Read-a-Thon

I would like to thank all of the students, teachers, principals, administrators, classified personnel, PTA members and community partners, both business and private, who contributed to the success of the 7th Annual Read-a-Thon.  The spirit of cooperation among the various groups was a joy to see and it made for a well-organized and fun-filled family event.

Not only as superintendent but also as a parent and a supporter of education, it is always gratifying to me to see young children become enthusiastic about reading and learning. I was very pleased to be a part of something as worthwhile as the Read-a-Thon which enabled kids to have fun while learning.

A sincere thanks also goes out to those community members who attended and shared in the celebration of reading.  I hope you and your family continue to explore the wonders of books and enjoy a life filled with discovery and knowledge.  

SHALP (SENIOR HIGH ABLE LEARNER PROGRAM)

SHALP students from all three high schools and their parents, along with eighth grade ALP TOO middle school students and their parents attended the AP/Honors Night programs at Normandy, Parma Senior High and Valley Forge within the last month. Students and their parents learned about the honors and advanced placement courses offered at the three high schools, including the new offerings of AP Economics, AP European History, AP Physics, and AP Studio Art. Participants were given the opportunity to meet with honors and AP teachers to learn more about the courses. Attendance was excellent at all three evening programs.

Prep classes for the SAT and ACT college entrance exams will be offered at all three high schools this spring. The SAT prep class is scheduled for Saturday, May 13 from 9:00 AM to 12:00 noon, and the ACT prep class will be held on Saturday, May 20 from 9 AM to 12 noon. The test prep classes, conducted by The College Review, instruct students on the strategies necessary to approach the tests with confidence. The cost is $50.00 per session. Registration information will be mailed to the parents of eleventh grade students by the end of March.

Ninth and tenth grade SHALP students have the opportunity to attend the 2006 Ohio Summer Honors Institutes offered at fourteen colleges and universities throughout Ohio. Students must be gifted identified to apply for admission to the programs. Tuition is free, but residential charges are in effect for those who are staying on campus. Information will be given to SHALP students during lunch time gatherings. A flyer on the Summer Honors Institutes can be found at

http://www.ode.state.oh.us/exceptional_children/gifted_children/downloads/06_SHI_Flyer.pdf

Parent Night for 6th grade ALP students

Parents of 6th grade ALP students are invited to attend an informational session to learn more about curriculum and the ALP program at the middle school level.

Please come to the ALP room, located on the 2nd floor of Parma High, on Thursday, March 9 from 6:30-8 p.m.  Mrs. Bowman, a teacher of the ALP TOO program and Shiloh Principal Phyllis Spears will be available to answer your questions.

If you would like to attend, please contact Cheryl Meriwether at 440-887-4892 or by e-mail at cherylmeri@parma.k12.oh.us.

Release the Magic of the Mind!

The Parma City School District is hosting a Family Curriculum Night on Wednesday, March 29, 2006 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Valley Forge High School.  Families throughout the community are invited to participate in hands-on activities that connect fairy tales with mathematics, science, reading, and thinking skills. There will be giveaways, vendors and food available for sale with proceeds benefiting the Parma Council of PTAs. Three separate flyers will be sent home with students during February and March to encourage attendance.  More information is available at each of the 15 elementary buildings and on the district website which can be found at www.parmacityschools.org.

GED Testing

The Parma City School District is designated by the Ohio Department of Education as an area GED Test Center.

As a Test Center, we are able to offer the Official GED Test to area adults.  Individuals who have not completed their high school education may earn an

Ohio High School Equivalence Diploma by taking and passing the GED (General Educational Development) Test sponsored by the Ohio Department of Education.

Many employers, technical schools, apprenticeship training programs, and colleges will accept this diploma in place of a high school diploma. The test covers the academic areas of language arts-writing (including a written essay), social studies, science, language arts-reading (literature), and mathematics.

As a Test Center, we are also able to partner with other community resource centers in assisting people to further their education.

Presently, we collaborate with Bryant and Stratton College, Total Technical Institute, Remington College, Vatterott College, and Cuyahoga Community College in helping adults reach their educational goals.

For more information, please contact us at 440-885-8762 or

at www.parmacityschools.org/gedtesting.

Also, you may wish to visit the State GED Office's website at:

http://www.ode.state.oh.us/Curriculum-Assessment/Assessment/GED/

Cisco Students win several awards at regional competition

The Cisco Networking Academy at Normandy High School recently competed in the 2005-2006 Regional Business Professionals of America competition. The student’s competed against the following eight schools; Bedford, Cleveland Heights/University Heights, Cuyahoga Valley Career Center, Jane Adams Business Career Center, Maple Heights, Parma Senior, Valley Forge and Solon.

