Chagrin Falls Schools is pleased to announce that the Chagrin Falls Boosters Club has made a $20,000 donation to assist with funding a School Resource Officer...
Booster Club Donates $20,000 for SRO
Chagrin Falls Schools is pleased to announce that the Chagrin Falls Boosters Club has made a $20,000 donation to assist with funding a School Resource Officer (SRO). The donation completes the matching challenge of an anonymous donor and will allow the SRO to start immediately on April 1. A gift from the Chagrin Falls PTO will pay for the officer’s training over the summer. For the 2018-2019 school year, the school district is working in conjunction with the villages of South Russell and Chagrin Falls to fund the position moving forward.
“The Booster Club vote was unanimous,” said Mark Munday, Boosters Club president. “We felt it was critical given recent events to get the SRO in place immediately. Boosters is committed to funding projects other than just those that are sports-related.”
The Chagrin Falls and South Russell police departments have maintained a consistent police presence at all of the buildings. However, this will give the school district a dedicated police officer.
“My calculus class was talking about the SRO,” said senior Lucy Ranieri. “We have gotten to know these officers well from the Chagrin Classic and feel comfortable in their presence. It will be nice to talk to them if we feel uneasy or have concerns.”
Chagrin Falls Police Department has selected Officer Michael Baldwin to serve as the district school resource officer. Officer Baldwin has devoted his entire life to public service. He served in the Ohio National Guard completing a tour of duty in Iraq and upon his return was assigned to the Chagrin Falls Armory. Local veterans groups and the Chagrin Valley Rotary Club were able to assist him with a scholarship to attend the University of Akron Police Academy, where he graduated first in his class. He was hired by the Chagrin Police Department upon his graduation and has been serving our community for more than 12 years. In May, Officer Baldwin will graduate with his bachelor’s degree in theological studies with a minor in counseling from Liberty University.
“Mr. Baldwin has the ideal professional experiences to be an extremely successful School Resource Officer,” said Superintendent Robert Hunt. “It is phenomenal how quickly the community came together to make this happen. We raised more than $40,000 in one week to put the SRO in place.”
Officer Baldwin will immediately be involved in district safety initiatives and assist with leading the coordination of safety planning with our local first responders. Periodic updates will be provided to residents through Chagrin Falls Board of Education and local council meetings.
Local Author Visits Chagrin Falls Middle School
Chagrin Falls Middle School hosted local author Jessica McKendry on March 16. McKendry is a 21-year-old writer and author who began writing poetry before transitioning into writing novels. She has two published books, “From the Ashes” and “The Inferiors,” and is planning to write more. In addition to her books, she writes a blog entitled: “My Unofficial Guide to Everything,” where she hopes to spread love and hope while inspiring others to do the same, including those who have different views.
Students enjoyed meeting and talking with McKendry.
“It was a great experience,” said eighth-grader Paelyn Benz. “It inspired me to want to write knowing that anything is possible for anyone.”
Eighth-grader Hadlie Fritz said, “It was such a cool experience to learn from an author that started writing a book at a very young age.”
Breakfast of Champions
On March 14, the Northeast Region of the Ohio Middle-Level Association hosted a Breakfast of Champions in Independence to honor students for their leadership, service and character. Seventh-grader Elizabeth Rankin and eighth-grader Wes Kaas were both recognized at this event. Each student attended with their parents.
Wes Kaas is a hardworking, fun, and dedicated leader at the middle school. Serving as Student Council president and member of the football team, he is a positive, encouraging, and helpful voice for all of his peers. Wes invests himself 100 percent in everything he does and puts in the hours to help make events and discussions fun and meaningful. Also, Wes is kind, polite and thoughtful in all of his interactions with peers and adults on a daily basis.
“He has emerged as a real asset to our building as one of the prominent, respected leaders of his grade,” said Interim Principal Curtis Howell.
Elizabeth Rankin is a passionate, kind leader who approaches every situation with a smile and a positive attitude that is contagious and encouraging to others. Elizabeth will invest in any project, discussion or event asked of her and will contribute insightful feedback to make those interactions meaningful and enjoyable. As a member of the Principal’s Advisory Council, cross country team and Speech and Debate team, Elizabeth has emerged as a leader helping to enhance the school’s environment.
“She is committed to working hard, helping others, and bringing a smile and kind attitude to every situation,” said Howell.
“Both Wes and Elizabeth work to enhance our school culture by having a positive attitude and positive impact on CFMS,” said Howell. “Our staff enjoys having these student leaders in our school, and it was a joy to recognize their character and leadership.”
Gurney Hosts ENCORE Curriculum Night
Parents of Gurney Elementary School students had the chance to see just what their child is learning in their ENCORE classes. On March 14, students had the opportunity to show their parents what they do in their classes.
At Gurney ENCORE curriculum night, students and their parents played games, took part in hands-on activities, experienced lessons, and even had the chance to visit the book fair. Together, students and parents were active in physical education classes, practiced their language skills in Spanish, learned a new dance in music class and participated in several STEM challenges.
CFIS Holds ENCORE Night for Parents
Parents had the opportunity to see what their kids have been doing in their classes at Chagrin Falls Intermediate School ENCORE Night. On March 15, parents broke out into four different sessions to experience what students do in class each day.
The night began with a brief introduction to the Chagrin Falls Middle School cafeteria. After that, parents had their choice of attending physical education, guidance, Project Lead the Way, art and Spanish classes over the course of four sessions. Additionally, the book fair was open during the evening for parents to browse through.
“Encore programs are vital to a student’s growth and success,” said Principal Sarah Read. “Students who immerse themselves in the arts read more often, are four times more likely to do public service, four times more likely to participate in a math or science fair and three times more likely to be elected to office. Research shows that these types of programs, combined with proper health and wellness, contribute to cognitive function and improved test scores in math, language arts and other academic subjects. We, here at the Intermediate School, are especially fortunate because our students have the opportunity to participate in a rich and robust encore program. We have classes in art, gym, Spanish, music, guidance, library and STEM.”
“I thought that the Encore Night was terrific,” said Marianne Newton, son of fifth-grader Nathaniel Newton. “I thought it was well organized and it was nice to learn all that goes on in the encore classes. The teachers were well prepared, and the activities were very engaging. I hope that this will become an annual event.”
