Cloverleaf Community Newsletter Spring 2022

NEWSLETTER

COMMUNITY

CLOVERLEAF LOCAL SCHOOLS

Spring 2022

Student Profile

Russell Hinderman

CMS 8th-grader Home: Lafayette Township Parents: Heidi and Joe Hinderman made great friends with. Being a student who is blind is sometimes hard, but Cloverleaf has helped by treating me like all the other students and by providing me the opportunity to develop self-advocacy and problem-solving skills to overcome life challenges. Cloverleaf Middle school also has the best school lunches!

Russell was born blind with no light perception. He has attended Cloverleaf since preschool, is in typical classes, and completes all assignments and tests right along with his classmates. A teacher of the visually impaired assists him with braille and with learning new concepts. An orientation and mobility specialist assists Russell in learning how to maneuver safely around different environments at school and in the community.

How would you describe yourself to someone who is meeting you for the first time?

I am currently an eighth-grader at Cloverleaf Middle School. I would describe myself as funny, energetic, kind and talkative.

Are there things you notice about Cloverleaf and about your school that the rest of us might miss?

I have attended Cloverleaf since preschool, so I have had a lot of time to notice that Cloverleaf is the best school district ever!

Students and staff are so friendly and helpful. Cloverleaf feels like a big family, helping students succeed in school and plan for a bright future. Cloverleaf has helped me become a successful student by having teachers who are excellent at explaining and verbally describing new concepts and by having a great student body that I have

A Message from the Superintendent Page 2

You were recently featured in an article at FamilyConnect.org about computer coding. Can you explain what coding is and what you like about it?

I was featured in an article about an awesome and fun coding program for students with visual impairments. This program uses manipulatives to teach coding skills. Coding is the method of giving a computer instructions to perform a specific task and it fuels the world of technology. I enjoy coding because it is fun making automations and shortcuts.

This means programming the computer/ iPad to do tasks automatically. I also like the feeling of achievement I get when I code correctly and the action successfully works.

Is there a potential career path you are interested in?

I’m interested in computer science. I want to develop fun and unique audio games for people with visual impairments. Everyone loves to play video games – however, there are limited accessible audio games for people with visual impairments. It would also be cool to build and program robots.

What are your hobbies and interests outside of school?

Making music, playing audio games and talking/socializing with friends and family.

Cloverleaf Rec Center Program Schedule Pages 4-5

I play the piano and drums. I also like to record/edit/mix my own music. I’m looking forward to playing in the Cloverleaf Marching Band next year.

Tell us about your family. Do you have siblings? Pets? What activities do you like to do together?

I live in Lafayette Township with my mom, dad, and two younger brothers named Vincent and Marcus. My brothers and I like to ride around our yard in our go kart and joke around with each other. As a family we like playing card games (my favorite is blackjack), fishing and swimming. I have a one-and-a-half-year old dog named Ruby.

She is an American Bully and loves to play tug-a-war and sleep.

What advice would you give to fellow students or even adults about dealing with challenges?

My advice is to think BIG and never give up.

If you really want something, you need to work hard to achieve it – and if it doesn’t work out, keep trying. Also remember that you can ask for help. A lot of people are willing to help; you just need to ask. My last piece of advice is to think positive. When you have a positive attitude it makes everything seem easier and achievable.

Alumni Spotlight Mary Ann Rohleder Class of ‘65 - Page 6

A Message from the Superintendent With renewals, Cloverleaf’s financial future remains strong

One of the challenges of school funding in Ohio is that districts continuously have to go back to voters for levy renewals in order to maintain their existing level of funding – all while the costs of products and services needed to educate kids continues to rise.

An example is Cloverleaf’s $2.8 million emergency operating levy, last renewed in 2013. It is a fixed-sum levy, which means the amount it generates does not go up as property values rise. This levy, which comprises nearly 9 percent of Cloverleaf’s budget, expires at the end of 2023 if it is not renewed.

