Consolidation Plan

This summer will be like no other. In the district’s growth years in the sixties and seventies, schools were built and prepared for students during the summer. In the eighties and nineties, we closed buildings or changed the way we use facilities.

This summer we will embark on a bold consolidation plan. Construction at Parma High School and Valley Forge High School will soon be in full swing. By the opening of school in late August, new computer and technology classrooms will be ready for students in both of these buildings. At the same time, space in these buildings will be renovated to house the administration offices at Parma High, and the maintenance department at Valley Forge. The renovation does not stop at these buildings. We will soon be installing a new telephone system that will replace our current outdated thirty-year old system. The new system will allow for better communications with parents and the public, and will improve our ability to communicate between buildings.

It does not matter what school or cluster you work in, have students in, or live in---these moves will impact you. The consolidation plan has three main purposes:

1. Use available space in existing buildings to the fullest. This helps to ensure that our three high school clusters stay in tact, and that our communities continue to enjoy neighborhood schools.

2. Save dollars now and in the future. Once we move out of the administration building on Ridge Road and the Arlington Learning Center, we will immediately begin saving on utilities and maintenance. Other savings will incur as the buildings are leased or sold.

3. Begin upgrading technology with a new telephone system to improve the operation of the district as well as upgraded computer equipment and facilities for students.

By the end of the next school year, the Parma City School District will have a new look. We will operate fewer buildings, we will have upgraded our technology and we will be saving dollars.

Even as we begin construction, we are fully aware that facilities only matter when we have excellent teachers and support staff, great students and parents and a community that supports our efforts. I believe we have all of these and I am very grateful to all of you for helping us move the district forward.

Please accept my best wishes for a wonderful and restful summer recess.

May is busy for ALP TOO students

As the school year winds down, middle school ALP TOO students have had a busy month. They attended a performance of "Gold Rush" at Playhouse Square depicting the conflicts of interest in a family with a teenage slave and the hopes and dreams of all involved.

A presentation at the Rock and Roll Hall of fame illuminated the importance of both the arranger in the production of songs and how classically trained musicians are crucial to "pop" and other forms of music. We’ll all be listening to music with a different ear now.

Seventh grade ALP TOO students had the opportunity to visit with sixth grade ALP elementary students at Parma Senior High for an enlightening lunch. The seventh graders did their best to impart their wisdom on the upcoming navigation of middle school, including ALP TOO, to the sixth graders.

Our last seminar day for the year was a college visit to Baldwin-Wallace. Admissions officer Carl Mazone spoke to the importance of rigor in coursework during middle and high school years. He also emphasized writing skills, extracurricular activities, and service to the community. B-W college students then took groups of ALP TOO students on a campus tour. We concluded our trip with lunch at the college before returning to school.

Elementary ALP activities

The third and fourth graders completed a critical thinking unit covering various aspects of the Old West. They studied groups of people who moved west and their reasons for moving, heroes and villains of the west, and the Gold Rush. As a culminating activity, they participated in an Oregon Trail simulation in State Road Park.

The fifth and sixth graders studied a critical thinking unit on Lake Erie's relationship with northern Ohio and the Lake Erie islands, tourism of the area, and the history of the area. The culminating activity of this unit was a fun-filled, educational field trip to South Bass Island. Both groups had a memorable ending to their ALP year.

Summer Beach Party

Thanks to everyone who attended and worked at the Summer Beach Party on Tuesday, May 30 at the Parma High cafeteria.  It was a great opportunity to share with parents and students the many ways they can incorporate education into their summer vacation.  The event featured demonstrations, games, stories and a picnic dinner. 

Have a great summer and we'll see you in the fall!

FREE SUMMER ESOL CLASSES - ENGLISH For Speakers of Other Languages

July 10 - August 18, 2006

CLASS INFORMATION

Classes are offered at two locations this summer:

- Monday & Thursday afternoons 12:00-2:00PM at the Parma Regional Library 7335 Ridge Road

- Tuesday & Thursday evenings 7:00-9:00PM at Divinity Lutheran Church 11877 Blossom Ave.

