Mt. Healthy City School District
2
Index 3 4 5 6 7 8 8
Walls of New Schools Going Up Fast
Susan Faucher 2008-2009 Teacher of the Year
New School Year Begins With Governor’s Visit
Sports Roundup
New School Year Off To Great Start
Job, Life Skills Taught In New Course
Mentoring Achieves 10-Year Milestone
About this guide The Mt. Healthy City School District guide provides residents of Mt. Healthy with useful information and stories about their community. The guide is published once a year.
On the cover Mt. Healthy High School science teacher Chad Huelsman brought his sophomore honors biology class to the woods in back of the school for an outdoor lesson on the scientific method. Students were asked to observe the environment, pose comparative questions, and record them in a journal. The young biologists then used their inquiry skills to design and test their own comparative questions through an actual hands-on investigation. Main photo: John Roper, Daejhana Shanell, Kami Brown, Corey Smith, Jacyln Hoeffer, Kianna Walker, Austin Timmreck, and Ebony Howell. Top, left to right: Emily Bass. Therma "Teejai" Dorsey, a sophomore, records observations of the environment behind the school. Austin Timmreck and Emily Bass. Huelsman stands amid his students as they discuss questions about the environment. Bottom, left to right Teacher, Chad Huelsman. Kianna Walker. Therma "Teejai" Dorsey, Lavon Richardson, Brittany Pritchett, and Jasmine Coleman. Cory Smith and Jacyln Hoeffer. Ebony Howell.
Feedback The Mt. Healthy City School District guide is published by the Specialty Publications Department of The Community Press. Content is provided by the Mt. Healthy City School District. For questions or comments about this guide, or about the school district, contact Communications Coordinator Judy Ashton at 728-4445 or e-mail jashton@mthcs.org. For information about The Community Press publications published by the Specialty Publications Department contact Editor Melissa Hayden at 2487121 or by e-mail at mhayden@communitypress.com.
Greener Elementary students sing the “Star-Spangled Banner” as part of the National Anthem Project before the start of the Sept. 11 football game against Aiken. With Mt. Healthy's police and fire personnel in the background, the night was devoted to recognizing their life-saving work in the community.
Fall 2009
3 South Elementary
Walls of New Schools Going Up Fast The 2009-2010 school year marks the last full year in the current Mt. Healthy schools. The five elementary schools – Greener, Jane Hoop, New Burlington, Duvall and Frost – will begin next school year as two new schools. Students and staff will blend to become the new North Elementary on Struble Road and the new South Elementary on Werner Avenue (formerly Morris Field off Adams Road). Construction of the new buildings is within budget and on schedule for a fall of 2010 opening of the two elementary schools. The new Junior/Senior High School on Hamilton Avenue will open in the winter of 2011. As the new school year is just getting underway, preparations for a merger of resources has been in the works. Combined PTA meetings and student activities are planned throughout the year, culminating with a final 6:30 p.m. skating party for all elementary students on May 5, 2010. Staff assignments and student attendance areas will be announced later in the year. Administrative and transportation changes are also forthcoming, as principals are reassigned and new bus routes are finalized. Greener Elementary Principal Jenni Moody will become principal at North Elementary. Frost Elementary Principal Mark Walden will join her as an associate principal. Duvall Elementary Principal Eugene Blalock will become principal at South Elementary. Jane Hoop Elementary Principal Beth Hendricks will join him as an associate principal. High
With a view from above, Mt. Healthy’s new schools are taking shape. Aerial photos of the three new schools show progress moving quickly.
