Woodridge Local Schools

February 2017 | Volume 3, Issue 6

In This IssuePage 2

Woodridge Treasurer to Retire in April

Junior Core Team Learns About the Building Process

Woodridge Chess Club

FREE Parenting Series

Page 3

March Madness Bowling Event

Empty Bowls Event Fills Bowls for the Needy, Raises $4,000

WIS Students Learn About the Life Cycle of Plants

Woodridge Launches FinalForms – Online Form and Data Management Service

Page 4

When the Woodridge High School Academic Challenge Team Wins, We All Win!

KeyMakers

School Lunch Subs Needed

Kiddie Carnival

Prom Save The Date

Calendar of Events

www.woodridge.k12.oh.usPlease visit www.woodridge.k12.oh.us/campus for the latest Campus Construction Project information.

Woodridge Local School District Partners with Summit DD to Support Student Transitions

The Woodridge Local School District is one of several districts partnering with the Summit County Board of Developmental Disabilities, known as Summit DD, to support students with special needs as they transition from school into adulthood. The program, called the Tran-sition Services for Youth pilot program, will help young adults with developmental dis-abilities prepare for the profes-sional world after graduation. Students from ages 14 to 22 will be able to participate in commu-nity-based career exploration activities, including workplace tours, internships, job coaching

and volunteer opportunities.The program is currently sched-uled to run until the end of 2018. Throughout the pilot program, Summit DD Service and Sup-port Administrators (SSAs), private providers and school faculty members will help guide students through a discovery process to determine their indi-vidual goals.By fostering individualized goals for these students and ensuring quality services that meet their needs, Woodridge Local Schools and Summit DD will make the district a stronger and more in-clusive place.

STUDENTS OF THE MONTH

The Woodridge Middle School Students of the Month for January are: Anaiah Bratcher, Ian Riccillio, Chelsea Jenkins, Ethan Wagner, Ellie Kleinhenz, and Logan JacksonThe theme for January was RESPONSIBILITY.

The Woodridge Middle School Students of the Month for February are: Kylie Stewart, Amiya Fellows, Robby Champa, Aaron Dutt, Amanda Perko, and Gavin SicklesThe theme for February was SPIRIT.

Save the Date!Woodridge Elementary School Complex Ground BreakingSunday, March 19 2:00 p.m.

JANUARY FEBRUARY

Woodridge Local Schools

www.woodridge.k12.oh.us2

Woodridge Treasurer to Retire in April

Woodridge Treasurer Deanna Levenger will retire on April 19. She has been with the district as treasurer for more than 16 years. During her tenure, the district has consistently received clean audit reports from the state of Ohio. She has also regularly been recognized for her transparency and efficient and effective management of the district finances. “Despite all of the challenges in school funding, Deanna has worked hard to keep the district finances in order,” said Superintendent Walter Davis. “We have received a clean audit report for every year she has been treasurer. I wish her the best in her retirement.”On Tuesday, February 28, the Board hired local resident and Woodridge alumni, Mr. Tom Morehouse, to serve as the new district treasurer. We welcome Tom to our district leadership team!

Junior Core Team Learns About the Building Process

In early February, the Woodridge Construction Leadership Team met with our 27 Junior Core Team members, in grades fourth through eighth, to learn about the intricacies of building design. After hearing an overview by Braun Steidl Architects, the students worked in groups to design their own Lego buildings. They made drawings, took measurements and prepared material lists while staying within

a budget of $5,000. Lego blocks were priced according to color and sold along with string, foil, plastic and other construction materials. After purchasing materials and beginning the building process, the students were met with obstacles along the way, such as the buyer’s decision to add more windows. Junior Core members problem-solved with their teammates and constructed artistically designed buildings. The students enjoyed learning from each other as they presented their final masterpieces. The day ended with a pizza lunch and an invitation to the Woodridge Elementary School groundbreaking event, which will take place on March 19. Other upcoming events for the Junior Core Team will include on-site visits to the new construction site.

