[12/21/2007] Cable Channel Issue Being Addressed by Time Warner

[12/21/2007] Cable channel issue being addressed by Time Warner

[ 12/28/2007 ]

Time Warner Cable is working to correct problems with poor image quality and 'ghosting' on the Mentor Schools cable channel. The issues are related to the cable company's transmission of the signal, and not to the source of the programming at Mentor High School.

[12/21/2007] Corrected 12th grade interim reports mailed

[ 12/28/2007 ]

Corrected interim reports for Mentor High School seniors were mailed home Friday, Dec. 21. The initial interim report mailing contained incorrect data.

This error affected only 12th graders, and only in the physically mailed interim report. The interim report accessed through Infinite Campus contained the correct data.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

[12/20/2007] Mentor School District donates coats and warm clothing to Cleveland School

[ 12/20/2007 ]

Mentor School District is pleased to donate dozens of coats and other gently-warn outerwear to Miles K-8 School in Cleveland to help ensure that students there are warm and ready to learn this winter.

Student council officers from Lake Elementary School served as ambassadors to Miles School in a visit on Dec. 20 to coincide with the clothing donation. They were accompanied by Mentor Superintendent Dr. Jacqueline Hoynes, Director of Elementary Education Robert Haag and Lake Elementary Principal Mike Lynch.

The students took a tour of the school and made new friends with the Miles students. Many students at Miles School are economically disadvantaged, and will benefit greatly from the donation of outerwear.

"Every student must have the basic necessities in order to arrive at school ready to learn," Dr. Hoynes said. "We hope our donation will help give students the extra warmth they need to stay safe and comfortable this winter."

This is the third year for the cold-weather tradition of delivering warm clothes to a Cleveland school.

The clothing donation is made possible with the generous assistance of Premier Dry Cleaning & Shirt Laundry in Mentor, which cleans and delivers the clothes.

The Mentor School District would like to wish Miles School and all of our friends in Cleveland the Happiest of Holidays!

Miles School students help organize clothing to distribute to those in need.

Miles School Principal Robert Early takes students from Lake Elementary and Miles student ambassadors on a tour of the school.

Lake Elementary and Miles School students pose together after a meet-and-greet at Miles on Dec. 20.

[12/14/2007] Applicants sought for Mentor Library Board of Trustees

[ 12/19/2007 ]

The Mentor Board of Education is seeking applicants for an upcoming vacancy on the Mentor Library Board of Trustees. The term will run from January 2008 through December 2014.

In Ohio, local boards of education have appointing authority for public library trustees.

Applicants should submit a letter of interest including:

- Place of residence - Length of time residing at current address - Reason for interest in serving on the library board - Community involvement and service experience - Names and contact information for up to three individuals who may serve as references

The deadline for applications is December 31, 2007. The applications will be reviewed by two to three school board members, the superintendent and chief financial officer of Mentor Schools. This committee will select four to six individuals who will be invited to interview with the board of education. The board will appoint a trustee no later than February 15, 2008, but may do so during the month of January.

[12/18/2007] High school semester final / mid-term exam schedule posted

[ 12/18/2007 ]

Mentor High School will hold first semester exams from Tuesday, Jan. 15 through Thursday, Jan. 17. Students will have an open exam schedule, and are not required to remain in school on these three days unless taking an exam.

Click HERE to view the complete schedule.

[12/18/2007] District says Bravo! to outstanding students and staff

[ 12/18/2007 ]

Every day in the Mentor Public Schools, countless individuals do their part to make this district an outstanding place to learn and work. It could be a student who overcomes adversity to improve his or her grades, or a teacher who leads the way in teaching fellow staff to use a new piece of software. These are the acts deserving of applause, and Mentor Schools is saying Bravo! to those who demonstrate a commitment to success.

Each month, Superintendent Dr. Jacqueline Hoynes pays a surprise visit to these exemplary members of the Mentor Schools Community to say 'thank you' and deliver a $25 gift certificate, courtesy of Bravo! restaurant.

We are proud to recognize the following students and staff for the month of December:

Emma Przekwas, fourth grade, Sterling Morton Elementary Bart Tanski, senior, Mentor High Olivia Williams, ninth grade, Memorial Junior High

Sandy Buss, fourth grade teacher, Sterling Morton Elementary Carol Hoover, business management teacher, Mentor High Dawn Srp, math teacher, Memorial Junior High

Recipients of the December Outstanding Classified Employee Award are: Marilyn Kleis, luncroom supervisor, Sterling Morton Elementary Katie Schertzer, MH aide, Memorial Junior High

Emma Przekwas, a fourth grader at Sterling Morton Elementary, proudly displays her Bravo! Award on Tuesday, Dec. 18.

Sandy Buss, a fourth grade teacher at Sterling Morton Elementary, receives a Bravo! Award from Superintendent Dr. Jacqueline Hoynes.

[12/17/2007] Mentor teacher named Lubrizol Science Teacher of the Year

[ 12/17/2007 ]

Congratulations to Laura Frase, 7th grade teacher at Memorial Junior High! Laura received the Lubrizol Science Teacher of the Year award for a middle school teacher on Dec. 13 at the Partners in Science Excellence Symposium. She was recognized for her creation of a WebQuest to teach students about biomes, or particular types of ecosystems such as deserts and tropical rainforests. The WebQuest puts students in a simulated company specializing in biome tourism. The students must learn about the variety of biomes throughout the world and develop an infomercial to explain the company's tourism offerings.

Also at the symposium, Lake Elementary teacher Lisa Sterner was awarded a free trip to the Ohio Science conference, SECO. Lisa's project was on 'green technology' and the exploration of wind as an alternative source of energy.

Memorial Junior High science teacher Laura Frase holds her Lubrizol Science Teacher of the Year award on Dec. 13.

Lake Elementary teacher Lisa Sterner poses beside her project on green technology.

[12/14/2007] Mentor students accept athletic scholarships

[ 12/14/2007 ]

Three Mentor High School seniors have earned outstanding academic opportunities thanks to their dedication and skill in athletics. Alyssa Kelley, Courtney Klemens and Samantha Nameth, all signed letters of intent to accept college athletic scholarships at a ceremony at the Mentor School District administration building on Dec. 14.

Kelley, who in her freshman year was the first girl ever to play on the Mentor boys baseball team, switched to fast pitch softball her sophomore year and will play for Ashland University next year. Alyssa says she chose Ashland for reasons including its location, campus atmosphere, softball coaches and team.

Klemens received both academic and athletic scholarships to Walsh University in North Canton, where she will play golf next season. Courtney was named First Team All-Conference and News-Herald Player of the Week this year, contributing to a 14-4 regular season and 8-1 league record. The team finished 7th in the sectional tournament.

Nameth, who has been swimming since age 6, says the highlight of her athletic career at Mentor High was making it to state-level competition in her sophomore year. Samantha is accomplished in the butterfly stroke, and is accepting a scholarship to swim at Eastern Michigan University. She says she chose Eastern Michigan because of its pool facility and team atmosphere.

Congratulations, Alyssa, Courtney and Samantha, and best of luck in your future athletic and academic pursuits.

Samantha Nameth, Alyssa Kelley and Courtney Klemens sign letters of intent at the Mentor School District administration building on Friday.

[12/14/2007] Interim reports posted at 5 p.m. today

[ 12/14/2007 ]

The first real-time posting of a grade report via Infinite Campus will happen at 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 14. Parents will be able to log in and view their child's interim report once the data has been submitted by teachers.

This will provide a new level of convenience and immediacy for parents in keeping track of student achievement.

Infinite Campus parent activation keys were distributed at parent / teacher conferences in November, and are available at the schools for parents who did not receive them. Parents may call or stop by their child's school to acquire their keys to confirm their Infinite Campus account.

To log in, click on the Infinite Campus for Parents button on the main page or click here: https://64.109.97.147/campus/portal/Mentor.jsp

[12/12/2007] Mentor High School I-Wing to undergo complete renovation

[ 12/12/2007 ]

In the 2008-2009 school year, Mentor High School's I-Wing will be all new: new classrooms, new equipment, new classes. What was once the school's industrial arts wing is being transformed into a high-tech instructional center designed to deliver the skills for graduates of the 21st century and beyond.

Funding for the I-Wing project comes from the sale of Center Street and Reynolds elementary schools, both of which will be memorialized with specially named I-wing classrooms the Center Street CAD Lab and the Reynolds Robotics Room.

What was once the wood shop will become the new home of Home Maintenance - a class designed to help students learn the moderately advanced skills needed to take care of a home. These include electrical wiring, plumbing and even roof repair.

The art room currently located in the northwest corner of the I-Wing will move to the southwest corner, keeping close proximity to the rest of the art department across the hall.

Where the high school's print shop was located will be the new hub of the I-Wing, the Center Street CAD Lab. The computer-aided design room will be used for several classes covering industrial and architectural design concepts.

The middle of the wing will be intersected with a T-shaped hallway, which will provide easy access to and from classrooms within the wing that are likely to share space. This hallway will include display cases that can be used for exciting new projects in digital photography and robotics.

The former welding classroom will now be used as a jewelry-making art room, making use of the exhaust hood already installed. A new wall will divide the jewelry room from the new Reynolds Robotics Lab. The robotics work stations positioned in the center of the classroom during instruction time are mobile, and can be moved to the periphery of the room for experiments and demonstrations requiring floor space.

South of the Reynolds Robotics Lab are the digital photo lab and physics lab.

The automotive technology garage will remain in its current location at the rear of the I-Wing.

In addition to the new layout and design of the rooms, the I-Wing will receive major heating and cooling upgrades that are essential to maintaining the large amount of electronics. New ceilings, light fixtures and flooring will also be installed to bring the wing up to date.

The I-Wing is currently in the design phase, and construction will be completed for the start of the 2008-2009 school year. To view color swatches of the I-Wing interior materials, click here.

Textbooks which will be used for instruction for the new I-Wing class offerings.

[12/10/2007] Four Mentor students to compete in state Hoop Shoot contest

[ 12/10/2007 ]

Four Mentor School District students from four different schools have advanced to the state Hoop Shoot free throw competition, organized by the Elks. The students, listed below, won contests at their schools and at an area competition held at Willoughby Middle School on Dec. 7:

Kyle Horvath, fourth grade, Morton Elementary - made 17 out of 25 free throws at the district contest.

Allison Link, sixth grade, Garfield Elementary - made 18 out of 25 free throws at the district contest.

Brody Nelson, seventh grade, Memorial Junior High - made 24 out of 25 free throws at the district contest.

Lexy Spraggins, fourth grade, Bellflower Elementary - made 9 out of 25 free throws at the district contest.

All four will advance to the state competition on Feb. 9. State winners advance to a national competition in which two champions are named for each age bracket - one boy and one girl.

Hoop Shoot is a national basketball free throw competition, in which more than 3 million boys and girls compete each year.

At each level of competition, contestants take a total of 25 free throws. National finalists average around 90 percent.

Hoop Shoot is the largest and most visible of the many youth activities sponsored by Elks lodges throughout the country. The contest began as a local program in Corvallis, Oregon. This is the 34th year that the competition has been held at a national level.

[12/7/2007] PTA Presidents meetings provide avenue for communication and collaboration

[ 12/7/2007 ]

Each month, Mentor Schools Superintendent Dr. Jacqueline Hoynes meets with the PTA Presidents from all 14 district schools. The meeting provides an excellent opportunity for the district to "communicate and collaborate with internal and external stakeholders" - one of the district's five vision statements.

Meetings give parents the most current information on what's happening in the district, which is becoming increasingly important with a variety of transitions taking place in the next year.

On Friday, Dec. 7, Dr. Hoynes and Director of Secondary Education Tracy Coleman met with the group to discuss how the high school is being modified on both physical and scheduling fronts to accommodate the addition of ninth graders in 2008-2009.

Chief Financial Officer Daniel Wilson updated the group on the process of determining how to fund the district in the future, and what options are being considered by the Mentor Board of Education in budget work sessions.

As a special holiday treat, the PTA Presidents enjoyed a musical presentation by third graders from Orchard Hollow, led by music teacher Amy Bender. The students sang several selections from their "Home for the Holidays" program, which will be presented in full at Orchard Hollow's winter concert. The students did a terrific job singing, dancing and delivering their humorous spoken lines for the PTA Presidents and administrative staff to enjoy.

Orchard Hollow third graders perform selections from "Home for the Holidays" during Friday's PTA Presidents meeting at the Mentor Board of Education administration building.

[12/4/2007] Mentor High School hosts senior citizen dinner / dance Friday, Dec. 7

[ 12/5/2007 ]

Mentor High School will host its 32nd annual senior citizen dinner / dance at 5:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 7 in the Student Center.

Each year, approximately 200 seniors attend the evening of food and fun with high school students. The dance will end at approximately 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $6.00, and are available through the Mentor Senior Center.

For more information, contact Justin Maynor, community relations coordinator, at 974-5249.

[12/4/2007] Venue change for high school presentation on youth depression and suicide prevention

[ 12/4/2007 ]

Mentor High School will host a presentation on youth depression and suicide prevention from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. tonight in the A-Lecture room. The presentation was originally scheduled to take place at the Fine Arts Center.

The informative session is being conducted by the the Lake County Suicide Prevention Coalition, and will cover warning signs, symptoms, ways to help and resources that are available in the area.

Anyone who is in regular contact with young people, from parents and grandparents to business owners and clergy, are encouraged to attend this free event.

Suicide is the third largest killer of young people between the ages of 10 and 24, and is frequently related to depressive illness.

The coalition will host the same program on Monday, Dec. 10 at Wickliffe High School.

'Awareness of depression and suicide risk among young people is a shared responsibility. Parents, coaches, peers and school personnel must all be aware of the red flags and be willing to offer help when needed,' said Dr. Jacqueline Hoynes, superintendent of Mentor Schools.

'Mentor Public Schools is pleased to provide a venue for this essential collaboration a collaboration that could ultimately save lives.'

[11/29/2007] Community invited to football team send-off

[ 11/29/2007 ]

The entire Mentor Schools community is invited to wish the Mentor Cardinals football team good luck as they depart on Saturday for the state championship game.

The send-off will happen at 1:30 p.m. on Market Street between Center Street and Munson Road. Line the street to show your support for the team as buses will pass at around 1:45 p.m. on their way to Canton.

[11/28/2007] Mentor High School quarterback Bart Tanski named Mr. Football 2007

[ 11/29/2007 ]

Bart Tanski Mr. Football

Mentor High School senior quarterback Bart Tanski is Ohio's 2007 Mr. Football - the highest honor for a high school football player in the state.

