District News

The Westerville City Schools Board of Education will convene in a regular board meeting at 6 p.m. on Monday, May 23 at the district's Early Learning Center, 936 Eastwind Drive, in Westerville.

The United States Department of Agriculture waivers that have provided no-cost school meals to all students across the nation expire at the end of the school year. This means Westerville City School District families will have to resume paying for breakfast and lunch school meals when students return to class after summer break. 

The 2022 recipients of the One Westerville Scholarship are Leora Kayihura of Westerville Central High School, Maya Chaffin of Westerville North High School and Michael Donkor of Westerville South High School. Winners were announced at their respective Evening of Excellence events.

District alumni Janvier Ward and Maxx Ohakim speak highly of their days in Westerville City Schools and their love of the Westerville area community. Ward, a 2002 graduate of Westerville North High School, was known for her leadership as class vice president and as a member of numerous clubs, while Ohakim, a 2008 Westerville Central graduate, was known for her prowess on the basketball court. 

When a group of juniors at Westerville North High School considered what change they’d want to see in their school, they focused their efforts on mental health and surveyed their peers to get a pulse on the issues they are currently facing. 

Wilder Elementary’s equity team has steadily been building its efforts to create a more equitable school community.

The Genoa Middle School eighth-graders approached Westerville Central High School for a building tour on Wednesday — months before they launch their high school career as a freshman in the fall.

Westerville City School District families interested in learning how to support their Black students can join the Westerville Black Parents Association (WBPA), a collective of parents and educators who advocate for and support Black students and families to enhance the overall well-being, experience, and outcome of the district's Black students.

Eight Westerville Central High School seniors who have chosen to enlist in the military following graduation were honored in the school’s annual Military Signing Day on Wednesday.

Kim Murray, a Spanish teacher at Genoa Middle School, Ashley Kellogg, a fourth-grade teacher at Fouse Elementary, and Kristy Hageman, a third-grade teacher at Alcott Elementary have been named Westerville Education Foundation’s (WEF) April Teachers of the Month.

Caley Nestor Baker, coordinator of Gifted Education and Professional Development at Westerville City Schools, has been recently elected as President-Elect of the Ohio Association for Gifted Children’s governing board.

The Westerville South High School Wildcat Jazz Band and Orchestra received Superior ratings and earned first place at King Island’s Festival of Music showcase on May 14.

Patty Blanchong, a secretary at Huber Ridge Elementary, has been named the Westerville Educational Support Staff Association’s Staff Member of the Month for May.

Seven more Westerville City Schools seniors recently signed their letter of intent for a collegiate sport.

Jay Martin, an eighth-grader at Walnut Springs Middle School, will be published in the 2022 edition of Flip the Page, Central Ohio’s Teen Literary Journal published by the Thurber House.

Blendon Middle School Language Arts teacher Lee Rutherford and award-winning author Clint Smith held a virtual fireside chat to discuss Smith’s best-selling book, “How the Word is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America” on May 17.

The students and staff at the Academic Enrichment Center capped off their monthly celebrations of unique national recognition days with National Chocolate Chip Day on Monday. 

Westerville community members interested in being part of Leadership Westerville Class of 2023 can apply now through Aug. 10.

Westerville South High School senior Ama Oppong-Brago dedicated her speech during the school’s annual Evening of Excellence ceremony Thursday night to identity and how she has grown during her time in Westerville City Schools.

Westerville South High School senior Bella Price and Westerville North High School freshman William Baumann received best acting honors during the 2022 CAPA Marquee High School Musical Theatre Awards on May 10.

Fourteen Westerville South High School seniors pursuing degrees in the arts were honored in the school’s annual Fine Arts Signing Day on Wednesday.

Hawthorne Elementary’s Coding Club wrapped up the school year on Wednesday with a showcase to parents of what members accomplished during their meetings after school.

Pointview Elementary kindergarten teacher TJ Potterf stood at the top of the playset, preparing to release the Painted Lady butterflies that recently hatched in her classroom.

Westerville North High School students got a glimpse of life during the racial segregation era after a recent virtual Q&A with Jimmy Raye, the first Black quarterback from the South to win a National Championship when he played for Michigan State in 1966.

Fourth-graders at Emerson Elementary have been reading “A Long Walk to Water,”  which is based on the true story of one of the 3,800 Sudanese “Lost Boys” airlifted to the United States beginning in mid-1990s. 

The Westerville North High School community raised $4,594 for the Friends of Faith Pruden Foundation as part of its Faith’s Spirit Week and the Strike Out Cancer baseball and softball round-robin on April 30.

Whittier Elementary fourth-grader Brady Schanken approached his teacher, Caitlin Florek, with a proposal last fall: he wanted to spend his 15 minutes of quiet time in class writing a play.

The Hope Squads at all three Westerville high schools hosted events this week to welcome potential new student leaders for the 2022-23 school year.

The eighth-graders at Blendon Middle School got a jumpstart to the school’s annual trip to Washington, D.C. with a visit from an Ohio lawmaker they’d typically seek out while visiting the U.S. Capitol Building. 

Since November, members of Westerville North High School’s Young Feminist Club have been crafting letters to their younger selves, offering the advice and encouragement they would have given themselves about their body image and self-worth. 

Michele Bertus, an intervention specialist at Wilder Elementary, is the recipient of the 2021-22 Special Education Professional Award by the Westerville Area Civitan Club.

