As the 2017-2018 school year has come to a close, I would

like to thank our entire staff for their hard work and

dedication. In addition, the support we receive from our

families and countless community members is integral to

our organization. As our daily lives seem to get ever

busier, the commitment of those who have shared their

time, talents and resources over the past year is sincerely

appreciated. I would especially like to thank our PTGs

and booster groups for the countless ways they enrich our

academic, art and athletic programs!

Unfortunately, our country has recently witnessed yet another senseless school

shooting. I want to assure our parents and community members that

providing our students a safe and secure learning environment is our first

priority. In April, the district conducted a vulnerability assessment at each of

our buildings. Results of the assessment will be used to further refine our

practices and procedures related to school safety. In planning for next year,

two additional staff members will be added, a part-time school social worker

and a full-time school resource officer (SRO). Our social worker will work in

conjunction with our school counselors and will provide direct care and

coordinate services for students in need. Our SRO will be a veteran deputy

with The Lorain County Sheriff’s Department and will be assigned to our

campus each school day. The SRO will not only provide another layer of

protection, but will also assist with further developing our prevention and

educational programing. Finally, in alignment with the district’s philosophy

that a comprehensive school safety plan includes addressing not only how to

respond in a crisis, but also prevention, our staff will receive further training in

both areas.

In closing, I would like to congratulate the Class of 2018 and their families.

The 64th graduating class at Firelands High School leaves well prepared to

embark on their new journey. As we prepare for next school year, we are

excited to welcome The Class of 2031, our incoming kindergarteners!

GO FALCONS!

Mike Von Gunten

Superintendent

FHS Class of 1995

@FLSDSuper

The Communities we serve: Amherst, Amherst Twp, Birmingham, Brownhelm Twp, Camden Twp, Florence

Twp, Henrietta Twp, Kipton Village, New Russia Twp, South Amherst Village, Vermilion and Vermilion Twp. PERMIT NO. 117

POSTAL PATRON

NONPROFIT ORG.

U.S. POSTAGE PAID

AMHERST, OH

You may view this issue online at:

VOLUM E 9 ISSUE 77 MAY 25, 2018

Graduating Class of 2018………………..…..………………..

FHS Class Officers………….………………..…………..…..

Online Meal Applications……………….…………………....

Wakeman’s Annual Firefighters Homecoming Festival……...

Gift Card Raffle……………………………………………...

South Amherst Alumni Scholarship…….…………………….

Game Night for Grades 9-12...……...……...……….………..

SAMS Soap Box Derby Race………….………………….....

TABLE OF CONTENTS

page 2

page 5

page 6

page 7

page 7

page 8

page 8

page 10

For Upcoming Kindergarteners

Classes begin

Monday, July 9th - Wednesday, July 11th

9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

at Firelands Elementary School

For more information, please call:

Natalie Saylor at 440-965-5872

Page 2 5/25/2018

Ayala

Alexander Jr.

Alice

Baird

Justin

Bartlett

Adam

Bechtler Michael

Bansek

Isabella

Barnes

John

Bechtler

Tyler

Bennett

Kaitlyn

Frazier

Morgan

Fuller

Brittany

Hembree

Zachary

Bennett

Holly

Blankenship Kerigan

Borton

Briana

Bowyer Megan

Brandich

Jessica

Buchdrucker Hailey

Burch Owen

Cogar

Nicholas

Denney

Riley

Denney

Brittany

Denney

Samuel

Dennis

Michael

Douzos Logan

Coon

Devin

Cowling

Noah

Hammond Alexis

Harasty

Connor

Eckman

Ethan

Hayes

Trevor

Edwards II Morgan

Edwards

Mason

Hildebrandt

Jasmine

Henderson Kyle

Hill

Grace

Habeck

Ryan

Hoffman Serena

Hoffman

James

Hogan Jr.

