Pupils in Mara Clark’s third grade class at Emerson Magnet School got a special treat on Tuesday, January 20, when they enjoyed the first in a series of Parent Presentations, which give family members a chance to share their careers, passions and hobbies with the class.

The “slamtastic” Harlem Wizards performed at Westerville Central High School on Tuesday evening, January 20, when they were pitted against teachers and community members making up a team called the Westerville Wonders.  Prior to the game, the Wizards announced that “Never in the history of sport will the losing team have so much fun.”

A student representing Westerville City Schools recently received a perfect score in the first of three meets for this year’s WordMasters Challenge™—a national vocabulary competition involving nearly 150,000 students annually.

Approximately 350 Westerville community members gathered at Villa Milano on Monday morning, January 19, to celebrate the life and message of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  WBNS 10-TV news anchor Angela An emceed the 10^th annual breakfast, where Pastor Jim Zippay of Heritage Christian Church, delivered the keynote address.

Innovation Grants, which for more than 20 years have been available to Westerville City School District employees, are the longest-standing part of the Westerville Education Foundation’s GAP (Grants-Adoption-Projects) Initiative.  Due to the WEF’s launch of online program funding opportunities announced earlier, a number of changes to this program are taking place this year:

The Ohio School Boards Association is celebrating School Board Recognition Month in January 2015 to build awareness and understanding of the vital function an elected Board of Education plays in our society.

“The World Would Be a Better Place if…” was the theme of the 2014-15 PTA Reflections competition this year.  At an awards ceremony and reception held at the Westerville Public Library on Thursday evening, January 8, the Westerville Parent Council (WPC) recognized students for their efforts in the areas of literature, music, dance, photography, film/video and visual arts.  Parent Council President Lisa Aucoin and Reflections Chair Lisa Wood co-hosted the event.

The deadline for GEM Award nominations is Monday, February 9, 2015.  Sponsored by Roush Honda and Westerville Parent Council, the annual GEM Awards, which stands for “Great Educator Mentors” in Westerville Schools, honors community members, volunteers, teachers and staff who consistently go above and beyond for students in Westerville schools.

The Columbus Children’s Theatre is partnering with the Arnold Sports Festival to find the most talented performers in town.  The group is on the hunt for singers, dancers, jugglers, ventriloquists, magicians and talented children of all types between the ages of 8-18.  Auditions will take place on Saturday, January 24 and Sunday, January 25 at Westerville North High School, which is located at 950 County Line Road.  Participants should come prepared to present 90 seconds of material.