Chardon High School senior Charlotte Bennett has been named a 2022 National Merit scholarship program finalist...
National Merit Finalist
Chardon High School senior Charlotte Bennett has been named a 2022 National Merit scholarship program finalist. Of the 1.5 million entrants each year, some 50,000 with the highest PSAT/NMSQT Selection Index scores qualify for recognition in the National Merit Scholarship Program. Charlotte is among the approximate 15,000 semifinalists nationwide to advance to finalist standing.
Charlotte’s post-graduation plans include attending college to study biochemistry/ medical research. She has applied to several schools, of which her top picks are the University of Maine, University of Vermont, Penn State University and Lehigh University.
Academic Challenge Quiz Show
Chardon High School junior Jake Schneider and seniors Josie Aitken and Morgan Fisher traveled to downtown Cleveland and the News Channel 5 (WEWS-TV) studios with faculty member and advisor Allen Herner on March 9 to compete on the long-running high school quiz show Academic Challenge. The contest pitted CHS against teams from Riverside High School and Avon Lake High School. Jake served as Chardon’s team captain, and CHS senior Sebastian Marker was on deck as a team member alternate.
The Academic Challenge quiz show incorporates questions from most aspects of the high school curriculum, including history, geography, literature, math and the sciences. In addition, there are questions on mythology, music, art, sports and current events.
“We can’t divulge the outcome but suffice it to say it was a fast-paced, competitive show,” said Mr. Herner. “Host Rob Powers made the students feel right at home on set, engaging them with lively banter between segments.”
The community is invited to tune in to News Channel 5 on May 21 at 11:30 a.m. to see these three dynamic CHS students in action.
Honor Society Inducts New Members
Congratulations to the 70 Chardon High School students — 20 juniors and 50 sophomores — who were inducted into the school’s chapter of the National Honor Society on the evening of March 14 in the school’s gymnasium, an event that was well attended by students’ families, as well as administrators and other staff members.
NHS, a nationwide organization, recognizes students who have an overall cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher and are role models of the four NHS pillars: scholarship, leadership, character and service.
To learn more and view a full listing of the inductees, visit the district news page accessible from the district homepage.
Registration and Parent Meeting
Registration is underway for the 2022-23 school year for grade levels pre-kindergarten through 12. Parents and guardians are invited to initiate the enrollment process on the district’s registration web page accessible at www.chardonschools.org.
A kindergarten informational night will be held on March 30 at 6 p.m. at the Chardon Early Learning Center, 308 Maple Ave., for parents and guardians of students entering kindergarten this fall. Children must be 5 years of age or older by Aug. 1 to attend kindergarten in fall 2022.
Enrollment questions can be directed to the district registrar, Corine Casalina, at 440-285-4052 or corine.casalina@chardonschools.org. Questions regarding the kindergarten informational night for parents and guardians can be directed to the CELC at 440-285-4066.
School Social Work Week
The School Social Work Association of America identified the week of March 6-12 as national school social work week 2022 with “Time to Shine” as this year’s theme. The week presents an opportunity for schools, communities and partners to acknowledge and recognize the impactful contribution of social workers to support students, families and their communities.
Through its social media pages and district newsletter, Chardon Schools recognized the four social workers who serve the district’s schools: early childhood mental health case manager Melanie Baker; Joan Blackburn, LISW-S; Marissa Griesmar, LSW; and Melissa Heidemann, MSW, LISW-S.
Digital Music Compositions
Students in teacher Oliver Curwen’s third-grade class at Park Elementary digitally composed music this month using the songmaker featured on one of the Chardon music program’s favorite websites, Chrome Music Lab.
The district’s K-3 music teacher Samantha Puterbaugh said she was impressed with how the students’ compositions were well organized and included changes in timbre or different types of sounds.
Parent University a Success Thanks to Community Partners
Chardon Middle School administration and counselors hosted a Parent University during the months of February and March in order to support parents and caregivers. There were four total sessions designed to help families better understand parenting post-pandemic, how to keep students safe online, how to identify and support students impacted by mental illness and how to protect your family from the dangers of human trafficking.
CMS partnered with community supports such as the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the Geauga County Prosecutor’s Office and Geauga County Job & Family Services as well as others, including Jacquelyn Lazo, the author of the book “Comeback Kids”; Melanie GiaMaria; Amanda Berry; Human Trafficking Task Force; and Chardon’s own Sgt. Derek Carlson.
“G-TV was kind enough to support these presentations so more families could attend virtually or watch at another time for our recorded sessions,” said CMS guidance counselor Karin Hillman.
Approximately 85 parents registered to attend the Parent University sessions either in-person or online.
CHS Choirs Earn a Top Score in OMEA Contest
Approximately 120 students primarily from the CHS chorale and women’s choir, as well as eighth-grade sopranos and altos, competed in the Ohio Music Education Association’s Large Group contest on March 4. Both teams earned a top score of 1. Congratulations to both teams and to choir director Fritz Streiff for his leadership and gratitude to the Chardon Crescendo Club for the support of the district’s K-12 music program.
