Panther Volleyballers Take One on Chin

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Panther Volleyball Put in Bay

THE Team!

Put-in-Bay Panthers played a tough game against Bowling Green Christian, but lost in five:  11-25, 25-28, 27-25, 28-26, and 7-15.  The loss puts the Panther Volleyball team at 4-3 overall.  After the game, the team watched a variety match between Bowling Green High School and Ottawa Glandorf.

Put in Bay School

Lucy Schneider beams with team spirit!

Put in Bay School

Panthers take positions!

The team returns to school on the morning ferry.  The girls kick off a three-game homestand om Wednesday, 18 September. Stop by the gym at 4pm to cheer and get your grrrowl on!  (Images by Shuffenecker)

Put-in-Bay School Opens September 3rd

Put in Bay Panthers

Put in Bay Panther

School News – by Steve Poe, Superintendent  

This year’s motto is, “Celebrate Success, Celebrate You!”  With this motto in mind, we begin this school year with a CELEBRATION!

PARENTS AND STUDENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO BE ON THE FRONT LAWN THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL, SEPTEMBER 3, BY 8:00AM.  REFRESHMENTS WILL BE SERVED, INTRODUCTIONS MADE, AND A HUMAN TUNNEL WILL BE FORMED FOR THE ELEMENTARY STUDENTS TO GO THROUGH!

In the event the weather does not cooperate with our celebration, everyone will move to the gymnasium.

Parents are encouraged to attend the Put-in-Bay School Open House on Thursday, September 12 from 3:21 to 4:30pm.  This is an opportunity to meet the teachers and hear about the academic goals for the year.  Refreshments provided, along with free babysitting.

Our school’s attendance policy remains the same as last year, adhering to the state regulations in House Bill 410.   Instead of counting days absent, schools must keep track of hours absent.  Excessive absences are reported to the Ottawa County Juvenile Court.  The new definition for excessive absences is:  absent 38 or more hours in one month or 65 or more hours in one school year.   Prior to filing a complaint with the court, parents will be notified, followed by an absence intervention plan.  Complete details of House Bill 410 were sent home in last month’s mailing.  Parents are advised to make appointments and plan vacations on the following dates that school will not be in session:

  • October 21                             (Appointment Day)
  • November 27 – Dec 1            (Thanksgiving)
  • December 21 – January 5       (Christmas Break)
  • February 22 – March 1           (Winter Break)
  • April 11 – April 14                  (Spring Break)
  • May 23 – 25                           (Memorial Day Weekend)

School days continue to start at 8:00am.  Students are asked to arrive at 7:50am.  Primary elementary students will begin lunch dismissal at 11:50, followed by grades four to six.  Grades 7 – 12 students will be dismissed for lunch at noon.  All students are to return from lunch at 12:50 to begin classes at 1:00.   Elementary students will be dismissed after school at 3:16, while high school students will end the day at 3:21.

Don’t forget to check our website, www.put-in-bay.k12.oh.us, for the latest school announcements.  We will utilize our “School Messenger” system to notify parents of important announcements and school closings.

Students and School Active During Summer

Put in Bay SchoolPut-in-Bay School News – by Steve Poe, Superintendent

Though it is summer, many of our students are taking advantage of learning opportunities outside our school calendar year.  Ms. Riley Conway is teaching elementary students in summer school for six weeks; seniors Joseph Byrnes and Alexandra Knauer recently returned from Buckeye Boys State and Buckeye Girls State, respectively; and juniors Nora Ladd, Elena Schroeder, and Lucy Schneider spent a week at the Hugh O’Brian Leadership Program last month.  We also have students taking on-line courses and courses for college credit on Gibraltar Island.  Way to go, students!

Put in Bay School

On June 16, senior Joe Byrnes returned from a week at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, this year’s host for Buckeye Boys State.  Joe said he came back with a new appreciation in how our government works.  The highlight of the week for him was being the sole sponsor of two bills that passed the Senate unanimously while serving on the Economic Development Committee.  “Many bills that were introduced did not pass, so it was a very gratifying accomplishment.”

Our Buckeye Girls State representative Alexandra Knauer said, “This was a wonderful leadership experience I will value for a long time.  I loved my roles as a County Nationalist Chairman and as a clerk for county commissioners.  I learned the governmental process quickly and felt good in what we accomplished in a short period of time.  I also met many nice people along the way.” Buckeye Girls State was held at Ohio Northern University.