Woodridge Chess ClubBy: Don Lathem, Chess Club Advisor

1st Place: Tyson Bader, 2nd Place: Tyler Mathis, 3rd Place: Ian Chatterton, 4th Place: Jack Linton

1st Place: Carter Speakman, 2nd Place: Shayn Thompson, 3rd Place: Harvey Kever, 4th Place: Fatkhulla Mukhidov

1st Place: Cole Whitaker, 2nd Place: Conrad Haas, 3rd Place: Grant Kever, 4th Place: Billy Thompson

Woodridge Chess Club finished its internal grade level competitions in early February with a double elimination tournament. Awards were given for first through fourth place in fourth grade, fifth grade and Middle School and Up Divisions. One final tournament is scheduled for this year, which will include all ages so a club champion can be crowned! With over 70 kids registered

for Chess Club, it has been another fantastic year. Special thanks to our PTO for their continued support, and to Joselyn Kever, for being a wonderful parent volunteer this year.

FREE Parenting SeriesThe Free Parenting Series is sponsored by the State Support Team Region 8 and the Parent Access Collaborative (PAC). For more information, contact Susan Foley, Woodridge Parent Mentor, 330-928-9074 ext. 591703. Upcoming Events April 19, 2017, 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. What’s New in Ohio?Gary Tonks, Executive Director of Arc of Ohio, is back by popular demand. He will provide insight on current legislative issues, waivers and updates in DD and Medicaid services. It is an open forum, and Gary will address any and all questions. Registration is required. To register, contact Alice Doyle at 330-929-6634 ext. 511232 or aliced@SummitESC.org. A free lunch will be provided to those who register and specify that they are staying for lunch. The event will take place at the Summit County Educational Service Center: 420 Washington Ave., Cuyahoga Falls.May 8, 2017, 5:30 - 8 p.m. Medina Library, 210 S. Broadway St., Medina, OH May 9, 2017, 5:30 - 8 p.m. Summit County Educational Service Center, 420 Washington Ave., Cuyahoga FallsAll About Reading MentoringAmy Freeman and Debby Ambroza, Ohio Coalition for the Education of Children with Disabilities, Reading Mentoring Director and Specialist.Learn about www.Readinga-z.com materials including:• Free access to the website • How to use the www.M4RA.org and

www.Readinga-z.com websites• Access to alphabet, phonological

awareness, phonics, high frequency words, comprehension and fluency packs

• Understand your child’s need, level and pace

• Learn to make books Registration is required. To register, contact Alice Doyle at 330-929-6634 ext. 511232 or aliced@SummitESC.org.

Please visit www.woodridge.k12.oh.us/campus for the latest Campus Construction Project information.

February 2017 | Volume 3, Issue 6

www.woodridge.k12.oh.us 3Like us on Facebook! Woodridge Local School District • Follow Us on Twitter! www.twitter.com/woodridge

March Madness Bowling EventWatch March Madness while you bowl!Join the Woodridge Wellness Committee on March 18 for its third Fit for Success event, a March Madness Bowling event at Legend Lanes (4190 State Road, Cuyahoga Falls). The event runs from 2-4 p.m., with cosmic bowling beginning at 3:30 p.m. The first 50 registered bowlers will bowl for FREE! After the first 50 people, it will cost $5 per person for two hours of bowling. At the event, you can enter into the 50/50 raffle. You’ll also receive raffle tickets for the grand prize drawing. The winner will be announced in April at the Wellness Fair. Save the Date!The Woodridge Wellness Committee will host its capstone event, the Wellness Fair, on April 27. More details to come!

Empty Bowls Event Fills Bowls for the Needy, Raises $4,000By: Student Mary Kiley

On Friday, Feb. 3, 2017, WHS hosted the third annual Empty Bowls event. The event raises money for Family Promise to help families in the community who are in need.Those who attended paid for dinner and/or a homemade bowl. Dinner consisted of soup, salad, rolls, and a dessert of their choice. The soups available were broccoli cheddar, potato, ham and bean and vegetable minestrone. The dessert options were cherry cheese cake, Texas sheet cake and assorted cookies. Customers paid $10 for dinner or $25 for dinner and a handmade bowl.FCCLA officers Allison Schmeltzer, Julianne Dryer and Lana Norris are using this event for

