Chardon is my home. Chardon is my community...a community of hope, strength, and faith. As we enter into a new year, we have so many things to be grateful for. I am grateful for the beginning of school. The beginning of the summer was certainly very difficult for our Hilltopper family. We learned more about how rich our values hold us together as a fabric of hope. I am grateful for my extraordinary staff who worked tirelessly to adjust their plans to a new schedule in new and innovative ways. I am grateful for our students who energize me by their generosity, and commitment to each other. In the same breathe, I am grateful for you. Your support for Chardon Schools and continued kindness nurtures our sustainable vision. Welcome to the Week in Reflection. Each week, I will take time to reflect on the activities of the week and help prepare students, staff, and families with the latest news of Chardon High School. This volume of the Week in Reflection (although two days worth of class) will give you a glimpse of who we are, and where we will go along the journey. Welcome Back Week: All School Assembly On Thursday, every single student came into what we call "The Barn" aka "The Gym" for the Opening Convocation. I cannot even explain how powerful this moment was for me. Like most children, I am sure when you asked them about their day they probably said, "Ehhh, it was OK" but, I am telling you that you could hear a pin drop at times, to simultaneous times of a "one clap" for thirty minutes as we went through every little detail to best prepare students for a great year. The meeting went from informational to motivational multiple times. The theme was mindset and choosing our response to everything that we face in school and in life. Be sure to ask about it this weekend! Just a reminder: Meet the 'Toppers Sunday, Aug 20 at 6:00 pm. Welcome Back Week: Topper Time Topper Time is a purposefully built brain break where students and staff will interact in what I like to call a "High School Recess". No, kids are not running outside...rather, they will be selecting an academic intervention or enrichment that will help students develop skills without a grade. This evidence based activity has shown significant advancements to the structure of bell schedules (locally and nationally) and increase student and staff efficacy that impact school life. The structure of this program has a direct correlation to the work that the Schedule Task Force and District Strategic Plan put forth over the last two years. Your children will be in a Topper Time three times a week all year. Topper Time will change quarterly. Students will select their top three Topper Times during the LIVE presentations. All Freshmen will be in FMP (Mentoring) during the 1st and 2nd quarter. Guidance will do their best to schedule each student in one of their top selections but this may not always be the case. Also, if a student needs an intervention, they could be scheduled into an Intervention based Topper Time based on parent, teacher, guidance, or administration recommendation. Below is sneak peak....students will be able to sign-up LIVE during their scheduled time. ARE YOU READY FOR THE SOLAR ECLIPSE ACROSS AMERICA?In the words of Jimmy Buffett, "Come Monday...It will be alright..."  On Monday, August 21, 2017, all of the United States will have a solar eclipse. The moon will cover at least part of the sun for 2 to 3 hours. Halfway through, anyone within a narrow path from Oregon to South Carolina will experience a brief total eclipse. The moon will completely block the sun's bright face for up to 2 minutes 40 seconds. Day will turn into night, and (weather permitting) one of nature's most awesome sights will become visible: the sun's shimmering outer atmosphere, or corona. In Northeast Ohio, the solar eclipse (which will be at nearly 80% locally) will occur beginning at 1:07 PM and end at 3:51 PM. Chardon High Science teachers are purposefully connecting their lessons to educate the students about this astronomical opportunity for learning. One unfortunate reality to the timing of the day is that the eclipse will be still going through the partial eclipse during dismissal. As a parent, educating yourself about the solar eclipse is the first response. I am sharing with you some very practical tips to help you educate yourself and your family. It is very important to remind ALL STUDENTS and DRIVERS NOT to look directly into the sun as the last bell rings at 2:33 PM-- when students head out to the parking lot and to their busses. The staff will communicate this, I will communicate this, the driver's will communicate this...but we need you to communicate this important safety precaution. Most importantly, please share with building administration or your son(s) or daughter(s) teachers if you do not want them participating in safe observations of the solar eclipse. We will have staff in their typical posts outside during dismissal reminding ALL of this important direction. Below are great tips that I have found written by optometrists and NASA Here are four ways to safely view a solar eclipse:
