Families who relied on free or reduced-price meal programs when school was in session will receive approximately $300 to purchase healthy and nutritious foods to feed their children
Columbus, Ohio – Governor Mike DeWine announced that the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (OJFS) has received approval from the United States Department of Agriculture for its Pandemic EBT plan. The Pandemic EBT program was included in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act of 2020.
The approval will allow OJFS to distribute SNAP benefits to 850,000 students across Ohio who relied on free or reduced-price meal programs when school was in session to have access to a hot, nutritious meal. The benefits will be mailed directly to students, and families do not need to apply to be eligible.
Families will receive approximately $300 to purchase healthy and nutritious foods to feed their children.
Loveland High School Stage managers and crew (back row) Allison Kiehl, Stefan De Jongh, Millie Terselic, Ryan James, Gabe Collazo, Evan Miller,Molly McCort, and Samantha Weaver (front row) My Fair Lady andZack Peebles
Loveland, Ohio – Students at Loveland High School (LHS) have received 14 Cappies nominations for their November 2019 production of My Fair Lady.
The Cappies Critics and Awards Program recognizes Greater Cincinnati’s young writers, performers, and technical crews. High school theatre and journalism students in the Cappies program are trained as critics, attend shows at other schools, and write and publish reviews. At the end of each school year, they vote on awards for their fellow students in a list of categories, including outstanding productions, group, and individual performances, as well as achievements in various technical categories
The gala is usually held at the Aronoff Center in Cincinnati but will be held virtually this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The awards gala will be held “virtually” this year on Thursday, May 28.
Photos by Steve Kovacs
Loveland High School Cappies Nominations for My Fair Lady
Special Effects/Technology
Amy Laufersweiler and Ava Swearingen
Sound
Adam Zdrojewski (lead), Evan Bell, Joshua Bryant, Jessica Ferrell, and Ryan Griswold
Props
Jordan Lawrence (lead), Jade Bradford, Rosa Karl-Chacon, and Cayleigh King
Orchestra
My Fair Lady Orchestra
Stage Management and Stage Crew
Samantha Weaver and Allison Kiehl (Stage Managers) and Adrianna Bell, Marissa Christmann, Gabe Collazo, Stefan De Jongh, Ashley Dunlap, Ryan James, Evan Miller, Molly McCort, Zack Peebles, and Millie Terselic
Excerpts from Top Reviews of the Loveland High School production of My Fair Lady
Stunning performances included both Anna Colletto and Aiden Hubbard as the leads, as well as William Gibbs-Heard and Claire Yoder playing the down-to-earth Colonel Pickering and the motherly Mrs. Pearce, respectively. Particularly, Colletto showed exceptional vocal talents through her singing voice and her consistent Cockney accent that lasted through the majority of the first act. – Joshua Inman, Ross High School
The production simply wouldn’t have been as “loverly” without the efforts of the props and special effects teams. From a glowing fire pit to baskets bursting with flowers, the student-made props contributed immensely to the spectacle’s early 20th-century feel, especially in Professor Higgins’s study, which was furnished with a realistic gramophone and an indecipherable phonetics chart. – Nadya Ellerhorst, Walnut Hills High School
Aiden Hubbard’s performance as the stubborn, yet genius Henry Higgins was also well-executed. The actor did not shy away from Higgins’s snobbery, and his assertive vocal style fit the character to boot. – Lucy Lawler, Saint Ursula Academy
With a stage crew of only six, all scene changes were prompt and kept the same velocity as the show. As the script is written for roughly three hours, the stage crew didn’t prolong the performance. In fact, they worked at a speed that seemed almost impossible. – Sam Jamison, Randall K. Cooper High School
A standout performance was given by Anna Colletto who glowed as Eliza Doolittle. Colletto sang Eliza’s solos beautifully, adding her own acting chops to the rambunctious Cockney flower girl. Colletto captured the comedic aspects of Eliza Doolittle’s role splendidly, giving her role a feeling of feistiness. – Isabelle Armour, Cincinnati Christian High School
The technical aspects of this show were flawless. It seemed like every aspect was thoughtfully planned around the others. The choreography and costumes played well together with strategic flowing and twirling of dresses and drapery. The set interacted well with the projections for the background. Props also were well-placed and very purposeful. The lighting crew, led by Matthew Rychlik and Kathryn Taylor, was dazzling. It can be difficult to evenly light an actor on stage with the projections behind them. – Emilee Taylor, Colerain High School
Featured ensemble members delivered witty lines with charm, originality, and humor. With engaging choreography backing up beautiful vocals, the actors brought together the best elements of the show. – Mary Defoor, School for Creative & Performing Arts
I’m William Gibbs-Heard, a graduating senior at Loveland High School, and instead of having a graduation party, I decided, because of the virus, that I should hold a sock drive.
