The Experience Newsmagazine: December 2022

Superintendent’s Update

We are well into the second quarter of the 2022-23 school year and we have already had so much to celebrate in Mariemont City Schools!

Throughout the month of October we observed Academic Excellence month by highlighting some of the amazing work our staff and students are doing in and out of the classrooms. Later in this newsletter you will find a deep dive into the 2022 Ohio Department of Education state report card and what it means for Mariemont City Schools, but our state testing data only tells one side of the story.

The fact of the matter is that the Mariemont Experience extends well beyond state and AP testing. Indeed, the excellence of Mariemont City Schools is widespread and universal. It is in all corners of our buildings and all classrooms throughout the district.

Work Smart. Create Experience. Embrace Growth.

Mariemont High School students participate in a dissection project in science class.

Superintendent’s Update

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This Success is in the foundational world language program that begins as early as kindergarten exposing students to new languages and cultures. It is in our award-winning experiential learning program, Warriors BEyond, and the ways it expands education for all of our students. It is in the performing arts corridors, the athletic fields and the broadcast studios. Anywhere you look in Mariemont City Schools, you are sure to find an amazing component of the Mariemont Experience.

So while we are certainly proud of our state test results, we know the Mariemont Experience encompasses much more.

We owe so much of our success to the dedicated staff members who spend their days working smart, creating experience and embracing growth in their classrooms. I also am grateful for our hard-working students who take full advantage of the Mariemont Experience to join different clubs and activities, play sports, find new interests and hobbies and succeed academically. And of course, we couldn’t do any of it without our Mariemont City Schools community that supports our staff and students and sets them up for success each day. I am grateful to partner with each of you!

As we get closer towards winter break, I hope you all find rest and relaxation and spend quality time with your friends and loved ones this holiday season. We will be back in January, ready to continue advancing the Mariemont Experience!

Steven Estepp Superintendent

If you want to learn more about the Mariemont Experience, I encourage you to head to the district’s YouTube page (Mariemont City Schools) where you will find several video series featuring our students, staff and programs.

Treasurer’s Update

In November I presented the District’s latest Five-Year Forecast to our Board of Education. It is good news when there are no surprises in a forecast.

Inflation was not a surprise as we have been planning and projecting that for about a year. The impact of inflation is something we cannot ignore, but at the same time, we have a runway to address it.

The fact that our district has been able to stretch our last operating levy in 2018 much longer than originally anticipated was also no surprise. It has been the result of a lot of hard and difficult work to reduce budgets; it has also happened through staff attrition and adjustments ($700,000 saved). Additionally, the strategic and purposeful use of our COVID-19 emergency relief funds has been instrumental in stretching the funding ($2.7 million utilized).

Another constant in our financial management that came as no surprise is our state funding – which, hopefully, is not going to decrease, but also is not going to increase. This means we will continue to be primarily, nearly entirely, funded through local real estate taxes.

In order to try and reduce the complete reliance on our local taxpayers, we have applied for, and won, several grants this year to address security upgrades. And we will continue to look for more grants and implement efficiencies wherever possible without impacting the student experience our community expects from our award-winning and top-rated schools.

At this point in time, it is our best prediction that operational funding will need to be considered in 2024 if the community chooses to continue our current level of services. Our next forecast update will be in May, where we will likely have even more insight on the timing and amount needed to continue operating with our current level of student services.

As always, we will share what we know with you and continue to manage each dollar carefully to ensure we provide a truly exceptional experience at a great value.

Tom Golinar Treasurer, CFO

Nicole Parr Social Studies Teacher, Mariemont Junior High School

“The Mariemont Experience envelops learning through unique, enriching, and engaging opportunities.”

Jane Smith Art Teacher, Mariemont Junior High School and Mariemont High School

We have some truly excellent staff members at Mariemont City Schools who work smart, create experience and embrace growth for our students, their colleagues and this community each and every day.

Get to know some of the faces of our district and learn what they believe is the true meaning of the Mariemont Experience.

Kevin Ferry Latin Teacher, Mariemont High School

Ann Williams 6th Grade Teacher, Terrace Park Elementary School

“To me the Mariemont Experience means building the whole child. At the end of their time in the school district, students should have learned to fail and persevere, they should have learned how to find new passions and the means to go about and explore them, they should be able to think critically and articulate their thoughts in a respectful demeanor, and most importantly, they should be kind young adults ready to tackle the challenges presented to them outside our little bubble.”

“To me, the essence of the Mariemont Experience is that it is a wonderful environment for self-discovery and personal growth. It will push you, and test you, and challenge you, but it will also support you with everything you need to begin chasing your dreams.”

