CCSD Bulldog Bulletin July 2023

Planting Good Seeds!

AIM students take on challenge of school garden.

By Kara Rankin,

Principal School gardens have been around for over 100 years, and school districts continue to use them today to establish healthy eating habits, as educational tools in the classroom, and to promote community inclusion.

In February of 2023, our school secretary, Jodi Woolf, and 2nd Grade teacher, Jordan Gerber, of AIM Academy submitted an application for $500 to the “Putting Down Roots” Farm to School Program by the Stark County ESC. The greenhouse and horticulture efforts in classes across CCSD were a large inspiration for AIM to take on the challenge of a school garden.

The goal was to create a space for students at AIM to grow fresh fruits and vegetables, and experience the refreshment that comes from gardening. The grant was awarded and

planning began! The after-school program wanted to become involved and used funds to purchase a small greenhouse that was assembled in the playground area.

Students in 2nd grade and in the after-school program began growing their knowledge of plants by first learning about the life cycle of a seed. They then planted seeds and cared for them while they grew!

Students have planted vegetables, herbs, and fruit seeds thus far, and have generated more than 100 plants from their seed plantings!

Hello Bulldog Nation!

Next, thank YOU! The voters of Canton approved a bond issue that will mean two brand-new, state-ofthe-art elementary schools. We are excited to move forward with plans to tear down Mason Elementary and the former Souers Jr. High and replace them with K-6 buildings. Our parents and teachers have said that neighborhood schools allow for fewer transitions and more solid relationships between students and staff. I’m happy our taxpayers have agreed on the importance of investing in our schools.

For those of you who once attended or worked at Mason or Souers and would like to check those buildings out one more time, we will be

Students, Amya Scruggs (left) and La’Rya Avery (right) enjoy Family Night with a friend, while Mrs. Woolf and Mrs. Gerber show their green thumbs!

Jeff Talbert, Superintendent

3rd Annual

5K RUN &WALK

Important School Start Dates

Start Planning Now For The Exciting 2023-24 School Year!

July:

31 First day for AIM Academy students

August: 10 Open Houses: STEAMM Academy, Bulldog Virtual Academy, Early College Middle School@ Lehman, Early College @ Lehman, McKinley High School, Timken Career Campus, and Compton Learning Center; 4-6 p.m.

14 Open Houses: Cedar, Gibbs, Harter, Stone, Clarendon, McGregor, Youtz, Arts Academy, Patrick, Worley, and Fairmount; 4-6 p.m.

15 Staggered Start - First Day for students in grades 4, 7 and 9

15-18 PUP Camp - Preschool & Kindergarten students

16 First Day for all students in Grades 1-12

21 Open House for Preschool, 4-6 p.m.

September:

01 Professional Development Day No School for Students

04 Labor Day - All Schools and Offices Closed

The CCSD Board of Education

A message from our board president, Scott Russ:

The school year flew by this year!

First of all, congratulations to the class of 2023!!! We wish you the best of luck in whatever you choose for your next steps in life. With everything you have overcome, we are sure of your future successes!

We also want to thank all the supporters for once again choosing to invest in the future of Canton’s kids by passing our bond issue. Construction on two new K-6 buildings, a new addition, and multiple improvements on buildings throughout the district is what you will start seeing.

Once again, thank you!

Enjoy your summer and look forward to seeing everyone in August.

Go Pups!!

Upcoming Board Meetings

August 7: Meeting - 6 pm

September 11: Meeting - 6 pm

October 9: Meeting - 6 pm

November 6: Meeting - 6 pm

December 4: Meeting - 6 pm

Location: Timken Career Campus (unless specified)

521 Tuscarawas St., W. Canton, OH 44702

(Use the Fourth Street NW entrance) Watch meetings live at: http://boelive.ccstv11.com/

*All BOE Meeting Videos are Archived.

‘Girls On The Run’ Team Prove Togetherness Wins!

These dedicated athletes prove that winning can be achieved on and off of the track!

By Angela Seders, Principal

The Girls on the Run team from McGregor had an amazing season. Practices were held twice per week where the girls completed lessons and activities on topics such as friendship, empathy, support, and joy. The team also set individual lap goals and would work towards reaching them at each practice. There were many additional highlights from this season as well.

The girls worked together to write kind and encouraging notes for children in the pediatric unit at Aultman Hospital. They also partnered with Ultimate Jet, a private jet charter company based at the Akron/Canton Airport. The employees at Ultimate Jet donated money so that stuffed animals and

cozy blankets could be purchased and delivered to the hospital with the notes.

This team of girls demonstrated great leadership qualities and strength at practice throughout the season. It was always common to hear the girls cheering each other on, and to see them trying their best! The McGregor team showed up for their big end-of-the-year race and they were all ready to do their best despite some rainy weather. We are so proud of you all! Way to go girls!

We would also like to thank all of our coaches that made this season possible: Mrs. Adams, Ms. Wilgus, Mrs. Kennedy, Mrs. Piccari, and Mrs. Reinhart.

WE’RE HIRING!

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.

Design 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.

McGregor Girls bond on the track!

The Performing Arts Program Is On The MOVE!

This Career Tech program prepares for its transition to the Timken Theater!

By Kristy McNally, Instructor

The Career Tech Performing Arts Program will be moving downtown for the upcoming school year.

With the new move on the horizon, students will have much to look forward to; spacious, renovated theatre & dance lab spaces, a Black Box Theater, and drumroll please.... renovations to breathe life back into the historic Timken Theater!

During the month of May, students started packing up props, costumes, wigs, dance shoes, and all other items needed to take to their new home.

The collaborative opportunities ahead are many, as all CTE Programs will now reside on the downtown campus location. The move also creates more opportunities for work with Arts in Stark, R & J Ballroom, and other arts entities.

Students and Staff will continue to work over the summer and through the new school year to move CCSD and McKinley Senior High School into the next great renaissance of arts education!

The historic Timken Auditorium is about to come alive!

Performance arts students are packing up for the move downtown.

Construction On The New Bulldog Performance Center and The STEAMM Academy Right On Track

Our new spaces will offer expanded opportunities to students and the community.

By Jason Dixon, Assistant Superintendent

The district is pleased to report that we have broken ground on the Bulldog Performance Center and construction is now underway. This 110,000-square-foot indoor activity space will be located on the northwest corner of the Timken Career Tech Campus. It will have a sixlane, 200-meter indoor track as well as volleyball and basketball courts. A second section of the facility will have 60 yards of turf for multiple uses, along with locker rooms, a lobby, and office space.

Right now we are on schedule to open in the Fall of 2024. We are excited for our school district and our community for the addition of this new space. The cost is about $19 million and comes from our allotted Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Funds. We are confident that this is a sound

investment and will produce revenue for the district with some outside organizations already expressing interest in renting the space for indoor track meets at both the high school and college level.

We are also making great progress on the STEAMM Academy’s new spaces. Construction includes new bathrooms on the southwest end of the building, which does not have any bathrooms currently. With the growing enrollment at STEAMM, we felt this was necessary. Also at STEAMM is the construction of an 11,000-square-foot indoor activity space which is underway. This space, located on the northern half of the football field, will include a rubberized gym floor surface that will be used for many different purposes. On the south side of this new building, we will

have two large garage doors that will open up to the football field where we will have a pond and planted crops related to our current agriculture and horticulture program. Our hope is that this building will be ready to be open for the 2024-2025 school year.

Finally, the Canton City Schools Transportation Department has a new addition being added that will give them enough space to house all transportation employees at one time for professional development and different trainings throughout the year.

