Bulldog Bulletin December 2022

A Gift Beyond Compare

By Erin Ponn

Just

Around the

While Thanksgiving is past us, I want to say how thankful I am for everyone who makes the holidays memorable for our students.

Each year, the CTE pre-engineering students at McKinley Senior High School spend a significant amount of time learning how to design and print 3-D projects.

“Many of our students spend close to two years just learning how to get the software to speak to the machines so that the finished product is actually functional,” said instructor, Chad Weaver. “Depending on each student’s interest in developing 3-D design skills, we might have a few students who are ready by their junior year to design without a significant amount of instructor assistance.”

Over the years, students in the CTE pre-engineering class have developed a prosthetic

leg, a welding device that is used to test a weld, and even houses that students enrolled in Construction Technology are preparing to build, to name a few.

So it was a welcome challenge when guitar teacher, George Dean, reached out with an unusual request: Can the pre-engineering students use the 3-D printer to develop a custom assistive device that would help one of his students play the guitar? Freshman guitarist Nehemiah Culver needed a device that would help him hold a guitar pick.

Never one to shy away from a challenge, Weaver got to work immediately looking for a way to help Nehemiah play the guitar. (While the need for a quick response prevented the pre-engineering students

Ira Essner Shares His Christmas Heirloom

Patrick Elementary School cafeteria manager unpacks

Ira Essner shows the ornaments he and his cousin made in 1967 at Summit School.

George Dean, Nehemiah Culver and Chad Weaver

McKinley pre-engineering and guitar instructors collaborate to develop a custom assistive device for freshman guitarist

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On

School Board Members

Upcoming Board Meetings

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.

Inside This Issue

Bulldog News

Ira Essner’s Childhood Heirloom 3

Community Partner Spotlight 4

Celebrating Fire Prevention Week 5

Supporting Homeless Families 6 STEAMM Academy@Hartford 6

Hall of Fame Inductee Visits Patrick 7 5th Graders Run the Town 8

Timken Volunteer Groups Support CCS 8

eSports Is Growing! 9 After School Programs 9 Future Facilities Proposal 12

School Beat Phonics & Handwriting@Gibbs 10 Family Night@AIM 10 Arts Academy ARTSmart Store 11 MacGregor Highlights 11 Crenshaw Student Council Leading the Way 14

Spiders, Snakes and Chinchillas 15

It’s a Fourth Grade Cinderella Story 15 Seniors Earn AP Certificates 16

Update to CCS Visitor Management System 17

Preschool Programs Support Literacy Development 18

Early College High School @ Lehman 18

BVA Virtual Academy 9-12 & Choices High School 19 Bulldog Virtual Academy@Mason 20 Drone Remote Pilots@Timken 20 STEAMM 7th Graders Pick Project 21 Early College Middle School @Lehman 21

Worley’s Wellness Wednesdays 22 Ready, Set & Blast Off To Space! 23 Harter Party Glows With Positivity 23 Stone Takes Learning On the Road 28

Sports Roundup!

Girls Volleyball 24 Girls Soccer 25 Girls Golf 25 Girls Cross Country 26 Boys Cross Country 27 Boys Golf 27

Winter Sports Schedules 24-27

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.

The pinecones became staples of their Christmas trees.

“We both would look at each other’s family tree to find the ornaments and we would talk about having them,” Ira remembers. “Sometimes our siblings would crack jokes about us trying to find them on our trees. They didn’t have something special like we had.”

Essner said his mom gave him his pinecone when he got his first apartment. His cousin passed away in 2010 and never married, so his ornament continues to don his aunt’s tree. (She loaned it to us for the photo.)

Essner attended Summit School all nine years and has fond memories.

“As I remember, Mrs. Flugan was a very caring teacher, always greeted us at the door, and was always a calm person. I don’t recall her raising her voice to the class,” he said. “Kindergarten was more play and learning to get along back in those days.”

Essner, who now serves as the cafeteria manager at Patrick Elementary, said he often wonders how many former Summit School students have that same ornament.

“It takes me back to the simpler times. I remember painting it. We wrapped it up,” he said, adding, “My mother cherished it.”

necessities) to helping Santa fill his sleigh with board games and dolls, we are blessed with the most amazing and generous people and organizations. I thank you all.

Next, I want to congratulate all of our students who made their honor and merit rolls. Keep working hard! We are proud of you.

As of this issue’s deadline, I have not had the need to call a snow day, but I want to remind families that if I do, you will get an alert on ParentSquare. Please consider downloading the app to your phone. Of course, we will also alert the local news outlets and post to social media, as well.

Finally, I want to thank everyone who has come to a Community Conversation to learn more about our facilities plan. Your attendance and participation were helpful. The public’s input is extremely important to us as we draft our plans for what we hope is the bright future of the district.

Please look inside for full coverage and renderings of the buildings (pg 12). I hope you agree that our children deserve the best.

As always, I invite you to get involved in your Canton City School District. Visit us at www.ccsdistrict.org … Go Pups!

Cafeteria Manager Ira Essner Kenny Bellamy

t Continued From Page 1 Superintendent Jeff Talbert: Holidays and Snowflakes

Ira Essner Shares His Childhood Heirloom

“Some Christmas tree ornaments do a lot more than glitter and glow, they represent a gift of love given a long time ago.”

~ Tom Baker

Our Community Partner Spotlight: The Canton Nazarene Church

The district thanks Canton Nazarene Church for donating 300 Thanksgiving dinners for families in need this season. The effort was led by Denise Abbott, with the assistance of Vickie Kellogg (Acts of Kindness Team Leader) and Mark Reiss, Executive Administrator of the church, and their entire congregation. Abbott said their goal was 150 full dinners, but they ended up with 300. CCSD’s Tabitha Brunner, with our team of community workers, organized the distribution with a host of staff, including Assistant Superintendent Jason Dixon, who helped load and deliver meals with our warehouse team.

Celebrating Fire Prevention Week at Cedar!

Firemen visit

By Ronda Tomocvik, Principal

In honor of the 100-year anniversary of National Fire Prevention Week, Cedar Bulldogs celebrated with week-long classroom activities, an all-school assembly, a Firefighter appreciation parade, and a luncheon provided by the Cedar staff. Cedar’s fire prevention week was coordinated by our third-grade teacher and firefighter enthusiast Miss Sophia Shaheen.

As a culmination for Fire Prevention Week, students lined the hallways with student-made posters, fireman helmets, and banners, cheering on Fire Chief Bennett, his team, and the Canton Fire Department mascot Hydro.

During the all-school assembly, students watched two firemen race to put on their fire gear, which took less than 2 minutes! Students also learned to not be afraid of the firefighters in their gear, as they are heroes ready to help save lives.

Since 1922, Fire Prevention Week has been observed each year during the week of October 9th in commemoration of the Great Chicago Fire, which began on October 8, 1871.

firefighting canine Hydro during fire prevention week

According to the National Fire Prevention Association, today’s homes burn faster than ever. You may have as little as two minutes to safely escape a home fire from the time the smoke alarm sounds. Your ability to get out of a home during a fire depends on an early warning from smoke alarms and advance planning.

- Change your smoke detector batteries yearly.

- Smoke alarms are only good for about ten years. Check your alarm’s manufacturing date when changing the batteries.

- Make an escape plan with your family, so they know different ways to get out of the house.

- Choose a meeting place outside your home and practice going to the outside meeting place. Teach them to never go back inside a building that is on fire.

Our local heroes and Hydro from the Fire Department.

Some children are curious about fire. Here are a few simple steps you can take to keep yourself and the people you love safe from fire and burns.

- Teach your children to remain 3 feet away from anything that can get hot; such as space heaters, stovetops, candles, etc.

- Keep smoking materials locked up in a high place. Never leave lighters or matches where children can reach them.

Cedar along with their

Kindergarten teacher Krista Teitel and her students welcome Canton Firefighters

CCSD Supports Our Families That Are Experiencing Homelessness

Services help remove barriers to learning

By Nicole Herberghs

Being homeless does not always mean living in a shelter or on the street. “Homeless” is defined as lacking a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.

This includes any child living in a shelter, motel, or campground due to the lack of an alternative accommodation. It also includes living in a car, park, abandoned building, bus or train station, or living doubled up with others due to loss of housing or economic hardship.

These types of situations are very real right here in Canton. Our district is committed to helping students and their families through times of hardship.

Canton City School District’s Project HOPE was created to provide support for students and families experiencing homelessness. Our goals include:

• Removing any obstacles to registering for school.

• Securing transportation to and from the school the student attended when homelessness occurred.

• Providing the necessary items for school success such as

school clothing, school supplies, and hygiene products.

• Sharing community resources for assistance with housing, food, clothing, laundry service, etc.

Project Hope also established The Hope Chest. The Hope Chest is a donation-filled space where CCSD students and families experiencing crisis can browse  for needed clothing, hygiene, and school supplies. It is our hope that all students have everything they need to be successful in school.

For more information on Project Hope or  The Hope Chest,  visit our district website at  https://www.ccsdistrict.org/   under the Families/Students click on Homeless Services.

If you or someone you know needs assistance, please contact us at our new email address: projecthope@ ccsdistrict.org or call  330.437.3700 to speak with the  CCSD Homeless Liaison.  We are here to help!

