PAID
Cincinnati, OH Permit No. 1082
Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage
The Experience Official Newsmagazine of Mariemont City Schools
3
Fall 2017
29 – Elementary High-Demand Parent/Teacher Conferences (4-8 p.m., Elementary Schools)
20 – MJHS High-Demand Parent/Teacher Conferences (4-8 p.m., Mariemont Junior High School)
16 – Elementary Parent/Teacher Conferences (4-8 p.m., Elementary Schools)
15 – MJHS Parent/Teacher Conferences (4-8 p.m., Mariemont Junior High School)
9 – MJHS Parent/Teacher Conferences (4-8 p.m., Mariemont Junior High School)
8 – BOE/Admin Work session (5-9 p.m., TBD)
7 – Mariemont Arts Association Meeting (7:30-8:30 p.m., Mariemont High School)
7 – Elementary Parent/Teacher Conferences (4-8 p.m., Elementary Schools)
27 – End of First Quarter, Early Dismissal
26 – MJHS Online Conference Sign-Up (9 a.m.)
24 – Elementary Online Conference Sign-Up (9 a.m.)
18 – Life & Leadership Speaker Series – Lynn O’Shaughnessy (6:30 p.m., Mariemont Elementary)
16-17 – Mariemont Academy, No School for Students
I have just recently updated the district’s Five-Year Financial Forecast. This is an important planning tool that shows the actual, current and projected finances of the district. The forecast is clear in the need to identify funds to address the critical and ongoing needs at the high school building as a priority. This decision plays an important role in the financial stability of our district and our ability to continue to support excellence in the classrooms on a daily basis. Should you have questions about the forecast or how the high school facility impacts our finances, please feel free to contact me, as I’m happy to discuss our financial picture with our residents.
October
I have had to build an additional $200,000 into this year’s budget for anticipated repairs needed at the high school – that’s almost five times more than the anticipated costs at our other three schools combined. This is not an effective or efficient way to fund these facility needs. This is why the work of our High School Facility Teams is so important. We must come together as a community to better understand the options and find solutions that make sense for our students as well as taxpayers.
treasurer’s
Facilities continue to be a large question mark in our financial outlook. As a community we addressed the needs at Mariemont Elementary, Terrace Park Elementary and Mariemont Junior High School back in May 2010. That bond issue allowed the district to make serious upgrades to these facilities and they now provide better learning spaces for students, but also operate much more efficiently. However now we must address the plans for the high school.
update
It has been three years since Mariemont City Schools last asked voters to support an operating issue to fund day-to-day expenses such as teachers, utilities and basic supplies. However, within that same time period the district has lost almost a million dollars in state funding through the elimination of Tangible Personal Property (TPP) tax reimbursement and basic aid, and this will result in an additional loss of $3 million over the next four years. We continue to prioritize spending and remain within budget, but as we look ahead we must understand the challenges and realities that we are facing as a community.
UPCOMING DATES
At Mariemont City Schools, we are fortunate to have a strong relationship with our community and continued support from our voters. This is important as the district endures more funding losses from the state level.
3 – Report Cards Available Online
By Treasurer Tom Golinar
FACILITY UPDATE Page 2
1 – MHS Facility Community Forum (7-9 p.m., Mariemont High School)
Facilities a Question as we Look at Financial Picture
31 – Elementary Halloween Parades
2 Warrior Way | Cincinnati, Ohio 45227 www.mariemontschools.org
Thank you for your continued support of Mariemont City Schools. We are truly grateful for your interest and passion in our students and voter support continues to make our schools a great place to learn. Should you have any questions please feel free to ask. I’m happy to speak with residents about our schools and look forward to seeing so many of you at our fantastic school events.
November
In addition, our High School Facilities process continues. This is a two-year long process where as a community we will decide what next steps we should take to address the ongoing challenges of the high school building itself. The school is nearly 50 years old and has many mechanical, structural and safety concerns that need to be addressed in a fiscally responsible manner. Our Facilities Teams will spend time this fall reviewing community feedback from the spring and digging deeper into possible options to provide a clearer picture as to the desires of the staff and community regarding this important project. You can read more about this ongoing issue in this newsletter as well as on our district website.
Find us on
This is why I’m so excited for our High School Intersession. This is a new opportunity for students to spend a week in May taking ownership of their learning while also having fun. They will establish valuable relationships; build important communication and collaboration skills, while also building content knowledge as they choose their own educational options based upon personal interest from a menu of great courses.
27 – Pumpkin Fest (5:30-8 p.m., Terrace Park Elementary)
update
superintendent’s
Our work with Destination 2026 will continue this school year as we expand our Warriors BEyond program and focus on experiential learning. We believe that students’ interests and passions are driving factors in their desire to learn and grow. So at Mariemont City Schools we present the opportunity for our students to get real-life experiences that also foster a love of learning.
