Loveland Magazine

LOVELAND MAGAZINE

News and Events from the Loveland, Ohio Area

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Tag: loveland elementary school

  • Loveland schools celebrating the Loveland 2019 Valentine Poetry Contest winners

    Loveland schools celebrating the Loveland 2019 Valentine Poetry Contest winners

    Students congratulated by Superintendent Dr. Amy Crouse at
    Chamber’s annual Valentine Breakfast

    Loveland, Ohio – The Loveland City School District announced congratulations to all the winners of the Little Miami River Chamber Alliance 2019 Valentine’s Day Poetry Contest. The student-authors were honored at the Chamber’s annual Valentine Breakfast, held at Tano Bistro in Historic Downtown Loveland. The winning students included:

    • Amalie Lyke, Loveland Early Childhood Center
    • Thomas Stapleton, Loveland Primary School
    • Natalie Niese, Loveland Elementary School
    • Caroline Lorio, Loveland Intermediate School
    • Lexi Duff, Loveland High School

    The Chamber’s annual Valentine program kicked off in early January, with Dr. Kathryn Lorenz – longtime member of the Loveland Board of Education – serving as the 2019 Valentine Lady. During the first two weeks of February, Dr. Lorenz visited with hundreds of students in their classrooms and media centers at Loveland Early Childhood Center, Loveland Primary School and Loveland Elementary School.

    “I am so impressed with the care and kindness expressed by our youngest Tigers,” said Dr. Lorenz. “When I asked what they associate with Valentine’s Day, they mentioned love, family and friends – candy appeared much further down the list! Our Tigers are true sweethearts.”

    Students making hearts in the Loveland Primary School classroom of Brooke Hobson.

  • Building Tiger Nation facilities master planning moves on to phase two

    Building Tiger Nation facilities master planning moves on to phase two

    At Community Meeting #2 on November 28, students shared their needs as they relate to the Loveland Schools facilities.

    A ballot issue is expected in November 2019.

    Community Meeting #3 is on January 23

    A news release from the Loveland School District

    On November 28, the Loveland City School District held the second Building Tiger Nation Community Meeting, with over 100 members of the Tiger Family and greater Loveland community in attendance. In a presentation of the results of the educational facility evaluation conducted over the past six months, a panel of students and teachers shared their personal experiences regarding the implications of the current school facilities on teaching and learning at Loveland.

    “It was very powerful to hear directly from the ‘experts’ on their impressions and experiences, and see the correlation to the hard data collected during the evaluation process,” said Superintendent Dr. Amy Crouse. “Some of the needs we heard about are recurring themes throughout the district, while others are specific to certain building and campuses. Taking into account enrollment projections and the fact that we can’t provide all the programming we wish to due to space limitations today, our buildings compromise our students’ educational needs.”

    Community members toured the “gallery” and learned about specific needs in the various school buildings.

    The educational facility evaluation, which has been part of the assessment phase in the master planning process, focused on five main areas and how the school facilities currently perform in each: whether there is adequate academic square footage; building navigation (taking into account hallways, circulation spaces within the buildings, as well as parking and traffic patterns); the potential for expansion of buildings at the various campuses; how the buildings serve students and staff in terms of health and wellness; and whether the buildings and learning spaces are inspirational and relevant for today’s students.

    “It’s like a square peg trying to fit in a round hole,” said Cincy Rack, third grade teacher at Loveland Elementary School. “The biggest, single challenge every year is ‘how am I going to make my space work?’”

    Loveland High School Sophomore Anna Colletto spoke of navigation issues and a particularly difficult area in the overcrowded hallways: “Students trying to get upstairs are struggling, students trying to get to their classes are struggling, and students trying to get into their lockers are struggling. It takes two to three minutes just to get through that portion of the hallway, which takes up our five-minute break to get to the next class.”

