Schools

Feb. 1 was a monumental day in Kyle Dodson’s life. It was National Signing Day, when elite high school football players sign binding Letters of Intent to their chosen colleges and universities.

Surrounded by television, radio, and print media, Dodson, a nationally ranked offensive lineman, summoned his teammates to join him in front of reporters in the Heights High auditorium. He wanted their company as he announced that he would be suiting up as a member of The Ohio State University Buckeyes this fall. His teammates and the entire audience burst into loud, enthusiastic and sustained cheers.

The Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District will host its annual Kindergarten Information Night on Thursday, March 1, from 6:30–8 p.m. at the Canterbury Elementary School.

This informational evening will be an opportunity for parents to meet with kindergarten teachers and learn about the district’s kindergarten program. Topics that will be discussed include readiness for kindergarten; kindergarten curriculum and related services; before and after school programs; student services; food service; and transportation.

Douglas Heuer, superintendent of the Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District will deliver the district’s annual State of the Schools address on Wednesday, Jan. 25, at 7 p.m. in the Cleveland Heights High School Social Room (13263 Cedar Road). Heuer will recap the events and achievements of the 2011 calendar year and outline the ways that CH-UH educators are working to build on the district’s progress. Heuer will underline the district’s vision for Educational Pathways and talk about the need for school environments to capture the vision and help motivate and inspire children to learn. 

Last fall, Heights High senior Ariel Travis set out to start a student club that would support the work of Habitat for Humanity, and give students a chance to learn practical life skills and make a difference in their community. He presented his idea to math teacher Chris Sutton, who enthusiastically agreed to be the club advisor, and soon after that Project Build was formed.

Several students helped Travis publicize the first meeting and when the Habitat for Humanity staff came to the school to conduct a training, 50 students showed up. “The Habitat trainers were very impressed with the number of interested students,” said Sutton.

Charlotte Sperl, Heights High senior soloist, will play the Viola Concerto, B minor, in the Style of Handel, by Henri Casadesus, accompanied by the Heights High Symphony, as part of a concert at the school on Feb. 10, at 7:30 p.m.

Music has always been a part of her life. Sperl’s father plays bass in the Cleveland Orchestra and her mother plays oboe in the Youngstown Symphony. “I remember hearing my parents play beautiful music when I was little,“ she said. “That inspired me to want to play, too.”

Sperl began playing the viola in fourth grade at Fairfax Elementary School. One of the things she appreciates about Heights High is that there are many great student musicians. “Having the symphony play behind me is an amazing experience,” she said. “They are supportive in many ways. Their melody introduces the solos.”

On Feb. 17 at 6 p.m., the Heights High Black History Celebration will present two student debate teams. They will square off on a topic that stirs strong reactions in many—Heights High Students Should Wear Uniforms.

The debate is part of the Heights High Black History Celebration that focuses on the Harlem Renaissance period in American History, 1920-35. The student debaters are part of the Minority Student Achievement Network (MSAN), and will even dress the part in vintage clothes from the 1930s.

JANUARY 3, 2012

• Oaths of office
• Nancy Eisenberg
• Grant proposals
• Fighting incident
• Coventry School leases
• ABLE program
• Donations

Board President Karen Jones was excused.

DECEMBER 13, 2011

• Awards and recognitions
• Field trips
• New high school courses
• Race to the Top update
• Board of education policies
• Coventry building project
• Cramer Associates
• Jason West Memorial Scholarship Fund

All board members were present.

The Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District will hold its second facilities master plan community meeting from 6:30–8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 11 in the Heights High Social Room, located at 13263 Cedar Rd. The district encourages parents, students and members of the community to attend. Food, childcare, and activities for children will be provided.

Bob Pearlman, internationally known school consultant and author, has praised the Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District’s Pathways initiative as a groundbreaking model for education.

“I haven’t seen anything comparable nationally,” he said. “As implementation moves forward, I see the Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District as being a national model for 21st-century learning.”

Fielding Nair International, one of the architectural firms working with the district on its master facilities plan, brought Pearlman to the district. Pearlman specializes in education reform efforts, school structuring and technology, and was director of strategic planning for the New Technology Foundation from 2002 to 2009. He consults in the United States and the United Kingdom on 21st-century learning, focusing on new school development and district-wide implementation of 21st-century skills.

The Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District invites parents and guardians of children entering preschool or kindergarten to attend the district’s open houses from 9:30 to 11:15 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 19.

Preschool open houses will be held at Gearity Professional Development School, located at 2323 Wrenford Rd. in University Heights, and Noble Elementary School, located at 1293 Ardoon St. in Cleveland Heights.

