News

ZANESVILLE, Ohio – Employees in a variety of sectors, ranging from education to medical to social service organizations, are feeling overwhelmed. What can be done to help?  

Muskingum Valley Educational Service Center is hosting Laura van Dernoot Lipsky for a two-hour, live virtual presentation November 16, 2021. Laura is the founder and director of The Trauma Stewardship Institute and is recognized as a pioneer in the field of trauma exposure. She is the author of the best-seller “Trauma Stewardship” and “The Age of Overwhelm.” Laura’s work helps people recognize, navigate and ease the burden of overwhelm in their daily lives. 

According to Amy Luby, Muskingum Valley Educational Service Center’s Manager of Strategic Initiatives, Laura’s presentation is perfect for anyone who’s in the business of caring for other people. The presentation will be ideal for teachers and school staff members, first responders and medical personnel and social workers. 

The two-hour live presentation will be presented virtually from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., November 16. The cost is $400 per school, business or organization and includes an unlimited number of attendees or $25 per person. Advanced registration is required. For more information and to register, go online to https://www.mvesc.org/calendar/laura-van-dernoot-lipsky-secondary-trauma/ 

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ZANESVILLE, Ohio – More than 200 seventh and eighth graders from 10 school districts are learning about investments and the stock market thanks to support from The Community Bank and Park National Bank. The financial institutions are providing funding for student licenses, so they can access The Stock Market Game. 

According to Colette Smith, Muskingum Valley Educational Service Center Gifted Education Coordinator, participating students started the program October 13 and 14, 2021, with a virtual kickoff event, and it runs through April 8, 2022. 

Participating districts include Caldwell, Coshocton, Crooksville, Franklin, Logan-Hocking, Maysville, Morgan, Newcomerstown, Ridgewood and River View. “We are extremely grateful to Park National Bank and The Community Bank for helping make this opportunity available for so many students throughout the region,” Smith said. 

“Park National Bank is proud to continue to support the growth of our communities through educational initiatives that will benefit our children. Park National Bank is proud to sponsor the Muskingum Valley Educational Service Center for students to participate in ‘The Stock Market Game.’ The knowledge and exposure these students will gain will not only augment their personal development but also advance the future economic prosperity of our community,” said Kang Kim and Bill Addington from Park National Bank Investment Services. 

In The Stock Market Game, each student is given $100,000 to use in the game to invest and develop his or her stock portfolio. Through this experience, students will be exposed to the stock market, without the fear of losing real money. Students are encouraged to research stocks that interest them, follow them in the news, pay attention to world events, and attempt to build the best performing portfolio.   

“The Community Bank is always looking for opportunities to help parents and our school systems provide financial literacy. ‘The Stock Market Game’ allows students to have some hands-on learning experiences that are fun and impactful. TCB understands that these kids are the future, and we are honored to participate,” said Becky Vansickle, VP/Office Manager, Frazeysburg Office, and Allison Weeks, VP/Customer Experience/Business Development Officer, The Community Bank. 

The Muskingum Valley Educational Service Center (MVESC) welcomes inspirational speaker and best-selling author Damon West to Zanesville on Monday, October 18. West will share his story with local students and staff and explain how each person can positively change his or her environment and turn their pot of boiling water – life – into a pot of coffee, just like a coffee bean.  

The event is part of the MVESC’s “Must See Professional Development Services.” Two sessions will be held for students and staff during the day, with an evening program for students and parents. The sessions will be held from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., at Rolling Plains United Methodist Church, 3350 Moxahala Park Road, Zanesville. The 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. presentations are also available on a virtual platform. 

Advanced registration for the October 18th event is required and can be made online by visiting www.mvesc.org, and then clicking on the calendar link. For more information, contact Adam Copeland, Student Services Supervisor, at 740-342-3502 or adam.copeland@mvesc.org. 

Damon West travels the country as keynote speaker. He shares his amazing story of overcoming adversity with schools, businesses, and leading collegiate athletic programs. His story of redemption, grit and determination continues to inspire audiences from Wal-Mart to the U.S. Army to the NBA. 

Damon West is a college professor and the best-selling author of The Coffee Bean: A Simple Lesson to Create Positive Change. At 20, Damon was an NCAA Division I quarterback who had a successful future in front of him. Tragically, he turned to drugs after a career-ending injury and was later spent time in a maximum-security prison. He emerged from prison a changed man and travels the country sharing his story. Learn more at www.damonwest.org. 

