It is in Giving that WE Receive
We live life in the fast lane. We have this to do, and that to do. We have work, dinner, tasks, activities, and games. With the hustle of life, it is important to pause and reflect on the simple things in life that are the extraordinary: Relationships As we open the Week in Reflection, pause on the reality that at Chardon...education is more than facts. Education is a living, breathing, gift that we receive when we give. Take a moment to reflect not only on my words but the following image that paints that story of our purpose.  WRC Challenge: Chardon High School will continue to sell the final stack of shirts for the WRC Challenge. We sold over 500 shirts alone (150 more than we assigned) as a school and we cannot thank you enough for your support. We now have additional sizes that people have requested and we will sell those shirts at upcoming games. We are grateful for the work of all of the other schools, and our sponsors. Check out previous newsletters to see the press releases about our vision to re-build programs in Houston. We are certainly trendsetters. Chardon Middle School is adopting intermediate schools that were impacted by Hurricane Harvey and Irma. In just over a week, Chardon High School has raised over $10,000! Chardon Kicks Cancer Cancer does not discriminate against age, race, gender or religious beliefs. The emotional and financial hardships can be overwhelming. The Chardon High School Boys and Girls Soccer teams collaborated together last weekend to help ease the financial hardship for local Chardon families currently battling cancer. Our students, patrons, and donors were able to raise nearly another $10,000! Broadmoor Retreat Broadmoor Integrated Preschool held their picnic at Edward Walsh Park in Mentor late last week . Students from Chardon High School volunteered as buddies to help the children enjoy the playground, basketball, fishing and more.  Core Values Over the past five years, I have spoken at length about our core values. This year, we have made it a priority to expand and define what are the behaviors and outcomes that align to our values. Mr. Bandiera and Mr. Higham met with the Principal Advisory Council (a group of student leaders) during Topper Time recently. Students created three small groups to discuss the importance of PBIS at Chardon High School. Each group was provided a copy of Value, Behaviors, Outcomes to build PBIS content level. Students emphasized key elements of document to discuss deeper at future meetings. Each student leader was provided a copy of the CHS PBIS Matrix to make individual suggestions. This past week, staff met with building administration in a flipped classroom model where staff had a little homework prior to the meeting. Flipped Assignment: The focus for learning in that meeting was to refine the purpose and implementation of Chardon’s PBIS Program. Watch the TedxPSU video of James Franklin speaking on “Why We Need Core Values”. Reflect on his message in comparing our shared mission of articulating our core values at Chardon. The work session for the staff was to build the behaviors and outcomes that we expect out of core values at Chardon High School. Enclosed is the template that the teachers used. Nominating the Best: The Chardon CraziesCleveland.com is sponsoring a spirit contest. This week, I shared the following note with the committee selecting the most spirited school. I want to nominate Chardon High School's premier student section in Northeast Ohio, The @chardoncrazies has the most spirited high school student section around. Chardon is known for its loving community, top notched educators, excellent academic outcomes, and inclusive student section. We are known for our simplicity, innovation, core values, and outreach in servant leadership. At Chardon, we have faced adversity. We have defined our outcomes and will continue to refine our values to continue our mission as emulating what complete education is meant to serve. The students entrust our educators as an extension of their families. In doing so, our educators empower our students to live their lives with a purpose. In Chardon, we understand the beauty of humility and outreach. Our cheerleaders spend countless hours creating an arena of school spirit that has redesigned an older structure into a culture of pure imagination. The main floor is covered with a scaled football field. Signs hang from all over the building encouraging all of our athletes. The pride of the red and black, #TopperUP, and our culture reminds the students of who we are...for WE ARE CHARDON. We are a little bit country and a whole lot of soul. We understand the values instilled by our families, community, and treasured tradition. What has transpired over the past several decades is the one and only premier student section that all conferences look to: The Chardon Crazies. Oh, and we are Crazie...Crazy for our school. We believe that Topper Dogs are what energizes the spirit at 7:00 AM on game days. We are the school that has the drumline pounding through the halls on Fridays. We are known for dressing alike...often times to raise awareness for diseases, school outreach, patriotism, and school pride. We are known for wrapping our arms with other student sections, surrounding our team and band during the alma mater, raising the roof in the gym know as "the barn"...and our focus on unity. We are the Chardon Crazies. We are flattered and humbled that other schools want to be like us. Come and see us and at a game near you. Sorry, I couldn't rotate the videos inside of this program Parent Teacher Night Save the Date: Wednesday, October 4 (4:30-8:30pm) As you prepare your schedule, please click on the link below to sign up a timeslot for parent teacher conferences for Session 1. https://www.ptcfast.com/schools/Chardon_High_School Mrs. Butala's MissionWe all love Mrs. Butala. She does unbelievable work in all of her Family and Consumer Science classes. This week she shares with all of you how her students are not only aligning to the standards, but our shared mission within our core values! If you see her this week, give her some much deserved love.  