North Royalton City Schools - Bear Way Fall 2017

WE INSPIRE AND EMPOWER LEARNERS

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NORTH ROYALTON CITY SCHOOLS’ DIGITAL MAGAZINE FOR THE COMMUNITY

NORTH ROYALTON HIGH SCHOOL CROWNS

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Vision: Our educational community will be a model in identifying

individual student needs and providing comprehensive support.

FOCUSED ON INSPIRING GREATNESS AT NORTH ROYALTON CITY SCHOOLS

By Greg Gurka, Superintendent North Royalton City Schools Greetings and thank you for taking the time to read our latest edition of the district’s Bear Way digital magazine.

We have a great deal of things happening in our district as you will see from the pages that follow. Our theme of Inspire Great is still alive and growing as we continue to chronicle activities that occur in our classrooms, on the stage and on the field! I could never have imagined last year when we introduced this that so many people would be following all the events that occur and that it would grow like it has.

The link #NRInspireGreat is filled with stories, pictures and descriptions of things that are happening in our schools each and every day. By following your principal or teacher

(or me @gurkag), you will see first hand the creativity of our staff and students on a daily basis.

We are excited to be in the process of updating our facilities thanks to the passage of Issue 11 in May. As you will see from the following pages, we are fully engaged in the programming and schematic design phase of the project. The first step was the visioning process which has now led us to working with the educators to begin the design of the educational spaces. The next step is to invite the entire community to an open meeting to hear and discuss the progress and provide input into the design of the exterior of the facilities. That meeting will be held on Wednesday, January 3, 2018, at 7 pm in the North Royalton High School Performing Arts Center. In the coming weeks, you will receive more information on that.

The 2017-2018 school year holds great promise for our students, staff and community. I want to wish the best to all of our seniors in the Class of 2018 as they culminate their years at North Royalton High School, and I also wish the best to our current kindergarten students, the future Class of 2030, as they begin their journey! I know both of these groups of students will make a positive impact on our society.

Thank you for all of your support of our students and programs. I welcome your thoughts and comments. Please call me at 440-582-9030 or email me at greg.gurka@northroyaltonsd.org.

All of us at North Royalton City Schools wish you and your families a wonderful autumn season.

Greg Gurka Superintendent North Royalton City Schools

What exactly is the “Bear Way?” It’s not just a saying, or title of a magazine, but a way of life here in our district. It is a sense of pride students have in their schoolwork and how they manage their extracurricular activities while keeping an eye on succeeding academically. It is a sense of pride teachers have when they continually go the extra mile to make sure every student receives a personalized eduation and succeeds.

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SCHOOL BUILDINGS ALBION ELEMENTARY SCHOOL (Grades K-4) Vince Ketterer, Principal 9360 Albion Rd. North Royalton, Ohio 44133 Phone 440-582-9060 ROYAL VIEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL (Grades Preschool-4) Kirk Pavelich, Principal 13220 Ridge Rd. North Royalton, Ohio 44133 Phone 440-582-9080 VALLEY VISTA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL (Grades K-4) Jeff Hill, Principal 4049 Wallings Rd. North Royalton, Ohio 44133 Phone 440-582-9101 NORTH ROYALTON MIDDLE SCHOOL (Grades 5-8) Jeff Cicerchi, Principal 14709 Ridge Rd. North Royalton, Ohio 44133 Phone 440-582-9120 NORTH ROYALTON HIGH SCHOOL (Grades 9-12) Sean Osborne, Principal 14713 Ridge Rd. North Royalton, Ohio 44133 Phone 440-582-7801

Inspiring and Empowering Learners . . . North Royalton City Schools #NRinspiregreat

ADMINISTRATION

BOARD OF EDUCATION

6579 Royalton Rd. North Royalton, Ohio 44133 Phone 440-237-8800 Superintendent | Greg Gurka | 440-582-9030 Treasurer | Biagio Sidoti | 440-582-9045 Assistant Superintendent | Jim Presot | 440-582-9034 Director of Personnel | Pat Farrell | 440-582-9036 Director of Curriculum & Instruction | Melissa Vojta | 440-582-9038 Director of Pupil Services | Julie Bogden | 440-582-9140 (Health/Nursing Services, Home Schooling, Residency/Custody, Special Education Programs & Services, Gifted Services)

Director of Instructional Technology and Preschool Coordinator | Mike McGinnis | 440-582-9055 Communication | Charlene Paparizos | 440-582-9031 Food Services | Sue Rudolph | 440-582-9041 Maintenance | Dave Albert | 440-582-9043 Technology | John Nickell | 440-582-9042 Transportation | Greg Hovan | 440-582-9151 Before and After School Care (at Valley Vista Elementary) | 440-582-9108

Mrs. Jackie Arendt jackie.arendt@ northroyaltonsd.org 440-230-1567

Dr. Susan G. Clark susan.clark@ northroyaltonsd.org 440-390-8794

Dr. John H. Kelly john.kelly@ northroyaltonsd.org 440-552-0864

Mrs. Heidi Dolezal heidi.dolezal@ northroyaltonsd.org 440-237-8258

Mrs. Anne Reinkober anne.reinkober@ northroyaltonsd.org 440-582-3281

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NORTH ROYALTON CITY SCHOOLS

BUILDING A STRONG FOUNDATION IN EDUCATION AND FACILITIES

North Royalton Board of Education meeting. Hammond North Royalton City Schools Selects ThenDesign Architecture (TDA) as Architects has extensive experience building schools and provides At the Board of Education meeting on August 14, the board approved ThenDesign Architecture (TDA) as the architectural firm for our project. “Not only does TDA focus their business on designing educational facilities, they also have a strong reputation of engaging staff and community in the educational visioning process,” said Superintendent Greg Gurka, North Royalton City Schools. “The process of listening to our stakeholders prior to designing is critical to me and to the overall success of the project.”

