The Experience March 2020
Official Newsmagazine of Mariemont City Schools
Superintendent’s Update Welcome to another edition of The Experience: The official newsmagazine of Mariemont City Schools. Our newsletter gives us a chance to share the great things happening inside our school district with the entire Mariemont City Schools community. Our schools would not be nearly as successful as they are without the continuous support and dedication of our community. So for that I am truly grateful! As we approach spring, I am reminded that time really does fly. We have had an exciting year where so much of our work and planning is coming to fruition. We recognize, celebrate and inform residents of our progress in our annual State of the Schools address, The Value of the Mariemont Experience: A four-part video series. This State of the Schools offers a unique video experience where you can quickly get up-tospeed while watching four short videos which explain our district’s academic and student success, financial stewardship, explore the array of student services offered and the timely progress of the Mariemont High School facility construction project. You can read more about these specific videos later in this newsletter but I encourage you to check out the State of the School experience online.
What’s Behind the Walls? An inside look at the Mariemont High School facility project Over 10 years ago the Mariemont City School District completed a comprehensive Master Facilities Plan to address needs at Mariemont Elementary School, Terrace Park Elementary School and Mariemont Junior High School. In the spring of 2017, the district began to revisit that plan, focusing on the last remaining piece: Mariemont High School. Through careful research and evaluation, it was decided that the nearly 50-year-old Mariemont High School building was no longer suitable to provide
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MHS FACILITY PROJECT UPDATE Page 3
Work Smart.
THE VALUE OF THE MARIEMONT EXPERIENCE Pages 4-5
Create Experience.
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USA & UKRAINE: EVERY DAY IN MY COUNTRY Page 6
Embrace Growth.
Superintendent’s Update (continued from front page)
You can find each video on our district website, www. mariemontschools.org, or by visiting the district’s YouTube page. This edition of The Experience also includes an update on the MHS Facility construction project. Anyone who has driven along Wooster Pike in the last several months can attest to the how quickly the construction project is coming along. The new academic wing of the high school is taking shape both with exterior finishes and interior walls/insulation. The project remains on time and within budget and will be ready to welcome students and staff at the beginning of the 2020-21 school year. In fact, soon, we will announce a date for the ribbon cutting ceremony which will be held this summer. The event will be a true celebration for our entire Mariemont High School community as we officially open the new high school and begin a new era in our district’s story. It is certainly an exciting time in the Mariemont City Schools. If you would like day-to-day updates on all of the latest news and action within our district, follow our social media platforms. You can find the district on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Thank you for checking out the latest edition of The Experience. I am looking forward to what the rest of the school year has in store for us and for continuing to work smart, create experience and embrace growth with you all!
Steven Estepp Superindendent
Treasurer’s Update One thing I have learned throughout my seven years in the Mariemont City School District is the importance of community involvement. This is such a special community to be a part of and work with. From the current/former parents and guardians, to the staff and students, everyone’s involvement is encouraged and appreciated. I have mentioned previously about the Warrior Finance Focus, a collection of community leaders helping to oversee and advise on the district’s revenue stream, expenditures and financial forecasting. This group is critical to the transparency and accountability of our district finances and I am thrilled we have this group in place. Community involvement has also been a key factor in the Mariemont High School facility project. The Community Project Team, made up of several community members along with district and high school administrators, met regularly to weigh in on the direction of the new Mariemont High School. Because of their work the new Mariemont High School is truly going to be a special place. Having community members work alongside us on these important district endeavors is important for one reason: we want our school district to be a true reflection of our community. Columbia Township, Fairfax, Mariemont and Terrace Park are special places to live and work and we want to mirror that in the work we do. Later this spring you will receive the annual Mariemont City Schools Financial Annual Report. This document will outline the district’s financial status, our accountability to the taxpayers, our strong financial stewardship and more. I encourage you to inform yourself on the finances of our school district because community input and involvement is what truly creates the excellent value of our schools!
