OTSEGO LOCAL SCHOOLS
Superintendent's Weekly Update - September 12, 2019
The 2018-2019 Report Card was released on Thursday. Overall, I am extremely proud of our students and staff for the work that they do every single day. The Otsego Community places an extremely high value on education and expects us to provide a well-rounded experience that prepares students for success in college, career, and life. This type of education goes far beyond what is measured by the report cards issued by the Ohio Department of Education, which focus primarily on the results of standardized tests. This information is only a small piece of the puzzle. Testing will never be our sole focus at Otsego, and we will never teach to a test. Our students will always be our number one focus. We cannot solely rely on the data outlined in the state report card to make improvements for a multitude of reasons, and we are constantly working together as a team to ensure positive outcomes for our students. I walk around the buildings every single day, and I am blown away by what our students are learning in our classrooms. We continue to work towards modernizing our student's educational experiences through the use of technology, hands-on learning through cooperative projects, and providing them real-world experiences.
Portrait of an Otsego Graduate - Last school year, a group of 56 students, staff members, administration, board members, parents, community members, and business leaders met on several occasions to work on a new strategic vision for Otsego Local Schools. This was a phenomenal process and one that generated a lot of great conversations all centered around preparing our kids for the future.
We talked a lot about these three questions:
What are the hopes, aspirations, and dreams that our community has for our young people?
What are the skills and habits of mind that our children need for success in this rapidly changing and complex world?
What are the implications for the design of the learning experiences—and equitable access to those experiences—we provide in our school systems?
Take a look at the Sentinel-Tribune article from August describing our Portrait of a Graduate work.
TONTOGANY — Otsego Local Schools has engaged its community to develop a Portrait of a Graduate, a collective vision that is the community’s aspirations for its students.
The first step, which was to work on the design of the plan, is completed, said Superintendent Adam Koch. Now, staff, parents and students will work on the implementation part in their daily lives and classes.
“As school leaders, we must continually ask ourselves what are the hopes, aspirations and dreams that our community has for our children,” Koch said. “We want all Otsego Local Schools students to have learning experiences that prepare them to be lifelong learners and contributors today and tomorrow.”
The portrait has six designs students should strive to achieve: responsible, flexible, empathetic, problem solvers, driven and communicators.
The district recruited a 57-member Portrait Design Team that represented all aspects of the community — including students — to help co-design the Portrait.
“It’s essential that our district collaborates with our community to create a portrait that describes what our students need to be ready for life,” said Koch. “Success depends on more than just what you know, but also how you communicate, collaborate, innovate, and think critically.”
Ryan Odendahl was a member of the design team. He has two students who attend Otsego and is the Scoutmaster for Boy Scout Troop 347 in Tontogany.“I applaud the administration at Otsego Schools for engaging in this effort and as both a parent and employer, sincerely valued the process,” Odendahl said.
He was impressed with the forward-thinking atmosphere in the meetings and the willingness of the administration to engage in discussions with stakeholders from all areas of the community, to include parents, teachers, students, and community members.
The goal was to “craft a path forward to equip graduates with not only the academic skills required for entry into either higher education or the career field of their choosing, but also the soft skills, traits and personal values and attributes that will help ensure their success,” he said.
Odendahl also is partner and president at Kwest Group, a civil/industrial contracting firm based in Perrysburg Township and is a member of national Workforce Development Committee of Associated Builders and Contractors. He said as an employer, the Portrait of a Graduate that was discussed in each meeting “is exactly what we look for in candidates for employment with our firm.”
Koch said as school leaders, it is important to ask what are the hopes, aspirations and dreams that the community has for its young people; what are the skills and habits of mind that children need for success in this rapidly changing and complex world; and what are the implications for the learning experiences that is provided in the school systems.
The Portrait of a Graduate is the first step in framing a new vision for Otsego, he said.
“Although our perspectives are highly diverse, our shared aspiration is that all students have an educational experience that prepares them to be lifelong learners and contributors today and tomorrow,” Koch said.
“We as parents, employers and community members have the responsibility to help to prepare the young men and women graduating from Otsego Schools for higher education and/or the workforce,” Odendahl said. “There will be many opportunities for future graduates, but they must be prepared with both the in-demand technical skills and the personal attributes that will help them to not only succeed but to thrive. The Portrait of a Graduate process was a great step to allow the community stakeholders to uphold this responsibility.”
Where do we go from here?
We will be working all year on the implementation stage of our portrait. District leadership team members have already begun working on ways to implement this new vision. We will continue to work with the design team to share and receive input on our ideas.
