Using grant funding, students from each of the four Westerville middle schools’ advanced 6th grade Social Studies classes spent a day on Capitol Square, a complex that includes the Ohio Statehouse, Senate Building, and Atrium, providing the opportunity to bring lesson plans to life on such subjects as history, civics, architecture, and art.  In addition to viewing and interacting with the museum’s treasures, students participated in active discussions and simulations regarding Ohio government.  Some trips included personal visits from Representative Anne Gonzales, who was able to take students onto the House Floor.

The Westerville Central High School Warhawk Marching Band went to Disney World in early April to perform in front of thousands of people from all over the world.  The band proudly represented their school by playing and marching in fine fashion down Main Street USA, right in the center of Disney.

The Community Service Project Team from the Westerville Leadership Class of 2013 is taking on a project to honor Hospice nurses and staff.  June is Hospice Awareness Month and donations are being sought to...

On May 1, the Westerville Education Association (WEA) hosted its Annual Reception at Villa Milano.  WEA President Rhonda Gilpin presided over the event, during which time a number of awards were presented. Retiring Superintendent Dr. Dan Good said Westerville City Schools has delivered, in each of the past six years, more added value, higher performance indices, and ultimately, the State’s top rating three times in a row.  “I attribute that success to each of you, and I humbly state that it has been a true honor for me to work here.”

Emerson Elementary School third grade student Lanie Eckhardt has been notified that her written review of Peter and the Starcatchers, by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, will be published in the November/December 2013 edition of Storyworks magazine, a Scholastic publication.  Eckhardt’s teacher is Linda Cullison.

In an effort to constantly support a positive culture and climate and to make sure that everyone is on point with all of the building academic goals, Westerville Central High School participated in the fourth spirit week of the school year.

Each of the Westerville City School District’s four middle schools is unique and special.  In the case of Walnut Springs, the courtyard is a feature that sets the building apart.  Walnut Springs, the first middle school in the district, was built in 1964 and designed by architects Joseph Baker and Associates with the outside space in mind.  Over the years, many have played a role in its upkeep.  The space has a long history as an example of people coming together for a common good.

On Monday morning, May 6, the rain held off just long enough for students and staff at Heritage Middle School to dedicate their new memorial garden and park bench, created to honor the shooting victims at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.  The tragedy touched the hearts of students in Andy Habing’s North Pointe class, who decided they wanted to create a special place of remembrance.

The National Merit Scholarship Corporation has announced this year’s National Merit $2,500 Scholarship winners.  Included on the list is Melanie A. Raphael, a senior at Westerville South High School, whose probable career field is Medicine.  The 2,500 Merit Scholar designees were chosen from a talent pool of more than 15,000 outstanding Finalists in the 2013 National Merit Scholarship Program.

Cherrington Elementary School hosted its annual Multi-Cultural Night on Thursday, May 2, featuring food, art and activities representing a number of regions, including the United States, Central America, France, Asia, Africa, and South America.  Students received passports to guide them through various stations and guest readers from the Westerville area shared stories.

Westerville City Schools announces the sponsorship of the Summer Food Service Program for Children.  Free meals will be made available to eligible children 18 years of age and under or persons over 18 who are determined by a state or local public educational agency to be mentally or physically disabled.  Children who are members of food stamp households or OWF assistance units are automatically eligible for free meals. To be eligible, children participating in residential camps must meet the income guidelines for reduced meals in the National School Lunch Program.

The Westerville Branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW), in collaboration with the Westerville City Schools Gifted Education Department, has awarded four $300 scholarships to the Be WISE Camp at Denison University this summer. Middle school recipients are Madison Seabury (Genoa), Gabrielle McCrea (Walnut Springs), Sophie Hand (Heritage), and Claire Guinan (Blendon).

First and fifth grade students at Wilder and McVay elementary schools recently were able to explore and get an up-close and personal look at streams that flow into Big Walnut Creek below Hoover Dam.  Students scooped up water insects and other invertebrates for study.  Through such investigation, they were able to evaluate the composition of the aquatic community as an indication of the relative health of the stream.

The Westerville South High School Wind Ensemble, directed by Mark A. Stevens, earned the highest rating possible at the Ohio Music Education Association’s State Band Competition held May 3 at North Royalton High School.  This is the first time since 1997 that this group has earned this prestigious ranking.  They were required to perform a piece called Foundry, which was composed by Westerville South graduate John Mackey.

Last week, most Blendon Middle School 8th graders went on the annual trip to Washington, D.C.  Students who couldn’t make the journey were also treated to a very special week, however, thanks to the efforts of teachers Kelly Blum and Pam Aylor, who worked together to come up with various service and educational activities.

Westerville City Schools will be working with the Westerville Area Resource Ministry to provide meals to students this summer.  The 2013 season of the Westerville Area Kids Summer Lunch Club will run weekdays from May 28 through August 9 at six sites. This year there will be five open sites: Alum Creek South Park, Huber Village Park, La Vista Townhomes, Ridgewood Park and Strawberry Farms Park and one enrolled site: Church of the Nazarene.

The Westerville Parent Council and GFS Marketplace recently awarded five $500 scholarships to students at Westerville Central, North and South high schools.  This year’s recipients are...

This past weekend Westerville City Schools once again made a strong showing at the Central Region Road-E-O and brought home some hardware to prove it.  Overall 7th place winner was Gary Case, an alternate for the State contest on May 18.  Taking overall 9th place was Cindy Russell, who will also serve as a State competition alternate.  The First Place Team members (collective score) were Westerville drivers Gary Case, Debbie Diller, Cindy Russell and Steve Smith.  The third place team also hailed from Westerville City Schools -- Rafael Guigni, John Holmes, Shelly Smith and Shirley Timberlake.

The Rotary Club of Westerville, which sponsors a Student of the Month program, recognized recipients at a luncheon at Villa Milano held on May 2.  May students are:  Shae Feenstra, Westerville Central High School; Rachel Jackson, Westerville North High School; and Jared Higdon, Westerville South High School.

In an effort to help connect students globally and locally, Film and Literature pupils at Westerville Central High School have participated in an International Education and Resource Network (lEarn) project entitled Folk Tales/Storytelling:  Past and Present.  lEarn is the largest non-profit global network with more than 40,000 teachers and two million students involved in various projects.

The Westerville City School District (WCSD) Board of Education on May 6, 2013, voted 5-0 to approve revisions to administrative employment guidelines that will cap Board obligations to administrators’ retirement contributions, modify vacation benefits and reduce severance payouts to future retirees.

Westerville South High School inducted three alumni into its Hall of Fame at a luncheon and ceremony held April 26 – Thomas Baker, Kevin Knapp and Jeffrey Reschke.  The school’s Superintendent’s Student Advisory Committee selected those honored from a pool of applicants who graduated at least 10 years ago, have demonstrated success in their career, and have made significant contributions to their community.

The Bette Marschall Memorial Education Fund of The Columbus Foundation has announced the recipients of nine grant awards totaling $2,599 to Westerville City Schools personnel for applications submitted this spring.

The Westerville Parent Council, Roush Honda, the Superintendent of Schools and the Westerville City Schools Board of Education recognized Great Educator and Mentor (GEM) award winners at a reception and special ceremony held Monday evening, April 29.  GEM awards are given to individuals who make a difference in the lives of the students in the Westerville School District.

The Ohio Department of Education (ODE) has notified Westerville City Schools that it will partially fund its Third Grade Guarantee Early Literacy and Reading Readiness grant proposal. The ODE considered the strength of each proposal and its use of funding.  “Congratulations to your team for developing a quality proposal that demonstrates an innovative and replicable initiative to improve the early literacy and reading readiness in students,” wrote Sasheen Phillips, Senior Executive Director at the ODE’s Center for Curriculum and Assessment.

