THIS ISSUESuperintendent’s Letter 1

Meeting Our Mission 2

Green Bears On The Go 3

Teacher Feature 4

By the Numbers 4

District Download 5

Pictorial Class Memory 6

A QUARTERLY PUBLICATION FROM OTTAWA HILLS LOCAL SCHOOLS

SUMMER 2018

From the Superintendent’s DeskAs we begin the 2018-2019 school year, we continue to implement the goals of our long-range strategic plan, developed in 2017 by a team of 28 stakeholders from our school and community.

Last year, we focused on the “Support” goal. We conducted an audit of 23 different programs that we have in place to provide academic and social/emotional support for our students. Other action steps included:

• Continuedworkwithourteachersonimplementingthedistrict’shomework philosophy;• Thedevelopmentofflowchartstoprovideavisualofinterventionservices;• AfacultyandcommunitystudyofthebookMindset by Carol Dweck;• Implementationof“OHBreathe”and“EmbracingTransitions”programs at the jr./sr. high school;• Continueddevelopmentofprogramstoaddresstheneedsofstudents with issues of phonemic awareness and dyslexia.

The Board-approved goal for this school year is “Innovation.” Our focus is creating additional opportunities for innovation in the learning experience to facilitate the growth of each student. Our objectives include:

• Developingacommonunderstandingofinnovationandformulatingarubric to gauge the effectiveness of authentic learning experiences;• Providingmoreopportunitiestoshowcaseinnovativepracticescurrentlybeingused;• Implementinginnovativeinstructionalpracticestomeetstudents’uniqueneeds;• Evaluatingandadjustingnewlyadoptedinnovationsasappropriate.

This year, the faculty has been invited to be part of a book study of The Innovator’s Mindset by George Couros. In his book, Couros notes, “Innovative teaching is constant evolution to make things better for student learning.” Analyzing and improving their delivery of instruction is a hallmark of Ottawa Hills teachers. We seek to build on that culture of continuous improvement as we work to realize our district’s vision: “Ottawa Hills will be the school of choice by providing innovative learning experiences that have an enduring impact on each child.”

Sincerely,Dr. Kevin S. Miller, Superintendent

STUDENTS LEARN ABOUT GOVERNMENT AND ECONOMICS THROUGH THIRD GRADE CITY

Fall Festival, an OH Tradition

The 14th Annual Ottawa Hills Fall Festival will be held Saturday, September 22 from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The Art Fair & Marketplace features a variety of original art, crafts, and other specialty items. This year’s festival features the return of the Car Show along with live entertainment, a pumpkin decorating contest, delicious food, and more.

The Festival is held at the corner of Indian and Evergreen. It is FREE and open to the public. n

OHHS STUDENTS ELI ZINCK AND HANK GRIFFINRealizing their unique potential

Creating Great CitizensLike many OH students, sophomore sisters Raisha and Riya Patel spent part of their summer actively volunteering. As they do during the school year, they volunteered several hours at the American Red Cross. There, they help at the front desk and assist with checking in donors. For their efforts, the girls were recently honored with the Presidential Volunteer Service Award. nOH students are active, responsible citizens.

Life Long Learner:Jay Hancock (’74)•ColgateUniversity,B.A., English Literature

•NorthwesternUniversity, M.S., Journalism

•SeniorCorrespondentfor Kaiser Health News, a Washington-based nonprofit focused on health policy journalism

•Recentlyappearedon Jeopardy!

“I give credit to OHHS teachers for all the Jeopardy questions I got right and zero blame for the ones I blew. I did pretty well on literature, so kudos to Ms. Kale, Ms. Wagner, and especially Mr. Sanzenbacher, who is in touch with the class of 1974 on Facebook and was watching!”

meeting our MISSION

Our Mission:

In partnership with our community, Ottawa Hills Local Schools will challenge and inspire each student to realize his or her unique potential; to embrace learning as a lifelong process; and to become an active, responsible citizen.

OHHS students Hank Griffin and Eli Zinck spent their summer taking advantage of an opportunity in Bowling Green State University’s Chemistry Department recommended to them by Assistant Principal Jackie Patterson and Guidance Counselor Jennifer Nagy.

