Page 1 The Standard Is Excellence

Home he ummer of t The S s Rover Rootstown 2016 Communicator Rootstown Local Schools • 4140 State Route 44 • Rootstown, Ohio 44272 • (330) 325-9911 News From Around the District Congratulations to Kyle Barkhurst! By Terri Hrina-Treharn Middle School Intervention Specialist, Kyle Barkhurst, was recognized at an awards ceremo- ny on May 6 as an outstanding educator for his work in the area of “Systems Leadership.” Of the several teachers/educators nominated across Portage, Medina, and Summit counties, only ONE is awarded the top spot to represent our region and go to Columbus! Kyle was chosen as the one who received The Franklin B. Walter award which is given to an educator from each of the 16 State Support Teams across the state of Ohio who have made extraordinary contributions to the education of students with disabilities. He will representing Region 8 in Columbus this month. We are SO VERY PROUD of him and his contributions toboth our students and the district. Individuals who have increased building or district capacity to develop and implement multi-tiered systems of academic and/or behavior support or have been instrumental in creating building-wide change initiatives which have improved performance of children with disabilities and other at-risk children are eligible for the Systems Leadership nomination. In the classroom Kyle differentiates instruction for his students in a variety of ways to meet their needs. He utilizes leveled tasks and designs services such as “Functional Fridays” which require students to practice real-life tasks while utilizing the standards through problem-solving. Additionally, Kyle has volunteered for every level of the Ohio Improvement Process within the district. He facilitates his middle school teacher-based team (TBT), supports and coaches other grade level TBTs, serves actively on the building leadership team as well as the district leadership team. Kyle creates sustainable change by asking probing questions, serves as a voice of reason, and constantly supports and encourages teams. He has been instrumental in meeting regularly and discussing instructional strategies that can help close the achievement gap. Way to go, Kyle!

Superintendent’s Message

As I reflect upon the 2015-16 school year, I am extremely proud of the progress that our students have made. The students have made some impressive accomplishments both inside and outside of the classroom. I want to congratulate our students for their hard work, and I would like to thank the faculty and staff for their dedication to improving each student’s academic growth and for making a difference in their lives. Also, I would like to thank the parents and community for your continued support of the Rootstown Local School District. Andrew Hawkins Superintendent We are excited about our curriculum initiatives for next school year as we will be implementing a new K-12 Mathematics curriculum along with upgrades in our Physics and Computer Science courses. Furthermore, we will be unveiling a new district website as well as upgrading our technology infrastructure in the buildings. Finally, I also would like to congratulate the Class of 2016 and wish them the best of luck in their future endeavors, and welcome our incoming Kindergarteners, the Class of 2029! Have a great summer! Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions regarding our school district. Go Rovers!

Andrew Hawkins Superintendent Page 2 News From the Treasurer’s Office In 2015, the average cost per pupil in Rootstown was $8,964.52, while the statewide average was $10,984.86. The majori- ty of the general fund (61%) was spent on instructional salaries and supplies directly in the classrooms. Pupil support at 4% includes such items as student counseling, psychological services, health services, library services, and some extra-curricular activities. Building operations totaled 20% and includes transportation, utilities, and expenses not covered by the Permanent Improvement levy. Another 12% was spent on administrative and secretarial salaries as well as the cost of the day-to-day operations of the school buildings and offices—27% below state average. Lastly, 3% was spent on staff support for classroom aides, curriculum services, and continuing education to improve staff effectiveness and productivity. With the average cost per pupil in Rootstown at $2,020.34 below the state average, I believe the Rootstown School District is committed to preparing students for their futures in a cost-effective manner. Connie Baldwin Treasurer (source: http://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Finance-and-Funding/Fi- nance-Related-Data/District-Profile-Reports/FY2015-District-Profile-Re- port)

Connie Baldwin Treasurer Rootstown District News

Rootstown Foundation and Alumni Association By Denny Pickens, President RFAA The Rootstown Foundation and Alumni Association proudly presented a $1000.00 scholarship award to senior, Joshua Kaut, to be used for the 2016-17 collegiate academic year.

Pictured left to right: Stephanie Farkash, Joshua Kaut, and Denny Pickens Industrial Technology Class By Jess Hluch During the second semester, students in the middle school’s Industrial Technology class attempted and succeeded in accomplishing some diverse and challenging projects. Several students demonstrated creativity in producing their projects. Carvings, wood- bendings, musical instruments, and chairmaking are but a few of the projects students made this semester. Three girls in the fourth period class turned 3 large wooden bowls, well-advanced and beyond the average woodworker. Tech Club will be moving to a new area of study next year with the addition of a robotics program. Students will continue to be exposed to advanced projects but more Owen Buckel, Alex Smethers, and Sydnee Smith present Mrs. emphasis will be geared toward more technical endeavors. Tech Club will be more Wright with a handmade child’s windsor chair for all the work STEM-oriented (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). As always, Tech Club she does for students and staff at the middle school. will have the same flavor of fun, creativity, and learning.

Calling All Travelers! By Cara Craig Mrs. Eaton and Mrs. Craig are excited to announce the next travel opportunity for any student attending the high school for the 2016-2017 school year. They will be hosting a trip to Peru. This 9 day trip over Spring Break 2017 will take students to the amazing land of the Inca. Students will have the opportunity to visit the ancient capital of the Inca, Cuzco, as well as the iconic Andean citadel, Machu Picchu. In addition to the awe-inspir- ing historical sights, travelers will also visit remote villages, authentic markets and ce- ramic factories, try their hand at weaving alpaca wool, as well as tour the modern capital, Lima, several museums and a Spanish colonial monastery. This opportunity is extended to any parent who would wish to travel with his or her child, as well as recent graduates. To obtain more information about this once-in-a-lifetime trip, please contact Mrs. Eaton ([email protected]) or Mrs. Craig ([email protected]) for more information. Page 3 Curriculum and the Office of Special Education Terri Hrina-Treharn - Curriculum Director, (330)325-2014 • Lynn Fatica - Director of Special Education, (330)325-4144 Textbook Adoptions for the 2016-2017 School Year! Rootstown has adopted various textbooks and upgraded some programs for the coming school year. New programs at the high school include a Google class replacing Computer Apps, Advanced Google replacing Advanced Computer Apps and an additional class offering. The new course, Coding and 3D Video Game Design, through CTE Learning is a hybrid style course that will be offered to students. For K-5 mathematics, we will be using the Investigations series, grades 6 through Integrated III at the high school will use College Preparatory Mathematics (CPM), and also new at the high school will be Pearson’s Walker Physics book. All are aligned with the new standards and include the increased rigor that is being called for and that we are seeing on the state assessments. Additionally, students will have access to online e-texts as well as physical copies of the texts.

