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District News
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A Message from the Superintendent
Greetings Lebanon Parents, Caregivers, and Community,
During Read Across America Day earlier this month, I read to our littlest students at Bowman Primary School. As I sat with them I was overwhelmed by their excitement. As I read, I could see them wiggling and positioning themselves to catch a better glimpse of the pictures. They were engaged and listening as a funny book took them away to a different place. Stories are powerful, and the exercise of reading to students allowed me to see the spark of curiosity and imagination that we hope to uncover in each of our students. Sharing stories is a powerful way to build community and to learn more about each other.
I have often been asked by students what my favorite subject was in school. I loved math and science and I taught math prior to my shift into administration. You should see students' faces when I tell them I didn’t love reading as a kid! This is only part of my story, because I had an amazing teacher who asked questions and continued to encourage me to find books that I liked to read. It wasn’t that I didn’t like reading, I just hadn’t found what I enjoyed reading. Later, I developed a love of reading non-fiction. I love to read to learn about historical events and people. As a parent, this has helped me to encourage my own children. I see myself in one of my children while my other two can easily get lost in a fictional story.
We had fun celebrating Read Across America Week in our schools. I encourage you to read to your children regularly or to encourage them to find a book or author they love. One of the books I proudly display on my bookshelf is Dr. Seuss’s Oh, the Places You’ll Go. I love this quote because it speaks to the power of reading: "The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.”
Onward Lebanon,
Isaac W. Seevers
Celebrating 3rd Quarter Community Builders
Congratulations to our third quarter COMMUNITY BUILDERS! The Lebanon City Schools Board of Education members honored 27 students, six staff members, and one community business during the Community Builders Recognition Event held March 14.
The event, sponsored by Whit's, is designed to recognize those students and staff who live out the mission of Lebanon City Schools. A community builder is someone who cares about their community and takes action to make it better. These students and staff have contributed to their classrooms, buildings, and the Lebanon community in ways that nurture kindness, service to others, and mutual respect.
The following were recognized as Community Builders for the third quarter of the 2022/2023 school year:
From Bowman Primary: Diamond Parker, Carson Conger, Cameron Meyer, Jaxson Rapien, Ellie Rice Gonzalez, and Garrett Tekulve.
From Donovan Elementary: Roslyn Weller, Tommy White, Kambree Duckett, and Jack Coleman.
From Berry Intermediate: Alexandra Meyer, Liam Clark, Madison Wilkins, and Brody Woehrmyer.
From Lebanon Junior High School: Emma Kindoll, Raj Zala, Markayla Hawkins, and Maddox McCart.
From Lebanon High School: Ava Panek, Annabelle Denny, Aidan Camarena, Courtney Callahan, Katherine Ingram, James Bock, Beckette Gibson, Sydney Everett, and Rachel McCool.
Staff recognized: Alisa Rusell - Berry, Jamie Kindell - Lebanon Junior High, Rachel Hahn - Lebanon High School, Steve Richardson - Lebanon High School, Lacey Gibbs - Transportation, and Chris Brennan - Central Office.
Community Partner and Local Business The Woehrmyer Team (Barbie & Matt Woehrmyer) of Comey & Shephard Realtors.
Congratulations to all! This recognition is well deserved and their efforts are one of the many things that make Lebanon City Schools a place of excellence. There are GREAT things happening in Lebanon Schools!
Does Your Student Have a Meal Balance?
We allow students to charge meals at school because good nutrition is essential to learning, and we understand that sometimes children forget or lose their money. However, our Food Services Department is nonprofit. We depend on everyone to pay their student's outstanding charges in order to keep costs low for all students. Currently, a large number of students are collecting a high amount of meal debt.
Do you know if your student has outstanding meal charges? Click here to find out. Meal balances can be viewed online on EZPay.
THERE ARE THREE WAYS TO PAY:
Pay online with a credit card using our payment system called EZPay - this is the quickest way to pay. Click here to access EZPay and set up an account if you don't already have one. EZPay will work on a smart phone. Computer kiosks are available at Central Office, 160 Miller Road, Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Pay with a check. Place the check in an envelope with your student's name clearly marked on the outside of the envelope. Send the envelope to school with your child to be turned in to the school office.
Pay by cash. Cash must be enclosed in a sealed envelope and must have your student's full name, their ID number, their teacher's name, and the amount enclosed written on the envelope. Send the envelope to school with your child to be turned in to the school office.
IMPORTANT!
Previous to this school year, all students in Lebanon were able to receive free meals due to a nationwide pandemic benefit. That benefit ended this past summer.
All students are required to pay full price for meals, unless their family applies for a free and reduced price application and it is approved. Click here for more information about the free and reduced price program.
The Legacy Project ... Raise the Spear!
A comprehensive master plan for our Warrior outdoor athletic and extracurricular spaces has been created. We have state-of-the-art indoor facilities and we have long recognized the need to improve our outdoor spaces.
