So, I guess summer is over. It’s still hot and we’ve still got 23 vacation days left on the wall calendar – but a sure sign of the coming school year has arrived. The Chagrin Falls PTO calendar is now on sale at Fireside and Heinen’s. This year’s calendar is in the same convenient size we offered last year. We’ve tweeked the layout and added monthly divider tabs – but kept all those important dates that you count on us providing to you. Once again, calendars are $10. They will be available at school open houses and welcome back events at the beginning of the year and by special request until November – unless we sell out. Great for the PTO, not so great for you. Get yours now and have one less thing to remember the week school starts.
And if you have a high school student, why not purchase one for them to use for their school planner?
Image by Cat Wood, Chagrin Falls High School Grade 12. Presented at the 2010 Art Show.
The High School report was presented by Lori Guerrini.
Teacher/Staff Appreciation Luncheon – Thank you for the delicious luncheon May 7. It was thoroughly enjoyed by all. Also, thank you for your generous support of our educational programs through the many grants that you provided our staff.
Advanced Placement exams were offered May 3 through May 12. Over 200 students took 550 exams. Students receiving a three or higher on an exam may qualify for college credit. Teachers and students have worked diligently throughout the year on the rigorous AP curriculum to prepare for these exams.
Senior Awards Night – Our Senior Awards program was held last Thursday, May 13. Seniors were presented with scholarship and special recognition awards. A dessert buffet concluded the evening.
Springfest 2010 – On Friday, May 14, we celebrated our seniors last academic school day beginning with the teacher/staff senior award presentations, student video presentations, a choir performance, dodge ball championships and ending with the senior parade, slide show and passing of the key.
Final Exams – The final exam permission slips are available on line, under high school, forms. Exams are June 4, June 7 and June 8.
Senior Project – seniors started their senior projects, Monday, May 17. They return on Thursday, June 3 at 10:00 for their presentations. The Chagrin Falls High School Senior Project is from Monday, May 17 to Thursday, June 3, 2010. The Senior Project program gives seniors an opportunity to work with a mentor in a career setting that interests them. Students are required to spend at least four and one-half hours a day for twelve days on their Senior Project.
Volunteers are needed during the Senior Project Showcase on Thursday, June 3, from 10:30 am-1 pm. During the showcase each senior will be in a science-fair format with a display board journal, artifacts and other visual displays. The seniors will present his/her project to you. Your help is needed to help maintain the integrity of the senior project. To volunteer to serve on the Showcase Evaluation Committee please email sherrie.wooden@chagrinschools.org.
Graduation, June 6 – Graduating seniors were sent letters this week advising them about graduation weekend, their responsibilities and timelines. The letter has also been posted on the web.
Image by Kaitlin Wolfe, Chagrin Falls High School, Grade 12. Presented at the 2010 Art Show.
Upcoming Events:
May 22 – OABR
May 31 – No School Memorial Day
June 1- Tiger of the Semester Breakfast
June 2 – Spring Sports Banquet
June 4th Senior Banquet
June 5th- Baccalaureate
Final Exams – June 4, 7 and 8
School Resumes Monday, August 23, 2010
A Special Report from the English Department
Each month, the high school report includes a special report on one of the departments at the school. This month, Shannon Beech of the English department was unable to report at the meeting, but sent in this report instead.
33 seniors and 53 juniors took AP exams
Prism, the high school literary magazine, is currently at the printer and will be distributed to all students at the end of the year.
Guidance counselors are following up with the Naviance programs next week in junior classes. It’s a great project that begins their freshmen year, and the students can take advantage of A LOT of college information that is available.
10th grade honors English classes competed in theNational Poetry Out Loud Competition. Ali Arnold was Chagrin Falls High School’s winner. She competed in the state competition held in Columbus.
The Tiger Times published six successful issues with the financial support of several families and businesses within the community.
All but one English teacher has been involved in Digital Academy 1 or 2. As a result, many of the teachers are incorporating technology in the classroom (i.e. wikis, online learning through ed2.0) (Editor’s Note: Digital Academy training is partially funded through grants from the PTO. To read more about the program that many of our teachers have completed, download Digital Acadamy I (130) or Digital Academy II (142) information.)