All series adopted work from the same philosophical constructivist approach. This approach is very student-centered and Terri Hrina-Treharn collaborative, requires higher-order thinking and conversations that deepen ones’ conceptual understanding of the content. Curriculum Director Students will be active and engaged participants in the classroom to construct their own meaning and learning. Various approaches to problems are both encouraged and expected as we know not all students learn the same way. The Pearson Investigations series works to build a strong foundation of both conceptual understanding as well as procedural skills. Pearson cites six goals that the curriculum is designed to accomplish: • Support students to make sense of mathematics and learn that they can be mathematical thinkers • Focus on computational fluency with whole numbers as a major goal of the elementary grades • Provide substantive work in important areas of mathematics—rational numbers, geometry, measurement, data, and early algebra—and connections among them • Emphasize reasoning about mathematical ideas • Communicate mathematics content and pedagogy to teachers • Engage the range of learners in understanding mathematics. I encourage you to visit their website at https://investigations.terc.edu/families/ as there is a host of information for families. Such things include information about the series, homework, how to do math together at home and questions you can ask your child to support what they are learning at school, as well as games and activities (on and offline) and a list of math literature books. The CPM series is actually a teacher written curriculum with the support of college professors. It involves a very collaborative, group-based approach to learning. Students work in teams on a daily basis and take on roles of being the facilitator, resource manager, recorder and task manager. This is a very problem-based series where a lot of spiraling takes place and mastery is expected by the end of the course, versus the end of a unit. Again, being very inquiry-based, students are developing concepts themselves. There is a focus on multiple representations and an embedded use of technology. There are no more than three concepts in a chapter so students are going deeper into concepts and creating meaning of those concepts. I urge you to visit their site at http://cpm.org/ and check out the “Parent Tip” section. These are offered weekly. Below is a snippet from one of the tips. During class your child will often be working in a small group called a study team. Study teams are designed to encourage students to engage in mathematical conversations. Collaboration allows students to develop new ways of thinking about mathematics, increases students’ abilities to communicate with others about math, and helps strengthen their understanding of concepts and ideas as they explain their thinking to others. Each student in the study team has an assigned role with a clear set of expectations, which are listed in the student text. Because students are expected to work together to solve problems, the main role of the teacher is to pose the big problems and be a supporting guide during the solution process. Instead of just showing a process and having students mimic it, your child’s teacher will be introducing the concept of the day and then circulating the classroom, listening to team discussions, asking questions of teams, working with the teams as they solve the problems, and initiating a closure activity at the end of each lesson to ensure the mathematics has been summarized.

We understand there are going to be some shifts in instructional practices and are VERY excited about all of the new series for this upcoming year. We will be planning a Parent Math Night for each of the two new math series this fall and hope to see you there. The series will be availa- ble to view, you will be able to learn more about Investigations or CPM as well as experience some of the things you child will be engaged in on a daily basis. More information will be forthcoming about the dates and locations of these evenings. I strongly encourage you to attend.

From the Office of Special Education Child Find The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a federal law that assures children and youth with disabilities a free appropriate public education (FAPE) in the least restrictive environment (LRE). The Rootstown Local School district provides a continuum of special education programs and services for preschool and school-age students with disabilities. Child Find is the process of identifying, locating and evaluating all children from age three to twenty-one who may have a disability and be in need of special education and related services, regardless of the severity of the disability. Rootstown Local School district seeks to identify, through child find, all children living in the district, including those who are homeless or wards of the state who may be in need of Lynn Fatica special education and related services. Director of Special A child with a disability is a child having an intellectual disability, hearing impairment, visual impairment , a speech or language impair- Education/School ment, a serious emotional disturbance, an orthopedic impairment, autism, traumatic brain injury, other health impairment, specific learning Psychologist disability, deaf-blindness, or multiple disabilities. Parents, relatives, public and private agency employees, and concerned citizens are asked to help Rootstown Local Schools find any child who may have a disability and need special education and related services. If you are aware of a child who may have special needs, please contact Lynn Fatica at 330-325-4144. Page 4 High School A3: Academics... Arts... Athletics Ward Davis Building (330) 325-7911 • James Conley - Principal Rover Round Table Career Opportunity Day Over Winter Break Ryan Wilson, a junior at Rootstown High School read the book, It’s Your The high school Guidance Department hosted Ship by Captain D. Michael Abrashoff. The quick its second annual Career Opportunity Day; this synopsis of the book is that Captain Abrashoff year there were 27 different career representatives. took over the worst ship in the Navy and turned it Careers included the arts, business, education, into the best ship in the Navy. He did this through engineering, environmental, hospitality, finances, collaborative leadership and allowing all to have a physical therapy, media, personal training, medi- voice no matter their rank. cine, non-profits, politics, and science. Speakers When returning to school Ryan proposed that also gave students the opportunity to explore James Conley possible career paths and provide insight into the Kalee Basquin we as a school recreate the mentality of “It’s Your specific requirements, daily responsibilities, and Ship.” Ryan and I first discussed what this would H.S. Principal extraordinary experiences associated with each H.S. Counselor actually look like in our school and how it could career. Students selected two speakers and a third positively affect our school and students. The idea was selected for them. Students had the opportunity to ask questions transformed into a welcoming group open to all students, teachers, and and converse with the presenters. Our hope is for students to consider administrators. The group holds meetings and discusses how to make this day as a time to learn more about which courses they should be our school an even better learning environment. Discussions have taking in high school and college to prepare for a particular career. ranged from school spirit to dress code and even starting a clothing Career Opportunity Day was made possible by our local parents and closet. volunteers who gave their time to come in and speak with our students. Since the formation of the group they have had two major accom- We would like to take this time to thank them and express that Career plishments. First, students were concerned with the lack of school Opportunity Day was a success because of them. spirit and through a discussion and a meeting the “Blue Crew” was formed as our Pep Club. Secondly, the group felt that there was a Coleman Professional Services need for a clothing closet for students that were in need. Through the help of many students, faculty, and staff the “Rover Clothing Rack” I would also like to thank and recognize the Coleman counselors for was formed. Any Rootstown resident is welcome to receive clothing. their help with our students. Between the two Coleman Counselors, Please stop in the high school office or call to set up an appointment. currently they provide over 15 students with mental health services. These students were either referred by myself, a parent, or another staff member. Not only do the Coleman counselors work with these stu- dents during the school year, many students continue services through- out the summer. Their time and compassion have had a tremendous impact on our students. Prevention and Treatment for Healthy Minds Pictured from left to right: Paige Robison, Mr. Conley, Mira Clavecilla, Ryan Wilson, Below is a list various mental health agencies for Portage County. If Mrs. Volk, and Nathan Zurzolo pose for a quick picture as they work to organize you believe your student could benefit from these services please do clothing. not hesitate to contact them.