    The meeting was the second in a series to inform the Loveland community about the facilities master planning process since the start of the 2018-19 school year. Finance Committee meetings, open to the public, continue to be held monthly. The master planning process now moves from the assessment phase on to the translation phase, and the first options for a master plan will be developed over the coming weeks. They will be presented to all Loveland stakeholders at Community Meeting #3 on January 23, and will then be evaluated, prioritized, and finalized. The master plan, along with financing suggestions, will be presented to the Loveland Board of Education in spring, likely April or May. A ballot issue is expected in November 2019.

    For more information, please visit www.buildingtigernation.org.

    Welcome to All About Kids We invite you to come visit one of our convenient locations, talk to our staff and teachers and learn why.

  • Loveland Elementary School Recognized as “Rising Breakfast All-Star”

    Loveland Elementary School Recognized as “Rising Breakfast All-Star”

    Loveland, Ohio – Loveland Elementary School (LES) has been recognized as a “Rising Breakfast All-Star” for meeting noteworthy school breakfast Average Daily Participation (ADP) rates as established by the 2018 Ohio Breakfast Challenge.

    We know from research that students who eat breakfast perform better in school than those who don’t.

    “We know from research that students who eat breakfast perform better in school than those who don’t,” said Loveland District Food Service Director Kris Tracy. “On average, they also attend more days of school per year and score almost 18 percent better on standardized math tests.”

    The breakfast program was implemented at LES in 2016, followed by the High School, Early Childhood Center and Primary School in 2017. It was also added to the Intermediate and Middle Schools at the start of the 2018-19 school year.

    The mission of the Ohio School Breakfast Challenge is to increase and sustain student participation in the School Breakfast Program, ensuring that Ohio students start each day ready to learn. The Ohio Department of Education, American Dairy Association Mideast, Children’s Hunger Alliance, Ohio Action for Healthy Kids, and Ohio School Nutrition Association are all sponsors of the Ohio School Breakfast Challenge. For more information, visit OhioSchoolBreakfastChallenge.com.

    Welcome to All About Kids We invite you to come visit one of our convenient locations, talk to our staff and teachers and learn why.

  • Drug Take Back Day is October 27 in Loveland: collecting any unused, expired, or unwanted medications

    Drug Take Back Day is October 27 in Loveland: collecting any unused, expired, or unwanted medications

    Loveland, Ohio – Numerous studies have shown prescription medication is the primary way most addicts get hooked on opiates. Don’t expose your family or friends to the risk of addiction hiding in your house.
    The Loveland Police Department and the Loveland Educating Against Alcohol and Drugs (LEAAD) team have partnered with the Drug Enforcement Agency to collect any unused, expired, or unwanted medications.
    On Saturday, October 27, you can safely dispose of medications at the Loveland Safety Center and the Loveland Elementary School from 10 AM. until 2 PM.
    These locations only except pills and tablets. They cannot accept creams, patches, injectables, or other forms of medications.

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  • Loveland’s Katelyn Heckenmueller and Caelan Quigley selected for All-State Jazz Ensemble

    Loveland’s Katelyn Heckenmueller and Caelan Quigley selected for All-State Jazz Ensemble

    Photos provided by Loveland Schools

    Three additional LHS musicians make the cut for the Cincinnati Youth Jazz Orchestra

    Loveland, Ohio – The LovelandHigh School Jazz Program has kicked off the new school year with a series of accolades and recognitions: Seniors Katelyn Heckenmueller (saxophone) and Caelan Quigley (trumpet) have both been selected for the 2019 All-State Jazz Ensemble, which will rehearse and perform at the Ohio Music Education Association (OMEA) Professional Development Conference in Cleveland, January 31 – February 2.

    In addition, Senior Ethan Diver (drums), and Juniors Simon Grome (bass) and Jett Stevens (drums) have been selected to the Cincinnati Youth Jazz Orchestra (CYJO), run by the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM).

    Katelyn (Katie) Heckenmueller plays alto and soprano saxophones in the LHS Wind Ensemble and Jazz Orchestra. Having taken private lessons on alto sax for the past five years, she was selected to participate in the District 14 Honor Jazz Band in 2017. Heckenmueller, who plans to continue to play jazz in college, is particularly influenced by Dexter Gordon, whose “pocket and distinctive tone sound effortless.”  

