The Bulldog Bulletin Spring 2023

Terrance Jones Is McKinley’s New Graduation Coach!

He’s inspiring and motivating students for what’s next.

Students From Italy & Brazil

Academic Challenge Team Has Undefeated Season!

Commitment Pays Off For Early College Middle School Team

By Troy Russell, Principal

I would like to give a huge shoutout to Mr. Joe Cole and the ECMS Academic Challenge Team on their fantastic 10-0 undefeated season! Along the way to a Stark County Championship, they scored big wins over Jackson, Plain, and North Canton who had been undefeated the past three seasons, as well as Alliance. Coach Joe Cole said he was confident the team would be successful this season due to their intelligence and work ethic.

Let’s Spring Into Summer Break!

Front Row (left to right) Tyler Alfas, Zoe Schnyders, Violet Rhoads, Olivia Hershberger, Jaylen Sangarie, Dajore Dickerson, Ali Abusniena, Abraham Graham, Lilly Allison, Harmoney Jones. Back Row (left to right) Clara McCloskey, Joel Bates, Andrew Parker, Henry Snyder, Aiden Willaman, Mr. Joe Cole (Coach)

Jeff Talbert, Superintendent

School Board Members

From The Board President of Canton City Schools

Greetings,

It is an honor and a privilege to represent you as the president of the Canton City Schools Board of Education. As a graduate of McKinley - class of 1984 - I know the opportunities this district presented to myself and my family. I would like to encourage all of you to get involved in your children’s education. Your children are in the hands of the best staff in Stark County.

We have awesome students doing awesome things under their leadership. I would encourage you to attend the many great events happening in the district. Canton City Schools- you can get there from here!!!!

Scott Russ, President Canton City

Inside This Issue

Upcoming Board Meetings

August 7: Regular Meeting (6:00 pm)

August 23: Study Session (5:30 pm)

Watch meetings live at: http://boelive.ccstv11.com/

Regular Meetings: 6:00pm

Study Sessions: 5:30pm

At: Timken Career Campus (unless specified) 521 Tuscarawas St., W. Canton, OH 44702 (Enter through the Fourth Street NW entrance)

*All Board of Education Videos are Archived.

The Bulldog Bulletin is published by Canton City Schools and is distributed free of charge to the district community.

Editor: Lisa Reicosky, Coordinator of Communications and Media Relations Canton City Schools, 305 McKinley Ave. NW, Canton, Ohio 44702

Questions and comments can be emailed to Reicosky_l@ccsdistrict.org.

Designed by Bruce Leone, Ink Inc.

Federal Law prohibits this paper from carrying ads containing offers of insurance policies, credit cards, and travel promotions. The Canton City Schools Board of Education reserves the right to reject any press release or advertisement based on content.

The Canton City School District is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, disability, or age with respect to employment or educational programs and opportunities for students.

A Familiar Face Takes On New Role At McKinley High School

By Lisa Reicosky

It’s not unusual to see Terrance Jones sitting at a high-top table in the McKinley Commons surrounded by laughing students. He’s a regular at sporting events and hosts both an annual talent competition for local students, as well as a Spring Break tour of college campuses through his Simply Youth non-profit, of which he serves as CEO.

As McKinley’s Graduation Coach, a new administrative role for 2022-23, he believes his success is directly related to the relationships and trust he builds by spending time with students.

As part of his job, Jones is using data to identify students who are in danger of not graduating on time, dropping out, or graduating with no solid plans for their future.

“We help them incorporate a plan to get them to graduate on time,” he said. “I identify the why. Why is it important that they graduate.” And relationship-building, he said, is the key.

“I am comprehensive in getting to know them, finding out who will be proud of them, who will be supportive,” he said.

Jones once served as a family support specialist in the district and is a Canton City graduate. He understands the challenges some students face.

“I have a professional passion for this and a personal one because I

was once one of them,” he said. “I needed a Mr. Terrance when I was in school.”

Jones said he tries to motivate with coaching strategies and he is always visible.

“The biggest thing is to make sure they don’t stop. You won’t get this time back and if they stop coming to school, they won’t come back,” he said, emphasizing that credit-deficient students have options. “This school might not be a fit. We have alternative programs. You can be a summer graduate.”

Superintendent Jeff Talbert said Jones is an important asset to the high school team.

“He can reach kids and families and figure out their needs,” Talbert said, “Through his contacts throughout the community, he finds resources for them to be successful. We are thrilled to have him on our team.”

What Jones loves most about his role, he said, is that kids know he is available to them.

“There’s something to be said for knowing that,” he said. “And every day I meet a new kid. I’m intentional about it.”

Five Things About Me:

#1. My Go-to Comfort Food … Growing up my Friday food was Pizza. It was a time I spent with family concluding the week and relaxing. Even now, I still love Pepperoni and Sausage Pizza with Bell Peppers - but I love to explore pizza, in general - I like to try Chicago deep dish for example or try pizza from emerging mom-and-pop shops.

#2. If I weren’t working with kids, I would be ... I’ve spent my life working with kids in one capacity or another - I can’t imagine doing anything else. Kids keep me young - they keep me laughing - they help me grow. I wouldn’t want to change that. If I absolutely had to answer, I think I would still pursue a position that inspires and connects with everyday people.

#3. If I could travel anywhere it would be … Dubai - I think they have an interesting culture. From what I’ve read and the pictures I’ve seen, it’s a beautiful place. I want to travel somewhere that offers something different than what I already experienced. I would love to indulge in the architecture, the people, the culture, the food - just all of it.

#4. If I could sit down and chat with a famous person, it would be … Jeff Bezos - the founder of Amazon. I was always taught when you meet a famous person - know your ask - they aren’t looking for friends. (LOL) I’d like to ask him how he found balance and how he was able to move from a vision that started in his garage to what Amazon is today. And maybe before we parted ways - I’d see if he wanted to donate to my organization, Simply Youth.

#5. Something people would be surprised to know about me: That I enrolled back in college. I’m working toward meeting a goal I set for myself many years ago.

As he adds to his role by mentoring a cohort of freshmen who require support in adjusting to high school, his goal is that graduation becomes an expected accomplishment and the focus becomes what’s next — jobs, internships, and college.

As a mentor and confidant, he said he hears difficult stories from students which weigh heavily on his mind.

“I pray a lot — I’m a prayer — for strength, protection, motivation. Daily,” he emphasized.

Terrance Jones enjoys interacting with students.

Terrance Jones

Sister Act - A Musical Comedy!

Presented by The Performing Arts Department

The Legacy Robe

Seniors Leo Ortiz and Elizabeth Fisher are pictured placing this year’s show patch onto the robe. Every year, the Legacy Robe honor is given to a student who embodies what it means to love the craft and dedicates themselves to the art of theatre. A student who has, over the course of their high school career, spent hours serving mostly chorus and ensemble roles as a part of productions.

Rehearsals Have Started!

If you want to see both shows on the 21st, please arrive at 6 p.m.! Tickets On Sale Now!

Tech Crew

Deloris Van Cartier

Abby Allen

Sasha Greer US

Mother Superior

Elizabeth Fisher

Crystal Brooks US

Sister Mary Robert

Kassie Ketchum

Brenna Burns US

Sister Mary Patrick

Sasha Greer

Morgan Serafini US

Sister Mary Lazarus

Olivia Allen

Monsignor O’Hara

Ayden Bilbrey

Tavion Walker US

Curtis

Nick Anstine

Eddie Souther

Daejun Dickerson

Jesi McCullough US

TJ Tavion Walker

Joey Naomi Atwood

Pablo

Jocelynn Benson

Sister Mary Theresa

Kylie Bonfine

Sister Mary Martin-Of-Tours

Leo Ortiz

Ja’Ryha Newman US

Michelle

Johanna Danzy

Ernie

Ayden Bilbrey

Tina

Kai’Yonna Moore

La’Nina Sanchez US

NUNsemble:

Crystal Brooks

Brenna Burns

Aalize Cooper

Kelsie Cunningham

Johanna Danzy

Mercedes Dunbar

Gracie Melton

Maise McClendon

Kai’Yonna Moore

Ja’Ryha Newman

La’Nina Sanchez

Morgan Serafini

This year we are honored to have a special guest director on the project, McKinley

Alumni Manuel Halkias!

