Willoughby-Eastlake Community Update, April 2023

COMMUNITY UPDATE

Willoughby-Eastlake City Schools

New Superintendent Hired

NCI Teacher Receives Award

South High Top Students

Student Athlete Signings

DearWilloughby-EastlakeFamilies,

Dear Willoughby-Eastlake Families,

The end of the school year is just around the corner This means it is prime awards season at W-E!

Our students are celebrating their academic and athletic achievements from throughout the year at banquets And several of our staff have recently been recognized for their dedication to helping our students Teach - Learn - Grow, including Michelle Peters, administrative assistant and purchasing manager, and Gary Brack, MSN-Ed, RN, NE-BC, and professor at Willoughby-Eastlake’s Northern Career Institute Learn more about their respective awards later in this newsletter

From end-of-year band concerts and art shows, to prom and helping our seniors and their families gear up for graduation, the excitement this time of year is infectious. The district has also selected its next superintendent. Dr. Patrick Ward is a familiar face to some at W-E, and I’m confident he is poised to lead the district into the future. Check out page 3 to read more about his background

I encourage everyone to finish the school year strong — but don’t forget to have fun and stay safe!

Sincerely,

Charles Murphy

Interim Superintendent

Willoughby-Eastlake City Schools

Charles.Murphy@weschools.org

W-E UPCOMING DATES

May 22 - South High School Graduation

May 23 - North High School Graduation

May 24 - Last Day of School

W-E RECEIVES 2ND SAFETY GRANT

Willoughby-Eastlake was awarded a second safety grant by the state of Ohio through The K12 School Safety Grant Program, which launched in 2021 to help schools pay for physical security expenses. W-E will receive $890,433 to help upgrade 13 buildings with better security.

Eastlake Middle - $68,790

Edison Elementary - $67,790

Grant Elementary - $78,485

Thomas Jefferson Elementary - $72,237

Longfellow Elementary - $65,607

North High - $79,487

NCI - $79,487

Royalview Elementary - $50,000

School of Innovation - $73,700

South High - $71,050

Willoughby Middle - $50,000

Preschool - $84,271

Willowick Middle - $50,000

DISTRICT INFORMATION

NEW SUPERINTENDENT NAMED

The Willoughby-Eastlake City Schools Board of Education has selected Dr Patrick Ward as its new superintendent

Dr. Ward is coming to W-E from Mayfield City Schools where he was the Director of Curriculum. He has more than two decades of experience in education and is no stranger to W-E, having previously served as principal of South High School

Starting August 1, 2023

“We would like to extend our gratitude to the community for their input and support during this search process,” said School Board President Stacy Menser “Dr Ward stood out among the highly qualified candidates, and we believe he possesses the vision, leadership, and dedication to take our district to the next level. We are confident in his ability to drive continued success for our students and community."

He holds a bachelor’s in education from John Carroll University, a master’s in education from Walden University and Ursuline College, and a doctorate in K-12 Leadership from Walden University

Dr. Ward said as a resident of the community, it’s great to be “back home.” His start date is August 1.

The Board would also like to thank Finding Leaders for their partnership in the search for WE’s next leader.

KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION

Willoughby-Eastlake City Schools invites parents/guardians to register their children for kindergarten.

Registration opened March 1, 2023

Contact your elementary school or the central registration office at (440) 9753784 to complete the registration process Check www weschools org for school numbers and District boundary map.

Register by June 1st to receive a free gift

CONGRATULATIONS MICHELLE

munity Update

Michelle Peters, administrative assistant and purchasing manager, received her 2023 Londa Schwierking Treasurer Support Award from the Ohio Association of School Business Officials.

Dr. Patrick Ward

New Superintendent

DISTRICT INFORMATION

DOES YOUR STUDENT HAVE FEES?

Parent Portal

The W-E Parent Portal is a secure website where parents can access grades, attendance, fees, and other information about their children enrolled in the Willoughby-Eastlake School District

Once logged into the Parent Portal, click on "Balance" to see assessed fees

Need to sign up for the Parent Portal?

Click here to learn how: Parent Portal Guide Instructions.pdf

SCHOOL FEE SCHEDULES

The breakdown of what makes up the fees per grade/program can be found on the District website, or by clicking the links below Questions about your student's fees? Please reach out to your school building.

2022-2023 Student Fee Schedule - Elementary (includes SOI grades 3-5)

2022-2023 Student Fee Schedule - Secondary School (middle and high school, Excel TECC)

Where are the school fee schedules on the website?

www.weschools.org

Click on "Parents" sub-head tab (not the dropdown) On green nav bar, click "Fee Schedules"

Click appropriate fee schedule link on page

PAYMENT OPTIONS

1. 2.

