Steele Report
Friday, August 30, 2024
Principal's Message
Comet Nation,
As we embark on the final month of the 2024-2025 school year, I would like to take the opportunity to thank the class of 2025 for all of their hard work and dedication. As the principal of Marion L. Steele High School, I could not be more proud of all their perseverance and accomplishments.
The month of May is a tremendous time of the school year and there are lots of happenings at Steele. I would encourage families to visit our Comets Live and Amherst EVSD Youtube Channels to see some of the highlights of what will be an exciting month ahead. Senior parents, please review the Class of 2025 Graduation Details if you have not done so already.
As always, thank you for your continued support. We look forward to a great month of May!
Go Comets,
Joe Tellier
Ohio State Testing- End of Course Exams
As part of graduation requirements for the State of Ohio, students are required to take End of Course exams in English 10, Algebra 1, Geometry, Biology, American History, and American Government. Students have been working hard the past few weeks on End of Course Exams. We have three more remaining exams next week :
- Monday, April 28th: Biology Part 1
- Tuesday, April 29th: Biology Part 2
- Thursday, May 1st: American Government Parts 1 and 2
- Thursday, May 1st: American History Parts 1 and 2
As a reminder, we will have a two-hour late arrival (D-Schedule) on state testing dates. Please click here for Steele's Spring Testing Calendar. Students not testing will report to first period by 9:45 am.
Testing locations will be emailed to students and posted on the counseling office window. If you have any questions, please contact your child's counselor. Students taking End of Course Exams must bring their chromebook fully charged and arrive to their testing room on time.
Underclassmen Awards Ceremony
Marion L. Steele High School will be holding its Academic Awards Ceremony for underclassmen who have earned an Academic Award Letter on Wednesday, May 21st in the cafetorium. Freshman awards begin at 8:00 am, sophomores at 9:00 am and juniors at 10:00 am. Students who qualify for the Academic Awards Ceremony will be notified by mail. If you have any questions regarding the ceremony, please contact your school counselor.
Parents and/or guardians are invited to attend this ceremony. The ceremony will also be streamed live on the CometsLive YouTube channel.
In order to qualify for an award letter, the following criteria must be met:
9th grade after the first semester 3.65 Cumulative GPA
10th grade after the third semester 3.60 Cumulative GPA
11th grade after the fifth semester 3.50 Cumulative GPA
You Do You Day
Marion L. Steele will be having our third annual "You Do You Day" on May 23rd. Students will be receiving a Google Form to Sign Up for four different activities to participate in. Activities are based on teacher interests and feature a wide range of exciting offerings. We are looking forward to staff members sharing their outside interests and talents with our students. Some examples of offerings include: musical jam sessions, pickle ball, line dancing, self care, and many more!
Students will receive a schedule in the upcoming weeks for the day, please see the bell schedule below.
Semester Ending Exams
Exams for the second semester will be on May 27th, 28th, and 29th. If a make-up exam is needed, time will be arranged between the teacher and student.
Please see the schedules below for each day or click here.
PaySchool Central-Student Lunch Balances
As the school year winds down, please monitor your child(ren)'s lunch account(s) to make sure they have enough money to purchase breakfast &/or lunch. You can add funds, as well as monitor their account(s) at www.payschoolscentral.com. Please have all negative balances paid, and funds available on their accounts, before May 16th. Your child(ren)'s balance will roll over to next school year, so any remaining funds will be on their account at the beginning of the 2025-26 school year. If your child is a Senior, they must pay off any negative balance before they receive their cap and gown.
If you need assistance with PaySchool Central, you can call 1-877-393-6628. If you have any questions regarding the breakfast and lunch programs, you can contact Deanne Kelbley at 440-988-1991 or deanne_kelbley@amherstk12.org.
Class of 2025
Senior Prom
Click this link for important prom information.
Saturday, May 10, 2025, 06:00 PM
Kalahari Resorts, llc, Kalahari Drive, Sandusky, OH, USA
Class of 2025 Senior Send Off Parade
Please join us in sending off the Class of 2025! The parade will start at 6:00pm at Powers Elementary School and finish at the South Lot at Steele High High School.Please review the Class of 2025 Graduation Details for further information.