Production team

Producer: Kristy McNally

Director: Manuel Halkias

Music Director: Steve Popa

Choreographer: Antwon Duncan

Technical Lead: Zac DePinto

Stage Manager

Tayvion Carthon

Assistant Stage Manager

Jenna Bossler

Prep & Run Crew:

Jaquelyn Ballentine

Jenna Bossler

Tayvion Carthon

Kim Collin

Marshai Hall

Alivia Hillery

Emya Hillery

Ari Horton

Mia Jenkins

Ja’quez McLeod

Nevaeh Paul

Jayla Sharrda

Marcus Stevenson

Students are pictured at the table reading for Sister Act. They began rehearsals in February with a full cast and crew table read. Everyone got to read the play, got to know each other, and set up expectations for rehearsals and production.

Bring It On!

Featured here are students who are performers as well as crew members in the show. They are excited to host our Ohio Arts Council “Teach Arts Ohio” Grant performance opening night of Sister Act!

Crenshaw Middle School Performing Arts students will share the selection they have worked on with our artist in residency during this school year.

He was last seen on the stage in May 1983. Mr. Halkias

Meet Two Of McKinley’s Foreign Exchange Students

A chess player from Italy and a makeup artist from Brazil share something in common...destination McKinley High School!

By Erin Ponn

Early in March, I had the pleasure of spending the morning talking with two exchange students at McKinley Senior High School: Andrea Selva, a Chess standout from Lombardy, Italy who dreamt of visiting the United States since he was a young child, and Daniel Almeida Dos Santos, a social media creator from the almost always sunny, São Paulo, Brazil. Both Andrea Selva and Daniel Almeida Dos Santos told me all about working to cover the costs of participating in the international student exchange program, the friends and family they left behind, and how excited they are to be “living the dream” here, in Northeast Ohio, with the same host family.

Andrea Selva

Armed with little more than a dream about visiting the United States, 17-year-old Andrea Selva left his home in Lombardy Italy in January, determined to see the America he’d become familiar with while watching movies and online videos.

“I wanted to come to America since a young age. I’ve watched film, “he said with a laugh. “I thought it was a beautiful place.”

Andrea eloquently, albeit shyly, smiled and spoke openly about his dream to visit America, working in Italy to raise enough money to participate in the International Exchange Program, of his childhood best friend, Roberto, and his love of all things Chess.

When I first sat down to interview Andrea, his grasp of the English language was so good that had he not told me he struggled with learning English, I would have never believed it to be true. “I was not a good student in English,” he explained. (English courses are taught in Italy beginning in primary school). “My mother hired a private tutor in middle school to help.”

In addition, Andrea (a bit of an independent learner) watched movies in English and online videos from sources like YouTube.

“I worked in a bar with tourists who spoke a lot of English to earn

money to come here,” Andrea said. “That helped a lot.” He also hoped that being part of the exchange program would improve his ability to speak the language.

“When Roberto signed up to be an exchange student in Japan, that inspired me,” said Andrea. “I’d be a few months without him, so I’m going to do the same and I’m going to go to America,” he said. “Also to improve my English,” he added with a smile.

I asked Andrea if he would tell me a bit about his family back home and he talked fondly about learning chess from his father (who he has yet to best in a game) and teaching Roberto to play chess so he would have a worthy competitor. Now, the childhood best friends continue the game online even though they are oceans apart. Andrea modestly talked about winning the

pressing that pasta was “different here” but the pizza was “pretty good.” And maybe it was because we were laughing together about food when I asked the question, but when pressed to name one thing Andrea would miss the most when he returned home in July, he answered with little hesitation and a smile, “The burrito” he said with a shrug.

As a makeup artist, Daniel advertised on Instagram — social media marketing skills he continues to use to share his time in the United States with family and friends. He smiled telling me about posting videos on YouTube detailing his experiences in Northeast Ohio and his impressions about living in the states but admits that posting is something he hasn’t done in a while. “It’s a lot of work to post,” he said.

When I asked Daniel about how prepared his family was for him to leave Brazil he said that while his sister was happy and excited for him, his mother was scared.

“I worked early - strived to do things for myself,” said Daniel. “So mom was confident I would be okay, but a bit scared for me.”

Daniel Almeida Dos Santos

He also expressed gratitude for his father’s support and how he helped him pay for the plane ride — an expense that is not covered under the costs associated with participating in the program.

district-wide chess tournament at McKinley in February and calling home to tell his dad about the win.

“I tell them everything of U.S.,” explained Andrea. “I send pictures. They ask what I did in the week.”

During his short time in America, Andrea has been to visit the McKinley Monument and the mall.

“Everything is different,” Andrea emphasized. “Everything is bigger. The mall is huge,” he continued. He laughed, talking about how big a gallon of milk is compared to the liters they have back home.

“I thought it would be impossible to finish it,” he said. “But we ran out in three days!” He spoke freely about how Americans haven’t quite mastered Italian cuisine - ex-

São Paulo, Brazil feels like the kind of tropical destination many Americans would dream of visiting. Online descriptions boast of bright blue skies, palm trees, and warm temperatures year-round. Certainly, it’s a far cry from the overcast, cloudy skies of Northeast, Ohio in March, but to talk with Daniel Almeida Dos Santos you’d never guess we weren’t chatting together in paradise.

“I came here alone,” Daniel said. “I didn’t know what’s waiting. What to expect. It’s a surprise,” he laughed. Daniel spoke confidently of wanting to try something different and unusual. He told of being raised in a family with limited means and how he worked to earn enough money to participate in the exchange program. Not unlike his host brother Andrea, Daniel also had to pay his own way to participate in the international student exchange program. He worked in a child’s party center, a call center, and as a certified makeup artist before the pandemic slowed his progress.

When asked about the cultural differences between the US and Brazil he told me about how Brazil is filled with tourism, and how culturally, the people in Brazil seem to be warmer.

“We kiss the cheek in greeting,” explained Daniel. “It’s colder here, more closed when greeting.” In addition, surnames are used less in Brazil. Daniel explained that instead of calling his performing arts teacher Mrs. McNally in Brazil, students would call her by her first name or even just teacher.

It didn’t take long before the discussion landed on food and Daniel “kissed the air” saying that our hamburgers, cookies, and brownies were great. “And all the ways you guys have chicken,” he said, laughing. “Especially the chicken with barbecue. It’s different here and the soups…” he trailed off.

Before we parted ways, I asked, “what do you miss about Brazil right now, Daniel?’

“The sun,” he said looking over my shoulder toward the glass windows that frame the front of McKinley High School. “I miss the sun. The warmth. Brazil is warm year round.”

I worked in a bar with tourists who spoke a lot of English to earn money to come here.

Andrea Selva ofItaly

I worked early - strived to do things for myself, so mom was confident I would be okay, but a bit scared for me.

Daniel Almeida Dos Santos of Brazil

Arts Academy’s “Shrek Jr.” Debuts At The Cultural Center For The Arts

By Ben Myers, Art Teacher

Arts Academy at Summit proudly presented Shrek Jr. as this year’s musical. Students took on numerous roles from on-stage to backstage. Mrs. Paulis, Mrs. Crone, and Mrs. Bryan prepared student actors on stage through after-school rehearsals of vocal practice, acting, and choreography. Student soloists got small group help from Mrs. Paulis to see that their character was brought to life during the performance. As the large audience experienced in early February, the students had it down! Music accompanied by wonderful pitch and tonality from student singers filled the Cultural Centers auditorium, leading to a standing ovation. Behind the scenes, Mr. Myers had student and PTO volunteers help in the creation and construction of set pieces. Building community through various Canton City businesses who helped donate materials to stretch canvas panels, build chicken wire rocks, and construct raised platforms. During tech week, stage crew moved from the construction trades to take on the roles of light and sound designers.

