CENTRAL LOCAL SCHOOLS

As the famous expression goes, America is the “Land of Opportunity,” where people from all over the world can truly become anything they want to be. Such is the case for first-year Fairview Spanish teacher, Mr. Edu Eloy Maurel and his wife, Mrs. Lola Revuelta Cortés, who made a life-altering decision a little more than one year ago to pursue employment in the United States through a program called “Profesorado Visitante de Estados Unidos y Canadá,” or as it’s translated into English, “Visiting teachers in United States and Canada.”

“It is a program between the Ministry of Education of Spain and different countries, such as the United States, Canada, Australia, Ireland, Germany or China,” explained Eloy Maurel. “Around six hundred spots are offered each year for the whole country. To be able to participate, you must be a teacher in Spain and, in addition, you need a certain level of English language and experience requirements, which is why many of the people who apply to be part of the program are ultimately rejected.”

The journey into teaching started for Revuelta Cortés long before it did for Eloy Maurel. She had been a teacher in Spain, which qualified her for the program.

“I´ve always known about this program, not because I previously knew someone who had participated in it, but because I love new experiences, and I love travelling, so I usually check the webpage of the Ministry of Education to see new opportunities that might be of interest for me,” stated Revuelta Cortés. “I already applied for this program in 2020, and I was accepted at a high school in Michigan. But then the pandemic made everything a bit more difficult, so I rejected the offer.”

Then the same opportunity arose down the road in Antwerp, OH a few years later.

“The truth is that I applied for (a job opportunity in) Canada, but then they gave me the option of Ohio,” noted Revuelta Cortés. “I didn´t know much about Ohio apart from its location within United States. I accepted and passed my interviews.”

“Each state has its own requirements,” explained Eloy Maurel about the ability to become a teacher in the United States through this program. “Once you meet all the requirements, each state has an advisor who is in charge of doing personal interviews. If you pass that one, it is finally the school that does the last interview to choose its candidate. In our case, three videoconference interviews were necessary for my wife to be offered a position as a Spanish teacher at Antwerp Local Schools. The program lasts three years and, in some cases, it can be extended to five years.”

Fast forward to the spring of 2024, and Fairview’s seven-year-veteran Spanish teacher Mrs. Jacqueline Davis resigned for a new opportunity. Historically, finding qualified Spanish teachers is not an easy task for school administrators. However, Mr. Tim Breyman, high school principal, came up with a great plan. He knew that Eloy Maurel had been substitute teaching in area schools during the 2023-2024 school year, so he made contact with a few people, and the process for employing Eloy Maurel quickly took shape… although it wasn’t easy on the aspiring teacher’s end.

“It (becoming a licensed teacher) has been a sprint,” exclaimed Eloy Maurel. “I am a civil engineer, so the world of education is something new for me. It is true that it has always been something that has called my attention, but I had never taken the step. When I arrived here, I started as a substitute teacher, and I realized that I liked it and that I could be useful.

“When the possibility of becoming a Spanish teacher arose at the end of April, I did not hesitate, despite the effort that it entailed. First, I had to pass an oral and written Spanish exam to certify that my level was sufficient to teach that subject. That was obviously the easy part for me. Then, coinciding with our family vacation in Spain, I had to complete a very extensive 180-hour training course in just two months. This was a great effort, since the course had part theory and part practice, and obviously everything was in English. As expected, as it is not my native language, the time I invested in writing my practical assignments was high.”

But the hard work paid off just in time: “I got my (Ohio teaching) license a week before classes began!”

On top of everything else going on, the couple shares a beautiful three-year-old daughter named Maria, who for the most part knows Northwest Ohio as her only home.

“My daughter is the one who has adapted best,” admitted Eloy Maurel. “When we arrived here, she was only twenty-one months, so she was not aware of the great change that this meant. At first, it was hard because it took months until we found our permanent home, and for us this meant a lot of stress and worry, not finding a place to live. However, she was never aware of all this.

“Regarding the language, María was just starting to speak when we arrived, so she has learned three languages ​​at the same time: Spanish, Catalan, and English without any problem. In Spain, she had been going to a bilingual Spanish-English childcare for some time, and here we wanted her to continue attending it. Once we found the childcare, the transition was easy. She is a girl who likes to be with other children. Now, she has her routine at the childcare, some extra activities like dancing and swimming, and we love spending time together as a family.”

Revuelta Cortés echoes a similar message concerning her daughter as what her husband does.

“Our daughter is fully adapted to the life in Ohio,” noted Revuelta Cortés. “After a year of full immersion in English, she is now able to speak English, together with Spanish and Catalan, which is another language that is spoken in the specific part of Spain where we come from.

“Obviously, she is much more proficient in Spanish than in English because she has had a lot more input. However, we can see how she sometimes mixes the three languages in a single sentence. She knows which language to use with each individual. That is something that may seem difficult, but is pretty normal for kids with different mother tongues, that is, bilingual or multilingual kids. She is at that stage of life when our linguistic system is being forged, and for kids of this age that is not a problem since they are sponges, which means that they are able to learn any language they are exposed to, and they will do it in a proficient way. That is another reason why we came here with a twenty-one-month-old daughter; we just wanted her to learn the language in a real context."

Although the transition for Maria has been seamless, the adults admit that the adjustment has taken time.

“We come from a big city, Barcelona, ​​so there is a lot of differences (between Spain and Northwest Ohio),” stated Eloy Maurel. “In big cities everything seems to go faster, and here, life is more relaxed.

“Although it is true that the beginning was hard, due to the housing searching and not knowing anyone, once we settled in, we could openly say that we are happy to be here. We want to thank everyone who helped us at the beginning. All of them have made a difference for us. Thanks to all of them, despite having family far away, we have felt very welcomed.

“We have several anecdotes that have happened to us due to the culture shock, but we have adapted well. There are differences such as in food, restaurant tips, school system, etc… but perhaps, what we find most difficult is the meal schedules. In Spain, we usually eat around 2:30-3:00 pm and have dinner after 9:30 pm. We are improving, and now we usually have dinner before 8:00 pm. For us, it is quite an achievement!”

