Schools

In March, Bay Village Schools' Athletic and Activities Director Matt Spellman received the Northeast Ohio Athletic Director of the Year award from the Northeast Ohio Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NEOIAAA), and recently, he was named an Ohio Athletic Director of the Year recipient by the Ohio Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (OIAAA).

Spellman is one of only 12 individuals across the state to be recognized for this prestigious honor.

“The fact that more than 80 percent of our students participate in a sport and/or an activity illustrates how dedicated Matt is to our student body,” said Bay Village Schools Supt. Scot Prebles.

Westlake City School District believes that education is much more than a classroom activity. ALL students should have the opportunity to experience the social and engaging activities that make school fun. 

With this in mind, we created in-house opportunities for students with different levels of abilities to get hands-on experience at Lee Burneson Middle School and Westlake High School. Burneson Brew, located at LBMS, is where it all started.

Burneson Brew is a student-run business that provides an authentic, real-world learning experience housed in our middle school. Initially, Burneson Brew exclusively employed individuals with disabilities, but this year, the Brew Crew has expanded to represent those with and without disabilities.

On Tuesday, Nov. 15, the Bay High School Chapter of the National Honor Society (NHS) inducted 87 new members at Bay High School’s Auditorium. The event marked the 84th annual induction ceremony at Bay High School.

Membership in the National Honor Society is the highest honor that can be bestowed upon a high school student. It is the recognition of outstanding performance in both the classroom and the community. These students represent the four pillars of NHS: Scholarship, Service, Leadership and Character.

Eleven Bay High School seniors participated in the Future of Democracy Student Poll Worker Program last month. They were trained by the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections. These students worked the polls during the Nov. 7 election.

Bay High School Principal Jason Martin heard about the Future of Democracy initiative and brought it to the attention of the high school’s Social Studies Department Chair Robert Grossman, who was eager to share it with upperclassmen.

Bay Village Schools has launched the district’s new Strategic Plan, and the community is invited to learn more about the plan’s Purpose, Priorities and Indicators of Success by attending the inaugural “State of the District” board meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 20, at Bay Middle School Library, 27725 Wolf Road.

The State of the District event will celebrate the launch of a plan that started in that very room one year prior. Presentations include: Strategic Plan Overview by Superintendent Scot Prebles; State Report Card Review by Director of Curriculum and Instruction Robert Hoon; 5-Year Forecast by Treasurer Meghan Rohde; and a Facilities Update by Director of Human Resources and Operations Aaron Ereditario.

Bay Village City School District is proud to announce that four students have been recognized in the 2024 National Merit Scholarship Program, an annual academic competition for recognition and college undergraduate scholarships.

James Kelly and Faith Teutschbein have been named Semifinalists, and Owen Appenheimer and Ewan Moss are recognized as Commended students. All are seniors at Bay High School.

These students were identified based on their 2022 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) scores.

Ewan Moss, a senior at Bay High School, was named to the All-State Band on trombone. He is one of eight trombone players in the state of Ohio to receive this honor. Ewan will perform at the Ohio Music Education Association (OMEA) Conference in Columbus this February.

At Bay High School, Ewan is a Section Leader for Bay High School’s Marching Band, Principal Chair of Chamber Winds, a Leadership Team member of Model United Nations, Treasurer of Key Club, Treasurer of Thespians and President of the Robotics/Science Club. He is also a member of Jazz Band, Pit Orchestra, National Honor Society and Varsity Soccer. His favorite subject at Bay High School is Chemistry.

Last month, St. Bernadette Parish School in Westlake was selected as a 2023 Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education. This prestigious honor is a recognition of the school’s outstanding academic achievements and a testament to the hard work and dedication of every member of the school community. 

Students were given the good news during an impromptu all-school assembly. As one teacher shared, “They were all screaming, ‘we are the winners’ as if they won the Super Bowl.” While a parent quipped that her young son proudly told her: “Guess what? We are a Blue Ribbon school which means we are the best school in America!”

