THIS ISSUESuperintendent’s Letter 1

Meeting Our Mission 2

Green Bears On The Go 3

Teacher Feature 4

By the Numbers 4

District Download 5

Quiz Bowl Claims Nationals 6

A QUARTERLY PUBLICATION FROM OTTAWA HILLS LOCAL SCHOOLS

District Nurse Laura Baird Elected to DYS BoardOttawa Hills school nurse Laura Baird has been elected to the Diabetes Youth Services (DYS) Board of Directors. DYS is an independent non-profit organization that provides educational and supportive services for young people with diabetes, their families, schools, and communities throughout northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan.

Mrs. Baird shares, “My role oan the board expands my connections in the diabetes community and allows me to stay abreast of technological advances in diabetes treatment that translates to my day-to-day work with children. I am very appreciative for this opportunity.”

Elementary principal Kori Kawczynski adds, “The health needs of our students are always at the forefront of Mrs. Baird’s actions. She is passionate about her role in our schools and is always seeking opportunities to advance her understanding of the various conditions she treats. She wants the best for all of our Ottawa Hills children.” n

SPRING 2018

From the Superintendent’s DeskI hope you had an opportunity to come see our students in Les Mis, presented April 27 to 29. We have a rich tradition of theater productions at Ottawa Hills, but Les Mis transcended even that reputation. It’s hard to put into words the excellence that our students created on the stage—there just aren’t enough adjectives.

A group of ladies was sitting in front of me at the Sunday performance. For whatever reason, we created a bit of a connection during the performance. I think it was because they were as enthusiastic about applauding the performances throughout the show as I was. After an amazing performance, such as Nora Ayad captivating us with “I Dreamed a Dream,” Christian Sandelin belting out “Who Am I,” Randall Johnson singing the powerful “Stars,” or Priya Bhatt mesmerizing the audience with “On My Own” (or any number of other performances), a few of them would turn around and give me a “I can’t believe it” look. They were absolutely enthralled with our students.

I thought they were probably aunts and grandmothers of one of our performers, and thus, their enthusiastic response. But after the performance was over, they shared with me that they’re not from Ottawa Hills and they don’t know any of our students. However, they started coming to our musicals a few years ago and enjoy coming back each year to watch our students perform. They were especially blown away by this year’s production of Les Mis.

When they found out I was the superintendent, they gushed, “You have so much to be proud of.” And I confirmed to them, “Indeed I do.” Our kids make us all look good.

If you came to a performance of Les Mis, you walked away with confirmation that Ottawa Hills is a special place to live, work, and learn. That same weekend, our Quiz Bowl Team was in Chicago capturing a national title, our Science Olympiad team was competing at the state tournament in Columbus, and our athletes were representing us on the field of play. That’s a pretty good weekend in the land of the Green Bears—great kids doing great things.

Sincerely,Dr. Kevin S. Miller, Superintendent

LES MIS TRANSCENDS THE ORDINARY

OHHS SENIOR MADY MCCABERealizing her unique potential

Creating Great CitizensOn Monday, May 14, Ottawa Hills Elementary students participated in a “Relay Recess” to raise funds for the American Cancer Society. The day’s events were coordinated by the members of the elementary student council, shown here. As part of the day’s activities, OHES students hosted a luncheon for survivors and caregivers. They also attended informational sessions on nutrition and exercise, sun safety, and tobacco prevention. Over $5,000 was raised by the students to support the work of ACS. n

OH students are active, responsible citizens.

Life Long Learner:Roa Lynn (’55)•BenningtonCollege•NewYorkUniversityB.A.Political Science (’61)•NewYorkUniversitygraduate study – International Economics•StudiedarchitectureatCatholic University of America and the Rhode Island School of Design program in Rome•Printandtelevisionjournalist (Time, Newsweek, KUTV)•Seniorgovernmentadministrator for the state of Utah

“Ottawa Hills developed my sense of adventure and showed me how much fun it is to learn new things. My teachers were kind and generous with their time and attention. They made me want to strive for excellence, be creative, and have big dreams. In June, 2018 my OHHS class will have a 63rd reunion in Sausalito, CA. We still consider each other some of our best and most loyal friends. How many schools can instill that? Ottawa Hills did.”

meeting our MISSION

Our Mission:

In partnership with our community, Ottawa Hills Local Schools will challenge and inspire each student to realize his or her unique potential; to embrace learning as a lifelong process; and to become an active, responsible citizen.