The two worked in the BG labs studying the properties of photosciences and how light can be used to initiate a reaction. They began the summer shadowing graduate students to learn the basics of their research studies before being assigned their own studies.

Hank’s project, “Spectroscopic Evaluation of Polyvinyl Butyral” analyzed a substance with a trade name of PVB (BUTVAR). Hank explains, “It’s used in the production of windshields and to preserve old bones and fossils. My job was to figure out how to optimize certain properties of it. Basically, what we were doing was making different versions of it using different hydroxide levels.”

Eli notes that his project, “Light as a Reagent in Synthesis of Chiral Molecule” had two halves. “The first half we were synthesizing compounds. We started with one compound and ended up with a different one after exposing it to different reactions. Then we took that final compound and exposed it to light to get our end product. We were trying to show how light can be an agent for causing a reaction.”

The two worked four to five hours a day through mid-July, receiving a stipend for their work. Their projects culminated with poster presentations.

Thetworeflect,“BGhasthisprogramtoexposehighschoolstudentstocollegelaboratoryworkandtopromote research to the next generation.” They saw many advantages to taking part in the program.

Hank notes, “I’ve taken AP Biology and Honors Chemistry. This experience helped me understand what college-level lab work looks like. It was nice being in an environment where they worked with me one-on-one. There’s no way someone could do something like this in a high school class with twenty other students. I was working with pretty intensive machines I wouldn’t otherwise have access to.”

Eli adds, “A lot of what I worked with was way beyond high school and even college level chemistry. But this experience helped me to understand that if you step back and put complex issues into perspective and simplify them as much as possible, it makes the entire process more achievable.” n

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Summer Robotics Camp is a popular choice of rising junior high students. The camp, led by OH STEM teacher Patty Dowd, was established through a partnership between the Office of Village Life and the Ottawa Hills Schools Foundation. Students use VEX robotics kits to build and program a robot. The week-long camp ends in a friendly competition between teams of students.

green bears ON THE GO!

China was the summer destination for four OHHS students who joined other Toledo area students to take part in the Chinese Bridge Summer Camp sponsored by UT’s Confucius Institute. The program provides students with Chinese language and culture classes. Students gained rich cultural experiences through interaction with Chinese students, home-stay experiences, and sightseeing.

Last spring, 153 OHHS students took 301 Advanced Placement (AP) tests. Collectively, the students earned a score of 3 or better on 90% of the tests they took, giving them an opportunity to earn college credit in those subject areas. Pictured here are seniors Maya Chandar-Kouba and Sam Szyperski. Each was successful on the three AP tests they took last spring.

Seven OHHS students joined students from across the country to take part in the Summer Learning in Kenya (SLIK) program, led by OH alumnus Fred Roberts (’79). This service learning program had OH students teaching in the rural schools of Kenya. Students also enjoyed a safari to the Samburu Game Reserve, hiked up Mt. Kenya, and took part in a classroom building project at Gitinga Primary School.

OH Villager and parent Von Sigler continued to extend the Agora 2016 workshop he led, “The Climb,” by leading two mountain climbing expeditions this summer. Five OHHS students joined Dr. Sigler to climb to the peak of Ruth Mountain (shown here), while a second group of five students climbed Mt. Baker, both in the North Cascades of Washington.

Each summer, OH students are hired to help with summer technology needs. The students perform tasks such as cleaning and imaging laptops, preparing and distributing chromebooks, running network cable, and prepping old equipment for resale. Shown here helping to prepare a classroom for the school year are Nick Sliter and Ella Langenderfer.

Summer garden parties gave students and community members a chance to interact with the elementary Learning Lab. Attendees took part in various gardening activities, enjoyed dishes prepared from locally grown produce, and took home produce from the lab that was ready for harvest. OHES will continue to make use of the Learning Lab this fall to supplement classroom activities.

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Number of

students

in grades 1

through 12

new to Ottawa

Hills with the

start of the ’18-

’19 school year. 271Number of runners

who took part in this

year’s Back to School

5K, including Principal

Kori Kawczynski and

Custodian

Julio Rodriguez.

