Spring 2023 Cloverleaf Community Newsletter

CLOVERLEAF LOCAL SCHOOLS

Spring 2023

CHS Robotics Team Earns Trip to State

Here’s your challenge, should you choose to accept it:

Design and build a robot from the wheels up. Manufacture your own parts from scratch, as needed. Next, program the robot to complete assigned tasks in a limited time frame – both on its own and with you operating it remotely. One more thing: Your robot will be competing against other robots with a few hundred spectators watching its every move.

Challenge accepted, said the Cloverleaf High School Robotics Team.

The robotics team is an extracurricular club that gives students an outside-theclassroom opportunity to apply what they learn in Cloverleaf’s robotics courses and other classes, including computer science, computer programming, mechanical drawing, digital design, math, physics and more. Funding is provided in part by an experiential learning grant from Westfield Foundation.

“The robotics team is an extension of what we’re doing in class,” said adviser and Cloverleaf High School science teacher Jim Vaughn.

It also can be an important resumebuilder for students continuing their education after high school. Colleges offer scholarships to students with robotics experience – and all 10 members of this year’s team are planning to pursue careers in engineering or computer science, Vaughn said.

Cloverleaf goes head-to-head with other high school robotics teams under the auspices of the international non-profit organization FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), which sponsors state and regional robotics competitions.

“Every year, FIRST lays out a new challenge and students have to brainstorm all the different functions of the robot – the Student

build, the look, the code,” Vaughn said. “Those are all distinct skill sets, along with the whole process of designing it and iterating parts.”

Vaughn – who teaches physics, robotics and computer science – has a selection of 3D printers and a laser cutter in his classroom. With the help of CAD (computer-aided design) software, students can manufacture just about any custom part they need. In terms of 3D printing resources, Cloverleaf’s setup is comparable to what a lot of colleges have, Vaughn added.

FIRST challenged teams to build a robot that could pick up plastic cones and place them over posts while navigating

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Staff Profile- Page 7

Mark Brooks, Cloverleaf Local Schools Resource Officer

(From left) Ethan Vaughn, Brett Gucker, Vova Herdman, Carter Betts, Thomas Blaha, Nathan Naples, Allyson Kogler, Vanessa Monhemius, James Blake Downey and Reese Gold.

Cloverleaf Recreation Center Program Schedule Pages 4-5

A Message from the Superintendent Safety Woven into the Fabric of Cloverleaf’s Campus

Our district’s mission statement ends with “... in a safe, stimulating and respectful environment.” When that wording was finalized in early 2009, little did we know the impact the word “safe” would have on schools all across the country and right here in our own back yard.

In 2009, you could easily access multiple entrances to any one of our five school buildings (three elementary schools, one middle, one high). Those buildings were constructed during a time when school security wasn’t a priority. Today, all outside exit doors are automatically locked on timers.

In 2009, our buildings had no security cameras. Today, our three buildings all have security cameras throughout – inside and out where we are able to monitor, record and report to law enforcement, if needed.

In 2009, none of our schools had secure entrances with entry safety vestibules. Today, our middle and high schools have been modified with safety vestibules and our elementary school was designed with one. Our new building for grades 7-12 (opening in August 2024) also will have built-in safety vestibules as part of its original design.

In 2009, the burden of school security was left up to each individual school district. Today, we have statemandated safety drills and protocols we implement hand-in-hand with our local law enforcement and fire/safety

forces. We are blessed at Cloverleaf to have so much police, sheriff’s office, fire and EMS support throughout our 119-square-mile school district. All of them are very committed to the safety of our Cloverleaf students on and off our campus.

In 2009, our five school buildings had a combined age of more than 400 years. Today, our three school buildings have a combined age of 127 years. When our new, consolidated Cloverleaf 7-12 building opens for the 2024-25 school year, the combined age of our school buildings will be 12 years. With new or newer schools, safety and security is constructed into the fabric of our buildings.

