Loveland, Ohio – The Loveland City School District is beginning the search for the next great leader of the Loveland Early Childhood Center. Current principal Sara Gehring is leaving the district for a new position in Madeira City Schools.
Sara Gehring (Photo by Loveland Schools)
Gehring joined Loveland City School District in 2018 as assistant principal of Loveland Middle School before taking the position of principal of Loveland Early Childhood Center in 2021. She will join Madeira City School District as the assistant principal of Madeira Elementary.
“These last two years have been some of the best of my career, and the LECC team is a special and strong group of educators who rise up each day to do what is best for kids. This is a bittersweet moment because I’ll miss Loveland, yet I’m excited to become the assistant principal of Madeira Elementary,” Sara Gehring said.
The search will begin immediately. The campus is home to Loveland’s preschool and kindergarten programs.
Loveland, Ohio – The Loveland Early Childhood Center has received a Five-Star Step Up To Quality Award from the State of Ohio. The award recognizes the preschool program offered at LECC.
Loveland Superintendent Mike Broadwater
“Congratulations to our team at the Loveland Early Childhood Center for this recognition of their outstanding work and effort they put into helping our youngest Loveland Tiger Students have a successful start on their educational journey,” Loveland Superintendent Mike Broadwater said.
Step Up To Quality is Ohio’s rating system for learning development programs. It is designed to recognize high-quality educational programs and make it easy for families to select programs for their children.
LECC Principal Sara Gehring
“We believe in Loveland City Schools that Preschool is an important time for young students to develop their love of learning in a safe and nurturing environment. This award recognizes the amazing partnership between our LECC team and our families to support our Preschool students during this important time in their development in building self-confidence and pre-academic skills,” LECC Principal Sara Gehring said.
Loveland, Ohio – Loveland City School District has been awarded nearly a half million dollars in the latest round of the Ohio K-12 School Safety Grant program. The state funding will support improvements to safety security upgrades across the district.
“The safety of our students is our greatest responsibility, and receiving state support for our efforts will help tremendously. We appreciate Governor DeWine and the General Assembly’s dedication to the Ohio K-12 School Safety Grant program,” Superintendent Mike Broadwater said in a news release from the District.
Loveland Superintendent Mike Broadwater
The grant provides $461,250 to pay for security system improvements across the district. This grant will allow for the installation of additional security cameras and equipment. The grant will also provide funds for new safety technology on all district school buses according to the release.
This is the fourth round of the Ohio K-12 School Safety Grant program. Of all school districts in Hamilton County, Loveland received the fourth-highest grant funding in this current round. Loveland also received $100,000 in the second round of the program, which was used to replace the public address system at Loveland Primary and Loveland Elementary Schools.
• Loveland Early Childhood Center is earmarked for $65,225 in this latest round.
• Loveland Elementary is earmarked for $50,000 in this latest round.
• Loveland High School is earmarked for $100.000 in this latest round.
• Loveland Intermediate School is earmarked for $97,625 in this latest round.
• Loveland Middle School is earmarked for $98,400 in this latest round.
• Loveland Primary School is earmarked for $50,000 in this latest round
The Goshen Local School District received $400,000 in the latest round of school safety grants. The Great Oaks Career Campus in Clermont County received $100,000.
There is a “Round Five” to be recommended in the coming weeks according to Governor Mike DeWine Ohio as part of the General Assembly’s House Bill 45.
Indian Hill Exempted Village School District had previously been awarded $299,714, Sycamore Community Schools $93,824, and Little Miami Local Schools $200,000.
An infusion of federal funds is coming to Ohio, targeted at improving kindergarten readiness.
The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services is set to receive a total of $48 million over three years as part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Preschool Development Grant, according to an announcement from Gov. Mike DeWine’s office.
ODJFS Director Matt Damschroder said plans for the grant are “expansive,” and will include “culturally appropriate trauma training, credentialing and parent supports,” along with “creating long-term and sustainable local, state and federal funding for early childhood education programs.”
Through a partnership with the state departments of education, health, mental health and addiction, Medicaid and developmental disabilities, the grant will also be used to expand child care for special needs, homeless and English language learners.
Loveland, Ohio – Thursday was a very special day at Loveland Early Childhood Center, as staff and students wished “Happy Retirement” to secretary DeAnn Gilmore after 23 and a half years!
Their message on the Loveland City Schools FaceBook page was, “Thank you for being a friendly, smiling face for generations of our youngest Tigers!”
Applications are due no later than January 13, 2023, and should be turned in directly to Penny Dippold at the Loveland Early Childhood Center.
The completed application can be mailed (6740 Loveland-Miamiville Rd., Loveland, Ohio 45140), faxed (513-677-7960), or emailed to dippolpe@lovelandschools.org.
Parents will be notified if their child is selected for the program by early February 2023.
