08.11 Hornet Headlines

Welcome back! We will see you bright and early on Thursday, August 17 for the first day of school. Please see the drop-off and pickup maps for our six school buildings below. To simplify the process, we will have members of our team and the Pataskala police department helping with traffic direction on the first day.

Please note that the high school, Central Intermediate/Preschool, and North Elementary have revised their pickup and drop off routes for the 2023-2024 school year.

Families will enter and exit off Summit Road. ONLY STUDENTS may use the entrance off Cable Road.

Families will enter off Mink Street and exit onto Cable Road.

Both the intermediate school and the preschool will use the same pickup/drop-off route.

Note that there are two entrance lines for pickup and drop off from Summit Road SW.

Families will both enter from and exit onto Climbing Fig Drive.

Families will enter off Summit Road SW between South Elementary and Central Intermediate.

These maps are also available on our district website. Click the button below to view each school's map. Map graphics are also posted on the Information and Directions section of each school's page on our district website.

If you have any additional questions about the first day of school, all of our secretaries are now back in office. Call your student’s school for more information. Our team cannot wait to welcome your students back to school!

Sincerely,

Dr. Kevin S. Miller, Superintendent

TODAY, AUGUST 11 is the DEADLINE to update your student’s required documentation for the 2023-2024 school year. This includes both the Health Information—Emergency Medical Authorization (EMA) form and two additional general student information forms. You MUST update these forms for the 2023-2024 school year, as forms are required to be updated annually.

Click the button below to go directly to the PowerSchool portal. After logging in, you can view and update these forms under the "General Forms" tab.

To make the transition back to school as easy as possible, we wanted to provide all families with the necessary information and resources you need to prepare for 2023-2024. Click the yellow button below for information about:

• School supplies
• Open House schedules
• Transportation and bus schedules
• Using the Student Health Center
• Free/reduced lunch and fee waivers

Licking County Aging Partners is pleased to offer access to free eye care through the Center for Visual Improvement. The center helps Licking County families get the basic eye care and glasses they need. This includes setting the appointment and paying for services. The center also offers low-vision aids to help individuals with vision impairment access and navigate the world with confidence and independence.

Call the Center for Visual Improvement to see if you qualify: (740) 345-0821, ext. 244.

Ready to cheer on the Hornets this fall? Schedules and presale tickets are now live on the Athletics website. Tickets to any varsity event will be $7 and tickets for any non-varsity event will be $5. Click the yellow button below to purchase your tickets online, or purchase a season pass.

Community members 60 and over also qualify for a senior citizen pass and can get free admission to all home games. Call the athletic office at (740) 927-9046 for details.

Get a sneak peak of the Student Health Center before the school year starts. Join us Monday, August 14 from 5–7 p.m. for an Open House. Meet staff and learn about services, hours, scheduling an appointment, and more. Refreshments will be provided. The Health Center is also now open for student appointments. Schedule an appointment: (220) 564-7830.

Intel Corporation has established a scholarship program to assist women who plan to enroll in a 2-year associate degree in the state of Ohio. Applicants to the Intel Semiconductor Scholarship for Women must:

• Be students who have graduated high school and are currently enrolled or plan to enroll in a higher education institution in the state of Ohio to pursue a 2-year associate degree for the 2023-2024 school year
• Self-identify as female
• Plan to enroll in full-time undergraduate study at an accredited higher education institution that offers 2-year associate degrees in the state of Ohio for the 2023-2024 academic year
• Be a United States (U.S.) citizen and/or be eligible to legally work in the U.S.
• Be first-year students who start in the Fall of 2023 or the Spring of 2024 and are pursuing a STEM degree relevant to the semiconductor manufacturing industry.

The deadline to apply is September 18, 2023 at 2 p.m. Click the button below to learn more.

Meet the Intel Ohio team and explore a virtual world this weekend at the Hartford Fair, 14028 Fairgrounds Road, Hartford, OH 43013. Their booth is open 3 pm to 8 pm August 10-12.

If you have ever wondered what it’s like inside an Intel fab, put on the VR headset and you will be instantly transported inside one of these engineering marvels. You can also sit behind the wheel of Intel's Formula 1 racing simulator and experience the speed of an Intel chip. There will be lots of hands-on activities for kids to learn about circuits and the engineering design process.

The Village Network is currently accepting foster family applications to fill critical needs. Benefits to families include paid specialized training, excellent daily per diem, ongoing support from trained Village Network staff, and paid respite. Contact Liz Meyers, licensing specialist, at emyers@thevillagenetwork.com or (740) 281-4251 to get started. Click the button below for more information.