When senior Madyson “Mady” McCabe came to Ottawa Hills in sixth grade, the first OHHS theatre production she experienced was Into the Woods. It planted a seed. She remembers, “After I saw Oliver my 8th grade year I knew I wanted to be part of what those kids were doing.”

Mady began her theatre experience with ensemble performances in You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown and Grease before landing her first speaking role in 12 Angry Jurors. Roles in Godspell and The Laramie Project followed.

But when she auditioned for The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, she was told by Mr. Broadway, “You had a good audition, but I can’t see you in a role.” She was surprised when later on, Mr. Broadway Tweeted that Mady McCabe was named “Associate Director” for the production. Mady says, “That’s when Mr. Broadway took me under his wing and really taught me what directing is.” Mady’s next stint was assuming dual roles as Mrs. Darvis and Associate Director of High School Musical in the spring of 2017.

Most recently, Mady has brought the house down playing Frau Blücher in last fall’s production of Young Frankenstein and Madame Thenardier in this spring’s Les Mis. Her performances have been mesmerizing, but her biggest theatre experience this year is taking place off the stage. This year, she has been taking part in an independent study in Theatre with Mr. Broadway.

Mady shares, “The independent study has helped me improve my leadership skills in a theatrical setting by taking part in activities such as learning how to manage a group of people, how to unify people, and how to make smart, effective decisions. It’s been more of an internship because I’ve had opportunities to be actively involved in programs like ‘Acting Out,’ helping to lead and direct the younger students.”

This fall, Mady will be attending Wright State University to major in acting. She will then look to further her education by focusing on directing and writing. She notes, “My ultimate goal is to live off of what I love—whether it’s acting, directing, or writing. I give a lot of kudos to Darrin. Through involving me in our school productions and this independent study, he has dedicated a lot of time toward helping me realize this dream.” n

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The Green Bear tennis team captured their own invitational. The invite included teams from Southview, Northview, St. Francis, Anthony Wayne, and Central Catholic. Ottawa Hills edged out Southview for the first-place finish. Pictured from left to right are Sam Assi, Matthew McGee, Djimmer Riemersma, James Schwann, Jack Yark, Rahul Bais, and Will Estes.

green bears ON THE GO!

Representative Bob Latta presented OHHS senior Bella Brandstatter with the top prize in the 5th Congressional Art Competition, a first in our school’s history. Bella’s artwork will hang for one year in Washington D.C. along with artwork by students from around the country. The opening ceremony for the show takes place on June 27 in Washington D.C.  Southwest Airlines generously donated two round trip tickets so that Bella and her parents can attend the show’s opening ceremony.

Several OH students in grades 5-7 participated in the BGSU Math Camp held at Ottawa Hills Elementary School. Students chanted, sang, and danced their way through various mnemonics and concept songs. They collaborated through active challenges, competed in games, and had plenty of laughs throughout the day as they learned and practiced many math concepts.

The theme of this year’s smART Show was “Texture.” The show featured student artwork, projects from a variety of classes, musical performances from individuals and groups, AP studio Art presentations, and a variety of creative demonstrations—from ceramics to robotics. Shown here with her award-winning painting is Shruthi Varier.

OHES sixth graders officially graduated from the DARE program, which is led by Sergeant Chris Sargent of the OHPD. Students were each presented with a t-shirt and certificate, and several students were selected to read their DARE essays to the student body.

Twenty OHHS students joined over 400 students from more than 20 high schools to participate in the Mid-American Model United Nations simulation in Kalamazoo, MI. Topics debated ranged from international cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space to international drug control and more.

The Ottawa Hills High School Science Olympiad team qualified for States with a strong Regional showing. The team had four Regional championships in Astronomy, Fermi Questions, Materials Science, and Mousetrap Vehicle. The Green Bears finished the competition with a 4th place trophy and qualified for their 6th straight trip to The Ohio State University for the state competition.

