OTSEGO LOCAL SCHOOLS
Superintendent's Weekly Update - March 19, 2021
NO SCHOOL MONDAY, March 22nd. - This is a scheduled day off for students.
After today, we have 8 school days until Spring Break. Let's finish strong!
Food Pick up for ONLINE STUDENTS ONLY: Monday, March 29th
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR FOOD
Food pick-up is Monday, March 29th from 4-5 pm in the back of the high school near the football stadium. Please make sure you come to pick up the food if you signed up.
Food Service Reminder - Breakfast and Lunches are FREE all year for ALL students. Even if your child packs every day have them try our lunches. We are ok with that. It would be a great opportunity for them to try out our food service program.
Adam Koch
GO KNIGHTS!
Parent Tip Email from the Ohio Department of Education: Our Youth Are Beyond Stressed
Know! Our Youth Are Beyond Stressed
It doesn’t take an expert to see that as a whole, we are beyond STRESSED; our children are beyond stressed. What mental health professionals are telling us is that the COVID-19 pandemic has created circumstances unlike anything they have ever seen before. For further guidance and help, connect with the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or visit SuicidePreventionLifeline.org. They provide free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Bethany Ao, The Philadelphia Enquirer: Suicide rate decreased for the first time in a decade in 2019, CDC reports. Dec 2020. Healthline: Psychological Stress. Feb 2019.
Young people are missing their friends, their sports and other activities. They may be dealing with a parent’s job loss or someone close to them getting sick. They may be in an unstable home where the tension has increased due to the crisis. Remote learning and other school changes also may be a factor causing great distress for our children.
In addition to headaches, digestive issues, interrupted sleep and a weakened immune system, chronically stressed-out teens may experience feelings of frustration, anger, anxiety and depression, which can lead to increased risk for self-harm.
For the first time in 20 years, we saw a 2.1% decrease in youth suicides in 2019, which translates to 833 fewer young lives lost. While national data on suicide is yet to be compiled for the pandemic time, those in the mental health field say the coronavirus is likely to have derailed that positive progress.
Mental health advocacy groups have warned that some youth are at increased risk for suicide, including:
African-American children, ages 5 to 12. (Learn more at withyouhere.org.)
During adolescence, young people tend to experience emotions more intensely, and often lack the ability to see beyond the challenge or difficulty they are up against. They need to hear from us, their parents, their biggest influencers, that things will change; things will get better; tomorrow is another day.
For those youth who are struggling with mental health—in addition to reassuring them that better days are ahead—here are 10 steps we can take to protect and support them from Edward-Elmhurst Health at Healthy Driven:
How we as parents and caregivers handle the hardships of this ongoing pandemic also plays a major role in influencing our children. If they witness us dealing with our own stress and challenges in positive ways, we will help to lay the groundwork for them to be able to do the same.
Sources
About Know! Parent Tips
Everyone has a role in prevention. By reading and sharing this Know! Parent Tip today, you’re doing your part to prevent substance misuse and create a healthier world for all.
We created these free parent tips to empower parents like you. Know! helps you promote health and wellness and protect the young person in your life from unhealthy behaviors, including alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use. However, we rely on donations from people like you to provide these tips. If you found this tip interesting or helpful, please consider donating at preventionactionalliance.org/donate.
Know! Parent Tips are provided by Prevention Action Alliance with support from the Ohio Department of Mental Health & Addiction Services, the Ohio Department of Education, and Start Talking!.
Know! Parent Tips are also available in Spanish at the Know! archives.
Spanish Trip Fundraiser
Proposed 21-22 School Calendar - Will be official after the March Board Meeting
Summer Baseball and Softball Sign ups
Town Ball Sign Up Information - Weston:
Sign-ups will be a little different this year because of Covid!
Sign-up packets are available for print or pick-up/drop-off at the Village hall during normal office hours, make sure you include a copy of the child's birth certificate for new players. Sign-up fees will be collected at the first practice.
In-person drop-off sign-ups will be held 3/6 from 11 am -noon & 3/7 from 6-7 pm at the Weston Village Hall; wear your mask and social distance, please!
