With spring officially here, our communities are about to prepare for one of the fastest-growing annual events in recent history; Relay For Life.  This organized regional effort to raise dollars for the fight against cancer is in its 3rd year and has exceeded expectations thanks to the overwhelming support shown by all those involved.

Last year, Relay For Life was staged at Parma High School and raised over $150,000, far surpassing the pre-event goal of $50,000.  Over 400 cancer survivors, 70 teams, 1,000 team members, and 3,500 spectators attended and made the program a tremendous success.

I'd like to remind each of you that this year's event is coming up soon and your help is welcome.  The event, which has been moved from Parma High due to space considerations, will take place at Tri-C's Western Campus on Friday, July 14 and Saturday, July 15 beginning at 3PM on Friday.  A kickoff meeting is planned for Thursday, March 30 at Parma High during which plans and information specific to the event will be discussed. 

If you would like to become a part of Relay For Life, please call the American Cancer Society at 1-800-227-2345 or visit them online at www.cancer.org.

Each of us has likely been affected in some way by cancer.  Please do your part to fight the battle and find a cure.

ALP students spent the winter competing

The elementary ALP students have been involved in two big competitions since the winter break. In January, the Wednesday and Thursday groups of students each competed in the Knowledge Master Open for Fifth and Sixth grades. The Wednesday students placed 4th out of 23 teams in the state of Ohio and 60th out of 389 teams world-wide. The Thursday team came in 9th in the state of Ohio and 125th in the world. We are very proud of this accomplishment. Since our teams are so large, it requires a lot of teamwork and quality communication to answer the questions quickly and accurately.

Also, twenty-eight fifth and sixth grade students from 13 of our elementary schools represented the Parma City Schools at the Northeast Ohio Elementary Science Olympiad held at Cleveland State University on February 25. Our students competed against nineteen other schools/districts from around Northeast Ohio, representing public, private, and parochial schools. We were one of five schools recognized for exemplary sportsmanship and received medals in four events:

2nd place – Simple Machines – Nicholas Dessoffy from Parkview and Jason Young from Dag Hammarskjold

3rd place – Mystery Powders - Jenna Bailey from Green Valley and Ashley Myer from Renwood

1st place in time slot – Science Bowl – Sal Alshabani from Green Valley, Jason Young from Dag Hammarskjold, Robert Hurley from Hanna, and Jeffrey Hlutke from Pearl Road

1st place in time slots – Periodic Table – Tori Meriwether from John Glenn, Matt Flors from Thoreau Park, Sara Schaffer from John Glenn, Sal Alshabani from Green Valley, Mark Carlin, from John Glenn, Jordan Simokovich from Dentzler, Nicole Santabarbara from Green Valley, and Katie O’Donnell from John Glenn

ALP teacher, Mrs. Detmar, is not only the team coordinator and facilitator, but she is also a member of the event planning committee and serves as the award ceremony’s M.C.

Congratulations!

We would like to recognize one of our own, ALP teacher Jennifer Detmar, for being nominated for "Who's Who of American Women."  Way to go Mrs. Detmar!

Borders honoring Educators

Everyday your commitment to education shines. Borders recognizes your efforts to share the love of books and knowledge. We honor your hard and rewarding work by welcoming current and retired educators, support staff and members of PTA's to take part in our Educator Savings Week, Thursday, March 23rd - Tuesday the 28th, 2006.

During our savings event, enjoy 25% off your personal and classroom purchases of regularly priced books, music, café items, gifts & stationery and more when you bring in your educator ID, pay stub or membership ID.

For more information, please visit www.bordersstores.com/educator.  Please feel free to share this savings with the educators in your life. Be sure to join us for our Friday, March 24th 4:00 - 8:00 PM reception of food, free gifts, and raffles at Borders stores nationwide. Thank you for the great work you do!

* If possible, please visit the Borders Express located inside Parmatown Mall.  Manager Michelle Tillis is a CBS member and a supporter of our district.

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. 

Harry and the Potters are coming!

