The Eagle Eye
Oak Hill United School Corporation - April 2022
From the Superintendent's Desk
Dear Oak Hill Families,
This is one of the most difficult letters that I have ever had to write, but last night I began a new chapter in my life as the next Superintendent of South Montgomery Community School Corporation. I want to thank all of you for your support, understanding, and for the friendships we have made over the past two years. Oak Hill will always be a special place for me and my family, and I am forever grateful for the opportunity to serve the Oak Hill community.
I am very proud of everything that has been accomplished over the past two years. We have made tremendous progress in our curriculum with the adoption of our new English Language Arts curriculum, and I can’t wait to see the results of all the hard work on the upcoming state test. Also, we have made great strides with our budget, being fiscally responsible, and working within a balanced budget the past two years. Next, I am extremely thankful that we were awarded a grant that has provided our students with extra support for learning in the form of RTI coaches, extra tutoring, and our own mental health therapist. Finally, we have made several upgrades to our facilities and greatly approved our maintenance program to keep our schools operating efficiently.
The plan moving forward is to continue to work with the OHUSC School Board through the end of the school year. Again, I am very proud of the ground work that has been laid for the future of Oak Hill, and I look forward to watching the district continue to grow in the future. If I can ever be of help, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
Dr. Chad C. Cripe
Summer Swim Lesson Registration Is Now OPEN!
Click on the following link to get registered for this year's lessons taking place May 30th - June 10th!
https://sites.google.com/ohusc.k12.in.us/swimlessons/home
Questions regarding this years lessons, please email Kendrick Vester at kendrickve@ohusc.k12.in.us
See you all in the water!
Student Council Blood Drive
The Oak Hill High School Student Council is sponsoring a Red Cross Blood Drive on Thursday, May 5 from 9:00 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. in the OHHS gym. We have 32 spots for the day. Our goal is to fill all of them. This is open to everyone: students, staff, public, etc. Please consider making an appointment now so we can reach our goal! Thanks.
The need for blood is constant and only volunteer donors can fulfill that need for patients in our community. Nationwide, someone needs a unit of blood every 2 to 3 seconds and most of us will need blood in our lifetime.
Thank you for supporting the American Red Cross blood program!
Download the Red Cross Blood Donor App on the App Store, Google Play or text BLOODAPP to 90999. Schedule appointments, view your blood type and results of your mini-physical, and track your donations.
Site: Oak Hill High School
Address: 7756 West Delphi Pike 27, Converse, IN, 46919
Room Name: Gym
Date: Thr May 5, 2022
Time: 09:00 AM - 01:30 PM
Blood Program Leader Name: Danielle Hewitt
Blood Program Leader Phone Number: 7653844381
Click here to make an appointment
Calling All Potential Kindergarten Kiddos!
A Huge THANK YOU!
Converse Student and Staff Member of the Month
Student of the Month: Charlie Bruns
Charlotte (Charlie) Bruns, is a 2nd grader student at Converse in Mrs. Zickafoose's class. Her teacher says "Charlie is hardworking and persistent. When something isn't easy for her she continues to work at it until she gets better. She is caring and looks out for her classmates that may need some kindness. She loves Jesus and I will often hear her singing "books of the bible" songs and other hymns and isn't afraid to tell others about it. She loves to read and devours any book I give her. During our readathon she was finishing entire chapter books from an Amelia Bedelia series in one night." Because she is such an avid reader, it put her at the TOP of our minutes read for the building. She contributed 1,293 minutes towards our building goal!! Her love for reading also served her well during IREAD. Our 2nd graders got the chance to take this 3rd grade test this year. Charlie earned a PERFECT score! WHAT AN ACCOMPLISHMENT!! We are so thankful to have Charlie as a part of our Converse Family!!
Converse would like to celebrate Mrs. Beth Strange, our amazing Librarian! Throughout the year and any given day, you can find Mrs. Strange anywhere and everywhere in our building doing AMAZING things for our students! She not only works in our Library keeping things inviting and exciting for our students, but she also works with students in small groups to make sure they have every chance to be successful academically. During the month of March, she was in charge of a new fundraiser that we thought was a great way to further focus on our MAIN focus of helping students find their LOVE of READING! We had a Read-A-Thon that was EXTREMELY successful! She organized the event, organized prizes, got communications ready for our families and kept everyone informed of our progress! She is one of the most caring and thoughtful people around. Nothing she does is to give herself credit and there are many things she does under the radar not wanting any recognition. She is active in her church, especially with missions, and is always on the lookout for ways to help others and make them feel special. She is great at encouraging others with her words, her time, and her YUMMY treats that randomly show up on our desks! We appreciate EVERYTHING that Mrs. Strange does to make Converse a great place to learn and grow! We are so thankful she is a part of our Converse Family!