Tanski won the top prize Wednesday from the Associated Press, which is based on balloting by a panel of sports writers.

The senior quarterback has led the team to 11 wins this season and to the Division I state championship on Saturday against Cincinnati St. Xavier.

Congratulations, Bart, and GO CARDS!

[11/27/2007] Infinite Campus Parent Portal now online

[ 11/28/2007 ]

Parents will soon be able to see their child's interim and report card grades immediately after they are posted by teachers. The Infinite Campus Parent Portal, part of our new student data management system, is now online and will give parents access to the second grading period interim report beginning at 5 p.m. Dec. 14.

At parent/teacher conferences, parent activation keys and instructions for accessing the Parent Portal were distributed. If you were unable to pick up your key, we would like to invite you to stop by your child's school building, or you may call the school to make arrangements to receive this information.

The portal is accessed through the main page of this web site by clicking on the "Infinite Campus For Parents" button.

We believe Infinite Campus will help us to communicate even more effectively with parents, students and staff, and we hope you will take advantage of this new convenient offering.

If you have feedback or questions regarding the Parent Portal, please call us at (440) 974-5210.

[11/27/2007] Football final will air live on SportsTime Ohio cable network

[ 11/27/2007 ]

The Division I state football championship game (Mentor vs. Cincinnati St. Xavier)will air live on SportsTime Ohio cable network at 7 p.m. Saturday.

You can find STO on your cable or satellite provider by clicking here.

[11/26/2007] Mentor Cardinals football team heads to state championship

[ 11/26/2007 ]

The Mentor Cardinals football team will play in the state championship for the second consecutive year after a 39-14 win over Brunswick in the semifinal on Nov. 24.

The championship game against Cincinnati St. Xavier is scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday at Fawcett Stadium in Canton.

Tickets will be available at the Mentor High School gymnasium lobby from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, and from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday.

Tickets are $7 in advance and $9 at the gate.

Go Cards!

[11/19/2007] Football playoff tickets on sale Tuesday

[ 11/19/2007 ]

The Mentor Cardinals football team has advanced to the final four after defeating Glenville 41-40 on Saturday in the regional championship.

They will now face Brunswick at 7 p.m Saturday, Nov. 24, at Byers Field in Parma in the Division I state semifinal.

Tickets will be on sale this week at Mentor High School at the following times:

Tuesday: 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. MHS main entrance security booth

Tuesday: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. MHS gym lobby

Wednesday: 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. MHS gym lobby

Friday: 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. MHS gym lobby

[11/9/2007] Thank you, voters!

[ 11/9/2007 ]

The Mentor School District would like to thank the community for its overwhelming support of Issue 4, the renewal of funding for permanent improvements, which passed on Nov. 6.

The levy does not increase taxes.

Funds from the permanent improvement levy - first approved by voters in 1988, and most recently renewed in 2002 - are used only for capital expenditures such as roof repair and replacement, asphalt paving, computer technology and school buses. By law, the money cannot be used for general operating expenses such as salaries and benefits. To qualify as a permanent improvement, the property, asset or improvement must have an estimated life or period of usefulness of five years or more.

This levy yields just under $1 million each year for the district and currently costs homeowners in the district $12.88 per year for every $100,000 of property value, according to the Lake County Auditors Office. The cost to homeowners has decreased 22 percent since 2002, due in part to new construction and increased revenues from commercial properties.

Permanent improvement funds are an essential part of keeping Mentor Public Schools in good shape, both functionally and aesthetically. In the last year, the district used permanent improvement funds to replace the windows at Shore Junior High School, making them safer and more energy efficient. Funds were also used to outfit all our elementary schools with new computer labs, allowing us to expand programming to include weekly computer classes for all elementary students. We have also used the funds to install SMART Boards throughout the district, giving students a more effective and engaging way to learn.

[11/8/2007] Mentor High School athletic director resigns

[ 11/8/2007 ]

Mentor High School Athletic Director Dale Garris will resign his position effective Nov. 12.

His letter of resignation was accepted today by Superintendent Jacqueline Hoynes.

Garris said his decision is not related to the Ohio High School Athletic Association disqualification of the boys soccer team from the playoffs. He and other district officials stand by their interpretation of an association bylaw regarding the timing of when ineligible players may be returned to eligible status.

The superintendent and high school Principal Joe Spiccia challenged the association's decision in Franklin County Common Pleas Court on Wednesday. However, the court ultimately sided with the association.

'This has been a very difficult week for everyone involved, from the players and their parents to the coaches and administrators,' Hoynes said. 'We fought hard to give our team the chance to compete that they deserved, but were not able to reverse the decision.'

'We appreciate Mr. Garris's efforts over the last three years to maintain a strong athletic program at the high school. Now, we must move forward in securing new leadership for our athletes to ensure that the strength of the program continues.'

[11/8/2007] Court rules against Mentor Schools in dispute over soccer team disqualification

[ 11/8/2007 ]

A judge in Franklin County Common Pleas Court ruled against the Mentor School District on Wednesday, upholding the disqualification of the Mentor High School boys' soccer team from the playoffs.

Superintendent Jacqueline Hoynes and high school Principal Joe Spiccia traveled to Columbus to challenge the ruling by the Ohio High School Athletic Association, which deemed two players on the team ineligible to compete in the Nov. 3 regional finals against Massillon Jackson High School.

Mentor won that game, but was forced to forfeit days later when the association disputed the district's interpretation of an eligibility bylaw. This meant that they could not compete in the state semifinal match against Sylvania Northview High School on Nov. 6.

In court, Mentor Schools argued that the players were in fact eligible based on the district's mandatory grade reporting date, which complied with the association's rules. The judge ruled in favor of the association.

The school district exhausted every option in challenging this decision on behalf of the team. The Mentor Schools community is saddened that their outstanding run toward the state championship was cut short by no fault of their own.

[11/6/2007] Mentor Schools to challenge ruling on soccer team ineligibility

[ 11/7/2007 ]

Mentor Public Schools today received notification that two players on the Mentor High School boys soccer team were ruled ineligible by the Ohio High School Athletic Association to play in the Nov. 3 regional semifinal, and must therefore forfeit the win and the chance to compete in tonight's state semifinal match against Sylvania Northview High School.

The district firmly believes that these players were in fact eligible to play according to the association bylaws, which dictate a waiting period of '24 hours after the mandatory grade reporting date established by the Board of Education.'

The official end of the grading period was Oct. 31, at which point the grade books are closed. It is the districts position that the players were eligible to compete 24 hours later. However, the association argues that Oct. 31 does not qualify as a mandatory reporting date established by the Board.

The district will challenge this ruling in Franklin County Common Pleas Court on Wednesday.

'We will fight this because we believe we are right, and our team deserves the opportunity to compete,' said Dr. Jacqueline Hoynes, superintendent of schools.

After a meeting at the high school Tuesday night, the soccer team remained resolute in its commitment to keeping the spirit alive that has sustained them all season.

Please continue to check our web site for updates on the soccer team's post season status.

[11/2/2007] District says Bravo! to outstanding students and staff

[ 11/2/2007 ]

We are proud to recognize the following students and staff for the month of October:

Frank Alesci, senior, Mentor High School Kevin Harper, senior, Mentor High School Eric Martin, ninth grade, Shore Junior High School Lucas Nolin, sixth grade, Rice Elementary School

Steve Couch, social studies teacher, Mentor High School Charity Kaleal, guidance counselor, Shore Junior High School Nancy Tracz, first grade teacher, Rice Elementary School

Recipients of October's oustanding classified employee award are:

Chuck DiSilvestro, custodian, Shore Junior High School Judy Miller, classroom assistant, Rice Elementary School

Shore Guidance Counselor Charity Kaleal receives the October Bravo! Award, presented by Dr. Jacqueline Hoynes.

Shore Junior High ninth grader Eric Martin poses with the superintendent after receiving the October Bravo! Award for a junior high student.

[11/1/2007] Mentor Schools Foundation Pancake Breakfast set for Thanksgiving Day

[ 11/1/2007 ]

Most restaurants close for Thanksgiving Day - but not Yours Truly in Mentor. For the seventh year, the restaurant will open its doors from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. to raise money to help Mentor School District teachers with special projects.

It's the Mentor Schools Foundation Pancake Breakfast, and it's become a morning tradition for many Mentor families. Breakfast is free, and patrons can donate as much as they would like to the foundation.

The Mentor Schools Foundation has helped Mentor teachers for more than two decades, providing grants for innovative projects to enhance learning. Teachers apply for grants for many types of initiatives, from technology to classroom materials. Grants have ranged from $25 to $3,500, and each is evaluated by district administration and the foundation board to ensure that it fits the curriculum and the foundation mission.

Since 1985, the Mentor Schools Foundation has awarded more than $100,000 in grants to Mentor teachers.

The pancake breakfast is the foundation's largest fundraiser of the year, and the district is grateful for the broad support of the foundation and the community in making this event a success.

Yours Truly is located at 7280 Center Street.

For more information on the foundation, visit http://www.mentorschoolsfoundation.org.

[10/26/2007] Taking steps to avoid Staph & MRSA infections

[ 10/26/2007 ]

With the recent news of students outside the Mentor School District being infected with the methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteria, we would like to remind students and parents of ways to help prevent this and other types of infections.

The Mentor School District currently uses an all-purpose disinfectant cleaner that has been tested and proven to eliminate regular Staph and the stronger MRSA. This cleaner is used throughout the district on any surface that may harbor bacteria, including sinks, showers, toilets, drinking fountains and desks.

Despite regular disinfecting of schools, it is important for students and staff to take steps to keep themselves and others safe from harmful germs.

With locker rooms being an area where bacteria may be more prevalent, students should take their towels home with them rather than leaving them in their lockers where bacteria can breed.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control offers these additional tips for protecting yourself against MRSA:

practicing good hygiene (e.g., keeping your hands clean by washing with soap and water or using an alcohol- based hand sanitizer and showering immediately after participating in exercise);

covering skin trauma such as abrasions or cuts with a clean dry bandage until healed;

avoiding sharing personal items (e.g., towels, razors) that come into contact with your bare skin; and using a barrier (e.g., clothing or a towel) between your skin and shared equipment such as weight-training benches;

maintaining a clean environment by establishing cleaning procedures for frequently touched surfaces and surfaces that come into direct contact with people's skin.

For more information on MRSA, visit the CDC web site at http://www.cdc.gov/Features/MRSAinSchools/

[10/26/2007] Waiver days provide for bullying prevention training

[ 10/26/2007 ]

One of the challenges of implementing large-scale changes in a school district is setting aside time for staff to undergo intensive training in a new program.

With the district's adoption of the world-renowned Olweus (pronounced ol-VAY-us) bullying prevention program this year, staff have already engaged in two full days of training to help them to dramatically reduce the risk of bullying in the schools.

These training sessions are conducted on waiver days, also known as in-service days. Waiver days are granted by the Ohio Department of Education for specific and essential staff training efforts.

Adoption of the Olweus program requires much more than a cursory examination of ways to help prevent bullying. It is a systemic change in the way a school district handles the issue of bullying and a proactive approach to preventing the behavior by reducing opportunities for bullying to occur.

On Sept. 12, all staff gathered at the Mentor High School Fine Arts Center to learn about the devastating impact of bullying on the lives of students from mental health experts. This day was designed to raise awareness of the issue and more clearly define bullying. In the second training session on Oct. 25, staff were introduced to the structure of the Olweus program and began to work in their school teams to develop strategies to prevent bullying.

Olweus has been shown to reduce bullying by 30 to 70 percent in schools around the world, according to student and teacher surveys.

The approach involves three separate tiers of intervention: schoolwide, classroom-level, and individual-level. The schoolwide intervention includes components such as training staff, administering surveys to measure bullying, and the development of schoolwide rules against bullying.

At the classroom level, regular meetings are held in class to discuss bullying and peer relations. Parent meetings are also part of the classroom-level intervention.

At the individual level, intervention includes individual meetings with children who bully, individual meetings with students who are the targets of bullying, and meetings with the parents of all involved.

Questionnaires and incident reporting will be key in measuring the impact of the program on student behavior.

First, an anonymous questionnaire will be completed by students to measure the prevalence and types of bullying that may be occurring. This will provide baseline data at the start of the Olweus program to compare with follow-up questionnaires once the program is in place.

Implementation of the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program involves a commitment by all members of the Mentor Public Schools community to meet our vision of providing a safe and secure environment in which students can grown academically and socially.

We look forward to sharing that commitment with you as we continue to create a school environment in which all students can thrive.

Headlands Elementary School staff take Olweus strategies back to their school after a half-day in-service on Oct. 25.

Staff at Shore Junior High School, which implemented Olweus two years ago, revise their strategies for bullying prevention after the in-service.

[10/24/2007] Football playoff tickets on sale Oct. 31

[ 10/24/2007 ]

Football playoff tickets will be sold at the high school athletic office starting on the Wednesday before each game from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily and Thursday evenings from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. by the high school gym ticket windows.

The first game will be here at Jerome T. Osborne Sr. Stadium at 7 p.m. Saturday, November 3rd. Future game sites have yet to be determined.

This will be the schedule for ticket sales beginning with the first playoff game and throughout the post-season.

Bus information can be obtained through Mike Weaver at 257-6005.

[10/22/2007] What is Issue 4?

[ 10/22/2007 ]

The Mentor Board of Education will ask voters to renew current funding for permanent improvements to the district on the Nov. 6 ballot.

The levy, which will appear as Issue 4, is not a new tax or an increase of an existing tax.

The board of education voted unanimously to seek the funding renewal at their regular meeting Aug. 16.

[10/18/2007] Parent / teacher conferences set for November

[ 10/18/2007 ]

Parent / teacher conferences for junior high and high school students are scheduled for the evenings of November 14, 15, and 19 from 5:30-8:30 PM.

High school parent-teacher conferences will be held on Thursday, November 15 and Monday, November 19.

Junior high parent-teacher conferences will be held on Wednesday, November 14 and Monday, November 19.

The schedule for elementary conferences is below:

SchoolDateTime

Bellflower K-6:November 5 & November 154:00 --- 7:00 p.m.

November 1611:45 2:45 p.m.

Brentmoor K-6:November 8 & November 124:00 --- 8:30 p.m.

Fairfax K-6:November 5 & November 83:30 --- 8:00 p.m.

Garfield K-6:November 5 & November 85:30 --- 8:30 p.m.

November 1611:00 --- 3:00 p.m.

Headlands K-6:November 13 & November 154:00 --- 8:30 p.m.

Hopkins K-6:November 5 & November 84:00 --- 8:00 p.m.