During the devastating hurricanes and tropical storms that dominated the news this month, the reality of the tragedy suffered by thousands of victims came closer to the students and staff at Chardon High School when Dr. Kelly Moran, principal of Maple Elementary, sent a note telling of a family who lost almost everything they owned when Hurricane Irma hit St. Maarten Island. The family, related to Dr. Moran, was evacuated from the Island and is staying temporarily in Chicago. With support and help from many of the teachers at Chardon High School, students in Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) classes joined in a drive to collect gently used clothing, toys, and money to help this family. Teaching Assistants (TAs) in the FCS Department shopped for new toys for each of the family’s three young children. The students also organized, packaged, and delivered the collected items for Dr. Moran to deliver to her relatives. During this department effort to help a family in need, students experienced both unity and compassion as they worked together to help another. Our Chardon heart is with Dr. Moran’s family as they work to resettle and rebuild their lives.  Living on Your Own students Johnny Evans and Cameron Maroney invited Jon Dittich, CPA, Tax Account at Grant Thornton LLP, to our classroom to address the importance of understanding the relationship between finances and living independently. Johnny had an opportunity to meet with Mr. Dittich before his class visit. Together, Mr. Dittich and Johnny researched online to compare the cost of living in Chardon to living in other areas of the United States. They created a lesson and a PowerPoint presentation titled “The American Dream”. Topics of their lesson included housing, transportation, budgeting, and career choices. Isabella Byrne and Lindsey Leggett invited Ms. Amy Neumann, owner of Free Tech for Nonprofits, to our classroom. Ms. Neumann discussed the importance of writing a standout resume and preparing for an interview. Students will practice these real-life skills as they each write their own personal resume and then participate in mock interviews in class. Students are learning they have valuable contacts within our community who are available and extremely willing to assist and help young people gather information to help them transfer to their next life phase once they graduate from high school. School Counselors The school counselors will be offering a college presentation on October 4th at 6:30 pm (this is a parent/teacher conference night) also in the presentation area of the media center. We will explain the process for requesting transcripts and review the timeline of activities for senior year. We will also demonstrate Naviance and the transcript release process. We will also review resources available to aid in the search process especially if your son/daughter is undecided. Yearbook: Senior Pictures SUBMISSION DEADLINE for senior pictures are Thursday, JANUARY 11, 2018Requirements for your senior picture:
PSAT Parents/Guardians of Sophomores and Juniors: Chardon High School will be offering the PSAT/NMSQT on Saturday, October 14th. The test will take place at the high school (students will check-in in the lobby and will be directed to an assigned classroom to test) at 8:00 AM, with registration beginning at 7:30AM. This test is a great opportunity to practice and gain experience for a college admissions test (i.e. ACT, SAT, etc.) that incorporates a scholarship component through the National Merit Scholarship Program. By taking the test as a Junior, students are eligible to be entered into various scholarship programs, as well as being recognized at higher education institutions based on their performance (for a full list of scholarship programs and the benefits of the National Merit Scholarship Program, please visit www.nationalmerit.org). To register, you may pick up a copy of the registration form beginning Monday, September 18th, in the guidance office, from Mrs. McBride (the lady in the window), or you can use the copy attached to this letter. Simply fill out the form and return it, along with your payment to the Building Clerk, Mrs. McBride ASAP. The submission date is now late. The cost this year is $20.00. The “Student Guide to Taking the PSAT” will be handed out once the registration form and payment is turned in (please be sure to read this over, as it has information on what you can and cannot bring to the test). If your student is considering or planning to go to college, we strongly recommend they plan to take the PSAT. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact lacey.jacobs@chardonschools.org, PSAT coordinator. Issue 26 Global Citizenship Scholarship  If you have any questions about either of these opportunities, please contact: kristen.niedzwiecki@chardonschools.org Shining Star: Top 10 Kirsten Henry! Upcoming Opportunities Have a phenomenal weekend with family and friends.