Seven Westerville Central High School seniors pursuing degrees in the arts were honored in the school’s annual Fine Arts Signing Day on May 5.

Emilea Gilbert and Julianna Trudden, both eighth-grade students at Genoa Middle School and Fraser Hartnell, a sixth-grader at Walnut Springs Middle School, will represent Westerville City Schools in the National History Day contest from June 12 to 16. 

Westerville Caring & Sharing will be offering school supplies for qualifying students for the 2022-23 school year.

Two Westerville City Schools seniors were recently awarded “Service Above Self” scholarships from the Rotary Club of Westerville for their active involvement in both school and the community.

The Rotary Club of Westerville recognized its May 2022 Student of the Month during its monthly meeting on May 5.

Blendon Middle School band and choir students received a Superior rating and earned eight trophies, including a Grand Champion trophy for the school’s choir, at King Island’s Festival of Music showcase on April 30.

Four Westerville students are among the winners in the Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District's annual conservation poster contest.

The Westerville Fred Astaire Dance Studio is hosting an open house for Westerville City Schools high school juniors, seniors and graduates interested in learning about the studio’s internship program. 

The Westerville community is invited to support the Youth Yoga Project (YYP) in its bid for a $25,000 grant from the State Farm Neighborhood Assist program. 

Save money on your back-to-school supplies and clothing by shopping during Ohio’s annual sales tax holiday, which starts midnight Friday, Aug. 5 and runs through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 7.

The newest member of the Wildcat family will make its debut on Monday at the side of social worker and mental health specialist Noelle Spriestersbach.

The second meeting of Westerville Central High School’s Black female student empowerment group recently gathered to continue a conversation many of them don’t typically voice out loud.

The students in Juls Rathje’s art classes at Genoa and Heritage middle schools have spent the past week diving into Ukrainian culture by taking part in a springtime tradition of decorating Easter eggs known as pysanky.

Westerville South High School added three members to its 2022 Alumni Hall of Fame at a special ceremony Friday.

The third annual Dr. Tombaugh Dash – Family 5K & Fun Run, created in honor of former Westerville City Schools Superintendent and fitness enthusiast Dr. George Tombaugh, will be June 19.

Westerville high schools earned high marks in the annual U.S. News & World Report Best High Schools Rankings, which was published on Tuesday.

Ohio Rep. Mary Lightbody stopped by multiple classrooms at Westerville South High School, Blendon Middle School and Walnut Springs this week to greet students and connect with teachers.

Brandi Pullins, a secretary at the Academic Enrichment Center, has been named the Westerville Educational Support Staff Association’s Staff Member of the Month for April.

Columbus State Community College will be holding the virtual College Credit Plus Kickoff orientation for new CCP students for the 2022 summer semester.

Pointview Elementary has been certified and named a Leader in Me Lighthouse School by FranklinCovey Education, which recognizes the school’s work in championing leadership among students.

Westerville City School District residents can help shape the future goals and priorities of the Westerville Public Library by filling out an online survey.

The end of an academic year sometimes brings about change to a school district’s leadership team, particularly at the building level. With the opening of Minerva France Elementary next August, followed by Minerva Park Middle School in 2023-24, several schools will welcome new leadership team members next year.

Westerville Central High School senior Janiyah Brooks started the school year worried about how she was going to graduate. 

The walls throughout Westerville North High School have long celebrated students for their academic and athletic achievements, as well as their contributions as a Warrior.

Two Westerville North High School seniors who have chosen to enlist in the United States Marine Corps following graduation were honored in the school’s annual Military Signing Day on Wednesday.

Those who attended Westerville City Schools’ first-ever Westerville Prepared event on Wednesday are invited to share their feedback in an online form here. People who complete the survey will be entered into a drawing for a $25 gift card.

Feedback will be helpful in planning next year’s Westerville Prepared event.

Chrissie Eshenbaugh, a speech/language pathologist at Huber Ridge Elementary, Andrea Heilman, a third-grade teacher at Hawthorne Elementary and Tammy Waterstreet, a first-grade teacher at Wilder Elementary, have been named Westerville Education Foundation’s (WEF) March Teachers of the Month.

Dr. Erin Nealon, who graduated from Westerville Central High School in 2008, was inducted as the 10th member of the high school’s Alumni Hall of Fame at a special ceremony Friday. 

Candi Bartlett, an intervention specialist at Westerville South High School, and Elizabeth Wolfgang, a school counselor at Wilder Elementary, have been named neighborhood bridges’ Advocates of the Year for the 2021-22 school year. 

The theatre programs at all three Westerville high schools have all received nominations for the 2022 CAPA Marquee High School Musical Theatre Awards.

Westerville children and teens can submit artwork for the Youth Art & Craft Exhibit at the 47th annual Westerville Area Chamber of Commerce Music & Arts Festival.

Westerville Central and Westerville South high schools took top honors against central Ohio teams in the Ohio Capital Conference Battle of the Books competition. WCHS won the event while WSHS placed third. 

Westerville South High School’s Troupe 513 was honored at the Ohio State Thespian Conference last month at Westerville Central High School.

Westerville City Schools teachers and students traveled to Central America and Europe over spring break — the first international tours organized by district educators since the pandemic started.

Since the start of April, fourth-grade students at Emerson Elementary have been meeting each week in small reading groups, poring over picture books that dive into cultures and traditions much different from their own and reflecting on what they’ve read through discussions.

