Page 1 The Standard Is Excellence

Home he inter of t The W s Rover Rootstown 2016 Communicator Rootstown Local Schools • 4140 State Route 44 • Rootstown, 44272 • (330) 325-9911 News From Around the District Rootstown Welcomes International Students From Brazil and Senegal! By Sarah Eaton For the third year, Rootstown Local Schools is welcoming two international teachers to the district. In past years, the high school has hosted two teachers in language arts and science classrooms; these past teachers have come from Egypt, Indonesia, and the Philippines. This year, while both teachers will be in language arts classrooms, one will be in the middle school for the first time. Ana Marie Fernandes Alves, or “Mrs. Ana” as the students call her, is partnered with Mrs. Mervine in 8th grade Language Arts. Mrs. Ana comes to us from Brazil where she has been teaching at a public school for the past sixteen years. While this is Mrs. Ana’s second time in the US, she is very excited to get to know Rootstown and our students. Cheikh Sadibou Diouf, who is working with Mrs. Eaton in 9th/11th grade Language Arts, hails from Senegal in West Africa. “Mr. Cheik” (pronounced Shek) has been teaching for 15 years and speaks five languages. He teaches English to older students in an urban school, where he also leads the English Club. While here, Mr. Cheikh hopes to learn new things that he can take back to Senegal in order to improve his school, community, and country. These teachers have come to the as part of a highly competitive program called International Leaders in Education Program, which is sponsored by IREX and funded by U.S. State Department grant money. Our teachers, along with seventeen others, are based out of ; three other U.S. universities also host teachers. The international teachers arrived in the United States in mid-January, beginning with an orientation in Washington, D.C., before heading off to their respective universities. They will spend the next four months learning about new teaching methodologies and technologies, auditing two graduate level courses, participating in cultural experiences, completing their field experiences at local schools like ours, and creating a profes- sional development module to use when they return home in early May. Mrs. Ana and Mr. Cheikh will be with us between one and three days each week this spring. During this time they will observe, co-teach, share their culture, and shadow students. This will allow our students to have an invaluable experience where they can interact with and learn from these experienced international teachers. We are so grateful to have this wonderful opportunity to once again participate in this powerful educa- tional experience. Superintendent’s Message It is hard to believe we are already in the second half of the school year! The first half of the 2015-16 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. I would like to thank the Rootstown residents for your support of our schools with the passage of the renewal levy this past November. We plan to continue to strive to provide the best education possible while being fiscally responsible. Andrew Hawkins Finally, I would like to invite you to the February 22nd Board of Education meeting where I will be presenting the annual Superintendent State of the Schools address. At this time I will share information about what is going on in our schools and what lies ahead for the Rootstown Local School District. The Rootstown Board of Education has continued to work with the Rootstown Board of Trustees, the Ohio Schools Facilities Commission, and GPD Group on a possible JEDD to improve our aging school facilities. Currently, a feasibility study is being performed by the GPD Group to analyze if a JEDD is a possibility for our school district. I hope to have the results of this feasibility study by the February Board of Education meeting. Well Wishes Thank you for your continued support of Rootstown Local Schools. As a district we would like to thank Mr. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions regarding Robert Park for his years of service on the our school district. Board of Education. We will miss him and wish him well. Go Rovers! We would also like to welcome Mrs. Andrew Hawkins Amanda Waesch who started her four-year Superintendent term in January. Page 2 News From the Treasurer’s Office Employees Sweat to Save Money for the District For the past several years, employees of Rootstown Local Schools have participated in the Vitality Wellness Program. The program offers points for activities such as workouts and health screenings as well as offering online education in healthy eating habits and good mental health practices. Each employee earns points based on their own identified goals, earning new status levels (silver, gold, and platinum) in the process. At each new status level, employees receive $50 in their Health Savings Accounts. Why is this important for our taxpayers? By embracing these initiatives, insurance rates were 4% less, saving $65,000 this year alone. With increased attention to preventive care, employees can stay healthier and reduce absenteeism. Connie Baldwin The Wellness Committee has done a great job keeping people involved by setting up challenges each month with prizes Treasurer awarded by Vitality. In December and January, buildings were involved in workout competitions. Starting in March, the entire district will take on Crestwood and Streetsboro in a challenge to see who can log the most steps! Be sure to cheer us on! Thank you to our Rootstown Community for passing our levy renewal in November! It is always our goal to make this not only a great district, but also a cost effective one! Connie Baldwin Treasurer Rootstown District News Rootstown Foundation and Alumni Association By Denny Pickens, President RFAA Our last contribution to The Communicator discussed the JEDD proposal and that we are making sure what the future of the physical