District NewsBrought to you by: Jacquelyn Bruns, Connor Morton, and Samantha Wood

THE

Black & Gold Unfold Parkway

Vol. 7 No. 2 Official Newsletter of Parkway Local Schools October 2014

-Home of the Panthers-LocalSchools

Parkway Local Schools Seeking Nominations for the“Academic Alumni Hall of Fame”

The goal for the Academic Alumni Hall of Fame is to recognize successful former students who have contributedto their profession and community while practicing character qualities such as perseverance, self-discipline, curiosity,honesty, and responsibility. They serve as an example for current students and former graduates as well as all of thecommunity.

Nominations for the hall of fame may be made by anyone. A committee will make the final selection of no morethan three recipients. Criteria for nomination are: graduate of Parkway Local Schools (including Willshire, Rockford,Mendon-Union, and Parkway), graduated at least ten years prior to nomination, give time to enhance their profession,and demonstrate leadership, citizenship, and volunteerism.

The award will be presented at the Parkway High School Spring Awards Program. Students will see how successfulone can be if the principles of good character are practiced. Although “rewards” are public recognition, selfsatisfaction is the true reward. A plaque will be displayed in a high traffic area for students and community membersto see frequently.

Nominees may send testimonials or speak to the students about how charactereducation helped them achieve success at the Spring Awards Night. TheAcademic Hall of Fame encourages students to develop good character tosucceed.To nominate individuals for the Parkway Local Schools Academic AlumniHall of Fame, contact Parkway High School at 419-363-3045, ext #760 ormail Parkway High School, 400 Buckeye St., Rockford, OH 45882. Pleaseprovide the individual’s name, year of graduation, career position, and current

contact information.  Nominations must be sub-mitted by November 21, 2014 to be consideredfor this school year. Upon nomination, individ-uals will receive an application to apply for theAcademic Alumni Hall of Fame. Previous nom-inees are encouraged to send updates for theirapplications kept on file.

Upcoming Events

10/30/14- H.S. and M.S. Parent Teacher Conferences10/31/14- Football Senior Night11/2/14- High School Panther Review @3:00 p.m.11/4/14- Family Literacy Night from 6:30-7:30 p.m.11/6/14- Picture Retakes11/9/14- Marching Band Concert @3:00 p.m.11/14/14- Interim Reports11/21/14- Middle School Fun Night from 7:00-9:30 p.m.11/24/14- Band Cookie Concert @7:00 p.m.

District News Continued2

Parkway’s Elementary MediaSpecialist, Abbie Hathaway, submitteda proposal last May for the DollarGeneral Literacy Foundation Grant.Mrs. Hathaway had to fill out a verydetailed application that includedquestions about Parkway Elementary

as well as information about theParkway community. Earlier thisschool year, Mrs. Hathaway receiveda notice from Dollar General thatParkway Elementary Library receiveda $2,500 grant. The money will be usedto buy new books, mainly for the firstand second graders to help improve theselection of books they have to choosefrom. Some of the new books will alsobe used for new readers and readerswith learning disabilities. Thank youto Mrs. Hathaway for taking the timeto complete the application to help ourelementary media center receive newbooks.

Parkway Receives Dollar General Literacy Grant

Athletic Booster Club Plans Panther Training Center

The Parkway Athletic Booster Clubis building a 90’ x 150’ multi-purpose facility between the busgarage and the track to benefit allathletes. The athletic center will beequipped with a three lane track,two batting cages, two fullbasketball courts, two fullvolleyball courts, tumbling andwresting mats, a locker room,restrooms for track meets, and a onelane walking track. Curtains will beplaced to divide the center intothree areas, so several activities canbe going on at one time. TheAthletic Booster Club is alsoworking to incorporate an area thatwould serve as a fitness center tothe community. The fitness centerwould be 15’ x 60’ and this areawould give community members aplace to use elliptical machines,treadmills, and other fitnessequipment. While it is still in the

planning stages, the ultimate goalis providing the Parkwaycommunity with a multi-purposefacility. The Athletic Booster Clubwould like to help the communitysee the benefit in this project andhave their support. They believe itwill benefit athletes here atParkway as well as benefit the

community as a whole; this is whya considerable amount of time hasbeen put into the planning of thebuilding. If you have any questions,please contact Athletic Director,Doug Hughes, athughesd@parkwayschools.org orat 419-363-3045 x774.