Westerville North High School senior Ellie Bernard recently signed her letter of intent to cheer at Bowling Green State University.

The Ohio Department of Education is now accepting requests from families to establish Afterschool Child Enrichment (ACE) Educational Savings Accounts. 

For the 10th consecutive year, Westerville City Schools has received the Auditor of State Award with Distinction — a rare feat among the 6,000 public entities audited by the state.

Elementary students can weigh in on two possible new menu items for the 2022-23 school year. 

Westerville Central High School has been awarded a Purple Star designation for its commitment to serving military families, a renewal of an honor the school received from the Ohio Department of Education in 2019.

Westerville North High School alum Sophia Soisson is leaving their mark in the district — one mural at a time. 

The Rotary Club of Westerville recognized its April 2022 Student of the Month during an April 14 meeting.

Five Westerville City School District seniors signed their letter of intent for a collegiate sport on Wednesday.

Barbara Wallace, whose more than 30 years in education have been dedicated to serving Westerville City School District students, is retiring at the end of the school year from her position as the district’s Executive Director of Elementary Schools.

The Westerville Branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW), with cooperation from the WCS Gifted Education Department, has awarded eight $325 partial scholarships to the Be WISE Camp at Muskingum University in New Concord, Ohio this summer.

Nine Westerville City Schools students received top honors in the 2021-22 Ohio PTA Reflections award program, which recognizes student achievement in literature, music, dance, film production, photography, music composition and visual arts.

The Kiwanis Club of Westerville recognized the top 10 graduates from Westerville Central, North and South high schools on Wednesday as part of its 60th annual Academic Varsity Awards.

Westerville North High School added three members to its 2022 Alumni Hall of Fame at a special ceremony Friday.

Oscar Oppermann, a kindergarten student in Lindsey Gamertsfelder’s class at Annehurst Elementary, proposed the winning theme for the Rotary Club of Westerville’s 2022 Independence Day Parade: “Star-Spangled and Strong.”

Anna McCracken, a sixth-grader at Walnut Springs Middle School, competed in the Mathematical Association of America’s American Mathematics Competition 8 — the middle school level competition — and scored a 17, which falls in the top 10% of test-takers. She also made the Achievement Roll, an award for high-scoring students in grades 6 and below.

The OhioHealth Sexual Assault Response Network of Central Ohio (SARNCO) has partnered with 10 Central Ohio school districts, including Westerville City Schools, to offer a webinar series that explores the critical aspects of relationships.

If Heritage Middle School is to foster equity within its walls and across its classrooms, building leaders and educators know a large piece of that work involves a particular group: its students.

Jack Brown, a district volunteer who has helped organize science festivals in Westerville for years, is hosting a Westerville booth during the upcoming COSI Science Festival in May and has invited high school students to join him.

The production crew behind Cherrington Elementary’s “Cherrington Live” show spent Monday during lunch and recess preparing for this week’s segments. 

Fifth-graders Andrew Ruark and Miles Vidourek reviewed scripts and edited the videos while Mathilda Morneau recorded news anchor Sofia Hassan’s opening for an upcoming show.

Westerville North High School freshman Abigail McLaughlin earned first prize in an essay contest as part of the New Albany Community Foundation’s Student Lecture featuring Olympic medalist and FIFA World Cup champion Abby Wambach.

Two paintings created by Westerville South High School senior Diana Atieh will be featured in the 52nd Ohio Governor’s Youth Art Exhibition, which opens April 24 at the Rhodes State Office Tower in Columbus.

Brittany Rojas, an English Learners paraprofessional at Westerville Central High School, has been named the Westerville Educational Support Staff Association’s Staff Member of the Month for March.

Three Heritage Middle School students are competing in the virtual District 7 Science Day on Saturday hosted by Columbus State Community College.

Students in Lindy Butler’s second-grade class at Wilder Elementary spent Thursday and Friday putting into practice one of her biggest lessons: If you know it, you should be able to explain it.

Westerville North High School senior Ben Landis is headed to the SkillsUSA Ohio State Championship in May to compete in the Automotive Service competition. 

Westerville North High School senior Nia McCurdy’s artwork submission for COSI’s Super Hero Art Contest will be on display at the science museum and research center starting April 25.

The Mock Trial teams at Genoa, Heritage and Walnut Springs middle schools came together at the City of Westerville’s City Council chambers on March 24 to practice for the upcoming Mock Trial competition. 

Students in Heritage Middle School’s National Junior Honor Society have raised $2,300 in 14 days for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and to show their support for Allina Green, a Heritage staff member whose daughter is currently undergoing chemotherapy treatments for leukemia. 

More than 150 Westerville elementary and middle school students participated in the Westerville City School District’s 16th Annual LEGO Competition.

The sixth-graders in advanced math classes at Westerville City Schools’ middle schools were issued the same challenge: create a container to ship a single Pringles potato chip to Caley Nestor Baker, coordinator of Gifted Education and Professional Development at the district’s office in the Early Learning Center.

The latest episode of Kelley Stocker’s Government Girl podcast takes a new approach to explaining the biggest news stories through the lens of a high school government course. 

For years, Westerville North High School’s annual Warrior Way Leadership Summit has served as a way for student leaders across the building to foster relationships, build a community and provide an example of how students treat each other. 

More than 40 Westerville South High School students were recognized as “Cats with Class,” a long-standing WSHS tradition that honors students who demonstrate kindness and good school citizenship.