For the graduation year of 2020, I would like to collect 2,020 pairs of new socks, or more, by the time I turn 18 on June 11th.
I want to do this in an effort to help those who are homeless and less fortunate than us. Due to all of the depression and fear surrounding the community in times like these, I want to be able to be a light in someone’s life by providing something to them that is so simple, yet very necessary.
I am accepting money donations through Paypal, Venmo, and Cashapp (all of which are listed below), as well as setting up a drop-off point at my house, 1205 W Main Street, Loveland, OH 45140.
Award Diplomas and honor the accomplishments of LHS graduates
Loveland, Ohio – Loveland High School (LHS) has announced a “Structured and Controlled In-Person Graduation Ceremony” for the Class of 2020. The commencement ceremony will be held on the day originally scheduled. It will be held at Loveland High School.
“The Class of 2020 deserves to have the most memorable ceremony possible given the current circumstances,” said LHS Principal Peggy Johnson. “While this is not the traditional ceremony that we had envisioned for our seniors when we started out this school year, we feel it is the most personal of all options given us by the Ohio Department of Education.”
EVENTS
May 13 – Drive Through Cap and Gown Distribution
Graduates will be given an appointment time and remain in their cars for the entire process. All LHS staff members will be wearing face masks and will adhere to health and safety guidelines. Any items or materials distributed to graduates will be sanitized and quarantined for at least 72 hours prior to distribution. Graduates will receive their rental gown, cap, and tassel. Graduates earning cords will receive them.
May 13 – Virtual Senior Awards Ceremony
The LHS staff will “host” the ceremony as if speaking to a packed house in the auditorium.
The goal is to honor the accomplishments the graduates have achieved. “Unfortunately, we are not able to hold our traditional Senior Awards Ceremony honoring students for a variety of accomplishments to include our Valedictorian, Salutatorian, Top 10 of the class, scholarship winners, military accolades, academic medals and pins, and much more.” This ceremony is also typically the night many “Local” scholarships are announced.
This year, the Class of 2020 will be celebrated virtually. The LHS staff will “host” the ceremony as if speaking to the usually packed house in the LHS auditorium during this annual event. The event will be video recorded and shared. “Our hope is that we can release it later in the day on May 13 so you can view it that evening.” As in the past, scholarship winners are not announced until the evening of the ceremony so most of what will be announced is a surprise.
May 23 – “Single Family In-Person” graduation ceremony
Graduation will be held on May 23, the originally scheduled date.
Families will be called into the Ron DeWitt auditorium at the High School one-by-one (no more than 10 people total including the school administrators). Graduates are permitted to bring 4 guests. The student walks across the stage, receives a diploma and their 4 guests remain in the general seating area.
Graduation speeches by school officials, student speakers, and musical performances will be recorded prior to the ceremony.
The entire graduation ceremony will be video recorded and shared.
Graduates and their families will exit the auditorium through a side door that will lead them to the cafeteria where they will return their rental graduation gown. The student and guests return back to their vehicle.
Any items or materials distributed to graduates will be sanitized and quarantined for at least 72 hours prior to distribution.
Loveland, Ohio – Loveland City School District board member Art Jarvis did not attend the April 30 Board meeting but instead resigned before it started. At the beginning of the meeting, President Kathy Lorenz read a letter Jarvis sent to the Board. You can watch a video clip of her reading the letter below.
Board member Ned Portune attended the meeting and resigned his position after it was over. You can read the statement he sent to Loveland Magazine the next morning below.
