I used to absolutely hate checklists. 

I am the youngest child with siblings who are five and eight years older than me. Growing up in a household with two working parents created many moments for mom and dad to leave a list of tasks to do. Sure, they would get done, but usually after 5 hours of backyard baseball.

College, marriage, career, and children taught me that underline value of a good checklist. Now, I live by them and usually can be found with a list to a list in both written and digital formats. 

Taking care of long term details comes with the territory of someone who is an idealist thinker and worker. Transitioning into the fourth quarter is an exciting time for every grade level. We have all of the senior events, all of the activities, and opportunities. It is a time when many details can slip in the midst of taking your kids to numerous activities, preparing for the week, or making sure that our own children don't walk out of the door without all of the things that they need for the day.

For the past two decades, I have used a three month calendar to finalize the school year. As much as our calendar is posted online and can be viewed in weekly segments, having the freedom to see all the events in a printable format is extremely useful for all our educators, students, and parents.  This can be used as a checklist for each day for the big ideas of the academic calendar.

As we walk together this quarter, other checklists are important to survive the wear and tear of the quarter. I have put together a suggested list of 12 important things to check off your to-do list to create new habits in your life.

1. Say, I love you to those you embrace each day.

This simple task can speak volumes to your parents, spouse, children, and siblings and has no age limit to express. Our brains fire so many neurons which releases dopamine causing you to feel happy. What a wonderful way to start your day!

2. Actively listen to others

When we actively listen, we pause. Listening allows us to seek the depth of any story and allows us to respond with empathy, understanding, and kindness. Take the time to really listen to your friends, parents, and siblings and watch your relationship change for the better.

3. Read something  that engages you every single day

We are always reading. Whether we are perusing signs, billboards, articles, posts, or messages...reading becomes a habit that we often can take for granted. When we read things that engage us we not only become a better reader-we become a diplomat to literacy. Read something that engages you each day and experience a new you that can articulate in ways that you never thought you could.

4. Walk or be physically active for 20 consecutive minutes

Physical activity is so beneficial for our physical, social, and mental well-being. Scheduling the time each week to walk, workout, and a little fresh air can provide more energy and positivity to your own outlook on living. 

5. Remove fear by thinking more positive about YOU

We can control three things in life: What we think, what we say, and how we behave. Furthermore, these three things can allow us to control our attitude, effort, and approach to everything that we aspire to be or do.  Do not be afraid to fail. Face your fears with what you can control and watch parts of your life grow in positive ways.

6. Meditate, Pray, or Journal

You do not have to be religious to reflect on the simple things in life. A sunrise, sunset, smile, a moment of kindness. These moments can allow you to reflect on all of the good that surrounds you in your life and ground you to things bigger than ourselves.

7. Unplug without a device for 1 hour or more each day.

When we unplug, we communicate in natural ways that can simplify life. Disconnecting for periods of time can re-center relationships and actually can lower our blood pressure as we live in the present.
 
8. Never give up

If at first you don't succeed....

we all have heard the story. However, through the trials of losing the battles of our day- we expand our territory to do more and be more. Never give up.

9. Surround yourself with positive people

We become an amalgamation of our surroundings. Therefore, surround yourself with people who challenge you to be a better person at all times. It can be hard to do, but when we do this- we learn how to happy and the best version of ourselves.

10. Write down your gratitude

The thousands of words that I write each week are my ways to show gratitude to you. I do not have to do this. I choose to. I write from my heart to show you why I care. Send someone a short note this week, an email, or a card. Pay it forward!

11. Prioritize

As I started this newsletter by talking about checklists...write your goals down. Post your goals. Write a mission statement. Live it, Love it, do it. Do not procrastinate over tasks. Live with purpose!
​
12. Finish what you start

Is the finish line a barrier, opportunity, or mile marker? The choice is in the eye of the beholder. Once you figure where you are on the map, remove the barriers that hold you back and seize every opportunity along the markers of your life.  As Robert Frost notes, choose the road less traveled by....it will make all of the difference!

Enclosed is the CHS "map" of future events. There so many details inside of this document that will guide you on your way to success. Take it one day at a time and seize every moment with your student along the way. The document below is a PDF, however, I have enclosed a link below this file that you can access online. 

View this LIVE document online

Congratulations to @toppernation for being selected 2019 NEOIAA Award winner, which recognizes an individual for exceptional time, effort, and energy devoted to the OIAAA. Doug Snyder is the best in the business.

Our kids are amazing. Our adults who support them are just as amazing. It is another year, and another dynamic musical put on by the Chardon High School students. I am SO impressed by our students, their passion, energy, and expertise. Each year, countless students walk our halls and live their purpose! I am so proud of our students and our staff who helped facilitate learning in the most expressive way! Come this weekend and see our students shine in Grease!

Photos courtesy of Chloe Taddie, G-TV

It’s 1959, and Rydell High School’s senior class is in rare form. The too-cool-for-school “Burger Palace Boys” are stealing hub-caps and acting tough and their gum-snapping, chain-smoking “Pink Ladies” are looking hot in bobby sox and pedal pushers. The 1950s high school dream is about to explode in this rollicking musical that is both an homage to the idealism of the fifties and a satire of high schoolers’ age-old desire to be rebellious, provocative and rebellious. At the heart of the story is the romance between hot-rodding gangster Danny Zuko and the sweet new girl in town, Sandy Dumbrowski. ​
​
March 14-16th @7:00 PM
March 17th @2:00 PM

Please see the options for purchasing tickets below using Eventbrite.

Furthermore,  our Business Crew will be at Park Thursday 3/7, Monday 3/11 from 4:00 - 8:00 for ticket sales, as well as Wednesday 3/13 - Sunday 3/17 before/during shows for ticket sales.  
​

School fees are due to Chardon Local Schools.  Payable at your student's individual school.
Please look at your student's Infinite Campus account under “Fees” to see what is owed for each child. 
 
All Participation fees for the Fall/Winter Season are due.
 
DO NOT PAY SPRING Participation fees until they are posted in Infinite Campus.    This takes a little time to get the final official rosters from the coaches added and adjustment made where needed.
 
When you are looking at the fess, if something does not look right or your student has dropped a class and it is still showing, please call so that it can be corrected.
 
Direct all of your calls to Mrs. McBride.
​440-285-4057 x. 1441

We have about 30 seniors that have NOT ordered their cap and gown.  If you have not ordered your CAP and GOWN, please see Mrs. McBride ASAP. Furthermore, you can call her about any question pertaining to graduation.

Where: Berkshire High School
When: Thursday, April 11 @ 10:30 AM

as Chardon High School put on a Career Fair on March 1, Berkshire is putting on a job fair for students who are 16 years and older. If you are interested in attending, we will have a bus to send students. Please sign up here.

6:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.  Featured speaker for students/families
6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Fair

West Geauga High School
13401 Chillicothe Road
Chesterland, OH 44026

Fair Contact: David Callahan, West Geauga High School
Phone contact the day of the fair, Michelle: 440-729-5962
Reps: Materials drop off location is the gym entrance; parking for reps is in the South lot.
Dinner for all Reps will be offered prior to the fair between 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
Google maps: Map to West Geauga HS

The University of Akron’s Society of Women Engineers is hosting a high school Shadow Day on Wednesday, April 3, 2019.
 
Shadow Day is a chance for future women engineers to shadow an engineering student at the University of Akron for the day. It is a great way for young women to get a taste of what college life is all about. Last year we had over 40 students participate and it was a huge success.  
 
This event is hosted by The Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Chapter at The University of Akron. SWE has been promoting diversity in the engineering field since 1960. Being SWE affiliated we are only accepting young women who are interested in engineering majors to be shadows.
 
The event will be on Wednesday, April 3. High Schoolers will need to arrive at 7:45 am. No transportation is provided by the University of Akron.
 
Tentative Schedule

• 7:45 - Arrive
• 8:00 - Small Breakfast 
• 8:30 - Engineering Classes and/or Campus Tours
• 12:00 - Lunch and SWE meeting
• 1:00 - Depart

Students who are interested and would like to sign up please fill out the survey below. Teachers are more than welcome to bring groups, but all students will need to register individually.
 
Students will need to provide their first and last name (FULL NAME please), their intended major, their personal email, and any dietary restrictions.
 
IMPORTANT! Do NOT use a HIGH SCHOOL EMAIL ACCOUNT - those block my emails and students will not be able to receive any information about Shadow Day.
Students should get a confirmation email. If they do not, fill out the form again using a different email address. 
 
In clicking this link you have agreed to attend 2019 Shadow Day 
*and to not use your high school email account*.
 
2019 Shadow Day High Schooler Sign-Up 
 
The sign-up will be closed Wednesday, March 20, 2019, so don't delay.
 
If you have any questions please email me at hyg1@zips.uakron.edu. ​​​

The Harvard Undergraduate Economics Association (HUEA), in collaboration with the Harvard Economics Review (HER), is delighted to announce the annual International Essay Competition. It is open to students aged 15 to 18 or in high/senior school (Grades 9 to 12, or Years 10 to 13).  

It is a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate an accomplished level of writing and to also establish a convincing and well-argued essay. Such essay writing skills are highly attractive on undergraduate applications to universities in the USA and UK.

Four questions have been posted on the HUEA website (posted on February 3rd, 2019). Each essay submission will have a $5 fee which must be paid upon submission of the essay. The deadline for submitting the essay will be 11:59pm EST April 30th, 2019. There will be $1300 worth of prizes to be won, with further non-monetary awards available. 

The essays will be judged by the boards of the HUEA and HER, with the top 15 submissions adjudicated by esteemed Harvard economics professor and 2016 Nobel Prize Winner Oliver Hart. 

Further details are available at https://www.thehuea.org/international-essay-contest. We wish all applicants good luck and look forward to reading the submissions in May!

On Wednesday, Chardon High School administrators and school counselors presented to over seventy 7th grade parents. The presentation covered all that CHS has to offer for upcoming 8th graders. Enclosed is the presentation. 

Happy St. Patrick's to all ye Irish and those Irish at heart!

Douglas (Mc)Murray, Principal

“Are we there yet? Are we there yet?” We’re all familiar with those plaintive cries from the kids in the backseat. The end of the school year is a lot like those long car trips...but, wait...we are only starting the fourth quarter! We are stopping at a rest area...or are we?

