The Experience Newsmagazine: December 2023

December 2023

Superintendent’s Update I am happy to be back with another edition of The Experience: The official newsmagazine of Mariemont City Schools. Since our last update, we have celebrated the successful completion of the first academic quarter of the 2023-24 school year and are now well into the second quarter of teaching and learning.

We also celebrated Academic Excellence Month in October. This is always one of my favorite months of the year because we get to recognize countless students and staff members who are shining bright this school year. We kicked off the celebration at the October Board of Education meeting and got to honor dozens of staff members and students for their incredible achievements both in and out of the classroom.

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Distinctly Mariemont Pages 4-5

Career Readiness Page 6

Apple Distinguished Schools Page 7 Work Smart. Create Experience. Embrace Growth.

Superintendent’s Update

Treasurer’s Update

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Long-range planning is fundamental to our success, whether that is thinking about our students’ educational journey or our financial stability.

We also were delighted to share our 2023 Ohio State Test data which once again highlights Mariemont City Schools as one of the top school districts in the state. Our district was ranked first in the region and seventh in the state of Ohio in overall academic achievement, as well as first in the region and fifth in the state for early literacy achievement and first in the region for gifted opportunities and performance. We ranked in the top 10% of the state for year over year student improvement and also had all four school buildings rank in the top 2% of the state for overall academic achievement.

Our district has successfully extended the duration of our 2018 operational funding beyond original estimates (2021) to maintain services and programming. This is a testament to our prudent financial management and strategic resource allocation. Furthermore, we have kept our expenditures to a 3% average annual increase during astronomical inflationary increases.

But our excellence goes beyond classrooms and testing results. Our students had a great fall season of athletic accomplishments and arts performances. We also held an incredible Homecoming for Mariemont High School that saw our entire community come together to celebrate our students, both past and current. We welcomed back two extraordinary women, Peggy Lyman Hayes and Susan Abernethy Frank, as Distinguished Alumni and inducted four former student athletes into our Doc Kusel Athletics Hall of Fame.

The reality is that our district relies on local taxes to generate revenue due to very limited state funding.

We stretch our resources because we value our local taxpayers. It is important to note that Ohio law says voted taxes for schools cannot increase with property valuation or inflationary changes. Therefore, our district’s revenue does not significantly change without additional funding from the community.

It truly was a fall to remember for Mariemont City Schools, and we owe all of our success and accomplishments to our dedicated and supportive community.

Mariemont’s most recent Five Year Financial Forecast was shared at our November 20 Board meeting. We are looking at our finances in order to plan for both the 2024-2025 school year and beyond.

As we look ahead to the second half of the school year, we are committed to working smart, creating experience and embracing growth together. I can’t wait to see what we can accomplish!

Because of the way schools are funded in Ohio, our forecast shows expenditures outpacing revenue, and that will continue without additional funding or significant budget reductions. Obviously, implementing reductions would impact the excellent programs and services we are able to provide our students.

Sincerely,

We will continue to keep a close eye on our forecast and share important information and updates as we follow our long-range planning process and consider our options.

Steven Estepp Superintendent

It is our goal to continue delivering excellence through our Destination 2026 plan in distinctly Mariemont experiences for our students while maintaining our commitment to our local taxpayers.

Sincerely,

Tom Golinar Treasurer, CFO 2

Mariemont City Schools Committed to Leadership Development Mariemont City Schools has tremendously talented and dedicated staff members in all buildings and across all departments. That is why the district has created a Fellowship Program for staff members interested in broadening their leadership capabilities and growing their personal and professional brand.

At the beginning of this school year, any staff member interested in developing their skills and/or aspiring to a leadership position was encouraged to apply for the program. After careful consideration of the many applications, eight deserving staff members were selected: Chris Buxsel, Mark Campbell, Colleen Herking, Emily James, Nick Leone, Courtney Miller, Tricia Woitha and Holly Zimmerman.

The Fellowship offers intensive leadership training and development through seminars, book studies, projects, conferences and presentations.

Program participants also work closely with members of the district’s administrative team for coaching and mentorship.

Ann Hobart Named Outstanding Art Educator Terrace Park Elementary Art Teacher Ann Hobart has been recognized by the Ohio Art Education Association (OAEA), earning the title of Outstanding Art Teacher for the Southwest region.

The OAEA awards teachers for their outstanding performance as art educators and service to the organization. These individuals, through their powerfully engaging work and tremendous impact they’ve had on their students, inspired colleagues and fellow OAEA members to nominate them for these awards.

Hobart, along with the rest of the honorees, was celebrated at the annual awards banquet and program on Thursday, October 26, at the University of Cincinnati.

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A District of Distinction

But at MCSD, it’s not just about rigorous academics; it’s about working tirelessly to ensure every student is confident, prepared, healthy and on the path to success.