Third grade students from Hanby Elementary classrooms of Kristina Roggenkamp and Rachel Lacy took a walking field trip to “California” via video conferencing to learn about the Journey of Milk: From Cow to Carton.  With the help of Dr. Scott Ebbrecht (Liaison for K-12 Partnerships, Otterbein University) and Willie Franklin (Senior Technology Specialist, Otterbein University), the children walked to Otterbein and used the technology resources available on campus in Roush Hall.  They met Dr. Kathy Krendl, President of Otterbein University, and Kristi Robbins, Chief of Staff at Otterbein and Vice-President of the Westerville City Schools Board of Education.

Starting and ending times for preschool during the 2013-2014 school year have been announced.  Morning preschool classes will begin at 8:45 a.m. and dismiss at 11:15 a.m.  Afternoon preschool classes will begin at 12:45 p.m. and end at 3:15. p.m.  The first day of preschool will be Monday, August 19, 2013.

The Westerville Elementary Boosters hosted the first annual Starry Night astronomy festival at Westerville South High School on Sunday, April 28.  More than 1,000 were in attendance for this free event featuring approximately 50 different exhibits on the intersection between science and art.  Perkins Observatory Director Tom Burns gave a special presentation, and families were treated to sky shows within the inflatable planetarium.

A concert and reception will take place at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 19, in the Genoa Middle School Commons to recognize Phil Louden for his 32 years of service to music education and his upcoming retirement.  The 40-minute concert and program, which is open to the public, will feature some of Louden’s favorite music performed by friends, band directors, former student teachers, former students, current students and parents.

When the Laws of Life State Awards Banquet at Villa Milano concluded on April 25, two Genoa Middle School students walked away with cash prizes.  Seventh grader Madison Seabury and eighth grader Megan Haller were honored at the gathering, where keynote speaker Clarence Mingo, Franklin County Auditor, spoke passionately about the importance of character.

550 students from 80 schools participated in the State History Day competition on April 27 at the Ohio Union on the campus of The Ohio State University. Genoa Middle School pupil Madison Seabury received Honorable Mention in the Junior Individual Website category for her project, “The Little Rock Nine:  A Turning Point for Educational Equality.”  She ended the competition with a fourth place ranking in the entire state of Ohio.

The Ohio Department of Education (ODE) has named Annehurst Elementary School a High Progress School of Honor, based on its 2011-2012 Local Report Card.  The department established the High Performing Schools of Honor and High Progress Schools of Honor programs this year to recognize Ohio schools that have sustained or increased student achievement over time in reading, math and graduation rates, while serving many disadvantaged students.

The Westerville City Schools Board of Education will hold a Special Meeting at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 29, in the Conference Room at the Early Learning Center, which is located at 936 Eastwind Drive. The Five Year Forecast will be discussed and action may be taken.

Westerville North High School inducted three alumni into its Hall of Fame at a luncheon and ceremony held April 19 – Molly Geyen Hartnell, Annie Kafoure and Collins McGeorge.  The school’s Superintendent’s Student Advisory Committee selected those honored from a pool of applicants who graduated at least 10 years ago, have demonstrated success in their career, and have made significant contributions to their community.

Starting and stopping times have been determined for the 2013-2014 school year in the Westerville City School District.  Elementary students will begin classes at 9:05 a.m. and dismiss at 3:30 p.m.  The Middle School day will start at 8:00 a.m. and end at 2:45 p.m.  High school classes will commence at 7:25 a.m. and finish at 2:05 p.m. 

The third annual Community Track Meet was held on Thursday evening, April 18, pitting top track and field stars from Westerville Central, North and South high schools.  The event was hosted by Westerville Central, but it took place at Westerville South.  Participants and spectators were asked to bring gently-used running shoes that were donated to the Columbus Running Company in Westerville.

The tragic and senseless shootings that took place at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, touched the lives and hearts of students in Andy Habing’s North Pointe class at Heritage Middle School.  Having read about some of the memorials being built around the country to honor the victims, the Heritage pupils decided that they, too, wanted a special place of remembrance.

Girls on the Run at Fouse Elementary School are hard to miss.  Wearing bright pink T-shirts, the group gathers after school each Tuesday and Thursday to participate in activities that nurture friendship, positive self-image and healthful living.  They also run around their school several times, as they are in training to participate in a 5K county-wide event that will take place on May 11 at Genoa Park in downtown Columbus.

Westerville Central High School ceremonies will be held at 10:00 a.m., followed by Westerville South High School at 2:00 p.m. and Westerville North High School at 6:00 p.m.  Graduates should report one hour before the scheduled events.  Parking cost for graduates, families and friends is $5 per car and tickets are not required to attend.

A King and Queen will be chosen at the 2013 Westerville North High School prom, which will take place from 7:00-11:00 p.m. on April 27 at Villa Milano.  Dinner is included with the price of a ticket and this year’s theme is “Las Vegas Night.”

In observance of Memorial Day, offices in the Westerville City School District will be closed on Monday, May 27.  Offices will open at regular times on Tuesday, May 28.

Huber Ridge Elementary School held its annual Pennies for Patients drive in order to help find a cure for leukemia.  As an added incentive for students, many of the Huber Ridge staff agreed to wear green hair (painted or a wig) for a day if the school raised $2,000 for this great cause.

Emma Fury, a fifth grade student from Hanby Elementary School, was selected as the First Grand Prize winner from entries submitted for Westerville’s annual Shade Tree Arbor Day Poster Contest.  The Second Grand Prize award was earned by Emily Hodges and Brandon Waebker and the Third Grand Prize award went to Mackenzie Madden, all from Hanby.

The seventh annual Arts Alive festival took place at Westerville Central High School on April 22.

On Saturday, April 20, members of the Columbus Astronomical Society (CAS) shared their telescopes with approximately 250 people – mostly Westerville elementary students and their family members – at CAS and the Westerville Elementary Boosters’ Stars in the Park stargazing night. Throughout the course of the night, the amateur astronomers helped participants view Jupiter with its distinctive stripes and its many moons, Saturn and its stunning rings, our moon’s cratered surface, the Orion nebula where stars are born, several star clusters, twin stars, and even, briefly, a comet!

Spanish speaking parents and children in the Westerville City School District gathered on Saturday, April 6, for the first annual “Pride Day.”  The group decided to show their appreciation for Westerville Schools by beautifying the front yard of a building.  This year, Whittier Elementary was the lucky recipient of their efforts.

The 2012-13 8th grade Mock Trial teams from Genoa and Walnut Springs middle schools participated in the State Showcase on Friday, April 12 at the Thomas J. Moyer Ohio Judicial Center in downtown Columbus. Each school competed in two trials, one with their defense team and the second with their prosecuting team.

U.S. News & World Report has released its list of the nation’s top ranked high schools, and Westerville North made the cut, earning a silver medal.  The school, located at 950 County Line Road, placed 63rd in the State of Ohio and came in at 1,271 in the country.

Students at Annehurst Elementary School celebrated Earth Day on April 22^nd by participating in a Recycling/Upcycling drive.  They received a detailed list to take home which described what items could be used, and they brought them to school where Student Council members sorted them on Earth Day.

The Westerville Indoor Percussion Ensemble participated in three rounds of competition at the Winter Guard International World Championships in Dayton last weekend. The group advanced from the prelims into the semi-finals, and then again into final competition. They ended up placing fourth in the country with a score of 93.238. The group is directed by Nick Pelfrey and Jordi Vilanova.

Students who earned recognition at the Ohio PTA Reflections 2012-2013 State Competition were recognized by the Westerville City Schools Board of Education at its Regular Session held on Monday, April 22.

