Page 1 The Standard Is Excellence

Home he inter of t The W s Rover Rootstown 2019 Communicator Rootstown Local Schools • 4140 State Route 44 • Rootstown, Ohio 44272 • (330) 325-9911 News From Around the District The Season of Giving, Part 1 By Alexis Gearhart Rootstown Elementary Students decided to spread some holiday cheer this year by organizing a collection drive for local animal shelters and rescues. This started as a small project involving one 4th grade class, and then grew to the entire grade level, district, and community members! Students, staff, and parents worked hard to collect shelter supplies, fabric to make tie blankets, and ingredients to make homemade dog treats. On December 20th, all four classrooms turned into blanket and treat making factories! At the end of the day, 120 tie blankets were made and over 500 treats were hand-rolled. Along with the blankets and treats, we collected 151 cans of cat food, 57 bags of dog treats, 24 bags of dog food, 31 paper towel rolls, 16 toilet paper rolls, 11 large bottles of bleach, 11 large bottles of laundry detergent, 6 boxes of latex gloves, 22 containers of disinfectant wipes, 5 boxes of trash bags, various chew toys, and a $250 donation from Thrivent Financial! Teachers, Alexis Gearhart, Cody Apthorpe, Christy Duvall, and Nicole Strope along with sever- al parent volunteers, worked extremely hard to make this project a success for the animals at Rose’s Rescue, Portage County Humane Society, Paws & Prayers, and One of a Kind Pets! We hope to see this project continue to grow each year, teaching kids the importance of kindness and empathy. Thank you for all of your support through donations, time, and talents making this event so successful, and improving the lives of our local fur babies! Consider providing a forever home by adopting a dog or cat. Thank you for truly making a meaningful difference within our community! The Season of Giving, Part 2 By Aubrey Burrell During the holidays, a group of Student Council members created a committee to collect donations for the Haven of Rest. The Haven of Rest is a homeless shelter in Akron. They began by determining the Haven of Rest’s biggest needs based off of their website, then made a flyer to distribute to the entire school. They collected donations for two weeks, and sorted all of the donations. Before putting them into bags, the donations filled up the entire classroom. They collected bath supplies, diapers, teething rings, clothes, food, coats, hats, gloves, and lots more. These were then delivered to the Haven of Rest. It was a huge success, and completely led by the committee! Superintendent’s Message It is hard to believe we are already in the second half of the school year! The first half of the 2018-19 school year was filled with numerous student achievements and growth both in the classroom and in extracurricular activities. The second half of the school year, I’m sure, will be filled with even more student achievements as well as students partaking in Ohio’s State Tests this spring. The Rootstown Local School District’s Board of Education will be asking the Rootstown community to renew a 2.5 Mill Permanent Improvement Levy on May 7th of this year. This is NOT a new tax and the monies that this levy generates will Andrew Hawkins be used to address our current curriculum, technology, transportation, and facility upkeep needs. Superintendent Finally, I would like to invite you to the March 18th Board of Education meeting where I will be presenting the annual State of the Schools address in which I will share information about what is going on in our schools and what lies ahead for the Rootstown Local School District. Thank you for your continued support of Rootstown Local Schools. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions regarding our school district. Go Rovers! Andrew Hawkins Superintendent Page 2 News From the Treasurer’s Office This spring, Ohio’s new governor will present his budget, which could include a new formula for funding education. It is no secret the current funding formula needs revision. Over the last year, State Rep. Bob Cupp (R-4th Dist.) of Lima and State Rep. John Patterson (D-99th Dist.) of Jefferson formed a bipartisan committee to address the issue. They have traveled across the state presenting their research and gathering feedback from local Superintendents and Treasurers. They will release recommendations in February, about a month before Gov. DeWine releases the new budget. Rep. Cupp has been involved in education for many years. Every Connie Baldwin December, the Ohio Dept. of Education compiles financial informa- Treasurer tion for all the school districts across the state of Ohio. Known as the Cupp Report, this profile data reveals state averages as well as data for comparisons with other districts. In 2018, the average spending per equivalent pupil in Rootstown was $10,496.93, while the statewide average was $11,953.14. The majority of the general fund goes directly into the classrooms totaling $6,351.25 per pupil with an additional amount of $513.21 for pupil support. The remainder provides non-classroom expenses such as administration, transportation and building operations for a total of $3,632.47 per pupil. The majority of the general fund (60%) was spent directly in the classroom on instructional salaries and supplies. Pupil support includes such items as student counseling, psychological services, health services, library services, and some extracurricular activities. Building operations totaled 19% and includes transportation, utilities, and improvements and repairs not covered by the Permanent Improvement levy. Another 13% was spent on administrative and secretarial salaries as well as the cost of the day-to-day operations of the school building offices—15% below state average. Lastly, 3% was spent on staff support for classroom aides, curriculum services, and continuing education to improve staff effec- tiveness and productivity. The average expenditure per pupil in Rootstown is only 87% of the state average, which is a good value for our taxpayers and provides a high quality education for our students. (Source: http://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Finance-and-Funding/School-Payment-Reports/District-Profile-Reports) Connie Baldwin Treasurer

Assistant Superintendent’s Message Terri Hrina-Treharn - Assistant Superintendent, (330)325-2014 Spring Testing The state tests this spring, including retakes for high school students, will be administered during two test windows. The first test window will be for English Language Arts and will occur from April 8th to April 29th. The second window for all mathematics, science, and social studies tests will take place for our district from April 17th to May 8th which includes make-up days. More specific information about when your child’s Terri Hrina-Treharn grade level will test can be found to the left, and Assistant will be posted weekly on the district website again Superintendent as it has been in the past.

