Colonial Day is a hands on culminating activity for the first unit in American History class.  The day is dedicated to colonial life and times.  Students saw presentations from guest speakers and TVMS teachers.  Mr. Rich Featherstun dressed the students in time period clothes and soldier uniforms while his wife, Pat, explained the female role during colonial times. Members of the Algonquin Spinning Guild, Mr. Dave Lewis, Mrs. Diane Schrader, Mrs. Brenda Harding, and Mrs. Ann Myers taught the students about the process of spinning and allowed the students to try their hand at turning wool into finished products.  The students were able to make candles, butter, bread and write with quills during the day.  They also played games children would have played in colonial times, and learned what life was like as a student during colonial times.  The 8th staff of, Mrs. Jenna D’Ettore, Mr. Jake Gamber, Mrs. Jen Gardner, Mrs. Jess Goehring, Mrs. Sue Sciury, and Mrs. Kelly Stutzman hosted those activities throughout the school.  Click here to see pictures from the day's activities.

Our Tuscarawas Valley Local Schools Board of Education presented an honorary high school diploma to Mrs. Verna (Zimmerman) Maurer at its regular meeting on Monday, September 10, 2012.  Mrs. Maurer, now 101 years young and a resident of Bolivar, would have graduated from Bolivar High School in 1929.  Instead, she went to work for the Ohio Telephone Company in 1928 as a telephone operator.  “We had about 90 telephones on party lines 5 or 6,” Verna shared in a letter to superintendent Mark Murphy.  “Three years later (in 1943), the dial system came.”  We are proud to recognize and celebrate the legacy of such a wonderful person as Mrs. Verna Maurer!

Bill Ballenger, co-founder of Break the Grey, presented a series of assemblies to all Tuscarawas County middle and high school students during the week of September 10th.  The Tusky Valley Break the Grey Assembly for students in grades 5-12 was held on Tuesday, September 11th at 1:30 PM in the high school gymnasium.  Ballenger spoke about tough issues facing our young people today, as well as the importance of character development and making good decisions. Ballenger addressed topics such as suicide, eating disorders, rejections, addictions, and family brokeness. For more information visit www.breakthegrey.com.