BINGO spells ACCOUNTABILTY for Jefferson students

Students at Jefferson PK-8 School are enhancing accountability for their actions as part of a Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) activity that requires them to pay attention or miss their opportunity to shout BINGO and claim a reward.

Students gathered in the cafetorium Friday, Sept. 29, 2023, to play the popular card game.

“We choose different activities based on specific behaviors,” explained Mesa Morlan, Jefferson special education coordinator.

With BINGO, the students have to pay attention to the letters and numbers being called out to create BINGO. If they don’t miss a call out, they lessen their chances of making BINGO by missing the letters and numbers being called out.

WGH students create new vibe with help from L.A. music producer

Los Angeles, California music producer Lawrence Grey helped jazz and symphonic band students at Warren G. Harding High School record and enhance some of their musical arrangements as part of a demonstration focusing on electronic music.

Grey, founder of YPG (Young Producers Group), spent some time at the high school on Thursday, Sept. 28, 2023, demonstrating how he records a piece of music then uses Ableton computer software to mix and enhance the work by adding various effects, such as drum beats and patterns.

Grey said he seeks to teach students how to “make the kind of music they like to listen to.” Youngstown State University music education professor Dr. Daniel Keown accompanied Grey during his visit to Harding.

“As one of the few districts in the Mahoning Valley with a dedicated Music Technology course, we jumped at the chance to have Lawrence come in and work with our students. We are grateful to Dr. Keown and YSU for their assistance in providing us with this opportunity,” said WGH Assistant Band Director Heather Sirney.

Grey created YPG in 2010 after working with the youth at an alternatives to incarceration center in Brooklyn, N.Y. called the Center for Community Alternatives (CCA). Grey earned a Master’s Degree in education from UCLA; a Bachelor’s degree in music from NYU, with a focus on electronic music composition. He is also an Ableton Certified Trainer.

WCS Student Recreation & Wellness Center on track to open as planned

The new Warren City Schools Student Recreation and Wellness Center is taking shape and is on track with some facilities scheduled to open to students in August 2024.

Areas of the center that will be operational at that time include the Robotics area, golf simulators, track and work out facilities.

The district broke ground for the new center, located between Warren G. Harding High School and Mollenkopf Stadium in June 2022.

The construction is on pace to have the main facility operational by the start of the 2024-2025 school year.

The main section of the 136,000-square-foot building will be a large, open space with a 200-meter running track on the ground floor and a walking track above.

Read more on the WCS Student Recreation and Wellness Center Here.

WGH chemistry students experiment to determine whether changes were physical or chemical

Warren G. Harding High School chemistry students recently performed several experiments to determine whether changes in the composition of an original substance were physical or chemical.

In chemistry, the term change can refer to both physical and chemical changes. In the simplest sense, a physical change is a change in the form of the original substance. A chemical change is a change in the composition of the original substance. A chemical change is also called a chemical reaction.

Chemists have developed a list of common signs that may indicate the occurrence of a chemical change. These include: 

  • Bubbles of gas appear 
  • A precipitate (solid) forms 
  • An unexpected color change occurs 
  • Gain or release of energy (heat or light) 
  • A change in volume occurs 
  • A change in electrical conductivity occurs 
  • A change in melting point or boiling point occurs 
  • A change in odor or taste occurs 
  • A change in a distinctive chemical or physical property occurs; not easily reversed 

Physical changes occur when objects undergo a change that does not change their chemical nature. A physical change involves a change in physical properties. Physical properties can be observed without changing the type of matter. 

Examples of physical properties include: texture, shape, size, color, odor, volume, mass, weight, and density.

Change of state (ie. solid to liquid):

  • Creation or separation of a mixture (including homogeneous mixtures, where the solute may not be visible)
  • Physical deformation (cutting, denting, stretching, etc.)
  • Physical relocation (moving an object) 

Some examples of physical and chemical changes: 

  • If a piece of paper is cut up into small pieces, it is still paper. If you add water to a piece of string a chemical or physical reaction will not take place. 
  • Mixing sugar with water to dissolve sugar in the water. However, if one baked a cake with flour, water, sugar, and other ingredients, new substances would appear. Chemical reactions occur in the baking process, and the changes are chemical changes. 

The students were using this information and performing several different experiments to determine whether they were physical or chemical changes.

WCS Superintendent/CEO Steve Chiaro replies to ‘factually inaccurate’ Warren Tribune Chronicle editorial

Superintendent/CEO Steve Chiaro’s letter to the community regarding the inaccurate editorial published by the Warren Tribune Chronicle on September 17, 2023.

Warren City Schools Superintendent/CEO Steve Chiaro, in a letter to the Warren community, has replied to factually inaccurate information included in an editorial published in the Warren Tribune Chronicle on Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023.

The Tribune inaccurately reported that “Enrollment in Warren City Schools dropped a whopping 25 percent between 2019 and 2022.”

Please read the Superintendent’s Full Letter Here.

