Six Loveland students selected for government leadership conference
Loveland, Ohio – Six Loveland High School (LHS) students were selected to attend the American Legion Buckeye Girls and Boys State conferences this year.
Emily Hamm, Eileen Wassel, Sarah Stevens, Aimee Ignacio Madrigal, Kyle Faessler and Jacob Danner
The students attending include: Emily Hamm, Eileen Wassel, Sarah Stevens, Aimee Ignacio Madrigal, Kyle Faessler and Jacob Danner.
Participants are exposed to the rights, privileges, duties and responsibilities of a franchised citizen; the training is objective, practical and non-partisan, with city, county and state government operated by students elected to the various presentations, assemblies, a band, and recreation.
“This is an incredible course in government operations offered by the American Legion, and we are thrilled for the students who earned the opportunity to attend,” said LHS Principal Peggy Johnson.
Loveland, Ohio – The Loveland City School District announced today that Brian Conatser – a longtime Tiger – as the permanent district director of student athletics. Conatser, who has 12 years of experience growing Loveland student-athletes in his work as a varsity coach, served as the athletic director in an interim capacity during the 2017-18 school year following the February announcement that District Director of Student Athletics Julie Renner accepted a position outside education with FinalForms, a national athletic management solution company.
Brian Conatser
“Loveland High School is known in the Eastern Cincinnati Conference for our robust athletic program, and Mr. Conatser proved to Tiger Nation that he has what it takes to lead this program forward,” said Loveland High School Principal Peggy Johnson.
Conatser began serving the district in 2006 as a teacher at Loveland High School (LHS). During that time Conatser was a member of the varsity football coaching team, and worked as the LHS strength and conditioning coach. He transitioned from his teaching role to work as the LHS Innovative Instructional Coach during the 2015-16 school year, before joining the administrative team in the role of assistant director of student athletics in 2016. Conatser has a Bachelor’s of Education in Health Promotion from the University of Cincinnati, a Master’s of Education in Secondary Education from Xavier University, and a Master’s of Education in Educational Leadership from American College of Education.
“I love this district, and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to continue to grow our already outstanding athletic program for our students, our parents, our community, and our staff,” said Conatser. “It is a great time to be a Tiger!”
LHS Seniors participating in the school’s debut Armed Forces Signing Day included Gabe Thomas – Marine Corps; Austin Montgomery – Army; Cody Smith – JROTC; Kady Huesman – Navy; Brad Williams – National Guard; William Rupe – National Guard (not pictured – Ben Brynjulfson-Rearon – Air Force; Mallory Beam – Army; Austin Crisafi – Army; Adam Turner – Marine Corps; Audrey Swearingen – National Guard; Liam Smith – Army ROTC)
Seniors committing to military careers and Loveland veterans honored in ceremony
Loveland, Ohio– Loveland High School (LHS) saluted 12 graduating seniors who have committed to join the military after graduation with the first ever Armed Forces Signing Day Tuesday, May 1, at the LHS Gymnasium. Additionally, veterans from the community and school staff who have served were invited to participate in the ceremony and were recognized for their service.
“It was important for us to invite our veterans to be a part of this ceremony as a way to honor their service to our country,” said LHS Principal Peggy Johnson. “We are so proud of these students who have committed their futures to protect the freedoms we all enjoy; we wish them all the best on this next chapter in their lives.”
The students participating in the ceremony were recognized for entering the Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, National Guard, Navy and ROTC. Those students include:
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In the photo above is Loveland High School’s Team 5040
Back row (L to R) Jacob Chiarenzelli, Jackson Daumeyer, Loveland Superintendent Dr. Amy Crouse, Bryce Reinhold, Nate Matuszak, Chad Royal; Middle row (L to R) Kai Reinhold, Haley Dues, Matt Spitzley, Ben Kavouras; Back row (L to R) Stephanie Spitzley, Garrett Royal, Cooper Baumgarth and Kat Sanderson
More Than 40,000 people attended to watch, including 15,000 students ages 6-18 Compete with Team-Built Robots
Detroit– Last week, more than 15,000 students from around the world traveled to Detroit, putting their innovation skills to the test at the annual FIRST Championship Presented by Qualcomm® Incorporated, held at the Cobo Center and Ford Field, including Team 5040 from Loveland High School.
In the championship Loveland 5040 went undefeated in qualifying rounds and won the Ochoa division semifinals. The team ended their season as one of the top 12 teams with an impressive record of 82-10.
