Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Recognitions Awards topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Kettering schools honor students, staff as 'Portrait of a Firebird' and mark five buildings as Science of Reading champions
Summary
Assistant Superintendent Dan Von Handorf and elementary coordinator Brittany Hodge led in-school recognitions for students and staff; five Kettering buildings received the Governor's Science of Reading Champion distinction and multiple student teams were honored for tech‑prep projects, including a drone mesh‑network demonstration.
Assistant Superintendent Dan Von Handorf opened the recognition segment by explaining the district's Portrait of a Firebird initiative, a multi‑year strategic effort identifying attributes the district expects students to master. "The Portrait of a Firebird attributes are engaged collaborator, lifelong learner, critical thinker, thoughtful communicator, and global citizen," Von Handorf said, and he announced building nominees selected by teachers and staff.
Ken Miller introduced the first‑year expansion to recognize staff who model those attributes; Miller said 13 staff members were chosen from 65 nominations and thanked nominators. Brittany Hodge, elementary teaching and learning coordinator, then described the Governor's Science of Reading recognition, saying five district schools were named Science of Reading Champions after meeting high standards for evidence‑based reading instruction. "To be named a champion, a school must demonstrate rigorous implementation of instructional practices aligned to the science of reading," Hodge said, and she noted that roughly 4% of public schools in Ohio have received the award so far.
The meeting also highlighted career and technical education successes. Karen Denzel, principal at Kettering Fairmont High School, called forward award‑winning student teams who had competed at Sinclair Community College. A student presenter described the team's drone project as a tethered mesh network for emergency communications. "This is our drone... it's like a mobile cell tower," said student Connor Gonzalez, explaining the system can be deployed to allow first responders to text when traditional networks are down.
Trustees congratulated the recipients and encouraged family and community attendance at upcoming student events, including the district STEAM night and the student art fair. The recognitions concluded before the board advanced to routine business and consent votes later in the meeting.
