Mustang Moments
Strongsville City Schools News (2017-18 Vol 2, Iss 31)
Strong Schools. Strong Community. Strongsville.
IN THIS ISSUE - April 13, 2018
Important Dates to Remember
60 Seconds with the Superintendent
Upcoming Community Conversation - REVISED DAY/LOCATION
Mustang Spotlight - Ms. Mackenzie Cunningham, Speech Language Pathologist at Early Learning Preschool
Kinsner Student Council Creates ‘Elder Tree’ to Give Back to the Community
"Art Rocks" Event at SouthPark Mall - Saturday, 4/14 (12pm - 4pm)
SHS Graduate Named National Assistant Principal of the Year
Science Night at Strongsville High School - Thursday, 4/19 (6pm - 8pm)
Community Conversation: School Safety - Video On Demand
Stay Safe. Speak Up!
Cheerleading Informational Meetings (SHS) & Registration (SMS)
Chipotle Fundraiser for Project Support
Community Events
Important Dates to Remember
Tuesday, April 17 (11:30am - 1:00pm)
Strongsville Chamber of Commerce Luncheon
Honoring This Year’s Class of SHS Distinguished Alumni
Tickets May Be Purchased at www.strongsvillechamber.com
Wednesday, April 18 (6:30pm - 7:30pm)
Chapman Elementary - 4th Grade Recorder Concert
Chapman Elementary Gymnasium
Thursday, April 19 (6:00pm - 8:00pm)
Science Night & Expo
Strongsville High School Main Gymnasium
Monday, April 23 (6:30pm - 7:30pm)
Community Conversation (Preparing Our Students for Life After SHS)
Strongsville High School Little Theater
*Click HERE for a complete listing of April events throughout our District
60 SECONDS WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT
This year, field trips are being brought back to our District, backed by funding from the Strongsville Education Foundation. Recently, our kindergarten and first grade students from Whitney enjoyed their field trip experiences. In this week’s episode, we visit with Mrs. Hopp and Mrs. Havel and some of their students - click HERE to hear more about their field trips.
UPCOMING COMMUNITY CONVERSATION - REVISED DAY/LOCATION
Don’t miss the next Community Conversation on Monday, April 23 from 6:30pm - 7:30pm in the Little Theatre at Strongsville High School (* Please note - this is a new day and location from earlier promotion of this event). “Preparing Our Students for Life After SHS” is the topic and will feature the many options students have in preparation for career and college, along with the resources available to help students explore their "next step" after graduation. Community Conversations are free and open to the public and include Q&A sessions.
MUSTANG SPOTLIGHT - MS. MACKENZIE CUNNINGHAM, SPEECH LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST AT EARLY LEARNING PRESCHOOL
Ms. Mackenzie Cunningham is in her 2nd year as a Speech Language Pathologist at our District’s Early Learning Preschool. ‘Miss Mackenzie’ has her undergraduate degree from the University of Akron and her graduate degree from Kent State University. In addition to working with our youngest Mustangs, she also coaches the Dance Team at Strongsville High School and is the choreographer for Strongsville Middle School’s show choir.
Miss Mackenzie feels like she is in a special place in our District, “I am so happy to be working at Strongsville Early Learning Preschool and am grateful that I have a job that allows me to help children and positively impact their lives. Working with the students at our preschool is very rewarding and fun! I am also grateful to be a part of such a wonderful staff that supports each other and works together to create the best possible first school experience for all children and their families.”
She adds, “I absolutely love working with preschoolers! I truly look forward to coming to work each day because my students always put a smile on face. The things they say and do warm my heart.”
Thank you Miss Mackenzie for positively impacting our youngest Mustangs and helping them prepare for kindergarten and beyond!
KINSNER STUDENT COUNCIL CREATES ‘ELDER TREE’ TO GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY
We are proud of Kinsner Elementary’s Student Council! The group decided to collect needed items for the residents of the Falling Waters Nursing Home. They created an “Elder Tree” and asked students and families to donate items, such as body wash, body lotion, socks, and books. All items are being delivered to the nursing home on Monday!
