The Summer Olympics have been exciting. Young people have challenged them-selves to reach for the stars. These athletes have set their goals to be the best. “Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.” (Goethe) Ahead of these athletes lie many rewarding experiences. They will make a difference in the future. As the new school year approaches the Brunswick Education Foundation wants to make a difference. We look forward to many rewarding experiences in being able to encourage creativity and increase the knowledge of the students of the Brunswick City School District. The BEF awards funding of Teacher Excellence Grants and student scholarships, along with many other meaningful educational experiences. Articles about recent award recipients can be found in this newsletter. (see pages 4 and 7) We are excited to partner with the Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame at our an-nual Spring Fling Banquet this year. We will be offering a new and exciting venue for all who participate. Plan to attend in April, 2009 and to get involved! We hope to gain many new friendships throughout the coming year and ask you to consider becoming a member of the Brunswick Education Foundation. We need your en-dorsement to help us reach our goals and challenges this year, so please remember, any amount of your support will benefit the children of our community immensely. “If we did the tings we are capable of, we would astound ourselves.” (Thomas Edi-son) Have a great upcoming year! Barb Gelhar, President Brunswick Education Foundation

President’s Message—Barb Gelhar

Inside this issue:

President’s Mes-sage

1

BEF Membership List

2

New Trustee 3

2008 Scholarship Winners

4

Tom Rounds—2008 Teacher of the Year

7

BEF Spring Fling 2008

3

The Lantern Fall, 2008 The Lantern

Your support is what makes us successful.

Please renew your membership today.

BEF Membership

Page 2 The Lantern

Diamond Members ($1000+) Businesses

All Custom Fabricators American Greetings Bank One Dust Control Company First Energy/Ohio Edison

First Merit/Old Phoenix Bank GPD Associates Litehouse Pools Mapleside Farms Medical Mutual of Ohio

Medina General Hospital Pannonia Builders, Inc. Sandridge Food Corporation Schade’s Auto Body VFW Post 9520 VOFT

Individuals

Bob and Lois Bell Jim and Gayle Hayas

Len and Lynn Klein *Don and Jan Moll

*Allen and Cindi White

Gold Members ($50+)

Pat Altherr Donna Amato Karen Baga Lee Ann Bailey Cathy Bair Maureen Bartinelli Tiffany Baugh Vicky Beavers Kathleen Becks Marie Becvar Eric Berken Patrick and Rosemarie Beyer Toni Biery Denise Bohn Mary Bouman Robin Blumenthal Marilyn Burger Keith Calvin Jaime Camino Renee Cancilliere Gretchen Checkelsky Carole Chew Mandy Clark Kathy Collins Heidi Connolly Sarah Costic *Bill and Dalette Dawson Shvonne Davis Denise Decesare Pietro Diamonte *Joe and Debbie Destro Mary Doyle Nancy Duelly Theresia Dunlay Patrick East Sue Esker Monica Ference-Florek Antonietta Filut Athena Fleming Sunila Gaikwad *Dan and Barb Gelhar Janet Genco Ellen Gibbs

Mary Gilbert Amy Ginn Janet Glaser Dennis Haft Diane Haley Chuck and Suzanne Hawley Mike and Paula Hodson Homestead Insurance Stacy Hoy Frank and Mary Kay Incandela Julianne Jakub Rhonda Januszewski Pamela Johnson Marla Keith Melinda Kellerstrass Jill Klaus Sue Klein *Joe and Lena Knight *Gunther and Lynn Koch Heather Laird Patricia LeHotan Melanie Lupino Sean Lynch Mark Mabry Carolyn Mackey Debbie Marshall Mike Mayell Loretta Mazzoni Daniel McClintok Pam Mehlman Keith Merrill Wendy Miller Kent Morgan Stephanie Motsinger Jean Mrachko Len and Sue Muniak Danielle Murphy Beverly Musil Dawn Nelson Dina Neuman Yolanda Niemoller Mallory Nixon Lynda Nossaman