ORIENTATION / REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Students must attend the Orientation/Registration Session at a site below before they may begin attending classes.

Orientation/Registration Sessions are held at: Parma Regional Library July 10, 2006 at 12:00 Noon and at Valley Forge High School July 11, 2006 at 7:00PM

FREE SUMMER GED CLASSES

July 10 - August 18, 2006

CLASS INFORMATION

Classes are offered at four summer locations: Monday & Thursday mornings 9:30-11:30AM at the Parma Regional Library 7335 Ridge Road

Tuesday & Wednesday afternoons 2:30-4:30PM at Remington College 14445 Broadway Road

Tuesday & Thursday afternoons 1:00-3:00PM total Technical Institute 8720 Brookpark Road

Tuesday & Thursday evenings 7:00-9:00PM (July-Aug only) at Divinity Lutheran Church 11877 Blossom Avenue

ORIENTATION/REGISTRATION INFORMATION:

Students must attend an Orientation/Registration Session at one of the following locations before attending classes:

Parma Regional Library on July 10 at 9:30AM, 7335 Ridge Road Parma, OH 44129

Remington College-Cleve on July 11 at 2:00PM, 14445 Broadway Avenue Maple Hts, OH 44125

Total Technical Institute on July 11 at 1:00PM, 8720 Brookpark Road Brooklyn, OH 44129

Valley Forge High School on July 11 at 7:00PM, 9999 Independence Blvd. Parma Hts, OH 44130

Dr. Zatik reviews three significant events which recently took place that directly impacted our students and the community:

On Friday, May 5, the "Heroes in the Making" program took place at Parma High. This was an opportunity to recognize 78 of our students as well as seven adults from the community for displaying qualities that make them role models and heroes to those in their school, church, community or country. It was a very rewarding experience for me and I trust it was for everyone who attended. Thank you to the families of all of our student and adult heroes for their support and to each of the staff members, both classified and certified, who contributed to making this event a memorable one. Thank you also to district graduates Brian and Joe from WMVX Mix 106.5 FM and their band, the Endorsements, for doing a marvelous job of hosting the show.

Additional information and photos of the event are available under the "District News" header which can be found alphabetically below.

The Parma Council of PTAs, as always, has shown tremendous support for our district this year, as evidenced by the turnout at the statewide PTA convention in late April and the scholarship dinner in May. Congratulations to former Parma Council President Sandy Nekoloff for her well-deserved installation as Ohio PTA President and to all of our incoming and outgoing officers. Your work is truly appreciated.

Finally, the initial phase of the district’s television programming on Cox Communications Channel 45 began Wednesday, May 3. We currently have four time slots; 9:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m., and 7:30 p.m., each Monday through Friday in which we will be showing various types of information as we test our signals and processes. The PACT Network is a collaborative involving the cities of Parma, Parma Heights and Seven Hills, Parma Community General Hospital, the Cuyahoga County Public Library and Tri-C Western Campus. In the coming months, look for programming produced by the Radio-TV Production class, which is available to juniors and seniors and is taught by Mr. David Droes at Normandy.

Culinary Arts Awards

On May 17 and 18, the students from the Culinary Arts program competed in the Ohio Culinary Arts Invitational Tournament.  The five-member team earned 9 medals and a total of $12,000 in scholarship money.

Chris Guthrie - Gold medal in both Individual and Team competition and $6,000 in scholarship money.

Tom Hemerka - Silver medal in Individual

Ed Kmiecik - Bronze medal in Individual

Paul Ondo - Bronze medal in both Individual and Team and $2,000 in scholarship money.

Justin Snyder - Bronze medal in Individual, Silver medal in Team and $4,000 in scholarship money.

Congratulations to these students for their outstanding achievements!