Both resignations were effective immediately and follow the apparent overwhelming defeat a vote on an operating levy announced the day before. (Loveland Levy apparently fails by wide margin)
According to a press release issued by the District the day after the meeting, the vacancies are expected to be filled at the May 12 board meeting.
The release also said that the board is now seeking candidates to replace Jarvis and Portune. It says that applicants should submit a “notice of interest” by Email to Treasurer Kevin Hawley (hawleyke@lovelandschools.org) by 5 PM on Monday, May 4.
Applicants should include biographical information, address, affirmation of voter registration, and a short statement describing qualifications and reasons for filling the role of Board Member of the Loveland City School District. Both of these positions would be for service through December 2021.
Remaining Board members are Dr. Kathryn Lorenz, Board President, Michele Pettit, and Eileen Washburn.
For Immediate Release. 5/1/2020
It is with sadness that I acknowledge my departure from the Loveland City Schools Board of Education. My resignation is for personal reasons, and should not be interpreted as a negative reflection of my faith in, and support of, the district leadership.
As I have said previously, students and teachers alike can’t be successful if they aren’t in the right culture of care, support, learning, and high expectations set by their administrators.And as such, our administrative team and educational staff have raised the bar of expectations at Loveland well beyond “average.” The improvements our district has experienced, and the achievements our students have accomplished over the past several years have been tremendous. Superintendent Dr. Amy Crouse and Treasurer Kevin Hawley are tireless champions for our students, and perform their roles with exceptional grace and integrity, as do Dr. Kathy Lorentz and the rest of the Board.I am grateful to have worked with this team.
As community members, we should all take pride in what we have accomplished together over the past several years, and the reputation for excellence that has been achieved by our schools. This success is only possible with support. I know I am proud to have been a part of a list that includes:
moving key state report card grades to A and B from C, D and F,
improving from 433rd (out of 610 districts) to 22nd in ODE’s Value Added rankings,
LES students performing on average 20% higher than the State average in Reading/Math for AIR and exceeding MAP projections, on average, at 20% higher than the National average,
100% of all third graders meeting the Third Grade Reading Guarantee for 3 consecutive years,
LIS students scoring 20% higher than the state average in 3 of 5 areas, and 15% higher in all 5,
8th grade foreign language curriculum increasing from 150 students receiving HS credit to 227 students, and foreign language exposure in 7th grade increasing from 0 students to 185,
LHS increasing AP offerings to 24 courses serving 428 students, up from 291 in 2016, and our students earning AP Honor Roll for 2 years (a distinction given only to the top 3% of districts in the US and Canada), with 80% scoring a 3 or higher,
Over 40% of our LHS seniors earning college credit through AP or CCP offerings,
LHS adding 20 new elective offerings, and adding Transition to Work programming with multiple community sites,
Developing6-12 College and Career counseling programming, and adding class-leading Teaching, Business and IT programs,
LHS ranking in Cincinnati Magazine improving to 8th out of 80 local high schools, and receiving the Momentum Award from ODE for the last three years.
And this doesn’t begin to address the improvements in gifted and special education services, social-emotional support improvements, or individual awards and accolades our students and teachers themselves have received across all of our schools. Add to that the readiness and excellent implementation of remote learning which has kept our students learning during a time no one could have predicted.Our administrators and educators have truly moved the bar higher for our students, and we should all celebrate that accomplishment.
Today, the district, its staff, students, and parents are entering an unprecedented time in our history. The right thing to do is to be positive, helpful and supportive in keeping our schools operational and our students successful. I believe we as a community will do that moving forward.
It has been an honor and privilege to have had the opportunity to serve our schools and this great community with this Board.I will continue to be a fervent supporter of Loveland Schools and our students.
U. S. News has released its annual report on the nation’s high schools.
Ohio had 732 school districts supporting 902 high schools in the 2017-18 academic year. Students are assessed via mathematics and English proficiency tests.
Loveland High School is ranked 55th within Ohio out of 902 schools.
Ohio high school students must earn at least 20 credits in various subjects, including four credits of English language arts, four of math, three of science, and three of social studies. High schoolers in Ohio must also learn economics and financial literacy to graduate, as well as take two or more semesters of fine arts, according to the Ohio Department of Education.
