The playground at Huber Ridge Elementary will soon feature resources to help students play well with each other and resolve conflicts. 

As part of the Peaceful Playgrounds initiative, educators will promote monthly themes around friendship, social and conflict resolution skills on yard signs sprinkled across the playground area. The signs will also feature games and activity ideas for structured play.

Thanks to funding from the Westerville Education Foundation’s fall grant cycle, Huber Ridge staff plan to launch the initiative in March. Peaceful Playgrounds is among 10 projects awarded funding from WEF.

The Hope Squads at all three Westerville high schools are kicking off Hope Week on Monday, organizing events and activities that promote hope, spread kindness and raise awareness about suicide prevention.

Westerville City School District’s “Parent Prep” returns to an in-person event this year after two years of a virtual format. The free workshop series provides parents and caregivers the opportunity to take sessions on various topics, including mindful parenting, healthy relationships, substance education, college and career planning and mental health and school resources. 

Westerville Central High School juniors Chloe Abernathy and Delaney Compson and Westerville North High School senior Dezmon Howard are recipients of the 2023 MLK Fouse Award, which was announced during the 17th annual Westerville Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration on Monday. 

Molly Bussard, the registrar at Westerville Central High School, has been named the Westerville Educational Support Staff Association’s Staff Member of the Month for January.

The Rotary Club of Westerville recognized its January 2023 Students of the Month during a Jan. 12 meeting.