Another example is the combination levy approved by voters in 2014. This is the levy that got Cloverleaf out of Fiscal Emergency! It consists of a property tax that generates $1.6 million per year combined with a 0.75 percent earned income tax. (An earned income tax applies only to those currently earning a wage. It does not apply to pension, rental or investment income.) At the time of its passage, we promised Cloverleaf taxpayers we would not go on the ballot for additional operating revenue until at least 2020. We are on track to extend that promise to 2027 or beyond! However, the 2014 levy that enabled us to make this promise expires at the end of 2024 if it is not renewed.

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The non-appealed revenue the district is receiving from NEXUS is financing the new Cloverleaf High School project.

Considering the first-level appeal resulted in a 0 percent reduction of the pipeline value, we are cautiously optimistic about a favorable outcome.

Once the appeal is settled, it is our intention to fund the next phase of the project, which includes the addition of a middle school wing to the new building; demolition of the current high school; and construction of new baseball, maintenance and administrative facilities.

In 2020, our taxpayers graciously renewed Cloverleaf’s 2-mill permanent improvement levy. At 2 mills, that levy would have generated more $1.3 million per year for items such as buses, computers, books, etc.

(PI funds cannot be used for operational expenses.) However, we made a commitment to taxpayers that Cloverleaf would not collect more for this levy in 2020 than when it was last renewed in 2015. To that end, the board of education approved a resolution to REDUCE collection to 1.39 mills for residential property owners – something rarely, if ever, seen in Ohio school districts. This saved residents more than 0.6 mills on a 2-mill levy.

Depending on the final NEXUS settlement, it is possible there will be additional funding available beyond what is dedicated to construction projects. At that time, it will be my recommendation to the board to potentially delay asking taxpayers for the additional operational funding that likely will be needed in the 2027-28 time frame. It may even be possible to consider reducing or removing one or more operating levies so we can continue offering a great education at the lowest cost to our taxpayers.

Stay tuned!

To summarize: For Cloverleaf just to keep the funding it currently has, we need to ask voters to: 1) Renew a property tax levy that expires in 2023 2) Renew a combination property/earned income tax levy that expires in 2024 3) Renew a permanent improvement levy that expires in 2025 Of course, we know NEXUS also generates revenue for our school district. However, NEXUS is appealing more than 60 percent of the pipeline’s taxable value. As of this writing, the case is before the State Board of Tax Appeals. A reasonable question is: What will Cloverleaf do once the NEXUS appeal is settled?

C L O V E R L E A F

Until next time … Go Colts!

-- Dr. Daryl Kubilus, Jr. Superintendent

T R I V I A

How did Cloverleaf become known as “The Colts?” If you know the answer, send it to John.Gladden@cloverleaflocal.org. All correct answers will be placed in a drawing for a free pass to fall season athletic events.

Deadline to enter: May 20. Watch for the answer and the winner in Cloverleaf’s next Community Newsletter!

STAFF PROFILE

Lara Stafinski School Counselor, CES

with stressors, or problem-solving skills to figure out how to collaborate with others.

At that point, I decided I wanted to point my efforts into more of the social/emotional field.

Where did you grow up and go to school?

I grew up in Seville and graduated from Cloverleaf High School in 1995. Go Colts! I received a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Ashland University in 2000 and a master’s in school counseling from Western Illinois University in 2007.

How did your career path lead you to Cloverleaf?

I loved growing up in this community and I always wanted to give back. I bleed green and will forever have Colt Pride.

Why did you decide to become a school counselor?

Following my bachelor’s degree in education, I began my first position as a learning disabilities tutor at the high school level. I worked with many students one-on-one or in small groups. Through this work I began to see many of them were missing life skills to be able to cope

been established, or it is unsettled.

They are also growing up and trying to learn how to socialize in a world that has not been able to socialize for an extended time. These factors are a major challenge in their development.

What are some ways caring adults can support the children they know?

Listen to your child … with both ears, both eyes, and no distractions. Let them tell you their story and how they see it or feel it.

