Posted by CELEBRATING OUR SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS
✨👮♂️ February 15th was National School Resource Officer Appreciation Day! We are proud to CELEBRATE our SROs, and appreciate their efforts every day!
Olmsted Falls City School District is fortunate to have three full-time SROs working hard each day to keep our schools safe and help create a positive learning environment for our students!
We’re excited to welcome SRO Ryan Hare, from the Olmsted Township Police Department, as the newest member of our SRO team! SRO Hare has recently replaced Officer Joe English, a long-time SRO at OFHS. 💙 Please join us in extending heartfelt appreciation for our outstanding team of SROs – present and past!
MEET OFHS SRO RYAN HARE
Our newest SRO Ryan Hare is a familiar face, a welcome addition and an integral member of our Bulldog team. Officer Hare has served with the Olmsted Township Police Department since 2020. Prior to his appointment as full-time SRO for OFHS, he had regularly filled in as a substitute SRO providing coverage as needed for the position. Officer Hare is a certified Drone Operator and E-Bike Operator for OTPD. He was recognized by local media this past fall for his role in using his expert drone skills to help locate a missing Olmsted Township resident. Serving as a School Resource Officer has been a career aspiration of Officer Hare. Read more about SRO Hare HERE.
If you see SRO Hare around, please join us in extending to him a warm Bulldog welcome!
FALLS-LENOX HELPING HANDS CLUB CELEBRATES RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS DAY
🤩 The Falls-Lenox Helping Hands Club met to celebrate Random Acts of Kindness Day. This group of incredible students created hearts and wrote acts of kindness on them. When they accomplished an act, they posted their hearts in the lobby. The Helping Hands Club promotes inclusion and celebrates everyone’s unique abilities. 🌟🙌 Students, the kindness you spread is what makes our community the best! ❤️
❤️ Students completed acts of kindness throughout the building and even completed one for the ECC. As they completed the jobs, they earned “kindness tickets” and used the tickets to build their very own Kindness Tree. In total, these students completed 81 acts of kindness during December! Way to go, Bulldogs! 🙌
NATIONAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS WEEK
🎉Shout out to public schools! National Public Schools is February 27 – March 1. At Olmsted Falls City Schools, we are proud to provide our students with top-notch Triple-A experiences in academics, arts, and athletics all year long! Thank you to our wonderful teachers and staff for your hard work and commitment to making OFCS such a special place for our Bulldog students!
COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP BRINGS HANDS-ON EXPERIENCES TO OFHS ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE CLASSES
What a great visit from the Cuyahoga Soil and Water Conservation District! 
They demonstrated forestry, wildlife, aquatic ecology, and soil and land use to Mrs. Jones’ and Mr. Crnobrnja’s Environmental Science Classes. They also introduced Envirothon, an environmental and natural resource conservation competition, and encouraged the students to join in the competition! It was such a fun day for everyone!
📣📚 OFMS Team Wind’s interactive approach to developing and enhancing student-teacher relationships and better meeting individual student needs is featured as a best practice case study in Association for Middle Level Education’s latest book, “The Successful Middle School: Advisory!” The “Advisory” time concept in the middle school setting is an important part of the middle school philosophy. Advisory time provides regularly scheduled opportunities for students to interact with small groups of peers led by a teacher-advisor, focusing on meaningful, choice-based activities. Advisory time creates space for meaningful discussions and activities that enhance student-peer and student-teacher relationships while providing tools for ongoing student success in the classroom and beyond. At OFMS Bulldogs Advisory takes place during STAR (Students Taking Advantage of Resources) periods. What a great example of #TheBulldogWay! ✨ Way to go, Team Wind!
🌟 Congratulations to Addison, Ashlyn & Tilly on their award-winning entries in the Celebrating Differences/Disability Awareness Poster Contest at Falls Lenox last month! These kind and creative students were the winners for each of their respective grade levels. The contest was held in conjunction with Celebrating Differences Week, celebrated across all OFCS school buildings each January. 🌟
🌟🌟Well done Bulldogs!! 🌟🌟
NATIONAL SCHOOL COUNSELING WEEK
🌟 Earlier this month, Olmsted Falls celebrated National School Counseling Week! We are grateful for all of our school counselors! They are true heroes! To all of our incredible counselors making a difference in the lives of our students, thank you for your dedication, guidance, and support. Your impact goes beyond the classroom!
🎉🥞 Our French classes embraced the Mardi Gras spirit! They flipped, filled, and feasted on delicious crêpes! 🥳 What a tasty way to celebrate the culture and traditions of France!
French 3 students predicted the future as they practiced future tense. Using their language skills and knowledge of the future tense, they crafted creative fortunes about classmates’ destinies. They all had a good laugh as they made fortune tellers and discovered the misadventures and lucky breaks that are to befall them!
