Leading the way for Loveland is Senior, Brooke Harden, who has 8 goals and 8 assists in 13 games.
by Matt Huether
Loveland, Ohio – The Loveland Womens Soccer team sits at 10-0-3 (5-0-1 conference) and has a big game coming up on October 9th at Turpin. Turpin sits at 5-1 in conference and 6-6-0 overall. Leading the way for Loveland is Senior, Brooke Harden, who has 8 goals and 8 assists in 13 games. Another strong leader for Loveland is Junior, Kaitlyn Andrews, who has 3 goals and 7 assists in 13 games. Loveland plays at home against Mount Norte Dame on Saturday October 6th at 7 PM.
The Loveland Mens Soccer team sits at 9-4 (4-1 conference). Loveland is a half game behind Turpin in conference and looks to take over the conference lead when they play Turpin on October 11th at 7 PM. Leading the way for Loveland is Senior, Aiden Kopek, who has 7 goals and 2 assists in 7 games this season. Loveland is Sophomore, Helga Harris, another leader, has 8 goals in 7 games played. Loveland plays at West Clermont tomorrow night (October 4th) at 7:00 PM.
The Loveland Womens Tennis team sits at 13-3 (5-1 conference). Loveland had a strong showing at the ECC Conference Championships taking second with 33 points. Loveland Senior, Peyton Beller, leads the way with a 13-6 overall (5-1 conference) record. Peyton was awarded the 3rd seed in the Cincinnati Sectional for her strong play this season. Peyton will start her postseason taking on Eichorn of Oak Hills. Loveland Junior, Anna Svitkovich, also a leader, sits at 11-6 (5-1 conference) on the season. Anna was awarded the 4th seed in the Cincinnati Sectional and will start off against Ramirez of Harrison. Loveland has their Sectionals Tomorrow (October 4th) at the Lindner Family Tennis Center at 8:30 AM.
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Lawrence E. Hamilton, Jr., J. Scott Calder, and Kevin W. Taylor after being honored as Distinguished Alumni (David J. Litteral could not attend the induction ceremony)
Four Loveland High School alumni were inducted into the Loveland Schools Foundation Hall of Fame on September 21.
The four were honored with the Distinguished Alumni Award for, “Excelling in their professional careers while making an impact on their communities at the local, national or global level.”
“We are pleased to recognize these four gentlemen and Loveland graduates who have made a profound difference in the lives of others,” said Linda Slusher, executive director of the Loveland Schools Foundation. “Loveland continues to produce outstanding graduates who go on to demonstrate leadership and excellence in their professional and personal lives.”
The awards banquet took place at the Oasis Golf and Conference Center, where the inductees each received a bronze Tiger statue and a plaque, copies of which have been added to the wall of Distinguished Alumni at Loveland High School.
Dr. J. Scott Calder, U.S. Air Force Colonel (’84)
Colonel (Dr.) Jeffrey Scott Calder, Loveland Class of 1984, received his commission from the Reserve Officer Training Corps graduating from Miami University in 1988. He earned his medical degree from The Ohio State University College of Medicine in 1992 on a Health Professions Scholarship. He completed a residency in general surgery at Wright State University in 1997. After moving up the ranks from Staff General Surgeon he received his promotion to Colonel in May of 2010.
He has attended the Air War College, and the Aerospace Medicine Primary Course as well as others as he continued his Professional Military Education.
Scott has served both at home and abroad, accepting his first overseas assignment to Misawa AB, Japan in July 1997. Later he was assigned to Bitburg AB, Germany where he was the Surgical Services Flight Commander. He served in Oman in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and later in Afghanistan and Italy. American shore assignments have included Barksdale AFB, LA, San Antonia – Lackland, Texas and Florida.
He holds an Unrestricted Medical License from the State Medical Board of Ohio, is Board Certified, American Board of Surgery and is a Certified Physician Executive.
During his years of service Colonel Calder has received numerous decorations and awards: Meritorious Service with five oak leaf clusters, the Air Medal, The Air Force Commendation Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, The Humanitarian Service Medal, the NATO Medal, as well as 13 additional decorations and eight Awards for leadership and excellence in his service to our country.
Colonel Calder is a fellow, American College of Surgeons, a Certified Physician Executive, American College of Physician Executives and is board certified in General Surgery. He is a Senior Flight Surgeon with 409.5 flying hours in 10 aircraft.