Assistant Superintendent Jason Dixon

May We Have a Drumroll, Please!

McKinley ensemble competes on the Big Stage!

By Zachary Taylor, Director

This past spring the McKinley Band hit a milestone as we competed at the Winter Guard International World Championships in Dayton, Ohio. This organization brings together percussion groups from all across the country to compete at a national level.

For the McKinley Band, this placed our percussion ensemble on a national stage for the first time in program history.

The ensemble was started in 2019 with nine members. The group competed on the state level as part of the Ohio Indoor Performance Association (OIPA). In 2019 and 2023 we placed first in the state while placing second in 2022. Competitions in 2020 and 2021 were canceled because of Covid19.

As this ensemble grew not only in size but ability, we began to look at the next level of competition.

To compete in the OIPA circuit, groups must have a basic level of musicianship, but as you enter the WGI circuit, that basic level of musicianship must be able to be developed and expanded to create an artistic performance that will hold up against set criteria that all groups are judged against.

The championship weekend is split up into a preliminary round and a final round with groups competing from across the nation. Of the 117 groups in the country that compete at the state level, 22 participated

In addition to performing, the students were able to watch other groups in the concert classes. As we sat and watched the World Class concert ensembles perform I was able to start seeing things click for the kids as they slowly began to understand what this ensemble is all about.

We also visited the Air and Space Museum before heading back to Canton. The kids saw historic

planes such as a Wright Flyer, The Memphis Bells, B2 Bomber, SR71 Blackbird, and several Presidential Planes. We made sure to highlight some of the exhibits as we went through such as the Tuskegee Airmen and where President Johnson was sworn in on Kennedy’s Air Force One.

The students in this ensemble have learned how to work together through good times and bad and have taken ownership of this group, showing pride that only comes through hard work and determination.

The best part was that we were able to see them laughing and having fun as kids — kids that don’t normally hang out with each other all getting along and talking. It was a side of our students we are seldom able to see in an authentic way.

This trip allowed them to see a worldview of life’s possibilities in the marching arts and will hopefully instill in them leadership values that we will be able to see as the marching band returns in a little over a month.

Bulldog Battalion Cadets Attend JROTC Tri-State Leadership Challenge

By Lt. Col. Erik D. Nagy

Ten McKinley Senior High School

Army JROTC cadets recently attended the annual Army JROTC Cadet Leadership Challenge (also referred to as JCLC or “summer camp”). Ohio’s JCLC is held at Camp Manatoc Scout Reservation in Peninsula, Ohio, and provides Army JROTC cadets the opportunity to experience adventure and leadership training, interact with their peers in a military setting, and have fun! This year, JCLC included over 150 Army JROTC cadets and more than 25 instructors from Army JROTC programs throughout Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky.

Cadets participated in training and activities that tested their leadership skills as well as their physical and mental toughness including rappelling, rope bridge, climbing tower, leadership reaction obstacle course, swimming and water safety, boating, archery, and land navigation. Evening activities included

basketball, volleyball, flag football, swimming, a drill competition, and free

McKinley sophomore Avontae

Cavett earned the first place overall physical fitness trophy, while sophomores Zoe Barrett and Ja’Mia Sanders earned physical fitness trophies within their respective companies. In addition to fitness, McKinley cadets excelled and were awarded for land navigation and the drill competition. All of our Bulldog cadets demonstrated outstanding motivation and perseverance in completing this rigorous week of training.

Other participants were Noelani Williams, Kevin Iverson, Tyler Wilson, Mario Mejia-Hernandez, Peighton McClendon, Genevieve McLaughlin, and Remington McIntosh along with McKinley instructors, SFC Michael Miihlbach and Lt. Col. Erik Nagy.

1. Tyler Wilson tackles the rock-climbing challenge.

2. Avontae Cavett takes the lead in rescuing an “injured soldier.”

3. Zoe Barrett gets her orders.

4. The McKinley Cadets.

time.

Photos by Lisa Reicosky

The Arts Academy: Our Year In Review

Young artists explore many creative avenues!

By Jeanie Bowling, Principal

As an academic course of study, the arts should have three essential points of reference for the student. The student should be able to relate art to the other classes in which they are enrolled. There should be a direct relation of the student artwork to that of other artists both past and present. Lastly, the understanding that the arts happen in more places than just the classroom. Art is a part of everyday life.

Media Arts - Extracurricular

Select 6th-grade students were given the opportunity to produce a podcast during their recess times once each week this past spring. Engaging in public speaking and creative writing as a part of their core curriculum, podcasting gives these students the chance to put their knowledge into action. The podcast RGB is a collection of fine art students engaged in discussions around the topic of art. In future episodes, guest appearances will feature local artists and community members who will bring their insight to the students. This will help our growing artists, musicians, dancers, and actors better understand how the arts are woven into our community.

Arts Academy’s podcast RGB is available on Spotify and Apple Podcast and contains reviews of the 2023 musical and spring concert season. Follow RGB for future episodes and updates on what’s happening in our students’ art world.

Leading the way in ARTS

Arts Academy had a great year with our students and only shows signs of growing. With program growth and increased opportunities for our students to display their excellence, ARTS students are fully developing their understanding of where fine arts are in their lives. These young artists are great examples of what Canton City Schools and Arts Academy has to offer.

Next year at ARTS

Keep an eye out this fall for Arts Academy at Summit’s Annual McKinley vs. Massillon Rivalry Art Contest flyers! This year’s theme and submission dates will be made available in mid-September. Winners will be announced during pregame and select artworks will be displayed on the Tom Benson HOF Stadium video board. Any Canton or Massillon City School student can submit their artwork.

Community art partnerships with Patina Arts and The Hub Art Factory will be taking place during the next school year. These will take form in visiting artists, student displays of art, and extracurricular art opportunities. These will help solidify with our students that Art is a part of everyday life and a sustainable career choice.

Our Students Sweep the Show at First-Friday Competition!

Displaying Excellence in Visual Arts

On April 7th, 2023, Downtown Canton came alive with “The Art of Being Children” as grade-level student art was displayed throughout the First Friday ‘Arts District’ area. Arts Academy students submitted their artwork to the event where the public voted on one winning piece. Selected from over 500 Canton City Students, Arts Academy student Nicole Ross won first place! The winning piece is on display in the Canton Museum of Art until mid-summer.

In late April, Mrs. Artimez’s 2ndgrade class created arbor day posters in Art class for the Stark County Arbor Day Foundation

poster contest. Students had been learning about the plant life cycle and how plants provide us with essential nutrients through what we eat. Arts Academy swept the field with first place being awarded to James Elefterin, second place to Amelia Rowland, and third place to Sam Regimbal.

Arts Academy is proud of our student artists and all they create both in the classroom and independently. These students, like many others, exemplify what it means to be a bulldog at Arts Academy at Summit, allowing students to work in intensive classes that focus on the performing and visual arts.

Nicole Ross won the First Friday art contest.

Fighting Hunger Through An Art Community Movement

The Empty Bowls movement hits close to home.

The Art of Photography and Mixed Media

Out with the new...in with the old!

Arts Academy at Summit held an empty bowls event to raise funds for a local food bank. “Empty Bowls” is a movement by artists in cities and towns around the world to raise money for food-related charities to care for and feed the hungry in their communities. Grades 3-6 learned about Empty Bowls and how they give back to local communities and help students in various schools around the world just like Canton City Schools. Younger levels learned how food is grown on farms and what it takes to get it to their homes. Students in the After School Program continued the discussion by learning about the relationship between math and food. They read about farm-to-table produce, then continued using math to discover how foods can be divided up and shared between people.

