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Dwight D. Eisenhower's Great Grandson To Speak At Eisenhower MS Eisenhower Middle School will host a 50th Anniversary Assembly and Time Capsule Dedication that honors the 50 years of service it has provided to the Oregon community on Friday, April 12. Honored guest and featured speaker will be Merrill Eisenhower Atwater, great-grandson of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, the school’s namesake. The assembly will begin in the auditorium at 12:00 p.m. followed by an outdoor time capsule dedication in front of the school. “We are just thrilled and honored to have Mr. Atwater come to Oregon to speak to our students about the history of the Eisenhower name on this monumental occasion,” Mrs. Becci Bihn, principal of Eisenhower Middle School said. “It should be an unforgettable afternoon. One that our current students will not forgot and will some day tell their children about.” Eisenhower has hosted several events throughout this school year to commemorate its 50th anniversary. A commemorative photo of all students and staff in the shape of ‘50’ was taken in September. To reflect “walking through history,” the school held a shoe drive for recycling in October, coupled with setting a Guinness World Record on October 26 for the “Most People Running 100 meters in a 24-Hour Period.” An open house was held on November 13, with displays for each era and retro uniforms on display. The students have added their personalized touch this year with a student designed t-shirt contest, student designed banner artwork, signature park benches and themed student essays. The building was officially dedicated on Nov. 11, 1962, as Eisenhower Jr. High, with Dr. Kevin McCann, then President of Defiance College, delivering the dedica-
tion address. The first day of school in the new building was September 5, 1962. [The following excerpt is from Eisenhower’s 25th anniversary booklet] Two years prior, in August of 1960, the Oregon School Board held a special meeting to name the new junior high school. “Not because he’s President, but because he’s a great man.” With that, a new Oregon junior high school took a name - Dwight D. Eisenhower. It was Mrs. Mildred TenEyck, then a board member, who suggested that the school be named for President Eisenhower, the same president who had also hunted locally during his presidency in 1954 and 1958 in an area named “Magee Marsh” at the Cedar Point Club on Lake Erie. In the summer of 1960, the board agenda called for the naming of the new school on North Curtice Road. Many names were advanced, Mrs. TenEyck recalled. “Some were geographical, some historical,” she said. “But one by one they were discarded.” Mrs. TenEyck recalled that after a moment of silence that night, as members considered names, she said, “Parents whose sons and daughters served under General Eisenhower during World War II placed their hopes, their confidence in the ability and the compassion of this great man for his country and those who fought with him. Our new school should bear his name.” Fellow board members, headed by George Ackerman as President, voiced approval. On motion of Mrs. TenEyck, seconded by Mr. Ackerman, the name “Eisenhower” was chosen. Mrs. TenEyck in later years added, “May the boys and girls who pass through its doors in the years to come be made aware of the greatness of the man whose
name it bears.” [End excerpt] During the celebration of its 25th Anniversary, Eisenhower Jr. High School, was honored on March 3, 1988, with a visit from David Eisenhower, grandson of former president Dwight D. Eisenhower, and his wife Julie Nixon Eisenhower, daughter of former president Richard Nixon. During a morning assembly held at the school, the couple shared with the students their personal stories and experiences of growing up in the public service spotlight. David and Julie Eisenhower were brought to Toledo in March, 1988, by the Junior League of Toledo for their “Town Hall Lecture Series,” which highlighted published authors. With the help of the Junior League of Toledo, the Eisenhower’s were also able to speak to the students at Eisenhower Jr. High to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the school. Interestingly enough, at the time of Eisenhower’s 25th anniversary, the Oregon School Board had voted to reconfigure the grade levels at each school in the district beginning in the fall of 1988. The old configuration K-6, 7-9, 10-12 would be changed to K-5, 6-8 and 9-12. Eisenhower Junior High School was renamed Eisenhower Middle School to designate the new grade 6-8 configuration. In December, 2012, during Eisenhower Middle School’s 50th anniversary, the Oregon School Board voted to reconfigure the elementary and middle schools in the district from K-5 and 6-8 to a new configuration that transforms the district’s two current 6-8 middle schools into one 5-6 building and one 7-8 building, with K-4 at the elementary level. Eisenhower Middle School will become Eisenhower Intermediate School in the fall of 2013, housing all 5-6 grades for the district.