“We are extremely honored to work with North Royalton City Schools. TDA looks forward to partnering with the Board of Education, administration, staff, students, and community of North Royalton,” said Christopher Smith, Partner, ThenDesign Architecture (TDA).

North Royalton City Schools Selects Hammond Construction, Inc. as Construction Manager at Risk Hammond Construction, based out of Canton, Ohio, was selected to serve North Royalton as Construction Manager at Risk for all of its capital improvement projects. This was made official at the September 11

a strong team of construction professionals that will lead the project.

“Hammond Construction is honored to be a part of the team to transform and rebuild North Royalton City Schools. Hammond is a construction manager who specializes in the K-12 market, having managed nearly $2 billion in school construction projects over the last 17 years. Our team is ready and committed to building high quality schools that will benefit the North Royalton students and be sources of pride for the community,” said President Bill Schurman, Hammond Construction, Inc. “Community and staff engagement will be a key component of the success of this project.”

Construction management at risk or “CMR” is the most prevalent construction delivery method utilized by schools in the State of Ohio. The term “at risk” comes from the responsibility of the CMR to hold all of the construction contracts rather than the school district. The CMR, Hammond Construction, will be heavily involved in the design process to assist with pre-construction services including cost estimating, scheduling, alternative methods of construction and site logistics planning.

With the selection of Hammond Construction, Inc. as CMR and ThenDesign Architecture (TDA) as the architect, North Royalton City Schools looks forward to commencing on the planning and designs to build better schools for its community.

“Throughout this exciting process, the district, along with the design and construction team, is committed to engaging our community and keeping them apprised of the positive steps we are taking towards making this project a success.”

- Superintendent Greg Gurka, North Royalton City Schools.

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Building a Educational Visioning Sessions Begin

Strong Foundation In Education & Facilities

In the month of September, architects from ThenDesign Architecture (TDA) visited all of the school buildings and talked with staff, as well as held an educational visioning session on September 14 that included students, teachers, support staff, administration, civic officials, parents, community members, and business partners. We thank the individuals from our staff and community who reached out to volunteer their time or responded to the district’s invitation for participation. The objectives were: 1. to further understand what is currently working or not working in the existing facilities; 2. to imagine the potential design of various spaces; and 3. to explore various configurations at the new elementary school and high school sites, as well as the layout of a potential new media space in the middle school.

There will be other opportunities for community engagement as we move forward, especially when we make plans for what the outside of the buildings will look like.

The completed report was approved by the Board of Education at the October 9 meeting. Areas addressed include building blocks for student-centered learning environments and curricular and cultural goals. This includes core academics, elective curriculum, administration, safety and security, outdoor learning, PE/athletics, music/performing arts, media center, science and STEM, student storage and lockers, maintenance/custodial, special education, visual arts and student dining/food service. Click here to review the report. “As we stated last month, this will be our guiding document during the design process, in conjunction with the additional conversations that will be held with staff and community members,� said Superintendent Greg Gurka.

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WELCOME NEW STAFF: HIGH SCHOOL Norman Armentrout - Industrial Arts Dorine Foster - Cleaner Joseph Francescangeli - Science Samantha Gosche - English/RTI Elisabeth Jasina - Intervention Specialist Debra Maloney - Aide Cresta Mellon - Science Marilyn Orseno - Social Studies Alexis Parsons - Math Emily Sasack - Cleaner

MIDDLE SCHOOL Michelle Canestraro - Intervention Specialist Molly Cope - Aide Angela Gerhan - Grade 5 Irene Ivec - Aide Paige Smigelski - Grade 6

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ALBION Melissa Dlugolinski - Aide Caroline Glickberg - Aide Cassandra Marusa - Kindergarten Janice Mertens - Aide ROYAL VIEW ELEMENTARY Sara Alhajomar - Kindergarten Evan Schwab - Aide VALLEY VISTA ELEMENTARY Jesse Foster - Utility Custodian Mallary Koeth - Grade 2 MaryBeth Kovach - Cleaner TRANSPORTATION Colleen Graf - Bus Driver Gregory Hovan - Transportation Supervisor Elwood Mayer - Bus Driver Kevin Sefl - Mechanic Supervisor Anne Marie Scharfenort - Bus Driver

NORTH ROYALTON CITY SCHOOLS

PUBLISHES QUALITY PROFILE

North Royalton City Schools released its annual Quality Profile report to the community. This report is a comprehensive, community-oriented companion to the State’s School District Report Card. It includes additional accountability measures that better define a high quality education and are not included in the State’s report. North Royalton City Schools has placed its Quality Profile report on its website homepage under “Quick Links.” It can also be viewed at bit.ly/NR_QualityProfile2016_17.

The Quality Profile examines the elements, including results on standardized testing measures, of a quality public education, as defined by residents of the community. Its content is divided into six categories: academics, arts, student leadership and activities, fiscal stewardship, parent and community involvement, and student services.

“The Quality Profile highlights those areas of our schools that make the North Royalton City School District a great place for our children to be educated,” said Superintendent Greg Gurka, North Royalton City Schools. “I am proud of all that is happening in our district and I hope that our residents take the time to review this wonderful document.”

HELP STUFF THE BUS! Saturday, November 18 Drop off your new or gently used coats and cash donations to the NR Board Office parking lot between 9am-2pm.

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DOLLARS AND CENTS An Overview of the North Royalton City School District Bond Issue Sale On May 2, 2017, our community overwhelming approved a bond issue to build and renovate our existing buildings.

A new elementary school will be constructed on the southwest corner of State Road and Valley Parkway to house the district’s preschool through fourth grade students. A new 100,000 sq. ft. section of the high school will be constructed to replace the 1950s and 1960s section, with renovations being done to the 1970s and 1980s sections. In addition, renovation of the middle school will also be completed.

