THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN THIS PUBLICATION ARE THOSE OF THE AUTHORS. THEY DO NOT REFLECT THE OPINIONS OR VIEWS OF THE ROYAL NEWS, ITS ADVISOR OR NORTH ROYALTON HIGH SCHOOL.
MS. LEATHERMAN
NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
Welcome to the April issue of "The Royal News." Our journalism students have made huge progress in just a few weeks. New to journalistic writing, they arrived ready to learn all the basics from scratch: how to generate open-ended questions, identify news, interview people of all ages, and structure compelling articles. I’m proud of these kids because they accepted the challenge of uncertainty in a new class. They embraced being learners. They were receptive to feedback and improved their writing with each new activity.
Perhaps most importantly, they are learning to talk to people of all ages within our building, whether meeting new kids outside of their friend groups or chatting with staff in the office. They’ve covered sports, arts, retiring teachers, and club activities.
Through it all, the journalism class has proven invaluable—not just in teaching students to write crisp, clear sentences, but in helping them build essential life skills. They’ve learned to cultivate curiosity, listen attentively, and report the news with fairness and integrity. They schedule their own interviews, request permission to record conversations, take meaningful photographs, and juggle all the responsibilities of a working journalist. Best of all, within this positive, project-based learning environment, they’ve built a vibrant and supportive community of fellow storytellers.
Thanks, as always, for reading, -Ms.
Leatherman, The Royal News Advisor
BUSINESS
TEACHER MAINTAINS BEEHIVE ON ROOFTOP OF HIGH SCHOOL
Business teacher Mrs. Smith maintains a beehive on the rooftop of the high school and sells the honey that is produced.
BY: LYDIA DOMZALSKI
About two years ago, Mrs. Smith was offered the opportunity to possess a hive. Her interest in this opportunity arose from a love for gardening, and she believed that the best place for this hive would be at the high school.
“It took some convincing and approval, because not only did administraton have to say yes, but then they had to go to the Board of Education,” said Mrs. Smith. “We got all the paperwork that was necessary done, and the beekeeper came out to survey the campus.”
After surveying the campus, the beekeeper believed that the best place for the beehive
would be on the roof. The hive has been maintained on the roof for two years now by Youth Bee Works, an Ohio-based nonprofit organization that partners with schools, businesses, and organizations to care for honey bees. Their goal is to spread awareness of the critical role that honey bees play in food production and environmental health.
Mrs. Smith, who teaches various classes such as Building Your Brand and Accounting, has used her fascinating experiences and duties with the bees as a way to incorporate it into the classes that she teaches.
Senior Corlyn Stauffer said, “I was in Mrs. Smith’s Building Your Brand class last year, so I remember doing things for the hive such as making logos and learning about the work that went into it.”
Mrs. Smith has found many ways of using this beehive for an even bigger purpose than herself: by including the students in the business and using their creativity as a guide. “It's a really good representation of a real business, and it's good for students who want to go into
something like that,” said senior Amanda Hickey. “The information really only gets out if you were in one of Mrs. Smith's classes, and I think more students should know about it because it's a unique thing at our school.”
Although some North Royalton students may not know about the hive, the honey they produce gets all the attention.
“I sell it at Friday Night Bites and the Health Fair,
and in those two events, it’s pretty much sold out,” said Mrs Smith.
This year Mrs. Smith and Youth Bee Works are getting ready to add a second hive. To keep this business thriving and growing, Mrs Smith runs an Instagram account @royalrooftophoney with updates of the bees and how her students are excelling in the classroom.
“The bees play such an important role in all the things that they do,” said Mrs Smith.
A beekeeper from Youth Bee Works secures the “Royal Rooftop” logo on the hive.
North Royalton High School students sell honey at High School.
BY
BOGDAN AVERIN
ROYAL HARMONY MAKES SMASH -
ING PROGRESS: FOURTH IN FINALS
Royal Harmony, the school’s show choir, has stayed under the radar for the majority of its history — that is, until now.