location of the school will be before we push with any large scale fundraising. We continue to get strong support from the school district staff and alumni donations, and our focus remains to help with stadium renovations. The Foundation is proud to announce that we are going to reinstate our Alumni Association Scholarship beginning with this 2016 graduate class. A scholarship committee has been formed and applications will be available in the guidance office in March. As in the past, we are looking for candidates who best exemplify Rover Spirit and passion for the Rootstown community. Industrial Technology Class By Jess Hluch Project-based learning has been the focus of the Industrial Technology Class at the middle school. The projects encompassed the use of hand tools, power tools, electrical materials, mathematics, harmonics, and drafting and design. Students completed a variety of individual and group projects. Students made a re- newable energy air conditioner and donated one of them to a first grade classroom at the elementary school. Every student in class had to wire an electric switch and an electric outlet. Students made tongue or thumb drums. They designed their own drum, milled, processed, and assembled their drum. They finished the drum boxes by alternating sanding the wood and applying coats of finish to obtain a uniform surface. They Nicole Bobbs, 8th grader, also had to bring each drum into proper pitch by shaving material from the bottom of the drum and tuning carving a falcon from bass wood. it. Students used pitch-finders on different telephone apps to help them tune their drum. Some of the drums will be donated to nursing homes for therapeutic purposes. Students also steam-bent a toboggan involving ash wood for a group project. Two advanced projects are ongoing projects. Two girls are making individual harps that were started in class during the first semester. Now that the girls are no longer in the class, they are using their study halls and lunches to work on the harps. Tech Club meets on Friday after school. Students are working on CNC milling, robotics, and they will attempt to build a wind generator from scratch. Old hand tools, gears, and items of metal and wood will be used in a design technique called steampunk where students will incorporate old-looking items into a design. All wood used in this class was donated by the classroom teacher. If you would like to donate wood for Eighth graders Lauren Housley, Savannah class projects, old hand tools, gears, or items made of metal and wood, please contact Jess Hluch, Munger, and Lexi Roshon steam-bending a Industrial Technology teacher at [email protected]. toboggan. Quiz Bowl By Chris DiBattista

The quiz bowl team started the season with 8 wins and no losses after defeating Ravenna on January 6th. This qualified the team, made up of Captain Jacob Dudley, Dominic Testa, Dominic DeSalvo, Brandon Tasker, Nate Vasbinder, Rebecca Boyle, Zandra Kvacek, Kyle Campbell, and Aaron Weingart, for Small School National Championships in Chicago on April 29th, 30th and May 1st. They lost their last two regular season matches to division winner Newbury, but will continue to battle into the post-season against Aurora on Wednesday, February 3rd and Western Reserve on Wednesday, February 17th. Conference Finals will be held on March 2nd in Garrettsville.

The team will appear on Academic Challenge and the show will air on Saturday, March 12th at 7:00 p.m. Page 3 Curriculum and the Office of Special Education Terri Hrina-Treharn - Curriculum Director, (330)325-2014 • Lynn Fatica - Director of Special Education, (330)325-4144 Testing Updates The Ohio Department of Education has transitioned to new tests this year in mathematics and English language arts. As a result, Ohio will no longer utilize the PARCC tests. All tests will be developed by AIR (American Institute of Research) who developed the science and social studies tests last year. Additionally, tests this spring will be shorter and administered during one test window versus two. The testing window for our district will be from April 11th to May 13th. More specific information about when your child’s grade level will test can be found below, and will be posted weekly on the district website again as it was in the past. ***TEST CORRECTION*** Elementary Middle School High School rd th The K-3 Literacy grade April 11 3 grade ELA 6 grade ELA ELA 9 that was printed in the Terri Hrina-Treharn rd th April 12 3 grade ELA 6 grade ELA ELA 9 Record-Courier should have been Curriculum Director April 13 4th grade ELA 7th grade ELA ELA 10 a “C,” whereas it was reported as April 14 4th grade ELA 7th grade ELA ELA 10 a “D” for our district. April 18 5th grade ELA 8th grade ELA April 19 5th grade ELA 8th grade ELA April 25 3rd grade Math 6th grade Math Integrated I April 26 3rd grade Math 6th grade Math Integrated I April 27 4th grade Math 7th grade Math Integrated II April 28 4th grade Math 7th grade Math Integrated II May 2 5th grade Math 8th grade Math Am Government May 3 5th grade Math 8th grade Math Am Government May 4 4th gr Social Studies 6th gr Social Studies Biology May 5 4th gr Social Studies 6th gr Social Studies Biology May 9 5th grade Science 8th grade Science Am History May 10 5th grade Science 8th grade Science Am History *Make-ups will occur throughout. Rootstown welcomes this semester’s group of teacher candidates from the University of Akron! Teacher Candidates We once again welcome teacher candidates from the University of Akron. This semester you will find the following pairings throughout the district: Elem - Miss Gearhart with Mrs. Svenson, Mrs. Lowden with Mrs. Stackpole, Miss Batson with Mrs. Lewis, Miss Wylie with Mrs. Kavali, Miss Harris with Mrs. Scarberry, Miss Moga with Mrs. Lynch; Middle School - Mr. Ramey with Miss Karolewski, Miss Smith with Mrs. Lefoer, Miss Stumpo with Mrs. Mervine, Miss Goubeaux with Mrs. Huth-Mercer; High School - Mr. Varga with Mrs. Finch.