Douglas Murray Principal Fall: Obladi, Oblada... The Beatles classic song, Obladi-Oblada...is quite catchy and either loved or hated by those who listen. Some say it has meaning, while others struggle to find it...yet for all, life goes on. Today, we enter the season of Autumn---yet, the season feels more like the heart of summer. Just as the meteorological season has quite a story...so do we. Life is full of opportunities. These moments come and go and do we even seize the moments? Does life go on? Autumn is an opportunity to pause and reflect on all of our blessings that surround us. It an opportunity to give thanks, and it an opportunity to prepare for the "Long and Winding Road." How has the first month been for you? Are you still on track for your goals? Have you built the capacity for success? Questions like this are meant to make you pause. Whether you are a parent, student, or teacher reading this---you might have to reflect on your purpose and your place in the story. In school, we have bells to create start and end times--but the fluidity of life constantly flows for parents, teachers, and students. I have lived inside of bells my whole life- but, what matters most to my story is how I spend my time between the bells; more importantly, how I spend my time with the priorities that I have established. Students, many of you are on point. You have adapted and created new habits along the way. Take this Autumn to refine, re-fuel and re-set timelines and priorities toward those areas in your life that are not only strengths but also your weaknesses. Make the time to refine one area of your life that you want to be more successful in...the quarter ends in one month. Look in the mirror and see your beauty and share your gifts in and out of the classroom. Live your Purpose! Parents, you sacrifice so much for your children. As they grow older, many of them develop both a natural and unnatural independence. Take this Autumn to remind your children of their self worth, and your unconditional love for them. They need you more than ever in this everchanging world. Teachers, you are the extensions of the family. You spend so much time with students helping them along their journey. Take this Autumn to build your self efficacy. Many times more than not, your are the catalyst that can change a child's world. Keep up your great work and take time for yourself! WE APPRECIATE YOU! ...more importantly, this year is an opportunity to have fun---so, if you want some fun --sing ob la di bla da Homecoming
For eighteen years, I have attended high school dances as a teacher or administrator...this year's Homecoming was one of the most classiest dance that I have ever chaperoned. I am so grateful to the nearly 800 students that attended. I am so proud of the work and efforts of Mrs. Korenke and Mrs. Dalton along with our student leaders. Their vision, creativity, and focus created an arena of energy! CHS Hallway was transformed into an enchanted forest. Special thanks to the teachers, and staff that welcomed the students and guests as they walked the enchanted bridge to the dance floor. Five years ago, our students and staff came together to create norms for high school dances. The students wanted to change the culture of how students should conduct themselves at dances. Every dance (since the inception of the dance contract) created the opportunity for cultural change for dance norms. Students could be seen line dancing and jumping around to their favorite "songs". Nothing is better than watching our students sing and dance to Mambo #5, and Cotton Eyed Joe. Periscope TV: Homecoming Court Periscope TV: Line Dancing WRC Challenge Chardon High School T-Shirt Sales--$4,000+ WRC T-Shirt Sponsorship= $8,500 (Thank YOU!) As I have shared before, numerous communications have been sent about our purpose in coming together as a league to provide support to all of the athletic programs in the Houston Independent School District. Now, we are moving into phase two of our action plan. Continuing into this weekend, all patrons may help raise funds for our WRC Challenge by purchasing a "Faith+Hope+Love" shirt at any league game. All proceeds will go directly into our WRC Challenge account. Over the next several weeks, we will sell these shirts at all WRC games, schools, and lunch periods until they are sold out. Special thanks goes out to our sponsors, WRC leadership, along with Jennifer Bender and Kate Zmarzly for their efforts in challenging all of us. Please consider supporting us, or providing a goodwill donation at the game, or any Huntington Bank using the account: WRC Challenge. Thank you to Mark Podolski and Nate Barnes who covered our outreach programs. Click on their names to read the articles and watch the short video from Nate Barnes. A Message from Dr. Hanlon: Report Card and School Profile The Chardon Local School District is focused on our mission of high achievement for all students, where learning is our most important work. This past week, two reports regarding different aspects of the Chardon Local Schools have been released for review. Overall, District performance has improved, with a Performance Index Score for 2016-2017 of 100.947, an increase from last year, and a result that ranks within the top 10 percent of districts in the Sate of Ohio at 59 out of 609 school districts and 19th in the Northeastern Ohio region. This is a testament to the dedication and efforts of our staff and administration, working in partnership with our parents and community. The first report, our Quality Profile, examines elements of a high quality public education not easily reflected in the Ohio School Report Card: academics, arts, student leadership and activities, fiscal stewardship, parent and community involvement, and student services. The Quality Profile, prepared by school districts that are members of the Alliance for High Quality Education, affords a qualitative overview of the programming and activities of the Chardon Local Schools. The second report released this week is the Ohio School Report Card, a quantitative companion to our Quality Profile. Ohio School Report Cards provide a picture of the progress of the district and schools in raising achievement and preparing students for the future. Ohio School Report Card data shows educators, school administrators and families where their schools are succeeding as well as areas where they need to improve. Both the Quality Profile and the Ohio School Report Card include valuable information with which to assess and improve our efforts to achieve our mission, and are available for review from the landing page of our district web site. Taken together, they present a comprehensive picture of educational programs offered in the Chardon Local Schools. I encourage you to review both of these reports, and consider how the community can continue to support and enhance the Chardon Local Schools. LED Lighting upgrades began at the end of last week at Hambden ES. All classrooms, and other building spaces, throughout the district will see a complete retrofit with a transition to the more energy efficient lighting. Our projected payback on the investment to upgrade our LED lighting is estimated at approximately 2.5 years after which time we will continue see a significant reduction our energy costs due to the increased efficiency of the LED technology. In addition, students and staff will benefit from the improved lighting in instructional spaces. Over the last few weeks, I have been presenting important information concerning Issue 26 - Chardon's 3.9 mill operating levy at various PTO and other school organization meetings. Community members are encouraged to watch for a copy of the presentation to be posted on the district's web site soon. Michael P. Hanlon, Jr., Ph.D.  Innerview: Ambassador Award