The Hugh O’Brian Leadership Program hosts over two hundred future leaders entering their junior year in high school.  Here are just a few things our students had to say about their experience at the Hugh O’Brien Leadership Program that was held at Ohio Northern University last month:

Nora Ladd – “It was fun to be around people who were not afraid to express their opinions. I also liked hearing all the ambitions each student had for their future.”

Elena Schroeder – “This was a life changing opportunity, I loved it!  One of our guest speakers, Tony Thompson, was outstanding.  He talked about not waiting and challenged us to jump into leadership now.  The best thing of all was meeting other students who shared your values and passion.

Lucy Schneider – “I loved the atmosphere and met some really cool people.  We plan to stay in touch and get together again!”

Summer is a time for completing a long “to-do” list of maintenance projects.  That list includes, but is not limited to, the following:

  • Paint hallways, multi-purpose room, and kitchen
  • Wax all tile floors
  • Shampoo all carpets, runners, rugs, and furniture
  • Power wash building, clean all windows, clear all downspouts
  • Inspect sprinkler and fire alarm systems

Summer is also a time for us to review and update board policies and student handbooks.  Last summer we made a number of changes in our student discipline code, most notably changing from a demerit system to a level system.  We developed a reward system, as well.  Student handbooks are sent home the first day of school each year for parents to become familiar.  These handbooks are reviewed and approved by our board of education every summer.  If you have any questions about our 2019-20 rules, policies, or procedures prior to school starting, please call the school at 419-285-3614.

Parents planning to withdraw or enroll a student should do so prior to school starting so we can plan accordingly.

Please mark your calendar with the scheduled vacation days this coming year.  We encourage families to be familiar with our attendance policy and Ohio House Bill 410 requirements when scheduling family vacations and/or appointments.  The 2019-20 school calendar:

  • September 3 First Day of School
  • October 19 – 21 (Appointment Day)
  • November 27 – Dec 1 (Thanksgiving Break)
  • December 21 – January 5 (Christmas Break)
  • February 22 – March 1 (Winter Break)
  • April 10 – 14  (Spring Break)
  • May 23 – 25 (Memorial Day)
  • May 28 Last Day of School
  • May 29 Graduation

Put-in-Bay School Closes Academic Year on High Notes

Put in Bay SchoolPut-in-Bay School News – by Steve Poe, Superintendent

Congratulations to the graduates of 2019.  This year’s graduation ceremony was held at the Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial on Friday, May 24. Addressing this year’s graduating class was Mr. Dan Kowalski.  Dan is a 1980 graduate of Put-in-Bay School. He attended Bowling Green /State University, and in 1984 Dan earned a Bachelor of Science in physics.  He followed with a Master’s in physics from Kent State University.  Mr. Kowalski started teaching math at Put-in-Bay School in 1987 and just finished his thirty-second year.  Affectionately known as “Mr. K” by his students, he has become an icon of Put-in-Bay School.  He and his wife Valerie have four children and own a successful lawn care business on the island.

Students in the Class of 2019 have ambitious plans after graduation:

Put in Bay High School Graduation

Max Schneider, Matthew Stacy, Lauren Peter, Jack Booker

Jack Booker will attend Bowling Green State University in the fall.  He plans to major in business and sales.  He hopes to one day work as a pharmaceutical salesman and/or venture back home to work for the family business.  He plans to travel the world and also give back to his island community.

Lauren Peter will continue her education at Lourdes University, majoring in nursing.  She will also continue her basketball career; she earned a scholarship to play for Lourdes.  Lauren strives for a BSN and hopes to become a nurse anesthetist.  She is excited to be a part of a field that helps save peoples’ lives.

Max Schneider heads to  Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, for a degree in Computer Science.  He looks forward to his new adventures as he works to become a programmer after college.

Matthew Stacy will join the workforce, training to become a manager in the family business–Erie Petroleum.  He will take online business classes to further his education and plans to attend Emergency Medical Training classes on the island.

