I hope you were able to attend the musical production of SpongeBob The Musical that took place in the later part of March. The dedication and hard work of the (27) member cast was evident and the production was outstanding! A special thanks to Director Cord Ehrhart, his 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 19th. Our students took advantage of this opportunity to participate in friendly competition for a good cause and raised funds ($5920) for the American Heart Association. This amount, along with past events, elevates the total amount raised to over $110,000. 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 2nd - 4th. School will not be in session Thursday, April 17th through Tuesday, April 22nd in recognition of the Easter Holiday and similarly, a mini spring break. If your schedule permits, please plan to visit our Spring Fine Arts program scheduled for Saturday, April 26th. 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.
We are excited to share that the busy month of April will conclude with the Director of the Ohio EPA visiting our school April 29th to view the award-winning Innovation and Aquaponics Center. The Center played a major role in the recent Ohio EPA grant the school received; “Nature’s Water Treatment Process” project, and award recognition from the EPA for the success of the grant project.
We are also excited to share with you that the district has been awarded a $30,000 grant from the Ohio Attorney General’s School Safety Grant Program. Funds will be utilized to install AI Surveillance cameras, purchase incidence response badges for staff, and training for the SRO and armed staff members.
Congratulations goes out to senior Maddison Peters 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 Maddison as the teacher who made the greatest impact on her educational endeavors.
Looking ahead to the month of May, Prom preparations will be underway for the May 3rd event at Grants Reception Hall. Our seniors are set to graduate Sunday, May 18th. The last day of classes for Students in grades K-11 will be Wednesday, May 21st. School staff will have a teacher work day Thursday, May 22nd.
As always, thanks for your support of our school district.
Martin A. Miller, Antwerp Local Schools Superintendent