SAYBROOK TOWNSHIP — Making a difference is one of the most important responsibilities a person has in his or her lifetime. Without the good deeds that warmhearted people do every day, the world would be at a loss. “Volunteering does as much for the person helping as it does for the person in need,” said principal Sylvia Atkinson. “It’s, in a sense, our purpose in this world.”....more>>
ASHTABULA TOWNSHIP — Volleyball was the game; breast cancer awareness was the aim. The Edgewood Warriors faced the Ss. John and Paul Heralds on the Warrior’s court for a volleyball match Oct. 13. However, this wasn’t an ordinary match; it was the Volley for the Cure. Even though the Warriors stood victorious, the true winners were those who have battled breast cancer.
CONNEAUT — Summer has quickly slipped into autumn and autumn is fading into winter as the last of the leaves settle to the ground. Yet, at South Ridge Christian Academy there is a bright spot that also coincides with this time of year. It is the annual Missions Conference.
CONNEAUT — This year, the students of Conneaut High School came back to many changes. Former athletic director, Dawn Zappitelli, moved up to fill the position of principal. This left a vacancy in the athletic director’s position which was filled by Joel Taylor, former government teacher and baseball coach. When Zappitelli was asked what she enjoyed most about being principal, she said, “I like being more involved with all the student activities.” In addition to new administration members, the students of CHS also came back to classes that were not previously offered. Some of these new classes include Statistics, Chemistry II, Yoga and Fitness and Current Events.
JEFFERSON — There was a feeling of fellowship in the hallways of the Ashtabula County Joint Vocational School on Oct. 13 and 14 as the school held its annual fall blood donation drive in conjunction with the American Red Cross. Officials said 232 students donated and collected 182 pints of blood this year, a record for the school.
GENEVA — The leaves have begun to change colors and the plants and flowers are beginning to fade away. The new school year has come and students and faculty at Geneva High School are ready to greet it. New faculty at GHS this year include French teacher Shannon Dalton, math teacher Amie Irving and learning disability tutor Katie Malasky.
ASHTABULA — This year Ss. John and Paul has the pleasure of hosting Florian Liebhardt, a foreign exchange student from Iffeldorf, Germany. Florian is the youngest son of August Liebhardt, a realtor and property developer, and Michaela Liebhardt, the vice mayor of Iffeldorf. He has two brothers and two sisters. Florian’s host parent is Beverly Pitt, who also hosted his sister, Stephanie Liebhardt, in 1995. “Flo” is very shy, but he likes living with Mrs. Pitt.
ANDOVER — The popular Aerosmith song says, “We’re back in the saddle again,” only this year at Pymatuning Valley, we have some new riders. The Pymatuning Valley community has welcomed a new superintendent, Alex Geordan, and a new high school principal, Van McWreath.
JEFFERSON — For decades, Jefferson students have been educated in the iconic Jefferson Area Junior/Senior High School. But, when the condition of the school quickly declined, a window of opportunity opened itself to the Jefferson community.
ORWELL — Welcome back, Grand Valley! There was a buzz of energy going around the school the first day back at Grand Valley. Maybe it was the excitement of the students seeing each other again for the first time in three long months, maybe it was the electric hum of the 66 new computers the school had received or maybe it could be the joyful music coming from the new choir director’s room. Whatever the reason, Grand Valley would like to welcome to the high school our new technology and the new choir instructor.
AUSTINBURG — Two weeks ago, a group of student athletes rang the Grand River Academy victory bell. Last week, the same students rang the bell for the very same reason. These victories were not the normal ones the school has been used to; they were new and unique. For the first time in almost 80 years, Grand River Academy won a football game. Their team is not called the Eagles, as one might think. They are the Ashtabula Heralds. The team was rapidly thrown together when Ss. John and Paul parents realized that they would not be able to field a team this year with the number of boys who went out for the team. They called GRA headmaster, Randy Blum, and because he had always wanted to try football at the academy, gave the idea the go ahead.
SAYBROOK TOWNSHIP — As the 2009-2010 school year kicked off, Lakeside High School students and faculty were surprised with the presence of the new junior high facility, which opened its doors this fall. This building, however, was not the only new addition to the Lakeside campus. The high school has a new vice principal, Timothy Neal, who was the former athletic administrator.
ASHTABULA TOWNSHIP — The new school year has started and there are lots of things going on at Edgewood Senior High. We have new classes and new opportunities. Edgewood has an excellent rating as well. This is sure to be a promising year.
CONNEAUT — Stephen R. Covey once said, “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.” Students at South Ridge Christian Academy are not only instructed with high quality academics but are also taught many character building traits and lessons. Realizing that though book learning is important, some things are better “caught” than taught. The “main thing” at SRCA has been to equip students with a desire to make a difference in the lives of others and in their communities. With this in mind, SRCA students and staff put actions to their words by serving their community on Sept. 25.