The Westerville City Schools Board of Education will honor GEM Award recipients during a Special Session on Monday evening, April 29, 2013, in the Westerville South High School Auditorium, 303 S. Otterbein Ave.  Following the meeting, the Board will vote to go into Executive Session for the purpose of discussing personnel.  This will take place in the Westerville South High School guidance conference room.  No action will be taken.

Westerville Central High School hosted a student training entitled, “It’s My Turn” on April 16 and 17.  The high school’s special needs pupils learned ways to have a successful transition from school to life after school and employment.  The program was sponsored by the Ohio Coalition for the Education of Children with Disabilities.  It provided an opportunity for students to develop skills that will help them recognize what they need and want to do after high school.

The Westerville Arts Council’s 7th annual Writing Awards recipients were honored on Sunday, April 14, at a reception held at the Westerville Public Library.  With nearly 70 entries in the high school category, all four winners for grades 9-12 are Westerville North sophomores.

Wilder Elementary School’s annual Ice Cream Social, held on April 11, packed the house with pupils and their families.  Wilder staff scooped and served delicious bowls of ice cream in a variety of flavors.  Even Clifford the Big Red Dog was present to partake in the fun.

The Westerville Crew will host the 15th annual Hoover Invitational Rowing Regatta on Saturday, April 20 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.  High school athletes representing 15 teams from Ohio, surrounding states and Canada will compete in head-to-head 2,000 meter sprints on a fully-buoyed seven-lane race course.  The races will feature four- and eight-person rowing squads at the varsity, junior varsity and novice levels.

Whittier World was held at Whittier Elementary School on Thursday evening, April 11, during which time individual students and groups were invited to showcase service learning projects they have been working on throughout the school year.  Families were invited to buy items and participate in activities, with proceeds benefiting a number of charities.

The Wild Warbots, Westerville’s high school robotics team, recently received a $4,500 grant from American Electric Power.  These funds will help the team purchase tools and materials to build a robot as well as pay the entrance fee for future competitions.

Robert Frost Elementary School was a busy place on Thursday evening, April 11.  The school’s Math/Science Program hosted Gadget Night, during which time children and their families were allowed and encouraged to take apart broken or unusable household appliances or other mechanical devices that had been donated for this purpose.

The Martha Holden Jennings Foundation has approved a $3,000 grant proposal submitted by Westerville North High School which will allow students and staff to investigate several different types of agricultural practices, including aquaponics, hydroponics, and more raised bed gardens.

The Somali Moms Group hosted a special luncheon on Wednesday afternoon, April 17, to thank departing Westerville City Schools Superintendent Dr. Dan Good for his service to the District and to their families.  They said Dr. Good has “an amazing potential for bringing people together from all corners of the earth, even across barriers of culture and language.”

Wilder Elementary School fourth grade student Landon Bailey has been notified by Don Heiny, Photo Editor of TIME for Kids, that he won the magazine’s 2013 photo contest.  His picture, depicting a frog in a pond, will appear in the TIME for Kids April 19, 2013 issue, which focuses on Earth Day.

On Tuesday evening, April 16, Otterbein University students who are part of an Integrated Studies class taught by Patti Wilson, along with students from Westerville’s Best of Both Worlds transition program, hosted a Family Health and Activity Night for Mark Twain Elementary School.

Matthew Doel, a Walnut Springs 8th grader, competed in his third straight Ohio Geographic Bee on Friday, April 5 at Grandview Heights High School. Doel was perfect in the preliminary round, answering all eight of his questions correctly.

The Westerville Central High School Key Club was well represented at the Key Club District Convention held at the Hyatt Regency in Downtown Columbus this past weekend, April 12-14.  Members who attended were Meg Mori, Reshma Patel, Luis Sandoval, Bianca Sandoval, and Yousef Yacoub.  During the convention, the students enjoyed a spirit rally and attended leadership workshops, banquets, and dances.  They also walked away with a slew of awards for their outstanding service.

Hawthorne Elementary School 5th graders from Tiffany West’s class were treated to a performance of Ecuadorian and Incan music by 5th grade student Aliyah Yacegla-Perugachi, her father Jaime Yacegla, and her little sister Raisa during Sarah McPeak’s music class.  Aliyah and her family even performed a song she composed on a traditional instrument called a Zampona.

On Friday, March 22, 38 students from each of Westerville’s four middle schools attended the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Middle School Career Day.  There, medical professionals including radiologists, speech therapists and respiratory therapists, shared information about healthcare careers and medical technology.

The Westerville Kiwanis Club held its 51st annual Academic Varsity Awards Banquet on Wednesday evening, April 17, when the top 30 senior scholars from Westerville high schools were honored.  The evening included a dinner and special recognition of 10 students from Westerville Central, 10 students from Westerville North, and 10 students from Westerville South High School.

The City of Westerville, along with Westerville City Schools, Otterbein University, Westerville Area Chamber of Commerce, Your Management Team, and TECHCOLUMBUS, is launching the first Young Entrepreneur Program (YEP) in Westerville. YEP is a two week long camp, inspired by the television show Shark Tank and is designed to teach middle-school aged children the fundamentals of what it takes to start a business.

Students across the Westerville City School District were invited to take part in the National History Day program. This year’s annual theme, Turning Points, allowed pupils to closely examine our nation’s history and see how its impact can be seen today giving relevance and meaning to events that took place long ago.

The 36th Annual Ohio State Jazz Festival High School Day occurred on Sunday, April 7, in Weigel Auditorium on the Columbus campus.  Three Westerville South High School students – Micah Thomas (piano), Rasaan Hollis (trumpet) and Brian Poland (trumpet) – were acknowledged by the OSU jazz faculty during the recognition ceremony held after the OSU Jazz Ensemble’s performance.

On April 3, more than 200 teachers, students, administrators, and community members attended the first Westerville City Schools Innovation Summit.  The Summit program was made up of speakers from different backgrounds and interests who shared their views and experiences and provided participants with inspiration, affirmation, and vision around innovation and educational transformation.

The National Merit Scholarship Corporation this week announced the names of approximately 800 outstanding Black American high school seniors who have won Achievement Scholarship awards through the National Achievement Scholarship Program.  Included on the list is Mubarik B. Mohamed, a student at Westerville South High School.  His $2,500 award will be used to pursue his studies in Medicine.

On Friday, April 5, Heritage Middle School treated more than 430 students to a field trip to The Chiller Easton to celebrate third quarter Renaissance participants. These students displayed excellence in the areas of academics, attendance, behavior, school involvement, and school/community service.

Parents of children who reside within the Westerville School district or the Westerville City limits may register their children for Safety City on Tuesday evening, April 30.  Eligibility for this registration depends on the district in which the child resides – not where the child will attend Kindergarten.

Robots are no longer just the product of science fiction writers. They are everywhere around us, helping us work, build, move, and shoot Frisbees.  Shoot Frisbees?

Visitors will be able to see a robot do just that when the Westerville Wild Warbots, a FIRST robotics team, host a showcase on Monday evening, April 22 at 7:00 p.m. at Westerville Central High School.

The Westerville Elementary Boosters will hold its inaugural “Starry Night” astronomy festival from 2:00 – 8:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 28, at Westerville South High School, which is located at 303 South Otterbein Avenue.

2013 marks the 35^th year that Westerville South High School has attended the Ohio State Thespian Conference.  Thirty-two students traveled to Sylvania Northview High School for the event which featured performances, workshops, and other displays of theatrical talents.

The Westerville North High School Theatre Department is proud to announce its upcoming spring production of Harvey! , a 1944 Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Mary Chase about a lovable man whose best friend is a 6’3” invisible rabbit.