With the ebb and flow of March weather and relentless pockets of precipitation, some students feel that it is time to sit in the back seat and wait until they have idled through the finish line. Regardless of what grade that your son/daughter is in, the fourth quarter is the moment to finish...the moment to refine….and the moment to define who they are.

Two decades of teaching and coaching have cemented in my mind the sheer purpose of preparing for beyond the finish line. Many students and athletes look at the endpoint of a year or season as the goal. The reality is that goals are defined well before the year, and season. I wouldn’t prepare for a state title without establishing the backward design model of off-season/pre-season/in-season preparedness. Likewise, school provides us with many finish lines to pause and reflect which culminates towards the ultimate finish line at commencement.

Wherever you are plotted on the sixteen ‘quarter-markers’ along the high school experience, every stopping point is an opportunity to refine your purpose along the path. Seize this moment and make your mark this quarter!

The Motivated Student

On Friday, March 1, students in grades 7-12 engaged with over 60 exhibitors representing the 4E's: education, employment, entrepreneurship, and enlistment.  Special thanks to those vendors who offered our students jobs, internships, and co-ops at the event.  Also, special thanks to Congressman Dave Joyce who sent proclamations recognizing our students who have been trained in Lean Six Sigma.  With the initial feedback from students, parents, and exhibitors, we look forward to continuing to build our future readiness programming.

All photos courtesy of Hardesty Imaging, LCC

The CHS Model UN Team attended the Cleveland Council on World Affairs Spring MUN Conference at Case Western Reserve University this week! It was an intense conference filled with lots of fruitful debate on topics such as the uses of cyber warfare and ending global unemployment. Chardon had a total of 10 students attend, representing the following delegations: United Kingdom, Belgium, and Denmark in the Economic and Social Council, Switzerland, Thailand, Syria, Tajikistan, and Ukraine in the Disarmament and International Security Committee, as well as 2 delegates in the Chinese Cultural Revolution Crisis. It was an exciting conference for the team, as Logan Coles (sophomore) won the position paper award in the Chinese Cultural Revolution Crisis Committee, and Grace Kilfoyle (senior) won the Gavel Award as the United Kingdom in ECOSOC, a highly coveted honor, awarded to the best delegate from each committee. After a busy year of conferences, the entire team still concludes that MUN is FUN!! ​

It’s 1959, and Rydell High School’s senior class is in rare form. The too-cool-for-school “Burger Palace Boys” are stealing hub-caps and acting tough and their gum-snapping, chain-smoking “Pink Ladies” are looking hot in bobby sox and pedal pushers. The 1950s high school dream is about to explode in this rollicking musical that is both an homage to the idealism of the fifties and a satire of high schoolers’ age-old desire to be rebellious, provocative and rebellious. At the heart of the story is the romance between hot-rodding gangster Danny Zuko and the sweet new girl in town, Sandy Dumbrowski. ​
​
March 14-16th @7:00 PM
March 17th @2:00 PM

Please see the options for purchasing tickets below using Eventbrite.

Furthermore,  our Business Crew will be at Park Thursday 3/7, Monday 3/11 from 4:00 - 8:00 for ticket sales, as well as Wednesday 3/13 - Sunday 3/17 before/during shows for ticket sales.  

​Congratulations to Anne Ciszak for getting her photograph into the nationally judged Scholastic Art Show! 

Congratulations to Chloe Taddie and Anne Evans for having their artworks accepted into the State of Ohio Governor's Art Show! (Drawings by Evans and Photography by Taddie)

The Principles of Entrepreneurship class has begun their "Shark Tank" presentations for this quarter with some very exciting products including: a treadmill for the shower, a multipurpose backpack, a cell phone power exchange and an app to track when your school bus will arrive. All this excellent work for a class that does not receive a letter grade! Thanks, Mr. Herner for all of your passion and energy with our kids!

​Grace Kilfoyle earned first place and James Gross earned third place! Grace moves on to the district competition at Aurora on April 6.

This past Friday, the CHS Bands grades 8-12 had a day of education and culture in Cleveland's University Circle. The bands had a unique clinic opportunity with the Director of Bands at Case Western Reserve University, Dr. Ryan Scherber, in the beautiful Maltz Performing Arts Center. The day also included the Museum of Natural History and an old time radio reenactment of the "Balto" story, The Cleveland Museum of Art, and the day culminated with the Cleveland Orchestra's performance of the soundtrack and movie, "Rebel Without a Cause."

​Attached is the newest edition of the Learning Center Newsletter. 

This issue includes several valuable resources for teachers that you may not be aware of, or maybe you haven't checked out recently. All the content is free of charge, and each resource can be applied across the curriculum.   

School fees are due to Chardon Local Schools.  Payable at your student's individual school.
Please look at your student's Infinite Campus account under “Fees” to see what is owed for each child. 
 
All Participation fees for the Fall/Winter Season are due.
 
DO NOT PAY SPRING Participation fees until they are posted in Infinite Campus.    This takes a little time to get the final official rosters from the coaches added and adjustment made where needed.
 
When you are looking at the fess, if something does not look right or your student has dropped a class and it is still showing, please call so that it can be corrected.
 
Direct all of your calls to Mrs. McBride.
​440-205-4057 x. 1441

We have about 50 seniors that have NOT ordered their cap and gown.  If you have not ordered your CAP and GOWN, please see Mrs. McBride ASAP. Furthermore, you can call her about any question pertaining to graduation.

How do I prepare for the working world? 
What are the latest hiring trends? What should I be doing now to prepare for a good job?
How do I choose a career that will make me happy? 

Parents & Students, this event may help you answer some of those questions. Registration today for this FREE event at this link.

Students - Ignite your path toward finding a fulfilling and meaningful career.

HS Seniors & Grads: Bring your resumes for a chance to meet with
employers to practice how to approach and converse.
​

Parents - Discover multiple ways for funding your child's education and guiding them toward their greatest potential.

6:00PM - Meet, Greet & Eat  (food provided by Auburn Career Center)
6:30PM - Guest Presentations

7:15 PM- Geauga Jobs Market Breakout

> Hear messages from guest speakers. 
> Meet at table tops with businesses and schools. 
> Explore careers in the trades, medical, manufacturing, service & more.

6:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.  Featured speaker for students/families
6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Fair

West Geauga High School
13401 Chillicothe Road
Chesterland, OH 44026

Fair Contact: David Callahan, West Geauga High School
Phone contact the day of the fair, Michelle: 440-729-5962
Reps: Materials drop off location is the gym entrance; parking for reps is in the South lot.
Dinner for all Reps will be offered prior to the fair between 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
Google maps: Map to West Geauga HS

The University of Akron’s Society of Women Engineers is hosting a high school Shadow Day on Wednesday, April 3, 2019.
 
Shadow Day is a chance for future women engineers to shadow an engineering student at the University of Akron for the day. It is a great way for young women to get a taste of what college life is all about. Last year we had over 40 students participate and it was a huge success.  
 
This event is hosted by The Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Chapter at The University of Akron. SWE has been promoting diversity in the engineering field since 1960. Being SWE affiliated we are only accepting young women who are interested in engineering majors to be shadows.
 
The event will be on Wednesday, April 3. High Schoolers will need to arrive at 7:45 am. No transportation is provided by the University of Akron.
 
Tentative Schedule

• 7:45 - Arrive
• 8:00 - Small Breakfast 
• 8:30 - Engineering Classes and/or Campus Tours
• 12:00 - Lunch and SWE meeting
• 1:00 - Depart

Students who are interested and would like to sign up please fill out the survey below. Teachers are more than welcome to bring groups, but all students will need to register individually.
 
Students will need to provide their first and last name (FULL NAME please), their intended major, their personal email, and any dietary restrictions.
 
IMPORTANT! Do NOT use a HIGH SCHOOL EMAIL ACCOUNT - those block my emails and students will not be able to receive any information about Shadow Day.
Students should get a confirmation email. If they do not, fill out the form again using a different email address. 
 
In clicking this link you have agreed to attend 2019 Shadow Day 
*and to not use your high school email account*.
 
2019 Shadow Day High Schooler Sign-Up 
 
The sign-up will be closed Wednesday, March 20, 2019, so don't delay.
 
If you have any questions please email me at hyg1@zips.uakron.edu. ​​

The Harvard Undergraduate Economics Association (HUEA), in collaboration with the Harvard Economics Review (HER), is delighted to announce the annual International Essay Competition. It is open to students aged 15 to 18 or in high/senior school (Grades 9 to 12, or Years 10 to 13).  

It is a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate an accomplished level of writing and to also establish a convincing and well-argued essay. Such essay writing skills are highly attractive on undergraduate applications to universities in the USA and UK.

Four questions have been posted on the HUEA website (posted on February 3rd, 2019). Each essay submission will have a $5 fee which must be paid upon submission of the essay. The deadline for submitting the essay will be 11:59pm EST April 30th, 2019. There will be $1300 worth of prizes to be won, with further non-monetary awards available. 

The essays will be judged by the boards of the HUEA and HER, with the top 15 submissions adjudicated by esteemed Harvard economics professor and 2016 Nobel Prize Winner Oliver Hart. 

Further details are available at https://www.thehuea.org/international-essay-contest. We wish all applicants good luck and look forward to reading the submissions in May!

Thank you again for your support of Chardon Goes to the Musicals.  There has been so much positive feedback and it is amazing at how many people have taken advantage of the tickets! Money is due before Spring Break.

We will have one more flyer with Come From Away, Dear Evan Hansen, and Lion King all on one, with money due at the beginning of May, as all of these shows will be summer 2019.

The Maple Festival is now accepting applications for the Geauga County Maple Festival’s Queen and King Contest. This year we have the potential for a $1000+ prize! 

Applications can be found on the Maple Festival’s website at:

https://www.maplefestival.com/queens-pageant.htmlhttps://www.maplefestival.com/kings-pageant.html

The contest is now open to freshman through seniors residing or attending school in Geauga County. We have currently extended the deadlines as well! 

​If you need more  information, please contact:
Angie May               
 queens@maplefestival.com
 440-487-3224   ​​

Class of 2024 and NEW Students
There will be an informational night on Wednesday, March 13th at 6:30 pm in the CHS gymnasium for parents of current 7th and 8th grade students along with any NEW students to our district regarding scheduling information for next year.  Please contact the high school counselors with any questions. ​

Absence for Appointments during a School Day

Notes are to be dropped off in the Student Services Office between 7:00 AM and 7:25 AM.  Notes are to include a phone number where the parent can be reached, students first and last name and time of the appointment.  If the appointment is after 9:00 AM, students are to pick up the pass between classes any time after 9:00 AM. (This is not an excuse to be tardy to class.) If the appointment is before 9:00 AM, students are to wait and get the exit pass before going to first period.  Students MUST pick up exit passes before the period of the class from which they are to be dismissed.

