ALCS APRIL 2023 newsletter

Spring Break was wonderful. Whether you got to “find a beach,” took a road trip, played endless hours of Mario Party (like I did) with a daughter who got her wisdom teeth out, or just chilled in the wonderful weather we had in Avon Lake, I hope you got what you needed to recharge for the last few weeks of the 2022-2023 school year. May for Pre-K to 12th grade students is not for the faint of heart and you need to have lots of energy if you are going to thrive.

In May of any school year, students can be divided into two groups. Group One are students who are going to return next year (Pre-K to 11th graders). Group Two are seniors who will be graduating in a few weeks.

Group One has lots to do in preparation for next year. Whether it is to finish learning the multiplication table or finishing Pre-Calculus they are getting ready to take their next step here in Avon Lake. Add extra-curricular and co-curricular activities to the schedule and May will be a blur. There is excitement all around for students returning in August as we finish another excellent school year at Avon Lake City Schools.

Group Two are the seniors who on June 2nd will become alumni. Business has to be taken care of by the Class of 2023. Some serious business like Senior English or AP/CC+ tests and some not so serious like Prom and Senior Field Day/Pep Rally. The countdown to Commencement will be hectic, but the Class of 2023 can be proud of their accomplishments in the classroom and outside the classroom.

Regardless of whether you are associated with someone in Group One or in Group Two you need to remember to celebrate an outstanding year. Summer break will be here soon and all of us need to slow down and reflect on what a great year we have all had - students, teachers, families, and community members. The effort made by everyone this year has been amazing and as we finish the year strong we need to say thank you to everyone who had a part in the success.

I hope to see you at one of the many May events!

Sincerely,

Bob Scott

#ALCS100

May 4: District Early Release Day

May 9: Board of Education (BOE) meeting at 6:30 p.m. L.A.K.E Center at ALHS

May 20: Prom at First Energy Stadium

May 25: Building A Legacy Community Forum at 6:30 p.m. at ALHS

May 29: No school (Memorial Day)

June 2: Last day of school

June 2: Commencement

Spring concerts for all our schools are taking place throughout the month of May. Please check our district calendar for specific school.

The Avon Lake City School District (ALCS) has been honored with the Best Communities for Music Education designation from the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Foundation for its outstanding commitment to music education. This is the fourth consecutive year the district has received the honor. In the past 21 years, the district has now earned the distinction 18 times.

Now in its 24th year, the 2023 Best Communities for Music Education program recognizes 830 school districts and 78 schools across 43 states for the outstanding efforts by teachers, administrators, parents, students, and community leaders and their support for music education as part of a well-rounded education for all children.

"Receiving the Best Communities for Music Education Award (again) is outstanding on several levels," said Bob Scott, superintendent. "First is to be able to showcase our staff and students from Pre-kindergarten to 12th grade. This award is not by chance. The Avon Lake music program is an important part of educating the whole student. A high quality music program pays dividends for our young men and women throughout their lives. Secondly is the effort it takes to keep any program strong. Avon Lake is dedicated to maintaining and improving our music offerings. I am unbelievably proud of our staff and students as they continue to excel in performing as well as make our programs contemporary."

Nearly 990 students in grades 7-12 participate in music (band, choir and orchestra), which is remarkable. At the high school alone, 568 of the 1,224 students (46%) are enrolled in music.

"The entire music department is honored to receive this distinction in 2023," said Emilio Jarufe, ALHS choral director. "Avon Lake is a community who supports the "whole child." A large part of that is music education. Avon Lake has always been a community that kept support for the arts as a top priority, and it is important to say in the same breath, that our music educators are truly excellent. From Kindergarten general music to their senior year of marching band, our students are blessed to work with music educators who teach academic excellence, "real-world" problem solving skills, empathy and kindness, through music education. I am beyond fortunate to work in a district where administrators and teachers place such high value on a child's music education."

Congratulations!