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High School NewsBrought to you by: Tanner Bates and Ryan Lautzenheiser

Students Honored at National Honor Society Induction Ceremony

The National Honor Society, a national high school organization, gives recognition to outstanding students on the basisof scholarship, leadership, service, and character. This is the worthiest of Parkway High School organizations andrepresents the highest goal students may reach during their high school career.

In order to qualify as a candidate, a junior must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 and must have completedseven academic courses; a senior must have a 3.5 GPA and have completed nine academic courses. All candidates arethen evaluated by a high school faculty committee on the basis of leadership, scholarship, service, and character.

Parkways High School’s total NationalHonor Society membership for 2014-2015is thirty-three. The new senior inducteesinclude: Jairett Boyce, son of Lisa Bristerand Joshua Etgen, son of Darrell and NancyEtgen.

The new junior inductees include: TaylorAndrews, daughter of Scott and JannayaAndrews; Zion Armstrong, son of DarenArmstrong and Laura Roediger; BradenBaker, son of Brent and Beth Baker; KayleeGehle, daughter of Steven and MelissaGehle; Taylor Hesse, daughter of Galen andTonya Hesse; Shalaine Horn, daughter ofJodie Horn and Robin Moles; TannerMatthews, son of Todd and BrendaMatthews; Allison Pancake, daughter ofLeon and

Carolyn Pancake; Autmn Stetler, daughter of Tim Stetler and Heidi Stemen; SamanthaWehe, daughter of Robert and Holly Wehe, .

The returning senior NHS members include: Riley Armstrong, Kennedy Baker, AshleyBaughman, Raya Beerbower, Carl Wyatt Felver, Allison Gaerke, Brandon Gibson,Paige Hamrick, Kayle Heckler, Emma Hipply, Cassi Kuhn, Grace Linn, MadisonMeyer, Chloe Prichard, Madison Roehm, Seth Rollins, Whitney Rollins, BethanySchlemmer, Kayla Stephenson, Devin Stover, and Kayla Walls.

In addition to the induction of new members, the ceremony also included anopportunity for Parkway High School staff members to recognize the returning seniormembers. Staff members shared stories about the students as well as the characteristicsthey possess that makes them worthy of their National Honor Society membership.

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High School News Continued

Parkway High School Welcomes Mrs. Jessica RolfesParkway High School has added a new teacher to the staff this year. Mrs. Jessica Rolfes is the new 9th grade American Historyand English 9 teacher. The combination of the retirement of Mr. Harrison Frech, and Mr. Minnich teaching a new Civicsclass, which is a combination of American Government and Economics, created a part-time opening in the history department.At the same time, the English department saw a need for some elective class offerings for upper classmen. Mrs. Etgen teachingthese new English elective classes left a part-time opening in the English department as well. The new teacher needed to beEnglish and History certified, which isn’t exactly easy to find. Mrs. Rolfes fit those requirements and will be taking over the9th grade American History classes as well as 9th grade English. Mrs. Rolfes is from Ottawa, Ohio where she attended OttawaGlandorf High School. There she was involved in dance and a part of the student council. She then attended the University

of Findlay where she received her bachelor’s degree in middle childhood education. She also attendedColumbia College where she received her master’s degree in middle childhood education. Before shewas hired by Parkway, Mrs. Rolfes was an 8th grade history teacher in Ware Shoals, South Carolina.Mrs. Rolfes wanted to become a teacher “to give kids a memorable education experience in a uniqueway.” When she was asked what her first impression of Parkway was she told us that “Parkway seemsfriendly, welcoming, advanced, organized, and well behaved.” From everyone at Parkway we wouldlike to give a warm welcome to Mrs. Jessica Rolfes.