    Caelan Quigley is one of two students in Loveland High School Jazz Program history to be selected for the All-State Jazz Ensemble twice. As a junior in 2018, he performed at the OMEA Conference in Columbus under the direction of Brad Leali, two-time Grammy-winning member of the Count Basie Orchestra. Quigley was the lead trumpet player in the CCM Summer Jazz Program in 2017. He plans to attend college, potentially combining studies in engineering and music. Quigley credits his jazz accomplishments to the work with his long-time private teacher and mentor, Norman Parr, and his first-rate music education at Loveland.

    Ethan Diver has been playing drums for eight years, but is fairly new to jazz, which he started playing about a year ago. He has played snare drum in marching band and has been a member of the LHS showband for the past three years. In addition to playing with the CYJO big band, he also gigs with two combos. Diver teaches private lessons and takes lessons from Jeff Mellott.

    Simon Grome has played bass for six years. He has spent that entire time studying privately under Matthew Holt. His biggest influences include Victor Wooten and John Patituccibecause of their innovative sounds and techniques. Grome does not plan on pursuing a degree in music, but expects it to remain an integral part of his future adult life.

    Jett Stevens started by playing the piano in kindergarten. In fourth grade, he joined Mallet Madness at Loveland Elementary School, playing mallet percussion and auxiliary percussion. In seventh grade, he joined LMS Stage Band and Guitar Club. Throughout high school, he has been involved in Wind Symphony, CCM Summer Prep Jazz, Symphonic Band, Jazz Orchestra, Loveland Musical Orchestra, Jamey Aebersold Jazz Camp, Show Choir Band, Orchestra Band, Marching Band and several bands with friends. In addition to being selected for the Cincinnati Youth Jazz Orchestra, Stevens also earned spots in the District 14 Honor Jazz bands (2015 to 2017) and District 14 Honor Concert Band (2015).

    “It is a great privilege to work with such talented students who are passionate about jazz music,” said Erin Fitzpatric, LHS music teacher and jazz program director who joined the district in August. “Being selected to participate as a member of the OMEA All-State Jazz Ensemble is one of the highest honors for a high school jazz student. The ensemble consists of the best high school jazz musicians in the state – out of the hundreds of applicants who auditioned this year, only five students were selected for the trumpet and saxophone sections”

    “Being selected to participate as a member of the OMEAAll-State Jazz Ensemble is one of the highest honors for a high school jazz student. The ensemble consists of the best high school jazz musicians in the state – out of the hundreds of applicants who auditioned this year, only five students were selected for the trumpet and saxophone sections.”

    The CYJO also gathers some of the best high school jazz musicians in the region. Students audition in the beginning of the school year for a spot in the band that offers a year of high-level challenge with emphasis on developing professional musical, improvisational, and performance skills. The band rehearses weekly and performs a variety of styles within the big band genre in concerts on the UC campus and throughout the community.

    “The CYJO offers a great opportunity to play with other skilled high school jazz musicians from neighboring districts and build friendships that extend beyond Loveland,” said Fitzpatric.

    Now in his fifth year of teaching full time, Fitzpatric earned his Bachelors of Music at CCM as a music education major with a jazz trumpet specialization. For the past three years, he taught 6-12th grade band, jazz, and guitar at Taylor High School in Cleves, Ohio. While he teaches music during the week, Fitzpatric also performs with several bands in his free time.

    I look forward to showcasing the talents of the jazz bands at our first concert of the year on October 18,” said Erin Fitzpatric.

    “I really enjoy teaching music throughout the week and performing with bands around town on the weekends. I’m particularly excited about the opportunity to teach at Loveland where we have an incredible group of young musicians as well as a top-notch staff in the Music Department. I look forward to showcasing the talents of the jazz bands at our first concert of the year on October 18,” he said.

      Loveland chiropractor Douglas Portmann, DC at Wards Corner Chiropractic & Sports Rehab is one of the best chiropractors in the Loveland area.