Kindergarten open houses will be held at all district elementary schools. 

On Nov. 12, more than 150 current and former Heights High instrumental musicians combined, and recombined, into several intergenerational bands and orchestras. They came together to honor former music teacher John Farinacci with a spirited concert that highlighted the continuity of music education in the district over the decades. With participating musicians from the class of 1942 to the class of 2015, the concert was an inspirational event. Alumni included professional musicians and music teachers, as well as many who did not choose music as a career.

John Farinacci died a few years ago at the age of 92. Some of the returning alumni have remained in contact with the Farinacci family. Farinacci’s widow and four of the couple's five children returned to Cleveland Heights for the reunion and memorial concert.

January 2012 is School Board Recognition Month. The Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District is using this as an opportunity to celebrate the contributions and leadership of the CH-Uh school board members.

“Our school board members work tirelessly and devote hundreds of hours to lead our students to success. Setting aside time in January is one small way to celebrate their service to our community and say thanks for caring so much about the future of every child enrolled in our schools,” Superintendent Douglas Heuer said.

DECEMBER 6, 2011—library board interviews

• Library board vacancies
• Interviews and responses
• Selection of candidates

All board members were present.

NOVEMBER 15, 2011

• High school courses
• Freshman Experience
• Dual credit
• AP test

Board Member Nancy Peppler was absent.

Approximately 100 residents participated in the first community meeting for the Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District facilities master plan on Nov. 30.

The meeting was an opportunity for the district to share its educational vision and explain the planning process to the community. It also provided residents with a means to communicate their priorities and goals.

During the 2010-2011 school year, the Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District reviewed its resources to ensure that all children experience a challenging curriculum. The district's goal is to have every student reading at or above grade level by the end of third grade.

Teddy bears make kids feel good.  That’s why students at Noble Elementary are collecting stuffed toys for Providence House, the nation’s oldest crisis nursery.

Committed to child abuse prevention and family preservation, Providence House provides emergency shelter for children in crisis who are experiencing homelessness, child abuse or neglect, or who face a family medical or mental health emergency or domestic violence.

Every child receives a stuffed animal toy upon arrival. 

Heights High orchestra teacher Dan Heim teaches students to read and play orchestral music, but he also wants them to learn contemporary music. “We want to encourage students to create music spontaneously and creatively,” said Heim. To help teach students to improvise, Heim invited master jazz violinist Christian Howes to lead three master classes culminating in an informal concert on Nov. 30.

Heights High students in Olivia Fatica’s Spanish classes spend several days each year learning the traditional dances from Spanish-speaking countries. A dance instructor from Cleveland Swing and Salsa recently taught students the merengue. “When students learn a culture’s dance traditions, they learn more about the people and history,” Fatica said. “The dances tell a story and express emotions between the dancers.”

John Carroll University alumnus Frank Schilling and his wife, Helen, have pledged a total of $16 million to endow scholarships for undergraduate students at the university. The Schillings had previously agreed to give $10 million to create the Schilling Endowed Scholars Program in 2004, but they now have increased their gift to $16 million. Rev. Robert L. Niehoff, president of John Carroll University, made the announcement at the university’s 125th Anniversary Gala, held Dec. 2. The gala capped a year-long celebration of John Carroll’s history and Jesuit educational tradition (see www.jcu.edu/125).

“The Schillings are among our most generous benefactors and the additional funding will be transformational for John Carroll University,” said Father Niehoff.  “Their generosity has given—and will continue to give—the best students the opportunity to earn a John Carroll degree and make a positive difference in the world.” Currently, there are three Schilling scholars enrolled at John Carroll. The Schillings’ endowment will eventually fund more than 20 scholarships each year, which are renewable with continued academic achievement.

Some teachers say that they learn as much from their some of their students as the students learn from them. Kyle Dodson, senior at Cleveland Heights High School is one of those students.

An offensive lineman for the Tigers, Dodson will play in the U.S. Army All-American Football Bowl game on Jan. 7, in the Alamodome, in San Antonio, Texas. He is one of 90 high school seniors who were chosen to play in this prestigious game.

It sometimes takes a lifetime to learn the skills Kyle Dodson possesses. “Kyle is a gift from God,” said Jeff Rotsky, head coach for the Heights Tigers football team. “He is a kid who has battled so much adversity and never gave up. He’s one of the finest young men I’ve ever had the privilege to coach. If he continues to progress, and I believe he will, we will be proud to watch him on Sundays.”

Do you have opinions about the Cleveland Heights-University Heights middle schools that you’d like to share? Have you ever found yourself thinking, “If I were the superintendent, I would . . . ”?

