District Newsletter: 02/19/2026

Feb 19 2026

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Montrose 5th Graders Learning the Science of Sound through Jazz Lab

With the generosity of the Bexley Education Foundation, an exciting program called Jazz Lab 2.0 was introduced at Montrose this week for the school’s 5th graders

The students took part on Tuesday morning in the first of four hands-on sessions with A Tribe for Jazz. This opportunity is available thanks to a grant from the Foundation.

Jazz Lab 2.0 combines live jazz, science, design, and career tech in four 4 ½ hour sessions, with students rotating stations led by trained professionals. Students have access to live band musicians, educators and music therapists when Jazz Lab visits. There also will be sessions on March 3, March 9, and March 24.

This week the students studied the Science of Sound (Art and Science), by exploring the physics of rhythm, harmony and vibration by learning the mechanics of real instruments and the human voice.

Image of a young student strumming a large string bass with an adult man standing next to him

The other sessions will study:

Improvisational Design (Engineering), by prototyping and refining instruments from everyday materials, focusing on design, iteration and collaboration

Virtual Reality Music Making (Technology), by playing digital instruments in virtual reality spaces using Virtuoso; this session is in partnership with COSI

World Building (Engineering and Technology), by becoming future designers, students will design their future world and create a custom music soundtrack to match it using Chrome Music Lab.

This program supports Ohio’s science standards and students’ science knowledge. The program is considered a pilot program and could be expanded to other Bexley schools in the future.

World Building (Engineering and Technology), by becoming future designers, students will design their future world and create a custom music soundtrack to match it using Chrome Music Lab.

This program supports Ohio’s science standards and students’ science knowledge. The program is considered a pilot program and could be expanded to other Bexley schools in the future.

Image of a male teacher and 4 students in the background behind a drum set and pop up banners that say Jazz Lab

Image of a female teacher on the left and 6 young students who are listening to a man who is seated at an electric keyboard in the foreground, talking to the students

Image of 2 young girls seated in the middle of a circle on a gym floor surrounded by classmates and a man conducting a lesson

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BE A CHAMPION

Bexley Senior Honored as ‘Champion’

Congratulations to Bexley High School senior Michel Vargas Mercado, one of the district’s newest Champions!

Recognized for his Empathy, Michel’s nominator shared how he was quick to welcome a new student to the high school, making sure he knew how to schedule appointments, navigate the busy cafeteria and get tech assistance with his student computer.

His nomination stated, “He was kind, empathetic, and a true leader in the Bexley School community!” Way to BE Michel!

Image of a high school boy holding a recognition certificate while standing between 2 women

Pictured, from left: Tracie Baum, high school attendance secretary; Michael Vargas Mercado; and Sol Bowling, high school registrar.

Every1 Camp Coming to Bexley in July

Every1 Camp will take place in the Bexley Middle School gymnasium this summer on Tuesday, July 28, from 5-7 p.m.

This free summer camp is for students with disabilities from throughout the area who are in kindergarten through 12th grade.

The camp is staffed by certified physical education teachers, who specialize in adapted physical education, ensuring that sports are accessible and enjoyable for every child, regardless of their abilities. The organization holds camps throughout Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania and New York.

Many thanks to the Bexley Education Foundation for helping to bring Every1 Camp to Bexley!

Learn more or register for the camp online.

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Annual Scientist-in-Residence Program Brings 9 Professional Engineers to BHS Science Classes

Image of a man on the left and a woman on the right standing at the front of a high school science class talking to students

Justin Ray and Sydney Davis, EP Ferris

High school science students took part in a day focused on the “The Science of Engineering” last week when nine engineering professionals talked with them as part of the Bexley Education Foundation’s Scientist-in-Residence program.

The Scientist-in-Residence program is presented each year by the Dr. Judah Folkman Class of 1950 Science Endowment Fund and honors the life and work of Dr. Judah Folkman, a 1950 Bexley High School graduate who attended Ohio State and Harvard Medical School.

One of the featured speakers was Bexley High School alumnus Brett Lauerhass, a member of the Class of 2017, who is an associate engineer with Northrup Grumman in Arizona. Students also met with professional scientists who work in the fields of space engineering, aeronautical engineering, medicine, cloud platforms, transportation, and construction.

Those invited to meet with Bexley students were:

Chris Berry, the CEO of Echelle Resources, Inc., a professional services and technology integration firm supporting Fortune 500 companies. He has more than two decades of experience building, scaling, and operating software-driven businesses across automotive, healthcare, and enterprise technology.

Samuel Davis, the senior vice president and chief technology officer at Echelle Resources, Inc., where he works to align technology strategy with corporate objectives by bridging engineering, operations, and financial performance with growth, cost structures, and modern enterprise.

Sydney Davis, a design engineer with EP Ferris and a recent graduate of Ohio State with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering.

Greg Fridman, the founder and CEO of AAPlasma, LLC, a research and development firm focused on non-equilibrium (“cold”) atmospheric pressure plasmas as catalysts for various industrial processes.

Rich Granger, a mechanical engineer and the managing director of workforce and economic development for DriveOhio, the state’s center for smart mobility innovation. He collaborates with educators and employers to prepare the state’s workforce for next-generation transportation careers with electric vehicles, drones, and self-driving vehicles.

Brett Lauerhass, an associate engineer with Northrop Grumman based in Gilbert, Arizona, where he focuses on integration and test electrical engineering associated with projects, including habitation and logistics outposts for NASA's Gateway and the Mission Extension Pod.

Justin Ray, a project manager with EP Ferris, where he is responsible for construction inspection, surveying, and engineering on a vast array of projects around the city.

John Trzinski, a mission and payload systems manager currently supporting Starlab, the first-ever space science park on Earth, located north of the Ohio State University Airport in Columbus.

Jackson Weeks, the operations manager for the Innovation Fellowship and Bootcamp programs at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, where he creates curriculum, mentors participants, and advances projects through the biodesign process, helping clinicians and engineers translate unmet pediatric needs into viable medical technologies.