District News

The Westerville City Schools Board of Education will hold a special meeting at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, June 6, 2023, at the district's Early Learning Center located at 936 Eastwind Drive.

Westerville City School District (WCSD) Treasurer/CFO Nicole Marshall recently informed Board of Education members that her financial projections in November — where the district delayed entering deficit spending for at least one more fiscal year — have remained steady.

Westerville City Schools’ Summer Enrichment Theatre program will now be bringing “Mean Girls the Musical” to the stage this summer. 

Westerville City School District teenagers interested in volunteering for ArtSTART activities during Uptown Westerville’s 4th Friday event can complete this form and send to Dr. Jan Fedorenko, education coordinator for the Arts Council of Westerville, at fedorenj@gmail.com.  

Julianne Schaffer, an English teacher at Westerville Central High School, Angela Zimmerman, a fourth-grade teacher at Whittier Elementary and Lowry Wisner, a third-grade teacher at Emerson Elementary have been named Westerville Education Foundation’s (WEF) May Teachers of the Month.

Westerville families can enjoy hands-on educational activities with WOSU Classroom as part of Second Saturday Kids Day during the Columbus Arts Festival 9-11 a.m. Saturday, June 10 in front of COSI.

The courtyard in Genoa Middle School is now filled with cement pavers covered in brightly-colored tiles and clay symbols — each representing the student artist who created them. 

For years, Andy Zygmunt walked along the sidewalks of Westerville Central High School the day after the school’s annual Arts Alive Festival, marveling over the chalk art designs created by hundreds of students.

Westerville South High School junior Nabiha Ilkaqor launched the Power to Poets club this year to help her peers — within and beyond WSHS — express themselves through poetry. 

Lauren Orth, an athletic trainer at Westerville South High School, received the Ohio Athletic Trainers’ Association’s Linda Weber Daniel Outstanding Mentor Award during the association’s annual meeting earlier this month.

Westerville Central High School senior Isabella Williams is the recipient of the National Merit $2,500 Scholarship, according to a recent announcement by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC).

Rachel Shoemaker, a second-grade teacher at Wilder Elementary and Maureen Hogarth, a kindergarten teacher at Hawthorne Elementary have been named Westerville Education Foundation’s (WEF) March Teachers of the Month.

The WEF April Teachers of the Month recipients include Sarah Shaffer, music teacher at Genoa Middle School; Elizabeth Byers-Spurlock, a kindergarten teacher at Fouse Elementary and Jim Ledford, a first-grade teacher at Alcott Elementary.

Annie Corbett, the clerk at McVay Elementary has been named the Westerville Educational Support Staff Association’s Staff Member of the Month for May.

The Westerville North High School community raised $2,820 for the Friends of Faith Pruden Foundation as part of its seventh annual Faith’s Spirit Week and third annual Strike Out Cancer fundraiser on April 29.

Westerville North High School senior Cori Bohan signed a letter of intent on Monday to play soccer at William Smith College in New York.

Genoa Middle School’s sixth-grade team earned top honors at a district-wide Battle of the Books competition on May 11 at Westerville North High School’s auditorium.

The Ohio Department of Education is now accepting applications from families to establish Afterschool Child Enrichment (ACE) Educational Savings Accounts for the 2022-23 school year. 

The Westerville Sunrise Rotary recognized the eight recipients of this year’s Service to Youth awards at the group’s meeting on Wednesday.

Students in Emily Kessler and Kelly Balaz’s second-grade classes at Hanby Elementary collaborated with Generations Performing Arts Center to perform the Princess and the Frog Fairytale Dance on May 15 at Westerville Central High School. 

Westerville City Schools Treasurer/CFO Nicole Marshall presented testimony before the Ohio Senate Education Committee on May 10 on House Bill 33, the state’s budget bill for fiscal years 2024 and 2025.

The bill includes proposals to expand eligibility for the state’s EdChoice scholarship program and continue implementation of the Fair School Funding Plan — both of which were the focus of Marshall’s testimony.

The kindergarteners started the school year learning their letters and letter sounds. Then, they used drawings to represent stories. Eventually, they learned to connect letters with words and before long, they started writing out sentences with words they frequently encounter in class.

Genoa Middle School eighth-graders’ recent trip to Washington D.C. included a special stop: a visit with Westerville North High School alum Vijay Shanker, who serves as a judge on the District of Columbia Court of Appeals D.C. Court of Appeals.

