At the Aug. 16 staff convocation meeting, Chagrin Falls Schools surprised two staff members with one of the highest awards given by the district...
Teacher and Staff Member of the Year
At the Aug. 16 staff convocation meeting, Chagrin Falls Schools surprised two staff members with one of the highest awards given by the district. Justin Wise, a first-grade teacher turned virtual kindergarten teacher last year, and Shawn Carlson, head custodian of Gurney Elementary School, were named the Teacher and Staff Member of the Year, respectively. Principal Rachel Jones presented both employees with the award.
Chagrin Falls Schools Kicks Off One District One Book
Chagrin Falls Schools will be conducting a yearlong One District One Book for the first time. With the success of the One School One Book for so many years at its schools, district administration is looking forward to using the theme of “Choose Courage” and having all students and staff read the book “Courage” by Bernard Waber throughout the 2021-22 school year. The theme will be integrated in all subject areas and in all grade levels throughout the year. The district will use #CFChooseCourage on social media.
Each month, students and staff will focus on different courage-related themes. Examples include the courage to meet new people, start a new school year, stand up for others, set goals and make the right decisions. There will be activities and lessons that are cross-curricular, cross-grade level, cross buildings and take place in homes and in the community. Connecting younger students with older students in the district enhances the younger students’ sense of belonging and provides older students with leadership roles they may otherwise never experience.
Thanks to the support of the Chagrin Falls PTO, every kindergarten through eighth-grade student will receive a copy of “Courage” on the first day of school. High school students will receive an electronic version of the book.
At the staff’s opening day convocation meeting, a video was played that showed many alumni, staff, students and community members sharing what courage means to them.
“Creating a community of readers across grade levels and between home and school, all engaged in connected activities and discussing the same book, leads to an excitement for learning that has a long-term impact,” said Superintendent Jennifer Penczarski. “Extending that community from just one school to the entire K-12 District presents us the opportunity to create a sense of connectedness throughout Chagrin Falls like never before. As we all make our way through this pandemic, realizing all the challenges, changes in school learning, quarantines and isolation we have faced, our theme of ‘Choose Courage’ could not be more timely and relevant to unite our entire school community.”
