The District by Numbers

As this is the first edition of Images Online for this school year, I would like to welcome everyone back and thank you for doing your part to bring forth a smooth opening to the year.

To give you a better idea of our district's composition for 2007-08, please review this brief numerical breakdown.

Number of teaching staff - 946: 444 elementary, 163 middle school, and 334 high school

Number of teachers with Master's Degree - 599 or 63%

Average length of service - 11.8 years

Average age of teaching staff - 41.6 years

Number of new teachers hired this year - 66

Number of administrators - 74: 57 certified, 17 classified

Full Time equivalent support staff - 760

Average years of service - 11

General fund budget for the 2007-08 school year - $126 million

Student enrollment - 12,750

Number of K-12 buildings - 21

The Community Outreach staff is presently working with several departments to compile a wide variety of statistical information about our district.  I hope you found this preview of their work interesting and useful.                         

Invention Convention

Problem solving, creativity, and fun unite to present an exciting opportunity to our students: Invention Convention. The Second Annual Regional Invention Convention is coming to Cleveland and the Parma City Schools are celebrating with introductory assemblies! To kick-off Invention Convention for Northern Ohio, Greenbriar Middle School will be hosting students from Hillside and Shiloh Middle Schools for an interactive Invention Convention Assembly on Monday, October 15, 2007.

The Invention Convention is a program designed to inspire, encourage, reward, and recognize students for using their creativity and imagination in developing new solutions to everyday problems. This free program is run through a non-profit company, Just Think Inc., which provides the program and materials to schools and students. The program goals are to reward students by celebrating their accomplishments and reward students for their success.

Science Olympiad

The 5th and 6th grade ALP students are starting the year with their own Science Olympiad.  Students were assigned to teams of seven or eight people, and much emphasis is being made on being a respectful and responsible team member.  Each student has four events in which they will compete, two of which are hands-on activities and two are "study" events requiring prior preparation and the use of resource materials, such as field guides and dichotomous keys.  The ALP Olympiad will take place on October 11 and 17.

Technology

This will be a busy year for the fifth and sixth grade ALP technology curriculum!  First, the students are getting involved in computer programming!  There is a new kid-centered computer language that has been developed by MIT that allows students to create animations, games, and interactive stories.  At ALP, the students will explore this new language and exercise their problem-solving and high-level thinking skills to express their creativity.  Throughout the year, the students may also be exploring critical analysis of web content, podcasting, integrating more technology into their projects, and maybe even writing our own wikis.

Cabaret Dada

In November, the ALP students will have some very special visitors.  Members of the Cabaret Dada improvisational comedy group will be guiding the students through fun exercises that will encourage teamwork, self-confidence, and creative expression.  Skills introduced in this workshop will also be incorporated into ALP's social-emotional and divergent thinking curricula.

Ohio Summer Honors Institutes

This past summer, more than thirty students from Normandy, Parma Senior High and Valley Forge chose to attend one or more Ohio Summer Honors Institutes, which are academic summer programs for current 9^th and 10^th grade gifted identified students.  The Ohio Department of Education (ODE), which funds the program, indicates that the purpose of these Summer Institutes is to provide in-depth study of challenging topics and opportunities for exploring education and career options in addition to interaction with gifted students. 

The Summer Honors Institutes are hosted by Ohio colleges and universities.  Tuition is free for all eligible gifted identified students.  However, some Institutes offer a residential option and charge a fee to cover room and board in a residence hall for the week.    

Students who attended the Summer Institutes held at Baldwin Wallace College participated in biotechnology, digital photography, problem solving, and musical theatre, Others attended Bowling Green State University, University of Akron, Ashland University, University of Cincinnati, Shawnee State and Cleveland State for sessions in mathematics, CSI forensics, marine biology, and integrated technology. 

When asked to comment on their Summer Institute experiences, students were eager to explain how they enjoyed the hands-on training and use of the university facilities.  All enjoyed the experience of being on a college campus (they loved the dining halls) and meeting new people.   

Announcement of the 2008 Ohio Summer Honors Institute host colleges and session topics will be available on the ODE web site in early February. Mrs. Keller will distribute the information to all eligible students at that time. 