The future is bright at Cloverleaf. It’s a great day to be a Colt!

Dr. Daryl Kubilus, Jr. Superintendent

Alumni Scholarship Golf Outing is May 20

All Cloverleaf Alumni and Friends Invited!

Proceeds from the Cloverleaf Alumni Association’s annual golf outing fund scholarships for Cloverleaf seniors. This year’s event begins at 8 a.m. Saturday, May 20, at Rawiga Golf Club. Even if you don’t golf, you are still invited to take part in the fun by enjoying the catered lunch and raffles. Or, show your Colts spirit with a sponsorship or with a donation in any amount. It’s a great day of golf, food, prizes and reconnecting with Cloverleaf friends and alumni -- all for a great cause! Scan the QR code to register or visit www.CloverleafLocal.org.

Cloverleaf Education Foundation

Celebrating 33 years of Enhancing Educational Experiences

The Cloverleaf Education Foundation began in 1990 when a group of parents gathered to pursue a path to provide “extras” for Cloverleaf students. An independent 501(c)(3) non-profit was formed to enhance and supplement the educational experiences of our students.

Staff members are able to apply for grants, which are submitted to CEF trustees for review and potential funding. Over the past decades, grants have focused on literacy, the arts, music, math and science. Additionally, the CEF awards annual scholarships to seniors through the Letha House Scholarship Fund, the Chippewa on the Lake Women’s Scholarship and CEF’s own scholarship.

The grants and scholarships awarded by CEF are funded by donations from the community. The foundation incurs no administrative expenses; every dollar is allocated to programs that directly benefit students.

The foundation would not be able to provide these opportunities without your support. Please consider making a tax-deductible (as allowed by law) donation to CEF. Checks may be made payable to Cloverleaf Education Foundation and mailed to 7571 Ryan Rd., Medina, OH 44256.

For more information, contact us at CloverleafEducationFoundation@gmail.com

Thank you!

CHS Robotics Team ...

Trustees:

Dee Ehret, President Parent of Cloverleaf alumni

Kristy Todd, Vice President

Class of ’99 and parent of current students

Kristin Fallow, Secretary

Class of ’98 and parent of current students

Patricia Workman, Treasurer

Parent of Cloverleaf alumni

Randy Pollock

Class of ’00 and parent of current students

Kate Walley

Class of ’63, retired Cloverleaf thirdgrade teacher, parent of Cloverleaf alumni and grandparent of current students

Jenny Wolff

Class of ’02 and parent of current students

a 12-foot-by-12-foot course, with points awarded for completing various tasks along the way. Starting just after Thanksgiving, Cloverleaf students came up with a unique triangular design with three motorized wheels instead of the traditional four. That gave the team an extra motor to utilize in the robot’s arm – which is an important piece of the machine, considering some of the posts it needed to place rings on were 40 inches tall. Cloverleaf fared well in several regional competitions – refining the robot each time – and qualified for the state championship last month in Troy, Ohio. The competition is based on a system of alliances among teams. Cloverleaf was in ninth place individually heading into the finals, and through the alliance process, finished on the fourth-place team.

Vaughn said students put a tremendous amount of time and dedication into the project – working on the robot during study halls, on weekends, after school and every chance they could. All the while, they learned about teamwork, developed problem-solving skills, and maybe even discovered a career path where they can play a role in building the technology of the future.

Members of the 2022-23 robotics team are: Carter Betts, Thomas Blaha, James Blake Downey, Reese Gold, Brett Gucker, Vova Herdman, Allyson Kogler, Vanessa Monhemius, Nathan Naples and Ethan Vaughn.

(Continued from front page) Learn More!

