www.milfordschools.org                                                                             March 2017
MHS Photo Earns International Honor
Milford sophomore Jenna Bellonby had one of her photographs accepted into the Sony World Photography Awards competition, one of the world's largest photograph competitions. Her work was selected as one of the top 50 out of 105,692 entries from 182 countries in the still-life category! The contest was open to all ages, including professional photographers. Jenna created the photograph featured while working   with Janelle Schunk last semester in the Photography II class at Milford High School.

Her work will be exhibited digitally at the Somerset House in London as part of the 2017 Sony World Photography Awards Exhibition from April 21 - May 7, 2017.

Jenna also earned seven awards in the 2017 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards Competition, including three Gold Keys. One of her photographs was also selected as a finalist in the Drexel University High School Photography Contest.

Milford Seniors Named National Merit Finalists
Three Milford seniors have been named National Merit Finalists. They are: Miranda Kunes, Brennan Dodds and Amanda Lee. As finalists, these students are now eligible for scholarships from the National Merit® Scholarship Program. 

National Merit Finalists score in the top 1% of all students in the country who take the PSAT as juniors.

Photo: MHS Principal Josh Kauffman, Miranda Kunes, Brennan Dodds, Amanda Lee, and Assistant Principal Robyn Jordan.

Student Achievers
Athletics and Activities



Tyler Babinec, Chase Fisher, Branham Leavens, Jarod Higgins and  Sam Leatherwood represented Milford in five different events at the state championships at the OHSAA Swimming Division I District Tournament on February 25.
Overall, the Eagles finished 17th in the state of Ohio with 41 points, and earned the third most points out of the Cincinnati teams represented.

Final State Results
Tyler Babinec:  50 Free - 8th Place (School Record) &  100 Breast - 3rd place (School Record)
Chase Fisher:  50 free - 21st Place
200 Free Relay - 13th- Branham Leavens, Chase Fisher, Sam Leatherwood, Tyler Babinec
400 Free Relay - 14th-  Jarod Higgins, Chase Fisher, Sam Leatherwood, Tyler Babinec

Senior wrestler Jimmy Murphy advanced through the district bracket to earn a trip to the OHSA A Divi sion I State Tournament on March 9,  at the Schottenstein Center at The Ohio Stat e Un iversity in Columbus.

Sophomore Kobey Bronaugh and freshman Max Ward both advanced to the second day of dist ricts before losing in consolation rounds.

Milford's bowling program had its best showing ever. With great sectional performances, both the gir ls and boys bowling teams qualified for the Division I OHSAA District Tournament. 

Milford High School's varsity winter guard won the Winter Guard International Indianapolis Regionals, February 18-19. The team 
competed against 38 other schools from Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Ohio. The team is currently ranked number one in their region.

On February 25, Milford High School winter drumline placed first at the Bellbrook MEPA competition with a score of 81.35!  
Catch the group's next performance when the competition comes to Milford High School on March 18 and 19.
MJHS Science Olympiad 
For several months, Milford Junior High School Science Olympiad Team has been preparing for competition by launching rockets, designing gliders, mixing chemicals, identifying invasive species, and having fun with science!

On March 4, the JHS Science Olympiad team competed in the Southwest Regional Science Olympiad tournament at Xavier University. Milford placed 5th out of 14 junior high teams from around Cincinnati. Several Milford students also received medals in their individual contests.

Milford School District will be accepting applications for open enrollment from April 10- 28, 2017. Applications 
must be submitted in person to the Milford School District's Central Office, 777 South Garfield, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
 
Application deadline: April 28, 2017 at 4:30 p.m.
 
Details on open enrollment and the applications are available under the central registration department  at www.milfordschools.org. If you have any questions, please call (513)831-1314.
 AP Class Observes Live Surgery
On March 7, Milford High School students in Melody Moorehead's AP Biology class observed an open heart surgery at Christ Hospital.
It was a wonderful experience for our students, who had the chance to observe a live double bypass surgery and talk to the surgeon about his job and his journey in medical school. A nurse practitioner also spoke to the students about the opportunities in pursuing a nursing career.

Thanks to The Christ College of Nursing and Health Sciences and The Christ Hospital Health Network for giving our students this awesome opportunity!

New Visitor Security System in Place
The District is pleased to announce that Milford High School is now using the Raptor Visitor Management System to enhance campus safety for students and faculty. The Raptor system will better allow us to track visitors and volunteers in our schools and provide us with a safer environment for our students and staff. The Raptor system went into effect on March 6, at Milford High School and will be implemented in all of our schools the week of March 20.

