Community Update, November 2022

Dear Willoughby Eastlake Families,

Having just celebrated Thanksgiving, we have much to be thankful for in the District, namely, the recent passage of the renewal levy which was supported by the members of the community. As a reminder, the levy will not increase taxes, and will help cover the day to day operations of the district, including staff members, technology, supplies, maintenance, and utilities. This ensures we can continue providing the best education possible to our students. Again, thank you!

I hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving Break and is ready to finish 2022 strong!

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Sincerely, CharlesMurphy

Photo credited to SH Athletics

NORTH HIGH DRAMA CLUB PRESENTS "A SEUSSIFIED CHRISTMAS CAROL"

The North High Drama Club will present "A Seussified Christmas Carol" on December 9 11, at the Performing Arts Center, located at North High School. Tickets are available for purchase at the following link: https://rangernation.hometownticketing.com/embed/all

Holiday Ornament Party

Come and enjoy a Holiday Ornament Party before the matinee show on Sunday, December 11th, and decorate your own ornament. Ticket price includes a wooden ornament, decorating materials, refreshments, and snacks. Reservations are required and can be secured through the ticket link above.

Willoughby Eastlake Schools

TREASURER'S UPDATE

FIVE-YEAR FINANCIAL FORECAST STABLE

I’m happy to report that as of today, Willoughby Eastlake City Schools’ five year forecast is stable Each year in May and November, school districts across Ohio are required to update their five year financial forecast. This projection takes into account the District’s current financial picture and looks at the next five years of revenue and expenditures.

Willoughby Eastlake is committed to stretching taxpayer dollars to ensure the children in the community receive a high quality education. While we are optimistic about the District’s future, there are a couple of factors that have us keeping a close eye on the budget.

Local Funding

Property tax collections, which represent 75.3% of funding, are the largest single revenue source for the school system We anticipate that this source of revenue will remain stable because of several factors, including: the favorable housing market in the district; the projected growth in appraised values every three years; and modest growth in new construction.

W-E also appreciates the community’s renewal of the $4.75 million, 10-year emergency levy, that was passed on November 8, 2022 The District's long term financial health will be more stable due to the passage.

State Funding

The state budget represents 24.7% of District revenues. This means it is a significant area of risk, which is primarily due to the uncertainty of school funding in future state budgets.

HB 110, otherwise known as Ohio’s two year budget bill (covering fiscal years 2022 and 2023), was signed into law on June 30, 2021. As part of this bill, the Fair School Funding Plan, which is expected to create a more equitable, stable, and predictable revenue stream for Ohio’s schools, went into effect with a phased approach to full funding.

The future risk comes during the next budget cycle and beyond. The state economy could stall due to the record high inflation occurring at this time, or the Fair School Funding Plan could not be funded in future state budgets due to an economic recession Therefore, we are still unsure of what this means for the long term budget. The District will keep an eye on the activity happening at the statehouse and will continue to advocate for fair funding

W E is grateful for the community’s support and will continue to be transparent about the District’s financial outlook and any challenges we face. Please visit www.weschools.org to view the five year forecast and other financial information.

Nick Ciarniello Treasurer/CFO

Willoughby Eastlake City Schools nick ciarniello@weschools org

Willoughby Eastlake Schools

COLLABORATION AMONG SCHOOLS ENHANCES STUDENTS' EXPERIENCES

W E Schools Preschool Director, Mrs. Ritt, loves collaborating with other teachers and programs across the district to enhance her students’ learning and fun!

Most recently, the preschool partnered with the Northern Career Institute (NCI) Eastlake on a trick or treating event Students, staff, and families were thrilled to see the event return after a two year hiatus due to the pandemic.

“This event is a lot of fun and is a good morale builder for the preschoolers as well as the career tech students,” said Mrs. Ritt.

NCI Eastlake, which offers a variety of career and technical education programs for both adult and high school students, is also considered a community partner as part of the preschool's status as a five star Step Up To Quality school NCI Eastlake’s students also conduct the District’s hearing and vision screenings, provide lessons on germs, and simulate a doctor’s office visit for the preschoolers

“This is a great opportunity for our students to get practical clinical experience as well as gain knowledge in pediatrics,” said Ms. Morley, NCI Eastlake administrator

NEW STEM LAB AND MAKERSPACE INCREASING HANDS-ON LEARNING AT ROYALVIEW

A combination of grant funding and PTA donations allowed Royalview Elementary to renovate its STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) lab last year. Teachers and students alike are seeing the fruits of their labor this school year

STEM courses are shown to better prepare students for today’s workforce. Combining curriculum with hands on learning improves a student's critical thinking, communication, and collaboration skills.

The new space includes fun and flexible furniture and new activities with an increased focus on students in grades K 2 and in special education

Mrs Saluan, fourth grade teacher and technology coordinator, and Mrs. Blair, the school’s assistant principal, were integral to the project, and said, “Teachers of younger students sometimes panic when we talk to them about integrating STEM activities into their daily work. To help them we developed projects and obtained materials that cater to this age group.” The lab also features activities that can be taken back to the classroom to meet the needs of the special education population and those that struggle with transitioning from one place to another

Mrs. Saluan and Mrs. Blair also provided training opportunities for teachers to become familiar with the new materials so they can comfortably take their students to the Makerspace.

