April News Strongsville H.S.
April 2016
In this Month's Edition
- Spanish Teacher Forges International Connections through Language, Art, and Music
- World History Classes Focus on Armenian Genocide's Impact
- From the Desk of Mr. Smithberger
- State Graduation Testing - April 18 and April 25 - 27
- Career Day Highlights
- Film Class Explores Movies Old and New
- April's Featured Staff Member: Mr. Richard Principe
- Wellness Focus: Healthy Relationships
- Upcoming April Events
Spanish Teacher Forges International Connections through Language, Art, and Music
Mrs. Tonya Barba-Minor with children from Los Naranjos
This spring, Spanish teacher Tonya Barba-Minor donated her time and expertise to serve as an interpreter for parishioners from St. Joseph's Church on a mission to El Salvador. This is the third time Mrs. Barba-Minor has helped the church with its work abroad. Always looking for a way to tie Spanish language instruction to the real-world, Mrs. Barba-Minor solicited the involvement of her colleagues and students. Her efforts forged a connection between students at Strongsville High School and students in El Salvador, a connection they are unlikely to forget.
Sending Well Wishes
SHS's National Art Honor Society students created artwork for cancer patients at the Divina Providencia Hospital in the capital. SHS’s Spanish Club, headed by Spanish teacher Mrs. Michelle Stroup, created jewelry for the cancer patients. The Spanish Honor Society students created friendship letters for patients. SHS's Women's Chorale, under the direction of Mrs. Vickie Eicher, recorded and sang a special song performed at the winter concert. The art sent by these SHS students was such an appreciated gift.
Supporting Education
Spanish Honor Society students also made teacher packets that included a map, dry erase markers and U.S. holiday decorations. In El Salvador, a map is a luxury. A large map in the U.S. can cost about $14, but that same map in El Salvador can cost about $100 which is quite an expense considering that a typical Salvadoran household can earn about $140 a month. Mrs. Barba-Minor's classes also made bilingual vocabulary flash cards and brochures in Spanish about Strongsville High School, sports and extracurriculars.
Students from San José Villanueva with letters from SHS Students
Connecting through Writing
Mrs. Tanya Barba-Minor's, Miss Janet Sansavera’s and Mr. Pete Lamberty’s classes wrote pen pal letters. Through these letters, SHS students connected with 5 schools in El Salvador and were surprised by the letters they received in return. As Mrs. Barba-Minor's students entered her classroom the day she returned and saw letters waiting for them with their names on them, they were elated. Some said, “Is this for me? Can I take this home? I don’t want to open the envelope. It is too beautiful!” Students spent the rest of class reading letters and sharing what they thought was culturally interesting.
SHS students received beautifully decorated letters in handmade envelopes.
Upon her return, Mrs. Barba-Minor has connected with the English teachers she met during her travels and is in the process of making a video call, so her students can “meet” their penpals.
Mrs. Barba-Minor says, "It was a blessing to have so many teachers participate in one way or another and for students to see how they can use their talents to make a difference in a life of a cancer patient, or even make English come alive and bring a smile on the face of a child in Salvadoran school."
World History Classes Focus on Armenian Genocide's Impact
On Friday, April 8, Mr. Ara Bagdasarian spoke to all World History students about the horrors of the Armenian Genocide that lasted from 1915-1922.
Mr. Bagdasarian's grandmother was a survivor of the genocide perpetrated by the Ottoman Turks that began during WWI. Using the war as a cover for forced relocation, threats towards the civilian Armenian population turned into the actions of targeted mass murder as Armenians throughout the Ottoman Empire were marched through the desert or sent out to sea to their deaths. Nearly 3/4 of this majority Christian population were killed until Russian troops stepped in to help stop the genocide and bring the Armenians into a newly formed Soviet Union. Armenia gained independence in 1991 following the collapse of the Soviet Union, and today Armenia rests as an independent state in Southwestern Asia.
Mr. Bagdasarian's personal story was quite moving, and students were openly appreciative of him and the time he spent educating them on a story most of them knew little about.
From the Desk of Mr. Smithberger
Academic Awards Season
As we enter the home stretch of the school year, we are entering academic awards season. Throughout the end of April and into early May, we will be hosting our academic awards nights. These are some of my favorite events of the year because we are honoring the students that have achieved academic success throughout their high schools careers. It is always exciting to see the number of students that are being recognized for their achievements.
If your child is being recognized, you will receive a letter in the mail, and we look forward to seeing you.
As always, thank you for allowing us the opportunity to provide your child their high school education.
For more testing information, please visit the SHS State Testing Bulletin.
Career Day Highlights
Career Day was a great success! Thank you to our guest speakers. Many of them are community members, including Mayor Perciak and members of the Strongsville Board of Education. The day wouldn't have been possible were it not for our speakers, college representatives, members of the armed forces, our teachers and staff. A special thank you to our guidance counselors, the career day committee, and Ms. Hussong, who chaired the event. This year's career day was a great experience for our students.
