Effective Tuesday, March 1, 2022, the rules for buses will be the same as in school buildings – masks will be allowed, but not required.
Parent volunteers will also be allowed to return to school buildings after Spring Break, on April 4. The District is asking that parents reach out to their building principal if they are interested in volunteer opportunities.
Spring break is Monday, March 28 – Saturday, April 3.
Indianapolis– A new rules exception that allows a passer to intentionally throw an incomplete forward pass for the purpose of conserving yardage, and the redefining of the term “chop block” – both of which are intended to minimize risk of injury – are the two most notable rules changes coming to high school football for the 2022 season.
These changes stand out among the seven total recommendations brought forth by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Football Rules Committee, which held its annual rules meeting January 23-25 at the Conrad Hotel in downtown Indianapolis.
The NFHS Board of Directors subsequently approved all seven of the committee’s suggestions. “With this year’s rules changes, the committee once again showed its focus on minimizing risk in high school football,” said Bob Colgate, NFHS Director of Sports and Sports Medicine and liaison to the NFHS Football Rules Committee. “By expanding the parameters for a legal forward pass and redefining the chop block so it can be more easily officiated by game officials, the committee has taken measures to mitigate two potentially risky situations within the game.”
Rule 7-5-2 EXCEPTION 2 now permits a player to purposefully throw an incomplete forward pass without warranting an intentional grounding penalty provided the passer is outside of “the pocket” (lateral boundary of the free-blocking zone) and the pass reaches the neutral zone or the extension of the neutral zone beyond the sideline. “The question (with this rule) has always been, ‘if the defense makes a good play, are we bailing out the offense by letting the quarterback throw the ball away?’” said Richard McWhirter, Chair of the NFHS Football Rules Committee and Assistant Executive Director of the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association. “This year, I think the committee felt the wellbeing of the passers and not subjecting them to extra hits was worth changing the rule.”
An alteration to Rule 2-3-8 addressed the new definition of a chop block, which is now described as “a combination block by two or more teammates against an opponent other than the runner, with or without delay, where one of the blocks is below the waist and one of the blocks is above the waist.” Previously, the defensive player’s knee was used to determine the high and low components of a chop block. “This is going to strengthen the rule and it’s also going to help the game officials,” said McWhirter. “I think they’re going to be able to enforce this rule better than they have in the past because determining ‘below the knee’ and ‘above the knee’ is tough to do. I think it’s really going to improve the game.”
Players will be able to wear the number 0 as a jersey number starting in 2022, as the range of acceptable numbers listed in Rule 1-4-3 was expanded from 1-99 to 0-99. However, any number preceded by the digit zero will be illegal.
State associations now have the option to extend sideline team boxes beyond their traditional 50-yard expanse (between the 25-yard-lines) as long as both teams are allowed to use the same dimensions. This new NOTE attached to Rule 1-2-3g also gives state associations the freedom to decide which individuals can access the extended area.
Two minor changes involving game clock and play clock procedures were made to Rules 3-4-7 and 3-6-1a(1)e EXCEPTIONS, respectively. In Rule 3-4-7, any foul committed within the last two minutes of either half will automatically result in the offended team’s option to start the game clock on the snap. Prior to this change, the offended team was required to accept its opponent’s penalty in order to gain control of the game clock.
The committee edited the EXCEPTIONS to Rule 3-6-1a(1)e, which clarify the necessary conditions for an abbreviated 25-second play clock after a stoppage in play. This rule now includes an exception for Rule 3-5-7i, mandating that a 40-second play clock be employed following a foul committed only by the defensive team.
The final rule change for 2022 is an alteration to Rule 1-3-3 regarding game equipment. Any game official – not just the referee – may order the ball changed between downs.
The NFHS Football Rules Committee is composed of one representative from each of the NFHS member state associations that use NFHS football rules, along with a representative from the NFHS Coaches Association, NFHS Officials Association and NFHS Sports Medicine Advisory Committee.
A complete listing of the football rules changes will be available on the NFHS website at www.nfhs.org. Click on “Activities & Sports” at the top of the home page and select “Football.”
According to the most recent NFHS High School Athletics Participation Survey, 11-player football is the most popular high school sport for boys with 1,006,013 participants in 14,247 schools nationwide. In addition, there were 31,221 boys who participated in 6-, 8- and 9-player football, along with 2,604 girls in all four versions of the game for a grand total of 1,039,828.
