Friday, July 03, 2009

School is not in session today.

Talawanda Schools are on Summer Break. Summer Office hours are 8 am to 3 pm. The elementary and middle school offices are closed in July. THS has limited hours in July, please call first to check on their July hours. First Day of School for the 2009-2010 school year is August 25.

Talawanda Headlines

June 30, 2009

New High School Exterior Facade

SHP Leading Design has facilitated several community meetings in an effort to gather input from the community in order to assist in the design of our new high school. Please take a look at the final design approved at the June Board of Education meeting.

June 4, 2009

Congratulations Southwest Outstanding Art Teachers (OAT's) 2009

Mary C. Hessling Luebbe

Click here for the rest of the story.

June 2, 2009

Talawanda Tribune June Edition Released

June 2009 Tribune

June 1, 2009

Talawanda: Live Brave

Several members of the Talawanda community will be participating in the Oxford Relay for Life, June 27-28th at Millett Hall-Miami University. This event, sponsored by the American Cancer Society, seeks to celebrate the lives of those who have won the battle with cancer, remember loved ones who have lost the battle, and to fight back against a disease that has affected too many. The team has already raised $2,500 and hopes to continue raising money for this worthy cause!

The Talawanda: Live Brave team would like to invite ALL Talawanda students and families to participate in the event! Please join us on Saturday, June 27th at 3:00 p.m. The event will run through the night until noon on Sunday, June 28th.

For more information on the event, please click here.

Together we can make a difference!

May 29, 2009

Setting Stone Spring Issue Released

For a hard copy email settingstone@talawanda.org.

Setting Stone Spring 09

May 28, 2009

Bogan Teacher Recognized as Oxford Rotary Teacher of the Year

Bogan teacher, Terri Meyers, was recently recognized as the Oxford Rotary Teacher of the Year at the annual awards luncheon held on Wednesday, May 27. Pictured from Left to Right are Rotary President, Richard Norman, Terri Meyers, Bogan principal, Dee Lancaster, and chair of the Hefner Committe of the Oxford Rotary, Dr. Tom Poetter. This past year, the Oxford Rotary club donated more than $21,000.00 to students, faculty, activities and programs that supported the Talawanda School District.

May 27, 2009

TMS Students Join in Fight Against Slavery

For the third time Talawanda Middle School has partnered with the International Justice Mission and the Loose Change to Loosen Chains Campaign to raise money to free modern day slaves. When eighth grade students visited the National Underground Freedom Center in early May, they learned that nearly 27 million people are enslaved today, and that many people can be rescued from slavery for as little as $15. Like William Willberforce, believing that one person can make a difference, TMS students joined together to raise $1575.49 in loose change. Pictured here are Jennifer Schuppie, Mandelyn Schulte, Mariah Davis. Special thanks to the Lebanon Citizens National Bank for their help in counting the change and to the community members who contributed to the matching gift.

May 20, 2009

2009 Crystal Apple Award Winners

Click here for more.

May 20, 2009

School Board Recognizes Miami Faculty Partnership Efforts

Miami University faculty members were recognized at the May 18 School Board meeting for their work with the Miami University Partnership to Enhance the Teaching of Mathematics. Over the past three years, the Talawanda Schools benefited from over $275,000 in grant funding that was used to purchase student materials and support hundreds of hours of professional development for more that 80% of the district's math teachers. Shown left to right are Dr. Jean Eagle, Talawanda's Director of Curriculum, Intervention and Partnerships, Mr. Don Gloeckner, district Math Instructional Leader, Dr. Jane Keiser, Associate Professor of Mathematics, Dr. Bia D'Ambrosio Professor of Mathematics, Dr. Todd Edwards, Assistant Professor of Teacher Education, Dr. Jeff Wanko, Associate Professor of Teacher Education, and Dr. Phil Cagwin, Talawanda Superintendent.

May 20, 2009

Five Talawanda teachers were nominated for the 2009 Outstanding Math Teacher of the Year sponsored by the Ohio Council Teachers of Mathematics.

Pictured from left to right, Judy Hathaway - Bogan, Judy Meicenheimer - Marshall, Amanda Klee - Middle School, not pictured Greg Cawein - High School, and Deb Hogue - Kramer. Judy Meicenheimer has already been selected as the 2009 Southwest Region Outstanding Math Teacher of the Year. She will find out in November if she has been selected as the Ohio teacher of the year.