Film Class Explores Movies Old and New
April's Featured Staff Member: Mr. Richard Principe
Education/Training: Bachelor of Science from John Carroll University, 1974; Master of Education from John Carroll University, 1997.
Years at SHS: 19 years
Family: Married to Kathy
Why did you decide to be a teacher? I was looking for a second career after 20 years in the Army. I always had a great interest in science and had a bachelor's degree from my undergraduate days. I decided to share my interest in science with others. I was accepted into a program that transitioned former military into teaching careers and earned my Master of Education degree from John Carroll University. I started at SHS in 1997.
What do you like best about working at SHS? Working with all the highly motivated and professional colleagues in the science department. It helps me be a better teacher. Plus, the kids are great!
What might students be surprised to learn about you? I was in the Army for 20 years. I guess I don't seem the type.
Thank you, Mr. Principe, for all you do to make SHS a great school!
Wellness Focus: Healthy Relationships
During adolescence, young people learn how to form safe and healthy relationships with friends, parents, teachers, and romantic partners. Both boys and girls often try on different identities and roles during this time, and relationships contribute to their development. Peers, in particular, play a big role in identity formation, but relationships with caring adults – including parents, mentors or coaches – are also important for adolescent development. Often, the parent-adolescent relationship is the one relationship that informs how a young person handles other relationships.
Unfortunately, adolescents sometimes develop unhealthy relationships, and experience or exhibit bullying or dating violence.
Dating Violence
Some adolescents get involved in unhealthy dating relationships. One in 10 adolescents reported being hit or physically hurt on purpose by a boyfriend or girlfriend at least once in the previous year. Controlling and demanding behaviors often happen before violence occurs. For example, one partner may tell another what to wear and who to spend time with. Over time, controlling and demanding behavior may become increasingly violent and that violence can have negative effects on physical and mental health throughout life (including lower self-esteem, eating disorders and suicidal thoughts). Adults can help by paying attention and talking to adolescents about how to build healthy, respectful relationships.
What You Might See If Your Child Is in an Abusive Relationship
- Isolation - Does your child have fewer friends than before the relationship began? In order to consolidate their control in the relationship, abusive partners seek to impose isolation on the victim, first from friends, then from outside activities and then from family.
- Emotional Changes - In the early infatuation stage of any relationship people are often happy. Once abuse begins the victim often begins feeling sad and desperate.
- Constant Communication - Does your child’s boy/girlfriend constantly call or text, and insist on always knowing where your child is, what s/he's doing, who s/he's with, what time s/he'll be back and who s/he’s spoken to?
- Jealousy Issues - You might notice the boy/girlfriend's jealousy. If your child looks at or speaks casually with another person, does this upset the partner?
- Need to Impress - Is your child receiving lots of "advice" about choices in friends, hairstyle, clothes or makeup, and does your child feel the need to comply with this “advice”? Your child may be in fear of what will happen if the advice isn’t followed.
- Making Excuses - Your child might stick-up for the boy/ girlfriend, defending their words and actions. Trust your gut!
How You Can Help
There are many reasons why teens don’t tell parents about the abuse. They may be embarrassed or ashamed, and may blame themselves. They may be afraid their parents will make them break up, convinced that it is their fault or that their parents will blame them or be disappointed in them, and afraid of losing privileges. They are often afraid of retaliation from their partner for telling. They may have little or no experience with healthy dating relationships and confuse jealousy with love. They may not recognize that they are being abused. If you suspect your teenager is being abused…
DO
- Give your child a chance to talk. Stay calm. Listen without judging them. Believe them!
- Use clear language to describe what you see is happening.
- Acknowledge that they are in a very difficult and scary situation. Tell them that you are concerned for their safety and well-being and that you are there for them.
- Ask them what they would like to have happen...how can you help them be safe.
- Keep the lines of communication open!
- Educate yourself—access online resources
DON’T
- Try to rescue them. Resist this natural impulse. It will likely shut them down.
- Blame them for the abuse or make them feel judged.
- Punish them because of an abusive partner.
- Criticize their partner—you don’t want them taking energy to defend the person
Upcoming Events
18 - 9th Grade Football Parent Meeting - 6:30 PM
19 - German Honor Society Induction - 6:30 PM
20 & 21 - All-City Band Concerts - 6:00 PM
25 - Senior Awards Night - 7:00 PM
26 - Top 5% Awards Night - 7:00 PM
27 - Mu Alpha Theta Induction - 6:00 PM
27 - All-City Choir Concert - 7:00 PM
29 - Student of the Month Breakfast
29 - Art Show - 6:30 PM
Strongsville High School
Email: shsnewsletter@scsmustangs.org
Website: strongnet.com/hs
Location: 20025 Lunn Road, Strongsville, OH, United States
Phone: (440) 572-7100
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Strongsville-High-School-157434894297192
Twitter: @StrongsvilleHS