BY THENUMBERSOttawa Hills facts & figures

59 Number of

kindergartners

starting their

school career

as the OH

Class of 2031.

The Ottawa Hills

marching band

boasts 58 members

this year.

TEACHERFEATURE Amy Lavetter

14 Years Leading Camp Beber Art Program

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“Summer camp has a special meaning to third grade teacher Amy Lavetter, dating back to her childhood in Southfield, Michigan. She remembers, “When I was nine-years-old, after several years of begging, my parents let me got to Jewish sleepaway camp—Camp Tamarack in Brighton, Michigan. That was life changing. After graduating from high school, I worked there for five years. As far as experience for being a parent and a teacher, nothing rivaled it.”

So when she took some time away from teaching to stay at home with her daughters, Emma and Shoshi, she decided it was time for the entire family to head to camp. “I had a list of

criteria,” she says. “My kids weren’t growing up in a Jewish community, so I wanted to go to a small Jewish camp. It needed to have childcare. And I wanted a camp where I could run the art program.”

She landed on Beber Camp in Mukwonago, Wisconsin. Beber is a camp for Jewish children who come for four-week sessions. The camp serves students who are 7 to 16 years old. “We have 360 to 400 campers per session who come from coast to coast,” says Ms. Lavetter.

She shares, “My first year, I was in charge of arts and crafts, which was held in an old building that ended up being condemned that fall and torn down. I had two staff members that worked with me. We did things like ceramics, lanyards and beads, and weaving. I saw what the program could be and knew that I could make it better.”

Thanks to the support of new owners, the art program at Camp Beber has grown. Ms. Lavetter’s staff has grown from two to seven and the camp now boasts ceramic and glass studios. Ms. Lavetter notes, “We also teach flamework, woodworking, and metal shop. We do print making. And we’ve added electronics. We probably teach thirty to forty different classes each summer.”

Reflecting on her time at Camp Beber, Ms. Lavetter shares, “The thing I love most about camp is that there is no greater place to build kids’ confidence. For me, there’s no greater job than giving kids opportunities they would not have anywhere else. I have eleven, twelve, and thirteen-year olds casting pewter. They can’t get enough of it. I have been given the gift of doing that with them. I love the team building and the community building. I carry that into my classroom. That’s my favorite part.” n

30958Number of

jr. high and

high school students

participating in

a fall sport.

I love

the team

building

and the

community

building.

I carry that

into my

classroom.

That’s my

favorite

part.

86

to chalk boards to present lessons such as the Fundations program since they are completely magnetic. To complement the Green Bear Ball’s project of replacing district pianos, the district joined in by using $7,200 of PI funds to purchase a Boston upright piano for use in the auditorium. Approximately $50,000 from the PI fund is used annually to purchase new textbooks.

Currently, $22,590 from the PI account is being used for a new school sign in front of the jr./sr. high school. The aging masonry and sign were both deteriorating to the point of needing to be replaced. Additionally, $7,900 was expended this summer for a concrete path from the side gate to the visitor’s bleachers at Niedermeier Stadium to ensure handicapped accessibility.

Anticipating future expenses, the Board of Education has established two “set asides” that occur annually from the Permanent Improvement Fund. One “set aside” is for replacement of the turf at Niedermeier Stadium. The turf, installed in 2008, will need to be replaced in approximately four years. To that end, the Board sets aside $40,000 a year from the PI fund to prepare for that project. That “set aside” currently amounts to $240,000. At the same time, the running track will need to be stripped down and the asphalt base rebuilt. To prepare for this expense, the Board has been setting aside $25,000 a year for the last six years. That “set aside” currently totals $150,00.

This listing of expenditures from the PI account is far from all-inclusive, but it gives you an idea of how those funds are used. Our buildings still have many infrastructure needs with aging plumbing and electrical systems along with structural and space issues. Permanent Improvement funds are not designed to address these large-scale needs. These are capital improvement issues that can only be addressed through a bond issue at some point. For the time being, we do what we can with what we have to meet our instructional needs and to address our buildings and grounds issues, prioritizing projects as necessary while being fiscally responsible. n

Each year, Ottawa Hills Schools collects approximately $600,000 in Permanent Improvement revenue from Village taxpayers. This is a result of two Permanent Improvement issues totaling 4.0 mils being approved by OH voters. Permanent Improve- ment funds are used to fund district improve- ments that basically have a cost of $1,000 or more and a lifespan of at least five years.

