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  FEBRUARY 2010
 
In This Issue
Message from the CEO
Transformation 'Roadmap'
PNC Helps Students 'Grow Up Great'
Cleveland Orchestra at Jamison
Mobile Planetarium at CMSD
Grand Opening at Jamison
MTE Program Inspires Russian Educators
CMSD Student will Intern for US Attorney
CMSD's National Achievement Finalists
CMSD Teacher Honored at White House
Mayor Honors Art Students
Baker Students Support Junior Achievement
400 Club Celebrate i Style
Students Respond to Haiti Victims
Cavs Take 'Reading Timeout'
Gidding Students on Adventure
CEO Promotes OGT Success
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Changing course, changing lives
Message from the CEO 
 
Dr. Eugene T.W. Sanders
 
Dr_Sanders_00001When I presented a plan to transform the Cleveland Metropolitan School District on January 5, I pledged to do "whatever it takes" to ensure a promising future for the children of Cleveland. 
 
With announcement of the CMSD Academic Transformation Plan, I laid out a four-tiered strategy for transforming our schools in hopes that will at last do more than offer hope for students and their families.  It is clear as we embark together on true and measurable school reform, we will not simply change course in Cleveland, we will change lives.
 
Following the announcement of the Transformation Plan and its recommendations, we moved quickly to schedule meetings at schools in every neighborhood of the district to enable parents, teachers, students and citizens to ask questions and to express their concerns about schools we have proposed for closing or relocation.
 
This week we will conclude series of 18 community meetings, scheduled in every neighborhood in the District between January 19 and February.  We also met with members of the Cleveland City Council to answer questions about the effect of school closings in their neighborhoods.   In addition, the Board of Education hosted three community forums, to gather  input before the plan comes to them for approval in March.
 
The dialogue in our community forums has been as heart-warming as it has been heart-wrenching.  When it comes to closing schools, even schools that are crumbling and outdated, schools that use only half of their capacity, and schools that cannot support the curriculum or technology we envision, students, teachers and parents want desperately to hold on to what they have and what they know. 
 
I have listened as students pour their hearts out, remembering teachers and lessons in the schools they have come to love.  I have heard parents talk about traveling across the city so their child could study in one outstanding program or under a particular principal's leadership.  I have heard former students and teachers share stories of the lives that were changed in some of the District's oldest and most time-honored schools. 
 
In one meeting after another, I have heard the apprehension, the anger and the sorrow that comes whenever people are asked to move or to change.  But I have also heard the joy, the impatience, and the expressions of gratitude of many who say that, at last, we are not settling for failure or mediocrity in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District. 
 
The common denominator in the mixed emotions shared by the people of Cleveland throughout the dialogue process has been the love they have for their schools and the value they hold for quality education in each and every one of their neighborhoods.
 
Change in any organizational climate requires a leap of faith.  When it comes to discussions of the future, it is understandable that people are reluctant to move in the direction of the unknown or on the promise that things will get better.  But this happens most often when those proposing change have no proof. 
 
In the ClevelandMetropolitanSchool District, however, we have already seen proof that the educational innovations we are proposing to implement District-wide are working.  We have seen and shared the data that shows our students can and will succeed if we put the right people and the right programs in the right place.  Successful charter school programs--the kinds we are proposing to bring to Cleveland this year--continue to produce a wealth of data that supports our plan to increase student achievement, to raise test scores and to lift the lives of children who would otherwise be destined for failure.
 
Taking a leap of faith in any climate of change is risky, but it is clear that a majority of students, parents, citizens, partners and city leaders genuinely believe-and more importantly they genuinely feel-that the risks of standing still are greater than the risks of moving forward in a new direction for the Cleveland Metropolitan School District.  
 
 

CMSD Transformation Meetings focus on safety, transportation issues
 
As we near the final days of public dialogue on components of the Transformation Plan, three consistent themes have emerged as primary concerns within neighborhoods, schools, and families:
   1. Student safety when transitioning to a new school facility.
   2. Transportation to and from school buildings.
   3. Enrollment/relocation of students whose buildings will close for the 2010-11
        school year.
 