The four-day event came down to a heart-pounding conclusion Saturday night in front of thousands of cheering fans at Ford Field when teams competed in match finals for the FIRST® Robotics Competition and FIRST® Tech Challenge world championships. Four teams from Kalamazoo, Michigan; Clarkston, Michigan; Kingston, Ontario, Canada; and State College, Pennsylvania, were the FIRST Robotics Competition Winning Alliance for this year’s game, FIRST POWER UPSM. Teams from Lexington, Massachusetts; Baden, Pennsylvania; and Lexington, Massachusetts, were the FIRST Tech Challenge RELIC RECOVERYSM Winning Alliance.
Loveland 5040 earned their spot in Detroit by first qualifying through Ohio as the State Champion. The team then competed in the North Super Regional with the best 72 teams from 13 states where Loveland 5040 finished in the finalist alliance advancing them to Detroit.
“After watching the students in action in Detroit – I think I can officially say Team 5040 has made me a robotics groupie,” said Loveland Superintendent Dr. Amy Crouse, who Tweeted updates as the team progressed. “We are sincerely so very proud of this team, and we know they will return even bigger and better next year as the organization continues to grow.”
Students ages 6-18 participated in FIRST Championship Detroit. FIRST Championship, the world’s largest celebration of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) for students, kicked off last week with 15,000 students in Houston.
Among the participants, many earned honors for design excellence, competitive play, research, business plans, website design, and teamwork. A not-for-profit organization founded in 1989 by inventor Dean Kamen, FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) inspires innovation and leadership in young people through engaging, team-based robotics challenges. Kamen invented of the segway.
In Detroit, 700 robotics teams from 37 countries across the four FIRST programs participated. More than 91,000 students on 3,650 teams from 37 countries competed during the 2018 season.
FIRST President Donald E. Bossi said: We’re marking the culmination of another fantastic FIRST season, and once again, we’ve had fantastic growth. More than half-a-million young people directly participated in our programs, which engaged 61,000 teams, an impressive 23 percent increase from just last year. We will not stop [growing] until all students have access to the education and experiences that FIRST programs provide.
“On behalf of my team I want to say a very special thank you to Superintendent Dr. Amy Crouse and LHS Principal Peggy Johnson for traveling to Detroit to watch us compete,” said LHS student and team member Garrett Royal. “They are some of our biggest supporters, and we are grateful to them. We also want to thank former athletic director, Juliann Renner, who supported us like we were one of her athletic teams, and LHS Teacher Phil Marchal and volunteer Mark Chast for starting and coaching this team seven years ago. We are thankful for your vision and leadership that has touched so many students over the years.”
Her Excellency the Right Honourable Julie Payette, Governor General of Canada, addressed FIRST supporters: What you do right here at FIRST is extraordinarily important. It’s not just about robotics. It’s not just about science. It’s about people. It’s about collaborating. It’s about making it happen. It’s about forming teams, mentoring teams, sharing your experience.Whether you are a volunteer, a donator, a sponsor, a supporter, a participant, a parent, a teacher, you make a difference, and here we just use the incredible world of science and technology to do so and we prepare the future in so many different ways.
FIRST Tech Challenge students learn to think like engineers. Teams build robots from a reusable kit of parts, develop strategies, document their progress, and compete head to head. In the 2017-18 game, FIRST RELIC RECOVERY, teams work in an alliance to go on a robot adventure. The goal is to score more points than the opposing alliance during 150 seconds of game play that includes autonomous and driver-controlled periods.
Their performance at the FIRST World Championship earned Loveland 5040 an exclusive invitation to compete over the summer at the Maryland Technical Invitational (MTI). At MTI teams from all over the world will meet for a weekend of competition and learning. Scientists and engineers from the Space Sector of Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory will speak about two of their cutting-edge missions, New Horizons and Dragonfly.
Team 5040, Nuts & Bolts, Loveland, Ohio was a Division Finalists in the Ochoa Division:
“It has been an amazing year, and we couldn’t have done it without incredible support,” said LHS Teacher and Robotics Coordinator Amy Stewart. “I want to send a huge thank you to Coach Chad Royal, Mentors Peter Kavouras, Eric Spitzley and Chris Reinhold.”
Want to be a part of Loveland Robotics?
The Loveland Robotics Teams are very grateful for all businesses that support them and we are looking for additional sponsors. Sponsorship can take many forms, from expertise in a specific field to materials to financial assistance.
Our Team Business Plan provides information about all aspects of our FTC teams. Questions about the Business Plan or any of the Teams can be sent to Amy Stewart at stewaram@lovelandschools.org.
