By Kevin Philo
Oakwood Schools Treasurer
In light of the negative financial news that has been blanketing the airwaves lately, we thought that an update on the Oakwood School’s investment procedures would be appropriate in order to assure you that your tax dollars are safe. By law, school districts can only invest in the safest and most secure investment instruments which we closely monitor. For example, school districts cannot invest in stocks or company bonds. The Oakwood School District does not own any stocks or bonds (even government bonds). In addition, the district currently does not hold any CD’s or Treasury Notes in its portfolio. If we
did, they would be backed by FDIC insurance or pledged collateral (government bonds).
Money with the Oakwood School District is either invested overnight with local banks at guaranteed rates or long-term with STAR Ohio, a government entity operated by the State of Ohio. Right now, the Oakwood Schools have $2.4 million invested with STAR Ohio, which currently has $7.8 billion on deposit. In a recent communication from Richard Cordray, State of Ohio Treasurer, we were reassured about additional safeguards already in place by STAR Ohio.
“In fact, STAR Ohio does not hold any securities whatsoever
issued by AIG, Goldman Sachs, Lehman Brothers, Merrill Lynch or Morgan Stanley,” stated Treasurer Cordray. He continued by underscoring that STAR Ohio does not hold any stock or mortgage-backed or asset-backed securities with Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae.
In conclusion, in my 22 years in the public finance sector, I have had the opportunity to invest over $500 million tax dollars and have not lost a single cent through bad investments. Your school tax dollars for the Oakwood City Schools are invested in the safest possible manner and the recent happenings on Wall Street and in Washington will not compromise your investment in the Oakwood Schools.
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Autumn Nights will be the theme of Oakwood High School’s 2008 Homecoming Dance. The dance will be held on Saturday, Oct. 4 from 8:30 to 11:00 p.m. in the West Gym. Tickets are available for $20 per couple and $15 for a single.
This year Harman Elementary is celebrating its 100th year anniversary! As part of a series of centennial activities, the Harman PTO is hosting a special Open House on Saturday Oct. 4 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
There will be historical photographs and memorabilia on display as well as written “Harman Memories” provided by Harman students, past and present. Members of the Harman Student Council will be giving tours of the school.
We are especially excited to welcome members of OHS classes 1948, 1958, 1963, 1968, 1983 and 1988 who are holding class reunions during Homecoming weekend.
All are welcomed and encouraged to attend as Harman celebrates “Holding Hands with History” during our centennial celebration.
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On Monday, Oct. 6 at 6 p.m. for parents of junior high students, the PTO will host a picnic dinner before parents begin following their student’s school schedule at the junior high Open House.
The dinner consists of a Pine Club burger, chips and a beverage. Tables will be set up at the Junior High entrance on Schantz Avenue. The cost is $6.
“We thought giving parents and teachers the opportunity to socialize before parents visit the classrooms would be fun, ” explained PTO President Sara Feldmiller. Parents can send in their dinner orders along with their PTO membership form or pay at the door.
An Open House for parents of Jr. High students will be held on Monday, Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. Parents are asked to meet at 7 p.m. in the high school auditorium. Parent’s are asked to bring their child’s schedule with them to the open house. We will be following Monday’s schedule. |
That’s just some of the action you can expect at the Edwin D. Smith Elementary School PTO Harvest Festival on Saturday, Oct. 11 from 10 to 4 p.m.
This festival provides a location for families to gather and paint pumpkins, play field games, construct scarecrows and listen to each other’s power outage stories.
Pumpkins, baked goods, straw bales and corn shocks will be available for sale. Smokin’ Barbeque Smithwiches will be available for the hungry lunch crowd.
HEATER, the Dayton Dragon’s mascot will join the Oakwood’s LUMBERJACK for picture taking and autographing. Rumor has it that U.D.’s RUDY FLYER and the Bombers’ BUCKY will also make appearances.
Members of the OHS football, soccer, and field hockey varsity teams will begin running clinics for preschool and elementary age wanna-be athletes beginning at 1 p.m. The OHS band will enliven and entertain with a drummer’s line sometime in the afternoon.
Look for more a more specific schedule of events in next week’s paper. |
By Jim Uphoff, Ed. D.
Have you ever heard or read the old negative descriptor, “Dumb Jock,” used as a generic portrait of athletes. While there may well be some athletes who are not scholars just as there are some less academically gifted musicians, artists, lawyers, and every other career or job category, such negative terms are FALSE!
In fact, solid research with hard data clearly shows that athletes tend to have higher grade point averages (GPA) than do non-athlete students. One of Wright State’s proud ‘facts’ is that the GPA for ALL of its student athletes has been 3.0 (solid B) for each of the past three years.
The extensive involvement of Oakwood students in athletics and other extra-curricular activities is a very key factor in the academic success of our students. They learn how to organize their time, to plan ahead on how and when to get their assignments done, and to appreciate that they are often talented in several different ways.
A major annual analysis of college/university level dual success
in both academics and athletics is the CoSIDA Academic All-Americans Across All Sports report. Their chart below lists the best 13 institutions for total awards and the number for the 07-08 year. The athletic talent is measured by the type of schools—universities, small colleges, etc. BUT the chart then puts them all together.
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| Rank |
School |
Total |
2007-2008 |
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1.
|
NEBRASKA |
263 |
7 |
| 2. |
Notre Dame |
202 |
8 |
| 3. |
MIT |
145 |
11 |
| 4. |
Penn State |
144 |
6 |
| 5. |
Stanford |
126 |
5 |
| 6. |
Augustana, IL |
126 |
4 |
| 7. |
Bucknell |
115 |
2 |
| 8. |
Texas |
111 |
10 |
9. |
UCLA |
110 |
2 |
| 10. |
Illinois Wesleyan |
110 |
4 |
11. |
Emory |
108 |
3 |
| 12. |
Nebraska Wesleyan |
104 |
6 |
| 13. |
Ohio State |
101 |
5 |
You will likely notice that some major universities with very high academic reputations and solid athletic programs (NW, UVA, Mich., Vand., IL, etc.) are NOT among this listing.I am very proud of my own graduate alma mater for its long record of the combined excellence in both academics and athletics. [Note: Even the N on our helmets represents this emphasis on academics as it reminds everyone of the importance of Nowledge!]
All local school systems and all colleges/universities should strive for this level of success which blends the two key elements. That Oakwood has done this so well makes me very proud of the past two decades of my association with the district.
Dr. Uphoff has been at WSU for 42 years and is now in his 50th year as a teacher, then professor.
The Oakwood High School Traveling band is the highlight of every well-appointed pre-game tailgate party. During the football season, the band suits up early to play marching band favorites - and take requests - at parties and events. The band is available to perform at a limited number of events. This season, just two more home games remain: October 3 and October 10. To book your performance, call Maura Donahue at 299-0944. Donations to the Traveling Band help fund the purchase of new instruments for the high school, junior high, and elementary school band programs.