Lake K-6:November 5 & November 83:30 --- 8:00 p.m.

Sterling Morton K-6:November 5 & November 153:30 --- 8:00 p.m.

Orchard Hollow K-6:November 5 and November 85:00 --- 8:00 p.m. November 1612:00 --- 3:00 p.m.

Rice 1-6:November 5 & November 83:30 --- 8:00 p.m.

Rice Kindergarten:November 15 & November 168:30 --- 3:30 p.m.

[10/17/2007] District plans activities for middle school & high school transitions

[ 10/18/2007 ]

We are very excited about the middle school and high school transitions and all of the opportunities they bring us. As part of the transition process, we have set up a calendar of events for you. These are optional activities designed to help ease the transition to the middle school by providing you with information and giving you the opportunity to experience our schools firsthand.

Each school has sent home dates for these activities. You will also find a list of activities and dates below. Some months had to be altered because of individual school calendars, so please look at the mailing sent from the school principal for specific dates for each activity. Each month offers you an event to attend to help ease your childs transition to a new school next year. Please mark your calendars now.

Student/ Parent Transition Activities

2007-2008

September 2007 o Elementary and middle school principals meet with PTAs and Directors to discuss transition plans

October/November 2007 o Letter home to parents inviting them to participate in activities o PTA President/middle school Principal, guidance counselor, student council or NJHS president to elementary feeder PTA meetings for panel discussion

December 2007 o Middle schools to invite 5th and 6th grade parents and students to winter concerts o High school to invite 8th and 9th grade parents and students to winter concerts

January 2008 o Each middle school sponsor elementary feeder school to 5th and 6th graders to basketball game/wrestling match (pom- pom giveaway) o High school will sponsor individual junior high nights at MHS basketball games (T-shirt giveaway) o High School Building Tours for Parents During the School Day hosted by MHS PTA- tours end with Java with Joe meeting

February 2008 o Scheduling nights at each middle school March 2008 o Elementary parents invited to middle school PTA meeting for meet and greet

April 2008 o Family Fun Night at each middle school o Scavenger Hunt/ Ice Cream Social/ Parent Panel at MHS

May 2008 o 5/6 school visits for students o 8/9 school visits for students o 5 - 7 grade dances

June 2008 o 8/9th Grade Parties o 5/6th Grade send-offs

August 2008 o 2 orientation evenings separate 5 and 6 o Cook-out o Conquer you locker o Follow the schedule o Activity Showcase

[10/16/2007] Mentor High School Career Expo tonight!

[ 10/16/2007 ]

Mentor High School will host its annual Career Expo from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 16 in the Student Center.

Students and parents can speak with professionals from more than 80 companies and organizations in fields such as health care, manufacturing, law, education, technology and more.

The Career Expo is designed to engage students of all ages and levels of career knowledge.

Learn about what kind of training is required, the state of various job markets, and local employment opportunities.

Organizations will offer engaging displays to involve students in learning about their occupations and the skills needed for success.

We hope you can join us for what is sure to be a fun and informative experience!

[10/10/2007] District evaluating emergency response

[ 10/10/2007 ]

Wednesday's train derailment situation was the first instance in which Mentor Public Schools used the AlertNow emergency phone message system. This was done to reassure parents that Mentor students were safe despite evacuations in neighboring Painesville. Early in the afternoon, rumors circulated that certain areas were at risk that were not and the administration office received many calls inquiring about the situation here in Mentor.

AlertNow calls were made to both home and parent work numbers on file. If you did not receive a call, you can contact your child's school to make sure the appropriate telephone numbers are in the system.

Use of the AlertNow system is not routine. We have opted to only use the system in emergency situations. In order to communicate more effectively with the community, we would like to know what you think about the use of the automated call system in this situation.

Please feel free to e-mail your comments to [email protected]

LIVE UPDATES - [10/10/2007] Train derailment in Painesville

[ 10/10/2007 ]

5:33 p.m. - All students have been dropped off. Many thanks to all our bus drivers, students and parents for their patience in getting through this difficult situation.

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4:55 p.m. - Approximately 30 buses are still en route to drop students off at home.Some buses experienced further delays due to a car accident on Hopkins Road.

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4:15 p.m. - Emergency officials have removed road cones on Heisley Road south of Route 2, which is allowing better movement for buses experiencing delays there.

Buses transporting students home to Mentor from non-public schools in Painesville are estimating that all those students will be dropped off by 5:15 p.m.

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3:50 p.m. - Buses transporting students home to Mentor from non-public schools in Painesville are experiencing very lengthy delays. Schools affected are: Our Shepherd Lutheran School, Summit Academy, Andrews Osborne Academy, and St. Mary School of Painesville.

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3:40 p.m. - Buses are reporting delays of up to 50 minutes due to heavy traffic on routes.

Buses leaving from the following schools are expected to be affected: Hopkins Elementary, Brentmoor Elementary, Memorial Junior High, Ridge Junior High and St. Gabriel School.

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A train with hazardous materials on board derailed in Painesville today resulting in a fire.

Students in the Mentor School District are safe. However, some buses have been delayed as a result of traffic re-routing by emergency officials.

Dr. Jacqueline Hoynes, our district Superintendent, has been in contact with the Mentor Police Department, and they confirmed that there are not any schools in our district that are in any danger. The Mentor Police Department would advise our district immediately of any need to close any of the schools within our district.

The district notified all parents and staff, both at home and at work, utilizing the AlertNow emergency telephone message system beginning at 2:30 p.m., which was completed by 3 p.m.

Any updates on transportation or other impacts of the emergency will be posted here.

[10/9/2007] Sterling Morton students get their feet moving

[ 10/9/2007 ]

The buses up north may have been a bit lighter Tuesday. That's because hundreds of students who attend Sterling Morton Elementary - along with parents, school and community leaders - chose to lace up their walking shoes and hit the pavement instead of waiting at the bus stop.

It was all part of International Walk to School Day - a day to celebrate and enjoy a walk to school with an eye toward safe streets and community spirit.

Students gathered at the corner of Corduroy Road and Jordan Drive, then headed east, an American flag and special banner leading the charge.

International Walk to School Day is actually a series of days around the world, throughout the month of October. In 2006, 40 countries and millions of walkers participated in the first walk.

[10/8/2007] Secondary Interims to Be Re-Mailed

[ 10/8/2007 ]

As you may know, there was a problem with the printing of our secondary interims and these reports do not currently display information for students' first period classes. We apologize for any confusion and inconvenience this has caused. Secondary interims will be re-mailed tomorrow, October 9. Thank you for your patience. As always, please contact your building principal or our IT department at 974-5254 with any feedback or questions.

[10/4/2007] Ohio Auditor Mary Taylor awards district for excellence in financial accountability

[ 10/4/2007 ]

Mentor Public Schools is Making Your Tax Dollars Count.

That was the message Thursday from Ohio Auditor Mary Taylor, who presented the district with awards bearing that name for excellence in financial accountability for fiscal years 2005 and 2006.

Taylor lauded the efforts of Superintendent Jacqueline Hoynes, Chief Financial Officer Daniel Wilson and the Mentor Schools staff for their commitment to fiscal responsibility.

'We believe we have set the bar pretty high for being eligible to receive this award,' Taylor said. 'And it is certainly an honor for us to be here today in Mentor to recognize the schools for their accomplishment in achieving the Making Your Tax Dollars Count award for both the 2005 and 2006 fiscal periods.'

Out of 415 government entities throughout northeast Ohio, only 18 met the criteria to receive the award, Taylor said.

Those criteria include filing a Comprehensive Annual Financial Report in a timely manner; having clean audits with no material weaknesses, no significant deficiencies and no findings for recovery; and having no other general financial concerns.

'I want to congratulate you and thank you for your leadership in making this a priority for your school district,' Taylor said.

Wilson said the employees of the Mentor School District are committed to the highest standards for financial accountability.

'I am blessed to be working in a district where the superintendent and board of education understand the importance of -- and, in fact, insist upon -- fiscal integrity in the management of the district,' he said. 'It's more than any one of us can do -- it really takes a team effort. And anything we can do to demonstrate that were operating at the highest standards is something we strive for every day.'

'Your recognizing our efforts is greatly appreciated and will motivate us to work even harder,' he told Taylor.

In addition to the Making Your Tax Dollars Count award, Mentor Public Schools has earned the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association in 2004, 2005 and 2006.

The district has also earned the Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Association of School Business Officials International in 2005 and 2006.

Ohio Auditor Mary Taylor, center, poses with Mentor Schools Superintendent Jacqueline Hoynes and Chief Financial Officer Daniel Wilson on Thursday, Oct. 4.

The Mentor Public Schools Finance Department shares in celebrating the Making Your Tax Dollars Count award.

[9/20/2007] Mentor Schools presents 'Parent Night' Sept. 24

[ 9/20/2007 ]

The secondary education department of Mentor Public Schools is kicking off a new series of informative programs for parents on Sept. 24.

The first 'Parent Night' starts at 7 p.m. at Mentor High School, and will provide parents with a wealth of information on technology topics that are relevant to children and education.

Unique to the new Parent Night series, parents will have the opportunity to choose two of four session offerings to focus on what is valuable to them.

The four sessions are:

Cyberbullying - At this session, parents will have the opportunity to navigate various web sites that have proven to be potentially harmful or dangerous for teens. Parents will gain an understanding of the types of cyberbullying and potential signs that their child is being bullied or acting as an online bully.

Infinite Campus - Parents will learn about the district's new student data management system and how it will soon give them instant access to important information like grades, attendance and behavior reports.

SMART Boards - Our parents often hear of the expansive use of SMART Boards across the district, but they may not have an understanding of what this instructional tool looks like and what it can do. This interactive session will expose parents to a SMART Board and provide them with an understanding of its academic benefits.

Navigating Online - This session will provide parents the opportunity to learn basic internet navigation. Also, parents will have an understanding of sites and resources online that credible and can be used to assist their children with research projects, homework and independent practice activities reflective of the Ohio Academic Content Standards.

[9/18/2007] A letter to the community regarding statement in The News-Herald

[ 9/18/2007 ]

Dear Parents and Community Members,

I would like to personally apologize to the family of Sky Ironhorse and to the entire Mentor Schools community for the inappropriate comment made to The News-Herald by Business Operations Director Ronald D. Bivens in the article published on Sept. 18.

Mr. Bivens and I are sorry that such an insensitive remark would obscure the very serious consideration we give to each and every concern raised by parents. The safety of our students is priority number one, and several administrators spent time reviewing this specific bus stop - even riding the bus itself - to determine that it is safe. Mr. Bivens' comment does not reflect the seriousness with which we approach such issues, nor does it reflect the attitude of our employees with regard to serving the families of our school district.

While student safety must always be our top priority, we also strive to make the best possible use of our resources on behalf of taxpayers. The decision to eliminate house bus stops is a direct result of this ongoing effort, and one that we maintain in the interest of fiscal responsibility. We will continue to evaluate our walking routes, bus stops and bus routes to ensure first and foremost that they are safe, and second, that they are efficient.

Sincerely,

Jacqueline A. Hoynes, Ph.D. Superintendent

[9/12/2007] Excitement builds for big game

[ 9/13/2007 ]

It's the game everyone is talking about. Friday night at Jerome T. Osborne Sr. Stadium, the Mentor Cardinals (2-1) face the St. Ignatius Wildcats (3-0) in the Division I battle of two top-notch teams.

Reserved seat tickets sold out Wednesday, but some general admission tickets are still available at the high school ticket office. The game is expected to sell out quickly, so get your tickets now.

Eyes are also on Mentor's state record-breaking kicker, Kevin Harper, who kicked a 61-yard field goal in Mentor's 27-0 win against Solon on Sept. 7. Far from being a one-off lucky shot, that was only a few yards beyond Harper's personal best of 58 yards, which he accomplished against Cardinal Mooney in the first game of the season.

Check out a video montage of last week's game against Solon and Harper's foot feat at www.cleveland.com/tlr/. The Plain Dealer and Cleveland.com will also be web-casting audio play-by-play of Friday's game against St. Ignatius with coverage beginning at 7:10 p.m.

[9/7/2007] Orchard Hollow responds quickly to minor incident

[ 9/12/2007 ]

This letter is to inform you of an incident that occurred at Orchard Hollow this afternoon. The incident turned out to be minor, and we wanted to quell any rumors that may arise.

While the students were at recess, several students reported that they heard the sounds of a BB gun in the woods. One also reorted that he thought he had been hit by a BB. The aides immediately brought all of the students inside and we contacted the Mentor Police Department as a precaution. For the students' safety, they asked us to enter a "lockdown mode until the incident could be investigated. Students were moved from the open lunchroom into their classrooms and we utilized our builidng safety plan until the police determined that it was safe to return to normal activity. While the police did not discover any evidence of a BB gun in the woods, they did encounter a team of roofers working at a home nearby who were using air tools, which could account for the sound heard by students.

Students and staff handled themselves in an appropriate manner, and we feel confident that our safety plan is effective should there be any future incidents. Many thanks also to the Mentor Police Department for their prompt and professional response. If you have additional questions, please feel free to contact me at 257-5955.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Karen Trunk

[9/5/2007] Cardinals football team to be featured on Plain Dealer's The Locker Room

[ 9/5/2007 ]

The Mentor Cardinals varsity football team will be featured in a short documentary to be released Saturday on the Plain Dealer's The Locker Room multimedia web site.

The team will face Solon in an away game Friday, which will be captured by Plain Dealer videographers.

The piece aims to showcase the full game experience, with inside looks at the sidelines, locker rooms and stands in addition to complete game highlights.

To access The Locker Room, and to view the video when it is posted, check out http://www.cleveland.com/tlr/

[8/30/2007] Parent night to feature expert on differentiated instruction

[ 8/30/2007 ]

Nancy Weber, a nationally recognized expert on differentiated instruction, will speak at a special parent night from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 18 at the Memorial Junior High auditorium.

Differentiated instruction means tailoring instruction to the diverse needs of individual students in a class to ensure that each child is learning regardless of his or her starting point.

Weber is a published author and a vivacious speaker who has presented more than 2,000 seminars and workshops.

The parent night is open to all parents, but is particularly valuable for parents of gifted students as the district transitions to an inclusive gifted education program for the 2008-2009 school year.

[8/23/2007] Mentor graduate dies in Iraq

[ 8/23/2007 ]

The Mentor Schools community is mourning the loss of one of its own.

Josh Harmon, a 2005 graduate of Mentor High School, was killed this week in a helicopter crash while serving in the Army in Iraq.

