Since 1919, when it was called "Armistice Day," America and the rest of the world have ...
Veterans Day Program
By Chagrin Falls High School freshman Thomas Preston
Since 1919, when it was called “Armistice Day,” America and the rest of the world have celebrated some sort of celebrations for World War I ending. Great Britain and some places in Europe celebrate “Remembrance Day,” a day where people wear paper poppies and at 11 a.m. on the 11th of November, they have two minutes of silence. However, in the United States, Veterans Day is celebrated to honor all veterans who served in wars throughout time.
On Nov. 11, the day at Chagrin Falls Middle School started with the high school select choir singing its rendition of the national anthem.
Mr. Jeff Womack, who is a retired veteran and high school teacher, gave a speech, followed by Mr. Charles McGibony who said, “In a way, Veterans Day is like Thanksgiving. It’s important to give thanks.”
He also said, “What all veterans have in common is the uniform.”
The history of Armistice Day was shared and the origins of the poem in Flanders Fields. The marching band then performed an armed force medley. The band played the anthems from the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Army, the U.S. Marines and the U.S. Air Force. Veterans from each branch were asked to stand when their anthem played.
“The assembly was a good experience and a great way to see first hand how America celebrates Armistice Day,” said freshman Thomas Preston. “Having moved from the UK less than six months ago, this was a good insight into the differences of America on today’s celebrations.”
Club 45 STEM Classes
Chagrin Falls Intermediate School’s Club 45 students in Kathy Warren’s classes focus on STEM, specifically forces and motion, and have been studying natural disasters. They have been exploring hurricanes, tsunamis and earthquakes and their studies culminated with the students designing an “earthquake proof” structure.
Teams designed and constructed a two-story, 12 inches high structure, which had to withstand a 10 second earthquake. All structures upheld successfully.
Art Club Students Blow Glass
The Chagrin Falls High School Art Club took 15 members to The Glass Asylum in Chagrin Falls on Nov. 8 to learn the skill of glass blowing. Each student was provided the opportunity to create either a glass blown ornament or a flower through glass pinching and pulling processes. Students worked one-on-one with an artist and were also provided color options for their ornament or flower.
One of the glass artists, Angelina Colasante, is a Chagrin Falls High School graduate who discovered glass blowing while eavesdropping on a conversation her teacher was having with another student.
“It was an awesome process and medium for the students to experience,” said Art Club advisor Libby Harrold.
Chagrin Falls Dads’ Club
The Chagrin Falls Dads’ Club has been hard at work this school year. The club just wrapped up its Halloween Ball and Auction on Oct. 24 at Wiegand’s Lake Park Dance Hall. There were more than 110 donations for the auction from local businesses and residents that raised $11,000 for the club.
The next event coming up is the Texas Hold’em Poker Night on Dec. 4. It will be held at the Chagrin Falls Historical Society, and all of the proceeds will go to the society.
For an entry fee of $100, each participant will receive $3,000 in chips and food. Part of this fee will also go straight to the historical society. For an additional $50, participants will receive $1,500 in chips, extra $25 donation to the historical society and $25 into the pot. The tournament begins at 7:15 p.m.
The Dads’ Club is also working with the Superintendent’s Student Advisory Committee to promote a Chagrin Night at a Lake Erie Monsters game. The hope is to run a 50/50 auction where the club would get 20 percent of the proceeds to be split between the Superintendent’s Student Advisory Committee and the Innovation Lab.
CMS Student Council
The Chagrin Falls Middle School Student Council of 2015-16 has accomplished many different tasks since the beginning of this school year. The council is advised by Mrs. Christine Briggs and Mr. Kyle Patterson. They have advised the council on how to make good choices for the benefit of Chagrin Falls Middle School. They meet every other Thursday before school in Mrs. Briggs’ classroom, and the meeting agenda follows Robert’s Rules of Order, which helps keep everyone on track and accomplish a great deal.
The eighth-grade officers elected last spring include: Mary Mahoney, president; Cameron Owen, vice president; and Zach Thompson, treasurer. There are two student representatives for each homeroom elected in August. These reps are part of committees and report back to their homerooms the activities of student council. They also listen to their constituents and report back to student council about student concerns and ideas.
Student council started off the year by having a retreat in Sands Community Room, where student council members got to know one another, created goals, signed up for committees and got to work in planning events.
So far this year, student council assisted in the planning and implementation of Walk to School/Walk to Town Day, organized a Spirit Week before homecoming, assisted at Sloppy Bowls, hosted a new student luncheon and threw a wildly popular Halloween-themed dance. The committees are always coming up with new and fun ways to do things. For example, for the first time this year, the Halloween dance had a Halloween King and Queen for each grade, which allowed students to vote their peers into these fun positions.
Another example of an event is the new student welcoming lunch. The basic premise of the occasion was to make the new students of CFMS feel welcomed to their new school by student council and, in turn, to gain some new friends. It took place during the both seventh- and eighth-grade lunch periods. Pizza, wings and soda were served to the attenders.
As the year progresses, student council has many more activities planned, including two more dances on Dec. 11 and April 22. Zookeepers Anna Gellin, Mitch Gravely and Paul Fierman have fun events planned at middle school sporting events, including the opportunity to hang out in the cafeteria in the hour between school and the start of some of the sporting events. In the winter and spring, student council will plan and conduct charity events to give back to the community, including teaming up with the Chagrin Falls Fire Department for its annual canned food drive and service work at the Cleveland Foodbank.
The members of the CFMS Student Council help the school to become a more welcoming place through its advisors, officers, representatives and all sorts of events that bring the students closer together.
Santa Breakfast
On Dec. 5, the Chagrin Falls baseball team will hold its annual all-you-can-eat pancake Breakfast with Santa. Breakfast will be held in the middle school cafeteria with two seatings at 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. The cost is $10 per person, with children under age 3 getting in for free.
Besides all-you-can-eat pancakes served by the baseball elves, guests will also be able to take photos with Santa, create delightful crafts including magical reindeer food and participate in a raffle with many prizes like tickets to a Cleveland Indian’s Game.
Be sure to place reservations ahead of time and make checks payable to “Chagrin Falls High School Baseball.” Checks can be sent to: BWS at 1152 Sheerbrook, South Russell, OH 44022. Signups are online as well at https://fundly.com/cfhs-santa-breakfast-1. Email ChagrinBWS@gmail.com with any questions.
Kindergarten Writer’s Workshop
In Vanessa Mattson’s kindergarten class at Gurney Elementary School, one of the favorite Writer’s Workshop lessons is on labeling. Students follow steps on how to draw a turkey and then they label their pictures.
“We’ve been talking about the importance of labels and how they give us information about something we may not already know,” said Mattson. “This lesson gives my students the opportunity to have fun while learning.”