From the Office of Special Education Basics of Special Education Law I often get questions from parents related to the differences between IEP’s and 504 Plans. There are two main laws that protect children with disabilities in the public schools; IDEIA and Section 504. IDEIA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act) - If your child qualifies for special education under ID- EIA, he/she will receive an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). There is a process that a school system must go through be- fore determining that a student is eligible for special education services. When a student is struggling, the general education teacher puts into place interventions to assist the student in being more successful. If these initial assessments do not produce Lynn Fatica results, the student is referred to the Intervention Assistance Team (IAT). At IAT meetings, additional interventions are devel- Director of Special oped by the team (which includes parents). If these additional interventions are not successful, a full evaluation (testing) may Education/School be recommended. This is called a multifactored evaluation (MFE), because many areas of functioning are assessed including Psychologist intelligence, academic skills, social/emotional skills, and fine/gross motor skills.The report that is written which summarizes the results of the MFE is called an Evaluation Team Report (ETR). (The terms MFE and ETR are often used interchangeably). Once the testing is complete (the team has 60 days to complete the evaluation), the IAT will meet to go over the testing and to determine if the student meets federal guidelines for special education. There are 13 disability categories in which a student may be eligible for special education services. The most common disability is a Specific Learning Disability. If a student is found to be eligible under one of the categories, an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) will be created within 30 days by an Intervention Specialist (special education teacher). The IEP is a written document that describes the services to be received, accommodations, and goals for the student. Section 504- Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is a national civil rights law that protects qualified individuals from discrimination based on their disability. It is less restrictive than IDEIA, and is a plan used for a student who has a disability that is impacting a major life func- tion. It is used when a student does not require special education services, but could still benefit from certain classroom modifications/accom- modations within regular education due to the disability. A student can be doing well academically but need, for example, social skills assistance due to Asperger’s Syndrome, or organizational skills assistance due to ADHD. Section 504 Plans are managed by the school counselors, regular education teachers and other educational staff. A Section 504 Plan is not special education. In answer to the question, “Which is better, a 504 Plan or an IEP?”.... It depends on the child and his or her unique needs. If you would like more information on IEP’s or 504 Plans, please contact myself or the school counselor in your building. Page 4 High School A3: Academics... Arts... Athletics Ward Davis Building (330) 325-7911 • James Conley - Principal Rootstown High School Gives Back! Student Success Plans At Rootstown High School we strive to help our students to become well rounded citizens. Under new legislation from the Ohio Depart- Currently we are working on giving back to ment of Education, school districts are required those in need. We are doing this in two ways; to evaluate all students in grades 6-12 to we are raising money for the Leukemia and determine if they are at-risk for dropping out Lymphoma Society and in the near future we of high school. Those who are determined to are raising money for the American Heart be at-risk are then placed on a Student Suc- Association. cess Plan (SSP) as a preventative measure. James Conley In our district, students were evaluated on a Kalee Basquin Our student body and staff are currently par- H.S. Principal rubric including criteria that was informed by H.S. Counselor ticipating in a “Penny War” for the Leukemia research-based data; students who received a and Lymphoma Society. The Penny War is a competition be- minimum score of 30 on the rubric have been placed on a Stu- tween each graduating class to see who can earn the most points. dent Success Plan. The concept is that all change and paper money counts as posi- tive points, however pennies count as negative points. To receive Freshmen Mentoring Program weekly updates on the leading class, follow the High School on Twitter and Instagram @Rtown_Rovers. We feel that this will Students are more likely to fail a course during Freshmen year help build school spirit as well as positively impact students by than any other year in high school. To help our students have giving back to those in need. a smooth academic and social transition to high school, Mrs. Mohan and I are collaborating together to create an 8th grade to February 1st we started selling American Heart Association 9th grade transition program. On the high school end, this will t-shirts for a “Red Out” at our home game February 12th vs. entail a Freshmen Mentoring Program (FMP). The Freshmen Mogadore. The t-shirt costs $10 and $8 will go to the American Mentoring Program is an important connection to our upcoming Heart Association. During both fundraisers, students will also students at the high school. Through FMP, upperclassmen are be educated through announcements and posters on how to help selected to serve as year-long mentors to selected ninth grade fight against Leukemia, Lymphoma, and Heart Disease. students. The goal is to help students acclimate to the high school environment. Within the context of carefully constructed Rootstown Welcomes Joel Penton! sessions, the mentors share their own experience at Rootstown High School and provide tips and advice to help freshman On January 13th our high students achieve success academically, socially and emotionally. school welcomed guest speaker The FMP program provides the ideal framework for this training Joel Penton. Joel is a motiva- as students become leaders in the school and build relationships tional speaker and a former Ohio with the incoming freshmen class. In collaboration with myself State Buckeye football player and Mr. Conley, the selected mentors are an important comple- where he earned a two-time All ment in an effort to increase inclusion among all students, pro- Academic Big Ten Honors as viding a safe and accepting learning environment, and increasing well as the Danny Wuerffel Tro- student engagement. Mrs. Mohan and I are still collaborating in phy (Humanitarian Heisman). building this program and we are very excited to see the positive Joel had an interactive activity impact it will have. where he asked students to make decisions about controversial Ohio Graduation Test (OGT) Dates - Juniors and statements. After the activity Seniors who have not yet passed Joel shared his story of his high school days of having to make Reading: March 7 tough decisions. Most impor- Math: March 8 tantly Joel explained to students Writing: March 9 that making commitments and Science: March 10 sticking to those commitments Social Studies: March 11 was the key to his success. A student shared what she took away from Joel, “It meant to me that you should be a leader, not a follower, even if those decisions do not make you popular.” Joel was also accompanied by the band, Plain Cities, which played a con- cert later that night at the Middle School. Page 5 Middle School Learners Today - Leaders Tomorrow