Progress has been made and history has been cemented with the show choir making it to the finals at every single competition this year. Moreover, they won several trophies, including “Best Combo,” “Best Vocals,” and “Grand Champion.”
During the eight years of Royal Harmony’s history, only last year did they make it to finals– a separate series of shows where the best school choirs compete against each other. “Only since last year,” said Show Choir director Mrs. Jahnigen, “have we made it once to finals. Now, it’s become an expectation.”
At a previous competition, placing second overall in finals, Royal Harmony stood toe-totoe with Grove City - a school district with one of the best band programs in the state. Combo director Mr. Portzer said, “They had a big name to fall back on. We didn’t, and yet we still managed to win an incredibly close second.”
Royal Harmony has made an overwhelming amount of progress since the beginning. Each year, they start rehearsal for the singer ensemble as early as August -- before school even starts. They rehearse with the choreographer for a large portion of the time, using their own practice tapes. Show Choir’s competition season doesn’t begin until around February, only lasting
about a month. “Practice the show we rehearsed,” Mrs. Jahnigen would often say before performances. “Consistency is key - don’t do a last-minute change.”
Additionally, each individual competition lasts, quite literally, the entire day. A typical schedule means arriving at the school at 7 a.m., performing at 6 p.m., then a finals performance at 8 p.m., followed by final awards at 11 p.m., leaving at midnight, and getting home three hours later.
And the one reminder given at every performance? “Once we arrive,” says Mrs. Jahnigan, “we are in competition mode.”
Lily Purtee, Sofia Murguey and Sofia Savchenko pictured holding Grand Champion Trophy at the Kenton competition.
A BEHIND THE SCENES LOOK AT NR FACULTY
BY SARAH THOMAS
North Royalton High School
faculty carry a heavy load of day-to-day tasks. The counselors, school resource officer (SRO), and secretaries hold many responsibilities not in the public eye. The success of a school relies on these people to keep the school's ecosystem alive.
These less-seen responsibilities impact the school environment. According to Officer Lexie, school resource officers are responsible for keeping the school safe by implement - ing safety plans, being trained to protect the students and staff without other offi - cers, having first aid training, providing support to strug - gling students, providing legal support, and guiding administrators whether an issue requires legal punishments.
According to the Ohio School Resource Officer Association, approximately 45% of schools employ SROs. To become an SRO, forty hours of training is required. However, Officer Lexie has “hundreds of hours” of additional training. “It’s a lot,” she said. “There’s more to it than it seems.”
SROs provide a positive mentor to students. “If I could help just one kid go in a better direction, I feel like I will have done something with my life,” Officer Lexie said.
Mrs. Charles and her Team Stay Busy Behind the Scenes
Mrs. Charles, Mrs. Anderson, and Mrs. Goodnough help the principal with budgeting for the entire school, manage schedules, keep resources stocked, and field questions for students and parents about a wide range of topics.
The team provides an information hub for the entire school and serves as a helpful resource for the school community.
“I’m happy to help whoever with whatever is needed on a daily basis,” said Mrs. Charles. “We all enjoy being a resource for our staff and students.”
Counselors are Skilled in Many Tasks
Counselors, while being there to support students emotionally and help guide them through their schooling experience, also coordinate with colleges for accelerated students, intervene in crises, help implement programs, and keep the students on track by having frequent meetings with ad - ministrators, ac - cording to school counselor and de - partment chair Mrs. Boduszek.
“It’s al - ways changing, and we’re always be - ing given more re - sponsibilities,” she explains. The respon - sibilities held by school faculty can greatly influence students' lives as a whole. School counselors are included in the best and worst moments of students’ lives. According to Mrs. Boduszek, counselors are involved in everything from setting up “promposals” to suicide risk assessments.
The impacts of these jobs ripple through students' entire lives. For Mrs. Boduszek, that means “helping people, including through the most vulnerable times of their lives.”
