April 6, 2016
Contact: Jill Moberley, Public Information Officer
Jmoberle@dps.k12.oh.us
For Immediate Release

–    COSI on Wheels pulling up to Ponitz CTC

Thanks to General Electric, COSI on Wheels is making a stop at Ponitz Career Technology Center, 741 Washington Street, Friday, April 8. GE is partnering with Ponitz to offer engineering and math students’ real-world applications of their studies. COSI on Wheels will begin breakout sessions at 8 a.m. to allow ninth-graders to conduct various experiments, followed by a scientific assembly. The day of events wraps up at 11:30 a.m. COSI on Wheels is part of the Center of Science and Industry in Columbus. For more information, contact David Andrews at 542-7248.

–    DPS hiring qualified school bus drivers

Dayton Public Schools is conducting open interviews for prospective bus drivers at the district service building, 4280 N. James H. McGee Blvd., Tuesday, April 12, from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. This exciting opportunity offers on-the-spot interviews, no experience required. Paid training is available. For more information, contact Andrae´ Hicks at 542-3040.
    
–    Dayton Education Council to hold parent meeting    

The Dayton Education Council will hold a parent meeting Thursday, April 14 at Ruskin PreK-8 School, 407 Ambrose Court, at 6 p.m. Shelia Burton, Ph.D., associate superintendent, student services, will be the guest speaker. She will address student testing. The DEC meeting will be part of the East End Family Night. For more information, contact Toni Perry Gillispie at 542-3013.

–    Volunteers celebrated for giving time and touching hearts

Cleveland PreK-6 School is paying tribute to its volunteers. A special luncheon, “Giving Time and Touching Hearts,” is planned Friday, April 15 at the school, 1102 Pursell Avenue, at 11 a.m. Hundreds of volunteers offer their services to Cleveland every school year. Approximately 40 volunteers consistently lend a hand and most of them will be in attendance. For more information, contact Cleveland PreK-6 School at 542-4340.

–    DPS students receive youth leadership awards

Six DPS students are recipients of the Rotary Youth Leadership Award. They will take part in a RYLA Leadership Camp the weekend of April 15-17 at Camp Kern, where they will put their critical thinking skills to the test. The RYLA award recognizes area youth who demonstrate leadership skills in their community. The students from Dayton Public Schools attending are:
 
Melyndee White, grade 10, Stivers School for the Arts
Tyrone Robinson, grade 10, Meadowdale High School
Ashon English, grade 10, Thurgood Marshall STEM High School
Bri’ann Jamison, grade 11, Thurgood Marshall STEM High School
Thyiel Caldwell, grade 10, Thurgood Marshall STEM High School
Tyesha Waters, grade 10, Dunbar Early College High School
 
For more information, contact Mortenous Johnson at 542-3543.

–    Stivers School for the Arts presents “Bye Bye Birdie”

Stivers School for the Arts presents “Bye Bye Birdie” April 22 and 23 in Stivers’ Centennial Hall, 1313 East Fifth St., at 7:30 p.m. both evenings. The show is sure to have you swiveling your hips and singing along. The comedic Broadway production was inspired by Elvis Presley when he was drafted into the military in 1957. The musical showcases a talented cast of students at the public arts magnet school. Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for students. Call 937-551-1620 to purchase tickets. You can also purchase them at the door. For more information, contact Leigh Wilkins at 937-760-0265.

–    DPS Book Fair to promote literacy and combat homelessness

A Dayton Public Schools Book Fair will be held Saturday, April 23 at Barnes & Noble, 2619 Miamisburg-Centerville Road, at 11 a.m. A percentage of every purchase made that day will benefit the DPS school of your choice and its Title 1 Parent Resource Room or high school literacy class. While you’re there, donate a book at the “Max Project” table that will benefit the DPS McKinney-Vento homeless education program. The book fair is a joint venture between DPS, Homefull and Barnes & Noble. For more information, contact Anthony Newton at 542-3307.

