The @chardonhs Week in Reflection

No School, what!?

Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away...

The Beatles wrote this ballad in 1966 for the album, Help! How appropriate a song title and album for this past Thursday. 

It was certainly a fast-paced morning at Chardon High School.  As our communications shared- important decisions about school safety were made during a time where buses were in route,  students were arriving via parent drop off,  zero-period was in session, and staff were arriving. I am grateful-- so grateful to the complete team effort of our CHS Staff,  Board Office Leadership, and Middle School Staff for the timeliness of clear decision making and effective outcomes.  

I know the decision to cancel school at Chardon High School was the smartest, safest, and best decision with the known and unknown circumstances that we were facing. As of 5:00 pm on Thursday, all final repairs to the primary boiler chamber gasket were repaired, along with an exhaust stack.  The air quality is safe. Our Administrative team, District Team, and Chardon Fire Department will continue to meet to debrief for action steps in preparedness.  We are so thankful for the men and women that serve our local emergency services.

I am proud of the- Help! -and  sharp focus of our school leadership response team-Yesterday.  Our staff is ready to "Get Back" to working with their students to close out the week.

Academic Achievement: Topper Club Synopsis

Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to celebrate the achievements of your sons and daughters. Our core values recognize Achievement as an essential benchmark of the learning that transpires everyday at Chardon High School. We have extraordinary educators that prepare our students for college, career, and life readiness. Our students refine their learning in the classroom and demonstrate their abilities in so many skill sets in extra-curriculars, service, and clubs. We are truly blessed with goodness at Chardon, and I am proud not only to be graduate of Chardon High School, but to serve in the capacity as Principal.

Being a part of the Topper Club is an extraordinary accomplishment. Students being recognized at this event have maintained a GPA of 3.75 or higher. Looking throughout the gym that evening, we were all witnesses of the future leaders to our ever changing world. Together, our students are developing the skills seen in engineers, doctors, lawyers, educators, chemists, trades, and truly philanthropic values. Our students see the good in others and respond to the needs of others. Service Leadership is the fabric that guides the purposeful decisions of our students being recognized at the Topper Club Awards.

National Merit Finalist

About 1.5 million students in some 22,000 high schools enter the National Merit Scholarship competition annually when they take the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®). Semifinalists are the highest-scoring program entrants in each state and represent the top 0.5% percent of the state’s senior students. To be considered for a National Merit Scholarship, Semifinalists have to fulfill requirements to advance to Finalist standing. Each Semifinalist submits a detailed scholarship application, which includes essays and information about extracurricular achievements, awards, and leadership positions. Semifinalists also have to have an outstanding academic record, be endorsed and recommended by a school official, and earn SAT scores that confirm their qualifying test performance. From truly his infancy, this young man was the epitome of asking the question, why. He is a lifelong learner, a musician, service oriented, drum major, academic ninja, and pretty smooth on the dance floor. Please recognize the just the beginning of may accomplishments for Nick Schragel.

National Merit- Commended Students

In late September, more than two-thirds (about 34,000) of the approximately 50,000 high scorers on the PSAT/NMSQT® receive Letters of Commendation in recognition of their outstanding academic promise. Commended Students are named on the basis of a nationally applied Selection Index score that may vary from year to year and is typically below the level required for participants to be named Semifinalists in their respective states. Although Commended Students do not continue in the competition for National Merit® Scholarships, some of these students do become candidates for Special Scholarships sponsored by corporations and businesses. Both of Chardon High School’s students who are recognized this year demonstrate academic and service leadership. They commended not only for National Recognition but for living the Core Values of our school with consistent integrity. Please join me in recognizing Lauren Nichols and Colby Williams.

The Chardon Achievement Award
Frank Elliot presented this award. Congratulations to Nick Schragel for his achievement in the field of Science. 

Presentation of Awards: School Counselors: Nikki Hetrick, Lacey Jacobs, Ryan Bandiera, Kathleen Kisabeth

10th Grade Certificates

11th Grade Academic Letters

12th Grade Academic Letters/Pins

Students were not in attendance may receive their award in the Main Office and I will personally congratulate them.

Chardon Science Olympiad Letter Recipients

For the past 33 years, Science Olympiad has led a revolution in science education. What began as a grassroots assembly of science teachers is now one of the premier science competitions in the nation, providing rigorous, standards-based challenges to nearly 7,600 teams in 50 states. Science Olympiad’s ever-changing line-up of events in all Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines exposes students to practicing scientists and career choices, and energizes classroom teachers with a dynamic content experience. The Following students are being recognized for their achievements and contributions and will receive a letter this year from Science Olympiad

Active Substance Abuse Prevention (ASAP): Justin Stanko and Marissa Perrico

CHS has a group of students that are committed to developing a substance abuse prevention program for the school community. This movement started after the overdose deaths of 2 alumni back in Spring of 2015.  The students have developed a program they hope will positively impact the school community. This is entirely student led with staff support. The program has 3 key components:

• Middle School Program
• Middle and High School Building Initiatives
• Community Education