Remember, even though they may have similar experiences you have had, they are not you. It is important to see them as unique individuals and provide them with some space in between. And always, build them up … they are our future!

What is the role of an elementary school counselor?

Some people may think my role is to play with puppets and give high fives all day, lol :) However, an elementary school counselor aims to assist in the development of every child’s academic, career and social/ emotional needs. The school counseling team does this by implementing schoolwide initiatives, presenting classroom guidance lessons, offering small group and/ or individual support for specific needs, collaborating with parents/guardians, staff, and our community, and most importantly advocating for our youth

What is the best part of your job?

Definitely the hugs! Being able to provide a child comfort while they are away from their loved one(s) is the best! My goal is to treat every student as though they are my own.

What are some of the major challenges elementary-age students face today?

Kids still face many of the same challenges you and I faced growing up … peer conflicts, teasing, peer pressure, academic demands, not feeling good enough/smart enough/fast enough, finding their strengths, etc. However, the pandemic definitely unleashed our anxiety monster. Safety is one of our basic needs, and for many, that feeling has not

What do you like to do outside of work?

My family is my number one! I have an amazing husband and four children that constantly keep me on the go … basketball, dance, gymnastics, soccer, track, swimming, friends, grocery shopping, etc., etc., etc.! I have recently gotten my dog certified as a therapy dog and enjoy bringing others smiles with his slobbers.

Hope you all get to meet him one day!

A Note from CMS An easy-to-clean hairbrush. An air filtration system. Edible cups. A cushier egg carton.

Bio-friendly paper. A zip-open facemask for easier eating. A phone charger for a bicycle.

An extendable-height shoe. A sleeping bag mat made from recycled plastic shopping bags. A helmet embedded with sensors to help reduce concussions.

That’s just a sampling of the 85 projects devised by Cloverleaf Middle School eighth-graders during Innovation Week.

The goal is to promote critical thinking by taking everyday objects and activities and finding ways to make them better, said

science teacher Sharlee Keltner. Students created displays and explained the concept and development of their innovations to judges that included community members, Cloverleaf staff, and Advanced Placement Physics students from Cloverleaf High School.

“We told students: ‘You are the experts here. Your judge knows nothing about what you are doing, so this is your time to teach somebody about your passion,’ “ said science teacher Monica Borsani. “Their eyes lit up!

They were so excited to teach somebody else – an adult, especially.”

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CLOVERLEAF REC SUMMER PROGRAMS

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CLOVERLEAF REC SUMMER PROGRAMS

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ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT Tell us about your family and where you grew up.

I grew up in Chippewa Lake with my parents and brother, Charlie, and lived there until I went away to college. My father was an attendance officer for Cleveland City Schools and my mother was a registered nurse and worked in Lodi.

What activities were you involved in at Cloverleaf?

I belonged to the Girls Athletic Association, Latin Club, Spanish Club and Future Teachers of America. I would have liked to have been involved in sports, but there were no girls sports offered when I was in school.

What was your educational path after high school?

I attended the University of Akron my freshman year and transferred to Findlay College (now University of Findlay), from which I graduated in 1970 with a Bachelor of Science in education. In 1980, I earned a Master of Sport Administration from Ohio University and in 1991 a Master of Science in education (school counseling emphasis) from Butler University.

What was your career path?

Following graduation from college, I taught high school physical education, health and science for four years at Northridge High School in Johnstown, Ohio, where I also coached girls basketball, volleyball and track. (I had never participated in any of these sports, but if you were the physical education teacher, coaching came with the position!) I completed several hours of coursework at Otterbein College and Capitol University to qualify for teaching certification in the K-8 classroom, then moved on to teach junior high and elementary school in

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Mary Ann Wiedenmann Rohleder, CHS Class of 1965

Occupation: Associate Athletics Director and Senior Woman Administrator at Indiana University (retired) Home: Jasper, IN

the Northridge School District for three years. I then taught elementary school for two and a half years in Delaware, Ohio.