Congratulations to our Treasurer's Office staff and district treasurer Autumn Reed! The Avon Lake City Schools received the Auditor of State Award with Distinction for the FY22 audit. The award is given by the Auditor of State and represents the results of a comprehensive review of accounting practices, internal controls, financial transactions, timeliness of reporting, and compliance with federal and state regulations. Eligibility for the award includes criteria where there are no instances of findings, citations, material weaknesses, deficiencies, Uniform Grant Guidance findings, questioned costs, and no comments relating to ethics, account reconciliations, and other financial matters.

Thank you Sue Bement, Chelsea Florentine, Julia Lopac, Autumn Reed, Kelly Riggs, and Jill Wilson for all you do for our schools!

We invite you to join us for the next Community Forum slated for May 25 at 6:30 p.m. at Avon Lake High School to continue to discuss our Building A Legacy facilities initiative.

If you missed the previous Community Forums, all of the information is posted on the district website including the slide presentation, recorded link, and FAQ. Click here.

Please take the time to review the information. Also please share the information with your friends and neighbors.

If you have any questions, comments, or feedback on the project, please email them to feedback@avonlakecityschools.org.

Gifted Intervention Specialist (grades K-4 Erieview/Redwood) Cathy Brady wanted to provide students with an opportunity to participate in a creative writing project, and the Marilyn Bianchi Kids’ Playwriting Festival was the perfect way to share their creativity. The Dobama Theatre in Cleveland Heights offers an educational program taught by professional playwrights and theater artists that helps support students throughout the writing process.

This was the first year Avon Lake students participated in the festival, and 18 play scripts were submitted from our third and fourth-grade students at Erieview and Redwood. The festival averages approximately 200 submissions a year from students throughout Northeast Ohio. This year, 21 play scripts were honored and 10 of those will be produced and performed on stage in June.

We are proud to announce Kajsa Roberts, third-grader at Redwood, will have her play, "The Disaster of No Summer School," performed at the Dobama Theatre. Erieview fourth-grader Lillian Ritter received an Honorable Mention Award for her play, "The Power of Friendship."

"My play is about Darcy, a flamingo, who loves school," said Roberts. "One day she goes to school and it's in the middle of summer. She forgets there is no school in the summer. She was devastated

and then her friends try to cheer her up. Her friends also came to her house to play school with her. All of her friends are flamingos. They are my favorite animal."

Ritter's play is about the power of friendship.

"It's based off my friends and I and how I treasure my friendships," she said.

According to information from the Maltz Museum, each year approximately 3,000 students enter, and with the help of 300 volunteer readers, 20 finalists are named. Since the contest started 15 years ago, over 50,000 students in 12 counties across Northeast Ohio have participated, and as of this year, $1.5 million has been awarded.

Avon Lake High School is pleased to announce senior Misa Huls was named First Runner-Up! She receives a $10,000 scholarship, as well as a $2,000 Anti-Bias Education Grant for the school.

Huls moved to Avon Lake from New Jersey when she was a sophomore and initially attended classes online during the pandemic. Her essay focused on some of her personal experiences in school and how she was able to turn those experiences into making positive changes. She was given the opportunity to help pilot the peer leadership program at the high school thanks to the encouragement of her guidance counselor, Erin Grieger.

Huls will be attending The Ohio State University (major undecided). She is also the recipient of a Morrill Scholarship, Ohio State's premier diversity/merit scholarship program, rewarding academically talented students who are actively engaged in diversity-based leadership, service, and social justice activities. She is also a Mount Leadership Scholar for Ohio State.

Learwood Middle School seventh-grader Olivia Piazza, earned first-place honors in the grades 6-10 category. She received a $400 cash prize. Her essay also focused on her personal experiences and how it's important to stand up for yourself and others.

Congratulations to our 2023 Scholastics Art National Award winners, Avon Lake High School students Ava Gabriel and Ella Monchein!

Gabriel won two National Silver Medals for her photographs, "Sun Rays'" and "Touch Up."

Monchein won a National Gold Medal for her painting, "Of Mice and Men."

The artwork will be on display at Carnegie Hall in New York City in June.

We invite you to subscribe and follow Avon Lake Productions on YouTube and Facebook. Under the direction of Scott Herrick at Avon Lake High School, Avon Lake Productions features videos and live streams produced by Avon Lake High School students. Past videos include concerts, sporting events, and general school news.