Local Schools Achieve!

Congratulations to Hillsboro Middle School and Whiteoak High School for receiving "Excellent" ratings from the Ohio Department of Education. What an accomplishment for the youth in our area as well as the staff of these two schools! Way to Go!

New School Year in a New Building!

The new school year starts this week for all Highland County Schools! Hillsboro Middle School and High School start in a new building that has been described as "big" and "beautiful"! New traffic routes and parking areas for buses, students, parents and teachers can be found in the article linked below!

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Swackhamer Named SCOL Baseball Coach of the Year

Congratulations goes out to Rusty Swackhamer and the Hillsboro Indians baseball team!

Hillsboro head baseball coach Rusty Swackhamer was recently named the 2009 South Central Ohio League Coach of the Year. Swackhamer and the Indians went undefeated in the league with a 12-0 record. HHS finished the season 16-1 overall. Swackhamer has coached the Indians for four seasons.

It's great to see such hard work and dedication. What a fantastic honor!

Congratulations Jill!

Jill Minter, our Client Service Manager, graduated from Whiteoak High School on May 22nd.

Congratulations!

Jill accepts The Dickey Group Scholarship from Mr. Roush, Principal.

Craig Krenzel to Speak at Hillsboro High School Graduation

The Hillsboro Ministerial Association is bringing Craig Krenzel to be the keynote speaker at the Hillsboro High School Graduation which is to be held this Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Krenzel is the Ohio State University quarterback who led the Buckeyes to the 2002 national championship and went on to play two years in the NFL. The Ministerial Association is pleased to have a speaker that will give the graduates a spiritual sendoff as they wrap up that phase of their life and head out into the world. This goal of the Association has been in the works for several years - and only this year has been accomplished due to donations and fundraising to bring Krenzel to the ceremonies. We at The Dickey Group support the Hillsboro Ministerial Association's vision for the graduation ceremony and are excited to be a part of this effort. Congratulations and blessings to all the local area graduates!

The full article appears in the Friday, May 15th edition of The Times-Gazette.

Whiteoak High School Prom

Whiteoak High School held its Junior/Senior Prom a couple of weeks ago. This is always an exciting time to make memories that last a lifetime.

Someday many years from now
We'll sit beside the candles glow
Exchanging tales about our past
And laughing as the memories flow
And when that distant day arrives
I know it will be understood
That friendship is the key to live
And we were friends and it was good.
- Eileen Hehl

I do hope that the prom season was fun, safe and special to all who attended. Cherish the memories!

2009 Dickey Group Scholarship Winner

We are pleased to announce that Jill Minter has been awarded the 2009 Dickey Group Scholarship. Jill has been a member of our team since April 2008, serving as our Client Service Manager. Jill plans to continue to attend Southern State Community College after graduation from Whiteoak High School. She currently attends Southern State under the Post-Secondary Enrollment Option. Jill plans to obtain her Assoicate degree in Human Services and fulfilling her goal of becoming a social worker. We are excited to help Jill pursue her dreams! Congratulations!

School District Report Cards Released

Lynchburg-Clay school district has received an "excellent" rating from the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) on its district report card. Three other districts, Hillsboro City, Fairfield Local and Bright Local have all received "effective" ratings. These ratings are produced annually by the ODE based on the progress the schools have made on four measures, adequate yearly progress (AYP), performance index, state indicators and value added. Information about district report cards can be found at the ODE website, type in "district report cards" in the search box.

School district information is important when making a home buying decision. As an added benefit, we include the school district report card in our Homebooks for all of the homes we have for sale. To view available homes, click here.

Fate of venerable school will be discussed again

There is a committee exploring possibilities for the Hillsboro middle and high school buildings. The original high school buildings were built in 1935, and the middle school is in them now. Many people, including Marilyn Hiestand, a member of the committee, say the buildings are a symbol of their memories of their lives in Hillsboro. A lot of people are dreading the thought of the possibility of seeing the structures destroyed.

The committee is open to the public. It holds monthly meetings to discuss suggestions for possible uses of the buildings once students move into the new high school and middle school. Although the students aren't scheduled to be into the new schools until 2009-10, the decisions for what will happen to the old buildings will be made much sooner.

To read the full article, click HERE.

Local School Newsletter

I recently received the Bright Local School District newsletter "Bright Lights." This newsletter keeps the community up to speed with what's going on at the schools. I commend the district on distributing an informative publication. It is great to hear that Bright Local Schools is an Effective District. This rating proves that hard work and dedication have their rewards. Congratulations!

We at The Dickey Group like to support the local schools by providing information at one of the websites that we host - www.HighlandCountySchools.com . This website includes the Bright Local Schools district newsletter as well as links to each of the districts in Highland County. Check it out!

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Hillsboro High School All-Class Reunion

The Hillsboro High School All-Class Reunion will begin in June 30th at 2 p.m. with an alumni gathering at the high school. Registration will take place as well as tours of the current high school building with former classmates and family members. At 7 p.m. that evening, there will be an all-class program at Richards Memorial Field. This will include recognition of alumni and teachers, a brief update on the current schools, and Hillsboro Bicentennial information. The evening will end with light music and refreshments and a dance. Other events during the reunion and bicentennial festival will be the opening of a 175-year-old time capsule. In addition, a new time capsule will be buried.

