The Community Foundation of West Chester/Liberty is currently accepting scholarship applications for the 2013-2014 school year for the Lakota Athletic Participation Fee Fund, which was created to assist student athletes in the Lakota school district with sports fees.
After the Lakota Board of Education made cuts prior to the 2011-2012 school year, athletic fees ballooned to $350 per sport for junior high athletes and to $550 per sport for high school students. Athletic fees for the 2010-2011 school year were $200 for junior high students and $300 for high school students.
The fall deadlines to apply are June 21 for grades 7-8 and Aug. 15 for grades 9-12. The winter sports deadline is Sept. 23 and the spring sports deadline is Jan. 24, for all grades. A limited number of scholarships are available. Only one scholarship per student will be awarded in any given school year.
The Lakota Athletic Participation Fee Fund was established by private donations to assist families, who display a need, by covering half of the participation fee assessed to students participating in sports within Lakota Schools.
Applications will be reviewed by a selection committee comprised of residents from West Chester and Liberty towships. Applications can be obtained online at www.wclfoundation.com/LakotaAthleticParticipationFeeFund.asp. Please submit completed forms to The Community Foundation of West Chester/Liberty, 5641 Union Centre Drive, West Chester 45069.
For more information call the Community Foundation office at 513-874-5450.
The Community Foundation of West Chester/Liberty recently announced the recipients of its 2013 Lakota Educator of Excellence Awards, naming Amy Smith, 2nd grade teacher at Endeavor Elementary, and Dean Hume, journalism teacher at Lakota East High School, as this year’s honorees.
The awards were presented, along with the video above, at the Community Foundation’s annual dinner celebration.
The “Lakota Educator of Excellence Award” was created to provide an opportunity for the community to celebrate the hard-work, dedication and talent of local educators. The selection committee, consisting of Lakota administrators and community representatives, select the recipients from a pool of deserving nominees.
The Community Foundation provided information about Amy Smith:
Those who nominated Amy Smith indicate that there is no teacher more deserving than she to receive the “Educator of Excellence Award.” Amy is described as a compassionate and caring teacher who goes above and beyond for her students. She is often spotted at her students’ sporting events and dance recitals, and has been known to call parents at home after school hours just to update them on something their child accomplished that day at school. Amy works to ensure that each of her students’ needs are met, whether that means enhancing curriculum for students who excel in a particular area or setting aside individual time for a student who might be struggling. Beyond academics, Amy prepares her students for success in life by teaching them empathy and compassion for others, and by building their self-confidence. As one parent writes, “Amy is the kind of teacher that every parents hopes and prays their child will get. The heartfelt nomination letters are a testament to the lasting impact that Amy Smith has made on her students, their parents and the whole Endeavor Elementary community.”
In addition to the award, honorees are presented with a $2,000 grant for the implementation of a special project or program at the their school. For more information about the dinner, call 874-5450.
The Community Foundation of West Chester/Liberty recently announced the recipients of its 2013 Lakota Educator of Excellence Awards, naming Amy Smith, 2nd grade teacher at Endeavor Elementary, and Dean Hume, journalism teacher at Lakota East High School, as this year’s honorees.
The awards were presented, along with the video above, at the Community Foundation’s annual dinner celebration.
The “Lakota Educator of Excellence Award” was created to provide an opportunity for the community to celebrate the hard-work, dedication and talent of local educators. The selection committee, consisting of Lakota administrators and community representatives, select the recipients from a pool of deserving nominees.
The Community Foundation provided information about Dean Hume:
The majority of nominations for Dean Hume to receive the Educator of Excellence Award came from former students who, under his tutelage, were on the staff of Spark, the award-winning student-run news magazine at Lakota East High School. Dean founded Spark 21 years ago and has since been the faculty adviser, although he takes no credit for the publication’s success. Instead, credits accolades like the publication’s 10 National Pacemaker awards and 18 All-Ohio rankings to his talented students. Dean is known at Lakota East for his unorthodox approach to education. One student describes her first day in Dean Hume’s class, saying, “He shut off the lights and climbed onto a table…he explained that as our time in the Journalism program went on, the lights of the world would turn on so we could see it for what it truly is.” Former students comment on how he saw in them what, oftentimes, they didn’t see themselves and pushed them to fulfill that potential. Dean would stay after school when his students needed to work on a story and would be there with them on deadline weekends when the pressure was on to put out another excellent issue of Spark each month. Dean Hume is truly committed to his students. As one nominator put it, “It is fitting that the newsmagazine he created is called Spark because that is exactly what Dean Hume finds in each of his students…a spark that he then fans into flame with unparalleled dedication.”