Koch is one of 40 educators selected from the United States and Canada to travel on one of the global expeditions.
An annual competitive application process is used to select educators and host them aboard Lindblad Expeditions’ voyages for a life-changing, field-based experience; Koch is one of 40 educators selected from the United States and Canada to travel on one of the global expeditions.
“I am so honored and humbled to be chosen as a Grosvenor Teacher Fellow,” said Koch. “This is a professional development opportunity for teachers to bring geo-literacy to our students and help them be more connected to the world. Through this opportunity I am hoping to infuse a love of exploration into my students and help them to become explorers of the world around them, locally and globally.”
In December Koch will be on an expedition to the Galápagos Islands aboard the National Geographic Endeavor II.
In December Koch will be on an expedition to the Galápagos Islands aboard the National Geographic Endeavor II. Her expedition is December 7-16. On the expedition Koch will explore the habitats and species on the Galápagos as well as the culture and history of this fascinating location.
“I am so excited to explore a location that is so ecologically important and unique,” said Koch. “There are so many endemic species in the Galápagos that can’t be found anywhere else in the world. Having the chance to see them in person, explore the habitats and learn how their adaptations have developed will be amazing!”
“We congratulate Mrs. Koch on this remarkable professional accomplishment,” said LHS Principal Peggy Johnson. “We are excited about this learning experience for her, and what it will mean for how she will continue to enhance the classroom experience for our students.”
I am hoping that this experience will help my students to nourish their curiosity, explore new places and learn from the world around them.
“When I return to Loveland, I will work with my students to practice exploration using Spanish as a tool to observe, question, hypothesize and understand the world in which we live,” said Koch. “I am hoping that this experience will help them to nourish their curiosity, explore new places and learn from the world around them.”
The program – in its 12th year – is named in honor of Gilbert M. Grosvenor, Chairman Emeritus National Geographic Society, in recognition of his decades-long work supporting Pre-K-12 teachers and promoting geography education across the U.S. and Canada.
(First row, L to R:) Loveland High School (LHS) Teacher Phil Marchal, Loveland Interim Superintendent Dr. Amy Crouse, University of Cincinnati (UC) Director of School of Information Technology (IT) Dr. Hazem Said, LHS Principal Peggy Johnson; (Second row, L to R:) Patrick Keyser, Sogeti USA, Loveland Board of Education President Art Jarvis, Loveland Board of Education Vice President Dr. Kathryn Lorenz, Loveland Board of Education Member Eileen Washburn, Loveland Director of Secondary Programs Andrea Conner, UC Graduate Coordinator and Project Manager School of IT Lauren Kirgis
Pathway program will be ready for fall 2018
Loveland, Ohio– With cameras rolling to capture the significant moment, Loveland Interim Superintendent Dr. Amy Crouse and University of Cincinnati (UC) Director of School of Information Technology Dr. Hazem Said made formal the new partnership between the educational institutions that will equip the Loveland City School District to offer college-level Information Technology (IT) course work to high school students. The formal signing ceremony took place just before the State of Schools Open House Thursday, Feb. 22, at Loveland High School.
“This partnership places Loveland students in a unique position for advanced learning opportunities that will qualify for college credit – a win for our families both academically and financially with the ever increasing student-loan debt that UC is sensitive to,” said Dr. Crouse. “We are simply thrilled to sit at the table with a school as premier as UC.”
“The UC Information Technology Early College program is a unique and innovative program that will enable Loveland students to complete the first year of the UC BSIT program in high school,” said Dr. Said. “Those who receive a C or above will receive automatic admission to the BSIT program to study Software Development, Cybersecurity, Networking/Systems and Game Development & Simulation. We are excited to work with the leaders at Loveland City Schools to make this program available to Loveland parents and students.”
The partnership with UC creates an Information Technology (IT) Academic Pathway for Loveland High School (LHS) students, and is part of the district’s strategic plan to bring Academic Pathways to Loveland students beginning in middle school. LHS students will have access to post-secondary IT coursework starting in ninth grade. LHS students will have the ability to earn college credit through the College Credit Plus (CCP) program, and Advanced Placement (AP) courses.
“Ultimately this partnership enables LHS students taking these courses to earn a masters degree through UC with only four years of college; it includes the courses they take through their senior year of high school plus four years of college,” explained Loveland Director of Secondary Programs Andrea Conner. “It also provides our Tiger students with the opportunity to apply for paid co-ops related to their course work the summer following their senior year.”
