District News

With Veterans Day being last week, Madison Local Schools would like to thank all who have served our country. Doing so inspires great courage and dedication as they take on something larger than each of us. We would like to salute our veterans, especially those who are a part of our Madison Family and Community. 

This past week, Madison High School kicked off our Complete the STREAK Week! During this week, our goal was to recognize as many students as possible for exhibiting our positive STREAK behaviors. 

Madison Middle School was happy to welcome live theater back into our halls! Our middle school students put on multiple great performances of “The Lion King, Jr.” last weekend. Students dug deep into their flare for the dramatic as they recreated a classic for all ages. 

Click HERE for the updated High School bus route 29.  

Click HERE for a revised Bus Schedule for North Elementary AM Route 5.  

Click HERE for calendar

2020 - 2021

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Information

November 24, 2021

Dear Madison Community, 

At last evening’s Board of Education Meeting, the Board made an amendment to our Return to In-person Instruction plan.  They voted to amend the plan to make masking optional at the Middle and High Schools beginning Monday, November 29, 2021 and at the elementary buildings beginning January 4, 2021.   Masking is still strongly encouraged to keep the spread of the virus down.  Masking will continue to be required on buses per federal order.    

Both elementary buildings held their fall Family Literacy Nights last week. We can’t deny how nice it was to have the majority of our students be able to attend their Literacy Nights face-to-face after an unpredictable year.

Congratulations to our High School theater students for their excellent performance of PUFFS last weekend! Students put on four shows and saw over three-hundred attendees. 

Congratulations to three of our Madison HS Football players who have been selected for the Lake County Touchdown Club All-Stars. The Lake County Touchdown Club is committed to promoting football in Lake County.

Madison Middle School held a Staff vs Student Volleyball game to help raise funds to build an outdoor classroom. There was a 28-team bracket that competed to play a staff team; the final team gave the staff a run for their money, with the staff team barely pulling through to win by one point. 

It has been nice having a quasi-normal fall sports season! We would like to thank our coaches, students, and parents for their diligence and flexibility throughout this unpredictable time. As we wrap up a successful fall sports season, we’d like to recognize some MHS students who have had outstanding performances this year. 

Congratulations to Madison eighth grader Natalie Best, who was crowned as Miss Ohio Junior High School America! Natalie will represent Ohio for the 2021-2022 school year and will be representing Ohio Junior High School in Little Rock, Arkansas in June 2022. 

Life Skills students at Madison Middle School created their own corn hole boards and bags as one of their eight hands-on learning projects for the 2021-2022 school year. Students took on assigned roles to work on their own responsibilities as moving parts of a group as they sanded and refurbished the corn hole boards for their classroom and sewed bean bags using a student-friendly sewing machine. 

The Madison High School Spanish and Ecology classes came together in efforts to fundraise for their class’ student led projects. Students sold pumpkins, gourds, and corn of all shapes and sizes at an outdoor “market” during two home football games.

World Teachers’ Day was this past Tuesday, October 5 - and what better way to celebrate than to publicly thank our teachers for their tireless efforts in ensuring our students receive the best education available.

During the 2020-2021 school year, Madison High School senior and Girl Scout Bailey Brotz approached the Madison Pre-Kindergarten with a plan to make their courtyard a feast for the senses! Bailey completely renovated the courtyard and basketball court for the Madison Pre-K students, incorporating activities to stimulate all five of the kids’ senses. The Madison Pre-K is located in the old Redbird Elementary School and shares the building with the Board of Education. 

Earlier this week, students from Madison Middle School Arthur Holden Leadership Institute (AHLI) went on a field trip to Lake Metroparks Farmpark, a working farm and education center in Kirtland, OH. This field trip allowed students to gain a better understanding about the plants they will use when they plant gardens in Spring 2022. 

On Monday, September 20, a group of our Madison Football players cleaned up the stadium grounds. This group was led by player Mitchel Polovic’s parents, and included team members Mitch, Danny Alley, Carson Alley, Michael O’Brien, Jordan Watt, and Ryan Crim. 