In addition to the award, honorees are presented with a $2,000 grant for the implementation of a special project or program at the their school. For more information about the dinner, call 874-5450.
Lakota East journalism teacher Dean Hume stands on a desk while he lectures students. Hume was recently named one of the two Lakota Educator of Excellence Award winners. Photo by Leigh Taylor.
The Community Foundation of West Chester/Liberty recently announced the recipients of its 2013 Lakota Educator of Excellence Awards, naming Amy Smith, 2nd grade teacher at Endeavor Elementary, and Dean Hume, journalism teacher at Lakota East High School, as this year’s honorees.
The awards will be presented at the Community Foundation’s annual dinner celebration on Thursday at the Marriott Hotel Cincinnati North from 6 to 9 p.m.
The “Lakota Educator of Excellence Award” was created to provide an opportunity for the community to celebrate the hard-work, dedication and talent of local educators. The selection committee, consisting of Lakota administrators and community representatives, select the recipients from a pool of deserving nominees.
The Community Foundation provided information about both winners:
Those who nominated Amy Smith indicate that there is no teacher more deserving than she to receive the “Educator of Excellence Award.” Amy is described as a compassionate and caring teacher who goes above and beyond for her students. She is often spotted at her students’ sporting events and dance recitals, and has been known to call parents at home after school hours just to update them on something their child accomplished that day at school. Amy works to ensure that each of her students’ needs are met, whether that means enhancing curriculum for students who excel in a particular area or setting aside individual time for a student who might be struggling. Beyond academics, Amy prepares her students for success in life by teaching them empathy and compassion for others, and by building their self-confidence. As one parent writes, “Amy is the kind of teacher that every parents hopes and prays their child will get.” The heartfelt nomination letters are a testament to the lasting impact that Amy Smith has made on her students, their parents and the whole Endeavor Elementary community.
The majority of nominations for Dean Hume to receive the Educator of Excellence Award came from former students who, under his tutelage, were on the staff of Spark, the award-winning student-run news magazine at Lakota East High School. Dean founded Spark 21 years ago and has since been the faculty adviser, although he takes no credit for the publication’s success. Instead, credits accolades like the publication’s 10 National Pacemaker awards and 18 All-Ohio rankings to his talented students. Dean is known at Lakota East for his unorthodox approach to education. One student describes her first day in Dean Hume’s class, saying, “He shut off the lights and climbed onto a table…he explained that as our time in the Journalism program went on, the lights of the world would turn on so we could see it for what it truly is.” Former students comment on how he saw in them what, oftentimes, they didn’t see themselves and pushed them to fulfill that potential. Dean would stay after school when his students needed to work on a story and would be there with them on deadline weekends when the pressure was on to put out another excellent issue of Spark each month. Dean Hume is truly committed to his students. As one nominator put it, “It is fitting that the newsmagazine he created is called Spark because that is exactly what Dean Hume finds in each of his students…a spark that he then fans into flame with unparalleled dedication.”
In addition to the award, honorees are presented with a $2,000 grant for the implementation of a special project or program at the their school. For more information about the dinner, call 874-5450.
The Community Foundation of West Chester/Liberty will honor two Lakota Educator of Excellence Award winners at its annual dinner celebration April 25. The winners will receive an award along with a monetary grant to be used for a special project within their school.
“We are excited to have peers, parents and community members provide nominations for those educators who have gone above and beyond in working with the district’s young people,” said Melissa Benedict Community Foundation of West Chester/Liberty vice president of donor services.
One award will be presented to an educator representing pre-kindergarten through the sixth grade. The other award winner will represent the seventh grade through the 12th grade.
Nominations are not limited to classroom teachers. Award recipients may be any person (teacher, administrator, support staff, etc.) working with young people in the Lakota school district.