If you would like to make a donation to Project Hope or the Hope Chest, please contact our School Community Worker at 330.437.3701

The Genius Quarter at STEAMM Academy @ Hartford

by Dr. Bernetta Harrell-Snell, STEAMM Academy TRT

The first 9-week quarter of the school year at the STEAMM Academy @ Hartford was dedicated to giving students unique opportunities to discover and explore their “genius” as they learned all of the various State-required concepts and content for their grade levels.

Coaching Teams collaborated with community partners, stakeholders, and other Canton City schools to make the discovery of each student’s genius fun and memorable through interdisciplinary problemand project-based learning also known as PBL.

Fact: Approximately 1.3 million K–12 public school students across the United States were identified as experiencing homelessness in 2019–20.

Each grade level’s final culminating activity did not disappoint the students or teachers as every event was loads of fun for everyone!

Continue reading this issue of the Bulldog Bulletin to learn more about STEAMM’s genius projects.

Hall of Fame Inductee Visits With Patrick Students!

Patrick students recently enjoyed a rare opportunity to meet Pro Football Hall of Famer LeRoy Butler III! Butler played 12 seasons in the National Football League, spending his entire career with the Green Bay Packers. More importantly, he shared his story of growing up in poverty, overcoming bullying, and his love for teachers!

As a partner with United Way, he is taking a grassroots approach in his “Butler vs. Bullying” campaign which brings teachers, parents, and families together to discuss, in an open microphone format, the social problems that derive from bullying. Several students got to spend time with him after his speech.

t Continued

From Page 1

A Gift Beyond Compare

from being able to initially design the device, they were an integral part of the input team as the need for changes in the design arose).

“You know when there is a will, there has to be a way,” emphasized Weaver. “Nehemiah had the will to play, Mr. Dean had the will to help him do so and I was determined to find a way.”

Nehemiah was involved with the band during his middle school years but was unable to continue as a freshman due to scheduling conflicts, so he decided to join the guitar ensemble class as an alternative.

“My mom works in the evenings,” explained Nehemiah, “so it is hard for me to be in the band after school.” However, his participation in the guitar ensemble class allows him to stay involved in music.

“Interestingly,” said Dean, “The history of the guitar is of a device that has been adapted many times. We saw the guitar change from the Baroque guitar into what it is today with the designs of Antonio De Torres. In fact, Eddie Van Halen was always making adaptations to his guitars. He reimagined it often throughout his career.”

The guitar Nehemiah uses in class was Dean’s personal instrument.

“I added a strap,” said Dean, “and changed the nut and the saddle of the guitar so that it could be played left-handed. When someone plays the guitar, you have to think about all points of contact. You want him to have forgiveness, so that he can vary dynamically, to play softer or harder.” Dean explained.

Both instructors worked closely with each other, Nehemiah, and the engineering students to design an effective, assistive device that would provide an enhanced playing experience.

“My daughter is a Music Therapy major at Cleveland State who is concentrating on voice and guitar,” Weaver explained. “So I reached out to her and also to Nehemiah’s physical therapist, Dona Brown, during the development phase. They were both able to provide good feedback from the therapy side.”

After a few trials, a few errors, and three different prototypes, a final design was given to Nehemiah to use.

“This device helps Nehemiah with accuracy, to play melody and harmony,” said Mr. Dean. “He wouldn’t have been able to interact with the music in the same way without it.”

Weaver smiled, saying, “That’s what we [engineers] want to do - design things that make people’s lives better.”

*The Guitar Ensemble is a year-long class that has approximately 20 students currently enrolled. As a performance-based class, students will participate in the Holiday Concert on December 13th at 6:30 p.m. at Umstattd Performing Arts Hall, The All-City Strings Concert on Feb 28th at 6:00 at Umstattd, and a spring event in May.

Guitar instructor George Dean works with freshman musician Nehemiah Culver

Several young men enjoyed some personal time with Butler after the all-school assembly.

This device designed by Weaver and his pre-engineering students allows Culver to hold a pick.

Football legend shares his stories of adversity

Canton City 5th Graders Run the Town!

By Gary Kandel

Canton City 5th grade students all attended Junior Achievement’s Biztown in Columbus during the month of November. JA Biztown is an experience that combines inclass learning with a day-long visit to a simulated town. This popular learning experience allows elementary school students to operate banks, manage restaurants, write checks, and vote for mayor.

Students are able to connect the dots between what they learn in school and the real world.  Before attending, students participate in lessons that prepare them for experience.  Some concepts they study include discussing the roles they play as citizens, workers, and consumers in their community and

relate those roles to the free enterprise system.  JA Biztown promotes entrepreneurship and individual responsibility within the community.  Our students had a wonderful time!

Timken Company Volunteer Groups Support CCS

Participants offer personal touch

By Chastity Trumpower, Director of Student Services

We are fortunate to have great community partners that are always trying to find ways to connect with our students and families. This year, through our partnership with United Way, we were able to connect with two volunteer groups at the Timken Company.  It was a wonderful opportunity to learn how Timken encourages their staff to participate and volunteer their time towards initiatives that are important to them.

As part of their United Way campaign, The Timken Company hosted several volunteer events.  At one event, the Women’s International Network participated in an event to assemble 500 personal hygiene kits to be given to middle school girls within the Canton City School District.  Each kit contained several hygiene items and a handwritten note of encouragement for our girls!

The Multicultural Associate Resource Group held another event where 250 Spanish/English Bilingual Literacy Kits for kids in the Preschool to Third Grade Reading Level were created.  Included in the kits were notes, written in Spanish, to encourage our students to work hard and follow their dreams!

participated in these events on behalf of the Canton City Schools.  Mrs. Trumpower was given the opportunity to share with the team of volunteers other ways in which they can assist the Canton community to meet the needs of our families.  Our sincere appreciation goes out to all of these amazing people who go out of their way to make a difference in our community.

Handy Mejia-Compton, Jolinda Seiple, and Chastity Trumpower

Chastity Trumpower thanks Timken employees on behalf of the CCSD.

Timken volunteers write notes of encouragement to CCS students

Rhylie Thomas and Charlotte Clevenger (teacher)

Je’Laya Corner and Laila Simmons

eSports is Growing In Canton City Schools!

State-of-the-art equipment popular with gamers

By Tyler Smith

The McKinley Bulldogs eSports Team has grown so much since last year. They started with just twelve members their first season, grew to 24 members last year, and this year are 40 members strong and counting. Not only has it grown at the high school, but has expanded to each of the middle schools within the district.

The team isn’t the only aspect that has grown; so have the facilities and the games offered. The high school team doubled the number of gaming setups they have, from six to twelve, and moved to a bigger room to accommodate for the extra players and equipment. They have the newest generation of gaming consoles, as well as new

accessories such as keyboards, gaming mice, and better monitors. Not only that, but they have added Halo Infinite and Brawlhalla games for competition.

All of the eSports teams across the district compete in national leagues for the chance to win hundreds of thousands of dollars in scholarships. These leagues take

place in Fall and Spring, with other smaller online and in-person tournaments mixed in throughout the year. Each season consists of two weeks of preseason matches, eight weeks of regular season matches, and depending on their ranking at the end of the regular season, playoffs for a final tournament at the end. For each game, over 700 teams participate nationally.

This season, McKinley’s Valorant, Rocket League, and Halo Infinite teams are likely to qualify for playoffs! Being so new, McKinley has yet to have a team qualify for playoffs. In order to qualify, teams typically have to rank among the top 24-48 teams for that game in the entire league.

Each one of the varsity teams has maintained a top 48 standing so far during the regular season, so if they can maintain their placement during the final two weeks of the regular season, they will qualify to play in the playoffs.

Not only are they poised to make playoffs, but they competed in the Rocket Smash Tournament in person at Malone University last Spring. They took second place, winning some prize money and trophies.

With all of these successes and the amount of growth that has taken place, they are getting ready to grow even more, and the future of Bulldog eSports is looking very promising.

After School Programs Mix Fun & Learning

By Chastity Trumpower, Director of Student Services

Arts Academy Arts Academy students in the After-School Program went to Nick-a-Jack Farms Pumpkin Patch.  Children had the freedom to roam and pick their own pumpkins giving them a sense of pride.  This also provided a teaching opportunity on pumpkins, gourds, and other fruits and vegetables.

McKinley

Mr. Fox of McKinley High School teaches students guitar in the After-School Program.  Research shows that learning an instrument helps students with reading and math skills and also helps them develop self-esteem and confidence.

Focus On Phonics and Handwriting @Gibbs

New curriculum supports the needs of students

By Erika Irwin, Principal

Our students and teachers at Gibbs are working very hard this year learning new curriculums. All of our kindergarten through thirdgrade students are spending time every day working on the new 95% Phonics program and Handwriting Without Tears. Our teachers and assistants spent time over the summer learning how to support all students with these new and exciting materials.

Our Canton City School District has heard from families that their students need support in handwriting and cursive writing. Each student now has a structured handwriting lesson every day using all of their senses for a multimodality approach. Students get to trace on the iPads, use water and sponges to make letters, hear engaging video lessons on the screen, and make active motions to learn proper letter formation. Ask your student what letter they are working on, and you will be amazed at how much they can tell and show you! Ask them about the Mat Man!

