Did you know that last month was Deaf Awareness Month? On Monday, Sept. 16th, some of our ASL-II students signed the Pledge of Allegiance at the board meeting. Then, several students spoke about how they have used the skills they learn in class out in the "real world" to make our community more inclusive and accessible to all. We are now in our third year of offering ASL here at LHS, and we are very proud of our students and our program!

Teacher Academy juniors and seniors visited Xavier University for an informative visit about college life, education majors, and all things Xavier. Students attended informative breakout sessions as well. Two former LHS TA students helped out on a student panel and with a campus tour!

The LHS Service Learning class has received a $5000 grant from ServeOhio to use for a service project this year. They were asked to speak about Service Learning and the ServeOhio grant at a meeting of the Warren County Family and Children First Council (FCFC) on Thursday, Sept. 19th. The council is comprised of representatives from Warren County ESC, Juvenile Court, United Way, Safe on Main, OSU Extension office of WC, Children’s Services, local school districts (Mason, Springboro, Warren Co Career Center), Mental Health Recovery Board, Children’s Advocacy Center, Warren County DD and Ohio Means Jobs. The group was joined virtually by Rebecca Verhoff-Kiss, the Director of Strategic Engagement for Service, who explained ServeOhio's role in getting young people involved in service to their community.

The LHS Service Learning students shared a little about the class, their research on the needs in our community, and how they have begun to help meet those needs through volunteering with the Lebanon Food Pantry, Joshua's Place, Family Promise of Warren County, and Neighborhood Bridges. They are looking forward to designing a great project using the ServeOhio grant that will help meet some needs in our community.

Each year, our students take End of Course (EOC) tests in April in six academic subjects. These tests, along with our graduation rate, form the basis for our ratings on our state report card. In short, 2024 was a record setting year for Lebanon High School.

A state report card consists of ratings in five areas: Achievement, Progress, Gap Closing, Graduation, and Overall. Each area is given a rating from one (lowest) to five (highest) stars.

• In Achievement, we were rated four stars. This rating is based on our Performance Index of 91.1 points, our highest ever. Our gifted student earned a Performance Index of 116.164, up nearly two points from 2023 and was our highest ever.

• In Progress, we improved from two stars last year to three stars this year. This is due to significant improvement in our value added scores in five of six tested subjects.

• In Gap Closing, we remained at three stars, but showed progress in math, our gifted students and earned our highest percentage ever in this area.

• Our composite Graduation Rate of 96.9% earned us five stars, up from four stars last year. This, too, is our highest rating ever.

• Finally, our Overall Rating is four stars, up from 3.5 stars last year. This is our best rating since this system was adopted in 2021.

These ratings are a testament to the hard work and dedication of our students and teachers. We still have areas of improvement, but all high school families should feel a sense of accomplishment with these results. We promise to keep it moving in the right direction, and do even better this year. ONWARD, LEBANON!

Special thanks to Bethanie Lamb and all the students and staff who worked so hard to make these events fun and memorable! This great tradition continues because of your commitment to giving our students and community a great experience.

Friends of Academics (FOA) acknowledges student academic accomplishments via awards, luncheons, and scholarships. To contribute to these achievement recognitions, kindly consider making a donation to FOA through their Venmo account @lhs-foa. Over the summer, approximately 100 senior students creatively decorated their parking spaces to show support for FOA. Be sure to visit the Friends of Academic link to champion LHS academics! friendsofacademics@lebanonschools.org Please don't hesitate to reach out with any inquiries.

Planning for After Prom 2025 has begun! After Prom is a fun, safe event that hosts over 400 students annually. This event is planned and hosted by parent volunteers in any grade. We always need new volunteers to continue this tradition. Please join us Wednesday, October 9th at 7pm in the LHS Conference Room to find out how you can help. Email After Prom at afterpromlhs@gmail.com with questions. We look forward to seeing you there!

Senior Signs are available to order using the link below. It will be posted on our Facebook and Instagram pages as well. The sign sale will run from October 1st through October 31st. Please follow the link below to order your signs. Cash and checks can be sent to school in an envelope with your child's full name and attention “ After Prom”. For Venmo please email us at afterpromlhs@gmail.com for more information.

https://forms.gle/UuHhPi6sJ6Hov8GK6

Pictures can be ordered online early at Mylifetouch.com using the picture day ID. Retakes will take place in the main conference room from 7:30 A.M. to 11:00 A.M., with students called down in alphabetical order. Those arriving late or leaving early for CCP can come for their photos when available during the session.

Graduate Service will meet with the Class of 2025 during an extended TEAM session starting at 8:13 A.M. to discuss renting caps and gowns and ordering graduation announcements. Please ensure that all seniors, including CCP students, attend this meeting. The graduation packet, containing important dates and information, will be sent to families via email and posted on the website under the graduation tab.

The Senior Panoramic Photo will be taken in the Main Gym. Students need to be in place by 7:00 A.M. in order to participate in the event. Pictures can be ordered online in advance at Mylifetouch.com using the picture day ID.

Graduate Services will return during lunch to take graduation orders from seniors. If you prefer your student to place the order in person, please have them bring the completed order form. Cash or check will be accepted. To order online, use the link button below.

Hello! My name is Beth Deuer. This year is my first year in Lebanon City Schools as a Gifted Intervention Specialist after teaching English for twenty-six years at Goshen High School. I have taught all levels of high school English including college prep and Advanced Placement. I am also a national reader of the AP English Language and Composition exam. I served for two years on the Department of Education and Workforce's Gifted Advisory Council. I am so excited to support educators in gifted education in Lebanon. I earned my teaching degree from Wake Forest University and my MAT from Miami. My gifted endorsement was earned through Ashland University. I enjoy reading (not only professional books), gardening, baseball, hockey, and travel. My favorite activity is spending time with my husband Jason, a nurse manager at UC main, and our rescue dog, Nutter Butter. Our daughter and soon-to-be son-in-law live in the Columbus area, so we visit them as often as possible.

Beginning next month, I will include news, updates, or resources for parents of students who are gifted. If you have any questions, please contact me at deuer.elizabeth@lebanonschools.org.

• SCHOOL DAY: School begins each day at 7:25 and ends at 2:25.

• DOORS OPEN: Doors to the building open at 6:55.

• PARKING PASSES : Passes are available for students with a valid driver’s license. Purchase at the front desk with check or cash.