Tuesday, November 30, 2010

CHS Band & Cheerleaders Participate in Santa Parade

Saturday morning, our CHS Band and Cheerleaders participated in the annual Santa Parade.  Below is a slideshow of pictures from the event from Jeff Pontsler.

Kiwanis Club Annual Reindog & Elf Parade Celina Ohio on PhotoPeach

A Fresh Start

Today marks the beginning of the 2nd trimester.  Good luck to the staff and students as we start this new term.  Grade cards will be distributed to students on Friday, December 3rd during Advisory period.

After we wrapped up the first trimester, the high school staff spent the next day (Wednesday before Thanksgiving) in professional development.  During a portion of our day, we spent time reflecting on the first trimester ... I asked the teachers to describe the trimester in one word.  Below is a 'Wordle' (www.wordle.net) of a few of their responses.

Wordle: 1st Trimester in a Word


We also spent a portion of our day preparing for more implementation of technology in the classroom.  We are making great strides toward teaching more 21st Century Skills in the classroom.  We know that our students will be entering a different world today than they did 10 years ago, and we are changing our approach in the classroom to accommodate that shift.  Here is one of our Building Goals for this school year:


"We will address the academic needs of our students through improved instruction and implementation of 21st Century Skills."

We have a great staff of teachers that are working hard to do what is best for our students and we are doing great things in the classroom... Stay tuned for more posts about some of those great classroom activities!

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Hard to believe, but we have arrived at the end of the 1st trimester -- ALREADY!  Now, students have a 6 day vacation... we return to school on Tuesday, November 30th to begin the 2nd trimester.  

Grade cards will be passed out next Friday (12/3/10) to the students during their advisory period.  If students need a new schedule, they should stop in the office.  

Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!

Here are some of my FAVORITE images from 1st Trimester...





Wednesday, November 17, 2010

CHS Choir to Perform this Weekend

The CHS Choir Department will be giving two performances of "100 Years of Broadway" this weekend -- Saturday 11/20/10 & Sunday 11/21/10 at 7 PM in the Ed Complex Auditorium.  Tickets are $5 each or 5 for $20 and can be purchased from any choir member or at the door.  Both the Chamber Choir and the A Cappella Choirs will be featured and several Chamber Choir members will perform solos and duets of Broadway favorites throughout history.

Join us for this sure to be entertaining event!

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

We Love Trimesters...

As we near the end of our first ever TRIMESTER at CHS, I think it is appropriate to discuss how students and staff have adjusted to the change.  The underlying theme here is... "We love trimesters!"
Have we had some bumps in the road?  YES!  Have there been challenges and even some problems to work through?  Of course!  But, the one thing we have tried to do is continue to keep the best interests of the students in mind.  We have tweaked a few things along the way, and the teachers are already discussing how they might change some things for 2nd trimester.  All in all, trimesters has been a positive change because it has allowed teachers more time to get 'in depth' with their lessons, it has lightened the workload for students (only 5 classes instead of 7), and almost everyone will tell you it has made the day go faster!  These are just a few of the positives.
No scheduling system is perfect, but we certainly do 'love the trimesters'.  Watch this short video for more...

American Education Week

This week (November 15 - 19) is American Education Week.  "American Education Week (AEW) spotlights the importance of providing every child in America with a quality public education from kindergarten through college, and the need for everyone to do his or her part in making public schools great." (National Education Association website, 2010).  


From L to R: Kim Lammers (CEA President), Carol Henderson
(OAPSE President), Sharon LaRue (Mayor), Matt Miller
(Superintendent), and Connie Paulus (Board President)
Take some time this week to thank everyone involved in educating the youth in our community -- teachers, administrators, guidance counselors, board members, aides, custodians, bus drivers, secretaries, and cafeteria workers. 


At the school board meeting on Monday night, Celina Mayor Sharon LaRue issued a Proclamation for American Education Week.  

Monday, November 15, 2010

Imagination Library Turkey Trot

The 1st Annual Imagination Library Turkey Trot 5K Run and 1K Elementary Fun Run was a huge success.  Thanks to Kiwanis for sponsoring the event and to all of those Celina Schools staff members that volunteered their time to organize and run the event.

The Imagination Library, founded by Dolly Parton, is an organization that sends free books to young children in the community.  For more information or to sign-up a child, visit: http://imaginationlibrary.com/.

Thanks to Jeff Pontsler of the Grand Lake Independent for the slideshow below.  For more pictures of the 5K run, visit his photo website.

Celina Imagination Library Turkey Trot on PhotoPeach

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Art Department Plans Trip to NYC

The CHS Art Department is offering a trip to see the Big Apple in the spring of 2011.  The 4 day 3 night trip is scheduled for March 31 through April 3, 2011.  Students will see the most famous art that New York has to offer.  Plans to visit four different art museums and two Broadway shows are currently in the works.  In addition, students will get to experience New York City at night from the Empire State Building’s top floor.  Ground Zero, Central Park, Times Square, Rockefeller Center, South Street Seaport, the Statue of Liberty, and Ellis Island are all on the intinerary as well as much more.  If you are interested in experiencing NYC with us, you can contact Ms. Sutter or Mrs. Place for more information, or just stop in the Art Room.
Parents can contact us via email amy.sutter@celinaschools.org or kathy.place@celinaschools.org if they have any questions. 

