District News

Support Madison Local Schools Athletics and win a 2022 Chevy Equinox in the "Winning Streak Sweepstakes".  Tickets will be available at all Madison Local Schools on Monday, October 3rd.  Tickets are also available at Bingo, sporting events and online.  

CLICK HERE:

https://madison-lake.hometownticketing.com/embed/event/164?es=c47fsn1p5a8q3ppsprqp8m8uik&single=0

Sponsored by Madison Joint Recreation District. All proceeds to benefit the Madison High School Athletic Complex.  

November 2022 Five-Year Forecast:

Dear Madison Community,

It is hard to believe that Thanksgiving break is upon us.  I hope that each of you has a restful holiday with your family and friends.  

At Madison High School, students of all grade levels have the opportunity to explore courses in Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS). According to the Ohio Department of Education (ODE), FCS is a set of courses that draws from a range of disciplines and contexts.

Each year, our schools come together to recognize Veterans Day, which allows our students to commemorate the contributions of those who have sacrificed their lives for our country, as well as those who are currently serving to protect.

The 2022-23 school year marks the fifth year of Madison’s Bear Project, which bridges the age gap between some of our oldest and youngest Madison students. This project involves high school students taking the imaginations of kindergartners and making them a reality – by hand.

Welcome back, MHS! High School teachers and staff were excited to welcome our students back into our halls to kick off classes and fall extracurriculars for the 2022-2023 school year. Here at MHS, we are constantly looking to promote growth in our students’ academic, extracurricular, and personal lives. As we progress into another school year, we wanted to take the time to set a new focus. 

Students are at school for the majority of the day five times a week, working hard to learn and demonstrate the skills needed to ensure their success academically and, ultimately, professionally. There are multiple factors that aid student success as they work throughout the school day; one of the largest is nutrition. Without proper nutrition, students’ brains and bodies cannot work effectively to learn and grow. At Madison Local Schools, we are committed to providing our students with nutritious food options for meals as needed and desired to help ensure they are as successful as possible at school.

Madison High School’s Curtain Project is finally complete! Thanks to the Bingo Boosters and multiple other organizations, businesses, community members, parents, and alumni who came together to make this project a success. 

I hope you have been enjoying the beautiful weather we have had these last few days. I continue to marvel at how fast the days go by and that we are already into November. 

Our schools are closed on Tuesday, November 8, for Election Day.

Dear Madison Community,

We have just completed the first quarter of school, and the holiday hustle and bustle is fast approaching.  Grades will be posted in Infinite Campus next week.  Please check on your child’s progress, and while in Infinite Campus, please make sure your information is up-to-date so you will be sure to receive important news and calamity day notifications. 

The Madison Local Schools buildings provide our students with an environment that supports their learning and growth in education. All of the buildings and grounds of the school district constitute one of the greatest investments of the Madison Board of Education: this is where our students attend class everyday, where teachers can create their own learning spaces, where students discover new interests and hobbies, and where we all come together to teach our future generations. 

During the 2021-2022 school year, Madison was forced to cancel home track meets due to the school track being in poor shape. The track was in complete disrepair not only due to unfortunate weather during the winter season, but because of 30-year-old asphalt laid underneath the track that is causing the track to crack and break. After MLS canceled these home track meets, the district was expecting to be unable to host future meets and potentially multiple activities that utilize the track. 

Madison Middle School is excited to implement its new outdoor classroom, created and put into use at the beginning of the 2022-23 school year. The classroom includes 15 convertible desks to benches, an outdoor white board, butterfly garden, and the AHLI garden.

As we enter the month of October, there is a lot going on in the district. Next weekend is Homecoming Weekend, and with that comes the celebration of our Homecoming Court – congratulations to our Seniors who are on the court. The Homecoming Court includes Andrew Laurie, Carter Fellenstein, Julian Zappitelli, Seth Gabor, Jeffrey Smith, Elizabeth Worthy, Elizabeth Lausin, Catrina Calvert, Campbell Wood, and Kearsten Woleben.

This year, MLS will be incorporating the “Science of Reading” into our K-12 instruction, which is a body of research that guides the best practices in reading instruction, reading intervention, and early identification of at-risk readers. 

Madison Local Schools would like to welcome Mr. Doug Baker as the new Principal at North Elementary School! This is Mr. Baker’s third year in the district, previously serving as North Elementary’s Assistant Principal for one year and as a High School Assistant Principal the year before that. 

During the 2022-23 school year, North Elementary is dedicated to addressing the individual student within the classroom, rather than the classroom as one entity. Now more than ever, it has become apparent that adaptive learning strategies catered to each student raise overall success rates, whether this be academically or social-emotionally. 

It is hard to believe how fast the start of the school year has gone; we are halfway through the first quarter.  Madison Middle School just completed conferences and high school conferences are September 21st and September 29th.  No appointment is necessary.  Elementary teachers are scheduling appointments for conferences in October.  Check with your child’s teacher for more details regarding elementary conferences.