Senior Send Off Children’s Advantage It seems like just yesterday it was September 1st and we were starting Offers a range of mental health services to children and families, a new school year. For many of our seniors it may seem like it was just including counseling, psychiatry, case management, in-home treatment, yesterday that they were starting their freshmen year and for many par- school-based consultation and counseling, and early childhood inter- ents sending their babies off to kindergarten. For our graduates, Senior ventions Sendoff is a long standing tradition where students get to say goodbye 330.296.5552 www.childrensadvantage.org to friends and teachers that have been a part of their life for the past four years. This year we decided to extend it to the start of their edu- Coleman Professional Services cational career. Graduating seniors Provides mental health and addiction services for adults and children wore their cap and gown and retraced including 24/7 crisis intervention and stabilization, counseling, psychi- their steps through the halls of the atry, case management, supportive and permanent housing, adult day elementary and middle schools. They employment, jail liaison, and diversion services. had the opportunity to say goodbye 330.673.1347 www.coleman-professional.com to the teachers who helped mold them into the young men and women Family & Community Services that they are today. Provides a range of services from meeting life’s basic needs (food, clothing, and housing) to counseling, psychiatry, in-home therapy for Distracted Driving families, domestic violence and homeless shelters, and a men’s residen- Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for teens in America. tial treatment for addiction problems. Teens are the most likely age group to text and talk behind the wheel. 330.297.7027 www.fcsohio.com On April 7th Rootstown High School hosted Portage County Safe Communities, Ohio Department of Transportation, Portage County Townhall II Sheriff’s Office, AT&T and the State Highway Patrol. Throughout the Offers 24/7 crisis helpline, counseling for youth and adults with sub- day every student was able to rotate through many different stations stance use disorders and gambling addictions, residential treatment for provided by the participants. There was an informative station for women, alcohol and drug prevention programs, sexual assault and child students to learn the dangers of distracted driving, another station abuse prevention, victim outreach, and advocacy. where students wore impaired goggles, and lastly students were able to 330.678.3006 www.townhall2.com participate in two different driving simulators. The day was capped off with three speakers. Senior Riley Morris shared an emotional story of a dear friend of hers that was killed because of texting while driving. An officer from the State Highway Patrol spoke about the dangers of texting and driving and lastly an employee of AT&T shared the story of how he was struck by a teenager that was texting while driving. As the school year ends and we enter the summer months we hope that all of our students are reminded of the dangers of texting and driving. Page 5 Middle School Learners Today - Leaders Tomorrow

Mabel Schnee Building (330) 325-9956 • Robert Campbell - Principal ILEP By Toni Mervine

Mrs. Ana (Ana Marie Fernandes Alves) spent time with the eighth graders sharing information about her hometown, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; her native language, Portuguese; and her love of teaching. We were fortunate to have a skype session with some of her students and to begin pen pal relationships. Our students learned and will hopefully continue to learn about the students in Mrs. Ana’s foreign language (English) classes. One of our students wrote an anonymous letter to a Brazilian student, “So as you know, your teacher, Miss Ana, had come to visit with us. We had a great time, and you are blessed to have her as a teacher.” We were blessed to have her in Robert Campbell our classes. Thank you to the International Leaders in Education Program (ILEP) at Kent State University, the International M.S. Principal Research and Exchanges Board (IREX), the U.S. State Department, and our administrators for allowing us to participate in this wonderful experience.

Mrs. Ana and ILEP student, some of our Mrs. Ana, with 8th grade her cooperating students. 8th grade teacher, Mrs. Mervine.

Akron Rubber Band Contest By Toni Mervine

This is the fifth year that Rootstown eighth grade students have participated in the Rubber Band Contest for Young Inventors sponsored by the Akron Global Polymer Academy at the University of Akron. The students were required to “demonstrate their creativity and ingenuity by creating an invention that incorporates the use of rubber bands.” Along with the invention, each student wrote an essay explaining what the invention was, how it worked, how the rubber bands were incorporated, and how the world would benefit from the invention. The following students entered the contest: Ryan Bender, Dylan Bower, Sarah Caruso, Alexis Kilgore, Abigail Longstreth, Ming Lei, Travis McCrady, Savannah Pallante, Alyssa Reinagle, Alex Smethers, and Debbie Vogt. Travis McCrady and Savannah Pallante were finalists in the arts and leisure category, and each won $350.00. Please see the website www.rubberbandcontest.org to view the finalists’ invention Pictured left to right are finalists gallery for photographs of their inventions. Savannah Pallante and Travis McCrady. Congratulations and Great job!!!

