Hardman's Happenings
Hello Oak Hill Families!
I can’t believe it is already time for our last newsletter of the year as it seems like just yesterday that I was introducing myself to you as the new superintendent with the Oak Hill Schools. I know we have had our challenges this year but I truly feel it has been a great year and I am so excited with the direction the school is moving and look forward to the years to come! !
Registration is now open for those students who will be new to Oak Hill Schools next year. If you know any families who are new to our area and are interested in attending one of the Oak Hill Schools, please encourage them to visit our school website page for prospective students which would include any new kindergarteners. Registration for students returning to Oak Hill Schools next year will be open Friday, July 21st and will be open through Monday, July 31st. Registration for students returning to Oak Hill can be done through your Skyward Family Access account. Information for returning students can be found on the school website page titled school registration.
There will be a change to the start and end times of the elementary, junior high, and high schools for the 2023-24 school year. The three elementary schools will begin their day at 7:55am and will end at 2:55pm. The junior high and high school will begin their day at 8:10am and end at 3:10pm. This is being done to help our families that have children in multiple buildings align their schedules better for drop off and pick up times as well as allow our activity buses ample time to travel to away events after school. It will also lessen the wear and tear on some of our buses that were making double trips throughout the district as well as shorten the time our drivers are out on their routes. Bus routes have not been determined for next year yet but in order to streamline and make the most efficient bus routes, changes may need to be made to current routes and pick up/drop off points. Once routes and pick up/drop off locations are determined, that information will be shared with all of our Oak Hill families.
We have been able to secure more bus drivers for the next school year but we still need two to three more drivers! If you are interested in becoming a bus driver or you know someone who might be interested, please reach out or have them reach out to Sandy Shouse, OHUSC Transportation Coordinator, via phone at 765-395-3341 ext 1106 or by email at sandrash@ohusc.k12.in.us to get more information about becoming a school bus driver. Here is a list of the steps one would need to follow to obtain a CDL with a school bus endorsement which is required to drive a school bus. We appreciate any help that you can provide in getting the word out to help us find more bus drivers for our school corporation.
Our principals have been fielding questions about what aftercare and tutoring will look like for next year at the elementary levels. For the last two years, the aftercare program at the elementary schools and the tutoring program K-12 at all of our schools have been funded through a grant. That grant ends in June of 2023 and funds will not be available for the 2023-24 school year. We are working with community partners in Grant County to possibly do an aftercare program at one or two of our elementary schools. We don’t know for sure if this will happen or what it might look like, but once we have more information on the aftercare program, I will send that information out to our families.
Save the Date!! Tentative plans are being put together for Oak Hill School’s Back to School Nights for the 2023-24 school year. Preliminary plans for the three elementary schools are to have their Back to School Night on Tuesday, August 8th and the junior high and high school Back to School Night is planned for Wednesday, August 9th. Times will be sent out at a later date once finalized. The first day of the school for the 2023-24 school year is Thursday, August 10th.
All of our schools have a number of activities planned for these last few days of school! These days are some of the most fun times for students as they spend time making memories with their teachers and friends that will hopefully last a lifetime. I do hope these last few days of the 2022-23 school year are special ones for your child(ren) as they go into their summer break! Have a great summer break and enjoy the extra time that you get to spend with your kiddos! I know we sure will miss them over the summer break but will be so ready for them when they come back on August 10th!!
Thank you for all the support this past year and for making my first year at Oak Hill a great one!
Yours in Education,
Sheri Hardman
OHUSC Superintendent
News from Converse Elementary
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Converse Preschool
Converse Students and Staff Member of the Month
Asher comes to school excited to learn every day. He shows kindness to everyone in class and is a good listener. We are so glad to have Asher as a part of our Converse Family!
Phoenix Ott is a 1st grade with Mrs. Maynus. She is a great friend, is always willing to help, and has a fantastic attitude about everything we do!! We are so glad to have Phoenix as a part of our Converse Family!
Ivan Bilyeu is a 2nd grader with Mrs. Troyer. Ivan is always polite and on task when is is out in the building. He always has a smile on his face and says hello when you pass him in the hall. He is a hard worker and a kind friend! We are so glad to have Ivan as a part of our Converse Family!
Mrs. Kreitzer is our social worker at Converse. She deserves a giant shout-out for everything she does to help Converse run smoothly! Sometimes we have tiny friends with big emotions and Mrs. Kreitzer plays a HUGE role in helping them find tools to help them calm their bodies. She knows every student by name and works hard to get to know them throughout the school year. She appears to work tirelessly and we wonder how she does what she does! WE ARE SO THANKFUL to have Mrs. Kreitzer as a part of our Converse Family!
