December News and Updates

Inspiring Excitement Through Hands-On Learning

Our K-8 STEAM programs continue to ignite student curiosity through hands-on, experiential learning, making education both exciting and relevant. Our dedicated teachers are actively facilitating an elevated learning experience as students dive into complex challenges and collaborative projects. Take a look at the innovative discoveries and activities that took place last month.

Collaboration and Discovery Across Grades

Empowered by the Arts Academy – November was an electrifying month of innovation, as our students across all grade levels collaborated in a dynamic, hands-on STEAM exhibit that pushed the boundaries of traditional learning.

Our middle school students engineered, designed and presented their way to mastery.

• Sixth Grade: Students became bio-engineers, diving deep into human anatomy (muscles, tendons, and skin). The thrilling result? They constructed fully functional robotic hands and created intricate 3D anatomical models, supplementing their exploration with cutting-edge digital lessons via the Learning Blade platform.
• Seventh & Eighth Grade: After mastering the complexities of genetics, these students designed stunning 3D family tree models, visually decoding the inheritance of traits in a memorable display of scientific understanding.
• Social Studies: Applying their research and writing expertise, students designed incredibly detailed desert dioramas, bringing vast, arid environments to life.

 Every middle schooler stepped into the spotlight, honing crucial speaking and listening skills by presenting their complex projects to their peers and teachers.

Grades 2 Through 8 Partner Up!

The most explosive success of the month was a vibrant partnership that bridged the age gap and sparked scientific curiosity.

•  Our 2nd and 3rd graders joined forces with their middle school mentors to investigate the exciting world of chemical reactions.
•  The older students took charge, guiding their younger partners through precise measurement, explaining the exhilarating principles of cause and effect, and demonstrating safe lab techniques.
• Younger students were thrilled to discover how gas produced in a reaction can make things erupt.



This collaborative environment was a powerful demonstration of peer mentorship, reinforcing complex scientific concepts while proving that learning and discovery are truly better together.

Navigating Topography to Plan a Highway

Innovation Academy West – Our fourth-grade students have just wrapped up a monumental, hands-on project that turned their classroom into a cutting-edge design firm. They tackled a massive, real-world challenge: How can we use a topographic map to choose the ultimate, most efficient path for building a highway? This intensive, sequential learning experience allowed our young leaders the opportunity to peer into the world of civil engineering and cartography.

The project was a thrilling journey that started with the basics and rocketed into complex application. Students started by becoming landform experts, exploring different types of terrain and the powerful geological forces that shape them. The real excitement began as students dove into physical maps and topographic maps. They learned to speak the language of contour lines, accurately interpreting elevation, slope, and even learned the secret to drawing them from scratch.

The final step was a deep dive into highway planning. Students researched how complex roads are built and analyzed exactly how the physical environment (the topography) impacts where and how human-made structures are engineered. To cement their learning, students simultaneously conducted in-depth research and planned persuasive essays on landforms, seamlessly blending science, social studies and advanced writing skills.

This project proves that our fourth graders are learning far more than just how to read a map; they are utilizing cartography as a powerful, critical tool for making complex, real-world engineering decisions.

Taste the Future at Castle East’s Showcase

Get ready for a flavor explosion! Castle High School – East Campus is planning a spectacular Culinary Showcase on Thursday, December 11th, from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.. This event is an exclusive preview of the incredible talent emerging from the school’s Career Technical Education (CTE) Culinary Arts pathway. Our students are proving that CTE is where passion meets profession, delivering skills that lead directly to successful careers.

Introducing the Island Harmony Arroz con Pollo y Habichuelas!

Come witness the creativity and skill of our dedicated culinary students as they present their original dish for the prestigious Ohio Grown Student Chef Showcase Competition.

Their masterpiece? The Island Harmony Arroz con Pollo y Habichuelas! This dish is a delicious blend of vibrant Puerto Rican and Dominican flavors, featuring tender chicken simmered perfectly with aromatic sofrito, fresh peppers and onions, all served over fluffy yellow rice and savory stewed beans. It’s a testament to the high-level expertise our students are mastering.

We are excited to celebrate the innovation, dedication and incredible skill of our future chefs.

LEIHS Students Own Career Exploration

Our dedicated LEIHS students participated in the “I Built This” Conference. This is an incredible event dedicated to Career Technical Education (CTE) programming and showcasing the vast opportunities available in the construction and design industries.

This unique experience, powered by ConstructReach, takes students right onto the site of major new facility builds or remodels, transforming the job site into a hands-on career exploration zone.

Our students dove headfirst into an impressive array of high-demand CTE careers:



• Digital Design
• Architecture
• Welding
• Electrical Trades
• Carpentry
• And more!

By participating in elements relating to design and development, our students saw how their classroom learning translates directly into lucrative and dynamic professional pathways.

The excitement peaked when one of our very own LEIHS students was awarded the Grand Prize: a brand-new iPad! We are immensely proud of our students for showing up, seizing this unparalleled opportunity for career exploration and representing Lake Erie International High School with such excellence. They are truly building their futures, one innovative step at a time.

Steel Academy Wins Bronze PBIS Award

Huge congratulations are in order for Principal Renee Holt and the outstanding staff at The Steel Academy! We are thrilled to announce that The Steel Academy has earned the Bronze Award for Positive Behavior Intervention System (PBIS) recognition for the 2024-2025 school year from the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (ODEW).

This prestigious annual award celebrates schools that are not just managing behavior but actively teaching, recognizing and fostering a positive school climate. Earning the Bronze Award is a monumental achievement, signifying that Steel Academy has successfully built a strong and effective foundation in the PBIS framework. It proves the school has reached the first, crucial level of recognition by:

•  Establishing clear, positive behavior expectations across the entire school.
•  Successfully implementing the PBIS framework as intended, ensuring consistency and fairness for all students.
•  Achieving a foundational level of excellence that will continue to support student academic success and emotional well-being.

We celebrate the dedication of The Steel Academy team for investing in a positive, supportive and safe learning environment for every student!

Strategies to Prevent Holiday Burnout

With the demands of our busy work schedules and significant family obligations, protecting our mental and physical well-being is crucial during the holiday season. The key to truly enjoying this time is preventing burnout before it starts.

Consider adopting these helpful and practical tips to ensure you stay energized and present:

• Set Realistic Expectations: Focus on finding joy in the preparation process rather than striving for perfection.
• Plan Ahead to Reduce Stress: Start tasks early and spread out your responsibilities to keep your stress levels manageable.
• Schedule Time to Recharge: Prioritize personal downtime. Intentional rest restores energy, boosts your mood, and ultimately increases your productivity.
• Maintain Firm Boundaries: Be selective with your time. Only commit to the invitations and tasks that genuinely matter to you and your family. Learn to say “no” graciously.
• Visualize and Delegate Tasks: Make a complete list of both the visible chores (e.g., cooking, decorating) and the invisible tasks (e.g., planning, emotional labor), and confidently ask for help when you need it.



For more valuable insights on maintaining your health and balance, check out the latest issue of Live Well, Work Well below.