Kindergarten screening is a process used to help gather important information about incoming kindergarten students for the 2017-18 school year...
Kindergarten Screening
Kindergarten screening is a process used to help gather important information about incoming kindergarten students for the 2017-18 school year. This information is used in a variety of ways, but most importantly, to help determine the skills children have when entering school. The most-appropriate class placements can be made once this information has been collected and analyzed by the district staff.
Kindergarten screenings will be by appointment only and will be conducted at the West Geauga Board of Education Office. Screenings will take place on May 22 and 23. Appointments will run every 20 minutes beginning at approximately 8:30 a.m. Call Mrs. Diane Martin at 440-729-5913 to set up an appointment.
Kindergarten staff and school psychologists from both Lindsey and Westwood will conduct the screenings, five students at a time. The screening will take approximately 20 minutes from start to finish. Students will be asked to play games and complete teaks related to early numeracy, early literacy and fine motor skills. Staff will gather data and work with a team to analyze it. The principals will then be involved in class placements.
Families of incoming kindergartners will receive a letter in the mail in early August communicating the name of the teacher their child has for the 2017-18 school year. A welcome back ice cream social will take place before the official first day of school where students will have an opportunity to drop off supplies, meet their teacher and take a ride on a school bus.
Kindergarten students begin school in a staggered fashion. A portion of the students will report day one, the second portion on day two and all kindergarten students on day three. More information will be included in the early August letter.
Call soon to book the child’s screening appointment. The goal is to meet with each and every incoming kindergartner. Parents who find the screening dates problematic and/or have any questions about the process may call Deborah Nanney, principal at Westwood, at 440-729-5990 or Kim Menta, principal at Lindsey, at 440-729-5980.
West G “Linked” Together
The West Geauga Board of Education members were presented copies of the 2017 Westwind, the high school yearbook, by representatives of the high school staff and student body at the May 8 board meeting. This year’s issue is titled “Linked.”
In the words of yearbook co-editor Austin Maguire, “At West Geauga, classmates become friends and friends become family as each of us is LINKED together. We are all connected by our shared experiences and memories, by our similarities, and by the wonderful differences that make each of us unique” (Westwind, 2017).
Student Athletes of the Month
West Geauga High School Student Athletes of the Month for April are junior Trent Fritzche and senior Alison D’Alessandro. Student athletes of the month are sponsored by Hillcrest Insurance.
Trent is a student athlete on the boys lacrosse team. He will be earning his third varsity letter this season. He has been the team captain the past two seasons. He has led the West Geauga lacrosse program in scoring in all three seasons with the high school. Trent is also one of the top 10 leading scorers in the state. Trent has already earned All-Ohio honors in the sport of lacrosse.
Coach Steele said, “Trent is an amazing lacrosse player; he has the ability to take over a game and has one of fastest shots I have seen on a lacrosse field. He is very talented and has the ability to play at the next level or in college.”
Off the lacrosse field, he is a great student holding an accumulative GPA of 3.8 and earning a 4.17 this past third quarter.
Although Trent is only a junior, he has intentions on heading to the east coast for college where he intends on studying business and pursuing a MBA. In his free time, he enjoys chilling with his friends on the weekend and playing lacrosse with his summer team, the Titanium.
Alison is a student athlete on the girls track team. She will be a four-year varsity letter winner for the team. Alison is a pole vault jumper who draws a crowd at every event. She has already cleared 12 feet and is aiming for 13 feet before the season end. She was also a four-time letter winner for the gymnastics team.
Coach Ryan Nightingale said, “It has been a pleasure to watch Alison progress into one of the elite vaulters in the state. She has shown great dedication in improving her craft by jumping during indoor season with the Geneva vault club and attending vault camp at the University of Tennessee. The greatest part of coaching is watching kids achieve the goals they have set for themselves. Alison has already done this season by clearing 12 feet and giving herself the opportunity to continue her career at the University of Kentucky.”
Outside of her athletic competitions, she is involved with the Student Council, Interact Club, Key Club and Art Club. She has earned a current cumulative GPA of 4.23. She plans on attending the University of Kentucky to study math.
WGHS Named to America’s Most Challenging List
West Geauga High School was recognized by The Washington Post last week as one of 34 Ohio high schools listed among “America’s Most Challenging High Schools.” It is the first time that West Geauga High School has received the honor.
According to Superintendent Rich Markwardt, “I’m proud of the fact that our high school received The Washington Post recognition. It’s due to the rigor of the work that our students and their teachers undertake. We expect to do even better in the WP rankings next year.”