As far as the differences between teenagers in Spain and teenagers in Northwest Ohio, again, they have noted some obvious ones.

“I would say that teenagers here are calmer and have other interests or hobbies,” explained Eloy Maurel. “I don't think it's all due to a cultural difference but rather to the rural environment we live in. Here, children are more at home, and in Spain at that age, they are more street-wise.”

According to Revuelta Cortés, both sets of teenagers are special in their own ways: “The ideal combination for me would be to have the outgoing and adventurous spirit of Spanish teenagers, who are street-smart and enjoy spending time outside, together with the respectful, kind and extremely polite character of the kids in these rural areas.”

For those adventurous readers, Revuelta Cortés concluded with some great parenting advice: “My parents were the ones who insufflated in me this desire to know more about people in other parts of the world, other cultures and lifestyles, and they did this by means of the many trips we did in my childhood. But they also helped me open my eyes to the world as a teenager. That´s what we are trying to do with our daughter, and that´s what I encourage families to do with their kids, since traveling and having new experiences is the best legacy we can leave to them, and there is still a world to be discovered and enjoyed by our youth.”

For students interested in hands-on activities and learning something new while “on the job,” the Fairview High School engineering classes are for you. The latest example of these attributes is a project Mr. Ray Breninger recently introduced to his Engineering 3 students.

“My Engineering 3 students recently designed and 3D-printed some caps for a table in the concession stand at the football stadium,” explained Breininger. “Daniel Vogelsong and Payton Kimpel used their tinker cad to design and create the necessary 3D STL files to be printed in the maker space.”

To better understand 3D STL files, this term is defined by Adobe as “a file format commonly used for 3D printing and computer-aided design (CAD). The name STL is an acronym that stands for stereolithography — a popular 3D printing technology.”

“Mrs. Beverly Singer made this request right before school started this year,” continued Breininger. “I used this project request as an opportunity to review the engineering design process for these guys. They used the review of the engineering design process as they are currently preparing to choose a year-long project to complete for the course. They will develop a community project from start to finish to either build something or pitch an idea using the engineering design process and all they have learned over the last two engineering courses.”

Both Kimpel and Vogelsong agreed that maybe they had initially underestimated the complexity of this project but learned a great deal from it.

“What surprised me while completing my task was how much extra time was needed,” admitted Vogelsong. “I have learned from this unit how prototyping is essential to the engineering design process. When designing something, you have to have direct and exact measurements, (which) can be really helpful and consume less time.”

“What surprised me is the number of failed prototypes we had,” stated Kimpel, echoing much of Vogelsong’s sentiments. “We had to remeasure three times and had to make six different prints to make it right and able to prevent people from getting cut by the edges of the table. I learned how to use customer needs to create a product (using) trial and error.”

Another big objective of engineering class and something that Breininger preaches often is that successful projects frequently require second and third go-arounds. Again, both students concurred with their teacher’s prospective.

Noted Vogelsong: “If I had an opportunity to change a procedure during the development of the device, I would make sure my model was scaled correctly with precise measurements. Something else that I would have done differently would be further testing the capabilities and limits of the caps.”

“I would use the correct measurements and to scale the 3D print in a way of using the tolerances of the 3D printer,” claimed Kimpel about another shot at this project.

When asked about his experience in the engineering pathway, Vogelsong sang its praises.

“The engineering courses in Fairview Jr. High and High School provide and ensure physical and digital creative freedom and development for learning minds. If anybody is looking forward to an inventive pathway in the future, the engineering courses should be worth a try.”

In the picture below, Kimpel and Vogelsong pose with their finished product.

A handful of motivated students with a vision. Sometimes, that’s all it takes to bring about major positive changes. Such is the case at Fairview HS where a student-led initiative from the recent TRIBE Challenge resulted in a sparkling facelift for the varsity girls’ locker room during the summer of 2023. The TRIBE Challenge, a product of the school’s PBIS program, is a list of opportunities for students to make a difference in their school and community.

Among the leaders of this project was junior Kayla Mavis, who did most of the initial communicating with school officials and played a major role in seeing this project through.

“As student-athletes, we are in the locker room daily, and when we saw it was an option for the TRIBE Challenge, we took the opportunity to make it more comfortable and cleaner for ourselves and all female athletes,” explained Mavis about what motivated her to take on this project.

The list of projects was basically three-fold: Tear out the small, unusual lockers, apply a fresh coat of paint on the walls and lockers to be saved, and replace the old lockers with large cubbies able to hold today’s oversized gym bags. The group, which largely consisted of Mavis, Jayci Schooley, Kortney Grinnell, Natalie Timbrook, Summer Hiler, and Cheyenne Zeedyk, made it happen over the course of three-four months.

However, before they touched one locker or applied one coat of paint, the students took it upon themselves to fund as much of the project as possible with a successful car wash held in early June at the elementary school. With a hard-earned $1,400 in hand, they set out on their mission.

Removing the lockers was the first step, and with the help of teachers Mrs. Lauren Hurtig and Mrs. Kristi List and community members Mrs. Jenny Mavis and Mr. John List, the girls got busy. After removing a large number of screws and wriggling the lockers out of place, they sent them off to be recycled.

Then it came time for the big project: painting the walls and lockers. After conferring with experienced painters, they put together their list of supplies, spent several days covering areas not to be painted, then applied one coat of primer and two coats of paint on all of the walls and lockers that were kept. This part of the job turned out to be very cumbersome, but they kept their promise to both themselves and school officials that they would see it through.

When asked if she ever thought they had bitten off more than they could chew, Schooley stated with a smile: “Yes kind of. I think going into it we were pretty confident, but when we really started and realized what we were doing, I definitely questioned if it was a smart idea or not.”

She’s definitely glad she kept going and gave credit to the main group of workers.

“This would not have happened if it weren't for Kayla Mavis, Kortney Grinnell, Natalie Timbrook, Summer Hiler, Cheyenne Zeedyk and me to step up and take the initiative. We also would have never been able to do this without Mrs. Hurtig.”

The final project was to install new cubbies, and the group solicited the help of a local furniture company. Not having quite enough money to complete the project as needed, Mavis and her mother Jenny reached out to Mr. Arnold, who noted that the board of education would cover the balance. Thus, the project was finished on September 23.