Parkway Fall Homecoming Draws a CrowdParkway High School held their annual Fall Homecoming festivities the week of September 22. Spirit week was held atschool throughout the week to spark excitement for the homecoming ceremony and football game that was held Friday night,September 26. There was no school on Monday, September 22 due to teacher in-services but the fun began on Tuesday.Tuesday at Parkway High School was ‘Merica day, where kids dressed up in all their America gear and accessories.Wednesday, September 24 was Nerd day followed by dress up like Barbie and Ken doll day on Thursday. Spirit weekconcluded on Friday, September 26 with tie dye day.The homecoming festivities began Friday night with the parade starting at 6:30 p.m. This year’s attendants were as follows:Freshman- Paige Cron, escorted by Caden May; Sophomore- Tessa Morton, escorted by Colten Lautzenheiser; Junior-Elizabeth Dellinger, escorted by Trent Sarasin; Senior Queen Candidate- Lydia Heindel, escorted by Ryan Lautzenheiserand Hayden Abromavich; Senior QueenCandidate- Allison Gaerke, escorted by KrisGangwer and Devin Stover; and Senior QueenCandidate- Erin Weirrick, escorted by CalebHeindel and Jared Puthoff. With the stands fullof family, friends, and community members theanticipation came to a head as the 2014 fallhomecoming queen, Allison Gaerke, wasannounced. Allison was presented with the gameball by Devin Stover. She received a bouquet offlowers from Caleb Heindel. The queen sash waspresented by Hayden Abromavich and the longawaited homecoming kiss was presented by KrisGangwer. Then, it was time for the nightcapwhich was the Parkway Panthers vs. FortRecovery Indians. We would like to congratulateall the homecoming attendants and a specialcongratulations to the 2014 queen Ms. Allison Gaerke.

Middle School NewsBrought to you by Connor Morton and Hayden Abromavich

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Middle School Introduces Student of the Month Awards

Parkway Middle School recently announced they will be honoring a student of the month from eachgrade. The students are chosen by their eagerness to learn, being helpful to others, participation inclass, the student’s character and their academic excellence. The Student of the Month Awardencourages students to work hard in class and strive to be a person of great character inside and outsideof school.

5th Grade- Ben Sheppard- Chosen by his teachersfor his eagerness to learn, being helpful to others,sharing study ideas with others, and being full ofgreat character. Ben is the son of Ryan and LisaSheppard

6th Grade- Kelsey Nichols- Kelsey shows a greatamount of leadership qualities and always has muchenthusiasm inside and outside of class! Kelsey takespride in everything she does. Kelsey is the daughterof Les and Cheryl Nichols.

7th Grade- Aaron Bruns- Selected for displayingexemplary student qualities. Aaron has a superb work ethic, magnificent character and a top- notchgrade point average. Aaron is the son of Gregory and Misty Bruns.

8th Grade- Tessa Thatcher- The teachers in the middle school state that Tessa not only excelsacademically, but she is also a true classroom leader. Tessa sets an example by displaying respect andhelping the students around her. Tessa is the daughter of Ryan Thatcher and Jillian Guy.

September Students of the Month

Middle School Cookie Dough Sales a Success

Parkway Middle School recently completed their annual cookie dough fundraiser and sold a total of2,450 containers of cookie dough for an amazing total of $39,200. The profits from this sale go towardsthe students’ 8th grade Washington DC trip account. Thank you to all of the people who participatedby purchasing cookie dough and supporting the middle school students at Parkway.

The top sellers in each class include: 5th Grade- Isbella Eller (31 items),6th Grade- Kaden Boroff (36 items), 7th Carley Boekman and AdamBuffenbarger (35 items), and 8th Grade- Cody Gaham (37 items)

Middle School News Continued6

Getting to Know Your Middle School AthletesParkway’s Junior High football teams have shown somegreat fight in their seasons this year. The 7th grade is animpressive 6-1 and the 8th grade is 0-7, with some veryclose heart-breaking losses. Nick Hawk, a seventhgrader, says football is his favorite sport. He lovesplaying football and being with his teammates. Beforegames, he says he always has a turkey sandwich to gethim prepared for the upcoming opponent. Playing on thefield at games and practicing is not the only place Nickworks hard. Nick attends F.A.S.T. (FunctionalAccelerated Sports Training) in Lima, Ohio to pursuehis dreams of playing football at the next level.

The junior high cross country teams have worked hard thisseason. The runners improved each week, setting several personalbest times along the way. They finished their season placing 2nd

at the Wapak Night Meet and 4th place overall in the MAC. Thiswas the first year the boys had enough runners to compete as ateam. Individually, Matt Gaerke had a successful cross countryseason. He is the 8th grade MAC champion and the 8th gradeMercer County champion. He prepares for his meets all week,running seven miles on Monday and four miles on Wednesdayand Friday, along with some speed drills on Tuesday. He ran hismeets on Thursday afternoons. He loads up on carbs before heraces and doesn't drink water within a hour of the start of the race.He enjoys the satisfaction that he feels after he finishes a race.

