The torrential rain affected many people in Orrville. August 8. Property was lost, possessions were ruined, and lives were changed. It was a night everyone will remember for a long time. While the schools didn’t suffer the fate of many around town, there was significant water in the high school. Water was in the Hall of Champions, down hallways, in locker rooms, and under wrestling mats. The athletic end was a mess. The biggest loss was the floor in Bob Knight Gymnasium. Working with our insurance adjuster, it was decided that the floor was a complete loss and would have to be demolished down to the concrete. While this is a huge loss, a group must be publicly thanked for all the work done to move events from Bob Knight Gymnasium to the Old Gym.

First, a huge thanks goes to the custodial staff, Mike Hostetler and Tanner Hostetler. The custodians from the entire district were here to assist with the immediate cleanup process. They were able to get the water off the gym floor quickly. Our head wrestling coaches, Jamie Keeney and Craig Grimes, and their kids took the day to help clean up all the water under the wrestling mats. Denise Dalessandro and Kyle Whitford stepped out of their normal roles and grabbed a mop to help. Many hands make light work. These individuals displayed great teamwork.

Now came moving an entire volleyball season to a different gymnasium. First, thank you to the volleyball team and the coaching staff for being flexible and understanding. While the news that the season could not be played in Bob Knight Gymnasium was not what they wanted to hear, they understood the situation and embraced the adversity. In addition, thank you to all of our coaches for being flexible while being “down” a gym.

Thanks to Kyle, Mike, and Tanner for moving our Hudl camera so we can continue to livestream the events.

Thanks to our PE teachers, athletics has taken up some of their space in the old part of the building.

Thanks to the Orrville Athletic Booster Club, especially Jeff Bertsch, Danielle Dalessandro, and Jason Lax. They cleaned out and made the “old” concession stand usable so fans could easily access game-time snacks.

Thanks to Jay Bishop and the rest of our administration for working diligently with insurance companies, restoration companies, and Ohio Floors to make this process go as smoothly as possible.

And, of course, thank you, Audrey Zuercher! As always, she has done a tremendous job of handling all the changes due to this situation effectively and with grace.

If others helped, THANK YOU SO MUCH! It truly takes a village to work through situations like this!

Replacing the gym floor should take about seven weeks if they don't encounter any roadblocks. We are so blessed to have the Old Gym for our student-athletes to use for competition and practice. However, we are looking forward to getting back into Bob Knight Gymnasium. Thanks for being flexible with us as we move through this process.

Dr. Toth

Here are ways that parents and caregivers can help their children and family become more resilient. Some of these may take some effort but are worth it in the long run. If you are a parent or caregiver, you can:

1. Set family goals and have children play an important role in working towards them.
2. When your child is defensive or aggressive, help them reflect on the situation to understand what is causing their behavior. Children may lack the skills to handle what's happening. They may need support. Help them build the skills they lack so they can respond in better ways in the future.
3. Practice role-playing how to handle different problems. This helps children develop ways of handling challenges.
4. Model an attitude of grit and optimism in the face of family challenges.
5. Work on solving problems together.
6. Teach your child how to manage stress. Participating in wellness activities together, like exercise or healthy cooking, can be helpful.
7. Find someone (like a tutor, mentor, or school counselor) to help your child improve specific academic or life skills.
8. Volunteer together to help others in need.
9. Talk to your child about past challenges and how they helped you grow.
10. Help your child find practical solutions to problems as they come up.

With parent and caregiver support, a child's resilience can develop and help them cope with difficult experiences.

Orrville High School has enough Guardian Caps for all our high school players. What is a Guardian Cap – see this article. https://www.wfla.com/nfl/why-some-nfl-helmets-may-look-different-this-season/

The process of getting everyone in a cap started last year when Al Teague and Bill Dewood donated 12 caps to our program. These caps cost about $70 apiece.

This fall, the Romich Foundation reached out to all Wayne County schools to see if there was interest in purchasing these. If bought in bulk, the cost of the caps was significantly lower. The Romich Foundation gathered orders and delivered to the schools on 8/26. Here is their Facebook post: - https://www.facebook.com/share/p/PHQfAK24Dr9RUtzV/

Special thanks to the Romich Foundation for supporting the full cost of these caps.