North Royalton City School District officials met with Moody’s Investors Service on July 11 and discussed the bond issue including the overall financing plan, the facilities plan funded by the bonds, and other credit characteristics of the district such as tax base, district management and operating philosophy, and finances.

Moody’s Investors Service placed its third highest credit rating of “Aa2” on the district and the 2017 bonds.

Due to this strong rating, on July 25, the district sold $88.9 million worth of bonds for a total interest cost rate of 3.69%. This was better than the anticipating interest rate of 3.75% which will allow us to keep our commitment to our homeowners ($109 per year tax increase per $100,000 home value). The reduced interest rate will also save our taxpayers in interest rate expense as we begin to pay back the bonds. This strong “Aa2” credit rating was instrumental in achieving the pricing result the district was able to obtain on July 25. Funds were deposited into our account on August 15.

During the 1½ hour order period, the district’s bond issue received more than $350 million in orders from 53 different investors. This overwhelming demand for the district’s bonds allowed for a downward adjustment of interest rates after the order period ranging from • 1 basis point (0.01%) in the 2047 maturity, • 2 basis points (0.02%) in maturities 2033 – 2037, • 5 basis points (0.05%) in maturities 2018 – 2024 and in the 2032 maturity, • 8 basis points (0.08%) in the 2025 maturity, • and 10 basis points (0.10%) in maturities 2026 – 2031.

A sampling of investors which purchased the district’s 2017 bonds were Vanguard, Eaton Vance, State Farm Insurance, Travelers Insurance, Wells Capital Management, American Family Insurance, Boston

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by Treasurer Biagio Sidoti, North Royalton City Schools

Company, Nuveen Advisory Corp., Northern Trust, JP Morgan, Credit Suisse Asset Management, Key Bank, Huntington Trust Company, US Bank, Blackrock, Goldman Sachs, in addition to many others.

In the two weeks leading up to the pricing on July 25, tax-exempt interest rates slowly declined by approximately 15 basis points (0.15%) which provided a strong “tone” to the market. In the week prior to pricing the bonds, two events occurred that caused interest rates to continue to decline and inject a more cautious “tone” among investors. On July 18, 2017, Republican leaders in the US Senate suspended their efforts to repeal Obamacare for the time being, causing bond investors to question the administration’s broader reform agenda. Also on July 18, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) housing market index posted disappointing results providing a more cautious tone to the economic recovery picture. Both of these events resulted in interest rates declining by approximately 3-5 basis points from July 18 to July 19, and a strong market tone for the rest of the week and continuing into Monday, July 24 (the day prior to pricing the bonds). Interest rates in the municipal market were also heavily influenced by supply of municipal bond issuance and the week of July 24 was no different. In Ohio, the district’s bond issue was the largest issue in the state, and nationally for the week of July 24. New issuance tax-exempt bond volume of approximately $3.5 billion was approximately half of what has been typical so far in 2017. These factors provided focus for investors to concentrate on the district’s bond issue.

At the end of the day, the district was able to successfully sell all $88.9 million of bonds at a weighted average true interest cost of 3.69%. By all metrics, this issue was a successful sale for the district and the district’s taxpayers.

The bond issue was structured to provide for level debt service over the 30-year period, and the bonds were sold with an optional call provision allowing the district to refund for economic savings at some point in the future bonds maturing on and after December 1, 2025.

We are excited that the district was able to get to market so quickly to take advantage of this great interest rate environment. Thanks again to our community for approving the May 2017 bond issue, allowing us to sell the bonds and securing the facilities needs as it relates to instruction for future generations.

NORTH ROYALTON HIGH SCHOOL COMPUTER CLUB OFFERS CLASSES FOR SENIOR CITIZENS Attention Senior Citizens!

Would you like to get help with technology?

The High School Computer Club is offering assistance on Wednesday, November 15, 2017 in creating an email account, searching the Internet, and help with any devices you may have.

There are two sessions offered on November 15, at 2:45 p.m. - 4:00 p.m., and 4:30 p.m. - 5:45 p.m. at the North Royalton High School Library 14713 Ridge Road, North Royalton.

Please call to reserve your space at the High School Library (440) 582-7832 by November 1.

Transportation can be provided for the 2:45 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. session by contacting the North Royalton Office of Aging & Human Services at (440) 582-6333.

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NORTH ROYALTON CITY SCHOOLS RECOGNIZE STUDENTS AT BOARD MEETINGS SEPTEMBER On September 11, the North Royalton City Schools recognized several students at its Regular Board Meeting.

Albion Elementary Hard work and determination paid off for one of Albion Elementary’s most resilient students, Joshua Talpa. Talpa, a third-grade student at Albion Elementary, was recognized for working hard. Josh is an Ambassador of the Bear Way by practicing the core value of resilience in everything he does.

Royal View Elementary Fourth-grader Abigail Midgley has been a leader throughout her years at Royal View Elementary.

She displays maturity, is responsible, hard working and has a great sense of humor. When the preschoolers started two weeks ago, she was seen greeting the youngest learners and walking them to their classrooms.

Valley Vista Elementary Emma Ward and Vinnie Saviano were recognized for their efforts in Valley Vista’s Positive Behavioral Intervention Supports (PBIS)/P.A.W.S kick-off video. At the start of each school year, our

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PBIS committee works to reinforce our Valley Vista Individual Student Incentive program entitled P.A.W.S which stands for: Positive Attitude/Act Responsibly/ Work Together/Show Kindness. They are both excellent examples of students who display good character and positive behavior from day to day.

North Royalton Middle School North Royalton Middle School eighth-grade students Lindsay Norwalk and Hanna Rembowski, at the end of their seventh-grade year, started writing positive messages on the mirrors in the girls’ restrooms. They have continued with this worthy cause during the 2017-18 school year by arriving early to school each day to help make a difference and “inspire great.”

