Super News October 2014

1:1 Technology Takes Major Leap Ahead

October 2014

Story on page 13

Chagrin Falls SchoolS

SUPER NEWS 1

Table of

Contents

Messsage from Superintendent 3 board briefs 4 POSITIONS AVAILABLE/COMMUNITY MEETINGS 5 TReasurer’s upate 6-7 CURRICULUM DEPARtMENT UPDATE 8-9 BEING OF SERVICE / SUPER STUDENTS 10 chamber community expo/SUPER STUDENTS 11 LOCAL REPORT CARD RESULTS 12 21st Century skills challenge 13 great lakes theatre visit 14 OMEA ALL-STATE CHILDREN’s CHORUS 15 college, career, and community day at CFHS 16 students visit wastewater treament plant 17 hopes and dreams 18 school lunches offer local produce / CLUB 45 19 careers in language arts / TIGER BEATS 20 walk to school - walk to town 21 international club 22-23 PAwS visit to south franklin circle boys soccer coach wins 500th game / 24 bus safety week girls soccer coach wins 300th game 25 National school lunch week 26

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Message From

Our Superintendent It is hard to believe the first quarter of the 20142015 school year is already complete.

There has been a significant amount of progress on our strategic plan as we strive every day to provide an educational experience that empowers students to maximize their potential.

District staff is working hard in the core areas of curriculum and instruction, flexible learning, shared leadership, and parent and community engagement.

The district will be completing a mid-year report on progress to share with the Board of Education and community.

This past week, the district conducted a community forum to discuss the progress with long-range planning specific to facilities. The meeting was designed to provide an update on the work that has been completed over the last 18 months and an opportunity for residents to provide input into the predesign phase. We appreciate those that were able to attend this meeting as we continue to collect feedback. If you were not able to attend, the presentation has been posted on the district main page. There was an obvious desire to have additional time for conversation regarding the future of our school district. To that end, the PTO will be sponsoring a Q&A session for our community specific to facilities on November 17 at 7 p.m. in the Chagrin Falls Middle School cafeteria. This will include a brief update on progress and time for

the community to provide input and ask questions.

We have provided a link on the district main page www.chagrinschools.org to submit questions in advance. This will ensure we gather the appropriate information and address any consistent questions within the update portion of the meeting. Also, you can review the facility master plan, video presentations and content from prior meetings at the following link: www.chagrinschools.org/ FacilityMasterPlan.aspx. We appreciate the ongoing dialogue as we think about a proactive solution that addresses the educational needs for our district into the future. On December 3, at 7 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center lobby, the district will host a meeting to provide input into the design and components of an elementary school.

This week we welcome alumni with the annual homecoming festivities. The community will be out in full force at traditional activities including the bonfire, PTO Sloppy Bowls and the football game vs. Orange. The Superintendent Student Advisory Committee will be hosting a Halloween Open House for all of our elementary students in grades pk-6 at Chagrin Falls Intermediate School on Sunday from 1–3 p.m. This gives our students an opportunity to dry run their costumes while enjoying games and activities with some of our finest students. There is no fee for entry, although we are collecting nonperishable food items that will be donated to the Chagrin Falls Park Community Center. This is a great time of the school year with many community building events.

Robert W. Hunt Superintendent Chagrin Falls Exempted Village Schools bob.hunt@chagrinschools.org 440-247-4363

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A review of the SUMMER Board of Education meetings

chagrin falls “board briefs” The Chagrin Falls Board of Education conducted two meetings in October. The October 6 work session included the introduction of the new site facility manager from Sodexo, Mr. Jim Nace.

We are extremely excited that he will be joining our team as he has a tremendous amount of experience managing school and community facilities. The work session also included a presentation from Director of Curriculum, Mrs. Becky Quinn, on all district achievement data from the 2013-14 school year. This led to the sharing of district data goals by Chagrin Falls Superintendent Robert Hunt. In addition to focusing on the implementation of Year One of the strategic plan, the district will focus on student annual growth in each classroom and achievement specific to students with special educational needs.

The regular meeting was conducted on October 20. The meeting included the biannual approval of the district’s five year forecast. The forecast indicates a strong financial position through 2017 due to proactive measures taken by the district over the last three years. These projections indicate an ability to extend the previously anticipated operating levy cycle one additional year. It was brought to the attention of the Board of Education the timing and direction of the facility planning could significantly impact the forecast moving forward.

Chagrin Falls Exempted Village Schools

Board of Education President: Mary Kay O’Toole (440) 338-8636

Member: Harry Cashy (440) 338-3510

Vice President: Michael Hogan (440) 543-5280

Member: Anne B. Thomas, Ph.D. (440) 247-1227 Member: Rob Weber (440) 247-7115

http://www.chagrinschools.org/boardofeducation.aspx

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chagrin falls exempted village schools

POSITIONS AVAILABLE Chagrin Falls Schools are in need of substitute workers for a variety of positions. Educational Aides and Food Service workers will work directly with staff and students, while custodial substitutes will work to make our buildings a clean environment for students and staff. Employment not only help the school district and the students, but substitute workers have the satisfaction of knowing they are filling an important role in the community.