R-Stars!!! Hopefully you have seen our postings on social media or have been a parent lucky enough to get a phone call to hear your child has been chosen! This is an incentive we are doing again this school year. Once a month I “pop” into a classroom in each building and ask the teacher if they have any “R-Stars.” The teacher lets me know which student has been chosen as the R-Star as well as why that student was chosen. Students then get their picture taken with the R-Star, receive an R-Star t-shirt, choose a prize, and I call their parent/guardian right then and there to share the good news. Please check out our R-Stars for this year so far! Page 3 From the Office of Special Education Marcy Spence - Director of Special Education, (330)325-4144 Reflection and Reading Comprehension Happy New Year! At the beginning of each New Year, it is common for all of us to reflect on the rapid passage of time. As the familiar expression goes, “Time flies when you’re having fun!” In the special services department, the first semester has certainly flown by fueled by student learning that has been exciting, targeted, rigorous and individualized – in other words, fun! To recap, during the first semester of the 2018-2019 school year, much has been accomplished and from the perspective of all involved, it has been a fulfilling process. As detailed in the last publication, the special services department continues its commitment to implementing the process of educating our students with disabilities in the least restrictive environment. While this process is evolving, preliminary input from staff reveals increased opportunities for our intervention specialists to collaborate and co-plan with grade level teams and, where appropriate, deliver their specialized instruction in the general education setting. Marcy Spence Another area of focus this school year, transition planning for our identified students, age 14 +, is off to an excellent start! Director of Special With the assistance of the district’s new transition specialist, our school guidance department, input from the Mahoning Education County Educational Service Center and specialized, grant-funded online programming, our students are receiving systematic instruction in exploring/planning college and/or career opportunities. Targeted areas include post-secondary education and training, competitive and integrated employment and independent living. Looking forward to the new, exciting educational initiatives that are sure to come our way this year, it seems advisable to pause and take stock of one of the fundamental foundation issues that impact our disabled students, understanding what they read. Inherent in successful read- ing comprehension skills is the critically important role vocabulary, or simply put, words, play in cultivating successful and engaged readers that comprehend, learn from and enjoy what they read. There is no doubt that learning to read is a complicated process. Children need to learn both the technical skills of reading, which include letter knowledge, phonological awareness and an understanding of speech/sound correspondence as well as accumulate a rich and varied vocab- ulary, knowledge about how books/texts are constructed/used and strategies to employ when reading becomes challenging (Wright, T. American Educator, Winter 2018-19). While parents and educators are encouraged to work together to enhance both areas of reading skills, family mem- bers have a unique ability to facilitate their child’s vocabulary development at a very young age, the results of which have been shown to predict reading success as children advance through the grades. Numerous studies have documented that the size of a child’s vocabulary is strongly related to how well that student understands what he or she reads, not only in the primary grades, but in high school as well (Neuman, S. and Wright, T. Summer 2014). Here are some facts that research in the area of reading has shown: • The highest rate of vocabulary development occurs during the preschool years. • The quantity, quality, and responsiveness of teacher and parent talk (conversation) can effectively mediate socioeconomic status, thereby ensuring children’s growth in receptive (understanding) and expressive (use) vocabulary. • Gains in oral vocabulary development can predict growth in comprehension and later reading performance. Below are some suggestions for encouraging vocabulary growth in your child’s early years while at the same time having fun! • Read aloud to your child as much as possible and follow up your story telling times with relaxed discussions about new words you come across in your books. In other words, revisit stories and help you child process word meaning at a deeper level of understanding. Explain their meaning in child-friendly language and talk about the words’ attributes – their category, function and features (i.e. size, shape). • Remember to use/repeat these new words that you and your child have discovered during your read-alouds in your daily conversations throughout the day. Use the vocabulary in different contexts to expand understanding of word connotations. • Build your child’s word meaning through knowledge networks. Help them learn words in category clusters by playing word games such as naming every healthy food he/she can think of or every sport they enjoy. If your child gets stuck, encourage them to close their eyes and “see” the grocery store in their minds. This exercise will encourage easier recall, improve comprehension and accelerate word learn- ing. • Don’t be hesitant to try new word games or adapt old familiar ones. For example, try playing “The Question Game,” a relaxed version of “Twenty Questions.” One person picks something in a designated category, like a sport, superhero, or animal, and the others take turns asking questions to deduce it. Parents can work in previously learned or new vocabulary words. The special education department hopes these suggestions are helpful to you. Thank you for supporting your child’s vocabulary