Congratulations to our elementary students who earned honor roll for the last nine weeks of the 2023-2024 school year. Click READ MORE to access the lists.

Students entering the 7th and 12th grades in the fall of 2024 are required to have updated immunizations. Click READ MORE to access more information from the Paulding County Health Department.

As we enter the month of May and the last few weeks of school for the 2023-2024 school year, students and staff are very busy with end of the year activities.  Award programs, concerts, sporting events, and student programs highlight the month of May.  Please check the district calendar and support our students with your attendance at these celebrations.  Students in grades K - 11 will likewise be in a celebration mood with their last day of school arriving Tuesday, May 21st.

 

The end of April and the first two weeks of May are also times to celebrate and recognize the efforts of our faculty.  Ohio School Bus Driver Appreciation Day was Tuesday, April 23rd. School Secretaries Appreciation Day was Wednesday, April 24th. National Teacher Day is scheduled for May 7th while May 6-10 is National Teacher Appreciation Week. May 8th has been designated National School Nurse Day. Please consider during this time frame to thank a bus driver, teacher, aide, school nurse, or other school employee who made a difference in your child’s life. We are proud of all our employees and believe they make a huge difference in the lives of children every day.

 

The Class of 2024, our 140th graduating class from Antwerp High School, will celebrate Commencement on May 19th at 2:00 p.m. with doors opening at 12:30. The ceremony will take place in the Main Gymnasium.  We congratulate our senior class on their many accomplishments in reaching this milestone and wish them the best as they continue on a journey of lifelong learning.

 

During the summer months, a few projects will be completed in time for our annual Open House slated for Wednesday, August 14th and the first day of school scheduled for Thursday, August 15th. Repairs and sealing of our asphalt parking lots will take place during the month of July.  Interior projects include replacement of carpet in the D-Wing hallway and Central Office. In addition, we will replace the lighting system in the main gymnasium and the gymnasium floors will receive their annual re-waxing during the month of July.  Another major project will be the installation of a new backstop netting system for the baseball field.

 

The Range Wellness and Recreation Center Grand Opening will take place during our Open House event August 14th. Details regarding the Grand Opening will be shared in the August Newsletter and posted on our website in early August. 

 

On the academic front, we are excited to share with you that our school has received two donations toward the purchase of robotics and coding equipment for elementary and middle school age students to utilize in our innovation center.  A big thanks to the Paulding Eagles organization and the APT Manufacturing Solutions in Hicksville, Ohio. 

  

Prior to the start of the 2024-2025 school year, incoming 7th and 12th grade students will need updated immunizations per Ohio law.   Students entering 7th grade will need the Tdap and Meningococcal Vaccines.  Students entering 12th grade will likewise need the Meningococcal Vaccine.  Additional information regarding the vaccine requirements, other recommended vaccines, and immunization clinics provided by the Paulding County Health Department, can be found on our school website and school app.

 

I want to thank the community for the support given to the Staff throughout this school year.  Antwerp is a wonderful school district with excellent staff, students, and parents. As noted earlier, the 2024--2025 school year will begin Thursday, August 15th. In the meantime, enjoy the long summer days with your family and friends.

 

Dr. Miller

I hope you were able to attend the musical production of Beauty and the Beast that took place in the middle of March. The dedication and hard work of the (30) member cast was evident and the production was outstanding! A special thanks to Directors Ashton Barnhouse and Summer Schooley, their crew, and our Music Boosters for a job well done. A big thanks also to our community for your attendance and support of our musical.  

 

The annual Hoops for Heart day was held March 13^th. Our students took advantage of this opportunity to participate in friendly competition for a good cause and raised funds ($8,268.50) for the American Heart Association. This amount was one of the larger amounts in the 27-year period of the event and elevates the total amount raised to nearly $104,579.87. Thanks to all who participated and helped with the event.

 

The month of April is the last full month of school, and as such, a very busy month. The busy month will get started with our annual Kindergarten Screening taking place April 3^rd – 5^th. School will not be in session Monday, April 1^st, and Tuesday, April 2^nd  in recognition of the Easter holiday and similarly, a mini spring break. There is no school Monday, April 8^th due to a Staff In-Service Day. If your schedule permits, please plan to visit our Spring Fine Arts program scheduled for Saturday, April 27^th. The program runs from 4:00 – 9:15 p.m.    From a core academic standpoint, our staff and students have been preparing for the annual state assessments that will be given to students in grades 3 – 12 throughout several days of the month and into early May. Our spring athletic teams have also been busy preparing for an onslaught of baseball and softball games and track & field meets that will take place throughout the month.