their FCCLA competition project. Without these three students and Ms. Benson, the event would not be possible. “It is such a major event, and it would not be possible without their hard work and dedication,” said Mrs. Norris. Mrs. Norris is the FCCLA club advisor and had a huge impact on the success of the fundraiser.Members of FCCLA and Interact Club worked with special needs students and several teachers to serve those who attended, making the Empty Bowls event a success. Help included planning, cooking, cleaning, organizing and attending the event.The cooking for the event required many volunteers to help after school throughout the week. “Cooking for Empty Bowls takes a lot of time, but all of the volunteers made the work a lot easier,” said Julianne Dryer. The bowls were made by the hardworking art classes at Woodridge High School.Planning for Empty Bowls began around October 2016. The hardest part of the planning arrived the week prior to Empty Bowls. “There was still a lot of things to finish, and I wanted to make sure it went smoothly,” said Norris.The first customer came through the line around 5:30 p.m., starting the almost constant flow of patrons until about 7 p.m. The official end of the event was 7:30 p.m.By the end of the night, the event raised around $4,000, and donations are still coming in.

WIS Students Learn About the Life Cycle of Plants

Students in Mrs. Pyle’s science class have eagerly been exploring the life cycle of plants. After studying the difference between living and non-living things and establishing that living things must grow, reproduce and react to their environment, students examined the parts of plants. Diagrams of plants were made. Each part - the root, the stem, the leaves, the flower and the seeds - were drawn and labeled. Students then planted four different seeds in a clear plastic glove, allowing them to observe the plant’s growth and reaction to its environment. Students planted radishes, beans, peas and squash. It was amazing to see how quickly the

seeds burst open and began to grow. Students were able to observe and record changes in their plants on a daily basis. Root systems formed within a few days. Plants climbed to the backside of the gloves to seek sunlight. Students concluded they were reacting to their environment and finding what they needed to grow. After a few short weeks, students had to take their plants home to be re-potted. Some students are still observing their plants growing and beginning to flower! The students are eager to see if there are any “green thumbs” in class who can bring the seed to an actual vegetable that can be eaten!

Woodridge Launches FinalForms – Online Form and Data Management Service

We are excited to

announce Woodridge Local School District has partnered with FinalForms. FinalForms is an online forms and data management service. FinalForms allows student athletes and parents to complete MOST of their required forms for participation electronically. The most exciting news is that FinalForms saves data from season-to-season and year-to-year, meaning that you will never need to enter the same information twice! FinalForms also pre-populates information wherever possible for each of your students, saving you time. You will be able to review your information once per school year to verify information is current and to sign the forms.FinalForms is immediately available for all Woodridge student athletes and parents to use. The ONLY form that students and parents are still required to print is the OHSAA Physical form, which must be completed by a doctor and is accessible through your FinalForms login. Once your student’s physical is received by the athletic department, the expiration date will be entered into FinalForms, and you will receive automatic notifications when your student’s forms need to be updated.Get started today! Click on the Parent Playbook (Found online at www.woodridgeathletics.com) to get started in FinalForms. If you require any support during the process, scroll to the page bottom and click “Use Support.”Beginning with the 2017 Spring Sports Season (Baseball, Softball, Track and Field and Boys Tennis) ALL student-athletes (grades 7-12) will be required to use FinalForms to register

Woodridge Local Schools

4 February 2017 | Volume 3, Issue 6 // www.woodridge.k12.oh.us

for athletics. Even if your student’s current physical paperwork does not expire until after the new school year begins, please register at www.woodridge-oh.finalforms.com and electronically complete all the forms! Thank you for your assistance in streamlining our paperwork process in the Athletic Department.

When the Woodridge High School Academic Challenge Team Wins, We All Win!

WHS Academic Challenge Team: (Top row) Tanner Laughorn, Aiden Hartong, Maxwell Asher, Rhiannon Wallace, Ms. Arbogast (Coach), (Bottom row) Robbie Rush, Max Cook, Sam BergdorfNot pictured: Seth Conrad (Class of 2016), Valerie Blubaugh (Class of 2016), Tommy Muha, Zane Patterson, Delaney Wesig, Greg Muha, Andy Muha and Maya Gajic