Emily

Holcomb

Page 3 5/25/2018

Miriam

Hughey Emily

Holland

Anthony

Houdeshell

Samantha

Ives

AnaCecilia

McKay Lodge

Noah

Metzger

Amaya

Mooney

Aaron

Myers Sean

Miller

Jacob

Montgomery

Morgan

Nance

David

Nary

Bianca

Inman

Rachel

Jackson Corey

Jones

Eric

Jones

Samantha

Jones

Tessa

Kasper Alaina

Kempf

Kaylee

Kerby

Savannah

Klingman

Evan

Lacey

Matthew

Lake

Lanna

Lalonde

Ariel

Langer

Sean

Lipscomb

Madalyn

Lyons

Richard

Maggard

Ryan

Martin

Ariana

McClung

Olivia

Novak

Justin

Ollis

Clay

Palmer

Madison

Palmer Mackenna

Paterchak

Abrianna

Perry

Richard

Peters

Olivia

Peterson

Jessica

Phelps

Colin

Ransom

Page 4 5/25/2018

Angelina

Rivera Hannah

Reynolds

Jaden

Ritchie

Tate

Smith

Aaron

Turnbull

Sarah

Walts

McKenna

Turton

Grace

Schlessman

Jacob

Selent

Jacob

Shaffer Caleb

Singleton

Brian

Smith

Elizabeth

Stark Brady

Stanton

Arilyne

Stanziano

Autumn

Swiers

Alexander

Szemesi

Zachary

Talbott

Garrett

Tester

Kassidy

Stevens

Sarah

Stitchick Logan

Strader

Calvin

Stull

Joseph

Tipple

Ian

Valerius

Nathaniel

Weitzel

Ryan

Wilhelm Greggory

Willard

Hunter

Willbond

Jordan

Wilson

Samuel

Wotton

Isaac

Yoder

Alyssa

Yorko

Alexandria

Zenda

Leah

Songer

Page 5 5/25/2018

Trent Aslaksen

Benjamin Bickel

Cameron Bolyard

Travis Clark

Christopher Dennis

Matthew Dennis

David Francis

Kyle Freeman

Abigail Hill

Xavier Irizarry

Alan Johnson

Mason Kennedy

Casey Koepp

Bethany Leon

Hayden Matus

Mallory Mayer

Tyler Miller

Spencer Morrow

Joshua Pennington

Landon Peterson

Luke Peterson

Jordon Phillips

Tyler Popa

Madison Pruitt

Mason Rogozinski

Sydney Sexton

Brandon Sherrard

Cory Simmerman

Hannah Skodney

Julia Smith

Nikki Stefanski

Grace Stephenson

Joy Vaughn

Jared Wray

BRIANA BOWYER

PRESIDENT

Briana will be attending Miami

University in the fall to study Biology

with a Co-Major of Pre-medicine.

Briana was a 2-year letter winner in

volleyball and a 4-year letter winner in

cheerleading. She has been very active

in volunteering at Murray Ridge Center

and working with the Special

Olympics. Briana graduates in the top

10% of her class. Parents are Sonia

and Scottie Bowyer.

ALEXIS HARASTY

VICE-PRESIDENT

Alexis is also the President of Student

Council, President of Junior Statesman of

America, the Vice-President of FHS

Choir, and an anchor for the FHS

morning news. She is also a part of Teen

Leadership Corps. She is also an office

aide, and a dance instructor of a

Hungarian Folk Group in Lorain, and a

teen leader at her church. She will be

attending Bowling Green State Universi-

ty to obtain a double major in Science

and Integrated Education and

Communications, with a minor in

International Studies. Alexis’

parents are Bob and Julie Harasty.

HANNAH REYNOLDS

SECRETARY

Hannah is going to the University of

Cincinnati to major in chemistry with the

pre-med track. Hannah was the varsity

volleyball captain, 1st team all Lorain

county, all PAC, and all district for

volleyball. 4 year letter winner for

softball and honorable mention in the

PAC. She volunteered at University

Hospital over the summer, was an algebra

2 tutor,

member of TLC, and volunteered at

Special Olympics, and Murray Ridge

center. Hannah is ranked in the top-10 of

the Class of 2018. Parents are Emit and

Michele Reynolds.

ANGELINA RIVERA

TREASURER

Anglina is a member of Tri-M Society,

was the Class of 2018 Treasurer, was the

co-founder and President of Spectrum

Club, and a member of the Tri-M Music

Society and National Honor Society. She

was also a member of the Falcon Bowling

team. Angelina also volunteers as a

student aide at Firelands Elementary

School. Angelina graduates in the top

10% of the Class of 2018 and will attend

Miami University in the fall. Angelina is

the daughter of Tabetha Rivera and

Steve Rivera.