Loveland High School is ranked 55th within Ohio. Students have the opportunity to take Advanced Placement coursework and exams. The AP participation rate at Loveland High School is 50%. The total minority enrollment is 7%, and 11% of students are economically disadvantaged.
Mary Frees (front center) was recognized for her work serving individuals with autism and their families at “Faces of Autism” on March 5. Left to right: Heidi Terselic, Donna Ernst, Jane Miller, Lara Ferrer, Joe Frees, Taylor Reid, Mary Frees, Dr. Kathryn Lorenz, Dr. Amy Crouse, Helen Jones, Michelle Grafflin and Jennifer Forren.
Loveland, Ohio – The Regional Autism Advisory Council (RAAC) of Southwest Ohio celebrated its 20th anniversary in March with “Faces of Autism”- an event presented in collaboration with Autism Society Greater Cincinnati to recognize autism “ambassadors and unsung heroes” in the region. Mary Frees, an intervention specialist at Loveland Elementary School (LES), was among those honored for their work serving individuals with autism and their families.
“When I learned about this special recognition, I was shocked, but felt so valued for doing what I love,” said Frees. “This just motivates and energizes me to continue to accomplish more for my students with autism and other special needs. My students make my job enjoyable each day and push me further to continue to learn more about this ever-changing field of special education.”
The Faces of Autism Unsung Hero nominees were selected for going above and beyond the expectations of their jobs in advocating for acceptance, community inclusion, relationship building, and community impact. 12 educators were recognized, two of whom represent public school districts – Loveland and Sycamore Schools.
“Mary is an outstanding educator who works tirelessly for her students, going above and beyond on a daily basis,” said LES Principal Jen Forren. “She works to ensure that her students and their families have an excellent experience at LES, both academically and socially. She established an ambassador program that matches her students with other students in the building to help them work on their social skills and it has been very impactful for everyone involved.”
Faces of Autism was presented by RAAC and the Autism Society Greater Cincinnati in partnership with several other organizations, including Cincinnati Children’s, Linden Grove School, and the Heidt Center of Excellence by The Children’s Home, among others.
About the Autism Society Greater Cincinnati and the Regional Autism Advisory Council (RAAC)
The Autism Society Greater Cincinnati is a leading resource and advocate for the local autism community, working to improve the lives of all who are affected by autism through education, support, and services. RAAC leads community partnerships to plan, develop, and implement a vibrant continuum of services that meets the lifelong needs of individuals with autism, their families, and those who serve them. The Advisory Council facilitates task forces on a range of subjects, such as early intervention, educational identification, and adult services.
Loveland, Ohio – With “Summary/Unofficial” results, the Loveland City School District operating levy of 6.95 mills is failing in all three counties as of 6:30 AM Wednesday morning.
All mail-in ballots and provisional ballots will still have to be tabulated in the days to come. The mail-in ballots needed a postmark of April 27, so some of those ballots will still have to be received from the Post Office. Validly cast provisional ballots also will need to be tabulated.
Hamilton County says they will need 2-3 weeks to publish final results.
Clermont County
YES – 1,988
NO – 2,741
Hamilton County
YES – 1780
NO – 2921
Warren County
YES 76
NO 104
TOTAL
YES – 3844
NO – 5766
In a statement posted on the District web site, Superintendent Dr. Amy Crouse said, “We accept the outcome and respect the decision voters made, but this is a devastating loss for our schools. At this time of national and global uncertainty, we will also prepare to start the new school year in August with a significantly reduced budget, which will directly impact programs, class size, and services to our students. In addition, we will have to start preparing to go back on the ballot. This is unfortunately how school funding works in Ohio.”
As of this morning, the “Loveland Voice” Political Action Committee has not issued a statement only posting preliminary results on their FaceBook page. Loveland Voice had organized to actively oppose the levy.
The District statement also said:
In addition to the $2.7 million in expense reductions already made in 2019, significant cuts will be made to the operating budget in the coming months. These reductions include, among others, the elimination of at least 25 administrative, teaching and non-teaching staff positions, and the elimination of high school busing.
“Yes for Loveland” the Political Action Committee supporting the school levy posted this message on their FaceBook page 3 hours ago:
According to current results, it appears the Loveland Community has voted to NOT pass the Operating Levy. Official results will be reported in 2 – 3 weeks.