The summer prior to my third year of teaching in Delaware, I decided to apply for the sport administration program at Ohio University. I was accepted and entered the program in January 1980. In this program, we were required to do a full-time internship, which I began in June 1980 in the athletics department at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, serving as the group sales director.

Upon completion of my internship, I was offered a full-time position as the assistant to the athletics director at SMU. I was able to fulfill my master degree requirements at OU via correspondence and completed the degree requirements to earn my MSA. I left SMU in August 1981 to take a position as assistant executive director at the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics in

Kansas City, Missouri. This was a new position at the NAIA established to facilitate the recent addition of women’s championships at the organization. This job involved championship management and a lot of travel to meetings and championship events all over the country.

When I began graduate school at OU, my goal was to obtain a position as an athletics administrator on a college campus. In 1983, I accepted a position as assistant athletics director and Primary Woman Administrator (PWA was an NCAA designation for the institution’s highest-ranking female athletics staff member, but has long since been titled the Senior Woman Administrator or SWA) at Butler University in Indianapolis. Throughout my tenure, I was involved in many aspects of the athletic program, with particular emphasis in sport administration, women’s issues, academics and rules compliance.

CHS Alumni Wrestling Night

Former Cloverleaf High School wrestlers representing the Class of 2021 all the way back to the Class of 1967 gathered to reminisce and cheer on current Colts wrestlers at a special Alumni Wrestling Night in February. Some 80 alumni, 10 coaches and a dozen statisticians attended the match. Among them was 1981 state

champion Colin Funk – the only state wrestling champ in Cloverleaf history.

The event raised $370 for the Lodi Community Food Pantry in honor of Mike Stallard -- a Colts wrestler from the Class of 1985 who passed away in 2020 following a courageous battle with ALS.

I was offered a position as the assistant athletics director and compliance coordinator at Indiana University in Bloomington and began in January 1993. In 1994, I became an associate athletics director and Senior Woman Administrator. Throughout my tenure at IU, I oversaw several areas in the athletics department, including rules compliance, sport administration, human resources, tickets, marketing and promotions, and video production. I retired from the athletics profession in 2010 as senior associate athletics director.

You went into collegiate athletics administration at a time when there probably weren’t many women in that field. What was that part of your career journey like?

When I did my graduate work at OU, I was one of six women (out of 25 students) in the program. It was a great time to get into the field because opportunities for women were opening up all over the country, very much due to Title IX. There were many challenges because, early on, there was a lot of resentment because these opportunities required finances and resources, which many believed came to the detriment of established men’s programs. Early on, there often was only one senior female administrator on staff, which was sometimes daunting. It was hard to navigate at times, but it was quite rewarding to see the growth and progress of women’s athletics programs and opportunities for women. My goal was to get others to see the value of women’s programs and, over time, this happened. At the conference and national levels, the woman administrators took strength and support from our colleagues at other institutions. I believe many of the women who were athletic administrators during this period of growth, including me, now look back with pride on what was accomplished!

What has been the most rewarding part of your career?

I enjoyed most aspects of my career in intercollegiate athletics, though my favorite, by far, was having a role in the development of young people. I loved watching our students come in as young, wide-eyed freshmen and leave as mature, confident young adults with direction and purpose.

I also enjoyed working with coaches as a sport administrator. They were very driven in

what they did and I was able to learn a lot from them and hope I helped them along the way!

What advice would you give to someone who is trying to discern their life and career path?

When I retired and looked back upon my career in athletics, I realized I had the best jobs I could have wished for. On those days on which I found myself not wanting to go to work, I realized it was not the job, but me just wanting to do something else that day – like hiking or playing golf! This is not to say there weren’t tough times and hard work, but overall, I loved my career. I believe people should choose a career in something they have a passion for. Figure out what environment and type of work for which you are best suited.

If you are a people-person, go into a field in which you can deal with people, etc. One’s work life is long, so find what suits you best!

What do you like to do in your free time?

I like to be outdoors, so I walk and hike a lot.

I love to travel and learn about other cultures and countries. I read a lot and always make time to spend with friends.