North Royalton High School Royal Harmony, the North Royalton High School Show Choir began the board meeting by singing the Alma Mater and “America the Beautiful” in remembrance of 9/11.

OCTOBER On October 9, the North Royalton City Schools recognized several students at its Regular Board Meeting.

Albion Elementary Zackary Leanza, a second-grade student at Albion Elementary was recognized at the October North Royalton Board of Education meeting because he is a YouTube legend and a true ambassador of the “Bear Way,” exemplifying the Albion core value of “curiosity.” With help and supervision from his parents, Zack started his own YouTube channel last year. He manages and organizes the video uploads for his channel, communicates or recognizes the comments that people leave, and is consistent with providing fresh and relative content for his channel. Zack’s Channel has close to 40 videos and has a growing fan base with 71 subscribers.

One can find videos on numerous subjects like “How to Connect Your Apple TV” or “Can a Shoe Get Stuck in a Garage Door?” He has videos of himself playing piano and even fencing. “Zack’s creativity, imagination, and the curiosity for learning are impressive,” said Principal Vince Ketterer.

Royal View Elementary Royal View Elementary recognized two second-grade students, Sophia Koukios and Gwen Gaydosh at the October North Royalton Board of Education meeting. Their story starts with the building’s Buddy Bench.

Gwen’s mom recently shared a story with Principal Kirk Pavelich about her daughter and her daughter’s best friend Sophia. Seeing as how they are inseparable, Gwen’s mom said she had always assumed they had met when they were in the same first-grade class.

However, Gwen recently shared with her mom the true story of how they became best friends as students at Royal View. Gwen told her mom when she first came to Royal View, she didn’t have any friends because she didn’t know anyone at the building. Feeling sad about being in a new building where she didn’t know anyone, Gwen decided to sit on the playground’s Buddy Bench one day at recess. It was then that Sophia came over, introduced herself, and asked Gwen if she wanted to hang out. They have been best of friends ever since.

Gwen’s mom said she is so thankful for Royal View’s Buddy Bench because she knows it truly impacted her daughter’s life. Both moms have also shared that they are volunteering to serve as leaders of a new Girl Scout troop because their daughters are eager to be in the troop to help others make new friends. The flyer Mr. Pavelich recently received from the new Brownie Troop says: “Calling all second-grade girls: Royal View Girl Scout Troop 70064 wants you to join us! Make New Friends...Go to Fun Outings...Learn New Things...Gain Leadership Skills...Give Back to Our Community. We would love to have you join the fun!”

Valley Vista Elementary Valley Vista Elementary, along with all other buildings, worked together to assist the American Red Cross in the relief of Hurricane Harvey. Valley Vista students donated more than 20 boxes of items such as water, toilet paper, toothbrushes, toothpaste, hair combs and brushes, socks, water, Gatorade, nonperishable food and snacks, coffee, juice boxes and pouches, diapers, canned and dry animal foods and cleaning supplies. Fourth-grade students Hope Sawyer, Christopher Pascu, Arianna Bokman, Samantha Dehrmann, and Alivia Olman went above and beyond Continued on page 12

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NORTH ROYALTON CITY SCHOOLS RECOGNIZE STUDENTS AT BOARD MEETINGS Continued from page 11

by helping separate all the items into appropriate categories. Bokman and her family also donated all the boxes to help with the transport to Texas. “Elementary teachers and principals work to instill and maintain positive role modeling and effective leadership in all our students,” said Principal Jeff Hill. “In combination with all of our elementary students, these five students demonstrated those two qualities but also include empathy for those in need, responsibility, commitment and most importantly positive citizenship to those in desperate need.”

North Royalton Middle School North Royalton Middle School recognized an anonymous student for creating an Instagram account entitled “NRMS Kindness” at the October North Royalton Board of Education meeting. He or she is using the power of social media to spread kindness among the school community and its students. In addition to the messages going out through Instagram, wristbands with the quote, “Spread the Kindness” and “@nrms kindness” were placed in a bowl in the main office. The first 200 wristbands were quickly taken by students and staff alike and will be replaced so even more people can show their support.

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North Royalton High School North Royalton High School recognized Emma Chu at the October North Royalton Board of Education meeting. Emma is a senior who spent a month in Taiwan this past summer. She was part of the program through the Overseas Community Affairs Council where she taught Taiwanese children to speak English. She received one week of training, taught for two weeks and then one week of touring the country.

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IMPLEMENT NEW APP FOR MENUS North Royalton City Schools has a new app called “My School Menus.” The app allows users to see the upcoming menu for their school as well as nutrition and allergen information. This came about as a response to the increase of students who have food allergies and the wish to increase the number of students who eat on campus.

Parents can now visit the school’s website and see the next two weeks of menus. When they use the mouse to hover over an item, it shows the ingredients. The app can also filter out items by allergens and can provide links to find the prices for the items in each school.

The app can be found on iTunes and Google Play and be downloaded for free. Parents can search “My School Menus.” Parents also can go to http://www.schoolmenu.com/directory/oh/north-royalton-city/.

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NORTH ROYALTON HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS START THE SCHOOL YEAR WITH POSITIVE MESSAGES

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The Kindness Rocks Project has aimed to bring a little joy to people through painted rocks with positive sayings and pictures on them. The project began with one woman who left rocks with uplifting messages on the beach and has transformed into a nationwide project to make someone’s day.

Students at North Royalton decided to bring this project into their own school. Intervention Specialist Kate West, North Royalton City Schools, had seen the rock hiding phenomenon in the news and wanted to start it as a getting-to-know-you activity for staff and students to bond during the beginning of the school year.

They decided to start their own Twitter hashtag #nororocks with pictures of the students’ rocks.