The award was established in 2007 to recognize educators in the Lakota School District, who demonstrate consistency and high commitment to students, motivates, shares ideas, inspires others, is supportive, creative and goes beyond the classroom to make a difference in the community. Previous winners include Shannon Henderson, Linda Abbott, Katie Woodruff, Audrey Stamp, Karen Kamm, Ann Aprahamian, Fred Thomas and Mendy Dimatteo.
Nomination forms are available on the Community Foundation’s website www.wclfoundation.com or at the school district’s central office.
To let West Chester and Liberty Township residents catch up with the news that they need to know, WestChesterBuzz.com will list and link to all of last week’s top local stories every Monday.
More than 5,000 runners and walkers participated in the Shamrock Shuffle in West Chester Township on Saturday. The event was expected to raise $100,000 for local causes and charities. Photo taken by Adam Kiefaber.
WestChesterBuzz.com also recently added a new video page last week. To view West Chester and Liberty Township related videos, visit westchesterbuzz.com/videos.
Lakota Local Schools closed – A winter storm last Tuesday night forced Lakota Local Schools to close for the first time in the 2012-2013 school year. West Chester’s Nature Basket program was also canceled due to the weather.
What is your gold worth? – As gold prices soar, so do the number of gold buyers and sellers. That means more work for county auditors, who are tasked with validating the accuracy of scales used to weigh gold at businesses that buy it. In Southwest Ohio, auditors from Butler, Warren, Clermont and Hamilton counties in 2012 registered 186 scales from precious metals buyers, up from just 30 in 2009.
Lakota East OL Jarrett LaRubbio receives multiple offers – Miami (Ohio), West Virginia, Cincinnati and Georgia Tech all offered Lakota East junior offensive lineman Jarrett LaRubbio last week, Lakota East coach Rick Haynes told Cincinnati Enquirer high school sports recruiting writer Mike Dyer. The 6-foot-5, 265-pound lineman has received offers Arizona State, Western Michigan, Duke, Kentucky Nebraska, N.C. State, Akron, Pittsburgh, Bowling Green, Toledo, Kent State and Ohio.
Pat Hiltman is resigned effective immediately, on Feb. 20, from his township trustee post because a recent job change. Photo provided.
13 seek Liberty Township trustee seat – A total of 13 individuals have applied to join the Liberty Township Board of Trustees, Sue Kiesewetter reported late last week for The Cincinnati Enquirer. Whoever is selected would fill Patrick Hiltman’s term, which ends Dec. 31. To keep the seat, the trustee would have to run in the November election. Among the candidates are a former Trenton mayor, the developer of the Carriage Hill development, three members of the township’s Vision Committee and volunteers on three other township groups.
Butler Tech names new superintendent – Bill Miller on last Thursday was named superintendent of Butler Tech, Sue Kiesewetter reported for The Cincinnati Enquirer. For the past two months, Miller has served as interim superintendent following the December resignation of Brett Smith. He was one of three finalists for the job. Miller was given a two-year contract, which runs through July 31, 2015. His salary was set at $126,250 annually.
Census: Cincinnati commuter rate among highest in nation – Hamilton County has among the highest number of commuters coming from another county in the nation, the U.S. Census Bureau reported recently, according to Mark Wert of The Cincinnati Enquirer. Among workers in Hamilton County, 188,113 live outside the county, according to 2006-2010 Census estimates. For example, 45,965 workers commute in from Butler County. Meanwhile, 66,994 residents of Hamilton County leave the county for work, or only 18.6 percent of the county’s total. The biggest group, 20,856, goes to Butler County.
Florida State offers RB Mikel Horton – Florida State offered Lakota West junior running back Mikel Horton on Monday, according to Lakota West head football coach Larry Cox. The previous week, four Division I programs offered Horton. Louisville, Cincinnati, Purdue and Miami (Ohio) offered on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, respectively. In addition, Horton has received interest from Penn State, Michigan State and Arkansas, as well as offers from Indiana, Minnesota, Kent State, Toledo, Bowling Green, Western Michigan and Kentucky.
