Volume VII, Issue IIISeptember 2014The off cial newsletter of the Oak Hills Alumni & Educational Foundation

Dear Highlanders,

Well the class of 2018 has now settled into their new world at Oak Hills High School! They began their high school days with the return of a west side rivalry football game — Oak Hills vs. Elder! The pregame tailgate party was a frst. The frst time all development groups came together to sponsor an event. The Alumni & Educational Foundation, the Athletic Boosters, the Choral Boosters and the Band Association produced a pregame tailgate party complete with music performances by Mr. Entertainment Mike Davis ‘83, the OHHS drumline and cheerleaders and the UnCommon Time singers, as well as temporary tattoos, rally towels and amazing Highlander spirit! Check out the photos on our Facebook page.

It’s time to mark your calendars for the pregame Homecoming dinner on Friday, October 3 at 6:00 p.m. in the Commons at OHHS. Calling 513-598-2682 for a reservation or replying by email to buckley_e@ohlsd.org helps to plan our food needs. We are featuring a delicious pasta dinner catered by Bridgetown Finer Meats. The event is sponsored by the Alumni Foundation and the Oak Hills student council. Once again the cost of the dinner is only one dollar, but the spirit of the Highlander legacy is priceless. Gather your friends and family and join us!

One more item for your calendar is the annual fund drive. Just say “yes!” Yes, I am grateful for my Oak Hills education. Yes I want to ensure that future Highlander generations can get the same opportunities and experiences. Yes, I am paying it forward! Yes to whatever amount fts best with your life. All amounts are graciously accepted and tax-deductible. We have now over the past 15 years provided over $250,000 in learning experiences from grades one to senior class in all of our district schools. Watch for this fund drive in November and thanks in advance for your generosity.

Finally the annual meeting of the Foundation was held August 6. Offcers and new board members were elected. Joining us on the Board are Melissa Morrissey Minella ‘67 and Marji Eppensteiner Salinas ‘65. A big welcome and thank you to all new board members. The offcers for 2014-15 will be treasurer Karen Borgmann ‘93, secretary Mike Hudson ‘71, frst vice chair Mike Amos and second vice chair Jim Williamson. Continuing for another year as chairman is Cheryl O’Leary Sieve ‘67. On a personal note, thank you for your confdence in me as we begin another great year!

Living a Highlander life is just “plaid” wonderful. When life gets tough, live Tartan!

Yours in red and black,Cheryl Ann O’Leary Sieve ‘67Chairman, Oak Hills Alumni & Educational Foundation

Shop at Kroger, help the Foundation

Shop at Kroger using your Kroger Plus Card and the Oak Hills Alumni & Educational Foundation earns money. The process is simple. Visit kroger.com/communityrewards and log in to your account, or create a new one if you’ve never created one with your current Kroger Plus card. Link your card to the Foundation by searching for Oak Hills Alumni and Educational Foundation or type in number 29526. Then, just continue to shop as your normally would.

Every time you use your card, you’ll continue to receive savings, coupons and fuel points and Kroger will give back to our Foundation.

Thank you for enrolling your card today!

The Oak Hills Alumni & Educational Foundation will enhance the achievement, heritage and educational opportunities for Oak Hills students and staff by providing alumni and community resources to promote unity and pride, and build a legacy for a stronger community.

Introducing our newest Foundation board members

Melissa Morrissey Minella ‘67

Minella worked at the Juvenile Court of Cincinnati for 20 years as a Probation Officer and Pre-Sentence Investigator.

In 1990, her family was transferred to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and she then became involved with the school district PTA where she served as the Vice President until the end of 2003.

Minella also served as a board member and later President on the School District Area Council Educational Committee for nine years. In addition, she served on the boards of the high school baseball and hockey teams.

While in Pittsburgh, she also served as the Vice President of the Pittsburgh Penguins Amateur Hockey Organization and the Peters Township Recreational Baseball board.

She has served as both a commission member and Secretary of the Peters Township Youth Commission in conjunction with the local Police Department.

“Upon returning to Cincinnati I hoped to become involved in an interesting and rewarding project,” she shared. “I feel I have found both in the Oak Hills Alumni & Educational Foundation. I look forward to meeting and working with the other board members.”

Marji Eppensteiner Salinas ‘65

Salinas spent 30 years in non-profit management primarily in the fields of severely mentally challenged and medically fragile young children, special education, children with severe mental illness and research in infant brain development for Arizona State University.

She holds an MA in Education from the University of Arizona and an MBA from the California Coast University.