After a one-year hiatus due to the pandemic, robotics at Emerson Elementary is back. 

Walnut Springs Middle School’s Student Council hosted its first-ever student/staff volleyball tournament last week to raise money for a school-wide bathroom beautification project.

Since Monday, Westerville City Schools educators across the district have launched activities as part of the nationwide Say Something Week, which emphasizes the importance of learning warning signs that lead to violence and knowing how to “say something” to a trusted adult to get help.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, the Bette Marschall Education Fund of The Columbus Foundation will not award monetary grants during the spring of the 2021-22 school year.  

Students from Genoa and Walnut Springs middle schools represented Westerville City Schools by participating in the Region 6 Ohio History Day Competition on March 12, which was held virtually this year.  

The Rotary Club of Westerville recognized its March 2022 Student of the Month during a March 3 meeting.

Westerville South High School senior Ashton Mellquist is headed to the Business Professionals of America (BPA) National Leadership Conference in May in Dallas after placing first in the Fundamental Spreadsheet Applications at the BPA State Leadership Conference.

For years, Westerville South High School senior Abdullah Alobeidi has worked more than 40 hours a week at his father’s automotive body repair shop, getting hands-on experience in an industry he’d like to pursue once he graduates.

Westerville Parent Council and Roush Honda have announced the recipients of the 2021-22 Great Educator Mentor (GEM) Award, which is presented to individuals who go the extra mile to make a positive impact in the classroom and schools.

Westerville City Schools Food Services Department launched its first taste test of potential menu items for elementary students at Alcott Elementary on Thursday.

Westerville South High School senior Lillian Malone wanted to make her mark on a place that has been so special to her: Fouse Elementary.

As part of her Take Action project for the Global Scholars Diploma program, she donated 40 children’s books that feature diverse stories to kindergarten and first-grade classrooms.

Westerville South High School teachers Kelley Stocker and Jenny Freshly, as well as five of their students, were among local high school educators and students who attended the Columbus Bar Foundation’s "Preserving Our Democracy" civics education event Thursday at the Greater Columbus Convention Center.

Four Westerville North High School seniors signed letters of intent for a collegiate sport this week.

Sarah Flagler, an English Learners teacher at Annehurst Elementary, and Tonia Tombaugh, a kindergarten teacher at Longfellow Elementary, have been named Westerville Education Foundation’s (WEF) February Teachers of the Month.

The fourth annual Diabetes Dash 5K Run/Walk originally organized by Westerville North High School student Ryan Washburn is July 24 at the Westerville Sports Complex. 

Middle and high school students interested in exploring math topics can participate in free, virtual workshops with the Ohio State University Department of Mathematics each month.

The inaugural group of girls in the new Ruling Our Experiences (ROX) program at Westerville North High School has been exploring topics to help them navigate their own relationships, experiences and decisions.

The art teachers at Hawthorne Elementary and Genoa and Heritage middle schools are introducing their students to Oaxacan folk art as part of their first-ever art exchange across the district.

Bev Davis, a secretary at Westerville South High School, has been named the Westerville Educational Support Staff Association’s Staff Member of the Month for February.

Seven Blendon Middle School students in Jamie Bouscher’s sixth grade English Language Arts class are now published authors. They include: Belle Van Dop, Bailey Cavener, Mattea Panzera-Cochran, Colleen Gates, Harper Hahn, Levi Dew and Salma Shukri.

Westerville City School students headed for international education trips with Westerville Central High School physical science and biology teacher Becky Rollo prepared for their upcoming visits with snorkeling lessons from Captain Rick's Diving Adventures last weekend.

Westerville South High School’s Symphony and Concert Orchestras earned a “1" — or Superior — rating at the Ohio Music Education Association’s State Orchestra event Feb. 25 and 26 at Granville High School. This is the first Superior for the concert orchestra since 2014.

Westerville North High School’s Black History Month Door Contest led to some surprise exchanges and visits.

Throughout the year, Hawthorne Elementary’s PTO and school leaders have hosted appreciation events to show their support for their staff.

Dr. Garrett Carter, an assistant principal at Westerville South High School, was featured in a profile story for the University of Cincinnati, where he received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services (CECH).

The Westerville South High School students — all Black girls — were asked to answer the question on the SMART board: What are the lies society tells us about ourselves?

To improve equity, access and inclusion at Westerville North High School, school leaders and teachers have asked their students to weigh in on their experiences, sharing how they’ve felt at school and what they’ve noticed.

All across the district, Westerville City Schools educators hosted speakers, launched activities, decorated buildings and engaged students with a variety of lessons in honor of Black History Month.

Hanby Elementary launched its first lacrosse unit this week thanks to a grant from USA Lacrosse, which provided a classroom set of equipment — worth up to $800 — for physical education teacher Alisa Franklin.

Lisa Lunn, a sixth-grade social studies teacher at Genoa Middle School, is among five Ohio educators selected for a national professional development webinar series sponsored by National History Day this spring. 

MathCounts teams at Blendon and Walnut Springs middle schools recently competed at the regional chapter competition on Feb. 17, vying for an opportunity to advance to the state competition. 

Westerville North High School senior Maya Chaffin is among 12 students who have been selected as a Zonta Club of Columbus Outstanding Young Women in Central Ohio for 2022. 