100 Hours of Service! At the end of last year, Brianna received a service award from a group called InnerView for her extraordinary efforts in servant leadership. Brianna (12), embodies our core values by purposefully spending her time meaningfully as a servant leader. Chardon High School is SO proud of her focus on the service of others, and her commitment to our mission at Chardon. When you see her around, thank her for all that she continues to do in and out of our community. Family and Consumer Science
The Family and Consumer Sciences Department (FCS) is off to a good start this year with active classes and positive student interaction. In our “Living on Your Own” class, students Lilly Cukelj and Jack Terranova prepared and presented an excellent lesson about basic car care. Using a PowerPoint they had created, Jack and Lilly introduced their classmates to various car care maintenance procedures. The frequency and cost of various procedures were discussed, and the reasons this maintenance is necessary were given. Procedures such as changing the oil, changing the air filter and inspecting belts for wear were among those covered. After the PowerPoint part of the lesson, students moved outdoors where they took part in a hands-on demonstration. Jack and Lilly led the students through several procedures, including how to jump a battery, how to check tire pressure, and how to change a tire. All FCS classes at Chardon High School continue to actively involve students in real-life lessons that are useful and necessary in everyday life. Thank you, Jack and Lilly, for your skillful, interesting presentation. Emergency Medical Authorization FormsChardon Schools uses an Online Forms platform that allows you to verify the directory information we have on file for your child(ren), make changes if necessary, and submit beginning of the year forms electronically (Emergency Medical Authorization (EMA) Internet usage, photo permission, athletics, etc…). This electronic submission takes the place of the paper forms. Your child’s directory information, along with the district and athletic forms are ready for your review. For families who already have an Online Forms:
Parent Teacher Conferences Save the Date: Wednesday, October 4 (4:30-8:30pm) As you prepare your schedule, please click on the link below to sign up a timeslot for parent teacher conferences for Session 1. https://www.ptcfast.com/schools/Chardon_High_School PSATParents/Guardians of Sophomores and Juniors: Chardon High School will be offering the PSAT/NMSQT on Saturday, October 14th. The test will take place at the high school (students will check-in in the lobby and will be directed to an assigned classroom to test) at 8:00 AM, with registration beginning at 7:30AM. This test is a great opportunity to practice and gain experience for a college admissions test (i.e. ACT, SAT, etc.) that incorporates a scholarship component through the National Merit Scholarship Program. By taking the test as a Junior, students are eligible to be entered into various scholarship programs, as well as being recognized at higher education institutions based on their performance (for a full list of scholarship programs and the benefits of the National Merit Scholarship Program, please visit www.nationalmerit.org). To register, you may pick up a copy of the registration form beginning Monday, September 18th, in the guidance office, from Mrs. McBride (the lady in the window), or you can use the copy attached to this letter. Simply fill out the form and return it, along with your payment to the Building Clerk, Mrs. McBride by Friday, September 22nd. The cost this year is $20.00. The “Student Guide to Taking the PSAT” will be handed out once the registration form and payment is turned in (please be sure to read this over, as it has information on what you can and cannot bring to the test). If your student is considering or planning to go to college, we strongly recommend they plan to take the PSAT. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact lacey.jacobs@chardonschools.org, PSAT coordinator. Financial Aid Senior Parents: This is an exciting year for you and your son/daughter but along with that comes many questions and decisions. We are here to help guide you through this process. The guidance office is hosting two upcoming events to assist with this process and answer questions about the process.
We have been into all senior English classes to review procedures for seniors and provided them with guidance as well. If your son/daughter does not have English at the high school he/she will need to attend a make-up session. These are available 9/6 at 8:15 am and 9/6 at 1:00 pm or by contacting the guidance office. LEAF will be starting Thursday 9/7 and will be here every Thursday. Stephanie Kubec is our representative this year and she will meet with every senior. She is also available to meet with parents as well. You can schedule a meeting with Stephanie by calling the guidance office at 440-285-4060. Important reminders from guidance: 1. Any seniors who have not attended a meeting about Naviance need to contact their guidance counselor immediately. 2. Parents please remind seniors to log in to their senior classroom often as announcements are posted on a regular basis. 3. The schedule of college reps visiting here is also in Naviance when students log in. 4. Upcoming college fairs: Lakeland - October 1st from 12:00-3:30pm and John Carroll University is hosting one on October 12th from 6:30-8:00pm Thank you, CHS School Counselors Want Daily News?Weekly HighlightsPlayer of the Week Nate Kawalec: Cross country Senior On the course: Won the boys race at Boardman, the largest invitational at Northeast Ohio. Has won all three of his races this season. Off the course: Plans to run in college. Enjoys watching the Indians, Cavaliers and Browns. Likes to have fun and hang out with friends. Favorite food is tacos. Favorite subject is math. Want more sports? Follow @Toppernation on Twitter Have a great weekend with your family and friends!