Final Design of the Otsego Portrait of a Graduate:
I cannot thank the students, staff, parents, and the Otsego Community enough for their hard work. It takes the support and dedication of the entire community, and we sure have a lot of it here. I know I say this all the time, but it sure is great to be an Otsego Knight!
Please let us know if you have any questions.
Adam Koch
akoch@otsegoknights
WEATHER WITH RONNIE IS BACK!
Otsego Equestrian Team
I want to give a shoutout to our Otsego Equestrian Team and wish them good luck this season! They have achieved a ton of success in recent years competing locally and at the state level. The is comprised of Anna Divis, Mary Herr, Elizabeth Cox, Patricia Borer, Garrett Hoepf, and James Perry. The longtime coach for the Equestrian Team is Char Lusk.
They had a great first match last week. They compete the next two Sunday's at the Wood County Fairgrounds starting at 9 am. Good luck Knights!
Otsego Graduate Spends Summer Performing in World Class Drum Corps
2018 Otsego graduate, Leah Dubler, spent the summer traveling the U.S. and competing with the Crossmen Drum Corps out of San Antonio, Texas. The Crossmen are a part of Drum Corps International, Marching Music’s Major League™, an organization that produces events for the world’s most elite and exclusive marching ensembles of student musicians and performers. Dubler is the first Otsego band member or alumnus to march in one of these prestigious groups.
Dubler, who played trumpet in the corps, auditioned for the group in November of 2018. The audition and training process continued throughout the winter and spring with four weekend camps in San Antonio. Dubler recorded weekly marching and playing assignments to submit online throughout the winter and spring. Spring Training was held in San Antonio from May 17 through June 16 in San Antonio, and then the corps hit the road, performing/competing in 14 states, including Wisconsin, Kansas, Wyoming, Colorado, Texas, Arkansas, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Ohio.
“Valkyrie,” the Crossmen’s 2019 production, was based on Norse mythology; the female warriors, Valkyries, choose the champions from the Viking battlefields and escort them to their home in Valhalla. The color guard portrayed the Valkyries, searching for their champions among the brass and percussion Vikings.
DCI corps travel on charter buses, along with an equipment semi trailer, a food-truck semi trailer, and several other vehicles. They stay at schools, sleeping on gym floors, showering in locker rooms, and practicing on the school fields. The corps practice for 8 - 12 hours daily, and eat meals prepared in the food truck.
The 2019 DCI season culminated with World Championships at Lucas Oil Field in Indianapolis, August 8-10. The Crossmen competed in Prelims and Semi-finals, securing a spot among the elite top 12 DCI corps who compete in Finals. They placed 11th in the 2019 Finals.
Dubler was active in band and choir at Otsego and is currently a sophomore pharmacy major at Ohio Northern University, where she plays in both marching band and concert band.
Nominations for an Outstanding Penta Alumni Award
Penta is currently accepting nominees for the 2019 Penta Career Center Outstanding Alumni Awards. We wanted to provide you with a copy of the application so that you can forward it to a former student who you believe qualifies for this award. Nominees must have graduated from your school and completed a career-technical program at Penta prior to 2009.
Applications can be completed on online at www.pentacareercenter.org/alumni.aspx, printed out and either mailed or e-mailed to bfrisinger@pentacc.org. Applications are due September 16.
Otsego Alumni & Friends Association Tailgate - September 27th
Knights Have Your Back and Knight in Shining Armor Fundraiser
Spirit Wear Fundraiser
Knights Have Your Back and Knight In Shining Armor are working together to raise money for our programs. We have paired up with Aardvark Printing in BG to do a spirit wear fundraiser.
For each item sold, $2 will be donated back to our programs.
Purpose of Our Programs:
Knights Have Your Back - When our Otsego children leave school for the weekend, the last thing they should have to worry about is how they are going to get their next meal. Knights Have Your Back was created to provide the Otsego children in need with non-perishable food to take home over the weekends. The food is placed discreetly in each child's backpack every Friday in order to ensure that no Knight ever goes hungry. This program has grown dramatically since its development in 2017 and is currently providing food to over 45 Otsego families each week. Any questions please contact Jessica Vollmar at jvollmar@otsegoknights.org.
Knights In Shining Armor- We strive to make sure that no matter the circumstances of families in our district, they are supported to help provide basic needs for themselves. This includes, but is not limited to, providing school supplies to families, purchasing clothing and hygiene needs after a house fire, providing gas cards and gift cards to help balance expenses of cancer treatments and health diagnosis. Any questions please contact Megan Pierce at mpierce@otsegoknights.org.
Once your order is completed (which will be around Oct. 22nd), you will receive an email notification. Orders can then be picked up from Megan Pierce at Otsego High School, please email her at mpierce@otsegoknights.org if individual arrangements need to be made.
