Olentangy's Top News

April is autism awareness month and students at many Olentangy schools honored individuals with autism this week with numerous events and activities.  At Walnut Creek Elementary and Freedom Trail Elementary, students held a blue-out day by dressing all in blue.  Heritage Elementary School held spirit week with different fun activities such as pajama day, and wear your clothes inside-out day.  To cap off their autism awareness efforts, Heritage Elementary students released blue balloons on the playground on the last day of the week.

Olentangy Orange High School celebrated multiculturalism recently by highlighting the many cultures that make up their student population.  Students, staff and visitors visited booths set up in the gym to see pictures and artifacts from many countries, enjoy cultural dances and sample native cuisine.  OOHS Student council sponsored the event, with help from OOHS teacher Stephanie Archer and parent and student volunteers.

Veronica Asbury, teacher at Olentangy Liberty Middle School has been named the local winner of the Barnes & Noble “My Favorite Teacher” contest.  Asbury was chosen from fifty entries at the Barnes & Noble Polaris store.  Mrs. Asbury was nominated by her student Marissa M.  Students were invited to nominate their teacher by writing essays, poems or thank you letters that share how their teacher has influenced their life and why they appreciate and admire their teacher.  Entries were judged on the compelling nature of the teacher’s qualities, the sincerity of the student’s appreciation and the quality and expression of writing.  Mrs. Asbury was honored at a reception at the Barnes & Noble store Tuesday, April 17.  She is now entered into the regional competition.

Olentangy Local Schools is proud to acknowledge National Volunteer Week this week (April 15-21) by sending out a great big thank-you to all of our wonderful volunteers.  National Volunteer Week was established in 1974 by The Points of Light Institute to recognize, inspire and encourage people of all ages to volunteer.  At Olentangy, so many people help to make our school district the best! For example, did you know there are about 1,600 people who volunteer their time and talents in our elementary buildings alone?  Not just the ever-important PTO duties, they give back in a myriad of other ways to free our students and teachers to concentrate on learning and maximizing student achievement.  In our middle schools, volunteers run the school stores, provide music and library help, accompany students on field trips, and host, cook and serve at teacher and student recognition ceremonies.  Our high school volunteers are music and athletic boosters, chaperones, mentors and tutors, speakers and motivators and so much more. This is just a short and most likely incomplete list of the ways in which our volunteers are invaluable to OLSD!  Thank you for all you do.

Art departments from all over the district joined forces to produce the annual spring arts festival Sunday, April 15. A variety of activities including fundraising, food vendors, live music and donations collected for Nationwide Children’s Hospital kept all festival-goers engaged and entertained.  The art was exhibited at all three high schools, but works from elementary and middle school students were also included.  An art contest with selected works of art was conducted, and winning works will be permanently installed and showcased in the new cardiac wing at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

It’s natural for parents to want to protect and support their children, but how much is too much? This 90-minute forum will examine the effects of hovering too closely to our children as they transition to adolescence and struggle to achieve their own identity and independence. Author Joe Bruzzese will give parents a positive, light-hearted look at the new set of parenting skills it takes to stay connected with children while fostering their independence.

Joe Bruzzese began his career as a teacher and coach, and those experiences paved the way to his first book, “A Parent’s Guide to the Middle School Years.” Bruzzese travels the country sharing his insight on parenting. He is also an instructor at the University of California at Santa Barbara and Azusa Pacific University and a featured contributor to Momster.com, a parenting website created by Family Circle magazine.

Please join us:

• Wednesday, May 2
• 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.
• Olentangy High School, 675 Lewis Center Road

Bruzzese’s books will be available for purchase at the forum.

Free babysitting services will be provided.  

Nine student athletes  from Olentangy High School (OHS) signed letters of intent or commited to play their sport at various colleges and universities on Wednesday, April 11 in the school’s theatre.   Olentangy Liberty High School (OLHS)  celebrated five students athletes who will compete at the next level.  Those students signed their letters of intent Wednesday, April 11 and Thursday April 12 at the school.

Congratulations and Good Luck Braves!

• Christopher C., Bellermine University, Lacrosse
• Jeff D., Ohio Wesleyan University, Golf
• Austin H., Alderson Broaddus University, Football/Lacrosse
• Jon M., Ohio Wesleyan University, Soccer
• Avery M., Capital University, Baseball
• Josh S., Otterbein University, Lacrosse
• Winston T., Wittenberg University, Football
• Madison W., Cleveland State University, Diving

Congratulations and Good Luck Patriots!                                                

• Jake B., Concord University, Basketball
• Aoife D., Eastern Michigan University, Softball
• Zach G., Alderson-Broaddus College, Baseball
• Alex R., University of Akron, Soccer
• Morgan T., Slippery Rock University, Volleyball

Olentangy Local Schools is proud to announce the building winners of the Central Ohio Writing Contest.  The school year 2011-12 marks the fifth year for the contest, which is open to students in grades four through eight in the categories of ficton, non-ficton and poetry.  Twenty-eight Olentangy students will be moving forward to the regional competition in May.  Congratulations and good luck to all.

Fourth grade winners:

• Allison, Wyandot Run Elementary School (WRES)
• Evette, Cheshire Elementary School (CES)
• Teresa, Freedom Trail Elementary School (FTES)
• Erin, Olentangy Meadows Elementary School (OMES)
• Matthew, Scioto Ridge Elementary School (SRES)
• Matthew, OMES

Fifth grade winners:

• Isabelle, OMES
• Lindsay, Tyler Run Elementary School (TRES)
• Amber, OMES
• Zachery, Alum Creek Elementary School (ACES)
• Lexi, FTES

Sixth grade winners:

• Jessica, Olentangy Hyatts Middle School (OHMS)
• Madison, Olentangy Liberty Middle School (OLMS)
• Sydney, OLMS
• Saarthak, OHMS
• Claire, Olentangy Berkshire Middle School (OBMS)
• Katy, Olentangy Shanahan Middle School (OSMS)

Seventh grade winners:

• Amanda, OHMS
• Maddie, OSMS
• Alexandria, OHMS
• Christina, OBMS
• Shannon, OBMS
• Sandhya, OHMS

Eighth grade winners;

• Griffin, (2 categories) OLMS
• Leah, OHMS
• Adam, OHMS
• Maria, OHMS
• Haley, OSMS

Olentangy Liberty Middle School teacher Jared Mills is making good use of the technology available in the district.  Mills, along with a few other OLMS teachers, conducts some of his lessons using iPods.  Mills encourages his students to bring their own iPods to class, or borrow one from the OLMS library, thanks to the generous donation of the OLMS PTO.  He utilizes the app called Socrative, which provides immediate feedback for the teacher about topics.  Socrative can engage all students in the class.

The Olentangy High School varsity girls and varsity boys basketball teams have won the state championship, academically speaking. The Ohio High School Basketball Coaches Association awards gold and silver certificate awards to those student athletes who carry above a 3.2 accumulative grade point average and who have exemplified the highest type of citizenship and sportsmanship. Olentangy High School’s girls and boys basketball teams had a combined 24 certificates, the  most in the State of Ohio, all divisions combined.

Olentangy Liberty High School varsity girls and varsity boys basketball were also recognized for academic achievement. Olentangy Liberty High School’s boys and girls basketball teams had a combined 20 certificate winners, second most in the State of Ohio, all divisions combined.