Honors English 10 students just completed a 30-40 research project that pertained to issues/concerns regarding this school and community. Some topics included sleep deprivation, alcohol abuse, texting while driving, and teenage pregnancies)
Photography by Maggie Clegg. Chagrin Falls High School, Grade 12. Presented at the Spring Art Show 2010.
High School PTO Report
The High School PTO report was presented by Beth Judge.
The PTO reps had their final meeting with Mr. Boedicker on Thursday, May 6th. We discussed the many activities that keep all the students busy and engaged until the end of the school year.
Friday, May 7th was the Teacher Appreciation Luncheon. Thanks to Wendy Pierce who helped plan the event. We are very grateful to our dedicated teachers who do so much for our students.
Many thanks to all the volunteers who helped to make this year so successful. We had over 70 volunteers lend a hand at the high school. In addition to providing food for the hospitality events, they assisted with the Vision and Hearing Screening, Bingo Night, Book Sales, College 101, and assembling Athletic Awards.
Next year’s High School Chairperson will be Colleen Mahoney.
The High School report was presented by Kert Boedicker and John Brownlow.
College 101 was a huge success. The students and speakers had a great day. Many thanks to the PTO for their support, Bill Koons, the counseling staff, Jayne Hasler and Loretta Schwalm for their coordination of efforts and all the speakers and parent volunteers that participated.
Your Life Your Choice – Once again seniors will be invited to this alcohol awareness program sponsored by the Chagrin Falls Police Department. The scheduled date is April 27. The goal of the Your Life, Your Choice program is to reach as many seniors as possible informing them on how to make good life decisions. (Video from Fox News, above.)
High School Musical – The Music Man had two sell out performances with over 150 students participating in stellar performances. Thank you for all your support of our music program.
National Merit Commended – Ten juniors qualified as National Merit Commended scholars. These students had an index score of 201 or above and are invited to participate in the 2011 National Merit College Program’s Reporting Service. National Merit Semifinalists are announced in September. The Scholars are Tom Donely, Sarah Greenlaw, Emily Hellwig, Alex Kreger, Mariel McGuiness, James McSherry, Kaliegh O’Hara, Chase Plante, Sam Schiferl, and John Shoemaker
Irene C. Heller Award recognizing outstanding high school chemistry teaching – High School Teacher Christine Deighan is the 2010 recipient of this award. The American Chemical Society annually sponsors an award to recognize an outstanding high school chemistry teacher in the Cleveland Section. The award consists of an honorarium of $1,000 and a framed certificate. The award is named for Irene Heller of North Olmsted High School in recognition of her contributions as an outstanding high school chemistry teacher and her service to the Cleveland Section.
More good news! Congratulations, WInd Ensemble!
John Brownlow provided an update on the HS Social Studies Department.
1. In June the new Social Studies Standards will be adopted by the Ohio Board of Education. Drafts of this document have been made available and the State has been receiving input from schools.
2. The OBE has begun to provide information on the new standardized assessment model (OGT will be phased out in two years).
3. As a result of these two developments, the Social Studies department is beginning the process of re-aligning our current curriculum with the new standards.
An update by teacher:
Brownlow- Preparation for AP exams
AP US GOV-Monday 5/3
APUSH-Friday 5/7
Mike Slayers- Enhancing his curriculum in World History and US Gov with historical fiction,
purchased with the help of the PTO
Jim Serluco-
US History-researching of Family Trees, utilizing United Streaming and Learning 360.
Sociology- Research Papers emphasizing the use of the APA format.
Econ- Virtual Stock Trading
Brian McKenna
World History-the Renaissance to contemporary times with an emphasis on changes taking place in the developed world.
US History- Reconstruction to current times. Emphasis on foreign policy issues.
Presented last week at the Ohio Social Studies Conference on communication between a cooperating teacher and a student teacher.