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Sweetser Students and Staff Member of the Month
The Third Grade Student of the Month is Walter Lowmiller! He was recognized by his Computer Science teacher, Mrs. Sneed. Mrs. Sneed states, “Walter is always willing to help other students as well as do anything that is needed to help the class. I appreciate Walter’s helpfulness!” His classroom teachers, Ms. Holt states, “ Walter has shown great growth this year academically and socially. He works hard everyday. He has read many books and earned a lot of AR points! He is a good friend and includes everyone with kindness. If anyone needs a partner, he is one of the first to offer to join them!” Thank you, Walter! We are glad to have you represent Sweetser Elementary.
Sweetser’s Fourth Grade Student of the Month is Brian Alters! Mrs. Hunt, our school librarian nominated Brian! She states, “Brian is a pleasure to have in library. He loves to read and he always keeps track of his books. He works quietly and does what is asked of him without being reminded. His smile is fantastic and he made me smile by reading 2 of our state books for our Read Across America Challenge that didn't get picked right away. Thanks for being an amazing student Brian!” His classroom teacher, Mrs. Brown states, “Brian is a kind, caring, and hardworking student. Brian always has a smile on his face! Brian is a pleasure to have in class.”
Ms. K-Lee Davenport is nominated for Staff Member of the Month! She joined our Sweetser team in April this school year. She has stepped into the role as our new secretary with flying colors. She goes above and beyond to support staff needs, office needs, parent needs, and student needs at all times. Thank you for your smile and your positive attitude that you bring to school every day. We appreciate you!
7th Grade Orientation (for current Swayzee Elementary 6th Graders)
Next year every 7th grade student will have two semesters of math, science, English, literature, and history. Students will also have one semester of PE, health, FACS, and art. All current band and choir students will automatically be enrolled in band or choir instead of PE (unless a parent contacts Mrs. Shigley or the JH office to ask for their student to be removed from their music class). All students currently in honor/advanced math and/or literature class(es) will be enrolled in the advanced classes at the junior high unless a parent or guardian contacts Mrs. Shigley or the JH office. Individual 7th grade student schedules will be sent out in mid July.
At this time, the JH staff is planning to open their building to parents and students in order for students to walk around the building and locate their lockers and classes in late July. More information will be sent during the summer months.
If you have any questions, you may call Swayzee Elementary or Oak Hill Junior High. Oak Hill Junior High is looking forward to seeing its new 7th grades for the 2023-24 school year!
VEX Robotics World Championship
Shrek at Swayzee
Swayzee Students and Staff Member of the Month
Brantley Trexler is the 5th grade student of the month for May at Swayzee Elementary. Brantley has seen incredible growth this year. This has been not only in his personal character, but also his academics. He has been incredibly helpful and kind in his classes lately. Teachers have noted that Brantley has taken upon himself to be a positive influence on others. Teachers have noted that his character is where he is truly shining! Keep up the great work Brantley. Your positive efforts have not gone unnoticed by the Swayzee Elementary staff. We are proud of your accomplishments! Keep up the great work!
Elyn Hunt is the student of the month for May at Swayzee Elementary. Elyn is ALWAYS smiling. She is extremely kind and warm hearted. She also brings her cheerfulness to school each and every day. Elyn tends to have a quiet personality, but she is respected by both her classmates and staff. She always looks on the bright side of things. She is always willing to help others and puts others ahead of herself when they are in need. Elyn is a hard worker and excels at her work. She is a fabulous student and peer! Swayzee Elementary is lucky to have had Elyn as a student for the past two years. She will be missed next year! Keep up the great work Elyn!!
Mrs. Carpenter is an instructional aide at Swayzee Elementary. For the past 20+ years, Mrs. Carpenter has been a tireless worker and has made fantastic relationships with our students. She collaborates well with staff and always is willing to help out in any way possible. Unfortunately for Swayzee Elementary, Mrs. Carpenter has decided to retire at the end of the current school year. Her positive efforts have not gone unnoticed over the years and she will be difficult to replace. Mr. Means truly appreciates the dedication Mrs. Carpenter has given to Swayzee Elementary. It has been a privilege to work alongside Mrs. Carpenter and the Swayzee Elementary staff wishes mrs. Carpenter best wishes and a happy retirement. You have earned it!
News from Oak Hill Junior High
News Crew Visits Ball State
BY LEAH GODFREY AND HADLEIGH BRICKER
On Friday, April 28, the 7th and 8th grade News Crew went to Ball State University for Journalism Day. It was like we were in college for a day! We went to three sessions for the day. Our first session was with Sam Sirmons, a podcaster, and he taught us about how to get and keep our audience's attention. Our second session was the keynote speaker, Don Yaeger. Je spoke about how to work with big and small groups of people. Our last session was a really fun one with Don Yaeger once again. He talked to us about how to ask deeper questions and form a strong connection to build trust. He talked about interviewing Michael Jordan on his 50th birthday.Yaeger was able to address topics that Jordan had never discussed in previous interviews because Yaeger took the time to build a connection with his subject.After the three sessions, we went to eat lunch on the college campus. Most of us went to Chick-fil-A for lunch! While we were finishing lunch, Mrs. Johnson got an email stating that we had won a Cardinal award. It was honorable mention, but it was honorable mention in the top category! Over 1,100 journalism students from around Indiana and surrounding states gathered for Journalism Day, and we received an award! To end our time at Ball State, we went to the gift shop and looked around while we waited for the bus to come pick us up. Before we left to go back to the school, our bus driver, Chad, took us to Starbucks before our ride back to the school! Thank you to Mrs. Johnson and Mr. Johnson for giving us an opportunity to go to Ball State! We can’t wait for all of the new News Crew kids to join next year! Mrs. Johnson plans on making this an annual News Crew field trip for years to come.