Concluded Mavis with a big grin on her face: “We really appreciate the help from several adults in the community, especially Mrs. Hurtig. We couldn't have done any of it without her support throughout the project.”

Shown in the picture below (left to right) are Kortney Grinnell, Jayci Schooley, Kayla Mavis, Summer Hiler, and Natalie Timbrook in front of a set of spruced up lockers and beautifully painted walls.

Although earthquakes are not a regular occurrence in Northwest Ohio, many local residents do spend time traveling to other parts of the world where earthquakes happen more frequently. With that understanding, Mrs. Rayna Moore incorporated earthquake preparedness into a recent physical science unit dealing with energy and forces.

“With recent severe weather conditions and natural disasters around the world, it seems you can never be too prepared,” calmly stated Moore.

As part of her lessons, Moore detailed the story of her own personal earthquake experience in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. The year was 2013, and she was traveling with the company Feld Entertainment as an assistant electrician on the show “Three Classic Fairytales,” which consisted of abbreviated versions of Snow White, Cinderella, and Beauty and the Beast. During the very last show of the tour, when the seven dwarves were singing “Hi Ho, Hi Ho,” a 6.2 magnitude earthquake struck. The 13,000-pound set began swinging back and forth, and panicked audience members fled the theater. Moore and her soon-to-be fiancé were staged in the lighting booth, where they were running the lighting and audio aspects of the show, when they suddenly realized there was nowhere to go. However, they managed to stay calm and patiently await instructions from the production director. Fortunately, after taking quick action, all members of the cast or crew were unharmed. The show was able to resume in a timely manner, and all the princesses found their “happily ever-after.”

After sharing these harrowing details, Moore turned to her students and asked this simple question: “What should you do in the event of an earthquake?” Answer: “Drop, cover, and hold on!” she exclaimed. She continued with more specifics and outlined the following plan:

1. Drop to your knees, so the tremor cannot knock you off your feet.

2. Cover, especially your head and neck, by ducking under the closest, sturdiest piece of furniture.

3. Hold on to your cover to prevent you from shaking away from it.

Moore’s classes then practiced an earthquake drill using those techniques, knowing that anyone in this dire situation can never be too prepared.

Freshmen Jonathon Huffman and Kaden Kennedy were two of the students who studied and practiced the drills. When asked what he learned, Huffman stated that everyone should “stay in a safe place no matter what until the shaking is over (and) that you need to put your hand over your head.” He also mentioned getting objects that are non-harmful to surround the outside of the table openings.

Kennedy echoed many of Huffman’s sentiments.

“I learned that I had to cover my head and to stay safe undercover,” he explained. When asked what he might do differently the next time, he smiled and said, ”I might act like I’m yelling louder.”

Pictured below are Kennedy (left) and Huffman (right) seen in action.

Winter may officially be coming to an end in less than a week, but the hallways outside the Fairview Elementary School art room remain full of amazing color and beautiful artistry created by the fifth-grade students as part of the annual “Winter Animals in Chalk” unit. Inspired by the work of fellow Ohioan Charley Harper, best known for his highly stylized wildlife prints, posters, and book illustrations, Mrs. Denise Pannell’s students did what many of them didn’t think they could do – draw and color amazing lifelike wildlife pictures.

“The requirements for this project were to realistically create an animal in a winter scene,” explained Pannell about the primary objective for this unit. “They were given the choice of many animal photos from which to use as a reference while creating their art.”

To kick off the unit, Pannell introduced her students to the work of Harper, who created stylized drawings of animals. His techniques allow students of all ability levels to perform at higher levels than which they believed they could.

“He reduced the animals to their basic shapes while keeping the integrity of each characteristic,” noted Pannell about the strategies used by the former Cincinnati resident. “The students were shown how to look at a photograph of an animal and use the basic shapes that they saw to form the basis for their animal drawings.

“From there, they used a pencil eraser to draw out these shapes – which wipes right off – on their black papers,” continued Pannell. “Once they had the basic shapes outlined in the correct proportion, they were asked use a pencil to add details, such as markings on the animals, eyes, and items found in the background.”

The next step was to use a black oil pastel to outline their animal and a white oil pastel to outline any snow.

“These lines acted as a barrier to keep the chalk pastel from mixing together too much,” explained Pannell. “The students were eager to add color to their animals using colored chalk, and we discussed making their animals as realistic as possible, especially in the texture of the fur and feathers. Finally, the students filled the skies using two colors of chalk, which were blended together and added snowflakes using oil pastel.”

This unit, which generally occupies most of February, is one Pannell highly anticipates each school year.

“This has become one of my favorite projects to do with fifth graders, not only because the results are spectacular, but I love seeing the look of accomplishment and pride in each student’s face as they finish their art!” exclaimed Pannell with pride beaming from her face. In addition, students often exceed their own expectations.

“I always get a few students who look at the examples and swear that they absolutely CANNOT draw an animal in this style, but once I show them all my tricks and tips, it usually seems to click with them. I remind them that everything can be broken down in to lines and shapes when trying to draw. After all, how did we learn to write our names? It’s all lines and shapes.”

Proudly displaying the top art work (left to right in the picture below) are fifth graders Kadilyhne England, Emmy Anderson, Liberty Becker, and Chevy Orr. These students’ artwork, as well as other Apache Kid Artists, will have their work on display at Just Be Original Fine Arts Academy in the Defiance Northtowne Mall for the month of April.

Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen once said, “A picture is worth a thousand words,” and for nearly two hundred years these famous words have rung true time and time again. Of course, without the use of cameras, these words would have far less meaning. But who really knows how cameras actually work? This was part of the inspiration behind Mr. Ray Breininger’s recent Engineering 1 lesson.

“My Engineering 1 students recently completed the Pinhole Camera Unit,” stated Breininger, now in his sixth year introducing students to the world of engineering.

Another objective from this unit was to combine various measurements to accommodate individuals with fewer skills.

Explained Breininger: “Students created a pinhole camera from used shoe boxes. They discovered the engineering design process as they created their pinhole cameras to meet both quantitative design specifications and qualitative requirements for usability by people with limited dexterity in their hands and wrists.”

