BlendED 9-12
Columbus Online Academy, Columbus City Schools
January 28, 2022
Featured Students
Ray Hatcher
By London Brooks
Ray Hatcher Jr. is a BlendED senior through his home school of Walnut Ridge. Hatcher enjoys video games and loves the color blue, but his most significant interest is music. He especially loves hip-hop. He started as a basketball player but switched gears to become an aspiring rapper.
Hatcher prides himself as an artist who speaks to those without a voice. He started off watching his uncle make beats and helping his uncle record. Hatcher said, "When I was 14, my uncle was the bug in my ear who told me to go record my first song, 'The Motions.'"
His current project is "Evil Energy" which can be found on SoundCloud under the username Lil Ray Ray. This song is about trying to avoid the bad energy of another person. His target audience is teenagers and early adults.
When asked about his inspiration, Hatcher mentioned artists such as J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar. Hatcher believes that "rap is about recycling stuff, and as an artist, you gotta be careful of that." He also said, "Music is the world's strongest voice."
Hatcher is currently working towards mastering engineering and becoming a producer. He aims to help others who use music to voice their pain.
He wants to spread positivity and fight negativity. He's also aiming for his music to reach like-minded people.
Raymond Ramey
By BlendED Staff
Raymond Ramey is a junior at BlendED. He loves listening to music, playing the PlayStation, riding bikes, and playing basketball. He has received a basketball trophy and a football trophy. Raymond’s favorite sport is basketball, and his favorite basketball team is the Chicago Bulls.
When asked about his family, Ramey said, “In my family, there are five humans: Mom, Dad, two older brothers, and myself, the youngest.” He said they also have a mixed breed dog (part pit bull terrier and part Catahoula), and her name is Hershey.
Ramey is taking BlendEd because of the pandemic, and he is also taking online classes to be home with his disabled brothers, whom he helps when his parents go to work. Ramey assists his two older brothers, ensuring they are safe and that they take their meds on time every day.
Ramey said, “I have to always be with them and watch out for them. I love that job because my brothers are my best friends, and I love being able to help them and make sure that they are safe.”
His short-term goal is to graduate, and his long-term goal is to become an NBA star. His favorite music is rap, and his favorite color is red, but he really loves being kind. Ramey said, “I love being caring and helping others when I can, and I always stick up for the ones who are being bullied and picked on or made fun of. I love to share and just be nice and caring to people.”
Michelle Salgado
By Victoria Norwood
Michelle Salgado is a junior at BlendED. She enjoys drawing, listening to music, and playing video games.
Salgado also loves the color purple, eating pizza, and listening to the song “Welcome to my Playground” by NCT.
Salgado comes from a large family mainly consisting of her cousins from Mexico and Texas, a sister, and two stepbrothers. She hopes to one day travel and visit her family in Mexico. Salgado would also like to travel to both South Korea and Japan someday.
When asked why Salgado joined the BlendED program, she responded, “I like online school better than in-person school.”
Noah Beatty
By Dre'Aira Lindsay
Noah Beatty is a freshman in the BlendED program who joined due to the pandemic. Their favorite colors consist of purple and green. They enjoy sports such as soccer and tennis. When asked if they've won any awards, Beatty's response was, "I remember winning something school-related, but I don't remember what it was."
Their goal is to make it through this school year. Most of their time is spent doing chores and helping with food. Macaroni and cheese bowls are their favorite dish, and one day they hope to learn how to cook. Beatty has a large family which consists of four siblings, two parents, an uncle, a cousin, and their grandma.
They enjoy playing with their siblings and relaxing from time to time. When asked if there was anything else they would like to share, Beatty said, "One time I broke my arm because I was being dumb and jumping across hampers like how Spiderman jumps from wall to wall."
In their free time, you will often find Beatty trying to beat the levels of the video games "Doom Eternal" and "Ultrakill." One goal Beatty has is to become a game developer.
Danyel Shipley
Danyel Shipley is a sophomore at BlendED. When asked if she had an idea for a New Year's resolution, Shipley said, "My resolution is to try to stay more positive and always try to see the best in things even if they are bad." Currently, Shipley has a job working at Little Caesars. One of her favorite hobbies is cooking. Shipley also enjoys the color blue.