The Bay Village City School District is big on tradition, including heritage Homecoming events such as the Thursday night Bonfire and Friday Homecoming Parade (fondly known as the “candy parade” to many).

All families and residents are invited to celebrate the 29th annual Homecoming Parade and participate in all the activities planned to celebrate Homecoming Week. Below is a complete list of events taking place throughout the week.

• Homecoming Bonfire and Light the Night Walk
Thursday, Sept. 21, 7-9 p.m.
Bay High School students and the community are invited to participate in a fundraiser for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society with a Light the Night walk event and bonfire. Light the Night luminaria will be sold at Bay High School the night of the event. The walking path around Bay High School will be lined with luminaria. Come and walk to show your support.

As Superintendent Scot T. Prebles starts his second year with Bay Village Schools, he and his team prepare to roll out the district’s new Strategic Plan, just in time for the 2023-24 school year.

It’s been a busy first year for this new Bay Village resident, so we sat down with him to find out how this year may be different, his goals for this school year, more about the new Strategic Plan and what he likes most about being a Bay Village resident.

Q. It’s hard to believe you’re already starting your second year with Bay Village Schools. How do you think this year will be different from last year?
A. For the last 15 months, I’ve made it a point to get to know this community; from the faculty and staff, to Mayor Koomar and his team; from the students and their parents, to the residents; and of course, the civic and spiritual leaders. I have listened and I have learned.

As members of the Bay Village Board of Education, we had the honor and privilege of presenting our 190 graduates with diplomas during Bay High School’s 97th Annual Commencement Exercises at Bay High Memorial Stadium on May 30.

It was wonderful to hear from two members of the Class of 2023, student speakers Renee Duffy and Ella Tenerowicz, as they reflected on their time as students, and their hopes and dreams for their and their classmates’ futures. They credited their teachers, principals, families and fellow students for helping to shape them during their formative years.

Over the summer, The Bay Village City School District started the process for conducting a facilities audit as part of a complimentary service offered by the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission (OFCS). Once this assessment of the district’s facilities is complete, results will be shared publicly. 

Part of the district’s strategic plan and budget involves investing in buildings and grounds, and here are some of the capital improvement projects the district's facilities team and its vendors completed this summer:

• Concrete curb repair at Bay High, Bay Middle and Westerly.

• Upgrades and installations of additional security cameras at school buildings.

• Repitching the roof over the Normandy Library to eliminate water issues.

Normandy Elementary School welcomes all Class of 2036 incoming Kindergarteners and a parent to attend an informal Playdate on Thursday, Aug. 3, to meet Principal Dan Sebring and other new Norman Bees. This is an optional event, and you should only sign up for one timeslot.

Your Playdate will take place on Normandy's "Whales" playground (the west side of the school), or in the Cafeteria if there is inclement weather. Normandy PTA will also be onsite to answer parent questions and to accept PTA membership applications.

During its first year participating in the coveted Dazzle Awards, Bay High School was nominated for 10 awards for its spring musical, "Disney's Newsies: The Broadway Musical," in categories such as Best Actor, Best Student Orchestra, Best Musical and Best Scenic Design.

During the Saturday, May 20, Dazzle Awards ceremony at Playhouse Square, Bay High School received its first Dazzle Award for Best Scenic Design. Recent Bay High School graduate Jack Oster accepted the award on behalf of the entire production team, including Director Luke Scattergood and Technical Director Keith Stevens.

Bay High School’s production of "Newsies" featured about 125 Bay Village Schools students, from elementary through high school, who were involved with the musical, ranging from cast and crew to pit orchestra. "Newsies" sold out three of its four performances and was 30 seats shy of selling out the fourth, and was touted by attendees as one of the best productions mounted at Bay High Auditorium.

Westlake City Schools invited senior citizens from the community to dinner at Westlake High School on May 11. Approximately 75 senior residents of Westlake enjoyed dinner prepared by the high school kitchen staff and served by students from the Key Club and National Honor Society.

The Company D Show Choir performed. Some guests even danced to music provided by the Jazz Ensemble.  Both the vocal and music programs have recently received recognition in state competition.

