GENEVA — The leaves have begun to change colors and the plants and flowers are beginning to fade away. The new school year has come and students and faculty at Geneva High School are ready to greet it. New faculty at GHS this year include French teacher Shannon Dalton, math teacher Amie Irving and learning disability tutor Katie Malasky.
Next year’s flowers are very much on the minds of GHS science students who have been planting and maintaining a garden in the courtyard of GHS. This garden contains a mixture of native Ohio wildflowers. Helping in this project are members of the Envirothon and Botany Clubs with their advisers John Barbo and Eileen Dragon. This garden will hopefully be expanded in the future.
“We would like to establish a vegetable garden at some point to provide students the knowledge and skills they need to plant and maintain their own garden,” commented Barbo.
The 2009-2010 yearbook staff members are excited and proud of the knowledge and expertise demonstrated by senior Natalie Stanley, who has won the Jostens National Yearbook Award for her football section in our 2009 yearbook the “Aquila.” This award is given out each year to only 25 high school students across the nation. Pictures and copies of Stanley’s work will be used as examples of exemplary work in seminars all over the United States.
“I was very excited to win this award, and it came as a complete surprise. I’m glad I represented Geneva well!” said Stanley.
Everyone at GHS is proud of her for receiving this prestigious reward. A limited number of 2009 “Aquilas” are still available for $65. Anyone interested in purchasing this award-winning yearbook may contact the yearbook office at (440) 466-4831 Ext. 448.
Many students at GHS will once again be practicing their oratory skills for the annual Voice of Democracy Speech Contest. This competition is sponsored by the national organization, Veterans of Foreign Wars. Students compete at the local, district, state and national levels for a chance to win valuable college scholarships. The topic this year is “Does America Still Have Heroes?” Speeches for the competition are being taped after school Oct. 21 and today in Room 212. Interested students are urged to sign up for a taping time with VOD adviser Janey Jones.
Senior David Moore won at the local level last year and placed second in the district competition. What he enjoyed most about the contest was, “The opportunity to express my feeling about America and to express to veterans that their sacrifices were not in vain,” he said.
Members of Marching Geneva are also preparing for two annual events, the Geneva Halloween Parade and the GHS Marching Band Review.
The Halloween Parade will begin at 6 p.m. Saturday at Geneva Elementary School parking lot, will proceed through downtown Geneva and will include band members dressed in festive Halloween costumes. There will be a Halloween party for Geneva area children at the Geneva Recreation Center at 6:30 p.m.
The Marching Band Review will be 7 p.m. Oct. 29 in the high school auditorium and will feature many of the tunes performed on the field throughout the football season.
The GHS chapter of The Fellowship of Christian Athletes is anticipating upcoming holiday needs with their food drive, which runs all through the month of October. Students and faculty have been encouraged to donate non-perishable food items which will be available for distribution in our community. This group will also collect new or gently used winter coats through the month of November.
According to faculty adviser Robert Dipofi, FCA meets 7 a.m. on the first day of every school week in Room 104.
The Library Club’s annual Book Fair will be held in the GHS Media Center from Nov. 9 through 13 and will be open during the school day and also during parent/teacher conferences from 4:30 to 8 p.m. on Nov. 9 and 12.
“We are looking forward to this year’s book fair, because of the opportunity to raise money to expand the library,” said Library Club president Rob Ahlman.
From all of us at Geneva High, have a great October and enjoy the remainder of the beautiful autumn season.