VARSITY BASKETBALL BREAKS RECORDS BY JONATHAN BLACK
The 2024-25 North Royalton Varsity Boys Basketball Team broke their school's previous record for the team’s best season, finishing with a 25-2 record. The team was coached by Head Coach Nick Lapsevich and Assistant Coaches Nick Woods and Adam Prevost.
The Bears started their first two games with a 1-1 record. A win against Roosevelt was followed by a close loss against Stow, a loss that senior Brian Houshour believes “woke up a beast.” Upset by the loss and the knowledge they came so close to winning, the team was determined not to give up and to keep improving. Junior Gurmehar “Mehar” Kandola said, “After the loss against Stow we went back to the locker and had our post-game talk. It almost felt like someone had just died based on the tension in the locker room.” As a result of that loss, Kandola said, “we vowed never to lose a game again.”
Following the 1-1 start, the Bears had high expectations, which they soon proved they could handle by finishing the first 10 games with a 9-1 record and a 90% win rate. It was a win percentage that would keep growing as the season rolled on. “Our team’s great chemistry and the way we moved the ball allowed us to play so well,” said 2nd Team All-Conference sophomore Lincoln Lee about the team's success.
The Bears then finished off the next 12 games without a single loss, finishing off the regular season with a 21-1 record and putting the win percent -
age up to 95.45%. “We have been in so many different kinds of situations and we have seen kinda everything,” said Head Coach Nick Lapsevich on how the team's success during the regular season helped them to enter the playoffs strongly. “Now we just let it rip and find a way to get the job done again.”
The Bears then entered their first game in the playoffs against a 5-17 Wadsworth team, which ended in a 62-37 victory for North Royalton, continuing to reveal the team's talent. Following Wadsworth, the Bears then won their next two games scoring a total of 151 points throughout the two games.
The Bears were headed off to the regional finals where they faced off against New Albany in a close but still victorious 38-35 win. “The game was filled with so much energy,” said 1st Team All-Conference junior Antonio Escano. “It was my favorite game we had.”
The Bears advanced onto the final four with a matchup against Perry, and the opportunity to make it to the State Finals. The Bears finished the game with a close 63-66 loss, ending their season.
The Bears finished their season with a new school win record, passing the team's previous record during the 2012-13 season when the team finished 23-3. Congratulations to the 2024-25 North Royalton Varsity Boys Basketball Team on their season.
WRESTLING WITH INJURY: AMEER MOORA'S TOUGH SENIOR SEASON BY ERIC LLOYD
After spraining his MCL, senior varsity wrestler Ameer Moora wasn’t sure if he’d be able to finish his final season. But despite the injury, he recovered in time to compete and made it to districts. Though he didn’t qualify for state, Moora’s determination and hard work left a lasting impact on his coaches and teammates.
MCL injuries are common in high-contact sports like wrestling, football, and soccer. The MCL, a ligament on the inner side of the knee, helps stabilize the joint, but it is vulnerable to sudden twists and direct hits.
Recovery time varies depending on severity, and mild sprains can take as little as a week, while severe injuries can sideline athletes for up to two months. According to Massachusetts General Hospital’s sports medicine department, rehabilitation typically involves strengthening exercises and balance training to prevent further injury.
wanted to spend as much time as possible wrestling,” he said. His dedication paid off, and he returned to the mat with an even stronger skill set.
His coach, Mr. Folk, praised his comeback. “He was the hero of the dual meets,” Folk said. “You don’t always get to be the hero, but in a dual meet, you can.” He also admired how Moora stayed positive. “He didn’t mope. He didn’t get down on himself. He handled it very well.”
Even after his injury, Moora kept improving, surprising his coach by adding a fireman’s carry to his moves. Teammates noticed the difference too. Fellow senior wrestler Josh Lyons said, “He was stronger when I wrestled him compared to last year. He came back out of nowhere, and he did good, better than anyone expected.” He described Moora as “inspirational” and a “chill, hard worker,” showing how much he meant to the team.