Bay High School student Mary Catherine Murtaugh has been honored with the "Power of Youth Award" by Thirst Project, a nonprofit organization that works with young people to end the global water crisis by building freshwater wells in developing countries. Mary Catherine was chosen from hundreds of thousands of students internationally for her clean water efforts and fundraising through Bay High Key Club, where she has helped raise more than $46,000.

Thirst Project is flying this rising senior student to Los Angeles later this month to receive her award at the nonprofit's 14th annual Gala event, held in Hollywood on the backlot of Paramount Studios. Past Gala attendees include Adam Sandler and Jennifer Garner.

Seven hundred eighty five million. There are many little kids in school right now learning how to count to 10 or 100. To them 785 million is probably the largest number in the world. Meanwhile there are children who are not able to go to school because they have to walk tons of miles to collect dirty water that will make them sick.

There are 785 million people in the world without access to clean drinking water. In most communities, women and children walk all day long to collect dirty water. These children grow up with no education and the women do not have the time to get a job. These people get waterborne diseases from this dirty water which can cause them to get violently ill and possibly die. This cycle of life has been viciously attacking millions of people for years. The families and villages within Africa do not deserve to live this way.

Standards for inclusion on the prestigious Best Communities for Music Education list have increased consistently over the last two decades, but the Bay Village City School District has once again been honored for its exemplary music program. First recognized with the distinction in 2003 – and each year since – Bay Village Schools is among just 830 districts nationwide, and 47 Ohio school districts, identified for this national honor by the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Foundation for 2023.

The distinction takes on added significance again this year since music education – perhaps more than any other school subject – was affected by pandemic protocol that included masking and social distancing the last two years.

Recently, Auditor of State Keith Faber announced that Bay Village City School District received the Auditor of State Award for its clean audit reports for the fiscal year ended 2022. Bay Village Schools is one of 165 districts/schools in Ohio, and one of 16 districts/schools in Cuyahoga County to receive the distinction. According to a representative from the State Auditor’s Department – Jake Altman, Northeast Regional Liaison – less than 10% of government entities in the state receive this award.

The State Auditor’s office shares information as far back as 2014. Except for 2017, Bay Village Schools has received the Ohio Auditor of State Award every year since 2014; eight of the last nine years.

The Foundry Community Rowing and Sailing Center hosted its first-ever Juried Student Art Show, called The Power of Water, welcoming entries from 91 middle and high school students from nine participating Northeast Ohio schools. The entries were evaluated by distinguished jurors Hillary Gent, Kevin "Mr. Soul" Harp, and Sabine Kretzschmar, who selected 41 pieces for display in the student exhibition.

The exhibition and opening night were held at The Foundry Community Rowing and Sailing Center in Cleveland on April 27 with over 100 individuals in attendance. The students received cash prizes for Best of Show and in the middle and high school categories of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place, as well as certificates for honorable mention and the People's Choice award. Campus International, a Cleveland Metropolitan School, won $1,000 in art supplies for the school with the highest number of student participants.

Matt Spellman, athletics & activities director for Bay Village City School District was named “Athletic Director of the Year” by the Northeast Ohio Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NEOIAAA).

“The fact that more than 80 percent of our students participate in a sport and/or an activity illustrates how dedicated Matt is to our student body,” said Supt. Scot Prebles. “Bay High has already taken four teams to state competition this year, and spring sports are just underway. I am super proud of Matt and the way he leads our coaching staff and activity advisors.”

Two Bay High School students in Greg Hildebrandt’s Advanced Digital Media class recently had the opportunity to work on a real client project, creating artwork for the nonprofit organization the New Bay Village Dog Kennel Fund.

Senior Mia Gulley was the principal illustrator and designer, and Senior Kristina Laraway consulted and was there for the initial meeting with Bay Village resident Nancy Brown, who is coordinating the fundraising efforts for the New Bay Village Dog Kennel Fund, an official 501c3 organization. The students created original artwork for the nonprofit that they turned into a flyer, poster and door hanger.