Our new phonics program gives every student an opportunity to participate in grade-level lessons to ensure that all of our students are learning the exact sequence of phonics instruction needed to get them reading! Our students

are exposed to reading passages, spelling words, and writing activities every day.

All of our teachers are doing progress monitoring to check for growth. We are already excited about the progress we are seeing. Just yesterday I was able to observe a first-grade student who only knew his letters in August and is now reading words such as cat, bat, am, can, and sat. His voice was so full of excitement as he said,” Mrs. Irwin listen to me read!!!”

Many of you were able to attend our recent parent-teacher conferences to hear about your child’s academics. Families, you can be very proud of the hard work that your students are doing with reading and writing this year. Many of your students have received PBIS awards for working very hard, and have been presented with a certificate for their work.

Our teachers have found many fun ways to teach students to enjoy reading and writing. Students can often be seen dancing, singing, and having fun while working on grade-level skills to support instruction. If you would like more information on how to support your child at home with these skills be sure to Parent Square your stu-

dent’s teacher, and we will get you resources for use at home. We have many upcoming family events at Gibbs. Be sure to check your Parent Square posts about literacy events, family fun events, and our next conference dates. We value your partnership in education with you and your student.

Family Night at the AIM Academy Supports Literacy Success

It’s all a team effort!

By Kara Rankin, Principal

Literacy is an area that is very important to student success, and parents and families working together is critical for our children to achieve their reading goals.

In order to foster and strengthen family engagement in literacy development, AIM Academy @ Belden hosted  Family Night at “Camp Read-A-Lot.”

Our focus at  “Camp Read-A-Lot’’ was to build on the love of reading while spending time with friends and family. The adventure captured the imagination of our readers to hike through various interactive activities while promoting our 100 Book Reading Challenge and a love of reading.

Our campers were welcomed by our Camp Counselors and received a punch card to travel through the activities. Families stopped at the “Reading Pledge’’ station where they made a sleeping bag and per-

son while they learned about our 100 Book Challenge.

The pledge showed how important it is to read at home every day. Next stop, students picked a book and a finger flashlight and families then read together by the campfire or cuddled up in a tent. Our final stations were a sing-along around the campfire and a fun photo booth. The S’more Maker basket was raffled off and won by second-grader, Je’yah Turner. Families were able to sit down for dinner and enjoy hot dogs and snack mix. Once their punch cards were complete they received a bag of S’More mix before heading home. The S’more Maker basket was raffled off and won by second-grader, Je’yah Turner.

Family Night recognizes the importance of a team effort as AIM strives to develop successful, happy readers. By engaging all stakeholders including parents, teachers, and community, our children and

families experience the joy of reading and the success that comes with developing a community of support. A final shout-out to our staff for stepping up and becoming camp counselors for the night.

Sophia and Elizabeth Devitto-Skiles

ARTSmart Store Is Much More Than Shopping!

Arts Academy store promotes a positive school culture

By Matthew Chambers, Dean of Students

Shopping local has taken on new meaning for the students at the Arts Academy at Summit.  A dedicated team of staff, students, and parents designed and now operate ARTSmart, the Arts Academy’s new PBIS school store. Located inside the school cafeteria, ARTSmart is open to all students every other week during a DLC (library) or lunch period. Students earn Bulldog Bucks daily for attending school and for following behavior expectations throughout the day. In a single week a student has the opportunity to earn $50.00 or more by simply following BARK; Be Prepared, Act Responsibly, Respect Self and Others, and Keep Learning.

But the main goal isn’t to just have a great school store, it is to create a positive school culture where teachers and students can focus on learning instead of challenging behavior. So far, ARTSmart has been a success in motivating students and helping them see the benefit in making positive choices. The store has also helped them practice their math skills and learn about teamwork, responsibility, and entrepreneurship.

With more than 200 students shopping in a week, keeping the shelves stocked with quality products and meaningful experiences is a welcomed challenge, as Arts Academy staff, families, and community partners have all stepped up to

help support the store. Certainly one of the best outcomes so far is the sense of community as more and more families and partners get involved with the store. Amanda Clark, a mother of two Arts Academy students and a professional graphic artist and painter, recently lent her time and talents to the store by designing and painting the ARTSmart logo and entrance.

When asked about her creative contributions Mrs. Clark said, “I know that teachers and educators have a hard job when teaching (behavior) expectations in the school environment, so I love being able to share my creative talents to help support them in that capacity.”

Perhaps you too have a talent or even just the interest to help the Arts Academy create a positive school environment through ARTSmart or another incentive based program. If you’re interested in volunteering or donating to help support ARTSmart or one of several other PBIS programs, please contact Mr. Chambers, Dean of Students, at chambers_m@ccsdistrict.org or by calling the school at (330) 452-6537.

McGregor First Quarter Highlights!

Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports lead to fun rewards

By Angela Seders, Principal

We’ve been extremely busy at McGregor the first quarter of the 22-23 school year.

Once again our PBIS team continues to plan fun events for our students to participate in. Spirit week was a huge hit with our students and staff.

We held our annual Trick-or-Treat Event and also raised money for our School Store through a Pie Smashing Fundraiser! Our students with 100% attendance for the month of October enjoyed ice cream sundaes!

Our classrooms have been abuzz with learning opportunities. Our 6th graders visited Hale Farm and Village, where they toured the grounds and watched a real blacksmith.  Our 5th graders traveled to Columbus to participate in JA Bizztown, where they were able to interact with various elements of economics and government.

Fourth-graders had a visit from Museum to Go, where local artists

from Arts in Stark collaborated with them to create projects.

Lastly, we hosted our Fall Literacy Night that was themed “A Night at the Movies.”  Our families participated in movie-themed literacy events during our fall conferences around the book, “Marcus Makes a Movie”, the night was a huge hit with our families.

Mrs. Brandon (DLC Teacher) and Mrs. Clark (parent and artist) celebrating the new ARTSmart logo and painted sign.

Arts Academy 4th grade students enjoying their VIP Lunch Table experience purchased from ARTSmart.

Future Facilities Proposal Aims for Neighborhood

BOE vote set for Dec. 19

By Superintendent Jeff Talbert

By now, we hope everyone is aware of the new facilities plan we have proposed. We are truly excited about the positive feedback and thoughtful questions we’ve received at our four in-person community meetings and our many virtual meetings with families and staff.

An endeavor such as this requires the support of all of our stakeholders. While we are always open to adjustments to the plan, we are confident that the underlying premise for it is solid and important for the future success of our community.

In the Canton City School District, one of our core values is building community.

Implementing this plan, which will create neighborhood elementary schools, brings us closer to fulfilling our role of not only educating our students but supporting our community.

Each of our new facilities will have space dedicated to family resources. Family resource centers support our efforts of providing wraparound services for students and families.

In short, this plan is about building a stronger district one neighborhood, one school, one classroom, and one student at a time.

The Recommendation:

The $120 million facilities project includes:

- Establishing eight elementary schools that would serve students in kindergarten through sixth grade at AIM Academy at Belden, Arts Academy at Summit, Gibbs, Harter, Patrick, a new building at Souers, a new building at Mason, and the existing building Youtz with a 40,000-square-foot addition.

- Building a new McKinley High School on the Timken Career Campus that connects to the recently approved Bulldog Activity Center. McKinley’s athletic facilities would remain at 2323 17th Street NW. High school students would not use the original historic Timken building, but it would still continue to house our Adult Education Program. McKinley athletics would continue to use the Fieldhouse, Natatorium, and Turk Alberta locker room facilities at 17th Street NW.

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We would discontinue the use of the district’s Business Service Center, Stone, Schreiber, Mason, and Fairmount, joining the already no longer used Baxter, Dueber, and Souers properties. The former Timken Early College High School building will be incorporated into the new build.

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The preschool center would move to Worley, Fairmount Learning Center to Clarendon, and The Nadine McIlwain Administrative Center to Cedar. Mason, Worley, Stone, and BVA-Mason students would attend the new K-6 elementary school constructed on the Mason site. Cedar and McGregor students would attend the new K-6 elementary school constructed on the Souers site. Harter and Gibbs transition from K-3 buildings to K-6 buildings.

The Why

This plan is needed to further reduce the number of aging buildings the district uses, save money on repairs, reduce duplication of services, and better fit our enrollment of nearly 8,000 students down from 13,000 20 years ago.

Two and a half years ago we set out with goals to improve our culture and climate, align systems and structures across the district, and remove barriers to learning. Achieving these would ultimately raise student achievement.

We called this the Design for Excellence plan and as part of it, we moved third grade to the elementary schools, created a centrally located preschool center, and made two of our elementary schools K-6 schools.

So far what we have seen from these changes are increased enrollment at the preschool level and the largest increase in third-grade reading scores in recent years. We are starting to see evidence and a change in the behaviors of our sixth-graders since they have been back in our elementary schools.

Fast forward to today and we know that our community wants K-6 schools for all of our students. The staff wants it because it allows them more years with families and students. Building relationships is very important to our success and ability to motivate. Also, frequent transitioning from one building to another can cause students to regress.

Elementary Schools and New, Modern McKinley

Furthermore, our buildings, some of which were built in the 1930s, are failing.