For Moora, missing out on his final season wasn’t an option. “It was my last season ever. I just
Though Moora’s season didn’t end with a championship, his comeback proved that perseverance pays off. When asked what he took away from the experience, he said, “Don’t take it for granted.”
Senior varsity wrestler Ameer Moora battles for control during a tense matchup.
Photograph by Justina Saxby
BEYOND THE BLUE LIGHT
BY SOFIA CIRIC
Most teens ages 13-17 use social media and have a smartphone, and nearly half say they’re online almost constantly, according to a recent Pew Research Center survey. At our high school, the story is similar.
Senior Corlyn Stauffer averages about 4.5 hours a day with her phone. “It can get in the way of my school work, but I am not a big procrastinator, so if I don't get my work done I can’t enjoy myself as well as my free time. I try to get my work done first even when it’s so hard to just not pick up my phone,” she explains. “I'll talk to my friends, mostly through messages because it is a good way for me to communicate with them when I am not in face-to-face contact. So, if I had to pick at least two best social media choices, it would be Messages and Snapchat.”
iMessage users account for approximately 16.25% of the global population, representing a significant portion of the world's messaging users. Snapchat can also be very entertaining, and it averages about 27% of its whole usage through the population's likes.
averages about 8-15 hours but mostly through my Chromebook. I don’t really go on my phone. I work a lot so my priorities as of right now are not my phone. I like to use my laptop for school work to get stuff out of the way, and not to fall behind. Social media can tend to affect my actual daily life, but can also keep me occupied if I tend to get bored.”
Reducing screen time for teenagers can be difficult, but also have many beneficial aspects to it. According to the Mayo Clinic Health System website, strategizing ways to keep your phone away, like enforcing a 2-hour limit to have your mind take breaks from a bright screen, is helpful.
Senior Corlyn Stauffer
“I use time limits and I tend to sometimes hide my phone away from myself to just keep my mind off any distractions, while trying to be focused on important things I need to do,” said Sikula. “My phone distracts me very easily, so I need to come up with strategies or I tend to stress out about not getting my work done, then I fall behind and I get frustrated at that moment.”
Yet there can be kids who have an immense amount of hours on their screen but have nothing to do with social media. Some kids benefit without usage of smartphones in many other ways.
Junior Rylan Sikula says, “My screen time
Despite the challenges, social media can have numerous advantages, and it starts with connectivity. The Brown Health website notes that social media allows people to connect with friends and family across the whole globe, gathering relationships and immense communication. So -
cial media can also have positive information sharing, as it provides a platform for sharing new ideas and information quickly, making it easier to stay informed about current events. Also, business opportunities arise from using social media for marketing, customer engagement, and brand building, reaching a wider audience.
Junior Rachel Ellis confirms its positive aspects, explaining, “Social media can benefit my mental health because at some points on my phone where I see inspirational videos, it tends to make me feel inspired to do the same exact thing. I like to feel motivated because it makes me feel more productive and less stressed out on things I don’t do.”
But social media can also have its adverse
and identity theft, according to Brown Health. Mental health issues can contribute to anxiety, depression, and feelings due to comparison of others. Additionally, addiction to social media can lead to decreased productivity and negative impacts on real-life relationships.
“Sometimes when I scroll through Tik-Tok and see sad videos it tends to put me in a gloomy mood and makes my energy level low. When I see throughout my social media all that information loose, it makes me worried that one day mine will be “off the hook,” to the point where everyone can know my business,” said Ellis.
Overall, while social media has many benefits, it also comes with significant drawbacks that users should be aware of in this time period. In the meantime, students keep striving for balance.
consequences. First, there are privacy concerns, as users often share personal information that can be exploited, leading to privacy breaches
“I like talking to my friends through my phone because when I can’t always see them, I can still keep in touch with them in so many ways,” said Ellis.