With follow spots, numerous microphones, and stage lighting fixtures, a lot was to be done. Our students stepped up, as leaders, to the challenge with anything and everything that was offered. Lifting each other up socially and emotionally, our students created a family that many are wishing still met each day after school. Using creative problem-solving and on-the-fly crit-

ical thinking, all the students who participated easily worked through problems that arose on performance night.

It was truly a great experience both on and off stage for all those involved. After a few years without performances due to the pandemic, bringing the musical back to help students with social-emotional

learning was meaningful. We used performances to express and manage each student’s needs, giving them added support from their peers and Canton City School Staff. Our students grew their excellence during their time on stage and as always we hope that each student walked away saying “I’m glad I was a part of that.”

First Career Spotlight Held At McKinley High School

Students meet with area professionals for advice and guidance for future career options

By Lori Sexton, Disciplinary Literacy Coach

This February, McKinley Senior High School hosted more than 75 professionals from various industries and facilitated more than 1300 student visits during their first Career Spotlight. Over seven days, students had the opportunity to visit with nurses from Aultman Hospital who specialize in infection control, as well as medical lab technicians, electricians, cosmetologists, attorneys, morticians, area business owners, marketing specialists, and graphic designers. Teachers signed up to bring their classes to the McKinley media center to better understand how their education translates to “real-life” careers.

Mindy Engler, our high school librarian who helped and saw each one of the career spotlight days, reflected on the event.

“It was great to see our students interacting with the adults and the students seemed to enjoy it and the professionals seemed to enjoy it. A success.”

Week one featured trades and military careers, followed by professionals, community and emergency services, and medical and health careers.

Almost all of our science classes had the opportunity to connect what they are learning in their classes with how it is applied in

various medical careers. One student in Mr. Roger’s Material Science class asked, “Why don’t we do this every year?”

The event’s last day focused on service, retail, and hospitality careers. That day, students interacted with Rhoden Funeral Home staff and

learned more about how they use a variety of skills to assist families during times of extreme grief.

Math teacher Jennifer Henderson said, “I think this event was fantastic. Students were able to see jobs in the community and were able to ask the professionals relevant questions on the spot.”

Physical Science teacher, Andrea Janssen, remarked, “This was an outstanding experience for my freshmen. They were exposed to many careers and professionals that they may never have had a chance to learn about. They really enjoyed it and were very engaged.”

Alysha Mitzel, AmeriCorps College and Career Guide at McKinley helped co-plan the Career

Spotlight, along with Lori Sexton, Disciplinary Literacy Coach, and Trenessa Wood, Assistant Principal. The goal of these interactions was for students to make connections between what they are learning in their classrooms with how it is applied in various careers and to give them exposure to careers they may not be aware of as options for planning their future.

Kristy Morgan, LPN, of Lifecare talks about her nursing career with students.

John Ring of Stark State talks about firefighting courses.

Alysha Mitzel, Americorps College and Career Guide, and Lori Sexton, Literacy Coach, planned the fair.

McKinley eSports Continues To Expand!

Team gets a new assistant coach as competition heats up locally and nationally

By Tyler Smith, Head Coach, eSports

The McKinley High School eSports Team has seen much growth and success so far this spring season. The team welcomes Jarod Siekman, Quantitative Reasoning teacher for the high school, as their assistant coach. Thanks to his help, they are now open every day of the week after school. Now students, no matter their schedule, may come in any day of the week to represent McKinley in competitive video gaming, and explore different games to find out what interests them.

There is exciting news regarding the state of eSports in Ohio. The OHSAA has recently partnered with eSports Ohio, the organization that oversees and sanctions all competitive video gaming in Ohio, allowing for more recognition and growth of eSports programs throughout the state. This means that eSports is just one step closer to being an officially sanctioned sport, recognized by all public schools in Ohio.

This Spring season, McKinley High School is competing in Valorant,

Rocket League, and Minecraft, and new to this season is Overwatch 2. In the past, they have competed in various other titles, and each season some of the games offered have changed. The team now competes in two separate leagues as well. The first league is eSports Ohio, which is a state league, structured very similarly to our state leagues in traditional sports. The second league is High School eSports League, which is a much larger national league. They are competing against local schools in one league, and schools across the country in the other league. All four varsity teams are off to very strong starts as they transition into the end of the regular season. Every varsity team is in good standing to qualify for playoffs in one or both of the leagues they are in.

McKinley eSports had two field trips planned in March. Players had the opportunity to participate in leadership training and show off their gaming skills to college eSports recruiters, receive scholarship offers, and play on the number two team

t Continued From Page 1 Academic Challenge (and other highlights from ECMS!)

“At the beginning of the season, they were committed to showing opponents what they’re made of. The kids definitely had something to prove,” he said.

The team began practicing diligently in November.

“It was always lively, yet serious, with the students focused on defeating their next opponent! The young people’s commitment is incredible because they are involved in numerous extra-curricular activities, all while being classroom and community leaders,” Cole said. “I am so proud of them! The team worked extremely hard to accomplish its goals. It is an honor to be their teacher and coach!”

Next, I would like to highlight a project that our 7th grade social studies teachers presented. They have been discussing the history of democracy in class. What better way to learn about how democracy works than to see it in action? Students researched different types of leaders and what qualities a leader should have. This has led to each of the Canton mayoral candidates coming to speak to a group of our 7th graders about their platform and why they are running for mayor. Students will next write a persuasive essay on who they think will be the best person to be the next mayor and

the reasons why. It is great to see our students involved in the process and a huge thank you to the candidates for coming to speak.

Finally, I would like to inform families that as a school we are participating in The Great Kindness Challenge here at ECMS. Big thanks to Ms. Gaylord and her students as well as our student council for spearheading this. Below is a link explaining the challenge.

We will be collecting change during lunch each day to contribute to this “Kind Coins for Our Earth” project. We are asking if you have any spare change you can give to your student to donate, it would be greatly appreciated.

Kind Coins for Our Earth

A Great Kindness Challenge Service Project

in the nation’s gaming equipment. They also competed in Malone University’s RocketSmash Tournament. (Results were not available when this issue went to press.)

Last year they placed 2nd in

this tournament, and are hopeful to win this year. You can follow the team weekly at McKinley_eSports on Twitch.tv.

https://youtu.be/MbATfAPhsrg

Coach Tyler Smith, McKinley Spanish teacher, supervises eSports practice after school.

Photo credit: Julie Botos, courtesy of The Canton Repository.

McKinley Teachers Stay After School To Practice Their Craft

Teachers practice micro-teaching after school to hone skills for classroom communications

By Lisa Reicosky

Even with 37 years of teaching under his belt, McKinley English teacher David Anderson is always looking for ways to improve student engagement and learning. This year he brought the idea of micro-teaching to his colleagues and for some, it has become a popular tool for improving their lessons. “Micro-teaching improves my craft. New ideas beget newer ideas and resurrect forgotten ideas,” said Anderson.

About eight teachers from various departments have joined in, along with education specialist Allan Brown and Secondary Literacy Specialist Dr. Lynn Rudd, who both said it’s been inspiring to see professionals use their personal time to collaborate and improve their craft with their students’ best interests in mind.

Anderson adds, “There has been a lot of cross-pollination at most sessions.”

With micro-teaching, teachers present a lesson, topic, or new technique to other teachers and instructional coaches as if they were the students. The other teachers participate in the planned curriculum and the lesson is videotaped. Following the lesson, the group watches the tape and offers insight into how instruction can be improved.

Anderson said he became aware of the method when taking a graduate course in 2012 and was assigned a book by John Hattie, author and re-

searcher in education (and a former middle/high school teacher).

“Hattie lists micro-teaching among his top five interventions in improving student achievement, with an effect size of 0.88 (anything over 0.5 is considered high),” Anderson explained. He was pleased when he presented the idea to his colleagues and several took the opportunity to stay after school and improve their lessons on regular occasions.

Veteran teacher and current literacy coach Lori Sexton presented a vocabulary lesson she was developing and said it was an amazing opportunity to try out a lesson with her peers.

