Richland Newhope, St. Peter’s, Richland Academy
Richland Newhope donates books to first graders
MANSFIELD – With the ongoing concerns of COVID-19, Richland Newhope was not able to celebrate March Awareness in the traditional manner. One of this year’s awareness activities included a book distribution to celebrate Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month with the local schools.
Richland Newhope distributed a book about inclusion to public and private first-grade students in Richland County. With the help from Scholastic, Richland County Youth and Family Council and United Way’s Big Red Bookshelf, Newhope was able to distribute 1,400 copies of the book “Strictly No Elephants,” written by Lisa Mantchev.
“Strictly No Elephants” is about the local Pet Club that won’t admit a boy’s tiny pet elephant, so he finds a solution — he creates a pet club that doesn’t exclude any pet. It teaches young readers about inclusion, friendship and acceptance.
“This event was a wonderful addition to our annual awareness activities and reached some of our youngest students,” said Superintendent Michele Giess. “Acceptance of people’s abilities and differences really needs to start at a young age. We plan to make this an annual event.”
Galion National Honor Society inducting 15 new members
GALION – Galion High School will host its 2020-2021 National Honor Society (NHS) induction ceremony at 7 p.m. Monday in the high school cafetorium.
Attendance will be limited to members, and inductees may have a party of four to allow for social distancing protocols. The ceremony will be livestreamed on the Galion City Schools Facebook page or the district’s YouTube channel.
This year’s inductees include Kalyn Carroll, Tyler Fraizer, Walker Frankhouse, Matthew Gimbel, Zach Grimes, Brooke Kelly, Kellen Kiser, Regin Kuehlman, Carlie Myers, Ashlee Oris, Natalee Perkins, Grayden Pierce, Ava Smith, Zaynah Tate and Melanie Wheeler.
Additional information about the ceremony and the Galion High School National Honor Society is available by contacting principal Ron Williams at 419-468-6500.
Flutist Angela Massey to perform at St. Peter’s Catholic Church
MANSFIELD – Saint Peter’s Music Series announces the return of live performances at St. Peter’s Catholic Church. Flutist Angela Massey will perform at 7:30 p.m. Monday. Massey will be accompanied by Erika Dohi on piano. The performance will feature works by JS Bach, Mouquet, Saint-Saens and Matt Smith.
Attendees are asked to wear masks and follow CDC and Ohio Department of Health recommendations.
Massey maintains an active career as a solo artist, chamber artist, orchestral musician and instructor. She has performed in venues across the United States and Europe.
Massey also will perform a masterclass at St. Peter’s School for students who play the flute. The masterclass is open to any area high school student. If a child plays flute and wants to attend, email Bill Johnson at [email protected] to learn more details. There is no cost to attend the class.
St. Peter’s Music Series is underwritten through a grant by the Robert and Esther Black Family Foundation Fund, The Robert J. and Stella Sutter Family Fund at the Richland County Foundation, and the Cleveland Financial Group.
Richland Academy presents 2021 RADE Show
MANSFIELD – Richland Academy of the Arts will present its 2021 RADE show at 7:30 p.m. on April 17 and 18. RADE is one of the Academy’s pre-professional dance groups, where members undergo hours of weekly training to enhance their skills and improve technique. This year’s performance will feature an array of dance styles, including jazz, tap, contemporary, and classical ballet.
Richland Academy is celebrating four high school seniors: Maria Gallo, Ontario HS; Audrey Mentzer, Lexington HS; Chloe Walker, Madison HS; and Irene Zhang, Ontario HS.
Tickets for in-person and livestream attendance are available. Livestream tickets are only available for the April 17 performance. Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for seniors, students, and veterans, and $5 per device for livestream access. Those who choose to attend in person will be required to social distance, wear facial masks and follow all of the Academy’s COVID-19 procedures.
The Ohio Arts Council has featured Richland Academy of the Arts in their Resilient Ohio series, a blog that highlights Ohio arts organizations who help fight the spread of COVID-19 by introducing cutting-edge solutions. The story tells of the Academy’s recent installation of needlepoint bipolar ionization units throughout their facility to upgrade indoor air quality and destroy volatile organic compounds and pathogens in the air, including COVID-19, bacteria, mold and other viruses.
To see the Ohio Arts Council’s recent story on Richland Academy, visit oac.ohio.gov or richlandacademy.com.
Crestline resident participating in University of Findlay art exhibition
FINDLAY – Victoria Garrett of Crestline is participating in the 2021 Juried Student Art and Design Exhibition at the University of Findlay through April 29. A reception and awards ceremony will be held Thursday. Garrett is showcasing her creativity in design.
Any UF student is eligible to enter artwork for consideration. All work must be original and have been completed during the 2019-2020 or 2020-2021 academic years.
MVNU to hold diversity forum
MOUNT VERNON – The Office of Intercultural Life at Mount Vernon Nazarene University is sponsoring the Woven Diversity Forum, “Can We Heal the Divide,” to discuss diversity and inclusion on Thursday.
Tavaris Taylor, director of Intercultural Life at MVNU, says the forum will focus on strategies for healing the racial and social divide in our educational system, churches, politics and economics.
Speakers will include: J. Burner Crew, managing partner at Nirvana Analytics in Cleveland; Dr. Shantelle K. Jenkins, assistant vice president, School of Graduate and Professional Studies at MVNU; Quentin L. McCorvey Sr., principal at Nirvana Analytics in Cleveland; Mount Vernon Mayor Matthew Starr; and Dr. Doug VanNest, dean of MVNU School of Ministry.
The event, at the R.R. Hodges Chapel/Auditorium, is open to in-person attendance by the MVNU community. COVID-19 protocols including face masks and physical distancing will be enforced. Those outside the university are invited to register ateventbrite.com/e/woven-forum-can-we-heal-the-divide-tickets-146649535709 to attend virtually at mvnu.tv or view in the “On-Demand” section after Thursday.