MEDINA – Fenn Elementary students talked about their experiences at camp while the board heard about changes to the school calendar during the Nov. 21 board meeting.

As part of a new feature at board meetings, one school will make a presentation each month, with Fenn Principal Craig Komar taking the first turn. Komar said the school recently started a Yoga Club, with about 20 students participating and a parent volunteering to teach.

“It’s important to learn how to relax and regulate stress,” he said.

Komar also brought two fifth-graders who participated in the first-ever class trip to Camp Christopher in Bath for two days of outdoor education classes, games, nature hikes and other electronics-free activities.

Student Jenna Swantek said camp is “truly a classroom outside a classroom.”

“I learned a lot of new things about nature, friendship and even myself, which I thought I was never going to learn at camp,” she said.

Swantek said she also enjoyed learning about trees and spending time with other students she doesn’t usually spend time with. She also participated in a tightrope challenge, where a group has to work together to get one of their members across one.

Student Elliot Thompson said he liked being in the cabins with fellow classmates and the high school student counselors, who were very supportive.

“Now I have a lot more friends than I did going into the trip,” he said.

Thompson said he also liked the opportunity to be outside and away from electronics; however, the students did get to watch an Indians World Series game.

“With the Camp Christopher trip, it was good because we were almost always outside and learning about nature or running around playing different games,” he said.

Komar said this trip also gave the students the opportunity to learn things you can’t learn in school like staying overnight away from their parents, a new experience for some.

School calendar

Superintendent Aaron Sable announced some proposed changes to the 2017-18 school year calendar, with the proposed start date to be Monday, Aug. 21, 2017 and the last day Wednesday, May 30, 2018. In the 2018-2019 school year, the start date will be Monday, Aug. 20, 2018 with the school year ending Thursday, May 30, 2019.

Sable said there were some questions from board members regarding potential make-up days if classes had to be canceled due to weather or another reason. Currently, if enough days were missed, they would be made up at the end of the school year.

With the new teacher’s union contract, which is currently being negotiated, time will be measured in hours rather than days, Sable said.

“This will allow us a lot more flexibility with regard to professional development days and makeup days as well,” he said, stating these exact days are still being decided upon. “That is something we are re-exploring.”

The change also aligns more closely with new state regulations, which requires schools to operate a minimum number of hours rather than days.

The schedule will be formally voted on at the Dec. 19 board meeting.

OSBA conference

Board members said they were happy to attend the annual Ohio School Boards Association Conference in Columbus the week before.

Kris Quallich, director of educational services, did a joint presentation at the conference with Medina County Health Commissioner Krista Wasowski titled “Health Communities, Healthy Schools” about how to work together with local entities to promote healthy lifestyles.

The district’s newsletter was also chosen as an example of an effective way to engaging parents during a session put on by the Ohio PTA.

Sable said the district recently received a $100,000 check from Verizon, which is currently constructing a cell phone tower and storage building at the soccer stadium next to Claggett Middle School. The district will continue to receive lease payments.

Sable also updated the board on the district’s restructuring of the technology department, which included approving a contract for an interim director of technology until June, a role that had been vacant.

He said he hopes the restructuring can save the district money by more effectively allocating resources; one example is transferring unused Chromebooks to a building where they are needed.