“OHHS provided me with the educational foundation to have successful careers in education and administration,” Salinas said. “I will always be grateful for that and now I can lend a hand to the Foundation’s endeavors.”

Want to get involved?

Are you an Oak Hills graduate who is passionate about the district, teachers, staff and future Highlanders? We are always looking for volunteers to join our cause and help us achieve our mission. Our working committees are forming now, including events, reunions, awards, fundraising and more.

Contact Cheryl at OHHSalumni@ohlsd.org for more information. We’d love to have you join us!

Thank you for a great outing!

The annual alumni golf outing on July 18 at Aston Oaks was a huge success. Despite the rain, our golfers had a great time.

The success of our event is due to the wonderful support of our sponsors. We couldn’t do it without you.

A big thanks to our volunteers for making sure the event details were attended to and everyone had what they needed. Special thanks to Debbie Benjamin for taking photos of the day.

We look forward to seeing everyone again next July!

Congratulations to the winning team!

You can find more photos from our event in our photo albums posted to our Facebook.com/ OHHSAlumni page.

John Beckemeyer, Cheryl Sieve, Julie Murphy, Emily Buckley, Marji Salinas, Randy Greco, Jen Heidorn, Mike Hudson, Cara Thelen, Debbie Benjamin

Aaron Nichols ‘89 Marci (Overbeck) Jung ‘89Sherry (Wurster) Gregor ‘89Ron Bisher ‘88

Class Reunion Review

Is your class hosting a class reunion? Do you need guidance to organize and plan your event? Contact Emily C. Buckley in the Oak Hills Alumni Office at 513-598-2682 or buckley_e@ohlsd.org for more reunion information. Your event will be added to the alumni website as well as the official Alumni Foundation Facebook page and we’ll tweet about it! Reunion information will also be included in future issues of the Highlander Highway and the electronic newsletter, The Tartan Times, so be sure to keep the alumni office updated on your reunion plans and details.

If you’ve recently held your class reunion, please send your updated class list to the alumni office to ensure your classmates’ official records are updated to receive future mailings. We’d love to post some of your photos on our website and Facebook pages too! Class lists and photos may be emailed to Emily at buckley_e@ohlsd.org or mailed to: Oak Hills Alumni Office, 6325 Rapid Run Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45233.

Class of 1964: October 3, 2014 Homecoming dinner and football game at OHHS. October 4, 2014 dinner and dancing at The Meadows. Contact Jim Roll at 513-252-2122 with questions.

Class of 1965: A planning committee is forming. If you’re interested in helping, contact Jim Ferguson at FergMHS@aol.com.

Class of 1969: Activities begin on Friday, September 19. A buffet dinner at The Farm is scheduled for Saturday, September 20 and more fun is planned for the rest of the weekend. For more information contact Steve Hill at stevehill@fuse.net.

Class of 1979: An informal gathering is set for Saturday, November 1, 7:30 p.m. at the Hillside Gastropub (the old Dante’s). Contact Tim Watzek at 513-615-2176 with questions.

Class of 1984: November 22, 2014, 7- 11 p.m. at Twin Lanterns. For more information contact Dianna Niemann at 513-236-3326 or drc51166@aol.com. Join the Facebook group Oak Hills Class of 1984 30 year reunion for more details.

Class of 2004: Saturday, October 4, 7 p.m. - midnight. More information and online ticketing is available at http://www.ohhs2004.com/ Address questions to reunion@ohhs2004.com.

Looking ahead to 2018 . . . Class of 1978: September 2, 2018 (Sunday of Labor Day weekend ~ fireworks!) at Paul Brown Stadium in the Club East Lounge. Please visit the class website http://www.oakhills78.com/ and be sure to update your contact information to stay informed.

A note from the Superintendent

On behalf of our community, I want to thank the Oak Hills Athletic Booster Club for their tireless efforts over the past year and a half in working with the school district to protect our most widely recognized symbol, the Olde English “OH.”

That work took many twists and turns, resulted in a very public dispute between the Booster Club and a few youth community

organizations, and resulted in a great deal of misinformation being distributed about the school district, the Boosters and other groups and individuals.

I applaud the Boosters in this effort to put the “OH” logo controversy behind us. During this tumultuous time, the school board took the position that the “OH” logo did deserve protection and recognized the Athletic Boosters as rightful owners. At this same time, the district asked the Boosters to consider transferring ownership of the logo to the district so that we could assume the responsibility for protecting one of our most valued and recognizable symbols. The Booster Club was agreeable to our request.

Believing, as the Boosters do, that usage standards are needed to protect the “OH” from misuse, we asked our legal counsel to draft proposed usage standards. Our counsel recommended that there be two different approaches, one for non-proft organizations and one governing commercial use.

