Chardon Schools

June 6, 2013 by Submitted

CSF Awards Spring Grants

The Chardon Schools Foundation has funded over $29,000 in recent grants to benefit district educational programs and teachers serving students ranging from elementary through high school.

Established in 1989, the Chardon Schools Foundation (CSF) believes that excellent schools are essential to the economic and social welfare of the community it serves. CSF financially supports educational projects and initiatives that will add excitement and imagination to the learning process.

David Jevnikar, CSF president, states, “The Chardon Schools Foundation is funded solely by contributions from local individuals and businesses. By providing funds to teachers and staff with innovative ideas, CSF hopes to ensure the highest quality education for students in the Chardon Schools.”

CSF provides funds twice a year through its grant review process.

Exciting projects receiving recent funding include:

• Birthday Celebration funding awarded to Hambden Elementary School: $755 to celebrate the school building’s 90th birthday. A variety of social science and reading activities will explore the early days of Hambden Township, experiences of some of Hambden Township’s older residents and a monthlong reading adventure with “The Indian in the Cupboard”;

• Mobi Student Response System funding awarded to Sierra Polsinelli, teacher at Chardon High School: $4,154 for the purchase of a student response system for math students. MSRS provides for more active engagement and participation of students especially those students needing more assistance with math concepts and skills;

• Park Auditorium Sound System Upgrade funding awarded to Sharon Monarchino, district elementary school music instructor: $2,500 awarded towards a larger grant needed to upgrade and unify sound systems used by district concert and drama productions;

• Spies, Lies & Alibis reading program funding awarded to Lee Ann Ferguson, teacher at Munson Elementary School: $1,088 for books and materials as well as a workshop visit from noted mystery author Les Roberts for a fun approach to reading through mystery books;

• Academic Decathlon funding awarded to Allen Herner, high school teacher: $854 materials for students competing in this academic-style competition. Academic Decathlon involves students with A, B and C GPAs, to create a team of diverse he knowledge sets. This year, Chardon High School teams and individual students competed at the national Level for the second year in a row;

• Voki Spanish Subscription funding awarded to Stacy Teckavec, Spanish language teacher at Chardon High School: $850 to provide Spanish students equipment and online access to a site that allows students to practice and record their own foreign language speaking. This provides both the student and the teacher the opportunity to hear and correct pronunciation, etc.;

• Sensors in Science funding awarded to Jill Carpentar, physical science teacher at Chardon High School: $3,500 awarded towards the purchase of upgraded motion detectors and other equipment for measuring electiricity, gravity, friction, chemical reactions and more;

• Chardon Middle School Technology Support funding awarded to Michael Pennington, social studies teacher: $3,700 for iPad mini-tablets for the seventh-grade teacher team to coordinate research, planning and student instruction;

• Munson Elementary School Technology Support funding awarded to Doug Robinson, fifth-grade teacher: approximately $6,000 towards a larger grant for Chromebooks for his classroom;

• Park Elementary Technology Support funding awarded to Becky Mele, fifth-grade teacher: approximately $6,000 towards a larger grant for Chromebooks for her classroom.

Additionally, CSF has awarded $500 to each school library in the district in memory of Michele Peace, who served on the CSF board for many years and passed away during the school year. Peace was a tireless advocate for education in the district and an enthusiastic reader herself. Each school library will use these memorial gifts from CSF to meet the reading needs of students in their individual school buildings.

The Chardon Schools Foundation exists through the support of local donors. The community’s generous gifts keep CSF’s funding vibrant and responsive to the needs of the school district. Send a contribution to P.O. Box 838, Chardon, OH 44024. Or, make a donation online at the CSF website.

For more information on the Chardon Schools Foundation, to make a donation, receive a grant application or assistance in seeking a grant, please visit www.chardonschoolsfoundation.org. For information, contact Dave Jevnikar at 440-285-7654.

Chardon Keepsake Gifts

Looking for a gift idea for graduation, promotion or that special teacher? Purchase a collectible Cat’s Meow Chardon school building or bus. There are replicas of each of the Chardon School District buildings with historical information on the back and also a cute, little school bus. The buildings are $16 and the bus is $10. They are available for purchase at Geauga Music Center, Sheauga Gallery and Richard’s Maple Products.

Proceeds support the Chardon High School After Prom.

Chardon Kids Flea Market

The Chardon Kids Flea Market is June 9 from noon to 4 p.m. in the Chardon Square Park. Sponsored by the Chardon Square Association as part of the 2013 Chardon KidsFest, the event is designed to introduce children to the basics of entrepreneurship.

Deadline for applications is June 6. Please direct any inquiries to: Stefany Bell, Chardon KidsFest Committee chair, 440-285-3700 or Info@ChardonKidsFest.com.

8th-Grade Washington, D.C. Trip

Chardon Middle School eighth-graders recently enjoyed a three-day tour of the U.S. Capitol. The trip was organized by CMS teacher Bev Mysyk.

While in Washington, D.C., the students visited Ford’s Theater, the World War II Memorial, the Korean War Memorial, the Vietnam Memorial and Smithsonian Museums. They also observed a debate on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives and toured George Washington’s estate at Mount Vernon.

A very special highlight of the trip was when CMS students Seth Austin, Jessica Queen, Flo Piotrkowski and Matt Klingbergs presented a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery’s Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

The group left Chardon in the predawn hours on May 22 and returned late evening on May 24, just in time to share the trip with their families over Memorial Day weekend.