It is hard to believe that we have been back in school for over a month already. The Middle School has had parent teacher conferences, with High School conferences on September 22 and September 30, and Elementary conferences on October 13 and October 21. Now is the time to connect with your student’s teachers to find out ways to help them be successful in the classroom.

Eye Doctors of Madison, an Optometric Family Practice, is providing no-cost eye care and eyewear to Madison Local School students for those who demonstrate need. This is a local practice run by Dr. Michael Baker, O.D., a 2001 Madison High School Graduate. 

Today, September 17, South Elementary students gathered to put on a “Constitution Day” program, a fun-filled tribute to America. The program featured multiple speakers to share the history of the Constitution, as well as the second graders, who learned four songs for the program. 

If your child is a student at Madison High School, please view the upcoming important dates for Parent Teacher Conferences and Late Arrival Tuesday.

North Elementary kicked off the 2021-2022 school year with a ROW the BOAT assembly on Friday, September 3. ROW the BOAT is this year’s theme: we will row the boat no matter the circumstances, together. 

North American Young Generation of Nuclear (NAYGN) spent some time this weekend doing some hard work to brighten up the community! On Saturday, August 21, six members of NAYGN, along with Chris Elliott, General Plant Manager, Kevin Clark, Operations Manager, and others, went to the Madison High School Football Stadium to clean up the Veteran’s Memorial. 

The Madison High School Blue Streak Marching Band was featured on the Fox 8 News this morning, August 27, to kick off the 2021 Friday Night Touchdown season. Kenny Crumpton, of “Kickin’ It With Kenny,” welcomed the 150 marching band members to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum plaza.

On Saturday, August 14, from 12-2 pm, Madison students held a Backpack Fund supply drop at the Madison Public Library, where students gave away backpacks full of supplies. A total of 160 backpacks full of supplies were collected for distribution, and only 30 were left at the end of the event. 

North Elementary is kicking off the 2021-2022 school year with a new theme: ROW the BOAT! Here at North Elementary, we are going to Row the Boat no matter what comes our way, no matter the conditions, and we will all be rowing in the same direction: toward success. 

Madison High School would like to welcome back all students! It is going to be a very exciting year. MHS would also like to welcome the following new staff to the school, as well as congratulating staff on their new positions: 

Want to help support Madison Schools while filling up your gas tank? Until September 30, you can!

The 2020-2021 school year has come to a close.  While it had a few bumps in the road with COVID-19, we made it through the year.  The month of May was a time for celebration for our students.  We enjoyed prom, numerous awards programs, performances, 5th grade Olympics, the Eighth Grade Formal and graduation at Captain’s Stadium.  It felt good to have some normalcy in this chaotic year.  

Congratulations to Madison High School Class of 2021! Commencement was held at Lake County Captains Stadium on May 22. We were excited to give the Class of 2021 a commencement, though unusual, that recognized them and their accomplishments. Our seniors - now graduates! - have had anything but a normal senior year, and we are proud of them for staying dedicated to their schooling and passions throughout it all. 

On May 13, NAMI Ending the Silence presented to the Madison eighth graders. This was a fifty-minute presentation designed to help middle and high school students understand mental health conditions and make them more likely to recognize warning signs in themselves and others, and ask for the help that they, or a friend need. 

This week, we had our second bus inspections for next year. Joe White, our mechanic, opted to put the ten buses that needed the most work up for inspection. He used that strategy so that if any of the buses needed repair before the next round of inspections, he would be able to do so. Fortunately, that proved to be unwarranted -- all ten buses passed inspection with flying colors and were stickered for the 2021-2022 school year. 

Madison Theater presents their 2021 Spring Musical, “High School Musical.” This is a streaming event through ShowTix4U, with the remaining viewable dates being May 28, 29, and 30 at 7:00 PM. 

As the school year comes to an end, we would like to take a moment to feature some of the great things going on at the High School! Check out what our students have been up to, as well as what’s coming up.

Congratulations to Kelly Minnick, Director of Nutrition Services for the Educational Service Center of the Western Reserve, OH, for receiving the Mideast Regional Director of the Year award. Madison has been lucky to have Ms. Minnick on our school nutrition team, leading efforts to manage emergency feeding programs during COVID-19 and transition meal service between remote, hybrid, and in-person learning models to ensure students’ access to healthy meals. 