Now is your chance to share those thoughts and ideas, and help improve the public schools.

The CH-UH City School District invites parents and community members to attend a Middle School Parent and Community Feedback Night at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 14, at the Cleveland Heights High School Social Room.

The Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District's annual Winter Concert, Friday, Dec. 9, at 7:30 p.m., in the Heights High School auditorium, will once again feature some of the most talented singers from Heights High School. This year's show will also feature younger voices. The Canterbury Elementary Honors Choir and the Noble Elementary Select Choir will also perform. 

The Cleveland Heights High Gospel Choir will perform its 34th annual winter concert, “Celebrate the Wonder,” at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 16, at the Dina Rees Evans Performing Arts Center at Cleveland Heights High School.

This year’s performance is dedicated to the memory of the late Minister Eric Wright, a Cleveland musician and former member of the Heights High Gospel Choir, who died in June.

Wright graduated from Heights High in 1982. Following his graduation, he lent his musical talents to the choir until his death. Wright most recently joined the choir for its April production of “Your Arms Too Short to Box with God.”

All CH-UH students in kindergarten through fifth grade are invited to register for the Elementary Chess Championship. The tournament will be held from 4–7 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 16, in the Canterbury Elementary School gym. Adults may register their children in advance or from 3:20–3:55 p.m. the day of the tournament. Advance registration is $12; registration on the day of the evnt is $15.

Students may play in the kindergarten-through-second-grade or third-through-fifth-grade division. Trophies will be awarded to the top five students per division.

A team of accountancy students in John Carroll University’s Boler School of Business recently traveled to Dallas, Texas, to compete in the Deloitte FanTaxtic case competition, where it earned third place in the national competition. Each team member won $500, in addition to $2,500 for JCU's accountancy department.

Deloitte FanTaxtic, held November 18-20, was an issues-based tax case study competition that focuses on a hypothetical, real life scenario. This year’s competition required student teams to engage in a simulation exercise, role-play with Deloitte professionals and make a presentation in Deloitte’s telesuites. The event was held at Deloitte University—Deloitte’s new learning and leadership development center outside of Dallas.

Heights High senior Geoffrey Golden (L) and Cleveland native Dominick Farinacci at the Nov. 16 Young Visiting Artists Concert at Tri-C. Farinacci invited Golden to join him on stage for the concert encore. Golden and vocalist Charenee Wade performed a call and response scat piece. Farinacci is the resident artist with the Young Visiting Artists program and brings several other jazz musicians to Heights High for periodic jazz workshops. Farinacci currently lives in New York City. The concert marked the official Cleveland CD release of Farinacci’s new recording, "The Dawn of Goodbye."

NOVEMBER 1, 2011

• United Way award
• Self-contained gifted program
• Model UN
• Jump Rope for Heart and Hoops
• 2011 Minority Student Achievement Network
• Race to the Top (RttT)
• Collective bargaining
• Sports successes

All board members were present.

OCTOBER 18, 2011

• Finance report
• NEOLA
• Policies reviewed:
  • Personnel
  • Students
  • Student interaction and student services
  • Financial issues
  • Computer technology and information technology (IT)
  • Public records
  • Food services
  • Other policies

All board members were present.

When it comes to young people, it often seems the bad news travels fast, while good news seldom travels beyond home or school. A neighbor’s daughter could be a merit scholar or captain of the basketball team, and one might never know it. One grassroots organization, Go Public! Great Schools are Everybody’s Business, thinks it’s time to spread the pride—Tiger Pride, that is.

Go Public!, in collaboration with Heights High, is celebrating the vast array of extraordinary students in our district by highlighting 20 stellar students, one face at a time, with a poster campaign in community storefronts.

The Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District will hold a public meeting on Thursday, Nov. 30, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., at the Social Room at Cleveland Heights High School, 13263 Cedar Road.  The district invites all community members to attend and provide input to the next phase of its facilities master planning process.

This fall, Roxboro Elementary School offered a new after school activity, Girls on the Run, a 10-week program that trains girls to run a 5K while increasing their self-esteem and teaching them to make positive choices in life. It was offered to girls in the fifth grade. The girls were coached by Roxboro Elementary teachers Holly Dzurko, Monica Rogers, Jen Steiss and Karen Willmitch. 

The teachers were pleasantly surprised by the overwhelming interest and had to hold a lottery to create the team. The group met on Tuesdays and Thursdays during lunch.