National History Day projects from Westerville’s Genoa Middle School competed at Otterbein University on March 23 against students from Delaware, Fairfield, Fayette, Franklin, Knox, Licking, Madison, Perry, Pickaway, and Union counties. Three Genoa projects advanced from the district contest to the state finals, which will be held on April 27 at the Ohio Union on the campus of The Ohio State University.

The community is cordially invited to attend the annual Hanby Arts Auction, which will be held from 1:30-4:30 p.m. on Sunday afternoon, April 21.  Admission is free.

Those who have not visited The Guernsey Bank are in for a surprise when they walk through the doors at 780 S. State Street in Westerville.  The unassuming store front location does not reveal the magnificence of the interior space, made more beautiful this month by the displaying of original artwork created by students at Heritage and Walnut Springs middle schools.

Leadership Westerville, in cooperation with local businesses, service organizations, and volunteers, will provide helpful household services to senior citizens and residents in need throughout the Westerville City School District on Service Day, which is scheduled for Saturday, May 4, 2013, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

The fourth annual Westerville City Schools Middle School Invention Convention was held at Walnut Springs on Wednesday, April 10.  Nearly 30 students set up displays and were judged by a panel of distinguished educators, administrators, and community members. At the conclusion of the event, four pupils and their inventions were chosen to advance to the 18th annual Columbus Invention Convention, where they will compete at Columbus State Community College on Saturday, May 18.

Westerville South High School Theatre students have been busy this spring practicing their “Bend and Snap” in anticipation for this year’s spring musical, Legally Blonde!  Based on the popular motion picture of the same name, this upbeat musical follows sorority girl Elle Woods on her journey to Harvard as she attempts to win back her ex-boyfriend.

Hawthorne Elementary School celebrated the theme of “family fun” with a Spring Fun Fair held this past Saturday.  Activities included: face painting, balloon animals, inflatables, carnival games, bake sale, food sales, silent auction, and raffle.  One parent, Rebecca O'Brien, whose son is in kindergarten, stated in a letter to the school that, “We enjoyed seeing all of the families out having fun together!  It was a great event and we look forward to being a part of it again next year!!!!”

On March 26, Westerville City Schools (WCS), in partnership with The Ohio State University, hosted the inaugural Ohio School Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Resource Group workshop.  The purpose of the meeting was to share IPM information with various Ohio school districts, and to promote a partnership with other school districts within the state.

The king and queen will be announced on Saturday, April 13 at the dance, which will take place at the Villa Milano Banquet & Conference Center.  This year's prom theme, “Bond Prom,” was inspired by the James Bond movie series.

The Westerville City School District’s art teachers and students are celebrating the Westerville Year of the Arts and April Arts Month through a series of activities.

The last day of classes for the 2012-2013 school year in the Westerville City School District is Thursday, May 23, 2013.  A Teacher Professional Day will take place on Friday, May 24.

The Wild Warbots, Westerville’s high school robotics team, recently competed at the Buckeye Regional FIRST Robotics Competition held at Cleveland State University. For the competition, the students built and programmed a robot to complete the challenge that required it to maneuver a playing field, shoot Frisbees into targets, and climb a metal pyramid.

Westerville City Schools Academic Coach Geriann Patterson was surprised on April 2 when Sunrise Rotarians walked in on a meeting to name her as the monthly recipient of the Westerville Sunrise Rotary Diane J. Conley Service to Youth award.

A 5k run called “Fighting Hunger” will take place on the cross country course at Westerville North High School at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday morning, April 13.  North is located at 950 County Line Road, and participants will meet at the practice fields between Westerville North and Heritage Middle School. The link to register or donate is http://tinyurl.com/5kfightinghungerWNHS.

After taking a 50-word online written test in January, four top spellers from the Westerville City School District were invited to compete at the Scripp’s Regional Spelling Bee which was held at Ohio University on March 16.  Middle school students Diamond Hasberry (Blendon), Michael Qi (Genoa), Zachary Ryan (Heritage), and Jocelyn Mitchell (Walnut Springs) fared well in the contest, with Ryan advancing to the fourth round.

There are no desks at the Mukono Jr. School in Uganda – only benches.  When students have to write, they kneel on the clay floor and use the benches they sit on for tables.  Chalkboards in the school are falling apart, so teachers and students sometimes write on the wooden walls.

The fifth annual Westerville Education Foundation (WEF) Mini-Golf Fundraiser will be held on May 18, at the Westerville Mini-Golf and Batting Cages, 450 W. Schrock Road. Registration is just $6 for players 13 years old and under, and only $10 for players 14 years old and above. Each participant receives two rounds of golf, one on each of the venue's two courses. Participants can check in and play their rounds any time between 11:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. that day.

Earlier in the school year, Math/Science students in Angie Heath’s fifth grade gifted program at Hanby Elementary School produced a three-minute 2-D Clay Animation film demonstrating the Food Web.  The project was made possible thanks to the help of parent volunteers Tracy and Robert Robbins, art instructors at the Columbus College of Art & Design.  Now, that film has been selected to be a part of the 2013 Ohio Shorts: Youth Division Screening at the Wexner Center.

Students in advanced seventh grade science classes from each of the four Westerville middle schools engaged fifth graders at Mark Twain, Whittier, Cherrington, Wilder, McVay, Robert Frost, Alcott, and Fouse elementary schools this year in Energy Activity Stations and Energy Fairs. In addition to helping the youngsters become more comfortable with their transition into middle school through interactions with the seventh graders, the elementary pupils learned about energy types, resources, transfer, conservation, and usage.

A record number of Westerville middle school students competed and qualified to attend Central District Science Day at Columbus State on March 16.  At that contest, 14 received Superior ratings, making them eligible to compete at State Science Day, which will be held on May 11 at The Ohio State University’s French Field House and St. John’s arena.

he Walnut Springs Middle School Fishing Club participated in the Cabela’s (Polaris) grand opening events, on Saturday and Sunday, March 9 and 10.  Advisor Dwight Back, was contacted by management of the new store, and asked to coordinate an FLW/The Bass Federation sanctioned “Reel Kids Casting Competition” for shoppers and their families.

The Rotary Club of Westerville, which sponsors a Student of the Month program, recognized recipients at a luncheon at Villa Milano held on April 4.  April students are:  Khushbu Patel, Westerville Central High School; Kent Ford, Westerville North High School; and Kaelyn Buggs, Westerville South High School.

On February 28, Hawthorne Elementary School’s PTO sponsored a Geocaching Night.  Students, along with their family members, came back to school that evening with their heavy coats, gloves, and flashlights to learn about geocaching.

This year's event will be held on May 18, 2013, at the Westerville Mini-Golf and Batting Cages, 450 W. Schrock Road. Registration is just $6 for players 13 years old and under, and only $10 for players 14 years old and above. Each participant receives two rounds of golf, one on each of the venue's two courses. Check in and play your rounds any time between 11 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.

Trusley has been a teacher at Westerville North since 1995 and an English teacher since 1997. He graduated from Westerville North High School in 1988 and played point guard on the first ever District Championship Team his senior year.

Westerville North High School senior class officers and the Class of 2013 held a fundraising event prior to the North vs. South boys’ basketball game on February 15.  The event was a pre-game dinner for the entire student body cheer section.  With donations by Jets Pizza and JC Manny, students received pizza, drink and a rally towel.  All proceeds from this event went back to the community of Westerville.  Class Officers Brian Young, Kevin Schaublin, Daniel Touzinsky, and Chad Strahine presented a cash donation to W.A.R.M. 

