With the start of the 2012-13 school year just around the corner, the Port Clinton City School District has numerous orientations and open houses scheduled for students and their parents. Prior to school there are also dates for older students to pay school fees and pick up schedules and supply lists. These sessions provide an opportunity for students and their parents to become familiar with their school setting and meet with the faculty and staff of each building.

High School — Port Clinton High School student schedules will be available as follows: Sophomores — 8 to 11 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 22; Seniors — 8 to 11 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 23; Juniors — 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 23. Parking permits may also be purchased at these specified times. Freshmen Orientation “Frosh Fest” is planned for Friday, Aug. 24, beginning at 8:30 a.m. in the PCHS Performing Arts Center Lobby. Students and parents learn important information about high school and students have the opportunity to walk through their schedules. Port Clinton High School Open House will be at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 10.

Caly Anne Laurents, of Port Clinton, and Tamera Lynn Helle, of Oak Harbor, have received the Bowling Green State University Firelands College Community Scholarship. Laurents will receive $1,244 toward tuition for the 2012-2013 academic year. She is a junior majoring in visual communication technology at BGSU Firelands where she has been on the Dean’s List and maintained a 3.95 GPA. She has won the Visual Communication Technology Award and twice won the Outstanding Technical Award for Theatre. She has been inducted into the Society of the Flame, Phi Eta Sigma and Wellgates International Honor Society. She is active with the Speech Activities Organization – Theatre and Visual Communications Technology Organization.
She is married to Joe Simko and she is the daughter of Phil Lacer and Victoria Laurents, of Port Clinton.
Helle has received the Health Careers Unlimited Scholarship and will receive $300 toward tuition plus an additional $200 book as a companion scholarship. has received the Health Careers Unlimited Scholarship
This award, sponsored by the Health Careers Unlimited organization, is available to a sophomore majoring in a health career field at BGSU Firelands. Recipients must have a “B” average and be from Erie, Ottawa, Sandusky, Huron, or Seneca counties.
Helle is a 2010 graduate of Oak Harbor High School and a sophomore majoring in nursing at BGSU Firelands. She is the daughter of Ron Helle and Tracey Schiller.
For information about these and other scholarships available at BGSU Firelands, contact Debralee Divers, director of enrollment management and student retention services, at 419-433-5560, 800-322-4787 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Anything worth having is worth the wait … that includes a state-of-the-art middle school. Port Clinton City School District officials recently learned that the building will not be completed for the first day of school on Sept. 5. Students and staff will start the new school year in the existing middle school on Fourth Street. The plan is to moved students and staff into the new building in October.
“We are very pleased with the design of the building and cannot move into a building that is not ready for students and staff,” said Pat Adkins, Superintendent of Schools. “The community has waited a long time for new school facilities and this is too important to rush. Twenty years from now we will be measured by the quality of the building not a starting date.”
The school district is fortunate to have the existing middle school on Fourth Street so that students and staff have a familiar location for classes to take place. A letter with the changes to orientations and open houses has been sent home to parents of Port Clinton Middle School students.  

The Salvation Army-Port Clinton Service Unit is now accepting applications for the Tools for School program. The Port Clinton Service Unit’s “Tools for School” program will assist local families in financial need of school supplies and book bags.   Applications for this program can be picked up and dropped off through Aug. 31 at the local Salvation Army office located at The Sutton Center, 1854 E. Perry St., Suite 800, Port Clinton. Distribution of school supplies and book bags will also be at the local office the week of Aug. 20, 2012.
This program is completely supported by The Ottawa County Community Foundation and local donations. To help, send donations to The Salvation Army-PCSU, 1854 E. Perry St., Suite 800, Port Clinton, OH 43452.

Ottawa County Fair School Art Exhibit ribbons were issued to the following students throughout Ottawa County. The School Art Exhibit is coordinated through the efforts of B. Jean Fanning and Sandra Butzin from North Point Educational Service Center and with the support of the Ottawa County Cabinet of Superintendents (Diane Kershaw/Guy Parmigian, Benton-Carroll-Salem Local; Patrick Adkins, Port Clinton City;  Daniel Parent, Danbury Local; Dennis Mock, Genoa Area Local; Douglas Crooks, North Point E.S.C.; and John Fernbaugh/Linda Bringman, Woodmore Local).

R.C. Waters Elementary
• First — Reagan Schultz, second grade
• Second — Ripley St. Clair, second grade
• Third — Paige Favro, kindergarten