News

Poland Local School District Board of Education has named Andrew J. Tommelleo as Interim Superintendent of Poland Local School District effective January 1, 2026. 

HAPPY 67 DAY! It was the 67th day of school at Poland Local School District, and our second graders in Mrs. Jeswald's and Mrs. Ungaro's classes celebrated in awesome activities! They went on a 67 scavenger hunt, built creations of 67 blocks, did 6-7 exercises, and so many math equations adding up to 6, 7, or 67. If the meme isn't stale by tomorrow, we truly have no idea what else to do!

Welcome to The Bulldog Way Podcast, where we shine a spotlight on students who are living the Bulldog Way: Take care of yourself, Take care of each other, Take care of our school, and Take care of our community. Mrs. Butch, our Middle School Guidance Counselor, and Mr. Purins, our Middle School Principal, are talking with students who have earned at least one Bulldog Way Poland P sticker this month. Let’s hear their stories!

No place like GNOME for the holidays! Congratulations to the wonderful garden of gnomes, our second grade Bulldogs from McKinley Elementary, on an amazing performance of songs and jokes too! Way to go, Bulldogs and Ms. Senatore!

The PSHS Junior High Fashion class surprised our friends at The Inn at Poland Way to bring holiday cheer! They sang carols and handed out their handmade gifts: sewn drink coasters!

We got into the holiday spirit at the Junior High Band & Choir Concert! Exploring international genres, traditional carols, and holiday tributes, the Junior High Choir and 7th and 8th grade bands displayed great talent and unity in a strong sound. Congratulations to Mr. Hvizdos and Mr. Penney on an outstanding show!

Meet the senior Bulldogs of the 2025-2026 Winter season.

Enjoy the 2025 Girls Basketball Hype Video of Poland Seminary High School.

After a virtual visit with author Peter Brown, one Poland McKinley Elementary student wasted no time putting inspiration into action. Second grade student Ben S. became an author, completing "The Adventures of Me and My Cat," a six-page story filled with colorful illustrations and a humorous tale featuring his cat.

Second grade Bulldogs at McKinley enjoyed virtually hanging out with Peter Brown, author of The Wild Robot! The students got to hear about the writing process, illustrations, and adaptation to the movie. Each classroom received a set of books to enjoy as well. This was all made possible thanks to our friends in Poland Schools Foundation for Educational Excellence and their mini-grant program! Thank you for such an awesome experience!

On Friday, November 21, 2025, students from Poland Seminary High School traveled to the Mahoning County Courthouse for participation in a mock trial.  The students are enrolled in the Introduction to Criminal Justice course, and are receiving college credit through Youngstown State University. Students said it was a great learning experience and an enjoyable trip.

UNITED WAY HOLIDAY CLASSIC - Saturday, December 13 - PSHS Field House | Join us for a day of giving and great basketball! We've got four exciting matches lined up starting at 12 p.m.

The PSHS Chamber Choir, Symphonic Band, and Wind Ensemble were stellar in their fall concert! Creativity was unleashed as our vocalists and musicians prepared lively repertoires and holiday tunes! Congratulations to Mr. Hvizdos and Mr. Penney on an outstanding show!

PSFEE: Support the Poland Schools Foundation in our Stadium Blanket Fundraiser! Show your Bulldog pride and stay dry with our new waterproof blankets! Each blanket features the classic Poland Bulldogs logo (see example below) and measures 53”W x 47”H, perfect for games, tailgates, and outdoor events.

PSFEE: The Poland Schools Foundation for Educational Excellence honors individuals at our annual foundation banquet who have contributed in an outstanding way to the Poland Local School District. Nominations are now being accepted and the Honorees will be recognized at our Annual Banquet on March 12, 2026.   Please review our prior nominees for Educator, Alumnus and Staff here https://polandschoolsfoundation.com/  and then complete this form to nominate a new recipient for consideration for this honor. 

The PSHS Guidance Department will be hosting an informational College Credit Plus meeting on Wednesday, December 17 at 6 p.m. Guidance Counselors will explain how your child can earn college and high school credit concurrently.

Mrs. Fening's second grade Bulldogs will bring you to happy tears... Over two days, the students expressed gratitude for the things they have and thought of others who are in need. First, they created "Birthday Bins" for mothers and babies in the NICU so that they can have the essentials for a birthday cake and first days of motherhood! Then, they spent a day at stations, thinking of what they are grateful for.

"THERE'S GOOD NEWS TONIGHT": McKinley Elementary third graders Jane Dudash and Francesca Hurdley, hosts of the McKinley Elementary Thanksgiving Day Parade, go NATIONAL! They were the front cover of the NBC Nightly News broadcast on November 26, 2025, opening a story on school parades. AHHH!!!

The PSHS Interact Club sends a message to Superintendent Hockenberry: #HOCKSTRONG! You're not in this alone. Poland fights with you!