Aaron Pfeffenberger Dean of Students, Mariemont Elementary School

“The Mariemont Experience means being a part of a community where students are given the opportunity for a personalized education. The staff promotes growth through positivity and constantly evolving educational practices.”

“The Mariemont Experience means to create positive moments and memories for students that last a lifetime through the relationships, the experiences, and the academics they actively participate in. The Mariemont Experience also partners the school and the community to create an individual experience full of unique traditions.”

“The Mariemont Experience is about individualizing education for each unique student and meeting every child exactly where they are in their learning journey.

It’s about providing a holistic educational experience in order to grow each student into the best version of themself that they can be. It’s something rare to find and is beautiful to be a part of.”

Maggie Perkins

Math Coach, Mariemont Elementary School and Terrace Park Elementary School

What does the state report card really say?

What is the Ohio State Report Card?

The 2022 Ohio State Report Cards, issued by the Ohio Department of Education, are the first to be released since the 2018-19 school year and utilize a new 5-star system. Stars were given to districts this year based on five components: Achievement, Progress, Gap Closing, Graduation and Early Literacy. No overall ratings were included this year, although they are expected to be used in next year’s release.

How to read the Ohio State Report Card: Mariemont City Schools received exceptional scores on the 2022 state report card, and a deep dive into the data collected tells an even better story of our growth and progress as a district.

Similar to the report cards students receive, state report cards should also be acknowledged as a snapshot in time of progress and growth and can only reflect what is being measured at that moment. There are many more variables than can fit in a headline that impact the data the state shares in its report cards.

The way our staff read the report card is that we look beyond the stars (which show

we are a top district!) to see what we are doing well and where we can improve. And we continue to move forward with our students at the forefront of our minds.

What the scores don’t say: While we pay close attention to the metrics available, we also recognize no single metric, survey, ranking or score can tell the whole story of our students, staff and their Mariemont Experience.

Much of our work goes well beyond test scores and data points because, at Mariemont City Schools, we know our students are much more than a GPA or a number on a spreadsheet. Our students’ unique experiences in our schools should and do reflect the belief that their individual success matters and is our ultimate goal.

Because of this, the scores can not capture the actual differences between experiences and offerings at districts throughout the state. Scores on this report or any other survey or ranking don’t measure the variety of courses offered, how students choose their courses and pathways, the wraparound

services available to provide individualized support, or the classroom and extracurricular experiences in our schools. Yet, these are arguably the most important distinguishing factors of the Mariemont Experience.

Report Card 2022: Below you will find some of the highlights from the ODE state report card for the Mariemont City School District, as well as each building level.

(Mariemont Elementary School’s and Terrace Park Elementary School’sdatawascombined tooffer a clearviewofourdistrict’searly learningdata.)

Mariemont City School District

• Ranked No. 1 in Hamilton County, No. 1 in the region and No. 4 in the state of Ohio for overall academic achievement

• Ranked No. 1 in Hamilton County, No. 1 in the region and No. 3 in the state of Ohio for early literacy achievement

• The only district with every school scoring in the top-10 of the region for academic achievement

Mariemont High School

• One of only 32 high schools (top 5%) in the state to earn all five stars on the state report card

• Ranked No. 1 in Hamilton County in Biology, English II and U.S. Government achievement

Mariemont Junior High School

• Ranked No. 1 in Hamilton County, No. 1 in the region and No. 3 in the state of Ohio for junior high/middle school academic achievement

• Ranked No. 1 in Hamilton County, No. 1 in the region and No. 1 in the state of Ohio for junior high/middle school overall math achievement

• Ranked No. 1 in Hamilton County, No. 1 in the region and No. 2 in the state of Ohio for junior high/middle school students scoring Accomplished or Advanced on all state assessments

Mariemont Elementary School and Terrace Park Elementary School

• Both elementary schools ranked in the top-20 of all elementary schools in the state of Ohio for early literacy achievement

• Both elementary schools ranked in the top 2% in the state of Ohio for overall academic achievement

EIGHT STUDENTS HONORED AS NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARS

The National Merit Scholarship Corporation recently announced its list of 2023 National Merit Scholars, honoring eight Mariemont High School seniors. The students were recognized in two categories, National Merit Semifinalists and National Merit Commended Students.

Daniel Cooper and Harry Manzler were both named semifinalists in the National Merit competition, meaning they scored in the top one-half of one percent of the nearly 1.5 million students who took the PSAT last fall. As semifinalists, Cooper and Manzler will continue in the 2023 competition in the hopes of earning one of 7,500 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $32 million to be offered next spring. Finalists are expected to be announced in February 2023.

