The week of Sept. 22-28, Chagrin Falls Schools celebrated Start With Hello Week, a program started by the organization Sandy Hook Promise.
Chagrin Falls Celebrates Start With Hello Week
By CFMS seventh-grader Abraham Thurman
The week of Sept. 22-28, Chagrin Falls Schools celebrated Start With Hello Week, a program started by the organization Sandy Hook Promise. It is a week dedicated to “encouraging and supporting solutions that create safer, healthier homes, schools and communities,” according to the organization.
There were multiple ways for students to participate. At Chagrin Falls Middle School, students in grades seven and eight put green sticky notes on lockers saying positive things like, “You’re awesome” or “You matter.” On Wednesday, students were encouraged to wear green to school. Green represents the Sandy Hook school colors and solutions to gun violence.
At Chagrin Falls Intermediate School, students in grades four through six had the opportunity to do several activities, including inviting someone who looked lonely to sit or play with them, stand up for someone and start a conversation with someone who is different from them and find things in common. Both schools had students do a human scavenger hunt, finding things like someone who had the same birth month as them or someone who recently went on vacation.
“The week focused on ways to reach out to other people who might be isolated and encouraged people how to do that, why it’s important and how everybody can make a difference,” said counselor Kyle Patterson, Chagrin Falls Middle School. “It’s so important for students to watch out for one another.”
Cleveland Youth Wind Symphony
Five Chagrin Falls High School musicians are members of the Cleveland Youth Wind Symphony. They meet every Saturday for three hours and are coached by members of the Cleveland Orchestra. They also study privately and were selected from more than 150 applicants. They will perform at 3 p.m. Nov. 24 at Severance Hall.
Members are freshman Max Klug, trumpet; sophomore Sam Clark, trumpet; junior Sara Hartle, french horn; junior Darya Rebeta, flute; and senior Tom Swift, euphonium.
Check out their site for more information: https://www.cim.edu/prep/private-lessons-classes-ensembles/wind-symphonies.
Cleveland Youth Pops Orchestra
Chagrin Falls High School musician David Feucht was selected to be a member of the Cleveland Youth Pops Orchestra. In its second season, the orchestra meets every Monday for two hours and is coached by members of the Cleveland Pops Orchestra. Members perform the music of Hollywood, Broadway, jazz, rock and light classics all while learning under the direction of worldwide conductor Carl Topilow. They will perform in December.