“For a school our size, Cloverleaf offers so much opportunity for kids – four Advanced Placement science classes, two robotics

CLOVERLEAF REC SUMMER PROGRAMS

CLOVERLEAF REC SUMMER PROGRAMS

*Court & Cage Rental: $35 hour/member, $55 hour/non-member

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Class of 1970 Establishes Overcoming Challenges Scholarship

Alum Jim Siders donates book proceeds to scholarship fund

Applicants must have been a Cloverleaf student for a minimum of five years and be enrolled in a trade, technical, twoyear or four-year college. Among other questions, the scholarship application asks students to describe the physical, mental, emotional, financial or family challenges they have overcome to acquire their high school education.

via Amazon by searching on the author’s name or by going to the Kindle app and doing the same.

For more, please contact class members Sam Brown at sbrown6996@aol.com and Kurt Ludwig at ludwigfarm1@gmail.com.

Navigating high school and fulfilling the requirements for graduation can be tough enough under the best of circumstances. It can be even harder for students who must overcome developmental challenges or difficult family situations to receive their diplomas.

Those are the students the Cloverleaf High School Class of 1970 wants to make sure receive recognition for their efforts and the support they need to take the next step in their educational journeys. Harnessing the energy surrounding their 50-year reunion – postponed to 2022 due to COVID – class members donated $15,000 to establish The Class of 1970 Overcoming Challenges Scholarship.

Cloverleaf High School seniors have the opportunity to apply in the spring through the counseling office, which administers local scholarships.

The class intends to award one to four scholarships annually for a combined total of $2,000 each year. Class members may discuss extending the scholarship after the original funds have been disbursed.

One Class of 1970 graduate has offered a “novel” way for the public to help grow the scholarship fund. Class member Jim Siders is a retired University of Alabama professor whose academic career focused on special education and post-secondary services for persons with intellectual disabilities.Siders has authored several novels in which the central characters are persons with cerebral palsy and other developmental disabilities. The characters strive to overcome obstacles in a society that all too often fails to treat them with the fairness and understanding they deserve. The books are designed to educate as well as entertain.

Through July 2023, Siders is donating all proceeds from sales of his books to The Class of 1970 Overcoming Challenges Scholarship. Books may be purchased

In Memoriam: DeeDee Stormer

The Cloverleaf family was deeply saddened to lose one of its own earlier this year when longtime bus driver DeeDee Stormer passed away January 7 after a hard-fought battle with cancer.

Bus drivers are the first staff members to greet students in the morning and the last Cloverleaf face many students see at the end of the day. DeeDee took great care in watching over the children on her route and formed bonds with many students and parents during her 20-year career at Cloverleaf.

We offer our sincere condolences to DeeDee’s husband Derek; daughters, Chelsey Nagelski and Mackenzie Stormer; grandson Colton Marie; father Stanley Nagelski; and all of DeeDee’s family and friends.

Jim Siders, 1970 Alumnus and Author

STAFF PROFILE

I found something more permanent. After putting myself through the police academy at University of Akron, I was moved to the road patrol division in 1996. Twenty years later, I took the Drug Abuse Resistance Education / School Resource Officer position at Cloverleaf.

What’s your role as a school resource officer? What do you enjoy most about your job?

choices can have great consequences, but we all need to put some thought into them. They really do have a blank slate and need to make the most of that advantage.

You can be found at a lot of af terschool events! What are some of the activities you’re involved in at Cloverleaf?

What year did you graduate from Cloverleaf? Was there a particular staff member or experience that had a lasting impact on you?

I graduated in 1986. My fifth-grade teacher at Lodi Elementary, Ginny Stinson, was my favorite teacher throughout school. I think she was, or should be, what educators aspire to be.

What was your path to your career in law enforcement?

It was a long and winding road. I studied advertising art right after high school at the University of Bridgeport (in Connecticut) and Columbus College of Art & Design, and worked in that field for a few years. Eventually, in 1994 I took a job at the sheriff’s office as a dispatcher. I thought that would just be a $6.50/hr job until

CHS Robotics Team ...

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classes, a CAD class, all the digital art –there’s just so much tech available here,” Vaughn said. “And our programming is just going to keep getting better as time goes on.”