Graduation last month was a memorable one.  We would like to thank the staff at the Perry Victory and International Peace Memorial for providing the beautiful venue for this event.  We would also like to thank our scholarship donors for providing over $31,000 in local scholarships for our graduates.  The following is a list of scholarships our graduates received:

Jack Booker       Ricky Dysert Memorial Scholarship

Genoa Bank Scholarship

John W. Blatt Scholarship

Fitzgerald Family Scholarship

Kurt Rohrbacher Memorial Scholarship

Heineman Memorial Scholarship

Lauren Peter      Magruder Hospital Scholarship

Cameo Pizza Scholarship

Browns Backers Scholarship

Jeremy Harlan, “Jer Bear” Memorial Scholarship

Max Schneider  Acorn Sportsman Club Scholarship

Mayor’s Scholarship

Earl Johnson Scholarship

Browns Backers Scholarship

Jack Matia Scholarship

Jeffery Verhoff Memorial Scholarship

The Perry Group Scholarship

Lee Miller Scholarship

Lonz Foundation Scholarship

Major Milestones

On April 17 senior, Max Schneider was recognized for his academic achievements at the Ottawa County Top Ten Banquet.  Max is this year’s Valedictorian and recipient of the Earl Johnson Scholarship.  He is the son of John and Katie Schneider, long-time residents on Middle Bass Island.  Congratulations Max!

Junior, Morgan Stacy was presented with the Ottawa County “Nine-to-Five” award on May 3 at Mon Ami restaurant.  She was among the students from the six other schools demonstrating exceptional improvement from last September, the ninth month, to May, the fifth month; hence “nine-to-five.”   In addition, Morgan was recognized as a “Star Student” at Vanguard for her dedication, passion, hard work, and exemplary attitude.  Most recently, she earned “Student of the Fourth Quarter,” too.  Way to go, Morgan!

Max Schneider, along with junior Alexandra Knauer and sophomore Elena Schroeder traveled to The Ohio State University on May 11 to participate in the State Science Fair.  Each of them began their journey by competing in our local science fair held at in February where they received overall superior ratings.  They then moved on to compete at the District Science Fair, held at the University of Toledo in March, where they again earned superior ratings to qualify for State.  At the State competition Max and Alexandra earned superior ratings and Elena received an excellent rating.  This is an extremely impressive accomplishment!  Congratulations Max, Alexandra, and Elena!

The Put-in-Bay High School Sailing Club had a great spring season. A new club for the school last year, we have competed in three seasons now. High school sailing is both a fall and spring sport, and the Midwest Conference allows 7th and 8th graders to compete in some events alongside the 9th-12th graders.  We had seven students on our team this year:  Alex Knauer, Nora Ladd, Talii Steidl, Kate Byrnes, Macy Ladd, Hope Cooks and Emil Michael. This spring season we had fantastic weather for practices and traveled to three regattas, one in Cleveland and two in Columbus.  Competing against teams from all over Ohio, Michigan and sometimes New York, our team had some great finishes and continued to improve. Our final regatta, the Westerville Classic, held at Hoover Sailing Club, brought us wind and challenging conditions, but our team sailed their best event yet and finished 9th out of 17. We even were highlighted in a clip about island living produced by Detroit PBS/Great Lakes Now! You can watch the video on YouTube at https://youtu.be/I53txjTr8Nw.   The team is looking forward to their summer sailing to help prepare for the fall season!

The Board of Education adopted the school calendar for 2019-2020.

Please mark your calendars for the 2019-2020 School Year:

  • Tuesday, September 3 – First Day of School
  • Monday, October 21 – No School
  • November 27 – 29 – No School, Thanksgiving Break
  • Friday, December 20 – Early Dismissal
  • December 21 – Jan 5 – No School, Christmas Break
  • Friday, February 21 – Early Dismissal
  • February 22 – March 1 – No School, Winter Break
  • April 10 – April 14 – No School, Spring Break
  • Friday, May 22 – Early Dismissal
  • Monday, May 25 – No School, Memorial Day
  • Thursday, May 28  – Early Dismissal, Last Day of School

Put-in-Bay Graduates Celebrate Past and Future

Put in Bay High School Graduation

Jack Booker, Lauren Peter, Max Schneider, Matthew Stacy

Put in Bay High School GraduationPut-in-Bay High School Commencement 2019, celebrated at the Perry Monument, acknowledged academic accomplishments and promised the class of four seniors a “future with endless possibilities.”

Put in Bay High School Graduation

Put-in-Bay Board of Education

Put in Bay High School Graduation

Commencement Speaker Dan Kowalski

Put in Bay High School Graduation

Valedictorian Max Schneider

Put in Bay High School Graduation

Salutatorian Lauren Peter

Put in Bay High School Graduation

Students promoted to 9th grade

Put in Bay High School Graduation

Put in Bay School Choir