For a complete list of events for the All-Class Reunion and Hillsboro Bicentennial visit their Web site at www.hillsboroohio.net/bicentennial.htm.

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Dante Jackson Performs Well During State Championships

Earlier this month, McClain High School's Dante Jackson defended his state championship title in the 110 hurdles. This race set the pace for the rest of the competition. Jackson fell short during the 300 hurdle event taking the runner up position, even after beating his own personal best record.

This final competition for Jackson's high school career brings his total placings at the state level to seven. Jackson is headed to Xavier University in the fall on a basketball scholarship.

Congratulations to Dante Jackson and continued success in future endeavors! The Dickey Group wishes you well!

To read more, click here!

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New Turf for Old Field

The Hillsboro City School Board has plans to rejuvenate Hillsboro High School's Richards Memorial Field. They plan to have new turf in place for football season this fall. The goal is to get the field back into better playing condition so that they can possibly attract playoff games again. Recommendations for the new turf come from the Athletics Director Duane Earley. School representatives have met with experts in the field to make the best decisions. Current problems with the field have been attributed to the fact that in the past, several different people have had different opionions about how to manage and care for the field. The new plan calls for a return to Kentucky bluegrass. Resources within the district will be used to rebuild and resod the field. Financial support is being offered by the Athletic Boosters as well as any indiviudals interested in supporting the funding of part of this project.

Click here to read more!

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Post Secondary Enrollment Option Available for High Schoolers

The Post Secondary Enrollment Option (PSEO) program allows high school students (grades 9-12) to earn college and high school credits simultaneously by successfully completing college courses. All five school districts in Highland County utilize this program to assist those dedicated students who know what career they want to pursue. This opportunity gives kids a chance to experience college life and it is free! The Ohio Department of Education redirects funds from the public school to the college in order to pay for tuition and books. Enrollment in this program includes a small percentage of the total enrollment at the public schools, which means that the cost to the locals schools is manageable. The PSEO program has allowed several students to earn Associate's degrees by the time they graduate from high school.

This program is not for everyone: challenges are present. Students and parents are encourage to speak with the principal and guidance counselor at their school to find out more information!

Click here to read more!

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Graduation

Wow! It's hard to believe it's already that time of year, when our local seniors say goodbye to their high school and make those life-changing decisions about their futures. It truly is an opportunity to reach out and make dreams a reality.

This year, our office took a more active role in shaping the life of a local senior. We are pleased to announce that Jennifer Awick, a senior at Whiteoak High School, received The Dickey Group Inc., Realtors $1000 Scholarship. We congratulate Miss Awick on an excellent application and remarkable aspirations. We wish her continued success!

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Bright Local Gearing Up for Next School Year

The Bright Local School District renewed many employee contracts for the 2007-2008 school year during a recent Board of Education meeting. The Board also reviewed the activities of the local FFA group. The staff presented information on new and different teaching techniques that are now available due in part to technological advances. Reports from the principals provided information on the spring carnival at the elementary and testing and the prom at the high school.

We salute the professionals at Bright Local Schools for making our community a great place for our children!

To read more, click here.

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Mowrystown FFA Chapter Excels in Evaluations

The results have come in! The Mowrystown FFA Chapter has once again shown that hard work and dedication to the FFA and agriculture has its rewards! Results for the chapter officer books, proficiency awards and state and American degrees are outstanding. Several of the youth in this group have been recognized at the state and national levels.

Click here to read more about these wonderful accomplishments!

The Dickey Group congratulates the Mowrystown FFA Chapter on a job well done!

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Administrative Hirings for Hillsboro City Schools

The Hillsboro City School Board hired Rick Earley and Chris Burrows as high school and middle school principals, respectively. This move was made to keep continuity flowing within the district. These two individuals worked together at the middle school and the new positions will allow everyone to keep heading in the right direction. Other positions will become available due to the moves within the district. This hiring is one of many decisions that will impact the 2007-2008 school year. To read more, click here.

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McClain Head Coach Named Coach of the Year

McClain head coach Rick VanMatre, who led his Tigers to a district finals appearance, has been chosen as the Division II All-Ohio Coach of the Year. VanMatre led the Tigers to a 23-1 mark this season and has a career record of 438-159. He shares this honor with Dana Addis of Copley.

Congratulations to Van Matre!

Click here to read more!

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Open Enrollment Increases for Hillsboro Schools

During the 2007-2008 school year, Hillsboro City Schools will accept up to 105 interdistrict open enrollment students in grades 1-12. This means that the district will accept students from any school district with limits on the amount accepted at each grade level. Open enrollment works by restricting the amount of students that are coming in from other districts, but you cannot restrict the amount of students leaving the district. The goal is to "break even" or add a few students to the total enrollment so that funding is not negatively impacted. School districts receive state funding in part based on head counts during specific times of the year, with more students the district gets more money.

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