Community Gratitude: Mrs. Joan Blackburn

Joan Blackburn is Chardon's finest and most treasured resource. In my 3+ years at Chardon,  I have been  able to work with Joan in transformative ways. Joan has such a way with her words, presence, patience, and kindness. Joan was provided an opportunity to serve Chardon High School as a catalyst for healing. Her humility is evident in her background presence...but it is through her guidance, purposeful engagement, and deliberate empowerment to students and staff that easily creates a moment like the 'Topper Awards to recognize her contributions that often takes place behind close doors.  Joan is a servant leader. You will not meet a more kindhearted women who lives with passion and poise. Whether she is counseling students, creating groups, making home visits, or empowering students in AC4P, Great Pals, Food Drives, Shoe Drives, Community Outreach Programs, or the ASAP students- Joan is a quiet leader that continues to leave a legacy for the students and staff at Chardon High School. Please take a moment to thank Joan when you see her, or leave her a note. We look forward to many more ways that we can learn from Joan this year.

Halloween Costumes

Monday, October 31 is Halloween. However, with all of the excitement leading into week- the Chardon Crazies and the CHS Administration are moving the traditional costume day to today--Friday, October 28.

Our students have traditionally dressed in appropriate costumes at school for the day. Students will be permitted to dress this year, as long as the outfit properly follows the guidelines below. Likewise, the theme for the game this Friday is Halloween Attire.
 
Staff and administration will be extremely diligent to ensure that all costumes are school appropriate and not a distraction to other students in their classes.  Some things to consider when creating your costume:
 

• No weapons may be used with the costume.
• Do not cover your face or head with any type of mask.
• Fake blood or wounds should be kept to a minimum.
• There will be no bare midriffs, or risqué costumes.
• Halloween Make-up should be used sparingly.  We must be able to identify our students for safety reasons.
• If administration believes a costume is not school appropriate or is creating a distraction, they will request that a child change clothes, or remove make-up before they may return to class.'

​Becoming Effective Learners Student Survey

On Monday, students will dress in regular attire and we will have a (30) minute homeroom in order to facilitate The Becoming Effective Learners (BEL) survey. The school day begins at the regularly scheduled time. The students will need their Chromebooks. 
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This survey has been developed by researchers at the University of Chicago Consortium on School Research to gather data on student non-cognitive factors and classroom conditions to inform teaching and learning and to contribute to positive classroom practice and the utilization of strategies to improve development of students’ non-cognitive factors. This survey is part of the Becoming Effective Learners Partner Project that we shared at our faculty meeting last Thursday.

Students who have returned an opt-out form should not take the survey.

All students including students with disabilities and those students who are English language learners should have the opportunity to complete the survey. Students are required to enter their student ID and birth date to login to the survey.  The student survey takes approximately 20 minutes to complete. All surveys should be completed in one sitting if possible; surveys cannot be retrieved once submitted. For this reason, please encourage your son/daughter to take their time when responding to the survey. Students may skip any questions they do not wish to answer.

I truly, truly, truly appreciate your flexibility with the various activities and adjustments that have been occurring with our routines over the last few weeks. Learning is exciting, and often creates opportunities for further growth through purposeful decisions that guide the entire high school experience.  

Great Lakes Theater in English Classes

Launched in 1981, Great Lakes Theater's in-school residency program is now one of the most successful artist-in-residence programs in the country. Each year over 16,000 students in over 100 schools experience the pleasure, power, and relevance of classic literature brought to life right in their own classrooms.

Using an interactive, hands on approach, a team of two specially trained actor-teachers visited Chardon High School this week for five consecutive days, teaching five classes per day; the same five classes for the entire week. The actors bring scripts, props, costumes to turn the students into an acting troupe, exploring classic literature from an actor's point of view.

Designed to meet the common core education standards, the residency program is hands on, creative, and interactive. Each day of each lesson plan, regardless of age level, involves three components: acting; discussion; theater exercises. There are days when the students do all of the acting and our actor-teachers serve as their directors. There are days when our actors perform for your students and they are the audience. There are other days when the actor-teachers and students rehearse then perform side by side, with one another. In my years observing this at CHS, each opportunity gives me chills, thrills, and a warm heart knowing that Project Based Learning is allowing the breathe of the curriculum live in the minds of our students.

Chemistry:  Elementary My Dear Watson.....Elementary?

Students in Mrs. Jeanne Clark's General Chemistry class are working on their findings in a empirical formula lab. If you don’t know the empirical formula of a compound, you can analyze samples of the unknown compound to identify the percent composition. From there, you calculate the ratios of different types of atoms in the compound. You express these ratios as the empirical formula. Huh? Well, at Chardon High School students are digging deep into chemistry. An empirical formula represents the lowest whole-number ratio of elements in a compound.

Which High School Classes Prepare You for the SAT and ACT?

As you can see, a week like this---although busy, allows us the opportunity to celebrate all of the goodness that occurs even in the midst of our older facilities.  Thank you for your continued support, kind words, and presence in the lives of your children that you entrust with us.

Have a great weekend, and GOOOOO  'TOPPPPERS!

​Douglas Murray, Principal