Website: http://stores.inksoft.com/otsego_knights
Password: knights
Immunizations
Dear parents of new students and/or 7th and 12th grade students:
A letter has been sent home this week to those students’ parents /guardians who have not turned in proof of their child’s vaccination(s). This is a state requirement therefore it is extremely important that we abide by the rules. Our report deadline is October 15th. It is imperative to have all records in before this date. If your child has a medical reason and cannot be vaccinated, a waiver must be filled out (every year) and put on file.
If you have any questions please contact Nurse Gray @ 419-823-4381 ext. 4002
Mobile Dentist is Coming!
ADVERTISE WITH US!
EAGLE SCOUT PROJECT - The Comfortable Care Initiative
Knight In Shining Armor Nominations
Please use the following form to inform OHS Student Council about a family in need within the school district. While the family does not need to have students in the district, we do ask that they are a member of the Otsego Community. Use this form to share information about their current situation as well as how they can best be assisted.
Please be sure to understand that while Knight in Shining Armor (KISA) would love to help all community members in need, we are still a new program, and may not have the funds to do so. With that being said, we will consider each request on a case by case basis. Filling this form out does not guarantee that we will be able to assist the family, but we will try our hardest to do so!
Here are some things that we have done with KISA funds:
- School supplies were purchased for multiple families.
- Gas money has been provided to get to and from medical treatment.
- Food cards have been provided to help families afford meals while going through medical treatment.
- Cash donations have been made to families to help assist in paying bills during medical treatment.
- Gift cards and supplies have been provided to help make ends meet after housing emergencies have occurred.
We now have TWO ways that you can nominate a family in need. Bookmark the link below to use as the need arises. You can also find this link on the Otsegoknights.org webpage under the "District" tab.
Please do not hesitate to nominate a family in need, and KISA will do their best to help out!
Otsego Food Pantry
The Otsego Food Pantry is always willing to help those in need. This service is by appointment only. Please call, text, or email to schedule.
Otsego Food Pantry
c/o Lisa Hatfield
PO Box 261
17700 Beaver Street
Grand Rapids, OH 43522
Phone: 419-830-1051
Email: otsegofoodpantryoh@gmail.com
Housed in the Grand Rapids First Presbyterian Church – Supported by our Community!
PROJECT CONNECT
FOOD SERVICE
Food Service App -Lunch menus are on an App!
Mobile Apps are available in the Apple store and Google Play under “Menu for Schools”
Look for the app with the Apple Logo. Once you have downloaded the app, follow the instructions on the app. Our schools are listed under our Bowling Green, Ohio.
Food Service Pay It Forward Campaign -
As many of you may remember we have the "Pay it Forward" account which is to keep students from receiving an alternate meal. At this point, the account is nearing zero. If you are interested in donating to the Pay It Forward program please contact Jeanne Jeffers, jjeffers@otsegoknights.org or Adam Koch, akoch@otsegoknights.org. Checks are made payable to the Otsego Board of Education. If you send money in, just make sure you put on the memo or a note that says Pay It Forward - Lunch
ATHLETICS
Sept 27th
FB -Home Eastwood (Homecoming)
Alumni Dinner -
Oct 11th
FB - Home Elmwood
Family Night - Elementary PTO will have games set up near the stadium including bounce houses, and a dunk tank.
Oct 18th
FB - Home Rossford
Military/First Responders - All Active and retired military personnel and first responders will get in free to the game.
Nov 1st
FB - Home Genoa (Senior Night)
ATHLETIC EVENTS
Friday, September 13
7:00 - V FB @ Liberty Center
Saturday, September 14
9:00 - JH/HS XC @ Ottawa Glandorff Inv. (Ottawa Memorial Park)
9:00 - 7th/8th VB @ MoJack Classic (Evergreen)
11:00 - BS (H) Genoa
12:00 - JV FB @ Genoa
1:00 - GS (H) Genoa
Monday, September 16
9:00 - GG @ NBC Championships (Green Hills)
4:00 - JV BG @ Woodmore (Sugar Creek)
4:30 - 7th/8th VB @ Elmwood
5:00 - GS @ Van Buren
Tuesday, September 17
9:00 - BG @ NBC Championships (Green Hills)
4:45 - JH/HS XC @ NBC Jamboree (Genoa HS)
5:30 - JV/V VB (H) Lake
Wednesday, September 18
4:15 - 7th/8th VB (H) Rossford
7:00 - GS @ Rossford
Thursday, September 19
3:30 - GG (H) Bowling Green/Eastwood
4:15 - 7th/9th FB (H) Woodmore
5:00 - BS (H) Rossford
5:30 - JV/V VB @ Eastwood
Friday, September 20
7:00 - V FB @ Woodmore
Weston Public Library Information
COMMUNITY EVENTS SECTION
Wood County Park District Events - CLICK HERE
Stanley Family Fundraiser
FROM: Stephanie West (Redneck Willy’s), Lyndsey Stanley
RE: Donation Request
First, let me thank you for taking the time to read our mission statement, your time is appreciated. I am writing in regards to the Stanley family.