“I was glad that I was doing it with a mixture of newer and veteran teachers because I knew they would give me honest feedback on the lesson,” she said. “I learned that with a few adjustments, it would work in the classroom.”

Sexton said it was a great way for colleagues to collaborate and support one another and hopes to encourage the expansion of this type of professional development.

“The more comfortable we are with trying various teaching strategies and getting honest feedback, the better teachers we will all be and the happier we will be to work in a positive, forward-thinking, collaborative environment.”

English teacher Jessica Woodson-Moss used a

micro-teaching session to build a lesson “from scratch” on the book, “Long Way Down.”

“I enjoy doing sessions centered around new ideas and methods that I am wanting to try out with my students. Given that most of these activities are methods I have never tried before, I am able to get fresh eyes on what could work and where I may have issues,” she explained.

“Since we teach a wide variety of learners, testing lessons on my colleagues who are also a diverse group of learners helps me better prepare for my students.” It was not easy though, at least not at first. In fact, Woodson-Moss said it was “super nerve-wracking.”

“However, the more we work together and collaborate, the more comfortable it all becomes,” she said. “We do not get the chance to have this sort of authentic learning experience very often, so being able to work with them, get to know them, and hear their perspectives makes the whole experience something I greatly look forward to. I can truly say these sessions have taught me more about teaching than I ever could have expected. It is a safe space to experiment and branch

out with a

Jessica Woodson-Moss presents a lesson.

David Anderson and Lori Sexton offer advice on a lesson.

Teacher David Anderson calls the statue Community of Practice; A physical metaphor for the micro-teaching. This statue is on display in Instructional Coach Julie Thoma’s office.

community of respected educators all working toward the same objective, which is to be better for our students.”

“I like a teacher who gives you something to take home to think about besides homework ”

~Lily Tomlin

Community Partner Spotlight: Feed Kids First

Success in the classroom starts in the pantry

By Stephanie Zuech, President

When kids have access to healthy meals every day, they feel better and do better in school. They have what they need to grow and just be kids. Schools can support children and families by being a place where children get the education that helps their brains develop and the food that helps brains and bodies grow. A school pantry is a vital resource for a happier, healthier school full of children ready to grow, learn and thrive!

The Feed Kids First School Pantry Program was launched in 2020 and is a partnership between local schools and other community resources to provide easy access to food and fill the gap where food insecurity exists among children. Our pantries are located directly inside each school and provide a more readily accessible source of food assistance in a trusting environment that is both familiar and supportive to the students and their families.

Childhood hunger is a national problem, but even more so a problem in Ohio. Over 400,000 children across Ohio live in households that are considered food insecure by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Here locally in Canton, almost 1 in 2 children are still determining where their next meal is coming

from. Our School Pantry Program was established to help limit barriers impacting students’ ability to succeed in the classroom and making sure consistent access to food is part of this.

Feed Kids First is a partner of the Akron-Canton Foodbank and we work directly with each school to create a pantry that is unique to the needs of each school community. Some schools provide a dedicated space for the pantry where families can walk through and pick out their food. While others distribute pre-packaged bags of food. Since 2020, we have provided 2,496 meals, 150,000 snacks to students, and 1,178 holiday meal boxes at our eight Canton City partner schools: Belle Stone Elementary, Cedar Elementary, Gibbs Elementary, Early Learning Center @ Schreiber, STEAMM @ Hartford Middle School, Fairmount Learning Center, Passages @ Compton, and Bulldog Virtual @ Mason.

A preschooler enjoys his snack provided by Feed Kids First. School community worker Traci Williams oversees the food pantry at BVA @ Mason.

First District Showcase Highlights Classes And Extracurriculars Here At The CCSD!

By Heather Heater, Director of Technology and Public Information

Canton City Schools had its first district showcase on January 21st, 2023, an event it plans to continue annually. Held at the Timken Career Campus, the well-attended event boasted many of the fantastic programs and opportunities offered to our students, families, and community. Attendees enjoyed a pancake breakfast provided and served by our food services team while watching student performances from the Arts Academy, McKinley dance and drama, the advanced guitar ensemble, and the high school’s steel drum band. Singer Tavion Walker was a featured soloist.

In addition to student performances, guests also toured our student Art Exhibit highlighting pieces from students from all grade levels. Art included works ranging from clay and pottery to student sketches and drawings. Some families took the opportunity to tour many of the robust Career Technical programs such as Broadcast Media, Engineering, Manufacturing, Welding, and Automotive.

Many young attendees enjoyed a quick manicure from our Cosmetology students! For more information on our Career Technical programs please see the center spread of this bulletin or visit our website at www.ccsdistrict.org/ careertech.

The showcase also had approximately 40 information booths which included a large array of community partners, school buildings, programming, and activities for attendees to learn about the unique and valuable opportunities we provide for students and families both in school and outside of the school day including support services, health services, learning opportunities, and e-Sports. We would like to thank all of our community members, staff, and students who participated in this event and look forward to next year.

t Continued From Page 1 Spring

Into Summer Break

Player, Paris Stokes and Bowler of the Year, Zach McCutchan, plus two exchange students who bring a unique perspective to McKinley High School.

Finally, many of our stories highlight the valuable community partnerships that complement our dedicated teaching staff and support staff in adding to the educational experiences we have to offer. Many of these partners will continue to engage our students during summer school enrichment. Please watch your ParentSquare for further information as the school year comes to a close.

Thank you to all of our Bulldog families, the community, and the CCS staff for all you do.

Go Pups! Congratulations to seniors Brock Phillips and Sophia Smith who won the Gold Medal in the HOSA Ohio State EMT competition on March 17 in Columbus. The EMT Event tests the competitor’s emergency medical knowledge and trauma skills in a pre-hospital field environment.

These McKinley Law and Public Safety students, along with their teacher Cliff Lee, will represent the State of Ohio in Dallas Texas this June!

CTE Performing Arts students and staff showed a choreographed fight.

McKinley has one of the few Steel Drum bands in Ohio.

An attendee gets a manicure by a CTE cosmetology student.

Worley’s School Community Worker Betty Fortune shows the many services offered to families by our schools.

CTE Opportunities Offered Early In CCS!!

By Erin Ponn and Stephanie Pipero-Henderson

Canton City Schools is proud to offer such a large variety of Career Technical Education opportunities for students beginning as early as the 7th grade. Not unlike our CTE programs at the high school, our middle school CTE students also learn in state-ofthe-art facilities. We are proud to provide labs and equipment that ensure the student experience closely resembles the workplace experience. Within the last few years, we’ve seen the addition of a greenhouse located on our STEAMM campus as well as two new lab spaces located at Crenshaw. Our greenhouse provides students with a realistic setting for the agriculture program, meeting the need

within Canton’s food desert. Students are educated on the process of planting, monitoring, and harvesting goods. Crenshaw is excited to see new lab spaces for our Construction Technology program and a shared space for Health Foundations and Law and Public Safety. Our new lab spaces create an environment where students are able to experience a “hands-on” education utilizing various tools and equipment relevant to the field.

Our new facilities provide the necessary space for programs to grow and build a stronger vertical alignment with their high school career tech counterparts. These middle school CTE offerings provide students an

excellent opportunity to explore career pathways in a safely managed environment where they can build the critical foundation skills.

With 10 different CTE programs at Crenshaw, 6 programs at STEAMM and 2 programs offered at Early College Middle School , CCS is able to guarantee that students at each building have an opportunity to engage in a CTE option prior to entering highschool.

Programs At Crenshaw

- Broadcast Media

- Business Management

- Career Connections

- Commercial Photography

- Construction Technology

- Exercise Science

- Health Foundations

- Information Technology

- Law and Public Safety

- Performing Arts

Programs At STEAMM

- Agriculture

- Career Connections

- Commercial Photography

- Culinary Arts

- Information Technology

- Project Lead The Way

Programs At Early College Middle School

Career Connections

Information Technology

Photos by Heather Hutmacher’s CTE Commercial Photography students.

CCS Preschool Enjoys Array Of Partnerships!