Madison Robotics had great success in the 2021 Alliance for Working Together’s 11th Annual RoboBots Competition at Fredon Corporation on April 24. Students worked as a team with machinists, engineers, and corporate executives to research, design, wire, fabricate, assemble, and test fifteen pound combat robots, like Battlebots. 

Our Ecology classes have done it again! Not only have the classes been busy planting trees, gardens, and working on projects to help benefit our community and wildlife, but Madison Ecology has been awarded with the Northeast Ohio Education Association Green School Award, and received second place in the Hobby Class Golden Delicate at the Chardon/Geauga Maple Festival. 

MHS is very proud of senior Dillon Miller, who has been producing quality work in all STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) and CTE (Career and Technical Education) courses.

Congratulations to our Madison High School Choirs for their participation in the Ohio Music Education Association (OMEA) Virtual Solo and Ensemble Event on March 10. The Solo and Ensemble Event is an opportunity for groups to perform for judge’s comments and ratings. 

Staff Appreciation Week at Madison High School is this next week, May 3-7. There are many ways to show the MHS Staff our appreciation, one of which being a simple, digital thank you note that will be delivered during the Appreciation week on behalf of MHS. In addition, thank you notes can be sent to teachers and staff from the other Madison buildings. 

Congratulations to South Elementary’s fourth grade student Julia Franz, who won the elementary division and the overall prize of our annual “Clean and Green Logo” Contest. This year, the theme was centered on “Clean and Green Lake County,” aiming to promote recycling and anti-littering education. 

Congratulations to Madison’s own Mr. John Dragas, MHS Athletic Director and Social Studies teacher, for being named Athletic Director of the Year by the Northeast Ohio Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NEOIAAA). Mr. Dragas will be recognized for his award at the November State Convention in Columbus, along with the other regional award winners. 

On Thursday, April 1, Madison High School hosted its annual Project Unify Assembly, though due to the restrictions of the pandemic, it looked slightly different than past years. Project Unify partners students who have special needs with varsity athletes to compete in sporting events. The idea behind Project Unify is to celebrate and recognize a section of the student body that generally misses out on those opportunities. 

Madison Local Schools has been named a Breakfast & Beyond school district by the Ohio School Breakfast Challenge (OSBC). This challenge encourages schools to start the day with school breakfast so all students are ready to learn. Madison has received “Super Star” distinction and a medallion from the OSBC for their excellence, innovative, and collaborative work to increase access to school meals during the pandemic. 

North Elementary has new “Little Libraries” and “Buddy Reading Benches” that have been placed in front of the school building, in the courtyard, and around the playground. These new additions to North’s building will encourage students to share the love of reading in more ways than one.

The Madison Middle School Student Council sponsored a virtual “Spring Break” Spirit Week March 15-18. Each day, students were able to go on a virtual field trip to a new location. Students and staff were encouraged to participate and dress up based on the daily destination. 

Students at Madison High School have the opportunity to take courses in Ecology, beginning with Ecology I and advancing to Honors Ecology II. These courses are great options for students who have an interest in learning how to communicate as young scientists in and beyond the community about complex environmental issues, as well as encouraging students to make changes in their community to solve real-world problems. 

The Madison Local School District will hold a virtual Townhall meeting on Tuesday, March 30, 2021, at 7 pm. This meeting will feature key information about the district from our Board President, Treasurer, Superintendent, Assistant Superintendent, and building principals. 

Congratulations to the Madison High School Cheerleading Team for winning a State Championship Title, Division 3 State Champions for Non-Tumble from the Ohio Association of Secondary School Administrators (OASSA), the highest title you can win at the high school level. OASSA is a separate organization for cheerleading and dance teams to compete. 

Madison Local School District has partnered with Crossroads Health to bring an additional type of support to the Madison community. Not only are mental/behavioral health services being provided by referral in all four of our K-12 buildings, but now we are offering linkage support to the student families in our District.

The Madison Local Schools Board of Education voted in February to place a 6.99 mill operating levy on the May 4, 2021 ballot. If passed, the new funds will be used to fund the day-to-day operations of the district and help to maintain the programming that currently exists. If this levy does not pass, deep cuts to what the district provides our students will be required.