The open fields at Westerville South High School offered Emerson and Hanby elementary students, staff and parents an opportunity to come together Wednesday for a combined field day.

Genoa Middle School art teacher Juls Rathje has taken a new approach to teaching perspective with her eighth-grade students thanks to a new project in partnership with the Arts Council of Westerville and Westerville Public Library.

Westerville City Schools students have multiple opportunities to receive meals over the summer. 

Four 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.

Twenty Westerville Central and Westerville South high school seniors pursuing degrees in the arts were honored at annual Fine Arts Signing events this week.

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

The Rotary Club of Westerville recognized its May 2023 Students of the Month during a recent meetings.

Westerville sixth-grade students in advanced math classes competed in the 2022-23 Continental Mathematics League Contest, which tests students’ problem solving, analytical reasoning, mathematical computation, and reading skills.

It’s a party that’s been years in the making at Westerville South High School.

For the past month, Emerson Elementary second-graders have researched people who have changed the world, examining their lives from their birth to death or present day. They then created poster displays and crafted dolls out of water bottles.

Hanby Elementary fifth-grader Molly Asher recently assumed the role of her teacher, Tara Norling, as part of her Teacher for a Day incentive she won during the school’s Spring Bazaar.

The Westerville North High School male athletes who served as peer mentors to students at Heritage and Walnut Springs middle schools marked their final meeting with an end-of-the-school-year gathering on Monday.

Following interviews on May 1 with three finalists, the Westerville City School District (WCSD) Board of Education selected Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates (HYA) to lead its upcoming Superintendent search.

Westerville North High School seniors Noah Hohl and Ali Ali were familiar with Westerville Public Library — until they toured the spaces only available to staff and learned how it functions from behind the scenes.

Intervention specialist Erin Focht saw an opportunity to bring consistency to the recycling program at Westerville South High School while showing her students how they can make an impact in their environment.

The upcoming Westerville Prepared event offers Westerville students and families a unique opportunity to connect with employers in a way that can help shape students’ career path after high school.

Westerville parents and community members are invited to hear from students participating in the district’s first-ever Westerville Middle School Make-A-Thon on Sunday, May 21 at The Point at Otterbein University, 60 Collegeview Road. 

Camden Kuhlman, a kindergarten student in Stephanie Sahr’s class at Fouse Elementary, proposed the winning theme for the Rotary Club of Westerville’s 2023 Independence Day Parade: “Red, White and Blue and Liberty Too.”

Six Westerville City Schools students were among the winners in the annual Celebrate the Arts Writing Contest sponsored by the Arts Council of Westerville, Westerville Public Library and Friends of the Westerville Public Library. 

Westerville South Theatre Troupe 513 have received multiple nominations for the 2023 CAPA Marquee High School Musical Theatre Awards.

The Westerville Education Association honored educators at its annual Spring Reception on Wednesday, recognizing the 2022-23 Educators of the Year and celebrating the 10 teachers retiring this spring.

Pat Palumbo, the graduation and basketball coach at the Academic Enrichment Center, has been recognized by the Westerville Sunrise Rotary for going above and beyond to serve students.

Westerville Central High School senior Mariam Melikishvili collected 90 pounds of food as part of a spring food drive she organized in honor of Global Youth Service Day last month.

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

Westerville Winds, an indoor performance ensemble of woodwind and brass high school musicians, capped off its inaugural season by placing fourth with their show, “Knights of the Red Table,” during the finals of the World Championships last month. 

Westerville North High School senior Beynah Barre signed a letter of intent on Wednesday to play volleyball at Central State University this fall. 

The first-graders in Jim Ledford’s class at Alcott Elementary resumed operations of El Toro Loco on Friday — the first time the pop-up, student-run Mexican restaurant opened since the pandemic.

The third-graders at Alcott Elementary stood by their decorated tri-fold displays ready to talk about the “just right” book they wanted to share during Wednesday’s Reading Fair.

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 the mid-1990s. 

Huber Ridge Elementary recently hosted multiple events, including a field trip to the Columbus Symphony’s Young People’s Concert, fifth-grade interviews for their upcoming field trip to Junior Achievement of Central Ohio’s BizTown and the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program's graduation ceremony.

The WCSD Treasurer’s Office has again been recognized by the State of Ohio with the Auditor’s Award with Distinction following a clean audit for fiscal year 2022 with no findings or citations. 