The Tribune refused to publish the Superintendent’s letter as a paid advertisement.

WCS Preschool Celebrates Grandparents!

Warren City Schools observed Grandparents Day with special tours, crafts and snacks with our preschoolers and special guests at all five of the district’s preschools.

Teachers, staff and students were overwhelmed with joy at the incredible response from our guests.

National Grandparents Day is observed each September on the first Sunday after Labor Day. Over the past few weeks, our preschoolers have dedicated some of their classroom time to welcoming our guests.

Eligible WGH students sign up to vote in the November 2023 General Election

Some Warren G. Harding High School students observed National Voter Registration Day on Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023, by registering to vote.

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority helped eligible students register at Harding during the school’s four lunch periods.

Ohio citizens are eligible to vote if they are at least 18 years old on or before the day of the next general election. (If an individual will be 18 on or before the general election, he or she may vote in the primary election to nominate candidates, but cannot vote on issues or party central committees until the age of 18.

Class in Session for WCS Staff on 1st Waiver Day of 2023-2024

Class was in session for Warren City Schools staff on Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023.

The district’s first waiver/professional learning day of the 2023-2024 school year was packed with sessions on topics ranging from social and emotional learning (SEL), early learning, the fundamentals of preschool and the Science of Reading.

The staff also spent time reviewing state testing results and soon-to-be-released State Report Card data.

Facilitators included R. Keeth Matheny, a nationally known SEL teacher, speaker and author, and Robbie Rowan of Safe and Civil Schools. Rowan conducted training on the district’s behavior intervention framework.

Interim State Superintendent of Public Instruction Dr. J. Christopher Woolard, Dr. Melissa Weber-Mayer, Ohio Department of Education Literacy Chief, and Melissa Kmetz, Ohio Teacher of the Year, visited the district on Waiver Day, spending time observing some of the sessions.

Here are some photographs highlight some of the activities:  

Warren High Schools’ Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame Accepting Nominations for the Class of 2024

WARREN – The Warren City Schools Foundation’s Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame committee is currently accepting nominations for the Class of 2024. 

“Outstanding graduates” will be inducted during the 32nd Annual Ceremony in Spring 2024.

Honorees are those graduates who have made significant contributions in their fields, as well as society, the state or on a global scale. A nominee must be a graduate of one the three Warren public high schools: Warren High School, Warren G. Harding High School or Warren Western Reserve High School. 

The first class of the Hall of Fame was inducted on May 14, 1993.

Anyone who knows a well-qualified or deserving graduate who has been out of high school for at least 12 years can fill out a nomination form. Nomination forms are available at the Board of Education Office. Or, you may download a nomination form through this link: WCS’ DHOF 2024 Nomination Form.  Nomination forms are also available through the Warren City Schools’ website at www.warrencityschools.org under Alumni Hall of Fame.

Nominations should be mailed to Alumni Hall of Fame, 105 High Street NE, Warren, Ohio 44481. The deadline for nominations is November 1, 2023.

State Superintendent sees ‘great things happening’ in WCS

For the second time in two months, Interim State Superintendent of Public Instruction Dr. J. Christopher Woolard was on site at Warren City Schools on Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023, getting a closer look at the work taking place inside the district.

Dr. Woolard lauded the strides the district has made in focusing on early learning, advancing student literacy and improving overall attendance.

“There are some great things going on here in Warren City Schools. We’re seeing some great things happening in this district,” Dr. Woolard said.

Steve Chiaro, Warren City Schools Superintendent/CEO, led Dr. Woolard, Dr. Melissa Weber-Mayer, Ohio Department of Education Literacy Chief, and Melissa Kmetz, Ohio Teacher of the Year, through a series of professional learning sessions attended by district staff. Warren City Schools Chief Academic Officer Wendy Hartzell accompanied the group on the tour.

Highlighted topics included social and emotional learning (SEL), fundamentals of preschool and the Science of Reading. The staff also spent time reviewing state testing results and soon-to-be-released State Report Card data.   

Woolard said he is impressed by the district’s commitment to providing professional development to staff, establishing a “great” school culture, and recognizing and addressing the barriers some students face.

“It was a pleasure spending a couple of hours with Ohio’s interim state superintendent, visiting sessions of dedicated educators committed to their individual professional development and growth, supporting the academic success of children in the City of Warren,” said Warren City Schools Superintendent/CEO Steve Chiaro.

In August, Woolard accompanied Gov. Mike and First Lady Fran DeWine during a visit to Warren City Schools when they discussed the newly announced statewide ReadOhio literacy initiative.

During the earlier visit, state leaders received input from Warren teachers about their work to improve literacy.

“Hosting Dr. Woolard on Wednesday during our waiver day was a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate some of the work taking place within the district,” Hartzell said. “When you have such an extraordinary staff that works so hard on a daily basis to serve our students, and then to have that work recognized by our state education leaders, it reaffirms once more our commitment to our work and to the future of our students.”