As part of a yearly tradition, Poland Seminary High School Student Council hosts a Thanksgiving Assembly. The student council presidents from each grade level deliver a speech to the student body about Thanksgiving and Gratitude. Today, Noah Babyak (9th), Zach Marantis (10th), McKenna Daley (11th), and Douglas Stoudt (12th) were outstanding representatives of what it means to be a Bulldog. We are so thankful for their thoughtfulness today.

Congratulations to six Poland Seminary High School and Junior High School students on their selection to the Ohio Music Education Association (OMEA) District 5 Honors Band! These Bulldogs are among the top-performing musicians in the area. Together, they prepared a lively and challenging repertoire in a short time for their performance on Saturday, November 22, at Stambaugh Auditorium in Youngstown, Ohio. Congratulations to Mr. Hvizdos and Mr. Penney on sending great representatives of the PSHS Bands.

Join the Bulldogs for the McKinley Elementary Thanksgiving Day Parade! Featuring over 100 handmade floats from the third grade class at McKinley Elementary, Thanksgiving parade is a tribute to the book “Balloons over Broadway” by Melissa Stark. Students were challenged to create their own balloon floats based on the story. Enjoy a behind-the-scenes look with the parade planners themselves as we explore the history and math that bring the magic to life. Tune in with the family to our livestream on YouTube: Tuesday, November 25 at 6:30 p.m.

Big News, Bulldogs! As members of the CheerTime Athletics All-American team, PSHS Seniors Nina Kalouris and Melina Livosky have been selected to perform in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade! For the second year in a row, Nina and Melina will be members of the Spirit of America Cheer Group! This year, the girls are more prepared than ever to enter the big apple. Tune in to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thursday, November 27 on NBC to support our Bulldogs. To learn a bit more about their journey to the parade, they sat down with Mr. Nico for an interview.

Big News, Bulldogs! Out of thousands of high school musicians who auditioned nationwide, PSHS Senior Kate Blumel has been selected to perform in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade! For the second year in a row, Kate will be a member of the Macy’s Great American Marching Band! This year, Kate will be marching as the first chair member on tenors in the drumline. Tune in to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thursday, November 27 on NBC to support our Bulldog! To learn a bit more about Kate’s journey to the parade, her friend Jocelyne sat down with her for an interview.

Get into the holiday spirit with a series of concerts from Poland Local Schools! Join us as our talented students from various grade levels fill the air with music and joy in December. Each performance is open to the public, and we invite our community to celebrate the season together!

BREAKFAST/LUNCH MENUS - DECEMBER 2025 | View/Print the menus for December 2025 on our website. Please note: All menus are subject to change. https://www.polandbulldogs.com/menus

Thank you to the McKinley PTO for inviting our Bulldogs in third grade to a SKATE PARTY!

Welcome to The Bulldog Way Podcast, where we shine a spotlight on students who are living the Bulldog Way: Take care of yourself, Take care of each other, Take care of our school, and Take care of our community. Mr. Purins, our Middle School Principal, is talking with students who have earned at least one Bulldog Way Poland P sticker this month. Let’s hear their stories!

Kindness Club is back and better than ever! The fourth graders got festive today, creating holiday ornaments and greeting cards to send to local nursing homes. The Bulldogs want to spread some cheer and love to our community members, and as the holidays near, it was a perfect way to take care of our community!

Our friends from Western Reserve Joint Fire District visited McKinley Elementary for lunch! Our local heroes, now besties, joined us for pizza day and recess! Some tidbits: We lost firefighter Nina for about an hour in McKinley... We found her unable to escape a group hug in a classroom! Some Bulldogs did not let a fireman off the "spinny-thingy" on the playground. AND... Poland's firefighters definitely know how many teeth have been lost this month! Seemed to be a common topic... Though it was much better than answering, "How old are you?!"

TREES = PLANTED! The PSHS Science Club contributed to the YSU Legacy Forests Project today, helping the Penguins plant over 1,750 trees today! Bulldogs have left their paw marks in this micro forest, set to provide benefits for our environment and local wildlife! Izzy broke the ground for our first tree, and Ben definitely had a record with over 20 trees planted. Thank you to these dogs for making a positive impact!

Poland Local School District has calculated and posted Student Fees for the 2025-2026 School Year and PSHS Student Fees for the first semester. Please visit polandbulldogs.com/progressbook to view your child's fee balance. Only PRIMARY CONTACTS of students on Progressbook can view fee information. Starting November 2025, Poland Local School District will send digital notifications to the parents/guardians of students with outstanding student fee balances. Itemized fee invoices can be viewed on Progressbook. Outstanding fee balances will include unpaid fees from current and previous school years.

K-6 PARENT LITERACY NIGHT | Join us on Tuesday, November 18, from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Dobbins Early Learning Center for an informative evening on supporting student literacy. Learn about federal programs, hear from our principals, enjoy a presentation by the Poland Library, and connect with literacy coaches for helpful resources. RSVP @ polandbulldogs.com/rsvp.