Mr. Lawrence E. Hamilton, Jr. (’67)
Larry Hamilton is a native of Loveland and a Loveland High School graduate in 1967. He is a retired teacher of African American History, World Studies and Current Events from Piqua, Ohio. Mr. Hamilton is a founding member of the African American Genealogy Group on the Miami Valley and is a presenter on family history and genealogy.
He was selected for Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers and was awarded the Ohio Tri-County NAACP’s Martin Luther King Outstanding African American Award as well as the state of Ohio’s MLK Cultural Awareness Award in 2005.
Mr. Hamilton authored a book in August of 2009 titled Lucy’s Story: Right Choices But Wrongs Still Left. Book II of Lucy’s Story became available in November of 2011 and the trilogy was completed with the release of Book III in January of 2013 titled Refuge from the Deluge: On Being Railroaded. This heroic story commemorates the 100th anniversary of the Loveland/Little Miami Flood of 1913 and a struggle for justice, equality and inclusion in Ohio’s Upper Miami Valley relating to the Randolph Freedmen, one of the largest manumissions in U.S. History.
He continues to make presentations about his book series, Lucy’s Story, and family history research in support of his interest in genealogy as well as his work for equality among all.
David J. Litteral, U.S. Army Command Sergeant Major (retired)(’80)
A 1980 graduate of Loveland High School, David has given over thirty-three years of honorable service to the United States Army Medical Department, culminating as the Commandant of the Army’s Medical Noncommissioned Officer Academy. He has served on the home front as well as in Iraq where he was the Enlisted Personnel Director of the U.S. Army, 10th Combat Support Hospital. He also assisted the Iraqi Government in establishing training programs for Medics, Physicians, and Nurses as well as planning and executing the pre-deployment training necessary to ensure mission success at six locations across Iraq.
David implemented the training programs for Advanced and Senior Leader Noncommissioned Officer Courses for the Army Medical Department which earned a rating as TRADOC Institute of Excellence.
He received his Doctorate of Psychology in 2014 and was an Adjunct Instructor at both Kentucky Christian University and Morgan Community College. He served as Chief Instructor, Department of Combat Medic Training, Fort Sam Houston, Texas.
During his many years of service, he has acquired numerous medals among which are the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, National Defense Service Medal, Iraqi Campaign Medal (2 campaign stars) and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. Currently, David is Director of Military Initiatives for Morehead State University, Morehead, KY.
Mr. Kevin W. Taylor (’72)
A graduate of Loveland High School in 1972, Kevin Taylor has devoted his life to teaching, coaching and inspiring youth to attain their highest goals. A native of Loveland, he has spent over 45 years as a member of the “Tiger Family” as a student, teacher, coach, Assistant Athletic Director, and Facilities Manager. He has been a role model for generations of students and has provided them with lifelong experiences that go beyond the classroom. He provides faculty, staff, and students with a sense of history and respect for the “Tiger Tradition.”
Loveland City Schools produces outstanding graduates who have demonstrated leadership and excellence in their professional and personal lives. Kevin Taylor is this person.
Mr. Taylor is the founder and chairman of the present Loveland High School Athletic Hall of Fame into which he was inducted in 2016. In retirement, he continues to support Tiger athletics. Each year he schedules a banquet and awards ceremony which honors Loveland athletes who, during their high school career, reached high levels of achievement in their chosen sport.
Loveland, Ohio – Marie Plitt and Kyle Whitaker were crowned Queen and King of Loveland High School’s Homecoming during the half-time of the September 14 game against Withrow.
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Loveland High School Seniors Abigail Docter (top left), Sophia Muir (top right) and Tyler Gray (bottom).
National Merit Scholarship Program Names Three LHS Seniors as Commended Students
Loveland, Ohio – The Loveland City School District has announced that Loveland High School (LHS) Seniors Abigail Docter, Tyler Gray and Sophia Muirwho have been named Commended Students in the 2019 National Merit Scholarship Program. Commended Students placed among the top 50,000 scorers of more than 1.6 million students who entered the competition by taking the 2017 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT).
“The recognition is a testament to the academic ability of these amazing students who stand among the best of the best in the nation,” said LHS Principal Peggy Johnson. “We are thrilled and congratulate them all on this fantastic accomplishment!”