To get the latest updates, “like” us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
What an amazing start to the 2017-18 school year! We are fortunate to have so many parents, staff members and residents who care about our students and our schools. Mariemont City Schools is a great place that offers excellent opportunities for students and an excellent value for our community.
www.mariemontschools.org
By Superintendent Steven Estepp
Visit the district homepage to subscribe to district news, view the latest Now in 90 and A Warrior’s Words videos, check out the ConnectME podcast, and read ConnectME, the official blog of Mariemont City Schools.
Message from the Superintendent
ART AS INNOVATION Page 4
UPCOMING DATES Page 6
Tradition.
FALL 2017 Community.
Innovation.
Facility
Facility Teams to Continue Looking at High School Needs
W
hen a group of Mariemont High School students approached Erik Vanags several years ago about a potential new club, the high school teacher and soccer coach was all ears. He listened as three students expressed their desire to travel and make a difference in the world. They wanted a club where they could work with local service partners throughout the school year and finish with an international service trip during the summer. Through their desire to give back and Mr. Vanags’ willingness to supervise, the high school Service Projects Abroad club was born.
Mariemont City Schools is excited that more than 100 teachers, staff members and community residents have come together to begin the next phase of the Mariemont High School Facility conversation. “The members of our six Facility Teams will review input from the entire community that was gathered during the Design Workshops as well as additional input and decisions from our architects and the Mariemont Board of Education,” notes Superintendent Steven Estepp. Recently the board slightly narrowed the scope of work to include three possible options. These selections remain focused on continuing to repair as needed, a general renovation and partial replacement or re-building a new school. Each option includes various choices that can change the scope of work and possibilities available to both students and the community. “The Facility Teams will look at the various options, based upon the community feedback already received, and identify key findings and objectives for the board to consider,” said Estepp. Throughout the fall there are many opportunities for residents to provide even further input. A community-wide thirdparty and statistically valid survey will gauge the interest of residents related to the three options and the district is hosting a Community Interested in seeing the current high school facility for yourself? Forum on November 1 at 7 p.m. at Mariemont High School to share the latest information Tours will leave from the main lobby at 4, 5 and 6 p.m. and gather even more input from the community. “This is truly a transparent and inclusive process,” explained Estepp. “It is important to us that we hear from residents and make them a part of this solution. We value your input and want to understand your priorities as we work together to find the best solution possible.”
Take a guided tour on Thursday, Oct. 26.
Residents can learn more about the High School Facility process and the two-year commitment to including and listening to the community on the district’s website. Dates, times and locations for community events as well as results of various community input sessions and more detailed information regarding the various design options and costs associated with them are all available online.
Community Tradition
High School Students Seek to Serve
The club performs service projects locally with partners such as Matthew 25 Ministries and the Madisonville Education and Assistance Center (MEAC) throughout the school year, then shifts its focus to an international trip in June. Heading into its third year as a club, Service Projects Abroad has already been to Ecuador and Nicaragua with a trip to Peru on the schedule for June of 2018. While Vanags has enjoyed being the club’s advisor, he reiterated that he was indeed just that, an advisor. “I told the kids when they started it, ‘this has to be you, I will help you but this thing will sink or swim on you’” said Vanags. “And I think out of that you make young leaders. I more or less counsel, but I want them to learn leadership.” And the club provides plenty of opportunities for leadership development, including the selection of the trips which is chosen by the group leaders who discuss options with the club members before deciding on a final destination. The local projects are also student-run, with high schoolers forming relationships with the service organizations and coordinating the club’s work. While on the international trips, Mariemont students have experienced cleaning water supplies for locals and building the foundation for a school, among other life-changing activities. When reflecting back on one of his trips, Vanags specifically remembered a remark from one of his students. “One of the students looked at me and said ‘I can’t believe what I did today’” Vanags reminisced. “’I mixed concrete, I was putting rocks down to build a school. How many other 17-year-old girls can say they did that today?’” While Vanags wasn’t the originator of Service Projects Abroad, it seems there was nobody better equipped to lead the students in the two-fold mission of giving back and experiencing the world. “Get your hands dirty, get your feet wet, walk the earth and meet people and you’ll find they are the same as us” he said. “For me, the purpose of the trip is to see that.” Although early in the 2017-18 school year, the members of Service Projects Abroad are already hard at work planning future trips and coordinating service projects with their local partners. But rest assured that whatever the group is working on, it is making a difference in the community, both locally and across the globe.
Innovation I
nnovation is one of the core values that defines Mariemont City Schools and we embrace and promote it to produce the best educational experience for our students. Staff members are encouraged to create experience and embrace growth and no one has been a better example of this than Mariemont Junior High School art teacher Shelley Kormska. Prior to the start of the 2017-18 school year, Kormska approached MJHS principal Molly Connaughton with ideas for new elective art classes for her junior high students. “Shelley is the type of teacher that you can just put in a room with students and know that great things are going to happen” said Connaughton. “I knew that whatever ideas she came up with were going to be beneficial to our students.” So Kormska proceeded to draw up plans for five new arts classes: print making and collage, drawing and painting, sculpture, metal works and fiber arts. All five have been implemented into the MJHS curriculum for this school year.