Along with having the IT Pathway ready for fall of 2018, the district has clearly defined Academic Pathways for careers in: Arts, Audio/Video Technology and Communication; Business Management and Administration; Health Science; and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics – with the phase-in of additional pathways in the 2018-2019 school year.
Loveland, Ohio – The Loveland High School yearbook, run and created by students in Loveland’s publications class, earned a gold medal at the Columbia Scholastic Press Association and the All-American title from the National Scholastic Press Association. Both awards employ a panel of media professionals who perused, analyzed and judged all 256 pages of the 2016-2017 “Lohian”.
Award-winning yearbook staff members take a break during a deadline to meet on a city playground located just across Tiger Trail. Front Row: Karlin Holley (12), Greg Ballman (10), Ryan Faingold (10), Eleanor Cronin (10), Ben Cummins (11), Allese Haddad (12), Jack Sexton (12), Erica Perl (12), Tiara Sturgill (10), J.T. Popp (10), Lauren Williams (10), Jessica Morey (12). Top Row: Marlo LaiFook (10). Frannie Cornett (10), Katie Spangler (10), Micah Hicks (10), Emma Vuyk (11), Lexi Sneed (10), Abby Boni, (10) Olivia Anderson (10), Piper Puthoff (10), Peyton Beller (10), Erika Lesperance (10), Kaitlyn Hollingsworth (10), Sydney Cree (10). Megan Kirlin (11), Emily Siebenmorgen (11), Sam Faingold (12), Katherine Vuyk (12), Zach Reichman (11), Lauren Parker (11)
The Columbia Scholastic Press Association, owned by Columbia University in New York, gave the yearbook a gold medal. The association judges magazines, newspapers, online media and yearbooks from across America and judges on a point-based system ranking gold as the highest quality.
Additionally, the National Scholastic Press Association, a non-profit educational association, offers journalistic education to American (and foreign) students along with written critiques by professional journalists and media experts. It is associated with the University of Minnesota’s Journalism and Mass Media school.
“The highest rating given to any publication in the critique service is the All-American. To acquire this award, the students had to earn four Marks of Distinction and score at least 450 points out of 500. This book earned four marks of distinction in coverage, design, photography, and writing and editing. Only about five percent of all entries received the All-American Award,” claimed publications teacher, Mrs. Rhonda Overbeeke.
Students design the yearbook following a given set of rules and collect 15-20 high-quality photos, generally taken outside of class. For a sports page, the most work-intensive yearbook page, students are asked to cover at least five to six different games for the specific sport. Students work together to select the highest quality photos, interview peers and staff, collaborate with editors, design their page in a cohesive and aesthetically pleasing manner and create an appealing yearbook. Each page generally takes a minimum of twenty to twenty-five hours to complete.
“It is truly amazing that we were able to win these awards,” said LHS Student and Yearbook Sports Editor Lauren Parker. “Everyone worked so hard editing, taking photos, and making sure that all the little details were as close to perfect as possible. I am so proud of everyone on the crew.”
“We are so proud of the publication this staff produced, and the high level of collaboration that went into the success of the publication,” said LHS Principal Peggy Johnson. “Our yearbook students pushed themselves to be the best of the best, and they achieved it. The yearbook was outstanding, and certainly deserving of the accolades it has received.”
Editors Sam Faingold, Katherine Vuyk and Lauren Parker attended a yearbook camp the summer of 2016 in order to hone their skills and prepare for the coming year’s award-winning publication. In addition, photography and media professionals gave advice and lectures to the class. Armed with their media knowledge, photo and section editors helped guide their peers to create a stand-out yearbook.
“I would attribute the success to working as a team […] Most importantly, the staff members made a commitment to creating the best book they could,” finished Overbeeke.
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Brian Conatser has served the district in the role of assistant director of student athletics since 2016
Additionally, the Board of Education approved Jake Elfers, a 2014 Loveland graduate, to work with Conatser as an assistant athletic director student intern.
Loveland, Ohio – During the February 20, Business Meeting the Loveland Board of Education approved in a unanimous vote to name Brian Conatser as interim district director of student athletics for the remainder of the 2017-18 school year. This follows the announcement that District Director of Student Athletics Julie Renner accepted a position outside education with FinalForms, a national athletic management solution company.
“We have full confidence in Mr. Conatser’s ability to manage the robust Loveland athletic program that is so well known in the ECC,” said Loveland High School Principal Peggy Johnson. “We appreciate Mr. Conatser stepping forward to serve in this interim capacity for the remainder of the school year.”