On the last day of the unit, students posed for a picture using the camera designed by freshmen Gabe Cline, James Smith, and Kalvin Woodring. Smith expressed a lot of satisfaction about what he learned as well as the end result.

“We learned how to calculate the camera's distance to the object as well as the importance of a light-tight box,” noted Cline about one of the objectives. “It was a fun lesson that I think had a good turnout.”

Students also learned new vocabulary words, most notably parts of camera that they had never really considered prior to this unit. As an example, Woodring drew attention to the aperture, which is defined as “a space through which light passes in an optical or photographic instrument, especially the variable opening by which light enters a camera.”

“This lesson taught me very much about how cameras work,” explained Woodring. “I found the way film paper works by burning with sunlight very interesting.”

With most projects or lessons, both trial & error and timelines become factors in the equations. Such was the case here as well. When asked what they might do differently if given the opportunity to complete this lesson again, Woodring detailed a well-thought-out response.

“The way we light-sealed the camera was very inefficient and led to redesigns later on. So, if we did the project over again, I would have spent more time on sealing at the beginning,” deemed Woodring.

For Smith, it was about the pinhole itself. “I would have designed a smaller pinhole for a career picture,” also noting that the smaller the pinhole, the clearer the image becomes.

Breininger was pleased by his students’ efforts and enthusiasm for this lesson.

“Our last day, students asked to take a class picture,” noted Breininger, as evidence as to how excited his students were about the success of their projects.

Shown in the pictures below are Cline, Smith, and Woodring (left picture), who developed the camera (center picture) that took the picture of the Engineering 1 students (right).

When it comes to essay writing competitions, the word "dynasty" doesn’t come up often. However, one could make the case that for the VFW Post 3360 Patriot’s Pen essay contest, Fairview MS has a dynasty going. For the ninth time in the past thirteen years, Fairview took home the gold, silver, and bronze medals in this competition, held annually and open to all middle school students in Defiance County.

The theme for this year’s competition was "My Pledge to Our Veterans."

“Each year, the VFW reaches out to the language arts teachers in the Defiance County Schools about the Patriot's Pen Contest,” explained Mrs. Tracy Robinson, who coordinates the event for her eighth-grade students. “The prompt given each year is on a patriotic topic, and the students are asked to interpret it and write a 300-400 word essay on the topic. My classes have been involved with this contest for the last 13 years, since 2009.”

For Sammy Mavis, it’s a family affair, whose older sisters all competed in this event as middle school students. Now she’s followed in her older sister’s footsteps by claiming the top place.

“My sisters did Patriot’s Pen when they were in school, and I remember my oldest sister, Cassie, winning,” stated Mavis. “All my sisters who wrote the essay in previous years got picked by Mrs. Robinson so, of course, I wanted to do the same.”

Both Robinson and her students take this writing assignment very seriously.

“Once I receive the information about the Patriot's Pen Contest, I spend a class period reviewing the rules of the contest, and then I assign all my classes to write on the topic given that year,” stated Robinson. “We begin with a brainstorm activity of all the ideas they can come up with associated with the topic. I then work with them to write an outline of how they want to organize their information in the essay and then give them class time to type it.

“After reading all the essays from my students, I am allowed to enter five-ten essays each year to the VFW for consideration for the contest, along with all the other entries from other Defiance County Schools. Once all essays are entered, it is then up to the VFW readers to decide who places in the contest.”

Third-place finisher Amaya Perez was motivated to do well for a couple of reasons.

“My motivation to participate in this event was to voice my opinion and to truly recognize and thank all of the veterans,” noted Perez. “The theme of my essay was about all of the freedoms we are given that we use in negative ways every day, and how I pledge to always do good with the rights I am given.

“Thank you to all of the veterans that have fought for our country,” stated Perez with pride in her voice.

“I appreciate all the hard work my students have put forth all these years in the VFW Patriot's Pen Contest,” concluded Robinson.

The picture below depicts Fairview eighth grade students (left to right) Sammy Mavis (1st place), Morgan Mavis (2nd place), and Amaya Perez (3rd place) flanked by VFW representatives Jim Seymour (far left) and Chris Taylor (far right).

Whether the competition involves academics, athletics, or co-curricular events, Fairview High School students continue to shine in local competitions. This fact was again exemplified as senior Mykenzi Hartz recently finished as the Defiance County runner-up in the annual VFW Post 3360 Voice of Democracy contest held this fall. Started in 1947, this year’s theme was “Why is the Veteran Important?” For Hartz, her reasons for competing were two-fold.

“I was motivated to participate in this event because I found it not only as a great way to thank our veterans for their service but also contribute towards my college expenses,” explained Hartz, gleaming with pride. Her runner-up finish accomplished both goals, as she made a great impression on the judging committee and earned a $1,000 scholarship for her efforts.

“The theme of my presentation was ‘Why the Veteran is Important’,” continued Hartz. “In my essay, I was able to present how veterans are not only the heart and soul of our country, but also a representation of the freedom our country has fought to obtain.”

In order to participate, students must write a patriotic essay on the theme that is announced each fall. Applicants must then submit both their written essay and an audio recording of the essay. Students in grades 9-12 are eligible to submit entries for this scholarship competition.

School counselor, Mrs. Lori Polter, is the school’s point of contact. She plays a critical role in the students’ success by advertising the event, getting English teachers involved, and assuring that students are following specified guidelines.

“Over the years, we have had great success with students placing in the top four and winning scholarship money at the Post (local) level,” stated Polter, who confirmed that Fairview has been participating since at least 2004-2005. “I help students by making sure their entries are complete and submitted in the proper format.”

Hartz now has the opportunity to move to the next round where the stakes are even higher.

“Winners at the local level advance for judging at the district, state, and national level,” continued Polter. “Students compete for over $2 million in scholarships given by the VFW organizations across the US.”

Each year nearly 80,000 students compete in various VFW Post level competitions, with the VFW Post 3360 sponsoring two other upcoming events: A Defiance County scholarship for seniors (due in December) and the Patriotic Arts Contest (due in March). Interested students should reach out to Polter for more information.