Last school year, members of the Academic Challenge Team traveled to the WEWS NewsChannel5 studio in Cleveland to partake in the Academic Challenge tournament hosted by Jason Nicholas. Although the format of the TV show is quite different from the regular season, the Woodridge team, consisting of Seth Conard, Valerie Blubaugh and Tommy Muha, performed strongly and answered the questions with speed and gusto. Woodridge ended up winning against Northwest and Edgewood by 595 points to 380 and 375, respectively. Woodridge scored so high that they were in the top ten with only a couple of weeks of filming left. The team had to keep mum about how well they did because the show would not air until May 7! After a few months of waiting, Woodridge was told that they remained in the top ten. The top ten winners were invited to a luncheon hosted at Westfield Insurance Headquarters, as they are the sponsors of the Academic Challenge TV show, where Jason Nicholas and others gave positive speeches. Also given to the Top Ten winners was grant money from Westfield Insurance to be used to improve the recipients’ schools. The Woodridge team decided to donate the required 80% to the

WHS library for the purchase of some much-needed fiction and non-fiction books. The team would like to thank Westfield Insurance and NewsChannel5 for making this a win for the whole high school.

KeyMakersSome people see a closed door and turn away. Others see a closed door, try the knob, If it doesn’t open, they turn away.Still others see a closed door, try the knob, If it doesn’t open, they find a key, If the key doesn’t fit, they turn away.A rare few see a closed door, try the knob, If it doesn’t open, they find a key, If the key doesn’t fit, THEY MAKE ONE!Is there a KeyMaker in your child’s education? We would like to recognize Woodridge Local Schools’ employees and volunteers that have been KeyMakers, those who open doors for students. All nominated individuals will receive a certificate.To nominate a KeyMaker, visit http://goo.gl/GtduTM. We must receive all nominations prior to April 10, 2017. This program is sponsored by the Woodridge Local Schools Parent Mentor Program. The Parent Mentor Program assists parents of children with special needs in securing an appropriate education for their child.Call 330-928-9074 ext. 591703 or email ke_parentmentor@kentschools.net with questions.

School Lunch Subs NeededThursday, March 2, 2017, 3-5 p.m.School Food Service Information Session Would you like a job where you can earn income while your children are at school? What about a job where you can still get some “me” time in before getting dinner ready for the family? If so, we want YOU! Join us for an information session on how to be a school food service substitute worker at five neighboring districts: Tallmadge, Hudson, Revere, Woodridge, Copley-Fairlawn. Sign up to work at any or all districts. Maureen Pisanick, RD, LD, will be presenting “School Lunch Basics.” Don’t miss this great opportunity!• School Substitute Cashiers and Cooks wanted • Great Pay!• Work with Children in a Fun Environment!RSVP at: support@ppllc.infoPlease contact Christina Scalese with any questions at christina@pisanickpartners.com.

2017 WHS

KIDDIE CARNIVAL

FRIDAY,MARCH17WOODRIDGEHIGHSCHOOL

6:00-8:00 P.M.GRADES:K-5

GAMES-FOODADMISSION:

CHILDREN-.50EachADULTS-FREE

TICKETSFORGAMES-.25Each

Calendar of Events

3/03 Boys Varsity Basketball OHSAA Sectional Final, 7 p.m.

3/07 PTO Meeting @WPS, 6:30-7:30 p.m. WMS Band Concert @WMS, 7-9 p.m.

3/08 2nd Grade Music Program @WPS, 2:15-3 p.m.3/09 WHS Parent/Teacher Conferences, 4-7 p.m.

WMS Choir Concert @WMS, 7-9 p.m.3/10 WHS Musical, 7-9 p.m.3/11 WHS Musical, 7-9 p.m.3/12 WHS Musical, 2-4 p.m.3/14 PSO Meeting @WMS, 7-8 p.m.3/15 WIS Parent/Teacher Conferences, 4-7 p.m.

Music Club Meeting@WHS, 6:30-7 p.m.3/16 WPS Parent/Teacher Conferences, 4-7 p.m.3/17 Report Cards Issues3/19 Groundbreaking - Woodridge Elementary

School, 2-3 p.m.3/21 Board of Education Meeting @WHS, 6-7 p.m.3/22 Winter Sports Awards, 7-8 p.m.3/23 WPS Parent/Teacher Conferences, 4-7 p.m. Athletic Booster Club Meeting @Falls Moose

Lodge, 7-8 p.m.3/27-31 Spring Break - NO SCHOOL