Employees of the YearAt the opening meeting of all staff…

August 29, 2013

Employees of the Year
At the opening meeting of all staff on Aug. 19, Chagrin Falls Exempted Village Schools announced the 2013 Teacher and Staff Employee of the Year. This year’s recipient of the Teacher of the Year is John Brownlow, a history teacher at Chagrin Falls High School. The Staff Employee of the Year is Mary Jo Czerr, an educational aide at Gurney Elementary. They were acknowledged in front of their colleagues with standing ovations, as well as surprised by the presence of their families.
Each year, the district accepts nominations for both of these awards. The nominations are reviewed by a committee of leadership from the district and community support organizations, including the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO).
Chagrin Falls High School Principal Steven Ast presented John Brownlow with his award.
“You will always find Mr. Brownlow’s students engaged and often see him coaching them through challenging content in a thought-provoking yet entertaining manner,” said Ast. “His pedagogy is an art form with thoughtful questioning, perfectly executed wait time, and lesson delivery with such passion and energy that the interest and excitement for his subject is contagious.”
Excerpts from Brownlow’s nomination include:
“He challenges kids and they thrive under this challenge.”
“My son is clearly becoming his own person and forming his own opinions under his instruction.”
“Active debates and new ideas were brought home and shared nightly at the dinner table from his class.”
“I believe Mr. Brownlow is one of those teachers that my son will always remember and always credit with his success later in life.”
“As we celebrate his hard work and commitment to our district and its students, I thank him not only for his efforts in preparing students for life after high school, but also for the great learning experience they enjoy in his classroom,” said Ast.
Gurney Elementary Principal Rachel Jones presented Mary Jo Czerr with her award.
“Mary Jo is dedicated, determined, compassionate, brave, thoughtful, creative, and has a sense of humor,” said Dr. Jones. “She pours her heart and soul into her job. From arrival duty, in-class student support, student exercise groups, recess, lunch and dismissal duty, Mary Jo runs a marathon each day. She is always willing to learn new strategies and new technologies. When a student is having a rough day, she has some magic in her ability to simply take him/her on a walk, hold a hand and talk in a calm voice until everything seems okay again. Her amazing, creative abilities have all of us in awe.”
Cleveland Clinic Internship
Theresa Kosmides is beginning her senior year at Chagrin Falls High School with a better understanding of the areas of science and health care, thanks to a science internship through the Cleveland Clinic Summer Internship Program. The intensive, nine-week program offers hands-on experience in areas such as math, science, health and wellness, the arts and innovation. The programs are designed to “inspire the next generation of caregivers by expanding students’ learning experiences beyond the classroom doors,” said Rosalind Strickland, senior director, Office of Civic Education Initiatives.
“Before the internship I was a little apprehensive about being immersed into a completely professional atmosphere, but in the end I was reluctant to leave,” said Kosmides. “It was an eye opening experience where I got to see surgery up close and even conduct my own research. It was a great opportunity to see what a career in medicine would be like. Although it was hard to give up the majority of my summer, the experience was worth it as it made my decision to go into medicine concrete.”
Theresa was one of more than 100 Northeast Ohio students who took part in the summer program. She completed a science internship program with Dr. Tomasz Rogula at the Clinic’s Bariatric and Metabolic Institute, in which she learned about obesity and robotic assisted gastric bypass surgery. Her project compared the cost, complications and overall outcome of the robotic surgery with more traditional procedures.
“Tessa is an exceptional young woman with a passion for learning,” said Christine Deighan, Theresa’s AP Chemistry teacher last year.
“Tessa is an outstanding student and we were very excited that she was able to further explore her interest in science through these great internships at the Cleveland Clinic,” said Chagrin Falls High School Principal Steven Ast. “Over the years, some talented and fortunate Chagrin Falls High School students have had opportunities to work at the Cleveland Clinic through this program and it is such a great experience for them.”
100-Year Anniversary of Stadium Grandstand
The district will kick off the 100-year anniversary of its stadium grandstands at the first home varsity football game on Aug. 30. There will be a recognition ceremony at halftime. Superintendent Robert Hunt will recognize the Chagrin Falls Booster Club for all its work on the stadium, including the painting of “GO TIGERS” on the roof, installation of a new brick walkway and the creation of a 100-year banner.
There also will be a commemorative ticket honoring the 100-year anniversary of the grandstands. The stadium is located at 400 East Washington St.
Also, the Chagrin Falls Booster Club will have its annual tailgate party before Friday’s game from 5-7 p.m. Hamburgers and hot dogs, including chips, fruit, veggies, cookie and a drink will be available for under $10. The event includes activities for the whole family such as face painting, corn hole, football toss and kick it with soccer players. The Chagrin Falls High School marching band will provide music.
“For 100 years, this stadium has served as a gathering place for the community of Chagrin Falls,” said Hunt. “It has served as a centerpiece for community development and enjoyment, while providing an arena for our students to develop important skills. It represents the strength of community and value of tradition that are fundamental in making Chagrin Falls so very special.”
The stadium site was the original location of the Cuyahoga County Fair. As the fair’s popularity continued to grow, the concrete grandstand was constructed in 1913. Through the years, and because of the generous support of the Chagrin Falls Booster Club, Dads’ Club, Music Lovers, Chagrin Falls VFW, Giles Foundation, Chamber of Commerce and numerous community members, improvements have continued to be made to the entire stadium complex and thousands of games and events have been played.