Shown in the picture below is Hartz (center) accepting her award from VFW Post 3360 treasurer Chris Taylor (left) and Post Commander Jim Seymour (right).

Every year as students enter high school, many of them inquire in one class or another, “Why do we have to learn this?”

Physical Science teacher Mrs. Rayna Moore has been answering this question by offering creative analogies for her students, comparing points of her lessons to what she knows her students are truly interested in: Food. Moore remembers one of her first examples while doing her student teaching in a biology class.

“If you never tried chocolate ice cream, how would you know you liked it?” enquired Moore to a group of disgruntled students, challenging the necessity of a particular lesson. “High school is like a buffet. Some dishes you will like, while others you won’t, and it is important to know both.”

This topic again came up in a recent lesson Moore introduced to her physical science students, when some students wondered why it was really necessary to learn “how elements combine to form compounds and the fact that the ration of elements in these compounds is always consistent.” And what better way to make her point with teenagers than to turn to an example of misinformation found on TikTok. A current TikTok trend says that water can be “big” or “small,” and only “small” water is good for you because it keeps you from bloating and doesn’t dilute your system.

“Wrong!” exclaimed Moore.

She and her students then discussed how every water molecule is made of exactly two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. Water can never be “larger” or “smaller.”

“We talked about how out in the world people make claims all the time, and it is up to our students to gather background knowledge and techniques for researching reliable sources to make their best decisions about these claims.

“In this case, it was decided that these misinformed TikTok-era (messages) are spreading fake news to sell a product, but my students in physical Science class won’t be falling for it.”

One such student is freshman David Bennett.

“I learned that people are willing to go against science to sell people a product,” explained Bennett about his new-found knowledge. “Even if science is proving them wrong, they will still fight for you to buy a product even if they know they are wrong.

“I find (it) especially interesting that even if science can and does disprove things they say, they will still try to get you to buy their product. I believe that this is a good lesson that can teach people that you shouldn't always listen to what people say to you and that you should do your own research.”

The morals of this story are simple: 1.) You never know until you try; and 2.) Don’t fall for every sales pitch you hear. You many find yourself on the wrong end of a bad deal.

The picture below depicts the Tik Tok lesson Moore used to make her point, resulting in she and her students disproving the false theory than there is such a thing as “big” and “small” water.

Anyone who is a fan of the 1960’s television series The Andy Griffith Show knows that Barney Fife would frequently get upset about something and abruptly quit his job. After one such event, Fife says to Sheriff Taylor, “There’s a great big world out there, and I’m going to take my place in it.” Although this classic show was often full of silly scenes like this one, Don Knott’s iconic character was definitely correct about “the great big world” and all it has to offer to the many organisms it helps to survive. Through the leadership of Mrs. Rayna Moore, her biology students spent several days studying this topic.

“The world is full of resources and during a recent ecology unit, my biology class learned how these resources interact and the systems that drive them,” explained Moore. “What better way to study how systems in nature interact then to go and explore it.”

Thanks to the beautiful weather that was plentiful through much of the fall, along with the wooded area on the school grounds, students were able to get in some hands-on learning.

“It is important for students to understand that ecology is not made up of far-off concepts. It is everything around them,” explained Moore.

After an introduction to the unit and various key terms, students were divided into groups to apply their new found vocabulary to their backyard world. They were challenged with finding examples of ten key terms, taking pictures of them, and arranging them in a Google Slide presentation showing their understanding. Students also researched the area’s ecological past and discussed what changes have been made and why.

Another outdoor activity that students enjoyed was creating a food web and learning about the flow of energy through the web. In this activity, students were each assigned an organism native to Defiance County. They were tasked with arranging themselves into a food web and labeling each organism as an autotroph or heterotroph, as well as determining whether they make their own food or get energy by consuming other organisms.

Among the students who benefited from this lesson was sophomore Kayla Mavis.

“This was a good, interactive lesson to teach us about the different levels of a food pyramid,” noted Mavis. “It was interesting to learn the specific classifications within each trophic layer and their characteristics.”

Students also had to work together to classify each organism as a detritivore, carnivore, herbivore, omnivore, decomposer, scavenger, or producer.

“Students were able to use real-world, local examples to fortify their learning,” concluded Moore.

The left picture below represents atmosphere, which is defined as the layers of gases surrounding a planet or other celestial body.

The center picture below represents biotic factor, which is any living part of the environment with which an organism would react.

The right picture below represents community, which is an assemblage of different populations that live together in a defined area.

Statistics show that today’s youth are under more stress than their parents and grandparents were at the same age. To help young people cope with this fact, the teachers and staff at Fairview Middle School have introduced an evidenced-based suicide prevention program called Sources of Strength. Introduced to the district during the 2020-2021 school year by Laura Kamp, NWOESC School Climate Facilitator, this program was well received by Principal Suzanne Geis and School Counselor Adam Brickner. However, it was the buy-in from the teachers and staff who comprised the Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) team that has transformed the program into the successful program that it is today.

“The PBIS team was a vital part of the decision to implement the program,” explained Brickner. “Once we had our teachers on board, we knew it was going to be a success.”

The program promotes the following strengths:

· Family support;

· Positive friends;

· Mentors;

· Healthy activities;

· Generosity;

· Spirituality;

· Physical health; and

· Mental health.

Relationship is a main focal point of the Sources of Strength. The program brings together positive student allies called Adult Advisors with a varied group of Peer Leaders from as many school peer groups as possible. The Adult Advisors and Peer Leaders are trained by national trainers and meet to plan and implement programming regularly. SourcesofStrengh.org explains it this way:

This team of youth and adults work to build a community of Strength, not only by practicing Strength in their own lives, but by sharing that Strength with others through Strength-based/public health style messaging campaigns. Spreading stories of Strength across a school or community, Peer Leaders invite students, staff, and their community to interact, engage, and apply Strength to their own lives.

Among the students active in this year’s program is seventh grader Chloe Northrup, who is doing what she can to make middle school a great experience.

