District NewsBrought to you by PHS Junior Caleb Rollins

THE

Black & Gold Unfold Parkway

Vol. 8 No. 8 Official Newsletter of Parkway Local Schools April 2016

-Home of the Panthers-LocalSchools

Upcoming Events

The Parkway Elementary parent organization “Parkway High Five” and the entire elementary student bodyand faculty would like to thank Lisa Shepard for her years of commitment to inspire and enrich our children’seducational environment. Lisa began her journey 7 years ago when she volunteered to make the classicPLINKO game for the first annual Parkway Elementary Carnival. She was inspired after that point to lookat ways to support our student body whether it was making t-shirts affordable for all students, bringingCOSI on Wheels into the school, handing out educational AR prizes to motivate students to read, or donatingtechnology to help our students succeed.Lisa helped spark the collection of BoxTops, which have funded COSI on Wheels as well as other elementaryevents. Since the resurgence of this collection, the school has grossed approximately $9,000, which is animpressive feat with each label being worth only ten cents. Behind the scenes of this collection sat Lisa andher family cutting each label on the dotted lines and sorting each label by expiration date during sporting

events, gymnastic practices, evenings after work, and even during family holidaygatherings. She never complained because she knew that the school would not getfunded unless this was done (just a reminder…we love getting your BoxTops and yoursaving of these has funded many wonderful events but PLEASE cut your BoxTops alongthe dotted line before sending them in with your child, grandchild, and/or friend of thefamily).Lisa has proudly served the Parkway High Five as both Treasurer and President for thepast 4 years. She has always looked for ways to bring something new and exciting toour student body. On Tuesday, May 3, students will get to experience a professionaldrama company on our own stage with the live production of “Percy Jackson and theLightning Thief.” The public will also be able to enjoy this performance on the eveningof Wednesday, May 4 with proceeds from ticket sales going to the Parkway Elementary.Tickets can be purchased online at http://www.showtix4u.com.At the end of the school year, Lisa will retire from her position with the Parkway HighFive as her children will all be in the middle school next school year. However, she isalready talking about starting up a parent organization at the middle school level tosupport activities and events. We thank you Lisa for a job well done!

Dedication to Parkway Elementary School

PARKWAY’S FIGHT AGAINST CANCERWillshire w Rockford w Mendon w Chatt and Friends

Save the DateMini- Relay for LifeCommunity Event

Friday, May 6th w 6 p.m. till Midnight

April 27: Red Cross BloodMobile

May 15: HS Band/ChoirSpring Concert

May 16: Grades 9-11academic awards

May 18: Senior academicawards

May 22: Graduation

May 23: Middle Schoolacademic awards

May 25: Last day of school

District News2

Dear Students, Parents, and Community Members:

As the end of the school year approaches and with spring in the air, please encourage your student(s) to continue to workhard and respect others. If students need a reminder of any rules, they can be found in the student handbooks. If you haveany questions or concerns regarding the rules, you may contact your student’s principal. For transportation questions orconcerns, contact the transportation office. Please continue to support our students by attending the various school eventsheld at Parkway.Starting with the 2016-2017 school year, Parkway will be expanding our Gifted Program by serving students in grades threethrough twelve. Mrs. Laura Putman will teach third grade gifted students and Mrs. Katie Kraner will teach fourth througheighth grade gifted students. High school gifted students will be served through advanced academic courses and collegeclasses.This is the time of year for many concerts and extra-curricular sporting events; your continued support and attendance isvery much noticed and appreciated by the students.As I have stated in the past, when you see me throughout the district, I am always open to ideas or just good conversation.