The 7th graders are creating multi-tiered timelines to recognize events happening in various cultures and places during the same medieval era.
High School PTO Report
The High School PTO report was presented by Wendy Pierce.
College 101, a program for high school seniors which focused on preparing students for life away from home, was held on Tuesday, April 13th. We had 6 parent volunteers who acted as hosts/hostesses for the speakers. It was the first time the High School had the program and it was a great success. There were four sessions:
Chad Cunningham, University of Akron Police Sergeant spoke about safety and security issues on campuses.
Tom Hanculak, Chagrin Falls Prosecutor spoke on Turning 18: Legal Rights and Responsibilities.
Gerry Weil and Kaija Bruveris from Charles Schwab spoke on Financial Fitness-various topics including checking and savings accounts, debit and credit cards, and identity theft.
Mary Lind Crowe and Ursuline College students from the Breen School of Nursing discussed Staying Healthy in College.
127 of 130 student evaluations recommended the program for next year.
Over 75% agreed or strongly agreed that the information provided would be helpful in the future and over half responded that the information provided was new to them.
Teacher Appreciation Day luncheon is currently being planned. It will be held on Friday, May 7.
The High School Report was presented by Carol Fahey.
First and foremost, thank you for the delicious dinner on Parent/Teacher Conference evening, March 10. The staff really appreciated your kindness and generosity.
State Championship – Eight swimmers placed in multiple events at state. Jamie Englehardt won the state diving championship and set a state record. Sophomore Cailyn Klarich went to state for the vault.
Cum Laude Society – Sixteen students were honored at the Cum Laude Society Induction ceremony Wednesday, February 24. Guest speak was Rich Cochran President of the Western Reserve Land Conservancy.
Academic Recognition – We recognized 386 students during the first semester for their excellence in education. Tiger of the Semester – 30 students; Cum Laude Society – 16 students; Principal Academic Distinction – 165 students and Principal Academic Merit – 175 students.
Scheduling – Our Guidance Department has concluded the student conference phase of the scheduling process. The next few weeks are critical in building the master schedule for the 2010-2011 school year.
OGT Testing - Our tenth graders are taking the Ohio Graduation Test March 15 – 19. Passing all five sections of the OGT is a graduation requirement, and our goal is for our students to do their very best on this state wide exam. Breakfast will be served to the entire sophomore class the entire week. Our ninth graders will also be taking a practice version of the OGT. This data will determine appropriate intervention that will be provided next year. We will be on a two hour delayed start bell schedule for the week.
CP4Y Service Awards – Students are currently responsible to accumulate 75 hours to participate in senior project. Many students exceed this on a yearly basis. With the combined efforts of the high school office staff and members of Community Partnership for Youth, students in grades 9-12 who perform 100 plus hours annually will be identified and encouraged to apply for the Presidential Volunteer Service Award. CP4Y is our local certifying organization for the award. It is our hope that we will be in the position of awarding several CFHS students at our spring recognition assembly. The Outstanding Volunteer Service Award will also be given to one high school student who has demonstrated a dedication to service that extends above and beyond our requirements.
Senior Transition Program – A meeting with Karen Lewis, John Rydquist, Loretta Schwalm and Jayne Hasler was held to discuss a transition program for our seniors. The components of the program include: (1) Campus Security, (2) Financial Awareness, (3) Legal Issues being 18 and (4) Panel discussion including time management and health issues. Jayne is currently coordinating this program at Gilmour and we believe this program would also be relevant for our seniors. The program will be conducted on April 13 for our seniors, logistics and the schedule for the day is currently being put together.
Motivational Speaker – On March 26 we are hosting a motivational assembly with speaker, Chris Bowers. Chris addresses risk taking and empowers students to resist peer pressure. Chris has dedicated his life to the positive influence and motivation of students across the country. The past two years our speakers have had an impact on our students. If you have the opportunity please stop by on the 26th during our motivational assembly.
HIGH SCHOOL UPCOMING EVENTS
Have you seen these around town? The Music Man will be performed three times in April. The Spring Musical is always a fantastic production. Come out and see it if you can.