“The students absolutely loved seeing the hashtag #nororocks on Twitter and a growing collection of pictures of their rock creations.

It was a great way to start the year,” said West. Pictures of the rocks can be viewed through the hashtag on Twitter and information on the origins of the rock project can be found at thekindnessrocksproject.com.

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PARTNERSHIP FOR HEALTHY NORTH ROYALTON GRANT HAS COME FULL CIRCLE When Partnership for a Healthy North Royalton was formed in 2013 and applied for and received the Drug-Free Communities grant (DFC), the vision for a community united for safe and healthy living was given life. In the five-year grant timeframe, the coalition has evolved into a resource for many areas of the schools, the city and our governing officials, and a partner with many businesses and community organizations. The coalition has been the support of the surrounding families, church congregations, and everyone who comes into contact with our population. The mission has stayed the same and we continue to live out promoting a healthy, drug-free community by empowering the youth and adults to help them make responsible decisions. We have worked hard to moving from more than just a conversation starter, and becoming a long-term commitment to the community.

While our foundational beliefs have not changed, our coalition has grown to an organization with a new look and a renewed commitment to the wellbeing of all of our youth and adults. The rebranding campaign–led by North Royalton graduate Joe Watson and his company, Go Big Creative Lab –has been a process of discovering what our organization really represents and where we fit into the North Royalton City School District and the communities served by our organization. “By working with Amy Kuntz and Sheri Stafford, the coalition advisory board, and the coalition as a whole to get their feedback, there was an obvious message that needed to be conveyed, and Go Big developed a logo and color scheme to get that message of the positive impact PHNR has made and will make moving forward. The areas of live, learn, work, and worship were the essential pieces of those conversations and the new logo represents all of those pieces together with a common goal.”

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With the logo solidified, the focus became the website and being an effective presence on the web and once again Go Big delivered in a BIG way.

PHNR became a more effective and connected resource online as well.

“Moving from a bridge logo to a more organic symbol like the circle that represents the four sectors of our community that PHNR serves felt like a natural evolution as we grow,” said Director Amy Kuntz. “We are still the group that was started by engaged school employees and concerned community members and we still hold true to what we set out to do five years ago with the DFC grant.

We are also so much more than that group – the onset of addiction and abuse is a problem that needs to be an ongoing conversation because of the constant morphing of the world of addiction.

Our jobs at PHNR have become so much more vital to the community over the last few years because of the need for support and information. We remain committed to the cause, and we look forward to this next chapter here in North Royalton and Broadview Heights.”

Today, PHNR is regarded as a resource to supplement what the health classes teach about the disease of addiction, the science behind the way our brain changes when introduced to addictive chemicals, a way to start a conversation about expectations of not using drugs at any age, and an organization to support the community with the backing of experts at all levels on many topics.

MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN TEAM BANKING The fifth-grade students at North Royalton Middle School are learning the value of a dollar by participating in an economy system using team banks. Each fifth-grade class has their own bank with different teachers as coordinators for the teams.

Students applied to work at the banks by answering questions about character, bank terms, and solving math money problems. The teams of teachers reviewed the applications and selected the student bankers. They were then trained by fifth-grade teacher, Mrs. Julie Caputo. Students may deposit money into the bank during bank hours twice a week. Teachers and bankers have access to a shared Google Doc to keep track of the student’s money.

Students earn money for completing classroom jobs, keeping a clean locker, getting their Bear Way log signed each week, following the school code of conduct, and putting forth extra effort in class toward their academics or helping teachers

and students. Students can also lose money for not following the code of conduct, missing work, leaving a messy locker, or being late.

“The purpose of the economy system is to award our students for being responsible fifth-grade students,” said Leigh Johnson, fifth-grade teacher at North Royalton Middle School.

The money is used at team auction events which are held before winter break as well as at the end of the school year. Prizes for the auction are donated by families and local businesses and include gift cards, sports apparel, candy, games, and craft kits.

Those students who have a positive balance in their account may participate. The student with the most money in their account selects their prize first and then the student with the next highest chooses consecutively.

“The money system is a positive behavior system that supports students becoming responsible learners,” said Johnson.

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Gears for Grins!

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Help North Royalton City Schools Help N win $25,000 to NORTH ROYALTON CITY purchase adaptive bikes SCHOOLS p for the children of our community! for the WINS $25,000 STATE FARM

NEIGHBORHOOD ASSISTANCE You can vote 10x a day from August 16-25 at GRANT! www.neighborhoodassist.com/entry/1996045

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You can vote 10x a day from August 16-25 at

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www.neighborhoodassist.com/entry/1996045

The North Royalton Educational Foundation, on behalf of North Royalton City Schools, has been selected as a top 200 cause in the State Farm Neighborhood Assist Grant Contest.

From August 16-25, the community voted on the top 200 causes from this philanthropic program. The 40 causes with the most votes were announced on September 28 and each has won a $25,000 grant from State Farm.

North Royalton City Schools will use the $25,000 for a program they call “Gears for Grins.” The mission is to purchase adaptive bicycles for children with special needs for use in our city and neighboring cities. Our teachers and therapists will use these bikes to work on developing important motor skills with these children.

“Currently, there is a great need within our school community for adaptive bicycles,” said Board Member Dr. John Kelly, North Royalton City Schools. “Our district has none available to it now and the only families that have access, own them personally. The bicycles address a range of needs from balance to coordination to support for students with special needs. A number of styles would be used to give youngsters a chance to enjoy the cycling experience.”

“The impact of this program extends far beyond our city’s kids and far beyond this year,” said Kelly. “These cycles will be kept and maintained so that they are available for use for children for many years to come.

The joys of family time riding together in the Cleveland Metroparks could create lasting family memories. Many times it seems like there is little for our families to smile about.

This would provide ear-to-ear grins for many, many, years.”

