The Chagrin Valley Rotary Club has selected Patrick Donley as its High School Student of the Month for October 2014.Patrick is…
Rotary Student of the Month
The Chagrin Valley Rotary Club has selected Patrick Donley as its High School Student of the Month for October 2014.
Patrick is a National Merit Commended Scholar and was named an AP Scholar with Distinction. He has earned the status of Honor Roll with Distinction for all six semesters at Chagrin High School. He has also twice been named an All-State lacrosse player, as well as All Conference basketball player.
He has served as class president all four years of high school, is a member of Student Council, captain of the lacrosse team, president of the Chagrin Falls Educational Foundation Student Board and a member of Key Club. Outside of school, he is a Math Monkey tutor, a member of Saint Joan of Arc Youth Group, a lacrosse referee and has attended CAA basketball camp.
Patrick plans to major in mechanical engineering, but has not yet decided which university he will attend.
Students Visit Wastewater Treatment Plant
Chagrin Falls High School science teacher Brittany Anderson took her AP Environmental Science students to Chagrin Falls Wastewater Treatment Plant and Whitesburg Preserve to finish up their unit on water resources and water pollution. The utilities department took the students on a tour of their facility and walked them through the water treatment process.
“We even had the opportunity to work in the lab and observe the microorganisms used in the process,” said Anderson.
In the afternoon, they went to Whitesburg to do their own water quality testing.
“We did chemical testing at four different locations, then we did research on the biological water quality indicators in the Chagrin River,” said Anderson.
On Oct. 4, the Environmental Club assisted Chagrin River Watershed Partners and Western Reserve Land Conservancy with tree planting at Whitesburg. It is the club’s fourth year working with them to plant trees in the area once submerged by the Whitesburg/Ivex Upper Dam. Students earn community service hours toward their senior project.
International Club Provides Cultural Perspective
The student leaders and advisers of International Club at Chagrin Falls High School have begun another successful year of integrating enriching culture studies within the student body. International Club’s purpose is to raise global awareness and increase knowledge of world culture.
Hands-on experience proves to be one of the most effective ways to gain an informative perspective and appreciation of foreign cultures and societies. Through cultural immersion like travel, Chagrin Falls High School provides a truly unique way for its students to gain an insightful cultural basis that they can continue to culminate throughout their lives. One way Chagrin Falls High School has incorporated such culture is by introducing International Club.
International Club typically meets on the third Friday of every month. In the meetings, club members participate in a multitude of activities, including sampling authentic foods and learning international games, crafts and history.
The International Club meeting on Sept. 12 included presentations on recent school trips to France, Costa Rica and China.
Students who participated in the Bridge to the World trip to the Central American country aided in the completion of building houses in local communities. Victoria Haber, a junior from Chagrin Falls High School, presented on the trip at the Sept. 12 meeting. Describing her travels as a “humbling experience,” Haber reiterated her appreciation and thankfulness for her opportunities here in America, especially the ones given to her in Chagrin Falls.
International Club co-president Delaney Collins anticipates having presentations on Germany, Spain and Colombia in the near future. Collins, alongside Laurel Jackson, a fellow Chagrin Falls High School junior, is the co-president of International Club.
Students would not be able to run this club without the help from its two advisers, French and Arabic teacher Fadia Hamid and Spanish teacher Lisa Fetterman. To make everything possible, both instructors work diligently with the student body to coordinate meetings and plan activities.
To guide their discussions, International Club often focuses on Bridge to the World trips in their informational meetings and presentations. The Bridge to the World program allows both staff and students to broaden the horizons and develop cultural awareness of Chagrin Falls High School students. Students who participate in the Bridge to the World program travel to countries throughout the world on educational trips.
Many trips are being planned and scheduled for upcoming school years. One example of such trips includes a tour of Switzerland. Students from around the United States and beyond will travel to Switzerland in 2015 to participate in solving global education issues. The conference will focus on S.T.E.M. (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) components. Also, in conjunction with this leadership summit, students will also travel to London, Stonehenge, C.E.R.N., The United Nations and Project Eden. Students attending the trip will travel alongside students from Orange High School to represent Northeast Ohio at the summit.
Partnering with a sister school, Chagrin Falls High School also plans to schedule a trip to South Africa. Students can look forward to a home stay with Jeppe High School students while on their trip in Johannesburg. Although there are no concrete travel plans at the moment, Chagrin Falls High School is actively planning the trip. Students can expect to be able to travel to Johannesburg at the end of the 2015-2016 school year.
Both the administration and the student body anticipate expanding their cultural basis by partaking in these informational meetings and exhilarating upcoming trips.
OMEA All-State Children’s Chorus
Fifteen students from Chagrin Falls Intermediate School will perform Oct. 18 with the OMEA All-State Children’s Chorus at Capitol University. The eight fourth-graders and seven fifth-graders will make up more than 10 percent of the choir, which will make its first-ever appearance during the Ohio Music Education Association’s annual conference, as part of the General Music Professional Development Day. Dr. Ann Usher, director of the Cleveland Orchestra Children’s Choruses, will be guest conductor.
Auditions for the group began last April. Students made digital recordings of themselves singing the first verse of “My Country Tis of Thee,” “America the Beautiful” and “O Music” and then submitted them online. Teacher Nate Bachofsky coached the younger students, while Pat Haynish coached the now fifth-graders. The results were posted Aug. 1.
Haynish, who directs the CFIS Select Choir, is also directing rehearsals for the chorus participants from Northeast Ohio. The concert will include seven selections in unison and two songs sung in parts.
Students include fifth-graders Paelyn Benz, Celia Hawk, Grace Hoy, Sophia Parrino, Susannah Rutkowski, Brenna Sincaglia, Delainey Wyville; and fourth-graders Julia Ashkettle, Nathan Hill, Ryan Hill, Sophia Lewis, Will Rossi, Kate Stephenson, Grace Svette and Alex Wheatley.
“The OMEA All-State Chorus is a wonderful opportunity for our talented, young Chagrin Falls singers. They will be able to meet other students from around the state who share advanced vocal skills for their age and they will be able to perform challenging music under the direction of a highly regarded professional conductor,” Haynish said.
Coach Wins 500th Game
On Sept. 30 in a 2-1 victory over Kenston, Dr. Mario Gerhardt, the only boy’s soccer coach in the history of Chagrin Falls High School soccer, won his 500th game.
To date, Dr. Gerhardt’s record is 500-247-105 in his 45 years of coaching. Five of his teams have made it to the state semifinals and one advanced to the state championship in 2003. In addition, his teams have won 16 CVC championships. The soccer program has already produced 32 All-Ohio players, 11 regional All-Americans and one All-American player.
Dr. Gerhardt has received numerous awards during his long tenure. He was selected as one of eight finalists for the 2004 NSCAA/Adidas Boys High School Regional Division II Coach of the Year at the NSCAA Convention. In addition, Dr. Gerhardt has earned Greater Cleveland Division II and Ohio Division II Coach of the year honors. He has also been named Chagrin Valley Coach of the Year 16 times. Dr. Gerhardt was inducted into the OHSSCA Hall of Fame in 1993.
He presently is the winningest coach in Ohio soccer history.