development, his/her reading comprehension and, most importantly, their zest for reading and learning everyday! The staff at Rootstown Schools appreciates your efforts. If you have questions about any special education topic, please give our department a call at the above number. As always, we welcome input, ideas and suggestions from everyone in our community. Have a wonderful new year! Thank you for your continued support! Rootstown District News Book Bikes and eReading in the Elementary Library By Cindy Polack Thank you to PTA for the opportunity of purchasing 4 floor bicycles for students to use while they are read- ing. Currently, students earn the book bikes for good behavior. Thank you to Madix Sporck from Miss West’s class for coming up with the name for the floor bikes, “Book Bikes.” All students in the elementary now have access to eBooks in which many of the titles are Accelerated Reader testable. Through INFOhio, K-3 students have access to eBooks through BookFlix. Fourth and fifth graders this year have access to Storia. Storia does need a student designated login and password to be accessed. If your student does not remember their username/password, their teacher or Mrs. Polack has that information. The website for these eBooks is in the K-5 location on the INFOhio web page, http:www.infohio.org. Both BookFlix and Storia are compatible with cell phones, tablets, and computers. Page 4 High School A3: Academics... Arts... Athletics Ward Davis Building (330) 325-7911 • James Conley - Principal Safety A Roadmap to Your Future In this day and age, safety is at the forefront of It has been a great privilege to serve your stu- our everyday practice, procedures and protocols. dents throughout the first semester. I have enjoyed Each year we practice Fire, Tornado, and Intruder getting to know them and working with them on drills. Each time that we practice these drills we their academic, social/emotional, and career goals. are sure to reflect and examine our practices to see We were very excited about our Career Fair which if there is something that we could do differently. was held on February 1. All students, grades 9 -12, Through this examination, one of the weaknesses participated this year. Our theme was “Roadmap that we found is how to make sure that we know to Your Future.” We had over 25 presenters at the where all students are at the time of an incident. James Conley high school who shared with our students about Kathy Sandberg professions such as law, medicine, business, the Through discussions and brainstorming sessions, H.S. Principal H.S. Counselor our group came up with a system for all teachers, arts, and many of the trades. Students selected secretaries, and administrators to be able to access three presentations to attend to learn more about where students are at anytime via a computer or their phone if needed. specific careers. We were also very excited that Secretary of State, Frank LaRose, started the day off for us with an assembly about The system works as every student has a student ID badge with a community service and getting involved in your community. The day unique barcode and each classroom having a dedicated computer with ended with students having the opportunity to go through a Career Fair barcode scanner. When a student asks a teacher to leave the class- with many of the presenters setting up informational tables. room, they are asked to scan their ID and select the destination. When the student returns, they sign back into the classroom. However, if a student needs to go from one classroom to another they simply sign out from the one and sign in to the other classroom. The system is shared via a web page that updates every 15 seconds that all adults have the ability to access in the school. Since it is web based, it can also be accessed via our phones in the case of an evacuation. Again, the goal of this system is for The Career Day was an extension to the career exploration we have all students to be accounted for in done this year with your son or daughter. Students were all exposed case of an emergency. to our new career and college development tool called NAVIANCE. As always, if you have questions Each student has their own account and can access this program to take or concerns, please contact me via self-assessments, review career matches, understand typical tasks and email [email protected] or activities of specific careers, research colleges with criteria to match the phone 330-325-7911 ext 1002. Safety is a team effort and we would student’s interests, and even watch videos of “Roadtrip Nation” which love to discuss any and all ideas that you may have. shows many informational interviews. It is my hope that NAVIANCE can provide assistance to your student in their career and college explo- ration. It is a very easy program to use and students will have access to Portage County Teen of the Month it even after graduation. Congratulations to Hoghan Jones for being named Portage County Teen of the Month. Hoghan is the son of Jack and Renee Jones of Rootstown. He is a senior who attends Maplewood and is enrolled in The Power Equipment Mechanics program. Hoghan is a member of National Honor Society and has earned Honor Students who take advantage of these types of opportunities to Roll status every grading research careers and participate in self-assessments as well as trying period of his high school to gain as much information as possible through the Career Day will career. Hoghan was certainly set themselves up for a smooth transition after graduation nominated for his high whether they choose to go into the workforce or college. I am excited moral character, strong for your son or daughter to take advantage of these opportunities to work ethic, positive atti- help them develop a “roadmap to their future.” tude and being a genuine and caring friend. Page 5 Middle School Learners Today - Leaders Tomorrow

