Petey Podcast

Send us Fan Mail Northwood Middle School Principal, Mike Basinski, Elyria Schools' trivia champ, is back on Petey Podcast as the host of a brand-new special trivia show— Basinski’s Brain Busters ! In this exciting new series, Mike takes the reins and tests the knowledge of our Petey Podcast guests. First up, he’s putting Principals Jackie Plantner (Early Childhood Village) and Elizabeth Andra...

Send us Fan Mail The talk of summer for the five-year old "littles" of Elyria is Safety Town--a program where kindergarteners discover essential rules for walking, biking, and everyday safety. And no one knows the ins and outs of Safety Town better than Nicole Edwards, the Recreation Supervisor for the city of Elyria and a wonderful friend of Elyria Schools! With Safety Town registration...

Send us Fan Mail "If it doesn't fill your heart with happiness, you need to take a long, hard look in the mirror." This wise insight comes from Dan Blatt, the Unified Sports Program Coordinator for the district. We had a wonderful time discussing a whole range of topics with Dan, who also teaches visually impaired students at Elyria Schools.  Unified Sports is a branch of Special Ol...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Petey Podcast, we're welcoming the incredibly talented Kathy Pero, an Intervention Specialist from Eastern Heights Middle School! Get ready for a fun chat as Kathy dives into the amazing project her students have been working on—owning and operating their very own art gallery! These young artists have unleashed their creativity, producing individual mas...

Send us Fan Mail It's that time of year to roundup our little Pioneers for kindergarten! Joining us on this episode of Petey Podcast are the district's gurus of registration: Kristina Mlinko and Kristin Colorito. These two enrollment specialists give us the scoop on the Kindergarten Enrollment Fair happening on Saturday, Feb. 22, 9a.m. to Noon at Ely Elementary School. It's always a...

Send us Fan Mail Elyria Wrestling is recognized as a dominant force in the Southwestern Conference and beyond, and its reputation has only grown stronger with the introduction of a Girls Varsity team. Leading this drive is Coach Paul Felton, who is well-established with the Elyria Wrestling program. An Elyria High graduate, Felton wrestled under the legendary Erik Burnett, a former head coach know...

Send us Fan Mail Hand a ball of yarn to someone who crochets or knits, and watch the magic unfold. A wonderful group of creative women from the Elyria Schools Administration Center has been using their lunch breaks to craft lovely blankets for children at the Blessing House respite center in Lorain, Ohio. This oh-so-talented team has turned simple fleece blankets into remarkable, cozy gifts that a...

Send us Fan Mail Elyria Schools Foodservice Director, Lauryn Smith, and new Executive Chef, Alex Hrvatin, both of Aramark, join us on Petey Podcast to talk school food and nutrition. Aramark recently announced that all students in Elyria City School District are now eligible for free school meals through the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) program of the Ohio Department of Education and Work...

Send us Fan Mail E-cigarettes and vapes are a problem in schools. They are a highly addictive "alternative" to traditional cigarettes. Many times students don't have the facts they need to make informed decisions about using vapes, nor do they understand the long-term health implications.  Elyria High School Social Workers, Armando Torres and James West, are working hard to educate...

Send us Fan Mail We took our show on the road in September to the 44th Elyria Apple Festival held in Downtown Elyria, Sept. 20-22. There, we caught up with Elyria High School Pioneer Marching Band Director, Aaron Putka, Superintendent Ann Schloss, Associate Principal Courtney Griffiths and Apple Festival Coordinator Stacey Francis. What a great time at Elyria's hometown festival. Take a liste...

Send us Fan Mail How we love the sweet, sweet season of fall and all the school fun that comes with it! Here in Elyria, the fall season kicks off each year with the Elyria Apple Festival in September. Like any small-town festival, Elyria's Apple Festival is chock-full of hometown favorites, from food booths and crafts to concerts and specialty programs, including the Apple Festival Princess P...

Send us Fan Mail Petey Podcast guests Heather Beck and Mat Siwierka bring us up to speed on all things Elyria Sports. Beck is the Athletic Director of Elyria High School and Siwierka directs all middle school sports in the district. We always love when these two join us in studio with all the latest in Elyria Athletics.  Take a listen! Watch highlights from Elyria Pioneer Community Day at Ely Stad...

