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2   |  Y E L LOW S P R I N G S N EWS  2 O 2 0 – 2 1 S C HOO L G U I D E The local school board is a five-member, publicly elected body responsible for the policies, finances and personnel of the Yellow Springs Exempted School District. Board meetings are regularly scheduled the second Thursday of the month, typi- cally beginning at 7 p.m. Other meetings are scheduled as needed. All meetings are streamed live on the district’s YouTube Channel — https://www.youtube.com/ channel/UCJrzRabkaBlqt9V2bvxtQqA — and archived there as well. During the COVID-19 school shutdown, the board has been meeting through an online con- ference platform, also streamed live, with viewers invited to share any comments early in the meeting through the YouTube I am honored to lead Yellow Springs Schools into the uncharted territory in which we now all find ourselves. 2020 will certainly be a year to remember but I know that there is promise of a brighter — and safer — 2021. The Yellow Springs staff and faculty are excited to welcome our Fearless Thinkers back virtually on Thursday, August 27, for an invigorating year of learning. We are committed in our resolve to provide our students with an engaging and challeng- ing education, whether that is through vir- tual delivery or in-person instruction. Our district-wide commitment is to a different type of teaching and learning, of which project based learning is the foundation and at the core of everything we do. District staff will collaborate this year YELLOW SPRINGS BOARD OF EDUCATION DR. TERRI L. HOLDEN, SUPERINTENDENT to strengthen and refine our core instruc- tion to support student achievement. Through our PBL approach, every student, from kindergarten to 12th grade, will participate in hands-on, deeper learning that encourages creativity, collaboration and exploration. Wrapped around our standards-based academic instruction, PBL provides our students the opportunity to tackle the real-world issues that our com- munity faces and enables them to make an impact locally and globally. Certainly, the COVID-19 pandemic and the massive racial protests during the past six months have provided context and content for our students to truly learn about the world around them. This is meaningful work! We will continue to use the educational experiences at Yellow Springs Schools to address issues of equity and social justice. Our innovative approach to learning here at Yellow Springs Schools has made our district a leader in Ohio and part of the movement to prepare our young people to change the world. This is possible not only because of the dedication of our teachers and staff, but also the commitment our students and their families show to educa- tion, the leadership of our Board of Educa- tion and administration, and the support of community members who believe in providing innovative, quality educational experiences for children. Yellow Springs Schools continues the tra- dition of growing fearless thinkers and lead- ers. As we have clearly seen, the hope for a future for all of us lies with our children. chat feature. Each serving four-year terms, current board members are Steve Conn, Sylvia Elli- son, Steve McQueen, Aida Merhemic and TJ Turner. Conn is board president, Mer- hemic is vice-president and McQueen is the district’s representative on the Greene County Career Center’s board. Conn, McQueen and Merhemic’s terms end Dec. 31, 2021; Ellison’s and Turner’s conclude at the end of 2023. The district offices are at 201 S. Walnut St. and the phone number there is 937- 767-7381. Emails for individual board members follow the form of first initial followed by last name @ysschools.org ; for example, sconn@ysschools.org . I am sure that I am not alone when I say that this was a summer for the record books. Zoom calls to check in with family, birthday parades, movies streamed directly into your living room, creative stay-cations, and at-home fireworks displays became the norm this summer. It’s a new normal, and though it might not be everything we would want, I am determined to make the best of it! Hello! My name is Michelle Person and I am the new principal here at Mills Lawn. I had hoped that by now I would have been able to meet many of you in person, but sadly that is not the case. I am a transplant to the Dayton area by way of Cleveland. I have over 20 years’ experi- ence in education both as a teacher and principal. I have spent the last five years proudly serving as a part of the Cleveland Municipal School District and in my spare time I write children’s books and lead workshops on the importance of diver- sity in children’s literature. I have three children: TJ, Kayla and Kai. TJ graduated high school this past spring, Kayla is a sophomore at Beavercreek High School, and Kai is a bubbling ball of three-year- old energy. Though the 2020–2021 school year will look markedly different than school did just a year ago, I promise it will be awesome nonetheless. Our teachers are taking extra steps to ensure we are ready to engage your children virtually begin- ning on day one. This year more than ever, a strong parent partnership will be vital to support our students and guarantee they continue to grow as “Fearless Think- ers.” Keep an eye out for an invitation to a special parent meeting to be held later this month, where we will offer training and assistance in navigating our virtual platform. Though very different, I hope your summer has been peaceful and healthy. I look forward to safely connecting with as many of you as I can as soon as circum- stances allow. My goal this year is to make sure our students flourish academically while maintaining a sense of normalcy whenever possible. Things are changing quickly, but I promise to make sure every- one has all of the information needed so you are able to actively engage with your children and our school. Thank you for all of your support as we move through these challenging times. Go Bulldogs! MICHELLE PERSON, PRINCIPAL MILLS LAWN SCHOOL | YELLOW SPRINGS SCHOOLS To make a donation & for grant applications: www.YSCF.org F Providing Charlotte Drake Student Grants F Supporting the YS Endowment for Education Grants F Managing 20 Scholarship funds for YSHS Seniors F Operating as the back-office for the YS Public School fund WORKING TOGETHER TO MAKE THIS THE BEST YEAR YET! TOGETHER WE CAN DO MORE! JOIN US!