Douglas Murray, Principal WRC Challenge Sold at every WRC School for $15 In recent weeks, I have shared numerous communications about our purpose in coming together as a league to provide support to all of the athletic programs in the Houston Independent School District. Now, we are moving into phase two of our action plan. Beginning this weekend, all patrons may help raise funds for our WRC Challenge by purchasing a "Faith+Hope+Love" shirt at any league game. All proceeds will go directly into our WRC Challenge account. Over the next several weeks, we will sell these shirts at all WRC games, schools, and lunch periods until they are sold out. Special thanks goes out to our sponsors, WRC leadership, along with Jennifer Bender and Kate Zmarzly for their efforts in challenging all of us. Please consider supporting us, or providing a goodwill donation at the game, or any Huntington Bank using the account: WRC Challenge. Additional thanks to Billy Jelenic, of Kingdom Apparel, Inc (a former student of mine) who was able to print 2,000 shirts this week! Thank you to Mark Podolski and Nate Barnes who covered our outreach programs. Click on their names to read the articles and watch the short video from Nate Barnes. Homecoming WeekIt is hard to believe that we are in Homecoming Week. The amount of time, effort, and creativity that celebrates such an important time in the life of a high school student is coming together this week. We are so grateful for Student Council Moderators, Mrs. Carrie Korenke and Mrs. Shannon Dalton along with their remarkable student leaders for collaborating on the themes for each day! For months, the students have been planning and creating the backdrop effects for this evening. Walking the halls this week, it was great to see the students engaged in labs, collaborative experiences, facilitation, working though various labs, and engaged in school spirit! Did you miss our assembly? Check it out here. Want to watch the Homecoming Videos? Check them out here. The culmination of Homecoming week is reaching the apex. Who will win from the Homecoming Court? Students will find out who is Homecoming Queen at 6:40 PM the night of the game. The king will crowned at the Homecoming Dance. The homecoming parade is Friday, September 15th. Each class will be creating a float. The parade starts at 6:00 p.m. and will head west on Chardon Ave., South on North St., East on Allynd Blvd. and north on Maple. The DanceOur Homecoming Dance provides the opportunity for students to come together as a community to celebrate our school. This dance, which is moderately formal, creates an inclusive evening for all of our students to socialize, dance, and celebrate our new king and queen of CHS. Years of collaborative leadership between the students and staff have created norms for the evening. The core value that will be our focal point surrounds: Community, and Respect. We have a treasured community at Chardon. We pride ourselves on our inclusive values and respecting self and others. Staff, Administration, and local officers will be present to provide a safe, and secure school environment. The dance is from 7-11 pm. Students must bring their ticket and check-in prior to entering the dance floor. Students will receive wrist bands to indicate their recorded attendance and to work as reminder for the students of our dance contract that they signed either at the beginning of the year (digitally) or prior to purchasing the tickets. Likewise, our adult chaperones will be proactively visible throughout the evening for the students. National Merit Semifinalists Congratulations goes out to Andrew Williams, Drew Cressman, and Asher Vokoun for qualifying as Semifinalists in the 2017 National Merit® Scholarship Program. As one of approximately 16,000 high school seniors who are Semifinalists, he has an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,500 National Merit Scholarships to be offered next spring. What an outstanding accomplishment for these young men! Andrew Williams is a Senior involved in Science Olympiad, National Honor Society, Math Club, Model UN, Soccer, and Tennis. He plans to major in Engineering. Drew Cressman is a Senior involved in National Honor Society (Vice-President of Service), Free Harmony, Jazz Band, Soccer (Co-Captain), and Tennis. He plans to major in Engineering. Asher Vokoun is a Senior involved in Science Olympiad, Math Club (President), Creative Writing Club (President), National Honor Society, Daily Announcements (Anchor), Envirothon, and Model UN. He plans to major in Chemical Engineering. Designing and Innovating Through High Yield Instructional Strategies Students in Mrs. Kolcum's ELA course are battling inside of a Bracket Challenge as they study To Kill A Mockingbird In Advanced Art, students prepare to wow the viewers at this year's Lakeland Art Show with large scale portraits created by layering words to show value! Art Fundamentals class put their math and geometry skills to the test by applying them to life to create 1-point and 2-point perspective studies! BOOM! Art Fundamental students study the work of tattoo artist Mo Ganji to create minimalist drawings using ONE CONTINUOUS LINE!  Mr. Hauber will be taking over a booth at this year's Dinofest! This event will be taking place at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History on Saturday, Nov 11th. The day is filled with lectures and presentations by leading paleontologists and paleoartists. Mr. Hauber's table will feature his own dinosaur artwork, and kid friendly activities with 'how to draw a dinosaur' worksheets and a 'create your own dinosaur and draw it' game! Come explore! See Mr. Hauber for details Stream quality monitoring at Big Creek Mr. Mizen is putting his students to the test. Students are monitoring stream quality right off the property of Chardon High School just like many graduates just like myself. The new bell schedule allows students the opportunity to dig deeper into their learning without the rush of a next class. I have sat in this class several times this year to see how Mr. Mizen has unfolded his backwards design teaching strategies. Students are learning biology with their hands, senses, and exploration. So what is stream quality monitoring? Small aquatic organisms (macroinvertebrates) are collected from a stream and surveyed to determine which types are present and how frequently they occur. The organisms are returned to the water and the data are used to determine the health of that portion of the stream. Macroinvertebrates are highly effective barometers of a river's health because they have varying tolerances of pollution. Surveying the presence, quantity, and diversity of macroinvertebrates can indicate potential problems. The monitoring process includes seining the same portion of a river 3 or 4 times a year, logging water and weather conditions, and counting macroinvertebrates. The macroinvertebrate survey data is entered into an assessment form and a score is determined for the site. This scoring technique is called the cumulative index value and it helps determine if the quality of the site seined is excellent, good, fair or poor. Because SQM doesn't require any chemical analysis, biological monitoring is a simple and cost-effective method of testing a stream's health.
