March 5, 2008

Quote of the week:

Make it a point to do something every day that you don't want to do. This is the golden rule for acquiring the habit of doing your duty without pain.
                                                                                                                    --Mark Twain

District News:

• Thanks go out to everyone involved in the recent levy campaign. While the first 2008 levy loss is a huge disappointment, district leadership will do whatever it can to make prudent budget reductions, preserving student programs for as long as possible. To that end, there will be a community meeting on budget reductions on Wednesday, April 2 at 7 p.m. at the Forest Park Senior Center so that district staff and community members can provide feedback to the administration on proposed cuts.

“We have much to be proud of in this district,” said Superintendent Dr. Camille Nasbe. “We have great students, families, and staff, and we are truly ‘cultivating a world-class education.’  We can’t stop the momentum because of one setback.  There is too much at stake for our students.”  

• Daylight Saving Time begins on Sunday, March 9.  Remember to “spring forward” one hour.

• Congratulations to Winton Woods School Board President, John Pennycuff, who received The Ohio School Boards Association Award of Achievement for 2008. This award recognizes board members for their willingness to enroll and participate in workshops and conferences, volunteer for service to their association, and work on behalf of their own board.
 The Award of Achievement is a special honor and distinction available only to  Ohio school board members.

• Spring Break begins on Friday, March 21.  Classes resume on Monday, March 31.

Winton Woods High School News:

• Junior Justin Hisle, Winton Woods High School Orchestra Concert Master, will be featured as a WCPO Student of the week on tonight’s 5 p.m. newscast.  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.  

• Nine students in Mark Steedly’s Sports Marketing class at Winton Woods High School are off to the Ohio DECA Competition in Columbus this weekend.  Dan Clark, Steven Cleary, Jason Doan, Brian Davis, Noleena Booker, Mitchell Williams, Roderick Fitzgerald, Antonio Etter and Andrew Finnerson were among the top students at the DECA District 4 regional event held at Miami University’s Middletown campus on February 19. 

Over 230 students from six schools participated in over 20 competitive marketing events.  Schools included Centerville High School, Edgewood High School, Scarlet Oaks Career Development Campus, Sycamore High School, Warren County Career Center and Winton Woods High School.  The Sports Marketing program at Winton Woods is a Great Oaks satellite program. 

Winton Woods Sports Marketing students placing first were:
Jason Doan in Automotive Services Marketing
Steven Cleary in Sports and Entertainment Marketing Individual
Noleena Booker in Apparel and Accessories
Antonio Etter and Andrew Finnerson in Sports and Entertainment Marketing
Mitchell Williams and Roderick Fitzgerald in Buying and Merchandising

Winton Woods Sports Marketing students placing third were:
Brian Davis in Marketing Management
Dan Clark in Sports and Entertainment Marketing Individual.
Brianna Davis and Chiamaka Okwumo in Hospitality Services Marketing
Ellie Nightingale and Ariana Sanders in Travel and Tourism Marketing

Winton Woods Sports Marketing students placing fourth were:
Jessica Rice in Hotel and Lodging
Zipporah Tidwell and Cherish Smith in Sports and Entertainment Marketing

Rob Geralds placed fifth in Food Marketing.

DECA Diamond Trophies are presented to first through fifth place winners.  The Winton Woods Sports Marketing students won a total of 17 trophies.

All competitors took a 100-question multiple-choice test on marketing concepts and had to perform an impromptu role play situation that dealt with either human relations problem solving, selling, promotion, economic concepts, management decision making, pricing, product development, planning marketing strategies, customer service problem solving or a combination of the above. 

DECA is an association of high school marketing students who are pursing careers in marketing and management. Ohio DECA has 5,295 members with 190 chapters and National DECA has a total of 170,000 student members for the High School Division.

• Representative Steve Chabot will be visiting Varsity Ensemble to recognize the significance of the group’s upcoming trip to China.  Chabot will make a one-minute speech on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives honoring VE members.  That speech will be printed in the Congressional Record.  When he visits, Chabot will present VE with a copy of the speech and a U.S. flag that has been flown over the capitol. 
 