Monday, November 8, 2010

Goodwill Drive to Victory -- WINNERS!

In September, Goodwill sponsored a local "Drive to Victory Challenge".  We were in a competition with Van Wert High School for the most donations by pounds (see blog post Goodwill Drive to Victory).  The Celina community donated over 4,400 pounds, making us a 'weekly winner'.  THANKS TO EVERYONE THAT DONATED!

Here is the congratulatory note from Goodwill:
A view of the trailer with
donated items.
"On behalf of Goodwill Easter Seals Miami Valley, Mid-USA Credit Union and WHIO-TV we would like thank you and your students, faculty and community for participating in the 2010 Drive to Victory.
We commend you on your schools outstanding total of 4,400 pounds in donations which during this year’s Drive to Victory.
Your generosity has gone along way in helping us fulfill our mission – to provide services for people with disabilities in your community.
As the season has come to a close and you were a weekly winner, Celina H.S. will receive a $100 check for your scholarship fund. Congratulations!"

THANKS CELINA!

Sunday, November 7, 2010

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Congratulations to the cast of the Legend of Sleepy Hollow on a great performance over the weekend!!

Hannah Fleck runs 19:59 at State Championship Meet! | Celina High School Cross Country | iHigh.com

View the article linked below from Coach Dan Otten for more information about the State Cross Country Meet & Hannah's performance.

CONGRATULATIONS Hannah on a FANTASTIC season!

Hannah Fleck runs 19:59 at State Championship Meet! | Celina High School Cross Country | iHigh.com

Friday, November 5, 2010

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow Premieres Tonight

Tickets are still available at the door...
Performances are on Friday @ 8 PM, Saturday @ 8 PM, and Sunday @ 3 PM.

Good luck to the cast and to the directors... Break a Leg!

Thanks to the Grand Lake Independent for the slideshow below (photos taken during the preview):



The Legend of Sleepy Hollow on PhotoPeach

Advisory Period Proves Useful in Many Ways

Coming into the school year, there were many questions about how we might use the new 'Advisory Period'.  This 30 minute block of time has a great deal of potential and has been used in many ways throughout the 1st trimester.  It will evolve over time , but for now, we are seeing it used as a study hall, a way for students to get help from teachers, a meeting time for student organizations -- Student Council, SADD, FTA, Principal's Advisory Council, and pep assemblies.  Recently, we began hosting college and armed forces recruiting sessions during advisory period.  These are offered to students (voluntarily) who are interested in the specific programs.  Most recently, we hosted the Ohio State Beauty Academy -- three students visited with an advisor from the Academy to learn more about the program and requirements for admission (pictured above).

All in all, this period of time has become a very useful and worthwhile 1/2 hour.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Girls Volleyball in Regional Action

For the 4th straight year, the Celina Girls Volleyball team participated in the Regional Tournament in Ontario, Ohio.  Despite their loss on Wednesday night, the Lady Dawgs had a fantastic season and we are proud of them!

Investigating a New Way of Teaching & Learning

On Friday, October 29th, several teachers and administrators from Celina City Schools traveled to Fairview Park High School near Cleveland to see first hand their use of technology to teach 21st Century Skills.  This school district has recently started a one-to-one laptop initiative, giving each Freshmen student a netbook that they carry with them all day and take home.  The elementary school in the Fairview District has had a laptop in the classrooms for each student for the past four years.

The teachers and administrators that attended learned quite a bit on the trip and left with a few ideas.  This is just the beginning of the conversation we intend to continue about integrating more 21st Century Skills into our classrooms... these skills (in addition to the academic content) include Life & Career Skills, Learning & Innovation Skills, and Information, Media & Technology Skills.  The world is changing and the job market is changing -- therefore, the way we prepare our students for their future must also change.

Monday, November 1, 2010

"Time" for Geometry

Getting students interested in school is something we strive for everyday... from finding the speed of passing cars, to using robots, our teachers are always trying to find real life applications for the learning that takes place in the classroom.  Most recently, a group of students in Mr. Maurer's Geometry class used their Geometry skills to make clocks in the wood shop.  Congratulations to these students on a job well done!

District Champion Volleyball Team & State Cross Country Runner

On Saturday night, the CHS Volleyball team earned a District Championship, defeating Eastwood 3 - 2.  The Girls will now travel to Ontario High School on Wednesday, November 3rd to play Parma Padua Franciscan at 6 PM.

Also on Saturday, Hannah Fleck finished 14th at the Regional Cross Country Meet and will now run at the Division II State Championship meet on Saturday @ 2:05 PM.

Congratulations and good luck to both Hannah and the Volleyball team.

On Wednesday, the CHS Marching Band will perform their Spirit March beginning at 1:50 PM with the Volleyball team and Hannah following behind as the entire school will cheer them on!  Parents are invited to come and watch the Spirit March!

Remember the Bulldogs

On Friday, October 29th, CHS held the final fall pep assembly -- titled "Remember the Bulldogs" (a play off of the movie 'Remember the Titans').  Organized by the Spirit Squad, the pep assembly was a huge hit and recognized ALL fall sports athletes.  The student body was also given a show by the senior football players who performed a dance from the movie!  Also, Hannah J. and Alex A. sang the song "Ain't no Mountain High Enough".  Watch the video below!