Parents do NOT need to come into the building to sign out their student. 


ILLNESS AT SCHOOL
If the situation arises in which a student needs to use their cell phone for any reason, they may do so with administrative permission and supervision. If a student feels ill at school, they must follow procedures and go to the nurse. Students cannot have parents call them out of school for personal illness without seeing the nurse.

Upcoming Dates:

Winter Sports Awards will be Tuesday, March 12 at 7:00 pm in the CHS Gym.
Chardon High School Musical: Thursday- Sunday @Park (see above for details)
Spring Break: March 23-31

Have an awesome weekend with family and friends,

​Douglas Murray, Principal

This week epitomized what it means to be a Hilltopper. This week, our students and staff were highly engaged deep into the 3rd quarter with learning targeted outcomes. I had the opportunity to observe several classes where students took  ownership of their learning. We are so grateful to our teachers who have worked with intentionality in their PLC's and district goals to continue living our mission.

We also saw hundreds of students serving their community as we celebrate our annual Core Values Day at CHS. Students in grades 8, 9, 10, and 12 identified areas in their lives that they wanted to serve. We had so many phenomenal entries to the Google form stating all of the acts of service to families, our community, and our specific values. Mr. Bandiera, Mr. Higham, and I were deeply moved by the  students' intentional acts of kindness.
​
In the spirit of Achievement, our 11th grade students took time out of their day to focus on the ACT. As I monitored the test from my computer it was clear to me that the students took the time to work diligently on this important academic opportunity. We are so proud of the juniors. Likewise, we are grateful to our staff who proctored all of the rooms.

Wednesday, as I wrote in the special edition of Week in Reflection, provided us the opportunity to come together as a community to focus on each other and to be humbled by the continued support from our community. We are so blessed to live in Chardon.

This week culminated in our first ever Career Fair! Over 50 vendors came in and set-up in the gym. Students of every grade level had the opportunity to meet, work on soft skills, and network with business leaders in the hope to land internships and summer employment. Furthermore, several colleges and our military were present to talk with our students.

As Mr. Armelli states, It was a beautiful day!"

Language Arts Live! is a speaker and resource program which provides students with examples of how the knowledge they acquire in the classroom translates to the professional world and life beyond high school.  The objectives are for students to be able to better understand the various reading, writing and communication skills they are currently learning and to then be able to apply these skills meaningfully to their lives.

The key to the success of this series is parental and community involvement which reinforces our CHARDON core values. We asked for willing and able parents and community professionals to come into our classrooms and participate in a panel discussion regarding the use of language and communication skills in various settings. Our seniors, in preparation for college and career readiness, will be exploring technical and career writing with the help of mentors currently in the professions to which the seniors aspire. Special thanks to this year's speakers: Dr. Carey Shive (Bio-Medical Researcher, Cleveland VA and Case Western Reserve University), Mr. Jeffery Kornute (Human Resources Manager, Morton Salt), and Mr. Hector Diaz-Stringel (Chemical Engineering, President, ATA Tools). Our panel contained a variety of professionals to explain to the students the importance of effective communication skills, ideally motivating them to be effective communicators themselves. We sincerely thank them for their time and energy. ​

Don't forget today, Friday, March 1st, is the deadline to submit the Common Application Scholarship with many local scholarships! Applications are due to Mrs. Puleo in Guidance by the end of the day. 

We've also been receiving questions about scholarship opportunities- don't forget to check your Naviance account under the Scholarship List. We post local scholarships as we are notified by the providers. You can update your acceptance status to the colleges you applied to while you're there to help us gather data!

Don't forget to be checking the financial aid page of the college you are planning to attend to look for scholarships that require a separate application (many times you are automatically considered for many Freshman scholarships by simply applying and completing your FAFSA on time, but this may not be the case for all scholarships). If you have a parent that works for a larger company, they may want to check with their HR Officer to see if the company offers any scholarships, as well. Same thing if your parent(s) belong to any outside organizations/clubs/activities/etc. 

Also, here is a non-inclusive list of national scholarship websites that you can be checking out:

www.cappex.com
www.chegg.com
www.collegeboard.com
www.fastweb.com
www.petersons.com
www.scholarshipmonkey.com
www.scholarships.com
www.unigo.com

There's most likely a lot of overlap between the sites, but you can play around on each and see which one fits you best. Also, don't forget to be utilizing our LEAF services (Mrs. Kubec is here on Mondays) and website: leaf-ohio.org  ​

6:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.  Featured speaker for students/families
6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Fair

West Geauga High School
13401 Chillicothe Road
Chesterland, OH 44026

Fair Contact: David Callahan, West Geauga High School
Phone contact the day of the fair, Michelle: 440-729-5962
Reps: Materials drop off location is the gym entrance; parking for reps is in the South lot.
Dinner for all Reps will be offered prior to the fair between 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
Google maps: Map to West Geauga HS

The University of Akron’s Society of Women Engineers is hosting a high school Shadow Day on Wednesday, April 3, 2019.
 
Shadow Day is a chance for future women engineers to shadow an engineering student at the University of Akron for the day. It is a great way for young women to get a taste of what college life is all about. Last year we had over 40 students participate and it was a huge success.  
 
This event is hosted by The Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Chapter at The University of Akron. SWE has been promoting diversity in the engineering field since 1960. Being SWE affiliated we are only accepting young women who are interested in engineering majors to be shadows.
 
The event will be on Wednesday, April 3. High Schoolers will need to arrive at 7:45 am. No transportation is provided by the University of Akron.
 
Tentative Schedule

• 7:45 - Arrive
• 8:00 - Small Breakfast 
• 8:30 - Engineering Classes and/or Campus Tours
• 12:00 - Lunch and SWE meeting
• 1:00 - Depart

Students who are interested and would like to sign up please fill out the survey below. Teachers are more than welcome to bring groups, but all students will need to register individually.
 
Students will need to provide their first and last name (FULL NAME please), their intended major, their personal email, and any dietary restrictions.
 
IMPORTANT! Do NOT use a HIGH SCHOOL EMAIL ACCOUNT - those block my emails and students will not be able to receive any information about Shadow Day.
Students should get a confirmation email. If they do not, fill out the form again using a different email address. 
 
In clicking this link you have agreed to attend 2019 Shadow Day 
*and to not use your high school email account*.
 
2019 Shadow Day High Schooler Sign-Up 
 
The sign-up will be closed Wednesday, March 20, 2019, so don't delay.
 
If you have any questions please email me at hyg1@zips.uakron.edu. ​

A message from Cher Culliton...

​The Family and Consumer Sciences Department welcomed a very special guest to our classroom.  Mrs. Julie Fetchik shared creative culinary tricks and tips that will save us time and money. Her interactive, engaging lesson was not only educational, but fun!

“Mrs. Fetchik brought positive fun energy to the classroom while engaging every student present.”  Jarod Hougan 

“Mrs. Fetchik taught us so many new ways to prepare produce. I think she has as much fun teaching us as we did learning from her.”  
Madi Arganti

“Mrs. Fetchik seemed like a professional cook - she was so great.  She made the day really fun and the healthy salsa was delicious.” Riley Zimmerer 

“I loved how energetic and excited Mrs. Fetchik was to show us her recipe and teach us her culinary tricks and tips.  She showed me that even though I might not like some of the ingredients, the food can still taste very good.”   Annie Sweet

“Such an energetic and outgoing personality that made cutting onions fun! Who would’ve thought?!” “While baking is a science, cooking is an adventure.”   Paige Lucic

It’s 1959, and Rydell High School’s senior class is in rare form. The too-cool-for-school “Burger Palace Boys” are stealing hub-caps and acting tough and their gum-snapping, chain-smoking “Pink Ladies” are looking hot in bobby sox and pedal pushers. The 1950s high school dream is about to explode in this rollicking musical that is both an homage to the idealism of the fifties and a satire of high schoolers’ age-old desire to be rebellious, provocative and rebellious. At the heart of the story is the romance between hot-rodding gangster Danny Zuko and the sweet new girl in town, Sandy Dumbrowski. ​

March 14-16th @7:00 PM
March 17th @2:00 PM

Stay tuned for ticket details

Eight wrestlers qualified to the district tournament at Alliance HS.  

Sectional Placers from the Lake Catholic Sectional were:
Jake Hamulak 113 lbs Champion
Jaden Farris 120 lbs 4th place
Vaughn Fink 132 lbs 2nd place
Haydn Haueter 138 lbs 3rd place
Collin Perz 145 lbs 3rd place
Nick Becker 152 lbs 4th place
Charlie Brosch 160 lbs 4th place
Jaret Hall 285 lbs 2nd place
The Team finished in 3rd place overall.

We have two State individual qualifiers: 
Chloe Budd on Beam 
Julia Carter on All around, Vault and Bars 

The team took 4th place at districts and qualified to states as you know

A couple of honorable mentions:
Senior Morgan Danison- Morgan has led our team with her outstanding leadership skills and positive personality. Morgan adds energy to our team which carries over to her floor routine, her artistry is phenomenal and very fun to watch! 

Freshman Julia Carter- MVP is dominating her freshman year of high school gymnastics. Julia has an extremely strong work ethic and character. She always gives 110% of her efforts in and outside of gymnastics which is admired by many of her peers. Julia is a joy to have on the Chardon Team! ​

​Another great year spent in the pool. When I say year..I literally mean it. This winter high school season didn't start in November, it started last April when our high school swimmers started preparing for this season by swimming club, summer and fall. This team is never satisfied, nor is their coach. With that being said, we are always striving to be the best team we can be, the best swimmers we can be, the best athletes we can be, but most importantly the best people we possibly can be through the competition of swimming and pushing ourselves to unfathomable limits, competing against the best the state has to offer.
 