We believe it is important for the District, our taxpayers, employees and students that the district beneft fnancially from commercial use of the logo. At a Booster meeting, we presented the standards to the Booster board, and again requested the transfer of ownership. The Athletic Booster Board expressed appreciation that it was our desire to continue down the path they started and the transfer agreement was set in motion.

I think it is important to say a few words about the Oak Hills Athletic Boosters. The logo issue has resulted in a signifcant amount of undeserved, negative publicity for the Boosters as an organization and individuals volunteering as board members. I believe they have always had the best interests of the district in their hearts.

These people work hard every year to raise money that helps the district in many different ways. They donate $75,000 a year to the district to help keep our pay to participate fees at a reasonable level. They have helped buy new scoreboards and other equipment, irrigated felds and supported all of our athletic teams in a variety of ways.

Over the last 20 years, the Athletic Boosters have raised and donated more than $2 million to the district. This has been extremely important given the challenging economic environment in which we operate.

The Boosters have been a very important partner to the district and that partnership is very much appreciated. We would ask that everyone continue their support by joining the Boosters and attending their fundraising events.

That support will directly beneft the entire Oak Hills community.

Looking for class representativesWe are looking for class representatives to act as an extension of our alumni office. Help us share information with your class by publishing updates to Facebook and Twitter and emailing or calling your classmates. We’ll send you alumni news and ask you to help spread the word! Help us keep our database current by updating your classmates’ snail mail and email addresses. Encourage your classmates to attend our functions and keep them informed! If you’re interested contact Emily at buckley_e@ohlsd.org or call 513-598-2682.

The Oak Hills Alumni & Educational Foundation, Oak Hills Athletic Boosters, Oak Hills Band Association and Oak Hills Choral Boosters joined forces on Friday,August 29 for a tailgate party before the Oak Hills vs. Elder game. Guests enjoyed listening to Mr. Entertainment, Mike Davis ‘83, the OHHS drumline, cheerleaders and UnCommon Time Singers. Student council did a wonderful job painting faces and spreading cheer with OH temporary tattoos. The football mom’s club provided Highlander Strong rally towels to fans wearing red and black. Highlander Strong tshirts were a hit with all of the game-goers. The parking lot and stadium were a sea of red and black. Many thanks to all of the volunteers who donated their time to make our event a terrific success!

It was great to have so many graduates back in Highlander country! Hope to see you at Homecoming. We are #Highlander Strong.

Homecoming is October 3, 2014

Save the date and plan to join us at Oak Hills High School for dinner before the homecoming game! For $1 you can enjoy a casual pasta dinner catered by Bridgetown Finer Meats with family, friends and fellow alumni.

Join one of the student-led tours of the building and catch the

entertainment from the marching band and cheerleaders. We’ll have OH temporary tattoos to get you in the Highlander spirit for the game and student council will be ready to get your kids exciting with free face painting.

Snap Booth Events will set up their photo booth and you’ll have the opportunity to take some Oak Hills homecoming memories home with you. Enjoy the silly props, smile big and say,” Go Highlanders!”

We will be selling the grey Highlander Strong tshirts available in both youth and adult sizes for $10 each. All proceeds benefit the Foundation, Athletic Boosters, Choral Boosters and Band Association.

Reservations for the dinner are requested—only $1 per person—and can be made by emailing buckley_e@ohlsd.org. Please include your name (and maiden name), graduation year and number in your party, and bring correct change on Friday night!

The dinner is hosted by the Oak Hills Alumni & Educational Foundation and the Oak Hills High School Student Council.

Tickets to the football game will be available beginning Wednesday, October 1 in the athletic office at OHHS. They are $7 each.

Donations appreciated

Did you know that the Foundation granted 17 grants to Oak Hills district educators this year? Since their inception 18 years ago they’ve donated more than $250,000 to projects which enrich the lives of our students. These projects, not funded by tax dollars,

include book clubs, science fairs, art murals, math clubs and much more!

The OHAEF is a 501c3 organization which enhances the achievements, heritage and educational opportunities for OHLSD students and staff by providing resources to promote unity and pride and build a legacy for a strong community.

This work is possible thanks to the generosity of graduates and friends who support the Foundation ever year. Will you consider a donation this year?

Tax deductible donations can be made through our website at www.oakhillsalumniassociation.com and click on the ‘donate’ tab or by mailing a check payable to OHAEF to 6325 Rapid Run Road, Cincinnati, OH 45233. Thank you!