Send us Fan Mail Please join us in welcoming to Petey Podcast, Jay Banyasz, Director of Sports Performance for Elyria Schools. Banyasz, who's no stranger to Elyria Athletics, kicked off a high-intensity performance program for Elyria's athletes this year. The program takes a full mind-body approach to training, from the classroom, to the gym, to the field, Banyasz hones in on all aspects...

Send us Fan Mail The Elyria Pioneers have a new head football coach: Matt Wilson, and he's eager to bring a fresh perspective to the team. Wilson has vast experience with the game and in coaching, and he's already putting innovative ideas and strategies to work. It's a new era for the Pioneers--Take a listen to Coach Wilson on Petey Podcast!   It's a great day to be a Pioneer!...

Send us Fan Mail From the moment French International Exchange Student, Mathias Jezequel, stepped off the plane and met his host family in Elyria, Ohio, he was swept up in a most wonderful whirlwind of activity--from entering high school, to performing with theater companies, to visiting some of America's most iconic destinations. American host and Elyria Schools Gifted Teacher, Charlene Hart...

Send us Fan Mail Pioneer Theater (PT) is a gem in the community of Elyria and Lorain County. The long-running children's theater program was established in 1976. This educational summer program teaches children all the way through the age of 18 all aspects of theater from set design to stage acting. After just three-weeks of learning and growing in this summer theater club, the students will...

Send us Fan Mail What a run! Sitting in studio with Coach Brett Larrick and reliving a sensational season for the Elyria High School Boys Basketball team. Take a listen as Coach Larrick describes a whole lotta magic from nail-biter moments to conference titles to division playoffs -- right here on Petey Podcast! Congratulations Elyria Boys Basketball on a phenomenal season! It's a great day t...

Send us Fan Mail From the earliest days of civilization, group dramatic readings have been a thing. Poets, actors and students have taken to the stage to enthusiastically belt out the lines of a script as audiences visualize each moment. Reader's Theater in schools operates under the same guiding principles, giving students the chance to read and act out dialogue, boosting their reading and p...

Send us Fan Mail The eclipse of April 8 was truly remarkable. And here's a little something that added an extra layer of fascination for those of us in the path of totality in Elyria, Ohio--an eclipse weather balloon crash-landed in a field on the property of our very own Eastern Heights Campus! The balloon and its transmission device, known as a radiosonde, were discovered by a school family...

Send us Fan Mail You've may have heard of the Good Behavior Game--strategies for encouraging positive choices and time on task in the classroom.  PAX is a system that supports this. The PAX game, if you will, guides students in what the behavior expectations are and rewards them when they get there. Holly Campbell is a Behavior Reinforcement and Implementation Coordinator (BRIC) with Elyria S...

Send us Fan Mail It's a hop-hop-hopping time of year in the Elyria Schools as we gear up for the many activities and programs of spring. One of our favorite functions each year is the Special Olympics Craft and Vendor Fair at Elyria High School! It's an event truly designed for fun, family and friendship. Nearly 100 vendors will be there to showcase their crafts, homemade goodies and pro...

Send us Fan Mail Imagine waking up one day in someone else's shoes, literally! That's what happens when characters "Ellie" and "Katherine" swap bodies in the madcap tale  of "Freaky Friday One-Act Edition." And this is the oh-so-fun musical Northwood Middle School Drama Club is bringing to Elyria's Performing Arts Center stage in March. We caught up wit...

Send us Fan Mail Take a listen and you'll quickly learn why students of Eastern Heights Elementary were selected by Disney Musicals in School s and Cleveland's Playhouse Square to bring a Disney classic to life:  "101 Dalmations!" These young actors demonstrate their paw-some talent as they easily slip right into character on this episode of Petey Podcast. This is the first-eve...

Send us Fan Mail The  Veterans Service Commission of Lorain County provides millions of dollars in assistance each and every year to ensure that veterans have basic needs met, such as transportation to medical appointments, financial assistance where eligible and legal assistance, including wills and assisting with guardianship matters, among many other things. It's also their mission to prom...

Send us Fan Mail The Ohio Task Force on Internet Crimes Against Children came to Elyria High School to talk with parents about this critical matter. EHS Associate Principal Patrick Griffis joined us on Petey Podcast to hit the high points from this incredibly important presentation. Internet crimes against children are on the rise but there are ways to fight back. Tune in to this important discuss...