Kings Preschool provides excellent early childhood education and special education services to the Kings’ youngest learners. Most of our educators are licensed to teach both the general education curriculum and early childhood special education. We have an experienced and dedicated staff that delivers exceptional educational opportunities for Kings 3-5-year-olds. 

 A name change from Kings Preschool & Childcare to Kings Early Childhood Center (KECC) has been approved by the Kings Board of Education. Principal Mary Beth Fosse said, "I'm so pleased that our board and community recognize the quality our teachers bring to educating our youngest students. The name change to Kings Early Childhood Center aligns with Ohio's focus on the importance of early childhood education and honors the quality of our teachers and support staff."  Fosse also said that the change acknowledges that our school district provides the highest quality education that sets us apart from surrounding private entities.

Join us for the first Annual Elementary STEAM Showcase on Thursday, February 23, 2023, from 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. at Kings Mills Elementary School.

The Showcase is an opportunity for your child to be involved in the STEAM process. Through a STEAM experiment or a STEAM challenge, students will engage in the Scientific Process by asking a question or will engage in the Engineering Design Process as they try to find a solution to a problem. 

Individuals or small groups are invited to register a project for the Showcase. Each person who participates in the STEAM Showcase will be responsible for creating a board showcasing their project and results.

Click here for the application and more information.

As a part of the Kings Culture Blueprint and Professional Development, the teachers at J.F. Burns Elementary have been engaging in a process called Watch and Learn.

This process is similar to what Kings High School teachers are doing; only at JFB, the teachers are collaborating with each other. JFB's professional development staff surveyed the teachers to find out what they were looking to learn in the near future.

The survey showed that the staff was interested in learning from one another by visiting each other's classrooms and observing their teaching practices. So far, they have had two Watch and Learn days, and the feedback has been positive, according to JFB Principal, Cheryl Montag.

She said, "It's been a huge positive for the staff culture, and it's been great for new teachers." Montag uses substitutes that rotate classrooms while the teachers are in other classrooms. Some of the key takeaways from the process were that teachers were inspired by new ideas and learned some different classroom management techniques. They also noted that strong classroom management really pays off, smooth routines increase student engagement, and the collaboration between teachers modeled collaboration between students.

They plan to continue the process once a month going forward. She said, "I love our staff's eagerness to learn and willingness to share!"

Art students from Stacy Hoffert's Art classes at Kings High School collaborated with first grades students in Stephanie Riggsby's class at South Lebanon Elementary to publish a book!

The book is called Ocean Animals. All of the illustrations were done by the high school art students, and the SLE first graders did the writing.

As you can see in the pictures below, they all did a fabulous job!

Kings Junior High School Theatre students will entertain audiences in their production of "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown," on January 26, 27, & 28 at 7:00 p.m. in the Kings High School Auditorium. They will also offer a 2:00 p.m. matinee on Saturday, January 28.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for students, staff, and senior citizens. Tickets can be purchased online at www.kingstheatre.net.

The Kings Education Association partnered with the Warren County Children's Services for their annual toy drive. According to KEA President, Sam Mizener, it was an amazing success, and the drive makes a huge difference to the children in Warren County.

Mizener said, "Part of KEA's mission is to advocate for kids, and this is a great example of that. I am so appreciative to everyone who joined us in that effort."

Pictured is the truckload of toys before they were delivered.

Congratulations to King Junior High Social Studies teacher, Jen Bicknell, who was recently acknowledged in the forward of a book written by Educational consultant, author, humorist, keynote speaker, and middle-level advocate, Jack Berckemeyer.

In his just-released book, Successful Middle School Teaming, Berckemeyer thanks Bicknell and two other colleagues "for being great leaders and advocates for teaming."

Jen and Jack's relationship goes way back, as they both are advocates for middle-level education and have collaborated over the years. Jen also serves as the Southwest Regional Representative of the Ohio Middle-Level Association.

A social-emotional update from Social & Emotional Health Coordinator, Kim Sellers.

Hello Parents and Caregivers,

Our student’s overall social, emotional, and mental wellness continues to be a priority for Kings. As we start the new year, I wanted to share the following resources and upcoming events with you.