On the day of the Empty Bowls event, our community partner joined us to help push our common initiative further. Information was given about Charlotte & Main and the Marlin and Minnie Snyder Founda-

tion, which helps students who age out of the foster care system, while patrons perused the student ceramic bowls and enjoyed the soup that was provided by Pentecostal Temple Church of God in Christ.

You can visit Charlotte & Main at their 4201 Hills and Dales Rd NW, Canton, OH 44708 location to help continue supporting their initiatives and we thank the Pentecostal Temple Church of God in Christ for their vibrant and tasty support of our program.

Vans Camera visited Arts Academy students to discuss and demonstrate how 35mm film is exposed and developed. Students focused on how light is used to create a print on an emulsion negative and then scanned to produce a print. Vans Camera started the discussion that led to our students taking their own photos with pinhole cameras. Pinhole cameras were created out of shoe boxes and a copper plate with a pin-sized hole in it. After

placing the light-sensitive paper in the pin-hole camera and exposing it to light for 10 seconds, students used darkroom techniques to develop their images. Sixth grade had 35mm portraits taken of them that were later used to make portrait poems in their English Language Arts course. These are poems that capture a portrait of a poet, written by the poet. Adding an image to these helps students better express their ideas and feelings.

Proceeds from the shop support the Marlin and Minnie Snyder Foundation.

David Steele and Lon Elsass (pictured) set up a mini boutique from Charlotte and Main during the Arts Academy Empty Bowl event.

Ceramic bowls helped raise money for the “Empty Bowls” movement.

Student photography.

A photograph from a students handmade pinhole camera.

t Continued From Page 1

Planting Seeds!

A sensory garden is being created for all students to touch, taste, and smell various herbs. A sensory garden is a wonderful way for children to explore their senses and learn about the environment around them. It is also a healthy place of discovery and gets children outdoors.

At our Family Night in May, our AIM families were able to take home two plants. Veggie plants will be available to families of AIM students, along with everything needed to start an at-home vegetable garden.

A big thank you to Mrs. Woolf, Mrs. Gerber, and our students for all of their hard work in our garden. We are excited to see what we grow over the summer.

AIM students tend their plants.

t Continued From Page 1

Hello Bulldog Nation!

offering an opportunity to tour and reminisce. Watch our social media and website for announcements on that later.

And as many of us are working hard for the coming school year, we also have several other projects underway.

The STEAMM Academy at Hartford is getting an 11,000-squarefoot multipurpose facility with a rubberized floor for indoor recess and after-school activities. Large garage doors will open to the planned garden and pond area being added for the agricultural program, which already includes a greenhouse and chickens.

The Bulldog Performance Center is currently under construction on the downtown campus. Please look for Assistant Superintendent Dixon’s update on that in this newsletter. We continue to improve our facilities by adding spaces dedicated to creating opportunities for our students to learn new skills and develop into well-rounded citizens. The new spaces allow for career tech expansion and more after-school enrichment, club sports, and activities at the middle school level.

The Timken Building will also see a major facelift as we prepare to expand our Choices Middle and

High School programs. Eventually, Choices will occupy two floors of Timken, the Adult Ed programs will occupy the fourth floor, and our Career Tech will continue in its existing spaces. The CTE Performance Arts Theatre Program will join them. With that, the Timken Building will be full once again.

Finally, I am pleased to announce that our district received a $650,000 safety grant for additional security updates. We have evaluated our needs district-wide and at press time for this issue we were presenting our recommendations to the board. Please check our website for updates on our safety and security plans for the upcoming school year.

I want to thank everyone for their partnership and support throughout the past year. I look forward to another successful school year as we hit the ground running next month. As always, I invite you to get involved in your Canton City School District.

Visit us at www.ccsdistrict.org. Go Pups!

Meet Your Stark County All-Star Teachers!

are numerous reasons for becoming a teacher. However, the best explanation for why I wanted to be a teacher is to have a positive, inspiring impact on children’s lives. You achieve this by being kind, caring, empathic, passionate, and funny.

Q: What do you love about your job?

A: It’s incredible watching kids grow and change over a school year. I know about developmental changes in the age groups we teach, but I love seeing how that plays out in individual students. Students change physically and in how they move and use their bodies. They learn new academic and social skills. It’s almost like getting to know two different kids.

Youtz Elementary music teacher

Q: Why did you want to be a teacher?

A: I wanted to be a teacher because I am a child at heart. I enjoy being silly, and fun, and connecting with the children in that way. I also love seeing students develop critical thinking skills and explore their personalities through the lens of general music and choir. I always knew that I wanted to teach in an elementary school position, even in college. My parents often told me that as a young girl, they would find me trying to “teach” my siblings how to read and write.

Q: What do you love about your job?

Crenshaw’s Beth Vassalotti was the district’s choice for the Stark County All-Star Teaching Team! A Canton native, she graduated from GlenOak High School and attended Kent State University for her Bachelor of Science in Education.

After a few years of settling into her teaching job, she earned a Master of Administration from Ashland University. She’s been married to Chris Vassalotti for 14 years and they have a blended family of four children.

Nathan Vassalotti is 24 and lives in Manhattan, New York. He works for JP Morgan. Tyler Vassalotti is 23 and lives in Marietta, Ohio. He works for People’s Bank.

Megan Anderson is 22 and getting her Master’s of Education at Walsh University.

Gabe Anderson is 20 and is a sophomore at Walsh University, earning a degree in business.

Q: Why did you want to become a teacher?

A: I’ve completed my 29th year of teaching, and there

Q: What would the students be surprised to find out about you?

A: My students would be surprised to learn that I love the season of winter and snow skiing. I’ve been snow skiing since age 4, and the first snow each year makes me happy!

Q: What are your summer plans?

A: My summer plans begin with spending time with my family, friends, and dog, Mia. Our vacation destination is visiting our oldest son in Manhattan, New York. Lastly, I will work on a college class and catch up on my sleep.

Desiree Hargrave was selected as the district’s Rookie of the Year for the Stark County Education Celebration. She is from Massillon and grew up in the Wayne County area. She is the oldest of three and her parents are business owners who live in Millersburg, OH. They own a coffee shop called Broken Grounds Coffee Company but also have been musicians, counselors, and pastors for the majority of her life. Hargrave attended Kingsway Christian School for elementary, middle, and high school. She studied music at Malone University and graduated in 2018.

A: I love getting to make music with the students. I love showing them how music relates to all subjects and seeing them make those cross-curricular connections. I love that I get to come to work and be my goofy, fun-loving self with the children while also forming relationships with them and learning about their lives. And of course, I love the fact that I get to sing every day for work.

Q: What is one of your hidden talents?

A: I enjoy being active and many people seem to be surprised when they find out that I like to lift weights and train like a bodybuilder - squats, deadlifts, the whole nine yards!

Q: What would the students be surprised to find out about you?

A: That I was not born in Ohio - I was actually born in Oklahoma and moved to three other states before my family moved to Ohio!

Q: What are your summer plans?

A: My summer plans include gardening in my vegetable garden, working out, hiking, spending time with my two dogs, and performing regionally as a character performer for Castle on a Cloud Entertainment as characters such as the Frog Princess, Little Mermaid, and others!

Beth Vassalotti All-Star Teaching Team Member

Desiree Hargrave Rookie of the Year

We’d like to thank all of our educators for a job well done!