The 20-year-old Harmon is being remembered by friends and family for his bright smile, his caring heart and his fun- loving nature.

Harmon loved music and played in bands during his time here at Mentor High School, and was enrolled in the auto service program.

The Mentor Board of Education and district employees offer our deepest condolences to Harmon's wife Kristin, his parents Richard and Donna, his brother Jason and all his family and friends.

[8/16/2007] CLICK HERE for high school, junior high bus stop information

[ 8/22/2007 ]

Complete 2007-2008 bus route information for Memorial Junior High, Ridge Junior High, Shore Junior High and Mentor High School are available below.

Hard copies of route information are also being posted at the buildings.

Elementary and junior high school students should receive post cards with their bus stop locations and times the week of August 20th.

New this year, we will no longer be sending bus stop information by mail to high school students.

Please click on the appropriate building and time to find specific bus stop information.You can use the Adobe Acrobat "find function (binocular icon) after opening the file to search for specific bus numbers and street names.

Memorial Junior High - Morning Memorial Junior High - Afternoon

Ridge Junior High - Morning Ridge Junior High - Afternoon

Shore Junior High - Morning Shore Junior High - Afternoon

Mentor High School - Morning Mentor High School - Afternoon If you have any questions, please call our transportation department at (440) 974-5260.

[7/16/2007] Upcoming School Year Calendar, Supply Lists Available Now

[ 8/22/2007 ]

Students and parents can begin planning for 2007-2008 now with an easy-to-read one-page school year calendar and updated supply lists, all available right here.

Start the year off on the right foot with help from www.mentorschools.org!

2007-2008 School Year Calendar

2007-2008 Supply Lists

Memorial Junior High Ridge Junior High Shore Junior High

Bellflower Elementary Brentmoor Elementary Fairfax Elementary Garfield Elementary Headlands Elementary Hopkins Elementary Lake Elementary Sterling Morton Elementary Orchard Hollow Elementary Rice Elementary

Quest Supply Lists Below are the supply lists for the 2007-2008 Quest program listed by teacher and corresponding buildings.

Mrs. Negrelli- Bellflower, Garfield Mrs. Schellentrager- Brentmoor, Fairfax and Hopkins Ms. Whalen- Headlands, Lake, Morton, Orchard Hollow and Rice

[8/20/2007] District honors outstanding employees

[ 8/21/2007 ]

Mentor Public Schools is honoring ten district employees for their outstanding work in helping to ensure a quality education and environment for our students.

Recipients of the 2007 Outstanding Service Award, honored at the August 16 board of education meeting, are:

Cathy Baur, secretary at Hopkins Elementary School Jeff Kovach, chauffeur / material handler at Mentor High School Curt Ludwick, bus operator Diana Ruland, classroom assistant, Headlands Elementary School

Also recognized at the board meeting were six teachers who earned the 2007 Excellence in Teaching Award. They are:

Sharon Justice-Kastor, Hopkins Elementary School Cynthia Loovis, Fairfax Elementary School Charlene Lorek, Headlands Elementary School Rose Dombos, Memorial Junior High School Angela Laurie, Ridge Junior High School Marie Waltz, Mentor High School

Congratulations and thank you to all those who go above and beyond what is expected on a daily basis to help make Mentor Schools an Excellent district.

School board member William Shaw presents the 2007 Excellence in Teaching Award to math teacher Angela Laurie.

Chauffeur / material handler Jeff Kovach is recognized as one of the 2007 Outstanding Service Award winners.

[8/20/2007] Mentor Schools earns 'Excellent' rating on state report card

[ 8/20/2007 ]

Mentor Public Schools has earned top marks from the Ohio Department of Education for the 2006-2007 school year.

The 'Excellent' rating, released by the department on August 14, is the state's highest designation for district achievement on a five-tiered scale.

The local report card evaluates school districts on 30 indicators - most of which measure the percentage of students scoring at or above proficient on the state assessments. For the 2006-2007 school year, Mentor met 27 out of 30 indicators as a district.

And for the first time in its history, Mentor met the challenging federal standard known as Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) in all categories.

AYP measures reading and math performance for sub-groups including disabled, economically disadvantaged and limited English proficient students. Meeting AYP is a clear sign that a district is meeting its goal of educating all students.

'It shows how hard our staff works, especially in such a large district, to serve our students with special needs,' said Dr. Jacqueline A. Hoynes, superintendent of Mentor Schools.

'While we are proud of our work as a district, we should also remember that an excellent school district cannot exist without outstanding community support,' she said. 'This achievement is one that all of Mentor - its students, parents, citizens and businesses - should be proud of.'

Click HERE to view the complete Mentor Public Schools 2006-2007 report card.

Reports for individual schools:

Bellflower Elementary Brentmoor Elementary Fairfax Elementary Garfield Elementary Headlands Elementary Hopkins Elementary Lake Elementary Memorial Junior High Mentor High Orchard Hollow Elementary Rice Elementary Ridge Junior High Shore Junior High Sterling Morton Elementary

[8/2/2007] Daycare transportation changes effective this school year

[ 8/2/2007 ]

Effective this school year, Mentor Schools will only offer transportation to and from daycare centers located within the attendance boundaries of a student's assigned school.

The change was adopted by the Board of Education in the district's revised transportation policy in order to help increase busing efficiency and control costs. A notification letter was sent home to parents in May.

Special arrangements for pick-up and/or drop-off of students at a daycare center must be made with the Mentor Schools Transportation Department. The deadline for submitting requests for the 2007-2008 school year was July 15. While we will make every effort to accommodate daycare transportation requests between now and the start of school on Aug. 28, we cannot guarantee that such requests can be integrated into our bus routes by the start of school.

Please contact the transportation department at (440) 974-5260 with any questions you may have, or to request daycare transportation. Below is a PDF file listing pre-approved daycare centers within the attendance boundaries of each elementary school.

Daycare centers 2007-2008

[7/30/2007] Legislation lifts restrictions on Homestead Exemption

[ 7/31/2007 ]

Governor Ted Strickland and the Ohio General Assembly included in the recently enacted state budget a new tax break for seniors and disabled citizens. Unlike the former Homestead Exemption, this new plan does not include an income ceiling.

Under the new plan, homeowners can qualify for the exemption if they meet one of the following criteria: * Are at least 65 years of age * Are permanently or totally disabled * Are the surviving spouse of a qualified homeowner, and who was at least 59 years old on the date of their spouse's death

If a homeowner meets the any above criteria, $25,000 is subtracted from the market value of the home. The tax rates that apply to the property would be calculated on the lower value resulting in a tax reduction. Participants in the old Homestead Exemption program would receive the greater of either the tax relief for tax year 2006 under the old program, or the level provided by the new one.

"This new State of Ohio budget includes some property tax relief for all senior citizens 65 or older," said Daniel Wilson, chief financial officer for Mentor Schools. "This tax break is a good first step to long overdue reform of school funding."

Homeowners who currently receive the Homestead Exemption will automatically qualify and will not have to reapply.

Applications for the new exemption must be submitted through the Lake County Auditor's Office by Oct. 1 to receive the exemption in 2007. In future years, the deadline will revert back to the first Monday of each June, as was the case under the prior Homestead Exemption process.

Seniors and disabled citizens who own their homes are urged to apply. The new exemption will apply to current leviesand any passed in the future.

The Ohio Department of Taxation has prepared an information sheet on the new exemption and who to contact with questions. It is available at http://tax.ohio.gov/divisions/communications/documents/homestead_internet.pdf

[7/30/2007] Ohio Department of Education revamps testing site

[ 7/30/2007 ]

The Ohio Department of Education has revamped its statewide testing site to give students, parents and teachersa variety of new resources to prepare for this year's assessments.

See actual test questions from prior years, take practice testsand learn more about Ohio's academic content standards with an easy-to-navigate interface providing information on the Ohio Graduation Tests (OGT) and Ohio Achievement Tests (OAT).

The site includes a new section specifically designed for parents to better understand the process and help prepare their student(s) for success.

Visit the statewide testing site at http://portal.success-ode-state-oh-us.info/

[7/25/2007] Used Equipment Auction Saturday

[ 7/26/2007 ]

Furniture, computers, TVs and more will all be available for purchase Saturday, July 28, at the Mentor Public Schools used equipment auction at Mentor High School.

At 10 a.m., items from throughout the district will be sold individually to the highest bidder. Individual items range from computers and TVs to teachers' desks and couches. The condition of the items varies from fair to excellent, and all items will be sold as-is.

The equipment is being auctioned according to Ohio Revised Code requirements. Buyers can pay by cash, check or credit card.

The auction is being held in the high school's I wing, adjacent to the gymnasium. Visitors may enter through the high school's main entrance or at the rear of the building.

Mentor High School is located at 6477 Center St.

[7/16/2007] Fall Sports Tickets On Sale July 31st

[ 7/16/2007 ]

The Mentor High School Athletic Department will begin selling season tickets for fall sports on July 31st. Schedules for all sports can be viewed online at www.highschoolsports.net.

An All Sports Pass is available for $100 for adults and $50 for students for admission to all home contests. Adult single- sport season ticket packages range from $15 for wrestling to $50 for boys basketball.

You can view all packages and order tickets by downloading and printing the order form below, and mailing or dropping it off at the high school Athletic Department, 6477 Center St. The office is open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, call (440) 974-5304.

[7/11/2007] Board of Education Approves New Course Texts

[ 7/13/2007 ]

Mentor Public Schools will introduce two new courses this school year that promise to bring new and exciting challenges to students while helping to prepare them for careers in the 21st century.

The Board of Education, at its regular meeting Tuesday, approved textbooks for the new Advanced Placement Statistics and Chinese courses.

With the new AP Statistics class, students will have the opportunity to extend their learning to the highest levels and potentially earn credit or advanced standing at our nation's colleges and universities.

The text approved, Understandable Statistics, is an ambitious, advanced placement text that will prepare our students for the rigor of some of their college level mathematics courses.

To help ready our students for life and work in the 21st century and beyond, we are offering a course in Chinese at the ninth and tenth grade levels. Students will use the simplified character version of the Chinese Link textbook with an accompanying workbook and audio CDs.

Students and parents can get a preview of the books by clicking on the links below.

Chinese Link - click for more information Understandable Statistics - click for more information

MHS Science Olympiad Team Presents Trophy

[ 7/9/2007 ]

The Mentor High School Science Olympiad Team presented the President of the Mentor Board of Education, Rick Cicero, the 5th place trophy for their performance at the National Competition in Wichita, Kansas. This was the first time the MHS Science Olympiad Team qualified for Nationals and competed so well as to bring home the 5th place trophy. The trophy will be displayed at Mentor High School.

Mentor High School Principal Joe Spiccia hailed Science Olympiad coach Tom Ramsey as the most passionate Science Olympiad coach in the nation and thanked him for his dedication to the team and the district.

Board of Education Recognizes Power of Pen Winners

[ 7/9/2007 ]

The Power of the Pen interscholastic writing competition showcases creative writing at its best. More than 7,500 7th and 8th graders competed in Power of the Pen across the State this year. Mentor had four students qualify at the State level this year based on their performance in the first two levels of competition, and we are proud of their accomplishments. When I call your name, please come up to receive your certificate and then remain standing by the awards table.

Kevin Nguyen from Memorial: In the District level of competition against 17 other schools at St. Ignatius, Kevin won first grade honors for grade 7. He was the only person to place first in all thee rounds in the entire competition.

Rachel Tan from Memorial: Rachel was part of the 8th grade team that took home the District third place trophy at St. Ignatius. Rachel also took home an individual trophy for second place at the St. Ignatius competition.

Adie Fraser from Shore: Adie won the first place trophy at the District competition and was part of the Shore team that took home the second place overall trophy.

Julia Lowe from Ridge: Julia placed second among 7th graders at the District competition.

Congratulations to all of you on your fine work at Power of the Pen!

Mentor Public Schools Appoints Financial Advisory Committee Member

[ 6/21/2007 ]

The Mentor Public School Board of Education agreed to appoint Janet Mulh to the Financial Advisory Committee. Janet is due to replace the vacant seat made available by a Committee Member who resigned. Mulhs term ends on December 31, 2007.

Currently, Mulh is Clerk-Treasurer for the Village of Waite Hill having served in that position since 1997. Prior to that, she had eight years of banking experience. Mrs. Mulh is a 2004 graduate of the Leadership Lake County Program.

History: The Mentor Public School District Board of Education appointed a Financial Advisory Committee in January 2004. The citizens appointed to the committee have extensive experience in financial matters. The committee meets three to four times a year.

The Committee charge is to: Review annually the districts forecasting and financial projections Share business and financial best practices from the private sector Perform the functions of an audit committee as it relates to the annual single audit Make reports to the Board of Education at public Board meetings

Janets experience in public funds banking combined with her experience as a Village Clerk-Treasurer will provide a balance to our committee as it reviews and advises on certain matters affecting the financial health of the district, announced District Chief Financial Officer Daniel L. Wilson, who facilitates the committee.

For more information, please contact: Daniel L. Wilson at 440-974-5230.

Avery Dennison Supports Academic Excellence

[ 6/18/2007 ]

The Mentor Schools and our Science Olympiad Teams are extremely grateful to Avery-Dennison, whose generous contribution to our schools has been used to help to fund our endeavors to highlight academic achievement.

Our Science Olympiad teams all had travel expenses this year with trips for all of the teams to Columbus and the additional trip for the high school team to Wichita, Kansas. All four teams truly reaped the benefits of Avery-Dennisons generosity.

We greatly appreciate Avery-Dennisons sponsorship of the teams and would like to present this plaque to acknowledge their support. Avery-Dennison could not attend but a representative accepted the plaque on its behalf adding that the company feels priveledged to support Mentor Public schools in its academic endeavors and is proud of the Mentor High School Science Olympiad team.

New & Revised Policies Introduced At June Board Meeting

[ 6/18/2007 ]

The Board of Education had a first reading of revised and new policies at its June 12, 2007, board meeting. Below is an explanation of the policies.

Policy 9.34 Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying - NEW

The Board of Education of each city, local, exempted village, and joint vocational school district is required to adopt a policy prohibiting harassment, intimidation, or bullying. The policy must be developed in consultation with parents, school employees, school volunteers, students, and community members and include a list of requirements. The bill also required the State Board of Education to develop and issue a model policy within six months of the effective date of March 30, 2007.

