October 2021
Superintendent’s Update Welcome to another school year and another edition of The Experience: The official newsmagazine of Mariemont City Schools. This newsletter gives us the chance to share with our entire community the great things happening around our district, and there are certainly a lot of great things to share! We are so lucky to have such a supportive and dedicated community and I am proud to partner with you all as we work smart, create experience and embrace growth for our teachers and students for the continued excellence of Mariemont City Schools. Back in 2013 we began the work of our Destination 2026 strategic plan which guides all of our programming and practices. The implementation of this strategic plan has led to numerous awards and accolades, which you can see in this newsletter. Inside you also will see how D2026 has prepared our students for success after high school and how it guided our efforts to the successful completion of the Mariemont High School Facility Project.
Promises Made, Promises Kept Page 3
Congratulations MJHS! National Blue Ribbon School Pages 6
Thank you again for your support of the Mariemont City School District. I look forward to all that the 2021-22 school year has in store.
Steven Estepp Superintendent
Destination 2026 Success Page 7
Work Smart. Create Experience. Embrace Growth.
Treasurer’s Update The beginning of a new school year brings much excitement and anticipation. We are hopeful for the opportunities the new year will bring and we look ahead to the endless possibilities in front of us. But a new school year is also a great time to reflect on where we have been and how far we have come as a district. On November 6, 2018, the community voted to pass a 2.5-mill operating and 5.75-mill permanent improvement issue. Dollars generated by the operating levy allowed the district to avoid losing programs and staffing and maintain the excellent value of our schools. The permanent improvement levy generated the funds to construct and update Mariemont High School. The 2.5-mill operating levy was the lowest operating request in the district’s history and was expected to meet the day-to-day operating needs of the district for at least four years (through the fall of 2022.) Thanks to responsible fiscal management and strategic budget reductions, the levy will meet the district’s needs for at least another year – meaning the district will stretch the lowest millage ask in history for at least five years.
The district implemented $175,000 in savings last year and expects to implement an additional $450,000 in savings through strategic budgeting over the next three years. This will result in spending reductions of $1.8 million between 2020 and 2023.
$175,000
$450,000
2020
2021-2023
Additionally, federal ESSER funding has helped keep our schools safely open and offset district COVID-19 expenses and provide important academic and mental health recovery services to our students. It is important to note that the use of these funds is very restricted and can only be used to reboot and maintain schooling during the COVID-19 pandemic. I am very pleased with the financial situation of our district. Stretching our budget while maintaining our excellent programming is a tremendous feat. Added to that, when you also consider the amount of programs we have been able to offer to support our students after the past year and a half of COVID-19 learning, it is truly remarkable! As always, I am proud to be a Warrior!
Tom Golinar Treasurer, CFO 2
Promises Made, Promises Kept
developed, representing the top goals the community wanted to see accomplished with this project. You can see how each of these objectives was achieved on pages 4 and 5 of this newsletter. On August 10, 2021, Mariemont City Schools received the Certificate of Occupancy for Mariemont High School, signifying the end of a nearly five-year Mariemont High School Facility Project. With the certificate, the project was finalized on time and on budget, an accomplishment the district sought to achieve from the beginning. Back in 2016, the district began to revisit the last remaining piece of its 2012 Master Facilities Plan, Mariemont High School. After careful research and evaluation, it was decided that the nearly 50-year-old building was no longer suitable to provide the type of modern education that our students needed in order to be prepared for today’s world. That decision kickstarted a two-year period of research and input that involved hundreds of community members to finalize the direction of the project. Seventeen objectives were 3
Additionally, thanks to a private capital campaign led by our Mariemont School Foundation, over $500,000 was raised to enhance the project and incorporate many features not part of the base construction plan. The new Mariemont High School is a symbol of the dedicated partnership between the school district and the communities of Columbia Township, Fairfax, Mariemont and Terrace Park. The community trusted the district with this project and in return, the district has built a stateof-the-art high school that will serve its students and staff for decades to come.
MHS Facility Project Goals and Objectives In 2016, when initial work began on the MHS Facility Project, facility planning teams presented their list of 17 objectives to the Board of Education, citing the top goals the community wanted to see accomplished in the project. Upon completion of the project in August, 2021, the district succeeded in hitting all 17 objectives.
