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‘Round Lonsdale

Photo by Dennis Hicks

The 100 Block of Lonsdale had a Send-Off Party for Fran Conti and his wife Kathy McShane who are spending a year in Poland where Fran will teach as a Fulbright Scholar. The party was organized by Pam Goelz and attended by many present and past Lonsdalians. Fun was had by all with tables of food, grilling, games, and conversations late into the evening. Pictured above are Fran and Kathy surrounded by two of their four children (Fiona and Claire) and their many neighbors who will miss them. Safe Returns!

Oakwood City Schools get state high marks

By Lance Winkler

In the latest report card put out by the Ohio Department of Education on 102 school districts in southwestern Ohio, the Oakwood School District ranked number one in the state on the Ohio Graduation Test results, came in second place to Mason’s first place showing and was ranked the ninth best district in the state.

Oakwood also earned an Effective With Distinction (EWD) designation along with eleven other school districts. The district’s Performance Index Score was
rated at 107.8 – second to Mason’s 108.8. Finally, Oakwood met 30 out of 30 performance standards in the ratings reports. It was one of nine schools to meet those standards entirely.

“We are very proud of our students’ academic achievement and proud of the partnership among our families, community, and Oakwood educators which results in the support, resources, and expertise needed for all of our students to achieve,” said Superintendent Dr. Mary Jo Scalzo.

“Our district earned the newly created “Excellent With Distinction” rating because our students have consistently performed above state academic growth expectations. We do not take this for granted and will continue to differentiate instruction to meet student needs. As a result, we are keenly interested in the Performance Index Score and Value-Added Measure because these data points provide more precise information about student progress than the general passage rate.”

OHS Victory Bell’s peals to return

By Lance Winkler

A tradition is returning to Oakwood in the coming weeks. Over the past three years or so, the Victory Bell up on the roof of Oakwood High School has been inaccessible due to the building additions to the gym. The bell used to be rung with a rope going down through the roof and into an inside room underneath, according to Mark Hughes, OHS athletic director. The ceiling under the bell was rebuilt and the opening sealed off - but not for long.

According to Hughes, service staff members Larry Cherry and Bill Parries are currently working to restore the workings of the Victory Bell and it should once again be operable “within a week or so.”

“Mark Hughes came by and we talked with him the day before about the bell,” said Larry Cherry, head custodian at OHS. “We’re trying to get the bell back in working order. Our goal is to have the bell back in business before the next football game.”

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