Beth and Chris Vassalotti

Desiree Hargrave

Familiar Faces In New Administrative Roles

Leaders look forward to challenges

By Lisa Reicosky

Superintendent Jeff Talbert an nounced several administrative changes for the new school year in addition to the McKinley lead principal.

Veteran principal Robert Crone will take charge of the Timken Career Campus in the fall. As Campus Administrator he will be responsible for the overall operations, maintenance, and security of the Timken campus, which will house career-technical students, Bulldog Virtual Academy, Adult Career and Technical Education and Aspire, Choices High School, central office staff, student services employees, and others.

Crone has served at the CCSD for 27 of his 32 years in education.

“I am looking forward to the new challenge at the downtown campus,” he said. “This role will allow me to work with a new group of people and continue to establish the relationships that help create a positive environment for students and staff.”

Seders has been a principal with CCS for the past nine years and has 23 years in education.

As a former middle school teacher, she said she is looking forward to the 23-24 school year at Crenshaw!

“Middle school can often be a difficult time for students to navigate, but it is also an age that can be super rewarding to work with. I am hopeful that we can create an environment of high expectations and fun that has students looking forward to spending their days at Crenshaw!” Seders said.

Julie Addessi will replace Seders as principal at McGregor.

Addessi has been gaining experience as an assistant principal at Worley and says she is both excited and grateful to be increasing her impact as principal of McGregor Intermediate School.

“I aim to assist students and staff as they strive for excellence, grow leaders, and continue to develop a strong community of learners. I am proud to have served Canton City School District since 2011 and look forward to joining this amazing team,” she said.

Also joining the ranks of CCS principals is Bobbie Grimm. Currently an assistant principal at the STEAMM Academy, Grimm will lead Choices High School on the downtown campus.

With the district since 2002, Grimm said, “I am looking forward to working with exceptional educators to design an Alternative High School that provides intensive support and assists students who may have struggled to stay on track for graduation to obtain their goal of graduation.”

Sherri Kitzmiller, district discipline hearing officer, will become the principal at Compton Learning Center and says she is excited to lead.

“I have been employed in the District since 2014 and I am ready for the opportunity to lead the high school alternative program at Compton Learning Center. Creating a trusting and caring culture where students and staff feel respected and supported is my number one goal.”

Other administrative changes are:

Allan Brown: Assistant principal at McKinley.

Jennifer Morgan: Assistant principal at STEAMM Academy at Harford.

Kim Springer: Assistant principal at Worley.

Jason Oden: Assistant principal at Crenshaw.

Aaron DeHart: Assistant principal at McKinley.

Congratulations To Our 2023 Retirees!

Teresa Aguridakis - 36 years

Barbara Ailing - 5 years

Kelly Bamfield - 36 years

Julie Bertin - 22 years

Carol Bradley - 8 years

Janet Brumma - 5 years

Elisha Conrad - 30 years

Bobbie Cox - 9 years

Ronald Decker - 11 years

Susan Deem - 25 years

Tina Drobney - 28 years

Patricia Eagon - 25 years

Jacqueline Eubank - 4 years

Tammi Fehn - 21 years

Rayna Finnicum - 34 years

Mallory Floyd - 27 years

Laura Ford - 15 years

Sylvera Greene - 24 years

Patricia Hendershot - 10 years

Ronald Hendershot - 25 years

Cynthia Herold - 33 years

Paul Hill - 13 years

Robin Hill - 32 years

Lauree Huntsman - 12 years

Barbara Jialanella - 25 years

Michael Lehotay - 34 years

Terry Lind - 11 years

Michele Mazzarella - 22 years

Ann McCown - 28 years

Jeff McKelley - 34 years

Mary Merritt - 3 years

Colleen Monnot - 34 years

Don Moyers - 11 years

Jennifer Pisani - 34 years

Tina Rechner - 40 years

Lissa Rehfus - 26 years

Denise Schauer - 16 years

Catherine Schrock - 29 years

Greg Schumacher - 35 years

Diane Sommer - 28 years

William Weidner - 25 years

Theresa Whitehouse - 26 years

Patricia Wohlfarth - 25 years

Gary Worley - 27 years

Brian Worstell - 34 years

Kelley Young - 29 years

Robert Crone Timken Career Campus Administrator

Sherry Kitzmiller Principal at Compton Learning Center

He’s No “Stranger” to The Canton City School District!

Here’s a Q&A with the New McKinley Principal, Sean Stranger

By Erin Ponn

Native Cantonian and 1990 McKinley graduate Sean Stranger is the new lead principal. He steps in as Jonas Wertin becomes the district’s student information and systems coordinator.

Stranger graduated from Mount Union College and earned his master’s degree from Ashland University.

Stranger joined the district as a Health, Physical Education, and Weight Training teacher in 1996 and has coached football, track & field, and volleyball over the years. His leadership positions over the last sixteen years include athletic director, assistant principal, and district athletic director.

“I have learned many lessons in all of those roles over the years from many different coworkers, leaders, and students,” he said. “I look at all opportunities with a lens to coach the situation or individual.”

He and his wife Melissa have two daughters, Rebekah and Rachel.

Q: What do you want people to know about you?

A: I am very passionate about making a difference in the lives of students and the citizens of Canton. I deeply desire McKinley High School to be a school that we can all be proud of, where students can come to learn and prepare for a future that has as many doors open as possible. I want to create opportunities for all students to be successful.

Q: What are your top three priorities for the new school year?

A: Celebrate Excellence. Build Community. Develop Leaders. All of the work that we do at McKinley must focus on those three areas. All of us will be self-disciplined, prepared, and engaged each and every day. If we can do this, success will follow quickly and an improved experience for everyone.

Q: What are you most looking forward to in regard to the new school year?

A: I am looking forward to a fresh start. I am looking forward to us creating a culture and environment that allows all to learn and develop into the community leaders that we know that they can be. Consistency will be the bedrock of all that we do. Expectations will be clearly expressed, and the consequences of not doing as requested will also be made readily available.

Q: From an “insider’s” perspective, what do you wish more people knew about McKinley Senior High School?

A: McKinley and Canton City Schools have been a fabulous place

to work. We provide our students with many opportunities including a rich curricular and extracurricular model, arts and performing arts, and athletics. Our students are extremely talented. Our ultimate goal is to help our students realize their talents and give them what they need to nurture and pursue their dreams.

Q: What are some fun facts about you?

A: I enjoy the outdoors immensely. My favorite activities include mountain biking, fishing, and hiking in

many of the parks provided in Stark County and Northeast Ohio. I plant a vegetable garden every spring and enjoy the benefits throughout the summer and fall. I enjoy playing board games and spending time with my family. Our favorites include Catan, Ticket to Ride, and Chicken Foot Dominoes. I am a member of First Friends Church and my faith is very important to me.

Sean Stranger

Congratulations to

Summa Cum Laude (4.3 GPA or above)

This year 421 students were awarded their diplomas on a picturesque evening at Tom Benson Stadium. Speakers included Superintendent Jeff Talbert, Arolyn Harkovitch

Photos by Heather Hutmacher, CTE Commercial Photography teacher.

the Class of 2023!

Principal Jonas Wertin, and class officers Bri’Rell Pinkney and Celebrity Brown. The staff speaker, voted on by the senior class, was Terrance Jones, Graduation Coach and Workforce Development Coordinator.

Congratulations to

the Class of 2023!

They’re Big Pups Now!

