EDUCATION MATTERS #78

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By Dr. Ben Yocom-Milan C2 School District Supt.

“Striving For Excellence In Everything”

If you have not noticed – we are already in APRIL! The spring activities are in Full Force and personally, I vividly remember last April and the extreme uncertainty present during that particular time. While the uncertainty is not as intense, the uncertainty is still present; but I am VERY THANKFUL that we are actually here, in our outstanding school with our tremendous students/staff!

The General election took place on Tuesday, April 6th, 2021 – there were four (4) candidates for two (2) spots on the Milan C-2 Board of Education. Serving as a Public School Board Member is one of the most challenging, yet fulfilling volunteer roles that an individual can possibly hold. The results have recorded the following – Mr. David Richardson, Incumbent Candidate and Mr. Nick Gardner, New Candidate recorded the most votes and will assume a spot on the MC2 School Board. The board will reorganize and the new candidates will take the “Oath of Office” on Tuesday, April 20th, 2021. Congratulations to Mr. Richardson and Mr. Gardner! Mrs. Rebecca Bennett and Ms. Kristine Good were the other two (2) candidates; the Milan C-2 School District would like to express sincere appreciation to Mrs. Bennett and Ms. Good for their interest in serving the school district!

Another pivotal occurrence took place on 4/6/21 – that date marks the end of an “Era” with Mr. Duane Schnelle. At the conclusion of this term, Mr. Schnelle decided to not run for the board again. He has served, in some way-shape or form, the Milan C-2 School District for nearly fifty (50) years – in some capacity. He not only retired after teaching/ coaching for thirty (30) years, he then served on the Board for another twelve (12) years. His efforts and service over the years have led to multiple advancement for our school! He is a TRUE WILDCAT! The Milan C-2 School District appreciates Mr. Schnelle’s commitment and dedication over the MANY years.

Milan C-2 Elementary is planning to host various activities that typically have taken place in the Fall or early Winter – some of those include, but are not limited to, Muffins with Moms, Donuts with Dads, etc. Please stay tuned to the district’s communication platforms for pertinent information related to these events. Several of these events are sponsored by the Milan C-2 Parent- Teacher Organization (PTO) and the district sincerely appreciates their support!

The Spring sports seasons are also in Full Swing – the district will host three (3) Track Meets at our state of the art Track facilities. The first meet will take place on Wednesday, 4/21/21 – this is the annual Milan Relays; the second meet will on 4/29/21 Milan Junior High Invitational Meet and the final meet will be on 5/4/21 as we host the Grand River Conference (GRC) High School Meet (all GRC schools will be involved in this meet). The Baseball and Golf teams are also in participating in games and meets. Please stay tuned to the schedules and plan to attend ANY of our programs! The ability to actually hold these activities is not lost on me! If you remember, last year – we were unable to hold ANY spring activities and I know the students and coaches are extremely thankful to have these events!

The district is also making plans to begin the 2nd Phase of the Long Range Master Facility Plan (LRMFP). If you recall, the 1st Phase began in 2016 and concluded this year in 2021. The 1st phase included, but was not limited to, the following: New windows in the HS building, New HVAC system in the HS building, Renovating the Floors-Doors-Walls in the HS building, Tuck-Pointing the HS building and the movement of the 5-6 grade students to the connected elementary building, renovating a spacious/modern Library-Media Center, constructing a new Kitchen and Cafeteria/ Commons Area, plus a Competitive gymnasium. The 2nd phase will begin with the renovation/ modernization of the East Wing in the Elementary Building. The area was constructed in 1959 and 1960. The rooms will get a “Face-Lift” and the flooring in the rooms on the far east side will receive some additional support. After the K-2 Hall or East Wing in the Elementary is addressed, all areas in the Milan C-2 School District will have received some sort of systematic infrastructure upgrade or update in the last seven (7) years! The work to provide the best possible physical environment for students in our dynamic school never stops! It is constant and the school will always be planning to address/improve our facilities! Progress is crucial!

The planning for the 21-22 School Year is also on the forefront of our minds as well! As we conclude one of the most challenging academic years in many years – we must adjust and prepare for the next year with that ‘in mind’. One of the biggest objectives will be to evaluate the best way to respond to the shortfalls present from the lack of school last spring. We hope to take the first step in this process by providing a Summer School option that will specifically address some of the gaps in an intentional manner. Summer school will begin on Monday, 5/24 and end on Friday, June 25 – totaling twenty-four (24) days. If you have any questions about the 2021 Summer Session, please contact the school and watch the application process closely. Students can sign up by contacting the Elementary or High School Office respectively. The district will engage with Catapult Learning – the vendor will provide the $100 gift card incentives, to qualifying students, as they have done in the past. The school will not be providing transportation for other schools during the session.

Please, do NOT hesitate to contact the school with questions about anything. You can reach me at my email address – byocom@ milan.k12.mo.us or at school – 660-265- 4414 Ext. 1. It has been a challenging year, but I am VERY thankful that we are IN SCHOOL and have been for the entire academic session! We will continue to persevere and progress! No matter what, EVERY DAY IS A GREAT DAY TO BE