“There are many ways we as a student body can support each other,” stated Northrup. “For example, even though we're not all close, we're always there for each other and other students in the group. And the staff members who are a part of this group are supportive of new ideas and thoughts each person has.

“We never get judged for anything we throw out there in meetings. Instead we simply get deeper into detail.”

While the main goal of Sources of Strength is prevention, the program has had success in the areas of intervention and crisis situations as well. SourcesofStrengh.org continues by saying:

A Peer Leader who has been trained in Sources of Strength is four times more likely to refer a friend they are worried about to a trusted adult. A Sources of Strength team works to create a culture of help-seeking and connection, where it is okay to not feel okay and where reaching out for help is a sign of Strength, not weakness. We also realize that tragedy and hardship still occur in life, despite our best efforts: Loved ones can get sick, a school could lose a beloved teacher, etc. However, a Sources of Strength team can have great impact on a community after such loss. Peer Leaders can act as the eyes and ears of the school, helping adults be more aware of the areas of the school that may be struggling and in need of support. Sources is also about helping people heal and recover after tragedy. In this way, Sources can have a more universal and comprehensive impact in prevention, intervention, and postvention.

Continued Brickner: “Peer Leaders, with the help of Adult Advisors, promote change through positive messages of hope, help, and strength. The students are not young mental health counselors but are fellow peers trying to encourage others to improve their behavior and make healthy life-choices.”

Paying for the program included grants provided by Ohio School Wellness Initiative (O.S.W. I) and Prevention First of Ohio. Kamp continues to seek out grants to make sure the Sources of Strength is fully funded at Fairview Middle School.

“It is so much fun to be able to feel comfortable with a giant group of people even though we are not all in the same grade level,” noted Northrup. “With them, I always feel welcome, sometimes even more welcome than kids in my own grade. Trust is very important to have and if I'm being honest our whole program is built on it. I've learned to trust and be more supportive because of the program."

She also has much praise for everyone involved.

“I don't think anyone realizes how many great adult advisors and student advisors (we have) that work hard in this program. It's not the easiest thing to do. It is a real commitment, but we all enjoy it. We have such an amazing group of staff and students who all put lots of effort into encouraging and spreading positivity throughout the school just for everyone to grow stronger in their strengths.

“So I would love to give them a special thanks for everything everyone in the group has done to promote our program! Thank you everyone in the group for choosing to continue in the program this year. Again, thank you staff for putting lots of planning and training into our program!”

Shown in the picture below is Sources of Strength Wheel. Each Wednesday, students have opportunities to win small prizes for correctly answering questions about one of the strengths.

Mrs. Rayne Moore loves science, and she clearly wants her students to love the benefits of science as well. This admiration for her field of work was recently on display, as for the second year in a row, Moore organized a field trip to Wittenberg University for her physics students.

“To make advances within our society, scientists must collaborate often sharing methodologies, research findings, and even equipment,” stated Moore with a noted tone of excitement. “With that in mind we embarked on a mission to share STEM opportunities with local seniors.”

Students had the good fortune to explore the Wittenberg campus and see labs being used to research dusty plasma and antimatter, visit the campus’s observatory, and see a particle accelerator without traveling to The European Organization for Nuclear Research, better known as CERN.

One such senior, Michael Mansel-Pleydell, spoke fondly of his experience at the Springfield, Ohio university.

“On our visit, I was able to gain a general understanding of anti-matter, particle accelerators, and dusty plasma,” explained Mansel-Pleydell. “I also learned about the various career pathways available for a physics major in particular. Something I found especially interesting in this lesson was the diversity of applications available for a physics major in the modern world.”

This year’s trip was the second for Fairview students. However, Moore took it a step further and invited students from three area high school to join her Fairview students.

“My first year at Fairview (2021-2022), I contacted one of my physics professors at Wittenberg (about a prospective field trip),” explained Moore about how the trip’s origin. “I always said I chose Wittenberg (to attend college) because of the particle accelerator that students can access, and I wanted to show my students how many opportunities were available in the discipline.

“With the support of my principal and superintendent, this year I set out to extend this opportunity to experience STEM research to a broader audience,” she continued. “I used the connections that I had made to work with Antwerp, Wayne Trace, and Crestview Local Schools to invite students and educators to come with us and see what research is being done firsthand.

“I am so excited that we were able to share the importance of collaboration with a much fuller bus this year.”

As much as knowledge as educators have to offer, knowing the right people and getting their students in front of the right people, opens up additional doors. No one knows this better than Moore.

“As you make your way into the educational system, you make many connections: mentors, professors, student teachers, etc.” stated Moore, who didn’t take the typical route to teaching and has learned the importance of networking.

In the pictures below (left to right), students observe the particle accelerator, check out the retractable roof on the observatory, and visit a beautiful campus building.

Anyone who follows politics has likely heard the expression, “Make your voices heard at the ballot box.” In other words, those who wish to have laws enacted that represent their way of thinking need to cast their votes for political candidates whose views align with theirs. However, before citizens can cast such a vote, other citizens need to step up and run for office, also known in Lehman's terms as “getting their name on the ballot.” But how does one go about doing so?

Recently, students in Mr. Andy Singer's Political Pathways class had the opportunity to ask that question and more to Miss Erica Krouse, who represents the Toledo-area office for longtime Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown. Among many topics, she discussed her role in his office and how to get involved in government/elected office.

“My students have been studying the process of becoming a politician and the decision-making process that goes along with it,” explained Singer. “To help, we invited Miss Krouse and other local and state politicians to come in to be guest speakers to get a first-hand account of politics in action.”

According to Krouse, most politicians get their start by working in some form of government work to see how the process works. Most are often already fairly prominent members of the community who wish to share their experience and values with the people they represent. Most politicians, she believes, have the best interest of their constituents in mind and really do care about making life better for people.

When asked how she became involved in politics, she explained that she did what most people do when looking for job.

“I saw where Senator Brown was looking for someone to help in his Toledo office, and I thought I would apply,” state Krouse. “I don’t want to be a politician, but working for one has been rewarding.”

