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FALL 2015

Official Newsmagazine of Mariemont City Schools

Photo by Paola Biro

T rad i t i on . Commun i ty . I n n o va t i o n .

The Experience

THANK YOU to the Mariemont Board of

Education members,

MARIE HUENEFELD & DEE WALTER , who are retiring after serving our community for a collective

36 YEARS!

Another great year at Mariemont City Schools is underway, with so much happening in the couple of months we’ve been back to school. We have recognized three incredible new Distinguished Alumni; our 6th grade class enjoyed a hands-on outdoor education experience at Camp Kern; 14 National Merit Scholars have been announced; COSI on Wheels once again brought its unique, interactive learning to our elementary schools; and our athletic teams are once again doing great. We have been busy, indeed—relentless in maintaining our foothold on the leading edge of education.

We have always encouraged our students to pursue a personalized pathway in their education journey, and this year I am excited about initiatives we’re launching as well as those we’re focusing on expanding.

We are advancing Warriors BEyond, our flagship program for student opportunities offered beyond the traditional curriculum. This new initiative will offer exciting enrichment experiences, travel opportunities, career exploration and service learning for students at all grade levels as we roll it out over the next few years. This is work I am passionate about because I believe every student should have the chance to lead, reach and explore.

At our junior high, the newly launched Expeditions program has been a huge success. This program gives students exciting, innovative learning opportunities. All expeditions are hands on, ungraded and focused on igniting student interests and passions. You will read more about Expeditions in this edition of The Experience.

Our elementary schools continue to better their communities, both locally and globally, through the Warriors Change the World program, which engages both the students’ academic minds as well as their compassionate hearts. Each grade level focuses on a different compassionate concept, and each ties back to the curriculum, giving students the ability to apply learned skills and concepts in a variety of ways.

All of this and more is part of Destination 2026, our strategic plan to guide the instructional future of Mariemont City Schools, and I’m excited to share more with you in the coming months. I welcome you to attend the State of the Schools address on January 19 at 7pm at Mariemont Junior High. This is a great opportunity to hear more about what else is happening at Mariemont City Schools.

I look forward to the many occasions and accomplishments we will celebrate this school year with our scholars of today, staff and community.

Steven EsteppSuperintendent, Mariemont City Schools

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Fall 2015

A Mariemont City School District tradition is to operate with great fiscal responsibility and offer great value to our community. We all know that strong fiscal stewardship is essential to the wonderful opportunities we offer our students every day.

Supporting our local schools is increasingly falling on the shoulders of local taxpayers as the state continues to cut funding. Over the summer, House Bill 64 was signed into law and created yet another new funding formula for Ohio schools. A major theme of this new formula is that communities, who, in the state’s eyes, have the ability to pay, should pay more for their schools. This formula uses an increased focus on median income and property values as well as an additional supplement for school districts unable to generate sufficient revenues. The end result is less support from the state for Mariemont City Schools. The funding measure also resumes the phase-out of Tangible Personal Property Tax Reimbursement. This reimbursement brings in over $900,000 annually to Mariemont City Schools. These dollars will be completely eliminated over the next two years. Fortunately, we had forecast that this may happen in our operating budget, but that doesn’t make it right.

We will continue to work with our lobbying organizations and lawmakers to express our concerns and frustrations with the ongoing cuts in state funding. We have also, just recently, partnered with school districts throughout the county as members of the Greater Cincinnati School Advocacy Network—yet another vehicle for making sure our voice is heard to protect our local public schools.

Regardless of what is happening at the state level, we will continue to direct our local dollars to provide the high quality educational experience that our community expects and our children deserve.

As always, I appreciate your support of our outstanding school district!

Tom GolinarTreasurer, Mariemont City Schools

4 5Fall 2015www.mariemontschools.org 5

At Mariemont City Schools, we want our students to have a well-rounded educational experience, be strong communicators, work collaboratively with others, and have opportunities to exceed the high expectations we collectively set in our district, for both our students and our staff.