Mabel Schnee Building (330) 325-9956 • Robert Campbell - Principal Beginning to Stretch Our Imaginations Cyber Safety www.rubberbandcontest.org Even when students are not at school they Mr. John Fellenstein, a content specialist with are connected to one another through electron- the Akron Global Polymer Academy at the Uni- ic devices including cell phones, computers, versity of Akron, visited eighth grade students and video game consoles. Students can stay in to introduce the Rubber Band Contest. With touch with their friends very easily. This can his guidance, the students created “creeping” be a blessing or a curse though. Because of polymer putty by mixing borax, water, food technology, children can bully or be bullied all Robert Campbell day every day. Cyberbullying can occur all Amelia Mohan coloring, and white glue. M.S. Counselor http://agpa.uakron.edu/p16/lessons/pdf/ M.S. Principal year long and is a very serious issue. creepy_print.pdf Cyberbullying is bullying that occurs using electronic devices. The students experimented with the putty This includes, but is not limited to mean or harassing messages to demonstrate the movement of the Earth’s or photos sent through Instagram, Facebook, Snap Chat, Kik, tectonic plates. Some students also measured or text messages. This form of bullying is different from other the “creeping” putty at timed intervals to types because cyberbullying can occur 24 hours a day, 7 days demonstrate how various angles changed the a week, and when the child is alone or with family and friends. creep time which represented hill sides. These types of bullying messages can be posted anonymously or by someone using a fake identity which can make it difficult Students also learned about the move- Travis McCrady & to figure out who the bully really Abigail Longstreth is. Also, an apology and delet- ment of polymers by passing sticks measuring their putty. through balloons without the ing the message/picture will not balloons popping. neccessarily make the situation better. It is nearly impossible to These experiments pro- completely delete or remove any vided background knowl- picture/message that has been edge for the students before posted or sent. Others who have beginning their rubber band seen the picture/post can simply inventions. The inventions screen shot the image and contin- must use at least one rubber ue to pass the offensive message (Left to right): James Bennett, to others. band which is made with polymers. Zephaniah Curgil, Isaiah Nicholson, and Trentin Smith Engineering Guest Speaker enjoy mixing their polymer putty. Cyberbullying affects children in many of the same ways that other forms of bullying does. Kids who are cyberbullied are By Hallie Obert more likely to experience in-person bullying, have poor grades, have lower self-esteem, and be less willing to attend school. In November, our 8th grade students had guest speak, Heidi Cressman, from the University of Akron’s College of Engineer- There are ways to help prevent cyberbullying. One way is ing come in and talk to their class. Mrs. Cressman discussed the to be aware of what your children are doing online. Know the different fields of engineering and how engineers affect our dai- sites your child is visiting and ask questions about what they ly lives. The students then showed off their engineering skills are doing and who they are interacting with. Let your children while competing in a team building project. On the first day know that you will be checking and monitoring their online students were put in teams and given supplies. These supplies communications (this includes text messages from their cell included paper plates, pencils, pennies, clay and tape. The stu- phones). Also, ask for passwords in case of an emergency. Most dents then designed a vehicle that would be tested to see which importantly, encourage your child to tell you IMMEDIATELY if one would travel the furthest down a ramp. On the second day they or someone they know is being cyberbullied. If there is a students raced their vehicles. All students cheered each other on problem, contact the other child’s parent or the sheriff’s depart- and had a great time working with their classmates. ment. Make sure that your family has rules regarding technology and how to use it responsibly. Make sure you tell them to think before they post Save the Date anything. They should also know who can see what they post - Family? Our 2nd annual Pi Day 5K will be held Saturday, March 12, at Friends? Strangers? Who sees what 9:00 a.m. The money raised will be utilized to purchase tech- they say is almost as important as nology for the Middle School. The t-shirt pick-up and health what they post. Also, tell them not to fair will be Friday, March 11, from 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. If you are share passwords with anyone except interested in sponsoring and/or participating in this event, please you. If the password gets into the contact Hallie Obert at [email protected]. More details wrong hands, your child could end up regarding this event will be forthcoming. with a compromised online account. Page 6 Elementary School R o ve r P.R . I . D. E