• It started as lunchtime chess games between math teachers Grant Keys and Tim Tilton and has turned into Chess Club at Winton Woods High School.  Keys and Tilton head up the club which meets on Wednesday afternoons from 2:15-3:15. Students meet to play chess, and Keys’s students receive extra credit if they attend. Thank you to teacher Matt Wallace for donating the chess boards. 

• Winton Woods High School held a mock primary during lunch bells on Monday and Tuesday to get students excited about the election.

• All Winton Woods High School choruses will compete at OMEA District competition this weekend.

• The Winton Woods High School Concert and Symphonic Bands will participate in the Tri-District Band Adjudicated Event on Wednesday, March 5.  Colerain and Princeton High Schools are also participating.  The concert and adjudication begins at 6:30 p.m. in Matthews Auditorium at Princeton High School. Everyone is welcome to attend.

• Miami University President David Hodge will be at the Winton Woods Board office on Friday, April 4 to meet and congratulate the 13 Winton Woods High School seniors who have been accepted to Miami University.  The students will enjoy a pizza lunch with Hodge. 

 
 
Winton Woods Middle School News:

• Eighth grader Tom Foertmeyer and seventh grader Ruhi Gulati will be competing at the Regional Power of the Pen tournament at Sycamore Middle School on Saturday, March 8.  Winton Woods Middle School Power of the Pen coaches are Kathleen Barger (8th grade) and Greta Shires (7th grade).

• The middle school’s "Career Fair" is 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.  Careers represented this year include: veterinary medicine, pediatrics, law, banking, automotive sales, fire safety and emergency services, journalism, and forensic science. The fair will be held from 8:15-10:45 a.m. and allows students to ask questions and learn about different career options. 
 
• Art teacher Patricia New took four students to visit a foster care facility in February to work with seven children ages 4-12.  The visit was an extension of their "Make a Difference Day" art projects that focused on making children feel special.  Students Joy Woodall, Tahmeekah King, Rhianna Howard and Queridea Young worked with the children on making prints. New and the students provided snacks and all art materials for the project.

• In cooperation with Children’s Hospital, health classes at Winton Woods Middle School are participating in a six-week program called Fun & Fit (Focused Understanding of Nutrition & Fitness In Teens). The program was developed by the Teen Health Center of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and stresses the importance of proper diet and exercise. The goal of the program is that students will develop habits that lead them on a path to a healthy, long and quality life, void of problems.
 
• Winton Woods Middle School art students will be featured at the Board meeting March 17.

• Biodiversity Club is lead by Language Arts teacher Kathleen Barger and involves a diverse group of students from different races, family backgrounds, socio-economic backgrounds and experiences.  Students bring poems (both student-written and published), lyrics and questions for discussion.  The group discussions are led by the students, but guided by Ms. Barger.  Topics include—but are not limited to—politics, peer pressure, identity, love and relationships (G-rated), racism, and changing ideals in American society.  “During the meetings students learn to express their points of view while really listening to each other,” said Barter. “They learn the value of respect for different points of views, cultures and home-lives.”  Biodiversity Club meets every other Friday. The next meeting is Friday, March 15.

• In a bit of friendly competition, the Winton Woods Middle School eighth grade boys’ basketball team took on members of the school’s staff in a basketball game that was a high-energy conclusion to the school’s celebration of Black History month. “The game was a fun time to build community and improve the school culture,” said Winton Woods Character Education Coach Mimi Gilmer.  Led by Coach (and principal) Dwight “The Hammer” Campbell and Assistant Coach Danny “The Heat” Oliver, staff members defeated the boys basketball team by a score of 23-13. 

The assembly also featured a Student Council presentation entitled “Life Without African-Americans” and the winners of the door decorating contest that featured African Americans of Excellence.  Mrs. Sellins and Ms. Sparke’s homerooms tied for first place in the door decorating contest and will receive breakfast from McDonald’s.

• Four music students from Virginia Tech University will be working with and performing for Winton Woods band students in grades 6-12. “These college students are taking time from their spring break to come present for our students on March 6 and7,” said Winton Woods Middle School Band Director Kara Barbee. 
 
