Aviator In-Flight News - Winter 2024

Hello Alliance Aviators! SUPERINTENDENT'S MESSAGE

I’m excited to share with you our winter edition of Aviator In-Flight News! As a parent and/or community member, you can be proud of the work our staff continues to do and the successes that our students have had throughout the first half of the school year. Our staff works tirelessly to help our students excel - here are a few examples:

In Athletics, we had a historic year for our girls sports.

• Girls Tennis won the EBC championship for the second year in a row.

• Girls Soccer won their first ever District championship.

• Top Gun expanded after nearly 40 years to include the Girls Top Gun Wrestling Tournament. Our girls team took 1st place in the tournament. We had three Champions and had 11 more Aviator wrestlers who placed.

In Academics, we have been working to renew our focus on career preparation.

• Alliance High School hosted the very first Futures Fest. Students from K-12th grade attended the event where they participated in career exploration games and activities. The night included a career fashion show and a career fair with over 80 vendors.

• Over 40 staff members have signed up to be part of the Career Planning Group. We have been meeting monthly to discuss how to better prepare students for careers. This includes planning grade-level appropriate career education in the elementary grades, exploration in the middle grades, and planning while in high school and to help prepare them for their future career paths.

In Arts, our students participated in numerous events during the first half of the year.

• Over 100 students took part in the production of “Elf: The Musical.”

• Over 20 middle school students were selected to participate in the OMEA District 8 Honor Band and Choir Event hosted at AHS.

• Select high school choir students took part in the EBC Honors Choir hosted at West Branch this year.

• Creative art projects have taken place this year including new fence art at Alliance Intermediate School and a new mural at Alliance Preschool painted by the Alliance High School art students.

There’s still a lot of school left before summer begins and we say farewell to our seniors. Please take advantage of the opportunities to watch and encourage our students! There are plenty of events coming up, including spring sports, the ACS Fine Arts Showcase and end of the year activities and celebrations.

Rob Gress, Superintendent of Schools #ProudSupt

Fence Art Displays School Pride

Community members and families driving by Alliance Intermediate School (AIS), located at 701 N. Johnson Ave., may have noticed the new artwork donning the playground fence. The school showed their school spirit by decorating the fence with small red, blue and white cups spelling out “Alliance” with the Aviator logo. The fence art is 5-feet tall and 49feet wide.

The idea for the project was developed in 2022 by Renee Marinchek, the AIS art teacher.

“I came across fence art while vacationing that summer,” Marinchek said. “I brought the idea to Mrs. Garren and we immediately added it to our ‘must do’ list. We have two large areas of fence surrounding our building and I saw them as a blank canvas.”

Marinchek and Stephanie Garren, AIS principal, worked together to create the designs and the staff voted on their favorite.

“We knew we wanted it to be prominent so that people passing by could see it from the street,” Marinchek said. “We knew it had to have our Aviator logo and colors to showcase our school pride.”

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AHS Celebrated the Holidays with "Elf: The

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Dr. Jones Recognized as Trailblazer for Success ACS Awarded a Multi-Million Dollar Grant For New Culinary Arts Program

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The project was completed by approximately 200 students in the first semester art classes, eight parent volunteers and the support of AIS staff and administration. It took three days to complete. The students worked together on a letter and when it was time for the next class, those students would take over where the previous class left off.

“My favorite part of the entire project was seeing the collaboration between students,” Marinchek explained. “They took the lead as they followed a template and worked from the outside in, much like a puzzle.”

The project was an extension of the pixel art unit. Students learned in class that pixels are small squares that make up a larger image. They studied sample pixel art then worked to create their own using graph paper. This helped to prepare them for working on the fence art.

AHS Celebrated the Holidays WITH "ELF: THE MUSICAL"

Students across the district came together to spread holiday cheer with Alliance High School’s (AHS) production of “Elf: The Musical” from December 7-10.

The musical was based on the popular holiday film “Elf.” It followed the loveable Buddy the Elf, played by Junior Adam Burse, as he traveled from his home at the North Pole to find his family. Fans of the movie “Elf” recognized many of the same scenes, themes and lines from the film.

“The show was an absolute success,” said Carrie Chunat, AHS choir director. “I am so incredibly proud of how my students progressed throughout the shows with each performance only getting better. The community response was overwhelming. To know that we used music combined with the talents of many individuals to touch so many people during the holiday season is absolutely why I do what I do everyday.”