Another epic year has passed.. with that here are some of our accomplishments:

Men: 3rd at WRC (our best yet), 9th place at Sectionals (the toughest Sectional in the state div 2), and 15th at the Div 2 Northeast District (again the toughest district Div 2 in the state), there were 6 individual Team Records Set: Parker Carson: 100im, 200 im, 100 breast, Dominic Arganti 100 fly, Levi Rogers 50 and 100 back, and 2 Relay Records: 200 Medley (Rogers, Carson, Arganti, Koenen) and 400 Free (Rogers, Carson, Arganti, Koenen)

Women: 1st place WRC (2nd in a row), 1st Sectional Title, and 9th at Districts. 35th at State. 2 relays made it to States 11th in 200 free Relay, 21st in 400 free Relay.

 Sectional:

 Records: Sarah Bennett 50 (From 1999 and 100 free), 200 free Relay (Debevec, Duchon, Jerry, Bennett) and 400 Free Relay (bennet, Duchon, Jerry, and Tierney) 
First Place Finishes: Bennett 50 free, Jerry 100 free, Tierney 500 Free  200 Free and 400 free Relays
Districts: 5th Place finish 400 Free Relay, 6th place 200 free relay; Bennett 50 free 8th, 100 back 8th place, Jerry 200 free 6th, 100 free 13th, Duchon 200 IM 12th.
 
Team Records: Sarah Bennett (50 free/100 free/100 IM/200 IM), Katherine Jerry (200 Free/500 free), 200 Free Relay (Debevec/Duchon/Jerry/Bennett)
400 Free Relay (Bennett/Jerry/Tierney/Duchon)
 
All though this was another great year, with some milestones reached. ... we are on our way in this glorious journey. We will continue with the success for many years to come.
​
Swimcerly
Matt Parrish

​The Lady Hilltoppers has a successful season at all levels. Varsity finished the year 15-9 with a district semi-final appearance. JV went an impressive 15-5 with a lot of growth and experience gained by younger players. The short handed freshman team, with 8 players, went 6-6 on the season. 

Despite a rash of injuries - the Varsity Toppers demonstrated a tremendous amount of perseverance, dedication, teamwork, and sportsmanship. The 8 seniors - Tori Butala, Sydney Feller, Grace Koppelman, Danni McCartney, Lindsey Nichols, Anna Pastor, Jess Doyle and Anna Thompson - provided a great deal of experience and leadership throughout the year. They collectively helped improve our team's culture and raised the standard by which we will measure all future teams. These young ladies are a perfect embodiment of what it means to be a Hilltopper! I am lucky to get to be a part of their lives and am thankful for all they’ve done for me and our program over the past four years. 

Have a beautiful weekend with family and friends!

Douglas Murray, Principal

One 
Shawnee Kellie
  

One word can spark a moment,
One flower can wake the dream;
One tree can start a forest,
One bird can herald Spring.

One smile can bring a friendship,
One handclasp can lift a soul;
One star can guide a ship at sea,
One cheer can obtain a goal.

One vote can change a Nation,
One sunbeam can lift a room;
One candle wipes out darkness,
One laugh will conquer gloom.
One look can change two lives;
One kiss can make love bloom.

One step must start each journey,
One word must start each prayer;
One hope can raise our spirits,
One touch can show you care.

One voice can speak with wisdom,
One heart can know what's true;
One life can make a difference,
One life is me and you....

Seven years ago, our school community was impacted by violence. The foundation of over 140 years of graduates was cracked by one act that lasted less than one minute.  Our staff and community were heartbroken, and numb; leaving us unsettled in our spirit. Countless heroes stood grounded and poised that day that gave us strength.

In the midst of our confusion, we knew what we needed to do. We needed to be a community...we needed to see our humility...we needed to recognize our treasured stories of achievements...we needed to refocus our lens on respect, and the dignity of every person… we need to stand in optimism and nurture each other. We needed to be reminded of our values.

For seven years, we have kept our eyes on our purpose and our community. For the past seven years, I have kept my eyes fixed on this quote to help us through our healing.

Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. 
Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, 
ambition inspired, and success achieved. 
--Helen Keller
Our school culture and personal character weren't developed in ease and quiet.

Character defines the very essence of who we are, where we are, and demonstrates the pureness of our choices. At Chardon High School, we recognize the beauty of every student and every staff member's story along with seeing the value of the human spirit. Our staff emulates compassion and love to the children that they encounter each day. People often ask me, "what makes Chardon unique", and I immediately tell them that our school community epitomizes excellence in every deed, word, and lesson. Our staff teaches students to understand the value of developing meaningful relationships and ways to pay their lives forward. These lessons transcend the curriculum to develop young men and women not only for college, and careers---but for life.

Abraham Lincoln said, “Reputation is the shadow. Character is the tree. “ Our teachers express that character is much more than just reputation...it is who we are even when nobody's watching. Having a good character means doing the right thing just because it's the right thing to do. This is the fabric that creates our outreach programs in Project Linus, Great Pal's, AC4P, FMP, NHS Tutoring, Interact and other acts of servant leadership.

Every family has its own story. As you reflect upon this, you may think about individuals inside of your circles that hurt or may be suffering from emotional or physical ailments. Just as your own capacity for handling situations vary---the person next to you is experiencing HIS/HER own story. It is so important to recognize those who might need your patience and understanding with their situation.

This year, our district, like many around the country has faced the reality of lower enrollment and funding. In order to right size our district, we closed two buildings and shifted grade levels to the existing buildings. Every person within the district was impacted and had to expand their ability to live the mission of Chardon Schools. Our high school began to plan for a new 8-12 look. We knew that we had to build upon the programs that we established at the high school to help align our new grade.

Within the newly established Circuit of Success, our existing FMP programs, Topper Time period, and our focus on the 4E's: Enrollment, Enlistment, Employment, and Entrepreneurship--we knew we were on the right track to develop students for life and career readiness. Our teachers worked intentionally within our curriculum to maintain our culture, climate, and educational outcomes.

Just as every family has their own story, so do we at CHS as a larger family. Together, we define the paths set forth before us. We are Hilltoppers. As Hilltoppers, we climb higher than others, and model with humility our values as a beacon of hope for those that look up to us. The paths that we have faced have not been easy. There have been moments of difficulty, moments of sorrow, along with defining moments of integrity.

We are not defined by a calendar date in February. We are Chardon, born and raised. Defined by consistency in action and the determination to succeed by living the truth and leading the way with dignity.

Kindness resonates into every fiber of who we are. It changes us to strive towards being better, it helps us to slow down and really pay attention to who we are and what our purpose in life actually is.

Life is a journey up the side of a mountain, but we are 'Toppers. We love to live, and live to love.

Everyone has their own response to this week that we value.

If you need, ask.
If you have, give.
If you embrace, receive- knowing that no word is needed.

Expressing gratitude and continued support this week and always, 


Douglas P. Murray, Principal

In the spirit of continuing achievement, the entire Chardon Community congratulates our National Merit Scholarship Finalist--Isabelle Lemaster! Isabelle represents the top of her class not only in achievement, but in her commitment to service, kindness, and athleticism. We are so proud of her!

Last week, the School Counselors collaborated in presenting our course offerings to each grade level during Topper Time.  I am enclosing the course selection sheets that were provided to your child(ren). These documents will create great talking points as the scheduling process begins.

I am so grateful to our School Counselors- Nikki Hetrick, Lacey Jacobs, Tim Hurlbut, and Kyle Kovach for their efforts in refining the presentations. ​

Congratulations to the 43 students who participated in the American Mathematics Competition (AMC 10/12) competition during late start last week on Wednesday, February 13. This nationally recognized test covers a wide range of mathematical topics. All the problems require creativity, analytical thinking and problem solving skills to solve. Results of the competition will be posted in about a month. Congratulations to all student participants who were willing to step up to this challenge: Lauren Alexander, Abby Atchley, Charlotte Bennett, Abby Breznai, Jacob Brown, Emly Brush, Chris Carter, Julia Carter, Logan Coles, Gabby Cross, Luke Danison, Bradley Duchon, Natalie Dumm, Nathan Eads, Mitchell Ewaska, Morgan Fisher, Jeffery Fletcher, Natlie Fullerman, Anna Gerstner, Mitsy Gideon, Mikhail Hall, Charlotte Herbruck, Molly Kosir, Zane Kuhnle, Emily Lingafelter, Hannah Means, Olivia Means, John Mullaly, Jack Myers, Andrew Nelson, Audrey Nelson, Kyle Nelson, Bridget O'Reilly, Ivan Orozco, Peter Robie, Connor Rozic, Noel Rozic, AJ Sacerich, Katie Snyder, Jack Sweet, Jude Taddie, Ashley Tice, Mario Trillo, Blue Veon, and Olivia White. We are all grateful to Alsion Fisher who coordinated this opportunity for our students.

The Chardon School District will be holding a Career Fair for the students on March. 1.

The event which will take place in the gymnasium at Chardon High School, 151 Chardon Ave., is being organized through a partnership with Ohio Means Jobs, the Chardon Chamber of Commerce, RB Sigma Inc., and the Alliance for Working Together.

The event is intended to provide seventh- through 10th-grade students a structured method network for career exploration and to allow 11th- and 12th-grade students the opportunity to network and interview for internships and jobs.

"The Career Fair is the culminating activity of our district's focus on college and career pathways," Ed Klein, Chardon's assistant superintendent, said in a new release. "Students in all grade levels, and in all school buildings throughout the Chardon Local School District, will be exploring the 4 E's: Education, Employment, Enlistment, and Entrepreneurship."
​
Organizations who choose to exhibit at the event will be able to interview students as potential candidates for internships and available job opportunities. They will also be able to network with graduating students as they prepare to enter the workforce and with students who choose to continue career exploration.

​How do I prepare for the working world? 
What are the latest hiring trends? What should I be doing now to prepare for a good job?
How do I choose a career that will make me happy? 

Parents & Students, this event may help you answer some of those questions. Registration today for this FREE event at this link.

Students - Ignite your path toward finding a fulfilling and meaningful career.

HS Seniors & Grads: Bring your resumes for an chance to meet with
employers to practice how to approach and converse.


Parents - Discover multiple ways for funding your child's education and guiding them toward their greatest potential.

6:00PM - Meet, Greet & Eat  (food provided by Auburn Career Center)
6:30PM - Guest Presentations

7:15 PM- Geauga Jobs Market Breakout

> Hear messages from guest speakers. 
> Meet at table tops with businesses and schools. 
> Explore careers in the trades, medical, manufacturing, service & more.

​The University of Akron’s Society of Women Engineers is hosting a high school Shadow Day on Wednesday, April 3, 2019.
 