Westerville City Schools students will be featured during The Arts Council of Westerville’s sold-out WesterBall 2022 event on Feb. 26 at The Point at Otterbein University. 

Shira Baumann, an eighth-grader at Blendon Middle School, has been selected to have an original piece published in a poetry anthology, “Pandemic Poetry - Words Of Inspiration.” 

Girls wrestling in Westerville has been marked with many firsts this year.

Prior to this season, Westerville North High School had not had more than one girl wrestler. This year, five girls are wrestling for the team.

Meanwhile, Westerville South High School’s wrestling team added two girls this year for the first time.

Deanna McDaniel, a media specialist at Genoa Middle School, is one of 30 educators in the country selected to participate in Revolutionary Ideals, a unique opportunity this summer to study the American Revolution and Founding Era in Providence, Rhode Island.

The Westerville South High School Marching Band will be performing in the Magic Kingdom Parade Feb. 19 at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla. 

During their visit, students and chaperones will visit Disney World, Animal Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

Three Westerville Central High School students were selected to participate in the second annual Ohio Wesleyan Music Festival on Feb. 11 and 12.

Anna McCracken, a sixth-grade student at Walnut Springs Middle School, has been honored as one of the brightest students in the world by the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY).

Equity facilitators across Westerville City Schools participated in World Read Aloud Day on Feb. 2, where they read books that highlighted the many cultures and diversity of the district’s students. Afterward, they participated in conversations about acceptance, kindness, and empathy.

Jordi Vilanova, a music teacher at Walnut Springs Middle School; Kim Iatonna, a second-grade teacher at Robert Frost Elementary and the special education team as well as the eighth-grade football and basketball coaches at Heritage Middle School -- Jennifer Tyler, Adam Wirick, Carmen Dobbins, Deborah Braxton, Shannon Johnson, Liz Fanning Miller, Samantha Secrest, Lamar Wakefield, Mike Mays, Bobby Mitchell and Jimmy Goines. All have been named Westerville Education Foundation’s January Teachers of the Month.

Blendon Middle School counselors Amy Weinrich and Marcia Childs celebrated National School Counseling Week with a series of activities this week.

Dozens of Westerville North High School students participated in a live lecture with Olympic medalist and FIFA World Cup champion Abby Wambach on Wednesday, where the soccer icon addressed mental health and wellness.

Westerville parents and community members can learn more about the district’s ongoing initiatives, upcoming priorities, and plans to follow through on work that was interrupted due to the pandemic in a new video series the district launched this month.

Students in Westerville Central High School’s Medical Intervention class recently explored gene therapy as a way to potentially treat genetic disorders. As a part of the unit, students completed a new genome editing lab involving the CRISPR-Cas9 system. CRISPR-Cas9 is a way that scientists can “cut and paste” within the genome, similar to a word processing system. This allows scientists to potentially remove mutations and replace them with the desired DNA sequences.

Westerville Central High School senior Alyssa Boyd is one of 5,000 students across the nation who has been named a candidate in the U.S. Presidential Scholars program.

Tyler O’Reilly, a senior at Westerville South High School, was among 13 Central Ohio high school football players honored for their achievements in the classroom, football field and community Monday by the Columbus Chapter of the National Football Foundation (NFF) and College Hall of Fame.

The Ellis E. Woodrow Memorial Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 7883 recognized the winners of the 2021-22 Voice of Democracy and Patriot’s Pen essay contests — both of which are VFW’s annual essay contests.

Through the Ohio Governor’s Imagination Library, kids can receive a book each month until their 5th birthday. Thanks to a partnership with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, and various local affiliates, this program is available at no cost to families.

.All kids in Ohio are eligible. Caregivers can enroll their kids at the Ohio Imagination Library website.

As students settled into the art classroom at Hawthorne Elementary, art teacher Liz Bash set the stage for class on Monday.

The clay, collage, drawing and painting studios were open, she told them. 

Westerville North High School added four members to its Athletics Hall of Fame prior to the Jan. 28 basketball game against Westerville South High School.

Darren McNeil, an eighth-grade student at Walnut Springs Middle School, has been diving into the computer sciences thanks to a mentorship with Linear 1 Technologies, a telecommunications service provider, and Linear Custom Computer Hardware & Repair, a computer service company — both of which are based in Marysville.  

The Huber Ridge Elementary fifth-graders in Kaylee Reese’s class celebrated their kindergarten buddies’ 100th day of school milestone with a weekly practice that has become special to them: yoga.

Five more Westerville City Schools seniors recently signed their letter of intent for a collegiate sport.

Westerville South High School senior Kyra Lesmerises received a Gold Key — the highest honor — in the 2022 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards Midwest Region-at-Large. 

The Rotary Club of Westerville recognized its February 2022 Student of the Month during a Feb. 3 meeting.

Starting Feb. 1, Westerville City Schools will cover the $2.75 convenience fee currently paid by parents per transaction when using the EZPay online system to take care of student fees, activity fees, school meals and other fees. 

Tariq Tarey, a Columbus-based documentary photographer who has talked about the refugee experience before European Union leaders and Ohio policymakers, presented to an audience he’s never addressed before: kindergarten students.

Westerville North High School senior Grace Freeman was among the student performers at the 2022 MLK Day Open House Celebration presented by the King Arts Complex on Jan. 17. 

For five years, Hawthorne Elementary instructional aide Rey Phillips was sitting on drafts of children’s stories he had envisioned for a book series. 