These positions are to fill vacancies due to absences, and do not require availability every day. If you are interested, or know someone who

might be, please fill out a classified application and forward it to Christopher Woofter, Director of Operations and Strategic Initiatives, Chagrin Falls Ex. Village Schools, 400 E. Washington St., Chagrin Falls, OH 44022. The application can be found under the Employment page at www. chagrinschools.org.

The district also is seeking educational aides at the high school (approx. 3.5 hours/day). Please send cover letter, application, and resume to Christopher Woofter at the above address.

chagrin falls exempted village schools

COMMUNITY MEETINGS SCHEDULED FOR FACILITY PLAN The Chagrin Falls community has been invited to attend two presentations on the next steps of the Chagrin Falls Exempted Village Schools’ facility plan.

On Tuesday, October 21, in the Performing Arts Center lobby, residents were encouraged to attend and provide input into the proposed plan to address our facility needs at Gurney Elementary, the Intermediate School, and other facilities.

The next meeting is a Q&A sponsored by the PTO on November 17 at 7 p.m. in the Chagrin Falls Middle School cafeteria.

Another meeting will be held Wednesday, December 3, from 7-8:30 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center Auditorium. District administrators will present the preliminary design for community review and feedback.

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chagrin falls exempted village schools

TREASURER’S CORNER

Table 1 compares actual monthly receipts to the monthly estimates and to prior fiscal year actual receipts. General fund revenues spike in the 1st and 3rd quarter as a result of real estate tax collections.

Table 3 compares estimated and actual monthly ending cash balances demonstrating compliance with Board of Education cash balance policies.

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Table 2 compares actual monthly expenditures to monthly estimates and to prior fiscal year actual expenditures.

Expenses are typically fairly evenly distributed throughout the fiscal year.

Table 4 is a cash flow summary comparing revenues to expenditures each month.

Each October districts are required to submit a five-­‐year forecast to the Ohio Department of Education.

Below is a simplified version of the report approved by the Board of Education Monday evening.

Income and Expense Simplified Statement – Five Year Forecast

Beginning Balance + Revenue

+ P roposed Renew/Replacement Levies + P roposed New Levies -­‐ E xpenditures = Revenue Surplus o r Deficit

Ending Balance

Revenue Surpl us o r Deficit w/o Levies Ending Balance w /o Levies

Fiscal Year 2015

Fiscal Year 2016

Fiscal Year 2017

Fiscal Year 2018

Fiscal Year 2019

8,976,264

9,654,827

9,731,712

8,821,736

6,804,224

9,654,827

9,731,712

8,821,736

6,804,224

3,672,930

27,747,161

-­‐ -­‐

(27,068,598)

678,563

678,563

9,654,827

27,876,839

-­‐ -­‐

(27,799,954)

76,885

76,885

9,731,712

28,039,756

-­‐ -­‐

(28,949,732)

(909,975)

28,145,227

-­‐ -­‐

(30,162,739)

(2,017,512)

28,301,050

-­‐ -­‐

(31,432,345)

(3,131,294)

(2,017,512) (3,131,294)

(909,975)

8,821,736

6,804,224

3,672,930

Revenue vs. Expenditures 32,000,000 31,000,000

31,432,345

30,000,000

30,162,739

29,000,000

28,949,732

28,000,000 27,799,954

27,000,000 26,000,000 25,000,000 24,000,000

27,068,598 27,747,161

27,876,839

28,039,756

28,145,227

28,301,050

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

Revenue

Expenditures

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Department UPDATE curriculum DEPARTMENT CFEVSD Thoughtfully Un-Packs Daniel Coyle Works

By Becky Quinn, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Chagrin Falls Exempted Village Schools

The Chagrin Falls PTO generously funded a grant proposal providing all teachers, administrators, and identified student leaders within CFHS with copies of The Talent Code and all teachers of students in grades 6-8 and student leaders in grades 6-8 with copies of The Little Book of Talent. Both books were written by New York Times best-selling author Daniel Coyle and directly correlate to our district’s vision (to provide a personalized education for all students) and mission (to provide an educational experience empowering students to maximize their potential). This past summer, some district staff formally studied The Talent Code via a graduate class, “Fostering Talent Development & Ongoing Growth.” This course was taught in-district by Ashland University Adjunct Professor and District Director of Curriculum and Instruction Becky Quinn. Throughout the summer, K-12 teachers and administrators began brainstorming ways to begin to breathe life into Coyle’s work throughout the 2014-15 school year. Daniel Coyle provided a (gratis) book talk on August 18, which served as a springboard into the school year. It provided a rich opportunity for student leaders and K-12 teachers to meet him and learn more about his research. As the school year began, K-12 district parents expressed growing interest in a Parent Book Study of The Talent Code.