Loveland, Ohio – Loveland school bus drivers got a nice surprise when they pulled into Loveland Early Childhood Center (LECC) Thursday morning. Staff members were outside with signs and breakfast treats to say thank you.
“Many of our drivers wrap up their morning routes with our youngest students, and the LECC staff took it upon themselves to give back to our drivers. Thank you to everyone who donated items, packed bags, and even cooked breakfast sandwiches for each of our drivers. This is a great example of our Loveland Tiger team members taking care of each other,” said Superintendent Mike Broadwater in the District newsletter on Friday.
Loveland, Ohio – Loveland parents Leah Marcus and Becca Moates say, “Hey all, It’s time to take our combined effort and show our Superintendent and School Board what is important.” They wrote a template letter, a petition, with the help of who they call a super IT friend to solicit support to help them protect school children, teachers, and the community by performing the following COVID 19 related steps.
Copy the contents of the below template and paste it into the body of the email message.
Add your name and additilal comment to the bottom of the document.
Share your voice by hitting send.
Moates adds, “I can’t stress enough how important it is as a community for us to come together around this. Our healthcare systems are drowning and we are hurting our most vulnerable if we don’t act.”
Dear Superintendent and School Board Members,
I am writing as a resident of the Loveland City School District to urge you, our Superintendent and elected School Board members, to maintain the all staff and PreK through 6th grade universal indoor masking requirements, scheduled to end January 18, 2021. I am also writing to request that the current universal indoor masking requirement be expanded to include students in grades 7 -12.
This request is being made in consideration of the recent COVID-19 Omicron variant case surge, which has been shown to be more transmissible and contagious than previous variants.
The Ohio Department of Health, the Ohio Department of Education, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the CDC, and locally, the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, recently provided clear guidance for universal masking in schools and in the community. Universal indoor masking, in addition to vaccination and boosters for those eligible, are strongly recommended as the best tools, especially when used in tandem, for mitigating the spread of COVID-19 and the current variant.
The pandemic also continues to take a toll on our children’s and educators’ mental health. Since the pandemic began, rates of psychological distress among young people, including anxiety, depression, and other mental health disorders have increased substantially. There is much to be done and each of us has a part to play. Supporting the mental health of youth will require a community effort to address challenges, strengthen the resilience of young people, support their families, and mitigate the pandemic’s mental health impact.
As a resident of the Loveland City School District, I am asking that you consider the following actions:
1. Maintain universal indoor masking for all staff.
2. Maintain Universal indoor masking for all students Pre-K through Grade 6.
3. Expand universal indoor masking requirements to include students in grades 7 - 12.
4. Identify a threshold for educator and/or student absence at which the district will move forward with a remote learning plan.
5. Increase the frequency with which you report to the public student and educator absences as well as individuals positive for COVID.
6. Create and promote safe, positive, and affirming school environments which are inclusive and supportive of student’s social, emotional, and cultural needs.
7. Provide key administrative, educator, and paraprofessional staff with the necessary training to recognize signs of changes in mental and physical health among students.
8. Provide Mental health gatekeeper training so that staff and peers take appropriate action when needed.
9. Support the mental health of all school personnel, including providing competitive wages, time off, access to well paid substitute teachers, regularly assessing staff well-being, and integrating measures to help personnel maintain their own empathy, compassion, and ability to create positive environments for students.
As superintendent and elected school board members, your roles include the evaluation of district operations, interpretations of public health policies, and health service delivery.
My role as a district resident is to help our district leadership identify the areas in need of protection, prioritization, and planning to keep Loveland City School District safe and in school: Universal Indoor Mask Requirements and adequate Mental Health Support for Students and Staff.
Signature
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References for Information:
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/omicrons-effect-wont-be-as-mild-as-hoped1/https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-coronavirus-cases-hit-record-high-2021-12-29/https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-12-17/kansas-city-hospitals-are-full-again-omicron-has-arrived-and-doctors-are-begging-for-your-helphttps://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/pdfs/mm7046a4-H.pdfhttps://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/omicron-propagates-70-times-faster-than-delta-in-bronchi-study-69540https://www.med.hku.hk/en/news/press/20211215-omicron-sars-cov-2-infectionhttps://edition.cnn.com/2021/12/28/health/chicago-childrens-hospital-surge-doctor-vaccines/index.htmlhttps://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-youth-mental-health-advisory.pdfhttps://yourlocalepidemiologist.substack.com/p/our-youth-are-struggling-with-mental
Loveland, Ohio – The Loveland City Schools Preschool program serves children 3-5 years of age with a wide variety of disabilities qualifying for special education services in response to a federal mandate.
The program model includes children with typical development in order to provide for a more inclusive and enriching learning environment and experience.
Those interested in entering their typically developing 3-5-year-old child in Loveland City Schools Preschool program may do so by completing the application and returning it directly to Loveland Early Childhood Center.