Shining Star CLE
Kirstin Henry is a top 10 finalist in the inaugural season of Shining Star CLE, a solo-singing competition for high school students in Northeast Ohio. She will compete for one of four college scholarships and perform on stage at the Ohio Theatre at Playhouse Square on Sunday, October 22, 2017! Additionally, the high school music department of the $10,000 first place winner will win a bonus prize of $2,500! We are SO proud of you, Kirsten! PSATParents/Guardians of Sophomores and Juniors: Chardon High School will be offering the PSAT/NMSQT on Saturday, October 14th. The test will take place at the high school (students will check-in in the lobby and will be directed to an assigned classroom to test) at 8:00 AM, with registration beginning at 7:30AM. This test is a great opportunity to practice and gain experience for a college admissions test (i.e. ACT, SAT, etc.) that incorporates a scholarship component through the National Merit Scholarship Program. By taking the test as a Junior, students are eligible to be entered into various scholarship programs, as well as being recognized at higher education institutions based on their performance (for a full list of scholarship programs and the benefits of the National Merit Scholarship Program, please visit www.nationalmerit.org). To register, you may pick up a copy of the registration form beginning Monday, September 18th, in the guidance office, from Mrs. McBride (the lady in the window), or you can use the copy attached to this letter. Simply fill out the form and return it, along with your payment to the Building Clerk, Mrs. McBride by Friday, September 22nd. The cost this year is $20.00. The “Student Guide to Taking the PSAT” will be handed out once the registration form and payment is turned in (please be sure to read this over, as it has information on what you can and cannot bring to the test). If your student is considering or planning to go to college, we strongly recommend they plan to take the PSAT. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact lacey.jacobs@chardonschools.org, PSAT coordinator. Financial Aid Night Senior Parents: This is an exciting year for you and your son/daughter but along with that comes many questions and decisions. We are here to help guide you through this process. The guidance office is hosting two upcoming events to assist with this process and answer questions about the process.
We have been into all senior English classes to review procedures for seniors and provided them with guidance as well. If your son/daughter does not have English at the high school he/she will need to attend a make-up session. These are available 9/6 at 8:15 am and 9/6 at 1:00 pm or by contacting the guidance office. LEAF will be starting Thursday 9/7 and will be here every Thursday. Stephanie Kubec is our representative this year and she will meet with every senior. She is also available to meet with parents as well. You can schedule a meeting with Stephanie by calling the guidance office at 440-285-4060. Important reminders from guidance: 1. Any seniors who have not attended a meeting about Naviance need to contact their guidance counselor immediately. 2. Parents please remind seniors to log in to their senior classroom often as announcements are posted on a regular basis. 3. The schedule of college reps visiting here is also in Naviance when students log in. 4. Upcoming college fairs: Lakeland - October 1st from 12:00-3:30pm and John Carroll University is hosting one on October 12th from 6:30-8:00pm Thank you, CHS School Counselors The Hilltop Echo Giant Eagle: Apples for Students  A million miles a second. That is the phrase that I can articulate for this week! Phew, it was a busy one and we are just rounding third and heading Home! I look forward to seeing you tomorrow at the game, the dance, or a sporting/school event soon! Go Toppers! How about them Tribe!