US Citizenship Test

Prepare to pass the US Citizenship Test given by the US Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Areas of study include: American History, US Government and the US Political System.

Registration/Orientation Sessions:

Students must attend an Orientation/Registration Session before attending class.  Orientation Sessions are offered on the following dates:

Session 1: September 6, 2007

Session 2: October 4, 2007

Session 3: November 1, 2007

Session 4: January 10, 2008

Session 5: February 7, 2008

Session 6: March 6, 2008

Session 7: April 3, 2008

Sessions are offered only at the following location:

Valley Forge High School Cafeteria

9999 Independence Blvd.

Parma Heights, OH 44130

Orientation Sessions are held at 7:00 P.M.

PLEASE CALL 440-885-8797 FOR MORE INFORMATION.

High School Gym Improvements

If you have been to the Normandy, Parma or Valley Forge gymnasiums lately, you have likely noticed significant improvements.  Among the three schools, the updates include the refinishing of gym floors, the replacement of bleachers, the installation of new scoreboards, locker room renovations and more.

In order to keep these gymnasiums well-preserved and maintained, everyone's cooperation is necessary.  We ask that you fully comply with the  NO FOOD OR DRINK regulation inside the gyms and also require the same adherence to the rule from all students at all times.

These items contribute to the premature degradation of flooring and seating areas as well as attracting insects, rodents and other undesirables.

As teachers, coaches, parents, community members and district employees, we must set the example and enforce the regulation if we expect our students to show the proper respect for their buildings.

Thank you for your cooperation.

A New Look at Byers Field

Since the end of the 2006-07 school year, several upgrades have been made to Byers Field.  These include restroom and locker room renovations, installation of a new running track and the erection of a new digital scoreboard.

The educational experience for students using Byers Field will be enhanced by these improvements.  Please follow this weblink to a calendar of Byers Field events.

http://parmacityschools.org/byers-field/index.cfm

Varsity High School Football Ticket Prices

The gate general admission ticket price for varsity high school football games this season is $6.00.  Pre-sale student tickets are $4.00 and can be purchased at any of our secondary schools’ Athletic Departments.  Children 6 years and under are admitted free.

For information concerning family discounted ticket books for all sporting events, contact your high school Athletic Department.

Learning Beyond the Classroom

Students in the Radio/Television and the Cisco Networking classes are enjoying learning opportunities beyond the classroom, thanks to the new scoreboard at Byers Field.

For each home football game, six students are employed as crew members on the scoreboard operation team.  They run cameras, act as field spotters, learn technical directing, set up and break down equipment and maintain the advertising section of the board.

These experiences will prove invaluable as students continue to pursue careers in the broadcast industry and computer networking worlds.

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 in all elementary buildings.  After-school EDC is provided on-site in 10 buildings until 6 PM.  Children from other buildings are transported for EDC to one of the on-site programs.

Three sites offer Kindergarten EDC from 11:45 AM - 6:00 PM, and provide day 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.  The preschool teachers at Normandy have valid ODE teaching licenses.  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/index.cfm

www.parmacityschools.org/edc/index.cfm

Day Care/Extended Day Care Enrollment

Enrollment is ongoing and dependent upon space availability.  For Day Care registration details, please call 440-885-2409.  For more information about Extended Day Care, please call 440-885-8301.

Care is available from 7 AM-6 PM each school day.  We also offer and Extended Preschool/Day Care Option from 7 AM-12:30 PM that includes supervised free play, a morning snack, our preschool curriculum component and lunch.

Senior Freedom Card

All residents of Parma, Parma Heights and Seven Hills ages 55 and older are eligible to receive a Parma City School District Senior Freedom Card.

The card entitles seniors to attend any athletic, dramatic or musical event held within the district which directly involves our students.  This would include Byers Field events such as football games and the annual Band Spectacular.

The card is not able to be honored at events such as the Mercury Summer Stock Theatre or the Parma Symphony Orchestra.  Although these groups perform in our buildings, they pay rent for use of our facilities and their events are not school-sponsored functions.

Cards are available by calling 440-842-5300 or by visiting any of our 21 schools.

We encourage you to take advantage of the Senior Freedom Card and thank you for your support of our students.

