Chagrin Falls PTO

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 4^th Senior Banquet
• June 5^th- 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.

• 10^th 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 7^th 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.
• Chris Bauer- 8^th grade
  • 8^th grade trip to DC is in May
  • On 5/28, the 8^th grade will be going to Century Village for a Civil War Re-enactment.
• Johna Graziani and Caroline Miller- 7^th Grade
  • Presented last week at the Ohio Social Studies Conference on communication between a cooperating teacher and a student teacher.
  • The 7^th 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 13^th.  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:

1. Chad Cunningham, University of Akron Police Sergeant spoke about safety and security issues on campuses.
2. Tom Hanculak, Chagrin Falls Prosecutor spoke on Turning 18: Legal Rights and Responsibilities.
3. 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.
4. 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 10^th.  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 13^th.  We will be looking for PTO volunteers to help with this program.

Chagrin Falls High School

The High School Report was presented by Barbara Cymanski.

• Eight Grade Parent Orientation – The Counseling Department met with eighth grade parents on January 28, where they distributed the Course Selection Guide and gave an overview of the high school administrative processes.  Counselors will meet with individual eighth grade students and their parents for half-hour sessions February 16 – 24 to finalize course selections for next year.

• Scheduling – Counselors have finished scheduling students for next year. Course verifications will be mailed this Friday, 2/26.

• Tiger of the Semester – Thirty students were recognized as our “Tigers of the Semester,” January 26.  The Tiger of the Semester Award is presented to students who exemplify a positive attitude, work ethic and service to fellow students and teachers at Chagrin Falls High School. These young people are difference makers and have an impact on the culture of our building.

• Parent Teacher Conferences – March 10.  Letters and Conference Request Forms (131)will be mailed home with the course verification forms.  Information will also be on line under High School, under Forms, and also under News.

• Academic Recognition – We mailed home 165 letters of congratulation to parents of students who achieved a 4.0 or higher (Principal Distinction Award) and 175 letters were mailed to parents of students who achieved a 3.5 (Principal Merit).  Academic Distinction/Academic Merit Awards are based on all subjects in which a student is enrolled.  Grades are weighted accordingly.  In determining Academic Distinction, any grade below a B- (including Honors) disqualifies students from this honor.

• Sixteen students were notified that they will be inducted into the Chagrin Falls Chapter of the Cum Laude Society. The Induction Ceremony is Wednesday, February 24 at 7:00 in the Performing Arts Center foyer.

• 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.

• POST SECONDARY EDUCATIONAL OPTIONS PROGRAM.  Students who are interested in participating in PSEOP next year either semester must sign a form of intent and submit it to the Counseling Department no later than March 30^th.  If there are questions, please see your Counselor.  PSEOP is the program through which high school students can attend college and take courses for both high school and college credit.  The fees are paid for by the state of Ohio and the Chagrin Falls Board of Education.  Students must also apply to college, pass placement tests in English and mathematics, be accepted by the college, and register for classes.  Students can attend college part-time or full-time.

• OHIO GRADUATION TEST. The OGT will be administered to sophomores and any upperclassmen who still need to pass one or more of the tests.  Passing the OGT is a requirement to receive a diploma in the state of Ohio.  It is referred to as a “high stakes” test for that reason.  The OGT will be administered during the week of March 15^th with makeups as needed the following week.  While the sophomores are taking the OGT, freshmen will be taking a practice OGT so that they become accustomed to the testing format.  For more information on the test, click here.

Upcoming Events

2/24 Cum Laude Induction 7PM PAC

3/5  HS Choir Contest 7PM PAC

3/5 Drop Course Deadline

3/9 Prof. Dev./Early Release 1:25 PM

3/10 Parent-Teacher Conferences

3/15-19 Ohio Graduation Testing (Delayed Start 11/12)

3/16 Athletic Awards 6 PM

The High School PTO report was presented by Julie Andrews.

• Bingo Night was Friday, January 29^th.   Many thanks to Kelly Clegg and her group of volunteers who did such a great job.  The fundraiser was lots of fun and successful although attendance was a bit lower this year.

• High School Parent/Teacher Conferences will be held on March 10^th.  Beth Judge is coordinating dinner for the teachers and staff.

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…

Upcoming Dates

• 12/8             Professional Development Day – early release 1:25
• 12/9             College Application Deadline
• 12/14           Winter Sports Picture Day – after school HS Gym
• 12/21-1/1    Winter Break
• 1/4               School Resumes
• 1/12             Professional Development Day – early release 1:25
• 1/13 -15      Semester Exams
• 1/15             Semester Ends




The High School report was presented by  Karen Lewis.

A heartfelt thank you for the fabulous dinner that you provided for Parent/Teacher conferences last Wednesday.  It was outstanding and appreciated by all.  The conferences were well attended and faculty were very positive about their interactions with parents.  This was also an opportunity for me to visit with many of the parents who were waiting for conferences.

•    Principal/Student Advisory Committee - I met with twenty-four students during their lunch periods last Thursday.  Items of discussion were behavioral expectations in classes and our hallways and appearance guidelines.
•   What’s New at the High School – “Kindness Committee” I have met with Bill Kline and junior Danny Driscoll as we move forward with development of a new committee at the high school.  The creation of the kindness committee is in progress.  Karen Kreinberg and Bill Kline will serve as the faculty representatives (volunteers).  The intent of this committee is to promote and recognize random acts of kindness and silent initiatives in our building.  This committee will also honor a male and female student of the month.  Our first pair of students being recognized for the month of November are Matthew and Kaitlyn Weinert-Stein.  Mathew and Kaitlyn are the children of Richard Stein and Dayna Weinert. This high achieving brother-sister team organized the costume collection project at the high school.  These costumes will be taken to an inner city school in Cleveland and distributed to underprivileged children.
•    Honors/ Pep Rally – Our plan is to have an Honor/Pep assembly on Friday, November 20th in the afternoon. The assembly would include: (1) Student council officers and representatives who would address the student body on several items including behavioral expectations in classes and our hallways and appearance guidelines, (2) recognition of our students who have achieved high academic honors (National Merit – Cum Laude Status), (3) recognition of students involved in the fall play, (4) and also recognition of the outstanding achievements of all our fall athletes this year.
•    Academic Coaching Lab – We were confident when discussing this lab last year that it would have a positive outcome.  I am reporting that the ACL is working very well.  With the increased number of students who are receiving academic support from IEPs and 504 plans, there was a need for a support lab.  The Academic Coaching Lab is designed to assist students who are currently on 504 plans.  Nikki Lustig supervised the lab during the lunch periods.  Nikki is doing an outstanding job assisting students with organization, assignment completion and reinforcing good habits.  For the past two years, Nikki served in a capacity as a monitor in the cafeteria.  This change of assignment has been a win-win for our students and Nikki.
•    Winter Sports picture day has been changed to Monday, December 14, in the High School Gym.  Photos will be taken of all winter sports teams beginning a 2:45.

•    A bit about the Naviance program used at the High School:     This is a web-based Counseling program.
•    It has three components, the student, the parent and the counselor.
•    It has many facets: to help students find a college, to help parents with the college search, to determine learning styles and possible career choices, to track college applications and determine who might be behind.
•    The students have been trained on how to use Naviance.
•    As a parent, if you would like training on how to use Naviance, please call your counselor. They would be happy to help.
•    FYI: Over 600 college applications have been submitted by our senior class to 179 different colleges. 86% of the class has already submitted their applications. The highest number of applications going to Ohio State, second most to Miami of Ohio. The counselors have hosted a Saturday morning class to help students with the Common Application for Colleges.