Cash/Check/Money Order

Include student's name in the memo

PAYMENT DEADLINE

Fees are due upon receipt.

If families are unable to pay in full at the time of receipt, payments can be made throughout the year.

Unpaid balances could be sent to collections

W-E ON MAY 2 BALLOT WITH ZERO INCREASE TAX LEVY

Willoughby-Eastlake City Schools is on the May 2 ballot with a 10-year renewal levy. If passed, the funds will help the District maintain day-today operations, including teachers and staff, technology, supplies, maintenance and utilities

The levy is a zero increase in taxes. The ballot issue combines two existing levies

The first, a $7.5 million levy set to expire at the end of calendar year 2023, was originally passed in 1987. The second, a $5 9 million levy set to expire at the end of calendar year 2024, was first passed in 2009.

Combining the two issues will decrease how often the District must return to the ballot and save money on election and legal fees

Again, the levy will result in zero increase to taxpayers. Learn more on the Treasurer page of our website. To find your polling location, visit ohiosos gov

Nick Ciarniello

Treasurer/CFO

Willoughby-Eastlake City Schools nick.ciarniello@weschools.org

Representative Daniel P. Troy 77 S. High St., Floor 10 Columbus, Ohio 43215 614-466-7251

Senator Jerry C. Cirino Senate Building 1 Capitol Square, Ground Floor 034 Columbus, Ohio 43215 614-644-7718

W-E NURSE EDUCATOR NAMED NURSE’S TOUCH AWARD WINNER

Congratulations to Gary Brack, MSN-Ed, RN, NE-BC, and professor at Willoughby-Eastlake’s Northern Career Institute, for being named a 2023 Nurse’s Touch Award winner by ATI Nursing Education. He was one of only four recipients from a pool of more than 60 of the highest-caliber nurses in the country.

The award celebrates educators who go above and beyond by demonstrating the qualities of professional communication, wellness/self-care, knowledge of nursing informatics/technology, and leadership/management.

Brack has more than 25 years of clinical practice experience. As a nursing instructor, he has designed and implemented numerous case studies, simulations, and classroom activities that allow students to examine evidence-based techniques that promote therapeutic communication and overcome sources of bias. He uses every opportunity to serve as a role model and educate students on the importance of developing personal leadership skills so they are inspired to positively impact their patients at the bedside, local, national, and world levels

“Teaching is not just a job for me; it is a calling,” said Brack. “One of the things of which I am most proud in my teaching career is the connections I have made with my students. I believe when students feel connected to their teachers and their peers, they are more likely to take risks, persevere through challenges and achieve their goals I’m humbled and honored to get to be part of it.”

Winners will be honored during an awards ceremony at the National Nurse Educator Summit in San Antonio, Texas, April 25-27

LAKE COUNTY METROPARKS DELIVERS 100,000TH TREE TO LONGFELLOW ELEMENTARY STUDENT

Lake County Metroparks has been educating first graders about trees and their importance through the Trees for Wildlife program for the past 34 years. On March 23, they handed out their 100,000 tree seedling - to a Longfellow Elementary student no less! The student was also presented with a unique certificate commemorating the milestone.

The program covers topics like the food that trees produce, the risks of deforestation and the ways that trees benefit animals, humans and the natural environment. Students also enjoy hearing the program mascot, Woody the Tree, read them a story and leading them in a pledge to care for their tree.

BUS DRIVER HOSTS EGGCELLENT EGG HUNT FOR STUDENTS

We are so thankful for our bus drivers, who get our kids to and from school safely each day. Alice Jackson, driver for bus #71, recently showed her love of her elementary passengers through an egg hunt!

She organized baskets for all students that included toys and candy, filled eggs to scatter around Squire’s Castle, and provided a popcorn and juice refreshment She did not ask for money or donations and said she simply wanted to show how much she enjoys working with her students and their families.

Ms. Mormino, a participant that day and science teacher at Willoughby South High School, said, “Ms. Jackson definitely went above and beyond her call of duty as a bus driver. It was an unbelievable experience filled with many happy kids and parents ”

EASTLAKE MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS DANCE THE NIGHT AWAY FOR GOOD CAUSE

More than 100 sixth through eighth grade students from Eastlake Middle School put on their dancing shoes April 15 when they cut a rug from noon until midnight at the 13th Annual Autism Awareness Dance-a-Thon.

This is the first year for the event since the pandemic, and everyone was thrilled

for its return, especially W-E’s Autism Intervention Specialist Angela Minichello, who runs the dance-a-thon with fellow Intervention Specialist Ellen Murfey “Everyone comes together the students who are dancing, past students who return, individual donors sponsoring the dancers, and businesses in the community that donate,” said Minichello.