  • Loveland High School Receives an A on State Report Card

    Loveland High School Receives an A on State Report Card

    Overall, Loveland City School District received a B

    Loveland, Ohio – On September 13, the Ohio Department of Education released its annual report cards for public school districts across the state and Loveland High School was listed as one of six high schools in the Greater Cincinnati area to receive an A, the highest grade a school can obtain.

    Dr. Amy Crouse

    “I am so proud of the work we’re doing in all of our classrooms for all of our students, although I believe we will always have room for growth and improvement,” said Dr. Amy Crouse, superintendent. “Even though we know the state report card is just one tool of accountability based on one standardized test, it is validation that we are on the right track in preparing students for tomorrow, today.”

    The report card grades, A through F, are based on other sub-grades in areas such as Achievement, Progress, Graduation Rate and Gap Closing. For the first time, the state also released an overall district-level grade summing up how districts performed in this year’s report cards. Loveland City School District received a B. In Hamilton County, four school districts received an A, five received a B, and the 13 remaining districts received a grade of C or lower.

    “We know the state report card can provide us with useful information, although we have to keep in mind that its data offers just one snapshot of the very complex work we do every day in our classrooms,” said Crouse. “As a school district committed to high achievement and continuous growth, we monitor, analyze and factor in multiple data points when we consider the educational experience we strive to provide in our schools.”

    Later this month, the Loveland City School District will also release their own “Quality Profile”, which offers a look at the performance of district students and staff, using multiple measures and data points. The Quality Profile is supported by the Alliance for High Quality Education, an education consortium that works to improve educational opportunities for students and represent member districts on matters of educational policy and funding.

    “Our Quality Profile includes measures beyond the test scores that make up the state report card and seeks to show the complete picture of the total value our schools provide to our students, staff and community,” said Crouse. “While we will continue to celebrate our successes, we will never ignore the areas that present opportunities for progress. Ultimately, our goal is that every Tiger student is empowered to learn, grow and embody our core values of care, respect and responsibility.”

    Community School Closure Family Frequently Asked Questions

    State Report Card District Overview

    District Grade B

    Achievement

    The Achievement Component represents whether student performance on state tests met established thresholds and how well students performed on tests overall. A new indicator measures chronic absenteeism.
    B – Component Grade
    Progress
    The Progress component looks closely at the growth that all students are making based on their past performances.
    B – Component Grade
    Gap Closing
    The Gap Closing component shows how well schools are meeting the performance expectations for our most vulnerable students in English language arts, math, graduation and English language proficiency.
    A – Component Grade

    Graduation Rate

    The Graduation Rate component looks at the percent of students who are successfully finishing high school with a diploma in four or five years.
    A – Component Grade

    Improving At-Risk K-3 Readers

    This component looks at how successful the school is at improving at-risk K-3 readers.
    C – Component Grade

    Prepared for Success

    Whether training in a technical field or preparing for work or college, the Prepared for Success component looks at how well prepared Ohio’s students are for all future opportunities.

    LCSD 2018-19 Expectations

    Click the image below to learn more about the 2018-19 Loveland City School District expectations.

    Welcome to All About Kids We invite you to come visit one of our convenient locations, talk to our staff and teachers and learn why.

  • Loveland Elementary’s Mallet Madness to share national stage

    Loveland Elementary’s Mallet Madness to share national stage

    “I knew it was a far shot because the other groups that auditioned were middle-school aged.”

    Loveland, Ohio – Last year Loveland Elementary teacher Michele Henn submitted a recording of Mallet Madness to audition for one of four spots performing at the National Convention of the American Orff-Schulwerk Association, which will be held in Cincinnati this year. Orff-Schulwerk is the approach to music education used by thousands of teachers in America and is used in the Loveland elementary schools. Henn said, “I knew it was a far shot because the other groups that auditioned were middle-school aged. Well, our 4th grade group really pulled it out and we received one of the coveted spots.”

    Mallet Madness is an advanced percussion group of 20-24 fourth grade students at Loveland Elementary School. The group performs complicated pieces for xylophone, drum, accessory percussion, and recorder. Roughly 70-90 students audition for membership each year. The group rehearses before school, three days per week, from October through May. Ensemble members show tremendous dedication by arriving to school early simply for the joy of making music together. 