Page 6 5/25/2018

40 Books and Beyond If you hang around South Amherst Mid-

dle School very long you will hear

“Reading Is A Life Skill” This is not

just a slogan it is the foundation for life,

especially for the generation of students

walking our halls. Sixth grade students

are required to read a minimum of 20

minutes nightly and comprehend a mini-

mum of 50 pages weekly in a book of

their choice. Students then conference

with Mrs. Neal weekly regarding their

independent book of choice. All of this

hard work has finally paid off as numer-

ous students have comprehended over 40

books this year. At the time of this writ-

ing the Class of 2024 has read a total of

3,794 Books this school year.Please join

us in welcoming the following students

into the 40 Book Challenge Club:

Collin Adkins, Jim Aunspaw, Logan

Bass, Nathan Bodak, Jack Copley,

ONLINE MEAL APPLICATION

COMING 2018-2019

Firelands Schools will be implementing

an online portal for free and reduced

meal applications next school year.

Parents / Guardians can quickly and eas-

ily fill out free and reduced meal appli-

cations in a secure, step-by-step portal.

The URL link will be shared once the

program is available after July 1, which

will be the start of the next fiscal school

year.

If approved through Direct

Certification, return signed letter.

DO NOT apply online

Must use a PC or laptop, no mobile

device

The online portal is the preferred

method to apply. Paper

applications will be available in

each school office upon request.

Links will be available on each

school homepage and the food

service tab for the online portal as

well as a printable copy

Convenient features for parents

Simple, automated step-by-step online

application process

Online applications are digitally

signed, automating the meal status

request process

Immediate determination and

communication of benefits upon

application signature (certain

applications will be pending until

approved by Mrs. Baumann)

Information is safe and secure,

protecting parent and student privacy

Automatically integrates with meal

payment systems, providing all

necessary payment information for

students

You must have your child’s student

I.D. number to complete the

application

Follow the step by step tutorial to

help answer any questions

A new application must be filled out

every school year

Meal applications can be filled out

anytime throughout the year. If your

income changes, you may reapply

Reminder: The meal status for this

school year will rollover until

September 28, 2018. If no application

is received, the meal status will

automatically change to denied.

On May 9th, one hundred sixteen 8th graders departed from SAMS for a memorable and educational 3 day trip to Gettysburg, Philadelphia and Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The

students toured the battlefields of Gettysburg and visited historical sites of Independence Hall and Christ Church. On the return trip the students experienced the moving and

powerful Flight 93 Memorial in Shanksville. We would like to take this opportunity to thank the 8 th grade students for their excellent representation of what it means to be a Falcon

by demonstrating maturity, responsibility and respectful behavior. Everywhere we went we received compliments on how well-mannered our young ladies and gentlemen were.

Their families and their community were well represented. A HUGE thank you to the Firelands Endowment Grant for funding the admission to museums and other educational

sites making it possible for many of our students to have this once in a lifetime experience. We would also like to thank Ziggy’s Pub and Restaurant for providing fundraising

opportunities for our students. Twelve staff members and twelve parent chaperones accompanied the students and helped to ensure their safety and are deserving of our gratitude

as well. We look forward to next year’s journey.

Page 7 5/25/2018

SCHOOL IMMUNIZATION REQUIREMENTS FOR 2018 - 2019

It is now time to update your child’s immunizations. If your child will be entering

school for the first time, or after attending school elsewhere, please be sure to

check that he/she is in compliance with State of Ohio immunization requirements:

Kindergarten – once your child has reached age 4, s/he can complete all required immuniza-

tions for diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus (DPT), polio (IPV), hepatitis B (HBV), measles mumps,

rubella (MMR), and varicella (chickenpox). If possible, have them done and bring a copy of the

record to Kindergarten screening on May 23, 2018.

Grades 1-6 – same requirements as for Kindergarten

Grades 7-9 – Grades K-6 requirements plus Tdap (DPT booster) and MCV (meningococcal

vaccine)

Grades 10-11 – Grades K-6 requirements plus Tdap (received in 7th grade or later)

Grade 12 – Grades 10-11 requirements plus MCV (must be received at age 16 or older)

Remember to bring your child’s immunization records with you when you go to your healthcare

provider or clinic. Please send a copy of the immunization record to the school nurse in your

child’s building, being sure your child’s name is on it. Don’t forget to keep a copy for yourself!

