February 27, 2008

Quote of the week:

Personally, I believe that our American system works as long as you participate in it. You must vote and make your voice heard. Otherwise you will be left out.
--Mari-Luci Jaramillo, Educator

District News:

• There will be an informational meeting with Superintendent Dr. Camille Nasbe tonight at 7:00 p.m. at the Board of Education office, 1215 W. Kemper Rd.  The purpose of this meeting is to present information about the levy.  All are invited to attend.

• The levy committee needs volunteers to help distribute literature to homes on Saturday, March 1.  Volunteers will meet in the high school cafeteria at 9:00 a.m.  You will be provided with instructions and maps (each person will be assigned a route) along with literature, coffee and donuts!  This will only be approximately a two-hour time commitment and is a great way to get involved.  Make it a family event and come on out! 

• Winton Woods City Schools will begin accepting kindergarten registrations for the 2008-2009 school year on Monday, March 3.  Students must be five years old by September 30, 2008 to be eligible. If a student’s birthday is after this date, call the Department of Teaching and Learning at 619-2320 for more information on early entry testing.

 Kindergarten registration will be from Monday, March 3 through Friday, March 7  from 8 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Special evening opportunities to register include:  Tuesday, March 4; Wednesday, March 5; and Thursday, March 6. All dates from  4:30-6:30 p.m. The Winton Woods City Schools Enrollment Center is located at 8  Enfield Drive in Greenhills.

 Required documents that must be presented at the time of enrollment include:
• 3 items for proof of residence (lease, new home contract, mortgage statement receipt), plus two additional items such as energy, cable, water or phone bills.
• Original birth certificate of the child
• Any custody/guardianship documents filed with a court
• Immunization records
• Photo ID of parent/guardian enrolling the child

 Only custodial/residential parents or legal guardians may enroll a child in school.  For information on enrolling a foster child, please contact the Enrollment Center  at 619-2360.

• The Winton Woods City School District, in partnership with Cincinnati English & Cultural Enrichment (www.ceceglobal.com ), is offering a Chinese and English Summer Culture Camp from August 4-15 from 8:45 a.m. – 4:15 p.m.  The camp will be at Winton Woods Intermediate School and is open to 30 students entering   grades 8-10 (15 girls, 15 boys). Students should come with open minds, open hearts and an interest in global leadership. Cost for the two-week camp is $300; however, scholarships may be available.

Thirty students from Liuzhou, Guangzi, China will also be attending the camp.   Host families are needed for these Chinese campers.  Families need to be able to offer a bed (a separate room is not necessary), meals, and transportation to and from camp and camp events.

For more information, to register a student, or to sign up to be a host family, please contact Mimi Gilmer, Winton Woods City Schools Character Education Coach, at 619-2413.

• Winton Woods City Schools is offering faculty and community members the opportunity to join in a 10-day trip exploring Italy and Greece in the summer of 2009.   The trip will include stops at the Roman Colosseum, the Roman Forum, the Vatican, the Sistine Chapel, Pompeii, the Acropolis and Ancient Athens. “We’ll cross the Adriatic Sea in an ocean steamer,” said Winton Woods High School Senior Counselor Kevin Jones, who is coordinating the trip.

The $3,582.00 cost of the trip includes round trip airfare, triple or quad room in three- and four-star hotels with private bathrooms, ground transportation by motor coach, second class rail service, steamship or ferry transportation, continental breakfasts, daily dinners, sightseeing as indicated in itinerary, and specially-trained guides/couriers. Lunches, souvenirs, U.S. passport fees, and tips are not included.

For more information, contact Senior Counselor Kevin Jones at Winton Woods High School at 619-2414 or 404-5528 (cell).

Winton Woods High School News:

• The second Cherry Pie concert will be Thursday, February 28 at 7:00 p.m. in the high school auditorium. This concert will feature the sixth and eighth grade bands, the High School Symphonic Band and the Middle School Jazz Band. Refreshments will be served after the concert at the cost of only $1.00 per ticket for a wide variety of desserts and drinks.   

• Families and community members have the opportunity to hear the Winton Woods Varsity Ensemble perform some of the pieces that they will be singing on their upcoming trip to China. “The Winton Woods High School Choir ‘Tune Up’ Concert is a sneak-peek preview of the upcoming Varsity Ensemble China tour,” said Choir Director David Bell. The concert will be Tuesday, March 4 at 7:30 p.m. in the high school auditorium. 
 
 Varsity Ensemble will be premiering its performance of “In Harmony (He')” by  Rollo A. Dilworth, who is conducting the group in China at “A Choral Salute to the  Beijing Olympics. Other pieces include “Gate Gate” by Brian Tate, “O Nata Lux”  by Morten Lauridsen and “The Battle of Jericho” by Moses Hogan. “These are  also the pieces that we will be singing at OMEA District Contest the next  weekend,” said Bell. 