 

Construction of our wellness and recreation center is nearing completion with a few items to be completed in the next few weeks. A poured polyurethane flooring for the large recreation area will be completed in early April. Installation of a Lu Interactive Playground in the large recreation area will take place in early April as well. In addition, a portable astro-turf system for the large recreation area will arrive in mid-April. An audio system for the baseball/softball complex (located in the press box area of the Center) is scheduled to be installed during the first week of May. 

 

Congratulations goes out to senior Aewyn McMichael for her selection as the Franklin B. Walters All-Scholastic Award winner. The Award was established in 1990 by the Ohio Educational Service Center Association to recognize an outstanding senior student from each county within the State of Ohio. Congratulations also goes out to our middle/high school teacher Mrs. Kayla Bagley. Mrs. Bagley was recognized by Aewyn as the teacher who made the greatest impact on her educational endeavors. On the athletic side, we want to congratulate and recognize seniors Brooke and Hannah Molitor for their accomplishment of competing at the state gymnastics competition.   

 

Looking ahead to the month of May, prom preparations will be underway for the May 4^th event at Grants Reception Hall. Our seniors are set to graduate Sunday, May 19^th. Students in grades K-11 last day of classes will be Tuesday, May 21^st. School staff will have a teacher work day Wednesday, May 22^nd.

 

As always, thanks for your support of our school district.

Martin A. Miller, Antwerp Local Schools Superintendent

Congratulations to our middle and high school students who earned honor roll for the third nine weeks of the 2023-2024 school year. Click READ MORE to access the lists.

The month of March is a very busy time period for our students and staff.  Winter sports are either moving into their tournament opportunities or are winding down.   Our stu­dents athletes are also gearing up for their participation in a spring sport season.  A sizeable number of our students have also been busy in preparation for the High School musical entitled “Beauty and the Beast”.  Performances will take place March 15^th and 16th at 7:00 p.m. and Sunday, March 17th at 2:00 p.m.  All performances will take place in our Auditeria.  We are also looking forward to our annual Family Literacy Night event that will take place Thursday, March 14^th  from 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.  The theme for this years’ event is “Western.”   

 

From an academic standpoint, the third nine-week grading period ends Friday, March 15^th.  As we work our way through the last half of the school year, our seniors are busy planning for their future after graduation by finalizing plans for college, work, or the military.  Similarly, during the last quarter of the school year, students in grades 3 – 11 will also engage in state assessments.  Additional information regarding the state assessments is available on the Ohio Department of Education website:  http://education.ohio.gov/

 

The effort to assure that educational needs and requirements are met for all the children in our school district, is a challenge especially when you consider that several of our school age children are receiving their education outside of the traditional school setting of our school building.  On any given school day,  Antwerp Local Schools provide an educational setting for 703 students in grades PK -12.   Twenty-one high school students are enrolled in at least one College Credit Plus (CCP) course that may involve traveling to a college campus or completing the course online.  Thirty-six students in grades 11 and 12 attend the Vantage Vocational school in Van Wert.  Nine students attend the Western Buckeye Educational Service Center Opportunity School located in Paulding, Ohio.  We have two students who are transported and attend the Bryan Autism Center.  There is also one student currently at home receiving their education through our NOVA online program.  While technically not Antwerp students, we have 29 school age children receiving their education in a “home school” environment.

We are excited to let you know that construction of  the “Range” Wellness and Recreation Center (located to the west of the baseball and softball complex) is nearing completion.  A significant portion of the project was funded through ARP ESSR federal funds.  The Center includes a recreation area, multi- purpose classroom, restrooms, concession and patio area, press box and storage areas.  Specifically, the Center will provide additional space for early childhood programs, a home base for our wrestling program, and space for community members to utilize for meetings or exercise.  An official Open House date will take place sometime this spring.  Stay tuned for more information.     

Per adopted board policy 5517.01 (Bullying and Other Forms of Aggressive Behavior), schools are required to semi-annually provide a written summary of all reported incidents of bullying/harassment/intimidation. Ohio law requires school policies to use the definition of bullying found in R.C. 3313.666, which defines "harassment, intimidation, or bullying" as:  Any intentional written, verbal, or physical act that a student has exhibited toward another particular student more than once and the behavior both: (a) causes mental or physical harm to the other student; (b) is sufficiently severe, persistent, or pervasive that is creates an intimidating, threatening, or abusive educational environment for the other student.

In accordance with these laws of the State of Ohio, it is reported that the administrators of Antwerp Local Schools dealt with the following number of incidences of bullying during the 1^st Semester:

Gr. PK-5:  For the 1st semester of the 2023-2024 school year, there were 0 cases of bullying. 

Gr. 6-12: For the 1st semester of the 2023-2024 school year, there was 1 case of bullying.

Go Archers,    

Dr. Martin Miller