Lyndsey Stanley, a United States Navy Veteran, was diagnosed 3 years ago with two rare conditions, CVID (Common Variable Immunodeficiency) and Lupus. She will receive immunoglobulin replacement therapy every 3 weeks for the rest of her life. In addition to the struggles with Lyndsey's health, their son Jaxon has been diagnosed with a complex form of epilepsy. She has been unable to work since 2015 due to these conditions but her husband Kurt, also a Navy Veteran, has recently been able to go back to work after a very lengthy lay-off. During that time, the medical bills have piled up and supporting their family has been very trying.
On September 14th, 2019 a benefit will be held in their honor at Redneck Willy’s in Weston Ohio.
Any donation your company or organization could provide would be a great help in achieving our goals for this family and Lyndsey has chosen to donate 10% of all proceeds from this benefit to the Immune Deficiency Foundation. We are in need of items for raffles, silent auctions or food for dinner as well as monetary donations to go towards the purchase of CVID awareness apparel that will be available for purchase during the donation. If you have any questions regarding types of donations or need further information, feel free to contact us. Donations can also be mailed to the addresses below if preferred although, we will be more than glad to pick up upon your approval.
Again, we thank you for your time and consideration in this matter.
Sincerely, Stephanie West and Lyndsey Stanley
Redneck Willy’s - Stephanie West (419) 419-1501
13475 Main St. Weston, Oh 43569
Lyndsey Stanley (419) 308-7687
21105 Euler Rd. Weston, Oh 43569
13u Orange Crush Baseball Tryouts - September 21st
13U Orange Crush Baseball 2020
Otsego Families,
Tryouts for the 2020 13U Orange Crush Boys Team
We will be competing in the BBL - Buckeye Boys League, which is comprised of area teams all around NW Ohio/SE Michigan.
13U ORANGE CRUSH 2020 TRYOUT INFO
Dates: Saturday, September 21st
Location: Weston Ball Diamond (13260 Broadway Street)
Time: 10:00am - 11:30am
Our focus as a team:
The team will have FUN and truly enjoy the great game of Baseball. We will prepare to play the games and position our players for success each and every time. I expect the parents/families to also enjoy the TEAM ENVIRONMENT of this 13U Orange Crush Team.
Any questions, please let me know!
Sincerely,
HD Roe
419-265-0505
10u and 11 u ORANGE CRUSH BASEBALL TRYOUTS - September 22nd
Link. https://www.facebook.com/OtsegoCrushBaseball
Crush Boy’s Baseball is looking for players to fill out 11U and 10U teams for the 2020 spring season, in the Northwest Ohio Amateur Baseball League. Tryouts for interested players are scheduled for Sunday, September 22nd, 2019 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., at Lusher Park in Haskins.
Crush Boy’s Baseball is looking for players from the Otsego School district or immediate surrounding areas, who are ages 10 and 11 years old (the player's age on April 30th, 2020 determines the player's eligible age). Crush is looking for players who are hardworking, skilled and interested in continuing to learn and improve. Highly skilled, mature players 9 years old (must be 9 years old on April 30th, 2020) will also be considered and may tryout.
We are primarily looking for players that are well rounded and can play multiple positions. The season begins in May and ends before July 4th.
If interested in trying out, please fill out the player registration form at. https://www.facebook.com/OtsegoCrushBaseball/ and email it to crushbaseballotsego@gmail.com. Please have your forms emailed to Crush Baseball by September 20, 2019.
Any questions can be directed to crushbaseballotsego@gmail.com. Watch for any updates or changes on tryouts at @OtsegoCrushBaseball or https://www.facebook.com/OtsegoCrushBaseball/
The Bowling Green Parks & Recreation Department and the Bowling Green High School DECA students are collaborating again to bring the 4th Annual BG Zombie Mud Run to the Bowling Green Obstacle Trail located behind the BG Community Center at 1245 W Newton Road. This popular event is a 1 mile obstacle course/mud run where participants put on flag football belts and run through the course, navigating the obstacles and the mud that they encounter along the way and trying to avoid the Zombies on the path who are attempting to pull the flags off their flag football belts. The goal of the participants is to make it to the finish line with at least one of their three flags still intact. If they do so, they are considered a “Survivor”, if they lose all their flags to the hands of the zombies they encounter along the trail, they are considered “Infected”.