Ensuring the safety of CMSD students

 
As we move closer to implementation of the reforms needed to raise achievement levels for all students, we are doing everything we can to alleviate parent concerns about safety.  The CMSD Division of Safety & Security has completed a comprehensive safety and security plan titled Expanding the Bubble that responds directly to concerns that have arisen about closing schools and transitioning students to new school sites.
 
Mindful that concerns about student safety raised in community meetings are neither new nor caused by the school reform efforts, CMSD's Division of Safety and Security is working to assure parents that the District will address safety concerns as we always have, and we will use every resource to protect students going to and from school, to protect vacant buildings and the neighborhoods around them, to ward off conflict that may result from merging unique student populations, and to curtail school and gang violence.
 
Since announcing the proposed Transformation Plan for CMSD, our Safety and Security personnel moved quickly to hold a series of meetings with the Cleveland Police Department, the City of Cleveland's Department of Community Relations, and law enforcement agencies, to address security issues in our schools and neighborhoods where changes are imminent.
 
Meetings of CMSD's "Safe School Plan Group" will be held regularly beginning in April to further strengthen the already prepared city-wide safety plan, comprised of all of Cleveland's law enforcement partners, with a collective goal to keep students safe in and around all CMSD schools.
 
We have also opened discussions with the Regional Transit Authority (RTA) and the Cleveland Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA)  to obtain their assistance with transportation and property concerns in the important days ahead. 

 
CMSD will do whatever it takes to keep students safe by:
 
·         Conducting neighborhood patrols at transition schools and identifying hot
           spots.
·         Enhancing the Gang Unit so it is ready to deploy to hot spots.
·         Launching truancy initiatives independently and in conjunction with 
          Cleveland Police.
·         Engaging a Humanware strategy and providing early interventions.
·         Conducting a total re-assessment of all school security issues prior to the
           start of the 2010-2011 school year with specific recommendations to be
           effective in August 2010.
·         Creating and maximizing the use of a "walking bus" program.
·         Making the issue of student safety as high a priority as student success.
·         Remaining intolerant to unacceptable behavior and ensuring that sanctions
          will follow.
·         Assisting parents in assuming responsibility for their children's behavior.
·         Continuing with an aggressive hardware strategy, including:
                    §         Metal detectors in all buildings
                    §         X-ray machines in all high schools 
                    §         Increased officer deployment
                    §         Improved access control, including student IDs and swipe-card 
                               access to buildings.
 
Through the City of Cleveland's Department of Community Relations and CMSD's Office of Family and Community Engagement, we are committed to involving parents in making student safety a personal and family responsibility.  
 
CMSD will assist parents in supporting student safety in our schools by:
 
·         Working with local government, community and faith-based partners to 
           mobilize and recruit parent volunteers for all of our schools.
·         Working with law enforcement and CMSD officials to provide parent training.
·         Posting parents around schools at target times to assist and to provide a
          visible presence of our combined efforts to keep kids safe (Safe passage).
·         Posting parents to complement, rather than replace, existing resources
          (crossing guards, etc.) at both arrival and dismissal.
·         Partnering with alumni groups to assist with the de-escalation of incidents 
          and to provide mentoring.

 
Transportation Plan revised in response to concerns about safe travel to school
 
Citizen concerns about transportation, expressed with as much apprehension as student safety concerns in community meetings this month, are playing a key role in the re-evaluation the CMSD transportation policy.  As we work to implement changes that will align with current school reforms, one aspect of our transportation policy remains constant--to provide transportation for as many students as possible. 
 
Community engagement in the last five weeks has been instrumental in identifying a number of potential problems and recommending just as many solutions.   It is with these citizen concerns in mind that we will continue to update our transportation policy in concert with student assignments so that we can provide families with the peace of mind that comes with knowing how their child will get to and from his school facility safely every day. 
 
If the CMSD Board of Education moves forward with the Transformation Plan in early March, families would likely know by as early as April the school options available for their children under the revised academic transformation plan. 
 
