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NFV UPDATE

April 1, 2021

NFV UPDATEApril 1, 2021

Dear Tigerhawk Family,

As part of the American Rescue Plan that the federal government passed on March 11, 2021, schools will be able to offer free meals to students through September 30, 2021. With this in mind, I would like to remind families to continue to complete the application for Free or Reduced meals. If you qualify, school registration costs at the beginning of the school year and school lunch after September 30, 2021 would be at the Free or Reduced level. Another reason the district encourages our families to apply is that some of our funding is determined by our level of students qualifying for F/R meals. This can increase the amount of funding the district has to allocate towards our students' education. We want to be certain our district is accurately represented in these calculations.


The COVID-19 positivity rate in our area has led to some questions being asked about our continued precautions. In working with Fayette County Public Health, we have determined that we will continue to require mask to be worn while at school and school events. We know the number of cases are low right now and believe we need to do our part to maintain this lower level. Having our students in school has been a priority for the district. We believe that consistently wearing a mask, staying home when ill, good hygiene, and now having a majority of our staff vaccinated, has contributed to allowing our students to be educated on site, face-to-face, for a vast majority of the school year.


With that in mind, we do plan to continue with Wednesdays being half days (12:30 dismissal). Our staff continues to support a group of students that are receiving their education online. For the 2021-2022 school year, NFV plans to move back to the scheduled 2:00 pm dismissal times on Wednesday. These days provide us valuable time for professional development and coordination of effort.


The 2021-2022 school year calendar is posted on our district website. It can be found on the "Useful Links" tab. Both the 2020-2021 and the 2021-2022 calendars are posted in that location.


Thank you for all your support, understanding, and cooperation as we work our way through the ongoing changes in guidance and safety requirements.


Sincerely,


Mr. Joe Griffith

Superintendent

Project Updates

This summer, the district is planning to update the heating and ventilation system (HVAC) at West Union Elementary. The 1959 steam heat system has served us well through the years, however, we have been having ongoing issues that indicate it is time for replacement. Over the next two summers WUE will have a new HVAC system installed as well as updates to bring the building up to current code. Included in these code updates will be electrical, fire protection, efficiency, and fresh air exchange. We are excited about this much needed project and look forward to systematically implementing similar updates throughout the district.



The North Fayette Valley solar energy project has been collecting data for nearly a year. The district has reduced its electrical draw over the past year by utilizing solar power. Our upcoming HVAC project at WUE is designed to further utilize the savings from the solar panels. Solar energy for NFV has been both environmentally and budget friendly. We look forward to continued service and long-term cost savings.

Leader in Me!

Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then Be Understood

Habit five is based on the principles of respect, mutual understanding, empathy, and courage. The paradigm changes from the need to make sure people understand “my” point of view to feeling as though you have greater influence with others if you truly understand them first. A doctor listens before they diagnose and prescribe, a lawyer goes through a discovery process before they prepare their statements, and a teacher pre-assesses before they teach. Sometimes in life, we listen with the intent to respond, when we should listen with the intent to understand. At NFV, we practice being empathetic listeners by asking clarifying questions and withholding advice or judgment. And on the flip side, when we practice the skill of seeking to be understood, we focus on using “I” messages instead of “you” messages that can often make others feel accused.