Greg Puthoff, Superintendent

Open eBooks is an app containing thousands of popular and award-winning titles that are free for students in the Parkwayschool district. We are eligible for this program because the district receives Title 1 funds. These eBooks can be read withoutcheckouts or holds. Parkway students can access these eBooks, which include some of the most popular works of the presentand past, using the Open eBooks app, and read as many books as they like without incurring any costs. All the student orparent needs to do is download the Open eBooks app from the App Store for iOS devices, or the Google Play store forAndroid devices. The student will then get an access code from their school library. Once they enter that code onto theirdevice, they will have access to the e-books. The goal of Open eBooks is to encourage a love of reading and serve as agateway to children reading more often, whether in school, at libraries, or through other eBook reading apps.

Open eBooks is a partnership between Digital Public Library of America, The New York Public Library, and First Book,with content support from digital books distributor Baker & Taylor. This effort is made possible by generous commitmentsof publishers with funding support provided in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Alfred P. SloanFoundation, and is part of the White House ConnectED Initiative.The app is currently available on iOS and Android. Subsequent versions will be optimized to support as many open platformsas possible. There will be a web-optimized version coming in 2016.

Open eBooks at Parkway

From the Superintendent’s Office…

The Murder Mystery of 1872In 1872, thirteen year old Mary Arabelle Secaur was tragically murdered in Mercer County. Accompanied by her grandfather,Strouse May, Mary walked home from church, between Township Line and Erastus-Durbin roads. After leaving hergrandfather at his house, Mary crested the hill on Tama Road and finished her walk home when she went missing on June

23. Mary was staying with her foster parents, the Citterly family, who lived two and a half miles westof the church. Mary was believed to be murdered half of a mile from John Citterly’s residence. Hergrave is located in the Liberty Chapel Cemetery in Liberty Township, Mercer County, Ohio.In an attempt to find the truth of this case, Mr. Minnich’s Special Topics students have researchedMary’s final steps and grave site, the site of the murder between Burville and Wabash roads, the locationof the church across from where she is buried, and the Citterly’s household. Mr. Minnich’s class hasused plot maps, newspaper accounts, inquest testimony, other primary source documents, and variousrelevant websites in their investigation. They are asking for your help in exploring this 144 year oldmurder case. Mr. Minnich’s Special Topics class is seeking additional information about Mary’s parents,siblings, or anything else about the case. Please contact Mr. Minnich at: minnicl@parkwayschools.orgor 419-363-3045 extension 612 if you have any information about this case.

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High School NewsBrought to you by PHS Senior Karie Gangwer

Parkway Students Celebrate Annual PromParkway’s Prom was Saturday, April 16, 2016. The themethis year was Candy Land and the gym was decorated with thetheme for promenade and prom very well! At the conclusionof promenade, senior Abigail Stephenson was crowned promqueen and senior Kevin Flaugher was crowned prom king.

The prom kicked off at 8:30 p.m. Students danced the nightaway as they celebrated the last formal gathering for theseniors before graduation.

After-prom was held at Pla-Mor Lanes in Coldwater, with free pizza, bowling, and assorted games.

The Parkway Junior class would like to thank the following after-promsponsors: Barry’s Market, Bella’s, Ben’s, Bright.net/Wabash Co., Bud’sChevrolet, Celina Moving and Storage, Celina Wine Store, ChakeresTheaters, Chatt Insurance, Deerfield Golf Course, DJ Auto/Judy Hole,Fox Photography, Hague Towing, His-N-Hers, Kenn-Feld Group LLC,Ketchum-Ripley Funeral Home, Kroger, Magic Mirror, ParkwayIndependent, Parkway Music Boosters, Parkway Principals Fund,Peel’s Pit Stop, People’s Bank, Subway, Taco Bell, The Mr. Shoppe, Truck Research Service, andVan Wert Hospital.

The freshmen class at Parkway High School visited the Mercer County Community Hospital inColdwater, OH on Friday, April 15. This was an afternoon visit that began at 12:45 p.m. Thehospital began the visit with a small overview of the Mercer Health organization. The studentsthen broke out into smaller groups and began the tour. After the tour was over, all of the studentsthen grouped back together and started a question and answer session. At the conclusion, thehospital provided the students with additional information to allow them to follow up and volunteeror job shadow at the hospital if they are interested.