With a cast of over 100 students from 1st to 12th grade, this year’s production was a special one full of activities, trivia challenges, fun decorations and a live pit orchestra. The lobby at AHS was transformed into a winter wonderland with Christmas trees decorated by various AHS clubs, classes and organizations and a gingerbread house made by Renee Marincheck, art teacher at Alliance Intermediate School.

The show was very much a collaboration between departments and even buildings to bring the production to life. The Construction Trades Career Tech class built the set and even a stage extension to allow for the live pit orchestra. The Digital Art and Design Career Tech class created all promotional material and signage displayed during the shows. The Cosmetology Career Tech class assisted with the hair and makeup for each of the actors. The ornaments that were given out for the various contests during the show were created by students in the MH class at AHS. There were even 15 guest Santas played by community members, school staff and administrators that participated in the show.

With the size of this production, for the first time, Chunat recruited the help of student leaders who assisted in the various parts of the production, including Kris Blyer as the props manager, Sydney Haynam as the student director, Jenna Heslop as the student director and Kaitlyn White as the stage manager.

This show was special for Chunat. It was the 25th production she had directed. To celebrate, Easter eggs from her past productions were incorporated into the show including books, trinkets and more for patrons to recognize.

Parent Collaboration

WORKS TO IMPROVE TWO-WAY COMMUNICATION

As technology has progressed, so has the way parents receive information. At the tips of their fingers, families have access to an overabundance of information from a number of sources - news outlets, social media platforms, google searches and more. The information highway is stored in pockets and accessed at will.

Unfortunately, with the different perspectives available on any one topic makes it difficult for families to get accurate and transparent information. Superintendent Rob Gress saw this issue and created a group of parents who can assist with ensuring accurate information about Alliance City Schools is shared and misinformation is combated.

Alliance City Schools (ACS) strives to be transparent with all Aviator Families and the Alliance Community. The parents group, called the Air Traffic Controllers, meets regularly throughout the year to get valuable information about district happenings and to express concerns about things they have heard in a safe and open environment led by Superintendent Gress and other district administrators.

“Our goal is to improve the two-way communication between ACS and families,” Gress said. “I understand the importance of being transparent in our communication efforts and it's something I am dedicated to. I want to expand the district’s communications footprint and the Air Traffic Controllers are the first step in doing just that. Phone calls, emails and other communication methods are a great tool, but sometimes there’s just no replacement for good, old-fashioned face-to-face conversation.”

Gress wants families to be comfortable contacting the district when they have a concern. Families are encouraged to contact district offices during the school day. Parents also have the ability to reach out to staff using ParentSquare, the district's primary form of communication.

If a parent is interested in joining the Air Traffic Controllers, they can reach out to the administrative office at 330-821-2100, ext. 1216.

Dr. Jones Recognized AS TRAILBLAZER FOR SUCCESS

Alliance High School kicked off Black History Month by recognizing one of its own alumni as a trailblazer for success during the annual Pathfinder Assembly held on Feb. 2. Dr. Stephen Jones, class of 2003, received the 2024 Pathfinder Award for his service and dedication to helping others and inspiring AHS students to reach their full potential.

Nearly 20 years after graduating from AHS, Dr. Jones returned to his roots to share with the students his pathway to success. Dr. Jones, currently a general surgeon in Florida, got his start at AHS where he was a part of National Honor Society and graduated in the top 10% of his class. He attended Youngstown State University and graduated magna cum laude after just two years. In the fall of 2006, he enrolled at Northeastern Ohio University College of Medicine (NEOUCOM). While attending medical school, he served as the president of the college's chapter of the Student National Medical Association. He also served on the diversity council. He graduated with his degree in medicine in 2010.

He wants high school students to know that it’s not always easy to achieve your dreams on the first try.

“As you know, everybody has obstacles, everyone has hurdles, everyone has difficulties that they have to overcome,” Dr. Jones told the students in attendance. “We can either let that obstacle overcome us, or we can overcome that obstacle.”