All parents will be notified by mail, email, and/or phone regarding admission to the program.
All applications are due by January 7th, 2022.
For information:
Penny Dippold, Loveland Early Childhood Center (LECC) Secretary
A true story by a Loveland resident presented by Loveland Magazine in collaboration with the Loveland Diversity Advisory Board. Contact them if you’ve a story to share.
The family in this story has chosen to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation against their children.
Part I of 2
We arrived at school bright and early, just as my sons had requested. It was their last day of 2nd and 4th grade and the anticipation they felt for the occasion was palpable. The dew collected on the toes of their sneakers as they ran to line up, the unmistakable scent of spring perfuming the air. It would be the kind of summer children dream about, with lazy mornings, afternoon trips to the park, and visits to the local Whippy Dip where the cones melted and dripped down their small arms onto the picnic tables. We never got enough napkins. It was going to be the kind of summer they’d look back on years from now with a hint of nostalgia, remembering the carefree innocence of childhood.
The school day went by without a hitch; games were played, awards were dispersed, maybe there was a hint of sorrow from the teachers as they retreated back to their now-empty classrooms. But on the faces of my sons and their friends after the final bell had rung, I saw nothing but pure elation. As they played on the front lawn of the school, one last farewell before loading them up, a car slowed to a cruise on Loveland-Madeira. It was all decked out, congratulatory chalk paint on the windows; apparently the driver and his passengers were recently graduated seniors.
The passenger leaned out of his open window as the car passed my sons and me.
“Have a good summer,” he shouted. My sons smiled back, visibly excited a ‘cool’ older kid was acknowledging them.
But his sentence didn’t end there.
I wish his sentence had ended there.
“Have a good summer, you N——s!”
My heart dropped. I felt as though I’d been punched in the stomach. And then instinct kicked in.
“Get in the car, boys,” I frantically stammered.
“But mom–what did he say?”
“I said GET IN THE CAR. NOW.”
“What did he call us mom? Why did he say that?”
I met the puzzled gaze of my younger son who had no idea what had just transpired.
My older son looked equally befuddled. This wasn’t the first time he’d encountered that vile term. He knew what it meant. The confusion on his face told me he just hadn’t heard the slur over all the commotion.
And here I was, flushed, sweating, and doing everything I could to keep from melting into a puddle of tears in front of them.
There weren’t enough napkins to clean up the mess.
With a single word, our perfect day was shattered.
I tried to see the car’s plate number, but they’d sped away too quickly. I called the school to report the transgression, but, being the last day of school, I never heard back. I met with a police officer, but unfortunately his hands were tied; with what little information we had there was no feasible way to determine the identity of the culprits. As a last ditch effort, I tried doing my own reconnaissance work on a local moms’ group page on social media where my post was promptly removed after group members began chastising me. This isn’t the place for this, I was scolded.Well, where was the place? In the midst of a travesty, I’d turned to my community and in turn I was brushed off and chided.
That night, instead of eating ice cream that dribbled down their chins and staying up past bedtime, my sons, my husband, and I had to have “the talk.” This is the talk that all parents of Black children, boys in particular, dread. We’d had conversations before but this time they’d been called out. This time it was personal.
We had to explain what they were called. What it meant. Where it originated. We had to explain that not everyone saw them as an equal. That prejudice exists.That stereotypes, to some people, are the stuff of truth. We had to sit down, the first night of summer, at the end of what began as a day full of promise, to explain racism to our elementary school-aged children. We had to explain that there are people who hate them for no reason other than the color of their skin. We had to explain that sometimes, inexplicably, people will respond differently to things they do, even if those things are exactly the same as those their Caucasian friends are doing. We had to explain injustice, an intrinsically unfriendly concept, in the most child-friendly way possible.
We were determined not to let racism win. This would not ruin our summer; it would not ruin our family. And ultimately, we have triumphed. This event and others like them, as upsetting, maddening and sorrowful as they are, have only served as teachable moments and life lessons. We turn the negativity into chances to fortify our familial bond and bolster our pride.
But make no mistake, there have been tears. There have been lots of tears.
And there are never enough tissues.
With this horrifying experience behind them, this family hoped the worst was over.
In Part II of this Diversity Story, we see that the trouble was only beginning.
Stay tuned for Part 2
Read our first installment of a true story by a Loveland resident presented by Loveland Magazine in collaboration with the Loveland Diversity Advisory Board
For engaging story times on diversity (including race) for young learners, join the Loveland Diversity Advisory Board and the Cincinnati Hamilton County Library the 2nd Monday of every month for Bedtime Book Talks.
Support for those feeling fearful, vulnerable, or uncomfortable upon reading these accounts:
Loveland, Ohio – The Loveland Early Childhood Center has received a Five-Star Step Up To Quality Award from the State of Ohio. The award recognizes the preschool program offered at LECC.