Shadow Day is a chance for future women engineers to shadow an engineering student at the University of Akron for the day. It is a great way for young women to get a taste of what college life is all about. Last year we had over 40 students participate and it was a huge success.  
 
This event is hosted by The Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Chapter at The University of Akron. SWE has been promoting diversity in the engineering field since 1960. Being SWE affiliated we are only accepting young women who are interested in engineering majors to be shadows.
 
The event will be on Wednesday, April 3. High Schoolers will need to arrive at 7:45 am. No transportation is provided by the University of Akron.
 
Tentative Schedule

• 7:45 - Arrive
• 8:00 - Small Breakfast 
• 8:30 - Engineering Classes and/or Campus Tours
• 12:00 - Lunch and SWE meeting
• 1:00 - Depart

Students who are interested and would like to sign up please fill out the survey below. Teachers are more than welcome to bring groups, but all students will need to register individually.
 
Students will need to provide their first and last name (FULL NAME please), their intended major, their personal email, and any dietary restrictions.
 
IMPORTANT! Do NOT use a HIGH SCHOOL EMAIL ACCOUNT - those block my emails and students will not be able to receive any information about Shadow Day.
Students should get a confirmation email. If they do not, fill out the form again using a different email address. 
 
In clicking this link you have agreed to attend 2019 Shadow Day 
*and to not use your high school email account*.
 
2019 Shadow Day High Schooler Sign-Up 
 
The sign-up will be closed Wednesday, March 20, 2019, so don't delay.
 
If you have any questions please email me at hyg1@zips.uakron.edu. 

Thank you again for your support of Chardon Goes to the Musicals.  There has been so much positive feedback and it is amazing at how many people have taken advantage of the tickets! Money is due before Spring Break.

We will have one more flyer with Come From Away, Dear Evan Hansen, and Lion King all on one, with money due at the beginning of May, as all of these shows will be summer 2019.

​I missed you all. 

This past week provided me with the opportunity to reflect upon many things. I am so proud of all of the work that ALL of our Circuit teachers put into our presentation. The entire process of planning, meeting, and training students for numerous leadership experiences expanded all of our leadership.

The Redesigning for Student Success Conference opened our eyes to many truths:

1. We have a very good schedule
2. Brain breaks are not a trend. They are rich in research and evidence-based models.
3. Creating a system of student choice towards learning competencies (UDL) works.
4. Creating houses or advisories (like our Topper Time) builds relationships and student efficacy.
4. Relationships, Culture, Core Values, and Mission-driven goals change school climate for the better. 

We received just as much as we gave to this conference. I am very proud of our students, and teachers who presented on Friday. We have already received 5 emails and 137 hits to our Circuit tab on our website from last week. The patrons of our presentation shared that Chardon High School is doing amazing work!

I have brought my refreshed energy at full throttle this week. This conference confirmed with me that we are on the right track with not only our schedule and programs, but our mission, vision, and core values. 

We often try to compare ourselves with other districts. As we work towards being the best academically, athletically, emotionally, socially, and service-oriented-- my commitment to you is that our work will be not overshadowed by others. We will be the beacon school that people want to emulate in all of our programs and systems. Regardless of the building that we serve in--our students will be noted for leadership, academic excellence, kindness, and preparedness for life. This work is done out of your love and service to our students, your passion for creating a better world, and our shared commitment to stand beside each other through each process.

Have a great weekend!

Douglas Murray, Principal

Al Herner, Jill Carpenter, Holly Mihalek, and Rob Mizen joined Mr. Higham and I at the Redesigning Schools National Conference at High Tech High in San Diego, California. We were accompanied by (4) 8th-grade students to co-facilitate the presentation over two days: Maysen and Alexis Jahnke, Faith Kilfoyle, and Sydney Murray. We toured High Tech Middle and High School. This school was featured in the film, Most Likely to Succeed. 
​
We have been planning our presentation over the last several months and ran a rehearsal last weekend at Chardon High School.

​We will keep posted from San Diego using Twitter and Periscope. Check out the pictures and the background  that our students created.

We will be presenting LIVE on Friday @ 11:30 AM (EST).

​The focus of this event is to alleviate stress and the lull that comes with the 3rd quarter as well as enforce the Chardon High School Community during the difficult times of February. Kaylie Malloy and a group of 6 students have been organizing this event for the past year and have secured many businesses to be in attendance. We will have free yoga classes, massages, art classes, sport nutrition sessions, personal trainers, therapy dogs and so many more opportunities!Reference Guide for Social Services​During the school year,  we see a number of students who may be struggling with anxiety, panic attacks, depression, insomnia, self-harming behaviors, substance use, and suicidal thoughts. The Chardon community is fortunate to have a number of local mental health agencies available to serve youth and families who may be experiencing any difficulties.   Please, if your child is experiencing any difficulties reach out to Administration, Guidance or one of the agencies listed below:

Catholic Charities -  ccdocle.org/county-served/geauga  440-285-3537
Family Pride -  familyprideonline.org   440-286-1553
N.A.M.I - namigeauga.org  440-286-6264
Ravenwood Health Centers - ravenwoodhealth.org   440-285-3568
Ubuntu Wellness - Ubuntuwellnessohio.com  440-214-9062

Ravenwood Health has an emergency, walk-in clinic open weekdays till 8 p.m, Friday till 5 p.m.
For after hour emergencies or if you need to talk with someone the hotlines below are available 24/7:
​
24/7 Copeline - 1-888-285-5665 
Crisis Text Line - Text 4hope to 741741
Suicide Prevention Hotline 1-800-273-8255

​What you need to know:
What: ACT Test ... Tuesday, February 26th, all Juniors will be taking the ACT at Chardon High School.
Why: Third year of a state requirement to administer ACT or SAT to Juniors as a pathway to graduation. 

Questions about ACT/SAT Requirement

Chardon High School will once again be participating in the State Funded ACT Test for all Junior students on February 26, 2019.   This important college admissions assessment is a great tool to help guide our students in their future decisions and is in line with our district goal to see all of our students Employed, Enrolled, Enlisted, or Entrepreneurs.   All Juniors are required to report to Chardon High School on February 26th at the regular start time (7:26 AM). Pre-Administration and testing will begin promptly at 7:35 AM. Additional information regarding this testing session will be sent directly to Juniors and their families prior to testing.

Core Values Day

Students in grades 8, 9, 10, and 12.   February 26th will be used as a Blended Learning Day with a focus on the Core Values of Charon (Community, Humility, Achievement, Respect, Dignity, Optimism, and Nurture).   Last school year, we were impressed with over 600 students participating in some type of service to their community on this day. Eighth Graders, Freshman, Sophomores, and Seniors will not be permitted to enter school (during testing hours) on Tuesday, February 26.  All Freshman, Sophomores, and Seniors must complete a Google Form (will be sent to students the week of February 20th) documenting their service completed on this date to show attendance. 

The following guidelines can be used to show appropriate activities for this day:

Seniors:

• Students will focus on components of their Capstone Senior Project as part of the pathways to graduation.
• Tasks to be completed include:
  • Meeting with a mentor for a shadowing experience
  • Physically completing a portion of the project
  • Shadow a professional in an area of interest for future employment
  • Complete 1 or more journals with a log of hours
  • Prepare final Capstone Project Presentation
  • Prepare a final reflective essay

Eighth Graders/Freshman/Sophomores:

• Students will focus on community service with a focus on the Core Values.
• Examples of activities are listed here.   Core Value Examples
• Students must reflect on their experience by completing the Google Form

If you have questions about the ACT or Core Values Day, please contact Mr. Bandiera, Assistant Principal, Chardon High School. 

Ryan Bandiera
Ryan.Bandiera@ChardonSchools.org
440-285-4057

​Students in the CHS Ski/Snowboard Club have been having an awesome time on the slopes of Brandywine Ski Resort. This past week was their third trip of the season. Each week the students have the opportunity to take a lesson and then enjoy several hours on the slopes.  Many of the students have learned a new sport and really shown improvement in their skills. Others have been enjoying the terrain park and working to learn new tricks or jumps. What a great group of students!

The Ski/Snowboard Club is excited to announce a day trip to Holiday Valley Ski Resort in New York. The trip is planned for Saturday, March 2 and is open to all students at the high school. Students do NOT have to currently be part of the ski club to participate in this opportunity. If your son/daughter is interested please see the attached flyer for more details, including an overview of the itinerary for the day. Space for this opportunity is limited to just one bus, so please make sure your son/daughter turns in his/her registration to Miss Fisher as soon as possible! If you have any questions, please email Alison Fisher at alison.fisher@chardonschools.org

​The Chardon High School Dance Team is performing Friday, March 8th at Quicken Loans Arena at the Lake Erie Monsters Game. Tickets can be purchased using the link on the flyer.

The Chardon Local School District is a representative on the American Graduate: Getting to Work initiative working with other partner schools and business leaders to prepare students for high-demand career opportunities. As the initiative reaches its mid-point, the task force is hoping to hear from young adults (age 16-26) in our community about their perceptions of high-demand living wage careers and the American Graduate initiative.  This is a nationwide survey that 16 other American Graduate states are gathering input from students (target audience 16-26) as well.  Below is a link to a voluntary survey that is being conducted by the American Graduate Initiative on this topic.  If you like your child to share his/her views on high-demand careers, please have them complete the survey.  Again, participation is completely voluntary, but will assist the group in planning further activities and programs to help link graduates to competitive jobs.

​Survey Link:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Ideastream_YAS
 

This has been a week of mixed emotions. Everyone knows how much I miss being out of the building. Everyone knows how much I love our students and staff. Being away has provided me with the opportunity to grow as a person and educator. Being together with students and staff in San Diego has created wonderful memories that we will share with our school upon our return. The weather here was quite comical. It reminded us Forrest Gump during the rain scenes.  I am forever grateful to Ryan Bandiera who worked so hard lead our building under crazy weather conditions as well...I saw the landscape of leaks and game cancellations. Furthermore, I am grateful to our staff, teachers, and Dr. Moran who supported each other this week.  Stay tuned in the morning to watch our presentation!

Douglas Murray, Principal

This was a great week at CHS! So much has transpired while I (along with Al Herner, Doug Higham, Corine Casalina, Josi Culliton,  Linda Elegante, and Steve Kofol) traveled to Mentor for three days to become Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt trained for our district. Between special appearances, conferences, theatrical experiences, curriculum presentations, vaping seminar, athletic games, and preparing for our Circuit presentation---a ton was going on. Enclosed you will read highlights from the week.

