May 25, 2016
Contact: Jill Moberley, Public Information Officer
Jmoberle@dps.k12.oh.us
For Immediate Release

–    Ponitz automotive students give car to family in need 
Teacher Rick Seither and his automotive students at Ponitz CTC may have motor oil running through their veins, but they also have a lot of love in their hearts. With the help of several community partners, they purchased a used car, refurbished it, and gave it away to a family in need. The students sent out more than 3,000 emails soliciting worthy candidates during their “From Goodwill to Goodwill” project. They ultimately chose a letter written by Sally Lamping from Wright State University, who is helping a family of refugees from the war in the Congo. The Prosper Shaka family walks almost everywhere. The father takes the bus to his job at the airport, but cannot get full-time employment because he doesn’t speak English well enough. The English class to help him is unreachable without that life-changing car. The family has six children, two of which were taken in by the family after being orphaned in the war. An interpreter will be needed to interview this family. For more information, contact Mr. Rick Seither at 542-7290.

–    Rotary of Dayton honors four educators and superintendent

The Rotary Club of Dayton presented its Excellence in Teaching/Administration Awards May 23. All the recipients were nominated by co-workers and friends for going above and beyond in their professions. Cleveland PreK-6 School Principal Laura Busse received the administrator’s award. Teachers honored were Maya Dorsey, E.J. Brown PreK-8 School; Charity Goode, Fairview PreK-8 School; and Christopher Perkins, Thurgood Marshall STEM High School. The rotary also paid special tribute to Superintendent Lori Ward for her 21 years of dedicated service to the district, the past six as superintendent.

–    Now enrolling for digital summer school

Digital Summer School will be offered at Ponitz Career Technology Center from June 8 through July 15, 2016. Students can pre-register now through June 1. Open registration is June 2 through 7. Students will earn credits for courses previously attempted and unsuccessfully completed. The program is computer-based and includes a series of self-paced tutorials, drills, mastery tests, and offline activities. Classes are offered from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (M-F) and include the following: algebra, physical science, chemistry, biology, geometry, history, and language arts 9-12. Breakfast and lunch are provided. For DPS students, tuition is $150 for a half credit and $175 for a full credit. For non-DPS students, tuition is $175 for a half credit and $225 for a full credit. Tuition (money order only, non-refundable) will be accepted at the DSS office, Rm. 1122B, David H. Ponitz CTC, 741 Washington St., Dayton, Ohio 45402, between 1:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. (M-F) Students must obtain their HS counselor’s signature to successfully complete the application process. For additional information, please contact your school counselor for a digital summer school brochure or DSS Office at 937-542-7191.

–    Student receives a full ride to Air Camp

A sixth grader at the Dayton Boys Preparatory Academy will attend a highly sought after summer camp on a full scholarship. Dameon Darden is one of approximately 130 students across the area to attend Air Camp II in June. He will have the opportunity to explore aviation and discover how his studies apply in the real world of flying. The camp takes place at Wright State University during three, one-week sessions in June. For more information, contact Air Camp Director of Operations Shannon Coblentz, at 937-304-5264.

–    2016 Scholarship Golf Classic tees off June 6

The Dayton Board of Education and Dayton Public Schools will host the 22nd annual Scholarship Golf Classic, Monday, June 6, at Miami Valley Golf Club, 3311 Salem Ave. More than 100 golfers will tee off to raise scholarship money for deserving DPS students. Over the past 20 years, the event has raised more than $200,000 in scholarships. For more information, contact David Lawrence at 542-3257 or Phil Bass at 542-3133.

–    Stivers team takes top spot in history competition

A team of students at Stivers School for the Arts took first place in the Ohio History Day competition. Ninth-graders Layah Brown, A’Mya Price and Michelle Shoun took the top prize in the group website category for their 1918 Influenza project. Teacher Bridget Federspiel was also honored for her outstanding teaching. She received the “Patricia Behring 2016 Teacher of the Year Award for the Senior Division of Ohio History Day.” Ohio History Day was held at the end of April. More than 700 students competed for 40 spots in the national competition. The first place team from Stivers will attend the national competition June 12-16 in Washington, D.C. For more information, contact Bridget Federspiel at 542-7441.

–    Kiser garden selected for county beautification grant

The garden and learning lab at Kiser PreK-8 School, 1401 Leo St., received nearly $900 to help the garden grow. Montgomery County Environmental Services’ “Keep Montgomery County Beautiful” program selected the school based on its grant application. The money will be spent at a local garden center. Kiser’s garden is a gem in the Dayton Public Schools, helping students learn through gardening and conservation. For more information, contact Mary Gooch at 542-7186.

–    Student talent recognized at Holocaust remembrance event

Two Stivers students’ entries were recognized in the Max and Lydia May Memorial Holocaust Art and Writing Contest. Stivers’ ninth-grader Shawn Gardner received an honorable mention for his prose/poetry entry. Sophomore Korrion Frost received an honorable mention for his art work. The contest is sponsored by the Frydman Family through the Holocaust Education Committee of the Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton. Their works were displayed in early May.

–    Students excel at Ohio State Science Day

Several students who saw their science projects compete at the state science fair have more to celebrate. Wright Brothers PreK-8 students, Salvi Kambarova and Sevda Ismailova, earned an excellent rating for their project, “To Chill or Not to Chill.” Thurgood Marshall students, Amari Scales and Kierre Dewberry, also received an excellent rating for their individual projects. Ponitz student, Cortney Mitchem, received a superior rating for her project, “The investigation of pGLO as a transformation process using E.coli.” Ponitz students who received an excellent rating for their work are: Cheyenne Hall, Andrew Kerns, Alexis Knight, Shadayah Lawrence, Destiny Peyton, and Erica Pollard. For more information, contact Marijane Recob at 542-6143.

–    Educators recognized for energy efficient educational programs 

Seventeen DPS educators were recognized for participating in the Be E3Smart program sponsored by Dayton Power and Light and Vectren Energy Delivery. The energy companies trained the teachers in the award-winning program. The teachers then shared their knowledge with their students. The students learned about energy conservation and concepts. They could then put their new knowledge to work at home. The teachers are: Kenyatta Brown, Jennifer Knupp, Jennifer Cain, LaVita Williams, Kim Dubbs, Mary Lynn Espinosa, Barbara Morris, Elizabeth Painter, Glenda Page, Bonnie Porter, Audrey Cleveland, Michelle Horton, Julie Stringer, Sam Byer, Drake Gastineau, Margaret Gorby, and Claudia Mason.

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