By Denny Morrison
We are grateful to have had approximately 40 parents, residents, and community leaders attend each of our first two community forums to learn more about our current and future facility needs and opportunities available to our district through the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission. The thoughtful feedback and valuable insights attendees provided will help shape plans for our schools, and we look forward to many more community members participating in this process.
Over the next several months additional opportunities to share your thoughts, questions and input will be available. Our third forum will be held 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 5 at Cox Elementary School. Hope to see you there. Your input is valued and needed. Please make plans to join us as we proceed through some very exciting times for our kids, our school district, and our community.
Kids of character: Congratulations to our “kids of character” for the month of March. The following students were recognized at the March board of education: Anna Jones, preschool; Gracie Hundley, Arrowood; Amani Johnson, Cox; Adella Bratka, McKinley; Payton Berry, Shawnee; Grace Smith, Tecumseh; Jackson Baker, Warner, and Natalie Jones, high school.
High School musical: The Xenia High School Performing Arts Department put on the spring musical production of “The Little Mermaid,” March 18-20. The program was sensational. The cast consisting of Miah Qumsieh, James Johnson III, Joshua Goodrum-Green, Carolyn Engle, Micah Adams, Gabe Gonzales, Cameron Cramer, Casey O’ Callaghan, Joseph Johnson, Dana Naas, Cassie Gruhot, Emma Myers, Maria Smith, MiKayla Hand, Libby Filson, Donna Cook, Madeline Calhoun, Deborah Michalski and Taylor Neeld as well as the company, the production staff, the under the sea orchestra, and directors Eric Neuenschwander and Tom Blackbern and choreographer Bradley Campbell all did an awesome job. This was certainly another outstanding performance in a long list of musical history that dates back to 1955.
Easter egg hunt: The Xenia Board of Recreation, Arts, and Cultural Activities (BRACA) and the Xenia Area Association of Churches (XAAC) held their annual Easter egg hunt last weekend. National Honor Society members Erica Benson, Ethan Manley and Carolyn Engle, Warner National Junior Honor Society Members Kemri Harris, Abigale Tolle, Logann Jackson, Kaylee Mosre, Laila Miller and Gary Henry and Faith Community Youth Group members Nate Fellie, Alyssa Williamson, Reese Skaggs., Rhiannon Enoch and Dezarae Webster helped hide 12,000 eggs, set up, registered hundreds of students and cleaned up after the egg hunt.
Spaghetti dinner: Last year we held our first Community Spaghetti Dinner. More than 400 meals were served. This year we hope that our Second Annual Spaghetti Dinner will be even bigger and better. Student groups will be performing and the dinner is free. The event will take place April 19 at Arrowood. Please put this date on your calendar and make plans to join us. Teachers, if you have a group or organization that you would like to showcase that evening, please let me know.
Science fair: There were 45 students in the Xenia High School Science Fair this year and 17 received a superior rating. The projects and student presentations were outstanding and the event required students to learn much more than just the science content. One young lady, Catherine Laney, competed in the West District Science Fair at Central State University where she received an “excellent.” This is one rating below the highest possible. Although she did not qualify to continue to state, we are very proud of her effort.
Arrowood news: Congratulations to Hailey Whitehead for having the winning poster and Renee Jones and Audrianna Angel for being finalists in the Greene County Children’s Services Child Abuse prevention art contest. The girls will be recognized at a Blue Ribbon Breakfast on April 27. Arrowood students and staff participated in a Spirit Week the week of March 14. Each day was themed around a Dr. Seuss Book. They also held their family reading night March 17. Families participated in a variety of activities, had pizza for dinner, and visited the book fair. More than 200 people enjoyed the evening.
Tecumseh news: Each year, the National STARBASE Organization sends a national test to evaluate each academy. The test is asked to be given the first day as a pre-test and then again the last day as a post-test to only one class. This year, Tecumseh was the selected school and Julie Scheerschmidt’s class was given the test. The test contains target questions to make sure that each STARBASE Academy is teaching the guided curriculum and that the students are learning as well as showing growth while at the academy. The pre-test class average score was a 36 percent and the post-test class average score was a 90 percent. Well done Tecumseh.
XTAR: The XTAR Young Entrepreneurs Coordinates class began the day with its weekly business meeting. To begin the meeting each team completed an entrance ticket. They were to write down their own definition of raw materials, market, production cost, and pricing strategy on their tickets. The tickets showed how much prior knowledge they have regarding each of these concepts. Once they turned in their entrance tickets, they took a few minutes for each of them to introduce themselves and their company name. Next, students began a brainstorming session for their products after an example was shared by the teacher. The students were asked to come up with at least four different products they would be interested in making. For each product, they had to list the raw materials and equipment needs, as well as the quantity they are making. They also learned how to calculate production costs using an example.
FFA update: FFA Members have recently participated in two invitationals traveling to Marysville High School and the Fayette County Fairgrounds. At the Marysville Invitational, the poultry team placed third overall. The team consisted of Allison Rapp, (fourth overall individual); Jordan Gerhardt (24th); Sarah Harner; and Mya Lockhart. Additionally, Mikal Porter placed 10th overall in the Equine Management contest. At the Fayette County Fairgrounds, Allison Rapp was fifth overall and third in the district in the Poultry Contest followed by Sarah Harner, who placed 16th individually overall and seventh in the district. In the Dairy Foods competition at the fairgrounds, the team placed sixth overall and third in the district. The team consisted of Kelley Grubb (15th overall; fifth in the district); Wade Hutchinson (28th and eighth); Brady Harris; and Haley Harris. Congratulations to these individuals and to FFA Advisor Brad Lokai.