🎉 February is Career and Technical Education Month®! ❓ What is CTE? Career and technical education, or CTE, prepares students for high-wage, high-skill, and high-demand careers. ⭐ At OFCS, we’re proud to partner with Polaris Career Center to offer our Bulldogs a diverse selection of pathways – from engineering to healthcare to culinary arts and more! 🏗️🩺🍴 🚀 Our middle and high school students have countless opportunities to explore their passions and prepare for their futures. 💫 Celebrate CTE Month today and visit ctemonth.org for ways to get involved. Pictured in the graphic below are just a few of our awesome Bulldog students preparing for success!
✨ Olmsted Falls School District LINK Coordinator, Mrs. Julianne Allen, met with the OFMS Principal’s Aspirations Council (PAC) to gauge students’ views on parent and family involvement during the middle school and adolescent years. LINK is an acronym for Learn, Inspire, Nurture, Know. The goal of the program is to connect OFCS with parents and families, encourage two-way communication, and help parents support learning at home.
The final session of Humble Conversations with Dr. James Knight will be Wednesday, March 13, 2024 from 6:00-7:30 PM at the OFMS Media Center. Even if you were not able to attend session one and/or two, we would love to have you join us for session three! The group of parents and community members who have come together with Dr. Knight have been so positive and open in their desire to learn and grow!
Childcare is available. The program is FREE and all who attend will receive Dr. Knight’s book, “Heart”. Don’t miss your final opportunity to be a part of our movement of kindness and humility! Register by visiting bit.ly/humbleconvo3 or scanning the QR code in the graphic below. Learn how to move beyond race and other differences and engage in respectful, thoughtful discussions using empathy and HEART.
Hope to see you there!
As a reminder, please note that when OFHS physical education classes are utilizing the stadium and tennis courts during the school day, and anytime that practices and contests are taking place within OFCS athletic facilities, the areas are closed to the general public. This includes use of the track when the field is in use. As the spring athletic seasons get underway, please remember that the track is NOT open for community use when athletic contests and team practices are taking place.
SEEKING BULLDOG NOMINATIONS FOR 2024 HS STANDOUTS AWARDS – DEADLINE MARCH 3RD!
Now in its 3rd year, the Plain Dealer / Cleveland.com High School Standout Awards is accepting nominations through this Sunday, March 3rd! These awards celebrate perseverance, passion, and teamwork – on and off the field, in the classroom and out in our community.
It’s not too late to nominate standout Bulldog students, teams, bands, teachers, and coaches in 15+ categories. Nominating your standout is easy to do. Bulldogs have been nominated and represented the past two years!
Simply CLICK HERE to be taken to the nomination page. Then choose a category in the ballot to make your nomination and fill in the requested fields. The High School Standouts honorees will be chosen by a panel of judges and announced in a special special section printed in the Plain Dealer in June 2024. Honorees will be honored at an in-person award ceremony on June 9, 2024.
SUMMER CASUAL LABOR OPPORTUNITIES – APPLY NOW!
ECC SEEKS PRESCHOOL PEER MODELS FOR THE 2024-2025 SCHOOL YEAR;
⭐ Let’s embrace this amazing chance for growth and discovery together!
PTA COUNCIL 50/50 RAFFLE UNDERWAY
SUPPORT OFHS POST-PROM AND PARTICIPATE IN THE BULLDOG 300 CLUB!
Olmsted Falls City Schools utilizes the STOPit! Anonymous Reporting System to allow individuals to anonymously report any safety, security and/or wellness concerns.
The system features a 24/7/365 Incident Crisis Response Center to monitor, manage and immediately escalate life-threatening concerns and incidents to our local school district administrators and/or local safety forces. A Crisis Text Line is also integrated into the app and website for fast, easy access to trained mental health counselors for students and their families.
THREE WAYS TO ACCESS THE OFCS STOPit Anonymous Reporting System™:
- Download the “STOPit App” for free from Apple App Store or Google Play. Then click “Search for Your Organization” and enter the school building name to initiate a report.
- Visit the STOPit website portal at https://appweb.stopitsolutions.com/directory. Then click “Search for Your Organization” and enter the school building name to initiate a report.
- Call the STOPit phone line at #440-581-7333 to speak anonymously with the 24/7 incident response center.
INTERESTED IN BEING A SUBSTITUTE TEACHER IN BULLDOG COUNTRY?
