9 minute read
Awards
Some of the 8th graders from the AIM Academy visited Whispering Grace Horse Farms to give, learn and laugh together. It was the perfect way to share with the community while building community with one another.
Advertisement
There are dreamers and trailblazers among us who sometimes impact our communities in seen and unseen ways, using their personal talents to pour love and compassion into our community. This year in our district, we had over 70 students at three different schools participate in our district’s dance program. A short time ago our district did not have any students participating in a dance program, but thanks to the passion and vision of Kelly Winn, our dance program has been able to grow to what it is today. After graduating from Malone with a Comprehensive Communications degree, she earned her dance certification at the University of Akron. Kelly immersed herself in finding ways to teach dance, and spent the next ten years writing grants that would enable her to go into schools and teach. In 2013, Kelly began looking for a full-time job as a dance teacher. Through a connection to the late former superintendent Chris Smith’s daughter, Kelly was able to pitch the idea of starting a dance program here in Canton City. After Smith passed away, Kelly took the initiative to propose the idea to Superintendent Adrian Allison, and was hired as a dance teacher for Canton City Schools. For her first 3 years as a dance teacher in our district, Kelly traveled to all 15 elementary schools. In 2015-2016 Kelly was placed full-time at the Arts Academy and became responsible for teaching dance to students in kindergarten through the eighth grade. Being a completely new program with no previously written curriculum, Kelly was responsible for writing and implementing the curriculum for the dance instruction that students would receive. The following year, Kelly was then asked to also teach dance for ninth graders at the Freshman Academy. Throughout her time at the Arts Academy, Kelly has been heavily involved in the end-of-year school performances, working closely with the music teacher, Mrs. Paulis, to put on the music and dance productions. During these spring performances, it became customary for the eighth graders to have solo performances to commemorate their time at the Arts. Last year’s eight graders would have been the first class to have Mrs. Winn for their entire dance career at the Arts Academy, and, unfortunately because of the COVID restrictions a year ago, those students were unable to perform. This past spring, however, all the dance students from the Arts joined the dance students from the high school and Lehman Middle School for a united dance performance. It was at the end of this performance that it was announced Kelly’s time with Canton City was coming to a close. There were times during the spring musical productions that Kelly’s husband would come to the school and help with set design and construction, and it was during these occasions that they realized they had the desire to work more closely with each other. One passion that both Kelly and her husband have shared is the desire to live abroad and be involved in the missionary work of sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Together, Kelly and her husband have taken a leap of faith and will be leaving with their youngest daughter this fall for southern France. That region of France has seen an influx of refugees from other areas of the world, and through their church denomination, Christian and Missionary Alliance, the Winns will be helping start a non-profit arts organization where they will work primarily with the refugee community. Kelly took her personal passion of wanting to teach dance and created something new and exciting for our school district. Without Kelly’s drive to bring dance instruction to our students, we might not have a dance program here in Canton City Schools. It is that same inner spirit that is breathing life into the next chapter of her story. We are forever grateful to Kelly for the personal and professional sacrifices she made to create the dance program, and we wish her nothing but the best as she moves on to continuing a life of compassion and love through the arts. Arts Academy Students in grades K-8 created COVID Self-Portraits. The portraits will be displayed on the first floor at the Arts Academy to symbolize their strength, creativity and resilience. Along with the display, they have included the following poem by student Luc Capobianco.
The end of the 2020-2021 school year was exciting at Lehman! We celebrated our last class of eighth grade students on May 18 in a recognition assembly that was held virtually for parents. Both face-to-face and virtual students were awarded certificates for their academic performance and participation in clubs and activities. The eight grade Lehman dance students performed for the crowd and did a fantastic job!
Top honors were given to the following students:
The Lehman Alumni Award was given to Tooba Sindhu.
The Archie Griffin Awards went to Benjamin Brownfield and Alexys Sterling.
The Top Grade Point Average Awards went to Tooba Sindu and Jazarae Robinson.
Tooba Sindhu, Jazarae Robinson, Brenna Burns, Vanessa Castelano-Nunez, Jase Cornelius, Angel’Lynn Cutshall, Cameron Daniels, Elizabeth Dazey, Alexis Kollmorgen, Gideon Oester, Alexys Sterling, Anastasia Wilson.
