Chagrin Falls PTO

Upcoming Events

October 29, Club Pictures

November 11, Conferences

November 17, Principal’s Coffee

November 19 and 20, Fall Play (moved because of teams in playoffs)

November 23, Athletic Awards Night (moved because of playoffs and play)

School News

The High School report was presented by Pat Haynish.

•    Cum Laude Induction for the Class of 2010 started Wednesday, October 14, where the top 10% of the senior class were inducted.  The Cum Laude Society is a fellowship of scholars whose purpose is to recognize students who demonstrate academic excellence in a college preparatory curriculum. The definition and criteria that constitutes an academic honor award determining how students are selected is left to the discretion of each individual chapter. Considerations for the criteria include the philosophy and policies governing our school. As provided and outlined in the Cum Laude Constitution, a chapter may elect up to 20 percent of the senior class who demonstrate academic excellence. Each Chapter may elect student members not more than 20% of the graduating class who have academic excellence in the college preparatory curriculum, choosing: The whole number toward the end of the senior year, or Up to 10% of the number at the end of the junior year or early in the senior year, and the remainder near the end of the Senior Year.
•    Leadership Awards- Selected as the outstanding sophomore leader and the recipient of the Hugh Obrien Ambassador Award is sophomore Ted Cogan. Previous recipients were Jimmy Boldt and Matthew Weinert-Stein. Selected as the outstanding junior class leaders and applying for the Look Up to Cleveland Award are Sam Schiferl, Kathryn Mahoney and Thomas Donley. Last year’s recipient was Matt Owen. Selected as outstanding junior leader’s and the recipient of the Leadership Geauga Award are Dan Driscoll and Brooke Kratche. Last year’s recipient s were Kaitlyn Wolfe and Bobby Winkleman,
•    Pumpkin Roll – have received a few phone calls regarding the annual pumpkin roll that takes place in Chagrin.  As a proactive measure I have e-mailed a letter to all junior and senior parents about this event.  Information has also been posted on our website informing parents that this is not a school sanctioned event.
•    Community Service Fair – A very well-organized effort came to fruition yesterday.  We had 20 community service organizations participate.  Our students visited areas of interest and signed up for future events. We have placed contact information on our website under Community Service.  We are currently having problems with this tab.
•    Club pictures that were scheduled for October 14 have been moved to October 29.
•    Fall Play – dates have been changed to November 19 and 20, because of football playoffs.
•    Athletic Awards Night – moved to November 23, because of playoffs and rescheduling fall play. We had a good fall, athletically. Our volleyball team finished third in the league. Our Cross Country Girls finished second in the league. Ladies soccer tied for first. We are CVC champions in football, men’s soccer, golf and tennis. On Fri the 23rd, we will clap out our tennis girls to the state tennis tournament.
•    College Symposium/Shadowing/Philanthropic Day – On October 20, we had a multitude of events taking place at the high school.  The freshmen participated in a Freshman Shadowing Experience.  Students will be completing a 250 word journal entry in Naviance as a reflection of this experience.  Karen Lewis and John Rydquist organized the Career/College Symposium for sophomores and juniors.  This day-long event included guest speakers from the business sector and colleges pertaining to careers and education.  The seniors, as part of Senior Philanthropy day, either raked leaves for community residences or helped stuff envelopes for Meals on Wheels campaign.  Many residents were pleased to find their leaves raked for them and one even took a picture of these hard working seniors.

PTO News

The High School PTO report was presented by Loretta Schwalm.

•    Thank you to Karen O’Hearn who coordinated and set up the snacks and drinks for the High School Open House and to all the volunteers who baked for the event.

•    Thank you to Julie Andrews, Amy Groneman, and Carolyn Vandendriessche who served with me as hostesses for the College Symposium and Career Day which was held at the High School on Tuesday, October 20th.

•    October 6th was the Community Service Fair at the High School.  It was discussed during our meeting with Kert Boedicker that PTO may be able to help with this event in the future, possibly by contributing baked goods or candy.

•    The next PTO event is November Conferences when we provide dinner for the teachers and staff.

Upcoming Events

October 28, Conferences

November 6, Picture Retake Day

November 9-11 Eighth Grade D.C. Trip

School News

The Middle School was presented by Courtney Polecar.