5-star rated Early Learning Center @ Schreiber strengthens bonds between students and community

By Linnea Olbon, Director of Early Education

The ELC @ Schreiber is a high-quality preschool program that has earned the highest rating of 5 Stars through the Ohio Department of Education and Ohio Jobs and Family Services. Over 340 students are receiving an early educational advantage in the areas of pre-academics and social-emotional learning. Part of what makes our preschool program unique is all the support and positive partnerships we have with local organizations. Some of those include:

• Akron Zoo/PNC Foundation: Students learn early literacy and social-emotional skills through classroom visits, including live animals, provided by educational specialists at the Akron Zoo. A culminating field trip, to the Akron Zoo, is held at the end of the year for students and families. This opportunity is graciously funded by the PNC Foundation.

• Artful Living and Learning (ALL): ALL engages preschoolers in the art of dance, drama, music, and visuals.

• C&A and CommQuest: These organizations help provide preventative mental health services.

• Cookies with Cops: Canton City police officers come to the Center and decorate cookies with students, answer any questions they have, and allow students to tour their cruisers! Before the visit, the teachers read a book about how cops are part of our community and are here to keep us safe.

• SPARK (Supporting Partnerships to Assure Ready Kids): Once or twice a month, the SPARK family meets with their assigned home visitor, called a parent

partner. The parent partner helps the parent engage the child in a lesson that was developed around state standards and is designed to provide a school readiness advantage. The Parent Partners also come to the Center to provide services.

• Stark County Public Library: The Bookmobile visits the Center throughout the year, where stories are read and students get to access the books on the Bookmobile!

Residency

• Must reside in Canton City School District

Age

• Child must be 4 years old by Sept. 30

• Child can not turn 5 years old by Sept. 30 Register Here

• Go to ccsdistrict.org

• Click Registration icon (hand icon)

• Follow prompts

If you need assistance, please feel free to contact the Early Learning Center at Schreiber to schedule an appointment, and we will gladly assist you at our Center: 330-580-3033.

Students at our Early Learning Center gain literacy skills through many community partnerships.

CCS Mathletes Compete At Countywide Event

By Danielle Kemp

Canton City Schools showed up with great representation in both the Greater Canton Council of Teaching Mathematics (GCCTM) Math Tournament and the Stark County High School Math Challenge on Saturday, March 4, 2023. The district had 48 students from grades 5-7 and 15 students from grade 9-12. Our grades 5-7 grades competed in the five categories of: Number Sense, Mental Computation, Geometry/Measurement, Algebra/Data Probability and Team Problem Solving. Our high schoolers competed as individuals by completing a two part assessment and attended math activities throughout the remainder of the day.

Preschool Registration for the 2023-24 school year opens in May and will now be online.

“Children see magic because they look for it”

~Christopher Moore

Mason BVA K-8 Goes Hollywood On The Dance Floor

By Nikki Cebula, Principal

Did you know that at the Bulldog Virtual Academy, we still have a lot of opportunities for in-person activities? BVA students attend all the same field trips as every other Canton City School student. Students are arriving back to the building from swimming as I write this and they love going on these trips!

We love to do fun things at BVA because when you work hard, you play hard! Our students certainly work hard. We are still using Wednesday afternoons for activities that kids participate in (virtual and in person) to ensure they have the experience of having friends. These experiences also teach some fun content. A favorite virtual option is “Crystal Club” where Miss Harland teaches about rocks, rock formations, and how rocks have been used throughout history. Of course, there is also time to kick back and have fun with friends, as another in-person favorite is BINGO! We bring in community partners whenever we can, and have volunteers to help, like Mr. Jeff, who comes to teach kids cornhole. We also do all the fun, whole-

Passages @ Compton Yield Connections

By Jason Oden, Principal

Building relationships is essential to our student’s success at Passages @ Compton. We believe that this connection is made in the classroom academically and personally outside of the classroom. Each month we try to create an out-of-the-classroom experience that the students will always remember. We started the journey this year with our Peace Day experience.

This past month we brought in a guest speaker, Mr. Greg Arcelilo. Mr. Arcelilio is a close childhood friend of one of our staff members, Dr. Jan Pritchard. Mr. Arcelilo has had a lifetime of experiences that we felt would benefit our students. Mr. Arcelilo has lived all over the United States and has faced many of the issues that students deal with daily. Our 8th, 9th, and 10th enjoyed the conversation and knowledge that Mr. Arcelilo presented to them.

Our goal going forward is to continue bringing in community speakers to show our kids that there is always light at the end of the tunnel. It was a fun day for both staff and students and hopefully, it will be a positive lifelong experience that our students and staff shared. Next up, Spring and Summer cookout.

school activities like our face-toface counterparts do because we are a PBIS school! Just recently we held our first formal dance, “BVA Goes to Hollywood,” where our students came dressed to the nines and had a great time. It was complete with a red carpet, paparazzi, crazy lights, treats, and lots of fun. It was wonderful to see our students come in and act like movie stars. The highlight of the dance, besides all the smiles, was probably watching them all line dance to the Cha-Cha Slide! Our virtual friends enjoyed a virtual field trip to Hollywood and some fun Kahoot time. At BVA, we love our students and parents so much and aim to make

this a place where they want to be and it is working. Our parents are truly our partners and love the opportunities for kids to meet and learn together. It is awesome to be in a place like

BVA where we get to know each other, and watch our students grow!

Early College High School @ Lehman Congratulates Ava Dietz And Laura Bliese

By Ken Brunner, Principal

Ava Dietz received the Presidential Scholarship from Walsh University. This is a free tuition award worth $35,000 annually. This Scholarship became a reality because of her outstanding academic excellence in her high school and college classes. Ava is an Early College Senior that is on track to earn both an Associate of Arts and an Associate of Science degree.

she will participate in international studies where she will be able to study overseas, and become a participant in service learning opportunities and she is the recipient of a $1500 renewable scholarship (four years). Laura is on track to earn an Associate of Arts and Associate of Science degree from Stark State through the Early College program.

Senior Laura Bliese was recognized by Walsh University as a Blouin Scholar. As a Blouin Scholar,

Nyeonnie Bonner, Mrs. Springer, and Serenity Stout pose on the red carpet.

Kendra Tichenor, Raffeala Tichenor, Leianna Definbaum, Hailey Smith, Kyla Jenkins, and Kerissa Ferguson enjoy the formal dance.

“The road to success is always under construction”

~Lily Tomlin

AIM Academy Demonstates Innovative Minds At Work

Academy’s Student Council leads the way with community involvement

By Kara Rankin and Kristin Paumier

The purpose of AIM’s student council is to allow students to develop leadership by organizing and carrying out school activities and service projects. In addition to planning events that contribute to school spirit and community welfare, the student council is the voice of the student body. They help share student ideas, interests, and concerns with the schoolwide community. Being a member of AIM’s student council helps build character, leadership, decision-making, organization skills, and responsibility.

The AIM Student Council had their annual Sock-tember sock drive where our whole school came together to collect socks for our local homeless shelter, Refuge of Hope. This is the second year doing this project that is inspired by Kid President. This year they were able to collect 243 pairs of women’s, men’s, and children’s socks to donate to the shelter. This project has taught our students a sense of community and how one small gesture can help those in need.

Our 6th-grade student council took the lead on a Kindness Project for CommQuest Services. They created empowering Valentine’s cards and treats to be shared with

community members who are separated from family members and going through the recovery process.

The student council also worked to spread some Valentine’s day cheer within the school by selling candy bars during February. Students helped spread the word with creative posters and they even practiced their public speaking skills with presentations during our lunch periods. We collected $200 which will be donated to Akron Children’s Hospital’s Amazon Wish list to buy toys, books, and basic necessities. Students learned how to budget money and had really great discussions on what they thought would make the biggest difference in the lives of the patients at the hospital. We would like to thank Miss Paumier and Mrs. Harrison for advising our Student Council at AIM.

AIM’s Student Council has performed a variety of community service projects this year, like the Socktember sock drive for Refuge of Home, and creating empowering Valentine’s for people who were facing addiction treatment with CommQuest Services.