Taribo Osuobeni, a senior at Westerville Central High School, has won the eighth annual Poetry Out Loud competition for Ohio, hosted by the Ohio Arts Council at the Matesich Theatre on the campus of Ohio Dominican University.  The 18-year-old triumphed on Saturday, March 16, with recitations of On Quitting, by Edgar Albert Guest, No Coward Soul is Mine, by Emily Bronte, and The Craftsman, by Marcus B. Christian.

GEM awards are given to individuals who make a difference in the lives of the students in the Westerville School District. All GEM winners promote the welfare of students in the home, school and community, and each goes above and beyond the call of duty. This year 26 deserving individuals and one business will be recognized as GEM award winners.

The Central Ohio 8th Grade Battle of the Books competition, hosted by Heritage Middle School, took place at Westerville North High School on Wednesday, March 20.  Many teams from throughout the area competed, but Westerville’s four middle schools walked away with top honors.

Author/illustrator and pet advocate David Cuccia, who wrote There’s a Crazy Dog Under the Palace, visited Cherrington Elementary School on March 18.  He adopted his current rescue dog, Jasmine, from the Franklin County Animal Shelter and she is the star of his latest book.

On Wednesday, March 20, the Wildcat PRIDE Committee sponsored Westerville South High School Cafeteria Worker Appreciation Day.  South students and staff wanted to demonstrate their appreciation for what the Food Service employees do every day.  To say thank you for all the delicious and nutritious meals they provide, the committee served them a luncheon on tables adorned with floral centerpieces, bowls of candy, and cards which stated, “You are simply amazing!”

Every year on or around St. Patrick’s Day, students and staff at Mark Twain Elementary School can be seen dancing an Irish Jig, a tradition which began back in 1980 – 33 years ago.  The event was brought to the school by teacher Ruth McDermott, who learned how to do it from a colleague in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, in 1971.

The overwhelming support Westerville North High School students have for their “Spread the Word to End the Word” campaign was evident when more 200 t-shirts were sold to buoy the cause.  This is an ongoing effort by Special Olympics, Best Buddies, and other supporters to raise the consciousness of society about the dehumanizing and hurtful effects of the word “retarded” and to encourage people to pledge to stop using that word.

Westerville's three high schools and American Legion Post 171 of Westerville have had a long and rich relationship over many years with student programs.  The local post and its Auxiliary recently conducted interviews to choose delegates who will attend Buckeye Boys State and Buckeye Girls State in June.  Both programs provide a week of intense involvement in “mock government.”

In its 28th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with USA Today High School Sports, announced that Jack Gibbs of Westerville North High School is its 2012-13 Gatorade Ohio Boys Basketball Player of the Year.  Gibbs is the first Gatorade Ohio Boys Basketball Player of the Year to be chosen from Westerville North High School.

The Westerville North High School Mock Trial Team participated in the annual Ohio Center for Law Related Education’s State High School Mock Trial competition held March 7-9. The team advanced to the state semi-finals for the third straight year, one of only three teams in the state to do so. The students placed first in both the district and the regional competition, earning the right to advance to the state tournament.

The Blendon Chess Club held a building-wide logo contest for a creative design for use on new t-shirts and other items. Congratulations to 8th grader Jack Williams, whose logo earned the top vote from the chess club members.

On Tuesday evening, March 12, students from the Emerson World Cultures Magnet School, along with friends and family members, packed the auditorium and commons at Westerville Central High School for International Night. The evening included a school wide musical performance, a student art show and a focus on Service Learning.

The seventh annual McVay Elementary School Pasta Dinner & Family Night was held on Wednesday, March 13.  Students, staff and family members packed the Commons area, where all enjoyed a delicious dinner and a performance by the McVay Choir.

The junior class at Westerville South High School will host a dinner and dance for South juniors and seniors on Saturday, April 13, at the Villa Milano Banquet and Conference Center, located at 1630 Schrock Road in Columbus.  This year's prom theme, “Bond Prom,” was inspired by the James Bond movie series.

The 2012-13 Regional Eighth Grade Mock Trial teams came together at Westerville’s City Council Chamber on March 14 to practice for the upcoming competition. Serving as judge for the mock trial hearing was former Franklin County Public Defender Dane Chavers of Columbus.

Fifth grade Robert Frost Elementary School student Eric Glasgow created the Hanby House out of Legos and ended up being named Overall Grand Winner at the seventh annual Westerville City Schools Lego Competition held March 16 at Heritage Middle School.  Proceeds from the event benefited Westerville's Elementary Leadership Summit, the Children Supporting Children Foundation, and the Westerville Area Resource Ministry.

Through a live, interactive video conference feed, attendees were able to interact with Dave Mazza, an educator who works at the NASA Glenn Research Center, and learn about space exploration and the recent “Curiosity” landing on Mars.

The Interact Club at Westerville Central High School met on March 20 to make 10 blankets for My Very Own Blanket, an organization that provides blankets to foster children.

Matthew Doel, an eighth grade student at Walnut Springs Middle School, has been named an Ohio National Geographic Bee Semifinalist by the National Geographic Society.  This marks the third year in a row that he has qualified for the State level of competition in the National Geographic Bee, which is sponsored by The National Geographic Society, Google and Plum Creek.

Twenty-four students at Westerville South High School were recognized as “Cats with Class” at a breakfast and ceremony held bright and early on Wednesday morning, March 20.  “Cats with Class” honors pupils who have demonstrated acts of kindness, good school citizenship, or service, which help make South a wonderful place for learning and teaching.

Westerville City School District Board of Education President Denise Pope tonight announced that the Board is stopping the elementary attendance boundary realignment process.

The Rotary Club of Westerville, which sponsors a Student of the Month program, recognized recipients at a luncheon at Villa Milano held on March 7.  March students are:  Dustin Edens, Westerville Central High School; Jayne Sterricker, Westerville North High School; Riley Buer, Westerville South High School; and Nathan Yoder, St. Francis DeSales High School.

Westerville City School District staff, students and community members are invited to gather in the Westerville Central High School auditorium on April 3 for an evening of conversation and dialogue around future and transformative trends in education.  The free event will take place from 4:00-6:30 p.m.

Lawrence Funderburke is a famous basketball player.  His success at The Ohio State University and in the NBA, where he played primarily for the Sacramento Kings, is undisputed.  What many people don’t know is that Funderburke graduated magna cum laude from OSU, where he earned a degree in Business Finance, and that he is even more passionate about education than basketball.  And he’s doing something about it.  He has started “Mr. Fundy’s Math Basketball Challenge,” a free, online math study tool to help children in grades 3-6 prepare for the math portion of the Ohio Achievement Assessment or similar standardized tests.

The 43rd Ohio Governor’s Youth Art Exhibition will open for viewing at the James A. Rhodes State Office Tower in Columbus, Ohio on Sunday, April 14 at 2:00 p.m.  It will include a piece by Westerville South senior Ethan Skaates.  The exhibition will remain on display until May 16, from 9:00-5:00 p.m., weekdays only.  The public is cordially invited to attend and join these outstanding and talented students from Ohio’s high schools, to salute their creative expressions in the visual arts.

Two of the 14 statewide finalists in the Laws of Life essay contest are students at Genoa Middle School in Westerville – seventh grader Madison Seabury (whose Language Arts teacher is Mary Jo Balk) and Genoa eighth grader Megan Haller (whose Language Arts teacher is Brandy Spears).  In addition, Grace Livingston from Blendon Middle School (whose Language Arts teacher is Mark Buxton), received an Honorable Mention.

Applications for monetary grants from The Bette Marschall Education Fund of The Columbus Foundation are being accepted for worthy 2013-2014 school year projects not otherwise supported within the school budget. The grants are available to teachers, students, administrators, and non-teaching staff within the Westerville City School District.  The submission deadline is April 24, 2013.

