OCSD Newsletter

Dear Oberlin School Families,

Earlier this week, a message was sent out to families regarding the 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 school years. The District is currently in the process of reviewing and revising the academic calendars for both the 2025–2026 and 2026–2027 school years. We recognize the importance of finalizing these plans to support your family’s scheduling needs and to ensure a smooth academic transition.

At this time, the calendars have not yet been finalized; however, we anticipate completing the review process and making a final decision by next week. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to develop calendars that best support our students, staff, and community.

Here are a few other items of note:

• As Oberlin City School District prepares for the transition to a new, state-of-the-art facility for grades 6–8, tentatively scheduled for August 2027, we are exploring options for repurposing the current Langston Middle School building. A Community Forum to discuss the future of LMS will be held at 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 1, 2025 inside the LMS Media Center. All are welcome.

• The District is in the early stages of rebranding and updating our logo. This initiative is part of a broader effort to better reflect our values, vision, and the vibrant spirit of the Oberlin school community. We are excited to develop a modernized visual identity that honors our history while looking ahead to the future. As the process moves forward, we look forward to engaging with students, staff, families, and community members for input and feedback. At present we are asking families, community members and stakeholders to complete a rebranding survey by clicking HERE.

• Last week, the Oberlin Heritage Center hosted its Annual Meeting and Community Awards Dinner, a special evening dedicated to celebrating those who make a lasting impact on our community. During the event, the Community Educator Award was presented to individuals whose work embodies the mission of the Heritage Center—to make Oberlin a better place to live, learn, work, and visit. This year’s honorees included Mr. David Reese and Mr. Johnny Cole for their leadership with the OHS Men’s Work Project, as well as Mr. Nikolaus Ruiz, each recognized for their commitment to education, mentorship, and community engagement. Congratulations to all for this well-deserved recognition!

• The final results are in for the 2025 Ecolympics, and the news is worth celebrating! The City of Oberlin, Oberlin College, and Oberlin City Schools all successfully met the challenge of reducing both water and electricity usage by 10 percent each—a big win for sustainability and environmental stewardship. This collective effort highlights our community's ongoing commitment to conservation, energy efficiency, and building a greener future. To view the full standings and see how everyone ranked, please click HERE!

Sincerely,

Dr. David Hall

Superintendent

dhall@oberlinschools.net

On Wednesday, May 14, our talented writers will head to the Elyria Performing Arts Building to see who will take home the prize for each grade level. 🎉🎤

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Want to hear them read their books first? A Young Authors Book Reading/Meet the Author Night will be held from 5-7 p.m. on Thursday, April 24 inside the Oberlin Public Library! Good luck to all our amazing student-authors! Your creativity is about to shine! 🌟

OES students have officially started learning to play the recorder — an exciting milestone in their musical journey! This hands-on experience helps them build foundational skills in reading music, rhythm, and breath control. As they learn to play simple melodies, students also begin to create and understand music in a whole new way.

On Tuesday, April 22, 2025 all LMS students will participate in the YouthTruth Survey during ELA classes. The YouthTruth survey provides students with the opportunity to share their experiences about life and learning at Langston and their input helps us make impactful changes at LMS.

Before Spring Recess, LMS held its very first Cultural Night — and it was a HUGE success!
Big thanks to all the awesome staff, students, families, and community members who helped make it happen. It was a night full of learning, fun, and celebrating the many cultures that make up our school community. We’re already looking forward to the next one!

Last Friday, our 7th grade LMS students literally built their essays — brick by brick!
Using LEGO blocks to represent different parts of an essay, students physically constructed strong informational and argumentative essays, reinforcing structure, organization, and key writing components we've practiced all year. From topic sentences to supporting evidence and smooth transitions, each block had a purpose!

It was a creative, hands-on way to review before the OST — turning writing into a fun, interactive building challenge that brought the elements of essay writing to life!

Congratulations to Oberlin High School sophomores Nicholas Stalnaker and Roman Hoyle-Smith for their outstanding achievements in the Maltz Museum’s 2025 Stop the Hate® Youth Speak Out and Youth Sing Out contest! Nicholas earned second place, receiving a $1,500 cash prize and securing a $1,000 anti-bias education grant for Oberlin High School. Roman followed with a powerful performance, winning third place and earning a $1,000 cash prize along with an additional $1,000 grant for the school. We’re incredibly proud of both students for using their voices to speak out against hate and promote justice through the power of poetry. Way to go, Nicholas and Roman!

Theater has the power to transform, to inspire, and to push boundaries—and the production of “Little Women” was a shining example of that. From the cast and crew to the production team, every individual brought passion, dedication, and creativity to the stage. Together, they faced challenges head-on, broke through limitations, and built something truly exceptional.

What has been achieved in just three short years under the leadership of Mr. Smith and now Mrs. Sandford is nothing short of remarkable. Their vision and guidance have elevated our theater program to new heights, creating a space where students grow, take risks, and thrive.

We are incredibly proud and grateful. Thank you for believing in our students and supporting the arts! 🎭

Shipwreck Invitational Win

The OHS girls track team won the Midview Shipwreck Invitational on Friday, April 11, 2025. Our Oberlin girls are moving — blazing down the track, breaking PRs, and leaving it all on the finish line!

OHS Softball BIG Win

The OHS Girls Softball team came out swinging, earning a big 23-3 victory over Cleveland Central Catholic—marking Coach Hartshorn’s first career win against the team. The offense was on fire, with strong bats and smart base running leading the way. Come out and show your support at Softball Senior Night on Monday, April 21, 2025 as we celebrate our senior players and their dedication to the program.

OHS Baseball Senior Night

Don’t forget to mark your calendars for Baseball Senior Night on Monday, May 5, 2025 when we honor our senior athletes on the diamond for their hard work and contributions throughout the season.

Oberlin Athletics

Stay connected to Oberlin Athletics by visiting the website HERE!

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Athletic Director Mr. Danny Zillich at dzillich@oberlinschools.net or Athletic Department Administrative Assistant Ms Diana C. Pierson at dpierson@oberlinschools.net.

The Finance Committee will meet on April 22 to review the District’s Five-Year Financial Forecast and discuss the proposed state education budget. The Certificates of Participation (COPs) have been successfully sold, and the resulting funds have been received to support construction of the new Middle School facility.

Community members are encouraged to stay informed and participate in the democratic process—remember to vote in May.

Additional information from the Treasurer's Office can be found online by clicking HERE.

Are you an alumni of Oberlin City School District? Consider joining the Oberlin Schools Alumni Association! For more information, visit the website by clicking HERE!