At Mariemont City Schools, our excellence is unmatched as we continually lead in academics, student experience and wellness.

Throughout the school year, you will find many examples of the Distinctly Mariemont programs and practices across the district’s website, publications and social media platforms. Be sure to follow along and discover what sets Mariemont City Schools apart from the rest.

Our commitment to excellence has positioned us to routinely earn local and national recognition for our academic achievement.

Distinctly Mariemont: Out of This World!

Part of what makes us distinctly Mariemont are the experiences that our students and staff have access to. Through generous donations from the Mariemont Elementary PTO, the Terrace Park Elementary PTO and the Mariemont School Foundation, Mariemont City Schools is now bringing outer space into our classrooms.

The StarLab, an inflatable mobile planetarium, is the district’s latest addition under the experiential learning umbrella. This device, large enough to fit an entire classroom of students and adults, creates an immersive experience where students can travel through space, get a birds-eye view of constellations, see the sun rise and set across the horizon, and so much more.

The StarLab is equipped with age-appropriate lessons for staff members to present to students while inside the planetarium, giving students of all ages the chance to experience space firsthand. And while the StarLab will be based in both of our elementary schools, the lessons can advance all the way through high school curriculum.

This truly is a one-of-a-kind experience that is distinctly Mariemont.

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What makes us Distinctly Mariemont?

It’s a collection of the: profound impact our students and staff have on each other and our community,

pivotal moments that happen in our schools and programs,

Distinctly Mariemont: Leaving our Mark Being distinctly Mariemont means leaving a lasting impact on each other and our community. This is exactly what the students and staff of Mariemont Junior High School did on October 20 when they completed their annual Warriors Day of Service. This tradition sees each student and staff member of the school spend a day off campus at various community sites to perform service projects for our neighbors.

Together, our MJHS Warriors completed over 750 hours of community service at 15 different sites across Cincinnati. Some of the projects included painting, cleaning and organizing, yard work and spending time with the elderly.

We are proud of these junior high Warriors for making a profound impact on our community and for being great ambassadors of our school district.

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exceptional experiences our students and staff have access to, and

successful trajectory our alumni are on for life.

Simply put, the Mariemont experience stands alone.

Career Education in Mariemont City Schools It’s never too early to begin exploring careers!

Mariemont City Schools believes that career education should be a part of students’ educational experience beginning in kindergarten and continuing through high school graduation.

We want our students to see academic subjects as practical and realistic approaches to working and living. We want our teachers to connect their curriculum to the broader world of work.

We want our school counselors to be valuable resources to students as they identify their interests and strengths. We want our parents to feel supported as they help their children navigate schooling and plan for life after high school.

This is why we are intentional about career readiness in Mariemont City Schools – introducing students to career education early and creating many opportunities for them to explore, discover and prepare!

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A Good Time!

Mariemont Elementary, Terrace Park Elementary Designated as Apple Distinguished Schools Both district elementary schools are being recognized for their commitment to continuous innovation using technology

We always have a great time on Halloween!

Check out some of our favorite moments from the day.

In October, Mariemont City Schools announced that both Mariemont Elementary School and Terrace Park Elementary School have been recognized as Apple Distinguished Schools for the 2023-2026 program term. ME and TPE were selected for this distinction based on their commitment to continuous innovation in education and using Apple products to create exemplary learning practices.

Apple Distinguished Schools are recognized as some of the most innovative in the world. They’re centers of leadership and educational excellence, with a clear vision for how technology-rich environments support learning goals. In Apple Distinguished Schools, forward-thinking leaders and their communities work to inspire, imagine and impact teaching and learning, and they have documented results of academic accomplishments.

As teachers incorporate technology into lessons, they empower students to lead, learn and thrive, to discover new opportunities, and to make their world a better place.

Mariemont City Schools’ Coordinator of Technology Brian Sugerman and technology coach Jackie Heinzelmann were honored at the October Board of Education meeting, along with ME principal Ericka Simmons and TPE principal Tami Croll, for their work in leading the Apple Distinguished Schools nomination process.

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UPCOMING DATES DECEMBER

JANUARY

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Board of Education Meeting

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School Resumes

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MJHS Winter Concert

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Board of Education Meeting

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Elementary Strings Concert (Gr. 5-6)

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Mariemont Arts Association Meeting

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Elementary Band Concert (Gr. 5-6)

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ME PTO Meeting

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MJHS/MHS Exams

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ME Second Quarter Parent/Guardian Community Meeting

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MJHS/MHS Exams

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MJHS Explorations Career Day

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MJHS/MHS Exams

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End of Second Quarter, Early Dismissal

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MJHS/MHS Exams

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Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, No School

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Elementary Classroom Parties

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MHS Tri-M Recital

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Winter Break Begins

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www.mariemontschools.org