Tiffany Tarpley, reporter for WKYC TV3, visited Royal View Elementary during the voting period and did a story to encourage votes. She interviewed the Roesch family whose son, Alex, will be one of the children benefitting from these adaptive bicycles.

“Having a bike like this will be empowering for Alex, said his mom, Tracy. “It allows Alex to have an experience like any other child. Click here to view the interview.

State Farm agent Larry Vasil presented the check for $25,000 to the North Royalton Educational Foundation and North Royalton City Schools at the October 9 Board of Education meeting.

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HIGHLIGHTS OF NORTH ROYALTON HEALTH FAIR & FAMILY EXPO On Saturday, September 30, North Royalton hosted its annual Health Fair and Family Expo. This event is sponsored by Mayor Bob Stefanik, North Royalton City Schools, and Sports Rehabilitation Consultants Physical Therapy. It took place at the North Royalton Performing Arts Center.

The expo began with a free pancake and sausage breakfast at 8:30 a.m. courtesy of North Royalton Council President Larry Antoskiewiz. The 5K Bear Run/Walk began at 9 a.m. Canned food items were collected to benefit the North Royalton Food Bank. The annual Turkey Trot kicked off at 9:15 a.m. This year, the 5K featured a “Wellness Walk and Talk” with Dr. Bradley Banko of University Hospital, Brecksville Internal Medicine.

The fair offered residents the opportunity for flu and pneumonia vaccinations, health and fitness screenings, a meet and greet with the Jump Yard character and North Royalton Schools Bear mascot, and much more including Sports Rehab Consultants’ women’s health

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screenings, injury and balance screenings, as well as distracted driver simulations. Throughout the day, the Red Cross hosted a blood drive in the gymnasium.

Mortach Financial also had a $5 raffle drawing to win a pair of tickets to an Andrea Bocelli concert. Raffle proceeds benefited Coats for Kids. They also accepted new and gently used coats that day. As always, Island Jeff Cavallo served as emcee and provided live steel drum entertainment.

The Midwest Cheer Elite dance and cheerleading group performed, followed by a North Royalton Martial Arts performance. The day ended with the Save Ohio Strays pet adoption meet and greet followed by the grand raffle drawing.

Special thanks to the North Royalton Police and Fire Departments, SW Enforcement Bureau, Bomb Squad Robot, Ohio Department of Transportation, Office of Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine, and University Hospitals Parma Medical Center.

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NORTH ROYALTON WELLNESS EXPO

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NORTH ROYALTON HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS LEARN ABOUT VELOCITY THROUGH SCIENCE LAB Joe Sieracki’s physics class at North Royalton High School learned about the concept of velocity through constructing their own small buggy cars. Sieracki held a lab where students measured in the classroom how long it would take their small cars to travel 10 feet. After calculating that number, they found the velocity in meters per second. Finally, they predicted how long it would take the cars to travel 125 feet down the hallway given a consistent velocity from the cars. The lab wrapped up with students comparing actual travel time for their car to their predictions. They did so by using a percent error calculation and identifying sources of error they encountered while performing the lab.

Pictured below: Senior Isabelle Panichi, Junior Morgan Miner, and Senior Mike Gilbert.

The North Royalton High School Royal Tones performed under the direction of Joseph Mikolajczyk at the September Board of Education meeting.

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NORTH ROYALTON MIDDLE SCHOOL ESCAPE ROOM CONCEPT FINDS ITS WAY INTO THE CLASSROOM As a way for students to review the elements of fiction before reading the novel, The Giver by Lois Lowry, seventh-grade students worked through a mock “escape room” in the classroom.

An escape room is a popular physical adventure game where players must solve a series of puzzles using clues, hints and strategy to complete the task at hand. Many have themes such as pirate ships, prison cells, or space ships.

“We were looking for something interactive and hands-on that would engage students while still reviewing important content. We thought that an Elements of Fiction Escape Room challenge would be a great way to bring a little excitement to the lesson,” said Andrea Lemmer, seventh-grade English Language Arts and social studies teacher for North Royalton Schools.

The Elements of Fiction Escape Room had four stations: plot, types of conflict, fiction terms, and figurative language. Students read the directions and completed a sorting activity to review a certain element and recorded their answers. After finishing at one station, they used a decoder to assign a letter to each numerical answer. If the station was finished correctly, the assigned letters formed a word related to that station’s topic.

At the end of all four stations, students showed their recording sheet with each station’s word to the teacher. They were then given a paper with a Google Doc address to use to check their answers. If they got all the of the code words right, that meant they had “escaped” successfully from the Elements of Fiction Escape Room.

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NORTH ROYALTON CITY SCHOOLS FESTIVAL OF THE BANDS Imagine a whole night dedicated to the halftime performances of high schools throughout Ohio without any interruptions from a football game. This was the ideal night for 12 high school bands who performed at the North Royalton Festival of Bands on September 16. The night began at 7 p.m. at Serpentini Stadium in North Royalton where 4,000 friends and family members came to cheer on the performers. North Royalton High School as well as Lutheran West, Keystone, Field, Padua, Brooklyn, Westlake, Copley, Olmsted Falls, Riverdale, and Brecksville/Broadview Heights high schools performed with a special finale performance from the marching band at Tiffin University.

This was a non-competitive event where bands simply enjoyed seeing the 2017 halftime performances of other schools. The 1,897 students who marched even had the opportunity to play an extra song or two in addition to their performance because they were given a longer time to play than at a football game. These performances allowed the bands to fine tune their routines and in the case of North Royalton and Copley,

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helped them to prepare for the upcoming Ohio Music Education Association (OMEA) contest. OMEA promotes music education and holds contests for student musicians from primary school to university level each year. These contests are adjudicated and each student or group is given a rating based on their performance among other categories.