Established in 1955, the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) is a not-for-profit organization that operates without government assistance. It was established for the sole purpose of managing the National Merit Scholarship Program. Scholarships are underwritten by NMSC with its own funds and by approximately 420 business organizations and higher education institutions that share NMSC’s goal of honoring the nation’s scholastic champions and encouraging the pursuit of academic excellence. Although Commended Students do not continue on in the scholarship competition, they are recognized for exceptional academic promise demonstrated by their outstanding performance on the qualifying test used for program entry.
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Ohio Turnpike involves teenagers in communicating the dangers of distracted driving
The Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission has announced the winners of its inaugural Ohio Turnpike W82TXT video contest, an initiative to engage teens in the messaging around the dangers of distracted driving. Taking home the Grand Prize is Loveland High School (LHS) Senior Sam Richardson, whose animated short video “#W82TXTY” encourages you to put your phone down and out of reach when getting in the car.
Taking home the Grand Prize is Loveland High School (LHS) Senior Sam Richardson, whose animated short video “#W82TXTY” encourages you to put your phone down and out of reach when getting in the car.
“I can’t remember the number of times I have been in a car with a teenager or adult who was on their phone while driving and I had to tell them to put it down,” said Richardson. “By entering this video contest, I wanted to spread a meaningful message about the consequences of texting and driving.”
Richardson, who started making videos and animation in eighth grade, is currently doing a virtual reality independent study at LHS, allowing him to learn various techniques on his own while earning high school credits. W82TXT is the fifth video contest he has entered – and the second that he has won. In 2016, he won second place in the Ohio Attorney General’s “Take Action” video contest to raise awareness about important consumer decisions that students will make. (Read:
In 2017, Sam Richardson (second from left) placed second and won a $1,500 scholarship for the video he created about cybersecurity and privacy. (Read the story)
After graduating from LHS next spring, Richardson plans to study toward a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts at a college in Ohio. “After earning my college degree, I hope to work for an animation studio like DreamWorks, Pixar or Disney in Los Angeles,” he said.
Prizes for the three top winners include their choice of a DJI Osmo video camera, GoPro video camera, Apple iPad, or a $250 Amazon Gift Card. The winners will choose their prize in the order in which their video placed. The Grand Prize Winner will also select a booster club at their High School to receive a $500 donation.
About the W82TXT video contest
The Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission video contest coincides with what has become known as the “100 Deadliest Days” on the roads between Memorial Day and Labor Day. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety has found that new teen drivers, ages 16-17, are three times more likely than adults to be involved in a deadly crash during the summer months. By engaging teens during this critical time, they help raise awareness and influence peers to make safe choices behind the wheel. The Commission plans to hold a second contest in 2019. For more information, visit www.ohioturnpike.org/.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
“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.
Ashley McDonald in recent action against Walnut Hills
by Matt Huether
Loveland, Ohio – The Loveland Womens Golf team had a strong showing this past week at the ECC Championships taking 2nd in the Conference finisher. In the Preseason Tournament Loveland took 4th (395) behind Kings (341), Milford (351), and Turpin (378). This time around Loveland took 2nd (360) only behind Kings (343). Loveland was led by Silver Medalist Samantha Skarda (84) and Bronze Medalist Allison Rountree (85). Also for Loveland Erin Dickman shot a 95, Alex Vanderhorst shot a 96 and Kali Egan shot a 109. Their next match is tomorrow, (9/25) at Turpin at Terrace Park Country Club at 4 PM.
The Loveland Womens Volleyball team also had a great week beating Anderson (3-0) and West Clermont (3-0). The team sits at 13-1 (8-0 conference) and is currently ranked #17 in the state. Loveland is led by Seniors Marie Plitt and Ashley McDonald. Plitt has 129 Kills, 158 Diggs and 35 blocks on the season. McDonald has 161 Kills, 129 Diggs and 13 blocks on the season. McDonald was named Novacare Player of the game in Loveland’s win over Anderson. During the game she had 9 Kills and 3 Diggs. Loveland’s next game is Tuesday night (9/25) at 7 PM at Kings.
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Jessie Gibbins (above) placed 1st with a time of 19:33
by Matt Huether
Greg Ballman placed 1st with a time of 16:39.