The students did an outstanding job! They won 29 awards.

Scott Mazzeo, Chris Hornick, Zak MacDonald, and Sean Gunvalsen got 1st in Web Site Development Team.

Brent Gibson got 1st in Information Technology Concepts.

Shawn Niedtzki got 1st in PC Servicing & Troubleshooting and 3rd in Microsoft Network Administration.

Mike Cremona, Geroge Morgan, Zach Vida and Mike Katzakis got 2nd in Network Design Team.

Zach Vida got 3rd in Computer Network Technology.

George Morgan got 3rd in PC Servicing & Troubleshooting.

Milo Nunez, Jason Chambers, Shawn Niedtzki, and Dave Thomas got 3rd in Network Design Team.

Milo Nunez got 4th in Microsoft Network Administration.

Charles Richardson and Paul Henley got 5th in Network Design Team.

Jason Chambers got 6th in Microsoft Network Administration.

Mike Cremona got 6th in Computer Network Technology.

Mat Otter got 8th in Java Programming.

Jason Osborne got 10th in Java Programming.

The following 9 students will continue on to compete at the State level in Columbus on March 9th and 10th; Scott Mazzeo, George Morgan, Zach Vida, Milo Nunez, Jason Chambers, Shawn Niedtzki, Chris Hornick, Zak MacDonald and Sean Gunvalsen .

If any of these students win at the State level they will continue on to compete at the National level which is being held this year in Orlando, Florida.

Congratulations also to Christy Valentine, Cisco Teacher at Normandy High School for preparing these award-winning students for success!

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 - 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

Information about Kindergarten Extended Day Care for the 2006-2007 school year will be available at kindergarten registration, March 22 and 23 at the Parmatown Mall.

Take Charge of your child's media experiences

On Monday, March 27 at 7 p.m., Cox Communications and the Middle Schools of the Parma City School District invite you to a presentation at the Little Theater inside Parma High School called "Take Charge."

Learn about ways you can protect your children from inappropriate television and internet experiences as well as methods of enhancing positive media interaction.

Refreshments will be provided, door prizes will be given away and the guest speaker will be State Representative Tim DeGeeter.

For additional information, please call 884-6485 or 884-5712. 

Enjoy a Jazz Brunch at Parma High

We invite all senior citizens living within the district to join us at Parma High School on Wednesday, April 5 for the final installment of our series of Jazz Brunches.  From 10 a.m. to noon, we will feature great music provided by the school's Music Department, fellowship and food.  Only 100 seats are available so please contact Prinicipal Cassandra Johnson at 440-885-8687 or by e-mail at cassandrajohn@parma.k12.oh.us.

The deadline to register is March 29 so hurry to reserve your seat! 

City Collection Events

The City of Parma has partnered with the Cuyahoga County Solid Waste District to encourage residents to participate in the following collections of unused or unwanted materials.

Computer Round-up:Takes place from April 3-21 at the Parma Service Garage.  Come to 5680 Chevrolet Boulevard on Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.  Closed on April 14 for Good Friday.

Household Hazard & Waste Round-up:Takes place on Saturday, May 20 from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Parma Service Garage.

Phone Book Recycling:Takes place from June 1- August 31 at the Cleveland Metroparks office located at Snow Road and Big Creek Parkway.

Thank you for doing your part to protect the environment!

Future publication dates for Images Online:

March 20, April 3, May 1, May 15 and June 5.

The deadline for all submissions is noon on the Thursday preceding publication.  Please contact Kevin Brennan at 440-887-4889 with any questions

Athletic Achievers

Parma High Hockey

Congratulations to the Parma High hockey team which advanced to the championship game of the Baron Cup Tournament!

The hockey team finished 8-0 in league play clinching Parma High's first Blue West Division Championship since 1997. The team was the number one seed in the Baron Cup Tournament. They won in the first round over NDCL and in the semi-finals against Chagrin Falls before falling to Orange High in the championship game.  The team also took runner up in two Holiday Tournaments.

Coach Joe Gaudino has lead the Redmen to great success in only his second season. The school had a rally for the hockey team and hung a banner in the schools gym in support of the team. Parma senior defenseman Sonny Ferrante was recognized as the Plain Dealer player of the week. The team was also chosen as a Plain Dealer team of the week.

High School Wrestlers

Parma High Junior Devin Marrone qualified for the state wrestling tournament in Columbus this weekend. He was also a sectional tournament champion.

Congratulations to Normandy Senior Dan Holztrager for finishing fifth in the 152 pound class at the state tournament in Columbus.  Dan finished eighth last year and becomes the third Invader wrestler overall and the first in 30 years to place twice at the state tournament.

