Inspired by the bold, colorful mug designs of folk artist Heather Galler, Club Connect Jr. students created their own mug artwork during a field trip to Miles Farmers Market in Solon...
Great Lakes Theater Residency Brings Stories to Life
During the first week of February, Chagrin Falls Intermediate School welcomed a residency from Great Lakes Theater, offering sixth-grade students a new way to experience literature through performance and storytelling. Professional actor-teachers led workshops centered on “The Diary of Anne Frank,” helping students explore the text through movement, dialogue, and discussion.
Students stepped into the characters’ experiences by using acting techniques to better understand themes such as courage, identity and resilience. The residency is part of Great Lakes Theater’s approach to using performance as a tool to support literacy and deepen comprehension.
“Experiences like this help students connect more personally to what they are reading,” said sixth-grade English language arts teacher Olivia Bongiovanni. “When students are actively engaged, the learning becomes more meaningful and memorable.”
In addition to the Anne Frank workshop, students had the opportunity to participate in elective acting sessions during Growth Block. These workshops focused on collaboration, voice, and expression, giving students space to build confidence while exploring acting through gameplay.
“I think residencies like this provide a powerful extension of classroom learning. The workshops help students see the text from new perspectives,” said Bongiovanni. “They asked deeper questions and made stronger connections because they were experiencing the story, not just reading it.”
The Great Lakes Theater residency was made possible by a grant from the Chagrin Falls PTO.
AI in Education
Chagrin Falls Exempted Village Schools has been featured in SchoolCEO, a national publication focused on leadership and innovation in public education, for its early and thoughtful adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) across classrooms, staff practices, and the broader community.
The article spotlights how Chagrin Falls Schools, which serves approximately 1,600 students across four schools, developed a clear vision for AI use shortly after the release of ChatGPT in 2022, well ahead of many districts nationwide. Rather than avoiding the technology, district leaders chose to proactively shape how AI could responsibly support teaching, learning and operations.
Director of Technology and Information Systems Mike Daugherty began exploring AI tools within days of their emergence and quickly recognized their potential to transform education. Working closely with district leadership, including Superintendent Jennifer Penczarski, the technology team launched conversations around how AI could be embraced, not feared, to better prepare students for the future.
“When something is coming down the pike, we ask how it will grow our individual students,” Penczarski said in the feature. “How do we embrace it, so they can be prepared for the future they’re going to face?”
A key factor in the district’s success was prioritizing educators first. Teachers were introduced to AI through building-level presentations, hands-on professional development, and collaborative policy discussions that allowed for choice and flexibility in classroom use. By showing how AI could reduce workload and enhance instruction, the district built trust and buy-in before expanding AI use to students.
From there, Chagrin Falls Schools broadened its focus to include students, families, senior citizens, and community partners–providing training, demonstrations, and clear guidelines around ethical use, data privacy, bias, and academic integrity. Students learned when and how AI could be used appropriately, while staff modeled transparency by acknowledging when AI tools were used in professional work.
To ensure safety and security, the district selected AI tools designed specifically for schools and implemented safeguards to protect student data and monitor usage. Ongoing feedback, tiered professional development and continuous community engagement remain central to the district’s evolving AI strategy.
The feature emphasizes that while AI is a powerful tool, the district’s success is rooted in its people-first philosophy, aligning with Chagrin Falls Schools’ strategic direction of “Inspiring All to Grow and Thrive.”
Read the full SchoolCEO feature on the district website.