Red Flags and Mental Health By Amy Mohan

Mental health is a positive mental state that enables individuals to live a full, satisfying life and the flexibility to deal with difficulties and setbacks. Here in the Rootstown Schools, we reinforce good mental health skills as we encourage our students to develop a positive self-image, manage time, learn to socialize with others, as well as discover their strengths and interests. In the fall, Rootstown will begin the “Red Flags” program which promotes good mental health but also provides the students with the information they would need to recognize men- tal illness (depression and other related disorders), as well as skills to help if they feel sad or Amelia Mohan stressed. The curriculum will be taught to fifth, seventh, and ninth grades. The counselors M.S. Counselor will keep the parents informed as to what is being taught as well as being educated in mental health and mental illness. We are working in conjunction with other schools in Portage County to ensure our children and families have the information and tools they would need to be healthy and happy individuals. If you have any questions throughout the school year, please contact myself or your child’s school counselor. Page 6 Elementary School R o ve r P.R . I . D. E

Bertha Bradshaw Building (330) 325-7971 • Jeffrey Turner - Principal As the 2015-16 school year has come to a close, I Curriculum would like to acknowledge those who helped make • Grades 3-5 took part in AIR Testing in April and May. I want to this a successful year. I appreciate all of your sup- thank the students for their efforts on each of the testing days. Stu- port. Special Thanks to: dents were rewarded for their effort and excellent attendance with • The Rootstown Elementary students, who come an “Effort Celebration” held outside. to school with a positive attitude and terrific • Students that achieved Math or Super Math Club had a celebration work ethic on May 20th. • The teachers, who spend many hours preparing • The PTA was gracious enough to donate money to purchase lessons to maximize learning opportunities for Chromebooks for a mobile cart in the first and second grade hallway our students. for the 2016-17 school year. • NEOMED, Townhall II, Children’s Advantage, • The K-2 teachers had three professional development sessions de- and the Portage County Sheriff’s Department, Jeffrey Turner signed to look at our Language Arts (Reading and Writing) block in for their service to the building all year. E.S. Principal order to ensure consistency from grade level to grade level. Addi- • The parents and community members, who tionally, they received several professional development sessions on supported the building by volunteering at the Words Their Way which is our spelling/phonics program for grades school. K-3. Grades 4 and 5 Math and Reading Teachers participated in • The PTA, for their support of the staff and students throughout the professional development regarding instructional strategies/activi- year. ties to use in their classroom. • The district and school support staff, for helping make the school • 10 teachers participated in a Math Book Club held before school run smoothly throughout the year. this year. The focus was on conceptual math instruction. • The new teaching staff (Miss Sturm, Mrs. Palmer, Miss Persinger and Mrs. Schler) for being positive additions to the school and Open House for Grades K-5 community. In years past, our Open House was held the night before school. For the 2016-17 school year, our Open House will be Thursday, August 25th As you can see, many people helped make this a wonderful year. from 6-7 p.m. The first day of school is Tuesday, August 31st. Your Please know that I appreciate everyone’s time and effort to make this child’s teacher will have a 15 minute speech at two designated times on school excellent. Enjoy your summer as a family. this night. More details about this night will be given in August. Please feel free to bring school supplies, school fees ($45) and completed emer- Lions Club Good Award for 2016 gency medical cards. January: Addison Yohman (3rd Grade) February: Sophia Myers (4th Grade) Have a safe and enjoyable summer! Please know that if you ever need March: Kylie McColloch (5th Grade) anything to please contact me via email at [email protected] or April: Brayden Dougherty (1st Grade) 330-325-7971. May: Riley Drennen (2nd Grade) Sincerely, Accelerated Reader Celebration Mr. Turner The following students had the highest AR completion percentage for the school year: Principal Grade 1: Wyatt Svenson Grade 2: Ryan Wolf As we prepare for the relaxing summer ahead, I Grade 3: Collin Martell Grade 4: Gracie Frick want to thank all of the parents, students, teachers Grade 5: Sydney Munger and staff for a wonderful school year! This has been a busy year for all! Below is a brief recap of AR Award of Excellence: Mallory Butcher maintained a 100% com- this past year’s activities. prehension level all four nine weeks!! We had 375 students that met their goal all four nine weeks and as Counseling and Student Activities a result were treated to a movie with a treat. Thank you to Lisa Scott, who provided refreshments on behalf of the PTA during the celebration This year I was fortunate enough to be able to and Ms. Hluch, Reading and Math Intervention Teacher, for coordinat- offer various groups to all grade levels. A friend- ing AR during the year. ship group, stress and worry management, as well as an anger management group were facilitated Danielle Ray Summer AR Dates in each grade level. Furthermore, a group for Elem. Counselor June 20th 9:30 A.M. - 11:30 A.M. July 18th 5:30 P.M. - 7:30 P.M students with parents who are divorced or sepa- June 27th 5:30 P.M. - 7:30 P.M July 25th 9:30 A.M. - 11:30 A.M rated was also offered. In addition to group experiences, I taught July 4th NO AR Aug. 1st 5:30 P.M. - 7:30 P.M. classroom guidance lessons throughout the year on topics such as: July 11th 9:30 A.M. - 11:30 A.M. Aug. 8th 9:30 A.M. - 11:30 A.M. Rover PRIDE themes, anti-bullying, responsibility, building relation- Aug. 15th 5:30 P.M. - 7:30 P.M. ships, school success skills, and career awareness. Additionally, as Field Trip Policy Change for a building we recognized and celebrated the importance of Red Rib- 2016-17 bon Week and Anti-Bullying Week. Finally, I want to thank all the NEOMED students who participated in and led our bi-monthly meet- Parents will be expected to pay their child(ren)’s school fees ($45). ings of the Fit Club! Fit for Kids had another successful year with Your child(ren) will not be permitted to attend his/her class field approximately 40 students in grades 4-5 attending every session! trip without payment of the school fees. If there are unique circum- stances related to this, please contact Mr. Turner. Red Flags Summer Activity Packets As we look to next year, our district will be adopting and imple- A Summer Activity packet was sent home with students on May 26th menting the “Red Flags” program. This program provides a frame- or 27th that can be completed to shop in our Rover store in the fall. work of knowledge for students, staff, and parents on what positive Your child should turn in the completed items during the first week of mental health is and how to work towards achieving it. This pro- school in September. Thank you to Kelli Coffman for coordinating gram has been successful in reducing the consequences of long term these packets. undiagnosed mental illness in children through early recognition and treatment. In the elementary building, students in the 5th grade will Kindergarten 2016-17 participate in a series of lessons that focus on what it means to be Half of the kindergarten students will start on August 30th and the mentally well. other half will have their first day on August 31st, 2016. A letter will mailed to your home in August that will indicate your child’s first day I hope that you and your family have a wonderful and relaxing of school. summer! Page 7 Athletics Keith Waesch - Athletic Director, (330) 325-2006 Rover Wrestlers Dominate Again Rootstown’s 4x100-meter relay team of sophomore Meaghan Hahn, Kemp, Brown and Vair also qualified for the state’s biggest stage this The Rootstown wrestling program continued to spring. It marks the second year in a row in which the Rovers have sent flex its muscles during the 2015-16 school year. a 4x100 team to the Jesse Owens Track in Columbus. Fifth-year head coach Craig Wise and the team The outstanding season earned coach Rodstrom the P.T.C.’s coach of made its second trip in the past three years to the the year award. state dual meet tournament. The Rovers defeated Oak Harbor in a quarterfinal match before falling to eventual state champion Delta High School in the semifinal round. Rootstown remains the only Por- tage Trail Conference school to ever qualify for the Keith Waesch state dual meet tournament at St. John Arena. Athletic Director Rootstown also made a strong showing at the individual state tournament, qualifying seven wrestlers – the most in school history. Individual state qualifiers included seniors Seth Hayes (4th place), Brandon Huffman, Patrick Jordan (3rd place) & Tony Paolucci; and juniors Dalton Leightner (7th place), Luke Sorboro (3rd place) and Brad Trescott. The seven Rovers led the team to a fifth-place overall finish in Columbus a week after the program earned its first-ever dis- Photo courtesy of Eldreth Photography trict title at Garfield Heights High School. The regular season also had numerous highlights including a fifth Homecoming Game set for Sept. 23 P.T.C. championship in the past six years, a Hudson tournament title, The annual Homecoming football game has been scheduled for Fri- a championship at the prestigious Sandusky St. Mary’s Dual Meet day, Sept. 23, vs. Mathews High School. Homecoming festivities will Tournament, a first-place finish at the Jackson-Milton tournament and a begin at approximately 6:20 p.m. with kickoff at 7 p.m. runner-up trophy at the Aurora tournament. The Homecoming dance will be held in the high school gym on Coach Wise was also named P.T.C. coach of the year after his team Saturday, Sept. 24. posted an impressive 20-2 overall dual meet record.