The Virgia Tech students—Laurelyn Marin, David Cuffee III, Alex Schmitt, and Matthew Barbee—are members of a musical outreach group called Sonata.  They will be doing sectional work with the sixth grade band, full ensemble work with the middle school bands, and will perform a variety of musical styles for the high school bands.  They will also be working on jazz concepts with band members after school on Thursday, followed by another performance in the Winton Woods Middle School auditorium from 3:15-4:00pm. 
 
“Their goals are to enrich students' understanding and application of musical concepts as well as expose students to music they may have never experienced before,” said Barbee. While the Thursday afternoon performance will be mostly jazz, the performances for the high school bands will be much more diverse.  Electronic media, 20th Century pieces, and even an original composition by Matt Barbee will be performed.
 
"There is a lot of value in having special guests come into the classroom and share their expertise,” said Barbee.  “It's helpful for students to hear things in a new way and to make real world connections with what they're learning. I'm also very excited to see my brother work with my students."

Winton Woods Intermediate School News:

• COSI will be at WWIS on Wednesday, March 5 and Thursday, March 6 all day.  Students will have the opportunity to participate in hands-on science experiments. Sixth grade students will participate in this assembly on Wednesday, March 5 and fifth grade students on Thursday, March 6.

• The Winton Woods Intermediate School musical is Thursday, March 6 at 7:00 p.m. at Winton Woods High School.
 
• 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. 

 
Winton Woods Elementary School News:

• Paul Bartel of the Baroque Violin shop came to Winton Woods Elementary on Tuesday, March 4 to give a presentation to students on Chinese-made string instruments.  Bartel entertained students with a PowerPoint presentation of his recent trip to China and by playing his $2.5 million Stradivarius violin.  Bartel was joined in serenading the students by Winton Woods Orchestra teachers Kathy Rodriguez and Jonathan Welch.

Winton Woods Primary Schools:

• Primary North and South - Terra Nova Testing for Grade 2 is scheduled for the week of March 10-14. Terra Nova is a standardized achievement test.  Areas assessed are Reading/Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies.  The results are used to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of a student's achievement in each content area and to plan for further instruction.

• Primary North and South’s "Family Reading Night" has been rescheduled for Wednesday, March 12 from 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.  This night of fun-filled reading activities will be hosted at Primary South.  Arnice Smith from the Cincinnati Public Library will be reading stories to the students that evening.
 
• Boonshoft Museum is coming to Primary South on March 17 – 19 to present “Nesting Time.” This PTA-sponsored program is a hands-on workshop for students to learn about birds and the way they make their nests.  Parent volunteers are needed throughout the school day for all three days of the program. To volunteer, please contact Bobbie Johnson at 544-3080.

• Congratulations to the grand prize winners in Primary South’s art contest for Underground Railroad paper quilts.  First grade winners were Ms. Beachy’s class, and second grade winners were Mrs. David’s class. Runner up for first grade was Mrs. Voss's class and for second grade was Mr. Webb's class.  Students used picture symbols to create "quilts" which are on display in the school lobby.

• All students at Primary South created drawings in art class for a glassblowing competition. The following students’ works have been selected, and the glassbowing designs created from their pictures are now displayed in the lobby at Primary South: Jalen Swanson, Faith Starkey, Brendan Miller, Alexis Williams, Kelsey Williams, Jaylen Watkins, and Hannah McCarthy.    
• On Tuesday, March 4, when everyone over 18 years of age was voting in the primary election, Primary North students were voting to name a five foot tall Polar bear in the library.  The bear was a gift from second grader Taylor Sinkking and her grandmother Wilma Nixon, who works for Kings Island and who also volunteers by reading with our students.  
• Spring casual pictures are Thursday, March 20.

Winton Woods Community PTA News:

• Market Day phone and internet orders are due in by noon on Monday, March 10.  Pick-up is on Friday, March 14 from 6:00 - 7:00 p.m. at Winton Woods Intermediate School.