LCE Principal Julian Renner named Distinguished Art Educator

Julian Renner (left) principal of New Richmond’s Locust Corner Elementary, receives her award as the Southwest Ohio Art Education Association's 2009 Distinguished Educator of Art Education from SWOAEA director Amy Louise Cholkas. Renner was honored at a reception Oct. 1 at the Cincinnati Art Museum. Cholkas is the art teacher at New Richmond Elementary. (Photo by Adrian Vance)


Julian Renner, principal of New Richmond’s Locust Corner Elementary, was honored October 1 by the Southwest Ohio Art Education Association (SWOAEA) and The Department of Learning and Interpretation of The Cincinnati Art Museum as the 2009 Distinguished Educator of Art Education.

“It’s huge honor and I’m very grateful,” said Renner, who is starting her 6th year as principal at Locust Corner Elementary.

“At last fall’s Ohio Art Education Association conference, members of Southwest OAEA voted Julian Renner as Distinguished Educator for Art Education in Southwest Ohio.,” said Amy Cholkas, SWOAEA regional director. “Tim Cook, Jeff Folkens and Paige McConnell (visual art, band and vocal music teachers at Locust Corner) wrote enthusiastic letters of support for their principal as an advocate for the arts in the New Richmond district.”

“Mrs. Renner has a strong belief that art, both visual and performing, is a part of what makes up the development of a ‘whole child’,” said Cook in his letter.

“Whenever there has been a need . . . Mrs. Renner has found the budget or worked with our PTO to take care of it.”

Folkens described Renner as a principal who supports the arts in exemplary ways.

“Mrs. Renner has always seen the value of the special areas, displayed awareness of the unique needs of the specials, and has been respectful of the specials teachers’ time . . . She genuinely trusts her staff and the staff genuinely appreciates that trust.”

“She is here for every program, every event, every disciplinary situation, every celebration and every difficulty,” noted McConnell in her letter. “She cares for the students and the teachers with selfless abandon.”

“I’m honored that they think that highly about me and they think I’m trying to do the best for the arts,” said Renner. “And now they are going to honor me with an award that I feel I don’t deserve. I just want to help the kids out and help my staff members out.”

Also being honored by the SWOAEA Oct. 1 will be John Golubieski as Distinguished Citizen for Art Education, and Jen Baldwin of the Art Machine, Distinguished Business/ Organization for Art Education.

Monroe's 2009 Grandparents Day

More than 350 grandparents visited Monroe Elementary Friday, Sept. 25 for the school's annual Grandparents Day. In addition to having breakfast with the school's staff and their grandchildren, the grandparents spent the morning participating in classroom activities with their grandchildren.

Students accept Excellent banner

State Board of Education member Jeff Hardin presented New Richmond Schools with its Excellent banner for the 2008-09 school year at the School Board's Sept. 21 meeting at Locust Corner Elementary.

"Clermont County has the highest percentage of schools getting Excellent or Excellent with Distinction than the rest of my counties," noted Hardin, of Milford, who represents a 17-county district in Ohio, "and that makes me very proud."

The New Richmond School Board and Superintendent Tom Durbin had a group of New Richmond Middle School students who attended Locust Corner Elementary during the past two years when the elementary received an Excellent rating from the state, accept the banner in their behalf.

Click on the play button on the video below to watch the presentation.

Grandparents pack Locust Corner Elementary

Locust Corner Elementary was packed with grandparents last Friday at the school's annual grandparents breakfast.

"This is the largest turnout we've ever had," said LCE principal Juliann Renner. "We ran out of parking spaces and had to park cars in the bus area."

In addition to breakfast with their grandchildren, the grandparents received a tour of the Elementary, which recently received its second straight state rating of Excellent by the Ohio Department of Education.



Jan and Larry Galbraith were the guests of (from left) of Daniel, Jacob and Laruen Weiskittel at Locust Corner Elementary's grandparents breakfast.



Kathy Parker was the guest of her niece Katie Biehle (left) and granddaughters Marissa and Shelby Parker at Locust Corner Elementary's Grandparents breakfast.



Grandpaents (from left) Ray Crousore, Jim Bernard and Eileen Crousore with their granddaughter Zoe Thompson at Locust Corner Elementary's Grandparents breakfast.

Athletic complex on schedule for October completion

The new athletic complex under construction across from New Richmond High School is on schedule for a late Octomber completion according to Superintendent of Schools Tom Durbin.

The Charles H. Hamilton Co. of Maineville, Ohio began work on the project in early August.



(Click on the Play button to watch a video of the progress.)

When completed the complex will house new baseball and softball fields for the high school and two football/soccer practice fields. The fields will be available for community use when not in use by school teams.

Durbin said seeding on the softball, baseball and two practice fields is scheduled for late September with hopes they will be ready for the 2010 spring sports seasons.

The current baseball and softball fields will be maintained as a backup for the 2010 seasons.



This aerial photo taken by Ray Perszyk of LPK Design shows the location of the new complex.