In September 2014, student leaders began to assemble and began to devise plans to grow shared learning from Coyle’s work. At CFIS, sixth grade student leaders decided to use the morning announcements and homeroom to un-pack key tips from The Little Book of Talent. This studentdriven work helps to ignite discussion in homerooms

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around specific tips, which are designed to promote talent development and ongoing growth for all students.

CFHS student leaders felt it would be good for teachers to post quotes from The Talent Code in classrooms. Almost all of the CFHS staff has posted one, personalizing it to help students derive meaning. This is also effectively sparking additional student interest in reading the book.

The CFHS student leaders have also met with Becky Quinn, Steve Ast, and Jean Kanzinger to identify plans to co-facilitate a parent book study of The Talent Code. This articulate and insightful group of CFHS student leaders first met before school on the morning of September 23 to discuss the format of the book study and to finalize dates. The group met again before school on October 14 to build a collaborative agenda for the first parent book study meeting, to determine key questions to discuss from the study guide, and to identify a format for smallgroup discussions. The parent book study invitation was e-blasted by principals to all families during the week of October 13. This invitation prompted parents to visit the district webpage to sign up for the book study electronically, guided them to purchase a copy of The Talent Code (with ordering options to include a PTO-generated order form or by accessing pre-ordered copies from Fireside Books) and read Part I: Deep Practice (pp. 1-94) by the first parent book study meeting. The parent book study sessions are scheduled as follows: 12/3/14, from 6:00 p.m. - 7 p.m. in the CFMS Cafeteria 2/11/15, from 6:00 p.m. - 7 p.m. in the CFMS Cafeteria 4/14/15, from 6:00 p.m. - 6:45 p.m. in the PAC Lobby

Middle School student leaders met with Becky Quinn, David Wessel, Jean Kanzinger, and Andy Spooner on the morning of October 7 to begin work in PSA Development to grow Coyle’s work. The large group divided into teams which will develop a variety of PSA’s to promote the parent book study and breathe life into selected tips from The Little Book of Talent. These student-created PSA’s will be posted to the district webpage throughout the school year.

Google Classroom accounts have been created for CFMS students leaders, CFHS student leaders, and

book study parents to electronically collaborate in between meetings. This technology also allows for a flipped classroom approach, prompting book study parents to respond to discussion questions, watch relevant video clips, etc. prior to meetings.

Our district work this year will culminate in a return visit by Daniel Coyle. Following the last Parent Book Study session on April 14, 2015, Coyle will provide another (gratis) book talk in the PAC from 7 p.m.7:30 p.m.

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being of service Tune in and Consider Others As part of the Chagrin Falls Exempted Village Schools’ ongoing dedication to provide outstanding customer service, our classified teams have adopted the motto “Being of Service.” This reflects our value to “Tune In and Consider Others.” These qualities of providing excellent service are already areas of strength with our teams: and we are working to keep it that way.

Each month throughout the year we recognize one specific employee that goes above and beyond in the area of customer service. This person represents these qualities and represents the hard work that each team member exemplifies on a regular basis. This “Master of Service Award” is sponsored by Master Pizza. The employee is given a token of thanks with a gift certificate donated by Master Pizza.

The October “Master of Service Awards” recipient is Adam Pealer.

His nomination reads: During the summer months, Adam Pealer, one of our evening custodians at the 7-12 Campus, completed some special in-house projects for our school buildings. Adam worked with Shawn Carlson to relocate and renovate the Gurney School music room, adding carpet and creating a sound reduction wall. Adam worked on another project that included building classic and functional wooden lockers in our visitor locker room at the High School. These lockers were part of a larger renovation project to renew a space that needed updating.

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Both of these projects added a great deal to our facilities. This work from Adam was not only a cost savings to the district but also some of the highest quality carpentry work that one could expect.

As the Board of Education toured our facilities this August, we heard many positive remarks about the value and quality of the in-house projects. Thanks goes out to Adam for his positive attitude and for “Being of Service.”

If you have someone you would like to recommend that has truly gone above and beyond, please email James Nace (james.nace@chagrinschools. org) for Custodial, Grounds, and Maintenance; Marti DeSantis for Food Services (marti. desantis@chagrinschools.org); Bill Holzheimer for Transportation (bill.holzheimer@chagrinschools.org); Chris Woofter (christopher.woofter@chagrinschools. org) for Educational Aides and Building Secretaries.

chagrin falls EXEMPTED VILLAGE SCHOOLS

CHAMBER’S COMMUNITY EXPO The Chagrin Falls Exempted Village Schools enjoyed participating in the Chagrin Valley Community Expo presented by the Chagrin Valley Chamber of Commerce on September 25 at the Family Life Center. The booth featured a display of photos and information related to the district’s programs, activities, and students.