The night began with North Royalton performing their pregame show, each high school following consecutively with their halftime shows. Under the direction of David Vitale, the 280-person North Royalton band played their halftime show whose theme is: “Of Wishes and Dreams.” This theme includes Disney songs: “When You Wish Upon a Star,” “Once Upon a Dream,” “A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes,” and Les Miserables’ “I Dreamed a Dream.”

After Tiffin University closed the performing portion of the evening, the bands were dismissed and marched to their buses to head back to their schools.

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ROYAL VIEW ELEMENTARY STUDENTS VISIT SENIOR CITIZENS AT OFFICE ON AGING On September 18, eight students representing the fourth-grade classes at Royal View Elementary visited the senior citizens at the North Royalton Office On Aging. They worked together to create butterfly pillows to be given to cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy at local hospitals affiliated with University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center. The adults taught the students how to sew and together they made 40 pillows.

“This was a remarkable experience for the students who were randomly selected to represent our

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Royal View fourth-graders,” said School Counselor Beth Ann Kleem, Royal View Elementary. “It was heartwarming to see young and old alike working together toward one common cause, which was to bring a little hope and joy into the lives of cancer patients. Our students engaged so comfortably with the seniors and toward the end of the activity the students were hoping to return again to help with another service project. Most importantly, children understand when they get involved in community service they can make a difference in the lives of others.”

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ALBION ELEMENTARY KINDERGARTENERS LEARN THROUGH PUPPETS While students were learning about shapes, Cassie Marusa, kindergarten teacher at Albion Elementary, decided to take an innovative approach. Kindergarten students learned about the difference between squares and rectangles through puppets.

Because rectangles and squares look similar, Marusa wanted to help them to remember the difference. She found a shape puppet activity online and thought it would be the perfect solution.

“They absolutely loved putting the puppets together and they even put on a puppet show at their tables,” said Marusa.

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Students had to tell their friends at the tables how many sides and corners each shape had. The students had so much fun making the puppets and putting on a show, they took them home instead of Marusa hanging them up in the hallway. Their favorite part was getting to name their puppets.

“I loved seeing how interested my students were! I definitely think I will make these again with a different shape,” said Marusa.

VALLEY VISTA ELEMENTARY STUDENTS TAKE LEARNING VIRAL THROUGH SKYPE The kindergarteners at Valley Vista Elementary have taken learning to an international level. On September 29, Mrs. Gordon’s kindergarten class had a Skype session with a kindergarten class at Bromsgrove PrePrep in Bromsgrove, England.

This is the fifth year that these two schools have had a Skype relationship. Students were excited to connect with British children and prepared for the session by learning about the country of England. In an effort to help each school better understand each other, students in both countries made videos about their school and sent them to each other. While Skyping, students talked about what they eat for lunch, what they wear to school, and the weather, as well as asking questions to better understand the other’s life. To end the call, British students sang a song about cauliflower that they had learned for their “Harvest Festival.”

The second-graders at Valley Vista Elementary learned about rural communities by Skyping with classes in Wisconsin and Kentucky. The students are learning about different types of communities in Social Studies and the teachers thought that video conferencing with rural communities would be a fun lesson. Mrs. Harris’ class talked with a class in Florence, Wisconsin; Mrs. Emch’s class talked with a class in Graves County, Kentucky; and Mrs. Thomas’ class talked to students in Seymour, Wisconsin. While video chatting, students asked each other questions to learn about the communities. These included topics like how far they travel to get to school, if they had fun attractions nearby, and where they go swimming.

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NORTH ROYALTON EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION PASTA DINNER HIGHLIGHTS On October 6, families and residents enjoyed a pasta dinner in the NRMS cafeteria at the North Royalton Educational Foundation’s (NREF) Annual Pasta Dinner.

Many NREF members served in a variety of roles to make this event successful. Proceeds benefit students with scholarships and teachers with grants to purchase items that will enrich their teaching.

Special thanks to . . .

NR Alumni Association - desserts High School Royal Harmony- music performance Middle School Student Council - sold tickets for raffle items and sold spirit wear items for the face Thanks also to the many staff members who volunteered their time to make this a successful event and the community who supports the NREF. The North Royalton Educational Foundation provides grants that enhance the educational opportunities in the North Royalton City Schools as well as provide scholarships and awards to the students.

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NORTH ROYALTON HIGH SCHOOL HOMECOMING 2017

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NORTH ROYALTON ALUMNUS FINDS SOLUTIONS FOR MOBILE APP SECURITY North Royalton High School alumnus Dan Jesensky ‘14, has worked with a research group at Baldwin Wallace University to develop a solution to inform mobile device users about the misuse of their personal data.

Dan Jesensky, a senior at Baldwin Wallace is a triple major in software engineering, computer information systems, and network security. He, along with another research student and assistant professor of computer science, tested their hypothesis about the misuse of personal data on 800 apps. They concluded that over 40 apps exploited information without the knowledge or permission of users.

The goal of the research was to identify a way to expose the unauthorized use of personal data and increase the ability of consumers to maintain their privacy. One example of a breach of privacy would be a weather app asking for your location, but then giving your location information to advertisers.

The solution that Jesensky and the research group came up with is SPEProxy. This is a program that notifies consumers of misuse of their personal information without requiring a change to their phone.

SPEProxy allows mobile phone users to understand how their information is being exposed and identify fine-grained policies they can use instead. An example of a fine-grained policy would be

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allowing apps to know your location, but only during restricted times or only if it is anonymous.

The team tested SPEProxy on 817 top-ranked applications on Google Play and in the iOS App Store. Their evaluation found SPEProxy to work across 86.55% of the apps. It also confirmed 43 cases of data misuse. The program is only available through a server at Baldwin Wallace, but the team hopes to create a public version of their program.

Jesensky will be graduating in May with the SPEProxy program as a strong research example to add to his resume. North Royalton City Schools congratulates Jesensky on his accomplishments.