Laura Oberaker Lisa O’Deens Kristen Perrin Pinzone Financial Services Cheryl Porter Terry Prokop Pat Ravas Andrea Reppa Jan Rizzo Annette Robson Leslie Robinson Jacqueline Rodriguez Linda Romph Tom Rounds Kelly Rutkowski Dale Saraniti Patricia Sasarak Brenda Schaefer Beth Scheulfer Lisa Smith Stephanie Stepsis Deb Sutter Kathlene Swasey Laura Thrams Kimberely Tomashefski Ron and Gayle Tomson Steve Vadini Kathleen Vehest Judith Vilt Waite and Son Funeral Home Lori Wagner Becky Weaver Marilou Weidus Michelle Weinmann Tracy Wheeler Terry Wilkinson Carol Yost

Silver Members ($25+) Deborah Beran Irene Brown Cheryn Caso Angela Ebert

Pete Goulis

Chuck and Ruth Hunter Michelle Kuhar Tiffany Myers Laura Oberaker

* Denotes BEF Trustee

Thank You

The people on

this page have

contributed to

the Foundation

and helped us

give back to the

children of our

community.

It takes a special

kind of person to

give of

themselves to

benefit others,

and the

Brunswick

Education

Foundation

extends its

thanks to all of

its supporters.

Other Contributors: Elizabeth Clements, Cheryl Johnson

New Trustee-David Finn

Page 3 The Lantern

The Brunswick Education Foundation would like to welcome its newest trustee, David Finn. David grew up in Brunswick, attending St. Ambrose and Brunswick High School. He earned a BA with an emphasis in accounting from Baldwin-Wallace Col-lege. David, his wife, Karen, and son, Alex returned to Brunswick in September, 2007. His wife Karen, a third grade teacher, was named Kidder Elementary’s

Teacher of the Year, 2008. David is currently employed with NatCity Investments providing Broker Support. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family and friends, soccer, reading,

and traveling. When asked why he was interested in becoming a trustee, David replied, “I think it’s important to support our school system. BEF awards grants to teachers which al-lows them to try new things for both academic and extracurricular activities. Teach-ers have great ideas that can really benefit children, but budget limitations prevent these ideas from coming to life. The scholarships offered by BEF reduces the finan-cial burden of college and allows students to focus on academics and take advantage

of opportunities rather than having to work to pay for college.

Your Help

With your help, we

can provide more

educational

opportunities to the

young people of our

district.

Your time and contributions

go towards helping the

students of Brunswick

City School District

through programs the

schools couldn’t

otherwise offer, as

well as grants to

participate in activities

such as

Junior Leadership

Medina County.

Thank You

BEF Spring Fling 2008

Our annual Spring Fling fundraiser was held April 25, 2008 at Brunswick High School. This year’s fabulous dinner, Beef Stroganoff, was served by Heimatland Inn II. A delicious sheet cake was once again provided by Giant Eagle. The eve-ning was highlighted by the musical entertainment of the BHS Jazz Band under the direction of Mr. Jay Wardeska. BEF would like to thank you for your continued

support and for contributing to a wonderful evening. We would like to take this opportunity to thank our sponsor’s for this year’s event: Brunswick High School VOFT, Medina General Hospital, American Greet-ings, Brunswick Auto Mart, Homestead Insurance, Dust Control, Viktoria Manage-ment Corp., Mark and Tammy Pinzone (Pinzone Financial Services) and Allen and

Cindi White. Our thanks, also, go out to all the school buildings and district staff, community businesses and individuals who generously donated items for our silent auction. We had many “baskets” in our auction, ranging from a Halloween bag of goodies to a money tree loaded with lottery chances to a Spa basket. There was a wide variety of choices and many of our guests left with a sense of accomplishment and

satisfaction! We thank all of you for attending and buying the baskets. Next year BEF will be combining their efforts with the Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame to prepare a spectacular evening to raise money for BEF as well as honor new inductees the Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame. Mark your calendar for

April, 2009 to join us for the festivities.