A reproducible infographic can be downloaded by clicking here. For more detailed information about the eclipse, its path, and timing, visit eclipse.aas.org, or eclipse2017.nasa.gov. Time Article: 'It's Not Worth Taking a Chance.' Man Who Experienced Eye Damage During 1962 Solar Eclipse Warns Others The Lav Report In the Lav Report, students will find valuable information on marketing their cause and/or event. In order to advertise important occasions that take place in Chardon High, students sometimes display flyers with key information to explain what is happening. Often times, the message is lost in a poorly designed flyer. The Lav Report will help students understand some basic design principles needed to increase the readability of their message. In this month's edition of the Teacher Newsletter, educators will find important information on the teaching license renewal process. This newsletter is attached twice: once in black and white for printing and again with a red background for online use. Both copies have hyperlinks to help teachers find the resources necessary for license renewal. As always, the LPDC members are available to help answer any questions teachers may have in what can be a confusing process. Next Week August 21, 2017: Schedule for the Day We are running another White Day Schedule with an adjusted Topper Time period so that the Juniors can begin scheduling for this time. Freshman will head to their second day of Mentoring; 10th and 12th grade will remain in 3rd period for 30 minutes to go through the handbook, organize their lockers, and get acclimated with the schedules. (1st) 7:30-8:17 (47) (2nd) 8:20-9:07 (47) (3rd) 9:10-9:57 (47) (Grade 11 Meeting) 10:00-10:30 (30) (FMP Day 2) 10:00-10:30 (30) (Grades 10/12: Extended 3*) 10:00-10:30 (30) (4th) 10:33-11:20 (47) (5th) Lunch A (30) 11:23-11:53 Class (56) 11:57-12:53 w/ Announcements Class (27) 11:23-11:50 w/ Announcements Lunch B (30) 11:53- 12:23 Class (27) 12:26- 12:53 Class (56) 11:23- 12:19 w/ Announcements Lunch C (30) 12:23-12:53 (6th) 12:56-1:43 (47) (7th) 1:46-2:33 (47) August 22, 2017 Schedule for the Day/ Picture Day We are running another White Day Schedule with an adjusted Topper Time period so that the Sophomores can begin scheduling for this time. Freshman will head to their third day of Mentoring; 11th and 12th grade will remain in 3rd period for 30 minutes to go through the handbook, organize their lockers, and get acclimated with the schedules. Furthermore, Seniors will be called down for school photos. (1st) 7:30-8:17 (47) (2nd) 8:20-9:07 (47) (3rd) 9:10-9:57 (47) (Grade 10 Meeting) 10:00-10:30 (30) (FMP Day 3) 10:00-10:30 (30) (Grades 11/12: Extended 3*) 10:00-10:30 (30) (4th) 10:33-11:20 (47) (5th) Lunch A (30) 11:23-11:53 Class (56) 11:57-12:53 w/ Announcements Class (27) 11:23-11:50 w/ Announcements Lunch B (30) 11:53- 12:23 Class (27) 12:26- 12:53 Class (56) 11:23- 12:19 w/ Announcements Lunch C (30) 12:23-12:53 (6th) 12:56-1:43 (47) (7th) 1:46-2:33 (47) August 23, 2017: Red Day Schedule This will be our first late-start of the year. School Transportation runs at the regular time. The cafeteria and gym areas will be monitored by staff. We have worked with transportation to expedite a holding pattern for Maple Elementary as two school stagger start times. Student drivers will use the north entrance (pool side) for entering the student lot. Parents, please pull all the way up the main drive to drop of car riders. Students may be dropped off throughout the entire length of the sidewalk. This will expedite the morning flow. 7:15-9:00 Teacher Meetings 7:15-9:00 Test Make-up (2nd) 9:10-10:40 (90) (4th) Lunch A (35) 10:45-11:20 Class (90) 11:25-12:55 w/ Announcements Class (45) 10:45-11:30 w/ Announcements Lunch B (35) 11:34-12:09 Class (42) 12:13- 12:55 Class (90) 10: 45-12:15 w/ Announcements Lunch C (35) 12:20-12:55 (6th) 1:00-2:31 (90) August 24, 2017: Black Day Schedule (1st) 7:30-9:05 (90) (3rd) 9:10-10:40 (90) (5th) Lunch A (35) 10:45-11:20 Class (90) 11:25-12:55 w/ Announcements Class (45) 10:45-11:30 w/ Announcements Lunch B (35) 11:34- 12:09 Class (42) 12:13- 12:55 Class (90) 10:45-12:15 w/ Announcements Lunch C (35) 12:20-12:55 (7th) 1:00-2:31 (90) Traffic With the opening of school, CLSD school transportation are running their routes at full capacity and parents are dropping off their children to begin their day. Over the last two days, Mr. Higham, Officer Shaw and myself have staged ourselves at key locations to alleviate the construction that is ongoing on Canfield Dr. What we have noticed this year is an increase in car riders heading off to school. Chardon High School and Chardon Middle School start at the same time and when we get bogged down, our elementary schools may get delayed. As we transition into next week, please continue to use proper planning when departing for school, and carpool if you can. We will continue to move traffic as safely as we can and hope that one of our main arteries (Canfield) opens up soon. I will send communications as we continue to assess our morning and afternoon dismissals. Reminder: School Transportation remains in the CHS drive and Alcan until 2:45PM. Car riders need to use the teacher lot as a means for picking up their children. The main drive is closed for car riders until 2:45PM. We have adult supervision in the building if you choose to pick up your child at 2:45PM in the main drive. The current configuration of our school with driveways, and parking lots are hard to change. Please be patient as we continue to assess ways to create proper dismissals. Got the right...Mindset?As much as I shared this with my staff prior to opening day...it applies to each of us as parents.  