Mariemont High School has historically earned and maintained a reputation of rigor and opportunity and, this year, we’ve expanded the elite academics at the high school to include even more offerings. Through the addition of AP Spanish and AP Music Theory, we now offer 17 Advanced Placement courses.

“I am more of a math and science person, but I’ve been playing cello for eight years and I wanted to take another AP course,” said Natalie Popowics, a high school senior and one of three of this year’s National Merit Semifinalists at Mariemont High School. “This course is giving me an understanding of how music has developed and how different composers bring different styles and notes together. And I’m doing better than I thought I would because of the time we’ve spent gaining an understanding of the basics.”

Throughout the course, students not only practice and develop music skills, they learn to recognize, understand and describe the basic materials and processes of music that are heard or presented in a score. They will also develop their aural, sight-singing, written, compositional and analytical skills through a series of listening, performance, written, creative and analytical exercises.

“This course allows students to express their creativity in a manner different than other courses available at the high school,” said Dr. James Renner, principal at Mariemont High School. “They gain an analytical understanding of music and composition, while also practicing and mastering other skills, such as group collaboration, writing and independent thinking.”

“I feel really confident so far. I’ve always struggled with understanding how music was made and I feel like I’ve already learned so much,” said Sierra Smith, who is a current senior and hopes to be a music major in college. “I had a private tutor and it didn’t really click then but it’s clicking here. There’s something about Mrs. Khamis that makes it easy to understand what she’s trying to teach. She’s the perfect person to teach this course because she loves music so much.”

Last year, the district recognized 77 AP Scholars, who scored at a three or higher on at least three AP exams, and 29 AP Scholars with Distinction, who scored at least a 3.5 on all AP exams taken and received scores of three or higher on five or more of those exams.

Expanding Elite Academic Offerings

We believe that our scholars of today and leaders of tomorrow learn not only in the classroom but also beyond. Launched this school year, the Mariemont Junior High Expeditions program is designed to expose students to different learning opportunities within the school year.

Based on student choice, each student will participate in seven expeditions throughout the school year. All expeditions are hands on, ungraded and focused on lighting a spark of student interest. The expeditions last four weeks, meeting for two hours on consecutive Fridays, and are grouped into three categories: Wellness, Arts and Learning Beyond.

“Expeditions provide an educational experience for students that gives them the opportunity to pursue their interests and sample topics they may not otherwise get to try,” said Nicole Parr, MJHS teacher. “It is a chance for students to experience a little bit of everything.”

Examples of expeditions offered this year include Chopped Cooking Challenge, H2O Fitness and Fun, Intro to Woodworking, Be the Art Critic, Ancient Languages, Tinkerspace, Let’s Dissect It, and Bravery in History.

“Giving the kids a chance to make some decisions around their interests, and pushing them a bit out of their comfort zone is huge,” said Kristin Crowley, MJHS parent. “I love Expeditions and the other enrichment opportunities offered at school.”

The Expeditions program is part of Warriors BEyond—a Destination 2026 initiative that is the district’s flagship program for student opportunities offered beyond the traditional curriculum, including new enrichment experiences, travel opportunities, career exploration and service learning.

Junior High Students Embrace Expeditions

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Are you or someone you know interested in becoming a Warrior Club member? You must be age 55 or older and reside in the school district, with no children attending school in the Mariemont City School District. Our Warrior Club members obtain free admission to all regular season district home sporting events and arts performances and are invited to special events. Members will also receive a

subscription to the Warrior Club newsletter, which includes updates, stories and insider information about the school district. Club membership is free.

To find out more information visit the district website at www.mariemontschools.org > About > Warrior Club or call 513-272-7500.

Warrior Club

Fall 2015

The inaugural Warrior Club breakfast was a hit, with great company, great conversation and great entertainment and information provided by district students and staff. Mark your calendars for March 23, 2016 for our 2nd annual Warrior Club breakfast!

Save The Date For The Warrior Club Breakfast

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–Steven Estepp, Superintendent

We have always encouraged our students to pursue a personalized pathway in their education journey, and this year I am excited about initiatives we’re launching as well as those we’re focusing on expanding.