Mt. Healthy Junior/Senior High School
School Principal D. Wayne Sawyers will be principal of the new Mt. Healthy Junior/Senior High School. New Burlington Elementary Principal Robert Kelly will join him as an associate principal and Lincoln Butts will continue as assistant principal at the Junior High. Brian McFee also continues as associate principal and Libby Bradford continues as assistant principal. To preserve the district’s rich history that began in 1905, the district will honor early and present-day educators in the new schools. At North Elementary, a wing will be named after Lulu Greener and Ethel Frost, who taught in the 1900s. Teacher Jane
Hoop and Matthew Duvall, a former superintendent who served in the 1900s, will each have a wing named after them at South Elementary. Also, the library at South will be named after teacher Grace Hunt, whose name was once associated with a building adjacent to Hoop Elementary. The district sold that building in 1982. At the Junior High/Senior High School, the auditorium will bear the name of former band director Russ Hinkle, who taught at Mt. Healthy High School from 1960 until 1985. Though retired, Hinkle has never left Mt. Healthy. Thirty years ago, he formed and continues to conduct the Mt. Healthy Alumni Band. The group gives an annual free summer concert that calls back alumni from near and far. The consolidation of schools will save the district $1.5 million each year. Those savings will result from lower utilities, maintenance, transportation and more efficient use of staff through a combined three schools instead of seven.
North Elementary
District Seeks Support for Renewal Levy Mt. Healthy Schools is seeking voter support on Nov. 3 for a 1.39-mill emergency renewal levy. The levy, originally passed in 1982, does not raise property taxes. Renewed every five years since its beginning, the levy generates $500,000 annually to the district budget. Though the district is building new schools, by state law, money from the bond issue can only be used for building new schools and facility improvement projects. Bond issue funds cannot be used for regular operating expenses. If the emergency renewal does not pass, the loss of revenue would negatively impact the district’s budget, beginning in January, and would necessitate further budget reductions the following school year. Renewal of the levy would again be in place for a five-year period.
Mt. Healthy City School District
4
Susan Faucher 2008-2009 Teacher of the Year Roni Dean operates the video equipment in one of her many costumes she wears as part of the taping of Cafe Science.
Waycross Community Media Teacher of the Year Roni Dean, a science teacher at Mt. Healthy Junior High School, was selected in July as Waycross Community Media Teacher of the Year for creatively using video as a classroom teaching tool. The community cable television provider honored her for an educational series she produces called Café Science. With the help of her students, Dean creates video explaining scientific principles in a fun, kid-friendly way. The show can be viewed on Time Warner Cable Channel 4 and online at www.waycross.tv. She also leads, with support of Waycross staff, an after-school video club at her school. Chip Bergquist, executive director at Waycross, said the cable television company works with many teachers but few stood out like Dean. “Roni is one of the most creative, and she is very dedicated to using the power of video as a learning tool for her students.” A ceremony for her and other volunteers was held at the American Legion Hall in Greenhills. She was given a certificate and an “acorn shaped” ceramic candy dish. Waycross Community Media provides public, educational and government access services to Forest Park, Greenhills, and Springfield Township, Ohio. To volunteer or produce a program, visit www.waycross.tv.
Just like her favorite teachers, Susan Faucher, a veteran sixthgrade teacher at New Burlington Elementary, never gives up on any student. From those educators, Faucher learned that a kind, patient and caring attitude went a long way in building confidence. With a pat on the hand, a smile or praise for a job well done, Faucher encourages her students to keep trying. Her never-ending optimism molds them into better-performing students. Her ability to motivate, encourage and help struggling students succeed earned her the Mt. Healthy City School District's 2008-2009 Teacher of the Year Award. She was honored before her peers at an August breakfast meeting and received a $1,000 check from the Board of Education. “I am honored, especially when you consider all the fine teachers I work with,” she said. Faucher began her Mt. Healthy teaching career in 1972 at the former Hunt Building, where she taught fifth grade before moving to third grade at Jane Hoop Elementary. She also taught in special education at Frost Elementary, took a year off for parental leave and returned in 1991 to New Burlington Elementary. “I found that by changing grade levels from time to time, I was able to see the continuum of learning and use that broad experience to enrich my students,” she said. Though the school day doesn't begin until 9 a.m., she often arrives at 7 a.m. and stays until 6 or 7 p.m. – long after the dismissal bell rings. She could have retired seven years ago, but as she begins her 37th year of teaching in the Mt. Healthy City School District, Faucher said she “still looks forward to each new day with the children.”
Teacher of the year Susan Faucher.