Madison Local Schools is committed to enhancing our students’ educational experiences through Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) efforts. These efforts have clearly been making an impact, as the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) has recognized all five Madison Schools for Tier I excellence, and the district as a whole as an award-winning district. 

Madison Local Schools would like to welcome Sarah Palm as the new Treasurer of MLS. Mrs. Palm has years of acquired experience in payroll, eliminating deficit spending, and auditing. As a mentee of previous Treasurer Mike Vaccarriello, Ms. Palm is excited to join us – and MLS is excited to welcome her to our team. 

Madison Local Schools is thrilled to have a Pre-kindergarten home for almost 190 students for the 2022-23 school year. Pre-kindergarten, or Pre-K, is a voluntary classroom-based preschool program typically aimed for students between the ages of three and five; this is the age range where students are older than preschool age, but not quite ready for kindergarten.

MMS started the school year off with a bang as 6th grade students were welcomed into class PBIS meetings! During these assemblies, students learned what it means to be a STREAK, as they learn to exemplify Safety, Teamwork, Responsibility, Effort, and Kindness.

Bonfires – large, controlled fires that bring the community together – have been around since the late 15th century, and are used in just about every country as a way to celebrate special times including the summer solstice and Easter, among many others.

Coming out of COVID, it is more important than ever for our young students to experience a strong start to their academic careers. That is why, for the first time in Madison history, our kindergartners are attending all-day, every-day kindergarten.

Dear Madison Community,

The bonfire last night was a great community gathering and was well attended.  I want to thank our Senior Class Advisors Dana Clark and Emily Daniels for organizing this fun event leading up to our home game against Perry tonight. We also have a special recognition tonight prior to the game: we will be recognizing Maddie Moretti for winning the state championship in shot put and discus last spring.  It will be a great evening! 

It was a beautiful day for graduation!

Madison Local Schools would like to extend a giant THANK YOU to the Bingo Boosters, which donated funds to repairing the stage curtains at Madison High School. These stage curtains have seen much wear and tear over the years as they are a critical piece of many productions, including concerts, plays, graduations, and much more. 

During One School One Book, South Elementary students, teachers, and families brought The Tale of Desperaux by Kate DiCamillo to life. Every family and classroom received a copy of this book that follows the adventures of a mouse named Despereaux, who sets out on a quest to rescue a beautiful human princess from the rats.

Congratulations to North Elementary’s 32 STREAKs of the YEAR! These students have exemplified our STREAK behaviors: Safety, Teamwork, Responsibility, Effort, and Kindness.

After a few years’ hiatus due to COVID-19, our students were finally able to take field trips again! Each of our Middle School grades was incredibly excited to take overnight trips with their friends and teachers, not only exploring the sights, but learning some history! 

Summer is finally here! As the 2021-2022 school year officially comes to a close, Madison could not be more proud and impressed with all of our students; as we were able to come back to a “normal” year, our students jumped right back in and pushed the boundaries of everything we had to offer.

https://www.youtube.com/c/mlsmediadept/live

Congratulations to student Pauline Forman, who won two scholarships from the LEAF Umbrella Design Contest! Pauline won 1st place in the Fine Arts Division and was chosen as the Fine Arts Choice Award Winner for her umbrella, “I AM WOMAN.”

Throughout the school year, our Madison Middle School students have numerous opportunities to get involved in our after-school clubs and activities. Having your student get involved in an extracurricular activity not only allows them to connect with other students they may otherwise not get the opportunity to, but allows them to explore different interests and hobbies.

Congratulations to our 2022 Prom Court! Prom was a huge success and incredibly fun for all students. Madison High School was excited to host this mostly normal event for our students, particularly our seniors, who have been in desperate need of some normalcy. 

As we close out the school year, we begin to look to the next. We are in the process of starting our Kindergarten Registration for the class of 2035; children who will be five before September 30, 2022 are eligible to register.

Madison High School Art Club is excited to announce that Madison has made it to the top 50 in the Vans Custom Culture Competition! At this stage, voting is open to the public, and any person can vote once a day until May 6. Go vote for Madison’s Vans design here. 

Congratulations to MHS Ecology, which placed 1st in Dark Robust (Hobby Class) and 4th in Golden Delicate (Hobby Class) at the 92nd year of The Geauga County Maple Festival! This is MHS Ecology’s third year competing at this festival. 

Congratulations to a select few of our Madison High School students who were accepted into the Ohio Choral Directors Association (OCDA) Honor Choir at Otterbein University! The Honor Choirs will rehearse and perform this summer, June 20-22. 

Madison would like to spotlight our Middle School Arthur Holden Leadership Institute (AHLI) for their continuous consideration in giving back to the community! Each year, the eighth grade students are responsible for a community service project, and this year, students decided they wanted to make “Buddy Bags.” 