Bertha Bradshaw Building (330) 325-7971 • Jeffrey Turner - Principal Parents, Lions Club Awards All of us at Rootstown Elementary would like to The students listed below were selected for the Lions Club Good wish each of you a Happy New Year and hope your Award. They were selected based on their attendance, listening skills, elementary child will find much success in 2016. It is work habits, and citizenship. Congratulations! difficult to believe that we started the rd3 nine weeks on January 25th. Report cards, STAR and AR reports Month Student Grade/Teacher (Grades 2-5 and select K and 1st grade students) October 2015 Matthew Schrock 5th - Mrs. Burrell came home with all students on January 22nd. I November 2015 Isaac Simkanin 1st - Mrs. Bartholomy encourage you to contact your child’s teacher with December 2015 Ava Miller 2nd - Mrs. Svenson any questions or concerns. Jeffrey Turner Kindergarten Registration and Screening As we begin the third nine weeks, I would like to E.S. Principal When: Tuesday, April 12, 2016 between 8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. or take the time to update you on past and upcoming Wednesday, April 13, 2016 between 10:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Registration events in the building: packets can be picked up in the Elementary School main office starting on Monday, March 7, 2016. A screening date and time will be given to Santa Shop you when you pick up the registration packet. On behalf of Rootstown Elementary, I want to thank our PTA Office hours: 7:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. volunteers, especially Cindy Sladkey, for their time and effort purchasing and coordinating our Santa Shop. The students loved the Important Dates opportunity to shop for their family and this was made possible through their efforts. March 1...... PTA Meeting 6:00 p.m. Center of Hope Food Drive 7...... Kindergarten registration/screening packets can be picked I want to thank all of you who donated food items during our annual up at the Elementary School Office food drive in November. The elementary was able to collect over 2,000 15...... 5th Grade Band Concert at Middle School at 7:00 p.m. food items that were donated to the Center of Hope. This is a great 16...... Special Visitors’ Night 6:00-7:00 p.m. show of compassion for those less fortunate than us. The homerooms 17...... Race for Education 8:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. that collected the most in the 3rd-5th category were Mrs. Lewis’ 3rd grade classroom and Mrs. Bartholomy’s first grade classroom in the April K-2nd grade category. Thank you to Mr. Rodstrom for coordinating the 1...... Report Cards go home collection again this year. 5...... PTA Meeting 6:00 p.m. 7...... 5th to 6th Grade Orientation 6:00 p.m. at the Middle 80’s Day School Cafeteria Students and staff at the elementary 12...... Kindergarten Registration/Screening 8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. school recently celebrated the 80th day 13...... Kindergarten Registration/Screening 10:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m. of school on January 8th by dressing 18...... Board of Education Meeting 6:00 p.m. like people did in the 1980s. The halls and classrooms were full of neon Rootstown Elementary Holiday Season clothing, big hair, leg warmers, and track suits. Rappers and rockers were I want to say “thank you” to all who helped present, too! in any way with the holiday assistance for our families this year! Through our school giving tree, Rover PRIDE T-shirts we were able to provide gifts for 10 families which Thank you to the PTA for donating amounted to 24 children total! the Rover PRIDE T-Shirts to all students and staff! Special thanks go to Cindy Sladkey, Veronica Miller, Tracie Roberts, Brenda Giebel and The Ravenna Police Association gave seven Lisa Scott for their efforts coordinating this for our students and staff. families (9 children) the opportunity to Shop with a Cop. Furthermore, various families in the com- Special Visitors’ Night/Open House (formerly Grandparents’ Night) munity provided Christmas gifts to three families Danielle Ray th in the building. Finally, the community churches This annual event will take place on March 16 between 6-7 p.m. Elem. Counselor Students are permitted to bring a special visitor to meet their teacher provided Thanksgiving and Christmas Baskets and participate in a literacy-based activity. Additional information will to nine families for both holidays. As always, be communicated at a later time regarding this evening. thank you to all who were involved and helped with ensuring that many families in our building were able to have a wonderful holiday Book Swap season! During the week of March 14th, the elementary will be collecting new or gently used books for our Book Swap that will take place the Rootstown Elementary Fit Club week of March 28th. We will also collect books during Special Visitors’ Night. Feel free to send in your donations on any of those days. More For the third year, several NEOMED students have volunteered details about the Book Swap will be sent home at a later time. their time to implement a fitness program at our school. “Fit for Finally, if you have any questions or concerns, please contact me at Kids” or “Fit Club” is an alternative exercise class for 4th and 5th 330-325-7971 or [email protected]. I am looking forward to a great grade students of all fitness levels. This program meets the first and 2016! third Friday of every month in the gymnasium after school. During this time, students engage in exercise activities including Zumba, Reminder: Please make sure you send your child with a winter coat, running, and group games. hat, gloves, and boots for outdoor recess. Students should not come with a “hoodie” as a coat. Mrs. Wendy Lara, High School Secretary, and I have been par- ticipating in this program with the kids each session, and we are Sincerely, amazed at the enthusiasm of the students participating. We hope Mr. Turner this program teaches the kids the importance of staying active and healthy in fun and meaningful ways. Principal Although many NEOMED students participate in this program, a special thank you is in order for Amythest Gauthier, Kristin Sanchez, and Claire Poppa for coordinating all Zumba dances and exercises each session. Page 7 Athletics Keith Waesch - Athletic Director, (330) 325-2006 Team Captures P.T.C. Title Rover Fall Sports Scholar-Athletes The Rover golf program was a slice above the rest The following fall sports participants earned scholar-athlete of the in 2015. status during the 2015-16 school year. A student-athlete becomes a Rootstown finished the season with a 16-2 overall scholar-athlete by earning a varsity letter and a 3.4 grade-point aver- record and an 11-1 mark in the P.T.C. County Divi- age or higher during the season. sion. The Rovers not only won the County Division title at the conference tournament, but also finished CHEERLEADING: first of out of all 15 P.T.C. schools at Sable Creek Becky Boyle, Stephanie Burkey, Mira Clavecilla, Calista Galleher, Golf Course. Ariana Marva, Jenna Parker, Allie Chapple & Kyleigh Slagle Keith Waesch Depth was the key for this year’s team as every GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY: one of the varsity players was the team’s medalist Athletic Director Emma Burns, Mira Clavecilla, Grace Gretz, Abbey Housley, Sally on at least two occasions…a rare occurrence in high Maltempi & Theresa Smith school golf. BOYS CROSS COUNTRY: Senior Evan Chapple earned All-P.T.C. first-team honors, while sen- Dominic DeSalvo, Kyle Borbely, Sam Di Tirro, Jackson Ingram, Jett ior Joe Weingart, junior Brandon Tasker and freshman