The 2012-13 school year has concluded in the Westerville City School District, and many students and staff are planning to begin their summer break by visiting The Eyes of Freedom Memorial, paintings depicting the 23 fallen Marines from Lima 3/25.  The exhibit is on display from noon to 5:00 p.m. on May 25, 26 and 27 at Westerville City Hall, which is located at 21 S. State Street.  The Memorial tells the story of love and sacrifice, as a reminder of the great price men and women are willing to pay for their country.  It has become a remembrance of spirit and choice for all who have answered the call of service.

Forty students from Blendon, Genoa, Heritage and Walnut Springs middle schools visited Ohio Wesleyan University on May 16 for a campus tour and meetings with the Admissions Department to learn about campus life, admission requirements, college preparation, and career information.

On May 8, 40 highly talented visual artists from each of the four Westerville middle schools attended the fourth annual “Career in the Visual Arts” trip.  Students visited the Columbus Museum of Art and Columbus College of Art and Design (CCAD), thanks to funding from the Career Education and Gifted Education Departments.

Westerville City Schools Superintendent Dr. Dan Good was surprised on May 15 when Sunrise Rotarians named him as the monthly recipient of the Westerville Sunrise Rotary Diane J. Conley Service to Youth award.  He was attending the breakfast meeting, held at the Old Bag of Nails, to support all Service to Youth winners during the 2012-13 school year.  Under his leadership, the district was rated as Excellent with Distinction for three years in a row by the Ohio Department of Education.

Solutions to today’s energy challenges are being developed in classrooms and homes around Westerville.  The Ohio Energy Project’s annual Youth Energy Celebration on May 14 at The Ohio State University’s Ohio Union welcomed more than 350 students, teachers and partners from around the state.  In Westerville, 70 students and six educators were recognized for their outstanding work this school year through the Westerville Energy Education Partnership.

The Westerville Education Challenge (WEC), established in 2009 to raise private support for public education in Westerville City Schools, will be awarding $10,000 in grant funds this year. Applicants may apply for up to $5,000, or request a portion of the available award dollars. The grant funds are intended to reward teachers and the school district by funding creative and innovative projects that enrich curricular and extra-curricular activities and directly enhance educational opportunities for a significant number of students in Westerville City Schools.

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.

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.

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 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).