Preschool students engaged in a celebratory Graduation Ceremony, and just look at all these sweet faces! Brain development is at its highest rate during the preschool years, so graduation is held to help students later connect the importance and feeling of accomplishment, of graduating their senior year. Education opens so many doors for an individual, and we look forward to seeing these little “Pups” learn and grow throughout the years, and walk across Tom Benson Field one day! The years go by so quickly. If you have a child who is 3 or 4 years old and does not turn 5 before September 30th, registration is now open and online. Just visit our district website (ccsdistrict.org), click on Registration, and follow the instructions. Our program is a “high quality” preschool program that helps prepare students for kindergarten, and the years to come, through a safe, interactive, engaging, and fun learning environment. We do fill up quickly, so register soon. We are waiting for you!

By Linnea Olbon, Director

Celebrating The Early College Class Of 2023!

By Ken Brunner, Principal

Early College celebrated the accomplishments of the students from the class of 2023. These students came to Early College as a class of promise. This class has had 70% of them make the honor or merit roll in the fall of 2019. Needless to say, this class is special. This is also the class that was hit by the pandemic in the second semester of their freshman year. They faced upper leadership changes, their school moving to another location, and four different versions of

school learning schedules. Virtual learning happened in the 2nd half of their 9th-grade year.

After the students were still locked down due to COVID restrictions over the summer, they began the school year as tenth graders by going to school on alternate days (blended learning - reconnect).

This class of 2023 was then moved from the downtown campus to the Lehman building, going from a 9-12 school to a 7-12 middle and

high school building all together, where they had to attend school and mask up in a social distance learning setting. During their senior year, they went back to a pre-COVID school setting. Overall with four years of high school, they endured each of the four years with big changes.

Even with all of these obstacles, the Early College class of 2023 earned 51 Associate of Arts Degrees and 34 of them were dual degrees. All

of the students in this class graduated high school with at least 25 college credits. This class earned at least $600,000 in scholarships and counting.

Despite all the roadblocks that got in their way the class of 2023 found a way to make it to this point. Congratulations graduates. Remember, “Believe in Yourself, Dream, Try, and Do Good”.

- Mr. Feeny

Trendy & Cool for Back to School

McKinley Speech Finished Strong at Nationals!

By Manuel Halkias, Speech Coach

Four members of the Speech and Debate team competed at the national tournament in Phoenix, Arizona in June.

State champion Sasha Greer was a quarterfinalist finishing 19th out of 266 champions from all over the nation in humor. She received a beautiful quarterfinalist plaque as she advanced through ten rounds of competition.

Jessie Mayle was a double octafinalist in Original Spoken Word Poetry.

Nevaiah Mayle Competed in Original Oratory and Kassandra Ketchum competed in Prose reading and storytelling. Assistant Coach Todd Michael was in the pool to judge three final rounds.

Coach Manuel Halkias was selected to judge the final round of Dramatic Interpretation and to emcee and host the final round of storytelling. He also served as a tournament official.

Former McKinley CCSD teacher and director of speech and debate Alan Rubinstein was in attendance. Halkias was excited to see him for the first time in over 25 years. He is 91 and lives with his wife live in Arizona.

Building Excellence, Leadership, and Community at Cedar Elementary

By Missy Leininger, Assistant Principal

On April 13th, Cedar held its Spring Family Literacy Night where students “Adopted a Pet.”

Students hand-picked a stuffed cat or dog from the ‘Cedar Adoption Center,’ named their pet, and received an adoption certificate. From there, students recited a “buddy pledge,” promising to read to their new loved one nightly.

The newly adopted pets received a handmade collar from their loved ones and a writing journal to record their new adventures. Families also created animal-themed bookmarks, and animal-themed masks, and took fun family photos at the photo booth.

Finally, families enjoyed a light refreshment made up of cat treats (goldfish), dog treats (Scooby Snacks), and rabbit food (carrots & dip). They also received animal-themed books for summer reading adventures! A special thanks to Community Building Partnership and Citizen’s Bank for joining our family fun!

Save the date for Cedar Cares: Come connect with the Cedar Community for a Health and Wellness Family Night in conjunction with Aultman Hospital on Thursday, September 14, 2023, from 5 to 6:30 pm. There will be over 50 community partners, food, music, families, and fun at Cedar School!

Aultman Area Neighborhood Association Cleanup & Service Day

Join our Cedar Community Partners to help clean up the neighborhood, participate in small service projects, and connect with your community on Saturday, July 22, from 8 a.m. to noon. The Aultman Area Neighborhood (AANA) Clean up and Service Day will be held in conjunction with

Community Building Partnership of Stark County, A List Properties, Michael D’s & Demario’s Pizza, Woodlawn Church, and Cedar Elementary School Staff. Make sure you join the Aultman Area Neighborhood Association on Facebook or join us at our monthly AANA meetings the last Wednesday of every month at Cedar Elementary School from 6:30-7:15!

Coach Manuel Halkias with his former coach Alan Rubinstein.

Coach Manuel Halkias, Jessie Mayle, Sasha Greer. Nevaiah Mayle, Kassandra Ketchum, and Coach Todd Michael

A Cedar student with his adopted friend.

Year-End Celebrations at Clarendon!

By Jenae Stephens, Principal

Clarendon scholars had the opportunity to participate in Bulldog Activity Day. Activities included a splash tank, tug of war, minuteto-win-it games, gaga ball, water games, straw painting, yoga, pie a staff member in the face, Mad Science, Glazed and Amused, and an obstacle course with the Canton Fire Department.

Our scholars and staff had a blast!! Thank you to our parent volunteers, PTO parent Corrissa Archer, and her husband for building the gaga pit, and Home Depot in Massillon for donating supplies.

Top Dogs for the school year went to the Akron Rubberducks game to Celebrate their hard work all year!

CTE Seniors Attend National Event

Four seniors in Career and Technical Education qualified to attend the International Leadership Conference held last month in Dallas, Texas.

Brock Phillips and Sophia Smith from Law and Public Safety competed in the Emergency Medical Technician event.

Kiara McClellan and Stella Wagner from the Sports Medicine program received the Gold Level Barbara

James Award for each logging over 250 hours of volunteer service alongside a medical professional. Over 11,000 individuals from four different countries were in attendance. The students attended educational seminars, workshops, and exhibits while meeting people from all over the world.

Congratulations to teachers Lisa Menning and Cliff Lee and their students for their success!

Lisa Menning, Kiara McClellan, Stella Wagner, Sophia Smith, Brock Phillips and Cliff Lee at the conference.

Kiara McClellan and Stella Wagner

Top Dogs at the Akron Rubberducks game.

Grant Connects Gibbs Families With Needed Services

Our community cares

By Erika Irwin, Principal

Gibbs Elementary was honored to be the recipient of a grant through Key Bank and The United Way of Greater Stark County in May 2022. There have been many benefits from the grant during this initial year that have benefited the families at Gibbs Elementary.

Principal Erika Irwin was invited to the May United Way Board Meeting to share out the yearly report of how funds have been used to help make Gibbs students feel safe and loved. One of the benefits that our Gibbs families have access to is The Gibbs Elementary Assistance Program. This program has been designed to help families solve problems getting to work, school, doctors, groceries, or related public benefits, and prevent housing instability. Families that have students enrolled at Gibbs Elementary have the ability to apply for support and assistance to help their child be more successful in school by having the necessary resources for their family’s well-being.