Dr. Jones explained to the students that when it came to getting into medical school, he didn’t pass the entrance exam on his first or second try It took three times before he was able to move forward with his dream of being a doctor. Even though he had studied and worked hard, he wasn’t able to pass it at first. He felt heart broken and like a failure, but he didn’t let that obstacle define him. He knew he was meant to be a doctor and he was going to overcome it, which he did.

“Overcoming obstacles is a true, true practice,” Dr. Jones said. “It’s what I like to call the art of turning adversity into opportunity. Obstacles come in failure, come in doubt, adversity, uncertainty. I’m sure all of you have experienced at least one, if not all of these, at one point in your life. Each one is a true test of our spirit and in every challenge lies the opportunity to learn and redefine what is actually possible. We are presented with a choice

and we can either rise or we can fall. It is in these moments that we can discover the extraordinary strength that resides in us and that shouldn’t be taken lightly.”

Dr. Jones encouraged the students to have a positive mindset that will enable them to believe in themselves and to know that they can overcome any obstacle in their path to achieve their goals.

Following Dr. Jones’ speech, he took part in a question and answer session moderated by members of the 99th Squadron. The 99th Squadron is a student success, character, leadership and life skills development program aimed at improving African-American students' academic and social achievement at Alliance High School. The program also places a particular focus on college and career readiness.

Each year, Alliance City Schools hosts a series of Pathfinder Awards assemblies during Black History Month to recognize individuals who have been trailblazers for success. The recipients are recognized in five areas: arts and science, education, humanitarianism, citizenship/government and business. All individuals recognized as Pathfinders are either alumni who have been an inspiration to minorities in one of the above areas either locally or out of the area or a non-ACS alumni who has been an inspiration to the local area.

ACS

Awarded a Multi-Million Dollar Grant FOR NEW CULINARY ARTS PROGRAM

Alliance City Schools was awarded a $3 million grant to create a new culinary arts career tech education (CTE) program.

The district applied for the Career Technical Construction grant through the State of Ohio this past spring. Alliance is expected to receive approximately $3 million of the allocated $200 million in the State’s budget for the Career Technical Construction program. The State received over $465 million in grant requests through the application process, which exhibits the desire for new high school career tech programs across Ohio.

The grant will assist in the cost of renovating the former auto body lab at Alliance High School (AHS) into a commercial kitchen, classroom setting and restaurant and assist with the cost of getting the new culinary arts twoyear career tech program up and running. The program is anticipated to be available for the 2025-26 school year, meaning current freshmen should have the opportunity to join the program for the latter part of their high school careers.

“This year at Alliance City Schools, we have a renewed commitment to our vision of preparing all Aviators for life, college and careers,” said Rob Gress, superintendent of schools. “The addition of the new culinary arts program will help us to achieve our goal and provide our students with another career path, one that hasn’t been offered in the past. I am thrilled for this new opportunity and for the chance to see our students excel in the culinary arts field and benefit the local workforce they will soon enter.”

The goal of the program is to teach students interested in culinary arts the technical skills necessary to earn industry recognized credentials. Students will spend time learning about food safety, cooking techniques, restaurant management, hospitality and more. The program will include a restaurant that will be open to the public during select school days. This will provide the students with work-based learning experiences that will directly prepare them for the local workforce.

“I am so excited for Alliance and the Stark County area for this grant to help fund the new culinary arts program at Alliance City Schools. Congratulations to Rob Gress and his team for this exciting news,” said Rick Baxter, president of Alliance Area Development and Alliance Area Chamber of Commerce. “The Stark County area has seen some significant growth in the restaurant industry and there will be more to come with all that is happening here in Alliance and at the Hall of Fame Village. I’m looking forward to this program helping our local students take advantage of all the job opportunities being created in Stark County.”

The Alliance Career Tech Planning District (CTPD) comprises a variety of two-year workforce development programs taught at Alliance, Marlington and Salem High Schools. All programs in the CTPD are open to students at any of the three high schools during their junior and senior years. The addition of the culinary arts program will bring the total to 16 available programs between the schools with ten programs housed at AHS.

“The ability to design, build and open this state-of-the-art culinary arts program would not be possible without this funding from the State, spearheaded by the Governor’s office and supported by our legislators, local officials and the ACS Board of Education. We would also like to thank Marlington Local Schools for their assistance with the application process,” said Beth Hirschman, director of career programs at ACS. “We are most excited about the opportunity for students to develop their passions and attain technical skills and industry recognized credentials through this new CTE program at AHS. It will allow students to explore the culinary arts and all that it offers. The graduates produced from this program will be able to supply our local communities with employees ready to directly enter the workforce.”