JOIN OUR BULLDOG TEAM: ADDITIONAL SUBSTITUTE POSITIONS ARE AVAILABLE
Olmsted Falls City Schools has a variety of open positions for substitutes across our district. Currently, we are seeking individuals to fulfill the roles of: substitute bus drivers, paraprofessionals, and MORE! For more information, or to apply, visit: https://tinyurl.com/bu6se5k7. Each of these positions offer flexible schedules and competitive pay. We look forward to an opportunity to have you on our awesome Bulldog team!
OLMSTED FALLS SOCCER ASSOCIATION – SPRING REC SOCCER REGISTRATION NOW OPEN
Registration is now underway for the Spring Rec Soccer League. Registration will run through March 25, 2024. After March 25th you may register for a waitlist- if a spot becomes available you will be notified by email and will have 24 hours to accept and submit payment.
Practices will begin the week of April 15th. Games are played on Saturdays and will run from April 27th through June 22nd (rainout dates are TBD). No games will be played on Memorial Day Weekend.
The cost is $85 per player and includes a REVERSIBLE team jersey ($10 discount for each additional child). This jersey can be used for future seasons- so be mindful of what size you choose. IF YOU ALREADY OWN A JERSEY, THE COST OF REGISTRATION IS $75.
For additional important details and to register online, please visit the OFSA Registration Page.
Questions? Contact Rec Director Melissa Ritterbeck via email at OFSA.rec@gmail.com or or by using the messaging feature found on the OFSA Registration page.
REGISTRATION NOW OPEN FOR ALPHA DAWG GIRLS FLAG FOOTBALL THIS SPRING
SPRING LACROSSE FOR BOYS & GIRLS GRADES 2ND-8TH – REGISTRATION NOW OPEN
EAGER ARTISTS & EAGER ENGINEERS AFTER-SCHOOL CLASSES
**WINTER & SPRING SESSIONS**
Click on the links below to access program flyers:
Eager Artists @ Falls-Lenox (for Grades 1-3)
Eager Engineers @ Falls-Lenox (for Grades 1-3)
Eager Artists @ OFIS (For Gr. 4-5)
Eager Artists @ OFMS (Gr. 6-8)
VISIT www.eagerenrichment.com/cleveland TO ENROLL!
OLMSTED COMMUNITY SUMMER LEAGUE SIGN-UPS NOW OPEN
IMPORTANT INFO FROM THE IRS ABOUT CHILD TAX CREDITS
The official start of the filing season is January 29, 2024! The Internal Revenue Service would like to reach out to America’s public-school districts this filing season to help us spread the word to eligible families on the important Child Tax Credits that are being missed by many taxpayers.
Child Tax Credit (CTC): The CTC is a credit that may reduce your tax by as much as $2,000 for each child who qualifies you for the credit. To qualify, the child must be a U.S. citizen under age 17; have a Social Security number; be claimed as a dependent on the taxpayer’s tax return; and more. Use the IRS Interactive Tax Assistant tool to determine eligibility: Does My Child/Dependent Qualify for the Child Tax Credit or the Credit for Other Dependents? For more information please see: Child Tax Credit | Internal Revenue Service (irs.gov)
Other Dependent Credit (ODC): The ODC is a credit that may reduce your tax by as much as $500 for each eligible dependent. The person is claimed as a dependent on your return; the person can’t be used by you to claim the CTC or Additional CTC; the person was a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or U.S. resident alien. Again, use the IRS Interactive Tax Assistant tool to determine eligibility: Does My Child/Dependent Qualify for the Child Tax Credit or the Credit for Other Dependents?
Note: The credit amount for family’s CTC or ODC may be reduced if their modified adjusted gross income (AGI) is more than $400,000 for married filing jointly filing status or $200,000 for all other filing statuses.
Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC): One refundable tax credit for moderate- and low-income families is the Earned Income Tax Credit. The IRS estimates there are millions of workers who qualify but don’t claim the EITC – missing out on thousands of dollars every year. The EITC is as much as $3,995 when claiming one child, $6,604 when claiming two children, and $7,430 when claiming three or more children. Use the EITC Assistant to learn if you’re eligible for the tax credit. For more detailed information see: Publication 596, Earned Income Credit.
Note: Adjusted gross income limits are used to qualify families for EITC.
Child and Dependent Care Credit: Taxpayers who paid someone to care for their child, spouse or dependent so they can work, be a full-time student or look for work may be able to reduce their tax by claiming the Child and Dependent Care Credit. The total expenses that you may use to calculate the credit may not be more than $3,000 (for one qualifying individual) or $6,000 (for two or more qualifying individuals). Use the IRS interactive tax assistant tool: Am I Eligible to Claim the Child and Dependent Care Credit? For more information please see: Publication 503, Child and Dependent Care Expenses or Topic no. 602, Child and dependent care credit | Internal Revenue Service (irs.gov).
OLMSTED FALLS SCHOOLS Bulldog Blog 