We appreciate all of your hard work and support this year. We understand we have to rally together once again to find the answer to funding the district for our children. We will do this together.
Seeing the out pour of love for one another and the care of our community gives us all hope in this time of a pandemic. Continue to support and take care of one another. We’re all in this together!
Loveland, Ohio – Summer will be here before you know it, which means football season is right around the corner! Many LHS athletes have been working hard during the Stay At Home Order so that they are prepared when competition starts up again. Coach Andy Cruse and his football players are one of the Tiger teams that have made sure that they are staying in shape for the 2020 upcoming season!
Coach Cruise told us that his players have not only been working hard but they have also been very creative with their workouts.
“One of the things we have tried to do as a football program to make sure we continue to make progress in the off-season is using the Team Buildr App. This app is great for bodyweight workouts and it also includes videos that show the proper technique for each exercise,” Cruse explained, “The app also has both dumbbell workouts and home gym workouts. We also created a 3k push-up challenge for the month of April, in which each player completes 100 push-ups a day. Many of our players are doing it with family members and often record themselves doing it to have a little fun with it. They are doing this on top of their regular workouts,” Cruse said.
Andy Cruse when he was introduced as the Tiger Head Coach in February of 2019 (File Photo)
Coach Cruse said that twice a week he is holding Zoom meetings with his players in order to get to know them better and discuss football.
“The Zoom meetings have been very positive. I think the players are really enjoying having interaction with their teammates and coaches during this time,” Cruse said, “We have encouraged our players to do position-specific drills as well. As a program, we are retweeting our players working out and spreading positivity as much as possible during this time,” Cruse added.
Due to all of the gyms being closed and of course, LHS athletes are not able to use any of the LHS facilities, Tiger athletes have been forced to get creative with how they are staying in shape. A few Tiger football players shared with us what they have been doing at home during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Gabe Ogdan was a Captain of the 2019 team. (File Photo)
Gabe Ogdan said, “I’m lucky enough to have my own home gym, but still have had to get creative for certain things! It’s been interesting but with not as much school I’ve been able to devote more time to speed and agility training as well as weight lifting and bulking.”
Max Huddleston said, “My home gym is minimal, and for some exercises, I may not have the right equipment. For example for pull-ups, since I don’t have a pull-up bar, I’ll do them on a steel beam in my basement.”
Mason Moore said, “I don’t have a home gym and the heaviest dumbbells I have are eight pounds, so I have to do my best to get my workouts in with what I can make do. I use paper plates as ab sliders, I do pull-ups on a metal beam on my ceiling, and I do lots of cardio along with the bodyweight workouts our coaches have us do.”
My dad is a landscaper so he had some stuff I could get creative with. I used bricks and stones to do various things and made a bench out of stones and a board and used a tube and metal bars to make a bar. – Weston Manske
Zach DeWitt said, “I am thankful to have many opportunities to maintain and build upon what we have been building this offseason. The absence of a field, however, has made me turn the front yard and driveway into everything I need for speed and agility training.”
Luca Aquilino said, “Since I only have a couple of things of workout equipment I’ve been sticking to lots of bodyweight workouts from our TeamBuildr app. I’ve had to use wooden shelving in my garage to do pull-ups and I have had to put bands around trees and around my basketball hoop to add a little bit of weight to workouts.”
Weston Manske said, “My dad got a bench this past weekend so now I can use that but before I had to get creative. My dad is a landscaper so he had some stuff I could get creative with. I used bricks and stones to do various things and made a bench out of stones and a board and used a tube and metal bars to make a bar. At my mom’s, I have resistance bands and then I found cinderblocks in my shed I use. I’ve also found basketball hoops are good for pull-ups.”
The Cappies Critics and Awards Program recognizes Greater Cincinnati’s young writers, performers, and technical crews. High school theatre and journalism students in the Cappies program are trained as critics, attend shows at other schools, and write and publish reviews. At the end of each school year, they vote on awards for their fellow students in a list of categories, including outstanding productions, group, and individual performances, as well as achievements in various technical categories
![[Video] Loveland School Board meeting of April 30](https://lovelandmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/maxresdefault-3.jpg)
by Cassie Mattia
Be sure to tune in to