Parma Area Candidates Night

On Tuesday, October 16, 2007, voters from Parma, Parma Heights and Seven Hills have an opportunity to meet and question the municipal and school board candidates who will appear on the November 6^th general election ballot.  Parma Area Candidates’ Night will be held at the Parma High School Auditorium, 6285 West 54^th Street, starting at 7:00 pm.  This event is jointly sponsored by the League of Women Voters – Cuyahoga Area and the Parma Council of PTAs.

The following candidates, certified by the Board of Elections, have been invited:

• Parma, Parma Heights, Seven Hills - School Board
• Parma - Mayor, Council President, Auditor, Law Director, Council
• Parma Heights - Council
• Seven Hills - Mayor, Law Director, Council

This nonpartisan forum includes a brief statement by each candidate, followed by a question and answer session, with written questions from the audience.  As a public service, Cox Communications will tape Candidates’ Night for viewing prior to the election. 

October 12 - NEOEA Day - no school for students

                         Valley Forge Homecoming Game at Byers Field

October 19 - Parma High Homecoming Game at Byers Field

October 21 -   Parma Symphony Concert at Valley Forge

October 23 - Valley Forge Choral and Orchestral Concert

October 30 - Parma High Choral and Orchestral Concert

November 2 - End of first grading period - no school for students

November 6 - Election Day - no school for students

Craft Fair

Pleasantview Care Center, located at 7377 Ridge Road in Parma, will be hosting a craft fair on Saturday, November 10.  Stop by between 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for a day of fun and fellowship.  Tables are available for $15.  Please call Julie Sabo at 440-887-4236 for more information.

Annual Prayer Breakfast

Parma Hospital is proud to sponsor the 18th Annual Community Prayer Breakfast on Thursday, October 25 at 7 a.m.  St. Michael's Woodside at 5025 East Mill Road in Broadview Heights is the site and Regina Brett from the Plain Dealer will be the featured speaker.

Reservation deadline is October 11.  Please call 440-743-4295 for more information.

A Sunday of Song

Please join the Valley Forge Choir and Orchestra at Divinity Lutheran Church on Sunday, October 28 at 3 p.m.  The groups will join forces with the Tri-C West choir, the Holy Name choir and members of the Divinity Lutheran congregation to perform the Rutter Requiem.

Congratulations!

The 1958 Parma Redmen football team was recently recognized at Byers Field in honor of their undefeated Lake Erie League championship season. The team went 9-0 under the direction of Coach Bob Brugge.

Eating as a Family Creates Better Eating Habits

Eating together as a family during adolescence is associated with lasting positive effects on dietary quality in young adulthood, according to researchers at the University of Minnesota citing a research report published in the September 2007 Journal of the American Dietetic Association.

The results of the study indicated that eating family meals together during adolescence resulted in adults who ate more fruit, dark-green vegetables, and key nutrients, and drank less soft drinks.

Parma Area Community Television on Cox Channel 74

The district is a member of the Parma Area Community Television (PACT) Network, a broadcast partnership involving the cities of Parma, Parma Heights and Seven Hills, the Cuyahoga County Public Library system, Tri-C’s Western Campus, and Parma Hospital. A combination of educational and community programming is shown 24 hours daily, seven days per week.

As the anchor for the PACT, the district handles nearly all of the production duties using the Radio and Television studio located at Normandy High School. Students enrolled in the Radio and Television Career and Technical Education classes are involved with the station throughout the school year.

Please follow this weblink to the PACT homepage on the PCSD website: http://parmacityschools.org/pact/index.cfm

There you will find a history of the network along with program schedules and contact information. 

Thank you for watching the PACT on Cox Channel 74.

Ohio Achievement Tests

Once again this year, the Production Printing Department has been asked to print the OAT practice test and test booklets for the district. As you can imagine, this is a huge job and will tie up our equipment for the first three weeks of October. Due to the OAT printing, all other green sheets will be delayed. Please keep this in mind when requesting printing services. We should be able to start catching up on green sheets during the week of October 22nd. Thank you for your cooperation.

PARMA COUNCIL OF PTAs

MEMBERSHIP: Each Unit is conducting their membership drive. Parma Council has a goal of each Unit exceeding last years final total by 10%. Help us our by joining a Unit this month!!!