Making “Her” Story

Girls athletics has had quite the year so far with two teams making history for the athletic programs.

During the fall season, the Alliance High School girls soccer team dominated on the field earning the program’s first ever district championship on Oct. 26 when they defeated Kenston 2-0. The team ended their historic season with 15 wins, two ties and only five losses.

“The District championship is a culmination of years of work and dedication from players and parents who trusted us with their daughters in some cases, since they were six and seven years old,” said Coach Matt Horning. “I hope that it motivates the next generation of girls’ soccer players to get involved with us at a young age."

The girls soccer banner hanging in the gym is no longer empty. The team was recognized at half time of the Feb. 9 boys basketball game when their banner stamped with 2023 district champs was hung in the gym for all to see.

The girls soccer team wasn't the only ones to make history this year. The Alliance girls wrestling team hosted and dominated the first ever Girls Top Gun Wrestling Tournament on Jan. 13.

Top Gun has been a long tradition at Alliance High School for nearly 40 years. This year brought in 48 boys teams with 432 wrestlers and 23 girls teams with 97 wrestlers.

Junior Avery Horning, Junior Adilyn Mozden and Sophomore Chacora Tackett secured championship titles for the Alliance girls wrestling team and 11 others placed earning the team the first ever Girls Top Gun Wrestling Tournament win with a score of 158.

“We identified our girls athletic programs as an area of growth at Alliance City Schools. Through the collaboration and hard work of countless individuals including our Board of Education, administration, coaches, community members, and of course the student-athletes we have seen tremendous growth in a short period of time,” said Tim Goodman, athletic director. “We are extremely proud of the accomplishments we’ve seen thus far with our female athletes and look forward to continuing growing into the future.”

The two teams are serving as inspirations for the young Aviators in the district.

“Bluey” Inspired Mural Created for PreK

Alliance High School art students in Steve Cabassa’s class spent a day at Alliance Preschool painting a “Bluey” inspired mural for the preschoolers to enjoy while in their indoor play area.

The students designed and painted the mural with the hopes that the youngest Aviators would like seeing it and they absolutely do. The preschool program moved to the former Parkway Elementary at the beginning of the year. The staff have been working to transform the space into a fun, interactive learning environment in which the students can learn and grow.

“I thought it would be a great collaboration between our oldest and youngest Aviators,” said Adam De Monte, principal of Alliance Preschool. “We’ve been doing our best since the summer to get some color on the walls and brighten up the environment. When Steve and I first talked about the idea, we both thought it was a win. It’s perfect and his students did such a nice job.”

The students came up with a variety of designs then voted as a class on which they liked best. Of

course, the “Bluey” themed mural won out. “Bluey” is a popular kids show that’s easily recognizable by the young students. The mural features a bright sun, fun animals and the Aviator jet.

“I think this group of high school students did a fantastic job on the mural,” Cabassa said. “It was very rewarding to watch them collaborate, support one another and work together throughout the process on this large project.”

On rainy or cold days when the preschoolers are unable to go outside, they can still enjoy recess in the indoor play area with the swingset, stationary bikes, and numerous toys and activities set up in the room. It always feels like a nice spring day with the bright, colorful mural on the wall.

Welcome New Aviators

TO ALLIANCE CITY SCHOOLS

Preschool and kindergarten registration for the 2024-2025 school year at Alliance City Schools will begin online on Friday, March 1.

Alliance Preschool (AP), located at 1490 Parkway Blvd., houses all preschool students in the district. The school offers half-day classes with a morning and afternoon session available.

All teachers in the preschool program are highly trained and hold masters degrees - this is not a common occurrence for many preschools. Each class room has a teacher and at least one teacher aide to assist the students in their daily learning and activities. The students begin at the age of three or four in a classroom setting and learn skills necessary to prepare them for kindergarten.

Starting with the 2023-24 school year, Alliance Preschool relocated from Alliance Early Learning School to the former Parkway Elementary building. This is the first time the preschool program has had their own building.