International Bound
Above: Clay DECA State Competitors, pictured with advisor Vallie Robeson, after the awards ceremony in Columbus, Ohio. Right top: Clay DECA members, Alexia Bryant, Jenna McGrady, Riley Wasserman, and Todd Klewer (L to R) qualified for DECA's International Career Development Conference in Anaheim, California. Right bottom: Clay DECA heads to the awards ceremony Saturday night at Veteran's Memorial in Columbus, Ohio. On March 15, eleven Clay DECA students traveled to Columbus, Ohio, to compete at the Ohio DECA Career Development Conference. Students qualified to compete at the State level after earning 3rd place for DECA District 2 Chapter of the Year by placing in nearly all events entered at District Competition. Students placing at District 2 Competition held on February 4 at BGSU include: • Todd Klewer – 1st Place, Principles of Business Administration Event • Jenna McGrady – 1st Place, Entrepreneurship Participating Event • Brent Baker – 2nd Place, Apparel & Accessories Series Event • Alexia Bryant – 2nd Place, Entrepreneurship Participating Event • Carly Calevro & Sydney McQueary – 2nd Place, Marketing Communications Team Decision Making Event • Hanna Carr – 2nd Place, Advertising Campaign Event • Aaron Rizo – 2nd Place, Business Services Series Event • Jimmy Murphy – 3rd Place, Accounting Series Event • Tylor Brummett – 4th Place, Sports &
Entertainment Series Event Students placing in the Top 3 moved on to the state competition, where two other classmates joined them. “All the hard work we did this year definitely paid off at States,” Carly Calevro said. At state competition, eight of the eleven students placed in the Top Ten: • Alexia Bryant, Entrepreneurship Written Event • Carly Calevro & Sydney McQueary, Marketing Communications Team Decision Making Event • Todd Klewer, Principles of Business Administration Event • Jenna McGrady, Entrepreneurship Participating Event • Jimmy Murphy, Accounting Series Event • Riley Shull, Business Services Operations Research Event • Riley Wasserman, Creative Marketing Project Marketing instructor and DECA advisor, Vallie Robeson, was very happy with the results: “The students worked extremely hard this year and I am extremely proud of them. Ohio is one of the most
competitive states in the nation and every student should be proud of his or her performance.” However, the journey does not end here. Four students qualified for DECA’s International Career Development Conference by placing within the Top 4: Todd Klewer (2nd place), Jenna McGrady (2nd Place), Riley Wasserman (2nd place), and Alexia Bryant (3rd place). Bryant is ready for this opportunity: “I am overwhelmed with happiness and extremely proud of the four of us. I’m excited to compete at the international level and see how we place among the best competitors.” These students will travel to Anaheim, California April 24 – 28, to compete with over 15,000 DECA students from around the globe. DECA prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in marketing, finance, hospitality and management in high schools and colleges around the globe. It is a component of the Marketing Education Program at Clay High School for seniors interested in careers in the business industry. For more information, contact Vallie Robeson, Clay DECA advisor at vrobeson@oregoncs. org
Honored guest and featured speaker - Merrill Eisenhower Atwater was raised in Huntsville, Alabama, before attending Valley Forge Military Academy in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After graduating Valley Forge, Atwater attended Missouri Western State University, where he graduated in December, 2006, with a Bachelor of Science in Interpersonal Communications and European History. He is currently the Senior Executive Vice President of Development and Principal at Global Green Energy Parks where he develops interlinking, sustainable industries to build economically feasible, alternative energy in emerging markets. Merrill is the son of Mary Jean Eisenhower, President and CEO of People to People International, an initiative started by her grandfather to administer “peace through understanding.” Mary Eisenhower was born in Washington, D.C., during President Eisenhower’s first term, and was christened in the Blue Room of the White House. She grew up in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, on the Eisenhower Farm, where President Eisenhower retired after his time in office. Ms. Eisenhower attended Westtown School in Pennsylvania until her father, John Eisenhower (second son of Dwight D. Eisenhower), was appointed Ambassador to Belgium. Mary married Ralph Atwater and had one son.
Environmentally Sound Clay High School’s Environmental & Agricultural Technologies students earned THIRD PLACE TEAM in the District One FFA Nature Interpretation Career Development Event held recently at the Fulton County Fairgrounds. Over 60 students from seven counties in northwest Ohio participated in this competition. These students were tested on their ability to identify over 150 mammals, non-game birds, reptiles, amphibians, and wild flowers native to Ohio. They were also tested on their knowledge of water quality, controlling problem plants and animals, and attracting wildlife. They demonstrated their ability to lead nature interpretation activities, including safety measures. Finally they were given a written test on their knowledge of Ohio’s natural environment, including the life histories of Ohio wild animals and plants. The Clay High School students on this team were: Brian Richmond, who earned third PLACE individual, Mackenzie Myers was 6th PLACE individual, and Amanda Morris was 11th PLACE individual. Also on the team were: Alison Jadlocki, Veronica Johnson, and Dylan Harsh. Instructor, Mr. Charlie Schneider, teaches Nature Interpretation as part of his Environmental & Agricultural Technologies Program at Clay High School. Students used the knowledge they learned during class and after-school practices to prepare for the competition. These students will now advance to the state competition. This competition encourages interest and promotes excellence among students interested in careers related to Nature Interpretation, Park Management, Wildlife Management, Wildlife Biology, Aquaculture, Environmental Science, and other careers in environmentally related industries. The Environmental & Agricultural Technologies Program is one of eleven Career Technology Programs at Clay High School. Career Technology students may choose from many career paths without leaving their school district. They are trained for skilled employment immediately out of high school, or immediate enrollment in post-secondary education, including apprenticeship and Associate through Bachelorette and Masters Degree. Over 55% of the students at Clay High School are served by Career Technology Programs, which are funded through local, state, and federal taxes, including federal Perkins funding.