​All of our girls who play basketball in grades 7-12 had a chance of a lifetime on Monday. Chardon High School welcomed  Tamika Catchings - one of the WNBA’s all-time greats: WNBA champ, WNBA MVP, a national champion at Tennessee, and national speaker.

Tamika spoke to the young ladies about handling adversity, writing your own story, dictating your own outcome in life. The message that really hit the coaching staff was when she told the girls “you’re going to be in this spot one day. Talking to a group of young girls. It may not be as a WNBA player - but it may be as a lawyer, doctor, teacher, coach, etc. You have to work hard to make sure that story is a good one for that young lady who is listening.”

It was a memorable experience beyond basketball and the entire staff is so thankful for all who helped make this afternoon possible!

​February 5th - Curriculum Night (CCP information night) presentation above.

February 4-11: Course recommendations/registration entered into IC (this is for teachers to recommend the next level course for students in core classes only) 

February 8,11,12,15:- scheduling presentations to grade 8-11 students during Topper Time (2/8 current juniors, 2/11 current sophomores, 2/12 current freshmen, and 2/15 current 8th 
(CSS)

February 11th:- Course registration open to all students

The Learning Center Newsletter for February is attached. In it please find details about The 2019 Hope and Stanley Adelstein Free Speech Essay Contest. 

The prompt this year directs students to answer the questions "What are the biggest threats to freedom of speech? What should be done to protect this core value of American Democracy?" 

Complete details can be found here.

Encourage your students to enter this local contest for a chance to win up to $1,000.

The National Honor Society (NHS) is the nation's premier organization established to recognize outstanding high school students. More than just an honor roll, NHS serves to recognize those students who have demonstrated excellence in the areas of scholarship, service, leadership, and character. ​​Congratulations to our inductees to NHS!

In the coming weeks, our students will be taking the ACT. There are a number of resources to help them prepare, including the opportunity to take a practice test, and use free personalized resources with ACT® Academy™.
​
ACT Academy - Free Personalized Practice
Information for Students - Practice Test

The 2018-2019 yearbook staff is once again offering parents of seniors the opportunity to express congratulations to their graduate by purchasing an advertisement in the 2019 edition of the Hilltopper. This has become a very popular tradition in the yearbook. Over the years, the support of parents like you helps us to keep the price of the yearbook constant despite the demand to meet rising production costs.

Enclosed here you will find a form indicating the size options of congratulatory advertisements that are available. Start searching for your son’s or daughter’s most memorable baby pictures to preserve in the yearbook forever. You can put a poem, a message, and/or photos (old or new) in your salute. All you have to do is submit the information you would like included. Then we take care of the rest and design the advertisement for you. 

If you are interested, fill out the next page of this order form and return it to the main office at the high school with your check payable to Chardon Board of Education. Please submit your order no later than Friday, March 29th, 2019 so that we can meet our printing deadlines. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the yearbook adviser, Daniel, at daniel.chenoweth@chardonschools.org

Thank you in advance for your support.

Sincerely,

Daniel Chenoweth
CHS Yearbook Staff  ​

​During the school year,  we see a number of students who may be struggling with anxiety, panic attacks, depression, insomnia, self-harming behaviors, substance use, and suicidal thoughts. The Chardon community is fortunate to have a number of local mental health agencies available to serve youth and families who may be experiencing any difficulties.   Please, if your child is experiencing any difficulties reach out to Administration, Guidance or one of the agencies listed below:

Catholic Charities -  ccdocle.org/county-served/geauga  440-285-3537
Family Pride -  familyprideonline.org   440-286-1553
N.A.M.I - namigeauga.org  440-286-6264
Ravenwood Health Centers - ravenwoodhealth.org   440-285-3568
Ubuntu Wellness - Ubuntuwellnessohio.com  440-214-9062

Ravenwood Health has an emergency, walk-in clinic open weekdays till 8 p.m, Friday till 5 p.m.
For after hour emergencies or if you need to talk with someone the hotlines below are available 24/7:
​
24/7 Copeline - 1-888-285-5665 
Crisis Text Line - Text 4hope to 741741
Suicide Prevention Hotline 1-800-273-8255

The Chardon Athletic Boosters supports all Chardon Middle School and Chardon High School interscholastic sports teams and the football and basketball cheerleaders; helps improve sports equipment and facilities; works cooperatively with other extracurricular support groups, and strives to become a community forum to encourage cooperation, good ideas, and constructive contributions for the general improvement of athletics. 

Thank you to every volunteer, patron, and organizer for making this year's Night at the Races such a huge success.
​
Have a beautiful weekend with family and friends!
Douglas Murray, Principal

PS: I will be out of the state next Friday and will do my best to send a Week in Reflection.

PBIS is an approach schools can use to improve school safety and promote positive behavior. It also helps schools decide how to respond to a child who misbehaves.  Over the last two decades at Chardon High School, we have created programs such as Freshman Mentoring, AC4P, Core Values Teams, #UTopper Club, Intentional Acts of Kindness, School Spirit, and postive relationship building and soft skills focus to help build up our school culture.
​
At its heart, PBIS calls on schools to teach kids about behavior, just as they would teach about any other subject—like reading or math. PBIS recognizes that kids can only meet behavior expectations if they know what the expectations are. A hallmark of a school using PBIS is that everyone knows what’s appropriate behavior.

We are building off our focus on the PBIS Matrix of behaviors that align with our core values and  targeted outcomes that we worked on last school year.  This week students and staff had the opportunity to recognize the positive behaviors and acts of kindness in a Google Form.

We have been blessed to work with local businesses that have been extremely kind to us. Here is the form that students and staff (within the Chardon domain)can fill out. Keep recognizing the good around you!

Curriculum Night

In order to better prepare you and your child to the academic offerings at Chardon High School, we will be hosting a Curriculum Evening on February 5, 2019, at 6:30 PM in the CHS Gymnasium. This evening also coincides with our Parent Teacher Conferences.
 
At this meeting, we will provide an overview of the curricular offerings, and course delivery options (including College Credit Plus), and an overview of the scheduling process.  Several of our high school teachers and counselors will be on hand that evening to share information and answer questions regarding their curriculum and course offerings.  Representatives from local colleges will also be present to answer questions about College Credit Plus.
 
Our School Counselors will be presenting to students about scheduling and course offerings later in February. This evening is for all grades entering 8-12. We will schedule a separate evening to go through the high school experiences for new 8th graders at a later date. 

​Enclosed is the link for parent teacher conferences

Parent Teacher Conferences are for all parents grades 8-12. This is NOT an invitation only opportunity
https://www.ptcfast.com/schools/Chardon_High_School

Please show your support for our students by making plans to attend this important event next Thursday evening. 
​
Dr. Ellen Rome, Director of Adolescent Health at the Cleveland Clinic will be speaking on the health hazards of teen vaping.  Following her talk she will be joined for a Q&A panel with High School Administration, Derek Carlson Chardon Police Department SRO, Missy Bell Ravenwood Health Prevention Specialist, and several students.  

Nick Becker, Lexi Corrigan, and Alex Yehl will be sharing their insights on this growing trend among their peers.  Jacob Stephans will be moderating this event with help from other CHS students. 

The CHS Academic Decathlon team traveled to Willoughby South High School on Saturday, January 26th for regional competition. Despite sickness and two members trying to do double duty and get to a swim meet, they persevered and brought home 15 medals in the various subjects. Congratulations! Hard work does pay off.
​
Pictured L-R  Molly Greene, Marko Milic, Meredith McKeon, Hannah Holbert (Not pictured) Kara Connelley and Reese Schneider

​The Chardon High School Dance Team is performing Friday, March 8th at Quicken Loans Arena at the Lake Erie Monsters Game. Tickets can be purchased using the link on the flyer.

​The 8th grade AHLI group completed a design challenge at the Cleveland Art Museum during which they observed art and then created their own prototypes.  

The 2018-2019 yearbook staff is once again offering parents of seniors the opportunity to express congratulations to their graduate by purchasing an advertisement in the 2019 edition of the Hilltopper. This has become a very popular tradition in the yearbook. Over the years, the support of parents like you helps us to keep the price of the yearbook constant despite the demand to meet rising production costs.

Enclosed here you will find a form indicating the size options of congratulatory advertisements that are available. Start searching for your son’s or daughter’s most memorable baby pictures to preserve in the yearbook forever. You can put a poem, a message, and/or photos (old or new) in your salute. All you have to do is submit the information you would like included. Then we take care of the rest and design the advertisement for you. 

If you are interested, fill out the next page of this order form and return it to the main office at the high school with your check payable to Chardon Board of Education. Please submit your order no later than Friday, March 29th, 2019 so that we can meet our printing deadlines. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the yearbook adviser, Daniel, at daniel.chenoweth@chardonschools.org

Thank you in advance for your support.

Sincerely,

Daniel Chenoweth
CHS Yearbook Staff        ​

The application for the 2019 Cleveland Clinic Summer Internship Programs is open and accepting applications from students. Our Destination Application Workshop sessions are accepting reservations to attend.

Attached are two flyers with information about our 2019 Cleveland Clinic Summer Internship Program and information and scheduling information for our 2019 Destination Application Workshop Sessions.
​
Both flyers contain links to the appropriate webpages to apply to our programs and/or RSVP to our workshop sessions.

Between now and the time that I see you again, stay warm!

​Douglas Murray, Principal

I want to begin my Week in Reflection with something to ponder: Action Changes Things.

I designed this logo years ago --spending countless hours working with students and staff to refocus the lens of our culture. Back then, many students and staff were forging their path while the atmosphere was foggy. The atmosphere was foggy not by choice but due to a shared experience that began our journey to rediscover who we were as a school community and a town.

There was no turning back. Through collaborative planning and design we transcended ourselves into the school we always were: high achieving, service oriented, and a culture of caring.

It is almost impossible to document all of the intentional acts of kindness, outreach programs, and academic achievements since this design--but, it is important to go back to our core and sharpen the lens from time to time.

Recently, our administrative team and school resource officer have spent a week working with students to remind them that our choices and our actions changes things wherever we are. 

When we were all kids we played the game of phone. The game was simple and always had a humorous ending. We would tell our first friend one thing and then the next friend would try to tell the next person the same thing without missing a word. By the end of the game, the first statement would be morphed and changed down the chain into something that made no sense.