Based on projected capacity at available schools, CMSD has identified school options where most students from closed buildings will be assigned for the 2010 school year and has been posted the information on the District website, along with the student assignments process and timeline that allows families time to choose options that best serve the individual needs of their child.
 
 
 
 
CMSD Charts 'Roadmap' for implementation of Academic Transformation Plan
 
path-to-premier3In anticipation of the final approval of the District's recommendations for  transforming Cleveland schools, central office personnel are being prepared for management of three critical and parallel tasks, all part of a migration to a new organization support structure.  To successfully transform our schools, we must:
 
 
- Ensure successful completion of the 2009-2010 school year
      Continue school support to enable focus on teaching and learning
      Ensure that students are prepared to meet grade level standards on year- 
              end state tests and are ready for  success in the 2010-11 school year.
       Continue to invest in teacher and principal development Support Safe 
               learning environments.
 
- Develop a smooth plan for transformation
      Create a transformation office to manage school reform efforts 
      Refocus current internal resources and identify temporary external support
      Plan for the 2010-11 opening of new school programs and support systems
      Support closed facilities with transitioning staff, students and families
     
- Proceed with successful execution of the Transformation Plan
      Redesign the central office organization to execute transformation goals
      Deliver school support beginning in the 2010-11 school year
      Execute district-wide reforms with improved leadership and accountability
 
 
Moving in the right direction
CMSD's academic gains provide models, encouraging data for Transformation Plan
 
       -- CMSD received the Value- Added designation on the 2009 Report Card,
          meaning CMSD students learned a full year of academic content, an
          improvement over the previous year and a positive move forward for the
          District.
 
       - -CMSD students earned more academic content this year than what was
          expected of students in Ohio schools.
 
       -- Seven CMSD high schools improved their state ratings this year, with three 
          earning ratings of Excellent.  
 
        --Innovation Schools continue to meet expectations for high
          performance.
 
       -- Three Innovation Schools earned the rating of Excellent, one was rated
          Effective, and none of CMSD's innovation schools earned a rating below
          Continuous Improvement this year. 
 
       -- CMSD's TurnAround schools showedsignificant improvement, with a 
          majority of the schools exceeding Ohio's expectations for student
          achievement. 
 
       -- 53 K-8  schools exceeded Ohio's expectations for student performance with
         value-added ratings of ABOVE
.
 
       -- Key stakeholders will work together throughout the transportation process
          to build on these successes and to ensure academic success for all CMSD
          students.
 
      - - The academic program will drive all budgetary and facility decision-making
          on our continued path to making CMSD a premier school district in the
          United  States of America.
 
 
 
 
 

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Generosity of CMSD's corporate partners continue to illuminate the path to premier

As we work toward transforming our schools, we are grateful to the growing number of corporate and community partners who believe in our students and who are as committed as we are to making CMSD a premier school district in the United States of America.
 
While it is inspiring to see our staff working so hard to raising achievement levels through the curriculum and innovative programs we offer, it is equally heartwarming to see so many citizens in Cleveland collaborating to support our vision.

 
 
 
 

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Vanessa Bond from the Cleveland Orchestra conducts a lesson for Pre-K students at Robert Jamison School as part of PNC's 'Grow Up Great' program, dedicated to inspiring Cleveland's youngest learners to enjoy lessons in art, science and math
 
  
PNC Bank, Orchestra collaborate to help students 'Grow Up Great' with arts, science

With a focus on educational innovation and higher level thinking in 21st century classrooms, it is well documented that students who are truly well educated not only learn to appreciate the arts, but also to have rich opportunities to actively participate in creative work.
 
In recognition of the arts as "languages that most people speak," our corporate partners at National City Bank, now a part of PNC, believe strongly in the power of arts education to help students cut through individual differences in culture, educational background and ability.
 
Because learning through the arts often results in greater academic achievement and higher test scores for children, the PNC Foundation has provided nine Pre-K classrooms in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District with an opportunity to participate in their foundation's  "Grow Up Great with the Arts" Project.
 