May 20, 2009

Talawanda TEA President Lynne Mattox presented a plague to Oxford Mason's Don Reece in recognition of their support to Talawanda Schools by donating 20 Smartboards over the past 5 years.

May 20, 2009

Doug Brown, Winner of the 2009 Victim Services Award
Butler County Rape Crisis Program

May 18, 2009

Talawanda celebrates "Teacher Make A Difference"

The first annual Teacher Make A Difference Breakfast was held Friday, May 15, 2009 at Talawanda High School. Students submitted essays describing how a Talawanda teacher or staff member made a difference in their educational experience while attending the Talawanda School District. One elementary teacher, one middle school teacher, seven high school teachers and one high school educational assistant were selected to be honored based on essays written by high school students. The students whose essays were selected read the essay to their teacher at the Teacher Make A Difference Breakfast and presented them with an award and a copy of the essay.

Pictured are: (Back row L-R) Ted Caudill, Shawn Ashdown, Nadja Hofmann,Kyle Bush, Kodey Hopkins, Mark Mortine, Melissa Metzger, Nathan Bramble, Kevin Mason (Front Row:)  Emily Lykins, Catie Fisher, Katie Smith, Ruth Pettitt, Joey Schulte, Ashley Calvert, Ron Kidwell, Kayla Imhoff, Karen Hill, Rachel Grant, Heather Cole

May 14, 2009

TEA Honors Seven Retiring Teachers

Talawanda Education Association honored seven teachers yesterday who will be retiring at the end of the school year. From Left to Right, Kathy Tenney (25 years), Cathy Ciferri (30 years), Connie McLain (35 years), Sandy Corbin (35 years), Joy Abrams (35 years), Pam Termeer (35 years), and Sandy Huggins (40 years). Mary Anne Johnson (30 years) - not pictured.

May 14, 2009

Ten Talawanda High School Senior Athletes Commit To Colleges

Click here for full story.

May 7, 2009

Science Week

Talawanda will be hosting Science Week at Miami University again this year- May 11-15 for grades 1-5. This program is the brainchild of Dr. Mike Crowder, Professor of Chemistry at MU and is coordinated by Jeff Winslow, Talawanda's Science Instructional leader. Students will have a wide variety of hands-on experiences in the areas of Chemistry, Zoology, Microbiology, Botany, and Geology, as well as opportunities to visit the various science museums on Miami's campus.

May 5, 2009

Artist-in-Residence at Kramer Elementary School

News Release: Voss Finn to be Artist-in-Residence at Kramer Elementary School After nearly a year’s worth of planning, Kramer Elementary School will be hosting Cincinnati-area artist Voss Finn as its artist-in-residence May 4-15. During this two-week period, Kramer students will get to work with Mr. Finn during their art classes, and his residency will culminate with a permanent sculpture to be displayed on the school’s grounds.

Press Release

May 1, 2009

Dean Carine Feyten presents Kramer Elementary teacher, Pam Termeer, with Miami University's School of Education, Health and Society's Profound Impact Award

Mrs. Termeer was one of three Miami graduates whose distinguished achievements exemplify the difference that dedicated individuals can make in their communities and in the profession. Mrs. Termeer has been a first grade teacher at Kramer Elementary School for over 25 years. Over these years Mrs. Termeer has instilled her students with a positive school experience thus providing a strong foundation for the remaining years of their education. She is able to recognize and nurture children, empowering the child with pride in accomplishment and intrinsic motivation. In a world where so many teachers are simply " teaching to the test" Pam is going above and beyond the requirements of her job to create a rewarding, memorable and educational first grade experience.

April 28, 2009

Kindergarten Registration 2009-2010

Kindergarten Registration for the 2009-2010 School Year is going on now- please see the attached flyer . Kindergarten Screenings begin May 4, 2009.

April 27, 2009

TMS Destination Imagination Team Headed to Global Competition

Our TMS Destination Imagination Team, made up of Vilppu Anttila, Alex Hughes, Stephen Milders, and Matt Snell and managed by Peggy Hughes took FIRST place in their challenge, and are now moving on to the Global competition in Tennessee at the end of May!

Congratulations to this team! Please be sure to wish them well on their way to the world competition!!!

April 23, 2009

Community Input Meeting for the New High School Exterior Facade will be held Tuesday May 12, 2009.