–    Medal of Honor recipient shares his story with DPS

Medal of Honor recipient, Melvin Morris, will visit DPS Wednesday, April 27. He will talk with students at Stivers School for the Arts, 1313 East Fifth St., from 8 a.m. until 10:15 a.m., and Valerie PreK-6 School, 4020 Bradwood Dr., from 10:30 a.m. until 11:15 a.m. Sgt. Morris is an Army veteran of the Vietnam War. He was bestowed the military’s highest honor by President Obama in 2014, 44 years after his service. Morris received the Distinguished Service Cross in 1970. For more information, contact Bridget Federspiel at 542-7441.

–    DPS students excel in National History Day competition

Several students from Stivers School for the Arts and Belmont High School have qualified for the Ohio National History Day competition in Delaware, Ohio April 30. All were winners in the regional contest in March, earning the right to advance. National History Day is part of the Ohio History Connection organization. It is a year-long program that encourages students in grades four through 12 to study history. The winning DPS students and their projects are:
From Stivers:
    Amira Leonard, grade nine; Karoline Oney, grade nine – group exhibit — “Women’s Rights”
    Serenity Graham, grade nine; Jaiden Hurt, grade nine; Mariah Spencer, grade nine; Kyndall Jones, grade nine – group exhibit – “Harlem Renaissance”
    Layah Brown, grade nine; A’Mya Price, grade nine; Michelle Shoun, grade nine – group website – “1918 Influenza”
    Beverly Rutledge, grade nine; Shawn Gardner, grade nine – group website – “Latino Immigration”

From Belmont:
    Caitlin Human, grade 12; Kristhinna Paredes, grade 10 – group exhibit – “Florence Kling Harding: First Lady Ahead of her Time”
    Donnovan Lindsey, grade 12; Paul Crain, grade 11; Steven Sweeney, grade 10 – group
exhibit – “Voyager: The Ultimate Journey of Exploration” (competed, but will not advance)

For more information, contact Bridget Federspiel of Stivers at 542-7441 or Janet Riner of Belmont at 542-6550.

–    Two DPS coaches inducted into MVFCA Hall of Fame 

The Miami Valley Football Coaches Association inducted seven coaches into its hall of fame this year. Among them is Sidney Booker of Dunbar Early College High School and retired coach, Jim McDermott. McDermott was a longtime head coach at Belmont High School in the 1960s and 1970s.  The MVFCA honors those who have not only excelled in their coaching careers, but also serve as mentors and leaders in the community. Coach Booker is being honored for his football coaching career, but is, perhaps, best known as track and field coach at Dunbar. He recently led the Dunbar indoor track team to a state championship. He was also named OHSAA track coach of year in February. To contact Coach Booker, call Dunbar Early College High School at 542-6760.

–    District preschools win health awards of excellence

Nineteen DPS schools received 2016-17 GetUp Healthy Child Care Awards of Excellence. The award is presented to child care centers who serve children age three to five. It promotes a healthy lifestyle for staff, children and their families. The following schools were awarded: Belle Haven, Charity Adams Earley, Cleveland, Dayton Boys Preparatory Academy, Eastmont, Edison, E.J. Brown, Fairview, Horace Mann, Kemp, Kiser, Louise Troy, Meadowdale, River’s Edge, Ruskin, Valerie, Westwood, World of Wonder, and Wright Brothers. The award was created through a partnership including 4C for Children, ReadySetSoar, Dayton Children’s Hospital, and the Montgomery County Department of Job and Family Services. For more information, contact Karen Lombard at 542-3325.

–    DPS projects rated superior in state science fair competitions

They are already winners, but 11 students are still competing to have their science projects considered among Ohio’s best. Destiny Peyton and Andrew Kerns, seniors at Ponitz CTC, not only qualified for the Ohio State Science Day competition May 14, but also qualified for the 2016 Buckeye Science and Engineering Fair in Columbus April 2. They, along with classmates Shadayah Lawrence, Erica Pollard, Cheyenne Hall, Alexis Knight, and Cortney Mitchem; Thurgood Marshall students Amari Scales and Kierre Dewberry; and Wright Brothers PreK-8 School students Salvi Kambarova and Sevda Ismailova, all received superior ratings at regionals in order to move on to the state competition. For more information, contact Marijane Recob at 542-6143.

                                                                                        -30-