Several families had the opportunity to attend Parent Cafes hosted by the Early Childhood Resource Center. These cafes were held at Gibbs Elementary during the day to help families connect with SPARK services and to create a welcoming environment for parents to learn and share parenting tips from the staff at the ECRC. We were able to have our final Parent Cafe in May celebrating two mothers who are expecting babies this summer.

The Early Childhood Resource Center has partnered with Gibbs to enroll neighborhood children in SPARK which will support kindergarten readiness. The sign-ups for SPARK have tripled since the program began this year.

A focus of the Canton City School District is to increase attendance in all grades over the next few years. One of the ways that Gibbs feels that we can support this great cause is to encourage families to understand just how important it is to come to school starting in preschool and kindergarten and set the expectation that education is vital.

The Positive Parenting Program hosted by Child and Adolescent Services has been crucial to the message that school attendance is very important. Gibbs hosted events at least once a month this year focusing on parent topics such as bedtime routines, helping with homework, and managing behaviors in a safe and productive manner using positive parenting strategies. Each caregiver in attendance was able to have breakfast and receive workbook materials and support from a

counselor through C&A. This venue provided caregivers a safe place to discuss parenting challenges and receive support from each other, Gibbs staff, and C&A.

The most recent service added to support families at Gibbs has been the partnership with Access Health. Gibbs now has an outreach coordinator, Eboni Butler, who helps families at Gibbs connect with primary care, health insurance, and the navigation of resources. Butler is available to conduct home visits to set up family goals and address their overall health and social needs.

The United Way of Greater Stark County has been an active partner with Gibbs Elementary by providing encouragement to staff, students, and families during this school year. They even sponsored our year-end carnival! We had a bouncy house, Kona ice and games, and every student received a Gibbs Family T-shirt!

The belief of the United Way is that a strong education is the foundation for a better future. This aligns with the district values of Canton City Schools that all Bulldogs will acquire a worldview of life’s possibilities and confidence to pursue their dreams using the knowledge and skills learned here.

If you would like more information or assistance please reach out to Erika Irwin (Principal) or Stacie Strange (Gibbs Community Worker) by calling the Gibbs office and leaving a message or reach out via ParentSquare.

Giant Jenga was Juana Pelico’s favorite game at the carnival. The sky is the limit for Brandon Marks! Amiyah Martinez enjoys making bubbles at the carnival sponsored by United Way.

Fun-Filled Year Of Learning and More To Come at BVA!

Bulldog Virtual Academy K-8 heads downtown for 23-24.

By Nikki Cebula, Principal

During this time of the year, everyone is hopefully soaking up the sun, and enjoying a well-deserved break. It is also when schools start planning for a new school year while reflecting on the past. What a school year it has been!

Our students have shown that they have what it takes to excel in many areas. Our parents have shown that they are active partners with the school in creating confident, creative, and open-minded learners. Our teachers have worked hard to provide an environment and education that will lift our students up to their highest potential. Overall, it has been a great year!

Some of our highlights have included our island-themed family nights. Bringing our families together is always a joy to us all. We are a virtual school, and as such, we always offer a virtual option. Many of our families enjoyed our virtual field trips to islands around the world, where students learned about local traditions.

We also had a formal, Hollywood-themed dance, where the students could boogie down! This was incredible to see, and our young people were dressed up and looked amazing. Our at-home learners enjoyed their trip to Hollywood with Ms. Yutzy.

Level Up continued this year, and after surveying parents and students, it will continue next year. Our students love the many options and opportunities to interact with each other both face-to-face and virtually. The activities have included scavenger hunts, Bookits, escape rooms, virtual field trips around the world, drawing, and so much more. This year, we added a garden club, and we have a BVA community garden now!

Ms. Harland started Crystal Club and students love to learn about

rocks. Our Lego clubs are doing amazing things, solving problems like water pollution. Students also love social club. This once-a-week group has provided kids with a fun and safe environment to be social, learn about each other and become friends. Our school counselor, Mrs. Crites, has also loved meeting with our students (virtually and in person) and getting to know them all. However, it never ceases to amaze me how much our kids (and parents) love to play BINGO. It has become quite competitive! Wrapping up the year, we had our BVA Beach Bash, and it was everything we wanted it to be. What a great way to say goodbye for the summer!

will still be doing all the wonderful things together, our teaching and learning will only get better, and yes- we will be bringing our garden! The grand finale, though, was our 8th-grade graduation ceremony! Our kids were amazing! We are very proud of our BVA students and wish them all the best as they enter their high school years. We

hope that they are going out into the world understanding to take care of themselves, each other, and the space they are in!

If you have any questions about our program, don’t hesitate to reach out to me (cebula_n@ccsdistrict. org), or call CCSD main office.

Learning Job Skills and So Mulch More!

By Dana Reinhard, Coordinator, Summer Enrichment

This June, students from Fairmount Learning Center were involved in a Summer Work-Study Program with Campbell Landscaping, LLC. Owner Andy Campbell did not hesitate for an opportunity to give back and allow students to be productive this summer.

During this time, students learned workplace readiness skills, which are commonly expected skills that employers seek from employees. Expectations were for students to be punctual, maintain a positive

We are also saying goodbye to this building, and looking forward to our new home at the McKinley Downtown Campus (Timken). We attitude, and have a willingness to learn. Skill sets obtained were in landscape design to maintain parks, gardens, and lawns. Students were considered to be part of the team as they worked alongside Campbell Landscaping employees Rick Roloff and Aaron Brown. Teachers Amy Davala and Michaela Bryan also helped coordinate the program and developed assignments for students to complete at school to complement their work in the field.

Fairmount students were employed by Campbell Landscaping to learn basic lawn maintenance, tree care, landscaping design, soft skills, and problemsolving.

We had a great day at the BVA Beach Bash!

Congrats to the BVA 8th graders!

Lessons In Sportsmanship and Empathy Merge at STEAMM Academy @ Hartford

by Drs. John Roncone & Bernetta Harrell-Snell

On May 11, 2023, the second annual competitive basketball game between the Adaptive Sports Ohio organization and the seventh and eighth-grade students took place during the Health and Physical Education (PE) classes at the STEAMM Academy @ Hartford.

Adaptive Sports Ohio’s mission is to ultimately remove barriers so individuals with physical disabilities get an opportunity to play and utilize sports to elevate, empower, and persevere.

”It was an honor and privilege to again welcome Adaptive Sports Ohio (ASO) to STEAMM Academy @ Hartford,” stated Dr. John Roncone, PE and Health teacher at STEAMM Academy, “Brian Veverka, Warren Craig, and Casey Followay (ASO elite athletes) do a wonderful job with our PE and Health students. It’s very engaging, competitive, and fun-spirited! I have witnessed our students learning at a different level on this day and it’s always inspiring to see our youth learn by doing, and have fun, while also enhancing their own health and wellness.”

Roncone added that he feels it is important for our students to have new experiences that develop social awareness and empathy.

“Overcoming obstacles may be challenging, but they witnessed how others have overcome them,” he said.

Eighth grader, Arius Lucius, found his ability to empathize colliding with his competitive nature while fine-tuning his conduct as a sportsman.

He stated, ”I would love to do this again! Fun opportunity to do something different. I think it is important to provide sports to individuals who have a physical disability and makes us give them their credit--due to how challenging it was!”

Shyann Coleman, a 7th grader, said she learned first-hand how hard and challenging it is to play wheelchair basketball.

“I enjoyed today’s activity in PE class and I’m looking forward to doing it again next year,” she said.

