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

Drop-off / Pick-up Procedures
Spring is upon us and our students are anxious to walk or ride their bikes to school again. Please drive slowly and follow our drop-off / pick-up procedures to ensure the safety of our children. We would like parents to please drop-off / pick-up along Catawba Ave. instead of occupying a parking space in the school parking lot. Parking is limited and we would like to reserve spaces for patrons of our library.

Class of 2021

Lucy Niese, Marshall Stacy, Nora Ladd, Blake Booker, Elena Schroeder, Talii Steidl, Lucy Schneider

Senior Class Trip
On March 31, four of our seniors embarked on a class trip of a lifetime. With chaperones Missi Kowalski and Patrick Green as their travel guides, they visited the National Parks of Utah. Everyone was amazed with the beauty of Zion National Park, the Salt Flats, the Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam. Before heading back to Ohio, they also got to see the bright lights of Las Vegas. They will be talking about this trip for a long time!

Sailing Club
Led by our advisor, Coralee Wisniewski, our high school sailing club had their first spring season regatta at the Hoover reservoir, near Columbus, on April 17. Our kids came in ninth place out of thirteen at this regatta and look forward to competing throughout the spring. Members of the sailing club are Kate Byrnes, Talli Steidl, Nora Ladd, Macy Ladd, Hope Cooks, and Emil Michael.

Staff Appreciation Week – May 3 –7
Our staff and teachers have done a remarkable job during these challenging times. We will be showing our appreciation to them with delicious treats the week of May 3 – 7. When you have a chance, thank our teachers and staff for a job well done!

Prom
This year’s high school prom will be held at “The Goat” on Saturday, May 8. After missing out on a prom last year, our kids are excited about getting dressed up and having fun!

Virtual Art Show and Concert
Student artwork will be presented via a virtual show produced by art IV student, Lucille Schneider. Using her computer media skills, along with her artistic design talent and the help of art III student Nora Ladd, the two developed a video presentation that will display every student’s artwork. The link to the Put-in-Bay School’s Student Art Show will be posted on the school website in mid-May. Be sure to view our school’s amazing artist’s work! The Spring Music Concert will also be virtual and will consist of Jazz tunes. Grades K-3 will present Keep Your Paws Off the Carrots; 7th Inning Stretch; Swimmin’; and So Cool. Grades 4-8 will present Start Your Day with a Song; Catch the Rhythm; The Blues; He was a Drummy Boy; and Tomorrow’s Our Day. We will be filming through the middle of May. As soon as the production is ready, we will send parents and students a link through the email address we have on file. You are welcome to share this link with other family and friends. We would love to have as many people as possible enjoy the musical talents of our students!

Awards Day
Last year, due to restrictions on public gatherings, we held our annual Awards Day virtually. We are happy to announce that this year we will be have our Awards Day in-person, in the gymnasium on Tuesday, May 18. Seating for this event will adhere to the guidelines set forth by the Ottawa County Health Department and face masks will be required for all in attendance. Parents and guests are advised to arrive on time so we can stay on schedule.
Kindergarten / Grade 1 9:40am
Grades 2 and 3 10:25am
Grades 4 thru 6 11:10am
Grades 7 thru 12 2:10pm

Vanguard Students
Congratulations to Lucille Niese and Marshall Stacy, Put-in-Bay seniors who will be graduating from Put-in-Bay as well as earning career technical education from Vanguard-Sentinel Career and Technology Center. Lucy and Marshall have both embraced vocational education at Vanguard for the past two years. Their diligence has paid off and they will now have career focused certifications under their belt. Great Job to both Lucy and Marshall.
Lucille Niese, daughter of Jeffrey and Kelly Niese is enrolled in the Digital Media program at Vanguard. Marshall Stacy is the son of Robert Stacy and Kristi Stacy. Marshall is enrolled in the Electrical Trades program. Vanguard students will have their Senior Recognition Ceremony in May. Congratulations Lucy and Marshall.

