Frederick Douglass School – in partnership with Activities Beyond the Classroom, Miami University, Operation D.R.I.V.E.N. and Humana – will kick off its “See It…Believe it…Achieve It” after-school mentoring program aimed at strengthening career readiness, financial literacy, and health and well-being for students in grades 5 and 6. The kick-off takes place November 12, 2015, at 3:00 p.m. at the school located at 2627 Park Avenue in Walnut Hills. The after-school program will pair Douglass students with 10th-, 11th- and 12th-grade students from Walnut Hills High School twice per month. Additionally the Douglass students will spend time with mentors from Miami... Continue reading

Clark Montessori joined the district's M.O.R.E. (Men Organized, Respectful and Educated) Initiative, forming two clubs to serve junior and senior high students. Following the program's curriculum, Clark Montessori's 53 M.O.R.E. Club members participate in after-school activities, as well as monthly and quarterly enrichment opportunities that increase financial literacy, develop leadership skills, provide academic support, promote exceptional character, encourage community service, and cultivate health and wellness. Each club meets twice per week for one hour to discuss current events, decision-making, diversity, Montessori lifestyle and other topics. Participants also work closely with Clark's Post-Secondary Center to learn more about scholarship opportunities, college... Continue reading

The Kinder Morgan Foundation awarded the Pleasant Ridge Montessori (PRM) Foundation a grant of $3,395 to support the roll-out of the Reflex math program. Piloted in Ms. Mackenzie Peterson's 6-9 class last year, the program has proven to increase math fact fluency in a fun and engaging way. Thanks to the grant, PRM will be able to offer the program school-wide. The Greater Cincinnati Foundation recently awarded PRM two Learning Links grants of $1,000 each. One grant will be used to expand the Accelerated Reader program, which motivates students to read more. The other grant will support integration of PRM's... Continue reading

A group of juniors at Withrow University High School learned firsthand the power of entrepreneurship to change lives when they turned $200 in seed money into more than $600 for nonprofit agencies. As the 2015-16 school year began, Withrow’s economics teacher Craig Rush challenged his students to create a Business for Good, a social enterprise that would benefit others. Eight teams were charged with starting and running a business using just $25 in seed money provided by the Mayerson Foundation. The teams were responsible for picking a product to sell; researching their markets; creating business plans; setting budgets; producing, marketing... Continue reading

Students collaborate to define the characteristics of a person committed to reaching his/her goals. This year, a culture change is sweeping through select schools within the Cincinnati Public Schools district. Eleven of the district’s 17 high schools are part of a pilot project to establish a college-going culture throughout their student bodies. While the district has always promoted college, this initiative is different: It’s being led by students. And it’s not just about encouraging their peers to go to college. Student leaders are educating fellow students about the college application and financial aid processes, keeping them on task with deadlines,... Continue reading

Beginning with the 2015-16 school year, Woodward Career Technical High School will offer its Advanced Technologies Academy students an enhanced curriculum in which they'll apply their literacy, math and science skills while learning technical content and solving authentic problems found in the workplace. The curriculum was developed by the Southern Regional Education Board in collaboration with states and business and industry partners. To prepare for the new curriculum, teachers George Doddy-Tacho and W. Earl Reed completed an intensive, two-week Summer Teacher Training Institute to become proficient in using project-based learning to engage students in a seven-step engineering/technical design process to... Continue reading

Mt. Washington Presbyterian Church has donated $10,000 to the Mt.Washington School Foundation. The funds will be used to support a wide range of services and programs for students at the school. The donation was made in honor of Pastor LP Jones. It adds to a lengthy list of support the church already provides for Mt. Washington students, such as providing power packs (weekend meals) to nearly 50 students every week, funding the school's dental and vision program, and providing backpacks and school supplies to students in need. Many thanks to Mt. Washington Presbyterian Church for its continued generosity. Continue reading

Cincinnati Public Schools’ students are graduating with higher ACT scores, indicating a higher level of college readiness. CPS’ district composite ACT score rose to 19.1 for the Class of 2015 — up from 18.5 for the Class of 2014 and the highest since 2011. The ACT is a college-entrance exam that tests students on knowledge in English, mathematics, reading and science. This 19.1 composite score covers only CPS students who graduated in 2015. CPS gives the ACT to all 11th-graders, with the district covering the cost, to ensure students are focused on college preparation. “We are very pleased to see... Continue reading