And let’s talk about McKinley High School sitting in the center of a tourist attraction that will continue to grow. What did we envision when the HOF Village was a concept? Many of us were seeing opportunities for students to participate in sports science research. I pictured a retirement community for ex-NFL players.

The village has evolved into an entertainment complex that includes a Starbucks, Smoosh Cookies,

sports betting, and alcohol. Don’t misunderstand me, we have a great relationship with them, and we need and want them to be successful. This wouldn’t even be possible without them. The other side of that is expecting our students to ignore the temptations that will continue to pop up around them.

How will we pay for it?:

A 1999 bond that funded the Design for the Future renovations and new schools such as Cedar, Harter, Gibbs, Clarendon, Beldon, Worley, Patrick, and McGregor, will be paid off in 2023 and would allow for a new bond which would

basically be a renewal that will generate at least $50 million. The district is also benefiting from increased tax revenue being generated from the property improvements in what is now the Hall of Fame Village. The tax-increment financing (TIF) agreement that Hall of Fame Village has to support their project will expire in less than 30 years. In short, some of the revenue we receive as a result of the TIF will cease to exist when it expires.

Recapturing the revenue from the 1999 bond and the increased tax revenue, combined with the

savings generated from reduced duplication and the elimination of deferred maintenance, will allow us to fund this project with a minimal increase to taxpayers.

The greater why

Four words: Our kids deserve it. We are building a legacy for the next generation.

This legacy of high-quality education in state-of-the-art environments for students furthers a strong city. It makes families want to come here and stay here.

Our goal is to be a hub for our families with new buildings that have community space in the center for partners, job support, health support, food pantries, and more.

The renderings of these buildings are printed in this issue, but they are just ideas. We have not designed them. The final designs will be a collaboration between the experts and our students, staff, and community.

I will present a recommendation to the Board of Education on December 19. If the board agrees to move forward, we will go to work on the bond issue and levy requirement which would be on the ballot in May. If those are approved, we will spend a year designing and getting input from the community. We’re going to take our time and do it right if the community allows us to do it.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email us at sbplan@ccsdistrict.org.

Crenshaw Student Council Leading the Way

Teaching our youth about leadership and community pride

By Nathan Clark

It’s amazing what young people can accomplish if simply given the opportunity and the newly formed Crenshaw Middle School Student Council has proven that in the first month of its existence.

Two of our 8th-grade teachers, Howard Curry and Rochelle Seibert, began seeking out applicants for our student council back in September. Mr. Curry says his goal in starting the student council was to “help the school overall achieve school pride but help create leaders within the school.” Also, Mrs. Seibert says that they wanted to challenge the students to be servant leaders by accomplishing one service project a month. Students that were interested were asked to submit a formal application.

During their first couple of meetings, Mr. Curry and Mrs. Seibert had the students brainstorm different service projects that they would like to undertake. The first service project that was settled on was to have the student council

oversee a school-wide canned food drive. The students set a goal of collecting 1,000 cans of food and over a span of a few weeks, they led the campaign to have every homeroom in the building collect canned food and dried goods. The student council organized the effort, sent out daily communications, collected food, and tallied up the amount. After all was said and done the council raised over 3,000 food items, totaling over 1500lbs of food!

If that effort alone does not give you hope for our younger generation just read the response below by one of the council members when asked why he wanted to be on the student council:

Ayonis Kelley, an eighth-grader said, “I want people to know we take pride in everything we do and we want to change the world little by little…I hope to put smiles on people’s faces. I know sometimes people have bad days and sometimes it will last for very long

periods of time, but there is always a tomorrow to improve the rights and the wrongs, and by making them smile they could possibly share it and make it spread and bloom.”

Crenshaw Middle School is full of students that take pride in their community and their school. Our student council is leading by example and will continue pursuing to serve the community with future projects. Stay tuned and be on the lookout for more great things to come.

Howard Curry & Rochelle Seibert

Students in pic from left to right: Pa’Zania Howell, Xochitl Fiesco Guzman, Sumer McClelland, Amya Pritchett, Ayonis Kelley

Spiders, Snakes, and Chinchillas Oh My!

Akron Zoo offers in-school enrichment at Youtz

By Brennen Endres, Principal

Thanks to a partnership with the Akron Zoo, 4th Grade Students at Youtz Intermediate School have had an opportunity to get up close with some animals they don’t get to see every day.

Along with learning about the unique characteristics of each of these animals, the students have also learned some valuable life lessons about themselves.

The zoo has introduced our students to a white turtle dove, a tarantula, a chinchilla, and a parrot that talks! More animals are yet to come. Our students loved it.

The zoo staff has developed and delivered to our students a variety of social- emotional lessons to help our students with self awareness, self-management, social aware-

ness, and relationship building skills. These are life lessons that all students need.

The students will have six sessions with zoo personnel to introduce them to some very cool animals and then work in groups to solve some problems. As an example, students had to collaborate and build a prehensile tail that could bear weight. They learned some new vocabulary with this lesson. In another lesson after observing the tarantula, the kids learned to not judge a book by its cover, then build a web that can sustain some weight over 36 inches.

Our students loved the opportunity to do some great STEM activities as well as learn about some animals and replacing myths with facts. Thank you Akron Zoo!

It’s A Fourth Grade Cinderella Story!

STEAMM project based learning is a ball

By Dr. Bernetta Harrell-Snell

In physical education class, students learned how to ballroom dance and created masquerade masks in Art class. In English Language Arts (ELA), they did a close-read of Cinderella and then developed opinion essays about Cinderella’s story. In math, students created a budget to shop for supplies, centerpieces, and ingredients needed, and in science students created mini carriages that would be balanced and made leak-proof to use as drinking cups at the Ball.  In Social Studies, students researched different types

of Cinderella stories and created historical comparisons of them.  Cinderella Senior (4th-grade teacher, Ande’Marie Green), Cinderella Junior (Amari Nelson), the Fairy Godmother (Assistant Principal, Bobbie Grimm), and Prince Charming (4th-grade teacher, Michael Watson) were also Special guests at the Ball.

Two McKinley Seniors Earn AP certificates

Achievement requires advanced studies and independent research

By Lisa Reicosky, CCSD Communications

Paige Lowry and Kassandra Ketchum have earned the prestigious AP Seminar and Research Certificates by excelling in their Advanced Placement coursework. Over one million US students participate in AP coursework each year but only 7000 earn these certificates.

Rhonda Kates, CCSD Coordinator of Gifted Services, said that unlike traditional AP subject exams with a single end-of-year assessment, AP Seminar and AP Research assessments are project-based and evaluate skills mastered through group projects, presentations, and individual essays completed throughout the year.

“Instead of focusing on one specific academic discipline, AP Seminar and AP Research are interdisciplinary: students are empowered to create research projects based on topics of personal interest, and they are assessed on critical thinking, research, collaboration, time management, and presentation skills needed to complete their projects,” she explained.

Kassie also earned the AP Scholar Award when she scored above the national and international average on at least three of her AP exams!

Kates credits their teachers, Jessica Friesner, Manuel Halkias, and Cheryl Bissmeyer for presenting an in-depth curriculum and investing in the students’ success.

Friesner, their research teacher said AP Research can be very daunting.

“Students have to design and conduct their own research to fill a gap in what has already been written about their chosen topic. It takes quite a bit of time to sort through the scholarly literature, design and implement a method to collect new data, and analyze the results of their study,” she explained. “The choice of topic is completely open to each student, which can be overwhelming, to say the least.”

Friesner said the girls never gave up, even though there was uncertainty in the beginning.

“Many times they doubted themselves and their choices -- all a natural part of the process -- but trusted me enough to stick with it. Their perseverance made me so proud!” she said.

AP Seminar teacher Halkias said both girls showed an inquisitive approach to the research process and were very eager to learn and go into depth on chosen research projects.

“They are thorough, concise, and intellectual students. I am so proud of them,” he said.

Bissmeyer, AP English and Language Composition teacher said she only had the pleasure of having Kassie in her class and that she is one of the most self-motivated, highly engaged students she’s ever taught.

“She is always highly engaged during class activities, discussion, and reading sessions.  Her work is always thorough and thoughtful. In every way, her outstanding attitude leads to outstanding work,” Bissmeyer said.

“On a personal level, Kassie is a young woman of strong will and solid values. The classes I teach afford me ample opportunity to get to know students personally, given that each subject is discussion- and issue-based.  Kassie has strong opinions, based on deep thought and analysis, but she is also open to other points of view,” wrote Bissmeyer. “She is not only willing, but anxious, to hear and to weigh what others have to say.”

~ Jessica

Q: Tell us a little about your AP research project:

A: My AP Research project was centered around the American feminist movement and the early 2000s TV show, “Gilmore Girls.”

I wanted to see if there was any correlation between the growth of

the American feminist movement and the television show and if Gilmore Girls had any impact on that growth. I chose to connect “Gilmore Girls” to the movement specifically because the show focuses on a single mother and her teenage daughter and it is a remarkably feminist show in itself. In the end, I found that there was no correlation between the two, and if there was, there’d be no way to prove that unless every woman who watched the show as it aired was interviewed, which was something I was incapable of doing. The project was still incredibly interesting, and it helped me to learn a lot about the American feminist movement and how it can relate to the content I consume.