Thursday, May 22, 2025, 06:00 PM
Marion L. Steele High School, Washington Street, Amherst, OH, USA
Senior Finals
The class of 2025 will be taking exams on Monday, May 19th and Tuesday, May 20th. Students will follow a normal bell schedule for exams. On Monday, May 19th exams will be administered for fifth, sixth, and seventh period. On Tuesday, May 20th students will take exams in first, second, third, and fourth period. Students will then be released from school after their fourth period class on May 20th. Seniors will return their school issued chromebook in the North Gym (MPR) before leaving the building.
Class of 2025 Graduation Details
The Marion L. Steele High School Class of 2025 plans to hold its Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, May 24th at Cleveland State University’s Wolstein Center. Doors will open at 9:00 am and the ceremony will begin promptly at 10:00 am.
All students participating in commencement must attend the mandatory graduation practice on May 22nd. Please review the Class of 2025 Graduation Details for further information.
Please keep in mind that all school fees need to be paid in full in order to receive your cap and gown and to receive your diploma. Please contact Mrs. Doehr, financial secretary, if you need to set up a payment plan. She can be reached at 440-988-1422.
Yearbooks sale: Get a FREE, 8-page autograph insert with preorder!
Yearbooks are still on sale, and you need to preorder by the end of the day on Sunday, April 27th to guarantee yourself a book, since we do not order extra books to sell.
And this year, all yearbook preorders will receive a free, 8-page autograph insert section (see attachment) to be passed out in early May so you can get it signed. Save it, and when you get your yearbook in the Fall, simply remove the cover from the sticky tab and insert it in your yearbook.
Order a yearbook for the 2024-2025 school year by going to Jostens.com, searching for Marion L. Steele High School in the shop your school section, and clicking on yearbooks.
Preorder by the end of the day on Sunday, April 27th to guarantee yourself a book and insert! Be on the lookout for the autograph insert distribution during lunch periods as early as the week of April 28th!
Yearbook Senior Recognition Ads are still on sale through April 30th!
You design and purchase it yourself by going to Jostens.com, searching for Marion L. Steele High School in the shop your school section, and clicking on Yearbook Ads, then Create a Student Ad. Jostens places them in our yearbook within a couple weeks after you submit it. You can always contact Yearbook Moderator Mr. Rubinski with questions at brian_rubinski@amherstk12.org
MLS Counseling Department
Fourth Annual Career Fair
Marion L. Steele High School will be hosting our fourth annual career fair from 9:30-11:30 am in the Main Gym on May 8th. Juniors and Seniors will have the opportunity to meet with several local businesses and representatives. Students will be called down as follows:
9:30-10:00 Juniors A-K
10:00-10:30 Juniors L-Z
10:30-11:00 Seniors A-K
11:00-11:30 Seniors L-Z
This is a great opportunity for students to be exposed to various career fields and gain meaningful workforce connections. In the days leading up to the career fair, we will host a spirit week to get students excited!
COMET Award - Staff Recognition
Seniors, the nomination form for the C.O.M.E.T. (Candidate for Outstanding Mentor in the Educational Team) Award is now available! The COMET Award is given to recognize a staff member who has had the most positive influence—educationally, professionally, or personally—on a graduating student’s life. Nominations are made in writing by students and submitted to the Board of Education, which will select the finalists. This award was established by the Amherst Exempted Village Schools Board of Education in 1996. Students can access the form via email from Mrs. Cooney. Form submissions & nominations are due by May 12th.
Enroll Now for College Credit Plus Summer and Fall Semesters
Enrollment for College Credit Plus (CCP) classes for the Summer and Fall semesters is now open!
If you haven’t already, please connect with your school counselor as soon as possible to request your CCP courses.
New to CCP? Be sure to submit your application as soon as possible to ensure you're eligible to enroll.
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to earn college credit while still in high school!
The FAFSA Application Now Open!
Attention Seniors! The 2025–2026 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form is available early, due to an extended testing period by the U.S. Department of Education. Students can start submitting their FAFSA forms now!
We encourage students to complete the FAFSA as soon as they’re ready.
Why is the FAFSA Important?
Completing the FAFSA is a critical step for seniors planning to attend college. It unlocks access to federal financial aid, including grants, work-study opportunities, and federal student loans. It also allows students to be considered for state and school-specific aid (available in the Spring), reducing the overall cost of college and making higher education more affordable.
By submitting the FAFSA early, students can maximize their financial aid options and better plan for college.
For more information, you can watch the FAFSA overview presented by Cleveland State University to our Steele families this past October 10th. Watch the video here: FAFSA Overview Video.