2
A
sk a graduating sixth grader from either Mariemont Elementary or Terrace Park Elementary what their favorite part of the year was and you’ll likely get one answer: Camp Kern. Camp Kern is a five-day, four-night experience that each sixth-grade student participates in at the start of the school year. The classes from both district elementary schools come together to spend a week at the YMCA Camp Kern, living in cabins and exploring the outdoors. Originating as part of the school district’s curriculum during the mid-1970’s, the program was designed to bring students from the then-three elementary schools together to bond with each other before becoming classmates at the junior high the following year. And Camp Kern also provides students with a unique outdoor educational experience, combining elements from the normal curriculum with the likes of fire building, rock wall climbing, teamwork, hiking and leadership. “I like the way that we learn here” said CeCe Kuach, a sixth-grade student who recently completed her trip to Camp Kern. “It’s better to be able to stand up and have some fun but still get that learning experience.” In addition to the sixth-graders, the district also sends high school seniors to serve as counselors for the week. Six years removed from their first Camp Kern experience, these students not only get to reminisce about their time at the camp, but also get the chance to serve in a leadership capacity, mentoring the younger group throughout the week. “It’s just a cool nostalgic thing” said senior counselor Miller Steele. “We’ve grown up through the ranks, we came here as sixth graders and now we are back as seniors. Also, we have gone through exactly what they are going through so we’re really mentors. We can give them advice and tell them what to expect.” The Camp Kern concept has been a rousing success for Mariemont City Schools, continuing to serve its purpose of bringing together the elementary students nearly five decades after its inception. Its timeless approach to outside-the-box education fits seamlessly into the Warriors BEyond program and the district’s Destination 2026 instructional vision to amplify learning and create meaningful student experiences.
Service Projects Abroad is part of the school district’s Warriors BEyond experiential learning program and supports the vison of Destination 2026 to help students become more globally competent and understand other perspectives and cultures. The student travel experiences are funded by students and generous donors, not school district dollars.
Innovation Through Art
www.mariemontschools.org
A Tradition of Togetherness
4
“To have a principal that believes in me and my ideas is a blessing” said Kormska. “I know it’s an art pun, but I have a blank canvas to figure out what I think kids will enjoy and how they will learn the best. They learn by doing in studio art. This is my third year here and what I have really figured out is that students this age need to manipulate things with their hands.” These classes allow students to experience new mediums and explore new interests. They delve into weaving, felting and a fabric dye resist process called batik. Additionally, some of the classes focus on wire sculpture, etching and even copper tooling. While the classes have been well received in the early stages of the school year, Kormska recognizes that their success wouldn’t be possible without the belief and support of the school district. “It is fantastic that the district is supporting and growing the arts, especially at the junior high level” she said. “It’s so beneficial for students to be able to participate and thrive in the arts - it’s good for their brains. It’s an amazing time for the arts at Mariemont!”
5
Fall 2017
PAID
Cincinnati, OH Permit No. 1082
Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage
The Experience Official Newsmagazine of Mariemont City Schools
3
Fall 2017
29 – Elementary High-Demand Parent/Teacher Conferences (4-8 p.m., Elementary Schools)
20 – MJHS High-Demand Parent/Teacher Conferences (4-8 p.m., Mariemont Junior High School)
16 – Elementary Parent/Teacher Conferences (4-8 p.m., Elementary Schools)
15 – MJHS Parent/Teacher Conferences (4-8 p.m., Mariemont Junior High School)
9 – MJHS Parent/Teacher Conferences (4-8 p.m., Mariemont Junior High School)
8 – BOE/Admin Work session (5-9 p.m., TBD)
7 – Mariemont Arts Association Meeting (7:30-8:30 p.m., Mariemont High School)
7 – Elementary Parent/Teacher Conferences (4-8 p.m., Elementary Schools)
27 – End of First Quarter, Early Dismissal
26 – MJHS Online Conference Sign-Up (9 a.m.)
24 – Elementary Online Conference Sign-Up (9 a.m.)
18 – Life & Leadership Speaker Series – Lynn O’Shaughnessy (6:30 p.m., Mariemont Elementary)
16-17 – Mariemont Academy, No School for Students
I have just recently updated the district’s Five-Year Financial Forecast. This is an important planning tool that shows the actual, current and projected finances of the district. The forecast is clear in the need to identify funds to address the critical and ongoing needs at the high school building as a priority. This decision plays an important role in the financial stability of our district and our ability to continue to support excellence in the classrooms on a daily basis. Should you have questions about the forecast or how the high school facility impacts our finances, please feel free to contact me, as I’m happy to discuss our financial picture with our residents.