CPS invited 160 students to experience an Advanced Placement Boot Camp at Miami University to introduce them to the rigor of AP coursework, as well as life on a college campus. Sophomores, juniors and seniors from 10 Cincinnati Public Schools got a taste of college life when they spent a week living and learning at Miami University as members of the district’s first-ever Advanced Placement (AP) Boot Camp. The 160 students spent five days and four nights during June 2015 living on Miami’s Oxford campus, experiencing AP classes, expanding their academic networks, and, most importantly, gaining first-hand appreciation for college’s... Continue reading

Starting in the 2015-16 school year, Withrow University High School will offer rigorous business administration courses through the High School of Business program. High School of Business is a national program created by MBAResearch, a nonprofit organization specializing in educational research, and the development of business and marketing curriculum for high schools and colleges. The program is designed to challenge high school students with an accelerated, project-based curriculum, aimed at positioning students to excel in college-level business administration programs. When fully implemented, participating students will take a series of six or more rigorous business administration classes. Students also use technology... Continue reading

Western Hills University High School and GRAD Cincinnati are recipients of a $10,000 grant from State Farm Insurance to promote teen driver safety. This is the second year that Western Hills has received the grant. The grant will help cover the cost of the AAA Driving School classes offered during the after-school program, Destination: Success, which is managed by GRAD Cincinnati. In Ohio, drivers under the age of 18 must take driver education courses to receive a driver's license. Many driver education courses cost around $400, a price tag that many students cannot afford. With the help of State Farm,... Continue reading

Wesley Wolf is pictured on the left. Wesley Wolf, a 9th-grader at Walnut Hills High School, has qualified for the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) after creating one of seven projects deemed to be the best Ohio high school student research projects at the recent Buckeye Science and Engineering Fair (BSEF). The event gave students from almost half of Ohio (40 counties) an opportunity to qualify for the Intel ISEF, one of the most prestigious pre-college science competitions in the world. Wesley will join over 1,700 high school students from more than 70 countries in Pittsburgh next month... Continue reading

Congratulations to CPS students Lacy Robinson III, from Aiken High School, Ke’Asia Love, from Walnut Hills High School, and Austin Larkin, from the School for Creative and Performing Arts, for their award-winning performances in Cincinnati's Louder Than A Bomb (LTAB) spoken-word event. Student teams from Walnut Hills and a joint team from SCPA and Hughes STEM High School also won recognition, with Walnut Hills taking second place and SCPA/Hughes earning third place. Louder Than a Bomb is new to Cincinnati in 2014-15 — and the April 18 event held at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, downtown, was the largest... Continue reading

In honor of Earth Day, Covedale School participated in the Great American Cleanup on Thursday, April 23. It was a huge success! More than 40 students and 20 adults helped out, collecting three garbage bags of litter from school grounds and along Sidney Road in front of the school. They also planted four Knockout roses in the school's front yard. Keep Cincinnati Beautiful sponsored the event, providing gloves, trash bags and refreshments. Continue reading

Congratulations to Hyde Park School for winning the University of Cincinnati Economics Center's Stock Market Game. Team members will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to New York City to compete in the national competition. The Stock Market Game™ program is an online market simulation allowing students to manage a virtual stock portfolio with real-time data and compete against other teams and schools regionally. This game encourages students to get engaged in the content, with a competitive twist, all while teaching them the fundamentals of economics and topics on saving and investing. The phenomenal Hyde Park team includes Elliot Brandicourt, Owen Hipskind,... Continue reading

Fairview students Saptarshi Mallick, Pablo Reed and Angelo Geis beat out more than 45,000 applicants across 42 states to qualify for Chicago event Three students from Fairview-Clifton German Language School were chosen from more than 45,000 applicants from across the country to participate in MathCON, a prestigious academic competition hosted by Concept Schools in Chicago later this month. Among the 700 finalists chosen were sixth grade student Angelo Geis and fifth grade students Pablo Reed and Saptarshi Mallick. In addition, 6th graders Lukas Rauch and Tristan Hand were named alternates with scores in the 98th percentile nationally. “These students work... Continue reading

The Western & Southern Financial Group has announced 18 finalists for the annual Dr. Lawrence C. Hawkins Educator of the Year Award. Established by Western & Southern in 2007, the award honors one educator in Cincinnati Public Schools who has elevated the educational process to an exceptional level through personal commitment, dedicated focus and outstanding results. The following finalists for 2015 were chosen from nominations submitted by CPS teachers and administrators: Cheryl Abney-Green, Evanston Academy; Emily Berry Rineair, Gamble Montessori High School; Lee Black, Dater High School; Rosa Brinkman, Silverton Paideia Academy; Carmie Chambers, Roberts Academy; Mary Francis Gibson, Clark... Continue reading