Freshmen Visit Mercer Hospital

Tractor Drive-InOn March 30, the Parkway FFA chapter hosted the annual TractorDrive-in Day to celebrate National Agriculture Week. Students drovethe parade of tractors, which were all shapes and sizes, around theschool parking lot. There were 8 tractors brought in for judging. Theprize winners were: Noah Stephenson with the oldest, Tyler Riderwith the smallest, Tanner Matthews with the biggest, AshtonHamrick with the cleanest, and Trace Walls with the newest. Thankyou to everyone who made this event possible!

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High School News

Jason Ford Shares Chemistry

Experience With StudentsJason Ford, a 2011 graduate of Parkway and a recent graduate of Ohio State University, visited Mrs. Morton'sAnatomy & Physiology, Biology, and Physics classes on March 21 and 22. Jason has his Bachelor’s degreein chemistry and is now working on his Doctorate in theoretical chemistry at Stanford University. For theA&P classes, Jason presented them with a blood buffer lab. Students were able to demonstrate the bufferingsolution found in your blood, connecting chemistry to the human body. For the biology classes, Jason begana discussion idea based on an article about bananas and howthey are being struck by a disease that is incurable and prettymuch wipes out banana plantations within a matter of years.The bananas we eat now are clones of a single genetic strand,so if this disease strikes, the banana may be gone from allgrocery shelves. Mr. Ford discussed differences betweengenetic engineering and genetically modified foods. His studyin chemistry links to proteins that could play roles in genetics.Finally, for Mrs. Morton's physics classes, Jason began adiscussion about bio mechanics and why you should lift thingsa certain way to minimize torque on certain parts of the body.Students related their study of rational motion to the body andthe amount of torque sustained by joints like the elbow and knee.

It's prom season and prom can be like a dream for many students,but emergency personnel from around Mercer county wanted toshow students that if they choose to drink and drive at prom, theresults can turn into a nightmare. The Mercer County SheriffsOffice, firefighters, EMS, and other agencies staged a mock crashfor students from Parkway, Celina, Coldwater, St.Henry,Ft.Recovery and Marion Local high schools. The event was held atthe Mercer County Fair Grounds on Monday, April 4. The mockcrash involved two cars with high school students on their way backfrom prom, the driver that caused the accident was the only one ableto walk away. The purpose of the exercise was to demonstrate the

consequences of poor choices for the young people in attendance. Monte Diegel is Mercer County's 9-1-1administrator and was the main speaker at the event. This year's mock crash involved Marion Local studentsplaying the role of those involved in the accident. There were two staged fatalities and several staged injuries.A chilly April morning set the stage for a very realistic and eye opening event for students.

Mercer County Hosts Mock Crash

Middle School NewsBrought to you by PHS Sophomore Sophie Prichard

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Jace Armstrong, Colin Fokine and Skyler Fokine attended the district science fair at OhioNorthern University on Saturday, March 19. They received a “Superior” rating, earningthem an opportunity to compete at the state science fair on Saturday, May 14 on thecampus of Ohio State University. Their project “How Does Wind Affect Drones” alsoreceived a “Superior” rating at the Mercer/Auglaize County Science Fair held at WrightState University Lake Campus, which earned them an opportunity to present at the districtcompetition. They also received a “Physical Award of Excellence” for their project. JaceArmstrong is the son of Jeff and Jenny Armstrong, and Colin and Skyler Fokine are thesons of Tim and Megan Fokine.This is the first year that the entire student body of Parkway Middle School had anopportunity to compete in the local science fair. A science fair project requires a lot ofdedication and commitment. Only two groups from Parkway completed all of the stepsnecessary to enter the local science fair, and only Jace, Colin, and Skyler placed wellenough to move on. Parkway Middle School is very proud of these students for representing our school well. Thescience teachers at Parkway hope this is the first of many successful science fair projects that comes from Parkwaystudents.