A mindset shift requires us to break away from old behaviors and habits that may no longer be serving us effectively in our area of leadership. It demands that we escape our comfort zone and accept that complacency is doing us more harm than good. Adopting a new mindset is the first step in reinventing yourself as an educational leader, teacher, and student; ultimately regaining your competitive advantage, impact, and influence. Changing your mindset requires you to look at the manner in which you engage people, approach situations, make decisions and evaluate opportunities. It’s about changing unproductive behaviors and changing our responses to events and outcomes. As we continue our journey this school year, resolve to embrace a new mindset by taking ways that we can grow together. 1. A Positive Mental Attitude Fuels Endurance and Performance I think I can...I think I can… I knew I could. 21st-century educators see opportunities everywhere, every day, and they make the most of those that cross their path. Many times they are opportunities that others don't see. A positive mental attitude allows you to drown out the noise, and see opportunity where others see chaos and uncertainty. . To adopt a new leadership mindset, we should embrace others for who they are and begin to see people through a lens of opportunity. Everyone has something to offer and when given the opportunity to reach their full potential, people tend to deliver more than what is expected from them. 2. Mental Toughness Makes You Stronger Mental toughness defines how we choose our response to outcomes. We need wide-angle vision to continuously navigate the terrain that awaits us and to make the big decisions that support our vision. Mental toughness is acquired over time through trials and tribulations. To be mentally tough means that you have grown accustomed to anticipating crisis and managing change – a by-product of experiencing failure and knowing how to renew and reinvent yourself. As I have learned from my own experiences, mental toughness begins when you can separate your emotions and remain focused on what matters most. Mental toughness is a mindset; embrace it. 3. Risk Must Be Your Best Friend As an educator, we explore new ways of energizing our students. Embrace risk taking this year with your instructional strategies. Try something new. Embrace your classroom with a focus on students at the center. Engage in their voice, their choice, and their energy to drive your innovation. 4. Authenticity Leads to Discovery Rediscover the simplicity of authentic discovery and the encounter of all students within their story. Students love you for who you are; love them for their story and rekindle the personalized learning of the person engaged in front of you. Students will melt in your hand if they know that you care about them, their story, and their place in the world. From there, endless opportunities of achievement will unfold in your arena of learning. 5. What You Read Shapes How You Lead It’s easy to spot an educational leader with an identity crisis because they rely on the reuse of other people’s content, rather than looking inside themselves to discover their own creativity of thought and originality of purpose. The content you read shapes how you lead and influence others. Likewise, find out what your students are reading that could connect to your content. Continuous improvement is a mindset that demands a commitment to education. Stay ahead of the latest educational evidence to assure your leadership never loses its impact and influence. Educate yourself the right way and be mindful of the content you read and how it shapes the way you think and lead. 6. Seek first to understand, then be understood – Actively Listen Umm, are you hearing me? Or...ahhh, you just skimmin’ this? We are all accomplished at selectively listening to our spouses and loved ones. Yet, when we actively engage in listening to our families we begin to see them for who they are, and how their autonomy is shaping them. Likewise, as a school, especially recently, we often hear what we want to hear. Strong leaders seek first to understand and leave the drama aside. They seek to the truth and engage in meaningful collaboration for resolutions and buy-in. They choose their response with thoughtfulness. Listening is a mindset. Be a responsible listener and put it to good use. 7. Influence is Greater than Success Alone Every single day we embrace someone’s child. They come into our classroom with a clean slate and open mind. Sometimes, these students come in with a full slate and closed mind. Often times, we wonder if they are listening and if we have made an impact. In a world that looks at targeted outcomes and numbers, know that your influence is the seed that can turn into that mustard tree. It is our job to cultivate. Now that you have made it this far, take this reflection further. If you are able to watch this video prior to the first day--great. If not, no worries. There will be a time when you will stumble on this and watch it when you most need it. As we come together this week and next please take a moment to reflect on the simple things that make us so strong. Thank you for sharing your children with us!
Douglas Murray, Principal
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