Quality Profiles are popular among Ohio public school districts as a compliment to the State Report Card from the Ohio Department of Education. This year, Licking Heights created our first-ever Quality Profile to celebrate the students and staff who make Licking Heights such a wonderful place to learn and grow. Click the yellow button below to view our full Quality Profile for the 2022-2023 school year.

Beginning July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2025, the Licking County Health Department will provide vouchers for up to 75 qualifying Licking County students to attend a teen driver course at the Licking Valley Driving School (LVDS) location of their choice. LVDS’ course will provide both the classroom and driving experience necessary to meet the State of Ohio requirements for Ohio Driver Training. Click the button below to learn more.

Join Licking County Aging Partners, Licking County Developmental Disability Board, and the West Licking Community Safety Expo on Saturday, Sept. 23 from 9 am to 11:30 am at 355 W. Broad St., Pataskala, OH 43062. The event is FREE and will include information about:

• Local law enforcement
• Weather safety
• Car seat safety
• Bike safety
• Fire safety
• Firearm safety
• Safety for seniors
• And more!

Our transportation department is thrilled to start the school year with three new bus drivers—Pam, Gina, and Sharon—and two new assistants, Nicole and Lori! We look forward to our students meeting them on August 17. If you are interested in driving a bus for Licking Heights, call director of transportation Darlene Mortine at (740) 927-3340. Benefits include competitive pay, excellent benefits, holidays and summers off, and on-the-job training.

Did you know we offer school breakfast at all of our school cafeterias? Licking Heights students from kindergarten to high school can start their day with a healthy, balanced, affordable breakfast thanks to the work of our Food Services team. Learn more by clicking the button below.

Additionally, thanks to legislation passed in June by the Ohio Legislature, students who qualify for reduced-price lunch and breakfast will now automatically qualify for free lunch and breakfast. Call Food Services at (740) 919-3111 with questions.

Flock Safety is an integrated public safety platform that designs and implements technological solutions to help eliminate crime in our communities. Thousands of cities, neighborhoods, businesses, and schools use Flock Safety’s technology to provide actionable and objective evidence to law enforcement that helps solve and prevent crime.

Licking Heights is installing Flock Safety license plate and vehicle recognition cameras at school entry points. This technology is strategically placed at the entrance of schools, neighborhoods, and cities to provide immediate alerts to law enforcement for potential threats and identify vehicles involved in crimes. Flock Safety cameras also connect to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) AMBER Alert database and can send alerts to police on missing or endangered children.

Flock Safety will provide proactive alerts to the district and surrounding public safety partners when vehicles associated with a threat enter a school zone. Our school safety officers, the school district police department, and other local law enforcement will receive the alerts to help us coordinate a response.

The license plate recognition cameras do not utilize facial recognition, measure speed, or focus on images of people. All data and images are owned by Licking Heights, and the data will never be shared or sold to third parties. They will not be used for parking or minor traffic enforcement.

Click the button below to learn more about Flock Safety.

Go back to school in style! Check out our official Hornets merch shop for Licking Heights hoodies, shirts, and hijabs. Team stores for volleyball, football, and cross country apparel are now open as well. Buy gear and support your LH athletes. Click the button below to browse and buy online.

We wonder what mischief Mr. Scheiderer will get into this school year with the students at South Elementary. From getting slimed to participating in a balloon parade to jamming out at a pre-test concert, there is certainly never a dull moment.

Thank you to all Licking Heights staff members who helped on our four required form help days at West Elementary. Thanks to your hard work, our families and students are starting the school year with necessary forms completed.

Our teachers welcomed incoming students to North Elementary last week for kindergarten screening. Thank you to our students and families who participated—see you next week!

Who is ready for the return of Ollie the Therapy Dog at Central Intermediate this year? Ollie will visit Mrs. Krouse's room once a week to meet with students, share puppy love, and make Central 100% more adorable.

The middle school hosted a Back to School Bash for all 7th and 8th grade students and their families on August 9. Students were able to tour the hallways, practice using a locker, enjoy a game of cornhole, get delicious food from OX-B's, and of course, compare schedules with their friends!

Congratulations to the high school Treble Chorale for being selected as the lab choir at Capital University's summer Kodály Institute for Master of Music in Music Education students! Students in the Master of Music in Music Education with Kodály Emphasis program each conducted a song for the choir during a final performance on July 28. After the performance, the MMME students earned their Kodály Certification.

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• August 14—Student Health Center Open House
• August 15—North, South, and West sensory-friendly open houses
• August 16—Central, North, South, and West afternoon/evening open houses
• August 17—First Day of School for grades 1-9, KDG A- K
• August 18—First Day of School for grades 10-12, KDG L-Z
• Click here to buy spirit wear from our official Hornets shop
• Click here to see the latest fliers on Peachjar