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Reflection of This School Year
BY THE JH NEWS CREW
This year has been full of so many weird, funny, crazy, and memorable moments! The News Crew has enjoyed interviewing, documenting, and sharing some of the memories from this school year with you through the monthly newsletter! We hope you have enjoyed and maybe got a few laughs from reading them, as we sure did while making them for you.
For this article, we thought it would be fun to share with you some of our favorite memories from working on the News Crew! Carter Kreitzer’s favorite memory was carrying Alberto (the crew’s mascot) around at Ball State. Hadleigh Bricker said her favorite memory was the field trip to Ball State for J-Day. Leah Godfrey’s favorite memory was all of our laughing and joking. She really enjoyed interviewing and collaborating together! Josh Clark and Cooper Lynch thought it was fun to joke around throughout meeting while also getting stuff done. Callie Nuber and Brooklyn Young’s favorite memory was the meetings when we all got side tracked and got nothing news related done, but instead we just talked about random stuff! The head of the News Crew, Mrs Johnson, said that her favorite memory was all of it, from messing with Carter, to the Ball State trip, and everything in between. We made so many memories, and we all became close enough to be a family this year!
We strive every day to make our newsletters better. If you have any suggestions you can always share them with a News Crew member or with Mrs. Johnson. We can’t wait to resume making newsletters and making memories next year. This team will forever be a family. On behalf of the junior high News Crew, we hope that everyone has a great summer and check back here in the fall for more happenings from the eagle’s nest!
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OHJH Students and Staff Member of the Month
Jetta's teacher shared, "Jetta is a hard worker who always has a positive attitude. She volunteers in class and is kind and considerate to her classmates."
Jetta's favorite classes are PE and Art, and she participates in basketball, track, cross country, and her church youth group. She is the daughter of Tyler and Tammi Ashley and the sister of Calla and Rigdon.
Meet our OHJH Nurse Aide!
When the position of OHJH Nurse Aide was brought to my attention, I didn't bat an eye and jumped at the opportunity. Helping others - in big ways or small ways - is my passion. God gave me a giving, loving heart to withstand some of the most fight-or-flight moments. I'm an Eagle through and through and bleed blue and gold. I've grown so much this first year, and I'm excited to see where this journey takes me. The relationships with students, staff, and the Oak Hill community have been such great blessings! Thank you for trusting me with the care of your students!
Brandy Camden
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Congratulations to the following OHHS Seniors: Zachery Burton, Ella McDivitt, and Grant Elzinga. These three students were recently recognized at the All-CIC Academic Banquet. These Seniors were recognized for their outstanding accomplishments with standardized test scores and cumulative GPA. Congratulations to these three students for these outstanding accomplishments!!
OHHS Students and Staff Member of the Month
Chloe Underwood - Freshman Student of the Month
Chloe Underwood is a Freshman at Oak Hill High School. Chloe has had an outstanding Freshman year at OHHS. She earned all A’s during Semester I and is on pace for all A’s this semester as well. For a Freshman to be on pace for a 4.0 GPA after her first year of high school speaks well to Chloe’s work ethic and time management skills. Chloe is always prepared for class and demonstrates a positive attitude. She works well with her fellow classmates on various activities sets a model example for others to follow. We are excited to see the success that Chloe Underwood will continue to have as a student at OHHS.
Aeron Kincaid is a veteran teacher in the Music Department at OHHS. Aeron teaches students at the Elementary, Junior High, and High School levels each day. Aeron has a heart for her students and she shows this in a variety of ways. One of these ways is the tremendous amount of time she puts in before, during, and after school. Aeron puts in countless hours not only in the evenings but on weekends as well to help her cast and crew be prepared for performances. For anyone attending the showing of Shrek: The Musical, the quality of this performance is evident of the time and dedication Miss Kincaid pours into the Drama Department. MIss Kincaid was recently recognized on social media by the Indiana Thespians for her years of service as a theater director. We are fortunate for teachers like Miss Aeron Kincaid who provide memorable experiences for her students.
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UPCOMING EVENTS
Last Student Day: May 24
OHHS Graduation: June 4
First Student Day: August 10