•    SLOPPY JOE DINNER
The middle school staff and students would like to thank the PTO for a very successful Sloppy Joe Dinner.  It was a great event and very well organized.  I know there are lots of new ideas being discussed for next year.  As always, we appreciate the support from our PTO.
•    VISITING AUTHOR
Jaime Adoff visited the middle school on October 5 and 6.  During his visit, he conducted writing workshops with all the students as well as a parent presentation the night of October 5.  Jaime was welcome by all our students and they enjoyed sharing their writing pieces for review.  We are already looking into other visiting authors for the 2010-11 school year.
•    KICK-IT FOR CANCER
The middle schoolers will begin their kick ball tournament this Thursday.  Each homeroom is a team and they will be raising money for pediatric cancer research.  Two teams from 7th and 8th grade will play every Thursday.  For every $100 a team raises, they will receive a point in their game.  Students are planning a variety of fundraising activities to continue throughout the year.  Donations may also be made through the Kick-it website.  The winning team will earn the privilege to play kickball at Progressive Field in May.  Our goal is to raise $25,000 this year.  You can download the flyer or visit the website to find out more.
•    WASHINGTON, DC TRIP
The eighth graders are very excited about their trip to Washington, DC.  We are in the process of choosing roommates and assigning rooms.  We have met with parents and reviewed expectations.  Students will leave on November 9 and return on November 11.  The eighth graders will be on a two-hour delay on November 12.
•    Halloween Dance
The student council will be hosting a Halloween Dance this Friday evening from 7:00-9:00.  One of our eighth graders will be our DJ.  The proceeds from the dance will go towards community service projects that the student council will be supporting.
•    IT”S A POE-LCAR HALLOWEEN! ! Mrs. Polecar English class will be hosting an Edgar Allen Poe themed haunted house in her class room next Friday Oct. 30th. Encourage your middle schooler to check it out.
•   MS conferences are Oct 28th from 3-7 pm.

PTO News

The Middle School PTO report was presented by Becky Borden.

•    Sloppy Joe Dinner

September 25th, HOMECOMING was a success.

•    Author Visit

Jaime Adoff  visited on October 5 & 6
PTO provided planning assistance for meals, hotels, etc..
Spent 2 days  in the classroom working on creative writing  and 1 evening  at en event in the PAC open to the community

o    Parent Teacher conferences

The Soups & Stews meal is already planned by Jill Andrews and Karen  Ostanek of  Hospitality.  They are all over it!!!

Week of October 26- November 1

That’s it! Enjoy your week!

Upcoming Dates

October 29, Sixth Grade Retreat Parent Meeting, 7:00, auditorium

October 30, Halloween Parties

November 6, Blue Ribbon School Award Assembly
November 10, Early Release Day
November 10 and 12, Conferences

School News

The school report was presented by Katie Brent.

•    Red Ribbon Week
Chagrin Falls Intermediate School will be celebrating Red Ribbon Week the week of October 26.  Mr. Bondy has organized many activities including teaching lessons on drug and alcohol in grade four.  We will also have an assembly where a speaker will talk about their career and relate that topic to the ways that drug and alcohol misuse would affect that career.  We will also have daily quiz questions on the PA each day with prizes for students with the correct answers.  Finally, we will have theme days for students to help celebrate the week.
•    Early Release Day
At the last early release day, the staff continued their work of studying Achievement Test Data.  This data helps to inform instruction for our regular classes and the Intervention classes.  We also had a yoga instructor come in to help us learn stress reducing techniques for both the staff and students.  She provided several ideas that can be used with students in the classroom.
•    Progress Book
It is our hope that all parents will use Progress Book as an aid in communication about assignments, homework and student grades.  Please take the time to look at Progress Book on a regular basis.  If you have any questions, please contact your teacher or Mr. Murphy.
•    Sixth Grade Camp
We are once again looking for parent volunteers to chaperone our sixth grade retreat.  This is an awesome event that creates memories that will last a lifetime.  We will be going on retreat for three days during the week of January 4th.  There will be a parent meeting on October 29 at 7:00 in the IS auditorium.  Please contact Nancy Kevern or Cory McNamara if you are interested in being a chaperone.
•   Washington DC Trip
Ms. Gill and Mr. Murphy will be heading to Washington DC on November 2 and 3 to receive the National Blue Ribbon Award.  We are planning a short assembly for the school which is tentatively set for November 6.
•    COSI Assembly
We are once again looking for parent volunteers for the annual COSI Assembly.  The theme will be Investigating Energy.  The assembly is will be December 11.  Thank you to the PTO for funding this event.  Our staff and students look forward to it every year.
•    Conferences
The IS will be having student-led conferences on November 10 and 12.  If you haven’t signed up for a conference please contact the office or your child’s teacher. If you would like a parent only conference, please let your child’s teacher know.
•    Upcoming Dates
October 29, Sixth Grade Retreat Parent Meeting, 7:00, auditorium
October 30, Halloween Parties
November 10, Early Release Day
November 10, Conferences
November 12, Conferences

PTO NEWS

The Intermediate School PTO Report was presented by Lynn Hardacre.

•    The Intermediate School has been named a “Blue Ribbon School” by the Department of Education.  There will be an assembly in early November where the award will be presented to the school and the PTO will organize and sponsor a celebration in the classrooms following the ceremony with “blue ribbon cupcakes” for the students.   Mr. Murphy feels it is important for the students to feel a part of this accomplishment.