CANDIDATES NIGHT: Parma Council will host a Candidates Night on Tuesday, October 16th at 7:00 p.m. in the Parma Senior High School Little Theatre. There is no cost for the service project. Come and hear candidates running for election in all positions in Parma, Parma Heights and Seven Hills.

MEETING: The next council meeting is on Thursday, October 10th at 4:30 pm at Parma Senior High (enter by the cafeteria and follow signs for the location).

CONFERENCE: Ohio PTA District # 12(Parma) will hold their Fall Conference on Wednesday, October 24th at 4:30 pm at Garfield Heights High School. Please contact your local Unit President for the registration details, or call District # 12 Advisor Cyndee at 440-888-8889.

Hillside Middle School PTA Clambake

The Hillside Middle School PTA will be sponsoring its first annual clambake on Friday, October 19th from 6 - 11 pm. at St. Sava's Pavilion on Wallings Rd. The cost is $25 per person and includes 1 pound of clams, baked chicken, clam chowder, candied yams, salad, corn on the cob, rolls, butter, and pastries. Beer and wash is also included. Please contact Hillside Middle School at 885 - 2373 for tickets and more information.

Seven Hills Early Childhood PTA Resale

The Seven Hills ECPTA is sponsoring a kids resale on Saturday, October 13 at the Hillside Middle School cafeteria.  An early bird sale will take place from 8-9 a.m. with an admission price of $5.  General sales last from 9 a.m.- 3 p.m. with an admission price of $1.

Available items include baby and children's clothing, toys, maternity items and more.  Be sure to enjoy the bake sale, refreshments and raffles throughout the day.

Vendors are welcome and tables can be obtained for $25 by calling 440-582-1068.

All proceeds benefit the Seven Hills Early Childhood PTA.  Thank you for your support of our pre-schoolers.

Student Registration

A parent or legal guardian must bring required documents as listed below to the Parma City School Administrative Offices at 5311 Longwood Avenue in Parma.  Hours are 7:30-4:00 each Monday - Friday.  Please call 440-885-8794, 95 or 96 for more information. 

Child’s legal birth certificate

Child’s immunization records

         -If student is 7^th or 8^th grade, verification or MMR booster

Social Security card or card number

In case of parental divorce, parent with legal custody must present a certified copy of the court order awarding legal custody

-If custody change is pending, the non-custodial parent must present a date, time-stamped copy of the court filing showing the motion for change of custody.  The non-custodial parent is then given 60 days to present a certified copy of the final decree

Proof of residency

          -Lease agreement if rental is a large complex (6 or more units)

          -Current utility bill (if you own the home)

-If residing with someone, or if renting a single or two-family home, the owner of the property must sign an owner statement verifying this, and attach a proof of ownership (current water bill, real estate tax bill or home owner’s policy).  Parent will then provide his/her utility bill within 30 days.

IEP for special education students if they have been in a special education program

Green card or travel documents if born in another country

Transportation Facts

Total number of miles traveled each school day - 5103

Number of non-public students transported - 1233

Number of public students transported - 3506

Number transported from: Parma - 3266

                                   Parma Heights - 833

                                   Seven Hills - 637

Rescuing Recess

Dag Hammarskjold Elementary School teamed with Cox Communications and The Cartoon Network to take part in "Rescuing Recess," as part of National Recess Week.  Our students were made aware of the importance of recess as an essential element of the school day.  Representatives from The Cartoon Network, including Ben 10, visited Dag on September 24.  Students were guided in various recess activities as well as much free play, and were provided equipment to facilitate their recess activities.  These items, such as kickballs, playground chalk, and Frisbees, were donated to the school after the event.

In addition, recess packs were distributed to each student as a keepsake of the day.  The students enjoyed the extra attention Dag Hammarskjold received and throughly enjoyed the special activities that were provided by representatives from Cox Communications and The Cartoon Network.

Information Night

Dentzler School was very busy prior to the start of school.  On August 23^rd an Information Night was held for families new to Dentzler.  Students and parents were able to learn about the district’s new lunch program, school procedures and PTA as well as have questions addressed and tour the school.  On August 27^th an Open House was held for all K-6th grade students and parents.  Families met the teachers and teachers gave their expectations in their presentations. 