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84Eighty-four

Seniors will

receive their

diplomas during

the May 31

commencement. 12Graduating senior

Michael Helgren has

earned 12 varsity letters,

participating in football,

basketball, and baseball

during his athletic

career at OH.

BY THENUMBERSOttawa Hills facts & figures

38 Coach

Chris Hardman

is in his

38th season

as varsity

baseball coach

at OHHS.

OH junior Kevin Hileman was one of 127 soccer athletes selected as a member of

the United Soccer Coaches Association All-American Team

for 2017.

TEACHERFEATURE Paul Genzman

Sun Federal Credit Union’s Extraordinary Teacher of the Year

4

“ He tries

to create a

relationship

with each

student,

helping them

with their

problems.

He listens

to me.

This year’s recipient of the Sun Federal Credit Union Extraordinary Teacher of the Year award is junior high math and science teacher Paul Genzman.

Sun Federal Credit Union sponsors this annual recognition for each of its members schools: Oregon City, Ottawa Hills, Washington Local, and Anthony Wayne. The Extraordinary Teacher of the Year award was established to recognize outstanding and dedicated educators in each district. Parents and students are invited to nominate a teacher. Because Ottawa Hills submitted the most nominations, Sun provided a $1,500 scholarship to a graduating senior. Mr. Genzman chose Michael Helgren to receive this scholarship.

Mr. Genzman came to Ottawa Hills from Oregon City Schools in 2015. Previous to that, he taught at Put-in-Bay Schools for several years. In 2014, he received Ohio’s “Outstanding Earth Science Teacher” award.

Mr. Genzman received many nominations from students and parents. One parent noted, “Mr. Genzman has a gift for creating interest and enthusiasm around the topic of science.  My daughter has enjoyed his class more than any other this year because he involves the students in real world applications rather than just book learning.  Through ‘citizen science’ projects, he encourages his students to reach out into the community to explore different areas of science and allows the students to engage their individual interests and creativity, building on their love and understanding of real world science.”

A student added, “Mr. Genzman is a very smart person who helps all of his students in different ways. He listens to me. Although a teacher’s duty is to help students during school, he helps with things out of school. He listens to me.  All in all, he is always there for you and tries his best to help you with your problems to come up with a solution.”

 As part of the honor, Mr. Genzman received a $500 award from Sun Federal Credit Union. n

1127The Choraliers received

the highest possible rating of a 1—"Superior”

at the Ohio Music Education Association

state competition.

DISTRICTDOWNLOADH.B. 153 project provides improvements at OH Elementary

“Mindset” Community Discussions Are SuccessfulCommunity members, parents, and Ottawa Hills staff members came together in March and April for discussion and activities based on the book  Mindset by Carol Dweck. The events were led by faculty and staff members who had been taking part in a Mindset  course since January.

The discussions centered on the basic premise of a growth versus a fixed mindset. In her book, Dweck stresses, “In a growth mindset, people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work—brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment.”

The three sessions focused on laying the groundwork for a growth mindset, implementing a growth mindset at school, and implementing a growth mindset at home.

Over 300 Village residents and friends of Ottawa Hills Schools came together on April 21 at the Fifth Third Center in downtown Toledo to celebrate this year’s Green Bear Ball: Ebony & Ivory…In Perfect Harmony.

Green Bear Ball co-chairs Julie Hagenbuch and Lisa Dewhirst share, “Thanks to our wonderful committee of volunteers, sponsors, and the community, the 2018 Green Bear Ball really was in perfect harmony! We hope everyone enjoyed themselves The Ball profited over $105,000 to support the purchase of new pianos, an athletics record board, and improvements to the stadium.”

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Green Bear Ball 2018

2018 Green Bear Ball Co-chairs Lisa Dewhirstand Julie Hagenbuch

Money Matters Over the past year, the district has been implementing a House Bill 153 project at Ottawa Hills Elementary School. This legislation allows school districts to fund larger facilities improvement projects through a loan that can be paid back over a ten-year period using Permanent Improvement funds.

Working within our $2.4 million budget, we were able to address some facility issues at the elementary, including the replacement of the HVAC system. We replaced five different boilers, a chiller, and about eleven different individual air conditioning units with two new boilers and a new chiller that provides air conditioning throughout the building.