Board President Michael Hogan, Superintendent Robert Hunt, and Director of Operations and Strategic Initiatives Christopher Woofter talked with residents and business leaders and Chagrin Falls High School student Ali Magyaros brought her Chromebook to show examples of how it has made learning more personal and allows for collaboration, creativity and research.

“We appreciate our partnership with the Chagrin Valley Chamber of Commerce and commend them for organizing such a successful expo for our

residents and businesses,” said Superintendent Robert Hunt. “Our district was proud to have the opportunity to talk with so many great people about the successes of our students and staff.”

Super Students

Chagrin Valley Rotary Club’s student of the month Patrick Donley has been selected as the Chagrin Valley Rotary Club High School Student of the Month for October 2014.

Patrick is a National Merit Commended Scholar and was named an AP Scholar with Distinction. He has earned the status of Honor Roll with Distinction for all six semesters at Chagrin High School. He has also

twice been named an All-State Lacrosse player, as well as All Conference Basketball Player.

He has served as class president from 9-12 grade, is a member of Student Council, captain of the Lacrosse team, president of the Chagrin Falls Educational Foundation Student Board, and a member of Key Club. Outside of school he is a Math Monkey tutor, a member of Saint Joan of Arc Youth Group, has attended CAA Basketball Camp, and a Lacrosse referee.

He plans to major in mechanical engineering, but has not yet decided which university he will attend.

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chagrin falls exempted village schools

receives highest performance index score in history on latest local report card The Ohio Department of Education (ODE) recently released its Report Cards for all school districts.

This is the second year that ODE will use letter grades to indicate student achievement and progress of districts. Chagrin Falls Exempted Village Schools received the highest Performance Index score in its history.

Chagrin Falls Exempted Village Schools’ Report Card shows that the district has an all-time high Performance Index score of 110.3, which equates to an A. This was achieved through improved School Performance Index scores, which increased in all buildings from last school year, with Gurney Elementary earning a 111.4, Chagrin Falls Intermediate School earning a 108.5, Chagrin Falls Middle School earning a 108.9, and Chagrin Falls High School earning a 113.6. The District Report Card also reflects continued success in meeting all Indicators (A) and significant improvement in Reading subgroup populations (including Students with Disabilities and Economically Disadvantaged Students), as evidenced in an improved Annual Measurable Objective - Gap Closing grade, of a

B (from a D in 2012-13). The District Report Card also reflects an increase in Progress of our Gifted Students, improving from a C in 2012-13 to a B in 2013-14 and the Overall Progress for ALL students maintaining an A, indicating continued growth.

“The State Report Card has significantly changed in terms of structure and format over the last two years,” said Superintendent Robert Hunt. “We monitor all aspects of the Report Card but believe the Performance Index score and related ranking are the best ways to monitor district progress, relative to State expectations. We are pleased each building improved which contributed to our achievement of the highest Performance Index score in our district’s history. In addition, we are proud of our continually improving value-added data. While we take pride in these achievements, we also recognize that there are many other components of a successful school district that are not measured in via the State Report Card. We have recently published a Quality Profile that can be found on our district website that reflect these components.”

Chagrin Falls Exempted Village Schools’ Report Card shows that the district has an all-time high Performance Index score of 110.3, which equates to an A. This was achieved through improved School Performance Index scores, which increased in all buildings from last school year.

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chagrin falls exempted village schools

21st century skills challenge This year teachers and students are participating in the “21st Century Skills” challenge to integrate varied and new technological tools in the classroom. Twice a month teachers will be given a “challenge” from the 21st Century Skill list to complete with their class. Teachers are encouraged to share what they do via Twitter with the hashtag #CFEVS21. The first Challenge was to pose a question for student response on GoogleClassroom. The questions varied from

“How did we use math at our visit to the Cleveland Aquarium?” to responding to literature prompts.

The second challenge is to use a new app or website and post a student review of it. So far LucidPress, Powtoons, Blogger, Musictheory.net, and HaikuWriting have all received positive reviews.

It’s a fun and engaging way to share new ideas and strategies as we integrate Chromebooks as an instructional tool.

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chagrin falls high school

actors from great lakes theater visit High School teachers Bobbie Jo Serensky and Melanie Hoffmann had two actors visit from Great Lakes Theater to work with their AP English Literature and English 11 classes. The classes studied “Death of a Salesman.”

Serensky said that her students enjoyed performing with the actors and that it brought a newfound energy to the classroom.

“We discovered some new acting talents in our classmates,” said senior AP English Literature student Megan Vehar.

Alix Gottschalk, also a senior AP English Literature student said, “I loved working with the actors; it gave me a new appreciation for the play.”

The Chagrin Falls PTO funded the actors’ visit.

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chagrin falls intermediate school

omea all-state children’s chorus

Fifteen students from Chagrin Falls Intermediate School (CFIS) performed October 18 with the OMEA All-State Children’s Chorus at Capitol University.

