The Chagrin Falls MS/IS Drama Club will present G2K "Once Upon A Mattress" on Nov. 21 at 7 p.m. and Nov.…
Club Play Opens Nov. 21
The Chagrin Falls MS/IS Drama Club will present G2K “Once Upon A Mattress” on Nov. 21 at 7 p.m. and Nov. 22 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. in the intermediate school auditorium.
Tickets will be available at the door or by calling 440-247-9235. Tickets are $5 for students and $8 for adults.
More than 80 students in grades five through eight will be featured in the cast and crew of this timeless fairy tale of “The Princess and the Pea.” Under the direction of Pat Haynish and Lucy Brown key roles include: Chandler Wood as the Minstrel, Luke Rathbone as the Jester, Ruby Brandon as the Wizard, Mary Mahoney as Queen Aggravain, Robert Snider as the Silent King, Adam Holthaus as Prince Dauntless, Ella Murray as Princess Winnifred, Chester Hill as Sir Harry and Emmie Ferguson as Lady Larken.
Veterans Honored
It was the loudest sound one young man had ever heard — the simultaneous blasting of 480 ship horns heralding the raising of the American flag on Iwo Jima. It is just one of the memories shared by area veterans in the documentary “One Mission: Chagrin Falls,” produced in 2010 by resident Todd Lyle.
The veterans share their tales of service that span from the battlefields of World War II, the jungles of Vietnam and the burning oil fields of the Gulf War, to the desert sand of Iraq and the harsh mountains of Afghanistan. The stories, some shared for the first time in the film, are emotional, raw and sometimes surprising, but all center around the same mission, the defense of freedom.
On Nov. 11, during “One Mission: Redux,” students and residents had two opportunities to hear the stories. Students gathered during a morning assembly to hear a panel discussion including three of the veterans featured in the film: World War II veteran Aaron Fox of Auburn, Vietnam veteran James McEnaney of Chagrin Falls and Iraq veteran James Alumni of South Russell. Student Tyler Thompson, son of a U.S. Marine officer, introduced the veterans. A 10-minute segment of the documentary also was shown.
At 7:30 p.m., residents, senior citizens and veterans attended a showing of “One Mission” at the Chagrin Falls Performing Arts Center.
CFIS Writing Forum
Published local authors and other writers converged on Chagrin Falls Intermediate School Nov. 7 for an all-day writing forum. The day began with a keynote speech by Shelley Pearsall of Akron, author of five intermediate level books, including her latest, “Jump Into the Sky.”
Other local writers spoke during five 35-minute sessions, including Chagrin Falls authors Daniel Porter, “‘Til the Streetlights Come On: Lessons Learned from Neighborhood Games,” Sandra Philipson, the “Max and Annie” series, Neil Markey, “Woof,” Mara Purnhagen, “Past Midnight” and three other young adult novels and Jessica McKendry, “From the Ashes.”
Editor Ellen Kleineman and reporters Tony Lange and Sue Reid from the Chagrin Valley Times, attorney Shawn Acton, public relations manager Christine Thome, and interns from the Chagrin Falls High School Write Place also shared stories about their writing experiences.
In addition to showing examples of their own writing, Principal Rebecca Holthaus asked the experts to talk about the writing process and the importance of continuously practicing writing skills.
“We decided that we wanted to also invite professionals who write a great deal so our children can make connections to the real world,” she said.
The students also received journals to use during the day during the mini sessions, “Sacred Writing time” and a final activity.
Tree and Wreath Sale
The After Prom Parent Committee is conducting their annual tree and wreath sale. Fraser firs and pine wreaths can be ordered through Nov. 29 at a discount. Two sizes of trees are available.
Trees can also be purchased on the pickup day at the high school on Dec. 6 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Delivery is available for a fee.
Consider a new family tradition and support a great cause at the same time.
Rotary Student of the Month
Devon Riegel has been selected as the Chagrin Valley Rotary Club High School Student of the Month for November.
A senior at Chagrin Falls High School, Devon excels in many areas, especially those involving creativity and the arts. This year, she was named a National Merit Commended Scholar, AP Scholar with Distinction and Tiger of the Semester. She also earned the CFHS Art Purchase Award, Scholastic Silver Key Award for original short story, and in 2012, earned the Scholastic Gold Key Award for original visual art.
Devon is a current member of the CFHS Jazz Band and a four-year member of the Select A Capella Pop Choir and the marching band, for which she served as field commander this year. On stage, she has performed with CFHS drama program in “Fiddler on the Roof,” “Aida,” “Seussical the Musical,” “David Ives’ One Acts,” and she plans to audition for “Cinderella” in the spring. Other extracurricular activities include Key Club, International Club, Philosophy Club and Art Club.
Her creative endeavors continue outside of school, including writing and publishing original songs, playing flute with the Cleveland Youth Wind Symphony, taking lessons in voice, flute, piano and drums, giving lessons in guitar and membership with of the American Society of Composers, Authors & Publishers. In addition, she is the primary owner of Little Sparks Designs LLC, which produces original designs on screen-printed T-shirts.
Devon has not yet decided on her future plans, but has applied to eight colleges across the country. She is interested in the music industry, songwriting, neuroscience and law.