The Parma City Schools has sponsored tuition-based childcare programs since 1983.  We care for children of working parents before school from 7:00 - 9:00 AM and after school until 6:00 PM in all elementary buildings.  We have three sites offering Kindergarten care from 11:45 AM  to 6:00 PM, and provide care for Infants, Toddlers, and Preschoolers from 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM in our Day Care Center housed in Normandy High School.

Our programs are licensed by the Ohio Department of Education and staffed by trained childcare providers.  Each program offers a variety of activities to support the healthy development of young children in an out-of-school environment. 

For additional information and tuition rates, please visit our websites:

www.parmacityschools.org/daycare

www.parmacityschools.org/edc

Back the Schools Committee Golf Outing

Please join us on Wednesday, June 21 at Ridgewood Golf Course for the 4th Annual Back the Schools Committee Golf Outing.  Check-in time starts at 8 a.m. with a shotgun start at 9 a.m.  Cost is $100 per person which includes your cart, golf, refreshments, breakfast, lunch and an Outback Steakhouse dinner at around 4:30 p.m. Tickets for the steak dinner only are available for $25.

Proceeds from this event will be used to support district activities and provide funding for school ballot issues such as the May 2005 levy campaign to which Back the Schools contributed over $100,000.  Back the Schools has served the district for nearly 40 years and needs your help to continue to keep our schools strong and financially stable.

Tickets and event details are available by calling co-chairs Bruce Basalla at 440-884-2282, Ron Durkin at 216-524-1024 or Kevin Kelley at 440-667-7305.  Payments may be mailed to:

The Back the Schools Committee of the Parma City School District c/o Bruce Basalla, 2710 Park Drive, Parma, OH 44134.

Thank you for your support!

Parma Area Chamber of Commerce Rib n Rock

The 16th Annual Rib n Rock will be held from June 8-11 at Parmatown Mall.  This event will feature national award-winning rib vendors and restaurants along with a variety of top-notch entertainment.  Times are 4-11 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 2-11 p.m. on Saturday and 1-11 p.m. on Sunday.

Other highlights include workshops, rides and games for kids, car shows on Saturday and Sunday, an MTV Veejay search, and a raffle sponsored by the Carpenters Union in which you could win a gazebo or shed for your backyard!

Tickets are available at the event and all proceeds benefit the Parma Area Chamber of Commerce scholarship fund.

Please join us for some great food and fun June 8-11 at Parmatown Mall!

City of Parma Band Concerts

Parma Mayor DePiero and the City of Parma's Recreation Department have an exciting season of Sunday night band concerts planned at Ridgewood Lake Park beginning on June 18 and running through September 3.  All concerts start at 6:30 p.m. with parking available across the street at Parmatown Mall.  Please bring your own lawn chair or blanket and enjoy some great music and fellowship with us!  More details are available by calling City Hall at 885-8000 or the Recreation Department at 885-8144.

Parma Senior Center Senior Showcase

On Friday, May 19, the Parma Senior Center held a dance contest as part of its two-day Senior Showcase.  Entertainment was provided by those amazing song and dance ladies called the Raisin Canes and a dance competition featuring some of the area's finest hoofers was held in the afternoon.  Dancers were judged on their skill in the Polka, Fox Trot, Rumba, Jitterbug and Waltz.  Judges were JoAnn Mason, Senior Center Director, Cheryl McIntosh from the Parma Area Chamber of Commerce and Kevin Brennan, Community Outreach Specialist from the Parma City School District.  The decisions were very difficult and the five winning couples truly earned their first-place finishes.

Pictured from left to right are: Jitterbug winners Sol Shack & Mary Resler, Fox Trot winners George Bodkin & Angel McGee, Waltz winners Karen Yocum & Paul Snyder, Polka winners Renee Black & Joe Cancillere and Rumba winners Tony & Pat Ehret.

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Congratulations to the winners and thank you to everyone who was involved in the Senior Showcase! 