October
I have had to build an additional $200,000 into this year’s budget for anticipated repairs needed at the high school – that’s almost five times more than the anticipated costs at our other three schools combined. This is not an effective or efficient way to fund these facility needs. This is why the work of our High School Facility Teams is so important. We must come together as a community to better understand the options and find solutions that make sense for our students as well as taxpayers.
treasurer’s
Facilities continue to be a large question mark in our financial outlook. As a community we addressed the needs at Mariemont Elementary, Terrace Park Elementary and Mariemont Junior High School back in May 2010. That bond issue allowed the district to make serious upgrades to these facilities and they now provide better learning spaces for students, but also operate much more efficiently. However now we must address the plans for the high school.
update
It has been three years since Mariemont City Schools last asked voters to support an operating issue to fund day-to-day expenses such as teachers, utilities and basic supplies. However, within that same time period the district has lost almost a million dollars in state funding through the elimination of Tangible Personal Property (TPP) tax reimbursement and basic aid, and this will result in an additional loss of $3 million over the next four years. We continue to prioritize spending and remain within budget, but as we look ahead we must understand the challenges and realities that we are facing as a community.
UPCOMING DATES
At Mariemont City Schools, we are fortunate to have a strong relationship with our community and continued support from our voters. This is important as the district endures more funding losses from the state level.
3 – Report Cards Available Online
By Treasurer Tom Golinar
FACILITY UPDATE Page 2
1 – MHS Facility Community Forum (7-9 p.m., Mariemont High School)
Facilities a Question as we Look at Financial Picture
31 – Elementary Halloween Parades
2 Warrior Way | Cincinnati, Ohio 45227 www.mariemontschools.org
Thank you for your continued support of Mariemont City Schools. We are truly grateful for your interest and passion in our students and voter support continues to make our schools a great place to learn. Should you have any questions please feel free to ask. I’m happy to speak with residents about our schools and look forward to seeing so many of you at our fantastic school events.
November
In addition, our High School Facilities process continues. This is a two-year long process where as a community we will decide what next steps we should take to address the ongoing challenges of the high school building itself. The school is nearly 50 years old and has many mechanical, structural and safety concerns that need to be addressed in a fiscally responsible manner. Our Facilities Teams will spend time this fall reviewing community feedback from the spring and digging deeper into possible options to provide a clearer picture as to the desires of the staff and community regarding this important project. You can read more about this ongoing issue in this newsletter as well as on our district website.
Find us on
This is why I’m so excited for our High School Intersession. This is a new opportunity for students to spend a week in May taking ownership of their learning while also having fun. They will establish valuable relationships; build important communication and collaboration skills, while also building content knowledge as they choose their own educational options based upon personal interest from a menu of great courses.
27 – Pumpkin Fest (5:30-8 p.m., Terrace Park Elementary)
update
superintendent’s
Our work with Destination 2026 will continue this school year as we expand our Warriors BEyond program and focus on experiential learning. We believe that students’ interests and passions are driving factors in their desire to learn and grow. So at Mariemont City Schools we present the opportunity for our students to get real-life experiences that also foster a love of learning.
To get the latest updates, “like” us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
What an amazing start to the 2017-18 school year! We are fortunate to have so many parents, staff members and residents who care about our students and our schools. Mariemont City Schools is a great place that offers excellent opportunities for students and an excellent value for our community.
www.mariemontschools.org
By Superintendent Steven Estepp
Visit the district homepage to subscribe to district news, view the latest Now in 90 and A Warrior’s Words videos, check out the ConnectME podcast, and read ConnectME, the official blog of Mariemont City Schools.
Message from the Superintendent
ART AS INNOVATION Page 4
UPCOMING DATES Page 6
Tradition.
FALL 2017 Community.
Innovation.
Facility
Facility Teams to Continue Looking at High School Needs
W
hen a group of Mariemont High School students approached Erik Vanags several years ago about a potential new club, the high school teacher and soccer coach was all ears. He listened as three students expressed their desire to travel and make a difference in the world. They wanted a club where they could work with local service partners throughout the school year and finish with an international service trip during the summer. Through their desire to give back and Mr. Vanags’ willingness to supervise, the high school Service Projects Abroad club was born.