Pup’s Club At Cedar Teaches Important Coping Skills

By Ronda Tomovcik, Principal

Cedar Pup’s Club is a Tier II Intervention that works to reduce targeted behaviors in the classroom. The main focus of Pup’s Club is to assist students in identifying their feelings when faced with an undesired emotion. We reintroduce and teach students different coping skills to use when they are faced with a big feeling. Students in the group will be given opportunities each lesson to practice everyday coping skills and apply them to the common classroom and behavior problems at school. This group will be run by the Cedar Elementary Counselors Mrs. Sedmock and Miss. Hudson.

Grade-level small groups will meet once a week for forty minutes to discuss the following topics:

• Lesson 1: Goal setting

• Lesson 2: Introduce coping skills

• Lesson 3: What happens to your body when you’re angry

• Lesson 4: Identifying triggers for anger

• Lesson 5: Practicing coping skills

• Lesson 6: Practicing coping skills (continued)

• Lesson 7: Identifying what is and is not in your control

• Lesson 8: Expressing anger using “I Statements” and making a sincere apology after making a mistake

• Lesson 9: Summary of all topics

During the small group time together, the students work with the counselors and their classroom teacher to establish an individual goal. They will work towards this goal over the grading period. Weekly, students have an opportunity to earn a treasure box reward.

Mrs. Kirsten Sedmock has been a counselor at Cedar for two years and has served the students in the Canton City School District for the past 6 years. Miss Jaecey Hudson is new to the district this year, serving the students at Cedar and Patrick Elementary.

Cedar Pup Club

Kirsten Sedmock Jaecey Hudson

STEAMM Artists Earn Recognition!

Northeast Region competition held at Kent State Stark

By Katie Birdwisa, Instructional Coach

In 1932, the Scholastic Art & Writing awards were founded to honor creative teens in the areas of writing and art. With names such as Andy Warhol, Zac Posen, and Arnold Hurley as previous recipients it was a no-brainer for Coach Kathy Pugh to enter her students into the Northeast Region competition held at Kent State Stark. With thousands of entries from across the region, it came as no surprise to Coach Pugh that STEAMM had three students receive awards and recognition. Taeko Thompson, Janay Johnson, and Nancy Andrea Lopez, three 8th-grade students, were all recognized for their outstanding art pieces.

With a “Beauty and the Beast” enchanted rose inspiration, Taeko Thompson was awarded the silver award. The skill that went into her creation was unmeasurable. Burning down plastic cups to provide the wrinkly effect of the rose as the petals wilted, combined with drilling all the pieces together allowed for an almost identical replica of the “enchanted rose” while still allowing for her style to shine earned Thompson a silver award. Also placing in the trash to treasure

contest it is clear Taeko has a promising future in art.

Building a tree house is not a simple task for any person. Making a model version without an actual tree to provide the base is even more difficult. Janay Johnson said, “I knew I wanted to make a treehouse, I had no idea how hard it would be to get the structure to stay.” Made from wood, book pages, and two different types of glue, Johnson’s tree house stood tall. Janay was able to learn from the process as she was building and realized the glue, E6000, was not strong enough to keep the structure together, therefore she switched to hot glue. Without completely starting she saw an opportunity to jump this hurdle by utilizing the E6000 glue to give off the rustic look of an old tree house. Janay Johnson also received a silver award.

Winning two awards, honorable mention, and silver, Nancy Andrea Lopez used inspiration for her two pieces of art. Made out of 100% recycled material, Lopez was inspired by her trip to the South Carolina aquarium for her first creation.

The piece of art takes bottle caps, coffee filters, cut-up leis, and old bowls to recreate an under-the-sea feel. Her second piece, inspired by her mother’s garden, showcases Nancy’s impeccable skill of painting using strictly watercolors. Both creations were recognized at the award ceremony.

The Scholastic contest allows students to not only be recognized for their creativity but an opportunity for students to win scholarships and continue their education. STEAMM is very proud of our three scholars.

Upcoming Events:

Spring Showcase:

• Grades 4-8 May 17th, 2023 starting at 3:30 p.m.

Spring Concert:

• Grades 7-8: May 17th, 2023 following the showcase

• Grades 5-6: May 18th, 2023 at 5:30 p.m.

Plant Sale:

• May 13, 2023 8 a.m.-12 p.m.

PLANT

What’s Inside The Wrapping

By Dr. Karita Nussbaum, LISW-S, LICDC -

Wrapping gifts is fun when the gift looks mysterious. But then again, isn’t that the case in general? Isn’t that what marketing

is all about?

How do we get the customer to buy our product over all of the others? Recently, I did some research and discovered a horrible thing related to packaging, presentation and drugs. Most of us know about marijuana and the ongoing debacle about packaging and shaping them to look like candy. Remember Joe Camel and the Marlboro Man on cigarette packs? These characters were “cool” which then suggested that smoking was cool. Now the latest thing is ‘shroom chocolate bars.

Courtesy

of Child & Adolescent Behavioral Health

It’s disturbing to imagine bits of mushrooms in my chocolate bar but if you look them up, you’ll be shocked to see the wrapping. They look very much like a chocolate bar with names like “Wonka Bar”, “Wonderbar”, “One Up” or “Polka Dots” to name a few. The wrapping has nice images of the Mario Bros. mushroom, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory characters, and even the wild rabbit from Alice in Wonderland. This is extremely bothersome to me. I’m not a drug user and wouldn’t have any knowledge of this stuff had I not researched it. I purchased a Wonka Bar last year without even thinking about the psychoactive properties.

Paper?

So, to ‘wrap’ this all up, I would caution parents, kids and really anyone that buys candy to look carefully at the wrappers before you buy. Parents, look at what your kids are eating just to be sure. Skittles and Medicated Skittles are two different products, look for a label that says “Contains THC” or something similar to that. Each state tends to have their own la-

bel. Keep your eyes out for psilocybin labels too, these are newer and can be purchased on Amazon.

If your child is struggling with substance use, call 330.433.6075.

Taeko Thompson

Janay Johnson

Nancy Andrea Lopez

Plant sale coming in May!

Real World, Real Money @ Fairmount

By Meghan Schauer, Principal

The 9th graders at Fairmount Learning Center had a unique opportunity where they learned to budget money and expenses. The program, “Real World, Real Money,” is led by Holly Bandy from The Ohio State University. Throughout three lessons in the classroom, students chose a career, discussed federal and state deductions, insurance types, daily expenses, needs versus wants, and determined their monthly “net income.”

During the 4th lesson, students visited a variety of booths with their

“simulation spending worksheet.”

The goal of each station was to help students make a financial decision based on their “net monthly income.” The student’s goal was to make smart financial decisions and to not go into debt!

We had a lot of great volunteers throughout the district to help make this possible. Thank you to all of the volunteers for taking the time to visit Fairmount and work with our students at a station. This was a wonderful learning experience for our students.

What’s Up Youtz!

Students host new podcast showcasing all the happenings at Youtz

By Carolyn Lindesmith and Aaron Hartzler, Tech Integration Specialists

The new year brought a new project for a small group of fifth and sixth grade students at Youtz Elementary School. They’ve started their very own student podcast, “What’s up Youtz!, A podcast for kids by kids.” Since they’re Bulldogs, the students have dubbed themselves “Pupcasters!”

After several meetings covering the initial phases of planning and preparation, sixth grade students have excitedly begun the recording process. Their very first guest was Jolinda Seiple, Director of School Improvement for grades 4-8. With middle school on the horizon, the sixth graders were curious about the process for school choice and Mrs. Seiple was gracious enough to join student podcaster Elisa Ramos Alvarado to answer questions. While the sixth graders have their first recording under their belt, the fifth grade is eager to interview their first guest, Monica Black, Youtz’s Dean of Students, to discuss the activities being planned for their next student “A Club” activity. The “A” stands for Attend, Achieve, Aspire! The requirements to be in the A Club are that a student needs to be present 95% of the month and ON TIME 100% of those days.