Mabel Schnee Building (330) 325-9956 • Robert Campbell - Principal Math Night Testing and Stress in Middle School This year the middle school was very excited Testing is a part of school. Tests are not only to host a Math Night for students who participate given in specific subjects (Math and Science), in the Title 1 Math program and their families. but also annually in the form of state tests. These The evening of January 17th Mrs. Gates, our Title tests become a big part of the school experience 1 Math teacher, welcomed nearly 70 people to the for middle school students, along with the stress middle school. Students and their families had and anxiety that accompany those tests. There are the opportunity to interact with each other and four important parts to the testing formula that help staff through mathematics in a variety of ways. students take charge at test time. There were a number of different mathematics Robert Campbell 1. Fuel the body. Eating healthy foods gives games and challenges that allowed students and Amelia Mohan M.S. Principal the body and brain the energy they need. M.S. Counselor parents to showcase their strengths in math. Make sure to eat a healthy breakfast/lunch Games included a life size Chutes and Ladders on a day that there is a test. based on mathematics problem solving, the game 24 which focuses on math calculation, and a game called spoons which is based on per- 2. Sleep on it. Being rested is important on test day and every day. cents, decimals and fractions. Along with several other games, there Make sure your child(ren) get the sleep they need which is about was also an estimation challenge that drew in a number of students to 8 hours a night. estimate the number of pieces of candy in a jar. 3. Get up and get moving. Try to get some physical activity every All of the Title 1 students left the evening with a bin of Math games day. It can help with concentration and help your child sleep and books to help extend their knowledge of mathematics and promote better. learning at home. One parent’s comment about the event was that it 4. Have fun! Whatever that means to your child (watching a mov- was a “Nice evening. Games are great for reinforcing those skills.” ie, listening to music, getting a little video game time), having The response from parents and students alike was very positive and fun is a great reward for meeting study goals and to reduce the evening seemed to be enjoyed by all. The staff was very excited to anxiety over a test. have such great attendance and positive response to the event! The stress that can go along with testing for some children is another factor that affects the child’s test results and behavior. Some stress issues to watch for around testing are: • Your child becomes overwhelmed and may become super quiet or try to avoid school all together. • Stress at times can look much like fidgeting behavior at both school and at home. Your child may have problems relaxing, reading a book or sleeping when stressed. Industrial Technology • Your child may become angry or emotional for what seems like By Jess Hluch no reason at all. What a great start to the year. First semester students exhibited If you notice these behaviors in your child, you should discuss what great initiative in picking up new skill sets in woodworking, leather you are seeing and let your child know that we’re here to support them crafting, and a new addition to our arsenal of tech offerings, 3D print- as well as to provide some ways to help you destress. This will help ing. your child understand that they are supported and that they are not The semester’s teaming project was to construct wooden stools to alone with dealing with stress. take the place of well worn metal stools in the Industrial Technology As long as a child is prepared physically and emotionally, tests in classroom. Students worked in teams of 4 to 5 fellow classmates to middle school are helpful to students. Tests will help prepare for the craft seating for class usage. Teaming on projects teaches students tests that they will face throughout the other aspects of life. If your how to utilize each other and work collaboratively with the same goals child is not sleeping, has a change in appetite, or seems to be more in mind. This increases their “soft skills” as is so often a part of life stressed than usual around test time or other times, it is a good idea skills. to talk to a counselor to develop strategies to reduce test stress and A brief interlude into the world of electricity led to students testing anxiety. in the area of practical wiring. This included wiring a switch, an outlet and a circuit breaker as well as using the correct wire for proper am- pacities to prevent overheating. A plethora of individual projects were also completed by students. Some students were involved with challenging projects such as musi- cal instruments to wood turnings, carving, and utilitarian articles like cutting boards to name a few wrapped up the semester. Tech club students have also decided to take on the refurbishment of a canoe. This will give them experience with a variety of materials and processes including work with paint, fiberglass and aluminum. Page 6 Elementary School R o ve r P.R . I . D. E

Bertha Bradshaw Building (330) 325-7971 • Jeffrey Turner - Principal Kindergarten 2019-2020 Fifth Grade Club Inventor - Wheel of Invention If you have a child that will be 5 on or before August 1, By Sarah West, 2nd grade 2019, the teachers will be hosting a Kindergarten Parent Orientation on February 7, 2019, from 4:00-4:30 p.m. This year’s fifth graders will be in the cafeteria. Registration packets will be available given an exciting opportunity in the office beginning February 8, 2019. At the time to participate in a new club, parents pick up the registration packets, a time/day (April Club Inventor. This program is 4th or 5th) will be provided to return with the completed a parent paid after school STEM club. Through a partnership with the National paperwork. Lastly, please mark your calendar with the Inventors Hall of Fame, students will participate in five 90 minute after school following dates: sessions following the “Wheel of Invention” curriculum created by the Inven- tors Hall of Fame. Sessions will take place beginning February 20 and continue • Kindergarten Baseline Screening will take place on until spring break. In Wheel of Invention, students will use creative thinking August 20- 21, 2019 between 8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Jeffrey Turner and design engineering to solve challenges around personal gear, gadgets and A time and day will be given during registration in living spaces. They will also gather useful information about how nature helps April. E.S. Principal animals and insects survive and apply their inspiration to their own inventions. • Kindergarten rosters will be developed after screen- The program is designed to support students in creative problem-solving and ing in August. Kindergarten class lists will be posted after 12:30 p.m. on exploration. This is the first year for the program at Rootstown, but the hope is August 22, 2019, on the west doors of the building. for it to be continued in years to come, possibly in other grade levels. • Kindergarten Open House will be August 22, 2019 from 5:00-6:00 p.m. in Lowe’s Toolbox for Education Grant your child’s classroom. By Sarah West, 2nd grade • Half of the kindergarten students will attend school on August 29th and the other half August 30th. All kindergarten students will be in attendance on This semester I received a $4,600 grant through Lowe’s Toolbox for Educa- September 3, 2019. tion. My classroom will be receiving Chromebooks, a cart to hold and charge the Chromebooks, and 12 Makey Makey devices. Throughout the year my Please contact Mr. Turner at 330-325-7971 or [email protected] if students have been working on coding and the design process. Research shows you have any questions. that students who have a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education are more likely to develop a lifelong love of learning and be more creative thinkers, even when working in non-STEM focused jobs. These are AT&T Classroom important traits for children to develop at a young age and continue to use as they get older. Second grade is the perfect age to begin STEM learning because By Alexis Gearhart, 4th grade students at this age are naturally curious and love hands-on learning. They are During the month of January, I was fortunate enough to take two of my excited about using technology to develop new ideas and further their thinking. classes to the AT&T classroom located on Kent State’s Campus. The AT&T After being taught how to use basic coding through sites such as Code Monkey classroom is filled with new technology, which allows the students to each and Code.org throughout the first half of the year, my students are now going have their own device to work with for the duration we are there. This allows to be introduced to how to program using tools such as Scratch Jr. and Blockly. me to integrate more digital learning into their daily lessons. This has been an These basic programming sites will be used in conjunction with the Makey ongoing partnership that Rootstown has had with Kent State, and it is some- Makeys so students can see what commands the codes they write are able to thing very beneficial and exciting for both the students and myself to experi- produce. Programming is an important ence. During the three weeks, the kids got hands-on experience with many skill for students to know because it tools, websites, apps, and gadgets that they do not normally get to work with at develops problem-solving skills and school. My classes used 3D printing to create Native American artifacts, cre- many 21st century jobs require some ated a Google Maps Tour of Ohio’s Native American tribes, used computer cod- knowledge of different programming ing to make digital math games and programmed robots, along with countless languages. We are excited for our new other innovative activities. The students really benefit from getting practice technology and are very appreciative to with some of these new technologies, as many of these things will be common- Lowe’s for their grant! ly used in their future careers. I am extremely grateful to Rootstown and Kent State for allowing our students to have such amazing opportunities! 2018 Holiday Season Project Based Learning I want to say thank you to all who helped in any way By Angie Stackpole, 2nd grade with the holiday help for our families this year! Through our school giving tree, we were able to provide gifts This year, I have been working to incorporate more Project Based Learn- for 12 families which amounted to 34 children total! ing (PBL) into my classroom. PBL is an instructional approach that allows Through this tree, various staff members, families, com- students to work on real life problems with cross-curricular standards woven in. munity members and The Rootstown United Methodist These projects deepen problem solving skills, are student-led and elicit student Church provided much joy and happiness to these fami- inquiry. In October, a group of students asked if we could get our own class lies! Our school thanks you so much for your continued pet. After a lengthy discussion, the students realized that they would need to generosity and support. ask Mr. Turner for permission. They emailed Mr.Turner requesting his permis- sion and he responded with several questions. This led the class to form and The Ravenna Police Association gave 12 children work in committees, researching answers to his many questions. For example: the opportunity to Shop with a Cop. Our community Danielle Ray churches provided Thanksgiving Baskets to 10 families Elem. Counselor -Budget: How will we raise the money to purchase and care for this pet? for the holiday. Lastly, NEOMED sponsored 4 families -Is there an animal that can be around those with allergies? that allowed them to participate in the Breakfast with Santa experience. As always, thank you to all who were involved and helped -How will it survive over weekends and long breaks? with ensuring that many families in our