Sweetser Elementary Updates
We hope everyone had a wonderful and restful spring break! We were happy to come back and see everyone’s smiling faces here at Sweetser! Upon our return to school, I Read 3 results became available and were mailed out to families. We included a sample document that helped explain your students score. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us! We want to thank our parents for helping us spread the message, “Don’t stress, just do your best!”
Looking ahead, starting April 19th, our I Learn test for 3rd & 4th graders will begin. Like always, we encourage a good night’s sleep, breakfast in the morning, and the message to just give it your best. That is all anyone can do!
Also, please remember that April 15th will be an E-Learning day for students!
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me through phone (765) 395-3341, extension 4002, or email jennifersw@ohusc.k12.in.us.
Celebrating Sweetser Students!
Students at Sweetser Elementary were given a goal by our librarian to read 500 books in one week. Students beat this goal by reading 1,525 books!! The day before Spring Break, we had a building celebration with popcorn, gummy worms (for being good book worms), and students brought a beach towel and their sunglasses to have a beach themed reading day. We also provided students with a new Sweetser t-shirt and tried to have them take a picture showing off their grade level with their new shirts!!
March Madness (Math Style)
Ms. Metzger’s class participated in an I Ready math bracket challenge! These students made it to the final four by earning the most minutes and lessons passed in I Ready! Great job!
Sweetser Student and Staff Member of the Month
Mauricio is a 4th grade student in Mr. Henry’s class. He was nominated by several of the 4th grade teachers for really turning around his behavior and effort. His teachers state that he does all of his work, asks amazing questions, and has been making great connections. His great behavior has really impacted his academic performance. His grades and reading level have increased, and he has been wonderful to work with. His teacher Mr. Henry states, “I’m so proud that we are seeing the wonderful personality and mind of Mauricio.” As his principal, I have gotten to know Mauricio, and built a rapport with him. He has shown maturity in his decisions just in the few short months that I’ve known him. Also, he has had honest conversations with me, and will always give me a high five or fist bump in the hallway. I enjoy seeing him, talking with him, and watching him grow! Congratulations!!
Leann is the secretary at Sweetser! She has been with Oak Hill Community Schools for 5 years. She has a great sense of humor, and has great rapport with the students. Many of our students come to her for a band-aid, ice pack, chapstick, and many other little things that may just make them feel better and their day go better. Several of our students often come looking for Leann for their daily hug! She also has a pet fish on her desk named Bubbles. It is a very active fish that we believe loves watching the students as much as they love to visit and talk to Bubbles. Leann has welcomed me with open arms as the new principal, and is willing to do anything that I ask of her. She brings an extra fun spunk to the day that I look forward to each and every morning that I walk in. Some of the things that other staff members have said, are:
“She is artistic, helpful, and doesn’t yell when we forget attendance.”
“She always has time for students who stop to share stories to make them feel special, seen and important.”
“I’ve done her job for a day, and kudos to her, it’s not always easy.”
Without Leann, our school wouldn’t run the same, and we appreciate everything she does. Thanks for being awesome!
Greetings from Swayzee Elementary
With spring break over and the end of school quickly approaching, the Swayzee students and staff continue to work hard. As a reminder, Swayzee Elementary will continue to have tutoring available for all students after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This is an excellent opportunity for your child to receive academic enrichment or to get help understanding certain topics from the classroom.
ILEARN will take place from April 19 through April 28. Indiana Learning Evaluation Assessment Readiness Network (ILEARN) is the summative accountability assessment for Indiana students in grades 3 through 8 and high school biology. ILEARN measures student achievement and growth according to Indiana Academic Standards for English/Language Arts (grades 3 through 8), Mathematics (grades 3 through 8), Science (grades 4 and 6), and Social Studies (grade 5). Please make sure your child is getting plenty of sleep and is well rested. Testing will be in the mornings on April 19, April 20, April 21, April 26, April 27, and April 28. It is important to make sure your child’s chromebook is fully charged when they come to school on those testing days. If your child has headphones, please have them bring them to school. If your child does not have headphones, a pair will be provided. It is the hope that all our students knock it out of the park and continue to show growth and improvement!
