Latest Xenia Community Schools' News

Xenia Educational Endowment Fund Awards Classroom Grants to Teachers
A Special Note from Supt. Jeffrey K. Lewis, Ed.D.
Multi-Generational Xenian Retires After 35 Years of Educating Community's Children
Spelling Bee Winners Honored at Xenia Board of Education Meeting
Xenia Community Schools’ Transportation Team Honored for ‘Rodeo’ Competition
Xenia Girls Track Team Honored for State Meet Achievements

Xenia Educational Endowment Fund Awards Classroom Grants to Teachers

Xenia Community School teachers were honored at the recent June Xenia Board of Education meeting for receiving classroom grants from the Xenia Educational Endowment Fund.  Teachers honored included: Annmarie Evans, $300, Listening to Reading, Simon Kenton; Amanda Frauman, $250, Everyone Reads and Writes, Cox; Sherri Brown-Johnson, $700, LEP, District; Bill Richey, $500, Chemistry Club, Xenia High School; and Holly Keadle, $750, Warner's Water Ecosystem, Warner Middle School.

Shown, left to right, are XEEF Director John Balmer, Evans, Frauman, and Xenia Board of Education and XEEF member Ron Roth. The Xenia Educational Endowment Fund (XEEF) was organized in 1985 as a nonprofit organization to support programs that encourage achievement of the highest standards for Xenia students. XEEF is governed by a board that consists of representatives from the Xenia Education Association, the Chamber of Commerce and the Board of Education.

A Special Note from Supt. Jeffrey K. Lewis, Ed.D.
Xenia Community Schools

It took awhile to get here, but the 2008-09 school year ended officially. With Mother Nature playing tricks with wind and snow, another week was added to the approved calendar.

Before we shuffle too quickly into summer, I would like to commend the Class of 2009 for exemplary service, scholarship and leadership. The quality of a school year in any high school is affected one way or another by the character of its seniors.

Our group, the 150th to graduate from Xenia, did a mighty fine job.

In the class of 347 members, 127 seniors received scholarships or awards. There were 218 scholarships and grants that totaled $4,485, 518. In addition, local scholarships of $55,780 and athletic grants of $200,000 were earned; that made the total offered to the Class of 2009 $4,741,298.

The class members have many future plans, as 76 percent will attend two or four year colleges. In addition 6 percent will serve in the United States Armed Forces. We wish the entire group wonderful experiences and memories in all future pursuits.

Finally, the Class honored four Valedictorians this year. They are Ian Chadd, Jared Merriman, J. Chika Morah and Lydia Tillmaand. Ian will attend Wittenberg University and major in East Asian Studies and Political Science - his career goal is to specialize in international law. Jared will attend Ball State University and major in wildlife biology. J. Chika will major in pre-med biochemistry and minor in Spanish or business administration. Her goal is to become a pediatrician or pediatric surgeon. Lydia will be at Marietta College; her major will be psychology and elementary education with a goal of pursuing research.

Xenia High School's Abram Brown was also named Salutatorian at the Greene County Career Center - Abram excelled in the Natural Resource program.

The Class of 2009 is thanked for its many contributions to the school and community. Their legacy was significant, and the 149 classes beforehand will be proud to add them to the list of graduates.

Multi-Generational Xenian Retires After 35 Years of Educating Community's Children

A few short strides across the graduation stage by her past students reflect the rewards of a lifetime spent in the classroom by Xenia Community Schools Secondary Curriculum Supervisor Joyce Smith, who is retiring this year after 35 years devoted to education.

"It's all been worth it when I remember the students who I may have helped reached that high school graduation stage," Smith says. "I remember students who just thought they couldn’t make it through school.  I remember the kids that I taught to read. I remember students who faced special challenges in the classroom or home. When they walk across that graduation stage, you realize the difference you’ve made in their life."

Smith, a fourth-generation Xenia alumnus, graduated from Xenia High School in 1968 and attended Morehead State University with plans to become a physical therapist. When marriage to Rick Smith and the Vietnam War interrupted those plans, she followed her husband to Spain for three years and ultimately returned to Xenia with a two-year-old daughter.
While Rob finished his military service in South Carolina, she returned to Wright State University and  completed  her undergraduate degree.

"I promised my Dad, Robert Whittington, when I got married that I would still finish college. With a two-year-old child, I needed a career that allowed me a stable lifestyle for my family. Even when I thought I wanted to be a physical therapist, I knew I wanted to work with kids.
When I was a child, I was always playing ‘school’ at home and even began teaching Sunday School when I was 13.  I have to admit I kind of liked being the 'boss.'"

After graduation and armed with her education degree,  Smith was hired by Xenia Community Schools (XCS) and worked at St. Brigid as a reading and math specialist.  She then spent ten years at Tecumseh Elementary School teaching first and second, as well as fifth and sixth grade.  Two years at Central Middle School teaching reading followed while she pursed her graduate degree in school psychology from Wright State University. She served a one-year internship as a school psychologist in Montgomery County.

With a newly earned school psychology degree, Smith worked for more than five years at East Clinton as director of special education and school psychologist.  She returned to Xenia in 1998 when she was hired as a school psychologist,

Most recently, she has served as XCS secondary curriculum supervisor.

"I love the creativity of education and the classroom,' Smith says.  "I enjoy the problem-solving aspect and trying to discover the link needed by students to take the next step in learning. It’s hard work; it’s not an easy paycheck.  It’s a career that must be a calling."

Prior to her retirement, Smith and her husband will be spending one week in Guatemala on a mission trip affiliated with Faith Community United Methodist. Both will be helping to install a water line to sixteen families.

Smith and her husband, who just retired as technology coordinator at Bellbrook-Sugarcreek School, have two children and four grandchildren.

Following retirement, the family will be traveling, volunteering with their church, enjoying their grandchildren and “fitting in a few shopping trips,” Smith says.

Spelling Bee Winners Honored at Xenia Board of Education Meeting

Top spellers at Xenia elementary schools were honored at the June meeting of the Xenia Board of Education.  Konni Lorenz, Arrowood Elementary School; Elaine Ashworth, Cox Elementary School; Arden Tillmaand, Shawnee Elementary School; and Hank Siefert, Tecumseh Elementary School, received Pride Certificates.

Shown, left to right, are Ashworth, Lorenz and Xenia Community Schools Supt. Jeffrey K. Lewis, Ed.D.

Xenia Community Schools’ Transportation Team Honored for ‘Rodeo’

Competition

Xenia Community Schools’ bus drivers were honored recently for their participation in the West Region School Bus Rodeo in Bellbrook.  Anna Shoemaker, Michelle Sonnycalb, Victoria Jones and Gail Louderback were members of the team.  Jones was also honored for serving as an on-board instructor to professionally train 14 new school bus drivers and nine six-year certified drivers in only 24 month. Shown, left to right, are Jones, Shoemaker, Xenia Community Schools Supt. Jeffrey K. Lewis, Ed.D., Sonnycalb and Louderback.

Xenia Girls Track Team Honored for State Meet Achievements

Members of the Xenia High School girls track team were honored at the June meeting of the Xenia Board of Education for their achievements in the state track meet.  Shown, left to right, are Cidni Latimer, India Pope and Xenia Community Schools Supt. Jeffrey K. Lewis, Ed.D., second row, Brittiney Latimer, Alexis Cokes representative, and XHS Track Coach Cedric Tolbert.