@chs_dmurray: Week in reflection

Monday

It 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 Moderator, Ms. Ann Grantham  and her 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.  

On Monday and Tuesday, Ms. Kathleen Kisabeth (Assistant Principal) participated in the Beginning Principal's Academy in Columbus. This summit provides the opportunity for hundreds of new administrators to collaborate, facilitate, and learn the best practices and innovative strategies for leading a school. The key facet is on leadership. So often, our jobs focus on managing the day to day operations, but it is within leadership that we can shape schools in becoming a change agent.

Walking the halls on Monday, it was great to see the students engaged in labs, collaborative experiences, facilitation, working though various labs., and engaged in school spirit! 

Tuesday

On Tuesday and Wednesday, I attended an OPES credentialing training in Interdependence. OPES (Ohio Principal Evaluation System) provides an opportunity for leading the assistant principals- and  will provide educators with a richer and more detailed view of their performance, with a focus on specific strengths and opportunities for improvement.  While I was away, the students were dressed in #ALLin CLE to celebrate Cleveland. The Homecoming Court were posing for the camera as I left for the day. Those include court candidates: Brenna Carr and Stephen Blauch,  Josie Cremeans and Dustin Clute, Joey Dinko and Jessica Liechty, Tommy Benenati and Deanna Ogrinc along with David Nedrow and Flo Piotrkowski.
Watch the Homecoming Videos here 

Wednesday

How about a new uniform at Chardon High School? We all love #WellDressedWednesday around CHS. The students looked phenomenal and the energy was outstanding!

Thursday

This past week, two reports regarding different aspects of the Chardon Local Schools were released for review.  The first, our Quality Profile, examines elements of a high quality public education: academics, arts, student leadership and activities, fiscal stewardship, parent and community involvement, and student services. The Quality Profile is prepared by school districts that are members of the Alliance for High Quality Education, and affords a qualitative overview of the programming and activities of the Chardon Local Schools.

The second report released this week is our state Report Card, a quantitative companion to our Quality Profile.  The Ohio Department of Education (ODE) has altered several aspects of the report card from previous years, impacting districts across the state.  The ODE has noted that comparisons between this year’s data and previous year’s data are difficult, because they are not “an apples to apples comparison” due to the use of new, more rigorous, performance assessments in Ohio.  In fact, this year, the ODE is not releasing a ranking of school districts.

Both the Quality Profile and the Local Report Card afford us valuable information with which to assess and improve our efforts to achieve our mission.  I encourage you to read both of these reports, and consider how the greater community can support and enhance the Chardon Local Schools.  Our teachers, principals, and support staff collaboratively review our instruction in order to enhance our students’ achievement.  And, as a district, we continue to evolve in order to meet high achievement for all students, where learning is our most important work.

National Merit Scholarship Scholarship

Congratulations, Nick Schragal! Nick has qualified as a Semifinalist 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!

PSAT/NMSQT @Chardon High School

Chardon High School will be offering the PSAT/NMSQT on Wednesday, October 19th. The test will take place at the high school (students will report to the gymnasium for testing) beginning at 7:30 am. This test is a great opportunity to practice and gain experience for a college admissions test (i.e. ACT, SAT, etc.) and also 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 (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 12th, in the guidance office, from Mrs. McBride (the lady in the window), or you can download a copy from the Chardon High School Guidance Department website. Simply fill out the form and return it, along with your payment to the Building Clerk, Mrs. McBride by Friday, September 23rd. 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, PSAT coordinator.

Friday

Friday morning, we came together for our first assembly of the year! The culmination of Homecoming week is reaching the apex. Who will win? Students will find out who is Homecoming Queen at 6:45 PM the night of the game. Th king will crowned at the Homecoming Dance.

​ Watch the assembly here which was streamed live by G-TV!

Later in the day, the students will show-off their floats in our treasured tradition at Chardon. The culmination of the day leads into the Home football game against North. Buy your on-line tickets here! Miss the highlights from last week? Watch them here!

Saturday

Our 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 be entering the dance in a new location this year. The CHS Hallway will be decorated as a Haunted House. The students are being asked to enter through the "Four Doors" of CHS hallway. 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. 

Coming Up: Guidance Office News

There will be an informational meeting about the college application process available for all parents of Senior students on Wednesday, September 21st at 6:30 PM during the first Parent-Teacher Conference. There is also a Financial Aid Night for parents and students interested in gaining more information on the financial aid application process with our LEAF Advisor on Wednesday, October 5th at 6:30 PM. Please note the FAFSA deadline has been moved up to October this year, so if you have questions, please plan to attend. Both events will take place in the Presentation Area of the Learning Center (Library).
Also, any senior who does not have an English class at CHS or missed class last Wednesday (i.e. CCP students and Auburn students taking online English), there will be a make-up session from last Wednesday's Classroom presentations on the college application process on Tuesday, September 20th at 7:30am in the Presentation Area of the Learning Center. This also includes an explanation of the use of our new program, Naviance. Students will receive account information at this time. Please plan to attend if you missed last week's presentation or please see your counselor.

Yearbook Information

High school yearbooks from the 2015-2016 school year were distributed this past Thursday, September 15, during all lunch periods. 

If you ordered a copy last spring, please remind your son/daughter to pick up their yearbook.  Students will have to sign for their book when they come to pick up their pre-paid copy.  Students are allowed sign to pick up a pre-paid copy for an older sibling who graduated, but not for a friend.
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If you did not order a yearbook last school year, there will be a limited number of additional copies available on a first come basis and these books typically sell out quickly. Extra books will be on sale during distribution at the cost of $70. If interested, please have your son/daughter see Miss Fisher or Mr. Hauber during distribution. They should bring with them a check made payable to Chardon Board of Education.
For general inquiries visit the yearbook link on the high school website or contact the adviser Erik Hauber at erik.hauber@chardonschools.org

Thanks for sharing your children with us!

Douglas Murray, Principal

Next Week-
Parent Teacher Conferences: September 21- 4:30-8:30 PM