At the start of the pandemic, he returned to his stories, working with editors and finding an illustrator to bring his characters to life.

Last month, Phillips self-published the first of his 10-book series on Amazon: “Lil Bishop Goes to the Library.”

If there was a word (or words) that served as a daily reminder of a goal, a dream or what matters most, what would that be?

The responses varied among students at Westerville Central High School: Energy. Breathe. Hope. Resiliency. Transcendence.

The student and staff team at Westerville South High School’s media center is playing matchmaker through the end of February, connecting students with stories and authors they may not have read or considered reading before. 

As part of the Blind Date with a Book initiative, students can select books wrapped in newspapers without knowing the story hidden underneath.

Westerville North High School senior Maya Chaffin is the recipient of the 2022 MLK Fouse Award, which was announced during the 17th annual Westerville Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration on Monday. 

The Hope Squads at all three Westerville high schools are launching Hope Week at their buildings, promoting hope, spreading kindness and raising awareness about suicide prevention.

The Westerville City School District (WCSD) is expanding its All-Day Kindergarten (ADK) program for the 2022-23 academic year. As a result, any student offered a seat in the program via lottery will be able to remain at their home school of attendance to participate. 

Westerville City Schools’ Career Tech & College Readiness office has resources available to help Westerville students and parents better understand the new Ohio graduation requirements for the Class of 2023 and beyond.

Maryann Blankenship, a first-grade teacher at Cherrington Elementary; TJ Potterf, a kindergarten teacher at Pointview Elementary; and Katie Summers, an intervention specialist at the Early Learning Center have been named Westerville Education Foundation’s December Teachers of the Month.

Newly-elected board member Kristy Meyer and re-elected board members Tracy Davidson and Dr. Nancy Nestor-Baker were sworn into office of the Westerville City Schools Board of Education at an organizational/regular meeting on Jan. 10. 

Westerville City School District Board of Education members approved the following 2022 meeting calendar during their Jan. 11 organizational meeting.

The Young Feminist Club is marking its return to Westerville North High School this year by taking on a project that aims to engage and empower their younger peers across the community.

Westerville City Schools is taking steps to move its schools towards becoming trauma-informed and resilience-focused spaces, starting with a series of trainings this year that equip educators and school staff with tools to better understand and support students.

Westerville South High School senior Tyler Zwick saw college as an opportunity to break cycles and create a future filled with promise and hope. 

As a first-generation college student, he worried about the cost of tuition, how he was going to get to school and whether he’d be good enough to get in. 

The new recess monitors at Huber Ridge Elementary started this week, quickly immersing themselves among their charges — all of the school’s first-graders.

McVay Elementary joins more than 70 schools across Central Ohio — and the first in Westerville — to receive a donation from the Harper’s Corner Foundation, a local nonprofit aimed at providing more books focused on equity, diversity, and inclusion to school libraries.

The Rotary Club of Westerville recognized its January 2022 Students of the Month during a Jan. 6 meeting.

The Westerville City School District (WCSD) is preparing to begin the registration process for its next kindergarten class. School officials look forward to meeting new families and greeting returning families.

Recycling bins to start a school recycling program, more diverse books for school and classroom libraries, and math games during indoor recess are among the 16 proposals awarded funding from the recent Westerville Education Foundation (WEF) grant cycle. 

Choir groups from Westerville’s three high schools came together for a special performance in front of Westerville City Hall on Friday, Dec. 10, marking the return of an event that started before the pandemic.

Students in eight Westerville schools received top honors in the 2021-22 WCSD PTA Reflections award program, which recognizes student achievement in literature, music, dance, film production, photography, music composition and visual arts. Students who earned first place awards will move on to the state competition.

Barbara McBee, a second-grade teacher at Whittier Elementary; Cathy Monteiro, a reading teacher at Hanby Elementary; and Jenn Steinher, a second-grade teacher at Emerson Elementary have been named Westerville Education Foundation’s December Teachers of the Month.

Sarah Novak, an intervention specialist at Heritage Middle School, is one of 100 educators across the world recognized by the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) as part of the organization’s 100th-anniversary celebration. 

The Westerville City School District Board of Education at its Dec. 13 meeting honored outgoing board member Rev. Rick Vilardo with a resolution of appreciation for his service.

Vilardo, whose term expires Dec. 31, served eight years on the school board, including two years as president and two years as vice president. 

Donors from organizations including Neighborhood Bridges, American Regent Collection and a local health care facility provided gifts and gift cards for more than 400 Westerville City Schools students.

Throughout the district, Westerville students and staff have raised thousands of dollars to support more than 600 children in need during the holidays through Westerville Caring and Sharing. 

After months of planning and raising money, the members of Walnut Springs Middle School’s Student Council got to work on the service project they had envisioned since the start of the year.

Earlier this month, students made 32 blankets for My Very Own Blanket, a nonprofit dedicated to providing handmade blankets to children in foster care. 

The sixth-graders in advanced math classes at Genoa Middle School were issued the same challenge: create a container to ship a single Pringles potato chip to Caley Nestor Baker, coordinator of Gifted Education and Professional Development at the district’s office in the Early Learning Center.

Tom Dickson, who served as superintendent of Westerville City Schools during the 1980s, passed away in Bozeman, Montana on Nov. 30 due to complications from Alzheimer’s.