Annual Golf Outing to be Held on Aug. 7 The 20th annual Rootstown Sports Boosters’ golf outing will be held on Sunday, Aug. 7, at Kent State Golf Course. The cost of the four-person scramble remains $65 per person and includes 18 holes of golf, lunch, dinner and beverages. For more information, contact athletic director Keith Waesch at 330- 325-2006. Booster Club Meetings Set The Rootstown Sports Booster Club regularly meets on the first Sun- day of each month in the high school cafeteria at 7 p.m. All Rootstown Photo courtesy of Eldreth Photography residents are welcome to attend. For more information on the booster club and its meetings, contact Girls Track Team Makes History athletic director Keith Waesch at 330-325-2006. The Rover girls track program soared to new heights in 2016 – cap- turing the school’s first-ever conference championship. Driver’s Education Classes in June & July Head coach Kyle Rodstrom and his program recorded a 5-0-1 record Rootstown High School will be offering driver’s education classes during the Portage Trail Conference’s regular season and then won again this summer. The June session will take place on June 21, 22, 23, the outright County Division title by finishing second at the confer- 28, 29 & 30, while the July class will be offered on July 19, 20, 21, 26, ence meet. The overall championship is determined by a point system 27 & 28. The classes will take place from 9:00 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. in the which factors in the regular season standings and the conference meet high school. standings. The cost of the class, which includes the state-mandated eight hours At the P.T.C. meet, junior Tawnie Vair won the high jump competi- of behind-the-wheel training, remains at $299. There are no gas sur- tion and was also a member of the winning 4x100-meter relay squad, charges or certificate fees like some other driver’s education schools in which included Jasmine Kemp (senior), Mira Clavecilla (junior) and the area. A payment plan may also be arranged. For more information, Emily Drago (sophomore). Senior Courtney Brown earned an at-large call 330-325-2006. selection to the P.T.C.’s first team and also set a school record for most career points ever scored by a Rootstown girls track athlete. Rover Sports Schedules on Internet The Rovers’ success didn’t end at the P.T.C. meet. Junior Abby Rootstown high and middle school sports schedules are available on Moore made her third straight trip to the state track meet by winning the Internet. Schedules can be accessed by logging on to www.schedul- the district and regional shot put competition. Moore’s accomplishment estar.com and then searching under Rootstown High School. was truly amazing as she advanced to state wearing a boot on her right The schedules are as up-to-date as those in the athletic office. Sched- foot just six weeks after having a screw inserted into that foot due to an ules are subject to change. injury at a meet in mid-April. Page 8 Things Happening in the District

Marissa McGurk received the Womanhood Award while Anthony Paolucci received the Manhood Award at the Academic Awards Night on May 15, 2016.

