Olentangy's Top News

The Olentangy Board of Education unanimously approved a one-year contract extension with the Olentangy Teachers Association (OTA) that includes a zero percent increase to the base salary.  This new contract, which begins July 1, 2011, will allow the district to avoid $1.3 million in potential wage increase costs next school year.

“At Olentangy Local Schools we care about our community,” said Board of Education President Julie Wagner Feasel.  “The board and all our staff members believe in joint efforts that build stronger relationships with the members of our community.  Thanks to the great partnership with the OTA, this agreement will provide some needed financial relief for the district and lessen the future burden to our taxpayers.”

The OTA is the latest Olentangy employee group to forego base wage increases.  In August, the board approved one-year contracts with the district’s two classified union groups.  These agreements included a zero percent base wage increase for the 2010-11 school year.  Last spring, the district announced that the non-union classified employees and the district’s administration would also be giving up base wage increases for the 2010-11 school year.  Those moves allowed the district to avoid $706,364 in wage increase costs for the current school year.  When combined, the district saved $2 million in wage increase costs by all employees taking a zero percent base wage increase.

“OTA believes in partnerships,” said OTA President Elaine Eddy.  “Our community is going through some difficult economic times right now.  The teachers understand and want to do our part as members of the Olentangy community.”

Most Olentangy schools are celebrating Red Ribbon Week October 25 through 29. Red Ribbon Week is a national initiative to unite and take a visible stand against the use of drugs and alcohol. As a part of this special week, Olentangy Orange Middle School (OOMS) students in teams 604 and 605 released red balloons outside of Olentangy Orange High School (OOHS). OOMS and other Olentangy schools are also having theme-based clothing days throughout the week, such as wearing orange and black for “Say Boo to Drugs Day.”

Olentangy Orange Middle School students in teams 604 and 605 planted daffodils and other bulbs in several locations outside of Olentangy Orange High School (OOHS) this week. The landscaping project was part of the students’ observance of Make a Difference Day as well as a way to thank the school for hosting them for the 2010-11 school year.

Students at Olentangy Liberty Middle School (OLMS) took an electronic trip to an archaeology lab at Northern Arizona University on this week. The sixth-grade social studies students used the video-conferencing service Skype to speak with two archaeology graduate students, who showed the students artifacts and answered questions about their career field. Participating in this project supported the ancient civilization benchmarks in the sixth-grade social studies curriculum.

The Olentangy Teachers Association (OTA) today approved a one-year contract extension that includes a zero percent increase to the base salary.  “OTA believes in partnerships,” said OTA President Elaine Eddy.  “Our community is going through some difficult economic times right now.  The teachers understand and want to do our part as members of the Olentangy community.” [Read more…]

Recycling is becoming a fun part of the lunchtime routine at Alum Creek Elementary School (ACES). This week the school launched a program that allows students to recycle their milk containers. In just the first three days of the program, students recycled more than 1,000 plastic bottles.

The idea to recycle milk bottles came from four fifth-grade students. They sent a letter to ACES administrators, who were happy to help set the program in motion.

A group of Arrowhead Elementary School (AES) students led the school’s third grade classes on a tour of European countries during their Culture Fair this week. Each student in the group shared a presentation comparing and contrasting a pair of countries in the European Union. The students have been researching these countries since the beginning of the school year.

Arrowhead Elementary School (AES) teachers and administrators helped to raise more than $500 by working at a Lewis Center McDonald’s one evening this week. In exchange for their work, McDonald’s donated 15% of that location’s profits for the evening to the AES PTO, which plans to use the money to purchase technology for the school.

Third grade students from Oak Creek Elementary School (OCES) got a first-hand lesson in local government this week when they took a walking field trip to the Orange Township Hall. Nelson Katz, chairman of the board of trustees, described the work of the township officials and answered students’ questions. This experience supported the local government benchmarks in the third grade social studies curriculum.

A special night for students from Liberty Tree Elementary School (LTES) and members of the Olentangy Liberty High School (OLHS) boys soccer team on Thursday. The team celebrated its senior night by honor each of its members of the class of 2011. Following the ceremony, the LTES Children’s Chorus sang the national anthem.