Fifth-graders at Hanby Elementary are commemorating the school’s 100th birthday with a song that serves as their footprint in Hanby’s history.

Diverse books, robotics materials and a variety of instruments to foster multiple creative pathways to music learning are among the seven proposals awarded a 2023 Spring Grant from the Westerville Education Foundation (WEF). 

Westerville South High School welcomed the newest members to its Alumni Hall of Fame at a special ceremony Friday.

Minerva France Elementary has been recognized for its innovative design in the Spring 2023 Learning By Design magazine’s magazine's Educational Facilities Design Awards Showcase.

Westerville Central High School senior Rohan Mawalkar is the recipient of a National Merit Battelle Scholarship, according to a recent announcement by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC).

Westerville City School Deputy Superintendent Mark Hershiser has been recognized by the Westerville Sunrise Rotary for going above and beyond to serve students.

Lauren Mattioda, a secretary at Westerville North High School, has been named the Westerville Educational Support Staff Association’s Staff Member of the Month for April.

Incoming Westerville City Schools kindergarten students for the 2023-24 school year can learn more about safety issues — from school bus safety to stranger awareness — during the annual Safety City program.

Eight students at Genoa and Walnut Springs middle schools were awarded for their projects in the Ohio History Day competition, with one student advancing to the National History Day contest in June at the University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland.

More than 200 families and students joined the Robert Frost Elementary community for the school’s first-ever Cultural Night on Thursday. City and district leaders joined the festivities during the unveiling of the school’s Peace Pole with the Westerville Sunrise Rotary.

Westerville North High School senior Simon Falayi signed a letter of intent on Friday to play volleyball at Central State University this fall. 

As part of the culminating project in the Global Scholars Diploma program, Westerville North and Westerville South high school students raised money to support menstrual health, launched a writing exchange between elementary students in Columbus and Uganda and volunteered to support youth and adults from Nepal.

Heritage Middle School eighth-graders Quinn Evans, Holden Gray, Ben Rutti and Devon Welsh wanted to extend their engineering experience after their class ended last semester. 

So engineering teacher Jason Siwek offered them a challenge: build a four-player arcade game with a cabinet that can be moved throughout the school.  

Since its inception in 1993, the Westerville Education Foundation (WEF) has funded more than $300,000 in teacher grants across the Westerville City School System. The non-profit organization is now seeking its next Executive Director to advance the Foundation’s mission, which is to broaden the minds of our students by bringing innovation to the classroom. 

Westerville Central High School welcomed the newest members to its Alumni Hall of Fame at a special ceremony Friday.

Kirsten Drummond, a curriculum and instructional coach for the district’s Special Education Department, is the recipient of the 2022-23 Special Education Professional Award by the Westerville Area Civitan Club.

When Wilder Elementary counselor Natalie Cross noticed girls — especially fourth-graders — continued to ask for help to work through conflicts, it was clear there was a need for a deeper conversation. 

Westerville South High School’s Troupe 513 was honored at the Ohio State Thespian Conference on April 14-16 at Riverside High School in Painesville.

Westerville Caring & Sharing will be offering school supplies for qualifying students for the 2023-24 school year. 

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

Juniors and seniors pursuing their International Baccalaureate diploma held court in Westerville South High School’s media center Thursday, stationed at tables where they showcased key milestones in their IB journey.

Westerville Central and Westerville South high schools competed against central Ohio teams in the Ohio Capital Conference Battle of the Books competition, with WCHS placing third at the event. 

The virtual instrument museum just outside of Emily Church’s music room at Minerva France Elementary features an array of instruments designed, created and tested by the school’s fifth-graders.

Westerville children and teens can submit artwork for the Youth Art & Craft Exhibit at the 48th annual Westerville Area Chamber of Commerce Music & Arts Festival.

The Westerville Area Chamber of Commerce is hosting an Election Academy for individuals in Westerville interested in running for elected office.

As of the April 7 deadline, seven companies and/or organizations submitted a proposal to support the Westerville City School District Board of Education during its upcoming Superintendent search process. 

Westerville City Schools Superintendent Dr. John Kellogg, Treasurer/CFO Nicole Marshall and Matt Misener, director of Career and College Pathways, have hosted visits from state and local lawmakers since March, highlighting the district’s career pathway programs — and how state dollars support them.