Junior Rachel Ellis in the math wing.
Junior Rylan Sikula in the school courtyard.
SMALL GESTURES, BIG IMPACT BY ANNA MAIBORODA
Anew program, "Hello Buddy," is designed to foster social inclusion and safety, and it continues its success during the school year through partnering students to provide academic and social support to each other.
Last year the state of Ohio passed House Bill 123, the Save Students Act, which means that schools must teach certain lessons meant to protect students’ emotional, physical, and psychological health. “Hello Buddy” specifically addresses social inclusion as a supportive measure for students.
The program is helpful because “when students who are absent for whatever reason, they get very anxious,” said school counselor Mrs. Boduzsek. “And a lot of times students will have avoiding behaviors because they are really anxious.”
According to the website "The State of Mental Health," nearly 60% of teens report experiencing some form of mental health challenge, such as anxiety or depression. Students may not feel empowered to ask for help, even with a lot of friends in school.
To encourage a positive school culture, the curriculum that the high school uses is called “Start With Hello.” It comes from Sandy Hook Promise, an organization named after the ele -
mentary school that experienced a horrific shooting on December 14, 2012, where 26 people were killed. North Royalton uses “start with hello” as an access point for social inclusion.
To spread the message of social inclusion, school administration installed the wall painting in the cafeteria saying “Hello” in different languages and posters around the school. The program is seeing results, too. “I was stressed because of the understanding that my social life in school may be different from Ukraine,” said Tetiana Piatnychka, a junior who came to the U.S. two years ago. “But I feel like after I exchanged some contact information with a few students it made me more comfortable to be out.”
For both teachers and students, the program will become embedded in school culture over time, so students who are currently going to kindergarten will have an understanding of what it is going to be like in the elementary, middle, and high schools.
"I may not be born here, but every student should have a right to feel like they belong and doing those little things in school makes me feel like that,” said junior Diana Havran.
ANNUAL STUDENT ART SHOW CELEBRATES "DEEP BLUE SEA"
BY AMANDA HICKEY
North Royalton High School’s art department is gearing up for an ocean theme as part of its annual art show May 2, at 7 p.m., to showcase the creative talents of juniors and seniors. This year’s theme: “Deep Blue Sea.”
Each spring, the art show invites students to display their work during school hours, while community members can attend after school. The show
features a new theme every year and takes the combined effort of both students and teachers to bring it to life.
“Now that we just finished Family Paint Night,” said Mr. Speers, instructor of multiple art classes and the National Honors Art Society (NAHS) director, “we’re in the process of thinking ahead to the art show.”
NAHS is an art club for students enrolled in Honors Studio Art, or those who excel in the field of art. Club leaders, including co-presidents August Crossen, Audra Reed, and Chris Pascu, are responsible for brainstorming potential themes for the show.
“My goal in NAHS is to get us more well-known
and have people be able to confidently display their art and find meaning and value in it,” said Crossen.
In addition to the visual art, attendees can expect live music to accompany the event. Last year, a student band called Young Octopus performed at the show, and most of them were NR graduates. “It was cool how there was live music,” said senior Julia Fronee, an Honors art student. “I hope they do that again this year.”
NAHS members begin designing decorations for the new art show theme toward the end of March and the beginning of April. “Last year, we had to hot glue flowers onto vines for the “Tangled” theme,” said Crossen. Past themes featured “Alice in Wonderland” and “Enchanted Forest.”
“It’s pretty much tortuous for Mr. Speers when it's a Disney theme,” said Mr. Speers, chuckling.
After deciding on the theme, NAHS members plan promotional efforts, which include social media posts and collaborations with the high school broadcasting team.
As the art department prepares for the event, students, teachers, and community members look forward to a day of creativity, talent, and artistic expression.
NAHS members and art teachers wrap up Family Paint Night.
Students and community members worked on a cacti painting, while others chose a sunset painting.