Lillian’s Leprechauns, others benefit from Shamrock Shuffle – More than 5,000 runners and walkers took part in the 2013 Shamrock Shuffle in West Chester Township Saturday. Each one of them came out for a reason, as many did so for one of the 50 charities that were participating in the annual event. The charity that brought in the most runners/walkers was a new group, Lillian’s Leprechauns, which was created after Adam Woodward and Niki Larson, both of Maineville, lost their baby, Lillian, one day after she was born.
More than 5,000 runners and walkers took part in the 2013 Shamrock Shuffle in West Chester Township Saturday. Each one of them came out for a reason, as many did so for one of the 50 charities that were participating in the annual event.
Melissa Benedict, president of the Community Foundation of West Chester, predicted the event will raise around $100,000, with $40,000 going back to the participating charities and the remaining amount going toward other charitable grants that are provided through the foundation.
Adam Woodward and Niki Larson, both of Maineville, lost their baby, Lillian, one day after she was born in September of 2012. They are now trying to create Lillian’s Leprechauns to bring awareness of families who have lost newborns and infants and would like to offer financial assistance for funeral expenses. In photo, Adam and his son Garrett, with Niki. Photo taken by Adam Kiefaber at Shamrock Shuffle in West Chester Township March 9.
The charity that brought in the most runners/walkers was a new group, Lillian’s Leprechauns, which was created after Adam Woodward and Niki Larson, both of Maineville, lost their baby, Lillian, one day after she was born.
When the couple arrived at Bethesda North Hospital on Sept. 26, 2012, they weren’t expecting any complications with the birth. The following afternoon, while in labor, Larson had to be given an emergency C-section after her placenta had become detached, cutting off her unborn child’s oxygen supply.
Lillian was born Sept. 27 at 4:12 p.m. and had to be revived by hospital staff.
The doctor eventually took Lillian off life support, but surprisingly, she began to breathe on her own.
“She shocked the doctors,” said Woodward, who also has a 11-year-old son named Garrett. “They told us that she is making a liar out of us … it gave us hope.”
The family, however, would find out the next morning that her brain wasn’t fully functionally and that she wasn’t going to live much longer. Lillian passed away at 8:25 p.m. Sept. 28.
“What you see in the movies about a person being taken off life support is not anything compared to what you live,” Woodward said. “She was breathing on her for more than 17 hours.
“We are still in shock … Still to this day, you can’t believe it.”
Lillian’s death became an even harder reality when her funeral needed to planned. In additional to the extreme grief, there were financial obligations. She was buried at Rose Hill Cemetery in Deerfield Township on Oct. 6.
While there, Woodward noticed grave sites for 57 babies. He even noticed one grave stone that had three names.
“What we hope to accomplish (with Lillian’s Leprechauns) is to bring awareness that there are families out there that lose newborns and infants and we would like to offer financial assistance for funeral expenses,” Woodward said.
“It was a shock that it happened to us and we just want to be able to pay it forward.”
Lillian’s Leprechauns is in its organizational stages. To contact them, go through the Community Foundation at 513-874-5450.
The Shamrock Shuffle is one of West Chester Township’s biggest events of the year and it takes place this Saturday morning. Photo provided.
Annual events at EnterTRAINment Junction and at The Square at Union Centre are a few of the many things to do in West Chester, Ohio, and Greater Cincinnati this weekend.
When you are not out and about, visit the new video page on WestChesterBuzz.com To view West Chester and Liberty Township related videos, visit westchesterbuzz.com/videos.
Friday
Chamber awards – The West Chester ▪ Liberty Chamber Alliance 2013 Chamber Awards celebration is this Friday at the Cincinnati Marriott North near The Square at Union Centre in West Chester. The event begins at 6 p.m. and requires a ticket to attend, which had to be purchased prior to the event.
Saturday
Shamrock Shuffle – One of West Chester’s signature events, the Shamrock Shuffle, will take place Saturday morning at The Square at Union Centre. The event will have more than 4,000 people participate and help more than 50 local charities. Event-day registration begins at 7 a.m.
Self-defense class – The West Chester Police Department will offer a free self-defense class from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. this Saturday. According to a release, the class is designed to encourage individuals to be prepared and confident when faced with a potentially dangerous confrontation. The class is offered at the police department on Beckett Road.
Free mini model engineering show – There will be a special two-day mini model engineering show at EnterTRAINment Junction this Saturday and Sunday. According to the show’s release, the exhibit features working miniatures built by model craftsmen from throughout the Midwest. Hours for the exhibit are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday.