The Swayzee staff looks forward to the continuing success of its students this semester. Also remember that Monday, February 21 is an eLearning day for all K-12 students. Parents may contact Shawn Means at 765-395-3341 or by email at shawnme@ohusc.k12.in.us if they ever have any questions concerning their children.
Swayzee Elementary Book Fair
Swayzee Elementary hosted a book fair from April 4th through April 8th and it was a resounding success! The excitement from the students and seeing how much they enjoyed the fair made all the hard work putting it together worth it! Not only did Swayzee Elementary go past their first financial goal, but topped their second financial goal and brought in over $3700.
We were blown away by the excitement from the students and it was awesome to see how much the students enjoyed the book fair. If any family or student would still like to purchase books the online store for Swayzee Elementary will be open until April 17th. If families or students still want a book or if a book was sold out, orders can still be placed online until April 17th and Swayzee Elementary will still earn rewards for those purchases. Here is the link: https://www.scholastic.com/bf/swayzeeelementaryschool2. Due to the success of this year’s book fair, we can’t wait until the next book fair in December. Mrs. Drolinger put in many hours outside school to bring a “top notch” book fair to Swayzee. Her hard work could easily be seen when you entered the library. When asked if she wanted to say anything to the families and students at Swayzee Elementary, she stated “Thank you so much for supporting this week’s book fair! I hope your sons and daughters had fun and were able to purchase books for their home libraries that they will enjoy for years to come! Below are a few pictures from the book fair:
The Swayzee students work hard everyday! Here are a few pictures from our classrooms this past month. Even though our students work hard, they also find moments to have fun!
Keep up the great work Swayzee students and staff. All of our students make us proud each and every day!
Shawn Means
Principal
Swayzee Elementary
Swayzee Student and Staff Member of the Month
Jermaine Hyland - Student of the Month
Jermaine Hyland is an outstanding 6th grade student at Swayzee Elementary! His pleasant demeanor, great sense of humor and likability make him a friend to all. He goes above and beyond to include his peers in activities or games so no one feels left out. In the classroom, Jermaine works to his potential and has a drive to be successful in all his academic work. Due to his exemplary effort, he has made great strides academically this school year. He demonstrates responsibility and is a trustworthy student. Swayzee is extremely lucky to have Jermaine in our school and he will be missed when he goes to the junior high next school year. His positivity and kind nature is contagious!
Jill Jones and Teresa Toy - Staff Members of the Month
Mrs. Jill Jones and Mrs. Teresa Toy are the Swayzee Elementary employees of the month for April. Mrs. Jones and Mrs. Toy have been the Swayzee cafeteria ladies for many years. They always are prepared and have the cafeteria ready and clean to serve our students breakfast and lunch every day. Not only will you see a smile on their faces everyday, but they also bring out smiles from our students. Even if the cafeteria is too loud or sometimes a little messy they are always positive and have a kind word to say to everyone. Mr. Means greatly appreciates their dedication and hard work. Both Mrs. Jones and Mrs. Toy work tirelessly to provide a positive and warm environment to the students in the cafeteria. Their efforts have not gone unnoticed and Swayzee Elementary is a better school with Mrs. Jones and Mrs. Toy as its cafeteria ladies! It is a privilege to recognize Mrs. Jones and Mrs. Toy as the Swayzee Elementary employees of the month. Keep up the great work Mrs. Jones and Mrs. Toy!.
OHJH Inducts New National Honor Society Members
On April 5, thirty-four new members were inducted into the Oak Hill Junior High Honor Society. All candidates inducted have a grade point average of 3.5 or higher and display positive character traits and leadership skills as well as participate in service opportunities. Oak Hill Junior High is proud to be able to honor students in this manner and would like to congratulate the members and their families.
Current 8th Grade Members
Evan Bledsoe
Addison Carey
Madelyn Cheek
Corbin Dailey
Richie Detamore
Andrew Jackson
Sarah Kriegbaum
Beckham Lamb
Josclyn Lavengood
Amelia McClain
Jack Mendoza
Caden Myers
Kaitlyn Scalf
R.J. Shugart
Lydia Trexler
Sarah Beth Tripp
Josiah Watkins
Nora Zwirn
New Members
8th Grade
Marc Caritos
Carson Hess
Wyatt Horner
Lexi Nuber
Audrey Rex
Sophia Rowland
Chloe Underwood
7th Grade
Claire Bajor
Quinn Brunner
Morgan Cates
Lilly Edwards
Luke Elzinga
Kayley Ferguson
Eli Gardner
Cassidy Grinslade
Tristin Grinslade
Annie Hale
Hunter Hazlewood
Maia Johnson
Shaylan Johnson
Kristian Kellogg
Isabelle Kenyon
Lillyann Meyer
Nicholas Newhard
Erika Newhouse
Abigail Pierce
Kora Pond
Marcus Ratliff
Claire Scheer
Dylan Shafer
Kevaunte Simmons
Chloe Toy
Elley Weaver
Makalynn Wood
OHJH Students and Staff Member of the Month
One of Morgan's teachers commented, "Morgan is hard-working and trustworthy. She is kind and respectful to her classmates as well as staff."
