To commemorate Earth Day on April 22, Lima Kiwanis distributed Spruce and Dogwood saplings to first- and third-grade students at St. John’s Elementary School last week. The students are prompted to plant the trees (with their parent’s help) on their property. Front row from left are; Kobe O’Connor, Connor Baldauf and Elizabeth Garrett; back row, Ella Wilson, Gaige Horton and Kailyn Dienstberger.

Vantage superintendent

The 2013 Haiti team returned safely a few days ago, and accomplished much good work in the past week. The Vantage Interact Club, affiliated with the Van Wert Rotary Club, sponsors a carpentry program in the mountain village of Borde, Haiti. Vantage students raise funds throughout the school year to pay the carpentry teacher’s salary ($100 per month) and furnish supplies and hand tools for the students. The furniture made by the carpentry program is sold in Cap Haitien, Haiti, and the funds are returned to the customer service account to buy more supplies.

Social studies teacher Peg Bollenbacher, the club’s advisor, has traveled to Haiti annually for 10 years. She will retire this year and is turning over the Interact Club to science teacher Matthew Miller. Bollenbacher will continue to return to Haiti annually on her own, as she has a deep bond with the local Haitians involved in our project.
This was my first trip to Haiti, as it was for Miller. Seeing the carpentry school and surrounding facilities, which include another school building for multiple grade levels, a church, and a small kitchen building and small administration building really affected us. All are cinder block buildings with holes to let in light and air.

Six soon-to-be Buckeyes received a full- or half-tuition scholarship at a dinner and ceremony Wednesday in the Visitor and Student Services Center on the campus of The Ohio State University at Lima. The awards to incoming freshman were made possible by a generous gift by Arthur and Marian Rudd.

Full-tuition winners include: Isaac Altenburger, St. Johns High School; Nicole Brown, Wapakoneta High School; and Kiaya Shellenberg, Houston High School. Half-tuition winners are Faith Luginbill, Columbus Grove High School; Meagan Straley, Leipsic High School; and Angela Massara, Upper Sandusky High School.

The Arthur and Marian Rudd Scholarship Fund provides three full- and three half-tuition scholarships each year to students for whom such an award will make a significant financial difference. The scholarships are renewable for four years. At current tuition levels, the full scholarship will be worth about $7,140 per year and $28,560 over the life of the scholarship. The incoming class for Autumn 2013 is the ninth group to be eligible for the awards.

First grade
Citizenship Award
Grant Dudgeon, Kianna Mathison, Cierra Soto, Dawson Stocklin, Maddisyn Waltmire, Mikel Hale, Donavan Reed and Jeffrey Kowalski.

Principal’s Award
Alivia Arroyo, Ashton Briem, Hailey Czerwinski, Cameron Foust, Alise Frick, James Hasting, Vincent Murray, Alijah Petty, Brooks Sensibaugh, Abigail Sterling, Matthew Weitzel, David Betz, Samantha Brotherwood, Isabella Castro, Lucas Clay, Xach Houx, Alivia Joseph, Romelio Olmeda, Annabelle Stepleton, Ariel Wallace, Tyler Wilkins, Emma Woodruff, Olivia Taggi, Kayden Slygh, Malik Mays, Hannah Joseph,Gavin Joseph, Kaden Cross, Isis Cooper, Emma Cooley, Lucy Castiglia, Sam Carmean and Ghavin Bitters.

Wildcat Honor Awards
Gabriella  McClure, Kyrstin Moore, Jislynn Thomas, Madison Burris, Paige Cross, Cheyenne Weber, Aaron Pohlman, Nolan Kunkleman, Katelyn Knepper, Kendall Kill, Nautica Rader, Elijah Mueller, Wiley Dennard and Austin Coil.

Vantage Career Center has announced students who achieved A B Honor Roll status the third nine weeks of the 2012-13 grading period. The asterisk * denotes a 4 point grade point average.
Ottoville
Andrew Horstman, MacKensey Bendele, Alex Schnipke, *Matthew Burgei, Benjamin Schnipke and Austin Meyer.

St. John’s
Samantha Stose

Jefferson
*Libbi Brown, Zachary Klaus, Marissa Garza, Melody Gibson, *Brooke Hesseling, Kurt Hoersten and Aleksander Stone.