News from Bowling Green City Schools

November 6, 2025

Message from the Superintendent

Dear Members of the Bowling Green City Schools Community,

Congratulations to the Bowling Green High School boys’ cross-country team and Coaches Pat and Lisa Carney! The team represented BGHS with pride at the OHSAA State Cross Country Meet in Columbus last Saturday and earned an impressive second-place finish overall. What an incredible accomplishment! I am so proud of these student-athletes' dedication, teamwork, and perseverance. Go Bobcats!

This week marks the opening of the BGHS Drama Club’s fall play, Clue: High School Edition. Please join me in wishing the entire cast and crew the best of luck as they bring life to the stage. Performances will run through Sunday, and we encourage everyone to come enjoy the entertainment and celebrate the outstanding talents of our student performers and stage crew. You won’t want to miss it!

As Veterans Day approaches on November 11, we pause to honor and thank all who have served our country. Each school in our district will host a Veterans Day ceremony to recognize and celebrate the bravery and sacrifices of our service men and women, both past and present. We are truly grateful for their commitment and service to our nation.

I invite you to join me for my next Superintendent Coffee Chat on Thursday, November 20, from 5:00–6:00 p.m. at Grounds for Thought. This is a great opportunity to connect and discuss the wonderful things happening across our district. I look forward to seeing you there!

I am honored to serve the students, families, community, and staff of Bowling Green City Schools. I promise that our District will work hard to improve each day to provide a high-quality education for our students, a financially sound organization for our stakeholders, and be a point of pride for the entire community.

Go Bobcats,

Dr. Ted Haselman

Superintendent

BGHS Boys Cross Country Earns Historic State Runner-Up Finish

Congratulations to our Bobcat Boys Cross Country team for an extraordinary performance at the 2025 Ohio High School Athletic Association Division II State Championships. The team secured second place, which is the best finish in program history!

Led by coaches Pat Carney and Lisa Carney, the Bobcats delivered what Coach Carney called “an exceptional team race” at Fortress Obetz Memorial Park.

While the team’s first runner crossed in 40th place, the strength of the entire pack — spread by just 23 seconds for their top five — made the difference. Their depth and composure helped them steadily climb from 15th at the 1-mile mark to finish 2nd overall. These runners showed leadership and selflessness, running strategically for the team rather than individual glory.

Junior Sam Wiles: 16:22

Sophomore Adam Proulx: 16:25

Freshman Rece Simon: 16:33

Senior Landon Fry: 16:42

Senior Shawn Carney:16:46

Senior Quinn Rader: 16:52

Sophomore Lloyd Waldron: 17:09

Team alternates at state were: Levi Bateson and Ashton Loomis

We’re so proud of our runners, our coaches, and the teamwork and spirit that brought home this wonderful achievement!

Read the Sentinel Tribune story here and the BG Independent News story here.

Congratulations to our November Staff Member of the Month: Beth Vaughn

For the past 12 years with Bowling Green City Schools, Beth Vaughn has inspired countless students as the Bowling Green High School choir director, leading four ensembles, co-teaching 8th-grade choir, and serving as the vocal director for the high school musicals.

What Beth loves most about her work is watching students grow over time. “I love working with students over multiple years and watching them blossom,” she shared. “Some may struggle in other academic areas, but in the arts, they shine and discover new confidence.”

One project that stands out for Beth was last fall’s collaboration with the Sing Me a Story Foundation, an organization that turns children’s stories into original songs. They were connected with Colton and Connor—two young brothers whose story, Colton and Connor’s Magical Pirate Frog Adventure, was transformed into music by BGSU composition major Colton Ogg, with support from a Bowling Green Schools Foundation grant. “Seeing the faces of both the BGHS students and Colton’s family was priceless,” Beth said. “It truly showed the transformative power of music.”

Photo: Beth Vaughn directing BGHS Choir students during the Sing Me a Story Concert performance.

Colleagues describe Beth as deeply caring, organized, and courageous—a teacher who models grace, kindness, and professionalism. She mentors student teachers and steps in to help colleagues whenever needed.

“Beth’s instinctive love for music and her ability to share it with teens is a gift to our school district,” said colleague JoBeth Gonzalez. “Our strong high school vocal music program thrives under her leadership.”

Beth regularly brings in professional vocalists to perform and teach, encourages students to audition for regional and statewide ensembles, and organizes trips to Chicago and New York City where students can perform, take Broadway master classes, and experience big city life. She works to make these opportunities accessible—organizing fundraisers and securing grants to support students and enhance the choir program.

