On Saturday, January 28, that the middle school student council held a middle school dance. It was a Hawaiian theme. The students also participated in a limbo dance and enjoyed getting photos with their friends in the photo booth. We had an excellent turnout.
The Liberty-Benton Local School District Board of Education will take action during the next regularly scheduled meeting on February 20, 2017 at 6:00 pm, in the High School Library to employ Mr. Mark Kowalski as Superintendent of schools, for the 2017 – 2018 school year. A small reception with Mr. Kowalski will immediately follow the meeting. Mr. Kowalski, who will be awarded a three-year contract, is currently the Director of Operations for the Harrison Hills City School District. He will replace Larry Cook, who is serving as Interim Superintendent of Liberty-Benton through July 31, 2017.
The Board of Education has been conducting a search which began in October, 2016. The board received assistance in the process from K-12 Business Consulting. After developing a superintendent profile that was based on information provided by parents, teachers, administrators, support staff, senior citizens/major stake holders and students, the board reviewed twenty-one (21) highly qualified individuals. Interviews with eight semi-finalists were conducted by the board and a community committee on January 24 and January 25, 2017. Four finalists returned for second interviews with the board on February 1 and February 4, 2017. After the interviews the board negotiated a contract with one of the finalists.
Mr. Kowalski has served as the Director of Operations for the Harrison Hills City Schools for the past three and a half years. His experience in the Harrison Hills City School District includes Elementary School Principal, Middle School Principal, High School Assistant Principal/Athletic Director and High School Principal. He taught high school learning disabled students (social studies) in Coshocton City Schools for four years. He also taught social studies in Newcomerstown Exempted Village Schools, Chillicothe City Schools and Morgan Local School District and has athletic coaching experience in basketball, golf, football, baseball and track.
He led Harrison Central High School to an Excellent Rating on the Local Report Card in 2012 as High School Principal. While at Harrison Central High School he collaborated to open a school for at-risk youth called Harrison Central Opportunity School to help students graduate and be successful in life.
Mr. Kowalski is a 1986 graduate of Buckeye West High School in Mount Pleasant, Ohio. He received his Master’s degree from Ashland University in educational administration in 2015 and his Bachelor’s degree in social studies education in 1990 from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In addition to his superintendent license, Mr. Kowalski holds a school business manager license and a vocational education license.
Board President, A.J. Granger spoke for the board and stated, “We believe Mark has the expertise to work with the board, the staff, the students and the community to establish an exemplary vision and direction for our future.”
Mr. Kowalski and his wife, Lisa, currently reside in Cadiz, Ohio and have been married for 25 years. They have a son, Austin, who is a sophomore at Kent State University.
![MDO_1433_1[1]](../../wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MDO_1433_11.jpg)
Senior Josilyn Lieb is a member of National Honor Society and choir, and her favorite subject is history. She enjoys taking violin lessons at Ohio Northern University, and she is looking forward to graduation. Her personal goals are to make the most out of her remaining months of high school and view them with a pos itive outlook. Josilyn is the daughter of Rodney Lieb.
Junior Alexa Lenhart enjoys spending time with family and friends, baking, and ![MDO_1425_1[1]](../../wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MDO_1425_11.jpg)
babysitting, and her favorite class is anatomy with Mr. McRedmond. She is active in football cheerleading, basketball, track, student council, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and National Honor Society. She is looking forward to going to college and pursuing a career she enjoys! Her personal goals are to graduate from college and start a family. Alexa is the daughter of Matt and Missy Lenhart.
Sophomore Chl![MDO_1419_1[1]](../../wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MDO_1419_11.jpg)
oe Miller is active in volleyball and track, and she enjoys hunting, fishing, and being with friends. Her favorite classes are Spanish and geometry, and she is looking forward to summer break. Her personal goals are to graduate successfully from high school and share the light of Jesus. Chloe is the daughter of Steph and Scott Miller.
Freshman Abbey Hatch is active in soccer, basketball, choir, Fermatta the Blue, and student coun![MDO_1413_1[1]](../../wp-content/uploads/2017/02/MDO_1413_11.jpg)
cil, and her favorite subject is math. She enjoys attending church youth group and spending time with friends and family. She is looking forward to continuing to represent the Eagles on the soccer field and basketball court. Her personal goal is to have a successful academic and athletic career at Liberty-Benton High School. Abbey is the daughter of Rob and Arika Hatch.
Mr. Chad Marzec is in his first year of teaching at Liberty-Benton High School after teaching the past two years in Toledo at St. John’s Jesuit. Chad earned his bachelor’s degree in systems engineering from the United States Military Academy and his teaching licensure from the University of Findlay.