MR. KLEEM'S LATEST ADVENTURE: GROWING A COURTYARD PARADISE
BY RYLAN SIKULA
Social studies teacher
Mr. Kleem keeps himself busy. When he’s not serving as department chair, he’s an award-winning folk painter and runs his own thriving art business. He also founded the Garden Club and Craft Club, and now students and staff are enjoying his newly redesigned courtyard classroom, complete with greenhouse for students to practice their gardening skills.
space.
Finding time for hobbies may seem impossible to some teachers, as the job takes up much personal time for many. One way that he finds time for his hobbies is by founding clubs that he runs. The incorporation of the Garden Club helps him enjoy his hobbies and promote meaningful experiences for students.
“Ms. Johnson and I run the Garden Club, which makes us responsible for the courtyard classroom,” he explained. With a greenhouse that students will use every year in the spring season, the Garden Club is very involved in making the school a beautiful and educational
With this club comes the upkeep of the courtyard classroom. Being the head of the social studies department and one of the oldest teachers at the high school, Mr. Kleem decided to finally revamp it. He made it usable and now it is one of the most popular places to do school work. Just like the “hub” areas around the school, which house each of the major subjects (STEM and humanities), the courtyard classroom has proved to be a fresh experience for kids in all grade levels.
More along the lines of hobbies and creativity, is his art business. “[It’s] called Kleem Artworks,” he said. “I design mainly jigsaw puzzles and other home decor projects.” All of his work can be seen at Anthonykleem.com, and it depicts many different “hometown” aesthetics.
Working at a school for so long as a teacher can possibly deter many people, but when that teacher loves the job, it can inspire everyone to make real change.
Mr. Kleem went on to describe his job: “Three words… I love it.”
Mr. Kleem at the Berea Arts Festival creating paintings for people’s viewing.
GARDEN CLUB SPROUTS NEW GREENHOUSE
BY MOLLY WILLIAMS
Garden Club, a popular group where students learn how to garden, recycle, and make crafts, has added a new feature to the busy garden courtyard: a greenhouse.
Club president and senior Sara Fox finds solace and pride in the community. “It’s nice as a student too,” she said. “My friend and I will go enjoy a craft or pick up our planted seeds at the end [of the club] to take home for our own gardens. It’s rewarding to take home something you grew.”
The greenhouse wasn’t bought by just the school, but was due to the collaborative effort of the members. “We saved up for the greenhouse by selling our seasonal crafts,” said Fox. “We got the greenhouse for [the plants], so they shouldn't be easily damaged by the weather.”
Mr. Kleem, history teacher and founder of the Garden Club, had a reason for the club to transpire. “It started with three kids and me. And now it’s pretty big.” Kleem believed that those who participate can do good for the community and be “good stewards of the earth."
One of the most special areas of the school grounds is its courtyard space. It contains round tables with seats, umbrellas, and most notably, the tree in the middle. This tree is unlike any other on the campus. As Mr. Kleem puts it, “It’s a crabapple tree, and it was planted years ago for a student
who passed away. It was our main goal to save that tree.”
Mr. Kleem notes the club and garden gets “very active” in the spring. “I buy seeds for [students], and then
they’re able to take home pumpkins, tomatoes, and cucumbers,” he said.
Garden Club doesn’t only take place in the spring, but has other seasonal activities. “In the fall, Mr. Kleem has a pumpkin-carving contest as well as a picture taking [contest],” said sophomore Alisha Kazimir.
It was Mr. Kleem himself that made this courtyard a special place for students to gather. “For years it was untended,” he said. “I asked the administration if I could make it part of a learning classroom or a little farm. So we did, and the Garden Club will maintain it.”
MS. ZINK RETIRES AFTER 42 1/2 YEARS OF TEACHING
BY CORLYN STAUFFER
Mrs. Zink, the beloved social studies teacher who has guided students for 42.5 years, has sent in her notice for retirement.