2008-2009 Scholarship Winners

BRUNSWICK

CITY SCHOOLS

ATTAIN

TOP HONOR

The Brunswick

City Schools has

achieved

“excellence with

distinction” from

the Ohio

Department of

Education. The

honor is bestowed

upon districts

who have been

designated

excellent and

have exceeded

value-added goals

for two

consecutive years.

Congratulations

on a job well

done.

Page 4 The Lantern

Kimberly Coates will be attending Ashland University and plans to study politi-cal science. While at BHS, Kimberly earned three years of Academic Excellence. She was a two time silver medal Maxima Cum Laude winner in the National Latin Exam. Kimberly was a four year member of the swim team, spending two years as captain. She is currently a school record holder in her sport. Kimberly was also active in HUDDLE, National Honor Society, VOFT, Key Club, Concert Band, and Jazz Band. She was a past participant in Junior Leadership Medina County, Girl’s Buckeye State, Brunswick Youth Soccer, and Softball. In addition to school activities, Kimberly also found time to volunteer at her church, working in a soup kitchen and participating in a mission trip to New York. Kimberly is the daughter

of James and Carolyn Shubert. Taylor Knight will be attending The Ohio State University and plans to major in Pre Medicine. In preparation for the rigors of college, Taylor earned four years of Academic Excellence. She was the November 2007 Student of the Month. In addi-tion to academics, Taylor was an outstanding member of the BHS cheerleading squad, including team captain. A leader in VOFT, she was also active in National Honor Society, Spanish Club, BHS Scholastic Magazine, and Student Council. In her time outside of school, Taylor was the coach of a local cheer club. Taylor is the daughter of Joseph and Lena Knight.

Stephanie Neumann will be attending either Kent State University or Miami University with a major in Athletic Training. While at BHS, Stephanie earned three years of Academic Excellence. She was the October 2007 Student of the Month and served as a graduation marshal. She has been a student leader in Key Club (President), National Honor Society (Historian) and was the co-captain for a student Relay for Life Team. Stephanie’s team earned an award as the top youth group fundraising team. Stephanie has also

been active in HUDDLE, VOFT, Orchestra, Yearbook, Soccer and Track. In the community, Stepha-nie volunteered at Safety Town, participated in the Just Say No Walk, and rang the bell for the Salva-tion Army. Stephanie is the daughter of Tom and Laura Neumann. Stephanie Sobek will be attending The Ohio State University and plans to study Political Science and International Relations. While at BHS, Stephanie earned three years of Academic Excellence. She was the January 2008 Student of the Month. Stephanie also founded a chapter of STAND, an anti-genocide coalition, at the school. In addition to STAND, she has participated in National Honor Society, Girl’s Buckeye State, Political Issues Club, Photography Club, Student Council and Spanish Club. Stephanie studied abroad in Seville, Spain. Stephanie has also been active in her community as a Medina County Board of Elections poll worker. She helped local Girl Scouts fulfill the requirements for their dancing badge. Stephanie is the daughter of Ed and Sue Sobek.

Kayla Woods will be attending either Malone College or Indiana Wesleyan Univer-sity with a major in Integrated Mathematics/Mathematics Education. During her ten-ure at BHS, Kayla earned three years of Academic Excellence. She was a two time winner of the silver medal Maxima Cum Laude in the American Classical League Na-tional Latin Exam. She was a member of the Girl’s Soccer team and served as their captain. In addition to academics and sports, Kayla also participated in the fine arts. She was the principal oboist for both the Concert Band and the Wind Ensemble. Kayla was also a thespian and won awards for technical excellence. While at BHS, Kayla also participated in the Young Folk Show Choir, National Honor Society, and

Key Club. She has volunteered at her church with the hand bell choir (co-director) and Vacation Bible School. Kayla is the daughter of Carl and Debbie Woods. Continued on Page 6

Page 5 The Lantern

DEDICATED TO EXCELLENCE The Brunswick Education Foundation has been created to assist students and staff of the Brunswick City School District in their pursuit of excellence. The Foundation provides additional funding for

curricular and extra-curricular activities.

