Superintendent’s Corner

Canton R-V Superintendent Jesse Uhlmeyer

Living in a Midwestern, agricultural community, most of us are accustomed to hearing colorful descriptions about the weather. “If March comes in like a lion, it will go out like a lamb” is one that is familiar to most of our residents, but recently we started to ask ourselves, what about November? It seems that good ol’ Mother Nature has decided that it would be better for us to skip fall and head straight into winter. Winter weather brings with it the chance of school delays, closings, and early releases.

Canton R-V School District would like to encourage all parents and guardians to have a plan in place in the event that school is delayed, cancelled, or released early because of winter weather. Our main concern during the winter months is student safety. When there is a threat of ice, sleet, and snow accumulation, Canton R-V School District monitors the weather and road conditions continuously. We will make every effort to make a determination about delays, closings, and releases early enough to give everyone involved enough time to enact their backup plan. We are very aware of how changes in the school schedule can impact families; however, we want to make sure that our students are safe. Determinations about delays and closings will be made no later than 6:00 a.m. and parents will be notified by School Messenger immediately. In the event of an early release, we will attempt to send out a notification at least one hour before the release time.

Parents and caregivers are encouraged to monitor their children’s clothing selections to make sure they are prepared for colder temperatures and are appropriately dressed for outdoor recesses. Children reporting to school without proper winter attire when the temperature is 40℉ or below will not be permitted to participate in outdoor recess. Our practice is to have outdoor recess as long as the temperature or wind chill is at least 30℉ and it is not precipitating.

At the November 12, 2018 meeting of the Board of Education, the directors moved to enter into a letter of intent with Control Technology and Solutions (CTS) for the purpose of completing a capital improvement project. In their presentation to the Board, CTS estimated the cost of their base project to be approximately $1.32 million. This base project would provide HVAC to both gymnasiums, replace all galvanized plumbing in the District, and replace all of the roofing not addressed in 2009. The Board may also select several alternates to add to the base project to address other areas of concern. The Board and CTS will determine the final scope of work over the next month. The District will also determine if there are additional facilities and/or technology upgrades that need to be addressed. The overall goal of this capital improvement project is to maintain our current facilities and lower the current utility usage. Funding for the capital improvement project will be contingent on the passage of Proposition K.I.D.S. in April of 2019. More information about Proposition K.I.D.S. will be available prior to April.

Finally, the administration would like to thank all of the individuals involved in making our Veterans Day breakfast and assembly a huge success. It was clear that every man and woman in attendance was very proud of his or her service and sacrifice for our country. One great moment in the program was when the third and fourth graders sang “Anchors Aweigh” for the U.S. Navy, “The Caissons Go Rolling Along” for the U.S. Army,  “The Wild Blue Yonder” for the U.S. Air Force,  and “The Marines’ Hymn” for the U.S. Marine Corps. As the veterans stood during their branches’ song, members of the faculty delivered mail from the elementary students to them. Finally, the program ended with Canton R-V High School junior, Brady Davis playing taps signaling “lights out” for the soldiers and the veterans in attendance remembering those who gave the ultimate sacrifice.