Berkshire School News
January 24, 2019 by Staff Report

Aligned with the Berkshire Local Schools intent to purposefully equip students with future-ready skills so that they will become meaningful and contributing members of society, the district will play host to the Ohio Means Jobs state-sponsored jobs fair for Geauga County schools on April 11.

Berkshire to Host Jobs Fair

Aligned with the Berkshire Local Schools intent to purposefully equip students with future-ready skills so that they will become meaningful and contributing members of society, the district will play host to the Ohio Means Jobs state-sponsored jobs fair for Geauga County schools on April 11. The district is pleased to make the announcement as it is the first of its type in Geauga County.

The jobs fair will host approximately 50 area businesses and corporate entities together with whom students will have the opportunity to meet, engage and develop relationships. The Ohio Means Jobs initiative is designed to provide the future workforce in Ohio the opportunity to practice interview, obtain valuable internships, seek scholarships and uncover countless resources for career planning.

The jobs fair will be hosted in the gymnasium on April 11. Specific start and end times will be released at a future date.

The Berkshire Local Schools extends its gratitude to Ohio Means Jobs for their desire to partner with the school district to help provide this important opportunity for students. 

Space Exploration Comes to Ledgemont

Fifth-graders at Ledgemont Elementary School had the opportunity to explore the vast reaches of the solar system without leaving the school gym recently, thanks to the Nature Scopes binocular education program provided by the Foundation for Geauga Parks (formerly Geauga Park District). Students utilized binoculars donated by the foundation to participate in three interactive, astronomy-themed stations led by naturalists and foundation volunteers.  All content provided during the presentation matched Ohio Content Standards for fifth-grade science education.

The interstellar journey began with a tour of the sun, moon and planets projected onto the gym wall. Next, students learned how magnitude, or the brightness of a star, is calculated using size, distance and temperature. The program concluded with a view of the constellation-filled night sky inside the Stardome, which replicates a high-tech planetarium within an inflatable space.

Students had a blast participating in the program and look forward to the final session of the year-long Nature Scopes program, which includes a visit to Rookery Park in May 2019. Upon completion of the program, students will receive their own binoculars and field guides to encourage continued exploration of Geauga County’s parks, trails and natural spaces. Thank you to the Foundation for Geauga Parks for providing Ledgemont students an interactive and engaging educational experience.

AD Receives CIC Grant

In an effort to offset costs associated with the routine maintenance of the baseball diamond for the varsity baseball program, Berkshire Athletic Director Brian Hiscox recently secured a $5,000 grant from the Cleveland Indians Charities for various field upgrades. Coach Hiscox intends on using these dollars for the upcoming 2019 spring baseball season.

The Cleveland Indians Charities is a self-sustaining charitable organization that concentrates on creative partnerships with select organizations in the community. Through fundraising, CIC provides the opportunity to jointly create and execute youth educational and recreational opportunities. The programs help young people learn to play the game of baseball, develop necessary life skills, learn responsibility and develop confidence to face today’s hurdles. The Berkshire Local Schools commends Coach Hiscox for his creativity and diligence in securing this grant from the Cleveland Indians.

Students Demonstrate Project Based Learning

First-grade students from Mrs. Mann’s class recently attended the regular meeting of the Berkshire Local School Board of Education to share some of the classroom lessons they have been learning through the project based learning approach. They shared with board members the various skills they have been learning that focus on completing projects in association with traditional learning skills.

The intent of project based learning is to further develop critical thinking and decision making skills in the minds of Berkshire students with an aim of truly preparing them for their respective future. The public engagement skills of some of the district’s youngest students were on full display during the meeting and the Berkshire Local Schools congratulates the first-graders for their efforts.