The training paid off and the girls had an amazing time at their race on Nov. 13. Team member Glennis Covault said, “Girls on the Run is probably one of the best programs I’ve ever been to. It was a time to get together with friends, exercise, and learn some life lessons. It helped me learn how to handle life.”

Last summer, Heights High senior Cameron Herring worked two internships, giving him a view of natural history research and the engineering side of First Energy electric company. While he enjoyed helping in the research labs at the Natural History Museum, his first love is engineering.

Herring is enrolled in the engineering technology program, and instructor Yvonne Schiffer suggested that he apply for the Future Connections summer internship.

“I really liked seeing how the engineers evaluate each problem,” said Herring. “And it was great to see what it takes to be an engineer at First Energy.” He spent time with the external affairs manager and learned about the big and small problems that need to be solved every day. He also spent time learning from several engineers who design substations for corporate clients, and accompanied others on pole checks where engineers remotely check the operations of each electric pole.

The Heights High swim team spent the morning of Nov. 5 raking leaves for Cleveland Heights senior citizens. For the last several years, the team has worked on the project with Amy Jekins, supervisor of the Cleveland Heights Office on Aging, who identifies residents who could use the help. Samantha Espenschiel, Juliana Soreo and Madison Androsko (shown left to right in photo) participated in the project this year.

The Cleveland Heights-University Heights elementary physical education teachers are partnering with the Cleveland Heights bicycle police officers and the Cleveland Heights Bicycle Coalition to teach bicycle skills to elementary students. On Nov. 8, CH-UH professional development day, PE teachers Fiona Conner Kuntz and Alice Stratton arranged for Ohio City Bicycle Co-op instructor Jim Sheehan to train PE teachers to teach elementary students basic bike skills and safety.

On Thursday, Nov. 10, from 6:30-8 p.m., elementary schools in the CH-UH City School District will hold open houses. Prospective families will have an opportunity to visit kindergarten teachers and their classrooms, meet the principal, tour the building, and learn more about the school.

Historic football game and sold-out performance of The Sound of Music
expected to draw crowd of more than 5,000 to high school

The first ever undefeated Heights Tigers face perennial football power Lakewood St. Edward at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 5, at home, in the first-round matchup of the state football playoffs. Kick-off for the game is at 7 p.m., but gates will open at 5 p.m. The first 1,000 fans through the gate will receive a black and gold tiger nation rally towel.

Ohio Schools Council, a consortium of 157 school districts that use cooperative purchasing to “save” school dollars, recognized the Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District as an “Exemplary Saver” district.

OCTOBER 4, 2011

• Website praised
• Levy campaign committee
• Appeal to vote no on Issue 2
• Race to the Top (RttT) report
• Facilities improvements
• City councils support levy
• Heights High in the news

All board members were present.

The Cleveland Heights High School Tigers football team continued its historic, unbeaten season with a dominating win over perennial powerhouse Warren G. Harding High School on Friday night. The Tigers won 28-0. The team is now 8-0 overall and 5-0 in the Lake Erie League. 

The Tigers' next game is this Friday night, Oct. 28, at 7 p.m. against (and at) Maple Heights High School. This game will be broadcast on www.ohiosportsnet.tv and it is also the "Game of the Week" on Time Warner Cable. The game will be shown on NEON Channel 23 on Friday evening at 11 p.m., with replays Saturday at 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 8 p.m.

The Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District’s Homecoming events got off to a great start with a parade from the Delisle Center to the football stadium. Lots of fans came wearing black and gold to help lead the Tigers to a 28-0 victory over Warren G. Harding High School.

Click on the link to view photos from the parade:

http://www.chuh.org/multimedia/slideshows/detail/homecoming-parade-2011 

Three Cleveland Heights High School seniors have been named semifinalists in the first round of the 57th annual National Merit Scholarship Program and 48th annual National Achievement Scholarship Program. The National Merit semifinalist is Madeline Pollis. The National Achievement Scholarship semifinalists are Geoffrey Golden and Abria Marshall.

Cleveland Heights High School seniors Abria Marshall and Geoffrey Golden have been named semifinalists in the National Achievement Scholarship Program. Semifinalists will compete to qualify as one of 1,300 National Achievement Finalists. Next spring, approximately 800 finalists will be selected to receive more than $2.4 million in National Achievement Scholarships.

More than 600 Cleveland Heights-University Heights students will perform in The Sound of Music, Heights High’s major musical production taking place Nov. 3, 4 and 5, at 7:30 p.m., and Nov. 6 at 4 p.m.

The production includes 200 high school vocal music students, 75 instrumental students in the pit orchestra, 30 stage crew members, and 120 middle school and 250 elementary students in the chorus. It features two casts, each performing two shows. Tickets are $6 and $10. Call 216-320-3105 to order.