Parkway 8th Grade Students Visit Washington D.C.

On April 11-16, the Parkway 8th grade students made theirannual trip to Washington D.C. This trip provides anopportunity for the students to experience the history oftheir country first hand. One opportunity a few of thestudents got was to lay a wreath on the Tomb of theUnknown Soldier. These students were Brayden Bruns,Hailey Stephenson, Aaron Bruns, and Alexis Cairns. Whilethe students all had different opinions on what part of thetrip they liked the best, all of thestudents said they appreciate theopportunity to visit Washington D.C.

Parkway 8th grader Cory Walls said, “My favorite part of D.C. was the Arlington NationalCemetery because it was really cool to see how straight they line up all of the tombstones.The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was also one of my favorites.” Ryann Fox said, “TheHolocaust museum was the most memorable part for me because you get to actually see howthose people were treated everyday.” We hope all of our students had a wonderful time inWashington D.C. and the places they visited had an impact that will benefit them for yearsto come.

Parkway Team Qualifies for State Science Fair

Middle School News6

5th – Aaron Cron - Aaron Cron is an all-around good student who has excelled in all of his subjects this year.He goes above and beyond what is expected of him in the classroom; for example, he had 74 AM objectives metin Math last nine weeks when he only needed to meet 14. Also, he met his AR goal in Language Arts on the firstday of the 4th nine weeks. Not only is Aaron excelling academically, he is also a pleasure to have in class. Aaronis the son of Chris and Kari Cron.

6th - Raegan Roehm - Raegan comes to class every day with apositive attitude. She is a very hard worker and is always readyto learn. She is a good role model to others and always treatsteachers and other students with respect. Raegan is thedaughter of Rick and Cary Roehm.

7th – Brody Dorsten - Brody is a good student who always hashis homework done and who asks questions when he needsclarification. He cares about his education and strives to alwaysdo his best. Brody is the son of Matthew and Lisa Dorsten.

8th – Grace Rogers - The 8th grade team would like to congratulate Grace Rogers on not only having a greatmonth of March, but a great school year. Grace shows grit by working hard every day. She is also a classroomleader and gets along with all of her classmates. Grace goes above and beyond with her attitude and work ethic.She is also a tremendous speller. Grace is the daughter of Andy and Michelle Rogers.

Both middle school and high school students joined together to help raise funds for the Penniesfor Patients campaign. This fund raising effort was sponsored by the high school and middleschool student councils. All proceeds benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society forresearch. Since 1994, millions of dollars have been raised in pennies and other spare changeby more than 10 million elementary, middle and high school students throughout the country.Everyone who participates is a winner! Students across the country are collecting pennies,nickels, dimes, and quarters during the Pennies for Patients campaigns benefiting the Society.In the Pennies for Patients campaign, the class collecting the most change in each schoolreceives a pizza party. At Parkway, the sixth grade class collected the most for the middleschool and Mr. Hamrick’s yearbook class collected the most for the high school. The middle school collected$474 in cash and $1073.10 in change for a total of $1,547.10. The high school had $133 in cash and $517.14 inchange for a total of $650.14. This makes a grand total of $2,197.24 for Parkway Schools! We are very proud ofour generous students and staff, thank you!

Parkway Middle School Students of the Month

Students Donate over $2,000 to Pennies For Patients

Elementary UnleashedBrought to you by PHS Senior Trent Sarasin

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Kindergarten Screening held at Parkway

Planting New SeedsOn Tuesday, April 12, Pat Frederick from Dues Nursery visited Parkway Elementary School to work with thesecond grade students. Pat started a plant program called Little Growers which teaches young elementary studentsabout growing plants and getting them interested in gardening. “Flowerstake different times to grow just like people” said Pat. Pat explained thelife cycle of plants to the students and he also told them about how theflowers get food. The students planted sunflowers which they will seegrowing in about two weeks. The tallest flower of all the schools thatPat visits will get a pop and pizza party. Pat’s program, Little Growers,went national two years ago. His story about his program was publishedin Ohio Landscaping magazine where he encouraged other nurseries todo the same kind of program he was doing to encourage the nextgeneration to get into gardening. Pat has been doing this program for 6years. He especially likes visiting Parkway, as he is a 1987 Parkwaygraduate. We would like to thank Pat for coming to our school to teach our students more about plants.