 The “Tune Up” Concert will also feature the Winton Woods High School Concert  Choir, Chorale and Chorus performing their competition music for the upcoming  OMEA contest.

• The WWHS String Quartet performed at the OMEA 2008 Queen City Conference on Thursday, February 7 at the Hyatt Regency downtown.  The group played Benjamin Britten's 'Frolicsome Finale' from his "Simple Symphony" in front of over seventy string teachers from around Ohio.  The WWHS quartet is made up of juniors Justin Hisle and Marika Gonther along with freshmen Malcolm Thompson and Patrick Kelly.  Having the group play at this event is a tremendous honor,” said Orchestra Director Jonathan Welch.  

Sam Rocklin, Winton Woods Middle School eighth grader, also performed at the conference as a member of the Cincinnati Junior Strings.  Sam is a bass player for the middle school orchestra and studies privately with Debbie Taylor of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.

• Justin Hisle, Winton Woods High School Orchestra Concert Master, has been named a WCPO Student of the week.  Justin was nominated by Orchestra Director Jonathan Welch. “This is quite an honor, and we are all extremely proud,” said Welch, who remarked on Hisle’s accomplishments as a violinist and his contributions to the community and district.  The film crew will be coming out to the high school this week.

• Congratulations to senior wrestler Joe Booker who will be competing in Columbus at the State Wrestling Tournament.  Joe earned his spot at state competition by coming in fourth place at the FAVC District Wrestling Tournament at Fairfield High School over the weekend.  Joe defeated wrestlers from Colerain, Troy and Lakota West High Schools. The state tournament will be held at the Jerome Schottenstein Center on the campus of Ohio University from Thursday, Feb. 28 - Saturday, March 1.  Joe’s current record as a Warrior wrestler is 31-5.

• Congratulations to senior football players Anthony Talbert and Maalik Bomar, who have both been offered full-ride scholarships to Miami University in Oxford. Maalik also has an offer from the University of Toledo. 
 
• Congratulations to senior football player Antonio Etter, who played defensive back and made Second Team All-League. Antonio has been offered and accepted a scholarship to Urbana University.

Winton Woods Middle School News:

• Congratulations to the winners of the 2008 Winton Woods Middle School Science Fair! These projects stood out among the hundreds of students who participated in the school's annual show highlighting projects in earth, biological and physical sciences.

8th Grade:
EARTH SCIENCE
1st place:  Ashley McKenzie
2nd place:  Julie Ruehl
3rd place:  Sami Fishwick

BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE
1st place:  Meghan Stifel
2nd place:  Kayla Rogers
3rd place:  Kelsey Randall

PHYSICAL SCIENCE
1st place:  Kristen Budke
2nd place:  Katelyn Budke
3rd place:  Courtney Irby

Grand Prize Winner of a pass to the Cincinnati Museum Center: Meghan Stifel
Runner-Up and winner of a pass to the Cincinnati Zoo: Kristen Budke

7th Grade:
EARTH SCIENCE
1st place:  Ryan Hunter
2nd place:  Shanice Wiechman
3rd place:  Kaitlyn Grieszmer

BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE
1st place:  Andrew Garcia
2nd place:  Rebecca Costa
3rd place:  Katie Schmittou

PHYSICAL SCIENCE
1st place:  Colton Mullett
2nd place:  April Otto
3rd place:  Emily Capal

Grand Prize Winner of a pass to the Cincinnati Museum Center:  Colton Mullett
Runner-Up and winner of a pass to the Cincinnati Zoo: Andrew Garcia

• The competition is heating up in Winton Woods Middle School’s annual Pennies for Pasta fundraiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.  February 29 is the last day for students to bring in money for this worthwhile cause. The current leading homerooms are:
Ms. Short – 1st Place
Ms. Barger - 2nd place
Mrs Meyer - 3rd place
Mr. Huellemeier  - 4th place
Mr. Lawrence - 5th place

• Congratulations to the 7th grade boys basketball team as they defeated Nagel Silver 45-38 to claim the FAVC Tourament title.  The Warriors finished 17-1 and 10-0 in the league.  Team members are:  Vidal Jones, Kevin Sand, Jules Ferguson, Michael Beckum, Darnell Dees, Nick Grissom, Keith Watkins, Dylan Wedlock, Kwan Cheatham, Chris Allen and Tyree Cross.

• Winton Woods Middle School will hold its annual "Career Fair" on Thursday, March 6 in the gym. The fair provides eighth grade students the opportunity to have a first-hand experience with volunteers representing many different career paths.  The fair will be held from 8:15-10:45 a.m. and allows students to ask questions and learn about different career options. 

