Panther Pride Newsletter

Norton High School Hall of Fame Committee inducted our Class of 2025 with a nice ceremony in the commons. Special thanks to Travis Dobbins and Sharon Eader for all of their work with the luncheon and ceremony.

Pictured is the new class as we honored them at the basketball game on Friday night. For those of you who have been around a few years, you will recognize these faces. The new class included:

Travis Dobbins - Class of 1995 (Football and track, Distinguished Alumni)

Kevin Johnsen - Class of 2002 (Basketball)

Steve Smith - Class of 2009 (Football and Basketball)

Emily Krosnick - Class of 2017 (Bowling)

Congratulations again to the Hall of Fame Class of 2025!

On January 29th, the Norton High School chapter of National Honor Society inducted 28 new members of the junior class and 2 new members of the senior class. I appreciate the commitment these students make regarding scholarship, service and integrity, and I'm sure the new inductees will uphold the values associated with being selected for this prestigious group. Mrs. Jackie Mohseninia and Mrs. Hallie Ball provide excellent leadership for these students and I can't thank them enough for their work in providing a guiding force for all of these students to excel academically.

After four years of studying Spanish, Mrs. Pilasky’s Spanish IV students put their language skills to the test by creating their own children's books! These 12 - 24 page books included a glossary of any words that were new to the students during the writing process. Most of the students used AI (Dream Lab on Canva) to generate images to match their story's plot. One student even used an application to digitally design her own original artwork. The completed book pages were printed and assembled into hardcover books. Students then presented their stories to the class, reading aloud while displaying a slideshow of each page for their peers to follow along. After each page, classmates asked about unfamiliar words (in Spanish, of course), and the reader explained their meanings in English. Mrs. Pilasky further reinforced learning by connecting the new vocabulary to familiar words in different tenses. Nice work Spanish IV students and Mrs Pilasky!

Congratulations to the following students for their excellence inside and outside of the classroom as they have been chosen as our January and February Students of the Month. They truly exemplify what it means to be a Norton Panther. Panther Pride!

• Primary Loretta Loverink

• Elementary Jordan Butler
• Middle School Ashlin Davis
• High School Lizzie Gabor
• HS Compact Juan Pablo Paniagua-Hernandez

• Primary Sadie Roberts
• Elementary Rui Dowling
• Middle School Caden Raber
• High School Lucas Foote
• HS Compact Skylar Bechdel

Norton Middle School’s Speech and Debate program is thriving in its second year, providing students with an incredible opportunity to develop critical thinking, persuasive writing, and public speaking skills. This growing program benefits from a strong partnership with the accomplished Norton High School Speech and Debate team, whose members serve as mentors and guides to our middle school competitors.

This year, a dedicated group of 15 seventh and eighth graders have embraced the challenge of competitive speech and debate, going head-to-head with other middle schools in events such as Interpretation, Declamation, Congressional Debate, and Extemporaneous Debate. Since November, these students have spent their Saturdays competing in eight tournaments across Medina, Summit, Stark, and Tuscarawas counties, culminating in our very own home tournament on January 25th.

Their hard work and dedication have paid off, with multiple students earning top placements—ranging from 1st through 6th—in categories like Interpretation, Extemporaneous Debate, and Congressional Debate. Now, the team looks ahead to the Middle School State Tournament, where select members will proudly represent Norton Middle School and compete against top students from across Ohio.

We are incredibly proud of these students for their commitment, perseverance, and achievements. Their success is a testament to the power of teamwork, preparation, and the ability to confidently express ideas. The district is grateful to Tricia Meyer and Tricia Pletcher we’re leading these awesome students.

Norton City Schools proudly recognizes and congratulates the following teachers and community member for earning the honor of being recognized at the Summit County ESC Education Celebration on February 6th. This prestigious recognition is a testament to their dedication, passion, and commitment to education and Norton schools.

Megan Saurer - Teacher

Jamey Boezi - Rookie Teacher

Donna Ray - Lifetime Achievement

We are grateful for the impact you have on our students, staff, and families. Thank you for your hard work and unwavering dedication!

Norton Elementary students and their families had the exciting opportunity to attend a Cleveland Cavaliers game in February. More than 40 students and family members came together to cheer on the Cavs as they triumphed over the Minnesota Timberwolves. A highlight of the evening was the fan tunnel experience, where students had the chance to greet players as they entered the court. We are grateful to the families who participated and made this a memorable experience for everyone!

Mrs. Wert’s Art Classes had a contest to design Norton Primary’s Yearbook cover. Students worked hard on this project. Many drew panthers and paw prints. They had to think about their designs and how to make the cover look like a finished piece of art. They were all so creative and Mrs. Wert is so proud of all of her students!

We would like to congratulate this year’s yearbook contest winners: Cohen Sypherd with the front cover and Adalee Bowman, Luna McKown, Cassidy Shalala, and Stella Kay for the back cover! Congratulations to all!

• February 1, 1865: Abraham Lincoln signed the 13th Amendment, outlawing slavery
• February 3, 1913 - The 16th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, granting Congress the authority to collect income taxes.
• February 6, 1911 - Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the United States, was born.
• February 9, 1773 - William Henry Harrison, the 9th President of the United States, was born. He took office on March 4, 1841 and died only 32 days later after developing pneumonia from the cold weather during his inaugural ceremonies.
• February 12, 1809: Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, was born
• February 20, 1962 - Astronaut John Glenn became the first American launched into orbit.
• February 22, 1732 George Washington, the 1st President of United States, was born

In the event that school is closed due to weather or other circumstances, information can be obtained in the following manner:

• 1st Priority (main methods of notification)
• School Messaging System - via text message
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nortoncityschoolsohio
  
• School website: https://www.nortonschools.org/
• 2nd Priority (may experience delays due to call volume)
  
• Television: Local Television Stations Channels 3, 5, 8
  
• School Messaging System - via phone
  

• March 7 - New Open Enrollment Begins
• March 9 - Daylight Savings - Spring Ahead
• March 13 - End of Third Nine Weeks
• March 14 - No School - Staff Professional Development Day
• March 31 - April 4 - Spring Break - No School
• April 7 - School Resumes
• April 18/21 - Easter Break - No School
• April 23 - Administrative Assistant Day
• May 3 - Panther Run
• May 5 - 9 Teacher Appreciation Week
• May 10 - Prom
• May 11 - Mother's Day
• May 18 - Graduation
• May 26 - Memorial Day - No School
• May 30 - Student Last Day

4128 S. Cleveland Massillon Road

Norton, OH 44203

Phone: 330.825.0863

Website: nortonschools.org

High School

Grades 9-12

330.825.7300

Middle School

Grades 5-8

330.825.5607

Elementary School

Grades 1-4

330.825.3828

Primary School

Pre-K thru Kindergarten

330.825.5133

Attendance Hotline

330.706.2760