This press release was written by Nate Perry, coordinator of media relations at the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS).
Loveland, Ohio – On February 5, the Loveland Show Choirs performed at the Northrop Classique in Indiana and LHS’s “By Request” won Grand Champions and Best Choreography. The all-female group “Allure” won First Runner-Up and Best Choreography.
Avery Coletto and Abby Rudy were selected to be “Outstanding Performers” and Director, Shawn Miller was named “Outstanding Music Educator”.
After what sponsors say was a year of work to “find the right approach,” a new version of a bill that would attach school funding to each student was introduced Tuesday in the Ohio House.
The Ohio House Finance Committee heard about House Bill 290, which would create an “opt-in” approach to private school scholarship funding, and allow students to take funding that would normally go to the public school districts with them as they opt for a private school option.
“The primary education option would remain the local assigned public school,” state Rep. Riordan McClain, R-Upper Sandusky, told the committee.
Under the bill, if a family chooses to go the private school route, an educational savings account would be created for the child, and the state’s share of educational funding would be deposited there “for the parents to find the right educational path for their child,” according to McClain.
The program would have an annual disbursement of $5,500 for K-8 students, and $7,500 for high school students, identical to the funding model of the EdChoice private school voucher program in the state.
Private school groups, along with the religious freedom lobby the Center for Christian Virtue, have put their support behind the bill saying it allows parents to choose the education they want for their children.
The so-called “backpack bill” has been criticized by public education officials as yet another siphoning of funds away from public schools, which they say does not create the “thorough and efficient” system of schooling required of the state by the constitution.
“HB 290 would force local communities to rely even more heavily on local property taxes to fund schools for the 90% of Ohio children who attend public schools,” said Ohio Education Association president Scott DiMauro.
Federal education dollars and individual school district levy dollars would not be attached to the child under the bill, only the state share of instruction, typically shelled out to districts as a blanket sum.
Bill sponsors McClain and state Rep. Marilyn John, R-Richland County, acknowledged financial analysis of the bill is still ongoing, but said the bill shouldn’t be considered anti-public schools legislation.
“Rather, it is a pro-child, pro-parent, pro-family bill which empowers parents and families to make a choice that is in the best interest of their child,” John said.
Representatives who led the most recent charge for the Fair School Funding plan, the new overhaul of the state educational funding system, wondered why the bill was introduced before the impact of the overhaul could be assessed.
“When we have not fully fixed our public school funding, and we’ve known that we’ve had over 26 years of not constitutionally funding it … to open up a process to take more money out of the public schools without even giving them a chance,” said state Rep. Bride Rose Sweeney, D-Cleveland. “Let’s get to that six-year phase-in, really see if that system works.”
McClain said they don’t expect a mass exodus to private schools if their funding plan is passed, and even see it as a plan that could work alongside the public school funding overhaul.
Still, having the option to move to private schools could “create a competitive market” for children and parents to make educational decisions.
The committee will hear opponent and proponent testimony in future hearings on the bill.
Contributing Biography Writing and Headshot Photography by Olivia Rohling, Sean Behling, Ty Simmons, Mahi Sheth, and Divyana Bose
Loveland, Ohio – This generation will change the world in more ways than one! One of the best ways to help mold and develop this generation’s skillsets is to give them opportunities to fine-tune their crafts. Here at Loveland Magazine, we thought one of the best ways we could make an impact on this generation is by creating an official Internship Program!
When I first began job searching after I graduated with degrees in Journalism, Marketing, and English, one of the questions I often heard in interviews or on applications was, “How much experience do you have” or “How many years of experience do you have?” Well in my mind it was pretty obvious what the response would be, “Well I just graduated from college so I haven’t had the opportunity to dive into the workforce with my degree and get experience, which is why I’m applying for this position!” How can an employer expect someone to get experience if they aren’t given the opportunity to get experience? I dealt with this dilemma for years as I was coming up in the Journalism world as every job I seemed to apply for was given to someone who had “more experience.” It was so frustrating and quite frankly demeaning as I had just spent all that time in college busting my butt to graduate with a 4.0 thinking that I would immediately land a job right after graduation.
