On May 19, three MVS eighth graders competed in the Power of the Pen State Tournament after having qualified at the District and Regional competitions earlier this year.
Aleks ’27, Harpreet ’27, and Raaidha ’27 represented MVS in three 35-minute rounds of creative writing.
Harpreet qualified for a fourth, 30-minute final writing round and ended up placing ninth overall!
“2500 students from around all of Ohio began this competition earlier this year at the district division,” said MVS Power of the Pen coach and English teacher Debbie Voetberg. “These three emerged from that group to compete at the highest level, and now, Harpreet is in the top 10 of all 8th grade writers in the state. I am so proud of all they have accomplished!”
MVS Athletes Sign to D1 Programs
Congratulations to two MVS student-athletes who have signed letters of intent to pursue their sports at the next level! Ashley Ohlemacher ’23 will attend the University of Minnesota and participate in rowing, while Zayna Usman ’23 will attend Dartmouth College and play squash. Both student-athletes were celebrated at special signing day ceremonies in MVS’ Lofino Atrium attended by MVS faculty, coaches, friends, and family.
MVS Students Install New Mural in Downtown Dayton
New street art is coming to Dayton, thanks to MVS upper school students!
During the week of May 15, MVS students installed a new mural at Mudlick Tap House (135 E Second St. Dayton), inspired by the building’s history and the history of the 19th century Mudlick Distillery.
Members of the upper school “Art Ignites Change” Immersion group painted the artwork on parachute cloth (polytab) during Immersion Term in January, then visited downtown to put the mural up in fair spring weather. The Mudlick mural is the first in Dayton to be painted using this parachute cloth technique. Congratulations to the Art Ignites Change students and their leaders, art teacher Mr. Ward and Makerspace teacher Mrs. Hallinan!
MVS Ninth Grader Wins Prize for Pollinator Research
Congratulations to MVS ninth grader Mia Byarlay, who took home one of five Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers Awards at the District 10 Science Day competition! Mia researched the different pesticides collected in pollen from honeybees and small carpenter bees (ceratina) in the local region, using gas chromatography mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography mass spectrometry to detect pesticide content. In addition to a cash prize, Mia earned a Superior rating for her project, the highest classification possible, making her eligible for the State Science Day competition.
210 students from 25 area schools took part in this year’s District 10 Science Day, sponsored by the Ohio Academy of Science.
MVS Student Wins Aerospace Symposium Award
MVS ninth grader Awnik Roy recently earned first place at the Dayton-Cincinnati Aerospace Sciences Symposium for Best Presentation in the high school category for his research on compact long-wave infrared probes for engine surface temperature measurements. Awnik’s work was also published in a peer-reviewed journal, Measurement Science and Technology. He will be honored at the Dayton-Cincinnati AIAA Awards Banquet in May. Congratulations, Awnik!
MVS Students Win LLS Visionaries of the Year Award
MVS students are award-winning philanthropists! Two MVS teams recently participated in the Student Visionaries of the Year campaign (formerly Students of the Year) through the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
Team Crafting a Cure, made up of MVS ninth graders Anya Paliwal ‘26 and Maya Patel ‘26, alongside Centerville ninth grader Naisha Patel, won the Student Visionaries of the Year Award for raising the most money for the Dayton-area LLS chapter.
Team Rams 4 The Cure, made up of MVS sophomores Mackenzie Lightner ‘25 and Kendall Ohlemacher ‘25, finished as runners-up in the Student Visionaries of the Year standings.
Crafting a Cure was also recognized with the LLS Advocacy Mission Award for commitment to mission integration during fundraising.
Congratulations Anya, Maya, Kendall, and Mackenzie!
Science Fair Success For Young Inventors
MVS seventh grader Dhilen Soin, along with brother Avi Soin, had great success at the The Ohio Academy of Science District 18 Virtual Science Fair!
The brothers wanted to create a device that would provide light on demand, and came up with an innovative solution using biology! Their “Perfect Bioluminescent Tornado” system uses bioluminescent algae called dinoflagellates, which live in water that can be disturbed by a vortex to cause the algae to give off light. Dhilen writes, “If humans wanted to do deep space travel – we could use these for light generation and oxygen creation, and it is self sustaining.” He also sees potential for the device as a cool educational toy in the meantime.
With these uses in mind, Dhilen and Avi also applied for and were issued a patent for their bioluminescent tornado, making Dhilen one of the youngest inventors in the United States for his patent year. The brothers will go on to represent MVS at the state science fair in May after earning a perfect 40/40 score at the district fair. Congratulations!
Director of School Counseling Christie Kemper Earns 40 Under 40 Award
The Miami Valley School is proud to announce that Christie Kemper, MVS Director of School Counseling, has been named to the 2023 Dayton Business JournalForty Under 40 list!
Ms. Kemper has worked at MVS since 2007. As Director of School Counseling, she has overseen numerous mental health support initiatives that benefit our students, families, faculty, and staff every day. Christie holds a master’s degree in social work from The Ohio State University and a master’s in school counseling from the University of Dayton, has earned her licensure as a social worker and as a school counselor, and is a member ofthe American School Counseling Association and Ohio School Counseling Association. The MVS community knows her as a passionate advocate, empathetic listener, talented professional, and filler of buckets. Congratulations, Christie, on this honor!
MVS Senior Wins Short Story Contest
Congratulations to senior Mia F., who just won first place in the 2023 Tennessee Williams Student Short Story Contest! Mia’s story, “Rain Like Glass,” will be published online by the Key West Art & Historical Society, which sponsors the contest in celebration of Williams, a longtime Key West resident. Mia visited Key West and attended the Key West Literary Seminar during this year’s Immersion Term as part of the Writer’s Journey Immersion group. “Rain Like Glass” was one of many outstanding works they produced during Immersion. Well done, Mia!
MVS Students to Present at TEDxYouth@Dayton
Three MVS students have been selected to speak at this year’s TEDxYouth@Dayton Conference on March 16, an honor only afforded to 10 young people across Southwest and Central Ohio. Rayna Annamraju ’26, Ainsley Rowland ’25, and Ilhaan Sheikh ’23 went through an application and audition process last November, and since then they have been honing their talks with their adult mentors. In addition to these three MVS students, multiple MVS faculty members are assisting with TEDxYouth this year, serving as mentors, committee members, and other volunteers.
The TEDxYouth@Dayton conference is March 16, 2023, at the Dayton Art Institute, at 7:00 p.m. More info on the TEDxYouth@Dayton webpage.
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Due to inclement weather, The Miami Valley School is CLOSED on Wednesday, January 25. No in-person or online classes will meet. All after-school activities are also cancelled.