ABLE Program is highest-rated in the state of Ohio

The Parma Adult Basic and Literacy Education (ABLE) Program has just been awarded a rating of EXEMPLARY by the Ohio Department of Education. In fact, Parma ABLE has received the highest rating of any of the 127 ABLE Programs in the state. This annual rating system by ODE evaluates the effectiveness of the ABLE Program based on the following performance measures:

• Student Achievement

- Student completion of the 12 Educational Functioning Levels

- Placement into post secondary education and training

- Obtainment of the GED

- Attainment of employment and retention of employment

- Achievement of family literacy goals

- Other performance measures (retention, enrollment, pre-test and post-test rates)

• Administrative Requirements

- compliance with state and federal standards

- compliance with grant requirements

Parma ABLE is very proud of this top notch rating! Over 1,000 adult students enter the program each year. This includes students who want to earn a GED, pass the US Citizenship Test, improve their English, and/or review basic skills. The many dedicated staff members and volunteer tutors who work in the Parma ABLE Program help these adults reach their goals. Congratulations to Program Coordinator Susan Sheehan and her staff on this outstanding accomplishment!

PEA honors Parma Police Detective

The Parma Education Association recently honored Parma Police Detective Tom Conner for his outstanding work as an advocate for safety in public education.  He was presented with a plaque and made an honorary member of the PEA.  Congratulations to Detective Conner for this honor and for his dedication to our children and our community. Pictured here are Parma Mayor DePiero, Detective Conner and PEA President Maureen Neville.

Heroes in the Making

A unique student recognition program called “Heroes in the Making” was held on May 5 at the Parma Senior High cafeteria.  78 students from pre-school through twelfth grade were honored for making positive contributions to their schools, churches, community and country.  Also on hand was a panel of seven adult heroes who were acknowledged for their history of outstanding work on behalf of others.

Two of the adult heroes shared a special bond.  U.S. Army Specialists Brian Regovich and Jonathan Rice served our country side by side as they both deployed to Iraq in January 2005.  After spending 12 months with the Bravo Company 612^th Engineer Battalion, they have formed a lasting friendship and are currently planning their futures.

Brian, a 2001 graduate of Parma High, and his wife recently purchased a home in Parma.  Brian is going to school to become a law enforcement officer.  Jonathan is attending the University of Cincinnati to become a doctor and lives with his wife in North Ridgeville.

The event was hosted by Brian and Joe from WMVX Mix 106.5 FM and featured their band, the Endorsements.  Students had a great time dancing and some even played with the band and sang along.  Dr. Zatik presented the two morning radio personalities, who are both graduates of the district, with the Superintendent’s School Bell Award in appreciation of their continued support of the Parma City School District.

In a heartfelt speech, Dr. Zatik thanked both the student and adult heroes for their ability to be “survivors, volunteers and leaders” as they act as role models and inspirations to their family, their peers and those they encounter every day.

Congratulations to this special group of students for showing the character and commitment to be considered “Heroes in the Making.”

Serve It Safe

In March of this year, 29 cafeteria staff members completed a ten hour evening training course called "Serve It Safe." Some of the topics covered in this course on safety and sanitation were: basic sanitation hazards in school food service, harmful microorganisms, potentially hazardous food, and the critical control points at each step in the flow of food preparation.

Among those recognized were:

Cheryl Negrey, Debra  Revock, Lynn Scott, Julianne M. Haas, Linda Krauss, Claudia Kay and Judith Holmes from Valley Forge

Donna Reynolds, Joanne Egyud, Shirley Kazimer and Ann Kriefall from Shiloh

Nafah Farraj, Carol Anderle, Gloria Dossa and Sheri Morchak from Hillside

Mia Kostandaras, Carol Soukup, Dorothy Dean, Vicki Reagle, Grace Pavia and Julie Kaiser from Greenbriar

Lisa Manzetti ‑ Pleasant Valley, Diane Martinez ‑ Pleasantview, Vickie Yates ‑ Pearl Road, Marilyn Ratusnik ‑ Renwood

and Pam Richards ‑ Ridge‑Brook.

