Come on out for the 21st Annual Reaching Heights Adult Community Spelling Bee, Wednesday, March 28, at Cleveland Heights High School. Admission is free for this fun competition among two dozen teams representing our schools, churches, colleges, law firms and cultural organizations. Win great prizes at our raffle, and cheer your favorite team on. Last year's champions, representing the Cleveland Orchestra, are seeking an unprecedented three-peat. Proceeds from the Bee support Reaching Heights and its programs promoting excellence in the Cleveland Heights-University Heights schools. 

Elementary and middle school instrumental music students are invited to spend a fun-filled week, June 18-23, exploring music at the Heights Summer Music Camp. Campers will perform in an orchestra and chamber groups, learn music theory, and participate in a jazz or guitar workshop, or the Heights Summer Music Camp Chorus. Cleveland Heights-University Heights music faculty, community musicians, and college and high school students provide individualized support and expert coaching and instruction. Campers make great music, and have fun with their new friends from across the CH-UH school district. For more information and to apply, click here.

The next CH-UH Facilities Master Planning community meeting is on February 22, 2012, at 6:30 p.m. in the High School Social Room, 13263 Cedar Road.  The planning team will present conceptual design ideas for the district, including analysis of the educational environments, construction budgets, operational budgets, and potential construction timelines. Participants at the meeting will be engaged in a series of activities where they can discuss the opportunities and challenges presented by each of the plans. The next scheduled meeting is on March 21.More information about the facilities process is here.

Together with the Heights Athletic Department and school district, the Heights Softball Booster Club is raising money for a new softball field at the corner of Washington and Goodnor at Cleveland Heights High School. The team has never had its own field. The team has played their home games at Forest Hill Park and was bussed there - an additional expense to the Heights High Athletics program. As a result, very few fans came to their games and the team has never enjoyed the "home field advantage." The Heights High baseball team has a wonderful field off of Cedar Road on the Heights High campus. Fastpitch softball cannot be played on a traditional baseball field since the distances between bases and the configuration of the pitching circle/mound are different. The project is to include upgrades to the infield dirt and outfield grass, addition of canvas top dugouts and a portable home run fence (current field has neither), new backstop fencing, new grandstand with concrete path, and a new scoreboard. A brochure with more images of the project is available here. The project will cost about $30,000. Softball boosters need to raise at least half of these funds. Please consider supporting this worthy project. DONATIONS: Make checks payable to Reaching Heights (put Softball Field in memo line). Send to me at 2981 Lincoln Blvd. Or you can donate right through the reaching heights website, http://www.reachingheights.org/how-you-can-help/donate/. Check the "Softball Field Improvement Fund" under Purpose of Gift. 

Education Advocate Diane Ravitch
Speaking in Cleveland Feb. 2 and 3

 The Cleveland Teachers Union is hosting a "Conversation with Diane Ravitch" on Thursday, February 2 at Pilgrim United Church of Christ, 2592 West 14th St. in the Tremont neighborhood. Ravitch is research professor in the graduate school of education at New York University and author of the best-selling, The Death and Life of the Great American School System. At Pilgrim Church, registration will begin at 5:30 PM, with an address at 6:00 PM and a reception with book signing at 7:30 PM.

Ravitch, a nationally recognized education advocate is the author of The Death and Life of the Great American School System: How Testing and Choice are Undermining Education. From 1991 to 1993, she was Assistant Secretary of Education and Counselor to Secretary of Education

Lamar Alexander in the administration of President George H.W. Bush and led the federal effort to promote the creation of voluntary state and national academic standards.

www.dianeravitch.com. She will also be the featured speaker at the Cleveland City Club on Friday, February 3 at lunch. Tickets are $30, by calling the City Club (216) 621-0082.

Heights Arts Offers Lifelong Learning Opportunities

Heights Arts is offering art classes and workshops at the newly expanded gallery on Lee Road. Classes for younger children are offered on Saturdays in a wide range of media including printmaking, painting, collage and assemblage. Workshops for teens and adults in clay, screen printing, book arts, painting and more are offered on Wednesday and Thursday evenings. Please visit the classes page at www.heightsarts.org for a full listing of courses or call 216.371.3457. 

Heights Youth Theatre Presents The King and I

The Heights Youth Theatre's production of The King and I runs Fridays, March 2nd, 9th, and 16th at 7 PM; Saturdays, March 3rd, 10th, and 17th and Sunday, March 11th at 2 PM, at Wiley Middle School on Miramar Blvd in University Heights. For more than half a century, Heights Youth Theatre has been committed to providing quality children's theatre on the East Side of Cleveland, with a mission "to entertain, educate, and inspire!" Tickets are $9 general admission and $8 for seniors and children six and under. Cash or check only, no credit or debit cards.

Reaching Heights | www.reachingheights.org | 216.932.5110 | rh@reachingheights.org

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Thank you!