Q: What were some of your challenges?

A: One of my biggest challenges was a lack of resources. As I already stated, I did not have the means to interview women who watched the show as it aired to see if it changed their feminist beliefs. I also did not have access to scripts from the show, and there was not a lot of research on my topic, two things that challenged me greatly. Time was also a huge challenge. I only had around nine months to research my question and write the paper, and towards the end of the process, I was rushing to get it done. My own personal bias was also a huge challenge to overcome. Gilmore Girls is my all-time favorite TV show, so moving past my feelings for the show and looking at it objectively was extremely challenging.

Q: What did you learn about yourself in this process?

A: Through this process, I learned that I am not the greatest at time management. As previously stated, I had to rush a lot at the end. While some of that is because of the time restraint, some of it is also because I did not manage my time wisely and was convinced I had more time than I did. I also learned that researching a topic I’m genuinely interested in can

We asked the students to tell us about their projects:

Kassandra Ketchum

Kassandra

Ketchum

“Kassie is meticulous. She has an eye for detail and spent months carefully taking notes to collect her data. She doesn’t shy away from a challenge … Her humor and wit made our lessons fun, and her willingness to ask questions helped create an environment where not knowing the answer right away was not treated as weakness.”.

Friesner

be a lot of fun. Researching and writing this paper took a lot of hard work, but I still found myself enjoying the process and even looking forward to it at times. That made the process easier, and it also let me know that I could easily do this again if it was on a topic I’m interested in.

Q: Anything you would like me to know?

A: AP Research was an amazing experience for me. I learned a lot about both my topic and myself, and would do it again if I could. I recommend it to any high schooler who wants to learn more about themselves, a specific topic, or even how to write academic papers.

fects society. Many women feel the need to cover up because how society enforces that if you have fewer clothes on that you are more likely to be assaulted. However, after much research, convicted offenders said they targeted women who wore more layers of clothing because it showed they had less confidence.

Paige stands up for the marginalized and is passionate about combating bigotry. She fiercely defends those who don’t have voices and isn’t afraid to speak up when she sees injustice around her. …

A: Some of the challenges I had during this project was procrastination. I spent a lot of nights finishing this project when I could have just done it in class. It was also difficult to ask for help because the teacher cannot help me with my paper, and I only had one other person in the class to help. Peer edits were hard because we only had one opinion for our papers.

Q: What did you learn about yourself in this process?

A: Something I learned about myself was my determination to find the research for this project. It was hard work and I set my mind to finishing this project. I also learned how to write an essay much better, after writing this I felt it was easier to write for my other classes.

Q: Anything you would like to share?

A: Something that I would like to let you know is that I chose this topic because I strongly feel that dress code is an issue all around the world. There are a lot of cases of assault and people are not listening to the victim. Instead, people ask “what were you wearing”. This is an issue and we should not be blaming the victim for their assault.

Q: Tell us a little about your AP research project:

A: My AP research project was about dress code and how it af-

Women with a skirt on seem like they have more confidence, and would fight back. Some offenders also said they cannot remember what the person was wearing. However, feeling the need to cover up can stem from dress codes they need to follow in school. You cannot show bra straps, shoulders, mid-drift, etc..

She knows who she is and what her strengths and weaknesses are; she isn’t afraid to recognize when she may be struggling and ask for help.

~ Jessica Friesner

schools had a dress code. Then once they are in middle school the dress code stays consistent until they graduate high school.

Schools start this strict dress code after elementary school, and I noticed that barely any elementary

Q: What were some of your challenges?

ATTN: Coming January 2023...

Update to CCS Visitor Management System

Visitors will notice a change in the process when visiting our school buildings after the winter break.

The district will begin utilizing the Navigate Prepare Visitor Management System starting in January 2023. This system allows us to keep our students and staff safe and at the same time continue to make our community feel welcome.

Jason Dixon, Assistant Superintendent, says that the upgrade supports an increase in security and reduces the disruption of the visitor

check-in process, while discretely vetting each visitor or volunteer.

“The goal of this program is to create a seamless and unified process across buildings to continue to provide a safe and secure learning environment,” Dixon said.

Building staff will be trained in December in order to fully support the implementation. In addition,

each building has received the required equipment to be up and running by January. Information on what visitors will expect to see will be shared via all of our district communication platforms in mid-December.

Paige Lowry

Paige Lowry

“Success is peace of mind, which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to become the best of which you are capable.”

~ John Wooden

Preschool Programs Support Literacy Development

Early Learning Center @ Schreiber

By Linnea Olbon, Director, Early Childhood

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.  But what really makes our program so special?

First, the ELC is staffed with genuinely loving teachers, who have a minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree in early childhood, and education assistants, who are co-teachers and invested in teaching and learning, as well as the students they serve.

In addition, pre-academics are embedded in the day-to-day purposeful play that takes place at the Center.  Letter and sound identification, language development, vocabulary, and print knowledge are just some skills that support our focus on pre-literacy development.

Some fantastic programs that help support our pre-literacy focus include, but are not limited to:

• The Stark County Bookmobile that visits each classroom many times throughout the year;

• The Book Vending Machine that is found in the Center, where students earn tokens to insert in the machine and get a book of their very own to keep;

• The STAR program, which was founded by the Ohio State University and piloted in our program. Teachers/Education Assistants read a focused book, several times throughout the week, and then students take the book, at the end of the week, to keep and add to their home libraries.  Parents and caregivers are encouraged to read the book to students over the weekend, or even have students read it to them!  At the end of the school year, students have a minimum of 20 books in their homes!

Research shows that exposure to literacy at a young age leads to improved linguistic skills, a richer vocabulary, improved grammar, higher quality writing, better spelling, and more precise oral communication.  These skills allow our youngest learners to enter kindergarten with a love of books and a readiness to learn.

Early College High School @ Lehman

By Ken Brunner, Principal

Early College alumnus Fred Moore works in the Legislative Affairs Office of Governor Mike Dewine in Columbus Ohio. He has his master’s Degree and came to Canton at the request of Ruth Dubinsky to speak to our Early College Seniors during their senior seminar.

Fred talked about the importance of networking. He mentioned that he started networking because of his experience with our CAST (Caring And Serving Together) program

in our building. He was also in our golf caddie program. In the program, the students caddied in Glenmoor Country Club. During his 5 years in the program, he met with doctors, attorneys, business leaders, engineers, and financial managers who control multi-billion-dollar hedge funds.

He spoke about the importance of studying and told the students that when they are in their college classes that they must take advantage of the professors’ office hours. He said his

magic number is to see his professor during office hours at least four times a semester.

Fred also mentioned the importance of doing homework. Try to get 100% on the homework and quizzes, that will help you with tests, he said. When you are doing homework use your office hours to get help and make sure that your answers are correct.

This was a powerful presentation for our students.

The Stark County Bookmobile is a frequent visitor to the center.

Phoenix Miller and Harper Cox at the Book Vending Machine, a source of many smiles this year.

Journee Moore and Summer Dodson.

Fred Moore, Class of 2016, addresses seniors

Bulldog Virtual Academy 9-12 & Choices High School

Celebrating success and working towards future goals

By Pamela Bernabei-Rorrer, Principal

Bulldog Virtual Academy grades 9-12, located at the Downtown Timken Career Campus, has a reason to celebrate our hardworking students. Students not only excel with engaging in their virtual learning, but take the initiative to report for instruction with their teachers here in the classroom when assistance is needed. We want to congratulate those students who earned a spot on the Honor Roll and Merit Roll lists for the first marking period! We would also like to recognize those students who have made a spectacular improvement in their coursework and deserve recognition as our Students of the Month! Students of the Month for BVA this year are also recognized below.

Choices High School students are actively working towards their high school diploma. In addition to earning their core competencies, students are also engaging in “Future Fridays” this school year. On Friday mornings, community employers, colleges, and trade schools have presented opportunities for our students upon graduation. It is Choices’ goal to have each student graduate with a plan for a successful future.

We also want to give a special shout-out and a big congratulations to Jacob Auman. Jacob completed his ILP during the month of October and is officially a 2022-2023 Choices High School Graduate working full-time!  We are very proud of how hard all our Choices students continue to excel as they get one step closer to their goal of becoming high school graduates. Keep up the hard work!

BVA HONOR ROLL

STUDENTS:

Alana Burrows

Mia Moore

Leylah Harley

Megan Dunn

Ezekiel Mathews

Jacob Heppe

Armani Hobson

Amber Winn

Evelyn Beverly

Autumn Cox

Shawn Hewitt

Cecilia Miranda

Juliette Conrad  Marissa Bennett

Kayla McCoy

McKenzie Neff

Ciearra Weston

Kelis Taylor

Carter Beckley

Tatum Zauszniewski

BVA MERIT ROLL

STUDENTS:

Nathen Garner

Celia Curiel-Lomeli  Kaylee Pritchett  Andrew Lint  Arianna Barnes Jennifer Christman

September BVA Students of the Month:

Leylah Harley

Celia Curiel-Lomeli Andrew Lint Marissa Bennett

October BVA Students of the Month:

Nathen Garner

Ezekiel Mathews

Cecilia Miranda Jennifer Christman

Celia Curiel-Lomeli, 10th-grade BVA

Andrew Lint, 11th-grade BVA Jacob Auman, Recent Choices Graduate

Bulldog Virtual Academy@Mason

This is what virtual learning looks like!