Poland Middle School invited our local Veterans to lunch today! Sixth grade Bulldogs welcomed their guests to their lunch tables to interview them and thank them for all they have done. Thank you, sixth grade students, for honoring our Veterans. Thank you, Veterans, for your service.

Poland Seminary High School's Veterans Day Assembly featured the PSHS Wind Ensemble, Rashmeet Kaur as the host, and guest speaker Mrs. Janice Hohloch. Thank you, Mrs. Hohloch, for your service and your dedication to us Bulldogs. Thank you, PSHS, for honoring our Veterans. Thank you, Veterans, for your service.

McKinley Elementary's Veterans Day Assembly was led by the third grade class and their music teacher Ms. Senatore. The Bulldogs invited local veterans to their school to enjoy a show and thank them for their service. It was an awesome showing of talent and appreciation. Thank you, McKinley Elementary, for honoring our Veterans. Thank you, Veterans, for your service.

2025-2026 PSHS WINTER ATHLETIC SCHEDULES (as of 11/10/2025) Schedules subject to change. For the latest updates, please visit polandbulldogs.org. GO DOGS!

The Bulldogs take on the Girard Indians on Friday, 11/14 in the OHSAA Football Playoffs, @ Arrowhead Stadium in Girard. Tickets can be purchased online at ohsaa.org/tickets or at the door. PARKING: A $5 parking fee will be collected at all stadium lots.

Poland Local School District conducted a full-scale safety drill on November 6, 2025 at Poland Seminary High School, in collaboration with Poland Township Police Department, Western Reserve Fire and Rescue, and federal agencies. The district appreciates its partners for their continued collaboration and thanks PSHS administrators Mr. Kevin Snyder, Mr. Mike Daley, Mr. Doug McGlynn, and Mr. Brian Banfield, for their commitment to the safety of our schools.

Poland Seminary High School and Junior High Cheer participated in the Raider Extravaganza Cheer Competition at Warren G. Harding on November 9 with 25 other school districts. The High School Cheerleaders earned 1st Place in the Game Day Building Division and received the Super Spirit Award. The Junior High Cheerleaders also placed 1st in the Traditional Building Division.

Panda Leaders from Poland Middle School's sixth grade class participated in a Red Ribbon Week Team Building Blitz this week. Each group of leaders was assigned to surprise a classroom at McKinley Elementary with a visit to participate in activities that brought us closer together as a team!

Enjoy photos from our holiday festivities today! As the day goes on, expect to see photos filling the gallery, featuring our Bulldogs in costume enjoying a day of fun. We send a very special thank you to the McKinley/Middle School PTO and parent volunteers for hosting such a great day.

Windows with cobwebs, cats that scratch in cupboards, and footsteps in hallways but no one is there? Would you stay at Mrs. Herdman's haunted houses?! ENTER IF YOU DARE! Hear the spooky, scary descriptive writing projects from our third grade students, going from the brainstorming session to the final paragraphs typed out and presented!

We are excited to announce our annual districtwide food drive, sponsored by Poland Middle School's PANDA Club and the Student Councils from both Poland Junior and Senior High Schools. All food donations will stay within the community to assist families in need. The food drive will run from November 3 through November 14. Every donation, no matter the size, makes a difference, and together, we can have a lasting impact on those in need.

Enjoy photos from our Red Ribbon Week celebration. We enjoyed a fun themed week learning about making healthy choices and staying safe! Thank you to Mrs. Rowan and Mrs. Butch for organizing the events of Red Ribbon Week 2025.

What are your sources of strength? That was the question at hand for a select group of Poland Bulldog Junior High students. Meet the PSHS Junior Leadership team. Consisting of Poland Seminary Junior High leaders in seventh and eighth grade, the group took part in a day-long session with our friends from the Mahoning County Juvenile Court.

Poland McKinley Elementary students are dressed up for Halloween! Enjoy a parade showcasing their costumes on an exciting day of holiday fun! We will be livestreaming the parade of Kindergarten through 3rd grade students in costumes on Friday, October 31, 2025 at 10 a.m.

Congratulations to the PSHS student athletes on their achievement this year in the NE8 Athletic Conference. In the Fall 2025 season, 40 Bulldogs were recognized by coaches and administrators. In nine sports, the NE8 has named three Poland Bulldogs as NE8 Players of the Year:

• Lucas Knez, Senior, Boys Cross Country
• Angelo Rinaldi, Junior, Boys Golf
• Skevos Tsikouris, Senior, Boys Soccer

Thank you to the Spanish Club at Poland Seminary for hosting such an outstanding event of creativity and community! Our Bulldogs creatively decorated their trunks and invited kiddos in Poland to dress up and enjoy treats, hot chocolate, and face painting. Pirate ships, Minecraft, racecars... Some kiddos fit right in with some of the themes in their costumes!