Five Toledo Notre Dame Academy students signed letters of intent to play sports at colleges during the next school year. The signing was part of a pep rally at the school Feb. 8. (Photo courtesy of Toledo Notre Dame Academy)

They joined five other members of the class of 2012 who have committed to play sports in college.

Signing were seniors Alexandra Aughenbaugh to The Ohio State University for cross country and track, Megan Herr for soccer at the University of Dayton, Caitlin McComish to the University of Toledo for soccer, Demy Whitaker to Bowling Green State University for soccer and Lexis Williams to the University of Toledo for track and field.

Five other NDA eagles who already signed in the fall and are to play college sports are Michelle DeHenning, volleyball for Ashland University; Rachael Dzierzak, swimming for The Ohio State University; Jocelyn Uchic, volleyball for Clarion University; Lisa Urbanski, volleyball for Owens Community College; and Catherina Wells, basketball for the University of Toledo.

Ten Toledo Notre Dame Academy students were named all-district honors musicians. From left, they are Anjali Fernandes, Naomi Kolovich, April Varner, Taryn Loo, Rachel Cannon, Erin Johns, Ali Rose Hotz, Gabrielle Hotz and Mary Armbruster. Not pictured is Emily Hinojosa. (Photo courtesy of Notre Dame Academy)

TOLEDO—Ten students from Toledo Notre Dame Academy performed as all-district honors musicians at the Stranahan Theatre Jan. 29.

All-district honors performers in band and choir are selected from recorded auditions. District I of the Ohio Music Educators Association (OMEA) encompasses the six counties of northwest Ohio.

Students honored for choir were sophomores Rachel Cannon, Erin Johns, and Ali Rose Hotz along with freshmen Taryn Loo and April Varner. Honors orchestra students were sophomore Naomi Kolovich (violin), freshman Gabrielle Hymel (cello), and eighth-grader Anjali Fernandes (violin).  Honors band students were freshmen Mary Arrbruster (alto saxophone) and Emily Hinojosa (clarinet).

From left, Port Clinton Immaculate Conception fourth-graders Cooper Stine, Lohany Arambula, J.T. Saffran, Zach Weldon, Elena Kessler, Lissa Gillman and Hannah Paeth recently participated in the Veggie-U program. (Photo courtesy of Immaculate Conception)

The students studied different kinds of soil and how things grow in different environments. They also tasted unique vegetables such as candy radishes, popcorn shoots, green and purple cauliflower and different colored carrots.

Students planted trays of vegetables including beans, squash, lettuce, corn and mystery seeds, and discovered how to make good choices when it comes to snacks and meals.

The program was several weeks long and culminated with a veggie feast that included fresh fruit, spinach, salad, salsa, humus, wraps, cheese and a veggie tray.

Ema Koppinger-Fish, an eighth-grader at Toledo St. Pius X, was a first-place winner in the 2012 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Art, Writing & Multimedia Contest, sponsored by the Civil Rights Commission.

The contest was open to Ohio students in grade six through 12, with two winners selected from each grade.

Ema placed first in the eighth-grade level for her artwork honoring the vision of Martin Luther King Jr. She is to travel to Columbus Feb. 24 for an award ceremony recognizing her contribution, which is to be on display with the other winning contest entries. Joining her will be her mother, Libbey Koppinger, along with several other family members, four classmates, her language arts teacher, Beth Patrilla, principal Susan Richardson, and St. Pius X pastor, Oblate of St. Francis de Sales Father David Whalen.

Ema’s artwork can be viewed at http://crc.ohio.gov/images/8th%20Grade%20Art-Ema%20Fish.jpg.

Approximately 100,000 students are eligible to apply for the EdChoice Scholarship Program for the 2012-13 school year.

EdChoice scholarships are worth $4,250 per year for students in grades K-8 and $5,000 per year for high school students. In the recent state budget, Ohio leaders increased the number of EdChoice scholarships available from 14,000 to 60,000.

“The EdChoice Scholarship Program gives Ohio families the opportunity to send their child to the school that best fits their learning needs,” said School Choice Ohio executive director Matt Cox. “Receiving an EdChoice Scholarship has been a life-changing experience for thousands of Ohio students and families.”

There are 217 EdChoice designated public schools across Ohio, which have received a rating of “academic watch” or “academic emergency” for two of the past three years or are ranked in the bottom 10 percent of schools in the state based on performance-index scores.

Parents can determine if their child is eligible for a scholarship by checking the eligible public schools list available online at www.scohio.org/PDF/Ed%20Choice%20Eligible%20public%20schools%201-25-12.pdf.

Once parents confirm their child’s eligibility, they can check the participating private schools list and begin calling and visiting private schools to find the right fit for their child.

Parents can then enroll their child in the participating private school of their choice, and the school will apply for the EdChoice Scholarship on behalf of the parents.

A student is eligible to apply for the EdChoice Scholarship Program if he or she is one of the following:

— A student who is enrolled in and attending an EdChoice designated public school building.

— A student who is enrolled in a charter school (including an online charter school), and would otherwise be assigned to an EdChoice designated public school building.

— A student who is enrolled in a charter school or non-eligible public school but would be assigned to attend an EdChoice designated public school building in the upcoming school year.

— A student who is eligible to enter kindergarten in the upcoming school year and is assigned to an EdChoice designated public school building.

Currently, 15,403 students are using an EdChoice scholarship to attend the school of their choice. These students must also apply for re-enrollment to continue receiving the scholarship. Students who already attend a private school and students who are homeschooled are not eligible to apply for the program. The application period for the EdChoice Scholarship Program closes April 13.

For more information about Ohio’s scholarship programs, and for the complete lists of EdChoice eligible public schools and participating private schools, visit www.scohio.org.