Fast forward several years I eventually started to get opportunities but began to recognize the reason I was getting opportunities was due to all the internships I started to rack up on my resume, one being in high school for the Journal News-Middletown Journal. After becoming part-owner of Loveland Magazine, I began to think about how I could continue (my partner David Miller had students in the past intern with him) to help students get Journalism experience before they graduated but on a grander scale. I thought maybe I could help these students in some way avoid jumping over all the hurdles I had to in order to get an opportunity in journalism. That’s when the light bulb went off and the Loveland Magazine Internship Program came into conception!
With help from local schools, administrators, teachers, community members, a beautiful flyer made by David Miller, and the release of my article letting our readers know we were starting an official internship program, the word spread fast! Before we knew it we had several emails coming in every day asking for more information on the intern program and what it took to be considered. I must say it was amazing seeing how many local talented students were looking to jump-start their future with an internship! Like I said previously, this generation will change the world!
After careful consideration, I selected 5 inspirational, hard-working, motivated, and creative future journalists. Thus far we have had several meetings learning everything from taking a great headshot to writing an attention-grabbing bio to brainstorming for a feature story! I learned very quickly how impressive these 5 students are as well as how much diversity each one brings to their writing. Each one of these students brings something different to the journalism table and luckily all of our readers will get a chance to see their growth and development right before their very eyes!
One of the first assignments that I gave the 5 interns was to take a great headshot of themselves and write their own bio. After taking in my feedback and revising both their bios and headshots several times, I couldn’t be more pleased with what they have produced! I wanted to be sure that we published as much of these interns’ work as possible so that they could begin to build their professional portfolios, which is a MUST HAVE in journalism! So without further ado, I would like to welcome you to the “Intern Spotlight,” where our readers get to take the time to get to know our 2022 student interns! Be sure to give these interns a wave if you see them out in the community and of course stay tuned to their next assignment which will be their first feature story!
Mahi Sheth
“Best Short Story” award winner Mahi Sheth knows a thing or two about writing! Mahi is a creative writer who is a part of her middle school newspaper, The Roar. The way words come together to form a story is Mahi’s favorite part about journalism. In Mahi’s downtime, she also loves both reading and dancing. Mahi is a freshman at Loveland High School.
Olivia Rohling
Writer, student, introvert, Wordle player, and avid email checker, Olivia Rohling challenges herself in all aspects of her life daily! Olivia is not a stranger to the world of journalism as she was Editor-in-Chief for The Milestone, McNicholas High School’s newspaper, and currently writes for Ohio University’s The Odyssey Online. Olivia loves keeping busy, but when she does get free time she enjoys, reading, running, baking and listening to Arcade Fire. Olivia is a freshman in the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University.
Sean Behling
If you’re here for bland or generic writing, you’re in the wrong place! Sean Behling is an accomplished student journalist that has a plethora of experience in the Journalism field. Sean wrote a short story his freshman year that caught the attention of his English teacher which led to Sean joining his high school’s newspaper the very next year! Sean not only writes both Editorials and Entertainment news, but he also writes for his high school robotics team. Along with being a skilled writer, Sean also has extensive experience in using Adobe InDesign and editing high-quality videos in Adobe Premiere. Sean, a junior at Loveland High School, has the skills, knowledge, and friendly smile that he hopes will lead him down the path to success! Of course, if you’re looking for the same-old boring writing, Sean can lead you down the hall to the door on the left!
Divyana Bose
Award-winning sportswriter, Divyana Bose, has a passion for Journalism like no other as she often writes until her hand cramps! Divyana has made it her mission to make her high school newspaper, The Mason Chronicle, better each and every year through her writing abilities and by mentoring those that look up to her on the Mason Chronicle team! She has aspirations of making the world a better place through her writing and has begun doing so by offering her journalistic abilities to The Little Helpers, a non-profit organization that strives to better the lives of those living within the greater Cincinnati area. Divyana has a talent for making news stories come to life by using her bubbly, innovative, and outgoing personality through her writing. Divyana is a Junior at Mason High School and wants nothing more than to pursue Journalism in college.