Mariemont City Schools is excited that more than 100 teachers, staff members and community residents have come together to begin the next phase of the Mariemont High School Facility conversation. “The members of our six Facility Teams will review input from the entire community that was gathered during the Design Workshops as well as additional input and decisions from our architects and the Mariemont Board of Education,” notes Superintendent Steven Estepp. Recently the board slightly narrowed the scope of work to include three possible options. These selections remain focused on continuing to repair as needed, a general renovation and partial replacement or re-building a new school. Each option includes various choices that can change the scope of work and possibilities available to both students and the community. “The Facility Teams will look at the various options, based upon the community feedback already received, and identify key findings and objectives for the board to consider,” said Estepp. Throughout the fall there are many opportunities for residents to provide even further input. A community-wide thirdparty and statistically valid survey will gauge the interest of residents related to the three options and the district is hosting a Community Interested in seeing the current high school facility for yourself? Forum on November 1 at 7 p.m. at Mariemont High School to share the latest information Tours will leave from the main lobby at 4, 5 and 6 p.m. and gather even more input from the community. “This is truly a transparent and inclusive process,” explained Estepp. “It is important to us that we hear from residents and make them a part of this solution. We value your input and want to understand your priorities as we work together to find the best solution possible.”
Take a guided tour on Thursday, Oct. 26.
Residents can learn more about the High School Facility process and the two-year commitment to including and listening to the community on the district’s website. Dates, times and locations for community events as well as results of various community input sessions and more detailed information regarding the various design options and costs associated with them are all available online.
Community Tradition
High School Students Seek to Serve
The club performs service projects locally with partners such as Matthew 25 Ministries and the Madisonville Education and Assistance Center (MEAC) throughout the school year, then shifts its focus to an international trip in June. Heading into its third year as a club, Service Projects Abroad has already been to Ecuador and Nicaragua with a trip to Peru on the schedule for June of 2018. While Vanags has enjoyed being the club’s advisor, he reiterated that he was indeed just that, an advisor. “I told the kids when they started it, ‘this has to be you, I will help you but this thing will sink or swim on you’” said Vanags. “And I think out of that you make young leaders. I more or less counsel, but I want them to learn leadership.” And the club provides plenty of opportunities for leadership development, including the selection of the trips which is chosen by the group leaders who discuss options with the club members before deciding on a final destination. The local projects are also student-run, with high schoolers forming relationships with the service organizations and coordinating the club’s work. While on the international trips, Mariemont students have experienced cleaning water supplies for locals and building the foundation for a school, among other life-changing activities. When reflecting back on one of his trips, Vanags specifically remembered a remark from one of his students. “One of the students looked at me and said ‘I can’t believe what I did today’” Vanags reminisced. “’I mixed concrete, I was putting rocks down to build a school. How many other 17-year-old girls can say they did that today?’” While Vanags wasn’t the originator of Service Projects Abroad, it seems there was nobody better equipped to lead the students in the two-fold mission of giving back and experiencing the world. “Get your hands dirty, get your feet wet, walk the earth and meet people and you’ll find they are the same as us” he said. “For me, the purpose of the trip is to see that.” Although early in the 2017-18 school year, the members of Service Projects Abroad are already hard at work planning future trips and coordinating service projects with their local partners. But rest assured that whatever the group is working on, it is making a difference in the community, both locally and across the globe.
Innovation I
nnovation is one of the core values that defines Mariemont City Schools and we embrace and promote it to produce the best educational experience for our students. Staff members are encouraged to create experience and embrace growth and no one has been a better example of this than Mariemont Junior High School art teacher Shelley Kormska. Prior to the start of the 2017-18 school year, Kormska approached MJHS principal Molly Connaughton with ideas for new elective art classes for her junior high students. “Shelley is the type of teacher that you can just put in a room with students and know that great things are going to happen” said Connaughton. “I knew that whatever ideas she came up with were going to be beneficial to our students.” So Kormska proceeded to draw up plans for five new arts classes: print making and collage, drawing and painting, sculpture, metal works and fiber arts. All five have been implemented into the MJHS curriculum for this school year.
2
A
sk a graduating sixth grader from either Mariemont Elementary or Terrace Park Elementary what their favorite part of the year was and you’ll likely get one answer: Camp Kern. Camp Kern is a five-day, four-night experience that each sixth-grade student participates in at the start of the school year. The classes from both district elementary schools come together to spend a week at the YMCA Camp Kern, living in cabins and exploring the outdoors. Originating as part of the school district’s curriculum during the mid-1970’s, the program was designed to bring students from the then-three elementary schools together to bond with each other before becoming classmates at the junior high the following year. And Camp Kern also provides students with a unique outdoor educational experience, combining elements from the normal curriculum with the likes of fire building, rock wall climbing, teamwork, hiking and leadership. “I like the way that we learn here” said CeCe Kuach, a sixth-grade student who recently completed her trip to Camp Kern. “It’s better to be able to stand up and have some fun but still get that learning experience.” In addition to the sixth-graders, the district also sends high school seniors to serve as counselors for the week. Six years removed from their first Camp Kern experience, these students not only get to reminisce about their time at the camp, but also get the chance to serve in a leadership capacity, mentoring the younger group throughout the week. “It’s just a cool nostalgic thing” said senior counselor Miller Steele. “We’ve grown up through the ranks, we came here as sixth graders and now we are back as seniors. Also, we have gone through exactly what they are going through so we’re really mentors. We can give them advice and tell them what to expect.” The Camp Kern concept has been a rousing success for Mariemont City Schools, continuing to serve its purpose of bringing together the elementary students nearly five decades after its inception. Its timeless approach to outside-the-box education fits seamlessly into the Warriors BEyond program and the district’s Destination 2026 instructional vision to amplify learning and create meaningful student experiences.