building were able to have a wonderful After a great deal of research, the class determined a fish would be the best holiday season! pet. They invited Mr. Turner in to listen to a presentation which answered all of his questions through a class-created, Google Slides presentation. Mr. Turner National School Counseling Week was impressed with their enthusiasm and hard work and gave the class approval to get a fish! After more research and speaking with experts on how to raise Every year during the first full week of February our school recognizes funds, they came up with the idea to have a chocolate sale to cover the cost of National School Counseling Week (February 4-8, 2019). During this week, the materials and maintenance of a fish. They decided they wanted to make I work to provide education, reminders, and clarification as to the role of the and sell chocolate covered pretzels. The class then contacted, through letters, school counselor, as well as my work in our elementary building. Hartville Chocolate Factory and Walmart asking for donations to make these items. Hartville Chocolate Factory, Brimfield Walmart and Ravenna Walmart In our building, I work to provide monthly guidance lessons on topics that were very kind and generous and donated all of the needed materials. The include kindness, anti-bullying, self-esteem, growth mindset, career awareness, class got to work acting as “producers” and made over 500 chocolate covered conflict-resolution, and so on. Group counseling is provided on a regular basis pretzels which were sold to both their families and Rootstown Elementary staff. to include skill building in the areas of social skills, anger and worry manage- They reached their budget goal for all the materials needed to get a goldfish. ment, and adjusting to changing family structures. I provide individual coun- This was a highly engaging project that allowed students to collaborate and seling to help students manage emotions, problem-solve, and build friendships. problem solve while working on several of the New Learning Standards. I am I consult with parents, teachers, and outside agencies to provide wrap-around looking forward to the next PBL project we will be completing in late winter, support for students to help them meet their social, emotional, and academic early spring of this school year. potential. If there is any way that I can support your child, please contact me! Page 7 Athletics Keith Waesch - Athletic Director, (330) 325-2006 Golf Team Wins Title; May Advances to State GIRLS SOCCER: The Rover golf program’s success continued in Kayla Decker, Kaley Heckert, Tricia Fowler, 2018 as Rootstown won another Portage Trail Con- Kayli Lafferty, C.C. Savage, Savannah Stefancik, ference County Division championship. Hannah Stone, Lauren Housley, Savannah Pal- Rootstown finished the season with a 13-3 overall lante, Paige Schindler & Esther Shackelford record and a 9-1 mark in the P.T.C. County Division. BOYS SOCCER: The outstanding year for the golf team didn’t end Alex Smethers, Michael Farkash & Isaiah Dick after the regular season. VOLLEYBALL: Senior Laszlo May, a first-team All-P.T.C. Keith Waesch Katie Moore, Sarah Caruso, Hannah Fogleman, Portia Svenson, Kasidy selection, completed his senior season in style. May Athletic Director Smith, Kylie Kaut & Jenna Kurtz became the sixth individual in school history to ad- vance to the state golf tournament. He earned a trip to Columbus by shooting a 1-over-par 73 to finish Follow Rover Athletics on Twitter as district tournament runner-up at Tannenhauf Golf Club in Alliance. May finished 27th of 72 golfers at Rootstown athletic director, Keith Waesch, has established a Twitter the state tournament. account to keep Rover fans updated on upcoming events and game scores involving our middle and high school teams. Besides May, seniors Brennan Schlaubach and Adam Whitacre earned second-team All-P.T.C. You can receive daily tweets by following us @roverathletics, the honors. Ava Brunty, Hannah Stone, Mason Bartho- official Twitter home of Rootstown athletics. lomy and Brandon Stephenson were selected to the Those who don’t have a Twitter account, can still receive updates All-P.T.C. honorable-mention team. Laszlo May via text message. Simply send a text to 40404. In the body of the text, May was also named to the All-Northeast District first team for the type follow @roverathletics. third consecutive year. The P.T.C. championship was the seventh in the past 14 years for the Rover Sports Schedules on the Internet golf program and this past fall marked the 21st winning season in the Rootstown high and middle school sports schedules are available on past 22 years. the Internet. Schedules can be accessed by logging on to www.sched- ulestar.com and then searching under Rootstown High School. The schedules are as up-to-date as those in the athletic office. Schedules are subject to change.

Reverse Raffle Set for March 16 The annual Rover Reverse Raffle/Silent Auction/Vegas Night is scheduled for Saturday, March 16th at the Immaculate Conception Hall in Ravenna. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. with dinner served at 6:00 p.m. The grand prize is $1,500.