Heritage Middle School language arts teacher Kellie Sheely kicks off class with a children’s picture book, reading aloud stories her sixth-grade students may not have heard of when they were younger. 

The students in Juls Rathje’s art classes at Genoa and Heritage middle schools wanted to offer messages of hope, well wishes and love to patients and families at Mount Carmel St. Ann’s Hospital.

With bright colors and bold typography, they kept the messages on the cards they designed for them simple: “Have Hope.” “You are loved.” “Believe.” “No matter the storm, there’s always light.”

First-grade students at McVay Elementary raised $4,000 last week to purchase clothes and toys for children in the Westerville Caring and Sharing program. 

The annual fundraiser and service-learning project — now in its tenth year — featured Spare Change Week, where students donated change throughout the week (pennies and nickels on Monday, dimes on Tuesday, quarters on Wednesday and dollars on Thursday).

With their last meeting before winter break, the members of Huber Ridge Elementary’s Student Council had a project to finish for their first big event this school year.

The student leaders in Blendon Middle School’s Where Everybody Belongs (WEB) program have a gift for all their peers to celebrate the halfway mark of the school year.

Next week, they will distribute goodie bags filled with candy and other treats to all Blendon students. WEB leaders came up with the idea at their meeting last month and the school’s PTA donated money to purchase items for the bags.

Four Westerville North High School students earned seats in the Ohio Music Education Association’s (OMEA) South-Central Region Orchestra, which is comprised of talented high school musicians from three OMEA regional districts throughout central and southern Ohio.

A team of Westerville City Schools drivers, along with friends and family members, participated in the Westerville Lions Club annual Westerville Children's Christmas Parade last week. The group used a bus, two vans and a service truck to simulate Santa’s sleigh, reindeers and Rudolph. The vehicles were decorated and the bus featured artwork by Hanby Elementary students.

Westerville City Schools is receiving national accolades for its most recent Popular Annual Financial Reporting (PAFR), a document that provides an overview of the district’s finances in a user-friendly approach for the community and other interested parties.

Westerville community partners, civic leaders and Westerville City Schools officials honored the district’s 34 nurses and health aides at a surprise gathering Wednesday at Westerville South High School.

Kennedy Clark, a third-grader at Robert Frost Elementary, was recognized as a Kindness Hero this week for organizing a fruit stand that raised more than $3,000 for Westerville Christian Church’s Friday Fare program. The service provides food bags to WCSD children so they don’t go hungry over the weekend.

The Rotary Club of Westerville recognized its December 2021 Students of the Month during a Dec. 2 meeting. Throughout the school year, from October through May, the Club honors four students from local high schools each month.

Several Westerville North High School students spent Thanksgiving morning volunteering with Community Refugee & Immigration Services (CRIS) to distribute food and toys to residents at Abbey Lane Apartments — home to many Somali families and families of other English Learners in the district.

All of Wilder Elementary has been showing just how thankful they are for each other.

Throughout the week, Emerson Elementary students explored different countries and cultures by hearing stories, learning dances and sampling food with local tour guides.

Westerville VFW Post 7783 purchased a pair of shoelaces for all students at Hanby Elementary, which is in the home stretch of its Shoe Tying Challenge.

To show students how a community takes care of its own, Hawthorne Elementary staff organized its first school-wide service project on Saturday.

The Westerville South High School Marching Band, conducted by band director John Laswell, received a Superior rating at the Ohio Music Education Association (OMEA) State Marching Band Contest held at Medina High School this month.

The Westerville community is invited to donate and cast their vote for their favorite of three Westerville City Schools classroom grant proposals for the Westerville Education Foundation’s first-ever Golden Butterfly Award. 

Schools across Westerville City School District celebrated Veterans Day in various ways, from producing videos to honor those who served in the military to creating informative displays.

From the classrooms to the school walls, messages of kindness and being kind have been sprinkled all across Robert Frost Elementary as students and staff celebrated World Kindness Day on Friday.

To spread kindness at Walnut Springs Middle School, eighth-grader Avamarie Hedrick focused her Eagle Scout project on creating a positive space for her peers.

In the first wave of National Signing Days which run through April, six Westerville City Schools seniors signed their letter of intent for a collegiate sport on Wednesday.

Twelve band students at Genoa and Heritage middle schools will perform in the Ohio Music Education Association District 15 Middle School Honor Band at a free public performance 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 20 in Thomas Worthington High School’s auditorium.

Twelve members of Westerville South High School’s Troupe 513 were honored at the Ohio Fall Thespian Conference on Nov. 6 at Westerville Central High School.

Diane Arko, a science teacher at Westerville Central High School; Marcus Lingrell, a teacher at Westerville North High School; Emily Swank, an English teacher at Westerville South High School; and Steve Rovtar, a science teacher at the Academic Enrichment Center have been named Westerville Education Foundation’s November Teachers of the Month.

Fourth-graders Archana Khanal, Shubhraketan Kanmury and Irika Shukla brought the Diwali celebration to Emerson Elementary last week, showing their peers how to make crafts and introducing them to Indian treats.

The students in Mara Katz’s fourth-grade class at Emerson Elementary dove into the world of fossils on Monday thanks to a virtual classroom visit from Dr. Briana Pobiner, an archeologist, research scientist and museum educator for the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C.

Westerville City School District has launched a new resource to help parents, caregivers and staff members better understand the district’s COVID-19 processes and protocols.