Bay High School’s Team United, led by seniors Maeve Ransom and John Finley, raised more than $118,000 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to be named Cleveland Student Visionaries of the Year by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Northern Ohio. Team United raised these funds in just seven weeks, contributing to the more than $821,000 they and 30 other schools in Northeast Ohio raised to help fight blood cancers.

In October, Bay Village Schools announced that Bay High School Senior Anna Mayer was recognized as a Semifinalist in the 2023 National Merit Scholarship Program (NMSP). Bay High School Principal Jason Martin was recently notified by NMSP that Anna has advanced to Finalist standing in the 68th annual competition.

Anna is now eligible for Merit Scholarship awards totaling more than $30 million to be awarded later this spring. Anna is one of only 15,000 Finalists of the more than 1.5 million NMSP entrants.

Bay High School celebrated a great winter sports season with a state swim champ and several state qualifiers in diving, wrestling and indoor track.

Congratulations to swimmer Nina LaRosa who won first place in the 100-yard Breaststroke at the recent 2023 Swimming & Diving State Tournament in Canton. This senior state champ broke her own school record with a time of 1:02.57. Nina also placed 6th in the State 100-yard Butterfly.

We also congratulate divers Charlie Vatolin (5th place), Bennett Bourn (21st place) and Belle Dent (24th place), who also represented Bay High School at the Canton state swimming and diving tournament.

The Westlake High School spring musical, "Legally Blonde," will hit the stage for four shows beginning on Thursday, March 23. Based on the popular film starring Reese Witherspoon, the musical follows a sorority girl's attempts to overcome stereotypes.

Elle Woods appears to have it all. However, her life is turned upside down when her boyfriend Warner dumps her so he can attend Harvard Law. Determined to get him back, Elle perseveres and is accepted into Harvard as well. While there, she struggles with peers, professors and her ex. With the support of some new friends, though, Elle quickly realizes her potential and sets out to prove herself to the world.

Performances will be held on March 23, 24, and 25 at 7 p.m., with a matinee on Sunday, March 26, at 2 p.m. Tickets are $10. The Westlake Performing Arts Center is located at 27830 Hilliard Blvd.

Prom season is right around the corner and the Westlake High School class of 2023 is gearing up. Fourteen boys and 14 girls participated in the annual event which showcases the latest prom fashions. Sponsored by local tuxedo and dress shops, a hair salon and a florist, the students had the opportunity to not only model dresses and tuxedos, but wear corsage and boutonniere flowers. Each of the girls had their hair done by salon staff.

Westlake's prom is scheduled for Saturday, May 13, and will be held at the Western Reserve Historical Society. After prom will be hosted on the same evening at Westlake's Urban Air Adventure Park.

Bay High School has earned the College Board AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award for achieving high female representation in AP Computer Science A. Schools honored with the AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award have expanded girls’ access in AP computer science courses.

More than 1,100 institutions achieved either 50% or higher female representation in one of the two AP computer science courses or a percentage of the female computer science exam takers meeting or exceeding that of the school’s female population during the 2021-22 school year. In 2022, Bay High School was one of 209 recognized in the category of AP Computer Science A nationally, and one of 25 in the state of Ohio.

The 2023 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards were announced recently, and 36 Bay High School students won 60 awards in categories such as poetry, sculpture, flash fiction, photography and more. Of those 60 awards, 22 were Gold Keys, 14 were Silver Keys and 24 were Honorable Mentions. The Gold Key award is the highest honor of distinction in this competition.

Bay High School Gold Key art winners: junior Gianna Crimaldi, photography; junior Laila Florentino, photography; junior Mallory Fry, painting; senior Emilia Gulley, sculpture; freshman Martin Hausler, painting and drawing & illustration; junior Danielle Lentes, painting; sophomore Olivia McIntire, sculpture; junior Annie McMerrell, painting; freshman Sebastian Sabre, photography; senior Larson Toil, photography; and senior Emilia Ullom, painting and art portfolio. Emilia is also one of only five students in the Greater Cleveland Region nominated for an American Visions award.