Photograph courtesy of Eldreth Photography Tickets are $50 per person and include dinner, beverages and one chance at the grand prize. Tickets without a meal are $30 per person. Proceeds from the event benefit Rootstown athletic teams. Rover Fall Sports Scholar-Athletes For more information, contact Rootstown athletic director, Keith The following fall sports participants earned scholar-athlete status Waesch, at 330-325-2006. during the 2018-19 school year. A student-athlete becomes a schol- ar-athlete by earning a varsity letter and a 3.4 grade-point average or higher during the season. Booster Club Meetings Set CHEERLEADING: The Rootstown Skylar Benedict, Esther Shackelford & Gabi Sims Sports Booster Club regularly meets on the GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY: first Sunday of each Theresa Smith, Lauren Housley, Abigail Longstreth, Savannah Munger, month in the high school Alyssa Reinagle, Debbie Vogt, Taylor Coates & Katie Plecko cafeteria at 7:00 p.m. All Rootstown residents BOYS CROSS COUNTRY: are welcome to attend. Jett Paulus, Alex Steinlechner, Josh Vogt, Roger Williams, Jake Collins For more information & Evan Piscitani on the booster club and FOOTBALL: its meetings, contact athletic director, Keith Logan Klicman, Matthew McGrath, Seth Noel, Nick Putnam, Zachary Waesch, at 330-325- King, Travis McCrady, Jack Mohan, Gavin Schlaubach, Isaac Di Tirro 2006. & Brandan Nicholas GOLF: Cody Egli, Laszlo May & Hannah Stone Page 8 Around Rootstown Rootstown Lions Club [email protected]/Rootstown Township Lions Club on Facebook By Donna Reckner GOOD Program (Going On Or Defeated) (Lion Magazine, digimag, 10/17/2014; GOODProgram.org) Sitting on his back porch a few months after going blind from retinopathy in 1995, Ron Derry was struggling with his blindness. He asked himself if he was going to go on with life, or be defeated. His answer is apparent in his character education program called the GOOD program (Going On Or Defeated) that he has brought to schools in Ohio for 19 years. Derry, a former middle school science and math teacher and sports coach, started out aiming to speak to a couple of schools a year about perseverance. Now, the Pataskala Lion visits 100 schools a year and with the help of Ohio’s Lions has distributed 49,000 GOOD t-shirts that serve as rewards and motivators for students who need them most. How did you come up with the GOOD program? I had always been a very active, happy person and losing my sight threw me for a loop. My attitude had been terrible. I realized that as a teacher my strength had always been as a motivator more than anything. I thought that there might be a lot of things I couldn’t do anymore, but I could still talk to kids and help those who are struggling. What messages do you try to convey to students? My lessons are about perseverance, trustworthiness, and working together. I share stories about my life, like how I designed my whole house while blind. I tell kids that everyone can make their lives as good as they can based on our attitudes. We can be the best we can be with the circumstances we have. The concept is to recognize students who work hard and exhibit good citizenship and good personal and study habits. Since its introduction in Ohio and adoption as a statewide project, the GOOD program has expanded into West Virginia and Kentucky. Benefits of the GOOD Program: • Deserved recognition of hard-working students. • Increased awareness of the Rootstown Lions Club and our work with our schools and teachers. • Positive influence for students through awards ceremony, GOOD t-shirts, a certificate, and riding the Lions float in the Memorial Day Parade.

Rootstown Historical Society By Elaine Reynolds It’s History Presidential Trivia Test Mirror, Mirror on the wall, which president is tallest, shortest, oldest, youngest, heaviest, lightest, etc. of them all? Take the Presidential Trivia Test to discover presidential firsts and learn some interesting historical facts about the men who have been selected to rule our country. 1. At age 70, Donald Trump became the oldest person ever elected U.S. president. Who was the youngest president ever elected? Presidential Trivia Answer Key 2. Abraham Lincoln was our tallest president at 6’4”. Who was the shortest? 1. Theodore Roosevelt became president at age 42. 3. William Taft was the heaviest president weighing in at 300 pounds. Who was the lightest? 2. James Monroe – 5’4” tall 4. John F. Kennedy is the U.S. president who had the shortest life? Who is the longest-lived president? 3. James Monroe – 100 pounds 5. George Washington was the first president to be inaugurated as President of the United States. Which president was the first to be inaugurated in Washington D.C.? 4. George H.W. Bush – oldest president 5. Thomas Jefferson was the first President 6. Andrew Jackson was the first president to ride on a railroad train while serving in office.Which president was the to be inaugurated in Washington, D.C. first to ride a plane while in office? 6. Franklin D. Roosevelt became the 7. Who was the first president to give a speech on television? first to fly in a plane while serving as president. 8. Who was the only president that never married? 7. Harry S. Truman 9. Who was the first president to reside in the White House, moving in November 1800 while the paint was still wet? 8. James Buchanan 10. Which president was the first actor elected president? He acted in 53 films before becoming president. 9. John Adams REFERENCES: 10. Ronald Reagan https://www.legendsofamerica.com/ah-presidenttrivia/2/; http://www.funtrivia.com/quizzes/world/us_government/us_presidents.html Backwoods Home Magazine, November/December 2016, pages 78-79

Rootstown Township Trustees: Joe Paulus, Brett Housley, and David McIntyre By Joe Paulus The Rootstown Board of Trustees meets the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month at 5:30 p.m. in the Town Hall. The township website is www.rootstowntwp.com. Take a look at the website for information about which you may have questions. Let us know if there is something that could be added or updated on the site. Note, meeting minutes do not get listed until they are approved and that is mostly at the next month’s meeting. If there are corrections, that may delay their posting longer. The website has the township Zoning Resolution listed under the Zoning link. There you can find our zoning laws that were started in 1965. Please refer to the Zoning Resolution if you have property or building questions to potentially avoid zoning violations and possibly fines. If it is not listed in the Zoning Resolution, then it is not permitted. The Zoning Resolution is a “living” document and many changes have been made to it since its inception. Things are always being added, altered, and removed from the document in accordance with the Ohio Revised Code. The west half of the Community Park is nearly completed