The bleachers at James Vandegrift Stadium (located at 160 Miller Road) are nearing the end of their useful life and need to be updated. The supporting structure for the bleachers is original to the stadium. It has been maintained, but is aging. The bleachers need to be updated to include handicap accessible ramps and seating and additional handrails.
The district believes that maintaining and ensuring safe and up-to-date facilities is a vital part of doing good business as a school district, and that all district facilities must be accessible to everyone in our community. The district is providing $2.5 million in funding to begin this project.
Phase One will include:
home bleacher upgrades at James Vandegrift Stadium
a new press box at James Vandegrift Stadium
field upgrades and installing turf at Lebanon High School for soccer and lacrosse practice and competition
excess dirt from the turf installation at the High School will be used used to create a safe and level grass practice field near James Vandegrift Stadium
In addition to district funding, The Warren County Soccer Association donated $240,000 and the Lebanon Athletic Boosters has committed an initial cash donation, plus annual pledges promised over the next 10 years.
Phase One is paid for and ready to begin. Bidding for the bleacher and press box work at James Vandegrift Stadium will begin this spring; construction will begin next spring with the goal of being open in the fall of 2024. Work to install the turf field at Lebanon High School will begin this fall/winter with a spring 2024 opening date for the lacrosse season.
A fundraising initiative is being launched, called the The Legacy Project, to help secure the necessary private support to fund future phases of work, which may include:
Upgrades and additions at James Vandegrift Stadium to possibly include: new restrooms, new locker rooms, new concessions, visitor bleacher upgrades.
In addition, ball diamond transformations at the junior high and high school campuses are planned, to ensure teams have access to four adequate fields with appropriate ancillary resources for freshman, JV and varsity teams.
Additional upgrades planned at the high school campus include locker room space, a band tower, a press box, restrooms, adequate storage, additional usable grass space for practice areas, and more.
The first phase of The Legacy Project addresses two immediate concerns - stadium bleachers and a second turf field - without needing to ask taxpayers for more money and without impacting general fund operating budgets.
The Legacy Project is not tied to an operating levy or bond issue.
LEARN MORE: Click here to learn more about this project and how you can get involved.
Warriors on Stage: Upcoming Concerts
Music enriches students' lives. Musical education helps to develop language and reasoning, promotes the skill of memorization, builds imagination and curiosity, helps to teach discipline, and builds self-confidence.
We value and recognize the importance of musical education and offer a well-rounded musical curriculum in our schools, which is why we've been named Best Community for Music Education. This distinction is given to communities that offer a comprehensive music program and is determined by the types of classes offered, the number of students involved in the program, and performance opportunities.
See for yourself how great our music program is! We encourage members of the community to attend a concert to experience great live music while supporting our student performers:
- March 20, 21, and 22 - Third and Fourth Grade Music Concerts beginning at 7:00 p.m., District Performance Center Auditorium
- March 28 and 30 - Second Grade Music Concerts, 6:00 and 7:00 p.m., Bowman Primary School
- April 21 and 22 - Lebanon Junior High School Spring Musical "Willy Wonka Junior" - 7:00 p.m., District Performance Center Auditorium
- April 25 and 27 - First Grade Music Concerts, 6:00 and 7:00 p.m., Bowman Primary School
- May 2 - Lebanon High School Band Concert, 7:00 p.m., District Performance Center Auditorium
- May 3 - Berry Band Concert, 6:30 p.m., District Performance Center Auditorium
- May 3 - Lebanon Junior High Band Concert, 7:15 p.m., District Performance Center Auditorium
- May 4 - SPRINGWAVE Music Festival, 4:00 p.m., Lebanon High School Courtyard
- May 7 - Orchestra Concert, 7 p.m., District Performance Center Auditorium
- May 9 - Lebanon High School Choir Concert, 7:00 p.m., District Performance Center Auditorium
- May 13 - Jazz Band Swing Dance, 7:00 p.m., Warren County Fairgrounds
- May 15 - Lebanon Junior High Choir Concert, 7:00 p.m., District Performance Center Auditorium
- May 17 - Berry Choir Concert, 7:00 p.m., District Performance Center Auditorium
The District Performance Center Auditorium is located at 160 Miller Road.
Check out the videos from these past concerts, including last night's Berry Band Solo & Ensemble:
Kindergarten Enrollment IS OPEN NOW!
We're excited to welcome the Class of 2036!
- Kindergarten registration for the 2023-2024 school year officially begins this coming Monday, March 20, but the online registration process can be started now - click here to begin.
- To register to attend Kindergarten in August 2023, your child must be 5 years old on or before August 1, 2023.
- Lebanon City Schools offers half day Kindergarten. Morning or afternoon Kindergarten assignments are made based on which "zone" you live in. Having these attendance zones helps us to keep class sizes balanced. Click here to see which zone you live in.
- Registration is a two-part process: first you will fill out the online enrollment forms (which you can start now by clicking here), then you will make an in-person appointment (scheduling for those appointments will begin Monday, March 20) at Central Office, located at 160 Miller Road. Click here to see a map.
Email: planicka.wendy@lebanonschools.org Office: 513.934-5880