Chad lives in the district with his wife, Alisa, and they have three children: Jack (5), Kate (4), and Emily (1). They are looking forward to the birth of their fourth child in June. Chad enjoys spending time with his family, working out, running, swimming, wrestling, and doing anything outdoors.
Chad enjoys the challenge of molding and mentoring each student. His focus daily is caring for the whole student; not just academically, but also physically and emotionally. His overall goal is to help each student become a better person and a better version of themselves.
On January 12, Liberty-Benton Elementary students in grades PreK-3rd traveled to literacy night on a Wild about Reading Safari. We had an exciting night transforming our elementary into a Safari. Without the help and assistance from Literacy Coalition, The Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation, L-B PTO, and L-B teachers, this night would not have been possible for our parents and students. Students visited different safari stations to listen to a storyteller, move to multiple reading Safari Stations, incorporate reading into movement and music and as well as take some memorable selfies at the famous Safari photo booth. This quality time between parents and their children were spent learning new ideas that parents can easily practice at home. Literacy plays an important foundation for students. Liberty-Benton Elementary is happy to be Wild about Reading.
The Liberty-Benton Athletic Boosters will host the annual reverse raffle fundraiser on Friday, April 21 at The Sterling Center. The event raises approximately $15,000 each year to help towards the annual budget of $35,000 that is needed to fund the LB athletic program.
Tickets are currently on sale for $100 each with an early bird special drawing for those who purchase tickets before March 24. The early bird drawing will award the winner another raffle ticket in the reverse raffle. The grand prize for the backwards raffle is $10,000 with $8,000 additional cash prizes pending the sale of all tickets. You do not need to attend the event to win.
For more information or to purchase your ticket, download the form below or contact the reverse raffle committee: Jim Carpenter, Perry Lease, Char Simons and Susan Kern.
Twenty-four Liberty-Benton Elementary students will be participating in the Mazza Children’s Art Exhibit. The program was developed to promote students’ awareness of the art of established and published illustrators of children’s literature. During art class, students studied the work of American Artist, James Dean, and imitated his “Pete the Cat” illustrations on paper.
The “Pete the Cat” inspired illustrations will be on display at the University of Findlay Mazza Museum from January 9 until March 10, 2017. Please be sure to stop by the Mazza Museum to support our students and the arts!
Be sure to congratulate the following students:
Grade K
Danika Ebert (K-S)
Devyn Ebert (K-S)
Audrey Johnson (K-S)
Brady Ruetz (K-S)
Jonah Todd (K-S)
Grade 1
Griffin Austermiller (1-MC)
Leah Lemons (1-MC)
Grade 2
Abbigale Glidden (2-V)
Lucy Coughlin (2-V)
Grade 4
Lydia Hendricks (4-R)
Camryn Oswalt (4-R)
Sydney Ruetz (4-E)
Grade 5
Leo Mead (5-B)
Gavin Sanderson (5-B)
Alyssa Hanni-Wells (5-S)
Lauren Gerken (5-N)
Trinity Williamson (5-R)
Addyson VanHorn (5-B)
Riley Cupp (5-B)
Riley Poe (5-B)
Lori Sanchez (5-P)
Emma Spears (5-S)
Kyan Martin (5-N)
Alexis May (5-B)
Thank you to Detective Boutwell, from the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department, for coming into our classroom and speaking with Liberty-Benton 8th Graders to share about his job as a detective. Mrs. Heidi Irwin’s eighth grade reading classes are currently in the middle of a unit of study that surrounds the genre of mystery. During this unit, students are reading and participating in activities that will put them in the role of detectives. Even though we try to recreate the job of a detective through our skills in reading for detail, deductive reasoning, sequencing, vocabulary and being able to communicate, we don’t have “real” crime scenes and case files that we are working with. Mr. Boutwell helped bring literature to life and bridge our studies to the “real world” by sharing his experiences. Students also enjoyed trying to “dust” for fingerprints during Detective Boutwell demonstration on latent fingerprinting.
Fourteen Liberty-Benton middle school and two high school leadership students attended HAPPY Weekend on November 18-19. The purpose of the Project HAPPY event was to provide an opportunity for approximately 100 junior high school students from area schools to spend a weekend together developing personal awareness of the physical, psychological, legal and social implications of alcohol/drug use and abuse. This experience promotes an alcohol/drug free lifestyle, and helps to inspire school groups to promote prevention within their schools.