Junior Gymnast

Alexis Felty, a sixth-grader at John Muir Elementary, has been busy making her mark as an accomplished gymnast.  Alexis won first place in the All-Around competitions at her first five gymnastic events of the season and also earned a state title for floor exercise.  In two years, she has won several awards at various levels of competition.  Congratulations to Alexis, her family and to John Muir Elementary!

7th Annual CBS Read-a-Thon

The 7th Annual CBS Read-a-Thon was held February 18 at Parmatown Mall.  Congratulations to all those who contributed to its success and thank you to everyone who attended.

Here are some photos of the day.

Healthy Snacks

When your kids run in the door after a day at school, a snack usually is the first thing on their minds.Be sure to encourage and offer your children healthy snack foods, which should include some carbohydrates and a little protein. For the greatest variety of nutrients, try to incorporate whole grains, fruits, vegetables or beans into your kids' snack-eating plan.

Some ideas include:

* A bean burrito

* A cheese quesadilla with salsa and lettuce

* A yogurt and fruit smoothie with graham crackers or sunflower seeds

* A bowl of whole-grain cereal topped with sliced fruit and milk

* A small salad with sliced deli meat, tuna or beans

* Fruit, cheese and whole-grain crackers

TRANSPORTATION FACTS

We provide transportation for public and non-public students in Parma, Parma Heights and Seven Hills.

Number of buses in our fleet = 98

Regular buses = 92

Orthopedic Buses = 8

Vans = 22

Employees:

Drivers & Monitors: 137

Mechanics: 8

Cleaner: 1

Office Staff: 5

On Call Drivers: 8

Number of miles driver per day – 5,270

Watch for more facts next time!

Arlington is home to First Step Preschool. The PCSD First Step Preschool provides early intervention for 3-5 year olds with special needs as well as typically developing peers. Children learn actively through hands-on experiences and a developmentally appropriate curriculum. Our preschool is a language-based program that promotes early childhood literacy in a variety of ways.

For more information, please visit us at www.parmacityschools.org/edc.

Outstanding Teacher

Congratulations to Mr. Jerry Devis, Dag Hammarskjold art teacher, for his selection as the Young Audiences of Cleveland Outstanding Elementary Art Educator in Greater Cleveland. Mr. Devis has been recognized for this honor due to his unswerving dedication to the education of Parma students. He is a wonderful role model for students as well as being a teacher that brings out the best in his students regarding their visual arts skills. Other recognized categories of art awards from Young Audiences include secondary education, higher education, museum education, and arts benefactor. Mr.Devis will receive a scholarship and Dag Hammarskjold will receive a monetary grant for the arts, all sponsored by Young Audiences. Mr. Devis was chosen by a committee of professionals representing Young Audiences. The process held all candidates to the highest standard of performance, and the Parma City Schools and Dag Hammarskjold are proud of this accomplishment by Mr. Devis.

Dentzler School participated in the annual Parma City Schools’ Read-a-Thon which was held at Parmatown Mall on Saturday, February 18th. Jo-Ann Micciulla, Day Center Director from the Broadview Multi-Care Center, Dentzler’ s Community Business Partner, read the book The Wide-Mouthed Frog. Puppets were used by students as the story was read to help depict the story. This fun-filled family event is a wonderful celebration of reading.

Pajama Day

What better way to come to school on a cold winter's day then in your pajamas! The Green Valley Service Crew joined the First Grade classes in planning Green Valley's first school-wide Pajama Day. All students were far from sleepy at Green Valley on this special day. The first grade classes paired up with a kindergarten buddy reader. They snuggled up with books, teddy bears, and a snack while sharing the writing process. They also had an opportunity to share books they had authored and illustrated on their very own.

Mascot Makeover

Green Valley's Service Crew will be working on a "Mascot Makeover".  The students will be asked to spruce up our current mascot. We're looking forward to sharing all the new ideas and excited to see the final results!

Focus on First Grade

The first graders have been busy learning about national symbols. They learned some interesting facts about the Statue of Liberty while taking an internet virtual tour. For instance, did you know that the Statue is 984 feet tall? As a follow-up activity, the students enjoyed making these crowns to celebrate the Statue and all that it stand for.

Fifth and Sixth Graders Study Black History Month

In Social Studies at James E. Hanna Elementary School, grades five and six spent January learning about Dr. Martin L. King Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement. Mrs. Alexander read the book, "Dear Dr. King" aloud to all classes. Each student wrote his or her own letter to Dr. King. We held a book cover contest and Noreen Duenas, a sixth grader in Mrs. Kaman's homeroom, won! Way to go Noreen!

As February is ending, students in both grades are completing African-American History Projects. Fifth Graders have chosen one particular person to study. They have created Time Lines and Collages, which showcase their subject's life. They presented their collages and gave their audience an overview of their person's life. Students chose to study such people as:

Jackie Robinson, LeBron James, Oprah Winfrey, Satchel Paige, Will Smith and Tiger Woods, just to name a few.