Mariemont City Schools Child Find Policy requires that all children below twenty-two (22) years of age residing within the district, who have a disability, regardless of the severity of their disability, and who are in need of special education and related services are identified, located and evaluated in accordance with all federal regulations and state standards.

For children, birth through age two, a disability means that a child has a behavior, cognition, communication, physical development, sensory development and/or social or emotional development deficit. For children ages three through five years of age, a disability means that a child has a documented deficit in one or more of the following areas: communication skills,

hearing abilities, motor functioning, social-emotional/behavior functioning or vision abilities. For school-age students, a disability means a person having one or more conditions such as autism, developmental handicap, hearing handicap, multi-handicap, orthopedically and or other health handicap, emotional/behavior handicap, specific learning disability, traumatic brain injury or visual handicap.

If you are aware of a child who you think may have a disability, please contact Tricia Buchert, director of student services at 513-272-7519.

Child Find Policy

www.mariemontschools.org

WARRIOR CLUBWARRIOR CLUBWARRIOR CLUB2 Warrior Way | Cincinnati, Ohio 45227

Get updates and more information at

www.mariemontschools.org

Mark YourCalendarJanuary 135th Annual State of the Schools Address | 7pm | MJHSFebruary 26Night of Singing Choir Concert 7pm | MHSFebruary 28Annual Carnival4pm | Mariemont ElementaryMarch 4Strings Extravaganza Orchestra Concert | 7pmMariemont ElementaryMarch 5Band Bash Concert7pm | MHS gymMarch 10Sports Stag Fundraiser | 6pm 20th Century Theater in OakleyMarch 20-22: MHS Spring MusicalTimes vary | MHS

Staff SpotlightCheryl Toepfer

The Mariemont City School District has countless excellent teachers; teachers that have made an invaluable impact on students; teachers that you never forget. Cheryl Toepfer is one of those teachers, and she will be retiring this spring after 26 years of service to the Mariemont High School community.

“It’s a hard place to leave. I’m going to miss the students very much. I feel like I have a different perspective on the world because of my interaction with all of these lovely, mostly well-mannered, kind young people,” said Cheryl. “They write about their lives, and I get to catch a glimpse of that. They write about what they love, and it makes me feel like the world is a beautiful place.”

Cheryl teaches AP English Language & Composition, junior college-prep English and FOCUS, which is a guided study class for juniors and seniors. Cheryl loves teaching and really finds

satisfaction when “kids anticipate that they won’t like a particular book or genre and then they do” but she is also looking forward to “unstructured time” in her retirement, doing things like spending time with her grandchildren and her children, and having time to do some photography, biking, traveling, reading and freelance writing.

“Cheryl has been instrumental in the development and implementation of a writing program that is the exemplar for high schools in our region,” said Dr. James Renner, principal of Mariemont High School. “Teachers like Cheryl Toepfer are one of the primary reasons why Mariemont High School has been continuously recognized as one of the top high schools in the city, the state and the nation. Cheryl is a tremendous asset to this school community and her absence, both professionally and personally, will be felt by many.”

Warrior Club Community. Tradition. Innovation.

CLUBHOUSETHE

WINTER 2014

Save the Date for the Warrior Club Breakfast!March 25 | 8:00 am | MJHS | Details to come

Exclusive to Warrior Club m

embers,

The Clubhouse provides you wi

th

insider news and stories about

our

school district and the people

and

programs that make it special

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ates

for some special school event

s – I

hope to see you at some of

these,

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breakfast

on March 25. As I have

stated

before, without you we would

not

be able to provide the excell

ent

academic and extracurricular

programming that we

do for our current

students.

Thank you for everything th

at you

do for our Mariemont City

Schools,

and please enjoy our inaugur

al

edition of The Clubhouse!

Respectfully,

Steven Estepp

*For more school events, please visit the calendar on the district website.

Note from the Superintendent

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COSI On Wheels is the traveling outreach program of COSI Columbus that engages our students each year with a dynamic opening assembly and fun, hands-on science activities about subjects such as the human body and wellness. This year we learned about the Incredible Human Machine, and elementary school students had a blast engaging in education in such an interactive way.