"ART ROCKS" EVENT AT SOUTHPARK MALL - TOMORROW (SATURDAY 4/14; 12PM - 4PM)
Strongsville City Schools is partnering with SouthPark Mall for an upcoming event - ”Art Rocks!” This event benefits our K-12 art departments. On Saturday, April 14th from 12-4pm, each school will be represented with an art department led school-themed rocking chair where students will "rock" technology free for four hours as games, competitions and prizes are happening around them. Those at the mall that day will be encouraged to donate loose change to vote for their favorite chair.
SouthPark will be matching what is collected (up to $3,000) - with all of the donations going back to each individual school's art department. Visit SouthPark Mall on Saturday, April 14 from 12-4pm at Centre Court and help support our District’s art departments!
SHS GRADUATE NAMED NATIONAL ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL OF THE YEAR
Congratulations to SHS graduate (Class of ‘03) Erica (Snook) Page who was recently named ‘2018 NASSP National Assistant Principal of the Year.’ This award annually recognizes outstanding middle level and high school assistant principals who have succeeded in providing high quality learning opportunities for students.
Mrs. Page is in her sixth year as an assistant principal at Pelion High School, in Pelion, SC. She attributes her success to inspiration from her own eighth grade teacher, and asserts that “every administrative decision I make comes from believing in students and putting them first.” As her principal Bryan Hearn describes, “Ms. Page’s values, beliefs, and attitudes are evidenced by her high expectations for students, faculty, and staff. Her contagious ‘all in for all students’ attitude echoes through the building.”
For more details on Mrs. Page and this prestigious award, click HERE.
#foreveramustang
SCIENCE NIGHT AT STRONGSVILLE HIGH SCHOOL - THURSDAY, 4/19 (6PM - 8PM)
Don’t miss the 3rd Annual Science Night & Expo on Thursday, April 19th from 6pm - 8pm at Strongsville High School. There will be FUN, hands-on science-related activities for students of all ages! And don’t forget to check out the amazing independent study projects from our SHS students. Click HERE for the event flyer.
COMMUNITY CONVERSATION: SCHOOL SAFETY - VIDEO ON DEMAND
If you missed the recent Community Conversation on school safety, the complete presentation and video of the event is now on demand. Click HERE or visit the Superintendent’s page on the District website at https://www.strongnet.org/Page/12039. The Community Conversation featured Superintendent Cameron Ryba, Strongsville Chief of Police Mark Fender, and Strongsville Safety Director Charles Goss in a discussion about steps our District is taking, in partnership with Strongsville’s safety services, to ensure our facilities are the safest they can be for our students, staff, and visitors.
STAY SAFE. SPEAK UP!
Strongsville City Schools encourages students, teachers, staff, parents, and other members of our community to report any instances of potential violence, bullying, self-harm or any other issue where students may be at risk. The Stay Safe. Speak Up! link is located in the shortcuts along the right hand side on the homepage of the District website (www.strongnet.org). It can also be found on the homepage of each of our individual building websites. Reporting incidents can be made anonymously online or through a toll free number (1-866-listen2me / 1-866-547-8362).
CHEERLEADING INFORMATIONAL MEETINGS (SHS) & REGISTRATION (SMS)
For Strongsville High School students interested in cheerleading for the upcoming year:
Any student interested in trying out for the 2018-2019 SHS cheerleading squad must attend a mandatory parent meeting on April 24th at 7:00 pm in the SHS Media Center. Please see Mrs. Kelly in room 601 or email mkelly@scsmustangs.org with any questions.
Any student interested in trying out for the 2018-2019 SHS competitive cheerleading squad must attend a mandatory parent meeting on April 24th at 6:30 in the SHS Media Center. Please see Mrs. Kelly in room 601 or email mkelly@scsmustangs.org with any questions.