Deanna McDaniel, a media specialist at Genoa Middle School, is among 47 educators from National History Day programs who have been nominated for the Patricia Behring Teacher of the Year award.

More than 200 drawings, paintings, sculptures and other pieces students across Westerville City Schools created this school year are now on display — in-person and virtually — as part of the annual art show sponsored by the district and the Arts Council of Westerville.

April is now considered Hanby Centennial Celebration Month following a City of Westerville proclamation at the April 4th City Council meeting. 

The Rotary Club of Westerville recognized its April 2023 Students of the Month during a meeting on April 13.

Twelve Westerville City Schools employees were honored for their contributions to students, dedication to their schools and their commitment to district values as part of the A+ Award recognition at Monday’s school board meeting.

Westerville North High School welcomed the newest members to its Alumni Hall of Fame at a special ceremony Friday.

Two seniors at Westerville North High School recently signed their letter of intent for a collegiate sport.

The Westerville Education Challenge is hosting a Night of Hope 5K and Family Fun Run to promote community, education and unity to raise awareness about mental health as well as combat mental health stigmas.

The event is Aug. 26 at Westerville North High School. Registration for the event opens in June.

The Westerville City School District Board of Education on March 24, 2023, issued a formal Request for Proposal (RFP) for executive search services as they seek a replacement for departing Superintendent Dr. John Kellogg.

Westerville North High School hosted its annual Warrior Way Leadership Summit on Thursday, bringing student leaders across the building together to foster relationships, build a community and provide an example of how students treat each other. 

Westerville South High School junior Nabiha Ilkaqor — who recently was re-elected as senior class president after serving as junior class president this year — is taking on another leadership role to serve students throughout Ohio.

Last month, Ilkaqor was elected student president for the executive board of the Ohio Association of Student Leaders (OASL), a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping middle and high school students foster leadership skills to make positive change in their schools and communities.

The American Sign Language lesson for the third-graders in Rachel Lysaght’s class at Mark Twain Elementary focused on animals. 

Westerville South High School senior Kaylie Clark and junior Talia Cole stood at the front of the classroom, teaching students the signs for dog, cat, cow, sheep, goat, snake and more. Wednesday’s lesson marked their fourth of eight visits scheduled through April to introduce kids to the visual language. 

The Kiwanis Club of Westerville recognized the top 10 graduates from Westerville Central, North and South high schools on Wednesday as part of its 61th annual Academic Varsity Awards.

Gianna Harvey, an eighth-grader at Walnut Springs Middle School, is a girls wrestling state champion after competing in the Ohio Girls Wrestling State Championships on March 19 at the Covelli Centre in Youngstown.

Westerville Parent Council (WPC) is looking for a new President to serve on the 2023-24 board. 

Westerville City School parents and community members can learn more about the programs, projects and initiatives throughout the district's classrooms at the Westerville Education Foundation's second annual Grow and Glow event at the new Minerva Park Middle School. 

Mason Wu, an eighth-grader at Blendon Middle School, competed in the U.S. Chess Federation’s National High School (9-12) Championships last week in Washington, D.C. 

Sarah Edelson, a second-grade teacher at Minerva France Elementary, and Tricia Hall, the music teacher at Annehurst Elementary have been named Westerville Education Foundation’s (WEF) February Teachers of the Month.

Two Westerville City Schools students received top honors in the 2022-23 Ohio PTA Reflections award program, which recognizes student achievement in literature, music, dance, film production, photography, music composition and visual arts.

The Westerville Public Library is hosting multiple author visits this spring and summer.

The students and staff participating in the latest project by Westerville North High School’s Young Feminist Club were prompted by the same question: What do you bring to the table?

Blendon Middle School educators launched a new award that recognizes students who best demonstrate the skills and aptitudes the community has deemed most important for them to have upon graduation.

Throughout the week, several Westerville schools hosted events that celebrated the many countries and cultures of their students. 

Terry VanHuffel, the secretary at Genoa Middle School, has been named the Westerville Educational Support Staff Association’s Staff Member of the Month for March.

Mike Kalan, the girls soccer coach at Westerville Central High School, has been recognized by the Westerville Sunrise Rotary for going above and beyond to serve students.

Shan Trusley, head boys basketball coach at Westerville North High School, has been named Coach of the Year and basketball players at WNHS and Westerville South High School received OHSAA Division I All-Ohio honors, according to an announcement by the Ohio Prep Sports Writers Association this week.