Lorain County Public Health, 9880 S. Murray Ridge Rd., Elyria, OH 44035 is now offering

immunizations (also known as vaccines) Monday through Friday, 8:30 am – 3:30 pm, with even-

ing hours throughout the month. A full vaccine clinic schedule is available at

www.LorainCountyHealth.com. Appointments are encouraged, although walk-ins are accept-

ed. Call 440-284-3206 for information or to make an appointment for both children and adults.

Bring all immunization records, insurance cards, and cash or check; although some children may

be eligible for discounts under the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program. All children under age

18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Note: Ask your provider about additional vaccines that are recommended for children ages 11-

19 such as 2nd dose of varicella (chickenpox), hepatitis A and human papillomavirus (HPV)

vaccines.

The Homecoming Festival will be held JULY 28TH & JULY 29TH. A

number of events and activities will be held each day.

Cutest baby contest, games, activities, pizza eating contest, live music,

food, and fun times for everyone and familes.

SATURDAY, JULY 28TH

Annual 5K run/walk at Wakeman Fire Station, 5371 SR 303.

Registration begins at 7:00am and race to begin at 8:00am. For more

info contact Brad Perkins @ 440.781.5324.

Activities, food and entertainment throughout the afternoon &

evening. FIREWORKS AT DUSK.

SUNDAY, JULY 29TH

Annual Wakeman Police Fishing Derby 9:00am at Wakeman La-

goons, SR 60 & US 20.

Annual parade at 1:00pm. Parade is open to any and all organiza-

tions, bands, churches, Fire Dept’s and old cars to participate.

Form a form: Email: wfhfestival@gmail.com

Facebook: Wakeman Firefighters Homecoming

Festival

There will be a car show at St. Mary’s Sunday afternoon following the

parade around 2:00pm.

Hoping for a nice turn-out and looking forward to returning & new par-

ticipants. More information will follow later.

What if you knew where all of your money was going each month? What if you were

debt-free, investing and making wise spending decisions? With Dave Ramsey’s class

Financial Peace University, you CAN take control of your money and start planning for

your future.

Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University (FPU) returns to Henrietta United Methodist

this Summer! Classes will be held on Tuesday evenings at 6:30 starting June 5th. Class

materials (membership) may be purchased online. https://fpu.com/1064857 Childcare is

provided. For more class information, please feel free to reach out to Julene at:

bjwoods611@gmail.com

Future of Firelands Committee Presents

GIFT CARD RAFFLE

1st Prize: $500 Target Gift Card

2nd Prize: $100 Visa Gift Card

3rd Prize: $50 Ziggy’s Gift Card

Drawing will be August 1, 2018

$10 Per Ticket or 3 Tickets for $20

Proceeds used to help promote Firelands School Levies

BUILDING A BETTER FUTURE

FOR OUR KIDS!

Tammy Sigsworth, Treasurer, Future of Firelands

Email: futureoffirelands@gmail.com for tickets

Page 8

Should situations arise that necessitate

district personnel to communicate

information to you regarding school

closings, delays or other non-routine or

emergency situations, the district will notify

parents/guardians in the following ways:

district all-call system

online at www.firelandsschools.org

via Twitter at @Falcon_update

Facebook at The Firelands Falcons

Should parental/guardian contact

information change over the year, please

remember to update your information.

5/25/2018

If you are a graduating senior with a parent or grandparent

who graduated from South Amherst High School, you are

eligible to apply for the south Amherst Alumni Scholarship.

This scholarship is awarded to a high-achieving senior who

has shown leadership in his/her school or community.

Return the completed application to Barbara Standen, 915

Milan Ave., Amherst, OH 44001,

NO LATER THAN JUNE 22, 2018.

Along with this application form, please include a copy of the

acceptance letter from the university you plan to attend in the

Fall of 2018. If you have any questions, please contact Barb at

440-988-3505.

The scholarship(s) will be presented at the annual South Am-

herst High School Alumni Banquet to be held on Saturday,

July 21, 2018, at the New Russia Township Hall in Oberlin,

Ohio. You will be notified beforehand whether you are a

chosen recipient and as such will be a guest at the banquet.