By Nikki Cebula, Principal

As our school year approaches the holiday season, we have so much to be grateful for at BVA — Our students, families, our community, and our amazing staff!  Each person plays an important part of our successes, and each person is doing their part.

Do you wonder what virtual learning looks like? I bet many of you do because for most of us our only experience was during the shutdown. However, that is not what it looks like anymore. Canton City Schools can boast that we have a robust online program that can really help families who need a different school experience.

At BVA @ Mason, our day for students starts promptly at 9:30. The entire school has a morning meeting each day to set the tone to have a successful day. Morning meeting is also a great time for kids to share with each other and make friends. Throughout the day, students are required to attend live meetings via Google Meet with their teachers for all subjects. There is a little bit of flexibility because all students have classwork to do independently, and can do that anytime before the next day. Students have a full day of learning, and boy are they!

At BVA, we follow the same assessment schedule as the rest of the district, and I personally love to see the tremendous growth our students make. In fact, we are so proud of one of our 3rd-grade stu-

dents, Patrick, who is designing a language course!

Probably the most popular thing we do is our “Level Up.” This time on Wednesdays is set aside for socialization, and we all love it. All students deserve friends! Level Up brings our school some really fun times while the kids play Bingo, make wraps, play Kahoot, and much more!

As mentioned earlier, we love our families here at BVA!  Recently we held our first Family Night for this year, and it was themed Treasure Island. Two of our community partners, the SAMM center and the Library, joined us. I’d say the Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches were a highlight! Our families came together and enjoyed some fun, fellowship, and reading. We are

looking forward to our next event, BVA Under The Stars, where we will have a star lab, s’mores, and more!

At BVA @ Mason, we have the opportunity to provide a different kind of school experience for our students, and for many, it is a game changer! We love the BVA and look forward to the rest of this year, and many more to come.

FAA Certified Drone Remote Pilot License @Timken

Photography students learn about growing industry

By Ben Carter, CTE Director

McKinley’s CTE Commercial Photography students are working towards a new Industry-Recognized Credential. Junior and Senior students can test for the Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate. Under the Federal Aviation Administration’s Small UAS Rule (Part 107), drone pilots must hold this certificate to fly commercially. Passing the test indicates that students understand regulations, operating requirements, and procedures set forth by the FAA.

The Remote Pilot Certificate can apply to a wide range of industries including infrastructure, search and rescue, energy, insurance, agriculture, and cinematography According to Quadintel, the global drone inspection, and monitoring market was $7.47 billion in 2021 and will grow to $35.15 billion by 2030. Big thanks to instructor Heather Hutmacher for providing this industry-recognized credential for Canton City School students.

STEAMM 7th-Graders Pick Their Project

It’s all about finding their “genius”

By Bernetta Harrell-Snell

The PBL experience for 7thgrade students was a Genius Hour project in which students had to select a topic that they were very interested in. “They had to research it and then create a project that demonstrated what they learned about the topic,” said GTT Engineering teacher, Coach Brian Mishak.

Christopher Dave, 7th Grade Team Leader said, “Our parents and guardians should be extremely proud of our students that had a project to present for Genius Hour. For seven weeks these students worked on these projects and the time they put into them was on full display. I have been in the district for seven years and this was the best day I’ve had as an educator. Seeing the student’s hard work on display was a memory that I will carry with me throughout my years here in the district.”

Early College Middle School @ Lehman

By Troy Russell, Principal

We had a very busy action-packed first grading period at Early College Middle School. There have been so many fantastic things happening both in and out of the classroom.

I wanted to give a big shout-out to our 7th-grade students for rolling up their sleeves as they took a field trip to the Akron Canton Foodbank. These 7th-grade students are taking part in the TomTod What If 101. This program looks to empower middle school students and to get them to think big and look for ways to improve our community. Social Studies teacher Mr. Cole with Mr. Sanders from TomTod organized this amazing trip for students. Students moved and sorted over 6000 pounds of food or 7000 meals for the greater Canton community.

We also have a group of former TomTod 8th-graders working in conjunction with their counterparts from Plain Local in discussing student transiency. It is great to see our students working to find solutions to improve our community.

Speaking of the ECMS community, we hosted a number of community

events during the first grading period. First up, it was great to see all of the fathers, significant figures, and grandparents who attended breakfast for the Fathers Walk Your Student to School Day and the first annual Grandparents Day. We also hosted a Halloween Dance put on by the student council in which students got to let loose. It is great to see all of the Bulldog Pride on display as we continue to build excellence, leadership, and community here at Early College Middle School.

Finally, it was great to celebrate student academic success. We hosted an ice cream social for our honor and merit roll students. We had 123 7th and 8th-grade students who earned honor and merit roll, with 18 students earning a GPA of 4.0 or above!

Coach Mishak checks out his students’ Genius Projects

Students volunteering at the Foodbank.

Working on real-world problems. Celebrating academic success

So much happening at ECMS!

Worley’s Wellness Wednesdays

Focusing on emotional health

By Julie Addessi, Assistant Principal

Each day we send our students to school to experience the full gamut of learning opportunities. Worley teachers and staff support students as they grow skills in reading, writing, math, science, social studies, music, art, technology, physical education, and other academic subjects.

But while our dedicated Worley staff works to foster new interests and passions for our students, there is another way to demonstrate how our school community supports the development of the whole student, and that is through the culture of wellness. Teaching students to value their emotional well-being is just as important as their academic, physical, and social growth.

As Worley students make their way through these years, it has become even more important that we equip them with the skills they will need to persevere through the trials and tribulations associated with the human condition. In December 2021, the U.S. Surgeon General issued an Advisory that “called for a swift and

coordinated response to this crisis as the nation continues to battle the COVID-19 pandemic.” In this advisory are “recommendations for individuals, families, community organizations, technology companies, and governments to improve the mental health of children, adolescents, and young adults.”

One such company, Lululemon, has taken this charge quite seriously by donating yoga mats for each Worley student and staff member. Former employee Nicholas Lovric made it his personal mission to improve the health of Canton City School students, as he is a native of Canton, Ohio. Yoga mats were donated to both Clarendon Leadership School and Worley Elementary by the “Here to Be” partnership with Lululemon. “Here to Be” is Lululemon’s social impact program.

The mission: Together we disrupt inequity in well-being through movement, mindfulness, and advocacy. Worley Elementary is proud to be a part of this program, and we are enjoying the mats.

Students practice yoga on mats donated by Lululemon.

Ready, Set, & Blast Off To Space!!

STEAMM 5th graders are on par with project based learning

By Vanessa Board

The 5th graders at STEAMM Academy launched their Planetary PuttPutt Golf course on November 4th to an exuberant audience of AIM Academy 3rd graders.

This culminating event was a problem-based learning unit (PBL), which focused mainly on planetary knowledge, position in reference to the Sun, and how their planet’s position affects its climate and geography.

The Planetary PBL was kicked off with a visit to Sluggers and Putters in Canal Fulton in September. Students used the LAUNCH design process and took notes while playing each individual putt-putt hole. “Sluggers and Putters was a wonderful partner to work with. They shut down the whole place so our students could experience their two miniature golf courses,” said Coach Vanessa Board, 5th grade Social Studies teacher at STEAMM. “We wanted to build their background knowledge of miniature golf since over half of the 5th grade had never played putt-putt,” acknowledged Board.

Fifth-grade Math teacher Juliann Doerschuk said, “The students truly enjoyed gaining background knowledge and inspiration.”

After their field trip, students were set to work on their overall sketches and designs. Fifth-grade Science teacher Jay Bretzin led the PBL in the science department.

“The students worked well together and used their creativity to display what they learned,” said Bretzin.

As the students gained planetary knowledge, ELA teacher Charlotte Clevenger facilitated the students as they crafted an informative

5-paragraph essay about their planet. The essay focused on climate, weather, position from the Sun, and fun facts.

“Students were excited to research their planet’s landscapes, climate, and history. This excitement led to engagement throughout the writing process,” stated Clevenger.

Coach Doerschuk integrated the student’s planet knowledge into mathematical skills like scale and measurement.

During the students’ research, the 5th-grade team reached out to Angela Palomba, Executive Director of First Tee, to further their knowledge about the game of golf and how best to incorporate that into their designs. Palomba sent Mindy Pamer, Outreach Coordinator, and Terry Taylor, Golf Professional & Program Director, to STEAMM on October 19th. The 5th-graders listened intently on how golf clubs are designed and the overall etiquette of the game. Pamer and Taylor explained how First Tee has many opportunities for our students to expand their golfing knowledge firsthand.

Loaded with information about golf, their planets, and putt-putt, the 5th-graders collaborated with our STEAMM 7th graders.

“I wanted to add another layer to their knowledge regarding their planets,” said Board, “I spoke with Social Studies teacher, Coach Ryan Smith, about having his 7th-grade students share their information about Ancient Greek and Roman Gods and Goddesses.”

“This cross-curricular grade-level event really engaged both sets of

students,” said Coach Smith.