Excellence on State Report Card

On September 17^th Dr. Zatik, our superintendent, Dr. Dinklocker, our deputy superintendent, and several board of education members came to Dentzler to recognize our students and staff for having achieved the excellent status on the State Report Card.  Dentzler celebrated being excellent for the third year.  Pictured are photos of our celebration. 

CBS Partner

Dentzler School’s CBS (Community Business Schools) Partner Parma Hospital’s Elder Care Center sponsors the group “Club Soda” which does service projects.  Some of this group’s members came to Dentzler in September to plant flowers and help garden the school’s flower beds.  Pictured are members as they performed their community service at Dentzler. 

Join us at Petiti's on October 6

In October we are looking forward to an event which will be held at Petitti’s Garden Center in Strongsville on Saturday, October 6^th.  Dentzler’s Student Council will be helping to facilitate a variety of activities such as face painting, inflatables and a corn maze.  Funds raised will help Camp Cheerful student and adult campers. 

Fall Festival

Dentzler’s Fall Festival/Monster Mash Dance which is sponsored by our PTA will be held on Thursday, October 11^th from 6:00-9:00 pm in the Normandy High School Cafeteria.  We’re looking forward to this annual fun event!

State Report Card Ranks Green Valley as Excellent!
Congratulations to the students and staff for receiving the ranking of "Excellent" for two years in a row!

Bomb Squad and SWAT Team Visit Green Valley
On September 6th Cuyahoga County, in partnership with the Cities of Parma and Seven Hills, brought a Crisis Preparedness Presentation to Green Valley.  Fifth and sixth graders had an assembly regarding being prepared for any crisis and then the entire school viewed pieces of equipment that were on display on our playground.  The bomb squad had a robot, which showed how things are retrieved and a machine for encasing a potential explosive. The Parma SWAT Team had their vehicle and gear on display.  Seven Hills brought the canine unit.  The Parma Fire Department and Sheriff's Dept. brought emergency vehicles.  About 11 agencies were involved.  Dignitaries from the Governor's Office and the State Dept. of Safety as well as Dr. Zatik were in attendance.   

Author for Students and Staff
PTA generously brought an author to Green Valley on September 25.  Susan Bozak presented to students and then worked with staff on September 26 on How to Teach Literacy like a Dream!  Prior to the author's visit, Green Valley students made a dream chain out of dream stars! The chain went with the author to her next school.  We will receive a dream chain from a school the author visited prior.

Our Fabulous PTA
Green Valley's Literacy Theme this year is Go for the Gold - Read.  Our goal is to read 2 million minutes again this year. The Green Valley PTA's Theme is Go for the Gold - Make a Difference.  Our PTA supports our school in many ways.  We are truly grateful to our PTA, President Laheta, for making a difference in the lives of our children!

We are Effective!

Congratulations to our students and staff for working together to reach the Effective status on the Ohio State Report Card.

Relay for Life

Our team, Mission Possible, raised $5,300 for the American Cancer Society at the Parma Relay for Life.  Thank you to everyone who assisted with the fundraising effort.

House Activities

Houses have been busy with activities that help the students to get to know each other. House X had bingo and an ice cream social on September 7th and is planning a hayride in October where students will perform skits created in class as part of a persuasive unit. House Y began the year with Breakfast Bingo.  House Z is planning a science field trip to the Rocky River Metroparks Nature Center on October 10 and a Name the House Mascot as part of an English unit on propaganda. The entire house will vote on our mascot for this year, then the students will be able to buy t-shirts designed by the winning student.

Bullying Assemblies

Hanna has had the privilege of having Karen Gotwald, a bullying expert, present grade level assemblies on the topic of bullying this past month.  Students were very engaged in the topic.  As Mrs. Gotwald move through her "four essential questions" as part of her presentation, students were eager to respond.  Mrs. Gotwald will be returning to Hanna on October 23rd to continue her work with the school.

Thank You

A special thanks to Full Circle Giving for all of their hard work for planting flowers by our main entrance.  They certainly have beautified the school!  Their efforts will continue throughout this year by providing various needs.

