Chardon Schools Approve Creation of Lacrosse Club
Chardon Superintendent Michael Hanlon is an athletic man, remaining active in adult sports, like hockey, even after his physical prime, circa 1980 as a senior…
Chardon Superintendent Michael Hanlon is an athletic man, remaining active in adult sports, like hockey, even after his physical prime, circa 1980 as a senior at St. Joseph’s High School.
That could help to explain Hanlon’s support of new Chardon sports.
At Monday’s regular Chardon Schools Board of Education meeting, the board approved the creation of a boys lacrosse program, a club sport.
The decision comes two months after the board elevated Chardon’s swim team, a club sport, to a varsity sport, boys and girls.
After the 5-0 vote, Hanlon said he had coached lacrosse before and may stop down to “throw the ball around” once practice begins in the spring.
About 15 players and coaches were at the meeting, wearing gray “Chardon Lacrosse” T-shirts.
Afterward, a few of the younger players, who currently play in the Lake County Lightning Youth program because Geauga County has no offerings, said they were excited about the addition.
“It’s a mix of a lot of sports,” said Aiden Enright, a seventh-grader. “You have the ball a lot. It’s fast-paced and really fun.”
Aiden agrees with Christian and Nick Bross that the sport is more exciting than baseball, the more traditional spring sport in the area.
“In baseball, you don’t get a lot of action,” said Christian, a sixth-grader. “In lacrosse, there’s contact, kind of like football.”
The Bross family wasn’t familiar with the sport until someone on their Hambden Township street introduced them to it.
“But now we’re going to try to make it a family thing,” said Nick, a seventh-grader.
The program, which has four board members, including President Gary Wascovich, will next decide on a head coach and whether it will open participation up to other Geauga County players — an option with the Ohio High School Lacrosse Association.
The sport will add no cost to the school district through its use of fundraisers, something that encouraged board member Guy Wilson, who likes to see a wider range of athletics offered to Hilltoppers.
The other meeting highlight was the approval of a new Hambden Elementary School principal, Mathew Prezioso.
Prezioso has spent the past 15 years as a teacher and principal at Southeast Schools, located in southern Portage County.
He said it was going to be an exciting year.
Jake Rosboril of Munson Township was honored by the board for his participation on the gold medal softball team in the 2014 Special Olympics.
Rosboril, 19 and now graduated, played outfield and catcher.
The board also approved about 21 Re-Education Services agreements for students with special needs. Re-Education Services is a company in Lake County.
The agreements, which contracted classroom and transportation aid, totaled about $300,000 — but were a savings to the school had the mandated care been provided in-house, reiterated board member Paul Stefanko.
Technology New and Old
More than 60 teachers showed up to a June 18 Chrome Camp to get prepared for the school’s transition to Google-based cloud technology in the coming school year.
All sixth-graders through seniors will receive a Google Chromebook, a lightweight laptop intended to use the Internet to store and share assignments and take tests.
Those students will be able to take the Chromebooks home with them throughout the school year. Students in grades third, fourth and fifth will have Chromebooks that remain in the classroom.
In a sign of the times, the board also decided to dispose of a heavy duty filing cabinet and typewriter during the treasurer’s report.
“This makes me feel old,” said board Vice President Karen Blankenship of the obsolescence of typewriters.
President David Fairbanks was using a Chromebook to show those attending the meeting the board’s July 14 agenda.
The district now uses a service called BoardDocs to share the agenda at least three days prior to the meeting.
“This system will improve accessibility for all stakeholders to important information related to the governance of the Chardon Local Schools,” wrote District Community Coordinator Ellen Ondrey in an email announcing the change.
No public comments were made during the meeting, which lasted about 45 minutes.