PNC's collaborative city-wide effort includes the involvement of the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, The Cleveland Orchestra and Playhouse Square in a program that allows teachers to incorporate the the richness of our city's arts culture in their classrooms.
 
A kick-off event at Severance Hall this year introduced all of the collaborators with a collaborative curriculum entitled, "Early Childhood and the Arts: Using Music, Theater and Visual Arts to Prepare Children for Success in School and in Life."
 
The Cleveland Orchestra has been actively collaborating with CMSD staff this school year to offer Pre-K students at the Cleveland School of the Arts and seven other schools the opportunity to attend the Musical Rainbow Series Workshops at Severance Hall.  Cleveland  Orchestra staff members visited Pre-K students at several schools and provided teachers with gift cards, books, CD's, hand drums and other items for classroom use.
 
In the Musical Rainbow Series Workshops, one instrument or one instrument family is presented to PreK students at each concert.  Cleveland Orchestra musicians perform, along with narration by actress Maryann Nagel.  Musical Rainbows, held in Reinberger Chamber Hall at Cleveland's world-reknowned Severance Hall,  provide students with a warm and welcoming introductory concert experience, thanks to generous funding from PNC and to our partners at Cleveland Orchestra who provide free transportation to these extraordinary cultural events for CMSD's youngest students. 
 

 
 

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PNC Foundation's Mobile Planetarium promotes global view of One World, One Sky

 
In addition to the generous gift of arts education for our students, PNC has extended the helping hands of its staff members to support our students in science and math as well.  PNC employees provide up to 40 hours of paid time off each calendar year to assist volunteers involved in activities sponsored through the Grow Up Great program.
 
Eight CMSD schools were selected for participation in PNC's Great Mobile Planetarium, One World One Sky program for ages 4-7, Pre-K through second grade.
 
The "One World One Sky: Big Bird's Adventure" inflatable dome provides a multi-media, trilingual (English/Spanish and English/Mandarin) interactive program that includes a planetarium show to accompany a corresponding astronomy-based curriculum sent in advance to help teachers prepare students for the show.
 
The program lasts 20 minutes and the planetarium accommodate 35 students at a time in the mobile classroom
 
CMSD is grateful to PNC for all they are doing to improve the intellectual, social and emotional development of our students.  These gift of knowledge to Cleveland's children in their earliest years of development will prove to be a vital part of their long-term academic success.
 
We are also grateful to PNC for the role they play in encouraging collaboration among corporate community, policymakers and key influencers in Cleveland in an effort to elevate discussions and action around the importance of access to quality early childhood education.
 
"With communities all working together," they attest, "There's no reason our children can't Grow Up Great."
 

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Community celebrates Opening of Jamison at Moses Cleaveland School
 
During a community-wide celebration, Deputy Chief of PreK-8 Education Renée T. Cavor and eighth grade student Kara Tatum enjoyed the ribbon-cutting honor to officially open CMSD's newest location.
 
The January 27 event began at 11 a.m. with a Moment of Reflection by Bishop C. Wayne Brantley of the Zion Pentecostal Church, the Posing of Colors by John F. Kennedy JROTC Color Guards and the singing of the Star-Spangled Banner by Nada Richardson.
 
Other celebratory moments included a performance by the CMSD All-City Drum Line and poetry readings by first grade and eight grade students.
 
Principal Dr. Rashid K. Shabazz was the official host of the Grand Opening, which was attended by CEO Dr. Eugene Sanders, council persons Terrell H. Pruite (Ward 1) and Zachary Reed (Ward 2), and the Educational Liaison from the 11th Congressional District, Jessica Williams-Norton.
 
The celebration included a reading of the History of Robert H. Jamison, a slide show presentation, and recognition of the attendance of former principals of the school.
 
At the conclusion of the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Rojeana Curtis, Assistant Superintendent for CMSD Region III took visitors on a tour of the school before refreshments were served.

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Motivation through Excellence (MTE) program attracts interest of Russian educators

While students at several CMSD schools share unique cultural experiences as part of the District's Motivation through Excellence (MTE) Program, the District played host to a team of Russian educators who traveled to Cleveland to meet with students, parents, teachers and administrators about the value of this unique cultural educational experience in Cleveland. 
 