with grass seed down and a baseball diamond infrastructure nearly built. The baseball field and a walking trail have been funded by a NatureWorks grant. We have another NatureWorks grant in the wings for the spring to help with some more of the costs of developing the park. This spring should have the east side leveled and grass growing. There are no plans to have any activity on the grass this year so the grass can grow thick and mature to handle any traffic on it. The Park Commission meets monthly and is doing a lot of legwork in keeping the park development moving forward. Kudos go out to our community volunteers who decorated the First Congregational Church and the Town Hall with Christmas lights. For a last-minute com- ing-together and making it happen says a lot about Rootstown. Lessons were learned this year and there are sure to be improvements for next year. At the end of January, we Trustees and the Zoning Inspector office staff attended the Ohio Township Association Winter Conference in Columbus. The four- day educational conference consists of over 90 workshops covering several tracks, including trustees, fiscal officers, zoning, roads, safety services, cemeteries, etc., a trade show with over 120 vendors, and events for networking with other township officials and our state GeneralAssembly members. There, we learned from subject experts about the various concerns that affect all townships, how other townships do things, as well as legal updates to the Ohio Revised Code and Attorney General opinions. We always come back better able to govern the township. Page 9 2018/2019 School Calendar August December April 23 All Certified Staff In-service 7 Interims Distributed 19 Good Friday - No School (1/2 day) 24-31 Winter Break - No School 26 Interims Distributed 24,27 All Certified Staff In-service 28 First Student Day January May 1-4 Winter Break - No School 27 Memorial Day - No School September 18 1st Semester Ends 3 Labor Day - No School 21 MLK Day - No School June 27 Interims Distributed 22 2nd Semester Begins 2 Graduation - Seniors 28 Staff Prof. Dev. Day - No 5 Last day for Students School February 6 All Certified Staff In-service 7 Parent/Teacher Conf. -Elem/ (1/2 day) October HS/MS 11 Parent/Teacher Conf. - HS/MS 15 Staff Prof. Dev. Day - No Calamity Days begin on June 6, 2019 12 NEOEA Day - No School School 16 Parent/Teacher Conf. - MS 18 President’s day - No School 18 Parent/Teacher Conf. - HS/ 22 Interims Distributed Elem March November 25-29 Spring Break - No School 1 Parent/Teacher Conf. - Elem 22 3rd Grading Period Ends 2 1st Grading Period Ends 21-23 Thanksgiving Break - No School The regular Board of Education School District Personnel meetings are held every month Superintendent...... Mr. Andrew Hawkins ...... 330-325-9911 at 6:00 p.m. Please visit our Treasurer...... Ms. Connie Baldwin ...... 330-325-9911 district website at Assistant Superintendent...... Dr. Terri Hrina-Treharn ...... 330-325-2014 www.rootstown.sparcc.org for Director of Special Education...... Ms. Marcy Spence ...... 330-325-4144 the specific dates. The public Elementary Principal...... Mr. Jeff Turner ...... 330-325-7971 is cordially invited to attend all Middle School Principal...... Mr. Robert Campbell ...... 330-325-9956 meetings. High School Principal...... Mr. James Conley ...... 330-325-7911 Note: Date may occasionally Director of Business Affairs/Trans...... Mr. Matt Collins ...... 330-325-0189 change due to inclement weather Director of Food Services...... Mrs. Peggy Shewell ...... 330-325-4139 or holidays. Board of Education President...... Mrs. Amanda Waesch ...... 330-351-1945 Board of Education Vice President...... Mr. Tom Siciliano ...... 330-325-2176 The monthly board agenda and Board of Education Leg. Liaison...... Mr. Norm Reynolds ...... 330-297-0431 minutes can be found on the Board of Education Co-Student Liaison...... Mr. Eric Kline ...... 330-357-1495 district website at Board of Education Co-Student Liaison...... Mr. Scott Krieger ...... 330-389-8278 www.rootstown.sparcc.org.

Other Numbers of Interest Rootstown Schools, in US Senator Rob Portman...... 202-222-3353 collaboration with the US Senator Sherrod Brown...... 202-224-2315 community, will provide a US Representative Anthony Gonzalez...... 330-630-7311 quality education in a safe Governor Mike DeWine...... 614-466-3555 environment for students to State Senator John Eklund...... 614-644-7718 become productive, State Representative Randi Clites...... 614-466-2004 Ohio Department of Education...... 877-644-6338 lifelong learners. Page 10 Rootstown Local Schools Non-Profit Org. Rootstown, Ohio 44272 U.S. Postage PAID Canton, OH Permit #207

The Rootstown Communicator Highlights What’s Trending? Parent Conference on Hot Topics By Terri Hrina-Treharn This May, we will be hosting a countywide Parent Conference around many topics impacting families. One event will be held in the southern part of the county at Rootstown High School on May 22nd. The other event will be held in the northern part of the county at James A. Garfield High School on May 14th. Both events will take place from 6:30- 8:45 p.m. All parents from all 11 districts are invited to attend either event/location based on what fits best with their schedule, but we do strongly encourage you to attend. The goal of the conference is two-fold. First, there are several topics we want to inform parents on, as they are be- coming more prevalent across schools in our county: vaping, suicide, teen dating/violence, positive presence on social media, anxiety, trauma informed care, and positive parenting techniques. I have invited professionals from various agencies to come and present on these topics. Secondly, we want to make parents aware of the agencies and services that are available to them throughout the county so we will also be having a vendor fair. There are over 20 agencies who have been invited! Lastly, we hope to have a few special guests and a basket raffle. Please look for more details in the coming months, but mark your calendar in the meantime.