OCSD Newsletter

As we near the end of February, I wanted to take a moment to let our families know that our students have been actively learning about the origins and significance of Black History Month. Through engaging lessons, discussions, and activities, they are exploring the achievements, struggles, and contributions of Black leaders, fostering a deeper understanding of history and diversity. In fact, at OHS, the Black Student Council made the high school’s lunch menu for February - with special items being featured every Wednesday during the month!

Recently, our staff participated in an insightful Professional Development Day focused on immigration laws. Experts shared valuable knowledge, fostering understanding and support for immigrant students and families. This training equips us to create a more informed school community. And, additionally, our administration team engaged in a training course with El Centro’s Executive Director Mr. Victor Leandry where they also learned about immigration protocols and resources.

And, our dedicated District-wide food services staff successfully completed training over the past weekend, participating in the comprehensive ServSafe class. This important certification ensures they are equipped with the latest food safety knowledge and best practices to continue serving our students safely and efficiently.

As we head into March, we will be hosting the Ecolympics Community Kick-Off from 5:30-7 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025 inside the Oberlin Elementary School Gymnasium. Various organizations from the City of Oberlin and Oberlin College will be on site. All are welcome to attend. Together, we’ll celebrate eco-friendly practices, promote environmental awareness, and encourage everyone to participate in making our planet greener! If you’d like to attend, please consider filling out the form HERE. (The number of attendees are being collected by the Environmental Dashboard Project of Oberlin College.)

And, I wanted to close by giving a huge shout-out to our 5th Grade Boys Basketball Team who won the championship! Thank you to all who supported our team! They gave it their all, and we couldn't be prouder of their championship win and undefeated season! It was incredible to see so many school staff and Oberlin community members cheering them on—their support made the victory even more special!

(Written by Tri-M member and Historian, Gabi Levy)

Modern Music Masters, more commonly known as Tri-M, is a National Honor Society for music and the arts in high schools and middle schools around the country. Tri-M strives to enrich its members through community service projects by providing them opportunities to learn and help others learn. This year, after brainstorming numerous ideas, the members of the Oberlin Tri-M Chapter voted to do more performances this year as our service project. Members got into groups ranging from solos and duets to an octet, and prepared various pieces for our performance at the Oberlin Kendal retirement community on December 17, 2024. We walked to Kendal after school and performed a 90-minute program for some of their members - along with some of their daycare students in the first half-hour - and received a positive reaction. Kendall residents and other guests said they enjoyed the performance and Tri-M plans to do at least one more this year. Besides performing, we hope to do a fundraiser and attend a Cleveland Orchestra concert in March or April. If you are not a member of Tri-M but would like to be considered, please contact our Advisor, Mrs. Bronwen Fox, at bfox@oberlinschools.net.

The District received its bond rating earlier today. The pricing for the COPS issuance is scheduled for Tuesday, March 4, 2025 with funds expected to be transferred to the District by the end of March.

The middle school project remains on schedule, with building design in progress. Construction is set to begin in spring 2026, with completion anticipated by August 2027.

February has been a busy month for the Oberlin Middle School design team!

This group of District administrators, architects from TDA, and professionals from Hammond Construction recently completed the schematic design drawings for the new school. These plans are now being reviewed by the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission (OFCC) for compliance with the Ohio School Design Manual (OSDM). The new 6-8 Middle School will be funded through the District budget and the Certificates of Participation (COP) program. No state funding was allocated for the construction of this new facility. One of the District’s key goals was to complete this project without requesting additional funding from the community through a bond issue on the ballot. The District recognizes that the acquisition of new property has presented financial challenges for some community members, and we are proud to announce that this goal was successfully achieved.

The District and Board of Education have been diligent in monitoring funding/cost and financial planning over the past several years. Enrollment projections have been carefully tracked throughout the project, with annual evaluations conducted by the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission (OFCC). Our new facility is designed to accommodate both current and future student enrollment. Additionally, the District has factored in anticipated housing developments in Oberlin, ensuring that we have ample space should enrollment numbers increase.