Winton Woods Intermediate News:

• All fifth grade students have been invited to attend Camp Campbell Gard from March 10-12.  Any parents who missed our informational meeting or who have questions are encouraged to contact our Camp Coordinators, Marsha Myers and Janet Smith. 

• Parent volunteers are needed to assist with the COSI Program on March 5 and 6.  Students have the opportunity to experience hands-on science lessons throughout the school day, but we need your help to make this happen.  Sixth grade students will participate in this assembly on Wednesday, March 5 and fifth grade students on Thursday, March 6.  Please call the office as soon as possible to let us know if you will be able to attend.  We need at least 20 parents on both days.

• Winton Woods Intermediate School honors our Warriors of the Week for January 22-25: Alyssa Griffin, Alon Hayes, Chris Riffle, Mesha Hines, Rea Sylvester, and Emma Bedan.

• The Winton Woods Intermediate School yearbook is now available to pre-order at a cost is only $18.00.  Pre-ordering now is the only way to guarantee your student a yearbook, and order forms are available in the Intermediate school office.  Please return your order to the school office as soon as possible. 

Winton Woods Elementary News:

• Friday, February 29 is the culmination of Winton Woods Elementary School’s observance of African-American History Month and the school will be having a special assembly with storyteller Mrs. Omope Daboiku.  Mrs. Daboiku will be at WWES for two assemblies at 10:00 a.m. (third grade) and 11:00 a.m. (fourth grade) for storytelling in the African and Appalachian traditions.  Thank you to the Winton Woods Community PTA for sponsoring this event.  Parents and community members are invited to this special cultural and educational event. 

• The WWES Multicultural Celebration will be Thursday, February 28 at 7:00 p.m. in our gymnasium.  Entitled "A Day In the Life...," this program will feature students from each grade-level team and our fourth grade Select Chorus as they present songs, games, dances, stories and fashions from six different continents.

• WWES has been observing African-American History Awareness month during February by studying and appreciating the unique and vital contributions of African-Americans to our culture, country and world.  Each day in February announcements at the school have featured African-American firsts

Winton Woods Primary News:

• Primary North and Primary South students and staff would like to thank all our wonderful parent volunteers for making the Valentines parties such a wonderful success and fun for everyone!

• Congratulations to the following Primary North students who were recognized by their bus drivers as having excellent behavior on their school buses: first graders Lonna Jones and Allen Donegan and second graders Jayla Lee, Jayla Edwards and Charisma Lockett.

• Congratulations to the following Primary North students who received Hand Awards for Good Character for the week of  February 11: first grader Anthony Jackson and second graders Romiro Sotelo and Mercedes Flores. Also congratulations to Mrs. Lumsden's second grade for earning the All-Class Good Character Award.

• Primary North has been learning about jazz for Black History Month, and the unit was brought to a fun conclusion with a concert by the Winton Woods High School and Middle School Jazz Bands on Tuesday, February 26. “The music we have grown to love was brought to life right at WWPN,” said Media Specialist Karen Emmons.
 
Also this month, Mrs. Stone’s first grade class studied the instruments, artists and literature that are influenced by jazz.  Stop by her class and see the wonderful jazz city mural inspired by their studies. 

• Mrs. Stone’s first grade class has made a connection with friends at Primary South.  While learning about friendly letters, Mrs. Stone’s class wrote friendly letters to Primary South, and they are anxiously waiting replies.  Some of the students have also written letters to friends in the class, the school and at home.  Students are learning about the greeting, body of the letter, and the salutation. They especially like the P.S.—postscript.

• Mrs. Stone’s students also have a greenhouse that is up and running.  They have planted morning glories and will begin working on seeds for a variety of plants.  The students are also saving scraps of paper to recycle in the classroom.  They hope to use the paper as covers for the books they are writing.   
•    Registration forms for the Mad Science after-school program at Primary South     are available in the school office. For more information contact Eileen Mannira at   tmannira@cinci.rr.com.

Winton Woods Community PTA News:

• Registration forms for PTA-sponsored Creative Art after-school classes are available in school offices. The March session begins soon, so register your child now. The theme for March is “Wax On.”  Discover fast and colorful methods of developing a final picture by practicing with oil pastels on many types of surfaces. For more information contact Eileen Mannira at tmannira@cinci.rr.com.
 
• The Mad Science after-school program begins shortly at Primary South and WW Elementary School. Registration forms are available in these school offices.  For more information contact Eileen Mannira at tmannira@cinci.rr.com.
 
• Because of the snow day, Family Movie Night at Primary North has been rescheduled for Friday, February 29.  "Meet The Robinsons" begins at 7:00 p.m.  Be sure to bring your stadium chairs and blankets and come enjoy some popcorn and have a great time!