Principal Bob Kelly praises Faucher as a master teacher, one who serves as a resource to staff, builds positive relationships with parents, and one who helps students reach goals. “In a world that’s focused more on results than the process, Susan consistently produces impressive test results at or near the top of the district,” Kelly, who nominated Faucher for the honor, said. When her sixth-grade class last year took the Ohio Achievement Test, 95 percent passed reading and 90 percent passed math. Faucher continues to get a thrill when students grasp new concepts. “I know all kids can learn if I can break down the skills into small chunks that they can work with,” she said. Faucher serves on several committees that improve student learning. She serves on the school's Foundation and Student Achievement committees, overseeing the schools spelling bee, Black History Month contest, announcements, displays, Constitution Day and Earth Day. Two years ago, she worked with a committee to create the Language Arts Calendar, a tool that is currently used in the sixth grade districtwide. She also has a hand in the hiring of new teachers at her school and compiles the
school's yearbook, a task she enjoys because “it showcases the wonderful learning experience we offer students and parents in Mt. Healthy,” she said. Faucher is a member of the National Council Of Teachers of Mathematics. She received a Bachelor's Degree in elementary education from the University of Cincinnati, graduating with honors. She has a Master's Degree in Learning Disorders/Behavior Disorders of Children from Xavier University. She holds a permanent certificate in elementary and special education and has obtained more than 30 graduate hours to stay current in her field. Yes, this could be her last school year. Retire? Nah, not Faucher. She's already making plans to teach in the new building. The following Mt. Healthy staff members were nominated for the award: Deb Hill, an intervention specialist at Jane Hoop Elementary; Lynn Jones, an instructional specialist; Michelle Robinson, a kindergarten teacher at Duvall Elementary; Dinah Isaacs, an elementary counselor at Duvall and Greener; Jen Harry, a first-grade teacher at Greener Elementary who moved to New Burlington Elementary, first as a kindergarten teacher and now first grade; and Lois Clay, a fifth-grade teacher at Frost Elementary.
Fall 2009
5
New School Year Begins With Governor's Visit Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland visited Mt. Healthy High School on July 22 as part of a statewide tour to talk about the new education plan and how it will affect individual school districts. As he made his way down the hallways, Gov. Strickland shook hands with staff and chatted with students about future college plans. The governor commended Mt. Healthy for its all-day kindergarten program, a new mandate in his state educational plan that he expects schools to implement next year. He also spoke of afterschool homework help and college preparation, programs that
currently take place as part of the district’s seven through 12thgrade curriculums. Superintendent Dave Horine, also a governing board member of the American Association of School Administrators, gave an overview of district accomplishments and the future of Mt. Healthy as the district prepares to open new facilities next school year. Horine praised Gov. Strickland for his budget plan, noting how it will potentially benefit districts like Mt. Healthy that have high poverty rates, transient populations and funding needs for special needs students.
Austin Olding and Mariah Harden, graduates from the Class of 2009, came back this summer to greet Gov. Ted Strickland. Mariah and her sister, London, were recognized for their community service hours. Students are required to serve 30 hours in the community for graduation. Mariah graduated with 1,143 hours and London, who was unable to attend the visit, graduated with 1,152 hours.
Beta Club members Briona McCoy, a senior, Shakiylah Cunningham, a 2009 graduate, and juniors Zoanne Schutte, Brittany Loechel, Mirissa Parks, Cierra Andrews and senior Brooke Shirley took a moment to pose for a picture with Gov. Ted Strickland.
Mt. Healthy City School District
6
Sports Roundup
Hole In One:
Athletes Inducted Into Owls’ Hall Of Fame
Senior Makes Long Shot
Mt. Healthy High School inducted three alumni into its Athletic Hall of Fame at the Sept. 25 football game. The three alumni were honored at half time with a plaque as the announcer read his/her athletic accomplishments. A plaque with a photo and biography will be hung in the high school hallway near the athletic department, joining 36 other athletes since the inception of the program in 2001. The following were inducted.
Owls football coach Arvie Crouch shows players how to hang on to the ball at a practice before the start of the season. The Owls are now 3-1, the best start record in five years.