A typical day for Shipley is waking up to get ready, taking care of her brother, completing her assignments for the day, getting ready for bed, and watching TV until she falls asleep. An ideal day for her would be to sleep in, wake up to breakfast being made, get paid the same day, and be able to go on a date with her boyfriend.
When asked what is the most challenging part of BlendED and what is the best part, Shipley responded, "The best part is I can do my assignment whenever that day instead of having to have it done by the end of the period because I'm usually busy. And the most difficult part would be I can't make zoom most of the time, so sometimes when there's a new assignment, I'm lost on how to do it."
One piece of advice that Shipley wanted to share for students to be successful during online classes is to always ask questions if you need help or are lost.
When asked who is her biggest inspiration, Shipley said, "My mother because even at times where most people would've quit or given up, she kept going and worked hard to get where she is today all by herself. My mother is the strongest, most independent woman I know." Three words that Shipley described herself as were clean, outgoing, and independent.
Adelaida Lias-Forney
Adelaida Lias-Forney is a freshman at BlendED. Lias-Forney’s favorite hobbies are singing, drawing, dancing, cooking, doing hair and doing nails.
She also enjoys the colors black and royal blue. She loves pit bulls and watching the Chicago Bulls basketball team.
Lias-Forney comes from a family consisting of her mom, a little sister, two little brothers, an older brother, and two younger cousins.
When asked, “What jobs do you have?” Lias-Forney said, “I watch my younger siblings, but I want a real job.” She has also earned a graduation certificate from the Ohio Department of Public Safety.
Lias-Forney wants to become an FBI agent and adopt five pit bulls in the future.
Poetry
BlendED Students Share their New Year's Resolutions
Compiled by Victoria Norwood
- Make really smart investments.
- To get better at organization and to learn how not to procrastinate.
- Start working on myself.
- I would do everything differently. This year has been rough, and I think a change with school (how I plan my assignments), my personal life, my room, and my mindset would be good for me.
- Save money
- Eat healthier foods and add more variety to my diet.
- Try to listen to my parents more to be honest.
- Honestly, I wouldn't touch my right ear at 4 am.
- Get a job
- Change the way I react to situations.
- Go outside more
- Be more organized and stressing out less.
- Try to turn in my work on time.
- Try to be less dependent on others.
- Learn to forgive more often because life is too short to hold grudges.
- Study harder
- Be awake at 12 am. I'm always falling asleep earlier.
- To move out, get my license, and get a car.
- Stop procrastinating.
- Stop being money immature, work harder, avoid everything that is not serving me, etc.
- To find a better paying job and finish the school year strong.
- Work on myself and learn to love me for me.
- To do better.
- Take action instead of being lazy.
- I want to start eating healthy and get my mind right. I've been in a self-made hole for over two years now, and I'm getting to the point where I've almost hit life responsibilities, and I'm still stuck. It's got to change.
- Be more active
- I would give all of my effort into anything that I am doing.
- Go to the gym more, eat more healthy, focus on school more.
- I'd try to get all A's next year, and I'm also planning to lose weight this year.
- My resolution is to try to stay more positive and always try and see the best in things even if they are bad.
- Becoming more responsible
- I would ask for a second chance and get caught up with my grades.
- My new year's resolution is to be more successful in my life and make better decisions.
- To do more school work to get caught up.
- To just work harder.
- My goal right now is to graduate high school and become a better person.
- I want to get a job this year.
- In the new year, I really want to better myself and my health.
- Try to be on time to work, school, etc.
- Be more productive.
Honor Roll Students for Quarter Two Earn 3.0-4.0 GPA
Featured Staff Members
Christian Angel
By Dre'Aira Lindsay
Principal Christian Angel is the administrator for grades 9-12 at BlendED, and her work location is Walnut Ridge High School. Even though BlendED is a new program this year, Angel already had experience with online learning as the principal of the CCS Digital Academy during school year 20-21.
She also helped students working online in one of her previous jobs as the Virtual Credit Advancement Program (VCAP) Coordinator. Her other administration experience includes working as a leadership intern at Mifflin High School and an assistant principal at Linden-McKinley STEM Academy.
Angel attended high school in Buffalo, New York at Hutch Tech for her first two years, and then moved to Mifflin High School for her junior and senior year. For college, Angel attended University at Buffalo, also known as SUNY, and Ashland University.