To become a candidate in the state of Ohio, the first step is to be a registered voter. From there it's a matter of filing paperwork with the elections board, getting the necessary number of signatures from other registered voters, and getting all paperwork turned in on time. Most people who wish to become candidates are able to successfully complete the process on time. From there, it's just a matter of campaigning and getting the message out that you are the best option for the job, she explained.

The picture below depicts Krouse answering one of the many questions asked by Fairview students.

Data shows that students often learn the best through active, hands-on activities. To help solidify this point, the Fairview sixth-grade students recently attended the Defiance County Soil and Water Conservation District where the students were able to participate in a variety of conservation-based presentations in the areas of water treatment, pollinators, geology, petroleum products, soils, and archery.

Organized by the sixth grader teachers, and facilitated by local conservation experts, reviews from students were largely positive.

“Going hands-on is something I enjoy," stated Gage Miller with a smile on his face. “It was a great learning experience for all of us.”

“I think this field trip was an amazing experience to learn about all types of things and give students the chance to take part in some of the activities,” excitedly stated Carson Main. “I was really surprised when we did the water treatment activity because I did not think the color would change.”

Classmate Riley Maulsby shared in the excitement, but his favorite activity involved geology.

“My favorite thing at the field trip was the rock center,” Maulsby exclaimed. “I liked the story the guy (local geology expert) told us about two brothers and a sister. One brother liked to make destruction, (while) the other was peaceful.

“Another thing I liked about the rock center was the rocks. They had insane colors on them, and I liked how they had different shapes and sizes.”

Miller wasn’t expected to be surprised, but even he was. Stated Miller: “The one thing that surprised me was the petroleum products station. This opened my eyes to a new career I didn't see myself entering.

“Considering that my dad works for Defiance County Soil and Water, it was a surprise to me that I learned something there.”

When asked whether he would do anything differently should he have a chance to participate in this event again, Main noted that he would “change the type of water I picked for the water treatment activity and see what effects that has on the color of that water.”

Maulsby admitted that he had a big change of heart concerning the soils activities.

“When I went, I wasn't really interested in the soil center,” said Maulsby. “But if I could go back, I would pay more attention because now I find soil interesting.”

There’s no question that Miller had a great time. “There was absolutely nothing on that field trip that I would change. It was perfect!”

“Our students had a great day of hands-on learning and represented Fairview well!” exclaimed Mrs. Anne Frank, sixth grade math and science teacher.

To top it off, lunch was provided to the students and adults by the Conservation District, with Maulsby giving high praise to his meal.

“One last thing I want to say about the field trip is I loved the lunch,” a smiling Maulsby noted. “It was good, especially the hamburgers and chips.”

The center picture below shows the sixth graders taking a break from the day’s events, while the pictures of the left and right show students in action.

As the saying goes: When students are in a good frame of mind, the best learning takes place. Thus, the physical and mental health of all students remains a very high priority at Central Local Schools. To help amplify this important point, Mrs. Lindsay Estle has introduced a program known as "Flicker of Hope," which is aptly named after an age-appropriate book written by Julia Cook. Being that September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month each year, Estle found creative ways to bring this program to her fifth-grade students.

“In the elementary level, suicide is not a topic discussed. However, depression and feelings of sadness and anxiety are very prevalent among the older students in our school,” explained Estle, now in her fourth year serving as the elementary counselor.

“I wanted to bring awareness to an awesome donation and project here at the elementary school,” continued Estle. “I created a Donors Choose project to purchase the book (Flicker of Hope) for all of our fifth-grade students at Fairview Elementary. The project was fully funded by one donor in memory of her father, Mr. Gerald Foust, who was a teacher in the district for many years.”

Students in fifth grade had the opportunity to read this story during their guidance lesson on September 30th and spread hope and positivity throughout their class by becoming “Hope Builders.”

Concluded Estle: “The students then decorated a candle poster and put a positive message for their classmates to look at throughout the year. The students will let their light shine throughout the year and hopefully will always remember to build hope, seek help when needed, and to let their light shine throughout their lives.”

The picture below features each of the candles displayed neatly under a poster reminding students just how important they are.

"My mom originally saw a Facebook post, and that gave me the idea to email Mr. Bricker (MS counselor) about it," explained Northrup with a very humble look on her face. "Then we set up a meeting with Mrs. Geis (MS principal), and she approved the idea."

Located just outside the middle school office, students have opportunities between classes, during lunch, or other appropriate times to grab a variety of needed school supplies. Hygiene products, such as deodorant, shampoo, and tooth paste are also available.

According to seventh grader Anthony Singer, the cupboard is serving a great purpose.

"Kids are ready for class when they use the cupboard and are not slowing class down to have to ask for a pencil," stated Singer. They now have access to folders so they will have their papers ready for class."

Another program already in place, known as Sources of Strength (SOS), has also been very pivotal in the success of the cupboard.

"The whole operation came from the group SOS," noted seventh grader RayShawn Maulsby. "Led by Mr. Brickner, he called us all down and we got to work."

Seventh grader Dasen Wermer has noticed the value of the cupboard.

"I think that was a really good idea to do the Kindness Cupboard," said Wermer, "and I also really like helping do the cupboard. The first goal is that everyone uses it correctly, and everyone knows that they can use it for stuff they need."

One concern noted was that students may not want to be seen using the cupboard and/or taking advantage of the program. So far, that hasn't been the case as outlined by seventh grader Olivia Schindler.

"I have seen a student take a folder from the cupboard," noted Schindler. "Hopefully, that means kids are getting more comfortable using it.

"I have the hope that kids won't take advantage of the cupboard and just use it (even) when they don't need it," continued Schindler. "A goal of mine would be for kids to not be scared or embarrassed and to just use the cupboard when they need it."

Northrup, Singer, and Schindler noted their appreciation for the support the program has received from the adults at Fairview MS.

"Mrs. Schlachter was the teacher to get the cupboard and help with decorating it, so we should thank her," stated a smiling Schindler.

Singer chimed in: "Having help from Mrs. Schlachter and Mrs. Cooper played a big role in the success of the Kindness Cupboard."

"I want to give the adult advisors and Mr. Geis a thanks for making my idea come to life!" exclaimed Northrup. "It's been really helpful to people and that was our goal. So thank you!!"