John (Joe) Corcoran
An individual pass for the entire school year is $80, good for Class of 1973 all home events. A season pass Corcoran shined in two sports: for one fall or one winter sport is basketball and baseball. He was $50.00. To the captain of the basketball team purchase a pass, call the athletic and among the top 5 in the city in office: 728-7648. assists. In baseball, he was AllAthletic Event Hotline: Conference and Honorable 728-7653 Mention All-City. He received a baseball scholarship to Triton Community College, where he Athletic Boosters Eugene Riley was named All Conference and The Athletic Boosters meet the Class of 1985 All-State. He held the batting first Monday of the month at 7 Riley stood out in two sports: average record of .461 at Triton p.m. at the high school. The football and basketball. He was a for six years until it was broken group is currently selling First Team All Conference for two by major league Hall of Famer engraved bricks to be placed at years and Second Team All Ohio. Kirby Puckett in 1980. He then the athletic field. Cost is $45 for He currently holds the school attended Birmingham-Southern three lines of 16 characters each. record of seven career TD College, where he was named All If interested in this tribute, contact receptions. Because of his athletic Conference. He also played in the Sue Bitter at 702-3332. The record, he was selected to play NAIA (National Amateur Boosters sell engraved bricks as a football on the Western All-Star Intercollegiate Athletics) World fundraiser for the athletic Team, a game that plays the top Series. department. seniors in Southwest Ohio. He attended Ball State on a football Upcoming scholarship and played in the Volunteers Needed NFL for the Indianapolis Colts Volunteers are needed to work Athletic Events and Detroit Lions. bingo from 5:45-10 p.m. at the Oct. 16: Homecoming 2009 high school on Wednesdays. To “Masquerade:” Owls vs. Ross. volunteer, call Athletic Director Parade begins at 6:45 p.m. in Nekeya Ralls-Holloway Tina Tuck at 728-7650. Bingo front of the Board of Education, Class of 1994 proceeds are used to fund 7615 Harrison Ave., followed by Ralls-Holloway excelled in athletic equipment and events. the game at 7:30 p.m. three sports: Track, volleyball and Oct. 30: Senior Parent Night: basketball. She placed in the state Owls vs. Edgewood at 7:30 p.m. in the 100-meter hurdles and the New This Year Senior athletes and their parents 4 x 100 relay team. She currently The Athletic Boosters will sell will be recognized. holds three school records: in the spirit wear in a new building long jump (19 feet 3 inches), the 4 adjacent to the concession stand x 100-relay team (48.3 seconds); at the football field. Known as Ticket Prices and the 100-meter hurdle (14.1 Ticket prices for athletic events the Spirit Shack, the Boosters will seconds). Her track prowess are $6 for adults and $4 for seniors be selling T-shirts, flip flops, hats, earned her a full track scholarat the gate and $4 for students novelties, etc. ship to Middle Tennessee State (pre-sale at the high school.) Also new this year, fans may University, where she holds the The 2009-2010 family pass for notice construction behind the record in long jump/spring med- all home junior high and high visitor bleachers. A new path is ley relay and the 100-meter hurschool games are on sale now at being built that will serve as an dle. She was a Miami Valley the high school athletic office. entrance from the new Mt. League conference champion in Cost is $180.00 for a family of Healthy Junior High/Senior long jump and hurdles. four (age 6 and over). High School into the stadium.
Kara Brown, new to the game of golf, made a hole-in-one at Beech Creek Golf Course in Mt. Healthy. The Mt. Healthy High School senior Kara Brown has never played golf until this year. Brown, a member of girls’ varsity golf team, didn’t realize the magnitude of her actions when she made a hole-in-one, a tricky feat for any player, let alone one so new to the game. But Kara Brown did just that in August at the Beech Creek Golf Course in Mt. Healthy. Brown, casual about the shot, caused quite a flurry of excitement among coaches, teachers and fellow teammates. Using a 6 iron on the Par 3, 110-yard 9th hole, her swing sent her and Coach Bob Murphy searching for the ball. Unbeknownst to her, the ball was in the hole. “When I found out that I got a hole-in-one, I said: ‘Thanks Coach Murphy for finding my ball.’” “I had no idea I made it.” The statistics on holes-in-one are daunting. One insurance company puts a PGA Tour pro’s chances at 1 in 3,756 and an amateur’s at 1 in 12,750. According to Mt. Healthy’s Athletic Director Tina Tuck, not one student, in her recollection, has made a hole in one. “It’s pretty much unbelievable,” Tuck said. “You rarely hear of a hole in one in high school sports, especially from a kid that’s never played golf before.” Beech Creek awarded Brown with a signed certificate for her accomplishment.
