Middleton for Oakwood Board of Education

Good morning!

This evening, Lauren Kawai, John Wilson, and I will be sworn in to the Oakwood Board of Education!

If you would like, you can join the meeting which starts at 7 PM (work meeting starts at 5:30) either in person or remotely. If you would like to join remotely for the regular session, you need to register ahead of time at this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_uiJpgCgjT6G51qy7OYuSCw

Thanks all for making this happen! I'm looking forward to serving our community on the board!

As I look back over the year, one of the things for which I am extremely grateful is the incredible support and encouragement of all of you! While I am glad the election is over, I have missed seeing and interacting with all of you as I did during the campaign!

I am looking forward to serving you and our fantastic community starting in January. In the meantime, I wish you all a very Happy New filled with good health, good cheer, and much love!

Cheers!

We have been picking up yard signs, and I think we have gotten most of them!

If we have missed any, please let me know, and I'll pick them up tomorrow.

Thank you, and I hope you have enjoyed this gorgeous fall weekend!

Thank you Oakwood! I am so honored and humbled by your faith in me and your votes! Thank you to our incredible team. Thank you to our friends, supporters, and neighbors! Thank you mostly to my daughters, husband, and extended family.

Thank you to the other candidates who ran in this race, too. Each of us that entered this race cares deeply about our community and schools, and I respect and admire them for running!

I am looking forward to serving our school district to the best of my ability with energy, compassion, and thoughtfulness.

Thank you Oakwood!!

Last call to vote!!

Polls close in 30 minutes.

If you haven't yet, go vote! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

Every vote counts!

I am reflecting back over this journey, and I thought I would share some of the journey and pictures!

We went to my hometown in Illinois for the holidays last December. I had met with a couple people at that point regarding possibly running for the BOE. Then, I went out for a walk by myself in the neighborhood in which I grew up to think it through. I was walking back to my childhood home (the home in which my family still lives). As I rounded the corner, the sun struck my home blanketed in snow, and it was gorgeous. It brought back all of these warm memories of my childhood, my hometown community, and my schools. And what made them wonderful? The people! It was the people that intentionally stepped up to care for our community and schools. It hit me in that moment - "I have to run for school board." I took this picture to remember that moment.

The second picture is when John and Lauren Kawai turned their petitions in to the Board of Elections. I turned mine in the next day. John was so kind and offered to help Lauren and me; he showed us where the office was, what to turn in etc. This was back in January. I love the quote under which we were standing!

I am so very thankful for the journey, for the people on the journey with me (my teammates, volunteers, family, friends, neighbors), for the faith that every voter that casts a vote for me has in me, for all of it!

Wilson4OakwoodKawai for Oakwood School Board

Good morning!

On this election day, as our community is heading to the polls, I want to say a huge THANK YOU to all of the wonderful people who have been supportive and encouraging throughout this race. You all are amazing! You are inspiring! This community is wonderful in countless ways. I am forever humbled and grateful for this entire experience.

Thank you!! ❤️❤️❤️

I am so grateful for the leadership of Dr. Ramey, our superintendent, in standing up for our school district by addressing each of the areas that has been a target of misinformation!

Since the Educator Endorsement was published in the Register last week, several other educators have endorsed us as well, so here is Educator Endorsement part 2! THANK YOU Educators!

We are writing as educators to endorse and support Lauren Kawai, Laura Middleton, and John Wilson for election to the Oakwood Board of Education. We are all Oakwood residents, and we work outside of the Oakwood School District. We represent a variety of perspectives, experiences, and educational levels, and when combined with the previous educator list, we cumulatively have 1,029 years of experience as educators. We have come together to give our full support to Lauren, Laura, and John. We applaud their platforms on promoting Academic Excellence, Special Education Services, Equity/Diversity/Inclusion, and Social-Emotional Learning and Well-Being. As educators, we keenly understand how these areas are essential in the education of students. We whole-heartedly endorse and support Lauren Kawai, Laura Middleton, and John Wilson for the Oakwood Board of Education.

With kind regards,

Jessica Penwell Barnett
8 years as an Educator

Matthew Benjamin
30 years as an Educator

Jana Bennett
16 years as an Educator

Peter Berwald
31 years as an Educator

Jason Deibel
14 years as an Educator

Kirsten Halling
25 years as an Educator

Meghan Henning
14 years as an Educator

Crystal Lake
20 years as an Educator

Rose Lake
16 years as an Educator

Alicia Miller
16 years as an Educator

Christa Preston Agiro
21 years as an Educator

Scott Rosenberg
25 years as an Educator

Becky Ross
28 years as an Educator

Robert Bobby Rubin
31 years as an Educator

Sarah Szumnarski
17 years as an Educator

Rich Thompson
14 years as an Educator

Laura Valle
15 years as an Educator

Wilson4OakwoodKawai for Oakwood School Board

We voted early today! It was quick and easy.