Service Projects Abroad is part of the school district’s Warriors BEyond experiential learning program and supports the vison of Destination 2026 to help students become more globally competent and understand other perspectives and cultures. The student travel experiences are funded by students and generous donors, not school district dollars.
Innovation Through Art
www.mariemontschools.org
A Tradition of Togetherness
4
“To have a principal that believes in me and my ideas is a blessing” said Kormska. “I know it’s an art pun, but I have a blank canvas to figure out what I think kids will enjoy and how they will learn the best. They learn by doing in studio art. This is my third year here and what I have really figured out is that students this age need to manipulate things with their hands.” These classes allow students to experience new mediums and explore new interests. They delve into weaving, felting and a fabric dye resist process called batik. Additionally, some of the classes focus on wire sculpture, etching and even copper tooling. While the classes have been well received in the early stages of the school year, Kormska recognizes that their success wouldn’t be possible without the belief and support of the school district. “It is fantastic that the district is supporting and growing the arts, especially at the junior high level” she said. “It’s so beneficial for students to be able to participate and thrive in the arts - it’s good for their brains. It’s an amazing time for the arts at Mariemont!”
5
Fall 2017
Facility
Facility Teams to Continue Looking at High School Needs
W
hen a group of Mariemont High School students approached Erik Vanags several years ago about a potential new club, the high school teacher and soccer coach was all ears. He listened as three students expressed their desire to travel and make a difference in the world. They wanted a club where they could work with local service partners throughout the school year and finish with an international service trip during the summer. Through their desire to give back and Mr. Vanags’ willingness to supervise, the high school Service Projects Abroad club was born.
Mariemont City Schools is excited that more than 100 teachers, staff members and community residents have come together to begin the next phase of the Mariemont High School Facility conversation. “The members of our six Facility Teams will review input from the entire community that was gathered during the Design Workshops as well as additional input and decisions from our architects and the Mariemont Board of Education,” notes Superintendent Steven Estepp. Recently the board slightly narrowed the scope of work to include three possible options. These selections remain focused on continuing to repair as needed, a general renovation and partial replacement or re-building a new school. Each option includes various choices that can change the scope of work and possibilities available to both students and the community. “The Facility Teams will look at the various options, based upon the community feedback already received, and identify key findings and objectives for the board to consider,” said Estepp. Throughout the fall there are many opportunities for residents to provide even further input. A community-wide thirdparty and statistically valid survey will gauge the interest of residents related to the three options and the district is hosting a Community Interested in seeing the current high school facility for yourself? Forum on November 1 at 7 p.m. at Mariemont High School to share the latest information Tours will leave from the main lobby at 4, 5 and 6 p.m. and gather even more input from the community. “This is truly a transparent and inclusive process,” explained Estepp. “It is important to us that we hear from residents and make them a part of this solution. We value your input and want to understand your priorities as we work together to find the best solution possible.”
Take a guided tour on Thursday, Oct. 26.
Residents can learn more about the High School Facility process and the two-year commitment to including and listening to the community on the district’s website. Dates, times and locations for community events as well as results of various community input sessions and more detailed information regarding the various design options and costs associated with them are all available online.
Community Tradition
High School Students Seek to Serve
The club performs service projects locally with partners such as Matthew 25 Ministries and the Madisonville Education and Assistance Center (MEAC) throughout the school year, then shifts its focus to an international trip in June. Heading into its third year as a club, Service Projects Abroad has already been to Ecuador and Nicaragua with a trip to Peru on the schedule for June of 2018. While Vanags has enjoyed being the club’s advisor, he reiterated that he was indeed just that, an advisor. “I told the kids when they started it, ‘this has to be you, I will help you but this thing will sink or swim on you’” said Vanags. “And I think out of that you make young leaders. I more or less counsel, but I want them to learn leadership.” And the club provides plenty of opportunities for leadership development, including the selection of the trips which is chosen by the group leaders who discuss options with the club members before deciding on a final destination. The local projects are also student-run, with high schoolers forming relationships with the service organizations and coordinating the club’s work. While on the international trips, Mariemont students have experienced cleaning water supplies for locals and building the foundation for a school, among other life-changing activities. When reflecting back on one of his trips, Vanags specifically remembered a remark from one of his students. “One of the students looked at me and said ‘I can’t believe what I did today’” Vanags reminisced. “’I mixed concrete, I was putting rocks down to build a school. How many other 17-year-old girls can say they did that today?’” While Vanags wasn’t the originator of Service Projects Abroad, it seems there was nobody better equipped to lead the students in the two-fold mission of giving back and experiencing the world. “Get your hands dirty, get your feet wet, walk the earth and meet people and you’ll find they are the same as us” he said. “For me, the purpose of the trip is to see that.” Although early in the 2017-18 school year, the members of Service Projects Abroad are already hard at work planning future trips and coordinating service projects with their local partners. But rest assured that whatever the group is working on, it is making a difference in the community, both locally and across the globe.