More than 130 Westerville elementary and middle school students built their own Lego designs as part of Westerville City Schools’ 17th Annual LEGO Competition on March 11 at Westerville North High School. 

Two seniors at Westerville North High School recently signed their letter of intent for a collegiate sport.

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

TJ Potterf, a kindergarten teacher at Cherrington Elementary, has been named the March Teacher of the Month by Sunny 95, WSNY (94.7 FM).

Anna McCracken, a seventh-grader at Walnut Springs Middle School, received an honorable mention in a national essay competition conducted by the Association for Women in Mathematics (AWM) and Math for America.

McCracken’s essay, “I Use Math to Catch Bad Guys,” will be published on the AWM’s website as well as in the May/June issue of the AWM newsletter.

Throughout the week, students at Heritage Middle School participated in a variety of activities as part of See Something 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.

Students in Aislynn Valentine’s Ecology and Advanced Placement Environmental Science classes at Westerville South High School toured two research centers at Ohio State University on Tuesday.

Twelve juniors in Diana Arko’s Medical Intervention class at Westerville Central High School explored Otterbein’s facilities and programs on March 17, from learning about the admissions process and financial aid incentives including scholarship and STEM grant opportunities to participating in a variety of labs. 

Westerville City Schools’ Preschool Program at the Early Learning Center hosted its first-ever Family Learning Night which offered parents a variety of resources to help support their child's development at home. 

The Westerville City School District (WCSD) Board of Education on Monday approved the resignation of Superintendent Dr. John R. Kellogg, who has accepted a new Superintendent in Residence position that will work jointly with Columbus State Community College (CSCC) and the Educational Service Center of Central Ohio (ESCCO).

Throughout the year, English Learner students at Westerville North and Westerville South high schools have gathered once a month to connect with each other and their school community and experience what it means to be a teenager in the U.S.

Author Liza Wiemer visited the classroom of Westerville North High School English teacher Aaron Taylor and his student teacher, Kalina Kozlowski, on Monday for a discussion about her book, “The Assignment.” Students recently read the book as part of their Contemporary Literature class or Advanced Placement English Language and Composition course.

Heritage Middle School students now have new game options for indoor recess in the school’s media center thanks to Jason Siwek’s engineering students. 

Westerville North High School senior Carson Bopp signed a letter of intent to play football at the University of Findlay on Wednesday. 

The fifth annual Diabetes Dash 5K Run/Walk originally organized by Westerville North High School student Ryan Washburn is July 23 at the Westerville Sports Complex. 

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

Two Westerville middle school students competed in the Ohio State MathCounts competition on March 11 at Columbus State Community College.

Mason Wu, an eighth-grader at Blendon, placed 29th while Anna McCracken, a seventh-grader at Walnut Springs, placed 43rd in the competition that featured 162 competitors across Ohio.

Westerville middle and high school students interested in 4-H are invited to join the 4-Hawks 4-H Club.

Westerville Parent Council and Roush Honda of Westerville have announced the recipients of the 2022-23 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.

Kyle Guilliams’ second volunteer stint as part of Robert Frost Elementary’s Watch D.O.G.S was packed with activity.

He refereed a football game among fourth-grade boys, served as goalie during a soccer match with fifth-graders and alternated between kicking a ball with one student and joining his daughter and her friends for a game of four-square.

“It’s another adult presence — a dad — helping out and interacting with the kids,” Guilliams said. “And for those who might not have a dad at home, it’s an experience for them.” 

“I enjoy it as much as they do.” 

Several students at Westerville Central and Westerville South high school earned top spots during the 2023 Indoor State Track Championship on March 4 at the SPIRE Institute in Geneva.

Carmen Dobbins, the athletic director at Heritage Middle School, has treasured her time with her granddaughter, who has been living with her for more than seven years.

Zoey Ardinger, a seventh-grader at Walnut Springs Middle School, has been invited to compete in the 2023 Ohio Regional Spelling Bee on March 25 at Ohio University.

Four seniors at Westerville North High School recently signed their letter of intent for a collegiate sport.

Blendon Middle School students Ava Arnold, Escher Koh and Kai Irwin joined middle and high school oboe and bassoon players in the area for Ohio State University’s Double Reed Workshop on Feb. 25 at the new Timashev Family Music Building.