Ty Simmons
An avid gamer, creative writer, and stand-out high school athlete, Ty Simmons knows a thing or two about Journalism! Ty is a part of his high school’s newspaper, The Leaf, and was on the official “News Crew” team in junior high. When he’s not creating maps for his very own RPGMaker game, throwing 20-pound shot-puts, or working at Dewey’s Pizza, Ty enjoys learning about the history of media and catching up with his friends on Letterboxd. There won’t be a day that goes by that Ty isn’t preaching about his latest favorite music album, video game, or film! Ty is the oldest of 3 boys and a Junior at Sycamore High School.
Loveland, Ohio – February’s weekend of love was a success, especially in the City of Loveland as it celebrated its first Hearts Afire Weekend!
After months of preparation and anticipation, Loveland’s first Hearts Afire Weekend kicked off last Friday with a heartfelt bang! From the unbelievable ice sculptures to the Valentine-themed drinks and desserts to the plethora of activities local businesses organized, the city of Loveland and the community couldn’t have been more pleased with weekends festivities.
Although we will be releasing a “Loveland Hearts Afire Weekend Full-Access” article, which will include photos and videos from the weekend’s events, we wanted to take the time to share what local family, the Stang’s, had to say about their experience at Loveland’s Hearts Afire Weekend.
“Thank you for organizing and putting on such a wonderful Hearts Afire weekend. Our family had such a great time! My husband and I moved here years ago before the children. We were drawn to Loveland for so many reasons, like so many people. We loved the trail, the downtown, the restaurants, and the sense of community that Loveland had to offer. Years and 3 children later, our love for this community has only grown. This weekend (like so many events here) really showed how our town comes together and what a strong sense of community Loveland has. Our oldest goes to Premier Tumbling and participated in the Flash Mob. All 3 of my kids loved painting clay hearts and making pinch pots at Whistle Stop Clay Works! We snuggled pets up for adoption at The Loveland Stage Company and my kids learned about Myles Ahead Pet Rescue and now want to volunteer. Paxton’s was amazing for dinner (as always), and we ran into Woody from the Loveland Farmers Market, who my kids adore! We ended with caramel popcorn from Trailside Provisions, after making valentines for residents at Loveland Healthcare which includes my father. This morning we joined fellow Loveland runners in the Cupid 5k at Jack Rabbit/Fleet Feet. All the events were so much fun, so thank you for putting in all the time, effort, and organization it takes to put on a weekend-long event! Thank you to all the shops, residents, volunteers, restaurants, and of course ice carvers who made so many amazing ice sculptures! We love living in the Sweetheart of Ohio. Thanks, Kristen, Aaron, Treva (8), Lucas (6) & Nora (3) Stang”
Thank you so much to the Stang family for sharing those kind words about the city we love so much! We are so glad the community enjoyed Loveland’s first Hearts Afire Weekend as that is what it truly is all about! We are looking forward to celebrating love in the Sweetheart of Ohio for years to come!
If you have something you would like to share with the community please email us your “Letter to the Editor” so that we can continue giving those who would like to speak the community an outlet!
Melissa Cropper, executive director of the Ohio Federation of Teachers said the decisions DeWine made appear to be pushing out members and candidates who supporters of public education and topics like diversity and inclusion. The lines as established under the unconstitutional maps would impact candidates focused on topics important to the OFT, like diversity and inclusion in education.
Amid the chaos and uncertainty of the redistricting process, a deadline loomed that would decide representation on the Ohio State Board of Education. It depended on having district lines to reference.
Legislative and congressional maps are both in limbo after the Ohio Supreme Court rejected both maps, the legislative maps getting sent back for a second time last week.
Gov. Mike DeWine was forced to assign the Ohio State Board of Education districts himself because the deadline for establishing districts for the board was January 31. Using the state senate map adopted by the Ohio Redistricting Commission on Jan. 22, DeWine signed the letter notifying board members of their districts on the day of the deadline.
Ohio Revised Code states the board of education districts must be established by Jan. 31 in a redistricting year, and if the General Assembly doesn’t create those districts themselves, the governor must take on the job.
Each board district has to makeup three contiguous state senate districts.
“Each state board of education district shall be as compact as practicable,” the state law reads.
The Ohio State Board of Education districts as they have been prior to redistricting efforts this year. Source: Ohio Department of Education
Many of those districts didn’t change, but the most significant changes seemed to be in four particular districts; the districts represented by Dr. Christina Collins, Dr. Antoinette Miranda, Michelle Newman and Meryl Johnson.