Congratulations to Mrs. Denise Lamb, who was selected as the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Head of the Class “Educator of the Month.”

During the two asynchronous learning days on February 25-26, all K-12 staff -- both certified and classified -- that work in this district viewed four one-hour videos on Trauma Sensitive Schools, created by Crossroads Health. We have access to these videos through Madison’s year long Trauma Sensitive Schools grant. 

Madison educators, along with the educators of other Lake County Districts, received their first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine last week. Riverside Local Schools hosted the vaccine clinic for Madison, Fairport Harbor, Riverside Painesville, and several other non-public schools in Lake County. 

This week, North Elementary encouraged their students to promote kindness with a school Spirit Week! Students dressed up for exciting kindness theme days, listed below: 

Congratulations to Auburn Career Center’s students who were inducted into the National Technical Honor Society! The National Technical Honor Society (NTHS) is an educational non-profit that exists to honor, recognize, and empower students and teachers in Career & Technical Education.

This week was PBIS’s Extra Degree of Effort Week at Madison High School. Our PBIS model is STREAK: Safety, Teamwork, Responsibility, Effort, And Kindness, and this event week is focused on the “E,” Effort. 

At their February 2, 2021 meeting, the Madison Local Schools Board of Education voted unanimously to place a 6.99 mill operating levy on the ballot for the May 4 election. If passed, the levy will generate $2,782,740 annually for the district and cost residents $20.39/month per $100,000 of assessed home value. 

We are halfway through our third quarter of the year -- time is flying by! Students have adjusted to the routine of being back in school and it is good to see students in the buildings. It is our hope that we are able to stay in school without having to go remote for an extended period of time the remainder of the year. Thankfully, our staff will be able to receive the COVID-19 vaccine at the end of the month, which will be a huge help. 

Last Friday, North Elementary held a Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Jeopardy Review Day. Students reviewed all the STREAK behaviors by competing against each other! The competitions were held within each grade. 

Congratulations to Ms. Liz Nainiger, science teacher at Madison Middle School, who was recently approved for the Martha Holden Jennings grant. This grant covers licenses to explorelearning.com for an entire year. 

Madison Local Schools utilizes Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) within its buildings to create and encourage a successful and supportive atmosphere for its students. PBIS is an evidence-based three-tiered framework that focuses on nurturing the desired behaviors of our students and staff.

Congratulations to all students who participated in the Madison Local Schools District Spelling Bee! The Bee was held at Madison Middle School on Tuesday, January 26, at 9:00 A.M. 

Thank you for a successful first week back with in person learning.  We know there were many changes to work out, and I applaud you and our staff for their efforts this week.  

Attendance at and guidelines for our Winter Sports Season will look a little different this season in order to maintain safety precautions for our students, parents, and community. Please see the updated guidelines below: 

Congratulations to our Spelling Bee Champions and runners-up! Our little “spelling bees” really spelled their way to V-I-C-T-O-R-Y!

Happy Holidays to you all from Madison Local Schools! It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and we are happy to be able to celebrate with our families. We know this year has looked extremely different than any other year, but we encourage you to find some positivity this holiday season and spread the love -- to your families, your friends, and to others in your circles! 

MHS has had a large number of families reach out to me lately with needs. Around this time of the year, we always support a few families and get them gifts. The staff is always generous in their giving. 

The MHS art students have taken on numerous projects during the first semester of the 2020-2021 school year, and they certainly haven’t let the back and forth of in-person to remote learning slow them down! 

You may remember this past October as “SOCKtober,” where Madison Local students were encouraged to bring in new or unused socks to be donated to the homeless. SOCKtober was created by MHS sophomore, Nadia Cruz, the founder of Nadia’s Soft Smiles, a charity that donates socks to the homeless.

Thank you again for your efforts during this period of remote learning. I know for the families that have had to make the switch to remote learning, this has been a challenge. As of this writing, the plan is for our students to return to in-person instruction for those who have selected that option on Monday, January 11. Second semester will begin remotely for all students on January 6.

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