March 26 Motivational Assembly Chris Bowers
March 27 – April 2 No School – Spring Break and Good Friday
April 13 Early Release 1:25 – Staff Development Day
April 14 The Music Man Dress Rehearsal 7:00
April 15 – The Music Man
April 16, 17 – The Music Man 7:30
April 18 – The Music Man 2:00
April 22 Hamlet Fine Arts Show
April 30 Student Council Speeches
May 3 – May 12 AP Testing
May 11 Early Release 1:25 – Staff Development Day
May 13 Senior Awards Night (Dessert) 7:00 p.m.
May 14 Spring Fest (seniors last day)
May 15 Prom (Cleveland East Marriott)
May 16 After Prom
May 17 Senior Project Begins
High School PTO Report
The High School report was presented by Loretta Schwalm.
Thank you to Beth Judge who organized dinner for the teachers and staff during school conferences on March 10th. A special thanks to all the PTO volunteers who provided food and drinks for the event.
Julie Gosnell requested volunteers to help with another vision and hearing screening due to a large number of absentees during the first screening. It was planned for the morning of Tuesday March 9. Thanks to the PTO volunteers who helped.
College 101, a program for high school seniors which will focus on preparing students for life away from home, is being planned for April 13th. We will be looking for PTO volunteers to help with this program.
The High School report was presented by Dave King.
School closing or delays due to inclement weather conditions: The superintendent decides when to close school; thought and consideration is always exercised when the safety of students and staff are in question. The local television networks are notified (ABC, NBC, CBS and FOX) who then notify their radio station affiliates. Closing or school delay announcements are usually made during the 5:00 a.m. broadcasts. Several networks also have the ability to send you an automated text message when they receive the closing notification. In the event you have questions regarding the cancellation of athletic events, check the website (www.chagrinschools.org) or contact the AD Office direct line 247-2890 or 247-2072 xt. 4447.
Surrogate Parents Needed – Districts are required to provide surrogate parents for students with disabilities who are in foster placements. We no longer have a certified Surrogate Parent in our district and would like to recruit some parents for training. We typically do not have many children who require this service; however, we need to be prepared in the event that a surrogate parent is needed. Training sessions are free and are offered the first Wednesday of every month in Valley View. If you would like more information regarding this rewarding service, please contact Dr. Christine A. Jackson, Director of Pupil Services, at 440.247.4564 or Christine.Jackson@chagrinschools.org.
College Goal Sunday 2010: Sunday, February 14, 2010, has been determined to be “College Goal Sunday”. This is a financial aid workshop. The Ohio Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators sponsors this workshop. This free workshop attempts to Read More…
A new book group for the parents of teenagers started last Wednesday morning. The group is reading How to Raise a Drug Free Kid by Joseph A. Califano, Jr. Interested – but don’t think you have the time for it? Please check out the revised flyer here.
This is a very relaxed book group on an important topic. If you’d like to participate, don’t worry about missing an occasional meeting or not having time to read all the book. The discussion among parents is the most important part. Meetings are in the morning 9 am – 10:30 am Oct. 7th, 21st, 28th, Nov. 4th and 11th in the High School Upper Library. The book is available at Fireside Book Shop in Chagrin Falls.
Want to donate to the Gurney annual fundraiser TIger Trek?
You can make your online donation here. When your payment is processed, you will be prompted to give us the name of the child to be credited for your donation. Let us know so they can win prizes for their fundraising!
It’s still hot and we’ve still got 23 vacation days left on the wall calendar – but a sure sign of the coming school year has arrived. The Chagrin Falls PTO calendar is now on sale at Fireside and Heinen’s. This year’s calendar is in the same convenient size we offered last year. We’ve tweeked the layout and added monthly divider tabs – but kept all those important dates that you count on us providing to you. Once again, calendars are $10. They will be available at school open houses and welcome back events at the beginning of the year and by special request until November – unless we sell out. Great for the PTO, not so great for you. Get yours now and have one less thing to remember the week school starts.