Morgan's favorite subjects are Literature and PE. She participates in basketball and volleyball, and is a member of National Honor Society. She is the daughter of Kevin and Jamie Cates, and has one brother, Mason.
Marely Valdes - 8th Grade Student of the Month
One of her teachers wrote, "Marely is very responsible, asks good questions in class, and is attentive to what is being taught. She is polite and has a friendly personality towards others. She is just a good overall student and role model for her peers. She always volunteers, is the first to participate, and is a hard worker."
Marely's favorite subject is PE and participates in OHJH Drama. She is the daughter of Daniel Valdes and Monica Perez, and has three siblings: Sarela Valdes, Matteo Perez, and Alexa Perez.
One of our teachers wrote, "Throughout this school year, Lori has faced some harrowing medical issues. While she was away from school for a short time, she returned with the same stamina and enthusiasm she had before she left. She continues to plan hands-on and engaging activities for her students, and she really is focused on positive learning outcomes. Her students are excited to witness a variety of things in her classroom whether that be a shark dissection, a plant growing from seed, or a baby chick hatching. Additionally, she is an encouragement to the staff with her baking skills and she always takes an opportunity to celebrate another staff member’s accomplishments. In fact, when she returned from her surgery, the staff brought treats to welcome her back. In true Lori fashion, she is the one who showed up with treats for her coworkers, thanking them for praying for her through her surgery and recovery. She is a bright spot in the lives of her students and her fellow staff members."
Another teacher wrote, "Lori has been so resilient when dealing with her health issues. When she returned to school earlier this year, she reestablished the classroom expectations and was "crazy enough" to dissect sharks, hatch eggs, and create boats with seventh graders. During all of this, she has remained positive and attune to colleges' needs."
Thank you, Mrs. McDivitt! We appreciate you!
Honor Roll Drawing Winners
News from Oak Hill High School
April showers bring May flowers. This statement has certainly rung true in these first few weeks of April. As I look outside my office and see the rain fall, this is a reminder of all the great things in store for the remainder of the school year. Any rain we got over Spring Break didn’t dampen anyone’s time away. From activities around this area to traveling to beaches far away to catching hammerhead sharks, Oak Hill students made the most of their break. We are glad to have everyone back in the building as we work towards the end of the current school year.
Even though we have officially wrapped up the Winter season and are in the beginning stages with our Spring activities, there is still a lot going on in and around the school setting. This involves some very exciting news to share with the OHUSC school community. One exciting announcement to share involves OHHS students competing at the highest level in their respective activities. Not only did Carson Siebert and Trent Nelson compete in the Indiana Vex State Championship for Robotics, they ultimately earned a state championship for their efforts!! These young men swept multiple categories of the tournament against much larger schools who were entered. Congratulations to Carson and Trent for this championship!!
The Central Indiana Conference holds a banquet each year to recognize the top three students at each school. This year, OHHS will be represented by Jacob Morgan, Logan Ormsby, and Gerrett Geller. Students were selected using a formula that involved SAT/ACT scores and cumulative GPA. These three students will be recognized on April 21 at the All-CIC Academic banquet for their efforts and accomplishments these past four years.
We also have an additional exciting announcement to make regarding an OHHS staff member. Mrs. Stephanie Strange was recognized as one of 19 teachers across the state who received the President’s Award for Excellence in Dual Credit Instruction at Ivy Tech Community College. Stephanie currently teaches Dual Credit Pre-Calculus and is the school’s DC Liaison with Ivy Tech. She will be recognized on June 8 in Indianapolis and is now eligible for the 2022 Statewide Award for Excellence in Dual Credit Instruction. We are fortunate at OHHS to have Mrs. Strange as a valued member of our Math Department and wish her the best of luck as she competes for this statewide award!!