Bryson Reiss, an eighth-grade student, praised his first experience participating in a wheelchair sport. He stated, ”Wheelchair basketball is so challenging, however, the competitiveness was awesome. I was able to see and witness the game of basketball in a different light. Casey and Warren were very caring and excellent teachers on the court while playing.”

Brian Veverka, Director of Programs, at Adaptive Sports Ohio believes his partnership with the Physical Education (PE) and Health classes at STEAMM Academy @ Hartford promotes deeper learning for students through playing wheelchair basketball using specially-designed sport wheelchairs.

“Our collaboration has allowed students a chance to interact with Warren and Casey (both have a physical disability and play in a variety of adaptive sports). There is a lot to learn from those two as role models, especially the lesson that just because they have a disability, doesn’t mean they can’t participate in sports” Veverka said. “We appreciate Dr. Roncone for giving us opportunities to teach his students about adaptive sports and the understanding that can be gained from it.”

““A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.”

~Christopher Reeve

Students in Dr. Roncone’s class play wheelchair basketball with some pros.

Eighth-grader Arius Lucius listens to directions ahead of trying wheelchair basketball.

Incentives Raise Awareness at Stone!

Attendance Matters!

By Amy Konigsberger, Stone Principal

Attending school regularly helps children feel better about school — and themselves!

There is so much learning, both academic and social-emotional lessons, packed into one day! Literacy and Math concepts are introduced, taught, and practiced with each day building on previously learned skills. Irregular attendance leads to “holes” in learning and often students feel lost in the struggle to catch up.

Good attendance promotes learning as students have more opportunities to consecutively practice skills, master concepts, and excel in school. Additionally, students that are at school each day interact more with their peers to develop social skills and friendships. By prioritizing attendance, we help our children learn coping skills and life lessons of showing up even on the days we are sleepy or not at our best. We want our young students to know right away that going to school on time, every day is important. Good attendance is a life skill that will help children succeed in high school, college, and careers.

Through House Bill 410, schools are required to monitor and report chronic absenteeism, habitual truancy, and excessive tardies. At Belle Stone, we partner with families and the community to help reduce barriers and get students to school. We help instill the importance of good attendance by encouraging, rewarding, and celebrating good attendance.

Students with Perfect Attendance and Excellent Attendance are honored at quarterly assemblies. During the fourth quarter, we created an attendance incentive program that challenged students to fill a giant gumball machine and be entered to win fun family prizes. For nine weeks, students got to add a paper gumball each week that they had

perfect attendance. These students were invited to an attenDANCE party in the gym and their names were entered into a weekly drawing to choose a family prize. Prizes included gift cards and gas cards from Walmart, movie passes at Palace Theater, free meals at Chick-Fil-A, skating passes at the North Canton Skate Center, jump passes at Sky

Zone, and many more. Within a matter of weeks, the Giant Gumball display was overflowing and paper gumballs spilled out decorating our first-floor hallway.

Counselor Tracy Sallie wrote the students’ names on each gumball and created fun designs. Students were so excited to see their gum-

balls displayed throughout the halls! Families were so excited when their child’s name was pulled in a random drawing and they could come to pick out a family prize! And most importantly, students were in school every day - learning, growing, and mastering skills!

Kaylen Sanders and his dad, Lester, selected passes to the North Canton Skate Center!

Tracy Sallie added gumballs for students that had perfect attendance for the week, including Zyden Hendershot, Miguel Guit Solis, and Bentlee Cole.

““No matter how you feel...Get up.Dress up.Show up.” ~Zig Ziglar

Harter Elementary Students Step Up to the Attendance Challenge!

By Kathy Kisha-Wise, Principal

Harter families, staff, and students accept a challenge and are up for another one. The day is better when all of our Harter Bulldogs are here and ready to learn. Building attendance was shared with families weekly and we saw how important being in school was to student success.

Families worked hard to make attendance at school a top priority and kept our students here and in the classroom where the learning happens. Teachers worked equally hard to keep learning fun and classrooms happening places. Students walked with pride and purpose without missing a minute of valuable time in the classroom.

All of this resulted in the biggest decrease in Chronic Absenteeism in the district at an attendance check-in at the end of April. Not only did the building notice, not

only did the district notice, but the Cleveland Browns noticed and awarded Harter Elementary with 100 tickets to the 2023 Monster Jam at the First Energy Stadium on June 3.

Hard work pays off and we can do hard things! With that challenge accepted, Harter Staff have given Kindergarten, first-grade, and second-grade Harter Students and families another challenge to consider over the summer. Summer Bridge Books were sent home with every student in our Red Reading Bags with books to read and Red Reading Shades because our future is so bright!

Ninety-five percent of parents and ninety percent of teachers say that if kids

keep learning over the summer, they will be more successful in the long run (teacher revolution) because school may stop for the summer, but learning never should. Fifteen minutes of review and practice every day over the summer can keep skills fresh and prevent sum-

mer learning loss, along with reading and exploring outside! Harter staff looks forward to seeing the completed Summer Bridge Books at Open House in August! We know Harter Bulldogs will be up for the challenge!

Carder & Abel Tuel (Top) and the family of Jayden Altimore & Michael Rhodes enjoy the MONSTER JAM, a reward for good attendance.

Youtz “A” Club Takes On Finance and Golf

Attendance matters!

By Monica Black- Dean of Students.

Students who were members of “A” Club for February took part in a two-part series learning about financial literacy — basically how to manage and budget money!

To be a part of the “A” Club, students must have to have 95% attendance for the month and no tardies. We had three wonderful managers from First Commonwealth Bank of Canton come to teach our students on two different days. Ms. Cheri Swisher, Ms. Dawn Roberts, and Ms. Lesile Machefski led our students through real-life money decisions through activities and games. They brought lots of great prizes for our students and everyone really enjoyed the learning experience. THANK YOU FIRST COMMONWEALTH BANK!

Students who made the “A” Club for March were able to visit First Tee and experience golf. Students were taught about putting, chip-

ping, and driving the ball. They were also taught about building the strength of character that empowers them through a lifetime of new challenges.

By seamlessly integrating the game of golf with the life skills curriculum, the First Tee creates learning experiences that build inner strength, self-confidence, and resilience that kids can carry to everything they do. Our students loved this and hopefully signed up for the First Tee summer program. They also learned about college scholarships and how golf scholarships are available and many do not get used. Let’s have some of our CCS students receive them!

Thank you First Tee and Mindy Pamer, Outreach Coordinator!

Raelynn Tucke (top), Jermai Jackson, and LaKayla Rivers learn about finances.

Worley Pledges to Be Kind and “Stick” Together With the Help of Our Student Leadership Team

By Julie Addessi, Assistant Principal

As the 2022-2023 school year wound down, the Worley Elementary community participated in a fun and unique, long-standing tradition of an A to Z 26-Day Countdown to the last day of school. For students, families, and staff new to Worley, the fun begins with our Student Leadership Team and a calendar. Our student leaders met to decide what activities would help create an atmosphere of fun and help us stay focused on the learning that was still vital to finishing the year so strongly. Students and staff participated in Bulldog Day, College Day, Friend Day, Ice Pop Day, Neon Day, Popcorn Day, Yoga Day, and Kindness Day, all thanks to the planning of our student leaders.

Kindness Day was strengthened by our teachers implementing lessons from Be Kind - Stick Together, a free character education program offered to schools by Values-In-Education Foundation and Duck Tape to reinforce concepts of kindness and sticking together

to prevent bullying and negative behaviors. The lessons end with students and staff pledging to “stick together” as they write their names on pieces of Duck Tape and post them together on a banner. The banner was hung in the cafeteria for students to see the power they hold to make our school a kind place to learn.