“Having our own building has given us more opportunities for learning, activities, collaborating with community organizations and having family engagement activities. We are excited to grow our program and continue to become the best preschool we can be,” said Adam De Monte, principal of Alliance Preschool.

In order to register for Preschool, children have to be 3 years old by Aug. 1, 2024. The following is required for registration:

• Birth Certificate from the Health Department

• Immunization Records

• Parent or Guardian Photo Identification

• Proof of Address

• Custody Documents if applicable

• Parent or Guardian Proof of Income

• Incoming preschoolers should be potty trained.

Families will also need to turn in the Child Medical Statement completed by a doctor and the Eligibility Screening Tool. Both forms are available to print off during the registration process or hardcopies are available for pick up at Alliance Preschool during the school day.

Spots are limited for preschool registration. Students previously registered in preschool at AP do not have to be re-registered for the 2024-2025 academic year.

If you have questions, please contact Alliance Preschool at 330-829-2284.

Alliance Early Learning School (AELS), located at 285

W. Oxford St., houses all kindergarten and first grade students attending Alliance City Schools. Students take part in daily specials, are taught by highly trained staff and enjoy free breakfast and lunch through the National School Lunch and Breakfast Program.

In order to register for kindergarten, children have to be 5 years-old by Aug. 1, 2024. The following is required for registration:

• Birth Certificate from the Health Department

• Immunization Records

• Parent or Guardian Photo Identification

• Proof of Address

• Custody Documents if applicable

“Alliance City Schools is the place to be,” said Cory Muller, principal at AELS. “Between caring and professional staff, the resources our district is able to provide for students and families and the beautiful school buildings, children receive a well-rounded and high-quality education from preschool through grade 12.”

Information about how to complete the online registration can be found on the Alliance City School website, https://www.alliancecityschools. org/page/acs-new-student-registration. Families can not start the registration process until Friday, March 1.

If a family is unable to register their child online, they should contact AELS at 330-829-2266 for Kindergarten and Alliance Preschool at 330-829-2284 for preschool.

Registration will continue through the summer months if necessary

AMS Works to Engage Students, Instill Hope

When Brian Reed, the Alliance Middle School (AMS) principal, first read an informational email about Project Ignite, he was a bit skeptical of the impact it could have on the students and staff at his building. After some coaxing from administrators, Reed decided to look into it more. Reed took some time to research Project Ignite and found that it had six different offerings tailored to the needs of a school. He chose to have AMS take part in the offering called The Student Experience 21.

“The Student Experience 21 is centered around our building and fostering hope, engagement and belonging,” Reed explained. “This is what we’re hoping to capture and build for our kids.”

Staff hit the ground running with Project Ignite. A group of nine staff members attended conferences and training to learn the best practices for implementing Project Ignite in a school district. Those individuals brought back what they learned and presented the information to the rest of the staff.

“I have seen the teachers get excited from the training and professional development,” Reed said. “Our teachers are ready to make an impact and really try to engage kids in their learning, not just academically, but also on the social and emotional side as well. It’s now just trying to find new ways to do this and get the results that will best support our kids by instilling hope.”

Reed explained that in over two thousand studies on the Science of Hope, hope is the single best predictor of well-being. The hopeful believe their future will undoubtedly be better than their present and they have the power to make it so.

For AMS, the goal of taking part in Project Ignite is to develop strategies on how to better engage students in their learning and provide hope as to how they approach education. As part of the beginning stages of implementing Project Ignite, a student survey was conducted and through that, Reed is hoping to pull actionable next steps that will help them to achieve their goals.

“At AMS, we are constantly seeking ways to better engage and equip the students to prepare them for life, college and careers,” Reed said. “Project Ignite is one way in which we are doing this.”

Project Ignite is an initiative that was created by Battelle for Kids a couple years ago in collaboration with the Ohio Department of Education.

AES Programs

ENHANCE SOCIAL EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Once a month, small groups of students at Alliance Elementary School (AES) don special attire and attend Girls with Pearls and Guys with Ties meetings. The programs are geared towards assisting students to enhance social and emotional development and encouraging them to become leaders in their school buildings and community.

The 22 young gentlemen sport white dress shirts and ties for their meetings and the 23 young ladies wear pink shirts and pearls. Both programs focus on providing lessons related to greetings, first impressions, gratitude, acts of kindness and dining etiquette. The boys have a specialized focus on community service and showing respect and the girls focus on confidence, empowerment, friendship, positive body image and making good choices.

