Gurney Elementary School students had the opportunity to show off their spelling skills at the school spelling bee on May 30...
Gurney Spelling Bee
Gurney Elementary School students had the opportunity to show off their spelling skills at the school spelling bee on May 30. The winner was third-grader Vivian Self, who walked away with a medal and a T-shirt to commemorate her achievement of properly spelling the winning word “telescope.” Silas Hardwick, also in third-grade, was the runner-up.
Principal Rachel Jones came up with the idea to start Gurney Elementary’s first-ever spelling bee, seeing it as another opportunity to promote literacy among her students. Second-grade teacher Ellen Jones and reading intervention teacher Courtney Mooney volunteered to lead the spelling bee while Molly Klodor, the district instructional technology coach, joined in building excitement for the event by designing a logo as well as making medals and certificates for winners.
Students and teachers prepared for the special day by creating a Google Classroom with a variety of resources to learn about and study for the spelling bee. As excitement for the bee was building, teachers and staff members began to share stories of when they were in spelling bees as children. A bulletin board was created that showed the picture of the teacher and the word they got out on in their spelling bee.
Third-grade teacher Sandra Goodin won her second-grade spelling bee with the word “sure.” Michael Baldwin, the school resource officer, was eliminated on the word “album.” Not only did the students enjoy making connections with their teachers and staff members, but the stories they shared showed the students that it’s important to take risks and try new things.
During the last week of April, Gurney Elementary’s second- and third-grade classes held their own class spelling bees to determine who would participate in the school-wide spelling bee. The winner and runner-up of each class spelling bee – 22 students total – were the ones to participate in the school spelling bee.
The day of the official spelling bee finally arrived and the students gathered in the gym to watch their peers faceoff on stage. The MC was the school librarian MaryJo Czerr. She truly took on the role by telling plenty of jokes and even making her own bee costume. Christopher Engelhart, Gurney Elementary School’s Spanish teacher, was the announcer and Dale Tschappat, school guidance counselor, was the score keeper.
The spelling bee included five rounds and then a championship round, which took six rounds between the final two spellers to determine the winner – proving just how tough the competition was. After such a successful event, the school plans to continue this new tradition at Gurney for many years to come.
CFMS Students of the Month
The mission of the Chagrin Falls Middle School Students of the Month is to acknowledge and reward students for exemplary performance. The students depict Tiger Techniques: Think, Integrity, Grit, Effort and Responsibility. Each month, the seventh and eighth grade teams collaborate and choose a male and female “Tiger of the Month” and the students receive personalized tiger water bottles from the PTO.
The May Students of the Month are seventh-graders Paige Morrison and Jack Shein and eighth-graders Sophie Perzynski and Anton Flach.
Paige Morrison is a helpful, kind-hearted, caring individual. She brings a positive attitude to class each day and always encourages those around her to do their best. She is patient with her peers and respectful towards everyone. Additionally, Paige is empathetic and always willing to participate in class. Paige always came to PLTW with a smile on her face and a willing attitude. The school values her input as a member of the Principal’s Advisory Council.
Jack Shein is an amazing pianist and has done an outstanding job in the seventh-grade orchestra this year. His positive attitude and strong work ethic are what make him shine. He also has a talent for solving problems in creative ways. Jack is a true leader in Chinese class. He not only goes above and beyond himself, but also supports and helps friends around him to do the same. Jack works quickly and accurately in PLTW class. He follows directions well and meets expectations. Jack is a valued member of the Speech and Debate team in the categories of Extemporaneous Debate and Public Forum where he competed at the state level. He brings these skills of speaking, writing, and critical thinking to the classroom as well!
Sophie Perzynski is an excellent problem solver. She evaluates her solutions and thinks critically to improve upon her team’s ideas. She leads by example and you can tell she is eager to succeed in everything she does. She is thorough in her work and extremely detail-oriented. Along with that, Sophie is kind, respectful, and always willing to help out. Sophie is a great leader and works extremely hard at the clarinet. She is a wonderful model for her peers in band class.
Anton Flach is a leader in the English classroom and on the Speech & Debate Team as Extemporaneous Debater where he has continued to place and even compete at the state level. His critical thinking skills paired with excellent speaking and writing skills has set him up for a successful future in high school. Anton was a leader by example on our track team and Anton always gives his best in PLTW class.
Anton leads by example and is an extremely hard worker in band class. He is a wonderful trombonist.