Tom Golinar Treasurer, CFO
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www.mariemontschools.org
What’s Behind the Walls? An inside look at the Mariemont High School facility project continued from front page
the type of modern education that our students needed in order to be prepared for today’s world. “When we started taking a closer look at our school and what we were able to provide our students, it was evident that the building was prohibiting us from providing the best education possible” said MHS principal Dr. Jim Renner. “We knew our students, staff and community deserved more from our high school and that was a driving factor when we revisited the Master Facilities Plan a few years ago.” Over the next two years, hundreds of community members participated in open house events, community forums and facility teams to provide input and opinions on the direction of the project. Using the Master Facilities Plan and the Destination 2026 strategic plan as guides, the team of MSA architects, Turner Construction, JS Held Owners Representatives and district representatives was able to plan for a school that would meet the educational needs of our students now and for years to come. But as the walls of the new Mariemont High School go up, we don’t want them to keep the community from seeing what is happening on the inside. This space combines technology, safety and collaboration to create a state-of-the-art high school experience.
When it opens in the fall of 2020, Mariemont High School will feature: • 24 new classrooms • Nine science and technology labs • Eight small group rooms • Five collaboration areas • An open, multi-purpose community commons • State of the art safety and technology features “I am thrilled with the final plans for the new academic wing of Mariemont High School” said superintendent Steven Estepp. “We listened to the community and this new space will meet the needs of our students and staff for years to come.” Be on the lookout for more information regarding the official ribbon cutting ceremony for Mariemont High School, which will take place prior to the start of the 2020-21 school year. For more information on the Mariemont High School facility project, visit the Building on Excellence page of the district website.
March 2020
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Academic and Student Achievement
The Mariemont City School District has been serving the local community with a tremendous education since 1879. That’s almost 150 years of award-winning, record-setting education for the students of Columbia Township, Fairfax, Mariemont and Terrace Park.
In this video, we discuss the numerous achievement awards our schools, staff and students have earned in the past year. You’ll hear about the tremendous science, technology, engineering and math opportunities that led to Mariemont High School being named the top STEM school in the state of Ohio and you’ll see the impact that our individualized learning approach had on the graduating class of 2019. The academic achievement of the Mariemont City Schools is truly astounding and a complete testament to the incredible staff and students in all of our buildings. Their dedication and passion to everything we do in and out of the classrooms will continue to set our district up for success for many years to come.
State of the
Schools
The unique 2020 State of the Schools experience is now live! Visit the district’s website (www.mariemontschools.org) or YouTube page to discover the district’s excellent value to our community.
A key component of the Mariemont Experience is the district’s commitment to the whole child. The truth of the matter is, nearly 20% of youth ages 13-18 live with a mental health condition and our district is working hard to identify and service these needs within our schools.
Student Services
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In addition to our district counseling services, we work hand-in-hand with Child Focus, an independent agency that provides licensed therapists for each of our four school buildings. Child Focus works to provide our students with school-based prevention and treatment programs and during the 2018-19 school year, over 100 students in our district were able to receive individual or group treatment. In an effort to make the mental health of our students an even greater point of emphasis, we have launched the Mariemont City Schools Warriors BEwell program – a comprehensive program to ensure well-researched and robust programming and services for our students and families.
www.mariemontschools.org www.mariemontschools.org
This video focuses on the finances of the Mariemont City School District and the tremendous value that it adds to the community at large. Because of our community’s support of a 2.5-mil operating levy in the fall of 2018, we’re able to maintain our excellence by continuing to allocate the appropriate level of funding into classrooms. Strong fiscal stewardship is essential to the great value we provide our community and with that comes controlled budget growth. Through disciplined spending, the district budget growth has averaged a modest 2.5% annual increase over the last five fiscal years.
District Finance At Mariemont City Schools, we understand the incredible value the district provides its residents and we take a great responsibility in that. Our hope is that our financial status and our transparency always reflect our pride in serving our community.
