Lima City Schools’ annual Celebrate Public Schools: Experience the Spartan Pride Week is going virtual this year to continue to keep students and the community safe during the pandemic.
The week will be March 22 through 26 and include nightly Facebook Live events, Spartan Trivia and videos highlighting each school and the district’s programs.
With much planning and putting protocols in place, the school district opened at the beginning of the school year and has remained open despite the pandemic. Students and staff were safe and learning continued for both in-school and online students.
“If there was ever a year to celebrate public schools and specifically the Lima City Schools – it is this year,” Superintendent Jill Ackerman said. “Schools have faced possibly our biggest challenge this past year … Everyone did extra. Everyone gave more. Everyone sacrificed for our students.”
The district has spent the last several years celebrating public schools on the last full week of March. It is a way to highlight the district, students and staff, and to display our success stories.
“We celebrate who we are, but also try to break down the falsehoods we hear about us,” Ackerman said. “We do this to give the naysayers no excuse for not learning about who we really are.”
The Facebook Live events will begin at 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday. They will run about 30 to 45 minutes. Below is the lineup.
Monday: Straight Talk With the Superintendent. Ackerman will present an update on the school year and week, take questions and do some Spartan Trivia for prizes.
Tuesday: Piece of Cake: Can LCS Staff Survive the Spartan Inn Kitchen? This is our version of a baking show, where our Culinary instructors will see if a few administrators deserve to be in their kitchen.
Wednesday: Stump the Spartanaires. Send your song requests into our top Lima Senior vocalists. They claim they cannot be stumped.
Thursday: Who Knew THAT Was going to Happen: Unexpected Science. South Science and Technology Magnet teachers will clear out their closets to show off some unexpected science projects you can do at home.
People can ask their questions of the Superintendent, request songs or ask baking/cooking and science questions of our experts in the Facebook Live comment area. Or they can submit them earlier at bjokinen@spartan.limacityschools.org.
Spartan Trivia will continue all week at noon every day on Facebook. Test your knowledge and win prizes. Thanks to the following for helping with prizes: Liberty PTS, The Met, Lima Sporting Goods and Lima Refinery.
The district will use its social media pages to promote the district throughout the week, including with videos featuring each principal talking about their school.
New this year is The Spartan Give: A Commitment to Service. The district’s School Resource Officers are organizing community service projects for students to take part in during Public School Week. More details of the projects will be coming in a few days.