Symmes Township, Ohio – On September 1st Loveland held its first cross country invitational meet in four years. The event took place at the Home of the Brave Park in Symmes Township and was coordinated by Jim and Cindy Daumeyer. As a member of the cross country team myself, I would like to say thank you to the Daumeyers for their hard work and for bringing back a home invitational to Loveland.
The Loveland Cross Country teams completed a sweep of all Middle School and High School events. The Loveland High School men were led by Greg Ballman who placed 1st with a time of 16:39. Loveland took three of the top five spots on the 3.2 mile course, with Ryan Chevalier coming in 3rd with a time of 17:27 and Matt Huether coming in 5th with a time of 17:55.
The Loveland High School women were led by Jessie Gibbins who placed 1st with a time of 19:33 on the 3.2 mile course. Loveland put all 7 of their runners in the top 15. Ellie Carr placed 3rd with a time of 20:12 and Maaike Snider placed 4th with a time of 20:21.
For the Middle School women, Ellie Zicka and Allison Colegate led the way running 13:16 and 13:25, placing 2nd and 3rd respectively on the 2 mile course.
For the Middle School men, Brady Steiner and William Mansfield led the way running 12:02 and 12:15, placing 1st and 3rd respectively on the 2 mile course.
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Part of being ready for school means making sure buildings and staff are prepared for what the new year holds. Over the summer, the Loveland City School District, like many other districts in our area, took several measures to improve safety and security for students and staff.
In Loveland, these safety updates include improved rapid room number identification on all exterior windows to assist first responders. We have also equipped all classrooms with an additional locking device. We have implemented the Raptor visitor management system, an on-the-spot legal identification sign-in software for all visitors – including parents – to our buildings. Using a legal form of identification, the Raptor system checks the visitor’s name and date of birth against a national database of registered sex offenders, and ensures that such individuals do not enter the school campuses without our knowledge.
A well-informed staff and student body is our first step toward the goal of a safe and secure campus. As part of our safety education, the district implements a schedule for practice of the ALICE model (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate) for active shooter civilian response. The students at Loveland High School (LHS) have already attended an ALICE safety presentation this school year, focusing on the response in the event of a crisis situation. Several opportunities for follow-up presentations and training are scheduled for this year and will be accompanied by class discussions.
We have implemented the Raptor visitor management system, an on-the-spot legal identification sign-in software for all visitors – including parents – to our buildings. Using a legal form of identification, the Raptor system checks the visitor’s name and date of birth against a national database of registered sex offenders, and ensures that such individuals do not enter the school campuses without our knowledge.
Officer Jesse Moore is now a full-time, on-site school resource officer (SRO) at Loveland High School.
In partnership with the Loveland Police, we are also very excited to have been afforded the opportunity to add Officer Jesse Moore as an on-site, full-time school resource officer (SRO) at LHS. In addition to being available for the overall safety for students, staff and visitors on the LHS campus, Officer Moore will provide educational programs for students in areas such as social media awareness, Fourth Amendment rights, and general laws and driving regulations. With a unique ability to build positive relationships, he will also play an important role as a mentor for our high school students. Mr.Barnes, a retired policer officer, will continue to serve Loveland Middle School and Loveland Intermediate School as SRO. Mr. Almond also returns to support the safety of students at LHS. We are grateful to have the support of the Loveland Police and know this positively impacts the experience our students have in our schools and community.
Mental health and safety are also high priorities at Loveland. The district has entered a partnership with the Cincinnati nonprofit Grant Us Hope to implement Hope Squad, a school-based, peer-to-peer suicide prevention program empowering students and staff with knowledge to identify at-risk behaviors for suicide, as well as encouraging peers to seek help from a trusted adult. Advisor training, general staff training and student ambassador identification/training in Loveland will be completed this fall, with an anticipated launch of Hope Squad in January of 2019.
I am immensely grateful for the implementation of these safety measures and for the ongoing assessments and long-term planning by the Loveland District Safety Committee. Our work is continuous to ensure that we always strive for the most trusted and integrated school safety technologies to keep our Tigers safe. Comprehensive facility upgrades will be needed before we can approach some aspects of safety and security in our buildings, and they will be addressed in the Loveland City School District facilities master planning process as it unfolds over the coming months. As always, my number one priority as superintendent of Loveland City Schools is to provide a safe and nurturing environment to prepare each student for tomorrow, today.
In Service to Our Tigers.
Dr. Amy Crouse is Loveland City School District Superintendent
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