The new energy efficient system allows for regionalization of heating and cooling in the building. The system can also be monitored remotely so that we can adjust temperature settings as needed, even when no one is in the building. This past winter, despite cold temperatures, at no point were both boilers running at the same time due to their efficiency.

All exterior doors were replaced at the elementary. The doors are electronically connected and sensored. This gives us the ability to determine if a door is open or unlocked during non-school hours or in case of a lock-down. Main exterior doors are now accessed using programmable key fobs. The use of the fobs provides us with information

on who accessed the building and at what time. In addition, the fob system provides for energy efficiency with the HVAC system. For example, if a teacher fobs in during the weekend, the system knows to turn on the teacher’s classroom lights and begin heating or cooling in that teacher’s room.

New energy efficient windows were installed in the 1930 section of the building. The windows have integral blinds to give teachers control over daylighting. One window in each room acts as an emergency exit if needed.

In addition to the House Bill 153 project, another project was replacement of all lighting in both the elementary and jr./sr. high school with LED lights. The new LED system gives teachers the ability to dim lights in their classrooms to take advantage of natural lighting.

We were able to borrow the money from our general fund to finance the project. We will pay back the general fund annually from the Permanent Improvement fund over the next ten years. This will save the district approximately $220,000 in interest that we would have paid if we borrowed from a lender.

District Operations Manager Donnie Stevens says, “The improvements provide a more comfortable learning environment for the students. These energy efficient systems give us greater control over how and when the systems are used, saving the district operating costs.”

Our buildings still have many infrastructure needs with aging plumbing and electrical systems along with structural and space issues. However, the HB 153 project at the elementary has given us the opportunity to “do what we can with what we have.” n

3600 Indian Road

Ottawa Hills, OH 43606

NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDTOLEDO, OHIO

PERMIT #311

The Ottawa Hills High School Quiz Bowl team claimed the National Championship in the “Very Small School” division at the National Academic Quiz Tournament (NAQT) held in Chicago on April 28 and 29. Led by advisor Tony Torio, the team of juniors Daniel Liu and Mazin Omer and seniors Steven Randall and Will Koury defeated teams from Missouri, North Carolina, Illinois, and Mississippi in the preliminaries to qualify for the playoffs on Sunday. Their playoff victories included wins over Macomb, Illinois; Cooperstown, New York; West Point, Alabama; and Williamsville, Illinois. The West Point match-up was a great example of the expertise and confidence with which our quiz bowlers attacked this national competition. Mr. Torio shares, “West Point came alive in the playoffs, shocking Piasa Southwestern before taking it to the Green Bears. Ottawa Hills held the lead until the second-to-last toss-up when West Point snatched the lead as time was running out. But All-American Mazin Omer hit the last toss-up to tie the match, and then the Green Bears converted two bonuses to win and advance!”

In addition to the team’s national title, Mazin Omer received the Tournament All-Star Award.

Ottawa Hills was represented by not one, but two teams at NAQT nationals. The Ottawa Hills B Team of seniors Santi Garcia-Mata, Rahul Bais, Urvish Patel, and Sam Assi and sophomore Hank Griffin had a respectable 5-5 run at the tournament, just missing the playoffs. With this showing, the B Team placed 26th in the Very Small School division—well in the top half in the nation. n

OHHS Quiz Bowl Team Claims National Title

The website 24/7 Wall St. recently released its ratings of the top school district in each state. Their rating system placed Ottawa Hills Local Schools as THE #1 SCHOOL DISTRICT IN OHIO.

To determine the best school district in every state, 24/7 Wall St. developed an index based on various measures of child poverty, per-pupil expenditure, graduation rate, teachers per student, the percentage of adults with a bachelor’s degree, preschool enrollment, and AP enrollment.

Congratulations to our staff, students, and community on achieving this recognition!

Front Row (l to r): Mazin Omer, Steven Randall, Mr. Tony Torio, Will Koury, Daniel Liu Back Row (l to r): Hank Griffin, Santi Garcia-Mata, Urvish Patel, Sam Assi, Rahul Bais