In a controlled situation, this game can be fun for any student to learn the importance of clear communication and active listening. In the real world, this can cause drama, rumors, and stress for many students and adults depending on the context of the story. 

Unfortunately, the latter happened this week and we spent countless hours to decipher, articulate facts and provide clarity to our school community. Please take the time this week to talk to your son(s) and or daughter(s) about being mindful of what they say, hear, and share. Action can Change Things when we choose how we respond to any situation. However, choosing not to respond or Act can Change Things in ways that we cannot control. The only choice is clear. Be the best version of yourself and choose to act with integrity, honesty, and dignity.

In the spirit of ACTion changing things, enclosed is some very important information to help all our students in grades 8-12 prepare for our ACT/Core Value Day on February 26.

Almost one year ago (during a snow day), I was pressed to design programming to include eighth graders at the high school- not only academically, but into our culture. The stress of coming up with the right idea (with intention) came to a crossroad. I began storyboarding with Mr. Higham and Mrs. Hetrick and had Mr. Bandiera on a conference call. Ideas were being passed back and forth until an idea to create a non-grading period connecting to our unique lunch period arose. Within a few hours the concept of creating soft skill courses that would benefit students in the short and long term titled Principles courses  ensued. 

We storyboarded key ideas that we were talking about all year: creativity, collaboration, design thinking, global connections, leadership, innovation, problem solving, music and art appreciation, entrepreneurship,  and relationships. We thought about our Freshman Mentoring Program, the countless Topper Time experiences that were formed to build relationships and skills, along with our academic courses, the portrait of a Chardon graduate, and Senior Projects. We analyzed our purpose in education and our mission.  From that moment, the birth of the Principles of: Leadership, Communication, Global Awareness, Innovation, Problem Solving, and Entrepreneurship were formed. The work was just beginning.

Designing over 7,000 course selections into 41 rooms with 78 adults became one of the largest tasks that we embarked on in the history of Chardon High School. We were making history and wanted to plan this right. Essential to the design of the Circuit was inviting and selecting teachers to join the creation process. We selected 10 teachers from various areas to co-create and program the foundational experiences for our students at Chardon High School. The work of our assistant principals, secretaries, counselors, along with our selected teachers for the Circuit: Jill Carpenter, Holly Mihalek, Amber Yeager, Kristen Niedzwiecki,  Heather Biernacki, Scott Brown, Dan Chenoweth, Rob Mizen, Al Herner,  and Mitch Hewitt commenced. Their vision, along with the vision and support of their colleagues was essential.

Last May and leading into the summer was our essential planning time. As we met with parents, students, and teachers we saw the plan coming together. Let's be honest, this was not easy and the anxiety of working with grade levels that we weren't used to was a real stress....then the first day of school began. Quickly we saw the plan coming to fruition. Students were collaborating, solving problems, innovating ideas and marketing them. Students were learning our core values, breaking barriers in communication,  connecting cultures... and the best part was there was no grade attached. Kids were learning because learning mattered more than a grade.  

In early October, Mr. Higham saw an opportunity to share our program at the EdExcellence Conference in San Diego, California. He proposed the idea to our Circuit teachers and they quickly jumped right on board to the idea. Our teachers worked over a few weeks to write the proposal. 

In December, our proposal was accepted! Then came the difficult part. We have ten teachers in the Circuit. We have previously received grant money...but only a portion of the group could present based on the guidelines that we received. The EdExcellence Group requested student presenters on top of a select group of presenters. I am so appreciative of all of our teachers who collaborated on this initiative and will be forever documented as the authors of the Circuit.

As I have shared in previous communications, the Circuit of Success was born out of the mission of Edleader21 and the reality of reconfiguration. The work that our teachers are sharing with the 8th graders is paying off. The students LOVE these courses and the experiences that they are applying. The students shared that the most memorable moments of the Circuit thus far are the job and life skills that they are learning, the relationships that are developing with new peers and teachers, and the skills that they are applying to their day-to-day classes. All of these experiences, projects, and applied lessons are without academic credit. The students know this and quite frankly are putting more effort and pride into their learning. It really makes you think about education and the societal emphasis on grades. I am very proud of our teachers and the support everyone is providing to each of them.

This February, I have asked Al Herner, Jill Carpenter, Holly Mihalek, and Rob Mizen to join me and Mr. Higham to attend and present at this conference. We will be taking (4) 8th-grade students to attend and co-facilitate the presentation over two days: Maysen and Alexis Jahnke, Faith Kilfoyle, and Sydney Murray. We will also visit High Tech High. This school was featured in the film, Most Likely to Succeed. 
​
We have been planning our presentation over the last few weeks and will be meeting after school twice a week until our presentation. We are planning on presenting a dry run rehearsal on Sunday, February 10 at 1:00 PM at Chardon High School that is open to our school community. All are welcome. Just a warning, it is going to be an active presentation with guest involvement to experience our circuits.

If you see Jill Carpenter, Holly Mihalek, Amber Yeager, Kristen Niedzwiecki,  Heather Biernacki, Scott Brown, Dan Chenoweth, Rob Mizen, Al Herner or Mitch Hewitt-- give them some kudos for awesome recognition!

GGP’s Internship Program is helping high school students prepare for the workplace by offering a real-world work experience. Hear from several interns as they share their experiences.
The Internship program is open to all Geauga County resident Junior and Senior high school students. The paid internships are awarded through a competitive application process and in-person interview experience.

The application for the 2019 Cleveland Clinic Summer Internship Programs is open and accepting applications from students. Our Destination Application Workshop sessions are accepting reservations to attend.

Attached are two flyers with information about our 2019 Cleveland Clinic Summer Internship Program and information and scheduling information for our 2019 Destination Application Workshop Sessions.
Both flyers contain links to the appropriate webpages to apply to our programs and/or RSVP to our workshop sessions.
​
Your assistance in distributing this information to all is greatly appreciated. please help us by making your students, co-workers and educators aware of our summer programs and application assistance workshop.

Enclosed is the link for parent teacher conferences

​This past weekend, we sent 11 wrestlers to the Top Gun tournament, in Alliance, Ohio. This tournament is notoriously tough. Out of 43 teams, Chardon placed 14th, which is a record high. 
Out of our 11 wrestlers, 3 made it to the podium, in their weight class

Junior Jake Hamulak, went 4-1, placing 2nd
Sophomore Jaden Farris, went 7-2, placing 5th
And Junior Jaret Hall, went 5-3, placing 6th

Great job, Gentleman!!

Come see our team in action, this Saturday, January 26, in The Barn. Wrestling begins at 9

Stay warm,

​Douglas Murray, Principal

The core values of Community, Humility, Achievement, Respect, Dignity, Optimism, and Nurture fully weave throughout this edition of the Week in Reflection! I am so PROUD of our students and staff!

It truly was moving to see the support, love, and kindness as we celebrated the reveal of Katherine Lessick's Make-A-Wish in the choir room. No words can describe the joy, gratitude, and passion shared by the guests, workers, donors, Mr. Streiff, and Katherine.

Katherine lives our core values on point. She embodies the mantra of "it is in giving that we receive." We are a better school for celebrating her life and lasting legacy. Her faith and passion for music gave her hope during such a difficult moment in her life. Check out the beautiful footage shared from area journalists!

Maia Belay of Fox 8 writes:

The Chardon High School Choir is singing a new tune thanks to huge upgrades to the choir room, courtesy of a selfless classmate and the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Senior Katy Lessick says she was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor in 2016 that forced her to miss nearly two years of school. When she was granted a wish, instead of keeping it for herself, she decided to do something that would improve her school and help future students for years to come.

"I hope it makes our music program more attractive," said Lessick. "I hope it makes people go, 'Hey, that’s a cool place to be. Let me see if that’s right for me. Oh wow this really great.' Let’s keep it up; let’s make this program the best that it can be."

Talking with her choir director, she decided to "wish" for fresh paint, updated risers, new posture chairs, acoustic paneling and a piano that stays in tune. Monday, the updated room was revealed and celebrated along with family and classmates in an intimate performance by the choir.

"She is an amazing individual and it doesn’t surprise me she would do something like this but we are certainly deeply honored by the fact that she wanted to pay it forward," said choir director Fritz Streiff.

Streiff says he has been helping Lessick find her voice since she was in middle school and they have made lots of musical memories together. While music brings so much happiness to Lessick it also brings pain.

"It’s incredibly painful for her to sing," said Stephanie Lessick, Katy's mother. "She’s got nerve damage in her face since her brain surgery, so it’s been very painful for her but it brings her so much joy."

Yet, it did not stop her from joining the choir with her peers and singing with a smile. Lessick is currently in remission but says she realizes her road to recovery will be a process. She says giving back to her community was driven by her faith and determination to give the gift of music to others to enjoy.

"I have a lot of deep faith in Jesus Christ and he’s helped me a lot on my journey and getting sick and dealing with everything that comes with that; Jesus says to love your neighbors more than you love yourself," explained Lessick.

Lessick says she hopes to continue singing when she goes to college next year; she is currently waiting to see where she has been accepted.

She was given a baton, music books, six months of voice lessons and a keyboard to round out her extraordinary day.

Maia Belay. "Chardon student pays it forward with Make-A-Wish Foundation dream come true." fox8.com. 14 Jan. 2019. Web. 14 Jan. 2019. <https://fox8.com/2019/01/14/chardon-student-pays-it-forward-with-make-a-wish-foundation-dream-come-true/>


Fox 8

Cleveland.com

Cleveland.com YouTube

WKYC

Entire Presentation Via Periscope

The Greater Cleveland Food Bank (GCFB) is the largest hunger relief organization in Northeast Ohio having provided more than 57 million meals in 2018 to hungry people in Cuyahoga, Ashtabula, Geauga, Lake, Ashland and Richland counties.

Last Friday, students in Chardon Academy learned about the many programs that GCFB offers along with participating in servant leadership. We are so proud of the work that Mr. Dinko and Mrs. Zdesar provides our students in earning credit and learning life skills to better equip all of our students with life lessons to serve our local community!

Chardon High School students: Grace Powell, Cam Holt, Ryan Brown, Catherine Condon, Blue Veon, Anne Sweet, Will Piotrkowski and Ellie Ramos along with teachers -Scott Brown and Rob Mizen ventured to Jonesville, Virginia, to participate in service learning. The students spent from December 31st until January 4th working to build a deck and side a house for a family in need.  This is the second time our students have participated in this project hosted by the Appalachian Service Project.  
​
Numerous other schools were involved in this philanthropic venture.  Additional schools that were involved included Willoughby South, Painesville Riverside, Kenston, and Wickliffe.  This experience was led by Joseph Spiccia and Julie Ramos of Wickliffe Schools.