On April 9, Anne Miceli, preschool teacher at Westwood School, was named "Teacher of the Week" by Warm 96 FM. One of her parents, Trisha Harr, submitted the nomination. Congratulations to Annie Miceli of Westwood Elementary... You are the Warm 98 Teacher of the Week!!! Presented by Modern Office MethodsPosted by Warm 98 on Friday, April 10, 2015 Warm 98 staff, along with participating vendors, surprised Ms. Miceli with multiple gifts and a pizza party for her students from West Shore Pizza. She received a $25 gift card to Half PRice Books, two tickets to any Cincinnati Pops concert, and... Continue reading

Education At Work offers customer service positions Education At Work is looking for graduating high school seniors to fill part-time customer service positions offering $9 per hour. After four months of continuous employment, students are eligible to earn an additional $6,000 per year of tuition assistance based on their Grade Point Average. For more information, visit educationatwork.org. Ohio Attorney General's Program Allows Students to Engage in Government and Law Rising high school juniors and seniors are invited to apply to the Ohio Attorney General's Teen Ambassador Board, which offers an unparalleled opportunity to engage in government and law, and address... Continue reading

If chemistry is the study of molecules and how they bond, then chemistry teacher Scott Norman’s teaching strategies are a study of how technology and social media can combine to strengthen bonds with students. In March, chemistry teacher Scott Norman and his chemistry classes gathered outside to launch hot air balloons that were designed and constructed by his students. Through an array of social media platforms and apps, Norman, who teaches at the School for Creative and Performing Arts (SCPA), keeps students engaged during class and stays connected with them long after dismissal. For Norman, now in his 27th year... Continue reading

Congratulations to Ayriq Sims, a senior at Robert A. Taft Information Technology High School who was chosen to receive a $5,000 scholarship from the Children's Defense Fund for 'beating the odds.' The CDF Beat the Odds scholarship and leadership development program recognizes extraordinary high school students who have overcome tremendous adversity in life to achieve academic excellence, demonstrate leadership in their communities and continue their education. Ayriq is one of five students to receive the honor in Ohio. Ayriq is the oldest of seven children and takes pride in being a big brother to his four siblings. His single mother... Continue reading

Taft Information Technology High School started a new after-school program focused on web development. Under the supervision and direction of teacher C. Beamon and Michael Beck of the West End Community Council, the students are introduced to the design, creation and maintenance of web pages and websites. They are learning how to critically evaluate website quality, how to create and maintain quality web pages, and how to create and manipulate images. The students already have interviewed their first web client and are working on plans for their first website. The program aims to give students the skills and project-based experience... Continue reading

The Walnut Hills High School robotics team, The NUTS!, has advanced to the FIRST Tech Challenge World Championship robotics competition after defeating 71 other teams from 13 Midwestern states and joining the ranks of the FTC North Super Regional Winning Alliance. The honor places them in the top 8 among robotics teams in the United States. The NUTS! earned an average score of 582 points per match, the highest of any team competing. In fact, they were the only team to score more than 700 points, a feat they achieved four times. Their strong performance will be highly anticipated as... Continue reading

The students of Aiken High School are grateful for the generosity shown by Cincinnati’s taxpayers that resulted in their brand new $29-million, state-of-the-art facility. They wanted to 'pay it forward' by raising funds to build a school for a small village in Largo, Sierra Leone in Africa. Previous fundraising efforts raised $1,000, one-fourth of the total cost, which allowed construction to begin (see attached photos). To complete the job, the students organized a walk-a-thon on Friday, March 27, 2015, to raise the remaining $3,000 in construction costs. The students walked a little more than 3 miles to symbolize the distance... Continue reading

When Westwood Elementary preschool teacher Annie Miceli noticed an elderly man wearing a USS Cincinnati cap in the Charles De Gaulle Airport in Paris last June, she sensed a connection. What she could not have foretold was that the chance sighting would lead, some eight months later, to a firsthand account of history delivered by former World War II Seaman Vernon “Moon” Miller to sixth graders at her school. On March 20, Miller, a spry 88-year-old living in Dayton, Ohio, spoke to a rapt student audience about his experiences on the USS Cincinnati, a light US Navy cruiser that served... Continue reading