Photo courtesy of Baldwin Wallace University.

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HONOR SOCIETY INDUCTION The North Royalton Middle School Honor Society was created as an honorary organization for students who have shown strong academic achievement, involvement in extracurricular activities, and community service. “It continues to have a meaningful and relevant purpose in our daily operation as a middle school that works to meet the needs of the whole child,” said Jeff Cicerchi, principal at North Royalton Middle School.

The students inducted this year were: Shyla Algeri, Michael Armbruster, Frank Audino, Marina Baskhron, Molly Benefiel, Paige Boldt, Grace Brierley, Gabrielle Brihn, Laci Buffa, Brendan Burdick, Claire Casey, Steve Charles, Thomas Cooney, Allyson DeSalvo, Marlena Doehrmann, Michael Filippelli, Lance Fowler, Zachary Goodman, Alyssa Grugle, Jack Haley, Dorian Harmatiy, Alexandra Hertel, Elena Hornik, Addison Keitlen, Jake Keitlen, Kaitlyn Kolenz, Emma Kolick, John Kolosionek, Nina Kovalak, Connor Krause, Bryan LaGuardia, Julia Lam, Nathan Laszlo, Daniel McKee, Pankti Mehta, Mitchell Montag, Ben Pacholski, Emylin Pagan, Giulia Paolino, Nancy Patel, Paige Patterson, Isabel Paulesc, Benjamin Payne, Jennifer Ptak, Victoria Reese, Elisabeth Shiplett, Samuel Shiplett, Alaina Siegel, Evan Simonek, Emerson Stoneking, Esha Tomar, Halina Tri-Leanza, Brandon Uzl, Bryna Walker, Kylie Walker, and Abbey Weiser.

The annual induction ceremony that began with a welcome from Principal Jeff Cicerchi was followed by an explanation of the criteria for the society.

Then the current vice president and president of the National Honor Society at North Royalton High School spoke to the newly inducted members of the NRMS Honor Society. All the inductees spoke the society pledge together and were then given their awards.

Cicerchi said the ceremony, “Serves as an opportunity to recognize many fine student leaders for their outstanding work ethic, their pursuit of academic excellence and their commitment to consistently living The Bear Way.” Students in the society will continue to live The Bear Way, which is defined as doing what’s right, doing the best you can, and treating others as you would like to be treated.

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NORTH ROYALTON HIGH SCHOOL WELCOMES NEW NATIONAL HONOR The current officers of the National Honor Society at North Royalton High School welcomed both junior and senior members into the group at the induction ceremony on October 2. The National Honor Society was created in 1921 with the hope of providing an organization that recognized student’s academic achievement while helping them to develop characteristics such as scholarship, character, service, and leadership.

Members of the society are involved in service activities to exemplify the characteristics that are now the cornerstones of the organization.

The night began with a welcome from current President Gracie Goodman followed by the pledge of allegiance, and the singing of the North Royalton alma mater. Current vice president then made opening remarks and introduced the speaker for the evening, retired North Royalton High School teacher, Aggie Ozello.

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Current members Rachel Dietz, Caitlyn McKee, Nathan Rush, and Chazzlyn Jackson each took a turn explaining one of the characteristics of the National Honor Society: scholarship, leadership, service, and character.

Kate West, Adviser to the National Honor Society at North Royalton praised the officers saying, “They are responsive and engaged, and committed to making NHS membership an excellent experience for their peers.”

The Junior Inductees are: Katherine Althouse, Grace Amato, Brandon Bielak, Kaylee Britton, Julia Cinquepalmi, Connor Clark, Adam Compan, Ashley Costa, Rachel Dawson, Savannah Duganier, Tyler Frantz, Matthew Hu, Sankara Harinie Jeyabalan, Margaret Kaniecki, Rebecca Koetter, Jeffrey Kozik, Matthew Lam, Allison Liptak, Andrew Lozinak, Mason Montag,

R SOCIETY MEMBERS Kayla O’Callahan, Victoria Ogonovskiy, Anya Oryshkewych, Hannah Prezenkowski, Jamie Pyatt, Camille Radziszewski, Sofia Rakic, Rachel Roberts, Michael Spisak, Isabella Sprunger, Ava Terovolas, Marina Tsirambidis, Paul Twarog, Manal Vakil, Andrew Vance, and Mackenzie Williams.

Senior inductees are: Brian Berish, Elise Chojnacki, Matthew Compan, Eric Devney, Christina Gallagher, Ryan Gallagher, Evan Groh, Scott Hilfer, Brenna

Horvath, Gabrielle Horvath, Riley Jenkins, Sarath Kareti, Lauren Kovach, Alexandra Kuzma, Emma LaGuardia, Kendall Lord, Zachary Mueller, Palak Patel, Rachel Perko, Vince Pishnery, Olivia Reichenbach, Elaine Slaby, and Jacqueline Srp. The inductees were introduced and recited the National Honor Society pledge before attending the reception after the ceremony.

Current officers from left to right: Gracie Goodman, President; Rachel Dietz, Secretary; Caitlin McKee, Parlimentarian; Kate West, Advisor; Nathan Rush, Treasurer; James Ptak, Vice President; Chazzlyn Jackson, Historian.

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oR MEMBER OF OUR support staff that has made a difference in your life?

The North Royalton Schools & First Federal of Lakewood present the . . .

Crystal Starfish Award Nominate that person TODAY for a Crystal Starfish Award! deadline November 10

bit.ly/NR_CrystalStarfish Winners will be recognized December 2017 and will receive a Crystal Starfish Award, $50 gift certificate to Cleats Club Seat Grille North Royalton and flowers from Independence Flowers & Gifts.

The teacher also will receive a $250 Professional Development grant from First Federal of Lakewood.

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