Was there a particular staff member, class or activity at Cloverleaf that had a lasting impact on you?

I enjoyed many of my teachers and classes, making it difficult to choose! I think Ms. Work and Mr. Murphy both taught me so much about literature and English, respectively, and both are lifelong skills that have served me well throughout my life. When I was actually in school at Cloverleaf, I probably wouldn’t have answered that way, but upon reflection, I realize the impact they had on my success.

A Note From CES

Starting kindergarten is one of life’s biggest milestones! Each year, Cloverleaf Elementary School welcomes preschoolers and their families to Cloverleaf R.O.C.K.S. to help make sure students are ready for that next big step.

“R.O.C.K.S.” stands for “Readiness Opportunities Create Kindergarten Success.” Led by elementary school staff, it’s a series of free evening programs for preschool-age students and their families to explore the elementary building and learn skills that will help them be ready for kindergarten. Preschoolers and their families spend the sessions making art projects, learning computer skills, playing literacy-based games and more. They even get to take some of those games and activities home to enjoy together.

Cloverleaf R.O.C.K.S. is made possible by funding from Westfield Insurance Foundation.

3rd-Annual Cloverleaf Alumni Association Scholarship Golf Outing Saturday, May 21 Hawks Nest Golf Club Shotgun Start: 8 a.m.

Proceeds from this annual outing fund scholarships for graduating Cloverleaf seniors. Your participation in the golf outing, sponsorship or donation has a direct positive impact on students and their families. Please join us for a

fun day of golf, food, prizes and reconnecting with Cloverleaf friends and alumni -- all for a great cause! Visit www.cloverleaflocal.org to register or donate online.

For information, please contact alumni association board member Michael Johnson at 330-636-1914 or mjohnson@patriotcapitalfinancial.com.

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Cloverleaf Local Schools

PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID AKRON OH PERMIT #286

8525 Friendsville Rd. Lodi, OH 44254 Board of Education Jason Myers, President Rhonda Wurgler, Vice President James Curran Jane Rych Jeff Schreiber Superintendent Daryl Kubilus, Jr. Treasurer Jim Hudson Contact: John Gladden Community Information Coordinator 330-302-0311 John.Gladden@CloverleafLocal.org www.CloverleafLocal.org

A Note from CHS

Meet Cloverleaf High School’s 2021-22 exchange students: Pauline Galand of Belgium and Ana Carmen De Vicente Sanjurjo of Spain.

Ana Carmen De Vicente Sanjurjo

Pauline Galand

What grade are you in?

I’m a junior at Cloverleaf High School.

What grade are you in?

I am a senior this year.

Who is your host family?

I’m staying with Erin Cavey and her three children, Aiden, Brooklyn and Camden.

Who is your host family?

My host family is the Timura family, including parents Stacy and Nick, and their son Hudson.

Where is your home?

I am originally from Madrid, Spain, but now I live in Seville, Ohio.

Are you involved in sports or activities at CHS? I did soccer in the fall and basketball in the winter. I am doing track in the spring.

What are your plans for after high school?

Do you have a career goal?

I still have one year left of high school back in Spain. Once I graduate, I would like to go to college to study pharmacy or physical therapy.

What is your favorite thing about being an exchange student?

Meeting new people and the new culture.

Also doing all the American experiences like football games, attending high school and playing new sports.

Where is your home?

I live in Brussels, which is the capital of Belgium.

Are you involved in sports or activities at CHS? I played soccer during the fall season, I was on the basketball team and I plan on doing track.

Back row, from left: Aiden Cavey (junior), Erin Cavey, Brooklyn Cavey (freshman), Ana (junior).

In front: Camden Cavey (fourth grade).

What are your plans for after high school?

Do you have a career goal?

I plan to go to college back home in Belgium to do a major in psychology or biology, but I haven’t decided yet.

What is your favorite thing about being an exchange student?

Meeting new people and making new friendships, as well as discovering a new country and its culture.

Pauline with her host family sibling Hudson at Christmas.