SCHOOL HIGHLIGHTS

MUSIC EDUCATION, AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF CURRICULUM AT JEFFERSON ELEMENTARY

Fourth grade students at Jefferson Elementary recently performed a concert titled “Music is a Universal Language.” Students played wind and percussion instruments, sang in different languages, demonstrated games from around the world, and represented music through dance.

This month, students at the school paid tribute to local veterans in recognition of Veteran's Day by performing songs during an assembly. In addition to the Veteran's Day performance, the third grade students will welcome the holiday season with an upcoming concert in December. This will be a concert first for many!

This is just a sampling of the many opportunities for music and art education that take place in Willoughby Eastlake City Schools!

ROYALVIEW ELEMENTARY RENOVATES SENSORY ROOM WITH GRANTS & DONATIONS

Willoughby Eastlake Schools is committed to supporting the whole child At Royalview Elementary, this means improving and expanding on a sensory room for special needs students and those who need a break from the classroom so that they can successfully re engage in learning.

Last year, Mrs. Blair, Royalview’s assistant principal, sought alternative funding through grants (GPD Employees’ Foundation and SST4 Minigrant) and community donations to create a space that addresses the neurological and physiological needs of every student

The space, known as the R.E.A.L. (Reflect, Energize, Assist, Learn) Room, is divided into a creative corner, an active area, a quiet area, and an open area. Within these areas students can engage in activities such as a Lego wall, puzzles, rock climbing and more. A generous donation from Concrete Craft, other community businesses and Royalview’s PTA allowed for the installation of a rubber floor that is antimicrobial and zero maintenance Additionally, with help from the District's general fund, the room has new, adjustable lighting with sensory coverings.

“This space provides our students with the strategies and tools they need to be successful,” said Mrs. Blair.

The new sensory room also serves as a Tier II support for the District’s Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) program

SCHOOL HIGHLIGHTS

Willoughby Eastlake City Schools, in partnership with Excel TECC, offers a variety of career and technical educational opportunities at the Northern Career Institute (NCI). These programs include Digital Arts & Technology, the Performing Arts Academy, the Business Academy, Culinary Arts, Auto Collision, and several additional pathways. The wide array of pathways offered within the career technical programs provides opportunities for students to follow their passion and prepare for a future career

Hands on learning is important to career tech students, just as it is to all students. To fulfill this need, Mrs Sanford, an instructor in NCI Eastlake’s Medical Assisting program, recently taught a two-day lab on wound care. This consisted of students creating a simulated wound on themselves, and in a follow up lab, they placed draining, artificial wounds made from pudding and food coloring on a piece of chicken meat. The multiple steps

taken during the lab, provided students with a realistic experience and gave them a more thorough understanding of the integumentary system After building the wound, the final step was to learn how to pack and clean the wound while properly documenting and charting their actions. This simulation helps to prepare students for the real life scenarios they may experience in a medical office

“Students had to use and understand the terminology they’d been learning and practiced culturing a wound, which involves measuring, irrigating and charting,” said Mrs. Sanford.

The chicken meat then became a dual purpose prop for the lesson. As soon as the wound care lesson was complete, students carefully dissected them to begin studying the skeletal and muscle system

Medical assistants work in doctor’s offices, hospitals, and insurance companies, and can perform tasks ranging from basic clinical duties to tracking financial information, billing patients, and coordinating patient visits

Mrs Sanford said her class of 17 juniors will pursue a variety of pathways after completing the Medical Assisting program While some may seek immediate employment in a medical office, others plan to continue their education in college to earn a degree in nursing. She’s thankful to be able to offer out of the box applications such as the wound care lab to help her students learn

SCHOOL VIEWS

SOUTH HIGH SCHOOL

NORTH HIGH SCHOOL

250th Win

Congratulations to Paul Force, North Girls Varsity Basketball Coach, on his 250th game win in his 16 year coaching career

NORTHERN CAREER INSTITUTE

Learning how to clean an old screw

Practice makes perfect

South Marching Band received a Superior rating at their most recent competition

North girls and boys basketball teams held a "Meet the North Basketball Teams" event

AP Spanish students researched other Spanish speaking countries and prepared typical foods and drinks for sampling

Cosmetology student washes a client's hair

EMS EASTLAKE MIDDLE SCHOOL

WILLOWICK MIDDLE SCHOOL

Students

and staff enjoy the first school dance of the year

Celebrating Halloween Cheerleaders cheering on boys' basketball

WILLOUGHBY MIDDLE SCHOOL

Students in Mrs Lieberg's class studying glaciers and deposition with some homemade glaciers

Students perform at their first choir concert at the Performing Arts Center

Halloween Party Fun

Ms Davi's 2nd grade class with local author, Jennifer Boresz Engelking