Applications are available at the Firelands Board Of Educa-

tion Office, Monday - Friday, 7:30 - 3:30 p.m.

Sincerely,

The South Amherst Alumni Board

Congratulations to the following artists for

having work presented at the 2018 ESC

Elementary/Middle School Art Exhibit at

the Elyria Public Library:

Zoe Glowacki (K)

Marlie Becker (1st)

Macy Paller (3rd)

Special praise goes to the 4 artists who

won additional recognition at that show:

Alexa Leimbach (K), Dorothy Wacker (2nd)

and Lydia Schlecter(5th) all received

“excellence” awards and Madison Howard

(1st) took a “Best of Show” award.

Well done, FES artists!!

Page 9

The Board has a duty to protect

and promote the health and

well-being of all students and

staff. To that end, The Board of

Education passed a

resolution prohibiting the use of all

forms of tobacco, including

electronic cigarettes, from being

used at any time on school

grounds, athletics facilities, or

parking lots.

5/25/2018

Call C & T’S RENTAL

440-985-9334

Dennis Stock

Chairs, Tables & Tents

for Every Occasion!

Lowest Prices Guaranteed! CHAIRS: .50 CENTS A CHAIR

TABLES: $5 EACH

TENTS: 20 x 20= $50, 20 x 30= $75,

20 x 40 = $100

Tent Set Up Available $40

PACKAGE: 20 x 20 Tent, 64 Chairs,

8 Tables & 2 sides for Tent $125

Firelands publishes a weekly blog on all

community activity. If you have a group

that is active in the Firelands district, we

are happy to post information regarding

events, fundraisers, open houses, etc.

You can visit the blog page at:

https://ffalcons.wordpress.com and look

for Community Updates.

In addition to the Community Updates, a

monthly article is published regarding

our Falcon Alumni. Topics covered

include graduations, engagements,

career changes, new businesses, birth

announcements and more.

The above information is also shared on

Twitter, @Falcon_update, and on our

new Facebook page, The Firelands

Falcons.

To submit information please contact

Jennifer at (440) 965-5821 ext. 1015 or

at: jbutchko@firelandsschools.org

Page 10 5/25/2018

Firelands Elementary School will once again host the

summer reading program June 4th- June 22nd. This

program is an intensive program designed to enhance

your child’s reading skills and to assist them in

reaching their educational needs. The program will

run from 8:00am-11:30am daily for three weeks.

Research supports that students experience learning

and reading loss when they are not taking part in

active education for an extended time. A summer

reading program is an excellent way of preventing

such reading loss. We are hoping that the students

take what they learn during the summer reading

program and continue those skills as part of their

summer vacation.

prepare the students for entering school in the fall. FES students will be invited to participate in the

Summer Reading Program. Letters will be sent home

to those students that will be recommended to attend

the three week program. If you have any questions,

feel free to call the FES office @ 440-965-5381.

Thank you for your continued support!

Welcome to all of the new

Firelands Alumni

members from the class

of 2018!

The 2018 Falcons Racing

teams recently prepared

their soap box derby cars

for race day at Derby

Downs in Akron,

Ohio. Over the past sever-

al weeks two teams con-

sisting of 7th graders at

SAMS rebuilt, weighed,

and tested their cars in

preparation for the Soap

Box Derby Gravity Racing

Challenge (GRC). During

the process, students

learned about factors af-

fecting the performance of

their cars such as axle and

steering alignment, weight

placement, and drag due to

air friction. Team Day was

held on May 11th at the

Derby Downs race track

where all team members

had an opportunity to race a car down the track after their cars passed the final weigh-in and inspec-

tion. Total weight for the car, driver, and additional weights cannot exceed 240 pounds. On Saturday,

May 19th both teams will race head-to-head multiple times against over 100 teams from all over Ohio

and surrounding states. For more information, visit the Soap Box Derby website at http://

www.soapboxderby.org/

Team members:

1.John Kovach

2.Kody Hamilton

3.Kevan Adkins

4.Mark Papp

5.Jeremy Partlow

6.Kaleb Ortiz

7.Madisyn Jessel (not pictured)

8.Brandon Boyer

9.Joe Formholtz

10.Vinny Hicks

11.Ryan Zimmerman (not pictured)

12.Ethan Boggs

Reinforcing these skills throughout the summer will

Future of Firelands

Golf Outing

Saturday, August 18, 2018

Email: futureoffirelands@gmail.com

HOLKENBORG EQUIPMENT CO .