How lucky can one person be? Just ask Leigh Luzar. Last year, he won $250 from the Westlake Alumni Association when he purchased raffle tickets to support the Westlake Educational Foundation’s car raffle. This year, Leigh again purchased car raffle tickets and won the grand prize – a 2022 Chevy Malibu LS!

Due to the generosity of Serpentini Chevrolet of Westlake, who donated the 2022 Chevy Malibu, the Westlake Educational Foundation recently held its 3rd Annual Car Raffle.

As in prior years, the Foundation partnered with other organizations within the school district who support various aspects of Westlake student life. By promoting the raffle, Westlake Demons Athletic Boosters, Westlake Music Boosters, Westlake PTAs, and Westlake Alumni Association shared in the ticket sales proceeds. With their involvement and support, the Foundation’s third car raffle exceeded $25,000 in ticket sales proceeds.

During its Jan. 10, 2023, Organizational Board Meeting, the Bay Village Board of Education elected new officers for the 2023 calendar year. Dr. Scott Schulz was voted President and Dr. Andrey Stojic was elected Vice President.

“As a Board, we are excited about the direction the district is headed with the refresh of our strategic plan and the knowledge we gained at the recent Ohio School Board Association (OSBA) Capital Conference,” said President Dr. Scott Schulz. “We have an incredible team of teachers and administrators, who have a genuine passion for serving our students and community. We look forward to taking Bay Village Schools to the next level while honoring our shared values and strategic vision.”

Bay Village Schools Superintendent Scot Prebles has turned a corner of the Board of Education office into an art gallery. Prebles recently initiated the Superintendent’s Choice Award by selecting one piece of art from each K-12 building. The pieces were chosen from the Fall District Art Show. The pieces will be proudly displayed outside of Supt. Prebles’ office for one year. New pieces will be selected in the fall of 2023.

Congratulations to the following students and their teachers:

Normandy Elementary School
Artist: Molly Gillette
Teacher: Jama Jennings
Students learned facts about Mexico to connect them to the language they learn at Normandy. The Holiday Dia de Los Muertos is the inspiration for this piece. Molly's artwork was influenced by Amate's bark painting of Mexico.

At the Dec. 12 Westlake Board of Education meeting, the Westlake Educational Foundation awarded two staff grants totaling over $30,000 to support creative and innovative learning experiences in the classroom. Both grants will provide opportunities for students to expand their STEM knowledge with hands-on projects and activities and expose students to various STEM careers.

The Westlake Educational Foundation awards grants to Westlake City School teachers and staff for projects that enhance the educational opportunities and learning experiences of students over and above the required curriculum, giving special consideration to proposals that demonstrate creativity and innovation in student learning. Grants are not made for those expenses normally covered within the school district’s budget.

If you live in Bay Village and have a student attending Kindergarten next fall, please plan to attend Normandy Elementary School’s Kindergarten Information Night on Wednesday, Feb. 1, at 6:30 p.m. in the Normandy Cafeteria. Members of the Class of 2036 must be 5 years old on or before Aug. 1.

At the Information Night, the Kindergarten registration procedure will be reviewed, and an overview of Kindergarten and Kindergarten readiness will be provided, as well as information regarding daycare, speech therapy, early entrance, transportation and volunteer opportunities. For those who cannot attend the meeting, the event will be recorded and the link will be shared, however, you are encouraged to attend in-person, if possible.

Bay Village Schools Band Director Darren Allen has been selected as one of SBO+ (School Band Orchestra) Magazine's 23rd Annual "50 Directors Who Make a Difference.” Allen was nominated and recognized for his work in making a difference every day for Bay Village Schools students.

Allen is one of only 50 music directors nationwide – and the only one in Ohio – to receive this distinction. He said he is humbled to represent the state of Ohio, especially "when there are so many great music educators in the state."