Homecoming festivities kick off with a Pep Rally on Oct. 21 at 3 p.m. in the South Gym at Heights High School, followed by a Homecoming Parade beginning at 6 p.m. "Everyone is encouraged to wear black and gold and support Tiger Nation!" said Doug Heuer, CH-UH superintendent.

Reaching Heights is hosting a community conversation with Superintendent Doug Heuer regarding the need for the school levy, along with major educational initiatives such as the K-12 Pathways. 

This is an opportunity for all of our stakeholders to ask questions and participate in the discussion about the future of our schools and community.

SEPTEMBER 20, 2011

• Tax increment financing
• District goals and priorities for 2011-2012

All board members were present.

It has been nearly a half-century since John F. Farinacci directed instrumental music programs at Cleveland Heights High School. Yet many who played in his bands and orchestras from 1949 until 1964 still celebrate this dynamic teacher and tough, but fair, taskmaster who demanded excellence from his musicians—and got it.

Boulevard Elementary School in the Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District is a recent recipient of a competitive grant from the Garrett A. Morgan Technology and Transportation Education Program (GAMTTEP). The U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration awarded the school $100,000 to implement its Discovery pathway for the K-5 students. Discovery is an educational pathway that focuses on learning from a perspective of interacting with the physical world, which is structured around the proven STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) model.

Last spring, three Heights High students told their school stories--about their lives as students and how the school staff made a difference to them. The short video stories are available on the CH-UH website www.chuh.org/multimedia/videos and were shown to CH-UH staff at the Convocation gathering on Aug. 29, before school started for students.

SEPTEMBER 6, 2011

• Books-A-Go-Go
• Leaders in Training
• Master teachers
• Graduates
• State report card
• Pathways to Choice
• Race to the Top
• High school student council
• “Tiger Nation”
• Football team
• Heights High vocalists and musicians

All board members were present.

We’ve just learned some terrible news for our Tiger family. Last evening CHHS Assistant Football Coach Mario Houston suffered a stroke at his home. He is currently hospitalized in critical condition. 

Canterbury Elementary School in the Cleveland Heights–University Heights City School District is hosting a health fair on Sept. 22 at 6 p.m. “Grow Healthy, Get Fit” is the theme of the fair, which will promote healthy eating and outdoor fitness activities.

"As the new head tiger here at Canterbury Elementary, I see this as just another part of our transformation," said Stacy Stuhldreher, Canterbury principal. "We are improving in all areas. To be our best academically, we have to take care of our bodies, mind and spirit. I'm expecting our families to participate in full force. It will be fun."

The Deborah S. Delisle Options Center at the corner of Taylor and Superior roads is designed to give students an alternative to Heights High. “Our goal is to reach students who have not achieved their greatest success in a traditional setting and help them graduate,” said Brain Williams, building coordinator. “The students here can succeed in school, and we think we can offer the right environment and structure to make that happen.”

The Heights High "Tiger" Marching Band will be featured on the Fox 8 morning show, “Kickin’ it with Kenny,” from 7 to 9 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 23. The band will play both short and extended segments throughout the program, and several students will be interviewed.

The band is directed by Brett Baker and Robert Adamson, with percussion assistance from Dan Allie and Larry Smith. The band is conducted by student drum majors Sean Robinson (senior) and Caroline Holt (junior).

The performance will air live from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. Afterwards, the students will watch a class presented by the Rock Hall titled "Fight the Power, Music as a Social Force" and tour the museum.

The Cleveland Heights–University Heights City School District has won a National Award of Merit from the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA) for the quality of the district’s website. 

Fifteen Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District teachers have earned the State of Ohio Master Teacher designation. 

A master teacher demonstrates excellence inside and outside the classroom through consistent leadership and focused collaboration to maximize student learning as specified by The Ohio Standards for the Teaching Profession. A master teacher also strives for distinguished teaching and continued professional growth.

State test scores show areas for improvement; district pledges strong growth this year  

The Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District continued to build momentum as it retained its rating of Continuous Improvement for last school year.

“In 2009, we had one school rated Effective. This year we have three Effective and one Excellent with Distinction. We always want to improve, and according to the state test results, that’s exactly what our schools have done,” said Superintendent Douglas Heuer. “We’ve instituted programs and initiatives in recent years that are producing results at every level. We’ve added additional instructional reading and mathematics time at the elementary and middle school levels. This year we’re changing how we’re doing instruction and working with staff on how to best teach in double block classes.”