Photo: BGHS Choir students took part in an exciting Disney Vocal Soundtrack Session, where they got a behind-the-scenes look at the world of studio music and voice acting at Disney World Performing Arts Program in Florida.

Among Beth's favorite memories are those moments when students overcome their fears—like the student who once struggled with severe stage anxiety but ultimately found the courage to perform a solo senior year. She also cherishes traveling with students and seeing them experience Broadway, the ocean, and big cities for the first time.

Outside of school, Beth enjoys spending time with her family, exploring parks and the zoo, and reading. Few may know that she majored in trumpet, has conducted a 200-voice choir, and grew up on a farm.

Beth credits her family for their support: her husband James, who is also a choir director, and their three children—Josh, Serenity, and Grace.

Her favorite quote captures her approach to both teaching and life:

“Growth doesn’t happen in comfort. It starts the moment you admit you don’t know it all.”

Congratulations to Beth Vaughn, our November Staff Member of the Month! She is currently featured in the November issue of Bowling Green Living Magazine.

Crim Elementary Inclusive Playground Project Reaches Phase One Goal

Thank you to Mrs. Rachel Shell for her vision and leadership on the Crim Inclusive Playground Project, and to everyone who has supported this initiative through donations, fundraisers, and partnerships.

What began as Rachel’s solo passion project last spring has now grown into a collaborative effort, with a dedicated committee of volunteers helping to make an inclusive playground a reality for all Crim students.

Thanks to the generosity of our community, the project has reached its Phase One fundraising goal! This means new inclusive equipment will soon be purchased and added to the Crim Elementary playground—including a garden crawl tunnel, cozy cocoon, ADA swing, and playground communication board—so every student can learn, play, and connect together.

This milestone was made possible through community support, including grants from the Bowling Green Schools Foundation, Directions Credit Union, the Wood County Health Department, and Wood County Plays. Crim was also the beneficiary of ACT BG’s Amazing Race in May 2024, as well as fundraisers hosted by Beckett’s Burger Bar, Dairy Queen, Buffalo Wild Wings, and Chipotle. Many community members also contributed through generous personal donations.

Photo: ACT BG Amazing Race Donation

Photo: Rachel Shell at a BGHS football game promoting the Wood County Plays Duck Drop fundraiser.

As Mrs. Shell shared, “The success of this project so far is a testament to the strength and dedication of our BG community. This project was started because we saw a need for a more inclusive play space at our school. The people in our community have rallied behind this project—local businesses hosting fundraisers, community members donating both their time and money, and organizations partnering with us to bring this dream to life. I am so grateful to everyone who has been a part of this project so far, and I am looking forward to finishing what we've started here by moving on to phase two!”

Phase Two fundraising aims to fund a poured rubber path for the playground.

Photo: Rendering of new playground equipment with poured rubber path.

It’s No Mystery—You Don’t Want to Miss the BGHS Drama Club's Production of “Clue: High School Edition”

The Bowling Green High School Drama Club invites you to their fall production of “CLUE: High School Edition” at the BG Performing Arts Center! Tonight is OPENING NIGHT! Here are a few photos showing them hard at work preparing for the performances - from rehearsals to set design, our talented cast, crew, and production team are bringing this hilarious and classic whodunit to life on stage!

Showtimes:

Thursday, Nov. 6 @ 7 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 7 @ 7 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 8 @ 7 p.m. (Understudy show)
Sunday, Nov. 9 @ 2 p.m.

Tickets are $10 for students and $12 for adults. Purchase your tickets here.

Don’t miss this entertaining mystery filled with twists, turns, and plenty of laughs!

Listen to their November 3 Morning Show BG interview here.

Read the article in the BG Independent News here.

BGMS to Host Math Kangaroo TEAM Competition Pilot Program 2025

Bowling Green Middle School is excited to host the Math Kangaroo TEAM Competition – Pilot Program 2025, offering students a fun and engaging way to explore creative problem-solving together.

This new event invites students in grades 1–12 to work in teams of 2–4 to tackle 30 challenging math questions in 60 minutes. The competition will take place Tuesday, November 18, 2025, at 4:00 PM at Bowling Green Middle School (1079 Fairview Ave, Bowling Green, OH).

Teams can include students from different grade levels, though each team will compete at the level of its oldest member. Space is limited for this pilot program, so interested students are encouraged to register early.

The deadline to register is November 10, 2025. Register here: Math Kangaroo TEAM Competition Registration and enter Center ID: T-OH-BOWBOW000020251118 [MK2025] session 1.

BGMS will also continue to host the individual Math Kangaroo Competition on March 19, 2026.

