PLSD Payload to Travel to International Space Station
About 200 Earth and Space Science Pickerington High School Central and North students are participating in a competition that is literally out of this world! As part of NASA’s Student Spaceflight Experiments Program’s (SSEP) Mission 16 project, one student group will be selected to send experiment materials on a mission to the International Space Station (ISS)! Secondary Science Instructional Coach Carla Fultz is the project co-director for PLSD.
“Students will work in teams of two to three to conduct research, design experiments and submit formal research proposals around the essential driving question, ‘What physical, chemical or biological system would I like to explore with gravity seemingly turned off for a period of time as a means of assessing the role of gravity in that system?’” says Fultz.
About a dozen teachers and staff will also help students work on the proposals. A local review board will pick the top three, and NASA will select the winning experiment that astronauts will perform in space in the spring. When the mission is over, students will study the data to determine if they proved their hypothesis.
“One of the most exciting parts of the program is that all K-12 students can participate in the Mission Patch Art and Design Competition,” says Fultz. “Every mission has a patch that the astronauts wear, and one student’s design will represent PLSD on the ISS.”
Patch competition details, along with updates about Mission 16, can be found at www.pickerington.k12.oh.us/mission-16-project/.
PLSD is the first school district in Central Ohio to join the SSEP program. If all goes well, Fultz says she hopes it will be a recurring mission.
“Our wish is that we can do it again next year and expand it to junior high and middle school science students.”
PLSD Needs YOU!
https://tinyurl.com/PLSDApplitrack.
Petermann Bus also needs bus drivers. Candidates may fill out an application at https://careers.nellc.com and search "Pickerington," or apply in person at 12475-A Achievement Way. Bus driving experience is not required.
Addressing Enrollment Growth in Pickerington Schools
With all Pickerington Schools students back in our buildings this school year (except those in the Virtual Learning Academy), the reality of growth in our community, and subsequently our schools, is more evident than ever.
With the addition of more than 400 new students that have enrolled so far this school year alone, many of our schools are on track to be at capacity within 4 years. With hopes of solving the looming overcrowding issue, and acting on third-party expert projections combined with input from community stakeholders, district leaders placed an issue on the ballot during the last two elections. Because the bond issue did not pass, district leaders have now gone back to the drawing board to discuss possible ways to address overcrowding including redistricting, adding temporary classrooms and other options.
As new families continue to move into Pickerington nearly every day, we are continuing to listen to you, our community, as we have every step of the way, in a myriad of ways.
Beginning in fall 2018, the district began working on our Plan4Progress (P4P) strategic plan by seeking community input and feedback through spring 2019. Then, representatives from the P4P’s three pillars (Academics, Modern Facilities and Efficient Operations) met and created plans for the pillars. Representatives included PLSD staff, board members and community members. More info about the P4P, including the pillar plans, can be found at www.pickerington.k12.oh.us/p4p/.
In fall 2019, the district then began a “Listening Tour” focusing on the Modern Facilities pillar, which ultimately led to the decision to place a bond issue on the ballot to address growth.
During the Listening Tour, District leaders spoke at several community and school functions throughout early 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. After each presentation, a survey was disseminated digitally to attendees. Nearly 300 people responded to the surveys, which showed that before the pandemic, the P4P had a lot of momentum. The survey results can be viewed on the P4P webpage mentioned above.
After the bond issue failed in May 2021, district leaders commissioned a third-party survey which showed that the overarching reason why voters rejected the bond issue is because taxes would have been raised. The results of this survey can also be found on the P4P webpage.
The community has been involved and engaged throughout the three-year-long process — from identifying the strategic direction of the district, to crafting the specifics of the P4P to molding the bond proposal placed on the ballot. Now, as we consider other options to address overcrowding, we want you to know that we are also working on new and additional ways to seek your feedback, which will be shared in the December issue of this magazine. Thank you for supporting the Pickerington Schools and its students!
Our New Administrative Team
There are some exciting changes to PLSD’s administrative team this school year! Please welcome Chief Academic Officer/Asst. Supt. Alesia Gillison, who comes to us from Columbus City Schools. Dr. Heather Hedgepeth was promoted to Chief Administrative Officer/Asst. Supt., and Dr. Michael P. Jackson is our new Director of Diversity & Engagement. To read about more organizational changes to better serve you, visit https://www.pickerington.k12.oh.us/news/admin-team/.
Pickerington Points of Pride
Did you know that during the COVID-19 pandemic, PLSD staff:
Implemented programming to address the social-emotional needs of students. Although accommodations were made, PLSD offered a full continuum of service of Special Education, English Learner, and gifted services.
- Maintained systems and processes for continuous improvement, and made advancements in diversity, equity and inclusion on our climate, culture, professional learning, and curricular resources, among others.
- Organized staff and student COVID-19 vaccination clinics, handled PPE and districtwide COVID-19 procedures development, contact tracing and quarantining.
- Quickly and successfully implemented our “Virtual Learning Academy,” which continues as an option for families this school year.
- Implemented and remained in the hybrid instructional model the entire 2020-21 school year. PLSD was one of the few districts in Ohio that maintained consistency.
- Purchased over $149,000 in equipment to enhance our network capabilities; and made more digital tools available to students and teachers.
- Managed the purchase of over $462,000 in personal protective supplies and over $156,000 in equipment.
- Served 229,000 breakfasts and nearly 468,000 lunches. That’s nearly 697,000 meals served for free during the 2020-21 school year.
- Cleaned our schools from top to bottom several times a day and are continuing enhanced cleaning protocols.
Together, our staff faced a myriad of unprecedented challenges but nimbly adapted, innovated, and kept our students safe, learning, engaged and on track. Our employees also accomplished many, many more milestones, breakthroughs and innovations during the pandemic, and all this hard work produced an end result that we are #PLSDProud of — a brighter, safer future for our students, staff and community.