We would like to invite everyone to some very significant events that will be held at OHHS this Spring. The Drama Department will be putting on a production of Anastasia for this year’s Spring play. Show dates and times are as follows: 4/22 (7:00pm), 4/23 (7:00pm), 4/24 (2:30pm), 4/20 (7:00pm), and 5/1 (2:30pm). Please use the following links for ordering access:
Spring athletics are also in full swing. We invite you all to come out and support our Golden Eagle student-athletes as they compete in Baseball, Softball, Track and Field, and Golf. Schedules can be found on the OHHS Athletics website. You can also obtain a hard copy of the schedule in the OHHS main office. Three significant tournaments that will be hosted at OHHS are the Oak Hill Relays on April 16, the Grant Four baseball tourney on April 30, and the Grant Four softball tourney also held on April 30.
The months of April and May are also months that contain a significant amount of standardized testing. For any testing dates listed below, if your child is participating in any of these assessments, we kindly ask that you do not schedule any appointments if at all possible. Please see the “Important Upcoming Dates” section below for standardized testing dates.
The last event we want to make everyone aware is Teacher Appreciation Week. This will be held the week of May 2. Please take time to thank your child’s teachers for the work they put in each week. We are fortunate to have teachers at OHHS who put in a great deal of time for the benefit of the students in the building.
Even though the end of the year is a fury of activities, we are blessed to have the opportunities with our students. It has been a great school year and we are eager to press on towards the end of the current school year!!
Important Upcoming Dates
April 15 - District E-Learning Day
April 20-21 - ILEARN Biology I Assessment
May 4 - AP Lit & Comp Test
May 6 - AP Microeconomics Test
May 10 - AP Lang & Comp Test
May 11 - AP Biology Test
May 12 - AP World History Test
May 12 - Senior Awards
Mary 25 - Senior Community Service Day
May 26 - Senior Field Trip
June 5 - Graduation. 3pm.
OHHS Student and Staff Member of the Month
Students of the Month: Carson Siebert and Trent Nelson
OHHS is recognizing two students as our Students of the Month. Carson Siebert and Trent Nelson are Freshmen members of the Oak Hill Robotics Team. Both young men started in Robotics at Sweetser Elementary School. All the time that they have invested into this team has recently paid dividends at the state level. On March 5, Carson and Trent both competed at the Vex State Robotics Championship held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Both boys were awarded First Place Skills Tournament Champion. After qualifying matches, these young men continued to compete, continued to advance, and eventually earned the title of State Tournament Champions. This qualifies this team to compete at the Vex World Championship held in Dallas, TX, on May 3-5. This team is currently projected 10th in the world skills part of the tournament. We are proud of Carson and Trent and we wish them the best as they compete against the best Robotics teams in the world!!
Staff Member of the Month: Mrs. Stephanie Strange
Mrs. Stephanie Strange is a veteran teacher at OHHS in our Math Department. Mrs. Strange was recently recognized as Ivy Tech Marion campus recipient of the inaugural President's Award for Excellence in Dual Credit Instruction. Mrs. Strange is one of 19 teachers across the state who are nominees for the 2022 Statewide Award for Excellence in Dual Credit Instruction. Stephanie will represent OHHS at an awards banquet in Indianapolis on June 8 to be recognized for her accomplishments as a dual credit instructor. Stephanie also sponsors FCA, Student Council, and she also is a morning tutor for students who need assistance in Math. We are thankful to have a teacher like Mrs. Stephanie Strange who puts in a great deal of time for the benefit of the students in our building. She is certainly deserving of these statewide recognitions and we wish her luck on June 8!!
Oak Hill Student Raising Awareness for Autism
Eastin Ashbrooke, OHHS sophomore, races for XMP, X-Press Motorsports. He is honored to have the opportunity to bring his 600cc micro sprint cars for the Life Skills class to see. The puzzle pieces on the car are to represent Autism Awareness. Eastin started racing when he was 8 years old. His older brother was diagnosed with autism, and that has inspired our family to be all about raising awareness. He has had the car designed so students can sign the puzzle pieces. The idea is that he is racing for all of the students represented by the signatures. XPM, X-Press Motorsports is proud and honored to raise awareness. Changing their minds one signature at a time.
Oak Hill Athletes Commit to Area Programs
Sam Stefanatos and Tyler Rennaker
Keegan Deaton
Kristen Travis
JOIN US AT OHUSC!
School Resource Officer
High School Social Studies Teacher
High School Science Teacher
High School RTI Specialist
Custodians (Full and Part-time)
Bus Drivers
Substitute Bus Drivers
Substitute Bus Aides
UPCOMING EVENTS
OHUSC School Board Meeting: May 9
Last Student Day: May 26
OHHS Graduation: June 5
First Day of School: Wednesday, August 10