Join us at Parmatown Mall on April 9 beginning at 4PM for a live concert starring Harry and the Potters!  This enchanting group will perform songs and treat you to an afternoon filled with fun.  Take part in crafts and games, enter to win prizes in exciting raffles and drawings and enjoy special Harry Potter treats.

Kids of all ages are encouraged to stop by the Borders Express location inside Parmatown Mall to experience this wonderful event.  Proceeds from the raffle will benefit the Domestic Violence Center of Cleveland.  Monetary donations will also be accepted on behalf of the Center.

For more information about this event and how you can help the Domestic Violence Center, please visit the following websites:

www.parmatown.com

www.domesticviolencecenter.org

or call Borders express at 440-885-5911. 

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:

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.

Superintendent's School Bell Award

Congratulations to the most recent recipient of the Superintendent's School Bell Award, Coach Rich Turner from Normandy.  Dr. Zatik presented Coach Turner with the award as dozens of student-athletes voiced their support for her choice.

Coach Turner has done a fine job with Normandy's football program and has set an outstanding example for Normandy students to follow both on the field and through his classroom work as an Advanced Placement Government teacher. 

Please be sure to congratulate Coach Turner for this well-deserved honor.

Relay For Life

You are invited to the Relay For Life Kickoff Rally on Thursday, March 30 from 6:00-7:30 p.m. at Parma High School.  Learn about how you can help in the fight against cancer by forming a team, joining a committee, becoming an event sponsor or being a volunteer.

Please call 888-227-6446 by Saturday, March 25 to confirm your attendance at the kickoff.

The Relay For Life event will be held on July 14 and 15 at Cuyahoga Community College's Western Campus.  Master of Ceremonies will be Parma's own Jack Marschall from WEWS News Channel 5 and the featured speaker will be Robert Brodell M.D. who is a member of the Relay for Life Hall of Fame.

If you or someone you know is a cancer survivor, please consider registering for the Survivor Dinner sponsored by the Parma Olive Garden Restaurant located at 8383 Day Drive.

For more information online, please visit:

www.acsevents.org/relay/oh/parma.

Thank you for your help in the fight against cancer and we hope to see you at the kickoff!

It's National Nutrition Month for 2006: Step Up to Good Nutrition and Health

In order to stay healthy, eat smart and stay physically active this month and all year long.  Here are some tips to help you reach the goal of good health.

* The food and physical activity choices you make today - and every day - affect your health and how you feel now and in the future. Eating right and being physically active are keys to a healthy lifestyle.

* Make smart choices from every food group. Give your body the balanced nutrition it needs by eating a variety of nutrient-packed foods every day. Just be sure to stay within your daily calorie needs.

* Get the most nutrition out of your calories. Choose the most nutritionally rich foods you can from each food group - those packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber and other nutrients but lower in calories.

* Find your balance between food and physical activity. Regular physical activity is important for your overall health and fitness, plus it helps control body weight, promotes a feeling of well-being and reduces the risk of chronic diseases.

* Play it safe with foods. Prepare, handle and store food properly to keep you and your family safe. Step up today by making healthier lifestyle choices to improve your health and the health of your family and you'll reap the benefits for years to come. Small steps equal big rewards!

Science Curriculum Week

Dag Hammarskjold will celebrate its biannual Science Curriculum Week from March 20 through March 23. Personnel from the Cleveland Museum of Natural History's Science Resource Center will be sending various teaching representatives to Dag throughout the week as part of its "Science To Go" outreach program. Students in grades K through 6 will take part in a variety of earth, life, and physical science standards-based hands-on activities to enrich our science curriculum.

Assets Approach Program

The Assets Approach Program for March is Social Competencies. Dentzler School is providing several programs to help our students with their social interactions with others. This includes the following programs:

Tomorrow's Leaders

Tomorrow's Leaders is an exciting program. Debi Marks, a social services intern, is the coordinator for this program which is a voluntary group offered to students during their lunch period. The group consists of ten students who meet once a week for eight weeks. Each group session is targeted to build upon a certain skill such as relationship building. These groups are an excellent way for students to make new friends and learn new skills which can be applied at school and at home.