Since she was five years old, Mrs. Zink knew she wanted to be a teacher, leading her to study education at Bowling Green State University. She was inspired by her high school math teacher and thought she wanted to teach math, until it took her eight hours to do two questions on her math homework. After that, she switched her major to social studies.
“So I like to be a storyteller, and that’s what social studies is, just storytelling,” she said.
Mrs. Zink got to have her first “storytelling” experience right at NRHS as a student teacher, and luckily enough her first job was also at North Royalton. Under some unusual circumstances Mrs. Zink started her career in the middle of a school year.
Mrs. Zink’s first official day as a high school teacher was January 3, 1983, after only 10 days notice. She was overwhelmed, as it was one of the hardest periods of her life. During the school year of 1983, Ms. Zink was often found reading the textbooks of American History and Western Civilization seconds before her students walked into her classroom.
That is clearly no easy transition, being dropped in the middle of a busy school year, but Mrs. Zink says her dad’s advice, told to her the night before her first day, is what got her through. His advice: “I have never taught in my life, but I am going to tell you three things I think you need: you need to have discipline in your classroom, you need to be consistent in that discipline, and you need to be professional.”
Every day in her classroom she has worked
alongside these three guidelines of discipline, consistency, and professionalism, leading her to be one of the most loved and famous teachers at NRHS. Alsways willing to help students, she has found they all crave discipline, and continue to thrive off her consistency.
After making the absolute best of what was left of the school year, Mrs. Zink had a setback. She had gotten RIFfed (the process where a teacher is not technically fired but they are released) because of enrollment drops.
“When I received the news that I was riffed, it was like getting kicked in the gut, but I subbed here for 121 out of the 180 school days. I coached cross country, softball, volleyball, and I also did the yearbook.”
Thanks to her resourcefulness, this year of not necessarily teaching, but still hard work, gave her another year towards retirement. Luckily, she got back to her role in the classroom and the only time she left again was on maternity leave.
But since then, Mrs. Zink has been bringing the humor out of everyone in her classes for the past 42 years. She says that the daily banter and simple moments of every day turn out to be the best and most memorable times, and they have made some of her most cherished memories with her students.
“I used to tell people, if we wrote down one thing that happened in our class every day, it would be the greatest sitcom you could ever watch,” she said.
If Mrs. Zink did have a sit com, there is no doubt her co-star would be Mr. Kleem. After 31 years of working together and friendship, Mrs. Zink still does credit herself as the reason
Mr. Kleem even has his job. Among all their shared memories, one highlight for Mrs. Zink is their snowball fights.
“We sat facing Ridge Road in the old building, and in the middle of the winter we would open the windows, and we would have snow ball fights through the windows,” she explained.
The laughs she has shared with her students and co-workers are what Mrs. Zink is so sad to leave behind in the walls of NRHS as the sense of community and love for her students has fueled her for more than four decades.
“If I had to do another school system I might have been out in 30 years,” she admitted.
Mrs. Zink is the definition of dedication to North Royalton High School, as she genuinely bleeds purple, gold, and white. Her students have taught her how important it is to care about everyone, and how much they do care about their teachers back. She believes that all her students need direction even if
they are students that can be trouble. She believes that the students are meant to balance out the teacher, and that is what makes for a great class.
Looking ahead to when the 2025 school year will come to an end, Mrs. Zink is getting ready for what her life will look like after leaving the classroom behind. She is excited to see her grandchildren even more and get to watch them grow up. But she will also be going on an adventure with an old friend. She will be taking on a new role of world traveler by traveling to Iceland, Scotland, and Ireland this September. Mrs. Zink does enjoy traveling, so there are endless possibilities where her new freedom from the school bell could take her.
But do not fret, NRHS! Mrs. Zink could be making cameos as a substitute teacher for the future! Even though she is closing off a huge chapter of her life, Mrs. Zink is committed to NORO Nation, and will forever and always be a Bear.