Laszlo Horvath Paulus, Alex Steinlechner, Josh Vogt, Roger Williams were second-team honorees. Senior Jaret Golgosky and junior Ryan FOOTBALL: Wilson were honorable-mention selections. All six Rover varsity golf- Jon Ballou, Nick Harris, Mason Radike, Chandler England, Brad ers finished among the top 15 players in the conference. Chapple was Trescott, Jimmy Goforth, Caleb Kaut, Cameron Miller, Nathan also named to the All-Northeast District second team and Horvath was Moore & Riley Zoller an honorable-mention choice at the district level. GOLF: The P.T.C. championship was the fifth in the past 11 years for the golf Joe Weingart, Brandon Tasker & Ryan Wilson program and this past fall marked the 18th winning season in the past 19 years. GIRLS SOCCER: Sarah Graham, Alexis Moneypenny, Becky Boyle, Jessi Dickinson, Kayla Decker, Tricia Fowler & Madison Mizer BOYS SOCCER: Brandon Baldwin, Luke Durbak, Devin Knoch, Mario LaGuardia, Brendan Mohan, Dominic Ionno & Dino Sorboro : Briana Ryan, Stephanie Burkey, Abby Moore, Miranda Petrick, Colette Franks & Katie Moore

Booster Club Meetings Set The Rootstown Sports Booster Club regularly meets on the first Sunday of each month in the high school cafeteria at 7 p.m. All Rootstown residents are welcome to attend. Members of the 2015 P.T.C. championship varsity golf team are For more information on the booster club and its meetings, pictured above. They are, from left to right (front row): Aaron Wein- contact athletic director Keith Waesch at 330-325-2006. gart, Joe Weingart, Brennan Schlaubach, Laszlo Horvath, Brandon Tasker, Brandon Schneckenburger, Cody Egli; (back row) head coach Keith Waesch, Charlie Egli, Jaret Golgosky, Ryan Wilson, Michael We- ber, Nathan Vasbinder, Evan Chapple and assistant coach Doug Mori. Rover Sports Schedules on Internet (Photo courtesy of Eldreth Photography) Rootstown high and middle school sports schedules are available on the Internet. Schedules can be accessed by logging on to www.schedulestar.com and then searching under Rootstown High School. Reverse Raffle Set for March 19 The schedules are as up-to-date as those in the athletic office. Sched-

The annual Rover Reverse Raffle/Silent Auction/Vegas Night is ules are subject to change. scheduled for Saturday, March 19th at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Randolph next to St. Joseph’s School on Waterloo Road. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. with dinner served at 6 p.m. The grand prize is $1,500. Driver’s Education Classes Begin Feb. 29 Tickets are $50 per person and include dinner, beverages and a shot at the grand prize. Tickets without a meal are $30 per person. Proceeds Rootstown High School will be offering driver’s education classes from the event benefit Rootstown athletic teams. this spring. The spring session will be offered Feb. 29, March 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9 & 10. The classes will take place from 3:30 p.m. to 6:40 p.m. Examples of previous silent auction items include: an overnight trip in room 106 of the high school. to Amish country, a seven-day stay at a Florida vacation home, a one- night stay at Mountaineer Casino & Resort, Ohio State memorabilia, The cost of the class, which includes the state-mandated eight hours a Goodyear Blimp ride, gas grills, televisions, a plane ride around of behind-the-wheel training, remains $299. A temporary permit is not Portage County and much more. required to begin classes. There are no gas surcharges or certificate fees like some driver’s education schools in the area. A payment plan For more information or to purchase tickets, contact Rootstown ath- may also be arranged. letic director Keith Waesch at 330-325-2006. For more information, contact Keith Waesch at 330-325-2006. Page 8 Things Happening in the District The Antebellum Dinner Party at the High School By Margaret Barzellato The Advanced Placement U.S. History class recently participat- ed in an “Antebellum Dinner Party.” Students researched exten- sively and then assumed the identities of Antebellum Reformers in order to role play for the dinner party. Reformers included: Jeff Atkinson as James Russell Lowell; Jon Ballou as Ralph Waldo Emerson; Micaela Brown as Harriet Beecher Stowe; Mira Clavecilla as Elizabeth Blackwell; Dominic DeSalvo as Robert Owen; Jarrod Dolin as Walt Whitman; Zac Kozma as Washington Irving; and Ryan Wilson as Noah Webster. Mrs. Barzellato was Angelina Grimke. Gifted Education – Visual and Performing Arts By Terri Sigler Local school districts will be conducting screening for gifted identification in the visual and performing arts, specifically in the areas of painting, sculpting, drawing, vocal music, instrumental music, dance, or drama. According to Ohio law and district policy, students in grades Kindergarten through 12 may be nominated for assessment for gifted identification. During the months of Feb- ruary and early March, nominated students will be evaluated by local school districts using a checklist of gifted behaviors. Parents, teachers, peers, or students themselves may nominate possible candidates for evaluation. Visual and Performing Arts Nomination forms are available from the district’s gifted contact or by downloading it off the Mahoning County website (http://i.mahoningesc. org/). Forms are due in the local school district by mid-February. For those students who earn a qualifying score on the checklist, a demonstration of the student’s talent in the fine arts will take place at the Mahoning County Educational Service Center on Satur- day, April 9 from 9 a.m.-12 noon. Additional information will be sent to parents of those students who receive qualifying scores to move onto the audition phase of the assessment. Mrs. Eaton’s Language Arts Classes are Going GLOBAL! By Sarah Eaton Since Mrs. Eaton isn’t able to take her students around the world, she is doing her best to bring the world to them here in Rootstown. Students in Language 9 recently finished reading the first part of the graph- ic novel Persepolis, set in Iran during the Islamic Revolution in the 1970s. Through the eyes of a young Marjane Satrapi, students were able to learn about another culture, another religion, and what it’s like to grow up in the middle of a revolution. Students completing a gallery walk of pictures/infor- mation about the Islamic Revolution in Iran. As a result of Mrs. Eaton’s fellowship in India this summer, students in both Language 9 and Language 11 have had the opportunity to connect with students at Government Girls Vocational Higher Secondary School in Wandoor, Kerala, a small rural town in a state in southern India. So far students have exchanged Who I Am posters about themselves. There are plans to continue this exchange, however progress is slow as the exchanges must happen via international mail because there is little to no internet access at the school in Wandoor.