The 7th-graders were the experts. They were able to teach the 5th-graders about how their planets were named after the Greek and Roman Gods and Goddesses and their characteristics. The 5th graders took this information and incorporated it into the designs of their golf holes.

The 5th-grade team set aside two building days to allow the student teams to build their putt-putt holes with recycled materials.

Harter Party Glows With Positivity!

By Kathy Kisha-Wise, Principal

HARTER is continuing to grow our BULLDOG culture. At the end of September, students were celebrated with a GLOW PARTY for practicing BARK Behaviors in August and September. The gym lights were low, the glow lights were on and Harter Bulldogs danced in perfect glowing BARK fashion with glow-in-the-dark decorations, necklaces, and bracelets. At the end of October, Harter Bulldogs dressed up and trick or treated our way around the playground on a sunny warm fall afternoon. Staff got in on the fun of celebrat-

ing with costumes like pumpkin patches, boxes of crayons, Angry Carrots, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, The Wizard of Oz, and a trio of Rock, Paper, Scissors. Students dressed in a variety of costumes including princesses, superheroes, and scarecrows. In addition, October gave an opportunity for BARK behavior to be celebrated with a Bulldog Pawprint bracelet for meeting the BARK expectations. PBIS culture & reward events are all about setting the tone of a family of Bulldogs who BARK to make

Harter the best it can be! We look forward to more opportunities to build a culture of success and cele-

“The students enjoyed building and being able to show off their knowledge to the students from AIM Academy,” said Bretzin.

“It was fantastic to see the students piece together their learning and show off their skills. This learning experience will be one they remember forever,” stated Doerschuk.

bration as our Bulldogs pick up on a schoolhouse where learning of all kinds can be fun!

Mindy Pamer and Terry Taylor of First Tee speak with students.

Basketball - Boys Varsity

Date Start End H/A Opponent/Title Site Type

Sports

Wrap-Up

12/09/2022 7:15 PM 8:15 PM H

GlenOak HS

Canton Memorial Fieldhouse League 12/13/2022 7:30 PM 10:30 PM A Maple Heights HS Maple Hts HS Non-League Athletic Center

12/16/2022 7:15 PM 9:15 PM A Perry HS-Massillon Perry HS-Massillon League Perry HS Main Gym

12/20/2022 7:15 PM 8:15 PM H Brecksville-Broadview Canton Memorial Fieldhouse Non-League Heights HS

12/23/2022 6:30 PM 8:30 PM A Warren G Harding HS Warren G Harding HS Gym League 12/31/2022 1:00 PM 2:30 PM H Massillon Washington HS Canton Memorial Fieldhouse Non-League 01/06/2023 7:15 PM 8:15 PM H Green HS/MS-Uniontown Canton Memorial Fieldhouse League 01/10/2023 7:15 PM 8:45 PM A Jackson HS-Massillon Jackson League HS -Massillon Main Gym

01/13/2023 7:15 PM 8:15 PM H North Canton Hoover HS/MS Canton Memorial Fieldhouse League 01/15/2023 2:00 PM 3:30 PM A Spectrum Orthopaedics North Canton Hoover HS/MS Tournament Classic (Archbishop Hoover Gym Hoban HS)

01/20/2023 7:15 PM 8:45 PM A Uniontown Lake HS/MS Uniontown Lake HS/MS League Main Gym 01/24/2023 7:15 PM 9:15 PM A GlenOak HS GlenOak HS Gym League 01/27/2023 7:30 PM 9:30 PM H PerryHS-Massillon Canton Memorial Fieldhouse League 01/31/2023 7:30 PM 9:00 PM A Wadsworth HS/MS Wadsworth HS Main Gym Non-League 02/03/2023 7:15 PM 9:15 PM A Green HS/MS - Uniontown Green HS/MS Main Gym League 02/10/2023 7:15 PM 8:15 PM

Jackson HS-Massillon Canton Memorial Fieldhouse League 02/11/2023 6:00 PM 7:30 PM

Thomas Worthington HS Thomas Worthington HS League Main Gym 02/14/2023 7:00 PM 7:30 PM

Basketball - Girls Varsity

GlenOak HS Gym League 12/14/2022 7:15 PM 8:15 PM H Perry HS-Massillon Canton Memorial Fieldhouse League 12/17/2022 2:15 PM 3:15 PM H Magnificat HS - OH Canton Memorial Fieldhouse Non-League 12/21/2022 7:15 PM 8:15 PM H Louisville HS/MS Canton Memorial Fieldhouse Non-League 01/04/2023 7:15 PM 8:15 PM H Green HS/MS - Uniontown Canton Memorial Fieldhouse League 01/07/2023 2:15 PM 3:45 PM A Jackson HS-Massillon Jackson HS-Massillon League Main Gym 01/11/2023 7:15 PM 8:45 PM H North Canton Hoover HS/MS Canton Memorial Fieldhouse League 01/14/2023 1:15 PM 2:15 PM H Marlington HS Canton Memorial Fieldhouse Non-League 01/18/2023 7:15 PM 8:15 PM H Uniontown Lake HS/MS Canton Memorial Fieldhouse League 01/21/2023 1:15 PM 2:45 PM H GlenOak HS Canton Memorial Fieldhouse League 01/23/2023 7:15 PM 8:45 PM H Stow-Munroe Falls HS Canton Memorial Fieldhouse League 01/25/2023 7:15 PM 9:15 PM A Perry HS-Massillon Perry HS-Massillon Main Gym League 01/30/2023 7:15 PM 8:15 PM H Lutheran East HS Canton Memorial Fieldhouse Non-League 02/01/2023 7:15 PM 8:15 PM A Green HS/MS - Uniontown Green HS/MS Main Gym League 02/04/2023 1:00 PM 2:30 PM A Walsh Jesuit HS Walsh Jesuit HS Gym Non-League 02/06/2023 7:00 PM 8:30 PM A Massillon Washington HS Washington HS Main Gym Non-League

Girls Volleyball

By Patricia Rafailedes

The season started out strong. We had wins against Akron Firestone, Akron North, and Canton South.  We then accomplished one of our season goals which was to beat a Federal League School. We beat GlenOak in five sets giving us our first Federal League win since 2013. The rest of the season did not go as planned. We ended the season with a 5 - 17 record.

Individual accomplishments and awards:*

- Coach of the year Stark County Patricia Rafailedes

- First Team All-Stark County, 2nd Team District 4 and Federal League: Jalexis Elder

- Honorable Mention All-Stark County Jayla Brinson

- Second Team All-Stark County, Honorable Mention District 4 and Federal League Robbaniqua Blakeley

Sports Wrap-Up

Girls Soccer

By Allan Brown

McKinley Girls Soccer ended with their best season in over 10 years with a preseason record of 1-0-1 and a  final record of 4-10-1. McKinley scored over 30 goals this season with 3 of those goals coming from Federal League matches. Five of 13 players scored goals on the season and seven of the 13 provided at least one assist.

The girls ended the regular season with a 3-0 senior night win over the Massillon Tigers. This group fought through adversity to accomplish more than any team in the previous decade.

Individual accomplishments and awards:

5 Players earned Federal League awards:

1st team: Brittany Garner, Allea Graves

2nd team: - Leah Cameron

Honorable Mention: Ellie Cribbs, Chloe Hall

7 Players earned Stark County awards:

1st Team: Brittany Garner, Allea Graves

2nd Team: Leah Cameron, Ellie Cribbs

Honorable mention: Chloe Hall, Savannah Brunner and Neisa Cameron

Swimming - Girls Varsity

Date Start End H/A Opponent/Title Site Type

Sports Wrap-Up

Girls Golf

By Clifford Lee

We had a great season this year in the Federal League. Most of the team were returning players with the addition of two new recruits. McKinley Girls finished 0-4 in the Federal League.

Individual accomplishments and awards were:

- Sophia Radosevic (Jr): 3rd Year Letter and Team MVP; Stark County Honorable Mention

- Briana Parsons (Jr): 3rd Year Letter; Stark County Honorable Mention

- Celebrity Brown (Sr): 2nd-year Letter

- Lauren Rogers (Sr): Scholar Awards

- London Johnson (So): Participation Award

- Juliana Brooks (Jr): Participation Award

12/17/2022 8:30 AM 9:00 AM H TBA

C.T. Branin Natatorium League 12/22/2022 5:00 PM 7:00 PM H Jackson HS-Massillon C.T. Branin Natatorium League and 1 others 12/28/2022 5:00 PM 5:30 PM H Federal League C.T. Branin Natatorium League Championship (6 Participants)

01/06/2023 5:00 PM 7:00 PM H Alliance HS/MS & 1 others C.T. Branin Natatorium Non-League 01/07/2023 12:00 PM 2:00 PM H Uniontown Lake HS/MS C.T. Branin Natatorium League and 1 others 01/14/2023 9:00 AM 9:00 PM H TBA C.T. Branin Natatorium League 01/20/2023 4:30 PM 6:30 PM H Massillon Washington HS C.T. Branin Natatorium League 01/27/2023 5:00 PM 7:00 PM H Orrville HS/MS & 1 others C.T. Branin Natatorium Non-League 01/28/2023 12:00 PM 2:00 PM H GlenOak HS and 1 others C.T. Branin Natatorium League

