Tornado Talk

Dover Schools Community Member:

Welcome to our second edition of the community newsletter on behalf of your Board of Education. We're pleased to continue sharing these updates following each month's meeting. You'll continue to find brief summaries of this month's decisions, ongoing projects, and important announcements that affect our schools. We hope this communication strengthens our connection and encourages greater engagement from all stakeholders. As always, we value your input and encourage you to reach out with questions or feedback.

As we embrace the festive spirit of December, we extend our warmest wishes for a joyous holiday season and a Happy New Year! This month is a time to celebrate the achievements of our students and the dedication of incredible staff. It's also a time to reflect on the wonderful partnerships we share with parents and community members. Thank you for all you do to support our schools.

Wishing you all a happy and healthy holiday season filled with joy, laughter, and cherished moments with loved ones.

Sincerely,

Karie McCrate

Superintendent

Here, you'll find the most recent Board of Education Meeting Agenda, as well as approved minutes from the previous meeting. These are also always available on the District webpage, as well.

Beginning in January 2024, meetings will begin at 6:00 pm.

December 9th Board Meeting Agenda

November 18th Board Meeting Minutes

In December, the Board accepted teaching retirements from four long-time educators at Dover Schools: Vicki Argento, Dan Ifft, Rhonda Kennedy, and Robert Von Kaenel. All are effective at the end of the 2024-25 school year.

Congratulations to all ... we thank you for your years of dedicated service to our students.

Mrs. Argento has been with Dover City Schools since 1990 and is currently a 7th Grade English/Language Arts Teacher at Dover Middle School.

Mr. Ifft began at Dover High School in 1995 and is the Dean of Students at DHS. Coach Ifft announced his retirement as the Tornadoes' head football coach, as well, following this fall's season.

Mrs. Kennedy joined the Dover Schools team in 1990 at Dover Middle School and is currently a 6th Grade Social Studies Teacher at DMS.

Mr. Von Kaenel started his time at Dover in 1991, where he has been a Health and PE Teacher at Dover High. Coach Von Kaenel served as the Tornadoes' head basketball coach until retiring from that position following the 2024 season.

We are blessed in this community with supporters who are generous in their gifts of time and resources. The following donations were graciously accepted at our December meeting:

• $2,760 from the Dover Exchange Club Children’s Foundation for the the First Grade Field Trip
• $2,500 from Olympus Communications, Inc., for Dance Force Uniforms

Dover City Schools has a detailed Strategic Plan that is available on our website HERE. Twice a year, in June and December, a progress report is provided at our Board of Education Meeting. You can find the December 2024 Progress Report by clicking HERE.

Some of the key topics discussed at the December meeting included the completion of a full Needs Assessment for curriculum materials, the study of innovative scheduling and resource management within the district, improvement goals related to communications and stakeholder engagement, technology upgrades, cybersecurity and school security efforts and programs, and facility planning for the future of Dover City Schools.

The Board of Education approves the academic calendar for the next school year ever year around this time. The 2025-26 calendar proposal was discussed and opened for comment at the December meeting and will be presented for approval in January. You can find a copy of that UNOFFICIAL calendar draft by clicking HERE. Please note that this has not yet been board approved.

Each month, we'll provide a way for you to engage with us, and we'll share the results the following month. November was an easy one -- we wanted to know your favorite way to be involved with Dover Schools and the results are in! This month, let us know what kind of content you'd like to see more of from your school district ... check out the December survey below. Again, the results will be in your January 2025 "Tornado Talk." 📰

The NOVEMBER results are posted below ... this month, let's hear from more of you! 📣 📣 📣

At each meeting, the Board of Education welcomes in students and/or staff to share a program from one of our schools. In December, Mrs. Lindsey Tidrick, K-12 College and Career Navigator, provided the Board with updates on the team's progress. She reviewed the way the school counseling team is incorporating classroom lessons, job shadowing, internships, field trips, career fairs, and work-based learning opportunities into the opportunities for students at Dover City Schools. A link to the full presentation is available HERE. Opportunities abound and it is, as always, a great time to be a Crimson Tornado!