Early voting continues today at the Board of Elections until 2 PM at 451 W. 3rd St in Dayton.

Thank you for your support and interest in this race!

Happy Saturday!

Jane and Claire asked if they could endorse me for the Board of Education! 😍 So, for fun on this Saturday before the election, I thought I’d share their endorsements:

Jane (12 years old, 6th grade):

“I really hope you get on the School Board. You would do a lot of good things for the board and make some good changes! You are really good with kids, and I love you!”

Claire (9 years old, 4th grade):

“You would do a great job! You are a responsible parent, and you are so nice! You will do great stuff for the kids and schools!”

Enjoy this rainy Saturday! Thank you all for your support.

This is amazing! The Oakwood Teacher's Association endorsed us! Thank you Oakwood teachers! ❤️❤️❤️❤️ To have the teachers back us is truly humbling and heart warming.

Kawai for Oakwood School BoardWilson4Oakwood

Since this was published yesterday, Lauren Kawai, John, and I have had many other educators reach out saying they would have liked to be included in this!

So! We are going to do a part 2!

If you would like to be included in the second part and are an educator that lives in Oakwood but does not work in the Oakwood school district, please either comment here or private message me! We will get part 2 up before the election!

Thank you educators! Forever grateful and humbled by your support!

Kawai for Oakwood School Board
Wilson4Oakwood

I am so honored and humbled to have all of these educators endorse John Wilson, Lauren Kawai, and me for BOE. These are all educators that live in Oakwood and work outside the district. Together, they have 688 years of experience as educators - amazing!

Thank you educators!!

Wilson4OakwoodKawai for Oakwood School Board

Thank you for the wonderful testimonials ErinJoy Stauffer, Shannon McGuire Powell,Joe Deer, and Megan Maciupa! We appreciate your support! ❤️

Wilson4OakwoodKawai for Oakwood School Board

I am so honored and humbled to have all of these educators endorse John Wilson, Lauren Kawai, and me for BOE. These are all educators that live in Oakwood and work outside the district. Together, they have 688 years of experience as educators - amazing!

Thank you educators!!

Wilson4OakwoodKawai for Oakwood School Board

Another fabulous letter! Thank you for the endorsement Vickie Hamilton Smith!

Kawai for Oakwood School BoardWilson4Oakwood

Thank you Angela Mwandia for your thoughtful and important letter of endorsement today!

Kawai for Oakwood School BoardWilson4Oakwood

At a meet and greet, I was asked “what is something about which you are proud that you haven’t gotten to talk about much.” Great question! At that meeting, I talked about the school-based resiliency program I co-authored and implemented. However, it made me think of other things I’ve done, and I thought I would share one here!

I served on the board of the Christ United Methodist Church preschool and daycare for several years, and I was honored to serve in this capacity. While on the board, I was an advocate for installing a security system. Our children went to CUMC, and I knew from a parent perspective, the lack of a security system was an issue. Parents hold safety and security as a top priority for childcare and preschools. As such, I knew the program had to install a system to keep the program relevant, competitive, and thriving. While there were some differing opinions and obstacles, the board ended up working together to successfully achieve this goal.

It may seem like a small thing, but every time I walk by that security system in our church, I feel a sense of accomplishment – that I was part of the solution, that I successfully advocated for the safety and wellbeing of children in that program as well as the program itself, and that I worked with others with differing opinions to help make it happen!

Thank you for your support! 6 more days!

What is YOUR plan for voting? Here are the voting locations in Oakwood on November 2, 2021.

https://lookup.boe.ohio.gov/vtrapp/montgomery/vtrlookup.aspx

1. Precinct A, B
Oakwood Community Center
105 Patterson Road
Oakwood, OH 45419

2. Precinct C, D, F
Edwin D. Smith School
1701 Shafor Boulevard
Oakwood, OH 45419

3. Precinct E
Kettering Fairmont High School
3301 Shroyer Road
Kettering, OH 45429

4. Precinct G
Oakwood City Building
30 Park Avenue
Oakwood, OH 45419

We had 2 fantastic meet and greets over the last couple of days!