The middle picture below shows that five students that brought this idea to life. They include (counter-clockwise from upper left) RayShawn Maulsby, Olivia Schindler, Chloe Northrup, Dasen Wermer, and Anthony Singer. The pictures on the left and right show its outside and inside.

The Engineering program at Fairview High School not only remains a popular option of elective courses, but it also continues to grow at a steady pace. The latest example is the inception of a course appropriately named Engineering 3. As one of just ten high schools in the United States partnering with the University of Texas to pilot this course, the course is an authentic, project-based engineering course.

Mr. Ray Breininger, who teaches each of the courses in the engineering pathway, explains a couple key objectives for this fledgling course:

“Students will work in teams to identify a need in their community and apply the engineering design process to address that need. This student-driven, special-projects course will give students the opportunity to apply the skills developed in the engineering pathway, and to integrate and apply math, science, and communication skills to engineering.”

One of the first lessons this year involved having students complete a rapid prototype for a catapult.

“Our objective was to quickly design, test, and redesign a catapult that could consistently hit a target at 100 centimeters,” explained senior Quinton Smith. “This catapult was to be made out of popsicle sticks and rubber bands.

“Our final design was to be completed in two days. On the second day, we were given a twist. Instead of having to fire a ping pong ball at the target, we were to fire a cotton ball.”

This activity is designed to help review the engineering design process they have studied over the last two years.

“This lesson was a review of prior Engineering Your World (EYW) courses,” continued Smith. “We used the engineering design process (EDP), concept sketching, teamwork/collaboration, and all the model-building skills we learned in EYW 1.”

The left and right pictures below show closeups of the catapult, while the center photo displays Smith and junior Ava Breyman in action as they embrace this unique lesson.

Imagine being able to control a wheelchair just by using head motions. That was the objective of the Engineering 2 class’s final lesson for the 2022-2023 school year, and it was one the students will certainly remember for some time as the lesson was very much student driven almost right out of the gate.

“This unit was led by the students as much as productively possible,” explained veteran teacher Mr. Ray Breininger. “I led the initial lesson where the design challenge is laid out, and the students did the rest.”

The goal is to “build” a wheelchair that will be manipulated simply by the passenger’s head motion. Students had some initial directions and a clear starting point, then they were challenged to test their skills.

“The students used the requirements and constraints provided by the Email to Engineers, an explanation of the hardware, plus multiple handouts,” continued Breininger. “After that, the students were then set free to complete the unit using the skills that they have learned in all of the previous units and engineering.”

Among the students who learned many valuable lessons from this unit is Charlotte Vogelsong.

“One thing I learned from this unit is how important it is to communicate with your partners,” stated Vogelsong. “This unit wasn't the kind where our group could split up, do our tasks, and come back together to form a final project. We had to discuss how individual tasks would affect or play a role in the outcome and work from there.

“For example, Andy Mosier was in charge of coding the wheelchair device, the switches that operate it, and the camera/monitor. Together, we discussed how the camera, monitor, and switches were supposed to work, how many he planned on using, and how we could attach or fix them to a wheelchair. Then, Allison Rhodes and I designed models to fulfill the needs and constantly checked back in with Andy to ensure we were on the right path. Without communication, it would've been like trying to combine two different puzzles: our designs wouldn't fit together.”

Madisyn Clark also had praises for the knowledge and experience she garnered.

“A few lessons I learned from this unit were how to accurately use the engineering design process, how to program through a MotorHat, and how to delegate different tasks to team members,” explained Clark. “We have been using the engineering design process since Engineering 1, but we kind of drifted from using it in every aspect of the project due to COVID. This was also the class's first time programming through a MotorHat."

Continued Vogelsong: “I also learned how important it is to test our designs. Allison and I had to try to ‘break’ our designs for the switches. The purpose of trying to break a design is to test its limits, functionality, and safety. For example, we thought we had come to a final design that could hold our switches, but when tested, a piece that was crucial to the functionality broke off, leading us to redesign and make the piece thicker.”

Both students also agreed there were some surprises along the way.

“Personally, one thing that surprised me about this lesson is that I was the one to solder everything even though I had never soldered in a serious manner before,” said Clark with a chuckle. “With all of the soldering I did, I became way more efficient than when I first started. When soldering my first MotorHat it took me about three hours and on my last MotorHat it took maybe ten to fifteen minutes.”

“I was surprised by how time-consuming it would be,” noted Vogelsong. “We started this unit in April, and despite splitting up the work, we worked for the rest of the school year finishing the project. However, knowing that we have put our best efforts into this project, it is rewarding to see it all come together.

“This unit has been challenging and time-consuming, but we have had a great support system: intelligent, creative classmates and Mr. Breininger, who we can rely on for feedback and assistance, concluded Vogelsong”

Shown in the pictures below are (left) Madisyn Clark, Andy Mosier & Cory Mavis (center), and Charlotte Vogelsong (right) busily competing various tasks.

Over the course of the past four years, Miss Kim Beek has utilized the Donors Choose program to bring an array of books, furniture, and other classroom supplies to her classroom, all with the goal of making the learning experience and learning environment thrive. To date, Beek has spearheaded sixty-eight projects with close to 500 donors. All told, her efforts have raised over $30,000 in materials.

What she is most proud of is her efforts to supply books for her students.

“The support I have received from donors to get books for the children is phenomenal,” stated Beek. “Families receive books that may not have otherwise been available to them. Reading at home is so important.”

Along with books for both home and the school library, Beek has secured funds to purchase several other items, including supplies for on-campus field trip items during COVID; journals and pre-made blank books for writing each year; manipulatives, STEM items, and dress up clothing for student learning centers; new furniture, a light table, and sensory materials for student learning centers; and Wobble chairs, scoop rockers, floor cushions, and lap desks for each student.

She is quick to show appreciation to those that make donations for Fairview students.

“I like the connections made with donors and the ability to thank each one for their contribution and support for my students,” she concluded.

The left and right pictures below show various classroom supplies, while the center picture depicts students checking out books in the elementary with the help of Ms. Kim Dockery, elementary library aide.

Fairview Middle School students continue to excel in local math competitions, as evidenced by several high