1. Significantly improve learning environments Classrooms are larger; new collaboration spaces allow for more places to work collectively; new opportunities like Broadcast and eSports are now available to students
2. Improve and expand classrooms
Classrooms are considerably larger, allowing students to spread out and not feel crammed; all classrooms are equipped with technology upgrades compatible with the students’ common devices
3. Improve safety and security
Visitors enter the building through a secure vestibule; the organization of the building is more clear and easier to navigate; improved passive and active security strategies have been implemented throughout the building and campus; emergency call buttons are positioned throughout the school; the building has a decreased amount of entrances and exits to control who may be entering the school
6. Improve/Replace infrastructure and systems The building uses a brand-new, high-efficiency HVAC system; all mechanical/electrical/plumbing systems have been upgraded or replaced entirely
4. Provide collaboration spaces
Department neighborhoods (math wing, social studies wing, etc.) contain small group rooms and larger collaboration spaces with flexible furniture, technology and writable surfaces to make group work easy and efficient
5. Improve daylight and views Most classrooms contain many, large windows; the Hub gathering area contains skylights to allow for significant natural light in the central gathering place of the building 4
7. Improve flexibility of use
Classrooms are larger with flexible furniture to allow for different setups depending on need; the addition of several large multipurpose spaces (Community Forum, Hub, Activities Forum) meet all group gathering needs
8. Improve accessibility throughout
Hallways are wide and straight to allow for easier navigation; wayfinding signs both inside and outside the building help direct visitors; the building is now only two levels (upper level and lower level) for easier access from the elevator
9. Create more open and inviting environment
Visitors enter through a large, secure vestibule; the building includes large community gathering spaces such as the Community Forum and Hub; the East entry was reconfigured for guests entering for athletics and arts events; the dumpsters were moved to a back parking lot and away from the East entry; the addition of exterior athletics and arts banners beautifies the building and showcases Mariemont pride
10. Improve and expand visual and performing arts facilities
The auditorium was completely renovated with expanded seating capacity, new orchestra pit, all new lighting, audio/visual equipment,
curtains and rigging and improved acoustics; the performing arts wing now includes three dedicated music rooms, practice rooms, a scene shop and back of house; the visual arts classrooms are much larger with an attached outdoor learning plaza
11. Improve access to/from campus and expand parking
An additional entrance directly off Wooster Pike expedites traffic flow; two new paved parking lots were added to greatly increase the amount of parking spaces on campus
12. Create a highly sustainable facility and campus
The building was designed according to LEED Silver certification with natural daylight and views in classrooms, enhanced indoor air quality, a high-performance building envelop, energy-efficient HVAC systems and equipment with whole building controls, energyefficient LED lighting systems and controls, low-flow and sensored plumbing fixtures, low-emitting building materials, locally-sourced materials, etc.
13. Improve/enhance connections to outdoors
A large outdoor learning plaza was added outside of the visual art rooms; outdoor dining patios were added for both students and staff; WIFI was installed throughout the campus allowing students to complete work outside the building; large windows and skylights throughout the building provide an abundance of natural light and views to the outside 5
14. Improve food and dining facilities
A servery was added on the lower level to allow for an expansion of food items; flexible furniture throughout the gathering spaces allows for more seating options; outdoor dining patios were added for both students and staff
15. Maintain regular operations during construction
Modular classrooms were brought on site during the 2019-2020 school year while the academic wing was under construction to allow for seamless continuation of learning; the auxiliary gymnasium was transformed into classrooms for both the 2019-20 and 2020-21 school years; work was done in phases to allow students and staff to utilize the building throughout the project
16. Provide areas to showcase work Display/trophy cabinets are installed in the main entrance, East entrance and art forum; video screens are placed through out the collaboration areas and common spaces to allow for digital displays
17. Update and improve athletic facilities
The gymnasium and auxiliary gymnasium each received a new floor and fresh paint along with new HVAC and high-efficiency lighting; the East entry is now a welcoming activities forum; locker rooms are renovated; the training room is expanded and renovated with updated equipment
Congratulations MJHS! Mariemont Junior High School was recognized by the United States Department of Education as a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence.