Thank you Jamie Swan Mhaskar for opening up your beautiful home and hosting on Sunday!

Thank you Patty Caruso for hosting a virtual meet and greet last night! Thank you Michele Prenoveau Berry for moderating it!

It was great to meet new people, answer questions, and see old friends at both events!

Kawai for Oakwood School BoardWilson4Oakwood

The election is in 1 week from today!

Tuesday, November 2

Make a plan to vote! Take a couple friends!

Or, vote early at the Board of Elections in Dayton!

Whatever you do, please make your voice heard!

The election is in less than 2 weeks now! For this week, I will explain another platform of mine – creating improved teaching solutions in the event of another pandemic/emergency.

One issue that I would like to address is the district’s response to the COVID pandemic. I am grateful to our district for many actions they took during the pandemic, and I am mindful of the myriad of difficult decisions they had to make. However, there were missteps. I believe the school district could have communicated much better with parents. Moreover, while I am glad that an on-line option was offered for the 2020/2021 school year, I believe this was not chosen and/or implemented well. The school district should also have engaged more and better with students enrolled in “option 2” (PLP) and those that were being homeschooled due to the pandemic. I felt that our school district could have done better for students.

However, every situation is an opportunity to learn and improve. As such, I would like to evaluate what worked and what didn’t in the district’s response to the pandemic. From that, I would like to aid in a plan for improved teaching solutions if there is another pandemic and/or emergency. I envision that the district would develop a comprehensive plan for such situations. This plan would include: ongoing and effective communication with parents; efficient use of technology for remote learning within the district so that students stay with their teachers and peers; seamless transition between in-person learning and remote learning; and flexibility as the circumstances warrant. When equipped with a plan such as this, I believe the school district could effectively handle most unforeseen circumstances in the future with little impact on learning and/or connection with students.

Thank you as always for your continued support!

Check out this ad in the Oakwood Register!

Thank you for the testimonials Jessica McCann, Erica Mersfelder, Latisha Gathers-Hutchins, and Mike Miller!

Kawai for Oakwood School BoardWilson4Oakwood

Thank you Lisa for your endorsement and letter to the editor!

Good morning!

Our children are really struggling with mental health difficulties. The depression and anxiety rates in children have increased significantly. I have been saying for a few year that we have a mental health crisis in children on our hands - even before COVID. The pandemic has compounded it and made it so much worse.

Our students can benefit from social-emotional learning and wellbeing more than ever right now. This is NOT the time to decrease/minimize social-emotional learning and wellbeing in schools. Our students ought to have a safe, welcoming school environment as well as opportunities to learn these skills. ❤️❤️

Kawai for Oakwood School BoardWilson4Oakwood

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/19/world/covid-pandemic-children-mental-health.html

Pediatricians and psychiatrists declare a national emergency in youth mental health. Medical groups said the coronavirus pandemic had worsened a mental health crisis among children and teenagers.

Election day is in 2 weeks from today! Yay!

It is Tuesday, November 2.

Polls are open from 6:30 AM-7:30 PM.

Please make a plan to vote! Put it in your calendar. Arrange a ride if needed. Take your kiddos with you (or not).

Before November 2, look up where your polling station is located; some places have changed, so check to make sure. Click on the link to find out.

Thank you Oakwood for all of your support!! 😊😊😊

https://voterlookup.ohiosos.gov/voterlookup.aspx

My Voter Information - Voter Search The site is secure. The https:// ensures you're connecting to the official website and any information you provide is encrypted and cannot be seen by anyone else.

Thank you Amy Ringler Korab for a great Meet the Candidates today! It was wonderful meeting new people, seeing old friends, and spending time with you all! Thanks for everyone that came out!

Kawai for Oakwood School Board
Wilson4Oakwood

Good morning!

The platform I'm highlighting this week is Social Emotional Learning and Well-Being. As a Clinical Child Psychologist, this area is of utmost importance to me. I believe students should have access to social and emotional learning as part of a comprehensive education as well as access to services that promote their well-being. I could write a dissertation (or 2) on this! However, I will try to be succinct!

I see this area as having 2 separate yet related components – 1. Social emotional learning (SEL) and 2. Social emotional well-being/health.