The last day to drop off any paperwork will be March 19th! Don't forget to join the Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/WestonYouthLeague
Grand Rapids Community Members,
We are so excited to announce that there WILL BE a 2021 Youth Baseball / Softball / T-Ball Season for youth ages 4-15! We have been working with the other towns in our Otsego Community to ensure that we could all provide a safe and fun experience for our kids this season. Registration details are below. We will only collect registration forms at this time and collect payment at a later date once teams are finalized. Practice typically begins in early April with games going from mid-May to the end of June / mid-July depending on the age group. Most teams practice once/twice a week until games start. Please direct any questions to Darin Pogan at cdpogan@frontier.com or (419)276-8736. Share this email with others in our community and watch our Facebook page “Grand Rapids Little League” (@grybs) for news and updates.
Register players by completing the attached forms and dropping them off at the Marathon Gas Station in Grand Rapids, or attend in-person signup. A $10/player late registration fee will be issued after March 15th.
In-Person Sign Up Dates: (masks required and social distancing)
Thursday, March 4th 6-8 pm Old Fire Station – 24232 Front St Grand Rapids
Saturday, March 6th 9-11 am Old Fire Station – 24232 Front St Grand Rapids
Drop-Off Sign Up Dates:
Now – Sunday, March 14th 6am-9pm Marathon Station – 24010 Front St Grand Rapids
Project Connect
Academic Enrichment Camps at BGSU
Knight In Shining Armor Nominations
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. Please 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!
These funds are not for routine expenses such as utilities, bills, rent, etc. It is designed for assisting community members in an emergency situation. This can include but is not limited to unforeseen medical expenses, medical-related travel expenses, and household emergencies such as a fire, water leaks, etc. Please keep this in mind when submitting a nomination.
Please refer to this link at any point during the year as a need arises, 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!
Athletics
Softball Fundraiser
Baseball Fundraiser
Please also be sure to list the student's name and home room teacher in the Notes section at checkout.
Saturday, March 27
10:00 - V SB @ McComb
11:00 - V BB @ Evergreen (DH)
11:00 - JV BB (H) Evergreen (DH)
Tuesday, March 30
4:30 - HS TR (H) Bowling Green and Holgate
4:30 - JH TR @ Liberty Benton with North Baltimore and Arcadia
4:45 - V SB (H) Evergreen
5:00 - JV SB @ Evergreen
5:00 - V BB @ Sylvania
Wednesday, March 31
5:00 - JV SB @ Perrysburg
Thursday, April 1
5:00 - JV BB @ St. John’s
Friday, April 2
5:00 - JV SB (H) Whitmer
Saturday, April 3
11:00 - V BB @ Delta (DH)
11:00 - V SB @ Delta (DH)
11:00 - JV BB (H) Delta (DH)
COMMUNITY EVENTS SECTION
Community Gardens at the Ag. Incubator Foundation
Questions, Concerns, Comments, or Rumors
Earth Day Upcycle Contests
Create something new from something otherwise thrown away or recycled. Upcycle contests for both kids and adults will showcase the creativity and ingenuity of Wood County.
Leading the Upcycle Contests is the Carter Historic Farm, a living history farm focused on life in Wood County during the Great Depression. During the Great Depression, families utilized everything they had to help save money. They used tin cans as storage containers, turned cotton feed sacks into clothing, and would mend and repurpose items until it could no longer be used. Today, many people still repurpose items as a way to both save money and be more sustainable.
A great way to combine the DIY spirit of the Great Depression with the “go green” efforts of today are these two upcycle contests, one for kids (ages 5 to 12) and one for adults (ages 13 on up).Participants will take an item that would otherwise be thrown away and turn it into something new or updated. It can be a useful item, a fun item, or even a work of art. Participants will send us before and after photos of their project and the photos will be posted to the Carter Historic Farm Facebook page for voting. The three in each age group with the most likes will win an Earth Day 2021 t-shirt. Wood County Park District Earth Day shirts will be available for the public to purchase throughout April.
Celebrate the 51st annual Earth Day on Thursday, April 22 by doing something good for nature. Find ideas and incentives with the Go Green Passport which encourages at-home participation in go green action with upcycling, recycling, reusing, reducing, and visiting parks in order to earn a set of bamboo utensils.
Register for both contests by April 1, 2021. Photo deadline is April 15. Winners will be announced on Earth day, April 22nd. Visit wcparks.org to register for programs, find a Go Green Passport, order Earth Day shirts, and see what’s new in the Wood County Park District.
Thank you for helping share this with the students, parents, and staff. All ages and all community are invited to participate.
Warm Regards,
Jamie Sands
Volunteer Services & Communications Specialist
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: Jessica Mehl jmehl.jd@gmail.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
Emily Bires - Director of Food Service
Email: ebires@otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381
Twitter: @Otsego_Cafe