Both groups determined the goal of their podcast would be to inform and entertain. The students are driving the content of their respective podcasts by brainstorming ideas that they and their friends are interested in covering. The student “pupcasters” also consider topics

that would inform their listeners of current events outside of school, and hope to feature interviews from local experts! To add some humor, they’ll be including a “joke of the day” segment from a teacher at Youtz and have even created their own music to be featured throughout the episodes.

The podcasting students at Youtz are led by building Technology Resource Teacher, Billi Fete, and supported by district Technology Integration Specialists, Carolyn Lindesmith and Aaron Hartzler as part of a larger project with Ohio State University’s Creative Educator

Academy. The podcasting kit, consisting of two Samson microphones and an M-Audio recording interface, was provided by the district technology department. Coupled with a MacBook computer and the GarageBand App, this is a powerful setup to help students reach

their audience. While they still need to “wrap-up” recording their segments and editing the first episode, the students are excited to share “What’s up Youtz!” with their classmates! We can’t wait to hear what they have to say!

Elisa Ramos Alvarado interviewing Director of Instruction, Jolinda Seiple.

Curriculum Specialist Danielle Kemp teaches financial literacy at a special event at Fairmount Learning Center.

Sixth-graders Eniyah Ray, Kayleigh Adkins, Emilia Fahrni, Elisa Ramos.

Building Relationships With School Family Fun

By Monica Piccari

Staff and students at Gibbs Elementary have been focusing on fostering relationships and growing closer as a school family. Creating and sustaining a safe and loving school environment has been a priority in the building, and the PBIS team at Gibbs has taken this opportunity to further that vision. We have been teaching and reviewing our BARK behavior expectations and sometimes when a student demonstrates one of these positive behaviors, they are rewarded with a “Bulldog Buck.” Bulldog Bucks are virtual dollars that are collected and managed through an online app that the entire district is now using. The app not only tracks the amount of “Bucks” they have earned but more importantly, the positive reason that the student earned the Bulldog Buck. Students can use Bulldog Bucks to “purchase” incentives in their classroom, some

tangible items such as stickers and snacks, and some intangible items, such as lunch with their teacher. Collectively, the entire school works on earning a “Whole-Class Incentive” in which the entire class works as a family to earn a set amount of Bulldog Bucks and, in return, get to celebrate together with a special event. The parties are fun and exciting, but the true benefit to our school family community is that students have begun to support one another more, encourage each other to make positive choices and celebrate each other’s successes! Some past whole-class incentives have included a glow dance party, gym station party, ice cream sundae party, and a board game and crafting party. These parties allow students, teachers, principals and other staff members to join together to have fun and build stronger bonds between each other which transfers throughout the school.

“Change Sings” Inspires Us To Be Change-Makers

By Julie Addessi, Assistant Principal

In February, Worley Elementary School welcomed our superintendent, Mr. Talbert, and several other friends in education as guest readers in each of our classrooms. Our special visitors shared a wonderful story with students called “Change Sings,” a story written by Amanda Gorman, an award-winning writer and a graduate of Harvard University.

In addition to Mr. Talbert, we welcomed Deidre Stokes Davis, Elena Monahan, Jolinda Seiple, Gary Kandel, Lori Nickels, Christen Sedmock, Jason Dixon, David Kaminski, Kim Brown, Scott Russ, Eric Resnick, and Charla Malone.

All of our students were able to connect with district leaders, and the visit left a lasting impression on our Student Leadership Team who served as ambassadors for the school as they escorted our friends. Students continue to talk about this experience as they had the opportunity to make personal connections with district change agents.

In addition to Change Sings, Gorman has written for the New York Times and has published three other books. Gorman was selected by President Biden to read her original poem “The Hill We Climb” for his Inauguration on January 20, 2021, making her the youngest poet to have served in this role. Gorman is

the first poet commissioned to write a poem to be read at the Super Bowl and has performed at many prominent venues, including the Obama White House, the Library of Congress, Lincoln Center, and on CBS This Morning. She has received a Genius Grant from OZY Media, as well as recognition from Scholastic Inc., YoungArts, the Glamour magazine College Women of the Year Awards, and the Webby Awards. Gorman is also the founder of a non-profit organization called One Pen One Page, which runs a youth writing and leadership program.

According to Amanda Gorman, anything is possible when our voices join together. The girl in this

story calls on others to use their strengths and abilities to make a difference in the world. As she leads a cast of characters on a musical journey, they learn that they have the power to make changes, big or small, in the world, in their communities, and most importantly, in themselves.

Each classroom was gifted a copy of Change Sings. By sharing this story and its message, these adults have not only helped us to inspire students with a love of reading but also to understand that they too have the power to be change-makers and that their voice matters.

Gibbs student Brian McCann (top photo) enjoys PBIS rewards along with his classmates at a Glow Dance Party!

Guest readers, like Superintendent Talbert shared an impactful book with Worley classes. “Change Sings” is now on every classroom shelf.

McGregor celebrates Black History Month With Thoughtful Research

By Angela Seders, Principal

During February, students at McGregor Intermediate School celebrated Black History Month by selecting and researching an influential person in history. Students conducted their research in DLC classes, as well as independently. In both scenarios, students were able to select a person of interest.

Mrs. Kavanagh, the DLC specialist said, “It was fun to see the student’s enthusiasm as they researched Black Americans whose accomplishments had a great deal of meaning to them, and a positive impact on history.”

Additionally, students who opted to conduct research outside of school hours turned in essays or drawings that were representative of the impact their selected person had in history.

Miniyah Ragland, a sixth-grade student stated, “I feel like Sojourner Truth should be represented more

because she fought for so many different and important things.”

A few students chose to collaborate on their projects where one student wrote an essay, and the other student drew a corresponding picture to accompany the article.

Charlie Brunk-Clark, who was part of this partner work, said, “I chose to research and write about Misty Copeland because I’m a big fan of ballet and she is a hero that should be talked about.”

The students also started their day with a read-aloud from their teachers from the book, “Young, Gifted, and Black.” This book is filled

with facts about important and impressive individuals, and the artwork within the book is outstanding!

5th Graders Annemarie Bish, A’mani Harper-Byrd and Levi Bazzle

6th Grader Miniyah Ragland shows off her essay on Sojourner Truth

Reading Logs, Literacy Skills, And BEARS, OH MY!

Students enjoy extra book time at Harter

By Kathy Kisha-Wise, Principal

Students at Harter are focusing on themed reading and art projects during DLC time! Mrs. Warner, our DLC specialist, loves to link READING COMPREHENSION with the ARTS. A great example is when Mrs. Warner read, “Penguins,” to students and integrated an art project making Penguins to hang in the hallways bringing literacy alive and brightening the hallways of Harter Elementary.

Getting Library time twice in a 6-day cycle, students have extra opportunities to check out books, use technology, and develop a love of reading. Mrs. Warner has reached out to community partners to help support a love of reading for our early readers.

In partnership with First Books and Build-A-Bear, when students come to the library, they are greeted with reading buddies … turns out teddy bears love to be read too!

Book Buddy Bears are available for students to read to during independent reading time. Students love reading to their Book Buddy Bears. In addition to reading in the library, students have a monthly reading challenge. After meeting their challenge, students are rewarded with a food coupon and a gold coin to use in Harter’s Book Vending Machine! Our reading challenge participation has doubled since it has begun. Harter is growing readers!!!

Rowen Bosworth and Scarlett Thomas read to their bears.

““Make it a rule never to give a child a book you would not read yourself”

~George Bernard Shaw

Breaking Down Language Barriers At Belle Stone

By Amy Konigsberger, Principal

Imagine going to a school where the language is different from what you speak at home!

This is the case for quite a few of our Belle Stone Bulldogs. We have 34 children whose home and native languages include Spanish, Quiche, and Arabic, and 11 students who were born outside of the United States.

English Learners are a growing part of the student population across the state, the district, and here at Belle Stone Elementary School. Upon enrollment, families list their home and native language(s). If it is something other than English, students are given an OELPS assessment with scores in the areas of speaking, reading, writing, and listening. These scores help determine how much support students are going to need accessing the curriculum.