Madison High School Art Club students have submitted their designs to the Vans Custom Culture Competition for 2022! Vans is a company that makes footwear and apparel inspired by skaters and originality. Students designed and created a unique shoe design that encapsulates the themes “Van D(IY)oren Legacy” and “Hometown Pride.”

Catch the “Blue Streaks on Broadway” on April 29-30! Madison High School is so excited to be able to work on and put out performances that inspire our students to express themselves in ways they might otherwise find challenging. This is a show you won’t want to miss! 

Our mothers and sons had a blast at the Mother-Son dance! Madison Elementary loves being able to put on these dances for our families to have a fun night out to meet new friends and students’ teachers.

It is hard to believe we are in the last quarter of the school year. While winter seemed like it would never end, spring is finally here! Things have changed so much since my last update. With cases down statewide, as a district we no longer have to track COVID-19 cases. We still ask that if students are sick to please stay home to limit the spread of germs.  

On March 11, first grade students participated in a program called Trees for Wildlife, which included a presentation on what animals get from trees, such as food or shelter, and also what trees are used for.

After serving as the Madison Local School District Treasurer for eleven years, Michael Vaccariello tendered his resignation on Wednesday, March 9. Mr. Vaccariello has accepted a position with Mentor Public Schools as their Assistant Treasurer and Business Operations, effective May 2. 

Congratulations to two MHS students that outperformed at the recent State of Ohio D1 Indoor Meet. Maddie Moretti was named D1 State Champion in shot-put at this event. Maddie is currently top 10 in the entire nation and recently broke the school record in shot-put.

On March 3, MHS STEM students attended the first annual Women in STEM event at Lake Erie College. 11 female students attended the event and have been in Madison’s STEM (engineering) and/or CTE (drafting, manufacturing with woods, etc.) classes; some students are also in the Robotics Club. 

The weekend of February 12, Madison hosted the Ohio Music Education Association (OMEA) Solo and Ensemble judged event at the high school. OMEA’s Solo and Ensemble is a performance opportunity for students outside of their typical school-based group preparation.

Congratulations to two of our student athletes on their recent record-setting accomplishments! 

February 1-17, South Elementary held a “Vote for Kindness” fundraiser. Student Council members chose three organizations to research as options for donation. The organizations chosen were the Lake County Humane Society, Project Hope for the Homeless, and Madison Public Library Bookmobile.

Project Unify was such a huge success, we can’t help but share some of the photos that were captured during the event. Congratulations to the student team who won the basketball game by two points! Students received medals for competing and then had a group lunch with their Buddies. 

It’s that time of year again – today we held our Project Unify Assembly! Students of Mr. Sanford’s room participated in a student vs. faculty basketball game at MHS, and had a full day with games, tshirts, and the whole school got to come watch and cheer on the Unify team. 

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. 

On January 26, students from the 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 taught students about climate and weather as they experienced it firsthand. In addition, students had a chance to try out snowshoeing for the first time. 

This past week was Kindness Week at North Elementary School, with the school council honing in on encouraging kindness, for each other and ourselves. Kindness Week ties in with North’s and our district’s goals of incorporating Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), which encourages emotional and relational life skills critical to mental health and successful social interaction.

E-X-C-E-L-L-E-N-T! That’s how our elementary and middle school students did at our District Spelling Bee, held on Tuesday, January 25.

Here at Madison, we pride ourselves on being a family; and we mean it for life! We love seeing our graduates out in the world, working toward their dreams. We are excited to share that Madison alumni Cooper Wood, who is now a prominent composer, will be showcasing one of his original compositions with The Ohio State University Symphony Orchestra. 

On Thursday, January 27, Madison High School held a Powder Puff Volleyball game to raise money for the United Way, which focuses on education, income, and health in our communities. The volleyball game was a match between Junior and Senior boys coached by the Junior and Senior girls Volleyball players. 

I hope this letter finds you well.  We made it through a full week of school, and we are back in the routine. The second half of the school year will fly by.  Conferences are underway for the second semester.  Families have the option of either in-person or online conferences.  Check with your child’s building for more information.  

In November, Madison Local Schools was awarded a workforce development grant in collaboration with several other area schools. This grant will provide training that enables each school to begin their pre-apprentice program pilots during the 2022-23 school year.

Madison Local School District is proud to have received the Highest Achievement in Open and Transparent Government Award, indicating the highest rate of transparency from the Ohio Auditor of State.

It’s that time of year again – Graduation preparation! Seniors, we are so proud of your hard work throughout the first half of this 2021-2022 school year, and we can’t wait to see how you end your high school careers in just a few short months.

https://youtu.be/vfLlZazvots

Last week, Madison High School Life Skills students gifted our South Elementary Kindergarteners with custom-made bears. 76 Life Skills students learned how to hand-stitch in order to create bears designed by the Kindergarteners using felt. 

https://tinyurl.com/yxduvfp7