West Geauga Schools
March 2, 2017 by Staff Report

The 2017 Geauga County Spelling Bee champion is Andrew Elias from Westwood Elementary School in the West Geauga Local School District...

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Spelling Bee Champion

The 2017 Geauga County Spelling Bee champion is Andrew Elias from Westwood Elementary School in the West Geauga Local School District. Andrew competed against other top spellers from Geauga County’s public and private schools to win his title.

Franklin B. Walter Scholarship Winner

West Geauga High School senior David Sprenger was selected from top student scholars in each of Geauga County’s public high schools as the recipient of the Franklin B. Walter Scholarship. David and his family will be honored at an award ceremony in Columbus in May 2017.

National Merit Scholarship Finalist

West Geauga High School senior James Pusterhofer was recently notified by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation that his qualification status has been elevated from semifinalist to finalist. James is now among the top one percent of candidates that sat for the PSAT last fall.

In March 2017, National Merit Scholarship Corporation will notify approximately 7,500 students that they have become scholarship winners. The school district wishes James the very best as he pursues the final stages of this very prestigious scholarship opportunity.

Athletic Director Recognized

Joe Leonette is being presented with the Tim Flannery Horizon Award by the Northeast Ohio Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association. The award is given to an outstanding athletic director in his or her first three years in the field. West Geauga is pleased that Joe has been awarded this honor by his peers.

According to Superintendent Rich Markwardt, “Joe brings a solid knowledge base and a good work ethic to his role as AD. Even more importantly, he is a top-quality guy with integrity, a moral compass, and a deep love for the West Geauga community and its schools.”

Student Athletes of the Month

West Geauga High School Student Athletes of the Month for January are seniors Kara Zebrowski and Daniel Sternen. Student athletes of the month are sponsored by Hillcrest Insurance.

Kara is on the girls varsity basketball team. She will be a three-year varsity letter winner for the team. After tearing her ACL late in the soccer season, Kara has been unable to play basketball her senior year. Kara has been with her varsity teammates every single day throughout her recovery.

Head coach Cheryl Rye said, “Dedication and loyalty are two words that come to mind when I think of Kara. This was her team and she wanted to be a part of it. Being able to actually play the game didn’t matter to Kara or her teammates. She is still just as important to us and is an integral member of our program. Her commitment to her teammates and this program speak volumes of her character.”

Kara was also a member of the girls soccer team, where she earned two varsity letters.

Outside her athletic accomplishments, she has earned a current GPA of 3.9. She is also a member of the National Honors Society and National Technical Honor Society. She plans on attending Bowling Green State University to study pre-physical therapy. Kara enjoys playing and watching sports. Most importantly, though, she values spending time with her friends and family.

Daniel is on the hockey team. He will be earning his fourth varsity letter for the team. He was recognized as the Greater Cleveland Hockey League All-Star of the week with six goals in one game.

Coach Gilliam praised, “Daniel has served as the team captain and leader of the team all season.”

His athletic ability has allowed him to step up and successfully play a variety of positions including goalie this year. He is a coach’s dream and is determined and willing to do what’s best for the program.

Off the ice, Daniel earned a GPA of 4.0 in the second quarter. Daniel is also planning on furthering his education at Bowling Green State University. He has an interest in studying health sciences. In Daniel’s spare time, he enjoys playing golf and boating with his friends.

NSHSS Recognizes Exemplary Educator

Kristin Gregory, science department chair at West Geauga High School, has received a $1,000 grant from The National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS) to attend the annual ChemEd conference July 23-27 at South Dakota State University. Ms. Gregory looks forward to learning from her peers, developing new relationships with them and bringing back new strategies and techniques to improve West Geauga’s AP Chemistry program.

“NSHSS attracts exemplary student scholars, but we know they don’t achieve success without the dedication and commitment of outstanding teachers. We are very pleased to offer opportunities for professional development to dedicated educators,” said Myrna Lubin, NSHSS director of educator outreach.

The National Society of High School Scholars was founded in 2002 by Claes Nobel, senior member of the family that established the Nobel Prizes. The organization seeks to advance the goals and aspirations of high-achieving students through unique learning experiences, scholarships, internships, international study and peer networks. NSHSS also supports and acknowledges the work of exemplary educators with grants to improve instruction, attend professional conferences and pursue advanced degrees.