Cloverleaf High School’s 3D printers and design software are not just for students.

As the SRO, I am the on-site law enforcement entity, but I usually work as a liaison to the schools. There’s really very little enforcement, most of the time. I also teach DARE classes to the first, fifth and eighth grades, as well as some individual classes from time to time.

The best part of my job, especially at this point in my career, is being in a generally positive atmosphere. I like the adults I get to work with and I really like working with the kids. When I work patrol, at least half of the people we deal with don’t want us there. Sometimes, no one wants us there. Twenty years of that can be a grind. “The Leaf” really is different, even amongst schools. It’s been a great, positive place for me at this point in my career.

What are the most important messages you try to impart to students?

I try to give them some perspective that life moves on, people move on and this can be a great time in their life, but it’s not the whole thing. Making better

Vaughn’s classes can help manufacture original or hard-to-find parts for anyone in the community. A nominal material fee is the only cost. Vaughn’s students helped a member of the Amish community replace a key on a 1920s-vintage adding machine.They are currently working with a local children’s author to create 3D promotional printouts of characters from one of the writer’s books.

I get to – and I stress “GET TO” –announce several of the sports events here at Cloverleaf. I’ve been fortunate to announce boys and girls soccer, boys and girls basketball, wrestling and football. The best part is announcing for kids that I’ve been able to get to know and work with in the schools.

I also run the Medina County Police Activities League (MCPAL) after-school program for our third-graders at Cloverleaf Elementary School. It’s a program designed to create positive interactions between kids and police officers. I’ve been able to work directly with about a quarter of our Cloverleaf student population from third grade on as a result.

What are your hobbies and interests outside of work?

I have built up a “hobby that pays for itself” in leatherwork. I make belts, holsters, Western-gear and other items in the little off-time I have. It’s a nice escape, sometimes, and it helps keep the creative outlets open.

Anyone interested in taking advantage of Cloverleaf’s 3D printing and design services is invited to contact Vaughn at Jim.Vaughn@cloverleaflocal.org.

Watch for the Cloverleaf High School Robotics Team this summer, where they will be presenting demos during the Medina County Fair.

Dep. Mark Brooks

Medina County Sheriff’s Department Cloverleaf Local Schools Resource Officer

Cloverleaf Local Schools

8525 Friendsville Rd.

Lodi, OH 44254

Board of Education

Jason Myers, President

Rhonda Wurgler, Vice President

James Curran

Jane R ych

Jeff Schreiber

Superintendent

Dar yl Kubilus, Jr.

Treasurer

Jim Hudson

Contact:

John Gladden

Community Information Coordinator

330-302-0311

John.Gladden@CloverleafLocal.org

www.CloverleafLocal.org

Emma Cole

Student Profile

Tell us about your family. Be sure to include any animals or pets you may have!

I live with my parents and siblings. I am the oldest. I have a little sister named Anna (who also goes to Cloverleaf Elementary) and a little brother named James. We have one cat named Tinker Bell. We have six chickens and three bunnies.

What are your hobbies and interests outside of school?

I love tumbling, cheering and being in 4-H. I love arts and crafts, playing outdoors and playing with my sister when we’re not in school, cheering at competitions, or at 4-H.

How did you get started in competitive cheer? What does it involve? What do you like most about it?

A friend introduced me to competitive cheer. And when I went to tryouts, I instantly

fell in love. Competition cheer involves a lot of dancing, exercising, cheering, tumbling and staying on beats. I practice two to three times a week and I am always learning something new. I love to learn new tumbling tricks and just have fun. It’s great to travel to different places for competitions and hang out with friends at cheer. I am also excited about going to Florida for The Summit competition this month!

What is your favorite thing about being a student at Cloverleaf Elementary School?

My favorite things at Cloverleaf Elementary are learning new things, the teachers and staff, and making new friends every day.

5th Grader Cloverleaf Elementary School