Douglas Murray Principal 9/12/2017 The Official StuCo HoCo Court VideosClara and JimmyConnor and KirstenKayla and NeilAllie and GrantKelley and DylanSomewhere over the Rainbow... Photo: courtesy of Officer Mike Shaw What a season we have been experiencing locally and nationally. The frequent change in temperature gives signs of a new season and a reminder of the beauty around us. Soon and very soon we will see the change of scenery and a reminder how short summer is in Northeast Ohio. Yet, for most people in Chardon, we acclimate to the new season and shortened days. We remember that this is nature's way of nurturing itself after a long year. This is a perfect time for each of us to remember the simple things in life: Faith, Family, and Friends. For many people in Chardon, these reminders come in all shapes and sizes. They emulate stories, memories, and a reminder how short our time can be with people. Faith can remind us of our own humanity, or even a trust in another person. Having faith gives us a sense of hope and optimism in demonstrating our dignity to all people. The new season can provide us the opportunity rekindle our belief and hope in humanity by the actions and responses that we demonstrate to others. Family is the root of our own autonomy. Growing up, we depend so much on our own parents and relatives to nurture and guide us through good and bad times. As we get older, we begin to develop independence from our family and we begin to gain--and sometimes-- lose their trust. CHS students aren't immune to these changes. We value that every student has their own story, values, and routines ---but what is essential is that our children take the time to recognize the importance of how family time allows for their independence to guide their choices and behaviors. Friends are essential to our development regardless of our age. We value to the beauty of authentic communication that allows us to grow in our abilities in and out of school. Technology is a wonderful tool that allows us to communicate. It can become a double-edged sword in our ability to develop meaningful and long lasting relationships. Sending a quick message may suffice for a moment, but what interconnects us as humans is our ability to talk, share, and think in meaningful discussions. Transitioning to school life: Faith, Family, and Friends can connect us to a bigger story; a community. I am proud to see how our community has grown and transformed our values into something bigger than words on paper. As we move into this new season, take the time to spend more time on the simple things in life...because we all our experiencing how life goes in the fastlane. WRC Challenge A lot of planning has gone into making the "WRC Challenge" a reality. Special thanks Jennifer Bender (12), Kate Zmarzly (12) for coming together for such a meaningful outreach program. I am very grateful for their leadership along with Mr. Tim Armelli, Mr. Doug Snyder, Mr. Bandiera, Mr. Higham, Mrs. Blackburn, Mr. Mizen, and Ms. Grantham for their continued ideas, support, assistance, and vision. We are very close to the next phase of this project: The Action Plan Here is what we know: Purpose: As a league, we value interscholastic competition but we also recognize the importance of solidarity. In the light of the devastating Hurricane that impacted Houston and the surrounding communities, The Western Reserve Conference is adopting a conference in Houston to help these schools come together in helping rebuild their programs. We recognize how athletics can help rebuild communities by bringing families together. The Challenge: Each school in the league will receive 350 shirts to sell throughout our conference football season. We are finalizing plans with a company who is planning on printing 2,800 shirts that will have the same design (as seen above). To offset the costs and to maximize our potential contribution to Houston schools, we are asking each school to work hard in the next 5 days to allocate (4) committed sponsors. The cost to sponsor this initiative will be $500. All sponsors will have their names on the shirts, and on a banner that we will provide to each school. The cost to print these shirts will be $15,400. We are planning to sell the shirts for $15 during lunch periods and at the games until they are sold out. The Outcome: We value our relationship and have firsthand experience how impactful community outreach can assist schools, students, staff, and families rebuild the climate and culture of their community. Our goal is to raise $42,000 (just in shirt sales alone)...not to mention any goodwill donations that will come in. In solidarity, we will expedite the healing process for these schools to get back on their feet---bringing families together for interscholastic play. This could become the catalyst for other leagues to step up to our leadership in the WRC. Especially...with the impending storm in Florida. If you are interested in helping us in our WRC Challenge, please feel free to contact myself, or any of the teachers noted above. Homecoming Week Homecoming tickets go on sale starting next Monday, September 11th, during lunch periods. The price of a homecoming ticket is $20. Students will need to sign a dance contract at the time of purchase and anyone bringing a guest that does not attend Chardon High School will need to pick up a guest form and dance contract in student services and return it when they purchase their tickets. If a completed guest form is not turned in, a ticket will not be issued for the guest. The dance is Saturday, September 16, from 7:00 p.m to 11:00 p.m.. The homecoming king will be crowned at 10:00 p.m.. Congratulations to the following seniors that are on the 2017 Homecoming court!! The candidates for queen are: Kayla Benjamin, Kelley Bolden, Clara Kalis, Kirstin Henry and Allie Malloy. The candidates for king are: Jimmy Cicero, Grant Goodge, Dylan Hemly, Neil Patel and Conner Prusha. Congratulations to all!! The homecoming assembly will take place in the C.H.S. gymnasium Wednesday, September 13, at 8:10 in the morning. If you are on homecoming court you will need to be in the library at 7:50 to receive your sashes and line up for the assembly. Parents and families of court members may attend the assembly. The homecoming parade is Friday, September 15th. Each class will be creating a float. The parade starts at 6:00 p.m. and will head west on Chardon Ave., South on North St., East on Allynd Blvd. and north on Maple. The homecoming queen will be crowned at 6:40 during the football pre-game. Please join us for this exciting evening! Next week also starts spirit week at CHS. The dress-up days are as follows: Monday- roll out of bed, Tuesday- tie dye, Wednesday- class colors, Thursday- CLE day, Friday- blackout. Please remember all attire needs to be school appropriate and no hats are permitted. Go Toppers!!! Topper Night Out Join us for our first major campaign event, TOPPER NIGHT OUT on Saturday, Sept.9th on Chardon Square beginning at 6:00 PM! Desserts, Musical Performances, Raffle Baskets, Yard Signs and more at the Heritage House. Dine at participating area restaurants between 5-8 PM and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the levy campaign. Do you want to learn more about Issue 26? Click here. Thank you to the following restaurants that are participating: Bass Lake Tavern Cabanas Island Serendiptea El Patron Chester Tavern Joeys on Thursday , Sept 7th ONLY Check out these great auction items! Financial Aid Night Senior Parents: This is an exciting year for you and your son/daughter but along with that comes many questions and decisions. We are here to help guide you through this process. The guidance office is hosting two upcoming events to assist with this process and answer questions about the process.