Innovation I
nnovation is one of the core values that defines Mariemont City Schools and we embrace and promote it to produce the best educational experience for our students. Staff members are encouraged to create experience and embrace growth and no one has been a better example of this than Mariemont Junior High School art teacher Shelley Kormska. Prior to the start of the 2017-18 school year, Kormska approached MJHS principal Molly Connaughton with ideas for new elective art classes for her junior high students. “Shelley is the type of teacher that you can just put in a room with students and know that great things are going to happen” said Connaughton. “I knew that whatever ideas she came up with were going to be beneficial to our students.” So Kormska proceeded to draw up plans for five new arts classes: print making and collage, drawing and painting, sculpture, metal works and fiber arts. All five have been implemented into the MJHS curriculum for this school year.
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A
sk a graduating sixth grader from either Mariemont Elementary or Terrace Park Elementary what their favorite part of the year was and you’ll likely get one answer: Camp Kern. Camp Kern is a five-day, four-night experience that each sixth-grade student participates in at the start of the school year. The classes from both district elementary schools come together to spend a week at the YMCA Camp Kern, living in cabins and exploring the outdoors. Originating as part of the school district’s curriculum during the mid-1970’s, the program was designed to bring students from the then-three elementary schools together to bond with each other before becoming classmates at the junior high the following year. And Camp Kern also provides students with a unique outdoor educational experience, combining elements from the normal curriculum with the likes of fire building, rock wall climbing, teamwork, hiking and leadership. “I like the way that we learn here” said CeCe Kuach, a sixth-grade student who recently completed her trip to Camp Kern. “It’s better to be able to stand up and have some fun but still get that learning experience.” In addition to the sixth-graders, the district also sends high school seniors to serve as counselors for the week. Six years removed from their first Camp Kern experience, these students not only get to reminisce about their time at the camp, but also get the chance to serve in a leadership capacity, mentoring the younger group throughout the week. “It’s just a cool nostalgic thing” said senior counselor Miller Steele. “We’ve grown up through the ranks, we came here as sixth graders and now we are back as seniors. Also, we have gone through exactly what they are going through so we’re really mentors. We can give them advice and tell them what to expect.” The Camp Kern concept has been a rousing success for Mariemont City Schools, continuing to serve its purpose of bringing together the elementary students nearly five decades after its inception. Its timeless approach to outside-the-box education fits seamlessly into the Warriors BEyond program and the district’s Destination 2026 instructional vision to amplify learning and create meaningful student experiences.
Service Projects Abroad is part of the school district’s Warriors BEyond experiential learning program and supports the vison of Destination 2026 to help students become more globally competent and understand other perspectives and cultures. The student travel experiences are funded by students and generous donors, not school district dollars.
Innovation Through Art
www.mariemontschools.org
A Tradition of Togetherness
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“To have a principal that believes in me and my ideas is a blessing” said Kormska. “I know it’s an art pun, but I have a blank canvas to figure out what I think kids will enjoy and how they will learn the best. They learn by doing in studio art. This is my third year here and what I have really figured out is that students this age need to manipulate things with their hands.” These classes allow students to experience new mediums and explore new interests. They delve into weaving, felting and a fabric dye resist process called batik. Additionally, some of the classes focus on wire sculpture, etching and even copper tooling. While the classes have been well received in the early stages of the school year, Kormska recognizes that their success wouldn’t be possible without the belief and support of the school district. “It is fantastic that the district is supporting and growing the arts, especially at the junior high level” she said. “It’s so beneficial for students to be able to participate and thrive in the arts - it’s good for their brains. It’s an amazing time for the arts at Mariemont!”
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Fall 2017
PAID
Cincinnati, OH Permit No. 1082
Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage
The Experience Official Newsmagazine of Mariemont City Schools
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Fall 2017
29 – Elementary High-Demand Parent/Teacher Conferences (4-8 p.m., Elementary Schools)
20 – MJHS High-Demand Parent/Teacher Conferences (4-8 p.m., Mariemont Junior High School)
16 – Elementary Parent/Teacher Conferences (4-8 p.m., Elementary Schools)
15 – MJHS Parent/Teacher Conferences (4-8 p.m., Mariemont Junior High School)
9 – MJHS Parent/Teacher Conferences (4-8 p.m., Mariemont Junior High School)
8 – BOE/Admin Work session (5-9 p.m., TBD)
7 – Mariemont Arts Association Meeting (7:30-8:30 p.m., Mariemont High School)
7 – Elementary Parent/Teacher Conferences (4-8 p.m., Elementary Schools)
27 – End of First Quarter, Early Dismissal
26 – MJHS Online Conference Sign-Up (9 a.m.)