Department News
Best Buddies
The Best Buddies Chapter at Steele will be participating in the Best Buddies Friendship Walk at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo on Saturday, May 3. If you are interested in joining the Amherst team, please sign up! We look forward to walking with you!
Unified Special Olympics
Our Unified Special Olympics team at Steele High School has participated in several different basketball events this quarter. Athletes will participate in the Special Olympics Track Event at Elyria High School on May 9th. This is the biggest event of the year for our athletes!
Work Study
Students in Steele's Work Study Program, Comet Crew: A Vocational Learning Program volunteer quarterly at Second Harvest Food Bank where they pack food boxes, learn transferable skills and give back to the community. Additionally, Comet Crew runs an in-house coffee cart where they prepare drink orders for staff. The skills learned are endless. This quarter, students had a specialty cart where they made "Comet Shakes" for St. Patrick's Day.
Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities
Do you have a child who has a barrier to working? Does your child need assistance with finding, obtaining, and maintaining employment and have an IEP or 504. Apply for services through OOD or reach out to Kristen Kowalsick, Intervention Specialist/Transition Coordinator, kristen_kowalsick@amherstk12.org: OOD Works
Steele Athletic Department
Spring Senior Recognition
Please continue to support all of our Spring Teams. Senior Days are important days to all of our programs. Here's the upcoming Spring Sport Senior Nights:
Thursday, May 1st: Softball vs Avon Lake, 4:30p
Thursday, May 8th: Boys Volleyball vs Normandy, Time is TBD
Friday, May 23rd: Baseball vs Solon, 4:45p
2025 Fall Sports
It's not too early to start thinking about Fall Sports. If you have not previously played a fall sport, but you have interest in participating with one of our programs, please contact our coaches to see what their plans are for this spring (if you aren't in a spring sport) and this summer, leading up to August 1st:
Boys Cross Country: Rob Glatz, rob_glatz@amherstk12.org
Girls Cross Country: Terry Kemp, terry_kemp@amherstk12.org
Football: Tom Thome, tom_thome@amherstk12.org
Boys Golf: Mitch Gillam, mitch_gillam@amherstk12.org
Girls Golf: Dave Zvara, david_zvara@amherstk12.org
Boys Soccer: Brett Thompson, brett_thompson@amherstk12.org
Girls Soccer: Gary Gonzalez, steeleladycometsoccer@gmail.com
Girls Tennis: Kyle Hougland, kyle.hougland@gmail.com
Volleyball: Courtney Rua, courtney_rua@amherstk12.org
Important Dates
Important Fourth Quarter Dates
April 25th-April 27th: Spring Musical
Monday, April 28th: Biology Part 1 End of Course Exam, D-Schedule
Tuesday, April 29th: Biology Part 2 End of Course Exam, D-Schedule
Thursday, May 1st: American History Part 1 and Part 2, American Government Parts 1 and 2 End of Course Exams End of Course Exams, D-Schedule
Friday, May 2nd: Armed Forces Ceremony, 1:45pm, Main Gym, B-Schedule
Tuesday, May 6th: Senior Awards Banquet, 6pm, German's Villa
Thursday, May 8th: Career Fair, Main Gym, 9:30-11:30am
Saturday, May 10th: Senior Prom, Kalahari 6-10pm
Saturday, May 17th and Sunday, May 18th: Pop Show
Monday, May 19th: Senior Finals
Tuesday, May 20th: Senior Finals, Seniors Last Day, Senior Chromebook Collection
Wednesday, May 21st: Underclassmen Awards Ceremony, 8:00am Class of 2028, 9:00am Class of 2027, 10:00am Class of 2026, Cafetorium
Thursday, May 22nd: Graduation Practice, 7:45am, Cafetorium
Thursday, May 22nd: Senior Send Off Parade, 6:00pm
Friday, May 23rd: You Do You Day
Saturday, May 24th: Commencement, Cleveland State University Wolstein Center, 10:00am
Monday, May 26th: No School, Memorial Day
Tuesday, May 27th-Thursday, May 29th: Semester Ending Exams
Thursday, May 29th: Last Day of School, Early Release, End of Fourth Grading Period, End of Second Semester
Marion L. Steele High School
Email: joseph_tellier@amherstk12.org
Website: https://www.amherstk12.org/schools/steele
Location: 450 Washington Street, Amherst, OH, USA
Phone: 440-988-4433
X: @SteelePrincipal