Conatser has served the district in the role of assistant director of student athletics since 2016. He has a Bachelor of Education in Health Promotion from the University of Cincinnati, a Master of Education in Secondary Education from Xavier University, and a Master of Education in Educational Leadership from American College of Education.
Additionally, the Board of Education approved Jake Elfers, a 2014 Loveland graduate, to work with Conatser as an assistant athletic director student intern. Elfers is finishing his degree this spring at the University of Cincinnati in Sports Management.
Renner’s final day will be March 2, and Conatser will assume the director responsibilities effective that date.
Loveland School District one of only 433 school districts in United States & Canada to be recognized
Loveland, Ohio – Exciting news for Tigers – the Loveland City School District is among an elite 433 districts in the United States and Canada named to the College Board’s Annual AP District Honor Roll. The Honor Roll recognizes school districts that have increased access to AP coursework while maintaining or increasing the percentage of students earning scores of 3 or higher on AP Exams.
“It is just so incredibly exciting for our Tigers,” said Loveland Interim Superintendent Dr. Amy Crouse. “Earning recognition such as this is a direct result of strategic work tirelessly executed by our Loveland High School team under the leadership of High School Principal Peggy Johnson. They made this happen for our students. Job well done, indeed!”
Taul’s film was selected from more than 2,000 entries
Taul’s film tells the story of a young man struggling with the loss of his mother, and the added responsibility of caring for his brother with special needs while battling drug addiction.
Stone Taul and Sam Smith
Loveland High School (LHS) Senior Stone Taul has earned the title of Best Director at the All American High School Film Festival Sunday on Oct. 8, in New York City for his drama, Viceroy, which Taul wrote, acted in and directed. Taul’s film – which tells the story of a young man struggling with the loss of his mother, and the added responsibility of caring for his brother with special needs while battling drug abuse – was selected for the 2017 festival from over 2,000 national and international entries.
“I was shocked when my name was called,” said Taul. “There were so many talented directors and filmmakers from all over the world. I feel honored that I was selected.”
“We could not be prouder of the creative endeavors Stone has been a part of during his tenure at Loveland High School,” said LHS Principal Peggy Johnson. “He is a stand-out talent, and this recognition he earned is well deserved.”
LHS Senior, and Loveland Magazine writer, photographer, and videographer, Sam Smith, was the cinematographer and assistant director for Viceroy.
In addition to winning Best Director, Taul’s movie Viceroy, was nominated for Best Drama and Best Overall Film. LHS Senior Sam Smith was the cinematographer for Viceroy, and other LHS contributors included: co-starring Jon Parker (2017 grad), audio Dean Parker (2016 grad), and crew members and current students Sam Sauer and Tommy Blair, with a cameo by Jonah Smith. Taul traveled with Sam Smith, Tommy Blair and Sam Sauer to New York to participate in the film festival events (screenings, networking events, college fair), and attended the red carpet awards event held at the historic Kings Theater in Brooklyn, New York. Viceroy is Taul’s major directorial debut.
Dean Parker (2016 LHS grad), a former intern at Loveland Magazine and current Ohio University student, produced the audio for Viceroy.
“There is so much hidden talent in Loveland,” said Taul. “I was able to pull together a small, but super talented team of filmmakers and a couple of friends who just wanted to help. Sam Smith was there for me throughout the whole project. I couldn’t have done it without him and I’m grateful to my friend, Dean Parker, for all of his encouragement along the way.”
The All American High School Film Festival is the world’s largest high school film festival with submissions from over 40 countries and all 50 states. The festival’s judges are made up of directors, producers, actors and writers from some of the biggest names in Hollywood. Taul had two films (Viceroy & Tunnels) officially selected. The films were screened at the Times Square AMC 25 theater in New York.
Stone Taul (left) and Jon Parker (right) in Viceroy
Actress Haley McCrory
Jon Parker
Taul has also received filmmaking accolades from the Cincinnati Teen Film Challenge, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and charitable/community organizations, and he is the co-founder of the LHS Film Club. Taul plans to study film in California after graduation.
Watch Viceroy
Watch Highlights from the All American High School Film Festival
![[Video] Loveland High School celebrates debut Armed Forces Signing Day](https://lovelandmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/military-recoginizatio-n-1.jpg)
Loveland, Ohio – Exciting news for Tigers – the Loveland City School District is among an elite 433 districts in the United States and Canada named to the College Board’s Annual AP District Honor Roll. The Honor Roll recognizes school districts that have increased access to AP coursework while maintaining or increasing the percentage of students earning scores of 3 or higher on AP Exams.