Superintendent Dr. Jacqueline Hoynes met with the required committee members and used the State model and the districts attorneys recommended policy to form an anti-bullying policy. The committee made sure the policy met the list of requirements outlined in the Ohio Revised Code. Dr. Hoynes then sent the policy to the district's attorney and he made a few suggestions that have been incorporated into the policy. This policy will be implemented with the anti-bullying program, OWEUS, which will be used in all of our schools in the fall. In addition, the district made sure the investigation procedures in this policy match the investigation procedures in its anti-discrimination policy. The district did not want its administrators to have to follow different investigatory procedures.

Policy 2.06 Election of the Chief Financial Officer Revised

The revisions changed the duration of employment for CFOs, the effective dates of their employment, and the method for terminating their employment. The district's CFO, Daniel L. Wilson, asked to make an addition. The district's attorney wanted to make sure the Board understood that adding this language increases the requirements the Board must meet to terminate if the CFO's contract contains additional requirements.

Policy 6.34 Administering Medication to Students Revised

This policy was amended to reference severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis) as explained in revised Policy 6.35. Also, #5 was added under N to include physicians' assistants.

Policy 6.35 Asthma Medication and Epinephrine Auto Injectors Revised

The current policy governs the use of asthma medication and epi-pens for bee stings. However, the Ohio legislation has now added an Ohio Revised Code which specifically governs the use of epinephrine auto injectors for anaphylaxis to deal with severe allergies. The amended policy replaces the previous policy. It is important to note that while the term prescriber appears in the statute the administration of medication for epinephrine auto injectors, the term physician is still used when dealing with asthma medication.

Ohio Revised Code still permits students to possess and use an epinephrine autoinjector to treat anaphylaxis if all of the following conditions are met:

The student has the written approval of the prescriber and the written approval of the parent, guardian, or other person in charge of the student if the student is a minor;

The principal or school nurse has received copies of the written approval; and

The principal or school nurse has received a backup dose of the medication from the parent, guardian, or other person in charge of the student.

Policy 9.31 School Safety Plans Revised The Ohio legislature made several changes to Ohio Revised Code, both in September, 2006 and December, 2006. The new requirements governing the adoption and filing of school safety plans are included in the revised policy.

Policy 7.05 Remediation / Intervention Program Revised

Ohio law was amended to remove the ability of a school district to provide the opportunity to take an achievement test in the summer following third grade if the student's level of skill in reading on the third grade achievement test showed below grade level reading. The district's revised policy was amended to reflect that change in the law.

Policy 6.15 Graduation / Diploma Requirements Revised

Senate Bill 311 made substantial changes to the Ohio Revised Code that establishes graduation requirements for Ohio's students. The changes have been included in the revised policy. Ohio Revised Code only requires students to attain 20 units in grades 9-12. A Board of Education may increase the requirement. Our requirement is and remains 21 credits. A new section has been added entitled "Veterans Diploma" to reflect the Board's ability to award such diplomas.

Senate Bill 311 also enacted Ohio Revised Code that requires the Board of Education to adopt the procedure for notifying parents, guardians, or custodians of each student enrolled in the high school the requirements of the Ohio core curriculum set forth in the Ohio Revised Code. The district has added language at the end of the third paragraph of the policy that states its procedures for notifying parents, guardians and custodians.

The new amended Ohio Revised Code permits the Board of Education to excuse from the high school physical education requirement each student who, during high school, has participated in high school athletics, marching band, or cheerleading for two full seasons. The superintendent did not recommend to amend the policy for this provision at this time. Students would be excused from PE but not from earning the credit. They would just have to earn it in another discipline. The district would have to adjust staffing by eliminating some PE positions and adding staff in other subject areas. This has to be a thoughtful decision and not one the district could implement immediately without serious staff implications. In addition, there is recent legislation being introduced in the Senate to not permit students being excused from physical education.

The Board also had a second reading and approval of the following policies: a.Policy 6.41, Transportation, Revised b.Policy 6.19, Code of Student Conduct, Revised

Policy 6.41 Transportation Revised

Paragraph J has been omitted based on a legal opinion. Paragraph J stated we would not transport children without a disability to schools in which they are open enrolled. Ohio Revised Code states the district must transport these students if they can be picked up or dropped off at a regular bus stop for the open enrolled school children designated by Board policy.

Junior High Science Olympiad Teams Recognized At Board Meeting

[ 6/18/2007 ]

What a year it was for our Science Olympiad teams! For the first time all three junior high schools had junior high teams. What is truly remarkable is that all three teams qualified for the State finals for Science Olympiad this year. Science Olympiad celebrates and recognizes outstanding achievement of both students and teachers in the areas of science and technology. It is with great pleasure that we recognize and celebrate our three junior high teams tonight.

From Shore Junior High Coach Craig Vaughn and team members: Ryan Rapini, Wes Bova, Nate Mizak, Katie Fry, Adie Fraser, Fritz Janesh, Tim Spiker, Josh Benner, David Spalding, Steve Siuda, James Post, Emily Harris and Brian Harris.

From Ridge Junior High Coach Bill Henrich and team members: Amy Cilensek, Aidan Walsh, Sarah Perry, Michael Guynn, Max Fujs, Tyler Powell, Corey Boldon, Hisham Abad, Rachel Welch, Brittany McCauley, Katie Calvert and Ted Babcock.

From Memorial Junior High Coach Michelle Haag and team members: Brandon Kunkel, Kevin Nguyen, Brenna Robinson, Alex Dominish, D.J. Hawkey, David Sanders, Jon Christensen, Zach Grbach, Alex Dorcik, Mariah Stanaford, Jenny Leonard, Adam Lonis, Michael Bann, Kate McGlaughlin, Taylor Eedy, Erica Kodramaz, Amanda Roberts, Makenzie Nelson, Callie Johnston, Alex Grbach, Jon Martin, Gerilyn Sedgwick, Samantha McCarthy and Sean Eppler.

Congratulations everyone!

MHS Orchestra Performs For Senior Citizens

[ 6/12/2007 ]

The Mentor High School Orchestra played for the residents at Governor's Pointe on Friday, June 8. The orchestra performed pops music of the 1950's and 1960's that the residents would recognize and enjoy. The concert was very well received. Following the event, the students visited the residents while enjoying punch.

Report Cards Mailed Home

[ 6/11/2007 ]

Junior high and high school report cards to be mailed home on Wednesday, June 13.

For any questions regarding report cards, call either the Director of Elementary Education, Robert Haag, or the Director of Secondary Education, Tracy Coleman, at 974-5210.

Staff Awards For The 2006 - 2007 School Year

[ 6/8/2007 ]

It is our pleasure to announce the 2006/2007 Excellence in Teaching awards and the Outstanding Service Award winners:

Excellence in Teaching: Sharon Justice Kastor - Hopkins Elementary School Cynthia Loovis - Fairfax Elementary School Charlene Lorek - Headlands Elementary School Rose Dombos - Memorial Junior High School Angela Laurie - Ridge Junior High School Marie Waltz - Mentor High School

Outstanding Service Award: Cathy Baur - Secretary at Hopkins Elementary School Jeff Kovach - Chauffeur/Material Handler at Mentor High School Curt Ludwick - Bus Operator at Service Building Diana Ruland - Classroom Assistant at Headlands Elementary School

Congratulations! We are very proud of your achievements and dedicated service.

We will be recognizing the above employees at the August 21, 2007, Board of Education meeting.

Summer Tutoring Available

[ 6/5/2007 ]

Just because school is out, doesn't mean your student has to stop learning. The Mentor Public School District has tutors available who will continue to enrich your child's education throughout the summer. It doesn't matter what grade level your child is in or what course you'd like to cover. The district has many tutors available.

The tutors are private pay and set their own fee. If you would like information on available tutors in the course you are interested in, call Joann Tsevdos in the Student Services Department at 974-5246.

Registering Your Child During Summer Months

[ 6/5/2007 ]

Registrations during the summer months when the buildings are closed may be made in the Student Services Department located at the Board Office, 6451 Center Street, from 9:00AM to 3:00 PM, Monday through Friday from June 15 through August 10, 2007.

Headlands Elementary 5th Grade Teacher Wins Award

[ 6/5/2007 ]

Headlands Elementary Teacher Tom Tonkli is the local Sam's Club Teacher of the Year. In a surprise announcement, Mr. Tonkli was awarded $100 to use in his classroom, along with several other gifts. The school's principal, Janice Price, was also awarded $1,000 for the school. Mr. Tonkli's name will be submitted to the State and National level Teacher of the Year. Good luck to Mr. Tonkli!

Quest Program To Be Revised; Will Reach More Gifted Students

[ 6/4/2007 ]

In an effort to better meet the needs of our gifted population, Mentor Public Schools has embarked on a journey through best practices research, analysis of what area districts are doing, and the creation of pilot programs. The research regarding the negative effects of pull-out programs is clear, so we knew that we needed to find an alternate service delivery model to best meet the needs of our gifted students.

After much thoughtful consideration of the research and best practices as they relate to gifted education, we initiated a pilot program at Garfield Elementary which began with two third grade teachers during the 2005-2006 school year. The following year, we introduced cluster grouping to the staff at Garfield Elementary in grades three through six. During the 2006-2007 school year, the pilot really took off with the cluster teachers in grades four, five and six collaborating with the Quest teacher one day each week. We have seen great success this year and have received much positive feedback from the stakeholders.

Mentor has approximately 890 Superior Cognitive gifted identified students and we are only able to serve approximately 300 through the pull-out program. The cluster grouping model will allow us the flexibility to meet the needs of many more of our gifted students.

We have decided to extend the cluster grouping model to all of the elementary buildings and the new middle schools starting with the 2008-2009 school year. We will continue to serve the gifted students in the Quest pull-out program during the 2007-2008 school year as we prepare to make the change. One of the steps toward our new delivery model will be the addition of cluster groups to each of the districts ten elementary buildings for the 2007-2008 school year.

Cluster grouping is an administrative procedure in which identified gifted students at a grade level are assigned to one classroom with a teacher who has received special training in how to teach gifted students. The other students in the class are of mixed ability. Differentiated instructional opportunities allow gifted students to interact with their intellectual as well as their age peers. Through cluster grouping the intellectual, social, and emotional needs of the gifted students can be addressed. ~Patricia A. Schuler, University of Connecticut Cluster Grouping Coast to Coast The National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented, Winter 1997

The research-based benefits to cluster grouping are: 1. Students are clustered with their intellectual peers. Research shows that gifted students should spend the majority of their school day with students of similar abilities. 2. Special needs students and the highest achieving students are placed with teachers who have had training and are interested in meeting these special needs. 3. The highest achieving students are removed from other classrooms, thereby allowing new leaders and achievers to emerge. 4. Heterogeneous grouping is maintained while there is a deliberate reduction in the range of achievement levels that each teacher must teach. 5. More efficient use of special education and Title I personnel is achieved by creating clusters of these students in one or two rooms instead of spreading them across five rooms. 6. A high achieving group of students exists in every teachers classroom. 7. High expectations for all students are maintained across all classrooms. 8. The program is cost-effective. ~Cluster Grouping: What Does the Research Demonstrate?

Other districts in the area that currently utilize the cluster grouping with gifted intervention support gifted education service delivery model are: Madison Local Schools, Painesville City Schools, Beachwood City Schools, Hudson Schools, Mayfield City Schools, Strongsville Schools, and Lakota Schools. Kirtland Schools will be moving to this model within the next year.

Day Care Transportation To & From School For 2007-2008

[ 6/4/2007 ]

Dear Parents or Guardians, in our continuing efforts to be fiscally responsible, we are informing parents of some changes in the transportation policy for the 2007 2008 school year. This information is being provided as early as possible to allow time to plan for your transportation and day care needs next year.

Beginning next year, the Mentor Schools Transportation Department will only bus students to day care centers which are inside of their school of residence. If you are in need of a bus from your day care center to school in the morning or from the school to your day care center after school, you will need to submit a request to the Director of Transportation by July 15, 2007. Please be sure that your Day Care Center is inside your school of residence in order for this request to be granted. If your center is not within the boundaries of your school, you will either need to provide your own transportation, seek transportation from the day care center, or change the center to one inside your schools boundaries.

JHS Orchestra Takes Talent to Columbus

[ 5/22/2007 ]

Forty-six members of the JHS Orchestra met State Representative Carol Ann Schindel on its visit to the capitol last Thursday. They were her first visitors at the State House. The students brought questions from their social studies classes and also asked their own questions, including questions about better school funding and preserving our water resource, Lake Erie.

In addition, the group toured the Santa Maria, and in Kentucky, the Newport Aquarium, Abraham Lincoln's birthplace, Mammoth Cave National Park, took an Ohio River boat dinner cruise, competed in the Music in the Parks Festival and toured the Kentucky Horse Park. The JHS Orchestra received an Excellent rating at the competition.

Everyone learned a great deal on this trip. About half of our total orchestra along with 11 parents and two teachers attended this event.

Junior High Chamber Orchestra Earns Superior Rating

[ 5/21/2007 ]

This year, three of our Mentor Orchestras participated in State level High School Contest at Lakewood High School.

Our Junior High Chamber Orchestra received an I (Superior) rating in Class C. This is exceptional since it is a high school event and our Junior High Chamber Orchestra is comprised of 7th, 8th & 9th graders. The group rehearses once a week to prepare for this event.

They worked very hard and are deserving of recognition. Students are from all three junior highs and selected by audition for membership.

Memorial students are: Lauren Anthony, Rachel Beavers, Justin Bellassai, Joshua Clark, Deanna Covelli, Alex Dorcik, Darren Freeman, Kendra Helfrich, Haefa Mansour, Amanda Roberts, Neha Sandeep, Megan Shawhan, Billy Spaw, Jessica Takacs & Eric Yanosich.

Ridge students are: Brooke Berlan, Kristian Bohonek, Katie Calvert, Catherine Cooper, Mary Lampros, Sarah Long, Brittany McCauley, Kelly Reese, Carly Reese, Amelia Spangler, Graham Spangler & Ester Weil.

Shore students are: Brittany Bowers, Caitlin Brooks, Amanda Dell, Megan Dunagan, Kaitlyn Haight, Abbey Hobbs, Allison Keba, Samuel Kushner, Alicia Mansour, Sean Mormino, Amber Murphy, Pat Nagorski, Sam Stroebel & Ben Wardeiner

MHS Science Olympiad Team 5th in Nation

[ 5/21/2007 ]

Congratulations to our Mentor High School Science Olympiad Team which placed 5th at the National Competition in Wichita, Kansas.

Mentor competed against 60 teams from 45 states in its first trip to the nationals since the 1980s. Our team earned medals in eight events, including first place in Five Star Science; second in Designer Genes and third in Remote Sensing, Circuit Lab and Write It Do It.