When asked how she likes her job, Angel replied, “I love being a part of BlendED.” She said she enjoys being able to provide more flexibility for students with how and where they learn. Angel’s staff members describe her as an amazing leader.
Caleb Martin
Caleb Martin is a history teacher for BlendED. When asked how he ended up at BlendED, Martin said, "I ended up in BlendED because I wanted to increase my technology skills."
Before working for the program, Martin used to be an intern at Nationwide when he was in high school. He also worked in the main library at The Ohio State University, has worked as a paralegal assistant, and is currently working at "Wal-Martin" (Martin's name for Walmart) in the produce department. Martin earned all his degrees at The Ohio State University.
When asked about some fun facts he would be willing to share, Martin replied, "I am a knight like Don Quixote and Amadis of Gaul. I believe in chivalry, honor, and the three I's: Intelligence, Intensity, and Integrity. Protecting and succoring the least among us, as Jesus said, is the highest honor and duty a person can have."
In addition to planning lessons and teaching, Martin also enjoys partaking in physical activities such as boxing and working. In his free time, he is busy writing, podcasting, and content creating.
Jackie Roberts
Jackie Roberts is an instructional assistant and transportation specialist at BlendED in his 29th year with Columbus City Schools. Roberts has many nicknames, including Fixerman, Papa, Jacksprat, Leeroy, and Godfather.
Before working at BlendED, Roberts worked at IPASS/Options for Success, which changed to an online program this year, called Support Center, located with BlendED at Walnut Ridge High School.
Roberts has worked with youth for almost five decades. For 47 years, he has been a member of the Boys and Girls Club of America. Roberts coached Amateur Athletic Union basketball for 14 years and coached football for 38 years. His team came in 6th place in the Las Vegas World Championship in basketball for the 13/14/15-year-old AAU division. He currently works with the Boys and Girls Club in Columbus and was on the board of directors for six years.
When Roberts was in school, he was an athlete himself. He was an all-state football player at Central High School in 1969. He attended Oklahoma A&M for College.
Roberts grew up on the westside of Columbus (known as the bottoms) in the Franklinton area, on Meek street. He said, "I raised five daughters," but added, "It was a village who raised a child in that neighborhood." He said he loves his five daughters, even when they get on his nerves.
Roberts loves to cook and says he can spend all day in the kitchen. He has a large family of 12 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. He enjoys the holidays when they can all be together.
The staff members at BlendED enjoy Roberts' cooking, too, as he frequently brings in food for everyone to enjoy during lunch. He said he loves working with his BlendED family. When asked what advice he would like to share, Roberts replied, "Enjoy the journey in life. It's only one time we go through. Make somebody happy today and smile."
Announcements
Jiya Earns $25 Gift Card
Testing Update
PSAT: February 28, 2022 (grade 9) 7:45 at WRHS
ACT: March 2, 2022 (grade 11) 7:45 at WRHS
Students should be on the lookout for information on Ohio State Tests. OSTs are important because they are required for graduation! Students will soon see practice questions and lessons within their classes.
As always, if families have any questions about testing, please contact Testing Coordinator Michelle Jeffries at mjeffries@columbus.k12.oh.us.
English learners can take the OELPA at Walnut Ridge High School on Feb. 3-4 and Feb. 7-11.
Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery is Feb. 16
For those 11th and 12th graders interested in taking the ASVAB, the new date for that test is February 16, 2022, at 8:00 AM. Please be at Walnut Ridge High School by 8:00 AM to take the test. Jeffries will be offering internship hours for this test as well.
If you have any questions, email mjeffries@columbus.k.12.oh.us.
Join the BlendED High School Google Classroom
Art Club Meets Tuesdays at 3:45
Please update your address, phone number, and email in Infinite Campus Portal
Internship Hours
BlendED Conferences
Tuesday, Feb 1, 2022, 03:00 PM
undefined
BlendED 9-12 is a Student-Run Newsletter
Looking for another issue? Click below.
Staff: L. Brooks, D. Lindsay, H. Williams
Editor V. Norwood Adviser: K. McQuate
Email: kmcquate@columbus.k12.oh.us
Website: https://www.ccsoh.us/domain/4199
Location: 4841 E Livingston Ave, Columbus, OH 43227, USA
Phone: (614) 365-8472