​We are so grateful to Mr. Mizen and Mr. Brown who supported our students on life-changing service experience!

Almost one year ago (during a snow day), I was pressed to design programming to include eighth graders at the high school- not only academically, but into our culture. The stress of coming up with the right idea (with intention) came to a crossroad. I began storyboarding with Mr. Higham and Mrs. Hetrick and had Mr. Bandiera on a conference call. Ideas were being passed back and forth until an idea to create a non-grading period connecting to our unique lunch period arose. Within a few hours the concept of creating soft skill courses that would benefit students in the short and long term titled Principles courses  ensued. 

We storyboarded key ideas that we were talking about all year: creativity, collaboration, design thinking, global connections, leadership, innovation, problem solving, music and art appreciation, entrepreneurship,  and relationships. We thought about our Freshman Mentoring Program, the countless Topper Time experiences that were formed to build relationships and skills, along with our academic courses, the portrait of a Chardon graduate, and Senior Projects. We analyzed our purpose in education and our mission.  From that moment, the birth of the Principles of: Leadership, Communication, Global Awareness, Innovation, Problem Solving, and Entrepreneurship were formed. The work was just beginning.

Designing over 7,000 course selections into 41 rooms with 78 adults became one of the largest tasks that we embarked on in the history of Chardon High School. We were making history and wanted to plan this right. Essential to the design of the Circuit was inviting and selecting teachers to join the creation process. We selected 10 teachers from various areas to co-create and program the foundational experiences for our students at Chardon High School. The work of our assistant principals, secretaries, counselors, along with our selected teachers for the Circuit: Jill Carpenter, Holly Mihalek, Amber Yeager, Kristen Niedzwiecki,  Heather Biernacki, Scott Brown, Dan Chenoweth, Rob Mizen, Al Herner,  and Mitch Hewitt commenced. Their vision, along with the vision and support of their colleagues was essential.

Last May and leading into the summer was our essential planning time. As we met with parents, students, and teachers we saw the plan coming together. Let's be honest, this was not easy and the anxiety of working with grade levels that we weren't used to was a real stress....then the first day of school began. Quickly we saw the plan coming to fruition. Students were collaborating, solving problems, innovating ideas and marketing them. Students were learning our core values, breaking barriers in communication,  connecting cultures... and the best part was there was no grade attached. Kids were learning because learning mattered more than a grade.  

In early October, Mr. Higham saw an opportunity to share our program at the EdExcellence Conference in San Diego, California. He proposed the idea to our Circuit teachers and they quickly jumped right on board to the idea. Our teachers worked over a few weeks to write the proposal. 

In December, our proposal was accepted! Then came the difficult part. We have ten teachers in the Circuit. We have previously received grant money...but only a portion of the group could present based on the guidelines that we received. The EdExcellence Group requested student presenters on top of a select group of presenters. I am so appreciative of all of our teachers who collaborated on this initiative and will be forever documented as the authors of the Circuit.

As I have shared in previous communications, the Circuit of Success was born out of the mission of Edleader21 and the reality of reconfiguration. The work that our teachers are sharing with the 8th graders is paying off. The students LOVE these courses and the experiences that they are applying. The students shared that the most memorable moments of the Circuit thus far are the job and life skills that they are learning, the relationships that are developing with new peers and teachers, and the skills that they are applying to their day-to-day classes. All of these experiences, projects, and applied lessons are without academic credit. The students know this and quite frankly are putting more effort and pride into their learning. It really makes you think about education and the societal emphasis on grades. I am very proud of our teachers and the support everyone is providing to each of them.

This February, I have asked Al Herner, Jill Carpenter, Holly Mihalek, and Rob Mizen to join me and Mr. Higham to attend and present at this conference. We will be taking (4) 8th-grade students to attend and co-facilitate the presentation over two days: Maysen and Alexis Jahnke, Faith Kilfoyle, and Sydney Murray. We will also visit High Tech High. This school was featured in the film, Most Likely to Succeed. 

We have been planning our presentation over the last few weeks and will be meeting after school twice a week until our presentation. We are planning on presenting a dry run rehearsal on Sunday, February 10 at 1:00 PM at Chardon High School that is open to our school community. All are welcome. Just a warning, it is going to be an active presentation with guest involvement to experience our circuits.

If you see Jill Carpenter, Holly Mihalek, Amber Yeager, Kristen Niedzwiecki,  Heather Biernacki, Scott Brown, Dan Chenoweth, Rob Mizen, Al Herner or Mitch Hewitt-- give them some kudos for awesome recognition!

Spanish IV and V students spent the day cooking typical dishes and desserts from Spanish speaking countries.  It is always nice to put into practice what we study in class.  They did great, we learned and had a fun day! Thanks, Mrs. Korenke for sharing this with us!

Vaping has become a trend in high schools nationwide including Chardon High School.  Please join us for this important conversation on vaping and the health risks for teens.  

We are pleased to have Dr. Ellen Rome as our speaker. Dr. Rome has been the Head of Adolescent Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic since 1994. She received her BA from Yale, her medical degree from Case Western Reserve University, and her Master's in Public Health from Harvard University.  She is a local, national and international speaker on a variety of topics impacting youth.  She is also the co-author of two books with Dr. Oz and Dr. Roizen, You: The Owner's Manual for Teens and You: Raising Your Child from First Breath to First Grade. ​

Please make plans to attend this important event on Teen Vaping at CHS.  Officer Carlson, Chardon Police Department, and Missy Bell, Ravenwood Health Center will be on the Q &A panel to answer your questions about vaping.  Officer Carlson has been with the Chardon Police Department for 3 1/2 years. Prior to this, he was on the police force at Bowling Green State University.  Missy Bell is an Ohio Certified Prevention Consultant with Ravenwood Health Center and has worked with youth and parents in the drug and alcohol prevention field for over 14 years. ​

Sloths, monkeys, and zip lining, oh my! There will be an informational meeting for parents of C.H.S. students that are interested in traveling to Costa Rica in the summer of 2020. The meeting will be Thursday, January 24 at 7:00 p.m., at C.H.S. in room 209.  Learn about this exciting trip to the tropics and the opportunity of a lifetime to experience a new culture. Email Mrs. Korenke at carrie.korenke@chardonschools.org for more information. See you then!

The Hilltopper Bands have the honor of performing at Severance Hall on Sunday, January 27, 3:00 PM, as part of the Northeast Ohio Band Invitational. Symphonic Band will be performing:
​
Pan American by Karl King,
Chorale and March by Clifton Williams,
New Era Fanfare by Randall Standridge,
and Selections from The Sound of Music.

Wind Ensemble will be performing:
Entry March of the Boyars by Johan Halvorsen,
Risk Everything for a Dream by Richard Saucedo,
Four Dance Episodes by Gary Gilroy, and Mancini Magic.

Tickets are available in the high school band room and are $10 each. Checks payable to Crescendo Club.

Hundreds of tickets have been sold this school year to Chardon families taking advantage of the Chardon Goes to the Musicals group sales for Playhouse Square.  As a reminder, it is not a fundraiser, simply a courtesy to the community.  Please contact Elizabeth Fullerman at efullerman@hotmail.com with any questions or to reserve upcoming tickets.  After School of Rock, remaining shows for the 2018-19 school year include:
​
A Bronx Tale - Sunday, April 28 at 1pm
Dear Evan Hansen - Thursday, June 27 at 7:30pm
Come From Away - Sunday, July 28 at 6:30pm
Lion King - Thursday, August 8 at 7:30pm

From The NFHS: A Message to Parents of Ohio High School Athletes
January 14, 2019

DEAR MOM AND DAD: COOL IT
 
By Karissa Niehoff, Executive Director of the National Federation of State High School Associations, and Jerry Snodgrass, Executive Director of the Ohio High School Athletic Association.
 
If you are the mother or father of a high school athlete here in Ohio, this message is primarily for you. 
 
When you attend an athletic event that involves your son or daughter, cheer to your heart’s content, enjoy the camaraderie that high school sports offer and have fun. But when it comes to verbally criticize game officials or coaches, cool it.  
 
Make no mistake about it. Your passion is admired, and your support of the hometown team is needed. But so is your self-control. Yelling, screaming and berating the officials humiliates your child, annoys those sitting around you, embarrasses your child’s school and is the primary reason Ohio has an alarming shortage of high school officials.  
 
It’s true. According to a recent survey by the National Association of Sports Officials, more than 75 percent of all high school officials say “adult behavior” is the primary reason they quit. And 80 percent of all young officials hang up their stripes after just two years of whistleblowing. Why? They don’t need your abuse.
 
Plus, there’s a ripple effect. There are more officials over 60 than under 30 in many areas. And as older, experienced officials retire, there aren’t enough younger ones to replace them. If there are no officials, there are no games. The shortage of licensed high school officials is severe enough in some areas that athletic events are being postponed or cancelled—especially at the freshman and junior varsity levels.  
 
Research confirms that participation in high school sports and activities instills a sense of pride in school and community, teaches lifelong lessons like the value of teamwork and self-discipline and facilitates the physical and emotional development of those who participate. So, if the games go away because there aren’t enough men and women to officiate them, the loss will be infinitely greater than just an “L” on the scoreboard. It will be putting a dent in your community’s future.
 
If you would like to be a part of the solution to the shortage of high school officials, you can sign up to become a licensed official at HighSchoolOfficials.com. Otherwise, adult role models at high school athletic events here in Ohio are always welcome. 

Well, if you made it this far, congratulations! You won a core values bracelet! The Week in Reflection was created as a means to communicate school from the lens of the principal to all of our stakeholders. I cannot even count the volume of words typed over the last several years. I created this because as a parent I wanted to know what goes on in my kids' school when we often get "eh, school was K" from our little lovelies. The more we collaborate and serve each other--the better we will be. Today, January 18th,  I turn 41. It is hard to believe that this bald guy started back in the Fall of 2000. I have the same energy today that I did back then...just less hair and an Italian glow. 

Jump in the snow this weekend! Keep in mind the life and legacy of why we have Monday off as a holiday.

Much love, 

Douglas Murray, Principal