Thanks to the S.O. Team, the parent volunteers, and to Mentor High School physics teacher Tom Ramsey, who is the teams advisor; for all the hard work involved in bringing home this victory.

Mentor Students Become Word Masters!

[ 5/21/2007 ]

The Word Masters Challenge is a national analogies competition in which the Mentor fifth and sixth grade Quest students participated in this year. They were enrolled in the Gold division, which is designed for gifted and talented students. At the fifth-grade level, 8,270 students participated nationally, while at the sixth-grade level, 6,620 students participated. The Quest teams scored very well in each of the three phases of the competition.

Students were required to master 75 new vocabulary words for the competition. They also became very familiar with 16 types of analogies. The students worked hard to analyze the subtle relationships between the words. This type of reasoning is abstract and evaluative, and provides an excellent opportunity to foster higher-level thinking skills, which is a major goal of the Quest program. The students hard work and commitment to excellence resulted in a high level of achievement!

High Honors are for those students who have finished among approximately the top 2% of all competitors at their grade level, and Honorable Mention is for those who have finished in approximately the top 10%.

Grade 5 High Honors: Jonah Vicente Honorable Mention: Matthew Erxleben, Drew Super, Jason Goldston, Kayla Knowles, Lauren Perry, Dillon Merritt

Grade 6 High Honors: Charlotte Klimovich, Hannah Koerner, Jenna Bellassai Honorable Mention: Maureen Driscoll, Avi Danda

Two of our Questers earned the distinction of a first place among the Mentor participants, and were awarded a medal from WordMasters. These students are Jonah Vicente, fifth grade winner, and Charlotte Klimovich, sixth grade winner. Charlotte earned a perfect score on the first competition, one of only a handful to do so nationwide!

Mentor Students Take Home Career Tech Awards

[ 5/21/2007 ]

Career Technical Education

Award Winners

College Tech Prep Auto Service Placed 2nd

Greater Cleveland Automobile Dealers Competition

Peter Hunt & Gavin Votaw

Auburn Culinary Silver

Jason Sikon

CNET

Robotics Journal Competition at the North East Ohio Robotics Competition

Cameron Brown, John Aquila & Dave Tran

CNET First Place in Presentation at the North East Ohio Robotics Competition

Nate Nemec, Matt Palinkas, Daniel Stepec, Robert Cross, Josip Puda & Kathy Nguyen

Mentor Public Schools Loves Its Bus Drivers

[ 5/21/2007 ]

The district celebrated School Bus Driver Appreciation Day on Tuesday, May 15. Drivers were treated to a hot breakfast after their morning runs. Administration members served them eggs, hash browns, bacon and french toastat Garfield Elementary School.

Mrs. Douglass's first grade class sang "The Wheels on the Bus for the group and got a collective chuckle as they sang, "The kids on the bus go yakkety yak. The last line of the song was, "Mentor School Bus Drivers Are the Best! The class also made rulers for the drivers that said, "Our Bus Drivers Rule!

At the end of the day, one student rider from each bus presented the drivers with a t-shirt with a printed logo on it which stated, "Mentor Public Schools Loves Its Bus Drivers.

Superintendent Dr. Jacqueline Hoynes spoke to the group at breakfast and thanked them for transporting our students safely and in a timely manner. She also thanked them for their help at the beginning of the school year when they each helped correct their bus routes. She acknowledged that they were the "experts in their fields.

Congratulations to all of our bus drivers and transportation staff. You are appreciated!

Parent Program on Internet Safety

[ 5/11/2007 ]

At the May board meeting, Lake Elementary School Principal Mike Lynch presented to the board of education an endeavor by the district to educate parents on the dangers of the internet.

He started the presentation by noting that as parents and educators, we warn our kids about the dangers of smoking, drugs and alcohol but we dont often spend the time to warn them about the internet. However, we need to do this.

What justifies the initiative is data which shows in one random month, 3 men sexually assaulted teenagers they found through MySpace.com and police found one missing 15 year old girl who investigators say was sexually assaulted by a 26 year old man she met through the same site.

A survey by the Intelligence Group and published in the Plain Dealer, surveyed 500 teens ages 14-18 and found that 71% of boys and 76% of girls said they have met someone online. In addition, 60% of boys and 40% of girls said they have done something online that they wouldnt want their parents to know about.

As parents and educators, it is our responsibility to know what our kids are doing online. In response to this, the district has scheduled a seminar for Tuesday, May 15, for all of our technology teachers and our building administrators to teach them about internet sites and how to determine what is appropriate and what isnt. It will cover MySpace.com and other chat sites and how to protect our students from these.

In addition, parents need to play a part in this warning. The district is also conducting a Parent Program at each school that will focus on internet safety. The topics covered will include MySpace.com, Cyber-bullying, Inappropriate Websites and much more.

Some safety recommendations for parents are: be informed about computers and the internet. Make sure you have house rules for internet usage. Post those rules and stand by them. Have the computer placed in the open area of your home and out of your childs room. Discuss what private information is and why it is not safe to give it to anyone over the internet.

Below is a schedule of Parent Classes offered in each school building.

Parents Need To Plan For Daycare Transportation By July

[ 5/3/2007 ]

A list of Day Care Centers by school is available under the Elementary Education site under Administration on the home page or at the transportation office (974-5261).

Sincerely Robert G. Haag Director of Elementary Education

District Committee To Address Bullying & Harassment

[ 5/3/2007 ]

Legislation was recently passed requiring all Ohio school districts to have policy prohibiting harassment, intimidation, or bullying. The district policy must be similar to a model which will be adopted by the State. The State Board of Education was given six months after the effective date of ORC 3313.666 to develop the model policy.

The State Board was presented with a model policy in April and it is expected to be approved in May. After this time, our district can move forward with an adoption of a district-wide policy which addresses prohibiting harassment, intimidation, or bullying.

Pursuant to ORC 3313.666, the policy is to be developed in consultation with parents, school employees, volunteers, students, and community members. Superintendent Dr. Jacqueline Hoynes would like to work with our committee in May so we can have a recommendation for the policy on our June Board of Education agenda. The district is looking to complete its committee with three interested parents and three students. If you are interested, please contact Kathy Kadas in our K-12 Department at 974-5210. Thank you.

Ohio Governor's Youth Art Exhibit Purchases MHS Student's Work

[ 5/3/2007 ]

Exciting news for one Mentor High School artist... The Governors Youth Art Exhibit purchased this piece from Senior, Kate Zajc, for their permanent collection.

Only one piece (out of the 300 winners) is purchased each year for this collection of high school art. Over 12,000 pieces from the State of Ohio are judged regionally then 300 are chosen as the winners and are exhibited in the actual Governor's Show in Columbus. Then one piece is selected to be purchased. Katie Zajc's piece is a self-portrait done in colored pencil and titled "Lips." Congratulations to Kate!

Another student from the Mentor High School Art Program had her artwork accepted for inclusion in the 2007 Ohio Governor's Youth Art Exhibition. Kaitlan Hyland's piece is a monoprint of her sister. These art works were two of 300 pieces chosen out of 12,000 submissions.

The exhibition opened April 15, 2007, at 1:00 p.m. at the James A. Rhodes State Office Tower, and runs through May 17, 2007.

The district is proud to be represented in this state event. Congratulations to Katie and Kaitlan and to their teacher, Michelle Kane!

MHS Presents School Safety Meeting

[ 5/1/2007 ]

Mentor High Schools Principal Joe Spiccia and his Operations Director John Diamond will conduct a School Safety Meeting for the community on Thursday, May 3, at 7:00 PM in B-Lecture.

The program will be a panel discussion featuring School Social Worker Cathy Iannadrea, School Resource Officer Brian Haller, Assistant Principal John Diamond, and Principal Joe Spiccia.

The group will go over statistics and facts about school safety, continuing to build a safe climate at the high school, and how to improve managing emergency situations. All community members are invited to attend.

The Shoreline Singers Belt Out Their Best

[ 5/1/2007 ]

Congratulations to the Shoreline Singers for bringing home a Superior rating and coming in first place at the competition in San Diego! Not only did they win in their division, but they also won the "overall award." Our Shoreline Singers had the highest score of all the high school and junior high school groups (choral & instrumental) that participated in the west coast competition! This is a personal best in the Shoreline Singers history. As if that wasn't enough, Ellie Campbell won the vocal soloist award.

What a trip it was! Their performances in Los Angeles, Long Beach, and Clinic were outstanding as well.

The Shoreline Singers made us all very proud with their music and their professionalism.

Junior High Science Olympiad Team Accomplishments

[ 4/30/2007 ]

What an exciting year it has been! Mentor had a lot of firsts to be very proud of this year! It is the first time in Mentors history that we have had had a science Olympiad team at every secondary school! It is also the first time in history that all secondary schools excelled and made the final cut to be eligible for the state tournament in Columbus. Finally, and most exciting of all, it is the first time Mentor High School has achieved the illustrious honor of being one of two teams in all of Ohio to move on to the National tournament in Wichita, Kansas!

Memorial placed 11th overall of 40 schools at the State Competition with Kate McGlaughlin and Brandon Kunkel winning 1st place as Disease Detectives and a medal for 6th place with Kevin Nguyen in Mission Possible. David Sanders and Kevin also medaled in Write-it, Do-It while Alex Dominish and Brandon took 6th in Simple Machines. Brenna Robinson and Kate placed 7th in Ecology.

Ridge placed 22 overall with Tyler Powell & Sarah Perry earning 7th place in the Balloon Race.

Shore was missing key students and came out with 36th place but high spirits and ready to take on the state again next year!

Many students look forward to working with the S.O. as they enter Mentor High School.

As Coach Henrich stated many times during the year This is no one person operation! It takes many individuals to take a team to the highest level of success. To our coaches, Bravo! You have served our students well! Our teams could not exist without you. Thank you for your very generous donations of time and materials. You stuck with us in our early days as the three new coaches learned how to run and organize our teams.

The coaches witnessed first hand the power of parental involvement. Science Olympiad is by far the best example of a harmonious student, teacher, and parent relationship. The coaches commented on our return trip how wonderful it was to have parents step up and help with the multitude of details needed to be completed before, during and after each meet. One coach stated that our teams blended together beautifully and that it felt very much like a large extended family. We cannot thank you enough!

Finally to our business sponsors, Dr Grbach, DDS and Avery Dennison. Dr. Grbach and his wife were extremely generous in taking the entire team to COSI for some fun and some last minute learning! The trip was the perfect addition to our exciting weekend! We are deeply appreciative of the donation Avery Dennison made to our school district that helped transport our teams and house all of us in Columbus. Phenomenal things can happen when businesses and schools come together. These groups set a fine example for other businesses to follow as we all work together to promote scientific literacy for our young people.

With extreme gratitude,

Bill Henrichof Mentor Ridge Junior High, Michelle Haag of Mentor Memorial Junior High, and Craig Vaughn of Mentor Shore Junior High

MHS Students Win Art Awards

[ 4/26/2007 ]

The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, Inc. has selected winners for the Scholastic Art Awards of 2007.

Two of Mentor High Schools art students, Jamie Zeal and Rachel Moore, were awarded the Gold Key in the Art Portfolio Master Category. Their artwork was chosen from 100,000 entries. Their teacher, Michelle Kane, says their artwork will now be reviewed in New York City by panels of nationally renowned artists, arts professionals, and educators. Both students stand to win art scholarships that range from $1,000 to $10,000.

Mentor High Schools Kailie Parrish also received a third place award and $150 in the 2007 Blick Linoleum Block Print Contest.

Congratulations to Michelle Kane and all of her successful art students!

District Hires Chinese Teacher

[ 4/23/2007 ]

Futurists predict that in the next five years, Chinese will be the most used language for communication on the internet. Research suggests that there will be a critical need for students to study non-traditional languages such as Chinese to succeed in the global marketplace of the future. With this in mind, the district has hired a Chinese Language Teacher. Ai Lan Lin has a Bachelors Degree in English, a Masters in English from Kent State University, with a teaching license and a concentration in Teaching Chinese to Secondary Schools.

Ai Lan likes to travel and cook when she has free time. During her travels, she loves to try foods of different regions. She says, Since my first time teaching in Germany, I have missed Germany a lot and my favorite food now is schnitzel, which is a typical German meal.

Ai Lan says she is excited about teaching middle school students because of how quickly they can learn. In the past few years, the majority of her students were international college students. She says of her future at Mentor Public Schools, I feel that I am honored to teach these middle school students and I hope that they can gain knowledge of Mandarin Chinese from different perspectives; not only in the textbook and inside the classroom, but also from a variety of authentic materials and get involved with Chinese communities.

When asked if she thought some students would shy away from her Chinese Language course because it looks difficult, she stated, Students need to recognize that everyones learning process is unique, so everyones learning outcome will be different. We all gain knowledge from each other and cooperation as well as collaboration is one of the best ways for learners to develop as speakers of a new language. I am there to help students reach their own potential, not measure them against each other.

Ai Lan will teach Chinese Language at all three junior high schools next year. Parents and students can receive more information on this course by calling our Director of Secondary Education Tracy Coleman at 974-5210.

Open Enrollment For The 2007-2008 School Year

[ 4/23/2007 ]

Applications for Open Enrollment may be picked up at any of our school offices or at the Mentor Board of Education and will be accepted from May 1 through May 18, 2007. Interested parents should complete one application for each student and return it to the Student Services Office at the Mentor Board of Education, 6451 Center Street, during the enrollment period. Parents should only submit applications where a grade level vacancy is indicated. It is important for parents to understand that making an application for Intra-District Open Enrollment does not guarantee placement. Transportation to and from the new school is the responsibility of the parent.

Vacancies by School

Bellflower: (2)First Grade, (1)Fourth Grade, (1)Sixth Grade Brentmoor: (3)Second Grade, (1)Fourth Grade, (1)Fifth Grade Fairfax: (1)Second Grade, (2)Sixth Grade Garfield: (3)First Grade, (1)Fifth Grade Headlands: (6)First Grade, (3)Second Grade, (2)Third Grade, (2)Fourth Grade, (1)Fifth Grade Hopkins: (2)Second Grade, (2)Fourth Grade, (2)Fifth Grade, (2)Sixth Grade Lake: (2)First Grade, (2)Second Grade, (2)Fifth Grade, (1)Sixth Grade Morton: (2)First Grade, (2)Third Grade, (1)Fifth Grade, (1)Sixth Grade O.Hollow: (2)First Grade, (3)Fifth Grade Rice: (1)Second Grade, (2)Fourth Grade Memorial: (1)Seventh Grade Ridge: (1)Seventh Grade, (1)Eight Grade, (1)Ninth Grade Shore: (1)Seventh Grade

Mentor Wrestling Team Honored at Board Meeting

[ 4/18/2007 ]

This years wrestling team achieved Sectional Championship standing and also qualified for the State Competition.