Tiger Football

Hillside Middle School is very proud of its Football teams this year.  The 8th grade record is 4-1; and the 7th grade record is  2-2-1 so far this year. With more games to play, Hillside is looking forward to ending the season on a winning note.

Opening Day Spirit Activities

In our 2nd period classes, we had the students complete note cards with their name and 1 interesting fact about them that no one at school knows. For the remainder of 2nd period, as well as during 3rd and 4th periods, we assembled the students in the Media Center and had the kids work together in groups creating and decorating different letters of the alphabet on large pieces of posterboard.

On the posterboard, students wrote their names as well as traits that characterize the T.I.G.E.R. Way. Finally, when the posters were done, we had each group stand side-by-side in a predetermined order to reveal that the statement the groups had created was SPIRIT = RESPECT AND RESPONSIBILITY. Before leaving the Media Center, teachers read aloud some of the interesting facts about students to see who could guess the identity of the student who wrote that particular fact

In the afternoon, we began 8th period by taking the kids outside for a HULA-HOOP RELAY. Kids were arranged in 6 groups of approximately 25 each, and competed in multiple rounds of passing the hula hoop from person-to-person around a large circle without breaking hands.

We finished the day in 9th period with a NEWSPAPER STRUCTURE ACTIVITY. Students were taken to the cafeteria and arranged in 25 groups of 6 each. Each group was given a large supply of newspaper and a roll of duct tape. The only instruction was for the group to build something that they could all fit inside. Students worked together and came up with some very creative ways of accomplishing their goal.

The Pride house saved their opening day activities until after Labor Day. The students spent time creating their time capsule envelopes for one part. Another activity was a get to know each other autograph activity and a balloon toss outside. The afternoon was cooled off with a tasty treat.

John Glenn Elementary is Fabulous at 40!!

Let's Give a Cheer!! John Glenn Elementary has been serving the children and families of Seven Hills and Parma since 1967. Some of our students are actually second generation Voyagers!

It's time to gather up your John Glenn memorabilia and notify any John Glenn alumni of our community celebration of 40 years of educational achievement!

Planned for this year:

40 Year Commemoration Celebration including the dedication of our Outdoor Learning Center - October 28 from 2-4:00 p.m. Join us for a look at our past and our future with some fun and educational activities.

John Glenn Community Talent Show - Kids, Moms, Dads, Grandparents, John Glenn Grads - It's time to "get your act together"! This spring we will be highlighting John Glenn "homegrown" talent with a Community Talent Show at Normandy High School - date to be announced.

Ohio Department of Health Buckeye Best Healthy School Award for John Glenn!

Healthy food choices, active recess options, weekly Gym classes, anti- smoking education all entered into the equation that earned this important recognition for John Glenn students and staff. In addition, John Glenn qualified for a free Automated External Defibrillator (AED) to help save lives in a cardiac emergency thanks to Ms. Nickles, Mrs. Sboukis, Mrs. Renicker, Ms. Hall, and Mrs. Dargay, who attended CPR/AED training in June. Here's to our health!

Congratulations PTA!!

Our outstanding PTA received the National PTA School of Excellence award.  The John Muir PTA is a wonderful group that works hard at making our school a better place for students, families and faculty.

Fitness Night

The PTA hosted a successful Fitness Night on Thursday, September 20.  Many fun fitness events were available along with a healthy snack.  Prizes were also raffled at the end of the evening.

Summer Reading

Students who completed their Summer Reading assignments were rewarded with fun time on an inflatable jumper which was rented by our wonderful PTA.  Students were very excited and are already looking toward next summer.

State Report Card

Normandy High School has once again recognized as an “EXCELLENT” high school for 2006-2007 by the Ohio Department of Education.  This is the fourth consecutive year we have earned this status.

Our daily attendance rate was 94.3% and our graduation rate was 96.4% which is nearly 10% higher than the state average for 2006-07.

Sophomores scored the following on the Ohio Graduation Test (OGT): Reading - 95.9%, Math - 93.7%, Writing - 96.9%, Science - 85.9% and Social Studies - 88.4%

AP Scholars Award

The College Board recently named the following Class of 2007 students as AP Scholars with Distinction.  This an award granted to students who receive an average grade of at lea