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For Strongsville Middle School students entering 7th and 8th grade next year and interested in SMS Football Cheerleading:
Registration is happening now and runs through April 30th for students entering 7th and 8th grade in the next academic year (2018-2019). For more information and to sign up visit: http://strongsvillefootballleague.com/
CHIPOTLE FUNDRAISER FOR PROJECT SUPPORT
Make plans to have dinner at Chipotle on Tuesday, April 24th from 4:00pm - 8:00pm. 50% of the proceeds from sales during that time period will benefit Project Support, an inclusive club for ALL students at the high school. Click HERE for the event flyer.
COMMUNITY EVENTS
Heartbeats Jump Rope Team Community Show
See the Strongsville Jump Rope Club perform with the Heartbeats Jump Rope team at their FREE community show on Saturday, April 28 at 7:00pm at Strongsville High School. The Heartbeats Jump Rope Team promotes the sport of jump rope as fun, healthy, challenging, competitive and entertaining for people of all ages. A lifelong sport, jump rope helps build athletic skills and a positive self-image. Team members have won Gold and other medals individually and as a team in USA Jump Rope National Championships and International and World Cup competitions around the world. Click HERE for additional event details.
Arts in Strongsville Chalk Walk
The 7th annual Arts In Strongsville Chalk Walk is scheduled for Saturday, May 19 from 9am - 1pm at the Strongsville Commons (corner of Rt. 42 & 82). Cash prizes will be awarded for judged categories in several age categories. Deadline to pre-register is May 14. Please click HERE for additional information and for a registration form.
Strongsville Women’s League Fundraiser
Strongsville Women’s League invites you to an evening of fun and games at Mulligan’s Bar and Grille on Saturday April 28th from 5 to 8 pm. Admission includes 4 drink tickets (domestic draft beer/wine/well drinks/pop) and wings, pizza, pasta and salad and a chance at a door prize. There will be games to play and a sideboard raffle to benefit our projects and charitable donations. Tickets are $25 in advance by emailing mindyshirilla@sbcglobal.net or at the door for $30. Mulligan’s is located at 20880 Royalton Rd. Strongsville 44136. Check out SWL at strongsvillewomensleague.org
Strongsville Community Theatre - “Godspell”
Strongsville Community Theatre presents “Godspell” - performances will be at the Strongsville High School Little Theatre on April 20th - 22nd, April 27th - 29th, and May 3rd - 5th. Showtimes are at 8:00pm on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays and 3:00pm on Sundays. Visit www.strongsvillecommunitytheatre.com for ticket information.
Community Seminar for a Safer Strongsville
The Strongsville Police Department will offer a safety class for residents aimed at protecting themselves from crime on Tuesday, May 22 at 7:00pm at the Ehrnfelt Recreation Center. The training will focus on raising awareness of your surroundings, protecting your property and identity, safety when traveling, home security, and identifying and reporting suspicious people and vehicles in your neighborhood. Register at tinyurl.com/safestrongsville or click HERE for additional information.
Strongsville Jump Rope Club
The third session of the Strongsville Jump Rope Club begins this month at Muraski Elementary School. Join us on Fridays from 5:00pm - 6:30pm for heart-pumping exercise and FUN! Don’t miss out!! Join our club to participate in the upcoming April Community Show with the Heartbeats! Click HERE to register or contact dot.hepp@roadrunner.com or messageforpam@gmail.com for additional information.
Summer Theatre Camp
Strongsville Community Theatre once again is offering a summer camp for kids in 2nd - 8th grade. This year's camp will run from June 11 to June 28, and will culminate in two performances of Disney's 101 Dalmations on June 29 & 30. Registration is now open. Registration materials are on the ‘Youth Theatre’ page of our website: www.strongsvillecommunitytheatre.com
Girls Fastpitch Fundraiser
Mulligan’s Bar & Grill is hosting an upcoming fundraiser for Strongsville Girls Fastpitch Softball. Join us on Saturday, April 14 from 6-8pm. $25 ticket includes pizza, pasta, wings, salad, and 3 drink tickets. For additional information or to purchase tickets, please contact Jackie Lang at 440.268.0558.