    The group is in its 10th season and is directed by LES music teacher Michele Henn.

    This year, Mallet Madness will perform at the National Convention of the American Orff-Schulwerk Association (the approach to music education used at LES, LPS, and LECC). This is quite an honor, as the group will perform for music teachers from all corners of the country. Numerous ensembles from neighboring states competed for a chance to perform.  Mallet Madness earned one of four performance positions, and they were one of the youngest ensembles to audition. 

    Students from the 2017-2018 season of Mallet Madness are currently rehearsing throughout September and October to prepare for their November 10th performance at the Duke Energy Center.

    From Mrs. Henn:

    When we started Mallet Madness ten years ago, my teaching partner and I simply approached a few students that really seemed to enjoy music. We asked them if they would like to come to school early a few times per week and make music. That’s it. It was no big deal. Over the years the ensemble has grown in popularity and now we have multiple performances per year and a large number of students audition to join the group.

    Mallet Madness means so much to me personally because I am energized by the artistic atmosphere created by this group. I am able to push the group to perform music that in any other setting would probably not be attainable. This fulfills many needs for me as a musician, teacher, and director.

  • Loveland Board of Education recognizes My Voice, My Choice students

    Loveland Board of Education recognizes My Voice, My Choice students

    The Loveland Board of Education recognized 23 students for creating a culture of kindness through the My Voice, My Choice campaign during the April 17 Business Meeting.

    Loveland, Ohio – On Tuesday, April 17 the Loveland City School Board saluted 23 students by formally recognizing them during their Business Meeting. It was for their “exemplary effort in helping create a culture of kindness as part of the district-wide My Voice, My Choice campaign.” Board members presented each student with a certificate and shirt, and thanked them for being leaders among their peers.

    “We are so proud of these students for stepping up to be leaders in and around their school,” said Loveland Superintendent Dr. Amy Crouse. “The My Voice, My Choice campaign is a meaningful program our district uses to help our Tigers grow socially and emotionally as they transition from building to building. It is part of our strategic plan to ensure Tiger Care for all of our students, which is one of our big three district goals, and we are proud to celebrate this moment of much deserved recognition with our Board of Education.”

    Students recognized during the ceremony included (listed by building):

    Loveland Early Childhood Center

    Zavier Charles

    Dylan Jones

    Jack O’Donnell

    Iris Rich-Greatorex

    Loveland Primary School

    Hannah Gruber

    Quinton Merritts

    Lucas Patterson

    Ava Pursley

    Loveland Elementary School

    Emily Mix

    Brendon Salm

    Julianna Westerman

    Loveland Intermediate School

    Delaney Bair

    Rylee Burnett

    Maggie Reis

    Loveland Middle School

    Presley Beller

    Ellie Boni

    Elle Brinkman

    Reagan Brunett

    Emma Clark

    Loveland High School

    Logan Colletta

    Ben David

    Garret Gillespie

    Brianna Wright

  • Loveland Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony

    Loveland Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony

    The photo above is a Loveland Magazine file photo from the 2016 Loveland Memorial Day ceremony.

    Bill Fee
    This year’s guest speaker for Loveland’s Memorial Dave ceremony is Bill Fee

    Loveland, Ohio – A Memorial Day parade and ceremony have been planned on Monday, May 28 by the City and the American Legion Post 256. The parade will be begin at 9:00 AM beginning at the Loveland Elementary School on Loveland Madeira Road and travels to the Veterans Memorial on West Loveland Avenue where a ceremony will be held at the Loveland Veterans’ Memorial.  

    This year’s guest speaker is Bill Fee who spent most of his career working in Cincinnati with the E.W. Scripps Co. for 32 years, retiring in 2010 after having served as Vice President and General Manager of WCPO-TV for 12 years. He was born and raised in Cincinnati, and graduated from Walnut Hills High School in 1965.