The Westerville City School District’s Fiscal Services Office, headed by Treasurer/CFO Bart Griffith and Assistant Treasurer Laura Hendricks, has received the Auditor of State Award with Distinction.  This recognition is presented only to those local governments and school districts meeting the highest standards of a financial audit.  Just over 100 out of 5,700 entities earned this designation.   “Clean and accurate record-keeping are the foundation for good government, and the taxpayers can take pride in your commitment to accountability,” wrote Dave Yost, Auditor of State.

The Westerville City Schools Board of Education will hold a Special Session at 6:00 p.m. on Monday, March 18, 2013, in the Westerville South High School Commons.  South is located at 303 S. Otterbein Ave.

The Elementary Attendance Boundary Realignment Committee has scheduled a meeting at 9:45 a.m. on Wednesday, March 13, 2013, that will be held in the second floor Board Conference Room at the Westerville City Schools Early Learning Center, 936 Eastwind Drive.  Elementary Attendance Boundary Realignment Committee meetings are open to the public for those wishing to attend and observe proceedings.

In an information age dominated by Facebook posts, YouTube videos and tweets, one might think the value of reading is lost.  Not so.  On Friday, March 1, educators throughout the Westerville City School District celebrated Read Across America day, held every year on or around the birthday of the late Theodor Geisel, the beloved children’s author commonly known as Dr. Seuss.

Westerville City Schools District Math Specialist Kimi Dodds was surprised on February 28 when Sunrise Rotarians walked in on a meeting to name her as the monthly recipient of the Westerville Sunrise Rotary Diane J. Conley Service to Youth award.

Sixth graders from advanced science classes in the Westerville City School District took part in the third annual Chip Challenge, a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) initiative. Teams of students were asked to design and test a container for shipping a single “Pringles” potato chip to Dr. Dan Good, Superintendent.  Upon arrival, the packages and the chip they contained were evaluated and scored. The goal was to design a package to have the smallest volume and smallest mass that protected the chip so that it would arrive at its destination undamaged.

It was a labor of love.  Members of the Westerville South High School Girls and Boys track teams gathered in the Commons after school on Tuesday, February 26 to make lots of bologna and cheese sandwiches.  Approximately 2,000, in fact.  Not to eat, but to donate.

On Saturday, March 2, the Wilder Elementary Third Grade Team held its second annual Pancakes and Pajamas event.  Enthusiastic third graders arrived at school in their pajamas at 9:00 a.m. with their families. Teachers Beth O'Reilly, Emillee Berwanger, Dana Harmon, LaTresa Rieves, Susan Torlone, Michele Bertus, Kadie Wintzer, Heidi Taris, Kimi Dodds (math curriculum), and Karen Schmidt cooked and served everyone pancakes and drinks (with coffee for the parents).  After breakfast, students and parents went upstairs to third grade classrooms and the computer lab for Ohio Achievement Assessment (OAA) breakout sessions.

Students at Robert Frost Elementary have been treated to “teasers” all week about fun things to come at their school.  They have been sent home with odd surprises in their backpacks including barely-recognizable photocopies of their principal’s face and poems about their cool school.  Cryptic messages and posters have appeared throughout the building and this afternoon, Principal Sarah Berka’s “secret” video diary was shown at a school-wide assembly and greeted with uproarious laughter.  The diary was also “leaked” on YouTube and can be viewed by all at www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_gmRFzA3b0.

The Westerville Education Foundation (WEF) is accepting grant applications through April 3 for the spring 2013 grant cycle.  Proposals for innovative practices must be written by Westerville City Schools’ faculty or staff, and given to their supervisors or principals for endorsement and submission.

Local students are getting energized, thanks to the Westerville Energy Education Partnership, which is hosting Energy Fairs for fifth graders at every elementary building in the Westerville City School District.  Pupils are learning about heat, light and sound energy, energy transformation and energy efficiency.  Interactive activities encourage them to make educated energy choices.  The Energy Fairs are being facilitated by leadership teams of high school or middle school students from around the district who have completed training in all of the program's activities.

Cherrington Elementary School hosted a Math and Science Night on Thursday, February 21.  The Cherrington community partnered with Dr. Ron Zielke from Ohio Dominican University, and Dr. Jeffrey Smith from Otterbein University, along with students from both schools, to plan a variety of activities, many focused on engineering.

Community members filled the lanes at the Columbus Square Bowling Palace on Saturday, February 23, to raise money for the Westerville Chamber Foundation, the Westerville Education Foundation, and the Westerville Symphony.

Raucous music and laughter was emanating from the gymnasium at Robert Frost Elementary School on Friday evening, February 22, where young girls, dressed in their finest party attire, danced the night away with adults they invited to the PTA Father/Daughter Dance. 

The Heritage Middle School Drama Club will present High School Musical Jr. at Westerville North High School at 7:30 p.m. on March 14, 15 and 16.  General admission is $7.00.  North is located at 950 County Line Road. 

Join the Jocks, the Brainiacs, Thespians and Skater Dudes as they find their cliques, recount their vacations and look forward to their new school year. Through twists and turns and teenage intrigue, the whole school comes together as winners on stage and on the court as the Wildcats win the championship game and Troy and Gabriella emerge as High School Musical sensations!

The Food Web Claymation video that was recently created by Hanby Elementary School students is being broadcast in a 30-minute segment on School’s Out, a production of Otterbein University’s WOCC-TV3.  Interviews with teacher Angie Heath and several students in her fifth grade Math/Science class are featured on the show, which is hosted by Dr. Jeff Demas.

Westerville City School District officials, at the February 25 Board of Education meeting, presented possible uses for Central College and Longfellow elementary schools, which served as magnet program sites until they closed following the 2011-12 school year. 

On Wednesday, February 20, the Wilder Elementary Fifth Grade Team held its second annual Ohio Achievement Assessment (OAA) supper.  After a light meal, students and parents went upstairs to fifth grade classrooms and Wilder's computer lab for OAA breakout sessions.   Parents were taught test taking strategies and web addresses to utilize with their children.

Because failure is not an option at Annehurst and Cherrington elementary schools in Westerville, these two buildings have been named 2012 Schools of Promise by the Ohio Department of Education (ODE.)  Only 163 schools earned this honor on the Local Report Card for the 2011-2012 school year. 

On Tuesday, February 19, the Westerville City Schools Academic Enrichment Center hosted a free parent workshop entitled “Age is Just a Number: Living Better, Longer in the 21st Century.” Dr. Roger Garcia, Medical Director of BodyLogicMD of Columbus and author of the book, Aged to Perfection, discussed the secrets to living a longer life, all the while looking and feeling your very best well beyond the golden years.

Stephanie Donofe, Westerville City Schools Curriculum Coordinator, and Becky Haselberger, Job Training Coordinator of the Best of Both Worlds Transition Program, talked with students about creating a positive digital footprint; about the concept of “Googling Well;” and to use the acronym THINK when considering posting online: Is it True?  Helpful?  Inspiring?  Necessary?  Kind?  They also discussed protecting their identity and online security and how to avoid “phishing schemes” by never giving personal information in an email.

Why is it important to brush our teeth frequently and what does flossing do?  These are some of the questions that were answered by a group of students from the Dental Assisting Program at the Delaware Area Career Center.  They visited first graders at Huber Ridge Elementary School on February 21 to share good hygiene tips.  Their appearance was timely as each February, the American Dental Association sponsors National Children's Dental Health Month to raise awareness about the importance of oral health.

Westerville City School District Board of Education members during their February 25, 2013, regular meeting heard a status report on the work that has been completed by the Elementary Attendance Boundary Realignment Committee (EABRC).