The eight fourth-graders and seven fifth-graders made up more than 10 percent of the choir, which made its first-ever appearance during the Ohio Music Education Association’s annual conference, as part of the General Music Professional Development Day. Dr. Ann Usher, director of the Cleveland Orchestra Children’s Choruses, was the guest conductor.

Auditions for the group began last April. Students made digital recordings of themselves singing the first verse of “My Country Tis of Thee,” “America the Beautiful,” and “O Music,” and submitted them online. Teacher Nate Bachofsky coached the younger students, while Pat Haynish coached the

now fifth-graders. The results were posted August 1.

Haynish, who directs the CFIS Select Choir, also directed rehearsals for the chorus participants from Northeast Ohio. The concert included seven selections in unison and two songs sung in parts.

Students include: Gr. 5: Paelyn Benz, Celia Hawk, Grace Hoy, Sophia Parrino, Susannah Rutkowski, Brenna Sincaglia, Delainey Wyville. Gr. 4: Julia Ashkettle, Nathan Hill, Ryan Hill, Sophia Lewis, Will Rossi, Kate Stephenson, Grace Svette, Alex Wheatley.

“The OMEA All-State Chorus is a wonderful opportunity for our talented, young Chagrin Falls singers! They will be able to meet other students from around the state who share advanced vocal skills for their age, and they will be able to perform challenging music under the direction of a highly regarded professional conductor,” Haynish said.

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chagrin falls HIGH school

college, career and community day

BY MADISON ANDREWS, Junior, Chagrin Falls High School Chagrin Falls High School hosted a College Symposium Day on October 15. The event, coordinated by high school parents and the counseling department, gave both students and parents the opportunity to meet with and receive valuable information from admissions representatives from a number of colleges and universities.

For the first activity of the day, sophomores and juniors completed the PSAT (preliminary SAT). The PSAT, a multiple-choice test, is taken annually by more than three million high school sophomores and juniors. The PSAT measures college readiness by testing the reading, writing, and mathematics skills of high school students.

In December, when scores are returned, students will receive feedback on skills, potential scholarships, and online tools for SAT practice.

Chagrin Falls High School junior Bridget Hunt said that her “favorite part of the day was the test itself,” as she feels “the scores will be the most valuable” to her when practicing for the SAT and ACT. Sophomores worked with a Career Specialist on Naviance. Naviance, an online college planning and career assessment tool, is currently being used by students to document community service hours and other college application information. Sophomores also worked with the Ohio Wesleyan Assistant Director of Admissions to discuss the college experience.

Juniors participated in a discussion about college options, led by a panel of admissions directors and representatives. Representatives from Case Western Reserve University and Washington University at St. Louis talked to students about how colleges determine who is admitted, wait-listed, and denied.

Junior Grace Rouru displayed her opinions on College Symposium Day saying, “The activities were informative about the process of looking into colleges, preparing for applying, and knowing how colleges admit students.

With this new information, I am much better prepared for my college search and am ready to begin this process.”

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Both 10th and 11th grade students participated in a seminar regarding tutoring.

Led by Home Tutoring Solutions co-founder Steve Greenlaw, students discussed college entrance testing and the importance of test preparation.

Kenyon College, Case Western Reserve University, Notre Dame College, Ohio Wesleyan University, and John Carroll University were just a few of the colleges selected to present to students.

Seniors participated in various projects while in Ohio City for Philanthropy Day. Gardening, planting, trash collection, and city beautification were amongst the day’s activities. Seniors were able to clean up a local square, garden around the city, work at Ohio City Farm, and clean a local church.

Chagrin Falls High School Senior Claudia Lewis, who partook in trash collection on October 15, explained how “It was amazing to see the amount of trash collected” in just the few short hours they had volunteered there.

Lewis also affirmed, “Everything is so much more fun when you are doing it with your friends! It was a great bonding experience for all of the seniors.”

Informational sessions were held for parents later in the evening, after the school day had ended. The topics included in the parent sessions were the financial aid process, campus visits, admissions decisions, and varsity college athletics. The parent session also included a presentation by keynote address speaker and Kenyon College President Sean M. Decatur.

The dedication, diligence, and creative planning of the parents and the counseling department has aided Chagrin Falls High School students, as well as their parents, in feeling confident in the college application process.

chagrin falls high school

students visit chagrin falls wastewater treatment plant Chagrin Falls High School Science Teacher Brittany Anderson took her AP Environmental Science students to the Chagrin Falls Wastewater Treatment Plant and Whitesburg Preserve to finish up their unit on water resources and water pollution. The utilities department took the students on a tour of their facility and walked them through the water treatment process. “We even had the opportunity to work in the lab and observe the microorganisms used in the process,” said Anderson.

In the afternoon, they went to Whitesburg to do their own water quality testing. “We did chemical testing at four different locations, then we did research on the biological water quality indicators in the Chagrin River,” said Anderson.