Sixth graders are working together to research Slavery, Civil War, or Civil Rights. Students are working in groups of four to complete a typed report (3-5 pages) of their research. Students created a collage, a timeline and a presentation board. Students also had options which included but were not limited to: Dioramas, puppets, short stories, trading cards, games, maps, graphs, and book covers. Groups had to choose at least two options but more could be done for extra credit.

Students were to take all of their findings and create an attractive Bulletin Board or Decorative Door in Hanna's Hallway. During the Oral Presentation, students shared findings using their Bulletin Board or Decorative Door as their background. Students absolutely loved working on this project.

Getting in the spirit of the season

On Monday, February 27, 100+ students and staff from Hillside Middle School went tobogganing at the Chalet in Strongsville. The busses left Hillside at 3:30 p.m. and the weary participants returned to the school around 6:30 p.m.  The weather was a perfect winter day with just enough snow to make the tobaggan fast and smooth. This annual event is held each year as part of the Intramural Sports program at Hillside.

Read a Thon

On February 18, 2006, a group of Mrs. Kendra King's third grade students met at Parmatown Mall to participate in Parma City School's 7th Annual Read-a-Thon. Mrs. Rosemary LaMantia, Activities Director for our business partner, Midtown Towers, read the story How I Became A Pirate by Melinda Long and David Shannon. Mrs. LaMantia's granddaughter and the following students wore pirate hats and listened to the reading: Lanae Banks, Joseph Bolibrush, Marissa Cesa, Taylor Czerny, Megan Fullerman, Olivia Hoysak, Jessica Masterson, Miranda McCrone, Angelica Povroznik (& her sister Selina Povroznik), Samantha Shepherd, and Mariah Thompson.  A great time was had by all!

Culinary students excel

Saturday, February 25th Paul Ondo of Parma High, Tom Hemerka and Justin Snyder both of Normandy High, competed in the Culinary Arts Team Event at the North East FCCLA Regional Rally held at Akron University. They competed against seventeen other teams and were awarded Silver Medals by achieving 87.5 percent. Congratulations on a Great job!

Senior named Student-Athlete of the Week

Senior Dan Ebinger has recently hit the news… News Channel 5, that is! He recently was named male Student/Athlete of the week! Dan was also named Mr. Invader in a competition on March 1st . His rendition of "Tricky" brought down the house and was the deciding factor to his winning the crown!

Congratulations to Jerry Devis!

Young Audiences, an educational arts organization in Greater Cleveland, is recognizing Mr. Devis at their annual arts awards program. Jerry has been selected as the Outstanding Elementary Art Educator in Greater Cleveland. Other categories include secondary education, higher education, museum education, and arts benefactor. Jerry will receive a scholarship and Parkview will be given a monetary grant for the arts sponsored by Young Audiences.

Listen To This!

Like many classrooms throughout Parma the 5th graders, use Accelerated Reader as part of their reading curriculum, to monitor, encourage, and challenge the students. At the beginning of the year we established a number of points that each student must achieve each month. The number of points increases each quarter. Like many classrooms we have those students that reach this goal and go beyond. And, like many classrooms we have those students that are capable of achieving this goal, but choose not to month after month.

This month I decided to take a new approach with those reluctant readers, and I introduced them to Books on Tape. This started out as an idea to help a few students, but soon grew so that at one time during the last few weeks I had 16 out of my 19 students ‘hooked on listening’ while they followed along in the book. This was very exciting because they were asking to listen all the time, and I was running out of cassette players. But the most exciting part came when the students went take their tests.

One student received 90% on a Harry Potter 32 point book after finishing 12 tapes, 20 hours, in one week!

One student listened to Dragon Rider, 8 CD’s scored 100% and earned 16 points!

One student scored 100% on two books in the Julie of the Wolves series and earned 6 points for each book!

For the month of February 17 out of 19 students earned their 3.5 required points!

After talking to many of the students they expressed how much they really enjoy listening to the audio version because the reader adds so much. Hopefully, this might add to their fluency because they will apply what they hear when they are reading.

Thanks to Mrs. Dawn Daiuto for getting the Parkview Students "Hooked on Listening to Books."

Building test skills

It's never too early to learn skills that will assist students with the Ohio Achievement Test. Thanks to Rose Gross, Pam Gaebelein, Lisa Schurr and Mandy Dacek for taking time out of their busy day to work with our Kindergarten through second grade students. We'd also like to thank Cari Harvanec, Jennifer Feola, Pam Marston, Kathy Schweda and Sarah Rybak for working with our third through sixth grade students.