CFIS One Book One SchoolThe Chagrin Falls Intermediate School recently…

May 16, 2013

CFIS One Book One School
The Chagrin Falls Intermediate School recently kicked off this year’s One School One Book program with a surprise school-wide assembly. The assembly was built around this year’s novel choice, “The Lemonade War.” It featured a skit performed by six teachers and sixth-grade student Chester Hill. In the course of the assembly, the book and its plot were revealed. Students also enjoyed an entertaining video starring their principal and teachers.
The book centers around two characters, Evan and Jessie, who, with just five days left of summer vacation, launch an all-out war to see who can sell the most lemonade before school starts. As the battleground heats up, there really is no telling who will win or if their fight will ever end.
There are many related projects going on, as everyone in the building is reading the novel at the same time. Information is posted on the school’s One School One Book website, where students can find related resources and chapter podcasts recorded by school district staff.
In addition, the school’s service club will be selling lemonade at recess. Students can pay 50 cents or donate a book, and all collections will be used to support the library at the Near West Intergenerational School in Cleveland.
One of the most exciting parts of the program is an actual visit to the building by the author Jacqueline Davies. Davies, a Cleveland native, will be working with all students over a two-day period. The Chagrin Falls PTO has generously supported this visit and the novels provided to each student.
The One School, One Book is a program designed to create a shared reading experience within a single school community. A book is chosen, every family in the school receives a copy and every family reads that book at home over the course of a single month. Activities at school promote and enrich the shared reading experience.
Rotary Student of the Month
The Chagrin Falls High School Rotary Student for May is Rachel Clemens. Rachel is a National Merit commended student as well as an Advanced Placement Scholar with Distinction.
In addition, she was a member of the Cum Laude Society, was selected as the AP English 12 Student of the Year, received the Le Prix Francais du Cercle des Francaises 2012 French award and was named as the school’s OHSAA Scholar Athlete recipient for 2013.
She is also active in school as a member of the school’s literary magazine the Prism and in the Key Club. She has played four years of soccer and lacrosse, earning Academic All Ohio honors in both sports. In addition, she was part of the girls lacrosse state finalist team in 2010 and the 2012 state semifinalist team.
Outside of school, Rachel is part of the Federated Church Youth Group and serves as a Sunday school leader at the Federated Church. She has also been very involved in Girl Scouts, receiving the Girl Scout’s Silver Award as well as the Presidential Service Award. Her academic resume includes 11 Advanced Placement courses.
Rachel will attend Williams College in the fall.
Acting Superintendents Get a Taste for the Job
Two Chagrin Falls students got to find out what it is really like to be superintendent of the Chagrin Falls Schools. Intermediate School fifth-grader Ginny Kazinger and her Gurney second-grade sister Marie got the honor when their parents, Greg and Jean, won a Chagrin Falls Dad’s Club auction.
The girls got a taste for Superintendent Robert Hunt’s length of day because it actually started the night before when they were formally sworn in to the position at the Chagrin Falls Board of Education meeting. The next day they were with Mr. Hunt at 7:15 a.m. at his monthly Rotary breakfast. From there they had a chance to do something they both said was their favorite activity – visit some of their former teachers, part of Mr. Hunt’s weekly schedule as he follows up on the good things going on in the district.
Ginny stopped by three former teachers’ classrooms: Mrs. Sheryl Halagan, who she said always challenged her; Mrs. Katie Adick, who she said was instrumental in her transition from Gurney to the Intermediate School; and Mr. Gary Dole who inspired her. Marie asked to stop by Mrs. Lisa Dugach’s classroom because she really missed her.
The acting superintendents sat in on a job interview, talked with the Rotary Student of the Month, and then actually recorded the eblast that was sent to the community about an upcoming delayed start. After doing some classroom walkthroughs with Director of Curriculum Chuck Murphy, the girls sat in on a meeting for the Gurney playground, where they provided input on color selections and attended a Superintendent/Student Advisory Team meeting about facility master planning. In addition, they had lunch in the high school cafeteria accompanied by high school students Lauren Mahoney and Sam Welch.
When asked about what they now thought of the superintendent’s job, both girls said that they did not realize how much he has to do in a day.
Mr. Hunt added about the day, “It was extremely enjoyable to spend the day with two of our students. They provide a unique perspective that we need to tap into more often.”
CFHS Receives Recognition
Newsweek Magazine and The Daily Beast analyzed the data from thousands of high schools to find the nations’ best. They recently announced their list of “America’s Best High Schools for 2013.” Chagrin Falls High School was ranked as the 25th best in the Midwest Region and the ninth best in Ohio.
This year’s ranking highlights the best 2,000 public high schools in the nation — those that have proven to be the most effective in turning out college-ready grads. The list is based on six components: graduation rate (25 percent), college acceptance rate (25 percent), AP/IB/AICE tests taken per student (25 percent), average SAT/ACT scores (10 percent), average AP/IB/AICE scores (10 percent) and percent of students enrolled in at least one AP/IB/AICE course (5 percent).