On October 4, the Environmental Club assisted Chagrin River Watershed Partners and Western Reserve Land Conservancy with tree planting at Whitesburg. This is the club’s fourth year working with them to plant trees in the area once submerged by the Whitesburg/Ivex Upper Dam. Students earn community service hours toward their senior project.

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gurney elementary

teacher creates hopes and dreams One of the ways teachers launch each school year at Gurney Elementary is by having their students create a goal they would like to accomplish that year. In second grade teacher Jillian Langer’s classroom, she had her students think about their “Hopes and Dreams” for the school year, a project she first learned about at a week-long Responsive Classroom workshop.

The process involves literature and art, along with learning about school expectations and rules, classmates, and how students can work together to achieve their hopes for the school year. “It immediately sets a tone of collaboration and mutual respect with the students and gives the students a chance to reflect and think about their goals.

Creating ‘Hopes and Dreams’ then helps us create our classroom rules,” said Langer.

The first step in this process was reading “This School Year Will Be the Best!” by Kay Winters and discussing the things the students are looking forward to doing and learning in second grade. The class also read “Wolf” by Becky Bloom, a book about a wolf that is interested in learning how to read.

school year. This year, I wrote, “In second grade, I hope to be able to give my students work that is just right for them.” I want to illustrate that no one is perfect and model that we all need to work hard to make our hopes and dreams come true,” said Langer.

The next step was for the students to make their face out of construction paper and write his or her hope on a speech bubble. The class also held a meeting where everyone shared their hopes and dreams and talked about steps they can take to accomplish them. The class also discussed what rules will be needed to help everyone’s hopes and dreams come true.

“This way, classroom rules stem from the students’ goals, instead of being dictated by the teacher.

Students list what they think would be important rules to have, and from a list of 12 rules, we notice that we can group rules into similar categories,” said Langer.

In Langer’s class, the three rules are: Respect yourself, Respect others, and Respect things.

The class’ hopes and dreams will be incorporated Each child then reflected about his or her experience into the curriculum. At the end of the year, the in first grade. They thought about questions such students will reflect on their hopes and dreams and as, “What was hard for you?” “What was easy for how they made them come true. you?” “If you could have changed something, what would it be?” “What are you looking forward to this year?” The students used their responses to come up with a hope and dream for second grade. Langer asked students to be specific.

“For example, instead of saying they want to get better in math, students might say, “My hope for second grade is to learn how to multiply.” Many students in my class want to learn how to read chapter books. Some students hope to become better at spelling. Some students are working on becoming better listeners. I also create a goal for the

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Chagrin Falls exempted village schools

local produce to be used for school lunches Local produce will be arriving in all the building cafeteria’s the week of September 22 in the Chagrin Falls Exempted Village Schools.

“We are excited about our district’s new partnership with Bauman Orchards and Mantua Gardens to provide local fruits and vegetables to our students,” said Food Service Supervisor Marti Jacobson. “This initiative continues our efforts to provide fresh food selections to encourage students to pick healthier choices at lunchtime.”

Bauman Orchards, located in Rittman, will supply the district with apples. “They will be delivered two days after they are picked,” said Jacobson.

“Bauman’s will be able to provide bell peppers, onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, and watermelon

as well as other fresh produce during the growing season.” Next summer, the district plans to purchase blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries from the Orchard and then freeze them to use in smoothies and parfaits during the school year.

Mantua Gardens will be providing hydroponic lettuce year round as well.

chagrin falls intermediate SCHOOL

students participate in club 45 Club 45 is a block of time during the day that provides enrichment or intervention to all students.

Depending on students’ needs and interests, they were placed in different classes that rotate on the six-day Encore schedule.

All grades participate in reading and math intervention. Academic lab is also offered in all grades. It is offered for students that are struggling in a class and need re-teaching, need to make up work, or get organized. Students may be in Academic lab for just one day or multiple days.

Fifth-graders were placed in band classes, Current Events Club, Creative Writing, Invention Convention, World Cultures, Fitness, or Peace Studies.

The fourth-graders are doing a cross-curricular, interdisciplinary study on the Great Lakes Region based on the picture book “Paddle to the Sea” by Chris Holling. Those students placed in the Social Studies, Language Arts, or STEM classes will integrate the story into activities in each of those classes. Students were also placed in Genius Hour, Wellness, or Art.

Sixth-graders were placed in either band classes, Shark Tank, Newspaper, Fitness, Art, World Cultures, or STEM.

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chagrin falls intermediate school

EXPLORING CAREERS IN LANGUAGE ARTS Chagrin Falls Intermediate School’s Mrs. Katherine Owen’s Language Arts students are creating technology presentations on a career that interests them. This connects to their reading of The Giver where citizens in the community do not choose their jobs— they are assigned their jobs. Students are doing research on professions and what the actual job requirements are for those chosen careers.

“The sixth graders are having a great time learning about different careers and sharing information with classmates,” said Owen. “We had therapy dogs visit to be visual aids for one student’s presentation. Two other students are thinking about sharing a pediatric medical practice in the future. Another student, Ryan, wants to be an architect like his great grandfather who designed several Cleveland landmarks.”