The Kathryn Rose Party Center was the place to be April 25, as Lakeside High School students gathered for a night of dancing and the last “hoorah” for the seniors.
A profession that is too often overlooked and sometimes taken for granted is also the one that involves the safety of children every day, five days a week. The duties of a bus driver require more than just a driver’s license and free time twice each day.
The school year is coming to an end here at Ashtabula County Joint Vocational School. Seniors are getting ready for the big day, while juniors are itching for summer vacation to begin. Teachers are wrapping up this year and preparing for the next.
Thirty-five years is a long time. In 35 years, a person can touch thousands of lives. This year, Conneaut High School says “good-bye” to two men who have done just that. Two members of the CHS staff are retiring this year – David Simpson and Don Ketchum.
It is springtime and everyone knows what that means: prom season. With prom right around the corner, there is increased pressure for teen-agers to engage in dangerous activities, such as drinking and, worse yet, drinking and driving.
Preparation and hard work have paid off for the Jefferson Area High School’s Model United Nations team. The team placed first out of 12 schools at the Youngstown State University competition and second out of 19 schools at the Kent State University Ashtabula competition.
With the coming of spring, new traditions have bloomed on the campus at Grand River Academy. While baseball and tennis go way back in GRA history, students are learning a new sport that they hope starts a new tradition.
It must be spring because the Ashtabula County Joint Vocational School annual softball competition between technical labs is underway, and the National Honor Society has just inducted its new members.
On April 3, Ss. John and Paul High School took part in the annual Career Day. Sixth-grade students from Assumption Elementary and Ss. John and Paul Elementary joined high school students from grades seventh through 11th for a prayer service in the morning, five sessions of presentations of careers throughout the day, lunch and activities in the gym in the afternoon.
Every year the Edgewood Warrior Band has a special night for its members. Military Ball was started many years ago as a way to recognize each student for his participation, and to honor the seniors’ loyalty to the “band family.” The event has evolved into a night of dinner, dance and awards.
The caps, gowns, family and sunshine (hopefully, after all, it is Ohio) are all in great anticipation as graduation approaches for the Grand River Academy seniors.
The Jefferson Area High School treble choir, concert choir and band went to the Howland School District to compete in the District V Large Group Adjudicated Event. Both of the choirs came out of the contest with a II (two) out of a possible V (five), which is considered to be excellent, and band received the same rating.
Spring has arrived and with it comes warmer weather and the start of several traditional events here at the Ashtabula County Joint Vocational School. For one, National Honor Society, an organization that recognizes and involves outstanding secondary students across the nation, will be inducting new members in April.
As many students know, March is one of the slowest months of the school year. In anticipation for spring break, everything seems to be in slow motion. Sports like baseball, tennis and track are just beginning.
Spring fever has not affected achievement, involvement or enthusiasm at Geneva High School. The academic and creative momentum has not slowed, and students have not lost their competitive edge. Various clubs will be competing through the months of March and April to keep up the positive image of GHS.
With a new school comes new opportunities, and this year Lakeside High School students have the option of being members of Key Club, which is the oldest and largest service program for high school students.
Every year, Edgewood Senior High School throws a semi-formal dance for its students. Traditionally, the Pep Club sponsors the dance, but this year the Spanish Club has taken on the project as a new challenge.
“I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the community, and as long as I live it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can” said George Bernard Shaw, an Irish playwright and writer. Although Grand River Academy has students from many different states and six different countries, many of the teachers have roots in Ashtabula County.
Four-teen Jefferson Area High School juniors and seniors were selected for publication in “A Celebration of Poets” after participating in the annual poetry contest sponsored by Creative Communications. The winning students include seniors Morgan Charles and Angel Fantozzi and juniors Cody Dickson, Chris Dreger, Kelsey Hruska, Elizabeth Hubler, Donald Johnson III, Joslin Landis, Brittany Miller, Ray Nicholson, Jonathan Niemi, Kirsten Signer, Dayna Stevens and Lizzy Ziemski.
With spring approaching, Ashtabula County Joint Vocational School students and staff have been busy as bees. Each program is focusing on regional and state competitions, with seniors also working on completing courses for their upcoming graduation. Lab instructors have been preparing for makeup visitations for those students that could not attend 10th grade visitations earlier in the year.
The average high school student typically has a busy schedule. Not only is it crucial for students to keep up their grades; they also need to focus on athletics, extra-curricular activities, part-time jobs and household responsibilities. In addition to this, hard-working seniors are neck-deep in tedious college and scholarship applications.
As the last days of winter approach and signs of spring begin to appear, the Ss. John and Paul family has been keeping busy with a variety of activities
“We’re off to see the wizard!” The GHS drama department is taking us “somewhere over the rainbow” this spring as “The Wizard of Oz” comes to the Geneva High School stage on March 13, 14 and 15.