Pictured left to right: Congratulations to Hannah Shirey (Salutatorian) and Anthony Paolucci & Jessica Wilson (Valedictorians)!!!

H PAC By Hallie Obert

On Saturday, April 24, 2016 Rootstown Middle Schoolers Ava Brunty, Annie Durbak and Shannon Eaton participated in Scholars Day at NEOMED. Scholars Day is when students from various HPAC (Health Professional Affinity Community) groups all over Northeast Ohio present their projects that they completed. These completed projects are ones to impact their community. There are two different categories students can present in: posters and oral presentations. Our students shared their Health Fair posters on Au- ditory Processing Disorder (Ava Brunty) and Concussions (Annie Durbak and Shannon Eaton). Students and their parents then listened to presentations from other groups on various health related topics. Out of more than 600 participants in middle school through college, our students won honorable mention for their posters. We are very proud of these students and how they are trying to impact their community. Pictured left to right: Ava Brunty, Annie Durbak and Shannon Eaton

Bungee Cord Barbie By Hallie Obert

Mrs. Obert’s and Mr. Barkhurst’s math classes worked together in determining how many rubber bands were needed to create a bungee cord for their Barbies to drop from the stadium bleachers safely. The students first collected data in class by completing mini jump trials. They then used this data to find the line of best fit and its equation. The students then used their data to help predict how many rubber bands would be needed to let Barbie have the best jump. Pictured are the students who gave Barbie the best experience

Buddy Bench By Jeff Turner

I am proud to announce that four 5th grade students (Ellie Edwards, Emily Laslo, Courtney Taylor, and Kylee Fischer) approached the PTA to purchase Buddy Benches for our playground. The girls wanted a way for students to find someone to play with on the playground. They have noticed times where students are not finding friends to play with at recess and they were hopeful these benches would help with this situation. The PTA agreed to pay for the wood, and the woodworking class at Maplewood built two benches. A special thanks goes out to Mr. Keith Paulus for coordinating this project with Maplewood and Mr. Hall, teacher at Maplewood, for allowing his students to create these benches. Page 9 Around Rootstown Rootstown Historical Society Rootstown Lions Club By Shirley Riemenschneider By Donna Reckner Natural Lakes in Rootstown, Ohio Your Rootstown Lions Club has been busy, as usual. Some high- (Series 1) lights so far this year:

It was 1800 when Ephraim Root • The Annual Easter Egg Hunt at Gracie Field on March 26th was first came to visit the wilderness EGGCELENT thanks to community participation, the Rootstown plot that he had drawn in a lottery Fire Department, Metro Life Flight, Portage County Sheriff K9 back in his hometown of Hartford, Unit, OSHP Ravenna Post and, of course, the Easter Bunny and Connecticut, and now owned. He special guest Rover! Over 260 gift bags were handed out to our liked what he saw, in particular, the little bunnies. four natural lakes. These glacier- produced bodies of water later • Thanks to the generous support of the community and the hard became known as: Mother Wards Pond (Crystal Lake), Muddy Lake work of students and Lions, we raised over $1,000.00 at our (Lake Hodgson), Muzzy Lake and Sandy Lake. Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser on April 23rd for your High School Quiz Bowl Team to help fund their trip to compete in the 2016 Root, for whom Rootstown is named, could never have envisioned High School National Championship Tournament in Dallas, Sandy Lake today. Its white sand beaches are lined with forty-four Texas May 27-29. beautiful year-round homes. Boats of many kinds are moored to their own docks, and there is a yearly display of fireworks over it’s water to • The Scholarship Committee was proud to award $500.00 celebrate the country’s Declaration of Independence, July 4th. Scholarships to Jeff Atkinson, Jacob Dudley, Sarah Graham and Abigail Halaszi this year. These outstanding young people are Seth Day, a merchant who sold sundries from a store on Main Street, our future! Ravenna, was one of the first persons to own the lake and the land surrounding it. A history story tells of him ordering window glass • Keep in mind that we are always collecting used eyeglasses and from a glass-works in Pittsburg, only to have it broken in transit. Day prescription sunglasses. Rootstown Lions typically collect and then ventured to open his own glass-works. The white sand from the donate over 3,000 pair of glasses each year to Eyecare Interna- beach at Sandy Lake was of the highest quality for fine glass. Many tional (founded by Dr. William Brinker of Kent). Gather those tons were transported from the shores of Sandy Lake to Ravenna by old eyeglasses, sunglasses and cases and drop them off at the horse and wagon. Rootstown Lions Club Food Booth at the Portage County Fair this year when you stop to enjoy our famous barbeque beef sand- As Portage County became more populated in the mid 1800’s, the wiches. pretty lake was seen as a potential resort and vacation spot. At that time, much of the lake property was owned by the Cady family. One Look for future projects/events from your Lions Club: Cady family member built Rootstown’s first hotel on the north shore, using lumber from trees surrounding the lake. The hotel, popular with • We are planning a Premier Jewelry Fundraiser in September 2016 business and industrial leaders from cities in Ohio and Pennslyvania, to support our local projects. Look for more information soon - had many names through the next decades. Hotel Sandy Lake, Hotel get started on that Christmas Shopping! Stafford, Grace Hotel, Oakland Hotel, and in 1900, Hotel Aaltje, named after the only daughter of another owner, Rudolph Gombert. • We will be publishing a 2017 Calendar featuring Rootstown Dogs/Pups to benefit Pilot Dogs, Inc., which provides guide dogs Sandy Lake became popular with local families, and summer cottag- to the visually impaired at no cost to the recipient. Pilot Dogs, es were built along the north and east shores. At the south end of the Inc. is funded and supported 100% by public contributions. east side of the lake, a beach area became a popular swimming area Watch our Facebook page for more information. known as Cady’s Landing. A steam-boat would transport hotel guests to the Cady’s Landing beach or to cruise around the lake. The boat • Chamber of Commerce Expo in October - We will be offering caught fire and sank. Legend tells us that it is still on the bottom of free eye-screenings for children ages 6 months - 18 years using the lake today. state-of-the-art Pediavision technology. Screening takes 1 sec- ond, displays results instantly, and can identify 6 possible vision As other larger vacation spots became popular, hotel clientelle dwin- problems. We provide a print-out of the results for you to take to dled. The hotel was taken down in mid-1950’s. The cottages were your optometrist. transformed into year-round homes, and improvements were made. The lake is now privately owned by Sandy Lake Inc. Root would • We will be selling Fraser Fir Christmas Trees right after Thanks- certainly be happy to see how this beautiful lake has turned out after giving at Wise Green House on Tallmadge Road. We buy our two centuries. trees freshly cut only days before sales begin. We’ll cut the base, trim branches, load the tree and even deliver if you are in Roots- The history of Sandy Lake has been written by one of its residents, town Township. Becky Brittain. The book, “The Story of Sandy Lake,” printed by the Rootstotwn Historical Society, has many photos of the hotel, cottages, The Rootstown Lions Club is steamboat and life on the lake. To purchase a copy, call the Rootstown always looking for members. If you Historical Society president, Norman Reynolds, at 330-297-0431, or are a Rootstown resident, community e-mail him at [email protected]. minded, with time to give - a little or a lot - contact us, come to an event The Rootstown Historical Society welcomes new members, and en- (help us with that event!), sit in on a courages those interested in history to tell or write their family history meeting - see what we’re all about. or stories of Rootstown’s history. Futher history stories of the three Like us on Facebook so you can keep other natural lakes will be published in a later edition of this newslet- up with projects and events. ter. Since 1957 - We Serve! Page 10 More School and Community News PTO ~ Parent Teacher Organization By Lori Bender We are excited to announce that the PTS is now a PTO. We have voted on and began following a set of bylaws that will help to guide the structure of our organ- ization. We’ve also applied for 501(c)3 status! All parents, teachers and community members are welcome to join PTO. We meet the 2nd Thursday of the month at 6:30pm in the middle school Home Ec. Room. Yearly dues are $5. Throughout the year, PTO sponsors several activities for the children including dances, the talent show and a drama production. So far this year we have held several dances, ugly Christmas sweater day, and still have several other events planned. Members of the PTO also plan, execute and chaperone the yearly 8th grade class trip. As the year is quickly coming to a close we are currently looking to fill some officer positions. So if any of the incoming 6th grade parents would be interested in filling a couple of these positions please contact me, Lori Bender, or Jamie Brewster to find out more. Elections will be held in September at our first meeting on the 8th. Contact information is listed below. We are excited to see you at the fall meetings every 2nd Thursday of the month at 6:30pm. The PTO will do fundraising a couple times a year. Through our fundraising efforts, we have been able to honor teacher requests for things such as calculators, iPads and LCD projectors to be used in the classrooms. We have also been able to purchase books for the library and classrooms, buy a podium used for assem- blies and other productions and help with the purchase of an electronic piano for the school’s music department. We greatly appreciate your support! Why Join the PTO? • The PTO offers parents the opportunity to make positive changes in the school. • The PTO distributes information on a regular basis via emails and a website so that members can be informed of and respond to school issues and activities in a timely manner. • Joining the PTO shows an interest in your child’s education and school activities, shows greater support for his/her teachers and school and improves the relationship between parents and school personnel. How Involved Do I Have To Be? You can be as involved as you want to be. We understand that people have very busy schedules and that time is precious. Therefore, we appreciate any time you can spare. Volunteers are always needed to chair committees and work events, but if you can’t find the time we just appreciate your membership. We only ask that you join, receive email updates, and check out our website. Please contact any of the officers if you would like to volunteer your time. Help us support our wonderful Middle School teachers, staff and students! Co-Presidents: Lori Bender 330-325-0785 & Jamie Brewster 330-850-5168, Secretary: Laci McIntyre 330-325-7979, Treasurer: Jacqui DeVies 330-608-4040