GURNEY ELEMENTARY school

NEW GROUP PROVIDES A DIFFERENT KIND OF MUSIC EXPERIENCE The new third grade performing ensemble at Gurney Elementary provides students with a different kind of music experience than the one they receive during the day at school. Tiger Beats! is mostly a vocal performing group, but will also perform some instrumental pieces on classroom instruments as well.

The group was started by Nathan Bachofsky, the K-3 Music Teacher at Gurney, as a way to start building the fundamentals of ensemble performing and fostering the love of music making early.

“I saw so many great opportunities at the Intermediate and Middle School level for students who are interested in the performing arts and wanted to provide Gurney students some of the same opportunities,” said Bachofsky.

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Two Chagrin Falls High School students work as mentors to the group. They are musicians from the high school who are interested in being music majors in college. Tiger Beats! serves as a way for them to get leadership experience in the arts.

“It is beautiful to see students interact and build relationships with students they normally wouldn’t during the school day. I am already seeing a special bond being formed between these students after only a few rehearsals,” said Bachofsky.

The group of 40 meets on Wednesdays after school.

Two formal performances are planned for this school year, and they are hoping to be invited to perform at a few other venues throughout the community and district as well.

chagrin falls exempted village schools

walk to school - WALK TO TOWN Students at Chagrin Falls Middle School and Chagrin Falls Intermediate School had a wonderful time at Walk to School - Walk to Town on Thursday, October 16. What a great community-building event with history, fitness, healthy food, friends.... and thankfully, good weather. A HUGE thank you to Safe Routes Chagrin Falls and all the parent, teacher and community volunteers who helped make this year’s event a great success.

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chagrin falls HIGH SCHOOL

International Club to provide cultural perspective for students

BY MADISON ANDREWS, Junior, Chagrin Falls High School The student leaders and advisers of International Club at Chagrin Falls High School have begun another successful year of integrating enriching culture studies within the student body.

International Club’s purpose is to raise global awareness and increase knowledge of world culture.

Hands-on experience proves to be one of the most effective ways to gain an informative perspective and appreciation of foreign cultures and societies. Through cultural immersion like travel, Chagrin Falls High School provides a truly unique way for its students to gain an insightful cultural basis that they can continue to culminate throughout their lives. One way Chagrin Falls High School has incorporated such culture is by introducing International Club.

International Club typically meets on the third Friday of every month. In these meetings, club members participate in a multitude of activities, including sampling authentic foods and learning international games, crafts, and history.

The International Club meeting on September 12 included presentations on recent school trips to France, Costa Rica, and China.

Students who participated in the Bridge to the World trip to the Central American country aided in the completion of building houses in local communities.

Victoria Haber, a junior from Chagrin Falls High School, gave a presentation on the trip on September 12. Describing her travels as a “humbling experience,” Haber reiterated her appreciation and thankfulness for her opportunities here in America, especially the ones given to her in Chagrin Falls.

International Club co-president Delaney Collins anticipates having presentations on Germany, Spain, and Colombia in the near future. Collins, alongside

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Laurel Jackson, a fellow Chagrin Falls High School junior, is the co-president of International Club.

Students would not be able to run this club without the help from its two advisers, French and Arabic teacher Fadia Hamid and Spanish teacher Lisa Fetterman. To make this all possible, both instructors work diligently with the student body to coordinate meetings and plan activities.

To guide their discussions, International Club often focuses on Bridge to the World trips in their informational meetings and presentations.

The Bridge to the World program allows both staff and students to broaden the horizons and develop cultural awareness of Chagrin Falls High School students.

Students who participate in the Bridge to the World program travel to countries throughout the world on educational trips.

Many trips are being planned and scheduled for upcoming school years. One example of such trips includes a tour of Switzerland. Students from around the United States and beyond will travel to Switzerland in 2015 to participate in solving global education issues. The conference will focus on S.T.E.M. components (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). Also, in conjunction with this leadership summit, students will also travel to London, Stonehenge, C.E.R.N., The United Nations and Project Eden. Students attending the trip will travel alongside students from Orange High School to represent Northeast Ohio at the summit.

Partnering with a sister school, Chagrin Falls High School also plans to schedule a trip to South Africa.

Students can look forward to a home stay with Jeppe High School students while on their trip in Johannesburg. Although there are no concrete travel plans at the moment, Chagrin Falls High School is actively planning the trip. Students can expect to be able to travel to Johannesburg at the end of the 20152016 school year.

chagrin falls intermediate SCHOOL PAWS - People Always Willing to Serve Both the administration and the student body anticipate expanding their cultural basis by partaking in these informational meetings and exhilarating upcoming trips.

Each month PAWS (People Always Willing to Serve), Chagrin Falls Intermediate School’s student service organization, visits South Franklin Circle to spend time with the residents.

