January 20, 2011
PLSD board eyes social media policy By NATE ELLIS ThisWeek Community Newspapers Pickerington Local Schools officials are considering new policies for acceptable use of social media websites and tools by students, teachers and staff. For the past year, a primary mantra of PLSD Superintendent Karen Mantia and the PLSD Board of Education has held that schools must prepare students for the “21st-century global marketplace.” Now the district itself is taking a new step into the 21st century by consider-
ing new policies for the use of social media websites and tools such as Facebook, Twitter,YouTube, e-mail and blogs on the district’s computer network. According to PLSD technology director Walt Podgurski, the policies currently before the board seek to acknowledge and even embrace the use of social media due to its educational potential and future employers’ expectations. At the same time, however, he said the district hopes to ward off any inappropriate uses of the web-based features. “Really, what we’re after is behavior
on our network,” Podgurski said. “We know all of our students and all of our teachers and staff are using social media. “There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s a good thing. We just want to make sure they use it in a safe and responsible way.” The policy proposals before the board define social media as any form of online publication or presence that allows end users to engage in multi-directional conversations in or around the content on a website. Under the proposals, students are prohibited from social media activities “that
cause harm to others or damage to their property; or that violate the law, board policy or the student discipline code.” This would include harassing, intimidating, abusive, defamatory, discriminatory or threatening communications and behavior, as well as accessing, submitting, posting, publishing, forwarding, downloading, scanning, or displaying materials that are obscene, pornographic, sexually explicit or sexually suggestive. Students also would be prohibited from making ethnic, religious, sexual
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We know all of our students and all of our teachers and staff are using social media … We just want to make sure they use it in a safe and responsible way.
WALT PODGURSKI PLSD technology director
See SOCIAL MEDIA, page A2
Epiphany Lutheran begins 50th anniversary celebration
IN PURSUIT OF THE PUCK
By NATE ELLIS ThisWeek Community Newspapers A Pickerington church that’s seen its membership and facilities grow exponentially over half a century recently kicked off a nine-month celebration for its 50th anniversary. On Sept. 17, 1961, Epiphany Lutheran Church held its first service as an official Lutheran church at 268 Hill Road in Pickerington. Fifty years, three expansion projects and some 1,000 members later, the church still holds services and other activities at its original locale. This month, it also kicked off a celebration of its 50year anniversary that will extend through September. “Our big celebration will be in September, but each month, on the second Sunday of the month, we’re having guest pastors who were former pastors or assistant pastors here and they’ll be leading worship,” said Jeani Burgoon, a Carroll resident who joined Epiphany Lutheran with her husband in 1994. “We’re trying to open it up to the community and let those who used to attend Epiphany know they can come back.” Former pastor Eric Williams will visit the church at its next celebration, slated for 9 a.m. Feb. 13. In addition to the guest pastors at the 9 a.m. “traditional” services each month, Epiphany members are inviting former members and others in the community to share in their ministry fairs, Sunday schools and “contemporary” services held the second Sunday of every month. See 50TH, page A2
Chamber to host annual dinner Feb. 5
By Tim Norman/ThisWeek
Brothers Zachary Trainer, 14, and Caden Albert, 9, battle for control of the puck on the ice rink at Victory Park Jan. 16. The two were playing on the rink, which is across from City Hall on Lockville Road. It is a temporary structure that is available when belowfreezing temperatures are prolonged in the area.
School counselors plan parenting programs
By NATE ELLIS ThisWeek Community Newspapers
K-8 parents targeted for workshops on creating rules, managing divorce, homework By NATE ELLIS ThisWeek Community Newspapers Pickerington Local School District counselors will host a series of workshops next month designed to give parents tools to help their children manage home life and succeed in school. As if growing up, surviving puberty, fitting in at school and satisfying teacher demands and state-mandated tests weren’t enough to deal with, today’s elementary, middle school and junior high students continue to face issues at home that can significantly affect their progress at school.
So says a group of PLSD school counselors, who each day see how divorce, too little — or too much — discipline at home and other family issues can distract students from academic achievement. Thus, counselors for Pickerington’s kindergarten through eighth-grade students developed three free workshops to be offered to parents in February to help give them techniques and tools to help their children navigate through 21st-century issues and roadblocks. The “We Are Pickerington” community events are funded by PLSD Parent Teacher Organizations and will be facilitated by Norman Shub, a “master teacher” and clinical director at Colum-
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bus-based Gestalt Associates Inc. “We’ve done it before with individual schools … but this is the first time we’ve decided to open it to this many schools,” said Darren Drake, a school counselor at Toll Gate Elementary. “It’s to help parents provide support for their students.” On Feb. 9, Shub and school counselors will host a forum on the importance of creating family rules. The session will be followed by a Feb. 16 workshop on jumping over the “quicksand” that can result from divorce and a Feb. 23 program on contending with “homework wars and other parent/child power struggles.”
It’s a circus out there in the business world, but the Pickerington Area Chamber of Commerce next month wants to celebrate local successes with a sideshow of its own. On Feb. 5, the chamber will host its annual dinner and silent auction at Hickory Lakes, 12495 Ault Road. This year, chamber officials hope to jazz up the festivities where local businesses are recognized for commercial and civic achievements by incorporating a circus theme. Event attendees and supporters also can get into the spirit by providing “Big Top,” “Center Ring,” “Circus Performers” and “Menagerie” sponsorships for the evening. See CHAMBER DINNER, page A3
See PARENTS, page A2 Nemo, who was rescued from a hoarding situation, is up for adoption from the Ohio SPCA. To see a video of Nemo and Scamp, another cat looking for a home, log on to www.ThisWeekNews. com. For more information on Nemo, visit ohiospca.org.
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