At the Nov. 21 Bay Village Board of Education meeting, the Bay Village Education Foundation presented three grants worth nearly $3,000 to three teachers within the Bay Village City School District.

The three teachers awarded grants are Ron Rutt, Technology Teacher at Bay High School; Jennifer Carney, Grade 3 Teacher at Westerly Elementary School; and Colin Lackey, Intervention Teacher at Bay Middle School.

"After a 2-year hiatus due to COVID, the Bay Village Education Foundation was excited to once again offer competitive grants to enhance the education of students in Bay Village Schools,” said Lisa Napoli, chairperson of Bay Village Education Foundation’s Grants and Scholarship Committee. “This year’s grant recipients are great examples of the innovative ways that Bay teachers make learning fun. The Bay Village Education Foundation is pleased to support such projects."

For the Observer's annual last-issue-of-the-year feature, students from Mrs. Jenny Larcey's first-grade class at Westlake Elementary School share favorite family traditions.

Have you ever tried spaghetti before? My family has a special recipe. You should try it! My family and I eat spaghetti every Thursday. Sometimes I put vegetables in my spaghetti. Sometimes I put in meatballs. Then we go to my aunt and uncle's house and my cousins and I play a game we made up called, “Families.” We take turns being the mom, sister and baby. Thursdays are the best days in my family!    
-Nuha

Do you know what Eid is? Eid is a type of holiday when you will see family and friends. You will go to the mosque to pray and after you will go home to change your clothes. Then you will go eat breakfast with your family and friends. After that when everybody has left,  you will go shopping for toys. This is my favorite family tradition! 
- Jude

What season has a lot of snow and lights with gifts? Christmas! My favorite tradition is seeing the Christmas lights on Seabury Avenue. A bunch of houses decorate with Christmas lights. We walk down Seabury with Aunt Marie, Calvin, and Uncle Mark. We use blankets and heat pouches because it is cold. We walk under arches of lights. Trees have snowy ice lights drooping down with icicles on top. Christmas is the best season!
- Henry

For the Observer's annual last-issue-of-the-year feature, students from Mrs. Julie McArn's first-grade class at Normandy Elementary School in Bay Village share favorite family traditions.

Every holiday Christmas I think we invite our aunts and uncles to my house. Sometimes I think we play a game. And we also have some friends like my cousins over. We play sometimes. I think that’s all that I can remember.
- Anthony

Me and my mom set up the tree together. The next day is Christmas and we open our presents. We visit my grandma and grandpa and eat breakfast. I love pancakes and waffles and eggs.
- Andre’

Our tradition is setting up the Christmas tree and putting decorations on it. We go to the Santa shop. We buy presents for mom, dad, two grandmas and two grandpas. That’s it.
- Ari

On Wednesday, Nov. 15, the Bay High School Chapter of the National Honor Society (NHS) inducted 102 new members. The event marked the 83rd annual induction ceremony at Bay High School.

Membership in the National Honor Society is the highest honor that can be bestowed upon a high school student. It is the recognition of outstanding performance in both the classroom and within the community. These students represent the four pillars of NHS: Scholarship, Service, Leadership and Character.

“These students truly represent the principles of scholarship, service, leadership and character,” said Kathryn Seal, Bay High School math teacher and National Honor Society advisor. “It is my privilege to serve with them as their advisor.”

Westlake Demons Athletic Boosters (WDAB) was thrilled to share its fourth annual Veterans Day Flag Display at Westlake High School. Twenty-five athletic teams from Westlake High School and Lee Burneson Middle School, along with WDAB and the Athletic Department, each planted a flag in honor of American veterans for a total of 27 flags.

Working with WDAB, each team selected a veteran to celebrate. Those recognized include service men and women from the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, and U.S. Marine Corps. The students selected parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, Westlake alumni, neighbors, and friends.

“Each veteran has a connection to the Westlake athletic community,” stated Virnette House-Browning, President of Westlake Demons Athletic Boosters. “They are grandparents, neighbors, friends, uncles, aunts and some even work within the school district. They are selfless individuals and we honor their commitment to our country.”