Head Start Basketball Camp
The 26th annual Head Start Basketball Camps emphasize the FUN-damentals of basketball with individual attention given to each camper. The camps are directed by former Strongsville High School and Kent State University player Mike Klinzing who has more than 25 years of basketball camp experience. The camps are for boys and girls in grades K-8.
Head Start Basketball was recognized as the first Jr. NBA Program of the Month presented by Under Armour, as a result of their emphasis on teamwork, respect, sportsmanship, and teaching the fundamentals of the game in a fun, positive environment.
Head Start Basketball will hold four weeks of camp: June 11-15, June 18-22, June 25-29 & July 9-13 from 1:30 - 4:30 p.m all at the Strongsville Rec Center. The cost for each one week camp is $85. Please contact Mike Klinzing at 216-392-4059 or at headstartbasketball@usa.net for more information. Or click HERE to register.
Strongsville Chamber of Commerce
Please note the following events hosted by the Strongsville Chamber of Commerce. Registration is required for all events. Please call 440.238.3366 to register or for more information. Those interested may also visit www.strongsvillechamber.com to register and to see more event information.
April Luncheon - Recognizing This Year’s Class of SHS Distinguished Alumni
April 17, 2018
11:30am - 1:00pm
Ehrnfelt Recreation Center
Business After Hours Event
April 19, 2018
5:30pm - 7:30pm
Mattress Warehouse - Ledgewood Plaza
** Strongsville’s Annual Homecoming (July 25 - 28) **
Strongsville Library
Please note the following April 2018 events at the Strongsville Branch Library. Registration is required for most events. Please call (440) 238-5530 to register or for more information. All events sponsored by our Friends of Strongsville Branch Library. Customers may also visit www.cuyahogalibrary.org to register and to see more library event information.
Year-Round Story Times!
Cuyahoga County Public Library offers story time sessions year-round for children Birth to Age 5. Our story time sessions are in full swing! Please call the library or stop by the Children’s Desk for more information.
New State of the Art Recording Studio Open to the Public!
The Strongsville Branch Library Audio and Video Recording Studios are now open to the public. Customers interested in using Garage Band, iMovie, and the Adobe Suite to create sound recordings, video recordings, and more are welcome to sign-up for studio time up to one week in advance. In order to use the studio, customers must first attend an orientation session. Drop-in orientations will be held on Tuesdays - Audio studio orientation from 2:30-3:00 p.m. Video studio orientation from 3:00-3:30 p.m. and Saturdays, Audio studio orientation from 9:30-10:00 a.m. and Video studio orientation from 10:00-10:30 a.m. No registration is needed. Please show up on time for these orientations. For more information on the studio and how to book studio time, please call (440) 238-5530.
Studio Deep Dive! Teens Age 11-18. Tuesdays beginning April 3rd from 3:30 – 5:30 p.m.
Teens do you like movies, animation, photos, and music? Join us in the studios to create films, cartoons, memes, and music. In this on-going weekly series, teens will use their creativity and studio equipment to create multimedia projects, music, films, and more. No prior experience necessary, just bring your ideas.
Intro to Raspberry Pi. Adults 18 and over. Saturday, April 14th from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Learn how to use the Raspberry Pi, a programmable mini-computer. Using a Raspberry Pi and a variety of inputs, learn how to use basic circuitry and coding concepts to create a mini-keyboard in this hands-on workshop. All equipment will be provided. Limited seating. Registration is required. Participants must complete a Release and Hold Harmless form. Participants may be recorded and/or surveyed to capture program’s effectiveness. More information can be found at cuyahogalibrary.org/parent-options.
Just4You Student Friends. Ages 10-18. Saturday, April 14th from 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Join this group of teen volunteers to get involved in the library and your community. Stop by the Teen Desk for an application.