In addition to the pair of semifinalists, Mariemont High School seniors Rachel Bohl, Charlotte Hagen, Samuel Hicks-Jirkans, Stephen O’Hara, Benner Rogers and Lilly Sharp received the National Merit Commended Student accolades for their PSAT performance. These students placed among the top 50,000 scorers from the over 1.5 million who took the test.

“Becoming a National Merit Scholar is a tremendous honor and I am proud of all eight of these students for accomplishing this feat,” said MHS principal Dr. Jim Renner. “They are all great representatives of our school and have worked extremely hard for this recognition. Our entire Mariemont school community commends them for their dedication and achievement.”

The National Merit Scholarship Program is an academic competition for recognition and scholarships that began in

1955. High school students enter the National Merit Program by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test — which serves as an initial screen of approximately 1.5 million entrants each year — and by meeting published program entry and participation requirements.

The eight Mariemont High School National Merit Scholars is the most the school has produced in a single year since 2017. The district’s first National Merit honor was awarded to Lynn Morand in 1983, and Mariemont High School has produced National Merit Scholars each year since the Commended Student recognition was introduced in 2001.

National Merit semifinalists Harry Manzler and Daniel CooperThe 8 National Merit Scholars were honored in front of the crowd at the MHS homecoming football game

National Merit commended students Benner Rogers, Charlotte Hagen, Rachel Bohl, Stephen O’Hara, Lilly Sharp, Samuel Hicks-Jirkans

Join the the

Mariemont City Schools appreciates the partnerships it has formed with our community’s parents, even after their children have graduated high school. The Warrior Club is an opportunity for you to remain engaged with the school district and stay informed on the happenings of our schools, staff and students.

WHO CAN BE A WARRIOR CLUB MEMBER?

The Warrior Club is open to residents of the school district who no longer have children attending school in the district and/or are over 55 years of age.

WHY BECOME A WARRIOR CLUB MEMBER?

In your own way and in your own time, you have spent a lot of time supporting our schools. Without you, we would not be able to provide the excellent academic and extracurricular programming that we do for our current students. Whether or not you had children graduate or attend school in Mariemont City Schools, simply as a resident of our school district you help the district students of yesterday, today and tomorrow grow and thrive by providing the support and community that children need.

BY BEING A MEMBER OF THE WARRIOR CLUB YOU WILL:

• Obtain free admission to all Mariemont City School District regular season home sporting events and arts performances

• Automatically subscribe to the Warrior Club e-newsletter, which includes updates, stories and insider information about the school district

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO JOIN THE WARRIOR CLUB: Visit the district website to register online at www.mariemontschools.org/WarriorClub or by scanning the QR Code

Community Conversations Create Change

The Mariemont City Schools Warriors BEwell initiative was launched in the spring of 2020 as a way to streamline our communication efforts surrounding the district’s mental health programming. It came into existence from the simple idea of making the mental health of our students an even greater point of emphasis.

Together with one of our most influential and supportive mental health partners, 1N5, Mariemont City Schools is taking the next step in student mental health care: community conversations.

These community conversations are small group discussions led by director of student services Tricia Buchert and 1N5 founder and executive director Nancy Eigel-Miller, hosted by members of our school community and focused on stopping the stigma and opening dialogue surrounding student mental health. Conversations can be tailored to topics found most interesting and/or helpful to the audience.

As we continue to see increased pressure and mental health concerns for our students of all ages, these conversations are more important now than ever before. If you are interested in starting the conversation and finding solutions with your family, friends and neighbors, contact Tricia Buchert at tbuchert@mariemontschools.org to set up a small gathering and help us make the shift.

UPCOMING DATES

December

5 Elementary Winter Chorus Concert (Gr. 5-6) | 7:00 p.m.

6 ME K-2 Winter Concert | KDG at 6:00 p.m., Gr. 1 at 6:45 p.m., Gr. 2 at 7:30 p.m.

7 ME 3-4 Winter Concert | Gr. 3 at 6:00 p.m., Gr. 4 at 6:45 p.m. 8 MHS Winter Concert | 7:00 p.m. 12 Board of Education Meeting | 7:00 p.m. 13 MJHS Winter Concert | 7:00 p.m. 14 Elementary Winter Strings Concert (Gr. 5-6) | 6:00 p.m.

Elementary Winter Band Concert (Gr. 5-6) | 7:00 p.m.

Elementary Winter Holiday Parties

Winter Break Begins January

School Resumes

Board of Education Meeting | 7:00 p.m.

Mariemont Arts Association Meeting | 7:30 p.m.

End of Second Quarter, Early Dismissal

Mariemont Academy, No School for Students

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, No School

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