Through the generosity of concerned donors, the Foundation will assist the school district in

meeting the challenge of continuing a tradition of excellence.

You can become part of the future.

OUR GOAL It is the goal of the Brunswick Education Foundation to attract private funds and resources which will complement, enhance and enrich educational programs and opportunities for students beyond

normal tax support.

GIFTS TO THE FOUNDATION Gifts to the Foundation can take the form of:

•••• Unrestricted Gifts •••• Designated Gifts

•••• Testamentary Gifts (by will or trust agreement) •••• Naming the Foundation as beneficiary

JOIN TODAY! Please join us in supporting excellence in education. See page 2 of this newsletter for membership information, then make your check or money order payable to Brunswick Education Foundation and

mail it to:

Brunswick Education Foundation 3643 Center Road Brunswick, Ohio 44212

Name____________________________________

Address___________________________________ City______________________________________ State____________________Zip_______________ Phone____________________________________ Email_____________________________________

Please check one:

� $ 25.00 � $100.00

� $500.00

� $ 50.00 � $250.00 � $______

The Lantern

Emily Zenczak will be attending the University of Toledo and plans to study Physical Therapy. While at BHS, Emily attained four years of Aca-demic Excellence. Emily was a four year member of the Track and Field and Cross Country teams. She was captain for both sports and a 2006 state qualifier for Cross Country. In addition to academics and sports, Emily participated in National Honor Society, Key Club, intramural Bowl-ing, Concert Band and Orchestra. In the community she was a volunteer at Lodi Community Hospital and participated in a St. Ambrose parish mission in the Dominican Re-public. Emily is the daughter of Mike and Amy Zenczak.

Peter Hakos will be attending the University of Toledo and majoring in pharmacol-ogy. While at BHS, Peter earned four years of Academic Excellence. He was cho-sen as a Student of the Month. Peter was a musician in both the Jazz Band and the Marching Band. In addition to academics and fine arts, Peter was a member of Na-tional Honor Society, Key Club, Diversity Club, HUDDLE, and VOFT. In the com-munity he participated in Relay for Life and Rockin for the Cure. He has served meals at the Median Steakhouse at holiday times for those less fortunate. Addition-ally, Peter has raised funds for the Metro Burn Unit in conjunction with Firefighters Local #382. Peter is the son of Patrick and Charlene Hakos.

Trung (Thomas) Ho is the recipient of the Letha House Scholarship. He will be attending The Ohio State University with a major in Biochemistry/Microbiology. In preparation for the rigors of college, Trung earned four years of Academic Excellence. A student leader, he was president of the Political Issues Group. He was also a member of National Honor Society, Geology Society, Paranor-mal Society, and French Club. As a community volunteer, Trung was a library aide at C. R. Towslee, worked as a poll worker for the Medina County Board of Elections, and participated in a job club, Aid for Mentally-Handicapped Peers. Trung is the son of Thanh Ho and Nga Ngo. No picture avail-able. Our other scholarship winners include: Harmony Preschool: Stephanie Madonna Bill Parschen: Taylor Knight and Chris Skrowski Donna Lucht: Akshar Patel Eric Andregg: Brian Belko and Jessica Phelps Brian Moll: Geoffrey Palya

2007-2008 BEF Scholarship Winners (continued)

Page 6

Our Teachers

The Brunswick

Education

Foundation

would like to

thank all of the

wonderful

educators we

have in our

district.

We appreciate

your

professionalism

and continued

support of BEF

through payroll

deduction and

other donations.

The Lantern

2005 Amy Long – University of Cincinnati Jordan Vickers – Case Western Reserve Univer-

sity Makenna Knight – Ohio University 2006 Joshua Woods – Olivet Nazarene University

2007 Leah Hetzel – Jacksonville University Tiffany A. Lear – University of Toledo Kelsey Gillihan – Baldwin-Wallace College Victoria Schroer – Bowling Green State Univer-

sity Christine Serva – The Ohio State University

Nine previous scholarship winners have qualified for BEF’s scholarship renewal. Congratulations

on your continued hard work and efforts.