In this newsletter, you will find information on teen vaping, depression, suicide, and TikTok.

The Kings Education Association (KEA) is having their end of the year Celebration and Silent Auction in May. The money raised at this silent auction will provide a $1000 scholarship for a Kings High School graduating senior who is entering the field of Education.

How can you help? We are looking for donations for this Silent Auction. If you have any connections or suggestions for places that may donate to our organization, please get in touch with Sheridan Pagan at South Lebanon Elementary School by email spagan@kingslocal.net or phone 513-398-8050 x 1554. Thank you!

Any families interested in participating in the College Credit Plus (CCP) program for the next school year are highly encouraged to attend a Virtual Information Night on Wednesday, January 18.

The evening will consist of three sessions and will offer time for questions and answers at the end of each session.

College Credit Plus (CCP) is a state-wide program that allows students ready for college-level courses to earn both high school and college credit at the same time. The program is available for students entering 7-12 grade in the 2023-2024 school year.

To learn more about the CCP options available, please register here. If you have any questions about how the program works, please contact your child's school counselor or Kings Director of Teaching and Learning, Matt Freeman, at mfreeman@kingslocal.net.

Kings Kloset will be open on Saturday, January 7, from 9:00-11:00 a.m. in the Kings Education Center.

Kings Kloset is a volunteer-run second-hand clothing store that offers FREE children through adult apparel for our community members in need.

They greatly appreciate your willingness to give back to the community. However, they have very limited space and can only take donations that meet the needs of the students they serve. 

We appreciate your understanding and support in helping us serve the students in our community in the most efficient way. For more information or to donate email kingskloset@kingslocal.net.

The Kings Local School District’s Kokorodza Marimba Ensemble will hold tryouts for new members through January 13, 2023. 

The ensemble is open to students of Columbia Intermediate School and Kings Junior High School. Prospective members will be provided with a video demonstration of the techniques and tunes required for the audition. T

For further information, please contact Kings Mills Elementary music teacher and marimba ensemble director Matt Jenkins at 398-8050 ext. 14025 or email mjenkins@kingslocal.net.

Board Members

Kings Board of Education (L-R): John Skerl, Board Member; Janelle Groff, Board Member; Peggy Phillips, Board Member; Deb Cowan, Vice-President; and Stacie Belfrom, President.

The Board of Education meets on the 2nd Tuesday of every month for a Work Session at 5:30 p.m. and the 3rd Tuesday of every month for a Regular Meeting at 6:00 p.m.

The Kings Board will meet for their 2023 Organizational Meeting, January Work Session, and Public Hearing for the 2023-2024 Tax Budget on Tuesday, January 10, at 5:30 p.m. At this meeting, the Board will elect a President and Vice-President and set the meeting schedule for the year.

2022 Board Meeting - Agendas & Minutes

2022 Board Meeting Recordings

All meetings are live-streamed on the Kings Youtube channel.

In an effort to be "green," the District does not send paper flyers home. We use a platform called Peachjar that houses flyers of community programs and resources. 

Parents receive approved flyers via email, and they are posted on our digital flyerboard for easy retrieval. Any organization can distribute information to our community by creating an account!

It was a great Fall in our Athletic programs! Check out the 2022 Fall Points of Pride!

Mark your calendar to save the date for this year's Knight to Remember! It will take place on Saturday, March 11. Details coming soon!

In December, the Kings Junior High Cheerleaders performed at the Lebanon Spear-It Challenge cheer competition. Coach Kat Treleven said the team put up an amazing performance and brought home a great score!

The team earned first place in their division and were very close to having a perfect score; they were only deducted .25.

In addition, two athletes per team were entered for a jump-off. Congratulations to Khloe Rivera and Sophie Donohue for placing in the top four of a highly competitive group! 

Coach Treleven thanks the community for being so supportive of the squads. She said, "It can be uncommon for cheer programs to feel such support, so it truly means a lot to me, the team, and their families!"

If you aren't following Kings Athletics on Facebook and Twitter, or Instagram you're missing out on some of the great things our student-athletes are doing!

Like and follow them today!