Bowling - Boys Varsity

Date Start End H/A Opponent/Title Site Type

12/15/2022 4:00 PM 5:30 PM H Uniontown Lake HS/MS Hall of Fame Lanes League 01/06/2023 4:00 PM 6:00 PM A Lake Center Christian School Spins Bowl Akron Non-League 01/12/2023 4:00 PM 5:30 PM H Jackson HS-Massillon Hall of Fame Lanes League 01/19/2023 4:00 PM 5:30 PM H GlenOak HS Hall of Fame Lanes League

01/21/2023 9:00 AM A Ashland Baker Bash LuRay Lanes Tournament 01/24/2023 4:00 PM 6:00 PM A Uniontown Lake HS/MS Park Center Lanes-Boys Lanes League 01/26/2023 4:00 PM 5:30 PM H North Canton Hoover HS/MS Hall of Fame Lanes League 02/03/2023 3:45 PM 4:45 PM A North Canton Hoover HS/MS Park Center Lanes-Boys Lanes League 02/07/2023 4:00 PM 5:30 PM H Perry HS-Massillon Hall of Fame Lanes League

Bowling - Girls Varsity

12/15/2022 4:00 PM 5:30 PM H Uniontown Lake HS/MS Hall of Fame Lanes League 01/06/2023 4:00 PM 6:00 PM A Lake Center Christian School Spins Bowl Akron Non-League 01/12/2023 4:00 PM 5:30 PM H Jackson HS-Massillon Hall of Fame Lanes League 01/19/2023 4:00 PM 5:30 PM H GlenOak HS Hall of Fame Lanes League 01/21/2023 9:00.AM A Ashland Baker Bash LuRay Lanes Tournament 01/24/2023 4:00 PM 6:00 PM A Uniontown Lake HS/MS Park Center Lanes-Girls Lanes League 01/26/2023 4:00 PM 5:30 PM H North Canton Hoover Hall of Fame Lanes League HS/MS 02/03/2023 3:45 PM 4:45 PM A North Canton Hoover Park Center Lanes-Girls Lanes League HS/MS 02/07/2023 4:00 PM 5:30 PM H Perry HS-Massillon Hall of Fame Lanes League

“Always make a total effort, even when the odds are against you.”

~ Arnold Palmer

Sports

Wrap-Up

Girl’s Cross Country

By Stephanie Lepley

Senior Kelsie Cunningham was the team’s sole runner this season.

It was a great season as Kelsie accomplished her best time in all four years at McKinley with a PR of 24:55

Her personal best happened at the Federal League Meet at Jackson High School, the last meet of the season.

She overcame so much adversity running alone at practice every day, but stayed healthy and pushed herself constantly.

She is an amazing student in advanced classes and a member of the engineering program.

We are hoping to have a much larger team next year as I will be getting several runners from our middle school.

Sports Wrap-Up

Boys Cross Country

By Jacob Foltz

Summary of your season:*

- Finished 4th overall at the Claymont Invitational

- Finished 5th overall at Dover Invitational

- Finished 3rd overall at Meadowbrook Colt Carnival

Individual accomplishments and awards:

- Hunter Gearling: All-Stark County 2nd team

- Elijah Corrin: All-Stark County 2nd team

- Theo Reid: All-Stark County Honorable Mention

Wrestling - Boys Varsity

Date

12/16/2022 5:00 PM 9:30 PM A

Hudson Holiday Tournament Hudson HS Main Gym Non-League Day 1 (23 Participants)

12/17/2022 9:00 AM 5:00 PM A Hudson Holiday Tournament Hudson HS Main Gym Non-League Day 2 (23 Participants)

12/22/2022 TBA TBA H Alliance HS/MS & 1 others McKinley Downtown Campus League (Timken) Commons Gym

12/28/2022 9:00 AM 5:00 PM H

Boys Golf

By Bryan Herberghs

We were a young team made up of mostly sophomores and juniors. They worked hard during the summer and competed week in and week out in a very competitive Federal League. We won two matches this year and look to get better during the winter and build off all the hard work we put in during the season.

Individual accomplishments and awards:

- Team MVPs were junior Carter Demetro and sophomore Luc Capobianco.

McKinley Wrestling Canton Memorial Fieldhouse Non-League Invitational (17Participants)

12/29/2022 9:00 AM 5:00 PM H McKinley Wrestling

Canton Memorial Fieldhouse Non-League Invitational, Day Two (18 Participants)

01/05/2023 6:00 PM 6:30 PM H North Canton Hoover HS/MS McKinley Downtown Campus League (Timken) Commons Gym

01/07/2023 10:00 AM 4:00 PM A Janet Stammen Memorial Woodridge HS Main Gym Tournament Duals Tournament (8 Participants)

01/12/2023 6:30 PM 8:00 PM

A Perry HS-Massillon - Varsity Perry HS-Massillon Main Gym League 01/13/2023 4:00 PM

A Bill Dies Memorial Firestone HS Gym Tournament Wrestling Tournament

01/19/2023 6:00 PM 8:00 PM H GlenOak HS McKinley Downtown Campus League (Timken) Commons Gym 01/21/2023 10:00 AM 6:00 PM A Dave Rohr Memorial Mapleton HS/MS Gym Tournament Invitational-Mapleton HS (16 Participants)

02/02/2023 6:00 PM 6:30 PM H Uniontown Lake HS/MS McKinley Downtown Campus League (Timken) Commons Gym 02/09/2023 6:00 PM 7:30 PM A Jackson HS-Massillon Jackson HS-Massillon League Main Gym 02/15/2023 6:00 PM 8:00 PM A Green HS/MS - Uniontown Green High/MS Main Gym League

Gymnastics - Girls Varsity

Date Start End H/A Opponent/Title Site Type

12/13/2022 5:00 PM 6:30 PM H Wadsworth HS/MS McKinley Downtown League Campus (Timken) 3rd Floor Gym 12/22/2022 6:00 PM 8:00 PM A Massillon Washington HS Massillon Armory (Gymnastics) League 01/10/2023 5:00 PM 6:30 PM H Triway HS/MS McKinley Downtown League Campus (Timken) 3rd Floor Gym 01/16/2023 3:00 PM 7:00 PM A GlenOak HS and 16 others GlenOak HS - North Canton Non-League YMCA Gymnastics Center 01/19/2023 5:00 PM 6:30 PM H Wooster HS McKinley Downtown League Campus (Timken) 3rd Floor Gym 01/22/2023 TBA TBA A The Polar Bear Invitational North Canton YMCA Tournament (17 Participants) Gymnastics Center 01/24/2023 6:00 PM 8:00 PM A Sandy Valley High/MS Sandy Valley Middle/HS League Football Stadium Wellness Center 02/01/2023 5:15 PM 8:15 PM A Winter Classic Wooster HS at League (8 Participants) Wooster Y Gymnastics Center

WE’RE HIRING!

Sports Wrap-Up

Stone Takes Learning On the Road!

Field trips expose students to music, swimming, farming and more!

By Amy Konigsberger, Principal

We are so excited to once again have the opportunity to participate in field trips! Not only is this a fun way for students to engage in learning, but they also get to see and experience some of the wonderful places we have in and around Canton, Ohio!

In late September, Kindergarten students went to Nickajack Farms. MyaLynn Ball described the trip as one of the best days ever.

“We got to see a lot of horses, a pig, and some lamas! We rode in a wagon and we all sat on hay! It was fun to eat lunch outside with my friends. And we got to take home a pumpkin. I painted mine!”

Cross Cat students came back all smiles from a similar trip to Arrowhead Orchard.

Later this spring Kindergarteners will get to go see the Canton Symphony Orchestra. First Grade also has some great trips coming up. They will go to the Player’s Guild in December and to the Akron Zoo this Spring.

Second Graders saw the Canton Ballet perform, “‘Peter and the

Wolf’.” The students enjoyed the fun characters in the play and spending time at the Palace Theater.  Student Jaylen Moore asked, “Did you know there are stars on the ceiling?! Wow!”

Second graders also participate in a water safety swimming program at the Natatorium. Some classes started in November and some classes will go at a later date.

Whyiette Law reports that he loves everything about this experience.

“The life guard instructors are great! They are teaching me to float on my back, kick my legs, and use different arm strokes. We also talk about how to keep ourselves and others safe near water.  I got to jump off the diving board like 10 times!” he said.

Later this year, second-graders will visit Stark Parks and Tom Benson Stadium for The Hall of Fame Get Fit Program.

Our third-grade Students went on a tour of The McKinley Museum.  Student Aleyah Floyd said she got to look at fossils and play with an

exhibit that used wind pressure to make a ball float. Another student, Serenity Diaz said she slid down a fire pole.

“I was scared at first, but then it was so much fun! We got to explore dinosaurs and other things from long ago. I didn’t even know that museum was there! They gave us two tickets to come back! I’m going to bring my Mom and Dad!” she said.

Coming up soon is third graders’ next trip to see the Canton Ballet’s performance of “The Nutcracker.”

As a district, we are very fortunate to have so many rich opportunities in our community. Engaging in these experiences helps develop a lifelong love of learning that extends far beyond the walls of a classroom.

Stone students enjoy a hayride at Nickajack Farms.