Miss Izzy Ogilvie has joined the team at Belle Stone as our EL teacher. Miss Ogilvie works with EL students in and out of the classroom to help support learning, language, and social skills.

“I love to work specifically with our English learners because I love to see how they connect with each other and how they become more confident in their classes throughout the year,” Miss Ogilvie said, “I often get to see students in a smaller group setting where their personalities really shine. The EL students will start to make connections with each other as they excitedly point out where they used to live on my map or as they hear another student mention their favorite soccer team; it makes for such strong rapport when they are able to feel seen not only by me or their teachers, but also by each other.” She continued, “Another part of my role that I really enjoy is that I get

to work with a variety of staff members at Belle Stone who collaborate with me. We get to share ideas that help differentiate for our students as well as highlight their strengths in the classroom. I am excited to see the growth our district will make in ensuring an accessible educational experience for each of our multilingual families and students!” Students get very excited to work with Miss Ogilvie. One first grader, Catalina, said she loves school and loves Miss Ogilvie! Catalina says Miss Ogilvie helps with reading and practicing words.

“I get to talk and play learning games with my friends Elisa, Jas-

saymi, and Miguel,” she said. Bianca is a 2nd grade EL student who loves learning! She said, “Vowel teams were hard to learn, but Miss Ogilvie uses pictures and helps us practice the right sounds. On Fridays, we play Quizmo and fun rhyming games.”

Third graders Domingo and Mario like going to class together. Domingo said, “We learn how to read better and we talk about the books we are reading.”

Adds Mario, “When I was little, I didn’t have many friends. But then I met Domingo and now our families are all friends. We get to be friends at home and at school!”

Belle Stone teacher Izzy Ogilvie helps multi-lingual students learn and they love her!

These faces remind us that we all smile in the same language!

Opportunities Abound After School!

By Dana Reinhard, After-School Program & Enrichment Coordinator, Gr. 7-12

This winter, CCSD After-School Program students have had the opportunity to participate in a wide variety of enrichment activities. These include dance, music, physical activities, problem-solving, science experiments, ceramics, storytelling, STEM learning, animal and nature life, and mentorships. Programming ends April 13th and Summer Learning plans are underway. Details forthcoming!

A special thank you to all our local community partners who have partnered with us this past year:

• TomTod Ideas

• Mad Science

• Glazed & Amused

• The Wilderness Center

• Stark Parks

• First Tee

• Stark Library

• YMCA of Central Stark County

• One BYTE @ a Time Robotics

• En-Rich-Ment

• Space Walk Inflatables

• Nick-a-Jack Farms

• Whispering Grace Horses

• Canton Fire Station

• Skatetime School

• EKAZA - Bridging the Gap Stem • Learning

• MentorStark

• Men of Tomorrow

Students in the after school program enjoy enrichment activities like skating and “Glazed and Amused” after their school work is done.

Canton City Schools

Adult Career & Technical Education Programs

Develop professional skills and obtain industry credentials for career employment in Northeast Ohio for in-demand jobs, and future success in life.

Boys And Girls Bowling

by Head Coach Kim Heaton

With both teams being young, we had a pretty respectful season. The Boys’ Team finished the season with a 11-6 record, Girls’ 4-13. During the Season we had two Boys that shot a 300 game. Both teams improved as the season went on. We entered a lot of tournaments and did rather well in all of them!! In fact, Haleigh Leggett finished 2nd for High Series during the Conference Kickoff Tournament at Park Centre Lane. For sectionals....The top four teams moved onto Districts. The Boys finished in 7th and the Girls finished in 10th. However, we did have an individual make it to Districts. Jonathan Waggoner placed 3rd with a 640 series!

Individual accomplishments and awards:

Zach McCutchan - shot his 1st sanctioned 300 game. Held the highest average in Stark County with a 231 average. Was named Federal League Bowler of the Year, for the 2nd straight year. Was on 1st Team All Federal League all four years.

Jonathan Waggoner - District Qualifier and made 2nd Team All Federal League Hunter Henson - shot his 1st 300 game

Haleigh Leggett - 1st Team All Federal League

Maria Wise - Honorable Mention All Federal League

www.ccsdistrict.org/AdultEd

www.ccsdistrict.org/AdultEd

Sports Wrap-Up

Wrestling

The McKinley Wrestling team qualified seven athletes to the district tournament at Hoover High School.

They are (back row) De’Meir Hamilton (157), Jamaar Barsic (175), Zachary Sikon (113), Braeden Earley (285) and (front row) Benjamin Brownfield (138), David Post (144), and Dillan Kuehn (106).

In addition, senior Jamaar Barsic celebrated his 100 high school victory at Mapleton High School in January. He is pictured with Head Coach Phil Martter.

The McKinley Wrestling team qualified seven athletes to the district tournament at Hoover High School.

Sports Wrap-Up

(Photo by Mikaela McCallup)

Baseball - Boys Varsity

Sports Wrap-Up Girls Basketball

by Head Coach Bryant Bowden

The team was led by Led by seniors Paris Stokes, Sidnee Bowden, and Ariahna Snell; while being heavily assisted by Senior Jayla Sparks, Junior Kylonee Foster, and Freshmen Mya Taylor. With hard work, persistence, and teamwork. The lady Pups ended their season with a Federal League Title, a District Championship, and a Sweet 16 appearance. Led by Seniors Paris Stokes, Sidnee Bowden, and Ariahna Snell. While being heavily assisted by Senior Jayla Sparks, Junior Kylonee Foster, and Freshmen Mya Taylor. The Lady Pups improved from a 7-15 record for 21-22 to an outstanding 22-5 overall record for the 22-23 season. Congrats to the girls on a fantastic season and especially to the seniors. Your work, leadership, and dedication to improving yourself and your team, will be forever remembered.

Individual Accomplishments

And Awards:

Paris Stokes

~ Federal League POY

~ 1st Team All Federal League

~ District POY

~ All District 1st Team

Sidnee Bowden:

~ 2nd Team All Federal League

~ HM All District

Ariahna Snell:

~ HM All Federal League

~ HM All District

Ky’Lonee Foster:

~ HM All Federal League

~ HM All District

Softball - Girls Varsity

Sports Wrap-Up

Cheerleading

by Coach Ande’marie Green

The competition cheerleading squad took 6th place at the Federal League Cheer Championship, and 8th Place at the state competition.

Track Outdoor - Boys Varsity

Front row (left to right): K’Mya McCollum, Zada Johnson, Emani Wilson, Jadia Ellis

Back row (left to right): Logan Bankston, Iyana McCoy, Angel Thompson, Amariona Marshall, Ta’Lisa Howard, Angel Bonner, Destiny Singleton-Coe, Myah Davidson

““One man can be a crucial ingredient on a team, but one man cannot make a team”

~ Kareem Abdul-Jabaar

Track Outdoor - Girls Varsity

WE’RE HIRING!

Tennis - Boys Varsity

Patrick Students Enjoy Community-Building Visits From Canton Police Officers

Program teaches students to trust and feel comfortable around our uniformed friends

By Nicole Bush, Principal

Thanks to the Canton Police Department for coming in to develop positive relationships with our first graders. On February 7th a diverse team of officers came to Patrick to read the story, “Roses are Pink, Your Feet Really Stink,” by Diane deGroat. The story centered around kindness and friendship.

The purpose of the visit was to build relationships with community support personnel and to help the students feel comfortable around a person in uniform.

Academic Goals:

• To build on the ability to carry on a conversation with another person while speaking in complete sentences and using appropriate language to express feelings.

• To ask and answer questions during conversations.

• To develop fine motor skills.

The activities that the officers and students engaged in included:

• Decorating Valentine’s bags for the students’ upcoming Valentine’s Day party.

• Decorating cookies/snack: Canton PD provided cookies and icing.

• Valentine’s Story that Nicky Randazzo provided for the officers to read to the students.

The officers will be coming in monthly to visit our scholars:

• April- All about what police officers do, when and how to dial 911, and weapon safety.

• May- Safety (community policing), a close-up look at a patrol car, and a K-9 demonstration.

• End of year- Youth physical fitness challenge.