Since the event’s inception, students, who each pledged to raise $75 this year, and community members, have raised more than $131,000 to benefit local autism awareness and research programs. This year, recipients included Share a Vision, the Miracle League, Footprint Center for Autism and Kent State University’s Career and Community Studies Program.

Families with firsthand experience with autism also shared their stories of perseverance throughout the event to help students build understanding and a sense of empathy, an important component of the event

SOUTH HIGH SCHOOL TOP 11 STUDENTS

Congratulations to the 2022-2023 top seniors at South High! This year there was a tie resulting in 11, instead of 10, top students

Students were recognized at the April Board of Education monthly meeting.

In alphabetical order:

Marco Bortnik

Tallula Burns

Brianna Campbell

Megan Carroll

Seamus Garry

Emma McCue

Vyas Pai

Kathryn Rupnow (not pictured)

James Saracene

Christina Stanich

Morgan Staska

HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETE SIGNINGS

South High School

Congratulations to these student-athletes for committing to further their academic and athletic careers at the next level!

Alex Azre Marietta College Football

Tommy Funk Wittenberg University Football

Tyrone Singleton Baldwin Wallace University Football

Colin Quinlan Baldwin Wallace University Football

Jason Panich Thiel College Football

SCHOOL VIEWS

SOUTH HIGH SCHOOL

NORTH HIGH SCHOOL

NORTHERN CAREER INSTITUTE

These amazing students passed their written and skills tests and are now STNAs

Students participate in a sensory lab in Medical Assisting

Students enjoyed the summer time temperatures this month during outdoor Ranger Recess

Girls Flag Football Team improved to 8-2 on the season and has qualified for the playoffs

The softball team played in the Ripken tournament over spring break

AP biology students help Willowick Middle 6th graders with their first frog dissection

SCHOOL VIEWS

WILLOUGHBY MIDDLE SCHOOL

WILLOWICK MIDDLE SCHOOL

Elec Simon was a guest motivational speaker for an assembly put on by the PTSO Students became energized by Elec and his contagious spirit through music and uplifting encouragement. Elec is an event Emcee/Entertainer and touring musician. He also is a part of the Cleveland Cavaliers entertainment team Elec tours with the world-famous Pieces of a Dream jazz ensemble, and is a ten-year veteran of wowing audiences in the critically acclaimed off-Broadway show Stomp.

Willoughby athletes run to the finish line

Students help the PTO gather donations for a fundraiser

SCHOOL

THOMAS JEFFERSON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Staff welcome incoming kindergarten students at KIDS First Night event

GRANT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Students attend their USA Skates skating party

LONGFELLOW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Students had a blast at the skating party

Students are engaged with a STEM project

SCHOOL VIEWS

SCHOOL OF INNOVATION

Students took a trip to the Cleveland Orchestra

WILLOUGHBY-EASTLAKE PRESCHOOL

Preschool students enjoy receiving their book and stuffed bunny from South High School students, as part of the annual "Book & a Bunny" program

Students created their own bubble wands

Fourth grade students present their biography tea projects

ALUMNI & COMMUNITY INFORMATION

NORTH & SOUTH ALUMNI GROUPS

Click the links below to follow the pages and stay up-to-date on the exciting developments regarding each group.

North HS Alumni Association Website

North HS Alumni Association

Facebook Page

South HS Alumni Association Website

South HS Alumni Association

Facebook Page

COSMETOLOGY SALON OPEN TO PUBLIC

The NCI Willoughby Cosmetology Clinic is open for business! All students are supervised by Mrs. Conti, our licensed Cosmetology Instructor Please call 440-602-5140 for an appointment.

Clinic Schedule

Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays

11:30 a m - 2:00 p m

Services Include: Facials Perms

Haircuts

Blow Dry & Style

Manicures

Pedicures

Hair Color Highlights

COMMUNITY CORNER

Willoughby-Eastlake Schools serves seven communities: Eastlake, Lakeline, Timberlake, Waite Hill, Willoughby, Willoughby Hills and Willowick. Many of these communities have recreation departments and senior centers that offer multiple events, classes and activities for students and their families. You can find their websites here and become active in your community!

*Lakeline does not have a website.

Questions?

DISTRICT CALENDAR

2022-2023 SCHOOL YEAR CALENDAR 2023-2024 SCHOOL YEAR CALENDAR

DISTRICT MASTER CALENDAR - allows you to filter calendar events by school and dates, print and export the calendar for transfer to electronic device

W-E Tip! Check your school's website for any additional events by the school or parent/booster organizations.

LOOKING FOR INFORMATION?

Do you have a question about the Willoughby-Eastlake School District and you are not sure who to ask?

related - contact your child's