Winter farmers’ market – The weekly farmers’ market season is over, but the winter farmers’ market will be open this Saturday at The Square at Union Centre. This Saturday’s market will take place from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Additional winter farmers’ market sessions will take place April 6 and April 27. The market will take place, according to its website, rain, sleet, snow or shine.
Sunday
Mini model show continues – The free mini-model exhibit will be on display in EnterTRAINment Junction’s indoor Main Street area and in its Expo Center. Hours for the exhibit are noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Online registration, available at www.theshamerockshuffle.com, will end at 9 p.m. Wednesday. People can also register at the packet pick-up event at the West Chester Library from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday and from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday. The cost to register, at those times, is $30.
The event includes a 5K, 10K, children’s fun run called the Leprechaun Lap and a block party. Registration and check-in for the shuffle begins at 7 a.m., the block party begins at 7:30 a.m., followed by the 10K at 8:30 a.m., the 5K at 8:45 a.m. and the Leprechaun Lap at 10:15 a.m.
Event day registration is $35. 5K or 10K youth, ages 5-12, is $15. Leprechaun Lap registration is $10.
Last year, the event attracted more than 4,000 participants and awarded more than $10,000 for charities enrolled in the effort, according to Melissa Benedict Community Foundation of West Chester/Liberty vice president of donor services.
This year, more than 50 charities are participating in the event.
For more information about the event, including a list of participating charities, visit Shamrock Shuffle website or call 513-874-5450.
Below is a partial list of other groups participating:
3 little Halos: Supports organizations and programs that promote fire and other safety education and practices for children. This is a legacy fund in memory of Aubrey, Alex and Braden Butler who lost their young lives in a fire in West Chester.
Ohio Transplant Fund in Honor of Alicia Lang
Angel Fund: Provides one-time emergency financial assistance to families living or working in West Chester/Liberty who find themselves in crisis.
Ashley’s Angels: Participates to raise money to support the MLD Foundation. They provide help in research and awareness for Metachromatic Leukodystrophy and ultimately find a cure. MLD is a lesser known disease and by raising awareness we can bring MLD more to the forefront and work together to an end to this debilitating illness. (more…)
The Community Foundation of West Chester/Liberty has announced that it is now accepting scholarship applications for consideration in 2013. This year, the Community Foundation will award more than $50,000 in scholarship assistance.
“We are pleased to offer a variety of different scholarship opportunities in 2013,” Community Foundation of West Chester/Liberty Vice President–Donor Services Melissa Benedict said in a release. “We encourage all students to review the opportunities available through the Community Foundation, as each scholarship has a different set of eligibility criteria that should be reviewed prior to submission.”
Available scholarships include:
• The Community Foundation of West Chester/Liberty Scholarship
• Dr. Masood and Shakila Ahmad Scholarship
• Kyle J. Babcock Scholarship
• Julia Ellen Burnett Scholarship
• Butler County Republican Women’s Club Scholarship for College
• Jordan Day Scholarship
• Demois Family Scholarship
• Harold Draut Scholarship
• Susan Hendel Scholarship Fund
• Matthew and Andrea King Servant Leadership Scholarship
• Bob Lawhorn Education Scholarship
• Greg Lemmel Memorial Scholarship
• Troy & Tania Meyers Culinary Scholarship
• Pete’s List of Excellence in History and Government
• Kristin Renneker Scholarship Fund
• Karen M. Schroeder Memorial Scholarship
• Jessica Ann Siegel Scholarship
• Dana Spangler Scholarship Fund
• Ezekiel “Zeke” Stepaniak Scholarship Fund
• Voice of America Centre Scholarship For Returning Veterans
• Winterman Resiliency Scholarship Fund
• Roy H. Yelton Memorial Scholarship
Applications are available online at www.wclfoundation.com. Most scholarships applications are due April 1. Scholarship recipients will be notified in May.
After the Lakota Board of Education made cuts prior to the 2011-2012 school year, athletic fees ballooned to $350 per sport for junior high athletes and to $550 per sport for high school students. Athletic fees for the 2010-2011 school year were $200 for junior high students and $300 for high school students.