The board recognized its accomplishment at the April 17,2007, board meeting.

Coach: Ken Skilton

Sectional Champions: Jack Young, Mike Skilton, Dylan Zivcic, John Schreiner, Evan Schreiner, David Jindra, Josh Nemec, Nate Nemec, Shane Molder, Sterling Sharp & David Doty

Sectional Champions & State Qualifiers: Cody Schilling, Scott Lowe, Mike Harting, John Harasyn, & Fred Hale

Girls' Basketball Team Recognized For Season

[ 4/18/2007 ]

Girls Basketball Team Recognized at Board Meeting

This years girls basketball team was recognized at the April 17, 2007, board meeting held at the high school. The girls won the district championship this year for the fifth year in a row and wore t-shirts boasting their record. Of special note is Kellie Jokela who signed a letter of intent with Mount Vernon Nazarene University, a NAIA Division II program. Congratulations to the entire team!

Coach: Mark Chicone Team: Alexandra Ardo, Kelly Wallenfelsz, Britany Sparent, Kellie Jokela, Stephanie Rogers, Jennifer Deitrick, Pamela Quigney, Katelyn Brown, Alyssa Kelley, Kylee Kolesar, Marissa Macko, Margo Laseak, Kelsey Berger, Mackenzie Clark, Jennifer Buse, Kristine Clark & Maggie Alesci

Swimming and Gymnastics Recognized at Board Meeting

[ 4/18/2007 ]

The Mentor Swim Team qualified for the State Competition this year. Coach Victor Senn was recognized and helped hand out awards to his team members; Alicia Berman, Rachel Hunsinger, Katie Haller, Samantha Nameth, Melissa Marko & Rachael Nuzzo.

Gymnastics Also had a State Qualifier, Elizabeth Aiello, who was coached by Joe Corrigan.

Congratulations to all of our successful athletes!

Science Olympiad Team Qualifies for National Competition

[ 4/16/2007 ]

Congratulations to our Science Olympiad Team that made school history yesterday at the state competition at OSU.

Mentor will be going to Nationals in Wichita Kansas May 19. Mentor edged out Solon and will (along with Centerville) represent Ohio at the Nationals.

The team consisted of seniors: Captains Mary Mismas and Bill Janesh, Mike Butke, Rob Fraser, Brian Harding, Sarah Petite and Cory Kunkel. Juniors: Andrew Ring, Mark Noviski,Kristina Vaci and Allison Bennett. Sophomores: Cameron Tuckerman, Tiffany Terdan, Abby Erinc and Justin Ford. Supporting the team and doing trial events were Christina Zeilke, Mike Paige, Laura Gliebe, Prashant Rajan, Tony Vehovec and Alyssa Harker.

Position On Citizens Financial Advisory Committee Available

[ 4/16/2007 ]

The Board of Education is accepting applications for a vacancy on the Citizens Financial Advisory Committee. The committee was formed by the Board of Education to review forecasting assumptions, identify best practices, make periodic reports to the Board of Education, and serve as the audit committee. Any resident of the school district with a strong business background is eligible for consideration. The open position is for the term that runs through 2008.

Daniel L. Wilson, Chief Financial Officer can be contacted at 440-974-5230 for more information. Please submite a letter of interest and resume no later than May 1, 2007, to :

Mentor Exempted Village Board of Education, Helen H. "Sue" Osborn Administration Building, 6451 Center Street, Mentor, Ohio 44060, Attn: Daniel L. Wilson

Bellflower Elementary School Honors Volunteers

[ 4/16/2007 ]

On Tuesday, April 3, Bellflower Elementary School honored its volunteers at a breakfast provided by the staff. Principal Bobbi Ingraham and staff also handed out balloon bouquets and baskets to the volunteers. The baskets were made by each grade level and every department in the building. Some of the baskets had themes such as, All Things Chocolate, Pamper Yourself and Gardening.

The school has upwards of 100 volunteers who come into the school to enrich the student experience by working in the library, running book fairs, attending field trips and helping teachers in the publishing center (making copies for teachers).

The district appreciates all of its volunteers and the work they do to make our students' school experience as best as it can be.

Junior High Students Awarded at Power of the Pen Competition

[ 4/16/2007 ]

Junior high students from Memorial, Shore and Ridge competed in the Power of the Pen on January 13, 2007, at St. Ignatius High School.

Memorial's 7th and 8th grade writing teams competed against 17 other schools in the Power of the Pen writing competition. The 8th grade team came home with the District Third Place Team Trophy. Individual team member, Rachel Tan, took home a trophy for second place. Rachels scores were 97%, 96% and 92%. Other team members were: Emily Weaver, Rachael Bucey, Nick Edgington, Neha Sandeep and Dana Debelak.

The seventh grade team was not to be outdone. Kevin Nguyen won 1st place honors for grade seven. Kevin was the only student to place first in all three rounds in the entire competition winning a trophy for his efforts. Emily Penkowski also walked away with a third place trophy competing against 225 other students. Kevin and Emily were supported by team members: Emily Harker, Corey Debelak, and Kendra Helfrich.

Shores 7th and 8th grade teams did very well. Seventh grader Amy Evanko won a 15th place medal, while eighth graders Kira Haag and Sabrina Kanaga took home 10th and 8th place medals respectively. Taking home the 1st place trophy in the eighth grade individual writer competition was Shores own Adie Fraser, this helped Shores eighth grade team win the 2nd place overall trophy for the tournament day. The team was coached by Jim Trayter and Scott Raiff.

Ridges Power of the Pen team competed in 3 rounds of writing 40 minutes per round. The students were prompted to write on a topic creative in nature. Julia Lowe won the 2nd place trophy in the seventh grade division. Sarah Perry, a seventh grader, won 5th place and Lisa Stenger, an eighth grader, won a sixth place medal. Other seventh grade team members are: Julia Lowe, Kara Berger, Grace Davis, Natalie Monastra, and Rachael Boyd. Supporting members on the eighth grade team are: Allie Heinz, Tommy Vasko, Savanah Lisching, Chase Marchand, and Allison McKenrick.

District Upgrades For Faster Internet Service

[ 4/5/2007 ]

The district is working with AT&T to install a product called OptEMan into all of our school buildings. The school buildings currently have copper T1 lines that run at a speed of 1.5Mb/sec. OptEMan is a fiber product that will let us begin with 10Mb/sec and grow all the way to 1Gb/sec without new hardware or lines.

The project started in the fall and is scheduled to be completed by March 31st. The benefit is that it will increase the bandwidth available to our staff and students. In recent years, video and audio streaming were slow because of our limited bandwidth and using these application makes the internet lag for everyone. Fiber is also a more reliable service than copper. The district would typically experience problems with the T1 lines any time there was a lot of rain or freeze/thaw conditions. Fiber is not affected by weather or water.

Since the Mentor Public School District is looking towards the future and the increased use of technology in teaching and preparing students for academic excellence, installing this upgrade to the system made much sense.

The district is funding this project with a combination of E-Rate monies and general fund monies. E-Rate is a rebate on telecommunication expenses that school districts receive from the government. Currently, Mentor gets a 42% rebate on certain services (phone lines, T1 lines, cell services, etc.). This project is also eligible for E-Rate rebates.

Science Olympiad Teams Go To State Finals

[ 4/5/2007 ]

Science Olympiad Students have been in study groups since October preparing for competitions and their effort is paying off. At their first competition in Michigan, with 6 Ohio teams 29 Michigan teams squaring off, Mentor took first place. At the Solon event, Mentor also took first. Facilitator, Tom Ramsey, says, It wasn't even close, our team's score was about 70 points above the number two team.

However, at the Regional Qualifier at Case Western Reserve University, on March 24, Mentor became the #1 seed for states this year. Solon teams finished 2nd and 3rd. Mr. Ramsey commented that even his B team did very well. I was very pleased that our "B" team finished 4th right behind Solon.

Adding to the high schools victory, Craig Vaughn's Shore team qualified in the junior high division. This past weekend at the CWRU event, his team did well enough to qualify for the state meet in Columbus next month! Mr. Vaughn could barely restrain his reaction to the win, The kids were very excited, as was I, and have been working very hard over the last months. We beat out over twenty teams in our region to qualify. The districts two other junior high schools both qualified for Columbus after competing in Akron this past month. Memorial Junior Highs team is led by Michele Haag and the Ridge Junior High team is led by Bill Henrich.

The state competition is in Columbus on April 14, 2007. After that it's decided who goes to nationals. Congratulations and good luck to all of our Science Olympiad teams!

MHS Student Receives Eagle Scout Honor

[ 3/22/2007 ]

Boy Scout Troop 280 is proud to announce that Andy Lehoe, a Mentor High School student, has passed his Eagle Board of Review and has achieved the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest rank in Boy Scouts.

To reach this rank, Andy has proven to be an exemplary student. He is active in his church and community. He has earned 36 Merit Badges, camping for over 122 nights, hiking for over 142 miles and completing over 123 hours of community service.

Congratulations to Andy!

Mentor High Students Win Scholarships

[ 3/21/2007 ]

The Mentor Area Chamber of Commerce awarded the following Mentor High School Students with $1,000.00 scholarships:

Anthony Apicello

Adam Grincius

Cory Kunkel

Sarah Petite

Kristafer Champion

Congratulations to all of our scholarship winners!

2007 Hall of Fame Inductees

[ 3/20/2007 ]

The Mentor High School Alumni Association announces its 2007 Hall of Fame inductees.

Joseph E. Tracz

Judith E. Matsko

Dr. Larry G. Disbro

David Jayne, LTC, USA (Ret.)

Dr. Jeanna Galante McQuillen

Jeffery J. Fortunato

Mentor High Students Earn Awards at Science Fairs

[ 3/19/2007 ]

Mentor High School had 4 students compete at two science fairs this past week. They competed at the Northeast Ohio Science and Engineering Fair at Cleveland State last Tuesday. At the awards ceremony last Thursday they were awarded the following.

Rebekah Moore a senior took 1st place in the Earth Space category and earned $100.

Samantha O’Neill a senior took 3rd place in Biology and earned $75 from the American Statistical Association, $100 from the Cleveland Clinic department of cell biology, $50 from the Cleveland Clinic department of Immunology, and a $50 gift card from Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute.

Jennifer Buse a junior earned a 2nd place in Engineering and earned $100 from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, and was recognized with a certificate of achievement from both the International Society for Optical Engineering and Society of Applied Spectroscopy.

Matt Stroebel a junior earned an honorable mention in Mathematic and Computer Science. He also earned a $200 bond from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, $50 from the Society of Automotive Engineers, and was recognized with certificates of achievements from both the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Engineers and the Ohio department of Information Science and Technology Research

At the Akron fair this past Saturday Rebekah took a 3rd place in Earth Space and will be competing at the State Science Day in Columbus in May.

Mentor High School Figure Skating Team Takes Home Awards

[ 3/5/2007 ]

The Mentor High School Figure Skating Team won 2nd place overall in the 2007 Ohio High School Team Figure Skating Competition. In addition, they won first place in the Team Spirit event. The Mentor team tied with Lake Catholic for first place in the spins events and won first place in the showcase event.

2007 Mentor High School Figure Skating Team: Back row (left to right): Katy Goetz, Kelly Weber, Jessica Anderson, Sam Smith, Allie Gamber, Alex Stanley 2nd Row: Christy Petit, Heather Langguth, Lauren Detering, Kelsey Racutt, Colleen Higgins, Taylor Stanley Front Row: Danielle Wardeiner, Carrie Langguth, Elizabeth Brock, Hayley Major, Rachel Tagliamonte, Liana Friscic

Scholarship Available To Past Orchard Hollow Students

[ 2/28/2007 ]

Orchard Hollow Elementary School's PTA announces a scholarship opportunity for students who attended the elementary school and who are now graduating seniors. The scholarship is $1,000.00 and the deadline to apply is April 30, 2007.

Please print and fill out the form below to take advantage of the opportunity.

Mentor High School Gymnastics Season Update

[ 2/27/2007 ]

The Mentor High Gymnastics team finished 8th at Districts on Saturday February 24. It was a close meet. Mentor was just 3/10 from 5th place. Only five teams advance to States.

However, Lizzy Aiello, a freshman, qualified individually for the State Meet on Saturday March 3rd. She will compete in the all-around and vault. Congratulations to all of our girls!

Don't Miss This If Your Jr. High Student Starts High School This Fall

[ 2/20/2007 ]

If your student is starting high school this fall, tune into Mentor Schools TV for the latest information on scheduling, courses available and what the students can expect in their 10th grade year.

Mentor High School Principal Joe Spiccia prepared a special PowerPoint to share with students and their parents. He was set to present it at a 9th into 10th grade scheduling meeting. However, that meeting was cancelled due to extreme weather. Now, you can still get all of the information that Mr. Spiccia offers by going to Mentor Schools TV (Channel 96 in Mentor, Channel 22 in Mentor-on-the-Lake and Channel 21 in Concord) at the following times:

9:00 AM 1:00 PM 5:30 PM 6:30 PM 10:45 PM

Over the next few weeks, guidance counselors will be visiting 9th grade classrooms to help students with course selection for their 10th grade year.

For more information, contact the Director of Secondary Education Tracy Coleman at 974-5210.

Mentor Public Schools Congratulates the Spelling Bee Champs

[ 2/19/2007 ]

The winners of the Spelling Bee Competition are grouped by grade level below. They are:

Gr. 4--Ian Gray, Garfield (Ian also went on to win as district champion and will represent Mentor at Auburn Career Center on Feb. 22nd) The winning word he spelled correctly was "dolphin." First Runner up-Hannah Taub from Orchard Hollow, Second Runner Up-James King, Rice

Gr. 5--Paul O'Janpa, Hopkins The winning word he spelled was "pendulum." First Runner Up-Emily Michalski, Fairfax Second Runner Up-Conner Krizancic, Sterling Morton (he did not stay to pick up his trophy--we will send it to school next week)

Gr. 6--Leila Mansour, Garfield Leila won on the word "labyrinth." First Runner Up-Anna Casey, Bellflower, Second Runner-Up-Trenton Langer, Lake

We had students who placed from a variety of schools--Congratulations! Each student who placed in the competition will receive a certificate signed by Dr. Jacqueline Hoynes.

Lake County General Health District Warns of Meningitis Exposure

[ 2/16/2007 ]

Officials with the Lake County General Health District have confirmed a case of meningococcemia has been found in a student from another school district who attended a party in Willoughby this weekend. Meningococcemia is not spread by casual contact or through the air.

