Before the start of the lunch rush, Westerville South High School senior Curtis Wyglendowski claimed his spot in a booth along the side of the newly-renovated cafeteria, which opened its doors Wednesday. 

The dining space now features new lighting, refinished floors and updated seating throughout the area. 

The Westerville North High School’s boys soccer team had been hitting their practices hard with only one break in 14 days. The last Saturday in August gave them another chance to rest.

Then came the message from Coach Nate Hartnell just before the weekend:

“Hey boys, can you come help out Saturday?”

Senior Alex Lowery didn’t hesitate in his response. 

“Sure.”

The popular soil and erosion lessons with Linda Pettit, an environmental education specialist with the Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District, were virtual at Emerson Elementary last year because of the pandemic.

The conservation district’s Education team wanted to build off that experience by making the lessons more interactive and tested their new approach with Emerson students on Wednesday.

Hope Squad, a peer-to-peer suicide prevention program all Westerville high schools have implemented this fall, was recognized in a City of Westerville proclamation honoring National Suicide Prevention Month.

The school community at Wilder Elementary dedicated this week to building connections among students and staff and creating an inclusive environment.

As part of Wilder’s Start with Hello week festivities, students participated in daily lessons and activities that encouraged them to connect with their school community. They talked about ways to reach out to someone who is alone. They read books featuring themes of kindness and inclusion. They learned how to say hello in different languages. They created postcards to their “family” teacher, who serves as another adult they can connect with in addition to their home teacher.

Westerville North High School chemistry teacher Jeff Bracken has received the Great Blue Heron Award from the Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District. The award, which he received this month, recognizes outstanding contributions in natural resources and stream protection within Franklin County.

Tami Santa, Director of Mental Health & Wellness for Westerville City Schools, has been named the 2021 Advocate of the Year by the Ohio School Counselor Association.

Purchase tickets for Westerville Education Foundation’s StoryBall event on Oct. 23, which supports WEF’s mission and promises to be “an unforgettable night celebrating education in Westerville City Schools.”

Westerville South High School Troupe 513’s "Alice in Wonderland: the experience" has been rescheduled to Oct. 2 and 3.

The production, which is designed to be multi-sensory and provide an early theatrical experience for children of all ages, now runs noon Saturday, Oct. 2 and noon and 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 3. Tickets are $10 and district COVID protocols will be in place.

The students and staff at the Educational Options for Success (EOS) program kicked off their monthly celebrations of unique national recognition days with National Pepperoni Pizza Day on Sept. 20. 

The Westerville City School District is hosting the first of three Virtual Family Math Nights for families and guardians of elementary students 6-7 p.m. Oct. 4 via Zoom.

Sophie Sneeringer, a ninth-grader at Westerville Central High School, and her younger sister, Lena Sneeringer, an eighth-grader at Genoa Middle School, participated in a virtual mentorship experience in late August with leftchannel, a design consultant group focused on content in motion.