9513 U.S. Hwy. 250 N.

Milan, OH 44846

Toys, Clothing, Gifts,

Tractors, Mowers, Gators

419-626-6640

“Your John Deere

Destination”

Authorized John Deere Dealer

Firelands

Board

of Education

PRESIDENT:

Ben Gibson

440-308-7811

VICE-

PRESIDENT: Mike O’Keefe

440-670-6469

Bob Danicki

440-371-6149

Tom Myers

440-864-4478

Dan Pycraft

440-774-2310

Henrietta United Methodist Church

www.henriettaumc.com

“Pray For Our Children & Our Nation”

52148 S.R. 113

(Telegraph Rd)

440-233-5200 Worship Services:

9:00a.m. & 11:00a.m.

Sunday School: 10:00a.m.

Page 11

Support the

Firelands Board of

Education and help

us to maintain the

Firelands Express!

ADS ARE ONLY

$200 A YEAR!

Contact the Firelands

Board Office at

440.965.5821 for more

information.

Please submit all

articles and photos to:

lseman@ firelands

schools.org

AUGUST 14, 2017

SEPTEMBER 11, 2017

OCTOBER 9, 2017

NOVEMBER 8, 2017

DECEMBER 11, 2017

JANUARY 8, 2018

FEBRUARY 12, 2018

MARCH 12, 2018

APRIL 9, 2018

MAY 14, 2018

JUNE 11, 2018

JULY 9, 2018

5/25/2018

Kennie Searight

Buying Antiques, Estates, Contents of Barns,

Attics, Basements, & Garages

Cell: 440.371.5594

Email:

kennethsearight@yahoo.com

Wood Boxes/Crates, Old Photographs &

Postcards, Scrapbooks, Military, Knives, Old

Hunting/Fishing/Trapping Items, Animal

Figurines, Dog Memorabilia Especially Hounds &

Hunting dogs, Crocks, Gold/Silver, Jewelry,

Pottery, Glassware Advertising Tins/Signs, Milk

Bottles, Mason Jars, Old Toys, Tools, Wood

Primitives, Farm Collectibles, Historical

Memorabilia for Lorain, Medina, Huron, &

Wayne Counties, Old Paper Booklets,

Advertisements, & Ephemera

Of All Areas.

STERKS

CATERING All Occasion Parties

Reservations:

(440) 775-0028

www.sterkscatering.com

Tree Trimming,

Tree Removal

and Stump

Grinding

Since 1964

Call Edwards Tree

Service

440-988-4477 Owner is Firelands

Graduate of 1958

Page 12

The Communities we serve: Amherst, Amherst Township, Birmingham, Brownhelm Township, Cam-

den Township, Florence Township, Henrietta Township, Kipton Village, New Russia Township, South

Amherst Village, Vermilion and Vermilion Township.

You may view this issue on line at:

All natural grain fed freezer beef

Sold by half or quarter

Ron Baumann, Owner 440/653-7189

12220 Gore-Orphanage Rd.

Wakeman, OH

Phone: 440/965-4660

Jane Bradford-Battig, D.V.M.

Leonard R. Battig, D.V.M.

Deichler’s

Tire & Service Center

48487 State Route 113 W.

South Amherst, OH 44001

Phone 440-986-9701

Full Service Automotive Repair

Serving Firelands Since 1953

5/25/2018

Gary Dodson

440.320.6464

Natalie Iafolla,

Realtor

440-308-7336

945 Red Tailed Lane

Amherst

$245,000 Firelands Schools!

45754 US Highway 20,

Oberlin

$239,900

3.19 Acres!

PROUD MEMBERS OF

THE OHIO FARM BUREAU

Making memories one H ME at a time

Sonsee Schramm 440.897.3014

Sonseeschramm@howardhanna.com

Facebook.com/SonseeSchrammRealtor

Linkedin.com/in/Sonsee-Schramm