Principal Jay Bishop expressed a similar sentiment noting, “Over the last four years we have worked hard to make more rigorous classes available to our students. Our students and teachers have done a tremendous job of responding to meet the challenges presented with the course load.”
Senior Awards
West Geauga High School held it 2017 Scholarships and Awards Ceremony on May 9.
Award recipients include:
Senior Class Officers: Jack Makee, president; Jorge Mirabelli, vice president; Kevin Wright, treasurer; and Samuel Faulk, secretary.
Art Department: Art Club Awards -Molly Alesnik, Alison D’Alessandro, Lily Dolciato, Katie Hatzidakis, Camryn Heatwole, Cassie McCartney, Emma McCarty, Kendall Portman, Grace Rosenbaum, Alyssa Tirabassi, Gabriella Engoglia and Kaylee Biesemeier.
English Department: Achievement Awards – Joseph Anderson, Sabrina Sugar and Maggie Corlett; Achievement in Creative Writing – Matthew Amato.
Foreign Language Department: David Sprenger.
Guidance Department: Guidance Citizenship Awards – Anthony Brocone, Antoinette Foliart, Charlie Koach, Marin Musser, Alyssa Posante and David Sprenger.
Science Department: Herbert E. Steingass Award – David Sprenger; Robotics – Matthew Palmer, Bernard Schweter, Jason Gialamas and Samuel Faulk; Joseph Szabo Chemistry Award/Scholarship – David Sprenger; Science Olympiad – Marissa Barbieri, Antoinette Foliart, Austin Maguire and David Sprenger; McCullough/Podojil Book Award Environmental Stewardship Award – Shannon Stanforth.
Envirothon: Antoinette Foliart, Emma McCarty and Matt Gracon.
Key Club: Officer Awards – Bella Garcia, Deanna Swinerton, Shannon Stanforth and Jack Makee; Service Awards -Celeste Slapnicker and Rachel Bobango.
Relay For Life: Antionette Foliart and Madolynn Johnson.
Ronald McDonald House Charities Of Northeastern Ohio Educational Scholarship: David Sprenger.
McDonald’s Leadership Award: Hannah Fox and Christina Praprost.
Chagrin Valley Women’s Club: Jessica Sargent and David Sprenger.
WGEA Scholarship: Sabrina Sugar.
Interact Club Student Of The Year Awards: Mr. James Bohinc Scholarship – Austin Maguire; The Jason Witherite Scholarship – David Sprenger.
Student Council Class Officers: Austin Maguire, president; Alyssa Tirabassi, vice president; Alexis Ange, secretary; and Nicole Insana, treasurer.
Student Council Scholarship: Austin Maguire and Alexis Ange.
The Wenger Orthodontic Science Scholarship: Nicholas Luther and Grace Barber.
Irene Sukle Memorial Scholarship Award: Kaitlyn DiBiase
Rotary Scholarships: Dr. Steven Winkler Memorial Scholarship – David Sprenger; Mr. Paul DeRamo Scholarship – Jorge Mirabelli; Mr. Bob Wilcox Scholarship – Austin Maguire.
United States Marine Corps Awards: Scholastic Excellence Award – Hailey Donato; Distinguished Athlete Award – Hannah Brinning and Kyle Gallagher; Semper Fidelis Award for Musical Experience – Nathan Short.
The Chesterland Chamber Of Commerce: Nicholas Luther and Jack Makee.
Phi Beta Kappa: Marin Musser
Academic Challenge Award: Hannah Fox and David Sprenger.
2017 Courageous Student Awards: Kara Zebrowski.
Archie Griffin Sportsmanship Award: Lindsey Stanforth and Charles Koach.
Mr. And Miss Wolverine: Jorge Mirabelli and Deanna Swinerton.
Pat Ambrose Memorial Scholarshp Award: Heather Wilson.
Walter E. Moll Award: Shannon Stanforth and Jorge Mirabelli.
State Sportsmanship & Ethics: Kyle Baer, WG trainer.
WG Kiwanis Club Scholarships: Shannon Stanforth, Austin Maguire, David Sprenger
Christina Praprost, Kevin Wright, Marissa Barbieri, Alyssa Posante, Deanna Swinerton, Camryn Heatwole and Grace Barber.
Al Mulliken Memorial Scholarship: Shannon Stanforth.
O.A.P.S.E. Scholarship: Jessica Baliker and Jessica Sargent.
Lakeland Community College Associates Degrees : Ashley Gianguzzo, Robert Kelly, Macie Rosenbaum and Ariel Stocum.
James Kisicki Award: Hannah Fox.