The meeting was arranged by the Council of International Programs USA (CIPUSA) whose mission is to promote international understanding in global communities through profession development and cross-cultural exchange. CMSD students presented a musical performance to the Russian visitors, with one student impressing them with a lecture about Russian history.
 
The Motivation for Excellence Program, featured in a previous issue of IDN, has earned its international reputation as a model school and continues to provide a wealth of cultural experiences for CMSD students.

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Students at Mary Bethune School learned to play steel drums recently during an intensive four-week session provided by a master artist from Trinidad who also shared the history of steel/pan drumming in his native country. The four-week experience, made possible through the Cleveland Museum of Arts' Community Art Department, culminated with a musical and educational presentation for parents, students and school staff. 
 
In a separate cultural experience, students of George W. Carver learned about our legal and judicial system in a visit to the Cleveland Municipal Courts. Students observed actual court cases presented before Judges Ronald Adrine and Anita Laster-Mays before lunch with Judge Laster-Mays, who engaged students in a lively and educational dialogue about specific court cases and judicial matters. 
 
In other M.E. activities this year, students at George W. Carver performed for Cleveland Museum of Art's Lantern Festival on December 6, 2009.
 
M.E. students at Mary Bethune, Early Childhood, Wade Park and George W. Carver Schools  performed for the December holiday programs at their respective schools.
 
In honor of Dr. Martin L. King, Jr., M.E. students at Wade Park and Early Childhood Schools participated in tributes held at the International House of Blues Foundation while students at George W. Carver & Mary Bethune participated in similar MLK tributes at the Cleveland Museum of Art
 
The Motivation through Excellence program has been made possible through generous funding from The Cleveland Foundation's MyCom Initiative, Cleveland STANCE, and the Third Federal Foundation, all of which are committed to providing CMSD students with life-enriching experiences through global exposure and connections. 

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Lighting the path to premier
CMSD 'Student of Promise' is youngest to work in Office of U.S. Attorney General

 
mlk-swearing-inCMSD sophomore 'Student of Promise' Dontea Gresham, ranked #1 in his class at Martin Luther King, Jr. High School, will be the youngest paid intern ever to be hired by the U.S. Attorney General's Office.
 
U.S. Attorney Steven Dettelback, who was sworn into office in a ceremony held in the District at MLK high School this fall, named 16-year-old Dontea to a clerk's position in his office after reviewing numerous applications for the position. MLK Principal William Davis and the Students of Promise (formerly Closing the Achievement Gap) coordinator Tim Roberts were both interviewed by the Secret Service in preparation for the young employee's first day at work. 
 
Dontea, who was one of the speakers at his school during the U.S. Attorney's swearing-in ceremony, says he aspires to a career in politics and will likely look back on this moment in his life as his "big break."  Dontea, will work part-time after school and full-time in the summer, began his duties as clerk for the U.S. Attorney on February 8 at a salary of $22,800.
 
We are grateful to U.S. Attorney Steven Dettelbach who, from the day he took office, took time to involve CMSD students in a governmental process and who continues to light a path to the future for our students.
 
 
 
 
A District First
Three CMSD students are National Achievement Finalists, in top 3% of nation

 
national-merit-LOGOCMSD officials are delighted with news that three of our students have been named National Achievement Finalists-a first-time achievement for CMSD students who have long participated in the National Scholarship competition. 
 
The National Achievement Scholarship Program was established by the National Merit Scholarship Program in 1964 to provide recognition for outstanding Black American high school students.  Black students are eligible to enter both the National Achievement Program and the National Merit Program by taking the Preliminary ST/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test and meeting other requirements for participation. 
 
Seniors Tamara McDowell (Early College High School), Tyreese Brown (Glenville)and Devin Starks  (Cleveland School for the Arts) were among160,000 students who entered the National Achievement Program this year and their achievement as Finalists places them in the top 3% of students nation-wide who competed in the scholarship program.
 