Officials are investigating the party in Willoughby that the infected student attended with 90 other students from several different high schools, including 8 students identified as Mentor High School students. All parents of these students have been contacted.

According to Lake County Health Commissioner Joel Lucia, many of the students were playing a game in which a boot was passed and numerous students drank from the same boot.

Officials are concerned because meningococcemia, an infection of the blood with bacteria that can cause bacterial meningitis, is a contagious disease that is spread by direct contact with fluids from the nose and throat of an infected person. Activities such as kissing, or using the cup or eating utensils of an infected person can spread the infection.

According to Lucia five teams of workers at the Lake County Health Department have contacted the parents of the Mentor High School students who attended the party and have alerted them of the potential risks. At this time, it has been determined that none of the Mentor High School students is in danger of contracting the disease.

Parents are urged to contact the Lake County Health Department if they feel their child may be at risk. The number for the Lake County General Health District is (440) 350-2554.

The district is cooperating with the Ohio Department of Health on its investigation and follow-up of the meningococcemia case.

Calamity Days/Make Up Days Explained

[ 2/16/2007 ]

Dear Parent/Guardian

The state of Ohio allows our school district 5 separate calamity days a year without making them up. After the fifth day, the school or schools have to make the day up on another day. It was decided in the beginning of the school year, that if needed, the first make up day would occur on President’s Day. Yesterday, February 14, was our sixth calamity day. This day will be made up on Monday, February 19. As the day being made up was a Wednesday, Tuesday/Thursday kindergarten students will not have school this Monday.

The district will provide students with transportation and school lunches on this day.

Should the district have to call another calamity day this year, day(s) will be added to the end of the school calendar beginning on June 8.

If you have any questions, please call the principal of your school or Robert Haag, Director of Elementary Education, at 974-5210. You can also reach the Director of Secondary Education, Tracy Coleman, at the same number.

Thank you.

Lake Geauga Art Show at Lakeland Awards Mentor Students

[ 2/13/2007 ]

At the recent judging of the Lake Geauga Art Show at Lakeland Community College, Mentor Public Schools claimed 245 awards. Of these awards, 172 were given to our secondary school students with the remaining 73 going to high school artist students. Congratulations to all of our talented students!

Mentor High School Announces Benny Awards Winners

[ 2/13/2007 ]

Mentor High School art students claimed top prizes in the The Graphic Arts Council of Cleveland Competition this past month. The GAC established the Benny Awards to recognize the efforts of selected students and to encourage their interest in further education and future career opportunities available in the Graphic Communications industry.

Mentor High School received many awards in the Printing Competition portion of the event.

Kalie Parrish First Place

Kaitlan Hyland Second Place

Kailie Parrish Third Place

Honorable Mentions were given to students; Kalie Parrish (2), Kaitlyn King, Alex Santurri, Jessica Braunschweiger, Fred Hale, Samantha Nummi, Erica Trennel and Megan Stropki.

Congratulations to all of our students!

MHS Announces National Merit Finalists

[ 2/9/2007 ]

The following Mentor High School seniors have been chosen as National Merit Finalists for 2006-2007:

Brett E. Ayers

Robert G. Fraser

Brian J. Harding

Richard W. Huggett

Congratulations to these outstanding students!

How Does District Determine When To Close Schools?

[ 2/5/2007 ]

The district uses many factors to determine whether or not to close schools due to weather conditions. First, it travels roads throughout the city to look at the condition of the roadways. The main roads may be safe, but if too many side streets are icy or unplowed, it will close schools. The district does not want to put school buses out on the roads when they could slide on ice or get stuck in snow, putting children in unsafe conditions.

The district also considers the temperature. Our district uses guidelines set by the National Weather Service. According to the NWS Windchill Chart, if the temperature is -19 degrees windchill, it would take a child only 30 minutes to develop frostbite. The district will close schools in these harsh weather conditions.

For more information and to view the NWS Windchill Chart, click on the link below.

In Memory of Jan J. Kallay, Mentor School Teacher

[ 2/2/2007 ]

Jan J. Kallay, 58, a teacher at Dale R. Rice Elementary School, passed away on January 26, 2007. He was a teacher in the Mentor Public Schools for 28 and a half years. He started his teaching career at Rice and then transferred to Hopkins Elementary School and came back to Rice this past August. Mr. Kallay was a 6th grade teacher who specialized in teaching Science, Social Studies and the Language Arts. But most who knew Mr. Kallay would say he specialized in relating to kids. The Principal of Rice Elementary said of Mr. Kallay, “The students knew that he cared about them and that he would do anything to help them succeed. He also had a terrific sense of humor and brought a lot to all of us at Rice.”

Superintendent Dr. Jacqueline Hoynes agreed that Mr. Kallay was a great part of the team. “As a district, we were very fortunate to have him here. He enriched our staff and our students during his time here. He will be missed.”

Rice staff and students had a balloon launch yesterday in memory of Mr. Kallay. The staff and students tied their written memories and wishes for him onto the balloons and sent them off into the sky.

Mr. Kallay was also a member of the United Methodist Church of Painesville where he had served on several committees, Mentor Teachers Association, Painesville Elks 549 BPOE, Ohio Education Association, Alumni Association of Grand River Academy, and Painesville Little League. He was founder of the Mentor High School Hockey Blue Line Club.

Services for Mr. Kallay will be held at the United Methodist Church of Painesville at 6:30 p.m. Friday, February 02, 2007.

A Technology Class for Senior Citizens!

[ 2/2/2007 ]

If you are a senior citizen and you are looking for some help learning how to use your computer, the Mentor Public School District is looking to help you.

The district will open up the new technology lab at Sterling Morton Elementary School so that senior citizens can use the latest in technology to learn basic computer skills. The class is FREE and will only be offered on Friday, February 23, from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

This is a pilot program and space is limited. If there is an overwhelming response, the district will make more classes available. Register today by calling 974-5210 or by e-mail to [email protected]

To Air on Mentor TV: Parent Seminar on “The Successful AD/HD Student”

[ 1/29/2007 ]

The speaking engagement will air on Mentor Schools TV on Thursday, February 1 at 9:30 p.m. and Tuesday, February 6 at 9:30 p.m.

The original program took place on Wednesday, January 24, 2007, Joyce Kubick, an AD/HD Coach, Skills Trainer and Presenter will talk to parents about optimizing the skills of the AD/HD student.

MENTOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION

[ 1/16/2007 ]

MENTOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION

The Mentor Public School District will hold kindergarten registrations February 1, 2007, through February 27, 2007, for children eligible to attend Kindergarten this fall. Children who will be five years old on or before September 30, 2006, may be registered. Registration forms are available at all Mentor elementary schools. PLEASE NOTE: Effective July 1, 1990, all students must successfully complete a formal kindergarten program to be admitted to first grade.

A birth certificate, proof of residence, record of immunizations, and custody/guardianship documents will be required before the child is eligible to attend school in the fall. Each child entering school must satisfy requirements including immunization against poliomyelitis (4 required), diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus (DPT, 5 required), regular measles (or have had disease), 3-day German measles and mumps (or have had disease) (MMR – 2 required) Hepatitis B (3 required) and Varicella (Chicken Pox) required. Also, a physical examination is required. A dental checkup may be completed during the summer before school begins; the dental checkup is optional.

The Mentor Public School District will again offer two (2) tuition-based kindergarten classes that will be scheduled as an all-day, everyday program. Each class is limited to 23 students and these students will attend five full days each week at Garfield Elementary School or Bellflower Elementary School. Enrollment for this program will be determined based on the results of a lottery. Applications for the all-day, everyday kindergarten program will be available at each elementary school during kindergarten registration.

*Please note: Parents may come in to register alphabetically, where indicated, between the hours listed below. It is not necessary to bring your child to kindergarten registration. Orientation for kindergarten students will be scheduled at a later date at each building. If you wish to visit and tour the building with your child, please contact the school principal.

The following is a list of kindergarten registrations approved by the Superintendent:

Bellflower Feb. 21, 2007 in the Art Room A – L 8:00 – 10:30 M – Z 12:00 – 2:30

Brentmoor Feb. 27, 2007 in the Gym 9:00 – 11:00 1:00 – 3:00

Fairfax Feb. 26, 2007 in the Media Center 9:00 – 11:00 1:00 – 3:00

Garfield Feb. 12, 2007 in the Main Ctr. Hallway 9:00 – 11:30 12:30 – 1:30

Headlands Feb. 21, 2007 in the Media Center 9:00 – 11:00 1:00 – 3:00 Hopkins Feb. 12, 2007 in the Library 9:30 – 11:30 1:30 – 3:00

Lake Feb. 20, 2007 in the Art Room A – L 9:00 – 11:00 M – Z 1:00 – 3:00

Orchard Hollow Feb. 1, 2007 in the Media Center A – F 9:30 – 10:15 G – L 10:15 – 11:00 M – R 12:30 – 1:30 S – Z 1:30 – 2:30

Rice Feb. 20, 2007 in the Library A – M 9:15 – 11:15 N – Z 1:00 – 2:45

Sterling Morton Feb. 5, 2007 in the Media Center 9:00 – 11:00 1:00 – 2:30

If you cannot attend kindergarten registration, please contact the elementary school serving your area of residence to schedule an appointment for a later date.

Camp Sue Osborn Holds Its Annual Reverse Raffle

[ 1/11/2007 ]

Camp Sue Osborn is a summer camp for kids with disabilities in Lake and Geauga Counties. As Mentor is the largest district in both counties, many of our district’s students attend camp so if you’d like to support the camp, you are invited to attend Camp Sue Osborn’s Annual Reverse Raffle and Chinese Auction. The event takes place on Saturday, February 17 at LaMalfa Party Center. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. and tickets are $130 per couple and include dinner, open bar, dancing, live band, and a chance to win the $3000 main board prize. There are also opportunities for side boards and Chinese Auction items – and you get all this, while helping out a really great cause! Please contact Hillary Resnik at 440-413-1708 or [email protected] if you wish to attend.

If you would like to help out, but can't attend the event, the group is accepting donations for its Chinese Auction baskets. New and unused items for the baskets would be greatly appreciated, as would cash donations toward the purchase of these items. This year, there are three theme baskets:

a. Coffee Lovers Basket: Starbucks gift cards, coffee grinder, French press, coffee mugs, chocolate covered coffee beans, coffee beans, coffee liqueur, biscotti, etc. b. Chocolate Lovers basket: Gourmet chocolates (Godiva, etc.), hot cocoa mixes, chocolate liqueur, fondue pot & skewers, melting chocolate, gift certificates (Malley's, Godiva, etc.). c. DIY Basket: Tools (hammer, screwdriver, wrench, etc.), tool box, tape measure, level, work gloves, DIY books and magazines, tool belt, flashlight, apron, extension cords, gift certificates (Sears, Home Depot, Lowe's, Bed Bath and Beyond, SherwinWilliams, etc.).

If you are able to contribute any other items that you think might be suitable for a Chinese Auction (or you know anyone else who could), the group would love to have them!

Finally, the camp is always looking for great people to work at our summer camps. The Day Camp is held the first two weeks of July in Perry, OH, and the Residence Camp is the last week of July in Burton, OH. The group needs counselors, aides, instructors, and volunteers, and this year it will be searching for both a new Director and Program Coordinator for its Residence Camp. If you are interested (or know someone who might be), please visit the group’s web site at www.campsueosborn.org. For inquiries about the Director and Coordinator positions, please contact Mrs. Resnik directly.

ANY help you can offer would be SO appreciated!

Mentor Third Graders Achieve in Reading

[ 1/9/2007 ]

On October 3rd the five-hundred and fifty-four 3rd grade students in Mentor took the Ohio Reading Achievement Test. The test covers the Ohio Academic Content Standards for all of grade 3; meaning students are taking a test on material that is not expected to be mastered until the end of grade three. Seventy-seven percent of this year’s students passed the test this fall as compared to 70.7% last year, for an improvement of about six percent. The test scores are further broken down by levels: advanced, accelerated, proficient, basic and limited. This year our third grade students district-wide scored 22% advanced, and 33% accelerated, with 22% proficient, making up the 77% pass rate. According to the Ohio Department of Education, “Compared with students across the state, more Grade 3 Reading students in your district are performing at the advanced and accelerated levels.” Further according to ODE, “Compared with students in districts that are like yours, more Grade 3 Reading students in your district are performing at the advanced and accelerated levels.”

The improvement in Reading success can be attributed to several factors including improved understanding by teachers, administrators and students of the Content Standards. Also, the Open Court Reading Series used in grades K through 6 and other curriculum materials in reading are well aligned to these standards. Last year Mentor began using PRO-Ohio, a web-based program, that allows students and teachers to chart progress on the state indicators using short “web tests” both at home and at school. Probably the largest factor is the sense of urgency regarding getting students started in reading as soon as possible; diagnostic testing and early intervention is occurring immediately beginning in kindergarten and continuing through the early grades. The teachers and parents are proud of the work of all of our students.

Third graders across the state will take the Reading Achievement Test again during the first week in May along with the other Achievement Tests in all subject areas in grades 3 through 8. Information and practice tests can be found at: http://portal.success-ode-state-oh-us.info/.

Former Mentor Student Honored For Service

[ 1/9/2007 ]

You are cordially invited to Honor a Hero. Sergeant Mark Smykowski, U.S. Marine, Saturday, December 23, 2006 at the West Rink of the Mentor Civic Arena. Mentor High vs. Amherst Steele, game time is 6:00 p.m.

Sgt. Mark Smykowski was a 2000 graduate of Mentor High School. He was one of the “Mentor Seven” who joined the Marines to serve our country in Iraq. Six of the “Mentor Seven” played on the Mentor High School hockey team together. The players were: Mark Smykowski, Darren Smykowski, Brian Halan, Matt Neath, Nate Neath, and Nick Psenicnik. A roadside bomb killed Mark in Iraq on June 6, 2006. Mark’s teammates had requested that the Mentor High Blueline Booster Club retire Mark’s #19 jersey in his honor. The ceremony will take place between the first and second periods of the hockey game.

Scholarship Application Available for Graduates of MHS

[ 1/8/2007 ]

The Alumni and Friends of Mentor High School will award five college and/or vocational training scholarships in the amount of $500.00, $400.00, $300.00, $200.00, and $100.00 to members of the MHS graduating class of 2006. The association is looking for outstanding students who are incorporating the knowledge they received from Mentor High School into their college life and/or career goals.

The specific criteria for the award is attached to this article. Please open the attachment for more information.