📸 MHS Fall Picture Day is Thursday, September 3, for students in grades 7–11!

Order forms were sent home with students this week. Families may also order online at www.inter-state.com using order code 0521EVA.

Questions? Visit www.inter-state.com/support.

Welcome back, Rockets! 🚀 Share your back-to-school photos with us in the comments. Have a great year!

Dear Maplewood Families and Students,

The wait is almost over—school starts tomorrow morning, and we can’t wait to welcome everyone back into our hallways!

Our office and custodial crews have been working hard all summer to get our buildings sparkling clean, updated, and ready for day one. Everything is in place for a safe, comfortable, and exciting start to the school year.

When you walk through the doors tomorrow, you’ll also see some new faces! We are thrilled to introduce several fantastic new teachers and staff members to the Maplewood family. They bring so much talent and energy to our team, and we know you’ll love getting to know them.

While a new school year always brings fresh excitement, one thing stays the same: our commitment to Maplewood’s tradition of academic excellence and strong community support. We are ready to help every single student learn, grow, and succeed this year.

Set those alarms, pack those backpacks, and get ready for a great first day. We'll see you bright and early tomorrow morning!

Educationally,

Kevin O’Connell, Superintendent
Maplewood Local Schools

As we prepare for our first day of the 2026-2027 school year Monday, some transportation/bus reminders for our families, especially in grades K-2. An adult must be outside and visible for our drivers to allow a child to be released off the bus in these grades. The buses will wait for a short period of time, but must continue their route to ensure all our children are home within a timely manner. Children not dropped off will remain on the bus until the end of the route. From there, the driver will proceed to a designated meeting area within the district, based on their route location. Drivers will alert the Board Office and Elementary Office, and we will notify you, and where to meet the bus. Buses will not be able to turn around and come back to your home. 🚌 Please bear with us in these opening weeks, as we are not up to our full driver fleet to cover our routes. Bus times may vary, but we have drivers in training and look forward to a full transportation department again soon! We appreciate your flexibility and understanding to help us as we make sure every child is transported safely to and from school each day! Here's to a great year ahead! 🚀 Thank you!

We are so excited to welcome our Elementary Rockets back for another great school year! Some schedule reminders as we prepare for the first day:

🏫 8:15am - building opens/drop-off begins
⏰ 8:50am - tardy bell
📝 2:30pm - dismissal change notifications due to the office
🚌 3:10pm - bus dismissal begins
🚗 3:15pm - car rider dismissal begins

Let's have a great year! 🚀

🏆 Celebrating Our Spring Sports Athletes! 🏆

At the Maplewood Board of Education meeting, we proudly recognized our spring sports athletes for their outstanding accomplishments this past season!

🥎 Softball

NAC, District and Regional Champions
State Runner-Up
28–3 overall record

⚾ Baseball

NAC Champions
District Champions

🏃 Track & Field

Boys 4x800 Relay Team — 3rd place at the State Championships
Girls 4x800 Relay Team — 10th place at the State Championships
Andrew Donaldson — 13th place in the 800-meter run
Micah Sparks — 6th place in the 800-meter run

Congratulations to these talented student-athletes for representing Maplewood with pride, dedication and excellence! 🚀👏

#MaplewoodRockets #RocketPride #SpringSports

📌 A reminder to join us for our MES Open House this week!

Meet teachers, drop off supplies, and visit the resource fair in the gym on Thursday, August 20 from 4:00-6:00pm. We have received many donations thanks to our generous community, so grab any extra supplies, backpacks, shoes, winter hats and gloves from the tables in the hallway too.

We can't wait to see you, Rockets! 🚀

Maplewood Families:

In an effort to safely and efficiently dismiss all elementary students, there will be an update to the dismissal process at Maplewood Elementary this school year. Please see the attached map with updated traffic flow around the building which will begin on the first day of school. Printed maps will be available at the resource fair in the gym during Open House this week.

Key changes include:
★ Car rider dismissal beginning at 3:15pm from the rear gym door
★ Traffic will flow one way, in one lane around the building using one exit - cars will depart AFTER
★ Cars will not be able to enter or park in the loop lot
★ The gate to enter the rear parking lot will not open until 2:30 after the conclusion of all outdoor recess/classes
★ The second gate to exit the rear lot will be closed. Once buses have left, the gate will be opened by a staff member to dismiss cars between 3:20-3:25pm.

**Morning drop-off will remain the same!**

Please direct any questions to Mrs. Morrison in the MES office regarding this update. We thank you in advance for your patience, flexibility, and understanding as we prioritize the safe dismissal of our Rockets every day!

🚗 MHS Students & Families – Parking Permit Reminder!

