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May 24, 2024

Dear Madison Community,

The 2023-2024 school year has come to a close.  We have had a great month celebrating our student and staff successes this year.  Congratulations to the Class of 2024!  We celebrated with commencement last weekend.  This class is amazing. They earned over $252,000 in scholarships, and 25 students graduated with a 4.0 g.p.a or higher.  They transitioned to a new conference and brought home 5 conference titles, and our senior band students helped to lead the wind ensemble to earn a superior rating at the State Large Group Contest this month.  These are huge accomplishments, and we are so proud!

I want to congratulate our state track qualifiers up to this point.  Bryce Brock qualified in discus, and Sienna Sidoti qualified in the high jump. We still have students who are competing at the regional meet.    Those who qualify will compete at the state track meet scheduled for 5/31-6/1/24.  I also want to congratulate our Madison High School Boys Baseball team for winning the conference championship of the Lake Erie Division in the CVC.  All our spring athletes have done a tremendous job.  

You may have heard that Governor DeWine signed the cell phone bill into law.  Schools are going to be required to look at the policies related to cell phone use in school.  I share this with you as cell phones continue to have a strong presence in our society, and the distractions they provide in the learning environment are a challenge.  Encourage your students to take a break from cell phones and social media over the summer as this is good for mental and brain development.  

Finally, please take a moment to read our last Community Newsletter of this school year.  The articles this week include:  MLS celebrates with end-of-the-year activities; MMS Intervention Specialist Honored with Franklin B. Walter Award; and there are two teacher features, focusing on Martha Gale, South Elementary Kindergarten Teacher, and Alison Julius, Pre-K Speech Pathologist. 

I hope you have a safe and wonderful summer.   #MadisonStrong!

Sincerely,

Angela Smith 
Superintendent 

The last month of school brings with it lots of celebrations. May began with Academic Awards at Madison High School and ended with the graduation of the Class of 2024. Madison High School had 206 graduates cross the stage on Saturday, May 18 – accomplished individuals who have bright futures ahead!
 
The High School wasn’t the only building celebrating. The Middle School celebrated their 8th grade students who had academic excellence with an Honors Breakfast earlier in the month and then a day at the Outdoor YMCA of swimming followed by a clap-out on the last day of school. They also celebrated their Streak of the Year winners, and three students won big screen TVs that were raffled off by PBIS. 

Our elementary students celebrated another successful year with awards and field trips.  Our fifth grade students at both North and South had picnics to celebrate moving to middle school, plus they enjoyed the 5th grade Olympics. Our preschool hosted class graduations and hosted a family picnic for all students.  

“Our students had a successful year and our year-end traditions help to build upon the education of the whole child. I appreciate all our staff does to create these experiences for our students,” said Angela Smith, Superintendent.  

We hope your students remember these fun times ending this school year, and that they enjoy summer break! See you in August!

 

 

MLS would like to congratulate Mr. Mark McNamara, Madison Middle School Intervention Specialist, for being recognized with the prestigious Franklin B. Walter Award, presented by the Ohio Coalition for the Education of Children with Disabilities, a statewide nonprofit organization that serves and provides resources to students, educators, and families. 

The Franklin B. Walter Award is given in honor of the late Franklin B. Walter, Superintendent of Public Instruction from 1977-1991, a post held longer than any other State Superintendent in Ohio’s history. During his tenure, Dr. Walter worked with three governors and significantly improved public education in Ohio, receiving numerous accolades. This Award, established in his honor, is presented to an educator from each of the Lake and Geauga County School Districts who have made extraordinary contributions to the education of students with disabilities. 

Mr. McNamara was nominated by the District upon the recommendation of Mr. Jack Whaley, Principal of Madison Middle School, who says, “In the few years Mc. McNamara has been with the district, he has been a valuable asset to MMS because he has built the model classroom for our students who need social, emotional, and behavioral support. ‘Mr. Mac,’ as the kids call him, loves to help support the needs of all his students.” 