In addition to communicating with Indian students, Mrs. Eaton has recently been accepted into the School2School program, which will allow our students to complete a virtual exchange with a school in Indonesia. This exchange should begin sometime in February and will continue through next school year. The school is in a poor and rural area which was hit hard by natural disas- ter, leaving many children orphaned. Because of this, Mrs. Eaton also hopes to implement a service learning component into the exchange experience. Page 9 Around Rootstown Rootstown Historical Society By Shirley Riemenschneider Rootstown Lions Club By Terri Haddad, President New Historic Markers in Rootstown Township The Rootstown Lions Club is a group of Rootstown Citizens that are dedicated to serving the Community of Rootstown all throughout While traveling through Rootstown to school or work, look for some the year through a variety of Community Projects. Our Club was new signs naming historic places. The four major waterways in our chartered on February 20, 1957. Our Club motto is “We Serve.” town have new blue metal markers. ------Mark your calendars! We will be holding our annual Easter Egg Breakneck Creek, with its many curves and bends, meanders south Hunt on Saturday March 26, 2016. You don’t want to miss this FUN to north through Rootstown eventually emptying into the Cuyahoga filled event! Be sure to watch our Facebook page for more informa- River north of Kent, Ohio. It was named for the early history legend tion. Our Facebook page address is: of Hugh Blair who was riding a pack horse with the surveying party “Rootstown Township Lions Club” of Moses Cleveland. Blair broke his neck after falling from the horse near the mouth of the winding creek. The Breakneck marker can be seen on Tallmadge Rd., just west of Biltz Rd. Barrel Run is the waterway used by an early barrel factory located on Industry Rd. The run was dammed up into pools, filled with the finished barrels, and then the water was released sending the barrels downstream into Campbellsport. They were then shipped east on the Ohio Canal. That marker can be seen on Industry Rd. Clara Root Creek was officially named by the efforts of the Roots- town Historical Society in 2002, also the year of Rootstown’s Bicen- Memorial Day Parade tennial Celebration. It was named for the first woman to live in this town and welcoming new settlers at her home. The marker can be May 30, 2016 - Join the Rootstown Community in honoring our Vet- seen while traveling on Campbellsport Rd. erans by participating in the 2016 Memorial Day Parade as an entrant or a spectator! The parade will start at 10 a.m. at the NEOMED park- The newest officially named waterway is New Milford Creek, ing lot on SR 44 and will proceed to Homeland Cemetery where a flag named on December 10, 2015 by the U.S. Board on Geographic raising and ceremony will be held. Contact parade chair, Joe Paulus, Names. This is thanks to the inspiration and a lot of paperwork of for more information or to register by May 23, 2016. Judy Testa, a lifelong resident of New Milford. The sign can be [email protected] 330-474-1869 viewed on Hattrick Rd. just east of Greenwood Rd. All four markers are the combined efforts of the Rootstown Histori- cal Society, The Rootstown Lions Club and Rootstown Township. A worthy local history project for students and parents are to spot all four of these markers during the coming spring months. “Like Us” on Facebook so that you can stay abreast of the many ways we are serving the Rootstown Community all year long.

Rootstown Township By Trustee Joe Paulus Trustees Linda Hankins, Joe Paulus, and David McIntyre 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. The Township Road Crew is continuing to maintain our roads with preventive maintenance and repairs. So far this winter has been light, which will benefit us not having to use as much salt. All of our road crew members are Rootstown residents so they have a vested interest in doing the best job of any road crew in the county. The Rootstown Fire Department is hard at work with training and training and training. They are sometimes the out-of-sight-out-of-mind collection of men and women, but they are working everyday behind the scenes for when they are called. They are also busy in the community whether it be with safety programs at the school, blood pressure testing, or CPR training. A Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) Citizen Advisory Committee has met twice in providing insight to the consultant in updating the 18 year old plan. This plan is a framework to help guide Rootstown in its future plans for development-- residential and commercial. The Trustees have created a Park Commission for the purpose of coming up with a plan to develop the Community Park. This is a 9-member group appointed by the Trustees to bring their recommendations to the Trustees. There is a lot of planning and ideas coming forth. The Trustees are waiting for the Portage County Solid Waste Management District to provide a contract for curbside recycling. As of now, the cost for curbside recycling has not been set, but should be provided shortly with other details. The plan would be to eventually remove the drop-off bins on New Milford Road if curbside recycling is approved. The Trustees have not committed to mandatory curbside recycling as of yet. Welcome to Cyndi Porter, our new part-time hire secretary for our Zoning Commission, Zoning Board of Appeals, and Park Commission. Cyndi will be taking minutes and handling communications between the Boards and the Trustees. Thank you to MaryAnn Greer for her years of service as secretary. The Trustees, Fiscal Officer, Zoning Inspector, Zoning Assistant, and Road Superintendent all attended the annual Ohio Township Association Winter Conference. The Conference provided many valuable training workshops and networking with other township representatives and state General Assembly members. This conference helps us all serve the township better. Page 10 PTA/PTO - GET INVOLVED! PTA ~ Parent Teacher Association By Lisa Scott We need YOU to join the Rootstown Elementary PTA organization! Dues are only $5.00 per year. Our meetings are held on the first Tuesday of every month at 6:00 p.m. in the Elementary school library. We still have MANY wonderful programs planned for the second semester including: Book Swap, Field Day, Safety Town, Special Visitors’ Night and the Spring Dance! Did you hear the