24 – Elementary Online Conference Sign-Up (9 a.m.)
18 – Life & Leadership Speaker Series – Lynn O’Shaughnessy (6:30 p.m., Mariemont Elementary)
16-17 – Mariemont Academy, No School for Students
I have just recently updated the district’s Five-Year Financial Forecast. This is an important planning tool that shows the actual, current and projected finances of the district. The forecast is clear in the need to identify funds to address the critical and ongoing needs at the high school building as a priority. This decision plays an important role in the financial stability of our district and our ability to continue to support excellence in the classrooms on a daily basis. Should you have questions about the forecast or how the high school facility impacts our finances, please feel free to contact me, as I’m happy to discuss our financial picture with our residents.
October
I have had to build an additional $200,000 into this year’s budget for anticipated repairs needed at the high school – that’s almost five times more than the anticipated costs at our other three schools combined. This is not an effective or efficient way to fund these facility needs. This is why the work of our High School Facility Teams is so important. We must come together as a community to better understand the options and find solutions that make sense for our students as well as taxpayers.
treasurer’s
Facilities continue to be a large question mark in our financial outlook. As a community we addressed the needs at Mariemont Elementary, Terrace Park Elementary and Mariemont Junior High School back in May 2010. That bond issue allowed the district to make serious upgrades to these facilities and they now provide better learning spaces for students, but also operate much more efficiently. However now we must address the plans for the high school.
update
It has been three years since Mariemont City Schools last asked voters to support an operating issue to fund day-to-day expenses such as teachers, utilities and basic supplies. However, within that same time period the district has lost almost a million dollars in state funding through the elimination of Tangible Personal Property (TPP) tax reimbursement and basic aid, and this will result in an additional loss of $3 million over the next four years. We continue to prioritize spending and remain within budget, but as we look ahead we must understand the challenges and realities that we are facing as a community.
UPCOMING DATES
At Mariemont City Schools, we are fortunate to have a strong relationship with our community and continued support from our voters. This is important as the district endures more funding losses from the state level.
3 – Report Cards Available Online
By Treasurer Tom Golinar
FACILITY UPDATE Page 2
1 – MHS Facility Community Forum (7-9 p.m., Mariemont High School)
Facilities a Question as we Look at Financial Picture
31 – Elementary Halloween Parades
2 Warrior Way | Cincinnati, Ohio 45227 www.mariemontschools.org
Thank you for your continued support of Mariemont City Schools. We are truly grateful for your interest and passion in our students and voter support continues to make our schools a great place to learn. Should you have any questions please feel free to ask. I’m happy to speak with residents about our schools and look forward to seeing so many of you at our fantastic school events.
November
In addition, our High School Facilities process continues. This is a two-year long process where as a community we will decide what next steps we should take to address the ongoing challenges of the high school building itself. The school is nearly 50 years old and has many mechanical, structural and safety concerns that need to be addressed in a fiscally responsible manner. Our Facilities Teams will spend time this fall reviewing community feedback from the spring and digging deeper into possible options to provide a clearer picture as to the desires of the staff and community regarding this important project. You can read more about this ongoing issue in this newsletter as well as on our district website.
Find us on
This is why I’m so excited for our High School Intersession. This is a new opportunity for students to spend a week in May taking ownership of their learning while also having fun. They will establish valuable relationships; build important communication and collaboration skills, while also building content knowledge as they choose their own educational options based upon personal interest from a menu of great courses.
27 – Pumpkin Fest (5:30-8 p.m., Terrace Park Elementary)
update
superintendent’s
Our work with Destination 2026 will continue this school year as we expand our Warriors BEyond program and focus on experiential learning. We believe that students’ interests and passions are driving factors in their desire to learn and grow. So at Mariemont City Schools we present the opportunity for our students to get real-life experiences that also foster a love of learning.
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What an amazing start to the 2017-18 school year! We are fortunate to have so many parents, staff members and residents who care about our students and our schools. Mariemont City Schools is a great place that offers excellent opportunities for students and an excellent value for our community.
www.mariemontschools.org
By Superintendent Steven Estepp
Visit the district homepage to subscribe to district news, view the latest Now in 90 and A Warrior’s Words videos, check out the ConnectME podcast, and read ConnectME, the official blog of Mariemont City Schools.
Message from the Superintendent
ART AS INNOVATION Page 4
UPCOMING DATES Page 6
Tradition.
FALL 2017 Community.
Innovation.