The Elementary Attendance Boundary Realignment Committee has scheduled a meeting at 10:45 a.m. on Thursday, March 7, 2013, that will be held in the second floor Board Conference Room at the Westerville City Schools Early Learning Center, 936 Eastwind Drive.  Elementary Attendance Boundary Realignment Committee meetings are open to the public for those wishing to attend and observe proceedings. 

Classes will not be held in the Westerville City School District from March 25-29, 2013 – Spring Break.  Offices will be closed only on Friday, March 29.  Classes will resume at normal starting times on Monday, April 1.

Parents or guardians wishing to have their children attend an elementary school different from their school of attendance must complete and submit an Intra-district Open Enrollment Application by June 1, 2013.

The Westerville City School District earned an Excellent with Distinction ranking on the 2011-2012 School Year Report Card, released yesterday by the Ohio Department of Education.  The district met all state standards and attained its highest ever Performance Index of 102.9 out of 120.  Students’ performance on the 14 Ohio Achievement Assessment measures surpassed the state minimum 75 percent passing rate by an average of 12.2 percent.  Student performance on the 10 Ohio Graduation Test measures also far surpassed the state minimums.

The Westerville City Schools Board of Education will meet at the following times in March: Thursday, March 7, 2013, Work Session, 6:00 p.m. in the Early Learning Center Sunshine Room; Monday, March 11, 2013, Regular Session, 6:00 p.m. in the Westerville South High School Commons.

The Elementary Attendance Boundary Realignment Committee has scheduled a meeting at 10:45 a.m. on Thursday, March 7, 2013, that will be held in the second floor Board Conference Room at the Westerville City Schools Early Learning Center, 936 Eastwind Drive. Elementary Attendance Boundary Realignment Committee meetings are open to the public for those wishing to attend and observe proceedings.

At the recommendation of the Elementary Attendance Boundary Realignment Committee, the Westerville City School District Board of Education will not hold a first reading on proposed elementary attendance boundary changes during its regular meeting on February 25, 2013. Instead, Board members will hear a status report on the committee’s work to date.

Based upon feedback received to date, two additional elementary attendance boundary options have been developed and are now available online for review and feedback. The original options also remain available for review and feedback. These options and additional support materials can be accessed at:

www.wcsoh.org/administrativeDepartment.aspx?aid=131

On Friday, February 8, the Wildcat PRIDE Committee sponsored Westerville South High School Bus Driver Appreciation Day.  South students and staff wanted to demonstrate their appreciation for what the drivers do every day.  To say thank you for helping students arrive safely at school, regardless of the weather or other circumstances, each driver was presented with a thank you card, a batch of homemade cookies, and a magnet with the caption, "Wildcat PRIDE likes the way you roll!" Twenty-three drivers were recognized.

The enticing aroma of chocolate permeated the hallways at Hanby Elementary School on February 8 as fifth grade students and adult volunteers made candy clusters to fill orders for their philanthropic Chocolate Paradise Company.  The service-learning economics unit had pupils engaging in market research, advertising, production, and distribution. 

Hanby families preordered chocolates and all profits from the company go to three service organizations which serve the homeless in the Columbus metropolitan area. The students visit two of the social service organizations – Homeless Families Foundation and Community Kitchen – and are visited by a representative of the YWCA Family Center. These visits facilitate lessons and discussions about homelessness.
 

A brand new 5k run/walk will be held at Westerville Central High School, located at 7118 Mt. Royal Ave., on Saturday, March 2, beginning at 9:00 a.m.  The event is part of a new endeavor called the Coughlin Chevrolet Championship Race Series.

On Friday, February 8, Westerville North High School senior Jacob Dumford signed a Letter of Intent to run track and cross country at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana.  His teammate and close friend, Kent Ford, committed to run track and cross country at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.  Coach Johnny Jackson described the duo as “two of the most talented runners ever to sign national Letters of Intent.”

Genoa Middle School’s literary magazine, The Troubadour, has earned a rating of Excellent from The National Council of Teachers of English 2012 Program to Recognize Excellence in Student Literary Magazines.  Carly Young served as faculty advisor, and Audrey Melko was student editor.

When faced with the onset of blindness as an adult, teacher and coach Ron Derry had to decide whether he was going to carry on with a productive life, or let his medical condition defeat him.  He decided a positive attitude would be needed to move forward and overcome this obstacle, so he founded the GOOD Program – Going On Or Defeated.

Students from the four second grade classes at Hanby Elementary School will be performing excerpts from Peter Pan and Beauty and the Beast at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, February 20 in the Westerville South High School Auditorium, which is located at 303 S. Otterbein Ave.  The public is invited to attend the free program and tickets are not required.

Huber Ridge Elementary students are enjoying a plethora of guest speakers in February as the school observes Black History Month.  The effort is being coordinated by teacher Linda Cramer.  Most recently, the Honorable Tracy Maxwell Heard visited to answer questions and talk about her role as the State Representative from the 26th Ohio House District.  Heard is the Minority Whip of the 129th General Assembly.  As a full-time legislator, in her junior term, she proudly serves the area that covers the Downtown, East and Southside communities of Columbus.

Recently, Tom Ryan, head wrestling coach at The Ohio State University, spoke at the Westerville United Wrestling Club's end of season pizza party.  Ryan stressed to parents the importance of making youth sports fun.  He reminded the young wrestlers that hard work always pays off. He mentioned how he loved watching talented wrestlers from Westerville compete at the NCAA tournament (Jesse Dong, Virginia Tech; Josh Demas, Ohio State; and Brendan Barlow, Kent State).

The Food Web Claymation video that was recently created by Hanby Elementary School students has attracted the attention of Otterbein College’s WOCC-TV3.  Otterbein wants to film pupils and get their perspective on the process for a new series being produced called, School’s Out, in which non-traditional academic endeavors are explored through a child’s perspective.

The Westerville North High School Mock Trial Team participated in the annual Ohio Center for Law Related Education’s State High School Mock Trial competition held February 1. Westerville North sent two teams to competition this year, and both won each of their rounds, advancing to the regional competition that will be held on February 22.

Westerville North senior Peter Sandvik was selected as one of the 2013 Central Ohio High School Scholar-Athletes recognized by the Columbus chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame.  Sandvik represented Westerville North and the OCC-Cardinal.  During his senior year, he was team captain and Most Valuable Player, while also being named 1st Team All-Ohio Capital Conference.  He was Honorable Mention All-District as well.

Tim Bowers knew he liked to draw from a very early age.  Even as a child growing up in Troy, Ohio, his artwork reflected an ability to tell stories, using humorous characters.  His interest in art and a very active imagination eventually led to a successful career.  And on February 13, he visited Huber Ridge Elementary School and told the students there that it’s never too early to start dreaming big.

On Thursday, February 6, third grade students at Hanby Arts Magnet School got an opportunity to put technology to use as they Skyped with author Valerie Hobbs, who was in California.  After reading the book Sheep and having many questions about the upcoming sequel, Wolf, which is coming out this fall, students asked Hobbs about her inspiration for the books, her daily routine as an author, and for any advice she could give to them as young writers.

The Rotary Club of Westerville, which sponsors a Student of the Month program, recognized recipients at a luncheon at Villa Milano held on February 14.  February students are:  Melissa Kramer, Westerville Central High School; Spencer Fisher, Westerville North High School; Mubarik Mohamed, Westerville South High School; and Colin Madigan, St. Francis DeSales High School.

According to a report from the Elementary Attendance Boundary Realignment Committee, the Westerville City School District should revise elementary attendance boundaries so as many students as possible, living in the same neighborhood, can attend school together. 

Dr. Kellogg will assume the Superintendency on July 1, 2013, subsequent to the retirement of Dr. Dan Good.