news?! Race for Education has moved to the Spring this year and we need your help TODAY! The proceeds of Race for Education allows for the continued success of PTA-sponsored programs to help everyone in our school, including our children, faculty and staff. We thank each parent, family member and friend who has supported this worthwhile cause and ask that all of you continue to rally support for the Race for Education program. Together, we truly can make a difference in the lives of each of our students! Dust off your bell bottoms! The Rover’s will be feelin’ groovy on April 8th and 9th at the annual Mother/Son and Father/Daughter dances! We hope that your child will join us with their special guest! We are currently accepting nominations for officers for the 2016-2017 school year. If you are willing, nominate yourself! We would love to have you on the board! We look forward to seeing you at our next meeting! For more information feel free to contact Lisa Scott, President, at [email protected]. Problem Solver Responsible Involved Dependable Engaged PTO ~ Parent Teacher Organization By Lori Bender We are excited to announce that the PTS is now a PTO. We have voted on and began following a set of bylaws that will help to guide the struc- ture of our organization. We’ve also applied for 501(c)3 status! All parents, teachers and community members are welcome to join PTO. We meet the 2nd Thursday of the month at 6:30 p.m. in the middle school Home Ec. Room. Yearly dues are $5. Throughout the year, PTO sponsors several activities for the children including dances, the talent show and a drama production. So far this year we have held several dances, ugly Christmas sweater day, and still have several other events planned. Members of the PTO also plan, execute and chaperone the yearly 8th grade class trip. As we approach the end of the year we will be holding our election of officers in April. If you are interested, or know someone who would be, please come check out our meetings every 2nd Thursday of the month at 6:30 p.m. The PTO will be doing a Rover Wear fundraiser this spring. Please look for information to come home and also check for the order form on the PTO website. Through our fundraising efforts, we have been able to honor teacher requests for things such as calculators, iPads and LCD projec- tors to be used in the classrooms. We have also been able to purchase books for the library and classrooms, buy a podium used for assemblies and other productions, and help with the purchase of an electronic piano for the school’s music department. We greatly appreciate your support! Why Join the PTO? • The PTO offers parents the opportunity to make positive changes in the school • The PTO distributes information on a regular basis via emails and a website so that members can be informed of and respond to school issues and activities in a timely manner • Joining the PTO shows an interest in your child’s education and school activities, shows greater support for his/her teachers and school, and improves the relationship between parents and school personnel How Involved Do I Have To Be? You can be as involved as you want to be. We understand that people have very busy schedules and that time is precious. Therefore we appreciate any time you can spare. Volunteers are always needed to chair committees and work events but if you can’t find the time, we just appreciate your membership. We only ask that you join, receive email updates, and check out our website. Please contact any of the officers if you would like to volunteer your time. Help us support our wonderful Middle School teachers, staff and students! Co-Presidents: Lori Bender 330-325-0785 and Jamie Brewster 330-850-5168 Secretary: Laci McIntyre 330-325-7979 Treasurer: Jacqui Devies 330-608-4040 Page 11 2015/2016 School Calendar August January June 28, 31 All Certified Staff in-service 1 Winter Break - No School 3 Last day for Students 15 2nd Grading Period Ends 5 Graduation - Seniors September 18 MLK Day - No School 6 Staff in-service 1 First Student Day 19 2nd Semester Begins 7 Labor Day - No School 178 Student Days February 2 Parent/Teacher October 11 Parent/Teacher Conf. - Conference days 2 Interims Distributed Elem/HS/MS 4 Staff In-service Days 15 Parent/Teacher Conf. - HS/MS 15 President’s day - No School 16 NEOEA day - No School 19 Interims Distributed Calamity Days begin on June 6, 2016 20 Parent/Teacher Conf. - MS 30 1st Grading Period Ends March 18 3rd Grading Period Ends November 21-25 Spring Break - No School 19 Parent/Teacher Conf. - Elem 23 Parent/Teacher Conf. - Elem April 25-27 Thanksgiving Break - 29 Interims Distributed No School May December 30 Memorial Day - No School 4 Interims Distributed 23-31 Winter Break - No School

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

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

The Rootstown Communicator Highlights The National Honor Society National Honor Society By Dominic Testa Sixteen students from Rootstown High School were inducted into membership of the National Honor Society in an evening ceremony at the high school on December 10th. Members were selected by a faculty council for meeting high standards of scholarship, service, leadership, and character. Students inducted were: Rebecca Boyle, Micaela Brown, Rebecca Brunswick, Stephanie Burkey, Mira Clavecilla, Dominic DeSalvo, Calista Galleher, Brieanna Gordon, Molly Green, Emily Hallock, Jordyn Hilliard, CC Hluch, Ariana Marva, Brendan Mohan, Jenna Parker, and Ryan Wilson. “National Honor Society members are expected to continue their exemplary contributions to the school and community,” said Carol Pullin, the chapter’s advisor. The National Honor Society ranks as one of the oldest and most prestigious national organizations for high school students. Chapters exist in three-fourths of the nation’s high schools. Thousands of dollars in scholarships have been awarded to senior members since 1945 by the sponsoring organization, the National Association of Secondary School Principals. Current Members: President: Jessy Wilson Vice President: Hannah Shirey Treasurer: Marissa McGurk Historian: Dominic Testa New inductees include (front row, left to right): Jordyn Hilliard, Brieanna Gordon, Rebecca Boyle, Calista Galleher, and Mira Clavecilla; (middle row) Stephanie Burkey, Emily Hallock, Micae- la Brown, Rebecca Brunswick, Ariana Marva, and Jenna Parker; (back row) CC Hluch, Dominic DeSalvo, Ryan Wilson, Molly Green, and Brendan Mohan.