School News

Four of the SOI First Lego League teams went to a Regional Qualifier at Harding High School in Warren. Award winners at the tournament included the Dino Nuggets with the Core Values trophy and The Spicy Peppers team which won the Robot Design trophy. The Spicy Peppers also qualified to move on to the Regional Tournament! This team consists of Graham Ursick, Jayden Kemper, Paul Kispoi, Benji Kember and Ryan Chinski. The team will compete at the tournament in January.

Congrats to all of our FLL teams for another successful season.

HUGE shoutout to SOI 7th graders who successfully recycled donated pallets into festive holiday decor for the City of Willoughby Hills! This project was part of our 7th grade Career Connections course. Mayor Hallum visited so students could personally present their reindeer, joy signs, and snowmen creations to the City. Thank you to our amazing Parent Volunteers, RSVP Volunteers, and Mayor Hallum for bringing this community project to life!

Our 7th Grade ELA Classrooms transformed into a courtroom as students brought The Outsiders to life in a riveting Mock Trial. It started with a detailed crime scene investigation, where students linked evidence directly to the novel. They then took on legal roles, conducting meticulous research with expert guidance from Officer Kailey - a Cleveland police officer and former mock trial captain!

The preparation paid off during the trial , featuring heavy debate and hard facts. We are thrilled to report the students were roaring with excitement down the halls after winning their first case. Watch out, world… we might have a few future attorneys on our hands!

 

The seventh graders recently presented to their parents, school district personnel and classmates about their findings from their Water Quality PBL. After reading the novel, A Long Walk to Water, the students set out to complete their own experiments to study local water quality. 

Working alongside partners from Lake County Soil and Water and the Lake County Health District, students visit the Old River Farm and the mouth of Buttermilk Creek to collect water samples. After detailed analysis, they were able to identify a number of concerns, but also determined that overall the quality of these habitats was in the good range.

These middle school students, along with their teachers, are showing the value of integrating subject areas of study and studying the world around them to increase their awareness of practical application of skills and their environment.

The School of Innovation (SOI) has been awarded a professional-grade greenhouse through a competitive grant from Arcadia GlassHouse in conjunction with Partners in Science Excellence (PSE). The donation, valued at $16,523, provides a fully installed, 8-foot by 12-foot freestanding greenhouse structure, engineered for all-weather durability and featuring advanced environmental controls. This new "living laboratory" will immediately be integrated into the school’s Project-Based Learning (PBL) units. The project was spearheaded by the SOI Green Team Committee to promote organic gardening and sustainability with students in grades three through eight.

Beyond the structure itself, the project has garnered local support. Lubrizol has committed $500 to purchase initial gardening supplies and will build and donate benches for the greenhouse during their upcoming Month of Giving.

The grant was initiated by the SOI Green Team Committee which included teachers, Megan Arellano, Jessica Koon, Mary Ann Krueger, Eric Wernet, Rachel Legerski and Christina Alvord.

Representing Arcadia GlassHouse at the award announcement was Brian Paul, president, and Bree Davis, sales manager. Representing PSE were the co-chairs of the PSE Greenhouse Sustainability Project, Abby Harman and Cindy Banjoff.