The most visible part of the Mariemont Experience this school year is certainly the Mariemont High School facility construction project, thanks to the permanent improvement levy which was passed by community members in the fall of 2018. The permanent improvement levy generated $43 million for the base budget to construct the project program promised to our community. The bottom line: residents are getting what they were promised and then some extras through other funding sources. It’s important to note that interest dollars generated through careful investment of permanent improvement funds will garner an additional $1 million to be used to enhance elements of the project and safety and capital improvements in all district buildings. Private funds, thanks to generous donors in our community, will also allow for additional features to be included in the Mariemont High School facility project.
March 2020
Mariemont High School Facility Construction Project
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#MariemontExperience Becoming Global Learners from Mariemont to Ukraine In the fall of 2019, Mariemont City Schools art teachers, led by Shelley Komrska, conducted the first half of a cross-continental art exhibit titled USA & Ukraine: Every Day in my Country. Students of each grade level across the district created art pieces that depicted what life in the United States looked like. 5,300 miles away, students in Kharkiv, Ukraine, were doing the same. A total of 120 pieces, 60 from our school district and 60 from students in Kharkiv, were selected for the exhibit. The show was first on display at The Barn in Mariemont for five days in September. During the viewing, museum patrons were able to compare and contrast aspects of everyday life from two countries on opposite sides of the world. This past February all 120 art pieces, along with Komrska, flew to Ukraine for a second exhibit showing. This time, students and families in Kharkiv were able to get a glimpse at everyday life in the United States. “The show was special” said Komrska of the art exhibit in Kharkiv. “There were many families there with young artists and musicians. I heard so many gracious remarks from teachers, administrators and people of Kharkiv. They especially pointed out one of our student’s artworks reading ‘Trust Your Crazy Ideas’.” The cross-continental art exhibit emphasizes the first component of the district’s instructional vision which states that students will be global learners (the instructional vision is part of the Destination 2026 strategic plan). 6
“I cannot think of a better way to demonstrate this point of being global learners than a cross-continental art exhibit that literally takes students’ work across the globe” said Superintendent Steven Estepp. “By studying the art pieces from Ukraine, our students got a firsthand look at what it is like to grow up in a different country. Maybe they began to finally conceptualize just how big our world really is, and how different other cultures and customs can be. Or maybe they saw two side-byside pictures of children jumping rope and realized that being a kid looks just about the same no matter where in this world you grow up.”
www.mariemontschools.org
Join the Warrior Club! Warrior Club
Why become 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.
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. • Receive invitations to special events. • Automatically subscribe to the Warrior Club 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/support.
March 2020
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8 ME Kindergarten Screening 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
7 MJHS 8th Grade Night of Celebr8tion – 7:00 p.m.
7 ME Birthday Book Club
5 4th Grade Instrument Try It Night – 4:00 p.m.
4-8 Staff Appreciation Week
2 MJHS Spring Play – 2:00 p.m.
1 MJHS Spring Play – 7:00 p.m.
1 TPE Flying Piglet Final Mile – 3:20 p.m.
1 MHS Post-Secondary Celebration – 7:00 a.m.
MAY
30 MHS Night of the Arts – 7:00 p.m.
29 MJHS 6th Grade Open House – 6:30 p.m.
25 ME Daddy/Daughter Dance – 7:00 p.m.
24 MHS Prom – 9:00 p.m.
17 TPE Talent Show - 6:00 p.m.
17 ME Talent Show (Grades K-3) – 6:30 p.m.
16 ME Talent Show (Grades 4-6) – 6:30 p.m.
13 Board of Education Meeting – 7:00 p.m.
10 No School
9 Early Dismissal/Staff End of Year Program
3 TPE Mother/Son Kickball Game – 5:00-8:00 p.m.
3 Report Cards Available Online
APRIL
UPCOMING 2020 DATES
2 Warrior Way | Cincinnati, Ohio 45227 www.mariemontschools.org
www.mariemontschools.org
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