“Students benefit from being part of a group of learners that are striving to positively contribute to their school and community,” said Tracy Lahr, school counselor at AES and advisor for Girls with Pearls. “The engaging lessons help to prepare them for life, college and careers.”

The groups meet during their lunch and recess time. While eating, the students are presented with the monthly lesson from Go Beyond the Game nonprofit. The advisors share the lessons, which often include a slideshow presentation and video. The students are encouraged to interact by sharing their experiences and answering questions. They then complete activities in their designated workbooks. The monthly meetings end with a checklist of challenges based on the lesson. The students are encouraged to complete the challenges by the next meeting.

The programs are well established at AES and the students love to take part in them each year. Guys with Ties has been active for eight years and is led by Tim Muse, a pastor at St. Pauls Lutheran Church. Girls with Pearls has been active for six years.

To showcase their newfound skills and leadership abilities, the students have been featured on the John Hampu show and have acted as greeters/escorts for the monthly Men Making A Difference Readers and Veterans Day programs. The advisors would love for the students to have the opportunity to participate in more school activities that involve the community

AES is able to provide this opportunity to the students through their partnership with the University of Mount Union and Go Beyond the Game.

“There is no cost to our students to be in the programs,” Lahr said. “Go Beyond the Game provides each student with the clothing, workbooks, pearl necklaces and rubber program bracelets.”

Those interested in learning more about Go Beyond the Game and the programs offered can visit their website at www.gobeyondthegame.org.

AHS Works to Build

MEANINGFUL CONNECTIONS

Every Friday for 45 minutes, students at Alliance High School (AHS) take part in Aviator Connections (AC). This once a week period helps to foster connections between students and staff and prepares them for life.

Each week, there is a different focus for Aviator Connections with four focuses in total.

• Prepare students by building life and social skills

• Showcase community involvement by bringing in speakers to talk about careers and the community

• Academic coaching with a focus on building skills that will help students succeed in life and careers

• Team building activities and exercises to assist building connections among students and staff

“We know our role has changed as educators,” said Allison Morrison, a school counselor at AHS. “It’s now our role to prepare students for not just an academic setting, but for life overall. I feel we’re on the cutting edge of what we’re doing. It’s up to us to prepare the next generation. From a social emotions standpoint, we’re doing this. From a career aspect, we’re doing this.”

Every student and teacher at AHS takes part in Aviator Connections. The students were randomly split into groups at the beginning of the year and assigned to a teacher. They stay with that teacher and group all year which helps to build meaningful connections.

“We want kids to get to know teachers they might not ever have here along with kids they wouldn’t usually see,” she said. “It’s a little uncomfortable to have someone you don’t know and to not be there with your friends, but we’re trying to get them to understand new experiences are good. Awkward at first. Uncomfortable? Yes. But it's good for them.”

Each Friday the teacher plans an activity for the students to take part in that's related to the focus of the week. Some of the activities have included games, surveys, discussions, career and college prep and life skills like cursive, cooking and sewing.

“One of the best parts of Aviator Connections is that it’s a huge collaboration amongst the staff,” Morrison said. “I love the collaboration. If an activity works, the teacher will send it out and encourage other AC teachers to do it as well.”

There are also times when guest speakers come into classrooms and students have the ability to leave their group for that week to hear from a speaker that interests them. Speakers have included Alliance City Schools administrators, leaders of community organizations, military recruiters and representatives from various career paths.

“Aviator Connections has given us the opportunity to expose students to many different career

opportunities that are right here in our community. Students have also had the opportunity to make connections to people in those fields and ask questions,” said Kristy Woodford, principal of AHS. “Students and staff are having conversations that really get to the heart of preparing all Aviators for life college and careers. They are thinking and talking about those next steps and beyond walking across the stage and receiving their diploma.”

AHS is always looking for more people to come in to present at Aviator Connections or to share ideas on skills the students should know before they graduate. If you are interested in presenting, contact Maria McDermitt, the AHS College and Career Connector at mcdermittma@ alliancecityschools.org.

Alumni Spotlight: CARLI

Carli Beckett, a 2019 graduate of AHS, is thriving in her career as a Natural Resource Technician (NRT) at Wingfoot Lake State Park in Suffield, OH.