Each year, about 3,100 outstanding National Achievement Program participants are brought to the attention of about 1,500 four-year colleges and universities in the United States for recruitment and scholarship consideration. 
 
 
 

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CMSD science teacher Sally Pellegrin (right) brings honor and recognition to the District at a televised White House ceremony honoring the nation's top 100 teachers of science and math with the Presidential Award for Excellence.

CMSD teacher honored  in White House ceremony as one of America's 'Best'

Although strict security clearances resulted in a lost opportunity for an Iowa Maple 7th grader to interview President Barack Obama this month, Andre Baker is still considered a celebrity among his peers and the staff at his school.
 
While northeast Ohioans were gearing up for the President's visit to Elyria on Jan. 22, Andre Baker was taking the tags off his new suit--purchased by his father when Andre's family learned that his assignment as a reporter for Scholastic Kids included an interview with the President of the United States.
 
Iowa Maple PreK-8 Principal Stacy Lambert-Johnson said the staff and students at Iowa Maple are still proud of Andre for his selection by Scholastic Magazine for the honor, and they still treated the 7th grader like a celebrity when he wore his shirt and tie to school on the day he would have interviewed the President.
 
Security was heightened for Barack Obama's visit to Ohio this month. Elyria Public Schools canceled all classes on Friday, citing road closures and heightened security measures as reasons for the move.
 
Lorain County Community College, which hosted the President's town hall meeting, also cancelled classes.
 
 
 
 

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Mayor honors 12 CSA art students
 
Twelve students from the Cleveland School of the Arts, spanning first through twelfth grades, earned recognition in a contest sponsored by the city of Cleveland's Division of Waste Management.
 
The students were given the royal treatment by Mayor Frank Jackson, with an invitation to accept their awards in an official ceremony complete with press coverage and refreshments on January 28.
 
Students receiving the city-sponsored art awards were:
 
Serenity Ellis
(Grade 1),
Jashawn Jackson (Grade 2),
Jatayzia Agee (Grade 3),
Kayla Thomas (Grade 4),
Zack Zion (Grade 5),
Sharah Hall (Grade 6),
Jamal Gibson (Grade 7),
Zakiya Box (Grade 8),
Mario Davenport (Grade 9),
Keith Scott (Grade 10),
Angele Smith (Grade 11), and
Chris Cofield, Jr. (Grade 12)
 
 
 
 

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Young artists at Newton D. Baker decorate pins for Junior Achievement fund-raiser
 
Students at Newton D. Baker School of the Arts decorated 100 bowling pins for the Junior Achievement of Greater Cleveland's annual Bowl-a-Thon where funds have been raised to support Junior Achievement programming for more than 12 years.
 
"Even organizers wanted to enlist the help of the artistically-talented students at Newton D. Baker," said program coordinator, Janet Hall.  "The annual event encourages healthy competition between participating companies and encourages bowlers to raise money for Junior Achievement."
 
bowling22Newton D. Baker students have benefited from Junior Achievement programming for more than 12 years. 
 
The colorful bowling pins created by CMSD students were on display at the Bowl-a-Thon fundraising event and participants were allowed to take them as souvenirs.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Students in A.B. Hart's '400 Club' celebrate OAT success in style
 
When students at A.B.Hart School pass one or more parts of the Ohio Achievement Test (OAT) this year, they walk the red carpet to a personal congratulatory moment with Principal Katherine Bush and Assistant Principal Steven Bowman
 
As students arrive on the red carpet, their photos are taken before arriving at an arrangement of elegant tables that the principal says are "fit for princes and princesses."
 
Forty-seven students qualified for the special recognition in the fall, when they were entertained by the A.B. Hart 4th Grade Ensemble and by Krystal Milan, a student guest speaker from the ClevelandSchool of the Arts.
 
A.B. Hart's OAT celebrations end with the distribution of '400 Club' certificates for students to begin their own academic portfolios.  Members of the distinct club also receive a certificate of recognition from the CMSD Board of Education.
 
Also in attendance at the event organized by A.B. Hart Family Liaison Pamela Crews were Board member Willetta Milan, Chief Academic Officer Eric Gordon, Assistant Superintendent Dr. Laura Purnell, Director of Testing and Assessment Dr. Russ Brown, and two national representatives from Accelerated Reading.

