Ashley Brzozowski, Berkshire High School intervention specialist and transition to work coordinator, has been selected by her peers to receive the Career Technical Professional of the Year award for her contributions to education and the Ohio Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) Special Needs Division...
Brzozowski Receives Award
Ashley Brzozowski, Berkshire High School intervention specialist and transition to work coordinator, has been selected by her peers to receive the Career Technical Professional of the Year award for her contributions to education and the Ohio Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) Special Needs Division. Brzozowski was nominated for the award by Berkshire School Board member John Manfredi and high school intervention specialist Earl Beebe.
In her role as the transition to work coordinator, Brzozowski oversees the Badger Lab Vocational Program, which provides real-world, problem-solving opportunities for students with partnering businesses and organizations. In participation, students learn valuable and transferable life skills for today’s workforce. During the current school year, The Badger Lab has helped to secure paid internship opportunities for students with Great Lakes Growers and Domino’s Pizza and formed a new partnership with the Kent State University Geauga campus.
Kindergartners Plant a Tree
During the spring, the kindergarten classes at Berkshire Elementary School learned about living and nonliving things and how to take care of Earth, including various ways to raise awareness about protecting the environment. Students participated in a parade around the school and walked down to the Kent State Geauga campus to display simple action steps such as “turn off the lights,” “don’t waste water” and “plant trees” that can have a big impact on preserving the planet.
Putting their words into action, the kindergarten classes decided to plant a tree of their own. The tree was graciously donated and planted by Ryerson Tree and the Ryerson family, including third-grader Jackson, first-grader Weston and soon-to-be kindergartener Nolan. The class of 2035 became the first of many future generations of Berkshire students to plant a tree in the new Kinder-Garden, creating a lasting reminder of the importance of caring for Earth. A commemorative plaque will be created next school year using the school’s Makerspace and placed near the inaugural tree. In the future, members of the Class of 2035 will have the opportunity to take a picture in front of the tree on their graduation day.
Greenhouse Project
Thanks to the generous support of community partners, second-graders at Berkshire Elementary School were able to study, grow and harvest an assortment of delicious produce during the 2022-23 school year. The produce was grown using the Kent State University-Geauga Campus greenhouse facilities using containers, soil, seeds and other tools purchased through a grant provided by the Geauga Soil and Water Conservation District. During the project-based learning experience, students conducted research on various types of plants and how to grow them and visited the greenhouse on a weekly basis to monitor plant growth using measuring tools and graphs. The students also honed their gardening skills by watering, thinning and successfully harvesting a wide variety of plants, including kale, spinach, lettuce, carrots, pepper and cabbage. Students also became teachers by planning and delivering lessons, as well as coordinating a field trip to the greenhouse for kindergarten students.
On May 8, the students shared about their learning experience during a presentation for the Berkshire Local Schools Board of Education. The presentation concluded with the students sharing some of their freshly harvested produce.