ALUM

NI &

EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION

Welcome Steve Bain, OHLSD Treasurer

The District is pleased to welcome back Steve Bain as the new district treasurer.

The board of education voted unanimously July 7 to appoint Steve Bain as the district’s treasurer. Bain replaced Ronda Johnson, who accepted the chief financial officer position with Mason City Schools and resigned from Oak Hills at the end of July. Bain’s first day was August 1. His contract extends through July 31, 2018.

A graduate of the College of Mount St. Joseph, Bain is no stranger to Oak Hills. He worked as the district’s assistant treasurer under Johnson for eight years. He left Oak Hills in 2013 to become the treasurer for the Southwest Local School District, where he served for the 2013-2014 school year.

He worked as a project accountant for the Ohio Auditor’s office prior to transitioning to a career in the education sector.

“The board of education made a great selection in choosing Steve as our next treasurer,” Oak Hills Superintendent Todd Yohey said. “We know Steve and Steve knows us, so we can hit the ground running with a lot of confidence in each other. I am excited to be working with him again.”

School board President Jan Hunter said the board viewed Johnson as an outstanding school treasurer and Bain benefited from having her as a mentor for eight years when he was the district’s assistant treasurer.

“Steve is extremely articulate and well versed and he has experience in the Oak Hills district,” Hunter said.

“We have high expectations he will continue the outstanding financial responsibility and accountability we’ve had in the district for the past 15 years.

Bain said he was interested in the district’s treasurer position for many reasons, but the district’s culture and its achievement and stewardship are the top reasons he applied for the job.

His background emulates the conservative, blue-collar culture established in the community and the district has been a steward of constituents’ dollars for decades, he said.

“Oak Hills provides a top-notch, high-quality education at a low cost to our taxpayers,” Bain said.

He said his goals as treasurer include ongoing financial transparency, financial stability and continued communication to keep the community aware of the district’s financial position. He said as part of ongoing transparency, he invites community members to meet with him to learn more about the district’s finances. His financial stability goal is to ensure Oak Hills maintains one of the lowest tax rates among all Hamilton County school districts, he said.

We have an app for that!

The district launched a new Oak Hills app. in August. Have you downloaded it from your app store yet?

You’ll find school building and staff directory, news items, school calendars, lunch menus, sports scores and more! Parents can access ProgressBook and EZ pay right from the app too.

There is a special section for alumni links and information as well as direct access to our social media sites.

The app allows you to customize your news feed so you only see news from the schools which are relevant to you. You can even submit anonymous bullying tips and send photos to us for use on our social media pages.

Never miss a school weather delay or cancellation notice when you download the app. Notifications will be sent directly to your phone for emergencies and weather-related delays.

Visit the iTunes or the Google Play store to download it for free and let us know what you think. Our goal is to keep our stakeholders informed about school news in a way that’s most convenient. With a

simple click in the palm of your hand, you’ll find what you need.

Scan this QR code with your smart phone to download the app today.

Oak Hills Local Schools6325 Rapid Run RoadCincinnati, Ohio 45233www.ohlsd.us

Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDCincinnati, OH

45233Permit 1051

Oak Hills Alumni & Educational Foundation calendar of events and activities

2014

10/3: OHAEF $1 alumni & community dinner, 6:00 p.m., OHHS11/15: Oak Hills Band Association holiday craft fair, OHHS

2015

1/19: Oak Hills Athletic Boosters, Stag, WoodlandsFeb. Oak Hills Athletic Hall of Fame dinner, TBDFeb. Oak Hills Athletic Hall of Fame induction, TBD3/7: Oak Hills Band Association craft/vendor show, OHHS

Connect with us!“Find us” on the webhttp://oakhillsalumniassociation.com/Please visit us to find class reunion dates, golf outing details and homecoming information

Please update your contact informationVisit http://tinyurl.com/OHalumniupdate to update your contact information so that we may stay in better contact with you.

“Watch” us on vimeohttps://vimeo.com/ohalumniedfoundationCheck out all of the alumni and staff award videos from the May 2014 awards dinner.

“Follow” us on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/OHAlumniAssocFollow us to receive instant updates on events, reunions and district news!

“Like” us on Facebookhttp://www.facebook.com/OHHSAlumniThank you for “liking’” us and spreading the word. Share your news so we can celebrate you!

“Network” with us on LinkedInSearch group: Official group of Oak Hills High School AlumniNetwork with other alumni professionals to connect

and share your events, job postings and more.

If you have received this publication in error, please call the Alumni Office at 513-574-3200 or email OHHSAlumni@ohlsd.org to remove your address.