Mariemont Junior High School was recognized by the United States Department of Education as a National Blue Ribbon School for 2021.
school day and could not be more appreciative of the collective dedication that has made National Blue Ribbon recognition possible. This is an award we will treasure for years to come, as we continue to build meaningful learning environments and relationships, embracing growth together.”
Blue Ribbon status is one of the most prestigious awards given by the U.S. Department of Education to recognize the best in education throughout the country. Mariemont Junior High School will receive the status of “Exemplary High Performing School.”
The Mariemont City School District is now only the fourth public school district in the state of Ohio to have all of its schools recognized as National Blue Ribbon Schools.
“This is an incredible achievement for Mariemont Junior High School, for the school district and for our community” said Superintendent Steven Estepp. “The staff at MJHS works tirelessly every day to work hard, create experience and embrace growth for their students and their dedication has paid off with this recognition. This award is a testament to the direction the district is heading under the Destination 2026 strategic plan.”
The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program honors public and private elementary, middle and high schools where students achieve very high learning or are making notable improvements in closing the achievement gap. The coveted award affirms the hard work of educators, families and communities in creating safe and welcoming schools where students master challenging and engaging content.
U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona recognized 325 schools as National Blue Ribbon schools for 2021. “I am humbled by the recognition of Mariemont Junior High School as a National Blue Ribbon Exemplary High Performing School” said principal Rob Polca. “The partnership of our students, faculty, families and an extremely supportive community has created a positive learning environment where impacting students is the driving force of everything that we do. I am so proud of our learning community, and this recognition is even more meaningful as we’ve navigated and supported each other through the COVID-19 pandemic. I am grateful for the passion and enthusiasm that our staff brings to each
The junior high now joins Mariemont Elementary School, Terrace Park Elementary School and Mariemont High School with the prestigious title of National Blue Ribbon School.
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Where We’re Going: Destination 2026
Mariemont City School District Earns National, State Accolades
In 2013 Mariemont City Schools launched Destination 2026, a strategic plan for the instructional future of our school district. It contains the ideas, solutions and strategies that will move our district forward. It is the blueprint for our future in five crucial areas: Teaching & Learning, Extended Learning, Technology & Resources, Professional Development and Data, Assessment & Intervention. It came as a response to the ever-changing needs and demands of education and was primed to teach our students a whole new set of skills and knowledge. For the past eight years we have been using this guide to build intentional and purposeful instruction where schooling is an experience in which students are deeply engaged and find passion in their learning. In today’s classrooms, students are thinking critically and creatively across disciplines, collaborating to problem solve, understanding the global landscape and their place in it and using technology to advance learning. And the results are speaking for themselves. Throughout the last eight years, the students, staff, buildings and programming of Mariemont City Schools have earned numerous awards, acclaim and top marks. And while we are proud of the success we have seen under Destination 2026, we know we will never truly arrive at our destination – because there is always room to continue working smart, creating experience and embracing growth.
Take a look at some of the MCSD honors since launching Destination 2026 Mariemont Elementary School National Blue Ribbon School – Exemplary High Performing School Mariemont Junior High School National Blue Ribbon School – Exemplary High Performing School District of Distinction Award – one of only 44 districts in the nation and the only district in Ohio; earned for the success of the Warriors BEyond Program MHS Top-Rated STEM School in Ohio – Honored by Newsweek as the top STEM school in Ohio and No. 51 in the nation Thomas Edison Award of Excellence in STEM Education – Terrace Park Elementary honored by the Ohio Academy of Science for two consecutive years TOP TIER – Since the inception of Destination 2026, Mariemont City Schools has ranked in the top 4% of all Ohio schools in performance index (top 2% since 2015) on state assessments BEST IN CLASS – Mariemont City Schools is one of only 18 school districts across Ohio to earn an overall ‘A’ Grade on the state report in each year letter grades have been awarded
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Memories from Mariemont Alumni Spotlight Our Mariemont High School alumni are succeeding long after they leave the district! Scan the QR code or head to the district website to find out what these Warriors are up to now.
Ryan Fine Professional Musician
Holly Huber Biomedical Engineering
Kieran Phelan MD-Ph.D
Emmett Saulnier Economics Ph.D
Do you have an alumni spotlight to share? We’d love to hear from you! Scan the QR code above to let us know what you or someone you know is up to.
2 Warrior Way | Cincinnati, Ohio 45227 www.mariemontschools.org