After a 30-year academic career, Whittier Elementary Principal Kim Woosley has retired. Her sendoff in the school auditorium on January 31 demonstrated that she will be missed. Songs were sung, poems and letters were read, a video was played, and Woosley was presented with a framed picture memento from the staff.

Blendon Middle School multi-handicap intervention specialist Sandi Trask Tyler was surprised on February 4 when Sunrise Rotarians visited her workplace to name her as the monthly recipient of the Westerville Sunrise Rotary Diane J. Conley Service to Youth Award. 

The Westerville City Schools Academic Enrichment Center will host a free parent workshop entitled, “Modeling Good Digital Citizenship:  How to Communicate your Expectations to your Child.”  This one-hour seminar for community members and parents/guardians of students in the Westerville community will be offered at the Academic Enrichment Center on Wednesday, March 13, at 7:00 p.m.

Parents, friends and family members packed the auditorium at Westerville North High School on Friday evening, February 1, for “A Musical Journey through Time,” presented by the Robert Frost PTA.  The program included singers, dancers, musicians, poets and gymnasts who transported the audience through several decades of music from the 1950s to modern times. 

Actress Valarie Holmes left a powerful impression after visiting five Westerville schools this week.  In a deeply moving, impassioned performance, Holmes portrayed runaway slave Charity Watson, from the South, who was on a quest for personal freedom.  The one-woman show, written originally by Holmes in collaboration with Westerville educator Scott Ebbrecht in 1999, follows one woman’s journey along the Underground Railroad.  Westerville’s legendary hero, William Hanby, ultimately assists the character. 

Jacob Glorioso, 13, is one of two students named as Ohio’s top youth volunteers of 2013 by the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, a nationwide program honoring young people for outstanding acts of volunteerism. Glorioso was nominated by Genoa Middle School in Westerville. The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, now in its 18th year, is conducted by Prudential in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Administrators (NASSP).

Westerville Central High School Principal Todd Spinner is not triplets, but he has been seen sporting three drastically different hair styles in recent weeks.  Students have grown accustomed to seeing the bald look. He promised to grow his hair out if they raised at least $15,000 for Caring & Sharing.  They raised $15,641.86, a school record and the most of any high school in the district.  So he quit shaving his head. 

On January 21, Walnut Springs Middle School student Kimmy Potter headed to Kenneth’s Hair Salon at 726 North State Street for a haircut.  But this wasn’t a normal haircut.  After growing her locks for more than a year, she had them shorn for Locks of Love.  Eleven inches of Potter’s hair will be used to help make a wig for someone who has experienced hair loss due to chemotherapy or some other medical condition.  January 15 marked the four-year anniversary of Potter's grandfather’s death from mesothelioma (lung cancer).  Her mother, Jennifer Jenkins, said, “For us, Kimmy’s hair donation to Locks of Love is bittersweet. 

On Saturday, February 23, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., the Westerville South High School Marching Band will host a one-of-a-kind fundraising endeavor – a mattress sale.  The event will take place in the Westerville South Commons, which is located at 303 S. Otterbein Avenue.  Sales like this, organized by Custom Fundraising Solutions, have been very successful locally and nationally during the past eight years. 

Westerville North High School senior Kaitlin Moore signed a National Letter of Intent on February 6 to play Women’s Soccer for Central Michigan University, which is in the Mid Atlantic Conference.  She plans to major in Biomedical Engineering.

Four Westerville Middle School students are among the 66 spellers who have qualified for participation in the 2013 Ohio University Scripps College of Communication Regional Spelling Bee.  The event will take place on March 16 at Ohio University in Athens.  Spellers who attained a score of at least 36 on the online semifinals test include representatives from all four Westerville middle schools:  Diamond Hasberry, Blendon; Michael Qi, Genoa; Zachary Ryan, Heritage; and Jocelyn Mitchell, Walnut Springs. 

Westerville Parent Council will host the 2013 Summer Camp/Activities Expo on March 13 from 5:30-8:00 p.m. at Westerville North High School, which is located at 950 County Line Road.  The event is free to the public and families are encouraged to walk through at their leisure.  The Expo will feature camps and activities for elementary through high school ages, as well as camps for special needs students.

The NBC4 Make A Difference School Grant program is giving local schools a chance to win one of three $10,000 grants this school year.  Five elementary schools in Westerville are in the running – Cherrington, Emerson, Robert Frost, Huber Ridge, and Whittier.  The grants will help provide resources to academic and extracurricular school programs that give children the opportunity to grow and develop. 

The public has the opportunity to make a positive change in their schools through engagement in online social voting via Facebook and at www.NBC4MakeADifference.com.  Anyone can vote up to one time per day until March 7, 2013. 

Westerville City School District's Fiscal Services Office, headed by Treasurer/CFO Bart Griffith and Assistant Treasurer Laura Hendricks, has earned an Auditor of State Award with Distinction for fiscal reporting and accountability to taxpayers. 

The honor is presented only to those local governments and school districts meeting the highest standards of a financial audit.

Since the spring of 2004, Roush Honda has sponsored the Great Mentor Educator (GEM) Awards in the Westerville City School District. The GEM Award is given to recognize individuals who go over and above what is expected to make a difference in the lives of students at each school in the Westerville School District and/or in the school district as a whole. Building and district nominations are due February 7, and can be turned into any school building office.

On Friday, January 25, 450 Heritage Middle School Students participated in the Renaissance Incentive Day celebrating second quarter performance. The record turnout reflected good grades, attendance, behavior, school involvement, and service. Students enjoyed a movie day with popcorn, candy, and drinks.

Third grade students at Alcott Elementary School recently held their annual Talent Show.  Pupils performed and shared their skills with fellow classmates and parents.

As an optional enrichment activity, Kelly Blum’s 8th grade advanced language arts classes at Blendon Middle School were invited to attend a private showing of the award-winning film, Les Miserables on Friday, December 28, at the Marcus Crosswoods Cinema in Worthington.

First and second graders at Alcott Elementary School were recently treated to an entertaining and inspirational visit from Ronald McDonald.  The free, 45-minute show they saw, called It’s Book Time with Ronald McDonald, addressed the topic of reading in a fun and relevant way for young children.

Westerville Central senior Megan Menapace has been selected as a representative at the 2013 Distinguished Young Women Scholarship Program, which will be held the week of February 18-22 in Mount Vernon, Ohio.  Distinguished Young Women is a national scholarship program that inspires high school girls to develop their full, individual potential through a fun, transformative experience that culminates in a celebratory showcase of their accomplishments.

Working Trebuchet and ballista models, military strategy maps, and cultural comparisons of medieval military artifacts were just a few of the items shared recently by four seventh graders at Blendon Middle School

The 2013 Laws of Life Essay Contest was facilitated at the middle school level through the Westerville Gifted Education Department.  Hundreds of essays were written between Westerville’s four middle schools and the following students were judged as middle school and district winners.

The highlight of a raucous pep assembly at Blendon Middle School, held on January 23, was the throwing of pies into the faces of favorite educators.  Students sold pies in October for the Blendon PTO Scholarship Fund.  $1,008 in profit was realized, increasing the number of $500 scholarships from three to five. 

Nearly 450 individual nominations from across the State of Ohio were received by organizers of the 2013 Ohio State University Middle School Honor Band Festival.  185 pupils were selected for participation, including seven from Westerville.

After studying genetic disorders in Science class, Victoria Cook’s seventh grade students at Blendon Middle School decided to raise some money for the Down Syndrome Association of Central Ohio.  By selling 25 cent raffle tickets during lunch periods and study halls, the pupils were able to earn $1,100 to benefit the charity. 

The Westerville City