Parking Permit Day is Wednesday, August 12.

🕘 9:00 AM – Seniors
🕙 10:00 AM – Juniors
🕚 11:00 AM – All Other Eligible Drivers

💲 Parking permits are $20, and all required forms must be completed before receiving your permit.

📄 Forms for parking permits and painted parking spots are available online under the Documents section.

Be sure to arrive at your designated time with everything completed so the process goes smoothly. We look forward to seeing you there! 🚀 https://maplewoodlocalsdoh.sites.thrillshare.com/documents/maplewood-high-school/22026104

🚌 We're Hiring! Join the Maplewood Rockets Team! 🚀

Maplewood Local Schools is looking for a Bus Driver to join our transportation team!

If you're committed to student safety and making a positive impact each day, we'd love to hear from you. No school bus driving experience? No problem! We'll provide paid training to help you earn your School Bus and Passenger Endorsements.

Position Details:
🚌 Bus Driver
⏰ 5 hours per day
📅 Position open until filled

Why Join Maplewood?
✅ Paid CDL/School Bus Driver Training Available
✅ Make a difference in students' lives every day
✅ Competitive pay per negotiated agreement
✅ Become part of the Maplewood Rockets family

Qualifications:
✔️ Current Class B CDL (or be willing to obtain one through our paid training program)
✔️ Successful BCII & FBI background checks
✔️ Successful drug screening

For more information or to apply, contact:

Michele McCartney
Transportation Supervisor
📍 Maplewood Local Schools
2414 Greenville Rd. NE
Cortland, OH 44410
📞 330-637-7506

🚀 Maplewood Local Schools is excited to announce Mrs. Tami Morrison as our next Maplewood Elementary Principal!

Mrs. Morrison has proudly served the Maplewood community as a member of the Board of Education for eight years. She and her husband, Dave, are both proud Maplewood graduates, and their daughter, Clara, attends Maplewood.

As lifelong supporters of the Rockets, the Morrison family has deep roots in our school community.

Please join us in congratulating Mrs. Morrison on her new role as Principal of Maplewood Elementary! 🚀

#MaplewoodRockets #RocketPride #MaplewoodLocalSchools #OnceARocketAlwaysARocket

On Saturday, May 30, students from the 7th Grade, 8th Grade, and High School Bands spent the day at Waldameer Park in Erie, Pennsylvania, for our annual Band Reward Day trip!

A great time was had by all as students enjoyed rides, games, and time together celebrating a successful year of music and hard work.

A special thank you to our students, chaperones, and bus drivers for helping make the day safe, fun, and memorable. We appreciate your support and dedication to our band program!

Outside recess fun in the ☀️

🌺 Aloha from Maplewood! 🌺

Our 7th & 8th Grade Luau Dance on Wednesday, May 20th was a huge success! Thank you to all of the students who attended and helped make the night so much fun. From the music and dancing to the tropical decorations, it was truly a blast! 🌴🎶☀️

📚❤️ Earlier this week, Mrs. Economos’ 2nd graders had a wonderful time reading to Mrs. Krieg’s kindergarten class! Our younger Rockets loved listening to the stories, and the 2nd graders did an amazing job being reading role models. 🚀✨

Last week, Maplewood Elementary hosted its first annual 6th Grade Promotion Ceremony! We were delighted to welcome the families and friends of the Class of 2032 to celebrate this significant milestone as our students conclude their elementary journey. The ceremony was followed by a lovely reception where guests mingled, captured memories at the photo stations, and enjoyed sweet treats. It was a truly wonderful evening honoring a very special group of Rockets! 💙🚀

🚌💙 DRIVE THE BUS WITH THE ROCKETS! 🚀💛

Have you ever thought about driving a school bus? Now’s your chance to give it a try and learn more about joining the Maplewood Rockets team!

📅 Drive the Bus Events
• May 29th | 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
• June 4th | 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM

📍 4174 Greenville Rd

Come out to:
✅ Test drive a bus
✅ Meet our team
✅ Learn how to get started

Why drive a bus?
⭐ Make a difference for students
⭐ Enjoy a flexible and rewarding job
⭐ Become part of the Rocket family

No experience needed — we’ll train you! Bring a friend and come have some fun! 🚍✨

Participants must be 21 years old with 2 years of driving experience and a valid license. Must be able to pass drug, alcohol, and background checks.

On Monday, Maplewood first graders hosted a Mother’s Day Social! 🌸💖

Our students worked hard creating handmade gifts and writing heartfelt tributes for their moms. To make the day even more special, they performed a touching song that brought tears to many eyes. 🎶

It twas a perfect day celebrating the amazing mothers and mother figures in our lives! 💐