Author: shankv

The Men of Distinction mentoring program in November kicked off its second year with guest speaker Vince Peterson.

The program was launched at Jefferson last year but has expanded this year to include Willard. The program targets boys in grades 6 though 8 and pairs them with men in the community.

Mentors come from all walks of life, including local pastors, business leaders, coaches and community organizers. The program aims to teach young boys that no matter what their circumstances are, they have control over their own lives and have the power to make their own choices.

The middle schoolers and their mentors participate in community service projects, social activities and school functions. Once a week, the pairs get together to discuss grades, school behavior, peer pressure or family issues.

The mentorship program serves as another example of Warren City Schools’ Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) efforts put into action by encouraging the development of self-awareness and self-management skills to achieve school and life success; using social-awareness and interpersonal skills to establish and maintain positive relationships; and demonstrating decision-making skills and responsible behaviors in personal, school and community contexts.The program is made possible through grant funding from the Turning Foundation.

Three Warren G. Harding students have been selected as 2019 Twenty Under 20 Winners.

Cullen Faulk, Elyssa Hawkins and Xavier Allen were selected by the Tribune Chronicle as recipients of the newspaper’s longstanding program that recognizes 20 high-achieving individuals younger than 20 years old for their leadership skills through volunteerism, extracurricular activities and academic achievements.

The Jefferson Warren G. Harding Big Brother Big Sister program kicked off the 2019-2020 school year Wednesday, Sept. 25, at Warren’s Jefferson PK-8 School as part of Buddy Up Day.

Dozens of students from Warren G. Harding High School are mentoring third-grade students at Jefferson throughout the year. The Bigs/Littles will continue to meet monthly throughout the school year.

The program kick off was held in conjunction with Start With Hello Week – a program that teaches students to make a difference with their peers in simple, fun and impactful ways. They take small but powerful actions to promote connectedness and inclusion, and to identify and help lonely students who are showing signs of social isolation. Jefferson joined thousands of schools and youth organizations across the country for Start With Hello Week.

Newly appointed school board member John E. Fowley took his oath of office and was sworn in on Tuesday, Sept. 17, at the regular Warren City School Board of Education meeting.

The board selected Fowley to fill the unexpired term of former board Vice President John Lacy. Patricia M. Limperos was named board vice president.

Previously, Mr. Fowley served as president of the Garfield School PTO and the WGH Band Boosters. He also co-chaired four successful school levy-renewal campaigns. He was sworn in by Judge James A. Fredericka.

The United Way of Trumbull County, Warren City Schools and Second Baptist Church of Warren partnered again this year to greet, encourage and cheer on our students on the first day of school.

On Tuesday, Aug. 20, the full group of volunteers helped students at Warren G. Harding High School kick off the 2019-20 school year their first day back to school before splitting up to go to one of the PK-8 schools to greet elementary and middle school students.

More than 1,000 people gathered Wednesday, Aug. 14, at Courthouse Square in Downtown Warren for our annual Back to School Celebration.                   Students and their families, along with school leaders and community members, helped kick off the 2019-20 school year with a celebration that included refreshments, games and various activities.

Superintendent Steve Chiaro, along with school board members, district administrators and community leaders, welcomed Warren City Schools staff back to class during the Aug. 16 district-wide convocation at Warren G. Harding High School. Keynote speaker Vincent Peterson reminded everyone of how important each one is in the lives of the students they serve.

Congratulations to 5th-grader Maxwell Milton who placed first in his category at the annual Challenge 24 math competition.

Milton is a student at Lincoln PK-8 School. He was among the more than 180 students from across Trumbull County who participated in this year’s event.

The competition tests the math skills of students in grades 4 through 8. Categories are by grade level: 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th/8th.

The students look at cards containing four numbers of any combination of 1 to 9, and then use addition, subtraction, multiplication and division to come up with the final number of 24.

Competitors may use each number on the card only once. Four students at each table compete to win the highest number of cards by the end of each round. The first student to come up with an answer taps the table and recites the steps he or she took to arrive at the number 24.

There are penalties for students giving incorrect answers.

Sponsors were the Tribune Chronicle, Trumbull County Educational Service Center and Cortland Bank. The event was at Warren G. Harding High School.

Warren City Schools has continued putting the                                                                      district’s Social and Emotional Learning efforts into action.

District leaders continued to develop their knowledge and action around Equity and SEL with a session for all members of the District Leadership Team. Teachers and administrators from all buildings were involved in the Oct. 3 session that highlighted different aspects of Equity and Privilege. In the near future, the Warren District Leadership Team will lead in the education and advancement of Equity issues in the school district, making this important topic a bi-partisan effort.

District efforts continued with an interactive roundtable at Warren G. Harding High School where teacher/administrative leaders led small student groups in discussions around hopes/fears – discovering student voice at all grade levels. Every staff member and student participated. Later, roundtable staff leaders and select students, facilitated by CASEL (Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning) Consultant Linda Lantieri and building administrators discussed the process. As a result of that conversation, the group decided that the students would advise the staff on the next steps of the monthly roundtable process.