Average: Ahlia Bell, Evelynn Beverly, Kayleb Bullock, Benjamin Brownfield, Jarius Burrows, Trishelle Crabtree, Braylon Eddinger, Adriann Ellis, De’Mier Hamilton, Chloe O’Quinn, Beautiful Owensby, Anthony Perretti, Neah Petrik, Hon’Nesty Smith, De’Ahni Wheat
Teachers presented Department and Exploratory Awards to the following students for excellence in each subject matter:
Language Arts Awards: Maria Carbenia, William Cakanic, Elizabeth Dazey, Brooklyn Dunbar, Amyah Graves, Nasiere Elder, Cheyenne Kemble, Ezekiel Mathews, Gideon Oster, Jazarae Robinson, Jamia Sanders, Xavier Shaffer, Tooba Sindhu, Ja’Meiha Smothers, Sean Thomas, Anastasia Wilson
Math Awards: Jorden Brown, Benjamin Brownfield, Brenna Burns, William Cakanic, Nya Carter, Vanessa CastelanoNunez, Trishelle Crabtree, Taylor Dick, Brooklyn Dunbar, Alexis Kollmorgen, Ezekiel Mathews, Brandon Peterson, Jazarae Robinson, Tooba Sindhu, Kylie White, Anastasia Wilson
Science Awards: Ahlia Bell, Mario Bell, Noah Bryant, William Cakanic, Nya Carter, Celia Curiel-Lomeli, Elizabeth Dazey, Nasiere Elder, Ezekiel Matthews, Jazarae Robinson, Hon’nesty Smith, Alexys Sterling, Javonta Walker, Alexander Wilson, Anastasia Wilson
Social Studies Awards: Ahlia Bell, Christopher Brooks, Benjamin Brownfield, Cameron Daniels, Leo DiegoLopez, Cheyenne Kemble, Law’ry Lipkins, Gideon Oester, Jazarae Robinson, Zachary Sechler, Tooba Sindhu, Landin Taylor, Jayden Thayer, Dianisis Wells, Kylie White
Spanish Awards: Evelynn Beverly, Myah Davidson, McKenna Mollohan, Ezekiel Matthews, Gabby Strawder Gateway Awards: Mario Bell, Elizabeth Dazey, Zachary Sechler, Jayden Thayer, Tyler Wilson
Art Awards: Christopher Brooks, Tooba Sindhu, Jayden Thayer
Choir Awards: Landon Ball, William Cakanic, Gabriella Fulton, Samantha Shonce
Band Award: Matthew Kim
Dance Awards: Amyah Graves, Dreonna Vernon, Dianisis Wells
Broadcast Media Awards:
Elizabeth Dazey, Anastasia Wilson
Athletic Training Awards:
Noah Blair, Brooklyn Dunbar, Gavin Hutchinson, Peyton Kennedy
Best wishes to all of our eighth graders as their journey continues to high school! Go Bulldogs!
Dance Teacher, Ms. Boykin, Dreonna Vernon, Dance Award Recipient, Mrs. Carter, Teacher
Steamm Stark Tank Team Dedrick Britt, Collin Hinkle, Steven Keyes, Yonatan Lopez Ramirez, Thomas Mankowski, Gavin Maury, Wolfe Michelson, Dezmun Olmeda, Kale Parr, Gabriel Regimbal, David Thompson, Jayden Wiggins, Jameire Williams, and teacher Coach Shanks. Horticulture teacher Jason Board gives an interview about the program.
This year, the Greenhouse and the Horticulture Program at the STEAMM Academy received lots of positive attention. Teacher Jason Board and his sixth grade classes were featured on various Cleveland news stations as they shared how they learned to grow their own vegetables and landscape plants through a variety of methods in the greenhouse. The school’s seventh grade Stark Tank Team received a $400 check for their impressive second-place finish in the countywide competition! The students have a plan to grow a farm on the Hartford Campus to help alleviate the food desert in the neighboring area. The program was thanks to a partnership with Patrick Gerber of TomTod Ideas and Jay Moody of the ESC.
Belden
Belden Girls on the Run has completed another successful season! This is the fourth consecutive year we have fielded a Girls on the Run Team at Belden. Girls on the Run is an amazing program that builds confidence in young girls. Trained coaches use physical activity and dynamic discussions to build social, emotional and physical skills in every girl while encouraging healthy habits for life. Our dedicated staff makes this program happen each year for our students. Miss Hall, Miss Ranalli, Mrs. Adams and Ally Ferguson all coach the girls throughout the season, which begins in March and ends with a 5K run in May. The girls practice two nights a week during after school hours. This year we had over 20 girls in the program from Grades 3, 4 and 5. In addition to coaching, our coaches organize fundraisers for Girls on The Run at Belden. Enough money is raised each year to buy each girl a pair of running shoes to wear throughout the program, as they train and for the day of the big race! The fundraising also goes towards tutus, fun socks and hair accessories to wear for race day! On race day, our girls all need a “running buddy,” so additional staff, parents and siblings show up at the race to run with our girls and cheer them on! This is such an amazing day for our girls to be able to shine. We are so proud of them and their accomplishments!
Belden Girls on the run members: Mrs. Adams, Ms. Dunlap, Egypt Barrino, Amyah Allbritain, Mariah Venson, Damiya Backie, Juliana Evans, Taylor Hall, Robbany Blakely, Mrs. Weber, Mrs. Muntean and Myana Wood