We have been into all senior English classes to review procedures for seniors and provided them with guidance as well. If your son/daughter does not have English at the high school he/she will need to attend a make-up session. These are available 9/6 at 8:15 am and 9/6 at 1:00 pm or by contacting the guidance office. LEAF will be starting Thursday 9/7 and will be here every Thursday. Stephanie Kubec is our representative this year and she will meet with every senior. She is also available to meet with parents as well. You can schedule a meeting with Stephanie by calling the guidance office at 440-285-4060. Important reminders from guidance: 1. Any seniors who have not attended a meeting about Naviance need to contact their guidance counselor immediately. 2. Parents please remind seniors to log in to their senior classroom often as announcements are posted on a regular basis. 3. The schedule of college reps visiting here is also in Naviance when students log in. 4. Upcoming college fairs: Lakeland - October 1st from 12:00-3:30pm and John Carroll University is hosting one on October 12th from 6:30-8:00pm Thank you, CHS School Counselors Mrs. Hetrick Mr. Hurlbut Mrs. Jacobs Informational Spain/France/Italy Meeting Chardon High School is organizing a trip to Spain, France, and Italy in June of 2019! We will be traveling to Barcelona, Rome, Vatican City, Capri, and Pompeii, just to name a few. If you are interested in what else this trip has to offer, join us for an informational meeting. When: Thursday, September 14 at 7:00p.m. Where: CHS Media Center Who: Parents and students interested in learning about the trip The teacher-chaperones will go over the itinerary, dates, and price of the trip during this meeting. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at: stacy.tekavec@chardonschools.org casey.ptasznik@chardonschools.org Media Center Monthly Newsletters In this issue of the Lav Report students will see some opportunities to enter competitions to gain once in a lifetime experience or monetary awards. The first contest is for students to apply to the Disney Dreamers Academy. Who will be the first Chardon student to attend this life altering experience? In addition, students can enter one or two video competitions. The first is sponsored by The Ohio School Boards Association. The theme of the video is "Stand Up for Public Schools". Chardon students have plenty of reasons to show how they stand up for public schools! Finally, the BBB is adding a video contest to their annual Student of Integrity Awards. See Mrs. Eby for more information on all of these wonderful opportunities. The Learning Center Newsletter features an article that highlights recent changes, mostly improvements, to INFOhio, the wonderful online resource available to Ohio students. Finally, please give a round of applause to the One Syllable Name Gang, four guys who are responsible for working on the technology in our district. Without Bill, Chris, Dean and Nick, our students and teachers would not have the latest tools of the trade to work with. The Lav ReportTeacher NewsletterCHS High School ProfileA Message from our After Prom Committee The Chardon After Prom Committee is a group of volunteer parents who meet to plan, organize, raise money, and host an after prom event that is safe and fun for our students. This is a great way to get involved in high school and get to know other high school parents. We meet the second Wednesday of each month at 7:00pm in the high school media center. Our first meeting is Wednesday, September 13th and our main focus will be to think of and hopefully decide on an after prom theme! Come join us and bring your ideas! The remainder of the meetings are on: October 11th, November 8th, January 10th, and February 14th. In March we begin the decorations and game planning for the actual after prom event. For more information contact Marijana Benjamin at chardonafterprom@gmail.com or 1-440-829-7309. You can also visit the website by going to the Chardon District website, clicking on Resources, then Downloads/Links, and you'll find us under the Parent Organization category. Scholarship InformationA Message from Jan Hoffman: School Nurse Senior Parents: Ohio revised code requires all students entering the 12th grade have two doses of the meningococcal vaccine with the second dose being administered on or after their 16th birthday. A student receiving their first dose after their 16th birthday are not required to receive a second dose. Vaccinations can be obtained by private physician, minute clinic or urgent care center, or the Geauga Health District. They have a vaccination clinic on August 10 and September 14 from 3-6 p.m. You can call them at (440) 279-1950 for more information Proof of vaccination must be provided by September 15, 2017 or the student risks being excluded from school. HB410: Truancy, Attendance, and Hours In December 2016, the Ohio General Assembly passed House Bill 410 to encourage and support a preventative approach to excessive absences and truancy. After careful review, our district is implementing guidelines contained in House Bill 410 in order to help support academic success of our students and partner with families to identify and reduce barriers to regular school attendance. Beginning with our 2017-18 school year the following changes will be taking place.
*Notifications to the family will be sent prior to the triggering absences above through Infinite Campus communications. If a student is “habitually truant” our district will follow these guidelines to work with the student and their families.
These changes are taking place because we know that it is important for every student in Ohio to attend school every day. Missing too much school has long-term, negative effects on students, such as lower achievement and graduation rates. We also know that there are many reasons students miss school and want to make sure we are identifying and supporting students who may need extra support and services. We are sure these changes will help increase attendance rates to help students’ progress in mastering knowledge and skills necessary to graduate from high school prepared for higher education and the workforce. Other changes that are implemented due to House Bill 410 related to student discipline include:
Highlights from Friday Night LightsHave a great weekend with family and friends!
Douglas Murray, Principal |