Upon entering a district building, visitors will be asked to present a valid government-issued ID, which will be scanned into the system.  The Raptor system will check to ensure that registered sexual offenders are not entering our buildings.  It is important to note that the Raptor system only scans the visitor's name, date of birth and photo for comparison with a national database of registered sex offenders.  Additional visitor data from the driver's license is not gathered nor is the system connected to any other system such as the Department of Motor Vehicles. Therefore, any other information on the ID is not scanned by the system and is not accessible to any of the users.  Once entry is approved, Raptor will issue a badge that identifies the visitor, the date, and the purpose of his/her visit.  A visitor's badge will not be necessary for those who visit our schools simply to drop off an item in the office or pick up paperwork. 
 
If you are interested in learning more about the Raptor visitor management system, please visit the Raptor Technologies website ( www.raptortech.com ). 

Local Business Hosting Food Drive
Joe Kuethe, an Edward Jones financial advisor in Milford, is supporting the BackPack Ministry and Milford students in need by using his office as a drop-off location for a food drive.

The items needed are kid-friendly foods that contain three of the four essential food groups. Items also needed include: granola bars, raisins, applesauce, crackers, soups, macaroni and cheese, ready to eat peanut butter, tuna, individual cereal boxes, juice boxes, etc.

Donations will be accepted during regular business hours from March 6-24, at the Milford Edward Jones branch, located at 5881 Cook Road.

Please note that monetary donations cannot be accepted.

Spotlight on STEM
District Fifth Graders Visit iSpace

Thanks to the generosity of the Milford Schools Foundation, fifth graders districtwide have the opportunity to visit iSpace  a non-profit organization that makes learning exciting by providing engaging Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) programs to schools, families and the community.

During the visit, students simulate a lunar mission where they complete all kinds of STEM activities.  Students act as engineers to build filters to keep oxygen levels safe and a zipline to allow the astronauts to get to the landing site safely. Student geologists study rock and soil samples and the navigation team uses data to chart safe landing zones for the spacecraft. In addition, medical and life support student teams experiment to observe reflex time and hydration in low gravity.

"My students loved this field trip and are so enthused about science and engineering when they come back to school," said Boyd E. Smith teacher Bridget Moore.
Help Lobby Legislators About Graduation Requirements
Milford School District takes pride in a rigorous and relevant coursework to prepare our students for the path they choose after high school, whether it be college or the workforce. Yet, the State of Ohio has changed the graduation requirements for the class of 2018, which based on current data could lead to approximately 20% of our current junior class not to graduate. Traditionally our graduation rate is 99%, so this new testing requirement would make a significant impact.
 
Ohio's graduation requirements for the classes of 2018 and beyond include minimum credit requirements AND one of three options to show readiness for next steps in college and careers. The three options include earning a cumulative passing score of 18 points on seven end-of-course exams. Second, a student can earn an industry-recognized credential and workforce readiness score on the WorkKeys assessment. The third option is for a student to earn a minimum score on a nationally-recognized college admission test such as the ACT.

We need parents to contact our legislators and share your concerns with these new graduation requirements. If you want to learn more about how you can help, click here.

Family and Evening Swim Sessions Added in March
Milford School District residents can swim for free during our weekly community swim sessions at the Milford High School pool. In addition to morning sessions, evening sessions have been added from 6:30-8:30 p.m. on March 17 and 24.

Bring the kids and swim during the follow Family Swim Sessions...
Saturday, March 18, 1 to 4 p.m. 
Saturday, March 25, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

As always, a consent form must be signed prior to swimming and any swimmer under the age of 18 must have a parent or guardian complete a form. All swimmers under the age of 16 MUST be accompanied by an adult. Students age 16 or older may swim without an adult, however, they must have a completed and signed waiver by a parent/guardian.

Questions? Email Lois Leavens, community swim coordinator, at leavens_l@milfordschools.org.
Save the Date for District Art Show
 
Milford Exempted Village School District's 7th Annual Art Show will be held on Friday, April 7 from 6-8 p.m. and Saturday, April 8, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.  Both student and staff artwork will be on display in the Milford High School cafeteria and will feature a wide range of selected student artwork from all six elementary schools, the junior high school, and the high school.
Substitute Teachers Needed
Interested in becoming a substitute teacher in Milford Schools? In order to become a classroom teacher substitute, you must have a Bachelor's Degree in any field. To learn more and apply,  g o to  www.subsolutions.org.
Calendar Check
March

10 End of 3rd Quarter
27 Spring Break Begins
April

3 Classes Resume
7 District Art Show 6 -8 p.m.
8 District Art Show 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
14 NO SCHOOL (Conference Make-Up Day)
       
To view a complete calendar with district, building and athletic events, click here.
Thank you for subscribing to the Eagle eNews, Milford School District's electronic newsletter. The Eagle eNews is also emailed to all parents and guardians. We welcome your feedback and encourage you to submit news items to  news@milfordschools.org.  
Milford Exempted Village School District | (513) 831-1314 | www.milfordschools.org
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