Brunswick Teacher of the Year—Tom Rounds

Page 7 The Lantern

Teacher of the

Year 2008

Applewood:

Connie Greiner

C. R. Towslee:

Kerry Hunter

Crestview:

Amy Moore

Hickory Ridge:

Karen Baga

Huntington:

Pat Sasarak

Kidder:

Karen Finn

Memorial:

Tom Rounds

Edwards MS:

Jay Laurence

Visintainer MS:

Shvonne Davis

Willetts MS:

Kim Tanski

Brunswick HS:

Harriet Purdy

(posthumously)

The Brunswick Education Foundation congratulates the Brunswick School District’s Teacher of the Year, Mr. Thomas Rounds. Mr. Rounds is a Fifth Grade

teacher at Memorial Elementary. Tom grew up in Brunswick and graduated from Brunswick High School. He began his post high school education at The Ohio State University major-ing in Chemistry hoping to one day become a phar-macist. He was impressed with the idea of a cool white coat and the opportunity to make a lot of money. However, after struggling with his first chem-

istry class, Tom decided that he and chemistry was not the right match. As Tom investigated other possible majors he thought back on his work as a summer playground supervisor, bible school teaching and helping others. He enrolled in an education class. As soon as Tom began his first field experience he knew that teaching was what he wanted to do and could not imag-

ine doing anything else. Tom is currently in his 28th year of teaching. He and a former Teacher of the Year, Kelly Rob-erts are team teaching. Tom says he and Kelly are enough alike in their teaching style and val-ues that they complement each other, yet they are enough different that collectively they are able to bring out the best in their students. Together they teach mathematics, reading and lan-guage arts to the fifth graders at Memorial. Tom has also worked at C. R. Towslee, Hickory Ridge, and Kidder, as a guidance counselor. He received a Master’s degree in School Counsel-

ing from the University of Akron. In addition to teaching, Tom is a member of the Brunswick Staff Development Committee. He has attended workshops with a cadre of teachers and returned to share his knowledge with other teachers in the district. Tom is also the co-chair with Kim Tomashefski of the Master Teacher program sponsored by the Ohio Department of Education. He is quite proud of the nine master teachers in our district. Tom serves as a member of the PAR panel which works with entry year teachers to strengthen their skills. Lastly, Tom is the Vice President of the Brunswick Education Association. He cites the good relationship between the administration

and the teachers as a contributing factor to the success of the district. When Tom is not at school, he enjoys biking, being active in his church, spending time with his family and friends, attending theater productions,

and traveling. Tom would like to be remembered by his stu-dents as a person who treated others with re-spect, helping them to see the big picture and form good habits to last a lifetime. We think he is well on his way. Once again, congratulations, Tom Rounds, on this well deserved honor. We would also like to thank all the teachers and staff of the Brunswick City Schools for their many contributions to the tradition of excellence in

our district.

BEF Trustees: Barb Gelhar Dalette Dawson Janice Moll Debra J. Destro David Finn Lena Knight Lynn Koch Dawn McGough Cynthia D. White James Hayas (ex-officio) Patrick K. East (ex-officio)

Contributions to the Foundation in the form of gifts or membership are deductible

for federal income, estate and gift tax purposes.

Annual Membership, $25.00 Entitles you to receive the Foundation newsletter, a certificate of membership, a

listing of your name on a public roster, and a silver Foundation Lapel Pin.

Sustaining Annual Membership, $50.00 or more Entitles you to receive the Foundation newsletter, a certificate of membership, a

listing of your name on a public roster, and a gold Foundation Lapel Pin.

Contributions will be applied toward a diamond membership.

Diamond Membership, $1,000.00 Entitles you to receive the Foundation newsletter, a certificate of membership, a listing of your name on a public roster, an engraved plaque and a diamond stud

Foundation Lapel Pin.

Other Contributions Contributions in any amount will be accepted with great appreciation.

Your Membership In The Foundation

Brunswick Education Foundation 3643 Center Road Brunswick, Ohio 44212