Bowling Green City Schools, Ohio

Conneaut Elementary Principal Alyssa Karaffa was recently recognized as a Hometown Hero by Modern Woodmen Fraternal Financial.

This recognition reflects Mrs. Karaffa’s leadership and the continued success of Conneaut Elementary. In recent years, Conneaut has earned two consecutive 5-star ratings on the Ohio School Report Card, received the Ohio Momentum Award, and advanced from a PBIS Bronze Award to a PBIS Silver Award in 2025.

Conneaut was also nominated as an OAESA Hall of Fame School, and Mrs. Karaffa was a candidate for the OAESA 2026 Principal of the Year Award.

Congratulations to Mrs. Karaffa and the entire Conneaut Elementary team on these well-deserved recognitions!

Bowling Green City Schools is proud to share two recent communications recognitions.

Jennifer Campos, BGCS Director of Communications and Public Relations, received an Ohio School Public Relations Association PowerPRo award at the OHSPRA Spring Conference, recognizing continued professional growth and excellence in school communications.

The 2025–2026 BGCS district calendar, created by Jennifer, earned an Award of Merit in the 2026 National School Communication Awards through the National School Public Relations Association.

These recognitions reflect our district's continued focus on keeping our students, staff, families, and community informed, connected, and engaged.

BGCS is proud to share that once again, each of our five school cafeterias earned the 2026 Clean Plate Award, presented last night by the Wood County Health Department. Out of more than 800 licensed food facilities in the county, only 39 received this recognition—making this a significant achievement that highlights the department’s commitment to excellence in sanitation, food safety, and daily operations. This success is made possible through the leadership of our Food Service Director, our cafeteria managers, and food service staff across all buildings, who work each day to create a safe, welcoming environment and provide meals that support the well-being of every student. During the 2025–2026 school year, the department served nearly 271,000 meals, reflecting both the scale and impact of their work across the district.

Our Food Service Department plays an essential role in supporting student success by promoting nutrition, wellness, and healthy lifestyle habits. Through participation in the National School Lunch Program, our cafeterias provide balanced, high-quality meals that meet federal guidelines while ensuring students have the fuel they need to learn, grow, and thrive.

Members of the Bowling Green City Schools administrative team recently attended the 2nd Annual NWO Leadership Summit, hosted at Rossford Schools.

The summit brought together educational leaders from across northwest Ohio for a half-day of learning. Keynote speaker Dr. Lonny Rivera, Superintendent of Perkins Local School District and former Interim Superintendent of Public Instruction for the State of Ohio, shared a message focused on the importance of relationship-centered leadership. He emphasized that lasting success in schools is built on trust, meaningful connections, clear expectations, accountability, and support.

There were breakout sessions to connect with colleagues from other districts for collaboration, reflection, and to share insights. We appreciate the opportunity for our BGCS leadership to continue growing together in service to our students, staff, families, and community.

Even though Bowling Green City Schools, Ohio are out for the summer, there's still lots of activity on the campus according to Jennifer Campos, Director of Communications and Public Relations.

Jennifer did a wonderful job of "pinch hitting" for Superintendent Ted Haselman this morning. Click on the link in the comments section below to hear Jennifer talk about the many things that have kept her busy in her first 2 years in the newly created position plus what's going on now in the buildings to support kids while school is out and some of her goals for fall of 2026!

Congratulations!

Bowling Green Middle School classrooms are getting a technology upgrade! Our BGCS Technology Department has been hard at work installing new SMART Board interactive panels throughout the building. These touchscreen panels can connect to a classroom desktop or be used on their own, giving teachers and students a flexible tool for instruction, collaboration, and engagement.

The panels function much like a large touchscreen computer. Teachers can access online resources, use Google Workspace, "write" on the screen, save notes, move content around the board, and use built-in templates such as lined paper, graph paper, sheet music, and more. With 40 points of touch, multiple students can interact with the board at the same time, making it a great tool for small-group activities and hands-on learning. The panels also include features that support multiple languages, including recognition and translation tools.

Thank you to our Technology Department for their work preparing these new tools for BGMS classrooms!

Summer conditioning is underway for Bobcat athletics and our athletes are putting in the work! Even though school is out, many of our student-athletes are taking advantage of summer opportunities to build strength, skills, teamwork, and confidence. Here are just a few photos from 7th and 8th grade volleyball camp, football strength and conditioning, tennis open hitting, and boys soccer skill work. Our athletes participate in sport-specific weight room sessions with workouts tailored to support the needs of the athletes and their sport.

Bowling Green Bobcat Football BGHS Boys Soccer BG Bobcat Volleyball Program Bowling Green Bobcat Athletic Boosters Bobcat Athletic Foundation

Celebrating our June Staff Member of the Month, Julie Clauson!

For nearly 26 years, Julie has been a familiar and welcoming presence at Crim Elementary. As kitchen manager, she helps ensure students receive nutritious meals each day while creating a positive environment for both students and staff.

Julie began her career with Bowling Green City Schools as a recess monitor and worked her way up to her current role. Her favorite part of the job is the students. “They are fun and funny,” Julie shared. “I laugh every day.”

Julie was nominated by a coworker who praised her leadership, positive attitude, and willingness to help others. Whether stepping in to lend a hand or supporting her team, Julie is known for always having a smile on her face and putting others first.

Outside of school, Julie enjoys spending time with her granddaughters, completing puzzles, watching game shows, and selling strawberries from her home.

Julie’s advice to others: “Treat others how you want to be treated.

Thank you, Julie, for your many years of service, dedication, and care for the students and staff of Bowling Green City Schools!