 
 
 
 
 help-haiti1

CMSD students send needed supplies to children in Haiti

 A spirit of goodwill has flowed through our schools, as continued news accounts of the plight of the Haitian earthquake victims continues to unfold.  Stories of the loss and despair of the Haitian people, especially of its children, have rallied students and teachers in the ClevelandMetropolitanSchool District to do what they can to help.
 
Student volunteers who are part of 'Students of Promise' at CMSD's South High School assisted in packing and shipping medical supplies for Haitian relief.  As part of the MedWish International program, took part in packing and shipping  life-saving items and medical supplies to those in need. Starr Sherman, Program Manager for Students of Promise Program at South, formally known as the Closing the Achievement Gap, said the immediate response of the South students to the medical needs of the Haitian people was "overwhelming."
 
McKinley School launched a fund-raising campaign titled "Hearts for Haiti," in which kindergartners take change jars to classrooms to gather donations for the day, with floors getting a heart sticker for each dollar raised.  A private donor has agreed to match whatever the school raises, and students set an initial goal of $275 to be sent to UNICEF or Feed the Children.  The winning floor receives a cupcake and juice box party in February.

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At Clark K-8 School, students and staff raised money to be sent to help in the clean-up and medical efforts by holding several school events. Students in grades K-4 planned a student vs. staff kickball game and students in grades 5-8 a similar basketball game in a fund-raiser involving school administrators, custodians and security officers.  The goal at Clark is to raise $1,000 to help the people of Haiti.
 
At Joseph M. Gallagher K-8 School, teachers are collecting funds for the Red Cross.  Louisa May Alcott K-8 and Nathan Hale are both having a "Dress Down Day," asking all who participate to contribute $1 to Haitian Relief efforts. 
 
Students at CMSD's Buhrer Dual Language School collected donations for the people of Haiti and students at Patrick Henry School hosted a "Penny War" to raise funds for the earthquake victims.
 
School administrators say it is heartwarming to see so many students taking the tragic fate of the Haitian people to heart.
 
 
 
 

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Cavs players take 'Reading Timeout' with 30 students at Patrick Henry School 
 
Cleveland Cavaliers players  Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Mo Williams took a break from their busy season schedule to team up with their wives for a special "Reading Timeout" with students at Patrick Henry School.
 
scrabble-cavsThe players and their wives read, Oh, the Places You'll Go by Dr. Seuss to a group of 30 students to encourage them to set goals and accomplish their dreams.  Sixth graders heard the players read and talk about steering themselves in any direction they choose.
 
"You are the guy who'll decide where to go," they read, as students sat quietly.  "Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting...so get on your way!"
 
After the reading students were given an opportunity to ask the players questions and to engage in multiple games of Scrabble, using their vocabulary and spelling skills.
 
As part of the visit, each student took home a Scrabble game of their own and a ticket to an upcoming Cavs game that the students can use during Read to Achieve week beginning on March 1, all a courtesy of Cavs players "Z" and "Mo."

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Gidding students study environmental living in Cuyahoga Valley adventure 
 
giddings-storyFifty students at Giddings School participated in an educational adventure at the Cuyahoga Valley Environmental Education Center's Residential Program from January
19-22.
 
Student groups studied the Cuyahoga River watershed, the history of the Cuyahoga Valley and sustainable design and living practices, thanks to corporate sponsor Alcoa and to the support of Principal Gerard Leslie and teachers Charlotte Pliske, Tanesha Ivory, Brent Pumpa, high school helper Omar Carlton and parent Mrs.Westbrook.
 
 
 
 

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Stressing the importance of school attendance to raise student achievement, CEO Dr. Eugene made numerous personal visits to the homes of students in grades 10, 11 and 12 on Jan. 23 as part of  CMSD's OGT Door-to-Door event.  The District held an OGT/OAT Community Information Forum the following week to ready parents and students for Ohio Graduation Tests and Ohio Achievement Tests.

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