Put-in-Bay School School News – by Steve Poe, Superintendent
This year’s graduation speaker is Sandra (Hauck) Brausch, a 1972 graduate of Put-in-Bay school. After graduation from high school, Ms. Brausch attended Bowling Green State University where she majored in Finance and Economics. She began her career working for National City Bank, advancing into the positions of Installment, Commercial and Mortgage Loan Officer, Regulatory Compliance Director, Security Director, and Management Information Systems Director.
Ms. Brausch later became Vice President and Partner of J. Jeffrey Brausch & Company, an investment banking firm located in Medina, Ohio. J. Jeffrey Brausch & Company provided financial advisory and consulting services to private and public companies throughout the United States. It specialized in advising on initial and secondary public offerings of debt and equity securities, and structured sales, acquisitions and mergers of companies in many various industries. Ms. Brausch retired in 2018 after 29 years with the company.
Ms. Brausch currently lives in Medina, Ohio, with her husband Jeff. She has three step-children and eight grandchildren. In retirement, she and her husband continue to enjoy their interests in fly-fishing, bicycling, hiking, aviation, boating, museums and historical sites, theater, symphony and pops orchestras, bird and nature conservation, and worldwide travel.
Student Accomplishments
Panther Basketball completed another successful season on the hardwood. Our teams found much success this year. The high school girls team finished with a record of 7-3. Our girls won the Great Lakes Island Basketball tournament again this season with a 3-0 record. They were led by seniors, Hannah Lentz and Cecilia Glauser. The high school boys team won the game that counted the most: the Panthers kept the “victory rock trophy” by defeating Mackinac Island! The boys were led by senior Joe Byrnes. The future looks promising with the growth and development of the junior high team. Coach Schuffenecker would like to thank everyone who made this season so successful. Our school looks forward to hosting the Great lakes Island Tournament next December.
On Tuesday February 4, three students represented Put-in-Bay School at the Ottawa County Spelling Bee; Emil Michael in 8th grade, Elias Wright in 6th grade, and Emma Michael in 5th grade. These 3 students competed against thirty other spellers from local schools. All three students represented Put-in-Bay proudly, correctly spelling words from “vortices” to “ramparts” and “haughty”. Elias Wright placed 18th overall, Emma Michael placed 9th overall and Emil Michael finished in 1st place. Emil successfully completed twenty-four rounds of the Spelling Bee and was named the 2020 Ottawa County Spelling Bee Champion. The final word correctly spelled by Emil was “jamboree,” which fittingly lead to a boisterous celebration by the island contestants.
The Class of 2020 senior class Valedictorian is Alexandra Knauer. She is the daughter of Doug and Liz Knauer. The class Salutatorian is Joseph Byrnes, son of Mike and Susan Byrnes. Congratulations on four years of academic achievement! Alex and Joe now have a couple months to prepare their speeches for graduation.
The 2020 Buckeye Girls State, Put-in-Bay High School representative is Lucille Schneider. Lucille is the daughter of John and Kathryn Schneider. Lucille is a junior at Put-in-Bay High School. Students interested in attending Buckeye Girls State submit an essay expressing interest in the program. Buckeye Girls State is designed to educate Ohio’s young women in the duties, privileges, rights and responsibilities of good citizenship. Students learn about City, County and State Government. Congratulations to Lucille in representing Put-in-Bay School at the University of Mount Union.
Hugh O’ Brian Youth Leadership (HOBY) is a program for students to realize their leadership talents and apply them in becoming effective leaders in their home, school, work-place and community. Students attend a seminar in the summer where they participate in leadership skills opportunities. The 2020 sophomore student representative this year is Kate Byrnes. Kate is the daughter of Mike and Susan Byrnes. She will attend the summer seminar at Ohio Northern University in Ada, Ohio. Congratulations Kate.
Mark your March calendars for these events:
Island Talent Show – Thursday, March 19 at 6:30pm
Spring Concert / Art Show – Wednesday, March 25
While home schooling has long been an option for parents, the possible extended closure of schools creates a new dimension for parents and children alike. Put-in-Bay School, currently closed until 6 April 2020, offers e-mail links to teachers. Put-in-Bay Daily™ presents the following links to provide supplemental support for at-home learning.
Put-in-Bay School Class of 2021 sells Malley’s candy and chocolates as a fundraiser for their senior year trip. To order, you may contact one of the class members or go directly to 
The Put-in-Bay High School Quiz Bowl Team announces an academic challenge versus the Put-in-Bay School staff and community on 4 March 2020. Complimentary lunch will be provided to all contestants. Call the school office, 419-285-3614, by March 1st to participate!