The Muskingum Valley Educational Service Center Governing Board will meet in regular session Monday, October 11, 2021, at 7:00 PM at 205 N. 7th Street. For more information, contact Superintendent Lori Snyder-Lowe at lori.lowe@mvesc.org.

ZANESVILLE, Ohio – As school districts across the state are being impacted by COVID-19, superintendents from southeast Ohio are asking Governor Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Health Director, Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff, to approve a pilot project designed to keep healthy children in classrooms. “The Muskingum Valley Educational Service Center (MVESC) officially made the request to the state on behalf of 40 superintendents from southeast and east-central Ohio,” said Lori Snyder-Lowe, Superintendent, MVESC. The request comes days after Governor DeWine announced a pilot program for 10 districts in Warren County in southwestern Ohio.

The letter of request cites data released September 1, 2021, by the Ohio Department of Education showing that students on remote learning did not achieve near the levels of students who attended “in person” school. Further, it suggests that districts in rural areas experience more difficult educational challenges in terms of providing remote instruction to students due to lack of access to internet and transportation.

The letter of request provides a plan for the pilot, which differs from the state’s current guideline that requires unvaccinated students and staff without symptoms to quarantine at home if they were not wearing masks or distanced when exposed to COVID-19. Specifically, the superintendents propose when an unvaccinated student who is not wearing a mask is identified as a close contact, the following options are presented to the student’s family:

• Traditional Quarantine – 10 days at home or return to schools on day 7, with proof of a negative test result on days 5, 6 and 7.
• Mandatory Mask Quarantine – If the student is symptom free, then he or she is allowed to return to school wearing a mask for 10 days.

The letter asks the governor and director of the Ohio Department of Health for immediate consideration of the pilot proposal stating, “In this very divided world of masks vs. No masks and vaccines vs. No vaccines, this proposal is the most common sense approach school leaders can use to keep healthy students in school.”

Click the link to see a copy of the letter: Request to Governor and ODH for Rural Pilot Program

The Muskingum Valley Educational Service Center offices in Zanesville and New Lexington will be closed Monday, September 6, 2021, for Labor Day. The offices will reopen Tuesday, September 7, 2021. For more information, contact Bill Arnett, Communicators Coordinator, at bill.arnett@mvesc.org or 740-452-4518.

About MVESC: Since 1914, we’ve been serving the educational staff, district administrators and service organizations who support the students and families within our region.  Our agency has the largest service region in Ohio, covering more than 2,700 square miles. We serve more than 1,600 teachers and more than 24,000 students in 16 school districts. Within and beyond our seven counties, we have partnered with more than 105 educational service providers in 62 Ohio counties, 39 states and Canada. www.mvesc.org.

The Muskingum Valley Educational Service Center Governing Board will meet in regular session Monday, September 13, 2021, at 7:00 PM at 205 N. 7th Street. For more information, contact Superintendent Lori Snyder-Lowe at lori.lowe@mvesc.org.

ZANESVILLE, Ohio – Muskingum Valley Educational Service Center (MVESC) is making available free Community Resource Guides for parents and educators. The guides list social service providers and government agencies with their contact information in all seven counties covered by MVESC. Guides are available online at www.mvesc.org for Coshocton, Hocking, Morgan, Muskingum, Noble, Perry and Tuscarawas Counties. To find the guides, click the “For Parents” or “For Educators” links on the website’s homepage. 

Tonya Steele, MVESC’s Family and Community Partnership Liaison, worked cooperatively with social service agencies and governmental entities to develop the guides. “I would like to thank MVESC community partners, especially each county’s Family and Children First Council, for assisting me in gathering accurate information about the available resources in our region,” Steele said.    

Lori Snyder-Lowe, MVESC Superintendent, said the guides are designed to be easy to use and are a valuable resource for parents and educators. “Gathering and compiling information for multiple counties was no small task, and Tonya did an excellent job working with partners and getting the project completed,” Snyder-Lowe said. “We believe the guides will help parents, educators and agencies quickly determine what programs are available when students, individuals or families are in need,” she added. 

As programs, services or contact information changes, the guides will be updated on the mvesc.org website. Contact Tonya Steele with questions, corrections, or additions at tonya.steele@mvesc.org or 740-452-4518, ext. 1117.