Collins’ new district would have stretched from Union County through Holmes County, and includes parts of Franklin County in between.
Being a resident of Medina County, this plan would push her out of her district, and though the board of education races are considered non-partisan, Collins said it put her in a district that voted “overwhelmingly for significantly right-leaning state board candidates,” namely District 1 board member Diana Fessler and two candidates who unsuccessfully ran against Miranda and Newman.
“The distance presents its own challenges given I do try to be involved in the counties I represent, but I also question my philosophical appeal as a representative to what appear to be this territory’s political preferences,” Collins wrote in an email to the OCJ.
Newman’s three senate districts would have included her Newark residence in the 31st District, along with the 33rd district that brings her representation all the way to the Pennsylvania border. She would also represent the rural 30th district, that rolls from Jefferson County down the state line to Meigs County.
Newman said she’s going to continue to serve kids and support public schools whatever her district lines.
“However, when I saw my new district jump from 13 to 18 counties, lost the compactness of its previous state and also shifted to nearly all rural vs the urban/rural mix I had before, my eyebrows definitely raised,” Newman told the OCJ. “The fact that the Ohio Supreme Court just ruled the new maps unconstitutional proves my wariness was correct.”
Miranda’s districts were set to go from the Columbus area near Ohio State University to Nelsonville near Ohio University.
State Senate districts in Northeast Ohio, as shown on the most recently struck down legislative map. State board of education member Meryl Johnson would have represented districts 22, 23 and 24 under this plan, districts separated by another board member’s area in Senate district 27. Source: Dave’s Redistricting App
Johnson’s 11th district would be broken by a peninsula of the 27th Senate district, covered by board member Tim Miller. That break separates the 22nd Senate district, which includes Ashland, Wayne and Medina counties, from the 23rd and 24th, which include pieces of Cleveland proper and Cuyahoga County.
Only 11 members of the state board are elected, with the other eight appointed by the governor.
Education officials don’t see the changes as coincidental. They see a connection between the changes made to the districts, and the four board members choices on the board, most importantly, their decision to support (and refuse to rescind) a resolution that condemned racism in state schools.
“The governor certainly signaled an intent in terms of who they seem to be trying to protect on the board and who they seem to be drawing into competitive districts,” said Scott DiMauro, president of the Ohio Education Association.
A spokesperson for DeWine corroborated state law that said it was his job to assign districts if the legislature fails to do so, but did not answer questions as to how DeWine decided on the district lines or whether he contacted incumbent members about the changes before making them official.
Some incumbent members of the legislature were told as the map-drawing process went along what changes would be made to their districts, and were asked for input before the maps were officially presented to the public.
DiMauro said the state board of education is an important entity to watch because of the power they hold over curriculum decisions, licensure law enforcement and even the hiring/firing process for teachers.
“There’s a sense that you want a state board that is above politics,” DiMauro said.
Melissa Cropper, executive director of the Ohio Federation of Teachers said the decisions DeWine made appear to be pushing out members and candidates who supporters of public education and topics like diversity and inclusion. The lines as established under the unconstitutional maps would impact candidates focused on topics important to the OFT, like diversity and inclusion in education.
“I think ideally we wouldn’t even be talking about what the school board lines are until we have fair districts drawn,” Cropper said.
With the senate maps among the three maps struck down by the Ohio Supreme Court, the education districts are at the mercy of the new redistricting plan, which the court has asked for by Feb. 17.
Donations are going down at our L.I.F.E. Food Pantry at this time of year – please help support those in our community that need assistance through the rough patches.
• Beef Stew
• Canned Chili
• Instant Hot Cocoa
• Cooking oil
• Ensure/boost
• Jello/pudding boxes
• Pasta
• Refried beans
• Rice-a-Roni (rice side dishes)
• Sugar White
• Canned tomatoes
• Spaghetti Sauce
• Pineapple
• Coffee
• Apple Juice
• Cereal
• Laundry Detergent
FOOD PANTRY HOURS SUNDAY: Closed MONDAY: Closed TUESDAY: 10 AM – Noon & 4 PM – 6:30 PM WEDNESDAY: 10 AM – Noon THURSDAY 10 AM –Noon & 4 PM – 6:30 PM FRIDAY: 10 AM – Noon SATURDAY: 10 AM – Noon