Rootstown Township By Trustee Joe Paulus

The Rootstown Board of Trustees meets the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month at 5:30pm, in the Town Hall. The township website is www.rootstown- twp.com. Congratulations to all 2016 high school graduates! Good luck in your future endeavors, whether it is continuing on to college, entering the workforce, or enter- ing military service. Regardless of your path, remember and be proud that you are from a great community that has worked very hard to get you where you are today. LUP The Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) is nearing its completion. The second public hearing will be held after this publication, but it was on June 9, in the high school cafeteria. The first public hearing had much input from the community on where they would like to see the township move over the next decade. That input, combined with the Citizen Advisory Committee input, is helping to build the plan that the Zoning Boards and Trustees will use as a guide when mak- ing decisions on township development and growth. The CLUP should be completed by the end of the year. JEDD A public hearing will be held at NEOMED on June 29, at 7:00pm concerning a proposed Joint Economic Development District (JEDD) with the City of Kent. There is a lot of information out there that is confusing and this is a chance for the community to hear more about the JEDD and how it affects Rootstown. The intent of the JEDD is to improve the economic welfare of the people by increasing business to create or preserve jobs. The “District” part would be the area along Tallmadge Road east and west near the center of town and State Route 44 just south of Tallmadge Road and going north to the township boundary. The JEDD would provide revenue to the township with a 2% tax on net profits of businesses within the District and 2% of income from employees of those businesses. If a business is outside the District, there would be no affect. If one works at a business inside the JEDD, but lives in an area city, their income tax from that city will transfer to Rootstown—not as an additional 2%. If one works outside the District there would be no affect. Property taxes would not be affected. Homeowners would not be affected. Employees under 18 would not be affected. Sole proprietors working in a residence within the District would not be affected. An autonomous JEDD Board would be created to manage the District. The potential annual distributable revenue generated by the JEDD could be $1 million. Of that amount, within the first five years, annually, about 60% would go to the township, about 30% to the JEDD Board, and 10% to the City of Kent (as the taxing authority, and for marketing and economic development assis- tance). Much of the intent of the JEDD is for economic development. To increase such economic development, a plan was tendered to the Rootstown Local Schools to relocate and build new and open the current land to commercial or light industrial development. That would increase the tax base of the township, which, in turn, would benefit the schools. If the schools relocate, the JEDD distributable revenue would change with about 75% going the JEDD Board (of which approximately $700,000 per year being allocated to the schools), about 15% to the township, and 10% to the City of Kent. Rootstown must have a stronger commercial presence to maintain its viability for the services it must render to its residents. The JEDD is a great option for the township to do so. Please join us at the public hearing to hear about the JEDD and get your questions answered. Page 11 2015/2016 School Calendar August January June 28, 31 All Certified Staff in-service 1 Winter Break - No School 3 Last day for Students 15 2nd Grading Period Ends 5 Graduation - Seniors September 18 MLK Day - No School 6 Staff in-service 1 First Student Day 19 2nd Semester Begins 7 Labor Day - No School 178 Student Days February 2 Parent/Teacher October 11 Parent/Teacher Conf. - Conference days 2 Interims Distributed Elem/HS/MS 4 Staff In-service Days 15 Parent/Teacher Conf. - HS/MS 15 President’s day - No School 16 NEOEA day - No School 19 Interims Distributed Calamity Days begin on June 6, 2016 20 Parent/Teacher Conf. - MS 30 1st Grading Period Ends March 18 3rd Grading Period Ends November 21-25 Spring Break - No School 19 Parent/Teacher Conf. - Elem 23 Parent/Teacher Conf. - Elem April 25-27 Thanksgiving Break - 29 Interims Distributed No School May December 30 Memorial Day - No School 4 Interims Distributed 23-31 Winter Break - No School

The regular Board of Education School District Personnel meetings are held every month Superintendent...... Mr. Andrew Hawkins ...... 330-325-9911 at 6:00 p.m. Please visit our Treasurer...... Ms. Connie Baldwin ...... 330-325-9911 district website at Curriculum Director...... Dr. Terri Hrina-Treharn ...... 330-325-2014 www.rootstown.sparcc.org for Director of Special Education...... Mrs. Lynn Fatica ...... 330-325-4144 the specific dates. The public Elementary Principal...... Mr. Jeff Turner ...... 330-325-7971 is cordially invited to attend all Middle School Principal...... Mr. Robert Campbell ...... 330-325-9956 meetings. High School Principal...... Mr. James Conley ...... 330-325-7911 Director of Business Affairs/Trans...... Mr. Matt Collins ...... 330-325-0189 Note: Date may occasionally Director of Food Services...... Mrs. Peggy Shewell ...... 330-325-4139 change due to inclement weather Board of Education President...... Mr. Jay Kelsey ...... 330-221-5369 or holidays. Board of Education Vice President...... Mr. Norm Reynolds ...... 330-297-0431 Board of Education Leg. Liaison...... Mr. Norm Reynolds ...... 330-297-0431 The monthly board agenda and Board of Education Student Liasion...... Mrs. Stephanie Langguth ...... 330-297-9217 minutes can be found on the Board of Education Member...... Mr. Tom Siciliano ...... 330-325-2176 district website at Board of Education Member...... Mrs. Amanda Waesch ...... 330-351-1945 www.rootstown.sparcc.org.

Other Numbers of Interest Rootstown Schools, in US Senator Rob Portman...... 202-222-3353 collaboration with the US Senator Sherrod Brown...... 202-224-2315 community, will provide a US Representative Jim Renacci...... 330-630-7311 quality education in a safe Governor John Kasich...... 614-466-3555 environment for students to State Senetor John Eklund...... 614-644-7718 become productive, State Representative Kathleen Clyde...... 614-466-2004 Ohio Department of Education...... 877-644-6338 lifelong learners. Page 12 Rootstown Local Schools Non-Profit Org. Rootstown, Ohio 44272 U.S. Postage PAID Canton, OH Permit #207

The Rootstown Communicator Highlights “Caring Cards” Caring Cards By Robert Campbell Eighth grade language arts teacher, Mrs. Mervine, carried out a “Caring Cards” initiative this year which reached all students in the middle school, staff throughout the district and community members as well. Over winter break, Mrs. Mervine hand wrote, anonymously, a Caring Card for every eighth grade student, middle school staff member, district administration and board member. After receiving an anonymous Car- ing Card and viewing the TED talk “Love Letters,” eighth grade students created Caring Cards for the sixth and seventh graders in our school. These cards contained words of encouragement for the second semester. When bells rang, and classes changed, Caring Cards were found on lockers waiting to be read. Students and staff alike found this to be uplifting and encouraging, as we began the second semester of the school year. A number of students were so touched by the Caring Card they received, that they decided to write multiple cards to share with other students, staff and community members during the spring months. Their cards have been randomly distributed to community members at Noah’s Ark Day Care as well as Portage Community Bank. One seventh grade student also took it upon herself to create nearly one hundred cards to post around the middle school in an effort to encourage other students. When she began the Caring Cards initiative, Mrs. Mervine intended to make a positive impact with our school community while aligning it with the Language Arts content standards for eighth grade. Through the initiative, it was evident that many students and individuals were impacted on a greater level than originally expected. The cards brought many smiles to the school and surrounding community. Thank you to Mrs. Mervine and the students who participated in the initiative to make it a success!