Community Meeting Flyer

April 22, 2009

Board of Education Meeting/Crystal Apple Awards Meeting Update

The May 18 Board Of Education meeting/Crystal Apple presentation will be held at TMS, not Kramer.

April 22, 2009

Teacher Wins Southwest Ohio Outstanding Math Teacher of the Year Award

Congratulations to Judy Meicenheimer the Southwest Ohio Outstanding Math Teacher of the Year sponsored by the Ohio Council of Teachers of Mathematics. Judy, a 3rd grade teacher at Marshall will be one of 8 candidates considered for the Ohio Math Teacher of the year. She will receive her award a next fall's OCTM Conference.

Congratulation to the other Talawanda nominations; Greg Cawein at THS, Amanda Klee at TMS, Deb Hogue at Kramer, and Judy Hathaway at Bogan.

April 21, 2009

Teacher Invited to Convention of the National Council of Teachers of English

Congratulations to Jana Orwig, who has received an invitation to present at the 2009 Annual Convention of the National Council of Teachers of English to be held in November, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She will copresent with Dr. Tom Romano and Dr. Tammy Schwartz from Miami University.

April 20, 2009

A Unified Message for Prom and Graduation Parties

Parents play a major role in their children’s choices about alcohol, tobacco or other drugs. In a recent national survey of parents and teens by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, one-third of teen partygoers have been to parties where teens were drinking alcohol, smoking marijuana, or using cocaine, ecstasy or prescription drugs while a parent was present. By age 17, nearly half (46 percent) of teens have been at such parties where parents were present.

Drug-Free Action Alliance, Talawanda School District, Oxford Police Department, and the Coalition for a Healthy Community-Oxford are working together to bring the Parents Who Host, Lose The Most: Don’t be a party to teenage drinking public awareness campaign to the Oxford community to provide parents good information about the health risks and the legal consequences of providing alcohol to youth. The campaign encourages parents and the community to send a unified message at prom and graduation time that teen alcohol consumption is not acceptable.

Hosting a prom or graduation party where alcohol is available to underage youth is illegal and can pose serious health risks and legal ramifications for everyone involved. Parents should understand that taking away the car keys does not solve all of the problems related to underage drinking. Every day at least six youth under 21 die from non-driving alcohol-related causes, such as drowning and suicide; sexual activity and delinquent behaviors also increase with underage drinking. There are many heath-related consequences of youth consuming alcohol including negative effects on brain development, deviant behavior including stealing and skipping school and a greater risk of becoming alcohol-dependant later in life.

Parents who knowingly allow a person under age 21 to remain on their property while consuming or possessing alcoholic beverages can be prosecuted and face a jail sentence, fines and loss of property.

Adults providing alcohol to underage youth send a mixed message and can only add to a teenager’s confusion about the acceptability of drinking. They are also sending the message to teens that they do not have to obey the law. Research shows that most teenagers appreciate it when their parents set boundaries and establish expectations that are fairly enforced. Our youth deserve to live and grow to adulthood in an environment where alcohol is not misused. Let’s be unified in our message, and host alcohol-free parties with plenty of fun activities to show our youth that we care about their future.

If you questions about the campaign, please contact Amy Macechko, Talawanda School District Health & Wellness Coordinator, at 513.273.3390 or at macechkoa@talawanda.org.

Fact Sheet

April 6, 2009

Presentation at a High Schools that Work - Best Practices Showcase.

Photo- Linda Radke- Executive Director of HSTW, Sarah Smith, Beth Arnos, Beth Ziepfel, Molly Salmon- TMS teachers

The Way We Learn: An Instructional Framework for the Past, Present, & Future.

By using the "Gradual Release of Responsibility" framework, teachers at Talawanda Middle School feel this model has provided them with the instructional space needed to really teach kids where they are. They use short informational assessments to track student progress, then group them accordingly for guided practice, based on how much support they need. They also feel the GRR framework will work in all classrooms, across age, content and ability.

April 1, 2009

Talawanda Open Enrollment Applications Available for 2009-2010 School Year

Talawanda School District has opened the window for applications for Open Enrollment for the 2009-2010 school year. All applications must be returned to the Board of Education Office by Friday, June 12, 2009.

PLEASE NOTE: All applications must be returned in person. No mailed forms will be accepted. Any student who was accepted for Open Enrollment for the 2008-2009 school MUST REAPPLY.

Open Enrollment

Spring 2009 News Archive
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