LifeSkills

Jason Joyce is a guidance counselor from the Covenant which is an adolescent chemical dependency treatment and prevention center. He is presenting 30 minute lessons once a week for 11 weeks to each of our sixth grade classes. Topics include self-esteem, anger management, self-image and conflict resolution.

Families and Schools Together

Ten families at Dentzler will be participating in the Spring FAST Program. FAST (Families and Schools Together) is an eight week program with the purpose of building partnerships between the school and families. Its ultimate goal is to help children succeed at home, in school and in the community. FAST is for students in kindergarten, first, second and third grades. This program invites students and their entire family to participate in the group. Children learn social skills with their families as they participate in this program.

At each FAST meeting:

* A family wins a basket filled with prizes.

* There is "special play" between the student and parent.

* Activities include kids' time and a parent support group.

Green Valley Service Crew

It is not unusual to see the Green Valley Service Crew meeting well before the school day begins to plan projects that will benefit Green Valley and the community. Currently the Green Valley Service Crew membership consists of 197 student volunteers ranging from first grade to sixth grade.  The mission of the program is for students to develop an understanding of volunteerism and participate in various service activities with the assistance of advisors. This group is also joining together to form a Kiwanis K club. Mrs. Knerem and Miss Connors head up this amazing student volunteer program.

Students were asked why they participate in Service Crew. The responses are as follows:

"I like planning activities which help people and the environment." Donald Pelc

"We get a chance to raise money to help others." Erin McDonough

"I like helping to keep the Land Lab clean." Lauren Laheta

"We can help the environment." Madison Stacho

Current projects include:

* Mascot makeover

* Nature Fest

* Spirit Days - Twin Day, Crazy Hair Day, Sports Day, Time Warp Week

* Partnership with Kiwanis on Relay for Life

* Feed the Birds - a Land Lab project

* Pennies for Patients

* Recycling

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

To celebrate, the Cat in the Hat came to Hanna and read "Oh, the Places You'll Go" while the students in Grades K-3 enjoyed a treat of green eggs & ham. Everyone got into the spirit of the celebration and wore their red and white striped hats. Special "Thanks" to Mrs. Naoum, Mr. Pacak and all the teachers/staff that helped out that morning!

Hanna Recycles!

Our inkjet recycle contest has ended and the winner is...........Mrs. Schweter's PM Kindergarten class! The students in the PM class will be treated to a pizza party. Thanks to everyone who sent in inkjet cartridges.  As a school, we collected 167 cartridges during this promotion. We are still collecting inkjet cartridges and cell phones.  In late April, we are expecting to receive a paper recycle bin. This bin will be placed alongside the staff parking lot so it will be convenient for everyone. Place your office and school papers, shopping catalogs, newspapers, magazines & mail in the container to be recycled. Each year, people in the U.S. throw away enough office and writing paper to build a 12-foot high wall from New York City to Los Angeles. Most of this paper ends up as litter- please do your part and recycle by bringing your papers to Hanna!

Hillside Music News

Several music students from Hillside Middle School participated in this year's Greater Cleveland Middle School Solo and Ensemble Contest. The following Band Students performed a solo on their instrument and received the highest rating of superior:

Kyle Gainer, Clay Campbell, Jennifer Mazzola, Kyle Simokovich, Lauren Smolenski and Ian Phillips. An excellent  rating was awarded to Jeff Huynh. In the ensemble category the following students received a superior rating: Chelsea Liptak, Amanda Karns, Katie Anderson, Ashley Knauss, Brandi Moore, Allison Hagen, Katie Wagner, Ann Marie Chaya, Stephanie Bierstedt, Erica Michalske, Erika Losse, Clay Campbell, Meredith Gastel, Kyle Gainer, Ian Phillips, Courtney Ganyard and Corey Van Son.

Receiving an Outstanding rating were Anthony Foderaro and Chris Kullik. Miss DeLuca would like to congratulate everyone on the terrific results.