Congratulations to the recipients of the 3rd Annual Distinguished Alumni Award: Donn M. Davis, class of 1981, Managing Partner, Revolution Growth; Michael L. Fordyce, class of 1969, President/CEO, Craig Hospital; and Mark W. Lippert, class of 1991, United States Ambassador to South Korea.

In the Mariemont spirit of tradition, the community gathered at the Terrace Park Log Cabin for the annual bonfire pow wow before the Indian Hill football game.

14 MHS students have been named National Merit Scholars, including Logan Urbanski, Shea Wells, Elijah Koreman, Michael Barrett, Gabriel Safier (top row); William Hobart, Connor Jacob, Gabriel Koreman, Charles Manzler, Wyatt Peterman (middle row); and Natalie Popowics, Sarah Morgan, Lindsay Harden, Elizabeth Geary (bottom row).

The Incredible Human MachineGo Warriors! National Merit Scholars

Mariemont Elementary students have a blast at the Walk-a-Thon, an active and fun-filled all-school event that focuses on kindness, wellness, and health. * Picture taken by Paola Biro

Homecoming is always unforgettable—from the pep rally to the parade to the game and everything in between. Everything about this day IS Mariemont City Schools. * Picture taken by Steve Spooner

Mariemont Elementary and Terrace Park Elementary 6th grade students enjoyed a week-long, hands-on outdoor education experience at Camp Kern—from role-playing leaders and members of a Native American tribe to interactive learning through the Living History stations in the forest.

2015 Distinguished Alumni Homecoming Traditions 6th Grade Camp

District staff participated in optional summer professional development, in which they collaborated with their peers, interacted with experts and brainstormed more ways to excel teaching and learning at Mariemont City Schools.

Staff members identified 20 students in grades 7-12 to serve on the committee this year. The first meeting consisted of peer-to-peer learning and outlining impressive goals for the school year.

Walking… Yoga… Zumba, Oh My! Teaching and Learning Student Curriculum Committee

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Fall 2015www.mariemontschools.org

For more news stories, visit the school district website!

10 www.mariemontschools.org Fall 2015

On September 16, 2015 a powerful 8.3-magnitude earthquake struck off Chile’s coast, triggering a tsunami alert, coastal evacuations and panic from those residing and with loved ones in the area, including the Henning family from Mariemont. 2010 Mariemont High School graduate Brian Henning and some friends were in Chile during the earthquake and his mom, Jo Henning, could not reach him because communication lines were down. “As we were desperately surfing the web for more information on the earthquake and the subsequent tsunami warnings, Will, our youngest son, calmly told us there was little danger for Brian and his friends.”

Will directed his parents to the U.S. Geological Survey website, which is a resource he first discovered during Mrs. Emily Hunt’s 8th grade science class at Mariemont Junior High School. “Before I checked any other sites or sources, I went to the USGS site first,” said Will. “I remembered talking about plate tectonics in Mrs. Hunt’s class and I honestly didn’t think there would be much of a problem for Brian because of where the plates are located, but I wanted to double check.”

Mrs. Hunt’s science class uses the USGS site to view real-time earthquake data to identify the Ring of Fire and research a current earthquake to discuss magnitude, plate movement and the aftermath.

Now in 10th grade, Will said that Mrs. Hunt was one of his favorite science teachers. “She was always engaging and made science very interactive. Her lectures captivated the attention of those who didn’t even like science.”

Mrs. Hunt has taught science at Mariemont Junior High for 12 years and has always been committed to having fun with science and making sure the students enjoy their learning. “I love this age group and love how they question everything. There’s this opportunity to expose them to concepts they might choose to learn more about in the future,” said Mrs. Hunt. “Will was always very knowledgeable and passionate about science. He pursued learning and understanding.”

Will still has a passion for science and plans to pursue a college degree in theoretical physics or computer science. “I would like to own a nonprofit science-related business one day and help people in some way,” said Will. “I hope to make the world a better place for generations and help third world countries get access to technologies that we consider basic necessities. I really just want to help.”