Let’s start with first component - Social emotional learning (SEL). The learning component involves intentionally teaching a range of social-emotional skills including emotion identification, emotion regulation, social awareness, empathy, relationship and community building, perspective taking, decision making, and flexible thinking. These skills can be taught in a variety of ways – instruction, modeling, programming, etc. Having strong social and emotional skills is one of the BEST predictors for academic success, positive social relationships, career attainment, and general feelings of well-being. In short, learning these skills sets students up for success! For these reasons, it is essential that these skills are part of our students’ education. Many don’t realize that state of Ohio requires that SEL be taught in schools. These skills are such an integral part of a comprehensive education that they are required by the state of Ohio to be taught in schools. Oakwood has done a great job in this area, and I am happy with the recent explanation the school district sent out in the October bulletin highlighting the 5 core competencies (self-awareness, self-management, responsible decision-making, social awareness, and relationship skills).

The second component involves the mental health and well-being of students. The rates of depression and anxiety in children have increased substantially over the last several years. In addition, COVID has added to feelings of loneliness, isolation, confusion, anxiety, as well as behavioral issues in children. In Ohio, su***de is the LEADING cause of death in kids ages 10-14, and it is the second leading cause of death in children 15+. Schools have a unique role to play in supporting the mental health and well-being of students. Students spend a significant amount of their time at school with their teachers and peers. For some students, school is the only safe and consistent place they have. As such, creating and maintaining an open and safe school environment are essential. Moreover, training teachers and staff in recognizing the signs of mental illness is important as is having a system whereby families are notified of concerns. Placing a trained mental health professional in each school can be helpful. For the older kids, having a peer program where students help each other and connect struggling students to trusted adults can also be helpful.

To add – I am also interested in the social-emotional well-being of the staff! I recognize the stressors in being an educator, as well as just a human being! I support and encourage programs for the emotional well-being of staff as well.

I have been impressed with Oakwood's efforts and commitment in the area of social and emotional well-being and learning. I would support and expand these efforts so that all of our students can thrive!

Thank you for your interest. Enjoy this beautiful Sunday!

Feel free to check out what Lauren and John are up to:
Kawai for Oakwood School Board
Wilson4Oakwood

Good morning!

I wanted to put out a call this morning for kindness, civility, and understanding toward all of the candidates. Each of the 5 of us is a human with feelings and a family. I applaud ALL of the candidates for putting themselves out there during a highly contentious time. Each of us cares deeply about our school, students, and community. At the end of the day, we are all community members, and our kids all go to school together! We as the adults are the models for our kids, so let's model love and compassion toward our neighbor.

To add - In our house, we have a Quote of the Week. In all fairness, sometimes it turns into Quote of the Month! lol! I thought I would share 2 of my favorites!

Hello! It seems that there is continued confusion about why Lauren Kawai, John Wilson, and I have teamed up. I thought that it would be helpful for me, as one of the candidates, to provide more specific details to clear up confusion!

First, let me reiterate – we are NOT running on a combined ticket. We are running as individuals. Voters will choose individual candidates. You can vote for 1 of us, 2 of us, all 3 of us, or none of us.

Second, we decided to join forces for 2 reasons. We hold many shared values, and we have similar career experiences (child education and development); we knew we could support each other. The other reason we teamed up is because it is expensive to run a campaign! None of us is independently wealthy. We are 2 educators (one of whom is currently a stay-at-home-parent) and a psychologist! We cannot independently fund our own campaigns. We are not being funded by outside sources! Instead, we knew that we would need the financial support of our neighbors, family, and friends. We thought it would be a BETTER USE of our donors’ HARD-EARNED money and more FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE to pool our financial resources. That is why we have 1 sign with 3 names on it; that is why we have 1 graphic with 3 names on it. Why spend a certain amount of money 3 different times when you can spend that amount 1 time?

Third, each of us brings a unique skill set to this race. I bring expertise in clinical psychology, child development, and mental health. John brings expertise in career tech and special education services. Lauren brings expertise in early childhood education.

We also come to BOE issues from varying perspectives and life experiences such as:
1 of us has kids in Harman; 1 has kids in Smith; 1 has kids in High School and beyond.
Our kids range in age from 4-20s.
Our own ages range, but we won’t specify that! :)
1 of us grew up here; 1 has been here much of adult life; 1 has landed here after many moves.
1 is a retired military family.
2 of us are career focused; 1 of us is a stay-at-home parent.
Our religious affiliations are different.
Our volunteer involvements, hobbies, and interests are varied.
1 likes green tea. 1 like coffee. 1 likes something stronger!

Fourth, we started meeting and helping each other months before anyone else entered the race. Each of us individually decided to run for BOE in December/January. When we heard of each other’s plans, we decided to meet (via Zoom!) regularly to talk about our individual runs and to help and support each other. It was only much later that other candidates entered the race.