This is a fun event and a great experience for participants as well as volunteers. In previous years we have had participants as young as 5 and as old as 74 take part, and as many as 180 people participate in any given year. It is a great way to get kids, teens, adults, families, and older adults active and exercising, while having some fun in the process. More information can be found on the attached flyer.
Below is a video that gives an idea of what this event is all about.
Homecoming Dresses
Beauty Comes From The Heart/Homecoming Edition 2019
Friday September 6th from 4:00-6:00
Saturday, September 7th from 10:00am-1:00 pm
Saturday, September 14th from 10:00 am-1:00pm
At West Clinton Mennonite Church
18029 Co. Rd. C (corner of C & 18), Wauseon, Ohio 43567
This is the 5th year that the Homecoming event will be held. This year over 750+ short dresses will be offered in many colors and sizes from 0-24! Along with the short dresses, shoes , jewelry, purses, men’s Suits, shirts, pants, and ties will be available for your special occasion. Nothing is priced and everything is offered by donation only (and if you can’t donate it is FREE!) The money donations collected will be given to NW Ohio Rescue and Restore Coalition ,6 County Chapter (Defiance, Williams, Fulton, Henry, Paulding and Putnam) for helping the survivors of Human Trafficking in NW Ohio.
Join our Facebook group: Beauty Comes From The Heart for any updates on this or future events. Any questions please contact coordinator, Lori King at 419-822-7379.
Thank you so much!
Lori King
Coordinator for Beauty Comes From The Heart
STEM IN THE PARK
BGSU Saturday Art Youth Program (begins September 21st )
The School of Art at Bowling Green State University is proud to offer youth art classes each semester for students in kindergarten – 12th grade. Young people will develop their creative abilities, increase their artistic skills and learn about art of the past and present. All classes involve hands-on participation in 2D a & 3D projects. Today more than ever, the arts are needed by our young people as a forum for safe expression, communication, exploration, imagination, and cultural and historical understanding. Classes: Classes meet for 10 Saturdays each semester from 10:00-11:30am.
For Fall semester of 2019, classes will be meeting
September 21st – November 23rd .
Fee: $79, plus $10 materials fee – for each semester (a few tuitions supports will be available for families with financial need. See website for application, due 8/6) Students interested in these classes will need to be preregistered by mailing, faxing or emailing the forms as indicated on them. Class descriptions and forms can also be located on the BGSU Fine Arts Website http://www.bgsu.edu/arts-and-sciences/school-of-art/community-engagement/saturday-art-program.html
Classes are limited so pre-registration is required. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to email Shari Densel, Director of the BGSU Saturday Art Youth Program at: saturdayart@bgsu.edu
Questions, Concerns, Comments, or Rumors
SPONSORS
Otsego Board of Education
President: Brad Anderson banderson.otsego@gmail.com
Vice President: James Harter jameslharter@gmail.com
Board Member: Mark Tolles mdt814@cs.com
Board Member: Elizabeth Gorski jegorski@frontier.com
Board Member: Gordon Digby gdigby44@gmail.com
Adam Koch, Superintendent
Email: akoch@otsegoknights.org
Website: www.otsegoknights.org
Location: 18505 Tontogany Creek Road, Bowling Green, OH, United States
Phone: 419-823-4381
Twitter: @AdamKoch_Otsego
Lisa Austin, Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent/EMIS Coordinator
Email: laustin@otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381
Lauri Dunham, Special Education Director
Email: ldunham@otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381
Stephen Bihary, School Psychologist
Email: sbihary@otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381
Luke Swartz, Technology Director
Email: lswartz@otsegoknights.org
Website: www.otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381
Katrina Baughman, Elementary Principal
Email: kbaughman@otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381
Twitter: @KBaughman723
Becky Buchman, Assistant Elementary Principal
Email: bbuchman@otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381
Twitter: @buchman_becky
Kevin O'Shea, High School Principal
Email: koshea@otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381
Twitter: @KosheaOHS
Jon Rife, Junior High Principal
Email: jrife@otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381
Twitter: @OJHS_Principal
Tom Ferdig, High School Athletic Director and Assistant Principal Grades 6-12
Email: tferdig@otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381
Eva Vasher, Director of Transportation, Custodial, and Maintenance
Email: evasher@otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381
Jeanne Jeffers, Director of Food Service
Email: jjeffers@otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381
Twitter: @Otsego_Cafe