In the meantime, Jo and her husband will always be grateful for Will’s quick thinking and Mrs. Hunt’s applicable classroom teaching. In a recent email to Mrs. Hunt, Jo wrote: “Alan and I didn’t even know the USGS website existed until Will brought it to our attention, but we shared it with other parents, and we all felt more confident going to bed the night after the earthquake. See what a lasting impact you have on kids and families? Thank you so much!”

Teaching Has a Lasting Impact

“I’ve never built anything this complex, especially because none of it was a from a kit. Each piece was specifically selected.”

Martin Schram, a senior at Mariemont High School, recently built a multi-rotor quad copter, otherwise known as a drone. A self-professed “general tinkerer,” Martin flew a friend’s drone, which the friend received for Christmas, and a light was sparked. “I really wanted to build one, so I set myself a budget and worked extra hours on parking crew to raise the funds necessary to build a drone.”

Research took a couple of weeks and getting the drone built and off the ground took a couple more. He explored online forums, YouTube, interacted with people who know the components and did some troubleshooting at Pit Row Hobby Shop in Kenwood. “No one source would have satisfied,” said Martin. “There are just too many variables and possible solutions.”

The drone community was and still is very helpful. “They just want people to know they’re here to fly and have fun, which I totally agree with,” said Martin. “I didn’t build this drone to spy on people or anything like that—it’s really just about enjoying this new hobby.”

Martin has presented to both the Mariemont Kiwanis as well as the Mariemont High School MakerSpace group. He also recently got footage of the Warrior Run from a unique perspective.

When asked what advice he would have to anyone interested in building a drone, he said to ask yourself how much time you have. “Research takes a couple of weeks, but it really is never ending. Everything can be perfected and modified. Cutting corners is not something you want to do. If you don’t have the time, then buy a kit. And if you just want one to take pictures and don’t have interest in building it, buy one premade.”

Speaking of perfecting and modifying, he hopes to add a FPV (first person video) flight system soon, so he is able to see what the drone sees and won’t need a direct view of the actual drone. Knowing the dedication of this student, that plan will be a reality sooner than later.

Martin has been flying his drone nearly every day since April and says what makes him most proud is that it flies; it actually flies. “I just enjoy flying it. There is really never a dull moment.”

From General Tinkering to Drone Building

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During the 2013-14 school year, 12 Mariemont High School students participated in an arts education program called “New Voices.” The goal of “New Voices” is to connect high school students with important community issues through long-term artistic projects.

The 12 students were paired with the Hyde Park Health Center’s Alzheimer Unit. Once a week, for 10 weeks, students met after school at the health center and worked directly with residents. The purpose of the meetings were two-fold: to form relationships with the patients and to produce collaborative artistic exhibits that showcased the creative work of all participants.

Now, two years later, Sam Telgkamp, who is a freshman at Ohio University and one of the students who participated in New Voices that year, posted something on her Facebook page that showed the lasting impact the experience had on her:

“During high school, I was able to be a part of a program called New Voices, whose main goal was to bring two groups of people together to socialize and make connections

they never thought possible. For my junior year, I had the opportunity to work with an older man named Harold. Harold was one of the smartest and kindest beings I have ever met. His spirit could make anyone in the room smile. Every week I would interview him, ask him about his life, and attempt to get him to use a camera. The hardest part of this experience was Harold had Alzheimer’s disease, so each time I came back, I felt as if I knew this man my whole life and he had no clue who I was. I would ask him questions and he would answer and remember most of his life, but he would ask me 10 times in five minutes who I was and where I was from. I had never experienced this disease until I did this, and since then it has held a deep impact in my life… Because of New Voices, I have learned that over five million Americans live with this disease and in the U.S. it is the sixth leading cause of death. Alzheimer’s kills more people than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined, but most importantly it cannot be stopped, prevented, or slowed down. What hit me the hardest was the fact that it kills and affects so many people, yet there is a huge lack of money for research compared to cancers and diseases… Lives of every age matter.”