•    The Intermediate School fundraiser is going to be a “Spirit Wear Sale” this year.  T-shirts, shorts and visors are being made for the girls, under armour type shirts and baseball hats for the boys.  These will be available in kid and adult sizes and we plan to have samples ready for Gurney and Intermediate School Conferences. Lenny May allowed us to use the licensed “Chagrin Tiger” on these items.   We are optimistic this will be a successful fundraiser and can continue for years to come, with changes in color or items from year to year.

•    Finally, The Intermediate School has approved one grant.  Cory McNamara requested a new digital camera.  The amount approved was $400.00.

Chagrin Falls District News was presented by Bob Hunt. 

•    Chagrin Falls Exempted Village School District Strategic Planning:  The strategic planning committee reconvened last week to review progress.   Revisions to the strategic plan have been made and will be available on line by the end of week.  Additional items were included involving RTI, Bridge to the World, which is a global exchange of staff and students, and Anti Bullying.
•    State Budget:  As many of you have heard the state is trying to fill an 850 million dollar short fall due to the decision regarding video lottery terminals.  The governor has made recommendations regarding the reduction of state income tax.  He has commented that he will attempt to protect funding for education.
•    Physical Education:  We have drafted a policy for board consideration regarding the waiving of the physical education requirement at the secondary level.  In addition a transition plan has been established.  However, recently the Ohio Business Roundtable has advocated for the removal of this option for schools.  We will continue to monitor this as we move forward in the upcoming months.

You can find more District News in the new Superintendent’s Newsletter available for download here.

Due to prior commitments, a school board representative was not available to report at this meeting.  As soon as they become available minutes from the last school board meeting will be posted here.

Important Upcoming Dates

Picture Day  – Oct 28
Halloween Parade/parties – Oct 30 beginning at 2:30
Election Day – Nov 3

School News

The school report was presented by Susan Tatom.

•    3rd Grade Testing: Our 3rd graders took the Reading Achievement Test October 6th.  We usually get results late in November and those are mailed home to parents.  Please keep in mind that students are not expected to pass it in October; in fact, we are fortunate if we have half of our students who actually do pass it in October.  It is an experience in test-taking for 3rd graders as they’ve never taken a test like it before.  It also give us as a staff information about students strengths and weaknesses so that we can best prepare them for the test again in May.  In May, they will take the Reading AND Math Achievement Tests.
•   1st Grade Nocturnal Animal Unit:  Our first graders have been learning about animal characteristics and habitats, particularly nocturnal animals.  This Friday, some of our CF high school students will be coming over to teach lessons related to characteristics of nocturnal animals.  This is always a very exciting experience for our kids.  The high school students seem to make everything much more exciting!
•    Parent Book Group:  Mrs. Fishman and Mrs. Langer have started a book discussion group for 2nd and 3rd grade parents.  It is the start of a dialogue between teachers and parents about various curriculum issues.  They had their first meeting last night.  If anyone is still interested in participating, simply call Gurney school and ask to leave either of them a voicemail with your contact information.
•    Halloween: Our Halloween parade will begin at 2:30pm on Friday the 30th!  It’s always a wonderful display of creative costumes….and the children look pretty good too ☺!  Class parties will follow the parade.
•    Conferences: Our conferences are the first week of November.  Parents will receive report cards at their conference time.  Please contact your child’s teacher if you do not have a scheduled conference time or you need to change it.  Thank you to PTO in advance for the wonderful dinners you always provide us during conference nights.
•    Picture Day:  Our school pictures will be taken next week on Wednesday.  Thank you in advance to all the parent volunteers that make this day run so smoothly!

PTO News

The PTO report was presented by Lauren Jones.

•    Recent Events/Updates

New Finger Scanning machine has not yet been put into operation.  The school is waiting for a part to properly connect each machine via a wireless connection.
Open Houses were well attended.  Most classes collected a majority of the class fees which have been submitted to the Treasurer
3rd grade Reading Tests occurred that first week in October.
Gidding School collection is underway however the collection has been “light” thus far.  (Dr Jones will follow-up on keeping some of the coats for needy Chagrin families.)  Find out more about the coat drive here.
Health Screenings will begin for new students and all first graders soon.
Picture Day is October 28th which will be handled by the Yearbook committee and PTO parents.  At least 20 volunteers are needed.  Contact us if you are interested.

•    Thank You
To the decorating committee for the new Fall/Halloween decorations
To Ted Kruse and the staff at Chagrin Pet & Garden for their very generous donation of a beautiful fall display!
To all room parents who diligently collected the class fees and prepared the phone chains and to Kathy LaMonica for spearheading the effort.

•    Upcoming PTO Related Events
Picture Day  – Oct 28
Halloween Parade/parties – Oct 30 beginning at 2:30
Election Day – Nov 3
Conference dinners for the teachers in November

•    Approved Requests
Approved a $303.00 request for Jillian Langer and Chris Fishman for books necessary for a second and third grade parent book group that will examine educational issues facing the children.  The outcome of this book study will help teachers and administrators adjust the curriculum for these students.

•    Miscellaneous
None noted