Last Day of School / Graduation / Guest Speaker
Our last day of school is Thursday, May 27, with students being dismissed at noon. Graduation will take place the following day, Friday, May 28 at 6:30pm at the Perry Monument.
Seating for graduation will adhere to the guidelines set forth by the Ottawa County Health Department and face masks will be required for all in attendance.
This year’s graduation speaker will be 1971 Put-in-Bay graduate Scotty Ferrell. Mr. Ferrell graduated from Terra State and the Purdue University Krannet School of Management after graduating from Put-in-Bay, with degrees and certifications in the engineering field. He is named on four US Patents and has held a variety of positions in engineering management. Scotty and his wife, Debbie, also owned a Bed and Breakfast on Put-in-Bay until 2019. This year marks Mr. Ferrell’s 50th graduation anniversary. Welcome back, Scotty!

Physical Examinations for 2021-22 School Year
Put-in-Bay School will be offering free physicals for all students enrolled in grades six through twelve for the 2021-22 school year. Students participating in sports next year are required to have a physical prior to the start of practice. The physicals will be offered at Firelands Corporate Health from June 7 to 11. Parents should call 419-557-5052 to make an appointment.  Please contact the school if you have any questions.

School News – by Steve Poe, Superintendent/Principal

Our National Honor Society members introduced two new projects this year!  First, they collected handmade cards from our elementary and high school students for the “Holiday Cards for Our Military Challenge.”  These cards were sent to our military warriors abroad to boost their spirits during the holiday season.  Additionally, our NHS members focused on boosting morale in the high school.  They have been posting weekly inspirational messages throughout the school and have created a monthly newsletter called the ‘Monthly Motivator.’ This newsletter highlights student involvement and achievement.  Great job, NHS!

The annual Science Fair will look a little different this year because judging will take place virtually.  This is an exciting opportunity to have additional science experts from the mainland (who normally wouldn’t be able to get to the island) judge the projects.  As always, the judges will provide helpful feedback on student projects, but will not necessarily select who moves on to the district level.  This year, any student who completes a project and wishes to move on to the district Science Fair is able to do so without having to be scored at the local level.  This opens up the opportunity for more students to participate in the District 2 Science Fair that will take place virtually this spring.

The Panther Basketball team has been playing against two foes this year: the competition and the coronavirus.  Our schedule seems to change daily, but one thing that has not changed has been the hard work and dedication of our student-athletes.

Seniors Nora Ladd, Lucille Schneider, Elena Schroeder, and Talii Steidl have been determined to finish their panther careers on top!  Our junior high team ended a three-year losing streak with a big win over Fairport Harbor.  Additions to the schedule have been made and there are eight games scheduled for late January into mid-February. Please check the school website for games and visit PIBpanthers.com for live broadcasts of the games. Go Panthers and get your growl on!!!

The Put-in-Bay Panthers All-Star Basketball team (grades 3 to 6) started off the season in a “Zoom practice” with a coach from the Cleveland Cavaliers!  He provided live instruction on everything from ball-handling drills to proper shooting form.  We would like thank the Cleveland Cavaliers for offering this opportunity for our kids!   Coach Danes and the All-Stars played a championship game on January 27.

The Student Council sponsored Spirit Week the last week of January.  Each day was given a theme, and students were asked to dress accordingly.  We had a lot of creative thinkers!

Grade cards were sent home on January 29.  Parents who wish to discuss their child’s academic performance are advised to call the school.   We will make arrangements to schedule a parent/teacher conference.

On January 29, we also celebrated the end of the semester with a fun competition called “The Battle of the Brains.”   Students and teachers were randomly assigned to teams to answer trivia questions.  Correct answers earned points for their teams and the winning teams won some neat prizes.

As the winter season progresses, we are hoping “Mother Nature” cooperates so we can open the ice rink.  When it is open, we ask that a parent accompany students in grades pre-kindergarten thru grade six.  Masks are required of all participants inside the playground area.  Stay safe and have fun!

On Friday, February 5 our elementary students will celebrate the “100^th Day of School” with fun activities involving the number 100.

Winter Break is scheduled for February 19 thru February 28.  Students return to school on Monday, March 1.