New Voices takes a different path each year, but Sam said if any student has the opportunity to participate in the program to do it. “You never know what you might learn about people and how easy it is to celebrate our similarities and differences.”

Experiences in School Last a Lifetime

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As always, we encourage all alumni to stay in touch! The best way to do so is by emailing mhsalumni@mariemontschools.org with your name and current contact information, along with any news you would like to share. In addition, you can sign up for the district newsletter on the homepage of the district website.

HeyAlumni!

Social MediaThe district regularly uses social media outlets to disseminate information as well as post pictures and announcements. Below are the links to the social media pages for Mariemont City Schools:

You can also follow Superintendent Steven Estepp on Twitter (@Estepp), Instagram (SEstepp) or on his blog on the district website.

The district also has an app, available to Apple and Android users. The app is called “Mariemont CSD” and the district uses push notifications to announce any urgent news, so please click “OK” when prompted about push notifications for our app.

Did you tweet about your child’s Warrior Change

the World project? Or what about the college to

which your teenager just got accepted? Include

#MariemontExperience in your post or tweet if you’re

posting a feel-good story about your or a loved one’s

involvement with the Mariemont City School District.

We’d love to track these highlights and include them in

future publications!

@MariemontSchool Mariemont City Schools

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NovemberNovember 17: Mariemont BOE meeting (7pm, Mariemont Elementary)November 24: Parent/Grandparent Day (10am, Mariemont Elementary & Terrace Park Elementary)November 25–29: Thanksgiving Break (no school)

DecemberDecember 4: Holiday Fair (5pm, MHS Gym)December 15: Mariemont Board of Education meeting (6pm, Mariemont Elementary)December 21– January 3: Winter Break (no school)

JanuaryJanuary 12: Mariemont BOE meeting (7pm, Mariemont Elementary)January 18: MLK Day (no school)January 19: State of the Schools Address (7pm, MJHS)

FebruaryFebruary 15: Presidents’ Day (no school)February 16: Mariemont BOE meeting (7pm, Mariemont Elementary)February 25: Night of Singing Choir Concert (7pm, MHS)

www.mariemontschools.org

Upcoming EventsPlease reference the district website calendar for more dates and activities.

MarchMarch 1: Strings Extravaganza Orchestra Concert, grades 5-12 (7pm, Mariemont Elementary)March 5: FAB Affair (7pm, location TBD)March 15: Mariemont BOE meeting (7pm, Mariemont Elementary)March 17: Kindergarten Registration Night (6:30pm, Mariemont Elementary & Terrace Park Elementary) March 23: 2nd Annual Warrior Club Breakfast (8am, location TBD)March 26– April 3: Spring Break (no school)

AprilApril 10: MHS Eliminate 5K (8am, MHS)April 19: Mariemont BOE meeting (7pm, Mariemont Elementary)April 29: MHS Prom (8pm, Cincinnati Netherland Plaza, Hall of Mirrors)

Fall 2015

Want the inside scoop? Catch the Mariemont Minute! Released monthly, each video segment focuses on something new or innovative happening in the district. Hosted on Warrior Watch, the district’s YouTube-like platform, you can access these short, informative videos via the district homepage.

Check us out!

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Mariemont City School DistrictSuperintendent: Steven Estepp2 Warrior WayCincinnati, Ohio 45227Phone: 513-272-7500Fax: 513-527-3436 Mariemont High SchoolPrincipal: James Renner, PhD1 Warrior WayCincinnati, Ohio 45227Phone: 513-272-7600Fax: 513-527-5991

Mariemont Junior High SchoolPrincipal: Molly Connaughton3847 Southern AvenueCincinnati, Ohio 45227Phone: 513-272-7300 Mariemont Elementary SchoolPrincipal: Ericka Simmons6750 Wooster PikeCincinnati, Ohio 45227Phone: 513-272-7400Fax: 513-527-3411

Terrace Park Elementary School Principal: Linda Lee723 Elm AvenueTerrace Park, Ohio 45174Phone: 513-272-7700Fax: 513-831-1249

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Board of EducationBill FlynnMike GaburoMarie HuenefeldDee WalterKen White