Parkfit Mall Walkers Wellness Talk: Healing with Oxygen. Tuesday, April 17th at 10:00 a.m.
Join us the third Tuesday of each month for this special wellness talk sponsored by Southwest Hospital. Our speaker this month will be Doctor of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, Vincent Ferrini MD of Southwest General Health Center. Did you know that oxygen can be used as a mechanism to heal various conditions of the human body? Would you be interested in treatments that require you to watch movies read books or sleep while you're simply breathing and healing? Come to hear about the diagnoses that we can treat. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy is used to heal diabetic foot wounds injuries leftover after radiation therapy bone infections skin grafts skin flaps and more. Registration is requested. The ParkFit Mall Walkers Club is a combined effort of Southwest General and SouthPark Mall in Strongsville. The Club provides an opportunity for community residents to improve their health by walking for exercise in a safe interesting and climate-controlled facility. Walk at the mall first then come over to the Library for this informative wellness talk! For more information call (440) 816-4037.
Retirement Options. Wednesday, April 18th at 7:00 p.m.
Come explore retirement planning and learn about establishing goals, retirement income and more. The Society for Financial Awareness will provide information on retirement planning and teach you about establishing retirement goals, estimating retirement income, tax advantaged savings vehicles, and investment considerations.
Wednesday Evening Book Discussion. Meets the 3rd Wednesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. New Members Welcome!
Our next discussion will be on Wednesday, April 18th. This month we will be discussing The Bridge Ladies: a Memoir by Betsy Lerner. Copies of the book will be available at the check-out desk. Registration for this program is not needed. Join us for an evening of great discussion!
Monday Afternoon Book Discussion. Meets the 4th Monday of each month at 2:30 p.m.
New Members Welcome! Our next discussion will be held on Monday, April 23rd. Our April discussion title will be Women in the Castle by Jessica Shattuck. Copies of the book will be available for check-out at the circulation desk. Join us for great conversation!
American Red Cross Blood Drive. Tuesday, April 24th from 1:00 – 7:00 p.m.
In just an hour of your time you can help save up to three lives. Make sure hospital patients get the treatment they need. Donate blood today. For more information or to make an appointment, visit www.redcrossblood.org or call the American Red Cross at (216) 431-3010.
2D Animation: Keyframes with Krita. Teens Age 11-18. Wednesday, April 25th from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Get an inside glimpse at the rich history and process of animation, as well as first-hand experience using industry standard digital animation techniques and software. During this two-hour introductory session, students will digitally design drawings to bring to life through the twelve principles of animation. Using the open-source program Krita, budding animators will be able to get their hands on competitive tools to create digital art and animation. This software offers a variety of sophisticated tools and options similar to what one might find in Adobe programs such as Photoshop and Flash. Once finished with the session, students will be able to continue to use their new knowledge by downloading the free program on their devices at home.
How I Became a Pirate. Ages 4-10 with their Families. Thursday, April 26th from 7:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Brecksville Theater on the Square will perform the musical based on the book written by Melinda Long and illustrated by David Shannon. Books, Lyrics, and Music by Janet Yates Vogt and Mark Friedman. Sail off on a fantastic musical excursion when a band of comical pirates lands at North Beach looking for an expert digger to join their crew. Braid Beard and his mates enlist young Jeremy Jacob, as they try to find the perfect spot to bury their treasure. Jeremy finds that adventuring can be lots of fun, but also learns that love and home are treasures you can't find on any map. The whole family will love this delightful and swashbuckling musical.
Stay Connected with Strongsville City Schools
Strongsville High School * Muraski Elementary *
Strongsville Middle School * Surrarrer Elementary *
Chapman Elementary * Whitney Elementary *
Kinsner Elementary * Early Learning Preschool
Website: www.strongnet.org
Location: Strongsville City Schools, 18199 Cook Avenue, Strongsville, OH, United States
Phone: (440) 572-7000
Facebook: facebook.com/strongsvillecs
Twitter: @strongsvillecs