The students in Heather Alexander’s fifth-grade class paraded out of Whittier Elementary Monday morning armed with clipboards, paper and markers.

Seniors pursuing their International Baccalaureate diploma held court in Westerville South High School’s media center Thursday, stationed at tables where they explored questions such as: “What role does imagination play in producing knowledge about the world?”, “What features of knowledge have an impact on its reliability?”, “To what extent is certainty attainable?” 

Five Westerville City School high school seniors have been named School Winners in the Heisman High School Scholarship program, which honors outstanding scholar-athletes who make a difference in their schools and communities.

The Rotary Club of Westerville recognized its November 2021 Students of the Month during a Nov. 4 meeting.

For five years, Westerville South High School’s Student Council has kept a fund of excess dollars to be used once the building’s renovation project has been completed.

With the money, student council members could decide what personal touches they’d like to add to their new spaces such as adding plants or flowers on the school grounds to welcome students and community members.

Westerville Central High School’s Key Club has been named “Outstanding Youth Group” by the Delaware County Foundation during its Evening of Generosity on Oct. 20.

Blendon Middle School was one of three schools in Ohio to receive an award for their Ohio School Counselor Accountability Report (OSCAR), which highlights the school counseling team’s achievements and impact on students.

It won’t be hard to miss the artwork by Alcott Elementary’s third-, fourth- and fifth-grade students this winter. 

The blades of four Genoa Township snowplows serve as a canvas for their designs, which include a collection of flowers, an aquarium scene, their take on Van Gogh’s The Starry Night and snowflakes surrounding the phrase, “Let It Snow.”

Throughout October, the whiteboard near the kitchen area of the Academic Enrichment Center has become a living comic strip panel.

Chase Wood, a senior at Westerville North High School who attends the Educational Options for Success (EOS) program, sketches drawings inspired by Halloween-themed jokes in hopes of bringing levity to the roughly 100 students and 14 staff members at the center.

Two Blendon Middle School seventh-grade students placed third in the 2021 Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster Junior National Championship earlier this month in Tennessee.

Minerva France was relatively unheard of in Westerville — until last year.

The Westerville City School District has received a $1.7 million grant through the Federal Communications Commission’s Emergency Connectivity Fund to expand students’ access to technology during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Middle and high school students interested in exploring math topics can participate in free, virtual workshops with the Ohio State University Department of Mathematics each month.

For the first time since he joined Heritage Middle School’s eighth-grade football team, Micah Stein was going to play. 

His parents — Keith Stein and Lauren Faubel — watched from the home stands at the 40-yard-line at Westerville North High School’s McCann Stadium, preparing to capture the moment they didn’t think was possible.

Fouse Elementary’s PTO raised more than $28,000 through their first dance-a-thon fundraiser where families, businesses and donors contributed money so students could dance during recess at school. 

The latest mural installations for Genoa and Heritage middle school have been taking shape since the start of the year in the teacher workspaces next to the art classrooms. 

After more than a month of research, design and working the math, a team of sixth-grade students at Walnut Springs Middle School was ready to put paint to plow.

The third-grade students at Robert Frost Elementary harvested their first full cycle of radish crops last week, after weeks of planting, watering and weeding the school garden. 

The Rotary Club of Westerville recognized its October 2021 Students of the Month during an Oct. 14 meeting.

Westerville City School District is facing food service challenges due to product shortfalls, delivery delays and staffing shortages among food vendors and distributors.

Since the start of the school year, Genoa Middle School seventh-graders Sydney “Sam” Lisi-Huber and Madison “Lennon” Daniels have spent much of their free time in the sixth-grade girl’s bathroom.

Before the start of school and during their art period, the two have committed to covering the walls with bright artwork and positive messages, creating a welcoming space for their younger peers. 

The to-do list for the inaugural KinderGARDEN Club meeting at Longfellow Elementary may have been somewhat ambitious.

Hawthorne Elementary’s English Language teachers heard a similar question among the families of their students whose first language is not English: How can we help?

Shelley Seabury, a fifth-grade teacher at Mark Twain Elementary; Lisa Dapoz, a first-grade teacher at McVay Elementary and Lee Rutherford, an English teacher at Blendon Middle School have been named Westerville Education Foundation’s October Teachers of the Month.

Diana Droste Herak, an orchestra teacher at Genoa and Walnut Springs middle schools, has received the Elvin Donaldson Most Inspirational Bandsperson Award in recognition of her work and contributions to Ohio State’s TBDBITL Alumni Club.

Westerville City School District (WCSD) officials today announced the release of the district’s 2021-22 local testing calendar for students, along with an acknowledgment that the testing schedule remains subject to change.

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.

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. 

From the school walls to the student section at the Friday football game, all of Westerville South High School has been spreading the word about suicide prevention. 

Five Westerville seniors are semifinalists in the 67th annual National Merit Scholarship Program, according to a recent announcement by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC).

The McVay Elementary school community kicked off the school year with their annual PRIDE assemblies last week where they premiered their latest school parody music video, “Off To Show Our Pride.”

The Westerville Public Library is offering free delivery of library materials to Westerville City Schools students, teachers, and staff throughout the school year. 

Westerville High School Class of 1972 is holding its reunion on Sept. 10, 2022 at Embassy Suites by Hilton Columbus, 2700 Corporate Exchange Dr.

Three days before all of Westerville City Schools opened its doors to students, the district’s administrators, educators and support staff got some class time together.