Snapshots of Success

Congratulations to Cole Boswell for being accepted into the Midwest Region American Choral Directors Association 11–12 Tenor Bass Honors Choir — a wonderful honor earned through a highly selective audition process among students from a 10-state region! He’ll perform with the choir at the MWACDA Conference in Milwaukee, Wisconsin this February.

Congratulations to BGHS sophomores Reese Miklavic and Archita Ravikumar, our 2026 Hugh O’Brian Youth (HOBY) Leadership Seminar representatives!

They will attend the HOBY Leadership Seminar at Ohio Northern University, June 4–7, where they’ll join student leaders from across the state to grow their leadership, service, and innovation skills. Thank you to the Bowling Green Schools Foundation for funding this opportunity!

Concrete being poured at the new high school construction site:

Thank you to the BGSU student volunteers from the BG Council of Teachers of Mathematics (BGCTM) for hosting the BGSU 4th & 5th Grade Math Camp at Crim Elementary!

Congratulations Henry Strow for receiving his American FFA Degree! This is the highest honor an FFA member can achieve and less than .5% of FFA members earn this degree. The American FFA Degree shows an FFA member’s dedication to his or her chapter and state FFA association.

Congratulations to our Conneaut, Crim, and Kenwood Elementary Bobcat Pride winners for October!

Congratulations to Julia Barnett, the November BGHS Student of the Month!

Mrs. Kramp's students were working on a density rod lab. Density = Mass/Volume

Mrs. Liska’s fourth grade art students at Conneaut Elementary explored Chinese ink painting while learning about value—the lightness or darkness of a color. The project tied into their ELA unit on Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, connecting art and literature through Chinese culture.

Great job to our Bobcat wrestlers who competed in the Eastwood Open!

Isaac – 1st place
Tim – 2nd place
Mathias – 3rd place
Eli – 3rd place

Congratulations to BGMS 8th graders Zion Okikolu and Mickenna Perkins! Zion’s artwork was selected as the winner of the 2025 Portage Lions Club Peace Poster Contest, and Mickenna was named runner-up. Both students created their artwork in Mrs. Margo Morr’s art class.

Congratulations to our BGHS football players recognized in the NLL Cardinal Division!

First Team All-NLL:

ILB – Senior Matthew Stalets
OLB – Sophomore Jake Hunter

Second Team All-NLL:

OL – Senior Bronson Schobinger
WR – Sophomore Mason Snyder
DT – Junior Aiden Rohleder
S – Senior Colby Joseph
Utility – Senior Koltin Shank

Congratulations to our BGHS Girls Soccer Team on their 2025 D3 Northwest Ohio Scholastic Soccer Coaches Association All-District honors!

Assistant Coach of the Year: Skylar Rose
First Team All-District: Alayna Mahan
Second Team All-District: Kylah Crawford
Honorable Mention All-District: Allison Hover and Corinna Kramer

Congratulations to our BGHS Boys Soccer Team on their 2025 D3 Northwest Ohio Scholastic Soccer Coaches Association All-District honors!

Team Sportsmanship Award: Coach Josh Fox
First Team All-District: Carter Hamilton
Honorable Mention All-District: Adin Metzger and Hayden Fox

Our FFA students had a great time at the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana!

Four of our BGCS educators attended the Ohio Council of Teachers of Mathematics (OCTM) Conference! Our team attended sessions on a wide range of topics — from innovative instructional strategies and updates from ODEW to deepening conceptual understanding in math classrooms.

BGCS was also well represented among the presenters! Mrs. Kosakowski presented with a team from BGSU on using Algebra Tiles in grades 6–12 and Mrs. Newell co-presented on strategies for active learning.

Upcoming Dates to Remember

November 11: Veterans Day
November 12: 6 p.m. Board of Education meeting
November 20: 5-6 p.m. Superintendent's Coffee Chat at Grounds for Thought
November 26-28: No classes. Thanksgiving Break
December 16: 6 p.m. Board of Education Meeting
December 19: Last day of classes: second quarter ends
December 22- January 5: Winter Break - No school
January 5: Staff professional day - no students.
January 6: Classes reconvene.
January 30: Staff professional day - no students.

BGMS Art Show | December 2–12:

Join us for this year’s BGMS Art Show, featuring a wide range of student artwork — including paintings, sculptures, photography, and mixed media pieces!

The show will be on display in the hallway by the Performing Arts Center and the side display room of the PAC lobby. Artwork will be up during the choir, band, and orchestra concerts.

Visitors can explore students’ creative processes, learn about the inspiration behind their work, and even vote in select categories.

Come celebrate our vibrant arts community and the talent of our BGMS students! Mrs. Sonnenberg and Ms. Morr can’t wait to share their students’ creativity with you!