Westerville City Schools is upgrading its current student medical records program to a new, easy to use, family accessible platform called SchoolCare. SchoolCare adheres to strict privacy regulations (FERPA & HIPAA) to ensure the confidentiality and security of your student’s school required health information. 

For the next six weeks, members of the Girl Talk-Power Circle at Heritage and Genoa middle schools will develop their leadership skills, learn how to advocate for themselves and find their passion.

It’s a journey their peers at Blendon and Walnut Springs middle schools recently completed as part of a new empowerment program for middle school girls that was launched by the Educational Equity Department at the start of the year. 

Westerville North High School junior Pearl Harris wanted to raise awareness about the environmental price of fast fashion, where the fashion industry produces cheap clothing at breakneck speed to keep pace with fashion trends and meet consumer demand.

The fifth-graders at McVay Elementary have brought back an experience that hasn’t been in school since before the pandemic: the student performance.

Five Westerville seniors are finalists in the 68th annual National Merit Scholarship Program, according to a recent announcement by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC).

They include:

• Rohan S. Mawalkar and Isabella L. Williams at Westerville Central 

• Caroline D. Kauh at Westerville North

• Peter R. Stoycos and David W. Stuckey at Westerville South 

Westerville Central High School junior Chase Swearingen is a state champion in the 200 yard Individual Medley and a state runner-up in the 100 yard Butterfly after competing at the Ohio High School Athletic Association’s State Swimming and Diving Championship Meet on Feb. 21 to 25 at the C.T. Branin Natatorium in Canton.

Westerville City Schools’ Summer Enrichment Theatre program is bringing the musical “Barnum” to the stage. 

The Westerville North High School Sinfonia and the Westerville South High School Orchestra received superior ratings during the Ohio Music Education Association State Orchestra Large Group Adjudicated Event on Feb. 24 and 25 at Reynoldsburg High School Livingston Campus.

Sarah Johnson, a freshman at Westerville South High School, was among 20 finalists selected in her age group for the 2022 Desmos Global Art Contest, an annual global contest featuring original artwork created with a Desmos graphing calculator.

Seynabou Ngaya, a senior at Westerville Central High School, has been selected as the winner of the 12th-grade essay competition in the 2023 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Art, Writing & Multimedia contest hosted by the Ohio Civil Rights Commission.

Audrey Thompson, a second grader at Cherrington Elementary, was featured in the latest edition of Kazoo magazine, a national publication for girls ages 5 to 12. Her artwork was among five in the section,” Books that Moved Us,” where readers were asked to draw a cover of a book that carried them away. Her art piece was inspired by the book, “Attack of the Underwear Dragon.”

Lindsey Lonchnya, a Spanish teacher at Walnut Springs Middle School; Kim Marcum, the choir director at Heritage Middle School; Colin Ullom-Morse, a third-grade teacher at Robert Frost Elementary have been named Westerville Education Foundation’s (WEF) January Teachers of the Month.

The Rotary Club of Westerville recognized its March 2023 Students of the Month during a March 2 meeting.

Westerville North High School senior Jaylen White signed a letter of intent on Thursday to play football at West Virginia State University this fall. 

White, who also competed in the school’s wrestling and track teams, plans to study accounting while at West Virginia.

Murals once seen throughout downtown Columbus and the Short North following the 2020 George Floyd protests have been given another life at Heritage Middle School and Westerville South High School.

The 10-year-old orphan loves playing games. His favorite color is red. He is considered honest, active and smart by the adults who care for him in India.

And for the past two weeks, Westerville Central High School senior Kenna Malley has carefully painted his portrait to show him that someone from the other side of the world is thinking of him and wants him to know he is loved.

Classes filtered in and out of Westerville South High School’s Joy Rose Center for Excellence on Wednesday for a new kind of reading experience.

As part of the school’s first-ever Living Library event, local veterans served as “books” that students could check out and read by listening to their stories and asking questions during a timed slot.

Breanna Garrett, a kindergarten teacher at Mark Twain Elementary, has been recognized by the Westerville Sunrise Rotary for going above and beyond to serve students.

Two Westerville middle school students have moved on in the MathCounts competition, advancing to the Ohio State Competition on March 11 at Columbus State Community College.

The students in Pablo Chignolli’s Spanish 2 classes at Westerville Central High School gathered in the auxiliary gym for their third lesson in capoeira, an Afro-Brazilian art form that combines elements of body movement, martial arts, music, history and culture.