After being nominated, State Support Team 4 chose Mr. McNamara for this prestigious honor; he will be recognized along with colleagues from across the state at an awards ceremony in Columbus next month for his achievements. 

“Mr. Mac has built strong relationships with the staff, administration, and all of his students; we are lucky to have such a caring, competent, and supportive Intervention Specialist in our district,” Mr. Whaley adds. “He has excellent communication skills with the parents of his students that earn him trust and respect, and students trust him and know they can talk to him about anything. He not only teaches them content, but real-world skills that help students grow… He is very deserving of this award.”

Ms. Jen Catanese-Grimes, Student Services Director, writes, “Mr. McNamara exemplifies the qualities of an outstanding educator, and we are proud that he is a part of the Madison Local Schools family.” 

Superintendent Angela Smith echoes all these sentiments, adding, “I am so grateful to have such an exceptional educator here at Madison Schools. It is teachers such as Mr. McNamara who make a lifelong difference in the lives of so many students.”
 

Welcome back to Madison Local Schools’ latest feature, “Why Did You Become a Teacher?” where we spotlight just a few of the incredible educators we have on staff here at MLS. All of our teaching staff deserve recognition for their efforts, and we are honored to be able to share a few of these stellar individuals. 

This week, we’d like to spotlight Ms. Martha Gale, Kindergarten teacher at South Elementary School. Ms. Gale has been an important figure at Madison Local Schools, showcasing her dedication and love for teaching throughout her years at MLS. Being able to serve students from the moment they start their K-12 journey is very special to her, and she is gratified to be able to start her students off right.

Ms. Gale has always known she wanted to be a teacher. Growing up, she watched her mother pour her passion into her own job as a teacher, which proved to be an inspiration not only to her, but her siblings, as well; her mother’s appreciation for teaching spilled over into Ms. Gale’s school experiences. “From the minute I went to school, I knew what I was going to do as a grownup,” Ms. Gale recalls. “Not only was my mother a teacher, but so are my sisters – and we all married teachers!” 

Since coming to Madison, Ms. Gale knew she found her home. Relationships are extremely important to Ms. Gale, and she treasures those she has made through the years, whether it be fellow teachers and staff members or her students and their families. “Teaching here has been my joy,” she says. “I love the students and have made many lasting friendships with families and staff members. Madison is a sweet community that makes sure all students are cared for – my favorite kind!”

Welcome back to Madison Local Schools’ latest feature, “Why Did You Become a Teacher?” where we spotlight just a few of the incredible educators we have on staff here at MLS. All of our teaching staff deserve recognition for their efforts, and we are honored to be able to share a few of these stellar individuals. 

For our final article in this series, we’d like to spotlight Ms. Alison Julius, Pre-K instructor who provides Speech/Language Therapy services for our Madison Preschoolers. Ms. Julius has been a Speech-Language Pathologist for 33 years, and MLS has been fortunate enough to utilize her services for 23 years now. 

After receiving her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Speech & Hearing Disorders from Edinboro University in Pennsylvania in 1991, Ms. Julius continued her education at Edinboro and received her Masters in Speech-Language Pathology in 1993. 

While Ms. Julius has 33 years under her belt as a Speech-Language Pathologist, her career did not begin in pediatrics – but she always knew she wanted to help people. “I worked with adults with head trauma and/or neurological disorders when I first graduated from grad school. I soon began working with children who had suffered the same and found my calling,” she states. “I realized that working with children was not only more challenging but also more rewarding. I was fortunate enough to be able to join Madison Local Schools when I was working in outpatient Speech Therapy, treating some of the same special needs children who were attending Madison’s Pre-K program.”

One of Ms. Julius’ favorite parts of working in Madison Schools has been establishing relationships with the families that trust the Pre-K program with their children every day. “Just watching my students grow and succeed as they progress through our schools is awesome,” she says. 

As MLS has been fortunate to have her, Ms. Julius feels fortunate to have been at Madison for the last twenty years. “I love working in Madison Schools, as the staff is second to none! I love the sense of community here and how the kids look out for each other. I’ve been blessed to be a part of this district for so long.”