The students in Mrs. Beerbower’s 5th, 6th, and 7th grade keyboardingclasses were challenged to learn the entire keyboard. Learning theentire keyboard means that all letters, symbols, and function keysmust be memorized. The students are very eager to meet thechallenge because they know a reward of a full-size chocolateHershey’s bar is presented to them if they are 100% successful.Students achieving this accomplishment so far this year include:Treya Conn, Breanna Beeks, McKayla Sites, Leah Eichler, GageLarsen, Hunter Gibson, Gabe Schaaf, and Dennis Leighner.

Middle School Typing Masters

Elementary Unleashed7

Brought to you by:Sam Wood and Jackie Bruns

Children’s Author to Visit Parkway Literacy Night

Paul Orshoski, a children’s author and poet, will be visiting Parkway Elementaryon November 4 to present two assemblies for the students during the school dayand will present to parents and children in the evening. Mr. Orshoski is a formerteacher, coach and school administrator living in Sandusky, Ohio. He has hadtwelve children’s books published by Treasure Bay Books, including: Where isMy Frog, Bugs on the Bus, and Ant in Her Pants. His books are a part of TreasureBay’s “We Read Phonics” series and are designed to make it easy for parents tohelp their children improve phonics skills and read an excellent story. Three ofhis books, Where is My Frog?, Robot Man, and Sports Dream, were selected asMom’s Choice Awards Gold Honor winners in 2011. Treasure Bay also has a “WeBoth Read” series. Mr. Orshoski has had 3 books included in that series: My

Sitter Is a T-Rex!, The Mouse in My House and The Mouse in My House/Un raton en mi cas. Many ofhis poems have been included in anthologies from Meadowbrook Press. His bookswill be available for sale and he will be doing book signings from 3-4 p.m. in thecommunity room and prior to his community presentation for Literacy Night, whichwill be at 6:30 p.m. in the auditorium. More information will be available in thecoming weeks. You can visit his website at www.paulorshoski.com. ParkwayElementary, in conjunction with the Rockford Carnegie library , is fortunate to be ableto bring Mr. Orshoski to our community to inspire our students to read and write.

Parkway Elementary Recognizes Fire Safety Week

Parkway Elementary School recognized National Fire PreventionWeek which was held October 6 - 10. The students did multipleactivities throughout the week centered around fire safety andawareness. On Friday, all of the elementary students got to go outsideand learn about the fire trucks and all the equipment needed to helpfight fires. Members of the Chatt Fire Department as well as theRockford Fire Department brought trucks and equipment for thestudents to see. Pictured are Parkway 3rd grade students getting an upclose look at the inside of the fire

trucks. The students were very involved during the week learning aboutfire safety.Also as part of National Fire Prevention Week, the Willshire FireDepartment gave students in grades K-9 who live in Van Wert Countya free smoke detector as a result of a fund raiser held by the Van WertCounty Fire Chief”s Association. The Van Wert County Fire Chief’sAssociation is planning to have this as an ongoing project . The newkindergarten students and the new students who move into the schooldistrict will receive a smoke detector each year, beginning next schoolyear.

Elementary Unleashed 88

Parkway Kindergarten Students visit Pumpkin Patch

On October 8 and 9 the Parkway kindergarten classes went to theLincoln Ridge Pumpkin Patch. The students had many activitiesto do throughout the day. Once the students got to Lincoln Ridgethey did an activity right away; some of the students went througha barn that was decorated with Halloween items at the GreatAutumn Adventure while others went to play with the racing ducksat Ducky Derby or bouncing on the inflatable horses at Hop-A-Long Rodeo Races. After the students did the morning activity,they made their way into the pumpkin field to pick a specialpumpkin to take home. The students went running into thepumpkin patch and started hunting for the pumpkin they thought

would be the best. Once the students found thepumpkin they wanted, they cleaned theirpumpkin off and put it in a bag with their nameand class on the bag. After the students got theirpumpkin they went right back into the funactivities. Some students went to the StrawMountain where they could go down a slide orzip line and others chose to go to the The GreatPumpkin Jump where they could jump on aninflatable pumpkin. There was also a ladder thestudents could climb and once they got to the topthey could ring the bell. In addition, the students were able to ride four wheeled bikes around the farm.There were also a variety of animals the students could hold and pet. After a day of activities, the studentswere worn out and it was time for them to get their lunches and play on the playground before they hadto go back to school. The students all had a great day at the Lincoln Ridge Pumpkin Patch playing on theStraw Mountain, Ducky Derby, Hop-A-Long Rodeo Races and many more activities as well as coming

home with a pumpkin.