As an NRT, Beckett works in maintenance at Wingfoot where she helps to maintain the park. While most of her training to be an NRT comes from job experience, she had to be certified to operate a skid steer, chainsaw, boom lift and a bucket truck. In the summer months, she spends her days mowing, weed wacking, trimming trees, landscaping, painting, putting out paddle boats, assisting with the miniature putt putt course and dog park, cleaning up dead trees, servicing and repairing equipment and much more. During the winter months, she spends time winterizing and preparing for the upcoming spring.

Her favorite part of the job at Wingfoot is all the park goers who walk around with their dogs.

“They are always saying hello to us and making sure we know they love what we do for the park,” Beckett said.

While she loves her job as an NRT, it does come with some challenges.

“I am the only female NRT at Wingfoot,” Beckett said. “For me, it does challenge me to prove myself and my capabilities that I am able to do just as much.”

During her time at AHS, Beckett was involved in a number of activities, including interactive media, band, volleyball and softball. Her favorite memories of high school are of spending time with her friends and the teachers. The staff members that positively influenced her at AHS are Robb Quicci, her interactive media teacher, Shaun Fontaine, her band director, and Allison Morrison, her school counselor.

“AHS helped keep me on the right track to achieve my goals,” Beckett said. “Ever since graduation, I’ve gained my own kind of independence and know how I want to proceed with my life and future.”

What she remembers about her high school experience the most is playing in marching band during Friday night football games and the #LikeAGirl

Staff Spotlight: PERRY MANN

photoshoot. Beckett worked with two of her classmates to help combat stereotypes in girls sports by creating a series of posters using #LikeAGirl. The posters were shared on social media and hung in the schools to inspire young girls to be all they can be.

She hopes that all Aviators preparing to graduate know that they can do what they want to do. Beckett wants them to strive for greatness and to know that they can achieve anything.

“AHS is an amazing career ready school with so many opportunities for kids to prepare themselves for their futures and what they want to do,” she said.

In her spare time, Beckett loves to take pictures, hang out with her younger siblings, bake and spend time with her boyfriend, Sam, and two cats, Ziggy and Reesie. She also coaches a 10u Softball team and recently accepted a coaching position for the AHS Junior Varsity softball team. She is really excited to start her coaching journey with the JV team.

Contrary to what students might think, teachers don’t spend all their time at school. Some, like Perry Mann, have very interesting hobbies. During the day, Mann spends his time as a social studies teacher at Alliance Middle School, a position he has held for the past 6 years. During his spare time, he keeps bees. He has been a beekeeper for the past 16 years.

“I have a cousin who is a beekeeper and I’ve always been interested in bees. So, I decided that I would give it a try,” Mann said. “After my first hive, I was hooked and have enjoyed the hobby ever since.”

When beekeeping, it is important for a person to interfere with the hive as little as possible. However, there are a few things a keeper must do to ensure a healthy hive. As the news has reported for the past couple of years, mites, fungi and diseases are causing bees to struggle.

“The most important job I have is to watch, diagnose and treat anything that may infect my hives,” Mann explained. “Other than this, I simply need to make sure they are healthy and expand my hive as each colony grows and harvest any honey that I may want throughout the season.”

Mann prefers to keep three hives at a time, but he’s kept as many as six and as few as zero over the years.

“The most important thing I would like people to realize is the pivotal role that bees and insects play in all of our lives,” Mann said. “I would hope that even if you are not a fan of insects, and maybe not interested in keeping bees, that you at least strive to respect and protect these important parts of our environment.”

Mann encourages those interested in beekeeping as a hobby to start by reading and watching videos about it. It will help them to understand the ins and outs of keeping bees. The next step would be to talk to a local beekeeper and spend time learning from them.

There are definitely some challenges that come with the hobby, the first being the cost to acquire the equipment. After you have what's needed, the cost decreases. The second being the diseases the bees are facing and learning how to handle and treat them.

Beekeeping isn’t just a hobby for Mann himself. His family, including all his children, help tend to the bees.

“I like keeping bees because I find it very relaxing and interesting,” Mann explained. “I find it very relaxing just watching the bees and trying to understand what they’re doing.”