During their first visit, they spent much of the time getting reacquainted with one another, asking questions like “What is your favorite food?” “What is your favorite hobby?” Students interviewed each resident to learn more about their background and interests. Students then shared what they learned.

“It was a gorgeous day, so when we were done, we went outside and enjoyed root beer floats!

All in all, it was a fabulous first visit,” said Sarah Read, PAWS advisor.

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Chagrin Falls HIGH SCHOOL

BOYS SOCCER COACH WINS HIS 500th GAME On September 30 in a 2-1 victory over Kenston, Dr. Mario Gerhardt, the only boy’s soccer coach in the history of Chagrin Falls High School Soccer, won his 500th game.

To date, Dr. Gerhardt’s record is 500-247-105 in his 45 years of coaching. Five of his teams have made it to the State Semifinals and one advanced to the State Championship in 2003. In addition, his teams have won 16 CVC Championships. The soccer program has already produced 32 All Ohio players, 11 Regional All Americans and one All American player.

Dr. Gerhardt has received numerous awards during his long tenure. He was selected as one of eight finalists for the 2004 NSCAA/Adidas Boys High School Regional Division II Coach of the Year at the NSCAA Convention. In addition, Dr. Gerhardt has earned Greater Cleveland Division II and Ohio Division II Coach of the year honors. He has also

been named Chagrin Valley Coach of the Year 16 times. Dr. Gerhardt was inducted into the OHSSCA Hall of Fame in 1993.

He presently is the winningest coach in Ohio soccer history.

chagrin falls exempted village schools

BUS SAFETY WEEK It’s Bus Safety Week at Chagrin Falls Schools.

Bus drivers Jack Fishman and Pam Fox have been reviewing bus safety rules with our students. Children are practicing crossing the street when picking up the bus in the morning and exiting the bus in the afternoon. After the crossovers, the students do a rear door bus evacuation drill.

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Chagrin Falls HIGH SCHOOL

Girls Soccer CoacH Wins her 300th Game On October 16, Chagrin Falls Head Girls Soccer Coach, Pamela Malone, won her 300th career soccer match with a victory over Orange High School.

in the state of Ohio and has the third most wins among girls soccer coaches.

To date, Malone’s record is 300-109-47 in her 23 years of coaching. Five of her teams have made it to the State Semifinals and one won the State Championship in 1996. In addition, her teams have won 15 CVC Championships.

Coach Malone is currently the winningest female soccer coach

chagrin falls exempted village schools

national school lunch week 2014 winners Gurney Recipe contest: Kailey & Ella Stec – Fruit salsa with cinnamon chips No trivia contest at Gurney Intermediate School Recipe contest: Faith Pfaff – Potato chip chicken tenders Trivia contest: Christina Bencin Middle School Recipe contest: Katie Baker- Macaroni & Cheese Trivia contest: Katie Kwasny High School No recipe contest Trivia contest: Reid F.

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Facebook • twitter • website • e-newsletters

follow us on social media The Chagrin Falls Exempted Village Schools intends to use a variety of avenues to communicate to the district stakeholders. The list below outlines the various methods to connect with the district through social media.

District Website FACEBOOK Visit us on the web at www.chagrinschools.org

Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CFEVS

Twitter

Join the conversation on Twitter. Use #CFEVS. You can also follow the school district administrators: Robert Hunt Superintendent @Hunt_EdLeader

Rob Winton High School Asst. Principal @robertdwinton

Dr. Rachel Jones Gurney Elementary Principal @DrJ_cfprincipal

Christopher Woofter Director of Operations and Strategic Initiatives @ChrisWoofter

CFHS Counselors @cfcounselors

Charlie Barch District Athletic Director @ChagrinAD

Mike Daugherty Director of Technology @MoreThanATech Steve Ast High School Principal @steven_ast

David Wessel Middle School Principal @CFMS_Principal Rebecca Holthaus Intermediate School Principal @RebeccaHolthaus

E-Newsletter

Would you like to be notified via email of what’s happening in the Chagrin Falls Exempted Village School District? Register to receive our E-Newsletter. Go to the homepage, www.chagrinschool.org. In the lower right hand corner, click the “E-Newsletter” icon to begin the registration process. Once there, click the link that says Create an Account. Fill out the forms and choose your selections. When you are finished, click the submit button and you are registered. Please note, you can login with the account you just created and edit your preferences at any time.

District All Calls

Our district uses an automated calling system to send out important messages such as school closings, school delays, or other valuable information when necessary. This service is only for the parents of district students.

Parents will be eligible to receive these calls when they enroll their students. If you are a parent in the district and you are not receiving the automated calls, or if you need to change the number that these calls go to, please contact Pupil Services at (440) 247-4564.

August 2014 Click here to read: http://bit.ly/ SuperNewsAugust2014

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SEPTEMBER 2014 Click here to read: http://bit.ly/ SuperNewsSept2014