Blue Devil eNews

Members of the community are invited to informal chats with district leadership. The community discussions started in September and will continue through December. Reading Superintendent Jason Enix and Treasurer Colette Lewis will facilitate the meetings. The Community Chats will take place at different times and locations throughout Reading.

The informal meetings will give district leaders an opportunity to engage with the community and discuss issues facing the district, provide information and resources regarding our schools, develop relationships through outreach, and demonstrate a commitment to transparent conversations within the community.

Due to the state COVID-19 restrictions no more than 10 people can meet in person at one time, so residents interested in attending the Community Chats must sign up in advance. See the dates, times, and locations below.

Sign up in advance at the following link: Community Chat Sign Up Form https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040F48A9AA2FABF85-superintendent

Reading School District is saddened by the passing of retired teacher, Sharon Hunt, on Friday, September 25. Mrs. Hunt taught in Reading Schools for 21 years from 1999 until her retirement in May. Throughout her years in Reading, she taught our 5th graders, first at Hilltop and then at our new school.

“The RCCSD family lost a very beloved and respected staff member who just recently retired from the district. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family and all of those affected by this tragic loss of a member of the education community,” shared Reading Superintendent Jason Enix.

Sharon’s colleagues remember her as a kind and loving educator.

“Not only did she challenge her students academically, but she also instilled a love of reading and encouraged each of them to be a good person. If a child was hungry, she shared her lunch. If a student was having a bad day, she gave up her lunchtime to hang out with them,” said Reading Board President Beth Wernery.

Teachers often do not know the impact they had on students until years later. Sharon was one of those teachers whose students came back to visit because they knew how much she cared and wanted to share with her in person what a difference she had made in their lives.

Donations are being accepted in Sharon's name to purchase books for Reading Elementary. Please make checks payable to Reading Schools c/o Sharon Hunt, 810 East Columbia Avenue, Reading, OH 45215.

Rest in Peace, Sharon. Once a Blue Devil, Always a Blue Devil.

Reading Community City School District’s will be involving parents, staff, business owners, and community members in a strategic planning process this fall to develop a Mission and Vision for our future.

"I truly believe this work will help drive our district forward and become the cornerstone to ensure we are making decisions in the best interest of our kids," said Reading Superintendent Jason Enix.

The Steering Committee will work on the following during the planning process:

• Examine exactly what a mission and vision are

• Dialogue about why they are essential to a high-performing organization

• Review examples from business and education

• Provide ongoing input as we create Reading School District’s Mission and Vision

The district will be contracting with Dynamix to facilitate and guide the district and community through a strategic planning process. The new strategic plan is expected to be presented to the Board of Education early in 2021.

Demolition of both Central and Hilltop Elementary is nearing completion. The Central property pictured below will be graded and seeded by the end of October. This property will be used as green space for the time being. The Board of Education is still looking at options for the property but no decisions have been made by the Board.

At the November work session, VSWC Architects will present the final proposal and plans for the Hilltop property. The current proposal includes both softball and baseball fields as well as a larger space for a practice field. When not in use, the community will also be able to take advantage of this green space.

PSAT sign-ups are now closed. If you signed up for the PSAT, please pay your $17 fee by no later than Wednesday, October 7th. The fee has been added to your Student Fees and may be paid in the office with cash (exact change), check made payable to Reading High School, or online with EZPay. If you have not paid the fee by October 7, you cannot test. The PSAT test will be administered on Wed, Oct 14 from 8:20 AM - 11:20 AM.

Seniors – it’s time to order your cap and gown. You should have already received your packet and an email from Jostens about ordering. Remote learners can pick up a packet at the high school or simply order online with the link supplied in the email. Orders are going to be collected on Tuesday, October 6th.

Scarlet Seniors – Jostens will be coming to the Oaks, dates to be determined. Listen for announcements.

Sophomores – it’s time to order your class rings. Packets and emails have gone out with information about ordering. Remote learners can pick up a packet at the high school or you can simply order online with the link provided in the email.

Interim reports for Quarter 1 have been handed out. Students and parents can check grades anytime on Progress Book. Progress Book logins were mailed home to parents. If you need help logging in, contact Mrs. Coreen Bell at cbell@readingschools.org

Fall Conference day will be Thursday, October 8. Students will not be in school on Thursday, Oct 8th or Friday, Oct 9th. Conferences will be held between 8:30 AM and 7:00 PM. Look for sign-up instructions via email.

The first round of the football playoffs will be held on Saturday, October 10 at 7 p.m. Reading will take on Mariemont. Ticket information will be released by our athletic department early next week.

OHSAA tournament draws for volleyball and soccer (boys and girls) will take place on the evening of Sunday, October 11. Tournament brackets and information will be available at https://ohsaa.org/SWDAB-Home. Information about playoff and tournament ticket purchasing will be sent out at a later date. Be on the lookout for that in your email.

Congratulations to Zach Schueler for being nominated as Athlete of the Week in the Cincinnati Enquirer. Zach is a senior on the Blue Devil boys varsity soccer team. He had a hat trick in Reading's 4-0 win over Middletown Madison on September 19.

Ally Sands, senior Captain of the Blue Devils girls soccer team broke the school record for most goals in a single game. Ally scored 5 goals in a 9-1 win over Georgetown.

Email: kblair@readingschools.org
Website: www.readingschools.org
Location: 810 East Columbia Avenue, Reading, OH, USA
Phone: 513-842-5109
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ReadingCommunityCitySchools
Twitter: @ReadingCSD