Meet the Board of Education PRESIDENT

The Alliance City Schools Board of Education (BOE) has a new president and vice president for the 2024 calendar year. Suzie Dennis will serve as president with Beth Canfield-Simbro serving as the vice president.

Mrs. Dennis was appointed to the BOE in April of 2022 and was recently elected to a four year term during the 2023 election held in November

Dennis’ connection to ACS runs deep. She is a 1978 graduate of Alliance High School. In 1986, she began her career at ACS as a Title One teacher at Morgan Elementary School and North Lincoln Elementary School. Over the years, she worked as a teacher, intervention specialist and school counselor (her favorite position!). She retired from her position as a school counselor at Alliance Middle School in 2015. However, she returned to serve as the student advisor at the Alliance Career Center from 2017 until November of 2020.

“As a lifelong member of the Alliance Community, I’ve always believed that we, as a district, offer a quality public education for our students,” Dennis said. “As a member of the BOE, it is my hope to be able to share my experiences as an educator to benefit the students and families in our community.”

Dennis finds it very important to stay involved in the Alliance Community and the school district. Being involved helps her to have a vested interest in the success of the schools by ensuring the students graduate with the skills and knowledge equipped to be productive, successful citizens.

“It is important that the lines of communication between the school district and community remain open in order to foster honest dialogue among all stakeholders including parents, staff and business leaders,” Dennis said. “Hopefully it gives our community members a sense of connection to the school district. As a board member, it is important to me

to maintain a ‘pulse’ on what is happening in our city. We become stronger by working together.”

Community members will see Dennis and the other BOE members attending school and community functions to show their support of the district and the city. She hopes that if community members see her at events, that they are comfortable approaching her or one of the other board members.

“We are very open and approachable and welcome dialogue with community members,” she explained. “We have the best interest of each and every student of this community at heart.”

In her spare time, Dennis and her husband enjoy spending time riding their Harley Davidson trike on warm summer days, golfing and going for walks. She has a cat, Maggie, and is an avid birdwatcher. When possible, you’ll find her on any beach. She is also an active member of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Alliance and she is a member of the PEO International, Votes for Women, Stark County and the YWCA.

Dennis is a proud Aviator along with many of her family members including her parents, siblings, children, step-children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Her husband of 32 years, George, is a 1969 graduate of Marlington High School, although she has made him an honorary Aviator. They enjoy maintaining a playful rivalry when the Aviators compete against the Dukes.

VICE PRESIDENT

Dr. Simbro has served as a member of the Alliance BOE for the past year and a half, having joined the board in June of 2022.

As a parent, Simbro believes it’s important to have that perspective on the board. Since joining, she has enjoyed learning about how the district works.

“It’s been a very fulfilling experience,” she explained. “I have enjoyed getting to know the ACS staff and administrators better.”

Being an active member of the Alliance community is very important to Simbro.

“I wasn’t born here, and community involvement is how I’ve been able to build friendships and professional relationships in Alliance,” Simbro said. “Our family has had a great experience in our 20 years in Alliance, and we want to give back to this amazing community.”

As a member of the BOE, she wants the community to know that the board is committed to ACS students, staff and parents. She truly enjoys working with the other four board members who always make sure to put students first when making decisions. As a parent, she sees first hand how the decisions the board makes impact the students at ACS.

Simbro believes having a strong education sets the foundation for the rest of a person’s life. A quality, well-rounded education, like the one ACS provides, sets students up for lifelong success and well-being.

“Our daughters are receiving an amazing education and have so many opportunities at ACS to grow and thrive,” Simbro said. “I have been especially impressed with all their teachers who care for and challenge them.”

Simbro lives in Alliance with her husband and her two daughters. She is a professor in the education department at the University of Mount Union where she primarily teaches health classes. Her degrees are in biology and public health. When making decisions for the BOE, she’s always looking at issues through a health lens.

She loves being able to teach young adults who are open to new information and old enough to start forming their own opinions.

The Alliance City Schools Board of Education is made up of five members in total. Also serving on the board are Elayne Dunlap, Tyler Kinser and Bill Koch. The board holds a regular meeting, which is open to the public the third Tuesday of each month at 5 pm. The meetings take place at Alliance High School, 500 Glamorgan St. Door #17.

Mrs. Suzie Dennis BOE President

Dr. Beth Canfield-Simbro BOE Vice President