Parkway Elementary held their annual kindergarten screening on April 7 and 8. Kindergarten screening is a greatway for young students to familiarize themselves with their new school. The purpose is not to test how much achild knows, but to see if a child is developmentally ready to start kindergarten and if a child will need anyadditional support in the classroom at Parkway Elementary. A kindergarten screening will evaluate children ina range of developmental tasks, from self-care skills to the ability to communicate and listen. The screeningsgenerally last 20 to 30 minutes and the parent or guardian does not stay with the child. Even though these arekindergarten readiness skills, there is an age range for anything having to do with child development. Depending

upon where their birthday falls, some children who enter kindergarten maybe nearing six, while others may still be four. It is important not to compareyour child's development to what other children are doing; rather, individuallyconsider your child's age and situation when it comes to kindergartenreadiness skills. Also, know that some children are simply stronger in someareas and weaker in others. The following are kindergarten readiness skillsthat may be tested during or after kindergarten registration: being able washhands on their own, being fully potty trained, able to tie or Velcro their ownshoes, speaks in complete sentences of at least five words, can followdirections, can answer basic questions, can identify some letter sounds, andcan count up to five objects. Screening for these, along with a variety of otherskills help Parkway teachers and staff plan the education of our youngeststudents.

Elementary Unleashed 8

On Wednesday, April 6, Parkway kindergarten students had the opportunity to visit the Mercer Healthhospital facility in Coldwater, Ohio. The students were greetedin the hospital lobby by employee tour guides who escorted themto each department. The students visited the surgery center,cardiopulmonary department, x-ray laboratory, germ room,physical therapy, and maternity department; where the student gotto see a new born baby. While in each department, students learnedabout what happens if they area patient and the process forspecific tests and procedures.The students had a lot ofquestions and were very eagerto participate in the departmentactivities. “We all enjoyed thetrip to the hospital. It was nicefor the students to see so manydepartments and see firsthandwhat the rooms look like andhear about what happens ineach part of the hospital,” saidMrs. Evans, a kindergartenteacher at Parkway. The students even got to go see what is on

the inside of an ambulance before boarding the busses and heading back to school.

A Trip to the Hospital

Raising Funds for Parkway ElementaryOn Saturday, March 19 the Parkway Elementary High-Five group held the annualschool carnival. There were many activities for students such as carnival games,inflatables, a free magic show, face painting, sand art, cotton candy, snow cones,and prizes. Students had the chance to win an iPod Touch and an iPad Mini 4.Sydney Flint won the iPod Touch and Bryce Stearns won the iPad Mini 4.Parkway Elementary students also helped raise funds for the school by sellingMcDonald’s peeler cards. As an incentive for selling cards, students could earna variety of rewards. If students sold 5 cards, they earned a dancing solar flowerand a free McFlurry, 10 cards earned them a free McDonald’s peeler card, 15cards got them a 5 inch mini basketball, and selling 20 cards earned them a $10Walmart gift card. The top 5 sellers got to pick from one of the following prizes:a rocket gumball machine with refill, a mini locker, or a giant tub of animalcookies.The funds raised by both the school carnival and the McDonald’s peelers will beused for student programs such as assemblies, field trips, and other enrichmentprograms to benefit your children. Also as a school service project, one dollarfrom each McDonald’s card sold is donated to Ronald McDonald House Charitiesto help families in need.