How are Permanent Improvement funds used? Just this year, the PI fund began repaying the general fund $240,00 a year to cover the costs of a House Bill 153 project completed at the elementary building. This project included a new heating and air conditioning system, new exterior doors, and new windows in the 1930 section of the building. For nine more years, $240,000 of PI funds are committed each year to repay the general fund for the balance of the HB 153 project. General fund revenues are used for day-to-day expenses of the district and not capital improvements.

Annually, the PI fund is also used to support district technology. The district has a lease agreement with Apple, Inc. to provide laptops to our faculty and staff and for our students in grades 7 through 12. This lease payment is approximately $201,000 a year. In addition, this past summer, Chromebooks were purchased for elementary students at a total cost of $53,700.

Various classroom needs and building and property needs are also addressed using Permanent Improvement funds. This past summer, white boards were installed in many elementary classrooms at a total cost of $7,600. The white boards are preferable

DISTRICTDOWNLOADPI funds support instructional, building needs

OH Receives Auditor of State AwardThe Ottawa Hills Local School District has received the Auditor of State Award  from Ohio Auditor Dave Yost. The Auditor of State Award is given to those entities that file timely financial reports in accordance with GAAP, as well as receive a “clean” audit report. State Auditor Yost notes, “The ‘clean’ audit report means that your financial audit did not contain findings for recovery, material citations, material weaknesses, significant deficiencies, Single Audit findings, or any questionedcosts.”

Yost continues, “Clean and accurate record-keeping are the foundation for good government, and the taxpayers can take pride in your commitment to accountability. Congratulations on receiving the Auditor of State Award.”

We add our own congratulations to district treasurer Brad Browne, the treasurer’s office, and all of our faculty and staff members who help ensure that our financial records are accurate.

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Money Matters

3600 Indian Road

Ottawa Hills, OH 43606

NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDTOLEDO, OHIO

PERMIT #311

2018 graduate Joe French came up with a plan that turned into something special for his classmates. Joe, an accomplished artist, wanted to draw a picture of each of his classmates to be presented via a slide show at their Senior Night shortly before graduation.

After getting Principal Ben McMurray’s permission, Joe started working on his drawings right after spring break. He knows his classmates pretty well, but to capture the essence of each, he sent out surveys asking his fellow classmates to share what they’re known for and what their nicknames are. “I stripped people down to what people see them as, their basic characteristics,” says Joe. “Then I created not so much a caricature, but a cartoon-y version of each.” Joe created the pictures digitally, using Photoshop.

The slide show of Joe’s pictures was an overwhelming success on Senior Night. But that’s not the end of the story.

Joe’s neighbor, Suzette Kanarowski, works for MUIR Print & Marketing. She saw Joe’s drawings and offered to have MUIR put the pictures in a book format and have it professionally bound. The result was a life-long memory for each member of the Class of 2018 to take with them as they head off to new adventures.

As for Joe himself, he has started school at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, where he is majoring in Graphic Design. But Joe notes that in addition, “I’d also like to pursue some other ventures, such as making comics and writing stories.” No doubt, Joe’s collaboration of pictures representing the Class of 2018 is a good start toward a promising career. n

JOE FRENCH (’18) CREATES PICTORIAL MEMORY FOR CLASSMATES

Ottawa Hills is one of only 19 high schools in Ohio to receive a gold medal rating in the 2018 U.S. News and World Report rankings of more than 20,500 public schools in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. 

In addition, Ottawa Hills was ranked as the #5 high school in Ohio, #258 in national rankings, and #147 among STEM schools in the nation.

The awarding of gold, silver, or bronze medals and the state and national rankings are based on schools’ performance on state assessments and how well they prepare students for college.

Congratulationstoourstudents,staff,parents,andcommunity.Thisdistinctionisareflectionofyourcommitmenttoahigh-qualityeducation.