Thanks to all of you for your dedication!

Have a safe summer and remember to eat your vegetables and to go outside and play!

Copy Center Details

The Copy Center will continue normal operations until Tuesday, June 6, 2005.

There will be no pick-ups on June 7 or June 8.  Final Copy Center deliveries

will be made on Wednesday, June 7.  The Copy Center will close for the

2005-2006 school year at the end of the day on Wednesday, June 7.

The Copy Center will open for the 2006-2007 school year on Monday, July 31,

2006.  Teachers may place Copy Center requests in the box at their building

or drop them off at the shop between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Monday through

Thursday.  All Copy Center requests will be returned to the teacher's

school.  We are unable to store Copy Center requests at the shop for

pick-up.

Thank You!

The PTA would like to thank everyone who participated in the Geranium Sale for Scholarships.  This year's flowers were beautiful and all of the money certainly went toward a good cause.

Thank you also to those who assisted in making the Scholarship Award Dinner a great success.  Over 130 scholarships were awarded to a wonderful group of deserving students.

Please be sure to spread the word to any incoming kindergarten parents or new neighbors about their school's PTA.

See you next year! 

Student Registration

Incoming students for the 2006-07 school year must register with the Student Services office before August 23, the first day of classes.  The following items are necessary for registration:

1. Legal Birth Certificate

2. Immunization Records

3. Social Security Card or Number

4. Proof of Residency - in the event of divorce, a residential custody order is needed

5. IEP for Special Needs students

6. Green card or travel documents for foreign-born students

Please call our department at 885-8794 for more information.

Civil War Day

Dag Hammarskjold students, staff, and parent volunteers took part in a Civil War Day on May 12. The day was a culmination of the Civil War Week that was held to support the social studies curriculum in grades kindergarten though six. The day also supported many research-based best instructional practices as identified by Robert Marzano and others. The day involved presentations to students including soldier reenactments, a mercantile, fashion show, taffy pulling, string band, and a cannoner brigade. Students moved through presentations all day, and even though the weather was rainy and cold, everyone experienced a day to remember.

Volunteer Recognition

On May 19, Dag presented a Volunteer Recognition Program and Luncheon to over fifty parent volunteers. One hundred twenty volunteers were invited to this event held in recognition of the wide variety of volunteer endeavors provided by our families. Kindergarten students acted as hosts for the program, and students in grades 1-3 sang a song to the volunteers. The Dag Hammarskjold band performed three numbers for our guests. Student council members in grades 4-6 assisted in recognizing and distributing gift bags and certificates. Finally, a luncheon was served. This activity was a wonderful tribute to the level of support provided to Dag and its students by our corps of volunteers. Thank you!

May events at Dentzler

Grandpals’/Special Friends’ Day – Mr. Chris Folsom, vocal music teacher, Miss Amy Fridrich, art teacher, and Mr. Jeff Olle, physical education teacher, collaborated to create one of the finest Grandpals’/Special Friends’ Days at Dentzler School. The gymnasium was transformed into a Jazz Club called "The Nest" since our school mascot is an eagle. Three different grade level groups (K-2, 3-4 and 5-6) gave singing performances amid scenery of skyscraper buildings and a moonlit, starry night. Choir members served desserts to audience participants. After each performance, the grandpals/special friends visited the students in their classrooms.

Big Brothers/Big Sisters End of the Year Celebration – 25 Padua High School students have been tutoring 1st – 6th grade Dentzler students once a week throughout the year. All of the students enjoyed an end of the year celebration with a pizza party.

Poetry and Pizza Extravaganza – Mrs. Lidia Whited, our Title I teacher, and Miss Jennifer Broa, our ELL (English Language Learners) teacher, provided a special event for the families of their students. The children in each of their programs were videotaped as they chorally read poems and this presentation was shown at the event. The families enjoyed a pizza dinner and at the conclusion of the event all of the children in each family received books.