So, I would like to put to rest the idea that we somehow are in lock-step with each other. We have no “hidden agenda!” In fact, we have been incredibly transparent with our goals and platforms. The fact that we share some of the same ideas doesn’t mean we are engaging in “group think.” That would be like saying my church is groupthink, because church members share similar beliefs; that’s just plain wrong! Lauren, John, and I are individuals with differing opinions, and we debate fearlessly and frequently with each other. We do very much respect and like each other. We do work exceptionally well together. What more could you want in a team? I feel extremely lucky to have teamed up with John Wilson and Lauren Kawai

I hope that helps clear up any confusion. Please feel free to reach out with any questions or comments! Thank you as always for your support! I am forever grateful for the support of this fantastic community of ours.

Kawai for Oakwood School BoardWilson4Oakwood

Thanks Colleen QS for hosting our zoom Q & A! Thank you for everyone for coming! It was great seeing you all, and I hope you got to know each of us better. Feel free to reach out with any questions or comments!

Kawai for Oakwood School BoardWilson4Oakwood - Re-Elect John Wilson for Oakwood School Board

The Oakwood Register just published "Meet the Oakwood School Board Candidates"....check it out! Pages 2-4.

It has information about all of us including Kawai for Oakwood School Board and Wilson4Oakwood - Re-Elect John Wilson for Oakwood School Board!

https://reader.mediawiremobile.com/TheOakwoodRegister/issues/207472/viewer?page=1

OCT 13, 2021 OCT 13, 2021

There are so many great things about our community. Here is an example - a surprise, hand delivered cookies from our local pastry shop for encouragement during this board race! ❤️🍪

Busy news day! The Dayton Daily News article, the LWV Voter's Guide, and answers to the Oakwood School Board Open Questions! Here is the Dayton Daily News article.

Five candidates vie for three Oakwood School Board seats Five candidates, including an incumbent, are competing for a trio of open seats on the Oakwood School Board.

The League of Women Voters voter's guide is out!

Kawai for Oakwood School Board Wilson4Oakwood - Re-Elect John Wilson for Oakwood School Board

Online version of League of Women Voters Greater Dayton VOTERS GUIDE now available on our website at https://www.lwvdayton.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/VG2021.pdf. Every race, every issue to help you be

Good morning!

Have you ever wondered about Resiliency? It is more than just bouncing back after adversity. It is about growing and learning from adversity! Resiliency is a skill that can be learned. I believe learning to be resilient is one of the most important skills students can learn!

I co-authored a Resiliency Program with one of my colleagues called “Growing Strong – KIDS!” Our program is a school-based program done with the entire classroom. The main goal is to improve children’s resilience so that regardless of what life throws at them, they are equipped with the skills to address the situation. I love building on strengths, and we created our program to do just that! Our program helps kids learn how to identify their feelings and the intensity of their feelings, how their feelings and thoughts and behaviors are linked, how to identify problems, how to problem solve, how to create a problem-solving team with other adults, how to know when a problem/situation is a “solve myself” or a “get help” situation, how to ask trusted adults for help, and so on!

I have facilitated this program in a countless number of classrooms from kindergarten to high school, and it is really inspiring to see students work together and learn these skills that will help them throughout their lives!

Thanks again for your support and interest in the BOE election! Feel free to follow Kawai for Oakwood School Board and Wilson4Oakwood - Re-Elect John Wilson for Oakwood School Board as well!

I am so thankful for so many things this weekend! Thankful for all of our amazing volunteers! Thankful for a successful lit drop where we distributed almost 3000 door hangers to houses. Thankful for a fun and successful Coffee with the Candidates hosted by Tess Mitchner Asinjo and Gary and Marilyn Mitchner. Thankful for Zdenka Blumensheid for taking fabulous photos! Thankful for all those who have put up signs in support of us! Thankful for Laura VB for bringing the kids and me a meal so that I wouldn't have to worry about cooking! Thankful for Tess Asinjo for forcing me to take Friday evening off by enjoying some chocolate and a bottle of wine on my porch together! Thankful for my daughters for helping with the lit drop! Thankful for great people Lauren Kawai and John Wilson with whom to share this! Thankful for Michele Prenoveau Berry and Becky Marie for keeping us organized! Thankful for the beautiful weather! So many things! I am thankful for all of them. ❤️❤️❤️

Kawai for Oakwood School Board and Wilson4Oakwood - Re-Elect John Wilson for Oakwood School Board

What a beautiful day to do a lit drop! Thank you to all of our amazing volunteers!