The three-part lesson is part of an education series with Ohio State University’s Department of Spanish and Portuguese and the Center for Latin American Studies called “Capoeira in the Classroom.” WCHS is the first Westerville school to host the workshop, which launched this year and is available to all schools throughout the region.

Since the start of the year, the kindergartner students in Stephanie Sahr's class at Fouse Elementary — much like their peers across the district — have learned about letters. They've explored the different sounds they make, practiced writing them and developed their ability to identify and manipulate individual sounds in words.

Tara Gontkovic, a junior at Westerville Central High School, is headed to the Poetry Out Loud state competition after winning the regional semifinal contest on Feb. 8 at the Thurber House.

Abigail Steele always had an interest in the ocean and wildlife, even though her exposure to those careers were limited in Ohio.

But when she took Erik Ekis’ classes at Westerville Central High School, she became curious about a possible future in biology. 

Westerville North High School senior Ian McDonald signed a letter of intent this week to play soccer at Trevecca Nazarene University in the fall.

Karen McManis, the secretary for Gifted and Educational Equity departments at Westerville City Schools, has been named the Westerville Educational Support Staff Association’s Staff Member of the Month for February.

The Big Bus, a mobile learning space that provides students extra academic help afterschool, is currently looking for volunteer tutors.

The Westerville Sunrise Rotary is partnering with Westerville City Schools to promote peace throughout the buildings and among students and staff. 

The new Minerva Park Middle School, set to open in August 2023, has been awarded a $20,000 grant to establish the courses that serve as a gateway to the district’s health, engineering and business career pathways program.

Trey Rutherford, a senior at Westerville South High School, was among 14 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 2022-23 Voice of Democracy and Patriot’s Pen essay contests — both of which are VFW’s annual essay contests.

The members of Westerville Central High School’s Student Equity Council gathered for the first time on Tuesday, getting to know each other and learning about the issues they want to tackle to make their school a more equitable and inclusive space. 

The dance and cheerleading teams at Westerville North High School are celebrating history this season. 

When Westerville North High School’s theater department sought submissions for its annual One Act play showcase directed by seniors, Jeffrey Siefker decided to compose his own piece.

The competition is over for Genoa Middle School’s Future City team but that hasn’t stopped them from wanting to help the Maa community, a nomadic tribe in Africa whose life has centered on following available resources. 

Rhonda Hoffman, an administrative assistant at the Academic Enrichment Center, has been recognized by the Westerville Sunrise Rotary for going above and beyond to serve students.

The Rotary Club of Westerville recognized its February 2023 Students of the Month during a Feb. 2 meeting.

Twelve Westerville Central High School seniors signed letters of intent for a collegiate sport this week.

Sixth-graders at Heritage Middle School recently spent their FLEX periods diving into friendships, talking about what healthy relationships look like, the dangers of gossip and rumors and the negative impact they can have on friends and peers. 

The playground at Huber Ridge Elementary will soon feature resources to help students play well with each other and resolve conflicts. 

As part of the Peaceful Playgrounds initiative, educators will promote monthly themes around friendship, social and conflict resolution skills on yard signs sprinkled across the playground area. The signs will also feature games and activity ideas for structured play.

Thanks to funding from the Westerville Education Foundation’s fall grant cycle, Huber Ridge staff plan to launch the initiative in March. Peaceful Playgrounds is among 10 projects awarded funding from WEF.

Molly Bussard, the registrar at Westerville Central High School, has been named the Westerville Educational Support Staff Association’s Staff Member of the Month for January.

During the Westerville City Schools Board of Education organizational meeting on Jan. 9, Tracy Davidson was elected president while Kristy Meyer was elected vice-president.

All across Westerville elementary schools, students are diving into their science lessons by exploring a variety of questions: How do you find animals in the woods? Where do clouds come from? Why did the dinosaurs go extinct?

The Rotary Club of Westerville recognized its January 2023 Students of the Month during a Jan. 12 meeting.

The second season of Westerville South High School’s We Are South podcast kicks off Monday with a topic that organizers say sets the tone for the kind of conversations they would like to have for the rest of the school year.

Westerville North High School has announced four new additions to its Athletics Hall of Fame — all of whom will be honored prior to the Warriors boys basketball game against Westerville South High School on Jan. 27.

Westerville Central High School’s girls soccer team wanted to support more than their own program with their annual raffle tickets sale this summer.