As we wrap up our 2025-2026 school year, we feel exceedingly grateful for another wonderful year full of academic adventures, opportunities to help others in our community, and time spent engaged in hands-on learning! We started our school year by taking advantage of the beautiful fall weather for outdoor learning. We set sail on the Appledore IV, a traditional tall ship that offered amazing science programming during our two hour trip out on the lake and also practiced our swimming and water safety skills in P.E. class at the Venture Resort pool.
Our sixth grader visited ABC-13 News in Toledo to talk to Meteorologist Derek Witt about a potential future in weather-related careers. We all honed our golf skills at Thunderbird Hills driving range, visited Thomas Edison’s birthplace museum, and attended the annual student concert of the Toledo Symphony at the Peristyle Theater in Toledo. Once the ferry opened in the spring, we attended a Mud Hens baseball game and participated in some of our favorite outdoor island activities like fishing, kite flying and putt putt golfing.
For our community service project this year, students held an island-wide sock drive. Students created advertising campaigns which included posters and a promotional video requesting donations of socks for our goal. At the end of our collection time, we collected 555 pairs of socks! Students used this opportunity in math and science classes to sort data and create graphs and visuals. We traveled to the Sandusky Salvation Army to drop off our donations and also volunteered our time in sorting toys for the upcoming holiday time. School board member Natasha Makarova-Skeans, highlighted this project as a standout moment of the year in her eyes. “ I believe one of the most meaningful initiatives was the Salvation Army fundraiser involving the socks. Teaching children to be kind and mindful of their community, while connecting those values to math and research, is truly wonderful,” Makarova-Skeans said.
As a new venture this year, students were excited to begin attending cooking club! Overseen by Mrs. Virginia, our students learned basic cooking skills, a few fabulous recipes, and the proper steps to clean and sanitize a kitchen. Among the fun events, field trips, pageants, and special lunches, the day-to-day efforts of teachers, staff, and administration continue to make Kelleys Island School the amazing place it is. Skeans expanded on this idea: “I also think some of the main benefits of KI School as an additional learning resource for younger students include personalized learning, plenty of one-on-one support that helps each student stay on track, and a very warm, kind, and nurturing environment,” she said.
Superintendent Ben Ohlemacher echoed similar sentiments, highlighting the one-of-a-kind experience offered by Kelleys Island Local School. “Each year at Kelleys Island School is a journey shaped by curiosity, connection, and community. From hands-on learning on Lake Erie to meaningful service projects that make a real difference, our students continue to show what’s possible when education is both engaging and purposeful. I couldn’t be prouder of the way our students, staff, families and community come together to create such a unique and meaningful learning environment,” Ohlemacher said.
Reflections on the 2025-2026 School Year