As our 6th-grade student leaders take their leadership skills to middle school, our 4th- and 5th-grade leaders await to step in and carry on our school’s tradition. We look forward to participating in this A to Z Countdown again next school year. And with each change in leadership, we can expect to see the influence of our new student leaders as they brainstorm new ways to recognize students and create a fun and engaging environment at Worley that places learning at the forefront.

Zechariah Chavers, Promiss Ingram, Mya Lynch, and Jerry Crofutt

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.

Sports Wrap-Up Boys

Tennis

What a difference a year makes...

by Jim Pukys, Head Tennis Coach

Back in the 2022 season, the McKinley Boys Tennis team was made up of three returning lettermen, one senior in his first year of playing, and seven freshmen. We were in large part either inexperienced or just did not match up well against our opponents. We finished the year 4-14. Many of our matches were lopsided defeats, however, the team was always upbeat and I felt that if they stayed positive and continued to work at their game the 2023 team could be very special.

Fast forward one season later...

With a much improved returning seven lettermen along with a freshman with the skill set and experience of one of the top players in the county, we were ready to make a significant improvement from last year.

We finished the 2023 season with a 14-6 record. We finished with an undefeated season in the NET Conference and capped the year off as the NET Conference Tournament Champions.

Record: 14-6

Individual recognitions:

- Elijah Corrin: 1st Team Federal League, 1st Team NET Conference, NET Player of the Year, 1st Team All-County, Sectional Runner-up, District Qualifier (first since 2003)

- Asher Diuk: 1st Team NET Conference, Honorable Mention All-County

- Conner Welden: 1st Team NET Conference

- Stone Patterson & William Cakanic: 1st Team NET Conference

- 12 out of our 15 players were recognized at All-Academic Conference (3.5 GPA or higher).

NET Conference Champions William Cakanic, Noah Shaheen, Elijah Corrin, Stone Patterson, Brady Tolin, Conner Welden, Asher Diuk, and Coach Jim Pukys.

Sports Wrap-Up

Varsity Baseball

By Head Coach Zak Zelmer

The 2023 season was a very positive one for the Bulldogs. We increased our win total from 9 wins to 15 in 2023. This is the second time in the last three years we have reached the 15-win mark. We increased our win total in the Federal League by five games this year and had some big wins over really good NE Ohio programs in Twinsburg, Lake, North Canton Hoover, Green, and Perry.

McKinley was led by seniors Charles Parsons, Tony Wood, and Zach Stokoe, along with top underclassmen Nik Hilton, Sebastian Wilkins, Champ Knox, and Andrew Fawver. McKinley advanced the sectional finals with a win over Cleveland JFK before falling to defending State Champion Chardon by a score of 5-2.

All Federal League Honors:

- Sebastian Wilkins 1st Team

- Charles Parsons 2nd Team

- Nik Hilton 2nd Team

- Zach Stokoe - Honorable Mention

- Zak Zelmer - Coach of the Year

Cross Country - Boys Varsity

Tennis - Girls Varsity

Volleyball - Girls Varsity

Seniors Tony Wood, Sebastian Skotnicky, Charles Parsons, Zach Stokoe, and Cole King with Federal League Coach of the Year Zac Zelmer.

Cole King and Tony Wood.

Football - Boys Varsity

Get Your Season Tickets Now!

Golf - Boys Varsity

Golf - Girls Varsity

https://mckinleyathletics.org/partner/28/event/410/buy-tickets

Boys and Girls Track

By Jacob Foltz, Head Coach

The McKinley girls’ most important dual meet of the season resulted in a 79 to 58 win over Massillon. We had many notable finishes at invitationals including multiple student-athletes making the podium at Stark County Championships, Districts, and Regionals. The girls’ team had seven regional qualifiers and two state qualifiers. Delaeun Dabney finished off her career as a high jumper near the top of the school record board at 5’5 tying for second in school history. Her teammate Robbaniquea Blakley, who was also a state qualifier, ran times that put her 5th all-time in school history with a time of 15.16 in the 100m Hurdles.

On the boys’ side, also in our most important dual meet of the season, we beat Massillon 70 to 67. We had many notable finishes at invitationals including multiple student-athletes making the podium at Stark County Championships, Districts, and Regionals, even with having our youngest team of the last eight seasons. At Stark County Championships, boys 4x200 and 4x100 teams of Kamar Lucius, Damere McClellan, DJ Britt, and Zaymeir Laury had top-four finishes in both events.

“There are always new, grander challenges to confront, and a true winner will embrace each one.”

~ Mia Hamm

Sports Wrap-Up

Regional qualifiers (left to right). Amarionna Marshall, Sarae Johnson, SaNyah Gammon, ZaNyah Williams, Alexys Sterling, Robbaniquea Blakely, Deleaun Dabney.

Hit this with your phone camera...it’ll take you where you need to go!

Soccer - Girls Varsity

Girls Varsity Softball

By Head Coach Bryan Fowler

We celebrated many accomplishments and achievements this season.

Individually all of our athletes maintained academic eligibility throughout the season and we had a team GPA of 3.34. Eleven (half of the roster) of our athletes had a GPA above 3.5 and 5 athletes finished with a GPA above 4.0. All of this is with most of our athletes enrolled in the Early College program. We had five athletes inducted into the National Honor Society, four Northeast District Scholar-Athletes, and four All-State Academic winners. Brooklynn Barret signed for a full-ride ROTC scholarship to Kent State, the first-ever for a McKinley student. Ava Brown signed with Claflin University (our third athlete to play at the next level in the last six years) to continue her academic and athletic career.

The program hosted its first sectional tournament game in eight years and won the first tournament game as a program in eight years.

Record aside, we had a great season with a lot of accomplishments.

Individual awards include:

- Team Top Hitter - Ava Brown

- Team MVP - Ava Brown

- Captains Award - Taylor Hinkle

Cosches Award - Haleigh Leggett

Most Improved - Nyla Faulkner

- 1st Team Federal League: Ava Brown

- Honorable Mention Northeast District: Ava Brow

Scholar athlete/All-State Academic: Taylor Hinkle, Madison Villa, Ava Brown, Brooklynn Barret

- Ava Brown nominated for The Leadership Playbook student-athlete of the year.

Soccer - Boys Varsity

Sports Wrap-Up

Ava Brown signed to play at Claflin University.

Softball Team members in the National Honor Society are: Brooklynn Barrett, Nyla Everett, Ava Brown, Marla Sanchez, and Taylor Hinkle.

Summer Learning

So much happens during the summer!

By Dana Reinhard and Charla Malone, Coordinators

To experience the benefits of summer learning, students need access to engaging learning opportunities that support their academic success.

CCSD Summer Programming incorporates nontraditional learning and includes exposure to new experiences, addresses learning gaps, promotes physical activities, fosters social and emotional skill development, and incorporates college and career readiness and work-study programs. There are plenty of opportunities for our Summer Learners to develop interpersonal relationships with peers, staff, and community partners. A special thank you to our bus garage, food service department, custodial crews, and office staff at the central office and in our buildings for helping to make this happen for our Summer Learners!

Crenshaw Middle School students participated in a Think-Tank to generate ideas for Summer Learning.

Third-graders in Mr. Wyant’s class learned about bird migration and made bird feeders with pine cones and peanut butter.