Fall 2009
7
New School Year Off To Great Start Mt. Healthy Schools staggered its start of the school year with freshmen and seventh-graders beginning Aug. 25 and the remainder of the district's students attending on Aug. 26.
A special day was set aside for students at the high school and junior high to acclimate them to procedures of a new school. At the high school, T-shirts and cups were passed out to incoming freshmen, as Mykel Smith holds his new spirit wear up for size.
At Frost Elementary, Principal Mark Walden traditionally begins every school year by rolling the piano outdoors. Sixthgrade leaders, left to right, Armani Tidwell, Carvell Sally, Cardell Sally and Andy Kline assist Walden in leading the school in song.
Duvall Elementary students started the school year off with a special visit from the Hamilton County Park District. A naturalist brought an Owl and a turtle to the classroom for students to learn about their habitats. First-graders, left to right, Kanacea Allen, Alexis Holbrook, Ruben Atwood, William Johnson, Arquell Jones, Aleyah Kincaid and Gavin Martin watch as the turtle makes his way across the classroom floor.
Mt. Healthy City School District
8
J
‘Professionalism Is The Key That Opens The Door To Opportunity’
ob, Life Skills Taught In New Course A new class has been added to Mt. Healthy High School this year, one that will give students the skills they need to prepare for life after high school. Jobs for Cincinnati Graduates (JCG), a non-profit organization that began in 1982 by the Cincinnati business community, offers a “School-to-Career” curriculum to help seniors overcome challenging obstacles, graduate and successfully make the transition from school to career. Trish Meridy, a career specialist who received a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio, oversees the program at the high school. She began her career at JCG in 2002, beginning at Western Hills High School then moving to Norwood High School until last year. This year at Mt. Healthy, she teaches two 90-minute classes every other day. The job readiness program will help about 45 students
identify career interests through internet research, job shadowing, part-time jobs, and community service projects. The class is beneficial to students, Meridy said, because it teaches them to “use professional, career and leadership skills acquired in JCG to blast-off to life’s next level.” That next level is to use what they “learn today to lead tomorrow.” Meridy and her students have picked a theme for this year, Professionalism Is The Key That Opens The Door To Opportunity. The theme complements the goal of the course, to integrate academic and social skills needed to obtain, keep and advance on the job. Students will also receive support in and out of school. Mentors will help students prepare and pass the Ohio Graduation Test (OGT), and social service connections will be presented to meet individual needs. “Simple things within my
scope may be professional clothing assistance, checking to make sure grades are on task and OGT remediation,” she said. “Major things like homelessness, providing resources for a parenting student and family issues, I will elevate to the proper school official for further direction.” The program also offers follow up services after graduation to help students overcome any hurdles they may encounter, so they can continue on the path to success. Students will then take these newly developed skills and compete with other schools with the same program in 10 competitive events. Competitions are held each April, just prior to a Career Development Conference. JCG is funded by the State of Ohio, Workforce Investment Act (WIA) contracts, schools and through local foundations, corporations and individuals. The program currently serves 10 schools in Greater Cincinnati.
Mentoring Achieves 10-Year Milestone Mt. Healthy Mentor Program is “On the Move.” The program continues for its 10th school year at all five Mt. Healthy elementary schools. More mentors are needed to guide students in school and in life. Volunteers will be asked to give 30 minutes a week, or every other week, mentoring the same student in reading and/or math skills. “Watching a student progress academically and socially is rewarding,” Linda Urso, program coordinator, said.
Mentors are needed weekly for 30 minutes during the school day from 9:15 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. The district also has after school mentoring opportunities to be a Big Brother/Big Sister from 4-5:30 p.m. on Mondays at Duvall Elementary and Tuesdays at Frost Elementary. A background check and brief training are required. Call Urso at 602-1677, or e-mail lurso@ mthcs.org, to begin making a difference in the Ann Miller, a mentor since the program’s inception life of a student. 10 years ago, works with Ke’Shayla Stearns, a thirdgrader at Duvall Elementary.