Students raise money

Hillside Middle School's Student Council's annual PENNIES FOR PATIENTS campaign finished up on Friday, March 10, 2006. Through the generosity of students, faculty and staff, Hillside is able to donate $1,183.38 to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. The top five homerooms were: 5th was Mrs. Marion's with $92.61, 4th was Mrs. Dawson's with $104.20, 3rd was Mrs. Tatoczenko's with $142.85, 2nd was Mrs. Riddle's with $225.21 and the top homeroom winning an Olive Garden lunch is Mrs. Bender's homeroom by collecting $227.16. Thank you to Mrs. Susan Stovcik, advisor and student council members who gave up time during their homerooms to drop off and collect the boxes and counted endless amounts of change during their lunch periods. Another job well done by Hillside's Student Council=)

Retiring the flag

It's time to retire John Glenn's Old Glory! Our VFW partners will work with our students to perform the proper flag retirement ceremony on April 7th as part of our Sundae Bar events. We appreciate our VFW partners for helping us in this endeavor, and for all that they do for us!

Going out west

Three of John Glenn's staff members have been chosen to participate in and have "accepted the challenge" of Miami University's "wilderness" experience: Environmental Science for Elementary School Teachers based at the University's geology field station adjacent to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. This Improving Teacher Quality Program funded by the Ohio Board of Regents is described as "a rigorous science course that requires strenuous outdoor activities at high altitudes."

Teachers Christine Sboukis and Mary Stewart, accompanied by their principal, Judy Dargay, will head out to Wyoming at the end of July to spend two weeks hiking, climbing, and observing the physical and biological principles of environmental science. Their ultimate challenge: to bring back what they have learned about hands-on, inquiry based teaching to share with the students and staff members of the Parma City School District

State of the Muir

Principal Denver Daniel gave a "State of the Muir" presentation on February 23rd at John Muir. Over 300 parents, children and teachers attended on this conference evening. The goal of "Cultivating a Community" was revealed. This goal targets establishing a community where the following takes place daily:

1) Students understand that they are valued & that all efforts in our school are geared towards their success.

2) Parents understand that they are valued for their support to school initiatives & providing the all-important home connection.

3) Faculty understands that they are appreciated for their diligence & hard work in preparing an exemplary education for our students.

For further details, please feel free to visit our web site where the power-point presentation from this evening can be viewed. The "State of the Muir" is striving to daily "cultivate a community of excellence!"

Calling all Seniors

The Normandy High Senior Prom, which is free to all senior citizens living within the Parma City School District, will take place Saturday, April 1 from 4:00-7:00 p.m. in the Normandy High School cafeteria. The dance is sponsored by the Normandy High School Student Government, the Culinary Arts and Cosmetology programs and the Captains and Presidents club.

Appetizers will be served from 4 pm to 5 pm. The "Raisin' Canes" dance club will perform at 4:30 followed by the Northcoast Mix live band. Dance to your favorite music of the 1950's until 7 p.m.

If you live in Parma, Parma Heights or Seven Hills and are 55 or older, we'd love to see you there.  To reserve a place, please call JoAnn Mason at the Parma Senior Center 440-885-8800. 

Science Club Wins Nationwide Contest

Parkview is proud to announce that its 21 – member Science Club has been chosen as the winner of a national contest centering on a series of books written by J.C. Greenburg. Random House Books created a contest along with Greenburg that focused on the Andrew Lost books, books that looked at a number of science experiments.

The Parkview Science Club, which meets twice a week during the students lunch and recess hour, took a part of the series dealing with the microscopic world, and performed experiments dealing with the spreading of germs, the science of smell, and growing cultures from different parts of the classroom. The group of first, second, and third graders, as well as three fifth and sixth grade aides then also created a mural of themselves in a tadpole tank, shrunken in various swimming positions using a digital camera.

For winning the contest, led by first grade teacher Sandy Stacho, second grade teacher Kelly Chismar, and fifth grade teacher Dawn Daiuto, will host a party featuring Greenburg. They also have won an autographed copy of the series books for their library.