 1991 York furnaces and one Sanyo split system.

Another exciting upgrade to the interior of the central oﬃce included the replacement of the aging carpeted stair treads and tile landing that were becoming a trip hazard for staff and

Jefferson Local Schools Operations Update March 31, 2022

visitors to the facility. Visionary Business Interiors just completed installation of new rubber stair treads and new main entrance carpet.

High School Gym Renovations

As one of the most used interior spaces at Jefferson Local Schools, the high school gymnasium is scheduled for some much needed renovations. Over the years, the wall paint has continued to peel away from the block, the court has shown a lot of wear with the amount of use over the last decade, and the lighting has become a huge maintenance issue. Over the spring and early summer, the walls will be receiving repairs of the peeling paint and all of the walls will be painted white to brighten up the space. The lighting, which is currently ﬂuorescent lighting, will be upgraded with energy eﬃcient LED lighting that is dimmable. And ﬁnally, the court will be completely reﬁnished using shades of stain instead of solid colors to give the area a completely new professional look.

Jefferson Local Schools Operations Update March 31, 2022

New Playground Shade & Ball Diamond Repairs for Norwood Elementary

If you have ever been on the playground at Norwood during the day, have you noticed the lack of shade areas for the kiddos? In a partnership with Norwood Elementary and the Operations Department, a new tri-shade canopy will be installed on the Norwood playground. The project is slated to begin late spring.

The baseball diamonds are also receiving some much needed repairs. Over the years, many weeds and grass have grown on both diamonds. This year, new inﬁeld playing material will be installed on both diamonds to make this space much more useful for students and community members.

Water Bottle Filling Stations

A middle school student inquired about adding water bottle ﬁlling stations in district buildings as it is very diﬃcult for students to ﬁll their water bottles from a drinking fountain. The district found this project to be a viable solution to the issue students were having. A total of four water bottle ﬁlling stations have been installed; three at the middle/high school complex and one at Norwood Elementary. This project provides students, staff, and visitors with eco-friendly alternatives to using disposable water bottles. These water bottle ﬁlling stations include a counter to show everyone how many 20 ounce water bottles have been saved from waste.	They also include a 3,000 gallon ﬁlter certiﬁed to NSF 42 and 53 for lead, Class 1 particulate, chlorine, test and odor reduction.