Accelerated Reader Party – Over 100 children were invited to a Pizza Party Luncheon (We love pizza!) to celebrate their achievement of reaching their Accelerated Reader grade level goals for the year.

Science Fair – Fourth and sixth graders participated in our annual Science Fair. Normandy high school students judged the students’ projects and ribbons were presented for top honors.

Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast – At the end of the month 85 Dentzler volunteers are being recognized for all the many activities they have performed to help our students throughout the year such as chaperoning field trips, helping with classroom parties, working in the OhioReads Program, tutoring students, volunteering at PTA activities, etc. All of these many volunteers make a difference in the lives of our students and may touch their lives forever.

Field Day – One of the students’ most popular days of the year is Field Day. Kindergarten – 6th grade students participated in many activities including parachute, flag tag, scooter races, baseball, volleyball, 50/100 yard dash, team handball and the obstacle course. Many parent and community volunteers helped to make this a great day for our Dentzler students.

Green Valley Heroes

Green Valley staff selected three heroes from our student body to be honored during the district-wide Heroes in the Making Program. Sladjana and Susana Gavrilovic recently became citizens of the United States. These twins arrived at Green Valley in kindergarten with no English. The girls had witnessed much oppression in their native country. The girls are now in fifth grade. They speak and comprehend English exceptionally well. They put forth much effort to earn good grades! The other hero selected was Christopher Heim. Christopher also came to us in kindergarten with physical challenges. His determination, self motivation, and positive attitude are inspirations to everyone at Green Valley. Christopher is also in grade 5. The picture below is of Suzana, Sladjana, Mrs. Gavrilovic, Christopher, Mr. & Mrs. Heim, and Dr. Mahoney.

Mathematics Contest

Green Valley had four teams participate in the Greater Cleveland Council of Mathematics Contest. Fifth and sixth graders were involved in this activity on Saturday, May 6. The advisors of the teams were Miss Reitz and Mrs.

Konecsni. The following students participated in either the preparation and/or the actual contest: Tommy Byrne, Adam Archacki, Daniel Connor, A.J. Crewdson, Lexi Eging, Keith Novak, John Stefan, Austin Stacho, Greg Raimondo, Alicia Spehar, Sal Alshabani, Kevin Novak, Paul Samplawski, Cole Kaiser, Jenna Bailey, Nicole Santabarbara, Nick Dodds, Dale Zawicki, Vincent Leung, Sarah Soboslay, and David Tirpak. The picture below shows the blue ribbon team of Cole Kaiser, Paul Samplawski, Kevin Novak, and Sal Alshabani.

Congratulations to our mathematicians and our heroes!

Green Valley community celebrates the 2005-2006 school year.

Our fabulous choir and recorder ensemble, under the direction of Ms. Mary Jo Oklessen, performed on the Normandy High School stage to a crowd of parents, grandparents, other relatives, and friends. The theme was a spring bouquet of songs. Students AND TEACHERS danced and sang. There were several student Elvis impersonators. Our custodian, Mr. Sweeney, joined the show as Elvis. His adoring, hysterical fans were Miss Seibel, Miss Reitz, and Miss Olenick.

Our student CREW, almost 200 students strong, sponsored a sock hop. Refreshments were sold and all profits were donated to the Morning Kiwanis Club for their Relay for Life Team. The CREW,is under the leadership of Mrs. Knerem and Miss Connors. The purpose of the Crew is to provide an avenue for students to become volunteers actively engaged in the community. Our CREW is in the process of becoming K KIDS, an extension of Kiwanis.

NatureFest at Green Valley celebrates the Earth and our environment. This whole day event was filled with music, history, and science. One fun activity was a mini fund raiser to support our outdoor educational land lab. This popular activity allowed students to "dunk" a teacher (man