    After a year in college, at the age of 19, Fee enlisted in the Army in 1967, and volunteered for service in Vietnam. He served in combat as a rifleman in the First Infantry Division and was wounded in combat in November of 1967, and spent 10 months in three different Army hospitals, undergoing four operations to repair a damaged shoulder. After his medical discharge in 1968, he returned to college and graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a BA and MA in German Literature.

    In 1984, Fee and fellow Vietnam Veteran Earl Corell co-directed the fundraising, design and dedication of the Greater Cincinnati Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Eden Park.  The Memorial was dedicated in April of 1984.

    Fee has served on the boards of the Boy Scouts, the Ohio Association of Broadcasters, and he is Past President of the boards of Cincinnati Public Radio and the Cincinnati and Ohio Chapters of the March of Dimes. He currently serves on the board of trustees of The Children’s home of Cincinnati, and is a volunteer with Executive Service Corps of Cincinnati and United Way.

    In 2016, Fee published his first book, Memoir of Vietnam 1967, detailing the story about his military service in Vietnam with the First Infantry Division, and the impact the war has had on his life in later years.

    VETERANS’ MEMORIAL PAVER DIRECTORY LOOK-UP

    [Video] Ryan Lindsay’s 2017 emotional Memorial Day Speech

    To be in the parade, click here.

  • Award-winning: Loveland High School Teaching Professions Academy

    Award-winning: Loveland High School Teaching Professions Academy

    Award-winning LHS Teaching Professions Academy students with State Superintendent of Public Instruction Paolo DeMaria at the Educators Rising Conference.

    Andrea Conner is Director of Secondary Programs Loveland City School District

    By Andrea Conner

    Take 40 Loveland High School (LHS) students with a passion for education and a teacher with a vision to not only provide rich course offerings for students but also help develop future educators, and you have Loveland’s new Teaching Professions Academy (TPA). That’s right – in Loveland, we are teaching Tiger students how to become Tiger teachers for their future careers.

    This program, designed and instructed by Bre Sambuchino, gives our high school students the unique opportunity to make real-world connections between the curriculum and instructional strategies they study in this new class when they apply them to field-placement experiences within our district. From Loveland Elementary School to Loveland Intermediate School, TPA students get hands-on experience learning the different skills teachers must possess to be successful at the various levels of student development. TPA students work together to prepare real, vibrant lessons for our young Tigers – taking care and pride in representing their program with professionalism.

    A table-top sized tree quickly grew with various versions of what might be the best technique to use to create a tree that both captured the passion of the group while still making certain it was versatile enough to be transported.

    The pinnacle of the program’s successful first year was evident on March 15 when the TPA students and Ms. Sambuchino traveled to the EdRising Ohio conference at Ohio Dominican. TPA students participated in various speaking and lesson-planning competitions and worked as a group to create their chapter display with the theme “Where do we grow from here?” A table-top sized tree quickly grew with various versions of what might be the best technique to use to create a tree that both captured the passion of the group while still making certain it was versatile enough to be transported. “Their ideas continued to grow with the tree!” commented Sambuchino.

    The conference and the tree certainly delivered in true LHS TPA fashion! The tree won first place (chapter display), and LHS Senior Maddy Butts won second place in the STEM lesson planning and delivery competition teaching a robust “states of matter” lesson to her field placement class. She is now a National Qualifier, and she will be competing in Orlando, Fla., in June. In addition to these accolades, Loveland High School’s program was awarded as an Honors Chapter, one of 12 out of 64 total state chapters. The students, along with their award-winning tree, even made State Superintendent of Public Instruction Paolo DeMaria’s Twitter feed!

    Success like this isn’t based on luck. It is the result of focused, strategic effort; the LHS TPA is the first of a series of Academic Pathways the Loveland City School District is developing to prepare our students for tomorrow, today. It is our mission, in action – and – it is award-winning.

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      RP Diamond is the exclusive retailer of LOVELAND HIGH SCHOOL SPIRIT WEAR Welcome to  RP Diamond Printing & Embroidery located at 370 Loveland Madeira Road